I know this pretty remarkable gal Jill that I met in an Artist's Way group, who recently got married and became a step mother to two young boys. I have been following her blog for quite a while and am so impressed with her lust for life and dedication to blogging. She and her husband have arranged meet-ups for Pasadena bloggers (which I haven't attended, but I promise to go to the next one), hold office hours at a local coffee-shop offering help to fellow bloggers and provide an up-to-date itinerary of what is happening around town.
It turns out that she and the Boys' mother have become good friends (they genuinely like each other) and have started a blog called The DHX, that deals with stories, tips and examples of how a mom and step-mom make it work. Since everyone knows I failed Blended Families 101, this site impresses me, but also makes me sad. I wish I could have gotten along with my daughters' step-mom, but it is really hard liking someone who doesn't treat your children the way they deserve to be treated.
I really admire Jill and Kathy for what they have accomplished and for sharing it with the world. I have a few friends that are dealing with stepchildren and it is never easy. I know the boys may never admit it, but they will be thankful for the rest of their lives for the peace and harmony they grew up with as opposed to the acrimony and conflict that is the norm for children of divorce.
Thank you so much for this post. It means a lot to me.
Posted by: Jill | November 05, 2007 at 07:39 AM
Thank you for the kind comments! My parents had 8 marriages between the two of them, so I certainly saw my share of broken relationships growing up (only two children from the whole batch, which in many ways is very lucky). I am very lucky in having Jill across the fence as she treats the kids with more loving-kindness than I can sometimes muster up. That helps immensely. I know not everyone is as lucky as we are, but hopefully our stories can help pave the way to some little bits of improvement. Thank you again for the great post!
Posted by: Kathy | November 05, 2007 at 11:00 AM