“Don’t assume a man or a ring can make you feel the love and acceptance you’re longing for.”
‘NO! I’m not willing to give this up for ANYTHING!’ I thought no one else could love me.’: Woman finds peace after abusive relationship, ‘If your compassion does not include yourself, it’s incomplete’
‘Two brothers are being moved. Can you take them?’ I couldn’t get over the what-ifs. What if I fall in love with them? What if my heart is broken?’: Foster mom shares journey, ‘Our lives are forever changed’
“I kept saying ‘when we become foster parents’ and Tristan was still in the ‘if.’ I was starting to feel like this was never going to happen. Then we got a call about two brothers. With a doubt, God had called us to foster care.”
‘We’re being secretly recorded for a reality show!’ There was something wrong with me. I was completely paranoid.’: Woman with Bipolar Disorder becomes advocate, ‘It’s a constant battle’
“I was in a shoe store with my mom, talking to strangers in what I thought was Spanish. I’m not bilingual, but in my mind, I thought I knew the language. I’d been off my whole life, but I never knew why.”
‘All of the sudden, I heard a gunshot and fell to the ground. ‘I can’t feel my legs.’ I lifted my shirt to see a hole in my chest.’: Paraplegic advocates for accessibility, ‘It’s made me who I am’
“It was back to square one. I had to learn to sit up, roll over in bed, get dressed. The one single aggravating moment I remember well was trying to put on my socks, which felt like an impossible feat. It literally took over an hour. It was never easy.”
I Don’t Have A Natural Motherly Instinct, But I Am Still A Good Mom
“After 10 hours of labor, they placed her in my arms. As soon as the nurses left the room I turned to my husband and said, ‘What do we do?’ I was terrified. Everyone told me my motherly instincts would kick in. 3 years in, they still haven’t.”
‘Can you make me love my husband again?’ The therapist said, ‘Not once has he acknowledged your feelings. All he talks about is himself.’: Woman finds ‘indescribable love’ after courage to get divorce
“Here I was, recently divorced from a 19-year relationship, a single mom to 3 kids. My plan was to be alone. I was not ready for dating. Well, life doesn’t always go according to plan.”
‘We’re going to miss you. Will you visit us one day?’ It was time to take them home to their parents, for good. As I drove away, the tears came flooding.’: Single foster dad shares emotional reunification journey
“You love them through the nightmares and trauma. You hold them when their parents don’t show up. You love them so dearly, because holding back would be so much less than they deserve. When I return the child I’ve nurtured as my own, I must trust their parents will be the best they can be. If not, I will always be there waiting, with open arms and an open heart.”
‘I was called a ‘big-nosed Jew.’ I NEEDED to fit in. When I got my diagnosis, I was in denial. My disability was the first thing people saw.’: Woman with muscular dystrophy finds self-acceptance, ‘I’m unapologetically me’
“I changed my name and perfected my accent. No one knew about my past. I exercised, dieted, tanned, toned, concealed, and accentuated—all for attention. Then I noticed muscle weakness. At that moment, I knew.”
‘She has a 2% chance of survival.’ My whole life became this beautiful little girl. Then I realized we had more in common than I thought.’: Man with autism turns to running to show daughter ‘Daddy can do it’
“Doctors thought she was blind, but I knew she was autistic. I needed to show her autism could be a gift. Running was the answer to how I was feeling. I downloaded an app, gathered equipment, and our adventure began.”
‘Mom, I want to join cross country!’ She looked confused. If your child had a life-threatening disease, you’d hesitate too.’: Runner with cystic fibrosis follows dream, ‘Giving up wasn’t an option’
“Who’d believe a little girl like me with such an evil disease would be SO GOOD. My mom called my dad and said, ‘Your daughter is winning, and not just by a little!’”