“My cousin showed up at my house. Though her voice was calm when she arrived, I knew in that moment my sister was gone. Her death would be under investigation. She’d been struggling for months.”
‘Your sister passed away.’ In a matter of years, I lost half my immediate family. This grief is not linear.’: Woman pens moving grief journey, ‘I live every day with authenticity’
‘Are you crazy? You wasted 12 inches just to donate to some random person? Why did you do this to your beautiful hair?’: Mom and daughter donate luscious locks to kids with cancer
“I asked her many times before the actual haircut, ‘Are you okay with this?’ ‘Yes mama! I am ready to make someone happy.’ She saw me donating and wanted to join in as well. ‘Short hair doesn’t suit you at all.’ It’s not everyone’s job to accept change.”
‘This crying thing is a daily occurrence. But I’m fine. No, really, I AM FINE.’: Mom urges others ‘remind any mom you know you’re there for her’
“It is truly just that hard to be everything to everyone all at once. I’d be lying to you if I said I haven’t cried a whole h*ll of a lot.”
‘I used to make breakfasts for kids in footie pajamas. Now, I watch them spread their wings.’: Mom pens touching note to parents with growing kids, ‘They still need us’
“I used to be the one they went to for all the things.”
‘Could I be his family?’ I couldn’t stand how he was still waiting. Sometimes I’d just cry for him. He needed a family.’: Single woman pursues special needs adoption
“There was something about him that stuck out. I read his profile, saved his picture, and sent it to my best friend. ‘Look how precious this boy is!’ I went on with my day. But to be honest, I never really moved on.”
‘At 2 years old, they called me ‘Mommy.’ No one ever doubted I was their REAL mother. I wasn’t ready for them to know the truth.’: Mom of blended family says ‘at the end of the day, love is what matters’
“They would ask me about their pregnancies. We shrugged our shoulders and moved on. I was scared to tell them. I questioned if they would understand or not.”
‘I married him at 21. There were red flags. After 11 years of marriage, we began couple’s counseling. The next day, he fell from a ladder at work. I knew he was going to die.’: Young widow gets second chance at love, ‘There is always reason to find hope’
“I was a widowed, working, single mom. We began chatting on a dating app. 3 days later, I accidentally Face-Timed him, fresh out of the shower and no makeup. I panicked and almost hung up, but felt God whisper, ‘See if he answers.’ The moment I saw his face, I knew he was my person.”
‘I have a bad feeling.’ Suddenly, I saw commotion. His diaper had fused to his lower back. I could smell his skin.’: Mom shares 2-year-old burn survivor’s journey
“The fire pit was about 5 feet away. I stood up to get a better view and what I saw would haunt me. I wanted so badly to end his pain.”
‘I see you tired of trying to reason with your child. I see you crying in the bathroom, wishing for an ‘easy button’ to press.’: Mom to ‘strong-willed’ child says ‘there is light at the end of the tunnel’
“There is really no taming the strong-willed child without blowing out their fire. Instead, let us embrace it for the good.”
‘I usually hug a crap ton of strangers but because of Covid, I’m home in my bed, with no rainbow to wash off my face.’: Mom calls for LGBTQ love and acceptance
“The idea my children would one day have to seek refuge in the arms of some stranger’s mother… my goodness, that just wrecks me.”