In today’s age the rate of single motherhood is growing rapidly. The job of being a single mother is not only difficult but exhausting. Single mothers have to work extra hard to make money to pay the bills, while trying to care for there children, and also fitting time in for themselves. In the short story "I Stand Here Ironing" by Tillie Olsen, a single mother tries to understand what happened to her eldest …showed first 75 words of 484 total…

…showed last 75 words of 484 total…to turn out like she did. "Or I will become engulfed with all I did or did not do, with what should have been and what cannot be helped" (Olsen, pg.144). There is not enough time in the day to do the things a person wants and needs to do, especially being a single mother. With single motherhood comes sacrifices, guilt and above all love as the mother of Emily found out in the story.