“Income was uncertain and we already had barely enough to support our family of five. I was a stay-at-home mom who had barely gotten her feet wet with three kids, and the idea of adding three more was crazy. All we had to do was say yes.”
‘He’s going to age out of orphan care and be separated from his sisters.’ The faces of 3 siblings stared back as my newborn stirred in my arms. I couldn’t look away.’: Couple adopt siblings from orphanage, become forever family of 8
‘Can I call my mom?’ My heart breaks. ‘No, not right now.’ I can’t give him what he really needs, the love and support of his own mother.’: Single foster, adoptive dad admits ‘I feel guilty’
“I feel guilty I am the one who gets to see a baby take her first steps, see a little boy lose a tooth and get excited over the Tooth Fairy in the morning, or see a kid score in their football game. I wish it were different for these kids, but I’m prepared to be there for them as long as they need me.”
‘I drove 15 hours to see the girl I was ‘talking’ to. ‘Why would you do that? Why would you try so hard and drive so far?’: Husband urges ‘never stop chasing her the way you did before you had her’
“I drove 15 hours to Florida. I stayed for 20 hours. Then I drove 15 hours back. If you want something bad enough, you never get tired of chasing it.”
‘’Will you ask her to marry you?’ My dress was overnighted. Mom helped dad into his suit. I choked on tears.’: Woman creates father-daughter dance before dad’s passing, ‘He always chose joy’
“My nails weren’t painted and I curled my hair myself in between wiping away the endless stream of tears. It wasn’t staged or super fancy. It was a dad doing what he always did best: sweeping his girl off her feet one last time.”
‘I don’t know who I am.’ I struggled with feeling depressed and hopeless. All my dreams died.’: Man diagnosed with Friedreich’s Ataxia raises awareness, ‘I want to encourage people’
“I had more and more difficulties performing physical functions. I couldn’t keep my balance. ‘Maybe I had too many concussions.’ I felt defeated thinking about all the things I wouldn’t be able to do with my wife and kids.”
‘The house is too big for 2 people!’ I had to tell him, and soon. They showed up with nothing but a paper bag.’: Couple adopt 3 siblings, ‘We instantly loved them’
“He was looking to place these 3 children. ‘We think y’all could handle it, and we want to keep them together.’ They were like wild colts and would just run off. We didn’t know how they might react.”
‘I was on mother number 3. She cut off contact. ‘Were you in Terre Haute, IN in 1967?’ My heart was racing.’: Adoptee finds father after 50 years, ‘Our relationship is magical’
“He didn’t have any idea what to do with a little girl. I tucked the papers away and forgot about them. Suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. Being rejected by the same woman twice in your life is a hard pill to swallow.”
‘Where is his wife? Why is he watching the baby? What’s she doing?’ My favorite part of this story is the way Steven told it to me.’: Mom grateful for husband’s help during child birth recovery
“I felt completely overwhelmed and exhausted. Enter Steven.”
‘As a man, I will never be able to breastfeed my children, but I can do my best to support my breastfeeding wife.’: Husband urges ‘teamwork is essential’
“She’s exhausted. She’s dealing with postpartum PTSD. She’s not sleeping. She doesn’t have the extra hours to pump. Give her a shoulder to lean on.”
‘I didn’t know that about you,’ said a patient at work. I was embarrassed to be placed in the same category.’: Widow shares why she carries late fiancé’s Narcotics Anonymous key chains
“My first reaction was to be defensive; my second was the opposite. The second reaction came when I realized why I carry these key chains. Jamie was 5 years sober when he bought a pill he didn’t know was fentanyl, and he died. Jamie was 29 years old. He was a dad to five kids.”
