“I know you messaged me this morning…or was it yesterday? It’s all a bit of a blur and my phone is buried somewhere on my bedside that has never felt so small. I so badly want to reconnect with you, but I’m trying to reconnect with me too.”
‘Dear friend, it’s still me. Well, sort of. I’m no longer popping bottles, I’m pouring milk into them. I’m canceling a lot and it’s hard to explain why.’: Mom to newborn says ‘please keep inviting me, it means more than you know’
‘This is a bad idea.’ We left all our belongings and drove across the country, just two poor newlyweds. I wanted to turn back.’: Couple moves to wilderness camp, ‘Say YES to new adventures’
“The future seemed big and scary, and I felt small and nervous. I was ready to go home. The sunset was like fireworks to the end of a challenging season. Now when I look back, I am grateful.”
‘If I lose 10 more pounds, I’ll be happy.’ I had a postpartum body to ‘fix.’ I was terrified of getting fat.’: Mom overcomes postpartum depression and eating disorder, ‘Change is possible’
“I blamed myself for not being like other moms who had it all together. I would halt a workout and walk out of the gym if I spotted a fitter girl. It drove me into a pit of despair.”
‘This isn’t for me. I quit.’ The pressure lifted from my chest. I was free to forge my own path.’: Woman deletes social media on healing journey, ‘I started a clean slate’
“I quit my job. I avoided a possible catastrophic marriage. Everything I’d kept bottled up was starting to surface. I didn’t have much courage under my belt, but I was still brave.”
‘He craned his neck, trying to see me as they drove away. Every day, he wondered where I was.’: Foster parents help create law after separation from foster son, ‘We are so thankful for this victory’
“We fought for his rights and best interests. We were the only family he had ever known. I will never ever forget the caseworker driving him away. It was the most heartbreaking, excruciatingly painful thing. As soon as he left our home, we were working to change the laws.”
‘I will not let a single child slip through the cracks.’: 10 ways this first grade teacher is re-inventing learning
“God gave me the gift of being able to teach. Failure is not an option. We will go above and beyond.”
‘That made her BIG mad. We’re talking wailing, crying, and gnashing of teeth. ‘You’re an EVIL mommy!’: Mom feels closer to God after toddler’s tantrum
“I let her mourn and scream. There was no reasoning with her, anyways. She wanted what she wanted. But, I couldn’t stop thinking, ‘If only she knew what was coming. If only she knew why I wouldn’t pull over.’ I was contemplating this to myself and realized, holy cow, I’m no better than my toddler.”
‘I used to be the one they went to for all the things. The one-stop shop for food and comfort and love.’: Mother of teenagers says ‘it’s all a blessing… every bit’
“I used to make breakfasts for kids in footie pajamas, swinging their legs at my kitchen counter. Now, I make four frozen pizzas at once, trying to keep up with how much these tall kids are eating. I used to stay up at night worrying about what they ate that day. Now, I stay awake hoping they are driving safely.”
‘Our new normal needs adjusting. Extend your arm; we cannot continue to settle for convenience.’: Woman urges ‘be the change you wish to see in the world’
“Every day feels more like 1955. But now, instead of writing about it in history books, we pick up our phones and tape it. We drop a heart reaction and get on with it. Another hashtag nobody prepared us for.”
‘Her boyfriend told my photographer, AT MY WEDDING, ‘Yeah, I don’t really like Harley.’ I’m not close with any of my bridesmaids.’: Woman urges ‘some friendships end because they need to’
“I got married at 20; we were all young. My friend and I were literally making up from a fight when I told her I was getting married. ‘Will you be my maid of honor?’ I asked. She and I stopped talking after the wedding. Some friends are lifelong, and some are temporary.”
