“I cursed new and old stretch marks. ‘Only women who are a size 2 can truly be successful.’ My body image dictated how I spoke to myself, even while my daughter was listening.”
‘I would point women out, ‘Am I skinnier or fatter than her?’ Then I heard my daughter saying similar things. It was sick.’: Mom ‘changes the narrative’ for daughter after wake-up call
‘I desperately tried to hide what was going on from the well-off families. Parents sensed something. Kids were no longer allowed at my house.’: Woman details candid reality of growing up with a drug-addicted parent
“I never got the chance to say goodbye, to tell her that I forgave her. She wasn’t always this way. Reading her journal entries brought me closer to her than I ever thought possible.”
‘I desperately signed over FaceTime, ‘Mom home soon.’ I was stuck in a country with a brand new daughter.’: Couple adopts 2 special needs kids, ‘We are the absolute luckiest’
“I didn’t know when I’d see my husband again. I could hear my son crying, but all I could see was the dreaded ‘poor connection.’ My new daughter was screaming and couldn’t communicate. It was just too hard.”
‘My husband never holds my hand in public, but he brings home my favorite ice cream even though it’s not the grocery list.’: Woman says ‘my husband loves in quiet, and that’s okay’
“You’ll rarely see him gush over me on social media. Flowers do not arrive at my office on special occasions for the world to see. He loves in the quiet of holding my hand in his truck while we drive. He loves in quiet by sitting by my side on a porch swing, watching our children play.”
‘Um, this is kind of weird but the car before you said they felt you HAD to have a cake donut.’ We failed to hold back tears.’: Woman gets touching ‘wink from heaven’ on day of late friend’s birthday
“When I pulled up to the window at Dunkin, I was surprised. In that specific moment, my brain was everywhere, trying to place this puzzle piece where it belongs. ‘ALLEN!’ We both failed to hold back tears.”
‘Last night, I had a dream my non-verbal son said, ‘I love you.’ I awoke in tears. Deep in my heart, I wish I could hear his voice.’: Special needs mom says ‘I hope he knows how much I love him’
“He’s not affectionate. He doesn’t let me cuddle or kiss him. He’s always too busy, too distracted to engage. Last night, I cuddled him while he slept. I smelled his face, heard his beautiful breathing. He didn’t move or push me away. I hope he knows how much I love him.”
‘She is smart and sassy. She’s fierce and always ten steps ahead. You pray she will one day know her worth.’: Girl mom says ‘what a privilege it is to raise a little girl’
“She is soft and sweet, but when she pouts that lip and pops that hip, God help the soul who tries to change her mind. One day she will be all grown up, and you will hope she comes back to you. Because no matter what, she’ll always be your little girl.”
‘Let them work in their PJs. If they want to do math in bed—more power to them. Your child does not need a school replicated in their home.’: Mom shares ‘friendly homeschool PSA’
“You do not need the perfectly aesthetic homeschool space. Because, mama, all they need is your love. And you’ve already got that nailed down.”
‘We should move,’ he suggested. Looking back, I now know what he was doing. He was preparing to die.’: Widow shares late husband’s act of kindness before his passing
“We had talked about it over the years, but never made any firm plans. He knew exactly what he was doing.”
‘Don’t wait until she tells you what to do. Don’t wait until the dishes are piled up. By the time she asks for help, she’s already gasping for air.’: Woman pens letter from ‘tired moms everywhere’
“She needs you now. She needed you to step in the second you walked through that door.”