Dearest Readers,
My greatest blessing is being married to John Carney. Raising our three beautiful children, Luke, J.D. and Kiki is testament to our extraordinary relationship. Our love is limitless and I am grateful for the harmony created by each of our unique gifts. We are bound by a love that is all inclusive. Our journey of becoming this close knit family seems a long one, but a story that we feel needs to be shared in hopes of inspiring others.
We have grown up with the knowledge that the idea of a “step-mother” carries such a negative stigma in our society. Sadly, the statistics for step- mothers is very high and continues to grow as it becomes the “norm” in our world today. Blended families are not easy and sometimes step-parenting can feel discouraging. However, love begets love and love is all inclusive, it changes things.
The inspiration behind this book is to share with all moms that being a step-mom is an opportunity to be magnificent and inspiring. Our oldest son Luke is one of our most cherished gifts. He has taught us to persevere through all trials keeping our focus on what is truly important. Our times together and our memories are captured through this story of one family growing together in love, joy and wisdom. It’s not the fairytale that we dream when we are young, yet it can be if you treat it as such and believe. Time is really your best friend. Don’t ever give up. This is no fairytale!
Be an APPLE MOM and see the fruit it will bear!
Kindly,
Holly Carney
Message from the Author
ABOUT
Wicked Not! is on a mission to radically change the negative stigma of “Step-Mother”. This is a movement to encourage love, sharing and caring for the needs of the child instead of focusing on the adult. Our long term plan is to help foster a nurturing relationship between step-mothers and their children. The step-mother role will be demystified as we celebrate a new archetype ~ an “Apple Mom”, one who is loving, understanding and positively impacts the lives of the children she is raising.
"Being a step-mom is an opportunity to be magnificent and inspiring."
- Holly Carney-
The role of a step-parent in the modern day is a balancing act. The children and family require a caring mother or father to step into a role that has been ostracized by society. Step-parents, mothers in particular, are continuously put under a spotlight to try and invoke the evil behavior that people stereotypically imagine step-parents to be like.
My Step-mom, from the moment she stepped into that role, treated me as her own. For this she was attacked, but for what reason? My biological mother was not replaced nor did I love her any less. I only gained another woman in my life that would give her all to care for me, which I believe is what any child would want.
The final fact of the matter is that step-parents are accepting a duty that was not asked of them nor were they responsible for, but to be with the one they love they decide to love another. In reality, many of these women are making a huge sacrifice to become a mother of a child not born of themselves, and then deciding to love this child as their own.”
– Luke Carney