“They sent someone to ‘keep an eye on me’ so I didn’t report it. All my medical documentation was suddenly ‘lost.’ I was laughed at and called a liar.”
‘The higher-ups in my command took pictures of my rape and left them on my phone. They thought it was funny. ‘It’s your fault. You drank with them.’: Veteran, assault survivor says ‘no one gets justice until we all do’
‘I am not a doula to hold babies, I am a doula to hold mothers who so often come in last.’: Doula says ‘I will honor and serve these selfless women’
“While she focuses on her baby and the work she must do on this day, I will focus on her. I hold a crown in my hand and a tenderness in my heart that I give to her when she feels weak. But I do not worry, for she is everything that child needs.”
‘When a mother says she needs help, that’s exactly what she meant! She is not saying she is incapable.’: Dad urges ‘there is no human being in the world able to give up as much as a mother’
“When a mother says she’s tired, that’s all she meant! She did not say she wants to forget her baby exists. When you arrive at a mother’s disorganized house, it doesn’t mean the house is always disorganized. When you listen to a mother screaming, it doesn’t mean she just screams. She has spoken 300 times that day in a normal tone. Every day she gives up her own life, to live the life of another being.”
‘I am the Too Much woman. The one who takes up too much space. I’m too loud, too vibrant, too sensitive, too honest. And still, I rise.’: Woman urges ‘your too much-ness is a gift’
“There she is, taking up too much space with her laughter, her curves, her honesty, her sexuality. Oh, that too much woman, with her belly laughs and fiery passion. The one who loves too hard, feels too deeply, asks too often, desires too much. Her presence is as tall as a tree, as wide as a mountain. Her energy occupies every crevice of the room.”
‘To the woman in the trenches, still clawing gracefully at the sides – be proud, you are doing it.’: Woman pens appreciation letter on International Women’s Day
“To the woman who cried herself to sleep last night because the fridge is empty 3 days before payday. To the woman so unsure where life is going that fear keeps her awake at night. To the woman who woke this morning and it was her ‘day one’ for the 52nd time since New Year’s Eve, but she won’t stop fighting for it. To the woman who encourages other women. You are all doing it. Every single woman.”
‘What’s it like being a little person?’ I was touched without my consent and forced to apologize. I was so naive.’: Woman with Achondroplasia urges ‘I’m not a little person, I’m not a dwarf, I’m just Chandler’
“For so long, I thought the compliments were genuine. People would brag about how smart my brother was and be in awe over my sister’s art, while I got a pat on the head for just being…me. When I’d move my head out of the way and say, ‘Don’t pat my head,’ I got, ‘Your daughter shouldn’t talk to me like that. You should teach her manners.’ If I said ‘no’ when being asked if they could shake my hand, because they ‘always wanted to shake a little person’s hand,’ I was ‘rude.’ I felt trapped.”
‘I messed up my eyebrows so bad I drew them on for years. I shave my face and toes.’: Woman shares candid truths about her insecurities to encourage others to live authentically
“I feel like I don’t financially contribute enough to my family. I yell. A lot. I talk to God every week, but I haven’t been to church in years. I dye my hair when I’m feeling stressed.”
‘I didn’t even hurt you that bad.’ I believed it when he said, ‘You pushed me to this point.’: Young woman finds courage to leave abusive boyfriend, urges ‘love isn’t abuse in ANY form’
“I finally found the courage to dial those three numbers. I had my phone taken from me, which created a fight in itself. I was lucky enough to be wearing my Apple Watch which allowed me to call. The EMT looked me in the eyes. ‘Any man that puts his hands on you doesn’t love you.’ His words helped me more than he will ever know.”
‘I have stretch marks, saggy skin, a weird fat fold around my C-section scar. I don’t really love myself. This has to stop.’: Mom insists weight does not define us, cannot keep letting ‘my imperfections consume me’
“I can’t pass this on to my daughters. I can’t have them looking at their bodies in search of flaws. I don’t want them to put all of their worth in what they see in the mirror. I want them to know, what I still am trying to convince myself. We might have fat, but we are not fat. This is not WHO we are.”
‘With tears welling up, I muttered, ‘But why does it hurt so much when I eat?’ Nobody could answer me.’: Woman diagnosed with MALS after 5 years of pain, ‘My journey is something to be celebrated’
“I was crying in pain after just a few bites of food. They ran test after test, but not a single one gave us any answers. ‘We have diagnosed you with Anorexia Nervosa. Your head is messing with you.’ I started to doubt my intuition and wonder if maybe this pain was my fault.”
