“The day of the c-section I told my husband, ‘He will be with us, just keep an eye open for signs.’ After tear-filled moments in pre-op, we stopped in the hall. I laid there praying, staring up at the ceiling tiles. Just above me was a small sticker on an air conditioning vent. That’s when I saw it. In that moment, I smiled, so relieved. I knew he was here, watching over us.”
“I had what people wanted! I was what Hollywood told everyone they should strive to be but inside I was hurting. I didn’t want to be hated.”
“‘I’m dating to find a wife, so if you realize you can’t marry me, let me know. Also, whomever I marry has to be open to adoption.’ That’s how my husband opened our first date. What he didn’t know, was I was an adult adoptee.”
“‘Enjoy it,’ a man said, looking at my happy son. ‘I’m enjoying this more than you know.’ Just 6 months ago, I walked into that waiting room with my son closely held to my chest. His bright blue eyes peeked up at me – almost completely covered by a paper face mask. I’ll never forget placing Jameson on the table. ‘Does his belly look too big?’ I asked, concerned. Our perfect, happy, healthy baby boy had a belly full of tumors. Cancerous tumors.”
“I used to consider going to the bar and getting hammered a ‘date.’ It’s nice to learn about a person and actually remember it now, rather than waking up the next morning and thinking, ‘Wow, this guy drinks as much as me – so I know he won’t judge me. He’s a keeper.’”
“We were introduced through a friend who believed we’d be ‘perfect’ for each other. She invited me to a birthday party he was set to attend. I didn’t plan to stay long, but changed my mind once I met HIM. We talked, laughed and danced for hours. I asked my friend for his number. She obliged. Years later, I wonder if that friend realized it was that moment that changed everything.”
“The first birthday I spent with my husband, I turned 16. I remember where we went, what I was wearing. It was the first time he really held my hand. There was something magical about it. It was fall. We were coming out of a hot summer, the night air was cool. There was nobody else I wanted to spend it with than him. The last birthday I spent with him was my 43rd. In the blink of an eye, he was gone. Nothing has been the same since.”
“Girl, you deserve better than that. What do you mean he didn’t bring you flowers on the first date? You deserve someone who treats you like a queen. I think you should dump him and find someone who buys you something for your anniversary, someone who knows your worth.”
“We were standing at the bus stop when my daughter was scratching her head. Um, why is she scratching so much? I watched her for a minute, and could tell this was serious. Instant panic. LICE! My whole body went into hysteria. I had 4 thick, curly heads looming before me. Crap, what about my OWN head? Oh God. Tim… please… check… my… head… He parted my hair, examining it with his phone’s flashlight.”
“5 minutes into our drive, he began crying but stopped. I found it odd. It was a cry I hadn’t heard before. The light turned red, I pulled over. In seconds, I was down on my knees in the middle of the road, holding my floppy baby. ‘God, this can’t be it. Please don’t take my baby away!’ Giving mouth to mouth, I screamed his name for him to wake up. When he ambulance arrived, Noah was going in and out of consciousness.”
