“My father took his own life when I was 5 years old. I remember sitting on our front porch, hugging my mom as the paramedics wheeled him out of the house. I remember living at my grandparents’ house for a while after ‘he left.’ My family decided to keep what happened a secret. I continued to believe what my mom would tell me.”
‘Nobody else will ever love you.’ I tried to jump out at a stop sign. But I was stuck. This was my ‘destiny.’: Woman overcomes traumatic childhood, abusive relationship to find her ‘soulmate’
‘You matter to me’. I was a broken 15-year-old that arrived on their doorstep, met with a hug that engulfs you.’: Woman’s heartfelt thanks to couple who rescued her 37 years ago
“I was put on a plane and sent to the live with them. I assume it was easier to ship me off then to actually address the dysfunction I was surrounded in. The divorce had sent my mother into a tailspin and when she wasn’t out partying, she was suicidal. My father did his best, but with his newfound freedom and new girlfriend, no one really wanted me. All my fears had been confirmed.”
‘I’m a hot mess. Am I wearing workout leggings? You betcha! Do I plan to work out after this? Hellz to the no.’: Mom hilariously warns fellow school parents to ‘not be alarmed,’ but also, ‘please don’t get any closer’
“I have not showered today. Or yesterday. It’s whatever. I’ll be dragging one of my twin boys by his backpack as the other tries his darndest to run into the street, with not 1, but 2 additional babies on my hip. No, they aren’t also twins. They’re 7 months apart. It’s a long story, and it’s fun to watch the confusion wash over your face. You never know what kind of menagerie might pop out of this here clown car. Prepare to be amazed!”
‘I hope they’ll see a mother who spoke up. I hope they see a woman who got married but still maintained her identity.’: Mom reflects on what she hopes her children ‘see’ in her as they get older
“I hope they see a woman who just shows up—even if it’s with a messy bun and overstretched yoga pants. A woman who stood, flopped, failed, fell, then rose again when she was ready. She didn’t fake it until she made it, she just came in and was honest about who she was.”
‘Hopefully she’ll gain some independence. BUT, but if she doesn’t, she’ll just live with us.’: Parents of daughter with special needs realize they ‘don’t talk about her future’ because it makes it ‘more real’
“We may never grow to be empty-nesters. The words nonchalantly slipped from his lips, but they hit me like a ton of bricks. I’ve never heard him say that. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever said it out loud.”
‘You’re my wife which means you are my property now.’ My wedding day was when I realized I made a huge mistake.’: Woman overcomes rape, unwanted pregnancy to ultimately become ‘blessed’ as a mom
“I look at my newborn son and see the face of my abuser. I know it’s not my son’s fault. He is a blessing. A second chance to raise a man, instead of an abuser. I know someday he’ll ask about his father. I don’t know what I’m going to say yet.”
‘It is never enough. You can see the loneliness in his eyes when he hugs us goodbye.’: Daughter’s ‘gut wrenching’ nightmare makes her realize just how lonely her elderly father is after wife’s death to dementia
“I had a nightmare. I was being taken to a home I didn’t recognize and into a room I had never been in before. I was in a wheelchair. My mom is telling me it will be OK. She is holding my hand, and I am crying. I tell her I want to go home, but she is telling me I am home. My heart aches for dad on the other side of the door, knowing he will lie there, waiting, for the next visit.”
‘I just want to stand by dad,’ I told her. This feeling came over me. For a second, I thought it was a joke’: Daughter’s eerie intuition about dad’s untimely death
“We got settled into our seats. I was on one end, my dad on the other. I felt this feeling come over me. I got up, went and stood by my dad. My mom asked me what I was doing. Minutes later, I see his cell phone drop from his hand. His head goes back, and his body is shaking.”
‘I took a hike into the woods. I see a man sitting around a fire. He was upset. He feels like he has no one. I sat and talked with him, and gave him numbers to call for assistance. He refused.’
“About 45 minutes into the playlist, a song played. ‘Can I borrow your phone?,’ he asked. I said yes. ‘I miss home. I want to go home,’ he said. I took in a deep breath; the goose bumps came over me and I realized THIS was the feeling.”
‘May we have our ball back?,’ the mom asked. She was ignored. Second attempt. No luck. ONE more time. The boy gave her careless smirk, then went back to ignoring her.’
“I kept watching. This time, the husband, calm as could be, approached the young boy. ‘May we have our ball back?,’ he asked. I could see the shock on his face. The boy’s mother wasn’t oblivious to what was happening. She SAW it go down.”
