Who’s your husband?

By Samar Ahmed

Alt Muslimah

Now, that may sound like a weighty question for a single mom to answer, but I welcome it. My four-year-old has been interested in my love life as of late (kindergarten matchmaker perhaps?) and she has approached me with one question after another on the matter.  Fortunately, her interrogations amuse rather than unnerve me.

As a single mother, I’ve been hit by questions, sometimes well-meaning and sometimes prying, about my status. What does your husband do?” “How long have you been married?” “Oh, your daughter doesn’t resemble you so she must look like your husband, right?” Most everyone assumes that if you have a child, you must have a husband, and although that is the norm, it is not always the case. I for one am never embarrassed to say “Nope, no husband here!!!” The multiple exclamation marks indicate my enthusiasm and lack of apology about not being a Mrs.

Editor’s note: Samar Ahmed is a single South Asian mother, a teacher, and a nearly 30-year-old superstar trying to canoe her way through life. Her views are solely her own. A longer version of this article originally appeared on altmuslimah.com here.

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