Do not underestimate...

me.

There are many things that you should know about me but one thing is paramount, do not ever think that my circumstances, the inflictions I labour beneath, the battles I face and fight nor the emotions that sometimes rule me will at any time, ever, make me weak.

Do not ever think that you can manipulate or inflict your views of my actions upon me and expect me to accept them. Do however expect to receive a fight in response, to lose any skerick of respect I ever had for you and honestly....it will be a cold day in hell before it is likely that you will ever gain that respect back.

Do not ever think that because you know parts of me that you know me. Do not ever ever ever think that you can tell me who or what I am or interpret my actions back to me of what deemed them to be. For your view of me, interests me nor holds my interest none. Nor will it be entertained or accepted without protest.

For too long these eyes, this heart and brain has taken a beating. Do not ever ever assume that the once battered are easily beaten. Do not see weakness where once there was submission. It takes a stronge woman to fight in silence and remain alive. It takes an even stronger woman to walk away. It takes the strength of the survived to forge a new beginning. Do not ever ever think that there is therefore an opening for domination because it once reigned. There never will be again.

Do not ever ever ASSUME that you can tell a persons character due to the challenges they bear! You are not stronger nor better than them due to the size of your bank account nor the ring on your finger. You are not more blessed due to the lack of labels placed on your loved ones, the easier wake ups and goodnights. Do not assume that those that have nothing will fight for nothing. Prepare to be challenged and put back in your place the moment you try to make them wear the badge you mold for them that comes from a place of ignorance or pity misdirected.

Do not ever look upon me and see a person with less prospects for success. With more hurdles perhaps but never with less chance than you. Do no ever, EVER, underestimate the determination of a Mother to do everything within her power to do the very best for her children! No matter the hours, the long haul of time, the work involved. Do not ever underestimate the power within the sole person taking responsibility for three precious souls!

Most importantly...do not EVER ever think that you can take the challenges, hardships, the journey of which my small family are taking and use it as a MEANS to imply that I am not performing as I should be. EVER. There has never been, nor will there EVER be a time in which I will NOT  do everything within my power to perform my utmost best. You might allude to the struggles and scars from home, the scheduled, long awaited appointments that have pulled me away from my work once in a blue moon towards my family...concessions even those in normal family dynamics at times must face...BUT...do not use that to ever ever call me unprofessional. Ever.

Because to do so, is only highlighting exactly that in the person slinging the words my way! I may work harder, longer, fight more, struggle more, tire more easily and sob a little more in the midnight hours than most. However what I will never be is weak. What I will never be is submissive and compliant to bullies (EVER AGAIN!) and most importantly what I will never ever EVER stop doing is striving to provide the best kind of life for my children through HARD WORK and DEDICATION to my work and to my family and their well being and the well being of the beautiful little people I am lucky enough to spend every day with.

Perhaps I will only ever be doing the same role...perhaps one day I will move to leadership, return to university to get a masters? doctorate? perhaps I will change paths...perhaps perhaps perhaps....what the future holds is unclear except for one definite. Never, ever again will I submit to discrimination, abuse, bullying, harassment or allow myself to be treated unfairly! Never EVER again.

Watch the hell out if you think otherwise!


This is a piece of writing. It is not about nor intended towards a particular person nor situation but to the world in general. I have faced the discrimination that comes into the face of the 'single mother' label and I am tired of the stereotype. Infact I am tired of all the bloody stereotypes.!The 'Special Needs Mum' stereotype, the 'Teacher Mum' stereotype, the 'Single Mum', the 'Depression'...'abuse survivor'...'poor'...the 'child in fulltime long hours care tut tut' stereotype. I am sick of them all. I am sick of the assumptions people make of me based on my situation rather than knowing ME and who I am, what I am capable of, what my values are and recognising my determination to do everything within my power to provide the best life possible for my kids. I will not be pushed into a label, nor made to bear others burdens. Next time you find yourself judging someone else, stop and think, "what do I know about their life?", "What right do I have to judge?" or perhaps the most important question of all to think is, "How will my judging them improve my life?" . If in some way it does improve your life then I strongly suggest it is time to seek out a new, more positive life. Live your best life and please, if your words are not going to seek a smile from me or constructively help me seek out my own best life then please feel free to keep them to yourself...for I am not interested one iota in them.

(Thanks for reading)