Adjusting Unrealistic Expectations: Rose’s Story [Video]
Adjusting Unrealistic Expectations: Rose’s Story [VIDEO]
Rose didn't want her two-and-a-half-year-old son Aiden to grow up without a father the way she had. She tried to stay and make things work with her husband, feeling confident she was shielding Aiden from the fighting, yelling, and other struggles happening in their home.
“I thought Aiden was in his room playing,” Rose recalled. “He was back there, and I didn't think he could hear anything, and I was certain he hadn’t seen anything. Then I heard this little voice say, ‘Daddy yells at Mommy.’” It broke her heart.
That’s when Rose decided she needed to take Aiden and leave her husband and her home. The decision meant shouldering the weight of single motherhood. It was not what she wanted, but she felt it was best.
Where Could She Turn for Support?
Soon after she left her husband, Rose met April McKnight from Shepherd’s Village.
“I met April, and she was like, ‘Rose, you need to apply for Shepherd's Village.’”
Though Rose lived in the area of Shepherd’s Village’s housing program, she was unfamiliar with the help and resources she could receive there. April explained that the organization is a faith-based community for single moms and their children. Rose felt hope spring up in her heart.
“It was the first time I ever felt so supported.”
Revealing Unrealistic Expectations
Rose and Aiden got plugged into the Shepherd’s Village community and soon Rose was taking online courses through Shepherd’s Village University.
“Just going through the Shepherd’s Village University Healthy Parenting course was huge for me,” Rose shared.
The free online course revealed that Rose had many unrealistic expectations that were causing her a lot of added stress and negatively affecting her parenting. She was given the right tools and took the time to sit down, write her goals, and create a budget. ,
At first, goal-setting and budgeting felt overwhelming, but then Rose had a big revelation. “Things are not as overwhelming,” she said, “when I look at them as just one step at a time. Keep checking the boxes. Check a box, and then move on. I’m no longer chasing unrealistic goals. It's now things I can actually accomplish.”
That mindset has helped Rose to grow in every single way, but especially financially and spiritually.
“I know that I'm a better mom today than I was when I first moved to Shepherd's Village. Life has changed so much that [Aiden and I] are actually able to now participate in it and not just survive it. [This community] has made me feel that absolutely nothing that happens in my life can stop me.”
Find Hope On Your Single Mom Journey
Not every single mom needs housing, but everyone needs hope!
If you’re a single mom, you may feel scared, lonely, and overwhelmed. It takes a village of people to walk alongside you to decrease your sense of loneliness and isolation. Shepherd’s Village can help you experience comfort, hope, and transformation. Connect with our community. No matter where you live, we would love to pray for you and get you connected with life-changing resources.
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You can get started today with the same online Healthy Parenting course Rose took through Shepherd’s Village University. It’s absolutely free!