“‘Please put an end to his pain. He had over 300 seizures. My husband shouted, ‘There has been an accident!’ A phone call confirmed a mother’s worst nightmare.”
Becky Balfe
‘Please end his suffering.’ The universe heard me wrong. He was only 8. Now one was sick and the other, gone.’: After losing son, mom teaches others how grief can lead to empowerment
‘I asked, ‘Do you trust me to raise our children?’ Loving them isn’t enough. It’s not the same as their dad’s understanding.’: Mom discusses challenges with mixed family, ‘I am their ally’
“Is love enough? Is it enough that I love them more than life? I’ve so desperately wanted the answer to be yes. As much as I can tell them it’s going to be okay, it’s not the same.”
‘My little girl asked, ‘Daddy, what’s a wawwy?’ ‘A rally?’ She nodded. I knew I wouldn’t be that kind of father.’: Gay dad of 3 multi-racial children teaches ‘our differences make us beautiful’
“Growing up in south Mississippi, I was able to easily see how my own father was the most racist and hateful person I had ever met. As I got older, he would call me sissy, mama’s boy, and queer. That was bad enough, but the things I can recall him saying towards black Americans were just as bad, if not worse.”
‘When are you going to adopt me?’ His bio mom would coach him on our calls. She made up elaborate lies.’’: Mom adopts stepson as a teen, ‘When love is there, nothing can break you’
“’Who is that?’ I asked. ‘My son. If it’s a deal breaker, let me know.’ His bio mom would answer the phone at 6 p.m. and say, ‘Josiah is eating breakfast and going to school.’ She thought it was 6 a.m. when it was actually 6 p.m. She made up elaborate lies.”
‘At least you’ll stay skinny!’ I sat on the toilet and cried. You never think you might be the ONE.’: Woman documents infertility journey, ‘Don’t be ashamed to talk about it’
“Why does every part of this ‘journey’ have to be a struggle? He marched to the front of the line, set his sperm filled cup right on the counter, and told them it was time sensitive and he couldn’t wait.”
‘I hadn’t felt her kick. All my wife could say was, ‘Oh God, I’m coming.’ My fears were becoming reality.’: Gay couple battles infertility, births miracle daughter after traumatic induction
“‘I’m not even sure you will get pregnant.’ It felt like the air had left the room. Why couldn’t my body do what it was made to do? ‘If it doesn’t work this time I can’t do this anymore.’ I hit rock bottom.”
‘My hair fell out. I hadn’t had a period in 9 months. My daughter said with tears in her eyes, ‘I’m scared you’re never going to get better!’: Personal trainer overcomes alcohol addiction with exercise
“‘You have very little time left.’ I was non-responsive, my alcohol level was 0.32. It was not-so-silently killing me. I was fighting to survive.”
‘I thought she’d be browner. Disappointing, huh?’ they said. I struggled with her not looking like me.’: Mom of mixed race family comes to terms with herself, ‘I should never have justified comments’
“A boy said, ‘Yuck, do you shave your sideburns?’ I was mortified. I’d lighten my hair with at-home kits. When my white friends got their noses pierced, I joined in. But I swiftly took it out again, because it made me look ‘too Indian.’”
‘Would you want to adopt him?’ She was taken from the only woman she knew and placed with a stranger.’: Couple describes adoption, foster journey, ‘Our lives have never been the same’
“We cried and prayed. We said yes right away. Then we got a call to see if we wanted to foster-to-adopt a 1-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl.
‘You did it. He’s here and I am so proud of you,’ I whispered. We cried, loving and hurting at the same time.’: Mom gushes appreciation for birth mother, ‘I wouldn’t be a mom without her’
“As I was falling madly in love with this precious baby, another incredible woman was falling just as hard as I was. His first momma. The one who carried him so lovingly for 9 months and birthed him just moments before.”
