“Truth is, I’ve always been bad at socializing. Getting together for a quick dinner? Um, cue me doing a 20-minute assessment: ‘Do I have the energy to put on real clothes? Am I in the mood to talk? How much will this take out of me?’ I feel a twinge of guilt, mingled with FOMO, when I browse social media and see big group pics of all ‘the girls’ hanging out. I feel a stab of panic because honestly, I’m not sure that will ever be me.”
‘I always longed for a BFF, the kind you see in movies, attached at the hip. That never happened for me.’: 33-year-old woman finally learns to accept being an ‘introvert’
‘I no longer sit at tables where I might be the topic when I get up. I used to think that’s just how women are.’: Woman reminds us ‘worth’ can’t be ‘determined or negotiated’ by others
“If you’re sitting at the table where the topic of discussion is someone else’s shortcomings, mistakes, imperfections, flaws, or lawd the he said she said gossip, GIRL. GET A NEW TABLE. I assure you that when you leave your seat, you’re likely the next topic of conversation.”
‘Don’t be anyone’s doormat. Don’t just stand there and be mistreated.’: Woman encourages to ‘keep being a nice person’ while staying ‘true to you’
“Keep being a nice person. But don’t get hurt repeatedly and believe there’s nothing you can do about it. You’ll regret a lot of things in life, but I assure you, responding to someone with kindness, grace and love will never be one of them. Also, you’ll sleep an awful lot better at night.”
‘I had a friend who seemed irritated by my grief. ‘Why don’t you just have the D&C? Save yourself the pain. Just do it.’: Woman explains it is no one’s place to ‘judge how you miscarry’
“I took my first dose of the medication to help my body miscarry. It didn’t work. Don’t get me wrong, there was nothing ceremonial about miscarrying on the toilet compared to in an operating room. It was just what I felt was right for me.”
‘It wasn’t bullying because she wasn’t picked on. It was almost as crushing – she was ignored.’: Mother urges school kids to reach out to ‘lonely’ students, ‘include them in their circle’
“I spent many nights with her crying in her bed asking me questions I couldn’t answer: ‘Why don’t I have any friends? Why don’t I get invited anywhere? What is wrong with me?’ I had no answers as I laid beside her as she sobbed. As important as it is to teach our children to study, to get good grades, it is also important to teach them to be kind.”
‘I hope they’ll see a mother who spoke up. I hope they see a woman who got married but still maintained her identity.’: Mom reflects on what she hopes her children ‘see’ in her as they get older
“I hope they see a woman who just shows up—even if it’s with a messy bun and overstretched yoga pants. A woman who stood, flopped, failed, fell, then rose again when she was ready. She didn’t fake it until she made it, she just came in and was honest about who she was.”
‘Kids shouldn’t have kids.’ Shame spread over me. As a teen, I couldn’t hide my big belly.’: Teen mom explains why she ‘kept her baby’ at 16-years-old
“I had no money, no desire to be a mother. ‘You’re 6 weeks along.’ She pointed to a picture on a paper. ‘A heartbeat? Already?!’ 5 minutes ago I didn’t even know I was pregnant. It seemed so fast, too fast for me. I knew some would think I slept around, that I was promiscuous. I knew girls would talk.”
‘Hang on one second.’ She paused, closed her eyes, and bowed her head. Confused, I asked if everything was okay. If she needed to leave.’: Woman vows to ‘do the right thing’ after witnessing friend’s act of kindness
“We were small talking, when suddenly she got a text on her phone, and looked at me. I had no idea what was going on. What did I just witness? Should I ignore it and act like nothing just happened? Should I hug her? Because let’s be honest, that’s odd behavior.”
‘I’ll never forget his words. ‘Shut up. Just let me finish.’ I lay there, weak, my best friend’s hand over my mouth.’ After years of denial, sexual abuse survivor accepts it wasn’t her fault
“There were no warning signs. No grooming. I remember wanting to scream, but not feeling like I could talk, so I made a mumbling noise. I didn’t want my body. I wanted to take it off like a jacket, but I couldn’t. I woke up the next morning with a huge bump on my head, my underwear backwards. I never wanted to be the girl who was raped.”
‘We need to pray for Stephanie. I heard her marriage is on the rocks.’ : New mom deceived by ‘cunning, smart’ women who leaked her husband’s heart condition to public in ‘gossipy’ way
“I graduated from high school eons ago, and survived the sorority cliques of my college years, so I assumed that meant I was in the clear from cattiness. But a few months into new motherhood, I learned the hard reality that mean girls still exist—they just become mommies too.”
