Sean Whalen from the USA is raising three children alone. One evening, going to a restaurant with them, he remembered everything that happened to their family 30 years ago: “I will forever remember the day my parents separated. My father and I quarreled. Me, my mother and my younger brother had to spend the night in a hotel then – my father became completely uncontrollable. When we returned the next evening, he had already changed all the locks. I remember how my mother begged him to let us at least pick up things. He didn’t. In response, he called the cops.
They threw me a black bag and said that I have 10 minutes to pick up everything I need. The bag contained only clothes. That was the last time I crossed the threshold of the house where I grew up. I left all my baseball awards. All certificates, 10,000 baseball cards. All. Hell, they didn’t even let me take the turtle!
We moved to a small shed, we didn’t have anything. People from the church brought us pots and pans, a couple of chairs, beds and food. The father withdrew all the savings from the bank account, so the mother was left with only pocket money. She couldn’t do anything. There was no family or relatives nearby. No support, except for those strangers from the church. How the mother didn’t die then, I don’t know. I would have given up immediately. But she never thought about it.
I only began to understand what my mother did for us when I became a single father myself. In her youth, it was difficult to imagine what she went to for us. Mother worked hard to make sure my brother and I had everything we needed.
In the evening, when my son and I went to our favorite lousy Chinese eatery, I suddenly saw a new waitress. She was immediately noticeable. The owners were Chinese. The staff are Chinese. And suddenly this little white-skinned creature. She served excellently, filled up my son with compliments, and admired his manners. We finished dinner and chatted a bit. From the conversation, I realized that she is also a single mother. Of course, she did not want to work in a dirty Chinese cafe that evening, but she did not do it for herself. My heart went to pieces.
I immediately remembered my mother. I saw in her the woman I had always observed in my mother. Single mother. Maybe that’s what she wanted. Maybe not. Don’t know. I know one thing – she works every night so that the children always have food on the table and shoes on their feet. She doesn’t work for status. Not for a career. Just to survive. For the smile on the face of her children. I know her pain. Although, to be honest, I still have no idea how women cope.
I understand that my tip will not help her pay all the bills. I know that with this money you can’t put braces on children and you won’t fill the refrigerator. I just hope that today, because of the smile I put on her face, she will come home happier than usual.
I don’t know her story. Yes, I don’t need it. I just thought, suddenly, one day, someone helped my mother so morally. In those days when she just wanted to throw everything to hell, someone kind just chatted with her heart to heart and gave her hope.
I consider my mother an immense blessing. She laid out all my way brick by brick from beginning to end. She taught me not to bend. I hope that mother from the Chinese cafe tomorrow wakes up with new strength, understands how much she means to her babies and again moves to fight with life. To all single mothers RESPECT! You are amazing and your kids will learn a lot from you. They are looking at you, watching you. Just like I used to look at my mother.
