“My heart sank, a lump formed in my throat, and I was frozen in hell. I knew what she was going to say. I knew why my sisters were crying, and before my mouth could form any words at all, the tears began pouring down my face.”
‘Mom, believe me! I didn’t do it!’ he cried. ‘All 3 of them can’t be lying!’ It scared me hearing him try to manipulate his way out.’: Adoptee opens up about years of sexual abuse from older brother
‘It was like a bomb went off inside my mind. But I just plastered on a smile and tried to carry on.’: Sexual assault survivor shares journey with BPD
“Finally, everything started to make sense. There was a reason behind all my ‘ways.’”
‘I spent half the day in the bathroom, desperately wanting to flush my dope down the toilet but being completely powerless.’: Former heroin, meth addict shares her incredible recovery
“When I tried heroin for the first time, I felt what I imagined the love of a mother must feel like, like a warm hug from the inside out. I believed I had finally found security and love.”
‘Don’t say anything. You don’t want to be taken from home, do you?’ We hid in our rooms, afraid of the people supposed to keep us safe.’: Child trauma survivor marries best friend, finds meaning of ‘real love’
“All I knew was I was scared of ‘love.’ I didn’t want it. In fact, I wanted to run from it like it was the plague. I wish I could go back and hold myself like I held my siblings. I wish I could tell little Jas that real love was coming. An angel on earth. The most adorable, bi-racial boy with the biggest dimples and largest afro I had ever seen.”
To The Girl Mom With A Huge Mother Wound
“Having a traumatic relationship with your mother does not have to define your relationship with your children. There is hope the moment we start to see ourselves for the essence and pure light we are.”
‘Wouldn’t you rather just have another baby of your own?’ I easily told him no. I knew God had a plan, and it included these kids!’: Mom of 5 shares grueling sibling adoption journey, now family of 10
“We were told we had too many children already and wouldn’t be considered. I was given disappointing news a lot, but I wasn’t phased. I knew these were my kids.”
‘Your aunt’s house burned to the ground last night. Andrew didn’t make it out.’ For the first time in my life, I felt free.’: Sexual abuse survivor shares healing journey through sobriety and motherhood
“I was six years old the first time it happened. He asked if I wanted to play a game called ‘Truth or Dare.’ By the time I was in middle school, I understood drinking. Suddenly, nothing seemed awful anymore.”
‘The statistics were extremely stacked against me. Then, I was adopted.’: Former foster youth shares healing journey, ‘You are not responsible for what happened to you as a child’
“I experienced the stability and safe love I’d longed for years. And even though I tried to push it away, they never left me. My family was relentless in their commitment to loving me and helping me heal. No matter what I did – and I did a lot of things – they loved me.”
‘They looked like they hadn’t eaten in weeks, and they never said a single word. Our training was exactly for this moment.’: Mom shares foster-to-adopt journey, advice for other adopters
“Those frail little boys have learned to ride bikes, scooters, skateboards. Our commitment to them is as if I had given birth to them. There is no difference in our love for them.”
‘After the abuse stopped, I looked at myself in the mirror and hated what I had done to my body. So I started to hurt it even more.’: Woman shares body positivity journey after abuse, eating disorders
“I needed to go into this journey for HEALTH, not because I wanted to look like this person or that person. It has changed my whole perspective. I am happy with my body again, and I am confident again.”