Love What Matters

We're excited to announce the NEW Love What Matters podcast, launches TODAY! - link.chtbl.com/lwm?sid=email INTRODUCING: Love What Matters, a podcast that dives deep into the real, raw, and extraordinary stories of everyday people who remind us that goodness still exists in this world. In a time when it can feel like the weight of the world is too heavy, these stories are a beacon of hope, showing us the power of love, compassion, and resilience. From heartwarming tales of kindness to life-changing acts of bravery, each episode will make you believe in the beauty of the human spirit. This isn’t just a podcast—it’s a refuge, a place where you’ll find comfort and inspiration in the incredible journeys of those who’ve faced adversity with grace and strength. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and most importantly, you’ll walk away with a renewed sense of hope. Love What Matters is your escape to a happier place, where real people share real stories that touch your soul and remind you of the profound impact love can have on the world. #LoveWhatMatters

I just want to share a sweet story because it’s the time of year for this sort of thing to be shared. My oldest daughter went on her first date this weekend. She has had a rough couple of years and had started a new school recently. This boy is apparently one of the most popular in school, and she’d actually mentioned him to me…just to say how nice he was even though he was really popular and that she kind of had a crush on him. Well, to her great surprise he’d apparently noticed her too and invited her to go bowling and for pizza. She was a little shocked at first, because she’s the quiet, smart type, a little quirky, not the one boys always immediately flock to. I drove her to the bowling alley (feeling a bit nervous myself) and he was waiting outside to meet me, shook my hand, looked me in the eyes, told me he would be paying for everything. He also had a small gift for her. He’d noticed a perfume in her backpack that was almost empty and had purchased her a new one. Afterwards my daughter told me all about it. She beat him at every game of bowling, they had pizza and decided to see who would chicken out first when they put increasingly large amounts of hot sauce on their food, until they were both laughing and crying. In short, she had a wonderful time. This week, he requested to switch into her orchestra class so they could see each other more. She plays the cello and he plays the violin. And today he gave her a beautiful handwritten card, inviting her to the school’s winter wonderland dance next week. My daughter is now spending every spare moment looking at dresses. It’s hard not to worry, not to be a little nervous watching your child turn into a young woman before your eyes, but honestly this boy has done wonders for her confidence and spirit in just a few short weeks. He is being raised by his grandparents because his parents died in a car accident when he was two, and they are obviously doing a very good job and are perhaps the reason he seems to have values that are charmingly old fashioned (but really should make a comeback). Anyway, that’s all. It’s just wonderful seeing her so happy, and I’m grateful. Merry Christmas 🎄🤍

"Do you want my boys? We don’t want them anymore.” For months, Martin and Victor had been coming to church with us, seeking a refuge from a home that seemed to offer anything but safety or love. But this? This was abandonment in its rawest form. 'Why didn’t she love me?'" lovewhatmatters.com/do-you-want-my…

"We kissed our babies goodnight, made love, and fell asleep in each other's arms. Hours later, I was cradling his face on the floor, screaming at the paramedics, ‘HELP HIM PLEASE!’ How could the love of my life, in perfect health, suddenly be gone? Kyle was my best friend, my partner, my everything—and in one inexplicable moment, he was gone." lovewhatmatters.com/i-screamed-to-…

"Conflict is the test by which people learn how much they matter to each other"

@nikunj @Sethrogen

This one was written straight from the heart at 4:32 am..

I’m entering hospice today. Will probably update every little if at all. But I wanted to say to be kind, be brave, be principled, be an idealist. Most importantly, be a decent human. I love that we existed together, in this moment of time.

"‘Mommy, I done. I done, I so tired.’ She reached out with her little arms, and I held her, telling her I loved her. Hours later, I pleaded with the doctors as they asked, ‘Should we stop compressions?’” lovewhatmatters.com/mommy-i-done-i…

“Some of the bravest warriors I know aren’t the ones in uniforms, they are the ones left behind on the home front. Yes, I’m talking about you, military spouse. I see you, I know you, I admire you, I am you. On Veterans Day we give thanks to all the men and women who have served, and those that are serving. We give thanks for their bravery and their commitment to serve the greater good. We give thanks for their sacrifices. I see you, military wife/husband, I see you standing quietly by their side as praise is given for their service." lovewhatmatters.com/some-of-the-br…

"My name is Taylor, and I am Beckham’s biological mom. Beckham’s dad (Gentry) and I met in college and dated for two-and-half to three years. At that time, when I was 22 years old, I became unexpectedly pregnant. I went through every emotion you could imagine. I was young, and neither his dad or I were prepared. We knew this was going to change our lives. After discussions, Gentry and I ultimately decided we weren’t for each other. We wouldn’t be happy, and neither of us wanted to live like that, let alone raise our child in an unhappy home. So, we split when I was about halfway pregnant. With that came so many emotions and decisions for us and for Beckham. Hard ones. We fought, we went to court, and we really despised each other. We were at a point where we couldn’t even coexist with each other—as you can imagine, this was a high emotion situation. We both loved and wanted our son. And ultimately wanted the best for him, but were not able to see the situation from the other’s perspective. Beckham was born in early August and Gentry and I were cordial, but still not in a very good place." lovewhatmatters.com/we-like-to-hav…

How to stay in love

The level of discipline you need to change your life is just crazy

Y’all. I woke up with a headache and I hear my 9 year old son in the kitchen, so I asked him to bring me some water and an Aleve. He brings me some water AND A LEAF. When I tell you I have tears from laughing so hard.

during anorexia i spent a lot of time just wandering grocery stores like a ghost, intensely studying nutritional labels of foods i wasn’t “allowed” to eat. i still remember the time an older woman interrupted, touched my shoulder, & said “honey, i think you should get the chips.”

"When my period was a day late, I just knew I was pregnant. I went and bought a test from the corner store. It came up negative. Pedro lovingly laughed, as he was convinced I was needlessly worrying. Despite the negative test, I still KNEW. The next day, I went out and bought another. This time, it came up positive. ⁠ ⁠ We took a few days to come up with a game plan, and then set out to share the news. The fact we only needed a few days to come up with a plan speaks volumes to our immaturity. Telling my father was terrifying. We had an ocean between us, but even telling him over the phone put fear in my soul. Hands trembling, I wrote him an email. I told him ‘not to worry,’ because Pedro and I had a plan… My ‘plan’ included dropping out of school, and moving to Mexico, where Pedro had a job waiting for him. Looking back, I can understand why from a father’s point of view this was mind-blowingly irresponsible. There goes his little girl, across the world, to a Third World Country, where she doesn’t speak the language or know the customs… to start a new life, baby in tow."⁠ lovewhatmatters.com/hands-tremblin…

My Parents Got Divorced, Then Remarried 18 Years Later "In September of 2014, my dad got his last DUI, which put him into prison for 6 months, then into a jail that was strictly for men who suffered from addiction. I then had a two-year-old son who loved his Papa, so when he went away I had to continuously lie to him about where he was. I could not let my dad hurt my son like he hurt me and my siblings. The only way I thought he could ever get better is by his family showing him support. So I would drive 3.5 hours there and back to the jail every Sunday with my son and some of our family members to visit him. In October of 2015, I picked him up after serving his time to come live with me and my son in our one bedroom, one bathroom, TINY duplex. I helped him get back on his feet and remain sober." lovewhatmatters.com/they-both-knew…

“On December 23, 2018, our lives changed forever. And sadly, it was just the beginning. I was assigned to work a night shift an hour away from where I dropped my son, AJ, off at my sister’s. I got a call from her two hours later. She said AJ was not feeling or looking too good. My sister, Kyesha, took him to the emergency room. I rushed out, put my emergency lights on, and drove an hour to the hospital. When I got there and saw my son, I didn’t know what to think or say. Tears started rolling down my face. AJ looked almost dead, his color was so blue. The nurse approached me saying, ‘He is so cold and we can’t get any blood from him. We’ve tried everything. We’re going to have to rush him to Arkansas Children’s Hospital.’ lovewhatmatters.com/i-have-to-remo…

"The day started like every other day with a 7-week-old baby, a 20-month-old, a 4-year-old, and two almost 6-year-old’s. Early. This day though, I was determined to find some answers. It had been weeks since I felt like I had any idea what was going on in my husband’s head and I was getting lonely feeling like I was raising five babies by myself. Since law school ended, we had begun to see less and less of him. I was exhausted from fighting this feeling that something was not right. So this day, it was going to be different. It was going to be a good one, even if I had to force it. I was determined to get him to see us. These babies, me… we were worth it. lovewhatmatters.com/her-husband-fo…

“14 years ago, I stood with my roommate, in my tiny bathroom, terrified. We were both staring at the clock, counting down the seconds until we could flip over the stick and check my test. The day my entire life changed. This was the day I went from basketball player to pregnant teen, this was the day I went from carefree college student to mother. This is my story. I found out I was pregnant in my second semester of college, freshman year. I had no idea what was going to happen, so I turned to my parents. Though they were disappointed, they immediately jumped into action, moving me home from college, building an apartment for me and the baby in their basement, all while still having my three younger sisters living at home. My parents were truly such a godsend during this time. Throughout my pregnancy, I went to a lot of appointments with my mom, but I mostly went alone. I found out I was having a boy at my 20-week ultrasound. I remember feeling like I knew nothing about having a son, but unfortunately I didn’t really have anyone to talk to who could relate at the time. Most of my friends were off to college or had jobs, but none of them had or were having kids yet. My pregnancy was quite a lonely time for me." lovewhatmatters.com/i-thought-i-wo…