Love What Matters

‘She screamed, ‘Mommy, why did you take him off life support? God could have healed him.’: Woman pays tribute to late father, ‘He taught me unconditional love’

“I laid my head on his chest, screaming and crying, ‘Dad, I need you, please don’t leave me!’ He immediately sat up for a brief minute, and we locked eyes. His beautiful brown eyes said more than words ever could. I happened to glance over at my mom. I started crying uncontrollably. Flashbacks of our last conversation flooded my thoughts, replaying in my mind over and over. I blamed myself, thinking, ‘If I just hadn‘t mentioned the boxes in the attic, then he wouldn’t have felt like he had to go up there.’”

As A Twin Mom, People Say The Strangest Things To Me

“Just when I thought life couldn’t get any more interesting, I fell pregnant when my twins were 3.5 months old. It’s like I have a sign on my forehead saying, ‘Please…tell me what you really think.'”

‘If you keep eating, we’ll have to buy you maternity clothes.’ I felt disgusted. Everything I hated about myself was because of food.’: Woman raises eating disorder awareness, ‘Don’t turn a blind eye’

“I scrambled to anchor myself and settled on the one thing I could control. Food. The high I felt stepping on those scales, malnourished, with fragile wrists, was like no other to me. It was an addiction.”

‘Hey, you still need that broom?’ In the same platoon, we kept our relationship a secret. Then, he popped THE question during a Netflix and Chill.’: Marine candidly details marriage journey

“I told myself I wouldn’t get into a relationship after my ex. ‘May I marry your daughter?’ The only thing is…my parents didn’t know we had already gotten married on a whim.”

‘I was SO proud of my body before kids. Even when I would drop a dress size, I never felt it.’: Mom finds self-worth after struggling with body image, eating disorders, ‘every stretch mark tells a story’

“I was more ‘attractive’ to men. Found it easier to shop for clothes. Being thin actually made me more acceptable in society, it made me seem like I had my life together. I used to feel so validated by being skinny.”

‘I can’t explain it, but I think these are our kids.’ I didn’t know if they were up for adoption. All I knew was I wanted to take them home.’: Couple adopt sons from foster care, ‘They’re cherished’

“The best moments have snuck up on me. It’s tuck-in rituals of reading and laughing, spontaneous tickle fights, the first time they said, ‘I love you.’ They’ve gone from testing my love to basking in it.”

‘There’s one sac and 2 heartbeats! Hang on, there’s a THIRD!’ They thought I stole the photo.’: Mom births rare miracle triplets after loss

“The nurse was SHOCKED. ‘It’s so rare I’ve never seen it in ALL the years I’ve been doing this!’ It was now out of my hands.”

‘This is the strangest thing to ever happen at the New Jersey DEA. Come to the precinct at once.’: Mom hilariously recalls Christmas gift gone wrong

“I tried to get the best Christmas gift for my daughter on Etsy and accidentally became embroiled in an international drug-smuggling ring. The things we do for our kids.”

‘Sometimes it’s hard to find.’ She placed the wand on my belly and shook her head. My heart sunk.’: Mom welcomes rainbow baby after loss of son, ‘He’ll always be her guardian angel’

“I was confused. None of this made sense. He was just alive and well at my last check-up a few days ago. Not only that, but he was perfect. I held on to hope my story wasn’t over.”

It’s Time To Start Living Like You’re Dying (Take It From Me, A Brain Tumor Survivor)

“I had a brain tumor in this picture I didn’t know about. And, most likely, even five to six years ago, it was there.”

‘He’ll think I’m crazy.’ I sent their picture to my husband, expecting a quick no. Instead, we fell in love.’: Couple adopts 3 sisters from Taiwan, ‘We took a leap of faith’

“Our caseworker sent us a profile of the cutest 13-month-old boy. It felt like a dream come true. Less than 50 days later, it was a failed match. We were heartbroken.”

‘The doctor gently told us, ‘His case is not mild. At the very least, he’s on the severe end.’ Everyone focuses on what he CAN’T do, but we focus on what he CAN do.’: Mom recounts son’s diagnosis journey with autism, ‘You’ll move mountains’

“The signs were all there. Everything. I knew it was time. How did I not know sooner? I’m his mom, shouldn’t I just automatically know these things? We are NOT going to give up on you.”

‘I was over-medicated, an emotionless zombie. I didn’t know how to celebrate without him. This year, I FEEL.’: Widow shares feelings on holidays while grieving, ‘Finding a new normal is weird’

“I feel, at any moment, every good feeling may be the last one I have. I just have to put on my fancy holiday anxiety and deal with it. The worst part about being a widow is holidays.”

‘The photographer asked, ‘Would you like to retake the photo without the tooth sticking out?’ She replied, ‘Nope, I’m good!’: Mom admires ‘strong-willed’ daughter after hilarious school photos

“This is the look of a strong-willed girl who knows exactly what she’s doing. Look how proud she is!”

‘Chance of defects, chance of blindness, deafness, death.’ There was so. Much. Blood. I couldn’t feel a single thing. He was STUCK.’: Mom recounts traumatic labor, son’s ‘unique health issues’

“You don’t necessarily notice the impact early on, even if you start to recognize things just aren’t ‘right.’ You see differences at the park, watching other kids interact. Your friends’ kids start walking, then talking, and you start to notice delays. You question what you did wrong and what you could have done differently.”

‘LEAVE ME ALONE.’ I hurled a toy at the wall. It looked like a tornado struck our basement. I hit my LOWEST point.’: Mom shares candid reality of parenting in a pandemic, ‘We’re trying our best’

“The dent in the wall? It’s from me. The toy I’m holding? Yep, I threw it against the wall in a fit of tears.”

‘This is a mistake! She CAN’T be mine.’ I turned everyone away from the hospital. I thought I ruined our lives.’: Special needs mom details Down syndrome journey

“My vision of perfection vanished and I felt disconnected. It was painful to say the words. But it had been her all along.”

‘Her cries sounded painful. ‘Did she nap today? Do you think she’s hungry?’ But I knew it wasn’t that.’: Mom navigates daughter’s autism diagnosis, ‘I’m so proud to be her mama’

“She’d fling her head back every night. Her behaviors became violent. I suspected something greater was going on, but I sold myself the idea she’d catch up in her own time. The wait and see remained.”

‘No one will want a divorced, single mom of 3.’ I thought it was the end of me. He showed up day after day for my broken family.’: Mom shares powerful love story, ‘It was just the beginning’

“The woman my ex-husband had an affair with was engaged. That man showed up for us with groceries, moving boxes, ice cream. And he showed up with his very own broken heart. So I did what any reasonable girl would have done. I fell in love with him.”

‘We aren’t just going to let him die!’ I slammed my hands on the table. I knew this wouldn’t be our story.’: Baby survives terminal NKH diagnosis, ‘We take note of every little miracle’

“They printed out a sheet from Google explaining the condition. ‘He’ll never leave the NICU.’ He had his first seizure and stopped breathing. I knew God would heal him.”

‘Won’t you get too attached?’ Every every court date, every appointment, every 2 a.m. feeding, he may never even remember the slightest thought of me.’: Woman shares candid reality of being a foster parent

“Even after all these years, I feel my heart fall deep into the pit of my stomach when the caseworker calls. I’ve chosen to lose a little piece of my heart so that maybe, just maybe, it may help mend theirs.”

‘Your daughter needs a psych eval. She’s doing this to herself.’ I knew something was wrong.’: Woman describes journey with Chronic Lyme disease, ‘I turned my pain into purpose’

“Doctors loaded me up with medication and sent me to therapy. ‘It’s all in your head.’ I had no desire to live. I was grieving my old life.”

‘URGENT ADOPTION’ was in red marker. She left me breathless. I BEGGED for help. The fight was ON.’: Grieving couple inspired to adopt baby with Down syndrome

“I covered my mouth and held back tears. I felt like the entire earth had dropped out from under me. If I’m being truthful, I never thought it would be MY baby.”

‘You should prepare for lifelong care.’ Her little face made my heart go pitter-patter. I knew what we were in for.’: Couple adopts girls with autism, cerebral palsy, ‘Our family is complete’

“He labeled her ‘severe.’ Over the next weeks, I cried, I drank. One day, I just decided. This little girl didn’t need a mama paralyzed with fear. She needed a mama ready to take action.”