“For years, I never truly realized I was being abused. I believed I was the problem, I was still in control, and I could make things better with the man who had once romanced me, treated me with kindness and tenderness, and made me fall in love with him.”
“Don’t be afraid to share. Don’t be afraid to say their name. Don’t be afraid to be raw and vulnerable. Because one day, some girl you knew way back when might need you, just as much as you need her.”
“I remember my partner saying, ‘I can’t see anything going wrong between us.’ I replied, ‘I do, my drinking.’ He didn’t seem to grasp that I couldn’t only have a couple of drinks. With me, it was all or nothing.”
“Nobody can make facing cancer easier, but he makes the rest of my life easier. Joe is an example of all the good in the world.”
“There’s that saying, everything happens for a reason. Well, I hate that saying. In fact, I despise it. It gave me no comfort at all. But the idea I could create something positive from this was comforting. So, that’s what I did.”
“She was there when I needed her, colliding our worlds, even if it was only for a short moment, to show me there are times when heaven really is a place on earth.”
“The doctor said he didn’t believe in a Hashimoto’s diagnosis and it was all in my head. I walked out of his office with tears streaming down my face. I knew deep down I wasn’t crazy and this was not the life I was meant to live.”
“Be open about your struggle and be honest when someone asks you, ‘How are you doing?’ You never know who may come into your life because you shared your story.”
“Any stepmom will tell you blended family life is no walk in the park! But there’s no doubt that behind every cloud is a silver lining, and this is no exception.”
“When lying here in a hospital bed, I know the Ted Baker bag isn’t going to heal my brain, but the memories will help it feel a bit better.”
