I used to avoid mirrors. Photos. Even hugs. At my heaviest, I felt like I was shrinking inside myself while my body just kept getting bigger. Everything hurt—my joints, my…
MY HUSBAND HAD AN AFFAIR AND LEFT ME FOR HIS COWORKER
We took this photo three months before everything fell apart. I remember setting the timer on my phone, rushing to sit down, trying to make sure everyone was smiling. I…
I PLACED MY DAUGHTER FOR ADOPTION—BUT I NEVER STOPPED LOVING HER FOR A SECOND
People love to say I “gave her up.” Like I just walked away. Like it was easy. Like I didn’t cry myself to sleep for months wondering if she’d hate…
TO THE PEOPLE WHO DON’T GET WHY WE CHOSE OPEN ADOPTION—IT’S NOT ABOUT US, IT’S ABOUT HIM
I used to think open adoption would be confusing. Messy. Maybe even painful. Why let the birthparents stay involved? Wouldn’t that make it harder for everyone? Then I became a…
MY SON’S BIO DAD GOT FULL CUSTODY—AND THEN ASKED ME TO STAY IN HIS LIFE
When the caseworker called and said Jackson was going home, I froze. I knew this day might come. Foster placements are always temporary—at least, that’s what they tell you to…
IT’S BEEN EIGHT YEARS SINCE I’VE SEEN OR SPOKEN TO MY DAUGHTER—AND I STILL SET A PLACE FOR HER AT THE TABLE
You don’t expect silence from your own child. Not after birthdays, bedtime stories, late-night hospital visits, and a thousand packed lunches. But here I am—eight years later—and I still don’t…
OUR ADOPTION MATCH FELL THROUGH—AND THAT’S HOW WE FOUND HER
We were supposed to bring a baby home that weekend. Her name was already on the nursery wall. We had the car seat installed, tiny clothes folded, and our hearts…
RIGHT BEFORE MY DAD PASSED, HE SAID SOMETHING THAT COMPLETELY SHIFTED HOW I SEE MYSELF
We were just sitting on the couch. Nothing dramatic, no hospital monitors or dim lighting. Just sunlight pouring in through the windows, and the soft hum of a cartoon playing…
I MET HIM AT A CORPORATE PARTY—AND I DIDN’T CARE THAT HE WAS TWICE MY AGE
I wasn’t even supposed to be there. My coworker bailed last minute, and I only went for the free wine and fancy appetizers. You know the type of event—awkward small…
MY WIFE OF 51 YEARS PASSED AWAY—AND NO ONE WARNED ME WHAT GRIEF ACTUALLY FEELS LIKE
I used to think grief was just sadness. A lot of crying, quiet mornings, maybe some old music that makes you tear up. But that’s not what it’s been like…