“How dare she put me in this position! How dare she speak those words into my son’s life! How DARE she. I spent the entire rest of the Target trip trying to conjure up the perfect retort. Who does she think she is, anyway!? I stopped dead in my tracks and started laughing.”
“There are days I’m so tired and weak I can’t help but cry. I carry a lot of weight for my kid, in support of who he is now. ‘We have something super awkward to talk about.’ ‘Okay, what is it?’ ‘I know you’re in middle school now. Sometimes sex is a thing with kids that age. But I’m worried about it, and want you to wait. I don’t want you to experience sex for the first time as the wrong gender and have it hurt you.’ He’s dealing with a lot. Much more than I ever did as a 12-year-old.”
“‘How’s your son? Is he finally that TV star?’ Her question stopped me dead in my tracks. I left with tears in my eyes. He’s been missing for 2 years.”
“I’m thankful for every time you rub my back until I fall asleep at night. For every time our kids’ eyes light up when you walk through the door. The way you protect and provide for our family. Thank you for every giggle, every touch, every heart emoji you send. For everything that makes me feel safe in a world full of worries. I thank God for you every day.”
“I really do hope to provide the very best possible life I can imagine for them. And oftentimes… that means I say NO.”
“I block user after user after user. I never thought I’d be tired of the words ‘pretty’ and ‘beautiful’ and being told how ‘desirable’ I am (in the most vulgar ways). I’m not trying to sound conceited. If only they knew me. Really knew me. My lips mean more to men than anything else about me.”
“I’m a wife that loves and supports her husband in anything he does. A mom who can heal boo boos with a kiss and turn a frown upside down. A boss who has to make the tough calls and not loose her mind when sh*t hits the fan. When life gets overwhelming, it’s okay to let your guard down. Throw one of those ‘hats’ up in the air for the day. Just be sure to catch it and try again tomorrow.”
“Go if you want, stay home if you want. Excuse yourself if you’re tired, or it’s too chaotic. Boundary lines blur during the holiday season, and our cheer gets the best of us. Just remember, ‘We have an obligation to love everyone, but some people we must love at a safe distance.’ Send them to the kiddy table and keep yourself at peace.”
“Before we had even met, we started off on the wrong foot. It began when Nick (my ex) and Savannah (his new girlfriend) were dating and took my baby to Disneyland. Savannah took a picture and posted it online. I was angry. It felt like someone was being the ‘replacement’ as Liv’s mom.”
“I remember trying to fill the time until my husband got home from work in 10 minute increments. ‘Okay, we can look in the mirror until 4:17, then we’ll walk down to get the mail. That’ll get us to about 4:30. When we get back, we can read books until 4:45. Then preheat the oven and get all the ingredients out for supper. At 5, I can put him in his swing and start cooking dinner.’ I cannot perfect my children. And that sucks.”
