Being A Single Mother Does Not Make You A Father

Mother’s Day is coming up. As a matter of fact, it’s right around the corner. Being a mother myself, I look forward to this holiday. It gives me the opportunity to relish in my six years as a mom and really take time out to appreciate myself for the daily work that I do. As a daughter, I anticipate this day even more. The degree of selflessness I witnessed watching my mother put her all into her children makes her that much more deserving of the outpouring of gratitude.

My timeline will be flooded with words of affirmation for moms and future moms alike, and that’s exactly how it should be. People will chronicle their mothers’ unending struggles, dealing with the various challenges that come with being a mom and the additional challenges that come with being a Black mom. I’ll double tap all of the beautiful collages, scroll past cheesy mommy and me photos, and read tear-jerking dedications. And why not? Black mothers deserve it. Our community operates with the belief that the “mother” in motherhood can never be replaced, she can never be duplicated, she can never be disposed of. Even mothers who don’t do such a great job mothering are lauded with praise. After all, whatever we survive at the hands of our mothers only makes us stronger, right? Mother’s Day is undoubtedly a day for Mothers, an unchallenged celebration of womanhood, and that’s exactly how it…