Brave Enough To Be Bliss

As a 14-year-old with a new stepmother who was only 29 years old and had no children of her own at the time, it could have been a pretty dicey situation when my dad and she got married. But her warmth and true interest in and care for others was apparent to me from the start, not to mention my dad was very happy. She knew she didn’t really know what she was doing as far as being a stepmother, but she entered into it thinking of us more than herself and that was why we developed a strong and loving relationship. Each of us led from our hearts more than our heads.

Of course, as a teenager of divorced parents, I’m sure there were times I felt resentful and sad. But no matter what I needed, she was there anytime I was at their house for the weekend or the couple summers I stayed there. She always made it a point to let me know it was my home too, and still does today even though we aren’t technically related. She was an amazing stepmother, but that only happened because she made the decision to lead with love and concern for how difficult this must be for us instead of thinking about how difficult it was for her. After she and my dad divorced in 2004, for several years we weren’t in touch but fortunately reconnected when she moved to live near my little sister and her family. And it felt like no time had passed the next time I stayed with her, and we stayed up talking until 2 or 3 a.m. The bond had been established years ago and nothing would ever change that.

We have all celebrated holidays, and one time went on vacation together at Table Rock Lake. This photo shows them at my birthday party in 2022. It’s all perfectly comfortable. When healing takes place, even when relationships change , it doesn’t mean they have to completely end. We must choose to remember and allow our behavior to reflect the love that brought us together in the first place. Pain leads all of us humans to do and say and behave in ways that don’t make sense. And yet all we can do is look back on ourselves and each other with compassion, remembering we were doing the best we could with where we were at that time. We can always choose to learn and grow and be better humans moving forward.

“Choose love and peace will follow. Choose peace and love will follow.” Mary Helen Doyle

After my third knee surgery, I saw a contest, Fab over 40 , and decided to enter. I hoped it would lead to prize money so I could take a couple months off work to write the book or lead to a connection for the book to be published someday. It felt silly and yet bold, so I decided what the heck, it sure couldn’t hurt anything. I was getting more accustomed to potential embarrassment, as each day my willingness to be vulnerable and share my heart with anyone was growing. Mom Sherri had commented on my Facebook post about the contest, and I was truly touched. The following is our text conversation on October 15, 2022. From Ginger Bliss: Thank you SO very much for the beautiful, heartwarming post and sharing the silly contest thing. I’m so embarrassed but hey if maybe a publisher reads about the book, or I can take time off work or if the comments just help one person it’s all well worth my embarrassment. Your support and kind, encouraging words mean more to me than you will ever know. Thank you for being my mom!! You’re the best!! ❤️ I love you SO much!!

From Mom Sherri: Good morning, Ginger,

It gives me such joy in my heart to hear your healing words being expressed to not only me, but other people.

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