BY: LIZ HARDIE
There is no such thing as a man’s job in the home
A woman is fully capable of doing anything a man does, as long as she is willing
From a young age, I have been told and taught I could do anything I put my mind to
Never truly believing this, I did have to put these beliefs to work once I became a single mother
As a single mother, I doubted myself, my parenting, my choices, my thoughts, my life
Independently raising my beautiful children, never wanting others help, abilities I discover
When saying never wanting others help, I say this only because it has always burned me before
Which had made me give up on trying, I just did it myself and it helped me find those abilities deep within
To many, these abilities are common, nothing to speak of, but to me, they make me proud
I still will not speak of them to many, just to those who pushed and encouraged me to find them
They are considered the man’s job, but as a single mom, I am the man and the woman in the house
So I do everything, although there is much more I would like to learn to do in my life
As easy as it would be to have a man to do it, it is better for my self-worth to figure it out on my own
At times I question if I am in over my head, but I fell better after a pick me up from my loved ones or advice
My mom, dad and daughters are those that encourage me, cheer me on, push me to get the project done
Sometimes I want to give up, throw in the towel and call the professionals, and take the easy way out
But the four of them are always there to encourage, help me out, talk me through it or pull up a DIY video
As soon as I hear their words or know they have my back, I push through and overcome my doubt
To mention the projects I have completed on my own may sound ridiculous to some and many men may laugh
Deep inside, I know I was raised by a strong woman and a handy man that taught me everything I know
I am proud to say that I am a single mom that isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty and is just as handy as a man
To the woman who thinks you can’t do a man’s job, think again, you can, the more you fail, the more you grow
Photo by cottonbro studio