Stepmoms and Rear-View Mirrors: 4 Rules for Leaving Anger and Negativity Behind You by Brenda Snyder, LCSW
Being a stepmother is the hardest job I’ve ever had. I have been challenged emotionally, intellectually and physically. I have been forced to define and redefine myself as a woman, a family member and a spouse. I have weathered rejection, apathy, hostility and betrayal.
At almost 20 years in, I can say I am a better person for having helped my husband raise his children. The survival of our marriage has made it stronger and— dare I say it? I am a better parent to our daughter because of my experience with her older half-siblings.
I remember a time when I was so bitter that I could have created none of these positive statements. Times when if I wasn’t saying something negative about one of my stepkids or about their mom? I wasn’t saying anything. That bitterness is now safely behind me.
It was quite a journey to escape the negativity. The resentment. The anger. …To read the rest of this article, log in to your account and download the January 2017 issue. Don’t have an account? Click here to subscribe.