Life Lessons From A Single Mom

Let’s face it. There is nothing easy about being a single parent but it doesn’t mean it can’t be great. When you are the only parent at home, you have a lot more responsibility and no one to share it with. You play both mom and dad on a daily basis, and cope with loneliness, stress, and self-doubt. Sometimes going from surviving to thriving feels impossible. Maybe the journey is different, but I know and I believe that you can do it.

A little background, I was a product of a broken family. My mom was a single mother for how many years before she met my stepdad. Even though we are far from each other (she was living in the US and me brother and I are here in the Philippines), I saw how she worked and fight hard for us to survived. We didn’t saw each other (personally) for 15 years because she needs to work there for her to be able to provide for us.

I’m very thankful and appreciated what she does for us. And now that I am a single mom to my seven year old daughter, I wish and pray that I will be strong just like her.

Let me share to you some life lessons I learned from my mom:

• Be resilient and never give up.

As hard as things sometimes get, life is really hard and sometimes we feel like giving up. But my mom taught me how important it is to come up stronger every time they have a new, painful experience.

• No matter how carefully you PLAN, things can go wrong.

I’m a type of person who wants to plan everything especially if there is an upcoming event or occasions like Birthday or Christmas. I got disappointed if my plan goes wrong.

My mom taught me that even when you drill down and plan the most minute details of something, it’s possible for it to go wrong. You just can’t avoid it. Not everything in life will go wrong, but there’s no way to make everything go right either.

Don’t let derailed plans derail you. Be able to accept that this is part of life and it’s what makes the good stuff so good — you can appreciate it more because it didn’t get messed up.

• It’s okay to ask for HELP.

Being a single mother doesn’t mean you can do everything on your own. Being single doesn’t mean you can’t ask someone for help or you don’t need need help anymore. You have to ask for help sometimes. Most of the time we carry on, struggling even, because we don’t want to ask for help or because we want to pretend that everything  is A-OK.

But my taught me that whether you’re a mom or a dad, there’s nothing wrong with asking for help. Asking or accepting help doesn’t make you less or weak. And if you’re a single parent in particular, it’s important to always remember you need more help than you think.

• Do not COMPARE.

My mom taught me that if you compare yourself to others, you will always find it lacking. And once that happens, it becomes very difficult for you to ever see it as good or enough ever again.

• Planning for your family’s FUTURE.

As my mom taught me that there are plans that can go wrong, she also taught me to plan or be ready for my daughter’s future just like what she did for me and my brother.

Preparing for the unexpected may not be easy, but it will be worth it, knowing that the most important people in our lives will forever feel our love and care even when we are no longer around.

She taught me to ensure my family’s future by getting the AIA All in One 5/10 Year Pay which is perfect for legacy planning. AIA All in One is a Life insurance benefit for your loved ones of up to 5x the amount you paid and 2x if death is due to an accident. You can also pay it for 5 years or 10 years. It’s up to you.

AIA All in One is your safety net against life’s major risks. It has cash benefits in case of accident, disability, or critical illness (cancer, stroke, heart attack). And most importantly, last year of premium payments is free.

With #AIAPhilamLife’s AIA All in One, build a legacy and a better future for your family with no worries.

Let your love live on. Start planning for your family’s future as early as now. For more information about AIA All-in-One, visit AIA Philam Life’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/AIAPhilamLife/, website www.philamlife.com, email philamlife@aia.com, or call (02) 8528-2000.

Motherhood is a beautiful experience and gift from God that is to be cherished regardless of your circumstances.