“‘Just stop it! Act normal! I don’t even know this person you’re acting like!’ I was sitting firmly in the ‘acute sorrow, helplessness, hopelessness, depression, and despair’ section. I suffered greatly at the hands of this man, and so did my child.”
“Her whole world had just come crashing down around her. But she just kept reaching out and hugging her teacher. It shocked me.”
“These inmates had no obligation whatsoever to aid a bleeding, vulnerable deputy, but they didn’t hesitate.”
“My brain is on hyperdrive. ‘They’ll probably arrest you, too. But is the gate closed? The dog can escape if the gate isn’t closed.’ Now, it’s 9:30 p.m. and I’m lying in bed having a panic attack because I can’t prove my kids are even mine. The only solution was to get out of bed.”
“To tell you I was hurt doesn’t do it justice. In that moment, I saw red. ‘No, I was born with a cleft lip and palate.”
“I realized I’d be ‘aging-out’ of care. No one ever adopted me. I had to get a job and work. I needed to save money. I cried. I cried for the sacrifices I was forced to make.”
“He started wearing his winter coat throughout the day and complained he was cold. I noticed he had some swelling on his privates. In my gut, I had a bad feeling something just wasn’t right.”
“And then I checked myself. This mystery man on the beach reminded me it all counts, it all matters.”
“Now, listen, I am not a thief… really, I am not. But you see, I needed that bear. I needed this to be the best gift ever. If you are reading this and you had a teddy bear stolen I am sorry.”
“I sped to the house and scooped up her purple lipped, shivering body, then dropped to the floor and set her on top of my chest. We had to be on our top game 24 hours a day because if we slacked, she’d die. Discussions of death were as common as, ‘Hey, I emptied the dishwasher.’”
