Love What Matters

Sometimes, Love And Safety For Teens Look Like Being Silent And Opening Your Arms

“Words, schedules, and plans are not needed in these moments—just the reconnection to momma.”

A mom holding her baby and a family of four walking together

‘I took 1000 pills and drank two bottles of tea. At 15, life was ending right before my eyes.’: Suicide attempt survivor finds support for depression in community

“My grandpa left me with a note: ‘Jennifer, lean on me.’ It was the clearest message I could have received.”

Toddler Mom Shares 5 Tips To Foster Children’s Autonomy (Without Saying Goodbye To Safety!)

“Autonomy starts from the moment we’re born. And as parents, we often (accidentally) stomp on our child’s autonomy by making decisions for them and helping too much.”

‘You need to come out of that apartment.’ Even when I felt dead inside, they were always cheering me on.’: Woman honors support from ‘bonus moms’ in starting new life

“None of these women HAD to encourage me to be a better version of myself. They just did, and I’ll love them all forever.”

Little girl sleeps on yellow pillow while a woman's hand can be seen holding a thermometer.

My Spouse’s Mental Illness Looks Just Like The Sick Days Of My Childhood

“I remember those sick days vividly. Lying in my pajamas with my favorite blanket, as comfy as possible to try to soothe the misery of my pounding head and aching chest. It always seemed so hard to get up, even just to shower or attempt to eat. Not much sounded good anyway.”

Dear Preschool Teachers, You Changed My Children And I’s Lives For The Better

“I’m going to miss your consistent, stable presence in their lives through the uncertainty of so many hard and scary times. I’m going to miss knowing they’re in the absolute best hands while they’re away from me. There’s just no other way to say this—I’m going to miss you so much.”

‘The day of our first date, I suffered a seizure from withdrawal. He said, ‘I don’t want you to leave,’ and I never did.’: Recovering addict recounts journey to sobriety and love

“When I was released from rehab, I had nowhere to go, no parents, no daughter, no money, nothing.”

‘A Bond That Transcends Words.’: Video Shows Sweet Relationship Between Boy With Autism And Adopted Sibling

“When we decided to adopt, we thought we were saving a child’s life. Little did we know, that child would be saving ours.”

‘How do I go from living with him to living for him?’: Widow shares personal meaning of living life for deceased husband

“On the good days, the hardest days, the tired days… on all the days, I’ll live this life. Not because he can’t, but because I can. For me, for others, for him.”

‘She was my long-time crush. My hands shook as I reached out for a handshake.’: LGBTQ couple share journey from lovers to parents via IVF

“We thought fighting for our love was the hardest? Our IVF journey was 10x harder.”

‘As I begin to pull my ring off, my once elegant and ladylike fingers transform into bratwursts before my eyes.’: Woman hilariously shares why she had wedding ring sawed off during pregnancy

“When did I develop Ogre’s hands? With every tug, my finger becomes more and more engorged. Dear God, I am going to be fingerless. My grave is going to say, ‘Here lies Lisa, the woman who lost her finger because she was too stupid to take her wedding ring off before the 3rd trimester.’ I am panicking. I run to my husband screaming, waving my hands all around.”

A woman wearing a green sweater and a bride and groom on their wedding day

‘I literally manifested the mystery man I was writing to.’: Stroke survivor recovers from trauma to meet dream husband

“Our brokenness all led up to this exact moment. It was nothing short of magical.”

If You Love My Son, Please Let Him Be Exactly Who He Is

“Don’t tell my son he needs to ‘man up’ when he’s afraid. Don’t tell him not to cry. Don’t assume my little boy has a ‘girlfriend’ at this age. Don’t suggest that certain toys are ‘not for boys.’ We’re setting higher standards.”

You May Not Remember All These Precious Days Of Being Little, But I Hope You’ll Remember You Were Happy

“You were the puppeteer. ⁣The actor.⁣ The artist.⁣ You were the singer and dancer. You were my everything — and I was your everything, too. You taught me how to rediscover the magic in my life.⁣”

Because I Love My Daughter, I Owe Her My Healing

“My story is not her story. ⁣She deserves her own. And I owe her my best.⁣ Today.⁣ Tomorrow. Always.”

I Am This Beautiful Boy’s First Love, But I Know I Won’t Be The Last

“I can’t stop my baby from growing. I can’t stop him from asking someone else to dance. So I’ll watch from a reasonable distance, clutching my heart and holding my breath.”

‘The second he opened his eyes, he was ready to completely break down.’: Mom shares importance of child mental health days

“I had two choices: make my kid go into school feeling confused, hurt, uncomfortable, and unworthy or⁣ drive away.⁣ I drove away.⁣”

‘They chose us. They’re coming in two hours!’: Couple shares unexpected sibling adoption from foster care

“When asked if we knew this was a permanent decision, and we could not change our minds, our sweet boy took the microphone and said, ‘YES!’”

‘I cried as we pulled into the parking lot that first day, and I’ll cry today, the last day, for a different reason.’: Mom shares heartfelt gratitude for daycare at youngest’s graduation

“These are the people I handed my children to as babies, and toddlers, and preschoolers, and the people who looked at me with reassuring eyes when I needed it most.”

‘When I entered rehab, I was 124 pounds—the smallest I had been since middle school.’: Man celebrates one year of sobriety after rehab

“‘What do you hope to achieve in your time here?’ Defeatedly, I said, ‘I just want my life back.’”

‘My patient said, ‘Can I ask you a random question?’ It was enough to make my heart stop.’: Therapist shares tips for supporting grieving loved ones

“They continued, ‘My friend just had a death in the family and I want to do something for him. Is it appropriate for me to bring him a donut from his favorite bakery?’ It’s a question that is probably on the minds of many people out there.”