“It resembles suicide, but it’s not. His bullies DARED him to do this the day before he died.”

’I’m going to play outside!’ I called for him but he didn’t answer. I saw him by a tree. Then I saw the rope.’: Mom loses son to deadly internet trend, ‘No child is immune to this’

2021—This Year I’m Making The Rules
“2020 has taught me some things I’m not sure I would have ever learned.”

‘I’ll call you when I get to the parking area.’ They decided to coast the truck down the mountain. They had no brakes.’: Daughter honored for organ donation, mom connects with another through ‘divine intervention’
“She called and said, ‘This might be the best day of my life!’ I pleaded with God to keep her safe.”

‘We weren’t happy. I turned to him and said, ‘Do you just want to live in a van?’ Nothing’s EVER been the same.’: Couple takes on tiny-living in van, ‘We can conquer ANYTHING’
“Nothing went smoothly. If there was ever a roadblock for us to run into, we hit every single one during each project. The strength of our relationship is built into every bit of wood, every nail, and screw, within our tiny home.”

‘You go to the ‘r*tard class.’ We got death threats on social media. I wanted to hurt them like they hurt me.’: Bullying survivor details journey, urges ‘TELL SOMEONE’
“Nobody was putting an end to it, not the teachers, principal, not even other kids who witnessed the bullying.”

‘What’s wrong now? You’ve got nothing to be sad about!’ I felt like I was the only one going through this. I blamed myself.’: Woman shares mental health journey, urges ‘fight for what you need’
“I was alone. No-one liked me, and I had no sense of belonging at all. I was a very lost teenager in a very big world. It was a difficult place to be in. I didn’t understand I was anxious or depressed.”

‘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.”

‘It’s SO. MANY. PEOPLE. FIGHTING. Everyone is judging, berating, and one-upping each other. It’s TOO much.’: Woman urges ‘let the negative out and the positive in’
“It’s the over-sharers vs. the internalizers. It’s men vs. women. It’s those who believe anxiety and depression need pills vs. the ones who think those guys and gals should just ‘be happy.'”

‘This isn’t for me. I quit.’ The pressure lifted from my chest. I was free to forge my own path.’: Woman deletes social media on healing journey, ‘I started a clean slate’
“I quit my job. I avoided a possible catastrophic marriage. Everything I’d kept bottled up was starting to surface. I didn’t have much courage under my belt, but I was still brave.”

Your Worth Is Not Determined By Your Appearance: A Guide To Self-Love During The Pandemic
“I’ve gained 30 pounds during quarantine. I can’t button my pants anymore. It’s hard to look in the mirror. And I’ve been stuck at my home with nothing but my thoughts and my new adult body.”