the strength of the single mom
Image via hanssie.com
The last time I wrote, I spoke about the powerful collection of essays featured in a picture is worth…, a compilation of stories from students at the I-LEAD Charter School in Reading, Pennsylvania. I was struck by how the lessons learned by these young people are ones that take a lifetime for many to realize. The trials, challenges, and strength brought forth by the teenagers who shared their stories in these pages affirm the resilience and hopefulness inherent in our youth.
Lucy Casimiro presents a heartbreaking tale of teenage motherhood. She falls in love with Anthony, and once pregnant the two were committed to raising the child together. One day during her pregnancy, however, Lucy’s mother shares the gut-wrenching news: Anthony has died. While carrying her child, Lucy must come to terms with the fact that the baby’s father will never get to meet the joy that he helped created.
The hardest thing I have done to date would be raising my child,” she observed. “Kids are a handful, especially when you are a single parent.”