“It looks like feeding your baby on the couch for an hour and leaving a dent in the cushions when you leave, if you leave. It looks like ignoring the mess around you and somehow always making more. It looks like constantly being poo’d and spewed on. You may not feel alive right now, but you are keeping someone else alive.”
Dear Newborn Mother, Please Know This Is What Productivity Looks Like
‘2 weeks postpartum, I returned to work. I felt like I had an identity again. I had a purpose other than mom.’: Working mom urges ‘create your own perfect’
“The first few months weren’t always bad, but I felt lost. I was a shell of who I used to be. During all this drama and pain, I failed to get to know our son.”
‘I was getting my son off the bus when he handed me a pink folder and flowers. ‘This is from all the kids, mom!’ I sobbed.’: Mom battling cervical cancer thanks bus driver for act of kindness
“On top of a pandemic, I heard the words I’d hoped to never hear: ‘Your cancer is back.’ It seems my son had been talking about how much he missed me on his school bus each time I went to the hospital. Mrs. Hammonds went above and beyond to make us feel so special and loved.”
‘I woke up to my mom sobbing. ‘Your father passed away from drug abuse.’ A part of me knew it would happen.’: Woman dedicates life to healing others from ‘father wounds’
“I felt cheated from having a good father who’d watch me grow up, dance with me at my wedding. Father’s Day may be extremely hard to get through, but you’re complete with or without. You are enough.”
After Multiple Miscarriages, I Gave Birth To Three Miracle Triplets
“The doctor said, ‘Someone up there really is looking down on you. Someone up there really wants you to be a mom. There are THREE healthy heartbeats beating here.’ SORRY, WHAT?! That was the moment life changed forever.”
‘He is our backbone. His words comfort like a warm blanket. He tells me it will be okay, even when he knows it may not.’: Woman shares ode to ‘present’ fathers
“Their whole life they’re told they need to be men. Until…they’re in the delivery room and it’s time for them to become fathers. And everything they’ve been told, everything they’ve learned, just withers away at their fingertips.”
‘How do you AFFORD them all?’ Our lifestyle isn’t for everyone.’: Mom of 10 says ‘I’m exactly where I want to be’
“I was 30 years old and living with my four children in my mother’s basement. I lost the family I’d grown to love. I’ve lived life with my small family, working every day, paying my mortgage. I did that. I felt fulfilled. I never knew I wasn’t until Amber 2.0 was created.”
‘Whatever, at least I’m skinnier than you.’ I took off my shirt, sucking in my stomach.’: Woman warns against diet culture, promotes body positivity
“I chose to workout BEFORE going to check on a friend who’d just been in a car accident.”
You Are The Reason I Get Up Each Morning—You Are The Light At The End Of Every Tunnel
“Even though I sometimes lose sight of what I have, you are my constant reminder I am blessed. For you, everything is worth it. You have shown me a love like no other.”
‘My entire life, I witnessed a person with disability have a joyful life. No matter what her life looked like, it’d be a good one.’: Mom births daughter with Down syndrome after advocating for uncle
“For almost 30 years, I watched my mom be an advocate. I heard the words, ‘Your baby will be born with Down syndrome.’ I knew my daughter would be okay.”
‘He died in his sleep. I HAD to take care of myself in order to take care of my kids.’: Widow creates ‘encouraging’ self-care subscription box for others battling grief
“It’s like when you’re flying on a plane and they tell you to put the oxygen mask on before assisting your child with theirs. I knew I couldn’t help my kids process their grief if I wasn’t dealing with my own.”
‘I wanted to bring some smiles in the dark time.’: 12-year-old boy starts missions to help those in need
“Even the pandemic didn’t stop me.”
‘Weighing just 2 pounds, we tested positive for crack cocaine.’: Twins adopted by abusive family overcome childhood trauma to advocate for kids in ‘broken’ foster care system
“I decided to quit my job making 6k a month. These kids needed us. They needed a voice. My passion was them.”
When You Become A Mom After Losing Your Mother
“Every day I try to be strong, to cry when I have to, to live as she showed me, and follow her teachings.”
‘Someone says you two have been acting like lesbians. Two women shouldn’t be sleeping in the same bed.’ Tears sprung to my eyes’: Lesbian woman navigates life after coming out
“I stared at him blankly, a rush of humiliation and shame flooding me. ‘Do you have sexual feelings for each other?’ he demanded. I lied.”
‘How could this happen?’ One ovary and one fallopian tube, I saw two lines plain as day on the pregnancy test.’: Woman with partial hysterectomy, HELLP Syndrome delivers 1-pound miracle baby
“‘Your breathing sounds like you’re under water.’ I remember going to sleep, but I didn’t wake up. When I opened my eyes, I motioned for my husband to bring me something to write with. I vividly remember asking, ‘Did our baby die?’ My husband answered, ‘No.’ And then I asked, ‘Did I die?’ I spent 24 hours in between two worlds, praying for a miracle.”
‘My parents didn’t approve. ‘What happened to our little girl?’ I couldn’t keep hiding this part of myself.’: Non-binary person urges ‘live your truth’
“I sat in my mentor’s classroom, hysterically crying. ‘I’m not straight, I like girls.’ He hugged me and said he accepted me. ‘Your family may not react the same way.’ He wasn’t wrong.”
‘It doesn’t LOOK like a seizure.’ There are only 35 people in the whole world with this.’: Mom of son with rare chromosome disorder claims ‘I will never stop advocating for you’
“‘It’s okay, Mommy’s here.’ Your eyes roll back as every muscle in your body tenses. The monitor starts beeping as your oxygen levels drop. You have 50 or more seizures in a day.”
I Am Not Wonder Woman—I Can’t Do It All
“A ticking time bomb, I realized something had to give.”
‘6 months pregnant, my husband wanted a divorce. My girls needed a happy, healthy mama.’: Mom of 3 shares growth journey
“I was devastated. I thought all my growth would lead to a healthier marriage. I never could’ve guessed what all of that growth was really preparing me for.”
‘Can you believe the nerve she has, trying to be friends with me?!’ NEVER did I think this would start a new chapter.’: Coparenting couples urge ‘it’s all in the name of love’
“At first, I was hesitant to like her. I doubted we could co-parent successfully. ‘Can we meet up so we can clear the air?’ She was PREGNANT.”
‘I stood at the edge of the bridge. I was about to jump, end it all. My friend called as I had one foot off the ledge. ‘Come home.’: Woman shares self-discovery journey
“At 19 years old, with two suitcases, a hope, and a dream, I moved to New York. I’d go to the bathroom and there’d be blood in the toilet. I thought I was slowly dying. AGAIN, I was homeless, with just my suitcase.”
‘Mom, I’m drinking again and can’t stop.’ I was sober for a total of 33 days. I was ready for life to be over.’: Woman battles alcohol addiction, finds ‘blessings of sobriety’
“Alcohol never left me, broke up with me, or rejected me. By the time I realized I needed to slow down, the brakes were off, and I had no control.”
‘What is wrong with me?’ The doctor said it like I already knew. I wasn’t sure what to say.’: Neurodivergent woman shares ‘now’ and ‘then’ perspective after multiple diagnoses
“The harder I tried, the more I knew I didn’t fit in. I was hated by those who were supposed to love me, and I hated myself. If I can thrive, anyone can do it.”
‘Treating mental health is more a PRIVILEGE than a CHOICE.” Woman battle self worth urges, ‘Your circumstances don’t define you’
“Drowning your demons in a bottle is both cheaper and more accessible than a good doctor.”