“My son Wyatt waves from the grocery cart. My voice cracks. ‘Yes, he’s our first,’ I muster out. He smiles at us. My eyes tear up and immediately, I’m filled with guilt as I push the cart and walk away. The truth is, the real answer is much too complicated for a stranger. We have 5 children, but he is the first we brought home.”
‘Is he your first?’ My heart starts racing. My palms go sweaty. It’s a simple question, but I panic.’: Mom of 4 child losses ‘filled with guilt’ over complicated answer in grocery store parking lot
‘I felt itching on my stomach, noticed a small black spec. I became panicked. My boss looked at me. ‘That’s a tick!’: Young woman encourages others battling invisible illness to ‘never stop fighting’
“I remember riding the train and I felt like a stranger was living in my body. I didn’t feel like myself… I felt like my world was constantly spinning, I was beyond exhausted, no matter how much I slept, and I often found myself wearing sunglasses because the light bothered me so much. Before this, I didn’t even own a pair. I got a call from the Urgent Care. ‘You tested positive for Lyme Disease. You need to come get you an antibiotic.’”
‘Something awful has happened. We need to find Becca.’ I felt it in my bones. She was reaching out to me.’: Mom loses daughter to tragic flood accident
“Around 4 p.m., I texted Becca to see if she was on her way. No reply. No big deal. At exactly 4:30, something changed. ‘I am sending someone to find you if you don’t call me back.’ It was as if every cell, idea, known fact in the universe shifted for me. It wasn’t of this world.”
‘I’m too scared to go back,’ I told my mom. His voice paralyzed me. I lived in fear he’d kill my mother.’: 23-year-old adopted by stepfather who ‘never ceased to fight’ for her during childhood trauma with biological dad
“I lived in 2 different worlds. Five days a week I was in a picture-perfect home with a beautiful stay-at-home mom. But the remaining 2 days, I was in survival mode. I remember watching the clock tick by, counting down the time I had left in my safe haven before I’d have to get in the car and enter my second world. My biological dad had trained me well, so I kept his secrets. I’d stare at the window in my bedroom, hands on the frame, trying to build enough courage to slip out of it and run.”
‘Why would I hate you, Natasha? What’s wrong?’ I finally got the words out: ‘I’m pregnant, mom. I’m going to have a baby.’: Woman gets pregnant with ‘miracle’ twins, ‘I always had it in my heart to be a mother’
“I was infertile, on birth control, had my period, and broken up with my boyfriend. There was absolutely NO WAY I was pregnant… right? I was absolutely out of my mind, crying, laughing.”
‘I lost my baby brother to an overdose. My best friend, my 6-foot, green eyed, blonde haired brother.’: Sister describes agony of losing her ‘best friend’ brother after he was sober for a year, ‘I’d give anything to have him back’
“My brother knew he had a problem. He hated it. He hated it so much he stopped it all and moved back home right beside my mom. He told her he wanted to be closer to his family. That he felt so lost without us. He had such a big, kind heart. SO forgiving. Too forgiving. A month before he overdosed, he was baptized. He died with his Bible open right next to him.”
‘WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CANNOT FIND THE RING!’ I texted back, with all caps, trying to appear calm.’: Young man recalls hilarious mishap before proposal, loses wife 2 weeks before wedding
“The anxiety was starting to kick in. I had dreamt about watching Michelle walk down the aisle since I was 17 years old. When she broke up with me in high school, it shattered me. Now I was about to ask my dream girl to be my wife. ‘John, I can’t find the ring,’ my mom said via text in response to a message I sent her – letting her know we were about 45 minutes away. I. FREAKED. OUT.”
‘We found her gravesite. ‘Do you want time alone?’ I was overcome with emotion. ‘I want you with me.’: Widow finally feels ‘peace’ visiting late fiancee’s grave 30 years after fatal car accident
“As we approached the cemetery, I unexpectedly started crying. I’d spent so many painful, isolating days here. I hated this place. It had become a prison within my mind. The emotion hit me, and Shelly grabbed my hand. It took time for us to find Dana’s grave. I started to feel panicked, surprised I had lost the ability to walk right to it. Shelly gave me a big hug as I was, once again, overcome with emotion. I felt a sense of freedom, finally at peace.”
‘She’s beautiful, but something’s wrong with her heart.’ HOW? I was only 23! I clapped my hands over my face and WEPT.’: Mom births baby with Truncus Arteriosu, says motherhood is all about ‘rolling with the punches’
“My husband drove me down to the waterfront, my idea of motherhood now a pile of dust and rubble. Was I really made for this? We’d both been crying for several hours. He opened the envelope. ‘It’s a girl!’ his voice cracked. When they wheeled her away, we gave our final kisses. No matter how long she was with us, Shirley was a gift.”
‘She’s the one who lost her toddler in a car accident. Awful, just terrible.’ That comment was made at a wedding.’: Mom incredibly tired of grief ‘defining’ her, learns she is ‘worth’ time for ‘self care’
“It was roughly 3 years after our 17-month-old son Bennett died. I stood there in shock in the midst of chasing my 1-year old toddler around in the August heat. Was this how people now saw me? Would this be how I would be introduced going forward? ‘Oh, hi, I’m Sheri, nice to meet you. My mom died when I was 16, my son died 5 years ago, oh and my dad just passed, so I guess that leaves me an adult orphan. Nice to meet you.’”
‘She was the most beautiful baby. But I felt helpless. My wife in the NICU crying, my child on a stretcher crying.’: 2 moms welcome daughter with Down syndrome after miscarriages, she’s ‘the best thing has happened to us’
“My wife and I started thinking about having kids. I had it all worked out. We did our research, picked a donor, scheduled the IUI and would start our family – boy was I wrong. After 3 failed attempts and 2 miscarriages, I knew I needed to give my body a break, so my wife Lisa decided she’d give it a try. He then said the words I will never forget. ‘Do you want to terminate?’ I was floored, in shock and mad. No!”
‘I’m trying to make up for lost time with my wife, 3 children,’ he said. It broke my heart to hear him.’: Wife realizes husband has ‘been very busy’ putting family first, while ‘never falling behind’ in work
“It broke my heart. Here was the man who gave his family everything. Allowing me to stay home and raise our children. He’d wake up in the middle of the night to attend to them. Took time off when I was sick. Always has special daddy-daughter time. Let me sleep in and would do housework, so I didn’t have to worry. He is the most successful person I’ve ever met. My husband has been very busy.”
‘Why, my baby, why!’ Our boy was suffering. I never thought I’d have to make a decision like this.’: Mom urges life can ‘change drastically in minutes’ after infant son dies from heart attack, SIDS, bronchial pneumonia
“After 12 long hours, we decided to let him go. We got him Baptized and got his finger and hand prints before the doctor came in and said it was time. She put him in a little quilt and put him into my mom’s arms. Yes, my mom’s. I couldn’t hold him at that point, I was a coward.”
‘Jill!! You need to come home. Stephen isn’t breathing!’ This had to be wrong. I’d just seen him. He was fine.’: Wife loses 26-year-old husband suddenly to 2 undetected heart conditions they were ‘completely unaware he had’
“Stephen got up at 4:30 a.m., worked out, and came home to do chores. He had to haul some animals around that morning to get everything ready for our trip. I was working in the next town, roughly a 40-minute drive from our house. My father-in-law called with panic in his voice. I immediately left work and drove as fast as I could. I was crying out, ‘GOD you HAVE TO HEAR me!’ Unfortunately, sometimes God says ‘no.’”
‘I’m sorry but you have bowel cancer.’ My head was spinning. I’m too young! I just beat testicular cancer!’ Army Captain talks about beating the odds TWICE, asks doctor if he has the right person
“After leaving the doctor’s room, I smiled at the receptionist, walked to my car, and burst into tears. I felt alone. I felt lost. I felt so vulnerable. I knew I had a long journey ahead, and at the time, I was frightened.”
‘A woman complained I wasn’t ‘shushing’ my crying daughter loud enough. I smiled through tears.’: Mom gushes over ‘amazingly fearless’ deaf daughter
“We watched her when the dog barked, we’d vacuum right next to her as she slept. Friends would watch football, loudly. NO response. Nothing seemed to disturb her. We knew something was terribly wrong.”
‘We found live sperm!’ I gasped, looked at my husband. He had tears in his eyes. ‘LIVE SPERM,’ beautiful.’: Couple hasn’t gotten ‘happy ending’ after vasectomy reversal, but know their ‘angels in heaven’ will choose the ‘perfect child’ for them
“I sent the text, ‘Let’s have a baby.’ He finally responded, ‘How? I’m fixed. Thought you didn’t want one?’ The blood drained from my body. ‘We can get your juice out. I looked into it.’ He then said the most romantic phrase ever. ‘I’d love that too.’ My heart was glowing. Our best option was a full vasectomy reversal. My husband nearly burned a hole in the carpet pacing back and forth. We knew what we were up against.”
‘I found my son lying on the ground, his little heart jolted out. I cradled him in my arms as his soul left his physical body.’: Mom loses son to rare cardiac arrest after struck by baseball bat
“I was inside doing dishes when I felt a pang in my heart and heard the urgent words, ‘Check on Luke!’ I flew out the door to find him lying on the ground. He had been struck in the chest.”
‘I’m okay babe. I overslept.’ My phone lit up with her beautiful face. We went to my hotel room rather than dinner.’: Boyfriend discovers his ‘baby’ overdosed in bed next to him, despite being ‘happiest in a long time’
“She didn’t want me to stay at her apartment because of her obsessed ex that was still showing up uninvited, and unannounced. She was the most beautiful person I’d laid eyes on. She had 3 little girls she loved dearly. All our demons had disappeared. Or so I thought. My sweet Elena told me she was going to the bathroom to take some medicine. Then we sat and talked. ‘I love you so much, just don’t hurt me.’ How silly I thought. She went to sleep soon afterwards.”
‘I have to go the bathroom,’ my husband says, handing me the diaperless baby with poop on his hands. He rushes off.’: Mom quickly realizes she does NOT want another child after initially thinking she does thanks to friend’s precious newborn
“I met my friend’s new baby! I smelled the newborn goodness. I watched her little mouth open while she yawns and holds my thumb. Then, I felt a familiar sensation… my ovaries start to go off like firecrackers, like my little uterus has pressed the red button and is screaming MAYDAY! MAYDAY! We need a fetus!! I message my husband saying, ‘One more?'”
Dear Women: It’s Okay To Depend On A Man
“Women tell girls to ‘never depend on a man’ as if it makes you less of a woman. Well, call me weak. I depend on this man right here.”
‘Her face, tongue were covered in hives. If they’d waited any longer, her throat would’ve closed up.’: Mom ‘begs’ parents to keep food containing peanuts home despite there being ‘nut-free tables’
“She’s scared, and she was afraid that we were mad at her. She’s also confused, because she didn’t eat any peanuts, and doesn’t understand why this happened to her. This will most likely trigger anxiety for her, and hopefully, she won’t be afraid to go back to school.”
‘I understand you’re not in the stadium to see the marching band or cheerleaders, but PLEASE clap for our kids, too.’: Band, cheer mom reminds us to ‘yell, applaud’ for the marching band, ‘They work incredibly hard too’
“At most high schools, the football team is applauded and admired while the marching band is made fun of. The halftime show is their chance, for a few minutes, to be cheered on. Please DO cheer. Their formations are equivalent to touchdowns. They march, practice, and give up summer free time in 90-degree heat to get their ‘game’ ready, too. There’s no ‘marching band madness.’ The newspaper won’t give a run-down of their show. The halftime show IS their big moment.”
‘This is my house. You will respect me.’ I didn’t see him until 3 a.m. before OUR DAUGHTER WAS BORN.’: Retired Air Force mom leaves narcissistic husband after nearly 9 years, ‘never felt happier in my life’ as single mom
“Each day I came home, more things were missing. Not just random papers. I’m talking, MY stuff. When questioned, I got, ‘I’m doing what needs to be done, don’t question me.’ I was like his child, not his wife. I married a full-blown narcissist. Ugh, I finally said it. I couldn’t live like that anymore. There was no sign of life, it didn’t feel like a home. So I left – 6 months pregnant with two small children in tow.”
‘I clung to his casket, stroking his cold cheeks. My entire world lay there, lifeless, nothing but a shell.’: Woman loses grandma to lung cancer, then loses mom and brother to addiction shortly after
“I noticed my brother kept ‘falling asleep’ while talking to me. He tried to explain it away, but I knew he was lying. ‘You’re nodding out, James. Are you high?’ He finally put his head in his hands and started to cry, shaking his head yes. ‘I learned how to shoot up.’ I was devastated. Now, I must listen to his playlist to feel closer to him. My baby brother is gone.”