You do not know how strong you are until strong is the only choice you have. This is true in my case as I have been raised by a strong single parent- my mother. We all hear about single mothers, even more in today's world. It needs a lot of courage and guts to be a single mother.

Being raised by one, I have experienced the life through her eyes. She's the reason for who I am today. So this write up goes more to the ones who can relate to me. There are ample challenges that a single mother goes through. I will not like to call them 'single' but 'independently operated and owned' mothers. Right from juggling between work and home, managing their routine, and doubling up every duty to play both roles of a mom and dad), especially in a society where men rule, they do everything with perfection. People look at them with varied questions in mind. And not just that, they even come up to ask, "Who's running the house for you? Isn't it difficult to manage without a man in your life? Why don't you settle for someone?" All their eyes are on you more than their own selves. You come home late from a friend's place, dinner or work, their eyebrows get raised again. They feel as if it isn't your right to stay out late; you cannot travel alone just because you don't have a man in your life. And if you have a male friend, then it's all the more worse.

I have had more of friends who had been brought up by independent mothers. And I'm proud of the fact. Such children have a completely different perspective to life. They are more independent, strong and fearless towards everything in life. With due respect to all the others, but independent mother's see a bigger picture of life. Attending PTMs for the kids, doing the laundry, grocery, paying bills, working much harder, making the best use of what one has, finding the best schools and colleges for the kids, giving them a lifestyle, trying to manage time to spend with children, planning their vacation, most of all seeing that their children do not miss out on anything or feel deprived, preparing them for future and most of all being answerable to the world for nothing. In a world full of challenges, they work tirelessly playing two roles, yet they never crib. Being a single mother is not a life full of struggles but a journey of the strong. I salute every such woman for giving their kids what they deserve or even more, for thinking about them first, for putting them before self. It definitely isn't a bed of roses. We owe these women of honour, a whole lot for accepting the challenges thrown at them and facing every bit by themselves. You are the real heroes.

A strong woman knows she has enough strength for the journey, but a woman of strength knows it is in the journey where she will become strong.