“Marital problems, mental health issues, bankruptcy, miscarriage, family discord—they don’t just disappear because it’s December 25th.”
‘My husband and I, who have become more co-parents than partners, barely spoke as I made an elaborate meal that my children never ate.’: Woman ‘determined to do things differently’ this holiday season
‘I made a mistake. My ex found out. ‘I should’ve known better,’ he said. I thought I deserved it. I wasn’t faithful.’: Woman overcomes abusive relationship to find the man of her dreams, ‘I feel like a damn warrior!’
“He burnt my grandma’s table in a bonfire and emailed me pictures. At 2 a.m., he was yelling outside my house, banging on all the doors and windows. I was hidden behind the couch dialing 911. He keyed my car. I woke up with 100+ missed calls. My family finally convinced me the police needed to be involved. I brought so much proof, I thought they’d have to arrest him, but nope. Their ‘hands were tied’ and ‘boys will be boys.’”
‘Those boys were being mean to my brother. So, I made sure that won’t happen again.’: Older sister fiercely protective of baby brother, realizes how difficult it was to grow up in her shadow
“My brother had such talent. ‘Do you have any idea how hard it was to grow up behind you, in your shadow? You made everything look easy, and it’s not. I have to do this by myself,’ he told me. My heart shattered.”
‘Let’s do it!’ We sat on the hotel floor with this sweet, innocent baby. We had 24 hours to back out.’: Couple adopt special needs baby in time for Christmas after grueling journey, ‘I would do it all again in a heartbeat!’
“They kept this little boy in a room by himself, afraid he would scare the other children. He was not allowed to play, or go outside. It was so heartbreaking. When we finally met him, he was more severely delayed than we knew. He couldn’t barely hold his head up, sit, or stand. It was scary. We held each other and just cried. We had no idea how we were going to handle this.”
‘Mom! You’re never going to believe this!’ She knelt beside me. ‘What is it, darlin’?’ I led her to the tree. ‘Look, momma!’ She saw it too.’: Woman reminds us to keep holiday magic alive, even when we’re ‘tired, on 4 hours of sleep’
“Our teacher tasked us with making little wreaths out of mini pretzels. We worked hard on those. I reached in to grab it, and instinctively knew something was wrong. My heart sank. My little eyes filled with tears. My mom said she loved it anyway. I cried myself to sleep, waking the next morning to sounds of Christmas carols from the kitchen. I shuffled towards the Christmas tree. Was it real? Could it be? I ran to the kitchen, tugged on her pants. ‘Well, look at that,’ she gasped, just as surprised as me.”
‘My son chooses to wear makeup, dresses. ‘But…what if he catches The Gay?’ Well, then I’ll have a gay son. Simple as that. It’s a non-issue.’: Mom embraces son’s fluid gender expression, ‘It’s their body, their choice’
“My son has had autonomy since he was a toddler. As he grows, he makes as many decisions about his own body as possible. Our only limits are safety and hygiene. We often hear, ‘…But..but…but…it’s PINK!’ ‘Why don’t you just cut your hair like a boy?!’ ‘That’s for girls, you don’t want that!’ He informs them with absolute integrity, ‘No, it’s for PEOPLE!’”
I Had A Real-Life ‘Pretty Woman’ Moment While Shopping
“If you do one thing for others this holiday, just lead with grace and try your best not to add unnecessary stress on someone else’s plate.”
How Meditation Helped Me Heal From Domestic Abuse
“I’ll always be grateful for Lindsay, the amazing woman who spent days on the phone with me. She guided me to find meditation teachers, ended my anxiety and changed my life forever.”
‘Were you in a fire?’ ‘Did someone beat you?’ ‘No one will ever want to date you!’ It was cruel adults asking, not curious children.’: Woman born with Port Wine Stain views it as a ‘blessing’ to filter out ‘shallow, undeserving people’ from her life
“When I met my husband, he was unlike any other guy. He looked past my exterior and into my soul. He truly wanted to get to know me. He was attracted to my confidence despite of looking different. ‘I never see your birthmark,’ he always says. He never made me feel insecure like so many guys in the past. So many broke my heart, used me, kept me a secret, disrespected and took advantage of me. He never made me feel like I had to change who I was.”
‘A strong feeling hit me. I’d be coming back to the cemetery very soon, and it was going to be for someone close to me.’: Woman loses husband in car accident after receiving ‘premonitions’
“Held captive by the foreboding feelings of the day and these two men, a sick feeling began to vibrate throughout my entire body. The look on their faces was weird. Something was wrong. A strange electric sensation came over me. It was as if each cell was acknowledging the arrival of my biggest fear, one… by… one.”