“I went from a stay at home mom of four to having two boys I loved ripped away from me. I had to apply for assistance to feed my children. He had a ‘committed’ relationship, closer to home, which everyone seemed to know about except me.”
‘Fat, lazy, worthless.’ Cue an incredibly nasty divorce. Jobless with a cleaned-out bank account, I needed public assistance to feed my children.’: Divorced mom details self-worth journey, ‘Give yourself permission to be all you are’
‘Drugs, alcohol, depression, lust… you name it. We were a train wreck waiting to happen! To say it was a bumpy road would be an understatement.’: Couple overcome substance abuse, now have 10 children
“I flagged him down and begged him to get out of the car. He could barely talk. He didn’t make sense. What if he had made it onto the main road? I sat out on the back swing, contemplating what I would say to him. How would I say it? Would I leave? Would he ever change?”
‘When the doctor screamed, ‘It’s a girl!’ I pictured ribbons, bows, and princess movies. Having a daughter is nothing like I thought it would be.’: Girl mom urges ‘it is so very much more’
“It’s repeating her worth to her, over and over (and over) again. It’s reassuring her she is capable, even when others diminish her because she’s ‘a girl.’ It’s reminding her that her body is a vessel to be loved, respected, and adored, not abused.”
‘I don’t know his favorite color. He can’t tell me. I’ve grieved. Imagine not being able to communicate?’: Autism mom describes highs and lows of parenting, ‘He makes me a better me’
“I was in tears during every evaluation. ‘How dare she put labels on him!’ I’m not sure if I was ignorant or in denial. Maybe both. I’ve watched his brother surpass him, and it stings.”
‘I’m here,’ she sobs. More and more it doesn’t make sense. Yet it’s all we have now.’: Woman describes caring for mother with Alzheimer’s, ‘Love doesn’t care if I understand’
“People ask, ‘What did she say?’ My response is usually, ‘I have no idea.’ Her voice whispers in my mind: ‘I’m not in my words, you won’t find me in what I say.’ It’s surprising how little it all matters.”
‘Black women are resilient because we have to be, not because we are stronger than you.’: Woman urges ‘our pain is real, physical and emotional’
“The Strong Black woman stereotype implies we are strong, which should be a good thing, but it often isn’t so.”
‘I let my boyfriend keep me from my husband. I dated a man for years who never intended to grow with me, invest in me, or build with me.’: Woman urges ‘the right man will waste NO TIME’
“When my husband-to-be messaged me, I told him straight up, ‘I’m looking for a husband not a boyfriend.’ I was days out of my last relationship. I was tired. 5 years with 2 men who saw no value in me left me drained.”
‘I ruined my life and my family’s life. I messed with our perfect life. I took a risk, and I lost.’: Mom accepts Down Syndrome diagnosis, ‘I’m so glad I had her’
“Shock took my breath away and the words right out of my mouth. I believed I had only months left until life as we knew it would be tragically veered off course, to a new life of health issues and missed opportunities. I ruined my life.”
‘A few police officers were canvassing the street with flashlights. Everyone was shaken. ‘Wait. What if we had been home?’: Family shocked by damage to home after vacation, ‘The sun will shine again’
“All eight days were calling for rain. We woke up to sunny skies. The abundant sunshine became a symbol to us. We arrived home at about midnight. Our oldest daughter said, ‘Hey, what’s that on the ceiling?’ I looked up. ‘Hurry, go tell the cops.’”
‘I can spend Friday night at a bar with my friends. I can go to mommy and me group. That is what moms do. We do it all.’: Woman reminds other mothers to ‘get to know YOU better’
“Pre-baby, I knew who I was. I had an idea of where I was heading. Imagine the shock I endured when I found out we had a tiny human en route. I was about to meet a completely new version of myself. My name was Mom, not Jess. I ate, slept, and breathed motherhood. I started to become more and more aware of my loss of identity.”