Okay Rae inspired me to write my letter

TANNER'S MOM wrote: But I don't remember who to give it too..

Sound dumb?


September 28, 2005

Dear Oprah,

I am writing this letter on my birthday. Today I shared my birthday with some very important people whom I have never really met. But these people have changed my life. I know this sounds strange, but I am a mother to four. Three children of my own and a stepchild. You would think I would be an old hand at raising children. But after all these years I still have questions. And I had no one to turn too. My relationship with my thousands of friends started over a year ago. I had a sick child, and I had no idea what to do about. I was the on the Internet and I found this wonderful site called Parenting Club. I posted a question. And suddenly I had real adult answers. Someone who would talk to me about what I was feeling and going through. No one thought I was crazy or wrong. They took me for me. And there I found my new family! And it has been one of the best things in my life.

We are a true life group. Not just a parenting club. We have every range of woman. First time mother, mothers to newborns, and mothers to teenagers. Newlyweds, single mothers, Divorced mothers. And a few wonderful fathers who loan us their insight to the male world in which we learn so much. We embrace each other and lift each other up in life.

In just my year on the board let me explain what they have helped me through. They have helped me deal with a husband who drinks too much, and an extended family that is not close. They have helped me accomplish 24 pounds of weight loss and listened to me when I was in tears and didn’t know if I could make it another day. I quite smoking while on this board. I have had marriage problems and teenager problems. I have had work related troubles. They have hugged me and listened to me. They have been a great source. And I would love to meet them and say Thank You in person.

We celebrate the good times, birthday for the newborns. The Mom’s share every thought through pregnancy. And then times goes by fast and suddenly we have a new member. One we have waited for and welcome into our family. We hear of firsts and the most special bond. The sleepless night, and the wonderful smiles and smells too. We hear of the first time their siblings get to see their babies and the first love on each child face when looking at a new member of there families. We have birthdays for each child and we all think and say a prayer for the best year yet to come. We celebrate first days of schools and last. We celebrate parents having children leave for college and those who leave for preschool. We are there every step.

We sadly we have been touched by death of family members including infants and childhood sickness. And those moments are the ones we can’t get off our mind. Those are the ones we all need to hold each other through. We are so supportive and I know that each mother feels the love we give and prayers we say right through the computer screen.

I want to meet these women who have meant so much to me. I hope you can help that happen. In today’s society I think you find so many people connect this way. I think it would make a neat show and teach other people that the Internet is not always bad. There are some good people out there. And give the women who feel they have no answers and feel that they are failing as parents a place to go. A starting place to find acceptance for themselves.

Thank you for reading my letter.

Yours truly,
Mel
Tanner’s Mom at ParentingClub.com

moped replied: WOW - another great letter........

send it to mom2tripp (Kristi)

You bring tears to my eyes

Mel, can I ask which child ws sick when you first joined?

My2Beauties replied: Both letters I have read today have been good. You guys make me want to write mine but I don't have time at work, we are swamped. I need to start on mine! Mel you letter was so sweet!

kimberley replied: Mel, that made me teary! that was beautiful! thanks for sharing

TANNER'S MOM replied:
Tanner was.. He had awful Bladder trouble. He couldn't hold it and they thought he might be diabetic which he wasn't but I was totally freaked. Everyone here just rallied around me and were great!

moped replied: Thank goodness it wasn't -

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: That was a wonderful letter Mel! I think you made a great point about how we are a family here and that the internet is not all bad people.

A&A'smommy replied: That is a wonderful letter I will say I have typed mine out but I have finished it yet

ions_momma replied: Mel, that was a wonderful letter!

~Roo'sMama~ replied: Wow Mel that brought tears to my eyes! You have a way with words.

punkeemunkee'smom replied: What a great letter Mel! It brought tears to my eyes!

holley79 replied: Ok I am going to have to quit reading the message board at work. What an awesome letter Mel. Everything you have described is everything that I had felt since coming here.

CantWait replied: sounds great