Ahh, but it is oftend jus as hard if not harder, jus because the parent didnt have a choice in stayin or leavin dont make the abandonment issues any easier or better for the children involved. Instead of the acrimony of divorce, we have to watch our parent die, sit through the funeral arrangments, an sadness that follows.

Oh yea instead of carousing around, my mother decided to stay home an be depressed, when she wasnt working 10hrs a day, an it wasnt so much as be there for me or my brothers as much as it was being so wrapped up in her own greif over my father, that my brothers decided to never be home, since they were old enough to do what they wanted pretty much, and I was left to make sure the bills got paid, that momma got food in her tummy, an that she didnt cry too much, pretty much entertain her an keep her mind from the loss we both had to endure for the 6 yrs it took her to get past the hard part an start to actually move on with her life. My mother was only 37 when my daddy died. Still pretty young in my opinion.
Oh yea, divorce woulda been so much harder to deal with than that.

LOL No two situations are the same, death is a whole other deal than divorce, I agree, but I dont believe that parents being divorced where as the children do still get to see both parents, however not in the same house anymore, is any worse than the death of a parent.

Being a single parent is hard enough on the parent without havin to be told they shouldnt bother dating until the children are grown, In this day an age it takes two full time incomes to raise children. Its not always the single parents choice of how they got single in the first place.

I'm jus tryin to convey my expirence to you in a way that will help give light unto the fact that not all single parents carouse around, an not all single parents can be there for their child if they have to work their tush off to support the remainder of the family, because I dont know how it works where you live, be round these parts, jus cause the judge tells dear daddy to pay child support dont mean that dear ol dad will be payin child support.
Life is Hard for most all people, why make it harder?
JMHO.