Being a single parent isn't easy. Just ask 21-year-old Richard Johnson who's raising his 10-month-old daughter Persephone all on his own.
In a moving letter posted to Facebook, the Las Vegas father revealed the challenges he faces as a single parent and how he found comfort in Life of Dad, a social network group for fathers.
According to the post, the baby girl's mother left when she was just one month old. "We still don't know exactly why [she left], but we suspect post-partum depression played a part," Johnson wrote. "I was so nervous and scared about being a father in general, but now I was a single father and had to fulfill two roles. I wasn't sure I could do it."
As a result, the young dad turned to parenting books and YouTube tutorials to learn as much as he could about everything from painting nails to "common parental issues." That's when he stumbled upon Life of Dad's Facebook page.
"I… saw that there were other fathers out there who were in similar predicaments as me," Johnson wrote. "The page started to turn into a major confidence booster and really helped me through all of this."
Johnson's note, which was posted by Life of Dad on Tuesday, has since gone viral with more than 16,000 likes and 500 shares. The young father clearly struck a chord with users, as hundreds left positive feedback for him in the comments.
"Kudos to you for stepping up, and for even speaking gently in regards to her mother, and for the inspiration you are and will be to other dads/parents," one user wrote. "She is beautiful and I am sure you two will have a blast navigating through all that life brings your way, together."
Touched by the overwhelming support, Johnson penned a second letter, which was posted by Life of Dad on Wednesday. In the post, he thanked the support group again and gave even more insight into his early days as a single father.
"The days have been rough and at times I wasn't sure I could make it another day," he said. "I spent more [than] a few nights holding my little girl as she slept weeping, because I wasn't sure I was going to be a good enough father for her.
"One night in particular was the night she first crawled. She came to me and laid her tiny little hand on my cheek and stared into my eyes. I took it as 'Come on Daddy, we have a lot to do.' So I told her no more crying for either of us and we were going to fight to be happy. We've kept true to that promise. A few days later I found Life of Dad."
To end his note, Johnson offered some heartfelt advice for other single parents.
"If you ever feel like the load is too much or you're just not good enough. Look into your amazing child's eyes and just tell them you love them," he said. "You'd be amazed to see how much strength you have when someone else is counting on you and loving you more and more for what you're doing. You'll find strength where you thought you had none."
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