“When I heard about the coronavirus, the first thing I did was pray, ‘Please don’t close the schools. Please don’t close the schools.’ My boys are particularly rambunctious, and they don’t always get along perfectly with each other. So when the kids usually go to … Continue readingIt’s no summer vacation for busy mom
“When we arrived at the hospital in Baytown, they rushed me into the emergency room. One of the doctors said they would need to run some blood work and also do a spinal tap. But based on my symptoms, he believed I had GBS (Guillain-Barré … Continue reading‘I felt like I was having to say goodbye’
“I have heart failure and SVT (supraventricular tachycardia), which is like an irregular heart beat. It makes me feel tired a lot. Some days I have to stay in bed. I can’t play with them like I used to. I can’t run and do things … Continue readingSchool lunch special time for mom, kids
“When my ex-husband and I were deployed the first time to Afghanistan, my kids were separated. My oldest daughter stayed with my family and the twins were with his family. So they don’t have that normal sister bond. They didn’t really get a chance to … Continue reading‘Honestly, I feel like nothing can break me’
“This is my stepson. I’m dating his mom. We’ve been together a few years now. It’s going well. We recently got a house. It’s a pretty big step. Hopefully, we’ll get married one day. “I like the idea of being somebody that he and his … Continue reading‘Somebody he and his sister can look up to’
“It’s kind of hard to say. What happened to me when I was a little kid, when I was 7 … I got molested by my neighbors. Ever since, it sparked a fear of men. “Growing up, when your parents are strict — not mean, … Continue readingTalking about sexual abuse a step in right direction
“I’ve got good kids for real, man. They are so good and so polite. They believe in abiding by the rules and laws. They have a high level of respect for everybody, even more so for people older than them. I sometimes wonder if they’re … Continue readingLessons learned helps him raise his children
“I’m a volunteer court-appointed special advocate for children who are in the foster care system. Their case worker may change. Their attorney may change. But unless they move to Austin or some place like that, I will continue to be the one face that never … Continue readingFoster care advocate has ‘so much love to give’
“My grandparents raised me. We lived in an area where you couldn’t go outside very often. So you had to find something to entertain yourself. In my household growing up, it was reading. Every book was a new adventure. I would absorb that place and … Continue readingFree little library helps build kids’ imaginations
“I have three boys and one girl, ages 18 to 22. The two oldest boys never really had any major problems. But the third one, he would always look for a challenge. If you’d say, ‘Don’t touch that stove, it’s hot,’ he was the type … Continue readingFoundation leader seeking to help at-risk youth