When cutting-edge portrait photographer and documentarian Ali Smith set out to explore contemporary motherhood, she was determined to capture not only its great joys but its conflicts, compromises, messiness, and unpredictable mix of emotions—and to allow a wide range of fascinating women to tell their stories in their own voices. The result is a cinematic blend of Smith’s bold photography and the enthralling words of real women caught in the midst of real life at its most intense. Among the mothers you’ll meet inMomma Loveare Oscar-nominated actress Amy Ryan, who talks about being a mother in image-obsessed Hollywood; rock musician Alyson Palmer, who has taken both of her children on tour for years for what she calls “road schooling”; and Deborah Kopaken Cogan, who traded her harrowing life as a war photographer for the challenges of motherhood—enduring criticism as a “quitter” from her colleagues and the media. They are just a few of Ali’s subjects, who come from a wide range of backgrounds and places but share a penchant for honest self-reflection. PerusingMomma Loveis like entering into an honest, gutsy conversation that women of all ages will want to join, whether they are just curious about motherhood; contemplating it in earnest, as the author was when she began her journey; or deep in the throes of it. It is also for fans of great documentary photography that sticks in the mind and heart forever.

This essential guide for all military families provides helpful advice and reassurance on topics ranging from boot camp, to deployment, to PTSD, from a former "Army brat" turned mother of four military kids. When you enlist in the United States military, you don't just sign up for duty; you also commit your loved ones to lives of service all their own. No one knows this better than Elaine Brye, an "Army brat" turned military wife and the mother of four officers-one each in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. For more than a decade she's endured countless teary goodbyes, empty chairs at Thanksgiving dinners, and sleepless hours waiting for phone calls in the night. She's navigated the complicated tangle of emotions that are part and parcel of life as a military mother. Be Safe, Love Mom braids together Elaine's own personal experiences with those of fellow parents she's met along the way. She offers gentle guidance and hard-earned wisdom on topics ranging from that first anxious goodbye to surrendering all control of your child, from finding comfort in the support of the military community and the healing power of faith to coping with the enormous sacrifices life as a military mother requires. With hard-to-come-by information and encouragement that is like advice from a wise and trusted friend, Be Safe, Love Mom is an essential handbook to membership in a strong and special sisterhood.

One hot July day, on a return trip home from New Orleans, Trish Dunaway received a call from Mercer University police: Call your mother. As the minutes raced by, she learned the tragic news: her ninety-three-year-old mother had been instantly killed in a traffic accident. Her mothers story is a remarkable one: growing up in the 1920s in the Charleston, South Carolina Orphan House, losing her husband to cancer as a young married woman, and growing into a much-loved and honored prayer warrior. Trish gave herself a year to journal her grief. Through prayer, the ministry of the saints, journaling and poetry, Scripture, and memories of her Low Country heritage, she learned to choose Gods comfort He offered through a walk into His mercy and grace. She shares her journey during the year following her mothers death as she learns how God teaches us to listen for His comfort in the face of despair.

Mother, Mimi, Ma, Mom, Mammy, Mama, Mum, Mommy, Momma... Mothers are a special breed. Mothers tend to be gentle, loving, sweet, and kind; yet are often forgotten in the roles that involve brute strength in the mental, physical, or emotional capacities. Mothers laugh, we cry, uplift, encourage, mend, discipline, pretend, and befriend. All these things we do beyond the eye's perception and the minds imagination to create a world that is safe, desirable, educational, loving, and spontaneous to ensure our children become prosperous adults. A Momma's Love is a special tribute to all the mothers in the world who surround their children with such an abundance of love that this love rarely can be put into words. Mothers know just what it means to sacrifice a piece of the heart to such a special business that can become the most bitter-sweet relationship of ones existence.

Momma's Love is the story of a girl in need of her mother's love, something lacking from one generation to the next. The generational cycles falling onto a young mother, intensifying her own choices and hardships in life. The point of view, from the daughter's eyes, will determine whether this chain will be broken for future generations. Khloe has always felt alone and unwanted; lonely and misunderstood by her mother and abandoned by her father. All she ever wanted was attention, to be heard, and for her mother to believe in her. Witnessing firsthand her mother's examples and poor decisions, she makes discoveries and learns about herself. Coping with the hand she was dealt, Khloe will learn how to overcome her childhood traumas. Not realizing her example in life influences her daughter, Whitney slows down to mother Khloe when she becomes pregnant at 17. Khloe embarks on a journey full of unanswered questions and confusing emotions. So much unknown internal pain and anger to overcome before she begins her journey as a young woman. With a lack of guidance, Khloe strives to succeed to become different from her mother, facing many challenges as a young woman and teenage mother herself.

Caridad became an adult at a very early age, being responsible for helping her parents put food on the table while going to school and working a full time job. She got married and divorced a couple of time, and then turned her life into hard partying, too much drinking, and drug abuse. Realizing she had to change, she fought hard to reach sobriety and provide a stable life for her three children. Caridad succeeded, but her son Lorenzo seemed doomed to repeat his mother's mistakes. Addiction and run-ins with the law dogged his footsteps until the fateful day he shot and killed a man. Lorenzo acted in self-defense, but it made no difference. Convicted of second-degree murder, he faced life in prison without parole. Caridad was devastated, but Lorenzo would find God behind bars and successfully fight his inner demons. Even son, Caridad's only son had no chance of seeing the outside word again - at least, that's what Caridad thought. But a miracle was about to happen... a one-in-a-million event offering Lorenzo a second chance.

A Mother's Love Is Far from Ordinary A mother knows just what her daughter needs...the gentle guidance of her hand and the welcoming refuge of her heart. This collection of touching stories from your favorite Christian bloggers and authors will help you see motherhood—in all its forms—with fresh eyes and a grateful spirit. Hear from Rachel Macy Stafford, Holley Gerth, Jennifer Dukes Lee, Wynter Pitts, Rachel Anne Ridge, and more than 30 other beloved voices as they share their personal challenges and parenting memories. Whether you're a mom looking for refreshment or a daughter wanting to show your appreciation, this lovely compilation of tender and heartfelt stories is a testament to the life-changing, inspiring, and outright extraordinary journey of motherhood.

Expecting their nineteen-year-old son Carter home from work at any minute, Charmaine and her husband received the call that every parent dreads. Carter had been in a car accident. He died at the scene. Overcome by grief, Charmaine felt the need to find Carter in the weeks and months following his death. She began a frantic search for answers to her questions about what happens after death and where Carter is now. She needed to know that he was alright. Gradually, she became aware of strange occurrences. She smelled Carter’s scent at various times. She noticed the number six, Carter’s lucky number, showing up in unexpected places. Text messages from Carter were appearing on his friends’ phones. Then one night Charmaine received a written message from Carter. Through the help of meditation and focus, Charmaine began to communicate with Carter in spirit. Over time and with practice, their communication strengthened and Carter’s spirit communicated to Charmaine wisdom, truths, and insights about life and what comes after death. Encouraged and hopeful, Charmaine has reconnected with her son in spirit. She has been able to encourage and support her family as well as others in similar situations. Carter’s words to Charmaine, “I am more alive than anyone can imagine,” have assuaged her grief and have her thirsting for more contact with her son. Love You Mom is a deeply personal, beautiful interaction between mother and son that brings meaning to life and healing to the soul.

Thanks to her mother’s steadfastness in letter writing, Kathy Vikre received news from home once a week for nearly forty years. Within handwritten letters that began with “Dear Kath” and ended with “Love, Mom,” Kathy’s mother shined a light on her Catholic beliefs, compassion, and boundless energy. But what her daughter did not know is that one day the letters, which numbered over one thousand by the end of her mother’s life, would provide both a lifeline and a happy ending to her story. Within a touching presentation that intertwines excerpts of her mother’s letters with details of her own journey through life, Kathy shares a personal look at motherhood and survival that reveals a glimpse into the joys, struggles, and relationships between parents and their children in the years after the Second World War. Decades later after her mother died and Kathy slipped into the darkness of an old depression, she discloses how the process of re-reading her mother’s letters helped guide her inward to eventually rediscover her faith and a renewed happiness in living. Love, Mom shares a poignant snapshot into the lives of a mother and daughter through personal stories and letters as they experienced delights, challenges, death, and a rebirth.