Shoutout to Single and Young Moms: I See You, I Appreciate You

Talaya Murphy
Aug 4
2 min read

Okay, let me just say this loud and clear: being a mom is hard. Like, really hard.

And if you’re a single mom or a young mom — like a teen or early 20s — you’re basically doing superhero-level stuff every single day, even if it doesn’t always feel like it.

I say this as someone who is a product of teen pregnancy myself. Now that I’m a mom, I look back and see things so differently.

Those late-night feedings?

The ones where you’re so tired you can’t even remember your own name, but your baby is staring at you, needing you like no one else can?

Yeah, those. Or when you forget to eat because you’re so busy making sure your little one is fed. Or the first time your baby gets sick and your heart is literally in your throat, but you’re trying to stay calm because they’re counting on you.

And those milestones? Seeing your baby do things for the first time? It’s magical, but also exhausting.

Sometimes no one sees the struggle behind that smile we put on. I know there are days I’ve gotten barely any rest or everything just feels off — but I still have to wake up and smile at my beautiful child so I can start her day on the right foot, even if mine feels shaky.

That quiet strength? That’s motherhood too.

Honestly, I can barely imagine doing all of that alone. Sure, I know I could, but when you don’t have the village, the family, or that support system — it can feel like you’re on an island by yourself.

And that’s where postpartum depression can creep in and make things even harder. I won’t sugarcoat it: I’ve been there.

Feeling like a shell of myself, so lonely, thinking maybe I’m not cut out for this, or that I’m somehow failing my baby.

So this one’s for the women who did it all on their own. The ones who put their kids first even when they were running on empty. The women who made the hardest decisions and showed up every single day without fail. You are seen and respected.

One day, your kids will look back and realize everything you did for them. The sleepless nights, the sacrifices, the tears, and the love you poured out just to make sure they had a better chance at life.

And to the moms who raised us — the teen moms who didn’t always have it easy but still made sure we had shoes on our feet, food in our bellies, and clothes to wear?

Thank you for working so hard to give us opportunities you maybe never had.

Thank you for those afterschool programs, those sports practices, and all those little things that added up to so much more than just “stuff.”

Look, life doesn’t come with a manual, and motherhood especially doesn’t come with a step-by-step guide. Sometimes it’s messy, overwhelming, and downright unfair. But you’re not alone.