“When you get the diagnosis. When the relationship completely falls apart. When mental illness becomes a real thing, not just something you hear about. When the company downsizes. When that person who was supposed to be there, isn’t. As you dig yourself out of the rubble, look back with lessons learned. Sometimes it takes the worst things to wake us up to the best things.”
‘It’s been a hard year. Just take the next breath. Make the next decision. Keep going, even when everything within you is begging you to stop.’: Woman reminds us to keep pushing through, even when ‘life as you knew it ceases to exist’
‘I almost died on an airplane because I took too many shots with this old creep. I woke up on the floor with an oxygen mask on me and a frantic flight attendant trying to wake me.’: 27-year-old overcomes alcoholism, ‘I knew I had to change’
“I lived for the thrill of being a sneak. I thought I was doing a good job hiding my secret, but I wasn’t. I was in a toxic relationship with a drug dealer and I honestly didn’t want to live anymore. I was so ashamed. One night I went to church with a few shots in me, but I left midway through worship because I couldn’t fake it. That was when the miracle finally had happened for me. I walked into my first meeting half-drunk from the warm bottle of wine under my driver’s seat in my car, and I asked for help.”
Maybe 2023 Wasn’t Your Year, But You Made It
“Maybe you never lost that 15 pounds, or paid off that credit card debt. You never got that dream job or organized your linen closet. Or your life. But if you’ve accomplished nothing more than living 365 days this year, that’s okay. Completely okay.”
‘Awww, your poor husband.’ I have 7 daughters and work full time. I’ve heard this comment a thousand times.’: Mom feels ‘blessed’ for all-girl family despite judgement
“I don’t always get enough sleep. I spend my ‘free time’ cleaning up messes. My husband doesn’t get to watch all of the sporting events he wants to watch, and he has learned to get the little ones ready for school by himself. We don’t do it all, we do enough, and sometimes that is everything. I don’t, under any circumstance, feel bad for my husband that we were blessed with 7 girls.”
‘I wouldn’t use Chapstick. I was afraid I might lick my lips and swallow some of it, convinced it would make me fat.’: Woman suffering eating disorder is admitted to recovery center, ‘We’re treated like patients, not people’
“All doors were alarmed, and I was surrounded by strangers. My identical twin made me a blanket to take to treatment. She wanted me to feel at home. The staff wouldn’t allow me to have it. Since I was still on Red level, I wasn’t allowed into my bedroom. I sat on the floor in the hallway by my room and cried to my mom on the phone, begging her to bring me home. As I cried on the floor, a patient walked up to me and handed me a little slip of paper. He had written ‘You can do this’ on a scrap of paper. I sobbed. I still have his note.”
‘My birth mom did cocaine while pregnant. I was hooked before I was even born. ‘Don’t stop,’ my boyfriend told me. I listened.’: Woman overcomes life-long battle with addiction, ‘Sober is sexy!’
“I knew they would reject me if I said no. ‘Sure, I’ll try it.’ I made a fool of myself. My ‘friends’ loved it. They bragged about me at school, about how cool I was. It was a thrill to be accepted for once. I didn’t know it was for the wrong reasons. It got to the point where I was homeless, using drugs to try to overdose. But it never worked. Every morning, I would wake up, cry, and tell myself it was the last time I was going to take drugs. But every night I would use again, trying to kill myself. Every day, and every night.”
‘Who is this woman? How does she know me so well?’ She smiled. ‘I am here to help you, Tracy.’ Her deep gaze held nothing but love.’: Widow shares life-changing experience after husband’s death, ‘I am convinced I saw an angel that day’
“I walked in. A strange feeling came over me. This woman glowed. I was taken aback at first, but when she smiled, her eyes penetrated mine. It was like she could see into me. I had forgotten I was on a massage table. ‘I don’t know how I can thank you enough for what you just did for me. It was miraculous.’ As I walked out, I forgot to grab my purse. She was gone. What? I went room to room looking for her and never found her. I couldn’t shake this feeling. I wanted to properly thank her. No one knew who I was talking about.”
‘If we waited 2 more weeks, you would’ve been paralyzed from the neck down.’ I was in and out of consciousness. Death wasn’t the only thing on my mind.’: 15-year-old undergoes brain surgery after feeling dizzy, discovers rare chronic brain condition, Type 1 Chiari Malformation
“I knew something was very wrong. I was barely able to hold myself up. ‘Really Jen? Pull it together.’ No one had answers. All I heard was, ‘I think you’re depressed.’ I felt like someone had filled my head with cement. At this point, I had given up. I convinced myself I was out of my mind. I laid in that MRI machine and lost track of time. I felt like my life was over at 15. The tech pulled up the images on the computer. ‘You’re going to need a neurosurgeon.’”
‘I was sobbing. Pregnant at 40 was the furthest thing from my mind. I was scared. 2 of my babies died within 2 months of birth.’: Mother of child loss says ‘bonus baby’ was ‘biggest surprise,’ now thrilled for surviving triplet to have a sister
“I had just gotten home from running errands and opened up the fridge to pour a glass of wine. But before I opened the bottle, I ran upstairs to take a pregnancy test. My husband and I could never have kids on our own, but for some reason, I felt the need to just make sure. Within minutes, I had the answer. Tears poured down my face as I called for my husband. But here’s the honest truth. I didn’t want another child.”
‘Karen didn’t make it.’ My heart dropped. The day I planned to kill myself, I lost my friend to a motorcycle wreck.’: Man battling suicide vows to ‘keep going’ after friend’s unexpected death
“I went to work like normal. I put on my ‘happy face.’ Nobody knew what I planned to do after my shift. Living alone, I didn’t have anyone to stop me this time. When I went back to the service desk, the phone rang. I could tell Pam had been crying. ‘She didn’t make it.’ I fell up against the wall. I couldn’t breathe or swallow. I had to break the news to my co-workers. That night, I sat on my porch. I blurted out, ‘I don’t want to die anymore.’ As soon as I said it, this huge amount of pressure was just taken off of my chest. I had to keep going.”