Love What Matters

‘Your daddy loves you, and I love you too.’ Dustin honors Marcus as their father and helps them understand it’s okay to love both.’: Young widow shares blended family journey, creates ‘daddy books’ to honor late husband’s memory

“Dustin didn’t only declare vows to me, but he spoke vows to the children as well. ‘In just a little bit, I tell Mom ‘I do.’ And with that, I promise you forever too. We won’t always like each other or get along, but we need to promise we will love each other forever.'”

‘I leaned in, I’d never heard these words before.’: Autism mom shares loving moment with non-verbal son, ‘You learn to celebrate everything’

“He sat calmly at the table like it was no big deal. I think I cried the entire morning. I have not heard those words since.”

‘What will people think?’ I worried myself to sleep. That little pill held so much shame.’: Mom of 6 shares struggle with anxiety, ‘It’s made me stronger’

“I’d wake up, heart racing, and rush to the crib. Once I felt her breathing, I could settle back into sleep. I was angry all the time. Small things made me want to pull my hair out.”

‘How would you feel about having a baby?’ We caught the only flight out. Suddenly, all the heartache made sense.’: Couple adopts after 4 years of infertility, ‘Everything led us straight to her’

“We didn’t get to hear her heartbeat on an ultrasound. We didn’t get a gender reveal party or a baby shower. Nobody visited us at the hospital. And I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.”

‘He has a big birthmark on his face.’ I didn’t care at all. He was so perfect, I was in awe.’: Mom gives birth to baby with Port-Wine Stain, ‘Don’t let fear rule you’

“They highly suggested laser treatments. It was hard. SO hard. I would hear him cry, scream, and even hold his breath. ‘I need to know he’s safe.’ We needed something different.”

‘Your kids have had more screen time than ever. I need my crap together. I should be doing more.’: Mom struggling with pandemic parenting says ‘throw the shoulds out the window’

“Your wardrobe is pajamas and your greys are down to your ears. You can literally knock a human being out with your boobs swaying in the wind because bras just don’t fit into your daily wear. You’re exhausted. You aren’t on top of things. All you did today was nothing.”

‘If you send me home, I will die.’ The doctor looked me in the eyes. ‘We’re all going to die.’: Mental illness, chronic pain warrior finds peace through therapy, ‘I accept myself as I am’

“I’ve been in a car wreck I shouldn’t have walked away from. I’ve attempted suicide 3 times. I’ve come close to death often. ‘Why do I exist?’ Now I knew exactly why I’m here.”

‘One of your babies is behaving beautifully!’ Wait, ONE? I knew it was too good to be true.’: Woman births miracle twins, ‘They survived against all odds’

“In came another doctor, who also scanned his head. Then another doctor and another doctor. ‘His brain is likely to grow out of his skull.’ I tried to hide my bump. I didn’t let myself get attached.”

‘This is the last one I have in me.’ My stomach painfully dotted with bruises, I noticed a voicemail. My breath caught.’: Couple finally chosen by birth mom, ‘My heart is so full’

“We put together a nursery for our ‘some-day’ baby. ‘Someday, it will be our turn.’ After 6 years of disappointments, it did not seem possible. Then the voicemail said, ‘Do this tonight.’ ‘Birth mom.’ ‘Chosen you.’ My breath caught.”

‘I probably won’t outlive my sister or may not be able to see my children grow up. ‘Do you feel like a burden?’—Yes, I do’: Woman with Cystic Fibrosis details journey, ‘If you search for the silver living, you’ll always find it’

“I had no energy to move, let alone scream. My parents had nothing to be concerned about. All was a mystery. I hid behind the paper and the little book in my wardrobe no one knew existed. I was fine about everything and I sort of still am, but I don’t want to die yet.”

Sweet 2020 Baby, You’ve Been The Light In The Darkness

“Your timing couldn’t have been more perfect.”

‘Your boss is basically a jerk. ‘You could be working overnight without double-time or a toilet break.’: Mom hilariously compares raising a newborn to having a full-time job

“Freaking Karen. She’s always trying to get you to buy her essential oils. You’re so desperate to just have a coffee with them and for some screwed up reason, you’re really cool with that. I know what you’re thinking, but apparently it’s legal.”

‘Does it REALLY matter if she wears the d*mn earmuffs to school? NO, obviously not.’: Mom urges acceptance of quirks in kids, ‘One day I’ll miss these moments’

“Leopard earmuffs, too big. Take them away and distract with a princess poppy doll. That’s when I see it. A kid walking into school with a mask on.”

‘People stood to see what was wrong with the screaming kid in the back of the plane. ‘Call me Grandma Jackie.’: Mom praises flight attendant’s kindness, ‘She went above and beyond’

“We don’t speak Mandarin and Bella didn’t speak English. But Grandma Jackie speaks both. Her sweet voice won her over.”

‘Sedated and wearing diapers, I flew 3,000 miles during a global pandemic to have a life-saving surgery.’: After 23 years of not being taken seriously, woman finally diagnosed with 3 rare diseases

“The world was falling apart as a top neurosurgeon prepared to piece me back together. I watched the protests from a small TV in our hotel room and reflected on how I fought for 23 years to be heard by men and women in white coats who minimized my disabling symptoms and refused to acknowledge my struggle was real.”

‘My friends joked, ‘What if you’re actually pregnant?’ We laughed. At 19, my body was creating a life without my knowledge.’: Young woman details unexpected pregnancy, loss

“I’d been walking around with a big fat smile on my face, telling the world I was going to be the greatest mother for this little girl. ‘You made the right decision, it was meant to be.’ ‘You’re strong for going through this pregnancy.’ Then I felt a pop, and there I was, shaking my stomach trying to wake up my daughter.”

‘I simply gave my husband a thumbs up. ‘This has to be a dream!’ We prayed for YEARS. There were no words.’: Couple conceives through IVF, ‘We never take a moment for granted’

“I was paranoid something would go wrong. It didn’t seem real! We both sat and looked at each other in shock.”

‘They found our kids!’ There was a clerical error. We felt them slipping away.’: Couple fight for sons during pregnancy, ‘They made our lives so full’

“My oldest announced, ‘I want a concert and a baby.’ I told him I could probably make one of those happen. I was puking every day. The mess grew and my belly grew.”

‘I’m the woman, so I do everything.’ TOTAL. CRAP. When I woke up night after night, it was the expectation.’: Woman urges equal parenting, ‘Stop carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders’

“I got bitter and resentful from doing it all alone. I watched my husband’s life change what seemed to be very little as we added offspring. His body stayed intact while I didn’t at all recognize my new shape. The lies had clearly taken over my soul.”

‘I’ve never been a confident person, you know that all too well. That’s why you chose me to be your next victim that fateful night.’: Woman pens letter to her eating disorder, ‘I’m not keeping you a secret anymore’

“You’ve never really listened to me before, so maybe telling you all of this stuff is pointless. Maybe you’re not even listening now. Even if you are, it’s not like you’re going to feel sorry for me after everything you’ve put me through.”

‘You can’t replace his family.’ I never wanted to. This family is now part of ours.’: Foster mom celebrates son’s reunification, ‘What a beautiful gift’

“I was threatened by strangers online. ‘You’re not a REAL mom.’ I was told I was trying to steal babies from families. No one warned me about the ache.”

‘SURELY nothing else bad can happen.’ The joy was short-lived. I needed to heal. We made an unorthodox decision.’: Couple adopts while pursuing IVF, ‘It’s been a humbling experience’

“I was SO sure we were going to be picked. It seemed like such a good match. Days later, we got the call, ‘She chose the other family.’ I was crushed all over again.”

‘I’m not cut out for this.’ The world crashed down on me, one backward diaper at a time.’: Woman gives candid account of stepmom journey, ‘It takes time to find your place’

“I met and fell in love with my dream guy. He was all the things I had hoped to find in a partner. But there was a catch. He came as a package deal! I had NO idea how to parent.”