“Imagine you’re two. You have no idea how to regulate your emotions. You’re startled by something you don’t understand, and instead of being offered comfort, you’re told to ‘get over it.'”
‘She’s gonna have to get over it!’ Then I thought to myself, ‘What about when I’m upset?’: Mom to daughter with anxiety urges ‘stop asking kids to act more maturely than we do’
‘The entire night he gleamed from ear to ear.’: Community rallies to include boy with autism, rare diseases in school marching band and make his dreams come true
“Disability does not define who a person is. It is simply a different way of learning. A different view of the world. And our entire community opened their arms and hearts to my special little boy.”
To The Girl Who Might Have To Wait, Know You Are Worthy Despite The Path You Find Yourself On
“I know you never pictured starting your family this way. You figured you’d have the surprise of those 2 pink lines and not the possibility of enduring so much for them.”
‘I never for one second in my life thought I’d meet someone worthwhile on a dating app.’: Woman shares tips for online dating success after meeting current fiancé
“I used to think dating apps were the bane of my existence. Fast forward 7 months later, I am engaged and my kids are the happiest they have ever been.”
‘The male gynecologist told me to ‘grin and bear it.’ I knew my symptoms were real, but no one believed me.’: Woman with severe perimenopause finds relief after 9 years of suffering
“I was embarrassed to go out in public. I felt like I was suffering in silence—were there other women going through this? Would I ever find relief? Would I ever feel like myself again? I could have just accepted my new normal. I could have stopped advocating for myself, especially as my parents’ health declined and my marriage ended. But I didn’t give up.”
‘I noticed your scar. How long has it been?’ I was surprised. Then she asked to hug me.’: Cancer survivor touched by stranger’s act of kindness
“Unless it happens to you or someone you know, you never notice. She inspired me to show gratitude for where I am now.”
‘I did everything and anything to get her to love me, and nothing worked. I wrote out who I needed her to be. Who I had dreamt of her being. And then I grieved them.’: Daughter to toxic mother urges ‘you are worthy of healthy love’
“My mother had been rejecting me from conception. She had tried to miscarry me her whole pregnancy. She hated me so much that when I was born, she struggled to even touch me or hold me. I realized I would never win, I would never have ‘That Mom,’ and I would never have the relationship with her I’d wanted all of these years.”
‘Every time I gave birth, I awoke the dormant beasts inside me.’: Mom of 3 shares journey to Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Lupus diagnoses
“I started wearing sunglasses indoors. My hair was falling out in chunks, my gums bleeding. Sounds hurt. The very smell of air made me sick. I was a shell of myself, withering away, barely hanging on. But then I thought of my little girl. She was so small, not even talking yet. How would she remember me? Who would teach her to do her hair? I had to stop planning my goodbyes, and start fighting.”
We Don’t Die When Grief Consumes Us (Even If We Think We Might)—We Live To Keep Our Loved Ones Hearts Alive, Forever
“He wasn’t supposed to die. He was so young. Smart. Full of life. He couldn’t leave us. I waited for his bike to come home, to hear its noise ringing in the street. But our home was silent. And inside me, it wasn’t.”
5 Important Tips For Healing After Divorce
“True healing doesn’t come easy.”
‘Your breast milk is like skim milk.’ I felt alone and lost, like something was wrong with me.’: Mom shares stresses of breastfeeding journey
“I didn’t buy any bottles or read how to use my pump. I cried in agony and shame. I sacrificed my freedom, time, energy, sleep, and breasts for only a few ounces.”
How To Handle The After-School Meltdown
“I did everything I could to prepare, but it just wasn’t enough.”
‘There’s a high chance your daughter has it.’ I was scared. Will she be accepted by her peers if she needs a walker?’: Mom helps daughter with cerebral palsy start inclusive YouTube channel
“I would like to think it was from all the ‘I love you’s’ or the words of affirmation she recites every night. Or from a mom who never stopped advocating for her. But her happy ending is not from any of that. It’s from her.”
My Dad Was Diagnosed With Cancer, So We Staged A Fake Wedding So He Can Walk Me Down The Aisle
“We stood in a circle, praying for more time. ‘This is just a practice run for the real wedding,’ I said, but we both knew it wasn’t true. As we danced, I thanked God for the gray-headed, goofy, kindhearted father I got to love for 23 years. I wanted to stay in that moment forever. No sadness or fear in the way of how much we loved each other.”
‘I used to love being a nurse. Now, I stay for fear of starting over. Help us get that spark back, help us renew the passion.’: Nurse shares heartbreaking plea for kindness during pandemic
“Last year, we were hailed heroes. Somehow, somewhere, we became the enemy. Only a savior when it was convenient.”
Physician Assistant’s Spin On ‘The Giving Tree’ Classic Perfectly Depicts Healthcare Worker’s Frustrations During Covid-19 Pandemic
“‘Here!’ cried the healthcare professionals. ‘Take my TRUNK. Take all my hospital’s beds. Use our ventilators and ICUs so others may not access urgent care. Take the remaining morale from my system.’ And the patient did just that. The tree, the healthcare professional, stood all alone… just a STUMP. An exhausted, overrun, under-appreciated stump.”
‘Months after we married, he just left. We got into a big fight, so out the door and into the car he went while I was left alone to cry.’: Woman shares important lesson on compromise in marriage
“I went on and on about why he should be doing what I wanted him to do, and he went on and on about why he should be doing what he wanted. Our words flew over and around each other, landing on ears unwilling to listen. This was not the wedded bliss I imagined.”
‘Step Up For Your Neighbors.’: Kind Teen, Kroger Employee Helps Elderly Man Who Can’t Afford All His Groceries
“He started working as a bagger at a local Kroger to support his family. But his kindness extends to complete strangers, too!”
After Adopting 4 Siblings, Woman Who Didn’t Think She Could Get Pregnant Births Miracle Quadruplets
“They now have nine kids under the age of 8!”
I Wear A Mask To Fight Cancer—You Never Know What Someone Is Facing
“I have never been more sure that the biggest war we are facing is one within our minds and hearts.”
To The Parents Dropping Off Kids At College—They Come Back
“But not as you knew them. Not as you remember the 5-year-old smiling at you or the 10-year-old on a skateboard trying to learn to balance, or the 16-year-old ignoring you.”
Man Carries Woman With Disability To Top Of Mt. Olympus To Fulfill Her Dreams
“Marios Giannakou had already climbed to the top of Mt. Olympus 50 times, but he says his 51st trip is his most memorable and meaningful.”
‘Heart pounding, hands sweating, I fell to the ground screaming. I truly thought I was dying.’: Woman details mental health, sobriety journey to ‘end the stigma’
“We stayed up until 8 a.m. drinking. In a panic, I realized I had to be at work in an hour. So, I popped a few Adderall, went to my job, and continued drinking all day after. I didn’t think I had a problem.”
I No Longer Look At My Husband The Way I Did On Our Wedding Day
“When you’re planning to get married, they tell you it’s gonna be hard. But there’s one thing no one tells you before you say your vows: expect to fall out of love.”
‘There are only 150 known cases.’ What?! There was no cure, no treatment. ‘Leo will never walk, talk, or live a normal life.’: Mom raises awareness for son’s rare Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy
“The first thing I asked was his life expectancy. ‘5-10 years.’ The tears did not stop pouring. How could it be true? Why should his life be cut short? Once we got out of the initial haze of disbelief, we immediately knew we had to take action.”