“I pulled out my stationery box from where it was collecting dust in a closet. For the first time in weeks, I was energized and felt like I was making a difference! As I put the letters in my mailbox, I had the desire for this to become something bigger.”
‘It’s something small, but it can change your WHOLE day. We felt the love, even in what seemed like endless darkness. I wanted to HELP.’: Woman crafts handwritten cards to ‘send kindness through the mail’
‘You have to work harder because of skin color.’ There was NO ONE like me in my classes. I’m changing the narrative.’: Transracial adoptee reflects on ‘reclaiming’ her culture, ‘I’m not alone anymore’
“I wasn’t ‘Latina enough’ to befriend kids at school. My white peers would say things like ‘I don’t see color,’ which made me feel like I was on both sides of the coin. I tried DESPERATELY to fit in and be accepted.”
‘Where’s the nearest bathroom?’ I had to plan an ‘escape route’ if things went south. I went home defeated, but tried to do life as normal.’: Man with ulcerative colitis urges others to ‘choose joy and love’
“It wasn’t until the first few times I completely crapped my pants in public I started taking my illness seriously. I blacked out, screaming, ‘Help me!’ Something wasn’t right. I had to take back the life I’d lost.”
‘I COULDN’T let him down. The biggest brown eyes popped out at me. We took in every detail of his face.’: Couple adopts, has surprise pregnancy, ‘I love them equally, forever’
“I must have pulled that pregnancy test out of the trash 16 times to make sure I wasn’t making it up. ‘I’m pregnant,’ I blurted to my husband. We sat speechless on the phone until he said, ‘Well, looks like we are bringing home siblings after all!'”
‘What do you do for love? Have a baby! I was in the middle of drug deals, poisoning myself. It was a wake-up call.’: Woman details sobriety journey, ‘Obstacles gave me opportunities’
“I was taught, if you do what you’re supposed to and look how you’re supposed to look, you can and ‘deserve’ to drink, smoke, and vandalize when people aren’t looking.”
‘If only he’d ask me to dance!’ He was addicted to drugs, and I was addicted to him.’: Woman marries after divorce, ‘Love is ALL that matters’
“I was tired of the fast lane, the parties, and the men. After holding on for dear life to a complete set of emotional baggage, I finally had to surrender it ALL.”
‘I noticed a slender Black man standing on the corner. It was BEAUTIFUL. He said it was $15.’: Woman shares roadside encounter with kind stranger, ‘The world NEEDS art
“I had less than $5 on me. I told him I didn’t have any cash, but I was going to get some and come back. I’m sure people say it all the time when they ask the price and either can’t or don’t want to pay what he says. But I couldn’t—something inside me needed to and was telling me to go back.”
‘You’re extremely complicated.’ My doctor apologized profusely. After a decade of being told it was in my head, my pain was real.’: Woman battles chronic illnesses, ‘I’m still here and still fighting’
“I was constantly told I was a hypochondriac. ’Just drink more water.’ But the pain didn’t go away. I looked in the mirror and realized just how sick I was. I barely recognized myself.”
‘I looked back to see my friends. Then it happened. I was HIT. I couldn’t feel my body.’: Man with cystic fibrosis survives shooting, ‘I’ll fight as long as I’m breathing’
“While in the hospital, I was asked, ‘Are you a gang member?’ I was like, ‘OMG, no! I fought my whole life trying to stay alive!’ My heart was BROKEN.”
‘Your chance of getting pregnant is ZERO.’ I’ve always known my life would look different. Miracle upon miracle happened. There it was, a beating heart.’: Mom of 6 says ‘there’s beauty in the scars’
“Her mother’s uterus had ruptured. The paperwork said, ’Severe brain trauma.’ She was a promise fulfilled. 2 years later, I got a call about an abandoned baby boy. We never left his side. Saying ‘yes’ to hard things keeps the world moving.”
