“All day I kept having a weird feeling—like maybe I should call and ask him, ‘How are you?’ I just put it off as something else. The hospital assured us he was fine. I just shut down. I can’t explain it, but this switch in me just turned off. I don’t remember much after.”
‘OMG! It’s not working. Give him one more dose. ANOTHER.’ Everything went downhill, and FAST.’: Woman recounts heartbreaking and unexpected loss of father, ‘I wouldn’t wish this pain on anyone’
‘A guardian angel called 9-1-1 as I convulsed in a coffee shop parking lot. At 18, I’d lost 20 jobs and been arrested 14 times.’: Man 13-years sober after long battle with addiction, ‘We’re not meant to live in darkness’
“As I lay in the ICU, I could see my mom raging in disappointment and agony as she tried to explain the situation to her colleagues. Where was the little boy she used to sing with? The little boy who helped bake cookies for Santa and colored Easter eggs? My life had spiraled out of control.”
‘She screamed, ‘Mommy, why did you take him off life support? God could have healed him.’: Woman pays tribute to late father, ‘He taught me unconditional love’
“I laid my head on his chest, screaming and crying, ‘Dad, I need you, please don’t leave me!’ He immediately sat up for a brief minute, and we locked eyes. His beautiful brown eyes said more than words ever could. I happened to glance over at my mom. I started crying uncontrollably. Flashbacks of our last conversation flooded my thoughts, replaying in my mind over and over. I blamed myself, thinking, ‘If I just hadn‘t mentioned the boxes in the attic, then he wouldn’t have felt like he had to go up there.’”
‘Try not to cry, you won’t be able to wipe your tears.’ I thought I’d faint from shock. Tears rolled down his face. ‘We’re here now, Pops.’: Woman loses father to COVID-19, ‘We’re never alone’
“We looked like something out of a space movie. Shoe covers, face mask, visor, and two pairs of gloves. ‘There’s nothing more we can do.’ No more miracles. He was gone.”
‘If I make her breakfast at 3 a.m. and wash her hair, maybe I can save her!’ I won’t tell her yet.’: Daughter takes care of mom before she passes, ‘I never gave up on you’
“‘Why me?’ she’d ask. But I was 22 and very much alive, how could I know? ‘We aren’t done fighting.’”
‘Do you remember your dad?’ She responded, ‘Which one?’ Our family dynamic changed completely.’: Widow shares ‘beautiful and complicated’ journey after loss
“It wasn’t just about our marriage. Our children gained a dad and siblings overnight. Blended. Forever.”
‘What are the chances of dying on your birthday?’ August 16th. One of the best and now worst days of my life.’: Woman pays tribute to late mother who passed on her birthday, ‘She was my best friend’
“We went from planning final details of our wedding, to planning a funeral. We went from receiving RSVP cards, to receiving sympathy cards.”
‘Anthony was the ‘throw away child,’ in and out of foster care since 4 years old. I felt God calling on me: ‘He is yours.’: Family adopt teen stuck in foster care, ‘He’ll forever live in my heart’
“At 6 years old, his brother died of child abuse. He was separated from his sisters, adopted without him. People could not see the child he was going to become. They only saw the broken child. ‘Is he available for adoption?’ I was ready to be his mama.”
‘Just leave it all, sweetie. Leave the mess. It means you were around today, and a little piece of you is still here.’: Grandma shares sweet reminder to ‘never take life for granted’
“How often do we hustle and bustle to pick up our home’s messes? How often do we grumble at our little ones to ‘please’ straighten up? The moment took my breath away, and filled my heart with a bittersweet reminder.”
‘Why suffer when there’s medication!’ I begged for help, no one heard.’: Widow suffers PTSD, finds herself, ‘I finally embraced the woman I once knew’’
“’I can’t do this anymore.’ I was stuck in molasses, unable to move forward. ‘PTSD? That’s for those in the army, or for major trauma.’ I was speechless.”
