“My teenage daughter was standing in the tree lot, her face scrunched up, drawing in a deep breath. Oh for the love of all that’s Holy, she’s going to cry again. ‘It’s a Charlie Brown tree!,’ she shrieked. I rolled my eyes, wishing I’d indulged in a second glass of vino. I thought the worst had passed. Then she blurted out the words I didn’t expect. ‘My dad would’ve NEVER bought this tree!’ There it was. Her dad, who always made everything perfect, died. In front of her. While she held his hand.”
‘Please don’t cry,’ I mumbled. ‘It’s a tree. It’s just a tree.’ And then it happened, full blown tears.’: Mom realizes teenage daughter’s meltdown was triggered by loss of father, ‘No matter how many presents I buy, nothing can heal her pain’
‘What does DTF mean? You swipe which way? Woah, you just sent me a pic of your privates.’ Dating life as a widow is terrifying.’: Young widow recalls first heartbreak post-loss of husband, ‘It stings like hell’
“Mr. Heartbreak knew all the right things to say. He came off very genuine. We clicked immediately, talked for hours on the phone. The first time we met, I was so nervous. He had these intense eyes that looked right through me. After having a drink, we made out in his car like teenagers. He pushed my hair back from my face, told me how beautiful I was. I let myself go there. Then, just like that, ‘This is not light and fun anymore,’ he said.”
‘I blurted out, ‘Hey! Let’s leave our waitress a $50 tip!?’ The times we have nothing to give are the exact moments we need to.’: Couple erase $54,000 mountain of debt, give back to others for holiday season
“The pit in my stomach was always there. Every day. $54,000 of debt robbed me of a peaceful marriage and filled our lives with fear. We wanted to be the type of people who saved, paid in cash for things. Last week after Christmas shopping, I stopped for an unplanned lunch at a restaurant. Something funny happened when we began to be intentional with our money. I could feel our hearts changing.”
Dear Moms: Teach Your Daughters They Don’t Need A Man
“Mama, watch your ‘cant’s’ in front of your children, they’re listening and so much of what they learn is caught, not taught.”
‘His hands were like the devil. They dragged me down to hell to become his mistress. I wasn’t ready to die.’: Woman declares her abuser ‘no longer has power over me, I am a survivor’
“The moment I saw him, I instantly fell for his trap. My eyes met his, and I was immediately hooked. My friend leaned over and told me his name. ‘He’s a cop. He’s well known around here.’ He said they called him the ‘King.’ All hail the King. Our hands met, then our lips, we were inseparable from that night on. His neighbors warned me. They told me to run.”
‘Mama what did you bring me? Can I have it now?! I’ve been so good today!’: Mom struggles with making her daughter wait for big surprise, realizes that’s what God does in her own life
“As I walked in the house from an epic Target Christmas run, my 6-year-old nearly tackled me. ‘Did you get me anything?,’ she screamed with excitement. ‘I really want it now! I’ve been so good today!’ I gently reminded her she loves surprises. ‘Please mama! I can’t wait anymore.’ I whispered, ‘Trust me. It will be so much better on Christmas. You will be so glad you waited!’”
‘My boyfriend went into a depression over his ex’s miscarriage. Then, our pregnancy test came back positive. We were terrified.’: Couple in tears after ‘guardian angel’ emerges on rainbow baby ultrasound
“‘We can no longer detect the fetal heart rate.’ He couldn’t discuss the loss with anybody. After the months of unsaid words came out, we started discussing having a baby of our own. He was hesitant. He didn’t want me to go through the same pain. After the positive pregnancy test, we were both overjoyed and terrified.”
‘We will love you no matter what, even if you decide not to stick around.’ I was scared of losing her. I finally reached my breaking point.’: Gay mom suffers postpartum anxiety after struggling with infertility, ‘I desperately wanted to be understood’
“I finally reached my breaking point. My wife was getting ready to leave town for work. I had a panic attack and Brittany had to cancel her trip. It was hard for her. She didn’t know how to help me. It hurt her to see me struggling, I could see it in her eyes. I was embarrassed. I wanted someone to say, ‘You’re not alone, it happened to me too.’”
How To Keep Christmas Magic Alive: 8 Parenting Tips For Conquering Holiday Stress
“Stay in tune with your stress levels and monitor your emotions.”
‘I’m so scared to be trans. I don’t want it to be true.’ I’d stare at myself and ask, ‘Who are you?’: Young man goes through coming out process, learns he’s transgender, ‘I finally feel free in my body’
“I was extremely scared to tell my mom. After I sent the text, I held my head over the toilet because I thought I’d puke. It was a whole day before my mom finally answered. My girlfriend texted her, ‘Please answer him, he needs your love and support.’ My mom did not like it and refused to call me her son. ‘You should dress more like a girl.’ I told her, ‘This doesn’t change who I am, this is who I’ve always been.’”