“I set a goal to get ‘skinny’ for graduation. I was starving myself, but if anyone mentioned it, I’d become outraged. In my eyes, I was ‘finally taking care of myself’ and anyone who thought differently was just trying to tear me down.”
‘You’re just a dramatic teenager.’ I was brushed off and swept aside. Then I swallowed a bottle of Advil.’: Woman overcomes eating disorder and anxiety, ‘I use my suffering to grow’
‘The baby started screaming and I snapped. I hurled my coffee mug at the floor. It was the wakeup call I needed.’: Mom shares journey with postpartum anxiety, ‘We’re just trying our best’
“I bought a Doppler I used every day to make sure I could still hear a heartbeat. It should’ve been crystal clear I wasn’t okay. I spent hours Googling, ‘How to get your baby to sleep.’ I felt like I had to ‘prove’ I was a good mom.”
‘She won’t have a normal life.’ I realized things needed to change. We shouldn’t be ashamed of our disabilities.’: Woman details journey with Cerebral Palsy, ‘Love yourself always’
“I couldn’t walk like most kids or use my arms. The doctor tried to scare my parents, ‘She won’t survive.’ My mom was frightened when she heard this. She didn’t know if I would have a future or what would become of me.”
‘I hadn’t heard from him all day. ‘ARE YOU ALIVE?’ I started to panic. I never thought it would happen to me.’: Widow finds hope after losing husband, ‘Live as if today is YOUR last day’
“Our love story was a modern-day version of ‘The Notebook.’ When our eyes met, it was a full-blown fireworks extravaganza. His co-worker called me, crying. ‘He’s gone. Mose is gone.’ They handed me his wedding ring and wallet. It was real. The nightmare was happening to ME.”
‘I’m a bad mom.’ I got married when my daughter was 2 and I don’t remember it. There’s so much shame.’: Recovering alcoholic describes journey, ‘I want to set an example for my daughter’
“I’d delete pictures so there was no evidence. In tenth grade, I was kicked out of a private school. ‘I have bad days, I am HUMAN!'”
‘There’s nothing we can do.’ I felt my hopes and dreams slip away. My life was falling apart and nobody could tell me why.’: Woman diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, ‘I’ll never stop fighting’
“My body’s injustice and betrayal would send me fleeing to a quiet place where I wouldn’t be discovered by my kids. I’d hide in my closet, trying my hardest to muffle my crying. As the tears fell from my cheeks and were washed away, I’d wish they were carrying the sickness out of me.”
‘As I ran from my sleeping kids to snuggle beneath the covers and finally relax, it hit me. The dang chicken!’: Woman’s viral post about ‘mom brain’ is so relatable
“As I lumbered to the kitchen, it hit me. The wet laundry. The check I forgot to write for preschool. The pee-soaked clothes from the accident still in the bathroom sink. I needed a break, and I knew it. But, in the back of my mind, it was all there. Sitting. Waiting. Exhausting.”
‘Christmas isn’t going to be the same this year. But through everything, kindness hasn’t been canceled.’: Mom creates ‘12 Days of Christmas Kindness’ to give back, ‘We all need more love this year’
“We played ‘ding dong ditch’ on our neighbors, leaving hot chocolate bombs in our place. We bought extra groceries to donate, shared cookies with strangers, and left an extra-large tip at dinner. If we can be anything in 2020, let’s be kind.”
‘You need to wait it out.’ I thought accepting my illness meant I was giving up. It wasn’t really living. I was simply existing.’: Chronic illness warrior says ‘romanticizing my life set me free’
“I’d leave in the middle of class to throw up in the bathroom. I’d lay on the floor during lectures just so I wouldn’t pass out. I woke up choking on my own saliva. It was the hardest time of my life.”
‘For the record, I would’ve picked you.’ I was smiling so hard my face hurt. Time hasn’t slowed down since.’: Couple finds love during lockdown, ‘When you find your person, you just know’
“On a zoom meeting, there was a girl who caught my eye. She had the kindest eyes. I had no idea I was falling in love. ‘If you could date anyone here, who would it be?’ She stalled.”