“I was scared when you left today. I was surrounded with hugs and everyone telling me how you finally made it home. I was happy for you, but I just miss you and I needed you here to tell me it’s all going to be okay. You are the only one who can help make it okay.”
“They come from a really, really hard place. The kind of abuse you think can’t be real. They duck for cover. You’ve heard of fight or flight? There is also freeze. One of my kids responds with ‘freeze.’ Her eyes grow wide and her voice silences. It’s how she’s trained herself to survive. My kids need to know you are safe.”
“My father took his own life when I was 5 years old. I remember sitting on our front porch, hugging my mom as the paramedics wheeled him out of the house. I remember living at my grandparents’ house for a while after ‘he left.’ My family decided to keep what happened a secret. I continued to believe what my mom would tell me.”
“At first, his question confused me. I quickly glanced at my no makeup face and, instantly, I saw the ‘lines’ he was referring to. ‘Those lines on mommy’s head are called wrinkles. They’re proof mommy is living a great, blessed life.’ My wrinkles are certainly not my finest accessories. But my 4-year-old teaches me so much with his innocent questions.”
“There were still no legs. All I could picture were two tiny baby legs floating around in my belly with our baby girl. ‘No,’ she said. ‘They didn’t fall off. They just never grew.’ They laid her on my chest. ‘She’s here, she’s okay,’ we said through tears of joy. Our beautiful girl was here. All I could think was that we’d be able to go get mani-pedi’s together when she was older; but you better believe I’m not paying full price for one hand and two toenails!”
“I was put on a plane and sent to the live with them. I assume it was easier to ship me off then to actually address the dysfunction I was surrounded in. The divorce had sent my mother into a tailspin and when she wasn’t out partying, she was suicidal. My father did his best, but with his newfound freedom and new girlfriend, no one really wanted me. All my fears had been confirmed.”
“Working, having a family, being active, or doing all the things a normal 30-something-year-old should do are no longer an option. But although pain may be inevitable, suffering is optional.”
“I hadn’t even explained what was wrong with my car yet. ‘No husband. No discussion. $5,000.’ He then went on a whole tirade about how women are always pulling up not knowing a ‘damn thing’ about cars. In my mind I thought, ‘Isn’t that the point of an auto shop?’ For others to TELL you what’s wrong with your car and fix it?! I was infuriated.”
“While driving in the car with the boys, I smelled something RANK. Like, totally disgusting, something died in this car, what the heck is that smell? RANK. I assumed it was my tiniest munchkin digesting his McDonalds, but I was also genuinely concerned for the butt that was making that incredible smell. When we turned into our destination and I finally had the chance to get a good look, I saw it.”
“Single motherhood was rough. The judgement was hard, and I lost friends. Having 3 children while unmarried is frowned upon, especially here in the south. People never took the time to find out why I had 3 children this way, because they had their own assumptions. I didn’t think I’d find someone who’d want to marry me. Then I met Josey. 5 months later, we were married. The emotion was too much. Finally, a daughter.”
