“Stop trying so hard, little girl. Know who you are. Know you are strong. Know you are smart. Know you have a voice, are capable and worthy. Know you’re never ever alone.”
- Love What Matters
- Family
“Stop trying so hard, little girl. Know who you are. Know you are strong. Know you are smart. Know you have a voice, are capable and worthy. Know you’re never ever alone.”
“I had tried 13 different bottles at this point. I walked around with the nipples of each bottle in my bra all day long, so they would get my scent on them. Friends tried. My husband tried. But the boy just wanted my boob. The doctor’s advice? Feed every 2 hours. Tell this to an already sleep-deprived mom whose baby was being passed around from specialist to specialist like a hot potato.”
“WHAT. COME AGAIN? I went to 3 different stores to get that popular L.O.L. Surprise! pencil box. I thought I taught her to be grateful, but apparently sis needed a small wake up call. Before going completely Madea mad on my child, I checked myself. ‘Okay, that’s fine. Let me get the pencil box you’re going to use.’ I came back with a good ol’ Ziploc bag. She lost her mind.”
“I saw my mom inject heroin. When the social workers came, I would hide all her needles. I didn’t want to be labeled ‘the foster child’ at school. When I turned 12, only 2 couples came forward wanting to adopt me. I felt like I was betraying my mom. I no longer wanted to be here, and inhaled poisonous fumes. But now I know why I’ve had this life.”
“I was waiting to pre-board a plane with my two young children when another passenger grabbed my shoulder. She told me I needed to wait for family boarding. I responded it was indeed our turn to go. ‘How’d you manage that?’ she asked. ‘We have different circumstances,’ I replied.”
“She was innocently attempting to make sense of us 3. I followed up quickly. ‘I had nothing to do with it,’ I said, winking at the mother of my child. Nicole, his birth mom, responded with her trademark wisdom. ‘I’ll take credit for his good looks,’ she whispered. ‘You can take credit for his smile.’”
“Someone named ilikestrongkids50 ‘liked’ my son’s picture. His account was private, so I put in a request to follow. I opened the account to see over 4,000 photos of prepubescent boys with their shirts off, girls in bathing suits, and my son’s pictures.”
“A counselor I met with looked at me and asked this simple question. ‘Would Albert want you to grieve with fear, or grieve with hope?’ I immediately knew the answer. As I sat there on the couch, tears streaming down my face, I knew I needed to live. Just because Albert died, doesn’t mean I have to as well. That would be the last thing he would want me to do.”
“I wrapped my arms around her, kissed her head, and told her I love her. Her arms tightened around me. We stood there quietly, and then her words came in a rush. She has struggled with friendships. I hate this for her. Then, she sobs.”
“I remember vividly the first time Anna opened her eyes. She stared with such intent that I couldn’t bring myself to look away. The swelling from her eye lids had finally gone, and she opened her eyes and stared directly at me. I get mesmerized by the beauty in her skin. I know she was made for something special.”