If you think back to a pivotal time in your life – a time when you were changed to the core, can you remember it as though it was yesterday? I can. I had run Annapolis Moms for many years with my partner, Jessica. I had lost my job, had a daughter with special needs and a husband with a brain injury. I was desperate. I reached out to Annapolis Moms sharing how stressed I was and scared. And I’ll never forget a woman responded to my post and said that my post was “cringeworthy”. Another woman and so-called “Leader of Leaders” told me that I should just call it quits and that sometimes we’re not ready to hear the truth.” I heard other comments like “TMI” or “oversharing”. I died a little that day and it was the beginning of archiving the group for six months and rebuilding my soul.
But here’s the thing, my rabbi, Ari Goldstein, told me at the time, “You must let the voices of support and love be louder than the voices of hate and despair”. Such a simple statement, but so life changing for me.
I see thousands of anonymous posts a year – THOUSANDS! Most of these posts are so deep and personal, and many don’t even get posted. Jessica and I sometimes offer help instead or have them go to a shelter, Department of Social Services, or get them help through Friends of Annapolis Moms. At some point, I had to look at myself, and others, and say, “…we aren’t cringeworthy!”. When did it become so horrible to share with our community and ask for help when we need it? When did we decide to suffer in silence? Nothing about that resonates with me.
So here we are, 12 years in the making, supporting each other and growing together. Annapolis Moms Media allows me to do what I love every day and support my amazing family. I could only do this through all the support from the amazing contributors who volunteer their time, wonderful sponsors, many of whom only sponsor because they have benefitted from our group for so many years. I asked for help and so many answered my call. I allowed the voices of love and support to be louder, and we all do that for each other every day in Annapolis Moms.
Author: Lisa Peri, MSW
Founder & Chief Enthusiast Lisa Peri has dedicated her life and career to both the parenting field and has been integral in many business ventures in sales and media. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Clark University and a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania. Lisa is also a proud mother of two wonderful children and is married to Jeff Peri.
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