“It’s not supposed to be this way. I started teaching 15 years ago. Never did I think I’d be navigating teaching during a pandemic. Children who have been home for months are now going to be in my classroom. I honestly can’t believe it’s come to this.”
‘Someone WILL get COVID-19 in your school.’ My heart ached as they put their masks on. It isn’t supposed to be this way.’: Preschool teacher shares experience during pandemic
“My cancer is back.’ Then came the next bombshell. My entire family was dead before I turned 30.’: Daughter grieves loss of parents, ‘Running from grief isn’t the solution’
“I found out Mom was going to die. As I walked away from the hospice, I knew my life had changed. After her death, I had to foster a new relationship with my dad. Then came another bombshell. My entire family was dead before I turned 30.”
‘My cheek was swollen. The doctor said, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this before. Your life expectancy is 6 years old.’: Woman gets Facial Infiltrating Lipomatosis diagnosis after 22-year battle
“We were told, ‘The swelling must be from the position she slept in. It’s nothing. It will go away soon.’ Weeks went by, but nothing changed. When puberty hit, my face was growing faster than I was. I had unexplainable headaches and nosebleeds. I was sleeping all day long. Everywhere I went, I got stares, whispers, and pointing fingers.”
‘She tapped a stranger’s shoulder, ‘Um, excuse me, sir.’ Without any pauses she said, ‘We need to make a game plan for you guys.’: Woman experiences unexpected kindness on flight, ‘We can do these things for other people’
“I see a flight attendant lock eyes and head our way, I freeze a bit. Since it feels like exactly zero people are ready to fly, I feel like this is a safe space to finally unpack this. It was the last flight of a very long travel day.”
‘I decided not to push reading with our second daughter. I don’t believe college is the main goal. I don’t think college is for everyone.’: Mom advocates for homeschooling, ‘It prepares our children for the real world’
“It’s my belief ‘unschooling’ prepares our children for the real world more than any classroom ever could. My biggest fear of walking into homeschooling was teaching our daughters how to read. It seemed so overwhelming. Our daughter wasn’t happy either.”
‘YOU’RE going to run? Your boobs are going to hit your face.’ I went to see a plastic surgeon at 16.’: Woman overcomes years of negative self image, ‘If you’re not feeling good on the inside, you’ll never feel good on the outside’
“I was told by my boyfriend, ‘You need to stop being mean to everyone just because you’re in a bad mood.’ I moved out with no money, no job, and no dog. Everyone who said, ‘We’re still your friend and we love you no matter what,’ didn’t stick around.”
‘Every day is an adventure. We explore, parasail, and eat… a lot!’: Family says ‘I can’t wait to pull out the map again’
“I wanted to see what the US had to offer. Spending time with the family. Making new memories. Laughing. Eating. Drinking. Having fun. Thanks to COVID-19, that may be the new way to travel for many.”
‘That could be us,’ I whisper. This time it was a young family guy. I look at him and see my husband, the father of my kids staring back at me.’: Woman with anxiety during pandemic says ‘today I’m making the choice to focus on what I can control’
“Scrolling through my feed, there’s another story. Phrases like ‘young’ and ‘picture of health’ are preceded by a date of death. My stomach drops to remind me that this photo was taken ‘just days before.’ I look at him and I see my husband, and the father of my children staring back at me.”
‘We sold our home and belongings. We were given orders to stay at home, except unlike many, home for us is a hotel room.’: Traveling family thanks hospitality workers, ‘No matter what, they take it in stride’
“To the young lady at the front desk that my husband probably scared to death as he ran downstairs at 3 a.m., desperately seeking new bedding: They said SIX feet, lady. Seeing this industry’s willingness to continue serving so many new faces makes them all very, very brave to me.”
‘He tried to kill me. I kept calling for help; someone saw what was happening and kept walking.’: Young woman survives abuse, depression, self harm, finds solace in converting, ‘‘I finally have my confidence back’’
“It was HELL ON EARTH. I push memories out of my mind, like running from dad as he pointed a gun at my mom. I tried to kill myself one night. Luckily, my mother walked in. I will never forget the disappointment I saw on her face as she realized her baby girl wanted to end the life she gave to her.”
