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On Mountains and Dumping that Dude

mssinglemama — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:36:38 +0000

My camera is not cooperating. I can’t upload a single photo from Montana. My iPhoto keeps crashing, maybe because I took so many?

These pictures from Uncle Ez will do until then. Couldn’t wait to share this one…

The mountain and the lake, Swiftcurrent Lake, were just outside of our hotel – the Many Glacier Hotel – which you can see in the background of this picture.

Absolutely incredible.

How many of you have managed to take trips solo with the little ones? And how much do you love being single in the summer? Isn’t it awesome? Cheers to that. Relationships and men are such a pain sometimes.

Sometimes…

So, why do we put up with them (sometimes)?

I was just having this discussion over the weekend with some new friends. And John Bear was never a pain in the a__ - just to make that perfectly clear. I am talking now about a list of women I know personally or professionally who are incredibly successful, beautiful and intelligent but who stay with colossal jerks who are bad for them emotionally and financially.

Why?

Does it boil down to a fear that you can’t do any better? Because believe me, Mamas, you can. There are so many amazing, attractive and financially stable drug-free men out there who also treat women well.

Just wanted to remind you of that. And will you please, the Mamas who have found a good man, leave a comment? To share your story and your positive experience with leaving the bad for the good?

If you are on the fence about staying with or leaving a man ask yourself this question? Do you want your son to turn out like him? Do you want your daughter to marry someone like him?

Boom. There’s your answer.

The end (again)

mssinglemama — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 22:21:24 +0000

Trust must come before love and love can’t survive without trust.

I felt absolutely certain I could love him again. I tried to forget. I felt that I could conquer the past. But I couldn’t. And something was missing. The trust? The original love we had? I wasn’t sure, but being so unsure, standing on such shaky ground was enough. I was even having nightmares about him breaking up with me again, telling me “this just wasn’t working.” I would wake up in a terrible mood and try to explain, but he couldn’t calm my fears. His words weren’t enough.

This time the end was my decision and it came after weeks and weeks of silent thoughts in my head. I tried to share them with him, but realized that I had to either a) accept the past and completely move on in order to love him as he loved us or b) end the relationship because I owed that much to all three of us.

In the end the voices and the dreams won and John and I’s relationship lost.

Benjamin is spending this week at his father’s, next week in Montana with me, and then another week at his father’s. I haven’t told him yet, but this entire time John has been re-introduced as a “friend” only. I’m confident all three of us will survive and be just fine.

It won’t be easy being a 100% single mom again, but managing a relationship on top of everything else seemed more challenging at times than operating solo. So, for now, I’m retiring my hat on relationships for a while and just focusing on the relationship that matters most – my relationship with Benjamin. And I’m incredibly happy about that. We’re right were we need to be. There’s no sense in fixing something that isn’t broken.

I’m sorry I have been so silent lately, but now you know why. Please don’t lose faith in relationships or recovering broken relationships. There is hope, I just wasn’t strong enough to overcome the past and at the end of the day John and I’s foundation was not strong enough.

Single Mom Question: We have chemistry, but…

mssinglemama — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:59:44 +0000

This one is from Jen, a single mom who has all of the chemistry a girl can dream of with man who is not financially responsible. Her question in a nutshell is – “We have this amazing chemistry, but what about his financial instability? Can I overlook that? And is this the last time I will have love?”

Sound familiar?

It does to me. My ex-husband was thrilling in the chemistry department, but soon all of that wore off when he couldn’t keep a job or a steady pay check. Dating a financially irresponsible man is one thing, it’s easy to overlook his situation but when you are legally bound and married – no way. Suddenly he loses a lot of his sex appeal. But, it is rare to find that kind of connection. The question is – what can you accept, what can you live with? If a financially irresponsible man isn’t a turn off, or if you don’t need a man for financial reasons at all (and if you don’t plan on marrying him) – why not?

This is a tough one.

Here’s Jen’s Single Mom dating question:

My “question” makes me think of a past relationship you wrote about…and lists. You wrote about a relationship where there were some things that you would not accept, and even though you appeared to have an amazing connection with this man, you ended it with him because he did one of these things. (Did that even make sense?)

I have a man that has been telling me he loves me for 2 years now. He says he loves, and wants to be involved with, my children, too. On some levels, he appears to have a lot to offer, but there are other things that scare me.

So, here I am with this physical attraction, good chemistry on all levels, (we can talk for 2 hours and it feels like 2 mins) but the guy hasn’t done his taxes in 5 years. Also, he struggles with some other things that don’t go along with my values. I’ve “broken up” with him twice…and he went off and dated other women, only to immediately break up with them when I showed interest again (which would happen when we ran into each other).

I think what is going on for me is that there are things that I DON’T feel good about, but I’m wondering if I should overlook them because here is someone that loves me, loves my kids, is a great kisser, great at communication and I am AFRAID that I am passing up the only time this will come along. But I am unsure about his ability to provide stability, and unsure if this is really what it appears to be.

Have you ever passed up someone that felt good on so many levels and made it through?

- Jen

What advice do you have for Jen? Leave yours in the comments.

Back up reading from my own blog:

Remember Kris? I wondered if we broke up if it was my last chance at love? We had chemistry, but not much in the way of companionship. Here’s the post.

And here’s my post on the Must Have Man List Jen references. For me, a solid financial situation and a stable job is now a must.

Single Mom Question: Why can’t I commit?

mssinglemama — Wed, 25 May 2011 11:02:07 +0000

I promised you a series devoted to your questions about being a dating single mom. And here is the first. This one is from April.

“I am so happy being a single mom that I find it hard to settle into a relationship.”

“I have been divorced for five years now and a single mother to two little girls. I have dated off and on during the past five years, but I find the longest I can maintain a relationship is around 2 months and then I start to lose the excitement, feel smothered and just keep thinking of how much happier I am with it just being me and my girls. There is nothing more liberating then knowing that you are on your own and can take care of yourself.

I was married for 9 years and was totally in love with my ex husband, but he cheated and that is why our relationship ended. I have healed and moved on and we have been able to maintain a friendly relationship for our girls. So, I don’t feel that it is if I am not over him, but I can’t find that spark that I had with him. I feel content with my single life. I do have thoughts from time to time of wishing that I could find prince charming again, but it just seems so much easier and less stressful to go it alone raising my girls. Is this normal? Does anybody else feel this way?”

My short answer.

I can relate. I think just about every single mom I’ve met has commitment issues. Why? I think there are a few reasons.

1). Because we have discovered that we can live happily ever after solo.

2). We haven’t found that “spark” and are holding out of that same fire we felt before.

3). Even though we may feel “over” a traumatic experience like losing a husband of nine years to cheating, there is still hurt there. We have found happiness and it seems so scary to risk ever feeling that hurt again.

So, yes, April – this is normal. What should you do about it? Keep dating. Because it’s fun! But from here on out don’t let the relationships make it to two months, eliminate them faster to make room for some of that spark.

What are your thoughts? Please comment and help April out. Do you find you have fears or commitment issues? And there is nothing wrong with just being a happy, solo single mom. Don’t ever force a relationship just because you think you “should have one.”

If you have a question of your own please e-mail it to me with the subject line: “Single Mom Question” to mssinglemama-at-gmail-dot-com.

Too Personal?

mssinglemama — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 03:32:33 +0000

I have no filter. I have also been told I have absolutely no poker face, although, ironically, I am pretty good at poker.

With the break up settling in and my single self completely and absolutely single again, I have been wondering what it will feel like to be on a date again. Or to actually be dating anyone again. Will I let it all fall out, all of my recent baggage? Will I turn him off with my stories or my emotions?

I know I’m not ready quite yet because I still can’t fathom it. Harder to fathom is making the time to actually go on a date or to emotionally prepare or react to them. How do us single moms find the time to date? I know I did in the past but now that it’s been so long I just don’t know how I will fit it in.

It took me five weeks to meet a guy up for a coffee date last Friday.

Five weeks.

Between Benjamin and work that’s how long it took for me to find 45 minutes, yes, a mere 45 minutes to meet up with Scott. I met him on New Year’s Eve in a thick daze and confused stumble at midnight to find someone to kiss. I’m very superstitious about kissing at midnight. So, with less than 10 seconds to spare I walked up to stranger Scott and asked him very matter of factly, “are you single?” When he said yes, I asked, “would you mind kissing me at midnight? For good luck.”

“Sure,” he said.

And that was that. Five seconds later we were kissing and my head was spinning and then… it’s all a post break up drunken blur. I don’t remember much at all about that moment or the rest of the night. I woke up the next morning relieved that a) I was alive and safe in my house and that b) Scott had been a total gentleman who did not in any way take advantage of the situation.

Because I had somehow ended up with his coat I agreed to have coffee with him. I also needed my first post engagement break up date. It may take me a while but baby steps are necessary for me. Life is my lesson, so I am always living it. So, with that in mind I went on a “just coffee and ‘thank you for not attacking me and leaving me in a dumpster on New Year’s Eve’ coffee date.”

Fortunately, for me, I have a good judge of character when I’m intoxicated. This is probably what Scott looked like that night. A bit out of focus, but smiling and sweet.

I was pleasantly surprised when I met him on Friday (sober) that he was super cute in focus as well.

I also found out that he is a single dad to a three year old girl, Annie. After we met he “looked me up” and found this blog. Inspired by my writing here he started his own blog called “Raising Annie” because he does have custody of her 75% of the time.

He’s totally together, has a fantastic job and an incredibly positive attitude. So…, because I am incapable of dating him, I give Scott to you. Go explore his blog and you can thank me later. (And hint, hint – read up on How to Ask a Guy Out here.)

P.S.

I also rarely find the time to drink and do not advocate single mamas getting sloshed in bars. I am very, very lucky to have happened across a nice guy like Scott. Please, please drink responsibly and in the company of friends.

A very good question.

mssinglemama — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 02:25:51 +0000

Had to pull out this fantastic comment from Sara to my last post.

“Does it bother you that John is probably reading all this right now? That’s the first thing I thought of when I read your post about the break up. Do you sometimes find yourself writing things in these past few posts for his benefit at all? Like so he sees how well Benjamin is doing or how “crazy” you are at the moment by things like checking out his facebook?”

When I first met John one of the things I loved about him was his understanding and appreciation of this blog and the audience. When a topic was in question, as to whether or not I should blog about it, he always asked, “Will it help them?” Them being, all of the other single moms.

If my answer was “yes”, I could write about whatever I wanted.

The thing I hold the most sacred about this blog is our relationship. You trust what I tell here is as accurate as I perceive it to be. Without that trust, if I were to use this blog to “get back” at someone or to make John’s skin crawl I would be losing your respect and his and Benjamin’s (eventually).

I would be guilty of manipulating the content to my own advantage and to spite or hurt someone. And, to me, that is the cardinal sin of blogging. Especially on this blog.

With that said, there are pieces to stories I have kept from you. John and I’s brief 12-hour break up in May, as an example. There are more stories you still don’t know about or will ever know about (many have to do with Benjamin’s father or our immediate family).

They’re just too personal and could, if told here, affect the outcome of the relationship.

Benjamin is doing well. If he were having issues during this break up, I would tell you. But he’s not. Quite the opposite, which, I believe is absolutely eye opening. And there’s nothing like seeing your child flourishing to reinforce the fact that this is the best outcome for all of us.

Makes getting over a break up a lot easier, too. This is a first for me. But happy kid trumps all else.

I was petrified of how Benjamin would react if John and I didn’t work out. That fear may have been influencing some of my decisions about the relationship, and maybe John’s. Perhaps we both injected too much pressure on the situation.

After Friday’s post–my anger post (that’s about as angry as you’ll see me). I called John to tell him I would be un-friending him on Facebook. And when he asked ‘why’, I let it all spill out. I went on a tangent that included topics like ‘walking away and starting over like nothing happened’, ‘getting to move on Scott-free’ and a bunch of other unnecessary and mean comments, but warranted.

As soon as it was out, I felt better. And in true John fashion he accepted it all and didn’t lash back. He reminded me that this is just as painful for him as it is for me and that this was about our relationship, not my being a single mom. And then I realized that no matter how hard I may try, I can’t hate John. Because he’s John. He’s a good guy. By the end we were talking to each other like old friends and agreed that it sucks for both of us but is clearly for the best.

I haven’t checked his Facebook status since, but I haven’t un-friended him either.

I hope that answers your question. Just know that I would never manipulate this blog’s content for my own good because this is for all of you, for us. The fact that some of my posts may help some of you conquer a few of life’s trials and tribulations is far more important that what John (or any other man) thinks of Benjamin and I.

And did I mention that I am feeling better and better every day? Now that the anger has been vanquished I feel calm and content again. A bit shaken up, but content. Turns out I also don’t need a man to be happy, but I do need my friends–and John (along with all of you) will continue to be among them.

From Break Up Land

mssinglemama — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 04:36:11 +0000

The one thing I absolutely love about owning a Web design, SEO and Social Media business is the variety of people I meet and interact with every day.

First, there are the three guys in my office. Their humor throughout this entire thing has been incredible and I don’t feel alone in the least. However, they have to put up with me suddenly erupting when I open John’s Facebook profile and read a happy comment about this or that. A stop at a bar or a game. Or some joke. Drives me absolutely nuts. And I have no idea why. He’s entitled to move on. Typically I am more composed, relatively speaking of course because I’m always a bit “energetic”.

But it’s only been two weeks and when I read one of his updates I feel like a mad, crazy person who can’t get a grip. Suddenly I’m saying things and and flying off the handle in front of the guys.

“You know,” they say. And then something absolutely hilarious spills out and we’re all laughing hysterically. Suddenly I feel better and get back to work.

And then there are my clients. Many of them I’ve come to know on a personal level, or it feels like I have because I love them so much. One, Columbus caterer Rich Rores, aka “The Sandman” or as I call him – my personal buddha – said to me, “Get back to normal. I don’t like you like this, all hating on men.”

“I’m not hating,” I tell him. “I am venting my emotions. I like to let them all flow out instantly. This way they don’t grow stale and rotten and then sneak up on me later.”

“I know,” he says, “You’re absolutely right. That’s the best way to do it, the healthiest way.”

And then there’s a single mom friend of mine who I met months ago when John and I were still together. She’s incredibly independent and content. You can just tell… she has the single motherhood thing down pat.

“Dude.” She says Dude a lot. And I like that about her.

“Men are overrated. I know it’s crazy but I’m happy single. I enjoy my life. I get the boys to myself and we get to do whatever we want, whenever. We don’t have to check in with anyone. And, besides, I don’t want some dude laying on my couch all of the time. Eeewww. No way, man. That’s just gross.”

I laugh at the image of some guy laying on her couch. On her couch. Not anyone’s couch, but her couch in her super cute downtown townhouse, where clearly there is no room for just any dude.

Later this week during coffee with a happily married colleague of mine she said, “I was there once too. When you’re comfortable and you just think ‘this is it, I’m happy and I’m comfortable, this is what it is supposed to be like’ and then you realize. ‘No, this isn’t right.’ It took me five years. I was with him for five years.”

Five years.

“And now I’m with my husband and I am so incredibly in love. It’s like night and day.”

And finally there’s my favorite person of them all, my dream man – Mr. Benjamin.

Since John’s good-bye, Benjamin has not asked about him once. He hasn’t even asked about Murphy. He also has been flourishing in school. A few weeks before Christmas, Benjamin’s teachers pulled me aside for a meeting about his behavior. He was acting out, rebelling, saying bad words. I was completely distraught over it. We had no idea why. I told his teachers, “We just moved in with John three months ago. Things are going great. I don’t know what it could be.”

I thought. He has a Dad now. He should be perfect. We have a ‘normal’ family.

Well… apparently, Benjamin could sense something I couldn’t and his teachers say he is back to his normal self. My sweet, sweet rambunctious and happy little boy. Seeing him so happy, seeing this visible change in him has been more than an eye opener it has been completely and entirely liberating.

Apparently Benjamin doesn’t take to “normal”. This is our normal and we’re fine just the way we are.

—–

P.S.

I’ve been too busy/coping to pimp our upcoming Sway Workshop. But it’s in two weeks on January 20th at Experience Columbus. The entire Cement Marketing team will be there to teach attendees about social media and SEO. If you can’t come, spread the word for me and share the details with your friends and colleagues.

The aftermath.

mssinglemama — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 02:31:31 +0000

It has been 9 days now. During each I have remained completely composed in front of Benjamin. I have been calm, engaged and present to play with him, talk to him and just be with him.

Tomorrow it’s back to school and work. To our new reality.

After I write this post I’ll be writing a note to Benjamin’s teachers explaining the situation.

The situation.

He left and I didn’t stop him.

He left after I trusted him with everything and believed, for the second time in my life, that it would be forever.

He left after promising to be Benjamin’s father.

But I didn’t stop him. And he had to leave because he knew in his heart it wasn’t right to stay, no matter how ill-timed his decision.

The shock has worn off and in its place there is anger mixed with a lovely peppering of fear and a dash of disdain. I am sure these emotions will pass. I just wonder what will be left in their place. I’m fearful that I’ll build up another wall, an even higher one this time, and never let another man around my child. I’m also thinking that I may be destined to be single forever. Relationships, clearly, don’t suit me. I love being single, why tamper with that? Why not just be happy and stay single this time?

Oh, men. Why are some of you so irresistible? Don’t answer that.

But seriously, not all of us find true love with another mate in life. I’m lucky enough to be madly in love with my work, with my own business and to have Benjamin. Do I really need a trifecta? The risk seems too great. I know, it’s still early but these are my thoughts.

—–

John stopped by this week for his official good-bye. Benjamin’s only question was, “will we still be able to play baseball?”

“Yes,” said John as he choked back tears, “we’ll still be able to play baseball. And I want you to take care of your Mommy. You’re the man of the house now.”

“Okay, Dad – I mean, John Bear.”

That’s the most heartbreaking of all for me. When Benjamin calls him Dad and then corrects himself. It happens about once a day. It’s all so fresh, John’s things are still here and some of his furniture. So when he’s jumping on the couch and I’m telling him to stop, “My Dad, I mean John Bear let’s me.”

Blindsided. Completely. I am just hoping the cosmos forgive my mistake and leave Benjamin unscathed. If any of you have been through this with a four year old before, I would appreciate any advice you may have.

With the exception of the last three months, Benjamin and I have always been living alone so he seems to be bouncing right back. And, I can’t tell if this will stick but he actually says he’s happy John Bear won’t be with us anymore. That surprised me, but now with the dust settling and my 20/20 hindsight creeping in I see an unhappy John trying to discipline Benjamin. And Benjamin wasn’t accepting it very well.

So, who knows – maybe everything will be okay.

It’s just too early to tell.

We have also had house guests this entire week. Awesome friends, aunts, uncles and one grandma. Plenty of company and a tremendous amount of love and support.

One thing I learned the first time I found myself alone with a child was this–always, always ask for help and ask for it often. Speaking of help, your response, my sweet readers and friends, has been absolutely off the charts. I can’t tell you how much every one of your comments has meant to me.

What would I do without all of you?

You’re like my cheering section and I feel like we’re all connected in this battle to re-define single motherhood. We’re modern single mothers and one thing is certain, our story has never been told this way before. And that is truly awesome.

No matter how it ends.

Co-Parenting and Mrs. Brady

And then we break up.

mssinglemama — Tue, 28 Dec 2010 23:33:38 +0000

I am still in shock and I don’t know if I can piece it all together very eloquently here. I’m also not sure where to begin.

The first time it happened, the first time he broke up with me, his face looked pale. He was sitting on his couch. Not leaning into his couch, but sitting upright. The apartment around him, a small one bedroom was immaculate. And there he was, waiting for me to sit down. After a brief explanation came “and I think it’s time to end this.”

“To end what?” I asked.

“The relationship.”

At this, I jumped up and nearly fell over, catching myself on the arm of the couch.

“What? Why? Are you serious?”

“I am. This just isn’t working.”

I practically ran out of his apartment a few moments later, unable to even fathom what was happening. I was angry, hurt and completely blindsided. Sure, things hadn’t been perfect, but I thought our relationship was the healthiest I’d ever been in. The next morning I called him and told him I would do anything to keep him. I was shocked at myself. The way I sounded. Desperate almost. Heaving with tears at the idea of losing this sweet man. What had I done to drive him away?

“We have nothing in common,” he said, “And we fight all of the time. I’m not happy. I’m not.”

“But we don’t fight all of the time. Do we? I mean, things aren’t perfect all of the time but that’s life. The things we fight about aren’t fundamental differences, they are minimal, things we can fix.”

At the end of the conversation, we were back together. Our break up had lasted for all of 12 hours but I was a wreck. My trust had been shattered because John had effectively pulled the rug out from under the relationship and rocked our foundation of trust. It would never be the same again.

Two months later in the middle of May, after our trip to Georgia, it happened again. He started a lot of sentences with the word “if” and others with this phrase, “I love you, but.”

I love you, but… you really are this or that.

He had issues with me. So many issues that I was starting to not feel like me. We took a one week break and at the end of it, I broke up with him.

“I want someone who is committed to Benjamin and I without hesitation, I want to get married, I want to have more children, I want a house, I want someone who loves me without ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’. I want someone who loves me as I am.” I wanted all of these things and he had helped me to believe in them, he had opened my heart and my mind to the joys of a relationship. But he wasn’t happy and I couldn’t force him to be with me.

The next morning, John showed up at my door and told me he wanted all of the above. The house. The wedding. The life. Together.

I believed him. And he believed himself.

We moved forward and never looked back. Until the morning of Christmas Eve.

The night before my sister, as blunt as I am, had been pressing John with questions. She had noticed that we didn’t seem happy together and while I was distracted and entertaining other guests at our office party, Anna was grilling John like the protective sister she is.

“Are you happy? Because you don’t seem happy.” Etc. Etc. Etc.

Had I known this was going on, I would have swooped in to protect him and been livid with my sister. Instead, I missed it all. Just as I had apparently been completely missing John’s unhappiness. She saw what I couldn’t.

As you have all read here on this blog, I have been happy, content, and comfortable. But there were some things missing. Butterflies, for one. That maddening feeling of being in love. I was trying to find the best person for Benjamin and I by using my head and not my heart. As a result, I brushed a lot of things under the rug and told a story here that I also told to myself. In the end, I created an image for John Bear that any man would feel intimidated to fill.

On the morning of Christmas Eve, John was still incredibly upset about my sister’s pressing questions the night before. I don’t want to share all of the details but it ended with same look on his face he had in his apartment that day in March and me absolutely losing it in tears and shock as I handed him the ring. He wanted to take it back, to make up again and brush it under the rug – but, I made the call.

“No. No more pretending and no more forcing you to be with me.” With the flood gates open and John’s true feelings on the table everything suddenly became clear.

“You’re not happy. You aren’t. You’re miserable with me. It’s so obvious now.”

We both had to wake up to the reality of our relationship. I was happy but he wasn’t.

Whether I knew it or not, I had pressured John into taking our relationship into the next phase. Marriage. The House. Fatherhood. We are both guilty here. We are both guilty of trying to do the right thing, of pressing forward even though there was clearly something missing.

I’m surprisingly okay right now. I’m not sure if I’m still in shock or not, but John and I will still be friends and I’m in the incredibly fortunate situation, thanks to my business, of being able to pay the mortgage solo. John has been staying up in Cleveland with his parents and will do whatever Benjamin and I need or want to make sure we all survive this unscathed.

And unlike the first time I became a single mom, this time, I know exactly what to expect. And being single, as you all know, is my comfort zone. I have no idea how this will affect Benjamin but my game plan is this: stay calm, carry on, and be as happy and as engaged with him as possible.

We have had several conversations about the break up already. I wanted to tell him quickly and be transparent about it… after his initial tears I said, “Remember before John Bear, just a few months ago, when we were living alone?”

“Yeah,” he said, “in our old apartment.”

“Yeah, well, wasn’t that so much fun?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, now it will be just you and me again.”

“Okay,” he nodded and then slowly a big smile crept across his face while he remembered our time together – just the two of us. Our adventures. Our trips. Our happiness.

We really don’t need anyone else… just each other. For now. And, I must admit, there is a part of me that is so incredibly excited to have that back again.

Also, I completely resign from my position as an authority of any kind for giving out relationship or love advice to single moms. Wow, oh wow, I really didn’t see that coming.

Please don’t hate John and please don’t lose hope in men. He and his family were absolutely amazing to Benjamin and I and we will always be friends.

‘Tis the Season

mssinglemama — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 02:15:20 +0000

My favorite pictures of the season so far, and we haven’t even really started.

I have to stop reading the newspapers because everything “out there” seems so incredibly dismal and depressing. When everything “in here” is quite the opposite. I feel so tremendously fortunate. To pay the universe forward, I’m sending the last 16 new leaf necklaces to our single moms in Thailand. If you are looking for a charity this season… please consider them. Only $120 supports a mom and her child for one month.

This is the end of the new leaf necklaces but I think there are well over 600 of you wearing them. And that is pretty amazing. So, now we’ll have 16 wearing them all the way in Thailand! The energy we all share… I still think those necklaces are lucky charms.

P.S.

Congratulations to Amanda (you’ve been e-mailed about your Minted.com gift card).

Thanks again for your comments to my last post. It was very hard to write (and publish) but your comments and the lively discussion by some made it well worth sharing.