In less than one month, my one and only child will be a college graduate. Even writing that still feels unreal. When my ex-husband and I separated, my daughter was a sophomore in high school. Almost overnight, everything changed. Her father moved to another state immediately, and just like that, I became the one responsible for finishing the job of raising her alone. Yes, they still talked regularly, and he would send a little money here and there, but the truth is, the bulk of the responsibility fell on me. Every decision. Every bill. Every late night. Every sacrifice. Me… I had to become an independent woman fast.
I moved in with my ex-husband straight from my parents’ house at 20 years old. I had never truly been on my own or had to make major decisions by myself. Then suddenly, I was the sole provider and the only decision-maker. I went from paying just car insurance and the electric bill to paying everything. Rent. Groceries. Bills. Life. And eventually college tuition. There were no conversations about helping with tuition. No offers to help move her in and out of school. No “does she have what she needs?” No “are you okay?” It was just me… figuring it out as I went.
I remember praying and asking God, “if you just bless me with this job, I will do whatever it takes to provide for us.” And that’s exactly what I did. Some weeks, I worked up to 120 hours.
120 hours. I was exhausted. I was stretched thin. I was overwhelmed. But I was determined.
I remember crying when my ex left, not because I wanted him to stay, but because I didn’t know if I could give my daughter the same life we had when were married. I doubted myself. I questioned everything. But I kept going anyway. The last six years have not been easy. They’ve been heavy. They’ve been uncomfortable. They’ve been lonely at times. But I showed up. I showed up tired. I showed up scared. I showed up nervous.
And now? Now it all makes sense. Because in one month, my daughter will walk across the stage. Not just as a college graduate, but as proof of what resilience looks like. What sacrifice looks like. What a determined mother can do when she refuses to quit.
Let me say this to every woman reading this: If you are in the middle of your rebuilding season… If you’re tired, overwhelmed, and unsure how it’s all going to come together… Keep going. You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just have to keep showing up. Because one day, you’re going to look at your life, and the lives you’ve impacted and realize.. You did it. Not perfectly. Not easily. But faithfully. And that? That is more than enough.
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