When my kids’ dad left, I admit I didn’t handle things well. He and I both had our issues, even though I regularly thought he’d be around to care for us. He complained about taking all the load, and one day I returned home to a note that he was gone. I went into depression trying to parent three kids, when, before, I was more of the provider, then but, my mom helped me realize that I had to step up. These children were growing up, and they needed at least one reliable parent in the house. It’s been four years, and they are now 15, 12, and 9. It’s much better now for us since they’re older and can handle a few things in the house, they get home from school, do a few chores, get their school work done. I got home at 6, after work, and dinner took a long time, but I have since learned to be a good cook. The other day, I was at work when I got a call from my eldest, saying there was an issue with the furnace. The kids were watching TV when the heat went out. They wanted me to come and take a look. I’m a heating and cooling systems technician for a local company. This work can be demanding, however I’m grateful – it’s also stable, and offers task security. That’s how I’ve managed to raise my kids and keep our home. I knew I’d forgotten to repair our furnace last fall when I heard it had failed. I’m quite active during winter, so things can fall through the cracks. I signed off from work and went home to figure out why the heating component had failed!