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.
‘That made her BIG mad. We’re talking wailing, crying, and gnashing of teeth. ‘You’re an EVIL mommy!’: Mom feels closer to God after toddler’s tantrum
“I let her mourn and scream. There was no reasoning with her, anyways. She wanted what she wanted. But, I couldn’t stop thinking, ‘If only she knew what was coming. If only she knew why I wouldn’t pull over.’ I was contemplating this to myself and realized, holy cow, I’m no better than my toddler.”
‘I used to be the one they went to for all the things. The one-stop shop for food and comfort and love.’: Mother of teenagers says ‘it’s all a blessing… every bit’
“I used to make breakfasts for kids in footie pajamas, swinging their legs at my kitchen counter. Now, I make four frozen pizzas at once, trying to keep up with how much these tall kids are eating. I used to stay up at night worrying about what they ate that day. Now, I stay awake hoping they are driving safely.”
‘I rocked a 30-pound ‘baby’ for hours. I’ve stayed up to make sure she wasn’t gasping for air.’: Mom says that parents ‘sign up to be full-time employees to the cutest bosses around
“I’m an employee with no sick days, no breaks, and working double-time on holidays.”
‘I’m still forced to see him at court proceedings. I want to run so far away from him. My whole body hurts.’: Narcissistic abuse survivor says ‘there is absolutely nothing romantic about abuse’
“’Come on, it wasn’t all bad.’ I agonized over every detail of our relationship trying to make sense of it all. I cried. A lot. Just because things seemed good, doesn’t mean they ever really were.”
‘Her whole world could be breaking, but for her children, she’ll always smile. Being everyone’s everything isn’t easy.’: Mom says ‘behind those smiles, my beautiful fellow mothers, I see you’
“Motherhood is fragile. And, behind every mother’s smile is a strength that is incomparable. A woman who never quits, and in the toughest times, shows the world her bravest face.”
‘I bought school supplies today, because I wanted to feel normal. Because I still have hope.’: Mom holds out hope for the day school returns to normal
“Last year, it was impossible to find construction paper and crayons. So, I bought the highlighters, because I still have hope.”
‘We didn’t want to announce, ‘ADOPTIVE FAMILY’ every time we walked in a room. It was never a question of love.’: Mom of multiracial family says ‘our happily ever after is my favorite story’
“I cried all 300 miles home. We took some time to grieve and decide if we were going to pursue adoption or remain childless. Then one day, I heard a news story out of Haiti, and something in me perked up. ‘There they are. Those are our kids.’”
‘I started to compare her to the other two and blame myself. Somehow, I was responsible.’: Mom talks importance of not comparing your children to others
“I did my best to breastfeed, and I gave them formula. I did my best to socialize them and teach them, and I let them watch TV and play on their iPads. By my third, I stopped caring.”
‘I wanted her approval. Ever since we met, she’s been amazing. We’re not a group of friends. We’re two sets of parents, killing the co-parenting game.’: Step-mom says co-parenting says is a ‘blessing’
“‘They are basically our family, so we might as well embrace it!’ Five days in to their visit, and it has been better than I expected, and so good for the soul. It has just felt so easy integrating our families. I look forward to making many more memories!”
‘Complete strangers came to my rescue. They dove in the water, dug trenches, and scraped their knees.’: Woman touched by acts of kindness after losing treasured wedding ring in ocean
“I screamed and cried, and my friends and family came running. Tom, a very sweet man about to turn 60, told us he’d been metal detecting for 35 years. I believe the entire island knew our story, and him, before we left.”