by Lynn Connell

Created on: April 30, 2008

The Three Musketeer's
By Lynn Connell

As a single mom now of six years, raising two boys has been tough. But most importantly, it has brought us closer together than we were before. I never imaged that a mother and her sons could ever be as close as we are now. This has been an eye-opening experience for me. My oldest is 16 years old and my youngest is only 12, but they are my world. And there is nothing I would not do for them.

Being a mother and father can be difficult at times, like during football season or hunting season. But you learn to adapt to the changing of the seasons, I like to call it. I can now throw a mean pass before I'm tackled and skin out a deer as well as any man, I think. We manage to work as a team, the three of us. So in many ways, we are the three musketeer's.

Sometimes I have to remind my boys that it is I, who protects them. And I can take care of myself, I don't need them to play the big brother role, and scare off any potential men. I hear all the time from them, "Mama, he is just looking for a free ride, and we don't need that". Well, what can I say, I'm raising them. And it's true, some of them probably were looking for that. After all is said and done though, I smile with pride. I know that one day they will be good husbands ans fathers. That they will protect their families at all cost.

It's important to me that they know how to treat a girl with respect. This is something that I know how to teach, as well as teaching them to stand up for themselves. And to always do the right thing, because it's the right thing to do. I want my boys to have every opportunity life has to offer them. But I try to teach them that not every opportunity is always the right one for them. I want them to know how to make wise choices, and know how to use good judgment when choosing anything. By giving them standards in which to live by has also kept me on my toes. This has been my hardest job of my life, but has had the most rewards.

As adults, we sometimes forget about the little things in life, the important things. Like pinkie swears, or how it felt on your first date. This is something that our children can bring back to life for us through their eyes. It makes me sad to see so many parents miss out on what I call golden opportunities. It's hard sometimes to remember how is was as a child sometimes, when you are the one caring for your children without any support. It doesn't matter in you are a single mother or a single father raising your children can be a difficult job, but can also be the most fulfilling experience of your life.

I wish that every child could have what we three have. To have someone to remind them how special they really are. And to have someone, if only one parent, to show them how loved they are. I don't understand how people in general, let these little moment's slip by without noticing that they are gone until it's too late. I know many have demanding jobs that keep them away from home sometimes, but that's when they have to make up for the little moments that they missed while away.

I know this all to well, I was one of them parents, who worked all the time at one point. But now I have found a better way, a more pleasing way, a way in which showed me the real meaning of life and what it has to offer. The life of one of The Three Musketeer's.

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