Dear IF readers,

May, 2008 is our celebration of mothers, grandmothers, and daughters at International Family Magazine. We also continue our World Tour in Africa. Cheryl Paley, writer for the New Global Family and her stories, “Cheryl and Zoe”, was thrilled for our topic. Cheryl has made a wonderful friendship with an orphanage mother in Africa named Margaret that she can now call her Agwera (friend). That is so much what we are about at IF mag, friendships and stories, the kind that connect us all in every corner of the world.

Mothers, Grandmothers and Daughters – wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. This issue is huge. The stories came in from everyone, everywhere, and from all generations. I am so honored to be the “midwife” of these stories. What can I say on this topic? I am a mother, a daughter and someday I hope very much to be a grandmother. Jax my oldest, asks me all the time, “When I grow up and find my princess and build my castle, will you live right next door?” I hope so Jax, I hope so very much.

We are jam-packed this issue with stories from Cheryl Paley, from Grandma Ellen with her daughter Laura, Elizabeth in Italy and her struggle with cancer and small children, Tess Almendarez Lojoacono, Rebecca Kendall, Jessica Long, Tina Lai and on and on. We have some books recently published by our contributor Dr. Beth McPherson, our partner Jessica Denay (our Hot Mom Partner at www.hotmomsclub.com), and a new friend, Donna Rae Weiser. Brooke Allen and Kent Converse, our resident Dads, contributed with their stories including Kent’s loving portrayal of his mother as a pioneer woman in Kansas,U.S., in the early 1900s.

We are in a generation of change as mothers, grandmothers and daughters. Roz Williams, friend, actress, film writer, and producer of her company Red Wall Productions summed it up for me in our interview together. Roz told me that she believes we are evolving and those comfortable with change, embrace the journey. Amen, amen dear friend. I am the daughter of a woman who was a brilliant career woman turned mother and housewife and drove herself mad (literally) with housework and cleanliness. I swore to try not to lose my own mind as her daughter become mother. My mother always encouraged me in my own goals. My life as a mother is a promise to her not to clip my wings.

Well, it hasn’t been easy to reinvent myself or “not go crazy”. I stayed with the kids, got as much help as we could afford, got another Masters and launched IF mag. Somehow it’s working just fine and on many days I feel blessed, inspired and fufilled. I have found so many other brave, strong women out there who have lent me their maps for a while as I was finding my way. Please meet many of them as my affiliate partners with the Hot Moms Club, in my page, “The Hot Moms Club Partners”.


Thank you to all mothers,
grandmothers, and daughters,
you are beautiful,
Cat Wayland