“He had big hands and feet, chubby little cheeks, a perfect button nose, bright red lips and a little dimple chin. My fiancé burst into tears. ‘I’m absolutely heartbroken.’ We both were. The last words I said to our beautiful boy were, ‘You are absolutely perfect, our darling boy. We are so lucky to be your mommy and daddy. We love you so much.’ We didn’t get a conclusive reason for Ari’s death. The autopsy showed a perfectly healthy baby boy.”
“My husband and I booked a one-way ticket for her. On her first flight. She finally arrived at our front door at 2 a.m.. With open arms, we welcomed our youngest son’s biological sister into our home. The moment they saw each other they exchanged the sweetest embrace. They just knew. Knew their love for each other. And the connection they shared. We do not know how long she will be with us. But she is family.”
“My stepdad screamed at me to call my dad and demand money. I said no. He started smashing the phone on the kitchen table. In my little pajamas, I ran for blocks without stopping and just hid. After my parents lost their jobs, there wasn’t enough money for drugs. I was scared to go home. The school knew, but did nothing. I was ‘trouble’ and wasn’t allowed to hang out with any kids in school.”
“I’m 24 years old and newly married to the man of my dreams. And boy have I learned a lot about love. You may be thinking to yourself, ‘She’s so young! What could she POSSIBLY know?’ But I’ve sure learned a thing or two in the 12 long years I’ve dated my husband.”
“Discrediting my struggle now doesn’t help me for the future.”
“I remember sitting in the waiting room. I lost all control of myself and burst into tears. What if the MS diagnosis was wrong? It felt wrong! I just wanted to opt-out of this, but there was no way. Still crying, I signed my name. All I felt was a little pinch before I went completely numb.”
“And, suddenly, I remembered the wonder of Mr. Rogers as a little blonde-haired girl all those years ago. He encouraged us to talk about hard things. The magic was now working in my daughter, too. I knew this was important.”
“As an only child raised by a single father, I was raised to be an independent woman. I was limitless. My fiancé barely tamed me, knowing if I set my mind to it, it would happen. The mundane cycle of robotic caring for my newborn was chipping away at my Gypsy soul. I felt trapped and terrified. I could no longer come and go as I please. My nipples bled, my breasts were engorged and I wanted to give up. I thought I could give birth and return to school only 10 days later.”
“I was texting other guys. This is when S**T GETS UGLY. He started talking to someone new. Someone who wasn’t rat girl and someone who wasn’t me. I was completely done.”
”If only my life could keep up with my constantly changing standards and expectations.’ That last one hit me hard. This year, the sweet light of the Christmas tree hasn’t felt so magical. In fact, I’ve been feeling a little hopeless. And it has taken so many empty mornings for me to realize my hope has been misplaced all along.”
