When Mama Can T Kiss It Better A Journey Of Love Loss And Acceptance

WHEN MAMA CAN’T KISS IT BETTER is the raw account of a true story that shocked the nation in 2010. Gertz was America's most hated mother when news of a decision to place her adopted child in another family broke in the media. Called out by many as an unfit mother and an evil woman who threw away her child, she was catapulted into the national and international media. Her daughter, Emily suffered from fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, reactive attachment disorder, bipolar disorder, and other disorders. She had never bonded with Lori, her father or her siblings and had begun a spiral of self-destruction that often involved running into traffic and other dangerous behaviors. While Gertz recalls feeling isolated, accounts like hers are not rare. Stories like When Mama Can’t Kiss it Better are not told terribly often because of the stigma and finger pointing. She writes, “The mother is always blamed first when a child suffers from extreme behavioral disabilities.” There are millions of parents who are struggling to raise children with behavioral disabilities, who feel misunderstood, unheard, and judged, and who want to be reassured that there are others like them. With one in four Americans struggling with mental illness (NIMH) every year everyone in this country either lives with mental illness or knows someone who does. The greatest tragedy is that 60% of the adults and 50% of the children suffering from mental disorders will receive absolutely NO services or support for their mental illness. WHEN MAMA CAN’T KISS IT BETTER covers: * The adoption of their daughter Emily, early signs of trouble, their birthmother's suicide, the truth about her pregnancy and warnings about how to avoid what happened to the author and her family * Raw and honest details about her daughter's rages, suicide attempts, and hospitalizations * The turmoil that living with mental illness causes for everyone in the home and how it affects siblings and marriages * The difficulty in receiving support from physicians, educators, & clinicians * The author’s increasing desperation to find answers and help as rages and impulsivity became safety issues * Being judged by doctors, schools, and outsiders as "the problem" while her daughter collected diagnosis after diagnosis * The painful decision to place her daughter in another family and how she came to accept that she had to do the unthinkable * Parents worldwide waging verbal attacks on her since if the fault belonged to Gertz alone, it couldn't happen to anyone else Note from the Author: I spent the better part of six years writing this book, which began as the only way I could cope with what was happening in our lives. I just couldn’t believe the lack of resources there were when I reached out for them so vociferously and started documenting what was happening inside our family if not only to maintain my sanity. I am passionate about telling my story to help increase understanding of the enormous challenges parents of special needs children face in a culture that believes that motherly love and perseverance can cure all ills. For those on similar paths, the story of my journey to a sense of peace within the context of facing unrealized dreams, human limitations, broken hearts, and the unfair circumstances of life may help them find that same place of peace in the tough decisions within their own lives. I pray this book will bring attention to the need to better support parents and kids with mental illness and other invisible disabilities and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to call attention to such pressing societal issues. Keywords: Parenting, Disabilities, FASD, Mothering, Mental Illness, RAD, Bipolar, Memoir, Special Needs, Fetal Alcohol, Syndrome

A Mother’s Journey of Love, Death, and Forgiveness By: Jackie Loret de Mola Jackie Loret de Mola’s life was changed forever on September 22, 2017 when her thirty-three-year-old son Frank’s car was hit from behind at a stop in traffic and he later succumbed to his injuries. This book is a collection of her day-to-day journal entries and social media posts that provide an intimate glimpse into the pain and disbelief she felt in the days and weeks that followed. Her raw emotions and thoughts and her forgiveness of the driver are an inspiring testament to the power of faith and love. Above all, A Mother’s Journey of Love, Death, and Forgiveness conveys the love that a mother has for her child. Frank Loret de Mola’s life blessed everyone around him, and as an organ donor, he blessed four very sick people. She hopes her book will inspire readers to consider organ donation and to consider the brevity of life and the importance of loving our families.

Marys Gift is a memoir describing the inspiring journey of a mothers decline from dementia and her daughters attempts to care for her. While she learned to understand the illness and developed coping strategies, she discovered a deeper connection with her mother and learned profound lessons about herself. Colleen's insights learned during the caregiver experiences and the wisdom that resulted was Marys final gift.

As a talk-show host and inspirational speaker, Mother Love used to have to just grin and bear it -- all that extra weight and the poor health that went along with it. Today she can truly smile as she serves up sound advice with big portions of humor in her new book about better living and good health that can turn your life around just like it did hers. Half the Mother, Twice the Love tells about the major weight loss Mother Love achieved over the last three years to reverse the decline in her health and regain control over her life. She went from size 22 to size 10 using a multitiered approach that included exercise, diet, and other lifestyle adjustments, and all her secrets are here in this informative and uplifting book. Half the Mother, Twice the Love speaks to everyone who wants the good life without the bad habits that can make us tired, overweight, and eventually ruin our health. Part memoir and part self-help, this book teaches you how to learn from the mistakes which almost cost Mother Love her life. In the end, she may be half the woman she used to be, but she can give twice as much love as ever.

The harsh beauty of the West becomes the backdrop for a romance between two Scottish immigrants in this captivating historical novel. A new world and a new way of life await young Ann McKay, as she makes the perilous journey across the ocean to the American frontier. Although she is afraid to leave the home and family that are all she has ever known, she knows that to grow she must move on. Caleb Craighead is a Scottish school-teacher, newly-ordained in the ministry. His firm beliefs and strong determination to make a difference in the world lead him to the shores of America. He feels that he has been called to this rough new land for a higher purpose. Little does he know that he will not be alone, as a special young woman comes to take her rightful place at his side.

Shamed by her father's drunken indulgences and his promise to sell her as a wife, Rachel Buchanan escapes her house to join a wagon train bound for the West. With her faith in God as Provider, she agrees to a quick marriage to a man she does not love.

The Return Journey is the result of Susan Matthews Petrovski's personal journals during her mother's 8-year Alzheimer's journey and her correspondence with other Alzheimer's caregivers kind enough to share their innermost feelings and emotions. These caregivers' stories are an inside view into the lessons to be learned from looking through the personal peephole of family members at the heart of the Alzheimer's experience. Petrovski examines right and wrong choices, which will help those whose Alzheimer's journey or caregiving journey is just beginning, clearly and wisely explaining that with Alzheimer's there are no "right" ways, no "best" decisions, and no "perfect" answers.