“Calls, texts, messages all went unanswered. She never said goodbye. She just left. My best friend of 20 years was gone.”
‘She didn’t show up when my stepdad died. When I needed her most, she simply decided our friendship didn’t serve her.’: Woman urges ‘it’s okay to mourn a friend no longer in your life’
‘My kids and dog eat first. My kids get a bath every night, I don’t. I spend a good portion of my night getting both children to bed before I get ‘me’ time.’: Mom says ‘you have the right to do less’
“There are days I am a Rockstar of a human being and mother. Then there are days I don’t remember if I brushed my hair.”
Parents, Please Teach Your Children About Differently-Abled People
“If you don’t teach your child about kids like mine, I’ll teach my child about kids like yours.”
‘TEN years together? And NO BABY?! What are you waiting for?’ We spent our anniversary in a hotel bed, bawling our eyes out.’: Woman battling infertility urges ‘ask how we’re doing, not where the baby is’
“My husband and I had a big date night planned for our 10-year dating anniversary. We were on vacation and had reservations for a nice dinner just the two of us. It was supposed to be such a happy day.”
‘You’re measuring 17 weeks, not 6.’ I went from having a choice to becoming a mom. I was in a dark place.’: Single mom births baby with Down syndrome, ‘I wouldn’t change a thing’
“My test results came back. I started sobbing hysterically as I called my mom. Not only was I traumatized by the fact I was 4 months pregnant, but I was possibly giving birth to a special needs child.”
‘I prayed every night for years God would change me.’ The loving environment I created for my kids was now in full question.’: Christian mom to LGBT daughter urges ‘LOVE is the answer’
“My kid was suffering in silence, drowning in fear of being abandoned because of who she is. She felt in desperate need of being fixed, to feel worthy in the eyes of God and her family. Her pain busted me in two.”
‘Our 2-year-old said, ‘I’m sick.’ I was sure her grandma could handle it. I wish I would have soaked in those last moments.’: Cancer mom raises money for struggling families, ‘We found a light’
“They were the last minutes I’d be a mom of three healthy kids. I’d never be her again.”
How My Late Son Taught Me The True Meaning Of Life
“Connor passed away suddenly. I think about this memory often. My son taught me what being a man is.”
‘My eyes were full of tears for this abused 3-year-old. ‘Let’s do something.’ It was the sexiest thing I ever heard him say.’: Family of special needs child adopts siblings from foster care
“A story came on which almost made me vomit. ‘We have to do something! How can we just sit here with an empty room?’ We didn’t expect to receive THE call.”
‘There’s no mention of this in his records. Could it be?’ We were the only ones who noticed.’: Family helps foster son get autism diagnosis, ‘No one advocated for him like us’
“I cried. It made this momma mad. I didn’t know what it meant for his future and who would care for him.”
‘I know it may not feel like it at first, but you were chosen to be a special needs parent for a reason.’: Mom to late son with Down syndrome urges ‘love them a little extra for me’
“Please don’t be scared. On the day you get to meet your beautiful babies, you will have more love than you’ve ever known what to do with.”
‘Where are you right now? If you’re still there, you need to get out! You need to tell your mom.’: Woman finds happiness after years of abuse, neglect
“We went from talking almost every night to talking almost every month. ‘Shelainea, you need to tell your mom.’ The divorce took a toll. She changed for the worst. ‘You shouldn’t be going through my phone!’ I couldn’t believe she was doing this to me.”
I Lost My Brother To An Ear Infection—This Is How I Honor Him Now
“People should just be taking care of other people this way, and we help with the big stuff.”
‘My children BEGGED me to quit. I clung to my right to drink the trauma away. I woke to my pills missing.’: Mom of 2 overcomes alcoholism, ‘My kids celebrate my sobriety with me’
“I moved in with a handsome British banker after 8 months of dating. All the while, he was lying about having a wife. I didn’t see sobriety as anything but a death sentence.”
‘My OB said, ‘If you’re having feelings of harming yourself or your baby, you need to go to the mental institution immediately.’: Mom urges ‘we need as many postpartum check-ins on mama as we do on the baby’
“A few weeks after my first child was born, I called my OB in desperation. ‘I don’t feel good,’ I said. ‘I’m not connecting with the baby. I’m so tired, I don’t think I can do this.’ The most common gift I received after childbirth was alcohol.”
‘I was on mother number 3. She cut off contact. ‘Were you in Terre Haute, IN in 1967?’ My heart was racing.’: Adoptee finds father after 50 years, ‘Our relationship is magical’
“He didn’t have any idea what to do with a little girl. I tucked the papers away and forgot about them. Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. Being rejected by the same woman twice in your life is a hard pill to swallow.”
‘My doctor was disinterested in my health. ‘It’s a circus people disease. You don’t have it.’ I felt defeated.’: Woman diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos, ‘I’m thankful for those who’ve stood by me’’
“Overnight, I woke up ill. I was met with disbelief and put-downs. ‘Girls your age struggle with anxiety.’ I struggled to walk up stairs. I would wake up from a full night’s sleep and need to go back to bed an hour later.”
‘I expected him to tell me, ‘Yeah, I’ve noticed. You’ve got to do something about that anxiety.’ He didn’t though.’: Mom grateful for husband’s love when sharing insecurities
“My husband and I had a day date this past weekend. I predicted he would say something like, ‘Why don’t you try to get a better routine going, be a bit more organized, and plan more?’ He didn’t, though. And then, he went a step further.”
‘Is there more than one?’ He said, ‘It’s TRIPLETS!’ The worst was happening. I rode in the ambulance in fear.’: After multiple losses, family welcomes adopted son on ‘Double Rainbow Day’
“It was like a dark cloud was overhead. ‘Should we try one more time? Is it too dangerous?’ I started praying for a sign. And boy did I get one. We took a shaky step. Then another. And another.”
‘Tonight, I saw a post that said, ‘What would women do without us?’ Everything. We would do absolutely everything.’: Woman urges ‘don’t ever forget what you’re capable of’
“Today, I mowed my yard with my almost-two-year-old on my hip.”
‘YUK.’ You had some rolls on your back showing and your double chin was showing. That’s problematic.’: Woman reminds us, ‘Beauty has nothing to do with what’s on the outside’
“Truthfully, when I didn’t have the rolls, I still questioned if I was ever whole, or worthy, or enough. I’ve got something to say. *AHEM*.”
‘Is your Internet not working either?’ I spit my coffee out. Um, excuse me, what? My head was literally spinning.’: Mom shares hilarious first virtual day of school, ‘You are not in this alone’
“I hear both my husband’s and my phone start pinging like crazy and knocks on the door. I had to choose to either laugh or cry. It was the first day of virtual learning.”
‘They commented, ‘Should have aborted,’ on my photo. He is living in a world where he’s so othered, people think he should not be breathing.’: Special needs mom responds to ableist bullies
“One day, I hope when the world sees my son, they see Anderson. One day, I hope they see his humanity.”
‘I was relaxing by the pool, scrolling through my phone, when my heart stopped. My son was considered a ‘curse.’: Mom adopts boy with Spina Bifida, ‘We are the blessed ones to have him’
“He was sent to live in an orphanage. At only 4 years old, they were preparing him for an Adult Mental Institution. We had no idea what his name was. We didn’t even know his birthday. Every time that phone rang, I ran to it. I was on pins and needles.”
‘You’re too young to foster a teen.’ Everyone around us told us to say no. We already had 5 little kids.’: Foster mom says ‘every kid deserves to know they are loved’
“My 11-year-old son with autism said to her, ‘Will you remember me when you leave? I don’t want you to forget me. I won’t have anyone to play with at school.’ He told her he loved her. It isn’t easy. Sometimes it seems like the trauma won. But she will never have too much ‘baggage’ to be loved. I’m so glad we said YES.”