google-site-verification: google25a08fc65649193e.html Living in Mommywood: dating single moms

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

When Love is Just around the Corner

I am always happy to chat about Love and Relationships guess it's because regardless of my experiences I believe in romance and remain abundantly optimistic. When a group of people gather together so many views come to play because of their own experiences. You hear so many opinions about Finding Love.
-you have to be open to it
-your time will come
-your expectations are too high
-you're sending out mixed signals
-you're not looking in the right places
-God has other plans for you

Which one can you relate to and which one did you totally roll your eyes at?

If I know one thing and that's for sure is nothing is guaranteed. You can follow all the rules, prepare all you want and pray all you want but nothing you do will rush the process of Finding Love.

illustration by pinterest.com

I stepped out my door and there you were smiling that beautiful smile.
We said Good Morning and kept walking to our individual destinations.
Every so often our paths would cross again and that smile would continue to appear.
Months later late one afternoon our paths crossed again and finally you gathered up the nerve to ask for my name. I don't know whose smile was wider but as I said my name your eyes lit up like a star in the sky. I asked what was your name and I was surprised at its simplicity yet as you said it all I felt was strength. Again we walked to our individual destinations.

Soon came several other moments of casual interactions and always that same smile appeared. Then as quickly as it began it ended. No more crossing paths in the morning or late afternoons. You were gone, a work trip you said. Couldn't wait to get out of the city. All I thought was what will happen now? Wasn't this as interesting for you as it has been for me?

Some time passed and I had given up hope of running into you again.
One Sunny morning on my way to work I turned the corner and there you were!
That smile was still there accompanied by such warmth and a pleasant sense of connection. You walked me to my car and we exchanged numbers. “Let's keep in touch” we said. But how many times have you said that line and really meant it? Not even an hour had past before you had called.

illustration by jarofquotes

Small talk that grew longer and longer with each conversation and each revelation about our lives. Several similarities but also many differences.
Every exchange seemed effortless like we had known each other for a very long time
Conversations that have only grown with time and aided in Finding Love just around the corner.

What do you think the ending of this story will be? Does it sound like how you met your significant other? Is it how you hope you will find love? Is it real or is it fantasy? Share your thoughts on “Finding Love.”

Always stress free xo,
Mari

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Dear Jerk that likes to bash Single Mothers

Hey lovelies this is not a plug for FB but I just had to share my perspective on this share someone  posted Don't date Single Mothers & Don't waste your time with them

Here's my response to him...

Dear Shawn James,
First I would like to say that though I am not on Face Book I am so grateful that social media pays so much attention to negativity and pot stirring shares that because I listen to the radio I heard about your article.

I want to acknowledge you because I respect that you have the right to share Your truth and that your truth doesn't speak for all. Yes a few but not all. I am also appreciative that you have the guts to spill your experiences with the world but unfortunately not enough guts to look at yourself first to see if some of those "issues" you so loudly pointed out don't stem from you and your own journey first?

illustration by pinterest

I am sadden that you have had such rough experiences with Single Mothers but let me share some things as well with you...

Above all else these issues you listed could very well be said about just anyone Period.

1-True at times any single parent runs into moments that we are not as available as the next person but it doesn't count us out. If anything, the person who wants to connect with us will be willing to compromise and respect our priorities.

2-You who ever you are will never be a Priority. I come first always then my kid(s) Period. I must care for me first before I can care for another and if you who ever you are has such low self esteem that me not fawning over your every move makes you feel less than...then I feel bad for you. Compromise is always a great friend, try finding one.

3-Yes I am yes we are Narcissists, the world does revolve around us as it should for you as well. No you shouldn't stop doing anything for me but you should stop and do things for Us. I am not selfish because again I take care of me. Yes you have needs and I will gladly take care of them for you...if you earn it and deserve it. I am not just going to give it to you.

4-I don't know what person you connected with but all Single Mothers being Emotionally Unavailable? What robot did you connect with? And why do you have such an issue with the closeness we have with our children? Did your mother/parents not connect with you? Were you not their priority? Don't be upset because that was not your experience, if anything why don't you turn it around and give to someone else what wasn't given to you?

Yes some of us still have a place in our hearts for our child's father and that can be open for discussion. If you care enough you will grow to know the back story and if you are comfortable in your own skin he will never pose a threat to you. Every one of us has a past some never look back and some take a glimpse back every now and then...Communication is another good friend, find him.

5-The other parent will Always be there period, that is a given. It is up to both of you to talk about setting boundaries. Yes you have a few good points, some ex's do linger, some games are and can be played but again this can be said about any Relationship.

illustration by pinterest.com

6-Again James you do have a valid point, some kids do work against you but we have to consider a few things here. Age, circumstances and introduction. Don't generalize and YES you will always have to as you so lovely stated "have to deal" with the kids. Hello! they were their before you. They aren't your competition James, learn to get along with others.

Seriously, so far you sound like a spoiled little kid. Maybe its us that should run away from You.

7-No the kids won't hate you, they will hate the Energy you are bringing into their space. Kids aren't as easily fooled as adults when it comes to who people really are. I think maybe your energy is the baggage you are talking about.
If indeed there are four billion women out here then I am glad that you will continue to have opportunities at your very own happy ending.

8-We are entitled to RESPECT period. If indeed we had our child out of wedlock which again you are assuming we are all the same then so what. Your first problem right there is you have no respect for women Period! You are a reflection of what is wrong with the world. You open your mouth and nothing but trash comes out. You yourself have had ugly experiences, perhaps even caused a few and you want to lump everyone in one boat. All women, all people in general deserve the best. Who wants to connect with a half *SS? And yes I am a Queen not just because I popped a baby out of my V*gina as you said but because I reign above all that spreads kindness and love.

Yes! of course any man that wants to connect with me needs to treat me well. Dinners, movies, gifts yes yes yes. And treat my child well as well? Of course! Don't you want to be treated well? Don't you want to be spoiled? Don't you want to feel special? This works both ways again I repeat...who did you connect with, a robot? And no I don't expect you to ignore poor behavior or reward it. That goes for anything or anyone in life.

9-I think you are the one with a distorted self image. Being a mother doesn't make us any less Sexy. Yes some of us wear things we shouldn't but again so do many other people in general. What's with the body shaming? Are you an Adonis? Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, every look is not for every one and thank heavens for that.

illustration by she knows.com

The words you use are very ugly and speak to how poorly you view yourself because guess what? You only attract what you are. Again look at yourself in the mirror. Oh and wait...you said that the only guys who want what we have to offer are "scavengers at the bottom of the social scene"? I imagine that this includes you as well even if just for a short time, since you wrote about your experience with Single Mothers.

10-Always the victim? No your the one playing victim here. What you could have done is sat alone in your experience and figured it out, instead you went on social media and blamed others for your short comings. Not all of us are looking for a hand out, not all of us are bitter and heartless. Yes yes of course you will always run into a few but as a whole we raise amazing children and add a lot of great things to our communities. Again stop attracting trash by not being trash yourself. James nothing wrong with looking for the handsome, rich man you should be looking for the gorgeous, rich woman.

11-Oh, so your such a prize you never have a mood swing? You never go from one emotion to another? Have you tried juggling more than one thing at a time? Women in general always have to play the balancing act. I think we bought this upon ourselves but hey its here and we have to learn to change it or figure it out. But Nut Job? No we aren't all nut jobs, we just don't want or need to deal with your crap.
And Yes!!! you are so right. You will see glimpse of what is to come if you pay close attention. So James, had you followed your own advice you wouldn't have gotten so far in with "the Nut Job".

illustration by freedatingsitesreview.com

It's also sad to read that you were verbally abused. As I said earlier we all have a past and we all have baggage, its what we choose to do with that that counts. This goes for everyone and everything James. Again you are lumping us all together. That you connected with someone who belittled you and treated you as a worthless human being is unfortunate but take it up with her not with the rest of us.

12-Drama Queen? no this would be you.

Save a hoe? You can't even process the part you played in these ugly connections or connection so how can you save someone else? Manipulation doesn't happen unless you allow it so own up to fact it happened to you, make sure it doesn't happen again and move forward.

13-If you happen to hook up with a Single Mother just a few weeks into the breakup sure it could totally be to make the other person jealous, but can't the same be said for guys? Games are games no matter who is playing them.

illustration by your tango.com

The sympathy card? Geez James you really hooked up with a winner. This female or these females were a hot mess! Where did you find them? Where have you been looking?

14-Dishonest? and we Lie? Dang James what world have you been living in? Don't you see that around you all day long? Not just in Single Mothers get out from under that rock and you will see life is full of all sorts of characters. Again you attract what you are so look in the mirror.

Anyway James, I want to wrap this up by thanking you. Thank you for proving that when people have been hurt and have no guts to start looking at themselves they pick on others. Thank you for proving that some males are jerks and extremely immature. Thanks for sharing some valid points but due to delivery they may have been lost. Thanks for putting on blast the females that are indeed ratchet period. But most of all I want to thank you for allowing me the opportunity to show the other side of your coin.

I wish you all the best, hope you have better luck in another pool and I really really hope you work on  yourself moving forward so you have better results.

Always stress free xo
Mari

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Slowing your pace down to regroup, let's call it Hibernation Time

Reveal Thursday...

As I revealed last week I am a single mom and I have reentered the dating world.
One crucial part of engaging in that world is investing money on such things as clothing, dinners, movies, brunches, sightseeing, gas, transportation and so forth. A lady must be prepared for all things at all times.
All these things can put a dent on your budget if you live on one which I happen to as I am sure many of us have to as well.

So in taking stock this past weekend I realized I have spent way too much money these last few months on this activity and to replenish myself and my bank account I will be Hibernating this Winter.

What does that mean?
Well Bears hibernate in order to bypass harsh winter months that do not allow their food supply to be in abundance.  They use the summer months to prepare for the winter months snug indoors cozy, cuddly, sleeping all day.
So because I like the idea of being cozy, sleeping and cuddling at home I chose the concept of hibernation to describe what I will be doing for the next few months.

These are the things I hope to accomplish:
Save money
Challenge myself to learn something new every day
Catch up on reading some classics
Test my fearlessness
Explore my beautiful NYC , I have an amazing playground that I can indulge in for free if I just go out and look
Take my camera out for more walks more often
Invest more time with those I love
Enjoy the perks of cuddling up at home
Sharpen my cooking skills
Redecorate my home
Let my hair grow, again. I cut ten inches off to donate to Locks of Love over a year ago perhaps I can do that again for next April.
Watch some great shows I missed via Netflix
Focus more time and energy into my Yoga and meditation
Discover new ways to meet people that do not include food or alcohol

Don’t get me wrong obviously I can’t literally Hibernate as Bears do, I still have to go to work, socialize  and be an engaging parent  and by no means do I intend on not continuing to enjoy my dating adventures
all my hibernating behavior means is that in the coming months I will use other means as forms of entertainment and connection while building up my bank account and not disrupting my Budget.

Living on a Budget is not a great thing all the time but it is an amazing tool if you want to build a better future for yourself and your children.  It doesn't have to mean going without or doing less, it just means changing the way you think about things and using more of your available options.

Don’t try to live like the Jones’s because they may not be as happy as you are in your world. They may have a smile on their faces but a heavy burden to carry. The grass is not always greener on the other side.
I am getting my cave ready with all the goodies I will need. I will not keep my lessons to myself I will share of course, with you.

Here’s to Mari’s Hibernation season 

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Single...Again

I am starting something new today...Reveal Thursdays

This is the day I reveal or touch a more grown up subject matter. I will try to keep it tasteful and as to the point as I can.
Some subject matters may be informative others may just be sharing a particular occurrence in my life.

Mommywoods purpose is to touch all matters in the world of Motherhood. For some of us it includes being a Divorced, Widowed or in my case a Single parent.
In this world that includes loads of stuff one of which is...Dating.

I met and shared my life in a non traditional "marriage" with my daughter's father for 18 years. That means to me, that since the age of 18 we shared a life together without a marriage certificate as common law Husband and Wife. We were just as committed to our family without the "certificate" as if with. Throughout those 18 years we grew time and time again, as in life we are always changing and what a blessing that is. Some changes put you on different roads and that is what happened to us. We shared an amazing life, lots of love, respect, tears, laughter but most importantly a wonderful, beautiful, loving daughter. We were blessed to end things still with love and respect intact. We could not imagine disrespecting our union by having it end in any other way.

Two years after that I met and fell in love with another amazing man. This man taught me everything about being clear in life with what you want and what you say. He taught me to respect time and to appreciate the moment as it is not after it is gone.
Because I was not open to receive those lessons at the time, because of Pride and Ego and poor habits some of us carry from our families that great union ended 2 years later.
The biggest lesson I took from that was Empathy. We are not perfect, humans were not meant to be perfect but through communication, love and Empathy we can grow, learn, support and Rise Above any challenge...Together.

So here I find myself again Single and Dating. What a crazy, amazing, challenging, scary, sad and funny world this is all wrapped up into one. I have had some interesting dates and not so interesting dates. I have gone to some great new places and to not so great places. It has so far balanced out. My adult self today is not looking for or interested in the man my younger self was into years ago.

I am Clear in what I want in my life and I am grateful for all the experiences that I have acquired that will now allow me to be in a great space to be Open to meet that next Amazing man. Lets see what life has in store for me and I will share, what I can of course some bits and pieces of this journey!!!
Here's to Dating in your 40's.