MEET YOUR FOUNDING SOLE MOTHER

Hi friends! My name is Holly, I am thirty-something years old & residing in the midwest. I am a sole mother of three minis who are preteen & elementary age. My single motherhood has been complicated. While I have been single four years, I felt like a single mom for much longer. When you are with someone who is intensely needy, codependent, irresponsible, offers no help of any sort, and can’t hold a job to save their life, you’re basically raising another child.

My story is filled with much grief and trauma. As this blog unfolds, you will have the opportunity to hear more. My goal is not to dwell on historical issues, but to focus on present solutions toward growth. It has been a long journey that has brought me here. A lonely road with much confusion, anxiety, and panic. I have come a long way, and learned a lot. Most importantly, I know I was never alone. The entire time I was in God’s hands, under the shadow of his wings. For much of the trek, he carried me, for I could not carry myself.

My burdens have been heavy, from my previous relationship into single motherhood. It feels as if I have carried not only my own burdens, but also those of other women so that they may not have to. My hope is that I can help lighten the load for other sole moms who find themselves in tough spots. I will strive to induce confidence in those who have little. Those who are at the end of their ropes, please know there is a way out of the struggle. It doesn’t have to be so hard. I am aiming to build a community full of connections, advice, and resources so we can thrive together.

THE HEART & SOLE STORY

Why Heart & Sole Moms

As a “single mom” I do not prefer the label “single”. Being single seems to have a bad rep these days. A lot of people jump to a variety of conclusions and immediately take pity upon women & their children. Why is it that “single dads” are praised & glorified for their efforts and involvement in their children’s lives? (Especially those who only have the easy every other weekend visits.) Yet women, who do it all and then some, more often and with more effort and care, are looked down upon with melancholy. 

Comparatively, we are expected to step into our role, which brings no recognition for how much goes into our everyday lives, nor is it ever noticed that this is an extremely hard job for anyone. Typically, this is done by people who could never deal with the things we handle on a day-to-day basis – alone. But these are also people who do not know or understand what true strength and bravery are.

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Please do not get me wrong here. I know there are a whole lot of hardworking, single fathers out there, who make it a point to provide for their children and to be as present as possible for them. Single dads are not the enemy, I promise! I understand there are also many single mothers out there who are not the greatest. However, according to statistics, single mothers DO have it much harder than single fathers. We will get to that later. 

The focus of this blog is NOT to bash or talk negatively about anyone. Above all, it is to be an uplifting community of understanding mothers who parent alone. We are here to be an encouragement, with sound advice to help all mothers do their best in love. I for one just want to shed some light on the situation. To pull back the curtain on what is going on here. in addition, to see credit given where credit is due. Let’s be real… WE need more than we receive!

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A while back, I decided that despite my reality, I do not like being called a “single mom”. I don’t know about you, but I most definitely do not need anyone to feel bad for me because there is no “proper man” to” head my household”. If I did not like being called a “single mom”, then what? There had to be a better name for us. After a little brainstorming, I decided I would rather prefer being called a “sole mother”. 

Sole - by definition

Adjective, “one and only”, “belonging or restricted to one person”, “unaccompanied”, “unwed”.

Where we find ourselves

Some of us have found ourselves in this “sole” situation by circumstance over choice, meanwhile others may have initially had the choice. Others may prefer this sole status over their alternative of being in an unhealthy relationship. Props for making the right choice for yourself! Regardless of how we got here, this is where we are. We can join together and be a community of thriving sole mothers. Imagine the impact we will be able to make!

Certainly, that is where I come in. I have decided to make a change in my own world, subsequently, with the hopes that it will have a ripple effect on the world around me.  Therefore, my mission is to build this blog and a new community to help inspire other sole mothers to be brave, embrace their lifestyle as individual parents, and band together so that we may thrive in our own every day, challenge-filled lives. So, who’s with me?

Likewise, I hope you chose to stick around! This blog will be ever-growing. I wanted to launch with as much helpful information as possible. But over time, I will have the opportunity to add even more goodness to these pages. Also, I intend to add helpful resources and advice from other sole moms who choose to submit helpful information that I may be unaware of. If you have some helpful tips or resources that have not yet been posted on Heart & Sole Mom’s, PLEASE reach out to suggest new additions that can be helpful to other sole moms like us. Thank you!

What's next?

I hope you chose to stick around! This blog will be ever-growing. I wanted to launch with as much helpful information as possible. But over time, I will have the opportunity to add even more goodness to these pages. I also intend to add helpful resources and advice from myself, as well as other sole moms who choose to submit helpful information that I may be unaware of. 

If you have some helpful tips or resources that have not yet been posted on Heart & Sole Moms, PLEASE reach out to suggest new additions that can be helpful to other sole moms like us. Send in your best advice, whether it is your own, or advice from someone else that improved your own situation. You can also get connected to the community on the Heart & Sole Moms Instagram page. 

In conclusion, just because we are parenting alone, does not mean we have to do it all by ourselves. As they say, “it takes a village”. Let’s be the village!  

MORE ABOUT ME

The mundane

As I previously mentioned, I am in the Midwest of the United States. Our motto here is “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes. It will change!” Currently, I do have a day job outside of my home. Since spring 2018, I have been running my own business full-time. (Also, something I do alone.) I love to sing, thus, I have been a part of the praise team at my church for the past few years. Nature calls my name and we especially enjoy walking or hiking adventures, especially with my my mom. I love to capture the beauty of God’s creation by taking what seems like too many photos of nature anytime I am outside. Additionally, I love to cook. My dad & I hold the secrets to the absolute best home made spaghetti sauce, as well as the greatest meatballs you could ever taste.

Hope*Writers

On top of the chaos of raising three children alone by playing both parental roles, running my business, being involved with my church, and still trying to maintain an actual life, I am crazy enough to be chasing my dreams. I’ve always loved to write and have been told by many people throughout my life that I should become a writer someday. That idea was put on the back burner. It was hidden away for a long time and completely forgotten about. Thanks to author Emily P. Freeman and her podcast The Next Right Thing, I was inspired to start writing again. For this reason, I started with journaling in a notebook—which I kept all to myself—until I discovered the hope*writers community.

Notably, I became a hope*writer the first chance I had! After completing a 7-day writing challenge on Instagram, I joined the community in January 2021. Since then, I have been blown away by all the education I discovered within the member library. The connections I have made with fellow hope*writers have been both meaningful and priceless to me. I am still shocked and amazed at all I have learned so far and I have only scratched the surface.

Looking to a brighter future - together

To sum things up, I look forward to what my future as a writer holds. There are BIG plans I have in mind. But I am taking small and practical steps to get there. I am so happy to have you here on this journey with me. There are so many helpful ideas floating around in my brain and eventually, I would like to put them into book form. My heart wants to see other women confident and successful in their endeavors. Especially, those who are currently experiencing the struggles of everyday life.

As single mothers, we have already proven how we can survive. Now, as sole mothers, it is time for us to THRIVE!

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