“I was sure we would have heard by now. Not a minute after I let myself lose hope, my phone rang. A little boy had been born the night before. His birth had been traumatic. ‘Is there any reason we’d say no?’ We were sure he was meant to be our little boy.”
“We waited for the phone call that would change our lives forever. The first words out of my mouth were, ‘Is it fatal?’ A giant wave of relief washed over my whole body. I thought this was the end of our worries, but it wasn’t.”
“I’d never met anyone with a cleft. I’m not sure if I’d seen one in person either. I had no knowledge of them, but I absolutely knew my son had one. The tech gave me a big hug. ‘You have a powerful gift.’ I knew I was ready to tackle anything.”
“At 13, I started dieting and exercising compulsively. It became an obsession. I hung up pictures of bodies I wanted mine to look like in front of our treadmill. It can be gruesome to think of food, something you need to survive, as an enemy.”
“She pulled her fist back toward her waist whispering, ‘YES, I did it!’”
“I braced myself for what I thought would be a skeptical, potentially offensive reaction from them. They were shocked and concerned, as I expected.”
“She woke up today and decided she was content to wear underwear and go to the toilet. It was that easy. Actually, it wasn’t easy; that’s why I’m telling you.”
“Every morning, I walk to our son’s room to pick up his 40-pound body and carry him downstairs. With each step, I can feel it. As I make my way down the stairs, I start carrying more than just him. I carry gratitude.”
“‘Sorry I ruined your birthday,’ I said. ‘No, you’re one of the best gifts I could ever receive!’ Her words instilled confidence in me, but her actions spoke even louder.”
“My mom had me put headphones on so I didn’t have to hear the heart-crushing news. I chose not to make excuses, I put every last ounce of myself into fighting.”
