“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.”
‘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’
‘There’s something I want to tell you. My partner is female.’ When I finally pressed send, I felt the world stop.’: Woman in same-sex marriage urges ‘be true to yourself’
“As I posted photos of us together, more questions came my way. I didn’t have anything to hide. On National Coming Out Day, I texted my dad. ‘In a perfect world, you could be happy for me.’ I was freed.”
‘My best friend said, ‘You’re too depressing to be around. All you talk about is your pain and sickness. You need to hold it all in, or I won’t be your friend anymore.’: Woman written off by society finds ‘unconditional love’ in chronic illness community
“For 8 years, I couldn’t get the medicine I needed because doctors suggested I was complaining about nothing. They dismissed me with, ‘It’s all in your head.’ I became an expert at denying my own pain. I resigned from my job. Being sick was not something people wanted to hear about.”
‘Listen to me, if you ever bring home a non-white boy, I will disown you.’ If I wanted to date outside my race, I’d have to do it in secret.’: Woman raised in racist home urges ‘create a family that radiates love’
“At 17, I was kicked out of the house. It didn’t make sense to me that the color of someone’s skin was dangerous. I couldn’t carry around the weight of her hate. ‘Will you marry me?’ He was Muslim, I was not. His love for me went deeper than our beliefs.”
‘There’s a second sac…and a third.’ My heart stopped. ‘Oh my God, triplets!’ All my plans were quickly whisked away.’: Mom births triplet rainbow babies after miscarriage, infertility, ‘It takes a village!’
“All of a sudden, I was terribly confused. ‘No way,’ I told the sonographer, half smiling and fully hoping she was joking. We left the OBGYN that day not knowing just how much God had in store for us. 27 weeks into my pregnancy, I began experiencing early contractions.”
‘I’m really sorry.’ I had 2 babies at home! I soon wondered how staying alive could feel so much like dying.’: Woman beats invasive breast cancer, ‘All we have is today’
“I thought I knew what was coming. But really, I didn’t. My mouth felt dry and tasted oily, my stomach churned, my scalp prickled and my bones ached. I hovered in a depression for weeks. My kids needed any precious energy I had.”
We Need To Love ALL Addicts The Same Way We Love Famous Ones
“Substance abuse isn’t just a celebrity problem.”
‘Lauren, are you with anyone right now?’ I looked at our GPS and he was still in the same spot. My legs went numb and I dropped.’: Widow finds strength in grief journey
“‘I have ‘extra’ appreciation for you today!’ He jokingly rolled his eyes towards me. I gave him a kiss, told him I loved him, and to be safe. Later, I texted Kev to see if he would be back at the house before me. He didn’t respond.”
‘My ex remarried and had 3 kids. Believe it or not, we all went to Disney World together. God and Zoloft kept me going.’: Woman shares co-parenting journey, ‘We’re all on board!’
“It had been ‘coming’ in a sense for a couple of years. I was pregnant with our second child when it all went down. We had to put all emotions aside.”
‘To the mom who sits alone because the world is moving on without her, and no one realizes the truth of her reality…’: Woman asks other struggling moms, ‘Can we sit alone together?’
“You watch ball games from vehicle windows, listen to distant conversations and laughter from inside, and send your family off on outdoor adventures with a smile, but one that aches. You view the world from hospital rooms, and the walls of your home become barriers that detain you from the life you once lived.”
