“When I delivered you in the hospital and saw your face for the very the first time, I was instantly in love with all of you. God gave you the exact color of eyes and hair on your head, and gifts and talents for a reason. Your worth and value can’t be measured from the outside.”
‘You are a masterpiece, beautiful girl. You can’t compete with an edited image of another girl. You’re already valuable.’: Mom says ‘your worth cannot be measured from the outside’
‘I was a having a really crappy day.’ We finished our transaction. ‘I want you to know your awesome attitude really cheered me up.’: Mom surprised by act of kindness by local restaurant, ‘The world needs more people like her’
“A dude greeted me at the door. There’s some writing on my to go bag, but I don’t pay much attention to it. I thank her again, grab my food, and head out the door. When I get home, I realize it. I cried. It was enough to turn my whole day around.”
‘You can’t find the energy for that cool craft project someone sent you or to bake cookies with your kids, and it’s OKAY.’: Psychologist urges ‘do what energizes YOU’
“If you’re dedicating your energy to caring for your child’s needs instead of a craft project, academic task, or home-cooked meal, YOU. ARE. NAILING. IT.”
‘I let him know his lack of faith was a dealbreaker. ‘You will never find a man who will wait until marriage to have sex.’: Woman urges to singles ‘no amount of loneliness makes compromise worth it’
“Last night I FaceTimed with a guy I met on a dating app. I made it very clear on my profile I was looking for someone religious. ‘You’re looking for a needle in the haystack. You will never find a man to wait until marriage for sex. You’ll be single for years.’ My first reaction was heartbreak.”
‘She should be here to watch them grow up. I want the love of my life back.’: Widowed single dad creates new normal, ‘I’m different now and that’s OK’
“You are still the same person physically, with a couple of extra pounds stacked on, chowing down Doritos and binge drinking cheap wine on the couch while watching home movies and bawling for days on end. But inside, you are forever altered.”
‘I sit with one eye answering emails, the other on my son who stares at schoolwork like it’s a hate crime.’: Dad says ‘don’t feel bad, we’re all struggling’
“I continue to try and not get fired, which usually means I give up after 30 minutes and send them into the backyard with the hose, so I don’t end up dropping them off on church steps. Which really isn’t a possibility because churches are closed, but it’s the image I need to keep going.”
‘The Great Pause,’ I’ve heard it called. I’d been making emotional progress. Then Covid happened.’: Mom says ‘forget your 5-year plan’ after losing daughter to epilepsy
“It’s been six months since my daughter died.”
‘I hear, ‘Your virginity is a gift to your future spouse.’ Once you cross ‘the’ line, you can never have your purity back.’: Woman advocates for others to be ‘true to ourselves’
“Your lack of sexual experience and ignorance about what you like and want in the bedroom–Oooo, fun! ‘Because once you cross ‘the’ line, you can never have your purity back.'”
‘One minute I’m happy, savoring these little moments together. The next, I’m waiting for it all to end.’: Woman says ‘you don’t have to savor every moment, it’s OK to be hanging on by a thread’
“Three months ago, I had it all mapped out. Now, I cry over toilet paper. I’ve cried for my 3-year-old who misses his Mamo and Papa, or as my toddler begs me not to have another meeting. I feel like I’m on a roller coaster. And not a fun one either, more like the kind that makes you want to throw up.”
‘Last night we learned of the death of a toddler his age as we watched the news. Emergency rooms aren’t filled with kids like him.’: Mom of special needs child says ‘the least I can do is keep my family out of your care’
“I found myself grasping for perspective. There isn’t anything that will stop a parent of a special needs child for being there when their kids need them, not even COVID-19. The least I can do is work to keep my family out of your care.”