“There’s a different side to this world. A world with joy and gratitude like you’ve never seen. It’s never lost on me we could be somewhere else. It really is the little things that matter.”
‘Somewhere there’s a mom tired of picking up toys. Somewhere else, there’s a mom choosing her child’s first wheelchair.’: Special needs mom says ‘I’ll always be grateful for where we are’
‘Why did you quit?’ I didn’t need to hit rock bottom. I was ‘functional’ but I went to the liquor store every night. I KNEW I needed a reset.’: Mom shares sobriety journey, ‘I live with clarity’
“No one ever said a thing about my drinking, even those closest to me. That’s the funny thing about alcohol. You can be silently dying inside but the outside world has no idea.”
‘I hit a patch of black ice and lost control. ‘We can’t get her out!’ They cut my seatbelt off, but my legs were stuck.’: Woman survives car accident, traumatic brain injury, ‘I’ve come SO far’
“The car spun and hit a tree. I was unconscious upon impact. My mom was calling my name with no response. I was in a coma for a week, with a bolt in my head.”
‘My husband said, ‘I think that’s blood.’ This couldn’t be happening AGAIN. A terrifying 911 call was placed.’: Couple shares miscarriage journey, pregnancy, ‘We’re going to end this year with a rainbow’
“I sat in complete shock after she said it. I couldn’t think, not even to make a grocery list or clean our house. The panic attacks became a daily thing. I didn’t think I’d survive the month of October.”
‘I know it’s gone, I just know it.’ I sat in the back room, alone and bleeding. The guilt hung over me. We needed answers.’: Woman shares journey to rainbow baby, ‘Your grief is valid’
“I felt like I failed my husband, who had dreamed of being a dad. I was embarrassed to call our family and friends. How do you tell them, ‘Never mind?’ I didn’t want to be pitied. I wanted my life to return to normal.”
‘He’s only a few days old, and white.’ He didn’t even weigh enough to leave. I did skin-to-skin for weeks.’: Woman battles infertility, fosters-to-adopt, ‘We don’t have to look alike to love alike’
“Seven miscarriages later, the carpet was pulled from under us. She came into our lives at just the right moment.”
‘Can you take my child? Also, I’m pregnant.’ I ugly cried. They had to stay in Japan. I didn’t know if I’d see them again.’: Couple adopts siblings internationally, describes process, ‘It took a year to be reunited’
“How could I leave? Surely, if I had enough faith, we could be reunited, right? His response was not the resounding ‘YES!’ I’d hoped for.”
‘We’re a family of drinkers. It’s what we do.’ I had two young kids. Who could judge me for needing a couple glasses of wine to take the edge off?’: Mom details sobriety journey, ‘I choose myself’
“I drank the way everyone else did. As a sport, a pastime, a rite of passage. I sipped a travel mug full of wine as we pushed the double stroller. I cut the crusts off sandwiches and built block towers with the ghost of a hangover hovering above me.”
‘Please give me something to eat. I can’t do it anymore.’ My stomach was swollen. I felt weak and powerful at the same time.’: Model overcomes eating disorder, ‘I’m MORE than a label’
“I lost 26 pounds in 2 months. My legs weren’t strong enough to hold me. I refused to eat, and if I’d eat too much, I just threw it up when I was alone. Nothing seemed real.”
‘This year has left us numb. We’re searching for just a little bit of Christmas magic. That’s when I had the idea.’: Mom creates Drive-Thru Santa for neighborhood, ‘We need joy now more than ever’
“This year will be different. The children can’t touch his white beard, feel the texture of his velvet suit, or sit on his lap. Yet, our neighborhood came together to keep the Christmas magic alive. The spirit is the same.”