“It all started with a fire. My biological parents had bills to pay. They gave me up, knowing they may never see me again. A family reached out. I had no idea what adoption was. They didn’t look like me or talk like me. Why were they handing me gifts? Why were my foster parents crying? I didn’t know what was happening. How could I? I was only 6. Soon, I was taken away. Little did I know that plane ride would change my life forever. I was halfway across the world.”
‘Wen, we’d like to adopt you.’ My body was burned and abandoned on a doorstep. I was given a second chance at life.’: Burn survivor adopted from foster care system, ‘I’m so lucky to be alive and in a loving family!’
‘What would we do if someone started shooting?,’ I wondered in church. I could feel my heart racing.’: Mom says her fear can be ‘crippling’ following mass shootings, but knows there will ‘always be light’
“Where were the exits? How would I protect my kids? I hate that my mind was in a place of fear in church of all places. I often run to the grocery store or Target with all 3 of my kids. How will I protect them if someone started shooting? How can I keep them safe? How can I teach them to protect themselves? Fear can be crippling. But there will also always be light.”
‘I had a great 4th of July. Except for the part where I almost died. I ate macaroni salad. I didn’t realize it was different, until I was SURE I tasted fish. Not just fish, but CRAB. I was convinced of it.’
“My ears started to burn. My lips tingled. My thoughts consumed me. My brain went into overdrive. The voice inside my head started panicking and screaming into my itchy ear, ‘That’s it, you’re gonna die.’ I had to act quickly before my throat closed and my hands seized. Then, I saw it. It took my breath away.”
‘My daughter’s friends told her they don’t like ‘those’ people. I’ve witnessed parents make their children leave the playground when my Black son showed up.’
“I can’t believe I was blind to this for so long. I know this makes my white friends uncomfortable. I am embarrassed it took my child being treated poorly for me to listen. But what I now know, I can’t unknow.”
‘We had 90 days to get married. A man who’s never met my family. We both questioned what we’d gotten into.’: Woman takes leap of faith in marrying man who had never met her family
“I remember talking to my Dad after the fact. He said, ‘Ronnie called me to ask my blessing. I couldn’t understand half of what he said, but I told him yes, my daughter could marry him.’ Although, not everyone had encouraging comments. I had frequent questions like, ‘What if this guy just wants a green card?’”
‘After spending $13 on low brow tacos, my wife and I went Christmas shopping for our kids. This was our date for the month. This is parenthood. Sexy.’: Dad hilariously grapples with kids’ holiday wish lists
“Our son’s wish list added up to just over $5k. I’ve never wanted to make someone live on the streets until now. Play-doh was on everyone’s list. We won’t be getting any of it because I’d rather slam my head in a car door.”
‘Was waiting to pick up my kids from school when 3 boys took down the flag. They were having a hard time making sure it didn’t touch the ground, when the third boy laid under it to honor it.’
“I was shocked and yelled to my niece, ‘He just laid under it!’ Wow! I just watched the most amazing act of Patriotism.”
4th of July is for Lovers: Single mom hits ‘JACKPOT’ after falling ‘hard’ for her hilarious patriotic model
“I remember my daughter saying, ‘Why don’t you date him Mom? I think he like likes you.’ We are now engaged to be married!”
‘What better way to get in the 4th of July mood!’
“I try to do something new each year to show my patriotism.”
‘With both of us active duty soldiers, we’ve learned to adapt to spending more time apart than together, and live for the quiet moments.’
“I had just flown back from halfway across the globe, feeling as though my heart and soul had been drop-kicked across the Pacific. I spent the last of my savings to get home, with divorce papers clutched in one hand and the last of my dignity in the other.”
