Based in New York City, Sophia San Filippo has worked with Love What Matters as a lead editor and content curator since early 2019 and has acted as Managing Editor since early 2021. She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Binghamton University who holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Creative Writing, and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. She is passionate about personal storytelling and creating a positive space in media to better the lives of others. On a typical day you can find her rocking out at her local concert venue, admiring nature, or baking her latest kitchen experiment.
‘I said goodbye to my kids at drop off, with a plan in place to be executed that afternoon.’: Mom of two celebrates 2 years sobriety, finds love
“To the outside, I was this happy-go-lucky, life of the party with no worries. I’d wake up with an empty bottle of wine next to my bed and no recollection of drinking it because I took an Ambien. I’d go to bed every night, begging to not wake up the next morning.”
‘I looked down during my shower, bleary-eyed from yet another 4 a.m. wake up call, to a baby crawling between my legs and toys scattered between my wet feet.’: Burnt out mom urges ‘you don’t have to love every second’
“My 3-year-old sat chattering on the toilet I still need to scrub, while the shrieks of her siblings pierced the background. I had a laundry list of things running through my mind that needed to be accomplished and not a single clue how I was going to make it come to fruition. And I was weary.”
‘You’re so strong…’ 3 little words I often hear as a parent to a very special girl.’ I don’t want to be, but here I am, giving the middle finger to her diagnoses.’: First-time mom shares special needs journey
“After weeks of grieving, we said ‘screw it.’ We decided we were 100% going to up and move our entire lives to a new city 7 hours away.”
‘What happened to your face and neck?’ In the blink of an eye, my brother became a monster.’: Childhood abuse survivor urges ‘letting go is the best gift we can give ourselves’
“There were blue-black marks everywhere. One never truly knows how fragile life is until you nearly lose it.”
Dear Stranger, I Need You To Protect My Autistic Child When I’m Not Around
“If there was a school shooter, my son wouldn’t hide. If there was a fire, he wouldn’t run. If someone took advantage of him, he couldn’t speak up. If someone abused him, he wouldn’t fight back.”
‘You pick up the broken pieces. You give us your all, even when you’re falling apart. Your commitment to this life is nothing short of amazing.’: Mom shares sweet ode to special needs fathers
“I truly could not do this life without you. You dads are the real MVPs.”
‘My son throws tantrums. The kind that makes friends look away and hold their breath.’: Mom to strong-willed child urges ‘I’m the luckiest mama in the world’
“He’s exhausting and complicated and particular. He’s strong-willed and persistent and intelligent. It’s not easy raising a stubborn 2-year-old. But in my heart, I know all of his BIG personality traits will one day make him an incredible man.”
‘Mom,’ her eyes narrowed. ‘Why are you looking at me like that?’ Today my daughter caught me staring.’: Mom gushes ‘I can’t believe I created such a beautiful human’
“I always catch myself staring at my children. I can’t help it. I never thought much about it. Until today.”
‘Ten fingers, ten toes?’ The tech was eerily quiet. ‘No.’: New mom celebrates beautiful unknowns of baby born with limb differences
“‘Oh my God. He’s out. He’s here.’ They put my gooey little man on my chest. ‘Is everything okay?’ My heart sunk. ‘There’s something different about the baby’s foot, too.’ The doctor unwrapped a fin, and then a flipper.”
‘Our daughter tried to record the Easter Bunny. She awoke to find a video of glitter, bunny hopping sounds, and flashing lights. Suddenly, her Easter basket appeared.’: Widow talks navigating grief during holidays
“We’re all living a ‘grief life,’ whether it’s death, divorce, the loss of a job, the home we grew up in, friends – anything that was important to us. It’s okay not to be okay this holiday, but it’s also okay to feel good.”