LJ Herman is a former editor at Love What Matters and lives in Colorado. LJ is a concert, ticket and technology enthusiast. He has seen the Dave Mathews Band over one hundred times and counting.
‘Age doesn’t matter, you consented.’ It wasn’t a stranger or a creepy cousin. It wasn’t forceful, or a textbook case of victim and prey.’: Child abuse survivor cautions others during quarantine, ‘Home isn’t always safe’
“I was your typical ‘daddy issues’ case with a strong desire for male attention. Predators know what to look for and I must have had a flashing billboard promoting my willingness to please. I was told, ‘This can’t be true. People would notice!’ I’ve allowed fear to keep me silent.”
‘His 2-year-old sister hit him. ‘I don’t know how you do it, you’re so strong.’ If it was a husband, I’d be told to pack up and leave.’: Mom of autistic child says ‘most days are hard, not just quarantine days’
“If it was a husband or boyfriend doing the things my son does – I’d be told to pack my little children up in the middle of the night and leave the abusive relationship. My child is amazing. I will tell anyone who will listen. But I need to keep it real.”
‘A woman stole my picture and used it on Facebook, saying it was her own son who died. This sweet child who passed in my arms, was stolen.’: Grieving woman victim to social media theft urges ‘child loss is real’
“She gave him a different name and shared details of her fake son’s short life. He existed. He is more than just a picture. I feel numb.”
‘I heard footsteps. She was crouched down and started to cry. Her beautiful face full of fear, and her little lip curled.’: Mom struggling with anxiety says ‘I forgot to slow down and be kinder to myself’
“I was ready to yell, no BLAST whoever was there. I felt RAGE. Rage. I opened the door and I saw my little girl, Sofia. ‘You scare me mommy.’ Her normally cheeky smile was replaced with big brown eyes full of fear.”
‘I’m going to tell him to stop.’ Our son said the words I dreaded. I prayed he would sleep through this.’: After divorcing alcoholic husband, woman says ‘I have hope for love and happiness on my own terms’
“I heard him say, ‘Wake up mother f**kers, it’s time to clean.’ I knew this was bad. Then, I heard a loud bang. Then, another bang. I could hear him, soundly mildly amused. Suddenly, I felt I was being stared at.”
‘Who’s going to be my mommy?’ That’s the question I was asked from a 4-year-old little boy.’: Foster parent recalls difficult moment with foster child, ‘You never know when you say ‘yes’ what the outcome will be’
“I can remember several times telling my husband I didn’t know if I could keep doing it with this child. This particular boy proved to be the child who would rock our family. He had only been living with us for a month when he asked that pivotal question.”
‘My little sister and brother were taken to a foster home. They were only 5 and 3 years-old. They were so scared.’: Woman recounts journey to becoming a foster parent ‘we needed to take one step at a time’
“My eleven-year-old self ran to my bedroom, fighting back tears. Fast forward 20 years. I didn’t think my husband, Jeff would go for it. I didn’t remember seeing an advertisement on tv for foster parents but there it was. I still didn’t say anything. But he did.”
‘I cooked three meals a day. The house was clean. My husband came in the door knowing he was getting a home-cooked meal.’: Widow urges ‘nothing is promised’ after husband’s battle with colorectal cancer
“We knew it was coming. He was tired. His body had fought so hard. I craved the routine. In the end, all we had was love. There was no schedule, no bill due, no job that was more important than that. Nothing I could’ve done was going to change the outcome.”
‘She’s just too sick.’ I kept telling her how much I loved her. I thanked her for choosing me. I could not protect her anymore.’: Mom grieves loss of newborn baby, ‘I will forever have Natalia as my angel’
“I remember my doctor’s face as she quietly said to the nurse, ‘We’re at five! We’re going now!’ My baby was breech. She wasn’t ready. Up until this point, she was safe with me. I knew after this moment, I could not protect her anymore.”
‘I found out the full extent of my mother’s lies. My dad had child support receipts dating back to the late 70s.’: Parental alienation victim says ‘if you’re not familiar with the term, I envy you’
“I grew up thinking my father was a ‘mean man who did mean things.’ There were stories he bit me and threw pots and pans when I’d cry. Five years ago, we found each other on Facebook. During our first few calls, I found out the full extent of my mother’s lies.”