“‘He’s 3 days old, do you want to pick him up?’”
‘Stay with me!’ My body was septic. I’d never carry our child. ‘There’s a baby at the hospital. Do you want him?’: After losses, couple foster to adopt, ‘He’s the redemption to our pain’
‘The ultrasound tech got quiet. ‘Are you here alone?’ I was freaking out. ‘This is what I see. Here’s one, two, and three.’ THREE BABIES!’: Woman births miracle triplets after pregnancy losses
“I texted my husband at work. He read it and just stared at his computer screen for 45 minutes, taking it all in! ‘How are we going to afford this?’ We needed a new car, a new house, three cribs. We were going from parents of 1 to parents of 4!”
‘Calvin will be a little brother.’ They said, ‘You mean BIG brother?’ We assumed we’d get a newborn. Then we read her story.’: Couple adopts older child, ‘The sibling bond amazes us’
“She flexed her muscles. ‘Do you think they know how strong I am?’ She asked if I would take her picture and send it to her foster family, so they could see how strong she’s become.”
‘I crumpled to the ground. ‘She’s a crybaby,’ the doctor said. ‘There’s nothing wrong. She’s wasting our time, take her home.’ I was misdiagnosed as a hysterical teen girl.’: Chronic illness warrior runs for first time in 29 years
“Flesh peeled away from my exposed wound and floated like confetti all around me as I sat in excruciating pain. I will never forget the smell. ‘You outta play the lottery, kid! You hit the proverbial jackpot, not once, but twice. What are the odds!’ It was spreading to my ‘good’ leg. There was no more Lara left, only pain. I was told it was all in my head.”
‘He gave up visions of Little League for IEP meetings and speech therapy. He avoids the stares, holding his teenager’s hand, and his entire heart.’: Woman pens appreciation letter to Autism Dads
“Late at night, when the rest of the family has gone to bed, he sits in the darkness of the living room. ‘Did I lose my patience too much? Did I apologize too much for my complicated boy?’ Deep inside, he is full of doubt and worry. This tender father is fighting a battle many will never understand.”
‘I know your story. I know what happened to your daughter.’ I felt sad for him. Ours is not a story of triumph.’: Mom shares emotions on child loss, ‘Everything DOES NOT happen for a reason’
“I ran into an old friend the other day. We caught up for a while and then I saw him look down at my arm. Looking back and forth from my tattoo to my eyes he finally said, ‘I know about Blake.'”
‘Thump-thump.’ I was the only barrier between my children’s precious snoozing and whatever horror awaited us downstairs.’: Mom battling anxiety recounts hilarious story of ‘intruder’
“Did I lock the door? I wondered, ‘Does one need pants to fight off bad guys?’ Halfway down the stairs, I heard the noise again. Thump—scraaaaatch—THUMP. My blood ran cold.”
‘I don’t tent camp. I camp with room service. Cancer changed our marriage for the better.’: Widow says ‘if you get the chance, go on that trip’
“I used to plan my life meticulously in a paper planner. Every week was planned out ahead of time. Every meal, every event…Matt was the fun parent. If you get the chance, go on that trip.”
‘They ‘must not enjoy their kids’ if they want to be away from them. We call them ‘attention seeking’ or ‘self-centered.’: Mother urges for ‘less jealously, more camaraderie’
“They are ‘lazy’ and ‘unmotivated.’ We call them ‘attention seeking’ and ‘over-sharers.’ Their insatiable need and desire to socialize is selfish and irresponsible.”
‘Dad repeated, ‘I put it in his hands!’ How could he have given his son lethal narcotics? I was frozen in shock.’: Man recounts brother’s overdose, homophobia, ‘Learn from your hardships’
“My father would call me ‘sissy’ and ‘mama’s boy,’ and it hurt. A lot. Words like these never leave you. But it forced me to rise up.”