Children

‘I’m not going to sugar coat it. His file is so big, no one will even look at it anymore.’ He was pencil thin, eyes sunken so deep. He was ours.’: Couple adopts 16-year-old runaway after his birth mom called police on him, ‘His story didn’t end how the world told him it would’

“She was dancing around the facts, and we could tell. She wanted to see if we would scare. He’d run from his previous placement, was failing all of his classes. She had no other place to turn. We asked to FaceTime him. We saw the emptiness in his eyes and the face of a kid who didn’t even know what hope was. He couldn’t make eye contact. His skin was covered with sores, his hands curled and tremored. He was 15. He was ours. He told us the drugs he’d done, the girls he’d been with, and the things he’d seen, and I couldn’t help but see the beginnings of a boy who would leave that past behind.”

By Eliza Murphy

‘I chose to wear headphones. I didn’t want to hear or see Lily, afraid she would die. I kept my eyes affixed on my husband.’: Parents who lost twin daughter navigate marriage through tragedy, ‘We weren’t remotely prepared for what lay ahead’

“My husband encouraged me to look at my 1-pound daughter. If Lily died, we agreed to sell all our belongings and move to a beach in Hawaii, disappearing until we felt strong enough to return – but Pat knew Lily was strong enough to survive. I had intense, terrifying thoughts. This is not what we anticipated when we took our vows, but we faced each day together. We’ve come so far from stupid teenagers breaking curfew for 5 more minutes together, but if they could look ahead, I know they’d be pretty damn proud of us, too.”

By Eliza Murphy

‘I know it’s only for a few minutes, but having children does not entitle you to handicap parking.’: Mom pens PSA on handicap parking, ‘your convenience is not more important than our safety’

“I know it doesn’t feel like a big deal. I know other people are doing it. But I’ve been the mom unloading two wheelchairs, awkwardly lifting two children out of the vehicle in a normal parking space because a minivan of laughing teenagers with no blue tag pulled into the only available handicap space.”

By Sophia San Filippo

‘Let’s raise our cold coffee mugs for every torn piece of wrapping paper we’ve picked up in the last 48 hours.’: Woman pens appreciation letter to moms who worked hard to make Christmas magical

“For every piece of cardboard we’ve folded to fit in a garbage bag (tetris has nothing on us, mamas). For all the months spent thinking about, searching for, and finally finding the most perfect gifts. All the time spent tracking packages from Amazon. We’ll never get this Christmas again. This one right here, right now. For next year, our little hearts will be another year older, another year wiser.”

By Sophia San Filippo

‘I can hear him singing, ‘Hip, hip, hooray for Christmas Vacation.’ I can see him lighting the fireplace. Memories, never to be again.’: A year after husband’s death in plane crash, mom’s advice on surviving grief during holidays

“I can see him turning the thermostat to 68, knowing dang well it’s freezing outside and the heat should be set to 72. I can also see him baking cookies with the kids, and letting them decorate the tree. The problem is, these are simply memories, visualizations of what will never be. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

By Becky Balfe

‘There is a 90% chance your baby will be born with Down Syndrome.’: Couple prepares for rare Down syndrome Diagnosis, ‘we knew a diagnosis didn’t change our love for this little life inside of me.’

“I had no idea just a couple of days later, we would experience a loss and pain we were never prepared for. Our loss made us stronger. ’Your scans showed a high probability your baby will have Down Syndrome.’ How can I be a good mother when I hate being pregnant? I just didn’t want to be pregnant anymore.”

By Colin Balfe

‘I’m not just a single woman looking for a mate. I’m a mother. Nobody talks about the other kinds of messy.’: Mother of two opens up about changed family dynamic after remarrying.

“And that’s when I realized motherhood is not picket fences and perfectly packed school lunches in bento boxes. It’s stressful and complicated while also being fulfilling and making your heart fuller than you ever imagined. It’s good mixed with ugly. It’s yin and yang. It’s real life.”

By Colin Balfe

‘Can’t you just cut him out?’ It hit me. I have to give birth to my dead son. He was so beautiful.’: Mom ‘didn’t get a conclusive reason’ for child’s death, ‘the autopsy showed a perfectly healthy, fully formed baby boy’

“He had big hands and feet, chubby little cheeks, a perfect button nose, bright red lips and a little dimple chin. My fiancé burst into tears. ‘I’m absolutely heartbroken.’ We both were. The last words I said to our beautiful boy were, ‘You are absolutely perfect, our darling boy. We are so lucky to be your mommy and daddy. We love you so much.’ We didn’t get a conclusive reason for Ari’s death. The autopsy showed a perfectly healthy baby boy.”

By Eliza Murphy

‘Are you willing to take my baby girl?’ We booked a one-way ticket. They hadn’t seen each other in 20 months.’: Adoptive parents take in son’s older sister during tough time for biological mom, ‘We would do anything for her’

“My husband and I booked a one-way ticket for her. On her first flight. She finally arrived at our front door at 2 a.m.. With open arms, we welcomed our youngest son’s biological sister into our home. The moment they saw each other they exchanged the sweetest embrace. They just knew. Knew their love for each other. And the connection they shared. We do not know how long she will be with us. But she is family.”

By Eliza Murphy
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