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Rainbows
and Rain
by Tisha Tyler
 Tisha
Tyler, single mother of 2 and editor of
www.eredewriter.com,
explores the joys and challenges
of single parenthood in this inspirational
monthly column.
It's good to be back--- I've missed our
monthly "get together." So much has happened;
it was an event-filled summer. The children
vacationed for six weeks in Ohio with
my family and their father. Although I
missed them and they longed for home,
we survived it! I had to remind them (and
myself) that it was important that they
spend time with daddy and their new stepmother.
When parents decide to go separate routes
in life, there lies the possibility of
one or both remarrying and introducing
a stepparent into the mix…don't sweat
it. It's not about you or them, but about
providing the means for an easy transition
into a new lifestyle for the children
that you all love and wish the best for.
Kids imitate what they see the adults
in their lives do.
Upon their return home we geared up for
the start of a new school year. Nishon
would begin kindergarten. I found it nearly
impossible to contain my excitement. She
would be entering a new, different world.
Older children. Increased responsibilities.
A greater level of independence. I determined
that she would need my parental guidance
both more and less than ever before. For
the first time in her life she is being
exposed to kids who are not like her.
I've always been very cautious about the
types of schools that I have enrolled
my children in, and the types of kids
that I allowed them to play with--- I'm
protective and selective.
We've all been touched one way or another
by the events that took place on September
11th. The terrorist attacks forced me
to look at my own immortality; to tie
up some loose ends that I had been putting
off until a less disrupting moment. It
gave me a chance to examine my actions,
reactions, and especially my relationships.
Male and female, platonic and otherwise.
It afforded me the opportunity to examine
my role as a single parent and to critique
my performance. Not so surprisingly, I
saw myself sometimes walking a thin line.
One morning after the bombing, the children
and I were driving to school. Nishon mentioned
to me that a kid at her school believed,
"…the twin towers were more important
than God." This sparked a conversation
between the three of us; we concluded
that the little girl was confused about
the importance of God in her life because
her parents were confused. They had not
taken the needed time to provide her with
vital character forming information. Maybe
they were too busy climbing the corporate
ladder; or perhaps a single parent like
myself taking it one day at a
time trying hard, really hard, to keep
it all together. My not-so-little little
girl then said something that surprised
me and gave me immense joy: "You know,
mommy. Even though that girl is a first
grader and I'm just a kindergartner, I'm
so much smarter than she is because I
know how great God is."
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