Last weekend was one of the most exciting weekends I’ve had. Watching and being a part of this production was eye-opening, encouraging and re-affirming for me.  So many moms from all over Cleveland were able to get together and enjoy each other.  The number of hugs I received that day was unbelievable.  We were all excited to be in the presence of each other to enrich each other’s lives, to learn from each other, and of course to have a great time.  The Single Moms Conference was a platform to open eyes and doors for those moms in attendance and I am sure for those who wanted to be there.  These conferences are great for jump starting the passion people already possess to want to change and improve their environments.  But how long will that passion last, what will people do now that the conference is over, how do we keep that fire burning bright to want to do better?

Now that this wonderful event has wrapped what do we do? I know I’m not the only person who goes to an event, gets excited and for the next few weeks remains on fire about what I’ve learned.  Then as time goes on and life happens the fire tends to fizzle and I forget part of what I learned and then the day comes when I’m back to my usual pre-event routine.  How can we keep our interest peaked and have a true effect on our community?  I believe what we need to realize is that the zeal we find at these events have been dormant in us and that once ignited it is our job to continue the work started.  You have to keep the fire burning.  So, how do we do that?  I’ll suggest a couple of things I plan to do and hopefully it will help you as we start to change our city for the better.  SINGLE MOMS, MOMS UNITE!!

1.  Start a mommy group.  It’s not as hard as it sounds.  I’m sure we all have friends who are going through the same stuff we are going through.  It may not be easy for everyone to open up so be the first to start.  Share your story in hopes of getting more moms to share theirs and BOOM, you have your mommy group.  Now this shouldn’t become a place where all you do is get together and complain, but a place where you strengthen and encourage each other.
2. If you can’t start a group that can physically meet, start a group call.  You can use the services of, http://www.freeconferencecalling.com/, to plan a “free” (financially savvy moms) conference call.  Catch up with each other, check in on the kids and just have a conversation.  Like I said before we don’t talk anymore.  I have to hear my friend’s voices, you can tell a lot by hearing the tone of someone’s voice.
3. Join an already established mommy group.  Don’t be afraid to be the new kid on the block.  Everybody has to start somewhere.  Check with your churches, schools, or search online.  You have to find the right fit for you.
4. Attend events with your children.  Guess who will be at these events?  OTHER PARENTS!  You don’t just have to only hang with other single moms.  There’s a large community of parents waiting to embrace you, but you have to make yourself available.
5. Research, Research, Research!!!!  I truly believe that whatever you are truly passionate about you will spend time with.  If you want to become a Spiritually Fit Mom research and develop your spiritual intelligence and your relationship with God.  If you want to become a Financially Savvy mom, research how to better understand your finances.  If you want to have a better relationship with your child(ren’s) other parent research co-parenting.  Whatever you want to do spend time developing a plan on how to do it and then initiate that plan.

In order to see change in our communities and to ensure that the tools we learned at the conference or other events are not lost, we have to get out there and teach others. You have an arsenal, a treasure chest of information that you may not be aware of.  This is your time to shine.  Moms it’s our time like never before to take back our communities, it starts with us.

My challenge to you is to do one of the five suggestions above. If those don’t work for you then come up with something that does and post it to https://www.facebook.com/Just-One-Hot-Mom-1681518135414787/, I’ll share it and hopefully this will start a chain reaction of people helping people.  It takes a village and if you don’t have one, build one!