Wife, Stepmom, Sister, friend & driven employee. I have a great ability to forgive. This has allowed me to live peacefully & not to hold onto things from the past. My best day was marrying my husband & officially blending our family with God after so many years together. I worry about my future, my ability to have children & be a good mom. Due to PCOS, a past cancer diagnosis & hypertension I struggle with health obstacles that make producing a child slightly more difficult. It causes me anxiety because having children of my own is so important to me. Step parenting is the hardest hat I have ever worn. I love my step children as if they were my own & this is also what makes it difficult. At the end of the day they have their biological parents who come first & they are not my children. I try to be as involved as possible & support them in everything, however there are still boundaries a step parent can't cross. My step son lives with us full time - he also has Autism & requires a lot of support. Sometimes it feels as if I am walking on egg shells. I question every decision I make and whether my husband & the kids’ mothers will be ok with it. Some people don't understand it, they'll say, "they aren't your kids why do you put them first?" or, "are you sure you want to deal with being #2 your whole life?" When I attend things for the kids I often get dirty looks from other parents without them knowing our situation. I often sit alone at sporting events & parent functions- it's sad because I am pretty funny if I do say so myself! I've learned to be patient and kind. You never know what someone else is going though. In my early 20’s I was the person who would glare at the mom with the temper tantrum child. The person who judged someone before knowing them. Today, I know we do not know someone else's story. They could appear happy but be crying on the inside. I so wish there was more acceptance of others & less judging in this world. I am empathetic, forgiving & ambitious. I am Lauren - I am so proud of my big heart. I am excited about working towards buying a house & having babies! We only have one life & we should do as much good as we can while we are here.