“We adopted my brother. My father was dying of cancer and Easton had just lost his mom. All he ever wanted was a brother. We let Easton hold him first. He began to sing, ‘You are my sunshine’ to him. Nobody prompted him to do it. It’s like he knew this whole time, his little brother would light up his life.”
‘You got a baby BROTHER!’ He jumped up. ‘YES! I knew it was a brother! Now I get to share a room!’: After 4 sisters, adopted son finally gets a brother ‘handpicked’ for him by his ‘dad in heaven’
‘Hey Dad, I want to raise your son. I want him as my own,’ I insanely told my dying father. ‘I didn’t want to put that burden on you,’ he said. He died just 18 hours later.’
“‘Adopt him. You’re supposed to be his mom. You’re the one. Tell your dad. Tell him now.’ My dad visited me in dream. I was standing in a white room. He walked towards me holding a baby wrapped in a light blue blanket. He handed him over, smiled and kissed the baby’s head. When I woke up, I knew.”
‘One of the moms told me, ‘She is not athletic; she is a girly girl.’ I couldn’t sleep that night. All I could think was, ‘Why does she have to choose?’ YOU CAN DO IT ALL.’
“My youngest daughter is trying softball for the first time. We were at practice, and I was talking with other moms. I said I hoped she learned to love the game because she was athletic. Her comment stopped me in my tracks.”
‘You may only get one of them, in your entire life. People who are loyal as hell. People who invite you. People who aren’t suddenly too cool for you when the popular girls enter the room.’
“People who don’t shrug you off when you’re going through a slump. People who don’t make you walk around on eggshells. Life is crazy. But sometimes, every once in a blue moon, we’re lucky enough.”
‘Her eyes widened and her voice changed to panic. ‘What if you have a FIFTH daughter?’ This stranger’s question left a bitter taste in my mouth.’
“I was at Costco with my little crew when a woman approached me about my growing bump. I usually try to ‘kill them with kindness.’ She noticed our four girls and our son, whom we adopted 3 years prior. She made a joke he was the only boy, then shifted her attention to what gender THIS baby would be.”
‘It all started when I got on Instagram. I became one of those girls. The Insta famous ones who always look amazing.’
“I had messages constantly telling me how jealous people were of my life. When in fact, I was just like them. Sitting there, reading their messages in my sweatpants. Battling my own demons.”
‘I was called into the office. My mom was there, waiting to pick me up. ‘We are leaving your dad,’ she said as we walked to the car. I loved him so much, and I was heartbroken.’
“When I got the autopsy report, it read: no evidence she had a child. That was hard. When people tell me she loved me, she just didn’t know how to show it, I think back. ’There was no evidence at the scene that suggested she had children.’”
‘I am SICKENED this is on a lunch box. ‘Why does my 5-year-old call herself ‘fat?’ ‘Why does my middle schooler stand in the mirror and find her flaws?’ We scratch our heads when we see little girls struggle with body image.’
“See this? This is a picture I snapped today of a little girl’s lunchbox I saw for sale. THIS. This is the reason why. ‘You’re overreacting!,’ you might say. No.”
‘What are you having this time?’ I replied, ‘It’s a girl.’ An excited squeal came out of her mouth. ‘Finally a girl, you must be SO happy.’ I cringed.’
“My two boys were there when that woman stopped me. They are always there when someone makes a remark on how my life is somehow saved and better because I ‘finally have a girl.’ They are constantly reminded they aren’t girls.”
‘My closest friends decided to leave me forever. My core group was gone. My heart was broken. New friends? It is terrifying to put yourself out there. Girls can be mean. Women can be vicious.’
“I can prepare and clean my house for 3 hours the 1st few times you come for a visit. But I can only pretend it is usually this clean for so long before you find out the truth. One day you will stop in because you forgot your sweater, and you will see the underwear one of my boys flung on the couch and the dinner dishes piled up from last night.”
