‘Mom, can I talk to you about yesterday?’ I no longer wipe tiny bums. I’m grieving the childhood days.’: Mom learns to appreciate teen years, ‘there is beauty in every season of motherhood’

“I don’t pick out school clothes anymore. There’s no one to nurse to sleep. I can’t remember the last time I cut up spaghetti, blew on soup because it was too hot. When they need socks now, they find them. And when they’re hungry? They grab their own snack. There were so many times I wished for these days. Now, I’m standing smack dab in the middle of them, grieving the past.”

‘That girl’s going to wish she didn’t sit by that nasty homeless chick.’ Patrons gave me side-eye.’: Woman encourages compassion after random act of kindness for homeless woman, ‘We’ve gotten so afraid to connect’

“After I placed my muffin on the table, I noticed a pile of filthy, worn bags filled with her belongings. A large piece of folded cardboard peeked out from the top of the bag. Immediately after I sat down, she asked me a question. ‘Have you seen any phone books anywhere?’”

‘Is this a nightmare?’ We said goodbye, not knowing if she’d recognize us again. Our sweet, perfect girl was dying.’: Mom ‘crushed’ by Childhood Alzheimer’s diagnosis, ‘We spoil her every day’

“5 hours after she was born, they needed life-flighted her to another hospital. ‘Your baby is breathing a hundred breaths per minute.’ I was numb. She stayed on oxygen for two months, but there was still no diagnosis. Her file read, ‘Unknown respiratory issues at birth.’ I felt hopeless for answers.”

‘Since you’re 30 weeks, we do a mental health evaluation,’ she said matter-of-factly. I hesitated. ‘Uhhh. Okay.’: Mom shocked to be diagnosed with antepartum depression, depression during pregnancy, after nurse midwife surprised her with ‘mental health evaluation’

“Immediately, the nurse midwife started asking me questions. ‘In the last 2 weeks, have you had thoughts of harming yourself or taking your own life most days, some days, or not at all?’ Me: ‘Most days.’ My throat became dry and tight. I couldn’t hide it anymore.”

‘If they have a disability, they shouldn’t be trick or treating anyway!’ I want to admit something.’: Adult woman with autism urges what is ‘lacking’ on Halloween is ‘acceptance’

“I’m seeing so many posts in groups saying, ‘My kid isn’t autistic, but we will carry the blue bucket too, so people won’t be rude to my child.’ And I want to admit something. My first initial reaction was: ‘Ok, so now people are taking an autism thing and making it about their non-autistic kid. WRONG.”

‘It’s a girl! I have a 35-year-old child. I do not know who the mother is.’: Man ‘mind blown’ after discovering adult daughter he never knew existed, becomes a grandfather overnight

“I did not know Heather existed. In the early 80’s, high school in Southern California presented many opportunities to throw caution to the wind. As a 17-year-old boy, caution was thrown as often as possible. Caution here, caution there, caution was thrown everywhere. On that fateful night, I was enjoying a late dinner with my wife when I got the news.”

‘You chose this. You knew what you were getting into.’ I don’t judge or criticize you.’: Wife recounts the raw reality of being a military spouse, ‘I knew I loved him and wasn’t going to walk away’

“I have to say ‘see you later’ to my husband soon and my heart is broken. We have been preparing for this awful day. I have my spouse wear a sweatshirt every day for a week before he leaves so when I’m lying in bed bawling, I can at least have his scent to give me a small amount of sanity. Your husband’s 3-day business trip is not a comparison, but I’m still sad to see you without him. Because it does suck and I won’t judge you.”

 Share  Tweet