Candlelight Walk to Honor Women

On January 30th, 2020, I had the privilege of attending the 4th annual Candlelight Walk to Honor Women in Bear River. The weather was perfect, the moon hanging high amid the trees on this crisp and cold evening. With tea light lanterns made from mason jars, we set out for a candlelight walk around the banks of the Bear River. This beautiful event , organized by creative and talented writer Angela McMullen, is meant to bring awareness to the number of single-parent families in Nova Scotia, the majority of whom are women.

It was a beautiful moonlit night for a walk.

As we waited for the event to begin, we gathered at the Bill Benson Memorial Building where information was shared on resources which are available to lone-parents including the Women’s Place Resource Centre in Annapolis. It was so lovely to hear about a variety of programs as well as suggestions that can help alleviate some of the stress of parenting solo.

There are so many reasons why people may be raising children by themselves. Twenty years ago this year, I became a single mother myself for three years due to divorce. It was a challenge taking care of a two year old, maintaining our home and becoming the sole income earner in our household. At one point, I was working five jobs to make ends meet. At that time, there weren’t as many programs and options for resources available compared to what is available now.

Despite it being a more positive situation to become a single parent in many cases, there is a certain loneliness and isolation that is part of the process of being a primary caregiver. It can feel overwhelming and exhausting. Simple things like having someone offer to help with a meal, check in on a regular basis or just extend simple acts of kindness really help to remind a solo-parent that they aren’t alone in the world. As they say, it takes a village to raise a child.