I grew up in a pretty “boring” household…. Typical middle class white family, my parents met when they were in their early teens and have been together for over 50 years. They raised three children in a “good christian home”. There was never any drama, arguing, or craziness. When my own marriage failed, I was saddened by the loss of my relationship and ashamed that I didn’t carry on the legacy of my parents strong marriage. I had two boys with my (ex)husband, and I vowed that those two blessings would not suffer due to the failure of their parents. For ten years my ex and I have worked hard to remain friendly and united for our children. Nine years ago I was lucky enough to meet another wonderful man. He is intelligent, funny, hard working…. everything any woman could ask for. And on top of all of that, he had the cutest little girl I had ever met. We fell in love, and after several years of dating I was honored to become his wife. We have two sons together, and everything in my life could have been perfect if it wasn’t for one giant issue…. his ex. I had never in my life met anyone so mean, so bitter, so intent and focused on ruining my husband’s life. And as my husband and I grew closer in our relationship she increased her efforts to make our lives miserable. I did not know how to handle this. Quite frankly I didn’t even realize this kind of insanity existed outside of movies. Honestly there were times I questioned if I even wanted to stay in this relationship and deal with this emotional turmoil. One day I was on social media and I stumbled across the “Blended and Black” site on Instagram. I scrolled down and it was like an epiphany….. I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS!!! It was like some of the posts were talking directly to me. I dug around more and discovered the Facebook group. I wanted nothing more than to join the group, but was hesitant, wondering if I would be a good fit. Then Naja Hall told me that I am absolutely welcome to join the group! Blended and Black is for everyone!! Even a pasty white stepmom who had no experience in this crazy world of high conflict exs!! From then on my life has changed. Don’t get me wrong, my husband’s ex is still an incredibly difficult woman…. but I now have an outlet to go to to help me cope. Here you can ask tough questions and get REAL answers…. Not just answers you want to hear but real valid honest advice to help navigate this difficult situation. It is a spot I go to remind me that I am not alone. It is a spot I go to to remind me that I am not the most important one in this dysfunction, but my stepdaughter is. It is a spot I go to to get guidance on how to deal with everyday issues. And it is a spot I go to to remind me that I am important and valued. I can honestly say that my relationship with my husband is now better because of the support I have found in the Blended and Black group and I will be forever grateful. Naja has changed my life with her advice, caring words, and wisdom. The world would be an infinitely better place if there were more women like her in it. Taylor M.