“Friends have asked why I take the time to clean it when it will get dirty and no one will notice a difference. ‘You’re the man, no one cares how pretty your ring is’. Here’s the thing. IT. DOES. MATTER. Why?”
‘I was cleaning my wedding ring. I’m a ‘guys’ guy. My hands stay banged up and dirty. I work on cars, the yard, they get dirty. My ring bares the brunt.’
‘The doctor intensively listened to her heartbeat – troubled by what he heard. We realized the severity of the situation. Immediately dropping to my knees in despair, we moved into the hospital.’
“I immediately started CPR and called 911 while my husband tried to keep the boys out of the room. Things escalated quickly. Before I knew it, our road was blocked by police, firefighters, and an ambulance. All these people lent us their hands in attempt to save our daughter.”
‘In these 45 days, I have held my 2-year old while she was throwing up, during blood draws and X-rays. I have watched her learn to trust. I know what blanket she needs to fall asleep.’
“I have met my child’s birth mom and held her. I have cried with her and prayed for her. My heart is wide open. It has grown to love not only this child, but also her biological mother. I’m rooting for her and wanting desperately to help her break this cycle of life she is trapped in.”
‘The baby suddenly gagged and then violently vomited what seemed to be a weeks’ worth of breast milk. I held her up and she was lifeless. She was unresponsive.’
“I immediately told my oldest to dial 9-1-1. She was trembling. I was trying to figure out if the baby was breathing. I realized my oldest was unable to call; she dialed 1-9-9 in utter fear.”
‘Me first thing in the morning: Good morning, baby. How did you sleep? Gosh, I love you so much.’ Me 10 minutes later: HURRY UP. I DON’T KNOW WHERE YOUR SHOES ARE. NO, YOU MAY NOT HAVE COOKIES FOR BREAKFAST. STOP MOVING IN SLOTH MODE!’
“Me ten minutes later: Bye, honey. Have a great day at school. I can’t wait to pick you up. HURRY AND GET OUT OF THE CAR. PEOPLE BEHIND US ARE WAITING.”
‘Strong people do foster care. Bible thumpers do foster care. Not us. People like us do not do foster care.’
“We tried for five long years to have children of our own. Five years is sixty months. That’s six hundred ovulation tests and one hundred and twenty pregnancy tests. Always negative.”
‘When he was born I heard, ‘Oh my God. He has RED HAIR!’ I paused. ‘No, just wash him a few times.’ The nurse washed him 3 times. ‘No mama, you’ve got a little ginger.’
“Trust me, I was shocked too. I can’t count how many times I had to explain he wasn’t adopted, wasn’t my stepson, and wasn’t albino. That I was his mom – not the aunt, Godmother, or the nanny.”
‘If you see a parent with a baby/toddler who isn’t wearing a coat, please don’t assume that parent is some monster who doesn’t care if their kids freeze.’
“I can’t count how many moms have told me their stories of being judged or harassed in public because their kids weren’t wearing coats for this exact reason. It’s something we all are struggling with, but no one seems to be addressing.”
‘It was our 11-year wedding anniversary. I had been up since 5:30 a.m. I cooked an entire breakfast by myself. I picked up the house, did laundry. All alone.’
“You might be saying, ‘Oh no, where is the romance? Why is your husband working on your anniversary? How could he ever do that?! My husband would never!”
‘When I’m scared and hurting, and I’m reduced to a sobbing mess, there’s one person I want in the whole wide world. I love my husband. But it’s my mom.’
“I am 32 years old. But when things hit the fan, like when I was crying on the bathroom floor, 8 months pregnant with a stomach virus, have you ever surprised yourself by uttering the words ‘I want my mommy’ above the age of 18?”
