Solo Moms: The Sisterhood of Getting It Done

First a big thank you to Adriane Alfred of Peace Thru Culture who invited me to be be the keynote speaker at their fundraiser yesterday. It was a lovely event and I was so happy to be there. The purpose was to raise money to send deserving kids to culture camp in Costa Rica. We gathered at the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase. The program included a "peace meditation" from board member Arlene Reichter, a buffet lunch, prizes, an entertaining video by Caitlin Alfred and my thoughtful introduction from Carla Harmon. Because the focus was children I made my talk about the challenges of raising children alone, which falls more often to mothers. It's a thread that runs through my memoir, "Innocent Spouse." 

I talked about raising my son alone from the time he was 5-years-old. I also read relevant parts from the book and then took questions. They were great questions, from women and men, and most focused on the issues of the solo parent. Later, several of the women approached me to say they, too, were raising children on their own while also managing careers and their lives. It's just what you've got to do. There are no options. We are the sisterhood of getting in done (brothers included). 

It costs $300 for Peace Thru Culture to send a kid to culture camp in Costa Rica. If you would like to make a contribution, please visit their website here.