Let’s be real: summer is beautiful, chaotic, and deeply complicated when you’re doing it all alone.
Last summer, I was solo. Every popsicle, every water day, every trip to the park, I managed it by myself. I packed the bags, set up the snacks, paid for the outings, and captured the memories with no one behind the camera to catch me in them.
And I was exhausted.
This year looks different. I have a partner. Someone to help carry the weight, tag team bedtime, and drive when I’m tired.
And I’m so grateful for that.
But here’s the honest part I didn’t expect: the guilt didn’t disappear.
The grief still whispers in the quiet moments. The memory of how hard it was last year doesn’t just vanish because someone else showed up. I still catch myself doing too much. I still have to remind myself that I’m allowed to rest, even now.
What No One Sees…
• How I flinch at how easy something feels now, because it reminds me how hard it once was.
• How I still keep mental lists and double-check things out of habit.
• How I want to embrace the support but part of me feels like I haven’t earned ease yet.
Grief doesn’t just let go because the season changes.
It finds you in the small moments. Even in the joy.
Here’s What I’m Learning This Summer:
• Support doesn’t erase the past. It softens the load, but I’m still healing.
• It’s okay to let someone else help. I don’t have to be the hero every single day.
• Joy is still allowed. Even when someone is missing. Even when things look different. I can honor what was and receive what is.
To Every Solo Parent (or Once-Was-Solo Parent) Reading This:
Whether you’re walking this season alone or you’ve just started rebuilding, please know: you are still allowed to feel it all.
You are not failing if joy feels complicated.
You’re not broken if support feels both sweet and strange.
You’re still doing something incredibly brave.
La 💙
