“I poured everything into my salon and my family as a way to avoid my pain. My clients would compliment me on my ‘beautiful smile.’ My thoughts were, ‘If they only knew what was inside my head.’”
‘One day at school, there was an awareness poster with the word ‘molested’ on it. I lost all the feeling in my body.’: Child sexual abuse survivor finds healing in finally sharing her truth
‘Do you think it’s too late for me?’ He bravely responded with a single, ‘No.’: Mom details overcoming alcohol addiction, finding healing in music
“I began to have dreams viewing life in my absence, being forced to watch my son struggle to make sense of his alcoholic mother. A mother who could never get sober. Those dreams changed something inside of me.”
‘He warned me the only way out of our marriage was in a body bag.’: Abuse survivor shines light on obstacles women face in leaving
“He was everything I had ever wanted. Charming, sweet, successful, and he was head over heels in love with me. I was so happy on our wedding day, but my happiness was short-lived. Afterwards he said to me, ‘Now you’re mine and I own you.’ Things changed dramatically.”
Yes, Grief Can Make Other Trauma Hurt More
“She betrayed me in a way I could not imagine. In the blink of an eye, my best friend became a person I did not know. While she was running amuck doing damage to the people she feigned to love, I was hit, not just by a general feeling of disgust and betrayal, but by grief. And not necessarily about her.”
‘One day, I woke up and said, ‘I’m so done with this.’ If death didn’t want me, maybe it was time to give life another chance.’: Woman shares anorexia recovery journey, now helps others
“With each new test result, my parents would sigh, and I could feel the hope leaving their bodies with each of these breaths. I saw them cry, almost daily, until it seemed their tears had run dry. And I think it’s only then it really sank in… they had given up hope.”
‘I told the operator my husband was in anaphylactic shock from a bee sting and to come immediately.’: Widowed mother shares journey to fulfilling life after tragic loss
“During the car ride to the hospital, I prayed harder than I’d ever prayed for Ryan’s heart to start beating again. I didn’t know what I was praying for, being completely ignorant to the consequences of an individual being deprived of oxygen for so long.”
I Met My Father For The First Time In My Late 30s
“My dad had a massive heart attack. I remember thinking I may never get to meet this man, and if I didn’t in this lifetime, I didn’t think I’d ever truly be OK. I packed a few things and jumped in the car.”
‘She was born at 22 weeks and 1 day, so by hospital policy, they refused any life-saving measures.’: Bereaved mom shares grief journey, spreads kindness in daughter’s honor
“I dropped to my knees, tears pouring down my cheeks. I couldn’t breathe. When my husband came through the door, I ran to him with pure excitement. This was it. We were finally going to be parents and I was on cloud 9!”
‘I can just go with them!’ We all froze and stared at her. We knew we had to move forward with this alignment of fate.’: Young couple become first-time parents through unexpected adoption
“Brandon and I got into our car and he broke his silence. ‘We either have to find her a family or we are that family.'”
‘I gasped so loud Dylan ran in. ‘Is this the baby?’ I held onto it, utterly confused and shocked.’: Woman details pregnancy loss, grieving process on path to rainbow baby
“I looked up at Dylan and we both started sobbing, all while the remaining pieces of my pregnancy left my body.”