“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’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’
‘If Uncle Joe talks too much politics, don’t invite him. If sending your kids trick-or-treating will give you too much anxiety, stay home.’: Empath urges ‘give yourself permission to take care of yourself’
“If you’re an empath, 2020 has just about sucked your soul dry. Say no. Spend time only with those who lift you up. Get off social media if you need to. Because that soul of yours? It’s important, too. And this year? It’s proving to be too much.”
‘I have a secret. Every Friday for the past year and a half, I ditch my kids in a safe space and spend the day doing nothing but things that fill my cup.’: Woman urges ‘stop shaming moms for needing a break’
“Being a mom is exhausting. By the end of every day, I’m overworked, overtouched, and overwhelmed. I love my kids more than anything, but in order to give them a mom who isn’t yelling loud enough for the neighborhood to hear, I ditch them. Like, totally bail.”
‘I didn’t want to say this over email, but we picked someone else for the job.’ After a year of rejections, I lost my sense of worth.’: Woman details company’s act of kindness after job rejection
“Out of the blue, a month later, I received an email from them: ‘We’d like to offer you a $150 stipend for your dedication.’ They thanked me for the time and effort I put into my application and interviews. I was floored.”
‘If I focus on my kids, my work suffers. If I shift my focus to work, my mom-guilt wrenches my stomach.’: 5 Ways To Get The Joy Of Motherhood Back During Pandemic
“My family had a good thing going pre-COVID. Now, our lives have been thrown into a figurative blender and turned on with the lid off. No one can feel stable wiping a kid’s butt when you’re on a conference call while the pasta is boiling over.”
Self-Care Isn’t As Easy As A Bubble Bath Or Glass Of Wine
“It’s investing in your startup business no one knows about. It’s no longer waiting for a socially distant invite from that popular mom group. It’s declining a dinner invitation because, no, you can’t afford it this month. It’s working hard every day, even when you might not see immediate results.”
‘I left my husband. This wasn’t the man I married at 24. In the emotional turmoil, we got pregnant again.’: Divorcee urges ‘your future is so much bigger than current circumstance’
“I accidentally found out about his secret relationship when inquiring about our wills. Dating someone behind my back is singlehandedly the best gift he’s ever given me. I’m not the person I was 6 months ago.”
‘She said, ‘That isn’t going to look as good after 30 years and a baby.’: Woman responds to body shaming, ‘Tattoos are not for everyone, and that’s okay’
“My tattoos are for me, not you. Unfortunately, not everyone shares my opinions.”
‘This is an end-of-my-rope, shouting from my darkest, most cob-webby places, cry for help. I can’t do it anymore.’: Mom says ‘refuse to feel guilty for having basic human needs’
“Part of this is my fault. Yesterday, I threw a birthday party for our child with extra needs. I can’t seem to be honest when I need help or when I need a break. Sometimes I just need a day.”
‘It’s nobody’s business!’ I’d tell myself. I was in survival mode. I dropped to 75 pounds. I thought I’d never wake up..’: Woman shares recovery journey from eating disorder, ‘I chose a life of fullness’
“I had to navigate the chaos alone. When I finally got to see my fiancé, he was hurt and confused. I was 75 pounds.”
