“You are miracle workers, moving mountains by sheer will.”
‘We see you put self-care on the backburner, skipping workouts and coffee with friends for an IEP meeting.’: Husband pens sweet letter to special needs moms
‘My leg broke out of nowhere. ‘I need to, literally, cut my losses.’ Nothing was the same again.’: Woman becomes amputee, ‘I don’t regret it for one second’
“I realized I was there but didn’t really feel present. It was as if I was behind a glass wall, watching everyone else. At that moment, something in my brain clicked. I couldn’t do it anymore. I knew what I had to do.”
I Give Myself A Mom Break Every Friday, And You Should Too
“For the past year and a half, I ditch my kids in a safe space and spend the day doing nothing but things that fill my cup.”
‘They could hear the screams as they celebrated their mass together. ‘What did you do?’ this Christian was asked.’: Woman doesn’t want to be ‘the Christian who sings’
“They just tried to drown out what was happening with their singing. They sat in a church and all they did was sing louder. This story runs through my head on repeat. I don’t want to be the Christian who sings.”
‘He had very serious issues. ‘Should we adopt him?’ I’ll never forget his face. I couldn’t escape the feeling he was ours!’: Woman adopts baby with brain condition, ‘He changed my perspective on life’
“’It’s not a matter of IF he has another stroke, but WHEN.’ His 5 siblings took turns feeding him little bites of ice cream. Even brain surgery couldn’t get in the way of his sweet crooked smile.”
Dear Stranger, Thank You For Helping My Son With Autism During A Meltdown When Everyone Else Fled
“I looked down with tears in my eyes as I absorbed my son’s kicks. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder. ‘How can I help?'”
‘He was cheating. ‘How will we break it to the kids?’ I waddled through bankruptcy. Divorce was the lifesaver I needed.’: Divorcee details journey to self-love
“A dear friend mentioned therapy, very casually over delicious avocado toast and latte. I finally bit the bullet and gave in. I cried so hard I could feel the ghosts of all my unspoken terrors lifting off my shoulders.”
‘Listen to me, if you ever bring home a non-white boy, I will disown you.’ If I wanted to date outside my race, I’d have to do it in secret.’: Woman raised in racist home urges ‘create a family that radiates love’
“At 17, I was kicked out of the house. It didn’t make sense to me that the color of someone’s skin was dangerous. I couldn’t carry around the weight of her hate. ‘Will you marry me?’ He was Muslim, I was not. His love for me went deeper than our beliefs.”
‘He moved in with us. Soon, he went from the couch to the bed. We realized our marriage wasn’t complete. HE was missing.’: Triad has 8-month-old, ‘Thanks to our son, we stopped hiding’
“It wasn’t possible to sign 3 parents on the birth certificate. At the moment, polygamy is illegal. We needed to step out of the shadows and do the coming out. Thanks to him, we stopped hiding.”
‘We noticed some things about her hand and foot.’ Mom found doctor after doctor, even when they couldn’t do anything for me.’: Woman advocates for limb differences, ‘I tried until I got it right’
“A girl saw my hand and screamed like I was a monster. I cried every single day. My father held me after my surgeries when I was sick from anesthesia. He always showed he believed in me and I could do anything.”
‘He looked at me sadly. ‘But I just want to tell you one more thing!’ I huffed and said, ‘No, go to bed!’: Mom advocates for mental health
“‘Mommy is on empty.’ As I got up, he was standing there, looking at me. I couldn’t speak because I was trying not to cry like a harpooned whale.”
‘Mom, I just hate school.’ My sweet boy getting ready for school, echoing what he’s said for days. See, he really just wants to play.’: Mom writes note to son ‘wishing away school’
“He doesn’t fit the mold, and that’s okay.”
‘Someone told me they empathize and really feel for me.’ I get a punch to my tummy each time. Don’t pity us!’: Mom of autistic son says ‘do not think we live a life of sadness’
“Please do not pity us, do not feel sorry for us, and do not think we live a life of sadness. He puts a smile on my face by just saying, ‘mommy.’”
‘WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?!’ I created a narrative of this perfect girl. We needed her!’: Mom shares ‘gender disappointment’
“I wasn’t ready for the comments. The ‘OMG ANOTHER BOY?!’ comments. The ‘wow looks like you’re outnumbered’ comments. The ‘maybe next time’ comments.”
‘We kept our relationship a secret. ‘I don’t care how people view me, I just want to be with you.’ We came out as a couple, but I was still struggling.’: Transgender man shares love and coming out story, ‘Now we are a family of 6 and thriving’
“At 5, I introduced myself as ‘Kaleb.’ When watching movies, I was supposed to envision myself like the princess, but I saw myself as Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn. ‘When I grow up, I’m going to cut my hair short and wear boy clothes.’ If I hadn’t chose the path I did, where would I be today?”
‘I couldn’t find an Uber. A few drinks in was the sweet spot. I needed to go home. In the moment, I felt sorry for him.’: Abuse survivor recounts chilling night
“At about 4 a.m. we were winding down. I needed to get back to my daughter. I wish I could say I ended it right then. We loaded up and headed back to the hotel. I should’ve gone home. I thought somehow I could fix him.”
‘OH MAH GAHD SON, don’t touch it! HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD THIS?’ I’m ready to bleach everything in sight, including my son.’: Mom hilariously recounts Show and Tell gone wrong
“His eyes light up and he goes, ‘OOOOOH! Let me outside, Mommy. I know JUST THE THING!’ Now pause. This is where I tell you for the last three days, I’ve been complaining our porch smells horrible.”
‘Real talk: I am tired. I’ve gained 20 pounds, and I miss my church family. This isn’t normal. It isn’t okay.’: Woman struggling with mental health says ‘It’s normal to feel done and over it’
“The internet is losing it’s mind. My mental health is in the toilet. We simply can’t escape it. I am also tired of pretending.”
‘I can’t do this another day!’ My hands were rotten, my skin so red and thin I could see my bone through it.’: Teen OCD survivor becomes mental health advocate, ‘There’s light at the end of the tunnel’
“’I found her blue,’ my nurse explained. What? How bad was this? My family watched in horror as I destroyed my body and soul. Then something flipped. I just wanted to go home.”
‘Your cheeks are so red…grab concealer and cover that up.’ I would never say to my daughters the things I say to myself.’: Woman urges ‘you are worthy of kindness too’
“Why do we speak to ourselves any differently than we would to the people we love most in our lives? If you catch yourself thinking ANY negative thoughts about yourself today—stop.”
‘I’m not enough for my son.’ Pregnant at 19, my relationship was a toxic monster. I didn’t recognize myself in the mirror.’: Mom details PPD and finding love, ‘Authentic love speaks volumes’
“Our love was like a beast that devoured us both. We’d talk for hours about light and darkness and all of the mystery that was him and I. He accepted my past and my child as if he was his own.”
‘She’s afraid one day you’ll pack your stuff and leave because you’ve had enough. She worries about you, more than she worries about herself.’: Woman pens thoughtful message to husband about anxiety
“It’s the fear and the thoughts whirling causing her frustrations. And she wishes it didn’t. Every day is an overwhelming experience for her. And she’s afraid she will lose you.”
To The Girl Who Is Hopeless, God Doesn’t Waste Our Time. He Makes Us Wait For A Reason.
“‘Why would He make me wait? Why is He breaking my heart with these relationships?’ I’d planned what age I’d be married, the wedding venue, and the time of year. The. Whole. Thing. God must be rolling on the floor laughing.”
‘Your son has severe autism.’ I became a divorced mother of 2 post-diagnosis. Josh welcomed him with open arms.’: Special needs mom, bonus dad urge ‘our love knows no bounds’
“I asked myself, ‘Why would God bless other parents with perfectly healthy children? Why ME?’ Little did I know, divine intervention would bring my future husband into our lives at a time we needed him most. He is their biggest cheerleader, wanting to be involved in everything, like an amazing bonus dad should.”
‘We spend countless hours preparing lessons. We receive calls from parents 24/7. We are judged for every little thing we do.’: Woman pens ode to teachers, ‘You are the world’s silent heroes’
“We are not profit-hungry. It takes years, even decades, to see the fruits of our labor. But we can’t give up now. Learning never comes from comfort zones.”