Back to school

My babies went back to school this week but the thing is they're not babies. My chubby little darlings have gone to be replaced by attractive but definitely grown up kids. Patrick is a bloke and no mistake and Flora is turning into a rather sophisticated young lady.

Half of me feels a bit sad that they are moving on at such a pace but the other half feels proud to see them growing up, especially considering the difficult time we've had in many respects. Seeing them grow up happily feels like testament to our overcoming the challenges of being brought up in a home with a single mum such as me. And I mean 'us' as we've been on this difficult journey together and sometimes it's been hard for them too.

I have to say though that being a single mum isn't easy. It's not easy to make all the decisions, takeall the flak and bear any guilt. However you also get the fun, the love, the memories and the pride in their achievements - you can't ask for better than that.

Being a single mum is definitely much better than being in a miserable, soul-destroying marriage and seeing my children grow up into reasonable adults make me feel that for all the grief, compromise and self-doubt, it's been worth it.