“When I first met him, I was cleaning tables at McDonald’s. He was so sexy and had the most beautiful blue eyes I’d ever seen. And he just HAD to hold them on mine. We parted ways, but later I found him on social media. I essentially moved in that first night.”
‘Really? Can I? I’ll be there at 2:30 a.m.’ He seemed surprised. He didn’t expect me to say yes.’: Young woman moves in with man she found on Facebook after chance encounter in McDonald’s, ‘I found a love I never knew existed’
‘I was on social media, and there it was. Yet ANOTHER story about a mother being shamed for her parenting choices.’: Fed up mom says ‘real friends’ don’t care about these ‘silly arguments’
“All I could think in that moment was… where do you find these people?!”
‘I have a lot more respect for you now, mom.’ ‘My daughter turned to me and spoke the words I’d been waiting my entire life to hear!’ Mom explains why the ‘teenager years’ are her favorite stage yet
“I had to hide my youthful giddiness and play it cool. The older, wiser mom will tell you the toddler years are the best of all. That in the blink of an eye, our kids will be mini-adults and the days of cuddles and air-blown kisses will be gone. NO ONE tells you the cool things that happen.”
‘I looked at my mom, tears welling up. ‘Was I adopted?’ She knew this day would happen. She knew I’d want to know. My answer was a few clicks away.’
“I opened an unknown can of worms. Things started swirling in my head. ‘Was I not loved? Am I not worthy? Do I have siblings?’ I started at my computer screen. Same eye shape, same smile. I finally clicked send. Within a half hour, she responded. The pit of my stomach felt so sick.”
‘The phone rang. I thought to myself, ‘That’s her! It has to be her.’ Tears flooded my eyes. Her next words lit up my entire life. ‘I’m so glad you found me,’ she said.’
“I was told, ‘Your parents gave you away because they didn’t want you.’ I was devastated and began a mental game of ‘Who Could Be My Birth Mother?’ Everywhere I went, I looked to see who I might resemble. I analyzed the features of celebrities and passing strangers. Every birthday, I wondered if she was thinking about me, too.”
‘HI MOMMY, I’M BABY A. HI, I’M BABY B.’ My eyes landed on, ‘HI MOMMY, I’M BABY C.’ Triplets, they deserved more.’: Mom credits unexpected triplets and husband with her helping to find sobriety
“I was working at a strip club in Detroit, trading my body for drugs, deteriorating into nothingness. I sought refuge in another rehab and shortly after leaving, I found out again I was pregnant. I went in to see my OBGYN, cried over the possibility of an evil man being the baby’s father. I called my husband who knew the circumstances of my life and our relationship, but he was willing to be there for me in whatever way he could.”
‘Let’s go get our kids!’ We didn’t have a plan. One by one, they entered the room.’: Woman survives Route 91, Las Vegas Mass Shooting, adopts nieces, nephews in wake of siblings’ deaths
“‘It’s just fireworks.’ Reloading, shooting, reloading, shooting. I kept saying, ‘I shouldn’t be here, I have kids.’ A week later, the survivors planned a moment of silence at 10:04 p.m. I went outside, looked up at the stars. Suddenly, ash the took the sky. Our town was on fire. I’d just survived the worst mass shooting in American history, and we were now stuck in California’s deadliest wildfire.”
‘I woke up to find a note on the dining room table. My world paused in that moment. That tiny note was the very first time I saw his handwriting in the 18 years I had known him.’
“Life moved on. He was never far from my mind but he no longer made his way into my life. Then one day he phoned me.”
‘Every couple has fought on the way to a party, only to step out of the car smiling. We post pictures of our kids melting down, but never share photos crying after an ugly argument.’
“We have a wonderful marriage. But we also have bad days where I dread the sound of his car pulling into the garage. When I’m really mad, I imagine what my life would look like as a single mom. This is normal. It’s OK.”
‘I’ll get better, mom.’ That was 2 days ago. Today, he’s high again. I’ll never give up on my baby.’: Mom says she’ll ‘always have hope’ for son addicted to heroin
“My son has served 10 months in prison, several months in jail, has been in 5 different rehabs. Each time I think, ‘This will be it. He’ll stay sober and start to live life,’ and each time he relapses. I worry every day I’ll get that call telling me he’s dead. At least when he’s in prison, I know he’s alive. My son is not an addict, or a problem. He is just suffering, and I will always love him no matter what.”
