“Then he went on a work trip and never came home. Our children were young, three under 5. I went from a blissfully happy marriage to having all of it ripped from me in an instant. And then came Dustin.”
‘At 20, people judged our choice to get married. ‘You have to experience your single years and party it up.’ I didn’t want it. I wanted Marcus.’: Widow remarries after loss, ‘I love two incredible men’
‘You’re the girl who feels like she is never enough. Dear girl, you ARE enough. Why? Because no one else is YOU.’: Woman writes touching note to others struggling, ‘We don’t break, we bend’
“The girl who is forever going out of her way. Who feels like nothing she does ever measures up. Who can’t do or be what everyone expects of her. That is your power.”
‘I loved him when he had words, and when he lost them. Through the sleepless nights, endless screaming, and walking in circles. I loved him even when he couldn’t say, ‘I love you.’: Mom to son with autism urges ‘all you need is love’
“People ask me all the time, ‘How do you deal with your son having autism?’ He is not labels, acronyms, or disorders. At home, he’s just Finn. He’s the only him I’ve ever known. Amidst the chaos, he is my calm.”
‘I called my husband. ‘I have to tell you something about our boy.’ He wailed and cried like I’d never heard before.’: Mom recounts son’s leukemia journey, ‘I don’t take his life for granted’
“I watched them stick a needle into my baby’s chest, and tried to pretend it was fun and not scary. I slept weeks in the hospital, constantly checking if he was okay. He charmed all the doctors and nurses, his little bald head dancing.”
‘I took a big, deep breath. ‘So she was born yesterday?’ We were meant to meet her.’: Couple adopts baby born on late daughter’s birthday, ‘She gave me courage’
“Blake died one week shy of 11 months old in her daddy’s arms. ‘She is one day old.’ I told him she was born the day before, on Blakey’s birthday. ‘Wait, what? Are you serious? Well, let’s go get her!’ She seemed so tiny.”
‘Be the friend who doesn’t notice the dirty dishes in the sink. The friend who prays hard for those in her circle, and always shows up.’: Woman urges ‘be the friend every person needs’
“The friend who doesn’t give up or give in. The friend who appreciates the sacred gift of sisterhood. The friend who recognizes the need for momentary disconnect, yet always saves a place at the table.”
‘Don’t get too attached. I’m going to get her back.’ I was naive. As I sat with her, the tears began to flow.’: Mom of 5 loves foster daughter ‘in all the ways I love my own’
“I had a dream I was holding a new baby like she was my own, but I didn’t give birth to her. I woke up and saw a picture of a newborn on Facebook. I knew it was her.”
‘I felt the right side of my face go numb. ‘I’m sorry, we found some lesions on your brain.’ At just 20 years old, I was in shock.’: Young woman with multiple sclerosis says ‘I have lots of life left to live’
“I awoke to use the restroom. I tried to get up using my right arm, but I couldn’t. Then I tried to stand, but I couldn’t. ‘Catherine, what’s wrong?!’ I couldn’t get any words out. I finally said, ‘I can’t move my right side,’ in between sobs.”
‘Oh God, they can’t lose another mom.’ I found a volleyball-sized growth. I was already their second adoption.’: Woman says adopted kids ‘loved me through’ cancer
“I started to feel ‘off.’ By March, I could hardly get out of bed. They had experienced the loss of not one, but two moms already. Instead of falling apart, they stepped up.”
‘I still remember his face as he stared into my eyes while I puked with every contraction. The little things have helped shape what’s important to me.’: Mom writes inspirational note of hope during pandemic
“I remember the times we’ve brought each other takeout, changed a dirty diaper, remembered to pay a bill, and watched a show together despite a million interruptions… I remember how he hugged me when I cried. The little things… they’re what truly matter.”
‘I see the ‘someone’s sleeping on the couch tonight’ memes. I hear, ‘The more you fight, the more passionate you are.’ It doesn’t feel normal, because it isn’t.’: Woman urges ‘normalize healthy, empathy-based love’
“This isn’t what marriage should look like. In a world where half don’t make it, be different. This life has more than enough for us to fight against, without us fighting our partner. No matter how many movies and memes make it look funny.”
‘I tipped over, slamming my head. ‘I can’t see anything!’ The doctor said, ‘Your life will be less fulfilling now.’: Multiple Sclerosis warrior recounts journey, support from husband
“She asked me to read the top line with the largest print. I told her, ‘I can’t see it.’ I could hardly mutter the words as tears filled my eyes and streamed down my face. My internal panic set in.”
‘I HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE.’ I was in fight or flight WHERE I least expected it. I felt so small.’: Woman shares details of anxiety attack, ‘I ENCOURAGE people to get help’
“I texted, ‘I have a headache.’ Which was true. But not the entire truth. All I can think about right now is this hole punched in my heart today by absolutely nobody.”
‘You’re not my mom!’ Ouch. Remember, you are not her first choice, but she wouldn’t rather have anyone else.’: Stepmom details the joys and struggles of ‘selfless’ co-parenting
“They’re not yours. You aren’t their REAL mom. You watch decisions made you have no control over, even when you love them as your own.”
‘Your sister passed away.’ In a matter of years, I lost half my immediate family. This grief is not linear.’: Woman pens moving grief journey, ‘I live every day with authenticity’
“My cousin showed up at my house. Though her voice was calm when she arrived, I knew in that moment my sister was gone. Her death would be under investigation. She’d been struggling for months.”
‘Are you crazy? You wasted 12 inches just to donate to some random person? Why did you do this to your beautiful hair?’: Mom and daughter donate luscious locks to kids with cancer
“I asked her many times before the actual haircut, ‘Are you okay with this?’ ‘Yes mama! I am ready to make someone happy.’ She saw me donating and wanted to join in as well. ‘Short hair doesn’t suit you at all.’ It’s not everyone’s job to accept change.”
‘This crying thing is a daily occurrence. But I’m fine. No, really, I AM FINE.’: Mom urges others ‘remind any mom you know you’re there for her’
“It is truly just that hard to be everything to everyone all at once. I’d be lying to you if I said I haven’t cried a whole h*ll of a lot.”
‘I used to make breakfasts for kids in footie pajamas. Now, I watch them spread their wings.’: Mom pens touching note to parents with growing kids, ‘They still need us’
“I used to be the one they went to for all the things.”
‘Could I be his family?’ I couldn’t stand how he was still waiting. Sometimes I’d just cry for him. He needed a family.’: Single woman pursues special needs adoption
“There was something about him that stuck out. I read his profile, saved his picture, and sent it to my best friend. ‘Look how precious this boy is!’ I went on with my day. But to be honest, I never really moved on.”
‘My best friend said, ‘You’re too depressing to be around. All you talk about is your pain and sickness. You need to hold it all in, or I won’t be your friend anymore.’: Woman written off by society finds ‘unconditional love’ in chronic illness community
“For 8 years, I couldn’t get the medicine I needed because doctors suggested I was complaining about nothing. They dismissed me with, ‘It’s all in your head.’ I became an expert at denying my own pain. I resigned from my job. Being sick was not something people wanted to hear about.”
‘At 2 years old, they called me ‘Mommy.’ No one ever doubted I was their REAL mother. I wasn’t ready for them to know the truth.’: Mom of blended family says ‘at the end of the day, love is what matters’
“They would ask me about their pregnancies. We shrugged our shoulders and moved on. I was scared to tell them. I questioned if they would understand or not.”
‘I married him at 21. There were red flags. After 11 years of marriage, we began couple’s counseling. The next day, he fell from a ladder at work. I knew he was going to die.’: Young widow gets second chance at love, ‘There is always reason to find hope’
“I was a widowed, working, single mom. We began chatting on a dating app. 3 days later, I accidentally Face-Timed him, fresh out of the shower and no makeup. I panicked and almost hung up, but felt God whisper, ‘See if he answers.’ The moment I saw his face, I knew he was my person.”
‘I have a bad feeling.’ Suddenly, I saw commotion. His diaper had fused to his lower back. I could smell his skin.’: Mom shares 2-year-old burn survivor’s journey
“The fire pit was about 5 feet away. I stood up to get a better view and what I saw would haunt me. I wanted so badly to end his pain.”
‘I’ll take it.’ She was very sick, and he loved her so much. He knew she didn’t have long.’: Man writes touching story of lifelong friend, ‘You will always have a place in my heart’
“I was thinking, ‘No, I don’t want to try to sell them a car. Not in this situation.’ I was just trying to make a wish happen for this woman, and she was smiling from ear to ear.”
‘I see you tired of trying to reason with your child. I see you crying in the bathroom, wishing for an ‘easy button’ to press.’: Mom to ‘strong-willed’ child says ‘there is light at the end of the tunnel’
“There is really no taming the strong-willed child without blowing out their fire. Instead, let us embrace it for the good.”