Last Sunday was Mother's Day and it has been a difficult day for me in the last six years because of my Mom passing away. It never really occured to me to celebrate Mother's Day before because I always felt like I showed her that I loved her and appreciated everything that she did for the three of us kids. My mom was a single parent. We lost our father in 1981. Mom never remarried. She did it all by herself on a golf teacher's salary. She provided for the three of us on what basically a seasonal job. From the months of March to October she was out there on the golf course teaching. I remember during those months she was never at home. She got up early and came home late, but amazingly enough she never missed anything that me, my sister or brother participated in. She was always there for the three of us. This past Mother's Day like the last six Mother's Day that I have had without her it has made me very reflective on the way I grew up in a single parent home vs what children today who are growing up in that same single parent home.

How is it today that single parents aren't making it? It shouldn't be that hard for them should it? Why is it that single parents today are having to work more than one job in order make it? Is it because of Bush's tax cuts for the upper class? Is it because the rise in health care? Is it the rise in gas prices? Why does the Republican Party want to make it so hard for those single families out there? Is it because the Republican Party puts less of a value on those families then those that have two parents? I really just don't get it. How come we couldn't get that working families bill out of committee? Why did Sharon Beasly Teague not even go to that committee meeting to at least hear what working familes have to say? They were only asking for 8 hours out of the year is that so much to ask companies? I would like to point out those 8 hours were optional to those employees that wanted it. I would think this would really benefit those single parents out there that just do not have the time to take off of work to see what their kids are up to in school because they are working mulitple jobs. The Republican Party wants parents to raise their children and not schools or whoever else. Well that's really hard to do I would think if there is not help for them to do just that. My Mom would never wanted a hand out from anybody and I would think the majority of the single parents out there would feel the same way, but shouldn't it be just a little easier for them. Coming from a single parent home myself I would say the answer is yes! We are not asking for the moon here. We are just asking for a little help to make life a little easier.