“I wanted to scream, ‘This baby strapped to my chest almost died last night. Our world is falling apart.’ Our dreams were shattered. We found ourselves back in our hometown looking for purpose.”
‘He was arching his back and screaming for air. Literally, panting. We were stuck. All we could do was pray and pack.’: Family returns from Guatemala after almost losing son
‘My mom called. ‘Your father didn’t come home last night.’ He always comes home. There was a truck lying in someone’s fence.’: Woman starts small business with help from late father’s support
“I took on 3 different jobs to pay tuition. My dad said, ‘Remember to always believe in yourself and you can accomplish it.’ Coming home from work, my husband was hit by a car on the freeway. I was unknowingly 8 weeks pregnant. We knew there was more we needed to accomplish together; our life did not end there.”
‘I can’t understand you!’ I wrote it down on my hand. He started speaking slowly, as if I was less intelligent.’: Woman with facial anomaly hopes to ‘normalize all bodies’
“It’s exhausting trying to pump gas or sit in my kids’ karate class and be stared at constantly. When people see my face, they assume my intelligence.”
‘You should be grateful.’ I was shamed for being curious about my birth parents. I shoved my feelings down.’: Transracial adoptee shares journey to ‘help others feel less alone’
“’Where are you from?’ My first response used to be, ‘California,’ before I realized they wanted to know where I was ‘really’ from. I felt lost and alone.”
‘I don’t deserve it.’ That hate you have towards yourself? The harm you directly cause yourself? That’s on you.’: Woman talks ‘world of difference’ gratitude has made
“People will NOT feel sorry for you if you CHOOSE to beat yourself up.”
Self-Care Isn’t As Easy As A Bubble Bath Or Glass Of Wine
“It’s investing in your startup business no one knows about. It’s no longer waiting for a socially distant invite from that popular mom group. It’s declining a dinner invitation because, no, you can’t afford it this month. It’s working hard every day, even when you might not see immediate results.”
‘That looks intolerable. I can’t stand it.’ It looked like I’d been burnt in a fire. I quickly pulled my shirt sleeve down.’: Woman puts career on hold to heal psoriasis, find self-love
“I was oozing and bleeding. My co-worker said, ‘Are you doing something about it?’ I said, ‘Yes, I’m getting it treated once I finish our deadline first.’ She spoke the words I knew in my heart: ‘If I were you, I would go now. Health should be your priority.’ I left my rising career in a prestigious design firm in San Francisco.”
‘We don’t have a dad here.’ I scrambled how to respond. I was by myself, thrown head first into parenting.’: Single mom fosters 18 children, adopts son, ‘Our heartbreak is worth it’
“I went from getting licensed to being a single parent almost immediately. I was in over my head. Together, we are conquering his demons.”
‘I’ll only play if you take your wig off.’ I was shocked and hurt. I let her bully me in my own house.’: Woman advocates for girls with alopecia, ‘Bald is beautiful’
“My wig fell off when I was playing on the monkey bars. My twin brother saw and came over to shield me as I tried to put it back on. I dreaded lice checks at school.”
‘We have 2 caucasian girls, one is 11 months and the other 4.’ She gets 2 multi-racial kids out of the car.’: Mom fosters 11 kids, shares lessons learned about trauma
“I decided I HAD to do one more placement. He was physically violent and verbally abusive. I felt like a failure as a mom. I never even thought about trauma training.”