Love What Matters

‘I got a message from a complete stranger offering to be a surrogate for us. I was in shock. I had no idea where she lived, who she was, nothing. I was nervous to tell my husband.’

“She was 26 years old. I felt such a strong connection with her even though we were only communicating through messages. Secretly, I knew in my heart we would go down this path.”

‘It looked like she was doing a stomach crunch. Both arms and legs came together in the air. This went on for hours.’: Mother thrilled to have her ‘happy baby back’ after Infantile Spasms diagnosis

“We first noticed a weird movement when she was 5 months. Doctors said, ‘It’s just gas. Change her to soy milk,’ and, ‘It’ll pass.’ It wasn’t until her dad decided to search ‘spasms,’ that we began to gain insight into this nightmare. Something in me snapped. She was using our daughter for her own research. ‘I’m so sorry baby,’ her dad always said. Through all this, Salma has never shown signs of giving up.”

‘Me: Kids, I’m going to go take a quick shower. Child: Can I have a snack? Me: No, I’m going to make dinner. Another child: Can you help me find my pink dragon with glittery wings?’

“Yet another child: Can I tell you about this new game that’s coming out that I really want for Christmas? Me: Yes, after my shower. Walks upstairs. Children follow. Child: How MANY pieces of candy can I have after dinner? Yet another child: So I can get that game for Christmas? Steps out of shower.”

‘This is me, hosting our very first Thanksgiving. I’m cooking in A SKIRT AND HEELS. I’m smiling, even though my marriage was falling apart.’: Woman overcomes family, relationship issues to make room for ‘gratitude’ in life

“So, you’d think I’d look at this picture, look at her all smiley and hiding and ignorant, and I’d be embarrassed. Or maybe sad for what she went through, or even angry, at my husband or my mom, or the world or God, but I don’t feel any of that.”

I Moved Away, And It’s Hurts Not Spending Holidays With My Long-Distance Family

“Our families aren’t millionaires and it’s unfortunate how expensive it is to fly during Thanksgiving and Christmas. We won’t have grandparents and cousins rushing through the door to greet us. I want it to feel special, despite the lack of loved ones.”

‘Who is this?,’ I asked. ‘This is Ty’s assistant principal. I came upon a car accident on my way home. It’s Ty.’ Wait, what?’: High school sweethearts overcome horrific car accident to start a family

“I told him I would let him know when I was home from school, so he could come pick me up. Little did I know when I made that phone call, the details I heard on the other end would change our lives forever. Nothing would ever, ever be the same.”

‘Whoa! He has some really blonde hair.’ I JUST KNEW. My husband smiled. ‘He’s an albino.’: Mother of 2 sons with albinism says the best thing she can instill in them is ‘confidence’

“The doctor was staring inside me with a flashlight. We realized there was something extra special with him when nurses were coming in to see the ‘baby with the white hair.’ It was so white it would sparkle in the sunlight. My mother in law stared in awe and said, ‘He’s like a special little fairy.’”

‘When my kids were babies I fantasized about sleep. In my most desperate times I’d volunteer to be the road the matchbox cars would drive on to shut my eyeballs. I was so tired.’

“Now I’m up until all hours with bigs doing homework, or driving around in my van/taxi all hours. I’m still up at night. You guys there are a million reasons moms aren’t sleeping.”

‘I pictured a perfect Christmas. I was pregnant with triplets and expected a chaotic holiday. But reality set in more than 4 months prior to my due date.’

“As my husband and I decorated our tree, the tears trickled onto the pine needles. I hung an ornament with the words ‘Baby’s First Christmas’ stretched across. Suddenly it hit me.”

‘An 80 year old man tried to open something that helped me do strong Kegels, while his wife kept nudging him, telling him to put it down. It’s not a toy.’

“My son sensed he was making me uncomfortable. He does a side eye at me, then smiles at the elderly couple, and says, ‘I’ll go get mommy’s egg surprise.’ He returned with my pelvic floor weight that you use to strengthen your baby making muscles. He starts shaking it right in front of them!”

‘Everything went dark, and when I came to, I had no idea if I had been out for 5 minutes or 5 hours. There was no one left to call, and no one was coming.’

“I started drinking at what felt like a normal age – 12 or 13 years old. I was in 7th grade. I had no idea pretty, little girls from affluent East Coast towns could wind up alcoholic.”

‘I was supposed to become a wife, but I woke up alone. Today was supposed to be the best day of my life.’: Woman loses fiancé in motorcycle accident, ‘I love you, forever and always’

“I was supposed to wake up, put on my wedding dress, and walk down the aisle to the man of my dreams. I will not get to see the look on Randy’s face at the end of that aisle because a person made a choice NOT to stop.”

‘Thanksgiving is a time of year when I’m supposed to focus on what I have. No, thank you.’: Grieving mom shares candid look inside holiday season

“If we were talking about some materialistic item like a new pair of Frye boots, than I would be inclined to agree with your opinion. But, we’re not. I’m grieving my child.”

‘You are my mom and you need to come get me.’ She was never going to be alone again.’: Mom surprised by twin pregnancy after adopting child with Down syndrome, now has 3 kids with Down syndrome

“‘We think your baby has Down Syndrome.’ She was blessing, not a burden. I found the lost, sad eyes of a 4-year old waiting in an orphanage. She too had Down syndrome. ‘What if this was Bree’s fate?’ We had no idea it was going to be the start of such an incredible journey.”

‘A 4-pound bundle of goodness was placed in my arms. By a stranger. In the middle of my street. Just before 10 p.m.’

“As the effects of cocaine crippled his central nervous system, we fought. We walked and bounced and rocked, and walked more. And here’s the thing… he will never remember me.”

‘I didn’t know then, as he held me in his arms, that less than 5 years from that night he would be dead.’

“I didn’t know this moment would be one of the few. When our babies fell asleep, and we’d have enough energy to dance in the kitchen, suds still on my hands from the dishes as he would pull me away from the sink when his favorite song would come on.”

‘We learned he had cancer. The whole thing felt very surreal. We were reliving the nightmare all over again. Surely we both can’t lose our dad’s to this disease, right?’

“I wanted to tell him everything would be okay. But I didn’t know, and I certainly wasn’t going to lie to him. I silently prepared for the worst case scenario. I thought a lot about their trip that never happened. What if he never did get the chance to take his dad?”

‘One of my deaf students farted in class. The other students turned to look at them. ‘Why are they looking at me?’: Teacher shares hilarious 15-minute conversation with students

“*Totally horrified* Wait, they can hear all farts?!?! TELL THEM TO STOP LISTENING TO MY FARTS! THAT IS NOT NICE!”

‘My first married Christmas was the worst Christmas I have ever experienced. There was so much hurt, we just wanted it to be over.’: Mom candidly reflects on first holidays as a married couple

“Most of our social gatherings with my husband’s mother, sadly, result in stress and arguments. Our first married Christmas came. And it was awful.”

‘No, this can’t be real. Not this. It isn’t fair! Hasn’t she been through enough?’ But it was real. I heard the words no parent wants to hear.’

“How did I ever think motherhood would be easy, magical, dreamy? My mind started racing with questions. I let myself wallow in self-pity for about 24 hours, and then I decided I would not give in.”

‘Eli and his biological brother who went to another family have lived 45 minutes from each other for their entire lives, and have never met. Until now.’: Adoptive parent’s son reunites with brother decade later

“Her biggest fear was that she would regret this decision for the rest of her life. We never heard from her again. 10 years later, we received a message.”

‘I get angry when my children misbehave. I get embarrassed when they make too much noise. I’m in charge; I’m in control; I’m the one calling the shots.’

“I made a mistake. I almost didn’t know it. I nearly allowed it to be my story.”

‘All of a sudden, one of the nurses shouted, ‘Oh my gosh!’ I felt my skin boiling, my bowels start to give out. The damage had already been done.’: Active duty service member claims he’s ‘not drinking anymore’ energy drinks after he says it stopped his heart for 20 seconds

“I woke up at 5 a.m. to get ready for the day and do some physical training. I felt like I had a chest cold coming on, but I ignored it. There was no pain, so I worked out, got home, took my shower. Next thing I know, I start to see light. I was drinking two 20oz cans of energy drinks a day.”