Posts by: Sophia San Filippo

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.

‘Can I still use the tickets even though my baby passed?’ Their response: ‘No, your guest must be present.’ My heart broke into a million pieces.’: Mom loses baby girl to pneumonia, ‘She isn’t in pain, she is free’

“The day she died was the day we got the email that we had won the tickets. I asked if we could still use it for my girls, even though one was now my angel baby. It felt like the perfect thing to honor and remember her. A simple no would have been okay with me, but their words felt like a stab to the heart. The bear lost its meaning to me.”

Sophia San Filippo - Jul 02, 2019

‘I had 34 beautiful bridesmaids at my wedding! I didn’t know it would turn out the way it did. It just sort of happened.’: Woman has ‘truly magical’ beach wedding with all her girlfriends

“We pulled over to grab some Chick-Fil-A. Everything seemed normal. My husband opened the car door. I wasn’t dolled up. My hair was undone. There was not a spec of makeup on me. I never expected what was going to happen next.”

Sophia San Filippo - Jul 02, 2019

‘I came out during my valedictorian speech. For years, I kept my secret hidden until it ate away at my conscience. I cut everyone off, paranoid they’d notice.’

“I was taught that men do not cry, so all of my emotions were kept inside. When the day came, I was extremely nervous. I changed my mind over 15 times. I was sweating and told myself I couldn’t do it. But I knew I had to.”

Sophia San Filippo - Jul 02, 2019

‘I no longer speak to my mom. Every day, I wonder about her. I look in the mirror and see her staring back. But I have to choose me over her.’

“Every day, I’m reminded that I’ve never felt the love of a mom. I know if I open the door to her, she’ll destroy me and all the progress I’ve made. I’m hurt and sad, but I’m also better off. You do not need to have a toxic person in your life just because you share DNA.”

Sophia San Filippo - Jul 01, 2019

‘You can have kids. Why adopt a BROWN baby? Look at that pretty blonde baby you made!’: Mom proud of her ‘beautiful biracial family’ despite hate and ‘constant stares’

“My siblings have brown curly hair, big brown eyes, and cocoa-colored skin. I have blonde hair, light skin, and blue eyes. We could not look more different from one another. But they have been my family since the moment I was born. I don’t know anything different.”

Sophia San Filippo - Jul 01, 2019

‘I removed my breast implants. Within minutes, I was attacked by a man. ‘You look like a little boy. Where did your breasts go?’ It felt like a punch in my gut.’

“He proceeded to tell me that smaller chests were meant for middle school and that real women had ‘grown up’ bodies. Ouch.”

Sophia San Filippo - Jul 01, 2019

‘Your oncologist never mentioned it? It’s been showing in your blood tests for over 2 years.’ All I could think of is, ‘If the life expectancy is 5 years, I have 3 left.’: Woman shares Multiple Myeloma diagnosis journey

“I snapped. He thought I was going to rough him up. I wanted to. Then, I did the one thing you should never, ever do. For two weeks straight, I was afraid I wouldn’t wake up. I could tell he was scared.”

Sophia San Filippo - Jun 28, 2019

‘My bully wasn’t a kid on the playground.’: Child abuse survivor shares journey to ‘re-claiming’ her power

“While other girls my age chased butterflies and dreams, I hid in closets from my living nightmares.”

Sophia San Filippo - Jun 28, 2019

‘I caught myself telling my 2-year-old son today, ‘You’re just like your daddy.’ I wanted him to act and look like me. I hoped he’d possess some of my qualities.’

“It stopped me in my tracks after it rolled off my tongue. All of us want to see a little bit of ourselves in our children. But the older I get, the more I see his daddy in him. I’m raising a daddy’s boy.”

Sophia San Filippo - Jun 28, 2019

‘You need your husband’s permission.’ I begged. I didn’t feel maternal. I was told I’d ‘change my mind.’: Woman speaks up after refused sterilization procedure multiple times

“Every year during my annual exam, I asked to have my ‘tubes tied.’ My doctor always quickly refused. As I aged, I still didn’t want kids and neither did my partner. This time around, I was about to lose my health insurance. I was told the procedure was ‘reserved for women in their 30s or 40s who had at least 2 children.’ As an adult woman, I needed my husband’s blessing to make decisions about MY body. I was stunned.”

Sophia San Filippo - Jun 28, 2019