To All Mothers

       Langston Hughes's poem reminds me of the sage advice and counsel my mother, Mary R. Alexander has given. Like most mothers around the world, she has demonstrated as James Brown says "This is a man's, a man's, a man's world but it wouldn't be nothing, nothing without a woman or a girl."

      I am, who I am, today, because of a strong, intelligent, and God-fearing woman who ensured that I did what I had to do, rather than what I wanted to do. She ensured I had a relationship with God, earned a good education, developed a sense of pride, and always remembered that life and no one owes me anything but I owe my life to doing right by others and doing the best I can.

      I know my mother is not the only strong woman who has raised her children in a one parent home. Just recently, in the news, Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend has been quoted as saying single parent mothers are "a contributing factor to child abuse and neglect.” How misinformed Sen. Grothman is.  Yes, it is better for children to grow up in a household with two parents, a mother and father, but every child has not and will not always be afforded this opportunity.  So, to stereotype all single mothers is nothing short of sexist and ignorant. 

    My hope is that anyone who reads this blog understands that there are some outstanding single mothers, whose lives have not been crystal stairs.  They have dealt with difficult times, but never gave up and often never let their children even know how hard things were. My mother tells me now, how hard it was for her raising me as a single mother.   I never knew it was hard growing up.  I never went hungry, I never went without clothes on my back, I never was given an opportunity to make an excuse for not doing what I needed to do.  My mother, like so many other single mothers, tell their children don't give up, don't set down, because things get hard, because they - single mothers- never give up.  So to my mother and all mothers - in the words of Tupac "Keep Your Head Up."