“I said, ‘Intentionally choose who has a seat at your table.’ I didn’t mean your dinner table; I meant the 9 p.m. ‘wine in hand’ crew. No one cares if there are toys on the floor. This crew isn’t here for that.“
‘There’s never a shame glance at the chocolate on the wall, or a pile of dishes. Somewhere out there is your band of weirdos.’: Mom thankful for her tribe says, ‘I can’t imagine it without you’
‘My little girl asked, ‘Daddy, what’s a wawwy?’ ‘A rally?’ She nodded. I knew I wouldn’t be that kind of father.’: Gay dad of 3 multi-racial children teaches ‘our differences make us beautiful’
“Growing up in south Mississippi, I was able to easily see how my own father was the most racist and hateful person I had ever met. As I got older, he would call me sissy, mama’s boy, and queer. That was bad enough, but the things I can recall him saying towards black Americans were just as bad, if not worse.”
‘Another baby wasn’t worth losing my life. My hope of a large family wasn’t happening. ‘Do you want us to adopt you?’: Mom adopts family friend at 54, ‘We needed her to fulfill our family’
“Before we could blink, we had teenagers and a daughter in college. I know people in their forties adopt, but my husband was not on board. We met Rachel when she was five. She had a background of neglect and abuse. I officially became a new mama at 54.”
‘If something happens, how will he tell me?’ He shouldn’t be ignored. It feels like I’ve failed him.’: Mom of nonverbal, autistic son says ‘it is our job to listen’
“When the day comes you have to take a step back and realize, to others, your child’s speech is unintelligible, and it hurts. Then it hits you hard. Harder than you could imagine. But we can never give up.”
‘Let him take the nap and sleep in late on Saturday. He’s doing this for you and your family. Be proud of him.’: Wife grateful for hardworking husband, ‘one of the last of a dying breed’
“When I ask him how his day was, in which he always replies, ‘hot.’ I can tell by the look in his eyes, he’s exhausted. But, he will be playing with our kids and building new shelves for my classroom without a complaint. You know why? He loves us.”
‘I can’t be the reason your child got sick and died. It would ruin me. There is no EASY answer.’: Elementary speech and language pathologist shares why returning to school isn’t worth the risk
“I’m going to have to tell your kindergartners they can’t hold hands, even though we spend SO MUCH TIME teaching kids to be friends with each other. I’m going to have to tell that shy, little boy who reaches for my hand for some security, he can’t hold my hand.”
‘I slipped in the most dramatic fashion. All of us laughed. This wouldn’t have happened this time last year.’: Mom enjoys ‘beautiful moment’ after struggle to find right antidepressant
“There is no shame in needing help. None. A few months ago, I wouldn’t have been present. I would have wanted to leave.”
‘Lonnie said, ‘This is all for you.’ Now any time he sees a truck, he tells me about his buddy, Lonnie.’: Neighborhood in tears after recycling worker’s act of kindness for little boy
“‘I promise when this pandemic is over, I’m going to let you ride in my truck.’ I told Lonnie we were 2 weeks away from moving, and we were so disappointed. As we were hurrying down the hallway, we heard the truck beep the horn, and I knew they could only be honking for Charles. All the neighbors had huge smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes.”
‘This isn’t working! How can I sit here and justify how he acted?’ He thought he’d be seen as the enemy.’: Interracial couple discusses communication, ‘Don’t let things wedge you apart’
“I was expecting Connor to be more vocal. ‘Even if I had the opportunity to go to a protest I would become a target.’ It started to bug me. ‘You need to acknowledge your white, male privilege.”
‘He is too big to be carried around.’ The world thinks I’m babying him. Yet I’m afraid it’ll be the last time.’: Mom says she’ll be grateful for every ‘YES,’ despite what others may say
“I know judging gazes find us in the grocery store parking lot, as his head rests on my shoulder and his legs dangle well below my waist. ‘Will this be the last time?’ I will throw out my back if that’s what it takes.”