Based in New York City, Sophia San Filippo has worked with Love What Matters as a lead editor and content curator since early 2019 and has acted as Managing Editor since early 2021. She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Binghamton University who holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Creative Writing, and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. She is passionate about personal storytelling and creating a positive space in media to better the lives of others. On a typical day you can find her rocking out at her local concert venue, admiring nature, or baking her latest kitchen experiment.
‘You’re the parent who tries everything and gets nowhere, but still doesn’t give up.’: Woman pens ode to parents of children battling mental illness
“The waitlists for qualified providers are years long. Others who have no idea what it’s like to sit in an ER for days waiting for a psych bed to open insist your child’s symptoms of mental illness are a result of ‘bad parenting.’ Or worse, your child just being ‘bad.'”
I Don’t Wait For My Sister To Ask Before I Take Her Baby
“I tell her I’m taking him to the bedroom, turning on my favorite show, and he is mine for the next hour or two.”
‘A week from now marks 5 years since I married the father of my children, and the first wedding anniversary we are no longer a couple.’: Mom peacefully coparents with ex-husband, ‘I wish him everything good and more’
“I will acknowledge it as the day I married a man who is no longer my love, but who will always be in my life. And I will celebrate the 3 children we share. Till death do us part still stands, only in another form.”
‘She’s sending me away. She says I’m a bad kid. Why doesn’t anybody love me?’ I held his little hand, crying hard. ‘Will you adopt me?’: Woman adopts boy from foster care, ‘He’s the missing piece we didn’t know we needed’
“It was a chilly fall night when Zack called. ‘My mom is out of control. I’m scared. I don’t know what to do.’ He was hiding in the driveway. I jumped into the car. ‘Nobody wants me bec—’ We quickly interjected, ‘Nope, it doesn’t matter what happened. We want you. We love you. And you always belong here, no matter what.’ In that moment, we knew he was ours.”
‘Mom, what political party are we?’ I told her how I lean, to which she responded, ‘Therefore, I am too.’ Oh, my love, no.’: Mom tells daughter ‘I will love and respect whoever you become’
“You are not a republican or a democrat or an independent or anything else because I am. You are uniquely you, and I will love you and respect whoever you become.”
‘I feel like a hot mess mom all the time. My children laugh in the face of danger, yours are gentle. While their house is tidy, I turn a blind eye to the bathroom.’: Mom reminds us ‘you’re doing the best you can’
“I’m simply doing the best I can, and that’s just going to have to be enough.”
‘If Uncle Joe talks too much politics, don’t invite him. If sending your kids trick-or-treating will give you too much anxiety, stay home.’: Empath urges ‘give yourself permission to take care of yourself’
“If you’re an empath, 2020 has just about sucked your soul dry. Say no. Spend time only with those who lift you up. Get off social media if you need to. Because that soul of yours? It’s important, too. And this year? It’s proving to be too much.”
‘Late to work, I left my dogs behind with full bladders. I spilled my coffee. On my shirt. Three times. My ‘great day’ lasted until the sun came up.’: Widow says ‘survival looks good on you, kid’
“You know what they say: ‘When you plan your spouse’s funeral, you can pretty much do anything.’ I had one of those mornings. Despite all of it, I am surviving. I don’t think we remind each other enough that we’re proud just for making it through the day.”
‘We stopped to watch the construction crew. ‘Wow, what a COOL job!’ They screamed for joy. I pray they never put down others, and always see the value in hard work.’: Parents teach kids all jobs are ‘extremely valuable’
“As the cement mixed, we talked about how important this job is. ‘Almost every building, sidewalk, or road is made of cement. Without strong foundations, things fall or fail.’ I don’t know what they’ll grow up to be, but my prayer is they love the work they do. And I pray they do it with great pride and care.”
‘We see you put self-care on the backburner, skipping workouts and coffee with friends for an IEP meeting.’: Husband pens sweet letter to special needs moms
“You are miracle workers, moving mountains by sheer will.”