“Grief is the most arduous race anyone will ever run. You can do this, and I’ll run by your side.”
‘My. Son. Died. I can’t run from that. But I run so no one else has to run this race.’: Mom shares the intensity of grief after losing son to overdose
‘We are at capacity, babe.’ Two months later, Mike asked if I’d gotten her info. We’d never adopted a teen before, we were terrified.’: Family of 11 shares foster care, adoption journey
“She would contact her workers monthly asking if they had found her a family yet. She was desperate for a family to love her and call her own.”
‘Hair loss, depression, anxiety, mood swings, tears, a healing body—it all can await us after bringing life into this world.’: Mom talks about life postpartum, ‘It’s worth any amount of hair’
“We’re all thrown out into the open ocean of motherhood just trying to stay afloat and make our way back to shore alive…but no matter how big those waves are, the open ocean of motherhood is the most beautiful, humbling, and awe-inspiring creation there is.”
‘It’s not a big deal. He’ll grow out of it,’ the nurse practitioner told me. I fought with the hospital to admit him immediately.’: Mom of two special needs boys shares accepting diagnoses
“The excitement and determination were swept away with grief. This incurable disease is marked by developmental delays, atrophy of the basal ganglia and cerebellum, difficulty controlling muscles… and death.”
‘These two boys have entirely different stories, yet they are so fiercely meant to be bros.’: Mom reflects on adoptive son’s journey
“Some days he asks about his birth mom; other days I remind him how much she loves him. Some days he tells people he’s adopted; other days he wonders why he wasn’t born from my tummy.”
To My Special Needs Child: I Knew Our Lives Would Never Look The Same As Anyone Else’s, But We Picked Up The Pieces
“I know how to love different, how to embrace different, how to see all the different and know that it is beautiful. But most importantly, I know how to love a special little baby with my whole heart, and give him the life full of adventure he deserves.”
‘I don’t need to run on fumes. I need to recognize I’m human and ask for help.’: Special needs mom shares son’s sweet reminder after rough day
“‘Anything you want to thank God for?’ Without even a whisper, he simply looked up at me and pointed. ‘Me? You want to thank God for me?’ He nodded with a sweet smile. He wanted to thank God for me. The one who thought she was an utter failure of a mom that day.”
‘Wait! It’s on us today.’: Mom to medically-complex children shares acts of kindness that changed her life
“One kind act can change someone’s entire day. One considerate thing can shift someone’s perspective on life. So be kind, be loving, and be present.”
‘My name always came with ‘big-boned’ attached to it. ‘I’ll never be thin enough or built right for her.’: Woman shares struggle with body image, reminds parents ‘your words and actions matter’
“My mom told me to get ready because she had a special birthday surprise for me. I had no idea where we were going, but it felt good to get dressed up. It was definitely a surprise when we pulled into a gym parking lot.”
‘My home isn’t quiet or as clean as I’d like. There’s always an appointment or task on the to-do list. My husband and I are clearly out numbered.’: Stay-at-home mom chronicles life with 4 kids
“People stare when they find out we have four kids. They ask why. I don’t have an answer; this is just our life and the way we choose to live it. If you ask me, it’s exactly how we were supposed to do it.”