Quotable Sunday

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

OSCAR WILDE

Quotable Sunday

You don't always have to destroy a wounded animal. Sometimes you just have to remove the thorn.

DEXTER MORGAN

Or, Not...

I was at a party on New Years Eve, a really fun party. I needed it! But that's beside the point.
I met a lot of new people at this party. I always enjoy meeting new people, introducing the me that they will know without preconceived notions.
I was talking to this one girl about life in general when she started talking about her son's stepmom. Instantly, I was on edge. She had no idea that I am a stepmom, that we have a high-conflict situation or, really, anything about my life. But, to my shock, she was raving about her ex's girlfriend.
"Oh, I just love her. She's great. And I want my son to have a close relationship with his siblings, so we communicate really well."
What the what? I couldn't believe what I was hearing. A mom who loves her kid's stepmom? And always has? I was so encouraged that I had to learn more.
"Well, she just had a baby and my son is really excited to be a big brother. And a little brother. She has two older kids too."
"Oh, he's close with his stepsiblings?" I ask. "That's great!"
"Oh, they aren't his stepsiblings. They are his half-siblings."
What?
"I was the other woman. He was cheating on her with me and I got pregnant. Then he got back with her and they had another baby."
I thought I had finally met a pioneer in the mom/stepmom relationship field.
But, not really.
I'm still encouraged that she models a positive relationship with her son's stepmom, but I can't help but think that some of that might have to do with being a cheat-ee. There's a level of guilt there, and maybe even a level of pride, that changes the situation a bit. Plus, she never told me how the stepmom felt about her. When I got around that that question, she was suddenly distracted by a big plate of cookies.
Thoughts?

Oh, and Happy 2011!!!

Quotable Sunday

Hope is when we feel the pain that makes us try again.

CHICO SCIENCE