I don’t know when I will meet you, you may be in my life now, or you may be just another face in the crowd that I am yet to discover. Whoever you are I know that you will be a perfect match for me and I hope these words will guide you in the challenging, sometimes terrifying, but often rewarding journey of becoming a step-parent.
First of all, I would like you to know that there will be hard days. Days when my kid doesn’t want to listen, has a bad attitude, or problems at school. You will get to know that these moments in time can be extremely frustrating, some days they reduce me to tears. There is no sugar coating it. You will have to be patient and understanding while trudging through these times, but I promise it doesn’t last forever.
The good days of parenting will fill you with a different kind of happiness you may have never felt before. Days filled with pride and love. Please do not feel like you have to set up boundaries when it comes to how you feel for my child. I want you to love him wholeheartedly, and unconditionally. Because I know that he will love you in that way. You may not be his “real dad” but he is going to look up to you and come to you for guidance. We are a family.
Know that you can always be honest with me about your feelings towards parenting. If you are having a day that has you wondering if you can handle this, trust me I have been there. We are in this journey together, it’s a long climb to the top of the mountain but the view from the top is something that will stay with you forever.
Here’s to the future, the good days and the bad. Your choice to love my son is something that I will never be able to thank you for in words. I have so much respect for anyone who steps up to love and raise a child that is not their own. It takes a special kind of person and you are that person for us.
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