When Audrey Loving found out that her daughter was spending lots of quality time with her ex's new girlfriend, she didn't get jealous. Instead, she wrote the woman a thank-you note, effectively shutting down the "evil stepmother" stereotype.
Loving shared her thank-you note on the Love What Matters Facebook page, praising Whitney McGraw, the aforementioned ex's new girlfriend, for being "the sweetest thing ever," and thanking McGraw for taking such good care of her daughter.
"Why do all these moms act so spiteful and jealous towards the other women?" she asked. "NO ONE said it was easy trying to be a mother to a kid you didn’t have."
Loving went on to emphasize the importance of spreading love and teaching your children to do the same.
"I'm extremely thankful for this girl," she wrote. "Ladies, grow up and focus on being a good mom. Love more hate less!"
As it happens, Loving grew up with step-siblings, an experience that informed her current outlook, she told The Today Show in an interview on Sunday.
“I come from a blended family — I have stepsisters, half-sisters,” she said. “Growing up, I heard the negative talk about the ‘other woman,’ and I didn’t want my kid to hear the same thing … It’s not fair. Kids are smart.”
Loving told Today that, even though it's not always easy sharing her daughter with someone else, it's more important for her to know that her daughter is being raised with love.
"The fact that someone’s there loving my daughter… I’m at peace knowing she’s being taken care of. The more people that love your kid, the better,” she said.
Loving's note offers a refreshing take on a family dynamic that's often riddled with harmful stereotypes. After all, as she said, it isn't easy to share your child with another person, but being a step-parent isn't a walk in the park, either. Her outlook shouldn't be revolutionary, but we're glad so many people seem to be inspired by her ability to be open and kind.