“If you’re an empath, 2020 has just about sucked your soul dry. Say no. Spend time only with those who lift you up. Get off social media if you need to. Because that soul of yours? It’s important, too. And this year? It’s proving to be too much.”
‘If Uncle Joe talks too much politics, don’t invite him. If sending your kids trick-or-treating will give you too much anxiety, stay home.’: Empath urges ‘give yourself permission to take care of yourself’
‘Do you know why your REAL parents didn’t want you?’ They wonder how much I ‘cost.’ Truth is, love has no limits. Family is not confined or defined by blood.’: Transracial adoptee details journey, ‘I wouldn’t change a thing’
“I was left on the street four days after I was born. Somebody I don’t know took me to the police station. ‘Emma, why do your eyes look like that?’ ‘Are those REALLY your sisters?’ I cherish the only family I have ever known. Love knows no boundaries.”
‘Late to work, I left my dogs behind with full bladders. I spilled my coffee. On my shirt. Three times. My ‘great day’ lasted until the sun came up.’: Widow says ‘survival looks good on you, kid’
“You know what they say: ‘When you plan your spouse’s funeral, you can pretty much do anything.’ I had one of those mornings. Despite all of it, I am surviving. I don’t think we remind each other enough that we’re proud just for making it through the day.”
‘Nobody commented on my bathing suit. Not only that. My butt. I’m sad now, you see. I was never a bikini kind of girl.’: Woman struggling with body positivity says ‘the world isn’t judging you like you think it is’
“I breathed in deep, walked down the hallway. ‘Oh, there she is.’ I can look at this picture and tell you ten thousand ways I hate it. I disrobed to jump in the hot tub with a bunch of friends.”
‘I knew about birth control. I told myself, ‘It won’t happen again.’ I was 17 years old and pregnant.’: Woman shares teen pregnancy journey with high school sweetheart
“I was skipping class to go to a free clinic to take a pregnancy test. I was 17 years old and pregnant. I easily could have applied for state aid. We knew we were going to prove them wrong.”
‘Your voice kept getting louder, your face angry. ‘Why do mornings always go like this?’ I was ready to get in the car…almost.’: Mother writes touching note from daughter’s perspective
“I heard you say my whole name and snap at me. You said you were sorry. ‘Can we EVER get out of this house on time?’ I wasn’t trying to make us late.”
‘We see you put self-care on the backburner, skipping workouts and coffee with friends for an IEP meeting.’: Husband pens sweet letter to special needs moms
“You are miracle workers, moving mountains by sheer will.”
‘My leg broke out of nowhere. ‘I need to, literally, cut my losses.’ Nothing was the same again.’: Woman becomes amputee, ‘I don’t regret it for one second’
“I realized I was there but didn’t really feel present. It was as if I was behind a glass wall, watching everyone else. At that moment, something in my brain clicked. I couldn’t do it anymore. I knew what I had to do.”
‘They could hear the screams as they celebrated their mass together. ‘What did you do?’ this Christian was asked.’: Woman doesn’t want to be ‘the Christian who sings’
“They just tried to drown out what was happening with their singing. They sat in a church and all they did was sing louder. This story runs through my head on repeat. I don’t want to be the Christian who sings.”
‘He had very serious issues. ‘Should we adopt him?’ I’ll never forget his face. I couldn’t escape the feeling he was ours!’: Woman adopts baby with brain condition, ‘He changed my perspective on life’
“’It’s not a matter of IF he has another stroke, but WHEN.’ His 5 siblings took turns feeding him little bites of ice cream. Even brain surgery couldn’t get in the way of his sweet crooked smile.”