Wilton, Conn., CubeSmart Self Storage<\/a>, Diane Rohde owns a couple of boxes full of various treasures \u2014 school awards, drawings, baby clothes \u2014 from her two sons and three step-children that she collected during their childhood.<\/p>\nOn the day before her youngest son\u2019s graduation on June 23 from Wilton High School, Diane reflected on the passing of years and her role as a single mother.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s really funny to see them pull out their baby outfits and put them in front of their bodies now,\u201d she said, laughing, while seated in the lobby.
\nDiane has worked as an accountant for 30 years, most recently for a company that allows her to work from home. She has lived in Wilton for 26 years.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s safe,\u201d she said of her community. \u201cGreat schools.\u201d<\/p>\n
Diane grew up in Hyde Park, N.Y., moved to Albany, N.Y., for five years, then moved to Fairfield, Conn., before settling in Wilton. She went through a separation in 2003, followed by a divorce two years later. She moved into a two-bedroom apartment 5 years ago, after her sister, with whom she rented a house, moved back to Pennsylvania.
\n\u201cSingle parenting really rocks your world financially, emotionally and physically,\u201d she said, adding her sons did not have the benefit of grandparents because both sets had died long before the divorce. When she first faced the prospect of raising the boys on her own she would sometimes call her brothers, sobbing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey told me to break it down and do just one thing,\u201d she said. \u201cI don\u2019t think this country does enough for single parents. I would break it down to even this town. It\u2019s a wealthy town, a bedroom community with a lot of married couples. But a rash of divorces went through the community. \u201cWe need support groups,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Indeed, a few years after her divorce she approached the town and asked for a support group. The town then secured a one-year grant run by the social services department that featured regular meetings and speakers who addressed financial planning, healthy eating and meditation, among other topics.
\n\u201cI got a best friend out of it and met several other people,\u201d Diane said. \u201cIt was a way to support one another after the devastation of divorce\u2026 It was wonderful, actually.\u201d
\nDiane described her parenting style as easy-going. She said her sons enjoy teasing her. \u201cWe have a saying \u2014 \u2018Everything is mom\u2019s fault,\u2019\u201d Diane said, with a laugh. \u201cBut it\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her oldest son, Carl, 24, who is studying to be a physical therapist, moved back home about three years ago after getting his bachelor\u2019s degree in physical exercise science from Hofstra University in New York.<\/p>\n
Diane said she has sought to instill in her children the value of hard work and honesty and that \u201chappiness comes from within.”<\/p>\n
\u201cMy goal is to live somewhere where there are palm trees and I can swim outside year-round,\u201d she said of her own idea of happiness. She\u2019ll be visiting friends in Florida and Georgia in the next few years and giving serious consideration to moving south. In the meantime, she was looking forward to Christian\u2019s graduation. \u201cI\u2019m really proud of him,\u201d she said. \u201cHe\u2019s matured a lot over the last six months. And I\u2019m excited about his future.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
We’d love to hear how self storage has positively impacted your life. Share your #HumansofSelfStorage story in the comments.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\t\t\t\tDiane’s youngest son graduated from high school in Wilton, Connecticut. She reflects on the passing of years and her role as a single mother as she visits her storage unit.\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":13116,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1938],"tags":[691,924,909],"class_list":["post-13115","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-life","tag-customer-stories","tag-humansofselfstorage","tag-inside-the"],"yoast_head":"\r\n
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<\/p>\n