Why in the world had I even brought the kids to the store? I just wanted to go home, have a good cry and forget about autism for a while. By Jennifer Jones
Family
My sister had asked me to bake. “Keep her busy” was the secret code among my family members that season. By Nancy Payne-Hambrose
It had been a long time since I’d heard her laugh. It felt like clouds parting. By Stewart Lewis
Time heals so much of what goes wrong in life, but the memory of what happened to Mum on that day still makes my body react. By Clover Stroud
After we gave it all to Goodwill, I lived in fear every day that I would see somebody else wearing my mom’s clothes. By Kandace Chapple
“Momma was crying last night,” my seven-year-old said. “She was crying because you left our family.” By Erik Raschke
I can’t imagine a time without children in my house, just as one month ago I could not imagine an evening without bath time. By Kelli Kirk
Eighteen years later, nothing has changed. All the firsts I had been praying for never came. By Shauna Actis
Fourteen teenagers and three teachers are dead who were not dead a few of weeks ago, and my house is falling apart, and my children are at school. By Brianne DeRosa
Home is where I raised them, watched them grow and then take flight. Maybe that’s why every time they leave now, it’s a reminder of when they left for good. By Morgan Baker
The sparks of ambition, even in the middle of life, can become flames. By Sonya Spillmann
Before I had kids, my mother told me: “Your career is the only thing you will ever have that is entirely your own.” By Adrienne So
I wanted to laugh and not think about my mortality. I wanted to attend functions at my son’s school without a perfectly tied head scarf. By Kai McGee
Motherwell interviews Andrea Jarrell about her debut memoir, which touches on themes of motherhood, desire and vulnerability.
Our family square is about to become a triangle and I’m not sure my son will be ready for it.
By Randi Olin
I needed to embrace the role of supportive parent, to leave the coaching to my daughter’s coaches. But I just couldn’t do it.
By Keith Landry
When you’re a parent, you have to believe that no matter what your child does or says they still deserve to be loved.
By Erika Sauter
We’ve raised three children of our own, but still have a little parenting left in us.
By Julianne Palumbo
Caregiving, which is typically undervalued and underpaid, needs to be given the respect it deserves.
By Vicki Larson
It’s important for parents to let their children take big bites of independence once in a while, even if it feels scary.
By Lauren Apfel
Her son never wanted to be in the picture. Then he discovered himself behind the camera.
By Debbie Urbanski
If I throw out the lunch box, will I be throwing these memories away with it?
By Daisy Alpert Florin
Any guilt or reservation about a “failed” birth plan was replaced by an unwavering commitment to my son.
By Stephanie Noll
I wonder in which direction of social acceptance Charlie’s drum will lead.
By Sara Petersen
Without saying so, Mama let us know we kids could sometimes rock her world, but we couldn’t be her world.
By Ylonda Gault Caviness