“In our journey to open our home and our hearts, I failed to find true, honest, and comforting resources to show me what I could expect. So here I am, closing the gap.”
10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Becoming a Foster Parent
‘All I could think was, ‘How can I have PTSD? Isn’t that just for veterans?’ One traumatic event had changed my life forever.’: Community raises over $15k for trauma survivor in need of service dog
“I started passing out in stairwells and parking lots at just 15 years old. We thought it was a ‘fluke.’ My potassium was low, no big deal. After years with no answers and countless misdiagnoses, a neuropsychiatrist finally said, ‘Felicia, have you ever experienced trauma?’ My husband encouraged me to come clean.”
‘Do you work for her?’ they’d ask. ‘I’m her daughter.’ My parents being deaf isn’t a thing to be SORRY for.’: Daughter of deaf parents describe joys of growing up, ‘Experiencing this is a gift’
“My mom experienced REPEATED rejection while searching for jobs, and was told she wasn’t a good communicator. It’s not an IMPAIRMENT, it’s something to be proud of.”
‘The teacher said, ‘Your son is unteachable. He is the most autistic child in the group.’ It wasn’t true. He just needed someone to care.’: Boy thriving after mom pulls him out of neglectful school
“He now gleefully puts on his backpack.”
‘Everybody can breathe with their mouth closed?’ I was dumbfounded. How had I never noticed?’: Woman with severe nasal blockage takes first breath through nose after 26 years
“I stopped and took a breath. A real, deep breath. The first in 26 years. The moment my car door closed, I burst into tears. I was completely, utterly over the moon.”
‘We need to talk.’ There was something ‘about his past’ he had to tell me in person. My mind started racing.’: Mom shares journey blending families, ‘I love my perfectly imperfect family’
“The moment he told me, I broke down in tears, realizing our relationship had to end. Deep down, I knew this it was different.”
‘There’s no wrong way to celebrate or mourn your loved one. There’s no rulebook for this.’: Widow honors husband on anniversary of his passing, ‘Do what feels good for YOU’
“Everything I’ve done and figured out in the wake of his death has been a first-hand, trial and error experience. This year, we did things a little differently.”
‘I’m allergic to WATER. People call me a ‘faker.’ I should’ve seen this coming. But I’m so GRATEFUL.’: Woman with EDS, POTS, and aquagenic urticaria says ‘I want to raise awareness’
“I remember being in a lot of pain and visiting the first aid room at school and being sent away, as it was most likely ‘growing pains.’ I have to accept I can’t get a role as physical as I’d like, but this is part of having a disability, learning what you can and can’t do.”
‘BOTH girls were diagnosed with cancer. They’re only 3. I created a way to celebrate their courageous lives.’: Mom of twin daughters battling cancer creates Etsy shop, ‘It will make us, and others, happy’
“All I want and strive for is happiness. I will fight and our twins will fight. They are my heroes.”
‘We decorated your hospital room instead of your nursery. What To Expect When You’re Expecting missed the chapter about you.’: Mom shares touching tribute to Congenital Heart Disease warrior
“Newborn photos were replaced by pre-heart surgery snapshots. Your first haircut was a side shave, needed to place an IV. Every day of your short life, you taught us how to love.”