One love: When single mothers take on the odds

If parenting is challenging, for single parents the difficulty of the task is twice as much. TOI talks to some female single parents who rise to the challenge every single moment and come up trumps.

Stephanie Young, a 32-year-old teacher and single mom, says parenting single-handedly gives her the drive and motivation, which works as a turbo charge for her career. “I always want to strive hard to ensure the best for my child and me. It’s like you have to build your own sunshine.”

Another career woman and single mother, Pooja Kesar says, “I take is as a strength and not a misfortune.” She feels being single allows her the liberty to be who she wants, develop her career and put in extra hours at work. “My friends and colleagues are proud of me and what society thinks does not matter to me,” says the lady who gathered the courage to get out of an abusive relationship.

“I stood up for my son and myself,” she says, philosophising that challenges are not obstacles. “That period taught me a lot,” she adds.

Young, who avers to that sentiment, says, “I am what I am today because of what I have been through. I never feel sorry for myself or belittle myself. I have learnt lessons. We all do. I have learnt how important I am.”

On the flip side, single parenting means the all the responsibilities of parenting rest on one set of shoulders. But Young has an interesting insight.

“I am the mother and father. When you play two roles of two individuals, you develop the strength of two people,” she says while also gives her family, her support system, its due. “They are my son’s and my backbone,” she says.

CEO and founder of Paradise School, Shilpa Mehta says, “I feel the power of womanhood is getting stronger in the world; there are so many inspiring women icons now, leading the way, showing us how to be feminine and true and brave enough to change the world.”

She adds, “That’s definitely how I have parented my daughter, to know that her mother is a fire starter, who can take the rough with the smooth, and still get up everyday and fight for what it is right. And to treat life like a magnificent adventure that requires the best and most exciting part of us. The only thing we have to overcome is our own lack of certainty about who we are. We know. All we have to do is act.”