This piece has nothing to do with me being a step mom but has everything to do with a friendship I had that included a child whom I loved very much.

It started 8 year ago when I first met my friend though my brother. Our friendship picked up after she got a dog and asked me to babysit the dog while she worked. We were in apartments right next to each other. When she wasn't’t working we would watch TV shows together and our friendship grew to let me be a bridesmaid in her wedding.

3 years have passed and my friend learned she was pregnant. I was very happy for her and her boy friend (she got divorced).  During her pregnancy I was asked to be her child’s nanny and everyone knew that, her family, my family, and our friends. She had very bad postpartum depression the first year of child’s life. On top of that she worked crazy hours which meant her child was with me a lot. I grew a very close bond to this child and my friend was like a sister so I was called aunty and I tried to help her with her child as much as I could so she could deal with her postpartum which she was very grateful because dad lived 4 hours away.  Not only did I help with her child but I was still helping her with her dog, if she had to work I would take the dog to the vet for her if need be, (I also took child to the doctors a few times).

After almost 2 years Mom stopped working after her and dad got back together. This meant I didn't’t have to watch child as much but friend and child was always at my house playing, watching TV just hanging out or I at their house. We were so close that any time any of them needed a bed they had one at my house which happened more times than not for various reasons. I have never been a bio mom but I am a step mom to 3. So when my friend was having a hard time not knowing how to handle a situation with her child or just exhausted I would be there in a heart beat trying to help her the best way I knew how. I always tried my best NEVER to overstep her a mom and I always let her know that and to tell me if I accidentally do. Which I never thought I did. She never told me I did. We were both very gentle with our words to one another never trying to hurt each others feelings about anything. Which I think is where we started having communication problems and misunderstandings.

Not only was the postpartum bad but my friend also had really bad OCD where she over washed her hands till they bleed and many more things. We were always talking about how bad they were and her wishing she could get better and how I tried to help her through these things. Mom was scared to do a few things like give her dog medicine so I would help her out. (I have 7 dogs so wasn't’t a problem). Child has always gotten bad fevers so I would sit with them in the ER for hours trying to distract mom from the pain she’s feeling cause her baby is sick.

I’m going to end part one with Mom and Dad and mom’s family always telling me how grateful they were that I was there for not only the child but them too. And how they loved how close I was with their child so their child always knew that she was in a safe place  being in my care! I also want to say how grateful and I always told them how grateful I was for them letting me be in their Childs life and how much I was and the special things I was allowed to be a part of!

Sorry for it being so long, its been a long friendship and want to get everything right. If you like what you have read and want to know more hit like and I will post part 2!