The Single Dad: I have to do this all by myself?

Someone once said, “Motherhood is a terminal disease." This is true. I can remember coming home from work one day and my mother (in her 70s) reminding me to wash behind my ears as I headed for the shower. I was in my mid-40s, married, and had four children.

I remember her telling my wife how to do things the ‘right’ way for me, and my wife took all this with a grain of salt…fortunately. I’m sure it was all out of love, but it often suffocated and I guess I even resented it from time to time.

But she’s been gone for many years and I’ve had to learn to live with: “OH MY GOD I’VE GOT TO DO IT ALL BY MYSELF?”

Of course, somewhere in that time I managed to get married to a great woman who was quite competent around the house. Much like my mother (how odd, I married someone just like mom). And she took care of things.

Then the trouble started and we ended in divorce. “OH MY GOD I’VE GOT TO DO IT ALL BY MYSELF? AGAIN?”

This article appears in Aug 12-18, 2009.