Can you imagine the Brady Bunch with Shirley Jones instead of Florence Nightingale? Can You imagine any other actresses portraying Shirley Partridge on the Partridge Family?

It could had happen! Shirley Jones was first offered the role of Carol Brady on the Brady Bunch; but turned it down. The reason for it was, she didn’t want to play a stay-at-home mother.

Now Shirley Jones was movie star married to Jack Cassidy. They were in the process of starting a family and she was looking at doing a television series; so that she could be closer to home for her family.

Shirley Jones was the first to be cast on the Partridge Family. Of course she did her own singing on the show.

Shirley Partridge was a single working mother raising 5 kids. At first, she worked at a bank before the family became a hit musical family.

She was a Feminist.

The next to be cast on the Partridge Family was David Cassidy. He was Shirley Jones’s step-son. It was because of Shirley that David got the part and his first acting job. She recommended David to the producer of the show. Then both her and Jack Cassidy pushed for David to take the opportunity of a lifetime.

Now David also did his own singing on the show as well. The other kids on the show just lip sync.

Even though, Shirley Jones was David Cassidy’s step-mother, they were still close, as she helped raise him as one of her own boys. She wasn’t a wicked step-mother, like was shown in certain Disney films. David looked up to her with respect.

Blood and DNA don’t mean anything. If a person have a heart for children, anyone can be a mother. She was like a mentor to David Cassidy. She also helped him deals with his not-so-good relationship with his father and his death later on in life.

Even David’s kids called Shirley, grandmother.

Now Shirley Jones and Jack Cassidy had 3 boys together themselves. The oldest is Shaun Cassidy. Before Shaun was born, Jack gave Shirley a portrait of what their first born son would possibly looks like. I have to admit, when I saw a picture of a young Shaun Cassidy and even as he got older, I have to say that he resembled his mother in looks very much.

Shaun and David were very close growing up, like brothers. Shaun was able to learn a lot about show businesses through his mother and his brother, David. He would helped his mother answer fan mails.

When it became his turn to become a teen idol; he was pretty much prepared for the outcomes by learning and watching what David went through. Plus, his mother, Shirley, was also there as support.

The kids cast on the Partridge Family was also very close to Shirley Jones. She was like a mother to them even off the set. At times, they were over at her place playing with her boys.

I think that was why they didn’t have as much trouble in their adult life as most child stars. Shirley Jones was a mentor to not only her step-son, David, but also the other kids on the Partridge Family.

I think the reason why Shaun, Patrick, and Ryan Cassidy didn’t have the problem, was because of the kind of mother Shirley Jones was. They became good rounded adults.

Not only did she helped David deals with the death of his father by apparent suicide and alcohol abuse; she was able to helped her own sons as well.

When she wed for a second time to comedian Marty Ingalls, her son, Shaun walked her down the aisle to give her away.

Now shifting over the other half of this blog and single working mothers. Shirley Jones represents single working mothers by her portrayal of Shirley Partridge.

Like I said, earlier, she was a feminist, a career woman and a working mother. I would say, in a way she may have a Conservative.

I guess what I’m getting at is, I have more respect to single working mothers than I do to mothers who lives on welfare and keeps getting pregnant just to get more money from the government.

Any single working mothers who can bring home the bacon, fry it and still finds the time to play and teach her kids, deserves my utmost respect.

It’s a mother’s job to teach her kids about life and how to become a decent human being.

For the first 5 years of my life, my mother was single working mother. She never went on welfare. She never demanded alimony from my real father. The only thing he did was paid the hospital where I was born.

I’m sure that you heard the story of Dr. Ben Carson. He was a self-taught man. You would have to give his mother the credit though. Ben Carson was raised by a single working mother himself. His mother didn’t have much education and wasn’t the best at reading. But she demanded that her sons, read and do book reports; even though she couldn’t actually read herself.

We all know what kind of man Ben Carson became thanks to his mother.

My hearts goes out to these hard single working mothers out there. It’s not easy being a mother and a father. It’s not easy raising a family on a single income. She works hard for the money; as little as it may be.

Any single working mothers should be paid equal pay for equal works, no matter what kind of jobs it may be.

If they were paid the same, they wouldn’t have to get welfare help.

Happy Mother’s Day not only to Shirley Jones but all single working mothers out there. You worked extra hard raising your kids to keep them safe and healthy. You raise them up to be good rounded adults.

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers out there as well. Mothers have a very important job. God bless all mothers, single, working and stay-at-home.