April 22, 2011 is a day that lives in infamy in my home state of Alabama. Beginning in the dark hours before dawn, 62 tornadoes roared through the state. In spite of all the warnings, the school cancellations, and our statewide familiarity with tornado protocol, 253 people died.
During this pandemic, I’ve often thought of how alone I felt that day, wanting to protect my children from forces too large and sinister for one mom to handle. I was a brand-new widow grappling with overwhelming grief. That fearful day, I felt raw and exposed without my husband to help me protect our kids. We had friends who would help if we needed it, but as the sirens wailed, each of them needed to care for their own families. I felt as if the weight of my children’s lives rested on my weak shoulders alone.
To be fair, everyone in Alabama felt vulnerable that day, just as all of us have some measure of concern about coronavirus now. But being a single parent during a crisis adds layers of anxiety. Everything married parents are doing right now, single parents are doing alone, with no relief and no respite. Read More
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