“I let her mourn and scream. There was no reasoning with her, anyways. She wanted what she wanted. But, I couldn’t stop thinking, ‘If only she knew what was coming. If only she knew why I wouldn’t pull over.’ I was contemplating this to myself and realized, holy cow, I’m no better than my toddler.”
‘That made her BIG mad. We’re talking wailing, crying, and gnashing of teeth. ‘You’re an EVIL mommy!’: Mom feels closer to God after toddler’s tantrum
‘I used to be the one they went to for all the things. The one-stop shop for food and comfort and love.’: Mother of teenagers says ‘it’s all a blessing… every bit’
“I used to make breakfasts for kids in footie pajamas, swinging their legs at my kitchen counter. Now, I make four frozen pizzas at once, trying to keep up with how much these tall kids are eating. I used to stay up at night worrying about what they ate that day. Now, I stay awake hoping they are driving safely.”
‘There was a shooting downtown.’ I fell to the floor. I just knew it was my husband.’: Widow loses husband to accidental shooting, ‘Life is meant to still be enjoyed’
“My husband gave me a quick peck and was out the door. Something was wrong, so terribly wrong. I saw the news pop up. ‘There’s been an accident.’”
‘It’s twins.’ They needed to perform surgery on my placenta. I saw a little 3D hand on the screen and it broke me.’: Woman births sons with TTTS, ‘My boys are my miracles’
“I felt sick, dreading whatever news the next scan might bring. One of our babies had a major brain bleed. I burst into terrified tears. Although I was pregnant with twins, I might not end up with any babies at all.“
‘I’m still forced to see him at court proceedings. I want to run so far away from him. My whole body hurts.’: Narcissistic abuse survivor says ‘there is absolutely nothing romantic about abuse’
“’Come on, it wasn’t all bad.’ I agonized over every detail of our relationship trying to make sense of it all. I cried. A lot. Just because things seemed good, doesn’t mean they ever really were.”
‘Her whole world could be breaking, but for her children, she’ll always smile. Being everyone’s everything isn’t easy.’: Mom says ‘behind those smiles, my beautiful fellow mothers, I see you’
“Motherhood is fragile. And, behind every mother’s smile is a strength that is incomparable. A woman who never quits, and in the toughest times, shows the world her bravest face.”
‘I wasn’t allowed to have male friends. I caught him messaging not one, but two escorts on a work trip using a fake name. In a year, we broke up 10 times.’: Woman urges ‘look for the red flags’ after escaping narcissist
“He felt I should put him above my children and would get jealous of them. He’d give me the silent treatment and block me for days until I was ‘sorry.’ All the while, he was speaking to his new girlfriend who he went Facebook official with 4 days after our breakup.”
‘I bought school supplies today, because I wanted to feel normal. Because I still have hope.’: Mom holds out hope for the day school returns to normal
“Last year, it was impossible to find construction paper and crayons. So, I bought the highlighters, because I still have hope.”
‘I was short-tempered. I yelled excessively. I couldn’t tolerate the messes. I’m a better mom when I work outside the home.’: Mom admits ‘I put in a full day at work and came home a new woman’
“I wish I could be the super mom with the crafts and baked goods and patience to listen to my kids explain a play-by-play of their basketball game but…I am just not that person. I love them with a love I didn’t know existed, but I have not been a good mom the last few months.”
‘We drove past a homeless man. ‘If you aren’t going to give him money, mom, we have to make eye contact.’: Mom urges ‘in a world without human contact, smile with your whole damn face’
“I usually give money. But today, I didn’t. I didn’t know where my purse was. Cars were cutting in and out of traffic. I was stressed and quickly snapped at my kids to be quiet so I could focus on driving. My daughter’s response surprised me.”