Mark Twain once said, “The lack of money is the root of all evil.”
There is a hidden unvoiced fear in every stay-at-home-moms’ heart – the ability to provide for her family if she ended up alone. After years of being out of the job market, she would have her own set of challenges when seeking employment again. So, I decided to talk about the financial challenges a single mom has to face being the breadwinner for her family in my latest book, Sweet On Me.
When the money isn’t enough and the bills are piling up, the alternatives may seem limited but there are other options:
Taking a pay cut in the beginning. She may have been out of the market for several years and re-entry at the same level of salary may not be possible. Working for less would help make getting a job easier. Some organizations even offer “returnship” programs which pay little or nothing but participants stand a higher opportunity of landing full-time positions.
Opting for different job roles or positions which may vary significantly from what she may be used to but have a higher likelihood of being obtained. Even if it is significantly out of her comfort zone, it still pays for the bills at the end of the day.
Going back to school in order to make herself more marketable, when her existing qualifications are insufficient in the current environment.
Not being afraid to seek help from friends and family. They may not have the means to help financially but they may be able to help with childcare or even a place to stay in times of need.
With a family to provide for, the single mom shouldn’t be forced to extremes from a lack of money … well at least, hopefully not like Ophelia in Sweet On Me 🙂
So, “Star Wars” creator George Lucas, 69, wed his longtime girlfriend, Mellody Hobson, 44, recently.
Thinking about the older man, younger woman relationship (which I have also explored recently in Sweet on Me), I was trying to summarize the reasons why younger women prefer older men. Could it possibly be because of:
her search for love/connection? Women are more focused on making a connection earlier on in their lives. It would be easier for her to connect with a more matured and established man, than someone her age who is still consumed with driving his career (and not connecting with her!).
her need to feel significant? She would have the freedom to drive her career and not be competing with her other half (or worrying about who’s going to be there for the kids!) as he would have already hit the peak of his career and established his own financial independence.
his ability to provide her with stability and security? The older man would be emotionally more matured, grounded and wiser – better able to focus on having a serious relationship and fatherhood.
his wealth of experience? With age comes experience. With experience, comes knowledge from which she would benefit.
the freedom to pursue her career? She has the option of driving her career when he retires and stays home with the kids, just like Xerox CEO Ursula Burns.
Check out the new Bedroom Secrets novel, Sweet on Me, a tale of seduction, money and love – now available on Amazon. It’s a Kindle Edition – so those without a Kindle reader or app can use the Kindle Cloud reader to read it!
“Father, forgive me for I have sinned.
Terrible things have been done to me. It arouses me. Pleasure at being used by a man I barely know in exchange for money. Even though I never sought him out in the first place, I cannot resist temptation. I have to go back for more.”
Tony Woods is bored. Money doesn’t excite him anymore but corrupting the straight-laced, naïve Ophelia does. He has no qualms making her into his personal sex toy.
Ophelia Wilde isn’t the same woman she was before. A year ago, she was an abused wife, unfamiliar with life’s pleasures. Now, her senses are on fire but she’s dying of shame, desperately trying to juggle her conscience and her wallet.
Trapped by her lies, she struggles to hide her sins from her new-found love, Josh Summers, living in fear of discovery every day. He is drawn to her vulnerability, seeking only to protect her from the big bad wolves out there, not knowing that she already belongs to one.
Will Ophelia find a way to leave Tony and escape the chains of her past, or will her misdeeds destroy Josh’s trust in her? Can their love survive the weight of her guilt?
Even now, the words were ringing in my mind, “Suck it up, Megan. Stop being such a whinny baby. Tiredness and exhaustion are part of motherhood. Get used to it. This is only the beginning. We have all gone through it before and survived.” – Crazy for Milk
It is hard to imagine a parent, an older sibling, the in-laws or even a friend saying those things when you’re just struggling to cope and make sense of everything. I know many of the mothers I have spoken to shared the same experience.
Recently, a friend asked whether anyone had actually said those words to me. My answer was a resounding YES! It happened when I had reached out for help and received a lecture in return ~ one of my inspirations for writing that scene between Megan and her own “evil witches”.
Kathryn Michaels 