This is a love letter to you, the stepmothers of the world. It is a letter of love because thank you is nowhere near enough. I am the biological father of 4 beautiful children. 3 from my previous marriage and 1 from the marriage my wife and I are currently enjoying and working very hard at. There are two reasons I am writing this letter to stepmoms. One is personal, and the other is practical.
A personal and practical letter to stepmoms
On the personal side, my wife is a stepmom to my 3 children from a previous marriage, and a bio-mom to our young son. She is a tireless servant, just like you.
On the practical side, my situation is not unique. 1 of every 2 marriages ends in divorce and of those, 75% remarry. The majority of these men remarry and spend a significant amount of time, resources, and emotional content on remaining a presence in the lives of their biological children. My point here is that while the title of stepmom exists in the canon of familial and social roles, it is one that is without definition and one that will not rest until it gets its pound of flesh.
It is hard being a stepmom. It’s a job. It’s a calling. It’s a labor of love. It’s confusing. It’s complicated. It can be thankless. It can be exhilarating. It can be rewarding. It can be devastating. It can be the best decision you’ve ever made. It can also be a bruise upon your life that never heals.