“I felt cheated from having a good father who’d watch me grow up, dance with me at my wedding. Father’s Day may be extremely hard to get through, but you’re complete with or without. You are enough.”
‘I woke up to my mom sobbing. ‘Your father passed away from drug abuse.’ A part of me knew it would happen.’: Woman dedicates life to healing others from ‘father wounds’
‘Someone up there really wants you to be a mom. There are THREE heartbeats here.’: Mom welcomes rainbow triplets
“I found myself in the bathroom, peering down at that familiar stick. There it was. That blue line. That crippling fear history will repeat itself. I didn’t know if I could survive this again.”
‘He is our backbone. His words comfort like a warm blanket. He tells me it will be okay, even when he knows it may not.’: Woman shares ode to ‘present’ fathers
“Their whole life they’re told they need to be men. Until…they’re in the delivery room and it’s time for them to become fathers. And everything they’ve been told, everything they’ve learned, just withers away at their fingertips.”
‘How do you AFFORD them all?’ Our lifestyle isn’t for everyone.’: Mom of 10 says ‘I’m exactly where I want to be’
“I was 30 years old and living with my four children in my mother’s basement. I lost the family I’d grown to love. I’ve lived life with my small family, working every day, paying my mortgage. I did that. I felt fulfilled. I never knew I wasn’t until Amber 2.0 was created.”
‘Whatever, at least I’m skinnier than you.’ I took off my shirt, sucking in my stomach.’: Woman warns against diet culture, promotes body positivity
“I chose to workout BEFORE going to check on a friend who’d just been in a car accident.”
You Are The Reason I Get Up Each Morning—You Are The Light At The End Of Every Tunnel
“Even though I sometimes lose sight of what I have, you are my constant reminder I am blessed. For you, everything is worth it. You have shown me a love like no other.”
‘My entire life, I witnessed a person with disability have a joyful life. No matter what her life looked like, it’d be a good one.’: Mom births daughter with Down syndrome after advocating for uncle
“For almost 30 years, I watched my mom be an advocate. I heard the words, ‘Your baby will be born with Down syndrome.’ I knew my daughter would be okay.”
‘He died in his sleep. I HAD to take care of myself in order to take care of my kids.’: Widow creates ‘encouraging’ self-care subscription box for others battling grief
“It’s like when you’re flying on a plane and they tell you to put the oxygen mask on before assisting your child with theirs. I knew I couldn’t help my kids process their grief if I wasn’t dealing with my own.”
‘I wanted to bring some smiles in the dark time.’: 12-year-old boy starts missions to help those in need
“Even the pandemic didn’t stop me.”
‘Weighing just 2 pounds, we tested positive for crack cocaine.’: Twins adopted by abusive family overcome childhood trauma to advocate for kids in ‘broken’ foster care system
“I decided to quit my job making 6k a month. These kids needed us. They needed a voice. My passion was them.”
‘I sent my mom the ultrasound photo. ‘She looks just like Ben.’ Little did I know, that was going to be her last text.’: Woman details becoming first-time mom after losing mother to Covid-19
“Learning to be a mom, without a physical mom by me, is the hardest things I have ever done. Every day, I will transmit to my baby all the love, joy, and tenderness she gave to me.”
‘Someone says you two have been acting like lesbians. Two women shouldn’t be sleeping in the same bed.’ Tears sprung to my eyes’: Lesbian woman navigates life after coming out
“I stared at him blankly, a rush of humiliation and shame flooding me. ‘Do you have sexual feelings for each other?’ he demanded. I lied.”
‘How could this happen?’ One ovary and one fallopian tube, I saw two lines plain as day on the pregnancy test.’: Woman with partial hysterectomy, HELLP Syndrome delivers 1-pound miracle baby
“‘Your breathing sounds like you’re under water.’ I remember going to sleep, but I didn’t wake up. When I opened my eyes, I motioned for my husband to bring me something to write with. I vividly remember asking, ‘Did our baby die?’ My husband answered, ‘No.’ And then I asked, ‘Did I die?’ I spent 24 hours in between two worlds, praying for a miracle.”
‘My parents didn’t approve. ‘What happened to our little girl?’ I couldn’t keep hiding this part of myself.’: Non-binary person urges ‘live your truth’
“I sat in my mentor’s classroom, hysterically crying. ‘I’m not straight, I like girls.’ He hugged me and said he accepted me. ‘Your family may not react the same way.’ He wasn’t wrong.”
‘It doesn’t LOOK like a seizure.’ There are only 35 people in the whole world with this.’: Mom of son with rare chromosome disorder claims ‘I will never stop advocating for you’
“‘It’s okay, Mommy’s here.’ Your eyes roll back as every muscle in your body tenses. The monitor starts beeping as your oxygen levels drop. You have 50 or more seizures in a day.”
I Am Not Wonder Woman—I Can’t Do It All
“A ticking time bomb, I realized something had to give.”
‘6 months pregnant, my husband wanted a divorce. My girls needed a happy, healthy mama.’: Mom of 3 shares growth journey
“I was devastated. I thought all my growth would lead to a healthier marriage. I never could’ve guessed what all of that growth was really preparing me for.”
‘Can you believe the nerve she has, trying to be friends with me?!’ NEVER did I think this would start a new chapter.’: Coparenting couples urge ‘it’s all in the name of love’
“At first, I was hesitant to like her. I doubted we could co-parent successfully. ‘Can we meet up so we can clear the air?’ She was PREGNANT.”
‘I stood at the edge of the bridge. I was about to jump, end it all. My friend called as I had one foot off the ledge. ‘Come home.’: Woman shares self-discovery journey
“At 19 years old, with two suitcases, a hope, and a dream, I moved to New York. I’d go to the bathroom and there’d be blood in the toilet. I thought I was slowly dying. AGAIN, I was homeless, with just my suitcase.”
‘Mom, I’m drinking again and can’t stop.’ I was sober for a total of 33 days. I was ready for life to be over.’: Woman battles alcohol addiction, finds ‘blessings of sobriety’
“Alcohol never left me, broke up with me, or rejected me. By the time I realized I needed to slow down, the brakes were off, and I had no control.”
‘What is wrong with me?’ The doctor said it like I already knew. I wasn’t sure what to say.’: Neurodivergent woman shares ‘now’ and ‘then’ perspective after multiple diagnoses
“The harder I tried, the more I knew I didn’t fit in. I was hated by those who were supposed to love me, and I hated myself. If I can thrive, anyone can do it.”
‘Treating mental health is more a PRIVILEGE than a CHOICE.” Woman battle self worth urges, ‘Your circumstances don’t define you’
“Drowning your demons in a bottle is both cheaper and more accessible than a good doctor.”
‘Why does our family look different than families on TV?’ There isn’t one way to be a perfect family.’: Lesbian single mom shares journey
“I realized it’s better for my child to have a happy parent than a straight parent.”
‘You don’t need any more.’ Wine always wins.’: Sober mom reminds us ‘addiction is not a moral failing’
“The neighbors notice me stumbling to my refrigerator, chugging from the bottle of wine by the sliver of light that sneaks into the room. They mutter, ‘What a shame.’ They watch me do this three times a night until the bottle is dry.”
In The Market Of ‘Our Hair Color Determines Our Age,’ Going Silver Is A Bold Commitment
“It’s not about holding onto youth but holding onto LIFE.”