Send us Fan Mail Starting over after divorce is difficult. Starting over while raising three children alone can feel almost impossible. In this deeply honest episode of Women Like Me Stories & Business, host Julie Fairhurst speaks with Gail Cawley Showalter, an author, coach, speaker, educator, and advocate for single mothers. Known in Southeast Texas as the “Old Bird with Feathers of Wisdom for Women and a Soft Spot for Single Moms,” Gail shares wisdom earned through heartbreak, financial pressure, loneliness, education, motherhood, and rebuilding a life that no longer resembled the one she had planned. Gail raised three children as a single mother for 16 years. Her marriage ended abruptly, leaving her emotionally devastated and responsible for creating a new future for herself and her children. During the day, she held herself together. At night, after her children were asleep, the tears came. Gail speaks openly about the pain women often carry behind closed doors—and the strength it takes to keep showing up when no one sees the full weight of what they are carrying. This conversation explores what happens when a woman realizes no one is coming to rescue her and that she must begin rebuilding her life one decision at a time. Gail returned to school three times, earned her master’s degree, found ways to create additional income, raised her children, and eventually began using her experiences to guide other single mothers. Her story is not about pretending hardship is beautiful. It is about accepting that life can be difficult while still believing that another future is possible. In this episode, you’ll discover: • How to start rebuilding your life after divorce • The emotional reality of becoming a single mother • Why rejection and abandonment can affect women for years • How divorce can create lasting wounds for children • Why counseling and emotional support matter • The difference between independence and doing everything alone • Why women must learn to ask for help • How to recognize and use the skills you already have • Practical ways single mothers can create additional income • Why education or career certification can change a family’s future • How to return to school as an adult or single parent • Why you are never too old to learn something new • How mothers model resilience and determination for their children • The importance of financial planning and living within your means • Why healthy boundaries are essential after divorce • Warning signs that you are abandoning yourself to keep a relationship • Why disagreement should not make you feel unsafe • How to stop repeating unhealthy relationship patterns • Why your messy or ordinary story may help another woman • How to rebuild your confidence and recognize your worth Gail also shares an unforgettable story about needing help while her nine-year-old son was hospitalized with a ruptured appendix. She mentioned that she needed someone to move her refrigerator. Instead, an entire church choir arrived and moved everything in her home. The lesson was simple but powerful: people may want to help, but they need to know that you need them. Gail encourages single mothers not to solve their entire lives in one day. Gather information. Explore your options. Take one step. Knock on one door and see whether it opens. You do not need to swallow the whole enchilada at once. Education and Financial Support for Women Gail discusses the value of gaining a practical skill, credential, certification, or degree that can help a single mother support herself and her children. She also mentions P.E.O. International, which offers educational support and grants for women in the United States and Canada, including programs for women returning to school. Learn more: https://www.peointernational.org Find Gail Showalter Website: https://www.gailshowalter.com Blog: https://www.gailshowalterblog.com Gail is the author of Living, Learning, Loving: Lessons of Insight and Encouragement on the Path of Motherhood. Her work addresses single motherhood, boundaries, money management, education, relationships, and rebuilding after divorce. Her book is available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Bookshop, and other booksellers. If you are a single mother who feels exhausted, frightened, lonely, or uncertain about your future, Gail wants you to remember: You are worthy. You are amazing. You can do this. Please share this episode with a woman who needs to hear that she is not alone. If this conversation stirred something in you… good. That’s where change begins. Make sure you’re subscribed, share this with someone who needs it, and if you’re ready to tell your story, step into your voice, or build a life that actually feels like yours… You’re in the right place. I’m Julie Fairhurst, and this is where stories turn into power. Go to my website if you would like to be a guest on the Women Like Me Stories & Business in the toolbar click Let's Podcast Julie's Website
