“What if you decided to ignore the voice that said you’re not good enough and instead chose to explore something new — not for the sake of an applaudable performance but simply for pleasure and enjoyment?”
‘Though the world would cringe at my off-key melodies, my sons say my nightly bedtime songs are their favorite way to end the day.’: Mom shares importance of sharing talents
‘Being gay is my favorite thing about myself, yet it is the single hardest thing about my life.’: Gay woman shares powerful story of self-discovery
“I’m sick of justifying myself. I’m sick of defending myself. I’m sick of crying for my inner child who had to hide.”
‘I was in a ball in the corner of the flight with a barf bag, blanket, and epic amount of guilt.’: Woman recounts journey with panic attacks
“I was basically drugging myself up to deal with life. It was like putting a small Band-Aid on a gushing wound.”
‘You’ll have to deal with a baby momma,’ they warned.’: Stepmom shares journey to beautiful blended family
“I’ve been in my stepdaughter’s life for almost 8 years now.”
‘I still see the 5-year-old version of him, lunchbox in hand, bouncing off the school bus and into my arms.’: Mom shares touching moment of realization teen is all grown up
“Soon he will have his license, soon he will be talking about his plans after graduation, soon he will be off to college. Soon I won’t be needed in this parking lot…and I am really going to miss this place.”
My Dear Special Needs Child, I Won’t Give Up On You—It’s Us Against The World
“Even when the schools do not have a place for you to thrive. Even when governments with power to change things do not believe you deserve help. Even when people glare at you in disgust for not being able to do things you cannot understand. Even when the world around you would rather you be hidden.”
‘Last night, he reached for my hand. It startled me, this painful reminder we rarely hold hands anymore since having our child.’: Spouse shares reminder ‘you are not walking the valleys alone’
“We aren’t newlyweds jet-setting the world anymore. Most of the time we have a smaller set of hands between ours now. But just like that, a simple touch melted the stoicism.”
‘We’re all going through this together.’: Single dad offers encouragement during ongoing COVID crisis
“It sucks to be us, but not when we’re together.”
‘A full 365 days later, my grief still mattered.’: Mourning woman thanks loved ones for not letting her ‘sadness be forgotten’
“Recently marked the first anniversary of my sister’s passing. I dreaded the day and prayed for the strength to get through it. That prayer was answered, in the form of florals.”
‘I am the gray friend. I forget to text back. I don’t always show up. Sometimes, it’s all I can do to keep the lid on my emotions from bubbling over.’: Woman shares reminder to give our friends grace
“Most of life happens within the gray – the space between black and white. It might mean I am too busy right now. It might mean I am struggling. It might mean I need to take a break from peopling. So, I’ll keep on not keeping score, and I’ll keep hoping you do the same for me.”
‘Today, I threw myself a little pity party. There were no decorations or balloons, just coffee and lots of tears.’: Mom of boys with rare genetic disease shares how she keeps fighting
“There are no words to describe what it feels like to watch your children weaken over time. Depression and anxiety visit me daily. Some days, I punch my pillow and beg for different circumstances.”
‘He abandoned me, but I chose to move on. I was so good at hiding it, nobody knew I was already suffering.’: Mom shares journey with depression, toxic relationships
“For those who are struggling with depression, anxiety, and all forms of mental illness, you won’t stay in that situation forever. I can attest to that.”
‘This is not just love you easily or haphazardly fall into.’: Wife pens beautiful appreciation letter recognizing husband’s devotion
“You anchored to me, strong and steady, as my ship sailed from each harbor, faithfully into each wild and lengthy storm. And with every torrential downpour, you stay.”
‘They tell us, ‘It’s like nothing you’ve ever known. Trust me.’ We smile politely and worry again about the fear of failing.’: New mom shares motherhood journey, ‘They were right’
“But one night, after sweat, tears, and pain, we are there. Experiencing the rush of our hearts separating from our bodies and arriving as a tiny human—suddenly free in this giant world. A piece of our souls, breathing the same air, thumping its own heart, but still needing us.”
‘If your son was less disabled, we could be of service to him.’: Mom shares ‘horrendous email’ received when seeking support for son with autism
“The current state of the world is becoming the new excuse as to why families like mine don’t get the help we need.”
‘Nothing is better than this. No wine night, shopping trip, or vacation would be worth the trade.’: Mom shares gratitude for motherhood, despite sacrifices
“Nope, no one told me how much I would have to give up. But you know what? No one told me how much I would gain.”
4 Ways To Prioritize YOU During Postpartum
“I won’t be curling my hair, putting on a lot of makeup, showering every day, or having clothes without breastmilk spilled all over them. But I also won’t be beating myself up for missing some unrealistic expectation of having it all together in those first few days.”
‘You can’t have these symptoms because they do not match your appearance. You must imagine them.’: Woman with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome shares journey to diagnosis, reclaiming her life
“I was in endless survival mode, in bed for months, and none of my doctors believed me. Every well-crafted piece that compiled my life broke apart. I realized that no matter how hard I tried, there was no way back into my old life. I needed to find a new purpose, a new definition of who I was and what I wanted in life. And that’s when something shifted inside me.”
‘My social worker called me ‘difficult to place’ due to my ethnic background. I felt powerless, hopeless.’: Adoptee shares self-worth journey
“I grew up believing I was not only difficult to place, but difficult to love—until I discovered I possessed the power to choose the words, thoughts, and beliefs that would accompany me through my day and, ultimately, my life.”
5 Simple Tricks For Overcoming Your Postpartum Anxiety
“After years of self-improvement and major progress with my anxiety, having a newborn was the ultimate trigger for it all to come rushing back.”
‘Don’t say anything. You don’t want to be taken from home, do you?’ We hid in our rooms, afraid of the people supposed to keep us safe.’: Child trauma survivor marries best friend, finds meaning of ‘real love’
“All I knew was I was scared of ‘love.’ I didn’t want it. In fact, I wanted to run from it like it was the plague. I wish I could go back and hold myself like I held my siblings. I wish I could tell little Jas that real love was coming. An angel on earth. The most adorable, bi-racial boy with the biggest dimples and largest afro I had ever seen.”
WWII Soldier’s Lost Letter Finds Its Way To Widow After 76 Years
“It’s like he came back to me. I couldn’t believe it.”
‘I have babies to deliver. Yours is dying, so make it quick.’ She reached in, ripped her out.’: Mom opens up about horrifying medical malpractice causing severe disability, repeat stillbirths
“Had the nurse just called an emergency, had the doctor just put aside that she didn’t like our parental choices… we wouldn’t have to live with this unbearable pain.”
3 Things Moms Need To Let Go For Healthier Futures
“I won’t be taking these things with me anymore, and I hope you’ll do the same.”
‘The highway patrol brazened my porch with hats perched over their hearts. ‘I’m so sorry ma’am. There is nothing left of him or the car.’: Widow navigates grief after losing husband in tragic car accident
“The medical examiner handed me the two most symbolic pieces left of his life—his wedding band and St. Christopher’s Medal around his neck, marred and tangled in char and plastic.”