From these three venues, I gained a lot of information about the specific problems stepmothers encounter.

CNN: The plight of stepmoms on Mother's Day

After doing some research, I also learned that only 20% of stepchildren feel close to their stepmothers.

CNN: The plight of stepmoms on Mother's Day

Almost instantaneously, a vibrant community of stepmothers formed that gave each other encouragement and advice during difficult times.

CNN: The plight of stepmoms on Mother's Day

If stepmothers weren't so unhappy, the divorce rate for second marriages, as high as 60% to 75%, might be reduced.

CNN: The plight of stepmoms on Mother's Day

These other stepmothers intuitively knew how I felt, and this made me feel much better even though my situation did not actually change.

CNN: The plight of stepmoms on Mother's Day

This works for a lot of other stepmothers who choose to spend the holiday with their mothers or with women for whom they deeply care.

CNN: The plight of stepmoms on Mother's Day

Without a doubt, knowing that I wasn't alone, that there were other stepmothers struggling to find their rightful place in their new families just like me, was the best medicine to heal my pain.

CNN: The plight of stepmoms on Mother's Day

Being ignored is minor compared to the hostility and emotional abuse many other stepmothers experience, but my sense of failure grew each time I tried to grow closer to my stepdaughter and was rebuffed.

CNN: The plight of stepmoms on Mother's Day

Hence the wicked stepmothers.

NEWYORKER: Once Upon a Time

Constance held those images in her mind, staring through them at the wall, still able to smell the vanilla sweetness of Shalimar, which made her picture her mother, too, preparing for an evening out, back when her parents were the adults, and death and stepmothers were things that she had only read about in the Brothers Grimm.

NEWYORKER: Shauntrelle