Mothering, very much like writing, is a lonely affair. Especially during the first few months as a new mom. When my Gorgeous Boy was born, Jeff and I didn’t have the support of our parents nearby. We lived far from our family and from our friends who were also having babies at the same time as us.

I wish that during those hard months I had the companionship of Mothering Magazine, the only parenting magazine I’ve paid a subscription for. But I didn’t discover it until my third child, El Cangri, was six months and I didn’t know how to help my baby, who suffered chronic ear infections and who could cry for hours and hours, and who had a diaper rash that nothing could cure.

We were at a chiropractor’s office when I came across a free copy of the magazine. I took it home and devoured it. Not only did I love the articles, but the readers’ letters and the ads. Oh the ads! Natural toys and baby slings, cloth diapers and homeopathic remedies.

When I found Mothering, I found a friend, and behind it, a community of other moms, like me, who wanted to try alternative parenting styles.

When I didn’t know what else to try for my son who could throw titanic tantrums or when I was considering homeschooling, I went to the Mothering Forum Boards and found a lot of advise, which even when it didn’t apply to me, I  felt I had support, people who understood what I was going through.

A couple of weeks ago, I heard the terrible news. Mothering is no more. The company, struck by the economic crisis, like hundreds if not thousand other businesses, couldn’t keep afloat. Now, they’re only a web base company.

The forums remain, but I’ll miss my bi-monthly copy of the magazine. I have a stack of past issues that I’ll save like gold for the future, for when I need to read an inspiring article or find nutritious recipes. Even if no more babies will come to our family–we have four after all!– I’m sure a friend, or my daughters, in many, many years, will find the same joy I did at finding like-minded mothers reflected on the magazine.

Thank you, Mothering Magazine, for being my mentor and help me be a better mother for my kids. I’ll miss you so much!