Kristi lost her hair while undergoing chemotherapy. Her daughter Rose, who has alopecia, showed her how beautiful and strong they are together. Wochit
Jeffrey has been clipping and sewing for months, but putting a smile on 600 children’s faces makes it all worth it. Humankind
People thank Officer Norman regularly for being a great member of his community. Now, he's thanking a few of the people in his life. #shareyourthanks Humankind
Mike, who's been delivering toys and gifts to Kentucky children since 1975, lets son, Jordan, take his place so the Christmas tradition goes on.
What better way to pass the time at the airport? Two girls got into a cute dance competition with a kind airport employee Humankind
Heather and her volunteers distribute scarfs, gloves and hats by stringing them around town for whoever needs them. Humankind
Every week, this little boy waits by the window for the sanitation workers to come to his house. For Christmas, he gave them a homemade card and cookies.
Dan Summers has taken care of wife Joan at home for the past 17 years. Joan has late-stage Alzheimer's disease. Humankind
Amanda lost her son during pregnancy. To remember him, she takes a teddy bear memorializing him wherever she goes. That includes Christmas photos with Santa. Humankind
He used to call her teacher. Now he calls her mom. Humankind
Mom with breast cancer and daughter with alopecia show us bald is beautiful
Teacher surprises every child in his school with handmade scarf
Officer Tommy Norman thanks loved ones
As dad fights cancer, son carries on Santa tradition
This spontaneous dance competition is too cute for words
Gift bags left around town to wrap needy in kindness
Boy hands out Christmas cheer to sanitation workers
Devoted husband cares for wife with Alzheimer’s
Santa helps grieving mother remember her son
Foster kid finds new home with loving teacher
While I’m away, readers give the advice.
On child-rearing, especially through difficult phases:
Rather than “teaching” children, I think parents should actually see their children as their teachers.
All of us are different and we should not expect to “know” our children; they have to teach us their strengths, and weaknesses.
Actually, parents should see their role as persevering “gold diggers” — looking for the nuggets of gold in their children’s unique personalities.
— D.
On alternatives for the bridal-shower averse:
After college and graduate school my daughter moved to a distant city, where she met her husband-to-be. Their wedding was going to take place in the city where they lived.
Her maid of honor wanted to do something to celebrate, but a bridal shower didn’t seem to be quite the thing. We hit on the idea of having an open house at our home to which were invited all the women who had been a part of the bride-to-be’s life since birth, from Sunday School teachers and Girl Scout leaders, elementary school librarians, mothers of childhood playmates, music teachers and other special teachers, childhood playmates and high school and college friends. Her aunts came, too, and the women who would become in-laws. The theme was, “Home is where your story begins.”
Read more:
Some people brought gifts but others did not; they were not expected.
Our daughter flew home, people stopped in all throughout the day and she had a wonderful chance to reminisce with so many.
— B.
On being the outlaw to your in-laws, no matter how hard you try:
I was 20 when I married into a family of crazies. (Too young to know it at the time.)
You probably did what I did. You married into a family where his mom and his sister are more important than you are. Period. All you can do is accept that. If he’s a great guy and you can live with it; that’s all you can do.
Be polite and be the great person you are. Never give them any ammunition. I also suggest copious amounts of alcohol at the family dinners.
Your husband is never going to stand up to them. Sorry.
— S.
Technically the alcohol and ammunition portions of your advice are mutually exclusive, but also too entertaining to rule out on a technicality.
On knee-jerk, “You could always adopt!” suggestions:
My husband and I did adopt. After about a year of trying to conceive, we turned to adoption and brought home our precious little boy a whirlwind 10 months later.
Here’s the catch: Adopting did very little to alleviate my deep-seated yearning to conceive and carry a child. I would never, in a million years, suggest this path as an attempted “cure” to the heartbreak of infertility. It doesn’t work.
We adopted because we’ve always been called to adopt. Nothing more, nothing less. It was part of our life-plan, biological children or not. That path is separate from our painful path of infertility, which we still walk.
— Adoptive Mama
E-mail Carolyn at tellme@washpost.com, follow her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/carolyn.hax or chat with her online at noon Eastern time each Friday at www.washingtonpost.com.
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