“If this movie would have come out when I was younger, I would have been thrilled to watch a movie with a main character who looked like me and with a story that reflected my own personal experience.”
‘Why does watching the practices of a culture other than your own mean it’s inherently evil?’: Asian-American mom responds to ‘Turning Red’ backlash
My Confidence These Days Is As Soft As My Postpartum Body
“‘Did anything work for you today..?’ Avoiding eye contact with the dressing room attendant, I hand over a large stack of garments and give a sheepish ‘not this time.’ I wonder if she notices this was my third trip to the fitting rooms. I wonder if she notices how long I was in there. I wonder if she heard me audibly laughing trying on some of the pieces.”
‘I picked up a puppy from the pound and left my abusive marriage. Then I drove to a campground and fell in love.’: LGBT couple share sweet love story
“I knew immediately I had never met anyone like Megan, and this was it. This was the person I didn’t believe existed.”
‘Would you take a photo with me so I can show my friends back home how beautiful you are?’ It was love at first sight.’: Woman shares sweet international love story
“‘Uh oh! What just happened? This amazing guy has a few days left before he leaves the country again and I just kissed him. Now what?’ We believed we were put together for a reason and with a purpose.”
A Letter To Neurodivergent Girls: I’m So Sorry You Grew Up Lost And Completely Unsure Of Who You Are
“You grew up without a roadmap to understanding how your brain is wired, and then you received a diagnosis society looks at as negative.”
‘My son was born on my birthday, just before I was struck by a truck in a motorcycle accident.’: Single dad, ex-Marine shares recovery journey after near-fatal accident
“I shouldn’t have survived.”
‘I missed my alarm and scrambled out of bed to find 3 lunches prepared for my kids.’: Stressed mom thanks husband for ‘lessening her load’
“In the heaviness and darkness of it all, tears filled my eyes. I felt a weight lifted off my shoulders.”
‘Some day, I will look back in my camera roll, and remember the fullness they have brought.’: Mom shares sweet ode to kids amid chaotic days of parenting
“I won’t remember the unease I felt about the messy house. I won’t remember the feelings of inadequacy trying to pass pajamas as clothing with dry shampoo hair. I won’t remember the judgement I felt about my toddler wearing hand-me-downs. But I’ll remember their charming, unconditional love that perfectly balanced the chaos.”
‘Jack was like a kid in a candy store!’: Strangers make an ‘old trucker’s’ day surprising him with a visit in their big rig
“He wanted the air horns blared, in the middle of the retirement village, and who were we to deny him?!”
‘Neither of us were ready to parent. We made an appointment for an abortion, but I was too far along. I was shunned by family for choosing adoption over parenting.’: Birth mom shares open adoption journey
“My top family’s letter was different from all the others. ‘Dear Friend, we wonder if these letters are as hard to read as they are to write.’ It was a way of showing me they recognize I’m still a person and not just a means of them getting a child.”
Dear Mom With Alzheimer’s, You Weren’t Supposed To Leave So Soon
“I’ve had to do everything without you.”
‘So what? Nobody cares. Just move on.’ We NEED to erase that shame.’: Woman shares powerful message for those dealing with anxiety, panic attacks
“It’s okay to feel lost, alone, angry, sad, and confused. And you’re NEVER alone.”
Dear Moms With A Fangirl Daughter – Please Support Them
“Even if you don’t understand it. Even if you secretly hate their movies or their music. Even if you think it’s silly or a waste of time. I promise you, it will mean so much to her. And when you’re gone, she’ll look back and realize just how lucky she was to have you.”
‘I have deep scars all over. Most are not visible, but they’re there.’: Mom shares journey to embracing emotional scars
“I’ve seen trauma, tears, and sorrow on this path, but I’ve also seen beautiful scenery along the way. Without the bumps in the road, we wouldn’t cherish the good days like we do now.”
‘How many kids do you have?’ For years, this question was a trigger. Like lemon juice in a fresh wound, it stung.’: Birthmother shares adoption grief, making peace with others’ opinions
“Now I allow the other person an opportunity to hear a new perspective, gain a new depth of understanding, or judge me based on what little information they’ve amassed. Either way, I’m a mama to three girls, but one of them doesn’t live with me.”
‘My. Son. Died. I can’t run from that. But I run so no one else has to run this race.’: Mom shares the intensity of grief after losing son to overdose
“Grief is the most arduous race anyone will ever run. You can do this, and I’ll run by your side.”
‘We are at capacity, babe.’ Two months later, Mike asked if I’d gotten her info. We’d never adopted a teen before, we were terrified.’: Family of 11 shares foster care, adoption journey
“She would contact her workers monthly asking if they had found her a family yet. She was desperate for a family to love her and call her own.”
‘Hair loss, depression, anxiety, mood swings, tears, a healing body—it all can await us after bringing life into this world.’: Mom talks about life postpartum, ‘It’s worth any amount of hair’
“We’re all thrown out into the open ocean of motherhood just trying to stay afloat and make our way back to shore alive…but no matter how big those waves are, the open ocean of motherhood is the most beautiful, humbling, and awe-inspiring creation there is.”
‘It’s not a big deal. He’ll grow out of it,’ the nurse practitioner told me. I fought with the hospital to admit him immediately.’: Mom of two special needs boys shares accepting diagnoses
“The excitement and determination were swept away with grief. This incurable disease is marked by developmental delays, atrophy of the basal ganglia and cerebellum, difficulty controlling muscles… and death.”
‘These two boys have entirely different stories, yet they are so fiercely meant to be bros.’: Mom reflects on adoptive son’s journey
“Some days he asks about his birth mom; other days I remind him how much she loves him. Some days he tells people he’s adopted; other days he wonders why he wasn’t born from my tummy.”
To My Special Needs Child: I Knew Our Lives Would Never Look The Same As Anyone Else’s, But We Picked Up The Pieces
“I know how to love different, how to embrace different, how to see all the different and know that it is beautiful. But most importantly, I know how to love a special little baby with my whole heart, and give him the life full of adventure he deserves.”
‘I don’t need to run on fumes. I need to recognize I’m human and ask for help.’: Special needs mom shares son’s sweet reminder after rough day
“‘Anything you want to thank God for?’ Without even a whisper, he simply looked up at me and pointed. ‘Me? You want to thank God for me?’ He nodded with a sweet smile. He wanted to thank God for me. The one who thought she was an utter failure of a mom that day.”
‘Wait! It’s on us today.’: Mom to medically-complex children shares acts of kindness that changed her life
“One kind act can change someone’s entire day. One considerate thing can shift someone’s perspective on life. So be kind, be loving, and be present.”
‘My name always came with ‘big-boned’ attached to it. ‘I’ll never be thin enough or built right for her.’: Woman shares struggle with body image, reminds parents ‘your words and actions matter’
“My mom told me to get ready because she had a special birthday surprise for me. I had no idea where we were going, but it felt good to get dressed up. It was definitely a surprise when we pulled into a gym parking lot.”
‘My home isn’t quiet or as clean as I’d like. There’s always an appointment or task on the to-do list. My husband and I are clearly out numbered.’: Stay-at-home mom chronicles life with 4 kids
“People stare when they find out we have four kids. They ask why. I don’t have an answer; this is just our life and the way we choose to live it. If you ask me, it’s exactly how we were supposed to do it.”