Dear Overwhelmed Single Mom

A few years ago (probably more like 6 or 7+) there was a story in the news about a mother of two, who took the lives of her two children, then her own in a welfare office (or some type of government assistance office).

I read that story, and I felt like I knew immediately what that poor woman must have been feeling. Mentally and emotionally, she was DONE.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t condone what she did, but I felt like I could understand her frame of mind leading up to when she did it.

When my kids’ father and I split up, I remember struggling with feelings of anxiety and feeling like the weight of the entire Universe was on my shoulders. I always felt just ‘this side’ of rage.

As the full-time caretaker of three kids, the youngest being only 3 years old, I felt like I got this massive job hoisted on me, and I had no choice but to deal with it.

Don’t get me wrong (and don’t send me angry mail or comments), but I felt like… “what the fuck did I do to deserve a life this difficult???”

And it was constant.

Twenty-four seven, I felt like I wanted to scream. I always felt like I had a rock in my throat that was strangling me, keeping me from taking a deep breath.