“I have my fair share of stares out in public. People ask, ‘Are you babysitting?’ My response is, ‘No, they’re mine.’ Love is love no matter what color you are.”
I’m A Single 30-Year-Old Black Woman Who Adopted 3 White Kids—Love Has No Color In My Home
‘The television host asked me to join him on stage to receive the ultimate crown of being his Queen.’: Woman shares struggles and fears as a ‘Mom-Boss-Manager’ and domestic abuse survivor
“I constantly worry about being the best wife, mother, employee, and creative. But the truth is, I’m not afraid to struggle because I know I’m not alone! I imagine the millions of other women, just like me, who aspire to master the art of being the wife every husband prays for.”
‘What am I doing wrong?’ I was left on my own to flounder. My nipples were bleeding and I was in pain.’: Mom ‘so embarrassed’ about not breastfeeding, finally urges ‘don’t ever feel the need to defend your decision’
“I was so drugged and drained physically my milk didn’t come in for days. My husband said, ‘As long as our baby is healthy and happy everything else doesn’t matter.’ But I didn’t feel the same. I was hopeless. We’d get the pre-made formula so we didn’t have to do any mixing when we left the house and no one would know. It was so stressful.”
‘Do you want to join me?,’ Sean asked. I said no. I agonize over that choice. I didn’t say goodbye.’: Woman loses ‘healthy, active’ husband to sudden heart attack while biking, ‘His death makes no sense’
“4 days after Christmas, it was a beautiful sunny day. ‘I want to ride the trails,’ my husband said. ‘Are you sure you don’t want to go?’ It got dark. By 5:30, I was encouraged to call 911. ‘My husband hasn’t returned,’ I told the dispatcher. Panic filled my soul. ‘Finding him is not our priority,’ I was told. I called my kids, who were forced to locate their dad on foot. I’ll never forget their faces. As I walked toward the trail, my son begged me not to get any closer.”
‘I’ve been saving this money. I heard your husband died. I want you to have it because I still have my dad. Merry Christmas.’ It was a child’s handwriting.’: Widow receives unexpected act of kindness, now wants to pay it forward
“As I sat staring at the tree, silently pleading with God for direction, my doorbell rang. I made my way to the door, opened it and looked out – no one stood there. I looked down. To my surprise on the porch sat a glass jar piggy bank full of money. I read the card and started to cry. In a child’s handwriting, scribbled on a makeshift card, read the most beautiful little words.”
‘It’s just anxiety. It’s all in your head.’ I was on the floor, barely conscious. Something wasn’t right, and Ruby knew it.’: Woman diagnosed with POTS, genetic mutation with help from psychiatric service dog
“My dog Ruby was acting extremely odd towards me. I didn’t think anything of it. Then, paramedics arrived. By then, I was barely conscious, being rushed to the ER. I didn’t expect it: ‘The tests came back. It is life threatening and life expectancy is 38 years old.’ That hit me hard. I gave the doctor a nod and a quiet, ‘Okay.’ I was speechless. I didn’t know how to break the news to my fiancé.”
‘It’s broken my mama heart to be away from her. She moved to live with her dad. My heart was heavy.’: Mom of 6 is away from daughters for holiday, ‘This trip was much more meaningful to me.’
“Celia has severe autism and her meltdowns have become much more aggressive. I was pregnant with baby #5 at the time. And homeschooling. In a construction zone. Every day. I packed my 10-year old daughter Cora up and sent her off unaccompanied on a flight to Atlanta, to spend December with her sister and her dad. It’s hard for me to navigate with all of them on my own.”
‘I LOVE those, are they Lulu? I got 3 new pairs! Aren’t they great?!’ I’m a poor mom living in a rich-mom world.’: Mom learns to stop judging the rich after holiday act of kindness, ‘Our bank account doesn’t define us’
“I used to stand on the sidelines of my kids’ games and listen closely to the rich moms. My stomach dropped, my defenses rose every time: Must be nice to live that way. Do they have any idea what it’s like to have $40 left 10 days before payday? I was righteous. It made me feel better to put them down. A simple request from my teen daughter one morning put me on a journey of changing my reverse-pride.”
‘You look like you’ve been mauled by a gorilla. What happened to you?’ I lied. She didn’t deserve to know.’: Woman with terminal genetic condition embraces her scars, ‘Look how hard my body works to keep me alive!’
“I was leaving the grocery store. An older woman was staring at me. I felt the familiar rush of blood heat my cheeks and anger rise in my throat. Instead of asking questions about a body that wasn’t hers, she smiled widely. ‘I think I saw you in a magazine!’ I exhaled and laughed, confirming that she had. My scarring looks like burns. This is ‘the worst disease you’ve never heard of.'”
‘At 13, I was 300 lbs. My dad told me, ‘If you want to kill yourself, I’ll help you pull the trigger.’: Woman undergoes weight loss surgery at husband’s demand, ‘My soul is healing with each bout of laughter’
“I almost died on the operating table while my husband was talking to other women. ‘He said you’re giving him a hard time about not coming to visit you. You need to be more independent and let him do his duties.’ I was physically and emotionally broken. I didn’t care if I survived.”