“It’s buying her cards for her birthday and not having an address to send them to. It’s asking her old friends and family members to tell you the same stories about her, over and over again. This is the life of a motherless daughter.”
‘She’s not just gone to the grocery store or gone on vacation, but she’s gone so far she’s never coming back.’: Motherless daughter shares reality of grief and loss
‘He found her playing with a used drug syringe. ‘The kids can all come here!’ I didn’t even stop to talk to my husband.’: Couple fosters 5 siblings, deals with ‘roller coaster’ of 7 kids
“’Hey, I was thinking…’ I am the queen of crazy ideas. This was a single father with five children, ages 12 to 1. That hit me like a ton of bricks. I didn’t even hesitate.”
‘The manager said, ‘Could you please re-tell me your card number?’ I thought about the disrespect I’d seen this past week.’: Mom advocates for kindness after post office visit
“I was in my local post office sending a package. I realized our soup was missing. USPS. I think I’ll survive without mail for a few days.”
‘They blatantly said, ‘Stop having kids, it’s too much.’ Without restraint, we had babies 9 and 10.’: Birth mom to 10 says ‘I didn’t plan this, but I am so blessed!’
“People are curious. I’m a petite woman. They ask, ‘Are they ALL yours…like, came out of your body?’ When I say yes, they follow up with, ‘…How did you do it?’ I don’t. WE do it together.”
‘There are moments I think, ‘Can I give the baby back? I’m not cut out for this.’ And yet, there is nothing and no one else in the world who matters more.’: Mom shares candid reality of first month of motherhood
“I’m both eager for him to be able to hold his head up on his own and asking time to stand still so I can keep him this size in my arms forever. No book, YouTube video, or class could have prepared me for motherhood.”
‘His belly looks distended.’ Suddenly, he wasn’t fine. They had to run tests, but I just knew. I prayed a million prayers.’: Preemie saved by NICU nurse, ‘His personality shines’
“Things didn’t go as planned. Usually, when they call, they start by saying everything is fine. They did not say that. We had to learn how to touch him without causing him pain.”
Dear Society: Having Kids Doesn’t Entitle You To A Handicap Parking Spot
“I know your hands are full. I know it doesn’t feel like a big deal. I know other people are doing it. I know it’s a small store and there aren’t many patrons. I know it’s only for a few minutes. I know. I know. I know. AND I DON’T CARE.”
‘I can do it all!’ I was on the verge of tears at any given moment. And then COVID-19 hit.’: Pandemic reminds teacher ‘to savor and enjoy moments without thinking about the next thing’
“I went from being a youth pastor’s wife, youth leader, and teacher, to all of those things PLUS a mom of a pre-teen and teenager. My body screamed, ‘YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT,’ but my mind responded, ‘I don’t know how.’ Then, we were forced to stay home in our pajamas.”
‘Once this pile almost reached the ceiling. Now, it’s my turn to make a pile. Up in the closet on the high shelf, for future you.’: Mom has realization her son is growing up too fast
“‘You can’t get rid of this one. This is Tony the pony! Remember? You named him when you were four, and we all laughed and laughed because it was so cute.’ If I’m honest, half of that pile wouldn’t still be there if it weren’t for me begging to let them stay. It hit me, this pile won’t even be here in another year or two.”
10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Having A Baby
“Bassinet? Skip. Formula? Bound to happen.”
‘Oh my god, I’m pregnant,’ I whispered. The first time it occurred to me I was a mom, he was two weeks old.’: Single mom struggles to connect with baby born during Covid, ‘I wasn’t just me anymore’
“Dispatch was on speakerphone yelling unnecessary instructions. Firemen were wandering through my house. ‘My baby is here.’ He didn’t have a name for several hours. This little human was a stranger to me.”
‘The girls stood outside, waiting for me. My fat was a weakness. I called my mom, sobbing. I wouldn’t be the same.’: Bullied makeup artist on self-love journey goes viral, ‘Love yourself as is’
“School was a scary place to be. Kids called me fat. I told my mom, ‘I want to lose weight.’ I wasn’t deemed ‘Instagram-worthy. It became my weakness.”
‘To the mom who sits alone because the world is moving on without her, and no one realizes the truth of her reality…’: Woman asks other struggling moms, ‘Can we sit alone together?’
“You watch ball games from vehicle windows, listen to distant conversations and laughter from inside, and send your family off on outdoor adventures with a smile, but one that aches. You view the world from hospital rooms, and the walls of your home become barriers that detain you from the life you once lived.”
‘I rushed over to apologize. ‘He’s fine,’ she said in a quiet voice. I swallowed my tears. She showed me my son is not a nuisance, but a gift.’: Special needs mom shares stranger’s act of kindness
“Normally, I get chastised or sorrowful looks for the behavior of my boy with autism who ‘looks normal.’ I expected an annoyed stranger. Not today, though. Today was full of kindness. I held back tears.”
‘Cancer didn’t stop him from being the best dad. If anything, it magnified who he was and what was important.’: Young widow shares husband’s selflessness, despite battling cancer
“We didn’t have two pennies to rub together, so our ‘treat’ was Arby’s. It was so cold, and the employees were trying to kick a homeless man out of the restaurant. Matt walked to the register, bought him a meal, sat it down in front of him, and told him to eat real slow and stay as long as he wanted. There was no one who was immune to the goodness of Matt’s heart.”
‘My patient died,’ he said with a sigh. ‘The one I was so worried about.’ The look on his face broke my heart.’: Wife of healthcare worker applauds heroism, ‘They always show up’
“‘He said he was sorry. He thought the whole thing was a hoax. He was terrified.’ The conflict was clear across his face, He just grabbed his coffee and kissed my cheek, then headed out the door.”
‘Was I a mistake?’ I was terrified she didn’t love me. I kept trying to be the ‘perfect’ person.’: Korean American adoptee searches for birth mom, ‘I’m thankful she gave me life’
“My family was not ‘the norm’ and I feared being rejected. ‘Do you think about me?’ I was so scared she was angry. I felt incredibly confused, lost, and had a heavy sense of unrest.”
‘Her eyes were going back and forth horizontally, uncontrollably. ‘How do I tell everyone who loves them this?’ My husband was stunned.’: Mom births 2 blind babies, ‘We live joyfully every day’
“The doctor was very concerned. ‘What have you noticed about her eyes?’ Tears began to fall down my face. The world went quiet. I never thought I would have two blind children.”
‘His intestines were twisted. ‘He likely won’t survive.’ He quickly added, ‘But miracles do happen.’: Miracle baby with Kabuki Syndrome defies 10% survival rate, ‘This is only the beginning’
“The medical team sat down with us, ‘We’re worried.’ They prepared us for the worst. We continued to watch Oliver gain fluid and wondered what would be.”
I Delivered A Surprise Second Baby 2 Minutes After My First Twin
“They arrived at 2:47 and 2:49 in the afternoon, both measuring exactly 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and 20 inches long. The only thing I could muster out was, ‘Oh, f—!'”
‘But the other children are doing well!’ I’d go anywhere for him. ‘Someone must have a solution!’: Mom loses son to heart defect, starts retreat for other child loss moms, ‘It’s our way forward’
“They wanted to do multiple surgeries. The words coming out of their mouths made me physically sick. I was left in a puddle of my own tears on the hospital bathroom floor. I told him if there was help on Mars, I’d buy a rocket ship.”
‘String cheese and pistachios, that’s it.’ I cut my chicken and slid it into my napkin. He noticed something was wrong.’: Partner helps woman recover from anorexia, ‘He met me halfway’
“Ermes and I met online. He noticed quickly something was wrong. When he saw there was hope, he met me halfway. A week or so later, he proposed to me. Hope.”
‘Every family has their THING. But, whether or not your family has it figured out, I hope you’ll consider a small piece of advice.’: Woman encourages others to make this their family’s ‘thing’
“Some families are rich as sin and sponsor all of the things and host all of the parties. Some families have kids on the football team. Some families raise geniuses who are writing cancer grants by the age of 16. Some families have 15 kids whose names begin with the same letter. Some families have three-year-olds who play piano and can speak three languages.”
‘Oh no… a fat girl in your feed. A bigger girl shouldn’t show her body. It’s gross!’: Woman shares why a ‘fat girl’ should be in your feed more often
“If she does, it must be because she has a message. Maybe it’s about the stretch marks on her butt or boobs, that grew from puberty. Maybe she learned to love her body. Which is odd. Because it IS normal.”
‘This is an end-of-my-rope, shouting from my darkest, most cob-webby places, cry for help. I can’t do it anymore.’: Mom says ‘refuse to feel guilty for having basic human needs’
“Part of this is my fault. Yesterday, I threw a birthday party for our child with extra needs. I can’t seem to be honest when I need help or when I need a break. Sometimes I just need a day.”