[theoddz]

My parents divorced when I was 13 and my mother has never dated or remarried. I asked her why once, and she told me that she was "too busy raising children, going back to school (at age 40+) and working". I always remember Mother working and teaching adult ed night school. She was constantly busy and yet always made time to be a pretty good, loving and supportive parent. In that way, I can honestly say that I never missed having a stepfather or anything like that. Mother was "the package deal" and she was good at it!! My parents, though divorced, did a wonderful job co-parenting my sister and me and even with the bitterness they held towards each other, never let that leak through to their love and responsibilities to my sister and myself.

My dad, on the other hand, has dated several different women over the years and has had some pretty good luck with finding good ones!! He has never officially remarried, but the woman I call my "Stepmom" has been by his side and lived with him for nearly 20 years now, so if that doesn't constitute being his "wife" and our "stepmom", I don't know what does. She's very much a part of our family and she has been there 150% for both my sister and myself when Mother wasn't or couldn't be. Betty is a gem of a Lady (I have some pics of her in my gallery)!!! I can't say enough about how kind, loving, supportive and dear she is. Of course, by the time she and Pop got together, my sister and I were grown adults, so Betty has never had to fill the role of "parental unit" to us in a parent/child relationship. Before Pop, she'd been married 3 times and never had any children of her own. I just know that, when certain situations have arisen that have been "touchy" and maybe have inched over that line into a sort of parent/child dynamic with Mother and Pop, Betty steps back and doesn't "interfere", as she calls it. Now, if there's something that comes up with Pop, or if my sister or I have trouble reasoning with him, or bringing something up that's difficult, Betty will *very* gently "run interference", and have both appreciated her for that. She has never...ever, ever, ever said or even indicated any sort of hostility, anger, jealousy or animosity, or made any sort of foul comments about or towards my mother. In fact, my mother and Betty are friends, and when Mother comes to Las Vegas for a visit, she and Betty always manage to have lunch together, exchange little gifts back and forth, they send each other birthday and Christmas cards, etc. It's really a nice relationship that we all enjoy as a family unit. Betty is a true Lady and I've always called her a total "Class Act". I love her like a second mother and I'm very very happy that Pop has such a good woman by his side....and she makes him happy. She's a classic Lady of The Greatest Generation.

Recently, Betty has been battling throat cancer. She was diagnosed last fall when a nodule appeared on her neck and it was found to be malignant. This shook our family to its core and we've all rallied behind her. I can't imagine Betty not being a part of our family and we've all stood with her, as her family, to take care of her and get her through this ordeal. She's 87 now and her health is fragile, and I think that the fact that she's had to undergo something like this has brought it to all of our attention just how much we love and adore this good Lady.

Incidentally, Betty has completed her course of radiation and chemotherapy and has been deemed officially cancer free!!! She's still weak and tires easily and is still having to use the PEG (stomach) tube for most of her nutrition as her throat heals from the effects of the radiation, but she's on the upswing now and that's what counts!! Pop stands steadfastly beside her, doing her tube feedings for her every 2 hours during the day and scheduling his life around her schedule. He's so devoted, patient and loving with her, and couldn't be any more so, had she been his "legal" wife.

So, yes, I've got a stepmother in my life and she's a wonderful person and Lady. I couldn't be luckier.....or more thankful to G-d for having this lovely stepmom in my life.

~Theo~