“I wanna share what awesome co-parenting feels like…
My partner Ken went to his super fun football game with his friend Gabriel (a rad gift from Gabe) in celebration of his upcoming birthday. It was his first real trip away from Bells. I was stoked for him and I got to spend the day with the three kiddos in my first time alone with all of them. Aiden James came home from Grammy’s house, Jesse Edwin was home without school, and Bella Quinn was mine all day.
I thought three was crazy WITH help. Turns out babies only sleep when their favorite parent is around. It made for a very long day, but I was DETERMINED to handle it all myself. Who ‘gives up’ on day one? Certainly not this mom…
The baby only slept about 45 minutes all day, which is insanely low for her every-hour-a-new-hour-nap standard. I was very, very done. I felt good about not having crushed a tiny human come 10 p.m. Then, I realized I had no milk for the boys’ night time beverage (I know it’s bad, cavities. Spare me the mom guilt.)
With Ken still in the bay, I planned to ‘DoorDash’ milk. I mentioned the plan to my ex-husband Kyle and he instantly jumped to help. I declined his offer to help because it really did feel like failing to not be able to handle life without dad help on my first day.
If you’ve ever wondered what love looks like, it’s this. Kyle shopped (a thing he hates) on his day off from kids, in the middle of the night, to help keep me sane. The interaction was minimal. But the impact was incredible. I’m grateful he didn’t listen when I declined. Just knowing he’s got my back when I’m well on my way in the struggle bus makes it all so much more doable.
Divorce doesn’t have to mean there is no love. His kindness (and humor) remind me every day why he’s one of my best friends. Actions like this save my entire family from my stress and reinforce the good pieces of us. And my kids learn how to treat people we love, regardless of titles on paper. I’m just so grateful.”
This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Miranda Silliman of Chico, CA and originally appeared here. You can follow her journey on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Submit your own story here, and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories, and YouTube for our best videos.
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