“‘This isn’t the way I’m supposed to live my life.’ I wanted so badly to be a mom. ‘Who will ever marry someone like me?’ I remember thinking, ‘Who would let me raise their baby? I am an awful human being.’”
‘No one will let me adopt a baby after what I’ve done.’: Woman gets clean, adopts baby from foster care
‘Is he ok?’ I was afraid to say the words. I never told a soul about my feelings, not even my husband.’: Mom births son with Down syndrome, ‘I am so thankful for his perfect 47 chromosomes’
“I always imagined this big strong guy like my husband – a star football player and maybe a military pilot. But after Gabe’s diagnosis, suddenly those dreams came crashing down. I worried if Gabe would ever drive, get married, or just end up living with us forever.”
‘You give my kids something to look forward to every day, a smile from someone outside these four walls. Has anyone asked you, ‘How are you holding up?’: Mom pens appreciation letter to teachers
“I see your kids in the background during your one-one-one chats with my sons. Yours are working with headphones or playing in the backyard while you give my kids the attention they need. My little stinkers love you more than you’ll ever discern from their random, wandering stories on Zoom.”
‘These new dates aren’t what I had.’ Phoning a friend at 3:22 a.m. after 27 glasses of wine is impractical.’: Widower and single dad urges ‘YOU are in charge of YOUR happiness’
‘DO NOT try to fill that void with another person. DO NOT assume for one second someone else in your life right now is going to replace what you had and wish to have again.”
Dear Students: Be Proud Of Your Post-Graduation Plan, No Matter Your Path
“Last night, I asked my student what he plans to do post-graduation. He said, ‘I’m just going to community college.’ My heart sank. He’s worked his butt off for 4 years and isn’t proud.”
‘We are sick and tired of this and sick and tired of each other. And yet, I’m nowhere near ready to leave my cocoon.’: Woman urges ‘hold onto hope’ during pandemic
“If you’re anxious to move on, but terrified what that looks like. If you want nothing more than to resume life, but are worried it might be too soon. If you are craving guidance and direction, but feel lost and unseen. There is only one thing we can do.”
‘She got hold of my phone. I’m scrolling through my phone and see that she took pictures of me without me realizing it.’: Mom struggling with mental health says ‘you are enough just as the mom you already are’
“As I type this, I’m sitting on the potty. Was that TMI? Ugh, I’m sorry. My four-year-old snapped this image of me today.”
‘I accused my father of giving me a desire to be a mom he wouldn’t fulfill. And yet, I knew there was a reason I wasn’t pregnant.’: Woman becomes foster mom after infertility battle, ‘I realized the promise was motherhood, not pregnancy’
“In less than 24 hours, our hearts turned from us to them. Our hearts somersaulted to an option that was nowhere near the table — it wasn’t even in the house. Foster care. And I was right, by the way. I’ve already given one baby back to his natural mom. But I’ll never not be a mom.”
‘She’s only 4.’ She was doing so well with cannabis, we wanted to fight it without harsh protocol’: Cancer warrior fights Stage 4 Neuroblastoma with help of cannabis, ‘We went into fight mode’
“Delilah hadn’t been eating much, but I thought she was just starting to get picky. She screamed and cried in pain. She couldn’t walk anymore. ‘She doesn’t look sick.’ I begged them to do an x-ray.”
‘I cried today. One moment I’m hugging my daughter, the next I’m yelling because she hasn’t finished her school work.’: Mom says ‘knowing I’m not alone keeps me sane’
“I cried yesterday , I cried today. I worry about my family and my aging parents. I worry about job security, and I worry for others — those businesses that may never open back up, the friends who are suddenly out of work.”