SMACKDOWN: How it began

Single Mom Smackdown is a concept that came about five to ten years ago.

My friend Traci and I were the ONLY two single moms at a relatively small non-profit social services agency full of mostly young, childless career-minded folk. Being the only two of our "kind," we formed a fast friendship and great working relationship.

Every week on Tuesday, we were subjected to long drawn out board meetings where tensions and boredom ran amok. At some point in the early years of our working together, Traci and I came up with a game of sorts to pass the time during these meetings, where we would try to communicate to one another silently. Both being the dynamic woman that we are, that posed a bit of a challenge, so we came up with a phrase.

"SMS, Traci! S. M. S.!"

This statement was in code and only we knew what it meant.

It stood for Single Mom Smackdown.

Yeah, that sounds odd, doesn't it? Well, for us, it represents a few things. To understand it, you need to understand the nature of our friendship. Traci and I are like sisters. We may fight like cats and dogs, but at the end of the day, if anyone comes up against the other one, you better believe we have each other's back. In this little phrase, we capture everything we need to say to one another.

SINGLE

We are single. (Well, Traci is married NOW, but at the time, she wasn't.)

MOM

We are mothers.

SMACKDOWN

For lack of a better phrase, we kick ass.

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So, just as a little check-in during those meetings, we'd say the phrase in the most ominous tone possible.

"SMS, Angela, SMS!" (flying elbow gesture)

What we were really saying:

"Heyyyyy girl!"

"Hey, look at me!"

"Hey, I'm bored."

"Hey, I'm kicking ass. Did you see me kicking ass?"

"Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!"

"Did you SEE that?"

"Blarg."

"I'm gonna kick your face."

"Hey buddy!"

Etc.

Etc.

Etc.

You get the point. Single Mom Smackdown. We are single moms. We are gonna bring the smackdown. Got it? Good.

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Are you a single mom? Do you kick ass?

We want to hear about it.