Blended

One of the best things that ever happened to me was becoming a stepmom. I have heard horror stories about stepchildren and stepparents, but I actually enjoy being a stepmom.  I looked forward to weekend visits, long summer breaks, spring breaks, and Christmas breaks because I knew my stepdaughter would be home and for those moments our family would once again be complete. In fact, my only regret was that those visits were not longer! 

To begin with, I honestly didn't know how to be a stepmom or how to even handle being a stepmom. Growing up, I cannot recall anyone I knew who was a stepmom. I remember being so nervous the first day I would met my stepdaughter. As I waited for her to arrive, I pondered over how to feel about her and one thought alone came to me. It was simple: if I loved the person who would possibly become my future husband, then I would have to love everything about him including her. With that, my fears were instantly calmed. Before long, she arrived and it was complete love at first sight for me. 

As the years and visits grew, so did our relationship. Overtime I had met many people with stepchildren and so many expressed dissatisfaction in being a stepmom. Some even preferred not to have their stepchildren over and one friend told me her two stepchildren were pretty much nightmares that she wished she didn't have to deal with. But, for me, being a stepmom was not a nightmare. My stepdaughter was the easy part. In fact, many people thought she was my daughter because I treated her as my own and whenever she returned, things fell right back into place as if things had never missed a beat. I am grateful my husband fell in love with me, but I am also extremely grateful he trusted me to be her stepmother. She is the best gift my husband brought into our relationship. Today, my stepdaughter is a stepmother. I know she will understand all the ways I loved her and just how that love came so easily. I am so proud of her and I will always look forward to her visits.