“He was gone by Friday”- What six months of solo parenting looked like for me.

So, about seven months ago, Michael got a job as a helicopter pilot in Queensland.

He got the job on the Tuesday, and by the following Friday, he was in Cairns.

I stayed at home with the two boys. For six months.

Now, I was lucky. I had help from family, babysitters, the boys picked up a couple of extra days at childcare, and we ate pizza multiple nights a week.

Still, at 2am when Rahiti had woken up for the fourth time because he was teething or when Hakavai had a tantrum because I wouldn’t let him watch another episode of Rainbow Rangers, there was just me.

Just me.

And so, of course, when the kids were being chaotic and the house looked like a proverbial pig sty and I was tired and cranky and exhausted, I wasn’t Michael’s biggest fan (just being honest here 😂😂).

Of course, I am genuinely stoked for Michael. He’s an incredible man, a brilliant, kind and doting father and it is truly EPIC to see him pursuing his dream career as a helicopter pilot.

I am beyond proud of him. It’s incredible what he’s achieved.

And, I’m beyond proud of me too.

See, for so long, Michael’s been my cocoon, my safe space. We’ve been together since 2010. And he’s been with me through every surgery, every long night, every dark time and every good time too. He’s so present that, over the years, I’d come to believe that I wouldn’t be able to survive without him around.

So, I’ve found the past six months of solo parenting challenging and relentless, but also really bloody empowering.

I can do it.
I did do it.

Struggling to open a packet of chips? Get some scissors.

Can’t peel the silver foil off the baby formula lid? Use your teeth.

Unable to pull the cork out of a bottle of wine? Stuff it, just buy the stuff in a cask.

Bit by bit, these small things add up.

Every time I did something that I previously thought was too hard, I felt a little more capable. A little stronger. A little more invincible (just what my ego needed 😂).

It’s the same empowering adventure I see the women in Run with Turia embark on every year. They join my program thinking they could never run 5, 10 or 21kms. I mean, they can’t even get to the end of the street, right?

Uhhhhh, wrong.
They can. And they do.

Watching these women discover that they can do things they never thought possible – it is utter magic.

The doors to the next round of Run with Turia are now open.

If you know someone who might be interested, I’d love you to tell them about it.

They can get all the info on how it works right here.

And maybe you’ll want to join them too?

Sending you all my love.
You are more capable than you realise, my friend.
And you can do hard things.

Turia x