Reading Becky Nolan’s accurate account of parenting as a widow, I am reminded that what has become my normal is not normal at all. I remember the intense stress and anxiety of trying not to further “mess up” my daughter’s future as I struggled through my bizarre and terrifying new reality. While some of those emotions at times subside to tolerable levels, I still struggle and feel that I do not give enough mental space, support and time to her. Logically, I know I do the best I can. Emotionally, I feel my daughter deserves more than one parent can give.
Parenting is the hardest job in the world. So much rides on everything you do, every decision you make, and even who you are. The future of the tiny humans who call you mom or dad rests on your shoulders. The pressure is insurmountable.
Widowed parents know the stress and anxiety of parenting better than anyone. I am a widowed parent to my three year old toddler. I have been parenting alone for the last two years, since she was 13 months old. I guess in some ways it might be easier for me because I’ve always been a “single” parent to my toddler. I never knew what it was like to co-parent a toddler. I lost my husband when she was an infant, I never had the chance to settle into a parenting routine because by that age the routines were constantly changing. And on top of that, I’ve…
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Michael W Brunt 
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