“It’s not that you didn’t want to get off the couch, it’s that you couldn’t. Your mind was so sick it made you physically unable to function. It made you so tired the most simple tasks felt like climbing Mt. Everest.”
‘I remember coming home from school, seeing you on the couch. You didn’t ask me how my day was. I get it now, mom.’: Mom battling depression, suicidal ideations says ‘your illness doesn’t make you a bad mom’
‘The statistics were extremely stacked against me. Then, I was adopted.’: Former foster youth shares healing journey, ‘You are not responsible for what happened to you as a child’
“I experienced the stability and safe love I’d longed for years. And even though I tried to push it away, they never left me. My family was relentless in their commitment to loving me and helping me heal. No matter what I did – and I did a lot of things – they loved me.”
‘We are burnt out to a point of no return, just to keep up with this label of doing it ALL.’: Woman explains why modern ‘good wife’ is rooted in patriarchy
“She is encouraged to sacrifice, to ‘bounce back’ after carrying and birthing children, to be attractive, well kept, and still desirable by her partner and society. That’s IF she wants to be a good wife.”
‘I’ve finally found my baby.’: Kidnapped 4-year-old reunites with mom after 33 years
Li sketched out a map of his home village. He couldn’t remember his birth name, the names of his parents, or the name of his village, but he recalled the rivers, rice paddies, and roads that wound through the countryside.
‘She kicked him right in the face.’: Brave 9-year-old protects mom from armed thief
“We walked out the store and I took a little glance at him. Next thing I know, I saw him running towards my mom.”
‘I’ve had their adorable sticky hands grabbing at me for 12 hours. I just want to sit in a dark room so I can think.’: Introvert mom urges there’s ‘nothing wrong’ with how you recharge
“It’s okay if being around your little ones drains you just as much as it makes you happy.”
‘I stayed in bed for hours of the day, didn’t eat for hours at a time, and lost a lot of weight. I felt like I didn’t matter to anyone.’: Young woman’s self-love journey started with a break-up
“Now, I always remember I am beautiful the way I am, inside and out. I wish I would’ve known that a long time ago.”
‘Thank you again, honey.’ I called back to tell her I mistakenly got her message. ‘Do you have a minute?’: Woman befriends stranger who dialed wrong number, shares special recipe
“‘You did your good deed for the day!’ Really, it was her sweet words and warmth that touched my heart.”
‘They told me, ‘There’s no way you have that. Take an antidepressant.’ I was in horrible pain and no one was listening to me.’: Woman living with chronic pain shares diagnosis journey
“Some days I am so hungry and have a fridge full of food, but I can’t eat it. When I do eat, the pain is so bad I’m curled up in a fetal position for the rest of the night. Then I wake up and I do it all over again.”
‘How can we do this every single week?’ My mama heart just sees needles, pokes, possible surgeries, and pain.’: Duchenne mom shares beauty of ‘running on faith’
“My strength is not what keeps me able to lift my boys, get up multiple times a night, or handle difficult medical situations. My strength is limited, and often my anxious mind depletes nearly all of it. I am not strong, but my faith is.”
‘They looked like they hadn’t eaten in weeks, and they never said a single word. Our training was exactly for this moment.’: Mom shares foster-to-adopt journey, advice for other adopters
“Those frail little boys have learned to ride bikes, scooters, skateboards. Our commitment to them is as if I had given birth to them. There is no difference in our love for them.”
‘After the abuse stopped, I looked at myself in the mirror and hated what I had done to my body. So I started to hurt it even more.’: Woman shares body positivity journey after abuse, eating disorders
“I needed to go into this journey for HEALTH, not because I wanted to look like this person or that person. It has changed my whole perspective. I am happy with my body again, and I am confident again.”
‘He said, ‘I just knew I was going to love you.’ I thought I would never find someone like this for me and my son.’: Mom shares non-traditional love story after teen pregnancy
“I had always wanted someone who would love my son like their own and here I had a man who wanted my son to stand next to him on the biggest day of his life. This wedding wasn’t going to just be a union of two people, but an official union of our family.”
Man Runs Non-Profit Restaurant And Basketball Camp To Teach Life Skills To Youth In His Community
“Some don’t have parents, live with a grandparent, or are young parents themselves. It’s a tear-jerker because it makes me so happy to change their lives.”
6 Self-Care Strategies To Prioritize Yourself In 2024
“Nourishment is more than trendy nutrition.”
6 Meal Planning Tips For The Busy Mom
“I learned very early on with having kids I could no longer ‘wing it’ for meals.”
‘Are you ready to see your baby?’: New mom holds daughter after 85-day Covid battle in emotional video
No eye was left dry.
‘Mommy. Mommy? Mommy!! Hearing this word sometimes breaks me. But I’m reminded how powerful that word truly is.’: Mom shares why her title is a blessing
“I realize that although that word can sometimes carry with it feelings of frustration and exhaustion, it’s a precious gift that I will never take for granted. They will always need me. They will always love me. They will always depend on me.”
‘I officially became a Girl Scouts troop leader, and I’m super excited about it! I know I’ll do just as good of a job as a woman.’: Single dad talks problems with gender role stereotypes
“Treating people right is about kindness and respect, not male or female. Raising children is about love and commitment, not mother or father.”
‘I sent my husband home while I delivered our baby girl. I could tell he wasn’t coping. I knew my life was about to get worse before it got better.’: After husband’s suicide, mom shares journey to find self-love
“I texted my mom. ‘We can have the kids,’ she replied. It was time to finally let go of my past experiences with love and open myself up again.”
‘Why did you choose open adoption when you don’t have to?’ It shouldn’t have to be ‘either/or,’ it should be ‘and.’: Adoptive mom reflects on unique journey, ‘This little girl deserves the world’
“We entered into the adoption of our daughter the way birth mom wanted – a fully closed adoption. She knew she could not safely care for her baby with the life she was living, but her heart was hurting. In my heart, I knew we needed a plan C.”
‘If I don’t answer that door, whatever news they have will go away.’ I knew. A mother always knows.’: Mom shares tragic loss of son, hometown hero
“Three hours later, our doorbell rang. ‘It’s the cops!’ I heard them ask if we owned a 2017 Jeep. I was immobilized, tears stinging, unable to speak.”
‘In honor of Betty White, his teacher challenged the class to consider giving to an animal charity. ‘But mama, I’m broke!’: Mom shares touching moment teaching son about money
“I reminded him he had $5. We chatted about how every little bit counts. He said, ‘I love animals more than I love money.’ And then I melted into a puddle on the floor.”
‘Dear daughter, I know sometimes you wonder if you’ll ever do normal things without me hovering over you.’: Mom shares reality of food allergies, proud mom moment
“Gymnastics felt like a dream – letting you out of my grasp and trusting you to take care of yourself down there on the competition floor, while I’m up in the stands watching, cheering, and learning to let go.”
There Is No Such Thing As The Perfect Family
“Preferences exist. Opinions exist. Pushy strangers exist. But perfection? No such thing.”