“Serge was shot and killed last night while helping to defend Kyiv from Putin’s Russian forces, reportedly the first American casualty of the war. He didn’t have to be there. As a dual citizen, he could have chosen safety. But he acted exactly the way all who knew him expected him to act; he stood up for those who could not protect themselves.”
‘He died as he lived, a hero in every sense of the word.’: Ukrainian-American man dies defending Kyiv from Russian attacks after lifetime of uniting forgotten kids with loving adoptive families
‘Sometimes, I don’t want to play with you. Not because I don’t love you. But because I’m exhausted.’: Mom says it’s OK to ‘press the pause button,’ take care of yourself
“I don’t have the energy to help Batman defeat the Joker today. And that’s okay.”
‘You lost your first tooth, and I lost a tiny piece of my heart.’: Mom shares accepting new milestones, son growing up too fast
“How did I manage to blink, only to find a little boy where my baby used to be?”
University Student’s Homemade Bumper Sticker Saves Suicidal Stranger’s Life
“Please don’t take your life today. The world is so much better with you in it. More than you realize, stay.”
‘I am here because someone heard me.’: Suicide attempt survivor shares important message about listening to those struggling
“When someone trusts you enough to talk…please listen.”
‘There’s so much I wish others knew. So many incorrect assumptions make life even harder for someone like me.’: Special needs mom clears up biggest misconceptions
“I can see the conversation shift when I walk over. I know you feel awkward talking about taking your kids hiking or going to the park. But there is no need to walk on eggshells around me.”
‘How did I make those decisions?’ Like so many times before, I was so confused and broken.’: Mom with bipolar disorder shares mental health journey
“I will never forget the doctor’s words, ‘We think Brooke should be hospitalized.’ My daughter gave me the courage to be authentic and not view a diagnosis as a cloak of shame.”
‘In Chinatown today, I saw two police officers standing over an old Chinese man bleeding on the ground. I assumed the worst.’: Man witnesses community act of kindness, ‘Only together will we survive the hate’
“As we wait for an ambulance, hundreds of Chinese people walk by and also assume the worst. Rather than let the cops have to address everyone one at a time, I stand off to the side and tell people what happened to set the record straight. It’s the least I can do.”
To My Future Babies, I Will Continue To Write Our Story
“No matter how many more chapters there may be, or how much longer it will take, I will never stop writing the pages of our story until the day comes that I finally get to share them all with you.”
Don’t Forget To Check In On New Moms
“Who holds the mom while she holds the baby? Why is it when a woman has a baby, we tend to put more focus on the baby than the mother?”
‘I am more than any number, and I have more to me than just my body.’: Woman shares journey to overcome anorexia, find self-love
“My eating disorder was my best friend, my confidant, the thing I could turn to when I felt like I was spinning out. I was so attached to this way of coping that it was killing me—literally.”
‘I was super excited to post my announcement, but instead of pressing the button, I burst into tears.’: Woman candidly shares reality, anxiety of pregnancy after loss
“I don’t think a post on Instagram is going to make me lose my baby. It’s that trusting my own happiness is a whole mess of memories and emotions.”
Dear Postpartum Body—Despite Everything, I Still Love You
“I’m sorry I tuck you into high-waisted leggings so no one sees the excess skin that held my beautiful babies. I’m sorry for hating the way my hips grew in order to bring two children into this world.”
‘I am finally living.’: Child abuse survivor shares tumultuous mental health journey
“My emotions do not control me or what I choose to do. I can smell roses and see color.”
‘I think there’s something wrong with me. I know I should love her, but I just don’t feel anything.’: First-time mom shares battle with postpartum anxiety, intrusive thoughts
“I was never the woman who saw her baby on the screen and fell rapturously in love. I figured it would come once we met in person. It didn’t. And I felt terrified and ashamed. What mother doesn’t love their child at first sight?!”
‘I heard myself saying, ‘I’m just a wife,’ ‘I’m just a mom.’ Why do I diminish myself?’: Mom reflects on the importance of self-worth
“Let’s knock it off. Life’s hard enough without us being hard on ourselves.”
‘Today, I found your hair.’: Dog mom shares heartfelt moment of grief in wake of losing young pet to cancer
“I should wash your blanket. I know I should. Eventually I will. But right now, I can’t. No matter how gross that is.”
You May Be Sitting In The Middle Of A Storm Right Now, But The Sun Will Come Again
“The landscape you knew may never quite look the same. You might find the storm has blown you into a new location, one where storms are chronic, where the clouds roll in and back out over and over again. But wherever you are, the bright rays you crave will come.”
‘I preach body positivity and talk about embracing flaws, but the second I look at myself, all that goes out the window.’: Mom shares journey accepting and loving her body
“Our bodies are amazing. They are full of life and love and laughter, and it’s time we start looking at ourselves as a vessel of incredible emotions, ideas, and thoughts rather than just a pretty or not-pretty face.”
Everything I Wish I Knew Before Getting Pregnant With My Rainbow Baby
“Getting pregnant after a miscarriage can be triggering, but be gentle with yourself.”
‘My heart crumpled under the weight of yet another frozen shoulder. I knew our marriage was terminal.’: Divorcee embarks on self love journey, shares lessons learned about loneliness
“Loneliness hurts – both literally and figuratively. I began losing my hair and was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue. I cried daily. Suicidal ideation creeped in, first shocking, and then regularly.”
‘I remember thinking, ‘Why is my body doing this to itself?’ I was so angry at my immune system for failing me.’: Woman shares life with stoma after Chronic Colitis diagnosis
“I will never stop talking about it – to challenge the stigma so no one has to feel embarrassment and shame.”
Be Kind To Her, She Is Pushing As Hard As She Can
“She’s told herself she should do more, but she’s stuck sitting on her kitchen floor. Come see her and bring her a tea, remind her of what she cannot see. Sit beside her and be a friend. Tell her that this is not the end.”
I Am 37, And I Have No Freaking Clue What I Want To Do With My Life
“I wanted to be a doctor since the very first time I met my Pediatrician, Dr. Peeden, and worked tirelessly to reach that goal. But what happens when you reach your goals and find that you are completely miserable and lost so much along the way?”
‘Your baby girl isn’t growing properly.’ My daughter doesn’t need changing. This world does.’: Mom to daughter with dwarfism advocates for inclusion
“Without much explanation, the doctor headed back to her office to look over the measurements, leaving me to delve into Google. Without enough info, full of fear and armed with nothing but shock and anxiety, I stumbled upon scary statistics, a lack of information and words that seemed jumbled on the page.”