At the point this story took place, Dad and I have been together for 6 years. We already had both Sierra and Kiley. Natalie was going through First Communion at church (where I also teach Sunday School and am a member of the church) and they were having an event during church for her and her classmates. When they have stuff like this, students’ parents are usually asked to fill out a biography for the students that will be displayed on the screen during the church service. All things prior, it would say her name, Dad and my name, and then siblings. That was when a lady named Lisa was in charge.
This specific year, it was one of DB’s best friends that was in charge, and when we got to church and saw the bio, it was listed as this:
“Family: Dad, DB, Zoe, Sierra and Zoe”
As if they were one big happy family together… including my children.
Dad did talk to the best friend to ask her why she would have done that and why I wasn’t included, and she tried blaming us on it. That we should have sent in a bio form then… We were never given one, and we have never done one before. Not only that, the best friend was in charge of Sunday School and knows I’m the stepmom. It’s always been listed that way, and she chose to keep me off of it.
It was horrendous behavior by both DB and her best friend. Part of me was bitter because my children are not hers and I don’t want it to ever look like they are, but it also showed Natalie and Zoe that it’s acceptable to treat me, and anybody else, so poorly. It shows them that nobody’s feelings matter if they don’t like them.
I would never allow my children to see me treat people so poorly, and I would never teach them that behavior like that is ok. It isn’t ok to leave people out when they have a large part of their lives… and DB just showed Natalie and Zoe that its acceptable to do so.