“The second we got off the elevator my heart dropped to my feet. I wasn’t ready for what I was about to see. We walked only a few hundred feet but it seemed like miles. I remember the smell of saline and alcohol as if I was there. The beeping and the sounds of the machines working to keep my nephew alive still haunt my dreams.”
‘They didn’t stay because he was ‘lifeless,’ leaving Jeffery with the nurses and machines for company. I knew I had to be there for him.’: Aunt details caring for Shaken Baby Syndrome survivor
‘If we’d said no to this journey she’d be dead. Please know your YES matters to the life of an orphan.’: Couple compelled by faith pursue international, special needs adoptions
“The faces of the remaining orphans looked through the rod iron gate, waving goodbye with sad faces. Many of them will never experience the love of a family. It changed our hearts dramatically, and we knew we would adopt again.”
‘I was so depressed I spent 5 days in the psych ward. My husband promised he’d be there for me, but that wasn’t the case when I came home.’: Divorcee candidly shares healing, self-love journey
“About 6 months into my pregnancy, I noticed a shift in my relationship with my husband. He came to me and told me he was unhappy. It rocked my world and for the first time in a long time, I dipped into a depression.”
‘After going through that miscarriage, I resolved to never ‘try’ or even pray to have another baby ever again.’: Miscarriage survivor welcomes rainbow twins, one with Down Syndrome
“’What if no one accepts our babies?’ Mark looked me right in the eye and said, ‘WE will accept our babies! We will love them just like we would any other baby, and Lyndi will love them both just as much. This is our little family. They will be perfect!’”
‘He wrote, ‘You are the most loved stepmom in the entire universe,’ something I never thought I could be.’: Child of divorce 3 times over details healing in becoming a stepmom
“My time in this role of ‘stepmom’ has healed my heart in ways therapy never could.”
‘Lying down one night, it randomly hit me. ‘I’m pretty sure I have autism…’: Mom explores late autism diagnosis in wake of 2-year-old son’s diagnosis
“I don’t remember what the train of thought was before that, or what exact situation led to that epiphany, but I remember smiling because deep down I already knew. Life genuinely started to make more sense.”
‘I’d FaceTime him constantly, needing to know my kids were OK. I felt so out of control.’: Daughter of divorce shares personal journey to peaceful coparenting
“I hated the idea someone could walk into my children’s lives and automatically gain their love. They’d run up to her, give her kisses, and tell her they loved her. Honestly, my heart broke every time. I had no idea what boundaries should be in place or what steps were best for the children. There was no handbook for co-parenting, and I was desperately grasping at straws.”
Co-Parenting Is Not About Perfection, But Consistent Effort
“We don’t have to be best friends, follow each other on social media, hang out as a family, or even communicate about non-child centered things… but we do have to make it work for our kids.”
‘I threw myself at him, buried my face in his uniformed chest, and just screamed.’: Young widow recounts healing journey using support groups
“I woke to find my husband blue in our bed with his left arm dangling off the side. My legs immediately felt as if they were made of concrete, and I could not stop screaming.”
‘I collapsed against the washing machine, sobbing. ‘I can’t do this anymore,’ was all I could choke out.’: Mom shares postpartum depression diagnosis journey
“When Mitchell got the bottle out of the cabinet, I froze. What if we give her too much and she overdoses and dies? I was terrified of giving her Tylenol, and broke down in tears as my baby wailed in pain. I felt too paralyzed by my own horrifying thoughts to do anything about it.”