And your point is? I haven't read any of your books, but this is enough to make me NEVER want to! These two posts are STUPID!

Crystal, this is a weblog. Perhaps you do not understand the concept of it but blogs were originally designed as a vehicle where people could write about the things that are on their mind. If you do not like the contents of a particular blog, DO NOT READ IT! It is unfortunate that we cannot all be as enlightened as you, but some of us have to deal with real life and we enjoy reading things written by other real people. Thanks for coming . . . now go back to your glass house!

Crystal, a weblog is a vehicle used for people to express ideas and opinions. It is not generally a place to find factual news. If that is what you are looking for, you should be going elsewhere. There are plenty of real people who have real problems. Reading a blog such as this one is an amusing diversion, one that many people enjoy. No one is making you read this. Perhaps those of you who are so much more intelligent and cultured should not darken the doorstep, so to speak, and The Rest of Us can continue to enjoy ourselves without your negative energy!

I initially sent this as a private e-mail. However, recent posts on this blog have prompted me to request that this be published. I firmly believe that people should really be sure they know what they are talking about before thel level accusations.

Those of you who are here just to trash Jackie and her family should perhaps go back to your glass houses and leave The Rest of Us alone!

***********************************************************************

You are indeed a fortunate woman to know Arletta, the surrogate mother of Jackie Mitchard’s baby. I can only imagine the horror she is facing as a result of the blessing that she gave to another family. Arletta is a selfless human being and she truly does not deserve what she is experiencing, both in and out of court. I have never had the pleasure of meeting her, but can imagine that if I thought someone was taking advantage of her, especially someone she had been so good to, I would be disgusted with that person.

I read your comment on Jackie Mitchard’s blog yesterday, but did not immediately think I should respond. After reading Jackie’s response in her blog today, I cannot help but comment. I chose to send you a private email rather than posting this publicly, although I firmly believe everything I am about to say. Jackie can say whatever she wants, but hearing it from an unrelated person should provide you with a different perspective.

As I mentioned above, I do not know Arletta. I am fortunate, however, to know Jackie Mitchard, her husband, Chris, and many of her children, including Atticus Stuart Brent. He is a beautiful baby and he could not possibly be loved more. Jackie and Chris are exactly the polar opposite of “Hollywood-types.” They are such unassuming people, full of love for each other and their family and friends. Their children, all of them, are loved more than they can ever know.

Jackie has done many wonderful things for people, most of which will never be known by anyone other than the person she blessed with her generosity. In fact, she has even done some wonderful things anonymously. She has done these things by making use of the financial resources at her disposal, as well as the connections she has made through her work. But she has done all of these things because she is so full of love. Jackie has been given a gift; the gift of an enormous heart full of love. She is a deep-down good person. She is full of integrity. But more than anything else, she is real. She might not make the right decision all the time but she always makes the best decision she can at the time. Her first thought is not just of herself, instead she thinks about how her actions are going to impact the people she cares about.

Jackie can - and should - only go so far in defending herself against an allegation that she is heartless and only out for herself. Anything she might be doing to help Arletta as she fights for custody of her children should be kept confidential between Jackie and Arletta. To protect Arletta’s legal rights, Jackie absolutely should not be publicizing her efforts, but more than that, to protect Arletta’s right to have a private life, those efforts should be kept quiet. If Arletta chooses to make them public, that is her prerogative.

I am not Jackie, but I consider her a friend. I can assure you that she is absolutely NOT a “normal” person, as you asserted in your comment. She is an EXTRAORDINARY person!

Maureen

Maureen,

Hi, I just read your posting about Jackie, who seems to be a down right wonderful person... I do not know her myself but I have connections to her. I am not defending Crystal or her comments about Jackie and I am not defending Jackie and her comments, however what I am doing is speaking out.

You write: "but some of us have to deal with real life and we enjoy reading things written by other real people. Thanks for coming . . . now go back to your glass house!"

Posted by: Maureen at February 10, 2006 05:04 PM

Let me tell you about my Real life, I go to court, listen to a Bias judge take custody of my neice and nephew, these children I love more than the air I breath everyday, and everytime he rules on their destiny I feel the air leave my body and the world stops. Then I see my sister who looks so entirely shattered that my heart aches a million times more than I ever thought possible, and then I hear you talk about real life, what in your Real life makes it fair for you to judge the rest of us.

My family has seen so many devastating tragedies within this year that to name them would be pointless, you talk about how much Jackie loves her children and family, and I hope that she does, otherwise this would all be pointless, but please don't take away what this means to us. Jackie has a beautiful baby and this I know cause I have seen his pic on many occasions, we, lost two beautiful babies, my father who thinks the sun and moon rises on his grandchildren has aged years and the rest of my family is quietly reflective of what went wrong and where. You see I don't understand a lot of things, what I understand though is love, and Real life.. Because I find it everyday in the embrace of my grandmother who says it will all be ok, in the optimism of my 19 year old brother (who really has no reason to be optimistic, given his circumstances of life), and in the eyes of my own children who tell me that Max, and Madison NEED to be with their mother, and they believe someone will understand that.

Maureen, you seem awful judgemental for someone who doesnt know Arletta or her family, and you know a happy Jackie with a new baby, it's easy to defend her, her life seems good and if the worst in her life is cruel comments on a webblog, then I am happy for her. Our life is much more and much emptier I know Crystal she is an acquaintance of mine, and she has met my sister, and I think though her words were harsh and defensive, I believe she is just trying to make sense of what has become my/our life, there is a hopelessness that is attached to this kind of situation and every person involved feels it, I am sure that every person we(my family) know feels it. People who know us and know my family and the type of people we are, can't understand why or how this could happen and why if someone could do something they wouldn't. Maybe she doesn't know all the details and she maybe shouldn't speak but I am glad that someone is finally seeing that this is a real person with real feelings who really lost something, and that Maureen is REAL life. I think I am going to go back to my GLASS house now, and ponder my next strategic move to try to help my sister regain custody of her children, because Maureen that is what we do, everyday.... We ask ourself what call can I make today, what letter needs to be sent out, who have I not contacted.. Because my thoughts never leave those children and my sister who were both punished by a corrupt justice system.

I apologize if her words or my words offend you, I don't think that was their intended purpose. I think they were spoken out of frustration from a woman who sees a very unfair situation, and wants to help in anyway she can, who doesn't understand the lack of interest she see's in Jackie's website. Please, understand that we are a family(a collective group of woman) who is trying everything we know to do and not getting any results. I am sorry that our attempts at regaining custody of my niece and nephew are causing Jackie and her family such hardships and unwanted media attention, but if the situation were revearsed I feel sure that Jackie would do everything in her power to regain custody of her child. I think that from an outsiders perspective it is difficult to understand how there isn't something Jackie could do to help...

Sincerely,

Becky M. Powell (Sister to Arletta, Aunt to Madison and Max)

p.s. Jackie I really do not want this posted on a public board, I really would have preferred this message be sent only to Maureen, but I didn't have her email address... I hope that you can relay the message without it having to be posted for all the world to see....
Thank You
Becky

Having just started The Breakdown Lane (we get books a lot later here in Australia) I thought I say thatI loved The Deep End of the Ocean, and it moved me tremendously - but as a love story, not a "thriller" - a story about the love between family, siblings, friends and so on; some of the intimate moments in it were so casually powerful I was moved to tears. I am a "gay" man (getting on a bit now... boo-hoo) and am delighted with the way Jackie portrays ALL her characters, using humour as ones means of not shying away from the things about outselves we may not want to look at. Having suffered greatly, especially recently, I have come to my own understanding that perhaps some people put too many demands on "love" as a concept they need to keep forever building upon, like the sandcastle whose walls repeatedly keep sliding and falling apart, and not enough on the "nuts and bolts" (to create a nifty link to Jackie's post... hehe) that bring love into being, ie. support, honesty, loyalty etc etc. Anyway,I would love to hear anything anybody would like to add - obviously good or bad!
Keep Well
B.