Gail Cawley Showalter
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Child's love is greatest gift for any mom
As first appeared in Beaumont Enterprise May 8, 2011

I raised a girl and two boys as a single mother. We had good days, not so good days and some terrible, no good, very bad days. 

My daughter, Treva, the only girl and the oldest of three, expected to become a mother. Life, however, isn’t obligated to give us what we expect and though her desire was met, it wasn’t in the way she thought it would be.

After Treva married, years passed, and there was no baby. She learned after infertility treatments and finally surgery that she would not be able to get pregnant. A few months later she went on a mission trip with a group to Russia. While there she found her baby daughter in an orphanage in Vladimir. Back in the United States five long months later the new family arrived at the airport holding tightly, Kaylin Elizabeth, the seven month old bundle of joy. Embracing this child and watching her grow has been one of life’s most amazing blessings, a gift enjoyed by mothers everywhere.

Mothers come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and ages. Moms may have one child or several. Moms may be Mother to children they did not give birth to or to children that were not with them at birth but came later to the family. Moms may be mothering children that came when she was still a teenager. Millions of moms are mothering alone. Single mothers share the same gift of Mother’s Day that other moms do.

Single moms, you may not receive a present this Mother’s Day. You may not be treated to a restaurant meal. You may not receive a card from your children. Your children may not know to say “Happy Mother’s Day.”  You are not alone. There are well over 10 million single moms in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 million children in America, one out of three, live in homes where the biological father is absent. Though your children may not know their father, they know you. They know your love, your day-in day-out presence and your way of holding their home together. They know your heart and they love you with a love that is acknowledged the world over-the love of a child for his mother. Holidays like Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, even Christmas are short on fun when you are a single mom. But moms hold a gift, Hallmark cannot match.

Moms would easily forego the packages for the special place they hold in the hearts of their children. While celebrating Mothers is a noble thing to do, mothers already hold the treasure— the child is truly the gift.  When the day is done it’s the hug and the touch of pure love between mothers and her babies that makes each day a holiday all its own.

So much more than a card, a bouquet, or a box of chocolates is the hug from a child, the “I love you, Ma,” from a grown son, the breath of a baby against her cheek.

Holding our Russian princess in the airport that night we knew the child is the greatest gift of all.

(c) 2022 Gail C. Showalter. All rights reserved
  • Home
  • Publications
    • Enneagram Guidance
    • We Make the Road By Walking Series
    • Great Spiritual Migration Series
    • The Universal Christ Series
    • ABCs of Wisdom
    • Seeing the world through blind eyes
    • Published Stories >
      • Baby Steps
      • The Christmas Elf
      • Gift Shop Miracle
      • Editorials >
        • Teach Responsibility
        • Single Moms Need Our Help to Achieve
        • Single Moms Can Soar
        • A father's presence, simple gesture goes a long way
        • Education is Key for Single Moms
        • Here's why you shouldn't call single moms selfish or stupid
        • Buckner Helps Single Moms
        • Child's love is greatest gift for any mom
        • Love, family and single moms
        • Make a single mom happy on Valentine's Day
        • Single mothers deserve praise for tough job, not disrespect
        • New Year's Message for Absent Dads
        • Honoring Mom
        • The Art of Education
      • Home
      • Snow Tide
      • These boots were made for...
    • BOOKS
    • 101 Ways to Create a New Life
    • Grace of Aloneness is Amazing
    • Single Matters 10 Ways to Create Christmas
    • Single Matters-Single Moms on Valentine's Day
    • Single Matters-3 Steps to Wait Well & Build a Future
    • Single Matters-Why Families Need to Have Fun
    • Single Matters-5 Tips for Finding Your True North
    • Single Matters-Are You Raising a Narcissist?
    • Single Matters-3 Keys to a Successful Single Mom Life
    • Single Matters-3 Keys to Turn Your Life Around
    • Single Matters-Are You Lonely or Just Alone?
    • Single Matters 3 Things Single Moms Need in New Year
  • About
    • Speaking
    • Photos
    • Media Kit
  • Store
  • Connect
    • Join Email List
  • Gail's Blog
  • Radio Spots