“Women have approached my son at the park with my husband and said, ‘Honey, where is your mommy? Do you know him? Do you need me to help you find your mommy?’ He’s assumed to be a criminal while I’m always viewed as the saint, a woman who adopted black children out of the goodness of her heart.”
‘Poor kid, having to pretend two ‘apes’ are family.’ They say we are mixing pure and dirty blood.’: Woman’s second marriage to black man makes her learn ‘people don’t understand the value of love over skin color’
‘I refuse to be in a relationship that sucks my soul dry. I’d rather be single forever.’ I said this square to his face. I meant it.’: Woman succumbs to dating after divorce, ‘I will not be shamed for who I am’
“Divorce was the death of all I knew. ‘I’m not going to date anyone this year, if ever.’ I said those words with confidence. And then I met Kevin. ‘I’m only getting married once,’ he said just as confidently. I was reserved. I was cautious. But I also didn’t want to say goodbye. Then one day, he called me. ‘I love you. I’m IN LOVE. I can’t hold it in anymore.’”
‘Time’s Up!’ The words cut me like a knife. I watched as he left. ‘I Love You,’ he mouthed. Then he was gone.’: Military couple’s whirlwind romance through training, deployments, ‘I’m proud to stand by his side as he serves our country’
“Deployment day arrived. As I hugged him, the cool metal of his dog tags pressed against my cheek. I said through tears, ‘You better come back safely to me!’ before he climbed onto the big plane to take him away. He looked me right in the eyes. ‘I will baby.’ He said, ‘Life is too short, let’s get married.’ He was serious. I don’t know what he saw over there. I have never asked. We married 3 days after his return.”
‘You’re going to regret this.’ Getting married at 19 was not trendy. But I’ve never been more sure.’: High school sweethearts marry despite harsh criticism, ‘I grew up and am growing old with my best friend’
“I still pray every time he walks out that door that he’ll walk back in. The sound of Velcro waking me up at 4 a.m. has become my favorite sound. I’m a ‘leo’ wife. I’ve cried to him, ‘It’s hard to send you out that door, to protect people who want to harm you.’ But it’s so much more than an adrenaline rush for him. This man is my strength through the struggles. We’re not just growing old together; we’re growing up together.”
‘I can’t introduce you to my kids until I know. They’ll attach to you, and I can’t break their hearts.’: Girlfriend nervous it’s ‘too soon’ to meet boyfriend’s kids, feels anxious to not ‘replace’ mom
“While I waited, my mind raced. Did their mom know I was spending the weekend with them? Do I hug them? I was suddenly anxious. I heard the door open. ‘Natalie,’ Kevin called, ‘Come up here.’ I breathed in deeply and felt jitters. I wanted these boys to not feel awkward. I knew I wasn’t their mom, and I would never think I’m replacing her.”
‘It’s definitely too soon,’ I thought. ‘No one would approve.’ I met K at the wrong time. At 26 years old, I had already been married 6 years, parented 7 children and miscarried 2 babies.’
“My phone vibrates in the middle of my text. It’s an unsaved number. I just stared at my phone. ALL I could think about was the tall handsome dude at the store, whom I didn’t even catch the name of.”
‘I was working on a cruise ship. I stepped out for fresh air. I didn’t know this decision would change my life. As it began to rain, I heard someone speak.’
“It was a very handsome man in front of me. As we spoke, I thought to myself, ‘I’ll probably never see him again.’ Weeks went by and I had almost forgotten about him. Then, one day, I was walking back onto the ship when I saw a man being scanned through security. I peeked over at his name tag. My heart fluttered.”
‘I bet you’re glad someone actually wanted you.’ Black? Adopted by a white, Mennonite family?’: Adopted woman finally accepts she’s ‘innately enough’ after years of torment for ‘mixed-race’ family
“I’m 7 when a stranger approaches, points. ‘Who does she belong to?’ ‘Where are your real parents?’ I’m 12 and a group of boys spit on me, call me racist slurs. My crush’s mom tells me he isn’t allowed to be with people ‘like me.’ I can’t sleep. ‘You’re not really black.’ ‘You can’t really be Mennonite.’ I’m just now learning to be gentle with myself, and my past.”
‘We sound like the beginning of a bad joke. A Black, Transracial, Mennonite Adoptee and a White Mennonite Midwesterner walk into a bar…’: Young woman reflects on her unique marriage
“Eight years ago, I got in a car at midnight to eat bad cheese fries at a sketchy truck stop. I took a chance to be vulnerable with someone I didn’t know. And, it changed my life.”
‘That’s my family,’ he said, pointing to us. The man looked back in shock and refused to let my husband through. Our daughter Ava began shouting his name.’
“I remember overhearing Justin telling the kids they were not allowed to scream in grocery stores. That someone might think daddy isn’t their ‘real daddy.’ That he’s trying to take them. It all made sense to me when we went to the airport as a family, and Justin was stopped.”
