“I accepted, not knowing the implications of my decision or the long term consequences for my health.”
‘A day before college, I got a ‘special’ gift from my parents: breast implants. I believed I was not good or beautiful enough.’: Woman shares breast implant illness journey, embracing unique beauty
‘Dear family, I’m bisexual.’ There was so much to learn, and we didn’t get it all right.’: Mom urges ‘listen without judgment’ after child comes out as bisexual, non-binary
“‘Thank you for trusting me.’ We hugged for a long time. My knowledge was lacking, but we were able to learn together.”
‘Do you know what you’re getting into?’ We went from empty nesters to a family of 5 in less than a year.’: Couple gush ‘my kids are the best thing about life’ after international adoption journey
“Sometimes we’re asked if they’re ‘real brothers.’ We say, ‘They are REAL brothers in all the ways that matter.’”
‘I just wanted to take a shower in the morning. That’s it.’: Mom’s plea for more personal time is all too relatable
“I awoke to my 2-year-old on top of me, sweaty and smelling of her pee, my middle daughter barging in with tears. I had 10 minutes. 10 minutes to shower, shave, brush my teeth, get dressed, and become somewhat presentable.”
‘While everyone was making funny faces and taking photos, I heard her say it. The R word.’: Special needs mom pushes friends for inclusive language
“The laughter continued from you and our friends for a brief moment. Until you all glanced over at me. I wasn’t laughing. Tears began to fill my eyes and I could barely get the words out.”
‘I can’t live like this anymore!’ I went to court shackled and cuffed. Sean was granted full custody.’: Woman shares addiction recovery story, ‘The other side of the storm is beautiful’
“Our doorbell rang in the middle of the night and I opened the door to 3 guns in my face.”
‘Get the baby out! Save my baby!’ I was willing to face my death happily in exchange.’: Mom details traumatic twinless twin birth
“I woke up and tried to stay as still and quiet as I could. I was scared to ask if I was still pregnant. The nurse said, ‘We need to deliver Baby A.’ I had no other choice.”
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“We have no information on what society will look like by the time Gen A reaches adulthood, but as parents and leaders we are in a position to give them the best starting point possible.”
Walk Away From The Things And People That Drain Your Energy—Even If It Feels Too Hard
“Someday, hopefully in the not too distant future, you will take a deep breath in for just a moment and catch a glimpse of the life you used to know, a glimpse of the shell of the person you used to be, and you will smile.”
‘Is there a cure?’ The doctor cruelly replied, ‘Yes, but you’ll never be able to pay for it, so you better plan on having another child.’: Online community raise $900k for boy with spinal muscular atrophy
“The doctor was right about one thing though, we would never be able to pay for this new treatment….alone.”
‘You will never find him.’ It wasn’t like what you see on TV. 7 years later, I saw a match.’: Adoptee searches for birth parents with genetic genealogy, helps others like her
“‘You’re weird.’ I stopped believing adoption was a good thing. If my birth mom said she did not want to meet me, then I would lose my money and not even have access to her name.”
‘The guy I end up with is going to cook, clean, and do everything I do.’ My best friend said I was crazy.’: Woman shares ‘true love’ story with late husband, ‘I had high standards, he met them’
“Flashy clothing, cars, and jewelry all go out of style. Being married to your best friend never does.”
‘His daughter exclaimed, ‘Please, keep me safe!’ My heart melted. ‘Yes, baby girl, I will always keep you safe.’: Woman shares journey to being a step-mom, ‘I cherish their trust’
“I remember being both wary and excited, especially because I had never dated someone with kids before.”
‘What happens when the cute phase ends and the comments and staring begin?’: Mom navigates son’s autism diagnosis
“It felt like an out-of-body experience. I heard the words, but it felt like I was watching myself from up above. Some parents grieve, but I honestly felt RELIEVED.”
‘We could see FEAR in his eyes. His little body was fighting as hard as it could.’: Mom shares son’s asthma diagnosis journey, urges ‘follow your instincts’
“Rory started to deny food and refused any fluids. We began to worry for his life as he continued to worsen and could not stay conscious. Our little boy was slowly crumbling.”
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“I was the wrong passenger, in the wrong car, at the wrong time. I went from a happy, active, able-bodied person to paralyzed from the waist down.”
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“Getting back to the best version of me, not only for me but also for my children, is more important than missing out.”
Please Stop Judging Women For Complaining About Motherhood
“I’m always giving – my time, my thoughts, my body, my energy, my will. And when I dare say I’m tired, I am looked down upon, judged, and misunderstood.”
‘His smile faded. My heart hurt watching him sit there. But then, it happened. ‘Man, you destroyed that ball!’: Mom shares lesson learned from baseball player son
“When we got the email he had been selected, he beamed with pride. But excitement turned into anxiety quickly for me. ‘I’m working on my stance.’ The lesson was not for him, it was for me.”
‘Dropping off my 5-month-old for a nap, a car came flying through the intersection. We spun 360 degrees. 25 years later, I still smell the burning airbags.’: Bereaved mom details grief journey
“The phone rang. This poor woman from a local charity was going on and on about how I must donate. Something inside me cracked. I exploded, ‘I DONATED MY SON’S ORGANS THIS YEAR AND IT’S ALL I’LL BE DONATING FOR QUITE SOME TIME.’ Anger was rearing its ugly head.”
‘My mom found my diary. She broke down crying, ‘I think we have a gay daughter. Where did I go wrong?’: LGBT woman overcomes childhood trauma to advocate for others
“My dad started throwing out all my ‘boy clothes’ and told me to leave. He called me weird, nasty, stupid…every name in the book. ‘Where am I going to live? Who is going to love me?’ In a cloud of depression, I was ready to give up on life.”
‘After 13 months of family togetherness, I was alone.’: Mom talks life in the wake of the pandemic, ‘This is the new normal’
“Silence calms me, but this silence was different. This is my life now.”
‘Whose children do you have?’ They are not props. We’re like any other family but with different skin colors.’: Mom shares transracial adoption of twins during civil unrest
“We speak adoption in our home, but love is our first language.”
This Third-Grader Just Dropped A ‘Summer Bop,’ And It Should Totally Be Your New Anthem
Brandon and Charaya Morris made a deal with their son early in the year: if he made the honor roll, they’d help him record his very own music video.
‘Three days before Christmas, my phone rang at 8 a.m. ‘When can you get them?’ I stood in the hallway, frozen.’: Foster, adoptive mom thanks mother for support, ‘I had a great example’
“When we turned the corner he said, ‘Home.’ I smiled, ‘Yeah, buddy, that’s home.’ When I signed the adoption papers, I burst into tears.”