just staring ahead, zoning out a bit. I had a sitter, which I rarely do, and I was headed out to meet some girlfriends, but I needed a moment. I was just sitting there reveling in happy silence, a silence that does not involve anyone calling my name 50,000 times a day.

PING…text message.

“Where are you?”

Seriously? The text is from my 12 year old son, G. I literally left 30 seconds ago.

“I am in the driveway pretending I don’t have kids“

PING

“When are you coming home?”

“I’m seriously considering never coming back. GO AWAY”

Now before you all start to get all crazy, please know that my son has a great sense of humor and totally speaks my sarcasm.

PING

“KK”

It’s funny, there’s such a tight association with being single and being alone. But for a single parent, you can be alone, but you are NEVER alone. I mean never. And while EVERY parent, single or not, can relate to that privacy invasion, I will bet that most single parents you meet feel the one thing missing in their life is some alone time. I think I’ve peed by myself twice in 11 years. I try to sneak a shower, and inevitably there is someone in the bathroom trying to hold a conversation with me.

And I know my situation is a little unique. I don’t have that typical one-night-a-week/every-other-weekend arrangement with my ex. He doesn’t live in the state, so when I do have alone time, I TOTALLY value it. And don’t get me wrong. I am crazy about my kids. But man, silence is golden.

PING

“Hey Mom, have a great night. You deserve it.”

Aw, thanks kid. You bet your ass I do.