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.
‘Oh my god, I’m pregnant,’ I whispered. The first time it occurred to me I was a mom, he was two weeks old.’: Single mom struggles to connect with baby born during Covid, ‘I wasn’t just me anymore’
“Dispatch was on speakerphone yelling unnecessary instructions. Firemen were wandering through my house. ‘My baby is here.’ He didn’t have a name for several hours. This little human was a stranger to me.”
‘To the mom who sits alone because the world is moving on without her, and no one realizes the truth of her reality…’: Woman asks other struggling moms, ‘Can we sit alone together?’
“You watch ball games from vehicle windows, listen to distant conversations and laughter from inside, and send your family off on outdoor adventures with a smile, but one that aches. You view the world from hospital rooms, and the walls of your home become barriers that detain you from the life you once lived.”
‘Cancer didn’t stop him from being the best dad. If anything, it magnified who he was and what was important.’: Young widow shares husband’s selflessness, despite battling cancer
“We didn’t have two pennies to rub together, so our ‘treat’ was Arby’s. It was so cold, and the employees were trying to kick a homeless man out of the restaurant. Matt walked to the register, bought him a meal, sat it down in front of him, and told him to eat real slow and stay as long as he wanted. There was no one who was immune to the goodness of Matt’s heart.”
‘My patient died,’ he said with a sigh. ‘The one I was so worried about.’ The look on his face broke my heart.’: Wife of healthcare worker applauds heroism, ‘They always show up’
“‘He said he was sorry. He thought the whole thing was a hoax. He was terrified.’ The conflict was clear across his face, He just grabbed his coffee and kissed my cheek, then headed out the door.”
‘String cheese and pistachios, that’s it.’ I cut my chicken and slid it into my napkin. He noticed something was wrong.’: Partner helps woman recover from anorexia, ‘He met me halfway’
“Ermes and I met online. He noticed quickly something was wrong. When he saw there was hope, he met me halfway. A week or so later, he proposed to me. Hope.”
‘Every family has their THING. But, whether or not your family has it figured out, I hope you’ll consider a small piece of advice.’: Woman encourages others to make this their family’s ‘thing’
“Some families are rich as sin and sponsor all of the things and host all of the parties. Some families have kids on the football team. Some families raise geniuses who are writing cancer grants by the age of 16. Some families have 15 kids whose names begin with the same letter. Some families have three-year-olds who play piano and can speak three languages.”
‘Oh no… a fat girl in your feed. A bigger girl shouldn’t show her body. It’s gross!’: Woman shares why a ‘fat girl’ should be in your feed more often
“If she does, it must be because she has a message. Maybe it’s about the stretch marks on her butt or boobs, that grew from puberty. Maybe she learned to love her body. Which is odd. Because it IS normal.”
‘This is an end-of-my-rope, shouting from my darkest, most cob-webby places, cry for help. I can’t do it anymore.’: Mom says ‘refuse to feel guilty for having basic human needs’
“Part of this is my fault. Yesterday, I threw a birthday party for our child with extra needs. I can’t seem to be honest when I need help or when I need a break. Sometimes I just need a day.”
‘I turned thirty years old. ‘I wanna talk to you about something. You know I want to be pregnant and have a family?’ I am getting a sperm donor’: Mom to-be journals her IUI journey during COVID
“Don’t you want to wait for the right guy?’ Single parenting is hard, are you sure you can afford it?’ I cried. I was so emotional, I was like this can’t honestly be happening to me right now, everything is ready to go. Being a mom has always been my dream.”
‘My chin looks dumb when I smile.’ Your baby girl compares herself to the cheerleader who got a date.’: Mom preaches body positive parenting, ‘You MUST talk to them’
“’I’m so fat.’ ‘I hate this outfit.’ The word ‘thigh gap’ will enter your daughter’s hemisphere. Every billboard, commercial, random dude, social media post, and Hollywood movie will talk to her about her body. Let that fight START WITH YOU.”