“My son has had autonomy since he was a toddler. As he grows, he makes as many decisions about his own body as possible. Our only limits are safety and hygiene. We often hear, ‘…But..but…but…it’s PINK!’ ‘Why don’t you just cut your hair like a boy?!’ ‘That’s for girls, you don’t want that!’ He informs them with absolute integrity, ‘No, it’s for PEOPLE!’”
‘My son chooses to wear makeup, dresses. ‘But…what if he catches The Gay?’ Well, then I’ll have a gay son. Simple as that. It’s a non-issue.’: Mom embraces son’s fluid gender expression, ‘it’s their body, their choice’
‘We keep pulling the sled, even when they don’t need it. We carry them when they can’t carry themselves.’: Mom pens sweet analogy to motherhood, ‘just keep pulling mama, even when the sled gets heavy’
“I went for a walk in the snow the other day. My children insisted they could walk themselves, that they didn’t need the sled. But I pulled it anyway. After we walked a bit longer, they both grew tired and climbed in. Sometimes, they climbed out. But they always returned. And I always kept pulling. This is what motherhood is. We keep pulling the sled of support. Even when they don’t need it, we are there to help them keep going.”
‘We still have to invite uncle Tommy to Thanksgiving.’ I will not be part of a family who chooses my abuser over me.’: Rape survivor ‘thankful’ for second family who takes her in during the holidays
“For years, my anxiety was high during the holidays, my emotions an all-time low. Nobody knew the cause. After I came out about my sexual assault, my family didn’t know what to believe. My uncle was a ‘great guy.’ When, the shock wore off, my mom hugged me. ‘Everything will be alright.’ Yet, she continues to invite him to every holiday. No one should have to exist in the same room with the one who makes them want to vanish within it.”
‘Well, if you’re not my daughter-in-law anymore, then from now on you’re my daughter.’: Couple choose to peacefully co-parent after divorce, ‘the kids first, ego last formula has been so worth it’
“Once I started dating my current husband, I assumed the invitation to Thanksgiving would stop. But no. The invitation was extended to him as well. Today, my husband helped my ex-husband’s mom set the table. Today, my ex-husband and current husband discussed work, football, and parenting. Today, I watched my ex-husband play superheroes with my son from my second marriage.”
‘Could someone like me?’ Today, my son asked his first question EVER. I was in tears.’: Mom ‘amazed’ by outpouring of love, friendship offers after non-verbal, autistic son speaks for first time
“David is autistic, has no communication skills, and is completely homebound due to medical conditions. He has never had a birthday party with children his own age. His outings outside the home are severely limited. Recently, his grandmother, who is one of his best friends, passed away. I knew he was lonely. How could he not be? Then, for the first time, he spoke. I was floored.”
‘Are you okay?’ I was visibly a junkie. This man took me to his home where his girlfriend was waiting.’: Woman reminisces on stranger’s ‘beautiful act of kindness’ during active addiction
“I used to sleep under this bridge. One day, at a gas station, I was visibly bleeding from a fight. This woman gently dressed my wounds. They gave me clothes, a soda, and a sandwich. I was literally too hungry to play shy, so I scarfed it down and chugged until I hiccuped. In that moment of pure desperation, they breathed life back into me.”
‘He tells me, ‘It’s a manhole for a reason,’ and he is going down. I freaking hugged him!’: Woman blown away by Chick-fil-A employee’s act of kindness even after his shift was over
“As I go to get my son out of the van, no joke, my phone drops and bounces right into the storm drain. After a moment of losing my freakin’ mind, I lay on the ground, placing my head as best as I can between my van and the drain, looking into the dark abyss to see if by any chance it has landed somewhere I can reach. Of course, it has not. In disbelief, and as I am about to puke and cry, I go in and ask for a manager.”
‘To my ex-husband’s family, you didn’t have to continue loving me, my new husband, and child. But you do.’: Woman pens emotional letter to ‘compassionate’ in-laws, ‘you’ve turned an unfortunate circumstance into something beautiful’
“I was married before, to a man that needed to be rescued and saved. I realized in marriage that I’m no lifeguard. I could only rescue myself and my beautiful kids, and I did just that. I divorced. My in-laws, the first time you welcomed all of us into your homes I watched, mesmerized, as my new husband stood next to your family, enjoying each other’s company. It was a simple moment, but it took my breath away.”
‘I used to be a ‘mean girl.’ I look back and wonder, ‘How on earth did this happen?’ It’s simple: I hated myself.’: Woman admits to ‘cowardly’ past, claims ‘dimming another woman’s light doesn’t make yours shine brighter’
“I was a mean girl. Not the glamorous kind that wear pink on Wednesdays, but an insecure girl that ran with the ‘popular’ crowd. Truth is, I’m not even sure how I earned a spot there. It never felt natural. It felt like a competition to stay there. I was so busy trying to fit in and that I ignored my moral compass. I was a coward. If you look back on your school days and remember a time someone made you feel inadequate, know you were not. We were.”
‘You know what I love? Friends who don’t make this friend thing complicated.’: Woman ‘thankful’ for friends who ‘don’t set unrealistic expectations’ of her
“I won’t always be a phone call away. Sometimes, I leave my phone inside so it’s not a distraction. I won’t always be there the exact moment you need me. I really try, but sometimes I’m fighting my own demons. I won’t give you my undivided attention, but I’ll listen to you vent between pushing babies on swings. We may not be planning many girl’s nights or remembering to text each other back, but anytime you cross my mind, I’m thankful for you.”
