“You stand on the sidelines cheering them on, guiding them through the ins and outs of life. You take every hug you can get, kiss every boo-boo, give advice when they need it, and hope as they grow and age, they know mom will always be there with her door wide open.”
‘The time will come too quickly, when they’ll be out the door. Before you know it, those 18 years fly, and you’ll be wishing for the time back.’: Mom urges ‘take every day for what it’s worth’
‘My grandma showed up in the OR during my c-section. She had a few choice words for the doctors.’: Grandmother teaches pregnant woman important lesson about kindness in dream
“When I shared this dream with her, she laughed! She said she’d have to start consciously watching her language again before Little Man arrives. Their minds are not the only ones impacted by this chatter.”
‘I pulled him hard and fast. He began bleeding, crying. My single thought was, ‘Well maybe he shouldn’t have been climbing.’: Mom with postpartum depression says ‘be there for the struggling mom or dad, it takes a village’
“He was climbing the arm of the couch. My husband stepped in and comforted him. I didn’t feel sorry or remorseful. I didn’t feel sad or have ping of guilt because I had just injured my son. I don’t know how to fix this.”
‘A friend gifted me ‘booty leggings.’ I was so excited to try them. When they arrived in the mail, they had no tag, no size, no number.’: Woman urges ‘I’m more than a number, and so are you’
“I wondered what size she sent me. When I saw them, I was caught off guard. Just a pair of leggings. No numbers. But maybe a message.”
‘My 4 year old said, ‘I don’t want to grow up and get bigger. I don’t want to have to worry like you.’ It knocked the wind right out of my chest.’: Mom battling anxiety says ‘in these weird times, let’s be the calm in their storm’
“I ugly cried. Today I got a heartbreaking reminder tonight that I need to do better.”
‘Last week the exact thing we’re all trying to prevent happened to me. I ‘did things right’ and came down with all the symptoms.’: Woman grateful for acts of kindness during pandemic, ‘They showed up’
“I expected the coughing, the fever and the low energy that makes you want to give up. What I didn’t expect was the flood that absolutely surrounded my family. Friends I don’t even know well offered to run errands.”
‘Sometimes saying ‘I’ve had enough’ is the most generous thing you can do for yourself.’: Woman urges ‘not every relationship is salvageable’
“Walking away from a toxic situation, environment, or person doesn’t mean you are ‘giving up’ or ‘overreacting.’ It simply means the pros no longer outweigh the cons. Sometimes, walking away is the healthiest thing you can do.”
‘I used to judge victims of abuse. ‘Why are you allowing them to hurt you? Just stay away.’ I’ve learned a lot since then.’: Woman credits her dog with helping with her mental health ‘he doesn’t understand, but he doesn’t have to’
“My friends are starting to notice. They’ve asked me what’s wrong. If anyone looks at me, they’ll know. Somehow, they’ll see right through me. It had to be my fault. I provoked you. You’d never hurt me. We’re happy. I’m fine.”
‘You’ll never remember these nights. When I lie in bed, listening to you breathe, and question if someone, anyone, could do this better.’: Mom says ‘you’ll never remember these nights, but I will’
“The nights I leave my comfy spot on the couch beside your Daddy to snuggle you instead. The nights I lie there, smelling your hair and studying your beautiful face. I will remember them for the rest of my life.”
‘Last night, I held my phone so a wife could FaceTime her husband as he passed from COVID complications.’: Nurse urges ‘please consider your neighbors before airing your opinion’
“‘Thank you for being the best husband and father.’ She talked to him like none of us were in the room. She told him all the things she was going to miss without him. Although he couldn’t respond, you could see in his eyes he knew her voice.”