“This summer, we said ‘Yes!’ It was a leap of faith. I suited up in PPE and they placed her in my arms. ‘Meet Julia.’ All I could do was thank God.”
‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ I was at a crossroads. I knew it was my calling.’: Mom turns down dream job to foster, ‘I wanted to make a difference’
‘I handed her baby to her. ‘I’m so excited and proud of you.’ It was a precious moment between two mothers.’: Foster mom celebrates reunion, ‘It’s a blessing to see others heal’
“One of my kids screamed, ‘They’re here!’ I gathered her things and met her momma. The exchange spoke a million words. That was it. The moment that healed.”
‘What the hell is that? Is it POOP? How did it survive the wash cycle?! Wait, can poop be sanitized?’: Mom hilariously recounts ‘heart-stopping’ moment of confusion, ‘Hang in there, y’all’
“A cold wash of panic flooded my chest. I blinked rapidly. ‘Oh my god, how did poop get in the washing machine?!’ I do not want to have to buy a new washer. Nonetheless, I had to address the situation at hand.”
‘If I lose 10 more pounds, I’ll be happy.’ I had a postpartum body to ‘fix.’ I was terrified of getting fat.’: Mom overcomes postpartum depression and eating disorder, ‘Change is possible’
“I blamed myself for not being like other moms who had it all together. I would halt a workout and walk out of the gym if I spotted a fitter girl. It drove me into a pit of despair.”
‘There’s something I want to tell you. My partner is female.’ When I finally pressed send, I felt the world stop.’: Woman in same-sex marriage urges ‘be true to yourself’
“As I posted photos of us together, more questions came my way. I didn’t have anything to hide. On National Coming Out Day, I texted my dad. ‘In a perfect world, you could be happy for me.’ I was freed.”
‘He hands me a check. I walk out to the car and see he put ‘Kate.’ I cried. I looked back and really looked at him. So tiny and frail. I told him I preferred ‘butthole.’: Woman shares ‘drive-thru friendship’ story of kindness
“He wouldn’t look at me, he would hand me money and say he wanted a six pack of Natty. He handed me a debit card and a grocery list and told us we could spend $20 on ourselves. I jumped for joy as soon as I shut the window. A couple hair cuts later, he hands me a check.”
‘We belong together, the three of us. We’re a perfect fit.’ With 6 combined kids, the stakes were high.’: Woman shares experience in polyamorous relationship, ‘Love doesn’t have limits’
“People began to talk and rumors were spreading. ‘You’d do anything to keep your man.’ It all seemed too big and scary. What was bigger and scarier was living without each other.”
‘They whine because they FEEL SAFE. It’s the silent ones I worry about. They are the ones who don’t feel safe.’: Former social worker says, ‘Imagine all the times you felt too scared to speak up’
“Not the shy ones or the quiet ones. The ones who were too scared to speak up.”
‘Why suffer when there’s medication!’ I begged for help, no one heard.’: Widow suffers PTSD, finds herself, ‘I finally embraced the woman I once knew’’
“’I can’t do this anymore.’ I was stuck in molasses, unable to move forward. ‘PTSD? That’s for those in the army, or for major trauma.’ I was speechless.”
‘He’s only 11! He’s too young for college.’ She set out to prove I wasn’t smart. I got grouped with disruptive kids.’: 13-year-old attends college, ‘I found a place that challenges me’
“In 1st grade they took my reading score. ‘We’re looking for anything over 50. Over 200 and they’re ready for 2nd grade. Rohan scored 530.’”