“When I woke up, I had lost sensation completely in my left leg, and I lost control of my bladder. The pain was excruciating.”
‘He said they were ‘non-symptomatic.’ I was sent off feeling relieved it wasn’t worse—if only I knew.’: Woman shares journey with Tarlov Cyst Disease to raise awareness
‘We shoot 1000 pictures of the same instant, but we often forget to live it.’: College student urges ‘capture the moment’ rather than the picture
“‘The quality of the pictures suck.’ I wasn’t worried if my smile was too big, or if my hair was messy, or if my makeup was smeared, and it truly made all the difference.”
‘In ONE week, I’ve heard: ‘What’s wrong with her?’ ‘That’s so sad she has no arm.’ ‘She’s scary, I don’t like her.’: Special needs mom shares important reminder to teach inclusivity
“As you buy the backpack, and the crayons, and do all the school preparation things, please do the most important thing.”
‘The adoption lawyer said, ‘See you soon!’ We both said, ‘This is it!’ Our family of 6 was complete, or so we thought.’: Couple adopt daughter’s sister from foster care, ‘She’s the piece we didn’t know we were missing’
“We received a call from our little girl’s bio grandma. CPS had a baby girl in foster care a few hours away. ‘I was hoping you’d be able to take her.’ Siblings are meant to be together. And as much as they needed each other, we needed her too.”
‘He’s ANNOYING.’ The mom side of me wants to reply to every situation with what he ‘should’ or ‘shouldn’t’ do.’: Mom of teenager urges ‘HONESTY is the key’
“‘I get it.’ The high school years terrified me, but I decided to not play only the mom role.”
‘A huge hole in my heart was finally fulfilled. I burst into tears, looking her mother in the eyes, telling her how grateful I was.’: Mom reunites with daughter she had at 17 after self-help journey
“I received a text, ‘Just wanted to say I LOVE YOU!!! And I’m SO incredibly proud of you and who you are.’ She came home when I fulfilled my promise to accomplish my dreams.”
There Were No Princesses With Limb Differences, So I Decided To Change That
“I cosplay in the hope that one simple picture might make a child somewhere dream a little bigger, for they are also beautiful and clever and strong indeed—exactly as they already are.”
I Wasn’t Married By 30, So I Became A Single Mom By Choice
“I remember telling my friends and family that if I wasn’t married or in a serious relationship bound for marriage by the age of 30, I was going to have a baby on my own. They laughed and told me I was crazy. Little did they know, I was completely serious.”
‘He didn’t listen to my concerns and pushed me to medical menopause at 27.’: Endometriosis warrior shares struggles to find treatment
“After a few months my periods stopped completely, I gained 30 pounds, and was constantly bloated. If you don’t make time to take care of your health, you will be forced to take time off for your illness.”
‘What could he possibly be talking about?’ I was utterly confused. ‘You will always be my baby sister.’: Woman discovers adoption by grandparents at age 41
“I had a sickening feeling when I accepted the call. Is he having a mental breakdown? ‘I hear you loud and clear, and I’m absolutely fine.’ Silly me.”
I Had A Good Childhood And Got Straight A’s, But Mental Illness Doesn’t Discriminate
“Everything was going great until 7th grade in 2014.”
‘Every night for 3 years, I prayed someone would see my pain and advocate for me.’: Human trafficking survivor ‘repurposing pain’ to help other victims
“I never thought I’d make it this far. I never thought I’d be able to write the words ‘I feel safe’ and mean it. I have come so far from the broken, hollow girl who sat in the corner and rarely spoke.”
‘She texted me a positive pregnancy test photo. ‘Do you want another baby?’: After struggle with infertility, couple share beautiful open adoption journey
“‘Do you have a name for this baby?’ I have never loved someone so unconditionally while, at the same time, feeling immense gratitude for her sacrifice.”
Neighborhood Boys Befriend Girl With Down Syndrome After Mom Fears She Won’t Fit In
“She has a safe place to be ‘one of the kids’ without prejudice or cruelty, provided by the unlikeliest of motley crews!”
‘Tears falling, I limped to the school bathroom. ‘The bottom of your femur just broke off and is stuck underneath your kneecap.’: Young woman turned personal trainor shares journey with Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
“Life completely flip-flopped on me. I was so depressed and mad at my body, I began to self-harm out of frustration. It took me a while to see value in myself again.”
‘He quietly tip-toed into my room, eyes sleepy and hair disheveled from tossing and turning. ‘Can I lie with you?’: Mom shares sweet reminder ‘one day they won’t come to you anymore’
“I wanted some me time. Scratch that, I NEEDED some me time. Still, I couldn’t turn him away. You see, this lockdown and remote learning isn’t boding well with him. He needed to know I was there, needed to know he could count on me.”
‘It’s like throwing everything in the backseat, then slamming on the brakes so it all comes flying forward.’: Woman candidly shares journey grieving multiple loved ones
“I was 12 when my mom died. My youngest sibling was a baby, just learning how to walk. It was Easter and she was taken by a brain aneurysm. Gone. At 35. No explanation. I successfully blocked it out of my mind for 20+ years. Attempting to protect my heart. It worked…until it didn’t.”
‘When our daughter was 13 weeks old, he admitted, ‘I fell out of love with you.’ He was leaving us.’: Single mom shares journey full of support from mom who parented solo
“I was completely shattered. I’d known him 14 years, been together 13 years. We had a beautiful family home, a crazy dog who we rescued, and to complete our little family, our newborn daughter.”
‘I think we all needed a Laurel.’ I fought the current again and again, but I’d do it all over for her.’: Single mom by choice pens ode to ‘Sunshine Girl’ daughter
“In the many years before my daughter, I came to my beach for answers.”
‘I can’t believe they’re allowing their kid to scream like that in public.’ Try giving that mother a pat on the back.’: Mom shares hilarious truths, ‘Motherhood is an everyday trial’
“‘You’re spoiling your kid.’ If it gets me through one more grocery trip so I can get enough coffee to survive another week, then throw that lightsaber in the buggy, kiddo.”
‘I don’t remember the last time I held you. There was no parade, no photo to commemorate it. Just one day I held you, and it was the last time.’: Mom urges ‘soak each moment in’
“Tonight, you asked to lay on top of my stomach like when you were a baby. I of course said yes. But we fumbled around for too long, both trying to get comfortable, until we realized it just wasn’t going to happen. One day I held you, and it seemed there was no end in sight for this pure bliss. Then, one day, it was the last time.”
‘I sarcastically texted, ‘About to take in the Kroger haul and clean out the fridge. Don’t I lead such a luxurious and exciting life?’: Woman shares important reminder to embrace your own path
“I run errands, make appointments, clean up spills and random dog puke. I wipe butts, fill sippy cups, and occasionally you’ll find me stopping the baby from eating dog food. But here’s the kicker: I have just as much of a luxurious and exciting life as anyone else.”
‘I muttered ‘I’m sorry’ to my newborn over Zoom from a different hospital. I didn’t know I’d delivered a baby, or what month it was.’: First-time mom recounts giving birth during post-Covid pneumonia battle
“Next thing I know I’m looking at myself from the ceiling. I’m lying on an operation table. There’s 8 of me. The room keeps spinning. There’s a team working on each copy of me. They’re trying to put me to sleep. They keep telling me to relax. And I’m screaming.”
I Quit My Dream Job To Save My Mental Health, And I Have Zero Regrets
“I had the dream job. Behind the scenes, it was becoming a nightmare, and no one knew. For the sake of my health, I couldn’t do it anymore. I had to walk away.”
I Gave Birth, And Found A Woman I Didn’t Know Existed
“Yes, I brought a beautiful new baby into the world and I love him beyond measure. But I also brought a new woman into the world, and I am so proud of her.”