“Everyone asked if we were doing anything special in honor of Alex on the first anniversary of his death. I refuse, to this day, to call it an anniversary. It is the day our lives changed forever. Anniversaries are for celebrating. So I just call it the day Alex died.”
‘The ache in my heart starts around the holidays. I know I am being ‘watched.’ I’m actually afraid everyone will think I have moved on and forgotten my son.’: Bereaved mom navigates grief during the holidays
To My Sensitive Son: I Worry About You Endlessly
“Being the sensitive kid is not the ‘cool’ thing when you’re growing up.”
‘I never thought I would have to say, ‘Now, kids, don’t go jumping in the attic because, well you know, you might fall through the ceiling one day.’: Mom hilariously recalls the joys of parenting teenagers
“The minute my phone dinged and I saw it – I knew. I just knew. I shook my head and bit my lip to keep the tears of fury from coming, but I instinctively knew what happened – teenagers. That’s what.”
‘I don’t know why your husband’s in pain, he has no meningitis.’ I’ll never forget when the nurse angrily said this to me when I told her my husband said his head feels like it’s on fire.’
“When I got back nurses and doctors were running in his room, yelling ‘code blue!’ I wasn’t allowed in the room – they were intubating him. I felt like someone kicked me in the stomach. I was sobbing.”
‘Don’t let him move back in, he’s going to kill you.’ I’d been living through hell in a horrible marriage. Most said, ‘Wow we thought you were so happy.’ I didn’t want anyone to know.’
“This little girl is excited and doesn’t understand why so many people have stopped by. Why are people bringing us food? Not realizing that her world is about to change. Her mom had been holding a secret.”
‘My dad was murdered. I assumed it had been thrown away years ago, but it was there. He saved it.’: Woman finds ‘precious items’ sorting through father’s belongings 6 years later
“It wasn’t until I reached this box that I really lost it. I carried it to my car, and carefully placed it in the glove box.”
‘Santa walks over to a veteran sitting on the wall. As Santa approaches, the veteran stands, and Santa takes a knee.’: Woman witnesses touching moment between mall Santa and WWII veteran
“I hear Santa telling the gentleman, in a soft voice, of others he knew who served. He shakes his hand with genuine gratefulness, thanking him for his service, then returns to the children.”
‘Does it look too big?’ Our perfect, happy, healthy baby boy had a belly full of tumors. Cancerous tumors.’: Mom’s newborn diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, says ‘every little moment’ with loved ones is a ‘reason to celebrate’
“When our pediatrician comes back in, I see fear on her face. I feel the air leaving my lungs, my chest feels so heavy. She tells me his liver and spleen are enlarged, so enlarged the radiologist who read his X-ray asked, ‘How sick is this baby?!’ He’s not sick at all! He’s smiling and laughing, he’s perfect. I rush toward the elevator, a literal sobbing mess. How did I not know this? I thought I knew shock and devastation. I had no idea.”
‘When Santa was pouring milk into my son’s tube, he beamed with pride. ‘You see him give me my milkies mommy?!’: Santa shares tender moment with little boy, ‘his biggest wish came true’
“All we have been longing for, for two years, was for Austin to be able to eat again. It’s been rough on him – he couldn’t have liquid or food orally. He has recently started eating again, after two years completely tube fed, and he is able to try many foods now. This picture is the perfect celebration and way to remember that his biggest wish came true.”
‘You know what I don’t remember about my childhood Christmases? I don’t remember anything being especially decorated.’: Woman’s best Christmas memories aren’t ‘picture perfect’
“I don’t remember Pottery Barn centerpieces or monogrammed stockings. I don’t remember Pinterest-worthy trees or anything that would make one declare, ‘That is so precious. I must Instagram it immediately.’ That all might have been there. But if it was, I don’t remember.”
‘I like daddy better than you! He always plays with me!’ Soul crushing, right? All the things I do for you go unnoticed, but I’ll do them for you anyway.’
“I’m the one tidying up the toys while you are wrestled with. I make sure all your appointments are up to date, even when I forget my own. I’m the one up till 3 a.m. making the LEGO house you asked for. Hiding Christmas presents.”
‘This is dwarfism. I am 99% certain the result will be fatal for the baby.’: Doctor drops bomb on mom during routine ultrasound, ‘He watched me completely break down’
“There it was. A bomb. He dropped it and then watched me completely break down. ‘I am certain this is skeletal dysplasia (dwarfism) and 99% certain the result will be fatal for the baby.’ We spun with the overload of information that had been given to us about our baby’s diagnosis.”
‘Does the baby look okay? Anxiety twisted knots inside me. Nobody quite saw the almond eyes, sweet smushed nose. Then, I said what we’d been internalizing all along.’ Mom diagnoses her own baby after doctors fail to see signs
“No family history? Phew, he doesn’t have it. Ears set low? He must have it. ‘I can’t see his face!’ I hoped the sweet, blonde tech knew this was code for, ‘Does my baby have Down Syndrome?’ There was stumbling, stuttering. ‘How old are you?’ Wait WHAT? Sirens were spinning in my head. This is it, I thought. He has IT.”
‘The day before we were supposed to fly out, we got a call. ‘We haven’t been able to reach her for 24 hours. This isn’t a good sign.’ My heart sank. We were completely shocked.’
“With tears running down my cheeks, I turned to my husband and told him the news. We were devastated. There were no red flags no warning signs. The next morning, we were called to the hospital. She was in labor – our baby girl was coming.”
‘Molly, I am sick again. I promise I’m going to get better this time.’ I hang up, but she is all I can think about. How can I love her so much, and be such a constant source of disappointment?’
“I don’t want to catch a glimpse of her beautiful face in my mind. It hurts too much. She is so perfect. How can she still utter the words, ‘It’s okay mom, I love you’? I don’t deserve her love or her forgiveness.”
‘Our boys are at that age where getting into trouble is fun. They do things to get a reaction, and it’s easy to get angry over it.’
“They were starting to get silly. Running and jumping over the dishwasher door and throwing toys. Instead of saying ‘go play outside,’ I said, ‘boys, can you show me your new train set?’ They both stopped dead in their tracks.”
The Girl Born With Thick Skin (Literally): My Daughter’s Journey With Harlequin Ichthyosis
“Her skin hardened within seconds. It began to split. My husband’s silence scared me.”
‘When there was no heartbeat on the ultrasound, he knew no words could take the pain away. He just hugged me tight, and I fell in love again.’: Woman says ‘true love is about falling in love every day’
“When I met my husband, I thought I’d found love so raw, so deep, and so genuine I would never fall in love again. I was wrong. I fall in love with him every day.”
‘After a year of disappointment and failed tests, I was diagnosed as ‘infertile.’ INFERTILE. It crushed me.’: Wife discusses experience of infertility, IVF and pregnancy
“ANOTHER ROUND OF IVF? I didn’t know if I could put my body (and marriage!) through it again. But I knew it would greatly improve my chances of becoming a mom.”
‘My son started to scream. This angel came to the back and said, ‘You look like you need a break,’ and held him for the rest of the flight.’: Struggling mom thanks strangers for act of kindness
“We were standing in the security line, on the verge of tears. When I said thank you to both of them, they said, ‘Don’t you worry, we’re going to make sure you get on that flight.’”
‘All I ever wanted was to be a mom,’ women say. That was SO not me. Now? I have 10 kids. TEN.’: Woman delivers twins, adopts stepson and 7 kids from foster care
“Our days are filled with appointments, meltdowns, and diapers. TEN KIDS. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY DIAPERS THAT IS?! Most days, we collapse into bed, exhausted. I often wonder what the heck I’m doing. My marriage has been tested. Friends have disappeared. But I wouldn’t change our journey for the world.”
‘Your areolas, those brown things on your boobs (not a type of pasta as I initially thought) grow to the size of a frisbee, and become very dark.’: Mom’s HILARIOUS discoveries while breastfeeding
“People told me it’s so your baby can find your nipples. Well let me tell you, with mine, every baby on the planet could find them. They were a satellite dish on their own. Also, People will ask, ‘Are you STILL breastfeeding?’ Yes, I’m STILL breastfeeding Cheryl, my baby is 2 hours old… shut up.'”
‘Hi, nice flight attendant. Yes, there’s 7 of us. Keep walking kiddos, keep going. Nope, keep going. Yes, hi strangers. Yup, they’re all ours.’: Mom hilariously recaps what it’s like flying with kids this holiday season
“That guy staring at us does not look kid-friendly at all. That man looks very business professional. I hope he’s not the one sitting in front of us as my kids kick his seat on accident for the 14th time.”
‘Wake up, Stanley. Booboo, wake up!’ I heard a terrible crash. The TV was upside down across the room.’: Mom raises awareness about tip-over accidents after son’s harrowing experience
“You walk into his bedroom. Your son will look like he is sleeping. Daddy will shake him, until his sister notices he is turning blue. You will drop to your knees as Daddy starts CPR. This is the last moment you think he is ‘stable.’ The rug is about to be ripped from under you. Stay strong, mama…your journey as a special needs parent is about to begin.”
‘I heard an unusual sound. Planes went over the house all the time, but this was different. A cascade of plaster and roofing crashed all around me. ‘It hit us!’
“The tail of the plane was in our kitchen. I noticed a small opening above me. I tried pushing the obstruction, but had no success moving it. I tried yelling in case anyone might be near enough to hear me. ‘That’s our house. I don’t know where my husband is. Please help my daughter!'”