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.
‘We don’t want to hear you’re ‘sorry’ for us. We don’t want to ‘fix’ her. We thought being gay was sinful. Let us be clear: WE WERE WRONG.’: Family ‘honored’ gay daughter came out of the closet
“Our 15-year-old daughter Helena came out to us as gay. It wasn’t a surprise to us. Long ago we thought being gay was sinful and wrong. Let us be clear: WE WERE WRONG. Jeremy and I love who our daughter is and someday, when she is ready, we will love who she loves because she loves them.”
‘He was more than a friend. He was her protector. The one at school to rescue her from a tough day. I will never forget him.’: After daughter loses close friend, dad remembers his legacy, ‘He will live on in us’
“They were neighbors, classmates since kindergarten. As a father, you cross your fingers teenage boys and men in her life will respect and protect her. She didn’t know it, but 6,000 miles away, tragedy would strike and change her life forever.”
‘I was crying uncontrollably. There was no heartbeat. I tried to pray, but all I could say was ‘Hail Mary,’ over and over. It felt like a sick joke.’: Mom loses son to pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome, ‘He would have turned 7 this year’
“They tried to run an IV through my swollen, bruised hands. I nearly passed out. I remember someone slapping my cheek a little. I was completely naked on the table, shaking uncontrollably. We heard the doctor say, ‘Baby.’ There was no crying, no sound at all. The first time we got to hold him was also the last.”
‘7 months pregnant with his baby, he offered me some meth. I went on a 4-day bender. I wasn’t strong enough to resist.’: Woman survives domestic abuse, says ‘I am living proof there can be a happy ending’
“Every time people saw me, there was another new bruise or broken bone. The night before Johnny gave me some meth and pills, CPS said they had to come and do an assessment. He immediately told the worker I had been ‘up doing drugs all night.’ That night was the beginning of the end.”
‘When you see me in a handicapped parking spot, you roll your eyes. My husband explains, ‘She doesn’t get better from this. She ultimately dies from it.’: Woman with chronic illnesses urges ‘not all disabilities are visible’
“When you see me in a handicapped parking spot, you might glare. You may even be like those who have said something rude or left a nasty note on my windshield. I sport titanium rods and screws that go from the base of my head to my mid-back. You wouldn’t know by looking at me I have a terminal illness.”
‘What’s 6 when you already have 5?’ Then the doctor said, ‘Come in soon. Wait any longer and you won’t be able to terminate your unviable pregnancy.’: Mom of 6 says son is ‘perfect addiction’ after battling pre-eclampsia
“I got excited at the idea of one more child. Then the doctor told me, ‘Time is of the essence for you. It seems the kidney isn’t here.’ Now you might be asking, what about the pee? We lost his heartbeat. They couldn’t get it back. My doctor looked me in the eye. ‘We need to get him out, NOW.'”
‘YOU DO NOT HAVE MY PERMISSION TO TOUCH ME! I DO NOT CONSENT!’ Her screams of anger melted into shrieking sobs.’: Mom urges parents to ‘help ‘children process emotions’
“She had backed her sister into a corner with both sides blocked. Before we changed our parenting, I would have yelled, spanked, and heaped on shame. Now, I had to do something else. ‘I won’t let you hurt your sister. I will help you get control of yourself.’”
‘I found photos of my husband in women’s clothing at flamboyant gay clubs. My ‘manly man’ had on a wig, heels, and clip-on earrings. I was floored.’: Woman discovers fiancé’s secret life, ‘This was the tip of the iceberg’
“Not once had I ever logged into anything of his. I never thought I had a reason to. Our relationship was secure. I was secure. I noticed his email was open. To this day, I am still not sure what made me click on his open email. I like to think it was my grandma looking down, trying to save me from the worst mistake of my life.”
‘How do you afford to do all of this?’ Well, nosey person, there might be a reason your friend is always on the go.’: Woman says being social is her therapy
“The moment I’m at home alone with the thoughts of my divorce the urge to drink alone at home begin. There’s a reason I’m always out and about, why my social calendar is booked, and why I like getting away and going out of town on the weekends. It is because I have to.”
‘I was late to work today, again. Holding back tears, visibly shaking after a coworker belittled and broke down whatever piece of soul I had left that.’: Special needs mom’s plea for kindness
“I hope you never get that phone call at work. That desperate plea from your child to ‘come get me now.’ The call where your heart drops into your stomach and you have no idea what you are walking in to. I would much rather be at my desk.”