“I was hungry to keep his legacy alive, starving for people to recognize my loss. The casseroles stop coming before the grieving has even begun.”
‘A crowbar came through the windshield and struck him in the head.’ When he died, a bit of me died too.’: Grieving daughter turns to cooking therapy
‘I’m so sorry I haven’t been kind to you.’ I looked at the girl in the mirror and burst into tears. ‘I promise to do better.’: Woman shares body positivity journey, ‘I love myself AS I AM’
“I analyzed my body in EVERY reflective surface. A dark window? I checked. Even checking out my shadow? Yep. I lifted up my shirt and looked at my body. My first thought was to be cruel to myself.”
‘I was SO proud of my body before kids. Even when I would drop a dress size, I never felt it.’: Mom finds self-worth after struggling with body image, eating disorders, ‘every stretch mark tells a story’
“I was more ‘attractive’ to men. Found it easier to shop for clothes. Being thin actually made me more acceptable in society, it made me seem like I had my life together. I used to feel so validated by being skinny.”
‘There I stood, bawling in a Christmas aisle at Hobby Lobby. 2020 has brought us nothing but hurt and I’m ready for my favorite time of year.’ Woman says ‘once we choose hope, anything is possible’
“I said to my husband tonight, ‘I have to tell you something.’ I stood right in front of these trees and started crying when I heard the acoustic version of ‘O’ Holy Night’ playing over the speakers.”
‘I’ve never been a confident person, you know that all too well. That’s why you chose me to be your next victim that fateful night.’: Woman pens letter to her eating disorder, ‘I’m not keeping you a secret anymore’
“You’ve never really listened to me before, so maybe telling you all of this stuff is pointless. Maybe you’re not even listening now. Even if you are, it’s not like you’re going to feel sorry for me after everything you’ve put me through.”
‘I was talking with a friend. I take a deep breath. My 1, 4, and 6 year-olds couldn’t ‘intentionally manipulate’ me.’: Mom discusses the psychology behind children and food
“Fortunately, I DO have the ability. It had been a huge learning curve for my husband who was required to eat foods that make him gag. The brain is good at making associations.”
‘My mother texted me, ‘You’re a disgusting human being for not visiting me.’ We are in the middle of a strict quarantine.’: Daughter to narcissistic mom urges ‘don’t let them get you down’
“The last text she sent me was, ‘I’m happy your husband died. You deserve it.’ At 3 a.m. in the morning, out of nowhere. Somehow, it hasn’t registered in her head that we are not ‘friends.’ She has been taking advantage of the pandemic to make me feel especially guilty.”
‘I had to remind my son whose prom has been postponed, ‘It could always be worse.’ School was their haven. It was their happy place.’: Mom asks others to not lose their perspective, ‘It could always be worse’
“They haven’t been placed into foster care…yet. And now the social worker that was going to come to their house is also secluded at home. I looked at my husband and said, ‘They are closing schools. What’s going to happen to all the children that don’t want to be at home?’ School was their haven. It was their happy place.”
‘No one else has the guts to tell you this, but you look like a crack addict.’ I was surrounded by a looming cloud of self-hatred.’: Woman beats lifelong battle with eating disorders, ‘I get up every day and fight for my life’
“Every time I leaned over my toilet and stuck my fingers down my throat, I would tell myself this was just what a disgusting person like me deserved. I was a shell of myself. I was too scared to kill myself. “Please don’t let me wake up.’ On the morning of my grandma’s funeral, I knew I was next.”
‘Mommy, can I sleep with you?’ Sleep was so very important to me. I’d give up food before sleep.’: Mom says when it comes to ‘sleep’ for now, her answer will always be ‘yes’
“I was particularly comfortable, stretched out in my tempur-pedic dream bed. I was mid-dream when I felt a poke. Startled, I looked up to find my son at my bedside. He leaned in and whispered, ‘Mommy, can I sleep with you?’ I looked at the clock. It was 1:18am. It’s been 700+ nights now, and each and every night he comes to my bedside.”
