Sunday, 31 July 2011

Family Trees

It's National Stepfamily Awareness Day today, a day whose aim is very close to my heart.

It seems fitting that today is also National Tree Day, as both days celebrate biodiversity, familial extensions and new growth.

Last year in the UK and US, stepfamilies outnumbered first families for the first time, with demographers predicting that Australia will catch up by 2020.

Even though rates of divorce and remarriage are so high, being in a stepfamily is rife with complications, and often members of stepfamilies feel isolated. The last five years, in which I have lived in a stepfamily, have been the most joyous and the most confusing of all my 37 years.

In 2009, when I was at my wit's end as to how I would ever reconcile who I was becoming with who I had been before I was a stepmother, I set out on a journey of recording my own experiences as well as those of 50 other stepmothers from around the world.

Hundreds of hours talking, thousands of hours writing and countless litres of tea drinking later, I am overjoyed to announce that the first draft of my manuscript is finished.

As we don't have a printer, this is the first time I have printed out the whole draft to read. Besides all the people I have to thank for their help so far, thank you to the trees, to the trees.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW! Well done Meg!

Rachel said...

And we come full circle...the interview over skype to this. so exciting to see your progress.
things have been challenging on the stepmother front, I'd love to read your book NOW.
I echo the first commenter, Well done, Meg!

Umatji said...

that is so amazing and inspiring. thanks to the trees and thanks to you.
x

eddy carroll said...

Whoahoooooooo! How fabulous. First Draft for me is kind of like base camp at Everest, enjoy settling in with your paper version- may it be a flag and a tent and a warm fire.

P.S I have the same nail polish as you. heheh!

Helen Murray said...

Congratulations. You must be very pleased.

Jodie said...

Congratulations Meg - what a wonderful accomplishment!

stephany said...

so rapt and looking forward to reading the stepfamily experience Meg, I think it's going to be welcomed by many. sounds like it's time has come!

derek said...

i'm a stepfather myself, & it always gives me a little bit of joy to observe, from a distance, that you & pj seem to be doing so well with it