Children

‘The mother left them like this. Our 3-year-old Lily looks up at me longingly. ‘Mommy, can baby stay?’: Family founds children’s hospital to help orphans

“’How old is he?’ I asked. ‘More than 4,’ the relative said quietly. ‘Months?’ I asked. ‘No, 4 years,’ he clarified. ‘This is his twin sister,’ he said pointing to Selena. There were no shoes, socks, or undergarments. I pressed him against my body, attempting to cover him as best I could as we passed the crowds of school children on the street.”

Colin Balfe - Jan 15, 2019

‘He looks at me. ‘What’s wrong?’ I respond, ‘I’ve been punched by your son and your daughter has done a massive poop in the bath.’: Mom recounts funny ‘stay at home mom’ instance

“He hands me a paper towel. I mean dude, what the hell am I gonna do with a paper towel? Dry the poop? Soak the bath water?”

LJ Herman - Jan 15, 2019

‘Don’t worry, you’re young and have plenty of time,’ is what a complete stranger said to me at work. He asked me how many kids I had. ‘None yet!’

“I’ve gotten the ‘Why did you rush into marriage?’ question, because I was married at 22 years old. But being young isn’t doing me any favors.”

LJ Herman - Jan 15, 2019

‘You can’t do this. You’re 27.’ My husband was untraceable. I couldn’t divorce a man I couldn’t find.’: Woman marries divorce lawyer who comforted her in aftermath of domestic abuse

“I wasn’t like him. He was a prestigious lawyer, while I was a beaten, broken, and utterly lost human being. I’d lost all of my future at the altar 8 years earlier. I didn’t say anything as I tried to choke back the tears. Eventually he said, ‘let me help you,’ breaking the silence, and branding the words onto my heart.”

Colin Balfe - Jan 14, 2019

‘My husband left. My son was homeless. My daughter swallowed 160 pills, and my baby would likely be stillborn.’: Woman details surviving ‘massive ball of horror’

“The next morning, I awoke in our empty bed and reality came crashing down around me. I completely shattered. It had been almost a year since I walked out on our back deck and breathed in the gorgeous fragrance of the fruit trees in full bloom, felt the warm sun on my skin, and took a big, deep breath as my heart swelled with gratitude. Now, my life felt unsurvivable.”

Colin Balfe - Jan 14, 2019

‘I went to the ER expecting to find out I was anemic, get treatment and be good to go. Instead, I got that diagnosis. Our worlds were turned upside down.’

“We are almost completely out of milk for her. I am continuing my fight daily in hopes I’m able to watch all of my children grow up, and grow old myself with my husband.”

LJ Herman - Jan 14, 2019

‘Years after meeting my now husband, I got a call from my father’s new wife. ‘Mommy, are you crying?’ I think she’s on to me.’

“I didn’t need him in my life. ‘We can make it on our own,’ she would say. And I did, for so many years. Then, in early July, he called.”

Colin Balfe - Jan 14, 2019

‘We should talk delivery options.’ My response? ‘Um, excuse me?’ My husband’s phone got the call at 10:53.’: Active-duty Army woman gives birth unexpectedly while on vacation

“We were vacationing in Florida. My husband and I are both active-duty Army. I was 35 weeks pregnant when we flew for one last vacation as a family of 3. I had fallen forward on my belly. I was placed on a gurney, in full uniform, and wheeled through the ER. Little did we know, our little man was about to make a big entrance!”

Eliza Murphy - Jan 14, 2019

‘I gave my 10-year-old a math test. He spent nearly an hour on it. He worked each problem with intense concentration.’: Mom urges ‘children are so much more than the box we try to mold them into’

“And then, with a deep breath, he handed it to me to be graded. I quickly worked my way through the test and calculated his score. Immediately his eyes filled with tears.”

LJ Herman - Jan 14, 2019