“I allowed myself to mourn what I thought our life was going to look like. Then I told myself I needed to move forward because that beautiful brown-eyed girl is counting on me to be her mother. To advocate for her, to fight for her, and to speak for her until she could speak herself.”
‘At 18 months, we worried about her lack of speech. ‘Read to her.’ She would pull the book away, mad I was touching it in the first place.’: Mom learns to accept daughter’s autism diagnosis
‘At 22, I fell in love with a man who was eccentric and exciting. I felt life would never be boring. Boring it was not.’: Young mom finds new love after escaping narcissistic abuse, ‘I am worthy’
“Over the next two years, one man was filling my heart, while another was hellbent on tearing it apart. My ex restlessly continued this stressful family battle full of dirty, malicious, and vindictive tactics worthy of a dark Netflix series.”
‘It was not only a huge milestone, but I think they knew it might be their last.’: Woman shares her grandparents’ love story in honor of their 75th wedding anniversary
“You see, a few months before we didn’t think my Grandpa would make it to celebrate this day. He was put on hospice only a short time before their big celebration.”
‘You don’t have to punish yourself’ Blood dripped out of my nose and mouth. I believed I my misery.’: Woman shares recovery journey with anorexia
“I felt perpetually punished for existing. I was barred from running, then from even walking. I realized if I stayed this way, I would die.”
‘Kids would look at my mother, then at me and say, ‘So, is your dad black?’: International adoptee shares journey, ‘We were meant to be a family’
“If your ultimate goal is to love a child and create a family, it won’t matter when you finally have the child you were meant to have all along.”
‘I spent the first year of my child’s life blaming myself, not wanting my child to have ‘special needs.’: Mom to daughter with Coffin-Siris Syndrome urges ‘you are your child’s best advocate’
“When she was losing weight, it was because I tried to force breastfeeding too long. When she couldn’t bring her hands together, it was because I had swaddled her longer than I should’ve. When she couldn’t crawl, it was because I didn’t do enough tummy time.”
‘He needed the care more than I did.’ My stretcher remained in the hallway. I shed tears when I was alone.’: Stroke patient shares emotional hospital stay during COVID, life-altering diagnosis
“I felt the right side of my body get heavy. My knee gave out, and a lightheaded feeling like a strong high took over. But I was convinced I must be okay.”
‘Alesha’s pregnant and Josh is the father?’ My world stopped. ‘THIS ISN’T TRUE!’ I chose to believe him.’: Bonus mom shares journey through tumultuous relationship to peaceful co-parenting
“I ended up getting pregnant with Josh’s baby in late October. I remember Josh looking at me once we read the pregnancy test and he asked, ‘What will Riley think of me?’ I was completely heartbroken. I couldn’t believe he would say those words to me. What about me, what about our baby?”
‘Is your grandmother’s name Joanne?’ Her mouth dropped. I felt like I knew her my whole life.’: Mom discovers unexpected connection to son’s NICU nurse
“My heart was shattered the day I was released from the hospital without my son. I prayed my sweet boy would be in caring hands.”
‘I realized I missed my period. The word ‘PREGNANT’ appeared. I was just getting over Josh, and suddenly he was in my life forever.’: Woman shares co-parenting journey, sisterhood with bonus mom
“In my eyes, once I gave birth, Josh would see his son and remember the love he had for me. When Josh left the hospital the day Riley was born, it ripped my heart out. This was confirmation that the family I had always pictured was not going to happen.”
