“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.”
‘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’
‘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.”
‘Why does our family look different than families on TV?’ There isn’t one way to be a perfect family.’: Lesbian single mom shares journey
“I realized it’s better for my child to have a happy parent than a straight parent.”
‘You don’t need any more.’ Wine always wins.’: Sober mom reminds us ‘addiction is not a moral failing’
“The neighbors notice me stumbling to my refrigerator, chugging from the bottle of wine by the sliver of light that sneaks into the room. They mutter, ‘What a shame.’ They watch me do this three times a night until the bottle is dry.”
In The Market Of ‘Our Hair Color Determines Our Age,’ Going Silver Is A Bold Commitment
“It’s not about holding onto youth but holding onto LIFE.”
‘Growing up, ‘blind’ was a dirty word. Once I accepted it, everything shifted. It turned from a dirty word into a powerful word.’: Blind man embraces label
“I was afraid of being ‘the blind person,’ of being different. I was afraid of being who I truly am.”
‘It’s ultra rare. There are only 14 cases worldwide. Brace yourselves for what you’ll read on the internet.’: Mom advocates for son with rare Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
“After weeks of a pity party, one day, I looked into Hunter’s eyes and a switch flipped. I was in a race against time and had to make every minute count.”
Getting Sober Was The Greatest Decision Of My Life
“A beautiful, exciting life awaits filled with love and possibility.”
‘Some days I do morning yoga. Other days I get out of bed, lie straight on the couch, and eat my weight in cheese.’: Mom urges ‘your inconsistencies are a superpower’
“Some days I feel good about myself and what the day will bring. Some days the weight of being a good mom, a good wife, and an overall good person gives me a nervous tummy ache.”
‘With a huge grin, my mom said, ‘Your daughter is an honor student? Well, mine’s a lesbian!’ She was so proud.’: LGBTQ mom shares what Pride means to her
“I felt as if my face was about to melt off. ‘Mom, I’m gay and I have a girlfriend. I think I love her.’ She started howling, deep belly laughing.”
‘There’s something missing in your son.’ I brushed it off as him being ADD like me. I felt guilty and angry.’: Neurodivergent mom to son with autism urges ‘self-empowerment’ for others like her
“‘R*tard’ and ‘lunatic’ became my ‘pet names.’ We still haven’t received a call for an ‘official diagnosis.’ So, I started my own research. I don’t want other children to suffer as I did.”
‘My legs suddenly went numb. I clutched the wall in horror, like a child at an ice-skating rink. What was happening to me?’: Woman opens up about anxiety journey
“Everyone else seemed so carefree. I was riddled with worry and didn’t want anybody looking at me. I didn’t want to be the center of attention at my own WEDDING.”
‘While my client rested, I folded a few loads of laundry, cleaned her kitchen, looked after her older kids, and made kale soup.’: Doula reminds us to ‘nurture postpartum moms’
“Much of what I do for my clients is not the role of a postpartum doula. But that’s okay. I’m working to change the way we support new moms.”
‘Sometimes, I hear dads say, ‘I gotta babysit the kids tonight.’: Dad urges ‘kids are a blessing, not a burden’
“I never babysit my kids. They are absolutely my responsibility, and it is on me to be the father they need.”
‘I was told, ‘He won’t grow up RIGHT without a male figure in his life.’ I felt the need to be a perfect parent.’: Lesbian mom shares mental health struggles, urges ‘trust yourself’
“I’d constantly think about Asher getting cancer or being kidnapped. ‘You can’t possibly parent a normal child in a same-sex household.’ I felt like my life was falling apart.”
‘He won’t live to see his 7th birthday.’ My eyes were completely sunken into my skeleton-like body.’: Heart and kidney transplant warrior urges ’we’re stronger than we realize’
“I fainted after getting home from karate class, a searing pain in my gut. My mom tried to revive me on the chilly tiles of our bathroom floor. Doctors offered me a second-rate heart, believing I wouldn’t survive otherwise.”
‘I looked at the doctor, ‘What’s wrong with her exactly?’ She started listing things.’: Mom gives birth to rainbow baby with birth defects, ‘She’s a miracle’
“We couldn’t believe this was happening to our newborn. The surgeons said, ‘We don’t know what we’ll find until we open her up.’ Through social media, people all around the world were praying for our little girl, praying for a miracle.”
‘Dad, I want a job.’ I got to researching. The answer was staring me right in the face.’: Family launches sock business for son with Down syndrome
“Thomas has always played with socks. He’d put one sock into the other and swing them around his fingers for hours. Some children get comfort from a teddy bear or a doll. With Thomas, it was always the socks.”
‘I made a sign saying, ‘This little cubbie needs a kidney.’ I ended up WINNING that night.’: Woman finds kidney donor at Chicago Cubs game, ‘He’s a superhero’
“He saw me and we both waved to each other. It’s a moment I’ll NEVER forget.”
‘He was sent to the principal’s office the first day of kindergarten. He was branded the troublemaker. The attention seeker. The bad child.’: Dad to bullying survivor with autism urges ‘teach your kids compassion’
“No one sat with him at lunch time. Kids laughed when he stimmed or made mistakes. He was kept in during recess to ‘think about his behavior.’ My wife and I couldn’t reconcile this with the child we knew. At home, he was calm and followed directions; at school, he became disruptive.”
‘You need to be the MAN of the house.’ I realized my life was no longer my own.’: Transgender woman finds self love, ‘I’m at peace with who I’ve become’
“‘You’ll NEVER look like a girl or have a feminine voice.’ She didn’t realize how much of an impact it would have on me.”
‘She just doesn’t want to go to school.’ At 18, I became a single mom living with undiagnosed pain.’: Chronic illness warrior becomes advocate with son’s help, ‘I couldn’t live without him’
“I had 9 months symptom-free. ‘I wish I didn’t have to give you this diagnosis.’ I felt like my life was ending.”
I Thought I’d Be Married Forever, But People Change
“If I could go back to that girl walking down the aisle, crying as she looked at the love of her life, thinking this was forever, I wouldn’t whisper in her ear to not do it.”
‘Let your daughter see you take time for yourself—because once she sees you’re worth it, she’ll grow up knowing she’s worth it, too.’: Mom shares tips for raising a strong daughter
“Let your daughter hear you stick up for yourself, never accept disrespect. Let your daughter see you reach out your hand to another woman, pulling her up until she’s steady enough to stand on her own.”