Jun 242010
I think that as parents, especially single parents, we spend so much time wanting to be supportive of our kids. Maybe it’s because we only see them so often, or maybe because we worry about how being raised by a single parent might affect them later on in life.
Webster defines support as:
to bear or hold up ; serve as a foundation for.
to sustain or withstand without giving way; serve as a prop for.
to undergo or endure, esp. with patience or submission; tolerate.
to sustain under trial or affliction: They supported him throughout his ordeal.
to maintain by supplying with things necessary to existence; provide for: to support a family.
to maintain or advocate
Those definitions are what I am sure all us parents aspire to do for our children. But what happens when the child becomes the supporter? I can tell you from personal experience that it is an amazing feeling to experience. Let me explain.
I was recently hired by a New York PR firm to do some product spokesperson work across the country. My products were all Fathers Day related, and thus due to the impending June 20th date somewhat time sensitive. I knew that this was going to happen, as did my kids, but there was no way that I could have foreseen the crunch that was about to unfold before us. I got the call mid May that I has going to go on the road starting the day after Memorial Day. No worries, I would just find somewhere for the kids to stay for a few nights. This is always good because when you are raised solely by your dad you need a break from him every once in awhile. What I didn’t remember at the time was that I was also scheduled to give a talk in the mountains, entertain my parents and oh ya, pack and move my home. OK maybe I did remember but I sure didn’t think it through very well. Bottom line here is that over a 17 day period I did all of the above, plus appeared on ten television shows in ten cities and caught 24 plane flights. There were honestly days were I forgot where I was the day before.
As much as I appreciated all that was going on, it in no way compared how much I appreciated the support of my kids. They were truly amazing! They accepted our old nanny spending the nights with them while I was gone, they pitched in and not only helped with the move and the unpacking, but actually recruited friends to do the same. I did have one mother look at me like I was some dead beat dad and asked me how I could do that to my kids? My response was that sometimes in life you have to give your kids a little more responsibility than you want in order for them to give you back the knowledge that they can handle it and even embrace it.
Jack and Michaela not only embraced it, but showed me that they really are great kids, who when given the chance really shine and support their family. I learned allot on that trip and I learned allot about my kids as well, but the number one thing I learned is that we are a family. We support each other, we are there for each other and together we can do anything…