“‘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.”
‘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’
‘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.”
‘They are precious now, young mamas. But just wait until they grow up.’: Mom to teens says ‘one day you’ll see just how deep beneath the surface their beauty goes’
“One day, you will see just how deep beneath the surface their beauty goes. One day, it will all be worth it.”
‘My parents detonated a bomb inside our tiny, thatched roof hut. I was supposed to die that night.’: Adopted bomb survivor now hopeful paralympic swimmer, ‘I’m so thankful for the opportunities this life has given me’
“A woman with 6 children had a strong feeling a child was missing from their family and they were supposed to adopt. A week later, they were told a horrific story of a baby in Vietnam who had survived a bomb blast. It was as if we had both been waiting for each other thousands of miles apart.”
‘Age doesn’t matter, you consented.’ It wasn’t a stranger or a creepy cousin. It wasn’t forceful, or a textbook case of victim and prey.’: Child abuse survivor cautions others during quarantine, ‘Home isn’t always safe’
“I was your typical ‘daddy issues’ case with a strong desire for male attention. Predators know what to look for and I must have had a flashing billboard promoting my willingness to please. I was told, ‘This can’t be true. People would notice!’ I’ve allowed fear to keep me silent.”
‘He asked, ‘Can I stop by my high school?’ I pulled up to an empty parking lot. He just wanted a chance to say goodbye.’: Mom to senior says ‘the Class of 2020 will always be remembered’
“As I sat in the car watching him slowly walk the lifeless grounds of his high school, my heart ached. I could see it in his eyes…all he really wanted was a chance to say goodbye. As a self-proclaimed ‘fixer,’ no matter what I do, I can’t fix this one.”
‘Girl, DO NOT SEND A PICTURE OF YOUR BODY PARTS TO HIM! He is a 12-year-old boy who does not know what love is.’: Woman’s plea for virtual safety, ‘You’ve got so much up ahead’
“He is a liar if he tells you all the girls are doing it or promises he won’t show it to your friends. Know your self-worth. You are more than a picture that could be tossed around on social media.”
‘Dear teenage sister, I tried commenting on this photo you posted, but noticed you deleted it 2 minutes later because it didn’t get enough likes.’: Woman pens touching letter to younger sister
“I write this with a lump in my throat, tears in my eyes. I feel sick at the thought kids your age don’t know how amazing you are, how LOVED you are. Not just ‘liked’ on Instagram, but insurmountably loved. Here. In real life. Just as you are. I promise no app, no social media platform, or amount of internet followers will ever scratch the surface of your worth.”
‘HE STILL NEEDS ME to listen to his stories about school, friends, or some ridiculous meme. No matter how old he grows, I will ALWAYS be his mom.’: Mom says teen son ‘still needs me to love him, no matter what’
“Sometimes my teenager’s 6ft-tall stature and deep voice and shadow of a mustache and size 13 shoes trick me into thinking he might not need me so much anymore. Everything seems to be changing, but there is one thing that will never change…I will ALWAYS be his mom.”
‘I’d hold my breasts in each hand. ‘Who would I be without these?’: Woman opens up about her journey to self-love, ‘My body wasn’t a temple. I definitely didn’t treat it like one.’
“I used to get changed in P.E. and look at all the other girls around me. My hips were wider, my legs were thicker, and my stomach had a ‘flab’ to it. I was already in a C cup by the time I turned 12. I couldn’t bear being naked in front of my boyfriend. I would wear baggy t-shirts during sex, and he wasn’t allowed to see my boobs without a bra–I had forbidden that! My ex-boyfriends would tell me if I just lost weight, I’d be ‘unreal.’”
