LJ Herman is a former editor at Love What Matters and lives in Colorado. LJ is a concert, ticket and technology enthusiast. He has seen the Dave Mathews Band over one hundred times and counting.
‘I KNOW timeouts don’t work. But my four-year-old has been chanting, for all the neighbors to hear, ‘Meany-head mommy.’: Mom urges ‘grace, even when we least deserve it’
“I know what you’re thinking. She’s four. You’re thirty-four. Why would you even have to control yourself. I put my four-year-old in timeout on the patio, and she’s been chanting for over five minutes.”
‘Nothing terrifies me more than returning to the workplace. A workplace full of judgement and critique, stress and guilt. I am a MOTHER first, and an EMPLOYEE second.’: Mom shares fear of going back to work
“A workplace where, likely, but hopefully not, work and clients will have to come first, and family, well, if you have and are ‘into’ those, must come second.”
‘I couldn’t get ‘high enough’ anymore. I went from a meeting to my dealer. Then I almost died.’: Woman recounts sobriety journey, ‘I finally accepted help’
“I remember waking up the next morning ashamed. I panicked. I wasn’t ready to be done using yet.”
‘I left in the middle of a conversation. It’s OKAY to protect your heart. Get out and DON’T look back.’: Woman pushes ‘unfollow’ mentality, ‘Be careful what you give your energy to’
“One of those weird arguments that happen in online groups of humans brought together by a common sport, a school, or neighborhood. It had nothing to do with the other people and had everything to do with my heart.”
‘EVERYTHING healed wrong. I was experiencing bouts of pain, and my foot started turning black. I couldn’t lift my head without passing out.’: Woman diagnosed with CRPS shares story, ‘I want my pain to have a purpose’
“I’m not the only person told by a doctor all conventional treatment options have failed. I was told nothing else can be done to decrease my pain. Those are words no one wants to hear, especially someone in their 20s with decades ahead of them.”
‘He probably needed a break. I took her from him and sent him to go get some time and space alone. I took over the parenting responsibilities.’: Mom of seven details ‘parental regret,’ urges ‘be honest about it’
“I snapped a pic, walked over, and took her from him. This photo sums up why I don’t regret becoming a parent.”
‘We did it. We went to the advertised ‘free, fresh, hot meals’ drive-thru at a local church. She said, ‘I’m so glad you came!’: Single mom recounts ‘act of service’ from local church
“She asked how many meals we needed, and I stated there were five of us. Then added, ‘These meals aren’t much, but they are warm and I hope it helps.’ I couldn’t even make it out of the parking lot. I pulled into an empty stall—tears suddenly streaming down my face.”
‘I’ll never forget sitting in a hospital room watching you fight for your life, wishing I could fast forward to today. Today wasn’t supposed to happen.’: Mom pens emotional open letter to son on his first day of Kindergarten
“You’ll ask me when you’re older I’m sure. Why not high school or college graduation for a dream? Because ALL dreams begin with a stepping stone and this is yours. Some dream of puddles but you; the ocean. God knows you’ve swam through several already. It’s independence, it’s normalcy, it’s ‘just being a kid.'”
‘I used to dread Halloween. The costumes, wigs, the masks. Now it’s almost over. How did this happen?’: Mom with growing kids savors time with youngest this Halloween
“The choosing of the costumes, so much expense on a tiny budget for just a few hours. And the choices…oh, the choices. More thought went into what these children would trick or treat as than went into us choosing our first house. Saving your costume for trick or treating isn’t even a thing this year.”
‘What the hell is that? Is it POOP? How did it survive the wash cycle?! Wait, can poop be sanitized?’: Mom hilariously recounts ‘heart-stopping’ moment of confusion, ‘Hang in there, y’all’
“A cold wash of panic flooded my chest. I blinked rapidly. ‘Oh my god, how did poop get in the washing machine?!’ I do not want to have to buy a new washer. Nonetheless, I had to address the situation at hand.”