“I was deep in a hole with no way up and out. I wondered if it would be better for everyone if I just ended it.”

I Let My Anxiety Convince Me I Was A Bad Mother

‘I mean it, kid! Give me my shoes! I’m not playing!’: Mom to son with autism urges ‘teach your kids about children like mine’
“What started off as my son gleefully trying on a pair of oversized Nike slides sitting by the poolside edge turned into the beginning of a schoolyard fight.”

‘Momma, what does ‘depressed’ mean?’ I was cooking dinner when my daughter overheard the woman on the news.’: Little girl shares acts of kindness for ‘forgotten’ nursing home patients
“I told her it means someone is really sad, and explained lots of people are very sad they’re unable to see their families during the pandemic. Without skipping a beat, she said, ‘I will color them a picture. They can hang it on their wall, and it will make them happy just like it makes you happy.’ My heart immediately tripled in size.”

‘Me and my buddies lost our wives. This trip is our last hurrah.’ I couldn’t shake the feeling of sadness. I had to do something.’: Travel agents surprise veteran, friends with touching act of kindness
“Before I could even respond, I was met with a wave of other travel agents, one after another saying, ‘Put me down for $25.’ Within a few hours so many people, who have all had a terrible and fruitless year, had dug deep and offered to help.”

‘My niece emerged with a paper. ‘Here, Aunt Melissa, it’s for you.’ My eyes filled with tears. She gave me a reason to keep going.’: Woman battling mental illness realizes ‘love knows no boundaries’ after emotional surprise
“As someone battling mental illness who is often alone in her thoughts and without close friendships, it has been years since I’ve really felt ‘seen.’ One day, I will tell her she gave me a reason to keep going.”

‘I waddled into every appointment alone. There was no babymoon, no one fawning over my pregnant belly.’: First-time mom gives birth during pandemic, learns ‘what resilience looks like’
“I couldn’t go shopping for baby clothes or nursery furniture. I went through this alone. Then the silver lining of this crazy pandemic showed itself.”

‘I made the leap. I’d come face-to-face with the reality ‘life is too short.’ It was time to live that cliche.’: Woman urges ‘life is beautiful’ after medical miracle
“With the grace I was given to retain my life and 72% of my mobility, it was time to dive into something my heart yearned to do for years.”

8 Reasons Why I Can Say ‘Thank You, 2020’ And Mean It
“It was one of the most trying times of my life, but I will forever cherish it.”

‘She let an ‘I love you’ slip in the middle of a tickle fight. Her shell broke, and she fell completely head over heels for him.’: Mom shares sweet ode to daughter and her bonus dad
“John is not her second dad. John is HER John. Friend, dad, protector. Stepdad and stepdaughter were never in our vocabulary.”

‘It might be something nasty.’ I sat in a waiting room, surrounded by men 40 years my senior. Nothing can prepare you for this.’: Ballet dancer raises awareness for bladder cancer
“I thought I had a UTI. ‘We have to remove it just in case.’ I couldn’t believe this horrible thing had been growing in my body.”