“Through the simple act of laying out some pieces and guiding his hands, he felt heard. Through some words of encouragement and praise, he felt seen. When we hung it up for all to admire and I asked him what he wanted to make next, he felt known.”
‘I don’t like crafts. I don’t like coming up with ideas or gathering supplies. Yet, I’ve spent the better part of a decade crafting.’: Mom reflects on the sacrificial love of motherhood
‘What if he dies?’ I gave words to the worst. ‘Don’t,’ he replied. ‘Don’t think about that.’ I’d never felt so helpless.’: Mom finds renewed sense of gratitude after nearly losing newborn
“We planned on a pumpkin patch visit. Instead, we were facing the possibility of losing our baby before we’d even received his birth certificate.”
‘My mom found my diary. She broke down crying, ‘I think we have a gay daughter. Where did I go wrong?’: LGBT woman overcomes childhood trauma to advocate for others
“My dad started throwing out all my ‘boy clothes’ and told me to leave. He called me weird, nasty, stupid…every name in the book. ‘Where am I going to live? Who is going to love me?’ In a cloud of depression, I was ready to give up on life.”
‘My mother cried, ‘I love to be your mom. But I’m a person, too.’: Mom shares important reminder it’s okay not to be okay
“We might have exchanged a thousand words, but these are the ones I’ll remember. Not until I let the tears fall in front of my own small children, did I fully understand.”
‘What do you mean you found a lost CHICKEN?’ My 12-year-old and her best friend came bursting through our side door.’: Mom urges ‘savor moments of joy in the chaos’
“Folks, I grew up near New York City. The only thing I know about chickens is how to bake them at 350 degrees. ‘Mom! Mom! We have to save it!’ It was getting dark quickly.”
‘The 4-year-olds were BULLIES. He couldn’t tell us what was wrong.’: Mom urges ‘teach kindness’ for Autism Acceptance Month
“They were taking his device and hiding it, and when the teacher wasn’t looking, they’d push him down. I was floored.”
‘Who is that tall man that now towers over her? Where is her little boy? How did it go so fast? She rests her read against his broad shoulder.’: Mom urges ‘remember how it all feels’
“The tiny newborn. The sweet toddler. The adventurous boy. The challenging teenager. The confident man. The doting father. She’s loved them all. And she knows that for as long as she lives, she’ll always remember how this feels.”
‘I used to think my success as a mother was measured by my children’s milestones.’: Special needs mom urges ‘accomplishments don’t equal a life well-lived’
“And then I discovered both my kids had autism. I no longer see scored goals or straight As as markers of success.”
‘We can bring your Leprechaun trap a day late, okay?’ I see the disappointment in his face, pull over, and ugly cry as the mom guilt sets in.’: Mom shares important reminder ‘we’re doing the best we can’
“I feel bad I worked so much this weekend. I feel bad I work so much all the time. I stay up late cleaning up the day’s mess, and washing too many clothes. When it’s all over, I’m tired. If asked, I could have easily provided a mile long list of what I thought was going to be my final straw. Nowhere on the list would have been a leprechaun trap.”
‘He raged, ‘Just STOP eating.’ Shocked and embarrassed, I did. I learned to eat quietly or not at all.’: Woman seeks recovery from eating disorder, trauma, ‘I’m reclaiming my joy’
“‘STOP scraping your teeth on your fork!’ he yelled. I feared family meals. I became strong when skinny and untouchable when numb.”
