“I signed an incident report which stated he didn’t even cry at the time. Do I need to be upset? Nah. I would’ve given anything to have just one mom look up at me and say, ‘I’ve been there too. It’s okay.’”
‘My son came home with a bite mark on his arm. Here’s what I did about it: Nothing.’: Mom is sick of placing blame, says ‘we’re on the same team, he’s fine’
‘He said, ‘Hey, I have herpes. Did you give it to me?’ Just like that. I played my part of ‘perfect girlfriend.’: Woman urges others to ‘listen to that voice inside’ after finally leaving abusive relationship
“The day of the funeral came. I smiled when people asked, ‘When are you guys going to get married?’ I cringed at the thought. I checked his phone. Him: ‘My mom left me a lot of money.’ Her: ‘So?’ Him: ‘Now we can be together.’ Her: ‘What about HER (me), you’re lying.’ Him: ‘Let’s run away together.’ I woke him up and asked him, ‘What the hell is this?'”
‘It snapped me awake. What I thought was snoring, was actually the ‘death rattle.’: Woman remarries after high school sweetheart’s sudden death, creates big, blended family with new husband, ‘I love my husband’s ex-wife’
“I found myself breaking my set of rules with him right away. I never got in a car with someone. I went for a drive with him on the first date, to the middle of nowhere, to ‘look for owls.’ I told him to invite Meredith (his ex) over for Christmas morning. He was confused. I love my husband’s ex-wife.”
‘Well the doctor said I am crazier than him!’ Grandma exclaimed with a look I couldn’t quite place.’: Granddaughter learns important lesson in caring for elders, ‘I didn’t know it then. Everything ends.’
“4 months after I had the baby, Grandma passed away. My kids learned to honor the elderly. They learned to put someone else’s needs above their own. They soaked in the last possible days with people that spent a lifetime pouring into all of us. For that, I have no regrets.”
Why I’m Thankful For My Time As A Homeless Addict
“I’m thankful I was sleeping under that bridge then just as much as I’m thankful for having a big beautiful house to sleep in now.”
‘Mommy, why do you put on that makeup?’ Every day, I lie to my daughter.’: Mom avoids telling young daughter ‘real reasons’ for insecurities, ‘I won’t bring her down with my ugly truth’
“‘I put on makeup because I like to play with colors. You know, like you play with your art?’ For a second I wonder if that frown had given me away. But then, she’s jabbering on about the butterfly we finger painted yesterday. Thank God, I think. It worked.”
‘Tragically, she died by poisoning.’ Needless to say, I was aghast, horrified. ‘Holy cow, I’m so sorry.’: Woman recalls sarcastic husband’s morbid first date joke, ‘He was laughing so hard he was gasping for breath’
“We begin making more small talk. ‘You mentioned you’ve been married twice. What happened with your second wife?’ Manny sat straight up in his chair and looked me in the eye. ‘Well, sadly, she died as well…’ By now I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I could end up in the back of his trunk.’ Our server hands us our food. We just sat there across from each other in silence.”
‘Umm, I’m 32, DIVORCED WITH TWO KIDS.’ He said, ‘Yeah, we need your consent.’ ‘Yes, I CONSENT!’: Divorced single mom adopted at 32, ‘I wonder if they’re tired of me. I felt like it was too good to be true’
“I ran away from home. I was hiding in a stranger’s garage while my mom and police looked for me. I used a stranger’s phone to call The Pates. ‘I can’t go home, can you help me?’ I feared my mother. The next day she drove me to their house, dumped my belongings at the bottom of their driveway, and left. So, at the age of 32, I was adopted. I got a new birth certificate and everything.”
‘You’re sitting on something.’ I about died. I got engaged in the Costco parking lot.’: Woman recalls hilarious engagement story after first date at Costco
“We walked by the jewelry section. I spotted the prettiest emerald ring. Manny said, ‘nice stuff’. I said, ‘yes, the emerald is gorgeous.’ He said, ‘Thanks, we are just looking.’ I made a bee line over to the jewelry case to find the ring later. It wasn’t there. I couldn’t believe it. ‘I’m sorry, right as you left, another couple came by and bought it.’ I get in the car, not speaking to him.”
‘I remember blood all over the counter, a calm look on my mom’s face. At 13, she sent me to get bandages for her ‘accidental’ cut.’: Woman shares healing journey after mother’s suicide
“I’ve been to my mom’s grave twice. In 20 years. You won’t find a single photo of her in my home. I know this wasn’t her fault. It doesn’t change the effects her illnesses have had on me. None of it changes that her 60th birthday is not a birthday at all, because she is dead. I want to honor her, I really do. But I can’t face the woman who tried to break me.”