Write a public love letter to someone.
{It doesn't necessarily need to be romantic.}
Since you all know how I feel about my husband (I love him) and you all know how I feel about the baby (I adore him), I thought I would write a letter to Kate Gosselin, who inspired me when I was home raising twin infants and losing my very mind.
Dear Kate,
You don't know me, but I am your biggest fan. No one can say a single bad word about you in my presence. I will defend you to the end.People just don't understand. As a mother of multiples, I get it. I would sit on the floor of my living room, both babies rolling on the floor, screaming their way through tummy time and I would think, "If Kate can do six, I can do two." I would repeat this to myself when dinner time, bath time, bed time got ugly.
Watching the show, obsessively like I did, and seeing how organized you were, the perfection you demanded not only of yourself but of those around you and the confidence you had in your parenting choices inspired me. You gave me permission to not apologize. To not apologize for wanting things done with my children a certain way. To not apologize for being a schedule-nazi, as I was sometimes referred to. To not apologize for having insanely high expectations.
One child or six, I wanted my sons raised my way. I didn't want to sacrifice anything even though they came in a pair instead of as singletons. You inspired me to do things with my family, to create memories from those experiences and to enjoy the moments I did get with each of my kids alone.
People saw you as a bitchy wife with no respect for your husband. I simply saw you as a mom, drowning in the responsibility that had fallen on your shoulders, reaching out to your co parent, hoping he could save you.
When your marriage began to crumble, I cried right alongside you. My heart broke for you that your marriage had become a statistic, and that you were going to have to face parenting alone. I single parented my three for six short months while my husband was gone for work, and I have never experienced anything so hard in my life. You are my hero for doing it with such grace.
I want you to know, if ever I have a daughter (so far we have only sons) her name will be Bailey Kate. After you. Keep on keeping on, Kate. There are moms like me all across America cheering you on.
Forever indebted to you,
Shelly Cunningham
