‘It snapped me awake. What I thought was snoring, was actually the ‘death rattle.’: Woman remarries after high school sweetheart’s sudden death, creates big, blended family with new husband, ‘I love my husband’s ex-wife’

“I found myself breaking my set of rules with him right away. I never got in a car with someone. I went for a drive with him on the first date, to the middle of nowhere, to ‘look for owls.’ I told him to invite Meredith (his ex) over for Christmas morning. He was confused. I love my husband’s ex-wife.”

‘Well the doctor said I am crazier than him!’ Grandma exclaimed with a look I couldn’t quite place.’: Granddaughter learns important lesson in caring for elders, ‘I didn’t know it then. Everything ends.’

“4 months after I had the baby, Grandma passed away. My kids learned to honor the elderly. They learned to put someone else’s needs above their own. They soaked in the last possible days with people that spent a lifetime pouring into all of us. For that, I have no regrets.”

‘Mommy, why do you put on that makeup?’ Every day, I lie to my daughter.’: Mom avoids telling young daughter ‘real reasons’ for insecurities, ‘I won’t bring her down with my ugly truth’

“‘I put on makeup because I like to play with colors. You know, like you play with your art?’ For a second I wonder if that frown had given me away. But then, she’s jabbering on about the butterfly we finger painted yesterday. Thank God, I think. It worked.”

‘Tragically, she died by poisoning.’ Needless to say, I was aghast, horrified. ‘Holy cow, I’m so sorry.’: Woman recalls sarcastic husband’s morbid first date joke, ‘He was laughing so hard he was gasping for breath’

“We begin making more small talk. ‘You mentioned you’ve been married twice. What happened with your second wife?’ Manny sat straight up in his chair and looked me in the eye. ‘Well, sadly, she died as well…’ By now I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I could end up in the back of his trunk.’ Our server hands us our food. We just sat there across from each other in silence.”

‘You’re sitting on something.’ I about died. I got engaged in the Costco parking lot.’: Woman recalls hilarious engagement story after first date at Costco

“We walked by the jewelry section. I spotted the prettiest emerald ring. Manny said, ‘nice stuff’. I said, ‘yes, the emerald is gorgeous.’ He said, ‘Thanks, we are just looking.’ I made a bee line over to the jewelry case to find the ring later. It wasn’t there. I couldn’t believe it. ‘I’m sorry, right as you left, another couple came by and bought it.’ I get in the car, not speaking to him.”

grief

‘I remember blood all over the counter, a calm look on my mom’s face. At 13, she sent me to get bandages for her ‘accidental’ cut.’: Woman shares healing journey after mother’s suicide

“I’ve been to my mom’s grave twice. In 20 years. You won’t find a single photo of her in my home. I know this wasn’t her fault. It doesn’t change the effects her illnesses have had on me. None of it changes that her 60th birthday is not a birthday at all, because she is dead. I want to honor her, I really do. But I can’t face the woman who tried to break me.”

‘You are on vacation again?’ I feel like a fake. They don’t see I want to be anywhere but here’: Woman receives ‘reminder’ of faith in moment of struggle, ‘I was broken in shambles’

“Social media sees me on a Caribbean island right now, drinking fruity drinks, floating in the ocean. While everyone was still waking up, I walked the beach. I was angry. I need more answers than that! Moments later, I found a beat-up dime floating in the ocean. I cried painful tears. ‘This is what I am doing to you.'”

‘How can you allow a dead baby to stay inside you?’ ‘Because it’s my baby.’ I’m keeping her safe.’: Mom suffers multiple miscarriages, loss of twin, says ‘to me, every child matters’

“We rushed to the doctor. I was sadly met with little concern. ‘There is nothing we can do. Let nature take its course, what will be, will be!’ I chose the natural route. I wanted to keep her with me for as long as possible. A scan showed the baby had grown further, but her heart remained still. ‘No Zoe, sadly your baby hasn’t miraculously come back to life. Yes, we know you had hoped it would happen.’”

‘How is this real?!’ A baby fell into the toilet. I heard a loud, ‘Whaaa!’ I was 37, ‘infertile,’ and absolutely terrified.’: Mom unexpectedly births baby in toilet after battling PCOS, infertility for 13 years

“My partner and I had been together 13 years. No matter how badly I wanted it, I couldn’t get pregnant. I kept thinking when the time is right, my body would let me know. One day, I started bleeding and assumed I got my period. I went to the bathroom. This time, I felt pressure. I put my hand down and felt a head! ‘Call 911!’ Everything was a blur. I pushed again and a placenta fell into my hand. I was absolutely in shock.”

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