“I got home and checked an Instagram group chat I was involved in and saw everyone thought I was actually dead for 4 days. It made me sad because at the time I didn’t think anyone cared and I felt everyone would be better off without me.”
-“I used to consider going to the bar and getting hammered a ‘date.’ It’s nice to learn about a person and actually remember it now, rather than waking up the next morning and thinking, ‘Wow, this guy drinks as much as me – so I know he won’t judge me. He’s a keeper.’”
-“We were introduced through a friend who believed we’d be ‘perfect’ for each other. She invited me to a birthday party he was set to attend. I didn’t plan to stay long, but changed my mind once I met HIM. We talked, laughed and danced for hours. I asked my friend for his number. She obliged. Years later, I wonder if that friend realized it was that moment that changed everything.”
-“Abby has issues expressing herself at times, and when she is frustrated, she sees red and watch out to whoever is near her, because she will make it known that she is upset. We have been teaching her keep your hands to yourself, don’t hit, don’t hurt anyone – If you saw her, you’d think, she is tiny, adorable, she wouldn’t hurt a fly. Wrong.”
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“The first birthday I spent with my husband, I turned 16. I remember where we went, what I was wearing. It was the first time he really held my hand. There was something magical about it. It was fall. We were coming out of a hot summer, the night air was cool. There was nobody else I wanted to spend it with than him. The last birthday I spent with him was my 43rd. In the blink of an eye, he was gone. Nothing has been the same since.”
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“Girl, you deserve better than that. What do you mean he didn’t bring you flowers on the first date? You deserve someone who treats you like a queen. I think you should dump him and find someone who buys you something for your anniversary, someone who knows your worth.”
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“We were standing at the bus stop when my daughter was scratching her head. Um, why is she scratching so much? I watched her for a minute, and could tell this was serious. Instant panic. LICE! My whole body went into hysteria. I had 4 thick, curly heads looming before me. Crap, what about my OWN head? Oh God. Tim… please… check… my… head… He parted my hair, examining it with his phone’s flashlight.”
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“5 minutes into our drive, he began crying but stopped. I found it odd. It was a cry I hadn’t heard before. The light turned red, I pulled over. In seconds, I was down on my knees in the middle of the road, holding my floppy baby. ‘God, this can’t be it. Please don’t take my baby away!’ Giving mouth to mouth, I screamed his name for him to wake up. When he ambulance arrived, Noah was going in and out of consciousness.”
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“When you met her she was fun, she was a size 6. Her hair was as wild as she was. You stared at her while she slept. Your eyes glowed, because you chose her. But somewhere along the way, that changed. Regret is forever, and if you don’t choose her, someone else will.”
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“So, the ‘big talk’ was finished, right? Not even close. A year later, my son asked, ‘Mom, what is sex?’ after he heard a kid at school mention the word. I’d been patting myself on the back thinking my son was well-informed up to this point. I remember thinking, ‘Dear god, what if I’m too late?’ My instinct was to stall for time.”
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“My son Wyatt waves from the grocery cart. My voice cracks. ‘Yes, he’s our first,’ I muster out. He smiles at us. My eyes tear up and immediately, I’m filled with guilt as I push the cart and walk away. The truth is, the real answer is much too complicated for a stranger. We have 5 children, but he is the first we brought home.”
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“I remember riding the train and I felt like a stranger was living in my body. I didn’t feel like myself… I felt like my world was constantly spinning, I was beyond exhausted, no matter how much I slept, and I often found myself wearing sunglasses because the light bothered me so much. Before this, I didn’t even own a pair. I got a call from the Urgent Care. ‘You tested positive for Lyme Disease. You need to come get you an antibiotic.’”
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“At exactly 4:30 p.m., I can only describe what happened as a rip in reality. ‘We need to find Becca.’ My sister saw my face turn white. Every cell in my body shifted. I drove home in blinding rain. An hour later, I walked into the house to find a detective asking about my daughter’s purse. They were searching for ‘the woman swept away in northern Philly.’ It happened at exactly 4:30 p.m.”
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