“I scrambled to anchor myself and settled on the one thing I could control. Food. The high I felt stepping on those scales, malnourished, with fragile wrists, was like no other to me. It was an addiction.”
‘If you keep eating, we’ll have to buy you maternity clothes.’ I felt disgusted. Everything I hated about myself was because of food.’: Woman raises eating disorder awareness, ‘Don’t turn a blind eye’
‘Thank you for pointing out my harsh panty lines, listening to my poop stories, and forgiving me when I forget to text back. You are the forever door to my safe place.’: Woman tells friends ‘this life wouldn’t be the same without you’
“Thank you for the Tylenol, the last bite of your pizza, the horrible selfies, the Groupon, the pep talks, the extra tampon, and the birthday text at midnight. Thank you for seeing all of my ugly, and choosing to stick with me anyway. This life wouldn’t be the same without you.”
‘Four years ago, I met a woman and her child at a public park. We became friends on Facebook and never saw each other again. Until last fall, when they joined us for Thanksgiving.’: Mom shares story of ‘friends who feel like family’
“As she chased behind her new friend, her mother and I struck up a conversation, and at some point she mentioned her daughter’s autism. My daughter was two at the time. I was at the beginning of my suspicions she shared that same diagnosis. This stranger—this mom—was the first person I told.”
‘I put my Christmas tree up early this year. F─k it. Let’s face it, this year has been hard. Like, really hard.’: Woman urges ‘do what makes YOU feel good
“I want nothing more than the glow of Christmas lights, the sweet smell of pine, the peace of holiday instrumentals backed by a fiery Yule log, the burn of a too-hot hot chocolate. I deserve this.”
‘If he hadn’t reached out, he would’ve been dead. This is something everyone needs to hear.’: Loved one shares reality of what’s ‘brewing’ beneath the surface of COVID-19
“COVID-19 almost killed my friend, but not in the way you’re thinking. His addiction was not something anyone saw coming.”
‘Some of us thrive under pressure, but some of us collapse. Everyone has their reasons. They aren’t in your life to be like you.’: Woman discusses the importance of diverse friendships, ‘Don’t let yourself be the reason one fails’
“They aren’t in your life to be more like you. They are in your life to be them and to serve the purpose on your path they are intended to. Not a single part of friendship is about control.”
‘Maybe she’s not a bad friend. Maybe she really did miss your text. Her plate is completely full, and she’s coping the best way she knows how.’: Woman urges ‘love each other through the tough seasons’
“Friendship sometimes means loving each other through the tough seasons, and the rainy weather, and all the ups and downs.”
‘Do you want to go out for coffee?’ I texted the mother of my daughter’s bully.’: Mom urges ‘we don’t know what others are going through unless we listen’
“This mom, who I didn’t actually know, was having a really hard day — a really hard life, actually. For the first time, I shut my mouth and listened. Not every kid at school has what my daughter has at home.”
‘I know your story. I know what happened to your daughter.’ I felt sad for him. Ours is not a story of triumph.’: Mom shares emotions on child loss, ‘Everything DOES NOT happen for a reason’
“I ran into an old friend the other day. We caught up for a while and then I saw him look down at my arm. Looking back and forth from my tattoo to my eyes he finally said, ‘I know about Blake.'”
‘She sat with me in my messy living room filled with crumbs and toddler toys. She didn’t ask if I needed her…she just showed up.’: Woman reminds us ‘just show up, we need each other’
“It’s been a rough few days for me. She didn’t offer to ‘let her know if I need anything.’ She didn’t care it was a week night, or if she had 3 babies at home. She just showed up at my door, with roses, Reese’s Cups, and a mask.”
