“My first stroke was at 11 weeks old. By the time I was 4, I had three open-heart surgeries. Once, I made a list of things I have tried over the years for my pain. It was three pages long. You name it, I’ve probably had it.”
‘At 11-years-old, I coded on the table. ‘You’re on your second soul.’ It messes with your mind.’: Chronic pain warrior with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome suffers stroke, finds community, ‘It’s about being there for each other’
‘Masks were worn here before the pandemic. It’s not political. It’s not an infringement of rights. It’s a matter of, ‘Maybe it’s just allergies, but I don’t know for sure.’: Woman urges ‘community is a beautiful thing’
“Not once has any individual in Japan told me, ‘This is Japan. We speak Japanese here. Go back to where you came from.’ Not one time. I love my country dearly, hear that. But in so many ways, I KNOW we can do better.”
‘Can you take 3 siblings?’ You question yourself. Am I in over my head? Don’t let the pain stop you.’: Foster mom gives tips on how to be successful, ‘Love is what defines a family’
“Who would be calling at this time of night? ‘Would you be interested in taking them?’ Your heart quickens and your breath deepens, both to an uncomfortable level. ‘Three kids? Really?’ You feel obligated to say yes.”
‘Try to have your own children first.’ But we wanted to adopt. Our son pushed us away. We cried with guilt.’: After infertility journey, parents adopt from Korea, ‘He brings us laughter’
“Adoption isn’t really a topic or a concept in Taiwan. We traveled back to visit our parents and announced we would be starting the adoption process. They thought we were joking.”
‘I dropped to my knees. ‘Mom, I’m scared. I’m more than scared. Something terrible is going to happen to me.’: 21-year-old receives Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis, ‘I never knew how strong I’d come out of this’
“‘Miss Lehman, come on back.’ Finally. The moment I was waiting for. I had a whole list of symptoms written in my notes on my phone I read off to the nurses. They all looked at me with question marks on their faces. I could feel their energy. They thought I was just a young girl looking for attention.”
‘Every time the needle pierced my skin, I stared at the ceiling, trying to stay breathing and conscious. My wait for results was unbearably long. Then, I announced, ‘We’re adopting a piano!’: Cancer patient says, ‘I didn’t have control, but I did have a piano’
“Someone in our neighborhood was getting rid of one. Nothing felt in my control. At 8:30 a.m. that morning, I announced to Brian that we were adopting a piano. Immediately.”
‘The doctors described it as a ‘fire storm.’ She lost her sight overnight. It stole her spark.’: Woman raises awareness after losing mom to breast cancer, ‘I want my pain to be purposeful’
“She would forget simple, everyday tasks like school pick-up and turning the oven off. I did little to support or ease her recovery. The 13-year-old me had other priorities. The guilt will forever haunt me.”
‘People patted me on the back. ‘How good of you to befriend this black boy!’ they said, without acknowledging you.’: Man pens letter to childhood friend, ‘I’m speaking up now, I hope you can hear me’
“I was in your presence when the n-word was used, on multiple occasions. I said nothing. You came to my white church. You stayed in my white home, ate at my white table. An occasional visit to your world was all my whiteness could warrant, yet you were expected to live in mine. Us white folks stole your oxygen, long before ‘I can’t breathe.'”
‘Last week the exact thing we’re all trying to prevent happened to me. I ‘did things right’ and came down with all the symptoms.’: Woman grateful for acts of kindness during pandemic, ‘They showed up’
“I expected the coughing, the fever and the low energy that makes you want to give up. What I didn’t expect was the flood that absolutely surrounded my family. Friends I don’t even know well offered to run errands.”
‘Our preschool abruptly closed. ‘I’ll see you every morning, right here.’ I had to regain my focus, if only for 30 minutes a day.’: Preschool teacher creates virtual safe space for students, ‘Whatever your gift is, beautify the world with it’
“A parent messaged me, ‘We were having a rough morning, and I insisted we all watch your circle time. It calmed us all down. Thank goodness for you!’ Each morning, I get up and gift my students a safe space, and they gift me back my world.”
