“I don’t know about you, but it feels like all I see on social media this time of year is summer body this, summer body that. Those who want it. Those who are working on it. And those who are giving up. And it was driving me BONKERS, until I realized that I, too, want a summer body. But not the usual kind.”
My Summer Body Will Not Be Measured By What I Lose, But By Everything I’ll Gain In My Summer Of ‘Yes’
‘Mommy, I want to go to a restaurant,’ my daughter interjected. Our favorite eateries may not make it.’: Mom of daughter with asthma says ‘one sniffle, one tiny cough sends me into a frenzy of worry’
“I wake up trembling from dreams of her in the hospital bed attached to IVs, helpless and vulnerable. A few days ago, the kids and I sat in the car and went out for a drive. We hadn’t been outside of our immediate neighborhood for over 8 weeks. Everything looked normal. I felt disappointed.”
‘The To-Do lists and upgrades will linger. Look around, soak it all in. It’ll never be perfect, but it’s perfect for you.’: Woman urges ‘love multiplies with or without all the things that shine’
“As you work on your house this weekend and throughout the summer, remember your house is a home. Fingerprints and chipped paint turn into memories of the good times. Look around and soak it all in for exactly where it is right now.”
‘We’re letting you go.’ I was too sick to work. They bullied me for months and couldn’t handle my illness.’: Woman fights for mystery illness diagnosis, ‘I am chronically strong’
“I was afraid the doctor would put me in the nuthouse if I told her everything. How many 32-year olds have a full page of symptoms? I quickly lost 20 pounds.”
‘Cookies are not breakfast!’ They’re all crying. One fights me for 10 minutes to allow me the pleasure of wiping poop off his arse.’: Dad hilariously says ‘I’ve had a huge slice of humble pie’ after first ‘paternity leave’
“I hide for a bit. They find me like they’re sniffer dogs and I’m selling pills at a festival. I clear up the crafts, wishing whoever created slime a slow, gruesome death. They’re all crying now. They scream, ‘Daddy we’re bored of this film!’ repeatedly and very loudly.”
‘My 10 and 7-year-old girls asked for belly shirts. My knee-jerk reaction was, ‘No, that’s inappropriate.’: Mom ponders balancing body positivity with modesty, ‘I worry about how they will be perceived’
“‘I don’t know, I need time to think about it.’ Allowing my daughters to run around half-naked won’t change the perversion of a depraved mind. Where do we draw the line? And so here I am, thinking out loud.”
‘YOU’RE going to run? Your boobs are going to hit your face.’ I went to see a plastic surgeon at 16.’: Woman overcomes years of negative self image, ‘If you’re not feeling good on the inside, you’ll never feel good on the outside’
“I was told by my boyfriend, ‘You need to stop being mean to everyone just because you’re in a bad mood.’ I moved out with no money, no job, and no dog. Everyone who said, ‘We’re still your friend and we love you no matter what,’ didn’t stick around.”
‘We received a little boy almost 3 years old. We didn’t have enough clothes or toys, but the joy on his face was the biggest blessing in the world.’: Mom shares important lesson about foster care, ‘When people say it takes a village, it does’
“I didn’t really think about the impact us being a foster family would have on our extended family and our friends. They stepped in and helped us in so many ways, I can’t even count them.”
‘Wait for the heartbeat. Don’t fall in love too quickly.’ But sweet baby, I just can’t help it.’: Mom says ‘no matter what happens, I’ll always be your mama’
“You’re as real to me if you make it to 4 weeks than if you make it 40 weeks and in my arms. My love for cannot be quantified by the number of days you’re alive. Because my little secret about you is, I’ve always loved you.”
‘Can I use your phone? I need to call the police.’ This woman found it ‘funny’ to scare little black boys, and I am heartbroken.’: Mom of black son says ‘images of 1950’s racism are on my 2020 TV’
“The people listening to her story worked in education, and most of them found this story funny. So, instead of cutting the story off, they laughed. I am heartbroken. This is my response.”