Rebecca Balfe is a former editor for Love What Matters. She resides in NYC, owning and rescuing adorable cats. She is an avid Lupus fighter and advocate.
‘Women stepped up to let strangers know they’re NOT alone. We support, believe, and love you.’: Charity ‘Handmade Especially For You’ partners with crocheters to create scarves for women escaping abuse
“It is this very support that provides women with the self-esteem to LEAVE abusive situations. When a woman makes the choice to leave that environment, it’s LIFE CHANGING.”
‘This wasn’t your ‘mom-loses-her-crap-sometimes’ situation. I felt like a pressure cooker.’: Mom battles depression, ‘I’m a better mother when I’m my best self’
“There was a miscommunication about bringing my son lunch at school, and as a result, he was upset. I felt awful. The incident was small, but it pushed me over the edge. And I EXPLODED.”
‘These women are AMAZED someone they don’t know has made something for them.’: Charity partners with Annie’s Kit Clubs to make scarves for women escaping abuse, ‘It’s impacted thousands of lives’
“Every woman who flees abuse deserves a comfort scarf.”
‘To you, this may look like a normal night before trash day. To me, it’s so much more.’: Man thanks ‘selfless’ birth mothers for turning him into a dad in touching moment
“Sometimes it takes a highchair to snap you back into reality.”
‘A car of teenage boys drove past and yelled out, ‘Ugly!’ I was embarrassed and felt HIDEOUS.’: Young woman battles alopecia, ‘I’ve become a glass half-full kind of girl’
“I hadn’t anticipated being SO upset by the sound of the hair being cut. I couldn’t be strong anymore. I really, really cried.”
‘I feel bad for your husband, you’ve gained SO much weight!’: Mom of 5 urges ‘weight does not reflect worth’
“Last week after posting a photo of our family, I started receiving comments centered around my ‘baby weight,’ how much I’ve gained or how quickly I’ve gained it. I’m not going to lie, I noticed.”
‘Is this about YOU having a baby or US having a baby?’ I lost faith.’: LGBTQ couple has daughter after infertility, ‘She’s the bridge to our heart’
“‘Are you going to help to find a donor?’ She said, ‘I’m sure you’ll pick a good one.’ I was crushed, but said nothing.”
‘Look what Mama let me get!’ She’s the cool one, I’m the mom who cleans up the mess.’: LGBTQ mom says, ‘They have two moms, we can’t both be cool’
“To all the non-cool parents out there, I see you.”
‘At 18, I had my WHOLE life ahead of me. It was a FREAK incident.’: Woman endures random back injury, leading to chronic pain, ‘I’m strongest when I embrace myself’
“I began leaking spinal fluid, and it soaked through my sheets. My parents were told they needed to prepare themselves to lose me.”
‘FAMILY. We’re your people. You’re safe here.’: LGBTQ mom shares moment of ‘community’ on playground, ‘It gave me comfort I wasn’t alone’
“Her openness in this moment was a ‘Hey, Family.’ It’s about recognizing your fellow human who knows how it feels to avoid glares of judgement. I had forgotten what it had felt like to be recognized like this by a stranger.”
