“My beautiful boy is not failing your system by fitting into his own mold. Your system is failing him, and others like him, by drawing a line.”
‘Seemingly irritated, they claimed my autistic son had ‘the highest needs of anyone in the school.’ The statement rocked me.’: Special needs mom urges ‘your system, not my boy, is failing’
5 Things No One Tells You When You Lose A Child
“As much as I’d like to think my impenetrable brain will hold tight every memory of my son, I can’t even remember what I ate for lunch yesterday. Memories fade.”
‘The dad handed a chocolate donut to his kicking, screaming child. He let her win. ‘My child will never act like that,’ I naively thought.’: Parent urges for grace, ‘We are all trying our best’
“This woman in the supermarket was me 5 years ago. I had it all together. When I saw kids misbehaving, I assumed bad parenting. Then life did a 180. I’m not the supermom I used to be. I’m the mom figuring out how to cope.”
‘He had every opportunity to leave. I went from perfectly healthy to crippled, mentally and physically. Instead, he got down on one knee. ‘Will you marry me?’: Woman thanks husband for unconditional love during Chronic Lyme Disease battle
“I don’t remember the rehearsal dinner. I took a nap between the ceremony and reception. After a month of treatment, I rallied to walk down the aisle. Our love was stronger than the forces pulling me down.”
‘You don’t measure up to other women.’ He detailed all my flaws. It cost me thousands.’: Divorcee details journey to self-worth, ‘Healing is beautiful’
“It struck me how just an afternoon of hearing about all of my flaws and how those flaws—my flaws—were used in the choice of another person.”
‘My husband decided to leave. ‘You won’t get a newborn because you’re single.’ I listened to the heartbreaking situations.’: Woman becomes foster mama after divorce, ‘My life is full of beauty’
“I sat my two children down and we had a conversation about foster care. I told them, ‘It will be hard to love on a baby and then have to say goodbye.’ They were both in.”
‘PROMISE you won’t end up like me. I want you to be more.’ I was bewildered by her words. They would change my life.’: Daughter of immigrants is first to graduate college, ‘YOU have the power’
“‘I’m afraid I won’t learn how to read.’ They decided to put me in special education classes despite not having a learning disability. I even googled ‘how to make it to college,’ but was still lost. I was on my own.”
‘The police came, and my mother hid my brother. ‘Where is he?’ I couldn’t leave. I had to protect them.’: Woman survives abuse, abandonment as she helps raise 4 special needs siblings
“My step-father would hide food and I wasn’t allowed to sit with them. Then I got pregnant at 17. I had to run and hide wherever I found a good place, and sometimes it was too late. I had to protect my brothers.”
‘I shouted, ‘Help my mom! She can’t breathe!’ I saw a priest coming toward me, this was either a dream or we were dead.’
“I remember whispering, ‘Don’t leave me.’ She barely whispered in Vietnamese, ‘I can’t breathe.'”
