“‘R*tard’ and ‘lunatic’ became my ‘pet names.’ We still haven’t received a call for an ‘official diagnosis.’ So, I started my own research. I don’t want other children to suffer as I did.”
‘There’s something missing in your son.’ I brushed it off as him being ADD like me. I felt guilty and angry.’: Neurodivergent mom to son with autism urges ‘self-empowerment’ for others like her
‘This moment will stick with me forever. She became REAL to me.’: Father to daughter born with limb difference creates fictional world ‘aiming to accurately represent disability’
“I wanted to fulfill the promise I made to my daughter. I wanted HER to be the hero.”
‘It’s okay, Mommy, just breeaathe.’ My toddler was mirroring my emotions. I knew we were onto something.’: Mom creates ‘peaceful habits’ during pandemic, ‘Focus on what matters most’
“I felt like I was drowning. I needed to up my self-care game or I’d lose it. We were not the only ones experiencing these challenges. I was definitely not alone! It was time to share the discoveries we’d made.”
‘How will you manage a career with kids?’ I felt broken. Who was I if I never became a mom?’: Woman balances career with motherhood, ‘You have the power to CHOOSE’
“Every month was a roller coaster. ‘I recommend cutting back on work.’ My jaw dropped. Any possibility of becoming a mother left the building.”
‘Your cheeks are so red…grab concealer and cover that up.’ I would never say to my daughters the things I say to myself.’: Woman urges ‘you are worthy of kindness too’
“Why do we speak to ourselves any differently than we would to the people we love most in our lives? If you catch yourself thinking ANY negative thoughts about yourself today—stop.”
‘Tonight, I saw a post that said, ‘What would women do without us?’ Everything. We would do absolutely everything.’: Woman urges ‘don’t ever forget what you’re capable of’
“Today, I mowed my yard with my almost-two-year-old on my hip.”
‘Want to join our team?’ I was just another potential sale. Spammed. Annoyed. Grossed out. Even ‘unforgivable.’: Woman criticizes social media marketing, ‘This isn’t how you actually support women’
“I saw their smiling faces with the captions being various forms of #girlssupportgirls on their photo. The difference made my head spin. They deserved to be blocked.”
‘We are merely surviving as we fight it. We are going from one doctor’s appointment to a test to another treatment. Let’s be honest, cancer SUCKS.’: Woman’s has realization in cancer journey, ‘Cancer did not take from me. I took from it.’
“We didn’t choose cancer. It chose us. Getting up was a choice.”
‘The executive told me, ‘I’m not here to help another white girl save Africa.’ This was NOT the life I had anticipated.’: Woman creates global movement for non-profit hospitals, ‘This is the life I was meant to lead’
“I saw dozens of smiling infants, cooing and adoring the hospital caregivers they know as ‘mamas.’ I witnessed an orphan, who we found in a diabetic coma, now thriving. The 6-year-old, who was severely emaciated, weighing only 9 pounds, now fully recovered and walking.”
‘Sexy is a 20-minute bath while Daddy watches the baby. Sexy is lifting up other women and never being too smart to learn something new.’: Woman challenges definition of ‘sexy’
“I’m tired of girls being led to believe they’ve got to pucker their lips, stick out their butt, flash some cleavage, and put seven filters on their face to feel cute. Sexy is working hard and understanding your strength. It’s understanding the world doesn’t revolve around you. It’s accepting your weaknesses and asking for help. Don’t limit yourself to six pack abs and booty bands.”
