“I thought I had a UTI. ‘We have to remove it just in case.’ I couldn’t believe this horrible thing had been growing in my body.”
‘It might be something nasty.’ I sat in a waiting room, surrounded by men 40 years my senior. Nothing can prepare you for this.’: Ballet dancer raises awareness for bladder cancer
‘She said the words I hoped to never hear again, ‘You have cancer.’ I know life isn’t fair, but 3 times? It felt downright cruel.’: Mom shares cancer journey, ‘While I’m changed, I’m still here’
“One night, I woke up crying in pain. ‘Please just cut my leg off!’ I lost my childhood, my innocence. Just as life started to feel normal, my scans weren’t coming back clear. There was something in my lung and no one knew what it was.”
‘I asked my best friend why there were so many crying bloggers on the Internet. Was there nothing else to do while in pain then turn your camera to portrait mode? Now it makes sense to me.’: Woman shares opinion on emotional selfies
“Why someone would take a selfie during their most vulnerable moment and share it with the world. Was it attention-seeking? Now it makes sense to me.”
‘They blatantly said, ‘Stop having kids, it’s too much.’ Without restraint, we had babies 9 and 10.’: Birth mom to 10 says ‘I didn’t plan this, but I am so blessed!’
“People are curious. I’m a petite woman. They ask, ‘Are they ALL yours…like, came out of your body?’ When I say yes, they follow up with, ‘…How did you do it?’ I don’t. WE do it together.”
‘I just want you to know, we are the family who adopted your son.’ She hadn’t gone a single day without thinking about him. ‘Can you be here in 2 weeks?!’: Adopted boy surprised with biological mom, now part of beautiful open adoption
“I told my son, ‘Your present is in the van, you can go get it.’ He stopped dead in his tracks and exhaled, ‘Mom?’ He took off sprinting into her arms, sobbing.”
‘You’re the girl of my dreams. I’m never letting go.’ I faltered as my ex came crawling back, but Justin never gave up.’: Woman finds dream man after toxic relationship, ‘He gives nothing short of his whole heart’
“I discovered his messages to another girl. They were all complaints about ME. There was always another girl who fell into the mix for a week or two, to give him something new. But when I tried to date, he was back on my doorstep, begging for another chance. ‘You should check out this dating site,’ my friend said. Justin showed me my worth was far more than I could ever imagine.”
‘Pregnant at 18, I heard, ‘You’re young, you’ll bounce back!’ It became etched in my mind. Stretch marks and loose skin? BAD.’: Mom learns to cherish postpartum body, ‘This body is my home’
“I tried all of the creams. For years, I wore only high-rise pants and would turn away from friends when we were getting dressed. I hated what I saw in the mirror. But one day, I looked down at my tummy and saw the ripples, the marks, the stretched belly button. And I smiled. This body is my home.”
‘Days after my divorce, an old childhood friend sent a friend request. It was thrilling. The universe, in all her wisdom, had plans for me.’: Woman marries ‘slice of Heaven on Earth’ after abusive relationships
“I married at 20. I would dutifully serve him only to beg, ‘Please come home.’ His answer was no. He had party plans with celebrities. I was never on his radar. After losing two babies, he emotionally abandoned me. It was the beginning of the end. But the universe, in all her wisdom, had other plans for me. It was our time.”
‘I woke up to dishes in the sink, left by my husband the night before, and I felt a rush of happiness.’: Mom says ‘I’m so thankful for my husband, and even his dirty dishes’
“Years ago, I would have looked at these dishes and got annoyed. I probably would have sent a text saying, ‘Really? You left these here?’ My mindset has changed, and it’s something I wish I had learned a long time ago.”
‘Tonight, my boyfriend said ‘thank you for cooking’ after I put frozen chicken strips in the oven.’: Woman urges ‘it’s never too late to find someone who appreciates you’
“One time, I spent 3 hours cooking an extravagant meal for a man only to be told, ‘I don’t really like that. I think I want Wendy’s tonight.’ It’s never too late to find someone who appreciates you, who you can appreciate back. WAIT for what you deserve.”
