THAT moms

I didn’t realize how many kinds of “That Moms” there are on the internet until I looked it up… Horse moms. Fun moms. Catholic moms. Organic moms. “Perfect” moms. So let me be clear about the kind of mom I created 100% That Mom for. The ones who are a pain in the ass for the best possible reason. I never wanted to be a pain. But I was. Because my kid needed me to be. Because her life was my entire world, and suddenly that world was upside down. And it made me feel alone. Capital A Alone. I went to support groups. I saw therapists. I took the meds. I did all the things you’re supposed to do. But what I really needed was someone to help me carry the weight of what was happening. Not just what was happening to my child. What was happening to me as her mother. I couldn’t find that anywhere. So I built it. First in my head, while I was living it. I’m Gen X and a little bit of a smart ass, so the first idea actually came to me during a 504 meeting. I was getting a lecture about salad from someone with degrees in education—not diet or medicine—and I remember thinking: We are comparing apples to storm clouds here. And I thought: I wish I had a sweatshirt that said THAT MOM. Not because I wanted to be difficult. Because I wanted them to know: I know where you’re coming from. And I’m still not backing down. That is, honestly, why there’s merch. It’s not the point. It’s not about the money. The point is the community. Because now 100% That Mom is for all of us who have fought for our kids and taken the hits that come with it. Insurance. Guidance counselors. Work drama. Well-wishers with their magical stories about turmeric. And “the system.” I don’t have a medical degree or a psychology degree. But I’ve been in your Converse. I’ve been in those wedge heels. And I have six years of real-time experience in the trenches. Fighting. Every. Single. Day. I’m letting you into my personal experience because that’s my choice. I don’t expect you to do the same. Your story belongs to you. But I want to build a community around the stories we do choose to share. I’ll be posting on the website every week about my experiences. Because Murphy’s Law seemed to be in full force during the six-year journey to lasting remission. The crossroads between theory and practice was a difficult one to come to terms with. There were things I learned the hard way. Things I wish someone had told me. Things I didn’t understand until I was already in the middle of them. It is my hope that by being fully forthcoming about my experience, some of those hard-earned lessons can become pearls of wisdom for the moms coming behind me. Not instructions. Not medical advice. Not “this is what you should do.” Just one mom saying: I’ve been there. Here’s what I learned. Maybe this will help. So if you’ve ever felt alone with a capital A… Stop by. 100% That Mom is here. And I’ll be here.