Make No Mistake, I Am A Good Mother.

When Clyde and I met to discuss our separation and impending divorce, he said to me that he was concerned with the item that listed the children living with me. "What if they want to live with me?" He queried. I replied that I am a good mother and there is no reason to change the arrangements. He continued with the "but what if they choose to" and I reminded him that I am a good mother and it wasn't productive to let the children pin us, the parents, against one another just because they don't like the rules of one house or the other. I don't think that was the answer he was looking for. After all, in truth, he wants to weasel out of child support. Which is something I don't understand. In fact he'd prefer that I support the children without his money. But I don't and can't fathom this a rational course of action. Why are the non-custodial parents such douches when it comes to their responsibilities to their children? I didn't give birth to them on my own. It doesn't matter if I could afford to support them, which I can't. The point is, their existence is our responsibility. However, when I mentioned to Clyde that I am a good mother and he is a good father and the arrangement stands, he just stared at me. He didn't acknowledge my ability to mother his children. There are days I struggle between being there to raise my kids and being the provider for my family. Sometimes I'm so tired that I drag my bag of bones body around like a zombie from one activity of cooking dinner, doing laundry, to driving back and for to work, shopping, missed buses, doctor appointments, cleaning the juice spills, unclogging the sink, running to the mall, picking out concert tickets, paying for shoes, book bags, bras, skinny jeans, dying hair, waxing eyebrows, yelling at, disciplining, grounding, begging them to clean up their room, put away, clothes, talk nicer to each other, be kind to one another, SHARE, QUIET!!!, or watching Ouron Host Club for the gazillionth time to just trying get a high five, a hug and kiss or even a smile from my children (all the while, Clyde remains the fun parent, the nice guy, the one that takes them to the beach and the aquarium and lets them eat sugary food and drink soda parent). I'm a working mother, I am a single mother... but make no mistake, I am a GOOD mother...

XOX
Ursula