“I’m not good at small talk, gossip or anything surface-y. I’m not going to be invited on tons of girls’ trips, or Bunco nights, or whatever, but I AM the kind of girl who will answer her phone at 3 a.m. if you need someone to talk to.”
‘I’m slowly learning I’m not ever going to be the popular girl. I’m not going to be the prettiest, or the loudest, or the life of the party.’: Woman learns to accept herself as is, ‘I’m okay with it’
‘I’ve never had real parents before. I’ve waited my entire life to be treated the way y’all treat me.’: Couple adopts 18-year-old who was ‘abandoned by his birth mother with no name’
“‘So you are the people that want teenagers… are you crazy?’ I said, ‘Something like that.’ She replied, ‘Well, I got a phone call in your driveway for a 16-year-old male who needs a home by tonight.’ I told her, ‘Bring him home.’ My husband looked at me like I was crazy. But he agreed. ‘She’s right, bring him home.’”
‘Her best friend lost her husband in Afghanistan. His friends would all get black coffee. He always got a big pink smoothie with whipped cream on it. Then, something beautiful happened.’
“One of our favorite regulars walked in to order her usual. I noticed it was taking her a little longer to order, so I glanced over and saw she was crying. The employee on the register was choked up as well, and handed me this post card.”
‘Mother’s Day after your Mom dies looks different. Dodging the card aisle because you can’t bring yourself to read them. It’s for those with a Mom who lives here, not in Heaven.’
“It looks like changing the channel when the commercials come on talking about gifts for Mom, because you know not even Amazon Prime can deliver a gift to Heaven. You hope nobody will ask you what your plans are with your Mom for Mother’s Day.”
‘It’s just so hard sometimes.’ I could feel his tears coming. ‘Sir, I know exactly what you mean. I lost my mom 2 years ago.’ His heart became heavier. He asked if he could give me a hug.’
“I hugged a stranger in Walmart. I was in line waiting to check out. The older gentleman behind me was looking for a nice picture frame to use for his mother’s picture. He had recently lost his mother. They had lived together, and he took care of her.”
‘I knew it was over. He felt the weight of not being true to himself as gay. We were entering uncharted territory – co-parenting.’: Couple learns to co-parent peacefully
“I got off the phone devastated. Bawling. I felt like a failure. Losing a partnership like that, a friendship, felt like death. I began to picture all the holidays – separated as a family, and the awkward meet ups to switch the kids on our given days. I pictured being cold and disrespectful to other. It was the most painful things I could imagine.”
‘I excused the thought something was actually wrong. I blamed my husband’s ignorance. What do dad’s know anyway? I just held her earlier.’
“I’ll never forget. It was a breezy April afternoon. I can’t erase it from my memory– the phone call or the panicked voice on the other end. ‘There is something wrong with Avery… You need to get home.’ I had left to run a couple errands. It had been only minutes since I had last seen her.”
‘My son got into trouble. He was missing for days and taken into custody. There were countless sleepless nights. I wasn’t sure how I’d make it until morning. But, I did. I would be okay.’
“I was confronted by a family member with two large garbage bags. It was a relief I’d finally been caught. I’d wonder how I had gotten a fat lip and had blood all over my face, the night before team pictures for my 5-year-old’s soccer team.”
‘You need to go to the school and get them. It’s already in the news.’ My phone was flooded. ‘This isn’t real. He has to come home.’: Firefighter dies in accident on way to fight fire
“I doubled over. I couldn’t lift my arms. My head felt heavy as it rested against my knees. My dad opened the door and immediately covered me. I felt the moisture of his tears against my cheek. I approached the very tall, soft-faced Chaplain. He had the saddest eyes I’d ever seen.”
‘I asked if she was OK. She smiled through faint tears. She thanked me for giving her these moments back. She told me how lucky I am that I get to do this every single night.’
“She babysat, and SHE thanked ME?!”