Being a single unattached person means that you have to work and earn just to satisfy your own needs and luxuries. When you get married and when you have your own family, then the things change quite a bit.
You have to work very hard and earn enough money to satisfy everyone’s basic needs. However, we have witnessed cases where some people do not do that and they are actually misusing the system just like that they claim their bread and butter.
The US soldier Patrick Gibson, a father of two kids, witnessed a situation similar to that one. He got so frustrated that he had to share this event on his Facebook page.
One day, on the way home, Patrick stopped at the local Walmart. This normal and usual daily routine was supposed to be nothing special. After he got the basic products that he needed, such as few food items and diaper, he stood in line in order to pay. But, he saw something quite unexpected.
The couple that stood in front of Patrick looked like a normal married couple that earn quite a lot. This notion was triggered by the fact that the couple had two full carts, and two full carts nowadays cost a lot. This would have gone unnoticed if it wasn’t for the thing the couple paid with. Patrick got angry and took some photos of this couple’s carts.
Once Patrick got home, he could do only one thing – post on Facebook about his story. Patrick posted two pictures, one of his cart and one of the couple’s cart.
About his own cart he wrote:
“The picture you see on the left is the amount of groceries including diapers that I was able to afford this pay period for my family.”
About the other picture, he adds:
”The picture on the right is of the purchase in front of me in line. If you can’t tell in the picture there are 2 full buggies of groceries including such items like steak and some other very nice choices of food.”
However, according to Patrick, the problem is not in the carts, but something else is very problematic. Patrick paid for his little amount in cash, money that he has earned by working long hours in the Army. On the other side, the couple paid all those groceries with food stamps. However, that was not the only thing.
The couple also used EBT card in order to pay for the $800 bill. The impression you would normally get is that both of them are physically or mentally disabled so they use some state’s benefits. But, that was not the case. They were totally fine and physically fit.
The last drop that spilled the cup is the couple’s private vehicle. Believe it or not, the EBT card and food stamps owners drove brand new Hyundai Genesis. The car costs up to $20.000. That fact finally frustrated Patrick. Patrick also adds:
“I just thought I would take the time to tell this person/family that you are very welcome from all of us hard working/struggling to buy food Americans that have to foot the bill for your fancy steak feast while I skip breakfast and lunch every day (so) that way my wife and children have food to eat every day because $50-$75 dollars doesn’t go very far. So, you enjoy your $800 free grocery purchase.”
Patrick’s post reached many people out there. Large number of the people who saw the post agreed with Patrick and expressed their support. One of them wrote:
“I agree with you Patrick 100%. There are a lot that really need it, but as you said, there are a lot that abuse the system and a lot like yourself that need them and can’t get them, especially you and your family.”
However, not everyone agreed with Patrick. Many stated that he is judging people without even knowing them for real. One comment stated:
“Do you really know their backstory? Don’t be quick to judge someone because you’re angry. How do you know if that person works and their spouse doesn’t work because of problems? That all the money in their pocket is to pay their bills that the new car was a gift? How do you know that’s not the case?”
To this, Patrick responded like this:
“Let’s just call it what it is. We can all sit around and believe in sunshine and rainbows saying the old don’t judge a book by its cover crap, but the reality of it is that so so so many people are abusing the system that was put in place for struggling families. If we can’t even acknowledge that there is a problem, then how can it ever be corrected. And a brand new car as a gift? Really? If they have friends or family with money like that, then its a shame they still need $800 a month in food stamps.”
What do you think? Do you agree with Patrick? Would you also be frustrated and angry like Patrick? How would you react?
As societies are slowly but surely changing concerning the way they see and treat those who are a bit different, the question of whether Down Syndrome is still a social stigma rises. According to new parents of children with Down Syndrome, things do look brighter regarding the full acceptance of these young individuals as valuable members of the community.
Sadly, there are still those moms and dads who are said “I am sorry” by random people when they hear of their special kids. But why should they be sorry? Children with Down Syndrome are likely to enjoy all the benefits other people do.
The stares are still present, but as time goes by we witness greater inclusion and acceptance for people with Down’s, and that’s something that let’s a few rays of hope shine through the life’s dark clouds and assures us that things can be done the right way.
Jessica Egan and her husband were over the moon with the news of becoming parents. However, 11 weeks into the pregnancy, doctors informed them the girl had Down Syndrome.
“When we decided to have a baby, of course, we hoped that it would happen right away,” Jessica said.
“When it didn’t, we found that it was easier to bear because there are so many resources available for people who are struggling to get pregnant. I joined a local infertility support group and made a lot of great friendships with other ladies going through the same thing. When our first round of IVF failed it was disappointing, but we decided not to get discouraged and to keep trying. It was from our second attempt at IVF that our daughter was born.”
“We found out when I was 11 weeks pregnant that our unborn baby had been diagnosed with Down syndrome. At first, we were devastated but it was because we didn’t have any experience with Down syndrome and it was something we were not expecting at all. We grieved very deeply for about three days and then my husband and I decided that we wanted to educate ourselves so that we could be happy and look forward to the birth of our baby.”
What they needed to do was learn about this condition as much as possible so they could prepare for becoming the most supportive parents to the sweet little lady they were about to welcome in their life.
Jessica explained: “Education was the biggest factor in changing our feelings about Down syndrome. We realized that we simply didn’t understand this diagnosis because we didn’t know anyone with Down syndrome. It is natural to fear things that we don’t know or understand, so we reached out to people in our community that had children with Down syndrome and we made some great connections.”
“We began to see that this truly was nothing to be afraid of and that instead, we were lucky for being chosen to have such a special and unique daughter.”
Two months after the loveliest bundle of joy came to this world, Jessica felt like she should share her happiness and her feelings with her family and friends. Her Facebook post, however, took the Internet by storm and was seen by a great number of people.
“When I placed my order I said, ‘Regular amount of chromosomes, please!’ That’s what everyone else got and what I wanted too. They called me shortly after my order was in production and said ‘Great news, we went ahead and upgraded you to extra chromosomes for free! You’ll receive the extra chromosomes with your completed order in 9 months.’ What?! I was mad!
“All the other orders I had seen displayed via perfect Instagram posts did NOT have extra chromosomes. Well, I decided that receiving my order with extra chromosomes was better than not receiving an order at all, so I settled in to wait for this surprise upgrade to arrive. I have now had my order for two months and am writing this review to let others know the upgrade to extra chromosomes is amazing!! If offered, definitely take it! I posted some photos below of the finished product and you can see the extra chromosome is so worth it – it is extra cute, extra special, and extra-ordinary! So much extra joy. Would purchase again for sure.”
Everyone was praising these new parents for their vibrant spirit and how they accepted that extra chromosome as a gift, because not everyone gets to receive it.
“The feedback has been so full of positivity, love, and acceptance that it is overwhelming. I have heard from multiple people who also recently have had a baby with Down Syndrome but are still coming to terms with it and have been in a very dark place. Hearing that my post touched them so completely and helped heal them is humbling, and truly something I will honor for the rest of my life.”
She continued: “When you receive a diagnosis of Down syndrome it is scary simply because it is not what you expected. It is important to let yourself grieve and then realize that this is not bad, it is just different. But all children are different, and there are no guarantees that any child you have won’t suffer from some sort of illness or differences.”
“Children with Down syndrome are more like other children than they are different, and it is important not to spend too much time grieving because in the end, you will be so in love with your child!”
The post:
I hope this mom’s post will make more people open-minded when it comes to even greater Down Syndrome acceptance. We should all know how they are all unique individuals with their own features, their own likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. Down Syndrome is just a small part of their individuality.
No one can predict with whom you will fall in love with. In some cases it is the right person, and sometimes we do fall in love with a person with whom we cannot have a long stable relationship. Life surprises us all. Following your passion, lust and romance-driven feelings may bring you enormous happiness, but will it last longer?
The following personal account may give you some insight in these ‘forbidden love affairs’.
“Mike” was a devoted family man with two kids who loved his wife.
The email came from out of the blue a few months ago. It was from the wife of a man I had been secretly involved with. “How long did your affair with my husband last?” she demanded to know. “I’d like the date range of the years, please.”
I always wondered what she knew, if anything. Why was she confronting me now? I hadn’t communicated with her husband — I’ll call him Mike — in more than five years. We live on separate coasts now.
“The least you can do is respond truthfully, given what you’ve done,” she wrote. Was she accusing me of turning her husband gay? Of breaking up their marriage?
That fiery email may have been written in haste. Still, it was years in the making. I now know that deception has a long life span and often returns to claim its guilt.
I never told anyone about my affair with her husband. Too much at stake. Not so much for me ― I was unattached, and my sexual orientation wasn’t a secret. Mike, on the other hand, was a devoted family man with two kids who I know loved his wife.
He was my next-door neighbor, and I did not seduce him, even though I was 20 years older than he was. I’m certain I was the first man he’d been intimate with, while I had, as they say, been around. Our affair wasn’t a sudden, passion-filled trip to the moon on gossamer wings. It was more like a long train ride. It started slowly and lasted some five years.
Mike wasn’t the only married man I’d been involved with. But the others were one-nighters or friends with benefits ― eager conspirators.
Mike was another story.
We were opposites in many ways: I was a magazine editor. He was a master carpenter. I liked the arts. He liked sports. I splurged on nice clothes and twice-monthly haircuts. He dressed in whatever was handy, usually cut-offs, T-shirts, Birkenstocks and a tool belt.
One night when his wife and kids were away, we went to see a movie about a giant meteor heading for Earth. He told me that he was 16 before he ever saw a movie. He had seen it on the sly because his parents were evangelicals and movies, TV, and pop music were all considered tools of the devil.
What we shared was a passion for the past. One night Mike took me to a fire station that was about to be demolished. We broke in. He wanted me to see what was going to disappear: a cast-iron farmer’s sink, a pulley for hauling ice to the second-floor window. He explained to me the building’s ingenious post and beam construction.
I once showed him a wood inlaid jewelry box that depicted a family playing cards around a kitchen table. My great-grandmother brought it from Germany. “It’s beautiful,” he told me, gently running his fingers over the different woods. “Don’t ever give it away.”
My Victorian flat always needed repair. I had no idea how to install ceiling fans or fix doorbells. Mike did. He once spent a week patiently refinishing the beadboard in my kitchen. He made the century-old wood glisten like new using only sandpaper and baby oil.
We were friends for several years before becoming lovers.
He was my next-door neighbor, and I did not seduce him, even though I was 20 years older than he was. … Our affair wasn’t a sudden, passion-filled trip to the moon on gossamer wings. It was more like a long train ride. It started slowly and lasted some five years.
With his wavy black hair, cobalt eyes and droopy eyelashes, Mike had no idea how sexy he was, or could be. Yet his lack of vanity only enhanced his allure. I once stuffed him into my tuxedo when his wife insisted he accompany her to her workplace’s black-tie event. Put a martini in his hand and he could have been James Bond.
Mike would drop by my place after his wife and kids were in bed. We would watch baseball games, make popcorn. Sometimes we’d share a joint, which deepened our enjoyment of “Antiques Roadshow.”
I agreed to let Mike set up his saws and tools in my attic after he told me he couldn’t afford to rent a workshop. That meant seeing him at all hours.
There were signs, some blatant, that he was struggling with his sexuality. Like the time he told me he had gone on a porn site to see how gay men “do it.” He confided to me that when he was in college, he had been attracted to another male student but didn’t act on it.
It usually took a few beers for him to start opening up.
A mutual hug in my attic one afternoon changed everything.
Even after our relationship became physical, it took months for Mike to feel comfortable kissing. I’ve known couples, gay and straight, who were in open relationships. Many made a pact that they could mess around with others as long as they didn’t kiss. Sex can be a purely tactile, pleasurable experience. But kissing is up close and personal.
My nights were as free as his. I was in my 50s and I had outgrown discos and late-night bars. There was no Grindr back then. Craigslist was in its infancy. I could no longer bear meeting faceless strangers from newspaper ads.
I didn’t know Mike’s wife well, despite our being neighbors. She wasn’t the social type. Books, cats and gardening were her pleasures.
“What if she finds out about us?” I asked Mike.
I’ve been cheated on in several relationships, so I know how it feels.
“I wouldn’t worry about it. She’s not a confrontational person,” he said. “The other night, she told me she was tired and suggested I go hang out with my butt buddy.”
“What did she mean by that?” I asked.
“I’m not sure,” he replied.
I was, or so I thought. I figured that on some level, she was OK with this good-neighbor policy. That helped ease my conscience.
Besides, I wasn’t out to steal her husband, even though same-sex marriage did become legal in our state in 2004.
I wasn’t being completely honest when I said I never told anyone about Mike and me. My downstairs neighbor, who I had become close friends with over the years, figured it out. She could hear Mike’s footsteps coming and going on the stairwell, the squeak of bedsprings. “Mike’s a good person,” she told me. “You’re helping him become his true self. You should feel no guilt.”
I’ve never had children or wanted them. Mike’s, however, were a joy to be with. I worked from home, so it was easy for me to babysit them on school breaks and summer vacations. I’d take them to their swim lessons. We’d go bowling, miniature golfing. They introduced me to “SpongeBob SquarePants.”
Mike was always struggling to make ends meet. Yet not having money didn’t matter when it came to his boys. He gave them something dollars can’t buy: his time and attention. He once spent a day with them riding the subway lines. He got them memberships to a science museum. He taught them to Rollerblade and play hockey. I would go with them on weekend hikes. I would bring my dog and lunch. His wife never wanted to go along.
I lent Mike and his wife a down payment to buy a house. It felt good to do something positive for his family. His wife worked out a payment plan, which she stuck to. Mike converted the basement of his new digs to a workshop. Despite living in a different neighborhood, he still came by.
My downstairs neighbor figured it out. She could hear Mike’s footsteps coming and going on the stairwell, the squeak of bedsprings. ‘Mike’s a good person,’ she told me. ‘You’re helping him become his true self. You should feel no guilt.’
I can’t give a precise date when it all came crashing down. All I know is there were no more late-night visits, trips to Home Depot or those delicious foot rubs that he voluntarily gave. Mike simply disappeared without a goodbye. My phone calls went unanswered. He blocked me on Facebook. We never argued, so it wasn’t as if he stormed off in a huff.
Desperate for an answer, I bravely — and foolishly — called his wife. “What’s going on with Mike?” I asked.
“I have no idea,” she said. “He never mentions you.”
Our train ride had come to its final station.
I had to take an honest look at myself. What I needed was a real boyfriend, one who I could go to the theater with. Or to restaurants. One who wouldn’t leave me waiting for him to come by on a Saturday night, only not to show up. One who I could tell my friends and co-workers about.
One who was available.
Then one afternoon, four years later, I saw Mike. I was taking my dog for a walk, cutting through a baseball field that abuts a wooded area. He was lobbing softballs over home plate to his boys. Seeing me, he trotted over to where I was. He took off his Red Sox cap. “I’m getting a little gray,” he said. I said nothing.
“I’m sorry,” he said, shaking my hand. “Really sorry.”
“C’mon, dad,” his boys yelled, and with that, Mike jogged back to the pitcher’s mound.
I finally had my explanation. His boys were becoming young men, old enough to ask questions and figure things out.
I should have foreseen this scenario. During the 1990s I lived in the Deep South. The steam room and sauna at my local Y served as a kind of after-work social club for men who were gay ― and for those who had wives and kids.
I would sometimes ask these men why they got married. “I wanted a family. I wanted children” was the usual reply. I asked one devoted father why he stayed in the South when he could have moved to a blue state. “I couldn’t live more than a few miles from my mama and daddy,” he said.
I knew a gay impresario when I lived in San Francisco in the 1980s. One night he threw a dinner party for his gay circle of friends at Trader Vic’s. Over tropical cocktails, he announced that he had just gotten engaged to a divorcée with two girls. “I’m going to have a family now, “ he told the table. “I can no longer see any of you again.”
I would sometimes ask these men why they got married. ‘I wanted a family. I wanted children’ was the usual reply.
I didn’t respond to Mike’s wife’s angry email. I figured that was Mike’s job, since he’s the one who came out to her and told her about us. He knew the dates of our affair as well as I did.
But I did need to know what was up. So I nervously texted him. We hadn’t communicated since that day on the baseball field.
“We’re going through a nasty divorce,” Mike texted back. “I decided to finally be honest with myself. I needed to be who I am. I told her about us. She blames you for everything. She wanted to know how many men I’d been with. I said there was only you, and that’s the truth.”
“Every time I pass by your place, I think of you,” he wrote. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you too,” I replied.
“Do your boys know?” I asked. They would be young men now.
“I told them. They were fine with it.”
“You were a great father to them,” I told him.
“Now you’ve got me all teared up,” he replied.
Mike volunteered that he was in therapy. He said he had joined a bisexual men’s support group. He met a man there, he said, whom he found attractive and who had asked him out.
I felt a twinge of sadness. I didn’t tell Mike that. Instead, I wished him all the best in his new life, and I meant it.
I had a new life too. I had sold my place and moved to the California desert, where I knew no one. A few weeks after buying a small condo, I went to a paint store to check out color samples. A younger salesman waited on me. He looked to be in his early 40s.
I could see there was a gold band on his ring finger.
He intercepted me in the parking lot as I was heading toward my car. He handed me a piece of yellow paper that he had hastily scribbled his cellphone number on. “If you ever need anything, just call,” he said. “And I mean anything.”
“You’re married,” I said. He shrugged his shoulders.
Nights can be lonely. His invitation was tempting.
I took the piece of paper out of my pocket, wadded it up and deposited it in the nearest trash bin.
If you are a fan of Garth Brooks, you expect nothing less than a perfect concert night. He is known for the blend of rock and roll elements with the country music. This mix of genres amuses us for years and he never fails doing so.
His concert in Lafayette, Louisiana was very eventful and a pleasant happening to be part of. His repertoire of songs thrilled the crowd and the emotions that he sent was just unbelievable. His well-known interaction with the audience during his performance was once again a key element of his concert’s success. People just adore such kind of attention given to them by their music idols.
However, Garth’s emotions and his near to perfection performance were not the only surprises he prepared for the crowd. While singing one of his songs, he noticed a big sign written in bold on a cardboard. His curiosity made him stop the song. The owner of the sign “Elvis was my last concert” was an old lady. She was delighted to be noticed.
Miss Laura’s ordinary night turned out to be a night to remember. She and her daughter and granddaughter decided to go to the concert, a gift for her 89th birthday. Nevertheless, her birthday surprises did not stop with them coming to the concert. Garth made sure she got additional one.
Intrigued by the sign, Garth approached the lady and found out that she indeed was 89 years old. Upon learning this, she told the story behind the sign itself. It turned out to be true. Miss Laura’s last concert was indeed Elvis’. She saw the music legend in person and she remembers that night very well. Garth was about to make this concert equally memorable for Miss Laura.
Garth started to serenade her. His voice started singing ‘If Tomorrow Never Comes’ and instantly evokes wonderful emotions on Miss Laura’s face. The birthday present she got from Garth is one of a kind and rarity that few people had pleasure to feel it. The crowd was enjoying this touching moment.
Play the video and feel the emotions. Such a great moment.
We are constantly being surprised by kids and their abilities to do special things. With their confidence, straightforward thinking and innocent behaviour, they just steal our hearts. The cute little musicians, artists, sportsmen, actors and actresses never stop amazing us. Kids tend to try everything, to find their right hobby and just the perfect means for expressing their views of the world. Such an expression, very often, is so adorable and cute.
Nowadays, kids surprise us not only with their talents and performances, but also with their creativity of implementing technology while ‘doing their things’. Many kids out there take the camera and film their singing or acting, while others grab the microphone and the computer and record their own songs. The imagination of the kids is enormous, but their creativity is just marvellous.
Claire Crosby, a young talented girl, possess all of these. She’s extremely talented musician with charming voice and huge courage. Not all kids, even those that sing like angels, grab the camera, record themselves and show the others what they actually do. Claire did not think twice, actually, she was eager to record the show that she prepared for all us.
The happy introduction and the calm voice say all. Claire is more than prepared to present us what she can do with her ukulele and her voice. This pretty little girl with two ponytails and in a normal setting that does not promise anything, turns into a real talented performer. Her brave choice of Elvis’ ‘Can’t Hel Falling in Love’ is stunning. You would not even considering this kind of combination on that age. Simply awesome!
Without a bad tune, without a single forgotten word or a beat, Claire proves that she is a possible future music star. She is not just a kid that tries to be noticed on-line, but she is a kid that got all of our attention.
Take a look at the great performance, listen to the excellent ukulele and enjoy Claire’s marvellous voice. Well done Claire!
Starting up a new business can be challenging. Looking at your business plan and taking all those things such as the perfect location and your expertise into consideration, it looks like a picture perfect idea, but then things don’t really turn out as expected and you are left wondering what your next step should be.
Billy By’s dad opened a doughnut shop in Missouri City and couldn’t wait for people to try all those delicious products he made. But his excitement died down when only a few customers showed up at the grand opening that took place on Sunday.
Looking at his dad’s disappointment, Billy twitted how his father was “sad” because of the lack of people and added a few photos of the empty place. And then boom! His tweet went viral and everyone learned of the new shop in town.
Amazingly, the Texas community stepped in and all those mouth-watering doughnuts and pastry were sold in no time. And what’s most, everyone loved them and promised to come back.
The tweet was retweeted more than 264,000 times and liked double that number. Around 60,000 people started following Billy Donuts Instagram page too.
Some celebrities got involved in the mission of making this owner happy. Actor James Woods asked his 2 million followers to make Billy’s dad dream come true writing: “Come on, everybody. Let’s do this.”
All this resulted in many satisfied customers, and now the owner says he’s filling a bunch of orders. The photo KPRC took on Sunday shows long queue at the business.
The photo Billy posted this time shows the proud father and a son posing behind the counter with huge smiles on their faces.
“Just wanted to update y’all! We completely sold out of donuts and kolaches! You are all amazing. I can’t thank everyone enough for coming out and supporting local businesses. This means too much to my family,” By wrote.
Just wanted to update yall! We completely sold out of donuts and kolaches! You are all amazing. I can’t thank everyone enough for coming out and supporting local businesses. This means so much to my family ❤️ pic.twitter.com/o3GQcKvVnG
We are glad this business story turned into a successful one and we hope they’ll have their hands full all year round. It’s just amazing what the social networking sites can do.
Another story, another fighter. The incredible and very intense life of Elise Roth Tedeschi is woven with pain, fight and positive thinking. She managed to beat the odds and still fight for her life.
The peaceful harmony of her life was destroyed the moment she found out she has pancreatic cancer. In 2012 the doctors informed her that her disease evolved into stage four, leaving her little chance of survival. When most people learn that they have several months to live they usually prepare for the worst, but Elise was different.
The terrible news did not depress Elise. She decided to fight. She started a long and difficult battle with the disease and her willingness to keep on going and enjoy the life paid off. Besides the strong will and her family and friends, Elise took targeted genetic treatment. All these thing combined resulted with Elise being still in great condition and among the people she loves.
About the beginnings of the disease Elise says:
“I felt that, no matter what, I was gonna beat it. I didn’t care what the doctors said.”
Furthermore, Elise explains the genetic code that helps her fight the cancer. The doctors explained her that the genes that caused the cancer to affect her organ also help her fight the disease. This made her believe that they are somehow more effective than the chemotherapy that she has to go through.
Since she was born fighter, she still does not give up. She is happy that she is able to live through every new day. Elise also adds that even in the worst periods since her disease affected her pancreas, she was still feeling joyful and happy. That even amazed her own family members.
What’s even more amazing, her fight with her own health problems is not the only battle she is involved in. She joined the PCAN, or the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
Elise and the other volunteers, survivors of the pancreatic cancer, join the forces in defeating the deadly disease. Their actions support, motivate and help thousands of cancer patients. In addition with their motivational approach they try to level up people’s awareness about the pancreatic cancer. Elise explains:
“Our stories are so important. They give hope.”
Elise’s unconditional support is evident through her work as PCAN activist. She goes public and provides support and tries to help other patients with their fight against this illness. Just recently, Alex Trebek, the host of ‘Jeopardy’, has publicly announced that he is suffering from the same disease as Elise.
In his public announcement, Alex said:
“Under the terms of my contract, I have to host ‘Jeopardy’ for 3 more years. So, help me! Keep the faith. And we’ll win.”
Upon seeing this, Elise contacted Alex via mail sent to The Daily Mail. Among the other things, she expressed her unconditional support, she shared her experience and encouraged Alex not to give up. She reminded him that it is worth fighting the battle.
Elise concludes:
“You may wonder how I stayed positive. My answer was always the same: ‘I didn’t choose to get cancer and I didn’t choose to go through this, but I do get to choose my attitude. So I choose to be happy and live my life!’”
Elise’s motivational speech is so powerful. Her positive energy and hopes are just wonderful. What a great person with wonderful spirit. We hope there are many other people just like Elise – people with positive attitude towards the life.
When two people decide to call it quits, things between them may get ugly, especially if there is a child involved. Fighting for the custody of the kids, feeling resentment towards one another, and even saying things you may later regret saying, splitting up is never easy.
And if the exes aren’t really on good terms, just imagine what happens when a new partner enters the life of one of them. Many times, the relationship between one and their ex’s partner are superficial, unnatural, and full of bitterness. It might be because of the fact that now another person is involved in the process of bringing up their child.
The kids, however, may simply find their parent’s new relationship strange and refuse to bond with their mom’s or dad’s new partner, but it may also happen for them to accept them. I personally believe this depends on how the other parent feels about their ex’s new person.
Audrey Loving and Corey Henry first met whey they were just 18. The two loved each other so much and had a daughter. But as time passed by, they struggled keeping their long-distance relationship on track and eventually broke up. Audrey got full custody of their daughter Riley, but her now ex partner is still part of the girl’s life.
After spending some time being single, Henry got involved into an emotional relationship with another woman. And if you think this is where the real trouble started, you can’t be more wrong. After learning how her ex moved on and met someone, Audrey was determined to teach her daughter to love this new person who was now part of their life.
Audrey was brought up in such a family herself and knows how hard it was for her to keep balance between what she had with her mom and her step-mom and didn’t want her daughter to experience the same thing.
It turned out sweet Riley listened to her mom and gave her dad’s girlfriend a chance and now the two are very close. Audrey is proud of her daughter and at the same time she is grateful this woman loves her little kid so much.
This is the thank you letter Audrey shared on her Facebook page:
“This is my daughter’s father’s girlfriend. The sweetest thing ever! I’m super thankful for her because when she visits her dad she feeds her, takes care of her, buys her gifts, and basically takes care of her like her own. Why do all these moms act so spiteful and jealous towards the other women? NOONE said it was easy trying to be a mother to a kid you didn’t have. So when there is someone trying, don’t push them away! Because they DON’T need the drama they WILL leave and then you’re stuck with someone who is the evil step mom. Yes they exist! I see them everywhere! A kid can have two moms because in my eyes the more people that love her I’m happy! I would never make her feel like an outsider; I’m extremely thankful for this girl.
Ladies, grow up and focus on being a good mom. Love more hate less!”
People who found themselves in a similar situation believe Audrey is a great parent who’d do anything to see her child happy. We hope this could serve as an example for others struggling to come to terms with the relationship between their kids and their ex’s new partners.
