overwhelming

‘She’s alive. I should be grateful.’ But I wasn’t. I was angry. I did everything in my power to ‘fix’ her.’: Mom to daughter with Cerebral Palsy shares journey, ‘I focus on what she CAN do’

“I was wheeled next to her incubator and remember seeing her full head of hair. But I didn’t feel happy. I felt helpless. I couldn’t hold her, bond with her, or breastfeed her. I remember thinking, ‘What do I do?’ I went to Dr. Google for answers, and that just led me into a downward spiral of despair. How could I raise a child with special needs? I didn’t even know how to raise a typical child.”

Edited By Elizabeth Grow

‘We walked towards the line. John made a beeline for the door. ‘I’m here to help. Follow me!’ Tears filled my eyes.’: Mom ‘in tears’ after touching act of kindness for autistic son

“John is autistic and has a great love for animals. We thought it’d be a fun family outing to go to the Aquarium. It was a mad house. There were long lines, people everywhere. Overwhelmed, John made a beeline for the door. My heart broke. The stares stung. A man asked if I needed help. I explained we wouldn’t be staying due to the circumstances. He reached out to shake my hand. ‘My name is Chris and I’m here to help!’ He told me he had a ‘back way.’ My eyes filled with tears. In all our years, this was a first.”

Edited By Sophia San Filippo

‘I went to the room. Paint, check. Roller thing, check. I opened the door, and the strangest thing happened. Grief hit me, and it took me to my knees.’

“Then, the next strangest thing happened. My teenager appeared. She sauntered in, checked out my work, paused, and then asked if she could help. My jaw almost hit the ground. I don’t know if she felt it, too. I don’t know if she knew we were missing something by not having her dad there.”

Edited By Eliza Murphy

‘I can’t believe I’m sharing this photo. An in-the-moment meltdown. Raw, vulnerable and unattractive. I accidentally snapped this pic of me in tears.’

“My anxiety was at an all-time high. I was embarrassed and ashamed of my kid’s behavior. I needed a mental break. I needed to be alone. The very next day, the triplets’ Pre-school teacher recommended therapy for my boys. I was devastated. Defeated. How has it come to this? Is it really that bad?”

Edited By Eliza Murphy

‘I had to leave my 5-month pregnant wife behind. I was completely alone. ‘Am I cut out to be a dad?’ I showered and climbed into bed. Then it began. ‘THUMP, THUMP.’

“‘Does she even miss me? Is my wife going to love me after this long separation? Would I be able to provide for my family?’ My heart started beating louder. LOUDER. I started sweating profusely. It was 4 a.m. I began to panic.”

Edited By Colin Balfe

‘When I lost my father at 18, you were there. You didn’t force me to talk about my emotions. You shared your father with me when I no longer had one.’

“As young parents I would call you crying because the task of being an adult was too overwhelming. I didn’t feel like enough of a wife or mother. You were kind to irrational postpartum me.”

Edited By Eliza Murphy

‘I suddenly wake up, gasping for air. My pillow is soaking wet. My mind is racing a mile a minute. It won’t calm down.’

“Thoughts creep into my mind, reminding me how many people don’t have to experience these feelings.”

Edited By Eliza Murphy

‘The decision I made at 19 was the biggest mistake of my life. I’m your mother.’ She told me she cried so much and thought of me every single day.’: Woman finds birth parents, 3 siblings after 10-year search

“Up until sending that email, I was safe. But now, I could be accepted…or rejected. I was like a zombie, only moving whenever my phone rang. ‘Hi Samantha.’ She expected me to be mad or hurt by her giving me up for adoption. Her voice was so soft, kind, and vulnerable.”

Edited By LJ Herman

‘They are the moms of college kids. Shopping carts full of bedding, towels and mini-refrigerators. Slightly stressed, a little irritated, with just a hint of sadness in their eyes.’

“This time of year gets overwhelming. I might be frazzled. But from the aisles of Target, I can tell I am not alone in this. This stage of life is not for the weak.”

Edited By LJ Herman