“This work leaks into every part of my life. There’s not a minute that’s safe. It calls in the middle of the night, during hair appointments, and workouts. Vacation doesn’t exist. I miss getting ready. I miss the compliments on my outfit and hair. The hot coffee, and people who got my jokes. When my brain operated well enough to form them. But I know the one thing I’d always miss more than work, are my children.”
‘I miss punching out. I miss the thank you’s and ‘you’re doing a great job.’ I miss not having to awkwardly stumble through, ‘What do you do?’: Stay-at-home mom shares candid reality of ‘high stakes’ motherhood
‘You just need to go back to work, you can’t handle this.’ I was fearful to break down in front of my husband. I’m a stay-at-home mom.’: Mom says ‘You can breakdown and you need to.’
“‘Well you decided to have children. Don’t do what you can’t handle.’ I was terrified to break down in front of my friends. Anytime I made any remark about being tired or frustrated, I’d get the response, ‘It goes by so fast. Appreciate the moments because you’ll miss them.’ Did people think I didn’t appreciate my children?”
‘After rehab, I manipulated my mom into dropping me off at a bar. ‘I’m not an alcoholic.’ I got drunk and high that night.’: Woman overcomes heroin and alcohol addiction, ‘God put me on this earth to make an impact’
“I knew nothing about heroin. But I did it. That missing feeling I had inside of me for so long was gone. It felt warm and like I was being hugged. It felt like I had arrived. In my mind, I was a heroin addict, not an alcoholic. I got drunk and got high that night. I would share needles with whoever. I found out I had contracted Hepatitis C. One of my best friends, who I used with, had been sober for 18 months. If she could do it, so could I.”
‘The sonographer whispered under her breath, ‘Thank you, Jesus.’ I looked up to her wiping her eyes. My ‘dead baby’ was alive.’: Baby miraculously survives suspected miscarriage
“‘Because of the chemo, he’ll likely be sterile.’ I felt my heart break as they escorted us out a side door, so I didn’t have to pass the expecting mothers in the waiting room. I tried coming to grips with the fact I may have lost the baby, but there was 1% of me that told me there was a CHANCE.”
‘It was pizza day in school. ‘Your face looks like a pepperoni.’ My friend got up and slapped the guy.’: Woman born with port wine stain learns to embrace her beauty, ‘I needed to be myself’
“I was born with a big Port Wine Stain, covering half of my face. They would only laser a small part of my birthmark at a time because it was so painful. My mom recalls ‘the smell of burned skin getting in her nose.’ As I got older, I felt people staring more. Adults would stop in the middle of the sidewalk. ‘Wow.’ Kids would point. ‘Look at that.’ Imagine a little girl asking a grown woman, ‘Can I help you?’ That was me growing up.”
‘He doesn’t mind me in the dirtiest pair of leggings or the most pristine outfit I own. He’s just there, always, ready.’: Mom of 3 reminds busy parents that ‘perfection isn’t the goal. Love is.’
“I will always remember these mornings, starting with the doorway being bombarded by a handful of babies ready to snuggle up in our bed. When the smell of freshly brewed coffee fills the house amidst the chaos of sticky, syrupy pancake hugs, and toy-take-away battles. Trying to zip jackets, change diapers, and chase down the toddler who took his pants off again.”
‘When my dad whispered, ‘I love you,’ I knew it was more than that. It was a final goodbye. They were ready to let go.’: Woman diagnosed with eating disorder at 13 finally accepts help, ‘I am ready to start the next, better, decade of my life’
“My parents had shed too many tears over me, and I couldn’t bear it to break their hearts again. I felt ready to die, but knew it wasn’t my time. I was weak. I gave up the reigns and opted for inpatient treatment. I was frustrated, and I let this be known. I would shout and hit the walls. I would argue. But gradually, I came to life again. I am no longer held back by my demons.”
‘He carries pads for homeless women so he can ‘give them to any woman who needs them.’ My son is 8.’: Mom keeps ‘open drawer’ policy for menstrual products, contraception
“He knows leaks happen and periods can be uncomfortable. He offers to bring me chocolate and Tylenol when I have tummy cramps. He’s completely unashamed. Completely understanding.”
Olympian Shawn Johnson Is Getting Criticized Over ‘Baby Flipping’ Video She Filmed On Beach
Shawn Johnson is an Olympic gold gymnast, Dancing With the Stars champion, and successful author. She and her husband Andrew East, a professional football player, recently brought their three-month-old daughter Drew (aka “Roo”) on vacation in Miami. While relaxing on the sandy beach, Shawn decided to share her love of gymnastics with her baby girl …
‘Yeah, let’s do it.’ We scrambled up the fire escape. ‘Hey, get back down here!’ It was cops yelling. ‘You reckon they’re gonna kill us?’: Man recalls becoming friends with country singer, Marty Robbins, thanks to StoryWorth
“My buddy found a window that was unlocked and we climbed in… to a ladies’ restroom. And it was occupied. There was lots of screaming and shrieking and we didn’t know what to do. ‘What’s going on in here?!’ He introduced himself as Marty Robbins. ‘You guys come with me.’ The cops said, ‘We’ve been looking for these boys!’ We thought for sure they were going to arrest us.”