Raising a Man.

Lately, I've taken to obsessing reading Matt Logelin's blog about his life.
It's heartbreaking and beautiful all at the same time.
And for some reason, it makes me look at my life in a completely different way than I had before.

When I finally ended it with Michael's father, I was absolutely sure that I could do this parenting thing without him. "I don't need a man to help me raise a man" I told myself.



See... Michael was little when this was all occurring. All he needed was his Mom. And I did a damn good job. And anytime I found something that I might have needed a man for, I figured it out myself and patted myself on the back. I always have been all for women's lib. How hard could this be?

Times change. Children grow. The perfect man walks back into my life. And slowly it hit me. I was lost raising a boy on my own. That man that walked back into my life raises this boy with me. And with his help. We are raising a man. And with that comes manly things that I know nothing about couldn't have taught him.

• Like changing the chain on a bike.


• Setting up the tent when we camp at Zion.


• How to replace the blade on a hockey stick.


• Why you should always bring flowers home unexpectedly.


• How to pass level 126 on Tony Hawk.


• How to build an entire Indiana Jones world out of Lego's.


• The importance of complimenting a woman.


• What a happy home looks and feels like.

And that's just the beginning. And that's what I realize every time I read Matt's blog. If our situation forces us into something, we find a way. We look within and make things work to the best of our ability. He's living proof of that. But reading his blog also makes me grateful as hell for not having to do this alone. For having that person to hold my hand when I need it, to take over when I need it and to teach Michael all the things that I couldn't wouldn't have taught him like a man would. In the end... I could've would've done it on my own if I'd had to. But I'm endlessly thankful that I'm not.