This is for the women who started this journey thinking " I can make this work." For the women who had their dreams shattered and were left to pick up the pieces of family life.

The women who find themselves up during the night with a child who they didn't give birth to, because they are sick and their Dad is sleeping through. For SMOMS who sat through the vomit, the snot, the coughing, sneezing and whining.

For the SMOMS who helped make a mothers day card with a stepkid for a BM who totally didn't deserve it and won't even care. For the SMOMS who thought about it but didn't do it and for the SMOMS who didn't have to do it.

For the SMOMS who took kids to doctors and hospitals and dentists. For SMOMS who said last goodbyes to step kids at a funeral home.

For the SMOMS who were passed over for Mothers day because they are SMOMS, not MOMS.

For the SMOMS who've comforted their husbands because their children have moved out of the state. For the SMOMS who've comforted each other because the stepkids have moved into their homes.

For the SMOMS who have screamed into the night that life ISN'T fair. For those of us who have seen pettiness within us that we didn't like. For those of us who have lost our temper, lost our cool and lost our marbles trying to make sense of complicated situations.

For the SMOMS who have spent hours sobbing because a child hurt our feelings and discovered that there really IS a feeling of wanting to tear your hair out.

For the SMOMS who've looked at the DH and wondered what happened to a wonderful love story.
For the SMOMS who've looked at the frying pan and then at DH and wondered if it would improve their love story!

For the SMOMS who can't let the pain go. For the ones who are learning to let the pain go and for the SMOMS who are teaching others to let the pain go.

For the SMOMS who check this site 100 times a day to see if any one has answered their desperate post, with a solution. For the SMOMS who check this site to see if they can offer a solution. For the SMOMS who care enough to share their names and lives and details to help others. For the SMOMS who want to, but can't.

For every SMOM who has looked at themselves in the mirror and wondered how they got to this place in life. For all the SMOMS who don't look in the mirror any more because the extra pounds have helped us cope with the pain. For the SMOMS who can finally look themselves in the mirror again and say "I'm getting somewhere."

For the SMOMS who look after someone else’s kids on the holidays. For the SMOMS who juggle split families and sports and schools. For the SMOMS who spend so much time running between schools and activities, they wonder whether they should live in their car.

For the SMOMS who never get the kids on important days. For the SMOMS who spend the important days fitting all the kids into a couple of hours.

For the SMOMS who've been hurt by an angry BM. For the SMOMS who have tried everything to make BM happy and still can't. For the SMOMS who are also BMs.

For the SMOMS who seem to be the only one trying to help a child who isn't your own. Or to turn the whole family around. For the SMOMS who desperately wanted Dr Phil to move into the guest room!

For the SMOMS coping with stepkids used as pawns or messengers. To any SMOM who's ever heard the phrase "Well I can do it at my Mums house."

For the SMOMS who've sat through counselling sessions and the SMOMS who can't get their family to counselling sessions. For the SMOMS that have sat through family court, mediation and other enormous wastes of time and money. For the SMOMS who haven't.

For the SMOMS who are the only Mother a child has now and are dealing with an ungrateful child, ungrateful DH and pain at every turn. For the SMOMS who's BMs have walked back into their child’s lives and been the recipient of undeserved adulation, while you were just shoved in a corner and forgotten about.

For the SMOMS who organise every one else's birthdays and presents only to be overlooked on their special day

For the SMOMS who wanted to walk out the door but didn't. For the SMOMS who wanted to lose the step kids, but didn't. For the SMOMS that struggle with their feelings for the stepkids and are brave enough to share their pain and hurt and anger.

SMOMS are powerhouses of love and we are so busy looking after everyone else’s best interests that we forget to celebrate ourselves. SMOMS are pioneers and our stories will be invaluable for those SMOMS who don't even know they are going to be SMOMS yet.

Sister SMOMS....I stand in awe of all of you. Bright women who are fighting for their families to have a cohesive future. SMOMS who are fighting the good fight and getting jipped on the rewards of being a good SMOMS.