“No matter how many lunches I pack, boo-boos I kiss, or preschool forms I fill out, the world doesn’t read me as a wife and mother.”
‘She looked down at my screensaver. ‘Your nephew?’ Her question stung. ‘No, my son.’: Young mom says ‘my motherhood is no less valid than yours’
‘I’d been holding back tears all morning. In public, they fell out. A sweet friend saw me go down. She was behind me in seconds.’: Widow urges people to talk about mental health and be ok showing grief in public
“She comforted me while I fell apart. And then, it happened. What always happens when I let anyone see any emotion other than ‘ok’: I got irrationally mad at myself for crying in public. Losing my husband and becoming the soul provider for our daughter has sent me into a deep panic.”
‘I went on countless job interviews but didn’t ‘look the part.’ The second they saw me, the whole vibe changed.’: Woman with Nemaline Rod Myopathy embraces disability, ‘I want to be seen for the smart, fun, boss babe I am’
“After graduation, I was excited to take on the world! That feeling quickly died. Every employer assumed I wasn’t qualified. I didn’t have a specific ‘look,’ or I didn’t fit the part. I realized I didn’t want to work someplace where I would be judged by the way I look, not by the work I contribute. Appearances matter, but they matter even more when you’re disabled. And the hardest part about being disabled isn’t being disabled. It’s fighting to be seen as an equal.”
‘I know what it’s like to not be loved. Can I hold her when she goes to heaven?’: Mom shares touching moment adopted son comforts dying dog
“My son Robbie was adopted from the foster care system after years of severe abuse and neglect. I picked him up from school today and broke the news our dog was showing signs of kidney failure. His response was, ‘Can I hold her when she goes to heaven? I know how it feels not to be loved or cared for. I don’t want any animal of mine to ever feel that way.'”
‘All I heard from doctors was, ‘Breast is best.’ More like, FED is best.’: Mom urges ‘stop trying to be supermom’
“See a few toys on the living room floor? Leave them. Your toddler will ask for them as soon as you wake up. Screen time is toxic? HA! Jokes on you. Your littles don’t want leftovers? Well then, cereal it is! Stop. trying. to. be. supermom. To your children, you’re already perfect.”
‘Unexplained infertility was our ‘diagnosis.’ Weeks later, we received a phone call from an expectant mom. ‘I’d like you to adopt my daughter.’: Couple battling infertility ‘shocked’ by pregnancy during adoption process
“I began to feel nauseous and fatigued beyond belief. ‘Wait, am I pregnant?!’ I decided to take a test, probably the 100th one I’d taken at that point. I laid it to the side and left the room, knowing I’d see the same negative I’d seen for 5 years. Except I didn’t. It was positive. All FIVE of them. My husband and I were shocked. After years of trying, a dozen failed fertility interventions, and an ongoing adoption process, I was pregnant completely by surprise!”
‘You’re not special enough to be my girlfriend.’ I cried. He was embarrassed by my prosthetics.’: Amputee learns to own her uniqueness, ‘My life isn’t normal, but I wouldn’t have it any other way’
“The technician noticed something wrong with my legs. They were shaped like a boomerang. I only had 3 toes on each foot. My feet were turned inwards and pointed down, and my ankles couldn’t rotate. The doctors gave my parents a choice: ‘Amputate her legs or never let her walk.’ When I got pregnant, I wasn’t physically prepared for what was to come. I had no idea how it would affect my body, let alone my prosthetics. I was terrified.”
‘I vividly remember my husband saying, ‘Babe, it’s time!’ I was AT LEAST 125 pounds overweight. I could barely walk up a flight of stairs.’: Couple join forces to battle obesity together
“I’d tried to ‘diet’ like everyone else, but it just never worked. I ate and over-ate for every reason: to celebrate, to mourn, in boredom, in spite. I was insulin resistant, one Coke away from diabetes, had sleep apnea, PCOS, and lived in chronic pain. I was living life overweight and completely miserable. I was sick and tired of being sick and tired.”
‘On behalf of all our brave men and women in scrubs: Don’t just thank God, thank a nurse. They’re doing everything in their power to fight for you.’: Woman urges ‘recognize the sacrifices of nurses’
“While my son was sick in the NICU, I bonded with another mom whose daughter was born severely premature. The prognosis was grim. When the time came to take her daughter home, she had one thing to say: ‘Thank you God for saving my daughter’s life. I know this was all your doing.’ Bloodshot-eyed nurses gazed across the room. I couldn’t help but feel a pang in my chest. She didn’t thank them, she didn’t look at them. She simply swaddled her baby, and left.”
‘My son whined, ‘No buzzer, I don’t like buzzer.’ He was inconsolably shaking in fear. We tried again to calm him. It was too late.’: Mother to son with autism addresses mom shamers in emotional letter
“‘Finally’ you said under your breath as I said ‘excuse me’ so we could exit the bleachers. You didn’t know my 4-year-old son has autism. You didn’t know about all of the ear infections and hearing loss. You weren’t there the day we discovered his new sensitivity to loud noises. I’ll never forget the way you made my family feel. I will make sure no one ever feels like that.”