My brother and I were both placed into foster homes at a young age. He was lucky—he went to a family called the Ripleys. I went through four different homes in three years, and each one was worse than the next. I’d get to see my brother every few months. Ms. Ripley would take us … Read more
I was raised by my grandmother. And any little thing could trigger her. One time I got mad and told her: ‘You’re not my mom.’ I was only six years old. But she put me on an airplane to go live with my mother for a month, who I didn’t even know. My grandfather James … Read more
My mom said: ‘Val has something to say to you.’ I was sitting on the stairwell, crying. And he knew right away that I was pregnant. He didn’t yell. He didn’t say anything. He just started pacing. But I knew what he was thinking: I was eighteen years old, I was his only daughter, and … Read more
I had very thick hair as a child. But I was also very tender-headed, so I hated getting my hair combed. The first time my mother took me to the salon, I screamed bloody murder. So for the rest of my childhood she did my hair herself. And it always looked good. I grew to … Read more
Hey there, fellow people pleasers, first of all, how’re you holding up? Doing good? Staying strong? Hyperventilating a little bit because everyone is yelling and fighting about all the things all the time and there is no way to make them all happy, so you feel like your head might spontaneously combust into ten thousand … Read more
Amanda and I worked at the same shoe store when I was seventeen. We had the same goofy sense of humor. And I knew I loved her right away. But she was so beautiful, and I was on the bigger side. So I didn’t think I’d interest her in that way. But we ended up … Read more
He had five daughters. And whenever he came home from a work trip, we’d all line up to give him a kiss. But he always kissed my mom first, because she was his ‘first love.’ Then he went on to his ‘second love,’ and his ‘third love.’ On weekends we’d all pile into the car … Read more
I lost a close friend to suicide during my senior year of high school. It was a really dark time for me. I kept thinking that I must have missed something, and that I could have been more supportive. The day after his funeral was particularly hard, so I drove out to the cemetery after … Read more
A few years ago, I started having panic attacks. Bad ones. No rhyme or reason for them. My triggers seemed to be large crowds and driving. It greatly impacted my life. I was unable to drive the short commute to work. I had to get rides from friends and family members to work and everywhere … Read more
The technician quickly told us that it was a girl. But then she started taking longer, and finally she asked us to step into another room. Our doctor delivered the news gently. But then she sent us to a specialist who wasn’t so gentle. ‘The measurements are all off,’ they told us. ‘We need to … Read more
“Dear empath: You are a being of immense depth, wisdom, and compassion. You are a pioneer and trailblazer of humanity, a model for others on how to be sensitive and powerful. All the strength and love you need is already within you, waiting to be discovered.” ― Mateo Sol, Awakened Empath: The Ultimate Guide to … Read more
I can’t stop crying. If anyone thought there was no hope in our kids and teens you’re wrong. The SOLE purpose of us putting this sign “Sorry, no candy. Child with cancer. See you next year. Have fun!” in our yard today was so kids wouldn’t run to our door and be disappointed (our neighborhood … Read more