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.
‘All they see is ‘locked in his room’ and immediately jump to ‘savior’ mode.’They call CPS without knowing the damage it can do.’: Mom of bipolar, autistic son advocates for mental health, ‘Each victory makes us stronger’
“He has been up till 2:00 a.m. every night the past four nights. I can see the exhaustion in his eyes, but his brain is on rapid-fire mode. I feel like a horrible mom sitting on the floor in the hall outside his room, which is locked, listening to him.”
‘K, this weekend for sure. No more BS. No excuses this time.’ He relapsed, again. ‘I’m so scared. I don’t want to die like this.’: Woman details her struggles with loving an addict
He starts to tell you, ‘My liver is hurting; I really need to stop.’ ‘I threw up a little blood. Don’t worry, I’m going to get sober.’ You start making deals with God, who you haven’t talked to in years. ‘Don’t leave him,’ you tell yourself. ‘It’s only temporary.’ Then…he never makes it. He relapses because he hates himself sober too.”
‘She showed me the texts, shaking. ‘My son and his friends were planning to splash a milkshake on her face.’: Mom urges ‘bullying affects everyone’
“I was at the beach with my kiddies when I saw a woman crying. She left from yelling at her 15-year-old son and went for a walk because she didn’t want him to see her tears. She found out he has been bullying a girl at school and took his phone. Shaking, she showed me the group texts.”
‘Dad, grab a leg.’ Wait, what? Aren’t I supposed to be all scrubbed up, brushing the hair out of her face while she pushes?’: New dad says being a parent ‘has been the best investment I ever made’
“This was the text that would change my life: ‘When you get home, I think we need to go to the hospital.’ I stormed into the hospital, ‘My wife is in labor!’ The nurse had a leg, I had a leg, and I was about to help deliver our son. I remember saying, ‘That was the craziest sh*t I have ever experienced.’ I would kill for him, and I mean that in the sincerest way.”
‘I fell straight through the attic to the concrete garage floor. Cheated on for years, all I could do was wonder, ‘Why? How long before he decides to move on?’: After accident, woman says husband has ‘shown me what real love looks like’
“Life seemed perfect. Everything was falling into place. Then a tragic, freak accident changed everything. ‘Your bones resemble a scrambled jigsaw puzzle.’ I am learning to walk again. ‘Whatever happens, we are in this together.’ He had to lift me up, carry me around, bathe me, and feed me. His life changed just as much as mine did.”
‘Even at 9 months pregnant, I spent a few days a week at the gym. ‘You look FAT.’ I cringed when people wanted to snap a photo.’: Mom of four encourages moms to embrace their normal
“I was in the best shape of my life when I got pregnant with our rainbow baby. Holding my 8-day-old baby, all I saw was that belly. I felt like a failure when the weight didn’t fall off a month or two later.”
‘It’s normal to not be ‘in love’ with your husband forever. That’s not really love, anyway.’: Woman reminds that ‘love isn’t a chore. We choose each other, in spite of it all’
“We broke up and called it quits. It hasn’t been the first time, but this time, it was almost for real and it made me question whether I was ready to give up the last 7 years. Then a friend of mine said something to me that clicked in my brain.”
‘Me? Why do I have to be the one to make the call? This man did unimaginable things to me.’: After 15 years, woman reaches out to her abuser, ’God was calling ME to forgiveness.’
“On the cold bathroom floor, tears welling up in my eyes, I dialed the number and he answered. ‘This is Kari. The one you sexually abused.’ I could feel my husband’s comforting hand over my shoulder.”
‘Her mom came to parent-teacher conference with weary, troubled eyes. ‘Has she asked you to call her by a different name yet?’: Christian teacher’s ‘heart softened’ after she learns her student is transgender
“I’d had her as my student for nearly 100 days. Instead of spewing my stance, ‘Ummm, there are two genders. God made man and woman,’ I surprised myself. Direct eye contact ceased, and eyes darted to shoes. ‘I thought you’d be upset.’ The next moments will be etched in my mind forever.”
‘Just get the babies in the car.’ I stood there for too long, wondering how to let a stranger clean up my mess. It was way harder than I wanted it to be.’: Mom thanks Trader Joe’s employee for showing her ‘the beauty in the mess’
“I believe I told you ‘just shove it in, and pray,’ which I immediately wanted to follow-up with, ‘That’s what she said.’ I heard the bag filled with grapes, strawberries, and blueberries tumble to the ground. Without hesitation, you told me to let you clean it up and you would be right back out with fresh replacements. I didn’t want to accept the help, but I knew I needed it.”