People are always astonished when I share that my father lived two houses away from me, and yet I have never once held even one conversation with him in my life. “Does it make you angry that he never put the effort into seeing you?” “Do you wish you could talk with him?” “Do you feel like you missed out by not having your father present?” …To be honest, not at all. In theory, I know that it seems ideal and more beneficial for a mother and a father to raise their child together. In most circumstances, I am sure that is true, but in other cases, not being raised by a certain type of father may in fact prove to be more favorable –especially if that father makes poor, unethical decisions and is not fit to raise his child to be a wholesome, honest, and respectable man. From what I know of my biological father, he was not the most honorable man. My mother was more than enough of a parental guide for me growing up. I can sincerely say that I feel as though I lacked nothing in my upbringing. My Mom was, and continues to be, a strong support in my life. My mom would cheer the loudest at my little league games; she would take off work to come to all of my school events. She helped me study for my tests and exams. She also worked to put me around good men that I could look up to and be mentored by; she disciplined me strictly, loved me unconditionally, and empowered me to be a confident, strong, and honest man. Selfishly enough I think I received more love and attention because my father wasn’t around.
Looking back, I would have gotten in more trouble if I didn’t have a mom that was able to give me so much of her attention, time, and energy. My mom really invested a lot of herself into me. She made sure I was able to succeed and excel in life. She created a home for me that was full of support, positivity, and love. Being a dad myself has shown me how hard it must have been for a single mom raising a boy. I am even more impressed now than when I was a kid. I really looked up to my mom as a kid, and she continues to be a source of inspiration for me. My mom did such an amazing job as a leader of our house. She was not only a parent, but she was and is the best friend a son could ever ask for in life. The mom God blessed me with is a superhero. She worked hard and gave me everything a child could want. She was there for me every step of the way. She exposed me to books, art, and travel. I am forever grateful for the life my mom lives and the example she has set as a parent. She set the bar high for me, and I work at being half the parent to my son as my mom was and is for me. My mom taught me to focus on what I have, rather than focusing on what I may seem to be lacking, because focusing on what you actually have opens up the world to you and takes the focus off what you don’t have. It allows you to start from a place of power and not a place of weakness. When we start with that mindset, we start from a place of gratitude. I don’t know what it would have been like with my father in my life, but I do know what it was like without him, and I am truly grateful for the life God allowed my mom to provide for me. I am thankful for the absence of negative influences that could have been present in my life. I am blessed to be able to have one parent that sacrificed and lived a life worthy to follow.
Thank you mom for surrendering your life to Christ. Because I saw God through you, your light led me to follow the Lord. Mom, you’ve trained me up to be a good man, and even when I strayed, your example taught and helped me find my way home. Thank you, mom, for always making home a blessed place. I love you.