“As we pack up our belongings and head to the car, my husband can tell something is off. The moment we get into the car, I break down. We had been faced with the unimaginable. Two of our children passed away.”

‘Our life came to a halt. Our son was gravely ill. Looks can be deceiving. I tell him how guilty I am. His eyes become glassy. ‘I’m OK. I have a son,’ he says with a smile. I begin to sob.’

‘I lost one of my kids. As the crowd dispersed, two of my boys walked over to me, but my son was nowhere to be seen. I called his name, paralyzed in fear.’
“I hadn’t laid eyes on him for at least 10 minutes — or had it been 20? Immediately, everything around me swirled and blurred. The only thing in focus was the red flag flapping violently above the lifeguard station. The white-capped waves were deafening. Horrible scenarios flooded my mind.”

‘I am done trying to cram him in a box he was never made to fit into. I have to let it go before it kills my little boy’s spirit, or worse, our relationship.’: Mom quits working so hard to raise a ‘well-rounded child’
“I lost it and yelled in a tone that shocked me and scared him. I wondered what my little boy thought. I wondered if he still knew I love him. I am losing my opportunity to enjoy him because I am so wrapped up in fixing him – but the truth is, he isn’t broken, and he doesn’t need to be fixed.”

‘Pardon my smell. This is how I attended my kids’ end-of-the-year school performance. Like a sweaty, hot mess.’
“Today being a special, celebratory event for my munchkins, I probably could have (and maybe should have) dressed up a bit, or at least not looked so wrecked. But, I didn’t.”

‘Here’s the thing: I no longer give any sh*ts.’ Mom’s hilarious realization about the final weeks of school until summertime
“I roll over and force myself to open my eyes. ‘I have no pants,’ she says, inches from my face. ‘AGAIN.'”