“I fought back tears all day. I’d have breakdowns in the back of the classroom. I didn’t talk to my sisters for 6 months while living under the same roof. I’d never felt so alone.”
‘My mom said, ‘I wanted to hold you and tell you it was going to be okay… but I wasn’t sure if it would.’: Woman with Major Depressive Disorder urges ‘you matter’
‘Who is that tall man that now towers over her? Where is her little boy? How did it go so fast? She rests her read against his broad shoulder.’: Mom urges ‘remember how it all feels’
“The tiny newborn. The sweet toddler. The adventurous boy. The challenging teenager. The confident man. The doting father. She’s loved them all. And she knows that for as long as she lives, she’ll always remember how this feels.”
‘It’s just growing pains, don’t worry about it!’ I couldn’t even walk. I was terrified. I HAD to speak up for myself.’: Young chronic illness warrior details road to diagnosis, ‘I took on this journey with a smile’
“My cardiologist told me, ‘It’s all in your head.’ She was mad I couldn’t even stand for an assessment. I tried to push through. How could she say what I was going through wasn’t real?”
Teen Bullying Victim Turns Pain Into Purpose, Donates 600 Handmade Blankets To People In Need
“I was told I don’t matter. When I saw their smiles, I immediately forgot about the rest of the world around me, because the only thing that mattered was making that person feel loved.”
‘I took a self-care getaway without my kids. For the first time in 10 years, I had nothing to do. I anticipated a flood of guilt. It never came.’: Mom stresses self-care, ‘We are all one step away from crumbling’
“We overthink and overanalyze. We fear we aren’t good enough, our kids don’t feel loved enough. Nothing is ever our own. Dinner, television, radio are all taken over by tiny people. We’re always one step away from crumbling. I so desperately craved a slice of life that was simply my OWN.”
‘You’re hired!’ His face lit up. My boy was smiling. He cannot read social cues and gets easily overwhelmed. He has no restaurant experience. But they gave him a chance.’: Mom thanks restaurant for hiring son with autism, ‘There are still good people’
“‘We’ve never hired someone like this before, but we’re willing to give it a try!’ For 2 years now, my son has wanted a job. This probably seems pretty normal. Except he isn’t an ordinary teenager. He is a teenager with autism.”
‘Ew, what are those?’ I was ashamed of myself. I constantly tried to hide my scars. What was I doing wrong?’: Woman shares struggles with keloid scars, ‘They’re my beauty marks’
“Right after brushing my teeth, I put on a bunch of toothpaste all over my face, chest, and back. I was a minty mess. I hid in high cut shirts and makeup. Anxiety became my best friend.”
‘I notice the careful details in dorm rooms. The way you hold your not-so-little person a little too tightly. I am in awe of your ability to let go.’: Mom pens letter to the ‘brave mamas and daddies’ amid school reopenings
“You’re pushing your baby bird from the nest amidst a pandemic. You’re swallowing the fears setting sail in your mothering heart. Dropping your person off at college must feel like a bittersweet victory.”
‘My son scrunched up his nose and said, ‘I’m not black.’ I immediately filled with dread. My worst fear was being realized.’: Mom to biracial, autistic son says ‘there are no easy answers’
“‘Well bud, I’m black. My Dad is black and my Mom is white. So, if I am black, you are black. Do you understand?’ He scrunched up his nose again and had this determined look in his eyes. ‘Mom, I’m not black.’ He said it so matter-of-factly and with no room for argument.”
‘When he outgrew cute, looks changed from compassion to disgust. Mood-altering drugs were doled out like candy.’: Special needs mom pens powerful letter, ‘He outgrew society’
“When he outgrew cute, the calls for help increased. Desperate for summer options for a 15-year-old in diapers. Desperate for anything to assist a non-verbal man child. The voices were silent. Or they whispered, ‘Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.’ When he outgrew cute, the walls caved in, and the house became a tomb.”
