“My mind raced. ‘Am I not doing enough for her? Am I limiting her desires too much?’ Her words made me realize something: I needed to put more effort into teaching my daughters about gratitude.”
‘You never buy me anything. You’re always like this,’ my daughter said. It was hard to hear, even harder to fight the overwhelming guilt.’: How To Raise Grateful Kids Instead Of Entitled Ones
‘The cute boy in the blue shirt was leaving the bar. ‘OMG, what do I do?!’ I pushed my friend out of the booth. ‘MOVE!’ I worked up the nerve to approach him.’: Woman urges ‘you only get one life’
“There I was, standing face-to-face with the guy I had awkwardly stared at for two hours, whom I thought had a girlfriend, and clearly never even SAW me. ‘Do you want my number?’ I was sure I’d never see him again.”
‘I won’t sugar coat it. Having a baby is like having 15 shots of espresso. Parenthood is the wildest ride you could imagine.’: LGBTQ adoptive dad shares parenting advice
“I used to watch ‘The Price is Right’ every morning. It was my jam. Today, I absolutely laugh at the idea. I barely have enough time to drink my espresso, much less sip on a mug of coffee for an hour.”
‘I was only 16. I brought my stuffed Eeyore for comfort, a child giving birth to another child. I wanted different for her.’: Mom shares open adoption story, ‘Our families are bound together’
“I saw how her life would look: a single mom constantly working, wishing to provide nicer things, and a little girl wondering why her father didn’t want to be around. Then, the veil lifted. Both myself and the birth parents could complete her life’s ‘puzzle.’”
‘Please don’t take this away from me!’ On my wedding day, I was covered in hives. I felt like I was dying.’: Woman receives ‘life-changing’ Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, autism diagnosis at 39
“When the doctors saw I was on several medications, I was sent home and told, ‘Get a hobby.’ Even shampoo and cologne sent me into pain. I felt like I was drowning.”
‘I want to be pregnant.’ My heart shattered. Then, we heard about a 3-day-old boy.’: Couple battling infertility become foster, adoptive parents, ‘Hang onto hope’
“Our son’s birth mom chose our family. He was handed to me and I was instantly in love. ‘Amanda, you’re pregnant.’ Our lives were changed forever.”
‘As I snapped this photo I said, ‘Smile so Daddy can see what a big boy you’re being!’ My heart broke. It’s not supposed to be like this.’: Mom says ‘we may be missing our normal, but we are teaching empathy’
“This is the world I brought this miracle into. This should not be his first core memories. This should not be my 2-year-old’s life. He should be waving at strangers in the aisle, hugging other children in the toy section. And yet, this photo makes me extremely proud. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
‘His stomach was swelling. ‘If I don’t make it, I need you to promise me you’ll remarry. We’re not meant to do life by ourselves.’: Woman urges ‘each day is a gift’ after losing husband to Stage IV Stomach Cancer
“‘It’s terminal. No cure. He has 6 months left.’ He grabbed me by the hand and asked if he could have one last dance with me. We slow danced in the middle of his hospital room as the monitors beeped in the background. He was withering away. Don’t wait to take the trip, don’t wait to say I’m sorry. Each day is a gift.”
‘You’re purposely starving your unborn child by not eating.’ My husband wasn’t allowed in the room for ultrasounds.’: Mom births baby with Down syndrome after hospital malpractice, ‘He is more loved because, not despite, his diagnosis’
“The pediatrician was super blunt. ‘No, you are mistaken. You’ve confused us with a different baby.’ Nobody noticed it on the million ultrasounds throughout the pregnancy. I watched my husband and 1-day-old baby taken away from me in an ambulance and all I could do was stare.”
‘I’ve seen so many people leave the church because they could no longer handle being treated less than in the place that was supposed to be their rest.’: Woman talks religious double standard
“I’m sorry for the religion that shamed you, scolded you, judged you, and knocked you down. But that wasn’t Jesus.”