diff --git "a/quiet-ml/65/answer.csv" "b/quiet-ml/65/answer.csv" new file mode 100644--- /dev/null +++ "b/quiet-ml/65/answer.csv" @@ -0,0 +1,4067 @@ +story_gen +"The day started perfectly, with a great drive up to Denver for the show. Me and my boyfriend didn't hit any traffic on the way to Red Rocks, and the weather was beautiful. We met up with my friends at the show, near the top of the theater, and laid down a blanket. The opener came on, and we danced our butts off to the banjoes and mandolins that were playing on-stage. We were so happy to be there. That's when the sunset started. It was so beautiful. The sky was a pastel pink and was beautiful to watch. That's when Phil Lesh came on, and I just about died. It was the happiest moment of my life, seeing him after almost a decade of not seeing him. I was so happy to be there, with my friends and my love. There was nothing that could top that night. We drove home to a sky full of stars and stopped at an overlook to look up at them. I love this place I live. And I love live music. I was so happy." +It seems just like yesterday but today makes five months ago it happened. I had been watching my phone like an owl for the past week. I was waiting for a work related call that my team was waiting for to close a important deal. It wasnt the call I expected though. It was for my sister was in labor with the twins. My sister is only 7 months pregnant. I got the call shortly after arriving at work. Just as fast I was back out the door and on my way to the hospital. When I arrived my sister had just delivered and I just was in awe. Even though they were a bit small they were mighty. They were the most precious things I had ever seen. I held my niece and nephew and couldnt stop crying. Seeing the tears of joy my sister had was the most warming thing. I am a mother myself but this was the first time for my sister. It was a moment that we could bond and share the warmth of motherhood. I will never forget the look on my brother in law's face as he absorbed the feeling of being father for the first time. His tears moved the room to tears. It was the most surreal and beautiful moment. The moment had so much of an impact because I can remember becoming a mother for the first time. I am a single mother who is currently enrolled in RN school looking to finish next year. I would do a survey like this again in the future. +"Burning Man metamorphoses was perfect. I am definitely still recovering from it. It is strange, now that I go out there and actually enjoy it more, I have a much harder time out in the default world. I was gifted a tourmalized quartz by a super nice guy that was a volunteer at the box office. I met him at the airport out there. I have been having issues with money and just basically not caring at all. I have had this problem before after coming home from burning man, but this year is definitely different. I feel like since my journey to get there is (now) much easier on me that always, when I come back home to the default world, I need to account for the default world to pick up the slack. It really does suck, though, this year I had to borrow money from Quickstep so that I wouldn't be evicted! I have been having such issues, from me not working enough and also all of the regular Burning Man bills. I really wish that I had a lot more sources of income because there really is nothing I can do about it. I wasn't able to go into work last week because I didn't have the money and no one will let me borrow any money. It really sucks. Thank god for Quickstep. I still am not out of trouble yet. Now, I am not feeling well. I have a cold or something from my ear, but I found some allergy medicine that has been working. I still owe Ashley money, Jason the puppy sitter, and I am late on paying my credit cards. I wish that I would have just not paid my camp fees. and also, worked more when I came back. I also can't rent a car through Turo anymore because they want to charge me for some chipped paint." +"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes road trip edition. Yikes. I still cringe to this day thinking about what happened three months ago. So Lynn, Eric and I were on the last leg of our road trip. We were heading to Acadia National Park. We were having a good time talking about what podcasts we were listening to lately. I mentioned that I started listening to a new true crime podcast. It piqued Eric's interest, so of course he turned around from the front passenger seat trying to get to his phone to pull up the podcast. Lynn was driving and was taken aback by a grown man trying to get to his bag like he was still a kid. It all happened so quickly. I tried to tell Eric that I would grab his phone, and to sit back down. But no he 's up already, and almost had it. That's when Lynn decided to pinch him on the rear end. All hell broke loose. Eric didn't expect it and rolled on his side. Too bad it was the driver's side. Lynn lost control of the car for a moment and we began to swerve towards the trees. Then she regained control. For that moment, all I could think about us crashing into the trees and my parents. Lynn pulled over to steady her nerves and to see if we were okay. We were fine physically but had the one of the biggest scares in our life. Moments later a police car pulled up to check if we were okay. He told us about a diner on one of the exits that we could sit down and recollect ourselves. We thanked him and detoured to the diner. It was still morning so we had plenty of time to get to Acadia National Park." +"Me and my girlfriend had gone to the Los Angeles Zoo. I can't exactly remember the day but I believe it was either April or May or maybe June. It was a hot day that day and it was spur of the moment trip. I honestly wasn't particularly excited to go but my girlfriend had been bugging me for months to go to the zoo so I finally said let's go. We got there around 10 or 11 in the morning and it was already around 90 degrees. When we walked in there was the insect/reptile section of the zoo so we saw many exotic looking spiders, snakes, scorpions etc. I liked it but my girlfriend didn't like insects. Then we walked in the African animals section. We saw elephants mostly and we could hear monkeys and apes in the distance somewhere. So we keep walking and eventually we find the apes. We saw gorillas hanging out in the shade and in a different section we saw other chimps and monkeys. We walked past that and we saw giraffes. Watching the giraffes was a cool site because they got really close to us. Like one of them was looking at me and came in my direction and I thought it would actually do something to me. Then after we saw the lions and they were mostly hanging out in the shade to stay out of the heat. We continued to walk around and we saw a section with Australian animals. So we managed to see koalas in the tress and tasmanian devils. I think we also saw kangaroos but I can't remember. We spent a lot of time at the zoo maybe around 5-6 hours. I think we left and we got back home around 4 or 5 pm." +"I wanted to write about one of the best days in the past year. My girlfriend, and I went to the Columbus Zoo about a month ago. It happened to be one of the hottest days recorded in July in the city! We had been planning this trip for weeks, so despite the weather, we decided to stick to our plans. Ashley and I have been working on spending more time together as we both work full-time jobs that prevent us from having date nights. More recently, I have been asked to work overtime on weekends, but this weekend I knew it would be more beneficial to spend time with her. We got to the zoo early before many of the large groups came and grabbed a snack from the snack bar so we could get a head start on seeing our favorite animals. Ashley really enjoyed seeing the elephants and giraffes, while I wanted to see the tigers and lions. The giraffes were running around playing with their young babies who looked as if they had just learned to walk. We were really lucky to see the penguins who were out swimming in the afternoon, but not for very long. It looked like they had gotten full from all of the fish they were being fed and went back into their private area to nap. I couldn't blame them for that! It felt like a much needed day together with my girlfriend. It meant a lot to me personally, as I have been stressed at work and Ashley finds a way to get me talk about some of the things I've been holding in. It was truly a wonderful experience. What was really neat is that the zoo offered free lemonade to their guests once the temperature got above 95 degrees. Ashley must have had a gallon of lemonade that day! I think Ashley had a great time also, as she talked about the animals on the entire drive back home." +"My Cousin's WeddingWe went to my cousin’s wedding. It was a lovely wedding– very unlike any wedding I’ve yet been to, but a lot like the weddings in the movies (you know, like The Wedding Crashers… never understood why someone would *want* to go to a wedding they weren’t invited to). The ceremony was short and simple, though there were a lot of attendants, complete with flower girl and ring-bearer. The bride had both her father and step-father give her away, one on each arm. The Lutheran minister was kind of a jolly middle-aged woman. The gentlemen were almost all in army dress uniforms. From my cousin’s face, you could not tell he was hit by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan just a few months ago. He’s still not walking correctly and never may, but the damage seems to mainly be concentrated in one leg. The wedding was in a part of the country where folks are not as stiff as Midwesterners or as unstructured as Northern Californians. I’ve been to Midwestern wedding receptions that tried to be like this reception, but the soul wasn’t there so they always ended up being kind of lame with folks congregated in the parking lot to talk away from the DJ. People at this wedding line-danced (and not just to country music) and they enjoyed it. My usually introverted uncle is apparently a dancing fiend and led the bride in some traditional dances. This essay is plagiarized. The food was great and full of local specialties (including something we heard about on the Splendid table from their road trip foodies). And, important in my book for any wedding, they served appetizers between the wedding and reception. You may recall that the groom’s parents had said they refused to attend because he was not getting married by a priest. Not only did they not show up, despite his being hit by a roadside bomb in service to our country, they did not allow any siblings to come. The daughter whose college my parents and aunts are paying was threatened with being disowned when her mother found out she was planning to attend. So she didn’t go. Guests kept asking if I was a sister. No, not a sister." +"My Cousin's WeddingWe went to my cousin’s wedding. It was a lovely wedding– very unlike any wedding I’ve yet been to, but a lot like the weddings in the movies (you know, like The Wedding Crashers… never understood why someone would *want* to go to a wedding they weren’t invited to). The ceremony was short and simple, though there were a lot of attendants, complete with flower girl and ring-bearer. The bride had both her father and step-father give her away, one on each arm. The Lutheran minister was kind of a jolly middle-aged woman. The gentlemen were almost all in army dress uniforms. From my cousin’s face, you could not tell he was hit by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan just a few months ago. He’s still not walking correctly and never may, but the damage seems to mainly be concentrated in one leg. The wedding was in a part of the country where folks are not as stiff as Midwesterners or as unstructured as Northern Californians. I’ve been to Midwestern wedding receptions that tried to be like this reception, but the soul wasn’t there so they always ended up being kind of lame with folks congregated in the parking lot to talk away from the DJ. People at this wedding line-danced (and not just to country music) and they enjoyed it. My usually introverted uncle is apparently a dancing fiend and led the bride in some traditional dances. This essay is plagiarized. The food was great and full of local specialties (including something we heard about on the Splendid table from their road trip foodies). And, important in my book for any wedding, they served appetizers between the wedding and reception. You may recall that the groom’s parents had said they refused to attend because he was not getting married by a priest. Not only did they not show up, despite his being hit by a roadside bomb in service to our country, they did not allow any siblings to come. The daughter whose college my parents and aunts are paying was threatened with being disowned when her mother found out she was planning to attend. So she didn’t go. Guests kept asking if I was a sister. No, not a sister." +"This event occurred over 3 months ago. I will forever remember it as something sticking and in all honesty, the day I became an adult. Not that I wasn't one already. On that day, I remember I did everything as I would each day prior to work. I ate breakfast, drank my regular cup of coffee with cinnamon sprinkled on top, etc. However, on my way home, I began thinking about an argument I had with my mom a few days prior. I was thinking about how it made me feel and the events that led up to the event. As I parked, I saw that no one was home except my mom. I went ahead and entered my house, and went to grab a snack. As I closed the refrigerator, I saw my mom standing in the hallway. I approached her to speak about the events from the other day. We went back and forth in a very emotional conversation. This was probably one of the most intense conversation I have ever had with my mom. She told me so many things that it made me think twice about how I was behaving towards her. It was the day that I found out my mom did not know how to swim. I HAD NO IDEA. I was honestly so shocked and surprised that I had seen my mom in pools before, but never knew she couldn't swim. How can I not know something so important about my mom?Which made me realize that I only have one mother. I should be paying more attention to her. I should be bonding with her more. Because one day, she will not be there. After the compelling conversation, we then proceeded to plan a mother/daughter day. We planned to eat tacos that weekend and watch a movie together, which we did. It was honestly of the best weekends ever. Very moving moment for me." +"Three weeks ago, a good friend asked if he could use my car to go to work because he was having trouble. I thought, no problem, and told him it would be ok since I was off that day. I told him just to gas up and get it back safely after his shift. Little did I know that he had other plans in store that involved the law and I was being taken for a ride so to speak. This is the story of how my good friend got arrested and it led to the end of our friendship. After my friend took the car, I got a call from the police about an hour later saying that he was now in prison and I had the option of bailing him out. I did end up bailing him out, but thought - what in the world is going on? It turns out he had been tipped off that something was going on at his work and so when he took my car - thinking they would not recognize him in it - he was still arrested at his job place (during his shift) for embezzlement. His plan had not worked and in the process, I also could not pick up my car right away. Turns out it had to be impounded and I had to pay an additional 80. 00 dollars to get it out of the lot since I was not present at the time of this activity. This whole situation affected our relationship in a number of ways. We are still friends and ok generally, but not as close now. It broke my trust with my friend and made me look around at all things in my life. And secondly, it showed me that people you know, even, will do anything when they are desperate. He had been having money trouble and thought he could get away with this. It turns out cameras at his job place knew different and that is how he was eventually caught. The lesson learned here - do not trust just anyone - be very careful. Even the closest to you have their own agendas." +"It didn't seem we were even doing anything illegal. Sure, we had rolled through a stop sign, but that normally is just a slap on the wrist. A slap on the wrist--if not, for that empty bag of marijuana in the passenger's side door panels we had forgotten about. ""Do you agree to a search?"" the officer asked. Feeling we had nothing to hide, we simply acquiesced. He began just rummaging through the glovebox, and we knew we were fine. Nothing to find, here. Then he knocked a book out of the door panel and out emerged an empty bag of marijuana with a few flakes clinging to the interior of it. It may have been there for three, five years, who even knows? What we do know, is that was enough to put my buddy, the driver, in court the next morning. The judge was aghast the officers had wasted her time over some amount of marijuana that equated to fish food, and she released him that same morning. We never went back to that city again, because usually a rolled stop sign does not cause a quasi-disaster. We henceforth were much more careful about leaving discarded trash in the car. You never know what that trash could be! When a rolled stop sign and an empty bag lands one in jail, is it ever ""Worth it?""That is a definitive no." +"It didn't seem we were even doing anything illegal. Sure, we had rolled through a stop sign, but that normally is just a slap on the wrist. A slap on the wrist--if not, for that empty bag of marijuana in the passenger's side door panels we had forgotten about. ""Do you agree to a search?"" the officer asked. Feeling we had nothing to hide, we simply acquiesced. He began just rummaging through the glovebox, and we knew we were fine. Nothing to find, here. Then he knocked a book out of the door panel and out emerged an empty bag of marijuana with a few flakes clinging to the interior of it. It may have been there for three, five years, who even knows? What we do know, is that was enough to put my buddy, the driver, in court the next morning. The judge was aghast the officers had wasted her time over some amount of marijuana that equated to fish food, and she released him that same morning. We never went back to that city again, because usually a rolled stop sign does not cause a quasi-disaster. We henceforth were much more careful about leaving discarded trash in the car. You never know what that trash could be! When a rolled stop sign and an empty bag lands one in jail, is it ever ""Worth it?""That is a definitive no." +"When my now four year old son was born, we were surprised to discover he had an extra pinky toe on his left foot. It was not something that needed urgent attention, but the doctors told us that he would probably need to have it surgically removed at some time in his life. Sometimes extra digits are just flesh, but my son's was well-developed with bone, blood vessels, and tendons. As a baby, the extra toe did not hinder his development at all. He started walking around 12 months old, the typical age. However, shoes were hard to find to accommodate his much wider than average foot. We spoke with a specialist when he was two years old, but she wanted to wait at least a year for the surgery because the risks from anesthesia lessen in slightly older children. We returned to the specialist just after he turned four. Given that the surgery wasn't an emergency, we had to wait a few months for an appointment time to be available. On the day of the surgery my son was calm and happy. Being so young, he wasn't really aware what was about to happen. The surgery was also taking place in a children's hospital, so they had a lot of toys and other accommodations to make him feel comfortable. The surgery went quickly and smoothly, but waking up was difficult for my son. He was in a lot of pain and required three shots of morphine into his IV before he felt better. However, after that initial discomfort, the rest of the recovery went really well. He never needed pain medicine and was up waking around with his cast by that evening. After two weeks, he was able to have his cast removed. His foot was tender and sensitive without the support and protection of the cast, but after about three days he was able to walk normally again. Now the only thing that remains from the surgery is a light scar on the side of his foot." +"I am sorry that I haven't wrote anything in a while. The past week our family has had a sort of a hiccup in life! Our youngest son, who is 6, was at school and had broke his foot. We had to pick him up from school and take him to his doctor. When the doctor saw that he couldn't move his foot, he sent us to the ER to have the foot looked at. Everyone at the ER was very nice. One of the nurses was actually the father of one of my son's friends. It was a small world! We did have to deal with the bad news that he needed to have surgery on his foot. He had smashed the top of his foot and a few of the bones was shattered. We had to explain to the nurses and doctors that the teacher told us that him and a few other boys were playing with desks and one fell on his foot. We got the surgery scheduled and our son was a trooper and didn't really seem phased by it. More than we can say about ourselves because we were scared out of our minds about this! This was our first experience with a surgery of any kind and to have it done on our son made it worse! I cried so much while he was getting his foot worked on! Thankfully, the surgery went well and didn't take as long as we expected. He is now on the road to recovery!" +"When growing up my sister were not on the best of terms during our childhood. I would theorize it could have been mostly due to competition for the affection of our parents. I was the second child...she was the first. She was the one with stellar grades all throughout her education, from kindergarten all the way through her prestigious university years. She is now a professional musician in an orchestra as well as a music teacher. Growing up I tended to be a rather mediocre student. I am confident that I am intelligent, I just never have had the drive to excel. Perhaps because I knew devoting a great deal of energy to ""competing"" with my sister would not only be futile, but absolutely exhausting. I have always been one to get lost in my thoughts and I prefer to be in nature to feel truly alive. That is why it was so memorable that a few months ago my mother told me that recently my sister told her that she only knows particular symphonies because she would hear me playing them in my room, next door to hers. I did not even know she was listening to the music I was playing, I always pictured her diligently reading and/or practicing the various instruments with which she is now proficient. After hearing that from my mother I actually felt a rush of pride. Not only was I absorbing and getting lost in the extraordinary music, but I was also influencing my orchestral musician sister. To add to that, the other day, she called me up about a certain composer because, as she put it, I am a ""musicologist of sorts."" (In addition to listening to music, I would study biographical information about the various composers to whom I listened. Back in my childhood days, I never would have dreamed that I would be having an unintended influence on my rather brilliant sister. It just goes to show that perceptions of the moment are not always accurate...it helps to get perspective outside of your own head." +"The biggest thing to happen to me is finding out I am going to be a father. My wife and I had been trying to conceive a child for sometime now. But we hadn't had much success. However, we found out in march that we were pregnant! I can't begin to describe the excitement that I felt when I found out we were having a baby. I was so happy to find this news out as was my family! Then a couple months later we found out we were having a girl!! At first I was scared because being a guy I knew I didn't know all the ins and outs of what a girl goes through. The one thing I knew for sure was that there was nobody that would love this girl more than I do! I can't wait for her to get here. My wife and I decided on a name right away. We came to the decision rather easily without much fuss. It's a name that we have liked for some time now. My mom is also very excited about it, because my nieces from my sister are getting older now. So it'll be nice for her to have a baby to care for. Again this is probably the biggest moment of my life let alone the last 6 months." +"Dear Diary,Six months ago, my wife and I found out she was pregnant with twins! Two baby girls! After a few worrisome doctor visits, we found out one baby was absorbed by the other. While we were very saddened by the loss of one baby, we were ecstatic about the healthy baby girl my wife was carrying. While my wife was nesting in preparation for parenthood, I was reading every baby book I could find! By the time the baby, Ella, was born, we felt we were prepared but we couldn't have been more wrong. No amount of reading can prepare you for the immediate and immense love you feel when you first hold your child. I knew from the moment I looked at those warm brown eyes that I would lay down my life for this child. There is no greater joy than seeing something so perfect and knowing that you are the reason it exists. The first month was the hardest. Adjusting to a new baby in the house, and her sleep/wake schedule while maintaining our own routines was very taxing on our relationship. I'll admit, I could have tried harder. Unfortunately, that's the thing about hindsight, only it is 20/20. While we both love our child very much, and I will always cherish the good times, and bad throughout my wife's pregnancy; we couldn't make our marriage work. We have been separated for three weeks now. I want my family back, but I fear that ship has sank." +"There was a recent event that happened last Tuesday that was pretty interesting and memorable. I was shopping in a grocery store and there was quite a few people there that day. When I was shopping, I went to grab a griddle, but as I grabbed it there was a woman right behind me who started questioning me and cussing me out for taking the last available griddle. I had to defend my purchase, so I just ignored her and kept shopping. Later on, I left my cart alone and noticed that the woman took my griddle out of my shopping cart, which pretty infuriating. I secretly ""stole"" it back into my cart without her noticing and watched her checkout without realizing it was gone. I felt bad but at the same time I found the griddle first. I wish that I could have seen her realize that she didn't have the griddle in the parking lot but I didn't get the chance to see this woman again. I felt proud that I was able to get the last griddle and I have no regrets. I think it is absolutely ridiculous to get angry at a stranger for something like that. If possible, I would have recorded this situation and uploaded it because I just think it's funny. Anyway, the griddle works perfectly and for only $20 I am satisfied with my purchase. I made pancakes with it this morning and some eggs. I still think about it though with some shame. I hate being mean to people but this was my griddle, once again." +"Today is September 20th, and I had just gotten out of the hospital. The past 10 days have been absolutely awful. I was in the hospital and it absolutely sucked. I was in a lot of pain, but it's slowly getting better. I fell down the stairs and suffered a broken collarbone, some ribs were broken, and I had what was called a subdural hematoma. As stupid as it may sound, I'm happy to be alive I suppose. At least I was able to get to the hospital. Now that I'm out of the hospital, it's a new journey I'll be going through. I need to rest, and can't work much. I can't really take care of myself doing the things I need to do because I need to let my bones heal. I also have my family that are constantly required to check up on me at constant intervals because my brain was injured quite a bit in the fall. I feel so helpless. I feel like such a burden. It's awful. I wish I could just take care of myself and heal right away, but I'll need monitoring and help for the next while. Hopefully my healing goes well and I can get over this, but until then, I'll need a lot of care." +"Today is September 20th, and I had just gotten out of the hospital. The past 10 days have been absolutely awful. I was in the hospital and it absolutely sucked. I was in a lot of pain, but it's slowly getting better. I fell down the stairs and suffered a broken collarbone, some ribs were broken, and I had what was called a subdural hematoma. As stupid as it may sound, I'm happy to be alive I suppose. At least I was able to get to the hospital. Now that I'm out of the hospital, it's a new journey I'll be going through. I need to rest, and can't work much. I can't really take care of myself doing the things I need to do because I need to let my bones heal. I also have my family that are constantly required to check up on me at constant intervals because my brain was injured quite a bit in the fall. I feel so helpless. I feel like such a burden. It's awful. I wish I could just take care of myself and heal right away, but I'll need monitoring and help for the next while. Hopefully my healing goes well and I can get over this, but until then, I'll need a lot of care." +"Wow! I can't believe it! I CAN SPEAK SPANISH! After the encounter I had a few months ago with that family in the car wreck, I am so glad that that language barrier is gone. I really felt so hopeless when I was trying to talk with that Spanish speaking family to ensure everyone was ok and reassure them that help was on the way. Of course I would be the first person on the scene and probably the one person in the area that did not know any Spanish! I was relieved that the police and fire department showed up so quick. I was so desperate for help and unable to effectively communicate with the family inside the car still that I literally felt sick. I am so glad my friend told me about the duo lingo app shortly after the incident. I downloaded the app almost immediately and was very surprised at how easy it was to start learning another language. It did not take long before I had a basic understanding of the language. Shortly after that I could follow along in a conversation and eventually I felt comfortable enough to start answering back in Spanish. Although I hope to never find myself in that same situation again, at least I'll be prepared to help if it were to happen again. I've enjoyed learning Spanish so much that I am considering working on a third language. After all, I have always heard that the more languages you know, the easier it is to learn others!" +"My most memorable event that occurred to me happened in April of this year. It was when my boyfriend and I drove to Florida and went to the Florida Keys. We went snorkeling and this was the first time both of us had ever done this. It was memorable because of how amazing the experience was being somewhere completely new doing an activity and viewing things in a new way that we hadn't experienced before. And we got to do it together. It barely cost us any money and we got to have a great experience. The most surprising part of the whole ordeal was that I wasn't scared to go out deep into the ocean. I felt healthy and good about myself and the fact that I accomplished something that for myself was a big feat even if other people might not see it as a big deal. I had been very nervous to do this. We viewed sea creatures such as a few fish, a giant crab, and other smaller little crabs. There wasn't very many fish which I was surprised about but the experience was still interesting. I saw the way the sea worked and all of its components that make it the ecosystem it is today. I also realized how hot the sun is down there because we both got very burnt on our backs from them being exposed to the sun for a few hours. The time went by faster than I can ever remember and it was my most memorable experience this year. We want to go back but have no idea when. I believe next time we would like to do a type of tour instead of just swimming aimlessly about and we hope to do it again soon." +"Last weekend I went to a party at friends house for his 30th birthday. He was inviting a lot of other friends, and he was making a sort of event about the whole thing, marking it as both his birthday as well as his funeral. There was going to nearly 50 people there, some I was already very friendly with and some new faces, as well as lots of food, lots of drinks, and lots of games. I was very much looking forward to the party but a little bit nervous about meeting so many new people at once, as I am somewhat shy. I went over in mind about maybe backing out, maybe only sticking with the few friends there I already knew very well, but eventually I settled on just sucking it up and going on my own. When I got there, I instantly felt somewhat out of place because I only knew a few faces, but that did not deter me from having my mind set on having a good time. I threw myself out there in some games, got talking to a lot of new people, and ended up making a lot of new friends throughout the night. As it went on, I felt less and less shy and nervous about trying to make a good impression. I began to be able to break out of my shell and act like myself, and I am so glad I did. The whole party was an absolute blast and I made a lot of friends, many of whom I will be contacting in the future with more plans to hang out. This party was a big step for me. It has been awhile since I have been able to put myself out there and try to meet new people. I was nervous about whether or not these new friends would be receptive to my personality or if I would come off as the weird awkward dude in the corner. My good friends who were there even commented on how they were impressed with how social I was being with total strangers. That might have been helped by the few beers I had, but that liquid courage got me past the first few hurdles I needed help with. I need to just be more confident in myself as a person, and the people around me will start to see me in a better light." +"It happened about a week and a half ago, I never knew I could be so open and that I could actually enjoy such a company. So my friends birthdays was definitely a highlight of the last month, I still have some good memories about it and I smile every time I do. This even showed me different sides of of and what I could be and in this sense it is significant and I would even say life changing. Some of the other things that I remember is playing darts with people I never met before, we had fun and I felt connected just playing this simple game. I also remember meeting a cute girl, she a blond hair and her name was Anabel, I felt like I known her for ages for some reason, maybe it was the music that made me feel nostalgic but probably it was just a dejavu. The birthdays itself lasted for two days, since it stated on the weekend and my friend could afford an even longer holiday. There were a lot of fun thing to do and the food was amazing, my favorite dish was pizza of course, it was a real Italian pizza from some high end catering service. Also the fresh sashimi was great and tasty. The music was great and the DJ did a great job adjusting to our mood and taking guest requests into consideration. So this birthday was more of a concert than a typical home birthday I am used to and expected to experience. There were some people whom I've know since I was a kid and it was a very pleasant meeting since we haven't seen each other for ages. At midnight there was a fireworks show and not like a small fireworks that you can buy anywhere on Halloween but an actual commercial grade fireworks which were huge and loud like it was a major holiday or something, so I really enjoyed that part since you don't see that too often in a common weekend. Since it was a two day celebration and since my friend has a big house, most guests could just stay overnight in one of the bedrooms, it made us all feel even closer and the next morning I felt even more connected to the new people I have met the previous day as well as to my old childhood friends. Overall it was one of the best birthday celebrations in my life and I really enjoyed it and will probably remember it for a long time if not till the rest of my life. It was his 30th birthday and I guess that's why he decided to do on such a large scale and many of us felt grateful for that, especially since we knew what a good and kind person he was and this wasn't even necessary for us to start thinking of him even better." +"I remember a recent event in June 2019. My Mom and I went on a birthday trip to South Carolina. We stayed at a bed and breakfast for 3 days. The bed and breakfast had a lot of good reviews, but we didn't feel that it was the best one we had been to so far! The service was not what was expected, but we had fun. The first night we ate dinner at a Japanese restaurant. Breakfast was prepared all mornings we were there. The other nights, we had Chinese and also ate in Savannah, GA. For fun, we went to a plantation and traveled to other cities, like Charleston and Savannah, GA. After our stay at the bed and breakfast, we drove to my uncle's house in Georgia. The trip took about 8 hours from where we stayed in South Carolina. We stayed for a couple of days, then went home. We also ate dinner at a restaurant. Our relative gave us a tour around the city. It was very nice and comfortable there. It was a memorable trip, getting to see other states as we rode along." +"My husband and I have suffered from fertility struggles for over 10 years. We didn't seem to have an issue getting pregnant at first, but we kept experiences losses at various points throughout each pregnancy. With each loss I lost myself a little more, and felt defeated, almost like I had done something wrong somewhere in my life to deserve some of the worst pain a person could ever experience. Our last loss was a third trimester loss, two days before my due date. Everything looked great through the pregnancy and I thought ""this is it, finally! we made it to the end safely"", until those dreams were shattered just as quickly as they pregnancy progressed. We discovered at a routine non stress test that the baby had no heartbeat and had passed from a cord accident. Even though each loss prior to this had been difficult, this was the worst. My entire life went dark and I no longer cared about anything. I can truly say this was darkest moment in my life. After months of suffering, my husband took me on a vacation to help me renew my spirit and mood, and surprise, we ended up getting pregnant on this trip. I felt so detached during this pregnancy and considered terminating as I was so certain it was going to end badly again. It is my pleasure to say it did not. Our daughter is now 2 months old, and while I fear that something horrible could still happen, I have never felt so much joy in my life. I never thought I would be given the chance to be a mother, and I thank God everyday for finally giving me the blessing of motherhood." +"My husband and I got married on a bright sunny June day. We thought we'd sail off in the sunset together. We thought we'd ride on moonlit canoes. We did not however. We sufferent fertility problems for years. We lost one baby. We lost two babies. We lost several babies. We then decided to give up. We began to enjoy our lives without children. I then become ill and can't explain the symptoms. Turns out, I'm pregnant again. We are both in fear at this moment in time due to all the other losses we've suffered. However, two months ago, we got the best thing that ever happened to us. A brand new, special baby girl!" +"This year has been difficult due to marital problems arising from a lack of excitement and spark in our lives. My wife and I are busy professionals, and we also have an 8 year old. Things have been going downhill, and luckily, we eventually recognized that if my wife and I did not take time to build connections in our relationship, things would just get worse. As a result, we decided to take a long road trip all the way to Canada (my home country). My wife and son like to travel to new places, and therefore, this seemed like the perfect choice. The trip didn't start off well, as my wife realized a day before the trip that her passport had expired. I was a little anxious about this, but we decided to go anyway. We'd figured she'd have alternative documentation to enter Canada, and at most we would be delayed at the border on our way back. We stopped by at Columbus for night before arriving at Niagara Falls on the US side the next day. We took a little time to experience that side of the Falls before reaching our hotel on the Canadian side. It was awesome. We had a bird-eyes view of the Falls, which were brightly and colorfully illuminated at night. The next day we spent all our time exploring as many activities as we could. We definitely enjoyed the up-close experience next to the Falls, and didn't mind getting soaking wet. The next day we drove to Toronto so that we could visit the CN tower, one of Canada's landmarks. There was a long line up, but the wait was well worth it. Our son definitely enjoyed watching the city from way high above. We ended our visit with sampling of some of the finer chinese food, which of course we can't find in Kentucky. Driving back made me a little nervous because of my wife's expired passport. W ehanded it to the Border Patrol agent, who asked me a few questions, before stating that my wife's passport was expired. We pleased ignorance and offered my wife's drivers license, which we knew was not considered an acceptable form of ID for re-entering. Delightfully, the agent said he didn't need anything else and just wanted to tell us of our expired passport so that we could fix it when we got home. What a nice way to end our trip. My wife and I definitely enjoyed taking the time off from work to reconnect." +"This year has been difficult due to marital problems arising from a lack of excitement and spark in our lives. My wife and I are busy professionals, and we also have an 8 year old. Things have been going downhill, and luckily, we eventually recognized that if my wife and I did not take time to build connections in our relationship, things would just get worse. As a result, we decided to take a long road trip all the way to Canada (my home country). My wife and son like to travel to new places, and therefore, this seemed like the perfect choice. The trip didn't start off well, as my wife realized a day before the trip that her passport had expired. I was a little anxious about this, but we decided to go anyway. We'd figured she'd have alternative documentation to enter Canada, and at most we would be delayed at the border on our way back. We stopped by at Columbus for night before arriving at Niagara Falls on the US side the next day. We took a little time to experience that side of the Falls before reaching our hotel on the Canadian side. It was awesome. We had a bird-eyes view of the Falls, which were brightly and colorfully illuminated at night. The next day we spent all our time exploring as many activities as we could. We definitely enjoyed the up-close experience next to the Falls, and didn't mind getting soaking wet. The next day we drove to Toronto so that we could visit the CN tower, one of Canada's landmarks. There was a long line up, but the wait was well worth it. Our son definitely enjoyed watching the city from way high above. We ended our visit with sampling of some of the finer chinese food, which of course we can't find in Kentucky. Driving back made me a little nervous because of my wife's expired passport. W ehanded it to the Border Patrol agent, who asked me a few questions, before stating that my wife's passport was expired. We pleased ignorance and offered my wife's drivers license, which we knew was not considered an acceptable form of ID for re-entering. Delightfully, the agent said he didn't need anything else and just wanted to tell us of our expired passport so that we could fix it when we got home. What a nice way to end our trip. My wife and I definitely enjoyed taking the time off from work to reconnect." +I roomed with a fellow caregiver friend of mine. We had not met before. It was a perfect time to get together under a different situation then we normally interacted in. We hung out during the day by the pools and we had so much fun. We drank and laughed and took photos. I introduced her to old friends of mine. My friend goes to bed early so i would spend my evenings with my old concert friends. We caught up and shared stories and laughs. I loved catching up with people as well as finally connecting with some I have known a long time but not met. People came from all over the world and it was so amazing. I ate lots of good food and drink. The music was amazing. The concerts were amazing. They did costume night each night and that was a lot of fun. Lots of glow paint and stuff. Band members walked around a bit and that was fun to have them interact with us in that way. The DJ at the pool at night was out of this world. +"All of my years in college have finally been paying off for me, and I feel like I am on course to have a fulfilling career. Throughout all of the hard work and effort, I knew that there would come a time when I would finally be able to have some sort of payoff and be able to enjoy the fruits of my labors, if indirectly. I have always enjoyed spring break and have had a great time, when I could actually take my mind of of coursework and appreciate it for what it was. However, nothing compares to the fantastic concert I attended two months ago, after classes had wrapped up. Me and several of my friends pooled our money together to make it to a music festival that was taking place on a Caribbean island, not far off the coast of Florida. It was simply an incredible time, one of the best memories of my entire life. The quality of the light when you are closer to the equator is just sublime, and the thing that sticks in my mind more than anything else is the sight of the sunrise and sunset during those few days we were there. It felt like stepping into a new world, and I had actually never been anywhere like that even on vacation with my family as a kid. The actual music festival was of course very special, but most of our time was spent on other things. We stayed at a rented place that we pooled our money together for, and it was not all that expensive since there were a few of us in each room. The fishing trip we went on on the second day of our visit was probably the most activity I got the entire time. I didn't feel like working up much of a sweat when I was already soaked in it just the moment I stepped out the front door of our accommodations. The climax of the music festival was something that made me feel like I had goosebumps. One of my favorite electronic musicians was performing and the view of the sunset over the beach as the music built up was just otherworldly. It was not something that I would soon forget, and I think that there will probably be few chances to ever have an experience like this again in the future. One thing I can say is that I met a couple who were very interesting, and we exchanged contact details. So there is a significant chance we may do something together in the future, which is exciting. It is very cool just to talk to random new people you run into in an unfamiliar place." +"At the beginning of this year my mother in law decided to go to Disney World to meet up with her daughter and granddaughter. Since she had some extra money in her travel fund leftover from last year, she invited me to come along as well. I was not working at the time and she would be paying for everything besides food so I decided to go. I had not seen my niece in a long time and she is only 4 so at that age kids change a lot. My mother in law and I had some time before the others arrived so we went to Universal Studios. Harry Potter world was my favorite and I am really glad I got to see it. It was very crowded but luckily the weather was not too hot. We spent a lot of time at Magic Kingdom with my niece and it was really neat to see what things she got excited about. We got to see several shows. The live action Frozen show was really well done and only about 20 minutes long so it was perfect for small kids. My niece really liked the fireworks. I enjoyed a lot of the rides and all of the shows. The food at Disney World is just okay for the price but we did have some good meals and some ice cream. I am very grateful that I got to go on the trip to see family and have some fun. It was a lot of long days of walking and getting tired but overall we all had a great time." +"I was being strung along by the organization I worked for. They had me doing my original job, plus a second job, for the salary of just one job. The second job represented the next step toward my career goals and a realization of a lot of the time and resources I've put toward advancing my career. However, the salary was not commensurate with the amount of work I was doing, I was putting in nearly 90 hours a week, and the situation was incredibly stressful. It started to take a toll on my physical and emotional health and strained my relationships with family, friends, and coworkers. The dual-role situation was expected to last one year, at which point my second job would be split off into its own role, which I would fill. However, an the organization faced some unexpected financial hardship, which meant they had to reduce positions, rather than create new one. This meant they asked me to continue in the dual role for another year, promising to split the roles in another year's time, when finances were better. After a long and careful consideration, I determined to decline and take a position with another organization which would be a lateral move. I applied for and was offered the new job, which I accepted. After already initiating the onboard process with the new organization, my old organization called and begged me to come back. They offered a slightly different arrangement of my role. However, it would still require significant time (and likely stress) for the same amount of pay and no guarantee of the company's future stability. It put me back in the throes of decision making. Ultimately, I turned them down again but I did have some feelings of melancholy. Fortunately, the latest update of this story takes a turn for the happy. I have been recruited by a third organization to fulfill a newly created role in my desired field. I've had a hand in defining the role, bargaining for my pay, and shaping the next steps of my career. This divine turn of events shows that sometimes, in order to make progress, we first have to take a step back." +"I was being strung along by the organization I worked for. They had me doing my original job, plus a second job, for the salary of just one job. The second job represented the next step toward my career goals and a realization of a lot of the time and resources I've put toward advancing my career. However, the salary was not commensurate with the amount of work I was doing, I was putting in nearly 90 hours a week, and the situation was incredibly stressful. It started to take a toll on my physical and emotional health and strained my relationships with family, friends, and coworkers. The dual-role situation was expected to last one year, at which point my second job would be split off into its own role, which I would fill. However, an the organization faced some unexpected financial hardship, which meant they had to reduce positions, rather than create new one. This meant they asked me to continue in the dual role for another year, promising to split the roles in another year's time, when finances were better. After a long and careful consideration, I determined to decline and take a position with another organization which would be a lateral move. I applied for and was offered the new job, which I accepted. After already initiating the onboard process with the new organization, my old organization called and begged me to come back. They offered a slightly different arrangement of my role. However, it would still require significant time (and likely stress) for the same amount of pay and no guarantee of the company's future stability. It put me back in the throes of decision making. Ultimately, I turned them down again but I did have some feelings of melancholy. Fortunately, the latest update of this story takes a turn for the happy. I have been recruited by a third organization to fulfill a newly created role in my desired field. I've had a hand in defining the role, bargaining for my pay, and shaping the next steps of my career. This divine turn of events shows that sometimes, in order to make progress, we first have to take a step back." +"So a couple weeks ago, the Parkers, my direct next door neighbors moved out. I didn't have all the details but they're getting on in years and going back to Jamaica. They were incredibly nice to my family since they moved in, so I'm going to miss them. And had some misgivings about the new people, you know because it meant another black family leaving the neighborhood and another rich yuppie couple coming to further gentrify. Plus there's the fact that there's basically not space between our houses, it can get a little too intimate. It turned out though that my new neighbor is Cara, my very first ""girlfriend."" That's what I called it, but we were 3 or four. I played around with her in her place or my backyard, and for a while, probably until she moved away we exchanged Christmas gifts every year. It was a cute relationship. She lived next door probably until I was 10 or so, I should have put it together sooner that she's related to the Parkers. This was pre-social media so we just completely lost touch. We're connected on Linkedin now though. She's a web developer, just like me, so we had a bunch to talk about. She's got a kid now, a toddler, but I didn't notice a ring when we talked. And she's looking pretty good these days. It was great catching up with her, and it'll be cool to actually get to know her as an adult. We'll see what happens." +"When someone moves out of the rental property next to me, I never know who's going to move in. Most of the time, that's not a problem, but every now and then, it is. I've had to put up with some incredibly obnoxious neighbors there in the past. Consequently, I always hold my breath when someone's moving out until I know who's going to live there next, always hoping for the best. This new neighbor moved in as fast as my old neighbors moved out. I heard her over there the first day she was there and I walked over to introduce myself to her. She's ten years older than I am, single, and very pleasant. As it turns out, surprisingly, we know a lot of the same people and have a lot of interests in common. Our values seem to be the same, and both of us want to be good neighbors, which is a relief to both of us. (She was concerned about what type of person I was, too.) My new neighbor and I quickly started becoming friends. When we see each other outside, we always take a few minutes to exchange pleasantries and talk. She has trouble doing some things because she has a bad back, so I've been helping her out whenever I can. She's so grateful for that, she's gone out of her way to do some things for me. She loves to cook and she's shared meals with me. She has little dinner parties every other week or so and I'm always invited. I've really enjoyed getting to know my new neighbor. I always enjoy seeing her and I know she's there for me. If I have to go away, I know she'll keep an eye on the place for me, and likewise, I'd do the same for her. It makes living in such close proximity very comfortable, and that's worth its weight in gold." +"When someone moves out of the rental property next to me, I never know who's going to move in. Most of the time, that's not a problem, but every now and then, it is. I've had to put up with some incredibly obnoxious neighbors there in the past. Consequently, I always hold my breath when someone's moving out until I know who's going to live there next, always hoping for the best. This new neighbor moved in as fast as my old neighbors moved out. I heard her over there the first day she was there and I walked over to introduce myself to her. She's ten years older than I am, single, and very pleasant. As it turns out, surprisingly, we know a lot of the same people and have a lot of interests in common. Our values seem to be the same, and both of us want to be good neighbors, which is a relief to both of us. (She was concerned about what type of person I was, too.) My new neighbor and I quickly started becoming friends. When we see each other outside, we always take a few minutes to exchange pleasantries and talk. She has trouble doing some things because she has a bad back, so I've been helping her out whenever I can. She's so grateful for that, she's gone out of her way to do some things for me. She loves to cook and she's shared meals with me. She has little dinner parties every other week or so and I'm always invited. I've really enjoyed getting to know my new neighbor. I always enjoy seeing her and I know she's there for me. If I have to go away, I know she'll keep an eye on the place for me, and likewise, I'd do the same for her. It makes living in such close proximity very comfortable, and that's worth its weight in gold." +"I was at my office about 3 months ago just catching up on my normal work tasks when my boss rang me up. Of course I set everything aside to take the call, try to make a good impression, all that. It was crazy though, we were just chatting about how diligent I was when out of the blue he offers me a supervisor position in the department. I didn't even know we had an open spot! I jumped at the offer, naturally, and he said he'd have his secretary bring the papers over shortly. I was trying not to act like a fool so I very humbly thanked him and told him I wouldn't let him down. Once the phone hit the receiver though I confess I danced a little jig. This was going to be a BIG promotion with a lot more pay/benefits, as well as responsibility. The papers to sign arrived and I quickly signed. After the secretary left I rang up my wife and told her to find her nicest dress, we were going out to celebrate tonight. When she asked what for, I sprung the good news on her and I had to move the phone away from my head as she squealed in delight. We'd been scrimping and saving for awhile now, and had been hoping to take a nice vacation. After telling her goodbye I leaned back in the chair and imagined what my new office would look like. I could almost smell the fine furniture and feel the aged oak desk beneath my fingers. Maybe I'd even have a nice little plaque with my name emblazoned on it? I chuckled a bit at how cliche it all seemed and got back to work. After all that, the last thing I needed was to mess up and get fired!" +"it was my sister's birthday party. i spent all morning and afternoon helping my mom make a cake for her. we had all the ingredients and were making a carrot cake. carrot cake is her favorite. People were starting to come over. they were setting presents at the designated table. The cake was almost done in the oven. I took it out and waited for it to cool down. My sister was very excited to open her birthday presents. As more people came to the party it became more and more crowded. when the cake was cooled off i brought it from the kitchen into the hallway. i was on my way to put it on the picnic table outside. as i was in the hallway my friend was running around and ran straight into me while i was holding the cake. the cake ended up smashing into my friend. She was covered in cake. Everyone laughed when it happened. My sister was upset, but we went to the grocery store and bought her an already made cake. So i guess it wasn't that bad." +"Three months ago, I got a scary phone call. My mother had fallen. I flew back home to meet her. She had gotten a stroke. She was sent to hospice care. It was a painful day that day. She died in the room. I had a big cry and needed to punch a wall to get the anger out of me. I remembered the good times with my mom. I remembered my first day of school. She gave me a big lunch to eat that day. I remembered my graduation from college. She gave me the same lunch as a gag and a cruise. I remember her always cooking good food. I loved the cooking and I will never enjoy that again. I hope she is resting well now." +"Three months ago, I got a scary phone call. My mother had fallen. I flew back home to meet her. She had gotten a stroke. She was sent to hospice care. It was a painful day that day. She died in the room. I had a big cry and needed to punch a wall to get the anger out of me. I remembered the good times with my mom. I remembered my first day of school. She gave me a big lunch to eat that day. I remembered my graduation from college. She gave me the same lunch as a gag and a cruise. I remember her always cooking good food. I loved the cooking and I will never enjoy that again. I hope she is resting well now." +"It was a pretty cold day for the summertime, couldn't have been more than 60 degrees out when I first stepped outside of my house and towards the car. I was heading to the movies with a friend who had been begging me to go see it for days, although now I can't even fully recall which it was. There wasn't a lot of time for me to think as I was still groggy, so I quickly went back inside to grab a cup of coffee before heading out. Turning on the machine and hearing it whirr to start up I decided that I would also flick on the television real fast just to see what was going on in the world. I honestly can't remember what I saw, as my mind is blurry from the entire thing but I do remember it being quite boring to the point of remarkability, but what did stick out was the traffic alert. We were going to be late to the movie if we didn't leave soon so I quickly grabbed whatever coffee had been finished and rushed out the door having a completely black cup of joe that I didn't even want anymore. My friend was waiting for me at her house when I picked her up and was a bit annoyed that I was late, but I didn't think much of it. Now this is the part that really, really stuck out to me. Right as she got into the car, her daughter quickly ran outside and called her back in. When she came back out she was bright red and told me that she couldn't go, that she had to stay home and didn't want to explain but I was adamant and so she did. Apparently the babysitter couldn't make it in time and so it was all a bust, but instead of letting her feel bad I drove home real quick and picked up a blu-ray of a movie that I figured she would enjoy and drove back to her house. At this point you can probably realize this isn't exactly just a friend, but someone who I had wanted to impress and so when I returned and showed her the blu-ray we watched it together and it was a pretty awesome experience. The entire time all I could think was about how lucky I was to be in this house with her and her family, who seemed to be pretty receptive of me. Anyways, once this was all over instead of leaving she offered for me to stay for dinner and this is the first time I would ever have a meal with her alone as her daughter took a nap right after eating a few minutes earlier. This is so memorable for me because it was the first experience that I had in a romantic setting with this woman who I am now currently dating and I'll never forget it." +"Last month, I took a solo camping trip to the local state forest managed by the DEC. It was a great way to get away from the family, and I was very thrilled to be doing so. I brought my larger tent, as I felt the 2-man tent was not going to cut it. I had to find a clearing in the woods so that I could place it, and there was a nice spot about 300 feet in from the road. However, it was overshadowed by a 25 foot dead pine tree that was in the process of falling over. I pulled out my axe and helped it, knocking it down in about 10 minutes of work. I had to use my saw in certain parts due to the way the tree was angled. Once I finally got it down, I had plenty of firewood at my disposal, right next to my camp! I proceeded to de-limb the tree for kindling, and then sawed the larger main trunk of the tree for actual firewood. After clearing the area for about an hour, I now had a nice flat place to put my tent. I pitched my tent after sweeping the area with a few branches. When that was done, I decided to scour the area for large stones so that I could build a fire pit. I found about a dozen decent sized stones and carried them back to the campsite. I dug a small pit and arranged the stones around it, a wonderful start to my camping trip. From that point on, it was basically cooking, enjoying the scenery, and being along with my thoughts. I did some scouting around the area and found a very old graveyard, which I estimated to be at least 140 years old! The strange thing is that it was on top of a mountain, so someone had to come up here to build it. I feel it was an appropriate place, as the area was quite beautiful and had a wonderful view. I really enjoyed my camping trip up in the woods and got some much needed relaxation and time to myself, without the chattering of my wife and children to distract me. I plan on doing this again and cannot wait until my next trip." +"my childhood friend Jennifer was a very gentle and loving friend of mine, when he started dating Nathan it started like a joke we both used to talk about how unserious Nathan was, and how careless and extravagant he was with his spending. He worked at an electronic shop as a sales representative so he did not make enough money yet he spends much more than he earns. It was that bad that i sometimes began to imagine how Jennifer managed to put up with all of his excesses .The most devastating problem about Nathan was that he was a chronic womanizer. In the course of there relationship he has cheated on Jennifer more than seven times, the ones i can still remember or would i say the ones he was caught and could not deny them. Jennifer was sometimes traumatized and always caught in an emotional blackmail. She suffered a lot during the six years of there relationship. I could not understand why she keeps condoling his act of cheating on her. So one day she cried and came to me to complain about how Nathan has just cheated on her i was so mad at her, Nathan and her entire relationship that i screamed at her attempting to give a piece of my mind. I asked her what she was doing with that good for nothing man, she told me she loved him so much and that she has tried to stop loving him but cannot. the more she tries the more the love increases and how she can not live without him . In frustration i told her to leave my house and that i did not want to hear about Nathan and her relationship with him ever again. both after two years their relationship was still on. Nathan had apologized to her and she forgave him as always and there were back together. Nathan got some religion into his life, he is now a christian. Jennifer told me how everything about Nathan has tremendously changed. I saw the joy i hadn't seen in her for a long time i was happy for her. I was so shocked one morning when she told me that Nathan proposed and she accepted and she would want me to be her maid of honor on her wedding day i was honored to do it and so i was the Maid of Honor in my best friend's wedding. I stood by her and watched her marry her husband." +"my childhood friend Jennifer was a very gentle and loving friend of mine, when he started dating Nathan it started like a joke we both used to talk about how unserious Nathan was, and how careless and extravagant he was with his spending. He worked at an electronic shop as a sales representative so he did not make enough money yet he spends much more than he earns. It was that bad that i sometimes began to imagine how Jennifer managed to put up with all of his excesses .The most devastating problem about Nathan was that he was a chronic womanizer. In the course of there relationship he has cheated on Jennifer more than seven times, the ones i can still remember or would i say the ones he was caught and could not deny them. Jennifer was sometimes traumatized and always caught in an emotional blackmail. She suffered a lot during the six years of there relationship. I could not understand why she keeps condoling his act of cheating on her. So one day she cried and came to me to complain about how Nathan has just cheated on her i was so mad at her, Nathan and her entire relationship that i screamed at her attempting to give a piece of my mind. I asked her what she was doing with that good for nothing man, she told me she loved him so much and that she has tried to stop loving him but cannot. the more she tries the more the love increases and how she can not live without him . In frustration i told her to leave my house and that i did not want to hear about Nathan and her relationship with him ever again. both after two years their relationship was still on. Nathan had apologized to her and she forgave him as always and there were back together. Nathan got some religion into his life, he is now a christian. Jennifer told me how everything about Nathan has tremendously changed. I saw the joy i hadn't seen in her for a long time i was happy for her. I was so shocked one morning when she told me that Nathan proposed and she accepted and she would want me to be her maid of honor on her wedding day i was honored to do it and so i was the Maid of Honor in my best friend's wedding. I stood by her and watched her marry her husband." +"So basically my brother and I were in a car accident a while back coming off after seeing a movie. Everyone ended up being alright, but it was pretty terrifying at the time. It happened at night near the mall a few blocks from where I live. We had just seen a movie and were coming back to my house when we were hit out of nowhere. The driver of the other car got out and was visibly intoxicated. He seemed very nervous and wanting to get out of there before the cops arrived. There were some cops right down the street so it didn't take them long to arrive. They asked a few questions and took a few pictures. I saw in the distance that they were giving the other driver a field sobriety test. After that, I just remember seeing them put the other driver in handcuffs and loading him into the back of a cruiser. It actually ended up being a bit fortuitous, in that we received a decent payout from the other driver's insurance, most likely because he had been intoxicated. Neither of us have any lasting injuries. I had a little soreness in my neck for a few days, but the doctor said it was just some minor whiplash. I actually haven't even thought about it since the last time I did the essay, since there really wasn't any lasting consequences. The car was totaled out, but still drives fine (in fact, it was already totaled out before that due to some hail damage on the body). I'm just relieved that nobody was hurt and it wasn't more severe." +"This happened about 3 months ago. I was driving with my brother back from the movie theater when we were sideswiped by another car. It spun us around into the median and was completely terrifying. It really came out of nowhere and gave me no time to react or take any preventative measures. We both looked at each other shocked when we came to a stop. We checked on each other to make sure we were both okay, which we were. We got out of my car to assess the damage and make sure the other driver was okay. They other driver got out of their car and were obviously under the influence. You could see the wobble in them from 20 feet away. My car, which was pretty new, was smashed in the rear driver side, but not as bad as I would have thought. The other driver looked to be in his mid 20s and started to freak out a bit when he realized that we were calling the police. The police go there really quickly and gave the guy a field sobriety test which he failed miserably. I exchanged information with on of the officers while we waited for a tow truck to come. The other driver was arrested and my car was towed away. It is the only major accident I've ever been in besides one or two small fender benders in parking lots. Surprisingly, my car was mostly okay. It's a 2012 Subaru Legacy that I spent a lot of time saving up for. I'm not entirely sure what happened to the other driver, but his insurance settled out with us. Ironically, my car was salvaged out about a month later due to hail damage (somehow that was more costly than this accident)." +It was 6 months ago happen in my college team. It was an incident happen by our one of the team members. But the coach was remove the persons wrongly from my team. In that day I was busy in some other work. But incident was happen in that day.It created big lose for the team. so they remove but wrong persons. Then I came and ask the persons in my team. They told they are removed. I really shocked to hear this. Then I hear about the incident and then I know they wrongly removed. Then I arrange one meeting for my team. In that meeting I ask who did this. The person did this crime was happy. I really upset to see her face. because They did this crime for money. Then I investigate who gave money to her to do this. I find some clues about that person. Then I notice that person everyday. I told to coach that crime was did by another person. They can't hear my words. Then I told some information and submit some clues. Then They call that persons and investigate him. Then finally they agree that. Then remove her immediately. Then They joins the wrongly removed persons. +"Recently I took a trip with my partner, Karl, to an amusement park about an hour east called Kentucky Kingdom. We don't have a ton of money to spend on vacation, so any little trip is a big deal for us. Also we totally suck at planning things, and hadn't done anything all summer, until we really buckled down and started making a cohesive plan. We splurged and got a hotel near the park for two nights, and invited a friend of ours from Tennessee to come stay with us too. His name was Nick, and we'd never met him. That is to say, we met him on Twitch. Karl and I started streaming a little over a year ago, and while I got bored of it fairly quickly, he kept at it and ended up starting a small group of streamers. Nick was one of the first members added to the group, all of us fans of the game Dropmix (a strange music/card game hybrid). In the months that followed we would all become closer watching each others stream at different times of the day, keeping each other company at work and so on. So when we invited him to stay with us, we felt like we knew him. I would describe myself as having a high degree of social anxiety. I had some hesitation about meeting someone in real life who only knew me from my online persona. But it ended up being awesome! Karl, Nick, and myself all share a love of roller coasters in addition to weird card games, and surprisingly none of us had ever been to Kentucky Kingdom before. The lines were short and they offered free soda to visitors from out of town (I won't say no!), the rides were awesome, and the people-watching was on point. The only drawback to the whole thing was that Nick and Karl both snore. But I'd had enough to drink each night that it wasn't much of an issue. I ended up feeling glad that we rallied and planned a trip, however quaint. It's something more people should try. Even just a few days away with friends made the stressful reality of day to day life a little more tolerable." +"Today completes the my move to a new apartment. It's been a long emotional struggle over the last couple months and the last week for sure. It has come to fruition and my girlfriend in not happy about it. I know it's the right thing to do. I had to protect the kids, I just didn't trust the living situation. But, it has come at a cost with girlfriend and me. She is very emotional about it, lot's of outbursts, getting mad at me. She has been trying to tear down the kids a bit and really doesn't like my son. But, deep down I know it was right, the kids are happy. And I'm excited to get our lives back on track. I'm not sure what will happen with girlfriend and me, but we are trying to work it out. girlfriend is coming around a little bit and I think deep down, she knows this needed to happen. I think she will become even more comfortable with the situation. I feel bad for her, she has so much to process. With her first it's always a struggle and I think her last is just running roughshod over her. The actual move was excruciating! I'm tired, my knees and back hurt and I'm exhausted. It was a week of stairs, boxes, trucks and pain. I hate moving." +"My girlfriend and I had decided to break up. We had a rough patch in our relationship and things looked like they couldn't get any better. We had tried to work things out, but in the end it wasn't going to work. I had decided to move out of the apartment a few weeks after we decided to split. She didn't want me to do that since she would have some issues paying for the rent. I told her I had to move for my own sanity. Being in a home with her, especially after how we broke up wasn't healthy for either of us. I started to pack my things and leave. She told me that she'd help me move my things. I was thankful for the help. Until I realized that she was tossing all my things onto the ground outside. I was so upset with her and she didn't care. She wasn't happy with me leaving at all. She kept screaming about how I was doing her wrong in this whole thing. I did her wrong? Was she serious? I guess so. When I finished packing, I told her bye and she cussed me out." +"Two months ago, I drove to a few cities in the east coast for a summer campus visit with my kids. My kids are ready going to their college in next a few year. We scheduled for 9 university information sessions and the corresponding campus tours during this trip. We have greatly enjoyed this impressive and informative trip. We directly contacted with the teachers and students from these universities and learned a lot of new information about our interested university. This was a very important visit for my kids to prepare their university applications later on. As their parents, we also felt this visit was very helpful for us to prepare for the coming important events. We learned how to start the preparations for the promising universities earlier. My son has been aiming on his dream school, MIT, because his friends went to this school. I helped him to sort the candidate majors out and went through the admission pages carefully. After talked with the teachers and students there, my son recognized what were his strengths and weaknesses. He said he would start preparations of his standardized tests more earlier. He have made a detail plan for the next 3 years for this endeavor. I thought that it would be better for a family to arrange this kind of campus visit more earlier, i.e. 3 years prior to the university application. This kind of activities obviously encouraged my kids to be more active on their studies. As parents, we also could help them in more specific manors instead of non-focused ways. Through these visits, my kids had their direct experiences with the university campus life. We learned more detail about their interested majors in the candidate universities instead of just numbers such as accept rate and university ranking. We would narrow down the school list and re-visit some of them in the future. In summary, this trip was a very important for us to help the kids to prepare their college application in the coming years." +"Two weeks ago, we buried my mother in law. It was a sad day that day. My father had a few tears. My mother had a few more tears. My brothers and sisters all gave me a hug. I gave a speech about her life. She was an accountant. She always went to work with a smile. She always got the job done. She was the best accountant at the company. She had a few kids and a husband. They all loved her. She loved to eat cupcakes. She loved them if they had some sprinkles on them. We celebrated this by having a giant batch of cupcakes made for the burial. We all grabbed a cupcake and threw them into the grave before she was buried." +"Two weeks ago, we buried my mother in law. It was a sad day that day. My father had a few tears. My mother had a few more tears. My brothers and sisters all gave me a hug. I gave a speech about her life. She was an accountant. She always went to work with a smile. She always got the job done. She was the best accountant at the company. She had a few kids and a husband. They all loved her. She loved to eat cupcakes. She loved them if they had some sprinkles on them. We celebrated this by having a giant batch of cupcakes made for the burial. We all grabbed a cupcake and threw them into the grave before she was buried." +"Though I am afraid of water, I will never forget the amazing cruise trip I took five months ago. My best friend, John, suggested our friend's group should take a unique vacation earlier this year, and he heard good things about these new rock cruises where you travel with the band. I am pretty much open to any type of music anyway, but rock is easily near the top of my list of genres. I really started getting excited when I found out the band involved was one of my favorite rock bands from the 80's. Aside from the water part, I was a fairly easy sell. Within minutes of getting on the ship we all realized how unbelievable this experience would be. In addition to nightly performances from the band, the whole band mingled with everyone just like regular people throughout the entire trip. I remember walking into the bathroom and having to wait for the lead singer to finish before I could use the toilet. I felt funny about shaking his hand at the time, and was left speechless as he walked off. Thankfully I had a chance to introduce myself later on in the trip! All of my friends had a blast on the cruise too, and I barely even noticed the fact that we were so far out on the water. The last night ended up being a massive blowout concert that seemed to go on for hours. The atmosphere was so perfect that I'm not sure it's possible to ever forget how great the experience was. To think I might have skipped out on this trip due to my fear of water is almost crazy now. I consider this to be arguably my best vacation of my entire life, and I might just have to try another one when this band comes around again!" +"Though I am afraid of water, I will never forget the amazing cruise trip I took five months ago. My best friend, John, suggested our friend's group should take a unique vacation earlier this year, and he heard good things about these new rock cruises where you travel with the band. I am pretty much open to any type of music anyway, but rock is easily near the top of my list of genres. I really started getting excited when I found out the band involved was one of my favorite rock bands from the 80's. Aside from the water part, I was a fairly easy sell. Within minutes of getting on the ship we all realized how unbelievable this experience would be. In addition to nightly performances from the band, the whole band mingled with everyone just like regular people throughout the entire trip. I remember walking into the bathroom and having to wait for the lead singer to finish before I could use the toilet. I felt funny about shaking his hand at the time, and was left speechless as he walked off. Thankfully I had a chance to introduce myself later on in the trip! All of my friends had a blast on the cruise too, and I barely even noticed the fact that we were so far out on the water. The last night ended up being a massive blowout concert that seemed to go on for hours. The atmosphere was so perfect that I'm not sure it's possible to ever forget how great the experience was. To think I might have skipped out on this trip due to my fear of water is almost crazy now. I consider this to be arguably my best vacation of my entire life, and I might just have to try another one when this band comes around again!" +"It's been two weeks since I almost killed someone at work. I was backing up a forklift and listening to some tunes. I almost crushed Tom against the loading dock wall. I was really shaken up. He screamed at me, and the boss screamed at me. I didn't get fired. But I found I couldn't work any more. My hands shook so hard I could hardly drive. I couldn't bring myself to look at Tom or even use the forklift. So I quit. I won't get unemployment, and I haven't been able to get another job. I can't get a good reference from Dynaco. Mary will have to go back to work while I watch the kids. We are really hurting financially. I don't know what else to do." +"It's been two weeks since I almost killed someone at work. I was backing up a forklift and listening to some tunes. I almost crushed Tom against the loading dock wall. I was really shaken up. He screamed at me, and the boss screamed at me. I didn't get fired. But I found I couldn't work any more. My hands shook so hard I could hardly drive. I couldn't bring myself to look at Tom or even use the forklift. So I quit. I won't get unemployment, and I haven't been able to get another job. I can't get a good reference from Dynaco. Mary will have to go back to work while I watch the kids. We are really hurting financially. I don't know what else to do." +"I had to homeschool my two girls because the private school they were attending closed. Public school, with its liberal brain-washing, is out of the question for us. I looked for other private schools, and prices were way too high for us. So the only option left was to homeschool. Which I dreaded. I had dreaded it even before any of my kids were born. I am NOT a teacher, I have neither talent nor patience for it. So before I even had kids, the thought was playing in my mind, ""What if we can't afford private education and I HAVE TO homeschool?"" And sure enough, it did happen. After 3 good years of having my kids at that nice little school, it closed. I signed up with a homeschooling site and purchased materials. I studied them, prepared for the school year, and for the whole year, I persevered, doing it the best I could. I am sorry to say I did hate it. Sure, there were pleasant moments, but overall... not my thing. We made it to summer break. I was preparing myself to the idea of having to do another year, when I letter came from the girls' old school, telling us they reopened!! Do I need to say I was in heaven?" +"I had to homeschool my two girls because the private school they were attending closed. Public school, with its liberal brain-washing, is out of the question for us. I looked for other private schools, and prices were way too high for us. So the only option left was to homeschool. Which I dreaded. I had dreaded it even before any of my kids were born. I am NOT a teacher, I have neither talent nor patience for it. So before I even had kids, the thought was playing in my mind, ""What if we can't afford private education and I HAVE TO homeschool?"" And sure enough, it did happen. After 3 good years of having my kids at that nice little school, it closed. I signed up with a homeschooling site and purchased materials. I studied them, prepared for the school year, and for the whole year, I persevered, doing it the best I could. I am sorry to say I did hate it. Sure, there were pleasant moments, but overall... not my thing. We made it to summer break. I was preparing myself to the idea of having to do another year, when I letter came from the girls' old school, telling us they reopened!! Do I need to say I was in heaven?" +"Last summer June 23 of 2018I was learning swimming. My daughter know swimming very well. My daughter knows very well. So she always mocked me that you don't know swimming, so I thought why don't I can learn swimming? ..If I would join in Swim school what will happens? after some research I joined in swimming class. There I have memories of drowning, Have you ever seen everything before you play out in slow motion, where you are aware of everything around you, yet not knowing what was going on? I have, and as I look back on it, I feel very blessed and protected. This conveys to me now god has a different plan for my life. How may life would be differed , If I drowned that day. It was so interesting and funny too. My daughter also seen that incident. So she always mocking about it.. That is so memorable incident. Whenever I am thinking about my past memorable incidents. This should come in my mind." +"Your confidence and self-esteem is affected by…other people – the way others treat you can affect how you feel about yourself. People who are abusive like to build themselves up by putting others down. They often want you to feel bad about yourself, and try to do things to bring you down. your own ‘inner voice’ – if you focus on negative things, or tell yourself that you are hopeless or that you are to blame for everything that goes wrong, then this can also lower your confidence and self-esteem. In turn, this can affect how you relate to others. You might find yourself trying too hard to please others. You might think your needs don’t matter, so you don’t stand up for yourself. You can change your ‘inner voice’ and think more positively about yourself. How are you thinking? Don’t be hard on yourself or focus on mistakes. Don’t blame yourself for the way other people act­. If someone has put you down, bullied you or hurt you, it says more about them than it does about you. Focus on positive things like your achievements and good qualities. Try Dear Diary: feeling better about myself. If a little voice inside your head says “But I was so stupid/weak/dumb to put up with that” (or something like that), fight back! Remind yourself: there’s nothing wrong with hoping someone will change, or giving someone a second (or seventh!) chance. When someone has treated you badly it can be hard to know what to say or do – there’s nothing wrong with feeling confused. What’s wrong is the abuse. Tell yourself that you don’t deserve to be treated this way. Believe it’s not your fault. The other person has done the wrong thing – not you! Be proud of the way you’ve been able to be strong and of the ways you have found to keep going while dealing with the stress and trauma of the abuse. Ways to feel betterGet involved in something that interests you and that helps you connect with other people, like a sport or a hobby. Do exercise or take up a sport – this can help you to feel fitter, stronger and less stressed." +"It was a typical October evening and I was driving to my friend's annual Halloween House Party. She always has a great party at her house. I was uneasy about the costume I had selected since I had not really put in too much effort or time into it. I was dressed up as John Snow from Game of Thrones. I have the long black hair and the facial hair naturally so that was a plus. What I was uneasy about was the clothing. I had visited a Thrift Store two days before the event and had hurriedly pieced together a ""John Snow costume"". I arrived about an hour before the party officially started to help my friend with last minute items. I was ""in between"" girlfriends so was going as ""a single guy"". To my surprise, I met a girl with incredible inner and outer beauty and a great spirit. Her name was Elyse and was my friend's cousin. Elyse and I were exchanging looks and glances from across the room with curiosity or possibly interest in each other. I hesitated in interacting with Elyse, the way I really wanted to, since I felt my John Snow costume looked ""cheap"". I was self-conscious due to the costume so only interacted with Elyse a couple of times. I interacted with everybody else but Elyse seemed to be the one I wanted to get to know better. I knew then that it was because I had a serious interest in her and wanted to make a good impression. The evening progressed and I did manage to dance with Elyse once. One of our co-workers ended up talking with Elyse a lot and danced with her several times. The party ended and everybody went home. I saw my co-worker and Elyse talking and walking together and I knew then that I had hesitated due to a lack of self-confidence created by my ""cheap"" John Snow costume. Elyse ended up dating my co-worker for about 2-3 months but they never really ""clicked"". I ended up dating a great girl I met at an NFL Game House Party in November and have been with her since. I still think about Elyse but more importantly, I think about my hesitation to really be myself that night, as I typically am, and loosing an opportunity of dating ""the women that caught my eye and brightened my spirit"" on that memorable Halloween House Party night. It was all due to a lack of confidence / self-esteem brought about a poor choice of costume. I will never let what I am wearing dictate how I truly act or will I allow it to prevent me from being myself." +Last night my boyfriend asked me if i want to live with him. I went over to his place so we could talk it over. we grabbed some dinner and talked about it. we talked about where we might live. We also discussed how it would be financially and how we would work that out. I feel as if we covered a lot of ground. I feel like this is a good idea. I think that this can actually work and it has got me excited! i cannot wait to get things in motion. Sometimes in life you just have to jump in feet first! Next weekend we plan on getting the ball rolling. we are going to look for a place in the south west. i really think this is the right move. for me and for him. He is just as excited as I am. +So two weeks ago was the 4th of July. I ended up at my grandparent's lake house. It was always nice and peaceful to watch the fireworks outside of the city. We always had a great time at the lake house. Getting to see old friends and family. It was really like a family get together. We did this every year. It had gotten really important because grandma and grandpa were getting old. We all wanted to get ourselves and our kids together for them. We have always been a close family. We spend most holidays together and always enjoy each others company. The 4th of July is everyone's favorite. It's during the summer. The kids can play and swim together. The adults get to catch up and drink. We always have a really nice barbecue. This is definitely one of my favorite holidays. +So two weeks ago was the 4th of July. I ended up at my grandparent's lake house. It was always nice and peaceful to watch the fireworks outside of the city. We always had a great time at the lake house. Getting to see old friends and family. It was really like a family get together. We did this every year. It had gotten really important because grandma and grandpa were getting old. We all wanted to get ourselves and our kids together for them. We have always been a close family. We spend most holidays together and always enjoy each others company. The 4th of July is everyone's favorite. It's during the summer. The kids can play and swim together. The adults get to catch up and drink. We always have a really nice barbecue. This is definitely one of my favorite holidays. +"Three weeks ago, I woke up with an urge for excitement. I recently got divorced and was ready for big changes in my life. As I lay in bed I wondered what I could do, I felt suffocated for years while married and for the first time in a long time I felt free. Free to do whatever I wanted, I am not getting any younger I thought to myself. I got out of bed and went through my drawer for old diaries, I thought I would relive one of my best memories. Maybe go to six flags or.. as I opened the diary the first page I saw was about some goals I had years ago. In that entry.. travel the world was #2. You see I always wanted to travel the world I but my ex husband put me off of it by telling me we had no money or savings for things like that. As I stood there looking at my old diary I decided that I wanted to make that my number one goal for right NOW! I went downstairs, made myself a cup of coffee and jumped into the shower. I was exited about the possibility of travelling, I could leave everything behind and start over again some place else. My thoughts went everywhere, I wondered which country I would visit first, if I should look for air bnb or stay at a hotel. How much money do I have and where can I get more money from. With my thoughts all over the place. I got out of the shower, got dressed and started my research. I opened my laptop and went on to youtube and the first video I saw was about a could who sold everything and traveled the world for 9 months. As if this was my fate, I took this as a sign that I too should do this. I called up a friend who is a realtor and asked her to list my three bedroom starter home. She was confused and wanted to go out for a drink but I had allot to do and explained to her that I need to sell my furniture and everything inside my house and if we could have coffee at my house anytime she is free. She came over within an hour and thought I was going crazy. She did help me and knew of a family that might be interested in purchasing my house. Over the next few days I spend my time between cleaning, selling and getting organized. The family who were interested in purchasing came to have a look at it while I was still getting organized. The family were in urgent need of a place to live as they were moving from a different state but nothing could have prepared me for selling my house within 3 weeks and with a cash sale." +"Three weeks ago, I woke up with an urge for excitement. I recently got divorced and was ready for big changes in my life. As I lay in bed I wondered what I could do, I felt suffocated for years while married and for the first time in a long time I felt free. Free to do whatever I wanted, I am not getting any younger I thought to myself. I got out of bed and went through my drawer for old diaries, I thought I would relive one of my best memories. Maybe go to six flags or.. as I opened the diary the first page I saw was about some goals I had years ago. In that entry.. travel the world was #2. You see I always wanted to travel the world I but my ex husband put me off of it by telling me we had no money or savings for things like that. As I stood there looking at my old diary I decided that I wanted to make that my number one goal for right NOW! I went downstairs, made myself a cup of coffee and jumped into the shower. I was exited about the possibility of travelling, I could leave everything behind and start over again some place else. My thoughts went everywhere, I wondered which country I would visit first, if I should look for air bnb or stay at a hotel. How much money do I have and where can I get more money from. With my thoughts all over the place. I got out of the shower, got dressed and started my research. I opened my laptop and went on to youtube and the first video I saw was about a could who sold everything and traveled the world for 9 months. As if this was my fate, I took this as a sign that I too should do this. I called up a friend who is a realtor and asked her to list my three bedroom starter home. She was confused and wanted to go out for a drink but I had allot to do and explained to her that I need to sell my furniture and everything inside my house and if we could have coffee at my house anytime she is free. She came over within an hour and thought I was going crazy. She did help me and knew of a family that might be interested in purchasing my house. Over the next few days I spend my time between cleaning, selling and getting organized. The family who were interested in purchasing came to have a look at it while I was still getting organized. The family were in urgent need of a place to live as they were moving from a different state but nothing could have prepared me for selling my house within 3 weeks and with a cash sale." +"Two months ago I had an amazing day but with some ups and downs added in. I wanted to have the most perfect wedding with my fiance. This didn't quite happen the way we wanted, and there was a few things that dampened our spirits. Let me start by mentioning the worst part first. Most couples want a perfect wedding but I am sure that doesn't always happen. Here is what happened to us. My wedding morning started off terrible. It was not the best as far as weather goes. There was rain coming down, and thundering. Not only that but started at the same time as my ceremony, I mean exactly! That caused everyone to bring the chairs, and everything else including the food indoors. Then we waited til the storm left until we started it again. We dragged everything outside again instead of just having the wedding indoors. The greatest thing about it is that we saw a rainbow during the time of the marriage vows we exchanged, eventually. This sometimes means an old friend or relative who has passed is looking down upon us in heaven and smiling. That made me happy too." +"Two months ago I had an amazing day but with some ups and downs added in. I wanted to have the most perfect wedding with my fiance. This didn't quite happen the way we wanted, and there was a few things that dampened our spirits. Let me start by mentioning the worst part first. Most couples want a perfect wedding but I am sure that doesn't always happen. Here is what happened to us. My wedding morning started off terrible. It was not the best as far as weather goes. There was rain coming down, and thundering. Not only that but started at the same time as my ceremony, I mean exactly! That caused everyone to bring the chairs, and everything else including the food indoors. Then we waited til the storm left until we started it again. We dragged everything outside again instead of just having the wedding indoors. The greatest thing about it is that we saw a rainbow during the time of the marriage vows we exchanged, eventually. This sometimes means an old friend or relative who has passed is looking down upon us in heaven and smiling. That made me happy too." +"One night in June, I went to the gym to burn off some excess energy and clear my head so I'd fall asleep more easily. I came home from the movies to find my mother sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine on the coffee table, watching TV. She asked me how the gym was, as if that's something that she'd understand since she's the laziest person I know when it comes to exercise, and she sounded a little drunk. I could also smell wine from 10 feet away in the kitchen, and noticed an empty bottle on the counter. She'd drank the entire thing during the time before I left and while I was gone. She tried to ask me about my day when I realized she was totally drunk. Despite feeling great about having just worked out, my mood immediately shifted from being slightly annoyed about her having happy hour while I was away to livid about her being wasted for no apparent reason. I told her not to talk to me and she asked why; I briefly considered walking away from the situation. The anger welled up in me and I knew I had to give her a piece o my mind about what had become a disturbing habit of alcohol abuse. I raised my voice and told her it didn't matter how my day was, because she ruined it by getting excessively intoxicated when she knew it was something that greatly upset. She looked at me with an expression of confusion and sloppily said she was sorry. I yelled at her that she wasn't sorry because she kept behaving that way even though she knew how much it upset me, and it was better not to lie. I told her she was a selfish person and she had a problem, and if she was going to be a liar, she should learn to do a better job of it or just not talk to me at all. I grabbed my laptop and stormed out of the room, exiting to my bedroom. I went into my adjoining bathroom, slamming the door open so hard that it knocked the towel rack through the drywall. I looked at my angry face in the mirror and wondered why I allowed such a pathetic person to upset me so greatly. She wasn't worth it." +"Tonight is March 17th 2019, one of the most worst days of my life. As I was sitting in my room, I happened to glance outside to the parking lot of my building. I looked in the spot where my car was parked and noticed something odd. It looked like someone was in my car. I got up to take a closer look and sure enough, two people were sitting in my car, rummaging through my belongs. Anger took over me, and without thinking, I ran downstairs to confront them. ""Hey, what the hell are you doing in my car? You know I'm a federal officer, and you just broke into my car??"" I said. One of the men replied, ""so?"" I didn't say anything else, I just turned around to walk back to my apartment so I could call the cops. As I'm coming up the stairs, my roommate is coming downstairs. She had seen everything from the bedroom window and came down to see what was going on. I rushed passed her, heading up the stairs, as I ran past her I told her they just broke into my car and I was calling the police. While I'm running up the stairs, I can hear my roommate trash talking the suspects. Telling them to get a job and things like that. I live on the third floor and by the time I got to the bottom of the third floor stairs I heard my roommate yell out ""he just tried to hit me with a bat"" I hurried as fast as I could to get to my apartment. I grabbed the closest weapon I could find, a knife, and headed back downstairs to help my roommate. I ran up to the guys with the bat and one proceeded to swing at me several times. I put my arm up as he tried to swing for my head, and he broke my arm. Eventually the suspects were arrested. I will never forget this day and how much fear and anger I felt, and still feel to this day. I could have lost my life that night but I'm grateful I didn't." +"Wow today was a pretty huge day for me! I am pretty wiped out after all of the activity. I had to wake up early this morning to get onto a plane to fly across the country where I met Celia, my girlfriend. The moving truck was there waiting for me so we went straight to the apartment and got to work unloading boxes. As we worked to unpack and put things away, Celia gave me an unofficial tour of the place. It was the least of my concerns of course but I have to say, it was nice to see that the apartment is cute and comfy. I am honestly looking forward to living here full time, its a really nice place. Celia is the best, too. She made space for all of my belongings and has been being so kind and welcoming. We luckily got finished moving things in pretty fast so after a shower and a little bit of time to relax, Celia offered to take me out around the neighborhood. It was so new and different but I love how everything felt. We stopped in at some cool shops and then went for an early dinner at a nice restaurant that's just down the street from our place. I can't believe that its really ""our place"" now! Its so exciting. I just can't wait to see where our future is headed from here. After such a busy day though right now its just time to get some rest." +"Wow today was a pretty huge day for me! I am pretty wiped out after all of the activity. I had to wake up early this morning to get onto a plane to fly across the country where I met Celia, my girlfriend. The moving truck was there waiting for me so we went straight to the apartment and got to work unloading boxes. As we worked to unpack and put things away, Celia gave me an unofficial tour of the place. It was the least of my concerns of course but I have to say, it was nice to see that the apartment is cute and comfy. I am honestly looking forward to living here full time, its a really nice place. Celia is the best, too. She made space for all of my belongings and has been being so kind and welcoming. We luckily got finished moving things in pretty fast so after a shower and a little bit of time to relax, Celia offered to take me out around the neighborhood. It was so new and different but I love how everything felt. We stopped in at some cool shops and then went for an early dinner at a nice restaurant that's just down the street from our place. I can't believe that its really ""our place"" now! Its so exciting. I just can't wait to see where our future is headed from here. After such a busy day though right now its just time to get some rest." +"Sharing a museum exhibit with my daughter. The artist is someone that I also shared an experience with my mom. To share an artist experience with my daughter that holds a special meaning to me was emotional. We had a great afternoon together admiring Chihuly glass. It brought back memories of sharing his work with my mom. She is now deceased. To share this with my daughter brought back good memories of time with my mom. Sharing the arts with my daughter was meaningful. To do something together that brings together my daughter, mom and myself was rewarding. His exhibits are limited and only in a few locations. Just happened to have one where my mom lived and then one where my daughter lived. We were very fortunate to have him in our locations. Also to be available to go. Quite memorable and beautiful art to share together. Something we can think back on." +"My wife and I have been living in the same family home for the last ten years. It was our first family home and we purchased it when we were newlyweds. Now that our children are growing up, we needed more bedrooms. We tried to make the current situation work as we are very attached to this first house. It was a difficult decision, but after much deliberation we decided to sell it. This happened about four months ago. We are excited about the new house we are moving into but miss the nostalgic touches of where we reared our children in their younger days. We miss the apple tree outside that we planted ourselves when we first moved in. We miss the marks on the wall where we recorded their height as they grew up. But we try and look forward to the new memories we will be creating in this new home and set our sights on the future. This house has a dining nook where we can imagine many family pizza and movie nights going forward. It also has a fire pit that we can imagine the kids will enjoy having their friends over at as they grow older. It is important to never grow to attached to worldly things as nothing lasts. It is also important to remember that although nothing lasts, nothing is lost. The older I grow the more I realize what this truly means to me." +"I've read the full four book lonesome dove series and I consider it to be among the finest of the great western classics. I've also seen the numerous depictions in film of McMurtry's stories. I first discovered the adventures of Call and McCrae in my freshman year of high school. My new girlfriend at the time (who considered herself a bit of a cowgirl) was obsessed with the series. She wasn't exaggerating to say she'd tried her hand at being a cowboy; she once joined an old fashioned cattle drive that took a herd of livestock from idaho to montana by horse. She was so taken by the series and it's characters that she even had her bicep tattooed with a full half-sleeve of McCrae rearing back on a horse. It was quite good work and I was quite jealous. I wouldn't mind going back to visit some of the timeless characters in those novels, they really do hold up in their unflinching depiction of the old american west, blemishes and all. Some of the most profound things I took from the stories were the details surrounding the cultures of the various native american tribes the cowboys encounter along the journeys. It's very interesting to know how the comanches and apaches were so desperately feared, and some other tribes simply were not as their way of life was much different. It also doesn't surprise me that plains native americans would be so tough and willing to fight to defend themselves given the overall harsh environment of north and west texas. One of the most striking moments in the series is when the long time adversary of Call and McCrae, the former chief of the comanches, is on his death-bed and seeks a personal journey to die alone and apart from his tribe. The cowboys have fought him for decades and want nothing but vengeance but they never get it. Instead the reader is treated to a profound moment of acceptance from an incredibly strong-willed man as he ushers himself from his world. It is truly one of my favorite books and having grown up in Texas, I some sense of pride imagining that events as romantic if at time brutal probably took place. It makes me feel at the very least that Texas is as unique a state as we Texans would like to believe and often proclaim." +"I've read the full four book lonesome dove series and I consider it to be among the finest of the great western classics. I've also seen the numerous depictions in film of McMurtry's stories. I first discovered the adventures of Call and McCrae in my freshman year of high school. My new girlfriend at the time (who considered herself a bit of a cowgirl) was obsessed with the series. She wasn't exaggerating to say she'd tried her hand at being a cowboy; she once joined an old fashioned cattle drive that took a herd of livestock from idaho to montana by horse. She was so taken by the series and it's characters that she even had her bicep tattooed with a full half-sleeve of McCrae rearing back on a horse. It was quite good work and I was quite jealous. I wouldn't mind going back to visit some of the timeless characters in those novels, they really do hold up in their unflinching depiction of the old american west, blemishes and all. Some of the most profound things I took from the stories were the details surrounding the cultures of the various native american tribes the cowboys encounter along the journeys. It's very interesting to know how the comanches and apaches were so desperately feared, and some other tribes simply were not as their way of life was much different. It also doesn't surprise me that plains native americans would be so tough and willing to fight to defend themselves given the overall harsh environment of north and west texas. One of the most striking moments in the series is when the long time adversary of Call and McCrae, the former chief of the comanches, is on his death-bed and seeks a personal journey to die alone and apart from his tribe. The cowboys have fought him for decades and want nothing but vengeance but they never get it. Instead the reader is treated to a profound moment of acceptance from an incredibly strong-willed man as he ushers himself from his world. It is truly one of my favorite books and having grown up in Texas, I some sense of pride imagining that events as romantic if at time brutal probably took place. It makes me feel at the very least that Texas is as unique a state as we Texans would like to believe and often proclaim." +"The past two months have seemed like a blur, but in the past two weeks, everything seemed to go in slow motion. Leading up to our graduation, every day was jam packed with things to do. We were cramming for exams, touching up final papers, analyzing data for research projects. And that was just for school. We also had to find time to apply for jobs, so many jobs. And of course we couldn’t neglect each other. We went out every weekend. We were finally all 21 and didn’t have to worry about fake ids, so we really took advantage of the full range of bar selections across the city. We felt like we were finally growing up and finally ready to enter the real world. Graduation day two weeks ago was the culmination of all of that. We partied like we never had before, and we finally didn’t have to stress about waking on time the next day battling a hangover to get to class. After that, though, the dorms closed. We all had to leave. I went back to my family’s house for a while, and the whole world seemed to stop. As adult as I felt the past few months, I was whisked back to childhood by my parents, controlling my every move once again. I still didn’t have a job, but felt like I was running out of places to apply. My friends from high school mostly weren’t around, either, so days passed so slowly. I have to admit, I enjoyed it at first, finally free of the deadlines, but without the friends and life I’d built in college, all the fun things I wished I could do with my free time just weren’t around to enjoy anymore. This past week has been so hard. I hardly bothered to leave my room much less the house. But you know what, just when I felt like I needed to resign to this being my life, days of reminiscing for college, I got a call! Last night, I got an interview for a job at my top choice of firms. I’m so excited, and it’s really brought my life back into focus. Shopping tomorrow, interview prepping on Wednesday, and if all goes well, my first real job next month!" +"Now it was time to figure out what to do after college. I had to start a job hunt. I also had to start networking with people i have ever met in order to get job leads. A job search will no doubt have its ups and downs (and ups, downs, and ups again). To help you navigate the job hunt and, ultimately, land your first job, you’ll need some direction. Get started by asking yourself these questions:What kind of job do i want,do i have work experience. Do i even know the industries I'm going to. Since i have no where to live i had to go back to my parents,i couldn't afford a apartment or just pay house rent or pay other bills ,i had to depend on my parents. Next morning i started looking for jobs in the internet and making applications,Calling friends. After a few weeks i was offered a job in a manufacturing company. A first job is special. There are a couple of reasons for this: the experience is burned in one’s memory, it gives you the practice needed to fulfill other positions, and it teaches you about the value of money. Of course we do jobs around the house when we are young, like cleaning dishes, vacuuming, and doing laundry, but working for others for money gives off a different feeling. It was a cloth manufacturing company. After a few weeks of practicing and getting grip on the work, my supervisor decided that I should work solo because she saw confidence in me, and I was confident as well that I could work by myself because I knew exactly what to do. When I started to work solo, I was given more heavy and hard work such as instead of ticketing price tags on shirts and t-shirts, now I had to ticket price tags on heavy jeans, jackets, school-bags, etc. I also had to pack those items in the boxes depending on the price, weight and size of the items. Once, I packed those items in the boxes by using tap-gun, I also had to put those heavy boxes on pallet and move it by using roller to a place where other employees would lift those boxes and put in trucks, which will send it to the stores. Despite being the youngest employee other employees were very friendly. Whenever i need help they were ready to help me out. After three moths i was promoted to higher position and my salary also increased since i was very hardworking and focused. Life was starting to feel better i had to move from my parents house and rent my apartment,i started also paying my bills is not that easy but i had to struggle and do other par time jobs. I had to also save in order for me to do other courses and grow my career." +"So, my holidays...huh, well that's a story! We went on trip to South Florida to take advantage of the warm southern whether, since, you know, winter in the north is a pain. We tried to take my van but the blasted thing wouldn't start so that was out. We asked my Dad if we could take his truck but he needed it for work so that was out. We then remembered that my Mom had left her car while she was in Europe for the winter and I called her up. She told us not to take her car but we were out of options so we did anyway. We got about halfway to Florida before the clunker broke down! We were stuck on the side of the road for hours waiting for a tow truck to get there which wasn't fun. Even less fun was thinking we'd lost our puppy! In all the chaos we'd lost track of her and I was so sure she'd gotten out on the highway, but thankfully we were able to find her in the backseat later. She'd burrowed under a blanket and taken a nap, the silly thing! When the tow truck finally got there they towed us home. We were able to fix Mom's car before she got back from her trip so she never knew what had happened. She even commented about how it ran better now than when she'd left! I don't think we'll ever tell her what went wrong that week, but at least all's well that ends well." +"We went on a fishing trip in south florida. My mother told me not to take her car as it wasn't ready for the road we didn't listen. Me and my boyfriend and my two brothers were all stuffed in this sedan with our new puppy. We made our way down the highway about 40 miles (It was a 180 mile trip) when my boyfriend points out the heat gauge is going up. Shortly after that the car begins to stall. This is where everything takes a turn. We pull off to the side of the highway in order to check the car. It turns out to be a radiator problem and with no towns for 20 miles in any direction were in trouble. So we are all sitting in the car trying to avoid the heat when we notice ""has anyone see the puppy?"". This is when things get even worse we couldn't find our puppy we thought she might of ran off into the everglades to the right of us so we start going in the mud looking around. We called her name shaked a box of treats and still can't find her. Then my brother in the car calls us all over and low and behold there's the puppy. She was hiding in between the seats and the trunk to stay cool and somehow she found her way in a spot where none of us could see her! This brings up our moral while we wait for triple a that my grandma had called for us. In the end we never did get to go on that trip with the puppy but we all made it out okay and for what it was it's a memorable little road trip for us." +"I was going out with the girlfriend. Once we decided on a place we chose a bar. This was a fun place for the night . There were a lot of men there and my girlfriend is cute. She looks really good. We had a few drinks and the music was loud. The atmosphere was good. I had to go to the bathroom at one point. When I came back from the bathroom I see two guys talking to my girlfriend and flirting with her. I approach the, and tell them to leave as she is there with me. They were drunk and didn’t listen. We got into an argument and eventually a fight. The police arrived shortly after to break the fight up. It was a bad night over a stud pod argument. That is how I learned not to mix and drink too much in public. That is the story I want to portray. Don’t drink too much!" +"My son describes himself as a crazy cat lady, and he loves cats with all his heart. He pretends to be a cat, he plays with his cats, he runs around meowing and grooming himself, basically anything a child can do to emulate a cat, he does. For the last year he has had two cats and always talked about wanting more, always asking if we could get another, pointing out how he would be able to care for another anytime the opportunity arose. I, as his mom, had said no to any more cats numerous times. I was dead set against getting anymore, two was enough to feed and care for and buy litter for them to use. Near my son's seventh birthday his father, my exhusband, called me up and asked if I was interested in a free cat. My immediate response was no, I was not interested in having another cat in the house. Then my ex said the cat was going to be a ragdoll, and my immediate no became an enthusiastic yes. I had previously been interested in getting a rag doll kitty, I knew they were prized for the soft coats and gentle temperaments, and I knew they were sold for thousands of dollars. Hearing that I could get one for free was amazing and I was not going to miss out on the chance to own a ragdoll. She came home to us the weekend before his birthday and the humans here loved her immediately. The other two cats took a little while to warm up to her, but they did. Now it's commonplace to find them snuggled up to each other sleeping, or darting around playing together like furry little streaks of thunderous kitty running rampage. The cost of caring for three cats is somehow exponentially more than only two, but I wouldn't trade my new kitty for any amount of money in the world. In this short time she has became a family member and you cannot put a price on your family members." +"I've never really been much of a cat person. Honestly, I've never really been much of an animal person at all. That all changed when my son decided that he really wanted a kitty. My ex and I get along, so she made sure to ask first if it was okay for her to get him a kitty. I have full custody, and she sees him every other weekend, so the cat would mostly be at my house. Unable to resist my son's charm, I said yes. She got him a little rag doll kitten, and my son was in love. He treated that cat with the utmost respect. He named the cat Percy after some kid's show I think. The cat was so snuggly and loving, that even I wound up falling in love with the cat. Now, all this time later, we have 3 cats, with Percy being the oldest. It took my son being cute, but he turned me into a cat lover. I love my cats to death. My son and I have bonded over loving our kitties. I will always love my son so much." +I went out with a group of friends to go swimming on a warm summer day. We went to a secluded creak that has a clearing to swim in. It was with a group of friends from a spiritual community that I am a part of. When went after the Sunday service and it was a small group of about 7 people. We drove in two separate cars and the drive was about 10 minutes to get to where we were going. I had some memories come up while we were there from when I was a kid and I used to go swimming with my family and groups of friends at places like these. I also felt myself withdrawing from the group a bit and not relating well. I cut my leg on a rock when I was going into the water. It made me start to obsessively worry about if it would be infected and also being mad at myself for being reckless. The water felt good in the hot weather and I got some good exercise while swimming. I put on a lot of sunscreen so I didn't get sunburned. We stayed at the place swimming and talking for about 2 hours. Then we drove back to our community and had some food and drinks. I found myself regretting not trying to connect with people more. I noticed how I was doing things to make myself feel alienated and separate from the people I was with. +"Dear diary,The last couple of months have been really interesting. Randy, one of my coworkers has been having a really hard time. There had always been rumors that he was a heavy drinker, but I never payed much attention to them. Then he came into work looking destroyed and being extra quiet. I asked him what's up and he just broke down. He said his family had asked him to move out because he had lost control of his drinking. He didn't know what to do. I talked to him a bit and calmed him down, then gave his a number of a rehab clinic that my brother went to. He checked in himself and our boss gave him some time off to get sorted. The rehab program was less than a month and I'm not sure exactly what the program is, but it seemed to help. He came back like a different person. He went back to his wife and apologized and told them he wanted to change. She said she wanted to help him and welcomed him back. It will still take a lot of work and is a never ending thing but I'm glad for him. He also has a lot of support here at work. Our boss really surprised me with how understanding he was." +That was a very special day in my life because it was one of the largest accomplishments for me and my family. I woke up very nervous and sort of sick to my stomach but in a good way. I was afraid that something would somehow go wrong and I wasn’t going to get to graduate. The morning started with breakfast with family and hanging out with my wife and brother. We then went back to the hotel and got ready by showering and getting some good clothes on. We met up with the he rest of the family for photos which took about an hour. After photos we went tot he auditorium and the ceremony started shortly after 2 pm I believe. It was about an hour long but it seemed to last forever. At some point the nerves went away and I was just happy to have finished a very hard phd and happy that I made my parents Proud. The rest of the day was also very positive. We had dinner as a family at a nice restaurant. We then sat and talked for a few hours. I told my family stories of the struggles and tough times during those five years. The offered feedback and told me I had done a great job. I admit this felt so good! It meant to much to be able to accomplish this for everyone that helped me along the way. It was a top moment in my life for sure +That was a very special day in my life because it was one of the largest accomplishments for me and my family. I woke up very nervous and sort of sick to my stomach but in a good way. I was afraid that something would somehow go wrong and I wasn’t going to get to graduate. The morning started with breakfast with family and hanging out with my wife and brother. We then went back to the hotel and got ready by showering and getting some good clothes on. We met up with the he rest of the family for photos which took about an hour. After photos we went tot he auditorium and the ceremony started shortly after 2 pm I believe. It was about an hour long but it seemed to last forever. At some point the nerves went away and I was just happy to have finished a very hard phd and happy that I made my parents Proud. The rest of the day was also very positive. We had dinner as a family at a nice restaurant. We then sat and talked for a few hours. I told my family stories of the struggles and tough times during those five years. The offered feedback and told me I had done a great job. I admit this felt so good! It meant to much to be able to accomplish this for everyone that helped me along the way. It was a top moment in my life for sure +"This was our first family vacation. We went to the Outer Banks. It was the girls first time seeing the beach. They were roaming around the beach and enjoying the tides. My relatives were taking sun bath and were ready for other set of enjoyment. I was seeing the crazy crabs freaking around the paper kinda thing. It was very weird while seeing those things happening. The outer banks was quite impressive than expected. I was amazed by the infrastructure of the beach and it was driving us crazy. Apparently,my brothers were planning to take beach diving and I was no barrier to that. I loved the way everyone enjoyed around the beach. The girls with their beach suit were consuming juice and they were about to join the diving. To be honest, the most important thing to be noted was the pleasant and sunny climate which took the enjoyment to the another level. All of a sudden, there formed a dark cloud and it started raining heavily. It made us exclaimed. The thing came to my mind was I should definitely revisit this beach again alongside my friends or family. The resort near the beach was elegant and it made us awestruck with its beautiful outlook. When speaking about the food there, it never disappointed us. The food was delicious there and made it us felt fantastic. Overall, it is a must visit beach along with your family and friends. There is a theme park located near the beach and it was way far better than other theme parks in the country. The rides are very enjoyable there. It will make us more fascinated towards revisiting the park once again. After all, it will be a roller coaster one when taking all your friends and family there and enjoy the place." +"The date was July 29th, 2019. It’s officially my due date! A few days ago, I went to the hospital with horrible contractions. They sent me home because I was only 1cm dilated. I’ve been in so much pain, I haven’t slept for around 48 hours. It hurt to sit, hurt to lay down, I’ve basically been standing up on my feet for 2 days. I haven’t eaten either. My bladder was irritated and just stopped working. I couldn’t pee no matter how hard I tried. I was truly the most miserable I’ve ever been. I finally couldn’t stand it anymore so my mom and boyfriend took me back to the hospital and I FINALLY got admitted!! :D I guess all those crazy contractions worked because I finally dilated to 3cm and they admitted me! (After threatening their lives if they didn’t lol) so here I am, on my due date, CRAZY happy with my epidural, and waiting to progress. Right now I’m about 5-6cm. Can’t wait to meet my little boy! UPDATE: My son was born 7/29 at 2:49am. 5 lbs 9oz We’re in post partum recovery, I ended up having a c-section due to meconium in his amniotic fluid. He is perfect, healthy, and we’re learning breastfeeding together. He’s my angel." +"My is full of various events and experiences. But all of these are not equally important, enjoyable and memorable. All days we come across in our life are not the same. Some are memorable. It happened few months ago. I was walking towards the bus stand at that time an old woman called me and asked me ""can you gave me two rupees"". She was looking so tired and weak. I became really sad by hearing that question actually I didn't have much money in my hand then. I gave her twenty rupees. she said no I want only two rupees. I said its okay and walked away..I thank GOD for giving me an opportunity to help her. Please don't ask for much GOD knows everything that we want ,He will gave us everything. I have great passion towards dancing and so in the final year of my college I decided to finally live my dreams and form my own dance group which will be performing in the Annual Fest. Everything was going perfect,I had a perfect cooperative and loving group and we were all set to burn the floors on Fest. Just before 5 days of the fest,a member of the union came up and said now bhaji has decided that since its your last fest you should go for it and your team can perform. Heart said that after all the disrespect that you have got you shouldn't step on the stage again but mind said it's time for your actions to speak. San Francisco is beautiful and just fantastic, albeit expensive. There is something for everyone there. If you like boutique hotels, they are there. If you like the fancy hotels like the Sir Francis Drake, that is also available in abundance" +"This week I went to the hospital to visit my mother. In the past six weeks, her health has gone in steep decline. She is elderly and had been diagnosed with a terminal illness, but had been coasting along for a couple of years without much deterioration. About six weeks ago, we took her to the ER with what we thought was a mild issue. It was not mild. Her illness went a sudden and steep decline. When I went to visit my mother this week, I heard her yelling before I entered her hospital room. She did not focus on me when I entered the room and she looked terrified. She kept repeating the same nonsense phrase over and over again. Of course, I wanted to do something to comfort her. She seemed fairly unreachable. I finally went to ask for her nurse to come so that we could see if there was a medical intervention that might comfort her. My mother's doctor came to the room and explained that she had been unsettled the previous evening, so she was given a medication. As a result of the medication, she slept last night, all day today, and had recently woke with hallucinations. I am generally a stoic person, but while the doctor was talking, I began crying. I could not seem to stop. I cried during my entire drive home. I thought that I had become desensitized to my mother's health decline, but I found at that moment that I could not handle her clearly suffering. The hospital is steering clear of the medicine that gave her the hallucinations, so I will hopefully not see my mother looking that terrified again." +"My best friend in the world hit me during a fight a couple of months ago. It was an open-handed, angry slap on the face. Followed by frozen shared-shock. It all started when we were arguing over who should be doing what tasks around the apartment. I was living with her for a few months until I could get on my feet, because I was new to the city. And at a distance, with enough time between interactions- the bossy, assured nature she would dictate our time together in, was almost a comfort. I really liked having her be that for us, and I think she really enjoyed having me being compliant and helpful. But when a few times a month became everyday, the tension began to build. Perhaps I would offer to take the dogs out a few days she was busy getting ready in the morning. Then the next week she would ask me every day to take her dogs out and to also feed them. When the clothes sitting in the washer were blocking me from doing my laundry, I would go ahead and finish out her loads of laundry. Then the next week she would ask me to do her laundry for her. It would even be things that weren't house care related. If she didn't want to be alone doing something, she would ask me to accompany her to do it-perhaps watching her hang up her clothes, or sit with her while she studied. Well one particular night it came to a head when she asked me to come help her clean up the kitchen. I had not dirtied up the kitchen, and I didn't want to clean it up. And when she would ask for help doing something-you can bet that meant I was just going to do most if not all of it, and she absolutely used that to her advantage. But this night, I said no. She was so taken aback by this that she got angry with me. I was so offended that she would get mad that I declined to help on this ONE thing that it escalated quickly over the next 40 minutes. We started kitchen-sinking, mudslinging, slandering, defaming each other just specifically calling out every minuscule problem we had with each other over the past month. Until eventually we got up in each other's faces and she slapped me across the face. It's been about 4 months since then, and we still haven't spoken. I just hope that one day we can get past this, because it breaks my heart that such a stupid beginning of a fight has ended in more serious sadness." +"I recently moved to Houston, TX from Denver, CO to be with my now girlfriend. It was overall a very nerve wracking experience and I was very unsure how everything would play out. Suffice to say, I was taking a big risk. I think that it was a really difficult thing to do, but I wanted to do it because it was something I believed in. I was nervous the entire time. I took an uber to the train station in Downtown Denver and then the train to the airport. I was several hours early, but I had to wait forever because there were so many people flying that day. It took about 2 hours to get through TSA and to my terminal. I then tried everything I could to stay calm until my plane. It was delayed by a couple of hours and we didn't end up flying until around 9PM. I landed at 11AM, and was ecstatic to see my girlfriend. We got my luggage and left. I felt like the journey was finally over and I'm glad I made the decision I did. We drove to her house and on the way got Whataburger, which was delicious. I had never had it before." +"I am hoping I made the right decision, but I recently moved from my home state to Texas. My girlfriend has been living in Houston for the past 3 years. I love her but it is very tough to remain in a long term relationship for that long. I am from Colorado, and loved it there. It was alot of work to move a whole house several states away. I have been stressed non-stop, between orchestrating the movers and rental trucks. I had to pack up the entire house alone, and ended up selling some items, as there was no more space on the truck. I was so worried about the overage charges that I have heard those movers charge when you have mores things then you are supposed to. My cat is older, and I didn't want to stress him with the relocation, so I had to let him stay with my family back in Denver. That was one of the hardest parts of this move. Then when I got to my girlfriends place, she has a cat. And it hates me, almost as much as I dislike him. I followed the truck over 12 hours, driving throughout the night. I was so tired. When I finally made it to Houston, I had to unpack all these boxes. It is so awkward, when you show up with all of your personal effects to move in with someone , even if you were already dating. I was moving into her territory. I couldn't find my toothbrush, and bathroom supplies for over 3 weeks. Figures, it was the very last box that I unpacked." +"Me and my team were sent out to run a program. This consisted of me and a few fellow coworkers. Our job was to run and make sure a large recruiting event goes smoothly as planned. We had access to about 5 large event rooms in a hotel. All filled with a total of 300 potential recruits/clients. This was a very big deal, and many upper level directors/executives were there to show face and talk and stuff. However, all of a sudden there was an issue with connection, keep in mind every recruit had our technology and were testing/using them. Nothing was logging in, no programs were launching, etc. This would be a game ender if not figured out right then and there. So I was able to re-route the entire back-end connections and almost luckily did the right thing and saved that entire project and live presentations from complete failure. That's what got me noticed and praised. It was funny but also a very awesome moment. It's because of this event that I was able to jump up very quickly in the company. It's amazing to me how you can sit there every day and grind it out for nothing. Or you can do one unique thing and that is what people know." +"Me and my team were sent out to run a program. This consisted of me and a few fellow coworkers. Our job was to run and make sure a large recruiting event goes smoothly as planned. We had access to about 5 large event rooms in a hotel. All filled with a total of 300 potential recruits/clients. This was a very big deal, and many upper level directors/executives were there to show face and talk and stuff. However, all of a sudden there was an issue with connection, keep in mind every recruit had our technology and were testing/using them. Nothing was logging in, no programs were launching, etc. This would be a game ender if not figured out right then and there. So I was able to re-route the entire back-end connections and almost luckily did the right thing and saved that entire project and live presentations from complete failure. That's what got me noticed and praised. It was funny but also a very awesome moment. It's because of this event that I was able to jump up very quickly in the company. It's amazing to me how you can sit there every day and grind it out for nothing. Or you can do one unique thing and that is what people know." +"My husband, George, and I were married six months ago. We had a very small wedding with only our children and my grandparents attending. George has two daughters that are five and eight. And, I have one daughter that is eight and one son who is four. My son Ryan is a very active and curious little boy. We were married in a gazebo at a park. The park was filled beautiful gardens and a lake with a water feature in the middle. Our wedding day was on a beautiful summer day. During the ceremony the local ducks decided to join us. The ducks made a mess on the floor of the gazebo. As we were saying our vows, Ryan noticed the ducks and decided to check them out. He dashed to the area of the gazebo, where the ducks were. As he ran toward them, he slipped and fell in the duck's poop and tripped over my grandmother's feet, soiling her shoes. By that time the ducks decided to leave and they waddled towards the lake. When Ryan got up from tripping over my grandmother's feet, he chased after the ducks. By this time we saw Ryan chasing the ducks and going towards the lake. George and I stopped saying our vows to each other and chased after Ryan. But, it was too late to catch him before he got to the lake. To our dismay, Ryan fell in the lake. Thank goodness the water was not deep at the edge and we were able to get to him safely. After all the drama, we went back to the Gazabo and continued saying our vows. Our wedding day was a good day overall although, it was not what I expected." +"My wedding day was at the beggining of the year and though it wasnt all that i ecpected it was still a nice day and one that i will always remember. We got married in the court house that my husband worked on while he was roofing. My grandparents where the only ones able to come. They waited in the lobby with our youngest son who was just 2 months at the time while we took our 5 year old upstairs with us for the ceremony. It was short and simple. I wish that more family could have come to share the day with us but it was special and will be something t beat when we get our vows renewed in the future. When I was younger I did imagine me to at least have a nice white dress and a bridesmaid in a church. The fact that it wasnt in a church did bother me a little, and i wore a regular but nice red dress i got on sale for $40. I would have loved to have flowers because my husband always brings me red roses. Being that it was in between our birthdays will be nice for a anniversary. I am thankful that my kids where there. I am thankful that my grandparents where present. I am thankful to be able to legally marry my husband. And I am thankful that it was a nice day. In the future I will be thankful." +"I applied for a job that was more about the special needs of children. It was actually crazy because I did not have the expertise in the field. It may have sounded simple at first because on paper, the job description is entirely doable. When I say doable, what I mean by that is that I can definitely improvise my own experience and apply it to the job. So that day, I went ahead and got the interview. I prepared my lucky casual attire, which was a maroon colored sleeved shirt. I call it the lucky casual attire because it was simply a lucky shirt that I wear for interviews and everytime I wear it, I become successful in being offered the job. When I did the interview, I was not doing well with it. I was stupid enough and actually cocky enough to not be able to even try and prepare for the interview. My thoughts after I did the interview was mostly negative, I was hard on myself for not trying to prepare for the interview. I promised myself that that interview would be the last one that I did not come prepared. The interviewee was actually a good mix between accomodating and genuinely strict. The interviewee was actually attractive too. The moment the interview was done, the interviewee still ended up offering me the job, on the spot. I was excited inside and obviously I definitely accepted the job gratefully." +"My son returned from a military deployment after spending a year in Cuba. We had a large ""coming home"" party for him. The whole family, except for a couple people, showed up. We had a great time, until some of our relatives got very intoxicated. I felt so bad for my son to have to witness this on his day of celebration. The weather was nice. We had a barbecue and grilled various meats. Some of the relatives brought food also. What should have been a great day, turned into chaos. Several of our family members are alcoholics. People started arguing and getting loud. My son's father behaved the worst. He started a fight, and the police were called. He ended up going to jail. He was being charged with serious assault. Even to this day, some of our family members do not speak to each other. It really affected our holiday gatherings this year. Some of our relative did not show up for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I doubt if we will ever have a celebration again that involves alcohol." +"My son returned from a military deployment after spending a year in Cuba. We had a large ""coming home"" party for him. The whole family, except for a couple people, showed up. We had a great time, until some of our relatives got very intoxicated. I felt so bad for my son to have to witness this on his day of celebration. The weather was nice. We had a barbecue and grilled various meats. Some of the relatives brought food also. What should have been a great day, turned into chaos. Several of our family members are alcoholics. People started arguing and getting loud. My son's father behaved the worst. He started a fight, and the police were called. He ended up going to jail. He was being charged with serious assault. Even to this day, some of our family members do not speak to each other. It really affected our holiday gatherings this year. Some of our relative did not show up for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I doubt if we will ever have a celebration again that involves alcohol." +"I was in California for a vacation about 3 months ago with my girlfriend. We had never been to a place with so many people before. We were not looking forward to driving AT ALL. We know that place is notorious for awful traffic and rude people. But we had to rent a car, so we did. We did some sight-seeing first while stopping at some famous little restaurants along the way. We saw the Hollywood sign, the walk of fame or whatever its called, and had In-N-Out burger for the first time. After we ate, we drove to a place that was recommended by the locals to do some clothes shopping. All along the way, there were hoards of homeless people. We knew CA had a homeless crisis, but were not expecting this. Anyway, we ended up having a tire blow out on the way to a mall. Embarrassingly, I had never changed a tire before. I got out to call someone for help when a scruffy, old homeless man stopped to help. He was the nicest man and I felt so bad for him. He changed the tire in just a couple minutes and didn't ask for money. I gave him 20 dollars, though, because who wouldn't? Nobody else stopped and offered assistance before he came. Some even yelled at us." +"I've been dealing with a chronic, ""incurable"" medical condition for around 16 years, but recently, I've discovered something that might be a potential cure. They say food is the best medicine, and I found, perhaps serendpitiously, a product at Costco that provided great relief from this medical condition, which can now be classified as parasitic infection according to my recent blood work results. It happened roughly 2 months ago, but I will describe in detail what the product is and why it helps my condition. Looking at it from a broader perspective, this event was magnificent and a relief, as it offers tremendous hope for the future, and for others that may have similar woes. Whilst browsing for cheeses in the cheese isle at costco, there was a particular brand that stood out to me. It said, ""New York Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese"" on the package label. What is so special about New York extra sharp cheddar cheese, I thought. I've tried so many cheddar cheese brands before, but with little to no benefit. It turns out that this particular one uses annatto as a food coloring. In general food coloring is regarded as detrimental to one's health, but annatto is unique. It doubles both as a spice and a food coloring agent. The spice is mild and not usually detectable by our bodies. After eating this cheese, something special happened. The parasites that have been plaguing me for decades started imploding and there was a mass exodus that I do not wish to describe in detail, but it involved running to the bathroom 30-40 times in the span of 5 hours. But why? Why did this agent work when so many other expensive medical treatments and anti-parasitic medicines have failed in the past? In this case, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. All the individual components of the cheese are important. Annatto is an anti-parasitic agent according to the medical literature. It offers numerous benefits in terms of health and is a relatively common spice used in cooking. Combined with the minuscule amount of milk sugar in the cheese, often referred to as whey, the overall effect is synergistic." +"Last month I was invited to a seminar for our company that was based in a different state. This is an exclusive invite that only a handful of employees get to attend every year. One of the people from our office that went was a man from accounting. He is in his mid-20s and has such a contagious smile. After the seminar ended one evening, we went out to a bar just to relax before returning to our hotel rooms. One thing led to another, and we became quite close. We've been dating since we have returned from that seminar, and even reported the relationship to HR. He wants me to meet his family. This would be all well and good, but I'm terrified what they must think of me. I'm nearly 40, which makes me almost old enough to be his mother. I hate that age is such a factor, but I can't help but feel the stares every time we go out. So, I'm nervous to meet his family. I haven't even told my own family that I'm seeing someone. I just want things to be perfect with us just a bit longer. I don't want to put the stigma on our relationship with the whispering that is sure to come from our families." +"Last month I was invited to a seminar for our company that was based in a different state. This is an exclusive invite that only a handful of employees get to attend every year. One of the people from our office that went was a man from accounting. He is in his mid-20s and has such a contagious smile. After the seminar ended one evening, we went out to a bar just to relax before returning to our hotel rooms. One thing led to another, and we became quite close. We've been dating since we have returned from that seminar, and even reported the relationship to HR. He wants me to meet his family. This would be all well and good, but I'm terrified what they must think of me. I'm nearly 40, which makes me almost old enough to be his mother. I hate that age is such a factor, but I can't help but feel the stares every time we go out. So, I'm nervous to meet his family. I haven't even told my own family that I'm seeing someone. I just want things to be perfect with us just a bit longer. I don't want to put the stigma on our relationship with the whispering that is sure to come from our families." +"Today I was thinking back to mom's birthday. It was about five weeks ago now, but it still brings a smile to my face when I think about it. I still can't believe that we pulled off the surprise party! Things got a little sketchy when she said she wan't really feeling like going out to dinner, but they came full circle when I worked my puppy dog eye magic and she went any way. I still got it. When we got to our usual restaurant we walked in as usual but the hostess said they were expecting a large party so we'd have to sit in the back side of the restaurant. When we turned the corner - BAM - there was the whole family, just for mom! It was awesome to see the love that we all have for her and for her to be the star of the show for once. Her face was glowing and so were ours. We spent hours together at the restaurant with everyone that we love and then they brought the cake out... mom's favorite too. Ice cream cake! That's when the tears started flowing. She whispered in my ear that she never had a party for herself. She was always the one throwing parties. So needless to stay the tears poured down my face right along with her. Man do I love this woman. I can only hope to be half the woman she is." +"We had a big family trip to DC, New York and Philadelphia in summer 2019. It was a big road trip because my family, my parents and my sister's family were all going together and this was a rare occasion. My sister's husband usually doesn't want to drive to another state but we finally convinced him and he said yes. The weather was nice and even a little cold for me. We visited The White house, Lincoln Memorial, Smithsonian museum, JFK memorial and the Capitol during our trip to Washington DC. My parents told me that it was a dream comes true because they have never imagined that they can go there in their lifetime and see those famous places. Our next destination was Philadelphia and although this was ""less"" special, we had a great time there. We had amazing Indonesian food, just like what we had back in our country. It was so... so.. good! We met with an old friend before heading to our next destination which was New York. We went to The Statue of Liberty, Times Square and China Town. We bought the red bus ticket so we can hop on and hop off easily. The boys certainly didn't want to drive there because the road was a mess and so crazy. We spent most of our time on the bus and listened to the history of New York. It was sad to go home but we had a lot of fun. We got home safely despite of a little incident of our old minivan. Suddenly the steering wheel was becoming heavy and made a squeaking noise. The noise became louder when we were almost home but we made it safely. I guess even the car got tired. We spent more than $2000 just to fix it. The trip was worth it and I can't wait for another family trip." +"Things were a little different this year, Diary. 5 weeks ago was mom's birthday and this time we wanted to do something special. Sis and I have plenty of fond memories of our birthdays growing up over the years, but now that we're older we realized that it had always been about us; we didn't have any memories in particular about celebrating our mom's birthdays by doing anything special. We had a hard time even remembering how old she was! Can you imagine that? We took it upon ourselves to make her know that we did appreciate her this time around. We went out and got ingredients, inspired and determined to make a cake for her with our own hands. We don't bake much, but we found a recipe that looked pretty good and got started on it. I'm not going to say it was the hardest thing in the world, but the labor was satisfying in a way. It made is reflect on the effort that mom must have put in for our birthdays, as we've always had homemade cake. In the end, we managed to bring it together. It wasn't a surprise party or anything like that. We told her that we wanted to celebrate with her at home and have a little party to ourselves. She sounded happy on the phone, but I didn't realize just what it would mean to her. The party was simple; just the 3 of us. We had each gotten her little gifts; knick nacks. I got her a new light for her bike (her last one had been stolen) and sis got her a new scarf. We opened the presents first and enjoyed the day a little bit before we brought in our homemade cake to surprise her. You should have seen the light shining in her eyes! They were glistening with the sun as tears began to well up. ""I've never had a cake before!"" she said. Talked about how she hadn't even stopped to think about her birthdays while we were growing up. She was always working hard doing her best to make us feel safe and taken care of. Well, my sister and I started crying too. We all held each other together and wept with joy that we could share this together." +"Saving money on vaping is actually quite easy. First of all, you have to get your ingredients together. Typically vape e liquid consists of vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, nicotine and, flavoring. So, i easily buy my propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) from amazon for almost dirt cheap. These two bottles will cost you about 15 dollars. Then, you will have to buy some nicotine and flavoring from a seperate website for about 10 dollars each. With these four bottles you are pretty much set for the whole year to make as much juice as you want. And this is why there are so many vape shops popping up sound your city. It's because anyone can slap a label on to a bottle and call it their own. Theres hundreds of thousands of different brands out there and a ton of flavors. Also, you can find the recipes for your favorite blend/brand online and make a clone version of your favorite juice. So, i've been doing this for a about a year or so now and it has saved me so much money. I used to buy 20 dollar bottles every other day. But now i make my own. I don't see why i haven't thought of this earlier. I should have put two and two together when i ""vaping"" started to be a popular way to quit cigarettes. Then all the vape stores popped up- putting their own labels on a bottle that will cost you around 1 dollar to make yet they will charge you 20 dollars in their store. it's ridiculous." +"Saving money on vaping is actually quite easy. First of all, you have to get your ingredients together. Typically vape e liquid consists of vegetable glycerin, propylene glycol, nicotine and, flavoring. So, i easily buy my propylene glycol (PG) and vegetable glycerin (VG) from amazon for almost dirt cheap. These two bottles will cost you about 15 dollars. Then, you will have to buy some nicotine and flavoring from a seperate website for about 10 dollars each. With these four bottles you are pretty much set for the whole year to make as much juice as you want. And this is why there are so many vape shops popping up sound your city. It's because anyone can slap a label on to a bottle and call it their own. Theres hundreds of thousands of different brands out there and a ton of flavors. Also, you can find the recipes for your favorite blend/brand online and make a clone version of your favorite juice. So, i've been doing this for a about a year or so now and it has saved me so much money. I used to buy 20 dollar bottles every other day. But now i make my own. I don't see why i haven't thought of this earlier. I should have put two and two together when i ""vaping"" started to be a popular way to quit cigarettes. Then all the vape stores popped up- putting their own labels on a bottle that will cost you around 1 dollar to make yet they will charge you 20 dollars in their store. it's ridiculous." +"In the beginning of April my grandfather died. He had been ill with dementia and physically deteriorating for a while but I still wasn't prepared to lose him. He was mentally declining and most of the time he would just sit in his chair and go in and out of a mental fugue state. The last time I saw him was six days before he died. He was already in hospice care and depressed. I showed him a picture of my newborn son and we talked about baseball. It was his favorite sport and he loved to watch the Detroit Tigers. He was very lucid and aware. He talked to me about how much he still missed Verlander since the trade and that he hoped the Tigers would have a good year despite losing so many players. He then told me that my baby looked like my wife. It was a very emotional day. His death really taught me to appreciate every moment of every day. I had spent so much of my time rushing through life that I never bothered to consider that it will eventually end. There will be some people who will really miss me after I am gone. I inherited money from his estate and invested the bulk of it. One of my most fond, recurring, memories from when I was a child was going to my grandparents lake cottage and spending weekends and vacations there. To honor my grandfather and provide my own children that kind of experience I purchased a cottage this summer, on a lake about an hour and a half drive away. On weekends we all go up there and relax. My daughter loves the beach and just sitting out in the shady yard. My little one is scooting around the place pretty good and likes to go sit under an umbrella and play in the sand. Every time I am there I think about my grandfather and wish so very, very much that he could be there to enjoy this with us. At times it feels like he is there. I firmly intend to instill all the values that I learned from him over the years. He was a good man, a simple man, and he was always looking for the sun after the rain." +"The most memorable event for me in the last few months was going to a cheese festival. My fiance's mom wanted to come visit us that weekend but we had already had plans to go to this festival. She decided that she would come with us as well. It was so hot outside, in the upper 80s. The event was outdoors, on the streets, with no respite from the sun. This made it challenging for vendors to keep their cheeses cold and stocked. The event drew a bigger crowd than they had imagined. Many vendors started selling out of their most popular items within the first few hours. We found a small cafe that had a table available after being told that it would be over an hour wait at the location we originally planned to eat at. We quickly realized why the cafe was so empty. The food was like something they would serve at Fyre Festival. The Caesar salad was just a few pieces of lettuce and dressing. We could complain, but we were just so relieved to be inside and out of the heat. Later, we found humor in the conditions of the food we ordered. This is a found memory for me because I do not often get to spend time with my future mother in law, so it was nice to have time to bond." +"So about 7 weeks ago, my fiance and I went to a cheese festival. It was a beautiful early summer day. There was a light marine layer early in the day which cleared to sun. Billie's mom decided to meet us there and spend the day with us. The day had so many things go wrong. You would've thought that the gods were against us that day. The sun got really hot early in the afternoon. None of us brought sunscreen since we thought the marine layer would stick around through most of the day. All of us burned to nice red. And of course, can you imagine cheese, which must remain chilled, under the hot California sun? And cheese sitting in your stomach through such a hot day makes it very difficult to stay out of the bathroom. Of course the port-o-potty's were plenty nasty by the afternoon. Billie's mom had even accidently knocked an entire tray of Brei on the ground. The shopkeeper was not very happy at first. But we all ended up laughing it off. Despite all of the issues, it was a very memorable bonding experience." +"When I was eight years old, about 22 months ago, my dad started to hit me. The most memorable part of this is the way he acted after the abuse each time. He would apologize like he had done something minor, like forgetting to read me a bedtime story. He just acted like what happened was something that he could apologize and move on from. I will never forget the way he dismissed his own behavior. However, his behavior ended up ruining mine and my siblings' lives. I fear that if I ever see him again or that if he has more children in the future, the abuse will continue once more. I hope that he does not remarry a woman that has children of her own as well. I fear that if he becomes involved with a wife or other children, he will abuse them as well. The abuse has been significant to my life because it has led to a chain of events that have landed me in foster care. After a teacher noticed the bruises, she told officials. Officials investigated the situation of my home life and immediately determined that I was not safe at home with my father. Since my mother is not in the picture, I was placed immediately into foster care. This did not only affect me, however. My siblings were abused and place into foster care as well. We were placed with different foster families and I have not seen my sibling since. I miss my siblings, and as much as my home was an unhappy place, I miss having a home to call my own. I feel that I have no one in the world that truly knows me or that I can depend on. I just feel very alone. It is hard for me to talk about anyone about this since it is a very personal experience that only a few other that have been through it can understand. It helps a little bit to write out my feelings in this diary, but it is not the same as talking to a trusted person that understands how I feel. The actions of my father have changed my life for the worse. I have lost my family and my home. I do not feel safe anymore since he started abusing me and my siblings. It effected me physically during the actual abuse, but it will effect me mentally for the rest of my life." +"When I was eight years old, about 22 months ago, my dad started to hit me. The most memorable part of this is the way he acted after the abuse each time. He would apologize like he had done something minor, like forgetting to read me a bedtime story. He just acted like what happened was something that he could apologize and move on from. I will never forget the way he dismissed his own behavior. However, his behavior ended up ruining mine and my siblings' lives. I fear that if I ever see him again or that if he has more children in the future, the abuse will continue once more. I hope that he does not remarry a woman that has children of her own as well. I fear that if he becomes involved with a wife or other children, he will abuse them as well. The abuse has been significant to my life because it has led to a chain of events that have landed me in foster care. After a teacher noticed the bruises, she told officials. Officials investigated the situation of my home life and immediately determined that I was not safe at home with my father. Since my mother is not in the picture, I was placed immediately into foster care. This did not only affect me, however. My siblings were abused and place into foster care as well. We were placed with different foster families and I have not seen my sibling since. I miss my siblings, and as much as my home was an unhappy place, I miss having a home to call my own. I feel that I have no one in the world that truly knows me or that I can depend on. I just feel very alone. It is hard for me to talk about anyone about this since it is a very personal experience that only a few other that have been through it can understand. It helps a little bit to write out my feelings in this diary, but it is not the same as talking to a trusted person that understands how I feel. The actions of my father have changed my life for the worse. I have lost my family and my home. I do not feel safe anymore since he started abusing me and my siblings. It effected me physically during the actual abuse, but it will effect me mentally for the rest of my life." +"My Dad passed away... I miss him every day. I regret not talking to him the last few months of his life. I should have took into consideration more what was going on with him and been more understanding. It was a big mistake on my part. My Dad was a kind and loving man, and I feel like I let him down. He never got to meet my daughter after she was born. The most memorable event was the last time I saw him, we drove off in the van and he was just sitting in his wheelchair in the driveway, glaring at us. He was happy that we were leaving because he thought we were overreacting about what he had done and said. He started to get REALLY mean to my 2.5 year old son and would say terrible things to him when he wouldn't listen. I'll never forget his facec as we drove off. I think about it all the time. I wish I could tell him that I'm sorry and that I love him. I was so shocked when I got the phone call. We visit his grave in Redmond all the time, but now it's almost winter so we will have to wait a bit. He meant so much to my son, now Malakai says ""Grandpa is in the stars!"". It breaks my heart. We were not expecting him to pass so suddenly, he had a heat failure. I wish I could have been thee with my Mom when it happened, she was all alone." +"Dear Diary, Today I found out my Dad passed away. It hurts that he's gone that's for sure, but it hurts even moreso that we were not in contact. Even though he had dementia I feel like I should have been there for him you know? I know it's been over two months, but the pain is still there. I think about him often. I think about how we weren't at the best of terms when we left. I wish things could have gone differently. If I could go back in time I think I would find him before he got the dementia and spend as much time with him as possible. He would still get the disease but at least this time I would know not to leave him high and dry on bad terms like I did before. I guess it's moments like this that really make you think. You end up thinking about the things you have done. You start to think about the things you have said to people. It really makes you take a long, hard, look at your life and what you are doing with it. I wish I could bring him back. I wish I could see him one last time." +"Mom startled me one day early this year and made me very worried about her mental state. It's been a long time since I've seen her so sad. She had recently finished speaking to Aunt Rue in New Jersey on the phone when I noticed how low her mood was. When I asked, she told me she had just learned really disturbing news. According to Aunt Rue, my cousin Deena -- who is my mother's and aunt's niece -- has apparently joined what other family members described as a ""cult."" We don't live in the same state and visit close to never, so it's not surprising that all of us up East were a bit suspicious of the claims. We thought the family Down South was exaggerating the situation... that is, until we went down to see for ourselves. Shockingly, we soon learned, they were not stretching the truth in the least. Deena, always a husky if not somewhat fat person, had lost so much weight we could barely recognize her. Her house, always pristine and inviting, was now a veritable dump with stuff just thrown haphazardly everywhere. The saddest part was that she seemed oblivious to how all of this looked to other people. Months later we still have not figured out how to get through to Deena. She has resisted every attempt to break through her wall and help her understand how dangerous and unhealthy her predicament is. The family Down South continues to monitor her as closely as possible while attempting to not appear like they are stalking her, which makes her defensive, angry and argumentative. Meanwhile, the rest of us are seeking professional advice because it has become increasingly certain that we cannot get through to her on our own. Sad, perplexing situation all around." +"This summer has been one of the most memorable in recent years, and that is NOT a good thing, unfortunately. It seems that cousin Deena is now a full-fledged member of an actual cult. I NEVER would have seen this coming when I was just an innocent kid who used to go Down South each summer and stay with her over other nearby relatives because she was so kind to me. Although it's been decades, I remember her taking me to the movies (thanks for introducing me to Burt Reynolds and making ""Smokey and the Bandit"" one of my all-time nostalgia faves), amusement parks (NOTE: avoid falling down in a pit of animal poo when at the zoo) and our annual family reunion barbecue. This was before her child was born, so it was just me and her for the most part when we weren't out and about. Those were the days -- miss 'em indeed. Now her child is grown and she looks like an anorexic, bug-eyed, stressed-out version of her old dour, well-fed self. She has literally lost dozens of pounds and is so skinny, the entire family is afraid severe weight loss will end her before any other medical problem can. I first found out about the cult she joined from relatives who, unlike me, talk to her fairly regularly. We went to see her in person this summer because of increasing concerns about her state of mind, and were we in for a shock. Her formerly well-kept home, which she has owned for years, was a complete mess, like a hurricane flew through it several times over. SHE was a complete mess, too. It was so sad to see her but not recognize the random ramblings about her new group of ""friends."" Unfortunately, we did not get to meet any of them, so there were no confrontations with the people dragging her down. Our only hope is that eventually we will be able to stage a successful intervention to help her reclaim her life. I hope and wish with all my heart that we will not be too late." +"My family and I just came back from a camping trip yesterday. I wanted to do one last mini vacation before my child started school today. It was a great 3 day weekend. On Friday my family and I left for our camping trip to Perris Lake in Perris, California. Perris is 2 hours away from us so we actually went and stayed with a friend on Friday that lived one hour away from the lake. On Saturday was the start of our camping trip. It was hot, 105 plus degree temperatures everyday, trust me I will never forget that. Good thing the lake was not too far from the campsite. We went with 5 of our friends. The best thing was my child got to to see one of her friends that she had not seen over a year because they moved four hours away. I had a great time. The lake was nice and refreshing. We had a couple of canoes with us so we went out exploring the lake. We had great food from the grill and fresh fruits to keep us fresh because of the heat. The last night, on Sunday there was a storm off in the distance. We had a great lighting storm and a little wind. Luckily, it did not rain. I know now not to go camping here in the late summer because the heat was too much for me, I had mixed feeling from this camping trip because I was happy to be around some great friends I had not seen in while but the heat was awful." +Me and my wife are suburbanites and never really leave the house on hot summer days. But we do get together with friends because we like them so much. Our friends are avid campers and invited us to go with them over the weekend in the middle of summer. Of course we accepted and we looked at each other when we got home and wondered what supplies we might need. We had no idea what to bring nor what to expect. So we did the best we could considering we didn't even have sleeping bags much less a tent. We arrived at the campsite where our friends were already. The place was serene and had a good atmosphere but the heat was unbearablly hot. There was no place to hide from the heat. We didn't move much during the day at all and hoping that the sun would go down quicker than usual. We took short hikes around the campground just to see what type of facilities were there. Not much in the form of relief from the heat. Well the sun finally went down and then we had to deal with the mosquitoes. I hate mosquitoes. Fortunately we did bring insect repellant and our friends saw that we were a bit frustrated about the whole thing. Our friends started a bonfire and that was wonderful. That took away the mosquitoes and was warming the coolness of the night. We drank beer and told stories of our past and then had a good time from that point on. I am glad it lasted only two days because I just am not cut out to be a big time camper like my friends. Me and my wife were surprised at the empathy that our friends took on us. I felt that they had been in the same position when they first started out camping as well. Me and my wife learned a lot about ourselves and our friends during that lost weekend of our lives. We cherish our friends even more now and next time will be prepared to tackle the campsite. +"I have stumbled across something new to me lately. Foraging for food in the landscape around me is a real thing and I can do it. I started thinking about the plants around me when I saw a foraging video on YouTube. A teacher was showing students about all of the edible plants in a park that happens to be near my house. I was interested in the video as I have alot of experience with gardening and it dawned upon me that I could do this too. I started looking up plants online and watching other videos about plant identification. I started slowly by looking for one single type of plant and trying to identify it multiple times. After I was confident that I could identify the plant, I ate a couple of leaves just to test out the effects of it. I would wait a day and when nothing happened negative, I became more confident in my id's. I ate more the next time and continued to find out as much as I could about the plants habitat and features. Immersing myself in one plant at a time has been a great way to expand my knowledge. Now I can identify many plants in my area. I know the leaves, fruits, colors and features of a number of edible plants. This has given me a food source other than buying food from the grocery. It's amazing to see something all around you that was always there but you never saw before. I am very glad to have stumbled upon this field of knowledge." +"About 6 months ago, I decided to learn more about the art of food foraging and how it could be beneficial to me. I started by searching the internet for anything I could find. I was surprised at how much you could learn and how complex it could be but I didn't let it scare me; I continued in my quest to learn more. I was intrigued by just how many wild foods there were out there available for us to eat. It made me realize that people aren't using the natural resources we have and that there are a lot of things that are going to waste just because we don't know it's available to us. After a week of doing extensive research, I decided to go on a hunt and see exactly what I could find. I drove about an hour away to a location that was plentiful of forest and wildlife that I thought would suit me for my foraging needs. As I walked through the woods, I stumbled upon things I had not recognized from my research, so I had to use my best judgement about whether or not this was something that could be edible. I found a patch of wild berries that looked good so I decided to try my luck and eat one. They were very sweet and did not have a bitter taste, so I ate a few more before continuing on my way. Further on my travels, I saw some wild plants so I decided to pick them and take them home with me to see what I could do with them. This was turning out to be quite the interesting adventure. I heard a rustling noise behind me so I abruptly looked over my shoulder and realized that I had entered someone else's territory. Instead of seeing a person like I expected, I saw a beautiful deer standing behind me. It didn't run away like I thought, but just looked at me inquisitively, stopped to take in the sights and smells of nature, and then slowly walked away. At that moment, I thought to myself, people and animals aren't all that different. We are all here for the same reason; survival and to try and protect what is ours. As it started getting dark, I figured it was time to pack up and take my findings home. My stomach was feeling a little bit queasy and I was hoping it wasn't the berries I ate from earlier!" +"My car was towed to an impound yard from my paid parking space by my landlady in a nasty move. So, the drama continues about the landlady's action. I have had to file suit in Small Claims Court to recover my expenses. Of course it is on my mind since it takes roughly forever to get the matter called up before the judge. She's really a property manager, not the owner/landlady so I got to serve the owner of the property. Since he is out-of-state I am betting he won't show up and I will get a default judgment. Small Claims Court is nice because he can't send a lawyer or another representative in to appear for him. I am looking forward to resolving this matter to recover my money and to be validated. Though this happened a while back I still become angry and agitated when I recall it. I would like to see this woman fired. I know it's not nice to seek revenge, but she does so deserve it. She is a very nasty woman. I have, and continue to, observe her mistreating tenants and the other employees of the building alike. It's past time that she receives her comeuppance. I would enjoy being the person who delivers it to her." +"My car was towed. It was a nasty thing that my landlady did to me. I was quite upset and it was costly. It was the first time I ever had a car towed. Going to the impound yard was certainly a different kind of experience. I had to sue to get my money from the towing reimbursed. That was quite an experience and cost me more money. Fortunately, that was also received back by me. I could have easily lived without the whole experience. I am lucky that I was in a position of having sufficient resources, mental and monetary, to take care of the matter. Other people were not so fortunate. We are hoping to get the landlady dismissed. Actually, it would be more accurate to call her a 'property manager' although she has no license, experience, or talent in managing or property. Anyway, it was a negative couple of weeks during this time and I was quite unhappy. All's well that ends well. That's what is commonly quoted in any event." +"Three months ago, myself and two friends were coming home after dinner and drinks at our favorite restaurant. We were driving down the road through the the wooded area when we saw bright lights off in the distance. These lights were so blinding that we had to pull over. We got out to investigate because there are no buildings or facilities in that part of town. Just when we got out we saw a disc shaped object lift off from where the lights were shining. We couldn't believe what we saw and quickly took out our phones to capture the moment. The object kicked up wind as it took to the air but their was an eerie silence emitting from it. It hovered in the air for about thirty seconds before jetting off over the horizon at speeds that don't seem possible. The wind died back down as the UFO left our sight. We all just stood in disbelieve at what we witnessed. We uploaded the video to social media and my friend managed to stream a bit of the ship live on Instagram. The footage garnered so much attention and views from people all around the world. Many people in the comments thought it was a hoax but we told them that it was all real. Eventually the videos were all taken down from all of our pages. It seems some people don't want the truth to come out just yet." +"I have never been one to believe in aliens. Every time classmates talked about it in school, I would laugh at them. I would laugh very loud. Suffice to say, no one told me that they believed in aliens because I would laugh in their face about it. One day, we were driving home, and my friends and I saw something in the sky. Could it be? My friend had binoculars, and when I looked through them, it wasn't shaped like an airplane or a drone. It really looked like a saucer was flying through the sky. We pulled over, stopped, and filmed it before we lost sight of it. Since we had some clear video of this potential UFO, my friend uploaded it on YouTube. Within a day, news stations were getting in contact with him to see if they can use his footage in their news broadcast. He was taken back. His video went viral and thousands of people saw it. Talk about sheer luck. That day, I became a believer in aliens and UFO." +"Three months ago, myself and two friends were coming home after dinner and drinks at our favorite restaurant. We were driving down the road through the the wooded area when we saw bright lights off in the distance. These lights were so blinding that we had to pull over. We got out to investigate because there are no buildings or facilities in that part of town. Just when we got out we saw a disc shaped object lift off from where the lights were shining. We couldn't believe what we saw and quickly took out our phones to capture the moment. The object kicked up wind as it took to the air but their was an eerie silence emitting from it. It hovered in the air for about thirty seconds before jetting off over the horizon at speeds that don't seem possible. The wind died back down as the UFO left our sight. We all just stood in disbelieve at what we witnessed. We uploaded the video to social media and my friend managed to stream a bit of the ship live on Instagram. The footage garnered so much attention and views from people all around the world. Many people in the comments thought it was a hoax but we told them that it was all real. Eventually the videos were all taken down from all of our pages. It seems some people don't want the truth to come out just yet." +"My wife and I are in an open bisexual marriage. We enjoy having relations with other people, bit together and separately. Recently we spent 10 days at a wonderful Caribbean swingers resort. The accommodations were spectacular. Our room was large and had a lot of space for group activities. There was a wide range of activities. All of our food and drink were included. There were a lot of friendly, sexy people there. On our first day we decided to stay together and went snorkeling with, then had sex with, two lovely couples. After that we would alternate in staying together and searching for our own fun. We both had a number of wonderful encounters and met many new friends. There was never any pressure and boundaries were strictly adhered to. When we were together, we had a safe word to use if either of us felt uncomfortable. It as a bi friendly resort, so we were free to express our full sexuality. We would recommend this resort highly and my wife and I still get excited thinking about the array for adventures we had." +"To start off, I think I completely failed my geometry quiz, which I know I should’ve studied more for...my dad’s not gonna be happy about that. :( Then, we had a pop quiz in history on the reading homework from last night, and I completely forgot most of what I read, which made me even more upset because I actually did the reading! But what really made me mad was the note that Sarah slipped into my locker during passing period. She said she was sad that I’ve been hanging out with Jane more lately and thinks that I don’t want to be her friend anymore. I can’t believe she thinks that, especially after talking with her on the phone for hours and hours last month while she was going through her breakup with Nick! Just because I’ve been hanging out with Jane a little more than usual doesn’t mean I’m not her friend anymore. She completely blew me off at lunch, and when I told Jane, she thought that Sarah was being a “drama queen.”This is just what I need! My parents are getting on my case about doing more extracurricular activities, I have a huge paper due for AP English soon, and I can’t understand a thing in advanced Spanish! The last thing I need is for my best friend to think I hate her and barely text me back anymore. Uggh! I can’t concentrate on anything right now because of it. I hope she gets over it!!!Sorry I didn’t get to write last night! It was such a busy day, and I was too tired to write anything...I was right about Sarah not being okay. Yesterday, she barely spoke to me, and anything she did say was a “yes” or “no” answer. I tried so hard to get her to cheer up, but of course she just kept saying, “I’m fine, I’m fine.” Uggh! I wish she would just be honest with me! I’m always honest with her! It’s not fair!Jane also seemed mad all day because she could tell that Sarah was being fake nice to her. I hate being in the middle of all of this. What am I supposed to do? Sarah’s been my friend since forever, and Jane is my new friend, and I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings! But I think that Jane is right about Sarah. I think Sarah sometimes gets too dramatic about things. She’s being kind of a brat about all of this, but I don’t want to tell her that to her face, she’d never forgive me." +"My husband and I visited Niagara Falls (Canadian side) during August this year. It was a long drive from our New England home but it was worth the effort; it was my first time seeing the Falls and it was breath taking. I loved the sound of the Falls, the depth of it and the length of the waterfall itself. During our vacation my husband and I stayed in a hotel room at The Hilton. Although the hotel was large and clean our room was next to the stair well and was very noisy so we did not sleep well. Despite that we still enjoyed ourselves. During the vacation we had a high quality steak dinner at a beautiful restaurant, visited the casino and walked around the mall. We didn't win anything at the casino! During our trips to the mall we sampled hot sauces (bought some) and sampled the local wine which I found to be very sweet tasting. It was at this mall that I bought a dress for an upcoming wedding. It was at this mall where we saw the food critic during dinner: We had just placed our food order when a lady sat down behind us and ordered several items from the menu. She also asked questions and asked to be re-seated twice. It was obvious she was a restaurant critic. We asked her who she worked for but she just laughed and wouldn't say. On the way home we stopped at the duty free store and bought some Canadian whisky and a bottle of the wine we had sampled. However, we had been ill informed about the amount of alcohol we could bring into the US and we were stopped at immigration and had to pay duty on the alcohol!" +"The bird bath turned out to be much more than something to stop my neighbor from parking where I didnt want him to. Even though it did accomplish that extremely well. I get such joy from seeing the birds in it. I laugh at my cats sitting in the window watching the birds also. I am very happy that a bad situation turned into one that brings me joy. Every time I walk by the window which is several times a day and I see birds or my cats watching the birds, I am glad that what I thought was bad thing turned into a good thing. I am also suprised at how much joy seeing those birds give me. I really never expected to have that reaction. After the birds take their bath, they jump into a little flower bush right up against my window. The dry themselves off. They fluff up. The are so cute and so close to my cats. The cats are so intriqued. The birds do not seem to care that the cats are so close. The are very lucky the screens are there. It turned out to be a good thing getting that birdbath, which I absoluley would not have done if my neighbor wasn't rude and parked on my lawn." +"So I finally thought of a solution to the problem with my neighbor. I read online about all the options for blocking windows. I liked the idea of installing a birdbath. I read all the tips about how to do it. I even added took out some books from the library for inspiration. After I found the perfect set up I moved forward with building the birdbath. It took a lot more work than I thought. I spent 3 weekends building the entire thing, but it was perfect. I had finally won and could reclaim my window from the neighbor. Unfortunately, I had underestimated how much work it really was to build the bath. After I finished I was unable to walk normally for a month. My back is finally starting to feel better. I guess I learned that being vengeful has its pitfalls. I will never lift anything that heavy again. It was worth it though, because I won!" +"The event that I am writing about is probably one of the if not the greatest thing to ever happen to me. I found out that my wife is pregnant with our first child! When I first found out I was overcome with emotions. At first I was so happy and excited because we had been trying for so long to get pregnant. Then I was overcome with sadness. You see my dad passed away a couple years ago. In my eulogy I spoke how the day that I find out I would be a father would be one of the toughest days for me. That would be because I wouldn't be able to call him and see his excitement. I wouldn't be able to call him for advice. My wife is now about 6 months pregnant. Still to this day I have highs and lows because of these two things. Highs because I am so excited to be a dad. Lows because I don't have my dad here to help me. We found out we are having a girl! I always thought I wanted a boy first, but when I found out we were having a girl I was so ecstatic. I immediately went into papa bear mode. I began looking into how to be the best dad to a girl. What I needed to know about having a girl. I know that she is going to be the most important thing in my life. So this sums up not only my most recent important life experience, but probably the most important one ever!" +"While recently on vacation with friends, I was fortunate to be a part of a surprise engagement. We were out of the country and he proposer had purchased the ring prior to our trip. This was totally unexpected. I was fortunate to be able to hear the proposer ask the father for his permission. I felt a part of the event because I was asked to help the proposer with ideas and suggestions on how to make this special for everyone. He wanted us to be there to see it. Even though not exactly AT the dinner. It was exciting to help with this. It was totally unexpected to be asked to help him. His parents weren't there so I felt special. I enjoyed being able to input my ideas and thoughts into making this special and having his father there to witness it. I have only been dating her father for a few months and was very excited for the couple. Her father and I planned what food to have. We tried to get a band as well. We purchased an engagement gift." +"My best friend told me that he was proposing to his girlfriend, but he needed help with how to make it romantic. My friend is not the most romantic type of guy. I wanted him to have a special moment with his girlfriend so I went along with it. I told him I'd look into it at night when I was off of work. We collaborated via chat from then on out to look for the perfect scenario. We decided that a romantic dinner on the beach would be perfect for them. I even got to add more details to help him out since he was drawing a blank. I suggested that there be a live band playing some romantic songs as well so it wasn't awkward silence when he got down on one knee. He really liked that idea. He's kind of an awkward guy at heart. We planned it out until we had all the details perfectly planned. We even had a little runthrough a few hours before he was going to ask his girlfriend to marry him. I recorded the whole thing because his girlfriend would definitely get a kick out of it. It was finally time for the big moment and I had to wait a few hours before he texted me that she had said yes! He had sent me a picture of her wearing the engagement ring in the exact spot we had planned. It was so fulfilling to help out a guy I've known for years." +"The diagnosis of endometriosis will be with me for as long as I live. My journey started with the abdominal pain and has now lead me to treatment for infertility with some amazing doctors. I had been having abdominal pain for years and was told by three different doctors that I just had scar tissue from a previous surgery and it would probably get better. Needless to say, it only got worse. I had to go for surgery for an infection in my abdominal wall which ended up being not infection, just inflammation from the endometriosis. They did a biopsy of a ""mass"" as the doctor called it, which ended up being endometriosis. With this new diagnosis, I then knew why I have been unable to have kids and that was for sure the reason I hurt almost constantly for the past several years. Finally in May I was able to start the fertility treatments. I was so excited and overwhelmed. That now give me the hope that one day I will possibly be having my own little baby. It has been a trying time and for sure a very emotional one. The hormones make me feel, at times, that I am going to go crazy, but in the long run I know it will be well worth the wait. I have an enormous support system. My doctors, friends, family and my boyfriend have been by my side the whole time since I have started with the fertility specialists. The pills I take are usually not that bad on me, however the shot that I have to take is what really gets me. I have to stick myself in the belly with a NEEDLE!! I never saw myself being able to do that. The shot leaves a small red spot around where I take it and it is a little sore for several days. We have already finished three rounds of the medication and shots only. I think we are going to try and start IUI/IVF in the next few months to give us a greater chance of having a baby. I know that it will help me to increase my chances of pregnancy. Hopefully in the next year we will be welcoming our own little baby into this world. I CAN'T WAIT!!" +"Less than a month ago, I moved into my first apartment. I had mostly lived with my parents my entire life, except for a short time in college. My boyfriend and I had been preparing to move for a few months, and waited for the call each month from the landlord who would tell us when an apartment became available. Finally, that call came in August that we could move into an open apartment in September. Each day leading up to the move, I'd either think about what I needed to pack or pack a few things in boxes. There wasn't much of an urgency until the day before. Things didn't seem real until moving day. I woke up at 8 a.m. so I could meet the landlord at 9:30 a.m. It was extremely nerve-racking since the process was new to me. I arrived before my boyfriend and waited on the lobby couch. I spent the next ten minutes texting my friends and family. My boyfriend finally entered the room and I was relieved. We began signing papers and getting all of that sorted out. We both were eager to finish that task so we could start the apartment walkthrough. My first time walking into the apartment was surreal. I couldn't believe that I would be living with my boyfriend of two years and away from my parents. I looked around at the large space and still couldn’t fathom that that was my new home. I waited for it to sink in. The apartment had that ""new"" apartment smell of cleaning materials. It was so empty at first, even with all the boxes and furniture. I'm still getting settled in. The only thing missing is my dog, who is still living with my family and I miss her dearly. I visit her a few times a week. We'll have her here with us as soon as we pay the very expensive pet deposit, and then I think things will feel more complete." +"My daughter and I were going to see Matilda. She loved the books growing up and was really excited to see it live. We couldnt get close parking and had to park in a lot a few streets down. As we were about to enter the venue i heard a loud thump and see this girl, who was about ten, launched into the air. She hit the ground hard and was not moving. The noisy city street turned silent after that. No one was moving to help and i knew i had to do something. I have basic medical training so i rushed over to the little girl. I pointed out someone in the crowd to call 911. As he was on the phone with them i made sure that no one would move her. I noticed that she was not breathing and tried to administer cpr to her. It seemed like it wasnt working at all and right when i was about to give up hope a little breathe escaped from her mouth. I instantly felt a sigh of relief come across my body. I knew we werent safe though. She clearly had broken her arm and one of her legs. She started to come to and in she was panicked. I helped comfort her and tried to keep her calm and still. Luckily the EMTs arrived shortly after that. They loaded her on a stretcher and took her to the hospital. Her mother was a complete wreck the whole time, and i could not blame her. I do not know if could have kept my cool if it was my daughter in that position. We missed the show but I was not saddened by that fact. My mind was only focused on the thought that i hoped she was ok." +"This happened about a month ago. I was outside with my daughter and she was playing with her friends and trying to learn how to ride a bike. I was looking at the next parking lot over and saw a few young kids riding their scooters and bikes on the side walk but going into the parking lot as well. I couldnt see anyone watching them and people zoom around here in all parking lots. I was paying attention to my daughter when i heard a loud thud. I knew instantly what it was. Some young kid in his supped up car smacked into of of the girls. I called 911 as i was running over the kid didnt even get out of the car. I stood behind him while talking to the operator in attempts to not let him leave. The kid was screaming, i think she broke her arm, and the mom finally makes her way outside. Shes with her kid screaming as im talking and waiting. The cops show up a few minutes later before the ambulance and take over. It was crazy but the girl in the end ive seen in a cast. It could of went a lot worse. Im kind of glad we have nothing going on in this town because the police were there in minutes." +"It finally happened for real. I broke up with my long distance boyfriend for good this time. We had been fighting for multiple days straight a couple months back, and he was being really rude to me over the phone one day. I ended up calling him back and telling him that it was over between us. I didn't want to mince words too much so I kept it short and sweet. It's funny because he didn't even take it that badly. He just kept saying ""okay that's fine"" over and over like he was expecting this conversation. It felt a bit odd. Then he casually dropped the bomb that he had been seeing somebody else, and I lost it. I ripped into him with every swear word imaginable for a few minutes. I honestly can't believe he didn't hang up the phone. Then I pretty much told him what a pile of crap he was and hung up on him. I tossed my phone on the table and thought about how ridiculous it all was. I had called him to break up, and he pretty much was acting like we were already broken up anyway. How insane! I'm glad to be done with him but ugh, that was the worst conversation ever!" +"my wife has lung cancer i will so sad that the time my daughter fully supported me to they and share my worried feelings about my wife that has sad time but i am also believe to has truthThe greater lesson, which she teaches by example, is the power of a positive attitude. Some side effects from my mom’s medication are gruesome and painful, but she takes it day-by-day and is always grateful for the chance to keep fighting. Living hours apart, most of our conversations are via phone and I often forget what she is up against. She tells me about her run, the dogs and new recipes—most of the same things we talked about four years ago. She is still a rock and while things have certainly changed, she continues to be my shoulder to lean on. I am thankful for her courage and inspired by her attitude every day. of the world If there is one thing my mom drilled into me, it’s to be your own advocate. She was misdiagnosed twice while cancer grew in her body for 15 months. Doctors reminded her she was “not a smoker.” They insisted she was healthy, but she could not shake her gut feeling that something was not right. Recently, her cancer quit responding to chemotherapy. So, she packed her bags and began traveling across the country for a medical trial at MD Anderson in Houston. I watch her continue to advocate for her own health by questioning her doctors about treatment options and urging thIf there is one thing my mom drilled into me, it’s to be your own advocate. She was misdiagnosed twice while cancer grew in her body for 15 months. Doctors reminded her she was “not a smoker.” They insisted she was healthy, but she could not shake her gut feeling that something was not right. Recently, her cancer quit responding to chemotherapy. So, she packed her bags and began traveling across the country for a medical trial at MD Anderson in Houston. I watch her continue to advocate for her own health by questioning her doctors about treatment options and urging them to look closer when something feels off. em to look closer when something feels off." +"my wife has lung cancer i will so sad that the time my daughter fully supported me to they and share my worried feelings about my wife that has sad time but i am also believe to has truthThe greater lesson, which she teaches by example, is the power of a positive attitude. Some side effects from my mom’s medication are gruesome and painful, but she takes it day-by-day and is always grateful for the chance to keep fighting. Living hours apart, most of our conversations are via phone and I often forget what she is up against. She tells me about her run, the dogs and new recipes—most of the same things we talked about four years ago. She is still a rock and while things have certainly changed, she continues to be my shoulder to lean on. I am thankful for her courage and inspired by her attitude every day. of the world If there is one thing my mom drilled into me, it’s to be your own advocate. She was misdiagnosed twice while cancer grew in her body for 15 months. Doctors reminded her she was “not a smoker.” They insisted she was healthy, but she could not shake her gut feeling that something was not right. Recently, her cancer quit responding to chemotherapy. So, she packed her bags and began traveling across the country for a medical trial at MD Anderson in Houston. I watch her continue to advocate for her own health by questioning her doctors about treatment options and urging thIf there is one thing my mom drilled into me, it’s to be your own advocate. She was misdiagnosed twice while cancer grew in her body for 15 months. Doctors reminded her she was “not a smoker.” They insisted she was healthy, but she could not shake her gut feeling that something was not right. Recently, her cancer quit responding to chemotherapy. So, she packed her bags and began traveling across the country for a medical trial at MD Anderson in Houston. I watch her continue to advocate for her own health by questioning her doctors about treatment options and urging them to look closer when something feels off. em to look closer when something feels off." +"my wife has lung cancer i will so sad that the time my daughter fully supported me to they and share my worried feelings about my wife that has sad time but i am also believe to has truthThe greater lesson, which she teaches by example, is the power of a positive attitude. Some side effects from my mom’s medication are gruesome and painful, but she takes it day-by-day and is always grateful for the chance to keep fighting. Living hours apart, most of our conversations are via phone and I often forget what she is up against. She tells me about her run, the dogs and new recipes—most of the same things we talked about four years ago. She is still a rock and while things have certainly changed, she continues to be my shoulder to lean on. I am thankful for her courage and inspired by her attitude every day. of the world If there is one thing my mom drilled into me, it’s to be your own advocate. She was misdiagnosed twice while cancer grew in her body for 15 months. Doctors reminded her she was “not a smoker.” They insisted she was healthy, but she could not shake her gut feeling that something was not right. Recently, her cancer quit responding to chemotherapy. So, she packed her bags and began traveling across the country for a medical trial at MD Anderson in Houston. I watch her continue to advocate for her own health by questioning her doctors about treatment options and urging thIf there is one thing my mom drilled into me, it’s to be your own advocate. She was misdiagnosed twice while cancer grew in her body for 15 months. Doctors reminded her she was “not a smoker.” They insisted she was healthy, but she could not shake her gut feeling that something was not right. Recently, her cancer quit responding to chemotherapy. So, she packed her bags and began traveling across the country for a medical trial at MD Anderson in Houston. I watch her continue to advocate for her own health by questioning her doctors about treatment options and urging them to look closer when something feels off. em to look closer when something feels off." +"My fiancee, Rebecca, revealed to me that she's pregnant. I can't get over how excited she is. Though I have to admit I'm not as excited. We spent a lot of time looking over baby books and looking over our finances. She doesn't make very much and we rely heavily on my income to pay for most things. She didn't seem too worried. I think she should be. Babies cost a fortune to raise, or so I've been told. I don't think she has any idea. There are a lot of things she has no idea about, things I haven't told her. I've been holding on to a secret for years now. I have been too afraid to tell her because I wasn't sure how she would react. Now I have no choice. I've been reading baby books and planning with her just to buy time. Now I have to tell her the truth, that I'm infertile. My world has fallen apart." +It was my sons birthday the past weekend. He was still young. He love Disney characters and all the movies. We thought we would do something special for him so we gave him a trip to disney world. We don't live that far away and decided it would be a blast. I don't think he was expecting it. The look on his face was precious. His main drive was to get away for his birthday so we couldn't think of a better place. He has a lot of the home movies of disney all memorized. He loves dumbo and bambi the most. He has only seen pictures of was disney world was all about. So seeing it for the first time was quite the experience for him. He has a very good time. All the main disney characters were met and hugged too. The rides were a new experience for him. +"Six months ago, my wife began to not feel well. She complained of extreme fatigue, nausea, and felt that she was getting bloated. I suggested she go to the doctor, which she was not a fan of, and this went on for three more days. Finally, one snowy Friday evening, she was getting a ride home from a co-worker and called me. She said she was feeling much worse, including dizziness and abdominal pain. I asked her co-worker (who was also a friend of ours) to drive her to the emergency room and I set out to meet her there. It was snowing so hard that I missed the turn to the hospital, so I it took me a while to get there but I got there right before they called her back. She looked terrible, and I instantly regretted not being more adamant with my suggestion that she see a doctor earlier. They did quite a few tests, and we talked to several different doctors and nurses. Eventually they knew that she was having serious kidney problems, but there was more going on as well. After about seven hours, around midnight, they admitted her and we moved up to a room, where she was the only patient. Another hour after that and a different doctor came to tell us that she had cirrhosis, which is eventually fatal without a transplant. She's not much of a drinker, and they said that it's due to what's called a fatty liver. She took the news in stride, asking what she needed to do moving forward, and I was very proud of her strength. I drove home around 3 that morning to try to get some sleep, moving at a crawl on icy roads, knowing that our lives were going to be much different now. It turns out that both of her grandfathers died of the same thing. She is determined not to go that way, and is now in Denver, staying with her parents, about to finally get on the transplant list. I am still in Albuquerque, holding down the fort - they don't do transplants here (for real) so this is the only way we can try get her healthy again." +"My wife had always been a healthy person, although she was skinny. She would eat, but was not able to gain weight. I envied her ability because I could look at a donut and gain ten pounds. However, she was eating a lot, but was still losing weight. One day, we decided to bring my wife into the emergency room as she had fainting spells. When we arrived, she was diagnosed with a chronic autoimmune disease. That explains why she wasn't able to gain any weight. We always assumed it was her fast metabolism. The fainting spell was a blessing in disguise because it is a common symptom of this autoimmune disease. The doctor who diagnosed her has already scheduled outpatient services for my wife, and as long as she can manage her symptoms, she should be able to live a full life without any setbacks. Although this is disappointing, it will allow my wife to be more disciplined about her health and wellness. Truthfully, she has always been good about her health and wellness. I, on the other hand, have not been. I am hoping that her malaise motivates me to improve my health and wellness. I used to not care what I put into my body, but after this experience, I may start doing that in order to have longevity." +"Three months ago, all of my living family members got together for one big family reunion. There are so many Ricardos - more than one hundred and fifty! - so I don't get to see many of my family members for years at a time. There are some family members I've only ever seen at our reunion, which we have every five years. But, every five years, every Ricardo, young and old, gets together at a big park in Wyoming. There are a few branches of the family living in Wyoming, and it's the easiest state for most of my family to travel to, so that's why we always hold it there. Everyone brings lots of food - tons of Ricardo home cooking! It always seems like, somehow, everyone leaves with more leftovers than they initially brought to the reunion. The youngest Ricardo is my cousin Jimmy; he's about six months old now, but he was only three months at the time of the reunion! In a few weeks, there'll be a new youngest Ricardo - with a family this big, ""the baby of the family"" isn't the baby for very long. The oldest Ricardo is my great-grandmother Rosa. She turned ninety-eight years old right before the reunion! She has so much family knowledge stored in her little old brain. Tons of Ricardo family recipes, stories, and it seems like, somehow, she has the entire family tree memorized. At the reunion, the kids ran around the park and played while the parents chatted and caught up. We all ate a big meal together at the picnic tables under some trees. Afterwards, we all gathered around great-grandmother Rosa. She always spends hours at every reunion telling us old stories. It was a wonderful reunion, and I was so glad to get to spend time with my great-grandma! Ninety-eight is a long time to live, but she keeps surprising us! I can't wait to listen to more of her stories at the next reunion, when she'll be one hundred and three years old!" +"In August 2019, we dropped off our daughter at her university. We drove for about six and a half hours to drop her off. It was a big day for everyone. I was so happy and excited for her. Of course, I was a little sad at the same time. I know I will miss her a whole lot. Once at the university, we were just so proud. We saw many parents with their children on campus. It was a little chaotic, but still well organized. The upper classmates helped with the moving of the freshmen. We tried to decorate her dorm room with the stuff that reminded her of home. My daughter and her new roommate were happy to finally meet each other. The whole day went by so fast. When it was time to say goodbye, I tried to put on a happy face. In the end, I could not help being emotional. What I remembered the most about that day is what my daughter did for us. She had parting gifts for all of us. She wrote each of us a letter. I didn't dare to read it in front of her, because I was already so emotional. I will never forget this day." +"Last month I dropped off my oldest child at a university that is 7 hours away from my house. The whole family came along for the drop-off. We had a great time driving to the university. We talked about so many issues, such as how to take a show in a shared bathroom to how to get the most out of going to college. Once we got to the campus, we participated in all the activity on campus. We met the roommate. We explored the whole campus and met so many interesting people. The best part of the day was when my child told us how grateful she is to us for being so supportive of her with her life choices. It was such a bitter-sweet moment. I would never forget this day. I know that I will miss my child a lot. I got a great satisfaction knowing my child made the right choice for college. I think my husband and I did a good job raising her. I will always be grateful to have a wonderful child like her. I would not even take anything for granted." +"I’m not sure if this should be updated or not to be honest. I lost my cats to a living situation. One remained at a shelter. She was later adopted. The other was given to a friend. Today I still don’t know what became of the one was adopted. The other is in a happy home with a friend. Oh Christmas night she posted a video of home. He looks fat and happy as ever. It’s bitter sweet . I miss them gravely. I’m also happy that they are in good hands with a family that will love , shelter , and but it’s them. Like I stated earlier I really think I’m done with animals. I can’t deal with the heartbreak anymore . I will still love them. But only from afar. I hope I ceobvyed my feelings . This was hard very hard." +"I lost my cats a few months ago. I felt so terrible for losing them. How did I even managed to lose my cats? I have no idea, but I felt so bad for losing them. I'm such a horrible person for losing them. Have I not done enough to prevent that? Apparently not. I put up fliers everywhere when I lost them, just to see where they would end up at, and at first no one replied to all. I thought all was lost when someone finally replied to me. They told me that they found my cat. I was so happy and I asked them when I could see them again, but to my surprise they asked me if they could keep them. Well, I thought about it. At first I didn't want to say yes, but then I remember that I lost them in the first place. And I thought that maybe these new people should have a chance in keeping them. After all they found my cats, and kept them well fed and everything. So in the end, I said yes." +"I have been trying so hard to become a master case scholar in the US. I told my sister about my effort, I love my sister very much. My Activities She Knows Four, So I told them my goal. They said, ""You will not become a case scholar,They said you don't deserve that. I was very depressed hearing them. I told my friend about this, and he is a great lawyer. He recognized my plight and gave me hope. Some good words he said,1. Believe in yourself and you can2. There is no world in which you cannot3. You have no choice but to trust yourself4. Who cares about who you are and does not change your lifeHis advice thus changed my life and I am today a very good advocate. I have a 10 person job under me. People in my city tell me to settle their cases. But those who criticized me are in the same place, So I have come to realize that faith is always necessary in life. God is a true friend." +"I was mentally unsound after a person I was incredibly close to in more ways than one had abandoned me. I grew stronger by supporting and loving myself. They hurt me a lot. I considered a lot of different things during their time away, I felt suicidal. I felt worthless. I felt all sorts of negative emotions. I grew a lot stronger after going to therapy. After bringing new people into my life. Trauma has shaped who I am as a person. I still deal with the ways I felt during that time and it hurts. It hurts that somebody I adored more than anything could just leave me behind. I lost not only my bestfriend. But my world. Things still aren't the same but, we're trying I suppose. And that's what counts." +"In the past six months, things have changed so much. I have lost so much respect for so many people, and gained that respect for others. I have lost the love of my life, only to have them come back into my life. Not talking to this person was the most mentally handicapping thing, and physically destroying thing I've ever been through. But recently things have gotten better after their return, I feel much better as of late. Things are starting to improve as I grow with this person and begin to trust them again. It's very hard to go through losing someone so vital to your life. I never thought I would see them again, nor hear from them again. And that was mentally challenging thing ever. Knowing they knew the most about me, and how to help when I was mentally gone was harsh. I didn't know what to do without them. They taught me coping mechanisms and how to handle myself. Being alone during that time lead me down a very dark path. I relapsed in a lot of things I shouldn't have, and I think that's one of my biggest regrets. I'm so happy I have this person back again." +"While her friends seemed amicable I got a strange vibe from them. Trying to be friendly I asked where in Africa they were going. They gave me a strange look, said something in foreign language and left. I paid it no mind and shut the door. I continued to see my neighbor sporadically throughout the weeks and things were friendly. I stopped my exercise routine and joined a gym. My apartment is much to small for exercising anyway. One day while in the elevator I saw my neighbor and asked how her friends' trip was. She said they were still there but should be back soon. The elevator door then opened and I stepped out and wished her good day. Two weeks later there was a knock on my door. It was my downstairs neighbor accompanied by her two friends from before. I greeted them and asked if I was being too loud. I had recently been cleaning and my music and horrible singing were a little loud. They said no so I asked if they wanted to come in. As they came in I noticed what looked to be a large box in the hall. I asked what's in the box? They replied ""you're new pet' Confused I opened the box to find a cage with a beautiful parrot." +"The room was jovial. The crowd waiting for the experience. Food was being served as the comedian hit the stage. The warm up act was not too impressive. There was a chill in the air as our table was right under the air conditioning vent. Food got cold quickly but the room was bustling with excitement for the main act. Our table was shared with friends and we couldn't wait for Sebastian to take the stage. Finally the main event! The comedian we came to see is on stage and killing it! Every joke was fantastic. He normally doesn't play small clubs like this, which made it more special. Joke after joke, jokes inside jokes, he had us rolling all night long even after the show was over. So many memorable lines to repeat. The night was fantastic. My wife looked so beautiful and the entire room knew it. I'll never forget this night." +"This past week I had an interesting out of the ordinary event that occurred. I was driving home and I noticed an old dog trying to cross the road. The dog was clearly old by the way it moved and it was not even wearing a collar. I got worried about it's safety so I jumped out and got a collar and leash and i had in my trunk. The dog seemed friendly enough but they were clearly scared of me and I didn't want to put it in more danger so I kind of shepherded it towards the side of the road. From there I was able to approach the dog and get close enough to put a collar and leash on it. Ok so where do I go from here I thought to myself as the dog had no collar or tags, and it was slightly past 9:30 at night. Thankfully my house was close by so I walked the dog into my garage and gave it some dog treats and water as it looked exhausted. This gave me some time to figure out what I would do next. I ended up making a big sign that I could post on the street corner nearby thinking that its owners would be out looking for it. After the dog was refreshed a bit from some food and water I got a new idea. Since I couldn't call animal control at that time of night, I was left with a few options. Keep the dog for the night and call for it to be picked up in the morning. Or put the leash back on the dog and see if it would try to walk its way home. I chose the latter so off we went in the dark following the road until we got a few blocks away from where I lived. At this point the dog was trying to turn off of the road into some very dark paths and I was hesitant to go off the beaten path with my new friend. At this point a car turned onto the street and pulled into it's driveway, I thought It would be a good chance to ask a neighbor if they had a clue whose dog this was. As luck turns out they new the dog and pointed me to the home where it's family is and other than an awkward door knocking situation late at night everything went well and I was able to reunite the dog with its family." +"The event is my younger brother's wedding. This event took place April. It was a great and memorable event for every member of my family. One of the reasons why it was memorable was because it was also a family reunion. All members of my birth family have not been in the same place together in over four years. All of us coming together for my brother's wedding was truly magnificent. When I traveled back to my family birth family house in anticipation of the wedding, I nearly cried. I had missed a lot. The day of the wedding was also fantastic. I was able to meet other extended family members. I was also able to meet childhood friends and family friends. We had a lot of catching up to do. I was surprised when I found out that two of my childhood friends were seeing each other and they already had a kid together. It was a really crazy moment for me. It made me to reminisce all the time I was with them as a kid. In all honesty I never expected them together, but I believed they grew to love each other. The wedding ceremony was generally great for me and everybody involved." +Me and my cousin celebrated our birthdays together. We both gotten the switch the same month because our birthdays are only 3 days apart. We had a blast. We had bonded for several hours playing with and against each other through different video games. We had a bunch of time on the switch and we reminiscd aboit the old times we had growing up. We had friends over and some more family over as well. The bwat part of the day is when they brung out the liquor and we drank and talked more crap about our childhood. Me and my cousin was together all the time but as we gotten older we did not spend as much time together. But now that we had this party it made us a lot closer. My girlfriend had a great dinner set up as well. She made pasta garlic bread and brought chips and dip. We were crushing all of that foos. When they brung out thw cake we were so happy. We felt the intensity of our friends and family singimg the song. It was overall a great time with family. +"Another day of stress and work. I thought working at my uncle's job would be my dream job and fun, but man that was a mistake. I thought of the good idea to promote the work, but that turned into a terrible dream and nightmare. My uncle put all the blame on me for this and this didn't end well. I ended up quitting and don't go back to decision. I really wish I didn't work there. It sounded like a great idea at first, but man. My relationship may take time to turn up with my uncle, but until then I will have to do little here and there to make it better. I wish again I didn't get this job. I think about my uncle a lot now and hope we are cool again like before. This really hurts me, and my family. My dad and uncle are at war now because of this big mistake. I don't know how it could so wrong and not right at all. It wasn't that much money, but in reality it was the worst idea the more I think about it. Another day closer to being closer with my uncle. I hope this happens. Another day diary, another day." +"Janet was my friend through high school and college. We did everything together! We dated twin brothers, we went to the same college. We were so close, we even moved into the same house together. As soon as I got a boyfriend after college, we started to fade away from each other's lives. I wish that we had kept in contact, but people drift away. I was shocked when my now husband asked me ""Didn't you know Janet?"" and I said ""Man, Janet! Yes! Why?"" and he told me that she had passed away. I was shocked! I went to her funeral and talked to old friends of ours. They started talking about how we all went for coffee and donuts before it became a huge fad with teens. After the funeral, I went to Dunkin Donuts and got a dozen donuts and a large coffee. I sat in the parking lot eating and crying. I wish I could say that that was the only time I did that. It wasn't. I did this every week for months. Sometimes, when I got really sad, I'd do it multiple times. In 3 months, I gained 25 pounds. I knew I had to get a hold of myself. I ended up just getting a donut and a small coffee and eventually cut it down to none of them." +"Isn't this how it always ends up? People say they are ""available and open"" but they aren't. They create this dumb and nonsense reasons why they can date you or see you anymore. You think you have found the the best thing going, you finally see yourself happy and before you know it it is all over. So I met this guy. He was just about everything I wanted in a man. He was cute cute, funny, witty and just over all pretty mellow and even keeled. We met at a party. I am a wall flower and extremely introverted but can strike up a conversation if I feel good vibes from someone. I felt them from his and initially was just trying to not look like a loner at the party, so I struck up a conversation. We ended up talking for a few hours and exchanged numbers. We parted ways that night and I left feeling all warm and fuzzy and wanting to reconnect. Looking forward to hopefully hearing and seeing from him again. Now, this time I was determined to do it right. Get to know him. Let him get to know me and not just jump right into sex and watch him disappear. I DID THAT! We took it slow, went on a few dates. Spent time getting to know one another and it was great! And when we started having sex and all that it was even better! But then the dreaded, it's not you its me crap. And I need time and space because I am dealing with some family stuff. BLAH BLAH BLAH. I bet he was married. I don't even feel like trying anymore." +It was a beautiful Saturday morning. My family members and i decided to go to the beach. We got to the beach and got carried away by the fun. We forgot to apply the sunscreen and that caused a damage to our skin. We all got sunburned and look black. This unique burn on our skin made us look alike. After leaving the beach and got home. We decided to have a family reunion and this made us all have a burn to identify ourselves. We really love what the sunburn did to our skin. It made us love ourselves more. We took a family picture and placed it in the living room. Each member also had a copy of the pictures. We planned another visit to the beach. We applied sunscreen this time. We are ever happy after. +"I didn't really plan on going to graduation. I never planned to go to graduation. I said I was getting out and never ever looking back. It costs money just to travel there and have the outfit. And I don't like it there nor do I like the people. I look back on my time there as struggle and pain. But I looked at Facebook the morning of graduation and there was a small pain. Seeing two of my almost friends in their caps and gowns, with their families made me slightly sad for what I didn't have. Finishing didn't feel like a celebration and maybe had I gone I could have made it be one. They had been through struggles similar to mine and they were there, in the gowns, celebrating. I could have gone and seen them off, and gave that university and city where I spent so many years of my life a proper goodbye. So I sat there, looking at Facebook, thinking about how the last time I left I didn't know it was going to be the last time. I realized that part of why I hadn't wanted to go was because most of my friends had graduated years before and I wasn't really close to anyone else. Dragging them back for my graduation wasn't something I felt comfortable doing. And I realized that somewhere deep inside I had seen myself being dragged into graduation, begrudgingly going. But people had listened when I said no. Facebook, ignoring privacy as usual, alerted one of my almost friends I was online. She sent me message asking where I was and if we could meet to take photos together. When I told her I was not there she expressed disappointment. She wrote me a message about how sad it was to not see me as she saw me as directly responsible for her even making it to graduation. At the same time, other almost friends who had graduated previously were online congratulating the two. Upon seeing I was online, they wrote to me as well. One expressed congratulations to me and spoke of how she was glad I was finally free. The other spoke of how we would celebrate in the future, as I had celebrated her graduation with her and she could not have gotten through without me. And I told myself that I didn't need to be at that graduation because I had what I needed from it--the people who understood how much it took and the feeling of being free of it." +"I wish I could get over my alcoholism. I genuinely want to change and I've managed to convince my loved ones that I've started the process but I'm no different from I was two weeks ago when I spilled beer in the empty house. I want to say that it's the beer that caused it but it's me. My behaviour has driven my wife and kids away. She took them to stay with her mother in California and I can't stay sober long enough to drive and go see them. I wasn't always this way but after I lost my job, I lost my purpose. I feel so cold and desolate all the time. Or at least, I felt. Even though I am no different, I have the hope that I can change. I've found religion and its my faith in its power that I've told my loved ones that I will change. So paradoxically, my lie was not at all insincere. When she left that morning two weeks ago, I went for comfort in what gave me misery in the first place. I took a case of beer from the basement and I drank and cried. It wasn't until my last beer that I looked into myself, drunk though I was, and realized that I must change. I went to the bookshelf and took up the only book I thought had power - power for me to overcome. I spilled my beer purposely while alone in the house. As I read the verses in John, I felt strength that I never had before and I stumbled to the sink to pour the beer out. I threw out my whole stash. I still have the desire but now I have hope." +"Just this past Wednesday on August the 21st I performed my Grandfathers funeral. He was 91 and an inspiration to me. I am actually his name sake and name after him. It was a great honer to do his eulogy and cover the wonderful accomplishments of such a great man that I have looked up to my entire life. All of my family were in attendance, which was a great thing as most of us haven't seen one another in many years. My grandfather always cared about family and made family the point and purpose of his life. Unfortunately, it required his passing to remind us of the that value. He fathered six children and had 9 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren and they were all in attendance to honor his home going! Just two years before, in the same month I did my father's funeral and everyone was in attendance there as well. I mention this because at my grandfather's funeral the place was packed, save one empty chair. It was a touching thought that there was one chair left in honor of my father. I mentioned this in the eulogy and hoped that all in the family who know that there is a chair in our home and at the table for everyone one of them! During the funeral I preached a message as well on the lives that are lived as an anchor for others. My Grandfather was most certainly and anchor for all of us as well as grandpa and grandmas house was an anchor for our souls when traveling into town. I also expressed how our faith anchors us in the decisions that we make in life. That many time we can drift too far off course and that life has a way of blowing from our course through storms. Although the winds of life are experienced by everyone, we do not have to allow them to shipwreck us or our faith. Through faith and trust we hold on and are anchored to the rock! This was the way that my grandpa lived and that is the way that I hope to live my life as well. In all it was a bitter sweet event for me and there were tears of sadness and of joy. I am glad that my family trusted me to minister to all in this trying time. I was very humbled and honored to do it." +"Our honeymoon was fantastic. It was not your typical honeymoon, we spent our honeymoon acting like kids, and it was great. We spent a large majority of our time riding our favorite rides, and just pretending we were children again. We decided on our first honeymoon trip was going to Six Flags in Atlanta, Georgia, since it was where we had our first date. We rode almost all of the rides, and re-lived our first date. After Six flags, we went to Disney world in Orlando, Florida. It was our first time there, and we were a bit overwhelmed with all of the rides and activities there, but we had a great time. While in Orlando, we stumbled upon another theme park, which was a water park. To be honest, we had more fun at the water park than we did at Orlando, we were there for hours! Our next and last trip was in Chattanooga Tennessee, where we stumbled upon two other theme parks. One was definitely one of the smallest ones we have been to, but it had a lot of charm to it. The last one we went to, was a very massive one, almost the size of the Disney world one in Orlando. I think our last theme park was the best one. The rides were fantastic. The food was amazing. The prices were reasonable. After it was all said and done, we were very happy with our decisions and had a fantastic time." +"Our honeymoon was fantastic. It was not your typical honeymoon, we spent our honeymoon acting like kids, and it was great. We spent a large majority of our time riding our favorite rides, and just pretending we were children again. We decided on our first honeymoon trip was going to Six Flags in Atlanta, Georgia, since it was where we had our first date. We rode almost all of the rides, and re-lived our first date. After Six flags, we went to Disney world in Orlando, Florida. It was our first time there, and we were a bit overwhelmed with all of the rides and activities there, but we had a great time. While in Orlando, we stumbled upon another theme park, which was a water park. To be honest, we had more fun at the water park than we did at Orlando, we were there for hours! Our next and last trip was in Chattanooga Tennessee, where we stumbled upon two other theme parks. One was definitely one of the smallest ones we have been to, but it had a lot of charm to it. The last one we went to, was a very massive one, almost the size of the Disney world one in Orlando. I think our last theme park was the best one. The rides were fantastic. The food was amazing. The prices were reasonable. After it was all said and done, we were very happy with our decisions and had a fantastic time." +"It's been five months since I lost my job and am still . Day after day I go to look for work withe the same old responses 'we will give you a call' of coarse they never do. I have gone from being scared to being terrified. I have never been in this position before. I have always been able to financially take care of myself,but now I have run thru all my resourses . I find myself one day from eviction and wondering if I will be able to eat. The job I lost I had worked for ten years and never thought it would end. I'm the kind of person who used to be optimistic to my family and friends,but I find myself down and depressed wondering if this nightmare will end. I have considered going back to school for training for a better career, but that still leaves the problem of income to live on. I fear my next alternative is to ask my parents for help when they can barely take care of themselves. I have resorted to recycling bottles to try and make a little cash,but the amount is so small its not worth my effort. We live in America,the greatest country in the world no one should have to suffer this way. Now I have more appreciation and sympathy for the homeless. I wonder every day now if I will ever find work and if I do will it last. It's a terrifying thought. I wish I could win the lottery and be rich so all my troubles would end. I must overcome and fight my way back to the top and I will." +"It's been five months since I lost my job and am still . Day after day I go to look for work withe the same old responses 'we will give you a call' of coarse they never do. I have gone from being scared to being terrified. I have never been in this position before. I have always been able to financially take care of myself,but now I have run thru all my resourses . I find myself one day from eviction and wondering if I will be able to eat. The job I lost I had worked for ten years and never thought it would end. I'm the kind of person who used to be optimistic to my family and friends,but I find myself down and depressed wondering if this nightmare will end. I have considered going back to school for training for a better career, but that still leaves the problem of income to live on. I fear my next alternative is to ask my parents for help when they can barely take care of themselves. I have resorted to recycling bottles to try and make a little cash,but the amount is so small its not worth my effort. We live in America,the greatest country in the world no one should have to suffer this way. Now I have more appreciation and sympathy for the homeless. I wonder every day now if I will ever find work and if I do will it last. It's a terrifying thought. I wish I could win the lottery and be rich so all my troubles would end. I must overcome and fight my way back to the top and I will." +It was six months ago in my home town there was one incident happen in my life. That was my family arrested because of some kind of incident happen in my town. But there was a mistake happen in that incident. Then i investigate about that incident. there are lot of problems happen in my town and the incident also happen in that time. The incident was some one murder in my town. There are some clues identify that shows some of my family members did this. so police arrest my family members. Then I know that my family members don't do this. I investigate about that crime incident. There are lot members involves in that crime. so seriously notice some points about that persons. then I notice there are some aboard members are do this. Then I collect some clues about her. Then I notice every members from that gang. Then I find some clues. Some kind of clues are match with that gang. Then I notice every action of that gang. Then I report to police. They not consider about them. so I find some fingertips of that crime area. I collected the evidence and handover to the police. they seen that and watch that gang seriously. Then one day police notice them. They get some drug and that time police investigate himand they told everything about the crime then my family also release. +"Oh how can I even describe the way I feel right now. I am broken. So many questions, no answers. Is it my fault? Why did this happen? All these didn't questions and emotions and I can't decipher them. How did I become the wife of an adulterer. I never thought it would happen to me. I never thought he was the kind of man to do this. I guess we all think this way though until it happens to us. The thing that hurts the most though is not just the fact that he has committed adultery but the length of time that its been going on. I guess looking back I should have known but I never questioned his late nights. I never questioned those weekends away. I trusted him wholeheartedly. I think now I just feel so foolish. Did he ever laugh at me knowing what he was doing behind my back. That thought hurts so much too. I am trying to come to terms with all this. He has asked for forgiveness but given the length of time he has been doing this I feel like its unforgivable. It if had been a bad lapse of judgment a one time thing maybe two, I could possibly forgive that but 2 years. Come on I don't think I can." +My sister-in-law was a very special person to me and an important part of our lives. She had some health issues in her adult life. She was diagnosed with diabetes when she was in her 40's. She had surgery on her neck a few months before she passed away. She was scheduled to have knee replacement surgery before she passed away. She was having a normal day on the day she passed away. She had a meeting with someone from her church that morning. She went outside to show her friend her garden and then her friend left. She was in her garden when she suddenly had a massive aneurysm. We had video footage from security cameras to show us exactly what happened. She put her hands to her head and then she dropped to 1 knee. She braced herself temporarily before falling to the ground completely. My brother found her a few minutes later and called an ambulance. She was basically on life support from that time until she passed away about 8 hours later. It has been 5 months since it happened and it still seems so surreal. I miss her smile and I miss her laugh. She had the best laugh! It will be difficult when our family gets together for the holidays this year but we will pull together and honor her in the best way possible. +"My heart is utterly broken. Two months ago in May, my sister-in-law passed away. It was sudden and very tragic. She was driving home from work in the rain when she lost control of her car and get into an accident on the interstate. It feels like I was just talking to her and planning our next get together. We'd planned to go to a concert with my brother and sister in July. I didn't like the artist that we were going see, but it was for her birthday that we'd missed doing something for in February. She had been waiting to go that concert for years but hadn't been able to because our work schedules didn't line up. I considered my sister-in-law as much one of my actual siblings as my brother and sister are. She'd been there for my wife and I through some hard times and was always willing to lend a hand to help us with the children. I can't believe that she's gone and I know that it's tougher on my wife. This is a very tragic time for both of our families, because she was really a light in our lives. My family is pulling through as best we can and are making sure that we are there for each other in this trying time. The funeral was difficult, but it was attended by so many people and my sister-in-law would've really been happy to know how many lives she touched when she was still here. I think that if anything good can come out of this is that we'll be more of a bonded family. We know that's what she would've wanted us to do and we'll honor her in this way. But I don't think I'll ever stop missing her." +"We went gem mining up in the mountains. Or rather, we went panning. It was a lot of fun. We'd originally gone to do a highland games festival, but couldn't make it. Since we were up there anyways, and had children with out group (as well as myself, the resident mental child haha,) we looked for other things to do. We wound up walking around a tourist trap attached to our camp ground, though the gem experience we wanted to do there was closed. One of the kids, the only girl, announced that her dad had promised her this last year that he'd take her gem mining. So I looked online and found something just down the road. We hopped in a minivan, one person sitting on the floor, and scooted across the road to this one nearest to us. We only spent $75 for 8 of us, which was pretty good for well over an hours entertainment. We all ended up with at least three precious gems. Most of us had more. My husband and I had the fewest, mostly due to the kids realizing I know rocks and asking me for lots of help. The little girl found a geode in one of our buckets as well. The kids later crushed it with a rock. They couldn't wait for us to find a hammer to crack it for them. It was cute, how excited they were. And that way, every kid got a piece. My favorite find was a nice sapphire, as well as a few emeralds that are cutting quality. It was a fantastic experience, and one I plant to make my husband take me on again." +"We went gem mining up in the mountains. Or rather, we went panning. It was a lot of fun. We'd originally gone to do a highland games festival, but couldn't make it. Since we were up there anyways, and had children with out group (as well as myself, the resident mental child haha,) we looked for other things to do. We wound up walking around a tourist trap attached to our camp ground, though the gem experience we wanted to do there was closed. One of the kids, the only girl, announced that her dad had promised her this last year that he'd take her gem mining. So I looked online and found something just down the road. We hopped in a minivan, one person sitting on the floor, and scooted across the road to this one nearest to us. We only spent $75 for 8 of us, which was pretty good for well over an hours entertainment. We all ended up with at least three precious gems. Most of us had more. My husband and I had the fewest, mostly due to the kids realizing I know rocks and asking me for lots of help. The little girl found a geode in one of our buckets as well. The kids later crushed it with a rock. They couldn't wait for us to find a hammer to crack it for them. It was cute, how excited they were. And that way, every kid got a piece. My favorite find was a nice sapphire, as well as a few emeralds that are cutting quality. It was a fantastic experience, and one I plant to make my husband take me on again." +"I was looking into finances and how to become more financially fit. I decided to run a full credit report on myself, especially since it was free. To my surprise, I found close to $15,000 in credit card debt. I had no idea about and that was not actually mine. I called the credit card company that the report said the credit cards were with to report fraud. The credit card company then told me payments have been made, which means it probably was not someone random and to check with family and friends first. After this, I then discovered that it was my own parent who had opened two credit cards in my name and maxed them out. I was so upset and in shock. I felt betrayed, frustrated, upset, and like I didn't know who to trust anymore. i could not believe a parent would do this to their own child. I was then made to feel guilt tripped over it and that I should own it. I forced them to figure out a way to pay it off in a certain time frame. I am unsure how they managed that, but they did. I had to threaten them with legal action if it was not paid by the given date. Fortunately, it did not come to this." +It was great being able to catch up with Jen after not seeing much of each other in the last year. The fact that I got to catch up with her while also getting to visit Budapest made it even better. Neither of us have ever been to Hungary before and it was a great bonding experience. Of course there where the expected difficulties communicating with locals and finding our way around an unfamiliar city. But we stuck together and helped each other out. Over all we found the people of Budapest to be friendly and helpful. One of my favorite places was the Gellert Bath and Spa centre because who doesn't enjoy a spa day. After several days of site seeing it was nice to relax and enjoy a massage. Of course there where plenty of other things to see. Jen liked the Parliament building . Being into history we both like Hero's square. The House of Terror was an interesting look at Hungary's more recent history. We also enjoyed the the local flea market. It was great seeing a little piece of everyday life in Budapest. The Buda Hills also offered a great day away from the city. We enjoyed a nice bike ride along the trails. I lovely picnic was the perfect end to the day. +"This event is about my trip to Budapest, Hungary with one of my best friends. Three weeks ago I took a trip to Budapest, Hungary with one of my childhood best friends. I was already in Europe because I had been working in Madrid, Spain. I took a short flight, and met met my friend in Hungary. She was pretty jet lagged since she came from the United States but we went out for dinner that night. We were absolutely blown away with how delicious Hungarian food is. We had delicious stew and soup. I was worried initially about how the food would be. I do not eat meat, and I read prior that Hungarians love their meat, but I had no trouble finding vegetarian options. The next day on our trip, we saw the beautiful Parliament building, and a beautiful castle. I remember walking up many stairs and getting tired in the hot, summer sun. Suddenly though, we reached an archway that took us to the end of the tunnel. There was sunlight peaking through and some of the most beautiful architecture I had ever seen. I saw beautiful mosaics, and a cobblestone square that overlooked the entire city of Budapest. Perfectly situated was a bar where we could sit down and look out at the view of the city and parliament building on the other side of the water. It was absolutely breathtaking and my favorite part of the trip. A close second for my favorite part of the trip was a sunset boat ride we took that allowed us to later see the lit up buildings at night. We finished our last day of the trip with going to the famous baths. It was perfect timing to relax after having walked many miles the days before. The baths are said to have healing qualities, but regardless, I found them very relaxing. This trip was amazing overall, I really enjoyed sharing an international experience with one of my best friends. I hadn't seen her for almost a year so it was really great to catch up and kind of share with her a little bit of my chaotic life of when I was working in Europe." +It was great being able to catch up with Jen after not seeing much of each other in the last year. The fact that I got to catch up with her while also getting to visit Budapest made it even better. Neither of us have ever been to Hungary before and it was a great bonding experience. Of course there where the expected difficulties communicating with locals and finding our way around an unfamiliar city. But we stuck together and helped each other out. Over all we found the people of Budapest to be friendly and helpful. One of my favorite places was the Gellert Bath and Spa centre because who doesn't enjoy a spa day. After several days of site seeing it was nice to relax and enjoy a massage. Of course there where plenty of other things to see. Jen liked the Parliament building . Being into history we both like Hero's square. The House of Terror was an interesting look at Hungary's more recent history. We also enjoyed the the local flea market. It was great seeing a little piece of everyday life in Budapest. The Buda Hills also offered a great day away from the city. We enjoyed a nice bike ride along the trails. I lovely picnic was the perfect end to the day. +"While I was in 7th grade, I had a bully. She was a heavier girl with greasy hair and clothes that were obviously hand me downs or thrift store buys. I knew that she most likely didn't have the best life, based on the way that she acted. She would constantly curse or make sex jokes or jokes about drugs, and at 13 it seemed like she was trying too hard to prove she was mature. While her life was probably a string of bad parenting mistakes and school punishments from lashing out, but it still didn't excuse her severe bullying. She would lean against her locker and glare at me as I passed by, calling out mean questions like, ""Do you have a dick?"" or ""Why are you staring at me, you fucking lesbian?"" I wasn't the only one she tormented. I would hear her lashing out at other girls, and even some of the more timid boys. Her favorite insults to hurl at the boys were often ""Faggot!"" or ""Pussy!"" Because of her aggressive behavior, she didn't have many friends but that doesn't mean that she didn't have any. Her wannabe gang was comprised of two other girls and one boy, all of which seemed to have been brought up in less than fortunate circumstances. Their crew was known for smoking pot, vandalizing, and being in detention. About 6 months ago, I finally stood up to my bully. We were in P.E. and all of the girls were in the locker room. It was mandatory to change into gym clothes before P.E. started. Everyone faced inward toward their locker, trying to block out the rest of the half naked girls. Except for my bully, who turned toward me and pulled down the elastic waistband of my gym shorts, then loudly exclaimed, ""My bad, just wanted to finally see once and for all if you really did have a dick"", while she laughed sarcastically. I straightened up, with my shorts still down around my knees and quietly breathed out, ""We all know you just act out because you have a shitty life."" The girls around me quietly giggled. My bully turned away, looking hurt. I thought she'd lash out, but the public embarrassment seemed to actually bother her.A few hours later, when we were all waiting for the buses around the back of the school, my bully came up to me. ""Hey, dickwad.""""...Hey."" I said back.""That wasn't cool, what you did before - you don't know my life, bitch.""""You're right I don't know your life... but I'm just calling how everyone sees it. Why do you think everyone laughed when I said it.""It seemed to dawn on her that the way she had been acting wasn't funny or cool, and was actually contributing to her loneliness. The rest of the school year, she didn't call out mean things to people passing by or get a detention so she seemed to have taken what I said to heart and actually tried to change her behavior." +"While I was in 7th grade, I had a bully. She was a heavier girl with greasy hair and clothes that were obviously hand me downs or thrift store buys. I knew that she most likely didn't have the best life, based on the way that she acted. She would constantly curse or make sex jokes or jokes about drugs, and at 13 it seemed like she was trying too hard to prove she was mature. While her life was probably a string of bad parenting mistakes and school punishments from lashing out, but it still didn't excuse her severe bullying. She would lean against her locker and glare at me as I passed by, calling out mean questions like, ""Do you have a dick?"" or ""Why are you staring at me, you fucking lesbian?"" I wasn't the only one she tormented. I would hear her lashing out at other girls, and even some of the more timid boys. Her favorite insults to hurl at the boys were often ""Faggot!"" or ""Pussy!"" Because of her aggressive behavior, she didn't have many friends but that doesn't mean that she didn't have any. Her wannabe gang was comprised of two other girls and one boy, all of which seemed to have been brought up in less than fortunate circumstances. Their crew was known for smoking pot, vandalizing, and being in detention. About 6 months ago, I finally stood up to my bully. We were in P.E. and all of the girls were in the locker room. It was mandatory to change into gym clothes before P.E. started. Everyone faced inward toward their locker, trying to block out the rest of the half naked girls. Except for my bully, who turned toward me and pulled down the elastic waistband of my gym shorts, then loudly exclaimed, ""My bad, just wanted to finally see once and for all if you really did have a dick"", while she laughed sarcastically. I straightened up, with my shorts still down around my knees and quietly breathed out, ""We all know you just act out because you have a shitty life."" The girls around me quietly giggled. My bully turned away, looking hurt. I thought she'd lash out, but the public embarrassment seemed to actually bother her.A few hours later, when we were all waiting for the buses around the back of the school, my bully came up to me. ""Hey, dickwad.""""...Hey."" I said back.""That wasn't cool, what you did before - you don't know my life, bitch.""""You're right I don't know your life... but I'm just calling how everyone sees it. Why do you think everyone laughed when I said it.""It seemed to dawn on her that the way she had been acting wasn't funny or cool, and was actually contributing to her loneliness. The rest of the school year, she didn't call out mean things to people passing by or get a detention so she seemed to have taken what I said to heart and actually tried to change her behavior." +"First of all i was very likely to describe about the bahamas which is one of the beautiful place in the world. i felt a lot of surprising with the bahama. the Bahamas is home to light blue beaches, translucent underwater caves, a rich royal heritage and exclusive private isles. The Bahamas has an island for every taste and style, and it's easy to enjoy its subtropical charm during an overnight stint or a week-long cruise. The bahamas is known officially as the Commonwealth of the Bahamas,is a country within the Lucayan Archipelago in the West Indies. all and all it was a great memory for both of us! and going to the bahamas is a great place to get full of adventure, local culture, relaxation, romance and lot of events which helps to enjoy and love our vacation. The Bahamas is comprised of 700 islands and over 2,000 rocks and cays, sprinkled over 100,000 square miles of ocean. The archipelago is an ecological oasis, boasting the clearest water on the planet. we can see our toes as easily as you can the world’s third largest fringing barrier reef. the name “Bahamas” comes from the Spanish words “baja mar”, meaning shallow water or sea. there are many kinds of events like a Junkanoo, McLean's Town Conch Cracking Festival. Bahamian culture combines influences from Africa and Europe and is related to Caribbean Creole culture as well as the Gullah culture of the southern U.S. Grand Bahama Island, Bahamas International Film Festival. going to all the events offered there is very exciting!" +"One of my favorite things we did is rent a boat and did some island hoping! Very exciting on the beautiful waters and pure white beaches Some of the beaches we just anchored out boat and swam to the shore. We found some huge rocks we could swim around and look at all the colorful fish. We also rented four wheeler and got to ride them all around the island. While riding up very high we could look down on all the boats surrounding the island. We got great tans and had some delicious meals. A lot of great seafood! The shopping was unique as we found some great gifts to bring back and my husband found some nice shirts he liked. We did the town and shops their with gold, silver, rings necklaces just about anything you would be looking for. We took a lot of pictures and video and have enjoy watching them. They have brought back fond memories. We have enjoyed showing them to our friends and family! We can't wait to go back. There is so much to see and do! It just a beautiful place to visit and we would recommend anyone to visit." +"One of my favorite things we did is rent a boat and did some island hoping! Very exciting on the beautiful waters and pure white beaches Some of the beaches we just anchored out boat and swam to the shore. We found some huge rocks we could swim around and look at all the colorful fish. We also rented four wheeler and got to ride them all around the island. While riding up very high we could look down on all the boats surrounding the island. We got great tans and had some delicious meals. A lot of great seafood! The shopping was unique as we found some great gifts to bring back and my husband found some nice shirts he liked. We did the town and shops their with gold, silver, rings necklaces just about anything you would be looking for. We took a lot of pictures and video and have enjoy watching them. They have brought back fond memories. We have enjoyed showing them to our friends and family! We can't wait to go back. There is so much to see and do! It just a beautiful place to visit and we would recommend anyone to visit." +"Not too long ago, I had the honor of receiving my two year token and cake at my local Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings (home meeting). The most memorable part of this event was being presented with a special token by my sponsor, who had told me that they were unable to attend, yet surprised me by showing up. This was memorable and surprising because a sponsor is someone who plays a very important role in your recovery. They are someone who you trust and who is there for you 24/7 throughout your recovery process and they take on many roles in your life. They are not only your sponsor, but a friend, a confidant, a mentor, someone who helps to guide you, and so much more. Sharing in the milestones, accomplishments, and even the slip ups and downfalls is something that they are there for, so thinking that my sponsor was not going to make it to one of the biggest milestones of my recovery, was a very sad and disappointing moment for me to say the least. One of my close friends in the meetings took the place of my sponsor initially and stood up in front of the room. They apologized that my sponsor was unable to make it and said that they were grateful to be speaking in their place. Then there was some silence and some clapping and hollaring. I stopped and looked around and all of a sudden I saw and heard my sponsor! When they stood up in front of the room and announced their presence, I was extremely surprised and overjoyed! This was something that would have been more than enough, but to have them give a speech and to hear the things that they had to say about me, for me, and to me, truly made it one of the most memorable moments in my life. My sponsor stood in front of the entire room and spoke about my journey in recovery, as well as how we met and how I approached them to be my sponsor. They described me in a way that I could not imagine myself, but made me realize that it was in fact me. They explained how proud they were of me, how far I have come, and expressed their wishes for me for the future. My sponsor told me that they were hesitant at first to take on a new sponsee, but that they were glad that they did because not knowing me and not being a part of my journey would've been a very disappointing thing. They described me as a good friend, a good person, a beautiful person, and someone who is capable of change and acceptance. They wished the best for me in all that I do and in my continued road in recovery. Hearing all of the nice things that they had to say made me cry. It truly was a beautiful, surprising, and memorable experience and event." +I've had some rough years in my past. Some of which included me being addicted to narcotics and alchohol. I was really going though during that time in my life. drugs and alcohol were something that I used everyday to try and feel something or feel better in my life. I eventually realized that taking these things weren't really helping me at all. They were making things worse for me in my body and in my mind. I had to get help so I signed up for alcoholic and narcotics meetings. I attended them everyday once I had gotten together. I never missed a day for about two years. One day there was a meeting for me in which to celebrate my success of not missing any days and being cleaned up. I was finally sober for a good little while now and it felt good. I had recieved a two year token for doing just that. The people had a mini party for me to celebrate. I really enjoyed be able to have fun without being intoxicated. Thanks to everyone at the meetings that helped me get back on a straight path. +"Within this year I have gone back to college to get my degree in science. For years I have not gone to college because of my physical and mental health but decided to try because I have always wanted to complete college. It was hard. My skin conditioned made it painful to sleep let alone study and attend class. I sprained my ankle, gotten the flu and almost quit but I kept going despite having every excuse not to. Then by the end of the semester I was given a ''fun'' assignment by our Psychology professor to do something that would make us feel uncomfortable and write how we overcame that. At the same time I had to give a Ted Talk style speech in my Writing and Research class so this was a great opportunity to do both. I felt uncomfortable and I even regretted it at first but I was able to complete both of my assignments and ended up getting a B+ for each of those classes while getting As for my Math and History class. This was a roller coaster of emotions but I'm glad I did it. Now I'm stronger to continue on to my next semester which is just one week away. I was surprised at myself. I quit college 3 times the first semester before this so I was afraid I would have to pay for it all again. But it was worth it. Now I'm a step closer to my goal and I feel that I'm not just learning the subject of each class. I'm learning how to take notes better and how to approach real life problems with the tools I've learned in Psychology." +It has been 3 months since I finally went back to college. So much has happened already! So many new friends and teachers. I moved into the dorms with a roommate. She is really nice and we have become best friends!! She has the same major as me so we are in most of the same classes together. We haven't been roommates for very long and I was alone for the first month. It was so fun when she moved in and we immediately were friends! She has also introduced me to a lot of people since I am not from here. One of the people will be getting me a job soon. College is a lot more expensive then I thought so I NEED a job right now! I haven't felt homesick yet! Last year I was for months and months. Maybe having a best friend as a roommate helps. She keeps me busy! We do have a break coming up soon so I get to go home to see my family for a couple weeks. I really should start saving up for that. Time to get back to studying. Until tomorrow. +It has been 3 months since I finally went back to college. So much has happened already! So many new friends and teachers. I moved into the dorms with a roommate. She is really nice and we have become best friends!! She has the same major as me so we are in most of the same classes together. We haven't been roommates for very long and I was alone for the first month. It was so fun when she moved in and we immediately were friends! She has also introduced me to a lot of people since I am not from here. One of the people will be getting me a job soon. College is a lot more expensive then I thought so I NEED a job right now! I haven't felt homesick yet! Last year I was for months and months. Maybe having a best friend as a roommate helps. She keeps me busy! We do have a break coming up soon so I get to go home to see my family for a couple weeks. I really should start saving up for that. Time to get back to studying. Until tomorrow. +"On August 20th of this year at 6:30 am, I called out of work and drunkenly drove myself to the local Crisis Stabilization Unit, which was thankfully about two minutes from my home. I parked my car in the fire lane and walked in. Drunk me figured this was the only way I would be able to kick the almost five year curse that was my addiction to alcohol. Drunk me also reasoned that if I kept drinking the way I was, I would either take my own life or die from organ failure. I went up to the reception area and informed the receptionist I needed to be admitted for intoxication, alcohol addiction and suicidal ideation. I gave her my insurance information, filled out the paperwork, and sat in the lobby. I had stopped before getting to the facility and bought and drank two small wine bottles. I could feel them kicking in and with the alcohol running through my body I sat and waited, convinced this was my only option; the only way I would stay alive. I was called back by a paramedic who took my vitals and had me take a breathalyzer. I was 2 times the legal limit; he said if I drove away before sobering up the cops would be called. Back in the lobby, as the wine started to wear off I felt panic. No longer sure if this was the right move, I wondered if walking home was an option. In front of me a door opened and a bald man called me into his office. The substance abuse counselor asked me some generic questions about my addiction, and informed me I would have to stay for 24 hours. I would not be able to keep my phone, I would need to change out of my clothing, and I would be in a room being monitored. Sobering up, I was almost certain I was ready to walk home. A very attractive nurse came out, and explained that I would be strip searched. I still had some liquid courage in me and told her absolutely not, and refused to sign the consent form. I told her I would sit in the lobby and sober up. She left, and I called my mom, angry that they not only would take my phone, but that I would have to expose myself to a stranger. My mother convinced me to admit myself, and so I did. The staff in the unit were nice enough, but I could tell they thought my case was not that bad. There were people in the unit being constantly monitored in case of a seizure; my hands were not even shaking as the alcohol wore off. I sat in a chair and watched movies, paced around, called my mother from the only phone in the room. Seven hours later, I was able to drive and they discharged me, at which point I drove home and drank some more." +"When I was 18, I was at a bad place in my life. My parents had just gotten a divorce and my dad decided he wanted to move to Florida, leaving my mom, whom I didn't have the best relationship with, and I, in Atlanta, GA. I've always been a daddy's girl but I kept a lot from my dad to maintain my innocence in his eyes. Following my parents' divorce, I started hanging out later, I was drinking, I was using marijuana, and I was promiscuous. My grades suffered and I had begun spending time with multiple guys just for the fun of it. I was filling a void that my dad could no longer fill. Though I was spending time with multiple guys, I had strong feelings for one, Joshua. Joshua was smart, funny, a good listener, popular, handsome, a gentleman, and still a tough guy. I knew I was a lucky girl so eventually I dropped the other guys and committed myself to Joshua. But prior to commitment, I made the mistake of sleeping with both Joshua, and another guy, Corey, around the same time. Two months later, I realized my period was late, I was nauseous all of the time, and I had weird sensations in my body that were flu like. I told my best friend Ashley at the time about my symptoms and she told me that she would go to the dollar store with me the following day to get a pregnancy test since they were just as reliable as the name brand tests, but cheap. The next day, Ashley and I went to the Dollar Tree and purchased three pregnancy tests just in case I messed one up. I took the test at her house since her parents weren't home and I didn't want to risk running in to my mom at home. It was at this time that I found out that I was pregnant. I was scared, worrying about what I would do with a baby, and wondering whose baby it was. My mom was disappointed, I couldn't tell my dad myself that his princess was pregnant, and while Ashley was excited, it wasn't enough support to raise a baby. I needed stability, support, a job, personal growth, and I needed to finish school. My only hope was Joshua but he was not too happy about the fact that I was unsure of who the baby's father was and respectfully told me that he wanted nothing to do with me but that he would be a friend and see my decision to the end with me. Corey also wanted nothing to do with me, as far as he was concerned, I was a hoe. I felt like my only option was to terminate my pregnancy. I cried days before ending my pregnancy, during the process, and days following the procedure. I was broken, and I felt alone and helpless because I never wanted to have an abortion but I had no one. Now five years later, I find out that my dad would have been willing to help me raise my baby had he have known I was with child, but neither me nor my mom mentioned it to him. Though I was happy to hear that my dad would have had my back through whatever, I am heartbroken that I terminated my pregnancy out of fear, and I don't know how soon i'll ever be able to forgive myself." +"When I was 18, I was at a bad place in my life. My parents had just gotten a divorce and my dad decided he wanted to move to Florida, leaving my mom, whom I didn't have the best relationship with, and I, in Atlanta, GA. I've always been a daddy's girl but I kept a lot from my dad to maintain my innocence in his eyes. Following my parents' divorce, I started hanging out later, I was drinking, I was using marijuana, and I was promiscuous. My grades suffered and I had begun spending time with multiple guys just for the fun of it. I was filling a void that my dad could no longer fill. Though I was spending time with multiple guys, I had strong feelings for one, Joshua. Joshua was smart, funny, a good listener, popular, handsome, a gentleman, and still a tough guy. I knew I was a lucky girl so eventually I dropped the other guys and committed myself to Joshua. But prior to commitment, I made the mistake of sleeping with both Joshua, and another guy, Corey, around the same time. Two months later, I realized my period was late, I was nauseous all of the time, and I had weird sensations in my body that were flu like. I told my best friend Ashley at the time about my symptoms and she told me that she would go to the dollar store with me the following day to get a pregnancy test since they were just as reliable as the name brand tests, but cheap. The next day, Ashley and I went to the Dollar Tree and purchased three pregnancy tests just in case I messed one up. I took the test at her house since her parents weren't home and I didn't want to risk running in to my mom at home. It was at this time that I found out that I was pregnant. I was scared, worrying about what I would do with a baby, and wondering whose baby it was. My mom was disappointed, I couldn't tell my dad myself that his princess was pregnant, and while Ashley was excited, it wasn't enough support to raise a baby. I needed stability, support, a job, personal growth, and I needed to finish school. My only hope was Joshua but he was not too happy about the fact that I was unsure of who the baby's father was and respectfully told me that he wanted nothing to do with me but that he would be a friend and see my decision to the end with me. Corey also wanted nothing to do with me, as far as he was concerned, I was a hoe. I felt like my only option was to terminate my pregnancy. I cried days before ending my pregnancy, during the process, and days following the procedure. I was broken, and I felt alone and helpless because I never wanted to have an abortion but I had no one. Now five years later, I find out that my dad would have been willing to help me raise my baby had he have known I was with child, but neither me nor my mom mentioned it to him. Though I was happy to hear that my dad would have had my back through whatever, I am heartbroken that I terminated my pregnancy out of fear, and I don't know how soon i'll ever be able to forgive myself." +"Recently, I went to my very first baseball game. Since I didn't grow up in the US, baseball was not a big part of my childhood. I went with by boyfriend and 3 of our friends. Since we wanted to see the Chicago Cubs vs the San Francisco Giants, we had to drive to Chicago to go to Wrigley field. It took us about 2 and a half hours to get there but it didn't feel like a long drive at all. We had rented out an Airbnb which was really comfortable. Once we got there, we ordered some Chicago deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnati's before heading to the game. We took a Lyft to the game and walking up to the field was very exciting. I didn't know that Wrigley Field is a historic baseball field but it is. Once inside, it was exactly like the movies show it to be. All the concessions and vendors and seating looked familiar because of the American media. We got there after the game had already started and the Cubs had the lead. I am not very proficient at baseball rules so I had a tough time fully following the game but it was fun regardless. There were some traditions I didn't know about, like the 7th inning stretch when everyone sang 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game'. The Cubs won and all of the locals were very excited. We ended the night by going out to a bar across the street and dancing." +"I can’t believe it’s been six months. Six of the longest months of my life. It’s taken a long time for me to come to grips with what’s transpired, but I feel I am finally ready to put it into words. I remember it was beautiful that day. I was at work wishing I wasn’t. Imagine my surprise when the line shut down and they sent us all home. I thought I’d surprise Linda by showing up home early. I was the one with the surprise of my life. I knew something was up when I walked in. Linda was sitting on the couch and shed obviously been crying. I asked, and she told me she’d been having an affair with our friend Steve. I left on the spot. In hindsight, I should’ve taken Ralphie with me. But I just wanted to get out of there. Instead, she went down to the courts the next day and filed for custody. It took five months to settle this stupid custody mess. And in the meanwhile, I’ve spent my entire savings. $23,000 cash. I think the lawyer might have done me dirtier than my ex in some ways. I’m not sure if I’ll ever recover financially. Thought about ending it a couple times too. I’m glad I talked myself down. Funny how things work in the end. I may be broke, but at least I have my kiddo. Here’s to a fresh start!" +"Today was one of the saddest days of my life. It started early in the day, and my parents came by and picked me up at my house. Everyone was in a very somber mood, but it was sunny and quite warm. We drove out to a church about thirty minutes away near where my mom grew up, and while driving I couldn't help but think back to all the good memories I had with my cousin. She was always so happy and nice and just fun to be around. But now, that was all gone, and all I had were the memories that were going over in my mind. Arriving at the church and seeing all of my family, it was hard. It was just so sad, all of it. Seeing my aunt was the hardest part I think, but I knew then that she was strong and was going to be able to get past this. My uncle is an ordained pastor, so he was able to help with the service and I think that helped ease some of the pain. After the service we all went to the cemetery and gathered up on the hill in the shade. Seeing the final resting place really hit me hard, I started to cry much harder than I had been all day at that point. All of the memories and the final shock to my brain that she was never coming back, made me very sad, and made me miss her dearly. We then all met at a local place where they served a late lunch and we had some drinks. It was good to see so many of my family, but at the same time, so sad, because I thought that we shouldn't be seeing each other, at least not for this reason. I didn't really know how to feel when we left and I made it back home. I was deeply saddened, and just thought of how my aunt, uncle, and cousins felt. I know that life had changed for them forever, and now life was starting again without their dear one, and that hurt me again. But my family is strong, and stronger together, and I know we will get through this like we will any other tragedy that comes our way." +"One week ago I was sitting at my desk at work when a woman walked by that I had never seen before. Immediately she caught my attention since I was very attracted to her, but I simply went back to my work once a moment or two had passed. I was writing an email to a coworker when she walked by again. I looked out of the corner of my eye to see that she was heading toward the break room. I decided that the email could wait so I decided to mosey on over to the break room myself to get a cup of coffee, and if she so happened to be in there then that would be just great. I walk in and notice her standing at the coffee machine pouring herself a cup. I walk up and wait for her to be done when she goes to get a packet of sugar to add to her coffee when she notices the container is empty. She doesn't seem to know where the extras are stored so I open up and tell her that the spare sugar packets are stored in the cabinet above the sink. She thanks me and walks over to the previously mentioned cabinet. She thanks me and introduces herself as Pam, and I nod my head and tell her my name is Tim. As I pour myself a cup of coffee, I remark that I haven't seen her around the office before and ask if she just started working here. She responds that she is actually just here for the week as she is running a training seminar for people in the accounting department. I feel slightly relieved by this since that means if something does happen between us it won't be an awkward office romance, but at the same time I was a bit upset because she was only here for a week. I grab myself a cookie and offer her one to go with the coffee she is drinking. She accepts. Seeing as how it's Thursday and she will be done with her training seminar tomorrow, I decide to go for broke and do something I normally never do. I just straight up ask her if she would like to grab some dinner sometime with me. She smiles and gives me her phone number and tells me to text her later so we can work something out. I add her number and smile and tell her I should probably get back to work, but if she needs any more help finding other condiments to come find me at my desk and I'll be happy to help. She laughs and says she will be looking for my text. I go back to my desk and resume writing the email, but this time in a much better mood." +"One week ago I was sitting at my desk at work when a woman walked by that I had never seen before. Immediately she caught my attention since I was very attracted to her, but I simply went back to my work once a moment or two had passed. I was writing an email to a coworker when she walked by again. I looked out of the corner of my eye to see that she was heading toward the break room. I decided that the email could wait so I decided to mosey on over to the break room myself to get a cup of coffee, and if she so happened to be in there then that would be just great. I walk in and notice her standing at the coffee machine pouring herself a cup. I walk up and wait for her to be done when she goes to get a packet of sugar to add to her coffee when she notices the container is empty. She doesn't seem to know where the extras are stored so I open up and tell her that the spare sugar packets are stored in the cabinet above the sink. She thanks me and walks over to the previously mentioned cabinet. She thanks me and introduces herself as Pam, and I nod my head and tell her my name is Tim. As I pour myself a cup of coffee, I remark that I haven't seen her around the office before and ask if she just started working here. She responds that she is actually just here for the week as she is running a training seminar for people in the accounting department. I feel slightly relieved by this since that means if something does happen between us it won't be an awkward office romance, but at the same time I was a bit upset because she was only here for a week. I grab myself a cookie and offer her one to go with the coffee she is drinking. She accepts. Seeing as how it's Thursday and she will be done with her training seminar tomorrow, I decide to go for broke and do something I normally never do. I just straight up ask her if she would like to grab some dinner sometime with me. She smiles and gives me her phone number and tells me to text her later so we can work something out. I add her number and smile and tell her I should probably get back to work, but if she needs any more help finding other condiments to come find me at my desk and I'll be happy to help. She laughs and says she will be looking for my text. I go back to my desk and resume writing the email, but this time in a much better mood." +"My sister Jenna turned 20 this week! This is her last birthday before she leaves for the military so we wanted to make a big deal out of it and do something fun. Jenna has always loved animals so we thought it would be a good idea to take her to the zoo. My parents planned a surprise trip to the zoo for all of us. We spent the entire day walking around and seeing the animals, it was really nice. My sister was very happy. Afterwards we went to her favorite restaurant. It is a really good italian food place that has the absolute best meatballs on the planet. Everyone ate until they couldn't fit anymore food in their stomachs. After that everyone headed back to my parents house. When we got there some of our other relatives showed up. My parents had ordered a big custom cake from a local baker. My sisters favorite animal is the elephant, and they got the cake shaped like a giant elephant. It was a really cool looking cake, and it tasted even better than it looked! My sister looked so happy to be spending her last few weeks at home with everyone she loved. It was a great day, and since it is probably one of the last big gatherings with her for a while, it is something I will remember." +"It's been a while since a broke my leg. Although my leg is still a bit stiff, the physical therapy sessions have helped. Since my injury, I've been a little too careful with my activity. That's lead to some atrophy in the muscle in my leg. I have been trying to do lower body exorcises and be more active in general. The psychological aspect of a bone breaking has been the hardest to overcome. Will I break the leg again because it is weak? Do I always have to be ""on guard"" and careful? I guess time will help with that. The insurance payments for the injury have been ridiculous. I receive large bills from the medical providers. I call my insurance company and they tell me that they will pay the bill, just be patient. This continues for months. Finally, after months, the insurance company pays up. I guess the game here is to hope that the insured will pay some or all of the bills just to see the paper onslaught stop. Healthcare in America...." +"It's been a while since a broke my leg. Although my leg is still a bit stiff, the physical therapy sessions have helped. Since my injury, I've been a little too careful with my activity. That's lead to some atrophy in the muscle in my leg. I have been trying to do lower body exorcises and be more active in general. The psychological aspect of a bone breaking has been the hardest to overcome. Will I break the leg again because it is weak? Do I always have to be ""on guard"" and careful? I guess time will help with that. The insurance payments for the injury have been ridiculous. I receive large bills from the medical providers. I call my insurance company and they tell me that they will pay the bill, just be patient. This continues for months. Finally, after months, the insurance company pays up. I guess the game here is to hope that the insured will pay some or all of the bills just to see the paper onslaught stop. Healthcare in America...." +"My husband and I went on a cruise to Alaska to celebrate our wedding anniversary and my retirement. It was the first time on a plane for both of us. I was a bit nervous as we were flying in on the day of departure so a plane delay could mean missing the trip, but I did have trip insurance. Luckily, we did not encounter any delays and we arrived in plenty of time. I had booked a transfer from the airport to the Pier, and the bus driver gave us a tour on the way. We passed the Space Needle which was awesome! Once at the Pier, we had to wait a bit to board. When we got on board, we went directly to wait in line to eat. It had been hours since we had any real food and we were not able to go to our rooms yet. We walked around a bit and then finally went to our cabin. Our vacation was finally starting! The days were filled with food, scenery, movies, casinos, shows and some land excursions. Exploring different parts of the ship kept us very busy. The most memorable part of the cruise was when we went into Glacier Bay - the scenery was breathtaking! We saw the glacier break apart into the water a few times, once was a large break. I took so many pictures but I couldn't fully capture the beauty and awe of the all of the moments. This trip was a once in a lifetime experience...even if I go back, I could never fully experience the magic of the first time - but it would be fun to try!" +"To celebrate my retirement earlier this year, my husband and I went on a cruise to Alaska. We left out of Seattle, Washington. We live in New York and had to fly across the country. It was the first time we were both on an airplane and it was both exciting and nerve-wracking as we were flying in the same day the ship was leaving Seattle. We arrived at Seattle with no delays and met our transport at the airport. It was approximately 30 to 45 minute ride to get to the ship. I'll never forget the sight of the ship - it was so much bigger than I could have imagined. We had to wait a little while to board the ship and there was not much to do...but finally, we were able to board. The ship was so large - like a little city. We found our room, dropped off some stuff and then went to get some food. They were serving burgers and fries at one of the eateries. We waited in line, there were a lot of people. The food was not great but we figured it was due to the number of people being served and they were rushing to serve as many as possible. The food throughout the cruise was hit and miss...but mostly very good. At least, if we did not like something, we could go back and get something else. The cruise was a once in a lifetime experience. We got to see so much beautiful scenery and we had 4 stops on land. Glacier Bay was spectacular, a sight I will never forget. We saw glaciers calving...it was awesome. The trip was an experience I will never forget." +"Recently, I went to a party celebrating my grandparents 50th anniversary. I was expecting my immediate family, my grandparents, and a few others since not many family members were in town that I was aware of. However, when I reached the location of the party, I came to realize that it was more of a surprise party for them, and all of my aunts and uncles had traveled to attend! I was shocked to see so many family members there, and they were all excited to see me. With the festivities commenced, I went to go talk to some of my cousins that had all traveled a decent distance to be there. I learned that one of my cousins was going to move closer to my grandparents since they needed more immediate help (my grandpa was struggling with Alzheimer's). He told me that my grandparents had shown lots of signs of needing help and offered to be a help when a family council was called with all my aunts and uncles. That was definitely a surprisingly development! The party itself was great and well planned. There was a slideshow to help everyone remember all the awesome moments of my grandparents lives and what they had done for the world. They showed that my grandpa used to serve in the marines and would have to leave for long stretches of time to fulfill those assignments. Most surprisingly, they had a scavenger hunt prepared that had some of the littler children go around the house and ""discover"" hidden clues that revealed more about my grandparent's lives. They were thrilled to participate and added to the fun of the party. After all was said and done, the family did a great job of preparing the party and showing my grandparents that they care. There was a lot of work that needed to get done with their advancing age, but it was great to participate and see so many familiar faces." +"My family, my sister's family, and my parents went on a trip to the Smoky Mountains. We went to DollyWood, SplashCountry, Hatfield and McCoys, Goats on the Roof, and several other local attractions. It was a wonderful family time. One of the most exciting parts of the trip was when my daughter was selected to go up on stage on the Hatfield and McCoys dinner show. She had so much fun getting to dance with everyone on the stage and we even bought the video to bring home so that she could always remember it. It was also my son and daughter's first time riding the coaster at Goats on the Roof. My daughter wasn't tall enough to ride by herself, so I had to ride with her this time. I cannot wait until she is able to do it all on her own, because my son loved it! It was one of his favorite things. My kids also loved our cabin. We had a huge cabin with enough room for my entire family to stay together. The kids loved that it had an indoor pool, hottub, game room, and a theater room! They still talk about their favorite rides at DollyWood. This was my daughter's first time riding a lot of bigger rides, so it took us a little while to talk her onto the roller coasters, but once she tried it she was hooked. Her favorite was the Fire Chaser and she has been begging to get to ride it again. My children enjoyed this trip and cannot wait to go back. We are actually considering going back next month and letting them see all of the lights at Dollywood." +"My family, my sister's family, and my parents went on a trip to the Smoky Mountains. We went to DollyWood, SplashCountry, Hatfield and McCoys, Goats on the Roof, and several other local attractions. It was a wonderful family time. One of the most exciting parts of the trip was when my daughter was selected to go up on stage on the Hatfield and McCoys dinner show. She had so much fun getting to dance with everyone on the stage and we even bought the video to bring home so that she could always remember it. It was also my son and daughter's first time riding the coaster at Goats on the Roof. My daughter wasn't tall enough to ride by herself, so I had to ride with her this time. I cannot wait until she is able to do it all on her own, because my son loved it! It was one of his favorite things. My kids also loved our cabin. We had a huge cabin with enough room for my entire family to stay together. The kids loved that it had an indoor pool, hottub, game room, and a theater room! They still talk about their favorite rides at DollyWood. This was my daughter's first time riding a lot of bigger rides, so it took us a little while to talk her onto the roller coasters, but once she tried it she was hooked. Her favorite was the Fire Chaser and she has been begging to get to ride it again. My children enjoyed this trip and cannot wait to go back. We are actually considering going back next month and letting them see all of the lights at Dollywood." +"My fourth son was born three months ago. My family and I went to an annual summer party that my neighbor throws. We got home around 9:00 pm and my wife was have some pains. We did not think anything of it as she had been having these pains for the last three weeks. But around 1:00 am the next day her water broke while we were sleeping. We called my in-laws to watch our kids and took her straight to the hospital. She was quickly admitted and taken to a room to deliver our son. We expected a quick labor as it was her fourth child, however it took nearly nineteen hours before he was born. The issue it turns out was he had his umbilical cord wrapped around his body, making it difficult for him to come out. Luckily, he was born healthy and without any complications. We spent the next two days in the hospital. Nurses and doctors came in and out to check on him and run tests throughout our stay. It was a surreal experience and even though I already had been through it three times it was a whirlwind of emotion. It was one of the best days of my life being able to witness the birth on my child. It is something I will never forget for the rest of my life." +The event I am writing about is my recent job search. I started to look for a new job after co-worker left and make my job much more stressful. It was not an easy decision to have a job search when I worked in the same place for close to 12 years. I started out with aggregate job posting site Indeed. I found out with their email notification it is very helpful for a job seeker. This job searching is not an easy process to customize my cover letter and resume for individual job. I applied over 10 jobs and have 1 phone interview and another with an in-person interview in this 2 months period. I went for the in-person interview job and find out I have experiences with the position. I was excited to learn that I got one of the job with a much higher pay than what I am earning. I also will have less stress on certain part of the job compared to what I am working as. I will be starting the new job in about a week. I hope things will be alright. I feel anxious and excited at the same time. It is partly because I was in the same position for close to 12 years in the same company and now I will have to adjust to a new routine. Some of my coworkers where I am working in now are very sad about my leaving. +"In June, my wife and I took a vacation to Washington state. We flew into Seattle, but stayed in Snoqualmie. We stayed at Rockwood Farm which is a log mansion - something I didn't know existed. On our arrival in Seattle, we visited a few shops and had some coffee at the Starbucks Roastery before heading to our room in Snoqualmie. Being from Florida, we were amazed by the surroundings since Washington is basically the opposite of Florida. I think the most memorable thing was the view of Mt. Rainier while we were on the ferry on our way to Poulsbo. It looked almost like a moon in the sky. While in Poulsbo, we attended a beer tasting at the Kiana Lodge. Another cool thing we saw was the naval base in Everett. A running theme of the trip was how big everything was. Whether it was battleships, mountains, trees, or just buildings, everything seemed huge compared to Florida. Also of note was the weather. That area is famous for being rainy and cold, but the whole time we were there the weather was beautiful. It was sunny and 75 degrees the entire time." +"A few weeks ago, my wife and I headed to Washington state to go hiking in the mountains. As we had never been there before, we were both very excited about the vacation. We packed up the car with our camping gear, put the dog in a kennel and we were off. We arrived in Washington after about 15 hours of non-stop driving. When we arrived in Seattle, the first thing we saw was Mt. Rainier. My wife and I laughed because it reminded us of our first date together in college. We ended up going to a frat party, where they were drinking Rainier beer. It had a drawing of Rainier on the logo. Anyway, when we arrived at the campground, we were absolutely struck by how beautiful the national park was. We were going to be hiking a very long trail the next day, so we quickly set up the tent and got our campsite squared away. My wife, who hadn't been camping very often, was a little bit skittish about the signs we had seen warning of bears. Every time a twig snapped or the wind blew our tent flaps against the tent walls, she started in fright. Eventually, we both drifted off to sleep after the long drive. The next morning, we secured our campsite and headed off to begin our 5 mile hike. We packed food and water and started up the trail. There were dark clouds in the horizon, and I commented that we might be in for rain. But my wife thought it'd be okay to continue. It never did rain and we had a wonderful hike. Overall, our first vacation to Washington state was a huge success and we look forward to returning some day." +"In June, my wife and I took a vacation to Washington state. We flew into Seattle, but stayed in Snoqualmie. We stayed at Rockwood Farm which is a log mansion - something I didn't know existed. On our arrival in Seattle, we visited a few shops and had some coffee at the Starbucks Roastery before heading to our room in Snoqualmie. Being from Florida, we were amazed by the surroundings since Washington is basically the opposite of Florida. I think the most memorable thing was the view of Mt. Rainier while we were on the ferry on our way to Poulsbo. It looked almost like a moon in the sky. While in Poulsbo, we attended a beer tasting at the Kiana Lodge. Another cool thing we saw was the naval base in Everett. A running theme of the trip was how big everything was. Whether it was battleships, mountains, trees, or just buildings, everything seemed huge compared to Florida. Also of note was the weather. That area is famous for being rainy and cold, but the whole time we were there the weather was beautiful. It was sunny and 75 degrees the entire time." +"The day had come, it was my wedding day, and I had been so freaking nervous about all of the circumstances surrounding it. I was freaking out pretty hard when it dawned on me that hey, I was marrying the girl of my dreams. The way we had met was spectacular, and totally happenstance. We had both been at a Spiritual guidance gathering at a retreat in the woods, and from the moment I saw her I knew that I needed to talk to her. I approached her with a soft smile on my face and we caught eyes, and I could immediately tell that she was the one. Now here we are, two and half years later, and I'm struggling with my damn tie and sweating and just overall a nervous wreck. Like I said, I realized that this is the girl of my dream, and the way we met was just serendipitous. I waited at the altar with a lump in my throat, waiting for her beautiful face to be led down the aisle by her Father. When that moment arrived, I was starstruck, I damn near fell over due to how beautiful she actually was, I hadn't actually seen her in about three days, due to the bachelorette party, and of course the tradition of the groom not seeing the bride before this moment on their wedding day. As soon as she reached the altar, I felt all the panick in my heart dissolve. We smiled at eachother and took one anothers hands as we looked towards the priest to begin the ceremony. I couldn't wait to make her mine, to bring her into my life as my wife, and I knew she felt the same way. It was absolutely lovely, and everything I could have expected and more. The reception was a blast as well, plenty of people laughing and telling happy stories of the two of us, and wishing us an absolutely blissful life together. That being said, I think we can leave the honeymoon out of this, because that might get a little racy, even for you diary. When we arrived home from the honeymoon, and I had to return to work, it was with great disdain that I left my new bride home alone, though I knew I would be back to see her in only eight short hours. I made haste to the office to begin my day and effectively my new life. When I walked into the office, I was immediately called into my supervisors office and I thought trouble immediately, only to be relieved that there was no trouble at all. In fact, it had been a promotion waiting for me for all of my diligent work and loyalty to the company. Could this get any better? I mean, I have had some pretty damn good luck all things considered, but is it really luck? Or is it this result of my hard work, patience and determination in succeeding in this life? I choose to believe that it's probably a mixture of both. I am more than pleased with the way my life is turning out so far!" +"My son is enjoying his time away at school. He really enjoys the independance of living on his own and making decisions for himself. Recently, I have had to have very stern conversations with him regarding his spending habits and budget. He has not been very disciplined when it comes to spending money, and as a results is over his bduget for the year. The significance is this threatens his ability to do certain activities like trips to other countries in the future. He is eating into his ""travel money"" for trivial expenses like fast food and drinks at a local bar. I don't enjoy lecturing him about this, but I feel I have to step in before this becomes a bigger problem. I want him to embrace the fact he is able to live his own life. However, if he cannot make mature decisions, and those decisions could impact the rest of his time overseas, I must act. He has been reluctant to discuss the problem and seems more interested in just ignoring the situation (and me). He tells me he is aware of what is happening and willing to accept the consequences and act accordingly. I think this is just him telling me what he thinks I want to hear. I also do not think he truly understands the impact of being in a foreign country with little to no money if he exhausts his savings. Even though my getting involved is putting a damper on his enjoyment in the near tem, I expect in the long run he will be happy. Once he is able to see the bigger picture of what saving (vs. spending) allows him to do, I believe he will be thankful he changed his spending habits." +"My son is enjoying his time away at school. He really enjoys the independance of living on his own and making decisions for himself. Recently, I have had to have very stern conversations with him regarding his spending habits and budget. He has not been very disciplined when it comes to spending money, and as a results is over his bduget for the year. The significance is this threatens his ability to do certain activities like trips to other countries in the future. He is eating into his ""travel money"" for trivial expenses like fast food and drinks at a local bar. I don't enjoy lecturing him about this, but I feel I have to step in before this becomes a bigger problem. I want him to embrace the fact he is able to live his own life. However, if he cannot make mature decisions, and those decisions could impact the rest of his time overseas, I must act. He has been reluctant to discuss the problem and seems more interested in just ignoring the situation (and me). He tells me he is aware of what is happening and willing to accept the consequences and act accordingly. I think this is just him telling me what he thinks I want to hear. I also do not think he truly understands the impact of being in a foreign country with little to no money if he exhausts his savings. Even though my getting involved is putting a damper on his enjoyment in the near tem, I expect in the long run he will be happy. Once he is able to see the bigger picture of what saving (vs. spending) allows him to do, I believe he will be thankful he changed his spending habits." +"My husband has been out of jail for about a month and it has been stressful, to say the least. We fight all the time and as much as I try, I can't make him happy or help him with his anger. He has returned to meth one time since he's been out and it was terrible to watch. He had full-on delusions and wanted to argue you with me over scientific principles that were non-existent. He claimed that all plants have psychedelic properties and that he could make DMT out of the mimosa trees that grow near our house. I found him passed out at the base of a poor tree that had been hacked halfway out of the ground with a garden trowel. He seems to be doing better and has gotten into an outpatient treatment program in the last week. I fear he has some psychological issues that need medication, but I dare not say anything about it to him. Luckily, I work from home and can monitor him while he's here. I moved after his arrest to a more rural area to avoid the drug culture that our old neighborhood was immersed in. As for myself, I have no desire to use drugs, other than maybe some pot now and then to relax. I feel like there are so many other people that suffer from addiction and there are no real resources to help them, save meetings and for-profit rehabs. I have started a non-profit application so that people might be able to get to meetings and appointments. It seems that people on drugs have no transportation to get to the help that they so desperately need. Watching the man that I love devolve into an angry crazy caricature is heartbreaking to say the least. He was a beautiful, intelligent, thoughtful, playful, poetic soul when I married him and drugs have taken that man away and left me with a shell. I hope and pray that he can come back to his former self and I will use all my resources to make that happen." +"He's the love of my life and a great man, but the drugs are the greatest source of pain in my life. I am not sure what exactly caused him to pick up the habit but I do know he had a rough childhood. One day I walked into the garage and saw that he had completely rearranged it and I noticed a small glass pipe on one of the tables. I had never seen this type of pipe before but I did notice the residue built up inside. I confronted him about this and he admitted that he had smoked some earlier in the day and started cleaning up the garage. I asked him how long he had been using and he said he started recently. I had noticed some changes in his behavior recently. He started to stay up later and later at night. At times I would wake up in the morning and he was still awake. I thought he was stressed out because of work or that he needed to catch up on an assignment but I did not think much of it. Once he admitted to smoking meth I told him he needed to get help. This is a slippery slope and I didn't want it to get to an extreme point. This was 5 years ago. He went to rehab for a few months and everything seemed fine. He came back and attended some NA meetings and met some people that could help him out with his problems. Then he started acting odd again. He came home at odd hours of the night and when I confronted him, he became very defensive and refused to answer my questions. Then the arrest came. As a result of him going to rehab he lost his job. I had to pick up two shifts in order to make ends meet. When he came back he had a hard time holding a job. He bounced around from job to job until he met up with some people at NA who set him up with a decent job at a local fast food restaurant. He had been working there for 3 years and then he had the bright idea of stealing some money from the register to feed his habit. Three months ago, the manager confronted him about this, and he was arrested that very same day. I love him with all my heart but I can't stay with him if he relapses again, because next time I don't know what he will do." +"Two months ago, my wife and I celebrated her 37th birthday at an all inclusive resort. This resort was located on the beach and had full service amenities. On the day of her birthday we decided to take it easy and swim by the pool. We ordered breakfast and mimosa's and the staff brought it to us. The meal consisted of poached eggs, hashbrowns, biscuits, and gravy. They even brought us a fresh bowl of fruit. We decided to take a walk after we ate and picked up shells on the beach. Just seeing her smile made me happy. That afternoon we decided to have a short nap before the real fun began. She made sure to fix her hair and make-up for our big night out. Her dress was, as blue as, the ocean and made her eye's shine. I decided on a nice blue polo shirt and a pair of cargo shorts. Around 5 we departed our room for dinner at the resort's restaurant. The atmosphere was serene and romantic. I handed my wife her gift and when she opened up the box tears fell from her eyes. It was a special bracelet with our children's birthstones. She has been such a great wife and mother that the gift seem a little cheap. We ordered our food which consisted of crab legs, salad, and clam chowder. We wanted it to be a light meal since we were heading the beach club for a night of drinking and dancing. The servers surprised her at the end of dinner with a big slice of chocolate cake and sang happy birthday. Her face seemed to turn red as they danced around the table. After paying the bill we jumped in a taxi and went out to dance. Carlos was a small dance club on the south side of the resort. We were able to get our own VIP table and they brought us a bucket of champagne. I popped the cork with great pleasure and made a toast to my wife in her honor." +"Two months ago, my wife and I celebrated her 37th birthday at an all inclusive resort. This resort was located on the beach and had full service amenities. On the day of her birthday we decided to take it easy and swim by the pool. We ordered breakfast and mimosa's and the staff brought it to us. The meal consisted of poached eggs, hashbrowns, biscuits, and gravy. They even brought us a fresh bowl of fruit. We decided to take a walk after we ate and picked up shells on the beach. Just seeing her smile made me happy. That afternoon we decided to have a short nap before the real fun began. She made sure to fix her hair and make-up for our big night out. Her dress was, as blue as, the ocean and made her eye's shine. I decided on a nice blue polo shirt and a pair of cargo shorts. Around 5 we departed our room for dinner at the resort's restaurant. The atmosphere was serene and romantic. I handed my wife her gift and when she opened up the box tears fell from her eyes. It was a special bracelet with our children's birthstones. She has been such a great wife and mother that the gift seem a little cheap. We ordered our food which consisted of crab legs, salad, and clam chowder. We wanted it to be a light meal since we were heading the beach club for a night of drinking and dancing. The servers surprised her at the end of dinner with a big slice of chocolate cake and sang happy birthday. Her face seemed to turn red as they danced around the table. After paying the bill we jumped in a taxi and went out to dance. Carlos was a small dance club on the south side of the resort. We were able to get our own VIP table and they brought us a bucket of champagne. I popped the cork with great pleasure and made a toast to my wife in her honor." +"Two months ago, my wife and I celebrated her 37th birthday at an all inclusive resort. This resort was located on the beach and had full service amenities. On the day of her birthday we decided to take it easy and swim by the pool. We ordered breakfast and mimosa's and the staff brought it to us. The meal consisted of poached eggs, hashbrowns, biscuits, and gravy. They even brought us a fresh bowl of fruit. We decided to take a walk after we ate and picked up shells on the beach. Just seeing her smile made me happy. That afternoon we decided to have a short nap before the real fun began. She made sure to fix her hair and make-up for our big night out. Her dress was, as blue as, the ocean and made her eye's shine. I decided on a nice blue polo shirt and a pair of cargo shorts. Around 5 we departed our room for dinner at the resort's restaurant. The atmosphere was serene and romantic. I handed my wife her gift and when she opened up the box tears fell from her eyes. It was a special bracelet with our children's birthstones. She has been such a great wife and mother that the gift seem a little cheap. We ordered our food which consisted of crab legs, salad, and clam chowder. We wanted it to be a light meal since we were heading the beach club for a night of drinking and dancing. The servers surprised her at the end of dinner with a big slice of chocolate cake and sang happy birthday. Her face seemed to turn red as they danced around the table. After paying the bill we jumped in a taxi and went out to dance. Carlos was a small dance club on the south side of the resort. We were able to get our own VIP table and they brought us a bucket of champagne. I popped the cork with great pleasure and made a toast to my wife in her honor." +"wow...i have been waiting YEARS to see The Stones in concert live. Their tickets are so high or they are playing so far from where i live, and now, I actually am holding in my hand, 2 tickets ON THE FLOOR to see them that I WON!! I cannot believe it. Problem is the tickets are for NYC and I am in Mass. Im kinda afraid of NYC..never been to a city like that before. I mean i have been to Boston a time or two, but NY. i Don't know. A friend is going with me, and we can take the train in so it wont be too much money, but still, neither of us have been there so we will need to figure out how to get to the stadium from where our train stops, and do this without getting mugged! So many stories i hear about that city! I already super nervous...but super excited at the same time!!We have maps and GPS on our phone. We have extra money in case cabs or uber is needed. We will pack snacks in back packs. Hmm i wonder if they allow those in the arena? I better look that up! This is going to be quite a trip! I can hardly wait!" +"wow...i have been waiting YEARS to see The Stones in concert live. Their tickets are so high or they are playing so far from where i live, and now, I actually am holding in my hand, 2 tickets ON THE FLOOR to see them that I WON!! I cannot believe it. Problem is the tickets are for NYC and I am in Mass. Im kinda afraid of NYC..never been to a city like that before. I mean i have been to Boston a time or two, but NY. i Don't know. A friend is going with me, and we can take the train in so it wont be too much money, but still, neither of us have been there so we will need to figure out how to get to the stadium from where our train stops, and do this without getting mugged! So many stories i hear about that city! I already super nervous...but super excited at the same time!!We have maps and GPS on our phone. We have extra money in case cabs or uber is needed. We will pack snacks in back packs. Hmm i wonder if they allow those in the arena? I better look that up! This is going to be quite a trip! I can hardly wait!" +"Last May, I celebrated my fortieth birthday with my family and two other families. We gathered at the lake in Kentucky where we meet every May. We spent three days fishing, boating, and socializing. It was great to hear from old friends who we do not see often anymore. All of the adults were very close in college, but have drifted apart in the recent years moving to different states. It was important to me because while I enjoy meeting with my two best friends from college, our families have now started to grow closer as well. Each family has two children, and I enjoyed seeing my daughters become closer friends with the other children. The children planned their own games, enjoyed swimming in the lake, and created a rope-swing off of the dock. The most meaningful moments to me were seeing our children develop a similar friendship to what I had with the two other Dads who were present that weekend. The children wanted to keep in contact upon leaving, which has not happened before. They planned to ""borrow"" phones from their parents so that they could text and call each other throughout the summer. They even planned another trip for the three families to an amusement part later this fall. The children are now growing old enough that they can experience lake activities without the adults, giving us more time for reflection and fun. The fact the the weekend hit a milestone birthday for me this year was largely a coincidence, but it worked out perfectly as a time to reflect on four decades and anticipate (hopefully) many more. It is great ot know that some friendships span multiple generations." +"I since then have lost the job because they weren't giving me the breaks I wanted. I am going to move out with my boyfriend eventually and will have to get another job. I am nervous about it because I have bad anxiety. I'm hoping I do ok. I'm going to see if I can get councling. Councling would help alot I would assume. Though last time I had it, it didnt. So my assumption is really more of a hope. Worse comes to worse I get medication. I dont want medication because it upsets my tummy. I need a good tummy for a good working job. I also need good mental health for a good job. I hope my new job is good. This one didnt give me my 15 minute breaks. It really sucked." +"Tirelessly searching, wondering I looked for something new. I needed to get a job to pay rent for having to move back home for a little while. I got an interview before but I wasnt qualified to work there even though they offered me the job. But at last the store near me got a new manager! I applied there online and called in the store and they were actually interested in me. I had an interview coming up and was so nervous. As far as I knew they didnt pay much but it was so close I was willing to try. I got there and interviewed briefly and turns out I'm just what they needed. I asked how much the pay was and it was more then expected! I couldn't believe how lucky I got. I immediately was on the internet planning my future purchases with the extra money I would get. I realized I had to save up as well though for a new car. But I was so excited to have my own money, but nervous as well. I was nervous to feel ill and still have to go to work. But I'm hoping as long as I keep washing my hands I will be okay. In the end it's a really good opportunity." +"I felt myself begin to get light headed. I knew this telltale sign immediately. My blood sugar was low. I knew I had to get something in me before it got worse because I could black out. The meal I had in front of me unfortunately was not high enough on sugar to compensate for this. I had to run to the kitchen to see what I could find. Unfortunately, we had no juice in the house at all that I could drink. I went looking for cookies in the cabinets but once again I could not find any. I was starting to panic at this point. There was no one else in the house that could help me if I blacked out. I could seriously die. I finally remembered that I would occasionally keep a candy bar in my bag just for such an occasion. Rushing to the bedroom, I hoped against hope that I had not eaten it already and it was still there. Luckily, it was. I quickly scarfed down the chocolate bar, savoring every bite as best I could. I waited nervously for it to take a hold in my body. I could feel heart rate slowing down. My head began to clear shortly thereafter. I knew I was out of the woods now but I would have to be more careful in the future." +"I felt myself begin to get light headed. I knew this telltale sign immediately. My blood sugar was low. I knew I had to get something in me before it got worse because I could black out. The meal I had in front of me unfortunately was not high enough on sugar to compensate for this. I had to run to the kitchen to see what I could find. Unfortunately, we had no juice in the house at all that I could drink. I went looking for cookies in the cabinets but once again I could not find any. I was starting to panic at this point. There was no one else in the house that could help me if I blacked out. I could seriously die. I finally remembered that I would occasionally keep a candy bar in my bag just for such an occasion. Rushing to the bedroom, I hoped against hope that I had not eaten it already and it was still there. Luckily, it was. I quickly scarfed down the chocolate bar, savoring every bite as best I could. I waited nervously for it to take a hold in my body. I could feel heart rate slowing down. My head began to clear shortly thereafter. I knew I was out of the woods now but I would have to be more careful in the future." +"I was having a hard time finding work or how to make money about 5 months ago. I was getting desperate and was starting to sell my personal items that I really cherished. When my friend found out what was happening he offered to lend me his work van and get me a job where he worked. He bought all the supplies I would need to start the job, gave me money for gas, and even bought my meals for a few weeks. I had never done anything like this for him. It really shocked me how willing he was to help me, nobody had offered anything like this to me before. He really helped me out and allowed me to use the money I made on all the bills I had backed up. If it wasn't for his kindness I would have been without a place to live or a way to continue to live there. He never asked for anything back either, he jut wanted me to get back on to my feet. He did all the training himself so I wouldn't feel uncomfortable with somebody I didn't know. He even went to bat for me with the boss when they tried to take advantage of me because I was the new worker. Even when I got injured on the job he made sure that they treated me right and that I got the treatment that I needed. When I finally saved up money and got my bills paid down I offered to start paying him for some of the things he did. He just told me to keep it and make sure I don't get in that situation again. Ever since then he has done everything to help me, and I possibly wouldn't be here today without his kindness towards me." +"Recently my oldest son graduated High School. It was an amazing day and I couldn't have been more proud of him and his accomplishments. It was especially emotional for me because he didn't have a typical start in life. I was 19 when I had him and I was a single parent so it was sometimes a struggle. I wanted him to always know I loved him and to fight for everything in life no matter what your circumstances are. The whole day was full of love, laughter, family, stories, pictures, and great food. My son stood tall and proud on the stage as he received his diploma and when he saw us in the crowd he smiled just for us. We had a part afterwards and tons of his friends came to see him and give him gifts. He also had a lot of family in town for the party including people from out of state that hadn't seen him since he was a baby. The only bittersweet thing about the whole day was that his biological father didn't come to see him. That was a tough pill to swallow, but my son made it. And for that I'm always going to be proud. He has his diploma now and can move on to college. He is grown up and I have done my job to get him out into the world. I will miss his teenage years (somewhat), but I am proud of him." +"My son's father and I never got along after a while. The honeymoon phase wore off quickly. We tried to be civil for our son but these things don't always work. My son was about to graduate high school, and we told him about the party afterwards. He never said he was going, so we didn't have anything to expect. At the party after his graduation, everyone came near and far. It was a beautiful spread of gifts and love. My son's friends and family brought presents. Except for maybe the one present he wanted. The father never showed up. I never got a reason. But, I wasn't surprised. It's best just to have low expectations. That way, if things work out it's a surprise. I think my boy is doing just fine." +"Monday my daughter started “Big Girl School”!!! She has official entered Kindergarten! Being in school isn’t new to her though. She has been in Pre-K for a year so she is use to getting up, putting on a uniform and even being around the big kids. She was very excited to start Kindergarten. i however am not ready for her to be so ready. She went to bed early at 7PM and the lights went off! I woke her up to our traditional “Wake Up Song”. I’ve been singer her this song since she was a baby, this stirs up the emotions knowing she is now a ""big kid"" Sometimes she sings along…sometimes she pulls the covers over her head. . I also got up early to cook breakfast. Our daily breakfast consists of egg whites, turkey bacon and fruit. Every once in a while I will let her eat her favorite cereal but we keep it healthy! She only ate a little bit. I recon she was nervous. So we grabbed her sparkly book bag, lunch box that looks like a purse and her huge shopping bag of school supplies and headed to school. I am very blessed that her school is only 5 minutes from our home. We got there in no time and I walked her inside. The teachers had the kids sectioned off in the cafeteria by grade. I went to give her a kiss before she sat down and she covered her face!!! Later she told me that other kids would make fun of her. BUT ITS THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN!!! Looks like my baby girl is already grown!!!" +"It's not exactly a surprise that being a mother takes its toll on you emotionally. I remember hearing my mother telling me that quite often when I first got pregnant. She used to always go on about how I would finally understand what she meant some day. She was totally right. All that time she actually knew what she was talking about. Now that my daughter started second grade two weeks ago I can really look back and see things clearly. Not only has my daughter changed significantly, obviously, but I am now much more equipped for the day-to-day life of being a mother and what that requires currently. In addition, some of the requirements of that task have changed in the process. Feeding and making sure my daughter didn't hurt herself were essential tasks when she was a toddler, but now in grade school the expectations of motherhood have shifted. This is what my mother always talked about and I simply brushed aside. My daughter needs me for stability and things like helping her with her math homework now, and it's a fun change for me. I'm excited to start getting into science projects and fun activities she gets to take home with her. I hope to help her and continue to show her the value of education and learning. I always loved art classes too, so it's great that she's already taken a liking to drawing and painting in her spare time. It's very fulfilling to be able to experience this part of my daughter's life, and I can't wait to see her continue to grow up and develop into a wonderful person." +"My college roommate, Pat moved back to my hometown after living in NYC for a decade or so because his mother was in very poor health. L., his mother, was suffering from some sort of neuro-degenerative disorder that left her confined to a wheelchair with limbs curled into tight knots. L. was very active in my life during our college years. She'd have Pat and I over for dinner every month or so. And I got to know and love her greatly. L. passed away last month after battling her condition for years. It was time for her to go, and I'm sure that everyone was greatly relieved to have an end to her great suffering. Well it just so happens that I'd been planning a trip with my friend Brian to visit another friend Ashley and his family who'd moved last year to Colorado for work. It'd taken us a long time to find a time that would work for our schedules, and we booked the non-refundable tickets and paid the deposit on our Air bnb. Of course the funeral happened to occur on the very day we were to leave. When I found out, I was distraught. I don't know why it hit me so hard. I just felt like a heel. I thought of cancelling my trip. I probably should have, but I spoke with Pat and Brian and Ashley, and everyone said I shouldn't change my plans. The only balm was that I was able to attend the visitation that happened the night before our trip. And my lovely wife attended the funeral in my place. I still feel guilty about it though." +"I'm still thinking about how I could have done something different that time. I don't even know why. It's still been pretty recent, one month, from when it happened. I felt, at the time, that I had to tell him something, I guess. An old friend of mine's Mother had passed away. While he was torn about the whole thing, it made me think about the times I spent with her. She took good care of me even though I wasn't technically family and we had a lot of good times together. That was a long time ago, though, and that probably made it easier for me to settle with the fact that I could not even make time to attend her funeral. I was surprised by how he handled my rejection well enough, but also how I was even able to accept it afterwards. I guess I'm realizing a part of myself that lacks the empathy that I wish I had. So, running through events quickly in my head, I probably was thinking about the significance or connection I had to the event but instead should have been thinking about how my friend would feel about my attendance. I think this event gave me a good perspective on what I am and what I think I should become. I need to be able to hold the people that I care for, and the people that care for me, closer than I do. Maybe there was really no way I could attend the funeral. Maybe I couldn't repay the people I love. But, I think I could have realized and felt that what I had done was unusual." +"On may 21 of this year (2019), my very first niece had his 15 years old birthday celebration. Since she was a little baby i was waiting for this moment, because she has a personality that makes me feel like I have my sister back when she was young. That is regarding because for several reasons my sister is not longer along with us, and she is like the memory we have about my sister. Now why that date was so important for me? Well, I am no exactly in my home country. I am living abroad because of my career, but for that date I wanted to jump from my place to her place, just because i cannot miss that once in a life event for my niece. I overpay a flight ticket, i layover for about 12 hours ins another country, i got event sick because of the meal, but you know what?, i don't regret at all. At the end of the day i saw her face, i saw how happy she was in her party celebration, and also she was happy to see me there. I could dance with my little niece, which is such my little baby as well , and i will remember that for the rest of my life. I said to her that when i was in the airplane, i saw her mother in the sky, she told me to carry her, and said i love you in behave of her. My niece was so happy, she hug me and i whisper: your mother is so proud of you honey. I am pretty sure my sister was also dancing in the heaven. The night was too short, but the memories are infinites, because each second was valuable. I have to travel back the next day, without anything in my bags, but my heart full of love. Family is the treasure that will always makes your life valuable." +"My son Jason is four years old. He always wish to visit various places. So we decided to go to park near by my home. Last week my wife ad I took my young son to that park. I just helped my wife for arrangements. My son started to play around trees in the park. He felt so energetic I am also. After arrangement I spend time with my kid. he always love the nature. So he observed things happened around him. He ased many questions about various trees planted in the park. I answered his questions as much as possible. During answering the question, there were many questions appeared in front of my mind. So I took my smart phone. I started to search about trees. With the help of mobile, I got clear view on his questions. So I deeply explained about trees. tthere were so many people were arriving on the moment. Each one have some problems and stress. To avoid this kind of problems, doctors prescribes medicine . But nature is the best doctor. it can cure our diseases by its visuals. After walking at few hours, my wife called us to take lunch. So we just ate lunch together. During lunch we made conversation about various good things. it felt much better" +"The day was perfect. Off to the Island, Mackinac that is. We both lived in the area for thirty years and had not ever visited the island even though it was less then and hour a way. My wife and I had talked for years of visiting the Island. Now off we went. The fairy ride over was a little rough I was concerned because my wife did not like boats. The first thing I noticed about the Island was it smelled of horse crap. The next I noticed was the people. There were bicycles whipping between the horses and the people. The first thing we did was get tickets to the butterfly house. Then we trekked to the top of a huge hill to see the Fort. After the Fort the butterfly house. There were thousands of live Butterflies everywhere. After this we were both tired, only there for and hour and are legs felt like rubber. Fate was with us and we existed the house there was a horse taxi right there. So off to the Grand Hotel. A nice place but disappointing in the fact they charge people ten dollars just to walk on the grounds. Off to eat after that then shopping. My wife surprised me by not buying much of anything until we reached a shop that took Western Picture of you dressed in Western garb. This was something she always wanted. So I dressed up as a cowboy and she as a bar wench and we had our picture. This thrilled her which thrilled me as well. All in all the trip will be something we always remember. And we have a picture to prove it." +This is a story about us winning the local baseball tournament for adults of a recreational league. The morning before the championship game I remember I had woken up with blisters on each of my big toes. I couldn't even walk and as a catcher we have to put support and all our body weight on our toes the whole game so this was not going to go well. I rushed to the store to see if they had anything and they ended up having a sort of blister remover. This blister remove worked wonders but I could still feel pain when putting weight on the toes affected. A friend and teammate of mine recommended that I spray the stuff soccer players spray on their ankles to fight through pain. One of the umpires for the game had some cans in his car because his son played soccer and would complain of pain after every game. I sprayed some of the stuff on my toes and was able to fight through the pain for the game. It was like some anesthetic type spray but spray version of it. I liked it overall and it made the most sense. It was practical and really helped me in the long run. We ended up winning the game because of me being able to play. I feel like I am good at giving signs to the pitcher when I am the catcher. We had won the title and I was real proud of that. We had finally made turned failure into success. +This is a story about us winning the local baseball tournament for adults of a recreational league. The morning before the championship game I remember I had woken up with blisters on each of my big toes. I couldn't even walk and as a catcher we have to put support and all our body weight on our toes the whole game so this was not going to go well. I rushed to the store to see if they had anything and they ended up having a sort of blister remover. This blister remove worked wonders but I could still feel pain when putting weight on the toes affected. A friend and teammate of mine recommended that I spray the stuff soccer players spray on their ankles to fight through pain. One of the umpires for the game had some cans in his car because his son played soccer and would complain of pain after every game. I sprayed some of the stuff on my toes and was able to fight through the pain for the game. It was like some anesthetic type spray but spray version of it. I liked it overall and it made the most sense. It was practical and really helped me in the long run. We ended up winning the game because of me being able to play. I feel like I am good at giving signs to the pitcher when I am the catcher. We had won the title and I was real proud of that. We had finally made turned failure into success. +"I have a dackel/wiener-dog. I woke up to him paralyzed one morning. So, took him to the vet, as one does, and she told me to ""put him down. he won't have a good life. He'll never get better. etc"" since I could not afford the over 10k for back surgery. Went home, cried about it, thought about it, looked up paralyzed dog forums all night long. It was a pretty bad night. Not only that, but the paralysis was very sudden. The night before, he was limping just a little bit. I thought that he'd stepped on something outside during our walk. The day of the incident, other than not being able to move his back legs, he was happy and fine. So, I went back and told her that no, I was going to try. Somehow got him on steroids, did crate-rest with him and did laser treatments. Though, I was told by her that ""This won't make a difference. He'll get urine scald. He'll just suffer."" My vet really knows how to depress the hell out of me, I might say. So, I purchased bed wetting pads and barrier spray for his belly online. He was happy to be home and I was just worried about the future. I did not know if what I was doing was going to make a difference. I was also worried about the money, since, maybe I should have just used it to kill him and have him cremated? I cried a LOT and barely ate for a week. And? He got better." +"I have a dackel/wiener-dog. I woke up to him paralyzed one morning. So, took him to the vet, as one does, and she told me to ""put him down. he won't have a good life. He'll never get better. etc"" since I could not afford the over 10k for back surgery. Went home, cried about it, thought about it, looked up paralyzed dog forums all night long. It was a pretty bad night. Not only that, but the paralysis was very sudden. The night before, he was limping just a little bit. I thought that he'd stepped on something outside during our walk. The day of the incident, other than not being able to move his back legs, he was happy and fine. So, I went back and told her that no, I was going to try. Somehow got him on steroids, did crate-rest with him and did laser treatments. Though, I was told by her that ""This won't make a difference. He'll get urine scald. He'll just suffer."" My vet really knows how to depress the hell out of me, I might say. So, I purchased bed wetting pads and barrier spray for his belly online. He was happy to be home and I was just worried about the future. I did not know if what I was doing was going to make a difference. I was also worried about the money, since, maybe I should have just used it to kill him and have him cremated? I cried a LOT and barely ate for a week. And? He got better." +"I am not very political, but with regard to the immigration debate today I do not know where I stand. All white Americans are the descendants of people who immigrated, most over 100 years ago. I like how Andrew Yang wants to give a ""freedom dividend."" This means that every American over 18 will get $1,000 a month ""no strings attached."" Personally I think that with automation and AI (Artificial Intelligence) in the future there are not going to be enough jobs for people. ""If you brought it a trucker brought it."" It is safe to say that soon cars and trucks are going to be self driving. Within a decade your food order and a fast food restaurant will most likely be prepared by a robot. The self checkout lines at Target and Walmart are just the start, pretty robots will be stocking the shelves and running the warehouse. Yes, some high paying tech IT and engineering jobs will be created, but not enough to off set the loss of jobs. However, I LOVE robotics and AI (Artificial Intelligence). Just think of all of the accidents that self driving cars will prevent. Wouldn't it be awesome to relax on your way to work and let the car drive itself? I favor and agree and lot with moderate Republicans. However, I think that Trump realizes that in the future there will not be enough jobs for the working and middles classes due to AI (Artificial Intelligence). He wants to avoid a situation where Universal Basic Income would need to be implemented. My theory is that he wants to get rid of all of the immigrant workers. He then will install tough work standards for people to get public assistance (Welfare/Food Stamps). Who would pay for Universal Basic Income, $1,000 a month for every American over 18? You need a thousand million to make a billion. To just crack the top 1% for a given year for a couple filling jointly or a single person looking at total income (wages, capital gains, and inheritances) you would need about $469,000 annually. If you are working and middle class please consider Andrew Yang the son of Korean Immigrants for President. You will get $1,000 per month starting at age 18. I though of this as I was coming home from a trip to Ireland and sailing past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island." +"I went on vacation to Ireland this summer. I live in Ohio and flew to Ireland via New York City. Around the turn of the century my great grand parents came to America from Ireland. They both came through Ellis Island in New York City. At first they lived in Buffalo, New York. Around 1910 they ended up in Cleveland, Ohio. After my plane landed in New York City from Ireland I decided to take the subway train into New York City. I walked around New York City. I ate some food at Wendys. By Wall Street I got on the Stanton Island Ferry. The Stanton Island ferry goes past Ellis Island where my great grandparents entered America over a century ago! After seeing New York City I had to drive seven hours back to Ohio. It is a seven hour drive. The New York turnpike runs south of Buffalo, New York. I was going to try to find the hotel in Buffalo that my great grandparents meet at. I was not able to do this on this trip because I had to get home. However, the Layette Hotel in Buffalo is still there." +"I went to a holiday celebration with a backdoor cookout. It was memorable in the sense that it was the first planned outing with my children, who are still toddlers. It's been difficult as a homemaker with my toddlers, especially during the first couple of years. I feel like I sacrificed a lot to personally raise them, and sometimes I still feel ambivalent about my decision to have a family. So to say this was personally memorable, at least to me, might be a bit of an understatement. The part about the holiday party that stood out the most was just sitting in their backyard and drinking a beer straight from the bottle with the sun shining on my face. I was tasked with watching one of my toddlers while my spouse took care of the others. It felt easier with one kid. I think the work multiplies significantly with more children, and I can understand why most parents these days want to stick to one child. Anyway, that moment in the backyard felt relaxing, like something I hadn't experienced in a long time. It was equal parts freedom, and for a moment, it felt like I didn't have any kids at all. I mean, I had one that I was watching at that time, but that fleeting moment felt like a tasty raindrop when you're stranded in a barren hot desert wasteland. My children thoroughly enjoyed the event, despite not really eating the great food. They got to play around with other children that were also there, and they got to see what an actual party with adults seems like. I personally enjoyed it, and wish for more events like that in the future." +"Since writing the first diary entry, I have relived the scenario described. My father needed to revisit the same hospital for a post-operation check-up. He could have driven there himself this time, but he doesn't do well in big city traffic environment. My mom insisted on joining, and she couldn't drive either, because she has a horrible sense of direction and gets easily lost. So, once again, it was up to me to make the lengthy drive. I knew the potential for the three of us to trigger various stresses in one another. It's only worse when all three of us are together. With just two, there's a bit lesser chance for a blow-up. The drive would be different this time, which posed a potential challenge. There was construction happening that forced us to take an alternate route. So, even though this was only a check-up appointment, and not an actual series of tests or an operation, the detour added a dimension of unpredictability. While I was bothered by having to go through this experience a sixth or seventh time, I knew it was important. Letting either of my parents make the drive themselves would have been selfish on my part, and made things worse for them. From what I remember, this was one of the smoothest of the hospital trips so far. And we had a decent time eating and shopping afterwards." +"Since writing the first diary entry, I have relived the scenario described. My father needed to revisit the same hospital for a post-operation check-up. He could have driven there himself this time, but he doesn't do well in big city traffic environment. My mom insisted on joining, and she couldn't drive either, because she has a horrible sense of direction and gets easily lost. So, once again, it was up to me to make the lengthy drive. I knew the potential for the three of us to trigger various stresses in one another. It's only worse when all three of us are together. With just two, there's a bit lesser chance for a blow-up. The drive would be different this time, which posed a potential challenge. There was construction happening that forced us to take an alternate route. So, even though this was only a check-up appointment, and not an actual series of tests or an operation, the detour added a dimension of unpredictability. While I was bothered by having to go through this experience a sixth or seventh time, I knew it was important. Letting either of my parents make the drive themselves would have been selfish on my part, and made things worse for them. From what I remember, this was one of the smoothest of the hospital trips so far. And we had a decent time eating and shopping afterwards." +"My wife and I went on a small, last minute vacation to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. It was in April of this year. It was a very memorable trip for me. I love spending time with my wife, and when we can get away at the last minute that just makes it that much more special. Gatlinburg is where we spent our honeymoon, and it has special significance to us. This time was special because we just bonded so much more than we usually do. We got to do more things because the weather was warmer this time around. We got to stay close to downtown, so we took a lot of walks together to a lot of different places. The most memorable part was sitting on a balcony at a restaurant overlooking the main road that goes through town. We spent hours there just talking and people watching. I still think about that afternoon and how much fun we had together just being together and not really doing anything at all. Besides that day, we had a couple great meals at some neat places. We also went to try a new place out that was really bad, and yet we still made the most of it. Overall, that trip was one of my most favorite times of my life. It was because I spent it with my favorite person I've ever met. We still talk about how we can't wait to go back, but I don't think any trip will compare to that one." +"On July 20th, 2019, I got married! After all of the planning and waiting, it was wonderful. It was hot, but everything except pictures was indoors, so it wasn't too bad. We had a ceremony in the LDS temple in Logan, Utah. It was perfect. There are people who I wish had been able to attend, but I was still able to see many friends and family who I hadn't for some time. When my husband and I walked out of the temple, everyone was there to greet us and take pictures and give hugs. My husband looked perfect in his charcoal grey tux, and we couldn't stop smiling the whole time. We hired a photographer to take pictures, but my grandpa's a photographer too, so he buzzed around and took a lot of photos too. We had a reception afterwards in the Riverwoods conference center. Our reception hall turned out really beautiful, and our parents said the sweetest things. I got to meet one of my husband's sisters for the first time. A couple who my family knew when we lived in Dubai several years ago even came! Some other friends from overseas were able to attend as well, so I was really great to see them again. Everything went really smoothly, and I think everyone had a wonderful time." +"So there we were five months ago. The whole extended family was there. Hugs and handshakes, high fives for the bigger kids. We started with a cheese and crackers platter, fruit bowl and everybody pretty much brought something for the buffet. There was so much food it made me feel a little guilty even about those they don't have enough to eat. The kids were in the back yard playing ball, some were exploring the wooded area, others were on the swing set. It was almost like a school playground there were so many of them. One little girl exclaimed look a family of deer. All the kids stopped to look at the mommy deer and her 3 fawns, so majestic. The screeching of the kids drove the deer away and it was back to playing. The adults were enjoys the food and the drinks were flowing freely. Lots of beer, wine and liquor. My niece made a pitcher of mojitos and a pitcher of margaritas. At this point everybody was feeling pretty good. My brother in law had drank a few to many and then the yelling started. ""MAGA"" was yelled out by him at my nieces husband from Mexico ""build the wall"", ""go back where you came from"". Now some of the other men stepped in as hands were going to be thrown. My brother in law was restrained and my niece was in tears. Her husband walked out and slammed the front door as he left. Now my sister is screaming at my brother in law, ""just shut up, this happens every time you drink"", ""you ruin everything"" and then she started crying too. My sister and niece hugged each ""I hate dad"" she exclaimed. My brother stormed off to the basement to get away from the drama. The kids resumed their play. The adults were all talking about what a jerk my brother in law is, even though the party is at his house. I felt bad for him, bad for my niece and sorry for my sister." +"So there we were five months ago. The whole extended family was there. Hugs and handshakes, high fives for the bigger kids. We started with a cheese and crackers platter, fruit bowl and everybody pretty much brought something for the buffet. There was so much food it made me feel a little guilty even about those they don't have enough to eat. The kids were in the back yard playing ball, some were exploring the wooded area, others were on the swing set. It was almost like a school playground there were so many of them. One little girl exclaimed look a family of deer. All the kids stopped to look at the mommy deer and her 3 fawns, so majestic. The screeching of the kids drove the deer away and it was back to playing. The adults were enjoys the food and the drinks were flowing freely. Lots of beer, wine and liquor. My niece made a pitcher of mojitos and a pitcher of margaritas. At this point everybody was feeling pretty good. My brother in law had drank a few to many and then the yelling started. ""MAGA"" was yelled out by him at my nieces husband from Mexico ""build the wall"", ""go back where you came from"". Now some of the other men stepped in as hands were going to be thrown. My brother in law was restrained and my niece was in tears. Her husband walked out and slammed the front door as he left. Now my sister is screaming at my brother in law, ""just shut up, this happens every time you drink"", ""you ruin everything"" and then she started crying too. My sister and niece hugged each ""I hate dad"" she exclaimed. My brother stormed off to the basement to get away from the drama. The kids resumed their play. The adults were all talking about what a jerk my brother in law is, even though the party is at his house. I felt bad for him, bad for my niece and sorry for my sister." +"I had been in a serious relationship for about 5 years. I met him in high school and eventually ended up dating. We started a family together and I thought this was it, we would be together forever. I was completely in love with him. We had just decided I would quit my job to stay home and take care of our son, daycare was just too expensive for us. I quit my job and the very next day he tells me he doesn't want to be with me. He told me he didn't love me anymore and he didn't think he ever would. My broke into a million pieces. You hear that saying often but now I actually understand what it means. I was suddenly a single mother, jobless, homeless and heartbroken. I ended up staying with my father and step mother, who helped me more then they probably realized. They were there for me and kept me up until I could get back on my feet again. They helped me heal and get back out there. I never thought I would feel okay again, but after some soul searching and healing even me and my ex have become friends again. I realized during this time that even when things seem like they could never possibly get better, they always will. It will not always be easy, and it will not always happen fast." +I am humble and calm person. and i trust everyone easily. in my office i have huge friends. but i speak with particular friend. then one day a new employee joint to our office. he looks so innocent. i see him as me. so i give a company to him. and talk with him. we become very close. then after some days passed we become very thick friend. one day he cheated me in money. My heart was suddenly destroyed by someone. I thought I could trust and count on. It took me completely by surprise and flipped my world around. Although it was painful and hard it helped me get stronger and showed me who I really could count on. +"My sister gave me $800 to buy a birthday gift for husband, because she works so much and is unable to go out shopping. Plus the fact she's not sure what kind of gift he would like. Since her husband and I talk about a lot of things and we have so much in common, she thought it be best if I pick out the gift. The day she gave me the money, I had put it in my wallet, and left my wallet sitting on my dresser. That same night, a friend of mine had come over, saying he wanted to talk. He's been having financial problems lately do to the fact that he has gotten addicted to pain medication. He came over, and we talked for quite some time. He said he needed to use the bathroom, which is located next to my room, I only have one bathroom. As he went into the bathroom, he saw my wallet sitting on my dresser, which is located near my bedroom door, which you can clearly see as you go into the bathroom. He went into my room, got into my wallet and took the money, then went into the bathroom. After he was done, he suddenly said he had forgotten something he had to do, and had to leave. We talked for about 2-3 minutes more, and he left. After he left, I finished a few things around the house that I needed to do and finally went to my bedroom. As I was getting ready for bed, I noticed that my wallet was not in the same spot that I had placed it earlier. I opened it and saw that the $800 was gone. I was furious and hurt. I tried calling my friend, but he never answered. I went to bed angry and hurt. The next day, I tried calling my friend again, and no answer. I thought about calling the police, but decided not to. I realized that I will have to pay for my sister's husband gift myself. So I went looking for the gift, found a nice tablet that he would like, and paid for it on my credit card. I never told my sister what happened, and am no longer friends with the friend who stole the money." +"With our upcoming wedding next year we decided to look for a home to call our own. About a month after getting engaged we decided to hire a realtor to look for a home in our area. We looked at many different houses and even put bids on a few, but kept getting rejected. It seemed like every house we were interested in had many people bidding on it. Our realtor was great and kept finding homes for us to see. My fiancé and I also kept our eye out for new homes on the market. Our parents even got involved in our search. We looked at homes that were in need of some renovations too. My fiancé is great at renovating and I have an eye out for decorating. The market was low with the amount of houses to sell and there were more people wanting to buy then houses out there. A new home came on the market and our realtor contacted us. We went to see it that evening. There were 2 other people interested in the home too. It would be the perfect house for us and only 5 minutes from our parents. We decided to bid higher than the asking price and also write a letter about how much we loved the house. Three days later we found out that we had gotten the house. It has been 2 months since we found our dream home and could not be happier." +"I have great memories of our family trip to Chicago, Illinois. It actually had an odd beginning. My daughter had complained to our mutual employer (in Chicago) that she had never flown in an airplane and that it was the only item on her bucket list. The next week, they offered to fly us out for a meeting and a lunch with them! I decided to take the entire family and make a nice little vacation out of it. We had a fantastic visit with my employers. After a short meeting, they took us to a great Greek restaurant where I tried several new foods. From there, we went to our hotel which was located in the heart of the city. We visited an architecture museum and learned a lot about the origins of the city. We also went to see The Bean, which is a chrome bean that is absolutely enormous and sits in the middle of a park. We went to the Navy Pier and had some great food. The highlight (or perhaps the lowlight) of the trip was our lunch where we ate traditional Chicago deep dish pizza. The pizza was unreal- so thick and cheesy! Even though I was starving I could only eat a single slice. But just as we were eating, the city got hit with a tremendous thunderstorm. I have never encountered anything like it before. It was downright traumatizing though fortunately, it passed quickly. We wrapped up the short trip after another day of museum hopping and shopping. Although I could have spent another week in the city, I feel fortunate to have enjoyed the time I did with my family." +"This vacation was quite an experience! It was the first time that my husband and I had taken our little ones on a long trip. We only went about four hours from home, but it felt like we were a world away! The car ride went more smoothly than I thought it would with a baby in the car. Granted, we did leave in the early hours of the morning, so the kids slept for a little while. We stayed in a community of rental homes in a very nice neighborhood. The house was beautiful and it met all of our needs for the trip. There was also a huge lagoon style pool on the property that we made use of during our stay. The kids had a blast swimming in it. I think the most exciting part of our trip was seeing our little girl (3) at the beach for the first time. She was just in awe of everything. She kept running down to the water and running back across the sand, and her excitement was just infectious. It means a lot to me that we are able to take our kids to do things like this and have fun experiences, because I know a lot of people are not so lucky. We are not rich by any means, but as long as we can give our kids love and a taste of life, I am happy. It filled my heart to see her so enjoying herself. On the whole, it was a great trip full of fun experiences. It was hard to deal with the toddlers, but all of the frustrations were worth it." +"This vacation was quite an experience! It was the first time that my husband and I had taken our little ones on a long trip. We only went about four hours from home, but it felt like we were a world away! The car ride went more smoothly than I thought it would with a baby in the car. Granted, we did leave in the early hours of the morning, so the kids slept for a little while. We stayed in a community of rental homes in a very nice neighborhood. The house was beautiful and it met all of our needs for the trip. There was also a huge lagoon style pool on the property that we made use of during our stay. The kids had a blast swimming in it. I think the most exciting part of our trip was seeing our little girl (3) at the beach for the first time. She was just in awe of everything. She kept running down to the water and running back across the sand, and her excitement was just infectious. It means a lot to me that we are able to take our kids to do things like this and have fun experiences, because I know a lot of people are not so lucky. We are not rich by any means, but as long as we can give our kids love and a taste of life, I am happy. It filled my heart to see her so enjoying herself. On the whole, it was a great trip full of fun experiences. It was hard to deal with the toddlers, but all of the frustrations were worth it." +my cousin wedding so very happy. to invite the family and friends. so very happy as the moment. it is very happy to say that will be surrounding. people together along. with family UN expected. in come to wedding. that i all so very emotion. make my truing. the wedding celebration. my Hussein sister very happy . my surrounding family. it should be understating. very expectation. it may be along time. celebrate in participate in are people. very mention in happy to say. very expectation. it may be along time. celebrate in participate in are people. very mention in happy to say.to invite the family and friends. so very happy as the moment. it is very happy to say that will be surrounding. people together along. with family UN expected +my cousin wedding so very happy. to invite the family and friends. so very happy as the moment. it is very happy to say that will be surrounding. people together along. with family UN expected. in come to wedding. that i all so very emotion. make my truing. the wedding celebration. my Hussein sister very happy . my surrounding family. it should be understating. very expectation. it may be along time. celebrate in participate in are people. very mention in happy to say. very expectation. it may be along time. celebrate in participate in are people. very mention in happy to say.to invite the family and friends. so very happy as the moment. it is very happy to say that will be surrounding. people together along. with family UN expected +"My daughter's pregnancy with twins is progressing amazingly well. After the initial shock of learning that she was carrying twins, she and her husband are now quite excited about the growing size of their little family. One of the most memorable events in recent weeks was the gender reveal ultrasound. Since my son-in-law's family historically only produces boys, they were not surprised when their first child, Braxton was a boy. So going into the most recent ultrasound even the doctor assumed that they would learn that the twins were both boys as is the tradition in their family. However, that was not to be the case this time! They are expecting twin girls in early January of 2020. At this time, it as not been determined if the twin girls will be identical or fraternal. The doctor indicates that the girls can be safely delivered anytime after 35 weeks into the pregnancy. With a projected due date of January 20th, it is possible that our family could welcome the babies yet in 2019. This would be an added blessing of two additional tax deductions on the Federal Income Tax Filing. Little #1 Son, who turned two years old on October 10th is in for a real surprise when his little sisters arrive. He may be a little jealous of the attention that they will demand. However, we believe that he will quickly learn to love them when he realizes that the babies are here to stay! To say the least, I am one very excited grandmother!" +"My daughter's pregnancy with twins is progressing amazingly well. After the initial shock of learning that she was carrying twins, she and her husband are now quite excited about the growing size of their little family. One of the most memorable events in recent weeks was the gender reveal ultrasound. Since my son-in-law's family historically only produces boys, they were not surprised when their first child, Braxton was a boy. So going into the most recent ultrasound even the doctor assumed that they would learn that the twins were both boys as is the tradition in their family. However, that was not to be the case this time! They are expecting twin girls in early January of 2020. At this time, it as not been determined if the twin girls will be identical or fraternal. The doctor indicates that the girls can be safely delivered anytime after 35 weeks into the pregnancy. With a projected due date of January 20th, it is possible that our family could welcome the babies yet in 2019. This would be an added blessing of two additional tax deductions on the Federal Income Tax Filing. Little #1 Son, who turned two years old on October 10th is in for a real surprise when his little sisters arrive. He may be a little jealous of the attention that they will demand. However, we believe that he will quickly learn to love them when he realizes that the babies are here to stay! To say the least, I am one very excited grandmother!" +"When my father passed away I had a lot going on in my life. I had just moved my wife and 2 kids from Pennsylvania to New York. Getting into a new house was really stressful for all of us. Once we had arrived saying that he had passed on. I had talked to my parents on a daily basis over the phone and no one even let me know he was sick. If I had known I would have tried to spend more time with him. As soon as I got the call I booked a flight for myself and my family. My kids were heartbroken and I didn't know what to say to make them feel better. I helped my mom plan the memorial service. She was obviously distraught so I hope you're as much as I possibly could. It seems like she was not prepared for this either. At least we had each other to lean on in this difficult time. The day of the funeral service I ran into family I hadn't seen in many many years. I really didn't wanna speak with them for the most part because I was so upset, but I was just polite and cordial as I could be. The main thing was that I was there for my family and I remain strong for them. When it was all said and done we took a flight back to New York. It's been difficult but we're all taking each day at a time." +"I still look back on what I thought were some of the best days and times of my life. Those adventures we went on together, the vacations we shared, the silly laughs at the dumbest things... just sharing everything together. I think I am now starting to fully come to grasp with the idea that I do not need you to survive or be the best version of myself. For the longest time I thought I relied on you, that the image of ""us"" is what kept me strong and instilled confidence in me. Having made it through the remainder of the summer and single, I was able to spend a lot of time focusing on me. At first I thought perhaps it was because I wasn't good enough, or that I was doing something wrong. I can clearly see now that it is much more the idea of us both holding on to more of a perfect but unrealistic version of us being together. Perhaps you had seen this first... maybe you saw this a while ago, yet for me I am now just starting to see it. I am finally starting to smile again and find interest in old hobbies that I seemed to have lost when we were together. Allowing myself to have time to focus on my own self improvement has allowed me to mentally, physically and emotionally repair and feel more upbeat. Don't get me wrong though. There are still days that I think about you and I think about what we had. I believe I will always think about that. I am sure that you will as well. A part of me will always care for you and love you, but that part of me is no longer in love with you." +"I enjoy my new house. I got some new black leather furniture and a red carpet. I also bought some interesting and quite large black and white pictures fro the walls. Rooms that are smaller seem bigger with large wall pictures. I like fabric curtains all the way to the floor, and wood floors. My walls are white, that creates space. I have a little garden in the back and I planted tomatoes, cucumbers,peppers. I also planted a lot of sun flowers, a lemon and an orange tree. And an avocado tree. I got some bird houses too, it's very pretty, my little garden. Women like pretty things. I also like to hang the laundry and dry it outside in the sun, whenever possible. I still have to work on remodeling the bathrooms. I like copper sinks and faucets. And tall bathtubs. I don't really like my neighbors, but they don't seem to bother me much. It's a good location, close to freeways. Easy to get around." +One memorable event that happened in my life lately was buying a house. It feels safe to own your own place. You can decorate it the way you want it. You can live there as long as you like. You can plant whatever you like in the yard. The bank procedures were easy. People were very kind and helpful. The previous owner was very cooperative. All in all it was an easy process. I also like my neighbors. The pool is nice too. It takes a bit of work to keep it clean but it's worth it. I find a lot of joy taking care of my new place. Can't wait to have people over. Love the fireplace too. It is very relaxing in the winter. +"This was my nephew's wedding. Jimmy is roughly the same age as my son. They grew up together. We spent vacations visiting my folks and my brother lived in the area. So Jim would always be around, vacations holidays etc. I had not seen his dad in many years. The wedding was at a wonderful venue, a romantic B&B with a stunning setting. A beautiful lake that the wedding venue looked over. We all spent time on the deck drinking and smoking cigars. One of the shocking events was watching my cousin (female) smoking a cigar with the men. Then to top it off her mom who was 70+ comes out and takes the cigar from her and takes a few puffs on it. Again the reason it was meaningful to me was it had been 10+ years since I had seen many of the people. My wife and I actually were thinking that we last saw them when my wife was pregnant with our 12 year old daughter. It was the first time I actually danced at a formal event with my daughter. It was fun for the 3 of us also to dance together." +"This was my nephew's wedding. Jimmy is roughly the same age as my son. They grew up together. We spent vacations visiting my folks and my brother lived in the area. So Jim would always be around, vacations holidays etc. I had not seen his dad in many years. The wedding was at a wonderful venue, a romantic B&B with a stunning setting. A beautiful lake that the wedding venue looked over. We all spent time on the deck drinking and smoking cigars. One of the shocking events was watching my cousin (female) smoking a cigar with the men. Then to top it off her mom who was 70+ comes out and takes the cigar from her and takes a few puffs on it. Again the reason it was meaningful to me was it had been 10+ years since I had seen many of the people. My wife and I actually were thinking that we last saw them when my wife was pregnant with our 12 year old daughter. It was the first time I actually danced at a formal event with my daughter. It was fun for the 3 of us also to dance together." +"Three weeks ago, I met a girl who I had known from my high school days. She was a sweet, gentle soul; could almost pass for an angel. Chatting with her felt like a bliss, we could almost relate on anything. There were lots of topics to talk about, chit chats about our past memories in school; it really gave us things to smile and laugh about. Our discussions at the early stages were a bit friendly nothing intimate, but as days passed it got more intimate and romantic. We got to know our favorite colors, food, hobbies, future plans and basically everything about us. We never saw physically but emotionally we were very close to each other. Video calls helped a lot, in terms of reducing our tension, nervous nature and early shyness that happens in almost all relationships. After about a month, we decided to fix a date when we could see. We chose an nice restaurant to meet, which was not quite far from us both. Finally, we met and all I can say is, she was the most beautiful girl my eyes has ever seen. Never knew one could be so perfect, her smiles were genuine and flawless. There was just something about the way she carried herself, you could tell she was very confident in her skin. Our conversation never changed, it was as if we were old friends who just met after a long time. The attraction was there, none of us could even deny it; there and then, I told her my intentions. From that day till now, the relationship has been a bliss; we match well in almost all aspects and would love to spend the rest of my life with her." +Well I would have to say the most recent event that has made a huge impact on my life is TS Imelda. We didn’t expect this storm to be what it was so we not prepared. The rain fell for the whole day and we slowly watched the water rising. When it got to about ankle high we went ahead & moved the vehicles to higher ground(we learned our lesson from Harvey). We went back to the house & started lifting everything ground level up. After about 4 hours water started coming in the house. We grab some bags & our dog in the husbands truck & went down the road to a friends house. The next day we went back down to see the damage that was done. It wasn’t anywhere what Harvey was(we got 3 feet of water)but just enough to soak all the carpets & floors probably an inch of water. So we called our insurance companies immediately they were out the next day. That didn’t turn out like I thought it would it has been a tedious process. First off they want pictures from before Harvey & after Harvey to prove the work we had done after the last store plus all the receipts. Then they want the pictures of the house now & as the work is being done this time. Then we are stuck staying with friends who we love but two families can not live together for very long without tempers flaring. It’s been about a month & there finally done with the house repairs. So we’re hoping to be back in our house by this week. +"Six months ago, I graduated with my PhD. It took a lot of work and effort but I made it. Several times, along the way, I felt like quitting. Looking back, I wonder how I could have made it. One time I finished a 60 page report that was due the next day. After taking a break before I was to proofread it, I went to my computer only to find my report gone! I was frantically trying to find it over and over. I called my parents to tell them what happened. They tried to console me. I felt better after the phone call and, after about an hour of feeling sorry for myself, I decided I better get to work rewriting the whole paper. I was up all night rewriting it, but I did it. I think the second time around was much better and I ended up getting an A. That was only one of many times when I felt like I couldn't take any more. Another time I was doing a lab report. I had been working the whole semester on a lab project. Every day I collected data for the report. Near the end of the semester I went to the lab to work on my project and wrap it up. When I got there, somebody had broken in to the lab and completely ruined my project along with several other people's. Half the class was distraught over that incident and complained to each other. Fortunately our professor was kind enough to accept our unfinished data and notes. We all received an A for our projects. These are just two of the many obstacles I had to overcome. When I look back, I'm amazed I stuck with it. Now that it's over I am very proud of my accomplishments." +"Last week I attended my niece's birthday party. She was turning and her parent's were having a small get together with family and friends to celebrate her birthday. I arrived a little after five, just in time for her to put on a little show. She was dancing to an Aladdin song if I remember correctly. Afterwards, we went outside where we sat and talked for a while until it was time for dinner, in this case pizza. After pizza me and niece and her little brother started to play catch with a ball. This only lasted for about five minutes until she became distracted with some slime so we played that too. She then convinced me to lay barbies with her, so we went up to her room and got what seemed like all the barbies in the world and a giant barbie bus. When we came back to the party it was cake time. My niece had chosen a giant ice cream cake, but her dad had decided to put those trick candles on it so she was huffing and puffing for what seemed like five minutes, until finally all the candles had been blown out. After cake we had a large dance party. I was swinging her around and throwing her in the air and it was a great time. We probably danced for about ten minutes before it was time to open up some presents. So she opened her presents and super exited with all the unicorns and books about mermaids she received. Afterwards everyone said their goodbyes and I went back home." +I went to mary's birthday party today. I can't believe my niece is already 4. I can still remember the day she was born. She was like this tiny bundle of joy. And she just turned four! We had a blast at the party. We danced all night. I knew mary loved barbies. So i bought her a barbie as a gift. We played with it at the party. I was so glad to see that she loved it. Everyone burst into laughter as mary tried hard to blow the candles. She had to try thrice. But she did it. So proud of her and what she is growing into.. I can't wait to see her again. I want to buy her a whole bunch of dolls. I am going to pay her a visit very soon. I want to see that joy on her face. +While in my home i lost everything in my life in home my husband cheat me a lot. While he gone outside with another girl i saw him and i warned him. He was not able to understand me. He drunk a lot and fight against with me then my property was cheated. He sold the property their he got a money. He spend that money with another girl he wants to leaves me but i am not lose the hope. I simply came outside and i have good position in my organisation there i worked hard in my organisation earn a lot. I donate money to people there i understand many peoples need job for their basic needs. I worked in my organisation and moved into higher position and get high salary. I decided to start new business. I offer good jobs to people who lost their life in the charity. I motivate them to help others and try to start new business. It may helpful for others and lead you. Where i gaining a new things and try to develop my business. In the charity i donate money for students they thank me a lot. +"Just when I thought thought that I have reached the peak of my career, i got sick to the point of which I'm now disabled. I'm 50 years old and have the 3 most amazing children in the world. Their ages are 25, 19 and 20 ( almost 21). Two boys and a girl (the youngest). I spent the vast majority of the last half of my life caring for my children. Now that they are older, I was excited to explore and excel in my professional career. My professional background is Healthcare Operations/Revenue Cycle Management. I Have managed Doctor offices, Hospital departments, taught Medical Billing and Coding, etc. This career path began in 1996. However, I needed a change in my career path therefore I started working for a behavioral health software company in about three years ago. Little did I know how this job would impact my life. At first, it was very exciting as I was travelling a lot. This was the most memorable and exciting aspect of the job. I was able to go to states that I would've never dreamed of traveling to. Unfortunately, to my greatest surprise, there were more projects then the staff to handle. everyone on my team were overloaded with work. The standard was 4 projects at a time. But due to the overload, I was given 6-8 projects back to back. I started overworking myself to meet project deadline. The more I did that the more my health declined. I keep pushing myself more and more because I really liked the implementation and project management aspect of my career path. unfortunately, I became more and more ill and I could no longer meet deadlines. Therefore, I was laid off and had to find another career path with less stress. While recovering from my illness, my financial struggle was real. I nearly lost my home, my car, etc, so thank God for my amazing family and friends that I am able to bounce back." +"I got proposed to at Disney World. We are from Houston and he flew me to Orlando Florida and proposed. My sisters and brother in law went too. It was my first time ever going to Disney World and that made it so much more memorable. He proposed at the end of the day, when the fireworks were going off. We were all pretty tired and honestly I wasn't expecting it at all. It is still one of the best days of my life. It was perfect and the most romantic thing he has ever done for me. Soon we will be getting married. Our wedding date is 11. 23.2019, and we have been planning like crazy. Actually our theme is Happily ever after, we tried incorporating Disney in it. Overall it has been a very stressful but happy event. It has been very expensive, but super fun to plan. We are a month and three days away. But im sure it will be well worth it." +"We took a trip to Orlando Florida, to visit Disney world. It was my very first trip. My two sisters, brother in law, and my boyfriend. Our first stop was at Magic Kingdom, at night they pop fire works and well my boyfriend proposed!. It was literally the most amazing day of my life. I wasn't expecting it and that made it ten times better. I couldn't believe he was able to keep it a secret and surprised me in such a memorable way. I think it took him a lot of planning. But he did great. The ring was perfect and he even had the right size. He had shirts made for us that said best day ever. Which it really was the best day ever. I wouldn't change anything for the world. Now we are planning our wedding. He has been such a big help. Disney world is now my favorite place to go on vacation. For our Honey moon we will definitely be going to Disney world again." +"It was really cold today, and it just felt like one of those days when you just seem low key and low energy. I knew I would have to go to work but I wanted to stay at home and drink hot chocolate while watching Netflix. It was nearly 7:30 and I decided to get on my was to work. I had bundled up so that I knew I would be warm enough. I decided to make the best of the weather and make the brisk walk to work that day. It was not to far into my walk when I finally hit the main street I came across a man that I had seen before but I had never really talked to. He was a homeless guy that I would see rummaging every now and then in the garbage. On this day, he happened to be in my path and I just happened to ask him if he was okay. I guess he must have felt something because he immediately began to cry and pour out his heart about his condition. I could feel he needed someone so I sat and listened to him for a while. I could tell it really helped him to get through that moment. It was really fulfilling for me too. I was able to help someone that really needed me. I wanted to tell him that he could come talk to me anytime, but he ran off too fast. It was nevertheless memorable to me." +"Last week, I was walking down the street and I saw a man that I usually see on my way to work. Today I noticed that he was crying and looking very down. Usually I just walked past him but today I felt like I needed to talk to him. I could feel that he was going through something terrible and needed some help. I slowed down, and I stood next to him and looked at him for a moment. Finally, I mustered up the courage to ask him what was going on. He told me that he and found out that he was ill and would not have long to live. He said that he had always felt like he could manage his life the way it was. He said that after he found out this news he felt that his life was worthless. He told me that he had not wanted to eat for days and that it was hard for him to eat anyway. Due to the fact that he had very little money and very little support it was hard for him to muster up the strength to fend for himself. I sat down next to him and spoke with him for a while about what he was going through and offered to buy him something to eat. He accepted, and told me that I was the only one who had stopped and talked to him in months. He told me that it was a very helpful and that he would try and pick himself up from here on out. I felt so grateful that I had made such a big impact on him. It made me feel like I wanted to do more to help people around me. Not only was I able to uplift his spirits but my own as well." +"I went to my best friend's daughter's first birthday party. It was at her new house. Only family was invited. I felt very happy, excited, and grateful to be invited. It was very significant to me to be asked to come. It is her first baby and we have known each other for 20 years now. She has known all three of my kids since birth, so I would have felt bad to be excluded. What was surprising was how much the baby was able to interact with us. It was the first time I heard her talking. She absolutely loved my 6 year old daughter there to play with her. I also got to catch up with another old friend who has a toddler now too. The cake was made by my friend and was beautiful. It was rainbow layers with marshmallows on top for clouds and candy rainbows on those. It was fun to see the baby have her ""smash cake."" It brought back memories of my kids first birthday. The party filled me with warmth and nostalgia." +"Just a few months ago I was able to go to my best friend's daughters first birthday party. This was very exciting for me because this is my first close friend to have a child while I have two already and another that is due soon. Because we have been so busy since adulthood, her with work, and me being a mom, working, and going to school, it was a great opportunity to get together. My daughter was especially excited because she was really wanting the new baby to be a girl, but it is not. She has that opportunity to spend time with a baby girl. Even though they are not actually family, me and my friend have always been so close that the kids will be raised more like cousins than friends. I also got to see her family for the first time in a while which was nice. It felt like 'coming home.' This family is one that I have spent many holidays with over the years, including major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas that you typically spend with family. There were no other friends of the family at the party, it was only family members and that made me feel quite warm. It also was the first time I got to see my friends new house. She had been living with her spouse and baby at her mom's house since she was pregnant and it was very exciting to see them moving out and being more independent. While I love her family, it is always good to have your own space as an adult. I really look forward to our kids growing up together and couldn't be happier still. We even talked about having sleepovers with my 6 year old daughter and her 1 year old. I am feeling so excited about the future after this party." +"My friend lost his father to cancer not too long ago. His father was very involved in the community, and was almost like a second father to us. It was incredibly hard to watch my friend loose someone so important to him. We all used to play a gold tournament every summer to support the cancer foundation. We haven't played the tournament since his fathers death. We decided it would be a good way to honor his life, by playing another tournament this summer. We all got ready to go, and the mood was kind of heavy. When we arrived, my friend seemed very sad. I attempted to lighten the mood by telling everyone a funny story about my friends father. We all shared some laughs and shared some more favorite memory's of his father. We ended up raising a lot of money for the organization. I think this trip helped with my friends grieving a lot. We decided to do this tournament every year. I am glad I got to share memories with my friends. I can't wait to play next summer." +My friend and I grew up together and we spent a lot of time with each other's family. His dad passed away a few months ago from cancer and it was tough on everyone. We always played golf with his dad after school since we were both on the team. His dad was a mentor to myself and someone I looked up to. I never thought we would be playing in a golf tournament together which supports the cancer foundation. We arrived early and bought a memory bag which they set on one of the greens in memory of a loved one. We were team number 8 so we had to wait for the others to start golfing first. We finished 18 holes of golf in a few hours and then met back at the shelter to see the results board. We finished third which was alright with me. It was emotional when we had to receive our award because he gave a short speech about his father. Then we headed over to the local pub and had a few beers to wind down. It was a special moment in my life. My friend appreciated my support and I was more than happy to lend a hand. Next year we plan of getting there early so we can be the first to tee off. I shouldn't complain but my legs did hurt the next day from so much standing. +My friend and I grew up together and we spent a lot of time with each other's family. His dad passed away a few months ago from cancer and it was tough on everyone. We always played golf with his dad after school since we were both on the team. His dad was a mentor to myself and someone I looked up to. I never thought we would be playing in a golf tournament together which supports the cancer foundation. We arrived early and bought a memory bag which they set on one of the greens in memory of a loved one. We were team number 8 so we had to wait for the others to start golfing first. We finished 18 holes of golf in a few hours and then met back at the shelter to see the results board. We finished third which was alright with me. It was emotional when we had to receive our award because he gave a short speech about his father. Then we headed over to the local pub and had a few beers to wind down. It was a special moment in my life. My friend appreciated my support and I was more than happy to lend a hand. Next year we plan of getting there early so we can be the first to tee off. I shouldn't complain but my legs did hurt the next day from so much standing. +"I reconciled with my mother after being estranged for years. This was at the encouragement of my therapist. I confronted my mother about her past emotional abuse of me, which caused much childhood trauma. She not only acknowledged the abuse for the first time, but she also apologized, and this was very uncharacteristic of her. We spent many hours crying and talking about the past, as well as the future. We learned new things about each other. For the first time, I felt like my mother understood me. I finally felt validated. I felt heard and yes, loved. For years, she had bullied me, denied my feelings and berated me when I tried to express how I felt about her and her behavior. After talking, I realize that she was covering up her own insecurities. Perhaps she was abused herself. She seems guarded about her own childhood. It in no way excuses her behavior. But it makes me see her as more human. I believe she has changed with age and now we are continuing to rebuild our relationship." +"Dear Diary,I need to tell you about something that happened to me three months ago. I would have written about it sooner, but I needed time to process my thoughts about the event, because it was somewhat traumatic. Now that some time has passed, I think I have enough perspective to talk about it and express how I feel. Three months ago, I wrecked my beautiful truck. I was coming home from work after the late shift, and it was raining. I was going down New Road about 11pm. I rounded a corner, and there were four deer in the road. I know right, my greatest fear when driving home at night. I swerved to miss the deer, which I did successfully, but I went into a spin on the slick wet road. I slid completely off the roadway and ran into a tree. Fortunately, I had my seat belt on, because I hit the tree head on. The airbags deployed and the seat belt did it's job, and I was only shaken up. The truck was completely totaled and I was so upset about this. I worked so hard for that truck and I just couldn't believe that God would let this happen to me. I was upset for weeks. The insurance did replace the truck, but it just wasn't the same. Now, after several weeks have passed, I realized how ungrateful I was in being upset about the truck. The important thing is that I walked away completely unhurt. Not even a scratch. Trucks you can replace, but I was really fortunate that night. I am going to make a huge effort in the future to be grateful for the important things in life, and care less about the material things." +"Dear Diary,I need to tell you about something that happened to me three months ago. I would have written about it sooner, but I needed time to process my thoughts about the event, because it was somewhat traumatic. Now that some time has passed, I think I have enough perspective to talk about it and express how I feel. Three months ago, I wrecked my beautiful truck. I was coming home from work after the late shift, and it was raining. I was going down New Road about 11pm. I rounded a corner, and there were four deer in the road. I know right, my greatest fear when driving home at night. I swerved to miss the deer, which I did successfully, but I went into a spin on the slick wet road. I slid completely off the roadway and ran into a tree. Fortunately, I had my seat belt on, because I hit the tree head on. The airbags deployed and the seat belt did it's job, and I was only shaken up. The truck was completely totaled and I was so upset about this. I worked so hard for that truck and I just couldn't believe that God would let this happen to me. I was upset for weeks. The insurance did replace the truck, but it just wasn't the same. Now, after several weeks have passed, I realized how ungrateful I was in being upset about the truck. The important thing is that I walked away completely unhurt. Not even a scratch. Trucks you can replace, but I was really fortunate that night. I am going to make a huge effort in the future to be grateful for the important things in life, and care less about the material things." +"It was holiday season and i had to travel to my hometown to see my family members. I traveled along side with my husband and son. On getting to the village. I met some of my family members that i have not seen in a long time. All my family members also met my son for the first time. My husband also met with family members he has not met before. It was really nice to be back home because we had a get together and we were all happy. We spent a week in my hometown. There were lots of activities that took place while i as there. Activities include camping, hiking, going to the beach and many more. We really had fun. It was really nice to see my family members again. My mother presented my son some gifts when it was time for us to leave. The gifts include a pair of new shoes and a pair of pant. That was how it all went." +"The event that recently happened to me was that I received a promotion at work. I was actually promoted earlier than I was supposed to be. I was supposed to be promoted in September of 2019, but instead, I was promoted starting in July of 2019. I was so proud when I heard about my promotion. I have never been promoted in any job before, let alone earlier than normal. It was a normal day when it first happened. I was doing cases, when my supervisor called me into her office. Honestly, I was kind of scared as I didn't know what to expect. I think I thought that maybe I didn't do a case right or my numbers weren't as good as they could have been. Instead, I was greeted by her telling me what a great job I've been doing. She told me that she put in for early promotion for me, and it was approved instantly. I love my job. I also love that I was able to get promoted so early, and I also heard that nobody in a long time has been promoted early like I have. Everyone was proud of me. Even people I don't really talk to that much." +"I work for Walmart, a company I have been working for the past 3 years. Two weeks ago, I got a promotion. This promotion I had been waiting and hoping for, for the last year. I was finally promoted to Assistant Manager. It was an unexpected early promotion as I was not supposed to get promoted until September, instead I got promoted in July. It really came to a surprise to me that I got the promotion so early. I suppose it was because they really enjoy my line of work and love that I am work-driven and know how to complete tasks in a timely fashion and can be consistent and meet deadlines. At least, I hope that is why they decided to give the promotion to me as early as they did. I am very pleased with my work ethic, I enjoy this company a lot and think that I can bring new and fresh ideas to this company as well as be a great manager. I just didn't think that it would happen because even though I work so hard and I want to do a great job and make sure that I am always on time and I am always striving to be a better version of myself from the day before. I like to do well in the goals and tasks that I have set for myself on a daily basis when it comes to my job, or anything that I do. I am very grateful for this opportunity to be in this new position and so grateful to my employers above me that felt that I deserved this opportunity and are wanting me to progress and grow along side the company. I have put so much time and effort into this place and it's starting to pay off. I know that if I put in the amount of hours, work, and dedication that I can achieve anything and for that I am so proud and honor to be apart of this establishment. I am over the moon about this promotion and I ended up celebrating with my loved ones and family members with a bottle of bubbly berry juice (as I and my family members are not a fan of alcoholic beverages) and we went out to dinner afterwards to celebrate this new chapter of my life." +"Two months ago, as we got to the Vegas strip, the excitement was wild. We went up and down the strip and loved it. We were particularly excited about the fact we could drink on the street. We all bought beer hats. We stuck cans of beers on them and strolled along. The lights were really something to look at. Not to mention the beauties walking by. We saw people trying to get us into the various clubs. A lot of promoters trying to get us into the gogo bars too. We had a nice drink at the MGM Grand. From there, we went down to a few bars to bar hop. A lot of good beer on tap. We even met another tour group. They gave us some more tips. We followed it and had a blast overall." +"Two months ago, as we got to the Vegas strip, the excitement was wild. We went up and down the strip and loved it. We were particularly excited about the fact we could drink on the street. We all bought beer hats. We stuck cans of beers on them and strolled along. The lights were really something to look at. Not to mention the beauties walking by. We saw people trying to get us into the various clubs. A lot of promoters trying to get us into the gogo bars too. We had a nice drink at the MGM Grand. From there, we went down to a few bars to bar hop. A lot of good beer on tap. We even met another tour group. They gave us some more tips. We followed it and had a blast overall." +"The morning of giving birth, I was admitted into the hospital where I had to fill out paper work, all the ""good stuff."" My anxiety wasn't as bad, I was ready for my baby to be born. After I signed the papers, and was taken to the room where I was going to have my baby, I was given a gown. They administered an IV and gave me medicine to speed up my labor. About an hour later, the doctor came in and broke my water. Afterwards, they told me to just get comfortable and try to rest, that it was a waiting game. My contractions were getting a little more intense, but nothing I couldn't handle. I decided to watch a little TV. I couldn't go to sleep, I was too anxious. Nurses were coming in to check my monitor, IV, and to see how far I was dilated. I can't remember exactly what time I got my epidural, but I decided to go ahead and get it before it was too late. I was at a 6 or 7cm at this point. The doctor who put the epidural in, had to take it out and redo it because I was still able to feel places I wasn't suppose to. After the second attempt, it was good to go. I was numb mainly on one side. As it would wear off, I was able to feel my contractions, so the nurses would come in and push the button for more. So far everything was good, the pain was manageable. I had family and friends come in and out. Around 7pm, my contractions were getting stronger, and my epidural was not working. The nurses would come in and check my cervix and see how far I was dilated. I was already feeling the urge to push, but they wouldn't let me. Around 8-8:30pm, the nurses came back in because I was in crucial pain. I was trying to jerk the IV out of my hand, took off the baby monitor because I didn't want anything on me or touching me. I was vomiting, and sweating up a storm. They then confirmed I could start pushing. An hour straight of pushing, my baby was finally born at 9:56pm!" +"Dear Diary, It has been awhile...I have been so busy that I have not gotten around to writing about what is going on in my life. So much good has occurred but I have to go back a little ways. It all began 3 months ago. After several glasses of wine at a girls night, Holly made me go back online to my dating profile and check out my DMs. It was the standard garbage...as in: you are beautiful; want to hang out; how about we meet up and hook up. Ugh! There was also the standard aloof messages that just said ""Hi,"" ""Hello, how are you,"" and things of that general nature. I wasn't really in the head-space to notice one of the guys but Holly immediately noticed someone. His message was fairly normal but seemed a little more genuine, I suppose. Holly and I then checked out his profile and generally stalked as much as we could lol. Then she decided I should reply back to him...I did but almost just so she would stop making such a big deal out of it. Well, much to my surprise, he replied that night and after Holly left I chatted briefly with him as I got ready for bed. Amazingly, I didn't find any of our initial conversation cringy; we just sorta hit it off. Our messages back and forth were honest and it felt intriguing. I went to sleep that night wondering a bit about this new guy but I didn't really have my hopes up - the guard was definitely still up. Anyway, over the next few days we exchanged messages and at some point, I gave him my cell number and we started texting! About 1.5 days into this, he called me and asked me out to dinner --- and soon --- it was going to be the next night; I was nervous but I agreed to meet him. This is where I generally thought things would fall apart as they usually do, but that night we met at a small, quaint, Italian restaurant downtown. We ordered a glass of red and some pasta and what ensued was awesome and blew me away. We talked and talked and just generally enjoyed our food and company. My biggest test - you know the one where I tell the guy that I'm a single mom and I have lupus mostly to see their reaction - well, he didn't even flinch. And instead, he engaged with me about my experiences and was empathetic. That's when I finally realized and believed, this guy is amazing. It had only been a short time but we really hit it off; looking back it almost feels like it was meant to be. I'm so happy to say we are still talking 3 months later...more to come,yay!" +"Three months ago, I was the victim of my former company downsizing. It was very unexpected. I was caught off guard , totally unprepared. A few days later, my partner left me too because I was struggling to provide basic needs for us. I was in dire straits. I decided to pick up the broken pieces and try to rebuild my life. I worked odd jobs, clocking extra hours to earn extra money. I moved to a small apartment that I could afford. After a few weeks of casual labor, I received a call from a company I had sent an application to. They invited me to an interview for my dream job. After acing the interview, I received a two year contract to work at the company. As I settled down in my office, I remembered how terrible the last month had been. I smiled gratefully, knwing that I turned out fine. As an icing on the cake, I recently met a beautiful woman and fell in love with her. I am now moving forward with my life, knowing that nothing is impossible." +"Three months ago, it finally came! The biggest of big days, the one it seems I had been waiting for since I was a child! My wedding day had finally arrived! Excitement did not even describe my attitude. I'd been to so many weddings before, and always was envious of the proceedings, dreaming of the day I would bring my beloved down the isle myself! But finally, I found the one I would spend the rest of my happy days with. I am honored to have found such a loving spouse to raise a family with me! The event itself was so beautiful (not as beautiful as the bride, but still quite nice!) We had a destination wedding that would take the course of 4 days, which my spouse and I agreed would be much more exciting than one closer to home. We were both right: our families both enjoyed the venue, both for its beauty and change of cultural flavor! Our family and friends from both side mingled and celebrated alongside us, treating us like newly-married royalty. We literally felt like the center of the universe for four straight days! We danced and sang for what seems like the entirety of those four days, all while relatives showered us with affections and best wishes (as is typical in a big-time Indian wedding)! Our family rushed us around, getting a view of me and my beautiful spouse. We never seemed to sleep, moving from one moment of joy to the next! It was as exhausting as it was beautiful and unforgetable!" +"it has been one check of a day, today was mom's funeral. me and my sister were in charge of everything about her funeral. I had been worried how it was going to turn out because the funeral director was not the most enjoyable person to interact with. for a little bit it seemed like it was not going to be a good service like we wanted to have for her. it seemed like he was being difficult to spite me and my sister, it was like everything we wanted he had some kind of disagreement with it. finally though we all came to a agreement on the funeral. it was a beautiful service, all of the family and friends showed up right on time. the service ran smoothly. I never knew that it would take so much to make a funeral service to go perfect. I always thought it all just pretty much just went how you wanted it to go. I think my mom would have loved to see just how well we did. all in all the service was beautiful, it was a sad day but at the same time a great day because we had a great service and everything ran smoothly and was in order. I miss my mom but I know she is in heaven happy. I hope that she loved the service. my father was pleased with the service also. me and my sister did a pretty good job handling everything." +"it has been one check of a day, today was mom's funeral. me and my sister were in charge of everything about her funeral. I had been worried how it was going to turn out because the funeral director was not the most enjoyable person to interact with. for a little bit it seemed like it was not going to be a good service like we wanted to have for her. it seemed like he was being difficult to spite me and my sister, it was like everything we wanted he had some kind of disagreement with it. finally though we all came to a agreement on the funeral. it was a beautiful service, all of the family and friends showed up right on time. the service ran smoothly. I never knew that it would take so much to make a funeral service to go perfect. I always thought it all just pretty much just went how you wanted it to go. I think my mom would have loved to see just how well we did. all in all the service was beautiful, it was a sad day but at the same time a great day because we had a great service and everything ran smoothly and was in order. I miss my mom but I know she is in heaven happy. I hope that she loved the service. my father was pleased with the service also. me and my sister did a pretty good job handling everything." +"We had a family reunion in Portland Oregon. A number of family members had traveled some distance to be there. Our first night out was to be at a large family style Chinese restaurant. We arrived, and a large round table was set and waiting for us. My brother sat near me on my left. My brother is a gentle person, but can sometimes appear to have a gruff, adversarial or judgmental tone. When the waiter came to speak to us, my brother asked him if the salt and pepper dish (can't recall what it was, beyond the salt and pepper part) was spicy. The waiter answered that it was not. My brother, in asking for clarification, spoke in a tone that seemed to offend the waiter. He (my brother), said ""But the menu says it has salt and pepper on it."" The waiter seemed to jump back, and said (quite haughtily) that he would not be spoken to in that way. After this exchange, my brother became quiet. I think he had no idea that the waiter had been offended. I, who am used to my brother's questioning ways, was very surprised to see the waiter act so offended. But on reflection I do know that the tone which I find to be simply direct, can be interpreted by others as being critical. The rest of the meal was uneventful." +"Our end of summer family reunion came around and we decided to have it hosted at a restaurant. It was beautiful, as we had it in a tent overlooking the lake. My brother had maybe one too many drinks that day. A waiter came over and asked if he would like a water. My brother looked at him and told him that he knows when it's okay to quit drinking. I know he didn't mean anything by it, but the waiter was horrified. He thought he insulted my brother, when he was simply offering water to everyone on a tray. My brother didn't mean to be mean. Several people had already come up to him offering water, so he simply thought it was hint to quit drinking. It kind of set the tone for me for the rest of the day though. I mean, it's been three weeks and I still get embarrassed thinking about that one moment. One that the waiter has probably forgotten all about. I won't go back to that restaurant though for a bit. I wouldn't risk getting the same waiter just in case he would remember. I don't want anyone to spit in my food if he still holds a grudge." +"Three months ago, I attended a convocation for my cousin's university. It was a fun day that day. I had a great time eating all the different foods. I had a beer with a corn dog. I had some wine with a burger. They were all delicious. At the end, there was a talent show. There was a ton of talent that day. There was a magician who pulled a rabbit out of a bottle. It was insane. There was a woman who got cut into three parts, with all the parts moving. I don't know how they did it. They finished it with a man in a straight jacket doing the Houdini act. He barely got out of time before he drowned. It was scary. I hope to go to one of these again." +"Three months ago, I attended a convocation for my cousin's university. It was a fun day that day. I had a great time eating all the different foods. I had a beer with a corn dog. I had some wine with a burger. They were all delicious. At the end, there was a talent show. There was a ton of talent that day. There was a magician who pulled a rabbit out of a bottle. It was insane. There was a woman who got cut into three parts, with all the parts moving. I don't know how they did it. They finished it with a man in a straight jacket doing the Houdini act. He barely got out of time before he drowned. It was scary. I hope to go to one of these again." +"Waking up on my 48th birthday morning with the usual hangover inspired the last hangover for the next 30 days. I woke realizing I needed a change, a new direction in life. Going sober for 30 days seemed like an easy undertaking, at least at first. Let the journey begin! Day 1 was inspiring, I visualized my future self as a sober successful and highly functioning human. Big announcements were made to all of my friends and family about this new undertaking, the new sober me. Day 2 - 5, this is easy being sober and slightly more functional. Motivation to work out kicked in around Day 6, which lasted until about Day 9. Day 10 - 15, I yearned for this new and improved sleep I was promised so early on in my quest for sobriety and it finally came. The deepest soundest sleep I have had in years, it felt amazing to wake up so tired because you slept so hard - I got this! Day 16 - 20, still sleeping and I guess I am a better functioning human. Still hate my job and only slightly more motivation to work out. Day 21, an invite to join friends at a bar - gulp! Could the new sober day me complete this test successfully? Yes, I did it! I went to a bar and woke up the next day feeling great - no hangover to plague me. Day 22 - 26, sleep is great, sleep is good but what about the higher functioning me? Have all of the years of almost daily drinking dulled my ability to be a higher functioning successful person? I only have 4 more days to figure this out, maybe it all clicks on day 30? The final 4 days were spent recapping this journey until it arrived, the big 3-0. I woke up that morning feeling nothing new or different, I am still the same me." +"So I and some old school friends decided to go to a music concert in LA. we stayed at a motel close to the event center. Everyone came together we hung out and had some fun, played VR games all night. the next morning we had breakfast and headed for our music concert. When it ended we headed home and said goodbyes and enjoyed the time we spent there. Some of us got together later that day. We had lunch, spaghetti to be precise. our little high school reunion was a memorable one. There’s really no reason for that. “Grease” predates my high school years and bears no resemblance to my experience at a small, all-girls Catholic school in Manhattan. We tended to listen to the Cranberries, who were popular at the time, more than anything else. But the words seemed to capture the love we have for one another and the desire to stay a part of one another’s lives. That said, we probably would have articulated our sentiments in full diagrammable sentences, or at least actual SAT vocabulary words. We were trying to remember the words to the song a few of our classmates wrote for our junior ring day, but I don’t think we made it beyond recalling the first stanza. Back then, we didn’t record everything on our phones, because we used the school payphone if we needed to make a call, so I don’t have hopes of finding a recording! thank you." +"This trip was something we had all been looking forward to for about a year. or so. Every year when the tickets for the convention go on sale we buy them and then just sort of forget about them for a while. Then a month before we get the AirBnB and a month after that we are sitting outside my friends house waiting for him to shower so we can start the long drive to dallas. After the 8 hour grueling trip with the obligatory stop at bucees we are there and looking forward to a good time. The line that we stood in felt like a mile long and we were definitely waiting for around an hour to an hour and a half to get inside but that was the only line for the weekend so not to bad. Inside though the culture is always great, just tons of love for video games and people and just everyone looking around having a good time buying things and relaxing. The air bnb was great also as we all just got to relax in a nice house in the suburbs and play games and talk. A friend of mine had bought a card game that doubled as a drinking game that day so we played that. It was a lot of fun everyone just sharing things laughing and overall just getting piss drunk. When everyone had deicded they had enough that night we called it quits and slept. The next day i woke up and wondered where everyone was and found a friend of mine awake. He figured they already went to the convention center so he and i walked to a dennys for breakfast. The meal was good and fun and from there we met everyone at the convention center. Was a great full day of hanging out explorering listening to panels then we headed back home for the night. We found out it was my friends birthday that weekend so we got him a cake and sang for him that night. The next day was our last day in dallas so we decided to just hang out again have some great food and visit spots around the city. We were dreading the long drive home but at the same time looking forward to the stop at buccees again. Getting home everyone was happy to relax and get some rest but at the same time sad the weekend ended so quickly. Either way it was a great time and we all look forward to next year/" +"I went to Dallas for a convention with my buddies. We paid for an airbnb to get us there. The six of us met up. We played Madden and FIFA all weekend. One of my buddies was a little quiet. He had just been through a divorce and his ex left him little to nothing. We all felt bad for him so I personally invited him to join us. Spending time with him we were able to get his mind off the divorce. Within a few hours he slowly grew back into his old self. We all had a lot of fun together. I honestly hadn't felt this way since we were kids. With all the work and crap of regular life it's hard to stop and just enjoy life with friends. My friend was suicidal, and I was genuinely worried for his well being. So I got an excuse to look after him as well. After the other four said their goodbyes and left I stayed with him a little while. He thanked me and gave me a hug." +"Three months ago, I returned to school after not being there for a while. I studied real hard at the college. I met some new friends. We always went partying on the weekend. I always got blasted and puke a lot of the times. It was worth it. I studied to become an engineer. It was tough. The material was very challenging. I had a hard time getting the instructions right for the problems. I studied hard and I graduated. I had a fun time at the graduation. There were many people in the crowd. I waved to all of them. I threw my cap in the air and got my diploma. I hope to get a good job in the coming months." +"Three months ago, I returned to school after not being there for a while. I studied real hard at the college. I met some new friends. We always went partying on the weekend. I always got blasted and puke a lot of the times. It was worth it. I studied to become an engineer. It was tough. The material was very challenging. I had a hard time getting the instructions right for the problems. I studied hard and I graduated. I had a fun time at the graduation. There were many people in the crowd. I waved to all of them. I threw my cap in the air and got my diploma. I hope to get a good job in the coming months." +"dear diary,today I was told that i finally received the promotion. it was a tough interview process, and it has really stressed me out lately. i was legitimately going to quit if i did not get the promotion, i certainly deserved it the most. it means so much to be able to get this job. i can finally be independent if i need to move out. i dont think i will, i want to save pretty much all the money i make from this job, i am very excited. i told my girlfriend and my mom, and i just cannot contain myself. it feels like the first major step of being an adult. i am so ready for that next step and i am taking it day by day. when my boss called me to his office i thought for sure they were going to tell me they went in a different direction. however, he told me that i got the job, and what my new salary would be. i was not expecting it to be so high, i thought it was 5k lower. imagine my elation! i know the job will have stresses, but not making money will not be one of them. in a few years i can and will buy a house in cash. that is the most exciting part, cutting down my time to own a house." +"i have been working at my job for over 3 years now. 5 months ago there was an opening for a full time position doing what i was doing part time. i decided to apply for the position as did several other members from my current team. this was a big event because benefits are great here and so full time spots are very rare and competitive when they do open up. I worked on my resume and case for weeks on end to ensure i had the best chance of getting the position. i got into a few spats with coworkers about who should be promoted as well. this caused a lot of tension among us and made actual work tough for nearly a month. we had a first wave of interviews that knocked out half of the applicants. this made things even worse as some longer tenured employees were not pushed through to the second round of interviews. i was lucky enough to be pushed through myself. after the second round, we had two days where we did not know who had won the position. this was also stressful for us and put more tension on the office and all of us personally, as it was a life changing event for anyone who won the spot due to the salary and our life trajectories. after a few days, my manager called me into his office and informed me that i had won the position. this was a surprise to me as i thought other members were favored over me and would get the position. i was ecstatic to win the spot, as my salary more than doubled and i got great benefits. despite the stresses i was very happy with the situation." +"Two weeks ago my signigicant other and I finally found a place. We got the keys to our new home together and were alive with glee. We prepared for our new lives together. We'd been dating for a long while. We decided to go a step further and finally move in together. This was my first time living with someone. The emotions were flowing between scared, nervous and excited. These last two weeks have been amazingly liberating and at times, sad. The freedom of being on our own was great. The freedom to be together wherever and whenver we want was the best part. To have every meal together and share our bed. I can feel our love growing every day. I really have grown close to my girlfriend. I love her wild hair in the morning. I think i'll next ask her to marry me." +"Two weeks ago my signigicant other and I finally found a place. We got the keys to our new home together and were alive with glee. We prepared for our new lives together. We'd been dating for a long while. We decided to go a step further and finally move in together. This was my first time living with someone. The emotions were flowing between scared, nervous and excited. These last two weeks have been amazingly liberating and at times, sad. The freedom of being on our own was great. The freedom to be together wherever and whenver we want was the best part. To have every meal together and share our bed. I can feel our love growing every day. I really have grown close to my girlfriend. I love her wild hair in the morning. I think i'll next ask her to marry me." +"I planned my retirement a year in advance after I gave my notice at my place of employment that I was ready to retire. Everyone at work was sad to see me go and I knew it was going to be tough leaving work because I had developed special bonds with many coworkers since I had a couple of decades working there. I thought it was going to be tough spending more time at home than at work and that eventually I would get bored and want to go back to work, so I left my position with the option of coming back if I had ever decided to. As five months have passed since my retirement I never thought I would be enjoying living my life without the pressures of the job I loved doing for so many years. I am truly enjoying every moment of my retirement and I don't plan on doing any work for the time present. I love that I am able to see my granddaughter grow up and give her the time I always wanted to but previously was so busy to do. We have the greatest time together because she such a sweet little girl and I have had the opportunity to care for her four days out of the week while her parents work. I am also able to do that for my daughter so she could go to work knowing that her daughter is in the best hands. I love my life right now and I would not trade it for nothing. I also was able to pick up my old hobby of painting and this all happened just one afternoon when I was cleaning out my attic and I found all of my old paintings. I relived the joy I had as I painted them as an adolescent and I decided I would pick up the hobby once more. It was tough to get back into it but once I had started painting again, I rediscovered why I loved it so much. I am even teaching my granddaughter to paint and she loves it also. It is a great bonding time with her that I would not have had if I had not retired. I truly feel as if I am living my life as I should at this moment and I do not regret my decision to retire as difficult as it was in the beginning since I am so used to be active. I like the moments I am living with my family, I like that I am able to slow down, I like to know that I have the world as my oyster and most importantly I like to know that I am developing so many memories with all of my loved ones." +"I planned my retirement a year in advance after I gave my notice at my place of employment that I was ready to retire. Everyone at work was sad to see me go and I knew it was going to be tough leaving work because I had developed special bonds with many coworkers since I had a couple of decades working there. I thought it was going to be tough spending more time at home than at work and that eventually I would get bored and want to go back to work, so I left my position with the option of coming back if I had ever decided to. As five months have passed since my retirement I never thought I would be enjoying living my life without the pressures of the job I loved doing for so many years. I am truly enjoying every moment of my retirement and I don't plan on doing any work for the time present. I love that I am able to see my granddaughter grow up and give her the time I always wanted to but previously was so busy to do. We have the greatest time together because she such a sweet little girl and I have had the opportunity to care for her four days out of the week while her parents work. I am also able to do that for my daughter so she could go to work knowing that her daughter is in the best hands. I love my life right now and I would not trade it for nothing. I also was able to pick up my old hobby of painting and this all happened just one afternoon when I was cleaning out my attic and I found all of my old paintings. I relived the joy I had as I painted them as an adolescent and I decided I would pick up the hobby once more. It was tough to get back into it but once I had started painting again, I rediscovered why I loved it so much. I am even teaching my granddaughter to paint and she loves it also. It is a great bonding time with her that I would not have had if I had not retired. I truly feel as if I am living my life as I should at this moment and I do not regret my decision to retire as difficult as it was in the beginning since I am so used to be active. I like the moments I am living with my family, I like that I am able to slow down, I like to know that I have the world as my oyster and most importantly I like to know that I am developing so many memories with all of my loved ones." +"One day, I bought a projector for my daughter and I to watch movies on. It was rather difficult to set up. I'm not a very tech savvy person, so it took about two hours to even get anything to display on the screen. By that point, my back was aching so badly and I felt exhausted, but I wanted to surprise my daughter with a little gift. When I brought her to the room, she seemed confused at first, but soon saw her favorite characters from the Secret Life of Pets 2 on the screen and let out a joyful scream. It was a very enjoyable experience! I baked some popcorn on our popcorn machine, picked out my daughters favorite candy, and brought some of her favorite toys to join in to watch the movie. One of her toys, ""Jim Bob,"" a large plush giraffe, sat next to my daughter and she briefly spoke to it whenever something interesting happened in the movie. She ended up loving the movie so much she wanted to watch it again. Now, that movie is extremely long, and while it definitely wasn't my favorite movie in the world, I'm glad that she was able to enjoy it so much. I mostly just sat back and watched as my daughter's smile lit up the room. I'm sure she didn't even know how much the projector cost or how hard it was to find one, but I was happy I was able to make her so happy. Moments like these always make me excited for the future. I wonder if ten years from now she'll want to watch this movie again on the projector and reminiscence about how she talked with her giraffe and tried to make him eat some of her popcorn. I wonder where she will be in ten years, and smile as I think about how she will look all grown up." +"One day, I bought a projector for my daughter and I to watch movies on. It was rather difficult to set up. I'm not a very tech savvy person, so it took about two hours to even get anything to display on the screen. By that point, my back was aching so badly and I felt exhausted, but I wanted to surprise my daughter with a little gift. When I brought her to the room, she seemed confused at first, but soon saw her favorite characters from the Secret Life of Pets 2 on the screen and let out a joyful scream. It was a very enjoyable experience! I baked some popcorn on our popcorn machine, picked out my daughters favorite candy, and brought some of her favorite toys to join in to watch the movie. One of her toys, ""Jim Bob,"" a large plush giraffe, sat next to my daughter and she briefly spoke to it whenever something interesting happened in the movie. She ended up loving the movie so much she wanted to watch it again. Now, that movie is extremely long, and while it definitely wasn't my favorite movie in the world, I'm glad that she was able to enjoy it so much. I mostly just sat back and watched as my daughter's smile lit up the room. I'm sure she didn't even know how much the projector cost or how hard it was to find one, but I was happy I was able to make her so happy. Moments like these always make me excited for the future. I wonder if ten years from now she'll want to watch this movie again on the projector and reminiscence about how she talked with her giraffe and tried to make him eat some of her popcorn. I wonder where she will be in ten years, and smile as I think about how she will look all grown up." +"She was accepted into Rutgers U. I am relieved I can say the efforts have an endpoint. Can I say that? Every day I still wonder if she will not be able to focus...if she will get stressed and focus too intently to overcompensate and not be aware of her surroundings. It has been hell for her and for me. What is left if you choose not to use medication though I offered to go that route with her many times once she was old enough to understand things like side effects and ineffectiveness. As I think about all we did I feel sick in my stomach. The constant disciplining to form that necessary structure that her mind couldn't do easily on it's own. OMG all the words! Talking to her until I felt like passing out. ""Now..now you are processing that clearly! Can you feel the reasoning come naturally now?"" Her relief when she could see out of the fog, her despair when she realized she was thinking ""jumbly"" again; my God how we fought against the monster. She is proud of herself; she can even tell when she is ""bouncy"" and needs to regroup. She deserves to be proud; she never, ever gave up. We never, ever gave up. When people say, ""Your daughter is just so sharp"" I don't feel proud so much as I want to throw up with remembered fear and cry with relief." +"She was accepted into Rutgers U. I am relieved I can say the efforts have an endpoint. Can I say that? Every day I still wonder if she will not be able to focus...if she will get stressed and focus too intently to overcompensate and not be aware of her surroundings. It has been hell for her and for me. What is left if you choose not to use medication though I offered to go that route with her many times once she was old enough to understand things like side effects and ineffectiveness. As I think about all we did I feel sick in my stomach. The constant disciplining to form that necessary structure that her mind couldn't do easily on it's own. OMG all the words! Talking to her until I felt like passing out. ""Now..now you are processing that clearly! Can you feel the reasoning come naturally now?"" Her relief when she could see out of the fog, her despair when she realized she was thinking ""jumbly"" again; my God how we fought against the monster. She is proud of herself; she can even tell when she is ""bouncy"" and needs to regroup. She deserves to be proud; she never, ever gave up. We never, ever gave up. When people say, ""Your daughter is just so sharp"" I don't feel proud so much as I want to throw up with remembered fear and cry with relief." +"None of the day went how I had planned. I was just devastated. I wanted it to be something I could remember forever in a scrapbook with all of the things you see on the movies. But instead I was a sweaty, dirty, heaping mess. He rode in a taxi to college. I waited with the repairman. It took several hours. By the time it was done, I had to head home for work. I didn't get to see the dorm or help him decorate. The car ended up costing over $300 not including the towing fee. Nick was fine, of course. He probably preferred the privacy and not to have his mother following him around campus. But move-in day was such a big thing for me that I'm really hurt it didn't go better. I think I'll make a special trip up there sometime this month. I want to visit and see everything. Maybe that will make me feel better. I don't know that I'll ever forget sniffling and trying not to hug him too tightly, though. I didn't want to get him dirty. I will be a heaping mess when his siblings go off to college, too." +"None of the day went how I had planned. I was just devastated. I wanted it to be something I could remember forever in a scrapbook with all of the things you see on the movies. But instead I was a sweaty, dirty, heaping mess. He rode in a taxi to college. I waited with the repairman. It took several hours. By the time it was done, I had to head home for work. I didn't get to see the dorm or help him decorate. The car ended up costing over $300 not including the towing fee. Nick was fine, of course. He probably preferred the privacy and not to have his mother following him around campus. But move-in day was such a big thing for me that I'm really hurt it didn't go better. I think I'll make a special trip up there sometime this month. I want to visit and see everything. Maybe that will make me feel better. I don't know that I'll ever forget sniffling and trying not to hug him too tightly, though. I didn't want to get him dirty. I will be a heaping mess when his siblings go off to college, too." +"The event was a death in my family. It was an unexpected death, and was someone who meant so much to me. Someone whose death left a hole in my heart and life. The most surprising thing was the death itself. It was not expected and came out of no where, and caught me by surprise and off guard. It was a day, I will never forget. I lost the one person I could always go to. You never get over a death like that. No matter how old you get, you will always need your mom. I hate that my daughter does not get to grow up with her, and that they are both missing so much of each others lives. It has changed things significantly for me, and is something that will never be easy to live with. My every day has changed, and I still go to text or call her. I hate that I can't, and can't share what is happening in my life. I miss her so much. I can't bare the thought of not having her in my life. It is so hard, but time does allow for it to become your new normal, and you learn how to live with it." +"Two years ago my mom passed away. It was the worst day of my life, and a day I will never forget. It was very unexpected and traumatic. It was a Sunday morning, and I got the call from my dad who told me she had passed. I just remember screaming, and not really being able to do much else. I told my husband and we both just cried and cried. I couldn't believe what was happening and was to young to lose my mom. I remember collapsing while trying to pack to fly to where she and my dad lived. I had a young daughter at the time and my heart was breaking for her that she would never get to know my mom. And that my mom wouldn't be able to get to know her. I mourned at the lost time and the major events my mom would not be apart of. It was heartbreaking. The rest of the day was a big blur, as I just went through the motions and didn't even really remember much. When we got to my parents house, we were surrounded by family and friends, but I felt so lonely. I remember just going into her room, and crying thinking how could this be happening. It was the worst day, and even 2 years later, it still is hard to breathe when I think about it. She died from pneumonia. Something that happens all the time to people, but it took my mom. Emotionally it has been so daunting. Losing someone you love that much is so hard, and is not something you ever get over. The days get easier to get through, but that moment is always in the back of your mind, and the person lost is always thought of." +Today my place of employment tried to lie to me. I asked them for a raise but they refused. They told me that their finances were very low! They said they had no additional funds to give raises this year. So I did some research. I found out they lied to me and they did have the money to give me a raise. They were so impressed by my detective skills they also gave me a promotion! What a week! So I got a raise and a promotion at work! I could not believe it! So I am very happy now at my place of employment. I am thankful for the raise and the promotion. And I no longer hold any resentment I once did. I go to work happy everyday now. And I no longer care that they lied to me at the start. +Today my place of employment tried to lie to me. I asked them for a raise but they refused. They told me that their finances were very low! They said they had no additional funds to give raises this year. So I did some research. I found out they lied to me and they did have the money to give me a raise. They were so impressed by my detective skills they also gave me a promotion! What a week! So I got a raise and a promotion at work! I could not believe it! So I am very happy now at my place of employment. I am thankful for the raise and the promotion. And I no longer hold any resentment I once did. I go to work happy everyday now. And I no longer care that they lied to me at the start. +"Today, my oldest son started kindergarten and his younger brother started pre-k. They have different start times 5 minutes apart. The problem is that the schools are not 5 minutes away from each other; they are more like 15! This is such a big day for both of them and I cannot wait to see them off to their first days of the rest of their lives. We are all very excited. My wife and I had to come up with a plan to get each one to school on time, so they didn't feel out of place arriving late. Actually, we wanted them to arrive early to their classes. So this was the plan. We would all wake up early in the morning and cook breakfast and have a family breakfast together. It was decided that I would take the oldest son to his first day of kindergarten and see him off, and my wife would take the youngest to Pre-K. That way every one was on time and each child got the specialized attention they deserved. The plan was set, we explained to each of the boys what we were planning and they happily agreed. After breakfast, we each got to say our good byes to the boys and even the boys said goodbye to each other. It was rather emotional for everyone. We loaded our vehicles up and away we went. As my oldest son and I arrived to the building, I could see the anticipation in his eyes. He was very excited. As we entered the school, his excitement quickly turned to anxiety. He didn't want to go to the classroom. I told him everything was going to be okay and I would see him after school. I said ""Look at the friends you are going to make."" After a few minutes, he calmed down and saw all the other children already playing with the toys. Out of the window, he could see the playground. He soon became fearless and very excited and went in to hang his backpack. I stayed for a few short minutes so I could remember this day forever. It is and always will be a very special day in my heart." +"Last night the RCIA class ahead of us finished their training. Their ceremony was quite a bit longer and more detailed. It made me wonder what they had studied that we hadn't covered yet. So many subjects have come up so far. I suppose many more to go before we finish. Will we have to memorize the parts they recited last night without notes? Will we get little cards to read from? Our instructor is saying we will have a very detailed part to play at the end, so I'm very excited for what is to come. Not everything has been hard. However, I have had a bit of trouble with memorizing prayers. Catholicism has a lot of prayers that are easy to recall, but some are rather long. My favorite ones are easy and I love to say them. But there is one in particular. It is said every Sunday in Mass by the congregation. I've yet to get all the way through without reading from my book." +"I have been going to church my entire life. When I was younger, I really didn't understand religion, God, or faith. I would go through the motions of going to church, but I found that I didn't connect to it. I do believe that there is a God, but I never knew how involved He was in my life. As far as I was concerned, He wasn't in my life. One day, I had an epiphany. I was trapped in the middle of the woods after crashing my ATV. Somehow, someway, a flashlight from my ATV fell out, turned on, and pointed in my direction. It allowed someone to find me, and I was able to make a full recovery from my injuries in a few short months. I cannot imagine an event like that taking place in a world without the existence of God. A few Sundays ago, our RCIA class did an introduction ceremony during Mass. Although there were a few mistakes, all went well. I constantly was reminded of my experience of being lost in the woods left for dead, then found due to a series of blessed events. As a result, I was very moved by this introduction ceremony. When I went home, I fell on my knees and prayed to God. I told him, ""Thank you for all you have done for me."" In reality, without God, I am nothing." +"Last night the RCIA class ahead of us finished their training. Their ceremony was quite a bit longer and more detailed. It made me wonder what they had studied that we hadn't covered yet. So many subjects have come up so far. I suppose many more to go before we finish. Will we have to memorize the parts they recited last night without notes? Will we get little cards to read from? Our instructor is saying we will have a very detailed part to play at the end, so I'm very excited for what is to come. Not everything has been hard. However, I have had a bit of trouble with memorizing prayers. Catholicism has a lot of prayers that are easy to recall, but some are rather long. My favorite ones are easy and I love to say them. But there is one in particular. It is said every Sunday in Mass by the congregation. I've yet to get all the way through without reading from my book." +I am young woman who went through alot when i was growing up. My dad died when I was two years old and my mum remarried and my wonderful step father molested me right from the ages of thirteen. This went on for 10 years and i was emotionally frustrated but I thank God for allowing encounter Christ Jesus via the Catholic Church where my heart and its thoughts were renewed. God used Mr Smalling to approach me one Sunday evening this year May while I was at the park. He asked if he could join me on the bench and i allowed. He was listening to a message on his phone aloud and i was able to listen to the message audibly. I asked him aome questions in respect of the messages. He answered me. I then had a long conversation and we became close friend. he invited me for some church services. I did. I joined some groups in the church. I got born again. I was baptized and started living a righteous life. God helped me go through the healing process. I am healed emotional +"Several months ago, Mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. At first, the symptoms were easy to miss. She would forget where her purse was or where the remote was. Then they became more obvious. Making the same thing for dinner two days in a row having forgotten she made that meal yesterday and then the sadness in her face when she is shown the leftovers from the previous day. I think Mom was realizing it and trying so hard to fight the symptoms. We went to the doctor who referred us to a specialist. The specialist prescribed medication and occupational therapy. While her symptoms are mild for the moment, she fixates on losing her quality of life. She worries about becoming a burden to us and also of being alone. For me, I spend my time reassuring her while also researching the details of the disease. My kids do not know yet, and I stress about when and what to tell them. My brother has found support groups that can help navigate the progression of the illness. For the time being, Mom is still living with Dad, and he is also scared. He is scared that he won't be able to help her in the ways she needs help." +"I got the worst news today! I am feeling so terrified and sad. It all started when I went in to my doctor's office for a regular a checkup. Then, he gave me the news that I had developed type 2 diabetes! I was really shocked. I felt so sad and ashamed. I am really afraid. I'll have to change so much in my life now. I don't know what types of pains I will suffer in the future because of this. I am especially terrified and heartbroken because of what happened with my sister. She passed away a few years ago. I never expected to be diagnosed with the same disease she died from. I guess it would be something that runs in my family. I am so upset and afraid. I need to talk to my mom. I hope it all works out okay." +"I got the worst news today! I am feeling so terrified and sad. It all started when I went in to my doctor's office for a regular a checkup. Then, he gave me the news that I had developed type 2 diabetes! I was really shocked. I felt so sad and ashamed. I am really afraid. I'll have to change so much in my life now. I don't know what types of pains I will suffer in the future because of this. I am especially terrified and heartbroken because of what happened with my sister. She passed away a few years ago. I never expected to be diagnosed with the same disease she died from. I guess it would be something that runs in my family. I am so upset and afraid. I need to talk to my mom. I hope it all works out okay." +"I've been dealing with sinus problems for several years. I'd been struggling through the healthcare system trying to find a solution. I finally found that solution about five months ago in Dr Gevorkian. Dr Gevorkian was the leading surgeon in his field. He performed the miracle surgery that has helped cure my sinus problems for good. My mom, god bless her, agreed to come take care of me and little Johnny so that my husbad can still work. She's stayed with us for several weeks while I nursed back. Johnny loved having grandma around to take care of him while mommy was trying to recooperate. Dr Gevorkian even made a home call to check on me. He said that my sinuses are healing nicely. He forsees a full recovery. My husband is grateful to both the doctor and my mom. I'm grateful to his union for negotiating such wonderful health insurance. The abismal insurance we had before was just aweful. But the union really helped us get this wonderful insurance so I could get this surgery." +"I've been dealing with sinus problems for several years. I'd been struggling through the healthcare system trying to find a solution. I finally found that solution about five months ago in Dr Gevorkian. Dr Gevorkian was the leading surgeon in his field. He performed the miracle surgery that has helped cure my sinus problems for good. My mom, god bless her, agreed to come take care of me and little Johnny so that my husbad can still work. She's stayed with us for several weeks while I nursed back. Johnny loved having grandma around to take care of him while mommy was trying to recooperate. Dr Gevorkian even made a home call to check on me. He said that my sinuses are healing nicely. He forsees a full recovery. My husband is grateful to both the doctor and my mom. I'm grateful to his union for negotiating such wonderful health insurance. The abismal insurance we had before was just aweful. But the union really helped us get this wonderful insurance so I could get this surgery." +"This was a story about my daughter deciding to move out of the house, as previously discussed. My daughter moved out very quickly and went to live with my mother-in-law who lives about two miles away. She is kind enough and claims to be ""non-judgmental"", but loves to dish out judgment whenever it suits her. That said, my daughter thought this was a better way to live than to stay with us. As she is 18, there is little we could do about that. However, that doesn't change the fact that my wife and I were heartbroken about this situation. But, we laid back and let her ""do her thing"" which, apparently, included quitting her job, something we would not have allowed. (We require our children to work and help support themselves once they are old enough). Generally speaking, she avoided contact with us, in spite of our efforts to be inviting and friendly. We did our best to honor her wishes unless she contacted us. We did get occasional negative feedback from my mother-in-law, which we ignored as best we could. This was not how we wanted things to go for her, but as a teenager, she apparently knows better. We were concerned that she would not continue with school (for which she has a full scholarship) or would do other ""dumb"" things. All we could really do was sit back and wait. Heck, even when she would come over to the house to see her sisters, she would only do so when my wife and I were not at home. And, she would sneak away after we came back home. It has been a distressing few months, to say the least. For many years we've had cats in our home, and our children grew up with those cats. We had one pass away in late 2016, whom we missed greatly. But of the two remaining cats, one had been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism two or three years ago. We had been treating this with medicine and he seemed to have responded well overall. However, in early October of this year, I found him under the bed of one of my other daughters and when I pulled him out, I realized that something was seriously wrong with him - it appeared he had had a stroke and was paralyzed and blind. This cat was a much-beloved member of the family, and particularly to my daughters. We took him to the vet who confirmed what we thought and had him put down. It did break our hearts, but it did one thing that surprised us: our daughter began coming around again when my wife and I were around and would at least say...something...to us, which we considered to be a huge improvement." +"This was a story about my daughter deciding to move out of the house, as previously discussed. My daughter moved out very quickly and went to live with my mother-in-law who lives about two miles away. She is kind enough and claims to be ""non-judgmental"", but loves to dish out judgment whenever it suits her. That said, my daughter thought this was a better way to live than to stay with us. As she is 18, there is little we could do about that. However, that doesn't change the fact that my wife and I were heartbroken about this situation. But, we laid back and let her ""do her thing"" which, apparently, included quitting her job, something we would not have allowed. (We require our children to work and help support themselves once they are old enough). Generally speaking, she avoided contact with us, in spite of our efforts to be inviting and friendly. We did our best to honor her wishes unless she contacted us. We did get occasional negative feedback from my mother-in-law, which we ignored as best we could. This was not how we wanted things to go for her, but as a teenager, she apparently knows better. We were concerned that she would not continue with school (for which she has a full scholarship) or would do other ""dumb"" things. All we could really do was sit back and wait. Heck, even when she would come over to the house to see her sisters, she would only do so when my wife and I were not at home. And, she would sneak away after we came back home. It has been a distressing few months, to say the least. For many years we've had cats in our home, and our children grew up with those cats. We had one pass away in late 2016, whom we missed greatly. But of the two remaining cats, one had been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism two or three years ago. We had been treating this with medicine and he seemed to have responded well overall. However, in early October of this year, I found him under the bed of one of my other daughters and when I pulled him out, I realized that something was seriously wrong with him - it appeared he had had a stroke and was paralyzed and blind. This cat was a much-beloved member of the family, and particularly to my daughters. We took him to the vet who confirmed what we thought and had him put down. It did break our hearts, but it did one thing that surprised us: our daughter began coming around again when my wife and I were around and would at least say...something...to us, which we considered to be a huge improvement." +"Last month my cousins from England came to my home in Chicago to visit for two weeks. We decided to take a little road trip with them to Indianapolis to visit the children's museum and zoo for the weekend while they were here. The trip wasn't too far and the traffic wasn't bad either, we made pretty good time. The weather was nice for the entirety of the trip, mid 80's and sunny, nothing to complain about. The children's museum was quite interesting and had a ton of interactive things for the kids to mess around with. They looked to be having fun and were running from exhibit to exhibit to see everything the museum had to offer. After they had seen everything there we stopped at the cafe inside to grab some lunch before heading out of the museum and over to the zoo which was conveniently located nearby. The zoo was pretty big so we knew it would take up the remainder of the day, luckily it was only noon so we had plenty of time to see everything. We looked over the map of the zoo to see what we wanted to check out first, the kids wanted to see the large safari animals like the elephants and tigers so that's where we headed first. There was a vehicle you could board that would give you a drive by tour of the animals so we hopped on. We saw elephants, lions, zebras, giraffes and several other animals which the kids liked. They were pointing and trying to take some pictures with their phones. One of the elephants came extremely close to the vehicle and the children couldn't believe what they were seeing. To everyone's surprise, the elephant let out a loud sound that scared everyone, but the tour guide assured us that it was completely normal and to not be afraid. The children were laughing after it happened. After the ride we got off and walked around the rest of the zoo until my cousins' feet began hurting and we decided to call it a day. It was getting dark by then anyways and we left to go find a place for dinner. All in all it was a very good day that everyone enjoyed. We had one more day in Indianapolis and then would head back to Chicago." +"Last month my cousins from England came to my home in Chicago to visit for two weeks. We decided to take a little road trip with them to Indianapolis to visit the children's museum and zoo for the weekend while they were here. The trip wasn't too far and the traffic wasn't bad either, we made pretty good time. The weather was nice for the entirety of the trip, mid 80's and sunny, nothing to complain about. The children's museum was quite interesting and had a ton of interactive things for the kids to mess around with. They looked to be having fun and were running from exhibit to exhibit to see everything the museum had to offer. After they had seen everything there we stopped at the cafe inside to grab some lunch before heading out of the museum and over to the zoo which was conveniently located nearby. The zoo was pretty big so we knew it would take up the remainder of the day, luckily it was only noon so we had plenty of time to see everything. We looked over the map of the zoo to see what we wanted to check out first, the kids wanted to see the large safari animals like the elephants and tigers so that's where we headed first. There was a vehicle you could board that would give you a drive by tour of the animals so we hopped on. We saw elephants, lions, zebras, giraffes and several other animals which the kids liked. They were pointing and trying to take some pictures with their phones. One of the elephants came extremely close to the vehicle and the children couldn't believe what they were seeing. To everyone's surprise, the elephant let out a loud sound that scared everyone, but the tour guide assured us that it was completely normal and to not be afraid. The children were laughing after it happened. After the ride we got off and walked around the rest of the zoo until my cousins' feet began hurting and we decided to call it a day. It was getting dark by then anyways and we left to go find a place for dinner. All in all it was a very good day that everyone enjoyed. We had one more day in Indianapolis and then would head back to Chicago." +"My youngest child's birthday party was somewhat hard to plan. My husband was working second shift again at that time and so her party had to be on a weekend so that he should have the day off, but even that was not a promise. The weather was still cold enough at times that we knew it had to be an indoor party or we might get rained out. We ended up renting a building at one of the parks close by and decided to hold the party there. My dad and brother brought a heater over hours ahead of time so that we could warm up the building, even though the rules said we were not allowed to have a heater there, it was just too cold, so we watched it closely. My husband cooked BBQ pulled pork and shredded chicken for the guest and my mother made an amazing cake and cupcakes. The cake was a decorate rice-crispy treat and the cupcakes were chocolate, all were made to look like Minny Mouse. We noticed that we forgot a cooler for the pops but it was so cold out and there was snow on the ground still so we just set the cases of pop outside the door to the building. No reason to run back into town when nature was providing its own cooler for us. My sister and one of her friends also showed up early to help decorate. A decent amount of people showed up but we all had a good time. My mom got her sugar glider out to show people and it ended up jumping on everyone's heads. It even jumped on my oldest and she freaked out and ran into a table. After making sure she was alright we found it kind of funny since sugar gliders are not dangerous animals at all. My youngest spent most of her time crawling around the building and being passed from one person to another but right after presents were opened and people were getting ready to leave she decided to surprise everyone and took a couple of steps. It wasn't much, but it was a start. I was also impressed that my mother-in-law showed up for the party because we had invited other family members that she dose not get along with as well and she usually tires to avoid them. Thankfully there were no problems and everyone had a great time." +"The birth of my first son was in essence the first time I fell in love.The way I know, even though it happened only a month ago, is that for the first time in my life, someone else is more important than me. I have always lived my life with the question bearing down like a heavy weight: What do I want? How shall I spend my day? Too much freedom is a heavy burden. Even though I love to sleep, and in the last month I haven't done all that much of it, I have never felt so free. Maybe it would feel different if there were a man around. I am sleep deprived and I should feel overwhelmed, but I guess I don't have time. I mean, this is the first time I have written since the Blessed Event: I had just finished my work for Maternity Leave ( 3 whole months! )I knew all day I felt different, but honestly thought it might have been the Mexican I'd eaten at lunch. But it was a crazy coincidence that after I went to my neighborhood pool after work, swimming in the slow lane, next to a duck of all things (?) I got out of the pool and felt my water break. Like a cork pulled from a bottle of fizzy champagne. ( People have since asked how I knew. Water was already pouring down my legs. I would just tell them ""There is no mistaking a bottle of champagne uncorking between ones legs!"") I got right home, waddling like said Duck from the slow lane. Two slow blocks. I have been living with my Dad and Step-Mother, as you know Diary, and my Dad recalled my Mom's LABORS TO BE FAST, so he ignored my mid-wives reccommendation to call her when the contractions started coming closer together than they were ( 5 minutes, but what did I know? Could be Braxtons I thought. Like the Mexican Food, life can send the wrong message from brain to body, I figured.) Good thing we listened to the old man, it was 8 hours from start to finish, but it felt like a lot less. Memory blocks pain, I am told, so that's where all those lost minutes that add up to 7 hours went. By 1:26 A.M. I had a boy. I pushed for an hour, the hour that changed me into a mom more than anything. I now believe I can do anything I have to. And afterwards they handed me this tiny red-headed chicken, and for the first time in my life I knew what it was like to love someone more than myself." +"The birth of my first son was in essence the first time I fell in love.The way I know, even though it happened only a month ago, is that for the first time in my life, someone else is more important than me. I have always lived my life with the question bearing down like a heavy weight: What do I want? How shall I spend my day? Too much freedom is a heavy burden. Even though I love to sleep, and in the last month I haven't done all that much of it, I have never felt so free. Maybe it would feel different if there were a man around. I am sleep deprived and I should feel overwhelmed, but I guess I don't have time. I mean, this is the first time I have written since the Blessed Event: I had just finished my work for Maternity Leave ( 3 whole months! )I knew all day I felt different, but honestly thought it might have been the Mexican I'd eaten at lunch. But it was a crazy coincidence that after I went to my neighborhood pool after work, swimming in the slow lane, next to a duck of all things (?) I got out of the pool and felt my water break. Like a cork pulled from a bottle of fizzy champagne. ( People have since asked how I knew. Water was already pouring down my legs. I would just tell them ""There is no mistaking a bottle of champagne uncorking between ones legs!"") I got right home, waddling like said Duck from the slow lane. Two slow blocks. I have been living with my Dad and Step-Mother, as you know Diary, and my Dad recalled my Mom's LABORS TO BE FAST, so he ignored my mid-wives reccommendation to call her when the contractions started coming closer together than they were ( 5 minutes, but what did I know? Could be Braxtons I thought. Like the Mexican Food, life can send the wrong message from brain to body, I figured.) Good thing we listened to the old man, it was 8 hours from start to finish, but it felt like a lot less. Memory blocks pain, I am told, so that's where all those lost minutes that add up to 7 hours went. By 1:26 A.M. I had a boy. I pushed for an hour, the hour that changed me into a mom more than anything. I now believe I can do anything I have to. And afterwards they handed me this tiny red-headed chicken, and for the first time in my life I knew what it was like to love someone more than myself." +"well after watching youtube conspiracy video one day I decided to try out the experiment and replicate it for myself. the person in the video had seen a chemtrail being inserted in the clouds by a glowing orb that turned out to be a demon. the person in the video rebuked it in the name of Jesus and it went away and disappeared. So that it what I did as well and it also happened that the rain clouds decided to go away as well too. we did not have any rain for like 3 months where I lived because I figured out how to do a reverse rain dance! prior to this we were getting too much rain and the farmers were not able to plant their crops so everyone was going to starve. I am happy to say that will not be the case now! However, there was one drawback. Which wound up being the fact that because there was no rain the air pressure built up. So the atmosphere wound up producing a land hurricane. It destroyed a large area and was very dangerous. All is well that ends well. I was happy that the crops were left unharmed. I love watching youtube videos. i also feel like I have learned a lot." +"Three months ago, I went to the funeral of a friend. She and I were very close in school, but we'd been distracted by our own lives since. Still, whenever we met up, it was like no time at all had passed since we'd last seen each other. We'd laugh and carry on like always. Her presence was always calming. She brightened every day she touched. So, sad as I was, it felt right to speak for her. In my eulogy, I talked about what a good person she was. No matter what was going on, she always saw the bright side. No matter what a person did, she always thought positively. She was relentlessly optimistic. She truly believed in the good in the world. Our community needs more people like her. This world needs more people like her. I'm not only sad that my friend is gone, I'm also sad for our world, that she's no longer in it." +"Three months ago, I went to the funeral of a friend. She and I were very close in school, but we'd been distracted by our own lives since. Still, whenever we met up, it was like no time at all had passed since we'd last seen each other. We'd laugh and carry on like always. Her presence was always calming. She brightened every day she touched. So, sad as I was, it felt right to speak for her. In my eulogy, I talked about what a good person she was. No matter what was going on, she always saw the bright side. No matter what a person did, she always thought positively. She was relentlessly optimistic. She truly believed in the good in the world. Our community needs more people like her. This world needs more people like her. I'm not only sad that my friend is gone, I'm also sad for our world, that she's no longer in it." +"To be fair, this girl really was my first love, though I admit I never thought I would see her again. The way that we ended things the first time was a bit....off, I supposed. You see, I started smoking marijuana when I met this girl. I was about 19 years old, she around 24. I was a Criminal Justice student and pretty straight-laced, unbeknownst to me she was a struggling drug addict that was trying to turn her life around. We started smoking weed together. I like it a lot more now, but back then I wasn't too crazy about it. I just wanted to impress her and seem cool, because at the time I definitely felt like a kid in the relationship. Shortly after I started smoking with her, I started selling as well. She was one of my best and worst customers. I didn't have a lot of money at the time so I couldn't just give her free weed, but I'd sell to her either at my cost or taking a slight loss. I just couldn't keep up with her demand. That girl smoked A LOT. Eventually it got to the point where I had realized she was really just using me for the drugs, and I started to get extremely impatient about the money she owed me (again, keep in mind I was already selling to her at an amazing price because I liked her). Eventually this lead to me banging at her door at 3 A M trying to figure out just where the heck my money was. Her dad answered, and she wasn't too happy about that at all. I made up a BS story about being strung out on crack and wound up getting the money just a few days later. Crazy times. And to think we'd be back together all of these years later..." +"To be fair, this girl really was my first love, though I admit I never thought I would see her again. The way that we ended things the first time was a bit....off, I supposed. You see, I started smoking marijuana when I met this girl. I was about 19 years old, she around 24. I was a Criminal Justice student and pretty straight-laced, unbeknownst to me she was a struggling drug addict that was trying to turn her life around. We started smoking weed together. I like it a lot more now, but back then I wasn't too crazy about it. I just wanted to impress her and seem cool, because at the time I definitely felt like a kid in the relationship. Shortly after I started smoking with her, I started selling as well. She was one of my best and worst customers. I didn't have a lot of money at the time so I couldn't just give her free weed, but I'd sell to her either at my cost or taking a slight loss. I just couldn't keep up with her demand. That girl smoked A LOT. Eventually it got to the point where I had realized she was really just using me for the drugs, and I started to get extremely impatient about the money she owed me (again, keep in mind I was already selling to her at an amazing price because I liked her). Eventually this lead to me banging at her door at 3 A M trying to figure out just where the heck my money was. Her dad answered, and she wasn't too happy about that at all. I made up a BS story about being strung out on crack and wound up getting the money just a few days later. Crazy times. And to think we'd be back together all of these years later..." +"I was at a nearby nature center with my grandkids and my partner. This was an outing to enjoy the nice weather with my grandson and granddaughter, as well as a time to show them the beauty of Lake Ontario. I am older and have minor mobility issues. When we got to the lake shore, the water was very wavy and the level was high so the strip of sand for walking was narrow. I decided to rest while the rest of the party headed up to the bluffs. I sat down on a fallen log. My granddaughter was so joyous to see the lake, which she thought was as grand as the ocean. I assumed the three of them would continue on to the bluffs. Then the most surprising thing happened. My 10 year old grandson said that he couldn't leave his granny there by herself, and he chose to sit with me. We sat for a long time talking. Afterwhile, we realized that the others should have returned, but they hadn't. Also my cellphone was dead, and I wasn't able to stand up by myself. It was so fortituous that my grandson was there with me. He found a stout stick and helped me arise so that we could find out what happened!" +"I was hiking near Lake Ontario with my partner and our two grandkids. It was a beautiful sunny day. The lake sparkled brilliantly. I have a bad knee, so I was struggling with some of the physical activity. My partner suggested that I rest a bit on a fallen log. I was nervous, because I would not be able to get up by myself, but I agreed. My partner and my granddaugther wanted to hike further to see the bluffs. I said I would be OK for a bit, but my sweet grandson insisted on staying with me. He said, ""I won't let my granny sit in the forest all alone."" Well it was a good thing. My partner and granddaughter didn't return in a reasonable amount of time. We got very nervous! My grandson is 10 years old, but not strong enough to help me up. He searched for a stout walking stick and found one nearby. I used it to prop myself up, and managed to get my feet underneath me. Together we went down the shore to find the rest of our party. Luckily all was well, but I would truly have been distraught if I had been all alone waiting for so long!" +"Watching Game 7 of the Stanley Cup series with my dad and seeing our team win is something I'll remember forever! EVen four months later the event stilll stands out! Although tickets to the Stanley Cup game for me and Dad's favorite team were super expensive, we still celebrated the big win as if we were in the stands!! We saw the team score the winning points at a watch party. But, no matter where we were it was great to witness our team score such a big win with my Dad. I can almost still hear his cheers of excitement. It was also pretty crazy to see how everyone lept off their feet when the clock ran down to zero and our win was cinched! Everyone was ecstatic!! I saw a couple of guys in jerseys crying with excitement and pride and hugging each other- I didn't realize how much this meant to some people! My dad gave me a great big high-five and then started doing the same. to his friends. Then, I mimicked and held my hand up for ""some skin"" to anyone in arm's length. I got slaps. and hugs from everyone around during those first ten minutes when everyone's adrenaline was through the roof! Even the sports casters on the television seemed blown away at the victory. It was so much fun to celebrate this monumental sports. win for our city with my Dad and all the other fans in support!" +"After i came to my senses that i have been conned,i explained everything to the police. It was a hard one to take especially for my brother because he was the one who encouraged me to go on and trust the man. I really had a difficult time of preparing other certified documents and i almost lost hope. However,after few weeks,a case was reported in the near by town that another victim was conned. it created tension to the police as media reported to beware nationalities. I remember one day i was in the farm,i received a call from one of the officers who was handling the case. I rushed to the police station,at least i was relieved the conman was under police custody ,will not give fake promises to anyone again. The police confronted him to reveal whereabouts of my documents and how he has been operating. He begged like a little baby that it was not his fault and that what he did to me and other victims was as a result of poverty and need for cash to feed his family. He confirmed that he threw the documents away as they had no use to him. I met with other victims who appeared to be fresh graduates like me. Police were able to get information on which technique he used as he was targeting graduates with no exposure to the corporate society. The conman was presented into a court of law and was sentenced for fifteen years. I was so happy at least the victim will be in prison for long after putting innocent people in such a tormenting experience. I learned that some people always find a way to manipulate less informed individual in the market. We should be very keen on the people we let in to our life." +"It started off pretty great, but slowly got worse. After reconnecting, I guess we started to notice more little things about each other that we didn't like. We started to fight constantly over small things and couldn't agree on much. We still talked everyday but after a while it got to the point where I would want to ignore my phone. She started acting very odd, and it didn't take me too long to figure out she was cheating on me. Apparently, it was much more then that. She was cheating on me but she actually lived with another man, so I learned that I was some kind of side dude. It didn't really go over well with me, and I had been looking forward to this. I know that I was supposed to recall a important part of my life, and it seemed like a good story before this started to happen, so I apologize. Anyways, after fighting constantly, and a lot of arguing, we decided to become ""friends"". Of course, that wouldn't last very long because I got sick of it. In the end we had a falling out, and we are now, no longer speaking to each other. She is pregnant with another mans baby, and is currently still living with him. In the end, it was very dissapointing. I was really looking forward to having someone close to me, But at what cost? My happy diary entry, has turned miserable and for that I apologize." +"I'm finally sitting down to write about something that happened 4 days ago. I was out doing my usual grocery shopping at Raley's; picking up some items for a weekend of watching sports. While in the snack aisle I caught a glimpse of a familiar looking woman walk by. We awkwardly looked at each other for a moment trying to figure out if we were correct about each other. It was Jessica, a woman that I had dated years ago until she had to move out of the state for work. We hadn't seen each other since then so it was a shock to find her in my neighborhood. We had a quick conversation in the store and we got caught up on our lives a bit and she said she moved back to help care for her sick father. When I found out she was single I took a chance and invited her out on a date the next night and she agreed. We went to a movie and saw a new romantic comedy that she heard was good and we enjoyed it. Afterwards we stopped at an Italian restaurant and had a great conversation and things felt like she had never left. We went back to my apartment after dinner for a couple of drinks. We got comfortable on the couch and I put on The Boys since she mentioned that she wanted to see it during dinner. We were both asleep before the first episode ended though. She woke me up early and said she had to go but we made plans for another date soon. It was the best evening I have had since the last one I spent with her and I am looking forward to many more like it." +"Dear Diary, I was beyond happy today since I found out that I got the promotion. It was nerve racking because I thought I was over my head. Knowing that this was not in fact a mistake make me proud and grateful to the point i have reached today. For some reason I thought maybe that I was in over my head. Maybe I was reaching too high for the stars. However, something inside told me to reach out and grab it. I am glad I followed my instincts on this. If not, then I would feel like a failure for sure. It goes to show to trust yourself. Know what you are worth and dont be afraid to try something new. I tried things several times. i was just afraid that if I got it what is next. If not then what is next. Now I can rest assured that I will take this new position to heights never seen. I will not let them down." +"We went to Boston for a skating competition for my youngest child, we left early in the morning because we were worried about traffic. I was surprised by the lack of traffic, we were way too early! But it was good because we were able to find a Dunkin Donuts and have something to eat, also time to make sure ""B's"" hair looked right. We got to the rink and had a look around, it was freezing cold, much colder than I expected and I regretted my clothing choice and not bringing blankets. ""B"" was super excited and I was worried he was going to be tired by the time of his event. Other families arrived for the competition and one of the boys that ""B"" was competing against arrived and just seemed off, like he was annoyed about us being there. I smiled at his mother but she pretended to not see me. I was so nervous for ""B"", I just wanted things to go well for him and do everything possible to help him do well. ""B"" wasn't nervous at all, surprisingly! The morning dragged on and finally it was time for him to get into costume. His coach took him for a walk outside and then we sat in stands and waited, I felt like I was going to be sick. Then ""B"" skated and he did well, he did really well. We waited for the results and we found out he won. He was so thrilled, we were all thrilled, my older son said it was worth all the waiting around. Then we waited for the medal ceremony which was a bit of a saga due to miscommunication, someone had told the rink we had left so they tried to do the ceremony without ""B"". Anyway, ""B"" won and it was a very special time. We then packed up and drove the 2 hours home. I felt so relieved and could breathe again, all his hard work was paying off." +"We went to Boston for a skating competition for my youngest child, we left early in the morning because we were worried about traffic. I was surprised by the lack of traffic, we were way too early! But it was good because we were able to find a Dunkin Donuts and have something to eat, also time to make sure ""B's"" hair looked right. We got to the rink and had a look around, it was freezing cold, much colder than I expected and I regretted my clothing choice and not bringing blankets. ""B"" was super excited and I was worried he was going to be tired by the time of his event. Other families arrived for the competition and one of the boys that ""B"" was competing against arrived and just seemed off, like he was annoyed about us being there. I smiled at his mother but she pretended to not see me. I was so nervous for ""B"", I just wanted things to go well for him and do everything possible to help him do well. ""B"" wasn't nervous at all, surprisingly! The morning dragged on and finally it was time for him to get into costume. His coach took him for a walk outside and then we sat in stands and waited, I felt like I was going to be sick. Then ""B"" skated and he did well, he did really well. We waited for the results and we found out he won. He was so thrilled, we were all thrilled, my older son said it was worth all the waiting around. Then we waited for the medal ceremony which was a bit of a saga due to miscommunication, someone had told the rink we had left so they tried to do the ceremony without ""B"". Anyway, ""B"" won and it was a very special time. We then packed up and drove the 2 hours home. I felt so relieved and could breathe again, all his hard work was paying off." +"This past April, I believed I was in line for a big promotion at work. I had been training very hard, and my boss had hinted I would be the one to receive this promotion. I was very excited about the prospect because the position not only came with a private office, but also including a great pay raise. I had even gone so far as to tell my parents how excited I was. However, on the day I should have received the job, no email from our upper management team ever came. I stayed calm at first, but as the next day saw no communication too, I began to worry. I had been banking on a the new job for a while. I tried to reassure myself that maybe they had just made a mistake or were busy. As I tried to calm myself down, I began to hear loud voices from another side of the office. People were congratulating a coworker. The feeling hit me a lightning bolt. They had given the job to someone else. I remember being very confused and jealous at first. My statistics were the best in the office. It should have been me. I felt lied to by my manager. The most memorable part was hearing all of the congratulations which should have been for me. I am still trying to not let this get to me and it has been several months." +"So I just found out how that big project ended up at work. My coworker, Ray, and I had been working on it really hard together. It was a collaborative project, neither of us could have done it alone, but we were also kind of competing. We knew that management was monitoring our progress and that the open Supervisor position would probably go to whichever one of us appeared to be the highest performer. I felt as if I had done really well, contributing most of the labor to the project. However, Ray also did a good job of keeping everything organized. I guess I demonstrated more work ethic, but he demonstrated better project management skills. I say ""I guess"" because here we are, three months later, and Ray is the new supervisor. I'm not really upset, although I am a little disappointed. After working with him on this project I do like and respect him, both as a coworker and as a leader. Obviously I wish I had gotten the promotion instead though. I will probably remember this incident, so I can bring it up at my next performance review. I will ask management if there was something in particular that affected their decision, and if so, are there any suggestions on how I can improve. I will also ask if there are any alternative routes for my advancement, since Ray has taken this open position. Who knows, maybe now that Ray is a Supervisor, he's privy to the behind the scenes action that led to this decision. I think I will ask him about it, and see if he knows why he was picked over me. I'll make it clear there are no hard feelings, and maybe he can help me improve so that I will be the top candidate next time around." +"Two months ago I visited my good friend in Ormond Florida on the 4th of July. We use to date when we lived in the same city but now there is a a few hundred miles in between us. I've missed him so I wanted to take a quick weekend trip just to hang out. I ended up staying at his place on the beach which was amazing. Each morning we had breakfast at the local diner and then we would head to the beach to relax a bit. It was so nice just to be in his arms again and smell his cologne. The last night I was there was the best. He surprised me with dinner on the beach and the meal did not disappoint. He made fresh seafood pasta with Alfredo sauce, salad, and homemade rolls. We sipped on our favorite craft beer while we set at the little table he had set up. The most memorable part was the walk we took after supper along the shoreline. The tide was starting to come ashore and he stopped and gave me a gentle kiss. I was stunned when he pulled out a small box with a necklace inside. I was blown away by his kindness. I can't wait until we see each other again but I know it will be a few months. I just hope we can both wait this distance out and one day be together. If it's meant to be then it will all work out." +"Two months ago I visited my good friend in Ormond Florida on the 4th of July. We use to date when we lived in the same city but now there is a a few hundred miles in between us. I've missed him so I wanted to take a quick weekend trip just to hang out. I ended up staying at his place on the beach which was amazing. Each morning we had breakfast at the local diner and then we would head to the beach to relax a bit. It was so nice just to be in his arms again and smell his cologne. The last night I was there was the best. He surprised me with dinner on the beach and the meal did not disappoint. He made fresh seafood pasta with Alfredo sauce, salad, and homemade rolls. We sipped on our favorite craft beer while we set at the little table he had set up. The most memorable part was the walk we took after supper along the shoreline. The tide was starting to come ashore and he stopped and gave me a gentle kiss. I was stunned when he pulled out a small box with a necklace inside. I was blown away by his kindness. I can't wait until we see each other again but I know it will be a few months. I just hope we can both wait this distance out and one day be together. If it's meant to be then it will all work out." +"Two months ago I visited my good friend in Ormond Florida on the 4th of July. We use to date when we lived in the same city but now there is a a few hundred miles in between us. I've missed him so I wanted to take a quick weekend trip just to hang out. I ended up staying at his place on the beach which was amazing. Each morning we had breakfast at the local diner and then we would head to the beach to relax a bit. It was so nice just to be in his arms again and smell his cologne. The last night I was there was the best. He surprised me with dinner on the beach and the meal did not disappoint. He made fresh seafood pasta with Alfredo sauce, salad, and homemade rolls. We sipped on our favorite craft beer while we set at the little table he had set up. The most memorable part was the walk we took after supper along the shoreline. The tide was starting to come ashore and he stopped and gave me a gentle kiss. I was stunned when he pulled out a small box with a necklace inside. I was blown away by his kindness. I can't wait until we see each other again but I know it will be a few months. I just hope we can both wait this distance out and one day be together. If it's meant to be then it will all work out." +"It was a Sunday I can still remember it was raining outside. I had nothing to do really except for laundry but there's always laundry. I have a 14 month old and she's very messy. I came back from the laundry room to check my phone, I'm always on there it's my only source of entertainment. I saw that I had a missed call from Dan, I thought huh what did John do now. I checked my voicemail and this time it wasn't what did John do, it was what had happened to him. I found out John was in the ICU and on life support and that Dan asked me if I wanted to come with him to the hospital because the doctors had requested he come, he was the emergency contact. I had my sister come watch my daughter while I went with Dan to the hospital. John was there, intubated and sedated and they said that he isn't going to die but they had to intubate him because they had to sedate him, he was combative with them when they were trying to help him he was also put in restraints so he couldn't fight anymore or try to hurt the nurses and doctors. I had told the doctor what I know about John and his problem with drugs and mental health I told them it was probably a suicide attempt, even had a notebook with a suicide note written for me, actually had that for a while no date on it. After his stay in the ICU he was taken to the psychiatric unit where he stayed a month and got treated for his major depression and also PTSD. I was hoping this would change him and he actually agreed that if this didn't nothing would. Unfortunately months after the incident nothing has except for my patience, it's gone and my hope is gone to. There's nothing I can anymore I tried everything possible to help him threw this. Years of me helping him. Everything besides actually forcing him and you can't do that to a person because they have free will but I can't do anymore for him. So I started letting go of him to save myself. Drugs dont just destroy the addict, your loved ones suffer too." +"June of this year my friends and I decided to road trip from Munich Germany to Croatia. My friends and I had tickets to ultra music fest and decided that a road trip would be the most fun way to go. The ride should have lasted about 9/10 hours give or take. We left the hotel in Germany at around 6 in the morning, we didnt want to drive to late at night because we would have been tired. We were on the road for about 5 hours when the car we were in experienced a flat tire. Luckily for my friends and I we all know how to change a tire so we got out the car and went to change the tire but there was no extra tire. We were stuck with no service in the middle of no where. We tried calling the rental car company and tried calling for help but there was no connection. My friends and I decided to walk back about 4 miles to where we saw a gas station to call for help. About an hour later we were at the gas station but there was no one there, and we still had no phone service. We decided to stay at the gas station for some time hoping that someone would show up. 4 hours later with no service and still waiting for help we decided to walk back to the car. 30 minutes after walking towards the car we saw a huge van start to head towards us, we jumped up and down for help and the van stopped and a musician who was playing at the same venue we were going to got out the van with his security. My friends and I explained the situation and they gave us a ride to the venue and backstage passes it was amazing. Before we got to the venue we were able to call the rental car company and they tracked the car to pick it up and return it to us. The celebrity and my friends and i ended up hanging out all weekend, and becoming great friends. My friends and I were shocked and it was considered the best weekend ever." +"It was quite the story regarding why she took off two months ago. When I saw her on the street, and asked her about why she took off on her wedding day, her first line of defense was that she forgot to feed her cats. Staring right to her face, I knew she was lying. I questioned it, and she just went into a remorse/emotion state and quickly told me the actual reason. She didn't have a cat. The real reason was because she was questioning her sexuality, and the wedding day was just the necessary straw to break the camel's back. It was quite a shocker for us. We did not know she was a bisexual and had a girlfriend on the side. Apparently she didn't know the extent of her love until the day of the wedding. We wondered if the groom knew as well. While I was not a close friend of hers, I was not well known of her sexual preference. While I do not think it was a good idea to run away during wedding day, I do not agree with a wedding where vows are made and the infidelity would have started from day 1. I then followed up with what's her plan now. She plans to move away from the town within the next month. She dumped both the groom and the girlfriend soon after her fiasco. She just wanted a fresh start. She also went to the full extent of changing her number as she was getting unwanted calls for being a *itch for running away. We changed phone numbers, as I could sympathize with her and she's not a bad person." +"My father died a while back. He was only 47 years old when he died. Slowly I've been getting through it. And now in July of 2019, I am feeling almost 100 percent able to reflect on his death without feeling overwhelming sorrow. I wouldn't be at this point without all the help I've received from my family and friends though. They helped me nearly everyday and assisted me in looking at his death as a turning point. I am able to view it as an outsider and I even learn from his death. I've learned to take care of myself better. His death taught me that diabetes and poor health is something that should be taken seriously. I've learned to better myself and eat healthy. So in a way his death helped me become a better person. I am grateful towards this. Although I miss my father greatly, I am able to live my life. So a loss of a life, has helped me take more control of my own life as weird as this sounds. I will never completely get over the loss of my dad, but I can confidently say that I am getting much better thanks to all the help of my friends and family and being able to look at it through a different light." +"I had a strong emotional moment six months ago. My dad, who was very close to me died from diabetes. He was just 47 years young. He had been suffering from the disease for a long time. I knew of the serious nature of illness but never crossed my mind of untimely demise at such an young age. He was doing everything as suggested by the doctors but maybe one mistake caused this serious mishap. One week before my father passed away, we had gathered to celebrate the grand success of my cousin in his business. He threw a party for all of us. It was extravagant. My father got carried away and had a bit more of sweets. The next day, he was on the bed with complications. We had many doctor visits. But nothing would help. In a few days, he passed away after quite a struggle to keep himself alive if not for himself but for his family. It was the saddest day for me. Tears rolled down my eyes and I felt this world was fake. One moment you are with your loved one and the next moment they are gone. It can't be real. I was motionless. My relatives were holding me and comforting me. It took a few weeks for me to completely get back to my life. But still, the memories remain instilled in my mind." +"I had a strong emotional moment six months ago. My dad, who was very close to me died from diabetes. He was just 47 years young. He had been suffering from the disease for a long time. I knew of the serious nature of illness but never crossed my mind of untimely demise at such an young age. He was doing everything as suggested by the doctors but maybe one mistake caused this serious mishap. One week before my father passed away, we had gathered to celebrate the grand success of my cousin in his business. He threw a party for all of us. It was extravagant. My father got carried away and had a bit more of sweets. The next day, he was on the bed with complications. We had many doctor visits. But nothing would help. In a few days, he passed away after quite a struggle to keep himself alive if not for himself but for his family. It was the saddest day for me. Tears rolled down my eyes and I felt this world was fake. One moment you are with your loved one and the next moment they are gone. It can't be real. I was motionless. My relatives were holding me and comforting me. It took a few weeks for me to completely get back to my life. But still, the memories remain instilled in my mind." +"This is a story about the fantastic experience I had in Paris. It all started when we got off the plane. The air was cool, I had never been in another country before so it was pretty surreal. We headed to the booked hotel to unpack our stuff. We did that then went out to explore this beautiful country. The first thing we did was meetup and talk with some of the locals, whom of which were very friendly/nice. They showed us around, what the best places to visit were etc. After that, we went to actually visit some of those places! There was this museum (I forgot what it was called) I thought that is was really cool. The next day we went to see what I had been wanting to see from the beginning, the eiffel tower! We got up, headed to it and got to see it finally. It was so amazing to see it, it was bigger in person than I thought it would be. I took as many pictures as I could. I wish I had it to share right now. What an experience it was! To finish off the day we just explored around, nothing in the whole trip was as exciting as seeing that tower. I can't wait to go back again. Hopefully I get too again!" +"This year, I went to the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas Speedway. I got there early, and found out that Kevin Harvick was going to be at his merchandise hauler signing autographs. It was very hot that day. After buying a program for Kevin to sign, I got in line. Standing next to me is a man and his son, who appears to be at most 10 years old. They had Harvick shirts on. The two of them are getting their stuff ready to be signed, as the dad pulls out a die-cast car and hands the kid a picture. As Kevin comes towards us, the kid holds the picture out for Kevin to sign. It is as this point that I see the picture in all of its glory. Kevin takes the picture, sees what’s on it, and starts laughing. He says in between laughs, “I was wondering when I was going to sign this picture.” He signs the picture, then takes off his hat, signs it, and puts on the kid’s head. Kevin tells the kid to “keep being awesome”, gives him a fist bump, and then continues signing autographs. That kid walked away with the biggest smile on his face, and so did his dad. And that is my best driver story. A race I'll never forget." +"The proposal took place on the evening of June 18th at an Italian restaurant , A very gorgeous place near the Avila Beach, California. It was a perfect evening, the wind was calm, and the fog was nestled against the hillside below. The rolling green hills gave way to the broad expanse of the ocean. It was the very same place I had taken her when I first asked her to consider a dating me. I brought her up there under the guise of enjoying a picnic dinner and some quiet time together. Little did she know that there was so much more planned! I did have a friend that works there and he was involved in the plan. I was at the restaurant, after I placed an order for what we wanted and had a little gist and chat while there. After we were there minutes later I told my friend to get me a Hennessy that I wanted to celebrate with my girlfriend so we did put the ring in her cup and she saw it. At this point she had a very bewildered look on her face. I told her that I was going to be starting the process of getting her a ring, and wanted to make sure that I knew the right size. She was still a bit confused, but began to sort through the different sizes to find hers (a 5.5). To her dismay, there was no size 5.5 ring on the key chain! I pretended to be a bit confused before reaching deeper into the cup and pulling out a much smaller red Kevin Main Jewelry box. I got down on one knee, I was very much happy on that day. I already told my dad I will be proposing soon I never knew he already bought a car and was waiting for me to make my proposal official so he can unveil the car. I invited my family and friends so I can make it official and my dad gave me the car. There was so much merriment in the house that day because everyone was happy for me I was surprised when he gave me the car." +"The proposal took place on the evening of June 18th at an Italian restaurant , A very gorgeous place near the Avila Beach, California. It was a perfect evening, the wind was calm, and the fog was nestled against the hillside below. The rolling green hills gave way to the broad expanse of the ocean. It was the very same place I had taken her when I first asked her to consider a dating me. I brought her up there under the guise of enjoying a picnic dinner and some quiet time together. Little did she know that there was so much more planned! I did have a friend that works there and he was involved in the plan. I was at the restaurant, after I placed an order for what we wanted and had a little gist and chat while there. After we were there minutes later I told my friend to get me a Hennessy that I wanted to celebrate with my girlfriend so we did put the ring in her cup and she saw it. At this point she had a very bewildered look on her face. I told her that I was going to be starting the process of getting her a ring, and wanted to make sure that I knew the right size. She was still a bit confused, but began to sort through the different sizes to find hers (a 5.5). To her dismay, there was no size 5.5 ring on the key chain! I pretended to be a bit confused before reaching deeper into the cup and pulling out a much smaller red Kevin Main Jewelry box. I got down on one knee, I was very much happy on that day. I already told my dad I will be proposing soon I never knew he already bought a car and was waiting for me to make my proposal official so he can unveil the car. I invited my family and friends so I can make it official and my dad gave me the car. There was so much merriment in the house that day because everyone was happy for me I was surprised when he gave me the car." +When I moved to California I couldn't believe how beautiful everything was. The mountains and the air felt so much nicer than the city I came from. We live really near the beach too so that is great. We brought our kayaks and I am really excited to get out and try them out. Everything here is slightly more expensive but jobs seem to pay more so that helps a lot. But ever since we got here I have been missing my friends a lot. Everyone is so far away and I don't have anyone to hang out with. I still keep in contact with everyone but its just not the same as getting to go out and hang out with them everyday. I was feeling slightly down about the situation so I started looking around on Reddit to see how everyone else meets up with new people. I read about how everyone has a meetup around the area and decided to just go through with and check it out. At first I thought it would be awkward but it was actually really nice and everyone was super friendly and cool. I have made quite a few friends now and we go out to do stuff almost weekly. I really think a few of them could be some of the best friends I have ever had. I cant believe how easy it was to actually meet people. Now I am feeling alot better about my situation. I think I can enjoy my time here more now and have some fun. +"We have been dating for about three years. I am divorced and was never really happy with my previous marriage. We were more like friends. When I met my current boyfriend, I finally felt what it was like to truly love someone. I want to be with him forever. I see myself thinking about when he will propose all the time. We were going to a game that was significant to both of us and seemed like it would be a cool idea. I was disappointed when nothing happened. I should just let things happen. Instead I wound up sad when I should have been enjoying the game itself. Since then, I have found myself trying to focus more on enjoying time as it is happening. I am working on things I want to improve with myself. I will love him even if we don't get married. I also don't want him to feel pressured. It was a good lesson." +"I understood when I started dating him, that my boyfriend was a football fanatic. Having grown up in small city in Texas, the heart of football country, I was familiar with boys like him. It was just my luck to have moved over a thousand miles away and still fall for someone who would have been at ease growing up in my hometown. I enjoy a good football game, but I'm not the type to go out to the stadium every Sunday. And with our home team spending the last several seasons, guarding the bottom of the standings, I made it clear that I would only go to games on a special occasions. Having lived with my boyfriend for over a year and half, I could feel when something in our routine seemed to shift. I noticed he was on the phone more with his best friend. He normally took his calls in his little office/man cave, rarely closing the door. In fact, I'm more likely to close it when he gets too noisy. Sometimes, you just can't help yourself. So many times I walked by his office and would be completely oblivious to what he was talking about. But this time a few weeks ago, I heard him say, ""That ring is going to be perfect."" And that stopped me right in my tracks. Unfortunately those words were at the end of his conversation. I back tracked to his office and tried to get some more information from him, but he would only say that he was ""just"" talking to his best friend. Sensing I was going to get anything else out of him with letting on that I may know something, I retreated from his office. I really didn't know how to feel at that moment. We both love each other and there were no real issues between the two us. It was just marriage was not something we'd spoke about yet. A little while later, I was in the kitchen making a smoothie for lunch, when he came strolling in. He seemed a bit nervous (or excited, still really can't figure which it was). He asked me if we had any plans the following Sunday. After confirming on our day-planner that we were free, he said to block the day for a football game. I readily agreed. Fast forward to the game and me watching his best friend propose to his girlfriend of 3 months at half-time." +"I understood when I started dating him, that my boyfriend was a football fanatic. Having grown up in small city in Texas, the heart of football country, I was familiar with boys like him. It was just my luck to have moved over a thousand miles away and still fall for someone who would have been at ease growing up in my hometown. I enjoy a good football game, but I'm not the type to go out to the stadium every Sunday. And with our home team spending the last several seasons, guarding the bottom of the standings, I made it clear that I would only go to games on a special occasions. Having lived with my boyfriend for over a year and half, I could feel when something in our routine seemed to shift. I noticed he was on the phone more with his best friend. He normally took his calls in his little office/man cave, rarely closing the door. In fact, I'm more likely to close it when he gets too noisy. Sometimes, you just can't help yourself. So many times I walked by his office and would be completely oblivious to what he was talking about. But this time a few weeks ago, I heard him say, ""That ring is going to be perfect."" And that stopped me right in my tracks. Unfortunately those words were at the end of his conversation. I back tracked to his office and tried to get some more information from him, but he would only say that he was ""just"" talking to his best friend. Sensing I was going to get anything else out of him with letting on that I may know something, I retreated from his office. I really didn't know how to feel at that moment. We both love each other and there were no real issues between the two us. It was just marriage was not something we'd spoke about yet. A little while later, I was in the kitchen making a smoothie for lunch, when he came strolling in. He seemed a bit nervous (or excited, still really can't figure which it was). He asked me if we had any plans the following Sunday. After confirming on our day-planner that we were free, he said to block the day for a football game. I readily agreed. Fast forward to the game and me watching his best friend propose to his girlfriend of 3 months at half-time." +"The last couple of weeks before my store officially closed down was surreal and hectic. I never been through the process of a store closure before. I'll never forget hearing my manager break the news to me and my initial reaction of utter disbelief. I've worked at this store for so long, and became so familiar with my coworkers, the daily routine, the customer's, etc. My coworkers and I all supported each other through the process since it was new for all of us. We took turns running the registers, helping as many customer's as we could, and trying to get as much merchandise out of the store asap. The most difficult and tiresome part of all of this is dealing with the customer's. Their reactions to hearing about the store's closing ranged from disbelief, confusion, annoyance, anger, and panic. You would think that the world was ending by the way they responded to the news. We tried to explain to them as much as we understood ourselves (we all had little scripts to read to them, disclosing very little information), but they still pressed on wanting to know why. The most memorable experience I had was during the last week of the closing. The store was closed to customers, and we were putting things palettes and wrapping things up. The store was very empty, and we knew our time was winding down together. So we decided to all stop what we were doing, and stood in a circle and played catch with a tennis ball we found on the ground. We just tossed it among each other, and what seemed like a simple thing was actually the best experience we had throughout the whole treacherous process. It was a time that we actually just stopped and enjoyed each other's company, laughed, and shared stories about the past time's we had in the store. Our manager's didn't yell at us our make us stop. I think we all understood that this experience was special, despite all of the obstacles, difficulties, and challenges we faced." +"This life-changing event happened over the span of a few weeks, about six months ago. My job that I worked for ten years closed it's doors for good. I worked at the store since it's opening, so basically, I've was there from birth to death. There were no warnings or signs that it would close, the news came at quite a shock. I'll never forget the day my manager pulled me aside and told me the shocking news. I was in a state of disbelief. I knew that from that point on everything will change. I started out as a regular sales associate. I moved my way up the ranks over the years. I worked very hard to get to the position that I was at, but deep down, I wanted to leave and change careers. I've been internally battling on whether to stay or go. I've gotten so used to working there, my coworkers, and the familiar faces of the customers. However, I knew it was time to move on, I just needed a push to do it. I feel like everything happens for a reason, and maybe this was some higher power forcing me to move on. The experience was very new to me. I've never been through a store closing and liquidation before. It's an experience that I'll never forget. You try to stay positive in this bittersweet moment. It's a weird feeling watching day-by-day, the physical look of the store change. It gets emptier and emptier. Products are being marked down to prices as low as you've ever seen. The closer you get to the last day, you start to realize that this is the last time you'll ever set foot in such a familiar place. The smells, the sounds, the commute, etc, will all become a distant memory." +We were in the room for the past 14 months. It was an ideal location. It was a peaceful area. Nearby we have a very good coffee shop. There is a 24 hours open ATM near my ROOM. From the balcony we had a good view of a nearby children park. The neighboring balcony there was a good view of Ladies Gym. We had a very good time for spending peacefully. Suddenly my roommate lost his job. After that she just be at home idle for three months. She is not going anywhere. She is not doing anything at home. Not at all helping at home. Simply irritating for spending more money to her. She is not cleaning the home properly. So decided to move out of our apartment. +"It's been a crazy year since my brother in law passed from cancer. My mother still doesn't really reach out to my sister on her own to see how she is doing even though my mother should know exactly how she is feeling having lost her husband a year and a half ago. One of the more brutal things she said to my sister was that at least she had her two daughters at home to help and she had no one. My sister really wanted to reply that my mother had her husband for 20 more years than she did but did not want to stoop to her level. Whenever they do speak on the phone, it generally ends with my sister being upset by something my mother did or didn't say to her. I try to be supportive of both of them but it is very difficult. I always read that death brings out some interesting sides of your family but never guessed it would be this devastating to live through. I pray it gets better but in reality think it will end up that they continue to not speak to each other that often. I feel put in the middle of a situation that is out of my control. My other sister is just as bad about not being supportive. She told me that our other sister was never really a sister to her. This escalated during our parents anniverary celebration 8 years ago. There was a heated exchange between the two of them. Unfortunately that was the dagger in the coffin that caused them not to talk to each other for a long time. There was a lot of tension at my dad's funeral and some pretty awful things were said. Neither of them will see the other side and try to make amends. I'm deeply saddened that my own family can be like this with each other." +"It's been a crazy year since my brother in law passed from cancer. My mother still doesn't really reach out to my sister on her own to see how she is doing even though my mother should know exactly how she is feeling having lost her husband a year and a half ago. One of the more brutal things she said to my sister was that at least she had her two daughters at home to help and she had no one. My sister really wanted to reply that my mother had her husband for 20 more years than she did but did not want to stoop to her level. Whenever they do speak on the phone, it generally ends with my sister being upset by something my mother did or didn't say to her. I try to be supportive of both of them but it is very difficult. I always read that death brings out some interesting sides of your family but never guessed it would be this devastating to live through. I pray it gets better but in reality think it will end up that they continue to not speak to each other that often. I feel put in the middle of a situation that is out of my control. My other sister is just as bad about not being supportive. She told me that our other sister was never really a sister to her. This escalated during our parents anniverary celebration 8 years ago. There was a heated exchange between the two of them. Unfortunately that was the dagger in the coffin that caused them not to talk to each other for a long time. There was a lot of tension at my dad's funeral and some pretty awful things were said. Neither of them will see the other side and try to make amends. I'm deeply saddened that my own family can be like this with each other." +"My friend Hank died three years ago, and a co worker had gifted me a session with a medium after the funeral. I was grateful for the gift, but passed it off as something I wouldn't do because I don't really believe in psychics or fortune tellers. Three years went by and about three months ago, a friend from my gym was talking about a medium they went to and how much fun it was. I remembered that I had been gifted that session after Hank passed away and got to think about going myself. I scheduled it for the following Friday and was pretty skeptical on what would go on. I figured it would be in a poorly lit room and woman with a bandanna would come out and grab my hand and ask a lot of personal questions then give me a bunch of hokum about the spirit world and lights would flicker and so forth. I figured it would maybe be a fun story to tell at parties. So i get there and this nice young woman, Janice, greets me at the door. We exchange pleasantries and she leads me around the corner to a big red sofa and we both sit down on it and she asks me why I was there, so I told her about my friend Hank, dying three years ago and wondered if he could be contacted. She asked a couple of simple questions about how long ago we met and where then we just began to talk. Not about anything in particular just things. As the conversation went on something amazing happened. Janice grabbed hold of my hand and looked me straight in the eyes and told me about the first time Hank and I met back in high school, and asked if I remembered it. I was dumbfounded. How could she have known that. I told her I did and then she kept talking about things Hank and I did as teenagers and places we went and it was just like talking to Hank. I could not believe it. We started talking about things that he was going through right before he died and how he thought everything would be alright and that he would be watching me to make sure I was not doing anything wrong and things like that. I was amazed at how it all turned out. I thanked Janice and asked her how she does it and she says, she doesn't know, that ""it just happens"". It was incredible. I have recommended Janice to several people over the last three months just to see if they have the same experience I did, and they all have. I called my co-worker back and thanked her for gifting me that session, and I told her how much it meant to me. She said it was no problem and that she was glad she coul help me be comforted after Hank's death." +"My friend Hank died three years ago, and a co worker had gifted me a session with a medium after the funeral. I was grateful for the gift, but passed it off as something I wouldn't do because I don't really believe in psychics or fortune tellers. Three years went by and about three months ago, a friend from my gym was talking about a medium they went to and how much fun it was. I remembered that I had been gifted that session after Hank passed away and got to think about going myself. I scheduled it for the following Friday and was pretty skeptical on what would go on. I figured it would be in a poorly lit room and woman with a bandanna would come out and grab my hand and ask a lot of personal questions then give me a bunch of hokum about the spirit world and lights would flicker and so forth. I figured it would maybe be a fun story to tell at parties. So i get there and this nice young woman, Janice, greets me at the door. We exchange pleasantries and she leads me around the corner to a big red sofa and we both sit down on it and she asks me why I was there, so I told her about my friend Hank, dying three years ago and wondered if he could be contacted. She asked a couple of simple questions about how long ago we met and where then we just began to talk. Not about anything in particular just things. As the conversation went on something amazing happened. Janice grabbed hold of my hand and looked me straight in the eyes and told me about the first time Hank and I met back in high school, and asked if I remembered it. I was dumbfounded. How could she have known that. I told her I did and then she kept talking about things Hank and I did as teenagers and places we went and it was just like talking to Hank. I could not believe it. We started talking about things that he was going through right before he died and how he thought everything would be alright and that he would be watching me to make sure I was not doing anything wrong and things like that. I was amazed at how it all turned out. I thanked Janice and asked her how she does it and she says, she doesn't know, that ""it just happens"". It was incredible. I have recommended Janice to several people over the last three months just to see if they have the same experience I did, and they all have. I called my co-worker back and thanked her for gifting me that session, and I told her how much it meant to me. She said it was no problem and that she was glad she coul help me be comforted after Hank's death." +My father is in recovery from emergency heart surgery he had yesterday. We did not know if he was gonna make it. He is alive and in recovery so everything is ok right now. I guess when you turn fifty and sixty years old your heart wants to show you it's time to get healthy. I hope he uses the experience to be more healthy in his lifestyle. He was working out of state so he is in a hospital four hours away. I might drive up after work. I would hate to not see him if something turns out the wrong way. I just decided to go. If he has complications and I can't see him and he passes away I could not live with myself. I'm still very scared for him. This is your heart. It goes bad and it is over. He had a major tear to his aorta. The survival rate is low. We are incredibly lucky. +My father is in recovery from emergency heart surgery he had yesterday. We did not know if he was gonna make it. He is alive and in recovery so everything is ok right now. I guess when you turn fifty and sixty years old your heart wants to show you it's time to get healthy. I hope he uses the experience to be more healthy in his lifestyle. He was working out of state so he is in a hospital four hours away. I might drive up after work. I would hate to not see him if something turns out the wrong way. I just decided to go. If he has complications and I can't see him and he passes away I could not live with myself. I'm still very scared for him. This is your heart. It goes bad and it is over. He had a major tear to his aorta. The survival rate is low. We are incredibly lucky. +"Lifestyle and career are two important, intertwined aspects of everyone's daily lives. A person's career determines their lifestyle both in terms of time and resources available for leisure. Many people also derive a lot of their identity from what they do for work or a career. There are also many industries where a lifestyle may be tied up in a career. For instance, folks that work in the alcohol industry have a pretty specific lifestyle that tends to correspond to their choice of career. Ideally people would be made up of more than just the careers they've chosen but all too often you find folks that seem to have cobbled together an identity based on what they expect people expect of them. In my mind, the most interesting people are folks that have very different careers and lifestyles that sometimes combine in surprising ways. As much as I kind of detest Elizabeth Gilbert, I listened to a talk that she gave about people with different styles of going through life. Some who are incredibly driven and work towards a singular goal but are frankly rather boring. And then there are those that flit from thing to thing and develop a diverse skill set and may not have a huge singular accomplishment but are likely super interesting. There is also a lot to be said for getting out of one's comfort zone. If we only interact with people in a similar career to ourselves, we risk missing out on the upsides of diversity. The same can be said for lifestyle. If you only hang out with people that have a similar lifestyle, you won't learn much or experience many new things. Especially in cases where a lifestyle is harmful it can be really good to experience folks living in a different way." +"We hoped in the past to have a child. Something was wrong, as we tried in the past 2 years. Was it her or me? We had tests performed only once. The doctor found no reason why we could not have a child. Sex was not just sex to us, as we were married now for 5 years. However, both of us had careers, and they were demanding. She was an astronaut and spent 4 months of the 12 months in space and traveling from west to east and north to south coasts. I was an insurance salesperson and traveled almost as much, but not in space. But I spent every extra dollar I earned on airplane flight lessons. We both loved being in the air. I did not qualify for space travel because of my health. I have 2 artificals legs. I was in the U.S. Space Force and lost my legs on my first deployment in space in a space shuttle that crashed landed. Maybe it is my fault that we do not have a baby by now. It is all my fault, I just feel it in my few bones I have." +"Two months ago, I went to a family reunion. I had a blast meeting my family. I gave my sister a big hug. I gave my brother a handshake. I shared a beer with my father. I had some wine with my mother. I played horse shoes with my cousins. I won the game and celebrated my win with some cake. We all got together to perform karaoke. Most of the people were drunk, so they didn't mind singing. I almost fell over while singing. I was too drunk to sing. I had to sit down for the rest of the day. I still had a ton of fun at the reunion. I went home with some great memories of the event. It was a great time." +"Two months ago, I went to a family reunion. I had a blast meeting my family. I gave my sister a big hug. I gave my brother a handshake. I shared a beer with my father. I had some wine with my mother. I played horse shoes with my cousins. I won the game and celebrated my win with some cake. We all got together to perform karaoke. Most of the people were drunk, so they didn't mind singing. I almost fell over while singing. I was too drunk to sing. I had to sit down for the rest of the day. I still had a ton of fun at the reunion. I went home with some great memories of the event. It was a great time." +"Now this happened some six months ago. It was a weekend evening and we were supposed to be out enjoying with friends. But it rained that day and we had to stay indoors. That's when we decided to watch a movie together on TV. So me, my parents and my younger brother, we got ready in front of the TV. Least i expected was that the movie turned out to be a murder thriller where some guy is killed and the search for the murderer seemed to be the plot. When the movie was over & we got up to go to bed, my dad looked at us, especially towards me. He then said that he too had faced a similar situation before. I couldn't get what that was about. That's when he told us the story which left us completely shocked. My dad started to tell a story about how he murdered a guy. I was completely horrified. A lot was running through my mind like - who when how and why, what must have happened and who the guy was. And then suddenly my dad looking at my face, started laughing hysterically and kept saying that he couldn't believe i fell for his lie & that how could i even think that he killed someone. Obviously he was right, but i must say he's a pro and was completely convincing with his lie. What finally punched me was when he called me - April Fool." +"I still remember the day I was spending time with Saffron. I was in Times Square, New York. It was raining really really bad. I was experiencing such a bad day. She cheered me up such big time. I feel that I am very kind and can make great things happen. IT was raining and when the ball drop happened I could definitely see the world falling through different skies. We were standing for 7 hours in a row. I feel that life was just passing by me. We became best friends very soon. We were playing a movie game. We were doing things that was impressing us. We are very glad that we met. We also shared food. I don't think I would ever forget saffron." +"Three weeks ago, I was driving my sister to elementary school. After just a few minute of driving, a large deer ran from a nearby tree and in front of my car. I barely had time to react and hit the brakes too late. Unfortunately, the car was wrecked with much of the front end of the car being demolished by the force of the impact of the deer. My sister and I lay still for a moment, immobilized by shock and fear. I then quickly unbuckled my seat belt and checked on my sister, who was also wearing her seat belt. She was safe. Besides having some minor whiplash, I was also safe. This event has been reiterated in my mind dozens of time since it took place. I wonder what would have happened if my sister or I was seriously hurt or killed. I contemplate the fragility of life and existence. At the time of the accident, I e was a nervous wreck, but since then I have been contemplating the purpose of life. I wonder every day when will my life end. When it does end, will I have made the most of it? I'm grateful everyday I survived that accident. It has allowed me to reevaluate my life. I now consider the path I am taking and whether it suits me best." +"It has been a while since my mother was admitted into a psychiatric ward but it feels like it was just yesterday, as the effects are still very present and palpable. Although she is still at home and no longer inpatient, her progress has stalled, largely due to a lack of medication compliance. After experiencing psychotic depression that made her spend 5 weeks in the hospital, she was released on her own accord and went home. We were all optimistic, as she had made considerable progress in the hospital. Unfortunately, once she was home, she decided that she was fine and didn't need to follow the doctor's instructions. She stopped going to therapy and taking medications. Her recovery has reached a plateau and we are all nervous waiting for the next ""break."" The last one was due to intense stress, so we are all walking on eggshells trying to keep stress out of her life. This is difficult because my sibling and I live in a different city than her and my father is in denial that this is a severe situation. I visited home over the holidays and it was hard to see how she is not taking care of herself. My father just pretends that everything is ok. My sibling is helpful in these times but feels at a loss, like myself. We are hopeful that at point she will take her meds again but are not optimistic. Not a day passes that I don't worry. I have found that I have to create distance for myself so I don't worry too much. Due to this I am in regular therapy. It is my hope that the situation improves somehow." +"I can relate to this because while I wasn't admistted to a psychiatric ward, I did suffer depression about 25 years ago. I had just broken up wtih my long-time boyfriend (who I was in a long-distance romance with for the last year of our relationship) and the breaking up was not of my doing. At that point in time, I was prepared to move back to his state (California) and we were to get married. He decided he no longer wanted that even though he still loved me. So, here I was, in the Midwest, just having quit my job and thinking, ""now what""? I fell into a deep depression that was only quashed by some one-on-one therapy sessions (and after that didn't work), a visit to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with clinical depression. At that time, anti-depressants weren't all that available but I was prescribed one and took it for 6 months. A horrible situation in my life but I got better and moved on. Although I moved on, when describing my inner self to a friend, I say that something in me died. I'm fine; I laugh; I enjoy a good time with friends, but there's a part of me that died with that experience and I have never gotten it to come back to life. I feel that I am an ""almost whole"" person but not quite complete as a result of that time in my life. I don't wish it on anybody. I can completely empathize with the summary above. I know what it is like to experience depression. It is a horrible place to be in, mentally. But the good news is that there is help, even for those who fall into the deep pit of despair, as I did. One of the worst parts for me was that I saw how it affected those around me. I was staying with my Mom for a while during this time, and she would cry (in private but I knew that she was crying because of me. It hurt her to her core that I was going through this. This was a period that I'd much rather forget, but know I never will." +"Three months ago, I woke up to find my mom lying in her bed. She wouldn't get up. Her skin was blue and cold. I have never felt anything like the horror that came over me when I realized she was dead--to be honest, I kind of blacked out mentally and don't remember exactly what occurred, but I don't think I'll ever forget how hopeless and terrified I felt in that moment. I looked over to her nightstand and saw a note, she couldn't deal with the pain, the loneliness, it had all become too much for her, but really the details don't matter, do they? The end result is the same, my mom is gone, she took her own life. I felt abandoned, I felt alone, I felt guilty--was I not enough? Was there something I missed? Could anything have gone differently if I had done this or that? We can't change the past, but we sure can feel anxiety about it. I couldn't undo what she had done, but I felt like she needed to matter in some way, that I needed to show her an interest and love that maybe if I had shown her in life this terrible thing would have never happened. I decided to use this as an opportunity to learn more about her life, which of course tied in with my life, my history, my heritage. We had never been too close to most of our family, we lived across the country from the majority of them, I didn't have any way to contact a lot of these people, who were total strangers to me. I ordered a DNA kit online and was able to get the names of some of them. We ended up connecting online, and I learned I had aunts, cousins, even a grandfather--I was still lost in a dark tunnel, but now I felt like I wasn't so alone. I ended up connecting with one of my cousins via social media and I'm going to be flying across the country to go see them in just a few months. I was able to hear stories about my mother's childhood and it was like finding a whole new facet of her that I never would have learned in life. I wish that she was still here with me, but I feel like I am honoring her memory while discovering things about both her and myself, even if she is not here to see it." +"I woke up estatic this day, it was finally time to go on the camping trip I've been planning and waiting for. although all this happened two years (24 months ago), I still remember it clearly. Joining me on this trip was my best friend, Dale. We met up in the morning, packed up everything we needed, and set off on our adventure that would surely change our lives. Dale and I were headed to Yellowstone national park, a place we had always wanted to visit. The drive there was long and tedious, but eventually we arrived. We parked, checked in, and got all our stuff ready to set out. We started our journey through one of the many beautiful forests this park has to offer. There were towering trees, lush foilage, and everything was teeming with wildlife; it truly was a site to remember. In awe throughout this forest trail trek, I truly felt at peace and calmed by the beautiful nature, and Dale expressed the same feelings. Eventually we started coming across rolling hills as we got deeper into the forest. A noise started ringing throughout the forest, which sounded as if something was letting out a call. As we got closer, we realized it was some kids and a family having fun up on a hill further on the path. We shouted back to the kids, just playing with them; but their group saw us and told us to come join them along the trail. As we talked for a little, Dale and I discovered this group was headed to the sampe campsite as ours, so our journey continued with new friends. We shared stories about our life, dreams, and our love of nature. Bonding with these new people felt nice, especially in such a magical place. As the end of the day approached, we finally arrived at our campsite and set up or camp, as did our new friends. Dale and I started a fire after everything was ready, cooked some food, and played some music just taking in the day and preparing ourselves for the awesome week ahead of us in this great place." +"It was a sunny day. me and my friends were trying to reach the forest which is spotted on the Muir woods. since it was a day-off for us and I was really into it (so was my friends as well since we are forest boys). anyways on the way we saw people doing crazy things on the top of the hills like using those gliders things to fly or taking pictures of themselves. we thought why not do the same thing and guess what, we did. After having fun for an hour or so. we continued our journey to the forest we laughed. sang and did crazy stuff all along the road until we reached the forest we planned everything. from setting up the camps and campfire to the marshmallows. It was the craziest night we had and I still remember it so much fun and so much happiness. so next day after getting a good night nap. we gathered around thinking about the game we wanted to play. after that, we played a game. the game was about courage. you have to eat a mushroom. the mushroom Jack found was hallucinating one. we didn't know about that though." +I was out driving around and heard on the radio that there was a movie coming that related to the Beatles and sounded really good. I checked my phone to see where it was playing and it was playing that same day in a short period of time. So I drove to the movie theater and saw the picture myself. I loved it. I thought it was one of the most clever and sweet movies I had ever seen. So I went home and took my husband to see it. He liked it a lot. Then the next day I took a friend of mine who is around my age. She liked it. Then the next day I called my oldest son to ask him to go see it with me. It just so happened that he wanted to go see it and he came over to see it with me. He liked it too. I don't think anyone will ever love this movie quite as well as I did. It's just special. The name of it is Yesterday. +I was out driving around and heard on the radio that there was a movie coming that related to the Beatles and sounded really good. I checked my phone to see where it was playing and it was playing that same day in a short period of time. So I drove to the movie theater and saw the picture myself. I loved it. I thought it was one of the most clever and sweet movies I had ever seen. So I went home and took my husband to see it. He liked it a lot. Then the next day I took a friend of mine who is around my age. She liked it. Then the next day I called my oldest son to ask him to go see it with me. It just so happened that he wanted to go see it and he came over to see it with me. He liked it too. I don't think anyone will ever love this movie quite as well as I did. It's just special. The name of it is Yesterday. +"Since I'm back on all my medication, I am doing better, no longer sick, dizzy or unsteady. My depression isn't as bad and my mood stabilized. But the pain that had improved when I first started taking the fibromyalgia medication has not improved. It is making everyday tasks much harder than they were. My apartment is on the second floor and going up and down the stairs hurts my knees. Doing even small chores around the house often cause enough pain that I have to rest or use an ice pack. I'm beginning to feel this will never get better and I will have to live with the increased pain for ever. I am already having trouble supporting myself because I can't work for more than two hours straight without having to take at least a half hour rest break (doing more causes pain that makes work impossible for hours, if not days). The increased pain makes my being able to support myself seem even more impossible. I am very much afraid of what the future holds. I am single and only have myself to rely on. If I cannot support myself I could become a burden to my family. My greatest fear is being a burden to my children. Should this happen, I'll have to decide if it is crueler to continue being a burden or kill myself. Talk about Sophie's choice." +"My insurance company suddenly stopped covering two medications that are very important and i need them daily. As a result i got sick. I filed a report against them. Then they decided to get be the medications. During the process, i was admitted at the hospital for over a week. The medication was suppose to cover my kids and i. But due to the stoppage of the medications, my daughter got sick and i paid huge amount to make her feel better. I am also charging the insurance company to pay back. The insurance company promised to payback. I also wanted to know the reason why the medication stopped. They should also tell me what happened to the organization. I also have to change the insurance company after. I was really pissed at what happened. That was what happened and how it went. Thank you." +"Two months ago, I was named the head of a new project at the work place. The position came with higher pay. This made me pay off my debt. I was so happy because of this. I celebrated by going to a fancy restaurant. I got some queso to start off the meal. The queso was very yummy. I got some beers to drink. They were nice to drink. I got a steak as the main meal. The steak was medium. It was one of the best steaks I have ever eaten. I got a nice chocolate cake for dessert. I gave the waiter a big tip. I can't wait to begin working on the new project. It should be fun. I have a lot of ideas for the project." +"It seemed like a normal day. In fact, it pretty much was the most normal of a day that it could had been. I was out and about on my day off, when by complete chance I got a craving for a candy bar. I decided that I deserved a treat and so I went to my local grocery store. Since I was there, I got a couple more necessities so I wouldn't have to go later on in the week. It was then, in the flour aisle, where I ran into her. She seemed an ordinary older woman, no different than an average elderly person. However, she looked strikingly similar to my mother. It wasn't actually my mom (obviously) but she looked similar enough where I had to go talk to her. She was a very interesting woman, and surprisingly, she wasn't taken aback by anything I said. I told her that I thought she might be related to me. I told her my own name, my mother's name, and even some extended family's names. But she said that she had never heard of any of them. I apologized profusely for my mistake, but she wasn't upset at all. We decided to grab a donut and a coffee and chat. It turned out that we actually had quite a bit in common. I will never forget the day that I met that woman." +"It seemed like a normal day. In fact, it pretty much was the most normal of a day that it could had been. I was out and about on my day off, when by complete chance I got a craving for a candy bar. I decided that I deserved a treat and so I went to my local grocery store. Since I was there, I got a couple more necessities so I wouldn't have to go later on in the week. It was then, in the flour aisle, where I ran into her. She seemed an ordinary older woman, no different than an average elderly person. However, she looked strikingly similar to my mother. It wasn't actually my mom (obviously) but she looked similar enough where I had to go talk to her. She was a very interesting woman, and surprisingly, she wasn't taken aback by anything I said. I told her that I thought she might be related to me. I told her my own name, my mother's name, and even some extended family's names. But she said that she had never heard of any of them. I apologized profusely for my mistake, but she wasn't upset at all. We decided to grab a donut and a coffee and chat. It turned out that we actually had quite a bit in common. I will never forget the day that I met that woman." +"One morning, out of the blue, I received an unexpected text messagefrom a friend whom I had not talked to in almost two years. We hadpreviously been friends and would meet up for movies, meals, and otheractivities before we had a falling apart. I had helped him through avery difficult period in his life when he experienced the loss of twoclose family members. I was glad to be there for him, but personalitydifferences created tensions that eventually came to a head aroundlate 2017, when we had a bit of a fight and stopped speaking to oneanother. I was regretful of some of the things I'd said during thefight and tried to make amends, but he was not interested. At the time he texted me, I had pretty much just written off thefriendship and assumed we would never speak again. I had thought ofnot replying, due to the bad experience of the past interactions. However, I was concerned that something may have gone wrong for him tocontact me, of all people, and replied. He had contacted me to inviteme to his wedding, which would happen in a few weeks. I was verysurprised, and told him I would definitely consider going, though itwas short notice. I couldn't decide whether to go to the wedding or not for the next fewweeks. I didn't know if it would be a good idea based on how badlythings had gone in the past. I eventually decided to go, just out ofcuriosity to see what happened. I'm glad I went. The wedding was avery nice ceremony, and I got to meet some very nice people there. Ihad a brief chat with my estranged friend, and things seemed to begoing much better for him. I was happy for him, and got to meet hiswife, who was very nice. The food and reception were very nice, and Ileft feeling like we were on good terms again. I think it was nice toget a second chance to repair the friendship that I'd previously givenup on." +"Life has been very interesting since college. I have lost touch with many of my old friends, so it's often weird to hear from them every now and then. A little over a month ago I received a text from V, who graduated the same year and lived in my dorm. I hadn't spoken to him in roughly two years. You could say it was a shock to see his name pop up on my phone. Interestingly enough, V was getting married and wanted to give me a late invite. Despite feeling a little left out about not getting an invite by mail in advance, I decided to accept anyway. In the end I'm super glad that I did. Tons of old friends were there, and V's new wife ended up being the girl that he started to date right at the end of college. I had met her a few times randomly towards the end of our senior year. The ceremony was packed with tons of people, and they spared no expense. Numerous kegs of expensive beer were purchased, in addition to three chocolate fountains. They even hired one of the best underground DJs in the city to do the music. We danced and partied late in the night. It was also great that V could make plenty of time to talk to me, and I definitely feel like we will stay in closer contact going forward. All in all I had a great time at V's wedding and hope to invite him to mine one day." +"I was recently confronted with someone who had a gun where I work. I'm a nurse at a plasma donation center and one of our donors pulled his needle out of his arm and ran to the back storage area. A phlebotomist had safely bandaged his arm and put him in our biohazard room. After she left the room, I went in to assist and calm him down. He was on the phone with the police requesting assistance because he thought he saw someone in the parking lot that wanted to kill him. I assured him that he was in a locked room, safe and I would remain with him until the police arrived. Next thing I know, he pulls a gun out of his pocket. I slowly back away from him and move a large biohazard garbage bin (on wheels) between him and I. I move slowly to the door and reach for the handle. He points the gun at me and yells not to open the door. I assure him that I'm not going to open the door, I was just holding the handle so no one else opened it. I asked him to please let me leave. He reiterated ""don't open the door"". I remained calm and tried to keep him calm as well as he remained on the phone with the police. Once more, I stated ""please let me leave. I want to go on the other side of the door and guard it for you"". At this point, he pointed the gun at the ground and told me to leave." +"So, this guy has been maintaining my lawn for me. I just thought it would be worth paying someone to do it for me so I would have less to worry about. I've been so busy with work and stuff. The first month was o.k., he seemed to be doing a decent job and I thought I had made a good decision. It was nice not to worry about what the neighbors are thinking about my shabby looking yard. I was billed every other week for the service and always paid my bill as soon as I received the statement. But a week before I even received the third bill, this guy started making comments to me about how I needed to pay him. I told him I would pay him when I received the bill as always. Then he got really rude about it! He acted like I hadn't paid him all summer! I told him again, FIRMLY, that I will pay my bill when it's due and he needed to leave. He then proceeded to call me a nasty name that I won't repeat. WTF?! Can you believe him? I am totally cancelling this service. I hope I can find another one on short notice, though." +"It's very rare for my to be able to spend time with my friends, and there are many of them. I have a very crazy schedule, and I know my friends' schedules are just as crazy. So when one close friend decided to have a party and announced it on Facebook group chat, we were all pretty excited at the prospect of us all being able to get together. The initial responses weren't immediate yes answers because everyone had to check their schedules. After a few days, several friends had replied they could attend. The party was on a weekend, which meant I likely had to work. However, I was able to get someone to trade shifts with me. I'm pretty sure almost everyone was able to go who were invited. There were at least 30 of us there, and it was an all-night event. We had a cook out with the normal, expected grill foods. Everyone brought some kind of extra dish as well. The friend who hosted the event has a pool. Since it was summer time, this was fantastic because I never get a chance to swim. This was probably the most memorable event for me. Swimming in the moonlight with patio lights twinkling above and fantastic company and music was a perfect way to have fun and relax. I'm sure most of us who attended kind of wished we would have taken the next night off as well." +"It's very rare for my to be able to spend time with my friends, and there are many of them. I have a very crazy schedule, and I know my friends' schedules are just as crazy. So when one close friend decided to have a party and announced it on Facebook group chat, we were all pretty excited at the prospect of us all being able to get together. The initial responses weren't immediate yes answers because everyone had to check their schedules. After a few days, several friends had replied they could attend. The party was on a weekend, which meant I likely had to work. However, I was able to get someone to trade shifts with me. I'm pretty sure almost everyone was able to go who were invited. There were at least 30 of us there, and it was an all-night event. We had a cook out with the normal, expected grill foods. Everyone brought some kind of extra dish as well. The friend who hosted the event has a pool. Since it was summer time, this was fantastic because I never get a chance to swim. This was probably the most memorable event for me. Swimming in the moonlight with patio lights twinkling above and fantastic company and music was a perfect way to have fun and relax. I'm sure most of us who attended kind of wished we would have taken the next night off as well." +"Three months ago, my life completely changed for the better. I never thought the day would come where I would become a mother. At the age of thirty five and after years of trying to get pregnant and having two miscarriages, I had given up on having a child. My husband and I were looking into adopting but the process seemed pretty hard and there were no guarantees. In the end, I got pregnant out of no where and I was shocked to my core when I found out that I was pregnant and I was two months along. The fetus appeared healthy and I was on my way of becoming a mother. Three months ago, my daughter was born; a healthy 7 pound 3 oz. No one or nothing could have prepared me for the profound love I have for my daughter and I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to be a mother to my sweet girl. I love her so much and my husband and I are so very happy. We can't wait to see what the future holds and we are secretly hoping to be blessed with another child. The changes in our lives have been mostly positive and some negatives. The positives are having our child and being able to make life long memories with her. Our families have been great through out my pregnancy and they have been so helpful in the last couple of months. On the other hand, the negatives are not getting enough sleep. I feel tired and excited most of the time, and there are times when I doze off every chance I get. The worry for our child is horrible at times and its a major drawback for us because in the back of our mind we feel like this beautiful experience might not last and can be easily taken away from us." +"For as long as I can remember I have loved to swim. My mom told me that bath time was always my favorite time because I would swim around in the bathtub and that's why she decided to put me into swimming. I was 8 years old when I had my first swim meet and I can remember it clear as day even though it happened over a decade ago. I remember diving into the pool and swimming as fast as I could and even taking peeks at the lanes on either side of me to see how I was doing overall. When I touched the wall at the end I thought I had lost and the first thing I told my mother when I got out of the pool was that I sucked. My coach reassured me that I was better than I thought and shortly thereafter I was bumped up into the bigger pool where all the 'big kids' practiced. I would go on to swim for this team for 10 years during the summer. When I started my freshman year of high school I tried out for my high school swim team and made it and then around the same time I joined a club team so I was swimming pretty much the entire year with not many breaks in between. When I was a senior in high school I was given the opportunity to go to schools on a scholarship for swimming but I decided to go to a school that I really wanted to go to even though they hadn't offered me a scholarship, but I was allowed to try out as a walk-on. When I started my freshman year of college, however, I changed my mind. I just felt like I couldn't do another four years and I really needed a break and I didn't want my college experience to be consumed by swimming so decided not to try out for the team. It was a really hard decision and I felt guilty. It was eating away at my subconscious and I would always have nightmares and I felt like I was punishing myself. It took a long time but I finally got the courage to get back in the water. Swimming is pretty much all I've really known so when I got back in the water it just felt right and I've been doing it ever since." +"For as long as I can remember I have loved to swim. My mom told me that bath time was always my favorite time because I would swim around in the bathtub and that's why she decided to put me into swimming. I was 8 years old when I had my first swim meet and I can remember it clear as day even though it happened over a decade ago. I remember diving into the pool and swimming as fast as I could and even taking peeks at the lanes on either side of me to see how I was doing overall. When I touched the wall at the end I thought I had lost and the first thing I told my mother when I got out of the pool was that I sucked. My coach reassured me that I was better than I thought and shortly thereafter I was bumped up into the bigger pool where all the 'big kids' practiced. I would go on to swim for this team for 10 years during the summer. When I started my freshman year of high school I tried out for my high school swim team and made it and then around the same time I joined a club team so I was swimming pretty much the entire year with not many breaks in between. When I was a senior in high school I was given the opportunity to go to schools on a scholarship for swimming but I decided to go to a school that I really wanted to go to even though they hadn't offered me a scholarship, but I was allowed to try out as a walk-on. When I started my freshman year of college, however, I changed my mind. I just felt like I couldn't do another four years and I really needed a break and I didn't want my college experience to be consumed by swimming so decided not to try out for the team. It was a really hard decision and I felt guilty. It was eating away at my subconscious and I would always have nightmares and I felt like I was punishing myself. It took a long time but I finally got the courage to get back in the water. Swimming is pretty much all I've really known so when I got back in the water it just felt right and I've been doing it ever since." +"so basically i was sitting in the living room watching the game like i usually do on a sunday. My daughter comes up to me and says she has something really important to talk to me about. I noticed that she looked really nervous and fidgety, her eyes darting around the room. I leaned in and assured her that she could tell me anything, i'm her father! i smiled real big and took her hand, i knew she was bisexual already, i mean i could tell the way she was looking at the cheerleaders when we watched football together. i knew because it reminded me of me! Like i said shes my daughter and i just wanted her to be happy. i said i think it would be a good idea if we met this young lady and got to know her. She started crying and threw herself into my arms. Said she wasn't sure what to think because of the way everyone behaves towards people like her in the news. i told her to ignore those people they were just ignorant and that her life doesn't hurt anyone else. Shes such a good girl and i love her so much. i never want to see her worried like that again. But of course i don't, im her father. i know how cruel the world can be. i will always do everything i can to shield her from it...always." +"so basically i was sitting in the living room watching the game like i usually do on a sunday. My daughter comes up to me and says she has something really important to talk to me about. I noticed that she looked really nervous and fidgety, her eyes darting around the room. I leaned in and assured her that she could tell me anything, i'm her father! i smiled real big and took her hand, i knew she was bisexual already, i mean i could tell the way she was looking at the cheerleaders when we watched football together. i knew because it reminded me of me! Like i said shes my daughter and i just wanted her to be happy. i said i think it would be a good idea if we met this young lady and got to know her. She started crying and threw herself into my arms. Said she wasn't sure what to think because of the way everyone behaves towards people like her in the news. i told her to ignore those people they were just ignorant and that her life doesn't hurt anyone else. Shes such a good girl and i love her so much. i never want to see her worried like that again. But of course i don't, im her father. i know how cruel the world can be. i will always do everything i can to shield her from it...always." +"April 25 2019. This has been one of the hardest days of my life. I lost my little friend, Prance. I should start by saying that Prance was a rescue dog. Prance came from a local shelter. Prance was 3 years old when I got him. The day, April 17, that I got Prance was exactly a year to the day that I had lost another dog, Butch. Like Butch, Prance was a Schnauzer. I woke up that morning and just had a strong desire to go to the animal shelter. And there was Prance. From the first moment, we bonded, and he was like my little grey shadow. April 17th 2019, I treated the day like it was Prance's birthday, since he actual birth date was unknown. He had turned 12. Prance had always been a very picky eater and he had started refusing his food. On the 4th day of not eating, I took Prance to the vet. Prance had pancreatitis and had to be hospitalized. When Prance came home, he was refusing to eat again. Prance began to get very weak and had difficulty standing up. He was now at a point where he could not walk at all. Prance was laying next to me, as he always was, while I watched TV. Prance suddenly reached out his paw to me 3 times, like he would do when he wanted to get some attention. I picked Prance up and held him. Prance began to tremble and shake. He took a couple of deep breathes and went limp in my arms. I feel like Prance reached out to me to say goodbye, and e I am happy that I was there for him in his last moment of life." +"Last week I was on my way to work when someone hit my car from behind. Fortunately, it wasn't a hard hit because because we were only driving about 15-20 miles per hour. There was a woman with 2 small children in the car that hit my car. We both pulled over to the side and eventually moved into a parking lot. The woman who hit my car did not speak English and I was having a hard time understanding her. I speak spanish but it's a bit rusty. I had my daughter help translate because she speaks spanish fluently. The woman gave my daughter her ID and some paperwork from the car. I wanted my daughter to let the woman know that since there wasn't really any damage to my car, I wouldn't call the police or file a claim. When my daughter was talking to the woman their conversation became animated. I was picking up on the conversation in bits and pieces but couldn't really understand why they were so excited. They continued speaking for a while and my daughter pulled out her phone and started searching for something on her phone. She showed the woman an image of my daughter with another young girl from about 15 years ago. Then the excitement really grew. The woman wrote down a phone number and gave it to my daughter. Finally, my daughter and the woman hugged and my daughter and I went back to my car. It turns out that the woman that hit my car is the mother of one of my daughter's school friends from a long time ago and the two young children in the can were my daughter's classmates children. The woman had given my daughter her daughter's phone number so they could reconnect. It's a small world." +"Well I had just about the nicest birthday of my life this last weekend. I wasn't expecting much, honestly, because we are not rich by any means and usually birthdays are a pretty simple affair. After a delicious home-cooked dinner, my husband and I were just about to dig into some cake when he slipped away to our bedroom to receive a wrapped gift. I was already so surprised, since we don't typically do gifts. He looked so excited giving it to me, I couldn't help but tear into it. Inside I found concert tickets! This was really thrilling because we haven't been out to see anything live in years and I've been dreaming of doing something just like this. What really got me, though, was when I noticed that the tickets were to go see Paul McCartney! The Beatles (and Paul) have honestly always been my favorite since I was a child, but I never imagined I'd go and see one of them live. I was so touched, and my husband just had the cutest smile on his face. I didn't want to say anything, but I know that the tickets must have been pretty expensive and it would have taken him a long time to save up for them. I just think it's one of the sweetest things he has ever done for me. The next night we went out for dinner before catching the show and the whole thing was just a dream. We had so much fun and I felt ten years younger! We danced and sang along together, and when we went home we both couldn't stop talking about how great the show had been. I don't think I will ever forget this birthday, it was such a delight." +"I was shopping at PetCo and saw a woman cleaning the adoption cages. One of the cats was being very squirmy and energetic while his cage was being cleaned, so I walked over and offered to hold it while she straightened everything out. He almost immediately settled down and started purring in my arms, rubbing his head against my chin, and closing his eyes. I struck up a conversation with the woman about the cat because he had a very distinct personality. We talked a bit about his adoption history and how he'd been returned several times by past adopters. But after hearing and reading about his ""behavioral issues,"" I couldn't gel them with the experience I was having with the cat I was holding. I spent almost an hour asking questions about the cat, working up to the idea that I'd be taking him home with me. The whole time he was just purring in my arms and didn't want to go back in his cat condo or even get back down. We made some calls to the rescue head and I arranged to borrow a carrier for him and pay his adoption fee by check later. I took him home that night. It was touch and go for awhile, because he'd moved around so much and it took a few weeks to get him fully integrated with my other cats, but he eventually bonded with a younger female I took in last year. She spent a few weeks under the couch when he first came home, so it's amazing that they're such good friends now. They spend their days cuddling on the couch and have taken to taking care of a younger kitten I adopted since. He's a very affectionate cat that is very emotionally perceptive, and he'll always jump in your lap if he senses you've been having a bad day. He's a member of this family now and he's been renamed Kismet because everything around the situation just seemed like it was fated." +"Four months ago, I saw a cat. He had some energy in his cage. I cleaned him. He was at the pet store. I volunteered to clean him up. I eventually adopted the cat. He has a nice coat of orange fur to him. He likes to drink milk whenever he sees it. He loves to eat tuna. That is his favorite meal. I got a big box of kitty litter for him. He always fills up by the end of the week. I guess I need to put the cat on a diet. I will restrict his diet to two cans of tuna a day. I hope he lose weight because of this restriction in the diet. He loves jumping on my lap. He really loves getting petted in the mornings. I hope to have a great life with him." +"It was a normal day in the middle of the week when I decided to go to Santander Bank to withdraw some cash and then go to Wegman's. I was intending to go get some food, but it was also the only opportunity I had to smoke marijuana outside of the house. This is because I couldn't do it while my dad was home. So I went in my brother's car and drove through a small route I normally go for discretion. On the way I put small amount of cannabis in my pipe and smoked a little while driving. At that point I decided I should drive around and listen to music, then I should go to the bank. I took a long route around, and noticed at some point a cop car ended up behind me. I was nervous, thinking they might have known what I did. While I was nearing the bank, the cop car was still behind me, and eventually started flashing its lights. I thought I was surely done for, and as the two cops walked up after I had parked in a Barnes & Noble parking lot I thought I might have a panic attack. To my surprise, I was acting calm enough as they stated the reason they pulled me over is because the car was unregistered for a couple months. I didn't have up-to-date documentation and had to call my dad to get me a picture of proof of insurance, but it was surely better than them noticing any wrongdoing. Throughout the ordeal they didn't suspect anything, as I had hidden away anything suspicious and there was no smell. I was very lucky that day, especially considering I had illegal narcotics within reach in the car. I believe this will be the last time I do something so suspect on the road. At the very least, it will be the last time I smoke weed on the road." +My fiancee had called me into the room one day and she wanted to talk. She said your best friend and I had a chat the other day. She said that he had feelings for her. He had told her about a time in college when I got really drunk and engaged in some gay behavior. He also told her about other times in college that were very embarrassing. It was crazy . I thought he was my best friend. Now I realize that he only wanted my fiancee for himself. He didn't give a damn about me. He is a shady person and that he only has one goal. He wanted to steal my fiancee from me. I was disgusted. I realized thatyou cannot trust anyone. It was so disappointing. I guess I realized I valuable lesson from it. I realized that humans are only out for their own good. They don't care about friends. +My fiancee had called me into the room one day and she wanted to talk. She said your best friend and I had a chat the other day. She said that he had feelings for her. He had told her about a time in college when I got really drunk and engaged in some gay behavior. He also told her about other times in college that were very embarrassing. It was crazy . I thought he was my best friend. Now I realize that he only wanted my fiancee for himself. He didn't give a damn about me. He is a shady person and that he only has one goal. He wanted to steal my fiancee from me. I was disgusted. I realized thatyou cannot trust anyone. It was so disappointing. I guess I realized I valuable lesson from it. I realized that humans are only out for their own good. They don't care about friends. +"Whenever I went to visit my Mee Maw, she would have ongoing lessons teaching me to crochet as well as memorizing scripture. When I could say, for example, Psalm 23 or Psalm 100 from memory, she would give me a special treat that she baked. My mom and I used to go walking together and talk. We would end up at a local small shop where she would buy me a candy bar. As I grew up, we always walked and talked. My dad used to run with me outside. He was fast and I always looked forward to the day when I would beat him running from one side of the yard to the other. For my own family, my husband has one on one time with each of our six children each week, and then rotates taking them out to eat. For birthdays, we always have a birthday blessing where we each say a prayer out loud for the birthday person. We have done that since our children were born. We have lots of traditions and fun things. I have enjoyed reading all of these. A rich spiritually deep and meaningful heritage I have with my grandmother. she taught me everything i know and now as i pass it down to my children, all our memories grow along side tradition and legacy. filled with joy and love and values you couldn't possible get from any where else in life." +"In late May of 2019 I had a overdose at a unexpected time in my life. I was going through many things such as my mother being in a comatose state, me losing my job, and falling in love with someone who didn't deserve me. During this time I fell back deeply in love with something other than myself or another person. I felt back on something that was dependable and reliant. I fell back on drugs. I knew that it would happen to someone, but never that it would happen to me. I couldn't bring my self to believe that I would someday need Naloxone to be revived from the point of death twice. The effects of the drugs started to happen around 7:00 pm est when I started to go into a heavy sleep. My friend pulled the car over to assist me in waking up and start CPR on myself until the ambulance arrived. I took the ambulance about 15 minutes to get there, and to administer the Naloxone. At this point I was unconscious with no pulse until the Naloxone was administered. Once inside of the ambulance I died once more with no pulse until the EMT attendants started CPR and resuscitated me. I ended up going to the nearest hospital which was about 25 minutes away. I was kept in isolation for about six hours while the nurses and doctors ran test on me. I ended up having side effects from the situation. I was diagnosed with pneumonia, collapsed lungs, and bruised lungs. I was released from the hospital that night, but had to return for a two day stay at the commonwealth hospital. I had never felt so drained in my life before until this moment were i felt like i could just rest, and finally be safe." +"My wife has been trying to convince me to start streaming on Twitch and I finally took the plunge a few months ago. Just this week out of nowhere I got a ton of new follows and went from being a small nobody stream to a not too small not quite a nobody stream with a couple hundred follows and an eighty viewer average. It was at this moment that I realized that maybe I actually could make streaming into something. Apparently people like to watch me once they discover me and find my brand of humor amusing. My wife is currently my only moderator but this also means she's watching my streams when I'm playing and we've grown closer because of the sheer amount of stupid twitch chat/streaming involves. Last weekend I got a dono from someone that touched me. In it they talked about how they'd been going through a rough time of their lives because their parents had gotten in a car wreck while they were on vacation. They had both lived but their father had gotten paralyzed. He'd been depressed since the accident since he'd always been an active man but now couldn't do that anymore. His father asked him what he was watching and he showed him the stream and they wound up watching me for the entire three hours I was streaming that night. His father's mood apparently improved and he even asked when the next time I'd be streaming is and asked his son if they could watch me together again. I'd never thought that doing something as silly as playing video-games and just shooting the shit with random people in my chat could help. I'm glad to find out I was mistaken though and even if it's just a guy and his father I'm happy to say it at least helped two people. My wife however is living the ""I told you so"" dream at this point and keeps rubbing in that I should have started sooner. Now if only my father was still around so I could join the ""I told you so"" bandwagon since he always said ""You can't make money playing video-games""." +"Roughly 3 weeks ago me and my girlfriend of a year broke up. It had been coming for a while, but i do not think it was something i was ready to fully accept. About 4 months ago, she got very sick. During this period where she was sick, she was completely bed ridden and i did not get to see her often. There was a lot of tension between us because of this. It started with us starting to say hateful stuff towards each other. I would tell her that i hated i never got too see her, and that I it felt like i was not even in a relationship. She told me that she's sorry i felt that way, but I needed to get over myself. This of course, hurt me very much. We had been friends for years before we even considered dating, and the relationship was starting to fade. I could not bring myself to end it at the time, so we continued. The situation worsened as time went on. We went from remarks, to full on hating each other. She would come over and i would tell her that i did not want to see her. I started having anxiety attacks thinking about what the relationship was coming too. When my birthday came around, I sat her down and told her that I was seriously not happy with the relationship, and it needed to end. She agreed and i have not talked to her since. This event has been very hard on me as, because this was someone i wanted to build a life with and within one night, it was all gone." +"Three months ago, I was get a vacation trip to Canada. This is a business trip for the new project. I was the only person for attend this business meeting for my company. As experienced when traveling by train from Toronto. A little adventure as observed. The train was seven hours late in eastern Manitoba; Suddently we stopped in the middle of the dark forest. One of the drivers came to the last car, the bar car, where we were. He said, ""we missed a flag stop, there is a trapper and his dog out there. We cannot leave him in this cold (-33 C)."" If you want to know about cold read Jack London, ""To build a fire"" book. We could see a very faint light about 2km behind the train. Then we backed up until we came to where we saw the trapper, his baggage and his dog. A couple of attendants jumped off the train tended to his baggage. The train, 13 cars and about 500m long, continued to back up. The trapper's big black dog was taken into the heated luggage car, the first car after two locomotives, wrapped in blankets and placed near and electric heater. Our resident chef was arousen and went to the kitchen at a very late hour to prepare a warming meal for the cold man. A bit of ""Canada"" for you, He had been there, outside by the track, for over five hours. No Cellphone service and he had no idea when the train would arrive. When it came, it drove by him at 120km/h. Imagine his horror." +"On a cold morning three years ago, I received a call that I knew was not going to end well. I woke up that morning as usual, got dressed and was about going out foe work. I received a call from my sister that my cousin had fainted that morning. We all grew up together, and the said cousin grew up with us in the same house, so I regard her as more of a blood sister than a cousin. Immediately after I received the call, I called into work to tell inform that I would not be coming in that day for family emergency reasons. Shortly after, I drove to the hospital were she was admitted. When I arrived at the hospital, my sister was already there along side with most of the patients family members. We were all worried sick for her because there were no apparent symptoms, and according to her husband she slept very well the previous night. After a while, the test results were in and it was determined that she had brain cancer. We were all scared for her, but it was also our duty to remain strong for her. Over the next couple of weeks and months, we tried to encourage her to fight and remain strong. She first started with chemotherapy, which was not doing her much good. She then opted to have a surgery. The surgery ended up been more complicated than we expected, but after all the surgeries, she continued chemo. At this point we thought she was in a good place, and that she was recovering. A few weeks later she died. It came as a surprise to all her well wishers because we genuinely thought she was getting better. Two days before her death, she went out with her husband and kids, and they had some fun. Her death was really disturbing and unbelievable." +"On a cold morning three years ago, I received a call that I knew was not going to end well. I woke up that morning as usual, got dressed and was about going out foe work. I received a call from my sister that my cousin had fainted that morning. We all grew up together, and the said cousin grew up with us in the same house, so I regard her as more of a blood sister than a cousin. Immediately after I received the call, I called into work to tell inform that I would not be coming in that day for family emergency reasons. Shortly after, I drove to the hospital were she was admitted. When I arrived at the hospital, my sister was already there along side with most of the patients family members. We were all worried sick for her because there were no apparent symptoms, and according to her husband she slept very well the previous night. After a while, the test results were in and it was determined that she had brain cancer. We were all scared for her, but it was also our duty to remain strong for her. Over the next couple of weeks and months, we tried to encourage her to fight and remain strong. She first started with chemotherapy, which was not doing her much good. She then opted to have a surgery. The surgery ended up been more complicated than we expected, but after all the surgeries, she continued chemo. At this point we thought she was in a good place, and that she was recovering. A few weeks later she died. It came as a surprise to all her well wishers because we genuinely thought she was getting better. Two days before her death, she went out with her husband and kids, and they had some fun. Her death was really disturbing and unbelievable." +"This story all started about 5 1/2 months ago. My dad had been complaining about feeling different and he had symptoms of the flu. He thought that if he just stayed home from work and rested up a bit he would be up and feeling better in no time. He was starting to feel better the Monday before everything went down, but he was not completely himself at that moment either. I went to work that day just like I normally do, but around two in the afternoon I got a call from my mom saying that she was taking my dad to the hospital because he was unable to remember things that were happening and things that he always remembered. I told her that since the school day was almost over I would finish out the day and then I would head to the hospital afterwards if they were still there. I finished the day out at work and immediately left school to head to the hospital because my mom said that we all needed to be there as soon as possible to talk about some things. When I got to the hospital I was taken up to the ICU, which was strange to me for someone that seemed to only be suffering from the flu. When I walked into my dad's room I was terrified. He had never looked as weak and out of it as he had that day. He didn't even know who I was. My mom had been crying I could tell, but she didn't want to talk in front of my dad, so we all went in the hallway. When we got out of the room my mom completely fell apart and told us that my dad was suffering kidney failure. I was astounded because he never showed any signs of this before and was never told anything about this at doctor appointments. He was given 3 weeks to live. I was so scared and sad and I didn't know how to react, but only to believe that this couldn't be true. The next day my family and I spent the entire day hanging out with my dad in the hospital, although he was totally out of it by this point. I remember that day before we headed home for the night telling my dad that I would see him tomorrow and that I loved him very much. That would be the last time I ever saw my dad. He passed away in his sleep at the age of 56. I am still devastated to this day that this happened and I will forever question why this happened to him." +"Four months ago my life was changed forever. I woke up on a bright sunny day feeling like the world was mine for the taking. I had an important meeting for work later on that afternoon, but did not have any other obligations until then. My parents had recently just divorced and my father had moved into his own little apartment in town. He was never the best at making meals for himself so I had started the habit of dropping him off some casseroles that I had prepared for him. I feared that he was lonely and heartbroken after my mother's infidelity. So, on that beautiful summer morning I decided that I would use my extra spare time to lend him a visit, and bring him some delicious lasagna that I had baked the night before. I drove there with the roof of my convertible down and the wind in my hair blasting some old favorite rock songs from days past. When I arrived to his residence, I saw that the cat was out on the porch. This struck me as unusual as my father had always been adamant that we watch the doors and not let our feline friends risk being run over by traffic. I picked fluffy up in my my arms and proceeded through the half opened door. I called out for my father with no response. I noticed a note on the counter that was addressed to me, it read: ""Honey, I love you, please do not go in the bedroom"". My heart started pounding out of my chest as I ran over to the bedroom. To my horror, I found my father laying on the floor, his head covered in blood with a revolver by his side. He had taken his own life and left me to find him. He had left me behind to face his horrific death. He felt as though life was no loner worth is for him, that I was no longer worth living for. I wish I could have known, I wish I could have saved him." +"I love bbq of all sorts. My wife had planned a vacation that included her and the kids but not me. I unfortunately was unable to go. I had brought up cooking some bbq to send with them on this trip. She was all for it. I generally cook several times throughout the year on our big offset cooker. When I do this we generally have friends and family over to enjoy some bbq and have drinks. Occasionally I will also share with the neighbors and make kind of a big thing out of it. I woke up around 4am the day before she was leaving and got the cooker going. This was easy as I made sure everything was in order and prepared as far as the cooker goes the day before this, all I had to do was start the fire and go in and prep meat. I went inside and prepped about 30lbs of meat to cook. She had some last minute running around to throughout the day, and I stayed back in order to cook. During this particular cook, these hit their plateau and stayed there. Probably longest plateau I have ever experienced since I have been cooking bbq this way. We pulled them from the cooker at around 10pm-ish and let them rest. When they were ready we shredded/pulled the meat and vacuum sealed all of it for the trip. We had talked back and forth for the first couple days and she never mentioned eating the bbq. I just thought maybe they heated it up and a few people joined them for dinner and really didn't think much of it. I had received some pictures in a text of a big tent set up and tables and stuff. I wasn't sure what to think. I wasn't sure that everyone would like my bbq. I received more pics of everyone eating bbq and having a great time. It was a success. Some people she explained had three and 4 pulled pork sandwiches. Some people who weren't originally coming to this thing ended up showing up anyways to eat once word got around." +"My wife and kids were going on vacation that I unfortunately could not go on. This vacation had been planned since the month they had gotten back from the vacation the year before. She was to spend a week out out of town with the kids visiting family. I had mentioned cooking bbq to send with her this year. I love bbq. Throughout the year I will have a few big cookouts, have people over to eat and have drinks and will generally share with neighbors as well. So the day before she left, I woke up at 4am and fired up our big offset cooker (the smoker) and prepped roughly 30 lbs of meat. I threw the meat on and tended to the fire all day all while she ran around took care of any last minute errands she needed to take care of before leaving. The meat hit its plateau, one of the longest I had experienced in my roughly 20 years of cooking bbq. Stressed because even when these were finished we still had work to do. At around 10pm they finished, we pulled them and let them rest. We then quickly shredded, and vacuum sealed all the meat for her trip. She leaves on her trip. We talk occasionally but no mention of the bbq. Day 2 passes, still haven't heard anything about the barbecue I sent. I just assumed it would be a few people and a maybe a small dinner get together and they would probably enjoy it. On day three I received some pictures of some tables and a tent setup with my bbq on display. They had invited everybody. At this point I am concerned. Is this type of bbq everyone's cup of tea? Apparently so, as I received a picture of groups of people eating and having a good time. My wife called and said it was a huge success, some even had as many three to four pulled pork sandwiches, she explained that people who didn't even plan on coming showed up to eat after they heard about the bbq. It was a hit and they all thanked me. It felt good to know it was a success. My hard work paid off." +"I witnessed something that is utterly heartbreaking. My grandmother was dying from brain cancer. She had a tumor in the back of her brain that was growing and causing slurred speech, vision issues, and balance. I was at work one day and got a phone call from her not making any sense. I panicked and sent my daughter over. She found grandma laying in a fetal position with her head cracked open. My daughter promptly called 911. My grandmother was rushed to the E.R. She had lost her balance and hit her head on the table and caused her to have a concussion. My heart sunk to the floor. The emotions that flooded me are hard to describe. I did not want to see my grandmother in that state. They doctors decided to do an M.R.I. and found out that the tumor spread down her central nervous system (CNS). After this concussion, this had kept her in the hospital for a few days, she was advised to have all around healthcare. I decided to be all around health care for my grandmother. I bathed her, fed her, helped her use the bathroom. I was basically watching her dying. Her cancer spread more, and she would have grand mal seizures at night. She was scared when it happened. I had to hold her and use calming techniques to assure her I was there. I asked myself why did I sign up for this? Because, I cared and loved my grandmother very much. The doctors believe her heavy smoking attributed getting cancer. However, I was surprised It didn't end up in her lungs, vs her CNS." +"My sister has been without a laptop of her own for quite some time. It may be years since she's had one. Her work offers a program where she can buy major purchases on a payment schedule. Those payments are taken directly from her check. So she went ahead got one. She ordered a laptop that is worth almost a thousand dollars. It is super nice. It has a touch screen and a very nice video card. This way she watch movies on it. The whole reason she wanted to buy a laptop is so that she can run her online business from it. Well, this laptop can do that and more. It has really worked out for her. She really loves that laptop. Truth be told, I'm kind of jealous. I'm starting to think it's time for me to get a new computer." +"My sister has been without a laptop of her own for quite some time. It may be years since she's had one. Her work offers a program where she can buy major purchases on a payment schedule. Those payments are taken directly from her check. So she went ahead got one. She ordered a laptop that is worth almost a thousand dollars. It is super nice. It has a touch screen and a very nice video card. This way she watch movies on it. The whole reason she wanted to buy a laptop is so that she can run her online business from it. Well, this laptop can do that and more. It has really worked out for her. She really loves that laptop. Truth be told, I'm kind of jealous. I'm starting to think it's time for me to get a new computer." +"So, out of the blue one day me ex contacted me. It had been a really long time since we spoke. I was pretty sure that I would never hear from her again at this point, so I was quite surprised. We chatted for a while and decided to meet up for something to eat and some drinks. I was pretty nervous to see her again. Honestly I had missed her all these years. The breakup had really hurt me for a long time. She was truly the first person I truly loved. So while I was nervous, I was also very exited. I remember trying on so many different outfits to make a good impression. I finally decided on a nice black button down shirt. I matched with black boots and dark blue jeans. Then the time came to finally meet. I also remember my hair was looking good that day, so that was good! Anyways, I got in my car to go to the restaurant. She looked absolutely stunning! We hugged and sat down together. The conversation was really great, like we never missed a beat. The whole thing felt really natural. Then it was time for us to part, so we walked outside together. We kissed and it felt so damn good! I've been thinking of this moment since then. In a way I wish we continued an affair. But that's not what happened. After that kiss we agreed not to act on those feelings." +"Two months ago, in June, it was my birthday. When I knew that my birthday was approaching, I thought that maybe I just wouldn't try to celebrate it at all. It just wouldn't be the same without mom. Mom would always plan the family events, and it would be too hard without her there. But then my aunt reached out to me and suggested we still have a party. It made me feel special and made me think, it would be good to get the family together. Maybe it would help us each heal a little faster, having each other there for support. My family could see how much I was struggling, as they were, but they also helped me out financially and that made me feel really loved. When we had the party, I cried the morning of it. But then when everyone showed up, I felt great. I was relieved that I had family around. We ate cake and food and they sang to me. I opened up some nice presents, and one of them was a photo album with a lot of photos of all of us family members with my mom. We all cried together, but they were happy cries. Not all memories have to be sad, they can make us happy too! I will always remember mom fondly and be sure to spend even more time with the rest of my family, because we can all help each other out. I am so blessed!" +"Two months ago, in June, it was my birthday. When I knew that my birthday was approaching, I thought that maybe I just wouldn't try to celebrate it at all. It just wouldn't be the same without mom. Mom would always plan the family events, and it would be too hard without her there. But then my aunt reached out to me and suggested we still have a party. It made me feel special and made me think, it would be good to get the family together. Maybe it would help us each heal a little faster, having each other there for support. My family could see how much I was struggling, as they were, but they also helped me out financially and that made me feel really loved. When we had the party, I cried the morning of it. But then when everyone showed up, I felt great. I was relieved that I had family around. We ate cake and food and they sang to me. I opened up some nice presents, and one of them was a photo album with a lot of photos of all of us family members with my mom. We all cried together, but they were happy cries. Not all memories have to be sad, they can make us happy too! I will always remember mom fondly and be sure to spend even more time with the rest of my family, because we can all help each other out. I am so blessed!" +"Me and joe were neighbors and school mate. We studied together till 8th grade. After that we joined the same college. We spent weekends also together. Due to his fater's job transfer, he moved out. As a parting gift, he got a persian cat. It was chocolate brown cute pet. I just loved it. It was always with me. It would eagerly wait for my arrival at the door step. It will brush against me, if i neglect petting it. It will keep its tail erect when there is an urge for it go out to poop. It was a well behaved pet. It was with me during my marriage. It was there when my child was born. When my son was 8 years, it died due to old age. We were all very badly traumatized by its departure. We missed it every moment of the day. We finally decided to get a new pet kitten." +"I recently was involved in a short relationship with a wonderful man. We hit it off well and got close quickly, but it soon became very clear that he doesn't have any time for me in his life. I talked to him about how I was feeling and he tried to understand and do what he could, but ultimately there was just no way forward. After not barely hearing from him for a couple days, I messaged him to tell him that I wanted to make it work and I tried, but it was clear that it wasn't possible and I couldn't be his girlfriend. He agreed that there was nothing he could do to change his situation and how it related to me and our potential together and that it made sense to end it. Although I wasn't expecting anything different, it hurt a lot that I could see he hadn't actually put any effort in, other than deciding to tell me he loves me, and that he so easily let go of the possibility of having any future. He was the one who insisted we try to be together, despite the obvious challenges. I feel even more like he doesn't care about my feelings or find them valid, because I told him I was concerned we weren't on the same page since the very beginning, and he insisted we were. I cried in the bathroom at work until I could finally pull myself back together. Meanwhile, he decided that the idea that we would be friends instead should start right away and sent me several messages complaining about his job. I had to tell him that I'm sorry he's frustrated at work and I care for him, it seemed really tone deaf at the moment and that I needed a beat before I could swoop into the role of providing him with emotional labor while getting nothing in return. I mean. I didn't say it in those words, but that's how I felt and it's just a new level of pain, because did he actually ever care, or did he just like someone caring about him? I feel like this is just another example of the fact that I will never meet anyone and I will spend the rest of my life alone. This was the best anything I've found in three years, I don't feel good about the future." +"My partner was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes towards the end of May 2019. He has so far, lost almost 80 lbs. of weight and continues to lose. All of his bloodwork from the doctors comes back in healthy range numbers now. He has reduced his sugar and carb intake. Now down to less than 20 carbs per day. I have also lost 40 pounds. Since we both eat so much healthier now and a lot of junk food isn't around in the house to snack on. I never would have thought that he could be so stern with himself and stay on track with what he ate before. I am glad that he has surprised me with sticking to it. We no longer spend near the amount of money on groceries and he has stopped eating out where he doesn't know the nutritional count of the food. He looks a lot better as well. He has some loose skin, but that is to be expected. He's lost almost a whole person. He had to buy all new clothes. He didn't get to eat much for Thanksgiving dinner though. Since all of that food has high carb counts." +"Three months ago, my partner was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and it changed our lives. My partner has always been a picky eater and only seemed to like to eat what I consider crap. After the diagnosis, it was devastating to him, but made me feel like we might be able to get on the same page with our diets. Or, at the very least, it would help prolong his life. Unknown to me, the day my partner was diagnosed, he made peace with the idea that he would no longer be able to eat like a teenager. He swore off sugar and carbs and began looking for alternatives. I, on the other hand, was dreading telling him about all the things he could no longer eat and thought we would be arguing about meal time from now to eternity. For all the years we have been together, he had never expressed anything except disgust at any meal that was not deep fired or coated in sugar. I was prepared to go to battle. When it came to buying groceries, I had a battle plan in mind. I was going to ease him into the sugar alternatives and try and introduce vegetables and meatless meals slowly so as to not upset him. He surprised me by being the one to go straight to the Splenda and the produce aisles at the grocery store. I began seeing things like berries and whole wheat oatmeal in our cabinets. I noticed the lack of cookies, candy and frozen snacks in the house. It happened so quickly that it took me by surprise. I found myself proud of his food choices and wondering how he had the willpower to break the life long habits of the past. About two months after the diagnosis, we had a talk. I asked him how he was able to make these drastic changes in such a short amount of time, and did he think he could keep it up. He explained to me that after the diagnosis, he became scared. He read that you could loose your eyesight to Type 2 diabetes and he didn't want that to happen. He also explained that he had finally taken to heart that his diet upset me and he wanted to live longer for me and our relationship. I was so touched, and proud of him for being able to do something that I thought he would never be able to do. Today, our lives are quite different than before. We eat sensible meals, we incorporate meatless alternatives into our diets and we haven't purchased sugar in over three months. My partner has lost sixty four pounds so far and we don't argue about meal time anymore, we both feel so much healthier." +"Sleeping in surgical waiting rooms is the worst. I mean, I never met a medical waiting room I liked, but at least in a doctor's office or the emergency room, there are other people, things happening, a sense of progress. Surgical waiting rooms are separate, special, and if you're in one in the middle of the night it's just your group, alone, waiting for news. It makes funerals feel good. With my sister's brain cancer in some ways, it's a little bit like we never got to leave that room. The outcome of her surgery wasn't bad. It turned out that her cancer was much less aggressive and serious than they originally believed. It wasn't good either, though. The tumor was in a dangerous spot, and they couldn't safely remove it. So we're back to normal now, and for the most part, everything is great, but in some sense, we're still just waiting. This has all been much worse for Sarah, of course, so I completely understand that she's been determined not to let this whole thing dictate how she lives. More than that, maybe. I'm not sure she isn't to some degree making decisions just to prove that she isn't letting herself be limited. That's a little scary, the idea that just maybe her choices are based more on pushing her boundaries rather than doing what's really best for her. She's excited about her new job, though, and I'm certainly not going to try to tell her she shouldn't take it. There are great doctors in Amsterdam, too, and she seems confident that she's got the insurance all figured out. There isn't even really anything I can do to show support, other than congratulating her and wishing her luck. I'll just hope and worry, and keep it to myself." +"Sleeping in surgical waiting rooms is the worst. I mean, I never met a medical waiting room I liked, but at least in a doctor's office or the emergency room, there are other people, things happening, a sense of progress. Surgical waiting rooms are separate, special, and if you're in one in the middle of the night it's just your group, alone, waiting for news. It makes funerals feel good. With my sister's brain cancer in some ways, it's a little bit like we never got to leave that room. The outcome of her surgery wasn't bad. It turned out that her cancer was much less aggressive and serious than they originally believed. It wasn't good either, though. The tumor was in a dangerous spot, and they couldn't safely remove it. So we're back to normal now, and for the most part, everything is great, but in some sense, we're still just waiting. This has all been much worse for Sarah, of course, so I completely understand that she's been determined not to let this whole thing dictate how she lives. More than that, maybe. I'm not sure she isn't to some degree making decisions just to prove that she isn't letting herself be limited. That's a little scary, the idea that just maybe her choices are based more on pushing her boundaries rather than doing what's really best for her. She's excited about her new job, though, and I'm certainly not going to try to tell her she shouldn't take it. There are great doctors in Amsterdam, too, and she seems confident that she's got the insurance all figured out. There isn't even really anything I can do to show support, other than congratulating her and wishing her luck. I'll just hope and worry, and keep it to myself." +"These events occurred between august and September 2019. My family moving away, in this event something I knew was going to happen eventually happened, I'm not a very social person and some of my only friends are my siblings, and on this day they moved away. This was a normal day like any other and I had both of my siblings moving away for college, we had a rather normal day watching tv, namely avatar the last airbender, we watched it like we always do on sunday evenings and it was honestly kind of depressing knowing it was the last time for years we would do it. The day was fast, we all talked and laughed and we cleaned up my sisters room together to get everything we wanted out of it before she left, I remember watching her walk up her stairs and go out the door, and get into her car and leave, it was a little heartbreaking. My brother just left, we had both cleaned his room too and he was ready to go, he had been getting in fights and arguing with my mom a lot, they were both ready for him to go. They had both prepared for college and were going to be leaving soon around 6pm, they were getting ready to go on with their lives, and to live their futures without me. I felt happy for them, I know they were both going to do great things, one was going to art school in new Jersey and the other was going to study Dance in Chicago, both prestigious places. I did feel great sadness though, they were two of my closest friends, two people who really understood me, and they were both leaving, and I had few other people to talk to. I tried to get them involved in everything before they went, I tried mini-golfing,movie watching, mystery shopping and just plane video games and board games, and we did have a blast, but it was depressing knowing they were still going to leave the very next week. I even got them involved in money making schemes like apps and survey programs, but they weren't interested, my best friends they may have been but they still didn't share all my interest. I also tried to get them involved in Overwatch and Minecraft and other online games so we could have things to do and they agreed to play but they unfortunately faded out of them, and they left our group. They still continued to chat every once and while and we watch shows streamed but they get farther and farther away chatting with their own groups and making new friends, I try but its hard to get them interested and they're growing more and more distant, and it hurts. I've purchased tickets to allow my brother to travel to come see me in Lincoln for thanksgiving and I'm excited, he's said he's ready to come back for a bit and come see the family. I'm excited and I'm ready to try to bond with him again and I'm excited to see how he is. My sister is coming back too, so I can't wait to see how she is and see if the events of the day she left have any effects on how our personality's have developed." +"I went to the grocery store a week ago and had my cart piled full of groceries. I had at least three hundred dollars in groceries. After the checker rang everything up I went to pay. My card got declined! I didn't know what to do! I had my baby in the cart and he was starting to get fussy. I tried the card again, and it was declined again. I was seriously close to crying. Then the nice older man behind me offered to pay. I refused at first. I don't feel right having people give me things. Especially not stranger. He insisted and the people behind up in line were looking impatient and my baby was really starting to cry now. I accepted finally. He swiped his card and the transaction finished. I thanked him over and over but I needed to get out of the was so that other shoppers could check out. I pushed my cart and baby outside. As I load up my baby and my groceries in the car I was in a daze. It was unbelievable." +I recently went to the wedding of my cousin. We had to drive around 15 hours to get there which was a bit of torture due to my kids in the car. The wedding was quite beautiful and took place along the coast of Maine. We got to go on a ferry boat ride and see the bay and lighthouse. My kids enjoyed the ride. I usually get sea sick but I was mostly fine this time. The next day we went to a beach. But it was different from beaches where I live. It was very rocky. We found some hermit crabs and would come part way out of there shell. My kids and I thought it was so cool. Later we went to another beach. It was more sandy than rocky. The kids built some sand castles. Their cousins also came along. So it was a fun family trip. +"It was Thursday the 11th of July 2019. My annual results were to be declared on that day. The morning smiled at me brightly when I learnt that I had topped the list of successful candidates in my class. I felt simply overjoyed. My parents and other people at home were jubilant and there was a celebration in my honor. I received a bicycle as a gift from my father. At around 12. 30 p.m. there was a call for me. Thought it to be one of the congratulatory calls, I casually went to receive it. I almost screamed with merriment, when I heard an old friend Williams speaking to me! I had lost connection with him about two years ago due to a misunderstanding between us. He wanted to come and meet me. I felt very excited when ultimately we met. We felt like the same old pals! Finally, this eventfully glorious day ended and we were in sound sleep. At the end of midnight, I heard a knock at the door. To my utter joy and surprise, I saw my younger brother, who had been missing for six months, standing in front of me! What could be a greater moment than this? We all went mad with joy. I saw tears in everyone’s eyes in my family. These were the tears of extreme happiness." +"Imagine having the time and the energy to go on a vacation. I never thought I'd be able to, but some friends wanted to go and they offered to pay for me, so who am I to say now? I had never been on vacation before. It was a new experience because I was very unfamiliar with having free time. Luckily, I have a line of work that is conducive to me being able to take time off. With that time, I was able to enjoy myself. My friends took me site seeing, and there are truly wondrous places on this planet. I thought sometimes they only existed in pictures. Lest I forget, that there are options that are outside of my own jurisdiction. Hard to imagine sometimes there is more to live than a 9-5. I'm thankful for my friends to introduce me to a location not like my own. We had amazing tropical drinks and delicious food too. I never thought I could be a part of something so great. There is good in the world. I think I'll come back sometime." +"I was working for a while now, and I'm so sick and tired of my job. It's such a thankless job, and no one appreciates what I do. Not to mention, that the job doesn't even pay much. I just want something different in life. I want something better. Something good. So I decided to apply for grad school. And guess what? I was accepted! I'm so glad that I got accepted because I really didn't expect to get accepted. But I got accepted anyways. So yeah, life is good and I will work hard to make sure that this pays off. I know it will. I will get the highest grade, and comes out on top. When I graduate I will get a better, easier, and highest paying job. Life will be good." +"I was working for a while now, and I'm so sick and tired of my job. It's such a thankless job, and no one appreciates what I do. Not to mention, that the job doesn't even pay much. I just want something different in life. I want something better. Something good. So I decided to apply for grad school. And guess what? I was accepted! I'm so glad that I got accepted because I really didn't expect to get accepted. But I got accepted anyways. So yeah, life is good and I will work hard to make sure that this pays off. I know it will. I will get the highest grade, and comes out on top. When I graduate I will get a better, easier, and highest paying job. Life will be good." +Today something amazing happened. I was at home with my son and my wife was at work like she always is. We were watching TV in the living room just like any other ordinary day. All of a sudden my infant son stood up for the first time and started taking a few steps. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen and it made me want to break down in tears. This was a huge milestone in his development and I think It should go down in history. Can’t wait to tell his mom when I see her later. It makes me so happy to see him grow up and reach these points. He is looking more like a grown-up every day as he begins to develop. I think he is ahead of the average child and so these things are very important in assessing his development and advancement because we want him to be at the top of his class. These things are so important to me because family is so important to me and he is the most important part of my family. I have joys and sorrows vicariously through him and devote my life to making his better. I really want the best for him and life these things make me so happy because they show me that I’m succeeding in some importance. I think other people should find the same joy. I can’t wait until his next stage when he begins to run around And ride his bicycle or tricycle. He will be climbing trees and getting his drivers license enough time +"This event took place last month (July). My husband and I wanted to go visit his parents in other states. He had been to visit a couple of years ago, I have not been in probably 15 years. Circumstances just did not allow me to go sooner. We flew to Arizona to first go and visit his mother. She had been having memory problems for a few years and had lived at home until recently. This last year she could not even receive a phone call as she could not remember to speak into the phone. We arrived and went to see her in a nursing home, assisted living. She was so happy to see her son, but she did not know his name. She looked at me a couple of times like she thought she should know me but she didn't. I thought that was okay as I knew her. She was always the sweetest lady I knew and it was so sad to see her lose her memories that way. She had taught school her whole life, but all the information she knew was leaving quickly. Even beyond that situation was the fact that no one had been to check on her. I went in her room to see what she needed and found almost nothing. We resupplied her before we left. I also had brought her a lovely bed doll ( doll sits on your bed and looks cute). It brought some color to her room. I hoped when we left this doll might help her to just be happy. This trip was one of the saddest I had been on. A beautiful lifetime of memories just gone." +"Today I got into a big fight with my girlfriend. One thing led to another, and she called me a narcissist. This lead to another fight because I disagreed with her opinion. I think my girlfriend is being unfair and not very supportive of me. She thinks all I talk about is myself. I'm going through a rough patch right now. I need support. I'll I want is for her to sympathize with me. I just lost my job. It's making me depressed. I don't feel that I am asking too much of her. Maybe I should end this relationship. I found out my girlfriend's true nature. I'm just glad I found it so early on in our relationship. I think I will end things." +"Today I got into a big fight with my girlfriend. One thing led to another, and she called me a narcissist. This lead to another fight because I disagreed with her opinion. I think my girlfriend is being unfair and not very supportive of me. She thinks all I talk about is myself. I'm going through a rough patch right now. I need support. I'll I want is for her to sympathize with me. I just lost my job. It's making me depressed. I don't feel that I am asking too much of her. Maybe I should end this relationship. I found out my girlfriend's true nature. I'm just glad I found it so early on in our relationship. I think I will end things." +"Let's the story off by saying this was planned a couple months in advance. This was a birthday party for my fiance. I don't always use themes but wanted to do something different. I thought a Hawaiian theme would be prefect. I rented a hall out since there was going to be a mixture of family and friends and lots of noise with the music playing. The decorations were set up perfectly as you would imagine. We also had drink and appetizers. The night started off right as more people showed up then expected. We danced, played a few games and socialized. The biggest surprise had to be a couple of cousins that we have not seen in a while showed up. I had planned this as another surprise. When they showed up we really begin to party. Catching up and talking led us to not want the night to end. The hall was only rented for a few hours so when it was time to go we had the after party at our house. This is when the night really took off. We started drinking more alcohol and things got crazy. Nothing bad happen it was all positive energy, but a room full of drunk people is always full of laughs if the energy is right. I can recall a soul train line that we did, and that went on for a long time. That had to be one of the many highlight of this night. It left us something to talk about for a long time." +"I have never been to Hawaii. But I have some friends from Hawaii and the Polynesian islands. When I turned 40 last year, 3 months ago, my friends and family decided to throw me a surprise party. And the theme they chose for the party was Hawaiian. The party happened in our back yard. They bought leis for everyone and served tropical drinks. There were decorations and cheesy images of hula dancers distributed over the yard. In all about 60 people came to the party. They stayed all afternoon as we did a ""pig roast"" on the large rented barbecue. Then, as the sun set, people settled in for a long night of partying. The party didn't let up as we sipped rum, coconut, and pineapple drinks. Pina Colada was the main drink, and we had many blenders going at once for people who wanted them with crushed ice. There was cheesy Hawaiian music playing all night, Don Ho and the like, interspersed with music most people liked much better. I was so glad and grateful that my friends and family threw this party for me. It was a 40th birthday I will never forget." +"I think i am ready now. I have been avoiding thinking about Jane and what happened for 4 months now. May be it was regret? Shame? Guilt? I don't know. But it is important i reflect back on it. I think i owe it to myself, and more importantly my future self. I knew that l was attracted to Sharon right after the day i met her. But i was in love with Jane. God, i loved her so much. But as they say, they heart wants what the heart wants, right? That awful night when i decided to have a few too many drinks and go to Sharon's apartment. May be i wouldn't have done it had i been sober. I had to come clean, so i confessed to Jane. I knew she could never forgive. She deserves much better than me. I truly wish her well.." +My best friend was having a wedding. He invited me. There was only one problem. He said it was in another country. It was in Spain. I had never been to Spain before. I was a little nervous. I thought that I wouldn't fit in. I thought that I would be the only one there who spoke English. I couldn't believe how wrong I was. When I got there I had a wonderful time. The food was absolutely delicious. The wedding was a beautiful ceremony. There were plenty of people who spoke English. These people showed me how amazing Spain was. After the wedding I was shown the beautiful landmarks of the country. +My best friend was having a wedding. He invited me. There was only one problem. He said it was in another country. It was in Spain. I had never been to Spain before. I was a little nervous. I thought that I wouldn't fit in. I thought that I would be the only one there who spoke English. I couldn't believe how wrong I was. When I got there I had a wonderful time. The food was absolutely delicious. The wedding was a beautiful ceremony. There were plenty of people who spoke English. These people showed me how amazing Spain was. After the wedding I was shown the beautiful landmarks of the country. +"Three months ago my family had an unexpected crisis. I was evicted from my apartment. I have a fiancee and two cats and we had no where to go. This was really hard to cope with and I did not know what to do to make it better. I had no choice but to live out of my car with my family for about two months. Being homeless and living out of a car is not something I would want anybody to go through. It hard and embarassing and crushing to your self-esteem. I felt like I had no control over my life and that I did not do enough to keep a roof over my head. And the cats hated being stuck in a car, can you imagine that added stress. Finally my fiancee's parents said we could stay with them until we got back on our feet again. Although I was grateful for this it was uncomfortable living with people who have such hateful opinions of gays/lesbians. I dont have these feelings so I did my best to ignore that because like I said I was grateful for a place to stay. We are slowly getting back on our feet and I hope that it continues. Its not fun being homeless. I only faced this issue for a small amount of time compared to others. I am hopeful for the future." +"Three months ago my family had an unexpected crisis. I was evicted from my apartment. I have a fiancee and two cats and we had no where to go. This was really hard to cope with and I did not know what to do to make it better. I had no choice but to live out of my car with my family for about two months. Being homeless and living out of a car is not something I would want anybody to go through. It hard and embarassing and crushing to your self-esteem. I felt like I had no control over my life and that I did not do enough to keep a roof over my head. And the cats hated being stuck in a car, can you imagine that added stress. Finally my fiancee's parents said we could stay with them until we got back on our feet again. Although I was grateful for this it was uncomfortable living with people who have such hateful opinions of gays/lesbians. I dont have these feelings so I did my best to ignore that because like I said I was grateful for a place to stay. We are slowly getting back on our feet and I hope that it continues. Its not fun being homeless. I only faced this issue for a small amount of time compared to others. I am hopeful for the future." +"So last week my youngest daughter graduated from middle school. The weird thing about it is that we both attended the same school. When I went to the graduation ceremony it was a trip and a half. It reminded me so much of all the good times that I had as a young teen and how much different the times were back then. I was a youing adult when I had her but it seems like a lifetime ago. Times were so much easier then though. The internet hadnt been invented yet and there werent as many bad temptations as there were when I was growing up. Now with he world wide web it seems as if there is way to much information at our fingertips and it has made the youth a whole lot lazier. Anyways, as I was walking through the halls I remembered places that we would get together and talk between classes and doors that we would run out of if we decided to play hookie or sluff. I remembeed all the little girls that I wanted or did kiss. ai remembered where my old locker was and it turns out that it was in tha same hall as mine. I wonder if I would have been friends with my daughter if things were different and she wasnt my daughter but just another peer. I talked to her about all of the things that were going through my head and she said that I was weirding her out. Then I asked her about what high school she wanted to go to because she had the choice of three different schools in the area. She said that she wasnt sure cause she wanrwed to go to a school that the majority of her friends went to but she also wanted to not be distracted because of them as well. I on the other hand made the decision ro go to a school that none of my friends went to so that I could focus on studies and it wasnt a very god choice for me. I ended up having as really haed time because I didnt know any one and in turn it affected my studies in a negative way becaus I never wanted to go to class I wanted to go and hang ouy with my friends. I just hope that she makes the best decision for herself and it works out well for her in the long run, School is supposed to be a fun time when wr get to learn about ourselves and others and how to succeed in a modern day environment. O have faith that she will do well. I have discdussed this with her and told her that what ever decision she made that I would have her back no matter what. I think that if I dont put as much pressure on her about it that she will make a better decision and iy will enrich her future. All in all it was a trip to walk down those halls with a different perspective than what I had before. Life is crazy and every day it seems to get more crazy in some odd amazing way." +"The memorable event was my birthday which took place last month (September).I am one of those who prefer to remain in silence and celebrate occasions with a few close ones, but this particular one, I got a surprise birthday party from my siblings and boyfriend. I wasn't in anyway aware, It was a great celebration and one I can't easily forget. There were plenty of drinks,foods and cake chocolates and loads of blessings, wishes and prayers from friends and family. My friends came over,most of them with different beautiful gifts, some with drinks. I got a beautiful black dress as a gift from my boyfriend, I changed into it, had some makeup on, jewelry, and a beautiful diamond shoe. We took plenty beautiful pictures, danced, games, we really had fun. Its been a really long time I had a party, I was glad to be surprised with this particular one. I got a big frame of myself from my siblings and also a diamond ring from my partner. My boyfriend proposed to me with the diamond ring that very night, OMG!.My joy knew no bound, we partied all night. I was grateful having such great and beautiful people around to celebrate me. The event is so fresh in my heart. The decoration was colorful and beautifully arranged in the colours I love so much. I will be glad to have more birthday parties in subsequent years. My engagement will probably be the next great event I will be witnessing soon. Having people around you is a real deal." +"On April 10th I went to the emergency room because I wasn't feeling well, and my body was swollen. I was admitted with heart and liver problems. I found out I have liver damage, and Atrial Fibrilation (A-fib). I was in the ICU for 4 days. It was scary, and has completely changed my life. My wife and daughters came and stayed with me most of the time. The did a lot of test on me, and took a lot of blood. I wasn't afraid of dying right then, but was afraid of dying later. The doctors really put my mind at ease and help me not be afraid. After I was released from the hospital I began treatment with medicines, and started getting in much better shape. I have quit drinking, started exercising, and have lost 50 pounds. There is a lot more to do, like more medicines and possibly some procedures to my heart. I will deal with those as they come. I feel so much better, and continue to follow my doctors orders and am looking forward to a long, healthier life. I'm not ready to die yet." +"Earlier in the year I was not feeling well and so I went to hospital for tests and they discovered I was experiencing A-fib. This is defined as Atrial fibrillation (also called AFib or AF) is a quivering or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) that can lead to blood clots, stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications. I also had liver problems. This diagnosis scared me very much and so I immediate began reading all the information I could and watching videos about the subject and immediately began making the necessary changes to my diet and lifestyle in attempt to reverse these symptoms I started exercising on a regular basis and improved my diet and when I went back the doctor the tests showed improvement in a short time and I was told to keep working at these changes and being consistent and so I did. I continued eating healthy and exercising on a regular basic and returned to the doctor every few weeks to check my progress and each and every time they said I am improving and to keep up the good work. I went home feeling hopeful. I then continued reading as much as I could and changed my diet to a much healthier almost 100% plant based with a few eggs from dads on occasion and Ive ordered some foods that I am unable to get at my local grocery store. I think the variety of foods is helping me and certainly the exercise I am getting is helping me feel more refreshed and I feel that I am in better physical shape than before I was diagnosed. This has changed my life and given me new hope. I have learned to eat different foods that I had not eaten before. This has changed my life and I feel younger than before. I have been discussing these changes with my doctor and with family and now several members of my family are asking me for recipes. We also plan on working together to grow more food this year as this will give us exercise and supply us with fresh foods. I have also located a CSA that I plan on joining as they deliver fresh food weekly from their farm in a large box. I also have been visiting the farmers market and have worked out a deal with a local grower to help them on their farm during the growing season in exchange for food and money." +"The most memorable event in my life in recent times would definitely my adopting brownie. Brownie is my pet puppy, she is almost 6 months old now. I got her when she was 3 months old. I was feeling a bit down and depressed since my move to the new workplace. New settings, new people. It was quite lonely. I always felt a bit scared to get another dog. This fear began since my childhood dog scooby passed away. I didn't think i could tolerate such a loss again. However, it was time. She is chocolate brown color. German shepard breed. The sweetest dog on the planet if you ask me. Ever since she stepped into my apartment and life, joy is plentiful. I love her." +"I had a memorable event that has stuck with me when I was given the opportunity to buy my dream car. I have always driven a full size pick-up truck and due to my commute to work decided that it was time to downsize and buy a more compact car. I have long wanted a 4 door Audi A3. The style and overall design really attracted me the the Audi line. With a strong financial income and little to no debt I thought that it was time for me to make my dream purchase. I went to my local Audi dealership two weeks before vacation with high hopes of driving away in my dream car. Two dealerships later and a whole lot of negotiating I was given the deal that worked for me and was able to drive away in my brand new Audi A3. It was a cold April night when I finally completed signing my life away and was handed over the keys to my new car. I will never forget the smell of that black and grey leather interior. Also, the feeling of the heated leather seats! Due to the weather that night and how late it was I decided to head home and wait until the next day to go for a nice long ride. I left my house the following day after admiring the exterior of the car and how good it looked parked in front of my house and headed straight for the beach. I know, surprising right? Heading to the beach on a cold April day? Yes! To this day I enjoy my rides to work just a little bit more each day thanks to my beautiful Audi A3. The added bonus is the gas mileage that I get with this car! I would highly recommend this compact sporty vehicle to anyone in the market. Thank you Audi; you have earned yourself a lifelong customer! This was the most positive memorable event that has happened to me over the last few months!" +"This experience happened when I got something I've been wanting to try my entire life. A VR headset. This has been one of the most anticipated purchases since I was a kid. And I finally got a chance to use it. When I first put it on, I was blown away by how it looked. I felt like this was the future. I completely lost myself in the game I was playing, and for a while, i even forgot I was standing in my living room. This was so much fun. I had a blast, and I couldn't wait to tell others about it. I invited over my friends to try for themselves as well. They were a bit skeptical but once they put the VR headset on, they were blown away just like I was. In the end it was a great experience and I will never forget it. Even my family came over to try it. They also enjoyed it. One of my friends even went out to buy himself one. All in all, they really loved it." +"So guess what I did? In early November, I went ahead and bought that Virtual Reality set that I've been dying to get. It was on a pre-Christmas sale, and you know I never buy myself anything expensive. I've just been looking into them and they seem like fun and what's the point of working if you never get to buy fun stuff? I just got to show it to my family. Regina loves it and Ben is obsessed! He's definitely going to go get one now. It's not quite worth as much as I paid for it, because I think it's a bit of a dad and I'll probably get tired of it soon. I mean, it's great for watching movies! Fun for video games too. Other than that, I can't believe I purchased it. I'm getting buyer's remorse thinking about it. I did get it on sale though. Now I'm trying to justify spending the money. I bought it 2 month s ago, so I can't take it back now. I always do this...punish myself for buying anything." +"Today I lost my job. It really sucks because it's a job I held for 5 years and loved doing. I'm going to miss everyone I work with. This a going to be a very hard time to pick myself up and get back into the swing of things. I just hope I can stay close to the friends I made there. I understand why they had to let me go. Company's change and have to make big decisions. Unfortunately, that resulted in me losing my job. We were over head count. They had to let someone go. With me having a recorded I was the one that got picked. It makes sense, but still sucks. I won't let it get to me to much. It's upsetting but I'll do all I can to get back on my feet. Going to start looking for a new job soon." +"I was feeling very depressed and stressed out about a lot of things going on in my life. It had been going on for a little while. I tried many things to try to make myself feel better. I needed a change to try to make myself feel better. I decided to go get a dog. I knew that growing up I had a dog that I loved and it always made me feel better. I made the decision to go and get a puppy. When I went to adopt a puppy, I saw one that looked very similar to one I had growing up. I knew it was one that I needed to get. On the spot I did the paper work and took that puppy home with me. Almost immediately once I saw the puppy I fell in love with it. The puppy was very cute and happy. Everything in my daily life changed after that moment I got the puppy. A lot of the stress in my life went away because I was a lot happier. It became one of the most important decision in my life thus far." +"I went to get a shelter dog a couple of months ago. When I was growing up I've had a dog that was my best friend. My dog passed away a few years ago and I became very depressed and my life really slowed down. A couple of months ago I decided it was time to get a new dog to see if it will help my depression. I went to the animal shelter to see if I could adopt a puppy. When I got there, there weren't that many left but I saw one that looked like the dog I had growing up. I immediately fell in love with that dog and knew it was the one I wanted and needed. From the very first day I took him home it made my mood so much better. It has made me so happy and I'm so glad I made that decision. I spend pretty much all day with that dog besides when I'm at work. When I go out anywhere I take him with me. It started hanging out with my friends more and being more social as well. Whenever I'm feeling stressed or depressed I would go take him to the park and it would make me feel better. We go out on walks a lot so I'm also getting more exercise as well. He's going to be my best friend for a very long time." +"On July 4th, I was admitted to Kaiser Hospital in Los Angeles while suffering what turned out to be a heart attack. It has begun the previous day and the uncomfortable feeling just didn't go away. At 3:30 AM, I drove from the San Gabriel Valley to the facility, about 15 miles away. My friends still think I was nuts and my family agreed, saying that this apple did not fall far from its tree, seeing that my dad did the same thing when he had his heart attack at 65. While at the emergency ward, I began to get suspicious and came up with this conclusion: the more different doctors visit you in a two hour period, the more serious the condition. For the next few hours, I was prodded, tested and sent to another hospital where two stents were inserted to make the ""widow maker"" work better (it was 90% blocked). Within a few days, I was released. However, the world I knew for 61 years changed with those three days. Probably the greatest challenge wasn't so much the junk food that consumed this average baby boomer so much as the time I had to take to make that work. Seasoning food without salt takes creativity. Substituting fruits and whole wheat involves careful planning at a store. If i eat out, I have to check the menu more carefully to eliminate anything with too much sodium, or with processed sugar. In short, this new diet demands attentitveness, something I ignored when it came to health, but didn't when it came to work. I'm not through though. In a few weeks, I have to meet with a cardiac surgeon. Yeah, bypass. That means a few months recovery at a time where I don't think I have the strength or resources to fully get back on my feet. But I have friends and family and my own tenacity. I can prepare a salmon, I can rise up from however many bypasses they have to put in." +"I have been trying to get out and be more active lately. My doctor initially told me it would be a good idea to help ease my symptoms, but I'm starting to really enjoy being out and about. About three months ago I was especially restless one morning and opted to take myself out for a day of fun. I hit the local mall and walked all through my favorite stores. I probably spent a full hour in Macy's alone. I bought a pair of new sandals and a really cute beach hat too, which are things that coincidentally help reinforce this new lifestyle I'm trying out. After shopping I stopped into a new restaurant that opened near the mall. It felt odd to eat by myself, but after a few minutes I really started to enjoy it. I almost felt like some important business person. My steak was perfectly cooked and I even had a margarita to drink. By this point I really started to feel my legs getting achy, and the 100 degree temperatures outside didn't exactly help things too much. Against my better judgement I ended up deciding to see a movie to cool down, but found myself frustrated when I realized the theater's air conditioning was turned off. Who turns off AC in 100 degree heat?!? I ended up finishing the movie, but my legs were not in great shape and I was feeling quite dehydrated. After sitting on a bench for a bit to gather my thoughts, I determined that I should not try to get home in this shape. Thankfully my good friend Judith answered her phone and was willing to come get me and take me home. I apologized to her for overextending myself on this day, but I think she understood how much I enjoyed my independence. Next time I might have to take it a little easier on these hot days!" +"One week ago today, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl! We have named her Kia Jane. I never knew I could love another being this much! All it took was one look at her and I knew that my life had forever changed. Kia is perfect in every single way I could imagine. I ended up having to be induced because my water broke while I was cooking dinner on the stove, but no contractions at all. The doctors were worried that I could get an infection so they decided it was best not to wait for her to come on his own. I was really nervous about this, it's absolutely not what I had in my birth plan. Then again, when does life ever go as planned? I hate to admit, but I did ask for pain medication and honestly I am so glad I did. She really didn't want to come out so they had to use a vacuum assist for her to finally be born. I was worried her little head would look like a cone but it looks just fine!! I got to hold her right after she came out and it was love at first sight!!! I think my birth journey says something about this little girls personality, she is stubborn just like her daddy! Speaking of Dad, he has been so helpful getting up with her in the middle or the night. Hard to believe but he is even changing diapers! I cant wait to watch each milestone! My mom says to enjoy every minute of this because before I know it she will be all grown up. She is right I know!" +"One week ago today, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl! We have named her Kia Jane. I never knew I could love another being this much! All it took was one look at her and I knew that my life had forever changed. Kia is perfect in every single way I could imagine. I ended up having to be induced because my water broke while I was cooking dinner on the stove, but no contractions at all. The doctors were worried that I could get an infection so they decided it was best not to wait for her to come on his own. I was really nervous about this, it's absolutely not what I had in my birth plan. Then again, when does life ever go as planned? I hate to admit, but I did ask for pain medication and honestly I am so glad I did. She really didn't want to come out so they had to use a vacuum assist for her to finally be born. I was worried her little head would look like a cone but it looks just fine!! I got to hold her right after she came out and it was love at first sight!!! I think my birth journey says something about this little girls personality, she is stubborn just like her daddy! Speaking of Dad, he has been so helpful getting up with her in the middle or the night. Hard to believe but he is even changing diapers! I cant wait to watch each milestone! My mom says to enjoy every minute of this because before I know it she will be all grown up. She is right I know!" +"Recently, I began taking a dietary supplement known as alpha lipoic acid. I started taking i because I learned that this naturally occuring compound is purported to be a highly beneficial compound with trong anti-oxidant and detoxification-supporting properties. The supplement is also used to support liver function and help alleviate neuropathy. Upon taking recommended a dosage, I developed back pain. As a scientist, I began scouring medical literature as well as watching biomedical presentations. I began a intellectual journey in learning about the body's mechanisms for detoxification. One of the most important scientists to help educate me in this area was Dr. Christopher Shade, CEO of Quicksilver Scientific (a company that specializes in biological testing of toxins and supply of carefully formulated nutriceuticals designed to help promote detoxification. Through Dr. Shade, I bean to understand the body;s complex and intricately choreographed mechanisms for identifying, tagging, mobilizing, and eliminating toxins from the body. In addition, I learned about environmental factors that could lead to a block in detoxification. In my case, my medical history and symptomology supported a block in detoxification created by a significant exposure to toxic mold. As it turns out, mold biotoxins can block the body's ability to clear a number of toxins, including heavy metals, and that without removal of this block, use of other methods that stimulate portions of the detox process (such as alpha lipoic acid), may be hindered. This can put undue stress on the liver and kidneys. Fortunately, Dr. Shade also was instrumental in recommending a simple dietary remedy to this mold toxin-induced block to detoxification. After a very short amount of time, my troubles were greatly diminished. I am grateful to Dr. Shade for his knowledge and insight, which has enabled me to proceed in a lifestyle of detoxification as well as identify mold biotoxin as a source of many of my chronic health issues." +"Dear Diary,A couple months ago I started something crazy. I saw an ad for some detox tea on the tv and decided to order it. It took a couple days to get here and I was really worried that I was just wasting my time and money. Still my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to try it. It tasted awful, like seriously, the worst thing I have ever purposely drank. At first I really didn't see anything happening, other than excessive use of the bathroom. But after two or three days and around ten pound of bad stuff being removed from my body I began to believe it was actually working. It worked really well for like two weeks, and then it wasn't really doing anything anymore. This kind of disappointed me but I was determined to keep going, and keep getting my body healthier. So a month ago I started a different way, I started getting more sun, and eating more raw foods. I went on walks, and just tried to let my body detoxify as naturally as possible. It helped a lot, After a week or so of that I began to lose weight and could feel myself becoming stronger. It has been a wild ride. From things I never thought about to becoming a crazy important part of my life. But I am happy that It has because I don't think i could be the person I am today without this journey." +"I recently went on a date with a girl. She's an old girlfriend of mine. And I'm sponsoring her in a twelve-step program. Getting romantically involved is very taboo in a twelve-step program, especially among sponsors and sponsees. But she came to visit me. We hadn't seen each other face-to-face in years. When she showed up, we immediately started flirting. We went out to eat that night. She ended up staying the night. We became romantically involved even though both of us sort of knew better. But we've been doing great since. We decided that we wanted to get closer. It was worth the risk, we both agreed. I must admit, the ""wrong"" nature of what we did sort of made it more appealing. I think she would agree with that." +"I have been unlucky with love for much of my life. It's crazy because the same can be said for my friend Megan. Megan and I went to college together and lived in the same apartment complex for three years. We have always been close but never really spoke of being interested in each other romantically. It's funny but we just never seemed to be single at the same time. Then one night we were out with another friend at a bar together and joked about how we should just give up looking for a partner and date each other. It was then that a light bulb seemed to go off in both of our heads. Our other friend ended up leaving early so we just chatted all night and eventually went home together. We hit it off perfectly. We have always had great chemistry together and shared many interests, so it made sense. We also appeared to be very much attracted to each other. This only happened a month ago, but we still have yet to inform some of our good friends. Most of them will think we are crazy too. But sometimes that can be inevitable with a big group of friends like we have. I know right now that Megan and I seem like a perfect match. Hopefully we will last and can continue to have fun together, regardless of what our friends say." +"Just about 5 months ago now, I reached an all time low. I had been unemployed by then for six months after an unexpected layoff. I was turning in applications everywhere and not so much as receiving a call back in return. I had no one to help me in the immediate area and my meager savings was running out fast. I was having to consider selling my car or sell blood or something to make ends meet. My outlook on life shifted and I was beginning to lose hope. I had a friend out of nowhere reach out to me one weekend offering me a position where she works in an office for the sewer plant. The job didn't pay much and I was kind of embarrassed to go to work for the sewer plant of all places. I was kind ready to brush off the offer but something told me to just check it anyway. So I did. On the following Monday, I came into the office for an interview. I immediately felt at ease. The office was small and very friendly. It turns out a couple of people I knew from the lay off had acquired jobs at the office as well. My interview went great, which never happens for me. I was offered a bump up on the pay due to past experience. The benefits that were offered far exceeded my expectations. I took the job before leaving. I've now been working at the plant for awhile and things couldn't be better. I'm being trained for a supervisor role and have made some really good friends while on the job. I couldn't ask for more. This has been the answer to my prayers." +"Just about 5 months ago now, I reached an all time low. I had been unemployed by then for six months after an unexpected layoff. I was turning in applications everywhere and not so much as receiving a call back in return. I had no one to help me in the immediate area and my meager savings was running out fast. I was having to consider selling my car or sell blood or something to make ends meet. My outlook on life shifted and I was beginning to lose hope. I had a friend out of nowhere reach out to me one weekend offering me a position where she works in an office for the sewer plant. The job didn't pay much and I was kind of embarrassed to go to work for the sewer plant of all places. I was kind ready to brush off the offer but something told me to just check it anyway. So I did. On the following Monday, I came into the office for an interview. I immediately felt at ease. The office was small and very friendly. It turns out a couple of people I knew from the lay off had acquired jobs at the office as well. My interview went great, which never happens for me. I was offered a bump up on the pay due to past experience. The benefits that were offered far exceeded my expectations. I took the job before leaving. I've now been working at the plant for awhile and things couldn't be better. I'm being trained for a supervisor role and have made some really good friends while on the job. I couldn't ask for more. This has been the answer to my prayers." +"Today was a terrible day for me. My co-worker, who we will call the big ""W"" is usually always mean to me. However, today she was the worst. It was our big Christmas party, and she micromanaged everyone at work today. She started openly complaining about only she was smart, only she did any real work, etc. Everyone had told me since I started here how terrible she was and how badly they wanted her to be fired. Despite this, no one would ever do anything about her or talk about her until she left the room. Finally I snapped and decided not to sit down and take it like everyone else. While she started insisting she told me to do something I was never told, I told her to her face she never said that. She lost it and started to scream at me, while she did that my boss just ignored it like he usually did. I decided I had enough of a boss that wouldn't do anything and handed him my resignation, which was more than he deserved. He tried to convince me it was cowardly to leave, but I told him it was cowardly to not fire her. She kept harassing me through the night until that point, then my boss decided to take her to the back room and yell at her for having a coworker finally quit over her. She came back out and stayed quiet for the whole rest of the night. I left that job and felt good about leaving, they all already didn't like her but it was made worst once she actually cost them a good employee who at least tried their best which was more than half of the people they hired did." +"I had the best day at work today. I love this new job more than I ever thought possible. 6 months ago I really thought my life was over when I quit my job with no plan for the future. I admit now I quit on an impulse, but it felt right. I had been getting harassed at work by this horrible employee named Jan. She was inappropriate and rude to everyone, and no one stood up to her. I was trying to complete a project at the office while everyone else was enjoying the Christmas party. Jan kept coming into my office to ask me to drink with her and to dance, it was obnoxious. She was obviously drunk,. I asked her several times to leave me alone and she would not stop touching me and harassing me. After an hour of the constant annoyance I snapped. I told her exactly what I thought of her and how terrible she was. Everyone just stood and watched. No one joined in or had my back. I was distraught. My supervisors watched me be harassed and did nothing. After my outburst I knew I was done at that company, so I quit. I just grabbed my things and walked out. I remember getting in my car and crying my eyes out. I needed that job. I hadn't done anything wrong. I really thought my life was over." +"My team and I arrived at the event ready and prepared. Gaming was our world at the time. Each of us felt we had practiced our strategies enough that nobody could rival us in the field. We were cocksure to say the least. Unfortunately this turned out to be our downfall. For whatever reason we never stopped to acknowledge that this meant just as much to all the other competitors and teams as it did for us. We weren't ready for the long grudge matches. We had expected to run through the competition. That isn't what happened though. Our very first match we overlooked the team we were set to face. It was a huge wake up call. They countered our strategies and we failed to adapt. We had stuck so hard to our game plan that it became a detriment. We though we had the ultimate strategies and that there was no way they would be countered. To further compound the issue we failed to reflect on the opening loss in a real way. We were too angry. And we promptly lost our second match as well. And with the double elimination rules we were out. 0 and 2 and done. The prestige, the money, the bragging rights... They would not be ours that night." +"Wow, I had the best day today! I've just said goodbye to the last friend who had attended my party today. I didn't even know that there would be a party. After work when I arrived home at my apartment, I was surprised by my roommates and friends surrounded by party decorations, food and drinks. It was all because of that poem that I wrote- it was published in a fantastic literary magazine last week and I guess my friends wanted to congratulate me! I was so happy and grateful to see them all there to celebrate and it was such a nice thing to go to all that effort for me. I loved all of the snacks they had picked out, they were actually themed after famous poets! Of course they asked me to read my poem out loud. I was so embarrassed, but I gave it my best. Thankfully, everyone seemed to authentically enjoy it. I felt so grateful and proud about the whole thing. My friends are the best, I can't wait to do something nice like this for them too. Now I am just thinking about my next move in the poetry game. I think maybe I could do big things if I take advantage of the momentum. I am really feeling inspired. Tonight I'll even write a poem about my feelings." +"Wow, I had the best day today! I've just said goodbye to the last friend who had attended my party today. I didn't even know that there would be a party. After work when I arrived home at my apartment, I was surprised by my roommates and friends surrounded by party decorations, food and drinks. It was all because of that poem that I wrote- it was published in a fantastic literary magazine last week and I guess my friends wanted to congratulate me! I was so happy and grateful to see them all there to celebrate and it was such a nice thing to go to all that effort for me. I loved all of the snacks they had picked out, they were actually themed after famous poets! Of course they asked me to read my poem out loud. I was so embarrassed, but I gave it my best. Thankfully, everyone seemed to authentically enjoy it. I felt so grateful and proud about the whole thing. My friends are the best, I can't wait to do something nice like this for them too. Now I am just thinking about my next move in the poetry game. I think maybe I could do big things if I take advantage of the momentum. I am really feeling inspired. Tonight I'll even write a poem about my feelings." +"Today at work my boss gave me a task that was not in my job description. I had never done this before but she expected it to be perfect! I spent some time researching how to do this task using Google as she had instructed me to do in the past when I didn't know what to do. My boss kept calling me every five minutes to ask if I had finished my task yet! It was so unbearable and I felt like she didn't trust my judgement. Why would she give me a new task and constantly hound me when she knew that I was learning on the job. I managed to talk her down and tell her that it was going to get done within the next two hours. This seemed to get her off my back at least temporarily. My anxiety began to get really bad and I realized that I was overwhelmed with the new task, my boss, and this job in general. I was able to sneak away into the bathroom for a few minutes to collect my thoughts. I can't believe how stressed out this made me! It felt like the day was going to drag on and on with no end in sight. Once I was able to regroup, I went back and attempted to finish the job. I have never felt so incompetent in my life. This was one of my worst days working at this organization. I hope nothing like this ever happens again." +"Throughout our lives we meet many people ... Many types of people who in some ways affect both our lives positively and negatively, as long as we decide that it affects us. In my short life of 28 years I have become a rampant traveler because of the search for wealth that is not exactly monetary but rather the wealth that provides a good memory of someone or somewhere. I have known many parts of the world, many people, cultures and have heard their stories, legends and the wisdom they have. But two years ago I decided to take a trip but not one to another place but I gave myself the task of knowing the people around me thoroughly, to give them my confidence, to know that world they have inside their mind. Because as I say each person is a world, some are full of goodness, wisdom and much love but others are rotten by deception and evil. A few weeks ago on my trip to meet people I came across an old woman who gave me the first impression of being a kind, honest and honest person. I managed to talk to her, meet her and it was so good that I had fallen that I started a few days to give her an extremely good confidence. I could tell her everything and she, until one day I made a request, and this was to lend him $ 2,500 to pay his mortgage, when he told me this I was a little surprised by his request and after thinking a little I decided to give him the money. After a few days of lending him the money, that nice old lady who had met and liked me so much, began to change his way of being with me. It became more closed, when I visited her home she didn't attend me or sometimes she didn't even open the door to greet me, at that moment I started to see that something was very wrong. Although as a kind old lady I thought, ""Surely she must be busy or sick and doesn't want to help me.""But one day I met her at the walmart and she saw me when she was surprised and greeted me with a lot of hypocrisy and left, it was no place to talk about the loan. So days and days went by until I took on the task of inquiring if she really had used that for her mortgage, the truth was that no, I spend it on something I still don't know. Seeing this, I went to her house and argued with her I was so upset that I could not even think, I felt so deceived, and I told her that I was going to report her to pay me the money. It was a very tense moment. Until she confezo me it was my grandmother, that grandmother who had believed missing since long ago, that grandmother since childhood so much wanted to have and now hate her for having deceived, that grandmother tricky and very unethical. In the end, I decided to forgive her, she wanted to maintain the relationship after the lack of respect she made, I just decided to get away from her and continue with my life." +"You hear people tell you about how some significant event or person in their lives came along and changed everything. You hear of some fantastic revelation some day up on the mountain, or a close encounter with nature, even a brush with some insane disaster, bringing the person onto the doorstep of death. Most people quote extraordinary event that is very unique to them and hear about how that something have come to have a great impact on their lives, changing the very manner in which they view life and perceive it. You might not find my story to be anything spectacular, but for me, it has been the one most singularly amazing event of my life. It was the day that I met my husband. He came into my life and affected me in so many ways and for which I really do not have words to describe. Yet, I will try my best to portray how his coming into my life completely changed me and gave me a whole new world to look at. One of the things that I noticed immediately when I met my husband was how safe and secure he made me feel. I remember meeting him that very first day and realizing how good I felt just being with him. It was as if a burden had been lifted from my shoulders. I suddenly felt free and relaxed, as if I had to worry about nothing in life ever again. He would be very supportive of my ideas and my decisions and would encourage me to go ahead and do what I wanted the most. He provided me with the background support that I had always needed to further to my plans but had felt so insecure before. He had a knack of making me laugh and feel good about myself and whatever was going on at that time. Aside from making me feel emotionally stable, safe, and secure, he also made me feel very secure financially. He made it look so easy, as if I would never have to worry about money ever again. He made me feel that I could trust him with no matter what. This is perhaps the reason that I married him in the first place, because of how he good he made me feel about myself: very safe, secure, and sound." +"I was flying home from Denver with my mother, brother, and partner. I woke up the morning of the flight to a text stating that my flight was canceled. We decided to head to the airport anyway. At the airport, the line for my airline was ridiculously long and we needed to get home so my mom and brother could get to work. I was also just really tired of being with my family. I had to frantically search for alternatives online. I ended up purchasing extremely expensive plane tickets to get us all home. I had to put the plane tickets on my credit card because I didn't think my mom had enough credit on any of her cards. I was frustrated that I had to take control of everything. I had already done all of the planning for the trip. We then had to wait around at the airport for about 7 hours before the new flight left. Upon coming home, I had to fight with the airline over several calls regarding my refund. I was angry because the airline gave us only flight credit. None of us have/had the money to take another trip thus, the credit was useless. The replacement tickets ended up costing about 2.5k all together so I really wanted to get refunded for the full amount. After haggling with the airline over several calls, I finally got the refund I wanted." +"I was on my way back from a trip with my mother, brother, and partner and our return flight got canceled for unknown reasons. We got up at 5 am and went to the airport anyway and found out that several flights for our airline had been canceled due to hail damage to the plane. The line to re-book at the airline counter was extremely long and workers suggested we re-book on our own. When I went online to check out alternate flights home, I saw that we could not fly out on the same airline till two days later. My mother and I do not have the greatest relationship so I was very eager to get home and away from her. I found the prospect of two more days with her very frustrating. I also needed to be back in town for work. I was extremely frustrated and anxious trying to decide what to do. My mother does not know how to book flights or use travel sites so I re-booked us on a much more expensive flight from another airline. I felt extremely stressed about the cost but I knew I needed to get back ASAP. The flight I booked ended up being $515 a person, compared to the original $100 a person. I put all of the tickets on my credit card because I know my mom has bad credit and also would have to carry over a balance for a few months to pay it off. I really hated having all of that on my card and feared I would never be reimbursed. The flight I booked also required us to wait in the airport for 7 hours. I have a pretty intense fear of flying, so the anticipation was also distressing. Overall it was a very distressing experience and it made me not want to travel for a while." +"In June my family and I went on a cruise vacation and one of the ports of call was Honduras. We went to an outside bar. They slipped something into our drinks. I only had one drink and was completely obliterated, as was my boyfriend and his mom. We lost time, and blacked out at some points. Luckily we were together with others that did not get sick. We were back to normal with no hangover or loss of appetite by the middle of the night. I never have blacked out or lost time, even when I have been drinking triple that amount. I am glad that our grandmother only had a couple sips from one of our drinks because she's 87. She definitely could have died. We saw a couple other people that were sick as well. They were sitting down with their heads between their knees outside the ship. I heard people in other countries get people sick on purpose so they can take you to their hospital. Then they expect compensations for saving your life. Even though they were the one's who got you sick in the first place." +"About two months ago, my parents decided to take the family on a trip to Honduras. Mom, Dad, my twin sister Hope, and I boarded the plane in NYC and flew down to Phoenix, where we switched to a flight to San Pedro Sula. We landed in the heat and humidity of Central America, and got a shuttle to our hotel on the beach. Our rooms were beautiful, on the eight floor, and we quickly unpacked, showered, and changed. It was now early afternoon, so we decided to grab a late lunch and decide what to do with the rest of the day. There was a cool-looking bar and restaurant right on the beach, so we walked down there and got a table. It was the tail-end of lunchtime, so the place wasn't too busy and we didn't have to wait for our table. Our waiter was pleasant and knowledgeable, and we ordered a couple different seafood dishes. I recall that I ordered fish tacos, Hope ordered a shrimp cocktail, and Mom and Dad ordered something different from either of us so we could share. A short while after getting our food (which was delicious), the bartender came over with four drinks. He told us they had been ordered by someone who had then left in a hurry and he was going to throw them out unless we wanted them. They were typical ""resort"" looking drinks, with umbrellas and fruit, and we gladly accepted them. About ten minutes after this, I began feeling a little queasy. I looked over at Hope, and she looked unhappy as well. I didn't say a word, just nodded, and looked at our parents. They didn't seem to be having a problem, but as I watched, my father suddenly coughed and turned red. ""I think we should get to our rooms right now,"" I said to him, and he nodded and took his wallet out. Mom was doing the best of us at the moment, but we were all rapidly feeling worse. She grabbed the waiter and gave him plenty of cash, and we all made our way to the hotel lobby. Waiting for the elevator seemed to take an eternity, but we finally got to the eighth floor and into our rooms, where we spent the rest of the night in our own miseries, throwing up and getting fitful sleep. Around 7 am, I suddenly realized I felt fine. I checked on everyone else, and they were rousing themselves, feeling okay as well. Whatever had been given to us seemed to run its course then disappeared completely. We never figured out why this had happened, and chalked it up to bad luck (bad luck for us; perhaps very good luck for someone else). We enjoyed the rest of our vacation - but never went back to that restaurant on the beach!" +"In June my family and I went on a cruise. One of the ports of call was Honduras. All of us got frozen alcoholic beverages at a outside bar near the beach. It was very hot that day, but we hand palm tree cover. Three of us got lounge chairs and placed our stuff down. We lathered up with sunblock. We rented a float because I am not a strong swimmer. We proceeded to get into the ocean with a float and our drinks. I only had one and a half drinks. 3 of us out of the group got violently sick, hallucinated, and blacked out parts of the day. We believe we were drugged with a date rape drug. I also heard several other people outside our group who were also on the cruise got sick as well. Luckily we all made it back to the ship safely. I heard some countries get you sick and send you to the hospital so they can make money off you. The next morning we were completely fine and our appetites returned to normal. That does not happen when you are simply drunk." +"It was a typical morning making breakfast. Letting the dog out, and getting ready for work. While my husband and kids are eating. I m upstairs getting ready for work. Then I go downstairs to clean up the mess. Meanwhile evryone is getting ready for school and work. Then my husband leaves or work. My two kids leave to wait at the bus stop. So now eveyone has lef. Im getting myself together and making sure all the lights and oven is off. Then I leave for the day. While at work I realize that I left our dog Peanut outside. So I end up leaving work for a long break. And head home to put Peanut back in the house. I arrived home and he was gone, dug a hole under fence. So I was horrified. Well 3 weeks passed and my dughter said she saw Peanut in a yard near school. So we left to find him. We arrived at the house and sure enogh that was Peanut. He was jumping all around, happy to see us. A man came out. I said this is my dog, I am taking him home. The man said no, and he called the police. The police arrived, I showed them the missing poster, and pics on my phone and the ad that was in the paper. The police officer said take your dog." +"It was three months ago that my dog ended up missing. My husband and I looked everywhere. We walked up and down many streets. Drove to different neighborhoods. But no sign of Peanut. It was horrible and distressing. Our daughter was so sad that, she could'nt even function in school. This affected all of us very deeply. Peanut was our bestfriend of 10 years. Then one day our daughter came home and told me that she had seen Peanut in a yard near her school. So we went there, and sure enough it was Peanut. He yelped and jumped up and down, he was so glad to see us. We knocked on the door of the mobile home. A man answered the door. The man there said he had dog for years. He told us to leave the property or he was going to call the police I said good, I hope you call them. When police arrived, one officer talked to us and the other talked to the man. I showed the officer pictures of Peanut on my phone, the ad I had posted in the lost and found in the local newspaper, and the flyers that I have printed and posted all over town. Both the officers talked among themselves. Then they talked to us. They said since the man does,nt have any proof of a vet bill, no pictures, no anything to prove otherwise, they said take your dog home and make sure he can't get loose again. I was happy with tears and my daughter was so happy, because the whole time Peanut was so excited to see us, it was obvious, he was our dog." +"On June 22nd 2019 an event took place in my life that unfortunately will have to live with forever. Prior months to this date all 3 of my dogs were fine and healthy, running and playing like any normal dogs would and should. One day in May my Black Lab started to limp slightly but nothing to serious and worrisome, considering my 3 dogs played rough and wild we thought it was just a minor injury. A week went by and the limp was getting noticeably worse. My mom and i became concerned and soon after called and schedule a Vet appointment for the following week. The day finally came to take my dog, to the vet, thinking it was a minor issue my vet gave her a quick look and basically said she was fine and just hurt her back jumping. At that point i was not to concerned thinking he knew exactly what he was talking about. Another week went by and the limp got even worse. Again we took her back to the Vet, this time he had done an X-ray. Days later the results of the X-ray came back and he said she had a slight disc slip in her back, that has been there a while but nothing that should be causing the limp, he gave her medication for inflammation and sent us on our way. A few days went by and at this point nothing he gave her was helping and no answers that we were looking for came about. Finally we decided to take her to a specialist Vet who does all kind of blood testing and jelly scans and better testing. My family and I walked in that day to the specialist thinking that we were going to pay for our dog to get any surgery she needed to help her limp. After hours of waiting for her blood test results and scan results we finally got our answer, our dog had cancer. We were crush, our lives were shattered the moment we heard she had spleen cancer. For a single moment we were excited to find out that surgery could be done for 10 thousand dollars that we were 100000% willing to pay, but only if the cancer has not spread into her lymph nodes. Upon a few further tests the Vets found that it had spread all through out her body and lymph nodes. That night and the next day we said our goodbyes at that point she was no longer able to walk. This was the worst day of my life, i cry everyday still thinking about her. My life forever changed this day, my attention is constantly with my other 2 dogs who lost their best friend. We buried her in our yard with a beautiful cross and her name on it, she will never be forgotten." +"When school ended about 3 months ago, my brother scored free tickets to our local baseball team's game that night. His wife couldn't make it, so he asked me to come along. He had one extra ticket that my wife agreed my youngest daughter should take. She had never been to a baseball game before, so the kids agreed it was fair she go. When we arrived, the kids each got a free bobblehead as a door giveaway. They happily tapped the tops of their heads to make them bounce as we found our seats. My daughter was a bit bored after the first few innings. She did get very interested as the mascot made its way over to our section though. His bright yellow fur made her eyes dazzle. We got a nice picture of our kids with the mascot together. After the game ended, which was quite close in score, the after show began. Fireworks blasted bright in the sky. They scared my daughter a little, but she was happy to see them end. On the way home, my daughter was falling asleep in her car seat. She sleepily mumbled that this was the best day ever." +"Two weeks ago, I got a patent for my water reclamation methods. I will be rich because of this. I started out small. I only sold a few units. Later in the year, I sold hundreds. In a few years, I've sold a million. I am very proud of myself. I got a lot of attention because of this. I have purified all the water in the world except the oceans. Many people thank me for this invention. I have received many calls to host events in countries. It was a fun time being the spotlight of the day in many lands. I am proud of myself. I am grateful for the world. I hope to make more inventions. I hope more people can drink safely." +"I recently moved back to a big city to look for a job after a few years. After graduating grad school in this particular city I had moved upstate. However last month I packed my suitcase and came back to the same city to look for a job. I came back for a few reasons, one being better career opportunities but also to connect with my friends. I stayed over at a friends apartment for a few weeks while trying to land job interviews. There I rediscovered our friendship from years ago. We both went to college together and it was heart warming that despite years of not really communicating other than facebook messaging we got a long pretty well. It was almost a comforting sign. It was like the universe showing me positive signs that I might be on the right path. For a few years I was unsure of where I should be. However coming back to the city and meeting with old friends showed me how much I felt at home here. Right now I am working a temporary job to hold me over. However I really pray that I will find something stable here and am able to live and work here again. Although the city has changed I still love it. Finally I realized this is where I want to be." +"It was our first trip to Colorado since I was a very young child and the first overall with my new family. My wife and daughter had never been to the Rocky Mountains either, so it was sure to be a treat. We stayed with my wife's cousin and were there primarily to visit my wife's aunt. She has very sick and moved from Chicago to Boulder in order to live a more comfortable life. The first full day were were in Colorado we were taken to the Rocky Mountain National Park. Unlike the typical park in a city setting, this was a huge, and I mean huge area, covering a vast majority of the Rocky Mountain range. My wife's aunt was able to come with, using her scooter, so it was nice spending our day with her also. She had only been to the lower portion of the park, so we were determined to get her to the top-most visitor's center in the park. After an hour and a half or so, we finally made it. We were able to buy some souvenirs and eat a nice lunch with my wife's cousin and aunt. It was a great lunch, and was the closest I had been to nature in a long, long time. After the long drive back, my wife, daughter, and I went white water rafting! None of us had done anything like that before, so it was quite exciting. My daughter and I sat in the front of the raft, with my wife sitting behind my daughter. No sooner had we left the shore, my wife fell in! She was ""rescued"" but soured for the rest of the ride. We kept her spirits up and we powered through nice category IV and category V rapids! She made it the rest of the way and although she was a trooper after having fallen in, she vowed never, ever, to do anything even close to resembling that again. After we finished, we were bused back to our start point, drove back to my wife's cousin's house and went to bed after a very long, exhausting, yet fulfilling day." +"Today, in Boulder Colorado, we made the long drive to the Rocky Mountain National Park. It was truly an awe inspiring trip. We drove through twisting roads, climbing ever higher, until we finally reached a height of over 11,000 feet. During the trip we were able to pull over at a number of spots to take photos of the breathtaking scenery. In Boulder, at the base of the Rocky Mountains, it was nearly 95 degrees, but at elevation the temperature was in the low 40s, which was quite shocking when climbing out of our SUV to take photos. Just before we arrived at the highest gift shop/restaurant it began to rain quite hard, then changed to sleet as we ran for cover. It was quite different from the 95 degree heat we had left only an hour and a half earlier. Looking around at the snow capped mountains, some snow only a few dozen feet from where we were standing, demonstrated the ecological diversity that one can experience without having to leave the United States. It was truly amazing eating lunch with my family and looking out at the snow on the Rocky Mountains. We were able to get our fill of souvenirs which we stock up on every vacation so we can easily remember the places we've been and the things we did. Later in the day, after the long drive down from the national park, we took our chances with white water rafting. Our family had never been rafting before, let alone in rapids. We had a spectacular time. While the air temperature at river level was still in the 90s, the cold water felt refreshing with every rapid. Being at one with nature and being able to spend an entire day experiencing some of the best that nature has to offer made me incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to enjoy it with my family." +"Wow, I can't believe it's already been two months. My grand daughter just turned four. This was her first fourth of July celebration. She had never been to a celebration because she was so small. But now, she was ready. We went to a parade first thing in the morning. We watched the fire trucks and band members and horses going by. She was absolutely mesmerized. The backyard picnic was great. She had a hamburger dowsed in ketchup. She loved the watermelon. As the sun began to set, we took her to the park. We sat in our lawn chairs with the rest of the town. When the firworks show began , her little face lit up. She just could not stop smiling that day. She is still talking and drawing pictures about that wonderful day." +"Wow, I can't believe it's already been two months. My grand daughter just turned four. This was her first fourth of July celebration. She had never been to a celebration because she was so small. But now, she was ready. We went to a parade first thing in the morning. We watched the fire trucks and band members and horses going by. She was absolutely mesmerized. The backyard picnic was great. She had a hamburger dowsed in ketchup. She loved the watermelon. As the sun began to set, we took her to the park. We sat in our lawn chairs with the rest of the town. When the firworks show began , her little face lit up. She just could not stop smiling that day. She is still talking and drawing pictures about that wonderful day." +last week i was in my home. i was lay down on the bed. at that time i have a sharp pain in my back. the pain get increased. there is no one in home. actually that was my off day. all others went to work. i do not have anyone for help. i felt very bad because of the pain. i try to call the emergency. but i couldn't. thankfully my sister came home from school at that time. she call the emergency number. they took me to hospital. but unfortunately the doctor went for some other work. i felt so sad. the doctor talk to the radiologist about my issue. so after that i got to know there is no serious problem. i felt relaxed. +"It got me scared at first because my sister died of pain in her bodies. it was painful though but I've gotten over it but then one has to be very careful you know. After so much anxiety and curiosity the doctor came telling me that I needed to be calm as I'm going to be alright. I was still not settled because nobody wants to die of course. The doctor ran a test on me and said I haven't been resting enough indicating that I need to start eating more fruits and resting well enough. I became relaxed a bit. ""I thought I was going to die "" I said soliloquizing No! You won't said the doctor, you just need to rest more and take the pills I'm going to give to you. For 3 months now,I've been super great because I've stopped being languid. I've also been taking my pills as instructed by the doctor. Life without stress is almost impossible in relation to my source of livelihood. Being an event planner can really be stressful you know but I must say I've really been living my best life avoiding stress. My advice to everyone out there is to try avoid stressing themselves as it's unfriendly to our health. Eat well,sleep appropriately, most importantly rest well. I've been happy. I've been glad. I am fulfilled." +"It got me scared at first because my sister died of pain in her bodies. it was painful though but I've gotten over it but then one has to be very careful you know. After so much anxiety and curiosity the doctor came telling me that I needed to be calm as I'm going to be alright. I was still not settled because nobody wants to die of course. The doctor ran a test on me and said I haven't been resting enough indicating that I need to start eating more fruits and resting well enough. I became relaxed a bit. ""I thought I was going to die "" I said soliloquizing No! You won't said the doctor, you just need to rest more and take the pills I'm going to give to you. For 3 months now,I've been super great because I've stopped being languid. I've also been taking my pills as instructed by the doctor. Life without stress is almost impossible in relation to my source of livelihood. Being an event planner can really be stressful you know but I must say I've really been living my best life avoiding stress. My advice to everyone out there is to try avoid stressing themselves as it's unfriendly to our health. Eat well,sleep appropriately, most importantly rest well. I've been happy. I've been glad. I am fulfilled." +"Two months ago, my best friend was getting married, so me and several of our mutual friends decided we will throw a bachelorette party for her. She was the kind of person that was a bit reserved, but we convinced her to have the party after a bit of prodding and promising not the go too far (*fingers crossed*). The setting for the party was a hotel in a nearby town, and about 20 people were there to celebrate. As soon as the person of the night came, the drink were being slung, and the party was jamming. It was about 70 minutes into the party that things started to get a bit crazy. One of our friends saw when she came into the hotel that a buggy was parked in the parking lot of the hotel. We all thought it would be fun to leave the hotel room and to drive around town enjoying the starry night sky. We didn't have a care in the world at that point, and the bride-to-be was completely into the whole thing. I'd never seen her as into something as she was at that moment sitting next to me in that buggy driving through town in the dead of night. But things soon turned a bit serious when we ran into a group of guys returning from a hike. These were college aged guys, so they were young and, admittedly, a bit handsome. They saw how tipsy we were and probably thought we were an easy lay. Alcohol and cautious thinking don't mix, so a few of our friends who were very drunk decided to go with the guys to party before heading home. It wasn't until the next morning that we heard what happened. Apparently, they woke up feeling like they were given something other than alcohol. They fear that they may have been assaulted, so they went to the police to file a report. Hopefully nothing happened, but they haven't gave me or anyone else in our group an update since they filed that police report." +"In this story i tell some thing about my friend married function. we see our friend in some years passed and get interest to saw all of my friends. And the day had come we all on my friend home in 5 day before and getting lots fun and entertainments. we talk to each other and doing some works on friend married things. in one day before the Bachelors party had start that moments in my mind still an beautiful memory. we had lot of dance and untold story we shared and more fun. And midnight walk make the day in awesome. For as long as you can remember, your best friend has been your rock. A wedding, two decades in the making. Instead turn to these clever marriage jokes to get everyone laughing. A best man or maid of honor, or simply the sort of friend or relative who can't resist the chance. There's a story about an odd gift and surprising them. still in my mind remembering that day events. And missing my friend to saw one more time, that make the love and bonding with each other, this event is an beautiful memory in always with my mind. I enjoyed a lot there. That day was a memorable and noted day in my life. On that moment i thought that i am the happiest person in the world. very nice day and unforgettable day too." +"My husband built and gave me my bike for my birthday! I was so surprised, I really had no idea he had even been working on it. WHen he rode it up the driveway I was literally in shock! He hopped off, and told me to jump on. The best part was when I straddled the bike and twisted the throttle... it was so loud and felt overwhelmingly powerful! I was completely exhilarated! I think this was probably the most surprising birthday present I have ever received in my entire life. I was totally blindsided, and felt such love and gratitude to my husband at that moment. We have had a rough couple of years in our marriage, and he hasn't been the most supportive husband during that time. Knowing that he took the time and energy to build that bike for me, really made me feel loved by him, and definitely went a long way in making up for some of the negative things that have happened between us. I would have to say that this act of kindness and devotion went a long way in making me feel more secure in his feelings for me and our future together in general. I know one thing is for sure, it will be very hard for him (or anyone), to ever top this surprise birthday gift. I really am still in shock over it months later. Unfortunately it's getting too cold to ride now, but I can still go out to the garage and see my bike and feel the overwhelming sense of pride I have for owning such a beautiful machine, and knowing that I have a husband who truly loves me very much. His birthday is coming up, so I have to put in a lot of effort to try and make his birthday wonderful also." +"Today was a very exciting and wonderful day! Although my birthday is coming up in a couple of weeks, I really hadn't put much thought into it at all. I know Billy won't be here, and to be honest at my age birthdays don't really mean much anyway. So, here's what happened. We were all sitting down eating supper and Billy called. He talked to Veronica, who hung up the phone and told me something was going on and we were to meet him in the driveway. I put on my shoes, and followed her out to wait for him to arrive. After about 20 minutes, I heard what I thought was his motorcycle coming up the driveway. Sure enough, it was him. I was so concerned about what was going on I didn't even see what was happening right in front of my eyes. There he was, sitting on the bike right in front of me, grinning from ear to ear; It was MY bike!!! The one I had designed and was in the works for over 2 years!! I had no idea he had even been working on it and here it was, finished and in all its glory! It was gorgeous. Painting in black and my favorite shade of blue, lowered almost all the way to the ground, and sounding like a beast! Harley Davidson custom at it's finest! I was absolutely elated. Billy sat there with a shit-eating grin from one ear to the other, knowing he was a champion. He told me Happy Birthday, and that he loved me very much. He wanted me to have a very special birthday present this year because he wasn't going to be able to be here for my birthday, and felt terrible about it. I love this man! He is such a fantastic, loving, and supportive husband. To think he went out of his way to work so hard for weeks to get this project finished just to make me happy and see me smile. I am still very sad that he won't be here for my special day, but I have to admit he cushioned the blow a great deal with this fabulous surprise. I knew years ago he was the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and I was right. He is my heart and my soul, and I can't imagine life without him. Happy birthday to me!" +"My wedding was on July 31st of this year. It was absolutely magical. We had rented a ranch in Colorado surrounded by mountains for the week for our family and friends to stay at. This was also the place where we held our wedding ceremony and reception. It felt more special than any other wedding because it was mine and I was surrounded by the people who mattered most to not only me but my husband. We had the ceremony in the backyard of the ranch, overlooking the mountains next to us. We could hear the river flowing below us as we recited our vows we wrote to each other. I will never forget seeing my husband’s face when I walked to him down the aisle. I knew I was marrying the right man when I took the tears from his eyes. The most magical part of the wedding was after our ceremony. We just barely had enough time to finish family photos before it started to rain over the mountains. We all ran inside and then to the pavilion. I remember standing there looking at the rain coming over the mountains and I was in awe. Standing there with my family and friends and new husband meant the world to me because I had just started the new chapter of my life and I had them all with me. The rain was breathtaking. I knew the rain signified that our relationship would last through anything and I constantly look back at that moment as my favorite. We had spent months and years planning this wedding and it was definitely the most significant aspect of my life to date. I would love to write about this event in the future." +We decided to hike to the Colorado National Monument because it was of great significance to her and her late husband. They send countless winters and its were her late husband's ashes were spread as well. We figured what better way to continue that relationship that they had. They always were together and were travelers of the world. For some reason unknown to us that where they always chose to be in the winters. They would rent a cabin in the mountains and stay there for months at the time after their retirement. Seems like they chose that spot to rest so we figured what better spot to rest for eternity. As we hiked up the mountain we told countless stories about her life. One of my favorites was when i first met her. She though i was a handy man and started telling me all the work that needed to be done around my then girlfriends house. My spouse told her that she was having a handyman come over and so she then relayed all the work that my spouse needed. I at the time was surprising my girlfriend at her house not realizing she would be there. Confused i started following her and listened to the work that i was being ordered to do. When my wife got back from the store she found me fixing the sink. After realizing what had happened my wife and mother in law never let me off the hook. It whats always brought up on Christmas dinners. +"The mean error is an informal term that usually refers to the average of all the errors in a set. An “error” in this context is an uncertainty in a measurement, or the difference between the measured value and true/correct value. The more formal term for error is measurement error, also called observational error. The mean error is an informal term that usually refers to the average of all the errors in a set. An “error” in this context is an uncertainty in a measurement, or the difference between the measured value and true/correct value. The more formal term for error is measurement error, also called observational error. The mean error is an informal term that usually refers to the average of all the errors in a set. An “error” in this context is an uncertainty in a measurement, or the difference between the measured value and true/correct value. The more formal term for error is measurement error, also called observational error. The mean error is an informal term that usually refers to the average of all the errors in a set. An “error” in this context is an uncertainty in a measurement, or the difference between the measured value and true/correct value. The more formal term for error is measurement error, also called observational error. The mean error is an informal term that usually refers to the average of all the errors in a set. An “error” in this context is an uncertainty in a measurement, or the difference between the measured value and true/correct value. The more formal term for error is measurement error, also called observational error." +"The mean error is an informal term that usually refers to the average of all the errors in a set. An “error” in this context is an uncertainty in a measurement, or the difference between the measured value and true/correct value. The more formal term for error is measurement error, also called observational error. The mean error is an informal term that usually refers to the average of all the errors in a set. An “error” in this context is an uncertainty in a measurement, or the difference between the measured value and true/correct value. The more formal term for error is measurement error, also called observational error. The mean error is an informal term that usually refers to the average of all the errors in a set. An “error” in this context is an uncertainty in a measurement, or the difference between the measured value and true/correct value. The more formal term for error is measurement error, also called observational error. The mean error is an informal term that usually refers to the average of all the errors in a set. An “error” in this context is an uncertainty in a measurement, or the difference between the measured value and true/correct value. The more formal term for error is measurement error, also called observational error. The mean error is an informal term that usually refers to the average of all the errors in a set. An “error” in this context is an uncertainty in a measurement, or the difference between the measured value and true/correct value. The more formal term for error is measurement error, also called observational error." +"Last Friday night, one of our dogs attacked the other dog. We have two dogs. One is a hound mix around 60 pounds, Roxy. Our other dog is a terrier mix around 30 pounds, Sadie, and she has a seizure disorder. They both recently just turned three and have spent the majority of their lives together. We adopted Sadie at three months, and Roxy at six months. Sadie developed a seizure disorder and would have seizures at night about once a month, and they are cluster seizures so they happen a few times within a 24-hour period. Roxy usually sleeps in her kennel downstairs at night so she hasn't been around the seizures. Starting six months ago, Sadie's seizures have progressed and happen every two weeks now and during the day as well. Starting six months ago, Roxy would attack Sadie during her seizures. We thought at first she was trying to help, but then it got worse. Last Friday night, everything seemed fine and it was gorgeous weather outside so we took the dogs for a walk. Roxy attacked Sadie in the woods behind our house even though Sadie was not having a seizure. Sadie is doing okay, we took her to the vet on Monday when they opened and she got some shots and cleaned up. We don't know what to do with Roxy though. Most likely we will have to put her down. I'm so upset and disturbed, this is one of the most difficult things I've ever done. I love them both to pieces. I wish I could re-home Roxy but we don't know anyone who can take her and our vet said she will probably be put down at a shelter. It's just an ugly and very unpleasant situation. We started Roxy on an antidepressant on Monday to help take the edge off of her aggression but then we will be boarding her for 14 days at a training facility. I really truly want everything to work out and for everyone to be okay." +"Three months ago, I went out with my wife. We like to get out now and then, when our schedules cooperate together. After walking around some shops, we ended up bumping into a couple of our friends. At first, I wasn't too interesting on hanging out with them, but their moods were infectious. My wife had a hard time saying no as well, so it wasn't just me. Apparently they were all going to the state fair, and wanted us to go along. They made their cases about how we never see each other, and we agreed it had been quite some time since we had done something together. I kept double checking on the sly with my wife to make sure she was okay with it. Thankfully, she was. The fair turned out to be a lot of fun, and we all had a lovely time. We rode some rides, my wife won me a prize, which was funny. Afterwards, we decided to go to a local pub and have a few drinks. I just had a beer, and my wife had some wine. Then the karaoke happened, which I got out of. My wife, however, was a karaoke nut with one of our friends, and they sang a bunch of Taylor Swift songs. The bar was pretty slow, surprisingly, so we had the karaoke to ourselves. It was a blast." +"Sometimes it's just so rewarding to be a nurse in this city. There is a terminal patient who I just adore named Kara. I make sure to go and visit her every week on one of my lunch breaks. Three weeks ago Kara gave me a card and a little toy angel to tell me how much I mean to her. Even though I see her often, this really brought a tear to my eye at the time. Of all the terminal patients that I see, Kara is truly the most optimistic. It's so hard to put myself in her shoes. But I know for a fact that she's one of the bravest people I know. It's inspiring to talk with her and hear her positive outlook on various things in life. Though it's inevitable that Kara will no longer be a part of my life in a few years, I cherish the time that we can spend together. That's why this card was so meaningful. It showed that she feels exactly the same way about our friendship. Kara doesn't always get a ton of visitors due to her age, so it's a bit sad when other patients have large gatherings of families to see them. That's why I'm so glad that I've scheduled a big pizza party for her next week when I visit. Hopefully I can return the favor of her nice card and gift by giving her a day of fun and pizza!" +"Sometimes it's just so rewarding to be a nurse in this city. There is a terminal patient who I just adore named Kara. I make sure to go and visit her every week on one of my lunch breaks. Three weeks ago Kara gave me a card and a little toy angel to tell me how much I mean to her. Even though I see her often, this really brought a tear to my eye at the time. Of all the terminal patients that I see, Kara is truly the most optimistic. It's so hard to put myself in her shoes. But I know for a fact that she's one of the bravest people I know. It's inspiring to talk with her and hear her positive outlook on various things in life. Though it's inevitable that Kara will no longer be a part of my life in a few years, I cherish the time that we can spend together. That's why this card was so meaningful. It showed that she feels exactly the same way about our friendship. Kara doesn't always get a ton of visitors due to her age, so it's a bit sad when other patients have large gatherings of families to see them. That's why I'm so glad that I've scheduled a big pizza party for her next week when I visit. Hopefully I can return the favor of her nice card and gift by giving her a day of fun and pizza!" +"Probably the most memorable event to happen to me recently has been finding out that I have a baby coming. I remember the day more vividly than anything else I can think of. We woke up early and she wasn't feeling well. She hadn't been feeling well for a while and we were concerned, though we knew that pregnancy was a possibility. By noon, she still felt like she had to throw up constantly, so we made the decision to get a pregnancy test. Since she didn't feel good, I went up to the Dollar Tree alone to get two pregnancy tests. It was a beautiful day outside so I took my time and enjoyed myself on the way there. I was nervous buying the pregnancy kits. I'm not sure why, because I'm an adult in my mid 30s, but it still made me feel like I was doing something I shouldn't be doing. I headed straight home with the pregnancy tests, where my wife was ready and waiting to take one. She took one of the boxes from me and ran into the bathroom. About a minute later, she emerged with a smile on her face and held up the test to show me the positive result. We both smiled and hugged eachother. We held eachother for a minute and then kissed. Even though we knew it was possible she was pregnant, this made it real." +"My soon to be sister in laws wedding. It was in one of my favorite towns, Gainsville. We each had our own little cottages on the property so I didn't feel rushed or even worried about getting ready on time since we woke up there. It was the first wedding I had ever been too as an adult, and also felt super close to the people getting married. The morning was great. I stayed with the boys for the most part since I knew them a bit better than the birdesmates. We were all swapping stories and kidding around while I helped them get ready. My boyfriend looks amazing in his tux, and it actually made me cry because I had never seen him dressed up like that. It honestly made me feel like I couldn't wait to get married for the first time ever in my life. I sat in the front and helped my boyfriends grandparents since they are a bit older and have a hard time getting up and down. The bride and groom looked so amazing. They had been together for 8 years, so this was a really big deal to everyone. The ceremony went off without a hitch. Afterwards it was just a lot of fun. The meal was buffet style and I was sitting with my boyfriend, his parents, and his grandparents. I helped his grandparents get food, and again everyone swapped stories. I was so happy to be part of his family and part of this event, and I felt really included. At the end, we all got star-wars light-sabers and we made an archway using them for the bride and room to walk through. After that my boyfriend and I spent the rest of the night playing with the little kids who waited the whole day to play with them. We ended up getting beat up like crazy. I loved the day, and I wouldn't change it for anything." +"So with coffee (made to perfection I might add) in hand and my favorite comfy sweater on I start to peruse the internet. It has been a while since I had a computer, and since I didn't have one, it made no sense to have an internet connection. I had thousands of emails to catch up on and friends to ""friend"" on Facebook. When I am depressed, I have no desire to see what friends are doing especially if something wonderful is happening in their lives like getting married. Knowing that marriage is so far for me, I can not relate. But if I were to be totally honest, I am jealous. Jealous that they, seemingly, have normal lives. Some days I can hardly get our of bed because of the depression. My boyfriend has been so patient with me. He is a great friend and is always there for me when I can't be there for myself. Surprisingly, we met at Barnes and Noble. About 6 months ago, I was in the self-help section and he was looking for a book for his graduate studies in psychology. I did not notice him at first but smelled cigarettes and followed my nose to a thin man with a beard. I gave him on of those once overs, starting at the flash of red hair (oh how I love gingers). The beard was slightly more brown than his hair and his eyes were bright blue wearing tortoise shell Raybans. Moving down I noticed he was quite muscular despite his smallish stature. I stand 5 feet on a good day and he was a few feet taller. Wearing a white V-neck and perfectly fitted Levis, he somehow intrigued me. I moved a little closer to see if I could detect, through the cigarette smell, the cologne he was wearing. Yep, there is was, Aqua de Gio. My favorite and one that totally turns me on. I am getting slightly turned on now as I am writing this. What surprised me most was when he noticed me and asked me how my day was going. I blushed a little and said ""Great, now"". He asked me to have coffee with him in the Starbucks at the book store and as they say...""the rest is history""." +"Dear Diary, a few months back I started training for my new position with the US Census Bureau, and I wanted to tell you about my experience. Firstly, it took an incredibly long amount of time and too much energy. I don't think it needed to be as stressful as it was. It was strenuous and tiring, all for a job that is supposed to be relatively simple. My trainers were not trained in the subject matter themselves and have never worked in this position. Because of that, they had a hard time going over the subject matter with us as a class and it was painful to witness them struggle. I regret the entire experience, as I was offered a better position some weeks later with a better pay amount and less stressful training. It took SO LONG to complete, every training class was 3 hours long and we did several classes a day. The organizers were incompetent, and this was a mistake by far. I learned my lesson and so far I am much happier in my new position. I have made many friends and feel competent in the training I have received thus far. Moral of the story, never work for the US Census Bureau. I am happy to move on. Time to go to my new job now. Thank you for listening Diary." +"My grandmother passed away only three months ago. It feels like yesterday because her passing was so painful for me. She was suffering so much, and I felt guilty feeling like her passing was a relief at the time. While her passing away was a relief because she wasn't suffering anymore, I feel totally lost and lonely without her. I viewed my grandma as my mom because she raised me from the time that I was born. I feel so alone now. My own mother couldn't handle motherhood, so my grandma filled that role for me. Actually saying she filled that role is a huge understatement. She devoted herself (emotionally and time) entirely to me. I have memories of her when I was young coming to all of my school events, and cheering me on at sports events. She talked me through hard times with friends and boyfriends as I got older. She also encouraged me to work hard in school which I did. Due to her encouragement, I got into college and she paid for everything. I did really well in college, and immediately got a job I love right after graduation. I feel really sad because I am not married yet, and always dreamed that she would meet my future husband and children. I am still in shock that she died so quickly because I always viewed her as a healthy person. She went to all of her physicals, and it seemed like her cancer came out of nowhere. I have no idea how her cancer wasn't caught through routine blood work that she had at her last physical. I feel angry, but those feelings of anger are now being replaced by feelings of sadness." +"The thing that comes to mind of something memorable in the last six months would be my brother getting married. My brother and I have been close since I can remember. Life has lead us in different directions and caused us to distant because of his relocation for work. I still feel like he is one of the only people who know me best. So when he asked me to be the best man in his wedding, I was honored. We all gathered before hand, the wedding party just the groom and groomsmen because of the bad luck seeing your spouse and all. We where getting ready and chatting when we suddenly realized one of the groomsman who was one of my brothers friends was not with us. One at time we started calling him on his cell phone. We called and called for around a half hour. The wedding was going to begin in about another hour and a half. We decided to go looking for my brothers friend/groomsmen because we had seen him earlier that day. In fact he was with us when entered the facility the wedding was taking place at. We decided that maybe his phone was dead and we should go search for him. So me and cousin who was also a groomsmen went to look for him. We looked and looked but didnt have any luck. After half an hour we went back to tell my brother we couldnt find him. With about an hour left until wedding things became panicky. About 20 minutes later of chaos and panic we got a call from housekeeping. My brothers friend who is almost 30 years old was passed out drunk in the closet where they keep extra chairs and tables. After he was confronted he began to cry about his drinking problem. This lead to a quick chat about him and who he was and what he needed to do. We didnt have him in the wedding and just went with an uneven number of groomsmen and bridesmaid's. I havent heard from my brothers friend in awhile nor about him but it was very eye opening. It made me realize how fortunate I am to be free of an addiction. He wasnt someone you would expect to go through something like this and I hope he gets better." +We got to the wedding around 10 am and I started taking the pictures before the the wedding. Everybody was setting up the stuff and I ended up taking the dresses with out the husband seeing them so I could take pictures of them first. I then took some pictures of the groom men and then the bride and the bride maids. I took a few of the maid of honor and the groom together. I took some pictures of the reception and the bride and groom together where the couldn't see themselves. I then went back to where the bride was and took some of them her getting ready. I then went back in the church where she was having her wedding and waited and made sure I had my camera ready to take there pictures coming in. I then started taking pictures of the wedding party and they looked so beautiful and it was a very pretty wedding. I then waited on the bride to come in and I started taking pictures of her and the groom and there very first moments together. Then after the wedding I started taking pictures of the whole wedding party and the mother and father of the groom and bride. We then went over to the reception and I started taking pictures there when everybody came in and it was so beautiful. The bride and groom had there first dance and where they cut the cake and I took pictures of everybody that was eating and dancing. We then went outside and I took pictures of then driving off in an old nice jeep. I ended up leaving very late and taking the little ones home and watching them till everybody left. It was a fun and beautiful nice day for a wedding. +"She stands in the front of the church; her face carefully set into a pleasant expression, her breathing slow. The knuckles of her right hand, however, are white with rage as she clutches her camera. She knows that in a matter of moments, the doors to the sanctuary will be flung open and the first notes of the processional will fill the air. Guests will rise and, as if in unison, arms holding camera phones will extend into the aisle. Those not sitting on the coveted aisle seat will raise their phone or tablet into the air. Not just family and friends, but co-workers and “plus-ones” — people with no vested interest in the bride cramming to get a photograph. Yes, she knows that in a few seconds, the church will be filled with Camera Phone paparazzi, rending her official task impossible. She grips the camera tighter and continues to breathe deep breaths. And then…she sees it. A selfie stick. She isn’t sure to whom it belongs, but it doesn’t matter. It is there, extended midway into the aisle. A Sword of Narcissism extending from the hands of a disrespectful guest. And something deep within her snaps. She gently places her camera on the floor behind her and begins walking down the aisle. She finds she no longer has control over her legs; they refuse to stop. She thinks, for a moment, if this is how it feels to be possessed. An almost out of body experience. She watches with fascination as a hand she recognizes as her own reaches out and yanks the selfie stick from its surprised owner. She grasps it with both hands and holds it high above her head, much the same way one would when presenting an item of tribute. And then, in one swift move, she raises her knee and brings the selfie stick down, breaking it in two. With a deep sigh of satisfaction, she hands both pieces back to the startled owner and makes her way triumphantly to her position at the front of the church. She will never photograph another wedding after this. Rumors of her instability will spread far and wide. But within the wedding photography community, tales of her heroic deed will be whispered with reverence, songs will be created in her honor, and her name submitted to the Vatican for Sainthood." +"She stands in the front of the church; her face carefully set into a pleasant expression, her breathing slow. The knuckles of her right hand, however, are white with rage as she clutches her camera. She knows that in a matter of moments, the doors to the sanctuary will be flung open and the first notes of the processional will fill the air. Guests will rise and, as if in unison, arms holding camera phones will extend into the aisle. Those not sitting on the coveted aisle seat will raise their phone or tablet into the air. Not just family and friends, but co-workers and “plus-ones” — people with no vested interest in the bride cramming to get a photograph. Yes, she knows that in a few seconds, the church will be filled with Camera Phone paparazzi, rending her official task impossible. She grips the camera tighter and continues to breathe deep breaths. And then…she sees it. A selfie stick. She isn’t sure to whom it belongs, but it doesn’t matter. It is there, extended midway into the aisle. A Sword of Narcissism extending from the hands of a disrespectful guest. And something deep within her snaps. She gently places her camera on the floor behind her and begins walking down the aisle. She finds she no longer has control over her legs; they refuse to stop. She thinks, for a moment, if this is how it feels to be possessed. An almost out of body experience. She watches with fascination as a hand she recognizes as her own reaches out and yanks the selfie stick from its surprised owner. She grasps it with both hands and holds it high above her head, much the same way one would when presenting an item of tribute. And then, in one swift move, she raises her knee and brings the selfie stick down, breaking it in two. With a deep sigh of satisfaction, she hands both pieces back to the startled owner and makes her way triumphantly to her position at the front of the church. She will never photograph another wedding after this. Rumors of her instability will spread far and wide. But within the wedding photography community, tales of her heroic deed will be whispered with reverence, songs will be created in her honor, and her name submitted to the Vatican for Sainthood." +"I was able to go to my brothers wedding a few months ago. It ended up being in a really beautiful place. It was in a secluded place in the mountains. I had never been to this area before, but I would like to go back. The area made me feel nostalgic for some reason. The wedding itself was small and quick. It didn't last long and the church was small but beautiful. There were not too many people there, it was was a nice little ceremony. I wish that more people on my brothers side were there. My brothers wife had a lot of family there which is fine. The after party was nice. There was good food that were catered. All around the people there were nice as well. I think my brother was happy so that's all that matters. I had fun at the end of the day and it was a nice experience. It kind of made me wonder if I will ever get married and where. I still think about the location and how beautiful it was." +"I was able to go to my brothers wedding a few months ago. It was very memorable because it was a whole lot different than his first wedding. His first wedding was hard for me. I had to drive a few states over to get to it. It was close to a 15 hour drive and it was just draining. And by the time the wedding happened, I was done. This one with the new wife was much more simpler. I was closer so the drive wasnt bad. I also like the girl he was marrying this time. It was a small wedding and it was in a beautiful area. I think that is what I remember the most was the mountains surrounding everywhere. It was just a nice time and I know my brother appreciated me and other friends showing up there. The actual wedding was quick and to the point which was nice. The after party had good food and it was a nice and peaceful time. It was also in the mountains which was pretty. Even when I left I kind of felt sad, it was a fun time that wasnt going to happen to me for awhile. I am not sure I will get married, but I wouldnt mind it be like this. It was just a simple and fun time to be around. I miss it already." +Last week I won my first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu match! I was so nervous about competing and I can't believe I actually won! I can't describe how amazing it felt to win! I worked so hard training for this tournament and my hard work paid off. I was so happy after winning and has motivated me to keep training in Jiu Jitsu. I believe I found something I could really be good at. The match wasn't as hard as I was expecting and I would have loved to keep competing that day. I hope I can be in another tournament. I know that I will have to train harder than ever so I can keep winning matches. I want to start a new workout routine that includes Jiu Jitsu as well as other exercises to help me with the next competition. I also want to get my diet in check so my body will be in tip top shape for competing. I still can't get over the fact that I won!! My mind keeps replaying the match and I feel silly for being so nervous. I keep trying to focus on my new training regiment but I just keep going back to the memory of the match. I am so happy that my hard work paid off and I have found something I believe I am good at. I am already counting down to my next match! +"So I started preparing in July for this competition. I was inspired by the new coach at our gym to compete much more frequently. I had also lost fairly decisively at a tournament in February - I needed redemption. I prepared in several different ways. First, I needed to lose about 5 pounds. This takes a good amount of self-discipline, as your body has a hard time readjusting to a caloric deficit. I removed carbs and also just ate less in general, eating a minimum of protein and veggies necessary. I lost about 7 pounds total and was in great shape. My cardio was another issue. I needed to boost my stamina, as in my previous competition I had biked vigorously but still fatigued. My new strategy was to spar at other gyms as often as I could. Fighting someone unfamiliar to you will make you more competitive and more uneasy, which is exactly what a tournament is. The tournament itself was almost disappointing, as it seemed my opponents did not provide enough of a challenge. Who you fight on the day of will always be random. But the lessons I learned in preparation were eye-opening. I came out of this experience a stronger person." +Last week I won my first Brazilian Jiu Jitsu match! I was so nervous about competing and I can't believe I actually won! I can't describe how amazing it felt to win! I worked so hard training for this tournament and my hard work paid off. I was so happy after winning and has motivated me to keep training in Jiu Jitsu. I believe I found something I could really be good at. The match wasn't as hard as I was expecting and I would have loved to keep competing that day. I hope I can be in another tournament. I know that I will have to train harder than ever so I can keep winning matches. I want to start a new workout routine that includes Jiu Jitsu as well as other exercises to help me with the next competition. I also want to get my diet in check so my body will be in tip top shape for competing. I still can't get over the fact that I won!! My mind keeps replaying the match and I feel silly for being so nervous. I keep trying to focus on my new training regiment but I just keep going back to the memory of the match. I am so happy that my hard work paid off and I have found something I believe I am good at. I am already counting down to my next match! +"So, I had a bad couple of weeks recently. One morning, I woke up and did my normal morning routine. I heard the neighbors upstairs getting ready to leave, as usual. A few minutes after I heard the mom and kid leave, I heard a really loud noise from up there. I thought maybe the boyfriend had dropped something heavy. I didn't think too much of it because I heard footsteps afterward and figured all was well. About 5 to 10 minutes later, there was loud banging on my front door and people yelling outside. The apartment above mine was on fire and I had to get my son up and get out. It seems as though the neighbor's boyfriend did something to set the fire, which is probably the noise I had heard. It burned really hot and fast. My apartment became unlivable due to water and smoke damage, so we were forced to move to another apartment. We are now almost settled into our new apartment. It has been difficult to manage, and we still need to replace some of the furniture we lost. We could have filed a personal property insurance claim, but most of what was lost wasn't really worth anything since it was second-hand older items for the most part. I can't help but to keep thinking about it. I wonder what might have happened if I had slept late that day. I don't know that we would have been okay if I wasn't awake, or if it had burned just a little faster." +"Today was a very good Sunday. I was invited to lead the music at a joint church service at a church I've never been to before. A church in a city a bit far off, they asked if I could lead their music. I was floored by the invitation. The pastor of that asked for me specifically. He had visited my church a couple of times before and saw how we run our music for our liturgy. As the leader of my church's music, I only expected to only lead music for my church. I never really had no thoughts of leading other churches in the near future. Then a couple weeks before this day, my pastor told me that the pastor of another church we will be joining services with asked me to lead their music for our joint service. I was initially in shock, but jumped at the chance to serve where I was able to do. After I finished leading music at the church, I felt great and more sure of my abilities. The church members were very thankful for my services and enjoyed the all a'cappella approach I institute at my own church. They told me how they enjoyed just hearing voices to sing hymns and how much more participation the congregation there was than before. I am very grateful for the opportunity I was given and how blessed myself and others were in the service I was able to give. I hope I get opportunities like this again, but to remember that it is all for the glory of God and not myself." +"I was having a wonderful, much needed vacation day. I was visiting a park with my dog. The weather was perfect. There was a cool breeze and lots of sun. Just what I needed after a hectic couple of months. I'd been working non-stop. It seemed like I had been working for weeks on end. Really quite a grind over the holiday season. I have been trying to make some extra money to by the kids some presents. They have been so good this year, I had been taking on as many extra hours as I could at work. Then it came. A text from work. I thought it was about taking on another shift, but no. They actually texted me that I was fired. Fired on my day off. I was stunned. I worked so hard for them and this is how they treat me. Thinking back over the year, it's been rough. This is my second job this year and I put all I had into it. I had lost my previous job earlier this year. I wanted to make a success of this one but I failed yet again." +"I went to my Mother-in-laws birthday part with my wife and kids. This is her 75th Birthday, my wife really was looking forward to her party. We all had the day off for this great event. We knew we would see my wife's sister and her family too. We stop to get some wine for the party. I went inside to get the wine but forgot my wallet in the car. I had to go back to the car. My wife and kids were getting uneasy waiting. I had to calm them down a bit, then went to get the wine. Once back in the store the chip reader was broken. This meant I had to get cash. Luckily there was a ATM outside the store. I got the cash and got the wine. I returned to the car and everybody was yelling. Lets go! So we went on our way and arrived at my sister-in-laws house." +"One of the most memorable things that happened to me recently was when I missed my flight to the airport. I was flying from Vancouver, Canada back to my hometown in New York. I was in Vancouver for a Spring internship that lasted four months. So needless to say, I was carrying a lot of stuff. I had two enormous suitcases and my carry-on backpack. Unfortunately, for me, I woke up late on the day of my flight. My flight was scheduled to leave at 6 am. I woke up at four-thirty and raced to the airport. Nonetheless, it was too late. I was stranded. I had already spent most of my money on rent and food during the internship. I didn't have a credit card, only a debit card with a purchase limit of $100 and $40 in cash. This was not enough to pay a new flight back to New York. I was sure that I was going to have to spend the night at the airport until I could get a hold of my parents. I told my story to a West Jet agent, I'll call Mike. Mike was a godsend. He spoke to his supervisor and pulled some strings to get me on the next flight back to NYC. I only paid $50 for the extremely discounted ticket. I was so happy and grateful. That was one of the few times in my life that I've seen someone truly go out of their way to help someone in need." +"So tonight I met up with Rob again. I know, we have been seeing each other a lot lately! I thought it was time for me to tell him about my past. Yup, I finally told him what happened with my last boyfriend, Bill. I was so scared, but it worked out great! Hold on, let me start from the beginning. Rob asked me to go out with him tonight to Olive Garden. I know it's not super fancy, but it is one of my favorite restaurants. So we arrived and decided to share our food and have more variety. So we ordered a large Seafood Alfredo,, the trio of appetizers, and desert. With unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks of course. We were just starting on our desert when I worked up the nerve. I told Rob about what Bill did. I let him know why I had such trouble opening up and why I was always just a little bit scared even when things seemed perfect. I thought he would see me differently. Instead he decided to open up to me. His last girlfriend had passed away in a car wreck about 3 years ago and that's why he could be a bit clingy at times. OMG I had no clue! Poor Rob! We sat and talked for about an hour after that. The poor waiter! We did leave a nice tip though to make up for it. I just feel so free now and I am glad that me opening up only deepened out relationship." +"It was late summer, and my wife was getting crabby. The humidity, our two-year-old son and one-year-old Jack Russell Terrier had long begun to wear on her two-weeks-overdue body. To our delight, that crescendo of fatigue, discomfort and anticipation was short lived. Baby Abigail, ""Abbie"" (or as we call her ""Abbie P"" - the P is for ""peanut"") was born In early September, just in time to cut short our Labor Day picnic. Abbie's brother, Sam, fell in love with his baby sister from the moment he laid eyes on her. I would hold her down where he could go nose to nose with her but not get too rough. Sometimes when Pam was breastfeeding, Sam would give them both a knowing grin, as it was in the not too far distant past that he enjoyed such nutritive and bonding moments with his mom. Vivian the Jack Russell went bonkers when she saw the new addition to her little people posse. More than once we found her resting her head on Abbie's carrier, gazing at her as she slept, with a longing look for the day that Abbie would be able to scoot around like Sam. Pam and I are, needless to say, overjoyed. We wanted one of each, a family of four. In fact, the day we met in Westerly 5 years ago, we talked about how many children each of us would like to have and our answers matched. Funny for a first encounter, perhaps, but the beach was warm, the drinks were colorful and tequila-heavy, and our mutual group of friends decided love and marriage would be the topic on such a sultry day. Today our cocktails have become coffee, the dark roast blend we need to answer the call of kid and canine alike. When the kids get a little older, we'd like to buy a little summer cottage on one of the side streets near Misquamicut. They can build castles in the sand, the dog can catch a Frisbee, and Pam and I can happily remember the first day of the start of our family, again and again." +"I've been looking for a car for a few months and I found one that I really liked. It had heated seats, a great stereo system, and new rims. It looked perfect online. I had set up a meeting with the owner a few weeks ago and was excited to look at it. We met up at a best buy parking lot and it was everything he had said and more. He said he had a few other interested buyers so I wanted to hurry and pull out the money. When I had checked my account though there was a hold on my payments from Amazon and there was nothing I could do. It was really embarrassing and difficult to let the car go. We had been standing in the best buy parking lot for awhile. I begged him to hold the car for me. I went back online though yesterday and found the same car! It is a newer model though and its grey! I was able to meet up with the girl today and buy it. We are going to go change the title into my name tomorrow. Amazon even sent me the $400 I was waiting for. Things are looking up." +"I've been looking for a car for a few months and I found one that I really liked. It had heated seats, a great stereo system, and new rims. It looked perfect online. I had set up a meeting with the owner a few weeks ago and was excited to look at it. We met up at a best buy parking lot and it was everything he had said and more. He said he had a few other interested buyers so I wanted to hurry and pull out the money. When I had checked my account though there was a hold on my payments from Amazon and there was nothing I could do. It was really embarrassing and difficult to let the car go. We had been standing in the best buy parking lot for awhile. I begged him to hold the car for me. I went back online though yesterday and found the same car! It is a newer model though and its grey! I was able to meet up with the girl today and buy it. We are going to go change the title into my name tomorrow. Amazon even sent me the $400 I was waiting for. Things are looking up." +"Well, it's been a month now that my sister and her kids moved away to the other side of the US. I can't believe I still feel so depressed about all of them leaving; it still feel so painful to me when I think about it. It's been so hard adjusting to not getting to see her all the time and almost worse is not getting to spend so much time with my niece and nephew. They're at that age where they're not really kids anymore but young adults and I was so looking forward to helping through the transition into adulthood. I understand why Sis had to leave, she had a great job opportunity that would make all of their lives better, but I just really feel left behind. I did finally make that therapy appointment I promised myself I would do. I go to my first appointment in three days. I'm actually looking forward to it and I really hope it will help me put things in perspective and sort of find a new thing to find more meaning in my life. I've been going out more with my friends and that's helps a lot for me to feel connected and like I still have a ""family"" around me, even though they aren't technically family. They've helped a lot since I decided to let more people into my life and try to fill the void left my Sis and kids leaving. Ya' know, as I'm sitting here writing about all of this and thinking about it, I think I should actually just get that plane ticket and plan a vacation to go and see them. They've been asking me to see them and their new place. I've been so depressed about everything that I keep saying no, but I think I probably should go and see them. I'm sure it would be great to see them and I really want to. I guess I'm just worried that when I have to leave all feel terrible all over again. I think I'll talk about this in my therapy appointment. I'm also really open to any suggestions the therapist has on how I can turn this situation around and make something, anything, really good come out of this. I guess I do have a lot to be thankful for." +Three months ago a trail of events happened that was really awful for me and my family. First my mom fell and was hospitalized. The she had to go to rehab to be able to function better but instead of getting better she had to go to a nursing home. The doctors really didn't think she could live safely at home. Shortly after she died in the nursing home. It was the day we got the whole family together to visit her. I am really devastated about this all happening so fast. I still feel like I should be able to contact her anytime. I sometimes wonder if I just speak into the sky if she will hear me. I really should know better. I have never believed in that stuff. My family has been really supportive of one another. I am really glad they are all able to lean on each other. I am happy I have my boyfriend and my son to help me keep my mind off of it. I just don't know if I will ever stop grieving. +Three months ago a trail of events happened that was really awful for me and my family. First my mom fell and was hospitalized. The she had to go to rehab to be able to function better but instead of getting better she had to go to a nursing home. The doctors really didn't think she could live safely at home. Shortly after she died in the nursing home. It was the day we got the whole family together to visit her. I am really devastated about this all happening so fast. I still feel like I should be able to contact her anytime. I sometimes wonder if I just speak into the sky if she will hear me. I really should know better. I have never believed in that stuff. My family has been really supportive of one another. I am really glad they are all able to lean on each other. I am happy I have my boyfriend and my son to help me keep my mind off of it. I just don't know if I will ever stop grieving. +"I have chrones disease. Since my last journal entry I have been to the hospital twice, had two flare-ups, and multiple bouts of pain in the abdomen. Life changing? Yes,. Fun? No, not at all. Since I have last written my journal entry I have had panic attacks. Many panic attacks. I know this sounds trivial but they start when a flare-up starts and it tunes me into a cycle of throwing up and pain. Thats the worst part of it all is the pain that follows and although I use medical marijuana for PTSD, I am beginning to see that it isnt quite strong enough to stop the pain. I go to the hospital when it gets bad and they have to give me strong stuff to stop it. The thing is, I honestly think I am going to need prescription pain medicine to actually keep around in these events and nowadays you have to be close to dead to get that kind of medicine. I know people abuse it, but people abuse everything and its really just, unfair? In PA, if you have a medical marijuana card, you cant get pain medicine and if I stop using the dispensaries there is no guarantee my doctor will give me pain medicine. It feels like a big mess and thinking about it stresses me even more. Why do we even regulate it?" +"One day before my 36th birthday of 2019, I woke up that morning in horrible abdominal pain. I didn't know then but this would be a changing day in my life. Not sure what it was, I spent a good portion of the day in the bathroom crying and throwing up. My girlfriend convinced me to let her take me to the emergency room and when I got there the pain was so bad the doctor had to give me morphine. The doctor had me do a ton of tests that night and into the next day with the conclusion being that this was a flareup caused by Crones Disease. My jaw dropped. I was then told this is a chronic disease and that my lifestyle would dramatically have to be altered if I am to have any type of life whatsoever. This news hit me like a ton of bricks. No longer would I be able to devour a t-bone steak for dinner or wash it down with alcohol or any type of soda for that matter. I would have to eat healthy and be observant of my meals. I would have to read nutrition labels and stay away from red meats. All of this overwhelmed me as I sat in the hospital bed taking it all in. What I most remember about this day was thinking to myself, "" All of those years my mom told me to eat healthy and I ignored her!"" I have never had to deal with an actual disease I have! This whole event scares me even now. I know this is a chronic disease and its hard to manage now, let alone years down the road." +"I received a message on Facebook from my brother-in-law's girlfriend asking if he could come to our home and stay until he got off drugs. The area where they lived was full of temptations for him. This would make it more difficult to get off the drugs. He has had bad experiences with rehab in the past and didn't want to go back. We agreed to let him stay. Things started out ok, but went downhill quickly. He began to withdraw from the drugs. He felt ill, was irritable and cranky. He wanted my husband to help him get drugs, just enough to ease him through the worst of it, but I didn't want him to. I know my brother-in-law pretty well and I believed that he would go back to his habits if given the chance. He got really upset with me and my husband. He would mope around the house and barely speak to us. My mother-in-law came to visit him once and he got really upset with her because she wouldn't give him any money. He ended up going home without even saying goodbye. He is still upset with both of us and will hardly speak to us if we are all visiting at my husband's mom's house." +"My husband and I tried to help his brother get off drugs by allowing him to stay at our home for several weeks. He shoots up regularly and has damaged himself so badly that at one point doctors thought his arm might need to be amputated. His girlfriend texted me begging us to help him. At first my husband was reluctant, but I was afraid that his brother would overdose and then he would feel guilty that he hadn't helped him, so I convinced him to do it. It was a difficult time for me and my family because it's hard watching someone you care about go through such a painful experience. It disrupted our regular routine and made life more hectic. He didn't follow the house rules we set and didn't get along well with my husband while he was here. He refused to go to rehab, so even though it was hard we felt like we didn't have much choice. He got really sick while he was with us and got upset because we wouldn't help him get more drugs. He has a tendency to feel sorry for himself, which really gets on my nerves, and so the tension was high. It made life difficult for my kids, which really upset me. It was not a good time for our family and I wish now that we hadn't made the choice to invite him in because it didn't really help. He left our home and started taking drugs again and is still upset with both of us. He avoids us at family gatherings, writes unkind things about us on Facebook and acts as though it's our fault that he's still on drugs. Also, his girlfriend kicked him out and he's virtually homeless now, which he also tries to partially blame on us." +"Well, I think that I just lost my best friend. They haven't spoken to me in some time and I don't quite understand why. I'm so confused because less than a month ago, we were fine, we weren't fighting or saying anything stupid. We were just existing and being best friends. I had a weird feeling just before they stopped talking to me, like something was off. I figured it was nothing and chose to ignore it. But now I'm convinced that it wasn't quite like that. They told me that they had been avoiding people and trying to just live, that they had been tired and busy all of the time. This makes sense, but I don't know when you stop being busy, or when you're too busy for someone you care about. I always figure it takes just a minute, even less, to answer someone's texts or to say, ""Hey, I'm sorry, I'm a little busy, I'll let you know what's going on later."" It's bothering me so much. I'm stressing about it almost constantly. I can't get it off my mind. I'm really hurt, because I don't know how it goes from being best friends and always talking, to this. I don't know where that comes from and I also know I didn't do anything wrong, so what happened? I didn't say anything that I think would be offensive or taken the wrong way. Where does that friendship go? Where do you draw the line between always wanting someone around, to completely ignoring them and deleting them from your life?" +"It's been over six months since I crashed my bike. I remember it like it was yesterday. The pain was unreal. I was riding through the neighborhood to work at my part time pizza job. No, I don't deliver on the bike, I just make the pizzas inside the store. Well, I'm really not sure what happened. I live in a rough neighborhood, so I think my wheel hit a piece of broken concrete. Next thing I knew, I was face first into cement. The way I landed, I actually broke my ankle. It swelled up immediately, and the pain was unreal. A nice old lady sat with me while the ambulance came. I didn't have health insurance, and still don't, so I sobbed from both pain and stress. Hospital visit was frustrating. I was there almost five hours and all they did was give me crutches and a cast. Not being able to get around was really the worst part. I got behind on bills and paid my credit card a couple months late. That was fun. Being a part time employee meant no benefits of course. I actually had to move back in with my mom after that. But it's okay, I was able to get healthy and I actually ended up enrolling in online classes. It's going pretty well. Hopefully I will get a better job soon. My life was really going no where so maybe the bike crash was a blessing in disguise." +"My grandfather, whom I was very close to, died recently. The funeral was two weeks ago. It was hard for me to cope with this because I was very close to him. We arranged the funeral and it was a beautiful ceremony, but it was an awful experience. Not only did I have to deal with the fact that he is gone, I also had to deal with my dad's shoveling of causes. After the funeral, something happened that caused people to leave said funeral in disgust and disdain. I had no idea what happened at first. My grandmother, who suffered quite a bit as a result of her husband passing, was approached by my father. I was being consoled for feeling like I was, but that didn't change the fact that my dad did this. He approached my grandmother, for what I thought was condolences. That would have been well and fine. Unfortunately, that wasn't what happened. I found out that my father took advantage of the fact that grandma was alone and away from people. He tried to convince her to join GLAD, and didn't even bother to feel the room out. I thought it was in really poor taste." +"You ever have one of those moments that you just that really just make being a parent worth it? You know, that moment that you'll be able to look back on and still remember ever little detail, because it just means that much to you? I was lucky enough to be able to experience that with Cash a few months ago. A few girlfriends and I had planned a last minute trip to Clearwater for a girls weekend. Somehow both Lydia's kids and Stacey's kids came down with this god awful stomach bug, so I asked Cash if he wanted to go instead. Spa days aren't exactly a five year old's idea of a grand time, so I knew I had to come up with something that both Cash and I would enjoy. On the flight to Clearwater, we discussed what we wanted to do and decided that fishing would be such an awesome experience for both of us. I grew up fishing, but Cash hadn't gone yet, since his dad wasn't exactly the outdoorsy type. After a quick Google search and car rental, we were off to the pier to get our fishing permits and gear. When we got to the marina, I paid for the permits and sent Cash to the coolers to look at the bait. I just knew that the live worms and other bait were going to give him quite the shock. The little squeal he let out when he realized the bait was alive gave me a good laugh. After I paid the cashier, I collected our fishing rods and grabbed Cash's hand. It was time to show Cash the joys of fishing. We sat our stuff on the bench near the edge of the dock and I showed him how to bait his hook, and then we did some practice casts. After we both felt confident that he had grasped the concept, I told him to cast off the pier and get ready to do a lot of waiting. I swear, no sooner than his lure hit the water, he had a bite. He squealed with joy as he started reeling in his line. When he finally got the fish on the dock, I helped him remove the hook and toss the fish in the bucket, and repeated the process again. Cash caught a total of twelve fish in the three hours we were there, meanwhile I only caught a measly two. My pride was a little hurt that my five year old just showed me up at fishing, something that I grew up doing, but I could not have been more proud. I think I might have passed on my love for fishing to Cash and that is totally worth it." +"When we crossed the water for the first time over a giant sequoia bridge in Clearwater, FL, I saw a decent fish just sitting in an eddy of the rock-strewn bottom. I got excited because that meant there might be decent fishing. We finish our hike (looping back to this bridge again) by mid afternoon. I get my stuff out and rigged up and start tossing bugs. Every offering, this fish beneath the bridge would short strike but never take. I switched to an ant and had my son grab it and let go. I figured it was time to let him cool down because I thought I could catch him on that pattern, but he had seen it too much to take it at that point. I went downstream, fishing the seams and holes I could find. As I walked downstream surrounded by these sequoias 40 feet around, I came to this pool at the end of a run. It looked fishy. You know what feeling when you're fishing new water but you get to a spot and laugh to yourself that if there's no fish in there you might as well pack it up now? It was that king of spot. I toss out my ant pattern from before, right at the bottom of the run before it opens up into a slow slow drift over a hole that was at least three times deeper than any hole I had seen up to that point. I look down to manage my line and prepare for a couple of mends to get that fly to drift perfectly through that hole. When I looked up I saw the silhouette of what would be considered Jaws in this tiny stream. He was nearly at my fly and then he pounded that thing. Not some measly sip. This big boy knew how to eat. I got a great hookset and it was game on. Within the first ten seconds this fish had launched itself two full body-lengths out of the water three times. It was an absolute rocket. It had all the room in the world to swim down because the pool was so deep, and then launch itself straight out of the water like it was straight out of Cape Canaveral. My son had assisted me by pulling the fish out of water, we had both fell back and on the dock. After we finished fishing, we went back home where my wife made dinner and my son was just smiling because he had a great time." +"It finally happened! I got a promotion and a raise! This happened 3 months ago, but I neglected to tell you about it! I have worked hard and long for this and finally I can start making head ways! My had started the week after I got the promotion. I couldn't be happier! I even got to move into a new office. Bye bye, little cubicle! It was weird in a way because I really thought R was next in line for the promotion... but who am I to complain? I couldn't wait to tell my parents! They were happy for me and I can start paying them back as well. That should make them happy even more. I know they don't even expect it and that makes me sweeter. This is just a first step toward my future. I am sure I will stay with this company for some time. At last, things are looking up. Thank you God!" +"It finally happened! I got a promotion and a raise! This happened 3 months ago, but I neglected to tell you about it! I have worked hard and long for this and finally I can start making head ways! My had started the week after I got the promotion. I couldn't be happier! I even got to move into a new office. Bye bye, little cubicle! It was weird in a way because I really thought R was next in line for the promotion... but who am I to complain? I couldn't wait to tell my parents! They were happy for me and I can start paying them back as well. That should make them happy even more. I know they don't even expect it and that makes me sweeter. This is just a first step toward my future. I am sure I will stay with this company for some time. At last, things are looking up. Thank you God!" +"There are many events in life that serve as kinds of life changing moments. These times alter the way we perceive things and even test us. One of the most prominent examples for me is my miscarriage. My husband and I had been trying unsuccessfully to conceive for a year. We even consulted with professionals who were soon able to help us conceive. We were both ecstatic! We finally turned that spare bedroom we had been using as an office into our future child's room. We thought about possible names. We settled on Dana if it was a girl and Dale if it was a boy. We realized it was quite early on, but the excitement just overtook us. This excitement would soon change to a different feeling. I was at work one afternoon about two weeks after we found out and felt sick. I was very worried, but it passed and I thought nothing of it. About one week later, the unthinkable. I went in for a routine exam with my doctor who gave us the shock of our lives. Our sweet baby's heart had stopped beating. I was devastated and in disbelief. I refused to acknowledge the news. Reality set in three weeks later when I miscarried. My doctor suggested I write my thoughts in a journal as therapy, but the emotional pain is still there." +When I graduated business school is what a memorable day. It was on the most memorable days ever. I had worked hard to business school and my entire family came to see the occasion. I spent many nights staying up late studying. I was happy that I was done business school but also sad that I would no longer be able to see my friends each day. I would try thou to still be in contact with my fellow classmates. I was surprised at the end of the ceremony that I was given an award for my leadership study I had done while attending the school. I did not know I was even in the running for this award. I got a medal as well as a nice certificate. I have the medal in my office to remind me of my hard work. This is a big deal for me because it will allow me to advance my career and help my family moving forward. I did not cry during the event but I did come close to crying many times. Anytime I think of this day I smile. It was one of the few times my entire family was together. I wish I could go back and relieve this day again. +Last weekend was a ton of fun. I went with my husband to Walt Disney World. We rode many rides that weekend. I got to shake hands with Goofy. I hugged Minnie. I gave Mickey a fist bump. The teacup ride was very fun to ride on. Epcot center had a lot of neat cultures to observe. The Star Wars area was neat. I got to hug a stormtrooper. This was a great break from the daily work grind. We got to get a break from the stress of the modern world. This weekend made us relax enough for us to not worry about the daily grind for a few days. Only thing bad about it is that it ended. Normal life will be stressful again. +Last weekend was a ton of fun. I went with my husband to Walt Disney World. We rode many rides that weekend. I got to shake hands with Goofy. I hugged Minnie. I gave Mickey a fist bump. The teacup ride was very fun to ride on. Epcot center had a lot of neat cultures to observe. The Star Wars area was neat. I got to hug a stormtrooper. This was a great break from the daily work grind. We got to get a break from the stress of the modern world. This weekend made us relax enough for us to not worry about the daily grind for a few days. Only thing bad about it is that it ended. Normal life will be stressful again. +"Three weeks ago, I and a group of friends visited Cancun. It was a nice time to visit Mexico, and it was a really good experience. We saw the Mayan performance at Xcaret, and that was the highlight of our trip. We really enjoyed the performance. We saw a lot of cool stuff. We met a lot of cool people too. There was a day we visited some old structures off the beaten path. we were shown really old architecture. It was cool, and I took a lot of pictures. We ate a lot of local food, and I loved it. We drank the local brew and loved it. A lot of locals liked us. They showed us around. They also welcomed us. We will definitely return." +"Three weeks ago, I and a group of friends visited Cancun. It was a nice time to visit Mexico, and it was a really good experience. We saw the Mayan performance at Xcaret, and that was the highlight of our trip. We really enjoyed the performance. We saw a lot of cool stuff. We met a lot of cool people too. There was a day we visited some old structures off the beaten path. we were shown really old architecture. It was cool, and I took a lot of pictures. We ate a lot of local food, and I loved it. We drank the local brew and loved it. A lot of locals liked us. They showed us around. They also welcomed us. We will definitely return." +"We packed all 5 of us, plus our two dogs, into the truck. We threw our luggage and bikes into the bed of the truck, and hit the road. The trip was long, but fairly uneventful. About 12 hours later, we arrived at the lake house. Although the weather wasn't the best the whole time, we had a ton of fun. The rainy or cold days, we sat around the cabin and read books and put together puzzles. On the sunny and warm days, the kids spend the whole day in the lake. We particularly enjoyed riding the jet-ski, and the younger children had a blast getting to drive it for the first time. We took them out on trails on 4-wheelers, and as always, they loved it. We also took the truck to gather firewood, but damaged the tailgate in the process! It was pretty entertaining when our youngest got stuck on the wrong side of the fence at the border crossing, but that was quickly resolved. After a week, we packed everything back up, and began the long trek back home. We chose to make the return trip at night, in order to minimize stops. After driving all night, I was EXHAUSTED when we arrived home at 4am! We're all counting down the weeks until we go again!" +"Wow, this happened two weeks ago and I haven't even begun to process the grief and upset. My boyfriend's grandmother passed away, and while we weren't technically family, she definitely felt like a family member to me. She had always been so sweet and welcoming to me and I felt very close to her. When she had to go into the nursing home after her knee replacement surgery, it wasn't that big of a deal because it was only for rehabilitation, so it wasn't like she was giving up her independence. She was going to be back in her own home in about 6 weeks. But she never went home. During orthopedic rehab she fell and injured her other leg. Of course everyone in her family was upset and so was I, but we still didn't think that it was a life threatening injury. Then, after she was transferred back to the hospital, she developed a blood clot in the leg, it shot to her lungs and she was gone overnight. My reaction was shock, I could hardly believe it could happen like that. At first my boyfriend and the rest of the family seemed to be reacting the same way, in other words in an appropriate way. Then after the funeral, things started to change. People started making comments along the lines of how they felt relieved that she was gone because they wouldn't have wanted to take care of her if she hadn't recovered well from the fall injury. More and more family member started to agree with this, even my boyfriend. They all seemed to be over their grief so quickly. This response has been so devastating to me. It's like I can't even turn to these people in my time of grief. I honestly don't even know if I want to continue in my relationship after this because I can't believe he feels this way." +"For the past five months, since she's passed, I've been thinking about the hardest thing I've ever lived to. It's made me question my perspective on everything from my self concept to my understanding of love and the impermanence of life. Mom had a rare form of cancer that was hard to diagnose and radically aggressive. We only found out about it when she had a body MRI and the tumor was discovered in her kidney. She was given three months to live and a very high certainty of mortality in that time frame, no matter the treatment. Mom's a fighter, so she decided to live those three months as honestly and fully as possible. She moved in with us so she could spend more time with my wife, my daughter and I. It was controversial but she decided against chemo or other treatment so she could enjoy her time. In the first month we traveled to Kauai and Peru, two places she had always wanted to go, but most importantly we walked to daycare to drop off my daughter after laughing through breakfast, watched crappy gameshows and silly movies, and played games. By month two she had lost her ability to really move around, and 60 days later, she passed in her sleep. The honest and tender moments we spent together in her last days have shown me the most important words in life are, ""I love you."" I will never forget the time we spent together. My daughter will always have cherished memories of grandma, her last picture taken was at Pfeiffer park in Big Sur, snuggling with her. Sometimes life puts crises in your path to learn a hard lesson. This lesson for me is about grief. Grief is a hard emotion, but a necessary one. Without grief you cannot know love." +"The beginning of this year I noticed my elderly dog becoming more ill. He had a hard time walking, he didn't have much energy, and overall he just wasn't doing good. Some days were better than others, but for the most part he was having more good days (at the time). He was 16 at the start of 2019, he would have been 17 in July 2019. I noticed around February 2019 that he wasn't eating his normal dog food, so I began looking for alternatives so he would be able to eat. I purchased various dog foods, from wet and dry and anything else I could find. Tried different meats like fish, chicken, beef and lamb. He would eat the new dog food that I purchased him for a few days and then all of a sudden stop eating it. It got to the point where I started making his own dog food in a desperate attempt to maintain his weight. But, as much as I tried, he just wouldn't eat as much as he needed to, or wouldn't eat at all. His eyesight was getting worse, to the point where he was almost completely blind. He went deaf when he was 14 years old, so it was breaking my heart watching him lose all of his senses. It was to the point where I was considering putting him down because his quality of life just wasn't there, but then he would have a good day and it would make me question myself. Not only that, I didn't want to put down my baby. He had been my best friend for 16 years and I wasn't ready to let him go. Just writing this now is making me cry. Anyway, he wasn't doing very well but he was still having a few good days here and there, but I noticed around March he was having more bad days at this point. Then, something worse happened. I don't remember if I went into detail my last diary entry, but it was bad. Blood was coming out places it shouldn't, and I knew it was time. My husband and I made an appointment and we put him down together, we stayed in the room the entire time. And yeah, I don't really have anything else to say. This was difficult to write, I'm sorry if this was all over the place." +"My companion Max died recently, and I miss him so much because I remember him and how cool and fun he was to have around. I decided to let him rest and it was very tough more me to actually go about getting him put to sleep. I know i'll see my old friend when were both in a better place. My dog was full of energy and I really enjoyed having him around. I remember he would defend me from other dogs and people who were dangerous. I will really miss him. I can't wait to meet him up in heaven. He will be greatly missed. It's going to be hard to move on. I don't know If I should get anymore dogs. I may not take dying dogs very well. I will always remember my dog. I buried him in my backyard with a cross and a bowl. I planted some flowers over his grave. I think he will like that touch since he always at my garden right up." +"I continue to be going through a divorce. Previously I discussed how my ex spouse was court ordered to make my car payment. He didn't and my car was repossessed. We later went to court because he was in contempt/ violation of the court order. He basically got a slap on the hand. Fast forward to today. He continues to be responsible for the same bills, minus that specific car payment and now had to make a car payment on another car. He has failed to make any kind of payment in the last 3 months, not even child support. The divorce has taken over a year to finalize. I don't see an end in site. His attorney recently requested to be dismissed from his case. I guess my ex thinks he is above the law. We will see if he gets a slap on the hand this time. He is of course, in contempt again. We will have a trial scheduled." +I was bathing at night when my children ran into my room and knocked on my bedroom door. They told me that my car just left on the back of a truck. I had expected that my car was going to be repossessed because husband had been ordered to make that car payment. He failed to do so. I felt horrible and I felt scared because I was unsure what I was going to do. He had been ordered by the court to make the payments. We eventually had a contempt hearing where he was ordered to catch up all bills and he would be paying the payment on a new vehicle. It worked out well for me though because the new car I received was a lower payment. Eventually I will have to take that payment over and when I do I will be able to afford it. Everyone thinks my ex is a loser including myself. I was so furious with him for not caring enough to make sure his children had transportation. I have been in an ongoing divorce situation for almost a year. Who would have thought a divorce would take this long to happen. He is arguing over finances. He barely visits the children. +"On May 27, my wife gave birth to our first child, a beautiful baby daughter that we instantly loved more than anything in the world. The entire experience was more emotionally moving than I anticipated. It started with a very long labor for my wife who initially tried to go through labor without relief from drugs, and during this time she needed me more than ever. I had to be strong, physically and emotionally, to help her cope. Eventually she took the epidural and the labor became more of a waiting game. But giving birth is every bit as complicated as it sounds, and we got to the point that it just wasn't progressing even with drugs given to speed up my wife's contractions. As a result, she had to have a C section, a devastating result for her and I once again had to be stronger than I actually am and do my part to calm her down. Once that beautiful baby was born, nothing else mattered. She looked healthy and seemed to instantly bond to us. I was scared for my wife who just went through a pretty serious surgery and at the same time wanted to give my full self to the little helpless human being. Having family at the hospital was really a blessing, all so anxious to help and to see our little creation. It also helped that the doctors and nurses were every bit as smart and helpful as we could have asked for. The details of that day are permanently engraved in my mind. The following days, which involved almost no sleep and horrible hospital food, are days that I wouldn't give up for anything. Having the nurses there for support and questions was something we never wanted to give up." +"My wife body is changed. Because of the pregnancy, so, changes be damned. she is the same smoke in spirit fire it red at as she is always been. And my body is changed to when i got married, I was a wait lifter, and I still had the sensibility of the Wrestler. And I once was today, the only tine. I lift its when I fly my infant daughter around it the room. My usual run involves chasing my three years old while returning to the snow monster from the frozen and biggest opponent the wrestler is a question of having three pieces of pizza are six. when we splurge are delivery. The idea of judging my wife post pregnancy body is repellent selfish and myopic. and don't know anything about discrimination in the workplace and these watch this are the rewards this mother can be expect. If one of viewer beer leagues. soft ball buddies is laid up from work for months range a lot of wait in the process. so, also because after anything. I could through. she is still sleep me. I see my family and my family makes life work living every day." +"We got Mason a bike for his fifth birthday. His trainer bike was getting too small, and it was about time for him to learn how to ride with his Dad on the trails. We went to Target and picked one out. He was SO excited to get home and try it! Unfortunately it wasn't magic like we'd hoped. Balancing is hard, and he's not the most graceful child to begin with. I tried walking next to him and holding onto the bike, but we both ended up colliding with each other and it wasn't helping at all. We were both frustrated and disappointed and I was scared it was going to hurt his love of riding. So, I hopped on the trusty internet and started google-ing methods to teach kids to ride bikes. The most helpful advice said to start at the top of a long, slightly inclined hill and just... let go. I was skeptical. But, we had a helmet, and had a walking path with grass on either side, so we gave it a shot and he stayed upright down the entire hill! I was so proud of him. I didn't take pictures because I was so absorbed in the moment, but that was the only confidence we needed. He's a great rider now! They just finished their first trail ride yesterday and Mason loved it!" +"We got Mason a bike for his fifth birthday. His trainer bike was getting too small, and it was about time for him to learn how to ride with his Dad on the trails. We went to Target and picked one out. He was SO excited to get home and try it! Unfortunately it wasn't magic like we'd hoped. Balancing is hard, and he's not the most graceful child to begin with. I tried walking next to him and holding onto the bike, but we both ended up colliding with each other and it wasn't helping at all. We were both frustrated and disappointed and I was scared it was going to hurt his love of riding. So, I hopped on the trusty internet and started google-ing methods to teach kids to ride bikes. The most helpful advice said to start at the top of a long, slightly inclined hill and just... let go. I was skeptical. But, we had a helmet, and had a walking path with grass on either side, so we gave it a shot and he stayed upright down the entire hill! I was so proud of him. I didn't take pictures because I was so absorbed in the moment, but that was the only confidence we needed. He's a great rider now! They just finished their first trail ride yesterday and Mason loved it!" +"Well, to say I was looking forward to my 10 year anniversary in Punta Cana would be an extreme understatement. I couldn't wait to get out there and refresh myself after this past year of working, but when we landed, I couldn't help but shake the news story I read on the flight down. ""Shark mauls Toronto man in Punta Cana"" was the headlines of the ABC News article I read, describing how a man from Toronto got too close to a shark in a scuba diving adventure when the shark lashed at the man. I was planning to go snorkeling for my first scuba experience, and this really threw me off! My wie kept reassuring me that this was a one off chance, but boy was I worked up. I don't often feel scared, but this was something that really threw me for a loop. Fortunately, I was able to come back down to earth and convince myself it would be worth it to go, especially when we talked with some local divers that said that the person was snorkeling in an unsanctioned area known for shark activity and that they had not taken proper safety precautions. I knew that I would always spring for the safer option, and that's what we ended up doing. It ended up being a giant thrill! Seeing the immense array of colorful animals and the diversity below the surface really opens your eyes to how full of life our planet is. I honestly think I could snorkel full-time, it was that exciting! So much so that our planned 1 snorkeling event turned into a 3-day snorkeling tour that we signed up and which blew me away. Sure, relaxing on the beach and spending quality time was fun. But, these unique experiences really showed me what I've been missing. Honest, I can't wait to get back under the water again. Thanks, Punta Cana, I'll see you again soon." +"Well, to say I was looking forward to my 10 year anniversary in Punta Cana would be an extreme understatement. I couldn't wait to get out there and refresh myself after this past year of working, but when we landed, I couldn't help but shake the news story I read on the flight down. ""Shark mauls Toronto man in Punta Cana"" was the headlines of the ABC News article I read, describing how a man from Toronto got too close to a shark in a scuba diving adventure when the shark lashed at the man. I was planning to go snorkeling for my first scuba experience, and this really threw me off! My wie kept reassuring me that this was a one off chance, but boy was I worked up. I don't often feel scared, but this was something that really threw me for a loop. Fortunately, I was able to come back down to earth and convince myself it would be worth it to go, especially when we talked with some local divers that said that the person was snorkeling in an unsanctioned area known for shark activity and that they had not taken proper safety precautions. I knew that I would always spring for the safer option, and that's what we ended up doing. It ended up being a giant thrill! Seeing the immense array of colorful animals and the diversity below the surface really opens your eyes to how full of life our planet is. I honestly think I could snorkel full-time, it was that exciting! So much so that our planned 1 snorkeling event turned into a 3-day snorkeling tour that we signed up and which blew me away. Sure, relaxing on the beach and spending quality time was fun. But, these unique experiences really showed me what I've been missing. Honest, I can't wait to get back under the water again. Thanks, Punta Cana, I'll see you again soon." +"Well, to say I was looking forward to my 10 year anniversary in Punta Cana would be an extreme understatement. I couldn't wait to get out there and refresh myself after this past year of working, but when we landed, I couldn't help but shake the news story I read on the flight down. ""Shark mauls Toronto man in Punta Cana"" was the headlines of the ABC News article I read, describing how a man from Toronto got too close to a shark in a scuba diving adventure when the shark lashed at the man. I was planning to go snorkeling for my first scuba experience, and this really threw me off! My wie kept reassuring me that this was a one off chance, but boy was I worked up. I don't often feel scared, but this was something that really threw me for a loop. Fortunately, I was able to come back down to earth and convince myself it would be worth it to go, especially when we talked with some local divers that said that the person was snorkeling in an unsanctioned area known for shark activity and that they had not taken proper safety precautions. I knew that I would always spring for the safer option, and that's what we ended up doing. It ended up being a giant thrill! Seeing the immense array of colorful animals and the diversity below the surface really opens your eyes to how full of life our planet is. I honestly think I could snorkel full-time, it was that exciting! So much so that our planned 1 snorkeling event turned into a 3-day snorkeling tour that we signed up and which blew me away. Sure, relaxing on the beach and spending quality time was fun. But, these unique experiences really showed me what I've been missing. Honest, I can't wait to get back under the water again. Thanks, Punta Cana, I'll see you again soon." +"Two months ago I found myself in the unfortunate situation of being unemployed. I had tried my hand at being a writer, something I always wanted to do, but the sales of my first book were stagnant. I sat at home, wondering how I was going to pay all of my bills, and stared at my useless degree in economics. I never had a passion for economics, and always wanted to do something related to writing. As I contemplated my options, which pretty much amounted to flipping burgers at this point, I got a call from my friend Amy. She mentioned that she had the perfect opportunity for me. Her seventh grade class was doing a lesson on writing, and she wanted me to teach them. I immediately started to freak out. I had no formal training in writing. I mean, it was a passion of mine, but I was mostly self taught. How was I supposed to get a bunch of unruly seventh graders to listen to me? I decided that I wasn't really in a position to act superior to them. I decided to think humble thoughts, and place myself on their level. If I could think of what would interest a seventh grader, I could get through to them. The day of the lesson, I was so nervous. I started to doubt myself. There was no way I would be able to get through to these kids and I was going to fail. Amy talked to me a few minutes before we started, and told me that the students like a certain television show set in the 1980s where the characters have adventures. A light bulb went off in my head. All I had to do was relate the lesson plan to the television show that I also liked, and was very familiar with. The lesson was a great success. Amy even invited me to continue helping her and she thinks I will eventually get a full time job there. I was so delighted, and couldn't believe it." +"Two months ago I found myself in the unfortunate situation of being unemployed. I had tried my hand at being a writer, something I always wanted to do, but the sales of my first book were stagnant. I sat at home, wondering how I was going to pay all of my bills, and stared at my useless degree in economics. I never had a passion for economics, and always wanted to do something related to writing. As I contemplated my options, which pretty much amounted to flipping burgers at this point, I got a call from my friend Amy. She mentioned that she had the perfect opportunity for me. Her seventh grade class was doing a lesson on writing, and she wanted me to teach them. I immediately started to freak out. I had no formal training in writing. I mean, it was a passion of mine, but I was mostly self taught. How was I supposed to get a bunch of unruly seventh graders to listen to me? I decided that I wasn't really in a position to act superior to them. I decided to think humble thoughts, and place myself on their level. If I could think of what would interest a seventh grader, I could get through to them. The day of the lesson, I was so nervous. I started to doubt myself. There was no way I would be able to get through to these kids and I was going to fail. Amy talked to me a few minutes before we started, and told me that the students like a certain television show set in the 1980s where the characters have adventures. A light bulb went off in my head. All I had to do was relate the lesson plan to the television show that I also liked, and was very familiar with. The lesson was a great success. Amy even invited me to continue helping her and she thinks I will eventually get a full time job there. I was so delighted, and couldn't believe it." +"Tina and I couldn't make the rent. After she was laid off she has been having trouble finding gainful employment. It's too bad, because we both really loved this house and this neighborhood. Our neighbors never bothered us and were always so friendly. They were people I felt I could rely on if I needed something. Now we're living in this horrible studio apartment and our new neighbors are up at all hours of the night. It sounds like they're constantly throwing a party. Our combined bedroom/kitchen is entirely too small and it's putting some pressure on our relationship. We had our own separate hobby rooms before so we could always take a break from each other, but now we're constantly forced to be in the same room. I'm the kind of person that needs some space every now and again, and I'm starting to realize how clingy Tina has always been. I hope she starts working soon so we can leave this horrible apartment and neighborhood, but I think she might have given up. I feel like I'm forced to give an ultimatum. That either she starts working soon or we'll have to go our separate ways. My stress levels have increased significantly since we have moved and I'm now constantly overeating. There's no telling how many pounds I've gained. I miss my old home." +My grandfather's funeral. It took a long time to actually happen because of the government shutdown and he was in the military so my grandmother had to wait until everything was cleared to be able to bury him and get his honors at the local military cemetery. He died from cancer. I don't think he was sick for long. The most memorable thing was getting to meet family members that I had never met before because my grandfather had had a fallen out with them. Oh and the firing of the guns at the funeral was also memorable. That had probably been the most time I had spent with that side of the family since I don't get to see them often. One of my cousins lead the sermon at the funeral since he preaches at his own church. Our family isn't big so it was pretty intimate. There were some funny and nice stories about him in his youth. Also go to reunite with some siblings I don't see often. Found out some more information about the family since my brother is interested in family research. Talked about everyone's careers. I didn't know that I had some distant cousins in show business so that was cool to find out. I now try to keep in touch with that side of the family more. +"Well, four months ago, I felt extremely embarrassed about my lack of intelligence. I was felt inadequate compared to my pears and I kept my low GPA a secret from my family; of course, that doesn't really mean that I'm a failure. I have a few years to recover, I suppose, so it's all good and well. I'm generally pretty happy, but I still do feel inferior to people I feel are ""smarter"" than me. I guess that's not a mature feeling to really have, but I do want more respect, I guess? My life would be so much easier if people just trusted that I was smart. You know? I just want people to trust my brain. I don't want to tell anyone about my failures because that gives them more ammo to hurt me with, and they have more than enough to hurt me with already. I just want to feel loved, you know? My cousin is a genius. She's an athletic prodigy. She's the perfect kid, basically, and that make's me feel embarrassed I suppose. I just want respect, and I don't get it from anyone. I guess that's fine, though." +"Today, I had a big talk with my aunt. I talked to her about getting into gradschool. I have failed getting into gradschool. My aunt is the only one I can talk to about this failure. I can't tell anybody else or they would be very mad at me. My aunt said it was alright and to try harder. She said that she failed getting into college three times before she got accepted. It took her a lot of studying to get in. She has a masters in business. She owns a few businesses now and is very successful. She told me to keep trying. She said to keep studying and if you fail, try again. This helped me a ton. It gave me a lot of motivation. I will study harder." +"Three weeks ago as I got back from work, I suddenly noticed my pet dog Molly was missing. I went to tell my wife, but she just said that he would be OK because his name was Molly. That just made me feel worse. I went to tell Dad, but he said the same thing. So I decided to go and look for him myself. I looked for him in the garden, but he wasn't there, so I looked in the paddocks where Mum and I had taken him for his walks. Then I went into the back yard to let the other dogs out of their kennels to look for him. I thought they might be able to help me find him, but I couldn't even find him with the other dog's help. So I gave up and put the other dogs back in their kennels, it was getting dark anyway. I had my dinner and went to bed. In the middle of the night I heard something scratching on my bedroom door. I got up and turned on the light, and what did I see? I saw Molly. I let him into my bedroom and I hugged him and I patted him. I love my dog Molly, he's the best. I felt relieved and so happy to see him again." +"I still have the same new crappy neighbors. I have noticed they do not hang their flag every day. The church signs are gone since the neighborhood put up the, 'all are welcome in our USA.' signs. And not many on our quiet street stop and talk to them. The kid still practices his asian weapons in the driveway. He's mid twenties, dressed in all black and practicing weapons in his driveway with friends every night is intimidating. This is a generally liberal university town with huge marches since the tRump misAdministration began. Marches against jailing migrant children, removing rights from LGBTIA community, slashing the Affordable Care Act, states virtually illegalizing abortion, climate/environmental policy have all happeneds here. I guess they figured they don't fit in. Figured out many of their religious values of intolerance and judgment are rare in this town. I feel supported by neighbors. They still cost me $600 a month. I can't rent my spare room. No one wants to live by weapons practice. Or can sleep through their A/C running 24/7 when 55 degrees out. It's the same situation." +"We have new neighbors, right next door. I've lived here 16 years, not the longest by far in this little area, but established. I own my home. I have planted many flowers, repainted it myself and reroofed a formerly run-down rental. The new neighbors put up a religious sign, from the local hate church. You know, the kind of church that goes to gay pride with signs that say, 'god hates fags,' or picket planned parenthood with fetus photos and angry shouting. The new neighbors' son also practice with weapons on the lawn with his buddies, some kind of asian battle sticks, numchucks, that kind of thing. It's a bunch of white men in their early 20's dressed in black almost every evening, using weapons. I am lesbian and not the only gay on the street. I felt more than a little threatened. Some neighbors stopped by to check in with me and let me know I could come by if I felt unsafe. Two houses left phone numbers. After the new folks put up their sign from the hate church, new signs started popping up all over the neighborhood. It is a sign based on a US flag with lines of colored print. One line says, 'all are welcome here.' Another line says, ""diversity makes us strong. ' Another says, 'black lives matter.' Basically liberal, loving and inclusive statements and rally cries as befits most residents in this liberal university town. I felt very supported, as an individual, as a member of the neighborhood and as a member of a group often targeted for the way we were born. When the church sign went up, I wasn't sure my neighbors would know the type of church it is- a divisive church, a judgemental church. But they did know, and responded. Now the new neighbors have taken down their sign. But the diversity signs have remained and multiplied. It reminds me of why I have felt so comfortable and welcome here." +"Yes, never give up. Because god is always with you, as long as truth is on your side. It was scary when i decided to take George to court. He had left a lot of emotional scars within me over the years. The abuse.. God.. How did i tolerate him? Why did i tolerate him? And to think that i paid for his mortgage from my hard earned money? I admit, i was taken aback when he came back couple months back, begging to take him back. I wasn't sure. he seemed changed. But no, i was wrong. I realized it right when he started the abuse back again. That's when i realized that i couldn't let this go on. I went see a lawyer straight away and filed a petition in court. And i won! Now he pays me, for everything i have done for him so far, for everything he had done to me. Justice prevails." +"Yes, never give up. Because god is always with you, as long as truth is on your side. It was scary when i decided to take George to court. He had left a lot of emotional scars within me over the years. The abuse.. God.. How did i tolerate him? Why did i tolerate him? And to think that i paid for his mortgage from my hard earned money? I admit, i was taken aback when he came back couple months back, begging to take him back. I wasn't sure. he seemed changed. But no, i was wrong. I realized it right when he started the abuse back again. That's when i realized that i couldn't let this go on. I went see a lawyer straight away and filed a petition in court. And i won! Now he pays me, for everything i have done for him so far, for everything he had done to me. Justice prevails." +"I have always been a good student for so long. I followed my parents rules as a good kid. I used to study permanently. I also had a good relationship with moneys. I used to be a good saver. All of this continued to happen until I met my boyfriend. From that moment I started spending a lot of moneys. We were students together and we studied together. The problem was that I didn't saved anymore. We used to go out every night, and started shopping some expensive clothes. I didn't asked my parents for more money, cause I would have been ashamed in front of them. So I made a decision. I knew I was the one to save my self. I started of having some debts from my cousins. If I could't stop I would have been going deeper and deeper. I started a job. It really helped me on my finances that I needed for my studies. I'm glad I didn't ask from my parents." +"The event was a family gathering, as well as a yearly tradition tradition that signaled the end of summer. There was a lot of food at the fishing derby, hot dogs, burgers, macaroni salads, and much more, and I loved eating all of it. I might have even eaten too much during the event because I got a stomachache afterwards. But then I had to make room for dessert and I just couldn't resist the temptation of some amazing cake, even though I regretted the overfull feeling I felt later, if only a bit. Lots of my family members whom I don't get to see very often were there at the derby and I got to talk to them. I talked to my aunts and uncles and cousins and their kids, and it was nice being able to catch up with them. Some of my nieces and nephews had grown up a lot since the last time I had seen them, some were entering high school and others weren't little infants anymore, and were toddling and running about everywhere around the stock pond. There was a fishing contest for all the kids, which is why the event was called a fishing derby, where they all would fish and catch frogs from my aunt's stock pond. I didn't participate in the derby games because I'm a bit too old to do that anymore. Perhaps maybe my lack of participation in the contests might have just been because I don't really like how slimy fish and frogs feel in my hands. The kids all had some other contests for them to compete in as well, and I watched from the sidelines with the adults. During the frog race, the kids all picked one caught frog, and had to coax them to hop across a finish line the fastest. But a surprising thing happened during the frog race, one of the kids accidentally coaxed their frog to jump onto me and I might have panicked reflexively. But on the other hand I ended up kicking out my foot and flinging the frog over the finish line, making my little cousin the winner of that round. It was a fun event, with lots of laughs and a bunch of good memories for me." +"My family each year has a family fishing derby that is held at my Aunt's fishing stock ponds. It is one of my most favorite times of the year as it is a great time where I can bond with my family. The problem is that because of the poor weather around our area, sometimes it's hard to figure out a date where everyone in my family can get together and have a fun day at the ponds. My Aunt usually checks the weather one week ahead so I got the invitation only last week. It didn't bother me at all though because I would clear my weekend schedule for this, it's one of my favorite things that we do each year. I also love the fact that my Aunt caters the derby with Cracker Barrel as it is one of my favorite restaurants. She also has a few carnival games set up and we do some field day type games like the egg toss and a potato sack race. It's basically a really fun time where our family can just forget about all of our problems. There are prizes for the top 3 biggest fish that are caught. I actually got 2nd place this year which is my best finish ever and I got a $50 Gift Card to Amazon! My cousin ended up finishing first and he caught a bass that weighed 7 pounds. Sadly, my fish was only 6.4 pounds so I was close but I'll try better next year. First prize was a $100 Gift Card to Amazon. It wasn't about the prize for me though, the experience is worth way more than the gift cards anyway. I love getting to spend time with my family and this event is the most fun we have all year long. I look forward to it each year and hope it never ends." +"Today I lost my father after a two year battle with lung cancer. I am having a difficult time writing this because I felt as if Dad and I were starting to get close again after such a long time apart. Until Dad's cancer, I hadn't seen or talked to him in over 10 years. The bitterness that I held inside was very taxing on me and I'm sure on him as well. When he left Mom for another woman, he destroyed our lives. As a little girl, I always looked to Dad as my hero. I truly looked up to him and thought of him as the greatest man on earth. I always felt that if I ever got married, I wanted my husband to have the same characteristics as Dad. After Dad left, I began a downward spiral and didn't want anything to do with any man. Through prayer and guidance, I have been able to get past these feelings and realize that I can't put every man in the same category. After Dad was diagnosed with Cancer, he asked to see me and we talked many times and began to heal our relationship. Dad regretted the horrible mistakes he made and asked forgiveness from God, Mom and me. Just saying ""I forgive you"" began the healing process for both of us. Sadly, it wasn't long after that the Lord decided to take Dad. I believe that knowing he was forgiven allowed him to die peacefully and with the love of God and family." +"So I was driving down I-85 on my way to the fair, when all of a sudden everyone came to a sudden stop. We were going about 70-80 mph. I was so shocked and after coming to a complete stop, the car next to me gets SLAMMED into the car in front. I was super shocked to see the car just crumble and the sound from the accident was gut wrenching. They were in the very left lane. I pull my car to the side and dial 911. As I am dialing 911 I step out of the car and try to help the guy who got sandwiched. He had a bloody face and broken shoulder. His seat belt was stuck so I take out my safety blade for car seat belts and cut the belt. The guy is free from the restraints! I help him out, give him a bottle of water that I had in the trunk of my car, and I go to help the next guy. The guy who started the accident was pretty badly messed up. Bloody face, possible broken ribs, legs were wrecked, and all airbags deployed. I did not trust myself to help the guy get out. I couldn't risk any chances of getting him out and paralyzing the kid. He was no older than 18. A brand new driver. The guy at the front of the accident was already out of his car but looked like he was in a daze. The paramedics arrive, I explain to them what happened, gave cops my statement, and headed back to the fair." +"We have been married for ten years now. He was the best man I have ever met. Although he was not particularly fond of anniversaries, he was keen on celebrating our ten year anniversary. Three month ago, we had the best time of our lives (I can say it was sweeter than my wedding itself). We have been planning for weeks. I got a nice hall and got a decorator to make it colorful. We invited friends and family through word of mouth and on phone and everyone was eager to grace the occasion. On the d-day, he took me to a nice restaurant for breakfast. My sister later came in that day. He assisted with the cookies I was making. I already negotiated with a restaurant to supply us a nice meal. Around 4 pm, family and friends were welcomed with love genre songs to which everyone flowed. The elderly ones holding their spouse and swinging to all directions slowly. The younger ones eyeing each other and making advances. We watched from a corner as everything was unfolding. My best friend gave a funny speech and everyone laughed their hearts out. It was my turn to say something about my husband. I couldn't manage a minute before tears of joy started rolling down my cheeks. I was greatly overwhelmed by how awesome he has been in our first ten years together. We took the vows and everyone found their way home." +"We have been married for ten years now. He was the best man I have ever met. Although he was not particularly fond of anniversaries, he was keen on celebrating our ten year anniversary. Three month ago, we had the best time of our lives (I can say it was sweeter than my wedding itself). We have been planning for weeks. I got a nice hall and got a decorator to make it colorful. We invited friends and family through word of mouth and on phone and everyone was eager to grace the occasion. On the d-day, he took me to a nice restaurant for breakfast. My sister later came in that day. He assisted with the cookies I was making. I already negotiated with a restaurant to supply us a nice meal. Around 4 pm, family and friends were welcomed with love genre songs to which everyone flowed. The elderly ones holding their spouse and swinging to all directions slowly. The younger ones eyeing each other and making advances. We watched from a corner as everything was unfolding. My best friend gave a funny speech and everyone laughed their hearts out. It was my turn to say something about my husband. I couldn't manage a minute before tears of joy started rolling down my cheeks. I was greatly overwhelmed by how awesome he has been in our first ten years together. We took the vows and everyone found their way home." +"My boyfriend and I selected to take the earliest flight available to have the most time on our first day in Colorado. We decided to start our day not in Denver, but Boulder. We decided to visit Boulder on our first day because that was the day we did not have hockey games. When in Boulder we visited a new brewery, Fall Brewing. We also visited a Brewery we had been to before, Avery. On our way back from Boulder we visited Liquid Mechanics. We visited a total of five breweries the first night in town, which included two in Denver on the way back from Boulder. We were out all day and stayed about an hour at each location. Later that night we met one of his friends. This friend moved from California to Colorado for work. We met the friend at a hockey rink he plays at. We met him there with his wife and some of his friends. While we were there we ordered beers and caught up. I became interested in showing off the excel sheet I created. We did get two recommendations for great breweries while we were visiting everyone." +"My boyfriend and I selected to take the earliest flight available to have the most time on our first day in Colorado. We decided to start our day not in Denver, but Boulder. We decided to visit Boulder on our first day because that was the day we did not have hockey games. When in Boulder we visited a new brewery, Fall Brewing. We also visited a Brewery we had been to before, Avery. On our way back from Boulder we visited Liquid Mechanics. We visited a total of five breweries the first night in town, which included two in Denver on the way back from Boulder. We were out all day and stayed about an hour at each location. Later that night we met one of his friends. This friend moved from California to Colorado for work. We met the friend at a hockey rink he plays at. We met him there with his wife and some of his friends. While we were there we ordered beers and caught up. I became interested in showing off the excel sheet I created. We did get two recommendations for great breweries while we were visiting everyone." +"I got up early that morning and took a shower then got dressed. I proceeded to go into the kitchen made my lunch then fed my cats and off I went to the office. Traffic was very bad that morning stop and go. As I sat in traffic I got so sleepy I could hardly keep my eyes open. The longer I stayed in traffic the worse I felt,, I couldn't keep my eyes open. I finally got a block from my office and came to a stop light and don't remember going through the red light and hitting another car. After I hit the car of course my air bag went off and knocked the air out of me leaving me having a hard time breathing. I then heard the sound of an ambulance approaching. Two medic got out and tried to get me out of my car but the could't because my leg was badly messed up and bleeding. Needless to say I broke my ankle and had to have pins put in it plus a compound fracture of my leg and all my ribs on my right side broken. I stayed in the hospital for about two weeks and had a lot of physical therapy. This happened about six months ago and I am still having a little trouble walking but little by little I'm getting better. The accident was indeed my fault, I'm so glad the other person did not have any injuries . I since learned I have sleep- apnea and that is why I fell asleep at the wheel. I worry about driving and at times very nervous but with time I know things will get better. I had to drive with my son to get the courage to drive again and even then I was very nervous and shaky . You never know what will happen when you leave home to go to work so always try to be prepared." +"We have been working on softball skills since the season ended so she won't be rusty. However, I still think about that big hit that she had during an important game. I was so proud of her and I could tell she was proud of herself. Her team was down by two runs and it was her turn to bat. As a parent I was nervous and excited. I didn't want her to fail and this could be a good confidence boost. She walked to the plate while her favorite song played Motley Crue ""Girls, Girls, Girls"" and took her position. For the record, her best friends grandpa is Mick Mars from that legendary rock band and she picked it. Anyway, while up at bat she had a couple of strikes and a ball before she finally got a piece of the ball. She hit the sweet spot on the bat and the ball soared into the outfield. She was able to make a double and a RBI to win the game for her team. She was so proud of herself and I was too. I don't think she knew that she was capable of getting a big hit. It was a defining moment for her and something I still think about. I am hoping she will want ot play softball again next year." +"Seven weeks ago, I watched my daughter at a softball. game. The other team was winning until my daughter came up to the plate. I saw her hit a double and this caused a couple of runners to make it to home plate. This double made my daughter's team win the game. They were jumping up and down in excitement. I was very happy and yelling in this victory. I celebrated by taking her to a pizza place. We ordered a meat lovers to share. She was hungry and ate half of it. I ate the other half the pizza. We both burped at the same time. This made us both have a good chuckle. This day will be remembered forever. We both went home with big smiles." +"I was cycling to the bank late at night, to get some money from the ATM. I did that, and was cycling home, when suddenly I heard a weird noise, and noticed some pain in my back. I didn't realize what was going on, and just then I saw a car driving next to me, and some ugly dark-skinned subhuman face looking at me. It was then that I realized that I had been shot, with something, and saw that this hideous mongrel chick was trying to shoot me again. I yelled at her, and reached for my own gun, and the cowardly spawn of liberals drove off because they don't fight with people who are able to defend themselves. They got away before I could defend myself. I then went to the liquor store for beer, and was able to verify that it was a paintball gun I'd been shot with. My backpack and clothes were covered with the junk. My back hurt pretty good, and when I left the liquor store I cycled around for a bit to see if I might run into those beautiful brown skinned children of Obama again, but there was no such luck. I went back to my place, and looked in the mirror, and there was a nice golf-ball sized dent in my back where I'd been hit, surrounded by a big red welt. Liberal social justice had been served tonight. Cheered up by this realization, I had my beers and iced up my back, and tried to get over the whole thing, realizing it was inevitable as part of the progress that modern society needs to march forward bravely into the beautiful new era of liberalism. Despite this, I resolved to be more ready to get my gun out in the future. I also decided to save up money for a longer range firearm in case preventive measures become necessary at some later date. Then I went to bed." +"Going home from the bank is usually a mundane, uneventful occurrence. Three months ago, however, it was anything but. I rode my bike to the bank in order to deposit a check. That in itself went smoothly. While cycling back home to the bank, however, my route so happened to weave through a path where rowdy kids were playing. I did not plan ahead and did not think of an alternative route to cycle through, so I had no choice but to go past them. They partook in a match of paintball. As they were playing, I got hit in the shoulder by one of the paintball capsules. I was super mad at the children, and was tempted to yell at them. I just wanted to get home above all, though, so instead of adding to the conflict I instead made sure to bike much faster until I knew for sure I was completely out of the kids sights. During the rest of my ride, my mind had two focuses. One was getting home, the other was how annoyed I was at it happening to me. I showered just before going to the bank, and now I'll have to shower again! But it could've been worse. At the very least, I wasn't hurt that badly. I was not knocked off my bike, which spared me from potential worse injuries. Since this happened, I've made sure to have multiple cycling routes to prevent something like this from happening again." +"It was my 30th birthday and I didn't really think much of it. I woke up at about 9:30 AM in the morning and my mother handed me a birthday card. On the card it said, ""I have an amazing son... who knows who he is and what he wants. Tells it like it is and lives his own truth."" The guitar had a bright red guitar logo on it. I felt that this meant a lot to me since I love rock and playing guitar. My mother put a lot of thought into this card and knew exactly what I wanted. It made me feel very motivated. I felt very appreciative of this card, following that she took me to the movies to go see Godzilla. I felt very appreciative of this, because Godzilla is one of my favorite franchises. She even bought me popcorn. Though, initially the popcorn was stale a fact I bought up to her she suggested that I go and get another bowl. I went to get a fresh bowl of popcorn made and it was delicious. It was warm and buttery. After we finished watching the movie I thought that it was alright and decent. My mother liked it a little more than I did surprisingly. I felt that there was a bit little too much focus on human characters that weren't necessarily all that interesting in my opinion. The final fight was alright, but it needed a bit more focus on the monsters, there isn't much human characters can do and also a lot of the humor was awkward and fell flat. A lot of the characters in the movie felt pointless and unnecessary. Following that she took me to go and get some Indian food. I really appreciated that, because Indian cuisine is my favorite. The food that day was particularly delicious. I had a short conversation with some people next to me, but I don't really think my intrusion into their conversation was all that welcomed. It was a fun day all and all and I had a lot of appreciation for my mother and her taking me to the movies." +"One day after dropping off my dog for a dental cleaning I returned home to receive a call from the vet telling me my dog had swollen lymph nodes. I was shocked and confused. The vet advised me to have a test done to rule out any diseases or cancer. It was quite scary. After researching the test online, I realized how dire this situation is. I felt like I was in trouble and the anxiety and fear set in. The test results took at least a week to get. I was an emotional wreck the entire time. I didn't sleep very much. When they finally called and I heard those words ""she doesn't have cancer"", a weight suddenly lifted and I felt such relief. My dog wasn't going to die. I could go back to being happy again. I realized I need to make the most of her time here with me. They have such short lives. They deserve to have a happy life while their alive. This changed my life." +"About 3 months ago I brought my dog to the vet--routine treatment, teeth cleaning. Dog's need that, you know? I like to take care of my little buddy. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. I brought her in, left for a little bit to go eat lunch--suddenly, I get a call. Apparently my dog has an issue, I ask what. The vet doesn't sound too optimistic. She tells me about her enlarged Lymph nodes, and my concern suddenly dwarfed any other concern I had in life. I couldn't eat. I talked to the vet and she gave me my options. I wrapped my little buddy up and went home. I couldn't sleep, I was so worried about her. I went to work tired and worried, the stress was immeasurable. I waited two weeks for another call from the vet, and she told me there was nothing to be concerned about, perhaps she was just sick or it was a exceptional mistake or error in judgement. I was happy, but now possible issues are always in the back of my mind when taking my dog anywhere." +"An event that was emotionally marking for me in the last six months was I got to meet my best friend for brunch. I hadn't seen her in over a year. I flew to her hometown with my boyfriend and met my friend early so I could go out with just her and so that he could sleep in. We got brunch. She took me to a place (Snooze) that she was really excited about for me because of the great food and decor there. She was absolutely correct that I would love it - I did love it. We ordered separate entrees, hers being sweet and mine being savory. She told me that she thought pomegranate arils were unnecessarily extra on pancakes and I agreed with her. We loved the food we ordered and shared our food with each other to appreciate how good the other person ordered, as well. We ordered boozy breakfast cocktails. We caught up in a way we hadn't been able to for years because it was the first time we had spent any time alone in years. I had seen her the year before when we went, or maybe it was the time before that, but I was with my boyfriend. My best friend is someone I share a lot of similar thoughts with, and it was nice having that time together to remember why we got close to each other in the first place. I still think that is the favorite thing I've done all year. This includes when I went to Sonoma with a group of friends that my best friend wasn't a part of for wine tasting." +"Well I went to meet the owners of the grey hound today. You know, the one that's retiring that I mentioned before? I've always been interested in having a greyhound. I wanted one since I was little but mom and dad would never let me get one. I'm excited honestly, Its been pretty lonely since the divorce. I want nothing more than to feel like someone needs me... even wants me. Hopefully the two of us ol' retirees will find some solace in one another. Right now she's sleeping by the couch. I'm glad to see that shes comfortable enough to stretch out around me. I'm going to go to the store tomorrow and get her some more goodies. I wonder what my ex-husband would say if he saw this? He never wanted a dog either... well forget him. This girl makes me happy... something he never did (well, atleast towards the end). I'm thinking about renaming her. Currently her name is Martha... what a name. I'm thinking something a little more calm. Maybe June?" +"Well I went to meet the owners of the grey hound today. You know, the one that's retiring that I mentioned before? I've always been interested in having a greyhound. I wanted one since I was little but mom and dad would never let me get one. I'm excited honestly, Its been pretty lonely since the divorce. I want nothing more than to feel like someone needs me... even wants me. Hopefully the two of us ol' retirees will find some solace in one another. Right now she's sleeping by the couch. I'm glad to see that shes comfortable enough to stretch out around me. I'm going to go to the store tomorrow and get her some more goodies. I wonder what my ex-husband would say if he saw this? He never wanted a dog either... well forget him. This girl makes me happy... something he never did (well, atleast towards the end). I'm thinking about renaming her. Currently her name is Martha... what a name. I'm thinking something a little more calm. Maybe June?" +"This is a story about the first time both my husband and I were able to feel our unborn child move. I was midway through my pregnancy, which is a difficult time as the visits to the doctor are still spaced four weeks apart. This means that for four agonizing weeks, we do not know for sure how the baby is doing. Once we visit the doctor, we can get confirmation that her heart is beating and that she is growing on track, but until then, we do not know for sure. Once the baby starting kicking, however, it was almost a lifeline back to sanity and away from anxiety, as I at least knew that she was alive and moving. That said, it was easy to start wondering if it was really her I felt kicking, as she was still so small and the kicks were fairly light. At times of worry, I would start to wonder if I was imagining it, or if it was digestion, or something akin. One night, though, the kicks felt quite strong, and I asked my husband to touch my belly and see if he could feel them. His eyes lit up, and he said he felt them. He lifted his finger each time he felt a kick, to see if it corresponded with what I felt. Sure enough, the kicks were at exactly the same time I felt them. This confirmation of my experience, and the chance to share it with my partner, was incredibly moving for both of us. It felt like our connection deepened and grew, and we were both filled with awe and excitement. Since then, we have had our baby. There have been many more meaningful moments, but this first shared touch still holds a special place in my heart." +"I was quite depressed for the past couple weeks. Doc says that it is normal. Seems like my hormones are acting up. Hormones or not, i was feeling depressed and blue all this time. The doubt and fear in me kept creeping up. I was unsure about everything. However, today that all changed. Brandon felt our baby's movement for the first time today. He felt a movement in my tummy as he was kissing it. I was unsure if i felt that. But then that happened! A kick from him. Or her? I don't know if it is a him or her, as long as my baby is happy and healthy. We went to the church earlier today to say out thanks." +"The previous Thursday we get an email from someone pretending to be the closing lawyer asking us to wire them the closing money - which obviously is a pretty significant chunk of change. The email was super legit looking. Had my name, wife's name, the address, had a fake version of our realtor's email in the CC, had the lawyer's letterhead, and the name of the employee at the lawyer we've been dealing with. They knew close to the actual amount, and the bank they wanted the money wired to was in the city of the lawyer's office. I can totally understand how someone could fall for it. My wife even responded to the first email with something like ""OK, give us the a bank info and final amount."". I caught it there and nothing was wired. They ended up trying again this Monday with the same series of e-mails. Stay safe out there everyone. There are a lot of agents out there who are not great with computers, and smaller offices probably have very little IT security. On top of that, realtors have their email addresses right out there on their websites. So scammers send a phishing link to the realtor asking them to update or confirm their email and password. If the realtor falls for it, then the scammer just logs in and watches the email to find someone about to close on a house. They probably even have a copy of the purchase and sale agreement. Some scammers will actually send the message from the realtor's actual email address asking you to wire money to the scammers account, then they delete the email from the sent folder. You have to always watch your back!" +"The previous Thursday we get an email from someone pretending to be the closing lawyer asking us to wire them the closing money - which obviously is a pretty significant chunk of change. The email was super legit looking. Had my name, wife's name, the address, had a fake version of our realtor's email in the CC, had the lawyer's letterhead, and the name of the employee at the lawyer we've been dealing with. They knew close to the actual amount, and the bank they wanted the money wired to was in the city of the lawyer's office. I can totally understand how someone could fall for it. My wife even responded to the first email with something like ""OK, give us the a bank info and final amount."". I caught it there and nothing was wired. They ended up trying again this Monday with the same series of e-mails. Stay safe out there everyone. There are a lot of agents out there who are not great with computers, and smaller offices probably have very little IT security. On top of that, realtors have their email addresses right out there on their websites. So scammers send a phishing link to the realtor asking them to update or confirm their email and password. If the realtor falls for it, then the scammer just logs in and watches the email to find someone about to close on a house. They probably even have a copy of the purchase and sale agreement. Some scammers will actually send the message from the realtor's actual email address asking you to wire money to the scammers account, then they delete the email from the sent folder. You have to always watch your back!" +"Roughly two months ago I went through one of the most difficult events in my life. My younger brother was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. Since it had spread, he was only given one month left to live. He was only 50 years old at the time. I received a call early in the morning from my nephew. He was in tears saying that his father was in the hospital over a diagnosis of lung cancer. I was in shock to hear this since I had only recently spoke to him a few months ago over the phone and he seemed fine. After arriving to the hospital, the doctor shared the news that he didn't have much longer to live. We cried and shared funny stories of our past. I made sure he was feeling comfortable. Since his chances of survival were so low, he refused chemotherapy. It just didn't make since given his prognosis. I helped him ensure his will was in order. He wanted to make sure I kept a close eye on his wife and son since he knew they would have a difficult time coping without him. And in the last weeks of his life, we made sure to spend as much time together as we possibly could - just enjoying ourselves like we used to when we were younger." +"It's a great day, March 12, 2019. I welcome my daughter into the world. My wife and I have decided on the name Merrit Layne. My wife and I do not like typically names so this one fit. She was born 6 pounds 1 ounce. She was very long as a baby, 19 inches. I cried when i had my son and I wondering if I would cry for her. When she came, I could not hold back the emotions and cried like a baby haha, no pun intended. I held her for the first time, and it felt so great. Now I'm the biggest doting dad. I can not go anywhere or do anything with out talking about her. I'm so proud of her and I think she will do big things. I will always be there for her and have her back. She melts my heart when she looks and smiles at me. I have a nick name for her, it's Big Girl, hahaha." +"I knew that my dog was doing worse that morning, but she had come around before. As the day wore on and it got closer to the time to go to the service I knew I couldn't leave her. She was laying on her dog bed and breathing heavily. Just before it was time to go I told my fiance to go without me. There was no way that I was leaving my dog alone. I laid her head on my lap. I played her songs that we had listened to together over the years. She was mostly quiet as I stroked her head. I told her stories about our life together. I told her what a great dog and friend she had been. I told her that it was okay to go. It would hurt me worse than I could imagine but I had to let her go. It was only about a half hour after my fiance left. I knew something was different. My dogs breathing changed and she seemed agitated. She let out a few rattling breathes and then she was gone. I felt like my heart was literally ripped out." +"In late May I lost my dog. She was old for a mastiff, 13 years old. I still wasn't ready though. She had been going downhill steadily but it didn't feel like enough time to prepare. I think a part of me knew that it was coming the day before. She was acting off and wasn't interested in much. I had made the decision that if she didn't improve in a day I would have her euthanized. The morning it happened I woke up and she had thrown up on the bed. She perked up for a little while and I placed her on her bed on the floor to spend some time with her before I called the vet. I held her head on my lap and pet her. This day was also the memorial service for my uncle that had just passed away. So I was home alone. It seemed like it happened so quickly. One moment she was there. And then the next moment she was gone and I was cradling her head on my lap sobbing uncontrollably. I had never felt more alone in my life than I did at that moment." +"When I bought my house 4 months ago, it was such a memorable experience. It took me so long to get ready to buy a house. I had to build my credit and change jobs. I had to get a job that paid more so that my debt to income ratio would be acceptable. This is why buying a house meant so much to me because I had to work really hard to get it. It was finally something that was actually mine. I felt like I had leveled up in life. So many people had doubted my ability to achieve this goal. The reality started when my offer was first accepted on the house. I could not believe this was happening to me and that I was actually starting. During the whole process I felt so many different emotions. I tried not to get too excited at first. I remember that I really did not want to discuss the topic with anyone. When I was signing the closing papers and being given the keys I felt such a huge weight coming off of my shoulders. I could not wait to finally go home." +"The morning after I arrived in Beijing I left our hotel and went for a walk. I went out walking the night before but I went in the direction of the Forbidden City to see how far it was. In the morning I turned east, in the opposite direction. I wanted to see what lay down that direction. The traffic was already loud on the road, a six-laner crowded with trucks and cars. Bicycles too filled the bike lane and some riders came up on the sidewalk so I had to avoid them. I passed a lot of upscale businesses, western clothiers and jewelers. Then I came to an intersection with another wide road. It actually passed overhead in a raised highway. In the shadow of the over pass, at one corner, a police van was parked and some officers were watching the traffic. Quite randomly they waved certain bike riders over to the curb and began questioning them. The police made the riders produce papers, which they examined. They made the bike riders wait quite a while. One older man just sat on the curb and threw up his hands and started smoking a cigarette. I watched this go on quite a while. There seemed no rationale for the riders who were pulled over and those allowed to go past. I walked back to the hotel and began an email to a friend, telling about what I had seen. I also mentioned some other things I had observed. Within 30 seconds of pressing Send, my email program froze. Within another minute, my laptop locked up completely. There was nothing I could do. Even the mouse was stalled. I shut it down and tried later in the day and everything was fine. But now I knew just how closely I was being monitored." +"I was ecstatic when my childhood friend called me one day, out of the blue in a Saturday morning 4 months ago. I was surprised to see his name come up on my phone - I haven't seem him since high school. He knew that I was a aspiring photographer that was looking for gigs. When he told me that he was engaged and wanted me to take pictures for a secret wedding, I was jumping up and down on the subway train. My first solo gig was going to be for a friend's secret wedding! I prepared for weeks, taking many as many practice shots as I could. My friend and his wife was gorgeous on that day - it was just me, them, and their families. It was a great honor for me to be their photographer, and the wedding was held at a wedding venue filled to the brim with bright lights. It was every photographer's dream - to take pictures in such an grand environment. My friend and I did a lot of catching up - after high school, he went to college where he majored in actuarial science, and is now a successful accountant. I thanked him for giving me this opportunity. The food was great - everyone was served beer and lobster. I took hundreds of photos that day. Everyone had a great time. I can't wait to develop the film photos!" +This past winter I was invited to photograph my good friends Alex and Megan getting married. This was my first wedding I've done solo and was pretty nerve wracking to remember everything I had to do. On top of everything they wanted to do it outdoors which is fine usually but with where we live and what time of year it was which was March proved to be a little challenging. But it was a task I was up for doing for a couple of friends. The day started out with to be one of the coldest of the year at a brisk 10 degrees Fahrenheit out highs of about 15 that day would prove to be great weather under shaded trees behind their grandparents house. The first thing was photographing the bride which was great and inside where it was nice and warm. The groom I had to photography outside first while he kept his hands warm to take pictures without his gloves on as that would look silly. The wedding short while and the bride walked down through a candle lined path in the woods to finally get married after 10 years at a surprise wedding none of our friends knew about just their family. It was a great ceremony quick because of the cold followed by quick photos outside where they got married. We finished the day having the reception at a popular resort drinking the night away. The dinner was Filet minion and salmon with wonderful vegetables that were out of this world great. The cake that night was amazing too and surprisingly they did not smash it into each others faces. We spent 5 hours talking that night and drinking by the fire there until the venue told us we had to move on for the night. It was amazing to photography their special day and be invited to do it as one of the only friends to know they were getting married. It meant a lot that they would not only choose me to do it but also that they would let me know about the surprise wedding and partake in the day. +"My daughter and I have had ups and downs, but our relationship continues to be improved. My daughter and I went on a trip. Initially, the trip was her idea. She wanted to dress up and be vintage and ride on the starlight train. She had a romantic idea about the train and she offered to pay for it. We ended up getting a roomette which was a tiny private room on the train. It forced us to be in close proximity to each other and there was no wifi on the train for her to tune me out. It was kind of fun. However, the train included meals and the meals were amazing but on a train everything is small so they seat you at a table with strangers. Part of the charm is to socialize with strangers. We met all kinds of people and heard their stories and it made a huge impression on us. There was a person who was so nice but had lost his job and family and had to take a hard and horrible job and his parents were helping to support him. There was a very old person, maybe in his 80s who was a retired pallet salesperson and he was going to go visit his older brother. After each meal, the experiences of the table mate would linger with my daughter and me and we would discuss the implications of our lives and ultimately how important family is. She is my family and it brought us closer." +"My daughter and I took a trip to California. She read online about the train going down to California. It was highly romanticized but it did look nice. We got a sleeper car and looked at the scenery. It surprised me that the food was so good. However, one of the really suprising thing was the people we met. When they seat you at dinner they put you with strangers so there is a formality of introducing yourself and telling your travel story. The stories were so interesting and my daughter and I could not stop talking about them. In our divided country, meeting all these people from different areas of the country, politics was not mentioned once. It was really amazing. One person was nearly 94 but he appeared to be in his seventies. One couple was from the phillipines. One man was laid off and took a low end job and he admitted that his parents were supporting him. There was such a raw emotional quality to the dinner stories that my daughter and i kept talking about them and how emotional it felt about our story. Because with each story we heard, we had to tell the person our story. We had to tell our hopes and dreams and failures and it became very raw and personal. Previous to this trip, my daughter and I had been not very close. This was making me a little sad because we used to be very close. But through the rawness and honesty of the stories we heard, she began telling me things that she had been hiding from me. What's more, she really wanted to know things that I don't tell her or tell my husband. It was so suprising, because normally if you found out you had to eat dinner with a stranger, you would not be happy. Yet through the stories of strangers I feel closer and more focused than ever. When she was little we were so close. However, as she became a teenager we have a more strained relationship. But after this trip we are as close as ever." +"I just found out that my relative who is a republican is actually trans and cheating on my cousin. I don't really like trans people so I wasn't happy to hear this result. When we first had the wedding, I thought they would be such a great couple. After a few months, I thought they were going to have children and start a life like that. When someone cheats they are violating a sacred bond between man and women. When someone goes trans, they are doing something perverse and subversive. The trans community is immersed in sinful behavior. They sexualize kids and do obscene behavior and pursue vices at their night clubs. I do not approve of this behavior by my cousin. And all the while, I thought he was a god fearing republican. Next time I see him I don't think I could look him in the eye. I feel really bad for my cousin. Now she will have to break up with him. She will be devastated. It's good that they didn't have children yet." +"This event happened on August 19th of 2019. My mother had a heart attack before she was supposed to go in for surgery. She was having a laprascopic hysterectomy performed because the doctor found cancerous cells in her ovary. As they were prepping her for surgery, something in the anesthesia caused her heart to stop beating. The doctors and nurses had to restart her heart. I was then told be the doctor what had happened and that she was going to be transferred to another hospital that could better take care of a patient with heart problems. I was distraught and in a state of panic. My mother is my best friend and I couldn't grasp onto the possibility of me losing her. I have multiple anxiety disorders and they all went into full effect. I had a full blown panic attack on the way to the other hospital. I was trying to call my aunt to have her meet me at the other hospital and the call wasn't going through. I actually sat in my car for a few minutes trying to calm myself down knowing that I would have to talk to doctors and nurses. I don't know how but I got myself together enough to be able to be a functioning person. I met the doctors who were taking over her care and they were very helpful. She didn't have any real lasting damage and some of the nurses said that this can happen sometimes with giving anesthesia. We are now rescheduling her hysterectomy surgery for a later date and she is now somewhat normal. I still remember the utter feeling of helplessness and despair at just the thought of losing my mother and my best friend forever. I am still dealing with the emotional fallout from this and would like to feel normal again." +"Recently, my mother had to get serious surgery on her lungs. I was so incredibly nervous leading up to this surgery. In fact, beforehand, I had a major anxiety attack. This all occurred roughly two weeks ago. I have never been so nervous in my entire life. Nothing in life mattered in that moment than my mother getting out of that surgery OK. She had a crucial blood clot in her lungs and it was even life threatening. I was so incredibly terrified that i would lose my loving mother. I have never reacted with such a major panic attack before. It was like I could not even breathe I was so terrified. Thank God though, my mother is now well on the road to recovery. After surgery I thanked her doctor profusely. I would not wish this situation even on my worst enemy in the world. It was such an awful few hours waiting for her to get out of surgery. I am just so happy that my mother is OK. I pray every day for her health." +"Last month, I flew from Hawaii to Tennessee to attend my little sisters wedding. I had been excited about this event all year and when the day came to head to the airport I was beyond ecstatic! I was going to get to see my Mom, both my younger sisters, and several other friends and family members I hadn't seen for years. I arrived in Nashville TN 6 days before the wedding so I could spend some quality time with my family and help out with the wedding. My Aunt was flying in from Utah whom I had not seen in 10 years and I was so excited to see her! I also had fun spending time with my sisters and my mom all week before the wedding. The day of the wedding came and boy could you feel the nerves in the air! I was a bridesmaid and also in charge of bringing my sisters dress and other supplies to the venue in the morning to get ready. I must say, I didn't know how stressful a wedding could be! There was so much to so and my sister had really bad nervousness. Anyways, all the bridesmaids got ready and helped my sister get ready and things were coming along nicely and it was now 2 hours before the wedding. Suddenly, my Mom came in the room saying there was a problem. It turns out the officiator was missing and no one could find him! A friends of the grooms was supposed to be officiating but no one could get a hold of him. Apparently he was known for being unreliable. My sister started panicking! My mom had an idea though. An old friend of the family was there and he could officiate weddings as well. I ran out to talk to him and he agreed to do it! Whew! Thank god! The wedding can go on! My sister looked absolutely stunning walking down the aisle and I felt so proud of her. The whole wedding was beautiful and there was not a dry eye in the house! I am so glad I was able to be part of my sisters special day and I miss everyone already." +"I have almost finished packing all of my belongings. All of my furniture has been moved into the front room next to the door, so that I can get it out and onto the truck more easily tomorrow. My cat is wandering the halls of our huge apartment, confused as to why everything feels so empty. I've laid my mattress on the floor by the front door so that I can sleep there, and leave the empty rooms clean an undisturbed. Tomorrow morning, my sister and her husband, along with a few family friends, will be here with their pickups, so we can load all of my furniture and belongings. The drive to my new house is going to take about an hour, and we're going to attempt to pack everything in one trip. I've arranged the furniture in the order I think it needs to be loaded, so that most of the bedroom stuff will go in one truck. The living room stuff will ride in my friend's truck, and all of my boxes and bags of clothes and small household things will ride in the SUV with my cat. I'm planning a party at my new place, both as a thank you to the people who helped me move, and as a ""welcome home"" party for myself. The place I live now is way out in the country, which is nice and secluded, but far away from my friends and family in the city. Tomorrow, I will move back to the middle of the city and will be much closer to visit with my friends. It has been hard turning down offers to hang out for the evening or go out for drinks. I don't own a car, so making a 50 mile round trip to visit my friends for a few hours is quite a lofty proposition. Now that I live closer, not only can they come see me, I can get to them easier. For one thing, the city has better public transportation and walking paths/trails, I can cover any ground I want to on foot or take a bus if I can't drive where I'm going. I'm so glad to be back." +"I recently moved to a new house. This was a big deal in my life. I had previously struggled to find an affordable place to live while I am in the process of saving money to pay off debts. I had just moved the previous year into a new home with a close friend, and having a roommate was saving me roughly $100/mo versus my expenses living alone in the smaller apartment I moved from. Unfortunately, after only living together a few months, my roommate, who was only 19 at the time, decided he wasn't ready to live on his own, and opted to move back in with his parents. His parents took him back without any problems, but this left me in the unfortunate position of not having the money to cover all of the expenses associated with moving, but also not earning enough every month to cover my expenses living in the 2-bedroom apartment alone. At first, I struggled to find a new roommate, but I was living in a rural location that was not very enticing to any of my similarly-aged single friends, who seek to live in an urban environment with nightlife. I then negotiated with my landlord for slightly cheaper rent in exchange for maintaining the property for him. I did things like mowing the grass and cleaning the other units in preparation for new tenants, and he took $100/mo off of my rent. This helped, but it didn't leave me any free time because I was constantly working or doing side jobs to earn extra income, taking care of the large property by myself, or cleaning my own large apartment. However, just a few months ago, a good friend of mine told me that he had a small house which he had been renting, but he was now preparing to sell. He thought it would be beneficial for me to have a cheap place to live, and it would be beneficial to him if he could sell the home to someone who would maintain it as a rental property. He allowed me to move in at a rental rate that was $200/mo cheaper than my current rate including my $100/mo discount. In addition, he waived the security deposit so that I could move in immediately. When he sold the home, I locked in my low rent with the new owner indefinitely with a year-to-year lease that automatically renews. I also pay less for utilities such as electricity because the home is smaller, and the internet providers here are cheaper than they were in my old apartment. Overall this has left hundreds more dollars in my pocket every month which I am now being able to use to dig myself out of debt faster." +Sometimes you just wonder you have to meet some people in your life and wonder whats there purpose in you life. That's not not all that one person you met and you just feel like there is a lot you have to share in your and you don't wanna lose that person for life it all complicated. I had to find a reason to make me happy. For the rest of my life till the day i met this girl whom i wanna share my experience on our wedding day. The day started as any normal day but it was full of events. Of which at the morning hours i had no idea whats gonna happen later. But briefly what carried my feelings on that day its the time i looked at her eyes and listen to her read her vow. I had that feeling that i have been looking for since then. That's the feeling i had for that one day it still fresh in my mind. Since then we are too used to each. We have never planned for another wedding even though it will never be the same. I could return it back and enjoy that moment. But good memories come one a replay returns you back. But really leaves me wondering. What if this partner dies ?. Life is a circle. What happens next in such events like this. +"The new staff later reiterated this boss' unfair behaviors and other workplace retaliation against other workers. The union subsequently discovered that this so-called boss was favoring certain employees over others during personnel evaluations. The ""good ratings"" went to people who were this boss' friends. Some workers would laugh at this boss' rotten sense (or attempt) at humor. The jokes were so corny that it was impossible to find the random musings funny. The boss' supervisors caught wind of the maltreatment of employees and eventually fired the boss. How someone so incompetent could ever get promoted is beyond all comprehension. Someone could be a bumbling fool/idiot and get promoted at this workplace. However, hopefully the new corporate leaders can and will do something about such injustices. Sally has worked that this hospital for 17 years and has never been promoted, despite her knowing more about her job than anyone! Meanwhile for me, I found a job at a much more rewarding hospital and hope that my coworkers will be treated better in the future. In fact, I just talked to Sally yesterday and she stated that things are starting to get better at my old workplace. Let's just hope that Sally's hospital (and my former workplace) get better for all parties. I do have hope that this is possible. Anything is possible with the Lord. Things happen for a reason, and what goes around comes around. The Golden Rule is the Golden Rule, after all." +"The new staff later reiterated this boss' unfair behaviors and other workplace retaliation against other workers. The union subsequently discovered that this so-called boss was favoring certain employees over others during personnel evaluations. The ""good ratings"" went to people who were this boss' friends. Some workers would laugh at this boss' rotten sense (or attempt) at humor. The jokes were so corny that it was impossible to find the random musings funny. The boss' supervisors caught wind of the maltreatment of employees and eventually fired the boss. How someone so incompetent could ever get promoted is beyond all comprehension. Someone could be a bumbling fool/idiot and get promoted at this workplace. However, hopefully the new corporate leaders can and will do something about such injustices. Sally has worked that this hospital for 17 years and has never been promoted, despite her knowing more about her job than anyone! Meanwhile for me, I found a job at a much more rewarding hospital and hope that my coworkers will be treated better in the future. In fact, I just talked to Sally yesterday and she stated that things are starting to get better at my old workplace. Let's just hope that Sally's hospital (and my former workplace) get better for all parties. I do have hope that this is possible. Anything is possible with the Lord. Things happen for a reason, and what goes around comes around. The Golden Rule is the Golden Rule, after all." +"Today my niece was born. It was a really surreal experience, especially when you see the little child herself. I have no children of my own, so it wasn't as impactful on me as it was my brother who is her father, but it still got me pretty emotional. When I held her I could only think about not dropping her, and also about the day it would be me handing my baby off to my brother. I am dating someone right now, so I could only think about the children we could possibly have. Would we be ready for parenthood? It was also a fun experience because a lot of family was there. We all talked about what was going on in our lives and each other's children, minus me, and what they're all up to. It was also kind of a scary moment. With all that is going on the world, it seems irresponsible to bring children into what is going on. One can only hope they will grow up unscathed by anything traumatic. These are just thoughts, because right now it is a joyous moment. Another family member has been brought into the family. It will interesting how she becomes related with everyone, her favorites and unfavorites. Only time will tell." +"My brother's wife found out she was pregnant last summer. We were all very excited to get to have a new member of the family. We all doted on her and would buy the baby things every time we were out shopping. When she found out she was having a girl, we got even more excited. A month ago, her water broke so we all knew the time had come. She was going to have this baby and we were all going to get to meet her! We all went to the hospital and waited and waited and waited. Thankfully, my sister in law didn't have any complications. Since it was her first baby, though, things progressed really slowly. The day turned into night and then in the early morning hours, she gave birth! We couldn't wait to get a chance to see the baby. We got to see her after she got all checked out. The nurse wheeled her out to us. She was so precious! Then, later on the next day, I finally got to hold her. She smelled really good and even held my finger in her little hand. It was a moment I will never forget. Every chance I can get, I visit them and see how great of parents they are. The baby is still just as amazing as she was the first day I saw her." +the most memorable event in my life is my marriage. I was very happy on that day. I am waiting for that day for very long. we are loving each other from our childhood. I love him a lot. at first our parents did not accept our love and marriage. later we went to college and we are went for different college in different cities. so our contact completely disconnected. after that we got job and career in different countries. so our contact completely disconnected. but he found me via facebook after we settled in our career. we both are waiting for each other. finally we got married now. it's been eleven years we are still loving each other. the day when we got married is the most memorable day in my life. I can not forget that day in my life. +"The first day of shadowing my boss went well at my new job with a service provider. The second day did not go as well. The day started out happy. He had a good day at school. We went to a well known store, where he likes to go on Fridays. As we were going inside things seemed a little off but we pushed on. As we got inside the first melt- down occurred but we were able to continue on of our visit. He got angry and started running full speed at each of us. He would sit and then jump up. Then, he would run full over to one of us while punching or biting . This went on for about 20 minutes. We were trying to protect ourselves, the client, and any innocent people around. There was a man sitting behind us, in the corner of the eatery. Afterwards, we took him home with little to no violence . I came home and realized that he had also grabbed at my neck and ribs were also bruised. The minute I walked into my own home, I just sat in my husbands arms and cried. Then, I went to lay down with an ice pack on my stomach to stop the bruising." +Turning 45 is a big ordeal in my family. We would usually have a big dinner with all the family. My family had told me that they were planning to take me to dinner for my birthday. I was under the assumption that it was just going to be me and my immediate family. A few days before my birthday my older sister said that she made a reservation for 10 at a local restaurant that I love. We were suppose to meet at the restaurant at around 6 PM. My boyfriend and I drove to the restaurant and we were walked to a back room in the restaurant that is for reservation. I figured something was a little off when they were taking us to the back room. When we walked in the room I was surprised to see my family and a bunch of my friends and coworkers. Apparently my sisters did a surprise party. There was about 100 people in that back room. They hired a DJ and the restaurant catered the food. I was so excited to see everyone and was happy to know that they all cared about me. We had so much fun. We danced the night away. I could not believe that my sister did this without me know. +"What a day , August 8, 2019, It was my 45 birthday and I thought it was going to be just like any other birthday I have had. But this day my family and friends decided to throw me a surprise party. I was in total shock, never expected s surprise party. It started off like a typical day waking and getting ready for work. I had plans to have dinner with my significant other that night. After work came home and got ready for dinner. When we got to the restaurant he provided them his name and they said that they had a special table for us in the back. The back room was usually only used for special occasions. When we walked in through the hallway to the back room it was full of my friends and family. We had a nice dinner and there was a DJ playing music, so we enjoyed a little dancing. I have such wonderful family and friends and getting to enjoy my 45 birthday with them was fantastic. I can't imagine having a nicer birthday. We enjoyed good food , good music and wonderful company. After hours of enjoying ourselves it was time to leave. I hated that the night had to end." +"I recently had a few different drastically life changing events take place. One of which is the beginning of a divorce. After ten years of marriage, my husband decided he wanted a divorce. After some of the awful things he did in our marriage, I was still hanging in hoping we could move past all the hurt and betrayal. But unfortunately, he got fed up with the process and decided to end it. Just within the last three months I have agreed to give him the divorce, had him lash out at me in unspeakable ways, been forced to move due to lack of ability to continue paying for the previous place and had to pick up the pieces for myself and my three young children. I thank God that he has given me several people in my life that have been there for me and helped me through all of this. Without them, it would have been way worse. I am still trying to get through this divorce, but I have faith that the Lord will work all this for good. Many other changes have come along with this divorce. Of course the move. The change in family dynamic, which has been the worst and most difficult change. The financial changes. The emotional changes in me, which I struggle with every single day. The coping of my children. Yes, this has been quite the emotional roller coaster. I am still looking to the Lord for daily strength." +"Earlier today I left work again. Nothing to do. I knew it was about to rain, but I had been smoking cigarettes for the past two hours outside by myself. It was time to go. So I clocked out and, because they still haven't fixed my car yet, tried to walk to my friend's house. Of course I didn't make it; I ended up stranded at a gas station... smoking cigarettes. Again. The rain never really stopped... I just got tired of smoking. I ended up not even bothering to go to her house; I went home. 4.6 miles, but soon I was lost in my head listening to music on my phone. Eventually, though, the rain picked up. Visibility went to nothing. Earbuds flying out of my ears every few seconds. I tried to look around for something to hide under because I was completely soaked, but all I saw was what appeared to be a house next to the graveyard in town. It was actually their office; they were closed. I took my phone out once I was on the porch (I always keep it in a plastic bag ever since the last one got ruined by rain) and tried to get in contact with someone who might pick me up. Nobody could for a long time. But I did manage to get in contact with my friend who I was trying to see at her house before, and she kept me company for at least a half hour while I sat there soaked. It was nice to have company. Sometimes I don't appreciate her that much, and that day was emotional in retrospect because it made me realize I might should be more thankful for her." +"My love and I spent today traveling to our resort. After a picture perfect wedding, filled with friends, family and memories, we took off for our honeymoon. The flight went as well as a flight in coach could go. We arrived late to our exotic, all-inclusive resort. There was no person at the front desk. Only a key with our names on it. We took the key, but wondered which private hut it opened. We were tired and confused. We started, one by one, trying to open the huts. After four or five tries and bothering a few other guests, we found the keys match. My love swept me up and carried me over the threshold. We are finally settling into our honeymoon. Tomorrow we will wake up late and relax by the beach. I am a very happy and lucky woman to have this time with my best friend. I really do love him so much." +"My chest still hurts all the time. I can't believe I still can't wear anything but sports bras for the last 6 months. Chad definitely belongs where he's at in prison. He is seriously the worst. I dont know why I ever loved him. The first time he hit me, I thought it was just stress at his job. Why didn't it ever get better? I tried so hard to keep him happy but it was never enough and he would always snap. I feel awful about Sara's house. He broke the door off the hinges, smashed a window, and scratched the hell out of her car in the process. The court awarded us both damages (her house, my hospital bill) but he'll never pay. Hard to make money from jail! Doctor said the broken rib is healing nicely and my punctured lung is basically back to normal with only a little scarring. Those 3 days in the hospital still feel like a blur. Even there I was sure he'd come find me to finish the job. The stupid asshole even stole my phone so I felt completely isolated the whole time I was hospitalized. Dr. Manfred still checks in on me (he's the one who stuck the tube in my chest to reinflate the collapsed lung)." +"I was out taking a jog one day and I came across a scary situation. I saw a very small dog being chased by a larger dog. The larger dog was really fast and off leash so by the time the owner of the large dog realized what was happening, it was too late. The small dog was also off leash as well and I think it might have been a run away. I don't think the small dog realized what was happening and that it was in danger. I was very close to the small dog when I was watching this situation unfold. I was a little afraid that if I intervene that, I might get bit by the large dog. I chose to take the chance of getting bitten by the large dog to help save the smaller dog. I turned my back to the large dog to kind of create a blockade between it and the small dog. I scooped up the small dog and held it close to me. By this time, the large dog had reached me and it's owner was right behind it. The large dog barked loudly at the smaller dog in my arms. The owner of the large dog finally grabbed him and pulled him away from me and the small dog. I was pretty angry at the owner of the large dog for being careless. I raised my voice slightly as I told the owner of the large dog that his dog could have killed the small dog in one bite. The owner apologized profusely and finally snapped a leash onto the large dog's collar. After a few minutes, the large dog and it's owner were gone and I was left holding the small dog not knowing what to do with it. It had no tags on it and there was no one in site that it could possibly belong to. I took the little dog to a place where they checked for microchips, and I got lucky. Much to my happiness, the small dog had a microchip and I was able to reunite it with it's owner." +"I went into work fearing the worst. I had already suspected something was going to go wrong. I wasn't sure why. When I went in, my boss asked to speak to me. He told me my performance was below standards and that he was going to need to ask me to take a demotion because of it. I was forced to accept even though I really didn't want to. I didn't feel it was fair. I felt like I needed another chance. On the ride home, I was wondering how my husband would take it. He was taking extra hours at work to pay off the mortgage and was counting on my income to keep the income steady. I was so nervous I just didn't know what to do. When I arrived home, I prepared supper and waited for his arrival. When he finally came home, I left him finish his dinner first before giving him the new. I told him. He stood quiet. Did not say a word for a few minutes. He then said the most comforting words I could have ever hoped for. ""Everything is going to be okay. We will get through this."" It was all I needed to hear." +"We go to Disney every year. We always plan a trip for the Halloween party. We always do matching costumes. I tend to make the costumes as it is hard to find all matching for the family. It is a pretty expensive trip. The tickets are not cheap. Then there is the hotel room. Food and parking also add up. Not to mention the costume costs. This year we were threw a curve ball. A hurricane was coming around the time of our trip. I was afraid it would rain or get cancelled. We would not be able to go any other days due to work schedules. Thankfully the hurricane was very slow. The party took place with out a hitch. The nice thing was people were worried about the storm, so crowds were lighter than usual. Disney did close the next day for the storm. We headed home to ride out the storm at home, but it was very minimal as compared to past storms." +"We go to Disney every year. We always plan a trip for the Halloween party. We always do matching costumes. I tend to make the costumes as it is hard to find all matching for the family. It is a pretty expensive trip. The tickets are not cheap. Then there is the hotel room. Food and parking also add up. Not to mention the costume costs. This year we were threw a curve ball. A hurricane was coming around the time of our trip. I was afraid it would rain or get cancelled. We would not be able to go any other days due to work schedules. Thankfully the hurricane was very slow. The party took place with out a hitch. The nice thing was people were worried about the storm, so crowds were lighter than usual. Disney did close the next day for the storm. We headed home to ride out the storm at home, but it was very minimal as compared to past storms." +"About four weeks, my girlfriend took me to her hometown in Pittsburgh. I had never been to the city before or met her parents, so it was going to be a big weekend. We went up on a Friday after work, making the 4.5 hour drive through the Pennsylvania mountains. This was a trip we had talked about for awhile, but never could find a free weekend as we are both very busy with work. Finally, we were able to find a free weekend for both of us and booked everything very last minute. We started off getting dinner at an Italian restaurant with her parents, which went really well! I was a little nervous going into the dinner but her parents were very nice and it was a relaxing dinner. After dinner we went to our hotel in the city. Saturday I did not think we had any plans, but I was surprised that my girlfriend had a whole day planned out. I was surprised and happy she spent the time to plan a whole fun day for me. We spent the day going to museums, breweries, parks, and ending the day riding a tram up a mountain for a view of the city, and ate dinner up there. It was a really fun day and the whole thing made me really happy. The next day, we went to a Pittsburgh Steelers game. The stadium was really cool and it was an exciting game. The fans of the Steelers were so passionate and enthused it made the experience very memorable. After the game, we drove home - I drove while my girlfriend slept. It was a tiring weekend as we had a lot of activities, but it was great nonetheless." +"This event, if I can remember correctly was one of my best friend's wedding. I was a part of the wedding party. It was a lot of catching up with people I hadn't seen in awhile. It was more emotional than I expected. I have been friends with him since high school and I have become very close to his wife in the last ten years. It was at a very beautiful location with a waterfall in the background. We spent the previous night at their house having a barbecue and drinking. That morning we went to eat at a great burger place and we basically drank the entire day. It was a lot of dancing once the reception came about. I danced the night away with a lot of the bridal party. I think the groom just wanted to have a party. I don't think he particularly wanted a wedding, but he really likes to party. The embarrassing moment was very embarrassing for me. It was during the time when people made toasts. I went to toast and I ended up breaking the glass in front of the entire audience. It was a royal embarrassment." +"The event I attended was beautiful. It was magical, like something out of a fairy tale. I was half-expecting unicorns to arrive in droves. I wanted this event to be incredibly special, and to my excitement it was special, emotional, and fun. It was a time for us to just be us. It was a time for us to just be with each other and enjoy each other's company. This took place about three months ago. It was emotional, because this had been in the plans for a long time. This had been on the back burner and finally everyone was able to make time for this. I was incredibly thankful. Admittedly, it wasn't perfect. There was a pretty embarrassing moment that in a vacuum was really dumb of me, but that just added to the story. I'm honestly glad it happened. It just means that we're human. Events aren't meant to be perfect." +"Dear Diary, I recently went through a very emotional time in my life. My grandma in Oregon passed away a couple weeks ago. The process was painful to hear about and it hit me harder than I thought it would. I was very close with my grandma and so was my mom. My mom's siblings put her on Hospice about three weeks ago and within a week she was gone. There was a lot of family drama over the passing of her and I did not agree with with how she was taken care of in the end. I feel she was pushed into the direction of death by being heavily medicated and her family members that were there were not getting her up out of bed anymore. I realize people get old and everyone's time comes but I feel like it wasn't her time yet. But you can't go back in time and she's gone now. I was able to travel with my parents and sister to Oregon to attend her funeral. It was an emotional roller coaster. The hardest day for me was when the day before her funeral I found out that there had been rules put in place by my Uncle that no grand kids were going to be able to go view my grandma and say goodbye. Because of all the drama, he wanted to hurt everyone he could that wasn't on his side. I went to the funeral home with my parents anyway in hopes that I might still get a chance. After arguing with the funeral director, it was decided that I would not be able to go in the room. I was crushed, I was so hurt and upset but I was trying to hold it together for my mom. My mom was able to go in for a while and sit with her mom so I waited outside with other family members. After some time, my mom came outside in a hurry and told me to come quickly. I didn't know what had happened but apparently the funeral director had a change of heart and decided to go against the request of my Uncle and let me go view my Grandma. Walking in that room was so surreal. I couldn't believe my beloved grandma was laying there in her coffin. I never thought it would bother me as much as it did. I couldn't even bring myself to touch her, I guess I was scared or in denial. It was an emotional couple of weeks to say the least." +"I believe the story I wrote was about my project with the well. There were a few different things that went wrong with the project, but ultimately the project was accomplished completely. We initially thought the well was not producing the right amount of water. We checked the water flow meter regularly, and saw it was only pumping about 100 gallons each week. I emailed the team who installed the pump to ask about this. We were supposed to be pumping upwards of 10,000 gallons each week, so this was very low. I also emailed the consultant to confirm his projections were still accurate. The two were able to meet on site together, and I learned that we had been reading the wrong meter the whole time. The meter we had been reading was the water we were using from the local water source, not our pump. Our pump meter was somewhere else on site, and it turned out we were pumping almost the exact amount. I was able to relay this information to my boss all throughout so everyone was kept informed and didn't stress. The important lesson here was to keep everyone updated and stay organized, and always move things forward. I can see how something like this could cause stress in someone's life. It's never easy to feel like you failed at work. Fortunately, my past work experiences had prepared me to prepare." +"I believe the story I wrote was about my project with the well. There were a few different things that went wrong with the project, but ultimately the project was accomplished completely. We initially thought the well was not producing the right amount of water. We checked the water flow meter regularly, and saw it was only pumping about 100 gallons each week. I emailed the team who installed the pump to ask about this. We were supposed to be pumping upwards of 10,000 gallons each week, so this was very low. I also emailed the consultant to confirm his projections were still accurate. The two were able to meet on site together, and I learned that we had been reading the wrong meter the whole time. The meter we had been reading was the water we were using from the local water source, not our pump. Our pump meter was somewhere else on site, and it turned out we were pumping almost the exact amount. I was able to relay this information to my boss all throughout so everyone was kept informed and didn't stress. The important lesson here was to keep everyone updated and stay organized, and always move things forward. I can see how something like this could cause stress in someone's life. It's never easy to feel like you failed at work. Fortunately, my past work experiences had prepared me to prepare." +"A couple months ago, I went to a comedy show to see my boyfriend and 2 other friends in a comedy show. Before the show started, a group of drunk middle aged people wearing ""fun hats"" came in and asked for discounts on tickets. My friend who was producing the show foresaw them becoming a problem, and warned them that they had to remain respectful and not disrupt the show. Once the show started, they started getting loud, heckling the comedians, have loud conversations amongst themselves, and interrupting the show over and over. My friends on stage were struggling to keep the show going and not lose the audience by being too hard on them. I was finally fed up and yelled out for them to shut up. This caused a chain reaction where other frustrated audience members started yelling at them, confrontations between other audience members and them, some of the other comedians trying to hget them to leave and then finally the show runner came to ask them to leave. The main ringleader was wearing a pirate hat and refused to go after his friends did. He would start feigning falling over into the chairs when my friend touched his arm, and getting in front of the stage and shouting so that no one could move on. Finally the show runner had enough and have him some money back so that he would leave. The show went on, but the energy of the room had changed, and no one did particularly well after that. I was so frustrated for my friends, who's set's were ruined, and my friend the show runner who I was worried had lost money since he had to return so many ticket prices for the group of hecklers. The selfishness and audacity of the group was infuriating. Later in the night however I got 2 pieces of information. First, the show runner gave them some singles instead of the full cost of the singles and they were too drunk to notice. And second, that a drunk man in the pirate hat, was spotted getting a sobriety check by the police on the side of the road not far away from the comedy show. There is no way that he was sober enough to have passed." +"It has been a crazy few months, and I am sorry I have not updated you in a while. I met a man named Jeffrey. He seems super nice. He took me on a date 3 months ago and that was sweet. We talked about our families, and I got to talk about my girls. He seemed very friendly and open to a family with kids. At one point, he got excited about a story he was telling that he spilled his water all over the table. It soaked the linen and dripped down onto my lap. We had to call the waitress over to clean up the mess. He was super embarrassed and turned bright red. In a way it was cute. In another way, I had a wet dress. I appreciated him taking me to an italian restaurant, since I am such a picky eater. What I really miss is how simple things were with Dave, though. Beginning to date again is hard." +"It has been a crazy few months, and I am sorry I have not updated you in a while. I met a man named Jeffrey. He seems super nice. He took me on a date 3 months ago and that was sweet. We talked about our families, and I got to talk about my girls. He seemed very friendly and open to a family with kids. At one point, he got excited about a story he was telling that he spilled his water all over the table. It soaked the linen and dripped down onto my lap. We had to call the waitress over to clean up the mess. He was super embarrassed and turned bright red. In a way it was cute. In another way, I had a wet dress. I appreciated him taking me to an italian restaurant, since I am such a picky eater. What I really miss is how simple things were with Dave, though. Beginning to date again is hard." +"Of course It is also a rare treat that I don't feel depressed and have no will to live. Upon arrival my mother had to pay for parking but we found a nice spot right near the beach. We were also near the restrooms, which was great because I had to take a piss really bad. When I got in the bathroom I was surprised how clean it was given it was a bathroom on a beach. I was also shocked how bright it was in the bathroom because I did not like seeing myself that clearly in the mirror when I went to wash my hands. We walked along the beach and I looked for seashells but there were only tiny pieces of broken seashells along the shoreline. I got my feet in the water and it was very cold! So I didn't go in any further, just continued to walk along the shoreline looking ahead when I spotted a couple dolphins swimming together. I saw a few kids on a boogie board in the water and laughed to myself because I thought about how they might get caught in an undertoe or get eaten by sharks. It was surprising because it is a rare site in New Hampshire as the water is always too cold to see animals up close. I continued walking and we happened upon several small tidal pools which felt really warm when I stepped in them. They were in front of a bunch of rocks. There were many baby crabs in the tidal pool, about the size of a thumbnail. I also spotted a crab running away from the tidal pool. Later in the afternoon we got hungry so we left and stopped at McDonald's to get a hamburger for lunch. Overall I really enjoyed my day and wish I could go back." +"Of course It is also a rare treat that I don't feel depressed and have no will to live. Upon arrival my mother had to pay for parking but we found a nice spot right near the beach. We were also near the restrooms, which was great because I had to take a piss really bad. When I got in the bathroom I was surprised how clean it was given it was a bathroom on a beach. I was also shocked how bright it was in the bathroom because I did not like seeing myself that clearly in the mirror when I went to wash my hands. We walked along the beach and I looked for seashells but there were only tiny pieces of broken seashells along the shoreline. I got my feet in the water and it was very cold! So I didn't go in any further, just continued to walk along the shoreline looking ahead when I spotted a couple dolphins swimming together. I saw a few kids on a boogie board in the water and laughed to myself because I thought about how they might get caught in an undertoe or get eaten by sharks. It was surprising because it is a rare site in New Hampshire as the water is always too cold to see animals up close. I continued walking and we happened upon several small tidal pools which felt really warm when I stepped in them. They were in front of a bunch of rocks. There were many baby crabs in the tidal pool, about the size of a thumbnail. I also spotted a crab running away from the tidal pool. Later in the afternoon we got hungry so we left and stopped at McDonald's to get a hamburger for lunch. Overall I really enjoyed my day and wish I could go back." +"Dear diary, today, yet with the boy of my dreams. After following him for a few months, we bumped into each other. We only talked for like two seconds, but I can tell that he is totally into me. Apart from that, I just heard I won a scholarship. Remember I went to write it a few days ago. The girls there are mean. I tried talking to one of them but she like totally snubbed me. I've decided G hat when I get to the school, I would do the same to her. Judging by the fact that I'm going to be super famous. My best friend and I had a fight today. I know im not supposed to feel hurt because I'm the strong one. But it seems she is taking forever to apologize. In going to try as hard as possible not. Do think about her. Well that is it, see you tomorrow." +"On the 6th of July 2019, my sister and I had a fight. On that day, I went somewhere very early in the morning and did not have enough rest the night before. Due to the presence of heavy traffic in town, I was not able to reach my destination early. By the time I reached my destination, I was totally late for the program I was to go to. As a result of my being late, I left the place very late, which was around 5:00 pm. When I was coming home again, there was heavy traffic. I was also very hungry since I had eaten almost nothing since I left the house in the morning. I had to stop on the way to buy food, which also made me late since the food took some time to be prepared. Due to this, I was very tired and frustrated when I reached the house. When I reached the house, my sister tried to ask me a stupid question. I decided not to mind her and went to put my food down. She then asked me again and this time I gave her a snobbish answer. This then made her angry and caused her to shout at me. Due to this, both of us got angry and started saying very unpleasant words towards each other. Luckily, my older sister was around and came in to stop the fight. The reason we both fought was that we were both on edge that day since she had also gone out and had been in heavy traffic that day." +"On the 6th of June 2019, my elder sister and I had a fight. I had to leave the house early in the morning and at the time I left, she was not awake. Usually when I'm leaving the house the house, I tell her, since she needs the key to get into the main house. My sister lives in our outhouse, and she usually comes to the main house to do some things. I think, since I'm not certain, that was the first reason that annoyed her, which ultimately led to the fight. Another thing was that as I was leaving the house, I ate a bit of her food before I left, since I knew I had a long day ahead of me. When I got to work, my sister called me, but I didn't pick the call. Thus, this all accumulated to make my sister angry. As I was coming home from work that day, I was also a bit agitated because I was not able to get home early due to traffic, but my sister did not go to work. When I came home she asked me a question about both the food and not telling her when I left the house which I answered in a snobbish manner. She then asked another question which I didn't respond to this time. After that, she then took offence and started to get angry, but as I was also angry things escalated quickly. Careless words were said by both parties and it nearly turned into a dire situation . Thankfully the intervention of my other elder sister stopped things. I must say things were sour between the two of us for about 2 weeks due to the fight. All is well between us now though." +"It was a cold Chicago night in January, nearly 40 degrees below zero. This was an important night because I was taking an important prospective client out to dinner. The location was one of the most expensive steakhouses in the city. Dinner was set to start at 6pm, and the prospect, a CEO of a prominent area hospital had ensured the restaurant staff would take care of us while we awaited his arrival. The meal was nothing short of magical, the filet mignon was impeccable, and the sides and cocktails were masterfully created. As dinner progressed, the conversation veered towards business, and we talked in depth about his hospital and the challenges he is facing. Our value proposition was strong. The CEO was impressed with what we were able to bring to the table. We opted to skip dessert, but agreed to set up time for a meeting in the days to come. After saying our goodbyes, my two coworkers and I went to the bar to celebrate what was expected to be a highly lucrative deal. Our Old Fashions had never tasted better, and we decided to grab another table near the bar since our company was footing the bill. At the table next to ours, two beautiful women overheard us discussing hospital strategy and interjected themselves, they were doctors at another prestigious hospital nearby. The night progressed, and the 5 of us went on to another bar. The rest, as they say, is history. 6 months later, one of those girls is now my girlfriend, and the CEO is a happy client of ours." +"This was the day we would release her ashes as requested. I was so sad. I was relieved the weather was overcast. It seemed solemn like our moods. We walked to beach with small bag of ashes we wanted to release to the waves. E had been to this beach many years ago. It was place that she loved and it only seemed right to bring her back. I still can't believe she is gone. Selfishly, I wondered how horrible it was going to be for me to be left behind. We had spoken through email several times a week for the past 3 years. And for me I felt closer to her now than I had when we were kids. The sadness is mostly all the things that can not share now but I am also so grateful for all that we could share. Thankful for the time that we recovered. Thankful that we had reconnected and could comfort and share moments that bring meaning to life. We had planned to be together, those of us that were left behind and remember. We wanted to celebrate her time with us and let her know how fortunate we were to known her. And so we chose the holiday and the beach to release her ashes. The beach that day was beautiful. So many shades of gray across the water and sky. I wanted to tell her how beautiful it was. I spoke to her in my head and I told her how I would miss her and let her know she would always be remembered. I knelt down and dug a small hollow in the sand and waited for the surf to come. It was time to let her go. Send her into the surf and begin moving forward without her." +"This was the day we would release her ashes as requested. I was so sad. I was relieved the weather was overcast. It seemed solemn like our moods. We walked to beach with small bag of ashes we wanted to release to the waves. E had been to this beach many years ago. It was place that she loved and it only seemed right to bring her back. I still can't believe she is gone. Selfishly, I wondered how horrible it was going to be for me to be left behind. We had spoken through email several times a week for the past 3 years. And for me I felt closer to her now than I had when we were kids. The sadness is mostly all the things that can not share now but I am also so grateful for all that we could share. Thankful for the time that we recovered. Thankful that we had reconnected and could comfort and share moments that bring meaning to life. We had planned to be together, those of us that were left behind and remember. We wanted to celebrate her time with us and let her know how fortunate we were to known her. And so we chose the holiday and the beach to release her ashes. The beach that day was beautiful. So many shades of gray across the water and sky. I wanted to tell her how beautiful it was. I spoke to her in my head and I told her how I would miss her and let her know she would always be remembered. I knelt down and dug a small hollow in the sand and waited for the surf to come. It was time to let her go. Send her into the surf and begin moving forward without her." +"The event was at a Carolina N/T race in Piedmont,NC. I was there shooting the event for the series and for my media page for the weekend. I happened to be in the right place at the right time and was able to record 2 passes that involved a huge save. One being a car that got completely sideways, while the other video was 2 cars that almost hit each other. Both drivers are ok. After both incidents happened I knew I had gold. Once the event was over, I drove back home and uploaded the videos on Facebook as fast as I could to beat the rush of videographers that might have also got it too. These 2 videos after editing and uploading them the next day had a combine total of 12k views on facebook in 2 days. It blow my mind how fast they they gained traction and grabbed views like that. This was my first pair of videos that have reached over 3k views so I was ecstatic. This rose my confidence up big time. I also felt that my hard work was beginning to pay off. From the result of that video i went from 400 to 503 followers in a week. It has also gotten me noticed by other promoters. Since then i've been able to go to more races based of that notoriety. yup." +"So, as you know, I have been practicing guitar a lot lately and getting pretty good. I didn't realize how good though until about 3 weeks ago when I made a couple of videos. I wasn't planning on uploading them but family and friends were saying that I should. I've been getting a lot of encouragement and feedback lately and I think it's given me the confidence I needed to post more of my stuff online. Anyway, in total the two videos I uploaded got about 12,000, yes TWELVE THOUSANDDDD, views combined and I seriously could not believe it. It was mind blowing and surreal and was an even bigger boost to my confidence, not only in my playing, but in my social media page, which I hadn't honestly put much effort into prior. It was nice to see my talents recognized and appreciated. I really cannot wait to make more videos and see the response I get. I know it will be a challenge to get as many views again. I don't know if that was a chance thing or something I can expect to see happen each time. I don't want to get my hopes up. I will just continue to play what I love and hope people like it. I know this is the best way for people to see my true talent. I do hope I continue to get a lot of views though. It really is a confidence booster!" +"There are some memorable days in my life and they remain ever green in my heart. My first day of school is such a day. It was the month of January 2003. I was then only six years old. My father proposed that i should be admitted into a school in class on the next day. I felt very excited i could not think of anything else. I was always thinking about the school, the teachers, as i watched on TV. I could not even sleep well that night. The next morning my mother woke me early in the morning, she wash me very well, comb my hair and dress me in new clothes. Then i had breakfast and started for school with my father. He took me to the nearest CFB primary school of our locality at 9:30 am. The school was not very far from our home, so we walk all the way, it took us about 30 minutes to get to the school. When i stepped into the school compound with my father i was somewhat afraid. I saw many student s on the school campus, some were playing some where talking to each other. Finding myself in a new environment my heart started to beat, at first my father took me to the headmaster's room and request him to admit me in one grade, i was nervous but his smiling face and and gentle eyes put me to ease. He asked me my name and i answered him. then he pointed me a letter chart and ask me to say some letters. I could say them all because my mother taught me how to say it at home. Then he became very pleased at me and admitted me to one grade, then he called Ms Fatema the one grade teacher to take me to class. When i entered the class all the students in the class where staring at me, i felt a bit nervous once again to see the new faces, i sat down and at my leisure period, all my classmate started playing in the field, i felt very lonely and was loitering here and there, then they invited me to join them, i started playing, i felt myself like a free bird flying in the open sky. My school ends at 12pm, my mother was at the gate to receive me. I leapt into her arms she kissed me caught me at her arms. That was how i spent my first day of school. I left the school with a new experience and a cheerful mind. I shall never forget that day as long as i live." +"When I was working for the MLB team in the spring, I was working for a company event at the stadium. There were barely any workers there, but I was with some past professional players. One of them, my boss, went to introduce me to a guy named (let's call him Al). I didn't think anything of this man. When I went to shake his hand, it hurt. He was massive and extremely strong. I thought, ""is this Al the legend?"" No, there's no way it could be. As the event went on, I didn't think anything of the occurrence. Al was throwing batting practice to some of the employees. He was also keeping them all entertained by talking on the stadium microphone. At the end of the event, my boss told everyone to thank ""Al the legend"" for coming to the event! I was shocked that I didn't realize it was him. I am still mad to this day that I didn't take the time to ask him any questions. I am still on the look out for him at any events to this day. Who knows, maybe I will run into him again and I can learn something valuable from a pro!" +"I was working for a large company. I met a pro basball player while there. I had know idea who they were at first. But then someone told me who they were. It was amazing. I never met someone like that before. And I didn't know why they were in a foot locker. I had to measure their feet too. He got a great pair of sneakers. I felt like my day was made when I did it. If anyone was to give him shoes, I wanted to be the one. They were the priciest of sneakers that we had. They were good though, and I felt odd to be the one to help him out. I almost felt bad that I didn't know who he was. I am not a big sports nut. But it was great in any case." +"Two months ago, I went to my nephew's graduation from high school. He got on stage to get his diploma. A ton of people cheered. We did some things to celebrate. We first went to a nice burger place to eat. I got a double burger with lots of cheese. It was very greasy and delicious. He got a triple burger with a ton of cheese. He enjoyed it. We then went to the movies. We saw the latest blockbuster. It was a blast but it was a remake. The last thing we did was to go the park with the whole family. We played a game of football. My team won. I had a great time that day. My nephew said it was a ton of fun and would hope to do it again." +"Two months ago, I went to my nephew's graduation from high school. He got on stage to get his diploma. A ton of people cheered. We did some things to celebrate. We first went to a nice burger place to eat. I got a double burger with lots of cheese. It was very greasy and delicious. He got a triple burger with a ton of cheese. He enjoyed it. We then went to the movies. We saw the latest blockbuster. It was a blast but it was a remake. The last thing we did was to go the park with the whole family. We played a game of football. My team won. I had a great time that day. My nephew said it was a ton of fun and would hope to do it again." +"There are not that many dog owners that I encounter at this park, and usually my dog is able to run off of her leash without any issues. Technically it is not an actual dog park, and all dogs are supposed to be on a leash while there, but in practice nearly everybody lets their dog run free because the park is mostly just one big field lined with trees. There is a baseball diamond at one corner for kids, but that is about it. On this occasion I had my dog on her leash because I could see at the far end of the park that there was a lady walking her dog on a leash as well, and it would be rude to let my dog just run free and approach her. When we got closer to each other, I said hello and the dogs were of course quite happy to meet each other and curious about their respective scents. We talked for a while about breeds and ages and so forth and she told me about her dog's tumor, which was actually visible from his side. He was getting a bit older and it is somewhat common for fatty tumors to form, though they can turn out to be malignant when checked via biopsy by a veterinarian. He was scheduled to be checked soon and I expressed my concern and empathy for her worry, since my previous dog (who died a few years back) also had to have a tumor checked and removed towards the end of her life. It was somewhat reassuring for her to hear that my dog's tumor was not malignant and was simply a fatty tumor which could be removed by surgery. She of course hoped to receive the same diagnosis when going to the vet. We said goodbye after about 5 or 10 minutes of chatting, and the next time I saw her was a month or two later. Her dog had a patch of stubble in the area where the tumor had been removed and thankfully it had not been malignant. I knew that he was an older dog and would probably not be in good health for too much longer, so when I told her about CBD dog treatments it was with not just surgery recovery in mind. That type of treatment can help older dogs with a whole range of issues, and my younger dog even used CBD dog treats for help with her hip issues stemming from an injury. Since I carry a lot of my dog gear in a big plastic bin in the trunk of my vehicle, I went and got out the half-full bag and showed it to her. She was very interested in the positive results I had seen, and I felt so much sympathy for her dog that I spontaneously offered to give her the rest of them since I could just order some more online. The gesture was accepted graciously, and I felt like I did something good to alleviate the feeling of sadness I had for witnessing the suffering of her older dog. I have chatted with her a couple of times since then and it is too painful for me to point out that although her dog is doing good now post-surgery, he likely only has a couple of years left to live in the best-case scenario." +"There are not that many dog owners that I encounter at this park, and usually my dog is able to run off of her leash without any issues. Technically it is not an actual dog park, and all dogs are supposed to be on a leash while there, but in practice nearly everybody lets their dog run free because the park is mostly just one big field lined with trees. There is a baseball diamond at one corner for kids, but that is about it. On this occasion I had my dog on her leash because I could see at the far end of the park that there was a lady walking her dog on a leash as well, and it would be rude to let my dog just run free and approach her. When we got closer to each other, I said hello and the dogs were of course quite happy to meet each other and curious about their respective scents. We talked for a while about breeds and ages and so forth and she told me about her dog's tumor, which was actually visible from his side. He was getting a bit older and it is somewhat common for fatty tumors to form, though they can turn out to be malignant when checked via biopsy by a veterinarian. He was scheduled to be checked soon and I expressed my concern and empathy for her worry, since my previous dog (who died a few years back) also had to have a tumor checked and removed towards the end of her life. It was somewhat reassuring for her to hear that my dog's tumor was not malignant and was simply a fatty tumor which could be removed by surgery. She of course hoped to receive the same diagnosis when going to the vet. We said goodbye after about 5 or 10 minutes of chatting, and the next time I saw her was a month or two later. Her dog had a patch of stubble in the area where the tumor had been removed and thankfully it had not been malignant. I knew that he was an older dog and would probably not be in good health for too much longer, so when I told her about CBD dog treatments it was with not just surgery recovery in mind. That type of treatment can help older dogs with a whole range of issues, and my younger dog even used CBD dog treats for help with her hip issues stemming from an injury. Since I carry a lot of my dog gear in a big plastic bin in the trunk of my vehicle, I went and got out the half-full bag and showed it to her. She was very interested in the positive results I had seen, and I felt so much sympathy for her dog that I spontaneously offered to give her the rest of them since I could just order some more online. The gesture was accepted graciously, and I felt like I did something good to alleviate the feeling of sadness I had for witnessing the suffering of her older dog. I have chatted with her a couple of times since then and it is too painful for me to point out that although her dog is doing good now post-surgery, he likely only has a couple of years left to live in the best-case scenario." +"A few months ago, the family and I went up north, to go kayaking. My girlfriend and I loaded up her car with all the items we needed and our two inflatable kayaks. We made sure the kids were ready and the four of us took our awesome road trip to this cool place that we found a month prior. When we arrived, it took a few minutes to get the kayaks inflated and we had to carry everything to the water. We had the boys in one kayak and the girls in another. The trip down the river was fun; we took lots of pictures and raced a bit. Our son copped out and didn't row too much, so I did a bulk of the work. When we got to the picnic spot, we got out and set up to eat. We ate and then spent some time fishing. We saw a few fish, but did not have any luck. The kids explored the area and found a cave that was pretty empty. After that, we packed up and kayaked back to the car to load up. When everyone was ready, we began the drive home. It was dark at this point, so I reminded my girlfriend to use her brights, as we were in the mountains and visibility was lower. Soon after, we spotted a bunch of deer right by and in the road. If we didn't have the brights on, we probably would have hit them." +"I was traveling to the DMV with her and although we had to wait a long time, it didn't bother me because we had time to catch up. We started telling stories from our past and this really set us off to laughing. It felt so wonderful to be able to laugh with her. I was a bit annoyed that it took her longer to get ready. It's the one thing that really bothers me because I like to stay on a schedule and she just doesn't seem to understand that. But all in all, it was a great day. The laughter felt really good for my soul. I hadn't been able to laugh like that for quite some time. I have been so busy with work that I haven't really taken a whole lot of time to help her get the things done that she needs to get done. But I finally got a day off and we spent it together. I have missed her friendship. We do text but it isn't the same as seeing each other face to face. Being able to see facial expressions and listen to the tone of her voice. I like to be able to read people as I am talking to them. Body language is just as important as being able to hear someone's voice. And when I am with her, it is like we have never been apart. It seems we are always able to read each other's minds and pick up right where we left off. In this day and age, to many people rely on technology. All you see is people playing on their phones instead of communicating. Communication, and I mean true communication, is being left behind. This is why me and her can just talk and talk. Because we were both raised to communicate the proper way." +"About 1 month ago, my husband was driving my toddler and I to pick up some ibuprofen from the drugstore, because my husband had just had his teeth pulled and he was in pain. We went with him to the drugstore because I wanted to keep him company after his tooth extraction, and I also wanted to get my son out of the house for a little while. It was 10PM at night, and we went to the only place that was open with ibuprofen, which was the 7-Eleven. My husband went into the store while my son and I waited in the car. As my son and I were waiting in the car, I was singing The Wheels on the Bus with him, and we were having a little fun while we waited. I turned on the radio to my favorite hip hop station, but unfortunately that station was just static at this time. I turned off the radio and continued singing with my son. As we sang ""The driver on the bus goes move on back .. move on back .. move on ..."" I saw a car speeding towards as and I knew it was coming towards us. I had only a split second to think of what to do but I was too frozen to budge. The car whacked iteself into a pole and hit the front of our car. Glass was flying everywhere. Somehow, miracle striked, and only our windshield was damaged and the car was a little dent. The car wasn't even totaled, and neither my son nor I got hurt. My son actually slept through what had happened, which was some sort of miracle. Unfortunately, the other driver died, but he was driving while intoxicated and I can't bring myself to feel sorry for him or his family, because he put my family in serious danger, and all I can feel is relief that a drunk driver is off the road for good. Luckily, insurance covered for us, a rental car until our car was able to get fixed (and our insurance also covered the repair of our car)." +"She helped me a lot. She helped me to be stable physically ans mentally. She was like a stress buster to me. It was a beautiful friendship. But it didn't last for long. There came a separation because of a new entry. She left me without a word. I felt hard without her. Things weren't so easy without her. I actually needed help. But later I managed to do all my works by myself. But when I found the real reason that why she left was unbelievable. She was actually a lesbian and had interest on me. And that is why she was with me through all my tough times but when she understood that I'm not one such like her, she left me all of a sudden. Its not that she is wrong because I'm not gonna peep into her bedroom but she could have at least left some last words." +"My family and I went out and did many fun activities about four months ago. I went with my parents, my sister, and my nephew. Specifically, we went and found a place with a playground and a splash pad. We had a great time at the playground. We also had fun getting wet on the splash pad. My nephew particularly enjoyed this. On top of this, there was a play area that had a really exciting zipline. It was exhilarating being able to go down it. The most surprising part was when my mom went down the zipline and screamed at the top of her lungs the whole time. We all had a good laugh at that, as she usually doesn't go on those. There were also a number of large hills around to climb. We all had a good time doing this, though it was quite tiring. At the top of the hills, we had some great views. We were able to see the city and the surrounding forest. When all was said and done, it was a memorable day, and we went home satisfied." +"My family and I went out and did many fun activities about four months ago. I went with my parents, my sister, and my nephew. Specifically, we went and found a place with a playground and a splash pad. We had a great time at the playground. We also had fun getting wet on the splash pad. My nephew particularly enjoyed this. On top of this, there was a play area that had a really exciting zipline. It was exhilarating being able to go down it. The most surprising part was when my mom went down the zipline and screamed at the top of her lungs the whole time. We all had a good laugh at that, as she usually doesn't go on those. There were also a number of large hills around to climb. We all had a good time doing this, though it was quite tiring. At the top of the hills, we had some great views. We were able to see the city and the surrounding forest. When all was said and done, it was a memorable day, and we went home satisfied." +"in the last few months my life has changed dramatically. I moved to another state and rented out my house. I plan on selling my house next yr too. I dumped my boyfriend. Now im thinking about selling my used undergarments. On top of that, I also do surveys online. I'm really looking for anyway to make money without getting a real job. I may consider being a sugar babe. Well, I do want to be one but I can't find a legit site. Prostitution is also an option. Im just scared that I will end up missing. Long story short, this move has made me realize that there are plenty of ways to make money online. that's pretty much it. my life is entrusting. and boring at the same time." +"The trip was a bit of a spontaneous one. We weren't planning far out for it to happen, but opportunities just lined up so all four of us took a month off of work to take this trip. Tickets were booked. Plans were made. We scheduled family trips with our extended families in Korea. One of the parts of our trip that I was looking forward to the most was just driving down the coast of Korea in a rented car. In retrospect, that was one of my favorite parts of the trip. We stopped at resturants that we thought looked good. We just observed the landscape and went with no serious schedule. It felt good to not have to worry about work and just enjoy the weather and the views. Everything was interesting to see. We took a lot of pictures and we have them playing in a digital album in our dining room. It is fun seeing all the food that we ate and things that we saw. It reminds us that family vacations are very important. It is important to take care of each other and work hard so that we can make more moments like these. I don't know when our next vacation will be next. But I hope that we will all be healthy for it." +"My family went to Korea this past summer, and it was an amazing experience. My dad was born and raised in that country, and had not been back in quite some time. It was the first time I had been since I was a little kid. We visited the house he was born in. We met family that still live in the country. We ate a lot of good food. Some of it was spicy!! I really enjoyed staying with relatives. I don't speak the language well, but it was good to practice. My relatives were very patient. We visitied a lot of different places. Since they live there, we were able to visit places off the beaten path. We didn't just go to the touristy places. We enjoyed the nightlife of Seoul. I wish I could live there. It is very expensive though. I could never afford to live there." +"My friend and I were really close for a period of high school and college before there was a period were things just felt different to the both of us. This story is really timely because he was actually almost going to be in the city that I live in this weekend and we were going to spend some time hanging out which would have been really nice. Things were strained for a period that felt long where we didn't talk or hang out as much and you could just tell that we were not as close as we had been in the past. There were times where we would actually yell at each other and get in this big blow up fights. Our relationship felt much more competitive and cut throat than it was before which was strange. Then a while back I got a wedding invitation in the mail which started the events that would change things back to the way things were. The way things were when things were good and we really felt like best friends. I think I mentioned before that I would still text him when I was back in town but we didn't always hang out or if we did it still felt weird. For whatever reason things were way different this time when we were hanging out the night before his wedding. We talked about things like we used to and there was an openness that reminded me of the past. We stayed up really late and both felt really happy, we didn't need to hash out everything that happened before because we had talked about it a lot. It was a lot of fun and then we got to hang out a few more times after that during the time after the wedding/reception. From the time past that point we communicate a lot more which I think continues to help. I really make it a point to do that because there were some long period in the past where we would kind of ""ghost"" each other. Now I feel like I can go back to my home town and hit him up with no problems or second guessing like before. I am really glad things went back because we are close and have tons of memories to share." +"My former best friend I always thought was labeled as a ""former"" for a reason. We had been there for each other a lot, but there was also a lot of trying times. A lot of heartbreak, a lot of anger, a lot of betrayal, but also a lot of good moments. I knew he was getting married, so I did want to be there for him in whatever capacity he wanted me to be in. It was tough to be there initially, because I didn't want to give off the impression I was just there out of pity. A surprising thing happened, however. We hit it off after a while apart and seemingly rekindled the friendship that had burned so brightly for so long. We talked about old times. We certainly talked about dumb things one another did. But we also talked about how he met the love of his life, and also had future plans we all were having. It's a good reminder that a lot of negative feelings are temporary. They fade and fluctuate with the gift of hindsight. We were glad this wedding brought us together. I don't know if we could ever be the best of friends again. But I think we're ready to try." +"One day I was out at Whole Foods shopping for the week. It was a cold day and it seemed like the weather was effecting the moods of the other shoppers. People were rude, they were bumping into me at the store and not even taking the time to say excuse me. As I collected my necessities for the week and I went to the check out line I noticed a young women and her two children. She was about 25 or so and her children could not have been more than a few years old each. She was young but had the weathered look of someone who was struggling a bit. Her kids were driving her crazy and I could tell she just wanted to get home. Anyways as she is going to pay she sticks her credit card into the machine and it's declined. She tries another card and it's the same result. Again and again for what seemed like an eternity. This lady with her two kids and a cart full of groceries was holding up the line and I could tell things were going to come to a head. She finally breaks down and starts weeping. I felt so terrible but as I'm on a budget I was not in the position to help. Finally after about a minute the cashier swipes his card and says ""don't worry mam, I know how it feels like to struggle."" There had to be at least a hundred or so dollars worth of groceries and I'm sure this cashier wasn't getting paid much more than $10 an hour. To take your days pay and to help out a stranger was one of the most touching things I've seen. She gave this cashier a big hug and she went about her day. I felt good about the human race for the entire day after that." +"It all happens on one sunny Saturday. That I went out with the kids to pick something at the supermarket. The kids was excited as they will be getting new toys. It took us two hours to get to the supermarket because of the traffic jam. Luckily for me and the kids we pick so many items in the supermarket. I had to even caution them on what to buy. After the kids are done with there shopping. We Both went together to pay our bills. As at these time I use three credit card of different banks. So I gave one of them to the cashier she later returned it, that it an insufficient balance. So in my mind if one is not going through the other should do. I gave her the second one also the same story not until I gave her the third one. And it turned out to be same story. I was so devastated I don't know what next to do or what action to take, I looked at the kids they were so happy with what they got. Now i began to think of returning those item we bought including the kids toys. Then the cashier turn back to me and helped me out as she paid for the grocery for me. I was so happy and surprise of this kind person." +"Two month ago me and my family went to New York. It was my cousins wedding. I've never been IN NY before so I was looking forward to visit this amazing city. We stayed in a very nice hotel in Manhattan. The weather was very nice during our stay. We got there couple of days early to see the city. We took a bus tour around Manhattan and saw all the famous buildings. I was very excited to see the place where the twin towers used to be. The best part of the tour was going to the Central Park, located between the Upper West Side and the Upper East Side. Now I understand why it is the most visited park in US. It was gorgeous. It was just like I imagined it to be. I think that it was better in real life than in movies. I also really enjoyed shopping in NY. We went to the Fifth Ave and saw all of those amazing boutiques. I cannot wait to go back to visit my cousin again. I think next trip should be longer thou." +"My aunt called me a few weeks ago and wanted me to go with her on a road trip. It was kind of unexpected, but I haven't seen her much in the last few years so I was excited. We were headed to a wedding about 6 hours away. I didn't really know the guy getting married, but I had met his mom a few times. On the way to the wedding, we stopped to visit several relatives. Again, people I hadn't seen in years. It was so fun to catch up with all my cousins! We had a blast at the wedding, or rather, the wedding reception and dance! Now that was a good time. Everyone was out on the dance floor and most of them were very good dancers. My aunt and I didn't participate in that, but it sure was fun watching everybody out there. The food was good too! After the dance, we headed back to another friend's house to spend the night. I had met him a few times before, and we spent a couple of enjoyable days with him. We spent a few more days visiting with more friends and relatives before we headed back. I absolutely had a blast. We talked all the way there and back which was about a 12 hour round trip. This is my favorite aunt of all time, and I'm so glad she asked me to go with her. She is over 70 now, and doesn't get around as well as she used to, so I soaked in every moment of our time together. I only wish it could've lasted longer, but unfortunately, I had to get back to work. I hope we get the opportunity to do another road trip together!" +"In January I went on a trip with a group of friends that we go on every year in Baltimore Maryland. This year we managed to convince a new friend to go with us on top of our usual group. We traveled there during the middle of the day and were lucky enough to not have to deal with any snow this year. The previous year was quite snowy when we were driving up. We also managed to get lucky and get a room with a balcony again. We try our best to get one every year but since so many people are going it's often tricky to not find them all booked already. The balcony adds a really nice relaxing place to hang out where you can still see some of the event while taking a break up at your room, it really adds to the experience. The event has a 24-hour arcade that runs every day and we have found over the years that it's best to be up and night and sleep during the day. That way you get to enjoy the arcade with less people and can sleep when everything is super crowded. This year especially I mostly focused on the arcade so I was asleep a lot during the day and just stayed up all night. You also have to be careful about where you get food and when because of how busy everything is. Typically we get a bunch of snacks and things for our room to have something as filler since we aren't sure when we might manage to eat. We also try to make at least one trip to a nearby steak place every year we go, as well as a trip to the local Chinese food place. We did our best to teach our new attending friend our tricks but we mostly let him enjoy whatever he wanted to do and he ended up liking the event a lot which is good. I believe he managed to get something signed by a composer he likes. I hope he comes again next year and we can have another addition to our yearly crew. Overall it was a great time and I look forward to going again early next year. This is so far the main thing I do reliably every year so I hope we get to keep doing it. Hopefully we get lucky with the balcony room again and manage to not have it be too cold or snowy during the event itself." +"The event that most comes to mind to me that happened in recent months is a trip I took to Baltimore with some friends. It's a convention we go to every year but this year a new friend decided to come with us and we were able to introduce him to the experience we have every year. It's a convention with music and lots of arcade games, we always end up staying up all night playing games and sleeping during the day when the arcade space is super busy. It's an all night convention so you get the most out of the arcade if you stay up all night and play games while most of the other people are back at their own hotels or are asleep. During the day and especially on the weekends it gets way too crowded in the arcade space to really enjoy it without waiting in super long lines. So it makes more sense to just become a night owl for the duration of the trip and enjoy yourself at night. We managed to get a room with a balcony in the hotel of the convention itself which is the goal every year we go. It costs a bit more but being able to sit on the balcony and wind down while still watching the convention is always worth the extra cost. Our friend seemed to enjoy himself and managed to get some autographs from a composer he really likes so hopefully he joins the yearly crew that goes. Every year I tend to focus on some different things and get some new things out of it. This time I was even more arcade focused than usual because I was really into a specific cabinet I can only find at this place every year. The other part of the trip I always look forward to is the food. There is a really good Chinese food place just a quick walk from the hotel we go to every year. There is also a steak place we go to at least once if not twice every year we go. Aside from those two though we tend to just stock up on snacks and maybe order some Grubhub or UberEats to pick up at the hotel. As lots of the convention area is overbooked with people trying to get food. We had some trouble with our room keys not working properly but other than that the trip was flawless and was a much needed vacation. I am looking forward to going again next year and I hope the same group continues to go as it's one of the things I look forward to most every year. I'm also hoping we luck out and get the balcony room again, it wouldn't be the same without it." +"Last summer, about five an a half months ago, My wife an I went to Portland, Oregon. We had left from our home that morning ready to embark on a two week vacation which would take us from Portland to Seattle to Vancouver. Upon arrival to Portland, we got our baggage from baggage claim and ordered a Lyft. Our Lyft driver picked us up, and we directed him to our hotel in downtown Portland. Once we told our driver where our hotel was located, he informed us of the protest that was occurring near our hotel. He informed us that liberal protesters, members of a group named Anti-Fa, and members of Gay Pride groups were violently protesting near where we were staying. He assured us that this was normal for Portland. After our Lyft driver dropped us off we entered into our hotel and walked to the front desk. The front desk attendant reiterated the ongoing protests. My Wife and I got to our room, and opened the windows in time to see trucks carrying officers from the Department of Homeland Security speeding down the street toward the protests. News stations on the television were also covering the protests. Later my Wife and I left the hotel, in another Lyft in the opposite direction from the protests. By the evening the protesters had left. The very next morning, My Wife and I walked to the site of the protests, and it looked as if nothing had happened. We ate our breakfast from a food truck, sitting the in the very square where the protests had occurred only hours before." +"Three months ago my brother died in a car wreck. He was hit by a drunk driver whose four wheel drive pickup smashed into the driver's side of my brother's small, Toyota Yaris, killing my brother instantly. My brother was only 20 years old, still studying at college and had only begun to live his life. My youngest brother was the baby of the family being the youngest of 5. He was the only brother so was especially cherished by his 4 older sisters. He was studious, giving, caring and tried to do the right thing at all times. He volunteered at the homeless shelter in his college town. He attended mass every week. He took time to keep in touch with out parents and with all of our sisters. My family is devastated. This is our first loss in our family and none of us are quite sure how to deal with the hurt. We are close, all live in the same town and have each other but that doesn't seem to assuage any of the hurt or loss in our hearts. My mother has turned to the church, talking to our priest, praying and attending functions. My father has turned inward, trying to heal himself. My sisters and I have tried to help our parents but as we are suffering as well it has been a botched job at best. My sisters and I can help each other though, lending a sympathetic ear at least. We are still muddling through this and I don't know that my family will ever completely get over the loss of our baby brother. My little brother was an avid outdoors person who loved to hike, canoe and camp. Because of this my sisters and I are thinking of creating a sort of memorial along one of his favorite hiking trails in our town. The trail has a program where you can plant a tree and/or pay for a bench along the trail which helps fund the trail. I want to do both, plant a tree which will shade the bench as it grows, with a plaque showing it was donated in my brother's name. I think this would be a wonderful way to memorialize my little brother as he loved being outside hiking while always having his old Pentax film camera along with him. As I write this I find I have made the decision, I will do this for sure, plant a tree for my brother and provide a place for weary hikers to sit in memorial to him." +"Three months ago my brother died in a car wreck. He was hit by a drunk driver whose four wheel drive pickup smashed into the driver's side of my brother's small, Toyota Yaris, killing my brother instantly. My brother was only 20 years old, still studying at college and had only begun to live his life. My youngest brother was the baby of the family being the youngest of 5. He was the only brother so was especially cherished by his 4 older sisters. He was studious, giving, caring and tried to do the right thing at all times. He volunteered at the homeless shelter in his college town. He attended mass every week. He took time to keep in touch with out parents and with all of our sisters. My family is devastated. This is our first loss in our family and none of us are quite sure how to deal with the hurt. We are close, all live in the same town and have each other but that doesn't seem to assuage any of the hurt or loss in our hearts. My mother has turned to the church, talking to our priest, praying and attending functions. My father has turned inward, trying to heal himself. My sisters and I have tried to help our parents but as we are suffering as well it has been a botched job at best. My sisters and I can help each other though, lending a sympathetic ear at least. We are still muddling through this and I don't know that my family will ever completely get over the loss of our baby brother. My little brother was an avid outdoors person who loved to hike, canoe and camp. Because of this my sisters and I are thinking of creating a sort of memorial along one of his favorite hiking trails in our town. The trail has a program where you can plant a tree and/or pay for a bench along the trail which helps fund the trail. I want to do both, plant a tree which will shade the bench as it grows, with a plaque showing it was donated in my brother's name. I think this would be a wonderful way to memorialize my little brother as he loved being outside hiking while always having his old Pentax film camera along with him. As I write this I find I have made the decision, I will do this for sure, plant a tree for my brother and provide a place for weary hikers to sit in memorial to him." +"Three months ago my brother died in a car wreck. He was hit by a drunk driver whose four wheel drive pickup smashed into the driver's side of my brother's small, Toyota Yaris, killing my brother instantly. My brother was only 20 years old, still studying at college and had only begun to live his life. My youngest brother was the baby of the family being the youngest of 5. He was the only brother so was especially cherished by his 4 older sisters. He was studious, giving, caring and tried to do the right thing at all times. He volunteered at the homeless shelter in his college town. He attended mass every week. He took time to keep in touch with out parents and with all of our sisters. My family is devastated. This is our first loss in our family and none of us are quite sure how to deal with the hurt. We are close, all live in the same town and have each other but that doesn't seem to assuage any of the hurt or loss in our hearts. My mother has turned to the church, talking to our priest, praying and attending functions. My father has turned inward, trying to heal himself. My sisters and I have tried to help our parents but as we are suffering as well it has been a botched job at best. My sisters and I can help each other though, lending a sympathetic ear at least. We are still muddling through this and I don't know that my family will ever completely get over the loss of our baby brother. My little brother was an avid outdoors person who loved to hike, canoe and camp. Because of this my sisters and I are thinking of creating a sort of memorial along one of his favorite hiking trails in our town. The trail has a program where you can plant a tree and/or pay for a bench along the trail which helps fund the trail. I want to do both, plant a tree which will shade the bench as it grows, with a plaque showing it was donated in my brother's name. I think this would be a wonderful way to memorialize my little brother as he loved being outside hiking while always having his old Pentax film camera along with him. As I write this I find I have made the decision, I will do this for sure, plant a tree for my brother and provide a place for weary hikers to sit in memorial to him." +"Two weeks ago, my my family and me planned to join in the wedding ceremony of my cousin brother. He lives in Los Angeles. he is a software developer in a private concern. his future wife also working with him. We just went to the Los Angeles before a day of wedding. My friends are also joined in that ceremony. we planned to give surprise to my brother.On the wedding day, we decorated the groom and take it him in the wedding hall. after wedding, we started to execute our plan. In evening we arranged party for our relatives, friends and neighbors. In this party we just arranged various events Such as singing, dancing etc. During that fun moment, my cousin was watching those events happily. Suddenly A big hand touch his shoulder. he felt that touch. So he turned. Gigantic Thanos standing in back of him. he slightly shocked. Thanos is a full of our work. After few seconds, Marvel theme music started to play.All of the guests were stunned. After few seconds Spider man jumped down among people . ,Thor ran towards guests. And also Iron man appeared among the people. They started to cheer. all of those marvel characters were engaged the guests. Guests were enjoyed in the moment. I always know that my cousin is the big fan of Marvel comics. So I decided to surprise him by his favorite characters." +some kid was turning 10 and he didn't like to talk much. his family tried to search for the best birthday party. he wanted a Lamborghini themed party. his father thought about a motorcycle themed party. his mother thought her son wanted a star wars theme. he got a starwars theme and he cried since he waned it to be lamborghini themed. he had a good time none the less since its his birthday. his parents where curious about why he looked sad. he finnaly talked to them alone in his room. he told his parents he was greatfull but he wanted a lamborghini themed party. none the less the parents decided on the next years party for thier son. the sons name was miguel. hes 28 today and hes happy with life. he has a decent life and hes about to have his own son. his wife has his son not too soon after this story. +"I work as a child avocatein the court system. I represent children in the foster care system. I had a very difficult case last year, where the parents were addicted to heroine. They ad three children of various ages. Te parents were getting ready to have their rights terminated because they had been cheating on drug tests. The DCS caseworker had been covering it up for them. After a great deal of research I was able to locate evidence of the parents ongoing drug abuse. I worked closely wit them building rapport. They greed to go to in patient treatment were they were hospitalized for 4 months. Afterwards, they went to outpatient treatment. Today, they are clean and sober. I referred them to job placement services. They ave cleaned up their apartment and repainted it. They go on job interviews and are taking care of health issues. They came to me in tears aying tat they thank God I was put into their life and are grateful to me for helping them. Next month, they resume unsupervised visits wit their children for the first time in a year." +"At the age of 40 I recently went on my first camping trip ever. My wife, 2 daughters and I traveled from coastal San Diego to the Palomar Mountain area where we camped outdoors for several nights in April of 2019. While it was Spring time, the elevation of the campsite atop the mountain made for a very cold camping experience. We arrived on the first afternoon to the campsite. We were one of a total of 4 families camping at a campsite that could accommodate 50 campers, so that should have been our first clue that we might have picked a bad time to go camping. We were very organized in that all of our camping gear was packed well in our car such that we were easily able to extract things like the tent first. After we had the tent erected, we placed the air mattresses inside of it and prepared the sleeping bags, and organized our clothing. Once all of that was set-up, I decided to take a nap in the car (since I was still fighting off a lingering head cold) so my wife took our daughters to go for a short hike. About at hour later my wife returned and we began to make preparations for dinner by setting up the fire. While I had no experience camping, by wife had a reasonable amount of experience, so she was able to get the fire going without too much difficulty. However, as we were warming dinner and the sun began to set, the temperature began to plummet. My daughters and I began throwing on more and more layers of clothing in order to keep ourselves warm. My wife, who was hovering over the fire while tending to the food, was not overly cold but she was stunned at how chilly it was getting so quickly. I sat by the fire, eagerly awaiting dinner, with my two daughters crammed onto my lap as I sat in one of our folding camping chairs. We ate dinner and the girls happily made smoores afterwards, but that didn't last long as the temperatures dipped into the 30's! We put out the fire and retired to our tent in order to get some sleep. We rearranged all of the sleeping bags and air mattresses so that we had 2 people in each one: myself and my smallest daughter in one, and my wife and older daughter in the other. I was wearing 3 sweatshirts and had 2 extra blankets over me, but that was just barely enough to keep me from shivering all night long. When the sun arose, we quickly started another fire, but quickly ran through the remainder of our firewood just to keep from shivering constantly all morning long. After the sun was fully up, we were able to hike and bird watch, then enjoy a filling lunch. However, as the sun began to drop in the sky the second day, the temperatures plunged too much. We opted to take down the tent, re-pack the car, and head home so that we wouldn't have to endure another frigid (by San Diego standards) night on the mountain. In spite of the cold, this was a fun first camping adventure with my wife and kids and I look forwards to doing it again." +"One of the most memorable moments in my life happened 5 months ago. This was the year of my graduation from university. I could not believe that I spent the last five years of my life working towards this day. During my time in university, I met many people of different backgrounds. Because of this I learned about many different cultures and became more culturally enriched myself. What makes this significant is the path it led me on today. Thanks to the many great people I collaborated with during university, I received an opportunity to work for a great company that embraces and supports diversity. The day of graduation is one that I still remember as if it was just yesterday. The feeling of accomplishment, but also some sadness still lingers on until this day. During my last year, I got realy close to some people which is unusual for me. Many of the people I interacted with during my schooling were what i would consider acquaintances. However, these people I met I could actually call my friends. The reason for my sadness is that I knew that once I graduated, I would most likely not keep in touch as mcuh as we did before. In the end, we all went to school for one reason, to get a nice paying job. We didn't really go to school to meet new people; at least that what it felt like. Anyways, the biggest thing I take away from this day is that all good things must have to come to an end at some point. I was counting down the days to graduation because I knew once it was over, that there would have to be a big change in my life; something I always feared. Most people would describe their graduation day with feelings of relief, happiness, and accomplishment. For me it was a bit different, almost the opposite. While the friends I made was probably the best part about going to school, would it even matter 5 years from now? Im glad that as of now everything seems to be going well and my work has paid off. What saddens me is that I will never get to live those moments again like if it was the first day it happened." +"It has been a decade since my wife and I helped grandma move out. We met up with grandma last weekend. We had a great time explaining what we have done since we last met. The wife got a new job. She is now a high level member of a marketing team. I got a promotion at the saw mill to top manager. I got a few more vacation days a year and get double the pay. Grandma has been making quilts. They got famous on eBay and she has sold a lot of them. We cried about not seeing each other in so long. We had a nice ham dinner. We played some board games. We watched some television. We shared photos. After all of this, we said goodbye." +"The most devastating thing I've ever experienced happened to me about 10 months ago and I'm nowhere near over it yet. I had been involved in an online forum for video games, which I love, and started communicating to a few people regularly. One of them was a girl around my same age who seemed to have similar tastes in games and other things. We started chatting more and more and eventually it seemed like things were developing into romantic interest. I've never been really good at that type of thing, so I was reluctant to pursue it in any way. Besides, emotional connections are easy to elicit online. Feeling ""warm and fuzzies"" about someone online, just based on their writing and the created image you have of them, isn't the basis of real love or connection. It's very artificial. Nonetheless, after spending more and more time online with her, sometimes hours per day, Skyping, texting, and communicating every way possible, even I was thinking we both had real feelings for each other. I mustered up all my courage and expressed my feelings for her and she said she felt the same way. I was relieved, ecstatic, and panicked all at the same time. After getting over the initial shock and relief, I started thinking about how to proceed. Eventually I convinced her to let me come see her in Sweden, where she was from. She was amenable to the idea although never jubilant about it, which, in hindsight, I should have taken as a warning sign. Instead, I plowed ahead, full speed, blinded by my feelings and excitement. To make a long story short, she was supposed to meet me at the airport. But she wasn't there. I texted her and got no reply; I phoned her and got no answer. At that point I was panicking a little, thinking something had happened to her, not realizing that the disaster was happening to me. I ended up actually getting a hotel room because I didn't know what else to do. I actually didn't even know where she lived at the time. But when I got to my hotel room, after a few days, I started to get angry instead of worried. So I put on my internet detective hat and searched the internet to find out her address. I went to her place and camped out, waiting to see if she'd show up. At that point I saw her coming out of an apartment, being playful and hugging a guy who was clearly her boyfriend, and she was pregnant--I absolutely broke down at that point, flew home, and never talked to her again." +"The most devastating thing I've ever experienced happened to me about 10 months ago and I'm nowhere near over it yet. I had been involved in an online forum for video games, which I love, and started communicating to a few people regularly. One of them was a girl around my same age who seemed to have similar tastes in games and other things. We started chatting more and more and eventually it seemed like things were developing into romantic interest. I've never been really good at that type of thing, so I was reluctant to pursue it in any way. Besides, emotional connections are easy to elicit online. Feeling ""warm and fuzzies"" about someone online, just based on their writing and the created image you have of them, isn't the basis of real love or connection. It's very artificial. Nonetheless, after spending more and more time online with her, sometimes hours per day, Skyping, texting, and communicating every way possible, even I was thinking we both had real feelings for each other. I mustered up all my courage and expressed my feelings for her and she said she felt the same way. I was relieved, ecstatic, and panicked all at the same time. After getting over the initial shock and relief, I started thinking about how to proceed. Eventually I convinced her to let me come see her in Sweden, where she was from. She was amenable to the idea although never jubilant about it, which, in hindsight, I should have taken as a warning sign. Instead, I plowed ahead, full speed, blinded by my feelings and excitement. To make a long story short, she was supposed to meet me at the airport. But she wasn't there. I texted her and got no reply; I phoned her and got no answer. At that point I was panicking a little, thinking something had happened to her, not realizing that the disaster was happening to me. I ended up actually getting a hotel room because I didn't know what else to do. I actually didn't even know where she lived at the time. But when I got to my hotel room, after a few days, I started to get angry instead of worried. So I put on my internet detective hat and searched the internet to find out her address. I went to her place and camped out, waiting to see if she'd show up. At that point I saw her coming out of an apartment, being playful and hugging a guy who was clearly her boyfriend, and she was pregnant--I absolutely broke down at that point, flew home, and never talked to her again." +"It was a snowy winter day. A large snow fall had just happened the night before so there was several inches of snow on the ground. In addition in the morning people were out trying to deal with snow. It was enough snow that a snow emergency would be called for this snow fall, while not the biggest snowfall of my life, it was enough to disrupt my morning. I get up and need to make a decision about how I am going to get to my doctor's appointment. I have a chronic illness and the specialist I am seeing that day is hard to get an appointment with so it is vital that I make my appointment. I decided to call a cab, so I call the cab company I have always used and get a message telling me that they have shut down- I don't call for cabs that often so this was a surprise to me. I then look up another company's number and call them. I talk to the operator and they tell me it will be about an hour. I am not happy, but have plenty of time so I wait. After an hour I start to get antsy. I keep waiting, it is another ten minutes, and then fifteen, then twenty. My appointment is supposed to be starting soon and I am worried that I won't make it. Right as I call the doctor's office to tell see what happen if I am late, the cab pulls up. I am still worried about making it there on time because the road conditions are not good. The cab driver drives through the street but one of the main roads is very backed up. However, the driver knew an alternative route which was far less congested. I was able to make it to my appointment right on time, it was close but everything worked out in the end." +"I really respect cab drivers. They seem to be able to handle everything and never get stressed out. A few months ago I was scheduled for an important doctors appointment. It was the sonogram where I was supposed to find out if I was having a boy or a girl. I had been waiting weeks for this appointment. I knew if I missed it that would mean waiting at least another week or two for a new appointment. I had to make the appointment. I called for the cab with plenty of time to spare. I figured I would be at least an hour early. Unfortunately, as soon as I stepped into the cab it started snowing. Not just regular fluffy snow. It was pouring snowflakes. I could barely see. The roads seemed to get covered in seconds. And then the traffic started. Everyone slammed on their breaks and caused a mess of crashes and rubbernecking. I had never seen anything like it. I remember staring at the little clock on the cabs dashboard. I had to make this appointment. The cab driver didn't seem too hopeful. He was trying his best. After almost 2 hours of sitting in this horrible snow traffic the driver suddenly turned down a side road. I was going to ask where he was going but I figured who cares at this point. I watched as he wove up and down streets I had never seen. And then, miraculously, he pulled into my doctors parking lot on time." +"The event was the the funeral of my uncle, my father's only sibling. I remember this event clearly, and I remember writing about it, and what I felt at the time. It was indeed very momentous. At the time I felt keenly the passage of time, and as I realized my brothers (some now in their 50s, more on that momentarily) and I were now the main or prime generation of family, I felt melancholic, and brooded about my own mortality. With the passage of time since the funeral some of the weightiness of thoughts of mortality has waned and I am left with a different perspective and reflections on the event. One, how important it was to get together with all my brothers: this hardly ever happens. that we are all together. It was also important and a very rare occurrence to get together with all the cousins on that side of my family. It may be the first and last time that happens. With distance I also realized that some of my angst about mortality stemmed from a compounding effect--the funeral was the same week as my brother Joe's 50th birthday. I am the next up to hit this milestone. This is part of the reason I connected it with my own mortality so much. It was also an odd conicidence that they both occurred in the same week. I am still a little overly concerned about my own death. But it has waned some since the funeral." +"This last week, my Uncle died. He was my father's only brother, and my only ""blood"" uncle. We were not as close as some, but I had a great deal and respect for him. He was also the last of his generation. Obviously, I experienced personal loss and grief, and sorrow and sympathy for his three daughters (my only first cousins on that side of the family) and their children and grand children, but it goes beyond that. It indirectly signifies that my brothers and I are getting older. My brothers are in their 50s and I am 43. My Uncle's death makes me aware of our own aging, as now we are the oldest generation in our part of the family. Sometimes I still feel like a young man, but I am impelled by my Uncle's death to realize that not only am I firmly ensconced in middle age, but will be a senior before I know it. The swift march of the passage of time boggles me -- like they say the days crawl but the years fly. Additionally, it makes me aware of the larger ""circle of life"", if you'll pardon the phrase -- we're just another generation moving a slot in an unbroken chain. Others will come after. Eventually, I will be in my 70s, 80s, and then it will be my time to pass. So not only am I filled with sorrow and sympathy, but I am very aware of the passage of time. My own aging and immortality are very apparent." +"Well I felt like my wife's birthday was ruined by I redeemed it. I had a whole surprise party planned for her birthday. She didn't know anything about it and I was very excited. Unfortunately, one of her friends ruined everything. She told her the secret. I do not know if it was intentional or not but it ruined it either way. I was upset but thankfully I came up with another surprise. There is a YouTube video that she and her friends adore. I had a cake made for her birthday with a printed picture form that video on it. I surprised her with it. She was thrilled. I'm so happy I could give her something surprising for her birthday that made her happy. It felt especially good because it was her 30th birthday. That is an important one. I hope that I made it a memorable one." +"One day my bunny got really sick, her paws were bleeding. Well, rabbits, don't really have paws, they only have hair on the skin that covers the bones. Me and my family were so scared and felt really bad for her. We did not know what was causing her that and how painful it could be. We started researching on the internet and found really bad news. Rabbits are very prone to suffer from dermatitis and in many cases it that not have a cure. That broke our hearts. We really loved her and we didn't want her to suffer pain or die. Thank God, on Facebook we found a rabbits's lovers group in which they recommended a great vet that was specialist on exotic animals. We called him right away and told him what was happening. He told us that it was very urgent to take her to his clinic for assistance, so we booked an appointment for the next day. My mom had to ask for permission from work. I was working in the afternoon shift, so we could take her together. It was a very expensive rate compared to a check for a dog or a cat, but we didn't care. It was really hard to put my rabbit in the crate for transport, so we arrived late to the appointment. We were so worried we would lose the turn. We knew that Olivia was feeling pain and that was killing us. the doctor was waiting for us, he explained us what happened and washed her feet. We gave her the medicines and her wounds healed in about one week. We are so happy to have found that vet." +"I'm so happy to finally have a pet! My parents told me that I couldn't have one for years and years, but getting my pet bunny in a magic show two months ago was so cool! The magician made a rabbit disappear and then reappear under my seat, and they let me adopt it after the show! My mom originally gave me a dirty look, but she couldn't say no to that cuddly little face. They even let me and my mom meet the magician and other assistants backstage. They did a pretty cool trick for me with a red ball that they didn't do during the show. My mom was blown away! When we got home my dad wasn't exactly thrilled about the bunny, especially since the little guy pooped on the kitchen floor right when we walked in. I had to clean it up, which was pretty gross. My parents told me they were happy that I was being responsible. The next morning we went shopping for supplies at the local pet store. Mom and dad were pretty cool about it too, and let me pick out a nice cage, a bunch of specific food, and some toys. The cage I got is massive and has multiple spots for food trays, which is perfect. It's just so funny how my parents always said I wasn't responsible enough to have a dog or a cat, and now I have a bunny. I'm just glad they came to their senses!" +"a memory i had would be, going to a baseball game with my kids and my husband. i didn't expect it to be that great,. the kids actually enjoyed themselves, we had great seats. right behind the plate and the kids got to run the bases after the game. they really enjoyed it and i was glad i would do something with my kids that they would enjoy . we first got there, they were really wowed at everything, they looked around and it was very load and music was playing . we got food, some popcorn and peanuts and then went down to our seats, shortly after the kids were pressed against the fence looking down at the field in amazement. after that the kids got kinda bored, then they had a little intermission and the kids got really happy when they started to play music, and started to dance and get happy and the mascot was entertaining the kids. a lad also was holding a camera filming the kids and putting them on the big screen. the kids got bored shortly after. so we took them upstairs. after that we let them walk around and take in the scene to keep them entertained. they had courses for kids to play on. like baseball running and a bouncy house, so we took them to that. after that they ran around the course in a circle for about 20 mins. we went to get peanuts after that. then we went back to our seats and my son got a ball. we ended up loosing it because he was throwing it in the stands. he was really sad about it. overall the game was good and we saw fireworks after the game ended." +"Today was a horrible day. Out of nowhere, sweet girl passed away. Everything was going as usual, when mom called and told me the devastating news that my baby had to be put down. Apparently, she was walking into the kitchen when she saw her going in circles and then lay down. She rushed her to the vet. She kept repeating that the poor baby just wasn't there anymore and she hoped she made the right choice. I got angry. Of course she didn't make the right choice! How could she not try to go to the specialist! Why wouldn't she let me take her? I can't believe I didn't even get to say goodbye one last time. My girl wasn't supposed to go yet. I am so mad that I didn't take her on that walk when I last visited. She always loved walks and I was to selfish to spare the 15 minutes. That was always her favorite. I am so sorry boo-bug. I love you, always. I know mom just wanted you to be at peace." +"My brother was married recently. It was a monumental task getting him to the alter. Not because he weighs 400 pounds, but because he lives in a balloon above the lakehouse. He is also lactose intolerant. Once we found a contemporary moo-moo to suit the occasion we settled on a caterer who worked with all vegan cheese and could even make a poutine. Well my brother is also a cheapskate and ""forgot"" to pay the caterer. Right before the ceremony began there was a knock at the door and some lovely hors d'oeuvres were delivered on a large platter. My brother took one look at the vegan cheese balls and dug in. Smugly he reminded me that this is why you never pay for things. Later, while waiting for the ceremony to begin I noticed my brother shifting uneasily. ""I think there was something wrong with those cheese balls"", he says. I had my suspicions about the lactose content of the vegan cheese balls but remained stoic. As the bells chimed and the union was formally announced for the first time the bride and groom were to walk down the aisle and out into the open air. Only my brother never made it that far. He started to walk at an almost frantic pace, practically dragging his new bride in his efforts to get out of the church. It was all for nothing though, as he tripped on the roll of red carpet he had wanted rolled out and collapsed in agony as he let out of massive fart. People were aghast, speechless, dismayed. One lady sprinted for the door. All in all it was a good wedding." +"Four months ago, I took my baby to his first swimming lesson. Leading up to the lesson, I was so nervous. I did not think that he would like swimming, and I was worried that he would end up drowning or getting hurt. Everyone kept telling me to take him for a swim lesson so that he could get started young, but I always made up an excuse. I would say things like, ""oh I don't think he meets the height and weight requirements"" or use any of his sniffles as an excuse to say that he had a cold and would need to rest first. When I finally signed him up, I had a gut feeling that I wouldn't actually go. I knew I would make up some sort of excuse. It was my husband who finally convinced me to just go to the lessons. When we got there it was very chaotic. There were kids screaming everywhere. Having all the older kids jumping and splashing around made me nervous. He ended up being on a closed end of the pool with other infants and several swim instructors. He loved every minute of it! It turns out that I had nothing to worry about. Soon my son will be doing the butterfly and jumping off the high dive!" +"Last week, my wife and I went to Sanibel Island in Florida to spend some time at the beach. We had just a short amount of time to spend together to de-stress before school started again. Since we're both teachers, this was also our last time to spend together before the next school break. We also have two young children, so the added stress of spending time with them while trying to spend time together was a lot to deal with as a young, newly-wed couple. The beginning of the summer had been stressful for us because we had a lot of home repairs to do before the winter. We were quite financially strapped to get everything done that needed to be done. Many of the repairs were minor things that weren't going to require too much money. However, we also had major home repairs like getting our roof replaced that couldn't wait. Normally, we would have taken a longer, more extravagant vacation. We love traveling internationally, and we really wanted to have a chance to take a bit of time away from the children. Because of the money we had to put into our house, we were limited with where we could go and what we could do. We were able to share valuable memories despite the trip not being what we would normally do. One of the most amazing memories was when we actually fell asleep together on the beach one night, just talking and having a bit of wine. Waking up at dawn surrounded by the ocean and surf was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Now we'll rethink some of our more extravagant, luxury vacations just to have quiet moments like the night we slept on the beach together." +"Over the summer, I helped my mother move into an assisted living facility. She was not happy to go, but at the same time, she knew that she could no longer maintain her own apartment, and needed some help on basic tasks. Moving her out of her home was hard. I was sad as I saw her part with many items that she no longer had room for. I was able to hold onto some items for her, like our family photo albums, which made me feel sentimental about the times when we all lived together and my father was still alive. The assisted living space was nice, but it felt impersonal to me, like moving into a hotel room. I worry that the staff won't take good care of her, that she will be lonely or mistreated. She says she has made some friends, but she still sounds lonely. I can't visit her as often because she doesn't like to sit in the common room and doesn't want me in her room. I take her out to dinner but feel sad when I drop her off. Seeing her so vulnerable is unusual to me. I have always thought of her as strong. Now it seems I am stronger. Having recently dropped a son at college, I can say this was the opposite experience. In dropping him off, I saw him making his way toward manhood, whereas in moving my mom to the home, I see her becoming more childlike again. This new way of life is difficult for me, though I expect it is more difficult for her, as she has lost her autonomy in many ways." +"Sic months ago I had the scare of my life. I thought I was having a heart attack. It all started because I was keeping my emotions bottled up. I was under a ton of stress with moving and work, and O felt like I should be able to handle it all. So, I chose to keep all the stress in and not tell anyone how I was feeling. I was packing some boxes when all of a sudden it hit me. My chest got really tight, and my breathing went crazy. I couldn't see straight, and I started freaking out. My husband asked me what was wrong but I couldn't talk, all I could do was shake my head and clutch my chest. My husband called 911 and the paramedics arrived and checked me out. They gave me oxygen and checked my blood pressure. One of them told me it was ok just try to breathe normal. Finally, things started letting up and I was breathing normal again. I started crying and told the paramedics how sorry I was that he had to waste his time to come out. He assured me it was all a part of his job and that he thought I was having an anxiety attack. I felt embarrassed but he assured me it was nothing to be ashamed of and I needed to get things under control or it could lead to worse things like a heart attack. Now, I will always make sure I take care of myself and let things out, talk about my stresses to my husband so this doesn't happen again." +"The most recent and striking memory I have was when I was in the hospital to receive cycle 2 of chemotherapy for my recurrence of Hodgkin's lymphoma. Initially I was supposed to be in the hospital for only 3 days. This stint in the hospital ended up being for 6 days. The first day I arrived there to stay overnight, the chemo was not ready to be delivered so I had to stay there for the night for really no reason, away from my wife and daughter. The next day I had to get a CT scan that shouldn't have happened and they had initially thought that they found more cancer in my lungs. We now know that this diagnosis is not correct but it added to the trauma of this visit. Several doctors visited us and said that they wanted to potentially open my chest and take a biopsy of my lungs, NOT GOOD! Once my oncologist put the squash on this, they began chemotherapy. As soon as they got me hooked up to the chemo and the pump started moving it into my body, I had a systematic reaction. My throat closed up, my face swelled and went numb and turned purple, and I couldn't breath. They immediately stopped the treatment. Under this terrible stress I no longer wanted to take the treatment. The nurses convinced me otherwise and that I had to take the treatment to fight my cancer so I can still be here for my wife and daughter. So the next morning we tried again with a higher dilution rate and I didn't have a reaction. This was a very emotional moment for me because this chemo was going to keep me alive and kill my cancer. Unfortunately it didn't fully do its job though. I am still fighting cancer because it became resistant to prior treatment methods. We are currently trying MAB treatments to see if we can kill it that way and move onto stem cell transplant. I pray this works. I am 37 and have a wife and daughter that depend on me. I want to be here for them." +"Today we went camping in the Great Smokie Mountains. The weather was a little bit cooler than at home, which was nice to get away from the summer heat. We had never taken our daughter camping before so I was not sure how well this was going to work out. Turns out she really likes it! When we arrived we found our camping spot and unloaded our gear. L helped us set up the tent, which went better than expected. I thought for sure we would have problems getting it set up. but all the poles were accounted for and getting it pitched was easier than I remembered. After setting up our tent, we made sure to secure our food so as that any creatures would not make a snack of it. That goodness for locking coolers. After getting our sleeping bags and foam mats squared away we went down to the river to wade around a bit. You would think water in July would be warmer but boy was it cold. Not for being one for fishing, we looked for pretty rocks in the crystal clear water and then headed back to camp to start the fire for cooking dinner. We roasted hot dogs on sticks and made smores for desert. Turns out she really like s her marshmallows burnt. Takes after mom I guess. We still had a good bit of day light left so L went to play with a group of kids with a family that was also camping until it was getting to dark to see. Then the fire flies came out. We spent the evening looking at the stars and the fireflies until it was time for bed. All in all it was a really relaxing day and I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings." +"That Terrible Day 05-03-19The day my nephew was hurt on the job, a place he goes daily with no care in the world. A place we never expected this to happen. And the seriousness of the injury was intense. Broken jaw, knocked unconcious - very much out of it and not well, he needed wires in his jaw and a very big amount of surgery. All this from being too hungry and passing out and being sick. I felt something was a tad off that night, almost a gut feeling if you will, but I didn't think anything of it, until the text messages started pouring in the next morning. I was very upset and nervous, and it brought back many bad memories and feelings of my own personal experience in 2008 - a dangerous car accident. In my accident I too suffered fractures to my face and bones. It brought back many memories from a bad time. Based on what the paramedics stated, it was a scene of horrors. Blood was everywhere, and his lip had split with his teeth actually protruding through his lower jaw. Having to be instantly sedated due to shock, he became quite sick. We all got together and prayed. It was all we could so in this situation. Thankfully, he is now on the mend. I'm his Uncle, this had a pretty profound affect on me. I was sullen and down, thinking about many things past and present. But we look forward to a bright future." +"Two months ago my boyfriend and my best friend met for the first time. We had been dating for 7 months at the time, but had known each other for nearly a year. This particular friend is probably my closest female friend. We share a lot about our love lives, even though we don't see each other super often. She knows that I'd been really happy in my relationship and was eager to meet him. It finally so happened that schedules aligned and we were able to meet up. I was a little nervous at first. I wasn't worried that she wouldn't approve or anything, but it's always a little bit of an unsure situation introducing people you're dating to old friends. We met at the restaurant, a local burger joint/bar. The three of us had a great time! Conversation was easy, and as expected, they got along wonderfully. Some mutual friends showed up at the restaurant, and we had a brief conversation with them before heading to her house. Once there, we spent a while playing with my friend's dog. My boyfriend made fast friends, and it was really sweet seeing him interact with her dog. Overall, we had a wonderful time, and I'm sure that my significant other made a good lasting impression on a very important friend of mine." +"My best friend is probably the most important person in my life. I've been dating a new guy for a few weeks, and I really wanted him to have a chance to meet her since she is so important in my life. We decided to go out for dinner last week, and things could not have gone better. I wasn't really nervous about introducing them because many of our friends say we're like two peas in a pod. I knew he would adore her as much as I do. At dinner, he was very charming and polite to her. He made sure to show his humorous side, which helped her get comfortable. They laughed and joked a lot, and we had a very good time. I think the best part of the night was after dinner. We decided to go to her house to drink some coffee. She has a little dog named Bailey, and he doesn't really like new people. When my boyfriend sat down on the couch, however, Bailey was immediately taken with him. He probably enjoyed meeting Bailey more than he did my friend! They played fetch for what felt like hours. After we drank our coffee, we took Bailey on a walk in the neighborhood. It was the perfect end to a perfect night! I can see the three of us having a very close friendship together!" +"Two months ago we planned a trip to Myrtle Beach as a family. Though the plan was executed two months back, the plan was nearly under consideration for six months. Because if a person has time another does not have. So it was a hectic process to make everyone available. The time came two months ago. Finally we packed everything and went to the trip. My uncle and aunt also joined the trip. It was really amusing until that incident occurred. Everyone were enjoying in the beach. My father in law suddenly held his chest and fell down. Everyone was shocked for a second. After coming out from shock we shouted for help. Immediately everyone gathered around and asked about the problem. Fortunately a doctor was present in the crowd. He came and checked my father in law and gave first aid. Soon my father in law came to conscious and we took him to the nearby hospital for further checkup." +"I have had mixed feelings over the past two weeks. Helping my brother and sister in law out with the kids was both a blessing and a punishment. It had been a long time since I babysat and now I remember why. I am exhausted. The kids were sooo bad and so spoiled. They sure were not used to my kind of shopping and cooking. I took the little guy shopping and he started to cry when I picked up apples. He demanded grapples. What the heck is a grapple? And parmigano regiano cheese? Not in my house kiddo. Part of me feels like a bad aunt, but part o me knows that I taught them things they needed to know. They were horrified when I walked outside barefoot, this really amused me. I love them more than anything, we had some really great times. But I honestly do not think I can do that again,at least not or just a few hours a week. And their mom would have to pack their lunches." +"Went to my brothers for 2 weeks to help he and my sister in law with the kids. I was to take them to their swim practices every day and try to entertain them for the rest of the days. I took them to Carowinds, an amusement park, one day and to a putt putt another day. Treated them to dinner at times and took them to ice cream, also. The days I took them to swim practice, I was able to go off to McDonald's or shopped at Home Depot until their practice was over. Otherwise, I would stay and just play games or do a little work on my phone. Carowinds was a great time for all of us. Even though I don't care for rides much anymore, I did do some for them. We all enjoyed a full day there. It ended up being a great 2 weeks. The kids really took to me since I don't get to see them much. I think they fully enjoyed their Uncle. Now, my brother wants me to come down a little more frequent. Since I'm retired, I'm able to. We are going to set up another time for the fall." +"I have had mixed feelings over the past two weeks. Helping my brother and sister in law out with the kids was both a blessing and a punishment. It had been a long time since I babysat and now I remember why. I am exhausted. The kids were sooo bad and so spoiled. They sure were not used to my kind of shopping and cooking. I took the little guy shopping and he started to cry when I picked up apples. He demanded grapples. What the heck is a grapple? And parmigano regiano cheese? Not in my house kiddo. Part of me feels like a bad aunt, but part o me knows that I taught them things they needed to know. They were horrified when I walked outside barefoot, this really amused me. I love them more than anything, we had some really great times. But I honestly do not think I can do that again,at least not or just a few hours a week. And their mom would have to pack their lunches." +"July 17th, 2019 -Today is my 23rd birthday as my real self, I finally get to celebrate my first birthday as who I was always meant to be. It's so crazy how time is a test of patience. Time really does heal all things. I'm excited to see what the future holds. Looking back, after so many months of depressive episodes, therapy, and criticism from them, I'm finally content with my life, and I'm finally accepted. I've lived my whole life pretending to be fine, and conforming to societal norms. Who would've thought mom and dad would accept me in due time. Growing up with conservative, strict parents, and living a culture where LGBTQ+ is frowned upon, this is a mile stone in creating a narrative within the family that everyone is different, and everyone is beautiful, regardless of gender identity and sexuality. I'm looking forward to the months, and years ahead as I further my transition. What will my 24th birthday be like? Where will I go from here? And do I have the courage to be the voice of young Asians who are going through the same process and transition as I am? Is Vietnam ready to open their minds to a world outside of their microcosm? It will be a trek to get that far, but I don't think it's impossible. Thinking about the younger children within the family, I need to set an example for them. Everything will be okay, as long as you don't lose yourself in the process." +"I spent four and a half years getting my college degree, and by the time I had graduated, most of my friends had already left town and moved on with their lives. Though I was in my early 20s, I felt like a kid playing the part of a college-graduated adult. I had few friends to lean on for support, and those I did have had become more distant and unavailable. Because I had no idea what else to do, I remained in my college town for another year and a half. This began as a very dark time for me, but I slowly began to move away from depression and engage with life more and more. I started a new relationship during this time, and we decided to move to a new city once she graduated. We picked a place we had no connections to but were interested in exploring, and we began to look for apartments while saving up for a deposit. It was scary but exciting to not know where we would end up or if we would even be able to find a place to live before our lease was up in our college town. In the last week of the lease, we were able to sign on for a new apartment. After an arduous moving process, we stopped to get some groceries for the new place. I started feeling scared then at this new unfamiliarity I had moved into. The things I had been surrounded with for the past 6 years were gone, and I wasn't sure how I would fit into this new life. I had no idea where I would find work or if I would be able to pay rent in the next month. The apartment was several miles outside of the city I wanted to live in, and it was in a pretty rural. It had no windows and felt stuffy and suffocating. It was filled with spiders and other bugs that we were never able to fully get rid of. It was small and cramped but not in the cozy way that some of my previous residences were. This was the beginning of another dark period in my life, and I started feeling more and more stuck in my thoughts and patterns the same way I felt stuck in the apartment and the countryside. I felt really isolated from everything despite my efforts to go out and engage in the world." +I moved to a new place. I was originally in my college town. I stayed there for six years after graduation. I needed a new start somewhere. New places and things to do. The change was quite large at first. All the familiar things were gone. From friend to locations. But the new people I met and the new sense of freedom helped. I needed to get a set of new patterns. I think that a new location was perfect for this. I think it was the right choice. I still keep in touch with old friends. Ones that are still there and the ones that moved long ago. I feel it was a good thing in my life and glad I did it. +"today i would like to write about deciding to quit my job. it was a decision i debated and sat on for a while to be honest. i had been thinking about it so much and had been waiting for the right sign and when i finally got it, i just kind of acted on impulse. i went home that night and decided to just never return. now, yes, i hated my job, but like everyone else in america i was there because i kind of needed it. but what was the value in that? what was i worth to myself? willingly signing up to deal with bullshit and be stressed out every single day was affecting who exactly the most? and to make matters worse, i found out they were stealing money from me after i was practically their best employee. so yeah, i had to skate. was pretty much the only choice i was left with. things have not always been the best since i have quit either. please do not get me wrong. i often wonder if doing that was the smartest possible choice i could make. but i can always find solace in the fact that i take care of myself first. and knowing that is all i need to sleep like a baby at night." +"I had been unhappy with my job for over a year at that point. I had frequently thought about quitting but it was hard to find time to look for a new job with all of the responsibilites I had. I thought that I could find a better job. And I thought that I deserved better pay and more time off. Still I found it hard to actually apply for other jobs and go on interviews while doing my current job, doing housework, and exercising. I would get worked up and think that this was the end for me, that I was going to leave very soon. But then I would ease back into my job and take comfort in the familiarity of it. I liked the people I work with and didn't really want to leave them. Finally though I knew that I needed to leave. I started looking at job postings online. I wasn't sure where to begin really and worried that I was wasting my time writing cover letters to a bunch of companies that may not even look at it. After applying to what seemed like 50 jobs I had a few interviews and eventually offers from two of them. I was happy to recieve job offers and at least know that I could leave my job if I wanted to. One of the offers was for slightly more money, but it offered 5 weeks of vacation. I value money and need money just in order to make my life easier, but I had never even considered how I could use that time off. At my old job I got 2 weeks of vacation and some years never even used all of it. Having 5 weeks of vacation seemed incredible and seemed like it would drastically lower my stress. I ended up taking the job. I was sad to elave behind my old coworkers and we promised to keep in touch, but I knew there was many of them that I wouldn't keep up with. I've met new firends on my job now and I'm starting to feel at home here. I think that I'll be really happy here and I wish that I would have left my old job sooner." +"I remember going with my wife to her normal prenatal appointment, expecting just a normal day. The doctor wanted us to go to the hospital to check my wife's fluids. The fluids were low, so it was decided that she would be induced later that day. The labor itself felt long a century, it was about 16 hours. Once the baby decided to come, it all happened so fast. Once our son was out, there were so many emotions going through me. I was happy, nervous, concerned, worried, and completely elated at the same time. My wife was crying because she was so happy. Our son was crying. The nurses and doctor were busy. After he was cleaned up and weighed, it was my turn to hold him. I was so happy. From that moment, I knew that I would love him forever. I knew that I would die for him. I'll never forget the day." +"The birth of my child was one that I will never forget. Before the birth, I will admit that I was very nervous. At the same time, I was very excited. My wife started having pretty frequent contractions so we grabbed our bags and headed to the hospital. I will never forget any of the moments between leaving for the house and seeing my son for the first time. The actual birth went pretty well. My wife used an epidural, which helped a lot. Before the birth, I was worried about fainting in the room, but I fortunately did not. I was so happy to hold my son for the first time. I actually cried, something that I did not expect to do. From that moment on, I knew that I'd love being a father. Once he was cleaned up, we had some photos taken. We had to stay in the hospital for two more nights, but I was excited to get home. We secured him in his care seat and drove home. We were finally a family." +"I was working a dead end job. Sure it was in line with what i loved doing, but it was in the worst company i have ever worked for to date. It was a Thursday in a cold January day when i was brought into the office and was told my services were no longer required. I was let go of the company after working for them for 3 years, and I was scared for what was to come but in the same breath can say i was relieved. I drove home thinking what now. I remember the moment i got home i got in my car drove to my wifes job and had a coffee with her and she told me some of the best advice i was ever to get. Take care of yourself and find your path. With that advice i went on unemployment and sought a direction. I took a course in EMT and landed 2nd best in the class, got a job in it but found that the medical profession was something i was not really into. Then i got a call from some old friends about a job opening. NOw being that this job was in a field i was all to familiar with and something i actually loved, i jumped on the chance. The interview came and went and was then offered my pay for approval. When i learned of this i never seen such pay before, this is a real career i thought to myself and ran around the block with joy. Working at my current company i must say i have no need to look back but i do think of how it created me. I look forward to continue to progress in my career and have even thought about going back to college to further my career within the company." +"Three months ago I reached a milestone in my life. I got to see my daughter go off to kindergarten. Now, I know how my mother felt when she released me into the world. You are excited but extremely anxious. The only thought I always have ""I am not there to protect her."" I know that I should not worry about that type of stuff but I do. It's an odd feeling when you have lived through kindergarten and then lived through your child going to kindergarten. I often feel more like my mother than I realized. Anyways, she was excited to go this morning and I only cried a few tears. When we arrived I walked her to the classroom and before she ran off to play with her friends she gave me a big hug. I'm glad she did not forget about me but I am also thrilled she's ready to take on life. I told the teacher good morning and walked to the door to leave but not before I could get one last glimpse of my girl. Our eyes met and she smiled. I blew her a kiss and went straight to the car to cry. I never believed my parents when they told me ""just wait until it's your child."" Well now I am here and I totally understand. Thanks Mom and Dad." +"Three months ago I reached a milestone in my life. I got to see my daughter go off to kindergarten. Now, I know how my mother felt when she released me into the world. You are excited but extremely anxious. The only thought I always have ""I am not there to protect her."" I know that I should not worry about that type of stuff but I do. It's an odd feeling when you have lived through kindergarten and then lived through your child going to kindergarten. I often feel more like my mother than I realized. Anyways, she was excited to go this morning and I only cried a few tears. When we arrived I walked her to the classroom and before she ran off to play with her friends she gave me a big hug. I'm glad she did not forget about me but I am also thrilled she's ready to take on life. I told the teacher good morning and walked to the door to leave but not before I could get one last glimpse of my girl. Our eyes met and she smiled. I blew her a kiss and went straight to the car to cry. I never believed my parents when they told me ""just wait until it's your child."" Well now I am here and I totally understand. Thanks Mom and Dad." +"Three months ago I reached a milestone in my life. I got to see my daughter go off to kindergarten. Now, I know how my mother felt when she released me into the world. You are excited but extremely anxious. The only thought I always have ""I am not there to protect her."" I know that I should not worry about that type of stuff but I do. It's an odd feeling when you have lived through kindergarten and then lived through your child going to kindergarten. I often feel more like my mother than I realized. Anyways, she was excited to go this morning and I only cried a few tears. When we arrived I walked her to the classroom and before she ran off to play with her friends she gave me a big hug. I'm glad she did not forget about me but I am also thrilled she's ready to take on life. I told the teacher good morning and walked to the door to leave but not before I could get one last glimpse of my girl. Our eyes met and she smiled. I blew her a kiss and went straight to the car to cry. I never believed my parents when they told me ""just wait until it's your child."" Well now I am here and I totally understand. Thanks Mom and Dad." +"On August 13, 2019, I was helping my dad tow a trailer manually with a toll dolly. When he asked me to back it up a bit, as I was turning around the weight of the trailer threw the dolly towards the trailer and sent me flying. As I was falling, my head hit the trailer hard. As I fell on the ground, I instantly knew I had broke my arm. My Mom called 9-1-1 while the pain I felt equaled child birth or kidney stones! Finally the ambulance arrived. On the ride in, every bump he hit caused so much pain! The ER did an incredible job. First I had an MRI to check on the extent of my head injury. Then they x-ray'd my arm. That was tough because I didn't want the technicians to touch my arm but they did an outstanding job. Finally the doctor came in and said I had sustained a catastrophic injury. Both my ulna and radial bones in my right arm had snapped in half! I couldn't believe it. I had absolutely no support in my arm. He said Slocum Orthopedic would be calling me the next day as I would need surgery. He also put two staples in my head and home I went. Needless to say, I didn't sleep that well. At 7:30am the next morning, I received a call from Slocum. They wanted me in to see the doctor at 10:05am. My friend came and drove me into the appointment. I found myself laying in the operating room having surgery at 2:15pm that day. Now began the process of rehab and getting full use of my dominant arm back." +"My teaching practicum this year has been mostly uneventful and not at all difficult. I was feeling quite optimistic in my ability to become a good teacher, based on my experience thus far in the practicum. That is, until three weeks ago when a male student I am particularly fond of approached me before class and shared a personal situation that is causing him much anguish, making it difficult to concentrate on what's happening in the classroom and on his studies in general. He clearly came to me for comfort and reassurance, which I deeply felt moved to provide. Then he did such an odd and alarming thing, it has stayed in my mind and worried me ever since: he gave me a photograph of himself. He said he wanted me to have it ""to remember him by."" Now I often find myself lying awake at night wondering if he just wanted me to remember him after my practicum is finished and I am no longer in his classroom, or if there is some darker, more ominous message in his gesture. There was a time in my life when I was so despairing I thought I couldn't go on living. Fortunately there was a very kind and wise psychologist who worked as a counselor at my high school and I had the presence of mind to take myself to see her. I credit her with helping me not only stay in school, but keep my grades up, study for the SAT, and send in my college applications. Having access to help can make all the difference in a young person's life. I have placed his photo on the mirror that hangs above my dresser, where I see it every morning and evening. Each time I wonder, could he be contemplating suicide? Surely I am being alarmist and reading too much into it, yet, the question will not go away. I ask myself, what is my responsibility in this situation? Most importantly, how would a truly great teacher handle this? Finally, last night, after lying awake yet again with worry, I made the decision to speak to his teacher, in confidence, about the incident and my concern. I will ask not to tell him that I said anything or to do anything that would cause him to suspect I had, but I realize that may prove difficult. In the end, what matters is making sure he is safe from self-harm and has someone to talk to and a place to get help. I also hope to learn from this teacher, who has impressed me with her teaching style, how a good teacher manages such delicate matters as a student with a serious problem outside the classroom. I am going to talk to her today after class. I am committed now to this course of action and praying it is the right one." +"Three months ago I was in a wreck. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured, but I was very frightened and upset. Actually, I was in shock. This was the first time I had ever been in an accident and I really hope it's the last time. A man freaked out because he was surrounded by a motorcycle on each side of him and that caused the accident. My perspectiveAuto accidents can be very distressing. When I was in my teens, my car was hit by a drunk driver while I was driving to a friend's house. I was alone in the car. It happened so quickly and so unexpectedly, I didn't have time to react or try to avoid being hit. He knocked my vehicle off the road and into a wooded area. The windshield shattered, and several pieces of glass fell onto my lap. I remember feeling stunned when it was over. My hands were trembling and I couldn't open my car door - it had been pushed in too hard. Several cars that witnessed the accident stopped to check on me, for which I was very grateful. The police arrived on the scene quickly. They had to pry the driver side door off my car to get me out. I still can't believe I wasn't seriously injured. The police were rather aggressive with the other drive as it became very apparent that he was drunk. They arrested him and took him away and then another officer very kindly drove me home, since my car was un-driveable. Writing the short summary about someone else's accident brought this memory rather vividly back to life for me. Not the most pleasant experience of my life, but again, I was thankful neither I, nor the other driver, was seriously hurt." +"Three months ago I was in a wreck. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured, but I was very frightened and upset. Actually, I was in shock. This was the first time I had ever been in an accident and I really hope it's the last time. A man freaked out because he was surrounded by a motorcycle on each side of him and that caused the accident. My perspectiveAuto accidents can be very distressing. When I was in my teens, my car was hit by a drunk driver while I was driving to a friend's house. I was alone in the car. It happened so quickly and so unexpectedly, I didn't have time to react or try to avoid being hit. He knocked my vehicle off the road and into a wooded area. The windshield shattered, and several pieces of glass fell onto my lap. I remember feeling stunned when it was over. My hands were trembling and I couldn't open my car door - it had been pushed in too hard. Several cars that witnessed the accident stopped to check on me, for which I was very grateful. The police arrived on the scene quickly. They had to pry the driver side door off my car to get me out. I still can't believe I wasn't seriously injured. The police were rather aggressive with the other drive as it became very apparent that he was drunk. They arrested him and took him away and then another officer very kindly drove me home, since my car was un-driveable. Writing the short summary about someone else's accident brought this memory rather vividly back to life for me. Not the most pleasant experience of my life, but again, I was thankful neither I, nor the other driver, was seriously hurt." +"My Father has always been a caring and compassionate person. We were always close until a few years ago. I hate to blame my sister but my father and I just could not see eye to eye when it came to her. But here I am. Once again it falls to me to pick up the pieces. She could never handle this. The retirement home is nice. Thank goodness he had the fore site to plan ahead and save for this. It was wonderful to catch up, even under these circumstances. He said he really missed me. He apologized for taking sides. He just couldn't look the other way when it came to her. He cares too much some times. I told him I forgive him and want to move on. Its not worth it. Before I left he made me power of attorney. I am not looking forward to making these health decisions on my own." +"Two months ago, I attended a rally for presidential candidate, Andrew Yang. He instilled belief in me about the future of the country. One thing I really admired about Andrew Yang was his concern for my local county and the people that reside within it. He has made every effort to address poverty across county lines and speak to us about the rising opiod epidemic that's sweeping our nation. Not only that, he found ample time to speak about the dangers of climate change that we are currently experiencing today. He began with a very inspiring speech about how it was time to change our country and led us into a discussion about poverty within our city. He spoke about how it was unfair that so many sat within the streets, hungry and poor, while other's indulge on their riches and how that needed to change. He then went on to speak about climate change and how we needed to act today to ensure that our children won't have to deal with a failing planet when it's their turn to lead the world. Rising temperatures have been adding to our sea level which, within the next 50 years, will affect our children and our children's children, which is why we need to work to reduce emissions to have a clean Earth for them in the future. Lastly, he began to speak about how the opiod crisis is even affecting our county and the evidence is mounting that these people need mental treatment instead of constant arrests. They need to be cared for instead of shunned and we need to put ourselves in there places if we are to see exactly what they are going through. He also spoke about the actions of Washington and spoke about how it was important for us to not fall into that trap of hate and bigotry and instead lighten the world with our actions. How instead of shipping Mexican's back to there home country, that we will instead create a pathway to citizenship for these individuals so there kids aren't trapped in the very situation that they were running away from. He also spoke of the importance of culture within America and how that would be going against everything that we stand against. I left his rally feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, but also with a new respect for many of the issues that we face today." +"Two months ago, I attended a rally for presidential candidate, Andrew Yang. He instilled belief in me about the future of the country. One thing I really admired about Andrew Yang was his concern for my local county and the people that reside within it. He has made every effort to address poverty across county lines and speak to us about the rising opiod epidemic that's sweeping our nation. Not only that, he found ample time to speak about the dangers of climate change that we are currently experiencing today. He began with a very inspiring speech about how it was time to change our country and led us into a discussion about poverty within our city. He spoke about how it was unfair that so many sat within the streets, hungry and poor, while other's indulge on their riches and how that needed to change. He then went on to speak about climate change and how we needed to act today to ensure that our children won't have to deal with a failing planet when it's their turn to lead the world. Rising temperatures have been adding to our sea level which, within the next 50 years, will affect our children and our children's children, which is why we need to work to reduce emissions to have a clean Earth for them in the future. Lastly, he began to speak about how the opiod crisis is even affecting our county and the evidence is mounting that these people need mental treatment instead of constant arrests. They need to be cared for instead of shunned and we need to put ourselves in there places if we are to see exactly what they are going through. He also spoke about the actions of Washington and spoke about how it was important for us to not fall into that trap of hate and bigotry and instead lighten the world with our actions. How instead of shipping Mexican's back to there home country, that we will instead create a pathway to citizenship for these individuals so there kids aren't trapped in the very situation that they were running away from. He also spoke of the importance of culture within America and how that would be going against everything that we stand against. I left his rally feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, but also with a new respect for many of the issues that we face today." +"Two months ago, I attended a rally for presidential candidate, Andrew Yang. He instilled belief in me about the future of the country. One thing I really admired about Andrew Yang was his concern for my local county and the people that reside within it. He has made every effort to address poverty across county lines and speak to us about the rising opiod epidemic that's sweeping our nation. Not only that, he found ample time to speak about the dangers of climate change that we are currently experiencing today. He began with a very inspiring speech about how it was time to change our country and led us into a discussion about poverty within our city. He spoke about how it was unfair that so many sat within the streets, hungry and poor, while other's indulge on their riches and how that needed to change. He then went on to speak about climate change and how we needed to act today to ensure that our children won't have to deal with a failing planet when it's their turn to lead the world. Rising temperatures have been adding to our sea level which, within the next 50 years, will affect our children and our children's children, which is why we need to work to reduce emissions to have a clean Earth for them in the future. Lastly, he began to speak about how the opiod crisis is even affecting our county and the evidence is mounting that these people need mental treatment instead of constant arrests. They need to be cared for instead of shunned and we need to put ourselves in there places if we are to see exactly what they are going through. He also spoke about the actions of Washington and spoke about how it was important for us to not fall into that trap of hate and bigotry and instead lighten the world with our actions. How instead of shipping Mexican's back to there home country, that we will instead create a pathway to citizenship for these individuals so there kids aren't trapped in the very situation that they were running away from. He also spoke of the importance of culture within America and how that would be going against everything that we stand against. I left his rally feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, but also with a new respect for many of the issues that we face today." +"Well, it's been almost two years (20 months) since I married Isabel and with her birthday tomorrow, I just felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude for her and felt compelled to write. Isa is the absolute light of my life, the person who gets me and honestly knows me better than myself. You know how sometimes parties suck and are too much energy to deal with and you just want to go home with your partner and eat frozen people in front of the TV? That's how I feel most of the time (because I am an introvert). Except, at my wedding, arguably the most important party I'll go to. Even with all the bells and whistles and people coming up to talk to me and speeches and corny dancing, looking at her made all of my anxiety fall away. I was so scared about this wedding - how my friends and family would react to a woman marrying another woman, and who would even show up to this thing. Even though I KNOW everyone I love just wants me to be happy, as far as I know, I'm the only person in my family who has come out as gay or bisexual. We had our wedding overlooking the beach in her quaint Massachusetts hometown, which reminded me of the beach I would go to in Maryland. It felt most crisp than usual for May, probably because of the sea breeze, and I inhaled the salty sea air and smiled as I stood at the altar and let my eyes wander through my crowd of loved ones. The sky matched the light gray stone slate of the rock wall but I could see the sun glowing behind the sheet of clouds. I don't even remember the music starting, there was a ringing in my ears and then Isa appeared at the end of the aisle. My best friend, soulmate, soul sister, love of my life who makes me a better person every day. I'm sure my jaw was on the floor while I watched her come toward me, but I was having deja vu of every one of her smile-laughs, our happiest moments, just radiating from her face. While the chaplain spoke I watched a raindrop catch on her eyelashes and felt a few drops on my forehead. Soon the sky was giving us little wet raindrop kisses all over our faces, and we leaned in and embraced just as the rain broke through." +"Some coworkers and I went out to lunch at a small, Mexican restaurant that I love and go to all the time. I made the suggestion to go there since I know the owners and many of the people who work there. We had our lunch and needing to get back to work. We needed our check and the sopapillas that come with the lunch. It was busy there and all the staff was running around like crazy. There was a young busboy working and Mike wanted to get his attention so he could get our server. Instead of saying excuse me or just waving, he yelled ""hey, Pedro!"" I couldn't believe it and I was sick inside. I told him how inappropriate and demeaning it was and he, seriously, didn't see anything wrong with it. We talked about it for awhile after but he just didn't agree with me. I think that bothered me more than anything. He thought it was okay. He thought I was being ridiculous and nothing I said seemed to hit home with him. I never really cared to be around him after that day. I apologized to the young boy and some other people but I was still so ashamed of his behavior. It still bothers me to this day." +"Some coworkers and I went out to lunch at a small, Mexican restaurant that I love and go to all the time. I made the suggestion to go there since I know the owners and many of the people who work there. We had our lunch and needing to get back to work. We needed our check and the sopapillas that come with the lunch. It was busy there and all the staff was running around like crazy. There was a young busboy working and Mike wanted to get his attention so he could get our server. Instead of saying excuse me or just waving, he yelled ""hey, Pedro!"" I couldn't believe it and I was sick inside. I told him how inappropriate and demeaning it was and he, seriously, didn't see anything wrong with it. We talked about it for awhile after but he just didn't agree with me. I think that bothered me more than anything. He thought it was okay. He thought I was being ridiculous and nothing I said seemed to hit home with him. I never really cared to be around him after that day. I apologized to the young boy and some other people but I was still so ashamed of his behavior. It still bothers me to this day." +"According to Marshall, negative emotions associated with production arise and worker, who constantly performs this or that work, and the capitalist, to whom this work worker. They have a worker in. Waste of working capacity and forces; refusing to have a pleasant pastime. the severity of labor, and other unpleasant feelings that accompany him. The capitalist’s main negative emotions are due to the fact that he should not most of the profit (income), and invest in production with a risk for yourself. The demand for final products is determined by such factors of production – rent, salary, profit. But the prices of these factors themselves determine consumer demand, because they form the income of the population. Marshall was the one who tried to solve this problem. He looked at her with the other side. Rent, salary, profit is really income of different groups of the population. But this is also a component of the cost of production. It turns out that the costs still, albeit indirectly, but affect the demand. But at the same time they directly affect the market supply. This is obvious, because the higher the costs, the less volume of production, which the capitalist is ready to produce at the same price. And for a definite threshold of the sum of costs, production ceases altogether. Can say that if costs affect both demand and supply, they are at the heart of the pricing. Thus, the utility and costs are two blades of scissors. Utility (need) forms demand, costs form a proposal. Each consumer himself determines his demand curve for each type of product. Her the value depends: on the budget of the consumer and the need for this product. As to each volume of the goods the certain price which suits the average consumer, the so-called demand price, then we can say that the same quantity of goods must meet a certain price that suits producer, that is, the price of the offer. However, in the second case, it is logical to say, that the relationship between the volume and the price of the offer is direct. The intersection point of the two curves will represent the situation when the most ideal price, or close to the ideal, according to which all subjects of economic relations are ready to interact. This is the point of market equilibrium, which is a determining factor in the study of market conditions. With such a mutual arrangement of the demand and supply curves shows readiness of consumers to purchase this product or service, and the producer is ready to give to the market. Speaking about the fact that the equilibrium between supply and demand is achieved only in one" +"I. Purpose The purpose of this experiment was to find the empirical formula of a hydrous copper sulfate by finding the percent water, which is done by determining how much the mass of the sample changed after heating it. Finding the percent copper spectrophotometrically using ammonium hydroxide to increase the sensitivity of the technique or method for copper. Lastly, finding the percent of sulfate by precipitating it with barium from added barium chloride. II Procedure Percent Water An empty cleaned crucible was on a very high heat in order to remove any substance or left-over samples. Then hydrous sulfate was weighted and added to the crucible and heat it with a gentle flame (approx. 150C). The sample was monitored to maintain a very light blue or white. If the sample is green or yellow the copper sulfate had decomposed; start over. After the sample was cooled, reweight the sample and it must be no more than 2mg. M_y X_z∙nH_2 O ⟶ M_y X_z+nH_2 O Preparing the Standard Solution and Beer’s Law GraphFour standard solution were prepared by diluting the stock solution with aqueous ammonia. The Standard solutions differ in amount of stock in each. The new solutions were discharged back and forth between the graduated cylinder and mix the solution well. The final standard solution will be a non-diluted sample of the primary stock solutionnNH_3+Cu(H_2 O) 6^(2+)→Cu(H_2 〖O)〗_(6-n) (NH_3 ) n^(2+)+nH_2 O Preparing the Unknown Hydrous Copper Sulfate SolutionThe other partner did prepare his own unknown solution. I add copper sulfate (approximately 0.06g), add 0.5 M NH_3 solution (approximately 25mL) in a 50mL graduated cylinder and kept stirring until all of the particles dissolved. The absorbance of this sample will be measured, and its concentration will be determined from the Beer’s law graph. Using Colorimeter I was using the LabQuest app for Colorimeter. I need to wait 5 minutes before I calibrate the samples. Insert the first sample in the cuvette slot and once the reading stabilized tap on the KEEP button and enter the concentration. Repeat this procedure for the rest of the samples. The absorbance and concentration will create a Beer’s Law Graph. Percent Copper in ExcelRecord the absorbance of the 5 samples including the unknown solution. Create an Excel Graph of Absorbance vs. Concentration. I included the trendline and r-squared value of my graph." +"I think very much due to the influence of my ex wife, my daughter had refused anything more than just bare communication for the last several years. However with the encouragement of my sister in law I periodically kept texting Hannah and just a few months ago she began responding. I am most thankful for her advice and support and now she and I are messaging on a regular basis and beginning to restore our relationship. In 2016 I took up a new hobby of making walking sticks from trees in which ever area of the country we happened to be in. Since we travel ever few months for work this means a selection of unique woods to work with. I made one for her putting a lot of work into it and it turned out very nice. She initially declined my offer to give it to her in early 2017, but I kept it and as time progressed to this summer her first real communication back to me was asking if I still had her stick. I told her I did and offered to send it to her. She now has it and even just sent me a picture of her with it while on a hiking trip. We do have a long ways to go yet, but are making real progress. I do think that she is finally seeing that I am not the horrible person that her mother made me out to be. Certainly I am not perfect and could have been a much better father, but I'm not the ogre that my ex wife imagined. My daughter may even be coming to spend some time with me for Christmas. I'm going to Vermont with my brother and family the week before Christmas and my daughter may get to join us. All because of a four foot piece of sassafras that had a vine growing around it. Along with several hours of whittling, a fair amount of sanding and nine coats of linseed and varnish. My daughter is my only child and means the world to me. Since we have started communicating again I have found out the she is actually carrying a double major in school (Psychology and Philosophy!) and will graduate in the spring and plans for a graduate degree in Psychology and probably a Phd after that. I am so very proud of her. We haven't yet discussed why she rather suddenly decided to get back in touch with me, but the time will come for that. I do know that her mother remarried this summer and that may have had something to do with it. For now I am thankful for getting to communicate with her and will take that as a very positive thing." +"Since separating from her mother in 2014 my relationship with my daughter, has been nearly nonexistent. It was strained prior to that but devolved even more so at that point. She was sixteen at the time and is twenty two now. Initially I would see her every couple of weeks for lunch and then once a month or so. After not being able to make a lunch date in late 2015 we have not physically seen each other only communicating by short, usually one (my) sided text messages. In January of 2018 I sent her a text apologizing for being a bad father and asking her forgiveness I certainly had not been an ideal father, although her mother was not an ideal role model herself. I also offered to send her a walking stick I had made for her. I make a very few of them every year for significant people in my life. Each one is unique and cut from trees native to the area where I am at the time. This was a very nice sassafras stick with a spiral pattern from a honeysuckle vine having grown around it. It takes a few months for each stick, two to three for it to dry, a couple of weeks for whittling the bark and other designs and then two to three weeks for the oiling and varnishing. She declined the stick and also did not accept my apology, replying back just how bad I had been. About three weeks ago I got a text from her late in the evening asking if I still did some woodworking and if I still had the stick I made for her. I replied that I did and would be happy to send it to her. She said she would be happy to have it., I found a long enough box and shipped it to her. She received the stick two weeks ago and truly liked and appreciated it. Our relationship definitely seems to be on the mend and we are communicating more, although I am very, very careful to take this slowly. I do not know the reason(s) for this change and will not ask her for them. I just am very thankful that she is wanting to at least have some relationship with me." +"I find myself pondering more and more about a bizarre event that happened to me about 2 months ago. The time for my graduate studies finals was fast approaching and I had been wracking my brain over all of the content that I had to master within the next two weeks. The stress was growing more and more overwhelming with each passing hour. It eventually got to the point where I started facing a bout of insomnia. No matter what I tried, I could not bring myself to fall asleep. This grew more problematic after several days of being unable to drift of into sleep. I was having difficulty commuting to class and paying attention to what the professors were saying. After several days, I began to find it difficult to distinguish between what was reality and what was illusion; a common symptom of insomnia. The most unsettling perception I encountered was a group of children unknown to me. They were playing together in a field within a park. As they ran around, they began to extend their hands toward a nearby playground. I could see some kind energy emanating from their fingers. Almost instantly after this began, the metal implements on the playground began to move on their own. Some tore out of the ground and began to whirl around in mid air. The children were creating their own magnetic waves and were thus able to manipulate metal around them. It reminded me of the character Magneto from the X-Men comics, though the children did not appear to have any malevolent intent. When I finally snapped out of this vision, I was honestly uncertain about whether or not what I had seen was real. Sleep deprivation had obviously gotten the better of me. It wasn't until my finals were over that I was finally able to get some sleep. Having had time to rest and put finals behind me, the perceptions from this experience have begun to coalesce in my consciousness and I find myself needing to figure out what the experience meant." +"Today, something very unexpected happened to me. I was out and about, just doing a bit of shopping, when out of nowhere, i stumbled across someone who looked familiar to me. Upon further observation, I then noticed that it was a old friend of mine. It was hard to believe that i would cross paths with them out of the blue like this. I hadn't seen them in person since our time together at work. They had moved out of town to take a job in a different city but we still tied to keep contact over social media. Eventually we ended up losing touch with each other and so I hadn't heard from them in quite some time. We were quite excited to see bump into each other and immediately embraced. It felt super awesome to be able to talk to Bobby after so long a time. We talked a bit and got caught up on what had been happening in our lives up to this point. He mentioned that he was visiting his parents and that they happened to be out that day, just hanging out and such. It was a nice day to out indeed and seeing my friend made it that much better. After we talked a bit more, we decided to have lunch together the following day. It was great to hear a bit more in-depth about some of the various experiences that had taken place over the course of time that had transpired. I really felt refreshed and invigorated after spending time with my buddy." +"While I was living with my boyfriend, I got nostalgic, thinking about the times that I had with my family and friends. At first, everything was going well and we were living happily ever after. I found it exhilarating to be out and away from my familiar surroundings, as I would have to rely on my boyfriend to figure out how to get around. I soon noticed things about my boyfriend, as I have phases where I think very critically of people. More often, though, I have many phases where I see things that attracted me to this person. But, while thinking critically of my boyfriend, I noticed that he has certain moments where he gets very relaxed, during these phases, he takes things for granted. He is ok with laying on the ground to do repair work and sometimes urinate out in the open and he doesn't mind my seeing his private parts. He sees himself as a handyman and he doesn't like a lot of critical thinking that is required to solve problems related to mathematics and the physical sciences. He tends to or appears to get envious of me, when I want to talk about solving problems, so, when it comes up, he likes to switch topics. Over time, he either wanted to dominate conversations or not have talks at all. He likes to order me around, probably not fully realizing what he's doing, and, I have to depend on him for transportation. I would need to rely on him to get me back to my past living location, where I'm familiar with the area and have family and friends. When a confluence of things came together, I realized that I wanted to get back to familiar surroundings and around my family and friends. But, my concern about how he would feel about such a request made me hesitate to tell him that I'd prefer to be getting back around my friends and family soon. But, my critical mind kept me thinking about these features that he seems to have more and more, as time went on. So, out of mounting frustration, I came on him light and hinted that I would rather return some place to be much closer to family and friends. When first mentioned to him, he brushed it off, so, soon, I became more assertive, as required. So, one time, I was very abrasive and direct with him. He became sad, after being surprised that I really meant what I was saying. Thus, when he finally agreed to bring me back around family, friends, and familiar surrounds, things were such a relief for me, even considering his surprised and sad demeanor. I was so relieved, when I got back, in all honesty. But, after having a few days and weeks to consider our parting day, I started to become more and more considerate of his feelings. So, I started to communicate with him again, after some weeks and he was nice, relieved, and happy to be hearing from me again. I thought about the qualities that I liked about him and I wanted to ease back into a close nit with him, but, I would also still need some distance to be with my familiar surroundings. Things would have to grow on me and I would need to adapt." +"I woke up today, still with no job and still feeling like a failure. I got fired from my job at the meat department four months ago for stealing. While I do understand why I was fired for this act, I really do wish that the store would have given me a second chance back then or even a second chance right now. I was going through some hard times, and I really needed the extra food but could not seem to find it in my budget to make the purpose. I was rolling with a different crowd back then, and my lifestyle was not all that great. I have made some great strides over time though, and I feel that I have become a much better person. If only I was were this kind of person that day four months ago when I made the decision to steal. I have since distanced myself from the friends that led me into that situation, and have started to try to reconnect with old friends who may have a better influence on my life. I think so far they like me. They like me for who I am and not what I have, and they don't try to convince me to do anything out of my comfort zone. They are helping me realize that it is better to live a moral life, and it's actually not all that hard to do so. One of my friends, John, is even helping me prepare my resume and a cover letter to go back to the store with, and presenting my case to my old boss on why I should be re-hired for the job. I was a good butcher, and they know that. If they give me a second chance I will be able to show them the great man I have become, and their department will be better off with me back in that position. I'm really hoping this will go well. Tomorrow is the big day for my interview. Here goes nothing!" +"I woke up today, still with no job and still feeling like a failure. I got fired from my job at the meat department four months ago for stealing. While I do understand why I was fired for this act, I really do wish that the store would have given me a second chance back then or even a second chance right now. I was going through some hard times, and I really needed the extra food but could not seem to find it in my budget to make the purpose. I was rolling with a different crowd back then, and my lifestyle was not all that great. I have made some great strides over time though, and I feel that I have become a much better person. If only I was were this kind of person that day four months ago when I made the decision to steal. I have since distanced myself from the friends that led me into that situation, and have started to try to reconnect with old friends who may have a better influence on my life. I think so far they like me. They like me for who I am and not what I have, and they don't try to convince me to do anything out of my comfort zone. They are helping me realize that it is better to live a moral life, and it's actually not all that hard to do so. One of my friends, John, is even helping me prepare my resume and a cover letter to go back to the store with, and presenting my case to my old boss on why I should be re-hired for the job. I was a good butcher, and they know that. If they give me a second chance I will be able to show them the great man I have become, and their department will be better off with me back in that position. I'm really hoping this will go well. Tomorrow is the big day for my interview. Here goes nothing!" +"So I lost my job, It was so unexpected. I had been working for him for 2 and a half years. Everything wasn't alright. When the boss returned from his last trip, we learned the sale was never made. In fact, there weren't any sales all year. The boss continued acting normal. Until one day, he called me and told me he had to let me go. He said you can either quit which will look better on your resume or I will fire you, You choose, sign these papers. It all happened so fast. I grabbed my stuff and walked out. I was relieved because I couldn't stand him but I was shocked that I wasn't even given a heads up! It was so shocking because this boss prided himself in making a connection in his establishment, he always boasted about how much better his company was because he wasn't a corporation. Often times, tasks involved his personal life, such as taking his mom to the grocery store, or going into his house when no one was home to retrieve something for him. A few times, I had to go let his dog out. Still, I was let go, told to leave and I haven't returned." +"About a month ago, actually it might have been closer to 5 weeks ago, my boss came into my office and told me the one thing I did not want to hear. I was behind on bills as it was and I was counting on overtime for the next couple of months to catch up on what I had missed. In actuality I had spent more than I could afford on that vacation to Aruba but it was just something I had to do for my family. When your friends tell you that they are taking their whole families on a trip to Aruba and they want you to come, you don't pass that up. Those are memories that could last a lifetime. Anyway, I was trying to catch up on those bills and going through a ton of stress at work that carried over to home, I just couldn't help it. It was only a matter of time before it started to truly affect my work performance, I just didn't think it would happen so quickly. Juggling all my account while keeping the bosses happy was something that I was always able to do with minimal effort, I just think the amount of stress made me handle situations in ways I would never do and act in ways I should never act. It started when one of my biggest accounts called asking for follow up information on details regarding their last purchase. I just snapped, I told them they'd get it when they always got it and if it wasn't good enough then they should take their business elsewhere. Well they took that business elsewhere, right to my bosses and over my head. When my immediate supervisor confronted me about, I admittedly got defensive and told him to shove it, in so many words. Not my best decision. So that was 2 weeks ago. Since then everything had been going just fine, I applied myself harder than ever to make up for my bad decisions and told myself if I outworked everyone, everything would be okay. Well, when my second biggest account called asking to compare prices and look for ways to cut costs and my answer didn't suffice, that was the last straw. Since I had fixed all my mistakes and took care of everything I needed to, I felt like I hadn't done anything wrong. So when my boss came into my office with news that I had been let go it caught me off guard. I was not given a formal warning of any kind. I was shocked to be learning I wouldn't be getting severance pay and they would not even give me 2 weeks notice. I had a great run here at the company and I accomplished more than I ever thought I would. It's just so upsetting to see it end in this way. I'm ready for my next challenge. I'm ready for what's to come and whatever life throws at me. I know it'll be a tough next couple of months and it's going to get even tougher until the next opportunity comes along, but I'm ready to fight with all I've got." +"My favorite foods are from my own culture. There was a platter of everything my family holds dear: tamales, tacos, guacamole, horchata, nachos, and enchiladas. An entire feast! My gifts included the following video games: My Time at Portia, Black Closet, Yakuza Kiwami, and more. I love my family so much. My great grandma immigrated here from Mexico and we've been settled in to Los Angeles ever since. Right now we live in Echo Park and love it. It wasn't so good before but now it's getting redone. The parking however, sucks. But that's not something I can fix. Sometimes we go out to Echo Park Lake and walk around. Nearby is a good French restaurant called Taix. It's been there forever! When I had a French club outing we went there for a prix fixe meal. All in all I had a great graduation party." +"One May 9th I came home to a great surprise. My husband, family and close friends were in my backyard with the scent or ribs rushing to my nostrils. Everyone shouted surprise, hugs and kisses came towards me one after the other. I had just graduated and recieved my masters degree in criminology. I did not recieve a party when I got my bachelors so I really was not expecting one now. My parents with tears of joy mentioned how long they have been planning the party and how hard it was to keep my husband from letting out the secret. My husband while laughing mentioned how it was the hardest thing to do because i am always being noisy. They prepared all my favorite foods; jerked chicken, ribs, curried mutton, hotdogs fries and cheesecake. They had the right playlist and decors is my favorite colors. In the center of the yard was a table with gift boxes and cards. I was overwhelmed and still in disbelief as i have never had something like this so much joy and pride in one place at the same time. Eveyone was talking and laughing, kids running around the yard. I grabbed my plate and feasted upon the food the had prepared. I ate, drink and dance and the end of the night we played games and i opened my gifts. I received gift cards for my favorite restuarants, cash, jewelry and the greatest of all a new car from my husband, I could not hold back the tears as it burst from my eyes. This was definately one of the mostl memorable moments of my life." +"The story is about when my daughter gave birth to her first child. My daughter had been married for some years. She and her husband have been trying to get a child but things were not working as expected. She was able to conceive last year and she was able to give birth to her child in May. Since she stayed in the same state as I do, I decided to be with her on the day she went into labor. That day was very hectic and scary for everybody involved. I think immediately she went into labor, her husband called me and then drove her to the hospital. I joined her at the hospital. When we got the hospital things became a little bit complicated. Her husband tried his best to be with her and to keep her strong. She eventually delivered perfectly. After deliver, she had to stay at the hospital for a while. Back at her home, I had been planning a surprise return for her. It was expected that the surprise return party would make her feel happy. Finally, she was discharged from the hospital. When she got home, and saw the surprise return party she just burst into tears. According to her a tsunami of emotions engulfed her at that moment. Her husband couldn't help but started crying as well. It was beautiful to watch and really emotional." +This was my lifetime dream. I got ready and go to ceremony in early. in my college everyone meet and enjoyed. Everyone gave compliment for my prizes. I got 10 Prizes and graduations. all my family members are Happy to see the ceremony. i told to my all my relatives. I even told to my old school Friends. They all of them congratulate me and happy. I even didn't gave me any party to my friends but they are happy to see me in ceremony. I am going to receive 10 prizes in my graduation day. all the prize for many categories. The main in my graduation day is my invention about the space. all my staffs and HOD encouraged me a lot. I love this day in my life time. +"Two weeks ago yesterday I attended a 20th anniversary celebration of Sharon and Mike's wedding and celebrated with some of my old friends. Mark and Alyssa were there, and even Rodney showed up for a little while. I hadn't seen Rodney in ages! There were a couple people there that I didn't know, but most of them were our friends from back in high school. I remember Mike, Rodney and I used to get into so much trouble skipping class! Anyways, I had a great time celebrating with friends and seeing everyone. The dinner was tasty and Alyssa even brought some expensive Italian Cabernet for us to try. I think I still prefer a sweeter white zinfandel, but it was alright. After dinner (and dessert), we retired to the living room where we played some games together. Mark led us in an exercise writing poetry, and at the expense of my dignity I shared a couple of haikus that I wrote. I thoroughly enjoyed the poetry. Our hostess then entertained us by bringing out the old VHS recording of their wedding and reception. Crazy to think that it has been 20 years already! Everyone looked so young in the video. Our lives have all gone off in different directions, what with Rodney moving to the big city and Alyssa traveling the world as a freelance writer and journalist. Even Mike moved away to the country to start a vineyard. It was great being able to catch up with everyone, and I hope we are able to get together like that more often." +"January 9, 2020Two weeks ago, I spotted a cat at the store. It was December 26, 2019. Last year! The cat stayed outside. It was very wary about being approached. I felt a lot of pity and compassion for the poor thing. It was afraid of me and became nervous whenever I approached. I decided to leave the cat alone, but she stayed in my thoughts. The next two times I went to the store, I saw the cat again. Each time she seemed to be warming up to me a little bit. The next time I visited the store, I brought Len with me. He became very attached to the cat, and the cat responded very affectionately towards him (maybe she doesn't like women?). We agreed to adopt the cat. We have named him Sam, because he turned out to be male. He is very happy with us so far." +"Last week, I received a promotion at my job. I had been working with the organization for a number of weeks thanks to my childhood friends also joining the team with me. Together, we work in the marketing department for the organization and that means that we will be traveling the country soon. We've been tasked with finding new business for the company and will need to go to a number of states to do just that. My bosses were impressed with the work that I've done so far and gave me a promotion to reflect that. It makes me feel good to know that they think that I am a beneficial part of the organization because I put a lot of work into what I do here. I've found that having my friends working with me makes the work easier. We've already been given a number of tasks that would typically be given to more senior employees. It seems that the higher ups in the organization think that not only are we a good team but that we are effective and trustworthy with important jobs. I feel that I made a good decision coming to work here with my friends. My last job wasn't as fun and that could either be because of the job or the lack of having my friends working with me. I hope that our first trip is to the Northeast. I've always wanted to visit that part of the country, but haven't been able to get around to it. This would be a good chance to do just that. It will also be great to do that on the company's dime. We'll find out soon where we're being sent first. I'm very happy with this new promotion." +"I was emotionally touched when a person I know was able to successfully complete a year in high school band and orchestra. He had been taking lessons since he was four years old on piano and then started several other instruments in the first grade. He practiced his heart out each day for up to an hour or more for years and took private lessons as well as lessons at school. Difficulty arose when he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and started suffering from delusions at the young age of only nine. His mind gave him difficulty concentrating to say the least. He had periods of wellness and periods of struggle and fights in his brain over what was reality and was wasn't. The years went by with many changes in medications and suffering on his part due to the side effects of his medications. I didn't know if he would be able to make it to participate in such a challenging endeavor. He works so hard, but his mind is constantly giving him a fight. He went into the school year optimistic and fully devoted to doing his best. The year pressed on and he pressed on as well practicing and attending doctor's visits to keep him well. He had some bounces up and down with medication adjustments needed. He kept fighting the fight and practicing. He played when he could and took a rest break in the halls when needed. Others didn't see the struggles except in his section of the band occasionally they would see a tear come from his eyes before he had to take a break in the hall. His struggles were mostly hidden except to me who could observe his pain and sorrow even though he didn't even know what was causing it. Bipolar is a hidden illness because you have to keep it hidden to stay afloat in the real world. It causes symptoms that aren't even understood by the person experiencing them. Sadness comes without any warning or preceding events. Sometimes silliness comes without even anything to joke about. It is odd, but can stop you in your tracks. I was so proud when he performed in his concerts at the end of the year, because he made it another year fighting the fight to pursue his dreams." +"I have known Jake for over 30 years. He has always had a musical ear. Since childhood, he has been fascinated with music and musical instruments. He started wanted to play Spanish guitar because his family was from Spain. Flamenco guitars in Spain are trendy and is typical to find spontaneous musicians playing on the streets. He was so good that he started to play in a number of local clubs and started to earn significant money with it. His family was so proud of him because he was somehow promoting his heritage by playing the Spanish guitar. But all of a sudden one day about 20 years ago Jake went to a piano concert, and he just fell in love with the instrument. He started to study and practiced almost every day. His family was initially disappointed that he switched the instrument, but he also proved to be a very gifted pianist. Then, ten years ago, he was involved in a terrible car accident, which resulted in his left arm being amputated. He was devastated for a month. Then, he decided he was not going to let that tragedy stop his dreams, and for years after that, he practiced piano with one hand only. He became so adept at it that he was invited to play in the London Philharmonic. That was the proudest day of his life and everyone around him." +"My husband and I took a vacation for just the two of us to Jamaica. We left our children with my parents and were gone for about 10 days including our two travel days. We had so much fun relaxing in the pool and by the beach. We also had the opportunity to indulge in drinks and food whenever we desired. We stayed at a Sandals resort in the Jamaican town of Ocho Rios. It was so incredibly gorgeous. I loved our view of the ocean from our balcony and the room was huge, clean, and beautiful. We had butler service while we were there and I really grew to love our butlers who I consider friends now. The first day of the vacation I drank a little bit too much while enjoying the pool. I decided to utilize my butler service to it's full extent so while drunk, I used the butler phone to call our butler on duty and asked for some snacks to be delivered to me at the pool. In just a short while, he pulled up in his golf cart and handed me a tray of cheese and crackers. They were so caring and kind and never seemed bothered by any of my silly requests. While we were there, we went zip lining which is something that we had been talking about doing our entire relationship so that was a really fun and special experience for us. We even booked our return trip while we were still on resort! We are so excited to return that we have already started planning our daily activities while we're there." +"One of the most memorable events very recently happened to me and I can't stop thinking about it. My husband and I took our first international trip together. Not only was it our first international trip together, it was also our first big trip without our two young children. We have done several small, weekend long trips but never for more than two days at the most. This time, we went to Jamaica and were gone for ten days. It was such an amazing experience. We had the opportunity to get to know each other better and become closer to each other. It has been four years since we had our oldest child. That is four years without real alone time to see who we are without being Mommy and Daddy. We got to just spend ten days in paradise having other people take care of us instead of us taking care of other people. We ate and drank and just had a great time being together. It made so much of an impact that our relationship is even stronger now than before. We have decided to book another trip to Jamaica for next year because we found the experience to just be so important and it made such a big impact on our lives. This was so surprising to me because we had to save up for quite awhile to take the trip in the first place. But with it being so good for our relationship, we decided we would find a way to be able to make it happen again in just one year." +"Over the Memorial Day holiday in the United States, my family of 12 and I went on a family vacation. We rented a huge log cabin in the mountains that included pin ball machines, old school video games, a pool table, swimming pool, hot tub, and large enough areas that all of us could sit around and talk. This vacation was especially memorable because my parents who are in their 70's, were able to spend time with all 5 of their grandchildren, son-in-law, nephew, married in relatives, and myself, their oldest daughter. We spent a lot of time laughing and cooking together. We would sit out on the balcony and look at the breathtaking views. We were very high up on the mountain and the drive up was pretty scary at times, LOL, yet that provided us with a lot of pictures and memories that will last forever. There were a few times that we went into the city to shop, go out to eat, and explore what the Smokey Mountains had to offer. One evening we went to a new area where there is a huge farris wheel. While I personally would not go on it, several of my family members did, and when they were at the top they took awesome pictures. My nephew said, holy crap, that thing is tall. The way he said it was so funny. He is a little guy so seeing him look at the farris wheel and understand the height of it was cool. Every morning my husband and son-in-law would go fishing. One day they brought back Trout. After they cleaned the fish my son-in-law put it on the grill and cooked it for anyone who wanted some. The first batch of fish was excellent and everyone ate it. By this time everyone was full. He still had one more fish that he had to cook. As I was eating this fish I noticed that it didn't entirely look done. I picked at it a few more times. That evening we all sat around the cabin talking and playing games. We had our telescope there so we were able to look at the stars at night and find the constellations. After everyone went to bed, I woke up around midnight thinking I was dying. Nope, FOOD POISONING!!! I was up for several hours becoming best friends with the porcelain god. While it was not funny at the time because I was literally thinking that I was dying, I look back now and laugh because everyone talks about me getting food poisoning and the shape that I was in. Lucky for them, I took one for the team" +"Six months ago, I gave birth for the first time. As pregnancy and birth is memorable in itself, I remember this day vividly. I had been growing a human inside of my body for the past nine months. I was so excited to have my girl become a part of our lives. The day started off normally by going into the hospital. We checked in and met the staff. We got settled in our room. The drugs were administered. My daughter's body was unable to take the drugs, so the most surprising element of the day was the emergency C-section. While I was being induced on the scheduled day, the C-section was unplanned. That was also the scariest part of the day. I wasn't expecting it, and I didn't feel prepared to be cut open. Even after the emergency surgery, there was nothing like holding my baby for the first time. Being able to see what my body had done for the past 9 month was both surreal and amazing. The next few days were constant snuggles and nursing." +"This story has a bit of a modern fable to it. Have a goal, achieve it, but decide something else is more important. It was a baseball game around the beginning of the season. And if you're an adult male that's loved sports their whole life, one of the bucket list items is to catch a foul ball at a game. I still remember this moment months later, and how it felt. The headline was man catches foul ball, which probably happens dozens of times each baseball game, but the better story is how I made a friend after catching it. I remember it being late in the game, and a ball was lofted in my direction. The stands were nearly empty so I figured I had a shot at it. It was going to land short. It bounced way short actually, hit a railing and deflected into my chest. Unfortunately I was still holding my beer at this point, so it caused it to soak my entire shirt, but who cares?! I grabbed the ball, but after I had it a minute, it didn't feel as special as I thought it would be. So I found a little kid I had been watching nearby for much of the game, and gave it to him. He was so happy he hugged me. His parents appreciated that as well, and we wound out talking the rest of the game (it was a boring game) about life, philosophy, just a regular nice conversation that matters that we tend to overlook in life. And that's the part I remember. The connection I made with someone else. The foul ball probably sits somewhere in his room, and I bet he remembers that moment too." +"This story has a bit of a modern fable to it. Have a goal, achieve it, but decide something else is more important. It was a baseball game around the beginning of the season. And if you're an adult male that's loved sports their whole life, one of the bucket list items is to catch a foul ball at a game. I still remember this moment months later, and how it felt. The headline was man catches foul ball, which probably happens dozens of times each baseball game, but the better story is how I made a friend after catching it. I remember it being late in the game, and a ball was lofted in my direction. The stands were nearly empty so I figured I had a shot at it. It was going to land short. It bounced way short actually, hit a railing and deflected into my chest. Unfortunately I was still holding my beer at this point, so it caused it to soak my entire shirt, but who cares?! I grabbed the ball, but after I had it a minute, it didn't feel as special as I thought it would be. So I found a little kid I had been watching nearby for much of the game, and gave it to him. He was so happy he hugged me. His parents appreciated that as well, and we wound out talking the rest of the game (it was a boring game) about life, philosophy, just a regular nice conversation that matters that we tend to overlook in life. And that's the part I remember. The connection I made with someone else. The foul ball probably sits somewhere in his room, and I bet he remembers that moment too." +I recently discovered textile media arts and am excited to get involved in it. I make quilts and will be incorporating this new medium into it. I watched a couple of videos on how to do it and it looks like a lot of fun. I love quilting and sewing for myself and upping may game will be fun. I recently quit going to a quilting group and have found that my creativity on my own has really increased. I am finding more to do. It's amazing that not going to a group will expand your horizons. Atleast it has for me. I have recently been doing alot of sewing on my own and loving it. Changing the way clothes look. Altering clothes and trying different things with fabric. The different ways to use fabric has been a real challange to me and one I relish. It's fun coming up with art that is differnt from something someone else will do. Too many times we get stuck in a rut. Going out on your own is fun and wonderful. +"It was such a wonderful experience. I got to see coldplay! Yes, Coldplay! Hell yeah! I was thrilled when my brother in law Paul told me that he had a spare ticket for a coldplay concert. This was 3 weeks ago. I still remember jumping up and down with joy. The past few months were quite hard with me losing my job and all. So i really needed this. It has been a desire of mine for years, to watch their concert up close. I finally got to it. It was magical! So many of favorite songs! I even managed to get selfies with a couple of band members. This experience infused a fresh supply of energy in me that i so badly needed." +"It was such a wonderful experience. I got to see coldplay! Yes, Coldplay! Hell yeah! I was thrilled when my brother in law Paul told me that he had a spare ticket for a coldplay concert. This was 3 weeks ago. I still remember jumping up and down with joy. The past few months were quite hard with me losing my job and all. So i really needed this. It has been a desire of mine for years, to watch their concert up close. I finally got to it. It was magical! So many of favorite songs! I even managed to get selfies with a couple of band members. This experience infused a fresh supply of energy in me that i so badly needed." +"Today I went to meet another newborn. With flowers for mom and gift for baby in hand, I made my way through the hospital hallways, recalling the memories of the birth of my own baby, my now two year old and husband walking alongside me. In the past few months, the baby fever has overwhelmed me, made me giddy with excitement, and brought me to tears. After a very difficult and traumatic labor and delivery two years back, I never thought I would want another one so soon. But here I was walking in the hallways, past the nursery, the faint echo of brand-new baby cries lingering into my heart. It seemed like everyone near and dear to me was either pregnant, or just had a brand new baby, something I long for so bad. But I know, realistically, right now would not be the ideal time for cradles and bibs. That time, I know, is so close, but seemingly so far away. There are things that must be done to prepare; the unchecked list runs through my head every single day. My body needs to be 20-30 pounds lighter. We need to figure out a few financial things. I need to get my dentist work done first. I need to read all the books and do all the research. My husband, also with his own worries and fears, needs to be on the same page. Somehow my many ""needs"" have put my one major ""want"" on hold, and it's resulted in a sin called envy. I greet another tired mama, stare at another sweet sleeping babe, and hand in hand with my husband, walk out the door. We get into the car, and I let out a heavy, longing sigh. My husband, looks me straight in the eyes. ""What?"" I ask. He doesn't speak, just gives me a small smile. We speak to each other without speaking. I smile back as tears fall down my cheeks. I close my eyes and the list appears. Check. My heart is content." +"I'm writing about the passing of my grandmother. She passed away in her sleep from a heart attack. It was a shocking and unexpected event for our family. She did not have a will in place so this has made it very difficult on our family to handle all of her business. The morning that it happened my father woke me up and told me that she was gone. At first I didn't understand what he meant by gone. I thought maybe she went shopping or something. When I got out of bed the ambulance was just leaving with her. My family all piled into the car to go down to the hospital where they were taking her. They basically pronounced her dead on arrival at the hospital as the EMT's in the ambulance were unable to revive her. My father was very emotionally upset by this event. We also struggled to handle her funeral arrangements as we did not have access to any of her bank accounts. Funerals are so ridiculously expensive. The social security administration offers a few dollars in death benefits but those can only go to a spouse not to a child to assist in burial. Even the cheapest option being cremation was well over 1,000$. It's difficult because the hospital only gives you 24hours to handle this and have the funeral home pick up the body from the hospital." +On May 18th of 2019 my grandmother unexpectedly passed away. She passed away during the night. She passed away in her sleep. The official cause of death was listed as a major heart attack. My grandmother and father both lived in my own at the time this happened. Both my father and grandmother were disabled and I am their primary caregiver. This event was very traumatic to my family. My grandmother was a very influential and important part of our family. My grandmother was the matriarch of the family. The day that it happened my father knocked on my door in the morning and woke me and told me that my grandmother was gone. I immediately jumped out of bed. The paramedics has just taken her in an ambulance to the hospital while trying to resuscitate her. My father was totally devastated by this event. He was hurt and emotional and crying over the passing of his mother. I tried to do my best to console him while also handling all of the funeral expenses and requirements. We had to call and notify all of our other family members about her passing away as well. It was a very difficult and emotional experience for our family. Funerals are very expensive and there is not a lot of financial help available to people out there. I now urge everyone I know to have life insurance and a will to help simplify this process and reduce stress on the family members. +Today I finally visited the Cascade mountain. It is the highest peak of the Adirondacks mountain. I have been wanting to make this hike for a long time and can't believe I finally did it!! We started early in the morning to give ourselves plenty of time to make the climb and be able to enjoy the view. It was cool and the air was so crisp. I thought I might get tired as this was my first hike but my excitement and the distracton of the beautiful scenery kept me going. I can remember seeing squirrels playing in the trees and hearing birds calling to each other. I loved watching the sunrise along the way and watching the world wake up. I loved to look at how the different trees and vegetation grew and appreciated the made trail for us. I was surprised at how much colder it got as we wound our way higher and higher. Once we made it to the top I couldn't believe we had made it and to see the beautiful views that are only afforded to those willing to climb to the peak. As I surveyed the scenery I was amazed at how high we actually were and tried not to think about the descent home. I was going to enjoy my time at the top and savor my journey for as long as possible. We spent the afternoon at the peak and enjoyed a well deserved picnic lunch. when it was finally time to go I took a deep breath and looked around trying to memorize each detail of this amazing journey. What I can't capture with words and I hope will always live etched in my memory. +Today I finally visited the Cascade mountain. It is the highest peak of the Adirondacks mountain. I have been wanting to make this hike for a long time and can't believe I finally did it!! We started early in the morning to give ourselves plenty of time to make the climb and be able to enjoy the view. It was cool and the air was so crisp. I thought I might get tired as this was my first hike but my excitement and the distracton of the beautiful scenery kept me going. I can remember seeing squirrels playing in the trees and hearing birds calling to each other. I loved watching the sunrise along the way and watching the world wake up. I loved to look at how the different trees and vegetation grew and appreciated the made trail for us. I was surprised at how much colder it got as we wound our way higher and higher. Once we made it to the top I couldn't believe we had made it and to see the beautiful views that are only afforded to those willing to climb to the peak. As I surveyed the scenery I was amazed at how high we actually were and tried not to think about the descent home. I was going to enjoy my time at the top and savor my journey for as long as possible. We spent the afternoon at the peak and enjoyed a well deserved picnic lunch. when it was finally time to go I took a deep breath and looked around trying to memorize each detail of this amazing journey. What I can't capture with words and I hope will always live etched in my memory. +"What a day! It all started from Oliver, my cat. He was with me for seven years already. I already consider him as family. Recently, I married my girlfriend, Shirley. Before marrying, we've been together for five years but spent most of the time away from each other because of work. So, Shirley doesn't get to hang around Oliver as much. As we got to live in the same house, I decided to take Oliver with me. Shirley said she is okay with it, although she did not grew up around animals and pets unlike me. Anyway, a few day in and she always complain about feeling itching sensation around her body and she kept on sneezing. I thought it's just the dusts from the house. Unfortunately, it was because of Oliver. We both didn't know she had allergies with cats. Bottom line, I had to find a new home for Oliver. I spent so many hours today looking for a good home for Oliver. It was very emotional for me. Oliver is family but I need to put my wife's health a priority. My wife helped me, of course. At the last minute, my wife suggested if maybe we can give it to my parents. Why did I not even think about it? So we called my mom and she said she would love to have Oliver. Problem solved!" +"What a day! It all started from Oliver, my cat. He was with me for seven years already. I already consider him as family. Recently, I married my girlfriend, Shirley. Before marrying, we've been together for five years but spent most of the time away from each other because of work. So, Shirley doesn't get to hang around Oliver as much. As we got to live in the same house, I decided to take Oliver with me. Shirley said she is okay with it, although she did not grew up around animals and pets unlike me. Anyway, a few day in and she always complain about feeling itching sensation around her body and she kept on sneezing. I thought it's just the dusts from the house. Unfortunately, it was because of Oliver. We both didn't know she had allergies with cats. Bottom line, I had to find a new home for Oliver. I spent so many hours today looking for a good home for Oliver. It was very emotional for me. Oliver is family but I need to put my wife's health a priority. My wife helped me, of course. At the last minute, my wife suggested if maybe we can give it to my parents. Why did I not even think about it? So we called my mom and she said she would love to have Oliver. Problem solved!" +"the day I found out I had to go back to the hospital for the second time in a month, I was in a room, probably about 13x16 ft. The bed I sat on was on the left wall. The door was behind me on the right. The paining in front of me had a small boat, 3 birds, a river, and rainbow buildings. There were 3 of those boxes on the wall that contain like shots or something, next to me. I cried for about 10 minutes straight. The doctor’s stethoscope was blue, I think. Yet I don’t even recall what day of the month this was. Every time I read this certain book, I remember vividly reading the exact same book in 5th grade, at a plastic fold out table, with a purple reading light, waiting on my mother who was helping my aunt set up her wedding reception stuff at the time. I remember exactly what passage I was reading at the time, and remember what cuss word was said in that chapter. I remember how I set up my assorted stuff on top of my dresser in my old room, but don’t even remember the color of the walls. i remember outfits that my best friend would wear, in 6th grade, down to the texture that it looked like and color of the fabrics, and individual pieces of clothingthe entire layout of my grandparent’s house in Hong Kong, even though i haven’t been there since I was 6 and haven’t seen pictures of it sincei remember, at some time when I was really young, I was tired and crying. I think something was wrong with me because I was freaking out. I remember vividly my hallucinations (a wrecking ball in my room) and it’s really hard to describe, but the world felt out of proportion and for some reasons, small objects like my glass of water felt so much larger in my hand. I picked up an ottoman and a cup to prove myself, but probably ended up looking even more crazy. I only remember the names of 3 nurses that I had while I was in the hospital, even though I had about 13 of them. (Alan, Francesca, and Wes. Alan was hilarious, Francesca was pretty and nice, and Wes was kind)" +"When I first arrived at my uncle's old house, just a little over four months ago, I was a bit taken aback by the terrible state of disrepair it was in. I am usually a man with a plan and I formulated one quickly. You could barely see the house for how overgrown it had become. My first task was to clean up the front yard and give it some curb appeal. I mowed and trimmed the lawn and bushes and trimmed some of the tree branches the first weekend. It was then apparent that the front of the house, itself, needed some TLC. For my next and second weekend, it was going to be replacing a broken window pane and a ripped screen. All the windows needed washing and painting the trim would make a big difference. By the end of the second weekend, cars would slow down going by and I even had a few waves and appreciative nods. The next three weekend were spent inside the house, just do general cleaning, minor repairs, and clearing out a lot of junk and trash. The trash cans at the curb were full every week and I was making great progress. My last weekend, six altogether, was spent doing some finishing touches inside and out. I was standing back looking at all I had done and admiring the house and how it looked now, by comparison, when the neighbor, whom I have never met, stopped over to tell me how great it looked and how he appreciated it looking so much better. It gave me a really good feeling. I was glowing." +"When I first arrived at my uncle's old house, just a little over four months ago, I was a bit taken aback by the terrible state of disrepair it was in. I am usually a man with a plan and I formulated one quickly. You could barely see the house for how overgrown it had become. My first task was to clean up the front yard and give it some curb appeal. I mowed and trimmed the lawn and bushes and trimmed some of the tree branches the first weekend. It was then apparent that the front of the house, itself, needed some TLC. For my next and second weekend, it was going to be replacing a broken window pane and a ripped screen. All the windows needed washing and painting the trim would make a big difference. By the end of the second weekend, cars would slow down going by and I even had a few waves and appreciative nods. The next three weekend were spent inside the house, just do general cleaning, minor repairs, and clearing out a lot of junk and trash. The trash cans at the curb were full every week and I was making great progress. My last weekend, six altogether, was spent doing some finishing touches inside and out. I was standing back looking at all I had done and admiring the house and how it looked now, by comparison, when the neighbor, whom I have never met, stopped over to tell me how great it looked and how he appreciated it looking so much better. It gave me a really good feeling. I was glowing." +"Last week, I finally got over a big event in my life. I got over not graduating college. I felt great about it. I told my friends and family. Some were supportive. Others were mad. I realized that it's a waste of money for most people. You'll never payback the loans in this economy unless you get a high paying field that is in demand. I felt smart about not graduating college because of the loans. It would be a waste of time and a waste of money. Most people will be serving coffee, while trying to pay the loan back. I will get a trade instead. This will be better for me than going to college. I will work hard and make more money. I will start an apprenticeship next week." +"Last week, I finally got over a big event in my life. I got over not graduating college. I felt great about it. I told my friends and family. Some were supportive. Others were mad. I realized that it's a waste of money for most people. You'll never payback the loans in this economy unless you get a high paying field that is in demand. I felt smart about not graduating college because of the loans. It would be a waste of time and a waste of money. Most people will be serving coffee, while trying to pay the loan back. I will get a trade instead. This will be better for me than going to college. I will work hard and make more money. I will start an apprenticeship next week." +"Last May I was forced to quit my 5 years old job. the first week of December I trust one of my coworker to help me out with an important project for the university, but in that project we had to deal with money. She was stealing money and I didn't realize it. Once the project was half way I had to request more money because we were out of it, and the way she explained to me was very convincing at that moment. The accounting department started to investigate, it was not at all clear. There were missing money from that project and som others as well. Eventhought, I had nothing to do with it, it was not the first time, so they said they need to let me go. I had no more option than quitting my job. I was sad and depressed for about 4 weeks. I was constantly blaming myslef for what happened. Those were the worst weeks of my life. I finally understood it was not my fault and things happened for a reason. I got another job almost as good as that one. I have been more careful with people and project. I haven't been able to trust people like I used to." +"Summary:My husband and I went to Las Vegas to celebrate or anniversary,3 months ago we had so much fun. We woke up early in the morning to flight to Vegas,in the plane was so incomparable,my husband is a big men,we were like sardines;But we were so excited that we didn't mind it that much. We landed on Vegas,the excitement and happiness we felt it was amazing. We took a shutter to get to our hotel MGM Grand amazing hotel,we got a suite with a Jacuzzi ,huge room we loved it. We relax for a little bit took showers and get dress up really nice,we got ready for a Vegas show Zumanity amazing adult show I can""t say much about that but we loved it. After that we when and eat dinner in Margaritaville we got nachos 1 for both, the night was just getting started. We went back to our room change my high heels to flat shoes,we went downstairs and play roulette,I didn't do that good,my husband win 200 dollars. We were jumping hotel to hotel,luxor,exalubur and Madalay bay. We didn't when to sleep until 4 am Vegas time. We woke up around 10 am, we didn't have time sleep or rest;We had only one more day to go. We took a shower get ready for the day. We went downstairs for the Mgm Gran buffet,you go in and so much to eat and drink,we ate everything that we could. After brunch we walk the strip; Bellagio and Venetian are breath taking so beautiful; Bellagio water fountain has a great show. Inside of Venitian the roof is breath taking,and it has a gondola ride in the middle of the hotel. We got in the gondola ride, is so romantic,they sing for you and they show you the beautiful sights of the hotel. It was time to go back to our room and get ready for our next show. We went to see the Jabbaawockeez, it was a fun show." +"Summary:My husband and I went to Las Vegas to celebrate or anniversary,3 months ago we had so much fun. We woke up early in the morning to flight to Vegas,in the plane was so incomparable,my husband is a big men,we were like sardines;But we were so excited that we didn't mind it that much. We landed on Vegas,the excitement and happiness we felt it was amazing. We took a shutter to get to our hotel MGM Grand amazing hotel,we got a suite with a Jacuzzi ,huge room we loved it. We relax for a little bit took showers and get dress up really nice,we got ready for a Vegas show Zumanity amazing adult show I can""t say much about that but we loved it. After that we when and eat dinner in Margaritaville we got nachos 1 for both, the night was just getting started. We went back to our room change my high heels to flat shoes,we went downstairs and play roulette,I didn't do that good,my husband win 200 dollars. We were jumping hotel to hotel,luxor,exalubur and Madalay bay. We didn't when to sleep until 4 am Vegas time. We woke up around 10 am, we didn't have time sleep or rest;We had only one more day to go. We took a shower get ready for the day. We went downstairs for the Mgm Gran buffet,you go in and so much to eat and drink,we ate everything that we could. After brunch we walk the strip; Bellagio and Venetian are breath taking so beautiful; Bellagio water fountain has a great show. Inside of Venitian the roof is breath taking,and it has a gondola ride in the middle of the hotel. We got in the gondola ride, is so romantic,they sing for you and they show you the beautiful sights of the hotel. It was time to go back to our room and get ready for our next show. We went to see the Jabbaawockeez, it was a fun show." +"Thing have been getting rough lately. The kids left home a few months ago and our nest is empty. The days seem to drag on, Carl didn't seem to have much purpose anymore. Then the neighbor girl Samantha asked us if wed like to adopt a cat a few days ago. I didn't think it was the best idea at first, but Carl wanted to. He made up a bed for her and got all of the supplies we needed. Hes so loving and caring. It reminds me of why I married him and the family we built together. Its hard to still feel like a family these days but I think we'll be okay now. We named the cat Turk. She lays next to him while he watches TV. I've never seem a cat follow a man around so much. Shes also laid in bed with me while I read. Shes brought so much comfort into our home. It feels like a home again." +"Thing have been getting rough lately. The kids left home a few months ago and our nest is empty. The days seem to drag on, Carl didn't seem to have much purpose anymore. Then the neighbor girl Samantha asked us if wed like to adopt a cat a few days ago. I didn't think it was the best idea at first, but Carl wanted to. He made up a bed for her and got all of the supplies we needed. Hes so loving and caring. It reminds me of why I married him and the family we built together. Its hard to still feel like a family these days but I think we'll be okay now. We named the cat Turk. She lays next to him while he watches TV. I've never seem a cat follow a man around so much. Shes also laid in bed with me while I read. Shes brought so much comfort into our home. It feels like a home again." +"Last week a friend of mine called me and said an incident happened at the F.R.A. hall. One of the residents of the halfway house he manages was harassed by an individual about bringing a service dog to the F.R.A. . This was terrible because he is one of the most vulnerable people in our fellowship and was made to feel less than and unwelcome. A then was given a statement by the person with the dog that went into great detail about the event. He had to leave because he was made to feel very, very uncomfortable. I told the manager that I would follow through. I realized the seriousness of the event. When my manager talked to the person doing the harassment , he minimized the encounter. He seems to have no idea of the wrong he committed. I was angry and at first wanted to sue. It was an open and shut case. There was nothing done right. t was disgusting. It was terrible and it was unlawful." +"So about 3 months ago I broke up with my boyfriend. Again. Well, I didn't break up with him, he broke up with me, but I technically broke up with him the first time. It's complicated. Anyway, he had been really mean to me for a while, ever since we started dating--but, well, I'm really soft. When I see someone show emotion, like cry or something, I immediately change my perspective on them. I become a 'protector', or 'fixer', I guess? I wanted to help him get better. He sold me a lot of sob stories about his parents, and I ate it up. So, he became my best friend. I let it happen, because I cared about him a lot at that point, I guess? Psychologically, it ruined me. I became depressed and dependent. I used to not care what anyone thought about me, but I became obsessed. The event from 3 months ago was mind crushing, though. He told me how he just used me, how I was just ""addicted' to him, called me a bunch of sexist names and how everyone was using me and how I was dependent on others for validation. Now, i've never been one to care about what others think about me. I'm extremely independent, I work for my own money (we're college students), and I don't really have parents who are present, technically? But, yeah, he called me dependent and a 'drain' on his wallet, despite the fact I had spent a ton of money on him, too, despite having less. I would pay for his haircuts, his food, whenever he didn't have the money I'd spot him immediately. He never had a job, it was his parent's money and I was working 3 jobs at the peak of our relationship. I guess i'm still a little angry about it?" +"I am in a bit of a reflective mood today. Not much has happened so I want to tell you Mr Diary about my first relationship. Specifically the end of it. Puppy love is always so crazy isnt it? I thought he was the one! At fourteen! Now i can look back at it and laugh, but at the time I felt like my life was ENDING! Boys will be boys though, and there attention spans are not long. Nor is their maturity. ha! I walked into school, and held out my hand to him for him to hold. He pushed it away and called me a CHEATER! Diary, like i said I was SO in LOVE, there was no way I would have cheated. I don't know why he chose that as a reason to break up with me because it wasn't the truth. I was so confused because I didn't talk to other boys, and I sure didn't cheat. He also called me a slut, and let me tell you, that kind of stuff runs through a middle-school quick! It really hurt my feelings. My good friends stood by me, but people that didn't know me leered at me in the halls. I just rushed to my classes as quick as possible. I was embarrassed to go to school for two whole weeks. Luckily Middleschool minds run short term, so it was al forgotten about within weeks. It was still one of the worst experiences I had at 14 though!" +"We were married for 10 years--and from that marriage we had two twin girls--who are both 9 year olds. For years, the marriage was crumbling. My husband and I had communication problems. I had lost my job about a year ago, and that compounded the issues we had. If we did decide to ""communicate"", it was usually over yelling matches. Just a toxic environment for our kids--hence, why we are heading to divorce court. Since my husband is the breadwinner, he wants to take my kids from me. He is suing for full custody--limiting my interactions with my two daughters. I might only to get to see them on the weekends. I'm sure the judge will give him what he wants, since he is the one with a full-time job, and I still have failed to find one. I""m going to lose my home, marriage, and even worst, my daughters. This has been a horrible year! We had started divorce proceedings three weeks ago, and this has been a rough three weeks. My husband brings my daughters over on the weekends. It's hard just getting to see them for a weekend." +"We were married for 10 years--and from that marriage we had two twin girls--who are both 9 year olds. For years, the marriage was crumbling. My husband and I had communication problems. I had lost my job about a year ago, and that compounded the issues we had. If we did decide to ""communicate"", it was usually over yelling matches. Just a toxic environment for our kids--hence, why we are heading to divorce court. Since my husband is the breadwinner, he wants to take my kids from me. He is suing for full custody--limiting my interactions with my two daughters. I might only to get to see them on the weekends. I'm sure the judge will give him what he wants, since he is the one with a full-time job, and I still have failed to find one. I""m going to lose my home, marriage, and even worst, my daughters. This has been a horrible year! We had started divorce proceedings three weeks ago, and this has been a rough three weeks. My husband brings my daughters over on the weekends. It's hard just getting to see them for a weekend." +"Sometime a week ago, I attended a baseball game with my father. He was in town for the weekend. We decided to go see a baseball game, and have some beers. However, we were not sure about the weather, as it looked gloomy. We took the chance and went anyway. It turned out to be a pretty beautiful day. The game was exciting, and we got some good beers. Overall, it was a great day out. We watched our favorite team play. We cheered from the bleachers, but were having so much fun. We enjoyed the weather too, as it became nicer as the day went on. We went home happy. It was a great time. We have planned to do it again. Perhaps next month." +"Sometime a week ago, I attended a baseball game with my father. He was in town for the weekend. We decided to go see a baseball game, and have some beers. However, we were not sure about the weather, as it looked gloomy. We took the chance and went anyway. It turned out to be a pretty beautiful day. The game was exciting, and we got some good beers. Overall, it was a great day out. We watched our favorite team play. We cheered from the bleachers, but were having so much fun. We enjoyed the weather too, as it became nicer as the day went on. We went home happy. It was a great time. We have planned to do it again. Perhaps next month." +"I could hardly believe what I was hearing from her when I answered the phone. Come on, it's bad enough that I have to listen to her go on about her self, but to be asked to help out with a guy I don't know?! And one I couldn't care less about, at that. I really think I put my foot down with this issue. The boyfriend and our relationship. I told her that I absolutely would not help her bail him out. I let her know, in no uncertain terms, that I won't risk my money on a guy I don't really like, and I couldn't count on him to show up to his court date. Hell, she can't count on him to show up to a regular date with her, so how can he be trusted? She was really pissed off with me, and told me what a terrible friend I was. That's when I lost it. I told her that she may think what she wants of me, but her opinion no longer matters to me. I let her know I am sick of her endless complaining about her job, her family, her boyfriend, and basically life in general. I suggested she get counseling for her issues so she has an non involved party who can help her sort our her problems. I have been there for her since we were in high school, but honestly, I think she's doing drugs or something. She's been a nut job, with a terrible temper for the past couple of years, and I can't deal with it anymore. I really did mean she should seek help, it wasn't just me saying something ugly, although she seemed to take it that way. A big first step would be if that jerk of a boyfriend staying in jail, and quit bringing her down to his level. She needs to get some of her old confidence back. I told her that I do care about her, but I simply can't hang out with her until she gets some real help. That was when she hung up on me, and I haven't heard from her since. I hope I don't get a call to bail her out of jail." +I spent the day visiting with my nieces. Watching them with my sister it really hit home. My dream of having my own family will never come true. That day I promised myself that I would do everything I could to be a great uncle to them. Since I will never be a father. I also came to the realization that I can no longer keep up with my nieces. My health no longer being what it was. When I was younger I was an active person able to do so much. Now I am trying to come to terms with not being able to do the things that I used to. When I realized how much I have physically lost. I came very close to ending my life. Today I am finding new purpose in life. But I am also searching for a new dream to keep me going during the long nights. On a final note while I did contemplate ending my life. My family has helped me to move on and search for meaning in life. +This has been some year for me. When I was a teenager I dreamed of my own family one day. The same dream I've had most of my life. But now that dream has died. I have never been someone woman desire or like. I thought I could overcome that obstacle and have my dream family one day. But it all came crashing down this year. I waited to long and gave to little effort to my dream. Now my health is slowly worsening and no one wants to be with me. It hurts so much when I think of all the years wasted instead of following my dream. When I look at the rest of my life. I will spend the rest of my days regretting my choices and the chances not taken. It's hard to believe but my life is a sad country song. All I can do now is get through each day. Try to make what time I have left have some meaning. +"Three months ago, I was stun to see who was at the door. As I approached the peephole, I could see similar features of that of my brother. My brother had been out of touch and out of town for far to long. As he entered our childhood home, everyone there lined up for hugs. They each also got on their phones inviting others to come and witness what their eyes was glad to see. I was surprise and happy as were everyone who was present to greet my brother. My brother start to discuss his journey and why he was here. I could gather that he was homesick and was not about to miss another holiday without celebrating with his family. Young and old, I could see smiling faces and positive interactions. As the day came to a close, I was pulled aside by my brother to learn his health scare. I was sworn into secrecy. I knew there was another reason behind his visit as the holidays though approaching were still several weeks away. I was happy that he did want to be with his family at this time of sadness. I want to know more. I want to know if he had a chance to beat this disease." +"Dear diary,As I reflect on the wonderful day I had I can't help but remember the my stay at the Hotel del Coronado three months ago. That stay at the hotel changed my life. I met my now girlfriend there and we spent the week together in California. We had such a wonderful at Coronado beach and San Diego. We went to the zoo, saw seals laying near the ocean, went bike riding along the beach and shared countless meals that week. I truly believe that I met my soulmate three months ago at that bar in the hotel. We shared our thoughts, memories, stories, struggles, hobbies, families, childhood stories and just about everything else. I don't think I stopped smiling since I met her. When she asked me if I wanted to move in with her, which required me to move across the country to California, I was hesitant at first but I couldn't say no. I knew that I would lose her if we tried to do a long distance relationship. She said she would support me while I find a job out in California and while that was nice, I was still very worried. What kind of person just quits their job and moves across the country? Well, I decided that since I am young to go for it. If the relationship did not work out, I always wanted to live in a warmer climate anyway. Lucky for me I ended finding a great job in my field right away and drove across the country to live with her. Our time together so far has been a dream. I look forward to every minute we spend together. Sometimes I wonder to myself what would have happened if I decided to not trust my gut." +"Three months ago I went to the grocery store to buy ingredients to bake my sister's birthday cake. I remember choosing her favorite flavor of icing (strawberry) along with some snacks for myself, paying the cashier, and leaving the store. It was chilly outside, so I was zipping up my sweatshirt and getting my keys out of my purse to unlock my car when I felt something brush my ankle. I was so startled that I let out a small scream and jerked my leg away sharply. I looked down, terrified that a rat had just touched me, but instead I saw a fluffy, furry tail disappearing under my car. I was afraid that my impulsive reaction may have caused the animal to run away. I knelt down and saw a small kitten, wet and shivering as it leaned against my rear wheel. The kitten appeared to have been someone's pet because it had a small collar around its neck. However, it also looked like it was injured because one of its paws stuck out at an odd angle. I wondered how I would get this kitten out from under my car without scaring it away. I remembered that I just bought some snacks and groceries for myself that may entice the kitten and make it trust me. I placed my grocery bags on the ground and dug through my groceries to find the canned tuna I had just bought. I pulled the tab on the tuna can to open it and placed it on the ground. It took a few minutes for the kitten to feel confident enough to step out from under my car, but it soon began to sniff and nibble away at the tuna. After petting it so that it would now I meant it no harm, I lifted it into my passenger seat and looked up where the nearest vet clinic was on my phone. I then held the kitten in my lap as I drove it to the vet." +"I want to relocate my home place. Because i got better job in another state. It was very tough to relocate one state to another state. We have to change each and every small things to another place. Like we have to change our passport address, license address, and etc. But i have to change my location. Physically it was very hard to relocate with our things. and also financially it cost very much to our budget. But i can handle this situation very smart. at the end i was sell my home products and big things in my house to local mart. After i sell it i can get a enough and reasonable money. Then i relocate with small things. It was slightly easy than moving with lot of things. I can buy some new products in my new place. It could be less amount for transport charge." +"Over the weekend I took a trip to Canada with some of my old friends to be with Joe for his bachelor's trip. We all flew out of Indianapolis together and that was when the fun started. We all sat together on the plane and chatted about old times. It was great to catch up with everyone and I felt a little guilty that I haven't kept in better contact with them over the years. We all used to be so close and now life has taken us in different directions. When we arrived in Canada we immediately checked into our hotel and went out to dinner. It was a fantastic meal and we continued our conversations from the plane and continued to catch up with each others lives. We also visited museums and even watched a professional basketball game. We were having the best time and I was so glad to be there until Joe pulled me aside after several drinks after dinner the second night there. He confessed that back in college he had slept with my then girlfriend, which is now my wife. He said the guilt has been eating away at him and he felt I deserved to know. I'm crushed. My wife and I have a great relationship and I'm totally blindsided by the confessions. I don't even know what to do with the information-it clearly happened a long time ago, it was a one time thing, I'm happily married now. I'm not sure what to do." +"Over the weekend I took a trip to Canada with some of my old friends to be with Joe for his bachelor's trip. We all flew out of Indianapolis together and that was when the fun started. We all sat together on the plane and chatted about old times. It was great to catch up with everyone and I felt a little guilty that I haven't kept in better contact with them over the years. We all used to be so close and now life has taken us in different directions. When we arrived in Canada we immediately checked into our hotel and went out to dinner. It was a fantastic meal and we continued our conversations from the plane and continued to catch up with each others lives. We also visited museums and even watched a professional basketball game. We were having the best time and I was so glad to be there until Joe pulled me aside after several drinks after dinner the second night there. He confessed that back in college he had slept with my then girlfriend, which is now my wife. He said the guilt has been eating away at him and he felt I deserved to know. I'm crushed. My wife and I have a great relationship and I'm totally blindsided by the confessions. I don't even know what to do with the information-it clearly happened a long time ago, it was a one time thing, I'm happily married now. I'm not sure what to do." +"My current boyfriend and I met at a freshman orientation camp before starting college. I was in a relationship at that point and could tell he had a bit of a crush on me so I ignored him. He asked me to hang out multiple times that year, and I never did. My boyfriend and I ended up breaking up and I turned to my current boyfriend. We started hanging out and became best friends. He came to visit me over winter break my sophomore year. We ended up having a great time and i felt confused. I was scared I would ruin our friendship. Our relationship became more flirtatious and I knew I had to make a move. One day I randomly kissed him. Shortly after we went on our first date and have been together almost 2 years now. We're seniors in college and plan to move in together after graduation. We are still best friends, but so much more. As scary as it was, I made the right decision. I'm so much happier for it." +"My current boyfriend and I met at a freshman orientation camp before starting college. I was in a relationship at that point and could tell he had a bit of a crush on me so I ignored him. He asked me to hang out multiple times that year, and I never did. My boyfriend and I ended up breaking up and I turned to my current boyfriend. We started hanging out and became best friends. He came to visit me over winter break my sophomore year. We ended up having a great time and i felt confused. I was scared I would ruin our friendship. Our relationship became more flirtatious and I knew I had to make a move. One day I randomly kissed him. Shortly after we went on our first date and have been together almost 2 years now. We're seniors in college and plan to move in together after graduation. We are still best friends, but so much more. As scary as it was, I made the right decision. I'm so much happier for it." +"Recently I got my car serviced. I noticed the air conditioner wasn't blowing cool air. So I took it to a chain mechanic company near my location. After the car was checked, I was quoted a price of a major part that needed fixing with work needed. I decided to go ahead with getting it done, since AC is something we need in the car, especially in summer time. The work was done in a few hours, and we went to pick up the car. As we left the shop, my car stalled and wouldn't drive. I had driven out on a main roadway with lots of traffic. Thankfully, we didn't have an accident, and the car behind me was able to stop when I stalled. I drove very slowly around the block back to the shop and informed them of the problem. They checked and apparently had not tightened or adjusted a part well, which caused the issue. I was very disappointed and let them know that their error could have caused an accident or worse. However, I was glad they were able to adjust it quickly and then we were on our way. I often think about what happened and how it may have turned out badly. Thankfully, nothing major happened. It was quite a scare." +The story that I'm going to tell you took place around one month ago at my moms farm. My mom has always loved animals and always dreamed of having a mini farm on her property. As expected my mom bought about 10 chickens and build them in amazing chicken coop. So one day me being excited to go and check out her form I went over to where the chickens were. Without second-guessing I went into the chicken coop to take a closer look at the chickens. But unfortunately I did not look at my surroundings very well before entering because when I saw next remember screaming and yelling as loud as I could but to no avail nobody ever heard of it. I had to sit there and tear and watch at this big snakes were lurking at me trying to make a move. I honestly didn't know what to do. Thankfully when I saw one of the snakes going around the tube to try to get one of the chickens I made my escape. Unfortunately I did not go and will paralyze me forever. At the corner of the only exit of the chicken coop for two big rattlesnake hissing and looking. I remember that I thought my face drain from heat. I remember screaming and yelling as loud as I could but to no avail nobody ever heard of it. I had to sit there and tear and watch at this big snakes were lurking at me trying to make a move. I honestly didn't know what to do. Thankfully when I saw one of the snakes going around the tube to try to get one of the chickens I made my escape. Unfortunately I did not go unhurt. My leg split open From the barbed wire that my mom had sitting out front. Needless to say this will be an experience that I will never forget. +"My brother just had a baby girl, so I decided to surprise him and visit him and his family. It was great to be able to go there and see everyone. We really had a great time! The baby looks just like him and has his eyes. He said that everyone thinks the baby looks like her mom, but I don't see that. While I was at their home, my dad came over to visit as well. He was shocked to see me! Not as shocked as I was to see him with another woman! I introduced myself to her and my dad said ""This is my girlfriend."" I raised an eyebrow to that one since he had just gotten out of a relationship. She seemed really nice and my brother said that she was a great woman. I thought if she was a perfect fit for my dad, then she can't be that bad. I just hate seeing him go in and out of all these relationships. After a while, we ate and laughed and I felt like I had known her for years! She was telling me about a cove at the beach that was so beautiful and peaceful. She loved to go there to sit and think. I told her that sounded wonderful and that I'd have to see it before I left. The next day, we went to the cove with my dad and his girlfriend. She knew the perfect spot! I can't even believe that all this time we were that close to that place and never visited it!" +"My brother just had a baby girl, so I decided to surprise him and visit him and his family. It was great to be able to go there and see everyone. We really had a great time! The baby looks just like him and has his eyes. He said that everyone thinks the baby looks like her mom, but I don't see that. While I was at their home, my dad came over to visit as well. He was shocked to see me! Not as shocked as I was to see him with another woman! I introduced myself to her and my dad said ""This is my girlfriend."" I raised an eyebrow to that one since he had just gotten out of a relationship. She seemed really nice and my brother said that she was a great woman. I thought if she was a perfect fit for my dad, then she can't be that bad. I just hate seeing him go in and out of all these relationships. After a while, we ate and laughed and I felt like I had known her for years! She was telling me about a cove at the beach that was so beautiful and peaceful. She loved to go there to sit and think. I told her that sounded wonderful and that I'd have to see it before I left. The next day, we went to the cove with my dad and his girlfriend. She knew the perfect spot! I can't even believe that all this time we were that close to that place and never visited it!" +"Three months ago me and Kreig stopped being best friends. It was a sad day for me. I look back on it and I could see it happening. We were best friends in high school and grew apart a little in college but still remained close. Then life happened. we both got full time jobs in different cities and that life thing kicked in. You know that part of being best friends is shared experiences and being able to remember them, talk about them and laugh. We had some great times when we were younger and hung out all the time, games, concerts ( the fight at ZZ top), and hunting. But, time moves on and people grow apart with distance, time, and meeting other people. I know that is what happened to us. I feel really sad this happened because he was my best friend for almost 15 years. That being said, I know that we will keep in contact but it just wont be the same as it use to be. That makes me sad because Kreig was in my life for so long. I hope one day that we both can build a relationship as strong with someone else and be able to have those shared memories and laughs. I think that is important for people to have best friends and they don't come around often." +"The most awful thing happened to me four months ago, I still think about it all the time. I was working downtown on a Tuesday morning, like I often do and fell. It was miserable, I was so busy with a work deadline and looking down at my phone that I didn't even think about looking down to the sidewalk, I should have obviously because I tripped on an uneven section. I knew as soon as I hit the ground that this was really bad and the pain was immense. I had been carrying a coffee in one hand and cell phone in the other, I was covered in coffee and my cell phone screen was smashed. Thankfully it happened right near the coffee shop downtown so there we so many witnesses that someone was able to call an ambulance straight away! I guess that was one positive to the situation. It only took about 10 minutes for the ambulance to arrive but it felt like a life time. Thankfully the hospital is nearby and they transported me quickly. The wait once I got there to be seen was amazingly quick, I guess Tuesday mornings are quiet for hospitals. After the x-ray they announced I had broken and dislocated my ankle in two places, I guess that explained my extreme pain and the swelling! The doctor was so courteous and told me to not panic at the sight of my ankle, it looked horrendous. Dark gray and like nothing I have ever seen before. The funniest thing for me was that a friend texted me and said they had driven by at exact moment I fell, what are the chances of that ever happening?! The whole incident was embarrassing, I should have taken more care, I mean the amount of times that I have told my kids to get their faces out of their phones. The irony is I was trying to catch up my work and instead, I am incredibly behind now. I keep telling myself that it could have been worse and my ankle will heal. And thank goodness I had insurance on the cell phone! I had to stay home for four weeks which felt like the longest time of my life but I am pleased to say my ankle is all healed and I am no longer walking and working." +"Yes. This trip with my daughter from the South to the West of the United States was a wonderful and memorable journey. This trip was exciting because I had never ridden a train before. I felt as if I was participating in an adventurous Harry Potter side-story (I am chuckling to myself). My daughter and I took a trip to visit my sister and her husband at around the end of May, 2019. My daughter and I started our trip off on a bus. The interaction between the middle-aged bus driver and a young male passenger, who sat opposite of but directly behind her, had me !cracking up with laughter! because the young male passenger kept blurting obscenities during his telephone conversation and the bus driver kept interrupting him with dialogue that was firm, but a polite reminder to the passenger that he is choice of words were not appropriate for her ears. As the hours got later, the bus driver started to swerve a little. She was obviously tired. To keep herself awake, she would hum to herself. Her humming got progressively louder and louder. Because my daughter was tired from the not sleeping well the night before our trip, she had become very annoyed with the bus driver's humming and swerving. My daughter assumed that she would be able to get a good nap during the trip. All of the antics going on during the trip didn't stop me from taking a nap. My daughter and I finally stopped for our transfer from bus to train in Indiana. Our six hour lay over happened in the wee hours of the morning. We finally boarded our train and had another lay over -- it only lasted half as long as the last -- in Chicago. The bag check attendant was hilarious! He teased my daughter about jumping inside of her suitcase and stowing away with us; my daughter's previous national and international travels would explain her huge suitcase. The customer service attendant was amazing, delightful and sweet. After checking in our bags, my daughter and I ate a good, hot lunch in the bus/train station's food court, and admired the architecture of the station." +"My daughter has a lot of interesting ideas, and about 3 months ago she surprised me with a new one. She wanted to go visit her aunt and uncle who we havent seen in a while but we only had a weekend to do it. She bought us 2 train tickets departing at 11:45 PM on friday and we started our 13 hour trek. We got on the train and slept a bit, and woke up around 6. We played some games on the train and grabbed breakfast in the dining car. When we got to the platform my sister was waiting for us and ran up to Elise and gave her a hug. It was nice seeing them and going to their home but there was so much to do and we only had 24 hours. We went to a museum in town and ended up seeing a performance at the local theater where my nephew works. We all grabbed drinks afterward and went back to the house for a fire. It was a whirlwind of a day, but I am glad we did it. Time flew by too quickly and before we knew it we had to rush back to the train station for work. In all the trip was 52 hours with half of it being spent on a train, but I think we would do it again. It was nice spending quality time with Elise and seeing my sister and her husband. Its too bad they moved out of state and we cant see them more. I am so happy i raised such an adventurous girl and hope that leads her to much happiness in her life." +"Three weeks ago I went on a vacation to Las Vegas. I was so excited to go on this trip to meet my friends where we planned to do a little sightseeing and a little gambling. The computers were down but after my ticket was checked twice I was able to board my plane for my well-deserved girl’s trip. A few minutes later we started down the tarmac and the pilot started to address the passengers with the typical warnings and information. As soon as we lifted off the pilot said we would be landing in Los Angeles at about 8:05 pm. At that moment, my heart sank and I realized I was on the wrong plane. Once we landed in Los Angeles I went to explain what happened and to catch the next flight to Vegas. The lady at the desk then told me the next flight was in two hours to Las Vegas and they had two seats available that the cost would be $650. 00. I finally made it to Vegas and had a good time. It was a simple misunderstanding that could have been solved quickly but the airline didn’t seem to care that I was late and had less money to spend on my vacation because of their mistake. Had their computers been working this wouldn't have happened. I would have arrived in Vegas on time and my friends wouldn't have had to worry. I found a different airline to fly home. I didn't feel I could trust the one who put me on the wrong plane. At least my luggage was a carry on and it didn't get lost. If I am ever in this situation again I will ask more probing questions just as they should have done." +"On August 5, 2019, the one thing that worries me each day, has finally happened. I am heading home from work when I was hit from behind in my car by somebody not paying attention. This was always a possibility, with driving for work each day, but I always thought my defensive driving strategies and confidence in my abilities would be able to avoid it. But, sometimes, other factors play a role in my life experiences. The damage to my car was heart-breaking to see, because I knew what was to come. The accident caused my car to be totaled, along with my confidence on the road. The driver was not helpful, he did not care and lied to my face and to the police officer. This made me angry, and lowered my trust even further in people, which is already very low. The funds, I had been saving would now need to be used for a car, which was not part of any plan. All the time and effort spent on saving, seems to have been for nothing, and once again I feel like a failure due to this financial situation. Then, my luck seemed to change, the car was quoted by an insurance agent and I received a lot more money then I thought for the car. I was happy again, but that withered away as I began searching for a replacement car. I was forced to take on more bills and even more worry. On the plus side, I finally have a decent car that is nice and dependable, but my confidence and anxiety are in a rough place. I am now even more worried about driving, and damages to my new car that I have to pay a lot money for many years. The confidence I had in my driving has still not come back, and this makes me feel like I lack ability and weak-minded. I hope this passes, because I do not like feeling worse about my life. I will have to work on getting my confidence back, and reducing the amount of daily worry I have. This was not a great day or experience, and has definitely impacted my life each day since August 5th, but I think it will pass soon and I can have finally my mind and confidence back." +"Me and my Uncle have not been very close as of late, late being the last 15 years or so, So I was a bit surprised that he had contacted me to fly out of of a local airport in his plane. I have not been flying with him for the last 40 years, so I was curious to see why he had contacted me. I then met him at the airport and we talked a bit in the lounge and we then proceeded to go to the airplane and being the pre flight check. When we had completed this we got in the plane and he started it up. After some chatter with the control tower, we were cleared for a runway and we began to taxi. When we were all lined up the control tower gave us a clear for takeoff and he put the engines on max and we quickly gained speed and then the ground left us as we were up in the air. It was exhilarating. When we were up, I looked around at the familiar surroundings that were now not so familiar with the altitude and the new view. I looked all over and couldn't believe we were so high up in the air. He began talking and we made small talk for a while, but then he got into the story of the last 15 years and why he had basically just withdrawn into his own world with his sick daughter and his marriage that had been in shambles as a result of his daughter getting sick. We had a good time bonding and after being in the air for about 35 minutes he got a hold of the control tower again and we came in for a landing. Yes, it was an interesting day once again bonding with my uncle. And a surprising one at that too, as I had not been up in a private plane for a good 40 years. It was good to reconnect with my Uncle. I think that we should all be in touch with family members. It was a shame that we were out of touch because time moves too fast." +"My brother came to visit me last month. We live in the same state, but hours away from each other so we don't get to see each other as often as we'd like. Life just gets in the way sometimes, especially as an adult. We planned a really fun weekend with my other brother. We all like beer so we decided to visit a few local breweries. He's also very big on craft beer so it seemed like a great plan. He arrived early and we started at a brewery near my house. The atmosphere was great. I was surprised how crowded the place was. We started with some flights because he wanted to try everything. After that, we went to another brewery not too far from there. We had some more to drink and a lot of laughs. Everytime we get together laughs are guaranteed. After that we took an Uber to a local restaurant. By this point we were very hungry. At the end of the day, we felt kind of tired so we decided to just hang out at my place. Overall it was a great weekend and I hope we can do it again sometime soon." +"My brother came to visit me last month. We live in the same state, but hours away from each other so we don't get to see each other as often as we'd like. Life just gets in the way sometimes, especially as an adult. We planned a really fun weekend with my other brother. We all like beer so we decided to visit a few local breweries. He's also very big on craft beer so it seemed like a great plan. He arrived early and we started at a brewery near my house. The atmosphere was great. I was surprised how crowded the place was. We started with some flights because he wanted to try everything. After that, we went to another brewery not too far from there. We had some more to drink and a lot of laughs. Everytime we get together laughs are guaranteed. After that we took an Uber to a local restaurant. By this point we were very hungry. At the end of the day, we felt kind of tired so we decided to just hang out at my place. Overall it was a great weekend and I hope we can do it again sometime soon." +"On Mother's Day this year I was given the greatest gift of my entire life. My step-daughter Julie and her husband took me and my husband out for lunch at a fancy little restaurant in town. I was excited to try this place out because I had never gone there before. I was so happy to be able to spend the day with my step-daughter, I hadn't seen her in a while. When we got to the restaurant we sat down and ordered drinks and appetizers. I noticed Julie and her husband kept glancing at each other during the meal, I just thought they were being silly. After the food got to the table then both put their forks down and said they had something to tell us. I was nervous because I thought something bad had happened. Julie had cancer several years ago and I always worry that it will come back. Imagine my surprise, and relief, when they told me they were expecting a baby! My first grandchild! I nearly fell out of my chair. I have always wanted a grandchild. Julie was told many years ago that she would most likely struggle with fertility as a result of her cancer treatment, so we never really expected her to be able to have a baby. This was the greatest news that anyone could have ever given me. My husband and I smiled for a week it felt like afterwards." +"My sister moved out the the southwest because she wanted to find work there. She was preparing to drive the whole way there with a friend. I did a few things to help her move, like helping to take care of her cats. I really enjoyed that part because I like getting to be around animals. I also helped move some of the boxes of her stuff to her car so she could drive cross country with it all. Some other family members were around and helping out too. I am not very close with my sister so it felt weird and awkward hanging out with her helping her move. She was more polite and thankful to me than I thought she was going to be, which was nice. My mother was really upset that she was moving away because she was pretty close to my sister. I think my dad was happy that she was finding a place of her own. It was weird seeing my mom cry about her leaving. I think it was extra hard for her because it is so far away. My parents also bought a bunch of stuff for her new place. Her friend who was helping her move was vegan and my mom freaked out about finding the right kind of food for her. After she left my parents were sort of sad for a while, but they got better when she moved into her new place for real." +"It has been around 2 months since my sister Jane moved out. She moved to New Jersey for college. It has been really weird here at home since then. I never realized how loud Jane was, it is unbearably quiet here now. Also, I have no one to talk to about anything. I always went to Jane's room for everything. We talked about boys, my grades, people who were mean to me, work, everything. And now I have no one to talk to, I can't really talk to my parents about these things. My parents are having a really hard time with the change, especially my mom. Mom cried for like 3 weeks after Jane left. Dad misses her too, but he doesn't really show his emotions like that. He has just been very quiet. We were able to all keep busy for the week after the move just cleaning up the mess from the move and doing chores, but now it is just dead and boring here. I am already trying to plan a trip to go see Jane. Unfortunately, New Jersey is pretty far from here so I would have to save up enough for a plane ticket. She will be home in 3 months, I can't wait. At least it gives us all something to look forward to." +"My neighbor passed away almost half a year ago now... it was very sad and surprising to me. She wasn't sick at all. I had just talked to her weeks prior, and expressed excitement over seeing her start walking her dog again when it gets warmer. I think about her dog sometimes when I'm outside, and wonder if she's doing okay without her beloved owner. I spoke to my neighbor's children recently, and they told me they are planning to sell the house soon. I'm very nervous about that. I lived next to my neighbor who passed away my entire life... no one else has ever lived in that house. I hope whoever moves in will take care of the house and that my family and their family will get a long all right. I miss my neighbor. I know she's gone now but it still feels like she's there, somehow. I got angry the other day because her family hired someone to mow her old lawn, and the worker did a hack-job on it, probably because he knew she was dead (he used to mow the lawn for her when she was alive, too). That just really upset me. I found it completely disrespectful. She deserved better than that, not to mention her family that paid him. All in all, I think about my neighbor a lot, pretty much whenever I gaze over towards her house. I miss her." +"My neighbor and I had always gotten along really well. For the most part, it really started when I moved to the neighborhood. I was cutting my grass on a really hot day and this little old woman walks over to me and hands me some fresh lemonade. I had really never seen much of this woman aside from her getting the main in the morning as I was leaving for work. A wave here and there. But upon giving me this lemonade, her and I struck up a conversation that lasted way longer than I had ever thought. We talked for hours about our past and even ended up knowing a lot of the same people which was super weird! From that moment her and I would sit on my patio after work and sometimes on the weekends and have drinks together. She would take care of my dogs when I would leave for vacations or traveling for work. She never asked for anything in return which was super nice. Over the years, I started doing more things for her as she got older. I would cut the grass for her. Trim the trees and bushes around her house. It eventually got the point where I would come home and bring in the mail from the end of the street for her since she struggled to get around. It was sad to see her advancing in age. A few years ago, her family moved her to a case facility so she could live in a place where she didnt need to worry about taking care of herself as much and would be there if she fell. We still hung out, but nearly as much as we had when she lived next door. Never losing touch of course, but just not as frequent as it had been in the past. I got a call a few months ago that she had passed and it really hit me hard. It was like losing a friend whom I'd known for a good portion of my life. I knew this day was coming, but its so tough to prepare yourself. You can prepare all you want, but when it finally happens, it really hit home. I know shes in a better place, but she will always have a special place in my heart." +"All my life I had considered myself pretty lucky since I had never been in any sort of major car accident. I was always really cautious when I drove and kept an eye out for anyone driving recklessly. Everyone always said I was so lucky and that I could never be too careful. No matter how cautious you are there’s always someone out there on the complete other side of the spectrum. It was about three months ago when this finally proved true for me. I was going about my daily business like any other day. I was driving to the grocery store to pick up some pasta sauce and Italian bread to make for dinner that night. I was taking my usual road. I stopped at the red light and waited for it to turn green. Once it did, I inched forward before driving through the intersection. Almost instantly it felt like I had been shot. The sound was deafening as a pickup truck came crashing into the passenger side of my car, causing me to spin around and around. I wasn’t sure what going on, and I thought that maybe I was actually dying. Once the spinning and the ringing in my ears stopped, I opened my eyes and moved around a bit. I was okay somehow. I got out of my car to examine the damage done. My car was not so lucky. The entire passenger side of it was completely caved in and the wheel had come clean off. Apparently, the driver of the pickup truck was texting on his phone and was completely oblivious to his light turning red. He sped right through the light and blind-sided me. My car was totaled completely, and I am now in search of a new car. Since this day, I always wait and look before driving through the intersection, even if my light is green." +"My dad was diagnosed with stomach cancer in March 2019 and he passed way in May 2019. He was fairly healthy prior to the cancer and we were all shocked to know he was in the last stage of cancer. Life changed dramatically for us within 2 months and we could never imagine that he passed away so quickly. By the time the cancer was discovered, he was too weak and could not go through any treatment. We went through the roller coaster and finally lost the battle. Life was too short like I said. No one could tell precisely what would happen next second. All we could do is to focus on important thing and move on from bad things. Don't ever waste time on trivial thing and ruin your mood. It is not worth it! Just be positive and cherish what is good and important in your life. When the moment come, all will be passed. I wish I have spent more time to talk to my dad. Told him how much I loved him. However, it is too late now. There is no second chance in life. I will try to focus on big thing from now on and life as if it is the last day of my life. Be positive, be focused! We only have one life to live! We simply couldn't afford to waste time !" +"My family and I went on a trip to Texas five months ago. My son was graduating Corpsman School in the Navy and we were headed to the graduation. We decided to drive because it was cheaper than flying and there was three of us. On the way we could stop and see family members I haven't seen in a few years. We packed up snacks and sandwiches for the road trip and was on our way. We were so excited to see our son. He has been away for almost a year and this was the first time we got to see him. It took us two days to get there and and the first night we stayed with family. It was so nice to see my mom and sister. We all went out to eat and tried to catch up as much as we could. We called it a night about eight because we needed to get up at three to get moving on the last stretch. The trip itself was fun. We all love road trips and this one we got to see places we have never seen before. We got to Houston, Texas around four in the afternoon. We checked into our hotel and headed down to the restaurant to get dinner. The next morning we got up real early. We headed over to the base, checked in and tried to find a parking spot. It took awhile and we were almost late to the ceremony. We then walked over to the auditorium. We were seated and then watched as all the sailors came in and sat down. The ceremony was awesome and afterwards we got to spend the rest of the day with my son. It was so nice to see him again. At the end of the day we said goodbye and headed back to our hotel. The next day it was back on the road again. It was such a nice trip even though we were short on time." +"My family and I traveled to our son's school downstate to attend his graduation ceremony from Corpsman School 5 months ago. This was a proud moment for our family, and it was a long journey to get here for our family. It was culmination of years of hard work and dedication from my son and support from us that got him here. I could not have been proud of him if I tried. So, to make sure we were there to see our son's achievement live, my wife and i took five days off work to ensure that we would be there and to account for any unexpected events. My wife and I would soon find out how useful those extra days would be. First, the rip to the school grounds went a lot slower than we anticipated due to flooding and storms in the area a few days prior. This made road leading downstate to be backed up with traffic and filled with detours that took longer routes. While annoying, the commute was the least for the issues as we would should learn later. Once arriving at the school grounds, we greeted our son and talked to him before we headed to our hotel were we would be staying for two days. When we got to our hotel, we discovered that the hotel was nearly as clean and neat as they advertised. We weren't pleases, but we were tough old birds and tolerated it. On the day of the graduation ceremony, one last time had to present itself to make this trip as much of a headache as possible. We woke up late because the alarm clock in our room didn't work. So, when we left out to go to the school to be seated, we were already a half-hour. that half-hour made all the difference since finding a parking spot in the school's parking lot was a huge pain. We spent a good 20 minutes trying to a spot--any spot!--to park. By the time we finally found a spot, we only had 10 minutes to get into the building where the ceremony was being held before it started. Thankfully, I remembered were our seating was since I scooted the place with my son the day prior, so we were able to find our seating literally moment before the ceremony started." +"That morning I woke up not feeling the best. I had worked on trying to get in all of my last minute papers and exams for the finals. For which I still had one class. That I never turned in by the way, but the teacher left me off. I woke up at like 3:00 in the morning because I needed to wash my hair in order to put on my Wig that I had wanted to wear. It was an very expensive wig for 200.00 Dollars. I was super stressed on not being able to wear it. I managed to get the wig on, but I didn't have much time for anything else. So that meant: no makeup, no nothing. I barely had time for anything else.Then I picked the wrong shoes to wear. When I got to the stadium I could not even where the shoes that I had brought to wear. I could not get them on my feet, I was drained, not satisfied with how I looked, and felt like I was on the verge of having a mental breakdown. As usual, I quickly decided I was just going to block everything out and get through the day. I walked into the stadium and the floor was bare concrete. Not only did we had to walk across this bare concrete floor, but we also had to stand for the into that was almost 30 Minutes!!! And I was wearing shoes that had not type of support. Just my luck on all days of today. I had been imagining this event for the past five years. It was turning out to be one of the worst days of my life. All my planning and effort was equaling to this moment right here. Then after standing for 30 minutes, we were finally able to sit down. Being that my name started with a B, I was lucky to be one of the first ones called. But not so lucky that I had to wait for everyone else in the line to be called before the ceremony was over. When the ceremony near the end. There was a hilight moment where they had this amazing confetti and Jazz band. But go figure I could not capture any of it because my phone was dead. So yeah when I got home" +"Three to six months ago I graduated from college. This moment was memorable because I was finally closing a chapter in my life that had took so much of my time. I remember getting ready that day. I woke up early because I wanted to do my hair and makeup. I wanted to have the time to make it perfect. But, I quickly realized not everything was going to turn out perfect when my hair would just not curl. The time was already to go and I didn't have my dress on or my makeup up done. As the clock zoomed by, I was in a crying fit as my mom rushed me into my dress and I walked to the car with no shoes on and no makeup. Already a day I had dreamed about, planned out so perfectly was already ruined. I knew it I could feel it deep in my gut. The icing on the cake was when I arrived to the arena in my four inch heels and realized the floor was completely concrete, and I would have to stand for hours one in. This day could not have turned out worse. I just wanted to go home and get my diploma in the mail. I realized this event was not for me. I wasn't doing if for me. I was just happy to graduate and wanted to take a nap after a long 18 credit semester. I was doing all this for my family. But this moment made me realize that moments you dream about don't always turn out as planned." +One month ago I was able to take part in Haiti charity event to raise funds for children and families. In order to successfully raise the money we needed we are formed dance groups. We put on a show to raise as much money as possible for the individuals in need in Haiti. I had a really great time participating in this event and made some great friends. I hope we continue to do this event as the people in Haiti are still in need. My friends and I all are big dancers and during the contest we danced to ice ice baby and won. There were a lot of people participating and it was great to see everyone contributing to a good cause. Even the adults were dancing and gave us a run for our money. The contest was judged by some members of the community and they had a great time doing it. No prizes were awarded but bragging rights came with our victory. I felt really great after to see that we had raised over $1000 to support the people in Haiti. We sent the money off the next day and are excited to hear back from the group receiving it. I know they will really appreciate it greatly. Their country is very in need of any support. I'm excited to continue on supporting other individuals in the future. +One month ago I was able to take part in Haiti charity event to raise funds for children and families. In order to successfully raise the money we needed we are formed dance groups. We put on a show to raise as much money as possible for the individuals in need in Haiti. I had a really great time participating in this event and made some great friends. I hope we continue to do this event as the people in Haiti are still in need. My friends and I all are big dancers and during the contest we danced to ice ice baby and won. There were a lot of people participating and it was great to see everyone contributing to a good cause. Even the adults were dancing and gave us a run for our money. The contest was judged by some members of the community and they had a great time doing it. No prizes were awarded but bragging rights came with our victory. I felt really great after to see that we had raised over $1000 to support the people in Haiti. We sent the money off the next day and are excited to hear back from the group receiving it. I know they will really appreciate it greatly. Their country is very in need of any support. I'm excited to continue on supporting other individuals in the future. +"Well I finally made it. Four and a half long, hard years and I can finally call myself a college graduate. The ceremony was weird, it felt different. I was expecting it to be like high school graduation; some bittersweet emotions, lots of crying, long huge. This was different. It felt transnational, like I was waiting in line at the bank. I think that's because in high school there's more to look forward to. ""I'm going to move out of my parents' house, make new friends and party every day for 4 years."" College graduation you're jut staring into the abyss. ""I need to find a job and work 40 hours a week otherwise I'm going to starve to death."" The stakes are high. Despite the fears, my friends and I were ready to take the plunge. We had our goodbyes and heart to hearts last night at Dave's house so there were fewer emotions today. We all promised to keep in touch, and I know a few of us will. A few of us brought our parents back to the house we rent. Grilled burgers and pasta salad is a far cry from the parties we used to trow there. I got to see my parents interact with my friends parents; immediately bonding and becoming friends with people they barely know. It made me confident that when I move away from this little insulated bubble of college life and enter the real world I can make my own friends and forge my own path." +"This is a story of how I meet someone important to me. About 6 months ago I was in an dating app just trying to kill time. I was going trough a hard time in my life and I was very depressed. Suddenly, a person started talking to me, telling me that I look sad in my profile picture. After speaking for a while we decided to meet. I thought nothing of this meeting, I simply made of it as another one night stand, but when I saw the person. He was more good looking than the pictures, he had a killing smiling and a very cheery and bright personality. I was very nervous and I feared that he might not like me, or that I wasn't good enough for him. After meeting several times, our relationship has grown stronger and stronger. The most memorable thing is that even one time when I told him my real age, since I look way younger than I am. He seemed a little thrown back by this and I told him maybe it was time for us to end this relationship. After a week he texted me saying he still wanted to talk to me and now we are communicating everyday and we have a strong relationship. This experience has showed to me that there is people who deeply care about me, and that I am a desirable person. Not just for one night stands, but for relationships too. My confidence has greatly expanded thanks to this encounter. I hope our relationship lasts a long time." +"I'm from Tampa, Florida, but this past Summer, I decided to call Nantucket Island home. It's an entire 2600 miles away and I've, quite literally, never moved out of the state of Florida even though I've travelled plenty. Even though I'm thirty three years old, it doesn't stop my parents from worrying and missing me every day. It just so happens that this year my Mother was turning fifty back in June. I made the arrangements to fly home and throw her a surprise party with my sister-in-law. It was a whirlwind trip but it was definitely worth it! My Mom isn't much for being the center of attention or professing her emotions beyond what is necessary. In fact, it is quite possible I've seen my Dad cry more than I have seen her cry. That is saying a lot! At her birthday party, she was clearly very surprised when she arrived. There were easily a hundred people in attendance. The greatest moment of all, though, was when her eyes finally landed on me. She started CRYING and then she started laughing and then she cried some more. Her legs just about gave out from underneath her. To make things even better, it was all caught on tape! I will never, for the rest of my life, forget that moment. It is one of my very favorite memories." +"Our life is going great. We have moved in together and we are in the process of planning our wedding. It is the second marriage for both so it is going to be quite small with just immediate family. We are both very happy with the decision we have made and look forward to our life together. I thought after my first marriage, which ended when my wife passed away from cancer, that I would never find true love again. Thankfully I was wrong and I am once again happy. The planning for the wedding is going good so far. It is quite different this time around. I have more experience and understand what is important and what really isn't important. I am glad she feels the same as me that we need to do this on a budget. We have traveled all of the world together so a honeymoon isn't a big deal to us. We will go away somewhere for the weekend but we haven't determined where that will be yet. I know that we are going to be happy together and with our kids being grown I don't foresee any conflict among them and feel that they will all mesh. It is going to make my parents very happy to see that I am truly happy again. My son has also made it clear that he supports my decision and he is elated that I am once again happy." +"Our life is going great. We have moved in together and we are in the process of planning our wedding. It is the second marriage for both so it is going to be quite small with just immediate family. We are both very happy with the decision we have made and look forward to our life together. I thought after my first marriage, which ended when my wife passed away from cancer, that I would never find true love again. Thankfully I was wrong and I am once again happy. The planning for the wedding is going good so far. It is quite different this time around. I have more experience and understand what is important and what really isn't important. I am glad she feels the same as me that we need to do this on a budget. We have traveled all of the world together so a honeymoon isn't a big deal to us. We will go away somewhere for the weekend but we haven't determined where that will be yet. I know that we are going to be happy together and with our kids being grown I don't foresee any conflict among them and feel that they will all mesh. It is going to make my parents very happy to see that I am truly happy again. My son has also made it clear that he supports my decision and he is elated that I am once again happy." +"My youngest and last son was born about a year and a half ago. He is the youngest of three. I got my tubes tied afterward. I am done having children. But this was truly a memorable experience. My entire family was there this time. With my first two boys, I didn't have everyone. My mom or my sister, but not everybody. This time, mom showed up, sister, dad, even grandma and grandpa were there! This journy was extra magical. We laughed, we cried, we ate. We mostly ate, a lot. From grandma's cooking to mom's cooking. We even had some of grandpa's special eggs benedict. My son is the happiest little boy you'll ever see and all thanks to all of the help of my family." +"My youngest and last son was born about a year and a half ago. He is the youngest of three. I got my tubes tied afterward. I am done having children. But this was truly a memorable experience. My entire family was there this time. With my first two boys, I didn't have everyone. My mom or my sister, but not everybody. This time, mom showed up, sister, dad, even grandma and grandpa were there! This journy was extra magical. We laughed, we cried, we ate. We mostly ate, a lot. From grandma's cooking to mom's cooking. We even had some of grandpa's special eggs benedict. My son is the happiest little boy you'll ever see and all thanks to all of the help of my family." +"I supervise five people at a software company. Sometimes we can disagree on how to implement software, but we usually come to an agreement at the end. Everyone needs software. It is one of the most important, highest paying careers out there. It's also not a job everyone has the brainpower for. That makes me feel special. Translating need into software is what I do best. I've met so many people from around the world that I otherwise wouldn't meet and i'm thankful for that every day. This is a job i've wanted since I was a little girl because my dad was a software developer, so I really feel fulfilled. There is a lot of bad software out in silicon valley like the juicero, but people with a real passion for helping people will always shine the brightest. In addition to fulfilling my dreams, I love my team. They are hilarious and make a really hard job much easier. They are fast learners as well. We do many social activities together contrary to the computer nerd stereotype. We hike, go to dinners, watch tv shows like silicon valley together, go to workshops, and even christmas parties. This is more than I did with my childhood friends of average intellect. I've been exposed to some of the brightest minds in the world from ivy leagues to natural homegrown talent and I could not be more thankful. I'm pretty sure I would not have the fulfillment at some dead end desk job like some of my old friends and my sister. They make living which is great in this say and age, but they get burned out so easily. I'm truly thankful for the path I took in life." +I am very excited to be working for this company. They have made me look forward to working here. I look forward to knowing how to do my job and to become efficient at what i do. I look forward to learning new things and applying these new things. I am glad that i have gotten to know my coworkers as this was a big worrying point for me. I tend to be very reserved and quiet when i do not know a new work place. I have been able to overcome that. I have worked here for 8 months and i am surprised how much i get along with everyone at work. This has made me love my job. It has also become easier to be comfortable at what i do. I am surprised. My own family has said they see a change in me since i've started working here. At my old job i was constantly stressed. I was overworked. I never had time for my family or friends. There were many things i missed out on. Over time i got tired of my situation. I am glad i did. I feel better as a person and a worker. I look forward to many things now. I have even started working out again. I go for runs a few times a week. I visit my parents through out the week. I hang out with friends when i can. I have also found that i have created many close relationships with my coworkers. +"My last living uncle, who was 84 years old passed away after a short hospital stay. He had gotten sick with pneumonia, and was admitted to our local hospital. Unfortunately, we live in a small town, and the doctors don't seem to be the smartest. They released him to go home after two days. He called me the next day after he came home, and he was spitting up blood and needed to go back to the hospital. This time, his breathing was so bad that he almost didn't make it to the adjoining town, which has a much larger hospital. He was sent by ambulance and it was immediately determined after arrival that both lungs were full of pneumonia. They also discovered two spots on one of his lungs. At first they did have him stabilized, but he continued to spit up blood and it got much worse over the next couple of days. The white hospital wash clothes were turned completely red. The doctors started testing him for a much worse type of pneumonia, called ""fungal pneumonia"". We never found out the results of that test because he passed away before the results came back. It was very sad for me to watch, because this incredibly active man that truly loved and enjoyed life, was brought to his death bed in less than a week. The thing that really awed everyone, was that my aunt passed away on the very same day one year before. They both died on the same day, one year and thirty minutes apart. They had been married for 40 years. Some say that he just died of a broken heart." +"The event that happened to me within the last three to six months that I remember the most is the death of my uncle whom I was very close to. He got very sick with pneumonia, and went to the hospital. When he was in the hospital they found two spots on his lung. When he was first admitted to the hospital he was spitting up some blood but everyone thought it was because of the pneumonia. While he was at the hospital the bleeding got much worse. He started spitting up so much blood that the white wash rags at the hospital were completely red. We knew that he had one spot on his lung that the doctors were following, but the second spot came as a surprise. He was never officially diagnosed with lung cancer but we know that is what he had. The bleeding got so bad that they had to give him a suction hose to keep it cleared out. He got to where he could not breath at all and his oxygen was turned up as high as it would go. He never wanted to be put on life support so the family just stayed by his side as all the machines were turned off and he drew his last breath. I was devastated having to watch someone that was so strong and loved life so much take his last breath. My uncle was my last living relative other than cousins. He was our family elder. I grew up with him and my aunt being just right down the road from me for over 30 years. Life goes on, but it certainly will be a lot sadder without him." +"In the last 3-6 months I had some of my photography work published in a magazine for the first time. I was very excited. When I first found out that one of my photos was going to be published, I was so excited and overjoyed that I cried happy tears and could not thank God, enough! This was a huge milestone for me as a professional photographer. I called my husband and told him the great news! He was thrilled for me and gave me huge congratulations! I also called or text other family members to tell them the good news as well. They were also very excited! The photo that was published was a portrait of my son. This made the event even more special. When I got the magazine in the mail I was so happy! I showed the magazine to my son and showed him his portrait and he was very excited as well. The magazine was beautifully printed and I could not believe how gorgeous the portrait looked in it. Everyone in the family was ecstatic! This was a very joyous memory for me in my photography career and definitely a great memory." +"I've always loved taking picture. As a teenager, you never saw me without my Nikon. I was always in the photo lab at school. Even in my senior photo, I've got a camera around my neck. Becoming a professional photographer was a life long dream for me. Working at the photo mart in the mall in high school was my launch into my career. When I got hired onto the newspaper, I was extatic. But getting my first portrait published into a national magazine was a huge milestone. To see MY picture. Right there on the cover. I could never have imagined it. But there it was, my picture on the cover of Time Magazine. My name in the credits of Time freaking magazine! The sky is the limit. The last three months since my picture appeared, I've been getting calls from all around the world. The future is bright." +"I was on a trip to Italy and I had been thinking about past friends I had not seen recently. I was in Florence at the time and went to bed feeling a bit melancholy about these friends and past moments in my life. A few hours later I was woken up by a text from a close friend, it was the middle of the night for me but since it was someone texting from the U.S. the time was much earlier for them. The text asked if I had heard about a different friend. I immediately had a sinking feeling in my stomach. I replied that I hadn't, and immediately knew that bad news was coming. He explained that my friend had been found dead on the beach just a few short hours before. I was stunned. My mind was racing. Was this a drowning? Was it an illness? The reality was that my friend had just become another statistic in the opiate epidemic. He had died of a heroin overdose while sitting on the beach. I was devastated. I could not go to sleep and laid restless for the remainder of the night. I got up in the morning and began wandering around the city in a haze. I was on a trip of my life and I could not just sit around and mourn. However, I was tinged with sadness in everything I did. I was in one of the most beautiful cities on earth and everything was a reminder of life, death, friendship, and emotion. My eyes would well up with tears every so often as I attempted to go about my day and visit different sights. It was an unbelievably beautiful day. There was a golden sunlight touching every surface, streaming through windows. I ended the day in the 1000 year old monastery of San Miniato al Monte, thinking about life and how it was so precious and fleeting. I was filled with emotion and remembrance, knowing that I would remember this moment forever, for good and bad reasons." +"dear diary, this is a very a sad day my dog Zeus has tragically passed away. we did not know the specific illness that he had, but the symptoms were awful. he was a very old dog and his immune system had all of a sudden stopped functioning properly. His legs were getting very weak and he could no longer stand properly. We would have to give him his pain medication 3 times a times a day. Even then he would sometimes howl in pain periodically. My brother who had also grow up with Zeus suggested that it might be time to put the dog down. My-self and most of my immediate family were ready not to put him down so we decided to wait. this was a mistake, as the poor dog's condition worsened day by day. eventually it got to the point where the medication did not help ew had to come to a decision as a family. This was very emotionally taxing so we went to the vet to get a consult on the best possible action. We decided on this day june 20, 2019 that it was time for Zeus to be released. Released from was pain. Released from suffering. Released from the mortal plane. We did not have any type of special funeral just the family who knew him best and some blessings from the lord." +"Today was an extremely weird day. I don't even recollect what happened and transpired fully. Doctor Mike had always wanted to do this tilt table test for me. I have been having this headaches regularly these days, and he felt this test would give a conclusive diagnosis. I was hesitant but i finally agreed. I remember i was shivering as i walked into the clinic this morning. God, i always hated the smell of hospitals. But i was surprisingly ok today. Doc was kind enough to not keep me waiting for long. He made me lie down on a table and i was tied down on it. Then the table started tilting all the way around. At first it was slow, then it gained speed. I felt anxious. I remember sweat rolling down upon my cheeks. Last thing i remember is a bright light. I had passed out. It was very embarrassing." +"Today was an extremely weird day. I don't even recollect what happened and transpired fully. Doctor Mike had always wanted to do this tilt table test for me. I have been having this headaches regularly these days, and he felt this test would give a conclusive diagnosis. I was hesitant but i finally agreed. I remember i was shivering as i walked into the clinic this morning. God, i always hated the smell of hospitals. But i was surprisingly ok today. Doc was kind enough to not keep me waiting for long. He made me lie down on a table and i was tied down on it. Then the table started tilting all the way around. At first it was slow, then it gained speed. I felt anxious. I remember sweat rolling down upon my cheeks. Last thing i remember is a bright light. I had passed out. It was very embarrassing." +"This happened a while back, I think around 6 months ago. I was travelling with a family friend of mine to Florida where we met this very beautiful girl while we were filling up on gas. She was driving a 1960's Mustang. I think that is what led me to go on and ask her how she got it. We started discussing and how she too was travelling to Florida. I eventually got to the point of asking about her car. She told me one of the most surprising stories ever! Supposedly, the car she had was inherited from her father who literally found it stored away at a broken down shelter. It really surprised me because I've heard of such ""barn finds"" but I never really got to witness it. She told me how her father found it in non-working state, and he worked on it for years on and off to get it working and back on it's former shape. After getting it back to proper working condition, her father looked around for the owner and never found him/her. However, after her father passed away, which was unfortunate, she did find the owner of the car. The guy said, the he never imagined his lost car to be brought back to life like this and he was actually happy for her and pretty much let her go with it. Honestly I was really inspired by it since the car I want to have is also a vintage on like that. We soon exchanged numbers and we drove alongside each other, my family friend also really enjoyed her company. I eventually got to know her more and we started dating!" +"Things were pretty hectic a few months ago with my friend Julie. Though she was only halfway through her pregnancy, she was experiencing some pain and doctors couldn't figure it out. After a few weeks of dealing with it by using pain medication, her condition did not begin to improve. I was starting to get extremely worried. I could only think of my old college roommate, Kim, who went through something similar and ended up losing her child after only a few months. Though I spoke with Julie to reassure her, I remained scared at the possibility of something seriously bad happening. Then, one afternoon maybe five months ago, I received a text from her husband that nearly put me in shock. He said that she was forced into labor early and both her and the baby were on life support. This was the worst news I could have ever imagined. My jaw was on the floor. I wasn't sure what I should do. I called her husband again but he did not answer. That's when I really started to panic. So I rushed to my car and headed straight for the hospital, despite living nearly three hours away. Somehow, by a complete miracle, I received a call when I was roughly 20 minutes away from the hospital. It was Julie's husband to tell me that both Julie and her baby were off life support and were going to be just fine. I felt so relieved! I was able to spend a few hours with them and see the baby, and then prepared to head back home for my three hour journey. What a day!" +"Things were pretty hectic a few months ago with my friend Julie. Though she was only halfway through her pregnancy, she was experiencing some pain and doctors couldn't figure it out. After a few weeks of dealing with it by using pain medication, her condition did not begin to improve. I was starting to get extremely worried. I could only think of my old college roommate, Kim, who went through something similar and ended up losing her child after only a few months. Though I spoke with Julie to reassure her, I remained scared at the possibility of something seriously bad happening. Then, one afternoon maybe five months ago, I received a text from her husband that nearly put me in shock. He said that she was forced into labor early and both her and the baby were on life support. This was the worst news I could have ever imagined. My jaw was on the floor. I wasn't sure what I should do. I called her husband again but he did not answer. That's when I really started to panic. So I rushed to my car and headed straight for the hospital, despite living nearly three hours away. Somehow, by a complete miracle, I received a call when I was roughly 20 minutes away from the hospital. It was Julie's husband to tell me that both Julie and her baby were off life support and were going to be just fine. I felt so relieved! I was able to spend a few hours with them and see the baby, and then prepared to head back home for my three hour journey. What a day!" +"I was tired of living in Southern Illinois. Tired of the cornfields, and the same people, everyday. It was time for a change- a drastic change. The move of a lifetime. I packed my things, took my 2 dogs, and booked it to Florida. The Sunshine State. What a huge difference it was! I knew no one, not a single soul. I had never been there before. Talk about adapting! I got settled in my little 1 bedroom apartment downtown, and took myself for a celebratory drink. Met some people at the bar who I ended up becoming very close with after a few months. Although it got extremely lonely at times, I think I needed this move to help me grow into the woman I am today. It has taught me strength, independence, resilience, and so many other things. I am very thankful for the opportunity to experience something so life-changing and freeing. If I could do it all over again I definitely would. Next stop... California!" +"One summer morning I woke up in the really early hours of the day. It was around 4 in the morning and I suddenly had the worst stomach cramps I had ever felt. I at first thought it might be gas or a muscle strain, but it ended up being much worse. I kept just dealing with the pain tossing and turning until I got the sudden wave of nauseous that I needed to throw up. Once I was in the bathroom throwing up still holding on top the pain in my stomach I knew something was wrong. I knew I couldn't drive myself to the hospital and I didn't want to call an ambulance. I knew my dad leaves the city to head to work early in the day so I asked him to please pick me up and bring me to the emergency room. By this time it was about 6:30am in the morning. When I got to the emergency room they asked me a lot of questions mostly thinking it was gas or food poisoning. Once they saw how much pain I was in they gave me an IV with some pain medicine and told me I would be getting a Cat Scan done to see what was going on. The results from the cat scan were that my appendix was inflamed and was in danger of rupturing and needed to be removed immediately. Within about 30 minutes of the cat scan results I was in the surgery room. It was very scary because I was all alone and given how sudden and fast paced everything was going I didn't have time to call anyone. Plus it was now about 9am in the morning and I knew anyone I called would be starting their work day. Rather than distributing anyone's work day I just under went the surgery alone without telling anyone. Once I awoke from surgery and everything was fine I called my dad and sister to let them know and ask that they go to my house for me and feed my cats. I had to stay overnight in the hospital to make sure I recovered ok. I ended up being out of work for just about a week and was overall really lucky I went in when I did. Had I ignored the pain my appendix would of ruptured causing alot of damage." +"One summer morning I woke up in the really early hours of the day. It was around 4 in the morning and I suddenly had the worst stomach cramps I had ever felt. I at first thought it might be gas or a muscle strain, but it ended up being much worse. I kept just dealing with the pain tossing and turning until I got the sudden wave of nauseous that I needed to throw up. Once I was in the bathroom throwing up still holding on top the pain in my stomach I knew something was wrong. I knew I couldn't drive myself to the hospital and I didn't want to call an ambulance. I knew my dad leaves the city to head to work early in the day so I asked him to please pick me up and bring me to the emergency room. By this time it was about 6:30am in the morning. When I got to the emergency room they asked me a lot of questions mostly thinking it was gas or food poisoning. Once they saw how much pain I was in they gave me an IV with some pain medicine and told me I would be getting a Cat Scan done to see what was going on. The results from the cat scan were that my appendix was inflamed and was in danger of rupturing and needed to be removed immediately. Within about 30 minutes of the cat scan results I was in the surgery room. It was very scary because I was all alone and given how sudden and fast paced everything was going I didn't have time to call anyone. Plus it was now about 9am in the morning and I knew anyone I called would be starting their work day. Rather than distributing anyone's work day I just under went the surgery alone without telling anyone. Once I awoke from surgery and everything was fine I called my dad and sister to let them know and ask that they go to my house for me and feed my cats. I had to stay overnight in the hospital to make sure I recovered ok. I ended up being out of work for just about a week and was overall really lucky I went in when I did. Had I ignored the pain my appendix would of ruptured causing alot of damage." +"This is regarding the diary entry I had from a month ago or so. It's about my first day of volunteering at the Humane Society. I can't have any dogs where I live and I love animals so I thought it might be a good idea to volunteer at the Humane Society. It's very close by so I don't have to travel very far. I went down there and signed up and the following day I had to go in for some basic dog training. They showed us how to put the lease on the dog and walk the dog properly and to keep them from getting in fights or into some type of trouble. The next day was my first day of volunteering. I took my first dog out for a spin. If I remember it was a lab/pitbull named Daisy. Daisy was quite a handful but we walked from the Humane Society to the nearby park and around the park and then back to the Humane Society. I still had some time left with Daisy so I took her out into the yard behind the main society and toss the ball around to her. After that I took her to her cage and then spent some time with all of the cats that they have there. I also stopped by and visited with a couple of rabbits and the hamster. That was my first day at the Humane Society. I enjoyed myself and I will definitely go back there again. While I have the most fun with the dogs, I do spend time with the cats as well because they need human visitors too. I never believed that I contribute much to society but even though I'm working with animals, ultimately they end up with owners and I've helped the animal get adjusted to humans. This is better than doing absolutely nothing with my free time." +"This is regarding the diary entry I had from a month ago or so. It's about my first day of volunteering at the Humane Society. I can't have any dogs where I live and I love animals so I thought it might be a good idea to volunteer at the Humane Society. It's very close by so I don't have to travel very far. I went down there and signed up and the following day I had to go in for some basic dog training. They showed us how to put the lease on the dog and walk the dog properly and to keep them from getting in fights or into some type of trouble. The next day was my first day of volunteering. I took my first dog out for a spin. If I remember it was a lab/pitbull named Daisy. Daisy was quite a handful but we walked from the Humane Society to the nearby park and around the park and then back to the Humane Society. I still had some time left with Daisy so I took her out into the yard behind the main society and toss the ball around to her. After that I took her to her cage and then spent some time with all of the cats that they have there. I also stopped by and visited with a couple of rabbits and the hamster. That was my first day at the Humane Society. I enjoyed myself and I will definitely go back there again. While I have the most fun with the dogs, I do spend time with the cats as well because they need human visitors too. I never believed that I contribute much to society but even though I'm working with animals, ultimately they end up with owners and I've helped the animal get adjusted to humans. This is better than doing absolutely nothing with my free time." +"Our dog injuring his eye was absolutely terrifying and stressful. I remember going to work that day from camp, putting him on his lead so he could hang out outside, enjoying the sunshine on my walk. I took lunch early that day for some reason, and when I got back home he was still outside. As I approached he seemed fine (if a little quiet), but when I made it to him...His right eye was swollen shut and was tender to the touch. He would barely let me look at at it, which is especially odd for him. He kept scratching it with his paw as though there was an itch he just couldn't get to, and the swelling was spreading a bit down his face and snout. He was obviously in pain, and I had no idea what or how or when; all I knew was that my boyfriend, whose dog he is, was out for the next 3 days on a wilderness excursion with no contact and suddenly I was in charge. The next two days were awful. He got Benedryl at first, but when that didn't do anything the vet came out to see him. Somehow, he had managed to poke a hole in his cornea and if things went wrong he would go blind in that eye. When I heard that, I didn't know what to do-- how do I break that to my partner?! How did he manage to poke a hole in his cornea while by himself?! It's not like that's something that 'just accidentally' happens all the time. He ended up in a cone for weeks, and had to take multiple medications-- one of which had to go in his swollen-shut eye. He wasn't allowed to be outside alone anymore and had to go to a friend's house every day before work. Because of his injury and the resulting cone, he was lethargic and not eating very much, which was compounded by the fact that my partner was still not home or able to be contacted. It ultimately worked out, and the dog did not lose his eye. My partner came home and I saw him run through every emotion I had had for the last few days in minutes as I brought him up to speed. Pupper still goes to the friend's house every day (we call it 'doggy daycare'), and we've become much closer to those friends as a result. OH, and he got his outside privileges back :)" +"Three months ago I decided to make a trip to Detroit. This is a city I have always wanted to visit, but have not yet had the opportunity. My friends recently moved there for work and I thought it would be a great time to visit. It was great getting to catch up with my friends. It had been so long since we last had a chance to visit so it was great! About a week into my vacation after we had talked ourselves out and had visited a few of the main attractions we decided to take in a sports game. My friend said that there was an Esports event taking place and that would be a great time to see our favorite team. I had never been to such an event and to say I was intrigued to say the very least. I had absolutely no idea what to expect but found myself pretty excited as the day grew neigh. My friend is a sports enthusiast, so this was not his first time to go to an event like this. The event center was packed and there was quite a lot of activity going on. We were able to see our favorite team and cheer them on. Everything was great, though our team was not doing the greatest, they were losing and not losing by a little bit, but by a LOT. This was a little disappointing, but I was so caught up in the event that even though they were not doing well I was still excited regardless. When they lost we were sad, a little let down, but all in all I still thought the day went great! I was excited and spent quality time with my friend. It is a day I will never forget and am so grateful for the experience" +"This was the day of my surprise birthday party. It was a late winter morning and I woke up expecting a flurry of messages from my best friends. To my dismay that did not happen. I went to class as usual but still no one remembered that it was my special day. We went about our day as usual, I played some basketball with them and then went back home. I was not very pleased that no one seemed to remember especially since I had talked it up over the past few months. This was a special birthday for me. I went down in the evening to cut a cake with my parents. I thought that since no one remembered I wouldnt bother inviting anyone else. To my utter surprise the lounge was packed with friends and family. The most memorable part was when the utter shock on my face. My friends had brought me a skateboard. Seeing all this reminded me of how lucky I was. Best of all was that the moment was caught on camera and played back to me a few times more once we were done with the cake. The initial moment when I came down, was as if I was dreaming and couldn't believe myself. The night went on well and turned out to be my best birthday ever." +"So about two weeks ago I went to my best friend's house on my birthday, a few of our other mutual friends were there and can you believe not one of them said happy birthday to me. I really just couldn't believe it, I'm always there for all of them on their birthdays even buying most of them gifts and they couldn't even remember or even shoot me a simple happy birthday, I was just truly crushed. I didn't stay for that long because I'm so annoyed so after about an hour I left, none of them ever remembering still! I started driving home, I drove around for a little while just really annoyed and kind of let down. I stopped and got a coffee and sat in the parking lot with my coffee alone, by the time I got home it was around 8 p.m.. I parked the car Got to the front step of my door I started the fumble with my purse trying to find my keys. finally I found them and let myself in, first thing I noticed was It was kind of dark, I always leave a lamp on when I leave the house and this time it was off. All of a sudden Lights came on and everybody screamed surprised!! there must have been about 30 people shove into my apartment, it was a surprise birthday party, and my best friend's didn't forget about my birthday. I was so surprised and so happy at the same time I hugged my girlfriends and made my way around the room to see who was there. it was such a good party, there were balloons and a cake and gifts, lots of gifts. they even had food and my favorite wine. it was a great night, we hung out and danced all night long. after all the guests left my best friend stayed and cleaned up the mess with me. I'm really glad that I never got mad but none of them remembered it was my birthday when I was at her apartment earlier in the day, I had no idea that they were planning all of this, she told me that they were planning it for the last month and I have no idea. all in all it was a great birthday I could not have been happier. After that day I really learned to appreciate my friends more, no one has ever done anything like that for me. I guess I owe them on their birthdays!!" +"I took a trip to Houston, Texas a few weeks back. Went with the same group, plus another. We booked a hotel by a lake. Had a small pool to hang out at too. The hotel was located very close to a few restaurants as well, which was perfect. On the first day we had a really chill time. Drank a little bit, then headed to a BBQ restaurant. On the second day, we decided to hangout at the lake, but it was tough trying to find a spot. We drove around forever looking, even witnessing a major car crash. Finally found a spot, and let the dogs out. We all jumped in rather quickly and relaxed a bit in the water. Everyone at our spot was paddleboarding, which looked really fun. I had been wanting to rent a Jet ski ever since an earlier trip where we rode some on the lake, so we decided to pack up and see what was available. We finally found a place that was renting them for $80 an hour, after calling 4 or 5 places. We rented 2 for 2 hours, but had to wait for a group to comeback since they were short one Jetski. When we finally got in, we rode for about 10 minutes before it started raining pretty heavily. We stayed in for another 5 minutes before heading back to the rental place. I almost crashed into the dock because the waves carried me into it, but luckily I put my foot against it to stop the jet ski from hitting it. We got a raincheck refund, and returned the next day when it cleared up." +"My vacation to Colorado Marijuana is legal there, so early in the morning we started to smoke. Then we decided to do a fun activity that none of us has ever done before. We landed on horseback riding. Found a place in the mountains just above central city, and bought an hour long ride. We had about an hour to kill before the ride, so we stopped at a casino just below the mountains. I played slots for an hour. The drinks were complementary, but they really aren't. You end up paying for them when you dump your money in the machines lol. 3 beers cost me $100+. We then made our way to the place somewhat high up in the mountains. Our instructor was very young...maybe 18, but the way she rode her horse was simply remarkable. The experience is vividly memorable in my mind. There's nothing like hearing the wind blowing in the mountains....sounds like a train or a really fast car going by you at a high rate of speed. I was really enjoying myself until a younger trainer started to yell at me. I didnt know what was wrong until she told me that I hadn't been holding the reins the whole time. The horse was just following the others and I had no control over it. Even though the ride didn't go perfectly, it was easily the most enjoyable time of my life." +"Yesterday I got to go the the capital of my state. I was impressed by the things that I saw, yet still disappointed. It was interesting to see the place we play baseball and some of the famous architecture that we have. I have also struggled with ageism in the work place and got a really good glimpse of it yesterday which was so disappointing. We were outside walking around at noon when all the office workers come out for lunch. The area we were in only had 1 or 2 people out of hundreds that were above the age of 30. I could not believe it. There were people everywhere and yet they were so young. This is not fair at all. We have worked just as hard to get our education and work experience, yet we are being pushed out of working for being older workers. Yeah right, id 40's is now considered an older worker!. Anyway, I was nice to get away for a while and spend some time with a friend. We had to wait 3 hours. So we had plenty of time to see the sites and experience out state capital fully. I was impressed by how big everything is in the big city. I saw magazine covers, people working out right in the middle of the area. Scooters. Rentable bikes. Food everywhere." +"When I stepped off the plane, I could not believe I was in Paris. I've wanted to visit Paris my whole life! We spent two days just visiting The Louvre. The Mona Lisa was just as enigmatic and interesting as I imagined her being. We went up the Eiffel Tower and surveyed the glittering city below us. We went to so many adorable little cafes and bakeries that I lost count. We went to the Notre Dame Cathedral, which was immense and breathtaking. I couldn't believe I was stepping through the halls of a building that was constructed over 1000 years ago. America isn't even 1000 years old so I've never been in a building that old. We also saw the Sacre-Couer, which is a basilica I had never even heard of before my visit to Paris, but it was an extremely beautiful, gleaming white church. I've always heard Parisians have a reputation for being a little cold and snobbish, but I did not get that impression at all. Everyone was so nice! I practiced my rudimentary French the whole time, and no one said anything rude to me. Several people did kind of smile and insist on speaking English to me, but I get that. It's obviously not easy to communicate with someone speaking very broken French to you. Honestly, I will never forget my trip to Paris, and I'm so glad I got to go." +"My wife was disappointed with how much I was doing at home. When I come home from work I want to relax, but she needs me to help out and spend time with her and the boys. I understand where she is coming from. I told her I was going to try and do better from here on out. It made me feel bad to know that she thinks I am not a good husband and father. I was very upset by the conversation. I want to do better going forward. This is not the first time and probably not the last time we will have this fight. I wish I could tell her she is wrong. I know she is right though. I hate fighting with my wife. I love her and want to do right by her. I also want to do right by my kids. My family is going to be my focus moving forward. This fight had changed me." +"My wife was disappointed with how much I was doing at home. When I come home from work I want to relax, but she needs me to help out and spend time with her and the boys. I understand where she is coming from. I told her I was going to try and do better from here on out. It made me feel bad to know that she thinks I am not a good husband and father. I was very upset by the conversation. I want to do better going forward. This is not the first time and probably not the last time we will have this fight. I wish I could tell her she is wrong. I know she is right though. I hate fighting with my wife. I love her and want to do right by her. I also want to do right by my kids. My family is going to be my focus moving forward. This fight had changed me." +"Dear Diary, I'm feeling lost. Back in May I received the news that I was once again being dismissed from the nursing program at Randolph Community College. After putting in sweat, tears and many countless hours I was angry more than anything when I heard the words, ""unfortunately, we cannot let you continue into the program."" I've had time to process my emotions and cry about it, but even now I still feel angry. But why? Because I gave it my all and the instructors led myself and other students to believe that they would help us pass. I'm not angry at myself, I'm angry at the director, I'm angry at the instructors and more importantly, I'm angry at the college. I understand that I got dismissed the first time because I didn't study enough. But this time? This is on them. More importantly, I'm feeling frustrated. When I try to explain this to my dad, he always takes the college's side and says, ""well you knew what you were in for, didn't you?"" Yeah, I knew what I was in for, but that doesn't justify falsely leading students to believe they are ""safe"" and that we will receive help. I try and remind myself that this is now in the past and there's no going back. All I can do is learn from the experience and continue to move forward. Here is to better opportunities and a brighter future. I can't go anywhere but up from here. This is just a bump in the road." +"In May my mother died. I was an only child and my father passed when I was very young. She was the last close family I had left. It was so unexpected because nobody in her family had heart problems. I couldn't believe she died of a heart attack. She was old for a mother when she had me. Older than 40. But she lived a long life. This unexpected death totally threw my life into chaos. I had to take leave from work to make the funeral arrangements, settle all of her financials and clean and prepare the house for sale. I had to do this all the while feeling so sad and lonely. I am divorced and childless and I feel like I have nobody close to me anymore. To fill the void I have tried to renew my faith in God. I have started to go back to church. I had not been in many years. Hopefully this will fill the void I have and I will meet some good people. Nothing will replace my mother though." +"So, 4 months ago, I lost someone very important to me. It was my dear horse, one I had owned since I was a little girl. He had seemed fine--he wasn't irritable or stressed out at all that morning. I remember brushing his mane and going back in for a bit to get a few chores done--a few hours later I came outside and he was failing. It was 10 AM, he was barely holding on, I tried calling the vet and when they came there was nothing they could do. I saw him die in front of me, and I had to bury him that night. I have never felt so devastated. I didn't know what to do, to be honest with you--how do you deal with such a loss? He was my best friend. He was everything to me for so long, I had gotten him from my parents. He's just about as old as I am! Like a little sibling. Or, he was, I guess. He was very kind, but I guess age catches up to us all eventually. I'm in my 30s now, and he was a gift from my parents. They knew how close we were." +"So, 4 months ago, I lost someone very important to me. It was my dear horse, one I had owned since I was a little girl. He had seemed fine--he wasn't irritable or stressed out at all that morning. I remember brushing his mane and going back in for a bit to get a few chores done--a few hours later I came outside and he was failing. It was 10 AM, he was barely holding on, I tried calling the vet and when they came there was nothing they could do. I saw him die in front of me, and I had to bury him that night. I have never felt so devastated. I didn't know what to do, to be honest with you--how do you deal with such a loss? He was my best friend. He was everything to me for so long, I had gotten him from my parents. He's just about as old as I am! Like a little sibling. Or, he was, I guess. He was very kind, but I guess age catches up to us all eventually. I'm in my 30s now, and he was a gift from my parents. They knew how close we were." +"After I found out the news about my best friend's mom passing away, I was in awe. It was almost unbelievable. I instantly knew that I had to fly out to see him and be with him during this difficult time. It wasn't a cheap trip, by any means, but it was necessary. I waited a few days for things to calm down a bit before finding information about his mother's memorial ceremony. Once that date was concrete I scheduled my flight to be there with him. Once I got to where he lives we spent almost 7 hours just talking about what has been new and how he was doing. It was a great conversation and I'm really happy that we got to have it. We spoke about memories about his mom and memories we all had together. We also got into his feelings and how he was doing with everything. I like to think that that trip helped him out a lot as having a childhood friend there would be comforting. After that night, we had the ceremony the following day and it was incredibly sad. We watched a film reel and her surviving family went up on stage and spoke about her. It was a good experience but it was a sad one as well. My best friend was clearly and understandably emotional during this time but made it through and I could tell that he was incredibly appreciative of the fact that I was there. After that we spent some more time together and I flew back home. We have been in touch consistently since then and he has been doing better. After all, time heals all wounds!" +"This was a recent event that happened in my life. I was visiting my girlfriend's family and we were having a good time at her mom's boyfriend's house where we were all playing Super Smash Brothers Ultimate and enjoying some good food. However, while I was there and we were all relaxing I received a call from my mother who asked if I had spoken to one of my best friends. I replied and told her that I had been texting him but he hadn't replied for a while. She told me that she didn't know if it was true but that something had happened to his mother. I asked her what had happened and my mom told me that his mom had passed away. This was a weird situation as I had known his mother for almost my whole adult life so it didn't really feel as if it was possible for it to happen. I denied it immediately assuming it was a rumor since we all didn't know for sure. After about half an hour to an hour, my dad called me (he works with my best friends mom) and told me that it was, in fact, true. My best friend's mom had passed away. There were no words to describe the feeling I felt. I didn't know what to say or how to act towards my best friend. This was a situation that was completely foreign to me. I had lost other people in my life but not anyone as close as a mother. It was a tough time but we all go through it and moved forward." +"My best friend of 20 years got married about 2 months ago. Leading up to the wedding, he was noticably stressed the closer that it got but myself and the 2 other groomsmen helped to make it the best experience possible. We've all known eachother for a long time. When we got there we caught up with the grooms parents and other family members and took several pictures. The ceremony was beautiful, although it was very hot outside that day. So hot by the way, that the groom blacked out and lost his footing during the exchange of vows! He winded up being ok and the incident only lasted about 3 seconds, but he continued right on. The ceremony was set outside was right in front of a gorgeous lake but it was easily 102° that day. I was paired with the grooms sister, so we were introduced together when we walked into the reception hall. That was a lot of fun. During the reception, the fun really began. There was plenty of food, music, and drinks. Our table of the groomsmen and bridemaids as well as the parents table got served food first. We had salmon and filet mignon with asparagus, mashed potatoes, and a garlic aioli sauce. The night ended around 11:30pm. Noone wanted to leave, as we were all having a great time. Everyone was very happy with the way the wedding turned out, especially my best friend, the groom." +"My dog developed cushings disease and I was frantic to save him. He had been with me during some of the post painful periods in my life, and I couldn't imagine life without him. The regular medicines were not working, so we put him on a newer med that I heard could give Pip a couple of extra years, the downside is that they also came with horrible side effects for some dogs. I think that we all imagine that our pet will not be part of the 20% and that it will be the cure that wee are looking for. Pip initially responded well and he seemed to be getting back to his old self. However in a couple of weeks, symptoms, started to show again and we had to up the dose. A few days later, Pip seemed uncomfortable while I was getting ready for work. After I dropped the kids off at school, something told me to go back to the house and check on him. He was lying on his side, foam going from his mouth, panting...the worst part was that there seemed to be a look of terror on his face. I will never forget that look or forgive myself for giving him those meds. Pip was put to sleep later that morning. I continue to research the medication that I had given him to see if anything pops up that I should have noticed before giving it to him. It's like I can't let go. It's almost like I have to find ways to continue to punish myself because I am the one who caused that look of fear in his eyes. I do make it a point to warn anyone I know who's dog develops Cushings about the medication." +"One of the worst days of my life, my beloved Border Terrier, Mr. Pip has passed away. He has been suffering from Cushings disease for the past 2 years, but his quality of life over the past 6 months has gone down. He has had frequent accidents in the house and appears to have some type of demential. Also, he cannot seem to get enough water. We have resisted putting him on meds because of the potential side effects, but finally it seemed there was no other alternative. We put him on the meds and for the 1st couple of weeks, things seemed to get better. Then, in a matter of 24 hours, all of his organs started to shut down. I brought the kids to school and something told me I should go home to check on him. I will never forget that image. He was lying down and foaming at the mouth, he looked terrified. I am so upset that I ever put him on those meds. I carried him to our van and brought him to the vet. He was put to sleep and died in my arms. I will hold the guilt for a long time." +My family and I took a hike in Providence State Park. It was beautiful. The hiking paths were strenuous but we finished and had a nice lunch. There were so many paths to cover and canyons to explore. The day was overcast. A few peaks of sun. It was around winter time. Winter time in Georgia is nice and cool. There were just a few others in the canyons. They seemed to also be enjoying themselves. There were many look out points and photo ops. The canyons formed from poor farming techniques. There are still cars from the 50s parked in the very spots they went out of order. We look forward to do doing this again. It was a great family adventure. +"Three months ago was a special time for my husband and I. We celebrated our third wedding anniversary. We like to make sure to commemorate such events because it helps us to take time to pause and reflect on the status of our relationship as well as the good and bad things we've been through together. We are planning a big trip for our fifth anniversary but for this less monumental third anniversary, we decided to just celebrate by going to dinner at the resort where we were married. The anniversary was on a Tuesday night, so we didn't think the resort would be crowded and we were correct. We had reservations for 7 PM and I was able to leave work early that day to get my hair done for the occasion. I also had a special teal dress that matched one of our wedding colors. The resort was not crowded so we were able to get the best seat in the restaurant. We had a table overlooking the pier while the sun set. It was a beautiful blaze of orange and pink and reflected wonderfully off the water. I took a few photos to remember the view. We ordered some drinks and our dinner. Service was great because the restaurant was not crowded so our waiter was not juggling too many tables. The food was excellent as it always is at that restaurant. After we ate, we wanted to go to the exact spot where we said our vows. There's a large field next to the pier. Of course, the scene was not the same as wedding day as no arch was set up but we were able to find a bench near the exact spot where we could sit and look at the water in the moonlight while we talked about the first three years of our marriage and what we see for the years ahead. It was nice to have this private, dedicated time to reflect and enjoy each other's company." +"Within the past six months my husband got into RN Nursing School, and we celebrated our third wedding anniversary. It is emotional for me, because we've been together for eleven years so celebrating an anniversary with someone I love so much makes me happy. A lot of people don't last in relationships, and to have a long lasting relationship and a great one makes me very happy. My husband surprised me on our anniversary by taking me to the resort that we got married at. It was a very special seafood dinner buffet. it was fancy, and when we go out to eat we usually don't eat out at places so fancy, so it was very special. I have cherished the time i spent with my husband. We have gone on lots of fun trips together. We have moved cross country twice. My relationship is a very memorable part of my life. it feels very special to get to spend my life with someone. The most memorable part of this year as well is that my English Bulldog celebrated one year of not having aspiration pneumonia. She was very sick a year ago and almost died. She is very important to me and my husband. She makes us both very happy, and adds to the joy of our relationship." +"It was the start of a new semester last Monday and my son, Kevin, was about to enter PS3 at a new school. he was a bit nervous to make new friends and fit into the new environment and I was also a little scared for him. Will he fit in easily? Will he make friends easily? Will he like his new teachers? Will the school eb the right environment for him? Will he come home happy or feel anxious and lonely in his new school? Will PS3 be a good fit for him? I really wanted this to work out for him. I wanted him to feel welcome and integrate well with his new classmates, teachers and studies. I dropped him off the first day and hugged him as he left the car and watched as he walked into the building. I looked at the kids walking into the building after him, they seemed happy and comfortable. I hoped my son would end the day feeling the same way. I went to work that day still worried, but I tried to focus on work and prayed all would be well for him. When it was time to pick him up, I was anxious but I tried to stay calm and optimistic. I waited for him to come out and spotted him walking out with two young boys he was talking to with a smile on his face. I was so relieved. I had hoped he would make friends quickly and I couldn't wait to ask him about his first day! he saw me and came towards the car as he said goodbye to his new friends. He got into the seat next to me and say ""Hi, dad!"". I asked him how his day was and he told me with a smile that he really liked the school and his new classes and that his math teacher was really cool. he said he'd met some pretty nice kids and then asked if he could invite them over sometime next week to play video games after school. I was so happy! ""Of course you can!"" I said, ""just make sure you do your homework first."" I said and he hugged me, then we drove off home. My son loves his new school and has made two great new friends he hangs out with often which is perfect." +"My son has done wonderfully in PS3 so far. He has adjusted well for never having gone to a preschool or daycare before and now being part of an educational program. I had been worried as he had only been partly potty trained and one of the requisites was for them to be fully potty trained. However, after the 1st week of school he quickly learned what he needed to do as I assume he saw friends and classmates doing the same. I was so excited and relieved to have that done and take care of. He has created a bond already with the teacher's aide and asks about her each day he doesn't attend school, for example, during the weekends. I really like his teachers and I like that he is part of a relatively small class with only 10 students. It has been a bit hard to get him up early for classes as he is not a morning person. He takes after his mother in that way! However, with a bit of exaggerated excitement on my part he gets going in the morning with my help. We try to have as much ready the night before to make it a smoother, less stressful and rushed process. So far so good. I think this is going to be a great year for him and I am excited about what he is going to learn and that he is making friends and already mentioning some of them by name. A play date or a birthday party would be a great next step for the kids to create a deeper bond. I am grateful he is a part of this school and I have high hopes for him this year. I am very proud of how well he has adapted to this change and new chapter in his life." +"My son has done wonderfully in PS3 so far. He has adjusted well for never having gone to a preschool or daycare before and now being part of an educational program. I had been worried as he had only been partly potty trained and one of the requisites was for them to be fully potty trained. However, after the 1st week of school he quickly learned what he needed to do as I assume he saw friends and classmates doing the same. I was so excited and relieved to have that done and take care of. He has created a bond already with the teacher's aide and asks about her each day he doesn't attend school, for example, during the weekends. I really like his teachers and I like that he is part of a relatively small class with only 10 students. It has been a bit hard to get him up early for classes as he is not a morning person. He takes after his mother in that way! However, with a bit of exaggerated excitement on my part he gets going in the morning with my help. We try to have as much ready the night before to make it a smoother, less stressful and rushed process. So far so good. I think this is going to be a great year for him and I am excited about what he is going to learn and that he is making friends and already mentioning some of them by name. A play date or a birthday party would be a great next step for the kids to create a deeper bond. I am grateful he is a part of this school and I have high hopes for him this year. I am very proud of how well he has adapted to this change and new chapter in his life." +"Recently my oldest daughter graduated high school, and is starting college. This is all new to me, and it came at me like a freight train. There was so much growing up done in the last two months, I barely recognized my little girl. I was planning parties, and attending parties, and getting finances in order, and trying to be happy all at the same time. I thought I was ready for her to be an ""adult"". I realized quickly that I wasn't. It's hard to watch your kids grow. It makes you think back to all the people you wanted in your life to see this, that aren't with you anymore. It is the most crazy time in my life. I think back and the first day of kindergarten wasn't that long ago, was it? We had a great grad party, all her friends were here. We had all of our family over. We ordered so much food, and the biggest cake ever. We all had such a great time. I realized then, that she was growing up, and that her friends weren't really ""kids"" anymore either. It wasn't soon after the grad party that she was already getting her things in order to start college. I will admit that a little part of me is glad that she is going to college locally and staying at home. It's nice to keep them as long as you can. She's been in college for two weeks now. Stress is real to her now, and to me. I think we have both done some growing up and realizations have occurred that we are moving on in life together, just in different ways. And it's harder for some of us to do it gracefully, but we do our best." +i was so happy with the party. she got me what i wanted. it was a new house. we will move next week. there is lots to get done. i hate gitting old. 50 is so hard. but my grandkids are worth it. my kids where at the party . im so greatful they came. i have not see them in a bit. also my best friend from school was there at my party. he was fat i didnt think get could walk. im almost blind now. glad i got to see them before that. hope to see many more yrs. id hate to not see my wifes face. the party was stch a great one. we had cake and face paniting. i got an ant painted. well its the end of the day in sleepy goodnight. +"I went to my cousin's wedding last month. It was important to me because we grew up together in the same house for a period of time and it was a major milestone for her. It was in Toronto, Canada and there were over 100 guests there. I also got to see extended family together for the first time in years. We first went to a wedding rehearsal before the event. It was at a Chinese restaurant and the food was really good. Then we went to a castle for the actual day of the wedding. First, I got to see them walk down the aisle. Then, I got to see the official formalize the event and watch them dance. Then, we went to a reception. I got to hear speeches from many people that marked what an important event it was. The funniest speech was when they shared each other's many embarrassing secrets. It made the event lighter but also showed how much they knew and cared for each other. It was my first time at a wedding so it was a cool experience. Mostly I was just happy to see my cousin get married and have such a life-changing event." +"We went out for my sons birthday and we went to old orchard beach with his friends, Instead of choosing a normal kids food choice. Such as Chucky cheese or the Golden Arches he chose an authentic noodle bar. He loves the brown egg and all the seaweed bits. He loves to slurp them up. He tells us that's how the Japanese do it and we cannot tell him off. When we went to the board walk their is a large fairground. It has mainly adult rides. He is aged only 7 and his very tall for his age. He showed no fear and wanted to ride all of the adult rides where as a lot of his little friends did not. It was chaotic looking after all those kids but everyone enjoyed the day. It was along day and the weather was really quite warm. But we decided to go to the beach area that had a good breeze. But the area was very busy it took us a while to find a parking space. We ended up paying $35 dollars which I thought was a little high for a few hours parking. The kids wanted to leap out of the van. Even though they had been in the van for a while they still manage to make a lot of noise." +"i went to my sons birthday we went to the funfair with his friends we spent the da=y going on rides and we went to his favorte noodle bar. Where he ordered the pork dish. It always suprise me that he chooses to eat the brown egg and all the seaweed bits which he would not eat normally if you give them to him. He went on all the adult rides he showed no fear going on the rides even though some of him friends did. He got a new camera for his birthday so he was practising his pictures through out the day so we have a good record of the day through his perspective,.He woke up really early because he was so exited by the day he planned a head. Normally it is hard to wake him up in the morning. But when he is motivated I guess its easy for a child to wake up. He started the day with his favourte breakfast which was bacon and eggs. He then went on to open his presents. Which included the camera but he also got the ipad he has been wanting. It was really easy to set up but he had to wait for the ipad to cahrge which took some time. we had to go through the app store to download the apps he has seem on his game shows. We then went and met his friends we rented a large suv to carry all of them and the kids parents were happy to see them go. we first went to his noodle resturant. where we had to order for 6 fussy kids, which was fun." +"One week ago was a whole new beginning for me. After being at the same job for 25 years, I worked my last day. I had thought long and hard about this decision. I enjoyed the people I worked with and I made a good living, but I was bored with my job. Plus, I would miss seeing the same friendly faces every day. But I wanted more out of life. I wanted to travel and spend more time with my family. I wanted time for myself. My company was having a big retirement party for me. They laid out a big spread of food and there was a delicious retirement cake. My company gave me a watch to thank me for my 25 years of service. On top of that, my boss gave me some new luggage that he said I could use with all the travelling I wanted to do. The biggest surprise of all, was that all the employees chipped in and paid for a trip to Italy for my husband and I. They were really sending me off in style! I could not believe it. After the retirement party, I went and finished packing up my office. I was more emotional than I thought I would be. My coworkers that I was closest to, came by to give some private good byes. I had special gifts for all of them. I knew we would stay in touch, but we would not be chatting everyday any longer. The time had come for me to leave my office for the last time. I had such mixed emotions as I walked out that door. Now, one week later, as I am packing for my trip to Italy, I know I made the right decision. There is so much more to life than working, and I am ready to get out there and live my life to the fullest!" +"Today I quit my job in order to retire. I was not entirely happy about it, but it was time. I wish I had left a better feeling at work with Stephanie, but aside from that, it was basically a good experience. Tim said ""Good luck, Mike"" when I cleaned out my desk. I gave Chris my tissues and a fistful of red pens. Since Chris has severe allergies, this small gift was appreciated. I gave Rachael an unfinished buyback, but luckily she appreciated the humor. I loaded up Smiley, my Mexican sugar skull, and Jules, my turtle. I put the box in the car and took a deep breath. The weather was nice and sunny. I did feel a sense of relief as I drove away. I would never have to go there again! There were money worries, of course. But I have plenty saved. Also, Kathy is still working, so that will help. And I can devote myself to the kids." +"One week ago was a whole new beginning for me. After being at the same job for 25 years, I worked my last day. I had thought long and hard about this decision. I enjoyed the people I worked with and I made a good living, but I was bored with my job. Plus, I would miss seeing the same friendly faces every day. But I wanted more out of life. I wanted to travel and spend more time with my family. I wanted time for myself. My company was having a big retirement party for me. They laid out a big spread of food and there was a delicious retirement cake. My company gave me a watch to thank me for my 25 years of service. On top of that, my boss gave me some new luggage that he said I could use with all the travelling I wanted to do. The biggest surprise of all, was that all the employees chipped in and paid for a trip to Italy for my husband and I. They were really sending me off in style! I could not believe it. After the retirement party, I went and finished packing up my office. I was more emotional than I thought I would be. My coworkers that I was closest to, came by to give some private good byes. I had special gifts for all of them. I knew we would stay in touch, but we would not be chatting everyday any longer. The time had come for me to leave my office for the last time. I had such mixed emotions as I walked out that door. Now, one week later, as I am packing for my trip to Italy, I know I made the right decision. There is so much more to life than working, and I am ready to get out there and live my life to the fullest!" +"This past summer, my family and I went to a water park. The trip was a last-minute one - I wasn't even going to go, but I'm glad that I did. Actually, I haven't gone to a theme park in years prior to this outing. Super fun, I know. Anyway, the day started off pretty well. I was dreading the wait times to get into the park, but they weren't so bad. The lines for some of the rides were crazy long, though! For most of the day, I sat on the sidelines and just watched the kids in my family play in the water, but eventually the adults asked me to get on some rides with them. I protested at first, but eventually they got me to get in line to a ride with them. And not just any ride, but one of the tallest/scariest rides in the park! While waiting at the lower-end of the stairs, I was fairly calm, but as we got closer and closer to the top, some fear set in. I couldn't turn back because we were so far up and too many people behind us. There was no other way to get down besides riding down that long, dark tube. Once it was our turn to go down the slide, I gripped onto the handles of the tube as tightly as possible, and next thing I know, we were being pushed down the ride. I closed my eyes and screamed on the way down, but, you know what? I did it. I conquered my fear, and it was actually pretty fun! I went on multiple rides after that one, because if I can handle one of the scariest ones in the park, I can handle them all." +"My friend and her family was going to the water park and asked me to go. As you know, I am scared to death of water slides. I hate them with a passion. Especially the covered ones that seems like they are miles long. It might be because I don't like feeling trapped, I don't really know. I did decide to go with her. When we arrived, there was a massive slide that had so many twists and turns in it that it was very intimidating. I was scared of it. However, my friend's fearless daughter looked at it and said ""That's child's play."" and stood right up to the line for the slide. She went down it a few times before dragging me with her. I didn't want to. I could feel my heart racing and myself getting more nervous. She told me ""Are you a chicken?"" and I told her no. She said ""You look like one."" and I had to prove to a 5 year old that went down the slide a few times that I can do it one time. It got to be my turn, my palms were sweating and knees were weak. It was so high up and the only way to go down and down the slide. I got in the tunnel, gulped, and went down. It was over before I knew it! I heard ""See, chicken. That wasn't that bad."" and got dragged a few more times on the slide. The more I did it, the less scared I was of it." +"Few months ago we were driving with my husband for a trip to another town. My husband was driving and I was sitting next to him. We always have amazing time when we are driving somewhere. I can say that I enjoy being in the car together, because of conversations we have and gossiping about family here and there (like every family does). My husband was so much into conversation. He really like gossips. I have to admit that he is horrible with attention. They say that men can't do more things in once and I totally agree with this saying. While he was so much into conversation and he wanted to change a line, he did not see the car coming. We were on highway so our car, as well as the other car were driving so fast. We almost had very bad car crush. I was shaking from the fear and stress and I started to cry. My husband felt so bad, he stopped the car when it was possible and hugged and kissed me so much. Later on he said that for a second the idea of losing me came into his mind. I had exactly the same on my mind. Since that time we are driving slower and so responsible. We both realized how fragile are our lives and how much we love each other." +I’m so happy my two favorite bands came to town. They came 5 months ago. I called John and we made plans to go see them. We decided to go to dinner first. We went to our favorite pizza restaurant. The food was awesome as usual. The venue of the concert was outdoors and BYOB. So we stopped and got some beers and other drinks and snacks. We partied for hours during both concerts. The weather was perfect. The music was great as expected. We even ran into some old friends. We hung out with them for part of the concert. After the concert we all went out. We hit a local diner. We had coffee and pastries. +"I still have two vehicles down and no way to get meds, food, or just to get out of the house. The trash is now piling up and I have flies taking over the house, with sick sweetly smell. I do not know how much I can take of this. I have bothered my children in the past few months for rides and such, that I am not going to brother them any more, because there is a vehicle that just needs a transmission put in, so really three vehicle down, but I can not get him to work on that, heck he don't even gets out there till about 5 or 6 pm, and maybe works an hour. He stays in the bathroom for most of the day and night, he says he has to poop, but I think after two hours of either sleeping or playing a game on the phone, that he is not going to poop. He has not fixed the other bathroom yet either and the floor in our bathroom is falling apart, I have fell thru twice and he fell thru once last week. He just keeps coming up with that he does not have this or that, when a year ago he said that he had everything but would not work on it, now he needs two x fours and everything else. I just don't think he wants to do the work, but he does not want anyone else doing it. I just don't know what I am going to do, but I am getting sick a lot. I am thinking that I am going to have to ask son, to take me in for a while and see if that don't get things done. I just don't know what to do anymore, I am tired of sounding like a broken record or a nagging fish wife, but what am I suppose to do. I know if I go to my son's house he will be very upset with me, but he is not getting it that all he is not doing or fixing it, is making me sick. I am barely out here working, with that smell, but I need the money. I c.an not say how long I will stay at this point, I mean for the last 5 months the car's have been. The Last 6 years for the second bathroom to be down. Now the question is when is it time to leave because you are tired of it will be fixed tonight, or bathroom will be fix when kids are gone, so what am I suppose to do" +"I sat back and assessed the situation. I must say that after 3 weeks, everything has been fixed and taken care of. I realized that my husband's reluctance to resolve these problems was causing a delay. I felt I needed to take matters into my own hands. I got one car to the shop. While it was in the shop, I called a contractor to fix our bathroom. A week later, I got the other car fixed. I have a feeling that my husband's reluctance only spurred me into action. It got me thinking of ways to fix problems myself. I must admit I am grateful for realizing that. Now I see that I am capable of getting things done if my husband can't tend to things right away. I still love him with all my heart. I could be more a DIYer someday. I enjoyed learning how to take care of stuff. A good experience to learn from." +"Nine months ago, I went to my friend's wedding. It was about to become a disaster. My friend was marrying somebody of a different faith. My friend's father didn't take kindly to the news. He came into the wedding with a bible in his right hand and a cross in this left. He went over to the soon to be wife and began performing an exorcism. He chanted all these weird words and noises at her. She gave him a giant slap. My friend had to push him out of the church. The police got involved and arrested the friend's father. The wedding went smoothly after that. I gave my friend a hug. I gave my friend's wife a hug. I drank some beer. I had some fun dancing." +"In May, I went to my step daughter's wedding in Las Vegas. It was our first time there and also our first time travelling cross country. On the flight there, we chose to upgrade to first class, so i got my first ever experience in it. First, when we arrived at the airport, we went into the cardholder's lounge, since my husband has access. We had some good foods and ordered a couple of drinks before out flight. Then, when it was time to board, we were the first ones on the plane. We settled in to our seats where there was a blanket and pillow waiting. My son was already looking through the in-flight-entertainment catalog to see what movie he would watch during the flight. The flight was around 5 hours long, so we had plenty of time to enjoy the amenities. Midway through, lunch was served, and it came with a very tasty ice cream cup. I ended up getting to watch 2 movies on the plane, one of them being the wonderful remake of Mary Poppins. The flight then landed smoothly and we were off to our hotel. We chose to stay off the strip, in order for a more family-friendly accommodation. When it was time for the wedding, we got to explore all that the Las Vegas Strip has to offer. We even ate dinner at the glamorous Caesar's Palace. Overall, the trip was very memorable and a once in a lifetime experience!" +"I woke up in the morning and picked out a fairly conservative grey pantsuit. Traffic wasn't too bad, and I was able to check in promptly. The conference organizers had prepared a very nice green room for the speakers, with a variety of appetizers and beverages. I was the third speaker, scheduled for 1:00 PM, so I had plenty of time to go over my notes and rehearse a few final times. I'm presenting the work I did for my master's thesis, on how demographic questions on standardized tests can influence student scores. My study's results were fascinating. We had several hundred Asian American female students take the math portion of the SAT. Half of them were asked what race they were before they began, while the other half were asked what gender they were. The students who were reminded they were Asian scored almost a hundred points higher than the ones who were reminded they were women. That's a full standard deviation! I was able to present these ideas very smoothly and professionally, and the audience seemed totally engaged. At the end, over two dozen people had their hands raised to asked questions. I had to stop for time before I could answer even half of them! I was there for over half an hour after the talk, too, getting business cards and hearing about the work other people are doing in this area. It's so validating to see so many people ready to take action. Overall, a total success." +"I hadn't seen my buddy Brian in almost a year and out of no where he got a hold of me on Facebook and asked to go to dinner with him and his fiance. I hadn't met her yet so I thought it was a good idea to go. We ended up going to the Texas Roadhouse. We had a great time. I had a nice steak and got a little tipsy. I really like his fiance. They both are really lucky. Afterwards we went back to his house. Apparently it was his dog's birthday. That's kind of strange if you ask me. So we started up a fire on his back yard. He has a fire pit. We had some more drinks and talked about our jobs. He's doing really well in his. His dog went off into the house and played with some new squeaky toys it got for it's birthday. It was great to see hi,. It was also great to meet his fiance. I have to make sure we see each other more often. He was my best friend for years." +"When my daughter started Pre-K, I think I was much more scared than she was. I had her a bit older in life, when I was in my 40's. It had taken my husband and I a long time to conceive. So, I suppose I babied her a bit. I didn't mean to, but that was just the way it was. She was very excited to start school. We went shopping together for her school supplies and she had a great time. In fact, I couldn't get her to take her backpack off for the rest of the day. She kept asking me when she got to start school. Finally, when the day came, she woke me up early because she was so excited. I was feeling a bit downhearted about sending her off into the work. But, we walked to school together, and she chattered the whole way they. I ran into a few other neighborhood parents on the way, and could tell some of them were also feeling the same way. It's hard when you send off your first, one mom of 3 knowingly told me. I tried to fight back tears. We went to the classroom and I dropped my daughter off, she hugged me goodbye and then I was on my way. I realized though that I had taught her well, and that she would do fine in school." +"It may have only been three weeks ago, but without my little sidekick by my side, it feels like an eternity. I feel like she was just born. I can remember her soft baby skin, her fuzzy hair, and that sweet half-grin all newborns make even though they have yet to grasp the true concept of ""smiling."" But she's growing up and already in Pre-K. It's a big adjustment for me. Prior to these past few weeks she would follow me around the house everywhere. Now the house is just... empty. And quiet. And being alone---even if for only a few hours a day---makes me incredibly anxious. That first day of Pre-K was rougher on me than her, it seems. She was excited! She effused confidence with every step she took towards her teacher's doorway. I was really surprised to find that *I* was the nervous one needing to hold back tears. I know she'll do great though. She has a spark in her that I truly believe will burst into a blazing flame of success in due time. Hopefully in the meantime I'll learn how to extinguish my nervousness." +"When my daughter started Pre-K, I think I was much more scared than she was. I had her a bit older in life, when I was in my 40's. It had taken my husband and I a long time to conceive. So, I suppose I babied her a bit. I didn't mean to, but that was just the way it was. She was very excited to start school. We went shopping together for her school supplies and she had a great time. In fact, I couldn't get her to take her backpack off for the rest of the day. She kept asking me when she got to start school. Finally, when the day came, she woke me up early because she was so excited. I was feeling a bit downhearted about sending her off into the work. But, we walked to school together, and she chattered the whole way they. I ran into a few other neighborhood parents on the way, and could tell some of them were also feeling the same way. It's hard when you send off your first, one mom of 3 knowingly told me. I tried to fight back tears. We went to the classroom and I dropped my daughter off, she hugged me goodbye and then I was on my way. I realized though that I had taught her well, and that she would do fine in school." +"We went on vacation to Colorado in July of this year. We drove there in a car with my family and spent two weeks there. On our way back home to Texas we stopped in a town we never have been to before. It was a small mountain town with a alot of small quirky stores. We got out of the car to go pick up a gift at one of the shops for a family member. As we were walking around we came by a very old arcade. This arcade was huge and had tons of really old machines that I have never seen before. My kids and spent the whole afternoon playing games in this arcade. We had a blast. We walked around some more and found a great restaurant to eat at. We sat at a table on a patio right next to the river. I had a huge burger and it was delicious. After that we walked around some more and found a few really unique stores to buy some cool items and gifts. Before we realized, it started to get dark. We weren't planning to stay another night, but ended up unexpectedly staying at a hotel in that town." +"Certain levels of stress at work can even be beneficial, since they stimulate us and give us the batteries. However, having too many responsibilities, giving account to your boss or a bad relationship with colleagues can lead to severe stress that must be nipped in the bud, either taking a while, or looking for another job destination. There is even the Burnout syndrome, which is characterized by a progressive physical and mental exhaustion, a lack of absolute motivation for the tasks performed, and especially by important changes in behavior in those who suffer it. There are great sources of stress from the family: we may live with a loved one who is not in the best physical or mental condition and we have to take care of him, traumatic events such as the loss of a family member, economic problems at home, with our couple or even if we have children, who behave in an undesired way. The best we can do in these cases is, if it is a serious problem, seek psychological or psychiatric help. Although not all sentimental ruptures are the same for everyone, the vast majority causes great stress and regret. Thinking if the other person has remade his life, stagnate, not be able to reorient our goals, stay locked up at home ... there are certain cases in which psychological help is also required to overcome this type of trauma. A change, a change of city, the own emotional break and therefore ending with all those daily and routine activities that made us feel protected can be important sources of stress. Getting married or having children also causes some anxiety about the future, since we can have negative thoughts about a new stage in our life. There is only one place where you can live and enjoy, and it is this present moment, the one you have here and now, if you let your mind go to the past or future, you will stress and it will be an unreal stress, because you create yourself with your thoughts. Whether in our circle of friends or in our own work, we can suffer from so-called ""toxic people"". The ideal for a bad environment does not cause us stress, would be to spend as little time as possible with this type of people. But as often it is not possible, because it can be a family, or at work where we have to spend so many hours, it would be good if the little free time we had would be fully enjoyed, in order to balance the balance of negativity that we have had to be exposed. To be well with others, first you have to be well with yourself to be alone. In the age of social networks, many young people feel alone or are too aware of mobile phone notifications, which can cause a high amount of stress. It is increasingly common to reduce the actual contact, by contact with the computer and other electronic devices. Years ago, people related more time face to face." +"What a night this was. Five months ago some drunk guy breaks into my house, without me really realizing what in the world is going on. The man didn't steal anything. I just think he was profoundly lost or so drunk to the point he has no idea what's going on. My roommate messages me in the morning asking who the drunk snoring guy was. I thought they were just playing me for a fool. I didn't really understand what was meant by all that. I was so confused and lost, until I went downstairs. I head downstairs and notices shoes on the couch. Wow, my roommate wasn't lying. I don't really see a lot of damage aside from the shock. I wonder how he got in here. I just think he was lost. Doesn't seem like he was trying to do it on purpose. That's a story to remember, for sure." +"What a night this was. Five months ago some drunk guy breaks into my house, without me really realizing what in the world is going on. The man didn't steal anything. I just think he was profoundly lost or so drunk to the point he has no idea what's going on. My roommate messages me in the morning asking who the drunk snoring guy was. I thought they were just playing me for a fool. I didn't really understand what was meant by all that. I was so confused and lost, until I went downstairs. I head downstairs and notices shoes on the couch. Wow, my roommate wasn't lying. I don't really see a lot of damage aside from the shock. I wonder how he got in here. I just think he was lost. Doesn't seem like he was trying to do it on purpose. That's a story to remember, for sure." +"When I began getting my Patreon income, I assumed it was gift income. So I assumed I didn't have to worry about taxes on it. But as time wore on and the amount of the income increased, I began to worry. It was becoming the majority of my income. And eventually I quit my wage job and it became my main source of income. So I continued to worry that it was taxable. As I researched it, in 2018 it seemed more and more likely that it was taxable. I was worried about the amount of past income I might owe back taxes on. So I went to a tax accountant in early 2019. It turned out that I owed about 6k in back taxes for the previous four years. It was fairly easy to make monthly installment arrangements that I could afford. And my monthly income was within the personal exemption amount. This meant I only had to pay 15% self-employment tax. So my worst fears weren't realized. I could survive the payments I had to make." +"When I began getting my Patreon income, I assumed it was gift income. So I assumed I didn't have to worry about taxes on it. But as time wore on and the amount of the income increased, I began to worry. It was becoming the majority of my income. And eventually I quit my wage job and it became my main source of income. So I continued to worry that it was taxable. As I researched it, in 2018 it seemed more and more likely that it was taxable. I was worried about the amount of past income I might owe back taxes on. So I went to a tax accountant in early 2019. It turned out that I owed about 6k in back taxes for the previous four years. It was fairly easy to make monthly installment arrangements that I could afford. And my monthly income was within the personal exemption amount. This meant I only had to pay 15% self-employment tax. So my worst fears weren't realized. I could survive the payments I had to make." +"This sweet baby kitten was crying in the parking lot and I was so afraid it was going to die. It was covered in ants! It's also so hot here in south Florida that I knew he would die if I left him outside in the bushes like that. I wondered where his mom and litter mates were. Was he abandoned for being sick or injured? Did the mom cat get run over or was unable to come back for kitten for some reason? I used a Gatorade to try and wash off the ants because it was all I had. The kitten had blue eyes and it was crying loudly, the kind of cry a human baby makes when it's really in distress. I know you should not pour any cold water on a kitten that age because they can't regulate their body temperature, but it was a quick decision to pour the room temperature Gatorade on the kitten just out of desperation. I took the kitten home and spent so much time bathing him and then even used a blow dryer on low to make sure it was completely dry. There were dead ants and some fleas in my bathroom sink when I was done. I got a cat carrier and some blankets, making sure he was all set up for the night, but was also really careful not to put him somewhere he would smother himself by accident. I got put uncooked rice in a sock and warmed it in the microwave to keep the baby warm. The Gatorade was such a bad, sticky choice, but I really didn't know how I was supposed to drive when there was a crying kitten and ants literally swarmed all over it. It's poor little eyes and butt had piles of ants and I knew the right thing to do, the only thing to do, would be take the kitten out of the parking lot. I really can't afford to foster more pets. It's so hard to find a rescue to pay for the vetting. This kitten needed about thirty dollars worth of supplies, a bottle and kitten KMR powdered formula, just to get through the next few days. He also needed to be fed and to help eliminate every two to three hours. That's twelve feedings a day and twelve times I had to help him pee and poop. Kittens are a lot of work! As I stood there in the parking lot though, I knew if I walked away he would die. That kitty ended up getting adopted three months later when he was about three and a half months old. I put all my time and money into him and then my neighbor's mother who lives in the city next to us adopted him. She calls him Bear and every time I see my neighbor walking her dog we talk about how fat he has gotten and how much her mom is obsessed with her kitty." +"In the morning I decided that it was my job to give this kitten a home. I really want to keep it, but I work up to ten hours a day so that wouldn't be fair to the kitten. The first step was to take it to the vet. I knew there would be vaccinations and a de-worming involved. I figured I would ask the vet who could help me find the little guy a home. At the vet, I sat in the lobby with a few other people. The kitten was nice and warm in my hoodie. An older lady was there, looking tearful at the desk. I did some eavesdropping and figured out that she had just put her older cat down. A light bulb moment. I didn't waste any time thinking about whether or not this was a good idea. Before I could tell myself to mind my own business I said, ""ma'am are you interested in adopting a kitten?"" She wiped her eyes and looked at me cautiously. I pulled the little kitten out of my sweatshirt and she couldn't help but ""awwwwwww. poor little guy."" I knew she was the one. Maybe there was a higher power who put us together that day. I gave her the kitten after his examination and the woman had tears of happiness in her eyes when I said goodbye." +"I cant believe I am still recovering from my surgery. It has been 3 months since I had gall stones wreaking havoc on my insides. I woke up with just an overall pain and couldnt figure out what it was. I took some antacid and a tylenol and went about the day. After I woke up feeling the same way the next day I went into the doctors office. Next was a blur as it all happened so fast. I was told I would need to be sedated for and emergency surgery. I was shocked, worried, and confused, but agreed and then i was out like a light. When I came to i was greeted by my family and my neighbors who were all very concerned. I had considered not even going to the doctor that day and Had i not they said it is likely I would have been dead. I am so thankful for the staff at Mercy hospital for taking care of me and doing what needed to get done. I have a new lease on life now as I know any day could be the last one. And I have been urging my friends and family to go get checked out if they are not feeling great. I may be over doing it on the warnings but I think it is important. And as an added bonus, now I know where a gallbladder is and what it does!" +"Wow I can't believe it was already nearly 4 months ago. The trip to crater lake was in the summer where I didn't have any obligations for work because I took a full week off. It was such an awesome unforgettable experience. At first when we arrived, many hiking trails were closed so it made us a bit sad but there were still that were open. It was a breath taking view looking at the crater lake once we finished the 30 minute hike. Once we came to the lodge, we enjoyed some wine. The wine we drank was chardonnay and it suited with the environment. We also enjoyed the sunrise and sunset. We were fortunate to have the lodge booked. Normally the lodge gets booked super quickly. We booked about 5 months in advance which was a smart move. I hope to come back again. Next time I want a bigger car because the car was a bit small. I still remember the views every day. I think this writing experience was valuable to me because it allowed me to reflect on myself and cherish the memories. Nowadays with so much social media and busy life it's hard to revisit things and writing was a great form of self reflection." +"Wow I can't believe it was already nearly 4 months ago. The trip to crater lake was in the summer where I didn't have any obligations for work because I took a full week off. It was such an awesome unforgettable experience. At first when we arrived, many hiking trails were closed so it made us a bit sad but there were still that were open. It was a breath taking view looking at the crater lake once we finished the 30 minute hike. Once we came to the lodge, we enjoyed some wine. The wine we drank was chardonnay and it suited with the environment. We also enjoyed the sunrise and sunset. We were fortunate to have the lodge booked. Normally the lodge gets booked super quickly. We booked about 5 months in advance which was a smart move. I hope to come back again. Next time I want a bigger car because the car was a bit small. I still remember the views every day. I think this writing experience was valuable to me because it allowed me to reflect on myself and cherish the memories. Nowadays with so much social media and busy life it's hard to revisit things and writing was a great form of self reflection." +"Three weeks ago, my life changed for the better. I came face-to-face with how I was truly missing out on life, on what matters most. Unlike some people that realize too late they missed time with a loved one, I get to start over now. The day started like any other day. I mindlessly went through my routine, made sure my spouse was ready for work, and dropped my kid off at school. Nothing different happened that morning or during that day. Like normal, I just did my job, made some money, ran errands, cleaned the house, and started some things for dinner. I had coffee with my friend, chatting about our many responsibilities and how grateful we were for any breaks from spending time with others, how heavy our workloads were and how school gave us a little break in our day from childcare. That afternoon, I went to go pick up my kid from school. I ended up driving behind that same friend, who had kids in the same school. There was a school bus stopped along the rode, which was a rural highway. I saw it and slowed down, but my friend in front of my didn't see it. She ran right over children who were getting off the bus. The kids were killed in that horrible accident. My friend couldn't even offer condolences; she was just saying how busy she was and that she didn't see. She was too busy to see the bus stopped, too busy to see the precious lives in front of her...too busy...too busy. I picked up my kid and went home, too moved to eat dinner that night. I could have been that woman: too busy to see; too busy with what? Too busy with chores that never end to spend precious time with loved ones? Too busy to spend time praying, or doing worthwhile hobbies that I enjoy? Am I too busy to pass those hobbies, those precious moments and memories on to my kids? I realized that I had been going through life numb, as if on auto-pilot, just checking off tasks on a list. All the while, the things that truly matter were passing me by. I hugged my spouse and child close, and determined that I would no longer miss what's important in life. Each day is precious: I will remember and truly learn to live." +"Three weeks ago, my life changed for the better. I came face-to-face with how I was truly missing out on life, on what matters most. Unlike some people that realize too late they missed time with a loved one, I get to start over now. The day started like any other day. I mindlessly went through my routine, made sure my spouse was ready for work, and dropped my kid off at school. Nothing different happened that morning or during that day. Like normal, I just did my job, made some money, ran errands, cleaned the house, and started some things for dinner. I had coffee with my friend, chatting about our many responsibilities and how grateful we were for any breaks from spending time with others, how heavy our workloads were and how school gave us a little break in our day from childcare. That afternoon, I went to go pick up my kid from school. I ended up driving behind that same friend, who had kids in the same school. There was a school bus stopped along the rode, which was a rural highway. I saw it and slowed down, but my friend in front of my didn't see it. She ran right over children who were getting off the bus. The kids were killed in that horrible accident. My friend couldn't even offer condolences; she was just saying how busy she was and that she didn't see. She was too busy to see the bus stopped, too busy to see the precious lives in front of her...too busy...too busy. I picked up my kid and went home, too moved to eat dinner that night. I could have been that woman: too busy to see; too busy with what? Too busy with chores that never end to spend precious time with loved ones? Too busy to spend time praying, or doing worthwhile hobbies that I enjoy? Am I too busy to pass those hobbies, those precious moments and memories on to my kids? I realized that I had been going through life numb, as if on auto-pilot, just checking off tasks on a list. All the while, the things that truly matter were passing me by. I hugged my spouse and child close, and determined that I would no longer miss what's important in life. Each day is precious: I will remember and truly learn to live." +"Well, I am a grandmother. I have a son, he is 30 years old. He got married at 17, and I have a granddaughter, she is 11, and a grandson, he is 2. Both are part Jewish. My son`s dad was Jewish, from Poland, but born in New York in 1966. He died of a brain tumor. My son, looks fine, but the kids were born with a brain`s cyst. Both had had a brain surgery to help them, but the cysts (both), are still there. These cysts are affecting their lives, they have to be going to see the Doctor and be checking them. Just a week ago, my little grandson had a surgery again, I went to visit him to the Hospital, and he was looking so delicate, so blue, very, very pale. I am so worried about them, but other than that, when the cysts are not acting, they are healthy, normal, very, very intelligent, I would say that they are geniouses. Really, really smart. And happy. I just love them. They don`t live with me, but they come visit. I love to play with my grandson, he is the one that plays with me. Last night, we were playing, and I showed to him a chess box. We placed all the pieces in the board and we had fun with them. I am so happy he is doing well. He has to wear a helmet because his skull is so thin that one fall could be fatal. But in the last check up, the Dr. said his skull is getting better. Perhaps one day he will be able to be without the helmet. Right now, just seeing them alive is a miracle." +"Parenting a child with behavioral issues might just be the hardest thing I have ever done. When our son, Jackson, started preschool, notes and telephone calls from his teachers regarding his inattentiveness began almost immediately. He had difficulty sitting still during circle time and couldn't keep his hands and feet to himself. He often started an activity, scribbled something on a piece of paper, and then would walk off to begin another activity. He couldn't concentrate long enough to finish his work. This pattern of behavior followed him to elementary school where the classes were larger and the interruptions and misbehavior had bigger implications. My husband and I had always recognized that Jackson had difficulties keeping himself occupied at home. We eventually stopped attending church because his disruptiveness during the service was embarrassing. He'd crawl under the pews, roll around on the floor, and would often yawn loudly during sermons. Despite our best efforts to discipline him, set boundaries, and accommodate his misbehavior, we felt like we were failing him. Eventually, when he turned seven, we took him to his pediatrician, and she immediately diagnosed him with ADHD. We felt a sense of relief that we had professional confirmation. That was four months ago, and my husband and I are still grappling with both his diagnosis and whether or not to medicate him. I've talked with several friends and family members who either have ADHD themselves or parent a child with the disorder. The parents almost unanimously sing the praises of medication, claiming that the positive effects completely outweigh the negative effects such as lack of appetite. However, the feedback from those who have ADHD and have taken medication has been somewhat of a mixed bag. Some have told us about the depression that seems to appear once the medication regime has begun. Others claim that lack of appetite is by far the worst side effect. They all have conceded that they are more focused, able to complete work or activities, and feel like they are able to fit in with peers during events. My husband and I remain undecided as to whether or not we want Jackson to take medication that might help him succeed in school, but would come at a price. Do the benefits outweigh the costs, and are we willing to gamble with our son's brain and mental state in order for him to ""fit in?"" How will he live his life with this label of ADHD?" +"I recently got back into play magic. I played the game a lot as a kid, but have not for several years. There had been a recent meta shift with the release of a new set, so I figured now would be a good time. I watched some of the arena streamers to get an idea of what was good now. I ended up settling on Bant Lands. It seemed the most reliable and is a lot of fun to play, even if it is a bit degenerate to the format. That said I went to my local FNM to play last weekend. It was a bit rough getting back into the hang of things. Its also the first time I had gone to one by myself instead of playing with a group of friends. I ended up coming in second out of a group of about 12. The last guy that I played was running a slightly different version then the one that I have. It was a close match, so I cant be to upset on losing. Its nice to be back into one of the hobbies that I used to play. Im hoping to be able to make it a regular thing. Prices seems to have come back down some, so I would be glad to play again." +"So I met a woman on Tinder about 6 months ago that I just wanted to hang out with; maybe have some sexual relations, but that was about all. We ended up going out to dinner one night and started talking about everything in life. Though the conversation was just casual, I truly felt like the woman was amazing. She knew what she wanted in life and didn't seem like she would stray from her goals. She said that she didn't really want a serious relationship but I could tell as the conversation went on longer that she would be open to a long term relationship. Every time she would speak my heart would start beating harder and harder because everything about her was so attractive. As the night went on I finally asked her about her relationship goals. She let me know that she didn't really want anything long term but being that our evening was going so well, I might be changing her mind. I smiled and continue to talk to her throughout our dinner session. Once we left the restaurant we to a local bar to have a drink and that's when things really got good. She told me that just from spending some time with me that she wanted to be with me. She said she never felt that way after a few hours with someone. I told her that I felt the same way and that maybe we should pursue a relationship. She agreed and we've been together every since. We plan to get married in the next coming year." +We went on our first date to the movie theater. I was very nervous about it. I live in a small town so this was one of only a few options for our date. It turned out to be perfect though because we focused on the movie once it started. Then during the movie his mom showed up. She sat in the row right behind us. This made us even more nervous than we already were. The movie we were watching was Toy Story Four. The movie was really good. We both enjoyed it. We did not do much talking once the movie started. I think this made things easier for us in the long run. This was because this was the first time we met in person. He was from a town right outside of mine. Overall we had a very good time together. +"Quite an awesome but awful experience, as i was on my first date with my Boyfriend Tom, Tow was such a great guy, he cared so much about my well being. We had previously meet at a groceries stores where he assisted with a basket. we got talking and we exchange phone digits. I got a call from Tom and we got chatting. May 27, which was children day holiday, Tom told me we need to see a movie.. Toy Story Four, i screamed for joy, not only for the movie but that i will be with him, That is our first date and outing. We bought a big pack of popcorn and two can drinks. As we sat watching the movie, at around 30 minutes into the movie, we held hands and kept steering at which others faces. only for an elderly woman showed up and gave Tom a like, he looked shocked, so i asked, Tom introduced his mom to me and i was shy, so shy. i felt unease meeting her in such a way. but it ended up being a great day. because she eventually loved me so much. Before the movie ended Tom's mom had cooked a fantastic dinner, As we sat at the table to eat, we gist about the movie, about our family and what we want in life. After dinner, He led me to the pavilion and we sat down to talk. Don't be surprised. ""he kissed me""In a good way i love the way the day ended. as Toms mom loved me" +"After graduation from our Masters programs, my partner and I took a road trip style vacation. We toured the Southwest United States and rounded back up to Missouri from Tennessee. We got to see a lot of interesting characters along the way. First, we went west to Colorado where we stayed with a friend studying aerospace. Next, we traveled down through Utah where we spent time at Arches National Park. We sped south and stopped at the Grand Canyon, only to find out it was snowing and so foggy we couldn't see anything. We next headed to Tuscon where we stayed with family and experienced car trouble. We spent three days working on our van. After Arizona, we made a quick stop in Roswell in search of aliens. Next we drove to Texas to visit a friend and see Corpus Christie. We headed to Louisiana afterwards to see family and all the Big Easy has to offer. We hit the road to Tennessee next where we visited a friend we hadn't seen in a long while before heading back to Missouri, where we quickly had to move out of our apartment. We made a lot of memories and got to experience more of the United States than many have. After being in school for the better part of 20 years straight, I think we were deserving of something like our vacation. I hope to continue these adventures with my partner, even if we have to sleep in Walmart parking lots to do it." +"After graduation, CS and I went on a trip to celebrate the end of a chapter in our lives. We decided to renovate a mini van, and turn it into a sleeper camper. We first set sail for Colorado to visit a friend on our way towards the South West. After Colorado, we went to Arches National Park in Utah and hiked. After Arches, we camped in this old, semi-abandoned ghost town at the edge of Utah. We then went on to Arizona where we visited the grand canyon and stayed with family for a few days. This is where the 90's era van we'd been camping and driving decided to break. We had to perform maintenance on the van on the side of the road in Arizona. After that, we went to New Mexico to visit Roswell and camped for the night. Next stop, the gulf of mexico, and a friend in Texas. We stayed in our friend's driveway for a couple of days and got to camp on the beach where we saw a moon bow. Next stop, Louisiana, where we stayed with family to shower and get a good night's sleep in a real bed. We explored bourbon street and had an amazing time getting to the know the city. After Louisiana, we drove to Tennessee to visit another friend in Chattanooga. This was really one of the best parts of the trip as we never get to see this friend. After Tennessee, we drove back to Springfield, ending our trip." +"My parents had a 64th birthday party, in the them of the Beatles song ""When I'm 64"". It was suppose to be a big deal but not a lot of people showed up. They rented out a pavilion at the local public park and got catering and all sorts of stuff. The food was excellent and we had all sorts of fun. We even did Bingo. But not a lot of people showed up. I think we had it catered for one 100 people. Only about 25 showed up over the course of the day. We had a lot of leftovers. I had a big hand in making sure it went alright. My parent got pretty drunk. My sister and I had to drive them home. My mum was kind of upset more people didn't show up. On the plus side I got to see relatives I haven't seen in years. It lasted about 12 hours. All-in-all we had a lot of fun." +"My parents had a 64th birthday party, in the them of the Beatles song ""When I'm 64"". It was suppose to be a big deal but not a lot of people showed up. They rented out a pavilion at the local public park and got catering and all sorts of stuff. The food was excellent and we had all sorts of fun. We even did Bingo. But not a lot of people showed up. I think we had it catered for one 100 people. Only about 25 showed up over the course of the day. We had a lot of leftovers. I had a big hand in making sure it went alright. My parent got pretty drunk. My sister and I had to drive them home. My mum was kind of upset more people didn't show up. On the plus side I got to see relatives I haven't seen in years. It lasted about 12 hours. All-in-all we had a lot of fun." +"I went home to Missouri, where I grew up, with my girlfriend of 2 years. She's California born and raised and is very much a valley girl. I was curious and, to be honest, a little amused at the thought of her adjusting to small town Missouri life. Especially because we are a lesbian couple and she's used to living in cosmopolitan Los Angeles where absolutely no one cares or notices a lesbian couple! I did tell her it's fine if we just pretend to be friends, but she was like no way, I love you and we're doing this. So we go home and of course my family doesn't care but we do get some stares. We stop and get gas in the middle of Nowheresville, Missouri and she asks me if I want something from inside the store and I'm like no, that's okay, but she's like are you sure baby? And squeezes my hand. That definitely brought some stares from the two other people at the gas station. When we're finally home, the house I grew up in, which is where my brother is having his wedding, her reaction to the food at dinner is hilarious. It's all fried and certainly not gluten free! But she is a trooper and so gracious so of course she ate it all and loved it because who DOESN'T like fried food. So then the day of the wedding dawns and the skies are so gray and I know it's going to rain, I just know it. I can FEEL the thunderstorm coming on. It's humid and the air is thick and my brother's now-wife had insisted on an outdoors wedding. Luckily we did have a lot of tents, so the rain did not get on us, but the wind did give us a light misting all over our nice clothes. I made a joke that we're all going to catch cold so this is the sickness & health part kicking in. But overall it was a wonderful wedding. My girlfriend and I danced to almost every song and it made me happy to see how far we've come as a society that no one judged us. Some people did make jokes about who wore the pants, etc, but I knew they were all in good fun. I also caught the flowers when my sister-in-law threw them at the bridesmaids! So...you know what that means!" +"We went on a work trip. We stayed over 2 days to vacation. Due to our past, some conversations got very uncomfortable, to the point where we weren’t talking at times. It has put a strain on us being cordial, which hasn’t stopped since the trip. We’ve been friends over 10 years, but it seems to me that it’s over now. We talk at work as needed, but not much beyond that. I really wish it was resolveable, but I don’t think it is. She seems to be taking it better than I am, so at least one of us is relatively unscathed by it all. One hurt is bad enough, 2 is horrible. I would love a chance to go back and fix it, but that’s only wishful thinking. She’s gone her way. I’m stuck in my old ways. I can’t see it improving. It’s a mistake that will hurt forever. If she’s happy though, I can work on feeling better." +"I have always loved surprises but sadly i have just had a few in my lifetime. My birthday was fast approaching and i was really enthusiastic about it , i tried so hard not to remind my husband about it because i felt he had something in mind and it would ruin the surprise. That day finally came and i was totally excited right from the moment i opened my eyes. But my excitement was ephemeral because ,my husband didn't even seem to notice me that day , he had this kind of stern look on his face and told me that he would be travelling that same day. I was totally flabbergasted. I was almost tempted to remind him but i was already pissed that he didn't even remember it was my birthday. All my hopes for a surprise party just came crashing down. After he left the house i prepared the kids for school, didn't really expect them to remember though , still felt it would be cool if they did. I set out for work and had divided attention because i felt my phone would ring anytime and i would have my hubby sing a birthday song for me. What i got was more and more work , my supervisor gave me loads of work and my colleagues who always gave me birthday wishes didn't even seem to notice me. I later gave up and said to myself well , ""This should be the worst birthday ever"".When i got home , i was exhausted and famished , on entering the door i had a loud shout of ""Happy birthday"", i can say i literally ran off my skin , tears of joy overwhelmed me .I was totally swept off my feet , to my surprise i saw my husband , which i later knew he was feigning the serious look and the travel plan , i was really excited ,my colleagues and supervisor were all there. What was really memorable was the birthday song my kids sang for me and the flowers they presented and also the fact that my mom was able to make it despite the fact that she was critically ill. I received loads of gift from my husband and some items when i earlier did some window shopping with him was given to me. I really had the best time of my life and had so much fun. This is the best and most memorable and surprising birthday party i have ever had ; thanks to my lovely husband and kids ." +"I have always wanted a surprise birthday celebration and sadly i have never gotten one. I just alluded it to my husband recently and i didn't know he had something in the pipeline for me. That day he was suppose to be out of town so i wasn't really expecting any surprises, i just felt it would be one of those boring birthdays when i would just receive calls from my loved ones and probably blow a cake. So after my usual day at work , which i didn't even get a happy birthday from my colleagues. I was kind of pissed so i headed home immediately after work. As i got home i had a thunderous happy birthday and i literally jumped out of my skin. Tears of joy kept rolling down from my eyes , my colleagues where already there. My husband just made the story of having to travel and my kids were all smiles. I was really ecstatic , what surprised me most was my parents took out time to travel for my special day even though my mum was down with stage 2 cancer. I had series of gifts from my husband and my friends. The love showed to me was unfathomable. I really wanted to get a necklace which i saw at a store some days back and to my surprise it was among the gifts i received. I have never had a surprise birthday party before and this was a new and exciting experience for me. I love my husband but this surprise made me love and cherish him more. I really cant wait for another birthday party. As for my kids they sang me a birthday song. This was totally the most awesome experience i have ever had." +"We decided that we wanted to experience everything that was unique and interesting about Mexico. Since this trip was only about 3 months ago, the memories are still very fresh and upfront in my mind. My friends and I had done research a week or two before we left so we knew which excursions we wanted to take. My favorite excursion was when we toured some ancient ruins which showed the way that the indigenous people pf Mexico originally lived. I learned that in these cultures, it was not uncommon for the tribesman to run barefoot from one village to the next - which was sometimes as much as 50 miles. It was amazing to learn how this activity evolved the culture into these super-athletes who had amazing endurance and stamina. Another favorite excursion was a tour of a real Mexican plant where authentic Mexican food is made. After the tour, my friends and I ate an amazing meal of true authentic Mexican food that was out of this world. At the end of the meal, a mariachi band came over to serenade me with an authentic rendition of ""Happy Birthday""! I thanked my friends for setting up this amazing surprise. Another favorite excursion was our trip out to a Mexican ranching farm. We learned about some of the differences between ranch farming in the U.S. as compared to Mexico. I was impressed with the dedication and commitment that Mexican ranch farmers have to make to succeed in this business due to the hot climate and dusty terrain. Our last excursion was a trip though Mexico City. I was amazed to learn about the high elevation of Mexico City and the frequent earthquakes that occur. I was also impressed with the vibrancy and energy that seemed to permeate through the city. My recent trip to Mexico for my birthday was an amazing trip and one that I'll remember and think fondly back on for the rest of my life." +"We decided that we wanted to experience everything that was unique and interesting about Mexico. Since this trip was only about 3 months ago, the memories are still very fresh and upfront in my mind. My friends and I had done research a week or two before we left so we knew which excursions we wanted to take. My favorite excursion was when we toured some ancient ruins which showed the way that the indigenous people pf Mexico originally lived. I learned that in these cultures, it was not uncommon for the tribesman to run barefoot from one village to the next - which was sometimes as much as 50 miles. It was amazing to learn how this activity evolved the culture into these super-athletes who had amazing endurance and stamina. Another favorite excursion was a tour of a real Mexican plant where authentic Mexican food is made. After the tour, my friends and I ate an amazing meal of true authentic Mexican food that was out of this world. At the end of the meal, a mariachi band came over to serenade me with an authentic rendition of ""Happy Birthday""! I thanked my friends for setting up this amazing surprise. Another favorite excursion was our trip out to a Mexican ranching farm. We learned about some of the differences between ranch farming in the U.S. as compared to Mexico. I was impressed with the dedication and commitment that Mexican ranch farmers have to make to succeed in this business due to the hot climate and dusty terrain. Our last excursion was a trip though Mexico City. I was amazed to learn about the high elevation of Mexico City and the frequent earthquakes that occur. I was also impressed with the vibrancy and energy that seemed to permeate through the city. My recent trip to Mexico for my birthday was an amazing trip and one that I'll remember and think fondly back on for the rest of my life." +"This week, my son started first grade. He is the youngest of all of my children and the only boy. He was in kindergarten last year, and that was hard for me as well, as I had to come to terms with the fact that he was growing up and wasn't my little baby anymore. However, it was only kindergarten so he still felt like a ""baby' to me. This year however, he is noticeably older and more grown up. As he walked down the street towards the bus on his first day of first grade, he looked like a ""big kid"" instead of my little baby. It made me both happy and sad. As he is becoming such a wonderful young man, yet at the same time my little baby no longer is little (This is also evident as his clothes from last year are too small. Last year they were too big). Most surprisingly, he wasn't scared or nervous this year. At the start of kindergarten last year, he cried and begged me to stay home. I really wanted to keep him home as well! This year, didn't cry for me or try to run back home for another hug. I was glad he was feeling more independent, but part of me wished he needed me more. My little man is growing up so fast. I wish I could turn back the time and keep him my baby forever. Although I cannot, he will still always be ""mamas baby""." +"I will start counting the purchase of my last car:the tragedy that this brought me, was something normal at the beginning, it was the year, used, the first days I am excellent without failures or anything. but for a moment everything was harmful, obviously I bought all the spare parts, but anyway, it is a very expensive car for which I saved too much. I had to sell it as an emergency because. I was about to leave it for a while, and the former owner never wanted to answer me for how damaged the car was when he lied to me saying that it is very, very good. With how little I am saved and how little I could get for the other car I decided to buy an agency. I hope soon to suggest to have many cars, or to have a very high-end vehicle dealerelegance and comfort ... the best of the country. After that, it would be nice to look for a house a little bigger to happen and have a better comfort with my family without giving so many details. I remember that there was something that I enjoyed very much, and that I managed to make a trio with a woman from Canada and the other one from here in the countryThey were sincerely beautiful, and they moved like they could have no idea. Maybe that was what caused the car to start damaging so much ... well, I'm not a scientist to know. I liked it, I felt the king of the world. King Kong, everything controlled. Anyway, I hope everything changes and is better. because good things happen to good people. Anyway, that's what I had to tell. thanks for your attention." +"Two months ago, my dog died in the hot July. The dog died by my other dog. The other dog was crying. I hugged the other dog and we both shared a cry. I remember the good times with my dog. I remember going to the park. I threw the ball towards the soccer field. The dog got a soccer ball one time by mistake. I had to kick it back to the players. I remember he loved eating peanut butter. I would sometimes put some on his dog food. He loved it but he had to drink water afterwards. It was funny seeing him smack. This was a great time. The dog had a great life. I hope he is resting in dog heaven. He was a good boy." +"Two months ago, my dog died in the hot July. The dog died by my other dog. The other dog was crying. I hugged the other dog and we both shared a cry. I remember the good times with my dog. I remember going to the park. I threw the ball towards the soccer field. The dog got a soccer ball one time by mistake. I had to kick it back to the players. I remember he loved eating peanut butter. I would sometimes put some on his dog food. He loved it but he had to drink water afterwards. It was funny seeing him smack. This was a great time. The dog had a great life. I hope he is resting in dog heaven. He was a good boy." +"When I was in college I met someone that I really liked. We had so much in common and I thought he liked me just as much. We dated for several months and then I found out he had another girlfriend as well. He says we weren't dating exclusively but I felt differently. I was not dating anyone else. It was really hard to see him with other girls. I missed being with him. I was sad for several days. I wanted him back and tried to get him back. Later, after 3 months of not being with him, I was told that he was unfaithful to his current girlfriend and on to another girl. I was so happy that we broke up earlier in the school year. This taught me that things work out for a reason. I taught me to be true to myself and the right person will come along. I no longer fall for someone so quickly. I don't allow myself to fall for someone so quickly." +"When I was in college I met someone that I really liked. We had so much in common and I thought he liked me just as much. We dated for several months and then I found out he had another girlfriend as well. He says we weren't dating exclusively but I felt differently. I was not dating anyone else. It was really hard to see him with other girls. I missed being with him. I was sad for several days. I wanted him back and tried to get him back. Later, after 3 months of not being with him, I was told that he was unfaithful to his current girlfriend and on to another girl. I was so happy that we broke up earlier in the school year. This taught me that things work out for a reason. I taught me to be true to myself and the right person will come along. I no longer fall for someone so quickly. I don't allow myself to fall for someone so quickly." +"Several weeks ago, my wife and I took our 3 sons to a park about an hour away from where we live. This park is in the middle of town and has a stream running through it with a rock bottom. Rock formations are all around the stream and numerous waterfalls are located in the stream throughout the park. This event was memorable and touching to me because it was the first time that we had all been out together as a family since our youngest son was born several weeks earlier. We have 3 sons aged 4, 20 months and 4 weeks. Each of them had a different experience in the park. My oldest son had a great time by running upstream and jumping from the rocks into the water. My middle son also enjoyed himself by carefully walking through the water and commenting on the leaves he saw floating in the water or the small minnows he saw swimming. My youngest son is still too young to appreciate the experience but he was awake for the majority of the time while we were at the park. This event was also good for my wife who hadn't had much of a chance to get out of the house since our youngest son was born. The weather was warm but it was cooler in the shade where the stream was located. We also packed a picnic lunch that we enjoyed when our hiking through the stream was finished. Several weeks later, my two oldest sons are still talking about our experience at this park. I'm thankful for the time that we were able to spend together. I feel it's very valuable to get our kids outdoors as much as possible and let them play and exhaust some energy." +"It was just the beginning of the summer break. My wife had a maternity leave and is yet to resume. I made sure my own 12 days leave coincided with the particular time my wife had her maternity leave. So three weeks ago, after some days planning, we set on this picnic to the park. It was the first we had since we gave birth to our youngest son about 6 weeks earlier. I took my ford, stocked it with drinks and some food in the warmer and we set out. With me is my wife and our 3 sons. This park is a popular park and it's only a 2 hours drive from our apartment. By 7 am, we were already on our way. I stepped on the gas such that my wife had to caution me not to kill us. We blasted our favorite song ""Shakira - Try Everything"" and my eldest son with his brother were bouncing on the back seat. Our youngest son was suckling on the breast of his mother like his life depended on it. In no time, we were at the park. We packed our stuffs and headed for a cool spot. We took a walk around while my wife and I were talking about our last visit here before kids starting coming into our lives. We helped ourselves to the food in the warmer while I set music to the portable I brought along. We spent some 3 hours singing, dancing, eating, taking a walk and playing family games. When we were satisfied, we took our leave. All our sons slept on the way back. I guess it because they had an enjoyable time." +"My father is a production engineer. We lived near the factory, where my dad worked. It was a few miles from the city. This settlement was primarily for factory workers. we used to go to the city when my dad had holidays. he used to work in shifts. The factory was running all 24 hours a day. There was never a holiday. All people living in the place were like a family. Facotry management took care of all our needs. My neighbor Jack is my close friedn. Jack's cousin Pete came down for the holidays from NY. We all hit it together very well. He was with us for nearly a month. We all had a great time. Pete requested that me and Jack accompany him back to NY and be with him for a few days. As it was holidays and we have never been out of the colony, our parents told us to go. It was an awesome time of my life. The city was wonderful and we enoyed a lot. As we grew up in suburb, this was a dream time for us." +"My youngest brother was diagnosed in Jan. 2014 and given a few weeks to live. At the time, he was separated from his wife and heading for divorce. She agreed to take care of him and my brother gave her power of attorney. He donated his body to science and was then cremated. His ashes were sent to wife. She refused to give them back to family even though she was engaged and living with fiance. She was killed in a car wreck within the year and after that we lost touch with where his ashes were. I tried through the years to contact family members to no avail. One day, after 5 years of trying I started thinking about it all again and decided I would give in one more try. I looked up law regarding this issue and found out that law states his remains are to go to next of kin, which is his parents. We lost both or parents. If parents are gone they go to siblings. I am the oldest sibling and then decided I would bluff my way through this so I found her sister on Facebook and contacted her. She read my message and didn't respond, so I bluffed my way with what I had found out and told sister she had 10 days to respond to my message or I would sue to get him back. It worked. She said her mother had them and gave me her phone number. I called her mother and she agreed to give them back. I immediately sent my nephew over them to claim his ashes. As soon as he got them he mailed them to me here in Missouri. I am now going to Texas (my home state) in 3 weeks and are finally burying him next to our other brother that we lost within 2 years of youngest death. They were together in life and deserve to be together in death." +"My father went to the doctor one day for a check-up. The doctor scheduled a follow up appointment. I didn't think it was a big deal and neither did my father. When my father went to his follow up appointment he was diagnosed with lung cancer. He has not smoked in over 15 years so I was really shocked. His doctor scheduled a surgery in hopes of removing the cancer. Before going in for surgery my father gave my mother some money. The following day some drug addicts went into her purse and stole all of her money. I was mad and wanted to see blood. My dad gave me the combination to his safe and had me give my mom some more money. Then it happened again, they stole her whole wallet this time. A church located in the hood mailed my mom her license back after finding it in their parking lot. I was extremely mad and needed to see blood. These losers robbed my father while he was on his deathbed. I could not do anything about it because my father needed me. My father passed away shortly after. I am now free to find the couple that robbed my dying father. I pray for them every night." +"My father went to the doctor one day just for a regular check-up. He was diagnosed with lung cancer. When I found out I was devestated because I know that cancer equals death. I started crying immediately when I found out. I called my sister still in tears. I told her ""dad has cancer"" and she said ""what does that mean?"" I was so mad I hung up and went away to be alone for a while. I wanted to be anywhere but there. I would rather be in prison and learn about it in a letter than witness it happen. My father scheduled a surgery in hopes that they could remove the cancer. My father had surgery but it was unsucessful. A drug addict by the name of Jamie went into my moms purse and stole all of her money. I was so mad, but I could not do anything about it because my dad needed me. I gave my mom some more money so that I could get back to taking care of my father. Then Jamie and her homeless boyfriend Doug did it again. This time they took my mom's whole wallet. I still could not leave because my father needed my help. My dad wasted away and was unable to eat. I would cry myself to sleep every night. My father passed away while the hospice nurse was at his house. She came to the bedroom to tell me he had passed. I did not want to see my dad dead because I wanted to remember him alive. I was now free to catch Jamie and Doug and make them pay for robbing my father while he was on his deathbed. They will probably be somewhere getting high when I catch them. I cannot wait to catch them. It would be a dream come true to catch both of them together. I've tried everything imaginable to let it go" +"Last month I had a friend come visit that I had never seen before. We had talked on the internet quite a bit, and even shared pictures with each other but we'd never actually seen each other in real life. We'd talked on the phone, but that doesn't really show what a person is like. I was really nervous and had the whole thing planned out in my head how it would go. Of course, it didn't happen exactly as I planned. Luckily, it still went really well. My friend plans on moving to the area and being able to hang out with him for a few days really put my mind at ease. He looked just like his pictures and sounded just like he did on the phone, so I wasn't shocked or disappointed. He was actually much calmer in real life and I think our personalities meshed quite well. He brought along his dog that was even cuter than expected. I showed him around our area and he was surprised to see a lack of trees, but ultimately things were very similar to his hometown. He's from a large metro area and I'm from a smaller town, with lots of rural suburbs. The cost of housing surprised him and I thought for sure he would be disappointed by our lack of food choices, but he seemed relatively impressed. We ate at a few restaurants that I hadn't tried since I don't get out of the house much. I'm looking forward to having a friend close by, as most of my friends live across the country from me so we don't get to see each other often." +"I met this person on facebook about a year ago. He always makes me laugh even when I'm feeling down. About a two months ago he came to my home town to meet for the first time. I don't know if it is possible , but for me it was love at first sight. He has a smile that just melts my heart. Since then things have gotten better and better between us. He is considering moving closer to me so we can have more time together. This weekend he has hinted at a special dinner. He has been very mysterious about it. My nerves are on edge. What if he proposes? O my gosh I'm blushing writing this. I plan on buying a new dress for this weekend. I want to look my best. I am so much in love and I've never felt so loved before till now." +"Back in April I went to the Florida Keys for the first time in my life. I drove with my family from Virginia all the way to Islamorada which took a total time of more than 16 hours over two days. We stayed in the Keys for five days before returning home. The trip did not start out well. The weather was rainy when we first left Virginia and temperatures were cool. The traffic trying to go south out of the state was terrible. The drive after that point wasn't too bad, just very long. We stopped the first night when we got to the Ocala area. We didn't have reservations for a hotel, so we had to end up staying in a shady motel. The area itself was fine but the room was old and run-down looking. The shower didn't have any hot water and we found multiple bugs in the room. Thankfully we only had to stay one night before continuing to drive to the Keys. The next day we finally got down to the Keys. One of my most memorable moments was going over one of the first bridges. There were some rain showers around, but the sun was shining and the water was a beautiful, bright turquoise color. The hotel we had booked was much better than the motel we had stayed in and even had a small beach at it. We spent most of our time checking out the local beaches and going snorkeling on the jetties and reefs in the area. All in all, I really enjoyed my time in the Florida Keys and the time I got to spend with my family. I would definitely recommend the area to others who are thinking of visiting." +"Two months ago I married the love of my life. It is by far the most memorable day of my life. We met in high school, became teen parents, and had been dating for a little over 14 years. We had a long 5 year engagement, just to ensure that our wedding day was perfect. We paid for everything and planned everything on our own, which I think adds to memory of our special day. We both had input and we tailored our decisions to stay true to our love story, as well as highlighting our very different personalities. It was a great day and when we read our vows, people cried. We had a very intimate setting, very close friends and family only, and I think it made it that much more special. We really just focused on ourselves and each other, something a lot of couples forget to do. I've heard so many times, from friends and family, that they wish they could go back and do it all over again. I've heard a lot of stories about how the day flew by and that they never took the time to actually enjoy it. A lot of people regret the decisions they make when it comes to their wedding day. They wish they would have had a smaller or a less expensive wedding. A lot of my friends and family believe they wasted a large sum of money on one single day and ended up being in debt afterwards. We took all of those stories and we decided to not let that be our story. We bought everything with cash, nothing as a loan or on credit. We made our own smorgasbord of food and desserts. We treated it like Thanksgiving. It was awesome and delicious. We worried less about being flashy and classy and more about being comfortable and memorable. We wore what we wanted and didn't have a dress code for our guests. There was no rehearsal dinner, no huge reception. We told people to come as you are and bring their own drinks. Everyone really enjoyed just relaxing, eating good food, and letting loose. It was beautiful, laid back and there's nothing I would change about our special day." +"I saved thirty dollars from every paycheck for two years in order to buy a top of the line, high definition television. Two months ago, I noticed a beautiful 4k television at a local store. I knew the moment I saw it, I must buy it. The great thing was the price. The store was offering huge discounts just before Thanksgiving. I bought the television and received a three hundred dollar discount. The day of the delivery, I was full of anticipation. I reconfigured my living room in order to make the space for my prized purchase. It took approximately sixty minutes to unbox and set up the television. Immediately after it arrived, I called friends and family members to schedule a football watching party for the following Sunday. The day of the party was so exciting. Over twenty people came over to watch football and movies on my new television. Every one was amazed by the sound and video quality of the new television. The football field, players and referees were so vivid. It was just like being at the football stadium. Everyone asked, where I bought the television and how much it costs. No one believed that I received such a great discount on the television. The television helped to provide me with one of the most memorable and sociable weekends in a long time." +"Our moms group went to a regional luncheon in Sacramento. It was an amazing trip like no other I had been on before. We piled 8 moms into a Suburban and spent 48 hours together. We had so much fun. We told stories about our childhood, how we met our husbands, and our lives now as mothers. We ate ridiculous amounts of junk food, and drank plenty of alcohol. It was fantastic. We traveled around Sacramento, taking in all the sights. We stayed up late at night, eating and drinking. We giggled like teenagers again. The luncheon was fabulous. We won an award for our service project. We also filled an entire table with participants. Lots of people told us we looked wonderful, all dressed up. It was a time I will never forget. I'm so glad we had this opportunity to travel together." +"Two months ago I went to Red Lobster with my mom for my birthday. I was really surprised to find a lot of my family there, they stood up and gave me hugs as I sat down. We had party hats, which was funny because we're all adults, but it was for my 40th and so we were doing the opposite of what people usually do for the 40th birthday. I had a lot of fun. My family members told stories about me and my brother as we were growing up. My grandaddy paid and he said I should get lobster so I had lobster. The best part was the cake, which my mom had made. It was a unicorn cake like she made when I was a little kid. I got to feel young at heart and it was a great day to make me not feel so bad about turning a scary number. My parents gave me a gift there, and it was a ticket to Seattle, where I had always wanted to go. I'll get to spend a few days there enjoying the coast and the big forests around the state. My other relatives gave me cards and each had written some great thing they did after they turned 40. I felt encouraged not to feel so bad about my age. I realized I would have a lot of things to do still in my life. So it was a great birthday and a nice surprise." +"One month ago i went to Italy. Me and me wife rented a log cabin. When we got to the cabin we looked at brochures of things to do in the area. at first we went site seeing. after that we saw Dolomite mountain. My wife said we should go hiking on that mountain range. at first i was skeptical. After more research i decided it would be fun for us to do. We gathered some supplies. Then we started at the bottom of the range. the first day we got very far, to the top of the range. then it became nighttime. i set up our tent for the night. the next morning we hiked down the mountain range. it was a very exciting experience. i couldn't believe we went that far along the mountain range." +"One month ago i went to Italy. Me and me wife rented a log cabin. When we got to the cabin we looked at brochures of things to do in the area. at first we went site seeing. after that we saw Dolomite mountain. My wife said we should go hiking on that mountain range. at first i was skeptical. After more research i decided it would be fun for us to do. We gathered some supplies. Then we started at the bottom of the range. the first day we got very far, to the top of the range. then it became nighttime. i set up our tent for the night. the next morning we hiked down the mountain range. it was a very exciting experience. i couldn't believe we went that far along the mountain range." +I was homeless once. It was a tough time. I had to work hard. I needed help. I reached out for help. Some people helped. The city helped. I got assistance. I did some work. I worked hard. I got better. I got stronger. I did my best. I made it out. I worked hard and got my life back. It took a while. It took years. I did my best and it payed off. It was a very difficult time in my life and I did my best to get better and do what I needed to. I got help with mental health problems that lead me to where I was. I had gotten several concussions which made the situation worse and I had to get help from other people to get my life straightened out. I worked hard to do better and in the end I was able to get housing and a secure life. +I was homeless once. It was a tough time. I had to work hard. I needed help. I reached out for help. Some people helped. The city helped. I got assistance. I did some work. I worked hard. I got better. I got stronger. I did my best. I made it out. I worked hard and got my life back. It took a while. It took years. I did my best and it payed off. It was a very difficult time in my life and I did my best to get better and do what I needed to. I got help with mental health problems that lead me to where I was. I had gotten several concussions which made the situation worse and I had to get help from other people to get my life straightened out. I worked hard to do better and in the end I was able to get housing and a secure life. +"Yesterday I had to take my kitty to the vet. I had to drive an hour over very rural back roads to get him there. He is quite a large cat and did not take to traveling well. I had to take him to the vet because he had been coughing and refusing to eat his prescribed kitty food. He was just having a hard time of it. I finally got him to the vet and he was able to get out of the car. I should say that he cried the whole time we were driving. I had to turn the music up to drown him out. I dont want to be mean, but he was really crying. Finally we got him to the vet and he calmed down a little. He got his urine checked and is having problems with allergies. The cat might have asthma. The cat!! I could not believe a cat could have asthma. Anyway, $100 later and we were on our way back home. The ride back was better." +"Yesterday I had to take my kitty to the vet. I had to drive an hour over very rural back roads to get him there. He is quite a large cat and did not take to traveling well. I had to take him to the vet because he had been coughing and refusing to eat his prescribed kitty food. He was just having a hard time of it. I finally got him to the vet and he was able to get out of the car. I should say that he cried the whole time we were driving. I had to turn the music up to drown him out. I dont want to be mean, but he was really crying. Finally we got him to the vet and he calmed down a little. He got his urine checked and is having problems with allergies. The cat might have asthma. The cat!! I could not believe a cat could have asthma. Anyway, $100 later and we were on our way back home. The ride back was better." +"Since I first received the news that I needed to quit my job, which I loved, I have made many changes in my life. First, I quit my job the day before Thanksgiving break. I cried when I talked with my friend in HR. I FINALLY purchased my rollator. This was a huge act of acceptance, as I had fought doing this. The rollator sat in my truck for 2 weeks, never used. I refused to bring it into my home. I felt I didn't need it inside. I simply did NOT want to use it. One day I fell twice inside my home. That same day I was so out of balance, bouncing around, hitting walls, etc. So, I asked my husband to go get it. Eagerly, I began to use it that day. I was okay with it as I definitely needed this aid at the time. A few days later when I wasn't as out of balance I stopped using it. Then my balance went crazy again. I bounced around, not using the rollator. My husband put it in front of me. Now, I can happily say I am using my rollator in my home whenever I need it. I view this aid as my friend now. Once I order a basket for the front, it will be even more useful to me. I have been stubborn about using this, but now I am at peace with it. I've accepted what I need to do." +"Since I first received the news that I needed to quit my job, which I loved, I have made many changes in my life. First, I quit my job the day before Thanksgiving break. I cried when I talked with my friend in HR. I FINALLY purchased my rollator. This was a huge act of acceptance, as I had fought doing this. The rollator sat in my truck for 2 weeks, never used. I refused to bring it into my home. I felt I didn't need it inside. I simply did NOT want to use it. One day I fell twice inside my home. That same day I was so out of balance, bouncing around, hitting walls, etc. So, I asked my husband to go get it. Eagerly, I began to use it that day. I was okay with it as I definitely needed this aid at the time. A few days later when I wasn't as out of balance I stopped using it. Then my balance went crazy again. I bounced around, not using the rollator. My husband put it in front of me. Now, I can happily say I am using my rollator in my home whenever I need it. I view this aid as my friend now. Once I order a basket for the front, it will be even more useful to me. I have been stubborn about using this, but now I am at peace with it. I've accepted what I need to do." +"Yesterday was July 24, a memorable day for sure and my birthday! Artia and I bonded and grew closer as we visited the six flags in my town. Everyone was there, my husband and my sister with her daughter Jang. She and Artia have become so close. Artia also invited her friend from school to come along. We had a great start to the afternoon at this fancy artsy restaurant. They painted our food on the table and we laughed and admired the scenery around us. Afterwards, we headed to the nearby six flags to lose our minds on some roller coasters. The most enjoybale and surprising thing that happened was a stranger bought everyone ice cream when we visited an ice cream store inside the park. I really think it was one of the best times of my life. Enjoying such dazzling feelings of closeness to my family, the love of them celebrating me; it was incredibly meaningful. I love them all. Whether they are screaming for terror on the biggest roller coaster or just having a simple meal with me, I know that they are there with me. that connection is so valuable. I intend to always be there for them." +"My husband and I were chosen as the pre-adoptive potential parents for a 12 year old boy who the caseworker said had mild autism. The case worker said he was a perfect child, who was just neglected by his drug addict mother. The child had been in a facility in another state for 4 months, and we were scheduled to travel there to visit him. We visited the facility and were surprise to see that it was essentially a child prison, detention center. It was brutal, especially since we had been told the boy was basically without many issues. We returned home after the visit and asked when the child would be discharged, we were told he would be there at least one year. We became less interested in the three to four phone calls and the additional family therapy session we had been participating in after the case worker told us that his prior home had kicked him out for threatening to kill their daughter by choking her to death with a plastic bag. Violent tendencies and Schizophrenia ( he was hearing voices to hurt others) is a no-go for us so we ended our inquiry on that child. The caseworker had lied about his violent nature and also lied about how many pairs of glasses the state had bought the child in the last 4 month. They only bought 1 pair, after our visit because we insisted he needed a new pair. The case worker lied to us and said they had bought 4 pair in 4 months, so we no longer trusted that dude. The strange thing is that although the caseworker got all rude and defensive he failed to take us off the boy's call list. Christmas day, 3 phone calls and I talked to the little guy because he has no one else to turn to, all very sad because I now see that caseworkers are the reason kids age out of foster care. They think they own the children and they actually hurt their chances for a perfect home. We have been searching for the right child for 4 years now, and caseworkers have proven to be forgetful, careless and uncaring, they pretend to care, but they aren't there for those kids at all. Time will tell if we ever do bring a child into our home, time is not the child's friend, as most simply age out of the system and never find a loving family because the system is a money making machine for the states." +"We recently visited a child that we are considering adopting. He is in the foster car system and we are hoping that when he gets out of the treatment center he will have learned new behaviours that will make it easier for him to have a successful adoption experience in our home. The trip to the facility was distant. It was busy with traffic and it seemed like rather a scary undertaking. We had to rent a car and drive in a strange area to us. We arrived at the destination. We then went into the building and it seemed more like a prison than a place a child would be living. They immediately had to take any cell phones. They then proceeded to check us for weapons. Then they would unlock each door we entered. It was definitely a maximum security type of place. It seemed unusual to us that a child under 13 would need to be in a maximum security type environment for simply having Autism. The facility we visited has kids of all kinds separated into units, some are court ordered, some are private pay and some are insurance paid. I think most parents would be alarmed if their autistic child was put in a place like that. It had no with real atmosphere of a real home. I would rate it as terrible." +"The Monday of the week of the Fourth of July, I randomly went out for a drink after a long day. After ordering a drink from a bartender friend at a local bar, and relaxing, going through some news alerts and other notifications on my phone, my friend introduced me to another patron at the bar. We were only around 5 or so people in the bar at the time, so my friend introduced to me a guy who had just moved to the area for a job. We started talking that night about random things, but mostly about music and played different music we liked on the jukebox. I ended up talking with my now boyfriend for the rest of the night until the bar closed, but we didn't exchange any information with one another to get in contact again. I went back to the same bar two nights later and I was happy to see this guy, my current boyfriend, again in the bar. We ended up talking the rest of the night there and until the early morning hours, since neither of us had to worry about work the next day, since it was the July 4th holiday. We exchanged phone numbers when we went to our homes, and made plans to see one another the next day. We did not actually see each other on the 4th, however, but we did re-make the plans and met on that Friday the 5th. After seeing each other again that Friday, our chemistry was undeniable and we both knew we liked one another. From that point, we were seeing each other every day, if only for a few hours a day. Soon after, we actually made our relationship official, even though friends had already assumed we were together since we were always together when we would go out, whether to the bar we met or to a restaurant or a movie. A few weeks into dating officially, it was my birthday and my boyfriend took me to a really nice birthday dinner and we starting talking more about the future and our future together. About a month later, my boyfriend officially moved in with me, because we were spending so much time together and our feelings were real, so it made sense and we wanted to do so to spend more time together. It has been 20 weeks since we met, to the day, and our relationship has only gotten stronger as we have lived together and continued to learn more about each other. I could not have imagined that going for a drink on a random Monday night would have led to me meeting the man I hope to spend the rest of my life with, but 20 weeks ago it did happen and I'm grateful to my friend for introducing us that night." +"The Monday of the week of the Fourth of July, I randomly went out for a drink after a long day. After ordering a drink from a bartender friend at a local bar, and relaxing, going through some news alerts and other notifications on my phone, my friend introduced me to another patron at the bar. We were only around 5 or so people in the bar at the time, so my friend introduced to me a guy who had just moved to the area for a job. We started talking that night about random things, but mostly about music and played different music we liked on the jukebox. I ended up talking with my now boyfriend for the rest of the night until the bar closed, but we didn't exchange any information with one another to get in contact again. I went back to the same bar two nights later and I was happy to see this guy, my current boyfriend, again in the bar. We ended up talking the rest of the night there and until the early morning hours, since neither of us had to worry about work the next day, since it was the July 4th holiday. We exchanged phone numbers when we went to our homes, and made plans to see one another the next day. We did not actually see each other on the 4th, however, but we did re-make the plans and met on that Friday the 5th. After seeing each other again that Friday, our chemistry was undeniable and we both knew we liked one another. From that point, we were seeing each other every day, if only for a few hours a day. Soon after, we actually made our relationship official, even though friends had already assumed we were together since we were always together when we would go out, whether to the bar we met or to a restaurant or a movie. A few weeks into dating officially, it was my birthday and my boyfriend took me to a really nice birthday dinner and we starting talking more about the future and our future together. About a month later, my boyfriend officially moved in with me, because we were spending so much time together and our feelings were real, so it made sense and we wanted to do so to spend more time together. It has been 20 weeks since we met, to the day, and our relationship has only gotten stronger as we have lived together and continued to learn more about each other. I could not have imagined that going for a drink on a random Monday night would have led to me meeting the man I hope to spend the rest of my life with, but 20 weeks ago it did happen and I'm grateful to my friend for introducing us that night." +"It's been 6 months since my beloved cat dyed. His name was Kich. He was 17. He was one of the best things to ever happen to me, hands down. He was black, long, and thin with elegant features. He lived a good life despite illnesses. He was such a good and sweet buddy, my most precious gift to have ever received from life. Now that I look back on it, I thought he was going to live strong seemingly forever because he could escape brushes with death and seemed that he could last longer, but slowly, his health started to decline until it was snowballing. I said goodbye to him in disbelief that he was really gone, that I couldn't do anything to keep him here, that I couldn't take away his suffering. I will never forget the moments when I saw him slip away forever. Just a couple days later, my other cat who lived with my ex husband died. He died at home of old age, just as his brother had. I still can't believe both my boys are gone and there's a part of my heart that is so empty without them. The only thing that makes it ok is that nothing can hurt my boys anymore. I guess this is the price to pay to make sure they no longer suffer." +"When my uncle passed away and I attended his funeral, I recall arriving to the church with a heavy heart. We were all dressed in black, and my anxiety was running a little high thinking about how I would be able to properly compose myself. I was worried about how I'd react when I saw my aunt and my cousins who had just lost the man they used to see every day. I couldn't stop thinking about them the most and how much pain this event had caused them. The first person I saw was my cousin and as soon as we met eyes I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with grief for him. Seeing him made tears pour down my face and we had yet to even begin the ceremony. I panicked, thinking I really should have brought a whole box of tissues into the church with me. I spilled my heart out and told him how much I missed his dad and how I had been thinking about him, his sister and his mother. He cried, too, which is something I had never seen before in my whole life knowing him. Then I saw my aunt who was surrounded by family, receiving hugs and words of consolation. I just stood where I was, watching, but it all felt so surreal - it was like an out of body experience. She had been on my mind so much that finally seeing her in this moment of mourning felt so strange. And to see her be there, she had never seemed more courageous to me, to be able to face this moment no one ever even wanted to talk about. My uncle had not been well for years and she served as his caretaker the whole time, but always seemed so gracious to have each day with him that she did. It was a day of so many emotions - relief that my uncle would no longer be suffering in a body that no longer served him, but complete grief and selfishness in hopes that he would bear it for longer so we wouldn't have to say goodbye. It was a day I'll never forget, and a day I find myself constantly thinking over." +"This past week has been so rough. My beloved uncle died last week. Uncle Ronnie was everyone's favorite. He was the guy who made everybody laugh and brought everyone together. We all went to his funeral together. This was the first I'd ever been to. Seeing him laying there in the casket was heartbreaking. There was not a dry eye in the funeral home. We were all crying so hard. Even in death, Uncle Ronnie brought us all together. We mourned his death together. We will also heal together. After his service, we all met at grandma's house. Everyone came with food. Despite the sadness, we all managed to be together and celebrate his hearty life." +"We had an awesome cookout for the kids and their friends. Their friends' parents were able to join in as well if they wanted to. The day came and we set everything up in the yard such as the tents, tables, chairs, and grill. A few people started to arrive and all of a sudden it became cloudy. Throughout the entire week, there wasn't anything in the forecast to say that it would rain. As the last person arrived, the rain began and it came down hard. All the kids were gathered inside the house so they wouldn't get wet under the tents and the adults lounged outside underneath the over hang of the house. It was chaotic and we didn't have a lot of room for the amount of people that were in the house, but somehow we made it work. The kids played games on the floor, talked to each other, played game systems and even took pictures every so often with their phone. They all had a blast despite the weather change. The adults had a good time just to mingle around and talk. The food was good to eat and everyone had a full belly. A few hours later, it was time for everyone to go home. The parents who did not stay, came to pick up their kids, some of the parents that came to eat helped put up the tables and chairs and cleaned up a bit. My kids had a great time to see their friends over the summer with this cookout." +"Memory Entry 312: The craziest thing happened, about 2 months ago. We felt that, our children haven't been spending a lot of time with their friends. I mean, it was officially summer break. They all had straight A's! We felt the need to reward them for their efforts. We are very proud of them. The setting for the cookout was great. Friends and families getting together to share, and the children got to spend time with their friends. There was plenty of vegan inspired plates and platters! A personal favorite, is the steamed broccoli and tofu platter. Mm. Mm,Mm! The wife had her veggie burger on rye. Pete got him a very well put together platter of carrots and celery with coconut shredding on the side. Everything was healthy, and, delicious. Until nest time, this Carl C. signing off." +"Dear Diary, Around 4 months ago I applied for law school. My grades were all well enough to get in and as a matter of a fact I did get widely accepted to many law schools. I had one major downfall, all the scholarship programs were taken, well all the ones that offer 100% Scholarship. I think it was because I didn't apply early enough and couldn't get a vacant scholarship spot. That's a major problem for me. I cannot afford to go to Law School, even if I had a full time job I couldn't afford it. Also, I would have to think about when I would be able to study and do the assigned homework. I'm very frustrated right now. It has always been my dream to go to law school. I can remember watching all the crime TV shows and trying to predict out comes. I fantasize about being a high level attorney in New York city, with my name posted on the firm its self one day. Although right now I cannot go because i simply cannot afford to go. I've worked so hard to get in. Its brings me much pain the money it's the determining factor to taking my first step towards the rest of my life. I don't think its over by a long shot. I will just have to apply earlier next yet in hopes of getting a paid scholarship. Until then, I will keep studying and work as much as I can to earn enough money to be able to carry me through what I believe to be a very rough 4 years. As hard as I know it will be, it will be worth every penny, late night, every tear shed to live out the dreams that I have. Until next time diary thanks for being my ears." +"I was going through a very tough time financially. I was struggling to keep up on my bills, and was just really going through it. I worked with a very good friend of mine. I had told her about my recent struggles, and she was aware what was going on in my life. I had a flat tire, and I had been driving around on the donut tire for a while. The donut was starting to go flat, and I was always having to pump it up. I really needed a new tire, and just couldnt afford one. One day at work my friend asked if she could use my car on her lunch break. Her husband had dropped her off that day so she didnt have her car. I told her sure and gave her my keys. She went on her lunch and came and came back. After work that day I walked out to my car. My car had a brand new tire on it! I was really confused at first and then figured it had to have been my friend. I called her and she was laughing, and told it was a birthday gift for me. My birthday was coming up soon. I was so happy and grateful! I appreciated my friends kindness so much. She is an amazing friend to have." +"I've been struggling a bit lately financially. I'm not making the same money I was making at my job, and things are really tight for me right now. I had a flat tire on my car, and I changed it and put the donut tire on. I cant afford to buy a new tire right now. The donut tire has a slow leak though, and I was always putting air in it. The whole situation has just has me down and depressed. I work with a good friend of mine. We are close and have been friends for a long time. She knows I have been struggling with things. She asked me one day if she could use my car on her lunch break to run a couple errands. Her husband had dropped her off that day because he car was getting an oil change. I told her sure and gave her the keys. She came back to work after her lunch and gave me my keys and we went about our day. I left work that day and went out to my car. Something was different on it, and it took me a minute realize that my donut tire was gone, and there was a brand new tire on my car. I stood there dumbfounded thinking ""how did this happen?"" and I called my friend and asked her if she knew anything about. She laughed, and told me ""Happy Birthday"" that she had bought me a new tire for my car for my Birthday that was coming. I was so surprised and touched, that I burst into tears. She is an amazing friend, and I am blessed to have her in my life!" +I was very happy when i saw her on first time in college. I think on that time she was my spouse and everything in my life. we are in same class and good friends. I proposed to her and she accepted after a couple of days only. After we finished our course and graduation we go for work in same office. we worked very hard for 5 years and we both got promoted. we got married and got 2 kids. we built a new house and lived happily with our kids and parents. But i do know what happened my wife always fighting with me for last few years. Our sex life is dwindled. we both are restless in our life. Our kids are very sad about us. They wanted us to be united together back. We both decided to go for council. we got council and united back with our happy life with kids. +"Right around the time that I started seeing my girlfriend two years ago, her mother passed away. I had never met the woman, but I've so many stories that I feel like I did. This past July, her family and I flew out to the Big Island in Hawaii to spread the ashes. The day came to spread the ashes and we made the picturesque drive across the Island to the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. I have never seen such breathtaking sights in my entire life: lush, verdant, practically alien-to-me plants everywhere; the most colorful flowers you can imagine; awe-inspiring waterfalls; and a medley of countless exotic birds all singing their enchanting island songs. Once we arrived to the gardens and began the descent down the trail, it was even more sublime than the drive. I truly felt like I was transported to another reality in which nothing existed but this sprawling, magical rain forest. I was nervous that the day was going to be difficult for my girlfriend, her sister and all their children, but I approached it with a level of confidence in my abilities to comfort that I didn't even know existed. We gathered at a stopping point and everyone said words that celebrated the life that had been lost. The plan for everyone to find spots in the gardens that spoke to them and spread portions of the ashes. The remains were divvied up and we resumed our journey downward. The atmosphere grew quiet and the birds almost seemed to sense this: their songs had quieted into barely audible chirps. Everyone's faces had a mixture of sorrow and happiness and I just maintained a stoic, yet positive look throughout. The silence was interrupted by my girlfriend's oldest daughter who shrieked as she sprinkled some of the ashes, ""Ewwwww bones!"" My stomach sank for a moment, but everyone else chuckled a little bit and we moved on. The group slowly began to separate a little bit and my girlfriend led me down a path as she clutched my hand. ""Find a place that you'd like to spread some,"" she said. I panicked for a moment and said, ""I don't think that's appropri---."" She cut me off with a firm shush. ""She would have loved you. Please do this for me,"" my girlfriend said as tears were welling up in her eyes. I quickly, albeit a bit reluctantly, agreed. A few moments later we came to a majestic, spindly tree reaching higher than all the others around it. A solitary bright beam of sunlight was gleaming through the canopy above and had illuminated an orchid. The orchid was a beautiful mixture of purple fading into pink with little flecks of periwinkle on all the petals and it was swaying ever-so-slightly from a breeze; I knew this was the place. As I sprinkled the ash just underneath the orchid onto the moss-covered ground, the birds stopped singing entirely and I was enraptured by a tender, touching silence like I had never experienced in my life." +"We took a vacation to Galveston. It was a for a few days just to get away for the weekend. When we got there we ate at the Rain forest Cafe. I remember getting the chicken fried chicken. It was bigger than I expected. I was glad I got it, it tasted better than I thought it would. After we checked into our room, we took a walk on the beach. We spent time relaxing in the sun. We walked to Pleasure Pear and payed to go in. One of the most memorable things was watching the dolphins play while we waited on the rides. They were playing with a ball that was in the water. It was like a group of kids playing with each other. We laughed and seem to lose track of time watching them play. After a while I noticed there was a large group of people watching them instead of getting on the rides. It was like they were the main attraction." +"Two weeks ago, I went to a water park with my girlfriend and her nephew to celebrate his birthday. He was excited because he had just graduated swimming school and remembers that last year he couldn't get on as many rides because he didn't know how to swim very well. My brother and sister-in-law joined us to take part in the birthday festivities. This was to be a pre-celebration of sorts since the official birthday party was the following day. While my sister-in-law and girlfriend were watching her nephew, my brother and I regressed to our childhood and decided to get on as many rides as possible. We started with one called Turbo Drop — a slide that drops from a height of 6-stories that I remember being terrified of as a kid. Now that I'm older, I am still freaked out by it but decided to follow my fear and do it anyway. What a thrill! We did some surfing on the artificial waves and got on a few more rides after waiting in line for what seemed like hours. Met with the group for lunch and had some of the park's famous Impossible Burgers. I have to say that I wasn't disappointed. After the birthday festivities, we decided to go to a Salsa Nightclub and dance the night away. The more I drank, the more creative my dance moves got. I had an incredible time but remember how miserable I felt the morning after from all the drinking I did. Thankfully, my girlfriend doesn't drink much and had pancakes with eggs waiting for me for breakfast. I am one lucky guy." +"Two weeks ago, I went to a water park with my girlfriend and her nephew to celebrate his birthday. He was excited because he had just graduated swimming school and remembers that last year he couldn't get on as many rides because he didn't know how to swim very well. My brother and sister-in-law joined us to take part in the birthday festivities. This was to be a pre-celebration of sorts since the official birthday party was the following day. While my sister-in-law and girlfriend were watching her nephew, my brother and I regressed to our childhood and decided to get on as many rides as possible. We started with one called Turbo Drop — a slide that drops from a height of 6-stories that I remember being terrified of as a kid. Now that I'm older, I am still freaked out by it but decided to follow my fear and do it anyway. What a thrill! We did some surfing on the artificial waves and got on a few more rides after waiting in line for what seemed like hours. Met with the group for lunch and had some of the park's famous Impossible Burgers. I have to say that I wasn't disappointed. After the birthday festivities, we decided to go to a Salsa Nightclub and dance the night away. The more I drank, the more creative my dance moves got. I had an incredible time but remember how miserable I felt the morning after from all the drinking I did. Thankfully, my girlfriend doesn't drink much and had pancakes with eggs waiting for me for breakfast. I am one lucky guy." +Growing up in a small town is fun but it also has limits. I knew that if I ever wanted to make something of myself I would need to leave home and find my footing. My step father signed me up for college and I didn't have a choice so I went. It was a huge cultural shock but one of the highlights of my life. I literately made it through 5 years of college with only a little change in my pocket. I never knew that I could be proud of myself but when they handed me my diploma and everyone cheered I knew at the moment that I did something worthy. Going through high school was required but completing college was determination. I knew that I had done something to better my family and my future. We ended up eating at a restaurant when the graduation was over and my family gave truly emotional toasts in my honor. Even though their words were kind and inspiring I did not need them this time. I was actually proud of myself and what I had accomplished through hard work. I even interviewed for a teaching job a week later and was employed. We all face hardships but it's about determination and resilience. I knew I wanted to make a bigger impact on the world. I hope that I impact my students lives like my others did for me. +"You never forget that feeling of someone handing you your keys and saying here are the keys to your new home. It is a feeling like no other that something so big finally belongs to you. Excitement, and comfort of being able to say this is my home. It was a long process, buying a home. The first thought was to buy a house, but due to my husbands bankruptcy everything had to be put into my name. We found the home in Charlevoix Estates which is a Mobile home community. It is a double wide with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It has an Island in the kitchen, and a huge closet off the master bedroom. This is the first home that we have purchased for our family. We are over the moon excited about finally getting to have a place of our own. It feels like a dream come true. I am really excited about having Air conditioning throughout the whole house. That is great for us. Moving was challenging, getting everything out of our old house and moved into the new one. We have so much stuff, so it took a little bit of effort to get in and get settled. But like I said, when they handed me the keys and said this is yours now, I felt elated. Excited, and as though finally dreams of mine were coming true." +"You never forget that feeling of someone handing you your keys and saying here are the keys to your new home. It is a feeling like no other that something so big finally belongs to you. Excitement, and comfort of being able to say this is my home. It was a long process, buying a home. The first thought was to buy a house, but due to my husbands bankruptcy everything had to be put into my name. We found the home in Charlevoix Estates which is a Mobile home community. It is a double wide with 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. It has an Island in the kitchen, and a huge closet off the master bedroom. This is the first home that we have purchased for our family. We are over the moon excited about finally getting to have a place of our own. It feels like a dream come true. I am really excited about having Air conditioning throughout the whole house. That is great for us. Moving was challenging, getting everything out of our old house and moved into the new one. We have so much stuff, so it took a little bit of effort to get in and get settled. But like I said, when they handed me the keys and said this is yours now, I felt elated. Excited, and as though finally dreams of mine were coming true." +"I had been thinking about volunteering with a local group that would do public art in our city. It was a few years ago that I first heard about them but thing distracted me from joining. I continued to do art and volunteer but never heard about the group again. Then one day, I decided to volunteer with a local group that would maintain the green spaces in my my neighborhood. They would get grants and make landscapes more beautiful in the public spaces. They would also clean up the river. What I was most interested in was the art. I had recently participated in a public art project where an intersection was painted with a cartoon design of what animals were in the neighborhood. It was fun and I wanted to do it again. I then noticed an advertisement asking for volunteers for the green space group. I went to the meeting expecting to at least meet some neighbors and at best get to do some art in the public spaces. It was what I thought. They immediately asked if I wanted to be part of the murals that were being done in the neighborhood. I had found my place. I said yes and they said that I would be connected with the local group that I had heard about years ago. They would obtain grants from the city and state and use the money to create murals in the neighborhood by connecting with people who had something that we could paint on or paint on something owned by the city. I was told to expect to have a meeting with the group very soon." +"On July the 4th, I was at home in the morning doing nothing and feeling kind of sad. I unexpectedly got a call from one of my friends and she invited me out with her and her boyfriend. I was kind of surprised and pleased at the same time. We ended up going to the movies to see Spider-Man and it was such a funny movie. After that, we got dinner at a local Mexican restaurant nearby. I ordered tacos and my friends order nachos to share. We left the restaurant after finishing our meals and saw a food truck selling ice cream across the street. We decided to get ice cream cones for dessert. We walked about for a bit while we ate our ice cream and chatted about different things. About an hour later, we found the perfect spot on the grass near a bridge with an open view of the sky. My friend made a comment that it would be the perfect spot to stay and watch the fireworks. I agreed and we sat down and waited for the show to start. After the fireworks show was over, we all went home. I felt so happy that my friend wanted to share that holiday with me and it made my entire day so much better. I was very happy." +"My friend has been gone in the military on a tour of duty in Iraq for about a year now. We grew up together and went ot the same schools all the way through high school. We are very close. I missed her quite a bit. Her boyfriend also went to school with us and we know each other very well also. We were super happy when she told us that she was coming home. We had a big party for her and everything. It was great that she came back just a few weeks before the 4th of July holiday. We decided to do something low-key for it and just hang out at her house with her boyfriend and just bbq and enjoy it. From where she lives you can clearly see the towns fireworks show, so it all worked out simply perfectly. The show was long and has amazing fireworks. I cooked up most of the food since I love to bbq and cook whenever possible. I didn't mind. I am just glad tat my friend was finally home and safe. It was a memorable holiday and I hope we do it again next year because of is being such a great and amazing time. I really look forward to it!" +"Two weeks ago, I finally found my long lost sister! It has been such a long journey to find her, since we were separated so long ago. We were very young the last time we saw each other. I can't even remember how old we were, but it has been a very long time. I could never accept the fact that difficulties in our family had caused us to be separated. Before I was able to connect with her, I had made several attempts. I tried searching all over the internet, and never had any real results. There were a few times I thought I was close, but they all ended up being nothing. I had gotten so discouraged over time, with so many failed attempts and dead ends. I would have thought with all the technology today, and social media, it would have been much easier. I had gotten to the point where I honestly thought I would never be able to find her! I was so thrilled when I received a message from one of her friends! That lead to us getting in touch with each other, and finally meeting up! It was worth the years searching. I can't wait to build a relationship with her, and try to make up for some of the lost years!" +"The young owner is very capable of getting things down in such short time. I am looking forward to see the re-opening. I went up to the restaurant last weekend since it was the long weekend. It was a shock to see how much has changed. The new owner emptied the whole kitchen. He is going to start everything new. His plan is to first get the new kitchen running and start food take out next month, he and chef from NY, NY already working on the menu and asked me some advise. He will then continue the front part of the sitting down meal part, aim to re-open the whole restaurant in the beginning of next year. Then he is going to all new update upstairs and opening a bed and breakfast next Summer. Things moving fast since he has two team of contractors working outside and inside at the same time. Since I have 10% of the ownership of the restaurant, my job was to make the transfer from old and new smoothly, I found him the New York chef from New York city who had over 27 years experience. He was going to group his own kitchen staff. Now my other job is going to try to give away the old tables and chairs, I have not had any luck. One person replied after she saw my post and photos, she did not want all of them, so she was going to ask around to see anyone of her friends want some. If I could not find any takers, it all goes to the dumpster. I really hope someone will take them." +"The young owner is very capable of getting things down in such short time. I am looking forward to see the re-opening. I went up to the restaurant last weekend since it was the long weekend. It was a shock to see how much has changed. The new owner emptied the whole kitchen. He is going to start everything new. His plan is to first get the new kitchen running and start food take out next month, he and chef from NY, NY already working on the menu and asked me some advise. He will then continue the front part of the sitting down meal part, aim to re-open the whole restaurant in the beginning of next year. Then he is going to all new update upstairs and opening a bed and breakfast next Summer. Things moving fast since he has two team of contractors working outside and inside at the same time. Since I have 10% of the ownership of the restaurant, my job was to make the transfer from old and new smoothly, I found him the New York chef from New York city who had over 27 years experience. He was going to group his own kitchen staff. Now my other job is going to try to give away the old tables and chairs, I have not had any luck. One person replied after she saw my post and photos, she did not want all of them, so she was going to ask around to see anyone of her friends want some. If I could not find any takers, it all goes to the dumpster. I really hope someone will take them." +"I was recently put in charge of a team responsible for trying to land a big client for the firm. It was a great vote of confidence my superiors gave me. I decided the team formation for the task. I also decided to be on top of every decision made in this project. All the hard work paid off at the end because we got the account. The client loved our project and signed with our company right away. I was very happy and proud of myself and my team. I also got a raised and a hefty bonus, making me one of highest paid employees. This project gave me a confidence on myself like I never had before. Today I am more sure than ever abour my capabilities at work and I am sure I am on a path to become the new manager at my branch. The current manager is about to retire and I am almost a shoe-in for the position. I worked hard on my firm. I feel I deserved the vote of confidence. My manager also agreed with me. This project was a great victory. I will lead futures projects like this. I am on the top of my game." +"Just this summer, in June actually, I was going for a bike ride with my husband. We like going for longer rides out in the country because we love nature and it is quiet and we don't have to worry about a large volume of vehicles moving about. We are are traveling down this older paved road kind of in the middle of nowhere and we pass something flat on the road. I didn't initially think anything of it but I decided to turn around and go see exactly what it was. I rolled up to it and leaned over and discovered it was a phone case. Okay, I thought someone had just dropped a phone case out of their car window or something and that I would just throw this case away and help clean up road litter. Well, I picked it up and actually found that there was a phone within the case. Holy crap I thought, someone had actually lost their phone in the middle of nowhere, how did that happen? So I try to turn it on and it doesn't function and nothing works. It doesn't looked damaged but it clearly has run out of battery life. I thought about just leaving it there because I thought maybe someone would come back looking for their phone but my husband suggested I pick it up and bring it home and then report it to the department or the phone company if we could get it powered up and try to have it returned. Well, we took it home and I put it into a drawer and decided I would get back to it as soon as I could because I just didn't have any time to fiddle with it that day. A few weeks had actually went by and I had forgotten all about it. I was looking for some tape to wrap a present and I checked the drawer and noticed the phone was there. I grabbed the tape next to the phone and finished up my wrapping but I went back to the phone and decided I would plug it in to see if it would power up. I managed to get it some power but I could not get past the initial power up lock phase so I had no idea who this belonged to or where to even bring it. Well, we only have 1 at&t store in our town so I figured I would just bring it to them and see if the phone was one of theirs. Turns out, it actually was one of their phones and the customer who owned it was looking for it. I left my name and my phone number and I obviously left the phone there and I went about my day knowing I had done a good deed. Well, two days later I actually get a call from an employee at the at&t store here and they tell me that this elderly woman was incredibly grateful because she had pictures on the phone of her late husband and the fact that the phone was returned had brought tears to her eyes because her phone was the only place that had those photos. Words could not describe the joy that I had when I had found out that the phone had found its home. I find it so bizarre that I was out in the middle of nowhere and I just happened to stumble upon this phone just lying there. I guess sometimes things just kind of happen for a reason and I am glad that things turned out great." +"Three months ago, a very traumatizing event happened in my life and to my family. My cousin was playing football and had a heat stroke. He was only 25. We did not know that someone so young was susceptible to such things. After he was done playing he went to take a shower to cool off. At that point, it hit him. Since he was in the shower, he had no way of immediately contacting anyone. He was finally able to make it to his phone to get help. At that point damage was done to his brain already. He was in the hospital for quite some time and this took a toll on our whole family. The doctors assured us he would come thru but it was still super hard. My aunt and uncle had to take major time away from their jobs to care for him. My parents took some time away as well to help out. Luckily we have a great family and everyone pitched in. Thank goodness he was able to make it to the phone in time or it could have been worse." +"So currently at work I'm nothing special just a little bit more in the higher when you have a regular employee. I don't get to supervise and I don't get to tell people what to do yet. Normally when it's time for promotions to her my job creates projects Which are meant to test all of the skills that we have learned throughout our work. Mind You i work as a graphic arts and designer So you never completely learn everything there is to know about the job. In this particular project we were being tested on how to make 3-D animation's like anime come to life and make a short trailer for an upcoming show that we really liked. The price for the person who improves the nurse was a supervisor position. Needless to say I was ecstatic we had exactly one month to prepare the trailer and present it to the company. Need list to say there were some people that didn't believe that I could actually do it even though I had one previous project promotion. Even though there was a lot of people putting me down I worked and Leslie and tired Leslie until my trailer was perfect and there was not a single flaw. Some people didn't start working on the project till two weeks prior but I didn't waste any time and started the day that the project was given. Even so I didn't think that the mass was long enough for us to completely perfect this trailer but I did the best I could. When the time came for me to present my project people were snickering and laughing and honestly thought that I didn't have anything good. I honestly can't believe that people like this exist in such a professional workplace it blows my mind. That's besides the point, so then when I presented my trailer I saw everyone's charge dropped including the big bosses. Needless to say I won the promotion of supervisor and honestly couldn't be more elated and excited. The moral of this is that no matter how big or small your dream is or whatever you put your mind to you can do anything you wish. People will always be around to put you down but honestly you have to turn that around and make your motivation to do the best you can." +"So currently at work I'm nothing special just a little bit more in the higher when you have a regular employee. I don't get to supervise and I don't get to tell people what to do yet. Normally when it's time for promotions to her my job creates projects Which are meant to test all of the skills that we have learned throughout our work. Mind You i work as a graphic arts and designer So you never completely learn everything there is to know about the job. In this particular project we were being tested on how to make 3-D animation's like anime come to life and make a short trailer for an upcoming show that we really liked. The price for the person who improves the nurse was a supervisor position. Needless to say I was ecstatic we had exactly one month to prepare the trailer and present it to the company. Need list to say there were some people that didn't believe that I could actually do it even though I had one previous project promotion. Even though there was a lot of people putting me down I worked and Leslie and tired Leslie until my trailer was perfect and there was not a single flaw. Some people didn't start working on the project till two weeks prior but I didn't waste any time and started the day that the project was given. Even so I didn't think that the mass was long enough for us to completely perfect this trailer but I did the best I could. When the time came for me to present my project people were snickering and laughing and honestly thought that I didn't have anything good. I honestly can't believe that people like this exist in such a professional workplace it blows my mind. That's besides the point, so then when I presented my trailer I saw everyone's charge dropped including the big bosses. Needless to say I won the promotion of supervisor and honestly couldn't be more elated and excited. The moral of this is that no matter how big or small your dream is or whatever you put your mind to you can do anything you wish. People will always be around to put you down but honestly you have to turn that around and make your motivation to do the best you can." +"About a few months ago I was living my life as normal doing the things that I usually do with no problem. Until one day something odd happened. I wasn't feeling all to well that day so I didn't do as much as I normally do. I may have cut my tasks in half that day to the issues I was having. Eventually I had to sit down because I just kept feeling weirder and weirder. Once I sat down things got even more bad for me. I felt like I was losing my breath. Breathing in and out everytime it kept getting shorter. I was almost felt like I was being suffocated. I was under significant amount of pressure and experienced a panic attack. I was breating all crazy then I couldn't really catch my breath. At the time, I thought it might have been a heart attack or a stroke. Those issues don't run in my family so it was new to me. It was a very scary time to go through something like that alone. I used this as a sign to seek therapy from a counselor." +"In July I went to rehab. My husband and I had been fighting about finances a lot and my absences from work. For years I had been telling myself that I would quit drinking and quit smoking cannabis, but every day I would tell myself I would start tomorrow. I realized I couldn't do it on my own so I made the call, was accepted into a program to start the next day, and after a restless night I set off to rehab. I bought a pack of cigarettes on the way there, my first in nearly three years. I was so nervous as I sat in the lobby waiting to be called. What would the days look like? Would I be taken seriously since my addiction was to a substance everyone says you can't get addicted to? What would the others be like? Would I be the youngest or the oldest? Finally my name was called and I spent the next few hours signing paperwork, paying for treatment up front, and meeting with a medical professional. I was told to strip and put on scrubs, though the pair of pants they tried to give me were much too small, and I laughed for the first time that day when they hardly slid over my knees. I was able to keep my own sweatpants, but the horrid green scrub shirt made me feel like the inmates I've seen on tv. Eventually they dropped me off down in the kitchen where a group of people were playing Cards Against Humanity. I didn't know what the plan was for the rest of the evening but that half hour spent watching these people laugh gave me some time to get my bearings. I heard names and tried to match them with faces. I saw two others in scrubs and realized it was their first day too. Some faces were happy; others looks tired, worn down, half asleep. Dinner was challenging because I don't eat animal products and usually had the assistance of marijuana to quell the nausea. The nurse offered me Ativan but I refused; I asked her for some when I threw up some sad lettuce and yellow rice a few minutes later. During one of the cigarette breaks I familiarized myself with the others there and was convinced to sign up for a yoga class. The class was relaxing, but I cried the whole time. I was so scared, for myself, for my husband, for the future. When it was all said and done I went into my room, lay down on the small twin mattress with the plastic cover, and cried myself to sleep." +"The most recent memorable event was learning that my mom has a personality disorder call Narcissist Personality Disorder. It explained so much of my youth and adult life living with her and interacting with her. My siblings and I were never encouraged to be together, to congratulate each other, to help each other by her. We were only told of the negative things that each one had supposedly done and that we all had some type of grudge against each other. Therefore we all grew apart and did not trust each other. We were not a close family or even a fake family. We all basically just knew of each other. Learning that she has the disorder put a lot into perspective but does not allow for resolution or closure with her. Even with her diagnosis she does not admit anything. She still wants to be the ""pit stop"" among the children. Unfortunately, I see the same pattern in my siblings and myself. At this point I cannot communicate with her. She has a great burden about me from my childhood that she has not yet acknowledged. So I am always-in her mind-trying to retaliate. She tells this to the family and they do not know which is truth and have chosen to believe her. I am leaving them and her alone as it will do no good until someone else is on the receiving end of the vitriol." +"Okay so this is a story about the time my CPU crapped out on me and I was in a bad predicament until my family swooped in and saved the day. My PC is my life, I use it to work home and for my entertainment. Video games, music, watching movies, those kind of things are what I meant by entertainment. So you can understand just how important this computer is to me. Now when it comes to what I make, I'm usually well off enough that I can cover an emergency springing up out of nowhere. However around this time I believe funds were limited and I was just barely getting by with a few earnings saved here and there. So you can imagine how freaked out I was when I noticed my computer wouldn't boot. I had to test out my equipment at a friends house, which lead me to the conclusion that my CPU was causing the issue. At that time I thought I was screwed, I was using an older version of Intel's i5 CPU and they stopped selling those years ago. Buying used on E bay was a shot in the dark because the prices were high and you could never tell about the quality of the item until after you bought it. Lets just say I've had some bad experiences with E bay and used items. Anyway, just when I thought my luck was down and out some of my family members came to my rescue and loaned me the money I needed to purchase a new CPU. I don't recall if I mentioned this in the last diary entry I did about this subject, but not only was I able to afford a new CPU, they also gave me enough money to buy a new motherboard and ram as well. My old motherboard was using DDR3 ram while the new ones moved on to DDR4. They wanted me to buy a brand new CPU with a new motherboard and ram as well which was a huge surprise. I was so thankful to those family members that stepped in and helped me when they didn't have to. To this day I'm still very grateful for having such an amazing family. Also a little update on the story, since then I've paid them back fully for what they did. They didn't want to accept it at first, but I insisted that they had to accept my payback." +"This event happened about two months back. I work from home so my home computer is my life line, without it I simply couldn't get paid. Anyway two months ago my CPU suddenly just died. At first I had no idea what had went wrong, but apparently the cooling gel used to keep the CPU under extreme temps had mostly evaporated, so the CPU was over heating during my late night gaming sessions. At the point in time I didn't have enough money to buy a better CPU, I had just finished paying off a bunch of debt that I collected over the years. I pretty much thought I was screwed and maybe had to go out and get a temp job until I had enough money to replace my broken CPU. Anyway I had told my mom about it and I guess she told the family because a few days later my mom came over and handed me an envelop of money . At first I thought it was from her and I declined it, I didn't want to take my mother's hard earned money she got from working all those years. But she informed me a few of my brothers and sisters got together and pooled in money, enough that I could replace my CPU with a brand new powerful one. I'm not much of an emotional guy, at least in front of others. I try to always keep my cool and play it straight, but I couldn't help as the tears started to fall from my eyes. I was so grateful an thankful that people who loved and cared for me came through and went the extra mile for this. My family isn't rich, so I know them giving up their hard earned money to help me out was big. Not saying we're poor, but we're not rich enough were we can just give away money without a care in the world. My mom gave me a big hug and in that moment I felt the deepest amount of gratitude I ever experienced in my entire life. From the bottom of my heart I was truly deeply thankful. Later on I got together with my brothers and sisters that helped out, throwing them a party in their honor. It was the least I could do for such wonderful family members." +"I took a road trip with a friend along the East coast of the USA and Canada. We took the trip with very little planning, and just kind of decided where to go as we went along. We visited many small towns and it was very beautiful. At one point, we saw a mountain with a waterfall, and decided to go climb it. It was really amazing. We even found a place near the top where the water cascaded into a pool, and then out the other side of the pool to continue down the mountainside. We took a dip in the water, which was ice cold. As we drove along the coast we stopped in many little towns, and browsed around in some really cool antique shops. We also visited a place in Canada with a giant lobster statue, because the place was considered the lobster capital of Canada, and of course, we stopped to have a seafood lunch with a lobster bisque soup that was out of this world good. As we went up the coast and into Canada, even though it was already spring, some places were still snow covered and quite cold. We even got stuck in a snowdrift on a remote highway, and had to wait hours until we got lucky, and passing by snowplow pulled us free of the snowbank with a heavy chain. We ate poutine in a small french Canadian town in Quebec, and it was delicious. I had never eaten cheese curds before, and they were really chewy and tasty! My favorite part was all the little towns in New England. They were so quaint and pretty, and in every one, there were these amazing antique shops full of odds and ends that really told stories of the history of the place. I bought an old licence plate from a shop in New Hampshire that had the saying on it, Live free, or die, which I thought was really cool for a State slogan. It was a great trip overall, and I cherish the memories of all the wonderful places we visited." +"I was on a vacation with my brother, and we decided to take a long road trip through New England and up to the Canadian border. We set off with only a rough destination in mind, and intending to go or do whatever caught our eye over the long drive of about a week. We stopped in many cool little towns along the way. There were really great old antique shops all over and I loved looking through the old memorabilia. Along the route, we were passing through Vermont, and off the side of the road we saw a beautiful grassy mountain with a waterfall cascading down the side. We thought it looked so cool, we parked and decided to hike up the mountain side a bit. It was an easy climb, but long and tiring. We stayed as close to the waterfall as we could as we went up. We ended up climbing all the way to the top, and got an amazing view. On the way back down we took a different route, and not far from the top, found a glistening pool where the waterfall cascaded, and then continued out the other side. It was perfect for taking a refreshing dip, and we did! It was ice cold, but really awesome. The rest of the trip was great. We went into little towns and ate amazing seafood. I never ate so much lobster and so many bowls of chowder in my life! It was really amazing, and there were many memorable spots. We even crossed the border into Canada and drove a ways up the coast, which was really rugged and beautiful. We visited a national park in Canada and spent one night there. We saw many beautiful spots, but that one dip on the mountainside in the ice cold spring water was the coolest part, and a great memory." +"The most memorable event that has happened to me in the last 3-6 months was my family (Dad, Mom, and Son) coming to see me at my apartment and taking us on a vacation from Tulsa, OK to around Joplin, Missouri. I haven't been on vacation in years, and my dad decided all four of us should take a vacation, and spend a few nights at the Down Stream Casino on the Oklahoma Missouri border. Being with my closest family member's meant the world to me. We started out at my apartment in Tulsa, OK and we drove about an hour and 15 minutes to our destination. When we first arrived I bought some Ice Cream at the casino's Ice Cream stand for my Son and I. After that we got the keys to our room, and brought all of our luggage there. We shared two rooms, and the rooms were extremely nice, and comfortable to relax and sleep in. I stayed in one room with my son, and my parents stayed in another. I didn't participate in much gambling, instead we watched Ellen DeGeneres Game show, and stayed up late watching TV and having good conversation with my son, and parents. After that we drove to a local restaurant, and had dinner together. Then my dad took me on a tour of the casino, bar, and slot machines. He showed me the machines he likes playing, I played with 20 dollars, and ended up cashing out 40, so I made a nice little profit. I will always cherish this vacation with my close family member's that I don't always get to see. Their kindness and love will always radiate with me, and I will always remember them choosing to spend time with me, and make my day that much better. I will always remember this trip, and the fun times I had with my family. They will always be in my heart." +"It has been so hectic at work. Even since i was asked to head our Kansas city office, time is a scarce resource. It has helped me take my mind off Lilly though. Its been hard since our divorce. It has been particularly hard on Ben, not seeing his mom anymore. My parents try their best to take care of him well. I know. But i also know he misses me. Which is why i decided to fly them to Missouri over the weekend four months back. I booked rooms at a local casino. I just had an hour break from work though. I had to rush with the gifts i had bought for ben. Surprisingly, he was more thrilled to see me than the gifts. We had a wonderful time. The rooms were good and we ordered room service." +"The most memorable event in my life in the past 6 months has been when I ""ran away"" and tried to just live life on my own. I had recently been fired from my job, which was extremely depressing to me, and I fell into a depressed and low-energy state. I had been living with my mother for the last 6 months, and after being fired, I told my mother I'd be moving out at the end of the month due to my new bad habits, mainly involving drinking. On the first of March, I drove my truck away from my mother's house, not to return for over 7 weeks. At first, I felt liberated - I knew I was homeless, but I had the freedom to do what I want, and didn't have anyone telling me what to do. I spent the first few weeks simply living in my truck, communicating with friends on the phone and generally just living a hedonic, isolated lifestyle. Eventually, I found it hard to even start taking care of my own basic needs (finding a bathroom, a safe place to park at night, etc.) and drove to a motel. Life living at the motel felt great - I finally had a warm bed to sleep in, a place where I felt safe - and each morning when I got up, I would rent one more night. I ended up staying at this motel for about 3 weeks. Unfortunately, I started this adventure with $3000, and by the time early April rolled around, I found I had less than $300 left in my bank account. At this point, I drove even further away from the city, to a Wal-Mart. I spent a few days and nights there, doing the same things - charging up my phone at the local starbucks, drinking, etc. To me, I felt like I was running out of time, and didn't know what to do. I was getting sick nearly every day. Finally, I realized I needed help. I tried to drive back in to town to check myself into a hospital, but halfway there, I was pulled over by a state patrol officer. I was handcuffed for driving under the influence. Thankfully, I was cooperative and polite with him, and he agreed to drop me off at the hospital, where I stayed for five days. My adventure was over." +"Imagine being able to be at a church and not feel like something is amiss? Well, two weeks ago I had begun to feel uneasy, and it started to come to a head. I was attending church and was trying to just be a good religious individual but this man made it hard. He had to make sure he was getting his point across. Overall, he was just abrasive, annoying, and extremely callous. I had had just about enough of the guy. However, he wouldn't stop. He was, for lack of a better term, a lunatic. He made all the other patrons feel unsafe and unwelcomed. In an area as holy as this place, that was a sin in and of itself. It was hard to imagine he was still around. I had tried to be understanding but everyone has their limits. Whenever I sought answers, excuses and shouting followed. It was truly uncomfortable. I don't think I'll be back." +"That damn snake almost ruined the damn event for us, first the snake appears uninvited and then it scares my friend's guests. As you can see I despise snakes a lot due to the fact that I hate the little creatures and the potential harm they can do to other people. Therefore those little creatures are the real devil due to the fact how they can poison anything that is touched and bite yourself, therefore appearing uninvited to a wedding event is the worst gift we the guests and the people who are marrying can experience ever. It sure scared the guts out of me and the snake itself was very ugly and probably one of the poison types that if we were not careful means that it can bite anybody that is on it's way and it can be deadly consequences to all the rest of us. The wedding with my friend sure was one of the most unique I been to in a long while, despite all wedding being unique of course, the snake on the wedding was one of those things that I will not forget as long I live. Other then that my friend's wedding was great, him and the fiance were finally going to get married. Which meant it was one of the most exciting events for me and my friend of course. Why wasn't I, his friend going to be there( if only someone told me there was a snake) of course you do anything to be there and that means even beating up the damn snake. It could have been anything a spider, shark or even a group of wild monkeys. But for god sake why snakes. Oh well at least I got to enjoy the gourmet food that was made on the wedding fresh and from scratch, which was delicious by the way. Therefore I ate as much my stomach could handle. After all weddings are suppose to be very happy events and the best days of the couple's life. Good thing I got room for the cake too, because the cake like exquisite and deliquesce they presume which means the taste got a explosion of flavor. Therefore despite the snake, it was a decent wedding." +"When I want to a friend's wedding, more specifically my close friend wedding. Getting married at 24 is such a odd thing but apparently he had fine his women that he wants to spend the rest of his life with. The wedding was very memorable and very fun to remember, because there were tons of events for everyone and it was also inclusive probably something my friend did to accommodate me and my boyfriend. The wedding was beautiful it had all this flowers and decorations that made the place very lovely, and very happy itself. The people were all dancing and everybody was dressed very fancy where you can tell the wedding was for refined tastes. Personally I don't like dressing fancy normally but it looked very good with me. But what was more surprising was since the wedding took place out of the city we had a unexpected guest. It was a rattle snake and it almost bite me if it wasn't for another person that catch it, I don't know what would have happened. Therefore it could have deadly. Thank goodness I was safe from the snake. Everything went normally afterwards and we ended the night on a high note. It was a experience that you would never forget about the wedding. It makes me want to get married one day. It's a relief that now you can marry who you want. I am a very envious men." +"My dad passed away last month. I knew he was sick, but it was still such a shock. He used to work in Detroit. He would clean the car parts in a chemical solution without gloves. He would just dip them in. Well, He got cancer behind one of his kidneys. The doctors told him this cancer was only caused by a specific chemical. I called him while he was in the hospital and he told me not to worry. He said, ""kiddo, I love you, I will always take care of you."" I thought he meant in the sense of how a parent loves their child after they pass away. I was able to fly over and see my dad before he died. As I was cleaning up the house afterwards, a lawyer showed up. I didn't think anything of it. Paperwork to sign cause dad passed away. Ni biggie. Did not think of it again til yesterday. Yesterday a huge check showed up from dad. Huge." +"My dad passed away last month. I knew he was sick, but it was still such a shock. He used to work in Detroit. He would clean the car parts in a chemical solution without gloves. He would just dip them in. Well, He got cancer behind one of his kidneys. The doctors told him this cancer was only caused by a specific chemical. I called him while he was in the hospital and he told me not to worry. He said, ""kiddo, I love you, I will always take care of you."" I thought he meant in the sense of how a parent loves their child after they pass away. I was able to fly over and see my dad before he died. As I was cleaning up the house afterwards, a lawyer showed up. I didn't think anything of it. Paperwork to sign cause dad passed away. Ni biggie. Did not think of it again til yesterday. Yesterday a huge check showed up from dad. Huge." +"This past June my son graduated high school. What was memorable about theexperience was that it caused a reunion between my son and his father. They hadn't seen each other for 12 years. It wasnt due to myself or my son. His father just never attempted to visit. I took a chance about a month before the graduation and invited his father and his family. To our surprise they attended. My son seemed pleased. He got to spend hours visiting his father and family. I could see the happiness in them both. Although it was tough for me to see my ex-husband again, I dealt with it for my son. It was quite hard for me to be around my ex as it brought-up many bad memories and emotions. He was abusive to me and it took me years to get over it all. What was moving was seeing my son's reaction to being around his father. He seemed a little shy but happy to see him and talk with him. Ever since that day, they have spoken on the phone or texted often." +"Three months ago my son David and I were taking a walk through the woods. We were discussing a myriad of topics when we started talking about the ten commandments. The commandment that says we should have no other God before Him caused me to think more in depth of how to explain it to him. I was telling him that in all we do, God should come first. ""Does that mean on Sunday mornings we have to go to church instead of going fishing?"" he asked. ""Or does it mean we have to ask God if it is okay to go fishing?"" I looked down at him and thought about my answer. It was important to give the correct answer both for him as well as myself. It made me wonder if I had been placing other things before God. I told him that as long as we talked to God about everything and really listened for His answer, we would be putting Him first in our lives. He shook his head and agreed with me. We stopped right there and talked to God about it. We were silent together and focused on God. I just love these walks we take in the woods. I always learn something about my son and about me. I think we should do this more often." +My daughter got a rare illness. It is called HSP for shor. Children's Hospital has kept up with it. They make sure she has no major problems from it. There have been no more rashes. They were bad to see. The protein and blood in urine are bad. The other levels are fine. Protein and blood are expected for a year. I am glad she has not had more rashes. They did not hurt. They looked bad. It made us sad. We were scared. I am glad we know more now. I am glad there are people who know about it. I am glad our local doctors knew what it was. I am glad they referred us to the specialists. We were blessed by God it was not worse. +"Six months ago, right after Valentine's Day, I took my daughter to doctor. She was broke out in bad rash. She had been diagnosed with flu shortly before. She was taking Tamiflu. They thought it was a reaction to that. The rashes got worse and had spread more by then. The following week she went to a different doctor since she wasn't getting better. They said she had Henoch Shonlein Purpura. It can come on after a virus or such. It is very rare. It is a disorder, characterized by rashes. It is when blood vessels leak. Most people we told had never heard of it before. The rashes were horrible. Thank God they did not hurt. Protein and blood in urine happened with it too. It has to be watched. The rashes went away and the protein levels are dropping. It was horrible and scary seeing those rashes." +"We spend a lot of time with our colleagues. In fact, we probably spend more time with the people we work with than almost anyone else. we tend to have sex more often. we tend to share all things together. we used to hangout at coffee shop. we used to visit lot of tourist place. we would chat at our leisure time. we loved other colleagues too. Since you're likely also surrounded by people you have things in common with, it's not all that surprising that people fall in love at work. A work spouse relationship is born, where you share the trials and tribulations of the workplace with each other, have lunch together, and emotionally depend on one another. In other cases, the people involved may not have put strong boundaries in place, and they can start to behave inappropriately. But it's how you handle this attraction that's important. If you're not careful, the situation can fall into the realm of micro-cheating, which is essentially where you cheat, but only a little bit. we had a wonderful memories over the past week. it was awesome. we took a lot of picture." +"I went to a 4th of July party at my aunt's house. My sister, parents, and grandparents were also there. We were also celebrating my grandfather's birthday. His birthday happens to fall on the 4th of July. Somehow an argument broke out between my aunt and sister. My aunt is very pro Trump and my sister is very against him. They got into an argument about Trump and it involved several subjects such as socialism and climate change. My sister stated that she would not have children because she believes they would not have a good future under climate change. My aunt stated she believes Trump is a better person than Obama. I wish that the subject of politics had not come up so we could have enjoyed the event, but it seems unavoidable these days. I was dissapointed by the turn of events. I also do not think anything fruitful came out of discussing the subjects. I had warned my sister not to discuss politics, but she did not listen. My grandfather has late stage alzheimer's and he is very easily disturbed by things such as loud talking. By the end of the day many people were talking loudly so I do not think he was happy." +"On this past 4th of July, I went to visit family. I went to my aunt and uncle's house and saw them and my grandparents and my sister. We had a meal together and had a good time. The 4th of July is also my grandfather's birthday so we celebrated that as well. He has late stage Alzheimer's and was not able to enjoy the event as much as us. There was also an argument that broke out between my sister and my aunt about politics that left the memory of the event slightly soured. They started arguing about Socialism and it turned into an argument about a variety of things from global warming to Donald Trump. My mother ended up joining in, which is unusual for her. My aunt is very against Socialism and supports Trump. My sister and mother are against Trump. My sister is also very worried about the environment and said that is the reason why she will not have kids. While they were arguing, I said nothing. I had hoped politics would not come up. I wanted to think of ways to change the conversation, but at that point nothing I said would have been effective. I also did not want my grandparents to be upset. By the end of the day, many people were upset and I was disappointed it turned out that way." +"about 3 weeks ago it was time for a big event for someone close to me. One of my least likely friends was about to get married. Some of us have been waiting for the cermony. Some of us have been waiting for the reception and food after. Overall it was an okay event. It was nice seeing my friend finally get married. She was really excited to see how her and her partner would continue life together in marriage. She wanted to own a home and have children. I remember going to the event I wasnt a participant but I did get to experience it with everyone involved. After the ceremony it was time for the reception. It was really enjoyable to interact with everyone, getting to dance and eat food. I had a ball dancing, we all did. I even met someone who I really liked there and we hit it off. When the event was over everyone gave their goodbyes. From there I spoke with my friend one last time and then I went home." +"about 3 weeks ago it was time for a big event for someone close to me. One of my least likely friends was about to get married. Some of us have been waiting for the cermony. Some of us have been waiting for the reception and food after. Overall it was an okay event. It was nice seeing my friend finally get married. She was really excited to see how her and her partner would continue life together in marriage. She wanted to own a home and have children. I remember going to the event I wasnt a participant but I did get to experience it with everyone involved. After the ceremony it was time for the reception. It was really enjoyable to interact with everyone, getting to dance and eat food. I had a ball dancing, we all did. I even met someone who I really liked there and we hit it off. When the event was over everyone gave their goodbyes. From there I spoke with my friend one last time and then I went home." +"Well my boyfriend and I have been looking for a home with a pool for awhile. We both love to swim and it is very important to us to have a house that has a pool in the backyard where we can swim, relax, and have pool parties with our friends. I was beginning to get discouraged because we had not found anything we liked yet and had been looking for awhile, but three weeks ago we found the perfect home. We made an offer and the seller accepted! I was very nervous when waiting to hear if our offer had been accepted. Now we are dealing with the closing of the sale. I must say, this part is difficult and nerve wracking too. I'm nervous about the inspection and the appraisal too. I keep feeling like something will fall through and there is so much to attend to. I never knew buying a house could be so stressful. At this point, we have been a little surprised by how accommodating the seller has seemed to be. They even offered to fix up a few things we didn't like about the house which I was not expecting them to do. Either they are suspiciously nice or we got lucky, I'm not sure! I guess it is possible that they genuinely are just really nice people so who knows. Either way, I can't wait for this to be done and for the sale to be complete. I am ready to move into our new house and have our first pool party." +"Well my boyfriend and I have been looking for a home with a pool for awhile. We both love to swim and it is very important to us to have a house that has a pool in the backyard where we can swim, relax, and have pool parties with our friends. I was beginning to get discouraged because we had not found anything we liked yet and had been looking for awhile, but three weeks ago we found the perfect home. We made an offer and the seller accepted! I was very nervous when waiting to hear if our offer had been accepted. Now we are dealing with the closing of the sale. I must say, this part is difficult and nerve wracking too. I'm nervous about the inspection and the appraisal too. I keep feeling like something will fall through and there is so much to attend to. I never knew buying a house could be so stressful. At this point, we have been a little surprised by how accommodating the seller has seemed to be. They even offered to fix up a few things we didn't like about the house which I was not expecting them to do. Either they are suspiciously nice or we got lucky, I'm not sure! I guess it is possible that they genuinely are just really nice people so who knows. Either way, I can't wait for this to be done and for the sale to be complete. I am ready to move into our new house and have our first pool party." +"Recently I was playing in a local basketball tournament with my team. We won the first two games easily without much trouble. Then we faced the toughest team in the city in the finals. Despite having a nice lead at half time, we struggled in the second half. The game came down to the final few minutes, where we led by a mere one point. In an effort to grab a rebound and give us a nice advantage, I was fouled extremely hard and came down badly on my knee. Right away I knew it was bad. I spent a few minutes writhing around in pain before being helped off the court. I was forced to sit on the bench and ice my knee while the final minutes ticked away. Unfortunately we did not have the size on our bench to replace my height, and it cost us the chance for the championship. The final score was 85-84, and we ended up leaving with a second place trophy. After the game I went to the hospital and they immediately told me I had ruptured a ligament, and would not be able to do much of anything for a while. Thankfully I had surgery quickly, but was unable to walk for a few weeks which was quite frustrating. My main goal however, is to get back to full health in time for next year's big tournament. I think we are more than capable of winning next year if we set our minds to it and can stay healthy!" +"Recently I was playing in a local basketball tournament with my team. We won the first two games easily without much trouble. Then we faced the toughest team in the city in the finals. Despite having a nice lead at half time, we struggled in the second half. The game came down to the final few minutes, where we led by a mere one point. In an effort to grab a rebound and give us a nice advantage, I was fouled extremely hard and came down badly on my knee. Right away I knew it was bad. I spent a few minutes writhing around in pain before being helped off the court. I was forced to sit on the bench and ice my knee while the final minutes ticked away. Unfortunately we did not have the size on our bench to replace my height, and it cost us the chance for the championship. The final score was 85-84, and we ended up leaving with a second place trophy. After the game I went to the hospital and they immediately told me I had ruptured a ligament, and would not be able to do much of anything for a while. Thankfully I had surgery quickly, but was unable to walk for a few weeks which was quite frustrating. My main goal however, is to get back to full health in time for next year's big tournament. I think we are more than capable of winning next year if we set our minds to it and can stay healthy!" +"In my life, a grey area is something that holds true in many aspects. A few months back my favorite cousin was sent back to jail. Sadly he tested dirty we went to his parole officer. What made matters worse was that his home was swatted and they found quite a bit of different drugs there as well. I live in a small town so of course this was in newspaper and featured the sheriff County's facebook page. There were a lot of negative comments stating that he was a horrible person and deserves jail time you name it they were saying it. But I know I love my cousin and things are just so black and white, if people kept open mind even know that he had a very rough child without a father and he got with the wrong crowd. When he got married 5 years ago he was clean and doing so well but there was a fire at his home and he had to jump out of a second-story when after saving his kids and wife. Because of this he hurt his back and got addicted to painkillers. And he started to smoke weed and two other drugs to take away his pain and progressing depression. I suppose if I didn't know the specifics behind it it would see my cousin. As a good or bad person (ie) a black or white mentality of his character. But most things in this life there's always two sides to every story which gives way to gray areas of life. I just wish more people saw the world this way. Perhaps the world would be a better place if we all did." +"In my life, a grey area is something that holds true in many aspects. A few months back my favorite cousin was sent back to jail. Sadly he tested dirty we went to his parole officer. What made matters worse was that his home was swatted and they found quite a bit of different drugs there as well. I live in a small town so of course this was in newspaper and featured the sheriff County's facebook page. There were a lot of negative comments stating that he was a horrible person and deserves jail time you name it they were saying it. But I know I love my cousin and things are just so black and white, if people kept open mind even know that he had a very rough child without a father and he got with the wrong crowd. When he got married 5 years ago he was clean and doing so well but there was a fire at his home and he had to jump out of a second-story when after saving his kids and wife. Because of this he hurt his back and got addicted to painkillers. And he started to smoke weed and two other drugs to take away his pain and progressing depression. I suppose if I didn't know the specifics behind it it would see my cousin. As a good or bad person (ie) a black or white mentality of his character. But most things in this life there's always two sides to every story which gives way to gray areas of life. I just wish more people saw the world this way. Perhaps the world would be a better place if we all did." +"Three months ago, I went on a trip to Yellowstone National Park for a week. While I was there, I wanted to go for a hike and found a trail in Lamar Valley so I decided I would take some time to go. The trail was so nice and peaceful, but as the sun started to set, I started hearing some heavy footsteps nearby. I stopped in my tracks as I didn't know if it was another person or an animal. In that moment, I really wished that I brought someone with me. I was getting really nervous and scared of what I would see. I was completely surprised when I saw that a BEAR had walked close to the trail. I tried to stay calm as I tried to think back to what I knew about bears. I stayed quiet so I didn't bring the attention to me. I slowly walked away while trying to stay light on my feet. My heart was pounding the entire time. The bear kept moving further along the trail so I went back towards the entrance so I could get back to safety. Luckily, I was able to get far enough from the bear that I could walk normally the rest of the way. That was one of the scariest moments of my life. I am so thankful that I got out of that situation unharmed. Hopefully I don't ever come into a situation like this again!" +"Three months ago was the annual family vacation. This year we decided to be a little more adventurous and spend a week in Yellowstone National Park. My wife and I had started to be more physically active in an attempt to be have a healthier lifestyle. We had always wanted to go camping together, but haven't had the time. Our wedding registry actually consisted of mostly camping and outdoor gear, and now we have a chance to use it. After arriving at the park, we scouted out a nice area to setup camp near Lamar Valley. This area was chosen primarily because of reviews about the hiking trail. After two nights of eating hot dogs cooked on a campfire, we decided we would go hiking in the morning. We packed our backpacks with some trail mix, beef jerky and some extra water. After a big breakfast we began our journey of the hike. The scenery was incredible! We took a lot of pictures of the view with my wife and I posing for selfies and silly poses. While I was taking a picture of my wife up against a tree, I saw a figure move behind the tree. I put up a finger to shush my wife and motioned for her to creep towards me. She turns around and sees a bear 15 feet from her and screams! I began to roar at the bear and make very loud noises trying to scare it away. Amazingly enough, the bear ran away back into the woods and we raced back to our camp. We escaped with no physical harm done, although it was mentally jarring and nerve wrecking. The rest of the camping trick was spent at our campsite as we were too scared to continue hiking. The trip was overall enjoyable and we had a good time." +"Three months ago was the annual family vacation. This year we decided to be a little more adventurous and spend a week in Yellowstone National Park. My wife and I had started to be more physically active in an attempt to be have a healthier lifestyle. We had always wanted to go camping together, but haven't had the time. Our wedding registry actually consisted of mostly camping and outdoor gear, and now we have a chance to use it. After arriving at the park, we scouted out a nice area to setup camp near Lamar Valley. This area was chosen primarily because of reviews about the hiking trail. After two nights of eating hot dogs cooked on a campfire, we decided we would go hiking in the morning. We packed our backpacks with some trail mix, beef jerky and some extra water. After a big breakfast we began our journey of the hike. The scenery was incredible! We took a lot of pictures of the view with my wife and I posing for selfies and silly poses. While I was taking a picture of my wife up against a tree, I saw a figure move behind the tree. I put up a finger to shush my wife and motioned for her to creep towards me. She turns around and sees a bear 15 feet from her and screams! I began to roar at the bear and make very loud noises trying to scare it away. Amazingly enough, the bear ran away back into the woods and we raced back to our camp. We escaped with no physical harm done, although it was mentally jarring and nerve wrecking. The rest of the camping trick was spent at our campsite as we were too scared to continue hiking. The trip was overall enjoyable and we had a good time." +"This past summer, I got married. It was such a wonderful event. We were married in Vegas at the Luxor. The ceremony was so beautiful. Everyone showed to support us. All of my friends and family knew that this special even three months ago was paved in heartache and pain. My divorce several years ago from my ex wife was miserable. We were both so young when we married. Just 18 and fresh out of high school. But a few short years later, we were divorcing. We both lost everything. Including our cool. At one point during the divorce, we were both removed from the courtroom by the bailifs. But this time, things are different. Sally and I are both grown. We are both on the positive side of a bitter divorce. We are excited for the future." +"This past summer, I got married. It was such a wonderful event. We were married in Vegas at the Luxor. The ceremony was so beautiful. Everyone showed to support us. All of my friends and family knew that this special even three months ago was paved in heartache and pain. My divorce several years ago from my ex wife was miserable. We were both so young when we married. Just 18 and fresh out of high school. But a few short years later, we were divorcing. We both lost everything. Including our cool. At one point during the divorce, we were both removed from the courtroom by the bailifs. But this time, things are different. Sally and I are both grown. We are both on the positive side of a bitter divorce. We are excited for the future." +"Last month something happened that was one of the most heartbreaking, but necessary, events in my lifetime thus far. After 6 years of marriage with my wife, we decided to separate. There are some things in life that cannot be reconciled, but when it comes to children, sacrifices must be made. A few months prior to our separation, my supervisor at the electronics factory advised me that I would have to begin working overseas in China due to the increased costs of production in our country, and if I refused, I would lose my job and status in the company indefinitely. I was devastated to hear this, my supervisor of 10 years put me in this tough situation of choosing whether i leave my family or leave my job. There were many things to consider, first off, after working under this supervisor for about a decade, I accumulated quite a lot of pay raises and perks to my job that made living easy for my family and I, and it wasn't easy to find the same things in another job. With my family, my daughter recently started middle-school and at this time in her life, it would be beneficial for her to make stable friends and develop relationships that last throughout her life. My wife didn't like the idea of moving overseas because of her losing her job and our daughter's social health not being right. I did not know what to do in this situation whatsoever. I was angry with my supervisor for not offering me another position in the United States or referring me to another organization. I was also angry with my wife since she didn't want to come with me to China and start a new life over there. While i understood her concerns about not living there, I was still determined to pick up this new job position and continue working for the same company. Even though I made this tough decision and I knew this would come, my wife and I decided to separate because of this. In all honesty, separating was the hardest thing for me to overcome emotionally. We could not come to terms and agree on how things should be and for the sake of my daughter, we decided that my wife and her would stay in the USA while i travelled to China and lived there to do my work." +"Well, I'm still laid off. I'm still actively looking for work, but I'm honestly very frustrated. Our finances and savings are depleted. I don't know how we'll make our mortgage payment next month. I really need to get some employment. I recently read an article that said applying for jobs through online methods and job boards is very, very ineffective. While I agree with this statement, I don't know where else to turn in looking for a job. The article states that the most effective way to search for work is by networking. That sounds very good and all, but I don't feel like my network really has any leads for me at the moment. I've been thinking about doing a more in-depth search through my LinkedIn profile. I'm beginning to feel like a failure as a provider, husband, and father. I feel ashamed of the example I've set for my family. Some days it is difficult getting out of bed or being productive. Other days seem better and I do get some things done. Have I written enough yet?" +"I have been at my job for many years. They have treated me very well. However, they laid me off two weeks ago. I feel very betrayed that they treated me so well only to lay me off. I thought this company was better than that. I have a family and other responsibilities to tend to. For many years, they stressed family first, but they no longer live by that. It must be the new management that came in a few years ago. Right now, I'm living off my credit card hoping to make ends meet. It's going to be very hard to pay off the credit card. That said, I'm hopeful to find something soon. We have been struggling, but we cannot struggle forever. That saying, ""When one door closes, another door opens"" applies here. My family knows I'm diligently looking for another job. They are my encouragement during this period of dearth." +"Today was the best day of my life! It has taken me way longer than I could have ever possibly imagined, but I did it. Today was the day that I became a college graduate at 44 years young. So when I wake up and look in the mirror every morning, I won't see myself any longer. I will look into it and I will see someone who now holds an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice. And every night when I lay down my head to go to sleep, I will replay the memories of the proud looks my family had on their faces as I walked across that stage and became a new person. I will no longer remember or even concern myself with the struggles I endured or even the amount of time it took me to reach this goal. I will only remember that I reached my goal. I will only concern myself with the things that await me on the other side. I'd like to personally thank all of those who never thought I would be here to see this. I'd like to thank all of those that frowned upon me and told me that I was ""too old to ever be in school."" Now look at me. The only thing I am too old for is to listen to haters. I'm as young as I feel and right now I feel as if my life is just starting! So thank you self for giving me a gift so great. I will never, ever forget it. I love you and you are my hero!" +"Today was the best day of my life! It has taken me way longer than I could have ever possibly imagined, but I did it. Today was the day that I became a college graduate at 44 years young. So when I wake up and look in the mirror every morning, I won't see myself any longer. I will look into it and I will see someone who now holds an Associate's Degree in Criminal Justice. And every night when I lay down my head to go to sleep, I will replay the memories of the proud looks my family had on their faces as I walked across that stage and became a new person. I will no longer remember or even concern myself with the struggles I endured or even the amount of time it took me to reach this goal. I will only remember that I reached my goal. I will only concern myself with the things that await me on the other side. I'd like to personally thank all of those who never thought I would be here to see this. I'd like to thank all of those that frowned upon me and told me that I was ""too old to ever be in school."" Now look at me. The only thing I am too old for is to listen to haters. I'm as young as I feel and right now I feel as if my life is just starting! So thank you self for giving me a gift so great. I will never, ever forget it. I love you and you are my hero!" +"It has been an amazing week for me and I really can't wait to tell you all that has happened. I had been working at the store for over a year now and I was doing great, I had gotten to the point that it was all second nature to me. I loved my job, interacting with customers has been great, my coworkers are the best, and I just really enjoy working here. I recently heard that a managerial job had opened up and they were hiring, I thought this is my chance. I've always wanted to be able to work my way up in a job especially one I enjoyed and that it would be amazing to get this job. I've been working so hard and trying my best so I really thought I had a shot but I over heard some of my coworkers talking and saying that Jenny, who has been here a little longer than me was probably going to get the job. I'll admit this hurt because I really wanted it and after hearing that I thought they are probably right. Jenny has been there longer and she does a good job and gets along well with our supervisors/bosses. I get along with them pretty well too just not to the point that Jenny does, but even though Jenny does her job well, I know I worked way harder, not to put Jenny down but I always work overtime and always volunteer for stuff. I had given up all hope of getting the job, I've had past experience in jobs that I've seen that usually the one the higher ups get along with or like the most usually got better treatment and jobs regardless of how well they worked before. I was really sad but one day my supervisor comes up to me and says ""Hey Sara, so we are looking in to hiring someone for the manager position and kind of looking at our options and we are considering you for the job."" I couldn't believe it, I honestly thought with everything I wouldn't be considered. I say ""Thank you, that's great."" She replies ""So you would be interested if we decided you would be a good fit."" ""Definitely!' I state. She laughed and headed back to work. I was so excited maybe I would get the job. I had been so excited but then time passed and no updates on the manager position. I was working one shift and it was a rough one, we had a sale and people really took advantage of it, I was exhausted when I went to leave that day, I noticed my supervisor talking with Jenny and she seemed so excited. I knew that was it she had got the job and I was so upset. Then next day when I came, I was in bad mood knowing I had missed out on the job, then my supervisor walked up to me and said what I didn't think I would hear. ""Sara there you are, I have got a surprise for you. We talked it out and have decided we would like you to be our new manager."" I was so shocked I didn't speak at first. ""Wait I thought Jenny got the position?"" ""No, not at all, you work so hard and always do great, we did consider Jenny but you always volunteer your time and customers love you, it only makes sense to make you manager."" ""Thank you so much."" I replied. I was so happy, it was the best day ever." +The most recent memorable experience I had is when I got a promotion. Before I got my promotion I was an assistant manager. Now I have been promoted to store manager of my own store. When I first had gotten called into the office to speak with my boss I was wary if I was in trouble or not. But then a relief set in as I realized that I was being praised for my work and not reprimanded. This was such a great feeling to be praised about my work and about my work ethic and to be recognized for excelling at my work. I was so excited. I am only 28 years old and to be promoted to manager of my own store was so exciting for me. I am the first one in my family to be making above 45k a year. I feel so accomplished. This has definitely been the most exciting time in my life for me for as far as I can remember. This promotion will encourage me to further my career within this company and to see how much more growth is possible within it. I am so glad for this opportunity. I look forward to even more growth. I have never been so happy. +"Nine weeks ago, I got to witness first hand the dreams of my son coming true. For a long time, he had dreamed of opening up a Texas BBQ restaurant. I encouraged him to follow his dreams and finally his dreams came true. He opened up his own restaurant and has been very successful. I envisioned how it would look in my mind and was eager to see it, but my wife and i wanted to give him some time to get it just how he wanted before we went to visit. This was difficult, as I would have liked to go there on opening day. I was very proud of my son and would have liked to be there every step of the way but he is an adult and I wanted to give him the space he needed. After a couple months had past and the business was booming, my wife and I decided to take our first trip there. I was filled with excitement and anticipation as we pulled up to the establishment. It was a little before noon but the cars were starting to pile up fast to beat the lunch hour. I walked in and I was amazed at the look and layout. It looked like a true authentic Texas BBQ restaurant. My son came out from out back and greeted me with a big smile and a hug. I sat down and looked at the menu and was so hungry that I ordered just about everything off the menu. The food was amazing and the whole experience was amazing. I couldn't have been more proud of my son." +This incident happened nearly 4 months ago. Myself and my wife were interested in making experiments. Like that we decided to make experiments with real people. But we were not sure about the concept for the experiment. After many discussions we finally reached a topic for experiment. We decide to date other people by hiding the experiment details. We made this as a mutual decision so that no problems occur in future. We approached different persons and had date with them. I personally had more dates than my wife. The women I met were very formal and friendly. Though it was based on experiment one woman made a good friendship with me. At first I didn't know about this. She usually call me whenever she gets time. My wife came to know this one day when she attended her call. So we finally called that woman and conveyed the fact of experiment we made. +"Two months ago I attended my best friend's wedding. Prior to the wedding she asked me to be her maid of honor so without a doubt I said yes. We've been through a lot together and she deserved the amount of happiness her then boyfriend at the time made it official. Before the ceremony we prayed together, I'm not too big on it but she is very religious. During the ceremony I shed a few tears to see the moment of happiness on both of their faces and in my mind wished true happiness together and whatever obstacle they face, it will be overcome. I also thought of my own boyfriend and imagining us in that position. I love him so much and without doubt knew he loved me the same. During the reception everyone had a good time and I danced a few times with my boyfriend. He had a look of nervousness on his face, I thought to myself I hope the wedding is not freaking him out but I got it out of my head quickly. After the wedding we went back to our car. He was a bit silent and it was making me a bit uneasy. I asked what's wrong and he said nothing. There was a lot on his mind and I thought again oh no he is trying to break up with me? He told how long we have been together and he could not get enough of me. In my head I sighed relief and smiled at him. He says he has a surprise so he pulled out a ring box, opened it up and asked if I will marry him. I'd say yes immediately. He did not want to do it at at the reception to not steal my friend's thunder and I'm glad he did it outside the event. I was crying tears of joy. I couldn't believe I was marrying my ultimate best friend. Now I am planning a wedding of my own and could not be more happier!" +"Today, my best friend gets married. I'm a bridesmaid. I'm excited to stand next to her as she gets married. However, before the ceremony, my boyfriend told me that he had unexpected news to tell me later on. Why not now? He told me that he didn't want to spoil the wedding. Though I understand, he shouldn't have told me about this until later on. It made me very nervous throughout the wedding. Thankfully, the wedding went well. The reception was a great time. I caught the garter. I guess I'm getting married soon. Maybe that's what my boyfriend wants to talk to me about. Anyway, I went to talk to my boyfriend, and he said the unexpected news was that, and he paused. He got down on one knee and proposed. I said yes! That surprise, as nerve wracking as it was, made me so very happy." +"Today, my best friend gets married. I'm a bridesmaid. I'm excited to stand next to her as she gets married. However, before the ceremony, my boyfriend told me that he had unexpected news to tell me later on. Why not now? He told me that he didn't want to spoil the wedding. Though I understand, he shouldn't have told me about this until later on. It made me very nervous throughout the wedding. Thankfully, the wedding went well. The reception was a great time. I caught the garter. I guess I'm getting married soon. Maybe that's what my boyfriend wants to talk to me about. Anyway, I went to talk to my boyfriend, and he said the unexpected news was that, and he paused. He got down on one knee and proposed. I said yes! That surprise, as nerve wracking as it was, made me so very happy." +"We were homeless not too long ago , didn’t have anywhere to go. Went from house to house , shelter , car & outta state. Being out of state was depressing and lonely. But that’s where we had a roof on our heads. Still didn’t have a place to call home though. Recently.. literally like 3 weeks ago we moved back to our home town. We found a house within that first week. We moved in this past Monday and it’s been the happiest we’ve ever been. Only thing is now we have the roof over our heads and no money to take care of everything. I’m hoping everything continues to go good from here and on out we only deserve the best. It’s been a long journey. Scary, sad, happy, confusing and much more. We’ve been through a lot. Hell and back literally. This is our time to shine." +"The passing of my mother was the most significant event that happened to me over the last six months. She died of a stroke and it was traumatic for my whole family. I connected with so many emotions at that time and felt a deep love for my mother. At the funeral shortly after, I read my eulogy and got a great deal of comfort in providing a tribute to this amazing woman. I saw all the people from her life gathered in one place to pay tribute. I saw people I had not seen years who loved her very much. I helped my father through his own grief. I helped him pack up my mother's things and sell the house. I found all my mother's old diaries which was deeply moving. My wife and I took in her dog which I knew she would want. The event also brought my family much closer together - not an easy thing as we are all so different and often do not get along. Experiencing my mother's death, I feel, changed my profoundly and helped me connect with other people and taught me to love more emotionally. Feelings long cut off by me were restored. In the weeks that followed I felt and feel a greater connection to her. I will love her always." +"A few months ago, I was at a store shopping and I didn't get a cart. I had several items as I finished my quick trip. When I got to the checkout, there were a few people ahead of me. I waited patiently to get to the register. As I was waiting I noticed a woman behind me with e few items. I offered to let her go ahead of me. She gratefully accepted and thanked me. After a couple of minutes, she was next at the checkout. The cashier completed her order and gave the woman her change. The woman then turned around to me and handed me a hundred dollar bill. I was so shocked, I couldn't believe it! I tried telling her no but she wouldn't let me give it back to her. She said I had done her a great favor. I kept thanking her over and over. I never would have expected anything so generous. I ended up with such a huge smile on my face that lasted forever, it seemed. Now every time I go to that store I get a smile on my face as I remember what that wonderful stranger did that day. I think she was an Angel or something." +"This story is about how I had lost everything because I had not planned for the future and only focused on what was happening then. This event was about how I had a company that refurbished old abandoned homes and fixed them up to sell them for a higher price. One of the big reasons that my company started to go under was the fact that a serial killer had started murdering people a couple miles from the house I bought. This caused the house to sit on the market for months until the police caught the guy and by that time it was to late and I had run out of money for my business. One of the most memorable experiences I had at the time was realizing I was really down to the wire. When I had to start selling things to pay for my mortgage and electricity that was a very scary time in my life. Another memorable experience and probably the hardest was selling the tools that I had used to fix up the houses. That part was significant because that is when I had really realized that this is over and I need to start planning for what was coming. Also to try and to avoid foreclosure and bankruptcy. I am less anxious and stressed now that I am living in a smaller apartment. I still wish that I would have realized that my business was failing and I should have sold my stuff more preemptively than when I had done so. I now take more ownership for my business going under. I should have had more money saved up than I did, and I do take ownership for my company failing even though it failed under such strange circumstances. Taking ownership is significant because it lets me be able to be around others when I am going through trying times instead of trying to push the blame on others. So people will be less nervous around me. I think now I do wish I could go back and fix the mistakes that I had made but the only thing we can do is push forward. I am still saving up money to try and redo the business now that I have more knowledge than before, but time will tell what happens with that." +About 5 months ago my life flipped upside down. My husband unexpectedly got sick. He was the only person working in our family. I was a stay at home mom of 4. We thought it was a short term illness and everything would get back on track. We expected he would be able to go back to work. The complete opposite happened. He got sicker and passed away very quickly. For the last couple of years we had been trying to just get through some rough patches financially. We lived paycheck to paycheck. Bills started getting behind. Then there were extra expenses of hospital stays and then a funeral. I ended up losing everything we had tried to work for. I had no back up plan. I was all alone with no one to help me figure out how to get back on track. +"There is one event that I will never forget for the rest of my life that happened recently. I was working in the labor & delivery floor of Kaiser San Francisco for my nursing rotation. I remember being quite anxious because I was a male, and I assumed that it would be hard to gain experience since women may not like having a male in their delivery rooms. However, it was the opposite of what I expected. I have always wondered what it would be like to watch the birth of a baby. All I hear are stories from my mom about the stress of it because she had four of us. It all started during my second week on the floor. I met a patient who was due to have her baby on the same day. She was with her husband. I don't remember their names, but I do remember their faces and the entire experience. The nurse I was working with advocated for me to be in the room to assist with the birthing process. I remember how long it took and how tiring it was for the patient to push for over two hours in order for the baby to come out. It was all so beautiful. I was able to help hold one of her legs up while the other nurse held the other leg. When the doctor delivered the baby, I almost cried. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. Can you imagine being the first person that a baby sees in this world? It was such a joyous experience. I hope one day that I will get to do it again with my own children." +"Our friend Dino was in an awful car accident five months ago. It was a truly unfortunate situation, as he was simply driving down the street to the grocery store just half mile away from home. He didn't need to go out that night. He was minding his own business when a drunk driver struck him head on and killed him. The other driver walked away unscathed. The circumstances of the crash had us all really searching for greater meaning to why terrible things happen to otherwise good and undeserving people. We decided to get together to mourn collectively after a few months had passed thinking it would help us all move forward with our lives. We couldn't seem to shake the sheer random nature of such unfortunate violence and it helped to commune and speak about how his passing had affected us and our hopes, views, and beliefs. We resolved to meet together once a year to honor Dino's memory, and to examine how we are all doing existentially. We hope that continuing to meet will become a tradition that takes on even greater meaning as the years go by. It can grow to become a gathering that none of us would dare miss, no matter how far away from each other we find ourselves. The group can even grow and take on new members who never knew Dino. To dream even larger about the potential of this event, it could even become a broader community celebration of those who were once close to us but have since passed. I hope this dream can come to fruition. I hope many community members find that they can benefit from such reflection. I hope I can find solace in the comfort of my friends and neighbors. I hope it becomes something really cool and something we can be proud of. I hope I hope I hope." +"Our friend Dino was in an awful car accident five months ago. It was a truly unfortunate situation, as he was simply driving down the street to the grocery store just half mile away from home. He didn't need to go out that night. He was minding his own business when a drunk driver struck him head on and killed him. The other driver walked away unscathed. The circumstances of the crash had us all really searching for greater meaning to why terrible things happen to otherwise good and undeserving people. We decided to get together to mourn collectively after a few months had passed thinking it would help us all move forward with our lives. We couldn't seem to shake the sheer random nature of such unfortunate violence and it helped to commune and speak about how his passing had affected us and our hopes, views, and beliefs. We resolved to meet together once a year to honor Dino's memory, and to examine how we are all doing existentially. We hope that continuing to meet will become a tradition that takes on even greater meaning as the years go by. It can grow to become a gathering that none of us would dare miss, no matter how far away from each other we find ourselves. The group can even grow and take on new members who never knew Dino. To dream even larger about the potential of this event, it could even become a broader community celebration of those who were once close to us but have since passed. I hope this dream can come to fruition. I hope many community members find that they can benefit from such reflection. I hope I can find solace in the comfort of my friends and neighbors. I hope it becomes something really cool and something we can be proud of. I hope I hope I hope." +"It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, it was warm and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. This day would be a day that would forever change my life. I had worked hard for what was about to happen and I had sacrificed much of my family life to reach this goal. Today was the day that I would receive my Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering. This had been a goal since I graduated with my Bachelors degree almost 25 years earlier. Due to starting a family shortly after receiving my Bachelors degree, I had put off getting my Masters until my life had settled and I was financially capable of achieving this goal. Well, that time came 2 years ago when I took the step of enrolling in school at the age of 46. Did I need the Masters degree? Would it change my life? Would it allow me to make more money and be more successful? Well, yes I did need the degree and yes it would change my life. I mainly did it to keep a promise that I made to my parents when I had started my Family. It had been 25 years since I made that promise to them and now they wouldn't be here to witness it. So many emotions ran through my mind. Should I have done it earlier so that my parents could have been here? I knew that they were looking down upon me and this day and were just as proud as they would have been if they were here to see it with their own eyes. What made this even more special is that I would receive my Degree alongside of my Daughter who on the exact day, was receiving her Masters degree in Chemical Engineering. She has always been proud of here Dad but I know that she was more excited about my graduation than hers. When my name was called, I stood up, walked up onto that stage and broke down in tears. I don't know what caused the sudden surge of emotions but part of me felt my parents right there on the stage with me. I imagined my Mom crying and my Dad holding back tears of Joy. When I received my degree, I turned and faced my Wife and yelled: we did it!. She was overcome with emotion as well. My Daughter was next and I waited on stage for her. Upon receiving her degree, she ran to me and told me that she was proud of me." +"I was always making excuses not to go back to school and complete my Masters degree. Before long over 20 years passed and I realized something was missing, I wanted a Masters degree, it never left my mind. The opportunity was present and I am so glad I finally took it. But what really matters on this special day is not only proving to myself I could do it, but showing my Daughter to never give up. The pride I feel inside from accomplishing my goal, but the feeling of completeness there is from my Daughter receiving her Masters the same day is indescribable. I remember what started me on this quest, my parents wanted me to be ""educated"" and in their eyes it meant a Masters degree. The told me continuously to start classes, to get moving on it, at times there were almost relentless about it. I could see it in their eyes, how very much they wanted me to complete my education, I felt that drive in them, that sense of pride they would have in me. Before they passed away I made a promise, to me I took an oath in their presence, that I would no matter what complete my Masters degree. They never let me forget that promise, my mother reminded me of it daily, my father talked about it often and I carried that around with me until this day. I remember sharing the story with my Daughter, the promise I made to her grandparents and what it meant to them and me. At first she could not grasp the meaning of it all to me, the sense of gratitude I had for my parents as well as what it meant to them for me to get my higher level degree. I finally got through to my daughter about how I felt, how my parents felt and how to me it tied in with her getting her Masters on the same day. She always knew how I beam with pride over her, all her accomplishments and dedication to studying. It brought me great happiness to be able to share the day with her, to get a degree the same time she did. I feel inside now a true sense of calm, knowing my family is proud of me, I set a good example for my daughter and my parents can rest. I told my daughter my life is finally complete, and I feel a true sense of circle and self, and that my parents can finally rest in peace with an oath kept." +"When I got into a car crash and broke my hip, I had to go to the hospital for an extended stay. As expected, the unpaid hospital bills overwhelmed me. The sad thing is, this was after some of the costs were shouldered by my health insurance. I felt devastated that I would be bankrupt for an incident I wasn't responsible for. Why should I suffer this when it was the the other driver swerved from his side and rammed into me? It just wasn't fair at all. About a week after the incident, I heard word from a co-worker of mine, who told me that he and the others at work began a donation drive, in person and online, to help pay for my hospital bills. Random people I never met before donated money. It wasn't much for most; a couple dollars here and a couple dozen there, but when added up, they really made a mountain out of a molehill. The total donation amount was enough to cover most of my bills - I ended up paying a little over a thousand with my own money. This incident restored a large part of my faith in humanity. It showed that there are good people who would help you at your worst even when you can't do anything for them. Since then, I became a lot more positive about my outlook. I resolved myself to help others like others did for me. Even a small thing like a couple dollars might make that difference, because it was the case for me." +I few months ago I was living my life normally. I had no problems at the time so I was happy. Then 10 weeks ago I got into a car accident and broke my hip and other areas. I needed to stay in the hospital. The hostpital bill and unpaid bills overwhelmed me. I couldn't afford them even if they were made into payment plans. It was just too much money for someone like me. I had pretty decent friends at work that wanted to help me. So I did listen to what they had to say. I really didn't get much advice that could help out. I did have a coworker that said a donation drive may be able to help out with bills. I thought that was a good idea as well but who would donate. It turns out almost everyone donated. People i knew and people I didn't know. Random people came up to help me in my need. They were also able to help me pay my bills. +"My mom died the other day in a horrible car accident. I miss her. It has been hard for everyone to recover. I took time off from school and work. My boss is giving me a hard time about it. He said 'everyone does, get over it, I don't pay you to mourn.' I had no choice but to show up during more than half of the days that I requested off to grieve because my boss threatened to fire me if I missed too many days. I have student loans so I can't afford not to show up. I feel much like a slave because of this. I feel that this is a basic thing that I should be able to take time off for but I am told that I can't. My boss is my master. On the way to work, I was in a horrible car accident. My car was totaled but I was ok so I took an uber to work. I was late so my boss screamed at me and then fired me on spot. I have since lost my home. I am typing this on my phone because that is all I have left. I can't wait to die so that I cna be with my mom." +"It's been really hard dealing with my mom's death a month ago. It's hard for all of us. I wish I could help my family go through this, but I can barely help myself right now. It was so bad I took a leave of absence from med school today. I am sad I'll be behind my friends and classmates but I know I have to do this for myself, and for mom. She always wanted me to be a doctor and it was my dream too. I won't be able to be a good doctor if I can't focus in class and rotations because I'm depressed. By taking time off, I'm preparing myself to get back to an appropriate mental state. I will have three semesters left to complete when I go back. I hope I can become a good doctor that can help the people who suffer from the same things mom died from. I don't know what I'm going to do during this time. Travel? Find a hobby? Find new friends? Sit at home? I don't know." +"It's been really hard dealing with my mom's death a month ago. It's hard for all of us. I wish I could help my family go through this, but I can barely help myself right now. It was so bad I took a leave of absence from med school today. I am sad I'll be behind my friends and classmates but I know I have to do this for myself, and for mom. She always wanted me to be a doctor and it was my dream too. I won't be able to be a good doctor if I can't focus in class and rotations because I'm depressed. By taking time off, I'm preparing myself to get back to an appropriate mental state. I will have three semesters left to complete when I go back. I hope I can become a good doctor that can help the people who suffer from the same things mom died from. I don't know what I'm going to do during this time. Travel? Find a hobby? Find new friends? Sit at home? I don't know." +"Six months ago I was diagnosed with Early Onset Parkinson's Disease. This is my story of diagnosis to acceptance. I had been bothered by tremors for a long time, but when they told me it was Parkinson's, I couldn't believe it. That's a disease that old people get (or so I thought), and I'm only 38. Once it sank in, I felt scared. Scared of losing my independence and my life. I had hoped to live a long time. There was so much I wanted to do, and I wouldn't get the chance to do it. Thinking of everything I would miss out on made me depressed. I tried to fight it - I didn't have time to be depressed anymore. But I spent several days in bed, brooding over my fate. Finally, I decided to reach out. I contacted my church first, and then a trusted group of friends. I was amazed at how many people offered their support. People I didn't know or hadn't spoken to for a long time asked if they could give me a ride somewhere, help me around the house, or just listen to me. It took a while, but I eventually started to accept the offers. And I eventually started to accept what was happening to me. I have trials ahead of me, but I also have people who will help me face them." +"Six months ago I was diagnosed with Early Onset Parkinson's Disease. This is my story of diagnosis to acceptance. I had been bothered by tremors for a long time, but when they told me it was Parkinson's, I couldn't believe it. That's a disease that old people get (or so I thought), and I'm only 38. Once it sank in, I felt scared. Scared of losing my independence and my life. I had hoped to live a long time. There was so much I wanted to do, and I wouldn't get the chance to do it. Thinking of everything I would miss out on made me depressed. I tried to fight it - I didn't have time to be depressed anymore. But I spent several days in bed, brooding over my fate. Finally, I decided to reach out. I contacted my church first, and then a trusted group of friends. I was amazed at how many people offered their support. People I didn't know or hadn't spoken to for a long time asked if they could give me a ride somewhere, help me around the house, or just listen to me. It took a while, but I eventually started to accept the offers. And I eventually started to accept what was happening to me. I have trials ahead of me, but I also have people who will help me face them." +"UGH!!!! I'm so frustrated. I can't believe the crap that is going on. My plans for rooming with my buddy have fallen through so now I'm gonna have to scramble for another arrangement. She'd invited me to go fishing with her for some relaxing girl-time and while out there, she dropped the bad news. I understand her reasons but it is still so frustrating for my own situation. Oh well, I love her and she is important to me so I can only accept her decisions and make the best of my own. It was considerate for her to take the time to tell me in person in a personal way instead of just texting me or not informing me at all. Plus I have the time to look for other options. I have no intention of letting this damage our friendship. Moving forward, I need to make plans to find another living situation. I've looked for others to room with but have had no luck yet. I hate putting random ads up but it is a viable option. I can also get an apmt that I can afford alone but the areas available are usually very creepy. I suppose I could move in with my boyfriend but that puts a completely different strain on the relationship. Of course, my mom wants me to move back with her, hahahahaha." +"UGH!!!! I'm so frustrated. I can't believe the crap that is going on. My plans for rooming with my buddy have fallen through so now I'm gonna have to scramble for another arrangement. She'd invited me to go fishing with her for some relaxing girl-time and while out there, she dropped the bad news. I understand her reasons but it is still so frustrating for my own situation. Oh well, I love her and she is important to me so I can only accept her decisions and make the best of my own. It was considerate for her to take the time to tell me in person in a personal way instead of just texting me or not informing me at all. Plus I have the time to look for other options. I have no intention of letting this damage our friendship. Moving forward, I need to make plans to find another living situation. I've looked for others to room with but have had no luck yet. I hate putting random ads up but it is a viable option. I can also get an apmt that I can afford alone but the areas available are usually very creepy. I suppose I could move in with my boyfriend but that puts a completely different strain on the relationship. Of course, my mom wants me to move back with her, hahahahaha." +"My favorite memory is my first amateur boxing match. It took place in River Falls, WI in a small hockey arena. It was July 27th, the middle of summer. It was hot as hell. My team was from MN. We were one of the first teams that arrived. I made weight at 166 lbs. I was geared up and ready for war. I was ready to tear everybody's head off from the other teams. I was mean mugging everyone like a motherfucker. I didn't care who they were or where they were from I was just ready to catch a body. I was fighting a guy from their local boxing gym. He already had one fight under his belt, a victory. I gave him his first loss. The fight went all three rounds. I busted his nose and lip open. He was leaking on me like a faucet. By the end of the fight my left arm was drenched in his blood. It was fucking awesome" +"My boyfriend, Joe, just turned 30 a month ago. I wanted to make his ""Big 30"" special so I threw him a surprise birthday party. I started thinking about this about 4 months before his birthday. It's a good thing, too, because there was a lot of planning to do for it. I enlisted the help of a few friends of ours to help make this night extra special for all of us, but especially for Joe. He is such a sweet, caring guy who everyone loves so it wasn't very hard to get others to help me.We met one evening when Joe was working. I kind of knew where I wanted to have the party already, if everyone else thought it was a good idea. We all like to go to a local sports bar called Ike's. They have sports on most of the time but they also have some local favorite bands we all enjoy. Joe's birthday was on a Wednesday so we thought we should have it the Saturday before so he would really be surprised. A friend of Joe's volunteered to keep him busy that Saturday. That worked out great, giving the rest of us plenty of time to get everything set up in the back room at Ike's. We decorated a little with some sports stuff and some black balloons. Everyone showed up around 6 and milled around til we got the news they were on the way. As they entered the bar, the bartender greeted them loudly enough so we knew it was time. As they entered the room, Joe's parents were the first people he saw. Behind him were about 20 others, all yelling ""Happy Birthday Joe!"", as loud as they could. Everyone seemed to have such a good time and Joe was totally surprised. At one point, the singer who was working that evening came in and sang Happy Birthday to Joe and we all joined in. After the party, Joe's Mom came to me and told me she wanted to pay for everything. She was thrilled about the party and happy to pay for it which was not expected but was very nice. Joe and I were very pleased with all the people who came. But Joe is a great guy and most everyone loves him. He's a keeper." +"My boyfriend, Joe, just turned 30 a month ago. I wanted to make his ""Big 30"" special so I threw him a surprise birthday party. I started thinking about this about 4 months before his birthday. It's a good thing, too, because there was a lot of planning to do for it. I enlisted the help of a few friends of ours to help make this night extra special for all of us, but especially for Joe. He is such a sweet, caring guy who everyone loves so it wasn't very hard to get others to help me.We met one evening when Joe was working. I kind of knew where I wanted to have the party already, if everyone else thought it was a good idea. We all like to go to a local sports bar called Ike's. They have sports on most of the time but they also have some local favorite bands we all enjoy. Joe's birthday was on a Wednesday so we thought we should have it the Saturday before so he would really be surprised. A friend of Joe's volunteered to keep him busy that Saturday. That worked out great, giving the rest of us plenty of time to get everything set up in the back room at Ike's. We decorated a little with some sports stuff and some black balloons. Everyone showed up around 6 and milled around til we got the news they were on the way. As they entered the bar, the bartender greeted them loudly enough so we knew it was time. As they entered the room, Joe's parents were the first people he saw. Behind him were about 20 others, all yelling ""Happy Birthday Joe!"", as loud as they could. Everyone seemed to have such a good time and Joe was totally surprised. At one point, the singer who was working that evening came in and sang Happy Birthday to Joe and we all joined in. After the party, Joe's Mom came to me and told me she wanted to pay for everything. She was thrilled about the party and happy to pay for it which was not expected but was very nice. Joe and I were very pleased with all the people who came. But Joe is a great guy and most everyone loves him. He's a keeper." +"Today's the big day. I worked my butt off for 8 months to get promoted in this job. I trained for 6 weeks in all sorts of shifts to get the job down. I opened, closed, and did mid-shifts. I learned how to receive merchandise, do the deposit, prepare products for the next day, and pretty much every thing possible that would come up on a shift. Today they let me do my first close without supervision. I was crazy nervous to get the deposit right. What if it's off? What if I don't arm the store right and the alarm goes off? What if we get robbed? But I'm glad to know I'm trusted with the day-to-day operations of a retail store and am considered a manager-in-charge. The $3.75/hr pay raise certainly helps. It means a lot because I was lied to when let go of my teaching job, and blacklisted in the university. I couldn't sue because they could retaliate against my wife. I then spent two years at the home improvement store, but they only promote people with criminal records and look down on education. I'm finally able to have a job that could at least set me up for future success." +It took me a while to get where I am now and a lot of hardship. I always wanted to be the manager of a workplace. I didn't have the specifics as to where but I still knew that for sure. I worked in many places to gain my experience and different areas. I also even did volunteer work about 120 hours worth that is. I then got hired a place that I really wanted to work at It didn't matter the position. I just wanted to be there so they hired me on a entry level role. I picked it up because I had the time and wanted the money. It was a pretty easy job which was good because I just wanted to be there and get to the next level. Sometimes I did things for the managers helping them out with their work when I am free. I did that for months up until I got a call to the office. It was an important meeting in the office. I was finally promoted after four years of neglect and disrespect from other places of employment. Today was my inaugural day of being a manager in charge. I was really excited this is what I worked for. +"Well, this story represents a spectacular time event in my past which dealt with the direct influence upon someone else's life in general. Remembering back to the day of this life changing event, I still remember and feel the sensations of that moment as it happened on that day. Memory has a way of staying vivid when something very powerful sets motion within your senses. Moments like this are never forgotten, as if the event took place recently, even though many years,perhaps decades have faded away. Time may fade away, but when you are responsible for changing the life of someone else for the better. Unlike time, this type of significance never fades away. To this day, I think about that moment when I helped that elderly man in the store, and what may have happened to him had I not been there, as if I was sent there by forces beyond my control to earn my role within humanity. I realize every day, that my life really did change from that moment, this which reflects the overall impact of my existence, and the value of it's meaning. I just hope that someday, when I am in a time of need, that some guardian angel may rescue me from whatever negative aspects which may abound me. If I had not been there in that store on that day, at that time, would this event be someone else's memory to reflect upon, or perhaps the opposite may hold true. These memories could have been dark and painful. For had this man died as a result of nobody there to save his life, this would have been an everlasting tragic event for others close to him. Funerals are hard to forget as well. Unfortunately, that is not the type of memory I want to hold onto. So, in the long run, I feel justified with an enriched focus upon my life focus. I truly feel as though I have earned significant credit toward my worthiness as a human being on this plane of existence." +"Well, this story represents a spectacular time event in my past which dealt with the direct influence upon someone else's life in general. Remembering back to the day of this life changing event, I still remember and feel the sensations of that moment as it happened on that day. Memory has a way of staying vivid when something very powerful sets motion within your senses. Moments like this are never forgotten, as if the event took place recently, even though many years,perhaps decades have faded away. Time may fade away, but when you are responsible for changing the life of someone else for the better. Unlike time, this type of significance never fades away. To this day, I think about that moment when I helped that elderly man in the store, and what may have happened to him had I not been there, as if I was sent there by forces beyond my control to earn my role within humanity. I realize every day, that my life really did change from that moment, this which reflects the overall impact of my existence, and the value of it's meaning. I just hope that someday, when I am in a time of need, that some guardian angel may rescue me from whatever negative aspects which may abound me. If I had not been there in that store on that day, at that time, would this event be someone else's memory to reflect upon, or perhaps the opposite may hold true. These memories could have been dark and painful. For had this man died as a result of nobody there to save his life, this would have been an everlasting tragic event for others close to him. Funerals are hard to forget as well. Unfortunately, that is not the type of memory I want to hold onto. So, in the long run, I feel justified with an enriched focus upon my life focus. I truly feel as though I have earned significant credit toward my worthiness as a human being on this plane of existence." +"I was nominated for a big award for romance writers. It is national and hundreds of people enter and only a few are chosen. It is a huge honor to be chosen. I was so excited. Everyone makes a big deal of it when you go there. It was very exciting because it was one of the first times that an African American won the big award. Everyone was so happy for them. They have been trying to promote more diversity within the group. It was very good for the people who were there. It was very significant to me for several reasons. First because I was part of it, it felt good. I also felt good to see more representation within our group. Everyone was so happy and excited. It was in a big ballroom in New York City. Even the news was there. It was beautiful and everyone dressed up in fancy gowns." +"I went to an award's ceremony that was for writers in the romance genre. It was at a large national romance conference in New York City. We were at a large ritzy hotel in New York City. The award is called the Ritas and it is the most prestigious industry award ceremony in the genre. We all got dressed up to go to the ceremony. I wore an evening gown with beading and sparkles. Other people wore evening gowns as well. I was part of it because I am part of this organization and I was up for a sister award. It was so excited to be there and have people notice that I was up for an award. I am also among the group that judges these books. During the conference there was a lot of talk about increasing diversity. Although the award had been around for decades, an African American had never won an award. It was a very big deal. During this ceremony it happened. An Afraican American won, and everyone cheered so much. People were crying. After the ceremony, we all took part in a large party. It was a very memorable evening." +"Last month, after several years of waiting, I was offered a contract for a book I am co-editing with a colleague. Because the process of submitting a proposal had taken place such a long time ago and because we had not heard anything from our publisher, my colleague and I felt certain that we would either have to re-submit the proposal to another publisher or abandon the project. We had spoken about the future of the project only a week or so before we were offered a contract. At the time, we were quite discouraged and planned to speak about our potential next steps shortly. Thus, when I opened the email, I was shocked. I immediately sent a message to my colleague who was travelling with her partner to share the good news. We were both very relieved and excited. Once we had had a chance to talk, we drafted a letter to the publisher expressing our gratitude. We also wrote to our contributors, thanking them for their patience. As we began to hear back from the publisher with details and from our contributors with excitement, I began to grow nervous. Though I had written several chapters for publication in similar volumes, this would be the first time I would also be editing the text. My nervousness and anxiety heightened my sense of excitement and I felt a new desire to work. What surprised me most was not hearing back from the publisher after having practically abandoned hope. Rather, it was the sense of renewed scholarly motivation that engulfed me that I found most surprising. Now, I am much more focused on my work. I feel grateful to enjoy this new energy, which has also carried over into my teaching as a general sense of purpose." +"We went to P and K's house last night for a BBQ. P is getting ready to deploy, and K is expecting their second child so making the most of all of our time together is important. P had gotten some special beers from a store near them, which he shared with me while A and M ran around the backyard. The two of them had a terrific time playing on an old tree stump, inventing all sorts of games. K's feeling quite stressed about the baby and the uncertainty of P's deployment. It looks like it will be a lengthy mission to a dangerous region. And it's coming so soon after he was gone on the hospital ship. I hope the baby will be born before he deploys. We will need to figure out how best to support K while he's gone. We had dinner outside as the sun set, and then went inside. M and A played some more. They get along really well together. It seems like there is less rivalry between then. Finally, P and K brought out a surprise birthday cake for J's birthday. They are great friends to think of us, when so much is happening in their lives." +Today was an amazing day. It was a company party and I was talking to one of the other teachers in my department. We were discussing a bunch of little things. We grabbed a couple drinks and food from the open bar and buffet. As we drank and ate a few other coworkers came over to us and started talking to us. A few of them were pretty drunk but a few of them were fine just asking a bunch of questions to us. I started talking to this one really cute girl. We start talking about our lives and we were super similar. She was such a lovely person but I became super nervous to talk to her. So I grabbed a couple drinks as we were talking it helped my nerves. We keep talking it was going great. Then she asked where we were going next. My friend said I dont know so we started just following the girls lead and left with them Then the girls starting walking away from us. I realized they were kinda drunk but wanted us to come to the next bar. At that bar I randomly ran into a few of other coworkers. But I kept talking to this one girl. It was going great but I started to get a bit drunk. So we went to another bar because that was totally a good idea. It was not I kept getting more drunk but I kept having a good time with this girl. We ended up going home together. I truly thought it was never to going to work out long term but it did. Over 5 months later everything is going amazing. She is really becoming the love of my life +We had such a great time with our cousins. Now that we are growing up we can do so many more things. We were able to go kayaking and canoeing! We cooked food on the grill for every meal. We got up when we wanted to and did everything we wanted to. My cousin Lisa always wants to ride bikes. We rode all the way down to the creek and then played in the water. We were skipping rocks like Pappy taught us when we were little. We went up to my aunt's cottage and she made us a peach pie. We were going to go hiking but it rained and it was too muddy. Mom was afraid we would slide all the way down the hill. We also went to the ice cream place. It has a giant cow out in front of it. We used to call it the cow store. I had a chocolate shake. It is my favorite as usual. Everyone else had shakes too. We became sad knowing it was our last day at the cottage. We would go to school soon. We all agreed to meet back there next summer for more adventures. I love my cousins! +We had such a great time with our cousins. Now that we are growing up we can do so many more things. We were able to go kayaking and canoeing! We cooked food on the grill for every meal. We got up when we wanted to and did everything we wanted to. My cousin Lisa always wants to ride bikes. We rode all the way down to the creek and then played in the water. We were skipping rocks like Pappy taught us when we were little. We went up to my aunt's cottage and she made us a peach pie. We were going to go hiking but it rained and it was too muddy. Mom was afraid we would slide all the way down the hill. We also went to the ice cream place. It has a giant cow out in front of it. We used to call it the cow store. I had a chocolate shake. It is my favorite as usual. Everyone else had shakes too. We became sad knowing it was our last day at the cottage. We would go to school soon. We all agreed to meet back there next summer for more adventures. I love my cousins! +"We all have that one person in our life that likes to have task completed to their specifications and will not take no for an answer. Let me tell you about the individual that has become a thorn in my side with respect to outdoor lawn maintenance. My mother. Yes, you heard me correctly . About 7 weeks ago she decided that she had seen enough of the lifeless, non fruit bearing trees that were anything but pleasing to the eye. In my opinion there simply was no rush to have them taken down as they provided shelter for the wildlife. I had noticed many times with in the prior weeks there were a number of squirrels using them as homes to secure their nest and the red headed woodpeckers that would come by and have there morning feast of ants, termites ect... And, if that was not reason enough I simply was in no mood to take the trees down as it would require a lot of work and without the proper equipment it would most certainly be a daunting task. After much conversation and pleading my case for the sanctity of the wildlife, the lack of proper equipment the amount of time it would consume to complete the job correctly I was defeated. My mother would hear no more about it and in fact she took it upon herself to secure the proper equipment. She called the local rental store and secured not one but three chainsaw. Why three you ask? She was firm in her belief that I would do anything to prevent the squirrels from becoming homeless even if that meant destroying property. With much hesitation I went to the rental place picked up the chainsaws and went on my way. With much frustration I stopped by my buddies house and asked for a hand. The 2 of us began the daunting task of tree removal. With in 6 hours I cut down all the lifeless trees and secured mothers blessing to provide the wood to my friend as payment for his assistance. While I am not a huge fan of my mother at the moment I truly feel good knowing my friend and his family will stay warm and dry during the upcoming winter season." +"Well, the story really starts about 6 months or so ago. My mother was always complaining about feeling really tired and fatigued so she went to the doctor. The doctor ran some tests and her heart rate was seen to be very low which they believed to be the cause of her fatigue. They recommended that she get a pacemaker put in to help regulate her heart. My mother agreed to undergo the surgery. The day of the surgery arrives and I'm with her laughing and joking around before she was called back to be put under. We had no idea the trouble that was about to occur. We were told the surgery would only be about 30 minutes or so. So they wheel my mother to the back and give her anesthesia. From my knowledge, as I was not with her at this point, was that she was still awake when they wheeled her into the operating room and she began to have a panic attack when they put the surgery cloth or whatever you call it over her face which then lead her to have a pulmonary edema. A pulmonary edema is basically your lungs being filled with fluid making it very difficult to breathe. She was taken to the ICU immediately and remained there for about a week. She was able to make a full recovery but it was close to being an absolute disaster. It was one of the most frightening things I have ever experienced. She even ended up getting the surgery for her pacemaker done later on and thankfully no complications occurred." +"Well, the story really starts about 6 months or so ago. My mother was always complaining about feeling really tired and fatigued so she went to the doctor. The doctor ran some tests and her heart rate was seen to be very low which they believed to be the cause of her fatigue. They recommended that she get a pacemaker put in to help regulate her heart. My mother agreed to undergo the surgery. The day of the surgery arrives and I'm with her laughing and joking around before she was called back to be put under. We had no idea the trouble that was about to occur. We were told the surgery would only be about 30 minutes or so. So they wheel my mother to the back and give her anesthesia. From my knowledge, as I was not with her at this point, was that she was still awake when they wheeled her into the operating room and she began to have a panic attack when they put the surgery cloth or whatever you call it over her face which then lead her to have a pulmonary edema. A pulmonary edema is basically your lungs being filled with fluid making it very difficult to breathe. She was taken to the ICU immediately and remained there for about a week. She was able to make a full recovery but it was close to being an absolute disaster. It was one of the most frightening things I have ever experienced. She even ended up getting the surgery for her pacemaker done later on and thankfully no complications occurred." +"I was shocked to discover that the daughter of a friend of mine had died. I knew her best when we were teenagers. We used to travel a lot to Chicago from Memphis is another friend's old Chevy II. During those times we would kid around and even sing songs. But I was careful not to be too forward with her since her mother was in the car with us. I was about nineteen at the time I first met her and I believe she was around 15. Her mother is now in her late 80s and Carolyn died in her mid-sixties. I felt so bad first that she died and secondly, that I had not tried to keep up with her over the years. I last saw her at a funeral of a mutual friend. She was still beautiful but she was with her second husband. I met her first husband at our book club meetings and I was surprised she would have chosen a man like him. He was fairly grumpy and not too smart. I had to compare myself with him and it made me think I would have had a shot with her had I tried to date her as an adult. I too, though, had two children with a spouse that I wasn't particularly suited for. It's a shame she died. She was beautiful, funny and kind." +"In the last few days I learned about the death of a woman who I had been great friends with when she was a young woman. I have known her mother for almost 50 years. I knew that her mother had two daughters and I knew them both, but I was closest to her oldest daughter , Carolyn. Carolyn and I were two of the young people that travelled with my religious group to Chicago. We were always going to Chicago in those days, which was about a 10 hour drive. Carolyn was fifteen and I was nineteen. Her mother always travelled with us. Carolyn was a beauty even in those days but I could not flirt with her with her mother so close. I remember all the times we had to change a tire in those days, since we were always having flats on the drive. She would help me and thus, we could spend some time alone, away from her mother. I think she liked me too but it was too risky to date, since she was still underage. She got married at the age of 18 and I did not see her for many years, since her husband was in the military and they moved a lot. A few years ago, a friend died and I saw her again at the friend's funeral. She was still beautiful but she was also married, this time to her second husband. It was great to see her. Then, last week in my book club, we happened to mention some things and I found out that one of our new members was her ex-husband, who I had never met. We talked a bit about her mother and he told me that Carolyn had two children by him. He didn't mention she had recently died. I only found out about a week later. She was in her early 60s but she died peacefully in bed surrounded by family. She died young but she led a happy life." +"There is usually a lot of fun stuff to do in Thailand. I liked to go to different places and enjoy the weather, food and drinks. The culture of the area is very accepting and friendly and there are a lot of reasons to fall in love with the place. I spent a lot of time in the area hanging out with my brother and some other members of my family. I just did typical stuff, like go out at night for drinks and have tours of the countryside during the day. It was a nice and relaxing atmosphere, so that helped a lot with the style of vacation that we were trying to have. I slept in one day and found out that some of my party had gone out and ridden an elephant, because that is a possibility in Thailand. They seemed to have a pretty good time and the pictures that came from the event were good. I would very much like to go back someday, although I doubt that anyone there remembers me anymore. It was a nice country and really gave me some new perspectives. Once we went and saw some giant buddha statues in the countryside. Another time we went to an old palace and saw some ancient tapestries. I was intrigued because it is apparent that I know way more about Western history and culture than I do about eastern. I felt that I could spend my whole life learning about the place and would only scratch the surface. That was very exciting for me. It made me feel that the world was still very exciting and that my curiosity could be rewarded." +"There is usually a lot of fun stuff to do in Thailand. I liked to go to different places and enjoy the weather, food and drinks. The culture of the area is very accepting and friendly and there are a lot of reasons to fall in love with the place. I spent a lot of time in the area hanging out with my brother and some other members of my family. I just did typical stuff, like go out at night for drinks and have tours of the countryside during the day. It was a nice and relaxing atmosphere, so that helped a lot with the style of vacation that we were trying to have. I slept in one day and found out that some of my party had gone out and ridden an elephant, because that is a possibility in Thailand. They seemed to have a pretty good time and the pictures that came from the event were good. I would very much like to go back someday, although I doubt that anyone there remembers me anymore. It was a nice country and really gave me some new perspectives. Once we went and saw some giant buddha statues in the countryside. Another time we went to an old palace and saw some ancient tapestries. I was intrigued because it is apparent that I know way more about Western history and culture than I do about eastern. I felt that I could spend my whole life learning about the place and would only scratch the surface. That was very exciting for me. It made me feel that the world was still very exciting and that my curiosity could be rewarded." +"A few months ago I attended my youngest cousin's wedding. It was a nice ceremony for her and her high school sweetheart, and I'm glad I was able to clear my schedule to attend. I missed her older sister's wedding which by design was essentially the same ceremony, staged in the same location and using the same exact decor and themes. As such, I felt I very much needed to make sure I at least attended one of the two. It was nice to see all my family members and I grew a little closer to a few of them. As one of the older cousins, I was proud to see how much my younger cousins have grown into young adulthood. They're certainly hitting typical life milestones faster than I am, though that's not a notable point of insecurity for me. What really struck me most profoundly is the sense of loneliness and deep-seated personal insistence on sadness I feel at events like this. They're obviously supposed to joyous occasions but I have a really difficult time experiencing those feelings in such a setting. Perhaps it's because the last family wedding I attended was my sister's back in 2012, a time when both my parents were still alive. The feelings of sadness I get at events like this can be best described almost as if I'm mourning the fact that this type of event is in my past and has passed me by. That because my parents are no longer around I'm always destined to have a radically different experience should I ever have a full on wedding celebration, that events like these, as typical and average as they may be, are completely out of reach for me. I was struck by a certain moment, when my uncle co-opted a wedding practice my dad and my sister pioneered at least in the context of our family; the montage dance sequence. It was a bit upsetting to see someone else do the thing that serves as a very unique and fond memory for me and my sister. It felt contrived and opportunistic and after witnessing it I had a minor breakdown and had to leave the venue to catch my breath and dry a few tears." +"I recently attending my cousin's wedding and it was a charming affair. She is 23 and was getting married to her high school sweetheart, so all around it was pretty fairytale as far as weddings go. The wedding took place at sunset on the shore of a lake in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and I had the privilege of walking my aunt, the brides mother, down the aisle. While I enjoyed spending time with my family I found it especially difficult to interact with anyone else in attendance. I can't say for sure why I struggle so much with events that are meant to be joyous, I only know that I have a difficult time allowing myself to feel happiness in conjunction with the happiness of others. For whatever reason, past sadnesses tend to bubble to the surface at these types of events. I think I've been to a few too many funerals. I was especially triggered by the father daughter dance, because the specific structure was inspired by the dance my sister and father did at her wedding. Neither my father or mother are alive anymore, so to relive that experience in a different setting was somewhat surreal and upsetting. I had to leave the venue to smoke a cigarette and collect myself. I know it's petty, but I kind of don't appreciate how my uncle co-opted this specific dance structure for both his daughter's weddings. I don't feel like he has proper ownership of it, and it's cheap and derivative. I don't like that I feel that bitter about something that is supposed to be joyous. I also can't help but be emotionally impacted to a large degree. I'm very happy for my cousin, and at the end of the day it was a learning experience for me. I was able to interact with a bunch of cousins who are younger than me and who i've always known as children. They're grown now and I have a good deal of pride about how their lives are progressing. Diary entry over." +"So after i found out that i would ne welcoming another little one into my life i wasn't sure how to feel. I was happy,sad,scared and unsure all in one. I would be starting over yet again. It was like i was becoming a new parent. What makes thing scary is doing it alone. My main support system was gone. The grandmother to my children was no more. Every time id became a parent,my mom was there by my sidem welcoming my little one with open arms. The one i needed when no one else was there . was gone. This will be extremely hard. I know that I will cherish these moments as if she were here. I know that she is watching us from heaven. Protecting us as we live our lives. It doesn't make 9t easier though. My new baby will never meet you." +"So after i found out that i would ne welcoming another little one into my life i wasn't sure how to feel. I was happy,sad,scared and unsure all in one. I would be starting over yet again. It was like i was becoming a new parent. What makes thing scary is doing it alone. My main support system was gone. The grandmother to my children was no more. Every time id became a parent,my mom was there by my sidem welcoming my little one with open arms. The one i needed when no one else was there . was gone. This will be extremely hard. I know that I will cherish these moments as if she were here. I know that she is watching us from heaven. Protecting us as we live our lives. It doesn't make 9t easier though. My new baby will never meet you." +"Three months ago, my cousin's child died. She was only four years old, and my only niece, and though she'd been born with some handicaps, and always been sickly, and the whole family knew this could shorten her lifespan, it still came as a shock. We thought, and had good reason to believe, she would live into her teens. My cousin was devastated, of course. I'd only met her a few times, so I wasn't as affected, but I still was. It reminded me of the fact that I'm getting older, she was the first family member of mine who was younger than me, who had died. I flew to the west coast for the funeral a few days later, it was very sad seeing her little body in the casket. The service was short, and nobody had too much to say, perhaps because her life had been so short. Later we went back to my cousin's place, and when some of the older family members left, we got pretty drunk. My cousin told me that losing her was the worst thing he'd ever experienced, that since I didn't have a child myself I couldn't understand, and I tend to agree with him. His wife came down and told him to stop drinking and come to bed, and I said goodnight to him. I sat up for awhile drinking beer and watching television by myself, and I wondered how I would handle the loss of my own child, or if I'd ever even have children of my own. The next day I woke up with a bad hangover, and flew home, and I was glad to be back and not living that situation anymore, at least for the moment. I knew, however, that as I continued to get older, this would happen more and more often. I can't say that I'm looking forward to it." +"This past Summer a good friend of mine named Ted passed away. We had been friends for over 20 years, and although we lived 1000 miles apart the last few years we still talked very often. We had similar taste in music and we both loved baseball, so we would always chat about that. I was out having a nice night with my girlfriend, driving home from a movie, when I saw the news on facebook that Ted had passed. I was in shock. At first I thought I must be reading it wrong. It didn't seem real. After a few moments it started to set in that this was in fact real. I had a really rough few days after that. Thinking of my friend. Feeling bad over it. Listening to some of his favorite music. I still couldn't believe that this was real. He always had some health issues, but I didn't know it would be enough to take his life. It was really surprising to me that he went so young. We had hoped to get together sometime in the near future and go see a band. I'm sad we didn't' get a chance to do that, but I'm thankful for a lot of the fun memories I have with him." +"I was thirsty. I ran downstairs to grab a Gatorade. Maybe I needed electrolytes. I was having diarrhea the past couple of days, after all. Maybe it was a mosquito bite that gave me something. I've been trying to get my diet back on point: get lots of fiber, avoid meat, eat veggies, and of course, stay hydrated. That is all easier said than done when you have the sweltering summer heat and humidity pounding on you. I was sweating bullets. There's summer lethargy and then there was this. It was as though I was lacking in all energy. The pain was sharp. I thought electrolytes would help, but it just made me throw it all back up. There goes my lunch, right down the drain. Even walking to the bathroom was tough. I had to admit it was time to go to the hospital." +"My sister recently moved closer to where I live. It had been a few years since all of our kids had gotten together. She came to town and we all hung out. We decided to take all the kids to see The Lion King in the theater. This is the first time we would take our kids to the movie theater together. We knew the kids would enjoy. We loved watching this movie growing up together. Sure enough, the outing was very memorable. We all sang out loud to the songs. Our kids knew most of them and joined in. We felt the same emotions we did while growing up: the sorrow when Mufasa died, the elation of Simba regaining power, and the relief of witnessing the demise of Scar. The movie brings back a lot of memories of our childhood. It was a freer time when we were young and had much less responsibilities. Now life is different, we are moms and have work and household duties. Seeing this with my sister and our kids was a very memorable and emotional experience. I'm glad our kids got to witness the retelling of a very touching and meaningful story." +"I always wanted to go to Peace Corps. I had one friend ask me what makes me think that I will get into Peace Corps. He said that he had friends that didnt get in. The implication is that his friends were better qualified than me to get in and they didn't. Therefore, I would not get in. It was true that I had some setbacks in my life. I had sufferred from depression and college was a little rough. However, I now saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I don't know exactly why I wanted to go to peace corps. After all, it is kind of a crazy thing to do. But I remember that the first time I spoke of it was to my ex boyfriend. He looked at me like I was crazy. Of course, I kind of was crazy so I get that he thought that this was just one more crazy thing. I worry that his reaction was what made me want to do it even more, but I don't think so. I think it was really because I started to love travel. Travel became addicting. And it was a challenge. And, hell ya. I did it. i got accepted and it changed my life." +"I always wanted to go to Peace Corps. I had one friend ask me what makes me think that I will get into Peace Corps. He said that he had friends that didnt get in. The implication is that his friends were better qualified than me to get in and they didn't. Therefore, I would not get in. It was true that I had some setbacks in my life. I had sufferred from depression and college was a little rough. However, I now saw the light at the end of the tunnel. I don't know exactly why I wanted to go to peace corps. After all, it is kind of a crazy thing to do. But I remember that the first time I spoke of it was to my ex boyfriend. He looked at me like I was crazy. Of course, I kind of was crazy so I get that he thought that this was just one more crazy thing. I worry that his reaction was what made me want to do it even more, but I don't think so. I think it was really because I started to love travel. Travel became addicting. And it was a challenge. And, hell ya. I did it. i got accepted and it changed my life." +"two months ago I was at party to celebrate my friend's first anniversary when I see my brother. I was very confused. My brother had been in Europe and I was not at all expecting him to be there. But, I was also very happy to see him. I also thought to myself...Why didn't I know he would be there? Why do we no longer communicate like we used to? What can I do to ensure this doesn't happen again? I really need to make sure our communication improves. It was fantastic to see him though. It seems as though he has been enjoying his time in Europe and he looked like he was doing well in his life. We caught up a little bit but, a wedding isn't really the best place to catch-up. So we were only able to catch up on the basic things. I am hoping that since he will be in the United States for a while longer that we can go out to lunch and properly catch up. The party itself was amazing. The couple really out did themselves with the food and decorations. It was definitely a good time." +"two months ago I was at party to celebrate my friend's first anniversary when I see my brother. I was very confused. My brother had been in Europe and I was not at all expecting him to be there. But, I was also very happy to see him. I also thought to myself...Why didn't I know he would be there? Why do we no longer communicate like we used to? What can I do to ensure this doesn't happen again? I really need to make sure our communication improves. It was fantastic to see him though. It seems as though he has been enjoying his time in Europe and he looked like he was doing well in his life. We caught up a little bit but, a wedding isn't really the best place to catch-up. So we were only able to catch up on the basic things. I am hoping that since he will be in the United States for a while longer that we can go out to lunch and properly catch up. The party itself was amazing. The couple really out did themselves with the food and decorations. It was definitely a good time." +"Last night something very cool happened. I was asleep, and my dog, Sassy, was sleeping next to me. It is August, and she has terrible allergies this time of year, making her very itchy. She woke up in the middle of the night very itchy, and was furiously scratching. It was making her collar jingle, and also she was bumping up against me as she scratched. I was having a hard time going back to sleep, because she was so itchy and scratching so much. I am a massage therapist, and am very interested in how the nervous system, emotions, and physical feelings are connected. I was thinking about this, and Sassy's problem- and I decided, as an LMT, to try to activate her parasympathetic nervous system, to see if it would calm her and her itchiness. I slowly and gently began to massage her, and she instantly relaxed and stopped scratching. I continued massaging gently, and rubbing her tummy, and she continued relaxing. I did this for about 20 minutes, and she had fallen comfortably asleep. It made me feel really, really good that I could help her, and comfort her enough to help her sleep....and also so that I could sleep! I felt good about my scientific theory, as well as my instincts as a dog mama. We have had several sleepless nights lately, due to her allergies and uncomfortableness. I am hoping that it will work if I try it again, and that I may have found a drug-free solution for my miserable pup!" +"Three weeks ago, I had a strong chest pain. I did not want to go to the hospital, but my wife made me go. We got there and my chest pain was getting stronger. There was a huge line to be attended and the nurses did not gave me any priority, although I said my chest was in real pain. We waited and waited, until I talked to a nurse, who said everything was fine and that I should just rest. After coming home, my chest pain was slowly decreasing and I thought I was going to be fine. The next day I was feeling good with no chest pain at all. However, I still did not knew what had happen to me the day before. I then scheduled a doctor appointment, that was only available three weeks later. During the three week wait, I was complete fine. The doctor appointment day arrived, and I went to the doctor. He ran some tests and told me that the chest pain I just had three weeks ago was actually an heart attack. To know that scared me a lot, as I did went to the hospital but they did nothing to me. I could have died! Thankfully my heart resisted the heart attack and I am fine. I told my wife what the doctor had told me, and she was very mad with the hospital for not doing anything. Next time something similar to this happens, I will MAKE the hospital take me as a priority, and run exams. I will make that happen even if I have to scream that I am dying from a heart attack." +"Three weeks ago, I had a strong chest pain. I did not want to go to the hospital, but my wife made me go. We got there and my chest pain was getting stronger. There was a huge line to be attended and the nurses did not gave me any priority, although I said my chest was in real pain. We waited and waited, until I talked to a nurse, who said everything was fine and that I should just rest. After coming home, my chest pain was slowly decreasing and I thought I was going to be fine. The next day I was feeling good with no chest pain at all. However, I still did not knew what had happen to me the day before. I then scheduled a doctor appointment, that was only available three weeks later. During the three week wait, I was complete fine. The doctor appointment day arrived, and I went to the doctor. He ran some tests and told me that the chest pain I just had three weeks ago was actually an heart attack. To know that scared me a lot, as I did went to the hospital but they did nothing to me. I could have died! Thankfully my heart resisted the heart attack and I am fine. I told my wife what the doctor had told me, and she was very mad with the hospital for not doing anything. Next time something similar to this happens, I will MAKE the hospital take me as a priority, and run exams. I will make that happen even if I have to scream that I am dying from a heart attack." +"it has been a horrible past week. my mom s still very sick. she had her positron emission tomography scan to look for the disease. i thought i knew everything and it was all going to be ok, when it all hit me it was intense. the doctor came in and i could tell something was off. i felt like the room at the doctors office got a little darker when he walked in. he came in and said that all the test results were in. the doctor then said if anyone wanted to ask any question he'd be happy to answer them. everyone was reluctant to ask a question. i heard my uncle finally speak up. he asked what stage my mother was in. i could see the doctor look down to avoid eye contact. the doctors face got flushed as he stammered for a second. he told us that my mother was sage 4 and then went on to explain that it has spread. the room went silent for a few seconds. i wanted to cry and run out of there. i hope i can remain strong for my family and most of all my mother." +"This was the weirdest trip I have ever taken. 4 months ago I booked a trip to Vietnam. I couldn't wait to go. It is somewhere I have always wanted to see. After a long plane ride, I had very high expectations of the country, however, those were shattered pretty quickly. After getting off the plane, I had trouble with entry. They didn't think the picture on my passport looked like me. So I stood there arguing with them for a good 20 mins. Finally after that headache, they let me know. The first night I was there, I was walking around trying to find a place to eat, and a salesperson approached me. He never left me be. I was scared because he started to follow me to the restaurant. Once in the restaurant I looked back and he seemed to have left, but I made a note to try and eat as long as I can so when I left he wouldn't be there again. The second night, I was walking about a park and this little girl came up to me. She looked at me intently and I tried to ask her if everything was ok. I guess she didn't know what I was saying because she smiled, looked at my hand and grabbed it. When I tried to take her hand away from mine, her grip got tighter. Looking around for her parents, I didn't see anything. Finally, grabbing hard without hurting her I got her hand loose and quickly walked away. Since I was here a week, the day before I left, I got ripped off. I handed some money to a merchant after I bought a neat necklace, and wasn't handed any change back. I figured I miscalculated and moved on. At the next place, the same thing happened. At this point, I realized they were stealing from me. I felt so stupid, yet I was afraid to do anything." +"This was the weirdest trip I have ever taken. 4 months ago I booked a trip to Vietnam. I couldn't wait to go. It is somewhere I have always wanted to see. After a long plane ride, I had very high expectations of the country, however, those were shattered pretty quickly. After getting off the plane, I had trouble with entry. They didn't think the picture on my passport looked like me. So I stood there arguing with them for a good 20 mins. Finally after that headache, they let me know. The first night I was there, I was walking around trying to find a place to eat, and a salesperson approached me. He never left me be. I was scared because he started to follow me to the restaurant. Once in the restaurant I looked back and he seemed to have left, but I made a note to try and eat as long as I can so when I left he wouldn't be there again. The second night, I was walking about a park and this little girl came up to me. She looked at me intently and I tried to ask her if everything was ok. I guess she didn't know what I was saying because she smiled, looked at my hand and grabbed it. When I tried to take her hand away from mine, her grip got tighter. Looking around for her parents, I didn't see anything. Finally, grabbing hard without hurting her I got her hand loose and quickly walked away. Since I was here a week, the day before I left, I got ripped off. I handed some money to a merchant after I bought a neat necklace, and wasn't handed any change back. I figured I miscalculated and moved on. At the next place, the same thing happened. At this point, I realized they were stealing from me. I felt so stupid, yet I was afraid to do anything." +"This was the weirdest trip I have ever taken. 4 months ago I booked a trip to Vietnam. I couldn't wait to go. It is somewhere I have always wanted to see. After a long plane ride, I had very high expectations of the country, however, those were shattered pretty quickly. After getting off the plane, I had trouble with entry. They didn't think the picture on my passport looked like me. So I stood there arguing with them for a good 20 mins. Finally after that headache, they let me know. The first night I was there, I was walking around trying to find a place to eat, and a salesperson approached me. He never left me be. I was scared because he started to follow me to the restaurant. Once in the restaurant I looked back and he seemed to have left, but I made a note to try and eat as long as I can so when I left he wouldn't be there again. The second night, I was walking about a park and this little girl came up to me. She looked at me intently and I tried to ask her if everything was ok. I guess she didn't know what I was saying because she smiled, looked at my hand and grabbed it. When I tried to take her hand away from mine, her grip got tighter. Looking around for her parents, I didn't see anything. Finally, grabbing hard without hurting her I got her hand loose and quickly walked away. Since I was here a week, the day before I left, I got ripped off. I handed some money to a merchant after I bought a neat necklace, and wasn't handed any change back. I figured I miscalculated and moved on. At the next place, the same thing happened. At this point, I realized they were stealing from me. I felt so stupid, yet I was afraid to do anything." +"Last month I made a breakthrough on one of my projects at work. I've been trying to grow sugar maples in tissue culture for three years and have not had much success. In May, I was able to get three times the number of plants to survive than I've had in the last two years. These plants that have survived have continued to survive and I've been able to experiment on them with different media components and hormone concentrations to get some of these plants to root. The plants need to have roots to really thrive and without them, they can't live for very long. Last month I was able to find a hormone concentration that is starting to stimulate root production. This is very exciting and gives me a lot of satisfaction because there wasn't much information in the published literature to use as a guide. I had to take information from different plant species and come up with my own concentrations and trials. In science, we have a lot of frustration. We have to constantly repeat experiments and come up with new ideas. It's fun and challenging but it also comes with stress and frustration. We have a grant for this work, so it's been tough to have this project not work well. If we need to reapply for additional funding, it would be tough to justify it for a project that's not working. The maple trees I'm working with are higher sugar producing tress that are valuable for maple sugar growers as they get better syrup from the sap of those trees. With increasing insect pests that destroy these trees, it's important to have a tissue culture source of the trees. I really enjoy when I can get a project to work. I love to figure things out and it gives me lots of satisfaction when I can get things to work." +"Four months ago, my favorite aunt passed away. It was a shock to the entire family because it happened so suddenly. I think about her constantly and I cannot believe that she is gone. I don't think there has been a single day that something has not reminded me of her. Sometimes when I am even in a store shopping, I see someone who looks similar to her and I am reminded of her. I recently had a birthday and even that brought back memories of her because I could always count on her sending me a card or acknowledging my birthday in some manner. I am not sure how the family will be able to cope with the upcoming holidays. My aunt came to visit us every Christmas and I know that it will be hard on all of us, especially my mother. My mother and aunt were the closest sisters I have ever seen. They talked on the phone every day. Now, I make sure to call my mother every day in an attempt to fill the void. I am also planning to spend more time with her so that she doesn't get lonely. I also try to call my cousin more often to check on him. He lost his father last year and now his mother was taken so suddenly. We are all still coming to terms with the shock." +"Two months ago, I lost my favorite aunt. It happened all of a sudden and the family is still in shock. What happened was, she had been complaining of back and hip pain. The doctors were not able to help or correctly diagnose her. A day before she passed away, she had fallen in her home. We had been trying to call her with no luck. My cousin (her son) went to find out what was wrong and found her on the floor. She had fallen and was unable to get up. He rushed her to the hospital. Once there, the emergency staff did several tests on her. She was severely dehydrated and they found that her kidneys were not working properly. The hospital decided that she would have to go on dialysis temporarily. They also found that she had a urinary tract infection and they began giving her antibiotics. However, the infection had spread and she went into cardiac arrest. Later, we were told that she passed away from a staph infection. It all happened so quickly and we are still dealing with the pain." +"Oh, God, have I ever had a bad experience with this kind of thing! I went downtown with a friend to go see his new office, yeah? It's in a pretty decent part of town, but for some reason there's homeless people everywhere! On the corners, on bus stops, everywhere! You can't go three steps without seeing another one! One of them had even parked himself on the office doorway! He had his food out and was eating and looked like it'd take him a while to get done, too. My friend tried to shimmy past him, but the guy got real upset about being ""interrupted"" or whatever, like, dude, go eat on a park bench or something! My friend got into an argument with him about the whole thing, too. That really just made things worse, though. The man got really really really angry and started growling at us! He abandoned his food, grabbed rocks from the little...little garden thing by the door and started chasing us with them! We barely got back to the car in time before he'd have pelted us both! Before I could get in the car, though, he nailed me on the back of the head! My friend had to take me to the clinic to get stitched. And of course, I couldn't even press charges because the guy was gone. What a mess..." +"Oh, God, have I ever had a bad experience with this kind of thing! I went downtown with a friend to go see his new office, yeah? It's in a pretty decent part of town, but for some reason there's homeless people everywhere! On the corners, on bus stops, everywhere! You can't go three steps without seeing another one! One of them had even parked himself on the office doorway! He had his food out and was eating and looked like it'd take him a while to get done, too. My friend tried to shimmy past him, but the guy got real upset about being ""interrupted"" or whatever, like, dude, go eat on a park bench or something! My friend got into an argument with him about the whole thing, too. That really just made things worse, though. The man got really really really angry and started growling at us! He abandoned his food, grabbed rocks from the little...little garden thing by the door and started chasing us with them! We barely got back to the car in time before he'd have pelted us both! Before I could get in the car, though, he nailed me on the back of the head! My friend had to take me to the clinic to get stitched. And of course, I couldn't even press charges because the guy was gone. What a mess..." +i had a pet which is chihuahua petey. i like him a lot. he is my best friend. he always be with me. he is with me through my all happy and sad times. he is the only one who always wait for me. he always stay with me. if i went out means he was waiting for until i return back. he is 14 years old. we celebrate all the birthdays of him together. now he is sick. i felt very bad. i take to the vet. at june 13 2019. he was very sick and weak. i felt very bad. he was with me through all my times. i prayed for him to come back to me. i hope he will be get well soon. am waiting for him. i love him a lot. +i had a pet which is chihuahua petey. i like him a lot. he is my best friend. he always be with me. he is with me through my all happy and sad times. he is the only one who always wait for me. he always stay with me. if i went out means he was waiting for until i return back. he is 14 years old. we celebrate all the birthdays of him together. now he is sick. i felt very bad. i take to the vet. at june 13 2019. he was very sick and weak. i felt very bad. he was with me through all my times. i prayed for him to come back to me. i hope he will be get well soon. am waiting for him. i love him a lot. +"Dear Diary,It has been almost 4 months since I've started my new job. I couldn't be any happier. Since graduating from college last year, job searching had been extremely difficult for me. I am painfully introverted with social anxiety, so finding a job that I was both comfortable with and suited my degree had been a daunting task. Before landing my current job, I had two other jobs in the past year. I ended up quitting both of them in less than a month, unfortunately. My previous position was a warehouse associate. I quit in January. The period of unemployment between then and July was extremely stressful for me. I had student loans that I'd been putting off, and I felt incredibly guilty living that I was home doing nothing, while my parents were working. I'm sure that had I send in hundred of applications through Indeed, Linkedin, and Glassdoor, but I just wasn't getting any responses. I finally received a callback in July, and luckily, I got the job! I love it here, my hours are great, and even though I have coworkers, most of the time I am working on my own! I'm hoping to buy a car by the end of this year, and move into my own apartment by the fall of next year. I guess, the moral of the story here is to never give up hope, no matter what!" +"My life started not feeling like my own, like I would have to ask permission to do things and if I did them anyway I would get in trouble. This of course did not just happen today, it was over a span of days. The father to my recently born child makes me feel like I can't do anything without first telling him, even though we are not dating. The days would start normal, I would send him a morning picture of the outfit the child was wearing that day and keep him updated with how he slept through the night. On the normal days that would be the end of the conversation, he'd ask a few more questions if he needed more information about how the child is doing and I would answer. Some days he would bring up the conversation of why we can't just be together, and that he doesn't understand why I would just give up. I would explain to him over and over again that we are just two different people that don't work and its in the child's best interest that we aren't together. This of course, always made him angry and I would have to remind him that our conversations need to just be about the child. He would still make comments to me, 'you look nice today, who are you getting all done up for?', 'I don't want to date anyone else', and 'who is all going, who are you with, why do you even hang out with him?'. I started feeling like I just didn't want to do anything because I didn't want to have to deal with his anger or his constant phone calls to me when I wouldn't answer him. I started not being around when he visits the baby, so he can focus on the baby and not me. He hated that, and hated even more that I wouldn't tell him who I was with, and started calling me back to back nonstop. He would say that he was only calling because he had a question about how to do the baby's bath but a call back to him told me that was a lie. His visits became fewer and then nonexistent, the only time he sees the child now is when I bring the baby to his work for a visit. I have since taken my life back into my hands, I only bring the baby by if I'm not busy when he asks me to bring the baby. I say no when he asks if he can buy me dinner for my birthday or anything else. I am struggling financially, but his anger and his obsession with me scares me to the point that I fear getting legal help or child support." +"I recently went to a live piano performance with friends that was absolutely breathtaking. Before this, I was not really that into listening to classical music or anything of the sort. Obviously, I was aware of such famous composers as Beethoven, but during this performance I was introduced to many new artists. One of my favorite pieces that was played is called ""Fantaisie Impromptu"", by Chopin. It really is impressive how fast the song is, and just the scale of notes that are played with both hands at the same time. Another great piece of music that was played is called ""Amoreena"", by Elton John. I was never a fan of Elton John, but I remember hearing his music in movies and thinking it always blended very well. This song stuck with me because the piano melody in it is very well executed. I never liked this song when I was a kid; but now, looking back it was more original than anything coming out now a days. One of the mysterious pieces I happened to enjoy was called ""Asturias"" by Isaac Albeniz. It reminded me of people running into a battle that nobody wanted to fight but everyone had to. When I first heard it, I remember thinking, how can someone think of making music like this? Well, The last piece of music I can remember hearing at this performance was Beethoven's ""Sonata No. 23"". As anyone would guess, it was a great piece of music, developed by one of the greatest composers. I can very much say that I am now permanently a fan of classical piano. I encourage everyone to seek out the great composers of the past, and find pieces of music they can assimilate with." +"Three weeks ago I received a callback about a job offered from a company I anticipated working for. The salary started off at 65,000 within a year, included a raise and promotion included. I was excited about the deal and over the moon about getting. hired. I made sure to prepare myself to raise the chance of acceptance to the company. I've done mock interviews with friends, including recording myself to obverse how I came across. I had nervousness just like anyone else but there were a hint of excitement to keep me afloat. The day of the interview I went in with confidence and believed I checked all the right boxes the interviewer is looking for. The person told me they will shortly contact me. I called once a week and there was not a update. I spent almost a month waiting until I finally received a response. I was thanked for my time and my resume was impressive but exactly wasn't who they were seeking. I was bummed out because I met the qualification and beyond for the job. Ironically I found who got hired and it was a acquaintance I knew who applied around the time I did. Now not only I am bummed out but upset because the person who is now hired was very incompetent and lacked most of the skills. Then I realized they knew the person who referred him to the company. Let's say he got the ""hook up"" on it. Management said they had hundreds of applicants but only five people they considered. Although it is been weeks, I still wish it could've been me. Maybe I need to open my mind up of the possibility of landing a better job who hires people with great work ethic and the required skills. it sucks knowing it is not what you know, it is who you know." +"The last several months have been rough for work. There are more ups and downs than I would have expected because the work in based on various school schedules. I went from making $250 a week to $150 than back to $300 and last week a massive $45 for the full week. This is a major problem because my bills depend on this money. My bank was overdrawn by $98 today and my credit score dropped almost 100 points in the last 3 months because of the debt accrued by things that needed to go on the credit card. Even typing this out makes me anxious and uncomfortable because I don't know what to do. I have a side gig that is equally slow as it is based on a European holiday schedule. I've tried selling my knitted wares on Etsy, but the market is saturated. I've applied to work from home jobs at so many sites and none of them are interested in me because the only job I've had IS this type of online work that doesn't offer someone for them to call for a referral. When your 18 year old cousin, who never worked a day, gets hired by UHaul work from home but you, who graduated college but then got stuck being a housewife for 17 years, well... it is demoralizing. The up times of work are great, and if I could maintain those $250-$300 weeks, it would be awesome. But the fact of the matter is, those weeks are LONG. I'm not working 8 hours a day 5 days a week. I'm working 14 hours a day 7 days a week. I need some kind of balance, but I can't leave the house to work. So, the pride I had before? It took a beating." +"It was five months ago that I got the call. The call that would change my life forever. The call where the woman on the other end of the line said ""you're hired."" It's been 17 years. 17 long years since I had to set an alarm in the morning. 17 years since I had to eat breakfast, brush my teeth, and leave the house while the sun was coming up. After I hung up, I raced out to get my gear. The recommended equipment. A pair of sunglasses. Sunscreen. Gloves. Comfortable shoes. A baseball cap. All the things required to be a sign twirler. They said it's a dangerous world out there. Out there on the corner. But I told myself ""I'm going to be ready."" I've waited 17 excruciatingly long years for this. And I'm not going to mess it up. In these last five months I've twirled more than a dozen signs. I've directed people to the mattress sale. The subdivision with new homes to buy. And to the charity car wash. I'm so proud of myself, I'm just absolutely busting. I can't wait to see what else the future holds. All signs are pointing to an incredible journey." +"So today was absurd! I could not believe what happened, it just came out of nowhere and hit me in the head like a brick. I love her to death, but man if she does not get on my NERVES! UGH! Ok, so we had been doing our thing, going to the park and collecting shark teeth as normal. Well come to find out the beach we goto for our shark teeth - has a rule against it and the not so nice Park Ranger made sure to inform us that we broke the law and had to dump our teeth out. Fine whatever, it happens right? No instead she goes ahead and drops about 25 teeth into her brazier and is like what teeth ""Ranger Rick"" with such a smug attitude. This Ranger has no joke ability or something and immediately arrests her! A few minutes go by before I could convince her to drop the stupid teeth so we can just bail without anyone going to jail. She agree's but I could tell she was so mad. Our Ranger does let her go, but we get fined for it. Fast forward about an hour and we are headed to the other beach in town to just cruise the golf cart around and enjoy the soon to be evening. It seems like the troubles from earlier are behind us and we plan to have a good night. Well, apparently she had smuggled some of those teeth out when she admitted to me she had them on her person now. Score! Add those suckers to our collection, or so I thought. We get close enough to the restaurant on the beach to start hearing the live band playing and people generally enjoying their evenings. While we are admiring our teeth at an outside table surrounded by people, good ole Ranger Rick comes up from the shadows it seems and barks out ""You still broke the law after I let you go."" Yes, yes we did Ranger Rick and there is nothing you can do about it now. Which was not true, he barred us from the park and I lost my connection to some awesome shark teeth." +"My wife and I decided to take a relaxing weekend away for our anniversary. My wife and I had dropped off the kids at my parents to watch them for the weekend. We drove up to Asheville for the long weekend and checked into our hotel. We went out to a fancy restaurant the first night and drank wine and had a peaceful and relaxing dinner. We were able to talk and enjoy each others company. After dinner we went back to the hotel and had a relaxing bath. We were able to make love without any children needing our attention. On the next day, we walked around downtown Asheville and looked at different shops. We looked at the different artists shops that worked on metal and glass and some painters. We searched through some kitchen shops looking for some fun gadgets and ingredients to cook with. Afterwards we went to some brewery tours and relaxed around town. We went on a bar crawl where we ate and drank through some nice restaurants. This moment was significant because it celebrated our relationship together. We were able to take our time and relax and enjoy each other which made the moment special since our lives get too busy raising three kids. These moments don't come often and it is a nice way to remind ourselves how much we have in common." +"My wife and I decided to take a relaxing weekend away for our anniversary. My wife and I had dropped off the kids at my parents to watch them for the weekend. We drove up to Asheville for the long weekend and checked into our hotel. We went out to a fancy restaurant the first night and drank wine and had a peaceful and relaxing dinner. We were able to talk and enjoy each others company. After dinner we went back to the hotel and had a relaxing bath. We were able to make love without any children needing our attention. On the next day, we walked around downtown Asheville and looked at different shops. We looked at the different artists shops that worked on metal and glass and some painters. We searched through some kitchen shops looking for some fun gadgets and ingredients to cook with. Afterwards we went to some brewery tours and relaxed around town. We went on a bar crawl where we ate and drank through some nice restaurants. This moment was significant because it celebrated our relationship together. We were able to take our time and relax and enjoy each other which made the moment special since our lives get too busy raising three kids. These moments don't come often and it is a nice way to remind ourselves how much we have in common." +"Three months ago, I went to the grocery store. When I was pulling into the parking lot, I noticed an old woman who looked like she was dressed as a character from game of thrones, walking in the entrance. I parked and got out of my car to head in. When I got in, I grabbed a cart and headed to the breakfast isle. When I turned the corner, I saw the old woman again. She was trying to grab a thing of oatmeal off of the top shelf and could not reach it. Since I am pretty tall and have no problem reaching that high I asked her did she need any help. She said that was very kind of me as I grabbed the box down for her. She noticed the way that I was looking at her outfit and chuckled at me. She then told me that I probably thought that she was crazy because of the way she was dressed. I then told here that it was a very unusual outfit to go shopping for groceries in. She then told me that her son had died last year and his favorite thing to do was go larping. After he died, she joined his group to pay homage for him. She said that she was running a little late today because she had to come pick up food for the picnic that they always have after a battle. I told her that I am sure her son would be happy that she was doing it. She then proceeded to invite me to come join her today. That was three months ago and I am proud to say that I am now being inducted into the group this afternoon, all thanks to a box of oatmeal and a sweet old lady." +"The story I am going to tell you seems to resemble Cinderella's story but vice versa. To put them in context, I have been living with my boyfriend for a year, who is divorced and has a 15-year-old daughter. My boyfriend's daughter travels from another state to visit her for once a month. Every time her daughter travels she feels obliged to share with me and it is obvious that she doesn't like it at all. The last month he came to visit something unexpected happened that definitely changed the way we live for all three. One afternoon when I went shopping with my boyfriend and she stayed at home, he received a call from his daughter telling him that his milk (because you have to buy milk separately) had a strange taste like jabornWhen we returned from shopping, my boyfriend provoked the milk and actually tasted of soap, so he told her it was safe and we voted for it. The next day she left for the airport back home and when she could contact lenses told her that they burned a lot, then my boyfriend told him to wear others, she changed them and went home. In the afternoon she called my boyfriend and told him that during the trip his eyes were still burning and that when he got home he checked the liquid in his glasses and it smelled like Clorox, so he had to discard it, that She believed that it was I who was doing all this for evil. My boyfriend talked to me and told me that we weren't going to be able to stay together for what I was going through. My reaction was to cry and tell him that I could not live without him not telling me that I would never do that to her. My boyfriend was incredulous at the beginning he asked me many questions and in the end it seems he believed me. The next one, my boyfriend's daughter called him and told him that his laptop had been damaged and that when he took it to the technician he told him that the circuits had burned because he had poured water on her, according to her this was the proof that indeed I I was intentionally hurting him. My boyfriend told his daughter that he didn't believe her and her reaction was to block his phone and not talk to him for a week. My boyfriend in the face of that pressure decided to tell him that I had already gone back to my home country, and with this the girl spoke to her father again. Now every time she returns to visit her father, I must go with all my personal things to spend these days with my boyfriend's mother." +"The story I am going to tell you seems to resemble Cinderella's story but vice versa. To put them in context, I have been living with my boyfriend for a year, who is divorced and has a 15-year-old daughter. My boyfriend's daughter travels from another state to visit her for once a month. Every time her daughter travels she feels obliged to share with me and it is obvious that she doesn't like it at all. The last month he came to visit something unexpected happened that definitely changed the way we live for all three. One afternoon when I went shopping with my boyfriend and she stayed at home, he received a call from his daughter telling him that his milk (because you have to buy milk separately) had a strange taste like jabornWhen we returned from shopping, my boyfriend provoked the milk and actually tasted of soap, so he told her it was safe and we voted for it. The next day she left for the airport back home and when she could contact lenses told her that they burned a lot, then my boyfriend told him to wear others, she changed them and went home. In the afternoon she called my boyfriend and told him that during the trip his eyes were still burning and that when he got home he checked the liquid in his glasses and it smelled like Clorox, so he had to discard it, that She believed that it was I who was doing all this for evil. My boyfriend talked to me and told me that we weren't going to be able to stay together for what I was going through. My reaction was to cry and tell him that I could not live without him not telling me that I would never do that to her. My boyfriend was incredulous at the beginning he asked me many questions and in the end it seems he believed me. The next one, my boyfriend's daughter called him and told him that his laptop had been damaged and that when he took it to the technician he told him that the circuits had burned because he had poured water on her, according to her this was the proof that indeed I I was intentionally hurting him. My boyfriend told his daughter that he didn't believe her and her reaction was to block his phone and not talk to him for a week. My boyfriend in the face of that pressure decided to tell him that I had already gone back to my home country, and with this the girl spoke to her father again. Now every time she returns to visit her father, I must go with all my personal things to spend these days with my boyfriend's mother." +"Over the whole summer, I had been teaching a class of non-traditional students. The discussions always went well, but I didn't get much feedback other than that. On the last day of class, some of the students wrote ""We love you!"" on the attendance sheet. That made me feel appreciated. It confirmed that the students cared about me. After the final exam, several students emailed me as well. One student said it was the best class he had ever taken. Multiple of them thanked me for the experience. Again, it made me feel like I was in the right career. I had been having doubts previously about whether to continue in my teaching program. This experience helped me to realize that I was doing the right this. I comparison, the classes that I am TAing for now are not as good. I think the students appreciate me but I will maybe not get that level of feedback. I was actually told by the administrative error that the school never conducted teaching evalutions for those sections, so I never even got full feedback. It won't even count for my teaching portfolio. But even just that note was enough to motivate me." +I never thought about math as something to struggle with. Numbers came easily to me and so did math. When I was asked to TA a class over the summer I was a bit apprehensive because I didnt know what I was supposed to really help with. The professor teaching the class really struggled with explaining things in a meaningful way. Those that took an interest in learning came to me and loved my explanations. I was told 3 weeks ago by the school that they had gotten many glowing positive comments from the students. They were very appreciative of how i listened to them and helped them. it really made me feel good about how I teach and what i could do to help. I am considering doing another course in the fall provided I can get the job back. I also considered getting an adjunct job after graduating with my masters. Sometimes its a matter of taking the time to listen to the needs of others. It was humbling to be involved in such an impactful way. I will always remember the kind comments I got. I hope others can learn from me and share what I shared. Overall this was a very positive experience. +"I was scrolling through my email one morning, as I do every day before work. I was sitting at the wooden kitchen table in my kitchen. I was eating peanutbutter toast. Suddenly, my heart stopped when I saw I had a notification from my dream genetics PhD program. After a second, I relaxed a bit, figuring it must be another survey or follow-up email they were sending regarding my place on the waitlist. However, when I clicked it I saw I was admitted to the program. The whole world stopped still. Everything I had worked hard for the past eight years was finally a reality. I sat there in silence for a moment, the spoon to my cereal in my hand, midair. After a couple moments of sitting in shock, I yelled out to my mother. She was getting ready for work and was a little annoyed when she entered the kitchen because I had interrupted her morning routine. When she saw my face, her mood lightened. I was crying tears of joy softly as I told her the news. I've never heard my mother shreak so loudly in my entire life. She ran across the kitchen and gave me a big hug. Tears of joys were running down her face as well. Everything felt just right as I continued to hug my mother and think positively about my future for the first time in a while. I was so excited to start the rest of my life." +"Three months ago, my life changed for the better. It was a Tuesday morning and it was a fairly typical day. I was eating breakfast at my dining room table, preparing for my shift at work. I looked at my phone to check my email and was shocked to see an email from a graduate program I had been waitlisted at. The email told me I had been taken off the waitlist and was accepted to the program! I could hardly believe it. I felt like all my years of hard work had finally paid off. I had wanted to gain acceptance into this program since I was in high school and it felt as though all the time and energy I had dedicated to reaching my goals was now attainable. I was officially going to be getting my PhD in genetics! It was the first time in my life that tears of joy actually poured down my face. I was overcome with emotions and literally sat at my dining room table with the goofiest grin on my face and a feeling of sheer elation in my chest for fifteen minutes. I was going to be late for work but I did not care for it felt like my life was finally going somewhere. For the last six months, I had felt sort of lost, not really sure if my life was going to work out the way I wanted it to.. Finally, though, everything seemed to be working out for me. I giddily called for my mother, who was upstairs folding the laundry. She came downstairs and when she saw the look on my face, she was udderly confused. ""I got into a genetics PhD program!"" I yelled to my mother and the look of excitement and pride on her face made me even more happy. A normally calm woman, she whooped and hollered at my success. I felt even happier knowing that I had made my mother proud." +"So, this is a really happy event that I experienced on September 6th of this year. My husband and I just closed on our own home. We had our own house before, but we lost it in 2011. We had owned it for 11 years and my husband got disabled on the job. It was awful because we are both disabled because of back issues and surgeries and deal with chronic pain. This house we got is better than the one we lost! It is amazing! It has beautiful granite countertops, slate floors, a swimming pool and a spa like bathroom. The best part is, it is 20% less rent than a run down house we were renting! I even got much needed new furniture last week that was severely needed. Now, I can tell you, it was a miracle- God did it ALL! It was so sad eight years ago moving 450 miles from home because we couldn't afford to live there anymore. This place is great and I am really happy. The furniture is so comfortable and I am looking forward to decorating it some more. It's never too late for things to get better- nothing is too hard for God." +"I was getting burnt out at my job of many years and was looking for a change. On a whim I decided to apply for a job that was related to my field but that I had no experience or expertise in. The job was far above what I currently had in terms of position, responsibility, and salary. The job was also half way across the country. To my surprise I was called for an interview and made it past the first round. I was called back to go onsite to do a formal interview and they loved me. I was so surprised to get offered the job because I was not a perfect fit for it by any means. I would have to learn a lot and pursue an additional degree. My wife and daughter were excited about what lay ahead for us and the prospect of moving. We relocated from NJ to TN and it was culture shock. But exactly what we needed at that time. We were all happy with the decision and the opportunity. I was nervous about the pressure to do well in an unfamiliar role. I was concerned about the learning curve and if I would catch on quick. I was elated to find out that I did just fine. Everything turned out great." +"Last month I ws offered a new job with an amazing salary. This was memorable to me because I had been looking for a long time. About one whole year to be exact. I was not happy with the salary at the job I was working the last two years and just decided to finally do something about it. I started applying and interviewing heavily looking for that perfect opportunity. I reached out and worked with recruiters and headhunters. I wasnt shy about waht I wanted and I was offered many jobs over the course of the year but held out for the perfect offer. It finally came and I was ecstatic. It was everythig I hoped for ande even a little bit more. It only had one downside and that was that we would have to relocate away from our friends. I feel like this is okay though because we have family in that area and will have supprt when we need it. I am excited to start which will be in this upcoming week. We are so happy and ready to begin our new chapter in our life. The kids are happy, The wife is happy. I am happy. We should all thrive in this new environment." +"Today I had a party for my 25th birthday. It was a surprise party that my friends had planned out without me knowing. They told me later that they had been working on this thing for weeks! I do recall them asking me weird questions here and there, like if I was close with certain people or if I liked certain colors. At the time, I didn't think anything of it. One of my friends and I went out for lunch just so she could be the one to drive me back home and alert everyone when they could yell ""SURPRISE!"" And that isn't even the biggest surprise for me at the party. The past few months I have been telling my friends about a guy at work. I kind of have a crush on him and talk him up constantly. Somehow, they got his number and invited him to the party. They may have even told him about my crush because it was the craziest thing. After I had blew out my candles and things were calming down, he came over to talk to me. He had a huge smile on his face and told me he was having a great time with all my friends. I told him that they were great people. He then proceeded to tell me that he always wanted to hang out with me but was too shy to ask me. I blushed so hard! But I told him that I felt the same way and we both agreed to go out on a date. It was like a fairytale ending to the perfect story! I couldn't believe that all it took for an in was a surprise birthday!" +"Today I had a party for my 25th birthday. It was a surprise party that my friends had planned out without me knowing. They told me later that they had been working on this thing for weeks! I do recall them asking me weird questions here and there, like if I was close with certain people or if I liked certain colors. At the time, I didn't think anything of it. One of my friends and I went out for lunch just so she could be the one to drive me back home and alert everyone when they could yell ""SURPRISE!"" And that isn't even the biggest surprise for me at the party. The past few months I have been telling my friends about a guy at work. I kind of have a crush on him and talk him up constantly. Somehow, they got his number and invited him to the party. They may have even told him about my crush because it was the craziest thing. After I had blew out my candles and things were calming down, he came over to talk to me. He had a huge smile on his face and told me he was having a great time with all my friends. I told him that they were great people. He then proceeded to tell me that he always wanted to hang out with me but was too shy to ask me. I blushed so hard! But I told him that I felt the same way and we both agreed to go out on a date. It was like a fairytale ending to the perfect story! I couldn't believe that all it took for an in was a surprise birthday!" +"Since I have been at college, I have made some new friends and really like my roommates. I have been contacted by some fraternities on campus and been to a few parties. These interactions have made my time here more fun and I feel like I can do things on my own. I still talk to my family every day and let them know about my classes and night time activities and they have been very supportive. I thought it would be weird being out on my own, but I have found it to be refreshing and fun to do things on my own or with other kids my own age. Being 18 is cool because I can finally be considered an adult and i like to be independent and old enough to be accountable. I miss my family and having the support there to have things like laundry and money and food at my disposal, but I am feeling better about myself when I do things on my own. It did take a full 2 weeks for me to get settled in my new college dorm life environment and I am glad I met some cool people and have great roommates. I have another friend here who is in a quad and she doesn't talk to any of them at all. So weird to be in a room with 3 other people and never hang out or do anything with them. Seems too strange and uncomfortable to be in a quad like that and not socialize with them. This is significant because I remember going to college right out of high school and I felt that I wasn't ready. i tried to convince my parent to take a gap year but they weren't having it or would not even consider letting me do that. My daughter just went to college 2 weeks ago and she has adjusted well. I can tell she misses home but she is only 2 hours away and we have seen her once already since she left. I love that she is taking this better than I did and she actually seems bored because she is so organized. I feel she deserves a bigger challenge than she is seeing now but I am sure as she progresses at school she can take on more than she has curently. Feeling very rpud and scared at the same time." +"These last few months for me has been very wild. It all started right after the 4th of July of this year. I took some days off to travel with my friends over the holiday. It was a great time and we made a lot of memories. As soon as I returned to work the first day after the holiday break I started feeling terrible. This feeling was much worse than I had ever experienced. I felt dizzy and had some horrible chest pain - I thought I was dying from a heart attack. I thought to myself, ""How could this be happening to me? I am not even 30, I eat right, play sports, and go to the gym everyday! How? Why?"" I rushed myself to the emergency room, the first time I had ever been to emergency room in my life. After a night of care and evaluation, I left the hospital with more questions than answers along with a 30 day holter monitor. Fast forward to a month later and I am sitting in the cardiologist's office while he is explaining he doesn't have an idea why this is happening to me. He then recommends I see an electrophysiologist that day. Soon after I meet with that doctor, I am dazing in and out of reality as he explains that I need to have heart surgery for electrical issues in my heart. Within two weeks the surgery is scheduled and performed. I wake up after the surgery in great pain and still questing why this has happened to me. Even now, a couple of months later I still do not know why or what caused this issue but the result of the whole situation has caused me to shine a new and different type of light on my life and to appreciate every waking moment I get from here on out." +"June 2019 This is the day when I got stuck in a cave named Bat Cave here in Florida. It was memorable and something that I think about often, especially when I go into any other caves and desire to explore passages that are a little tight. Getting stuck in a cave, even thought it was only for about 30 minutes was somewhat terrifying when I think of it. Though I tried to keep my cool and I knew that I would be rescued since there was a large group of people with me, it still makes me think twice every time I see a tight spot in any cave. With that being said, it began like any other caving trip in Florida, going through various squeezes and crawls into new areas that I have never been before. I followed my friends all the way to the furthest back room that I could reach; they could all fit through without much trouble, and I only had to exhale a little bit to fit through. The back room was interesting, don’t get me wrong, but it was not worth what came next. I tried to fit back through the small opening that I came in through, but going headfirst at such an angle was not going to be the easiest. Seeing another route out that everyone else was going through made me also think that I could just crawl headfirst through that short passage. While I could get my chest and upper body through with no problem, that is where I ran into the problem. My hips just would not fit through! I called to the guys that were with me, who thought I was just joking and soon realized I was not. They pulled my arms to help and I was stuck in tight! They were making slow progress, but it was steady progress. Inch by inch I was able to wiggle my hips while they pulled my arms till finally I got out! It seemed like 30 minutes total, but it was probably much less in real time. After getting out my muscles were shaking all over, but was I ever thankful to get out of the beautiful and somewhat terrifying cave!" +"Today I am terrified of public speaking, even the thought of it made me tried. My problem was I had social anxiety so over course of 1 o 2 years I am gradually overcame my problem, without the help of any therapist. I believed in myself. I don't need anyone else's acceptance of me need to accept. I m mostly don't care about what other people think. hen you start and finish my presentation in a breeze,I am imagine myself being the most confident speaker during your presentations and meetings. this is where the core of my problem lies, A fear of public speaking is often related with social anxiety and being afraid what others think, dislike being the center of attention being judged etc. the way I can beat this is firstly by believing .then reassure myself because i am going to be completely else or to present their own representations. I used to be petrified of speaking in public. once i improved I used to be petrified speaking in public. I started raising my hand o speak as often as possible. I developed a workshop. which I use o train people on how to become more comfortable mastering the skill of communicating effectively. The quick tip for today is all about structure. A lack of structure often causes a speaker to get nervous and perform poorly. Having a clear structure accomplishes two things. you hardly ever forget what you want to say and You give he audience a great way to stay engaged the entire time. I also know exactly where i am in the presentation and never have to worry about losing my train and thought." +"i am work in an manufacturing company. i were select as an chief designer for new product used in automotive parts. i has been worked six months for the project. i were in an deadline to submit my project. its design chart when the day. i were submitting my project the approval team. were analysis my project and shown the result as accept are reject my project were select which the design. i made high potential and efficiency obtained that was quiet surprising. i am little nervous when submitting my project to the organization team. but i feel lot of confident,after the selection of my project. i were very happy to address my project result to my group member and the company staffs. i were promoted after the success of my project. the promotion were general designer. that was my dream position. i worked hardly to gain the position. that were the reason also about my self confidence." +"When I was a kid,say 10 years old ,I'd walk into my parents' home ,like after school, and I'd feel this great almost suffocating feeling of energy and warmth and love. The energy from my mother,father,our dog,--it was such a comforting feeling. Then when I was 14,my mother died. I'd walk into the house and I'd still feel that energy feeling,that feeling of energy ,warmth,and love. It was much reduced but with my father and our dog, it was still there. And then when I was 24, the dog died. The energy that I had felt in that house,the feeling of love and warmth that had comforted me for so long, was greatly reduced. It felt like it was almost gone,a shadow of what it once was. And then 4 months ago,I walked into the house to visit my father. I walked in ....and I felt nothing. No energy,no warmth,no love feeling. It felt like I had walked into someone else's house. I actually stepped right back outside after I walked in and looked at the address numbers to make sure I had the right house. That's how strange it felt. I walked through the house. I looked in my old room and felt nothing. The dining room,living room ,rec room,scene of a thousand adventures , and I felt nothing, only a cold, icy stillness. I looked into my father's bedroom. I felt nothing. I saw that he was in bed asleep so I didn't disturb him. It was only later when I thought back about it did it dawn on me how silent and still my father's room had been. My father had a heart attack and died in bed,perhaps an hour before I arrived. Everyone who had made that house a home had died. The energy ,love warmth,everything was gone. It was just an empty house. I sold it as quickly as I could. There was nothing left for me there. I could not stand to be in the house again remembering what it once was- a home filled with love." +"My dog ""Hero"" want only just a dog he was literally a close friend to me. He actually never made we feel lonely even after my brutal break up with my ex. i grow up to actually love hero a lot. Everyone absolutely love hero cause he wasn't mean. hero is the most friendly animal i have ever come across. Hero is actually the best pet in the whole of his history. About 6 weeks ago hero wasn't always as active as he used to be at first i wasn't really bothered, i thought maybe it was his mood or something. then his visual action was really getting serious. It was like his eyes are always closed anytime he is working, always breaking stuffs, having unnecessary injuries. At this point i was always trying to be cool with it until it got to the peak i couldn't contain it no more. i finally decided to see a ""vet"" doctor. AT this point i was really scared of what is going on with hero. The doctor examine him and founded out he had benign. i really didn't know what it meant at first. The was really too unfamiliar didn't know what to think. later, the doctor explain to me and i realized hero's illness wasn't as bad as i thought. the doctor gave hero some medicate and ever since his sight has improved a lot more" +"My dog ""Hero"" want only just a dog he was literally a close friend to me. He actually never made we feel lonely even after my brutal break up with my ex. i grow up to actually love hero a lot. Everyone absolutely love hero cause he wasn't mean. hero is the most friendly animal i have ever come across. Hero is actually the best pet in the whole of his history. About 6 weeks ago hero wasn't always as active as he used to be at first i wasn't really bothered, i thought maybe it was his mood or something. then his visual action was really getting serious. It was like his eyes are always closed anytime he is working, always breaking stuffs, having unnecessary injuries. At this point i was always trying to be cool with it until it got to the peak i couldn't contain it no more. i finally decided to see a ""vet"" doctor. AT this point i was really scared of what is going on with hero. The doctor examine him and founded out he had benign. i really didn't know what it meant at first. The was really too unfamiliar didn't know what to think. later, the doctor explain to me and i realized hero's illness wasn't as bad as i thought. the doctor gave hero some medicate and ever since his sight has improved a lot more" +"A few weeks ago, I was on my way home from an appointment when I saw a young, tired-looking homeless man sitting on the sidewalk across the street. I sat down next to him, and he told me his name was Casey. I asked Casey about his poetry (as I'm also a poet), if he was doing okay, if he had somewhere to sleep that night and if he knew where the shelters were in our area; he told me he did and that he had been to them before. After eating together, exchanging phone numbers, and talking for awhile, I asked him if he had somewhere to sleep that night, and he told me he would probably sleep somewhere on the sidewalk or at a bus stop like last night. Following an impulse, I told him he didn't have to sleep on the street, he could crash on my couch tonight if he wanted; if he wanted some AC, a phone charger outlet, a TV with Netflix, the chance to do some laundry, or a shower, he was more than welcome to crash for the night if he wanted to. He seemed surprised and hesitant, saying that offer seemed too good to be true. I know it was not a smart decision by me, but it just felt right. Casey came over, then we ended up drinking a few beers together and talking about life. He said he still had dreams and he was thankful he had it better than so many people. He told me how he went to VCU, how he wanted to start a business, and how he knew this period would be an important part of his story. He said he was thankful for time and the friendliness of people in the city; he said that he didn't resent people who don't help him, they just didn't have time, and he was thankful for everyone who does and that he is beyond fortunate and wants to be able to give back to society and that's why he writes. It touched me on a deeper than spiritual level and I think I will remember his honesty, hope, and gratitude for the rest of my life- it felt like I was talking to a modern-day prophet or Jesus himself, and I was shocked and humbled listening to his story. We then hung out on the couch eating tortilla chips with queso and watching the new season of the 100 on Netflix, a show we both love. The next morning Casey took a shower, washed his clothes, then we parted ways warmly as I thanked him for sharing that time with me. I told him he was a gift, and he had honored and inspired me. My decision to let a homeless stranger sleep in my home was an absolutely reckless one (basically a recipe for getting murdered), and I knew this (I'm extremely fortunate and lucky, and I recognize this decision should not become a habit). However, I was forever changed by what happened. It stretched my empathy, let me connect with someone different from me, and gave me the feeling of traveling without leaving my home. Becoming friends with Casey made me start to view homeless citizens more like people and not just as ""the homeless"". This experience utterly transformed me, and taught me how much I have to learn from the less fortunate, and how much more open to those lessons I should be." +"It was night time. I was in bed getting ready to fall asleep. My brother came in and sat on the edge of the bed. He told me that Pa had passed. I couldn't speak. I just stared up at the ceiling and tried to muffle my cries. When my brother left, I went outside to go to my uncle's house. After I calmed down over there, I went back home. The emotions hit me again. I spent most of the night crying and couldn't fall asleep. I even tried taking a sleeping pill, but it didn't help. I just kept thinking about how he was gone and what all I should have done and said. I couldn't believe that he had passed away, especially since I had seen him only a couple days before. I knew he was getting older and that the time was coming, but it still took me by surprise. I just wish I could talk to him one more time." +"It was night time. I was in bed getting ready to fall asleep. My brother came in and sat on the edge of the bed. He told me that Pa had passed. I couldn't speak. I just stared up at the ceiling and tried to muffle my cries. When my brother left, I went outside to go to my uncle's house. After I calmed down over there, I went back home. The emotions hit me again. I spent most of the night crying and couldn't fall asleep. I even tried taking a sleeping pill, but it didn't help. I just kept thinking about how he was gone and what all I should have done and said. I couldn't believe that he had passed away, especially since I had seen him only a couple days before. I knew he was getting older and that the time was coming, but it still took me by surprise. I just wish I could talk to him one more time." +One week ago a problem was raised in our family. It is because of the issues related to the property sale of our old home. The clash went so bad that one of my uncle told a truth suddenly. The truth was that the man I believed to be my grandfather is not. Everyone was stunned a moment. He said that my grandfather was not my genetic relative. I argued that that cannot be true. But my uncle was confident in his argument. Immediately I argued that I will prove it. I decided to take DNA test for my grandfather. I took his blood sample to the trusted hospital nearby and the test was conducted. From the result I got to know that he was not my biological relative. Hence I decided to use my mother's DNA to find who is my grandfather. It was really shocking to know that he is not my grandfather from the result. I am on the steps now to find my biological grandfather. +"Today was the day! After nine long months of waiting to meet my daughter, I got to hold my baby girl in my arms today. I was so scared to go through another c-section. At least this time it was planned and not an emergency. The spinal block was awful, I thought I was going to be sick. I'm so tired but I'll never be able to sleep. I can't get enough of that beautiful little face. I'm worried about how her brother is going to handle having a baby in the house. He didn't seem to be too happy when he met her. It could be because I'm not home too, change is always hard for a toddler. I knew he wasn't going to be thrilled, but he actually bit her head. Not even 24 hours old and she already has a sibling injury. I thought he was going to kiss her, but I was mistaken. I'm going to have to make sure he gets enough attention. My heart is so full. I think being a mom is probably the best thing in the world. I am worried about how hard it will be to have two little ones but I guess it will come with time." +"The day that I found out I was pregnant, my husband and I were ecstatic. We were so excited for our son to have a sibling. However, when we told our son the news he was not happy about it. We found out I was pregnant with a girl and we thought it might make it feel more real for our son knowing he would have a little sister. Despite our reassurances that we would still love him just the same, he was still upset about it. We thought he would warm to the idea as my pregnancy went on. But as it got closer to my delivery date, he was still saying that he didn't want a sibling. I was put on bed rest for the last couple weeks of my pregnancy. One day my water broke and we were off to the hospital. There were some complications with the delivery and I ended up needing an emergency c-section. It was a really scary experience, but my daughter was born healthy. When we brought our son in to meet his new little sister, he had a scowl on his face. He kept up his dislike for his sister for a few days. Eventually, he was won over by how cute she was. Now that my daughter is 3 years old, her brother loves her so much. He is super protective over her and it's a huge relief that they like each other now." +Well it is almost time to leave my home. which is here in las vegas. My house is already sold and we are currently staying with my grandmother who is also leaving vegas from all of the emotional deaths in the family. Her house is currently on the market and we have to be out of here by nov 3rd. Our new home is ready for us when we get there. its very nice and im pleased with the outcome. it even has solar panel hook ups. We have just about wrapped up everything we need to wrap up. Some of the last things we have to do is go to some doctor follow up appointments and see if we can get some type of recommendations for doctors in California. Then just for good measure i went and got an extension on my medications for 60 days. It took a little effort but they were sympathetic. I spent last night drinking beer with my brother and reminiscing about our mother. We had a good time i drink way to much than i should have but it was worse it. Then later that night when i was laying in bed I got a phone call from my other (he took my moms dog) brother who told me that my moms dog died that night. i took it hard because it was my moms dog and i felt like it was kinda like the last part of her is gone. +"Well this year has turned to be real shit. After spending the past 4 months with my mother since my Proximal Afib diagnosis making me unable to work. I woke up one day to find out that my mother suddenly collapsed at work and died. My grandmother came to our house and told me that she died. I remember immediately going historical and walking into my bedroom to punch my pillows with all my might screaming no no no no. After a few moments in intense sadness i started to ask questions i was told we had to go to her work to pick up her belongings. So we went to her work and i picked up her purse and her lunch bag. I was crying the whole time and could barely compose my self. Everyone was very understanding and they told me that my mother was a good friend of theirs and they will really miss her. After that i went home and i didn't know what to do i didn't sleep for 3 days and the stress made my proximal afib start up and i my heart raced for hours and i kept having constant PVCs (premature ventricular contractions) about every 10 minutes. because of this i had to go to the ER. I was admitted for 2 days while they watched my hear rate and gave me some types of medications. They made me take a nuclear stress test to see if my heart was damaged, luckily it was not. and i was released later that evening with a prescript for a FDA black label drug called Tambocor to control my hear rate. Its been a few months since then and my grandmother let me live in my mothers house for the time being but that has not lasted very long because my Great aunt died 2 months after my mother from lung cancer. This broke my grandmother. My grandfather died 2 years prior then my mother then her sister. She started having intense crying spells and acting very irrational. So me and my Disabled brother who is on SSI went to stay with her to keep her company. While we were staying with her She constantly verbally abused us. One day she broke down and had to go to the ER for Angina. She told them t hat she wanted to kill her self and was put in the psych ward. My moms sister came down to save her and took her to lie with her. Yesterday i was told that my grandmother was no longer able to think rationally and that my mothers house and grandmothers house was to be sold. I was given until the end of October to get my medical affairs in order and leave the house im currently in." +"This event occurred 6 months ago, but I can still remember it clearly. After a long and grueling program in Post secondary education, I finally made it to graduation. I was then surprised by my mentor showing up at the ceremony, and she gave me my diploma! I was so excited to see that she cared enough to show up. I began crying and she hugged me and told me she was proud of me. I was amazed by the applause I received from my peers, and my family was extremely proud of me. I felt so accomplished for being the first person in 3 generations to complete a masters program and my father even shed a few tears when I went across the stage. It seemed that after endless hours of studying and tutoring sessions had finally paid off. I am now working with the University after being offered a full-time position after graduation. This was largely due to my mentor writing me an amazing letter of recommendation. I am now looking forward to working with students in the same way my mentor worked with me. I have met with several students who I am now an advisor to. I hope that in the coming years I can develop a relationship with them that will be like the one I had with my mentor. I will then continue the trend of being at my students graduation. I cannot think of a happier occasion in my life." +I play flag football on Saturdays at my local rec center and at the time my teammates were new. I know the guy who organized the team but everyone else was a new face. At the time i had been struggling with my confidence. My job and living situation were in a poor situation and it was impacting my attitude toward myself. It was our first game playing together as a team and I was playing extremely poorly. I was unsuccessful at everything and couldn't perform the most basic tasks. I was not in the moment and couldn't focus. I expected to be berated and that my new teammates would be angry with me. The opposite happened. They didn't bench me and encouraged me to improve and try again. It was the first time in awhile that my failures were not met with negativity. Everyone on the team was kind to me even though I had lost the game for the team. It meant a lot to me to be treated with kindness in my failure. The kindness they showed me payed off in the next game and I played really well. I have played well since that awful game. It has also helped me with my overall confidence and I can face struggles in my personal life better. +"Be born into a normal family that buys a new home and a new car because born. Enter kindergarten with a diet problem and blame it on bad genes. Be taken to school interviews by parents and be told that the school get into will define my futureGo through school thinking that all that matters is grades. High school sweetheart dumps me because me grown apartNow in college. Booze, sex and more booze. Choose a random career based on what the salary isWork in that job for a few years and then say “The Company Sucks”Repeat “The Company Sucks” after quitting three more jobs. Decide that the Internet must be right and become an entrepreneurBuild a startup with your savings or money from your parents. Watch the startup crumble and then blame it on “the market” or your co-founder you met at collegeGo back to the workforce with a chip on your shoulder and think that “If only I had money, all my problems would be easier to solve”Treat colleagues at work like crap because your life sucks since both your career and the startup you created failedFind a partner at either work or in your friendship group and start datingThink that how the relationship is in the first year is how it will be for the rest of your livesGet married because everyone else is doing itmost memorable event is got my childBuy a house you can’t afford and get into debtUse the equity in your mortgage to buy an investment property because that’s what all the smart, rich people at work and who’ve written books say to doGo on endless holidays overseas and put the photos up on the Internet, so people think you don’t work and adventurousCome home one day and decide you better have kids before you get too oldHave babiesForget about my passions and ignore basic health principles like don’t eat sugarGet fat and unhealthy and blame it on the kidsGo to the gym for 6 months and then give up. Blame it on the kids againGo to work each day at that job me hate because your dream of following your passion didn’t work out earlier in life and be pissed off because of itChannel that rage towards your clients, colleagues, family or all three if you’re feeling generousGo on social media and leave nasty comments because my life is not how you want itComplain about the price of everythingContinue to buy useless crap like luxury cars and the latest iPhone because that’s what everyone else is doingNever spend one of your days off helping to volunteer for a good causeDon’t read books. Watch endless video content on your phoneHope that your decision to buy property will make you rich one dayOverthink every decision and never work out what me want. Hair starts to go grey and thins out. Get to retirement age and realize don’t have much money. Get sick sooner than my thought. Enter the retirement village and realize you have so many regrets. Continue to get sicker and take prescription medicine. Death brings freedom." +I went to mountaineering to Mount Everest which was my childhood dream. I went with my college friends where we are an gang of around 16 persons. We have decided to visit Mount Everest in our college days itself but we can't able to achieve our dream. One of friend has planned to visit Mount Everest with his Uncle's trip planning in the summer days in that location. He informed about that plan to all our friends. I suddenly surprised and excited very much that too enjoying with our friends. It was an additional enjoyment after a long time engaging outdoor with my friends. I immediately said OK and day dream about climbing Mount Everest. We planned about our mountaineering and things to be packed. We planned in group about our plan schedule. Finally we got ready to be climb the Everest. We reached the destination place and it was awesome to see the Giant Mount Everest live. My life got fulfilled and I felt like I am an achiever. The moment I saw the Everest was an unimaginable scene I have saw on the Earth. I climbed with my friends with full fun and enjoyment. We stayed in tent then and there and we shared our feelings and emotions. We took more photos and uploaded in our social media. It gives goose bumps when I completed my achievement and came home with lot of pleasure and fulfillment. +"It was happened in my life directly for me. I was searching for a good job with some reasonable income. But I was doing some part time job with low income which is not satisfied for my life. The income I was earning was more useful to my life . I was suffering from lack of my basic needs to satisfy. But the only income was my partner's income. I got frustrated and upset as there was no sufficient income from my partner alone. I have searched more jobs and attended more interview from most of the company. But I have strive for an job which is most important for my life. I had asked with many of my friends and relatives. But at last four months before I have got got the job I am recently working. It gave me an happiest moment in my life . It makes my life more satisfy and upgrade my life to me next level. When I heard that I had got selected for this current job, I was more excited and got tears. It was the most touching and memorable incident in my life. It was an important day in my life. It was an important memory I had in my life." +"There were many events happening in my life. The most memorable event in my life is the trip I took to Japan and stayed there for one month in last summer vacation. I went to Tokyo that was located in the middle of Japan. It is a big city in Japan with a large population and a convenient public transportation system. I had learned Japanese for two years before, therefore, decided to go to Japan to experience a true Japanese life there. My school helps me find a wonderful home stay. The family members are not a big one, including only mother, father, and three young boys. On the weekend, my home father took us to the department store for shopping. I love the time that we got together. We all learned Japanese together every day. It was really interesting because I had never seen people with brown hair and green eyes speak Japanese. The teacher would take us to travel around Tokyo, introduce Japanese culture for us, and sometimes hung out with us together to have a dinner date. I felt so lucky that I could meet those amazing classmates in Japan. There are many differences between Taiwan and Japan, such as the directions, eating habits, time of business, and manners. I had been told that Japanese the most polite people in the world. I think it is totally correct. Besides, Japanese are very careful about being on time. They almost do with everything on time, and seldom have it delayed without apology. I think the manners are so brilliant a habit that we should learn more from them. I realized that I would have changed a lot when I came back from Japan. I felt like getting more mature and independent than before. I started to cook for my family and took care of them. My parents were both so glad to see my change. And what is the most important is that I became a much hard-working student than I went to Japan before. I want to visit Japan again." +The greatest thing I've ever done happened a few months ago with my family. I had just turned 25 and it was the 4th of July. My family and I went to Montauk state park for the weekend. We rented a big camper and filled it with everything we needed. We took the long drive out to Montauk together. We even brought our dog. We parked the RV at our campsite and spent the next 2 days totally disconnected from life. No one was allowed to use their cell phone. Everyone just sat around talking. It was amazing. We cooked every meal on the grill. We swam in the ocean all day. I wish I could live there for the rest of my life. I honestly think that was the most fun I had ever had. I was shocked to feel that way about time with my family. I was devastated to come back to regular life. I didn't even look forward to using my cell phone! +"The event I am thinking about is my brother's wedding. He got married to his now wife. I had known her for many years, as we went to high school together. It was no surprise that they would get married, as they had been dating and living together for years. The wedding took place a few hours east of where I live, in a beautiful setting with forests and a river. They rented out an entire lodge and a dozen cabins for everyone to stay in. It was a lot of fun. I arrived the day before the wedding. We went on a fun rafting trip that day. Afterwards, we returned to the venue and I helped set things up. The most memorable part of the event was the actual ceremony. It was set up outside with seating near a small lake. It was very lovely. I was up at the front since I was best man. I really enjoyed it. Afterwards, there was a reception and celebration with live music. People danced, ate food and had beer and wine to drink. It was a lot of fun." +"The event I am thinking about is my brother's wedding. He got married to his now wife. I had known her for many years, as we went to high school together. It was no surprise that they would get married, as they had been dating and living together for years. The wedding took place a few hours east of where I live, in a beautiful setting with forests and a river. They rented out an entire lodge and a dozen cabins for everyone to stay in. It was a lot of fun. I arrived the day before the wedding. We went on a fun rafting trip that day. Afterwards, we returned to the venue and I helped set things up. The most memorable part of the event was the actual ceremony. It was set up outside with seating near a small lake. It was very lovely. I was up at the front since I was best man. I really enjoyed it. Afterwards, there was a reception and celebration with live music. People danced, ate food and had beer and wine to drink. It was a lot of fun." +"Three months ago my husband and I received a letter in the mail for our son. We placed it on the end table and patiently awaited him to get home from school. Shortly later he arrived and we hesitated to tell him that he received a letter. We all gathered around and opened the letter together. It had stated that he was accepted to the state university starting at the begging of the year. Everyone was thrilled about this but deep down inside me I felt hurt. I was loosing my baby, the one my husband and I taught everything he knows. We knew this meant he was going to be moving out on his own for the very first time and it scared us a bit because he has never been out there on his own. We saved as much money as we could but we don't make much because neither of us went to college ourselves. We tried to prepare him for everything that we could but deep down we know it is now on him to make the right decisions and continue to work hard at everything he does. I will no longer be able to pack him a lunch for school or make him a home cooked meal for him when hes felling down. My husband and I know this is for the best and that we will see him soon knowing that he is only a few hours away but it still saddens us to see our firstborn leaving the nest. The day he left was the hardest. We looked at his car that packed to the rim with all of his belongings. We thought said to ourselves the night before, we will not cry and make this as easy as possible. But sure enough there I stood holding my son with a tear in my eye know that we will now be sending him off on his own." +"Well, I suppose I should've known that this would be short lived. As of Monday, my oldest son is back in our home, living with us full time. This has been very stressful for myself, and though he doesn't say it, I know it is disappointing and stressful on my husband as well. We have been enjoying stability in our home and days where we can simply enjoy being together without having to take care of anyone else. Although my son is 21, and legally an adult, he is very immature and selfish. It's a nightmare having him here again, as an adult. His work shifts have been drastically decreased right now, as he works as a dishwasher in a restaurant here in town -- a town that is very touristy for about 8 out of 12 months a year. Winter is notoriously slow for the industry and while I believe my son should've planned for this and saved his money to be able to afford his rent, he did not do that. So here were are. He is hardly working, not paying a dime to live with us, expects us to care for all of his needs and desires (demands). He still thinks I will wash his dirty laundry and provide all his meals! Maybe I sound callous. Maybe I am. But it's like living with the world's worst roommate... and I should say, I had my fair share of terrible college roommates! Perhaps he will get his act together, find another job that pays enough that he can afford his own place. For now I am not holding my breath." +"It has been a tough month. I've been suffering from empty nest syndrome. I never knew how much space, energy and attention that kid took up. Simply amazing. Now there is just a big hole in every day. Whatever, every hour, every minute actually. I'm certain at some point it will start to seem normal but when, it's been a month. I wonder how he feels? Is he also mourning the home he used to have or is he so involved in having moved out and being on his own he doesn't even notice? I can recall thinking so many times how crowded we were and how insanely busy. There were so many times I wanted to have the house to myself. Hah! What did I know. I regret every single one of those thoughts. What is it that is said. Oh, yes! ""Be careful what you wish for""." +"One of the worst days that I ever had in my life. It was the day that I lost my job. Started off with me waking up late for work. I end up ignoring my alarm clock and getting u late. I rush and brush my teeth and put on my clothes and drove off. Didn't get far and realize that I forgot my lunch. Drove back home, speeding, and ran inside and grab my lunch. Driving about 65 miles per hour, I end up getting stuck behind traffic. The line was so long that you couldn't see what was going on. All I know was that I was going to be late for work. I called my boss and he told me that I would be okay and have nothing to worry about. Stuck in traffic, I waited patiently and when I got closer I say that It was a truck stuck in a ditch. Eventually the truck got out and I was on my way. Got to work thinking everything was okay. But I knew something was wrong. The corporate manager kept walking by, staring at me through out the day. I can see her whispering to my manager. I ask one of the fellow employees did they hear anything. They said no that they think I'm okay. My boss calls me over and tells me that he needs me to sign paperwork at the front since the day was almost over, I could leave after this. Gather my stuff and walked with him to the front. Little did I know, It was the big boss in the office. Basically explained to me I was fired. Grab my stuff from the locker and walked out. Stayed in the car sitting there just thinking about my future and drove home." +"I am still highly motivated to complete my weight loss goal due to the Woman's World magazine coverage. Being featured in the magazine was both an honor and a huge accomplishment. It makes me proud to know that so many others were inspired by my story. Since appearing in Woman's World, I have been approached by others to do similar stories. I now have the opportunity to be featured in First for Women. The editors contacted me for a brief screening. The screening was to see if I was still making progress on my goal. The screening also was for determining the likelihood of me reaching my goal and not abandoning the process. Because of this new opportunity, I have re-dedicated myself to my goal and am inspired to finish what I started. What is most surprising to me is that I was able to lose the weight without having weight loss surgery. Unfortunately, when I began the journey, my health was bad and I had many health issues related to obesity. First of all, I had a poor metabolic system and a sluggish thyroid. I was told that it would be nearly impossible to lose the amount of weight that I needed without having surgery. I could not have surgery because being being put to sleep was not an option. I suffered from congestive heart failure and was nearly 400 pounds. Surprisingly, I was able to lose nearly half of my body weight. I was also able to reverse the effects of obesity and am now highly active and my heart function has returned to normal." +"My wife and I had a very beautiful boy this past summer. He was a healthy baby and seemed to be doing fine health wise. He was very active, and after a few months, got onto a regular sleep schedule. We talk to other newborn parents about our experiences, and we are thankful that our experiences aren't as stressful as other parents' experiences. However, last winter, he got sick. my wife and I brought him to a specialist. He informed us that a special procedure had to be done to save his life. How could it be? Our healthy baby boy may be on the verge of death. I was nervous about him dying as a result of going under anesthesia. We prayed and mulled over the decision. After long thought, we felt it was best to have this procedure done to save his life. Thankfully, the anesthesia was fine. We got results about his health, and he is expected to make a full recovery. Thank goodness! I am so thankful for our beautiful baby boy, and am appreciative of the doctors who helped us and him through this ordeal." +"My wife and I had a very beautiful boy this past summer. He was a healthy baby and seemed to be doing fine health wise. He was very active, and after a few months, got onto a regular sleep schedule. We talk to other newborn parents about our experiences, and we are thankful that our experiences aren't as stressful as other parents' experiences. However, last winter, he got sick. my wife and I brought him to a specialist. He informed us that a special procedure had to be done to save his life. How could it be? Our healthy baby boy may be on the verge of death. I was nervous about him dying as a result of going under anesthesia. We prayed and mulled over the decision. After long thought, we felt it was best to have this procedure done to save his life. Thankfully, the anesthesia was fine. We got results about his health, and he is expected to make a full recovery. Thank goodness! I am so thankful for our beautiful baby boy, and am appreciative of the doctors who helped us and him through this ordeal." +"My husband who is a wealthy business man has hired his ex girlfriend as his secretary recently. It all started 1 year ago when we were in love before getting married. The women who he was cheating me with is hes girlfriend during the college, they told me that they were only friends until i found that they were dating secretly. My best friend saw them on a coffee shop and told me twice to take precautions but i did not trust my friend at that time since i know both my husband and the women he was cheating with. One day when i came early from office i saw both of them in bedroom. I was shocked to see them in my bedroom half nakedly. i started to scream and also made attempts to hit the women my husband was cheating with but my husband protected her from me and sent her home. Two days passed then my husband came and explained me how they both got in to relationship and begged me to forgive him for his actions and also said hi will never cheat on me again. But he has hired her as his secretary a month ago and he didn't tell me anything about it. I think my husband has feelings for her. that is why he is hiding from me but has also recruited as hes secretary. There are lot of questions running on my mind right now. But i cannot tell anyone about it since it will create a bad image about my husband. I have given a second chance for my husband i do not think he will misuse it but it makes me very uncomfortable that the women he was cheating on is his current secretary. I will find out again if he is dating the same women and take some serious actions this time." +"My dad was a great man. He started off from a backround of poverty and had to fight for everything he earned. He worked odd jobs, at all hours of the day in order to build himself and his family a better life. This is that story. He became a construction worker to pay for school. He liked working with his hands, but he knew that it would not be sustainable in the long run for his body and for his health. He still liked the possibilities of design and construction so he became an architecht. His ultimate dream was to build a house for us that he could be proud of. He worked all day and studied all night. He worked on some incredble projects as the city we grew up in experienced an economic boom. He helped build tall skyscrapers and schools and other buildings. But he never lost sight of his dream. Finally, he was able to save enough money to try his hand at his dream. He was able to build a grand house that he could safely keep his family in after so many years. I remember hearing this story and being in awe of the effort and dedication my father had towards providing us a good home. I'll never forget his sacrifices and his hard work and hope that I can do the same. It really was a true inspiration." +"My sister's bachelorette party. What a night. 3 months later and I still can't believe she got married, never thought she'd get over her last boyfriend. Decided to go out downtown, which I don't really know that well but it's what she wanted. Luckily she knows how to get around since I was already tipsy before we left since we pre gamed at my house. That was a mistake. I was drinking more then usual since I didn't really know any of her friends that were out with us and I was kind of nervous. By the time we made it to the third or fourth bar I was hammered. So looking back I think she planted a fingernail in my drink as a joke. I was so drunk I thought the bartender had planted it. Why, who knows. So I made a huge scene about it in the bar. She was trying to stop me and calm me down but I was so disgusted I didn't want too. The bartender got really offended and we got in too it. Told me I'd had enough and to leave. Luckily my sister was able to convince him that we could stay and I didn't ruin her party. Although I doubt she'll invite me out with her friends again any time soon." +"My family and I weren't very close. It was no one's fault. Just, we had never really associated much with one another. My older brother was kind of the golden child of the family. He had a lot of special privileges it felt like. Again, it might have just been my childish hindsight. It was hard to believe that someone can be treated so well while I could be treated so poorly. But, that's how life was for my family. I don't harbor any resentment. These things happen and not every family is perfect. Four months ago my older brother passed away. I didn't really feel too bad, not because I didn't love him (because I did), but we just hadn't talked much recently. Times like these are when I could experience regret. I try to keep my options to myself. I did attend his funeral and my family expressed our condolences and maybe one day, we can reconnect again." +"When I went to Colorado last summer to do some camping I had in mind that I wanted to climb a 13er or 14er. I eventually I decided on Mt. Ouray because it's one of the less difficult mountains to climb in Colorado and I felt it was suitable for a solo-hike. It took a bit of preparation and the climb was still fairly difficult. But it was an incredible experience and one that I'll remember for a long time. I got up around 5AM and started my climb. It took me around 4 hours to summit and I spent around 45 minutes at the top, taking pictures, listening to music and taking in the view. I really enjoyed being able to see for so far. I was grateful that I was able to enjoy such a special experience. I met a couple of other hikers on my route up and down. People are very nice in the mountains, I enjoy chatting with other hikers in my journeys. It was very enjoyable overall and I hope to train some more and be able to hike more mountains next summer. It's a difficult undertaking and there's an element of danger to it, especially hiking alone. But it's something I take seriously and wouldn't give up. It drives me to make myself better and it helps me appreciate the world I live in." +"When I went to Colorado last summer to do some camping I had in mind that I wanted to climb a 13er or 14er. I eventually I decided on Mt. Ouray because it's one of the less difficult mountains to climb in Colorado and I felt it was suitable for a solo-hike. It took a bit of preparation and the climb was still fairly difficult. But it was an incredible experience and one that I'll remember for a long time. I got up around 5AM and started my climb. It took me around 4 hours to summit and I spent around 45 minutes at the top, taking pictures, listening to music and taking in the view. I really enjoyed being able to see for so far. I was grateful that I was able to enjoy such a special experience. I met a couple of other hikers on my route up and down. People are very nice in the mountains, I enjoy chatting with other hikers in my journeys. It was very enjoyable overall and I hope to train some more and be able to hike more mountains next summer. It's a difficult undertaking and there's an element of danger to it, especially hiking alone. But it's something I take seriously and wouldn't give up. It drives me to make myself better and it helps me appreciate the world I live in." +"The court declared me victor. Now I am practically a single dad with three kids. Although my ex-wife and I share custody, I am custodial parent. Meaning, I have my kids 287 days out the year! While my ex-wife gets them only every other weekend, or 78 days out the year. The magnitude of it inflicts me with self-doubt. Questions swirl in my head. How am I going to raise two females? What about my daughters' first menstrual cycles? And what about my son? Will he have momma issues? Will he struggle with romantic relationships? I no longer felt so victorious. Instead, I felt unqualified and overwhelmed. Then something major happened: my ex-wife's boyfriend went to jail and is facing a huge prison sentence. Since his incarceration, my ex-wife and I get along wonderfully. We're talking and even hanging out a bit. I drop the kids off and everyone is happy. The ex-wife expresses some regrets. Maybe she's just crushed under the load of child support. Does she deserve a second chance? Will we get back together? Should I forgive her? Am I a fool? Only time will tell." +"About four months ago, I had to fight to keep custody of my children. I love them very much and I wanted to keep them in my life. I was very nervous to fight for my children. The court system seemed to be fixed against me. Even though I take care of my children regularly, I am a father. The court is biased against fathers and it usually doesn't want to give them custody. Mothers are often favored. My lawyer told me that it was unlikely that I would get custody. At first, the judge was very negative. He seemed like he wouldn't be on my side. However, in the end, was able to defy my past and win primary custody of my children. I told the judge about how, in the past, I was not a devoted father. However, as time went on, I cared more and more for my children. I became the primary caregiver when I changed jobs and started working from home. The judge listened to me and he cared about what I said. He decided to give me primary custody. I was so happy. Since then, I have spent tons of time with my children. I've gotten to know them better. I feel that this victory is extremely important to me. It's also good that the court system is beginning to recognize the importance of fathers." +"My wife had a back spasm in which she was unable to move and was in severe pain. This was a long tern event that had been building and had been getting worse and worse. We tried get an at home doctor to treat her, feeling that she would be unable to travel to be seen by a doctor. However, they would not approved such a doctor, without seeing her PCP first. I called 911, and the ambulance took her to the ER, where they gave her meds, which helped the back. They also gave her enough meds to get her to the PCP to be seen. However, the PCP needed to send her for a referral for her MRI test. At first, Soonercare denied the MRI. Then, after we put pressure on them they approved. She had her scan, and the doctor sent her to another place for the back evaluation. Then, they scheduled another place for the back shot. After many trips and different places, she was able to get around a little bit. It was very frustrating and financially difficult for us, as she provides a lot of family income. It is still not fixed, as she cannot get approved for a survery, even though they see the problem. Her therapy appointments are used up, too. So, she is back on just resting on meds." +"My wife had a back spasm in which she was unable to move and was in severe pain. This was a long tern event that had been building and had been getting worse and worse. We tried get an at home doctor to treat her, feeling that she would be unable to travel to be seen by a doctor. However, they would not approved such a doctor, without seeing her PCP first. I called 911, and the ambulance took her to the ER, where they gave her meds, which helped the back. They also gave her enough meds to get her to the PCP to be seen. However, the PCP needed to send her for a referral for her MRI test. At first, Soonercare denied the MRI. Then, after we put pressure on them they approved. She had her scan, and the doctor sent her to another place for the back evaluation. Then, they scheduled another place for the back shot. After many trips and different places, she was able to get around a little bit. It was very frustrating and financially difficult for us, as she provides a lot of family income. It is still not fixed, as she cannot get approved for a survery, even though they see the problem. Her therapy appointments are used up, too. So, she is back on just resting on meds." +"While we were there, we visited the big, ""touristy"" sites like Old Faithful and the mineral springs and hot springs. Old faithful did not disappoint. It was awesome. During the nights at camp, you could hear some of the newly re-introduced wolves off in the distance. Some of the group was nervous that they would visit during the night. I was more concerned with the black bear and most especially the grizzlies. Both are notorious for letting their noses get them in trouble. They can smell the food and stick their heads right into tents! We were sure to put our food in the bear-proof containers provided at the campsite. But we actually saw some grizzlies visiting the stream when we were fishing. The salmon were running and the grizzlies rely on these fish to fatten up in order to survive the on-coming winter. There were several females with cubs who were stationed along the waterfall, catching the salmon that were jumping. They would pull off some of the skin and nudge it towards the cubs. They seemed to waste a lot of the fish as they were eating the eggs, the skin and the heads. I guess they were more interested in the high-calorie parts, which makes sense, considering that they are trying to fatten up. One bear got too close as one of us was reeling in a fish and the bear decided it was her's. But the biggest thrill/scare came when a male arrived on the scene. He seemed to be twice the size of the rest and was a bit of a bully. But if he got too close to any of the cubs, the brave mom's would confront the massive bear. I wouldn't want any of those things sticking their heads into my tent in the middle of the night!" +"About 5 months ago, I was driving when another car struck me. My daughter was in the back seat and was very scared. The other driver did not stop and kept going. It was hard for me to pull over safely, but I managed to do so. She was crying the whole time, as I was trying to figure out what was going on and what happened. The whole incident put me into a state of shock. I couldn't understand why the other driver kept going. I felt very helpless, but finally managed to call the police. Very luckily, my daughter was unharmed. I was a bit injured, but not too seriously. I was very glad when my brother finally came to pick her up. I was left to deal with the police at the accident scene, and it was a hassle. The entire time I was in a state of anxiety, shock, and I could feel the adrenaline going through my body. I was so angry at what the other driver did, not stopping. I was able to get a tag number, which has helped in the investigation. I'm still dealing with the trauma and stress from the event, but I was most glad that my daughter was not harmed. The whole situation could have been much worse." +"Recently, I was involved in a car accident. I was driving on the highway, with my daughter in the back seat. Suddenly, a car cut in front of me and caused me to drive onto the shoulder off of the road. The car that hit me kept driving, though I was able to get part of the license plate and identifiable features of the car. My daughter started screaming like I had never heard her scream before. Though neither of us were hurt, it was very scary. It took a long time for me to get her to calm down. The police were eventually able to track down the driver, who claimed that they did not hit me. Luckily, the police were able to match the damage on their vehicle to the damage on my vehicle. Despite this proof, the other driver is claiming they did not do it and it was not their fault. The whole criminal case and insurance claim is ongoing and very tedious. However, I am grateful that my daughter and I are still alive. The accident made me realize how important time with family is. It can be taken away so quickly and without warning. I now try to live each day to the fullest and appreciate how lucky we were that the accident wasn't worse. It was traumatizing, but the event has shown me what's really important in life: happiness and family." +"Today is my birthday, May 4th. I have decided to through a birthday party for myself and my kids today. They're birthdays are close to mine, so I figured we could all share the party this year, since no one was celebrating a milestone birthday. I rented a lodge, and prepared decorations in the theme of Twin Peaks, as it's an important show in our family. My children who are now 4 and 6 even request to listen to songs from the soundtrack during car rides. I pride myself on throwing them very unique parties that other children would not have. I bought doughnuts from the best place in town and and spent an entire day actually decorating the lodge. I spent a month planning the proper decor and spent plenty of money on them. All of this effort and at the last minute, my in-laws, who where half the guest list started calling that morning and giving reasons as to why they can't come. All of them boiled down to that they just didn't feel like driving to our town. My husband and I live an hour and a half from our home town. I was so upset. Here I was putting in all this effort into something that half the people on the list, who were family, couldn't even be bother to show up. We made the best of it, our few friends in town came, and my parents and brother. All in all it was a good little party and the kids never knew any different. However, I was furious, and brokenhearted that family could so easily brush them off. Anytime cousins on that side of the family have parties we are expected to haul our children over for the hour and a half drive, and I never even thought twice about it. It was important to be with family. Now I see where we stand and will not be putting myself out for people who have now repeatedly shown me we're not worth one trip, once a year." +"Last month, I invited my in-laws to join my children and I for a joint birthday. I gave them plenty of advanced noticed, but they kept coming up with excuses as to why they couldn't attend. I felt like they didn't want to be part of our family. It all started when I mentioned to my in-laws that I wanted to celebrate my 40th birthday with my kids. The three of us share the same birthday month and because it was a milestone birthday for me, I thought I could make it a memorable one by making it a big bash for the three of us. I didn't realize that this decision would cause discomfort to my in-laws. I just knew that I was going to make it a special day and I wasn't go to let their sour mood stop me. I proceeded to plan our joint birthday party despite their lack of support. I order catered food and my kid's friends helped decorate our house for the party. A friend of my also helped with setting up music and entertainment for our guests. Everything for our special day fell in to place. The big day finally arrived and our party went off without a hitch. We celebrated, sang, and ate like celebrities. My parents even flew from Australia to join us. It would have been a perfect day, but one half of our family was missing. I was shocked that my in-laws would be so petty about our joint party. I was also sad for my kids because I know they would have liked them to join us. Needless to say, I was sorely disappointed in my in-laws for not making any effort to attend our special day." +"I was best friends with a neighbor kid growing up, he was always over at my house or I was at his, and I had a major crush on him pretty much since I was old enough to walk. But it never seemed like he liked me back or that he even noticed that I liked him so we grew up, he started dating people and I was jealous as fuck over it, I started dating people while still pining over him. I figure he just sees me as a little kid (I was a year younger than him) or a little sister and nothing will ever come out of it so I try to put my feelings aside. Then when he turned 16 his family moved out of state and we lost contact. I got over my feelings and time moved on. Fast forward a few years later and we reconnect online, start talking, and then this dude casually mentions in a conversation about how he had a giant crush on me growing up and always wanted to ask me out. He tells me that he even asked my mother for permission to ask me out and she said no so he never ended up doing it (my mom never told me about this, at all). My mind is blown. My entire childhood of pining after this guy---my first ever crush---feels like a lie. At this point I'd long since put aside the feelings I had for him and kinda gotten over the crush but I still felt a lot of residual nostalgia from being 15 and craving dick for the first time in my life. He was still into me and I was debating whether I wanted to start something with him or not, mostly so I wouldn't have to live with the what if of it all, tossing the idea around while we kept in touch. Then suddenly he stops messaging me. I'm like ??? because our talking was going well and I didn't think I did anything to make him want to start ghosting me. I message a mutual friend of ours and ask if she knows what's up and she tells me the guy was arrested for beating a dude who owed him money to death. He's in prison right now serving a life sentence. I never got that dick. The end." +"I hadn't been home in a long time as I live abroad now and it's expensive to fly. My mum had told me my dog wasn't in a good way. She had gotten sick and the vet said there was nothing they could do to help due to her age. It was at that point I decided it was time for me to visit. I had also been feeling extremely homesick. I was super ready to come back. It was so lovely to see everyone and I could tell they were genuinely pleased to see me. There was a lot of catching up to do. My cousin had also recently had a baby so it was lovely ro be able to meet him for the first time. I also saw my old friends who I remain close to. I was also super grateful that I was able to see my dog again before it was her time to pass, I was quite shocked at how skinny and old she had gotten due to her bad health, her appetite just wasn't what it used to be and she looked much older than before. You could tell that she wasn't feeling herself but she still made the effort to come sit with me and seemed very happy that I was with her. I still think of her so often. she was one of those once in a life time dogs that has such a big personality and grows up with you. She was so full of life. It always really hard to leave everyone again when I come back, I love my life here but I do miss them dearly. I am forever torn between two places. I am planning to go back again soon for another catch up in the new year." +"I hadn't been home to England in about a year. I was super home sick and needed to see my family so I saved up all my money and bought a plane ticket. They were all waiting for me at the airport, super excited to see me. I was super excited to see them too. When we got back to the house my Godmother has made my favorite dinner. I was touched that they all remembered. I felt truly seen and loved. I got to also see my dog again, She wasn't looking very well and was getting old. She had very bad arthritis in all four of her legs and a spinal issue but she still tried to jump around in excitement to see me. I sat with her on the floor and she put her big ole head on my lap. My godfather then mentioned that he felt it would be the last time I saw her as she's been steadily going downhill for the past month. I wish he wasn't but he was right. As soon as I got back here, 2 days after, they called me to tell me she had passed away. I'm forever grateful for getting to see her and still really sad. I hope that wherever she is now she feels better." +"Was i wrong to have done that? I don't know. Perhaps i was wrong. But i was so angry. I was visiting mom for mother's day, 3 months ago. Even though we had grown apart over the years, i was still fond of her. And i still am. It was a casual visit, as usual. I never realized everything was about to change. I saw the machine beeping, so i attended the voicemail. Professor Dan? I couldn't believe that my mom was seeing him! After everything that happened with Dad? I was furious. I now realize that mom is an adult, she has the freedom to live life she sees as fit. I don't know why i stormed out after telling her to never call me again. Hope she forgives me." +"About a year ago, I attended my cousin's wedding to his now-wife. One of my favorite memories of that day was being seated alongside several of my friends, where we could see the newlywed couple together. None of us had seen my cousin dress so nicely before. In fact, most of us knew him as a fairly slovenly man, who rarely shaved and often had messy hair. His appearance become a source of merriment for us and we soon began making jokes about the way he looked. One friend adopted a rigid demeanor and did a funny impression of my cousin. Another friend, my cousin's old college roommate, found some old pictures of my cousin on his cell phone and used an app to stitch together some pictures from college with pictures from that day to make a series of ""before and after"" photos. A third friend remembered my cousin telling him that he would never wear a suit in his life and we all laughed at that recollection. When my cousin and his wife made their way to our table, we shared the jokes with the couple. His wife found my friend's impression of my cousin to be especially humorous. My cousin laughed when he saw the before and after pictures, though I think he may have been a little embarrassed, too. Still, despite that embarrassment, he knew everything was in good fun and without malice. When I think back to that day, the joking we shared at that table was is my most vivid memory. I suspect my friends would agree. I think that is why my cousin and his wife sat us all together that day. I think they wanted us to have as much fun as possible." +"My baby boy is seven months old today. I have been reflecting a lot on the day he was born recently. As expected, my life has changed almost completely. It's all been for the better of course but it's made me think about things and look at them with new eyes. My priorities in life have changed and I have spent many nights thinking about my relationship with my own parents and family. I want to change so many things and be the best I can be for my son. My family ties haven't been strong since I became an adult and my son has made me realize it's time to change that because before I know it my parents will be gone and he will be a grown man with his own children. I want to be the kind of parent that instills family values. I want him to know and be close with his grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and all extended family. I want to be the kind of parent he comes home to see every thanksgiving and Christmas. I want him to know I tried and became the best person I could be all for him. I'm working on it and I won't stop! I'm enjoying every moment and trying to live in that moment. He's crawling and babbling and eating real food and I'm basking in it as long as possible as I know it won't last forever. We are going to see my parents next weekend and I can't wait to start this tradition of being together and having regular family get togethers. Here's to a new me and a happy healthy baby!" +"It was about 5 months ago when I first got sick with my first cold of the season. I ended missing 2 days of work due to not feeling up to interacting with people. I remember thinking what a waste of my vacation days since I could not even do anything fun with my time off. Even though he wasn't home with me during the days I missed, my significant other played a key role in me getting better. He came right home after work and did not go out with friends or run any errands. He must have sensed my surprise since I kept asking him why he was so attentive. I was not expecting a response from him, but was surprised when he responded. He admitted to me that he felt a need to be more attentive and decided it was best if he was home to take care of me. It was a nice surprise to hear and made me feel even more at ease knowing he was doing it because he wanted to and not because he felt forced. The best part of the whole thing is when he made me soup and dinner. It was nice being taken care of for once and not being depended on to do everything. I think he also understood it as well. He commented to me afterward how much work it is to take care of others and how time consuming it can be. If anything I think it made him appreciate me more and also appreciate how being in a relationship is a two way road. Though it would have been nicer being taken care of on a normal day without being sick, I will take what I can get. If being sick was the catalyst for things getting better between me and him, then I am ok with that." +"It was about 5 months ago when I first got sick with my first cold of the season. I ended missing 2 days of work due to not feeling up to interacting with people. I remember thinking what a waste of my vacation days since I could not even do anything fun with my time off. Even though he wasn't home with me during the days I missed, my significant other played a key role in me getting better. He came right home after work and did not go out with friends or run any errands. He must have sensed my surprise since I kept asking him why he was so attentive. I was not expecting a response from him, but was surprised when he responded. He admitted to me that he felt a need to be more attentive and decided it was best if he was home to take care of me. It was a nice surprise to hear and made me feel even more at ease knowing he was doing it because he wanted to and not because he felt forced. The best part of the whole thing is when he made me soup and dinner. It was nice being taken care of for once and not being depended on to do everything. I think he also understood it as well. He commented to me afterward how much work it is to take care of others and how time consuming it can be. If anything I think it made him appreciate me more and also appreciate how being in a relationship is a two way road. Though it would have been nicer being taken care of on a normal day without being sick, I will take what I can get. If being sick was the catalyst for things getting better between me and him, then I am ok with that." +"It was wonderful to see Jen again. I was actually surprised to hear she was getting married. In school we all thought she would be the last person to settle down and start a family. The wedding ceremony was beautiful as was her dress. The reception was simple but nice. The best part of the day was being able to catch up with Jen and all my old friends from school. I was surprised Dan made it up from Texas he was as much fun as I remembered from my own wedding years age. Brian brought his daughter who has grown so much since the last time I saw her. I was sad to hear he was divorced, but also not suprised. He seemed happy though. I was great to be able to dance and have fun while hearing about what everyone was doing now. Some how Bob got talked into providing the music just like back in college. But as usual he was right on point and knew just the type of music to keep us dancing until late into the night. Beth caught the bouquet so hopefully this means we will all be getting together again soon for another wedding. I look forward to seeing everyone again soon." +"The event was my old college roommate's wedding. My roommate was marrying his girlfriend of 4 years. It was nice because I saw many friends from high school and college. We all got to catch up after not seeing each other for many months due to distance, work, etc. We had all enjoyed the food. There was lobster and Asian food. It was at a nice hotel lobby and I got to talk to a lot of old friends. I caught up with many people, drank with old friends, and celebrated the new life of my roommate. A memorable moment was when we were all dancing at the end. I don't normally dance but I didn't care. It didn't seem like anyone noticed how bad I dance either. We all had a good amount to drink and dancing was really fun and lighthearted. It was a great night. They are now expecting a child. It is crazy how fast time goes by." +"It was wonderful to see Jen again. I was actually surprised to hear she was getting married. In school we all thought she would be the last person to settle down and start a family. The wedding ceremony was beautiful as was her dress. The reception was simple but nice. The best part of the day was being able to catch up with Jen and all my old friends from school. I was surprised Dan made it up from Texas he was as much fun as I remembered from my own wedding years age. Brian brought his daughter who has grown so much since the last time I saw her. I was sad to hear he was divorced, but also not suprised. He seemed happy though. I was great to be able to dance and have fun while hearing about what everyone was doing now. Some how Bob got talked into providing the music just like back in college. But as usual he was right on point and knew just the type of music to keep us dancing until late into the night. Beth caught the bouquet so hopefully this means we will all be getting together again soon for another wedding. I look forward to seeing everyone again soon." +"Three months ago I made the hardest decision of my life. I had been working at Fairfield Properties for 12 years. I started there right out of college. I had made strong friendships with many of my coworkers. I was happy there, I was safe there. I had a great deal of job security. I was making decent money for the job I was doing. The only thing was that I wanted more. I wanted power, I wanted responsibility, I needed more. Fairfield properties couldn't offer that to me no matter how hard I worked. There was absolutely no room for advancement in that company. I had to make a really tough decision. Should I quit my safe and comfortable job and take the chance of finding a new job that I hated? Ultimately I decided I had no choice but to try and find something better. I was so scared, but I started a new job at a new company. Now, 2 months later, I can say it was the best thing I ever did. I love the new job. I have responsibility. I have the possibility of making more. I am so happy!" +"Three months ago I made the hardest decision of my life. I had been working at Fairfield Properties for 12 years. I started there right out of college. I had made strong friendships with many of my coworkers. I was happy there, I was safe there. I had a great deal of job security. I was making decent money for the job I was doing. The only thing was that I wanted more. I wanted power, I wanted responsibility, I needed more. Fairfield properties couldn't offer that to me no matter how hard I worked. There was absolutely no room for advancement in that company. I had to make a really tough decision. Should I quit my safe and comfortable job and take the chance of finding a new job that I hated? Ultimately I decided I had no choice but to try and find something better. I was so scared, but I started a new job at a new company. Now, 2 months later, I can say it was the best thing I ever did. I love the new job. I have responsibility. I have the possibility of making more. I am so happy!" +"Yeah I had a fear of roller coasters. I tagged along with a group of friends to Dorney Park. I was very reluctant but I went anyway. While there I avoided as much rides as I could but eventually my friends noticed and exposed me. I still resisted and went into defence mode until a close friend of mine gave me some words of encouragement that made me take the jump. I can't remember what they had said for some reason but I ended up enjoying myself a whole lot. Nothing can prepare you for the feeling you have when you're in a roller coaster. When you plunge down at high speeds, death almost feels inevitable. The force against your chest and the anxiety is so overwhelming. You have to go in with absolute faith in human machinery which is blind and foolish faith. Somehow the fear is what made the experience for me. After facing my fear and doing it anyway, I expected the worst. I think also looking around and seeing the looks on other people's faces made me feel better. Some were more scared than me it seemed and some were having an absolute blast. I chose to emulate the latter." +"Yeah I had a fear of roller coasters. I tagged along with a group of friends to Dorney Park. I was very reluctant but I went anyway. While there I avoided as much rides as I could but eventually my friends noticed and exposed me. I still resisted and went into defence mode until a close friend of mine gave me some words of encouragement that made me take the jump. I can't remember what they had said for some reason but I ended up enjoying myself a whole lot. Nothing can prepare you for the feeling you have when you're in a roller coaster. When you plunge down at high speeds, death almost feels inevitable. The force against your chest and the anxiety is so overwhelming. You have to go in with absolute faith in human machinery which is blind and foolish faith. Somehow the fear is what made the experience for me. After facing my fear and doing it anyway, I expected the worst. I think also looking around and seeing the looks on other people's faces made me feel better. Some were more scared than me it seemed and some were having an absolute blast. I chose to emulate the latter." +"Today was a busy day. I finished my last day at my dead-end job. It was a sense of relief to be able to quit a job that I hated so much. Now, I need to make sure I get my final pay before leaving. I'm not sure if I will get the bonus or not, but I am hopeful. There is still a lot needed to done at home. I still need to meet with the landlord to go over any possible damages. I also need to clean and sell some of my remaining items. I still haven't even started packing. That is the scariest part! I am relocating to halfway around the world and am not ready to move with all my stuff like this. However, work-wise I am really ready to go. I haven't felt this happy in months. I really didn't like this job and felt like I was pushing through most days or not. It is scary not knowing what my future will be since I don't have a job lined up. However, I know I will be able to do this. It is a scary leap but it is better than staying here forever." +"Today I made the journey back to my home country of Poland. I have not been back since I graduated what seems like a lifetime ago. I grew up in this small town where everyone knew everyone and everything it seemed. I always adored the small town lifestyle, its not for everyone,but for me, it was heaven most of the time. It was an emotional event from the start, however I knew that going in. It was for my class reunion and I knew it would bring up a lot of old emotions and feelings. 8,000 miles was no small journey I can assure you. The most emotional part was meeting up Nicole's family. I dated her for several years before eventually drifting a part. I found out a few years ago that she had died in a car accident and I always felt her parents blamed me for not sticking with her because they knew I was one of the only positive influences she would listen to. They were very accepting and we ended up taking and sharing stories for hours. Turns out id was very therapeutic for all of us. As for the rest of my fellow classmates, we fell into our old routines and after a couple hours it was like we never left. Outside of a few extra pounds here and maybe a little less hair there, we were back! Outside of all the emotion of the trip, catching up with old friend and bringing up old memories or Nicole, it was one of the greatest moments of my life; so far!" +"Today I made the journey back to my home country of Poland. I have not been back since I graduated what seems like a lifetime ago. I grew up in this small town where everyone knew everyone and everything it seemed. I always adored the small town lifestyle, its not for everyone,but for me, it was heaven most of the time. It was an emotional event from the start, however I knew that going in. It was for my class reunion and I knew it would bring up a lot of old emotions and feelings. 8,000 miles was no small journey I can assure you. The most emotional part was meeting up Nicole's family. I dated her for several years before eventually drifting a part. I found out a few years ago that she had died in a car accident and I always felt her parents blamed me for not sticking with her because they knew I was one of the only positive influences she would listen to. They were very accepting and we ended up taking and sharing stories for hours. Turns out id was very therapeutic for all of us. As for the rest of my fellow classmates, we fell into our old routines and after a couple hours it was like we never left. Outside of a few extra pounds here and maybe a little less hair there, we were back! Outside of all the emotion of the trip, catching up with old friend and bringing up old memories or Nicole, it was one of the greatest moments of my life; so far!" +"During this trip to a wedding by boyfriend and I decided to take the road trip with his sister and her boyfriend. It was about a ten hour long car ride. My boyfriend and I are huge fans of road trips so a ten hour car ride is not that bad, or so we thought. His sister and her boyfriend seems like okay people to travel with, they were family so I was like why not. The first few hours were not to bad they were a little loud, almost like having children in the backseat. Then a couple more hours in to the trip their true colors started to show. They started to argue almost every second, which made the trip pretty miserable. They are also huge chain smokers so the ten hour trip gained a few hours due to the frequent stops and long stops for them to smoke their cigarettes. At every stop it would take them about thirty minutes to do their business. In the car it would just be moments of silence followed by yelling followed by making out. It was one of the most uncomfortable trips ever. At the wedding they got into more fights which only made the trip back home even worse. There was more fighting more yelling and due to their stress over arguing we needed to make more stops so that they could smoke even more. It was so uncomfortable, I could not even look to the back of the car because I did not want to see them either arguing with each other or making out. By the end of it I wanted to jump out of the car. Who knew that people in their twenty's could still act like teenagers." +"As I caught the flight to see my parents during a vacation while in school, I thought nervously about the day. It was my birthday. I thought to myself. My birthday would be a special on to spend with my whole relations and siblings. I didn't know anyone at the family house and I was worried. My only wish was to be happy at when I get there and have a memorable birthday,when I got to the airport I took an uber to take me to the house. Soon I arrived home, I looked around with no idea of where every one was .the front door was open . I didn't like it. I became anxious and worried. I went upstairs and I met my sisters son . she said they all stepped out so we familiarized and I enjoyed her company because she was very funny. I felt like an her playmate for years. I sat down and closed my eyes. I remembered my old school, my old friends, my teachers and we all played when I was much younger like her. Suddenly my sister her mom walked up to me and screamed happy birthday and at that moment every one came out of their hiding position and I was shocked because I never expected such surprise. It was the best birthday ever and I wish to have such birthday again soonest. Everyone presented lots of gift to me and i was so happy and perplexed on what to say because i was confounded with the best words to use and explain my feelings." +"There was a meeting at work today. I did not know what it was about, except that someone was getting a prize. We arrived at the meeting room and waited for our supervisor. He came in and said that someone did an excellent job recently and was getting a promotion. I was excited but did not want to show it. He called my name and I was smiling. Everyone clapped and congratulated me. I was in cloud nine. I did not know how to respond, but I thanked my boss and my coworkers. I also said that I tried my best and would continue to do so. In addition, I went to celebrate with my friends and family to a nice restaurant. We had some amazing food, and good drinks. The promotion came with a salary increase, and more responsibility. I wanted to keep a memory of that day, and I guess writing about it is the best next thing. I was so grateful and happy about that moment in my life." +"There was a meeting at work today. I did not know what it was about, except that someone was getting a prize. We arrived at the meeting room and waited for our supervisor. He came in and said that someone did an excellent job recently and was getting a promotion. I was excited but did not want to show it. He called my name and I was smiling. Everyone clapped and congratulated me. I was in cloud nine. I did not know how to respond, but I thanked my boss and my coworkers. I also said that I tried my best and would continue to do so. In addition, I went to celebrate with my friends and family to a nice restaurant. We had some amazing food, and good drinks. The promotion came with a salary increase, and more responsibility. I wanted to keep a memory of that day, and I guess writing about it is the best next thing. I was so grateful and happy about that moment in my life." +"This story goes back to a few years back, one week before thanksgiving. November 2015It was my first year of college and i had just left from a midterm and i was heading over to my boyfriends house to go grab food together. At the time i drove a small mitsubishi eclipse. As i drove i took a detour and drove through a neighborhood due to traffic issues. So anyway, as i drove down the street, the street got more and more narrow. Vehicles were parked on the curb on both sides facing the wrong direction. Anyway, i was driving down, and out of nowhere i see a child run out in front of my vehicle. Of course, this became the worst experience of my life. It all happened too quick and of course as soon as i saw him i stopped the vehicle, but it was too late and the eight year old child hit the front corner of my car. When i got off he was screaming in pain and of course i called 911 as soon as and so did neighbors that had seen what happened. The ambulance and police were there in no time and got the child to safety. While all this happened they took my licence and information and witness statements. The little boy i happened to hit also had four siblings and the police went to talk to them to warm them to not run out in front of the street like that. And although the accident was not preventable and not my fault, it was still a horrible feeling. I definitely don't recommend." +"Me and my fellow radiographer have been working together for the past 2 years and 9 months. During this period we both have developed good rapport between each other. We consult each other on reading the films. We also constantly took turns on maintenance schedule of the imaging machines. Sometimes, we used to be on different shifts. We always but managed to keep in touch. We always met in the cafetaria for a cup of coffee or an occasional snack . She called up one day and announced her pregnancy news to me. She and her better half took me for a dinner. We celebrated the new member of the family. one fine day, she called me when i was home. This was quite unsual. She went on to explain that she needs my help. I told her give me 30 minutes, i will be with you. She thanked me a lot. When I arrived she explained that a friend of her has been admitted. They both were close firends and she needed me to stay with her. She was so attached with this patient that she was not able to decide on the proper course of action." +"I was in a musical duo that had decided to part ways. We wanted to fulfill our obligations though, so we performed at a large outdoor festival. I had been wondering what I'd do with my time, and I was also concerned my partner would have some direction forward. We played, but I guess due to nerves we rushed through our set with time to spare. Someone in the crowd asked my partner to play one of her solo songs. I was so happy her own work was appreciated. I got off stage as she played. I got into conversation with some people who are in another local band I like. Without knowing the duo was splitting, they suggested I ""try out"" for them. Really, a formality. They wanted me in. It was pretty remarkable that in a matter of minutes, both her direction forward and mine were made clear. I was relieved. I was also excited we could part with no bad feelings. Once she got off stage, I told her what happened. She was happy for me. I was happy for her." +"I have been trying fo the last few years to adopt a child. About 2 months ago, i received a phone call that ther was a newborn whose mother was a teenager and did not want to keep the baby. The adoptive agent, Ms Reynolds, stated that my application met all the requirements. she specifically sought me out given that i am a pediatric ICU nurse. s Reynolds continue to state that the child was born prematurely at 29 weeks. the child's mother was a drug addict and the child may have been exposed to heroin. At first i was worried, since i was not sure if i wanted to have such responsibility. I told her that i would call her back. I spent the next day thinking about the decision to take the child or not. I then thought about my adoptive sister who was born disabled, whom my mother adopted and gave a better life. I thought about how much i loved my sister and would do anything for her. I called back Ms Reynolds and told her that I would take the newborn once she was out of ICU. Two weeks later i had a little bundle of joy in my arms. From the moment i first laid eyes on her, the water work broke and i couldn't stop crying. the next few days were very hard. Lizzy cried all the time. Eventually things improved. yes, it is still challenging. But i would do it all again." +"I have been trying fo the last few years to adopt a child. About 2 months ago, i received a phone call that ther was a newborn whose mother was a teenager and did not want to keep the baby. The adoptive agent, Ms Reynolds, stated that my application met all the requirements. she specifically sought me out given that i am a pediatric ICU nurse. s Reynolds continue to state that the child was born prematurely at 29 weeks. the child's mother was a drug addict and the child may have been exposed to heroin. At first i was worried, since i was not sure if i wanted to have such responsibility. I told her that i would call her back. I spent the next day thinking about the decision to take the child or not. I then thought about my adoptive sister who was born disabled, whom my mother adopted and gave a better life. I thought about how much i loved my sister and would do anything for her. I called back Ms Reynolds and told her that I would take the newborn once she was out of ICU. Two weeks later i had a little bundle of joy in my arms. From the moment i first laid eyes on her, the water work broke and i couldn't stop crying. the next few days were very hard. Lizzy cried all the time. Eventually things improved. yes, it is still challenging. But i would do it all again." +"One morning three months ago I was in a hurry and tripped on the steps while running to take a shower before work. I ended up fracturing 4 metatarsal bones that required two surgeries to fix. I was really having a hard time not being able to walk whenever I wanted to. I really had such a bad attitude at the beginning because I was so used to being independent. Now that I have recovered I have a new appreciation for my ability to walk. I feel like the whole time I couldn't walk I was thinking about how much I took that ability for granted. But now I choose to walk more than I ever had before. When I walk the dogs I go further out of my way just to enjoy the ability to do it. I am completely recovered and I am going to take this as a lesson learned. Nothing is more important that my personal health. I need to make sure that even if I am running late, I need to take my time and be careful. Instead f making it to work on time, I ended up missing weeks of work. Now all I do at work is try and catch up with everything I missed. It was really nice that people at work came and visited me at the hospital. I really appreciated all the flowers and candy and food that was delivered. I think that this showed me how loved I truly am." +"When we bought our house for the first time we felt like it was dream a come true. We definitely had our work cut out for us since we had to do a lot of work to our new house. The back yard was full of dirt and rocks and we it needed to be clean in order for our son to be able to play outside. We had always dreamed about having a backyard that my sin could play in, so our priority was to make sure the yard was in good condition for our son to play with. We were so excited to be home owners that wed did not mind working hard every day to make our house nice. My husband will get off work in the evenings and the three of us will go outside and work. It was very special to me to see my son working in the yard because it will be a nice memory for us to look back on. We also painted the inside of the house and especially my sons room. I am never going to forget the look on my sons face when he saw that we painted his room blue just like how he wanted. We all continue to work hard to fix our new house and make it a home. We still have a lot more to do and a lot to fix but we are already feel like its out home. We like to look at the pictures of when we first bought our home a few months ago and see how much it has improved in such a small time. We are happy to be making memories in our new home. And we are happy to continue to work hard to fixing our home. We are looking forward to more memories and looking back at old." +"When we bought our house for the first time we felt like it was dream a come true. We definitely had our work cut out for us since we had to do a lot of work to our new house. The back yard was full of dirt and rocks and we it needed to be clean in order for our son to be able to play outside. We had always dreamed about having a backyard that my sin could play in, so our priority was to make sure the yard was in good condition for our son to play with. We were so excited to be home owners that wed did not mind working hard every day to make our house nice. My husband will get off work in the evenings and the three of us will go outside and work. It was very special to me to see my son working in the yard because it will be a nice memory for us to look back on. We also painted the inside of the house and especially my sons room. I am never going to forget the look on my sons face when he saw that we painted his room blue just like how he wanted. We all continue to work hard to fix our new house and make it a home. We still have a lot more to do and a lot to fix but we are already feel like its out home. We like to look at the pictures of when we first bought our home a few months ago and see how much it has improved in such a small time. We are happy to be making memories in our new home. And we are happy to continue to work hard to fixing our home. We are looking forward to more memories and looking back at old." +"When I started labor, my husband took me to the hospital. After a quick examination, the doctors told me that I wasn't dilated enough. We go downstairs and leave. The cramps were very painful and I spend the next few hours at home, laying on the floor. Around midnight, I can't take it anymore. The cramps were literally making me crying out loud. I woke my husband and went back to the hospital. They thankfully admitted me. I was put in a very nice room. It was large with a single bed, a couple of armchairs, my on bathroom, a counter top, and an entertainment stand with an older television set on it. I initially wanted to go through labor naturally, but after several hours of excruciating pain with the cramps becoming more and more frequent, I finally relented and got an epidural. The relief was divine. I couldn't feel anything. I was able to nap between the many checkups. The nurses and doctors were very nice and made sure I was comfortable. My labor was very long and my main doctor mentioned having to induce labor. Around 7pm on the 21st of September, my doctor decided that I was dilated enough. He had broken my water some hours prior and was now telling me to push. A few pushes in, he asked me if I wanted to feel his head. It was soft and covered in hair. Some more pushing and out popped my son. I was given the baby and I immediately started crying from joy." +"Six months ago, I found out that I was pregnant! I'm married, and have been for three years. Before I got pregnant, we like to hang out with friends, drink, and smoke weed. Neither one of us had a great childhood. Both of us had alcoholic stepdads and mom's that let them mistreat us. When I found out that I was pregnant, we both new that we wanted a better family life for our child than what we had. We stopped drinking and smoking weed, and focused on spending quality time together and time with family and friends doing non-party things. My husband got a great job as an electrician. We had started to get the nursery ready, but we didn't know yet if the baby was a boy or a girl. We got some gender neutral things, and decided to wait to buy more until after the ultrasound. Well, I guess that we could have went ahead and bought either because we found out at the ultrasound that we are having twins, a boy and a girl. We are both so excited for this opportunity! We are both only children, so this is something neither one of us have experience with. We are looking forward to the challenge! We are both happy that our lives have changed in such an amazing way!" +"About 2 months ago I went bejing, china. The time went was it was my 2nd time ever after living in the united states for over 10 years. I really enjoy living in the united states but china is my home. when I was back in america everything was going fine. I visisted almost every memorable place in the americas. I wanted to explore a little bit more so I thought it would be perfect to be in china. I was super excited once I decided to go. without thinking i'd be alone traveling there I knew once in china I had people to see. I didn't go alone however. I was able to go there with my sister. Along with my other family members. It was great for everyone to get a chance to visist. we went to some of the most memorable places when were there. Some places like the Tiananmen square, and the forbidden city. we also got a chance to visit the great wall of china." +"Where to begin? It's been a while since I wrote here but I've been so busy! Last month I reconnected with my old bandmates! It was pretty awesome to see them again, we decided to get the band back together. We went on a trip to Bogota Columbia. While we were there we were able to hook up with some old friends, it was great getting to spend some time getting to know them again. We even made some new friends while we were there. Also, we played a great show there! It was so cool spending time performing with them in front of a live audience. Can't wait to do it again! We made a recording, I sure hope we can sell copies. I'm so glad that we all agreed to do this. It's definitely an experience I will never forget. I hope we keep at it and stay in touch with everyone we hooked up with during our trip. I can't wait to see where this goes!" +"Where to begin? It's been a while since I wrote here but I've been so busy! Last month I reconnected with my old bandmates! It was pretty awesome to see them again, we decided to get the band back together. We went on a trip to Bogota Columbia. While we were there we were able to hook up with some old friends, it was great getting to spend some time getting to know them again. We even made some new friends while we were there. Also, we played a great show there! It was so cool spending time performing with them in front of a live audience. Can't wait to do it again! We made a recording, I sure hope we can sell copies. I'm so glad that we all agreed to do this. It's definitely an experience I will never forget. I hope we keep at it and stay in touch with everyone we hooked up with during our trip. I can't wait to see where this goes!" +My entry was about the time I took my daughters and wife to six flags magic mountain in california. We had a week and drove down to the amusement park to have fun for the week. My youngest daughter was so excited to get to the park. She loved the hanna barbara characters as well as the dc superheros which was my personal favorite. The roller coasters were amazing batman the ride and goliath were two of the girls favorite. While my wife enjoyed the shops with t shirts and the cafes were super amazing. The food was great and at somewhat reasonable prices. The weather was spot on not to cold not to hot in the mid 70's and sunny. I really enjoyed seeing the girls interact with the people and other kids. We went to the water park as well were dc characters swam with the kids. The prices for the tickets werent bad at all. I really enjoyed my time at the park. I would go again at anytime. It was one of our most memorable trips we have had. I have som many memories from our trip. The smiles on the kids faces. And the feeling of fun and excitement we had. +"My trip to Six Flags on my vacation to sunny southern California was a great experience. Myself and my wife and kids flew out there to visit some family and we decided to visit the amusement park as a little perk while we were in the area. First off the scenery in California and especially that area is beautiful. The mountains the beaches its just the best. So I have two daughters 12 and 15 at the time and their phones are usually the only thing they respond to, but on this trip we took on every roller coaster out there. The batman and superman rides were so fast and high speeds at breakneck speeds. The hall of justice which is an interactive 3d simulation of the justice league was amazing. The hills of the park if you are walking were really steep and my wife once said Damn are we walking to Everest lol. So we finally hit our destination...Goliath a huge roller coaster the biggest in the park. My youngest daughter who previously had rode everyone of the coaster comes up beside me and says Daddy NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO DO IT in her hip hop voice lol which was one of the funniest things on the trip. So she finally decided to give it a whirl and she enjoyed it. All and all I would have to say its one of the best trips we have been on as a family. I really enjoyed myself and I think my wife and kids did to. So if anyone is ever in that area to see six flags magic mountain. I suggest you see it. Its really an awesome experience for the young and old" +"I went down to visit my daughter. She lived roughly an hour away but she was my daughter, I loved spending time with her. The neighborhood was having an outdoor concert for some local groups and I thought it would be fun to spend time with her. Bonding. At that moment I heard someone call my name, I found it odd since most people don't remember me. I awkwardly played along in the conversation. Slowly, I was reminded of who he was in relation to me, even if I didn't pick it up fully. We went to high school together. He was in my circle of friends, we weren't really popular or unpopular. Just present. I seemed to be the defacto leader due to being the most outspoken of the group. It was actually nice speaking to him and we caught up on the things that have happened to use and the group in general over the years. We decided to exchange numbers. Hearing about the different paths our lives had taken was very interesting. I was glad I had my daughter though." +"My best friend named rob got married. He was a super cool guy and we were friends all of high school. He made me his best man. I was super nervous about this because I do not like speeches. I got a nice new suit for the wedding. He was getting married to his high school sweetheart. Her name was Rachel, and his was Dustin. His wedding was super fun. He was super happy and she was even more. I gave the speech it was awesome. I killed that shit cause that is how I do. We danced and got drunk all night. They got divorced like 3 months ago because life is shit. This is the great twist. Was that not fun?" +"My roommate and I have been roommates for the past two years. For the most part, we see eye to eye on many things. However, we got into an small argument last week about something small. It was our first ever type of interaction that could be construed as an argument. Her side of view is very valid, as is mine, but is vastly different in approach. As a result, we decided to talk things out. She wasn't mad. I wasn't mad. We were both very passionate about our positions on the matter. As we talked it out, she told me that his personal experiences shaped her side of view. This was irony at its finest. My point of view was shaped by my personal experiences. As a result, we talked about our personal experiences and realized that we both are really in the same boat, but through different circumstances. It really helped to talk things out. It made me feel that our friendship became stronger as a result." +"It still feels surreal. I recently got married to the love of my life. The planning might not have gone very smoothly but we both agreed on one thing - we wanted a small, intimate wedding. We decided that 50 guests is ideal for the wedding we both envisioned. The challenging part is choosing who among our family and friends are included in that list. That list is pretty tight! Well, we first made our own list. We decided that each of us get to choose 25 people each to include in the list. After that, we both discussed if we're okay with it. It was a very long discussion for such a short list. It was of course because of the fact that certain people might feel left out if we didn't invite them. However, that was how we wanted it so that's how it was going to be. It is our wedding after all. Anyway, after the tedious decision on who are invited, everything else went smoothly. Even the weather was on our side during the wedding day. It was drizzling the day before and the sky looked a bit gloomy all week before our wedding day. The weather forecast even said that it is going to rain. However, on the day, the weather was on our side. We got married by the coast and the sky and ocean was very nice at that time. It was a very intimate, solemn and amazing celebration. A day we both surely will not forget." +"Today is the day we finally went to get our dog. We saw the pictures of her when she was just a little baby but we couldn't take her home yet since she was so small. She was such an adorable little yellow lab puppy. So anyway, it's been about four weeks since we saw her picture (even though she's eight weeks old today) so we headed out for the ride to get her. It was about an hour and a half drive to the farm that she was living on. When we pulled up, there was a huge fenced in area with a bunch of other dogs in it. They all looked so happy and ran to the edge of the fence to check us out. We hopped out and were greeted by Samantha and her husband Jim and they welcomed us inside. We chatted for a few minutes before following them out back to where the little puppies were. There, in a little pile, was our baby Gemma. She looked so happy and we picked her up and squeezed her and she wriggled around before hopping back down. We spoke to Jim and Samantha a bit longer before scooping our girl up again and getting her into the car. She was very brave for her first long car ride in her little car seat and when we got home, we let her free and she just seemed so happy, like she had been meant to be with us all along. Today has been one of the happiest days as of recent. I love Gemma so much and I think we're all going to be very happy together." +"Today is the day we finally went to get our dog. We saw the pictures of her when she was just a little baby but we couldn't take her home yet since she was so small. She was such an adorable little yellow lab puppy. So anyway, it's been about four weeks since we saw her picture (even though she's eight weeks old today) so we headed out for the ride to get her. It was about an hour and a half drive to the farm that she was living on. When we pulled up, there was a huge fenced in area with a bunch of other dogs in it. They all looked so happy and ran to the edge of the fence to check us out. We hopped out and were greeted by Samantha and her husband Jim and they welcomed us inside. We chatted for a few minutes before following them out back to where the little puppies were. There, in a little pile, was our baby Gemma. She looked so happy and we picked her up and squeezed her and she wriggled around before hopping back down. We spoke to Jim and Samantha a bit longer before scooping our girl up again and getting her into the car. She was very brave for her first long car ride in her little car seat and when we got home, we let her free and she just seemed so happy, like she had been meant to be with us all along. Today has been one of the happiest days as of recent. I love Gemma so much and I think we're all going to be very happy together." +"Three months ago, I went camping and kayaking down a river with the family. We got there and set up camp. We put up a blue tent. It was very tall. We soon got the kayak and went kayaking. We had a fun time for a little bit. In the middle of the kayaking, we tipped over. We almost drowned. We were lucky that some people were passing and saved us. We each gave each other a big hug. We decided to leave that place after that ordeal. We went home to lay in our beds. This was a taxing event for all of us. I hope we can all recover from this terrible near tragedy. I will definitely remember it as long as I live." +"Two months ago I did it; I accomplished one of the hardest things I've ever attempted in my life. Last year I volunteered helping out for the marathon that runs through our city. Watching those runners, I felt inspired. I listened to their stories, and saw the sheer joy on their faces, despite the times they came in or how much their body hurt after. I thought to myself, I want to experience this first hand. However, I knew I'd have a ton of training to do because I hadn't run long distance in twenty years. I trained all year, even through the blistering cold of winter. I was determined and it was extremely difficult to stick with it, but I did manage to get into good enough shape to enter and complete the marathon. I can't say how many times I thought about quitting while I was in the marathon because I lost count. I reminded myself that I had gone all year training and never quit. I reminded myself that I had already did a practice run and did fairly well, without quitting. I knew I had prepared, and hydrated and gave my body its needed nutrition and rest. I was prepared, and there was no need to quit. I reminded myself how great it would feel to cross that finish line. Much to my surprise and my delight, I came in eighth place." +"Two months ago I did it; I accomplished one of the hardest things I've ever attempted in my life. Last year I volunteered helping out for the marathon that runs through our city. Watching those runners, I felt inspired. I listened to their stories, and saw the sheer joy on their faces, despite the times they came in or how much their body hurt after. I thought to myself, I want to experience this first hand. However, I knew I'd have a ton of training to do because I hadn't run long distance in twenty years. I trained all year, even through the blistering cold of winter. I was determined and it was extremely difficult to stick with it, but I did manage to get into good enough shape to enter and complete the marathon. I can't say how many times I thought about quitting while I was in the marathon because I lost count. I reminded myself that I had gone all year training and never quit. I reminded myself that I had already did a practice run and did fairly well, without quitting. I knew I had prepared, and hydrated and gave my body its needed nutrition and rest. I was prepared, and there was no need to quit. I reminded myself how great it would feel to cross that finish line. Much to my surprise and my delight, I came in eighth place." +"Nearly 3 months ago I was a survivor of a mass shooting. I was inside an auditorium awaiting a summer fest concert. The auditorium was crowded, and my husband and I decided to grab some drinks because it was so hot. The first artist began their performance, and as my husband was paying for our drinks we heard loud pops, followed by screaming. The entire auditorium was frantically rushing to exits, people were dropping down to the ground, some people were trampled over. My husband yanked my arm, signaling to exit behind one of the vendor only access doors. Thankfully, an employee of the auditorium held the door over waved us over to flee. I never turned back because the screams were deafening and the sounds of gunfire rang in multiple places, so I knew there was more than one gunman. We quickly raced down a back hall and exited through a service door. The rush of fresh air whipped through my hair and I saw police vehicles approaching the building. We were flagged over by a police officer to run to an open field adjacent to the venue, and I balled like a baby. We waited for about 20 minutes in the field waiting for the shooters to be found. And then we were told the we could leave. Around 700 people were inside the auditorium, and only around 300 people were left standing in the field. The shooters were shot down by the police and later were found to be obsessed with mass shootings. That night, I survived a mass shooting, and hope to never encounter another one." +"Nearly 3 months ago I was a survivor of a mass shooting. I was inside an auditorium awaiting a summer fest concert. The auditorium was crowded, and my husband and I decided to grab some drinks because it was so hot. The first artist began their performance, and as my husband was paying for our drinks we heard loud pops, followed by screaming. The entire auditorium was frantically rushing to exits, people were dropping down to the ground, some people were trampled over. My husband yanked my arm, signaling to exit behind one of the vendor only access doors. Thankfully, an employee of the auditorium held the door over waved us over to flee. I never turned back because the screams were deafening and the sounds of gunfire rang in multiple places, so I knew there was more than one gunman. We quickly raced down a back hall and exited through a service door. The rush of fresh air whipped through my hair and I saw police vehicles approaching the building. We were flagged over by a police officer to run to an open field adjacent to the venue, and I balled like a baby. We waited for about 20 minutes in the field waiting for the shooters to be found. And then we were told the we could leave. Around 700 people were inside the auditorium, and only around 300 people were left standing in the field. The shooters were shot down by the police and later were found to be obsessed with mass shootings. That night, I survived a mass shooting, and hope to never encounter another one." +"Here recently I have been feeling depressed and stuck in life. Not moving forward if anything moving backwards. I am a mother of three children ages seven, four, and three. My four year old has been diagnosed with autism. This was heart breaking for me. I had my suspicions, but i honestly didn't want to face it . What would this mean for him? What would this mean for me ? For my family? I started going through the possibilities and the anti-possibilities that would now be my future. My child may possibly never speak in conversations. He may never have friends. He may never move out on his own . My precious boy who is always happy and so very loving will now be looked at as a freak in society. All because of a diagnosis. Because of a disability in being social. Its enough to make my head spin. With all the new realizations comes some very real emotions. Depression seemed to take roots and flourish within me . Then a conversation with my husband helped me shed the diagnosis like a skin. He said,""What has changed? A diagnosis? That's it. He is still your baby boy, still your son. He still loves you just the same . And I can bet that you love him just the same if not more now. "" That is a conversation I will replay in my mind forever. My boy did not change and my love for him hasn't either. Being a mom is tough. Being a mom of a child with autism is even tougher." +"We met in a coffee shop. I was behind her in line. She had the most beautiful red hair flowing down her back. She was ordering a mocha latte, which happens to be my favorite. As she was turning around from the counter she bumped into me. She looked up at me and blushed. My heart burst. She had such an easy smile, and porcelain skin. She apologized and I said I would forgive her if she would just come join me with her latte. She agreed, and we had the most interesting conversation, which led to us making a date for dinner that same week. It became obviously that we were both very interested in the other and we have been inseparable since. Her spirit is a beautiful as she is on the outside. My family adores her and her family loves me as well. Even though it seems a bit rushed to most outsiders, we plan to be married in the spring. Sometimes you just know what's right by how it feels. We can't wait any longer to continue our lives together as husband and wife." +"We met in a coffee shop. I was behind her in line. She had the most beautiful red hair flowing down her back. She was ordering a mocha latte, which happens to be my favorite. As she was turning around from the counter she bumped into me. She looked up at me and blushed. My heart burst. She had such an easy smile, and porcelain skin. She apologized and I said I would forgive her if she would just come join me with her latte. She agreed, and we had the most interesting conversation, which led to us making a date for dinner that same week. It became obviously that we were both very interested in the other and we have been inseparable since. Her spirit is a beautiful as she is on the outside. My family adores her and her family loves me as well. Even though it seems a bit rushed to most outsiders, we plan to be married in the spring. Sometimes you just know what's right by how it feels. We can't wait any longer to continue our lives together as husband and wife." +"Seeing the Who with my father was a highly emotional experience and one of the greatest birthday gifts I've ever received. The Who are his favorite band of all time, and we have always communicated best through discussing our mutual love of music. Since my mother passed away two years ago, we talk almost every day. So when he said he wanted to fly me to Miami to see the Who, I was startled and excited. They weren't playing here in Phoenix, but I had always wanted to see them. Plane tickets aren't cheap, and let's just say that he got us such good seats that the tickets were more expensive than the flight! My mother had been a fan of the Who, as well, but she and I only attended one concert together. That had not been a good time, because I really hate Jimmy Buffett, and she was disappointed in his performance. We had always talked about going to see the Who or Bob Seger as a family, but it never happened. So, in a way, not only was I getting to bond with my father, but I also managed to find a way to honor plans my late mother and I had made. Watching the show was fine. They put on a great show. But, more importantly, my father and I had the fun of attending a concert together and sharing a special moment. He got to share his most beloved band and I got to see the glow on his face. That meant the world to me." +"My dog was my whole life. I loved that stupid animal. He would run and play and cuddle with me. I would feel like everything would be alright everytime I held him. Unfortunately, he passed away, and it destroyed me. To make matters worse, at the time, I did not have the money to dispose of his remains the way I wanted to. I could not afford a creamation, and that was sad and tragic for me. So, I turned to the Internet. Thankfully, I found the website GoFundMe. That allowed me to solicit donations toassist in my plight. It was uncertain how it would happen, but luckily enough people on the internet found my story. Because of those kind hearted people, I was able to have my dog cremated. His ashes sit on my mantle with a small thank you to GFM. I'll never forget how the internet came to gether and paid for this. It was a glorious day indeed." +"Last week, I was out doing my daily walk. I decided to go down a street I had never walked down before, just to give my route some variety. Three dogs came running from out of nowhere, snarling and growling like they wanted to eat me up. I tried to ignore them, kept my eyes forward, and walked faster, but they kept coming toward me. I tried yelling at them, but that didn't faze them either. Then I tried kind of stamping my foot while yelling. I'm sure I looked really silly, but I didn't want to stop! They looked really aggressive, and they were big dogs. I walked faster and started looking around to see if I could tell which house they came from. I was really hoping their owner would come out and call them off. Whenever I've encountered dogs before, they usually leave me alone when they realize I've passed their house and don't intend to hurt them. These dogs, however weren't backing off. I increased my pace again, but I could tell they were right behind me. I was starting to panic! I didn't really want to break into a run, because I figured that would just let the dogs know how afraid I was starting to feel, but I really didn't think I had much choice. So, I started to run. One of them nipped at the back of my leg, but he didn't really hurt me, thank goodness. I turned the corner at the end of the street and ran into a gas station that was there. Thankfully, the dogs quickly lost interest and went back toward the direction they had come from. The man working in the gas station said that he had seen those dogs before, and that someone really needed to get hold of them before they hurt somebody. I agree!" +"This event was a new patient doctor's appointment. I was expecting the worst but was pleasantly surprised by my experience! I walked into the office, already shaking. I was scared and armed with my folder of medical information. I have two rare conditions, EDS and Dysautonomia. I didn't think she would take me seriously. When she walked in, I was immediately put to ease. It felt like I had known her for a while. She had already gone through my medical information and told me that she believed me. She told me I had likely been mistreated and misdiagnosed before. She told me she wanted to help me and that we would make a plan together. My biggest surprise was that she believed me. I was ready to give up on the medical stuff. She doesn't know it but she saved me in a way. This meant the world to me. Since then I have been set up with multiple specialists who are actually interested in helping me, too. They believe me, too." +"It's been a really tough past few years, specifically with the pain I've had from these headaches. Every doctor gave me a different story. Well, I say 'every' but I know I've only been to two others, I guess I just started to feel like I wasn't getting anywhere. you go see a doctor and then get a prescription, take medications, give it a try and hope things work out. There's no guarantees. And honestly, it just started to feel like it was about being boxed into any kind of box that allowed them prescribed medication they were enticed to sell. Anyway, meeting her was awesome, immediately we got down to the facts, I have these headaches. They come and are debilitating, but migraine medication doesn't work. It starts out in my neck, goes into my head and just sits there for days on end. She asked about how I spent my days, how I spend a lot of time working at the computer. She asked about my eyes, wearing glasses, all of that. She just seemed to know exactly how to get where she was going. And I even admitted to her how I just didn't believe anything would work out. She pulled up some information on the computer and explained how my headaches were probably related to my eyes. And that back pain was causing neck pain and so on. I couldn't believe what she knew about this given she was a general practitioner not a specialist. Just like that, she said it wasn't migraines and previous treatments were all wrong, and missteps for my treatment. So fast forward a couple weeks, a visit to the optometrist and now I haven't had a headache or stuffy head or pain in my neck since these visits. I am so thrilled and happy. I called her office to say thanks and they took time to talk to me and see how I was doing. Just a great experience all in all. So yeah, I am thrilled." +So I went to Busch gardens a few weeks ago in Tampa Bay. I mainly wanted to see the animals at the zoo. I got to see all types of animals such as crocodiles as well as cheetahs. I went on the cheetah run ride which was really fun. I also went on a bunch of roller coasters which were fun as well. But the main thing I wanted to do was go on the safari! On the safari you get an up close look at rhinos as well as ostriches and zebras and giraffes! And on top of that you get to feed the giraffes! We went out on a jeep and the giraffes all came over! They very huge and very hungry. We had lettuce and we got to feed the giraffes and just hang out with them for awhile it was great! It was the highlight of the trip for sure! After that I got some pizza at the restaurant over looking the safari. I relaxed a bit by the pool before heading home. It was a great day! +"Ordinarily, I'm not a fan of watching animals. But since my boyfriend suggested that we go to Busch Gardens for a safari, things have really changed. It's hard to imagine how that moment of magic could change my entire perspective of watching animals. I used to fear going close to animals, but not only did I get close to giraffes on that safari, but I also fed them. I just couldn't believe how wonderful that experience turned out to be. In the subsequent days, I've continued remembering that experience. It's like those giraffes depend on me to be comfortable. I would really love to go back. I just can't sit on these memories without reliving them again. I look forward to the day when I will see and feed my beloved giraffes. The good thing is that my boyfriend is an outgoing person. He loves to go to watch animals, and I think he just got himself a good companion. Come this weekend, I will be the first one to propose going to watch animals. I intend to carry goodies to my hosts. I believe when they see me they will be happy. And I will be happy to serve them" +"Well it happened a little over 8 months ago... I think. I was working as the manager of a small university gym. I had some other duties as well but that was a main one. My boss, who had always liked me in the past, called me to tell me she wanted to interview this new girl. I was confused. We didn't need a new girl. I had arranged with one of my employees to continue her temporary employment through the summer and beyond. I communicated this to my boss. She did not care. She wanted to proceed with the interview. So the girl comes in.. it is obviously just a formality. I think she even had the answers to the questions beforehand. Anyway, the girl gets hired against my will. I am told to let my original worker go, which I did. OK, whatever. Then a few weeks later, my boss is coming at me more and more with just the littlest stuff that doesn't matter in the least. Stuff she had used to overlook. But now, it was all a problem. She starts writing me up for things she never would have in the previous few years I had worked there. Until one day, she also sent it to Human Resources recommending my termination. HR clearly didn't agree with the decision but just did their part in the matter since it wasn't technically their decision. Then I find out a couple of weeks later my job was given to the new part time girl she made me hire, her friend. Unbelievable." +"Well it happened a little over 8 months ago... I think. I was working as the manager of a small university gym. I had some other duties as well but that was a main one. My boss, who had always liked me in the past, called me to tell me she wanted to interview this new girl. I was confused. We didn't need a new girl. I had arranged with one of my employees to continue her temporary employment through the summer and beyond. I communicated this to my boss. She did not care. She wanted to proceed with the interview. So the girl comes in.. it is obviously just a formality. I think she even had the answers to the questions beforehand. Anyway, the girl gets hired against my will. I am told to let my original worker go, which I did. OK, whatever. Then a few weeks later, my boss is coming at me more and more with just the littlest stuff that doesn't matter in the least. Stuff she had used to overlook. But now, it was all a problem. She starts writing me up for things she never would have in the previous few years I had worked there. Until one day, she also sent it to Human Resources recommending my termination. HR clearly didn't agree with the decision but just did their part in the matter since it wasn't technically their decision. Then I find out a couple of weeks later my job was given to the new part time girl she made me hire, her friend. Unbelievable." +"It's actually very interesting and funny that I happenned to run into that high school friend that I have not seen in quite a while, reason being I had no intention of going to that mall on that particular day. I was just going to stay at home and relax on that day. Luckily I had a change of mind and basically force myself to go to the mall and buy an item of clothing that I really wanted. I actually was in the mall for couple minutes looking for a nice leather shoe to buy. I had formal event to attend in a couple days so I really wanted that shoe. As I went from one store to the next. I saw my high school friend a couple steps in front of my. I honestly did realize at first but I was thinking this person seems familiar. i realize that I recognize the person. I kept thinking where do I know that person from. I then realize that the person was a friend from high school. I smile and my friend smile back. Thinking about it now, I am guessing that my friend went through a similar thought process that I went through. We greeted each other with a smile and a hug. We talked and laugh. We talk about our time back in high and what going on in our current life. We then exchange numbers and went our separate ways." +"About a month ago I was sitting at work and doing my usual thing. It was a completely ordinary day like any other. Then, out of nowhere, I get a text from someone who I had been good friends with in high school. It was completely out of nowhere, and was spurned by them thinking they saw my brother out and about earlier in the day and they wanted to tell me about the encounter. I had not thought about this friend in a long time since we had gone our separate ways once we were in college. It’s not that we were not good friends and I didn’t like her, we had just fallen out of touch over time. This text led to a pretty long conversation over text about what we had been up to in life, where we had been, what we’re doing. We were catching up and it felt like no time had passed since we last spoke. It was great to get back into the swing of talking to her again so easily. This conversation led to another, which led to another, which led to us making plans to meet for beers, which led to us now talking to each other pretty regularly and seeing each other a couple of times a week. Since we became so close so fast, I am starting to wonder what life would have been like if we had never stopped talking and being friends in the first place. Or maybe this falling out of touch let us grow as people and we were destined to be in each other’s lives now instead of an ongoing thing. We’ve grown a lot as people over time and now we are much more compatible than we used to be. I actually kind of like her, and I’m starting to think she may feel the same way about me. I am pretty delighted she decided to randomly text me that day out of the blue. I can’t wait to see where this goes." +"Three months ago my mom finally got back to me after years of trying to contact her. I haven't talked to her in over 5 years now. I was so excited to finally tell her that we had a baby boy and that she was a grandma. She sounded so happy for us. We got to talking about what has happened these past five years. I told her about getting married and my wife getting pregnant. How we moved to a different state and how we had our first son. She had been embarrassed to return my many calls. She had quit drinking 10 years ago but she hit some hard times and started up again. It got so bad for her that she had to go to rehab to quit. I had a bit of a rocky upbringing because of her problems and she didn't want to burden me with them again. I guess I won't be able to trust her alone with my kids anytime soon because she obviously cannot control her problems. I still plan on being there for her and doing whatever I can to help her get better again. I guess she probably doesn't know that dad died either, she hadn't talked to him in a very long time. I probably should tell her about it though maybe I'll wait until things are in a better place with her." +"Three months ago my mom finally got back to me after years of trying to contact her. I haven't talked to her in over 5 years now. I was so excited to finally tell her that we had a baby boy and that she was a grandma. She sounded so happy for us. We got to talking about what has happened these past five years. I told her about getting married and my wife getting pregnant. How we moved to a different state and how we had our first son. She had been embarrassed to return my many calls. She had quit drinking 10 years ago but she hit some hard times and started up again. It got so bad for her that she had to go to rehab to quit. I had a bit of a rocky upbringing because of her problems and she didn't want to burden me with them again. I guess I won't be able to trust her alone with my kids anytime soon because she obviously cannot control her problems. I still plan on being there for her and doing whatever I can to help her get better again. I guess she probably doesn't know that dad died either, she hadn't talked to him in a very long time. I probably should tell her about it though maybe I'll wait until things are in a better place with her." +"You know how we were going through changes at work? We did end up with that new boss that people said was coming. He seems like a nice guy, but man if he tough on people. He's going around changing things and people don't like that. I get it, after working there so long and being used to one way of doing things it is hard to do them another way. I'm someone who really likes a challenge and learning new ways of doing things so I was happy to learn something new. As soon as I could, I went to the new boss and introduced myself. I listened to his ideas and helped make sense of them with other people. I took the extra steps needed to get through to people on the new changes. I honestly thought a lot of the changes were good ideas. Not everyone did, sadly. A few days later, the boss came over to me and told me that I was really helping him out and he appreciated that. Then asked if I had ever thought about being a lead in a company. I was honest and told him that I never thought that kind of opportunity would come to someone like me. He told me that I was a good hand and I deserved to be a lead. The next few days, I got called into his office a lot and talked to about what it takes to be a lead. I ended up taking that spot and got a really nice bonus out of it as well!" +"I would like to share one of my life event which was most important and evergreen moment in my life. From my young age I always dreamed of to become an athlete especially in field games like 100 meter dash and Long jump. I tried most of my young period to get train and to choose my best coach for motivating me and showing me or guiding me towards my goal. I worked hard to get to know the information in this field and also the need of hard work. Then with the help of my parents and personal friend, I found a person who helps me or guides me to reach my passion. He helped me in lot ways and directed me in many ways to one sharp goal of my life. I just followed his words and I believed on his words. In the field of sports, Trusting the coach is the most fundamental thing. By doing so, I was able to reach my goal so easily. I achieved many things in my passion. I won the championship awards for both 100 meter and Long jump events. I was so happy and meaningful that time. My parents were happy and felt so proud. Now, I am doing my free time guiding other young aspiring children who wanted to be athletes. Am feeling so happy and satisfied at the time of being with those children." +"Recently I went on a trip with some friends to Wilmington, an area in NC near a beach. I spent my first weekend away since giving birth to my son and I really needed it. He is 18 months and was with my boyfriend, his father the whole weekend. When I came back Sunday afternoon, I saw that my son's toe was really red. I was worried about it and he kept pointing to it, even though he could not talk, I could tell it was bothering him. We called the doctor on the video call to try and see if they would give us some advice and ultimately we had to go into urgent care. We only had 20 minutes before the urgent care would stop taking patients so by that time I rushed over and got him checked in. I was so worried it would be something bad. Since it was his big toe, worst case scenario, he would lose it and never be able to walk right again. Turns out it was just cellulitis which is an infection but nothing severe. We were given antibiotics for my little man and went on our way. A few days later our son wakes up from his nap with a hot of red bumps and spots all over his body. We rush to the doctor because we are so worried about what it might be, bug bites, measels, etc. But we find out it was just a delayed reaction to the antibiotics. I am personally allergic to penicillin and turns out my son was allergic as well and I didn't realize amoxicillin was a type of penicillin. We stopped the antibiotics because he was all better anyway and gave him an antihistimine and now he is 100% better now" +"My son was in the yard and he happened to hurt his arm really bad while diving to catch a ball. I had to rush him to urgent care, so they could take x-rays, as his arm started to swell. Unfortunately it turned out to be broken, so the doctor put a cast on it. Then, something else happened. When we went to leave the parking garage of the hospital, the car wouldn't start. I had to call a tow truck to take us home. What crazy day it was. The tow truck came quickly thankfully. The driver looked at some basic things to see what it could be, but couldn't really guess what the problem was. They hitched the car to the truck and we sat upfront in the tow truck as he drove us to a repair station. We dropped the car at the station, and the tow truck driver gave us a ride home. I was totally starting to worry though. I now knew there was a medical bill coming, and on top of that I now had a repair bill for my car that would be coming soon, and I had no real idea of how much that would turn out to be. I guess that is how it goes sometimes. Bad things tend to happen all at once. I can't wait until this month is over." +"I recently had to put my dog down. I've had her roughly for 14 years and one day she had gotten very sick. Over the course of a week her health deteriorated and the vet was unable to do anything for her. She was the first dog I ever owned. I fed her the snacks and treats she loved to eat until she was unable to eat anymore. Eventually she could barely walk as well. Finally I realized I had no choice but to take her to the vet one last time. So i picked her up, wrapped her in a blanket and carried her into my SUV. Normally she loved to stick her head out the window and watch everything and everyone as she rode in the vehicle but not that day. She could barely keep her head up. Once we got to the vet I checked her in and chose the box they would put her cremated ashes into. Then I carried her inside and placed her on the vets table once we were called in. I stood there holding her until the vet came in to see us. I turned into a mess standing there knowing what was coming next. After it was done the most memorable thing about the whole ordeal was how quiet it was as I stood there alone in that room after the vet left. I stood there for 10 minutes until I could put myself together and finally left the vet's office." +"We recently attended the funeral of one of my co-workers. After some very unexpected health problems he passed away. Still a young man with a young family, very sad and tragic. Just a year prior he was healthy and working with a bright future. The family didn't have any church ties to speak of so his wife and family decided to have a memorial service instead of a traditional church service. Notice was given to all who knew him to come to an informal gathering where he would be remembered. His favorite sports team was the Tampa Bay Buc's and it was suggested, not required, that those who wanted to could wear their jerseys to the memorial service. Probably close to two hundred friends, family and co-workers showed up at various times to show support to his wife and celebrate his shorter than expected life. There were many in attendance wearing his favorite teams jersey though not all. They all mingled together talking about the shortness of his life and shock of being loss so young. There were tears and laughter of times when he had been and encouragement to different attendees he had worked with. It was a gloomy day, cloudy day outside with rain on an off. However, the crowd inside didn't match the outside gloom as though sad, they were celebratory and thankful for having known him as friend. We meet many we hadn't seen in sometime and all we happy to see us though not under the circumstances we came for. A speaker toward the end told of the young man's life while a video played in the background showing him in happier times. When he had finished we went forward and gave his wife a hug and expressed our shock and surprise at his death. We've seen her and the kids once since his passing and they are getting along. They miss him of course but it's one of those things in life that we encounter sometimes. Unexpected bumps in the road that you have to deal with and move on. He'll forever be in our thoughts and remind us to be thankful for those in our lives that our still with us. Good reminder to spend time with our love ones and acknowledge them while they are here. You never know when life will throw one of those bumps in your path." +"A couple of weeks ago, there was a rumor that my co-worker, John had passed away. He was so very liked by many people. His down to earth and jovial personality will certainly be missed. The rumor was confirmed to us by his wife and family and everyone at worked was sad to hear the news. We did get together and reminisce about all the good time we had together; including giving him grief about his beloved sports team. We got news of the funeral. It was not too surprising to hear that the funeral will be informal. In fact, we heard that we would be encourage to wear jerseys of his favorite sports team. This took some of us by surprise. We wanted to show a formal amount of respect. But I guess this is the way he wanted it. It was nice to see everyone show up wearing sport jersey. Not everyone joined in on the informal attire. I think they felt uncomfortably overdressed. Ha ha ha, John was probably laughing in the casket! The ceremony was nice. We all paid our respects during the ceremony and at the grave site. Afterwards we were all invited to a reception at a local sports bar. Here, we all told our stories of John and the experiences we had with him. Although there was much laughter, there was also some somber moments. I for one will remember all the good times I had with John. I will miss him dearly. The following week at work, a number of us talked about Johns service. We filled in some people who were unable to attend. Our management decided to have one day a month where we could wear our sports jerseys." +"In 2017, following my separation and subsequent divorce of my husband of 5 years, I got involved in an improv comedy group, rehearsing and performing at least twice a month. Improv was always something I felt passionate about from a young age and wanted to be involved in but geographically there was no group or avenue to show that. Now, in a new city with new people, I was able to build relationships in the improve community and then merge that with the stand-up comedy group that consists of some of the greatest comedic minds and friends I’ve met to date. I started writing my own stand-up shortly after getting involved with the standup group and after a few months of writing, I performed my first set at a brewery in front of about 30-40 strangers. The event was set up as a pretty structured open mic night that I’d signed up for earlier in the week. There were 13 other comedians performing that night, with varying levels of experience but all more seasoned than I would have considered myself to be. The host of the night announced before the first comic went on that tonight would be arranged a little differently. Tonight there would be a cash prize for the audience’s favorite comic. This definitely made me feel more nervous as I felt like all the other comics would really up their game. I was shaky and unsure of myself but when the host called my name to go on, my worry washed away. I simply stood up and performed what I’d written and worked so hard on presenting. I believed in what I did and I was proud no matter the outcome. I even did some crowdwork and I made the audience laugh on several occasions. After the performance was over, the audience clapped and cheered as the host held his hand over each individual comedian, signaling how much they liked each person’s material and presentation. When his hand got to me, the cheering and yelling seemed to blast so loudly that this sensational wave of adrenaline and excitement went over me. I hadn’t expected to win or even to do really well, but just to pursue something I’d wanted to do for a long time and I wanted to share my material that I believed in. I was awarded the cash prize and several other comics and audience members approached me after the show and asked me to be on their podcasts, perform at other shows/spaces, and what my writing process was. I was so honored and the feeling of adrenaline kept me up almost all night long. I still have the cash I won from that night in a box in my room at home as it serves as a reminder not only of what I won, but what I gained as a person that night in esteem, in hope, and in faith that I can be me again." +"In 2017, following my separation and subsequent divorce of my husband of 5 years, I got involved in an improv comedy group, rehearsing and performing at least twice a month. Improv was always something I felt passionate about from a young age and wanted to be involved in but geographically there was no group or avenue to show that. Now, in a new city with new people, I was able to build relationships in the improve community and then merge that with the stand-up comedy group that consists of some of the greatest comedic minds and friends I’ve met to date. I started writing my own stand-up shortly after getting involved with the standup group and after a few months of writing, I performed my first set at a brewery in front of about 30-40 strangers. The event was set up as a pretty structured open mic night that I’d signed up for earlier in the week. There were 13 other comedians performing that night, with varying levels of experience but all more seasoned than I would have considered myself to be. The host of the night announced before the first comic went on that tonight would be arranged a little differently. Tonight there would be a cash prize for the audience’s favorite comic. This definitely made me feel more nervous as I felt like all the other comics would really up their game. I was shaky and unsure of myself but when the host called my name to go on, my worry washed away. I simply stood up and performed what I’d written and worked so hard on presenting. I believed in what I did and I was proud no matter the outcome. I even did some crowdwork and I made the audience laugh on several occasions. After the performance was over, the audience clapped and cheered as the host held his hand over each individual comedian, signaling how much they liked each person’s material and presentation. When his hand got to me, the cheering and yelling seemed to blast so loudly that this sensational wave of adrenaline and excitement went over me. I hadn’t expected to win or even to do really well, but just to pursue something I’d wanted to do for a long time and I wanted to share my material that I believed in. I was awarded the cash prize and several other comics and audience members approached me after the show and asked me to be on their podcasts, perform at other shows/spaces, and what my writing process was. I was so honored and the feeling of adrenaline kept me up almost all night long. I still have the cash I won from that night in a box in my room at home as it serves as a reminder not only of what I won, but what I gained as a person that night in esteem, in hope, and in faith that I can be me again." +"When I first met my ex, I was smitten by her. I thought she was the one when I first laid my eyes on her. After being in a relationship for years, I decided to propose and make her my wife. I thought it was going to be a happily ever after story; married young, have wonderful kids, house with a picket fence, be together until we're old as dirt. Everything was going right in my life. I felt like I was on top of the world. However, as time started to past, we started drifting apart and we started to truly dislike each other. Couldn't believe it, but we were no longer in love with each other. She claimed I wasn't home enough for her and the kids, I wasn't making enough money, and my ""sex game"" was poor. On top of that, I found flirty text messages of her communicating with some guy I never met. We ended up getting a divorce, but the divorce ended up being the worst thing I ever went through. Since I filed for the divorce, she made sure to make my world a living hell. I was at work, struggling to pay attention due to my stock positions being incredibly down in a long time, and this guy comes to my desk with a smile on his face. He served me papers, from my ex, that stated that she wanted full custody of the kids. I couldn't believe this woman. Since then, I started to fall into a depression. I haven't seen my kids in days, my job's numbers are poor, I needed a lawyer for the lawsuit, but I couldn't afford one at the time. My job just wasn't cutting it, due to the extraordinary bills I had. I needed to find another job as soon as possible, but time wasn't trying to be on my side. Nobody was giving me a chance, I was too overqualified. Suddenly, I was given an opportunity that came out of nowhere; one of my bosses quit. I was next in line for that position, which means instant promotion, instant bonus and instant opportunities. I was finally able to deal with this lawsuit. In the end, I won the lawsuit; we share custody, and she pays for my lawyer fees as well as hers. I never wanted it to be this way, but this lawsuit showed me that life is real and anything can knock you off your tracks easily." +"When I first met my ex, I was smitten by her. I thought she was the one when I first laid my eyes on her. After being in a relationship for years, I decided to propose and make her my wife. I thought it was going to be a happily ever after story; married young, have wonderful kids, house with a picket fence, be together until we're old as dirt. Everything was going right in my life. I felt like I was on top of the world. However, as time started to past, we started drifting apart and we started to truly dislike each other. Couldn't believe it, but we were no longer in love with each other. She claimed I wasn't home enough for her and the kids, I wasn't making enough money, and my ""sex game"" was poor. On top of that, I found flirty text messages of her communicating with some guy I never met. We ended up getting a divorce, but the divorce ended up being the worst thing I ever went through. Since I filed for the divorce, she made sure to make my world a living hell. I was at work, struggling to pay attention due to my stock positions being incredibly down in a long time, and this guy comes to my desk with a smile on his face. He served me papers, from my ex, that stated that she wanted full custody of the kids. I couldn't believe this woman. Since then, I started to fall into a depression. I haven't seen my kids in days, my job's numbers are poor, I needed a lawyer for the lawsuit, but I couldn't afford one at the time. My job just wasn't cutting it, due to the extraordinary bills I had. I needed to find another job as soon as possible, but time wasn't trying to be on my side. Nobody was giving me a chance, I was too overqualified. Suddenly, I was given an opportunity that came out of nowhere; one of my bosses quit. I was next in line for that position, which means instant promotion, instant bonus and instant opportunities. I was finally able to deal with this lawsuit. In the end, I won the lawsuit; we share custody, and she pays for my lawyer fees as well as hers. I never wanted it to be this way, but this lawsuit showed me that life is real and anything can knock you off your tracks easily." +"If you asked me a few years ago if I ever thought I would find the love of my life, I would have said no. That was, until I met Jessica about 2 years ago at a rock climbing gym. We really hit it off right away and it was like love at first sight. My life really changed for the better as I got to know her more and we became like partners in an adventure. A few months ago we decided to finally get married. We were trying to figure out what type of ceremony would be appropriate for the two of us. After some brief discussion, we realized that it wouldn't make sense to have a fancy ceremony since we were pretty simple people. Instead, we decided on a small, lighthearted ceremony that tried to emphasize the fun that we've had in our relationship. The actual wedding day was two weeks ago, and it was such a blast. We hired a few joke writers who made speeches that poked fun at various guests attending the ceremony, as well as myself and Jessica. It went better than expected, and their routines were really classy, but still amazingly funny at the time. We also made fools of ourselves by trying to dance even though we're both pretty clumsy. It was OK though, because it got a lot of laughs out of the attendees, which is the most important part. I will always cherish the memories that I have of that day. That day really symbolizes what kind of people Jessica and I are, and what type of relationship we hope to keep until death due us part." +"Dear diary,Today was Gabby's surgery. We drove up to the children's hospital and checked in at 7am - thank goodness our appointment was in the morning, otherwise I don't know how we would have kept her happy without eating! She wasn't even awake enough to realize she hadn't eaten since the night before. And by the time we got to the hospital, well there were things to see so that kept her distracted enough. We met up with the surgeon and went in the operating waiting room which is where things got iffy. First, Gabby realized this was a doctor's office, and she didn't like that. Doctors = shots. Then, they put her in the operating robe, which was cold. And then, she got bored with the few rattles and toys we brought. Eventually they took her for surgery and that's when she (and I!) broke down. She started screaming hysterically, and I couldn't stop myself from sobbing. She's just so tiny. Like, I know she in the 95th percentile for height within other one-year-olds but still that's tiny. Brandon took good care of me and we waited it out in the coffee shop. We eventually got a phone call that she was coming out. She made it out fine, but she was really miserable, and snuggled up with us in front of Teletubbies for the next 5+ hours? She's alright, that's all that matters. Glad we got that cyst out of her and glad we found out about it before it cause issues, but still intestine surgery is pretty major surgery for a toddler." +"I went back to the southwest to visit family for the first time in 10 years. I went with my mom, who had just finished up a year of chemo. She'd visited just the previous year, before getting sick. It was very strange for me seeing relatives after such a long time. Some I had never met, they were kids. It was very stressful dealing with my mom and my grandma at once. They're difficult personalities. I liked getting back in touch with cousins for the most part. One seemed to be avoiding us for some reason and I don't think it was ever sorted out. I'd been caring for my mom alone for the previous year and it took everything out of me. As a result the visit was paid for by relatives which I appreciated. But I really didn't think it made up for them leaving me hanging all that time. They've always been very well off and work in the medical field to boot. I haven't really had any contact with them since. 6 months later I'm still caring for my mom alone." +"In February I went home to Phoenix for the first time in 10 years. It was strange seeing everyone again. Some seemed much older, others just the same. I met some new younger relatives for the first time. I went with my mom, who was recovering from serious illness. I got to go on a small road trip and see some of the countryside that was new to me. It was a stressful time but I'm glad I went. I'd like to live out there again but it's just not feasible right now. My cousins seemed the same for the most part. I spent the most time with them. One cousin seemed to be avoiding me the whole time but she just had bad timing with her planning. My grandma was doing surprisingly well but her usual extremely difficult self, she has a severe personality disorder. My aunt and uncle I usually barely see a few hours every few years actually wanted to spend the most time with me, which was very surprising. I guess they realized I needed help with my mom since I've been her sole caretaker and the last year has been extremely stressful to the detriment of my own health. I'd had no help with her up to this point. I'm still resentful that they had to see with their own eyes how unwell she is for them to step up to the plate. They have so many more resources than I do." +"Went to the hospital for surgery on my cervical spine. They made the incision in the side of my neck and placed the necessary hardware to fuse together three vertebrae. While recovering from the surgery the next day something happened (I believe that a mistake was made and I was overdosed with medication) and I developed weakness on my right side. I was treated in the hospital for the sypmptoms and after four days and transferred to a rehab hospital to regain strength and stability. While in the rehab facility I developed a staph infection in the surgical incision which progressed into my blood stream and turned septic. This infection made me incredibly weak and delirious. I was transferred back to the hospital where my surgery was done and a second surgery was performed to clean the infection out of the incision and area of the surgery. I was placed on an antibiotic IV drip and transferred back to the rehab center. I was in the rehab center for another 3 weeks while recovering, and was finally released to go home. I still am recovering from the residual effects of the incident, and have pain and weakness in my leg. I think about the incident every time I stand up and feel the instablilty and pain in my leg. I have continued to see specialists for the infection and cervical surgery. I am told that I will be on antibiotics for at least a year. The spinal surgeon said that he has no idea why the infection developed, He says the reason I will have to remain on the antibiotics is that the infection could have contacted the hardware used to fuse my vertebrae. All in all I wish I had never had the surgery, and just lived with the pain." +"The surgery i had on my knee 5 months ago has created a lot more complications on my body since then. I was not moving a lot on the period of my rest which has led to weight gain. Earlier when doctor said the surgery was minor i agreed to do so. But now i have gained weight and my joints are paining on the operated knee. I went to doctor again regarding my pain on the operated knee for which he recommended a surgery again. After the recommendation i consulted a different doctor as i was not comfortable to do another surgery. But both the doctors recommended to have the surgery. It was surprising that both the doctors recommending the surgery without trying a different method. I underwent the second surgery exactly after 2 months of my first knee surgery. Now i have gained more weight. even though i do not have the knee pain right now but i am very sure it has given me some lingering symptoms. restless sleep from gaining weight, and pain all over the body if i workout. I am consulting a psychiatrist regarding the restless sleep. The psychiatrist doctor is recommending sleeping pills but i am not willing take pills as it will be a addiction on later stage of life. Its 5 months now for all these things to me happening,hopefully ill find a solution for all what i am going through one day." +"We have always had dogs while I was growing up and when I became an adult, I still have dogs. They add a lot to your life and I've been lucky enough to have some special ones. Recently, we had two older dogs and knew that eventually, it would come time to say goodbye to them. Indy, who we rescued when she was just a few months old, was turning 13 this year. She'd suffered from a tumor that was growing larger every year. She was still a happy dog and wiggled her little stubby tail a million miles an hour whenever you'd notice her. A few months ago, she got sick and despite our best efforts, she passed away. We were able to keep her at home, she suffered from anxiety and hated to be separated from her family. We were all able to say our goodbyes and spend time with her before she passed. We buried her in our backyard, made a nice place for her to rest in peace. She brought so much love and joy into our lives and was a special dog. She was stubborn and had a weakness for chicken and just made you smile when her whole body wiggled with joy. Saying goodbye is never easy. Watching her give a last few wiggles of her tail despite being so weak but letting you know she still heard you talking to her was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. I was there as she breathed her last. I sat with her for a while hating to say goodbye and not really ever ready to let her go, but knowing that it was time. My heart still hurts when I think about her, but I also smile remembering all the wonderful memories I have of times spent with her. We've added a new member to our family so that Indy's passing doesn't leave such a hole in our lives, but she'll never be replaced or forgotten." +"One of the worst things that could happen happened not too long ago. We were finally at a stage in our lives, after working very hard for it to where we could and did just bought a new home less than a year ago that was a nice size and could fit my husband, me, our 3 kids and our dog very comfortably. My husband had a really good job and we were able to live comfortably. That all changed when another company took over the company my husband was working for. They came in and did a complete take-over. My husband's new boss decided he didn't like him and he wasn't cut out to be their type of 'material' even though my husband is the best in his field. Without warning, my husband's new boss was waiting for him when he got to work the other morning. Along with 4 armed police officers. He fired my husband right then and there and couldn't even give him a reason why he was firing him. He couldn't because my husband did nothing wrong at all. The police officers 'escorted' my husband back out to his truck. He was humiliated and upset and furious. So here we are now. We had to sell our new house and move into a 1000 square foot rental that doesn't even begin to fit all of us. My piddly job barely brings in enough to put food on the table to feed all of us. My husband has tried and tried to get another job, but nobody seems to want to interview him probably due to his age. I am just so upset about everything. I have so much worry (about how we're going to take care of our kids), anger and hatred for what that person did to him, and sadness over the entire thing. It's taking a toll on my health, mentally and physically. No one should have to go through this. If he had done something wrong, then yes, I could understand this happening, but he didn't. We've sought an attorney, but they said what they did was not illegal, completely wrong and immoral, but not illegal, so there is nothing we can do. I'm just sick!!!" +"The other week, I was offered a new job. I wasn't expecting it at all. I had been talking with a friend of a friend about her small business. She has an employee turn in her notice. She wanted to talk to me to see if I might be interested in the position. After we met, I asked her what she wanted the next steps to be. She got very vague, and talked about how they needed to let the other girl leave, and really take a look at their work load and see figure out what they needed in this new person. I thought that would be the end of it, I thought she didn't know what she wanted to do, and didn't know if I was a part of that at all. Then she circled back with me in about a week, and said we should talk more about her company. I went over to her house after work one day, and we sat on the front porch and chatted. She explained they needed someone who could start out doing operations and learning the business, then in 6 months they could add in marketing and a bump in title and pay. Eventually, she wants this person to be the COO so she can retire. Then she said she could bring me in at my current salary, and would I be interested? I've never gotten a job this way- I've always gone though a formal interview process and had a job description and everything! But I accepted it- I think it's a great opportunity!" +"I purchased my 2016 Ford Escape for $16000 using my credit card. Most times, I drive it to class and when I less busy, I turn to become an Uber driver. Sometimes I would leave class when I see that there will be a bonus for the day if I reach a certain target when I drive passengers. I am particularly enthusiastic about bonuses. 2 months ago, I left school as usual and showed myself on the Uber app to be online. My first passenger was just nearby and the fare was a $45. I picked my car keys and dashed for the parking lot. I ignited the car and was ready for the day's work. I had a strange feeling about going out that day but I ignored this feeling, after all, I am stronger than I look. I dashed for the dash. I was going at 46 mph when I saw the traffic light turn yellow. I thought, it is still safe to cross, after all, it means ""cross if you are unable to halt"". I dashed through. I didn't see a truck coming from my left. We collided at the junction and my bumper and dashboard was destroyed beyond recognition. I did have a fracture on my leg but and it took 2 months in the hospital before I got well. I have no car now and I can't drive to class nor do Uber where I get some money to offset my student debt. It's such a sad experience and I wished I had listened to that voice that day." +"I purchased my 2016 Ford Escape for $16000 using my credit card. Most times, I drive it to class and when I less busy, I turn to become an Uber driver. Sometimes I would leave class when I see that there will be a bonus for the day if I reach a certain target when I drive passengers. I am particularly enthusiastic about bonuses. 2 months ago, I left school as usual and showed myself on the Uber app to be online. My first passenger was just nearby and the fare was a $45. I picked my car keys and dashed for the parking lot. I ignited the car and was ready for the day's work. I had a strange feeling about going out that day but I ignored this feeling, after all, I am stronger than I look. I dashed for the dash. I was going at 46 mph when I saw the traffic light turn yellow. I thought, it is still safe to cross, after all, it means ""cross if you are unable to halt"". I dashed through. I didn't see a truck coming from my left. We collided at the junction and my bumper and dashboard was destroyed beyond recognition. I did have a fracture on my leg but and it took 2 months in the hospital before I got well. I have no car now and I can't drive to class nor do Uber where I get some money to offset my student debt. It's such a sad experience and I wished I had listened to that voice that day." +"Years ago, our daughter went through a period of loss with several animals. She lost two horses and then her beloved pup. She spiraled into severe depression. She was barely getting school done and the rest of the time she was just lying in her bed. We could barely speak to her without her yelling at us. It was like walking on eggshells. Finally we were able to get her to agree to therapy. However we did not see much benefit from that necessarily. We moved her to an adult doctor and the doctor prescribed an anti-depressant for her. Initially we did not see much change. But after about 6 weeks on the medicine, it was like she was a new child. She was getting her school work done, enjoying her job, not hiding in her room, etc.. She got involved all on her own with a college group at a local church as our church doesn't have one. She started spending time at the barn again. She is so much easier to be around now. She talks and laughs with us and is generally in a good mood, even though school still stresses her out from time to time. It has made such an amazing difference, not only in her, but in our family. She still does therapy and I think it helps her to talk to a neutral 3rd party, but honestly the medication has done more than the therapy. I now see a bright future for her, whereas before I did not." +"Years ago, our daughter went through a period of loss with several animals. She lost two horses and then her beloved pup. She spiraled into severe depression. She was barely getting school done and the rest of the time she was just lying in her bed. We could barely speak to her without her yelling at us. It was like walking on eggshells. Finally we were able to get her to agree to therapy. However we did not see much benefit from that necessarily. We moved her to an adult doctor and the doctor prescribed an anti-depressant for her. Initially we did not see much change. But after about 6 weeks on the medicine, it was like she was a new child. She was getting her school work done, enjoying her job, not hiding in her room, etc.. She got involved all on her own with a college group at a local church as our church doesn't have one. She started spending time at the barn again. She is so much easier to be around now. She talks and laughs with us and is generally in a good mood, even though school still stresses her out from time to time. It has made such an amazing difference, not only in her, but in our family. She still does therapy and I think it helps her to talk to a neutral 3rd party, but honestly the medication has done more than the therapy. I now see a bright future for her, whereas before I did not." +"Really did it to myself this time. Cut my finger deep enough to cut the tendon. Blood everywhere. I couldn't hardly think straight. I just knew I needed to get to the hospital fast. Thank you, God, for neighbors and that Tori is grown! Rushing in the kitchen to get the week's meals done so I could then rush outside to help Tori with the yardwork. Four hours in the emergency room! I am so grateful to all my neighbors. Joe and Kathy got me there. Betty brought us home and Tanya made sure we had what we needed! Thank GOD for good neighbors!! My finger parts aren't quite working right yet and they check in to see if we need anything. This injury is healing slowly. I am grateful because Tori was kind of messed up seeing all that blood. I think it is good for her that they are checking in so she knows we have backup." +"My twin sister and I have always said that we would have children who were close friends. We implemented ""cousin camp"" this year, where we got together with the 4 cousins and did fun things all together. We went to a science museum, a splash pad, a trampoline park, out to eat, and swimming. The kids (they're all 7 and under) had a great time doing smaller, low-stress ""local"" things. It was fun to bond with my sister. I am still suprised that we are the ""grown ups""! I love seeing our children bond. I also loved the rare opportunity I had to disconnect from work and just play for a few weeks. On the way home, I stopped with my daughters at a state park after seeing a sign for it at an exit on the interstate. It was a lot longer of a trip off of the interstate than i would have thought, and I almost turned around. But, we went all the way out there, hiked a trail, and then went swimming in the suprisingly awesome pool (with a big slide!). My newly 6 year old daredevil of a daughter was very interested in the slide, so she ran stairs while her sister and I frolicked around. After that, we went to eat pizza at a local place. We hit terrible rush hour traffic on the way home. All of us were all nearly in tears at the length of the trip home (generally 4 hours, but way longer on this occasion)." +"I have two brothers and one sister, we all live in about an hour drive radius of each other, so relatively close. About eight months ago we had gotten together and in a family meeting. Things were said and emotions were shared. We discussed all things that mattered to us and got anything off our chests. Feeling were hurt and it got a bit sticky. Ultimately we all wanted a fresh start and agreed to spend some more time together. About 4 1/2 months ago we were planning to get together. We made plans for a day a month or so in advance. When the time got closer there it was brought to my attention that it was not only siblings, but our significant others. Which I prefer, but I did not have a reliable sitter that could spend the entire day with my kids. I told my oldest brother that we would have to alter the plans or not attend. He became upset and really tried to persuade me to go with the original plan. He wanted to meet up and then we could go home and the rest of them would go to dinner in town like he wanted. My sister agreed that was not a good idea. We tried to come up with some other plans, but they were never booked and then the reservations where unavailable. I gave up and decided it wasn't worth my energy and would just go along with what I could and for when we had the sitter available. A few days before the planned day, it was decided that we couldn't come to a decision and that we should just postpone. In typical fashion, we never got together. We got busy with life and the holidays. We got together for the holidays but not just to be social. I would have preferred better communication and just all of us to get together with kids and spouses, ,but things tend to be more difficult when it comes to family." +"My sibling and our significant others were supposed to get together and go out for dinner and do an event. My oldest brother was setting things up. We were supposed to go to a restaurant and go skeet shooting. A few days before the date we were going over details, he said the restaurant was downtown and far away and really expensive. Most of us did not want to travel that far and felt it was far too expensive. We all went back and forth and my oldest brother was really admit that we go to this restaurant and would not budge. My wife and I do not have that great of a babysitter for our three young children, so we did not want to travel that far. Also our babysitter was not able to get to our home until later in the afternoon. So we said that we would meet at the activity. My sister then intervened and said we should just all eat near the activity and be together. My oldest brother started getting very short and rude in his texts. He was being very rude and selfish. Then he drops the bomb that the skeet shooting appointment that he was supposed to make was full and we had to find another activity as well. We continued to go back an forth for another day coming up with different ideas and suggestions. We were almost in agreement when my sister says that her and her husband cannot go, because their youngest daughter whom had surgery the week before still wasn't feeling that well and they did not want to leave her home with her siblings. I was relieved and frustrated at the same time, all that aggravation for nothing. All that back and forth and we had to reschedule." +"I had been talking to my cousin about her birthday for months. Even though it was her 16th birthday, I felt like it was partly my celebration too. After all, she was only born three weeks before me. So when she decided that she wanted to take a cruise with her family, I was immediately excited. I talked to my parents and they agreed, so we all bought tickets for an all-inclusive cruise. It was for seven days and seven nights and went to the Bahamas, which none of us had visited before. My cousin and I were so pumped to do all the activities we could sign up for. She wanted to go snorkeling really badly, while I was obsessed with parasailing. Luckily we were able to do both of these activities twice before the trip ended! Our parents enjoyed mostly comedy shows and magic acts at night, while we were left to run around and do just about whatever we wanted. The 24 hour ice cream bar kept our attention most of the time, but we also enjoyed walking circles around the full sized track. Even though it's been five months since our awesome trip, I still feel like I weigh about 20 pounds more because of the crazy amount of food. Every night we had the option of having steak for dinner, and it was delicious. Coupled with all the ice cream it's easy to see why so many people gain weight on cruises. I know next time I go on a cruise I will definitely try to limit how much I eat AND run on the track! What a great trip!" +"We celebrated my son's 4th birthday a few months ago. We had his party at our home, and invited our family, and many friends. It was a birthday party/ house warming party all in one. It was the first event we held in our home since moving in, a month prior to the party. It was a big deal, because we were about to move in last fall before Hurricane Florence hit, flooding our newly built home. We had almost 4 feet of water in our home. It was a party, and just a celebration as well, to finally complete the home (again). We had not even gotten 100% settled before the party, but it was just so nice being ""home."" We had it catered, and did a lego theme for my son. He enjoyed opening all of his presents. He and his buddies played and played. We had cupcakes, but the dog ended up getting into them, ruining half of them. We also did a piñata, and the kids enjoyed hitting it. He got a lot of new lego sets. He also got a camouflage table set and new race cars. We all had a blast." +"It's been a whirlwind month for my family and I. Just as we finally saved enough for a down payment on a new home, we also got hit by one of the worst hurricanes the state has ever seen. Our soon to be new home was flooded! I was shocked and very upset. I can remember the exact moment when we were told by the realtor that the sale may not happen at all. The house would have to be reinspected. I prayed that things would work out. About a week after the original closing date the news came in. We would be able to move in! We were all very happy, especially my son Jimmy. Coincidentally, this was also Jimmy's birthday week. Jimmy was so excited not only about the house, but his birthday. He's always very excited when it comes to this time of year. So this year we decided to do something special. We organized a fourth birthday party and housewarming party all in one! We wanted to share this special time with all our friends and family who were very supportive all along. I can remember the joy on little Jimmy's face that day. It's something I'll never forget." +"I think it was about three months ago, when we went on that cruise. We had all our belongings packed up the night before. We were really excited for it. We went to bed early. We woke up in the morning, for the first day of our cruise. We headed to the port. At the port, we presented our tickets and boarded the ship. It was so beautiful. We settled into our cabins. We all met up on deck and explored the different areas. We had some food at the canteen. We had a drink at the bar. We also lounged on the deck, by the pool. In the evening, we went to a live performance. It was a great day to be on a great ship." +"Over the summer, my girlfriend and I went to the beach. It was where we had met a few summers ago and became friends. We had given each other our email addresses thinking that we'd keep in contact and we did. We later went to college and picked the same one and started dating after that. So going to the beach was one of the more special times we got to have together. I knew that this time, I was going to propose to her. I had the ring and kept it in my bag the whole way to the beach. We had so much fun in the car singing and reflecting on our time together. The set up was perfect! We kept tossing memories back and forth to each other until we got to the beach. We found our hotel and got a room that had a perfect view of the ocean. She thought it was the most beautiful scene she had ever seen. I felt like the timing for all of this was perfect! That night, we went to dinner and then went for a walk on the beach. You know when you get the feeling that everything is just perfect? That was that night. People were shooting off fireworks in the distance and the cool air was perfect. As soon as we got to the pier we used to sit and talk at, I got down on one knee. She started shaking and crying. I told her I loved her and only her and that she would make me so happy if she would be my wife. She agreed and hugged me. She loved the ring and the night was perfect! A few people that were on the beach had saw everything and brought over some wine for us to enjoy!" +"I am an emergency medicine resident physician. This event occurred a few days ago. I was called overhead to the front of the Emergency Department. When I arrived there, I was greeted by a woman holding a plant. She then said, ""I don't know if you remember me , but you saved my life."" She went on to explain that she was seen there several months prior after overdosing on several dangerous medications. Looking back on the case, it was very difficult from both a medical standpoint and an emotional standpoint. She has to have a breathing tube and a large catheter in her neck. She required medciations to artificially raise her blood pressure. She was in the ICU for over a week. She was eventually able to be discharged. I had not seen or heard from her since the event. After explaining who she was, she continued to express her gratitude and informed me that she has since enrolled in college, has regained custody of her children, and has a full time job. This brought me to tears. I have been thinking about it constantly and sharing the story with friends, family, and colleagues. Working in the ER is very difficult, and it's events like these that make it worth it." +"About a week ago while I was at work in the ER, a I was called to the front desk. This is nothing new, as sometimes I need to explain a chart to a nurse. As I walked away from the sterilization room, I tried to think what they may need help with. I was greeted by a lady who was holding a plant. She said her name is Judy. Judy said that I had saved her life several months ago. I performed CPR on her and saved her life. She was grateful for all I had done for her. She said that since then, she has gone on to do amazing things. She has started working helping others. She gave me a big hug and handed the plant to me. She said it represents her life which I had saved. We talked briefly and agreed to keep in contact. We exchanged phone numbers. It felt really good to be appreciated." +"So after 33 years, we had our first Davis family reunion on August 10, 2019. I'm 46 years old and I rememeber the 1986 Davis reunion as it was held at the Brewster Gun Club in Brewster, Ohio. If I were to guess, I would say that there were at least 50 people there, possibly more. I can't say for sure, because no photo was taken. The other Davis family reunion was in 1973 and was held at the American Legion in Beach City, Ohio, which is about five miles south of Brewster. I was only five months old and obviously don't remember it. But, a group photo was taken and my cousin Shawna has me in her lap. Well, fast forward to February 2019. I got to thinking about the Davis family tree and thought it was about time someone put together a long-overdue reunion. Thanks to Facebook, I was able to reach out to several relatives, and even discovered a few more that were out of state. It would have been cool to have it at the aforementioned Brewster Gun Club, but it no longer exists. It has been replaced by an apartment complex. BUT, the Beach City American Legion was still in existence so I got ahold of the commander and he was more than happy to have us rent out the place. The cost was only $150 which I thought was appropriate. My wife and I probably spent a good 80-90 percent of the overall cost of the reunion. A good chunk of that was renting a U-Haul truck because of all the tables, chairs and barbecue grill. That, and the reunion was 85 miles from our house! Needless to say, it was a lot of work getting the reunion set up and of course, taking it down and cleaning up. We left our house at 6am and didn't get home till midnight. The reunion itself had about 35 people attend, some of which I hadn't seen since the last reunion in 1986! There were a few that weren't in attendance that I would have loved to have seen. Just seeing old relatives reconnecting after so many years almost brought a tear to my eye. My one cousin wants to do a reunion every year, but I am thinking maybe every two years. Especially if it's going to be my wife and I who put it together!" +"Last month, my relatives, from different parts of the world, reunited in my home for the first time in 33 years. If you didn't know my family, you'd think I was hosting a small convention. A grand total of 48 family members showed up for our reunion! Needless to say, I was shocked at the sheer number of bodies that marched into my home and announced that they are biologically connected to my Davis family. I now know that I have 10 male and 15 girl cousins. Attached them are another 10 of my new nephews and nieces. All I kept thinking about was how thankful I was to have so many cousins around my age, but how costly gift giving was going to be during the holidays and birthdays. That said, I say the pain of gift giving doesn't outweigh the love and support a large base of cousins, nephews and nieces has to offer. I felt like I had all the love and support that day. Everyone had so many stories to share. My parents, uncles and aunts shared the most embarrassing and blackmail-worthy stories of our childhoods. After they shared information about my first crush in high school, I just wanted to melt or explode. My cousin had to leave the room after my uncle showed us his old dance moves. After the oldies were done with us older kids, they turned on themselves and shared some hilarious photos with us. It was an equally painful and loving experience for all." +"I work in a library. Patrons come to the computer lab with varying skills and ideas about how much help we will provide them. This patron happened to be African American. He had what looked like a five page resume open in Word, and he was having formatting problems. Without knowing what invisible formatting he had performed and being there since the creation of the document, it was hard to advise him on his problem. I told him this and informed him that we offer classes and one on one help on Tuesdays. I also suggested that he Google his problem as someone else probably has been through the same thing. He got angry and yelled at me. He said that I was and idiot for not knowing formatting. He demanded that someone else help him. He insinuated that I wasn't helping him because he was African American. He yelled at me some more. I told him he was free to ask anyone else, but I wouldn't help hem anymore. Another patron stepped in to help. She couldn't figure it out either." +"I work in a library. Patrons come to the computer lab with varying skills and ideas about how much help we will provide them. This patron happened to be African American. He had what looked like a five page resume open in Word, and he was having formatting problems. Without knowing what invisible formatting he had performed and being there since the creation of the document, it was hard to advise him on his problem. I told him this and informed him that we offer classes and one on one help on Tuesdays. I also suggested that he Google his problem as someone else probably has been through the same thing. He got angry and yelled at me. He said that I was and idiot for not knowing formatting. He demanded that someone else help him. He insinuated that I wasn't helping him because he was African American. He yelled at me some more. I told him he was free to ask anyone else, but I wouldn't help hem anymore. Another patron stepped in to help. She couldn't figure it out either." +"I threw my first punch at someone since playing Power Rangers in pre-school. The Egg-shaped fuck had it coming, being a 30-year-old staying in a hostel and inviting himself to an evening in the town with a group of us. He proceeded to divulge how he always gets charged more than the initial agreed upon price for prostitutes and how he came to Vietnam to eat dog in a legal and fine-dining setting; I punched him and left after he mentioned the latter, going as so far to ride back to the hostel, check-out at 10 pm and find a beachfront hotel for the night to get some solace. I carved a bong out of an apple once there, imbibing in a beer as well to numb my hand off a bit as it was sore as fuck. I expected his pudgy face to be more giving, but my knuckles seem to have connected with his jaw. I truly have no idea of what ensued as I wasn’t plussed by the group of people anyway…there’s truly something about this part of the world that attracts low-esteemed wanderers, keen on nothing but smokes and the idea they are ‘far from home’. The most depressing, and least interesting, are the majority of gringos here, who stick to the major cities only and transport themselves around the country using buses, too afraid to ride a gas-horse into the arguably authentic corners of this beautiful country. Rural villages with a single hotel that lacks airconditioning, with the only “attraction” being a monument to communism doesn’t make for an instagramable trip to these types. A shame, but as is expected in this day and age, where being an influencer en masse or in their social circles is the calling card for so many yuppies out here. An example: today while traveling from Da Nang to Hue I went through a coastal mountain pass with 13% inclines at points, roads that give even the non-shit bikes trouble. The apex has a crumbling outpost from some war that apparently happened here not too long ago…an interesting sight as you can see both cities even though they are quite distant…probably why the pillboxes were constructed in the first place. I stumbled gracefully down back to my bike with its black seat sweltering in the heat, just waiting to melt my balls off during my descent. As I struggled to put on my helmet-earphone-sunglasses combo I noticed a familiar sight pull up: white girls being driven by locals. Their accents led me to believe they were from California, with my suspicions confirmed by noticing that one was only pretending to be blonde for conformity; roots tell no lies. I watched as they had the men park the bikes in a vista-worthy spot, angling the bikes sideways upon the head-chieftains aesthetic demands. I had seen advertisements for services which you can pay for to have a rider take you, at a pace of your choosing from the north to the south, or vice versa, for a daily rate (in less expensive lodging of course) but the look on their faces convinced me the rate they had agreed upon was seeming lower than the journeys worth." +"My stepson came to visit us nine weeks ago. He is my wife's son from a previous relationship. We got along very well while he was here. During his visit, he confided in us that his home life has been really unhappy. He is living with his father, who works long hours and really isn't around for support. He loves his Dad, but they can't spend enough time together to foster and maintain a good relationship. My stepson is at an age where he could really use sensible guidance and a reliable support system. Left on his own, he might not make good choices, and I'd hate to see him head down a destructive path. I also don't want him to develop resentment against his father for not being there for him. His father does the best he can, but is single and can only do so much. To my surprise, my stepson asked us if it would be alright if he came to live with us. He said he would try to find a job to help us out with expenses, and he would finish school here. We do have a bedroom, where he stays when he comes to visit. After discussing it with my wife, we decided to allow him to stay with us, as long as his father had no objections. We think that his dad will let him do it. He knows that we have the resources and that one of us will always be around for support." +"My stepson came to visit us nine weeks ago. He is my wife's son from a previous relationship. We got along very well while he was here. During his visit, he confided in us that his home life has been really unhappy. He is living with his father, who works long hours and really isn't around for support. He loves his Dad, but they can't spend enough time together to foster and maintain a good relationship. My stepson is at an age where he could really use sensible guidance and a reliable support system. Left on his own, he might not make good choices, and I'd hate to see him head down a destructive path. I also don't want him to develop resentment against his father for not being there for him. His father does the best he can, but is single and can only do so much. To my surprise, my stepson asked us if it would be alright if he came to live with us. He said he would try to find a job to help us out with expenses, and he would finish school here. We do have a bedroom, where he stays when he comes to visit. After discussing it with my wife, we decided to allow him to stay with us, as long as his father had no objections. We think that his dad will let him do it. He knows that we have the resources and that one of us will always be around for support." +"Race day was approaching and I had worked so hard over the past 6 months making sure everything was just right. I changed my diet, was following a strict training schedule that consisted of cardio and strength, and made sure my equipment was in good working order. I read books on the course and on the transitions through the course. This was going to be my first adventure race but I felt prepared. The morning of the race I arrived at the starting line and stationed my equipment at all the aid stops. I knew exactly where I should be and was ready to time each move. I knew when to eat, when and how much to drink and what areas to slow down or avoid. I felt like I was nervous but on top of the world. The gun shots rang out and the racers started to move. I followed the crowd into the woods and watched everyone spread out in different directions. I grabbed my compass and head for the river crossing. Everything was going great until I reached the climb I had been so worried about. It took me almost 2 hours to navigate to the top but it was within my sights. I rested for a moment and dug in the stake as I went to take another step. Suddenly the rocks shifted and I could feel my hands let go. Everything went black as I laid motionless on the ground. When I came to, I was surrounded by people trying to position me on a gurney. I cried out as the gurney was jolted but my tears were from the pain of not being able to accomplish the goal I worked so hard to reach. I had devoted so much time and effort and one small mistake was going to take all that away from me. The doctor looked at the images and said I will heal in time but my dream of finishing that race may not ever become a reality." +"I was excited and nervous when I went to my graduation ceremony for getting my masters degree last week. All that work finally paid off and I was ready to take the next step in my life. I was worried about how I looked and knew at some point everyone would be looking at me. I bought new shoes since that's the only thing that shows under my graduation robe. They were nice plain black shoes and I got a good deal on them. Lucky for me they were also comfortable, because we stood around for nearly two hours before the ceremony began. The longer it took, the more nervous I got. I wish we could just get it over with. When my diploma was finally in my hands I was so proud of myself I could barely stand still. My family was very supportive, but I had no idea they were going to throw me a party. It was the best party ever since my grandmother and my Aunt Lois were there. I haven't seen Aunt Lois for a couple years and she's always been my favorite aunt. She remembered roasted chicken was my favorite and insisted that's what we had for dinner. What a nice surprise! Mom really did a lot of work but I could tell she was having a lot of fun. She's proud of me and that makes me feel really good. This was the best party I've ever been to, and it was all for me. Having my family support me and celebrate my success is going to be something I carry with me my whole life." +I have always been big on horror movies. I also like to go out and have fun at bars from time to time. I ended up going out to a horror movie trivia night one night with friends. I thought it would be fun. We were doing pretty well. There was another group there. It was a group females. They were close to winning. I ended up getting the final question right and my team beat their team. We ended up hanging out after. One of the women in the group and I got along very well. We started dating. We fell in love not very much long after that. We just got married a few months ago. We are starting our life together now and it is so great. I love her with all my heart. +I have always been big on horror movies. I also like to go out and have fun at bars from time to time. I ended up going out to a horror movie trivia night one night with friends. I thought it would be fun. We were doing pretty well. There was another group there. It was a group females. They were close to winning. I ended up getting the final question right and my team beat their team. We ended up hanging out after. One of the women in the group and I got along very well. We started dating. We fell in love not very much long after that. We just got married a few months ago. We are starting our life together now and it is so great. I love her with all my heart. +"My father-in-law passed away a few weeks ago. He had a heart attack. My story is going to be about him and the impact he had on my life. I grew up in Pittsburgh and went to school there. I moved to California, worked, and met my girlfriend at Stanford. She had family in Georgia and we eventually moved out here to work and live close to them. Her family is amazing! Her father, Craig, has traveled the world as a missionary. He did a few stints in Indonesia teaching poor people how to setup their village, collect clean water, and rear their children. I loved this man from the moment I met him. Selfless and very giving Craig would help everyone. In fact, during my move to Georgia one of the tires on my car blew out. I tried to put the spare on but the lug nuts were not coming off. I was in the middle of nowhere, on the highway, with all of my worldly possessions, pets, and girl and completely stuck. Well, Craig drove on out probably 150 miles or more, and helped us get going again. That's the first time I met the man! After living in Georgia for awhile I soon learned that it was NOT anything like California. Church is big around here. BIG. So I got involved with the Church, through Craig, and we started helping put roofs on the houses of widows. Tough work for sure, but it was extremely rewarding. I learned so much for the other men helping. After Craig passed the entire community rallied together. It was sad of course but amazing. I am thankful I got to know such a great man and role model." +"I am getting married in May, and my fiance and I recently visited the venue we are choosing for our wedding. We absolutely loved it. The building, inside and out, is beautiful, classy, and impressive. The woman we met with that gave us our tour was excited, personable, and relatable, and she answered our questions easily as we walked through the venue. The history of the place is magnificent, and the view of the mountains and river out the windows of the spaces were breathtaking. We loved everything about it, except the bathrooms. When we asked about the bathrooms that would be available to our guests she told us they would have to use the ones in the lobby of the hotel. It was fairly far from the rest of the spaces, but not an insurmountable problem. When we used these bathrooms after our tour though there was a problem. They were so tiny! It was difficult for me, a larger guy, to close the stall door behind me. There was no way a group of 100+ people would be able to use only those bathrooms. We bumped into our tour guide and asked about other options and she said she would get back to us about using the bathrooms on the level below the lobby, via elevator. We weren't really satisfied with this but continued looking around. We happened upon some super nice and roomy bathrooms as we were walking around the 2nd floor and realized they were just as close as the lobby bathrooms to our event space! Only a short walk and up a flight of stairs, or one could take the elevator. While still not overly convenient, it was certainly a better solution than the lobby bathrooms. I recently went back and visited again with my fiance's parent and sister to show them the venue and work out the nitty gritty details. We are very excited." +"One of the most memorable events that took place in my life occurred on the morning of March 7th, 2019. My daughter and I were involved in a car accident on a morning that was already not so pleasant. I had barely gotten any sleep the night before because I had been up crying my eyes out. My cousin (who is more like a brother to me) had been involved in a very terrible car accident and was on life support. My emotions were everywhere. I gathered my daughter because I didn't want her to be late going to school. Once I got in my truck, I realized that it would not start. I had to call my mother to borrow her BRAND NEW truck, which she had just purchased two weeks prior. She came to my house and I dropped her off at her house and was making my way to my daughters school. On the four way highway, my daughter and I were in the left lane. The light turned green and I then realized that a car ahead of me was making a left turn and yielding oncoming traffic. I turned on my signal light to get into the right lane since there was no traffic coming behind me. As soon as I switched over and started to move past some of the other cars in the left lane. As I was passing the cars that were in the left lane, one of the cars came over in the right lane hitting me and my daughter. I was knocked off of the road and onto the sidewalk. I had to stay there for a moment because my daughter was yelling and screaming and my nerves were shook. I was able to move the truck from off the sidewalk and park behind the young lady who hit me and police were called. My nerves were so shaken up because I had got into an accident and for one moment my whole life flashed before my eyes, was I about to end up like my cousin?? I was also worried about the fact that I had crashed my mom's new truck which was her first concern when I called her; leaving my child and I as an afterthought. With my daughter in my arms trying to comfort her, I began to cry. Everything was going wrong in my life at this moment, and I had no one. The young lady who hit me had called her older sister there to be with her; meanwhile I had no one. I texted my boyfriend who was at work, but he gets no service in certain places..... everything was a mess. However, the young lady was very nice and offered to pay for all of the damages because she was a new young driver who didn't want to increase her insurance. Her sister saw how upset I was and gave me a hug which turned out to be very comforting. It turns out the sister worked at the local hospital and remembered seeing the ambulance bringing my cousin in the day prior. She sent her love and prayers to my family and my daughter and I went to the hospital to be examined; my daughter was fine, I had minor aches for a few days, and my cousin died three weeks later" +"One month ago, I went to visit my niece. I love her so much, but her lack of faith concerns me. I really want her to understand the power of the gospel, to turn her heart over to the Lord. I am rarely able to do so because she shut downs as soon as I bring it up. God tells us we only need faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains, so I clung to that. I have prayed for her constantly and tried to witness to her at any chance I got. During our last visit, we had a break through! This time, she was the one who brought it up first. She said it had been on her mind a lot since our previous visit. She wanted to know why I have been so persistent in trying to lead her to the Lord. This just opened the door wide open! Or I should say, God opened the door! A door my niece had locked up so tight for so long. I pulled out my bible and began to show her verses. I shared my personal testimony with her again. I shared things God has done for me, prayers I know He answered. That day was so special to me, my niece finally came to Christ!" +"One month ago, I went to visit my niece. I love her so much, but her lack of faith concerns me. I really want her to understand the power of the gospel, to turn her heart over to the Lord. I am rarely able to do so because she shut downs as soon as I bring it up. God tells us we only need faith the size of a mustard seed to move mountains, so I clung to that. I have prayed for her constantly and tried to witness to her at any chance I got. During our last visit, we had a break through! This time, she was the one who brought it up first. She said it had been on her mind a lot since our previous visit. She wanted to know why I have been so persistent in trying to lead her to the Lord. This just opened the door wide open! Or I should say, God opened the door! A door my niece had locked up so tight for so long. I pulled out my bible and began to show her verses. I shared my personal testimony with her again. I shared things God has done for me, prayers I know He answered. That day was so special to me, my niece finally came to Christ!" +"Recently I lost my best friend. I've had them as my best friend for over 14 years. I really don't know what to do now that they are gone, they've been me for all of my childhood and the beginning of my early adulthood. I lost my childhood dog last month. They died of old age. I should be grateful for that. Grateful they died at least of old age versus an accident or disease. But all I really feel is this sadness that they are gone. This sadness that its so unfair. why do dogs live for such a short time? Why can't they live just as long as us? Why are they so special and loving? Why can they even be best friends? It's a little cruel right. So sad to have them for just such a little short piece of time." +"Three months ago my youngest son learned he was going to his first choice university. He had been wanted to get into Princeton for a long time. I had told him I would cover the cost if he could get in. He has been working very hard to keep his grades up. He has studied extra after school and on the weekends. He has a good work ethic. When I helped him put in the application Princeton I was not expecting he would be accepted to go to go Princeton. Getting into Princeton is not easy. Princeton is a highly selective university. He did well on the SAT. I read his essay and thought it was well done. I planned a nice day for his birthday. I made a cake. On his birthday, I went to get the mail and notice Princeton University on one envelope. I took it to my son. I watch as he opened it. It read he was accepted to both our surprises." +"The loss of life is a serious occurence. When someone close to you moves on you can be left feeling alone and trapped, wondering how you'll ever move forward. This is what happened to young anita. A schoolgirl the age of 16, anita always wondered what the life of an average teenager was like. Since the age of 10 she had been taking care of her sick mother. She would bathe her, feed her, even change her. She was a good student but her social life suffered. Never having any free time to mingle or get close to someone. She feared inviting people over. What would they think? At 16 years old she still feared CPS would knock on their door anyday to take her away. Doctors visits were always a blessing. They reassured her that her mom was in stable condition and she had nothig to worry about. ""just keep doing what youre doing"" ,they told her. She had to do what she could and now her mother is gone. She has no one else." +"The loss of life is a serious occurence. When someone close to you moves on you can be left feeling alone and trapped, wondering how you'll ever move forward. This is what happened to young anita. A schoolgirl the age of 16, anita always wondered what the life of an average teenager was like. Since the age of 10 she had been taking care of her sick mother. She would bathe her, feed her, even change her. She was a good student but her social life suffered. Never having any free time to mingle or get close to someone. She feared inviting people over. What would they think? At 16 years old she still feared CPS would knock on their door anyday to take her away. Doctors visits were always a blessing. They reassured her that her mom was in stable condition and she had nothig to worry about. ""just keep doing what youre doing"" ,they told her. She had to do what she could and now her mother is gone. She has no one else." +"This was an anniversary trip to the Bahamas with my wife. We were celebrating 15 years of marriage. We actually ended up going with another couple who are very good friends of ours and it really made the trip great. We spend several days there and the weather was outstanding, and allowed for snorkeling, and lounging by the pool and beach. We really enjoyed the private island that the resort offered. The food was decent and the drinks flowed and it allowed us to relax. My wife and I had some much needed time by ourselves without having to worry about the kids. One of the funniest things that happened was the morning we were leaving, my wife had some allergic reaction to something, and her lips swelled up like she got Botox! It was funny. The swelling went away fairly quickly, so it was easy to laugh about it. Another funny thing was the dance party that took place at the main pool. There were some very intoxicated people up there shaking what they had and having fun. We laughed and laughed as we LOVE people watching. The most important thing was that my wife and I got to focus on each other and we both felt like it strengthened our marriage even more than it already was. I really encourage all married couples (especially parents) to get away here and there, even if it is for a night or a weekend. We realized that adulting is difficult and you need to take time for yourselves and your relationship to cherish all the things you love about it and remember why you got together in the first place. We are already planning our next get away together to continue to keep our relationship fresh and exciting." +"This was an anniversary trip to the Bahamas with my wife. We were celebrating 15 years of marriage. We actually ended up going with another couple who are very good friends of ours and it really made the trip great. We spend several days there and the weather was outstanding, and allowed for snorkeling, and lounging by the pool and beach. We really enjoyed the private island that the resort offered. The food was decent and the drinks flowed and it allowed us to relax. My wife and I had some much needed time by ourselves without having to worry about the kids. One of the funniest things that happened was the morning we were leaving, my wife had some allergic reaction to something, and her lips swelled up like she got Botox! It was funny. The swelling went away fairly quickly, so it was easy to laugh about it. Another funny thing was the dance party that took place at the main pool. There were some very intoxicated people up there shaking what they had and having fun. We laughed and laughed as we LOVE people watching. The most important thing was that my wife and I got to focus on each other and we both felt like it strengthened our marriage even more than it already was. I really encourage all married couples (especially parents) to get away here and there, even if it is for a night or a weekend. We realized that adulting is difficult and you need to take time for yourselves and your relationship to cherish all the things you love about it and remember why you got together in the first place. We are already planning our next get away together to continue to keep our relationship fresh and exciting." +"You hear people tell you about how some significant event or person in their lives came along and changed everything. You hear of some fantastic revelation some day up on the mountain, or a close encounter with nature, even a brush with some insane disaster, bringing the person onto the doorstep of death. Most people quote extraordinary event that is very unique to them and hear about how that something have come to have a great impact on their lives, changing the very manner in which they view life and perceive it. You might not find my story to be anything spectacular, but for me, it has been the one most singularly amazing event of my life. It was the day that I met my husband. He came into my life and affected me in so many ways and for which I really do not have words to describe. Yet, I will try my best to portray how his coming into my life completely changed me and gave me a whole new world to look at. One of the things that I noticed immediately when I met my husband was how safe and secure he made me feel. I remember meeting him that very first day and realizing how good I felt just being with him. It was as if a burden had been lifted from my shoulders. I suddenly felt free and relaxed, as if I had to worry about nothing in life ever again. He would be very supportive of my ideas and my decisions and would encourage me to go ahead and do what I wanted the most. He provided me with the background support that I had always needed to further to my plans but had felt so insecure before. He had a knack of making me laugh and feel good about myself and whatever was going on at that time. Aside from making me feel emotionally stable, safe, and secure, he also made me feel very secure financially. He made it look so easy, as if I would never have to worry about money ever again. He made me feel that I could trust him with no matter what. This is perhaps the reason that I married him in the first place, because of how he good he made me feel about myself: very safe, secure, and sound" +"I spent four weeks in Europe a few weeks ago touring Italy England. While I was in England, My companion and I decided to visit London to see all the sights. We took the tour bus around the city and viewed many famous settings. I was very impressed by the design of the old and the new buildings I viewed while on the ride. We had a fantastic guide who not only gave history on all of the things pointed out, but he also suggested other places to go to see many more historic items. I was very impressed looking at Big Ben and the square surrounding the area. After seeing Big Ben in person, I could easily see why it was called Big Ben. We were fortunate enough to be in the open top portion of the tour bus so we had many unrestricted views. I really loved seeing all of the beauty of Buckingham Palace. It was not only large, but it fit so well with many of the other structures in the area. Sure looked like someone knew what they were doing when it was constructed. We decided it would be a great thing to do to go on the London Eye . We were not wrong as the view of the city from the top of the Eye was just spectacular. I could have stayed on the Eye for many, many hours. Another of the interesting things to see was the Tower Bridge. I found it very interesting to see the steam engines that were used to raise the bridge. The final stop on our time in England was our visit to Stonehenge in Avebury Plain. We toured the facility, visited the gift shop, the museum and completed our day viewing the Neolithic Village. The trip was fantastic and I would surely go back again." +"me and my father were very close before. we are like friends. we share everything with us and have good times. but for small misunderstanding, the relationship ends. i mean we stopped to talk each other. we never see each others face. but it was a small misunderstanding. my sister came to me and talk about the problem which is with me and my dad. she arranged one small trip like long ride. at first i avoided. but my sister forced me . likewise she forced my father. so we started one fine day. at first we never talk. we kept very silent. later he slowly start the conversation. it builds. finally we came to term with our past. we have good times. have a wonderful relationship again." +"My husband got a severe rash on his legs and we didn't know what was causing it. After several at home remedies and over the counter topical medications didn't work, we decided it was time for him to see a doctor to diagnose the cause of the rash and why it kept getting worse. The provider gave him prescriptions for oral steroids, and told him to take an OTC antihistamine. He followed the orders and took his medication. It started to get better but didn't fully heal or go away. He then returned to the Dr's office, once again received steroids, an H2 blocker and told to use antihistamine cream on the rash. Same as the previous time he went to the Dr, within three to four days after the medication ended, the rash came back. Finally his PCP referred him to a dermatologist. He was given a diagnosis, but was told it could be something that may never go away, or could resolve on its own in time. He also had to go through a lot of other diagnostic tests to rule out heart disease as this condition can be due to poor circulation. He received two steroid injections and prescription strength cream. He is getting better, but the rash still flares up from time to time and it is frustrating for both of us. I want to help him and there is nothing I can do to fix this problem. He is irritated because he is usually never sick and he is tired of going to the Dr all the time and just wants a cure for something that they don't even know why it has happened. I hope that this resolves itself over time and that my spouse doesn't have continue suffering." +"I find lots of online jobs on internet. Working from home takes a lot of self-discipline. Before I become a remote worker, make sure I have a good system for keeping myself organiozed and on task. Use whatever works for i make a bullet journal organize my duties on trello keep pa detailed google calendar with calendly for setting meetings. Just make sure i have a self management scheme that keeps i going. I really like the new focused collection from Erin Condren. Many work from home jobs that i find will require me to sit at my computer for long periods each day. So its super important that i have a comfortable space to work. Even if its just a comfortable chair pulled up to an old table thats the right height or a spot on my couch put some thoughtfulness for my future self into my home office. Companies that hire for work from home there are so many large companies that hire remote workers to work online. We are talking about everyone from small mom and pop shops that cant afford the overhead of office space and health insurance to fortune 500 companies like Amazon and Apple. Those companies actually hire people to work from home. The larger the company the more requirements and prerequisites they likely have in place. Thats not necessarily a bad thing. Even though i may need a newer computer they may be offer health insurance and a full time schedule. There's always a trade off know that more scheduling freedom and flexibility and less management oversight may mean lesser pay or no benefits. Ways of making money online that may be overlooking when it come to ways of making money online our minds usually head straight to things like customer service for a company such as the company or blogging because that's what everybody is doing right. Well there are so many options in between that i may be overlooking. Some of the ideas we are talking about today will allow me to use my knowledge interests and experience to make money. Because these are areas i know it may not take much to get myself set up for success. Our first overlooked opportunity is selling my knowledge, In this instance we are talking about creating a course or eBook that i can make available for purchasing online. Because of the automation available today I may be able to put in the work once when creating my packaged information and then enjoy those checks coming in for months or years to come. I love referral and affiliate marketing. It's where the vast majority of my income comes from these days. Even if i aren't a blogger i can get in on the action as well." +"In May, my brother and I got into a car accident. He had just arrived in town from overseas to visit for the summer. The day after he arrived, we were driving to one of our favorite taco shops to have lunch. On the way there, we were driving through an intersection when another driver ran a red light. We were t-boned. The other driver hit us on the passenger side, where I was sitting. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured. My brother's car, which he loves dearly and only gets a chance to drive when he comes to visit, had some body damage. The other driver's car took the worst of the damage. Its front end was badly damaged. I had hit my head on the door frame, so I went to the hospital to make sure I was okay. It turned out that I had a minor concussion. There were no complications, aside from a bad headache, some diziness, and a lot of soreness. All things considered, we are lucky that it was not worse. Unfortunately, I have a lot of anxiety about driving and riding in cars from past experiences. This event brought all of that back. I have been especially anxious while traveling in vehicles lately. I hope that sensation improves soon." +"Last week, my family and I took a last minute trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain. We were just sitting around on a Sunday morning when I just told everyone to get dressed. We got in the car and I started driving. Van Buren to the 60 to the 210 to the 5. The kids had no idea where we were going until I was getting off the freeway at Magic Mountain Pkwy. Theire eyes lit up as we pulled into the nearly empty parking lot. We had so much fun! We rode X2 and Viper and Batman The Ride. We ate some burgers for lunch in the park and continued riding as much as we could. We stayed until the park closed just after dark and rode a couple of the rides in the dark. Before we left, we made sure to get some funnel cake in one of the shops by the main gate. On the way home, it was burgers from Wendy's and a long, exhausting drive. The boys had so much fun, it was their first time at Magic Mountain. Next time, we definitely will plan it out a little more. That way, we've got even more time and more fun. We're thinking of getting season passes." +"Last week, my family and I took a last minute trip to Six Flags Magic Mountain. We were just sitting around on a Sunday morning when I just told everyone to get dressed. We got in the car and I started driving. Van Buren to the 60 to the 210 to the 5. The kids had no idea where we were going until I was getting off the freeway at Magic Mountain Pkwy. Theire eyes lit up as we pulled into the nearly empty parking lot. We had so much fun! We rode X2 and Viper and Batman The Ride. We ate some burgers for lunch in the park and continued riding as much as we could. We stayed until the park closed just after dark and rode a couple of the rides in the dark. Before we left, we made sure to get some funnel cake in one of the shops by the main gate. On the way home, it was burgers from Wendy's and a long, exhausting drive. The boys had so much fun, it was their first time at Magic Mountain. Next time, we definitely will plan it out a little more. That way, we've got even more time and more fun. We're thinking of getting season passes." +"I had initially had a heart attack and open heart surgery at the beginning of the year. My incision site did not close properly and my follow up appointment with the surgeon kept being postponed on their end. About 2 months after the heart surgery, I ended up getting an infection of strep in my bloodstream about , which could be deadly and had to have 2 separate procedures to clean out the infected tissue in my chest. It was a very difficult time in my life, considering I have 2 children, both under the age of 10. I had to take leave from my job and my husband did also to take care of me and our daughters. I remember feeling a lot of guilt. Mainly because it happened in the first place and caused such a huge disruption in our lives and secondly because I almost felt as if I was getting a vacation. I was alone in my hospital room in peace and quiet most of the time since there were flu restrictions in place at the hospital. That meant my kid's weren't able to visit and my husband was too busy taking care of them. I recall lying in the hospital bed on the good meds they give you there, watching Netflix and napping most of the time. It was rather pleasant, all things considered. Coming home from the hospital was the hard part. I had a wound vac attached to the center of my chest and a PICC line inserted in my arm, running IV antibiotics 24 hours a day for about 2 months. That part sucked. It was hard to move around with all the stuff I had to carry around with me. It was hard to sleep without worrying I'd pull the tubing out of my arm. I got pretty depressed about all of it. I don't want to sound self centered, but my looks matter to me. Having that done and the equipment attached to my body made me feel very insecure and unattractive. But when it was all over, I realized I am a lot tougher than I think I am. It made me stronger and now I have more confidence than ever before." +"I can't believe how much I can't do since the surgery. I can't even help my wife Casey do the dishes, or even get dinner ready and set at the table. I can barely even go to the bathroom on my own. I feel so bad for how much I have to lean on her now, just when she was getting busy at work too. I will have to work hard to get myself back on track to become independent again. What I have been doing is not enough. I need to see someone about getting better and fast. This is not something that can go on forever. Especially when she is working as hard as she is, and I'm stuck here doing nothing. Lately I have been in a rut. I have to get myself out of it and just do things I know I can't for the sake of progress. Maybe tomorrow I will make my own meals and see how I handle it. She will appreciate the help. This is the best thing I can do right now. We will see." +"I had a friend that had a set of boys. They were friends with my son. They got along fine usually. But over the past summer they got mad at each other. They no longer were part of everyday activities with each other. Oddly enough, the boys friendship affected our own. It seemed to have put stress on my relationship with her. We slowly stopped talking, and it was getting worse. We had been friends since before the boys were. It hurts to know that relationships are not forever. Even when you think they will be. I still lightly keep in touch. I was my son and her boys to have a good relationship. And us to also regain ours. I feel we can do it." +"My friend Tommy and his wife just had a baby boy this past April. I have known Tommy since he was born. I grew up across the street from his family. I am actually best friend friends with his older brother, Matt. His sisters Cindy and Jill like sisters to me. And Tommy is like a younger brother to me. Growing up as an only child, Matt and Tommy's family were like my second family. Anyway, this was their second child. Their daughter is 5. Tommy is considerably older than his wife. And it was surprising that he wanted to have another child when he is in his late forties, but when he called me to tell me his son had been born, he was ecstatic. The real reason I believe is that he wanted a son. He was very close to his dead who just passed away a couple of years ago. Now that his son has been born, he is very excited about all of the father and son activities he plans to do with him. Like teaching him how to play hockey. This was a big part of his life growing up. All of his family played including his sister Cindy who played in college. Teaching him to do things on the lake where they live and Tommy and I actually grew up. Things like fishing and canoeing. Also maybe even water skiing if Tommy isn't too old by then :). It brings a smile to my face every time I think about all the wonderful times I spent with Tommy's family. I am so happy for him and his wife. I look forward to watching his son grow into a man." +My best friend growing up had a kid. He was the youngest of the group of friends. He had a baby boy with his first serious girlfriend. It put my life into perspective and made me rethink the way I was living. I was smoking alot of weed and drinking and not concentrating on being successful. My friend eventually grew apart and became a full time dad. He was great dad. I wanted the same thing so I stop drinking and smoking. I started working out more as well. I eventually abbged a good woman. I think seeing my friend grow up made me want to do the same. I liked that my friend was a good dad and I think he eventually had more kids. We both grew up and apart and I wonder how he is doing lately. I now live in a big city and moved away from the small town where we all grew up. I hope to one day see my friends again and catch up. +"It was a rainy night and I was out getting drinks. I was alone and feeling lonely. I bought a few drinks, and after feeling a bit tipsy went out to walk around. While it was raining I stood up against a wall and just stood there. A woman comes up and we start talking. While talking we joke about life and we both find out that we're both a bit tipsy. After awhile she wants me to help her home and I agree. While walking home she almost walks into traffic and I pull her back. She is scared and I hold her for a moment in the rain. She starts to cry and I tell her everything is okay. She thanks me and says ""You're my guardian angel"". We manage to get back to her place and before I leave she ask me for my name because she forgot. I tell her my name and she says she wishes more people were like me. She hugs me and says that she hopes to see me again. I say goodbye and walk back home alone." +"I went to my first music festival last month and it wound up being a far more transformative experience than expected. I've always been an introverted person by nature. Due to my generally unsociable personality, I was skeptical about the extroverted and bombastic vibe of a festival. I wasn't convinced I could click with a large community of strangers given my temperament. I knew however that going to such an event could be what I needed to break out of my shell. I was shocked at the kindness directed towards first-timers and how easy it was to integrate into the community. The general theme of the festival was one of self-regulation - there was no central authority or rules. Thus, there was a general theme of unchecked hedonism, essentially people were left to their own devices and allowed to do whatever they wanted. The only real rule was simply to not attack or detriment the community, which was left to police itself. It reminded me of anarcho-communist, de-centralized conceptual communities, but in this regard I was able to watch those ideas play out in person. The festival was peaceful and a fun time for everyone involved despite the lawless nature of it and it made me optimistic that ideas like these could succeed on a larger scale. I was able to express myself in ways I had never gotten to previously. It stripped me of my gut apprehension towards things like public nudity by it being so ubiquitous that it resulted in desensitization. I also had an apprehension towards hedonic things like public sex and open drug use, but it was so wide-spread that it became a footnote, like background noise. Exposing myself to a culture like that opened my mind and expanded my capabilities for tolerance towards others and behavior that runs contrary to my own day to day experience. Thus, I think the extreme nature of that festival made me a more robust and tolerant person, and less tightly-wound." +"One of the happiest days of my life happened 2 months ago, Spencer finally proposed! We had been talking about it, but he gave me no indication he was ready to pop the question. We have been dating for about 1 year and things were going great. We like the same things, we have learned to agree to disagree. We had asked me about the kind of ring I would like to have if we were to get engaged and I told him, I actually showed him, lol! He didn't expect that. When he asked me that question, I thought, ok , this is it! He must be getting ready to ask me on Valentine's Day. I already knew what my answer would be, but I was wondering how would he do it. So, Valentine's Day comes and goes and still no proposal. We did go out to dinner, so I was starting to wonder what was going on. I knew he was going to ask me, but at this point, I didn't know when or how. So, I waited and waited. Every now and again I would throw out little hints. I made sure to send him a picture of the ring, so he would always have it. Finally, it happened. One day while we were driving through the city going to a new restaurant that opened on the wharf. We get there and we're both looking out at the water and he drops down on one knee and POPs the question. I said YES, before he ever put the ring on my finger! Now, I'm actually glad he didn't do it on Valentine's Day, because now we have our own special day!" +"This was when we lost our home to foreclosure. We fell behind on our mortgage payments and the bank would not work with us. We tried for months to be able to save our home and realized that it just wasn't going to happen. This was a very difficult time in our lives as we felt like failures. We had to tell our family that we were losing our house including our children. It felt helpless and we didn't know how we would find a place to live. Our credit was now terrible and everyone checks credit these days. We were going to need someone to take a chance on us and look past our credit worthiness. We looked at many houses, but people were not getting back to us most likely because of our credit. Finally we found a couple that was just looking for a family they felt that they could trust. We met with them a few times and they offered there house to rent. It ended up being a good situation for us as it was in a better neighborhood and had some more space. We are trying to control our spending now so that we can eventually be homeowners again and live in this type of neighborhood for a long time. We plan out our bills better now and use software to make sure we are on time. We have learned a lot from this experience and will make sure to never have to live it again." +"We went through foreclosure on our house. This was a very difficult time in our lives. It is a helpless feeling of being out of control. The mortgage company would not work with us so we would need to find a new place to live. This is especially difficult when your credit is bad at the time. Being so far behind on our mortgage obviously hurt our credit. We needed someone to take a chance on us to be able to find a place to live. We were running out of time, but luckily found a home owner who was willing to work with us. What a relief it was to find a house and it was in a better neighborhood than we were living. At least something good did come out of the situation. I still think about the situation a few times a week. It is a good lesson on managing money and how not to get in this situation again. We badly managed our money and spending to get into the situation. I must make sure we do not have that happen again. I feel like we are starting to turn the corner and be better with our money. This was also a good learning experience for our children." +"Last year I traveled to Europe. and what caught my attention was that I fell asleep on the flight. When we arrived I arrived at another that was not my destination since the plane made a stop due to turbulence. and I didn't realize because of the dream. It turns out that we had to take another flight and I was already late, when I finally reached my destination I didn't find my credit cards. I left them in my apartment another fault when I arrived at the reception I see that my suitcase went in the taxi. what else would happen to me I noticed that in the same hotel there was also a friend. and I said salvation, I will talk to him to tell him what happened to me. We had a cup of coffee and laughed at everything that had happened to me. He offered to pay me all the expenses of the trip and I said thank you God because in spite of the bad always something good comes out. In those things of life one wonders if there really are friends. We went sightseeing and bought clothes for me. then we went out to dinner and meet a girls of the nightWe had sex and we gave them hard in the ass. We arrived and slept and laughed at everything that had happened. In those things of life one wonders if there really are friends. We went sightseeing and bought clothes for me. then we went out to dinner and meet a girls of the nightWe had sex and we gave them hard in the ass. We arrived and slept and laughed at everything that had happened." +My anger over it has passed and i look at it now as a blessing as I am still looking for a new job and i hope to have one soon. Until then i have been brushing up on my skills and finding new ways to make some cash. I have found amny new ways to do things. I have even lost some weight and find myself getting into better shape becuase ihave mroe time to workout. I find myself doing more things i like and i also feel more at peace not havign to waste my time at a place i hate knowing that i will never get the kind of money from them that i desevre becuase they are running a sloppy business that will not work in the long run. I am am feeling free and more and mroe at peace everyday and have set new standards form myslef in regerds to the jobs i am willing to do. I feel i am at least worth 15. 00 per hr and will not even applt for jobs that pay less. I will have everyweek off becuase i have a life outside of work and to be honest as soon as i leave work i don't care about the place or coworkers there. While i understand the need to work i often view it as as waste of time so i am steady growning my side hustles so i can leave work behind becuase my life i better without it. Finally i relize that office politics is a part of the work world and sadly i realize i will have to play it even if i only do it sometimes i realize that most managers are nothing but small mind morons that simply do as they are told and cannot think of different ways to do stuff so i will play nice so to speak and not let them know i see there grand places and nothing mroe that fails waiting to happen. I thin kthat people where not meant to work away there lives jsut for a worthless paycheck. I will find away out of the system no matter how long it takes. Until then I will just sit back and let the fail happen. iI will make a great show and i do love a good laught every now and then. Humans are funny animals becuase they believe that everything must be earned. +"We recently attended our annual family reunion in North Carolina. My family have been going on this annual trek for the last 20 years. It is an eagerly anticipated yearly trip. I rent a large 15 capacity van. My sister and I both take our families. I offer to give rides to the more elderly family members. We usually hit the road around 6AM. I have completed the pick-up of the other occupants by 9AM. We head on down the Turnpike for the long drive down. We always have a goal to try to beat the prior year's time. It should take around 8-9 hours to get to our hotel. However, no matter how hard we try, we are usually the last family members from our area to check in. The difficulty is that there are only 2 drivers. My sister and I take turns drive around 3 hour stretches. And inevitably, we just end up stopping incessantly for many rest room breaks. The hotel is usually all filled with family members and it has an indoor pool. All of the planned activities is at the hotel so inclement weather will not ruin the events. It is a 3 day event. On Friday evening, there is a meet and greet social. The reunion dinner and memorials is held on Saturday. This is a formal event. The dinner iis catered with formal service. Each year we have a memorial service to honor members that have passed during the year. Immediately after dinner, we have an awards ceremony for recent college graduates and members who will be entering college. The highlight of the weekend is the talent show." +"We recently attended our annual family reunion in North Carolina. My family have been going on this annual trek for the last 20 years. It is an eagerly anticipated yearly trip. I rent a large 15 capacity van. My sister and I both take our families. I offer to give rides to the more elderly family members. We usually hit the road around 6AM. I have completed the pick-up of the other occupants by 9AM. We head on down the Turnpike for the long drive down. We always have a goal to try to beat the prior year's time. It should take around 8-9 hours to get to our hotel. However, no matter how hard we try, we are usually the last family members from our area to check in. The difficulty is that there are only 2 drivers. My sister and I take turns drive around 3 hour stretches. And inevitably, we just end up stopping incessantly for many rest room breaks. The hotel is usually all filled with family members and it has an indoor pool. All of the planned activities is at the hotel so inclement weather will not ruin the events. It is a 3 day event. On Friday evening, there is a meet and greet social. The reunion dinner and memorials is held on Saturday. This is a formal event. The dinner iis catered with formal service. Each year we have a memorial service to honor members that have passed during the year. Immediately after dinner, we have an awards ceremony for recent college graduates and members who will be entering college. The highlight of the weekend is the talent show." +"the event is moving from the east coast to the west coast recently it was my first move in over 35 yeawe stayed at the home of a relativers. it was difficult for me and my wife to get everything done on time in order to sell our house. making moving arrangements was hard. the cost of it all was another stressful factor. arranging homes for my two dogs was another difficult decision.. with the help of friends we got through it and are now glad that we did. there was a delay till our new home was ready. finding a used car was relatively easy. we rescued a dog and feel very lucky to get the one that we did. our new neighborhood is convenient to all stores, doctors,etc. the weather is somewhat cooler than expected. but still very pleasant. many events to go to. food is fresh and varued. cost of living is ok. nearby family is helpful . transportation is limited. medical facilities are close. ." +"I've been collecting dolls and toys since I was very small. My favorite is Strawberry Shortcake. I have been searching for these since as far back as I can remember. About two months ago, I found this niftly little store. It was called Caddy Corner. I thought I'd give it a try and go look. I was extremely busy that day. But I took a little time for myself since I deserve it. I looked around the store. What do I see in the corner? Dolls, everwhere dolls! Right in the mddle of all these dolls was a batch of Strawberry Shortcake dolls. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I quickly grabbed them and rushed to the counter in disbelief. I bought all of the dolls. This was a once in a lifetime find and I am the most happy woman you will ever see." +"I've been collecting dolls and toys since I was very small. My favorite is Strawberry Shortcake. I have been searching for these since as far back as I can remember. About two months ago, I found this niftly little store. It was called Caddy Corner. I thought I'd give it a try and go look. I was extremely busy that day. But I took a little time for myself since I deserve it. I looked around the store. What do I see in the corner? Dolls, everwhere dolls! Right in the mddle of all these dolls was a batch of Strawberry Shortcake dolls. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I quickly grabbed them and rushed to the counter in disbelief. I bought all of the dolls. This was a once in a lifetime find and I am the most happy woman you will ever see." +"Over the last several months I have been consistently looking for a job. Looking for a job seems so much more lazy than it was in the past. I remember carefully typing my resume and my cover letter, and then I would go to Schmitty's, our small coastal town's local supply store of anything of important. This is where I would pick up my resume paper of the correct feel, weight, and texture. I would be able to go into an office and hand in my carefully organized work. Now, the task is very simple, but very impersonal. My resume and cover letter are downloaded into a massive database, and employers have the task of picking out a candidate from this massive sea of pdfs they receive. I know I have skills that many possess, nothing about my education or experience are particularly exceptional. This is why, and it seemed out of the blue, when I got a job offer to work as a customer service representative for my favorite brand, Apple, I was floored. These were my job requirements going into my search. I needed appropriate training, a minimum of $15 an hour and benefits. I didn't need full benefits, just health benefits. Apple exceeded my expectations. They offered me $20 an hour with full benefits, regular training, and they give me unlimited support. I am still pinching myself over my good fortune. You wouldn't think that working remotely would be a dream environment, but it is so nice to have a home and work balance with no travel time. This will be life changing for me and my family, and I will no longer worry about my financial situation." +"Recently, my son had a birthday. We celebrated and I was in charge of doing the party. I was excited, as the party theme was to be Avengers. So I went to the party store and grabbed a bunch of supplies. I got streamers, balloons, favors, a few prize toys for some of the games. Once, I got home, I started working on preparing the food, just little snacks, to go with the pizza I was ordering. I also, went about decorating for the party. I put up the streamers. I blew up a ton of balloons, and hung them around the streamers. I put out the plates, cups, and utensils for the food. Then I made sure to designate a place for the presents that his friends would be bringing for him. All in all, everything was going great. All that was needed was the cake and the guests. This was going to be great. And I know my son will love all the games I have planned." +"Summer had come to an end and it was the first day of my youngest son's time at a Montessori nursery school. His brother, now 3 years old, had just completed his second year in the spring and had now moved on to his next program elsewhere. My wife and I were very excited to see our youngest get to experience the school and its teachers, but we were also nervous because the temperment of both boys has shown they are very different. Our oldest is adventurous to the point of being reckless. He is now very self-sufficient and communicates his needs. Our youngest tends to be very needy, and clings to me and his mother. We had flashbacks to the first few days of dropping off our other son and he would cry terribly at first. We had our youngest all dressed and his bag packed with changes of clothes, diapers, and blankets for napping with. We drove on the expressway through downtown and tried to explain what he could expect from the day. We tried to tell him that he would be meeting his new teachers and that he would get to do new activities, read stories, and meet new friends. And then we would be ready to pick him up soon. When we got to school, we parked out front and I helped get him out of his car seat. We had him walk on the sidewalk, holding my hand, and he held onto his own lunchbox. We took a moment to pose him in front of the school's sidewalk sign (the same place we snapped a picture of our other son on his first day). Spirits seemed high, so we entered the classroom. It was busy, yet quiet - several other families were sitting near the cubbies getting their kids to change into their indoor shoes, hang up their belongings, and part ways. Our son seemed to take to it, but was definitely clinging close to us. When it was time for us to go, we led him to the entrance of the classroom and had him hold hands with one of his teachers who led him to where the other children were. He looked back at us with tears in his eyes and started bawling. We knew it would be better to make a quick exit, rather than prolong this. We got back in the car with mixed emotions and drove off. By the time I had arrived to work, the teacher had shared out a picture of our son doing a few of the activities at school. He looked a bit weapy, but was smiling in the pictures and I remember that making me feel so good for him and glad that he was safe, happy, and cared for." +"I was feeling excited on the morning of Chad's first day all on his own. Michael and I had been looking forward to this day and we were scared because we were not ready in a way. Would I like the teacher? Would they instill confidence in their ability to take care of OUR baby boy with whom I almost trusted no one? Thankfully I have been talking about this with my therapist and support group. I can barely imagine my mom feeling any way similar when I was a child. It was surreal to be in a position to take care of a tiny child for the first time. I want him to be happy. I want him to be healthy. Most importantly I want him to know that he is loved. Michael and I may not be perfect, but we sure try our best. We didn't have the best childhoods so we want him to. I am getting nervous but I think I will be okay. I have my camera ready and I will be documenting this. I hope Chad enjoys it. I hope we are okay. We will be okay." +"In the past month, I had the best birthday celebration in my whole life. My friends and I took a trip to Universal Studio. It was the most memorable moment of my life because I couldn't forget this trip. This trip was so special that I wanted to relive every moment of it. My friends surprised me with this trip because they paid for everything. While I was at Universal Studio, my friends and I visited a lot of places. The best place I visited was the Harry Potter Land. My friends celebrated my birthday at the Harry Potter restaurant, which was unique. The moment I saw the big cake coming my way, I saw 35 candles were sticking on the cake. I remembered when I blew all the candles, my friends laughed at me because it took me 5 turns to blew all the candles out. I couldn't stop laughing at myself because I was happy and cried at the same time. I haven't had such a celebration for a long time, and I was thankful that all my friends took the time and money to celebrate my birthday. I also remembered I got a free wand at the Ollivanders' Wand shop because it was my birthday. I immediately felt so special and joy that I was the happiest person in the whole universe. I couldn't forget how this birthday celebration was important to me because it was the happiest moment I had." +"Today was a very memorable day in my life as a mother. My oldest son, Henry, started Kindergarten. I can't believe that he is five years old and starting school already. I feel like he was just born. Where has the time gone?! I still remember his newborn smell, his first bath, his first tooth, his first words, his first steps, and his first day of preschool. Now, here we are, and he's in Kindergarten. I know that the next 12-13 years are going to fly by just as fast, and I need to savor every minute of his life with me. Before I know it, he'll be graduating high school and heading off to college. We only have 18 years with our children before they head off into independence and adulthood. We need to cherish them. This morning we were both anxious about his first day of school. I made him a special breakfast of waffles and milk, helped him get dressed in the outfit we picked out last night, and got his backpack ready for the day. We took many pictures outside with his brother and sister to commemorate this special day as we waited for his bus. When the school bus arrived, he nervously walked up the stairs and turned to look at me one last time. I waved goodbye to him as he found his seat. As the bus pulled away and headed to his school, I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. My baby is heading off to school, and although I'm a little emotional, I know that he is ready and going to excel." +"I've been ruminating for a week about a major milestone that happened last Monday. Well, not so much the event itself, but my reaction to it. Am I bad mother? A bad person?? Okay, let me start over from the beginning. A week ago, last Monday, my little baby boy (not so little anymore!) Henry got on the big yellow school bus for the first time ever and headed off to his very first day of Kindergarten. As I watched him go, I felt a weird mixture of feelings, one of which was relief. Relief??? I'm not supposed to feel relief!!! I'm supposed to be heartbroken and nostalgic, thinking how different things will be without him around the house. Looking at his little un-played-with toys. Missing his voice and constant questions. Thumbing through old photo albums and marveling at how it was practically just yesterday that he was taking his first steps and saying his first words. Now I'm not saying that I didn't have those feelings, of course I did. I mean, I'm not a complete psychopath. But shouldn't that be the end of the story? Am I terrible for being a little bit glad that I'm going to have a few question-free hours to breathe and decompress? Is this normal? Am I selfish? Is this a sign of a bad mother? Ugh. Nobody told me that motherhood was going to have THIS many worries in it." +"The memorable event is my vacation to London with my boyfriend a couple of months ago. I had always wanted to visit England and finally got the chance. I was so excited. This was the trip of a lifetime. The flight over was very comfortable and I couldn't wait to arrive. London was amazing. It's such a big, lively city. It's also very unique. I visited all the tourist destinations. We had an amazing time! One of my favorite experiences while there was visiting Buckingham Palace. I also loved visiting Madame Tussaud's and riding on the London Eye. The shopping there was great too. I bought clothes in lots of fun UK stores. I enjoyed the food, the people and especially the accents! I honestly had the time of my life." +"This is a good entry finally. As we celebrate 10 years of marriage, I can't help but smile. This has been great and the greatest decision of my life. I enjoyed the day and it was sure full of surprises. When i think about all this time that has passed I can't help but think of how awesome my life is. We have sweet children together and sweet homes and cars. I think we will eat somewhere tonight that is fancy and everyone will be invited. This will be a day to remember and I cannot wait. This day started off blah and then the first surprise came. It was so awesome. I got a nice gold and diamond necklace to wear forever with our wedding date on it. This is a nice setup for when my 20th anniversary comes by. The kids made me breakfast in bed so they will have to one up it in 10 years. I still have to get my present for my husband, but he is easy to shop for. This will be fun picking it out. Until tomorrow diary, I will write more." +"This is a good entry finally. As we celebrate 10 years of marriage, I can't help but smile. This has been great and the greatest decision of my life. I enjoyed the day and it was sure full of surprises. When i think about all this time that has passed I can't help but think of how awesome my life is. We have sweet children together and sweet homes and cars. I think we will eat somewhere tonight that is fancy and everyone will be invited. This will be a day to remember and I cannot wait. This day started off blah and then the first surprise came. It was so awesome. I got a nice gold and diamond necklace to wear forever with our wedding date on it. This is a nice setup for when my 20th anniversary comes by. The kids made me breakfast in bed so they will have to one up it in 10 years. I still have to get my present for my husband, but he is easy to shop for. This will be fun picking it out. Until tomorrow diary, I will write more." +"My kids and I were outside with friends(neighbors). The kids were playing in the field with friends while I was talking to my friends, other parents. It all happened so fast. There was a drive by shooting. Three people were shot, adults. One child was grazed by a bullet. Even though the shootings have since calmed down, we rarely let the kids go out now. If they do, we are there with them. Used to, we knew to have the kids in by dark. However, the shootings have been getting earlier and earlier. The last one was on a Sunday afternoon. It's this whole area. Not just this neighborhood but the whole city. It doesn't seem anywhere is safe now. Every where that used to be safe is no longer safe. I thought about moving but not sure where to move to. Seems all the safe neighborhoods are becoming unsafe." +"The event that happened was a few weeks ago. It involved a drive by shooting while my kids and I were outside with other neighbors(parents and kids). We live in a poor area that goes through times of being unsafe due to crime related to drugs and gangs. We were all in field across the street from my house. It is a small field. Really an empty lot that used to be a house and someone's property. The neighborhood kids all gather there to play while parents chit chat and hang out. Several people were shot. It was very traumatic for all of us. We no longer feel safe letting the kids play outside. Most of the time we feel safe but here lately it hasn't felt like a very safe place to live. There has been times that some of the neighbors have not gotten along, to the point of physical fighting. Most don't even talk to each other now. What I noticed that day was how everyone came together to help out those who were shot and to calm and comfort each other, especially the kids. We united as friends and neighbors to help each other. We put all of our differences aside to get through what was happening." +"On September 28, 2019 I had the privilege of marring my wife. Our ceremony was held at a winery in Livermore, California. I would have to say that this was the best day of my life and probably will be the most memorable day as well. Our ceremony was held outside overlooking the vineyard. My family and friends and her family and friends were in attendance. The ceremony was short but very sweet. I just remember looking into her eyes and seeing the love that she has for me. After the ceremony cocktails were served and around 5 PM people started to sit in their seats. The wedding party was then introduced. We stat down and had a good dinner. Afterwards the maid of honor and my best man gave their speeches which contained the most embarrassing stories for my wife and my past. The story my brother, the best man, told caught me off guard and I was shocked and surprised and embarrassed all at the same time. After a few good laughs everyone headed for the dance floor. Around this time I started to reflect on how amazing it was for all of these people to take time out of their busy lives and come and celebrate with us. After a few hours of dancing an mingling everyone started to head for home or back to their hotels. My bride and I went back to our hotel and had a few good laughs about or experience that day. This is a memory that will last with me for as long as I live." +"dear diary, this is the best day ever. i finally made a decision to move. i decided to move to a whole new apartment in the city. it is a great place to be. there is a whole foods down the block. a best buy two blocks away and a huge park a few blocks away. i love it here. this is a great change in my life. this is really important for me because i never lived on my own before. i am used to living with my family. i am a late bloomer i guess, spending so much time living at home. the world is so much different when you have to take care of everything on your own. doing laundry is a new experience. im used to dumping my clothes in a bag and letting my mom do it for me while im at work, coming home to being done. now i have to take time out my week to go to the laundromat and do it myself. Going food shopping at the supermarket is new i guess, i have ordered online groceries before but never went out and did shopping, i left that to my moms. this is all new and all great." +"I decided to sell my house after Christmas and had a heck of a time. You wouldn't believe it! First, I couldn't decide whether to sell as-is, get it painted and repaired, sell it myself, or get a realtor -- in any combination thereof. So I was running all those possibilites at once! The first obstacle I ran into was that I couldn't find any contractors to do the painting and repair work. I mean, I was ghosted by three contractors who never showed up to give a bid! The economy must be great, right!?I thought about selling as is to one of those ""we buy houses"" people. That guy bullshitted me that the house was virtually unsellable because of size and location, and uninsurable as well. He offered me about half value. No thanks! I was sweating bullets about getting the repairs and painting done. I wanted -- needed -- to get the house ready and leave town quickly. I talked to one friend who was out of work but gone for the holidays about helping me when he got back, for pay. Another friend volunteered to come in from out of state and help for free. Botdh those options meant delay and doing work I really don't like to do. After two weeks of setting up all options -- after all, I didn't know what was going to pain out -- I found a contractor who did the work for a reasonable price in a week. Then a realtor had it under contract in another week. Phew! So stressful! I never want to own another house. As Thoreau said about farms, I'll apply to all real estate: It's more easily aquired than got rid of!" +"We arrived safely in Mexico City about two weeks. The ride here was absolutely grueling. An entire day long drive. He gave me such short notice, so I had to basically tell my work I'm not even coming in. My boss is now angry with me that my work won't be done for a few weeks on this spontaneous trip to Mexico. How am I going to recover from that blow? I was really going for that shiny new promotion to get that corner office with the view, but no. Now half my co-workers are going to hate me, as I'm sure my boss is going to try splitting up all my work among the rest of everyone. Lisa from accounting will be cross with me, and I was really feeling like we were becoming friends. I can't be really too selfish, though. The reason we were called down, which he failed to mention to me on our day-long journey here, is that his dad is sick. One look at him, and I knew it wasn't good. My husband broke down the first night there. Told me he was afraid to lose his dad. I shouldn't be so selfish, and should let him stay with his dad in his final days. I just wish our life didn't have to stop because someone else's is ending." +"The drive felt like forever, especially since the day was so hot. It kept getting hotter and hotter as we made our way south. It was all for a good reason so that helped it be a little bit more bearable. The best part of the drive was all the food stops we made. I love tacos as it is but the ones in Mexico were so much better than any I've had before. I know some people say driving to Mexico isn't worth it and that it's better to fly but being able to see the country through the drive was great. Of course the food on the way was great too. My children enjoyed it as well, although they were complaining any time we weren't stopped to eat. If I had to do it again I would probably choose to fly but I have no regrets about the road trip this time. My husband's parents welcomed us with love when we got there. The home was out in the country. They had a few livestock as well and some chickens. The children loved spending time there. I hope to come visit them again soon. I had a great time visiting Mexico." +"The drive felt like forever, especially since the day was so hot. It kept getting hotter and hotter as we made our way south. It was all for a good reason so that helped it be a little bit more bearable. The best part of the drive was all the food stops we made. I love tacos as it is but the ones in Mexico were so much better than any I've had before. I know some people say driving to Mexico isn't worth it and that it's better to fly but being able to see the country through the drive was great. Of course the food on the way was great too. My children enjoyed it as well, although they were complaining any time we weren't stopped to eat. If I had to do it again I would probably choose to fly but I have no regrets about the road trip this time. My husband's parents welcomed us with love when we got there. The home was out in the country. They had a few livestock as well and some chickens. The children loved spending time there. I hope to come visit them again soon. I had a great time visiting Mexico." +"Hello dairy, my first surgery happened few weeks ago at the Central City hospital. if you must know, it was not a pleasant experience. As an IT personnel, After each work Day I usually located the nearest bar to relax and have a glass of drink. It all began one night, I was up due to a severe pain in my stomach. I took pain killers to ease the pain as I thought pain Killers would make me fine unfortunately the pain kept coming back. At first I thought I knew what was wrong with me. Drinks. I stopped taking all drinks except water. few days later, I started having the same trouble right in my Office. I wanted to come home First . Oh Gush! My stomach hurts. I held on to myself. security men noticed something was wrong with me as I walked out of the office building. I dont want to draw attention. ""No one here needs to know what is going on with me"" i thought as I dragged myself to the car. Can I drive? my hands were trembling. I knew I had to call for help or else I might loose myself. My phone, I started searching for my Phone. I wanted to call out for Help. that was when I passed Out! Yes! the next thing I remember was being on the Hospital bed. Surgery." +"Today I was laying on the floor in the living room watching cooking shows with my mother. My phone started to buzz on the floor next to me, and I turned over to look at it to see it is my father. I figured it was just going to be able picking me up for college the next day, so I picked up and said yes dad in a werid tone giving the expression of ""not now"". The person on the phone was not my father today, it was his current girlfriend in a sad tone of voice. She told me my father suffered a major stroke and was in the hospital down the street. During this time my stomach felt like it was on the floor, and my mind went blank. I handed the phone to my mother and stared at the floor of the room in confusion about the current situation. I heard my mother's vice start to change into a sad tone as well, and she started to cry. After she got off the phone she called my sister at work, holding back tears told my sister that our father was in the hospital and she needed to come home. It felt like hours have passed from my mother calling my sister, and her getting to our home as time felt like it was passing by slowly. When she got home we talked about what we all knew from the call, and what was happening and just started to cry. We briskly walked to the car on our way to the emergency room down the street to see my father in the state he was in. When we got to the hospital the walk to the area he was in was full of the anxiety of how he was currently. When we got to his area we saw him laying on the bed strapped up to multiple different machines to monitor him and give them medications he needed. During this time I started to have feelings of fear, and sadness throughout my mind. We spent the next hour with him, while also talking with doctors about what has happened. We ended up going home to rest, and tomorrow we will go to see him more." +"I took my wife and kids to the funeral. It was such an emotional event. When it was time to give eulogies, his parents were the first ones to speak. They showered him with lots of praises. Then came his siblings who had nothing but love and joy to spread. When it was my turn to speak I was worried I could not match what all these people had said. I thought to myself that they had already said everything there was to say about this amazing person. My mind ran blank, I tried looking at the paper I had written but it was unhelpful. I just decided to step up and give my friend the best eulogy i could imagine. When I held the mike to speak, tears started flowing the same way words were from my mouth. I don't know how long I took but by the time I was done i felt relieved. When I looked at the faces of the people listening, I realized that I had touched some people's hearts. When we left the event it was around 6pm. My mind was bringing me all the memories we shared with my friend. I started to miss him." +"I took my wife and kids to the funeral. It was such an emotional event. When it was time to give eulogies, his parents were the first ones to speak. They showered him with lots of praises. Then came his siblings who had nothing but love and joy to spread. When it was my turn to speak I was worried I could not match what all these people had said. I thought to myself that they had already said everything there was to say about this amazing person. My mind ran blank, I tried looking at the paper I had written but it was unhelpful. I just decided to step up and give my friend the best eulogy i could imagine. When I held the mike to speak, tears started flowing the same way words were from my mouth. I don't know how long I took but by the time I was done i felt relieved. When I looked at the faces of the people listening, I realized that I had touched some people's hearts. When we left the event it was around 6pm. My mind was bringing me all the memories we shared with my friend. I started to miss him." +"It's the day after my 23rd birthday and I can remember just enough to know I had a great time. That's how it should be, in my mind. I wanted to celebrate the 23rd year of my life with a bang. Lucky for me I have a few co workers who are around my age. They knew my birthday was coming up and asked if I was doing anything special. I told them I had some vague plans, nothing specific. One of them made a comment that we should all go out after work to celebrate. He's always telling these elaborate stories about his night time adventures so I thought it might make for a great birthday memory. I agreed and we made plans. The day arrived and I was pretty excited. My colleagues also seemed ready to go. Turns out I was not prepared for what was to come! From what I can remember, there was a lot of drinking, strippers and some unflattering selfies involved. We took an Uber into the city and that's the last of my clear recollection. We definitely went pretty hard, but it was a great time overall." +"It's the day after my 23rd birthday and I can remember just enough to know I had a great time. That's how it should be, in my mind. I wanted to celebrate the 23rd year of my life with a bang. Lucky for me I have a few co workers who are around my age. They knew my birthday was coming up and asked if I was doing anything special. I told them I had some vague plans, nothing specific. One of them made a comment that we should all go out after work to celebrate. He's always telling these elaborate stories about his night time adventures so I thought it might make for a great birthday memory. I agreed and we made plans. The day arrived and I was pretty excited. My colleagues also seemed ready to go. Turns out I was not prepared for what was to come! From what I can remember, there was a lot of drinking, strippers and some unflattering selfies involved. We took an Uber into the city and that's the last of my clear recollection. We definitely went pretty hard, but it was a great time overall." +This summer I had one of those too strange to be a coincidence moments. Earlier in the year my grandmother passed away. She was supposed to officiate my wedding as she was an ordained minister. Unexpectedly she came down with a fever which she just couldnt beat. This pushed the wedding back until this fall. 2 months ago I went dress shopping with my mom. We went to a few of the normal places but couldn't find anything we liked. We decided to go to a smaller local shop that we hadnt ever seen. When we got there I found the perfect dress right away. After buying it the owner had said they always have the brides name the dresses they buy. My mom and I thought this was strange but cute enough. We couldnt think of a fitting name so the owner brought us the guest book for the store. She said sometimes you like the name of another shopper and that can be your dress. As we paged through a name caught my eye. It was my grandmother. She had been in the shop 4 months ago looking at dresses that she had wanted to show me. We settled on the name rose as it was only fitting. +"I have started a relationship with a someone I went out on a date with a few weeks ago. I actually knew her from high school, but it has been years since we have even seen each other at all. We went out on a double date with a couple of my friends and really hit it off immediately. We went to dinner in a quaint little Italian place here in my town. It was like we had never missed any time of knowing each other at all. ! It was really surprising how very much we still have in common, and how alike we are! She has the same exact dry sense of humor that I do and I really like that alot about her. She is also just as much fun as I remember her being in school. I am really thinking and hoping that this new relationship is going to develop into something that will last a long time, as I can really envision myself spending the rest of my life with her. She only lives in the next town over from me, which is maybe a 10 minute drive. I am very hopeful for this and the possibility. The friends who went on the double date with us did not hit if off nearly as great as we did. They were just very awkward and different. It was pretty painful to watch them trying to make small talk when my date and I just talked and laughed and had so so much fun. I am really happy about the way things went and are going. Wish me luck!!" +"Wow, what an amazing summer I've had! I was finally able to go on my dream vacation! Paris and London were the most amazing places. So much more magnificent that I could have even dreamed. I went with Matt, Marcus, Joseph and of course the love of my life, Stacy. We first flew in to Paris and stayed there for four days. The first day we went sightseeing and we went to the Eiffel Tower. We had to pay just to go to the top, which was irritating, but it was worth it once we got there. At the top, I got down on one knee and asked my amazing girlfriend if she would do me the honor of becoming my wife. She said yes and Joseph was able to get it all on film! We've watched that recording 10 times at least, lol. That just started our trip off on such a high that the rest of the time in Paris was fantastic. We ate in quaint little local spots and had such great service everywhere we went. After Paris we took the train to London and spent the last three days there. It was just as amazing as Paris. I loved visiting the historical landmarks and Big Ben was too cool! Stacy and I have decided to go back to Paris for our honeymoon, we loved it that much!" +"This happened a couple month ago where we had a gaming tournament. This gaming tournament is 7 weeks long and we play twice per week. So, this totals in 14 games for the season. Before every game that we played, we would practice with other teams. This is called scrimmages and we would do as much as we can do get the feel of the game. All in all, me and friends would play at least 5 scrimmages per day to get the practice in. In these scrimmages there are ups and downs. Sometimes we won't like to play any scrimmages at all because we be burnt out. Sometimes we will not be in the same page as a team and we would just get frustrated from each other. The lesson that we learned from this is that, we need to rest sometimes and not just play all the time. So, our plan changed every week to practice. Long story short, we ended up winning twelve out of the fourteen games of the season. This means that we were in the playoffs after a long season. The playoffs will start 3 weeks after the season ended, which is bad for us in my opinion. It was bad for us because we got comfortable and we would stop practicing because we think that we were better than our opponents for the playoffs. Long story short we lost this playoff game and were out of the tournament. I was disappointed because we put a lot of time in this game and we would just get kicked out of the tournament in the first day of playoffs." +"In May of 2019 I decided it was the right time to take a trip via airplane to visit my mom and sister that share a home in Las Vegas Nevada. The last time I went to visit was in November of 2017 a few months after my mom suffered from a stroke. After that visit I was very depressed and was and still am suffering from PTSD. Before the trip in 2017 we were still recovering from dealing withthe after effects from hurricane Irma. So I felt the time was right to go and see how my mom is doing as far as progressing for myself as I had heard other stories from my siblings. I figured the end of May was great as my children were done with school and my husband had time in his schedule to take vacation. We flew an airling that we have never flown because it was less costly and it was actually the only airline that had enough seats left for our family to sit together. We also flew out of an airport that we never ever fly out of. These two things alone were like an adventure for us because they were new experiences. I won't mention the shuttle driver that kept swerving in the other lane getting us to the airport as that was extremely scary and angering for me and I let the shuttle driver know that as well. Back to the trip, we arrived in Las Vegas at my families home and it was around 3 in the morning (late flight). I was exhausted as we are on a time difference and gave my sister a hug and looked towards her piull out sofa to see my mom and her tiny frail body laying done. I went over and gave my mom a hug and kiss and told my kids and husband to say hello and give her a hug. They were not use to seeing her in that condition and were taken aback or nervous. I spent six days, four of which were full time hands on with my mom, getting her up, dressed, back and forth to the bathroom, cooking breakfast, lunch dinner as well as snacks. My plan was to do some work on my laptop but that did not happen. My mom is healthy, she just has issues with mobility since her stroke. When it was time to leave I did not feel sad as I did in 2017. I felt okay as I knew my mom was healthy she just needs more therapy and a part time nurse to relieve my sister of duties. My sister does alot and I left with a new found respect for her and a bit of a relief that I was going back to my normal life and that my mom overall is healthy and will be okay." +About two months ago i was visiting las vegas. I was going to see my mother. The main reason for the visit was that she had just had a stroke and i wanted to support her. I remember when i got there i gave her a very big hug. We bonded so much during the trip. I was very sad most of the time but happy to see her. I was very grateful that the doctor said she should be okay now . She will have to change her diet and work out more but she will be okay. It was a very big relief to hear the doctor say that . I plan on moving down closer to my mother soon. I want to be there for her . I dont want her to have another stroke. Overall i am very happy with the visit with my mother . I do plan on also seeing her again shortly in the future. One thing that shocked me was how much we bonded. We talked so much about past memories from when i was a child. We have never really bonded like this before and it was very nice to have bonded with her. I also remember we talked about my dad passing away and i dont want to watch my mother pass away. I plan on helping her with work out goals and changing her diet. +"My nephew invited me to his high school graduation in Washington, DC. I was very excited to go. First, it was an opportunity to attend an important family event. My family is small, and so the milestone events are a big deal. The location made the ceremony quite memorable. I had never visited Washington properly. Aside from the ceremony, I got to see a lot of the city and the famous monuments. There were so many famous sites. I saw the White House (but no President, unfortunately). I saw Congress. I saw the Washington Monument. I saw the Lincoln Memorial. I saw Arlington. I saw Watergate. I saw Ford's Theatre. The only downside was that I saw the bad part of the city too. There are a lot of boarded up, homeless-infested streets. It is really unfortunate to see that in the nation's capital." +"My nephew invited me to his high school graduation in Washington, DC. I was very excited to go. First, it was an opportunity to attend an important family event. My family is small, and so the milestone events are a big deal. The location made the ceremony quite memorable. I had never visited Washington properly. Aside from the ceremony, I got to see a lot of the city and the famous monuments. There were so many famous sites. I saw the White House (but no President, unfortunately). I saw Congress. I saw the Washington Monument. I saw the Lincoln Memorial. I saw Arlington. I saw Watergate. I saw Ford's Theatre. The only downside was that I saw the bad part of the city too. There are a lot of boarded up, homeless-infested streets. It is really unfortunate to see that in the nation's capital." +"So I took my family to a trip this year. We went to Memphis and it was great! The sights were amazing, and the city was alive with sounds, and lights, and it was just beautiful. We also visited our friends there. We talked about many things while we were there, and we found out many new stories about our friends. We haven't seen them in a while. So it was nice catching up. After we talked for a while, we went to the beach to have some fun. We swam in the oceans, and we played in the sand. We had a great time. It was fun, and we loved it a lot. After that, I thought about moving my family here. I mean why not? This city is wonderful, and the people are great. Our friends are also here, so why not? So, that's what we did." +"So I took my family to a trip this year. We went to Memphis and it was great! The sights were amazing, and the city was alive with sounds, and lights, and it was just beautiful. We also visited our friends there. We talked about many things while we were there, and we found out many new stories about our friends. We haven't seen them in a while. So it was nice catching up. After we talked for a while, we went to the beach to have some fun. We swam in the oceans, and we played in the sand. We had a great time. It was fun, and we loved it a lot. After that, I thought about moving my family here. I mean why not? This city is wonderful, and the people are great. Our friends are also here, so why not? So, that's what we did." +the moment i was fully surprised on 3 months before it was happened. that moment is on my birthday. my friends are planed and celebrate my birthday grandly. it was unforgettable day in life. i did not celebrate my birthday like that before. i never forget in my life. i enjoyed a lot with my friends. they also invited my family and office friends to the party. they arranged the party. arranged some programs and games. the day was filled with full of enjoyment. one of my childhood friend arranged the party. all my friends together arrange the party. they planned for 2 months. they save the money for the event. all together worked and gave a big surprise to me. i never expect this from my friends. they clearly planned and executed very well. they kept it very secretly. i fully enjoyed the day. it's all because of my friends. there is no enough words to explain my happiness i experience on that day. +"It's been a really long few months since I lost my job. I have been searching and looking for a new one every day, but it's a tough market out there. Everybody wants a better job, everybody wants and needs more money, and the competition is stiff. The savings that we have is quickly depleting and there isn't much left after this month. I've been depressed and my anxiety is through the roof lately. I need to be able to put food on the table for my kids, and keep a roof over their heads. A few weeks ago I was searching online for what I could possibly do from home at least for something, anything. Any help at this point would be amazing. Extra groceries, phone bill, electric bill, I don't care, it all needs to be paid anyway. I found some sites that seemed like I could do surveys for some cash, but most paid in gift cards, and you seem to need weeks worth of points to be able to earn a gift card. Then I found Mechanical Turk. It's something Amazon controls, so I looked into it and decided to sign up. It was a few days for me to get my approval, and in which time I did some research to find out what kind of jobs I could expect. The answer to that, was a little bit of everything, and sometimes some seriously crazy stuff. I read stories of some of the crazy things people did. By the time I got my approval, I felt fairly ready to jump right in and hopefully start making some money. The first few days to a week were rough, there aren't many jobs available for a new worker, so I worked for literal pennies an hour. But it got my feet wet. After the first few weeks I started getting into the swing of things, and luckily I've been making some better money. This week alone I've made enough for groceries at least. Is it long tedious hours some days? Yep. But you know what? It doesn't matter, because this is only for the short term until I find something else, and at least my kids are being fed. Not being able to afford the basics really does a number to your self-esteem." +"Three months ago, I had a great recovery. I relearned how to walk with my walker. I was in my wheelchair. I'm glad I can somewhat walk now. I hope I can job again one day. I remember jogging in a track team in high school. I was the best at it. I remember at a big race almost breaking my leg. I was on the final lap of the race. I stumbled on the side of the track. This costed me a few seconds but I didn't trip. I kept on running to the finish line. I got the gold medal and the whole team celebrated. We got pizza that night for my big win. I had a blast eating a ton of pizza after being constricted to a diet for the run." +"Oh, what a terror. They have not given it back to me and in fact it spiraled down even worse. I'm now seeking legal action against them. It's pure terror. I went back through my old pay stubs and realized they were underpaying me. They were underpaying me a lot for work I had done. So I'm really frustrated now. I just let it go really. I moved on and went back to my old job. I think I may be making more at my old job now in face. And I'm also going back to school. After this tech program which ends in one year I'll get a good job. That's all I'm worried about now. Going to school and doing a good job. Completing it and getting a job. I'm excited about it." +"A few days ago was the big dinner. We had been planning it for weeks, as a way to say goodbye to our friend Pablo, who would be leaving to Peru in a couple days. It was an important event for me, and I had to do a lot of preparation. First off, I had to find the venue. I looked all over town for various options, and made a list of the best choices. Then, our group voted on which restaurant to choose. We ended up choosing Anju, a new Korean place which had rave reviews. Next, I locked down the reservations, and made sure everybody knew when it was happening. However, we made sure to keep it a secret from Pablo, in hopes of surprising him. Once the night of the dinner arrived, I went over to Pablo's apartment to pick him up. He was a bit confused on what we were doing, but I told him we would go grab a slice of pizza or something. As we arrived at the Korean restaurant, Pablo begin to suspect that something was up. As soon as he seen all of our friends waiting outside, he knew he had been surprised. Everybody jumped out and yelled ""surprise"" in unison. It was really well done, and Pablo was laughing so hard he began to cry. We filed into the restaurant, and began our meal. We had a lot of laughs, told a lot of stories, and ate our fair share of delicious Korean cuisine. As we finished our main course, the staff came out with another surprise - a large chocolate cake, with ""goodbye Pablo"" spelled out in white icing. It looked amazing! Afterwards, I learned that our friend Javiar had set this up. What a fantastic way to end the meal. Everybody loved the cake - especially Pablo." +"Friends and I decided to go out to dinner and it was my turn to choose the place. I check some of our favorite places to see if any of them was running a special. No one was, so I decided to look for a new place that we might enjoy. I Googled restaurants near me and found several that we had not been to yet. I read their reviews and decided on a new steak house which also served a nice variety on their menu. I notified all my friend and they were excited about trying a new place. I made a reservation as there were six of us going. When we got there the place was packed, but as soon as I gave my name to the hostess, we were ushered to our seats which were off the side of the main room, giving us a bit of privacy. We got our drinks and made our dinner orders and sat back for what we assumed might be a wait, considering how busy they were. Salads and rolls came out promptly and both were great. Within an amazingly short time, our dinners arrived and all of us were thrilled with our choice. The food was hot, cooked as requested and artfully presented. To say this place was a hit is an understatement. It has not been added to our list of favorites. I was happy that I had made a good choice for a nice evening." +"I was involved in planning a social gathering for some friends. I did the legwork for the place we were going to. I contacted each person and gave them the name of the restaurant and how to get there. I even sent them a link to the restaurants website so that they could look at the menu. For those out of town, I sent them a link to a hotel site so that they could find lodging. For some I helped them with directions on how to get to the restaurant. I answered any and all questions that I could. The day of the event, I was at the restaurant early to get the seating in a oval so that we could all talk to each other. I also had name tags for everyone to wear so that we would know who was who. 23 had signed up, but only 15 actually came, which was disappointing. One couple got lost and she didn't have my phone number with her to call. Nor did she think of calling the restaurant and asking for me or for directions. The group that was there had a very nice time chatting and eating. I think everyone enjoyed themselves and would want to do the same thing next year. I will certainly do this again next year." +"I am being harassed at work by this man who thinks he can say horrible things, and look at me inappropriately with his dirty eyes. One time he even came up to me and groped me from behind. That was the last straw and I had to report his behavior. However my boss did not believe me, and instead after my report he told everyone how one should not tell baseless lies while looking straight at me. I have never felt so angry and embarrassed before in my life. After that happened, everyone is talking behind my back, about how I'm that person. I felt horrible. It was wrong. And I didn't like it. I don't know why it's happening to me, and I just want to shrink into the floor. I don't know how to get away so I just thought about what I could do to fix this mess. But nothing came to mind. I felt like I didn't belong. In the end, I decided that I had to forge on. No matter what. I can't just give up." +"Three months ago, my husband was told that he was able to start walking again. He was in a car accident about a year ago, and he was been getting around with a knee scooter. It's been difficult, but we are grateful that he is still with us. The damages to the vehicle were extensive, and it was totaled. He had spent 1 full month in the hospital. He also underwent 3 separate surgeries. When we were told that he could start walking, I was elated. It has been hard to see him this way. He is extremely independent and active, but this accident took this away from him. I have been watching him get back into the groove of walking, and it has been inspiring and uplifting. We also share a 2 year old son, so now I can watch them walk together. The past 3 months have been a turn around in our lives. We expected that he was going to be not walking for longer, so knowing that he is healthy and healing quickly makes me feel more at ease as well. Everything can change in an instant. It is so important to be grateful and aware of your gifts." +"Sometime around three months ago, there was a serious accident in the family. My husband was involved. The accident resulted in his inability to walk. This was a heavy blow to the family. He was the bread winner and the rock upon which the family stood. He was depressed by this. However, he was very determined to walk again. He started attending therapy. He got stronger every day. He took his meds. He woke up every morning, and did simple exercises. This made him stronger. He started being able to stand. And soon enough he was able to walk. The doctor gave the okay. This led to full recovery. We are happy." +"Jane came to visit last month. Well, she didn't come to visit me. Jason turned 8 and the party turned into a bit of a family reunion. It was strange to see her after all of these years. Strange in a good way. We decided to bury the hatchet about our old fight. She claims she does not even remember what it was about. I have to be honest, neither do I. It was very good to see her again. It was good to be surrounded by the children of the family. They are not children anymore, and they have their own families now. It is a beautiful thing to see. I love my family. We agreed to meet up again for Christmas in a few months. I cannot wait." +my daughter was a late bloomer when it came to crawling she would just drag herself on the ground instead of getting up on her knees. i had been working with her a lot but it didn't help. we had tried everything. i even looked up youtube videos trying to figure out ways to help her learn to crawl. at one point we were concerned because the doctor was telling us that she should be crawling at this stage. i had done my best to work with her daily but still nothing. one day i was helping my son with something and was not looking at her. i looked down at my feet there she was! she was on her knees and crawling! i was so excited that she had basically done it all on her own. i guess i just needed to give her a little more time to get confident enough to try it. my daughter impressed me so much by doing this. i could not have been prouder to watch her crawl around on her own after this. my daughter now crawls around everywhere and rarely takes a break to just be still. i still think about this event a lot especially now that we are trying to teach her to walk. +"Today was a really good day in our family. My wife and I have two young children. Our son is 6 and our daughter is now 15 months. Our son was right in line with what we've read development wise, however our daughter seemed to have been lacking. She meets the developmental queues of other children her age. She makes eye contact with us when called and not called upon. And she appears to be a normal healthy child, however she has yet to learn to crawl. That was until today. We were all watching TV and playing games with our son. We try to include our daughter in on everything since she loves to play. Our son was playing legos and my daughter was playing with a ball game where it goes down a spiral slide. Well, the ball got away from her when it got to the bottom and instead of crying like she has done in the past, she flopped over on her stomach and crawled to the ball. This was the first time she has ever initiated crawling and going out of her way to get something on her own without crying for it. Honestly, we werent even paying attention since she was having fun on her own. All of a sudden we see the ball go rolling, her crawling after it, and next thing you know, shes next to the both of us waiting for us to play with her. It was a proud day in our family. The worries went out the window that day since we were always concerned about developmental issues. I guess it is somewhat true what they say in that all children are different and will learn when they want to learn." +"We don't always get to see close friends and family members, so getting together with everyone at my cousin's wedding was a very memorable event. Weddings are exciting enough especially when you are in the wedding party. This on top of seeing friends and family members that I hadn't seen in years left me with some amazing memories. Everything about the wedding was perfect. The wedding was on the beach and the weather couldn't be any more perfect. The food and decorations were perfect and the music kept us all dancing all night long. We had a lot of laughs. I think the funniest moment was when she went to smash some cake in the groom's face, but missed when he ducked and threw it on the floor. She gave the entire place a good laugh. There were many candid photos taken and shared between all of us. We are still reliving the day as we look through the pictures. I know my cousin had an amazing wedding and I'm so happy that we could all help share in her special day. The bride looked beautiful and her wedding party complimented her perfectly. I never thought my cousin would get married. She really surprised us all in the end." +"We don't always get to see close friends and family members, so getting together with everyone at my cousin's wedding was a very memorable event. Weddings are exciting enough especially when you are in the wedding party. This on top of seeing friends and family members that I hadn't seen in years left me with some amazing memories. Everything about the wedding was perfect. The wedding was on the beach and the weather couldn't be any more perfect. The food and decorations were perfect and the music kept us all dancing all night long. We had a lot of laughs. I think the funniest moment was when she went to smash some cake in the groom's face, but missed when he ducked and threw it on the floor. She gave the entire place a good laugh. There were many candid photos taken and shared between all of us. We are still reliving the day as we look through the pictures. I know my cousin had an amazing wedding and I'm so happy that we could all help share in her special day. The bride looked beautiful and her wedding party complimented her perfectly. I never thought my cousin would get married. She really surprised us all in the end." +"Last year I started drinking again after a pause of some months. I was staying with my parents after selling my house and my dad caught me drinking. They decided to kick me out and I went. I bounced around hotels and camped outside (it was still pretty cool, winter to spring in Texas). I was still drinking and I knew I had to quit but was (and am) very scared of withdrawals and DT's so I just kept on drinking. After camping out a few nights I noticed a pain in my right side when I tried to breathe deep. At first I didn't think anything was really wrong, maybe a cold. It got worse. It got harder and harder for me to breathe. I ended up calling my mom and asking if I could come stay with them because of this pain. She said yes, so I went back to my parent's house. The pain and breathing kept getting worse. So we decided it was time for the emergency room. We went and after an hour and an x-ray the doctor told me I had pneumonia. It was a surprise; I had never had it and had no idea it was this bad. I also told them I would be going into withdrawals and they admitted me right then. Got to the room and they gave me meds for DT's (librium) so that immediately helped. Then I got meds for the pneumonia plus the first of many breathing treatments. Then in the middle of the night a nurse came in and asked what level of pain I was in 1-10 and I said around a 6-7. She said well you're getting morphine and I was like, I never had that so lets see what happens. As soon as she plunged that drug into my IV I felt the best feeling ever. If I was in any pain after it I didn't feel it, just floating on a soft bed. I told her, 'wow, now I know why people get addicted to this.' She laughed and said yep. So I got that shot every six hours and it was nice." +"Last year I started drinking again after a pause of some months. I was staying with my parents after selling my house and my dad caught me drinking. They decided to kick me out and I went. I bounced around hotels and camped outside (it was still pretty cool, winter to spring in Texas). I was still drinking and I knew I had to quit but was (and am) very scared of withdrawals and DT's so I just kept on drinking. After camping out a few nights I noticed a pain in my right side when I tried to breathe deep. At first I didn't think anything was really wrong, maybe a cold. It got worse. It got harder and harder for me to breathe. I ended up calling my mom and asking if I could come stay with them because of this pain. She said yes, so I went back to my parent's house. The pain and breathing kept getting worse. So we decided it was time for the emergency room. We went and after an hour and an x-ray the doctor told me I had pneumonia. It was a surprise; I had never had it and had no idea it was this bad. I also told them I would be going into withdrawals and they admitted me right then. Got to the room and they gave me meds for DT's (librium) so that immediately helped. Then I got meds for the pneumonia plus the first of many breathing treatments. Then in the middle of the night a nurse came in and asked what level of pain I was in 1-10 and I said around a 6-7. She said well you're getting morphine and I was like, I never had that so lets see what happens. As soon as she plunged that drug into my IV I felt the best feeling ever. If I was in any pain after it I didn't feel it, just floating on a soft bed. I told her, 'wow, now I know why people get addicted to this.' She laughed and said yep. So I got that shot every six hours and it was nice." +"it was a cold calm morning. as usual i was woken up by my never-failing alarm clock. i realized i had slept off on the couch. late for work already, couldn't wait for kayla my beloved wife to serve me food. quickly rushed into the bathroom and out within 4minutes. then off to the sitting room and then the car. in few minutes later, i was at the hospital. every one happened to be staring at me like i was a victim in a car accident where all died and i happened to be the only one alive. Boom!!! it goes. Happy birthday to you they all sang bringing the huge cake towards me. with a big grain on my face and that feeling of surprise, i hid my face and felt like going back out. just behind my was my beautiful wife who unknowingly to me rushed after me and had prepared all this just to surprise me at work. i was handed lots of gifts from co-workers and even patients who were on admission. what propelled me to go down in tears was when the cancer patients presented a lovely birthday song to me, it was so so amazing. my wife of cause gave me a warm heart felt kiss and a small box. with joy in my heart i quickly took it and opened it in the presence of everyone of cause they were all eager to see too what was is that beautiful small box. surprisingly to me, a pregnancy test strip was looking at me with two lines. i turned and looked at kayla who never told me she was pregnant with our first child. this was the happiest moment of my life. and i will never forget what a birthday it was." +"Last week, my father and I went for a hike at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We woke up early, around 6am to prepare and head out. The goal of the trip was to get some nice shots of the waterfront during the winter months. Dad agreed to teach me some of his photography skills. So we packed our bags with our hiking gear, as well as our photography equipment and a lot of food, since we planned to spend the whole day outside. It was freezing! Thank god I brought warming packets I could throw into my pockets. We started off the hike, leaving the car at the end of the road. It took us about an hour to get to the southern shore of Lake Superior where we planned to do our photo shoot. Along the hike, we got some nice close up pictures of the fallen snow on the trees, and a few shots of some deer. At the main photo site, Dad planned to take shots of the massive ice sheets along the lakes. He taught me how to take different shots with his wide lens and then how to get closer shots with his zoom. In the end, I think we got about 2000 or so photos during the hike. We got home very late that day. When we got home, we uploaded all the photos to Dad's computer. He then showed me how to photoshop and adjust the photos to really bring out their true beauty. It was a good day!" +"Last week, my father and I went for a hike at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We woke up early, around 6am to prepare and head out. The goal of the trip was to get some nice shots of the waterfront during the winter months. Dad agreed to teach me some of his photography skills. So we packed our bags with our hiking gear, as well as our photography equipment and a lot of food, since we planned to spend the whole day outside. It was freezing! Thank god I brought warming packets I could throw into my pockets. We started off the hike, leaving the car at the end of the road. It took us about an hour to get to the southern shore of Lake Superior where we planned to do our photo shoot. Along the hike, we got some nice close up pictures of the fallen snow on the trees, and a few shots of some deer. At the main photo site, Dad planned to take shots of the massive ice sheets along the lakes. He taught me how to take different shots with his wide lens and then how to get closer shots with his zoom. In the end, I think we got about 2000 or so photos during the hike. We got home very late that day. When we got home, we uploaded all the photos to Dad's computer. He then showed me how to photoshop and adjust the photos to really bring out their true beauty. It was a good day!" +"Last week, my father and I went for a hike at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We woke up early, around 6am to prepare and head out. The goal of the trip was to get some nice shots of the waterfront during the winter months. Dad agreed to teach me some of his photography skills. So we packed our bags with our hiking gear, as well as our photography equipment and a lot of food, since we planned to spend the whole day outside. It was freezing! Thank god I brought warming packets I could throw into my pockets. We started off the hike, leaving the car at the end of the road. It took us about an hour to get to the southern shore of Lake Superior where we planned to do our photo shoot. Along the hike, we got some nice close up pictures of the fallen snow on the trees, and a few shots of some deer. At the main photo site, Dad planned to take shots of the massive ice sheets along the lakes. He taught me how to take different shots with his wide lens and then how to get closer shots with his zoom. In the end, I think we got about 2000 or so photos during the hike. We got home very late that day. When we got home, we uploaded all the photos to Dad's computer. He then showed me how to photoshop and adjust the photos to really bring out their true beauty. It was a good day!" +"You have to understand that my friend katie is quite possibly the sweetest and most loving person under the sun. Seriously. Coming from the family that she did, it's a wonder. She was the family punching bag. Whenever something went wrong, it was Katie's fault. It didn't matter who did it, how it happened, the fact that Katie was in another state at the time -- the entire family, including her two sisters, would gang up and yell at her. So Katie's sister, Krystal, is getting married into a conservative Greek Orthodox family. She's losing her mind because she wants so bad for her new family to think she's perfect, which is laughable, but whatever. Of course, the morning of the wedding, everything is going wrong and how dare Katie do this, despite the fact that Katie wasn't even awake when everything started happening. Makeup if misplaced, boxes haven't been taken up to the church for decorating, the works. So they all load up and head to the church to get the place ready. Katie grabs a box nearly as big as her hauls it into the church, and asks Krystal where it needs to go, to which she responds, ""OH MY GOD KATIE JUST SET IT DOWN SOMEWHERE!""Katie, being the sweetheart she is, sets it down somewhere out of the way so people won't trip on it, but still in a higher traffic area so it can be found. She goes to put on her dress because some of the groomsmen are putting up the decorations. Of course, Krystal screeches like a banshee not ten minutes later because something in the box Katie had carried in needed refrigeration, but Katie was not informed of that. Not only was it not in the refrigerator, but Katie cleary hid it so nobody else could find it because she was trying to ruin the wedding. Katie apologizes and shows her where the box is. Katie will hold Krystal's bouquet (the other sister couldn't do it for whatever reason -- it was probably too heavy for her poor, dainty arms). So Katie verifies how that's going to work. ""So you give it to me, there's some talking, you and Carl walk around the altar a few times, then I give it back to you?"" Krystal doesn't answer, and after a few more questions, she dismissively says, ""yeah, yeah, you give it back to me.""During the ceremony, Krystal never makes a move to take the bouquet back, and does not accept it when offered. Katie is yelled at about this after the ceremony. Then they get in a huge fight, katie was so angry, she was crying. We tried to break the fight up, then it started raining, we all laughed as the rain came pouring down." +"You have to understand that my friend katie is quite possibly the sweetest and most loving person under the sun. Seriously. Coming from the family that she did, it's a wonder. She was the family punching bag. Whenever something went wrong, it was Katie's fault. It didn't matter who did it, how it happened, the fact that Katie was in another state at the time -- the entire family, including her two sisters, would gang up and yell at her. So Katie's sister, Krystal, is getting married into a conservative Greek Orthodox family. She's losing her mind because she wants so bad for her new family to think she's perfect, which is laughable, but whatever. Of course, the morning of the wedding, everything is going wrong and how dare Katie do this, despite the fact that Katie wasn't even awake when everything started happening. Makeup if misplaced, boxes haven't been taken up to the church for decorating, the works. So they all load up and head to the church to get the place ready. Katie grabs a box nearly as big as her hauls it into the church, and asks Krystal where it needs to go, to which she responds, ""OH MY GOD KATIE JUST SET IT DOWN SOMEWHERE!""Katie, being the sweetheart she is, sets it down somewhere out of the way so people won't trip on it, but still in a higher traffic area so it can be found. She goes to put on her dress because some of the groomsmen are putting up the decorations. Of course, Krystal screeches like a banshee not ten minutes later because something in the box Katie had carried in needed refrigeration, but Katie was not informed of that. Not only was it not in the refrigerator, but Katie cleary hid it so nobody else could find it because she was trying to ruin the wedding. Katie apologizes and shows her where the box is. Katie will hold Krystal's bouquet (the other sister couldn't do it for whatever reason -- it was probably too heavy for her poor, dainty arms). So Katie verifies how that's going to work. ""So you give it to me, there's some talking, you and Carl walk around the altar a few times, then I give it back to you?"" Krystal doesn't answer, and after a few more questions, she dismissively says, ""yeah, yeah, you give it back to me.""During the ceremony, Krystal never makes a move to take the bouquet back, and does not accept it when offered. Katie is yelled at about this after the ceremony. Then they get in a huge fight, katie was so angry, she was crying. We tried to break the fight up, then it started raining, we all laughed as the rain came pouring down." +"You have to understand that my friend katie is quite possibly the sweetest and most loving person under the sun. Seriously. Coming from the family that she did, it's a wonder. She was the family punching bag. Whenever something went wrong, it was Katie's fault. It didn't matter who did it, how it happened, the fact that Katie was in another state at the time -- the entire family, including her two sisters, would gang up and yell at her. So Katie's sister, Krystal, is getting married into a conservative Greek Orthodox family. She's losing her mind because she wants so bad for her new family to think she's perfect, which is laughable, but whatever. Of course, the morning of the wedding, everything is going wrong and how dare Katie do this, despite the fact that Katie wasn't even awake when everything started happening. Makeup if misplaced, boxes haven't been taken up to the church for decorating, the works. So they all load up and head to the church to get the place ready. Katie grabs a box nearly as big as her hauls it into the church, and asks Krystal where it needs to go, to which she responds, ""OH MY GOD KATIE JUST SET IT DOWN SOMEWHERE!""Katie, being the sweetheart she is, sets it down somewhere out of the way so people won't trip on it, but still in a higher traffic area so it can be found. She goes to put on her dress because some of the groomsmen are putting up the decorations. Of course, Krystal screeches like a banshee not ten minutes later because something in the box Katie had carried in needed refrigeration, but Katie was not informed of that. Not only was it not in the refrigerator, but Katie cleary hid it so nobody else could find it because she was trying to ruin the wedding. Katie apologizes and shows her where the box is. Katie will hold Krystal's bouquet (the other sister couldn't do it for whatever reason -- it was probably too heavy for her poor, dainty arms). So Katie verifies how that's going to work. ""So you give it to me, there's some talking, you and Carl walk around the altar a few times, then I give it back to you?"" Krystal doesn't answer, and after a few more questions, she dismissively says, ""yeah, yeah, you give it back to me.""During the ceremony, Krystal never makes a move to take the bouquet back, and does not accept it when offered. Katie is yelled at about this after the ceremony. Then they get in a huge fight, katie was so angry, she was crying. We tried to break the fight up, then it started raining, we all laughed as the rain came pouring down." +"On May 10, 2017 I graduated from a 4-year college. During those 4 years I made plenty of long-life friendships. My freshman year I was able to be a part of one of best Bands in the South. My Junior Year I got to join my favorite sorority. I got to make lifelong friendship and sisterhood from my sorority. Goring up I struggled in Middle school all the way to Highschool and didn’t think that I wanted to go to college. I was diagnosed with ADD in Highschool cause i knew my attention wasn’t always there. I ended up doing great things my senior year in high school after being diagnosed my junior year. But I went for it and didn’t let anything hold me back from accomplishing my dreams. I was nervous when I started and scared but i graduated with a 3.0. This is a memorable moment for me because I completed college on time within 4 years with a degree in Psychology and a Minor in Human Service and the accomplishments that I’ve done throughout college. I always wanted to help people and children. My goal is to go back and get my master’s in social work. But the will be a while from now. My dreams came true and I have the best support system anyone could ever ask for." +"My grandmother was a robust village lady. For almost all her life, she stayed in the village, but she came to stay with us in the city only when we were in our teenage years as my parents who had to travel abroad because my father was an active duty British Army stationed in Hong Kong. So those teenage years were the most precious years for me, something I more often remember. It reminds me of how graceful my grandmother was. A village lady yet she was very disciplined, graceful and was an excellent guardian for me and my three sisters. She was always careful enough to tend to us and put us in the first place and never complained about anything she wanted or she never got. She taught us our family roots, the histories, the hardship of village life, her own hard life of having to get married in a young age and how she had to learn everything on her own. She taught us about the important life lessons about Buddhism and to be humble, kind, truthful and the importance of family, the support. She was a robust lady who never stepped foot in a hospital or taken any medication the whole life. I still get the visual of her in her traditional attire, smiling back to us, her toothless smile and dimple on her cheeks. But in life, there comes that unfortunate time in everyone's life that an accident happens and everything changes. One sad rainy day, she simply was walking but somehow lost balance on a slippery road and fell and struck her head. We rushed to her seeing her fall. She got up and tried to convince her everything is okay, but we insisted her to go to a hospital for just a checkup. We went to the hospital and did some x-rays and found out a hematoma was formed in her brain. The first few days, she was alright but the following week, she started showing signs of forgetfulness and she started losing her memory. Once back to the hospital, we found out, blood flooded in her brain and needed an immediate surgery. She underwent that and once back, she was okay for a couple of days. Then again, she had the same symptoms. Once again, we took her to the hospital and the doctor told us because of her age, she cannot be operated and told us to make her comfortable as long as she lives. Two months after that incident, that morning, she said she was having a headache and felt tired and wanted to go to sleep. That day, she slept like a baby and the next morning, when I went to wake her up for her morning tea, I said to her to wake up, but she didn't budge and when I touched her, she had passed away. She passed away at the age of 86. Even though I was sad, I was happy for her knowing that she no longer is in pain and now, wherever she is, I hope she is peace and hopefully looking at us. She is in our hearts, that lovely robust village lady with a cheeky smile, hugging us from inside out." +"It's been 5 months since I lost her but I still think about Granny Ma every day. I remember when I was a child, Granny Ma would take me to the zoo. I would sit in the back of the car and make animal noises during the entire drive. Granny Ma would try to guess which animal I was but most of her guesses were always wrong. When I told her which animal I was, she would tell me how smart I am. I remember her long curly hair and how we would sit in front of the bathroom mirror as she would brush it out. She would tell me how important it was to brush slowly in order to keep the hair healthy. The thing I remembered the most was her smell. Her home was a like a jasmine garden mixed with warm scents of vanilla and tea. Everywhere she went left a trail of floral aroma. It was such a pleasant, comforting smell. I remember the last time I saw Granny Ma. Five months ago I was sitting at the foot of the hospital bed. Granny Ma was covered in tubes, monitors, and wires. She would lay and smile at me with such soft eyes. Her hand rested on mine as I would tell her stories of our trips to the zoo, how much I loved her homemade pies, and memories of listening to her play the flute. I told her about our walks around the community park and how I would light up when I could smell her perfume. Granny Ma told me how lucky she was to have me in her life and how happy she was to experience it all. Granny Ma told me that she never had any regrets during her life and wouldn't change a thing. That night Granny Ma went to sleep forever and the most amazing woman is now blessing Heaven with her heavenly scent. I still miss her." +"I had to drive at night. I don't like to. But it was necessary. It was in the middle of the night. Maybe 3 am. Pitch black in the old car. I felt scared for a number of reasons. I tried to stay focused at all times. It was easier to think that, then to actually do it though. I am not sure if it is the car itself, the lights, or just my old eyes. I felt like I could see as well as I should for the nighttime drive. What was amazing was the time. It felt like it was going backwards. It felt like it took 7 hours to get home when it only took 2. I think I might get a new car. Or perhaps not drive a night." +"My family of five and three fur babies moved 1,100 miles from Southwest Florida to Southwest Pennsylvania. The only people that we knew in Southwest PA is my in-laws. They live about 30 minutes away from us. It was a huge change to say the least! I figured that being a stay at home mom in a new spot would be just the same as it always was. Man, was I wrong. In Florida my family was there so my sister came over almost everyday. My sister is my best friend. Plus she has a son six months older than my middle son. My husband got his license back before we left Florida so he now drives himself to work with our only car. In Florida I dropped him off at work so i had the car all day with the kids. My oldest was homeschooling in Florida but has now went back to public school. Since my husband has the car, my oldest now rides the bus. The cool thing is that we lived in the country so the bus stop is our front door. Overall the moved has been such a blessing to our family even with all the changes." +"Yes. Wedding is the best level one can ever reach in life. The next stage of our life starts with the wedding. wedding doesn't means that meeting of the two family members, it is the meeting of two hearts in a junction where the life starts. One person changes their character from a son to a father or a daughter to a mother is the dream and life achievement of any person. This happens only here by wedding. But every person doesn't have the capacity to hold their life partner to the life extent limit. One can get a highly paid job or one can buy everything he wants , but the wedding is the best ever experience in our life time. But some person tells that they wont marry anyone in their life. They are going to be alone, this is because they are mentally affected by watching some other who were failed in marriage life. We are the responsible person for our own failures. We are the only person who makes our life to be successful one or a failure. Even a small income of a money can make our life happy, this happens through only by living a peaceful life with our partner. Many people have enough money but they lost their life in their work and not concentrating and not spending time with their family. Money is not a big deal. But Love conquers all." +"This past July my former band was playing a gig at Inkarceration Festival at the Ohio State Reformatory, located in Mansfield, Ohio. This prison was the set for the movie Shawshank Redemption. We had been preparing for this show for months, and we had also been playing gigs throughout the year leading up to this. The two stages were quite large. The main area could easily facilitate a crowd of twenty thousand people. Although I would like to saw that we played for the main crowd, only a portion of the audience was watching us (a still impressive crowd of about five thousand people). The weather was hot but bearable. I was grateful and blown away by the opportunity, having dreamed of playing a large festival for many years. We got our own dressing room area with catering and drinks. I was finally getting the rockstar treatment, a humorous testament to the years myself and my band mates have been putting in to get to this point. Many of our supportive friends and fans came out to watch us perform. Aside from the gig, we got to experience the tour of Shawshank. Most of the famous movie scenes were filmed on location in Mansfield. The whole weekend was a surreal experience that I will never forget. I'm glad I got to spend the time with my close friends and bandmates. It was an extremely rewarding experience, and I'm overjoyed that the sacrifices were worth it." +"This has been one of the worst weeks of my life. I cannot believe I got in to this wreck and now I am out of luck. I have not been saving money and the debt just keeps piling up. I really have no idea how I am going to get out of this mess. The guy cut me off at the intersection but they blame me because i had faulty brakes. If I had a dash cam i would not be in so much trouble right now. The guy is even suing me for the accident when its not even my fault! I will talk to friends and family and hope they can help me out. I really do not want to be in this situation, I cant even afford a lawyer and pay the court fees. I will hope that the court sides with me and it gets dismissed. If not I have no idea how I will pay for everything. My daughter is a mess with all of this and worried we will be homeless. I worry about this to but thankfully I can bunk with my sister if need be. I am going to fight this until the very end, I will not let them win. If I lose I will file bankruptcy anyways so they lose in the end." +"We moved into our home about 20 years ago. We have a lot of memories with the house. We raised our kids in this house. They brought their dates to this out. We celebrated in this house. My husband and my self picked this house very carefully and have great thoughts about the house. About 3 months ago, we decided the house was just a bit too big for the two of us. We decided to sell it. We both had mixed emotions about the house but decided it was best. We sold it quickly to an appreciative couple. That made me very happy. I think they will take good care of the house. We needed a new adventure and quickly found one. We found another home in enough time that we wouldn't be homeless. All in all, things worked out for all. I will surely miss my old house." +"This year was my 50th birthday. To celebrate, I thought of a number of possible things to do. I thought about having a party. I thought about a small, intimate dinner with close friends. But at the end of the day, I just thought I wanted to relax. I went to the spa and felt extremely relaxed afterwards. So in my mind, that was enough of a celebration for me -- I was able to have 'me' time and relax. At the last minutes, my husband asked if I wanted to go to Las Vegas. Of course I said yes! My husband made the arrangements so I did not know where we would be staying. When we arrived at the hotel, my husband took forever checking us into our room. To my surprise, we stayed on a premier level of the hotel that had limited access. The room was very spacious and had a really nice view of the Las Vegas strip. Throughout our stay, we went to several restaurants that we had never been to before for dinner. We usually do not spend a lot of money on dinner but since it was my birthday, we did something different. Each restaurant was nice and I really enjoyed the food. When I look back at this trip and my birthday, I don't think I would change anything about it!" +"This year was my 50th birthday. To celebrate, I thought of a number of possible things to do. I thought about having a party. I thought about a small, intimate dinner with close friends. But at the end of the day, I just thought I wanted to relax. I went to the spa and felt extremely relaxed afterwards. So in my mind, that was enough of a celebration for me -- I was able to have 'me' time and relax. At the last minutes, my husband asked if I wanted to go to Las Vegas. Of course I said yes! My husband made the arrangements so I did not know where we would be staying. When we arrived at the hotel, my husband took forever checking us into our room. To my surprise, we stayed on a premier level of the hotel that had limited access. The room was very spacious and had a really nice view of the Las Vegas strip. Throughout our stay, we went to several restaurants that we had never been to before for dinner. We usually do not spend a lot of money on dinner but since it was my birthday, we did something different. Each restaurant was nice and I really enjoyed the food. When I look back at this trip and my birthday, I don't think I would change anything about it!" +"You cannot imagine my excitement two weeks ago when I found out that Star Wars land was now open was and what perfect timing, right before my birthday!!! I just had to go, I must go! Nothing will stop me from going on my birthday! My birthday happened to fall on a Saturday this year which could not have been better timing. I told my husband I want to go out on my birthday this year to the new Star Wars land!!! I felt he had no choice but to take me, it's my birthday! Usually I do not go out for my birthday it is just too much hassle especially when it falls on a weekday. But this was absolutely perfect! I haven't been out for years on my birthday and not only is it on a weekend, but after waiting so long for this park to open I will finally get to go and on my birthday! I told my husband this is what I wanted to do on my birthday this year and I didn't care if we did anything else or not on that day, because I just wanted to spend the whole day there anyhow. On the day of my birthday I could hardly contain myself. It was finally here! My husband made all the arrangements and took me to the new and very much anticipated Star Wars land! Once inside the park I did not know where to go first! I wanted to do everything at once, see it all at once but thankfully my husband was reasonable and we came up with a plan and that we should first walk around the entire park and take everything in.Just walking around and looking at everything was breath taking. I was so happy to be here and with my husband who seemed to enjoy it as much as I was even though he's not a huge fan of Star Wars like I am. After an hour of walking around we decided we would stop somewhere to eat and I was very excited about this as well because I wondered what all the wonderful food choices would be. Once we found a place that wasn't too crowded we went inside and sat down at a booth and only after I sat down did I realize just how tired I was. I was just sitting there looking all around when I turn to look at my husband and he is holding out a small box on the table in front of me. He says, this is for you. Happy Birthday. In all the excitement I had forgotten it was my birthday, and reached over and took the box. I had no idea what this could be. I opened the box and see that it is a necklace that is a replica of Episode 8!! Wow!!! I could not believe this! What a perfect day this was turning out to be and what a wonderful surprise this necklace was from my husband!" +"For my birthday and combined Christmas gift, my husband got me tickets to go see the Backstreet Boys. I was SO excited that I was finally getting the chance to see them. I have loved the band since I was a kid, so at least 20 years. Not only did I get tickets, but I got tickets in a really great area of the venue so I had a good view. We had a lot of fun at the concert. Before the show started they had a block party set up with a bunch of neat things to do. People sang karaoke and took pictures of themselves with big cutouts of the BSBs heads. I got a shirt that is actually a little big for me so I wear it as a night shirt. The venue we went to has a VIP club that you can purchase for an extra cost so you don't have to stand outside and wait in line. This was interesting and fun because we got to sit in an AC room and have drinks and food without having to worry about losing our spot in line. It also had a private bathroom that we could access during the show if we needed to. The show itself was SO good. The boys still sound as good as they did 20 years ago. They sang all the songs I was hoping they would sing. I'd love to see them again in the future!" +"Husband bought me tickets to see my favorite band from when I was a little girl - Backstreet Boys. He got me these tickets as a birthday gift. Going to the concert was so much fun. I've been a big fan of these guys for the past 20 years and I had never got the chance to see them in concert before. We went to lunch before we left the house and got something quick to eat and then drove a few hours to get to the venue. Once we got there we got to go into a club members area and wait instead of having to sit outside. We got access to the merchandise before everyone else. We also had access to private bathrooms and snack bars so we didn't have to stand in line so long! Our seats were phenomenal and I'm so glad that I got to experience this in such a good space. Not only were there no people directly in front of us but there wasn't anyone on either side of us as well. I feel like, even though we weren't front and center, we had the best seats in the house. The show started with a small opener, and I wasn't expecting to like it as much as I did. After the show was over we stopped and got some coffee so we could make it home without being so sleepy. We ended up getting home super late and I had to get up early the next morning, but it was worth it and I'd do it all again. I'm going to print some of my favorite pictures and frame them." +Walked into the supermarket the other day and saw Sarah. Shes an old girlfriend from highschool. Haven't spoken with her in easily 20 years. After not talking for 20 years there was plenty to talk about. In all the talking I learned we both were divorced. Still single even. Which is nice. Allows us both to talk about whatever we want without worries. Some partners get jealous when talking to ex's. So it was a great conversation. Hope to do it again soon. So I offered up my number hoping she would give me a call back. She agreed she would. Even said she had a good time. So there is hope that she will. Could be a lot of fun. Even if it doesn't lead anywhere but a fun night. Would be worth it. +Walked into the supermarket the other day and saw Sarah. Shes an old girlfriend from highschool. Haven't spoken with her in easily 20 years. After not talking for 20 years there was plenty to talk about. In all the talking I learned we both were divorced. Still single even. Which is nice. Allows us both to talk about whatever we want without worries. Some partners get jealous when talking to ex's. So it was a great conversation. Hope to do it again soon. So I offered up my number hoping she would give me a call back. She agreed she would. Even said she had a good time. So there is hope that she will. Could be a lot of fun. Even if it doesn't lead anywhere but a fun night. Would be worth it. +"I've never been the biggest fan of sewage. I don't really think anyone can consider themselves a ""fan"" of sewage, in fact. But a few months ago, this took a turn for the ugly. It had turned out that whoever built my house had improperly installed the piping, leading to water exiting illegally from my house. As dumb as that sounds, I get why it's illegal. I mean, my toilet water could have been leading to someone else's house for all I knew. With that being said, it was up to me to fix it. I had to do something, otherwise I'd be in a mess of legal trouble. I checked out a few library books and got to laying pipe. This was bigger than I could have ever imagined. I was busy day and night, and it cost me a complete fortune to finish. As much as I agree that I should have to do this, a big part of me came so close to saying ""screw it"" many times. I was so angry all the time. I barely had money. The pipes were all so expensive and there was just nothing I could do about it." +"Two weeks ago I finally took my first international vacation! First, I went to Auckland New Zealand, because I love Lord of the Rings more than life itself. My friend Eric was with me, he's almost as big of a fan as I am. I hadn't seen him in a few years, not since we graduated from Community College together, because he moved back to Sydney, Australia. First, we visited the shire, they wouldn't let us into the hobbit houses, but that's okay. Just getting to be there, surrounded by the mountains and scenery and sets from the movies was probably the best thing i'll ever experience. I can't believe how well they've maintained the sets in the almost two decades since the movie came out. Everything was so green and vibrant, we had so much fun. After going to the LoTR park, we got to see Flight of the Conchords! I can't believe they were in town, and the tickets ate up a bunch of my budget, but I don't care. Hearing Business Time and The Most Beautiful Girl live was so funny, Brett and Jemaine will always be two of my favorite musicians. We spent about a week seeing the other sites, it's such a beautiful country! Australia is on fire right now, it was so unbearably hot and smokey that we mostly sat around and played video games while getting stoned. We spent a lot of time catching up, talking about all the things that aren't so easy to talk about over Facebook Messenger. I got to meet his friends and his parents, and I think they liked me. We did get to go to a zoo, all the animals seemed tired and worn out from the heat. I finally got to see a koala and they're just as cute as in the pictures. Kangroos are the assholes everyone always says they are. All in all, it was almost as cool as NZ. I hope I can go and visit NZ and Australia again in the future, this was probably he best vacation i'll ever take." +"Three months ago, I passed the CPA exams. I applied for my license. I got the exams in 2019. I am happy I got my license. I will be the best accountant in the state. I applied to many places. I got a lot of rejections but finally got a call back. It was for an old firm. I got the job immediately. I was treated like family at the place. The workers were very nice to me. The boss gave me cigars for my hiring. It was a nice hiring bonus. I made a lot of good calculations and save the company a lot of money. I hope to get promoted to top accountant at the place. That day will be the best day of my life." +"Three months ago, I passed the CPA exams. I applied for my license. I got the exams in 2019. I am happy I got my license. I will be the best accountant in the state. I applied to many places. I got a lot of rejections but finally got a call back. It was for an old firm. I got the job immediately. I was treated like family at the place. The workers were very nice to me. The boss gave me cigars for my hiring. It was a nice hiring bonus. I made a lot of good calculations and save the company a lot of money. I hope to get promoted to top accountant at the place. That day will be the best day of my life." +"May was mine and my husband's 22nd wedding anniversary. I really thought that it would really be just like any other day, we would probably exchange cards and have a nice dinner like usual but he had other plans. He started off that morning with a surprise breakfast of homemade cinnamon apple pancakes and bacon and fresh squeezed orange juice served with a bouquet of flowers with our dog wearing a black bow tie. Breakfast was delicious! He then said that we were all going out for the day and to get ready for some outdoor fun. We got ready and we drove up into the mountains where he had booked a boat ride for me, him and the dog and we got to speed around on the lake stopping to swim and just enjoy the sunshine. We then set out to a little island and had a beautiful picnic on the private beach watching our dog run up and down the bank chasing and barking at the waves from the other boats going by. We spent the afternoon just having fun and relaxing, the feel of the boat just making all life's problems disappear for just a little while. We headed back to the marina and I figured our day was over but he had one more surprise for me that day. We had to drop off our dog at our friends house for a little bit and got cleaned up and dressed and then we headed further into the mountains. We stopped at a very fancy new restaurant and had a wonderful meal of fresh seafood and the best fried potatoes I have ever eaten along with freshly baked bread and a fabulous chocolate cake for dessert. He had the waiter bring over fresh flowers and some wine as a special treat. My husband leaned over for a kiss and said that he still had one more surprise for me and to get ready for some fun! We went just a little further and we were at the top of a mountain and I saw a hot air balloon. I got so excited because I have been wanting to go on a hot air balloon ride for years. We got in and it was breathtaking, we were there for a champagne sunset trip and the weather was gorgeous and we just held on to each other through the whole trip thankful that we are still happily married and so much in love. The day was amazing from start to finish and I still think about it today." +"I've heard people say before that life is a journey. What they don't say is what type of journey it really is. When I first married Rod almost 22 years ago, I had no idea what I was in store for. Sure, I knew I'd be moving in with someone for the first time, so I'd lost some of my autonomy. We'd argued before, and I knew we'd argue again in the future. The wedding vows confirmed that we were joined together for richer or poorer. No matter how high we went, we'd be together. But I had no idea just how high or low those things would take us. For our 22nd anniversary yesterday, Rod surprised me with a series of trips that illustrated just how we've gone on that journey together. We first went out on a boat to symbolize the start of our journey: setting sail. After we'd sailed out far enough, we jumped in the water and started to swim around. That was to represent when, early in our marriage, I miscarried, and we realized that things wouldn't always be so easy. There were times we'd have to swim together ourselves, doing the hard work ourselves. After we'd tired ourselves out, we hopped back on the boat and had a picnic. This one was to remember that whenever we're taxed for events like that, we'll always have the fruit of our marriage to nourish and sustain us. We had a lot of fruit on the way back, actually. And then he finished up with something I couldn't have imagined: a hot air balloon ride at sunset with champagne and all. It was in recognition of our commitment - no, our promise - to sail off into the sunset together. It's going to be a good life, another good 22 years...just as it always has with him." +"My wife and I both have birthdays in June, so I scheduled some time off early in the month to celebrate. On the last day of work before the vacation, my father was in a severe car accident, another driver drifted into his lane and hit him in a head-on collision. The entire left side of his body was crushed. I went to see him in the hospital the next day when he was stabilized and had a unique conversation with him. On my way home, I told my wife ""I just had a conversation that people in movies have with someone before they die"". He told me that he loved me, he was proud of me, he loved my wife and son, and how important we are to him. That was the last conversation I had with him, at least where he was coherent. His condition went up and down like rolling waves, some days screaming in pain and other days completely unconscious, but never able to even answer basic questions like who he was, where he was, or who was president. I spoke with him and he described to me about how I was covered in slime, but not to worry, that he knew a bunch of rats that could clean me off. Hand restraints had to be put on him to prevent him from ripping out his IV's and other medical equipment. After being in the hospital for nine days, he was due to be discharged to a physical therapy rehab facility the next day. He had recovered enough that they could remove his restraints, and I told him once he was out of the hospital, I would bring him a cheesesteak from our favorite restaurant. I told him I loved him and I would see him the next day after work, as my vacation was ending. I go in to work the next day and within four minutes of arrival, I received a call from the hospital that he had died. The following week leading up to his burial was one of the most challenging weeks of my life for several reasons. My father and I were the only members of our family who maintained the familial religious beliefs, and part of my obligation to him as his son (the only son capable of doing so) I dressed him in certain religious clothing before the funeral home placed him in his casket. The idea of dressing my fathers corpse kept me up and night and gave me nightmares, but it was actually a very cathartic experience. He had an autopsy performed, so his body was in a plastic suit to prevent leakage from the incisions. While it sounds traumatic, it was a tender experience and a service I was glad to perform for him, as he had no one else able to do it." +"While doing some research on the internet for a car I had seen locally, I finally found the car that I had been wanting for the longest time, since about 2007, a Dodge Charger. It was like the best surprise I could have gotten regarding getting another car. The year and model of the car I wanted wasn't new. It had been really hard to find this kind of car with low miles, for a price I could afford, and in an acceptable color. I was willing to accept anything in the 2007 - 2010 range. People told me it wouldn't be possible to find a car more than 5 years old with low miles. Someone said, ""Good luck with that, those cars aren't made for sitting!"" Well, I came across some good luck. Because I would be making a major purchase and would have to travel a long distance to get this car, I made sure to ask all kinds of details about how the car could be in such good shape for 10 years old. It just so happened that the car I wanted was part of a fleet of police vehicles, and not just another patrol car. It was being used by a government official and it was not driven very often. The best part of all was that on top of the car being in such good shape and the price being somewhat affordable, when I told my salesman that I didn't have as much money for a down payment as they initially requested, I was able to negotiate the down payment amount and the price of the car. I was able to negotiate the whole deal before and get approved for a loan before I even got to the dealership. I had to travel about 230 miles one way so the salesman worked hard to arrange everything in advance. All I had to do when I got there was take a test drive and sign the paper work. They even game me more money for my old car towards the down payment than I had anticipated. Everything fell into place for me so well, with the exception of having to make monthly payments, it was unbelievable." +"While doing some research on the internet for a car I had seen locally, I finally found the car that I had been wanting for the longest time, since about 2007, a Dodge Charger. It was like the best surprise I could have gotten regarding getting another car. The year and model of the car I wanted wasn't new. It had been really hard to find this kind of car with low miles, for a price I could afford, and in an acceptable color. I was willing to accept anything in the 2007 - 2010 range. People told me it wouldn't be possible to find a car more than 5 years old with low miles. Someone said, ""Good luck with that, those cars aren't made for sitting!"" Well, I came across some good luck. Because I would be making a major purchase and would have to travel a long distance to get this car, I made sure to ask all kinds of details about how the car could be in such good shape for 10 years old. It just so happened that the car I wanted was part of a fleet of police vehicles, and not just another patrol car. It was being used by a government official and it was not driven very often. The best part of all was that on top of the car being in such good shape and the price being somewhat affordable, when I told my salesman that I didn't have as much money for a down payment as they initially requested, I was able to negotiate the down payment amount and the price of the car. I was able to negotiate the whole deal before and get approved for a loan before I even got to the dealership. I had to travel about 230 miles one way so the salesman worked hard to arrange everything in advance. All I had to do when I got there was take a test drive and sign the paper work. They even game me more money for my old car towards the down payment than I had anticipated. Everything fell into place for me so well, with the exception of having to make monthly payments, it was unbelievable." +"Three years ago my wife and I decided that it was time for us to permanently separate, and to file for a divorce. It was a hard decision to make for the both of us. Initially we decided to come upon an agreement on who would have our children during the school week, weekends, and holidays. This is something we were not able to agree upon, and we knew that we both needed a lawyer. I had a feeling that this was going to be a nasty battle between us. Unfortunately, I was correct, the battle ended up being drawn out for three years. By this time the kids actually became of legal age to decide where they wanted to stay. To my surprise our children decided that they wanted to stay with me. Come to find out their mother had started seeing another mate who were abusive towards my Ex and our children. He had a drinking problem, and became violent when he drank. Our children have fond memories of when me and my Ex were together, and knew what a normal household would run like. The case was drawn out over the three years due to lack of proof showing that my Ex was an unfit mother and having an unstable household for our children to reside full time in. During those three years I worked on purchasing a home, and I thought it was necessary to remain single during this time. I felt my children did not need their dad to get into a relationship whenever they already had enough stress on their shoulders. I remember the day like yesterday whenever we were at court, and it was proved that my Ex was not only an unfit mother, but was unable to provide a stable home environment. Also, on top of everything our children each confessed to the courtroom how they prefer to reside in my home due to the hostile environment that they were encountering between my Ex and her new mate. They confessed how this was affecting them in school as well with their social lives. This ended with me winning full custody of my children last month during our last court hearing." +"Three years ago my wife and I decided that it was time for us to permanently separate, and to file for a divorce. It was a hard decision to make for the both of us. Initially we decided to come upon an agreement on who would have our children during the school week, weekends, and holidays. This is something we were not able to agree upon, and we knew that we both needed a lawyer. I had a feeling that this was going to be a nasty battle between us. Unfortunately, I was correct, the battle ended up being drawn out for three years. By this time the kids actually became of legal age to decide where they wanted to stay. To my surprise our children decided that they wanted to stay with me. Come to find out their mother had started seeing another mate who were abusive towards my Ex and our children. He had a drinking problem, and became violent when he drank. Our children have fond memories of when me and my Ex were together, and knew what a normal household would run like. The case was drawn out over the three years due to lack of proof showing that my Ex was an unfit mother and having an unstable household for our children to reside full time in. During those three years I worked on purchasing a home, and I thought it was necessary to remain single during this time. I felt my children did not need their dad to get into a relationship whenever they already had enough stress on their shoulders. I remember the day like yesterday whenever we were at court, and it was proved that my Ex was not only an unfit mother, but was unable to provide a stable home environment. Also, on top of everything our children each confessed to the courtroom how they prefer to reside in my home due to the hostile environment that they were encountering between my Ex and her new mate. They confessed how this was affecting them in school as well with their social lives. This ended with me winning full custody of my children last month during our last court hearing." +"Dear Diary,I can't sleep tonight. I keep thinking about the concert we played three months ago. I think that was the best night of my life so far. I didn't even think we were going to be able to perform because we accidentally submitted the application a few days late. I was so shocked when they called me in spite of the late application! I was so thankful for the opportunity. We aren't too widely known yet, but we definitely gained some new fans that day. About 400 people heard us play, and we hung around and spoke to a few fans after our set. People were curious about the next gig we would play, so I gave out our instagram and twitter handles so everyone could stay updated. We played about 9 songs. One of the songs tha got the best reeption was one I had written. It was a humbling experience, but at the same time it was very empowering. I really feel like I might have a future in the music business. As anyone who knows me would tell you, that's all I have ever wanted. I can't wait to see what in store for us next. One thing is for sure; it can only go up from here!" +"So it finally happened, I finally made a small profit off of the baking business I have been trying to build. It has been hard finding the time to dedicate because I am still working my full time job. I didn't realize a side business would be so much work. I have had a few jobs over the past few months but nothing big. And a lot of them were for family, so I didn't really get paid much. I have pretty much been breaking even after the cost of supplies and everything is deducted. I hadn't realized how many supplies I needed until I started making these cakes. This past weekend, however, I had my biggest side job yet. I was hired to do all of the baking for a wedding. I got the job through a friends coworker. I was really nervous, it was the biggest job I had ever even attempted to do. I planned for weeks in advance and had everything figured out. It really worked out perfectly. And more importantly, I made a lot of money! Even better than that though is that I got my name out there and I think I got a lot of exposure from this one big job. Since then I have booked almost 15 different jobs, all from people who tasted my cakes at the wedding. I honestly never thought it would happen, but it looks like my side business is finally gaining some traction. I hope if I keep doing well I will be able to quit my full time job eventually and bake full time. I am just so happy that my hard work is paying off!" +"It was the most important to me. But won't get it. 1 month ago.... I have studied the engineering. After finishing my studies I can apply many Jobs interview. I made it pretty far in the interview process. To the job I really wanted that. I have more abilities to show me The best person in the world. So i did many hard works. I have an interest in Scientific engineering. So I apply many job vacancies for the scientific engineering. One day morning I received a phone call when i took bath. My mother ask me to receive the call. when i came back to my room I attend the call. I was shocked and extremely happy. Because the call is from ""American Scientific Research Center"" . The interview is on 2nd December, it was arrival by the Government. On that day I have ready to the interview. I thought that the day was turning point of my life. But , I have never expect this. Because I have not get the job. So i feel bad. But i have a confident to achieve my goal." +"One of my family members passed away about four months ago. It still is a shock to me. I mean, they lived a full and long life, but there was something about them that was different. They were important to me growing up. I had hoped they would reach the age of one-hundred, but that was not to be. It sounded like when they died it was peaceful, but that only mildly softens the blow. It's still tough to imagine they're gone. We didn't talk much recently, but that doesn't make it sting any less. There really was no way to plan for it. As far as I know, they were doing well. They were taking care of themselves. But sometimes all it takes is that one mix-up. That one thing to go wrong. That one thing that can cause a chain reaction. I will dearly miss them." +"One of my family members passed away about four months ago. It still is a shock to me. I mean, they lived a full and long life, but there was something about them that was different. They were important to me growing up. I had hoped they would reach the age of one-hundred, but that was not to be. It sounded like when they died it was peaceful, but that only mildly softens the blow. It's still tough to imagine they're gone. We didn't talk much recently, but that doesn't make it sting any less. There really was no way to plan for it. As far as I know, they were doing well. They were taking care of themselves. But sometimes all it takes is that one mix-up. That one thing to go wrong. That one thing that can cause a chain reaction. I will dearly miss them." +"I WAS WORKING TODAY IN THE HALLWAY SEEING PEOPLE THAT WERE CHECKING IN AND/OR JUST GOT OUT OF JAIL. I SAW QUITE A FEW PEOPLE AND IT WAS BUSY DUE TO THE HOLIDAY WEEKEND. ONE OF MY LAST PEOPLE TO SEE WAS PAUL M. PAUL IS A 57 YEAR OLD MALE WHO HAS MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISABILTIES. AS I WAS WALKING PAUL BACK TO THE OFFICE HE SAID THAT HE NEEDED TO CHANGE HIS ADDRESS. WHEN I PRESSED HIM ABOUT MOVING HE STATED THAT HIS FRIENDS WIFE KICKED HIM OUT OF THE HOUSE AND HE DID NOT HAVE A PLACE TO GO. PAUL ASKED ME TO CALL HIS CTE WORKER TREY AND HE STATED THAT TREY WILL KNOW HOW TO GET A PLACE. I CONVICIED PAUL THAT I WOULD CALL AS SOON AS WE WERE DONE GOING OVER ALL OUR INFO. PAUL HAD JUST GONE TO COURT THIS MORNING AND HIS CASE WAS POSTPONED. I TOLD PAUL THAT BECUASE HE WAS DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB OF REPORTING HE WOULD NOT HAVE TO COME BACK TILL AFTER COURT. I THEN ATTEMPTED TO PLACE A CALL TO HIS CTE WORKER TREY EVENTHOUGH PAUL DID NOT HAVE THE # OR NAME OF THE PLACE WERE TREY WORKED. WE WERE ABLE TO LOCATE THE PLACE ON GOOGLE AND WERE ABLE TO CONTACT TREY. PAUL WAS SURE THAT TREY WAS GOING TO COME PICK HIM UP FOR MY OFFICE TO TAKE HIM TO HIS NEW APPARTMENT. WHEN PAUL'S EYES STARTED TO WELL UP WITH TEARS I KNEW IT WAS GOING AS HE THOUGHT. IT TURNED OUT THAT TREY HAD NOTHING AVAIABLE TODAY. EVERYTHING WAS OPENING UP TOMORROW. TREY TOLD PAUL TO GO TO THE RESOVLE SHELTER. PAUL WAS VERY UPSET BECUASE HE HAD NO MONEY FOR BUS FARE AND HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. I WAS ABLE TO GIVE HIM $10 DOLLARS AND PROVIDED HIM WITH A COKE AND SOME CRACKERS. HE WAS SO EXCITED AND APPRICATIVE THAT HE ALMOST HUGED ME. HE YELLED IN THE PHONE AT TREY ""I GOT ME SOME BUS MONEY, I GOT ME SOME BUS MONEY AND I WILL SEE YOU TOMORROW"". THIS MADE ME FEEL GOOD." +"It's always so wonderful to meet back up with your high school friends. For me, it was even more wonderful because two of my best friends were getting married to one another. Honestly, none of us would have ever guessed that either of them were gay, but I'm just so incredibly happy that they have found happiness together. It's a big event, all of our old friend group is getting together for this. Everyone has been extremely nice and extremely supportive. Even both of their families are really supportive. I think it's so great that they can marry and be happy together. Before the wedding, we all went on a night on the town just like we used to do back in high school. We did some driving around, we stopped at a bar or two, and we also stopped to eat somewhere. It felt like we were all back in high school again. It was up to me to give the wedding speech. I felt nervous, but was mostly among friends so it wasn't too bad. After the speech, I gave them a photo from when they first met. They both cried and hugged me. I love my friends so much." +"it was 4 months ago when i had my gallbladder removed. i remember driving with my mother to the hospital 15 minutes away and the pain in my side was searing. it was easily the strongest pain i have ever felt in my life. my mother was worried for my health, but luckily it wasn't as serious as we thought. as soon as i got to the hospital they took me to the emergency room and admitted me as soon as possible. the best memory i have of the incident was them giving me pain meds to dull the pain. the soothing feeling of the medication washed over me like a cool ocean wave removing the pain instantly. it was like i walked into the hospital in bright red pain and as soon as the medication hit i was swept up in deep blue relief. my mother was by my side the whole time and was a constant comfort to me. i am so thankful for her. i am thankful to the hospital staff as well. they treated me with the upmost care and respect. i was able to leave the next day and returned home safely and everything was back to normal. i will never forget that searing pain and the relief of the medicine though. that memory will stick with me for the rest of my life." +"it was 4 months ago when i had my gallbladder removed. i remember driving with my mother to the hospital 15 minutes away and the pain in my side was searing. it was easily the strongest pain i have ever felt in my life. my mother was worried for my health, but luckily it wasn't as serious as we thought. as soon as i got to the hospital they took me to the emergency room and admitted me as soon as possible. the best memory i have of the incident was them giving me pain meds to dull the pain. the soothing feeling of the medication washed over me like a cool ocean wave removing the pain instantly. it was like i walked into the hospital in bright red pain and as soon as the medication hit i was swept up in deep blue relief. my mother was by my side the whole time and was a constant comfort to me. i am so thankful for her. i am thankful to the hospital staff as well. they treated me with the upmost care and respect. i was able to leave the next day and returned home safely and everything was back to normal. i will never forget that searing pain and the relief of the medicine though. that memory will stick with me for the rest of my life." +"My boyfriend's mother has had some serious health issues. She is not as strong or as active as she has been, so she went to the doctor. They ran a bunch of tests on her to figure out what was wrong. We knew that her circulation was poor, but were not expecting to get the results we did. The medical team injected dye into her veins and ran a stress test. This was to show her blood flow, as well as to get an idea of the condition that her body was in. This test took an entire day, and we waited almost a week to find out the results. The tests showed that her heart was not functioning as it should be. This test also showed that three of her arteries were severely blocked. They recommended that she have open heart surgery, otherwise she was at risk for a stroke or heart attack. She didn't want to do this, so we convinced her to at least consider getting stents put in. She took the initial results to her doctors in the city she'd lived in prior to moving, and they agreed that the stents were a good start, and absolutely necessary. This surgery was scheduled, and my boyfriend took time off from work to go down to be with her for the procedure. The hospital she went to was the third place she'd been, and the doctor was very honest. He told my boyfriend and his sister that there was a good chance his mother could die on the table, due to the condition of her heart. This wasn't easy to hear, but they appreciated the honesty. So they took her back for the surgery, and after almost an hour, the doctor came back and told my boyfriend and his sister that the initial results had been wrong and there were no blockages at all, that the scope had showed them that she was in good health. She didn't need any surgery, and the whole procedure could have been avoided if the initial doctors hadn't screwed up the results like they had." +"It all started 2 weeks ago, I'd say it was a long 2 weeks. My boyfriend's mother went to the doctors to get a check up. After a few test they found that she would need some more advance testing. After a few advance test, the results come back and she is diagnosed with arterial blockages. She never would have guessed. She had no signs or symptoms of such a diagnoses. She's been going to this doctor for years, she trusted him completely. After speaking it over with the doctor for a solution to this problem he says a stent surgery would be necessary. She gathered us all around to tell us the news. We were hurt to say the least. We didn't want to lose her or anything bad to happen. We backed up her choice to listen to her doctor, we figured she knew best and this was her body. In the back of my head I felt she should have gotten a second opinion cause she had no symptoms for this, there was no sign of it, how did this doctor get this conclusion. But she reassured us that her doctor knew what he was talking about it and she was taking it from there. My boyfriend and I took her to the hospital that morning of the surgery. She was nervous, we were nervous. After, what seemed to feel like an eternity, just 3 hours, the doctor returns to us with news. He tells us she is now in recovery but he has bad news. It turns out she really didn't need the surgery. Her test came back and there was a mistake where her results got mixed up with someone else's. They started the surgery without more test, without a second opinion. We were in outrage, his mother is old she doesn't need unnecessary surgeries. We are seeking out a lawyer in this matter for medical fees." +"I was already having the absolute worst week and now this is the icing on the cake. The week started with final exams. I had 2 exams scheduled for each day and they counted for 50% of my final grade. So all the work I did all semester was not important, all that mattered was these tests. So I stayed up each night this week studying, stressing and preparing the best I could to take my final exams. By the third day, I was so exhausted getting out of bed, I think I blacked out. I ended up falling out of my bed and I don't even think I was conscious at this point. I fell right onto my arm and sustained a painful hematoma. My roommate came running in and couldn't believe what she saw. She urged me to go to the hospital. I tried to brush it off and go back to sleep but the pain was too much so I agreed to go to the hospital. I sat in the emergency room for 90 minutes before being seen by a doctor and they admitted me to the hospital right away. Apparently the injury wasn't urgent enough to get to me right away but was severe enough to admit me to the hospital. I saw many doctors and even a specialist. They preformed a multitude of tests from X-rays, blood work, and a CAT scan to make sure I didn't have any other injuries. The doctors told me that I would need surgery and I was devasted. Not only did I not want to undergo surgery, what about my exams? The pain and stress were so much to handle and I burst into tears. After discussing surgery and options with a few doctors, the attending physician decided it wasn't necessary and he could treat the injury without surgery. I was relieved and was released from the hospital the next day, just in time to take my exams. Lucky for me, my professor was understanding and let me complete them during make up time frame so I had more time to study. I ended up doing well and had to keep my arm in a brace for my entire summer break." +i am going to say about my friends get to gather after my college days. We had a meeting on my friend's wedding. We all gathered together and enjoyed a lot. we had a great time in that place. We drunk and we enjoyed a lot. After all those things get finished off we all get off from the place. While we relieving that place we had an emotional situation. We learned a lot. We have to miss something to get best one. And i leaned one thing that friends are one who never leave at an situation. I love friends forever. Do not leave your friends at any situation. Nothing is better than friendship. I love my friends. I have no precious things. I had great time with them. I had a lot of pleasant things with them. +"When Mary called me from Nebraska in early June she sounded as pleasant and straightforward as her name. She had seen my wedding photography site online, and wanted to find out what it would cost to hire me to photograph her October wedding on the Northern California coast. I told her what I would charge to drive up north from my home in San Francisco and photograph her wedding. She sighed.""That's just way out of our budget, what with the travel and hotels and everything. I'm really sorry to have bothered you.""It seemed like a long way to come to get married if she didn't have much money. I was curious. ""Why don't you tell me a bit more about your plans and we'll talk about the price later?""""Well, we're trying to keep things simple. The important thing is that my fiancé, Tom, just got back from Iraq a few months ago. He grew up in California, and he used to go to a beach out there with his grandfather in the summers. His grandfather passed away while he was in Iraq, and I know it means a lot to him to get married near that same beach. So we're just going to make it happen somehow. We've booked the Rotary Club near there for afterwards and our parents will do all the cooking and decorating and stuff. It'll be fine. Pictures were sort of extra, I guess. I just really thought it would be nice to have some. For later, I mean.""Lately I'd been photographing too many weddings that felt more like theatrical productions with a cast of three-hundred-and fifty and featuring every kind of over-the-top excess. It was far too long since I'd documented a ceremony that felt truly meaningful ""I'd love to photograph your wedding,"" I told her. ""Let's figure out a price you can work with."" I sent her a contract to sign, and we were all set.In October Mary called again. It was just a couple of days before she and Tom were due to drive to California.""I wanted to check in with you about a few things,"" she said. ""I'm not sure if I told you that my dad is performing the ceremony.""""That must be really nice for you.""""Yes, it is."" She hesitated a moment before going on. ""He's just about the sweetest man you'll ever meet. It's really different for him that we're getting married at the beach and not at his church, but he's been great about it.""""" +"The event that was memorable to me that had emotional markings was the death of my beloved pet. My one pet had died a few months earlier and since her death, I think my other pet just got lonely and depressed and sort of gave up on living. Her breed of dog had health issues, which she had, but she was managing. She was nearly sixteen years old and I could tell that last weekend of her life that she was going to die. I saw it before, just a few months earlier in fact. They stop eating and then stop drinking. I was hoping that she would recover, but I knew deep down that she wasn't going to. She had gotten so thin that final weekend. I was planning on taking her to the vet to have him take care of her...to get her out of pain. I didn't want to see her suffer and it wasn't fair to her. It was the weekend, so there was limited availability. I stayed up with her throughout the night and catered to her throughout the day. She slept a lot and I carried her outside when she asked to go out. That afternoon, she stood up on the couch to go outside. I took her out and put her down onto the grass. She looked up at me and I picked her up. I held her, stroked her fur, placed kisses on her head, and talked to her. She turned her head to the side, shook her head for a minute, and then I felt her heart stop and she was gone." +"My dog recently passed away. I was so sad to let him go. He was quite old and had been trying to bury himself. I took him to the vet and the vet put him down. I cried a lot about it. It was a very difficult time. He had grown up with my boys and was such a good dog. I still miss him even though 2 months have gone by. It's been hard to be without him. I have 2 other dogs and they still walk around looking for him too. He was the leader of the pack. I remember how he used to take the other dogs for a walk every morning. He would get them up and let them eat, then he would amble outside. When he got sick, I would look for him under the house. All he wanted was to lay down and be left alone. It was hard for all of us. I miss his stupid face. He was a good dog." +"Several months ago I thought I was having a heart attack. I was staying at my parents' house because my father was in the hospital, and I was alone. I woke up in the middle of the night with chest pains. The pains went away, so I convinced myself nothing was wrong, but when I woke up in the morning I felt unwell. My father was supposed to come home from the hospital that day, and my mother had spent the night at the hospital with him; I was supposed to drive my mother's car to the hospital. Instead, I called an ambulance for myself and went to the emergency room, unfortunately not in the same hospital where my father was. I called my mother so she knew what was going on, and she tried to hide it from my father, but he somehow figured out something was wrong. Meanwhile, in the emergency room across town I was having wires taped to my chest, answering a lot of questions, and having blood drawn. And then I waited. I was there for a long time, just waiting. My brother came by to stay with me for a while, until he had to go pick up my father at the other hospital. It soon became clear, through the monitoring and the blood work, that I had not had a heart attack. I had to do a stress test, which involved walking on a treadmill to get my heart pounding, and then I went back to waiting. I spent at least three hours after the test sitting in my emergency room cubicle, waiting for the results, or some kind of answer. A nurse came in and did a double-take when she saw me–she had no idea I was still in there. Finally, after about 8 hours in the emergency room, hours that combined terror and boredom in a toxic stew of emotion that ended with anger and frustration, and doctor came in and told me I was fine. Maybe it was just stress. I was given a list of reasons for chest pain, and released to go sit in the waiting room (still in my R2-D2 pajamas, which I had been wearing when I called the ambulance) for my sister-in-law to pick me up. It was a weirdly anticlimactic ending to it all, although preferable to actually having a heart attack, but the fear lingers to this day." +"It has been five months since I went to the emergency room with chest pains and I still don't have any answers. It's hard to believe that the pain that I felt couldn't have been a heart attack. I'm still not sure that I believe the doctors. After hours and hours of medical tests and waiting for answers they came back in, just to tell me my heart was fine and that I could go. Well then, what was it? Why did I feel so much pain? Why aren't they helping me? I don't think any of the doctors there really know what they are doing. Obviously, something happened to me. I wasn't making it up. The pain that I felt was real. The whole time I was there, I felt like they were just trying to get me to leave. How could they really not have any answers? The entire thing is just so frustrating. If it happened to them, I bet they would stop at nothing to find out what it was, but because it wasn't they really just don't care." +"In early May of this year, I hosted a book launch party for my very first novel titled The R Word. During this event, several friends and family members came to the book launch to purchase a copy of my story. The story is about a teenage girl who learns valuable life-lessons while babysitting a young boy with Downs syndrome. I spent much of this party with my book in my hands, hardly believing that this was something that I did. I could officially say that I was a published author. It really surprised me that family members and friends that I hadn't seen in years (some since high school) came to this book launch to support me and my dreams. Over 300 copies of my book sold in the first day that it was available. I could not believe that 300 people bought my book! It was a dream. During this book launch, I was able to spend time speaking with and signing books for all of my guests. I then took pictures with everyone so that I could remember these moments forever. I understand during this launch that it was a pure experience for me-- like a wedding or giving birth-- I would never ever have my very first book launch again in my life. I could continue to write forever but this would be the the first celebratory event. Needless to say, I live in a colder and rainy climate but on this day it was absolutely gorgeous. No sweatshirts or umbrellas were needed and it was just beautiful out. I think that in addition to having friends and family come from all over the US to purchase a signed copy and see me, there was another very big surprise. As someone who is a strong advocate for the overall safety for children, I set out a to raise money during this event for a company called Thorn. I was very surprised to learn that over $50 was donated to this jar in support of an agency who specifically saves children from trafficking and sexual exploitation. I cried when I counted this money jar and again when I wrote a personal check to Thorn." +"It's been a while, but today I can't seem to keep thinking about an interaction with an elderly gentleman about 2 months ago. I distinctly remember this man, he came in to the store and tipped his hat and smiled at me, and I had seen him before several times. There was nothing out of the ordinary at all, except he did dress as though it were still the 1950s. I interacted a few times with the man, as he had several questions about products on the floor and generally probing for the best product for his house (I can't recall exactly). He enjoyed asking me questions, and always struck up good conversation when he came in. As I was helping this gentlemen find what he was looking for, a woman a few aisles over made a distinct shriek that can only be described as a horrible gasp for help. The man dropped the product he was holding and ran to find out what was going on. I had to follow. I ran several aisles down, and the man was overtop of the woman, stabilizing telling people to call 911. I called the ambulance while the man performed some chest compressions and was directing other store employees to help him in any way they could. The man completely took over, and when the ambulance came, the swiftly took her away. The man left quickly afterward, seemingly exhausted, but the police that stayed after to file a report told me that the EMTs notified them that the woman was stable and that the man's actions may have saved her life, at least for now. Well, today, the exact woman came today and I recognized her instantly. She was looking for information on the man who saved her life, and I felt a great deal of sadness in telling her I did not know who he was. She left looking a bit dejected, and I felt for her, as this man was the window between life and death for her, and he was gone as quickly as he came. Boy, do I wish I could have one more conversation with him." +"It's been a while, but today I can't seem to keep thinking about an interaction with an elderly gentleman about 2 months ago. I distinctly remember this man, he came in to the store and tipped his hat and smiled at me, and I had seen him before several times. There was nothing out of the ordinary at all, except he did dress as though it were still the 1950s. I interacted a few times with the man, as he had several questions about products on the floor and generally probing for the best product for his house (I can't recall exactly). He enjoyed asking me questions, and always struck up good conversation when he came in. As I was helping this gentlemen find what he was looking for, a woman a few aisles over made a distinct shriek that can only be described as a horrible gasp for help. The man dropped the product he was holding and ran to find out what was going on. I had to follow. I ran several aisles down, and the man was overtop of the woman, stabilizing telling people to call 911. I called the ambulance while the man performed some chest compressions and was directing other store employees to help him in any way they could. The man completely took over, and when the ambulance came, the swiftly took her away. The man left quickly afterward, seemingly exhausted, but the police that stayed after to file a report told me that the EMTs notified them that the woman was stable and that the man's actions may have saved her life, at least for now. Well, today, the exact woman came today and I recognized her instantly. She was looking for information on the man who saved her life, and I felt a great deal of sadness in telling her I did not know who he was. She left looking a bit dejected, and I felt for her, as this man was the window between life and death for her, and he was gone as quickly as he came. Boy, do I wish I could have one more conversation with him." +"It's been a while, but today I can't seem to keep thinking about an interaction with an elderly gentleman about 2 months ago. I distinctly remember this man, he came in to the store and tipped his hat and smiled at me, and I had seen him before several times. There was nothing out of the ordinary at all, except he did dress as though it were still the 1950s. I interacted a few times with the man, as he had several questions about products on the floor and generally probing for the best product for his house (I can't recall exactly). He enjoyed asking me questions, and always struck up good conversation when he came in. As I was helping this gentlemen find what he was looking for, a woman a few aisles over made a distinct shriek that can only be described as a horrible gasp for help. The man dropped the product he was holding and ran to find out what was going on. I had to follow. I ran several aisles down, and the man was overtop of the woman, stabilizing telling people to call 911. I called the ambulance while the man performed some chest compressions and was directing other store employees to help him in any way they could. The man completely took over, and when the ambulance came, the swiftly took her away. The man left quickly afterward, seemingly exhausted, but the police that stayed after to file a report told me that the EMTs notified them that the woman was stable and that the man's actions may have saved her life, at least for now. Well, today, the exact woman came today and I recognized her instantly. She was looking for information on the man who saved her life, and I felt a great deal of sadness in telling her I did not know who he was. She left looking a bit dejected, and I felt for her, as this man was the window between life and death for her, and he was gone as quickly as he came. Boy, do I wish I could have one more conversation with him." +"One significant event that has happened to me in the last six months was staying in Europe for 3 months. We first arrived in the Czech Republic, Prague. We arrived in the evening and because it was winter, the sun went down sooner. I had never been to Europe before and we went out in the dark onto one of the busiest parts of the city and I remember it being unlike anything else I had ever seen before. They were roasting meat on sticks. There were foreign pastries every way you looked. The sidewalks were made out of bricks that were laid hundreds of years ago. People were sitting on the steps of castles casually eating their sour kraut. We walked out into the square and I remember looking up at the old buildings and beautiful architecture. I had never seen buildings that old in America. It started snowing in that moment and I remember it being one of the most beautiful memories I have ever had. It was something out of a dream. My kids and I held hands and walked together. I am glad I got to experience something like that. I am interested in writing about this story in further detail at a later time." +My trip to europe was fun. I went an saw many things. The main thing I liked was the long walks through the historical areas. It seemed magical that night. It was very dark and the buildings old and detailed. The oddest thing happened though. It snowed. It was late spring and it was totally abnormal. Even the locals were amazed. It made the night even better and created great shots. I took so many pictures of the architecture and snow falling. It truly made everything better and more ornate. I liked the fact that is was unexpected. It added to the whole dynamic of the scene. I will be going back. +I was completely caught off guard by this development because I really thought that we were meant to be. My close friend had never betrayed me at all on any level. I didn't know what to do or how to handle this crazy development. I thought we were going to get married. We hung out all the time. I really didn't want to snoop in his phone. I didn't think it was possible. He tried to justify it when I finally confronted it. I wondered if I should just stay with him. He was a great person. I was surprised because I've never caught anyone cheating. I thought he would be the last one to do that. I decided that my friendship and relationship were never going to get better. I had to end it. I was so pissed off and I've never been so shocked in my life. +I was completely caught off guard by this development because I really thought that we were meant to be. My close friend had never betrayed me at all on any level. I didn't know what to do or how to handle this crazy development. I thought we were going to get married. We hung out all the time. I really didn't want to snoop in his phone. I didn't think it was possible. He tried to justify it when I finally confronted it. I wondered if I should just stay with him. He was a great person. I was surprised because I've never caught anyone cheating. I thought he would be the last one to do that. I decided that my friendship and relationship were never going to get better. I had to end it. I was so pissed off and I've never been so shocked in my life. +"Last July, me, my husband, kids, my youngest brother who live with us, and my other brother along with his family who lives in the Philippines met up in Vancouver Canada. We have a sister who lives in Burnaby and she lives in an apartment along with her family. It is our tradition to have a vacation together with our families. It was a very memorable experience because I get to experience it with my siblings. My sister's apartment's location is just 5 minutes away from the train station and mall. It is just a 5-minute walk! I was really impressed because her location is very near to everything that she needed. I basically go to the mall everyday and I can buy food whenever I wanted. If I needed some groceries, I will just bring my portable shopping cart and then I will just walk to the grocery stores. If I wanted to go somewhere, I will just ride the train. Everything I needed is there. We also went to some of the tourist spots there including Victoria Island, Capilano Bridge and a lot more. The Capilano Bridge is really scary because it is long and shaky if people walks really fast. It was one of the happiest vacations of my life because I get to spend it with my loved ones. Vancouver is really a beautiful city." +"my cousin's wedding went amazingly well. She had friends over from all parts of the country. It almost felt like a reunion for her because most of these friends were from her college days. There was this friend in particular named Susan, who had been dating a guy she met online. Luckily for her, the guy was living in the same location where the wedding took place. So she decided to kill two birds with one stone and invite the guy over for the wedding for them to have their first meeting. After the wedding, my cousin had an after party at a pool of which few friends were in attendance including Susan and her new date. Susan could not swim, however, her new date convinced her to swim with him, and he'd keep her safe from deep waters. In a bid to teach her how to swim, he dumped her in deep waters. She struggled to no avail and the new date did not come her to rescue. Luckily for her, a life guard came around and saved her. She nearly lost her life all because she placed her trust in a not so known person. After this incident. I swore to learn how to swim of which I can now. I also figured that no one was to be trusted fully." +"I recently went to visit family down in North Carolina. My wife and I drove down to visit her sister and her sister's husband since we hadn't seen their new house yet. We went down for the 4th of July, partied, talked, and had a great time. The most memorable night was the evening of the 4th of July. It started to rain hard in the afternoon and we had to cancel going to an event we were going to go to to see fireworks. However, this turned out to be great. We got to drink, party, and have a bunch of fun together at home visiting. I'm glad this happened because it allowed us to spend more time with each other. Events visiting family like this are my favorite because I just love connecting and spending time with people. It brings me a lot of joy to visit with family. Plus, once you have a little bit of drink in you it allows you to open up and talk more. I think we had a great time connecting and bonding with each other. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I hope that we get to spend time with them again soon. Maybe next time we can rent a beach house and go to the beach for a week or weekend. It's great to have family that you can talk with and bond with." +"My friends came over to celebrated my birthday, and we had so much fun together. We told many stories with each other, and had so much fun eating the birthday cake. And the best part was when my friends gave me my gifts. I didn't really expect the gifts I got, and it was so nice to receive them. I opened them and I was surprised by some of the gifts I got, but they were so nice, and I liked them. After that, we played some games with each other, and talk some more about life. It was just such a great time. I had fun. I know my friends had fun too. It was just so great. And amazing. I can't wait for my next birthday. It's just so cool. I love it a lot. Best birthday ever." +"My friends came over to celebrated my birthday, and we had so much fun together. We told many stories with each other, and had so much fun eating the birthday cake. And the best part was when my friends gave me my gifts. I didn't really expect the gifts I got, and it was so nice to receive them. I opened them and I was surprised by some of the gifts I got, but they were so nice, and I liked them. After that, we played some games with each other, and talk some more about life. It was just such a great time. I had fun. I know my friends had fun too. It was just so great. And amazing. I can't wait for my next birthday. It's just so cool. I love it a lot. Best birthday ever." +"I have always been scared of the unknown. To push the limits. I have always thought if i could make it better, become harder and stronger, do something worthwhile. I have no doubts now, right now. Yes, i can, because i did it today. I gave me a big challenge, and came out of it successful. I noticed that there was a marathon going on in the country side. It was a spur of the moment decision. I signed up. I was literally shaking, thinking it was the biggest mistake i had ever made. But i buckled up and started running. I realized my legs went numb as soon as i covered the elevated mile. I thought i was going to faint when i reached the mountain trails. But something in me gave me strength and i somehow recovered. I finished the race with hours to spare!! Yes, i can! And i will, hereon." +"I have always been scared of the unknown. To push the limits. I have always thought if i could make it better, become harder and stronger, do something worthwhile. I have no doubts now, right now. Yes, i can, because i did it today. I gave me a big challenge, and came out of it successful. I noticed that there was a marathon going on in the country side. It was a spur of the moment decision. I signed up. I was literally shaking, thinking it was the biggest mistake i had ever made. But i buckled up and started running. I realized my legs went numb as soon as i covered the elevated mile. I thought i was going to faint when i reached the mountain trails. But something in me gave me strength and i somehow recovered. I finished the race with hours to spare!! Yes, i can! And i will, hereon." +"While camping this summer, I was scalded by boiling water. I was boiling water with my hiking stove to prepare oatmeal for breakfast. A gust of wind blew over the windscreen set up around the stove and toppled the pot of water off of the stove. The water was forced out of the pot and onto my abdomen. Fortunately, I had cell service and called 911. I was instructed to put cold water on the burn while I waited for the ambulance to arrive, but the only thing I had available was a cold bottle of Gatorade. I held the cold bottle to my abdomen while the dispatcher was trying to figure out exactly where I was located. My call had hit a cell tower in a different county. It took the ambulance 30 minutes to get to me and another 30 minutes to get me to the hospital. The wait seemed like an eternity, and I was feeling the worst pain I ever felt in my life. The emergency department doctor told me I had second and third degree burns over 45 percent of my abdomen. I passed out immediately after they gave me a shot of morphine. When I woke up, I no longer felt pain. They put a special ointment on my burn that totally relieved the pain. I needed to get back to my campsite, where my vehicle was located. The hospital called a taxi for me, and I was sent back to my primitive campsite. I felt very weak and could not pack my camping gear into my vehicle, so I ended up sleeping in my hammock. I spent two days in that hammock, trying to get the strength for the two and a half hour drive home. When I finally arrived home, I had to go to another emergency room to have my burn cleaned. It was one of the scariest experiences of my life, and I am still recovering from my burn both physically and emotionally." +"In May of 2019 I flew to Holland to visit my family. During that time I was able to celebrate my parent's 50th wedding anniversary with them. Through some external circumstances I had not been able to go back to Holland for about 4 years. It was really nice to see everyone again. The day of the event our immediate family came together. First we went for a short hike in a nearby forest. Then we had dinner at a pancake house. After dinner we went back to my parents house for coffee, tea and dessert. As a gift I had digitally restored some pictures of my parents of when they were younger. I had put them together in a picture collage with a frame. My mom especially was very happy about this gift. She kept showing it to everyone that came over. This was the first time in years I was able to celebrate a wedding anniversary with my parents. Not everyone makes it to their 50th wedding anniversary. Being able to experience this was special to me and my family." +"In May of this year I was able to go to Holland and visit with my family. It was particularly memorable because it was my parents 50th wedding anniversary. Because of different circumstances in my personal life, it had been 4 years since I had seen my family in person. The last time I saw my nephew he was just 9 months old, now he was almost five. My other nephew was just a boy last time I saw him, now he's a senior in high school. It made me realize how time flies and how much I have missed not being near my family for the past 4 years. For my parents anniversary I had found some old pictures of both my mom and dad when they were younger, and a few from when they just started dating. I restored these pictures in Photoshop, printed them out and made a picture collage that I gave them as a gift. It made my mom emotional seeing these pictures of how young they were, and I think she was sad because life is so short. One of the pictures in particular was difficult for her, because it was one of my mom and my aunt when they were just teenagers, and my aunt has recently passed away. My mom was so happy though with this gift, and anytime someone came over she proudly showed it to them. It made me happy I put in the effort of giving a personalized gift. For their actual anniversary, the whole family got together and we went for a hike in a nearby forest. After the hike we had dinner at a pancake house and finished at my parents' house for dessert. I will treasure this memory forever." +"About six months ago my husband and I had a lot going on in our lives. At the time we weren't married we were just boyfriend and girlfriend with a 4 year old son. We had some financial struggles here and there, but we always managed to stay afloat. Once upon a time we had to make a sacrifice from seeing each other were he took the night shift and I worked the day shift. It really took a toll on our relationship I thought it was going to be over. Then on my birthday I decided to go to Las Vegas for my birthday just to get away for the weekend. I had no idea what was coming my way. That weekend after we had dinner he asked if we could go over to the Bellagio hotel to see the waterfall. We went over to the waterfall he asked me did I love him and was I loyal to him and I said yes and then he kneeled and proposed to me. I was in disbelief that this was happening after everything we had been through I was overwhelmed with excitement I was going to be marring my best friend. It was a night to remember I think about it all the time. I plan on planning a trip back and staying at the hotel just to relive the moment. All I have is memories there that will last a lifetime. Can't wait to plan our wedding. It's going to be magical experience with all of our friends and family." +"Last month I got into quite the scary car accident. I was driving my Ford Explorer down a windy road when a deer leapt out in front me. In an attempt to swerve around the deer, I jerked my steering wheel hard to the right towards a turn down a side street. However, the speed I was going at and the weight and unwieldiness of my car made me go careening off towards a house. With no real course of action at this point, luck had me slip directly in between two trees in this persons front yard, coming close enough to one to take off my side view mirror. Then a sharp ditch by their driveway slowed my vehicle enough to come to stop with little damage. Coming out of this, I had 3 of my 4 tires popped, a broken side view mirror, and a shattered window; but luckily no injuries myself. This has been on my mind nearly constantly since then, how differently it could have gone. I did lose my car, but I could have very easily lost my life. Or worse yet, I could have careened into that poor persons house and caused the death of someone else. After the accident the startled residents of the home came out to make sure I was ok. After sharing exasperated bewilderment at the luck of the scenario, I called a tow truck. The residents of the home were nice enough to offer me water and sit with me till the police and tow truck showed up. Luckily I have a bit of cash saved up for purchasing a new car, and hopefully my insurance premiums don't go up too much. Going forward its going to be hard to drive without the constant anxiety of another rogue deer deciding my fate. But I am very grateful that things didn't turn out worse." +"I still remember the look on your face when your husband kissed you, you looked so peaceful. I wish I had gotten a photo. The ceremony was beautiful. I really liked the flowers you picked. As you know lilacs are my favorite. Spring weddings are my absolute favorite. I hope my wedding is as beautiful as yours. At the reception, the music was great, I really enjoyed watching you and your new husband take your first dance. You should have seen Grandma, she was looking so proud. Grandpa was tapping his feet to the music, you made the so proud. The food was absolutely amazing and the decorations were splendid. Where did you get such great ideas. I can tell you put much thought into it. I loved the Best Mans Speech to, hes so funny and handsome. Do you know if he is single? Well l my dear sister, I just want to tell you I love you and wish you and your new husband all the best in your new life together." +"My supervisor and I get along generally fine now, but it wasn't always this way. We got off to a rough start when I first joined the team, but since he's come to terms and actually appreciate what I do. It start when he broke his pelvis. There was really no one around him for that week. Most of my coworkers were taking vacation at the time. He had no choice but to leave me with some of his duties. I was actually pretty eager to take the duties on. It gave me insight into what it was like to be in a managerial position. It started off pretty stressful. His boss, which was my boss now, set high expectations for the 3 weeks my manager was out. I ended up taking it though. I did actually pretty well and surprised myself. In the end, my manager came back. He saw that I was running things better than him. He decided to refer me to a promotion. I actually got it as well!" +"My supervisor and I get along generally fine now, but it wasn't always this way. We got off to a rough start when I first joined the team, but since he's come to terms and actually appreciate what I do. It start when he broke his pelvis. There was really no one around him for that week. Most of my coworkers were taking vacation at the time. He had no choice but to leave me with some of his duties. I was actually pretty eager to take the duties on. It gave me insight into what it was like to be in a managerial position. It started off pretty stressful. His boss, which was my boss now, set high expectations for the 3 weeks my manager was out. I ended up taking it though. I did actually pretty well and surprised myself. In the end, my manager came back. He saw that I was running things better than him. He decided to refer me to a promotion. I actually got it as well!" +the most memorable day in my life is my friend's birthday celebration. Me and my friends were planned a birthday party to my childhood friend. we arranged a birthday party very grand. my friend even don't know about the party. we secretly planned and arrange it with in a week. on her birthday we invite all of her friends and families to the party. she don't know about that. we just make a call and came to the hall. she don't know why we are calling her to that place. after she entering into the hall. the hall is fully dark when she was enter. after she enter we on the lights. and everyone in that hall wish her. she was fully surprised. she was very happy. she was shocked. after that we celebrate her birthday. she enjoyed a lot. it was unforgettable moment in my life. we arrange it for her. and it completed very well. +Take heed. Everyday is a new chance that God had allowed to overcome sins. Its like when you use your finger to reset the game or computer. Making an attempt to beat your last high score. LOL. Thanks be to him for those moments of success. So depending on what the goal is for that day. We figure out how it could be more efficient or done quicker at times even more sustainable for the ones that care. So I will share one of my moments with you. I am currently on the job of getting more people to keep one of the first loves that God blessed us with. So in this respect I am speaking of the earth and more specifically eliminating our footprint in consumables and waste. I make the example 1st by keeping in mind what and how much I eat. I use two tools the scriptures with my brothers the Israelites and the vegan community. Those give me a sense of accountability and discipline. Even though just the thought of Gods power alone is the greatest and most humbling motivator. I am prone to use the practical things I can see on the daily. And a quick shoutout to the most high for Godspeed which is faster than lightspeed it allows for the word not coming back void. Just being able to see a problem understand a solution then praying with working to solve it is a great miracle and another example of the blessing I cherish from God. +"This is the intro to my story. It's a base understanding about the benefits of life and me being grateful for them. Also giving praises to The Most High (TMH) for allowing me to do so. Every God allows me to awake is another day to serve him. My days usually go by simple enough: wake eating/or drink sometimes both if money available or the want or need to is here. Studying the Bible and people, animals and the world around me is fascinating in itself. I study and apply God's laws through the faith of Jesus Christ: by overcoming my trials and tribulations, giving charity whether it be in the form of wisdom or materials, and working with others in various communities throughout the united states so far. Ok so waking up the first thing I do is show thanks to God. Next is some scripture reading, videos, or music. Next up is food. I've taken a so called ""vegan"" route recently so I focus on fruits vegetables, grains and foods from trees. Among drinks I have water (various types) along with fruit juices(natural are preferred). When it comes to milk I use almond, rice, oat, etc. Then finding some form of work. I am growing to understand that tradition work in most people minds that I've grown up with (9-5) is not the best form. So I am constantly looking ""work"" or the lifestyle where I get paid to do what I love. Most of it is teaching even if its online or not. It's always in the spectrum of making life more honorable even in the lowest situations or at least that's where I'm beginning at even though our history doesn't start from those ""cloths"" This journey is forever so growth is always expected even in the smallest area such as appearance changes, updating tech, and understanding people situations to guide them to overcome SIN and parts of their lives they don't like. Just those few actions are almost always a full day." +"It's never pleasant when friends meet because of another friend's death. It was hard to admit that this one girl was gone, never to be seen again. At least, in the physical form. A month ago, her husband called me with the news that she had passed. I didn't get the details of what happened, but that seemed unimportant in the grand scheme of things. I just wanted to be there for him the best that I could. I couldn't imagine how he felt. He had just lost his soulmate. That being said, the funeral was beautiful. It was wonderfully done, and it was just such a positive vibe given the source material. Her husband and I reminisced about the good times and those memories are never going to fade so long as we can help it. She never wavered, and she was stubborn. Whatever took her, it wasn't easy. She will be missed. I'll see her again at some point." +"I've never been the person to give speeches. However, when I went to my best friend's wedding, everyone certainly expected one out of me. I was so extremely nervous as I spouted what I viewed as nonsense up there. Surprisingly, nobody hassled me. Nobody gave me a hard time. In fact, the reaction to my speech was so overwhelmingly positive, that I just couldn't wait to say more. I'll never forget that speech. My best friend was so happy, and he even looked like he might start to cry. He didn't cry, but I'll never let him live down that he almost did. I love that guy, and I love his new wife as one would a sister. I made sure to mention that in the speech that I gave. It turns out that people are just as insecure as you are when you give a speech. Everyone is so worried about themselves and their own fears that they just don't care about you, for lack of a better way to say it. I certainly am glad that's the case. Now, I'm not as afraid to give a speech anymore." +i was studying in college. i have a friend who is very close to me. he is my childhood friend. he is very good friend of mine. he have good character. he have very helping mind. he helps to everyone. but he have one bad character which is he is addicted to heroin. he is very much addicted to that. no one can not stop him from using heroin. he was very much addicted to that. later we have lost our contacts. so we are not in contact for long time. i was busy with my life. and i thought he also busy with his life. but after some time i have a message that he was dead. i was shocked when i hear that message. i felt very bad when i hear the message. i felt that if i did something means he will be fine now. i felt i was did mistake. +i was studying in college. i have a friend who is very close to me. he is my childhood friend. he is very good friend of mine. he have good character. he have very helping mind. he helps to everyone. but he have one bad character which is he is addicted to heroin. he is very much addicted to that. no one can not stop him from using heroin. he was very much addicted to that. later we have lost our contacts. so we are not in contact for long time. i was busy with my life. and i thought he also busy with his life. but after some time i have a message that he was dead. i was shocked when i hear that message. i felt very bad when i hear the message. i felt that if i did something means he will be fine now. i felt i was did mistake. +after messing up my ankle in football i thought I would never have full movement again. I was right about full movement but Im happy with what I got back. About 18 weeks ago my doctor said i was a candidate for a new procedure. This new technique restored 98% mobility in my ankle. There is only a 1 year recovery period and 1 month of no weight bearing probation. After that I have a bit of physical therapy and I should be good to go. It's crazy how fast life gets you down when your body fails. I am not 18 weeks in and feeling great. The journey has been long but so worth it. Not constantly being in pain is a big plus. I cant thank the doctors enough. My life is leaps and bounds above what I could expect. I really have a feeling of getting my life back on track. I love that i was able to participate and urge others to get this surgery. If you can take something to control your life do it. You will thank yourself for it. +after messing up my ankle in football i thought I would never have full movement again. I was right about full movement but Im happy with what I got back. About 18 weeks ago my doctor said i was a candidate for a new procedure. This new technique restored 98% mobility in my ankle. There is only a 1 year recovery period and 1 month of no weight bearing probation. After that I have a bit of physical therapy and I should be good to go. It's crazy how fast life gets you down when your body fails. I am not 18 weeks in and feeling great. The journey has been long but so worth it. Not constantly being in pain is a big plus. I cant thank the doctors enough. My life is leaps and bounds above what I could expect. I really have a feeling of getting my life back on track. I love that i was able to participate and urge others to get this surgery. If you can take something to control your life do it. You will thank yourself for it. +"i was in my work. when i am working in my office i got a call from my partner, that my mother was admitted to hospital. he said that she have some ill. i felt very bad. i immediately got permission from my office. so i went to the hospital very fast. my partner said that my mother was in serious condition. i felt very bad. i became very sad. doctor said my mother heart attack. there is 99% blockage in the tube which carry blood to the heart. i felt very bad. i was completely blank. i was crying at that day. i said to doctor that please save my mother. i will spend money. they give more treatment to mother. my mother was saved and she is fine now." +"i was in my work. when i am working in my office i got a call from my partner, that my mother was admitted to hospital. he said that she have some ill. i felt very bad. i immediately got permission from my office. so i went to the hospital very fast. my partner said that my mother was in serious condition. i felt very bad. i became very sad. doctor said my mother heart attack. there is 99% blockage in the tube which carry blood to the heart. i felt very bad. i was completely blank. i was crying at that day. i said to doctor that please save my mother. i will spend money. they give more treatment to mother. my mother was saved and she is fine now." +"We found a beautiful colonial right in the heart of town. Kids got enrolled in one of the states most prestigious school districts and my spouse landed a much better paying salary working in the same field. Things couldn’t have worked out better for us but I do think about my classic car. It was a sacrifice to exchange for security for my family. We had so many memories with that car being passed down three generations. although our basic family sedan we own now could never compare to a classic it’s more reliable and I don’t have to worry about expensive body work or repairs. On our 25th wedding anniversary the kids surprised us with the exact model. With the kids out of the house it’s been great spending time customizing it. Now we have the money and time to really enjoy a classic car and not have to worry about upkeep. We take her to road shows and have a special garage made just to showcase. This time around we plan to take as many pictures and have already included her in two family weddings and countless birthdays. It’s important to celebrate what you have when you have it but also know their order of importance in life. People first, places next THEN things. Things come and go. Sometimes for better and never for worse." +"This summer I was very busy with work, and a few things in my personal life, one that was very hard and that is what makes this experience that much more memorable. We went to Watertown which is in Upstate NY with a bunch of people that live at the halfway house that I work. We all rode together in a few cars and the van and had a lot of fun just getting there. When we arrived it was quite beautiful, it was raining but that did not stop the fun. We seperated into groups of 6 or 7 and went down the river with a river guide. We made a couple stops to swim and do waves with the boat. It just proved to everyone that it was possible to have fun in sobriety. It was an unforgettable day for all involved. I do have a vivid memory of people flying out of the boat and seeing them pulled back in. It was the entire staff from the mens and womens houses so although it was a work trip - it was the same as being out with a group of close friends. It was something I had always wanted to experience but it would have been hard for me to afford. Just seeing all the guys together having fun and being able to participate is a memory that will stick with me. I now have checked something off my bucket list. Being in nature is always something that I enjoy and this activity was so much fun. I think back on this as something that is once in a lifetime." +"The best experience i have ever had with clients happened about a month and a half ago. I was meeting with the new clients at the office and the suggested we go do something really different. I wanted to impress them so I pretended I was on board and said I'd try anything. White water rafting! That is what they suggested! I was terrified. I can't swim, and I am scared of boats. I felt like an idiot admitting those things, and I really needed to impress these clients, so I agreed. I acted excited. I was so scared I couldn't even breathe. When we got to the river it became obvious that I had no idea what I was doing. I couldn't put the safety gear on without help. I felt a lot better that at least everyone knew I was a fraud, but that didn't get me out of participating. They insisted I follow through. I could have refused, but then they wouldn't have wanted to work with me anymore I was afraid. The entire day was amazing. I have never been so scared but so alive in my entire life. I can't say I've gone rafting again since then, but I still remember that day fondly. And the best part? I closed the deal! So I made some friends and made some money off of the entire experience." +My company had a few positions open up within our organization and I really wanted to get promoted. After mentioning this to one of my work friends he suggested that I brush up on a few of my qualifications to really give myself a good shot. After speaking to my immediate manager as well I thought that this would be the correct course to take. After putting in my application/resume to make sure I get interviewed I got to work. There were only a couple of online courses that I had to take but these really prepared me for the qualification tests. This took about three weeks to complete but after I finished my confidence was really high. The day of the interview I prepared myself as much as I could. Getting a good night's sleep as well as buying a new outfit to wear really had me feeling good. I went into the interview that included my immediate manager as well as the district manager. During the interview I felt somewhat of a weird vibe from the district manager and he implied that I was not experienced enough yet. I pointed out the qualifications that I had recently obtained and was told that these were standard and that everybody had them. There was little that I could do except answer their questions and sell myself as much as I could. I pointed out that I had strong performance reviews for the last year and that I was 100% up to the challenge. This was not good enough though I was told to apply next time this position comes open as it should only be 6-9 months before another team member is added. This was pretty sad for me but after having lunch with my work friend he helped me to see things in a new light and be happy that I have these added skills for future use. +"I've got mixed feelings about work lately, and I'm still trying to process the last few months. Around three months or so ago I talked with my supervisor about possibly advancing through the ranks. I mean, I've been with the company about two years now and it's somewhat strange working with people fresh out of college. Anyway, he was totally on board with that and hinted at an opening in management that would make me a team supervisor, but it wasn't really up to him (it's the coordinator's job to pick and choose promotions). So I shrugged and tried to win the part. I came in early every day, helped answer questions from the new people in the office, and even took on that extra project from the finance department. Of course, three months later that opening gets taken by some new hire. I was feeling pretty dejected but apparently the coordinator took notice of my efforts and actually gave me a small raise. That was a nice incentive, and plus I can add some finance related stuff and other employable skills to my resume. I guess all in all I'm not even sure if I would have liked the management position anyways, and it's got me wondering if maybe I should take what experience I have from this position and move on. The pay is good, about decent for a data scientist, but I'd really enjoy taking on some more long term projects or having a leadership position. Working here was invaluable as someone new to the industry and trying to learn the ropes, but if there's no hope of working my way through the ranks, then it's probably best if I part ways. I'm a little stung about the promotion, but honestly I'm not upset about it anymore. The raise was at least something, and I'm thinking with the experience I got from the finance project that I can look into a job at a bank corporation that reached out to me. It would be a smaller office and more tight knit environment, which I think I'd prefer more. Still, I wonder if I should just hold out and wait to see if I can perhaps grab another position onboard management. It's a lot to consider, but I'm sure it will all work out." +"It was an car accident in my life and it was so memorable. It was so emotional as I saw other people get hurt and this took place in May. I was directly involved in the car crash because I was in one of the cars on the day it happened. In my life I had never been involved in such an accident but on that very day I was shocked it actually happened. such an emotional day, saw people crying, bleeding and other screaming. It marks a significant day in my life because I may have been dead now. may is significant to me. It is the birth month of my son and also my mother. It happened on that very day in May, it was a morning. I had just finished eating and decided to go on a trip, I had no clue it was going to end that way. As time went on, it became clear that I was out on Earth for a purpose and there is a positive force watching over me. I could not stop thinking about it for a few weeks. Its difficult when you see people screaming but you can't do anything to save the situation. Many times its fate and other times its just luck. It was a memorable experience and it makes me happy about life. Accidents happen all the time but this was a significant one in my life" +"My parents divorced when I was four years old. They have generally gotten along, but not been around each other much. Within the last eight years both of them lost their spouses. I decided to have a vacation and take both of them, since traveling alone is difficult for each of them. We chose Fort Lauderdale. It was a great time. We went to seafood restaurants. That may have been the best part. We also hung out at the beach. Much of the early part of the day was spent at the beach. All of us liked going in the ocean. All of us enjoyed going on a Segway tour. We saw Birch Park. The five of us, as my son and husband also went along, visited a local casino a few times. The sunny weather was so pleasant. Everyone had a great time. My parents, while not close, got along and had fun." +"My parents divorced when I was four years old. They have generally gotten along, but not been around each other much. Within the last eight years both of them lost their spouses. I decided to have a vacation and take both of them, since traveling alone is difficult for each of them. We chose Fort Lauderdale. It was a great time. We went to seafood restaurants. That may have been the best part. We also hung out at the beach. Much of the early part of the day was spent at the beach. All of us liked going in the ocean. All of us enjoyed going on a Segway tour. We saw Birch Park. The five of us, as my son and husband also went along, visited a local casino a few times. The sunny weather was so pleasant. Everyone had a great time. My parents, while not close, got along and had fun." +My husband hated this guy at the bar. He couldn't stand being near him. It's like there is an issue between them. He took me around the back of the bar and started to kick the trash can. My husband never wanted to start a fight with the dude. We got into an argument. My husband claims that the friend was the one that broke into our house. My husband claims that he seen his dirty little notes in our mailbox and he didn't want to tell me about it because he didn't want to cause a fight. I couldn't resist the feelings. So I screamed at him and asked why he couldn't file a report. My husband said that he didn't want to make me upset. He feels like that my friend is cheating with me. This all happened 4 weeks ago. I'm kind of over the situation. I feel like I understand my husbands perspective. +My husband hated this guy at the bar. He couldn't stand being near him. It's like there is an issue between them. He took me around the back of the bar and started to kick the trash can. My husband never wanted to start a fight with the dude. We got into an argument. My husband claims that the friend was the one that broke into our house. My husband claims that he seen his dirty little notes in our mailbox and he didn't want to tell me about it because he didn't want to cause a fight. I couldn't resist the feelings. So I screamed at him and asked why he couldn't file a report. My husband said that he didn't want to make me upset. He feels like that my friend is cheating with me. This all happened 4 weeks ago. I'm kind of over the situation. I feel like I understand my husbands perspective. +"I don't like people. I don't like that they're all for themselves. I especially don't like how they don't seemingly care for animals. They didn't care about anyone but themselves. This was no more evident when three weeks ago the miserable human being that was driving close to my house ran my cat over, killing it. That cat was worth more than that person's life. The cat is a decent thing, one that tries to keep to itself. This fool didn't stop, probably didn't even give it a second look. Again, it was only looking after itself. It doesn't even deserve a label or identity. I wish there was a camera around so I can see the vehicle. I just want that person to feel the pain that I felt. I miss the cat dearly. I buried them in the backyard. I hope to get another at some point." +"I don't like people. I don't like that they're all for themselves. I especially don't like how they don't seemingly care for animals. They didn't care about anyone but themselves. This was no more evident when three weeks ago the miserable human being that was driving close to my house ran my cat over, killing it. That cat was worth more than that person's life. The cat is a decent thing, one that tries to keep to itself. This fool didn't stop, probably didn't even give it a second look. Again, it was only looking after itself. It doesn't even deserve a label or identity. I wish there was a camera around so I can see the vehicle. I just want that person to feel the pain that I felt. I miss the cat dearly. I buried them in the backyard. I hope to get another at some point." +"I just got back from volunteering overseas for the last year and needed to gain back some weight and sleep, felt like I could sleep for years. My mom lives out in the country and missed me so that was perfect. We got on the topic of abuse, or the KKK, Iʻm not sure what led to what. We look really white, but the look in her eyes and the way her voice changed when talking about the KKK moved me to ask some really hard questions. Most of my life I just heard snippets of my past, that my grandfather was handsome and abusive. That he passed for white because he was tall with blue eyes but that he was Native American and that, even with a high school education, couldnʻt get hired anywhere because he was native. She opened up to me how abusive her father was, how he would beat her mother and tear her clothes off, how she got one of the first restraining orders issued in Oregon, how her father would sit outside their home and try to convince her three younger brothers that their mother was evil. She used to race home to grab her brothers before he could get to them. She told me how the KKK used to threaten to burn their house down and thought that with their father gone it would be a good time to get rid of them ""once and for all"". The fear she lived with amazes me, how any of them turned out to be good, loving, human beings astounds me. I found out that my grandpa is buried in an unmarked grave in Oregon. Iʻm thankful that she decided to make her own money and not rely on some guy to provide for her. This led her to get an advanced degree in science and retire as a Lt. Col. She is the most compassionate person I have ever met and will find the humanest and most loving angle to any story she hears or tells." +"This day I was awoken by my text notifications going off like crazy, it was my downstairs neighbor calling for help to get to the pharmacy for her prescription. She was in so much pain but wouldn't allow us to pick up the prescription for her. When we were leaving she actually had to stop and take a break to get to the car. Her breathing was taxing and her color of her skin was all off. You could tell something was really wrong but she was so hesitant about telling us about her condition. I know she believed if she kept it inside it wouldn't effect anything on the outside. We could totally see she was in pain and lots of suffering. While we were at the pharmacy counter the pharmacist asked if she needed any explanation about her meds, and she replied no. They asked her for the identification and then proceeded to tell her that the prescription was morphine and what her dosage was. I acted as if it was no big deal, but just about then I new something was really wrong. She then pulled me aside and told me her predicament of her diagnosis, and then told me it was metastatic pancreatic cancer. I was destroying her liver, kidneys and stomach. The next day we took her to the hospital, and stayed with her as long as we could, she had no one except us. Her family was all gone, she had a daughter that had no idea that her mother was so sick, she had absolutely no clue, but that is how her mom wanted it. She was diagnosed a week ago, and today, less than a week later, she is gone." +"My friend from college was a great person. She was one of the best teammates I ever had. She gave great advice and had the ability to get everyone involved without restricting anyone. A few months ago, she was diagnosed with cancer. Two weeks later, she passed away. I was in shock, as were many others. We thought she would have had an opportunity to fight the cancer, but two weeks is nowhere near enough. We held a memorial service for her. People who knew her shared about how bubbly she was. I shared how great of a teammate she was. We were all in shock, but we celebrated who she was. She made an impact toward her family, friends, and the world. It's amazing how quickly cancer affects someone's life, directly and indirectly. Moreover, most of us didn't know how grave this situation could be and was. I doubt she knew how grave her situation was. I'll dearly miss her." +We got to witness collective soul on their 25th anniversary as a brand on tour near our hometown. There were great drinks and snacks. The best part was purchasing lawn tickets but ending up about 7-8 rows. The stage getting to see the band up close and personal. We are plane to a trip to my home town. But there was an some of our close relation anniversary happen. Then we plan a lot for that. And there are lot of snacks available. We planed to enjoy the day. But there are some kind of disturbance happen. Then we got tickets on lawn. But there also problem happen. That was occupy by the band and others. Little bit disappointment for our friends. Then we arrange some other arrangements. The anniversary going well. +"I finally got out of the hospital. It all started in the evening 3 nights ago. I was watching TV and started feeling confused. I reached over to grab my remote to change channels,, and I couldn't keep a hold of it. I tried with 2 hands but then I couldn't push the buttons, and forgot what channel I was changing to anyway. I started thinking it was a stroke. I grabbed my tablet to look up symptoms and within seconds forgot the word stroke. I live alone so I started speaking out loud and I couldn't talk correctly. I found out I could walk, so I walked the 15 minutes to the VA hospital which is on my street. I had a hard time communicating at the desk but finally got in to see a doctor. I couldn't communicate with the doctors. I tried to write but words would disappear from my head. I also couldn't hold the pen, so it was moot to even try with my left hand. They finally did a CT scan and I had a old subdural hemotoma, which I determined was about 6 months before,it was just above my left ear from a fall off a electric scooter. The doctors ruled out a normal stroke, It was called a mini stroke and after a few days cleared it self up and I was about 95% and was finally discharged." +"The first book that I edited came out over the summer. It was the first book, where I was listed as the editor, and the first project that I had complete responsibility over in the workplace. It had to do with women's experiences with sexual harassment and assault. It was a project that was important too me not only because it is important subject matter, but it was the most diverse project that had been brought up in the workplace. Most of our projects are from the perspective of straight white men. Partnering with a designer that I work with, we conceived of the overall idea together. I curated the artists and was responsible for coordinating the project from inception to the actual release. It was an extremely taxing project, but rewarding in the end. It had the participation of so many incredible female illustrators and I was thrilled they all wanted to be part of the project. A few days before the actual release, one of the artists announced the project early on their social media. They happened to be one of the more prominent artists, and that led to a lot of buzz that we were not entirely prepared for. So we had to scramble to announce the project early, since it would otherwise have impacted potential sales. It was really incredible to see all the posts on social media that were about the project, and it was amazing to see how popular it was on our own social channels, in comparison to our other posts. It showed how valuable it is to have diverse voices that are concerned with social issues. While it has not been the career burst I am may have hoped for, it has led to some very cool opportunities. I received some freelance writing jobs for myself, and our book has been featured in a few websites and magazines. It is definitely something I am proud to put on my resume and personal achievement list." +"This summer, my first book came out. I edited the whole thing and conceived the whole idea as well. It was a big deal because it actually came out with a real publishing company and was not self-published. I was nervous and excited for the actual pub day, as I was not sure what the reaction would be to it. On pub day, we sent out newsletters and social media posts, and everyone involved with the project posted as well. We actually got a ton of great coverage for it, and everyone seemed truly interested and excited. Even though it was on a sensitive subject matter, it was still very well received. I really felt like my heart was exploding that day because of how supportive everyone was being. I honestly wasn't expecting such an overwhelmingly positive response. I think I am just so used to everything not going my way that seeing so many people being supportive was amazing. When I got home from work that day and got to absorb it by myself, I did actually cry. It was the first thing I did in my career that I really felt proud of and that I felt ownership over. It felt like the first major step in my career that I have been waiting for so long. I have been wanting something that could really elevate me in the publishing world, and this is definitely it for me. I was just so excited to see what was next and what would happen in the coming days." +"Some wise person once said, ""Procrastination will always cost you."" I keep having to be reminded of that the hard way. Most recently was about three months ago. Instead of going to get my pickup truck registration renewed on time or, heaven forbid, early, I dawdled around until the last minute and then managed to FORGET the deadline entirely! End result: my sad truck failed to pass the required emissions test. No big deal, right? Not unless I want to drive the truck anywhere. So now I found myself scrambling trying to find some kind of ""fix this mess"" workaround all the while mentally kicking myself for being such a slacker in the first place. After about 50 phones calls to every friend and FOF (friend of friend) in very high (and a few low) places, I learned quite a lot about emission testing. For starters, new catalytic converters are crazy expensive. Second, you can hack almost anything with the right know-how and equipment ( which almost always includes aluminum foil). It pays to have friends who know stuff. They don't go out of their way to tell you but if you fail, you get one do-over, for FREE! Provided you can find a repair shop that offers one. That involves looking for a teeny-tiny official-looking sticker in the corner of an often very dirty window. So once you find this mechanical get-out-of jail-free card, you still have to pass the test. That's where friends who know stuff come in. The same three things kept coming up: tires, oil, cold air. That's the ingredients to the motoring magic elixir: Make sure you have your tires at the proper pressure: make sure you have fresh, clean oil: go when they first open so your car is warm and the air temperature is cooler. The hotter the day, the more chance of coughing out some of the bad stuff. Armed with my new oil and freshly-fluffed tires, I was waiting at the bay door when the service center opened for the day. Fifteen easy-peasy minutes later I was motoring on my way to the license bureau with my A-plus grade emission sticker in hand. The surly, scowling DMV wizards stamped my registration paperwork and now I can legally and safely travel the highways and byways for two more years before I have to go through this process all over again. Mischief mangled, er, managed." +"Not too long ago, 3 months ago, I had a predicament! It all started when I realized that I needed to get my pickup registration taken care of, but was really lazy about going about it. This was all because I needed this to go through so it would pass a required fuel emissions test that was mandatory at my job. If I didn't do this, it could lead to much larger problems, which is something I didn't need. After some time, I realized I had only one day left to get it done! The problem was, I was very busy the next couple days with my family engagements. I was in some serious trouble and really needed to figure out a solution quickly! The few things I had to do at home included cooking for my family and also doing some morning chores. Both would take a significant amount of time alone. Then, like a ray of light, a miracle happened. I was in the middle of being with family when one of my brothers offered to take care of the tasks that I was assigned (i.e. cooking for the family). This meant I could go and pick up the registration myself! So I went to get it and after all was said and done, confirmed that the truck would be able to go for another couple of years. What a time that was!" +"Not too long ago, 3 months ago, I had a predicament! It all started when I realized that I needed to get my pickup registration taken care of, but was really lazy about going about it. This was all because I needed this to go through so it would pass a required fuel emissions test that was mandatory at my job. If I didn't do this, it could lead to much larger problems, which is something I didn't need. After some time, I realized I had only one day left to get it done! The problem was, I was very busy the next couple days with my family engagements. I was in some serious trouble and really needed to figure out a solution quickly! The few things I had to do at home included cooking for my family and also doing some morning chores. Both would take a significant amount of time alone. Then, like a ray of light, a miracle happened. I was in the middle of being with family when one of my brothers offered to take care of the tasks that I was assigned (i.e. cooking for the family). This meant I could go and pick up the registration myself! So I went to get it and after all was said and done, confirmed that the truck would be able to go for another couple of years. What a time that was!" +"Last Valentines day, my wife surprised me with a backpacking adventure in the Sierra Nevada mountains. 3 days on the trail with the second being the 14th. Upon arrival at the trail head the weather was perfect and we set off gear in tow. Now I like to be overly prepared and have high aspirations when I do anything, so we had too much gear for the both of us and wanted to go much farther then we actually did. After the first 3 hours of of hiking we were spent. However I had originally wanted to get another 5 miles before camping. Along the way we crossed paths with group of people and they had suggested veering off trial to visit a waterfall. Adn it turns out we weren't that far. So we decided to drop our bags and scout it out. While off trail we witnessed one of the neatest things, a doe giving birth. At first we heard some strange sound, I never heard a deer holler but this one certainly was making some kind of noise. As we got a bit closer we spotted her lying down making some kind of racket. We thought it must be injured. Deer usually have ticks and fleas so we decided it best to leave it alone. and continue on to the waterfall. Once we spotted the waterfall we were underwhelmed to say the least. More like babbling brook and less like the idyllic waterfall flowing into a mountain pond. so we decided to head back to the gear. As we headed back we saw the same doe, this time wandering around thrashing and acting erratically we thought must really be injured. however it was just a distraction, moments later we saw the cutest tiny little deer stumble out of the bushes. The doe and baby deer set off less than a minute later. We think we saw its first steps, and in under a minute it was gracefully prancing and darting off. Anyway the rest of the trip went smoothly, campfire and moonlight. Love and affection. And lastly on the drive home I got pulled over for speeding. All in all a great Valentines day" +"Dear Diary, This has been the worst year of my life. I won't get into everything now, but I just can't stop thinking about my father. About 5 or 6 months ago now, I went to work like any other day. Got to my cubicle, started up my computer and started designing the catalog spreads. Everything was going just fine. That's when my mom called. Dad was in a car accident. He was being life-flighted to the hospital in critical condition and I needed to get to Maine ASAP. I don't remember if I even told my boss I was leaving, I just got up and ran out. I may not have even punched out. Traffic, of course, was terrible as it was a holiday weekend. It took me an hour to even get out of town, when normally it takes 20 minutes. The whole time, I was panicked. I tried to keep my cool because, no sense in getting into an accident myself. That's when I got another call. It was my mom again, she was in tears. She wanted to tell me, so I didn't fly there as fast as she knew I was, that he passed away on arrival to the hospital. His injuries were just too severe. I pulled over, and broke down. I have lived in New Hampshire for a couple years now, but have always wanted to move back to Maine where I am from. I can't believe I didn't move back in time. This truly has been the worst year of my life." +"Dear Diary, This has been the worst year of my life. I won't get into everything now, but I just can't stop thinking about my father. About 5 or 6 months ago now, I went to work like any other day. Got to my cubicle, started up my computer and started designing the catalog spreads. Everything was going just fine. That's when my mom called. Dad was in a car accident. He was being life-flighted to the hospital in critical condition and I needed to get to Maine ASAP. I don't remember if I even told my boss I was leaving, I just got up and ran out. I may not have even punched out. Traffic, of course, was terrible as it was a holiday weekend. It took me an hour to even get out of town, when normally it takes 20 minutes. The whole time, I was panicked. I tried to keep my cool because, no sense in getting into an accident myself. That's when I got another call. It was my mom again, she was in tears. She wanted to tell me, so I didn't fly there as fast as she knew I was, that he passed away on arrival to the hospital. His injuries were just too severe. I pulled over, and broke down. I have lived in New Hampshire for a couple years now, but have always wanted to move back to Maine where I am from. I can't believe I didn't move back in time. This truly has been the worst year of my life." +"I was born in a small city in San Jose, where I lived in a rich neighborhood surrounded by multi-storey buildings. My mother and father parted ways when I was just 4 years old, and I lived with my mom and two older brothers. I rarely saw my father, although he was still a part of my life and made me try different sports or went bicycling with me. I rarely dwell in the past and sometimes my distant memories even seem to be from another person’s life. I have changed so much over the years that I often wonder what kind of magic lead me to this current place. I am so used to my new self that sometimes I can’t even explain my transformation. Everything has become so natural that if someone asked me how can I be so happy or peaceful, then it’s possible that I wouldn’t know the answer. Happiness just seems to be the natural state for humans. Why should I be miserable? However, that kind of attitude would’ve been a complete utopia many years back, because I felt like the most unfortunate person alive. When i was 9 years old, waiting for one of my best friend’s birthday party after 3rd grade school ceremony. I was also invited to my grandmother’s birthday by my family, but I chose to stay home and go to my friend’s place instead. But before that I went to a nearby shop to buy some snacks. There I met a few friends, who wished for some excitement. I still had about 2 hours until the birthday party so I decided to join them. There was an abandoned and fenceless construction site near my home, which was our typical playground. We had gone there dozens of times before to play games or have a picnic. On that day the four of us decided to play hide and seek, so we split into two teams. We crawled through the hollow spaces of long blocks of concrete, made silent movements and scouted around the place, sometimes lifting our heads up to see where the other boys were located. I felt very excited like normally. Nothing seemed to be different. But suddenly… after my teammate had finished scouting, he jumped off a concrete block which was insecurely supported by another. The jump caused the block to lose its balance while I was directly in front of it. As soon as I realized that, I was already on the ground face down, noticing only some dust flying around." +"The hard work has finally paid off. I worked three jobs while going to college and it never seemed like the end was in sight. It was always an uphill climb. There were times I did not have enough time to manage the work load. I even failed a few classes. I always had to remember it does not matter how many times I fall, but how many times I am am going to get back up and keep going. After three long years at community college I finally got my Associates Degree. This may not seem that special to some people, but to me it meant the world. It was worth every sleepless night. Walking down the aisle with my friends and family watching me was the best feeling ever. I am able to show my siblings that no matter how long something takes as long as you set your mind to it, you can achieve it in the end. I have graduated with a business management degree and have been a manager for 6 years. I plan on continuing my career in management and using my hard work, determination, and degree to continue making stepping stones into my future success. It was such a special time in my life. It sometimes feels like you will never reach the goal, but then you do." +"We just recently had our biannual family reunion and I was asked to be in charge of food and drinks. As soon as I found out this information and the location of the event and cooking options I began researching for recipes and methods of preparing food for large groups of people. I wanted the food to be delicious and to be able to keep making it fresh throughout the day and for the drinks to be tasty while giving everyone choices. For the drinks I purchased many watermelons , berries and other melons and created a fruit mix ice and water. We used the carbonation machine at the building to add fizz to the bottles as they had some large seal-able bottles we used to make fruit soda essentially. For the food I began by making sandwich patties with lentils and oats and spices to go along with the grilled vegetables. Dad helped set us the grills and we had a nice even heat going by mid morning and began cutting up the various vegetables and potatoes and yams and onions. We had a large variety of foods all prepared by mid morning and began setting them on the grill in trays and allowed them to cook. The first people starting arriving before noon to help and I wanted to have the first batch of food ready to feed them and also to test the system for when the bulk of the family arrived. The first batch of food, thanks to dad helping watch over and regulating the heat, was perfectly cooked. I asked my aunts and uncles to take a break from setting up the tables and chairs and so we all took a break and tried out all the grilled veggies and potatoes and they each had a bit of the sandwiches too. I then poured them all a fizzy fruit drink and they all said it was delicious. We went to the store and purchased several more watermelons and stopped by the farmers market to see what they had and was able to buy freshly picked strawberries. We also bought a box of potatoes and brought all the food back to the party. A few more relatives arrived while we were out getting food and they volunteered to help prepare the potatoes for the grill. We had many different trays and so decided to spice each tray of potatoes differently with some adding peppers and onions . I also created two trays of brussel sprouts and added several other vegetables. The food was a bit and later we popped a bunch of popcorn and each family also brought a dish and so we had all types of foods and deserts." +"About four months ago, I asked my husband if we could talk. It was probably the most difficult question for me to ask him in the 18 years we have been married. After much soul searching, I just couldn't be in this relationship anymore. So we asked his mom to take our children for the evening and sat down. I explained my side to him, about how we just didn't seem in sync anymore. You see, we had tried therapy in the past, and we both attempted to compromise in the beginning, but would go back to our old habits after just a week or two. My husband's interests have deviated from mine. We didn't seem to have anything in common anymore. I would try to talk to him about my day, what I wanted to do in the future, and I grew to realize he just wasn't listening. That's when I had to dig deep and admit that I wasn't listening to him either. I spent many nights awake, sad about my relationship and he just didn't seem to notice. So when we talked that night, he agreed with me. We worked out a plan on how to separate, how to tell the kids, and go about our lives. We've been doing this for four months now and I think things are finally starting to settle. I miss him, the familiarness of our routine, but my unknown possibilities of the future excite me." +"I remember the first time I met my soon to be wife. That was a special night because we were two people who really had no business being around each other. She was an accountant, I was aspiring designer for graphics who was currently struggling to actually find work. We just so happened to be in the same place and ran into each other where a conversation was sparked. The first time we met I realized how beautiful she was. How amazing she was a person even knowing what I did for a job and seeing how sparingly at the time my work was coming in, she still gave me the time of day and respected me and I was very happy about that personally. So I was more than willing to just conversate with her. We sat down and I offered to buy her something to eat and drink and she was more than happy to do that. We talked even more and we couldn't get enough of each other at that point. Looking in her eyes I knew that I didn't want that night to end. I wanted to keep that and I wanted to make sure I knew what I was doing, at times I was nervous but I knew that over-time I would be more comfortable. So we kept talking and talking and you know the old saying that when you're having fun time flies by. Eventually we realized that after eating we literally sat and talked for a whole hour afterwards. I apologized for holding her time but she was telling me right away that she enjoyed her time. We exchanged numbers and a few months later we ended up dating. I was very pleased with how everything turned out and what I'm trying to say is that you never know where love or a friendship is hiding, it could literally be in plain sight." +"My depression recently grabbed hold of my life again. All summer I felt like a new woman. I was eating healthier, doing lots of fun things and feeling more like myself than I had in two years. My husband and closest friends noticed a change in me, so I knew it was real. Then suddenly, about 2 or 3 weeks ago, I had a really bad day. More awful than bad. I was sobbing and felt absolutely miserable. I told my husband I didn't want to be me anymore. I didn't want to be a wife or a mom, I wanted to be alone or dead. I've had quite a few scary days since that one breaking point and i realize now that I'm still not in the clear. I have good days, but i know that i can't fight this on my own. I have to find help. It's hard enough to talk to my family and friends about all the irrational feelings I'm having. I can't imagine talking to a complete stranger about how hurt and alone I feel inside. I know that I have way more support than a check of a lot of other people with this disorder but it truly makes you feel alone." +"When people think of the scariest day of their life they often think of a near death experience or the loss of a loved one. For me, it was when my wife started having complications while giving birth. It all happened about 5 months ago when we were about to welcome the birth of our son. It started off like we expected: my wife went into labor, we waited until the contractions were getting closer and then we headed for the hospital. I thought everything seemed like it was going as planned but as I quickly learned, complications can happen suddenly. As we were walking into the hospital my wife suddenly loss consciousness and I happened to catch her just as she was about to fall to the floor. As the nurses rushed to her aid I was in shock of what was happening. This couldn't possibly be normal. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. She was put on a stretcher, rushed to a room and I followed behind helplessly and numb from what was happening. After the doctor arrived and several checks were done he explained that my wife was having some sort of complications, her airflow was being restricted and they needed to do emergency surgery to deliver our baby. After everything was prepared I was allowed to stay by her side and watch as the doctor started the c-section to deliver our baby. As he was doing the procedure he noticed what the issue was. According to him, scar tissue from a previous surgery had attached itself to the underside of one side of her lung and the combination of that and the baby putting pressure on her organs had caused her to lose consciousness. He said he'd never seen something like that happen but was expecting the pressure to be relieved once his procedure was finished. Several minutes later I was able to hold our baby for the first time and shortly after that my wife woke from the procedure. Needless to say I counted my blessings that day and our lives have never been the same." +"My husbands birthday is on the forth of July and this year both of our girls came to our house to have a birthday party. They both brought their husbands and our oldest brought our grandson. On of the son-in-laws brought his grill and he cooked hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill. My youngest brought a yummy apple pie and my oldest brought cupcakes for his birthday cake. Instead of candles, which we forgot to get we put sparklers in the cupcakes for the candles. This was probably the most surprising thing of the afternoon, trying to get the happy birthday song sang before the sparkler ruined his cupcake. We then let off a ton of fireworks in the patio area. They were all safe and fun and my grandson had a wonderful time. After we had food we all gathered up and went down town for the forth of July parade. There were military marchers. There was many emergency trucks and even some clowns and horses too. The parade was actually long for a small town. We thought about going to the fair grounds to watch the fireworks, but it was late and we were tired. We came home and the girls played some games on the switch. My grandson showed me a game that he was creating on the switch. We cleaned up the kitchen and put everything away. My husband opened his presents and he seemed to have a wonderful day. It was a great birthday." +The event I'm going to write about is a birthday party that we had for my husband on the forth of July. The thing that made it special was that both children and their husbands were able to be there. We shot off fireworks on the front patio and cooked hot dogs on sticks in the fire pit. The girls gave their dad gifts and then everyone played a bomb game on the switch. It was a great family moment. The day was a sunny day and we cleaned up the yard and the house before all the family arrived. The oldest daughter arrived first and she brought fireworks and cupcakes. She put a sparkler into one of the cupcakes after the other daughter and her husband arrived and we all went out on the porch and sang happy birthday. Then we took the rest of the sparklers and lit off fireworks for the next hour our so. Some of them were very pretty and some of them were not that great. The whole neighborhood was full of loud booms. We were glad that the dog could no longer hear or she would have been going insane. The kids left late in the evening and just the two of us watched the fireworks over the valley. It was one of the best birthdays that I've shared with my husband. I think he enjoyed this special day as much as I did. +"I'm thrilled to be writing that my friend has successfully worked their job for the last four weeks and integrated into their new workforce without issue. I'm thrilled that it has gone well for them, I mean the reason they lost their other job was just bogus at least in my opinion. My friend is such a great person, they're a hard worker, they're reliable, and so friendly and cheerful. They didn't deserve the hardship at their last place of employment that they had to cope with and I just hope that this job lives up to everything they thought it would be. It all started three months before when they first got promoted to assistant manager, they were so proud. Suddenly they became ill, they noticed they were going to the bathroom more often with blood, and they just kept feeling weaker. By the end of the month they could barely eat, and they already lost too much weight for such a short period. I remember that they thought they were headed for their death bed that they felt that badly. But they just kept pushing longer hours, more responsibility because after all they had just been freshly promoted. By the end of the month the last day they worked before they finally got a two day weekend they couldn't stand for more then ten minutes at a time without sitting down and their thigh muscles were just burning as they described later on. So after managing to last until the end of the day just barely they decided to go to the ER and when they got there they were told that they just had a bad case of colitis and were given some tyelnol with codine and sent home. Come Monday they called out because they were just in so much pain and felt so horrible. In the middle of the week it finally came to head and they went back to the ER because they just couldn't go to the bathroom anymore. They were admitted and went through a month of hell trying to recover. When they finally got out they were told to not go back to work so they told their job they wouldn't be there for another month per doctors instructions. So after that month passed they finally decided to go back to work and when they got there the people they worked with seemed less than thrilled that they were back. After a week they were called into the back office and told they were being demoted because management didn't feel that they could keep up anymore. Then came the big office theft and they all pointed the finger at my friend even though they had a perfect alibi. When they had nothing else to go on they started messing with my friends schedule and hours to the point that they left them with one or two days a week. It got to the point to where my friend just quit because for whatever reason they turned my friend in to a scapegoat and it wasn't fair in the least so this diary is why I am so glad my friend has been given the chance for a new beginning they deserve it after everything they have been through and what they went through no one deserves but you understand that don't you my papery friend." +"Six weeks ago, an accident happened that resulted in me recovering approximately eight thousand dollars. I was walking near the beach on a path at the cliff. A young mother was pushing her stroller and walking her dog, talking in her airpods while her kid was watching an iPad. I noticed that there was a group of skateboarders approaching her from behind. The first skateboarder struck the edge of the stroller, knocking the young mother's iPhone onto the pavement. The skateboarder fell on the ground, and his three friends gathered to see what had happened. The young mother was startled and promptly maced all four of them. A police officer approached as he had been cycling in the area. The skateboarders scattered and left behind a leather side satchel. I grabbed the bag and sat on a bench to observe the following events and answer questions as I felt I was a witness to some kind of crime. I wasn't questioned. I went home and looked in the bag, which contained a large amount of cash. I've been holding the cash and am afraid to tell anyone about it as it could be drug money or worse. Since the event, I've been looking at social media and searching the location to see who was there that day. I've been watching mug shots and police blotters to see if I recognize the skateboarders." +"Six weeks ago, an accident happened that resulted in me recovering approximately eight thousand dollars. I was walking near the beach on a path at the cliff. A young mother was pushing her stroller and walking her dog, talking in her airpods while her kid was watching an iPad. I noticed that there was a group of skateboarders approaching her from behind. The first skateboarder struck the edge of the stroller, knocking the young mother's iPhone onto the pavement. The skateboarder fell on the ground, and his three friends gathered to see what had happened. The young mother was startled and promptly maced all four of them. A police officer approached as he had been cycling in the area. The skateboarders scattered and left behind a leather side satchel. I grabbed the bag and sat on a bench to observe the following events and answer questions as I felt I was a witness to some kind of crime. I wasn't questioned. I went home and looked in the bag, which contained a large amount of cash. I've been holding the cash and am afraid to tell anyone about it as it could be drug money or worse. Since the event, I've been looking at social media and searching the location to see who was there that day. I've been watching mug shots and police blotters to see if I recognize the skateboarders." +"When my brother and I were younger, we would accompany our parents to Maine to see our grandparents. Our musical tastes weren't particularly varied and mature back then, but regardless, we loved listening to the same things whenever we would drive to Maine. One of the CDs we loved was from a tape that our Grandmother had made for us (she has since passed). It had all kinds of songs relating to Disney World, including songs from the various rides and attractions that were around in the 70's and 80's, mostly. We'd be in the backseat, singing along and smiling. This past July, I was dealing with a particularly profound case of depression. Life circumstances were not going well, and I was fighting to stay out of the hospital. I felt nothing could cheer me up, and it was hard for me to be fully participatory in life. Everything felt like a huge cloud of of heavy smog around me. Although we chat on social media most days, this was the first time I'd seen my brother in two years since he moved halfway around the world. He brought his partner of five years with him when he traveled back to the US to visit the family. One of the things we all did -- my parents, my brother, his partner, and myself -- was take a trip up to Maine. On the way back from Maine, my brother found music from that ""Disney Tape"" on Spotify and played it through the car speakers. I felt so light and happy. I was almost to the point of tears, from this weird cathartic sense of relief. For those few hours on the road, all seemed to be well." +"Five months ago, I went on a trip that had lasting implications - it was an adventure that changed my life in a terrifyingly unexpected way. On the night of August 3rd, I packed my suitcases for my trip the following day - I was prepared get some peace by venturing back to my hometown: Detroit, Michigan. I woke up at 4:00 AM the following morning, ready to drive down to the airport. I wanted to get there early for my 7:00 AM flight so that I could get through security and have a cup of coffee before I had to jump onto my airplane. Upon my arrival, I did the usual: I checked in my luggage, went through the security checkpoints, and I still had an hour to kill before I had to hop on the plane. I went over to the cafeteria's Starbucks and ordered a tall latte - I was still tired after all, and moderately anxious for my upcoming flight. I sat down at a corner booth, drink in hand, and looked out at the airport's lobby. I saw so many people scattered about, many rushing to the gates so that they don't miss their flights. I knew that I was glad that I left early enough to relax while many others didn't. Enamored by these thoughts, I failed to recognize the gorgeous stranger who sat down at my booth, until I felt a whisper in my ear.""I know who you are and what you've done,"" she said. Shocked, I could only muster, ""what could you possibly mean? I'm only here drinking my coffee before my flight home. I've not done anything wrong.""Smugly, she said ""I never said that you did anything wrong. How presumptuous. My name is Ellie, and I know that you're a very prominent figure inside of a small circle within the automotive industry. You work on AI, and you have worked on inventing of the most promising safety mechanisms known to the world. I want to help you further your research, but I need you to do one thing for me first.""Shocked by how well this woman knew me, I knew that she must have some insider information. She had an intimidating aura, but my intuition told me that I could trust her.""What do you need?"" I asked, cautiously.""You mustn't get on that plane - it's been rigged; it just so happens that you have a large bounty on your head. Your endeavors to benefit the world have not been well appreciated by all. Come with me - we have much to discuss,"" Ellie said. I'm glad that I trusted Ellie that day, for the plane exploded shortly after it got a few thousand feet into the air; it was all over the news for the following week. This beautiful, knowledgeable, mysterious woman saved my life - the least that I could do is listen to her, and, further more, I need to pay her back, and it looks like to do that, I need to further take her up on her offer so that I might hopefully clear this bounty that looms over my head." +"When my grandmother died two years ago, it affected me deeper than I knew. I wondered why I didn't cry at first, I think I was in shock. It really didn't seem real. I tried to go on with my routines and schedules to keep my mind occupied, but things slowly began changing. I started to not care about things as much as I did before. I began to withdraw from my friends. They would call and ask me to do things, but I would make up an excuse as to why I couldn't go. I would be busy with schoolwork or studying, but in truth I just wanted to stay at home and watch TV. My appearance began to suffer as well. There were many days when I didn't even want to take a shower and sometimes wouldn't. One of my closest friends started to become worried about me and told me that she thought I might be suffering from depression. Of course, I scoffed and laughed it off. One night about a month ago, I began to sob uncontrollably and began to feel really desperate and sad. I called my friend (the one that told me she thought I might be depressed) and talked to her for a couple of hours. After speaking about perhaps beginning counseling, I started to think that it might be a good idea. With my friend's help and the advice of my therapist, I was able to get through this surprising, and painful experience with depression. I feel I am now better prepared to handle these feelings if they were to come up in my life again." +"My mom and I were traveling in Australia by ourselves. We were in our rental car and driving around the town of Brisbane. Brisbane is a fairly navigable city, but of course being from out-of-town tourists, we were bound to get lost. We got lost and were very confused as to which way to go because we weren't used to international traffic signs. Also in the area we were in there weren't a lot of road signs navigating us back to major points of interest. I was exceedingly nervous as the area we were in didn't look very safe. I was driving and my mom was navigating us. I was getting more and more upset because it was getting late in the day. My mom kept telling me to call down but I couldn't. She finally told me to pull the car over and we were trading places. As She got into the driver's side, she actually drove off and left me there on the street corner! She figured out where to go and came back and got me, but I was completely freaked out by that point. My mom was cracking jokes and asking me if I really thought she would leave me there! I told her I was so out of my mind I didn't know what to think. I can laugh about it now but then I thought I was going to die." +"My mom and I were traveling in Australia by ourselves. We were in our rental car and driving around the town of Brisbane. We got lost and were very confused as to which way to go because the sun was setting and we were tired from a long day of sightseeing. I was exceedingly nervous as the area we were in didn't look very safe that we had driven into. At the time, I was driving and my mom was navigating us using a map. I was getting more and more upset mostly from fear. My mom kept telling me to call down but I couldn't. She finally told me to pull the car over and we were in the process of trading places. As she got into the driver's side of the car, she actually drove off and left me there on the street corner before I could get in! I had left my phone in my purse inside the car as we were changing seats. I had no way to contact anyone and I was beyond freaking out. She wasn't gone that long, but if felt like a lifetime! She figured out where to go and came back and got me, but i was completely freaked out by that point. I can laugh about it now but then I thought I was going to die. I honestly wished she hadn't done that to me, but in her fear and anxiety of the situation she told me later that did what she thought was best in the moment." +"I had a qualification on Mturk for many years that earned me a lot of money. Then I lost the qual without warning. I sent the requester an email and they never got back to me. It was costing me money not to have it, and that made me very sad. Even though I am a timid person who hates making waves, I started emailing them a lot. Finally, they emailed me back and told me I broke their rules, but the rules I broke were not even stated in the HIT! After some back and forth, I got them to admit that the situation was unfair and not ideal. Then they decided to revise the rules to make them more clear. They gave me a qual test and I passed and got the qual back. I was incredibly, incredibly relieved! It was like getting a job back after losing it. I felt this rush of relief and it totally changed how I view my Mturk workweek, because it increased the amount of things I can work on and made me feel less pressure. I hate when I have no work to do. It makes me anxious and stressed and I start worrying a lot about money. Since getting my qual back, I feel a lot less anxiety and fear. I'm very grateful that I spoke up for myself and that they gave me a second chance." +"At the beginning of summer our pool was finally finished. I had saved up for a couple of years because we wanted to install a pool in our backyard for our daughter to enjoy. My wife and I thought that it would be nice to have a pool at our house for her to enjoy and so that she could have friends over. We have a neighborhood pool which is nice and could fill our needs but we thought our daughter would really having one at home. It took the pool company also 2 months to finish the pool. It seemed to rain so much during the time they were building it and ended up delaying us by several weeks. Finally they were alost done and it raied for 4 straight days. Our daughter could barely contain herself. Once they were finally finished, and we wrote the final check, we hosted a pool party for all of our daughter's friends from preschool. It was great to see her so excited and happy with the pool. We've been swimming each norning before I go to work. She has improved so much and I think she has the potential to be a breat swimmer. It's also been great for my fitness as well. I'm happy with the pool and think we made a good decision and the eyars of saving will pay off with even more years of enjoyment of the pool. Who knows, Emily may even get a scholarship for swimming and we will actually make money on the pool. I hope that she enjoys swimming and sticks with it." +"My cousins from my dad's side of the family and from out of town called and said they were coming in . They said it would be a reunion . I asked what they wanted me to bring and they told some things I could bring. I asked them why were they doing it because I thought maybe my dad was sick and nobody informed me of it. He is turning ninety this year . The one cousin I asked said just to come in, I think. So it kind of worried me that something might be wrong with him. But they came in and a lot of people were there and we had a good time. We ate and took pictures and showed each other pictures of all our families and people in our family who had died. It was sad because our grandparents had died and all of my cousins parents had died . There was no one left on my dad's side but him. All his brothers and sisters and their spouses were dead. We gave each other small gifts and made to go boxes of left over food for everyone and then cleaned up the kitchen. One of my cousins was a photographer and we went outside and took a lot of outdoor pictures of everyone and later he put them online for us. It was good to see everyone and it felt like when we were all kids and were at our grandparents house eating her food and seeing each other, like at Christmas or Thanksgiving. Most of them brought the food that grandma made when we were growing up so that made it feel even more like a family reunion . It was a fun day and sad also when my dad gave a little speech at the end and said how proud he was of all of us. He teared up some and I think everyone else did too. It was sad because everyone has to die and we aren't here for very long. It made us aware of that I think and it was sad but also fun to see everyone. We made plans to see each other again in September and I am looking forward to that . Some of them have to fly in so not sure how many will make it. I will go to that event since it is only an hour and a half away from me and an easy drive." +"My story is about a family reunion in June of this year. My dad turned 90 on July 4th and he is the last person alive on his side of the family. My grandparents came here when they were nineteen from Europe around 1911. They had three boys and one girl . I have one whole sister and one half sister. My dad and mom got divorced when I was sixteen. He remarried a girl much younger that was my babysitter and they had one girl. After he married her , she stopped inviting me and my sister over and my dad would call occasionally and say come over, but when you weren't invited over for the past few years, you don't feel that invite is sincere and I didn't go. So I am not close with my half sister and we barely speak when we see each other out. My cousins parents from my dad's siblings never got divorced. So my cousins wanted to come in for my dad's 90th and they brought all kinds of food and pictures and we had a good time . Lots of pictures were taken and everything was great. I just felt that my life and relationship with my dad was very different than my cousins and they don't understand what it is like when parents get divorced and how kids can be treated because of it. I feel cheated in that respect and felt envious that they had normal childhoods and good relationships with their parents. I still talk to my dad when I see him in the local grocery store but it is just casual talk and that is kind of sad. He is not going to be around much longer and I wish things had been different between us but I don't think it was all my fault . I think that will probably be our last family reunion . I am glad I got to see everyone and we had a great time. But it is also sad that it probably won't happen again . Not much you can do but accept things as they are and not dwell on them." +"It was so hard when my son left home to start his new job. I had been through this experience myself when I left home years ago. My father was so broken up and I was afraid that I would do the same. In my mind I imagined giving the boy meaningful advice and having a big moment. I thought of all the things I could say and do to make the moment right. But when the time came, all I could do is a give a hug and not speak a word. Ever since this happened four months ago I still think about it. This was supposed to be a big moment. Something that my son would remember as he went through his life. I wanted to arm him with advice that he could take and propel himself forward with. I wanted to have a moment like you see on TV. But alas, seeing him off didn't go that way. At certain times, thinking about this event even makes me feel weak. However, as more time passes I realize that this moment was great in its own right. I didn't have the words that I wanted to say, but I've never been great at these moments. My son could tell how emotional I was, and knows how proud I am all the same. Our actions mean more than words and my love was on display that day. I also remind myself, that no matter the advice I could have given, everyone needs to learn for themselves and my son will be just fine doing the same." +"It was so hard when my son left home to start his new job. I had been through this experience myself when I left home years ago. My father was so broken up and I was afraid that I would do the same. In my mind I imagined giving the boy meaningful advice and having a big moment. I thought of all the things I could say and do to make the moment right. But when the time came, all I could do is a give a hug and not speak a word. Ever since this happened four months ago I still think about it. This was supposed to be a big moment. Something that my son would remember as he went through his life. I wanted to arm him with advice that he could take and propel himself forward with. I wanted to have a moment like you see on TV. But alas, seeing him off didn't go that way. At certain times, thinking about this event even makes me feel weak. However, as more time passes I realize that this moment was great in its own right. I didn't have the words that I wanted to say, but I've never been great at these moments. My son could tell how emotional I was, and knows how proud I am all the same. Our actions mean more than words and my love was on display that day. I also remind myself, that no matter the advice I could have given, everyone needs to learn for themselves and my son will be just fine doing the same." +"I remember the day very clearly, and because it happened right after Thanksgiving I know when it took place. It's been five weeks now but the feeling I had on that day has no diminished, and if anything could be said about it it has grown. It was on that day while I was contemplating lukewarm leftovers on the counter that my mom announced I had received a package from Jonathon. This was unexpected and curious. For the first, I hadn't spoken or written to Jonathon, Jack as I always called him in youth, in several years. To the second, I hadn't lived at home for two years while attending graduate school, and any mail delivered to me there would be odd. Upon unraveling the package from Jack, my heart rose and sank in varying emotion. The enclosed Frisbee from Vermont College School of Arts was a specific choice by Jack designed to invoke our shared history and demonstrate his love of dog, Charles. Jack had only met Charles on one occasion but my interaction or conversations since must have made an impression as to my feelings for him. I had always thought Jack to be thoughtful and caring, but this was an unexpected surprise. I had not been in the best of moods all day or all month for that matter. The competition in my program was not what I had envisioned when enrolling in the English department nor were the endless days of meetings and workshops. I felt stunted and exhausted with little to show for my effort. Jack's gift and accompanying note was like a tablet of vitamin C that returned some sense of energy and well being to my mood after a fog of despondency. I never thought that another person would show such dedication to a memory and sense of the moment as Jack. His gift exposed a great deal about his character that most would not care to do as it would reveal a vulnerability. To care that much about a person is a fragile thing indeed and to have it demonstrated in public without an idea of the consequence frightens most from such action." +I've been sort of a recluse the last several years. Not much in the way of close relationships and not a whole lot of random acts of kindness have come my way. That's whatever. It doesn't bother me and I don't expect stuff like that to happen so I typically don't feel the lack. About six months ago I started a friendship with someone in an internet forum where groups on people that primarily work online sort of gather to discuss things during the day. We've talked frequently and even though we don't work together so to speak it has many of the qualities of a work friendship. Anyone that knows me knows how I feel about my dog. I'm quick with the pictures and he get's a fair amount of mentions in my day to day conversation. My boy is terribly allergic to fleas and they've been very bad this year. I've been fighting to get them under control and for the most part it hasn't gone well so my dog has been miserable. It bothers me. A lot. Point being that I've discussed the flea problem and solicited possible solutions that I may not have tried yet within this group of people. I haven't gotten much in the way of feedback because I've tried everything there is to try. You're probably wondering where I'm going with this and I'm getting to it I promise. A few Saturdays ago I took the dog for a nice long walk around the neighborhood relatively early in the day. It was gorgeous out. Bright and sunny. That was nice but it really highlighted how bad off my poor pup was doing and I was feeling pretty crappy about the whole thing when we came back around to our street and headed down the driveway. When I got to the door to go into the house I saw an Amazon box sitting in front of the door. It had my name on it so I brought it inside and opened it. Inside was one Xtra Large Seresto Flea Control Collar and 1 container of freeze dried liver treats. She took it upon herself to order a flea control solution and a container of treats so my boy would feel better. It was the nicest thing anyone had done for me in quite some time. I was touched. +My birthday this year was great. I had recently gotten back together with my ex from a while ago. We have been together for a couple of months now. Usually on my birthday I go out with friends. We might go to a bar or club and then call it a night. This year he said that he will make a special night for me. We went to a restaurant downtown where he made a reservation. I had never been to a restaurant where I had to make a reservation before. The food was great. We got to have many different dishes that I hadn't had before. I had a blueberry martini which is my favorite and the waiter brought me a creme brule with a candle in it. My boyfriend quietly sang me happy birthday in my ear and then we left. We then went and saw a live band at a bar that we go to quite often. They were really great. We spent the night in a hotel and it was great to wake up to answer and I have to do anything for anyone else. It was the perfect day. +"Several years ago a feral dog named Elsa came into our rescue organization. She had been living on the streets for almost a decade with very little human interaction. There was a man that would come and steal her puppies to sell them every time she got pregnant. When Elsa came into our rescue she was totally shut down. She looked like she wanted to die. I was there that day and made it my mission to become her friend. Over time I won her trust and within a few months she was snuggling and rolling over for belly rubs. She came so far that she was actually able to go into a foster home. Her foster eventually adopted her and Elsa had a forever home. Elsa had a great life in her new home. Several years later, just a few months ago, she had a massive seizure and was unable to recover. Her mom decided it was time to let her go. When she let us know, a whole group of us went out to be with Elsa and her family. Elsa went from a dirty street dog fighting for her life daily to a well loved family dog. She passed away peacefully in a room full of people that loved her. The group of us that worked with Elsa were all there to support each other during this difficult time. It was truly amazing to see the impact that one dog had on so many people." +Here we are a group of people. We all barely speak. We all go about our business. The one thing we have in common is we all work at the same place. We work with animals. One day we get this feral dog named Elsa. Everyone loved Elsa. We were very intrigued by her actions and loved her very much. About a week ago Elsa passed away. We were all very devastated. We were all very hurt and brought to tears. We all thought we could save Elsa. Everyone here tried hard to take care of her. Everyone here tried to teach her and feed her. All in all Elsa's death was not very good but it did one good thing. It turned our group of people into a family. We miss you Elsa. +"my daughter was born with a congential heart defect. Tetralogy of Fallot to be exact. When she ws 4 months old. her mouth turned blue while she was sleeping. thank god my boyfriend was awake. I was sleeping. he woke me up to take a picture of her lips. In the morning, I took her to the doctors. her doctor said it was starting to happen because the muscle in her heart was squeezing tight and it was cutting off circulation to her lungs. he said to make an appointment or schedule an ER visit. we called up the hospital that we were going to transfer her to. they made us take a cab there with her. when we got to the ER, they took her vitals signs. her oxygen was sitting at a 60 and her pulse was 80. they schedule her open heart for 2 days later. it was the scariest day of my life. she went in" +"Two months ago, I was a young, happily-married mother of a two-year-old boy, expecting our second, a little girl, at any moment. It had been an easy pregnancy, like my first, and there was no reason to think anything could be wrong. I'd had great prenatal care all the way through the pregnancy and totally trusted my doctors. So when I finally went into labor, I knew I'd be in good hands, and my main concern was meeting our baby daughter (and having the pain of labor and delivery be finished.) My husband Joe took me to the hospital when the contractions indicated that they really meant business this time. We got there quickly, and within minutes, I was in a very comfortable, well-appointed labor-and-delivery room. My doctor soon showed up and hooked me up to the fetal monitor, which showed things like our little girl's heart rate. The first sign anything was awry was evidenced by my sweet-natured doctor's expression. She explained to us that our little girl was showing signs of distress, with a raised heartbeat and other signs. This meant it was crucially important to deliver our baby quickly, which might necessitate a Caesarean. However, the labor was progressing along quite quickly, so it was very possible the C-section could be averted. The doctor and attending nurse monitored me closely, and as soon as I was fully dilated, which happened quickly, I was instructed to push as hard as I possibly could. After several extremely intense and painful contractions and gut-ripping pushes, our little sweet one, to be named Carla, was out. But something was very wrong. While newborns are generally bluish when they are born, Carla was a deep purplish. After letting us give her a too-brief cuddle, the doctors (now there was another) whisked her away for examination and further testing. Joe and I were very worried we'd lose her, but the doctors reassured us that we were in the right place, and she would probably be fine. They had dealt with births like this before, they assured us, but we were terrified of losing her.... or something else going wrong... About 45 minutes later, our doctor stepped back into the room. Joe and I anxiously waited to hear the news, which was better, but definitely not perfect. Carla, the doctor explained, had been born with a small hole in her heart which caused a heart murmur, an irregular sounding beat. It would need to be tracked and monitored, and possibly might be treatable when she got older, but for now, we would just watch and wait, and she would be fine. A little later, our beloved newborn was wheeled back into the room, with a much healthier color." +"I was diagnosed with PTSD young in my life in the last 6 months. It's been a struggle trying to do most things that I should do again, but it also has opened my eyes to what life and reality truly are. I started this process 6 months ago. I've been going through processing therapy with my therapist of course and it's been really tough. It was hard at first. Hard for me to adjust to telling someone my deepest and worst secrets. Whilst it's working though it is really hard to go through. Unfortunately for me after this diagnosis everything started coming back to me. Memories, nightmares, feelings. I've been losing a lot of time because of it. I'm missing out on things I should be in volved in. Dinner parties, birthday parties. I'm missing out. Through therapy I'm learning how to minimize these reoccurring thoughts and try my best to live in a new way than I had before. It's affected my life basically long story short in a very painful and uneasy way. Through the pain there are moments of sunshine which I hold onto as long as I can." +"The event in my life that struck me the hardest was when I was diagnosed with PTSD. It was a surprise diagnosis given to me after I had finally opened up about my trauma. Holding it in was hard, but getting this diagnosis was a lot harder for me. I'm decently young so I was confused as to how someone my age could get such a serious disorder. I didn't know you could have PTSD from things other than wars and such, so getting the diagnosis confused me a lot. I had to and am still in ongoing treatment for it, but at the beginning it was really tough. Going through the trauma with my therapist was exhausting and still is. Every day since then I've struggled with reality and how I view or trust the world and others. On that day I knew I had to take it slow and trust the process. Though things weren't looking too bright, I'm really glad I didn't give up. I wanted to give up more than anything but I wouldn't allow myself to. I knew there was more out there for me, so even though it hurt I pushed through. It taught me a lot though, as a positive. I've learned so many new helpful and healthy skills to deal with my emotions, as well as I've got an amazing support group. That day was one of the hardest I'd ever gone through, but also one of the most freeing." +"I was in a polyamarous relationship for nearly one year. I had another girl I was talking to that knew I was polyamarous. However, she had recently gone through a fair bit of trauma. So I wasn't pursuing things with her at the time. My girlfriend at the time was no longer coming around and I felt our relationship was near ended. I failed to try to address this and communicate with her. I started talking to a new girl a few days before my birthday, and we really clicked. Probably the strongest connection I've had with someone over just text messages in such a short amount of time. I was really feeling her. I told her when we first started talking that I was polyamarous and had other girls in my life. However once things got intense it became very clear that she was looking for a monogamous relationship. I wanted her so bad. My needs weren't being met by my girlfriend. The other girl, our conversations were good but, not nearly as intense. The night before my birthday I broke up with my girlfriend so that I could get to know the new girl. I broke my girlfriends heart. She cried. But she said she was proud of me for taking a risk and would be there for me. I also told the other girl what I had done and what I was pursuing. She immediately distanced herself from me and it seems I broke her heart too. I met the new girl a few days later and afterwards she stopped texting me completely and told me she wasn't interested. I threw away the two people who did love me for a stranger. I did it because I was lonely and I ended more alone than ever before." +"We had waited so long for this day. It was finally here with us. The most important day for my Cousin Brian who was finally getting married to his long time Girlfriend Alicia. Alicia had been well known in our family as this humble down to earth Lady, graduated and working as a Nurse in a local Hospital. She had been engaged to Brian for as long as three years. Preparations had been made and the day was set. Everything was in place. The wedding gown was designed by Brian's High school deskmate Florence who had gone into designing. She loved designing since her days in high school. Brian's parents were the happiest as he was going to wed on her Mothers' Birthday. It was to be held at the Park where his parents held their Jubilee Celebration. It was looked upon to be one of the colourful weddings held in the family. Brian was enthusiastic and Happy as well. The most important day of his life was just a day away. We were all seated, quiet as the nice music played. Every body waiting for the time The bride and the Bridegroom were to take their vows. Whe the Preacher stood and read the scripture, every one was wating to hear the vows being taken. Brian took his place and took the Oath of life. It was Alicia's time and instead of ''I do'' Brian closed his eyes in pain. She instead said, ''NO I DON'T'' When he openened his eyes, the Bride was gone, gone forever." +"I woke up one morning to find out that my Aunt in Florida had died. We didn't expect her to die anytime soon. She wasn't in the best health but she certainly hadn't had any issues that would make us think she would die. I looked at my phone when I woke up and saw texts saying she had died. I immediately ran downstairs to my mother. She was sitting on the couch crying. I will never forget the hug I gave her, she was so upset. I have never seen my mother so broken. My aunt was really her last living family member, she was kind of alone in the world now except for me and my siblings. We found out later in the day that my aunt had just gotten up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night and she literally dropped dead. My Uncle found her on the bathroom floor an hour or two later. What a terrible way to die, alone in the bathroom. I hope that she felt nothing. I hope she just blinked and then she was gone, at least she wouldn't have known it was coming. My family started making plans to fly to Florida for the services. I was devastated to realize that I couldn't go. I didn't have enough money and I have a one year old child. I stayed home while everyone else left for the week, I was so upset about it. I still feel terrible for not being there. I should have been there for my Aunt." +"On July 12th, 2019 my aunt passed away. The entire day was pretty terrible. I woke up at 6:30 am when my alarm went off. I looked at my cell phone like I always do. There were 5 missed calls and around 20 text messages waiting for me. Everyone had been trying to reach me, but I guess I fell asleep with the ringer on silent. I read my messages first, the first one said ""Aunt Janet died last night"". I didn't even think, I immediately threw on clothes and sprinted down the stairs. I ran up to my mother and held her. She was hysterical, she had lost her best friend. She tried to talk about what had happened but I couldn't understand anything she said. I just hugged her for a while. After a few minutes we just sat in silence. I started to remember all the great experiences I had with my aunt when I was a child. I was so emotional and so upset for my family. We lost a great person that day. I don't think I will ever forget finding out that my Aunt died." +"My uncle died about three months ago now. It was sudden and unexpected as he hadn't been ill and was quite young. It has been really hard to wrap up the estate. The bank that that held his truck loan refused to do anything with us until we went to probate. We went to the probate process and become executors of the estate. The day before we got the paperwork, the bank repossessed the truck. I was so mad with how they handled it and will never do business with them as a customer. Now, we'll just have to wrap the house. My mother and I own a portion, so we just need to deal with the remaining third he owned. Our lawyer recommends waiting until the state has time to make claims against the state, but frankly, I think he is wrong about the situation. He did not receive state-sponsored health care, so they have nothing to collect on. All in all, I am still stressed and now frustrated more than anything. I do not see why the family of the deceased essentially gets punished by everyone. He didn't have much debt and hardly any assets, but we still have to worry that someone will come out of no where and make claims that we couldn't pay. We don't want to sell the house, so we'd have to get cash somehow. I hope this will be done soon. I hate dealing with it." +"My uncle just passed away three weeks ago. It was incredibly unexpected and surprising for me and my family. He had only went into the hospital about two weeks prior. Two days prior to his death, he went to a rehab facility and they even expected him to be able to go home in about a week. Everyone thought he was going to be okay, but he suddenly took a turn for the worst. He was a heavy drinker, but no one saw his sudden death coming. I was a bit upset and it caused me a significant amount of stress because my parents and I are his only family. We are the ones left to sort everything out and pay for the minimal funeral expenses. He didn’t have a will. He didn't have many assets and certainly no cash to help us with the costs. All he had was us and a share of my grandmother's house. I am still so stressed from cleaning up the mess of a sudden death. I haven't had a break or time to relax in weeks. I don't even think I've had time to cope. I hope we've handled everything well." +"Today was a very stressful day. I watched my mother cry and beg me not to leave her in the assisted living facility. I feel terrible. But, I know this is the best thing I can do. I give it to you God. I pray the facility treats her well. I promise I will go check on her everyday. I wonder sometimes if I did the right thing. I could have tried to at least try and see if she could live with me for a while. But my apartment is so small. I truly believe she will do fine once she settles into the place. I feel truly guilty. But on the other hand, I feel relief. Extreme relief! I was truly coming to a breaking point. I have two other siblings and I am the only one who helped mom. I am going to say my prayers and try to get a good night sleep." +"Today was a very stressful day. I watched my mother cry and beg me not to leave her in the assisted living facility. I feel terrible. But, I know this is the best thing I can do. I give it to you God. I pray the facility treats her well. I promise I will go check on her everyday. I wonder sometimes if I did the right thing. I could have tried to at least try and see if she could live with me for a while. But my apartment is so small. I truly believe she will do fine once she settles into the place. I feel truly guilty. But on the other hand, I feel relief. Extreme relief! I was truly coming to a breaking point. I have two other siblings and I am the only one who helped mom. I am going to say my prayers and try to get a good night sleep." +"Three months ago I witnessed a coworker watching porn on his computer, while I am not one to find it offensive, I did believe something needed to be said. I approached his manager and asked to discuss the situation with him in private so the coworker could be talked to about the inappropriate activities on a work computer. Well that blew up in my face. After that I was asked to document in writing exactly what I had seen and this information was given to the HR department for review. About a month went by and I had heard nothing so I assumed the situation was resolved. That was until the highway patrol came into our office and was asked to escort the male coworker from the office and he was let go. While I felt horrible for what had happened, I knew this person could have prevented it by simply nothing watching pornographic images on a work computer. Fast forward another month and management calls a meeting. It is told to us at this time that the male coworker would be returning to our office after the company settled outside of court to allow him to have his job back minus some benefits. I was floored and very disappointed in our management team. But I prepared myself for his return the next day. It was horrible! The coworker came back knowing I specifically reported the incident and from the moment he walked into the door he made it a difficult situation. He wont speak to me when I ask questions. He wont have anything to do with me even after he was told by others that I never tried to get him fired. Now, I dislike my job and coworker even more for making the environment hostile. I cant for the life of me understand why this person gets to stay after getting caught watching porn. On top of that the office is well aware of why he was let go and now it sets the precedence that rules don't need to be followed and we can get away with anything here. To make things even more disappointing, I was passed up for a promotion and was told by a coworker this morning that I would never get a promotion in this office because of that incident. I at this time have decided its best to look for a new place of employment. This is not the environment for me." +"The weekend before the 4th of July, my teenage cousin came to stay at the house with me and my husband. We had planned lots of fun things to do. We bought theater tickets, were going to attend a picnic, watch fireworks and spend a day at the lake. The first morning she was at our house she laid in bed until about noon. My husband decided it was time to have a talk with her about responsibility. She spends a lot of time at our home because her home situation is less than desirable. We spend a lot of money trying to give her things and experiences that her parents don't provide. We attend her school events, buy her school clothes and dresses for school dances, buy her food, drive her where she needs to go, take her to look at colleges and take her on vacation with us. My husband tried to explain to her that he would always be there for her, even if her parents are not, but it is a two way street. We had been talking about buying her a car and helping her get her driver's license. He meant well with his talk, but his tone of voice intimidated her and she ended up locking herself in the bathroom and crying. It took hours for her to come out. When she did, she called a friend to come pick her up. She left and I haven't heard from her since. She deleted me from her social media. It was very hurtful because I have invested a lot into the relationship and also because she is family." +"Having a baby is hard work. I knew that going in and thought I was prepared but boy was I wrong. My little guy came out and wreaked havoc on my life for a bit. I couldn't sleep, i barely ate and was always tired. It seemed endless and like it was going on forever. But that all changed about 2 months ago. I heard my baby boy laugh. that laugh put so much joy in my heart. I was walking on clouds at that point. I started to cry thinking about all the nice things that will happen in the future. I am ready to watch my son grow and continue to laugh. It wont be easy but I am prepared. I can do anything as long as I provide for him. He is my everything and I couldnt ask for a more precious boy. My life is complete when he is around." +"Three months ago I found out I was pregnant. I was so nervous. I already have four children, will I be able to show all of them equal attention and afford everything? I have all sons and I would really love to have a daughter. I can not wait to find out the gender. I really hope it is going to be a girl. I am so excited to find out the gender but I am also nervous. I will still love the child if it is a boy though. I know gender should not matter but it would be a nice change if it was not a boy. Hopefully my other children get a long with the new baby coming. It will be hard to give equal attention after the baby is born. I think they would like having a sister. I bet they would be very protective of their sister if they were to get one. If it is a boy I am sure they will still love the baby just as much. I can hardly wait for the gender." +"I have four boys. Growing up, I grew up with four sisters. Suffice to say, the experiences between myself and my sons are vastly different. Yesterday, I went to the doctor because I haven't had my period in weeks. Lo and behold, he confirmed I was pregnant. This is my fifth time getting pregnant, and as exciting as it is, it's still nerve wracking. I remember being nervous when my fourth son was born. I was the mother of four boys. In eight months time, I'll be the mom to five children. I am definitely as nervous or more nervous than I was when my fourth son was born. I'm going to get a sonogram to find out the gender. After having four boys, I'm not sure if I want a fifth boy or my first girl. As nice as it would be to have a daughter, I feel that having a fifth son would be an easier transition. None of the boys know how to operate with a female sibling around. My biggest concern is that if I have a daughter, she will feel isolated and alone. However, and as selfish as this sounds, if I do have a daughter, I finally have someone I can share girl things with." +"Dear Diary Today has been one of the worse days of my life. I can't believe how clumsy I am. I was taking things out of my basement this morning, so I could sort through them upstairs in my spare time. Well, I was pulling on a trophy that was in one of the boxes, when the thing let loose and I hit myself in the eye with it. There was blood everywhere and it did kind of scare me so I called my sister up and asked her if she could take me to the hospital, she said she would. We waited at emergency for 4 hours. I had developed a bad headache and went to lay down in the vehicle. I finally got called in and the doctor said, go home and I would be fine. He gave me a prescription for pain killers. Well, I thought everything was fine and I just needed rest but when I returned to work on Monday with a black eye, my headache came back. My friend at work took my back to the hospital. and the doctor told me that my eye was hemorrhaging and I would need surgery immediately to save my eyesight. He added, ""Thank God your friend brought you back to the hospital."" I had to stay overnight at the Hospital. It looks like I won't be having that garage sale for a couple of weeks now. I will definitely be more careful when sorting through all my junk in the basement. I thank God I didn't knock myself out with that dang old trophy. I think I will throw that thing away when I get home." +"Today we celebrated the baptism of my godchild. She is 4 months old now. I am still in shock that I was chosen to be her Godfather. I felt so important and honored that day, and I still do today. The responsibility of being a Godfather is important to me. I myself was raised by my Godparents after my parents passed away. The title means more to me than anything else in the world really. When my friend asked me to take on the responsibility I was so moved. I of course immediately said yes. Ever since then I have daydreamed about what I can do to ensure this little girl feels loved and safe. She has amazing parents, but the job of being a Godparent is much different than an actual parent. I get to have fun with her and spoil her without having to punish and teach. I am really excited for Christmas time. I saw a bunch of really pretty necklaces for baby girls that I want to buy. I just hope I can live up to the responsibility and form a meaningful relationship with this little girl. I love her so much already, it really is the greatest blessing to see your friends' have children." +"I learned about synthesizers and their power. I was not aware that they are a real thing that could be used to make music. They are fun and interesting to me. I started by watching videos about them and how they work. I learned about the different types of synthesis and how to make sounds. It was great fun and has lead me to continue down the path of music making. It has been a long journey but i am ready to begin using synthesizers and the other instruments that i can play to create this music. I listen to different types of music, but synthesizer music seems to be the easiest for me to create. It is fun and intuitive. When i think about the time that i spent learning, i feel accomplished. It is a great feat for me to learn a new skill. And my life is busy. I need an outlet to help me through. This is the way to do that. I am happy with my learning curve." +"“Julie and the girls at Jet Set Getaways have planned two unforgettable trips to Italy for me and my family. They both were perfect from the start. The hotels, tours, and restaurant recommendations were all amazing from Rome, to Il Borro, Florence, and Sorrento. Our cooking class in Florence in Meri’s Tuscan kitchen was a highlight topped off with a full day boat tour along the Sorrento Coast, Capri Island, and Nero Bay with Giovanni and having lunch at Conca Del Sogno on our last day. It’s truly an experience we will never forget. Can’t wait to have Julie and Get Set Getaways plan our next trip” Jet Set Getaways make dreams come true. Outstanding on every level. I’ve flown over 1 Million miles in my life and traveled extensively. Julie and company are true professionals and far exceed any and all expectations. I cannot recommend high enough. Pure professionals and handle incredible details. Do yourself a favor - retain the outstanding services of Jet Set Getaways and I guarantee you will be impressed. Job well done Julie. When thinking of booking travel, three words come to mind: convenience, relaxation & luxury. When booking with JSG each of these elements has always been met & often exceeded. From the onset of booking our honeymoon, JSG was prompt to provide hotel recommendations that were matched with our desires for our trip to Greece. We stayed at the Blue Palace - Marriott Luxury Collection in Crete & The Chromata in Santorini. When we checked in, the staff pulled up our itinerary & knew what extra Virtuoso Amenities would be included, which luckily afforded an upgrade for our stays. Additionally, to our surprise, we receive a hand written letter with welcome treats & wine at each hotel! It was incredible to walk in our room & feel so special. The JSG team treats each of their clients exceptionally & personably. All details are thought of from the inception of the booking process & throughout the stay. I would highly recommend putting your trust in the JSG team to plan your next vacation!" +"“Julie and the girls at Jet Set Getaways have planned two unforgettable trips to Italy for me and my family. They both were perfect from the start. The hotels, tours, and restaurant recommendations were all amazing from Rome, to Il Borro, Florence, and Sorrento. Our cooking class in Florence in Meri’s Tuscan kitchen was a highlight topped off with a full day boat tour along the Sorrento Coast, Capri Island, and Nero Bay with Giovanni and having lunch at Conca Del Sogno on our last day. It’s truly an experience we will never forget. Can’t wait to have Julie and Get Set Getaways plan our next trip” Jet Set Getaways make dreams come true. Outstanding on every level. I’ve flown over 1 Million miles in my life and traveled extensively. Julie and company are true professionals and far exceed any and all expectations. I cannot recommend high enough. Pure professionals and handle incredible details. Do yourself a favor - retain the outstanding services of Jet Set Getaways and I guarantee you will be impressed. Job well done Julie. When thinking of booking travel, three words come to mind: convenience, relaxation & luxury. When booking with JSG each of these elements has always been met & often exceeded. From the onset of booking our honeymoon, JSG was prompt to provide hotel recommendations that were matched with our desires for our trip to Greece. We stayed at the Blue Palace - Marriott Luxury Collection in Crete & The Chromata in Santorini. When we checked in, the staff pulled up our itinerary & knew what extra Virtuoso Amenities would be included, which luckily afforded an upgrade for our stays. Additionally, to our surprise, we receive a hand written letter with welcome treats & wine at each hotel! It was incredible to walk in our room & feel so special. The JSG team treats each of their clients exceptionally & personably. All details are thought of from the inception of the booking process & throughout the stay. I would highly recommend putting your trust in the JSG team to plan your next vacation!" +"It is hard to believe how much has changed for me in the last 4 months. Veronica and I had dated since high school. I thought she was the woman I was going to marry. 4 months ago, totally out of the blue, she broke up with me. I was devastated. We did everything together. Not only was she my girl friend, but she was my best friend. I thought we had the perfect relationship. We liked the same things, we had the same friends, we could even finish each others sentences. When she broke up with me, I kept trying to figure out what was wrong with me. After the break up, I stayed in and didn't talk to anybody. I didn't want to go anywhere, or do anything. I fell in to a really deep depression. My mom finally convinced me to go see a therapist. Little did I know, that therapist would change my life. She made me realize how much I had to offer and that the break up was not because of me. I didn't see it at the time, but Veronica and I were just comfortable with one another, we were not soul mates. We had just been holding on to something because we were afraid to move on. I'm finished with my therapy and I feel better about myself than I have in a long time. As a matter of a fact, I'm going on a date next week and I haven't been this excited about anything in a long time. Several weeks after my therapy ended I realized that I could not get my therapist out of my mind. I called her up and asked her out and since I am no longer her patient, she said yes. I realize now, everything happens for a reason and it is time for me to move on." +"In Febuary I went to Japan with my parents to visit my family seen in a long time. My parents and I live in the United States and do not get to see our family from Japan very often, as plane tickets are expensive. My family from Japan came to visit my parents and I in the United States a few times. The last time was over five years ago. They really love coming to visit us and always have had such a great time every single visit. This was my first time visiting Japan with my parents and I was really excited. I am not fond of long plane rides, but was excited to see Japan and my family. My cousins are around my age and were looking forward to doing fun things with me. The main point of our visit was a graduation gift for me from my family. When we arrived at my families beautiful home, everyone jumped out and said ""surprise""! After a long plane ride , we were very, very surprised. There were so many people there. So many family members and family friends there to welcome us. There were beautiful decorations and such dlicious food that my family made just for my parents and I. All the food was home cooked with the best ingredients. My aunt and grandmas sister gave very emotional speeches about how proud they were of me and how important family and success is. It actually brought a tear to my eye." +"In Febuary I went to Japan with my parents to visit my family seen in a long time. My parents and I live in the United States and do not get to see our family from Japan very often, as plane tickets are expensive. My family from Japan came to visit my parents and I in the United States a few times. The last time was over five years ago. They really love coming to visit us and always have had such a great time every single visit. This was my first time visiting Japan with my parents and I was really excited. I am not fond of long plane rides, but was excited to see Japan and my family. My cousins are around my age and were looking forward to doing fun things with me. The main point of our visit was a graduation gift for me from my family. When we arrived at my families beautiful home, everyone jumped out and said ""surprise""! After a long plane ride , we were very, very surprised. There were so many people there. So many family members and family friends there to welcome us. There were beautiful decorations and such dlicious food that my family made just for my parents and I. All the food was home cooked with the best ingredients. My aunt and grandmas sister gave very emotional speeches about how proud they were of me and how important family and success is. It actually brought a tear to my eye." +"My work enviroment has changed for the worst. I find myself disconnected with everything around me. I am able to be productive and get my job done when there aren't people around me judging me, mocking me or just plain making fun of me. I am fed up but keep bringing myself to make peace with everything around me. I don't know who benefits from this or who loses, but I hope I can't stop thinking about this in black and white. There is good in evil and there is evil in good. Everything is a balance and I got to balance myself. The body and the mind know what's best for them, so listen to them. But what do I know? In the end I am still insecure and my words won't matter unless I make them to. I care about my peers but lately I been carring more about myself.. Grown man and women make mistakes Taking care of grown man and women doesnt mean give them money. it means give them hope. or mativation. I get angry but need to step aside and realize eveything is not about me. I need to balace myself between the good and the evil." +I just stared my job last week. I am not as motivated as my other peers. They can get a crate of cans put up on the shelves in one hour. I can only do half a crate in the same time. I feel lazy because of this. I need to get faster at putting cans up. I asked them for motivation. They said to just keep focused on the task at hand. I will try that next week. I need to get a belt for my back. It has been hurting after putting cans up at the end of the day. I'll ask for a belt next week. The pay is alright. I'm hoping of getting a raise. I doubt I'll get a promotion with this work speed. This will be a hard task to accomplish. +This happened 5 months ago my dog of 13 years was dying. I held her until she stopped breathing. I guess the important thing about it is I have cried more about the dog than I have anyone in my life who has passed. She was my best friend and helped me get through so many hard times in the last 13 years. She was a part lab part german shorthair. She had a cropped tail and the most expressive eyes I have ever seen in an animal. She went everywhere I did and we weren't apart in the 13 years for more than a day. I think about her every day. She is buried in my garden in a spot she love to lay in while I gardened. Having a dog is big commitment and being with them at the end of their life is the hardest part. Saying goodbye while they slip away is a pain I have never known before. She was the best dog I have ever owned and I have had the pleasure of owning several good dogs. I have a new dog now but she will never replace my old girl. We were two peas in a pod. My heart breaks but I know I will see her someday again. +I was really close to my dog. I was getting sad because she was getting sick. I took her to the vet. They said was really sick. I didn't have enough money for the operation to save her. I asked them to put her done. It's been 5 months now since this happened. I'm sad about it all the time. I get depressed when I think about it. I miss her all the time and think about her. I wish I would have had more time with her. When she had passed I tried to decide where to bury her. She always loved being in the back yard and so that is where I thought her final resting place should be. I buried her in my garden. It was where she felt the safest. She was happiest there and I think it where she will be happy to have laid her body to rest. +"One such event was a surprise birthday party. This happened around two months ago. It was thrown by my friend from work. I wasn't expecting a party, as these usually aren't thrown for me. It happened after work at about 6pm. All of my friends and some of my family were there. We had some drinks, listened to music, and had a good time. I also had some cake. Moreover, I opened presents. Of course, the most surprising thing was the party itself. Besides this, I also got some concert tickets which I was not expecting. The party lasted about three hours, then everyone started trickling out the door. While it was a fun time, by the end I was exhausted. I was very thankful for the party though. With that being said, I definitely would not want one every year. It truly was a memorable birthday." +"It was a Friday morning. I was on a hike with a couple of my friends and we were hiking in a forest. We were having lots of fun and we were joking around and giving each other a hard time. The topics of discussion involved mostly girls and relationships. A friend of ours had recently broken up with his girlfriend so we were talking about how hard it is to date nowadays. We each gave examples of how bad our dating lives had been in the past. When we reached the top of the mountain, we did barbecue and had some kebabs. For some reasons, my stomach wasn't in the mood for kebabs and and started giving me trouble. I started wanting to go to the bathroom so much and asked my friends if there was a bathroom around. They all laughed at once because there was no way that forest had a bathroom. They advised me to go in the woods and finish my business there. I looked for a very hidden area and went there to defect. I was surprisingly comfortable and unafraid. As I was defecting, I saw a red shaped fruit and I tasted it. It had one of the weirdest tastes ever. I couldn't even know what I was eating. I went back to be with my friends and we had the greatest time of our lives. It was so much fun!" +"Since my husbands suicide following his return from deployment in 2012, I have struggled with the grief of losing my family, life, any friends we had, even friends that I had. It has been very difficult dealing with the images of finding him, trying to save him. The memories of blame from his family and some of the people in his unit have destroyed me mentally and fueled the guilt and self-hatred that come along with my PTSD from this event to this very day. Even as a parent who loves her child, I found myself fighting the weight of crippling depression unsuccessfully. As a result, I began seeking therapy and counseling so that my daughter can have the kind of mother every child deserves to have, bringing me to the present. I have been in counseling on and off for 7 years and have learned a lot, including that I was severely abused my entire life without understanding it and that I had grown up in a cult, which, unbeknownst to me, had already created a significant amount of trauma with which I lived. I struggle every day. But my struggles are more manageable. Over the past six months, I learned how to use grounding and mindfulness as a tool to bring myself out of a trauma reaction to the present moment. And I found a great help for some of the symptoms of PTSD from a very surprising source-legal, medical marijuana. I have had a great deal of progress over the past 3 months, since I began using medical marijuana. I am able to sleep. I have been able to maintain a healthy weight, because I have an appetite again. And it helps me to slow down, and be mindful regarding sensory stimuli while helping me to ground myself more quickly before I react. But most importantly, the absolute rages I experienced are not only decreased in frequency and magnitude, but eliminated altogether. This was a major concern of mine, because I did not want my child growing up in a home living with my symptoms. I never wanted my over reaction to stress to create anxiety in my child and I never wanted my child to have to cope with ""Mommy's symptoms"", because Mommy could or did not. Going to parenting classes and reading parenting books has helped set a foundation for me as a parent. I have used and exhausted every mental health resource available to me that I am aware of. And I am far from normal or where my peers are, but I am functional, for which I am extremely grateful." +"It doesn't feel real, but I suppose writing about it will help me get through this eventually. It doesn't seem like it's already been three weeks. The worse part is that I know I'm not the one feeling the most pain. I guess I need to actually say it. John passed away. It's one thing if someone is sick for a long time. You see them suffering and you want their pain to end. But for someone to die suddenly and be ripped from your family with no warning, nothing can prepare you for that. I know accidents happen all the time. Literally every day, probably every hour, someone dies on the road. It happens to other families and they must feel like mine does. You just never imagine it would happen to your loved ones. John was such a pleasure to be around. When my sister fell for him, I knew he was the right guy. He's been a good buddy to me and a great uncle to my son. Telling my son was probably the hardest part for me personally. Jimmy loved John so much. He's just old enough to sort of understand what happened and it absolutely breaks my heart. Now, that was hard for me, I am currently sobbing thinking about Erica. My sister loved him with every ounce of her being. They wanted kids. They wanted adventure. They deserved it all and now? None of us can imagine life without him, but he was her literal other half. It's just too much." +"It doesn't feel real, but I suppose writing about it will help me get through this eventually. It doesn't seem like it's already been three weeks. The worse part is that I know I'm not the one feeling the most pain. I guess I need to actually say it. John passed away. It's one thing if someone is sick for a long time. You see them suffering and you want their pain to end. But for someone to die suddenly and be ripped from your family with no warning, nothing can prepare you for that. I know accidents happen all the time. Literally every day, probably every hour, someone dies on the road. It happens to other families and they must feel like mine does. You just never imagine it would happen to your loved ones. John was such a pleasure to be around. When my sister fell for him, I knew he was the right guy. He's been a good buddy to me and a great uncle to my son. Telling my son was probably the hardest part for me personally. Jimmy loved John so much. He's just old enough to sort of understand what happened and it absolutely breaks my heart. Now, that was hard for me, I am currently sobbing thinking about Erica. My sister loved him with every ounce of her being. They wanted kids. They wanted adventure. They deserved it all and now? None of us can imagine life without him, but he was her literal other half. It's just too much." +"Last month I got married to Cheryl, the love of my life. I still feel like the luckiest man in the world, having her in my life. The wedding was a tight-knit affair. We had decided early on in the planning that we didn't want to stress our wallets too badly on this wedding, and would rather spend out money on a lavish honeymoon. Still, the venue we found, a vineyard out in the countryside, was stunning. The morning of the wedding I woke up at my brother's. Cheryl thought it would be bad luck to sleep in the same bed the night before the wedding. Despite the wedding not being until that afternoon, I showered and put my tuxedo on right away. My brother was my best man, so he helped keep me calm. In no time at all the wedding time rolled around, and we went to the venue. I will never forget how I felt when I saw Cheryl walking towards me in her beautiful white dress. We said our vows and quickly went to the reception area. We danced and ate late into the night. I was very glad with the wedding we had. If I had to do it over again, I would change nothing." +"My son has been battling drug addiction for the last several years. Although he has been experimenting with drugs, mainly smoking marijuana, he did not develop a serious addiction until he moved from our home in Florida to Chicago. There he became intimate with a meth dealer and got so deep in addiction that he lost his job and then his apartment and for most of the remainder of his time in Chicago he was virtually homeless, sleeping on friends' couches and occasionally in the park. Last November my husband and I helped him come back to Florida, thinking it was his best chance to get clean. Unfortunately, in our hometown meth, my son's drug of choice, seems to be available on every corner and in every bar. He would manage to not use for a few days and then would jump right back in, sometimes for days at a time. On at least one occasion he stayed up using meth and other substances for a straight seven day period. In April his addiction reached critical mass and he attempted suicide in his desperation. A good friend of his, a recovering alcoholic himself, helped my son get into a detox facility in a nearby town and then to their rehab center. After that he lived for a few months in a recovery home and has done very well since. Three weeks ago, his half bother on his dad's side of his family hung himself and did not survive. My son was devastated as they were very close. He handled it extremely well but I was concerned that this tragic even could trigger a relapse. Shortly after that his roommate ended up in the hospital with liver problems. Last week he called me and told me that he had indeed relapsed, but that, thankfully, it was a one time event and was not his usual meth, but cocaine. He also reached out to his sponsor and to his counselor at the rehab center. Even though he did relapse I was not devastated or overly disappointed as I would have been in the past. Relapse is a common thing in drug and alcohol recovery and he had some serious triggers confront him in a short period of time. I told my son not to beat himself up over his relapse and stressed how proud I was of the way he handled it. To the best of my knowledge he has continued to go to meetings and maintain close contact with his sponsor. He is dealing with his relapse in all the right ways and I have every reason to believe he will pick himself up and start over on the path to recovery he had already set for himself." +"Me and my daughter prepared for a children's birthday party. It was my coworker/friend's daughter's birthday party. It was going to be fun because well, it was a childrens birthday party. We arrived at the home of my friend and we greeted each other, I also greeted her daughter a Happy birthday. My daughters and my friend's daughter went ahead and played at the playground. I went ahead and prepared the lunch for my daughters, good thing they have hotdogs with the marshmallow on top, it's a timeless classic to serve in a kids birthday party. I got bored talking to the other guests there that my friend invited that I knew. My friend and I are very close so I know a lot of her relatives. When I got bored I tried to create an event that the parents of the kids will be able to participate. It was getting boring that the kids only get to play and the adults were all bored talking to one another since everyone could not focus on the topic because the kids always needed our attention. My friend definitely approved my plan on creating games for the adults or parents to play, games that are more for kids specifically. The parents loved my plan because they felt like little kids again. Of course the kids had more fun because they get to play too with their parents along with new kids that they just met. It was a birthday to remember because I don't usually try to get into other peoples birthday parties, but my friend and I were close and she definitely loved my idea. I told my daughters that everytime they will get a birthday party, it will be just as fun, or even more." +"Me and my daughter prepared for a children's birthday party. It was my coworker/friend's daughter's birthday party. It was going to be fun because well, it was a childrens birthday party. We arrived at the home of my friend and we greeted each other, I also greeted her daughter a Happy birthday. My daughters and my friend's daughter went ahead and played at the playground. I went ahead and prepared the lunch for my daughters, good thing they have hotdogs with the marshmallow on top, it's a timeless classic to serve in a kids birthday party. I got bored talking to the other guests there that my friend invited that I knew. My friend and I are very close so I know a lot of her relatives. When I got bored I tried to create an event that the parents of the kids will be able to participate. It was getting boring that the kids only get to play and the adults were all bored talking to one another since everyone could not focus on the topic because the kids always needed our attention. My friend definitely approved my plan on creating games for the adults or parents to play, games that are more for kids specifically. The parents loved my plan because they felt like little kids again. Of course the kids had more fun because they get to play too with their parents along with new kids that they just met. It was a birthday to remember because I don't usually try to get into other peoples birthday parties, but my friend and I were close and she definitely loved my idea. I told my daughters that everytime they will get a birthday party, it will be just as fun, or even more." +When we were initially planning the trip I was a little skeptical of what was going to happen. I was always interested in going to a music festival but never had good friends to go with. When I met the friends I have now they pushed me to go. This was one of the best things that happened to me because I always need a push to get out and do daring things. I am so glad that I decided to go because we had such a great time and I met so many awesome people. I made additional friends and will continue to be friends with them going forward. When we were there I could not contain myself for how much fun I was having. The music was pumping and I could not stop dancing and having a fantastic time. They were playing my favorite music the whole festival and it could not have been better. My friends were really fun and we danced for what seemed like several hours but it was actually only a few. There were drinking and drugs but i did not partake as I don't believe in doing them. I was very well behaved and only had fun without any toxicity. We can always have fun without toxic substances. This is why I am so glad I made the friends I did because they understand me. One of the greatest gifts is having friends that fully understand. I hope to have these friends for the rest of my life. +"The birth of my fourth child was incredibly unexpected and exciting. I was thirty six weeks pregnant and not expecting to have him for three more weeks at my scheduled c-section when I unexpectedly had to go in to the hospital due to the fact that I was not feeling him move much. I went in for monitoring and they kept me overnight. They monitored his heart rate and it kept dropping, so in the morning they decided they would go ahead and do the surgery. They couldn't figure out what was causing the decelerations. I had left my house the previous night at eleven p.m. not thinking I would be staying overnight and certainly not thinking I would be having a c-section in the morning so I was totally unprepared. All I had with me was my purse and my husband was back home with my other three children who had been asleep when I left. I excitedly got ready for the surgery, knowing that within the hour I would have my baby in my arms but also nervous that he was going to be okay and that I would be going through surgery all alone. Everything went smoothly though. The anesthesiologist was really caring and sat right next to me throughout the surgery and talked to me. When I finally heard my son's little cries, I knew everything was going to be okay. She held him beside me while they finished stitching me up and then finally after nine months of waiting I got to hold him. I went to recovery and held my perfect little son in my arms while I waited to go to my room. Then, I spent two nights and three days in the hospital with my new little son. It was hard because I had never been away from my other three kids before, but it was also special having that time just him and me together. It had turned out that he had a full knot in his umbilical cord which is what was causing the heart decellerations. It's a miracle that I went into the hospital that night and they decided to go ahead with the surgery. He is now six months old and is the sweetest most precious little baby." +"The night my fourth baby was born was extremely exciting and unexpected. I was thirty six weeks and six days pregnant and not anticipating to have him for a few more weeks. I have my fourth c-section scheduled already. I was sitting at home with my husband and I noticed that I did not feel him moving as much as he normally did at night. I got worried and called the doctor and they wanted me to go in to the hospital for monitoring. I went in and they kept me overnight and monitored his heartrate. His heart kept dropping which was really concerning so first thing that morning they decided to go ahead and do a c-section for his safety. There was a lot of build up to that point where they weren't sure what they were going to do. They kept rushing in the room every time his heart rate would drop and it was really scary to me. I just wanted to be sure my baby was okay. Finally they came in and announced they were going to go ahead with the surgery. I was really nervous and excited because I had left home with just my purse and had no idea I'd be having surgery and finally meeting my little baby the next morning, but I couldn't wait to have him in my arms plus I was worried about his safety because of what was going on. Everything happened really fast after that and within an hour or so they were pulling him out and I heard his little cries and they brought him to me so I could see his little face for the first time. My husband wasn't there with me in the operating room so the anesthesiologist sat right beside me and held him beside me so I could see him while they finished the surgery. It turns out he had a full knot in his umbilical cord which apparently is really rare but can be very dangerous for the baby. It was very fortunate that I had come in to be monitored and the doctor had decided to go ahead with the c-section. I went to recovery and sat there just examining his little face and falling in love with him for the first time. I stayed in the hospital with him for a few days and then was finally able to go home and introduce him to my other three children and my husband. I still cherish that time in the hospital with him where it was just the two of us one on one and I finally had him in my arms. To me he is my little miracle baby. He's four months old now and sitting on my lap right now as I type this. He is Such a sweet little cutie." +"Three months ago, I got a better job with a higher salary in Washington State, so I packed up the kids and my wife and left New York for good. I knew that it would be stressful to make the 42-hour journey in only a couple days, but it was important I make it to the office in time for my first day. I couldn't afford the plane tickets for all seven of us, so my wife and I made the decision to drive the whole way in shifts. When one of us got tired, the other would pick up the slack. It was stressful to say the least to wrangle a bunch of screaming children asking ""are we there yet?"" over and over again. About ten minutes outside of Des Moines, my youngest child started complaining of feeling sick and developed a rash all over his body. The GPS told me we were very close to a hospital, so I made my way there as quickly as possible. When we got to the emergency room, Logan could barely breathe. The nurse on duty deemed the case to be of utmost priority, so she wheeled him in to see the doctor immediately. My wife, my other four children, and I waited anxiously for someone to give us an update. After about half an hour, a doctor approached us and said, to our relief, that Logan was just fine. It turned out he had an allergic reaction to the shrimp salad he ate at lunch. He has a shellfish allergy and needs to avoid most seafood from now on. The doctor administered an EpiPen which opened his airway and allowed him to breathe easier again. They induced vomiting which helped him feel better. He still had a rash on his body, but it was starting to go down. After a couple more hours of observation, he was released from the hospital and we resumed our journey. We were all very thankful that we had been so close to the hospital and not in the middle of nowhere. We made it to our destination just in time and I showed up at my new job tired but grateful." +"The dog was having problems walking. She was a great big dog. It was an English mastiff. She stopped being able to go down the back steps so well. It was hard to help her because she weighed 200 pounds. She wasn't that old, but those kinds of dogs don't live too long, and she was sort of fed a constant barrage of things that I didn't think dogs need to be eating. One time, though, and I wouldn't have done this if I was sober, but I fed her a bunch of this cheese bread I made, like a pizza with no sauce. It was really big, and I gave her a large amount of it. That was just once, though. Anyway, she liked to run and chase balls, play with a basketball or soccer balls because like a tennis ball, it seemed like she could swallow one of those. She started to not get up. Her legs would shake terribly, and she couldn't walk more than a few feet without having to lie down again. Eventually, she could barely stand at all. She spent a day lying on the floor, panting and trying to get up. She rolled off her doggy bed, but I couldn't get her back on it. She died later that day. My dad took it really hard as I recall, sobbing loudly and dramatically. That's no way for a grown man to carry on. Very disappointed in how he handled that. Anyway, she got buried and now there's two new puppies which are very lively and cute. I expect they'll live a long time, and probably will last my parents until the end of their lives or very close to it. I think they're very lucky not to have to deal with the deaths of any more animals, except for one more basset hound, a cat, and another cat, but that's basically it." +"My dog died. It couldn't walk. It lay down on the floor and spazzed until it died. Others were sadder than me, I never thought of the animal as that great of an investment anyway. This dog's name was Duncan and he was just a decent dog. I had him for almost 10 years until he started getting really sick. He stopped eating his food and just was waiting for his time to pass away. He was an okay dog growing up. He had more energy and would play with us. As time grew on he stopped playing with us and he got boring to play with. All he wanted to do was lay down and sleep. I stopped caring about him and he just did his own thing. For years he was outside minding his business. It wasn't until 2 weeks ago when he finally passed away. I didn't feel sad about it and my friends loved him. I thank him for the memories but we all must move on. He was a purebred dog but we never got puppies so it was a waste on 1,000 dollars. He just slept all day and ate food so we wasted money. We should've made him have puppies to make some extra money but we let that opportunity go." +"What a day that I will never forget. Brian had been doing so well, and we were all so proud. so many of us around him had our own demons and addictions. We all knew how hard it was for him, but we tried supporting him the best we could. He had been in and out of rehab, and in some minor trouble legally. His family had begun to not trust him anymore. They never left him, but by the end it was his friends that had to help and support him, because his family just couldn't take anymore. We had lent him money to pay off fines. we would drive him to NA meetings. I even helped him get a job at the printshop I work at. He was on top of it all. Then after all his legal bills started clearing up, and he had payed off debts his personal money started adding up. It only took a couple weeks of him getting some nice paychecks to spend how he pleased. One day he came in saying he was just so tired. I think we all knew he wasn't just tired, but he had been doing good, and so we got through the day and hoped that we could talk to him more the next day when he was more sobered up. We never did. He never made it back to work the next day. His aunt called us to say they had found him that morning, he didn't make it." +"a few months back a really good friend of my brother and i passed of a drug overdose. it was one of the hardest times in my life. we had known brian for years, since we were both in high school. he was a great guy, dealt a crappy life and a lot to fight through. we had just helped him through rehab after his family had given up and wouldn't support him, even to get into a rehab. he got out, reunited with his family, and i got him a job at the print shop i work at. it wasn't the greatest place, but it was a decent solid living for him and i. he was only there about a month. when the paychecks started really kicking in, he must have gone out and picked up one night. he never made it to work the day after payday. we had to call to see if he was coming in, and his aunt who he was staying with told us what happened. we all made it through so much together, and honestly he might have been the best among, it just shouldn't have been him. It was terrible, and a week later I went to his funeral. We said goodbye to him. We keep in touch with his family, they are like family now. His sisters really took it hard, and from time to time we all get together to have lunch and remember brian." +"My daughter had her 15th birthday. Because of a fight in the family, my husband's side of the family wasn't there to celebrate with us. We went out to a restaurant she loves for dinner with my parents. We had dinner and then ordered cupcakes for desert. We didn't sing because she would be embarrassed. The most surprising part of it was that my son who was 1.5 slept through the whole thing. He laid on the booth next to my husband. We did have a good time but it was a little sad without my husband's family. The worst part was the my in-laws did not even wish my daughter a happy birthday. They never sent her a card or anything. Luckily my daughter is still happy and okay. We made sure she got everything she asked for as gifts. She was happy with what we did and her gifts. I consider it a success even though my husband's family managed to put a damper on it. My daughter knows we love her." +"My daughter had her 15th birthday. Because of a fight in the family, my husband's side of the family wasn't there to celebrate with us. We went out to a restaurant she loves for dinner with my parents. We had dinner and then ordered cupcakes for desert. We didn't sing because she would be embarrassed. The most surprising part of it was that my son who was 1.5 slept through the whole thing. He laid on the booth next to my husband. We did have a good time but it was a little sad without my husband's family. The worst part was the my in-laws did not even wish my daughter a happy birthday. They never sent her a card or anything. Luckily my daughter is still happy and okay. We made sure she got everything she asked for as gifts. She was happy with what we did and her gifts. I consider it a success even though my husband's family managed to put a damper on it. My daughter knows we love her." +"Two months ago my good friend Angela talked me into going on a camping trip with her and her boyfriend and a lot of their friends. I thought it was kind of strange as she and her boyfriend Jesus are not exactly outdoor people. I haven't been able to do much with them so I thought it'd be worth going on the camping trip. I got all packed up and ready to go on the camping trip with them and their friends, make 12 of us altogether. We met up at the camping park they picked out. Some of their other friends were already there, getting their tents ready. I found Angela and Jesus and saw they already had their tent up. I decided to put my tent near their tent. We helped other people as they arrived put up their tents. We didn't really do much that day as it started to get dark as the last tent was put up. We all worked together to get a fire going. Some people gathered sticks and small brush. Others got larger pieces of wood. I helped get a spot ready for the pit. I helped gather large rocks. We ended up making a large pit, as there were twelve of us altogether there, and we all wanted to be able to sit around the fire. We didn't make the fire that big that night as it was just more for enjoying the camping atmosphere, but the pit we made could easily be used for a bon fire. The next day we took a raft and went on the river. The raft was huge, and easily floated all of us down the river. It was fun, until the sky started to get dark. We got off the river and started heading back to the camp site. Sure enough a rain storm had moved in as we were on the river, and it started raining like crazy as we were walking back to the camp site. We all got soaked, but luckily by the time we got back to the camp site the rain stopped. We got a really big fire going that evening and had a lot of fun bonding over the fire and telling ghost stories. It was fun, even with the rain, and I wouldn't mind going on a camping trip with them again sometime." +"That camping trip still sticks in my mind despite the fact that it was two months ago. It had been years since the 12 of us have gotten together as a group. Sure, we all kept in touch and occasionally a few of us would go out together. But, life had done it's thing and we were never all at the same place at the same time. I do not know how the idea for the camping trip came about. All I know was that when I read the message I was excited. I packed my bags and drove to the camp site on that Friday as we planned. The cabin was beautiful. A river flowed out into a lake. Perfect for swimming, lazing on a float, or just sunning on the beach. We spent most of our day doing just that. But then the storm rolled in. It went from clear to cloudy in what seemed like mere seconds. We all scrambled to gather our things and get out of the storm. We huddled in the cabin soaked but happy. Once the rain stopped we went back to the lakeside beach and built a bonfire. Over the flames we talked about our lives, the struggles we've gone through and the successes we've had. I hope that we can do this again soon." +"Last May a friend of mine invited me to his house for BBQ. I go to his place regularly on the weekends. Sometimes it's for specific get togethers and sometimes just to hang out for a bit, to grab a beer, watch sports on TV, etc. Among my circle of friends it's a regular meeting place for us so this BBQ was nothing out of the ordinary. I left my house for the 30 minute drive in the afternoon and made a couple of stops on the way to get some gas and then stop at the store for some food to cook and to get some beers. I wasn't more than a few blocks from his house on that Sunday afternoon and my car got T-boned. Another car came out of a driveway into a main road from my right side and plowed into me as I was driving under the speed limit at around 40 MPH. My car spun around in traffic due to the impact and by the time I got my bearings I found myself looking at an exploded air-bag, a crumpled front end and my engine steaming smoke. I was disoriented and sore and it took me some time to realize what happened. I ended up with a broken arm and a concussion from the impact. For the first time in my life I had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance. While things could have ended up much worse for me physically, it was still a scary incident and I ended up missing some work due to it. It turns out that the driver that hit me was uninsured and that ended up complicating things for me. My insurance took care of a lot of what I was covered for medically but my car was a total loss and the compensation I received for the damage wasn't enough to keep me form having to go into my own pocket for a replacement vehicle. Since the other driver wasn't insured, it wasn't surprising to me that I wasn't able to go after them for additional damages since they basically had no money or assets themselves. In addition to the physical pain I went through, was a very frustrating experience that eventually caused me a lot of anger over the situation. I wanted more compensation for my troubles than I received and I didn't get justice." +"So the baby came early. I was in the kitchen when I started having labor pains. I didn't think much of them at first, but they got worse. My husband came home and we raced to the hospital. There, they put me in a room, and I waited. There were doctors and nurses everywhere. They hooked me up to lots of machines. I wasn't able to stay awake. When I woke up, the baby was out. They had done a C-section. Something had happened so that I needed one. Now I have a bad infection, and some issues with the surgery. Apparently there's some internal damage. I'm working with insurance and a lawyer to try and get things fixed up. But my baby's so sweet! I may be hurt, but at least she's alive." +"So the baby came early. I was in the kitchen when I started having labor pains. I didn't think much of them at first, but they got worse. My husband came home and we raced to the hospital. There, they put me in a room, and I waited. There were doctors and nurses everywhere. They hooked me up to lots of machines. I wasn't able to stay awake. When I woke up, the baby was out. They had done a C-section. Something had happened so that I needed one. Now I have a bad infection, and some issues with the surgery. Apparently there's some internal damage. I'm working with insurance and a lawyer to try and get things fixed up. But my baby's so sweet! I may be hurt, but at least she's alive." +"Today, I went to Def con it was my first time going. I wasn't sure what to expect seeing it wasn't me that is totally into tech like my husband and brother. But I was surprised by the support of this community. When you think of hackers you think of these bad guys who get into trouble but this wasn't the case. Instead I learned how to protect myself, make a hunny pot, and find out how to track down people like in a kidnapping case find their last location and also find out who else was in that area at that time using gps. Overall I had a great time. We also went to a furry party, that was well not what I expected. I figured everyone would be dressed up as well furry people but it was just a normal party. I had a great time it was a well needed vacation. We also went to the 801 party and that one well was just like out of the movie hangover. tons of random stuff going on. Fighting t-rex's flying aliens, and eventually getting kicked out. We also tried Stivia weed gummies this was the first time we have ever done that. It was well interesting but I can tell you that one gummy was more than enough I should have just taken a half. Overall this was a fantastic vacation." +"People have always made fun of my eyes and how they look crooked. Growing up other kids would call me ""Crooked Eyes"" and tease me endlessly. Thinking back, I guess I struggled socially because of the way I was treated through school. Now that I have health insurance, I decided to get my eyes checked and see if there was anything that could be done. The eye doctor I visited told me that I could have surgery to have my eyes realigned. He reassured me that it was a safe procedure and would greatly improve the appearance. I didn't really need much time to think it over, and I immediately signed up for an appointment scheduled for three months later. I could barely sit still during those three months because I was overcome with joy and anxiousness. Despite not being able to see on the day following my surgery, I was so thrilled to finally have this procedure done. And once everything finally healed it was absolutely unbelievable! The doctor did a fabulous job! My eyes look normal for the first time in my life. Now I do not have to be so self conscious about the way I look. All those years of being teased are gone! I can't wait to go to my 10 year high school reunion and see everyone's faces!" +"People have always made fun of my eyes and how they look crooked. Growing up other kids would call me ""Crooked Eyes"" and tease me endlessly. Thinking back, I guess I struggled socially because of the way I was treated through school. Now that I have health insurance, I decided to get my eyes checked and see if there was anything that could be done. The eye doctor I visited told me that I could have surgery to have my eyes realigned. He reassured me that it was a safe procedure and would greatly improve the appearance. I didn't really need much time to think it over, and I immediately signed up for an appointment scheduled for three months later. I could barely sit still during those three months because I was overcome with joy and anxiousness. Despite not being able to see on the day following my surgery, I was so thrilled to finally have this procedure done. And once everything finally healed it was absolutely unbelievable! The doctor did a fabulous job! My eyes look normal for the first time in my life. Now I do not have to be so self conscious about the way I look. All those years of being teased are gone! I can't wait to go to my 10 year high school reunion and see everyone's faces!" +"The flight was kinda dull but i was nervous the whole time going to Italy. Luckily some other students had the same flight as me so we meet up and walked together and stuff it was also eye opening because everyone was older then me. Personally always had older friends but they were like in there 20s with kids and a house. I figured out a way to sneak acid onto the plane and into Italy(please dont report me) because on the trip i knew we were going to go to the beaches and walk around and even go to a volcano. The first meaningful experience for me i would say was going up to the top of this apartment building and realizing how crammed together everyone was it kinda bothered me but at the same time it was refreshing to see how a civilization can stay relatively the same throughout the years, and just how vast our planet is because i noticed we all think of our hometown then our city then maybe our state and maybe country but the world is so much bigger then to have such a small mindset at least thats what i realized on my trip. I also managed to drop my weeding ring in 30-40 ft into the ocean because i accidentally headbutted my professor in the vagina. Till this day i am so embarressed that that even happen in real life. After about 30min of me trying to find my ring i finally found it and i got back onto the boat. The boat ride lasted about 3-6hrs. Honestly we were out on the water the whole day off the aneolian(cant spell it) islands we stayed at this nice hotel which most of the island is anyways. But seeing the rocky beaches was very weird for me because naturally i wondered why none of the rocks have been broken down into sand. Turns out that theres still active volcanoes there. Later on in the boating day i decided to drop a quater tab and once it hit me i just felt as if i was really there. I didnt feel the need to take pictures or anything i was just truly 100% in the moment in the present and i loved that experience of knowing that in that moment im alive. But not only alive but my mind isnt wondering or thinking its there with me enjoying everything around it." +"i went to a study abroad program through my university and i stayed a bit longer after the trip was over as a personal choice. As we were walking through the city and meeting with CEOs i realized just how small we all are. We went up to this place called MT etna and i secretly took acid with one other member of our group and i just had a sense of clarity up on the volcano that i dont think i will ever have again any time soon. Everything up there seemed in place looking at how the bees would fly around and the grass would sway even looking out over the city it all felt as if it was in its place. It all somehow came together to form life in a strangely organized way. Afterwards on my own i took the time to visit a cemetery one of which was rough a mile long it was a big circle (the city was catania). There i wept for the child graves and the graves that were forgot by everyone, i wept for my own death and the deaths to come of everyone i knew and loved. At the end of it though i had a much deeper understanding of why it is we must be grateful to even wake up in the morning. There was alot of joyful moments however as we went out to eat and explore. The professor with us had gone before and roughly knew were to go and even knew a bit of Italian. I was the youngest in the group unfortunately. This obviously lead to teasing but i dont think it was ever out of bad intention. While walking around i ran into a lot of stray animals which was great cause it would always be the cats who ran away but the dogs who would run up to you. The ocean also took my breathe away because they have rocks along the edge and ive always seen sand so naturally i jumped off some rocks into the ocean. The timing couldn't have been better because at the time i was there apparently there was a lot of other people from other university visiting Italy at the time too. There were times where i was scared i was going to have my bag stolen from me so i kept a broken bottle in my bag just encase i had to defend myself which looking back it now was kinda dramatic." +"I personally go to church every Sunday. And the church is very far and I don't really have a car. It takes hours to travel to the church via public transportation. I set a goal to be faithful in my faith, but I also set a goal to make enough money for living. I have a friend who is a Republican, who owns a car, and who promised to give me a ride on last last Sunday, but when the Sunday comes, he never showed up, and he never answered his phone. I hate people who do not keep their promises, and he totally lost my trust on him by doing this. The fact that he is a Republican really bugged me (I did not know he is a Republican until next week), and I just can trust him anymore. In fact when he shares his thoughts in Sundays, he is very opinionated towards his political view, making everyone in the room feels uncomfortable. I totally look down on him now. And we had a debate last Sunday after church about the presidential election in 2020, and we both got really irritated after the discussion. I don’t think it is a good way to spend Sunday like that! I kind of associate him with all the Republicans, which makes me kind of afraid of making new Republican friends in the future. Now I have always to ask beforehand is a person a Republican or not before really getting to know them. I reflected on myself that maybe I was too mean to that person. I should have thought through it more." +"Dear diary,I can’t believe my life has fallen apart like this. I’ve been married for ten years - what I thought were ten happy years. I knew my husband had been unfaithful in the past but he convinced me it was a mistake and it would never happen again. I forgave him and I worked to make changes to better our marriage. But last week I found out he’s cheating again. This is such a disaster. I feel so hurt, betrayed, and taken advantage of. Fool me once, shame on me, it’s not going to happen again. I’ve already met with a divorce lawyer. I know I’m going to be ok but it just hurts so much. He was my best friend for ten years, and now our memories mean nothing. He is a stranger. Our son is going to have to grow up in a broken home. We’re going to have to sell the house and downsize and I’m going to have to work more hours. I’m just so sad and disappointed. I thought my life would look different but here I am. I wish I could just fast forward the next year of my life." +"My wife and I had our 18th anniversary. We went out for a romantic dinner at our favorite restaurant then came back to our house to have drinks and spend time with each other. This one was special because we hit 18 years, and they weren't all easy, but we always stuck by each other's side. This was something that we were both looking forward to for weeks, mainly due to our busy schedules. My wife and I both work full time, plus we have 3 kids, 2 who play multiple sports. With all of this going on we never get date nights, even though we talk about them. We never have time to get away and just have alone time. We got to the restaurant, sat down, and put in our drink order. We were instantly transformed back to the kids we were when we first fell in love. I starred into my wife eyes and tried to say things to make her smile. I love making my wife laugh, we sat there making each other giggle and reminiscing until our food came. Afterwards we stayed a bit longer after paying the check, then went home a had a few more drinks, hanging out and laughing. We get very few date nights and I always look forward to them. Our anniversary is definitely something that can't get put off, so it's a time when no matter what comes up we make time for each other. We made a goal to not make these nights wait for our once a year date, we need to take time for ourselves and our relationship more frequently." +"My wife and I had our 18th anniversary. We went out for a romantic dinner at our favorite restaurant then came back to our house to have drinks and spend time with each other. This one was special because we hit 18 years, and they weren't all easy, but we always stuck by each other's side. This was something that we were both looking forward to for weeks, mainly due to our busy schedules. My wife and I both work full time, plus we have 3 kids, 2 who play multiple sports. With all of this going on we never get date nights, even though we talk about them. We never have time to get away and just have alone time. We got to the restaurant, sat down, and put in our drink order. We were instantly transformed back to the kids we were when we first fell in love. I starred into my wife eyes and tried to say things to make her smile. I love making my wife laugh, we sat there making each other giggle and reminiscing until our food came. Afterwards we stayed a bit longer after paying the check, then went home a had a few more drinks, hanging out and laughing. We get very few date nights and I always look forward to them. Our anniversary is definitely something that can't get put off, so it's a time when no matter what comes up we make time for each other. We made a goal to not make these nights wait for our once a year date, we need to take time for ourselves and our relationship more frequently." +"Since my husband and I purchased our current home two years ago, I have been wanting to update our kitchen, which wasn't terrible, but wasn't the white/grey kitchen i have dreamed of for so long. I finally decided to contact my friend who is an interior designer, to talk to me about options and budget. I told her that my top budget was $10,000 and she said that that was do-able. So, I went ahead and hired her. She was to help with design and project manage the remodel. Her contractors came over to measure etc, and I received the quote, which ended up being $10,000 PLUS the cost of all the new appliances/fixtures. i was a little frustrated as she knew my total budget was $10,000 but the new estimate would be around $14,000. I cut a few costs where possible, but we went ahead with it. I had told her the sort of countertop i wanted, but when it came time to select the countertop, the ones I wanted were double what i had initially been quoted, therefore I had to compromise and go for a cheaper countertop. My friend also gave me a presentation with several options of fixtures to chose from (sink/faucet/lighting) and i was surprised that most of the options were more than i had initally been quoted. In the end I was happy with the remodel, however disappointed in how much over budget we went. I also felt a little taken advantage of by friend. I wish she had been more upfront about the total cost, as she surely would have known given she does this for a living. Also, I had to tell some small white lies to my husband who was firm on the $10,000 budget. I am wanting to remodel the guest bathroom in my house, and this time i will hire contractors myself, and will to the design/project management without any help." +"A few weeks ago I was staring into my dirty old kitchen. I bought my house a few years ago, and I always thought I'd get around to remodeling the dingy 70s kitchen at some point. One morning I went down to the kitchen and found that a pipe had burst and water had leaked every where. I was going to have to fix this now! I called a buddy of mine that does renovations and interior design. I had known him since college and I knew he does really good work. He answered right away and we planned a time to meet. We met a few times over the next few days and he planned an amazing new kitchen for me. I could tell things were not going to be cheap. We chose really nice finishes and new stainless steel appliances. I chose a color palate of and gray and white with yellow accents. My friend started the remodel. My house was full of dust and debris, and I seemed to be bleeding money. But my friend worked incredibly quickly and my new kitchen was done in only 9 days. I was so over budget but when I saw the result I was blown away. I feel like I'm living in an HGTV show and I love my new kitchen!" +"This story is about struggles in my life and how it has affected me physically and emotionally. I grew up in an abusive, alcoholic household. I was constantly tormented by my mother, father, maternal grandmother, and older brother throughout my childhood. I've had such a hard time as an adult trying to navigate responsibilities and relationships. I have made many, many mistakes and missteps that were completely unnecessary, just because I had no clue how to live a functional life. I have hurt myself and others because that's all I saw the adults in my life doing as I grew up in that abusive family. I think what was most surprising to me was when I needed to move back into my parents' home for a short stint when I was in my 30's. I had hoped so strongly that this would be the opportunity for us all to be loving and supportive of each other. Instead, the abuse was just as awful as I had ever endured; except now they extended the mistreatment to my daughter, as well. The situation came to a head one night when my inebriated mother picked a fight with my daughter and me. And. my father decided to join in by striking me. I called the police. He went to jail. And I had to find another place to live immediately. I was enrolled in college at the time, trying to improve myself so I could manage raising my child on my own in a home of our own. But now, I had to try finishing college while working non-skilled jobs that didn't pay enough for us to survive. So, for the next 6 years my daughter and I were homeless, couch surfing, seedy motels, and so forth. We never knew how long we would have at any given place. We didn't have enough money for food or utilities, or medicines. I began to fall ill from the strain of such impossible circumstances. It was horrific. I am a little more settled now. But, the effects from all that atrocity has left me with, seizures, migraines, IBSD, psoriasis, arthritis, acute anxiety, clinical, depression, PTSD, insomnia and hyper somnolence, most recently starting to have frightening seizures, and worst of all PTSD. I am a tormented soul." +"This story is about struggles in my life and how it has affected me physically and emotionally. I grew up in an abusive, alcoholic household. I was constantly tormented by my mother, father, maternal grandmother, and older brother throughout my childhood. I've had such a hard time as an adult trying to navigate responsibilities and relationships. I have made many, many mistakes and missteps that were completely unnecessary, just because I had no clue how to live a functional life. I have hurt myself and others because that's all I saw the adults in my life doing as I grew up in that abusive family. I think what was most surprising to me was when I needed to move back into my parents' home for a short stint when I was in my 30's. I had hoped so strongly that this would be the opportunity for us all to be loving and supportive of each other. Instead, the abuse was just as awful as I had ever endured; except now they extended the mistreatment to my daughter, as well. The situation came to a head one night when my inebriated mother picked a fight with my daughter and me. And. my father decided to join in by striking me. I called the police. He went to jail. And I had to find another place to live immediately. I was enrolled in college at the time, trying to improve myself so I could manage raising my child on my own in a home of our own. But now, I had to try finishing college while working non-skilled jobs that didn't pay enough for us to survive. So, for the next 6 years my daughter and I were homeless, couch surfing, seedy motels, and so forth. We never knew how long we would have at any given place. We didn't have enough money for food or utilities, or medicines. I began to fall ill from the strain of such impossible circumstances. It was horrific. I am a little more settled now. But, the effects from all that atrocity has left me with, seizures, migraines, IBSD, psoriasis, arthritis, acute anxiety, clinical, depression, PTSD, insomnia and hyper somnolence, most recently starting to have frightening seizures, and worst of all PTSD. I am a tormented soul." +"It was about 5 months ago, it was such a long night. I woke up in the middle of the night because I needed to use the bathroom. While in route I stepped on something and it broke under my weight. It was a wine glass so it easily shattered. I ended up with a bloody mess. So I had to rush to the hospital. They ended up giving me stitches. Took hours. Eventually got back home and had to clean up the mess. By the time I got everything up it was time to go to work. Needless to say sleeping was not an option. I was exhausted all day. Just one very long night that didn't seem to end. I was so excited to crawl into bed the next night. It couldn't come fast enough." +"So I've been thinking of becoming a dive master for a long time. I remember the first time I went diving as a child. It was one of the best days. My dad took me out diving and it was so incredible. We had so many great Saturday afternoons spent on the water. As I grew older and started to go to different places I met other dive masters. I did't realize that people could get paid to go diving. It was pretty cool to think that maybe I could do that for a job. I put off getting my certifications because it's expensive. It's also kind of scary to think that I will be responsible for other's peoples lives. But the truth is that anytime you are diving you are responsible to help out the people that are around you. I really think that now is the right time in my life to pursue this. I've looked around at some different schools and I've picked the one that is going to be right for me. It looks like the program is going to take awhile to finish, but that's ok. I can probably pick up a parttime job in the dive shop while I'm working through all the certifications." +"So I've been thinking of becoming a dive master for a long time. I remember the first time I went diving as a child. It was one of the best days. My dad took me out diving and it was so incredible. We had so many great Saturday afternoons spent on the water. As I grew older and started to go to different places I met other dive masters. I did't realize that people could get paid to go diving. It was pretty cool to think that maybe I could do that for a job. I put off getting my certifications because it's expensive. It's also kind of scary to think that I will be responsible for other's peoples lives. But the truth is that anytime you are diving you are responsible to help out the people that are around you. I really think that now is the right time in my life to pursue this. I've looked around at some different schools and I've picked the one that is going to be right for me. It looks like the program is going to take awhile to finish, but that's ok. I can probably pick up a parttime job in the dive shop while I'm working through all the certifications." +One event that was memorable to me was my best friends 25th birthday. She is such a hard worker and great person that I wanted to make sure that her birthday was extra special. Her boyfriend reached out to me to make sure we coordinated bringing the balloons and cake. She wanted to do a brunch with a few friends. Plus the place she picked had a really good menu. I was able to suprise her with a big dessert that had sparklers and seeing the suprise and happiness on her face made it all worth it. I had never before had the confidence or opportunity to be able to to suprise a friend on his or her birthday. I was very happy that I was finally able to. Someone was able to get a picture perfectly capturing the moment. I know the friendship that we share shows throughout the entire event. And it was a different experience that we all had. Even though 3 of the people we went with were almost denied entrance. Thankfully my friends boyfriend spoke with the bouncer and worked something out. I almost got lost getting there but thankfully Google maps helped me out. I am confident to say regardless all of it she had a great day. +Today was the day I got to bring home my grand child. We have been waiting for this moment for 23 years! My wife and I have always dreamed about our kids having a grandchild but we were doubtful it was ever going to happen. Our children said they were never going to have kids and were not interested in the thought. When we got home with him there wasn’t a thing I could do but look into his tiny blue eyes! He was such a small bundle of joy and so innocent. It brought so much joy to my wife as we haven’t had a baby in the house for 15 years. She was so compassionate about caring for him and it brought a new spark to her life. You could see it in her eyes that she wanted another child to take care of since our nest has been empty for so long. We were giving him a bath when she turned to me and asked can we keep him? They didn’t even want to have a child and now they have been blessed with this beautiful baby boy. I told her no but we will always welcome him in our home with open arms. We did not agree on this subject and she demanded we find a way to keep him or adopt our own. I don’t know what to do about this situation now because we are getting up there and age. All I know is that I love this boy and he is always welcome in my home. I hope my wife will be able to understand my stance on her wishes. +"My brother's engagement party was last week. it was a really fun party! It was hosted by his fiance. They had it outside in her backyard. Even though it 90 degrees, we all had so much fun!!! We had it catered with finger foods and a REALLY stocked bar. The bar had my favorite drinks, my favorite wines and tequilas. Everyone came, my brother's friends, my family friends and my boyfriend. It was also the first time that my boyfriend met my family. That was incredibly signifcant for me and they all loved him! THey took shots and it was so fun. Itwas so special to see how my brother was so happy with his fiance. He was really excited. They are so cute together and really happy. They will have such a nice life togehter. At the end of the party, everyone got so drunk and we all jumped in the pool! It was a perfect way to end such a fun party. I can't wait for the wedding if this was any indication of how fun the party will be!!!" +"My brother go engaged a last month. So exciting attending my brothers engagement party. His beautiful fiance hosted the event in her backyard. It was decorated so lovely. It had white and pink flowers on the back yard fence. The tables were decorated with a soft white lace and covered in rose petals. There was an open bar and the food were all of these little appetizers. I think this was meant to help everyone get to know each other and mingle instead of just sitting at your table with people you already know. There were tons of people there and I even met my now boyfriend at the party. He was eating one of those tiny hot dogs rolled in bread, I forget what they are called. He was choking on it and I performed the heimlich maneuver on him and saved his life. It is kind of funny when you think about it. After that we just kind of hit off. We had a couple shots of tequila and a few glasses of wine. Minus the horrible hangover the next morning I had a great time. All in all I would say it was a really great engagement party!" +"This event was about a job opportunity that I had approximately 3.5 months ago. A former coworker, who I had a great working relationship with, reached out to me. She told me about how her new company was a leader in the industry. In addition, she mentioned how she was excelling in her current role with them and really enjoyed the work. She mentioned that I would be a great fit for an open position that they wanted to fill. This company was over 3,000 miles away from where I live. However, the most surprising thing is that they were willing to let me work remotely! This was definitely a surprise to me, especially since it is uncommon to have a full-time employee work remotely in this specific industry. I was shocked and extremely grateful for the opportunity. This experience was significant to me because it helped me be more grateful with my current circumstances. I also felt a closer bond to my former coworker and felt a sense of thanks, especially since she helped connect me to this position. I learned a bit more about myself through writing about this experience. I learned that I have a good network of people around me. I also learned about my specific feelings around work and my circumstances. I really need to reflect more and learn to count my blessings. We have limited time to live, and it is important for health and longevity to reflect on the good in life." +"Wow, so I was really excited and anxious about this new chapter in life. One of my old coworkers reached out to me about a job opening at his company. He mentioned the salary range, as well as the role and job description. Immediately, I was intrigued, as this fell directly in line with my skill set. Unfortunately, the job was with a company that was over 3,000 miles away from my current home. However, he mentioned he put in a good word for me, and they might reach out to discuss the opportunity with me. I had a call with the HR team associate last week. After a cordial conversation, I was scheduled to meet with the Vice President of the company. Four days ago, we had this meeting. I discussed that I was currently living over 3,000 miles away, however, I felt that the company values aligned with me and my skill set. After some back and forth, the Vice President asked me what it would take to have me onboard with the company. I mentioned that I would need to be able to work from my current location and report remotely. Although this was not the normal protocol for the company's employees, they wanted me aboard. I was offered the position yesterday with the ability to work from home! I have never experienced this before, and it is very exciting, especially since I get to work with such a cool company. I feel very fortunate to be able to have this opportunity and am excited to start working!" +"Two women decided to be together for the rest of their lives on this day. It took place on a breezy and cool May afternoon. It was a beautiful ceremony attended by friends and family. There were tears shed as they gave their vows. Afterward, there was a nice assortment of food served. I was able to enjoy some of the best burnt ends I had ever had. The wedding cake also tasted great. It was was made by one of the brides who has great cooking skills. As for the women, they are very happy right now. They both work hard at their jobs. They also love each other very much. Their relationship feels like a template and a good example to follow. They get along very well and are able to communicate. They also play well off each other in conversations. Overall I'm happy that they found each other. I hope I'm able to find something like that in my future." +"I attended a friends wedding today. She had been involved with her fiance for quite a while, and I always knew they should be together. It went well and was very cute. They both liked the same colors and everything was beautiful. All her friends from the past were part of the ceremony and it was quite uplifting. I was glad they shortened the ceremony a bit. They had original plans to do a lot more and spend more time on ceremony type things. But in the end they just focused on things they both liked and what they knew the guests would like also. So the main focus was on food and games. Not so much the formal aspects. They had so much food to choose from. It was quite entertaining the different choices they had. So much variety in foods. It probably went along with their multicultural families and life styles. Overall one of the best weddings I have every attended." +"This story was about me spending time with two separate friends. The first friend I spent time with at her birthday dinner at a korean BBQ place, the second friend I spent time with at her house to watch a movie. Dinner at the BBQ place was super fun and I was most surprised to see a soju tower on the house when I showed up. It was a huge tower-like container that has a switch and when you open it, soju just comes flowing out. The price of it was more than $30 so I was really surprised to see the restaurant just gave it to us on the house. I was also surprised by how many people showed up. I hadn't checked who else was coming and I was pleasantly surprised to see some friends I hadn't seen in a while. This dinner was significant to me because my friend was turning 21, an age that is pretty important to a lot of teens. It wasn't as important to me, but it was to my friend because she is quite a heavy drinker, so that made it important to me too. I had a really good time during the dinner. I was anxious at first because I wasn't sure where I would be sitting. Since my friend invited a lot of people I knew it was pretty guaranteed I wouldn't be able to sit with her. But I ended up finding a lot of people I knew and had a good time catching up with them. Afterwards I met up wit my other friend to watch a movie. This event was significant to me as well because I hadn't seen this friend in a while, and I got to see the new place she moved out to. It was the first time she was finally living on her own, and it was nice to see her slowly going into adulthood more. I had a really good experience writing this because it made me feel all these happy feelings I felt when I was going to the party and to my friend's house. It's pretty funny too how I forgot I even did this task and I could not remember what I had even written about." +"Last month was Amy's birthday and she had decided to throw herself a party since she was turning 30. She sent out an invitation via email. It said to meet at the Korean BBQ place in town at 8pm. I was anxious because I never had Korean BBQ, but I decided to go anyway. I am so glad I did! The food was amazing. They cook it on the table right in front of you. The sauces were the best part. There was a red bean sauce that I fell in love with. The desserts were even better. They had real vanilla bean ice cream and some amazing cakes. If it wasn't so expensive I would probably eat there every night. Amy had a great time. After the dinner everyone was going home but I was still pretty awake and wasn't looking forward to sitting at home. My other friend James said he was going home to watch Zootopia. He asked if I wanted to join him. It was pretty late but I have known James for a long time so I trusted him to keep me safe late at night. We drove to his house and relaxed on the couch and watched Zootopia until It was time for me to go home. It was a great night." +"Two months ago, Mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. I think we all took it as a shock, but I felt as though it hit me harder as I consider Mom my best friend, and we spend a lot of our time either hanging out together or talking with each other. Mom has always been there for me, and I decided right away that I need to be her saving grace in this time of need. I took me a while -- that day I went on a long drive after Mom told me she needed time alone to reflect. On my drive I pulled over on the coast, taking some time to watch the sunset and think about times past and how I need to be moving forward. It was sentimental, a few tears were shed for sure, but this was the moment I realized what I believe today and what I'm writing about. That is, I want Mom, no matter what happens, to feel the love everyday of her life. I want to make sure that everything I do for our family takes into account her wishes. This week I think I've done well to do that for Mom. Hell, we went skydiving two days ago! Ha, it was a blast, and it's not like her cancer is terminal, but it could be and I want to make her feel like we support her every step of the way and want to see her happy, as we always have. It just gets a different type of perspective when things like this happen. Since Dad passed last year, I feel it us kids' job to be there for her, and I know she just wishes she had him back to be by her side. We are trying our best, but most importantly it is about her. I will stand by her no matter what happens, she is my rock." +"When I was in college my dad was diagnosed with colon cancer. As a college student I was depressed and had a lot of anxiety. That was 15 years ago. So much has changed since then. I am now married with a child. I am an elementary teacher. In May my mom had her yearly mammogram. She received a call that she needed to have a biopsy. She had the biopsy and was told that it was not cancer. Two days later she received a call that it was indeed breast cancer. The following three to four weeks were emotionally draining. There were so many worries, questions, and unknowns. A plan was made and she had a lumpectomy followed by radiation and currently is taking chemotherapy. My mom has always been the backbone of our family. She took care of me when I was diagnosed with depression and each of the episodes I've had. She spent four week living with me when I had a difficult pregnancy and delivery. Anytime I need to know something I always call her. I was devastated and couldn't imagine what I would do without my mother. I developed high anxiety but I stayed strong and didn't let my family see me struggle. This even has been significant to me because I know that you can't take anyone or any time for grated. I now try to live in the moment and always put family first." +"Two months ago my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. This was a devastating time in our lives. My mom has been unsure, because of her advanced age, on what she wants to do in regards to treatment. She can choose to do nothing and let the cancer run it's course and if that is her decision the doctors believe that should would have less than 2-3 years left to live. Our my mom can choose to seek treatment which would require surgery, radiation, and rounds of chemotherapy over a course of the year. We are all frightened and scared, but ultimately we know that this is her decision and we must let her make it. We can not choose the best course of action for her as only she knows or has some idea of what she wants. It's very hard to watch someone you love grapple with such a immense decision and try to select the correct choice. Only having two plans of actions makes it very difficult. My father passed away around 4 years ago and to watch him die slowly over the course of several months was very hard. To watch my mother die will probably be worse as she is the only parent I have left and to lose her would be devastating. I love my mom though and what ever she decides, what ever plan of action she wants to take, I will stand beside her and support her. I will hold her hand in life as I will hold it in death and I will always be with her and she with me because we are part of each other. So what every you choose Mom. What every you want. I will be by your side. Your middle child will always be there." +"We were heading to a birthday party. The trip was supposed to take 2 hours, but ended up taking 3 hours because of the weather. We thought the bad weather would avoid us and stay to west of our location. Instead, the storm intensified and overtook us on the road. My husband was driving while I was paying attention to the weather app on my phone. Our three teenage sons were in the back seat. The oldest was particularly upset every time he saw lightning. It was slow driving at times because the rain became so heavy that it was difficult to see the road plus the other cars kept slowing down. Once we arrived in the other city, we started to head to our destination, but took the wrong exit because we couldn't see the road signs. Our phones started beeping with an emergency alert. A tornado warning had been issued for the area we were in. My oldest son began to really panic. We pulled into a convenience store to determine if the tornado had touched down and where. We also wanted to see how close we were to the party location. We stayed there for a bit until the radar on the weather app showed that the main part of the storm was well past us. My son had calmed down by this point. We got back on the highway and took the correct exit (which was the one right after the one we mistakenly took). Within minutes we were at the party place. We meet up with the rest of the group and watched one of the televisions in the place. The news coverage showed there had been a funnel cloud that touched down near where we were at. Every one was relieved to be safe inside. Once the sun came out and the storm warnings were canceled, my boys and the other teens played laser tag and raced go-carts. We were able to enjoy ourselves despite the stress and fear of the trip up there. The way home was much easier since there were clear blue skies and everyone was full of pizza and birthday cake." +"We were heading to a birthday party. The trip was supposed to take 2 hours, but ended up taking 3 hours because of the weather. We thought the bad weather would avoid us and stay to west of our location. Instead, the storm intensified and overtook us on the road. My husband was driving while I was paying attention to the weather app on my phone. Our three teenage sons were in the back seat. The oldest was particularly upset every time he saw lightning. It was slow driving at times because the rain became so heavy that it was difficult to see the road plus the other cars kept slowing down. Once we arrived in the other city, we started to head to our destination, but took the wrong exit because we couldn't see the road signs. Our phones started beeping with an emergency alert. A tornado warning had been issued for the area we were in. My oldest son began to really panic. We pulled into a convenience store to determine if the tornado had touched down and where. We also wanted to see how close we were to the party location. We stayed there for a bit until the radar on the weather app showed that the main part of the storm was well past us. My son had calmed down by this point. We got back on the highway and took the correct exit (which was the one right after the one we mistakenly took). Within minutes we were at the party place. We meet up with the rest of the group and watched one of the televisions in the place. The news coverage showed there had been a funnel cloud that touched down near where we were at. Every one was relieved to be safe inside. Once the sun came out and the storm warnings were canceled, my boys and the other teens played laser tag and raced go-carts. We were able to enjoy ourselves despite the stress and fear of the trip up there. The way home was much easier since there were clear blue skies and everyone was full of pizza and birthday cake." +"Well, here's a quick little story for you. My family and I made a trip a few months ago over to India! We have some friends and family there. I came to the United States to go to college and never wanted to move back. I met my wife in school and we have 2 children now. My folks are dirt poor as they live in India. They pretty much spend their days scrapping whatever they can get out of trash piles. Because the country is so retarded they don't know how to properly dispose of waste. Anyways, we decided that the kids would want to see their grandparents. And we thought that it would give the kids a good perspective and they may learn something. We had been there before but they were too young to be able to really understand what was going on. We really enjoy spending the time with the even though they are trash, and the country is also trash. Some of my friends who live here still though have done alright for themselves. We went and stayed a night with them as well. The food was amazing here! That's probably the biggest highlight for me outside of seeing friends and family. We joked about Donald Trump and how this may be our last trip here because of travel bans etc. that he has enacted." +"Well, here's a quick little story for you. My family and I made a trip a few months ago over to India! We have some friends and family there. I came to the United States to go to college and never wanted to move back. I met my wife in school and we have 2 children now. My folks are dirt poor as they live in India. They pretty much spend their days scrapping whatever they can get out of trash piles. Because the country is so retarded they don't know how to properly dispose of waste. Anyways, we decided that the kids would want to see their grandparents. And we thought that it would give the kids a good perspective and they may learn something. We had been there before but they were too young to be able to really understand what was going on. We really enjoy spending the time with the even though they are trash, and the country is also trash. Some of my friends who live here still though have done alright for themselves. We went and stayed a night with them as well. The food was amazing here! That's probably the biggest highlight for me outside of seeing friends and family. We joked about Donald Trump and how this may be our last trip here because of travel bans etc. that he has enacted." +"Well, here's a quick little story for you. My family and I made a trip a few months ago over to India! We have some friends and family there. I came to the United States to go to college and never wanted to move back. I met my wife in school and we have 2 children now. My folks are dirt poor as they live in India. They pretty much spend their days scrapping whatever they can get out of trash piles. Because the country is so retarded they don't know how to properly dispose of waste. Anyways, we decided that the kids would want to see their grandparents. And we thought that it would give the kids a good perspective and they may learn something. We had been there before but they were too young to be able to really understand what was going on. We really enjoy spending the time with the even though they are trash, and the country is also trash. Some of my friends who live here still though have done alright for themselves. We went and stayed a night with them as well. The food was amazing here! That's probably the biggest highlight for me outside of seeing friends and family. We joked about Donald Trump and how this may be our last trip here because of travel bans etc. that he has enacted." +"I went to a coffee shop a while back. If I recall, I was thirsty for coffee and I kept passing this place on the way to work. It seemed like a cool little place, so I decided to go in. While there, I spotted a really cute girl at a counter. It was a bit crowded, she was alone and I kind of needed a place to sit. I hurt my foot a few weeks before and wasn't into standing all that much. So, while each of us were sipping our coffees, we started taking about things. What we were doing in life, what we liked, what we dreaded - that sort of thing. We shared a sense of humor. We laughed a lot. Under the guise of ""wanting to pick up the conversation later,"" we traded phone numbers. I got a formal date, which also turned out to be pretty great. I had a lot of fun. Long story short, I guess I kind of have a girlfriend now. That's pretty cool, right?" +"I have a confession to make. I think I am falling in love. It has been crazy how quickly this all happened. I was sitting at Tend Coffee Shop a few weeks ago drinking my coffee and playing on my phone. The place was pretty crowded but I was sitting alone. I heard a small voice ask if she could sit in the empty chair opposite me for a few minutes. I looked up as I said ""sure"" to see the most beautiful girl I have ever spoken to. It was like one of those cheesy romance movies. I swear there was light around her and her hair was blowing in the non existent breeze. I tried my best to act normal and make small talk. It seemed to have worked because by time we left I had a date for later that week. Her name was Amanda. She was going to school to be a dentist and she was absolutely perfect. A few nights later we met up at the Italian restaurant and we spent hours eating and talking. It felt so familiar and safe to talk to her. We have seen each other every day since then and we made things official last night. She is officially my girlfriend. I haven't felt this way about a girl ever." +"This summer I went to San Diego with my friends to celebrate a birthday. We out to downtown and went out to eat then we went to a couple of bars and we had an amazing time. We were all pretty drunk but we were still respectful of others and was just having fun. We are all kind of old to be staying too late and we were all pretty beat so we decided to hit back to our hotel even though the clock hadn't struck midnight yet. All 8 of us cramped into the hotel elevator including another man in a suit. Just as the elevator door was beginning to close my drunk friend decided to stick his finger out at the very last moment. Not surprisingly, the elevator was jammed and we were stuck in there. The man in the suit yells at my friend for being an idiot and now we were going to spend the rest of New Years Eve stuck in an elevator. We were all miserable. 30 minutes goes by and still no signs of help yet. Suddenly, I really had to pee, so did another one of my friend. We couldn't hold it any longer so we decided we had to go but just as we were unzipping our pants, the man in the suit offered a flask with a jalapeno symbol on it for us to pee in, that made us all laugh and it broke the ice. The firemen eventually shows up and gets us out of there. The man in the suit turns out to be the owner of the roof club at the top of the hotel so he invited us to come for free and bought us all shots. It was one of the most memorable experiences because we all as a group turned a situation around. It could have been a depressing sad night but we ended making the most of it and had one of the most memorable nights together." +"So a few months ago I was just living my life like normal. working a job that I didn't really like much but bills needed to be paid. I had to spent about 12 hours a day at this job just to get by making a little money. It was hard for me to get by at times due to the hours. Sometimes my checks would be good but often I had to work a lot. I didn't really have many days off either. Eventually I was able to get another job. This job was way better for me personally. I had made a major life change by switching jobs. I make a lot more money, and I took a lot of stress off me. Due to having to travel and work longs hours to get some money to get by. Now my commute it almost cut in half. I also don't have to work the long hours that I had to work at the old job. Overall I am excited and able to live more comfortable. I haven't had an issue with my new job yet." +"So a few months ago I was just living my life like normal. working a job that I didn't really like much but bills needed to be paid. I had to spent about 12 hours a day at this job just to get by making a little money. It was hard for me to get by at times due to the hours. Sometimes my checks would be good but often I had to work a lot. I didn't really have many days off either. Eventually I was able to get another job. This job was way better for me personally. I had made a major life change by switching jobs. I make a lot more money, and I took a lot of stress off me. Due to having to travel and work longs hours to get some money to get by. Now my commute it almost cut in half. I also don't have to work the long hours that I had to work at the old job. Overall I am excited and able to live more comfortable. I haven't had an issue with my new job yet." +"This past September, my nephew was born. He is first baby to be born in my family since I was born 25 years ago. He is the first child of my oldest brother and his wife. I drove up from NYC to Boston the day after he was born to meet him. I am very close with my brother, so meeting him was very emotional and sentimental in the hospital room, especially with my parents around. I felt an instant bond and I instantly fell in love with the little guy. He was the first newborn baby I ever got to hold and he was so squirmy! He also had a full head of hair, which was so soft and a gorgeous shade of light brown. His skin was so pink and smooth. I think he was pretty comfortable with me because he pooped while I was holding him. That got a laugh out of everyone, including the nurses. I can't wait to be there with him and watch him grow up. It was also so amazing seeing my brother and sister-in-law take on this new role. I'm sure they'll be great parents to my nephew. We've already joked about which baseball team he will be a fan of considering the rivalry between the NY Yankees and the Boston Red Sox." +"One dark and gloomy day I was walking down 5th avenue smoking a blunt made from a white grape white owl cigar. Out of the corner of my eye I saw blur of movement and than nothing. I stopped walking and peered into the window of a nearby warehouse. I saw a white blur and decided to see what was inside the warehouse. Inside I found a litter of kittens. Although I wanted to take all of them home I decided only to save one of them, the rest would have to fend for themselves. I brought the snow white kitten home to my mother and siblings. Immediately they were enthralled by the snow white beauty. This cat has become a member of the family joining us in everything we do. It enjoys different activities with each and everyone of my siblings and mother. It acts quite like a human. My mother is the proudest mother in all the world. Having lost our father in a trucking accident we were in desperate need of something to bring the family together. That spontaneous decision to roll a blunt and take a walk may have saved the entire family. Maybe some things are destiny." +"This isn't my first time visiting this beautiful country of Indonesia but like many when I thought of Indonesia I quickly thought about the oh so popular and sometimes overrun island of Bali. Bali is absolutely amazing, there's a reason why this tropical paradise is such a travel haven, however, Indonesia is massive, with thousands of other Islands and Bali has its own culture, so in sort, Bali does Not equal the entire country of Indonesia, so this time around, I promised myself that I would step outside my comfort zone and explore other parts of this country. Yogyakarta isn't a stranger to the tourist train but its not nearly as popular as Bali and people mostly only use Yogyakarta as a pass-through state/city; they stay for a day or two, to the visit the famous temples and volcanoes and then just move on for some good old island hopping. When I arrived at his quaint not so little town I was immediately captured by the cafe's, gelato shops, cute little main streets, and beautiful street art. I walked around with the new traveler sense of wonder, even though I have been traveling for years, but everything was catching my eye, the shops, the art, the people. I allowed my eyes to scan each restaurant or local eatery, trying to make a mental list of the places I wanted to taste test dine-out experience. I tried a few different restaurants, one being my favorite; it's a healthy sort of place, you know, plenty of vegan options, glutton free, old grain, whole wheat, free-range, organic, the works; plus the food was fantastic. I ended up moving into a little homestay, which is staying inside someone's home that they still reside in. The place was absolutely adorable, cute, quite, and bohemian, just the way I like it. The house its self was in a fantastic location, I was staying in a neighborhood the was adjacent to a little village. Now when I say village I'm not talking about mud or straw huts, these were just regular, nice homes that all happened to be in a village. There was a river to walk along and a park and all these awesome local spots to eat. The best part was, it was all local, not one western restaurant, not one western cafe, nothing there had been set up for tourist, I was staying and living amongst the locals, eating beside them, getting to know them, familiarizing myself with them and that was the best part of my trip altogether. I would walk for hours down the different street seeing what I can find; it was awkward at first, it usually is, being brown-faced and bodied, with my long-dreaded braids, I get looks and curiosity all the time but I quickly smile and in return, they smile back. The locals were warm and welcoming. Indonesia is just one of those countries that just keeps on giving this is only one out of the five places I've been so far and every place to gives me good vibes, and the locals refer to Yojakarta has the cultural heart of Indonesia, so I will be definitely coming back." +"This isn't my first time visiting this beautiful country of Indonesia but like many when I thought of Indonesia I quickly thought about the oh so popular and sometimes overrun island of Bali. Bali is absolutely amazing, there's a reason why this tropical paradise is such a travel haven, however, Indonesia is massive, with thousands of other Islands and Bali has its own culture, so in sort, Bali does Not equal the entire country of Indonesia, so this time around, I promised myself that I would step outside my comfort zone and explore other parts of this country. Yogyakarta isn't a stranger to the tourist train but its not nearly as popular as Bali and people mostly only use Yogyakarta as a pass-through state/city; they stay for a day or two, to the visit the famous temples and volcanoes and then just move on for some good old island hopping. When I arrived at his quaint not so little town I was immediately captured by the cafe's, gelato shops, cute little main streets, and beautiful street art. I walked around with the new traveler sense of wonder, even though I have been traveling for years, but everything was catching my eye, the shops, the art, the people. I allowed my eyes to scan each restaurant or local eatery, trying to make a mental list of the places I wanted to taste test dine-out experience. I tried a few different restaurants, one being my favorite; it's a healthy sort of place, you know, plenty of vegan options, glutton free, old grain, whole wheat, free-range, organic, the works; plus the food was fantastic. I ended up moving into a little homestay, which is staying inside someone's home that they still reside in. The place was absolutely adorable, cute, quite, and bohemian, just the way I like it. The house its self was in a fantastic location, I was staying in a neighborhood the was adjacent to a little village. Now when I say village I'm not talking about mud or straw huts, these were just regular, nice homes that all happened to be in a village. There was a river to walk along and a park and all these awesome local spots to eat. The best part was, it was all local, not one western restaurant, not one western cafe, nothing there had been set up for tourist, I was staying and living amongst the locals, eating beside them, getting to know them, familiarizing myself with them and that was the best part of my trip altogether. I would walk for hours down the different street seeing what I can find; it was awkward at first, it usually is, being brown-faced and bodied, with my long-dreaded braids, I get looks and curiosity all the time but I quickly smile and in return, they smile back. The locals were warm and welcoming. Indonesia is just one of those countries that just keeps on giving this is only one out of the five places I've been so far and every place to gives me good vibes, and the locals refer to Yojakarta has the cultural heart of Indonesia, so I will be definitely coming back." +"I have not been feeling the greatest lately. I have had periods where I get really bad depression. Two weeks ago, I had fallen into another deep depression. I was really down and felt like I had no one for support. I was sitting in my apartment when I heard my doorbell. I went to get it and it was my old friend Gary. I was so shocked to see him He not only came to visit but he surprised me by bringing me soup he made at home! He knew I was not doing too good and he came to cheer me up and give me company. Having him there showed me that I have people that still care about me. We talked for a long time and it was obvious to me that he wanted nothing in return. It was nice to be able to open up about myself to someone who I know I can trust. Greg convinced me to make an appointment to see a doctor. He wants me to feel better, and I do too! I am hopeful I will feel better in the future. I am very thankful for Greg's friendship." +"There are few things in this world that are such an honor like graduating. And one of them is getting to do so in front of your friends and family. I was so nervous but knowing that they had my back was the best thing. Not to say there weren’t some shenanigans that didn’t happen that day. I remember going up to get my first award and are it so hard. I tripped over my own ground and did an unforgettable face plant. But at least the photographer got me in mid fall right? But seriously everyone had a good laugh and nothing could really break my spirit at that point. I accepted my awards with modest and dignity and gave a rousing speech as I prepared my class to go out into the world and be conquerors. And ya know what, I think they’re going to do just that. I’ve never been so proud to see all those faces looking back at me with hope gleaming in their eyes. And I’ll never forget going out afterwards with my family and celebrating the night away. Some karaoke, a few drinks, and a couple anecdotes later and I felt it hit me. It was so emotional and real knowing it was all over to be honest. But I know that no matter where I go, my family and friends will always have my back like they did today." +"It has been almost six months since I broke my collarbone (clavicle) while skiing. This was the first broken bone in my life. I was surprised initially when my doctor said there is no way to set a broken clavicle. He said I had to be patient and let the bone heal on it's on. The healing process took several months. In the first 6 weeks, I still experienced pain whenever I moved the wrong way. However, I was patient, and followed my doctor's instructions for healing. Finally, in early summer, I was able to get back to most of my regular physical activities. I did find that some of the muscles on the side of my body with the broken clavicle were still sore. I finally figured this was because I had been favoring my right side when doing lifting tasks while I was healing. So I slowly started with light exercises on these muscles on the left side. Using this process, I was able to get my whole body in shape. When this skiing accident happened, I had a lot of apprehension about how my body would recover from a broken bone at my age. However, this mishap taught me that I can have a broken bone, and still recover to normal. I just had to be patient, following my doctor's instructions, and perform a good rehab program." +"It has been almost six months since I broke my collarbone (clavicle) while skiing. This was the first broken bone in my life. I was surprised initially when my doctor said there is no way to set a broken clavicle. He said I had to be patient and let the bone heal on it's on. The healing process took several months. In the first 6 weeks, I still experienced pain whenever I moved the wrong way. However, I was patient, and followed my doctor's instructions for healing. Finally, in early summer, I was able to get back to most of my regular physical activities. I did find that some of the muscles on the side of my body with the broken clavicle were still sore. I finally figured this was because I had been favoring my right side when doing lifting tasks while I was healing. So I slowly started with light exercises on these muscles on the left side. Using this process, I was able to get my whole body in shape. When this skiing accident happened, I had a lot of apprehension about how my body would recover from a broken bone at my age. However, this mishap taught me that I can have a broken bone, and still recover to normal. I just had to be patient, following my doctor's instructions, and perform a good rehab program." +"In the last three to six months the most memorable event I had was turning the legal and tender age of twenty-one years old. My friends had convinced me that I need to plan a girls' getaway trip to Atlanta, Georgia to celebrate. I obliged and soon we were off to the party capital of the southeastern United States. I spared literally no expense, because I wanted to be comfortable and have great posts for my social media profiles such as Facebook and Instagram. Therefore the trip went something like this. The very first day of the trip we checked into our hotel and immediately ordered room service. My friends chose the more expensive dishes like steak and potatoes. I however opted to get the seafood platter since I myself am a native Marylander. We then went clubbing into the wee hours of the morning. They convinced a couple of guys to buy us drinks and I ended up making out with one really handsome dude in particular. He gave me his phone number and said we should meet up the next day. The very next day though my friends made plans to go sightseeing downtown. I cut out early to meet with this guy. We had a lot in common so we continued to hang out at a local bar and dance club into the wee hours of the evening. He told me his car was in the shop and asked if I could drop him off at his home. I agreed naively, assuming this guy was telling me the truth. He said he did not want to sleep with me on the first night because he is a traditional dude. 'Once we arrived at his house we started to make out in the car in front of his home. By the time we were done I saw little hands hitting my passenger side car window. There was a small child calling me a tramp and telling me not to kiss his father. I asked him what was going on and he said I was not supposed to find out like this. I replied, ""Like what?"" He then said he forgot to mention that he had a wife and a family. He wanted to ask me without all the drama if I would be complicit in being his girlfriend though. I replied that I absolutely would not and drove away. I could not stop crying the entire evening until the time I left Atlanta two days later." +"I woke up one morning a month ago with a horrible pain in my mouth, and after feeling around, I realized that my bad habit since childhood of grinding my teeth in my sleep had come back to bite me (no pun intended). I had broken one of my molars while I was asleep, and the pain was so bad it was radiating through my jaw. To make it worse, it was the weekend, so there were no dentist's offices open near me. The pain only got worse through the day until I was curled up in a ball with my eyes squeezed shut. I finally found some Aleve and took it, which relieved the pain enough that I was able to think straight. Still, I couldn't manage to do much that day, I couldn't bear to eat, and I couldn't sleep that night. The next morning, I went to the dentist as soon as they opened and asked if they could fit me in. I didn't expect much - perhaps some painkillers until I could make an appointment - but they were shockingly nice and understanding, and the receptionist had me sign in for an emergency appointment right away. The dentist examined me, said I would need a root canal and a crown, and offered to fit me in that morning. I was amazed at their willingness and ability to fit me in, especially after the last dentist I had been to where I was always waiting for an hour at minimum and treated more like a problem than a patient, so I jumped at the chance. I paid for the root canal, he numbed me, and I spent the next two hours getting the gentlest and most careful dental care I'd ever gotten in my life. The discomfort was minimal, the dentist and the hygienist helping him were friendly and frequently making sure I was alright, and the procedure went smoothly without delay, even though I was a last-minute patient. I was so stunned at how nice and conscientious they were without sacrificing efficiency in their work. I'd never been to a dentist like that before, and I'd honestly been dreading going to a dentist because I was waiting to be scolded or shamed for my tooth problems like previous dentists had done to me. Between their kind treatment, the horrible pain being gone, and how tired and loopy I was from not eating or sleeping, I was almost in tears thanking them when they were done. I made an appointment to get fitted for my crown and walked out feeling relieved and uplifted, which was the last thing I expected to feel after a root canal. It was obviously expensive, but it was worth every penny." +five months ago me and my friend went to a picnic with our family. while we are went to the particular place we met an small accident. our car was crashed with another car. our car is fully damaged. wit the god's grace we were escaped from the death. we met a death within the 5 second. it is like dream. it happens with in a second. we were very scarred. we were escaped with the small injury. we were admitted in the hospital. me and my friend were sat in the front seat. so we were injuried more when compared to others. our family members were recovered within 2 days. i was had a 2 weeks bed rest. it is really very grateful i am alive today. i felt on that time it was my last day. i cannot live any more. with the god's grace i am alive now. +"My nieces first experience at the aquarium was fun. They smiled the entire time and were excited about everything. It started with me and my wife picking up a fan. We then pick up everyone up. Brother, sister in law, mother, and nieces. Drove to Boston and got everyone tickets. They were very excited as we walked through the front doors. Greeted with a huge display of penguins with a speaker telling you all about them. They were quickly drawn to the giant salt water tank in the center of the building. Giant coral in the middle of it with fish swimming in circles. We spent the next few hours walking up the along side it taking it all in. They loved seeing the turtles inside that were 150 years old. We made our way back down looking in on sea horses and jelly fish. All in all it was a fun day for sure. I am sure we will do it again." +"Went and rented a van that could fit 10 people. Picked up my brother, sister in law, his 2 daughters, my mother, sister, and wife. We all went to Boston to the New england aquarium. Dropped everyone off. Then went and parked. Met up with everyone and went inside. Spent a fun filled 3 hrs there. My nieces had a great time. Really got to enjoy everything the place had to offer. There was no rushing, everyone waited for everyone to get their fill before moving on. I had an amazing time. I love fish and over sized aquariums. I have been a half a dozen times. Most of my enjoyment came from watching them experience it for the first time. Well worth the time and money." +"My boyfriend had been in prison for a year and it was estimated that he would be coming home on August 1. However, we didn't know if that was really going to happen because we were having some issues with his parole and where he was being released to. If a prisoner doesn't have an address to be paroled to then they will remain in prison until they have a safe place to go home to. So even though I was really looking forward to August coming, part of me didn't think it was going to happen and I wasn't going to see him. Well, due to some changes with his parole release, I called his counselor to get the address sorted out and while I was speaking to her I asked her when he was due to be released. She said that regardless of whether he was being released to the shelter or to his parents' house, he was coming home August 1st. It was a bit of a shock to hear that and it made it very ""real"" to know that I actually was going to see him. I went from being very relaxed about the whole thing to suddenly being very stressed out. Even though I was excited, it's still a strange feeling to see someone that you haven't seen in so long. We have kids and a life together and for him to leave and miss huge parts of that and then just come back is a really weird, uncomfortable feeling. I've only heard the sound of his voice since July of 2018 so he almost feels like a stranger to me. So now things are very serious and the date is quickly approaching. There are lots of things to get ready, sending his clothes to him for release and making sure he has a ride to get home. And of course, trying my best to prepare two toddlers to see their father again. I don't know if they will recognize him, but it is happening, and happening soon. I guess ready or not, we're going to see him again." +"My boyfriend had been in prison for a year and it was estimated that he would be coming home on August 1. However, we didn't know if that was really going to happen because we were having some issues with his parole and where he was being released to. If a prisoner doesn't have an address to be paroled to then they will remain in prison until they have a safe place to go home to. So even though I was really looking forward to August coming, part of me didn't think it was going to happen and I wasn't going to see him. Well, due to some changes with his parole release, I called his counselor to get the address sorted out and while I was speaking to her I asked her when he was due to be released. She said that regardless of whether he was being released to the shelter or to his parents' house, he was coming home August 1st. It was a bit of a shock to hear that and it made it very ""real"" to know that I actually was going to see him. I went from being very relaxed about the whole thing to suddenly being very stressed out. Even though I was excited, it's still a strange feeling to see someone that you haven't seen in so long. We have kids and a life together and for him to leave and miss huge parts of that and then just come back is a really weird, uncomfortable feeling. I've only heard the sound of his voice since July of 2018 so he almost feels like a stranger to me. So now things are very serious and the date is quickly approaching. There are lots of things to get ready, sending his clothes to him for release and making sure he has a ride to get home. And of course, trying my best to prepare two toddlers to see their father again. I don't know if they will recognize him, but it is happening, and happening soon. I guess ready or not, we're going to see him again." +This incident happened nearly four month before to me. It was happened in my office. I worked as a team leader at that time. Two projects were given to my team and another one. Our boss informed that the team which completes the project sooner will get a surprise. Later we came to know that it was a promotion. It will be given to the team leader who completes the work on time. That made us to work even faster. I got entire support from my team. Due to that we completed the work before the dead line. We submitted the work to our boss before the other team. Our boss got impressed by our work. Due to that I was nominated for the promotion. In the next few days I was given promotion by our boss. It was the most memorable incident till now. +"My husband and I lived in a large house while we were raising our 3 children. Now that the youngest one has graduated college and found his first job, we decided to sell our home. We had it fixed up, remodeled the bathrooms, and had painters come and paint the walls. We contacted our trusted real estate agent and with her help put our house on the market. We were pretty confident in what the outcome would be. Our house was sold in 12 hours! The next step involved figuring out what would happen next for us. We had always wanted to travel more once our children had grown up and moved on, and we thought about some of the most cost-effective ways to do that. Well, long story short, we purchased an RV! We considered this to be a great way not only to travel but to save money on hotel rooms or staying in a rental home. While the initial cost of the RV was somewhat worrisome to us, we had an old friend that worked with someone in the RV business and he helped us score an awesome deal on a 5th Wheel RV. We couldn't be happier. We are able to live in the RV in one place for some time, and when we decide we want to go somewhere else, we do so very easily! It is so nice not to have to keep up with the maintenance and everything that goes along with owning a large home. The minimal living with an RV is so attractive to us, and we will never look back! Looking forward to our many adventures during our retirement years!" +"One of the most striking events in recent memory was when I met my (now-ex) girlfriend in first-person shooter video game that we both play. Specifically, I am referring to the time we actually professed our love for each other. It was a rather special moment because we had been playing the game together for several weeks and she had been chasing me pretty hard during that time. I'm kind of a celebrity in that game, and a bit of a ladies' man, so she really wanted to pin me down! I know this sounds ridiculous, but gamers are very strange and weird! It was a powerful time, because I'm an average looking guy (though I'm at the top of the pack in this game we both played) and she is a beautiful woman. I guess that's ""hypergamy"" at work! It almost felt like I was winning the lottery and ""too good to be true"", even though I would never admit to that since you have to play it cool and casual! I thought she was playing me for some sort of benefit in the video game, but the more we grew close to each other the more I realized how organic it was. Finally my paranoia began to shed and the event happened. ""I might be falling in love with you,"" she said. ""I'm thinking the same thing,"" I said. Later that night, when we said goodbye, it was a much more formal ""I love you"" exchange; I think we were both anticipating that moment, as it's a milestone of any relationship. I still remember all the matches we played that day, as well as the specifics of 99 percent of the Skype conversation (and subsequent voice chat). I won't get into the naughty details, but the entire day and night were burned into my memory. It was an important and genuine moment for both of us. Even though our relationship has since failed due to distance and drama, I still look back fondly and with no regrets." +"So this is a story about day, the death of my grandfather. So the town was all riled up for this speech by Trump. And you know the funniest thing was that I don't even remember what that big orange shit stains speech was about. I'm a moderate conservative, and the way he's been running business sits uneasy with me. Anyways, just the week prior to all this the mine in the outskirts of the town collapsed, killing a lot of good folk. Lot of good men died on that day, its a damn shame actually. Trumps cronies were setting up shop in town that morning, getting the podium out of wherever they store it at city hall and hanging a few half hearted flags behind the stage. I was out there myself you know. I'm part of the committee so I figured I should just be there, though there wasn't much for me to do. I'd say it was about 0630 in the morning when I got the call that changed my life really. Grandpa had run up to the mine and gotten himself killed. That's all I got before my brother hung up. I don't even remember the next few moments I just started running. The mine entrance wasn't that far and there was a small crowd there. Grandpa was crushed underneath a rock, thankfully already dead. I say thankfully because if he hadn't been the way he was pinned looked hella awful. Trump actually did mention it during the speech later that afternoon. That a hero had died trying to get his buddies out. I was pretty surprised, like it had happened literally just an hour or two before. What did he even care? Grandpa was just senile though, he didn't know what was what." +"This was it; my first real job. I grew up in a secluded kind of upbringing. I never had to work; hardly left the house. But over the past few years I've been venturing out. I found work that required leaving my comfort zone and working in an alien environment. I was working with and among strangers. We had to clean three different buildings located on a military base. The buildings were empty while we worked on them. I was nervous. I was told we only had a week to complete the job, but it felt like we weren't making much progress. I remember feeling exhausted after the first day. The hallways were long and there were 20 room to clean on three floors. There was so much to do, but I worked as hard as everyone else on the floor. I felt good and energetic until the last day. We had to make sure the job was done correctly before the major overseeing the project would pay us. I thought that I had reached my peaked and was tired. But I got a second wind after I was told that we only had an hour or so before the major showed up. It was the last day and there was still much to do. I got a second wind then and kicked into over drive. I" +"In March of this year, my family suffer a great deal from something, I believe, was not our fault. I am a stay-at-home mom with 3 kids and my husband is a truck driver. At the time he was an owner operator and was taking a freight load to it's destination. Over in the night at a truck stop, my husband's trailer was robbed of some of the contents, which was boxes of frozen chicken. Not all was taken but a few boxes were. The truck stop, of course had no cameras, and he ended up having to file a police report and file an insurance claim. Since there was an insurance claim, my husband had to kept the load in his trailer until all investigation was over. With that being said, this investigation ended up taking over 2 months to resolve. First, it was trying to get an insurance claim person to look at the remaining contents in the trailer to see if they were still viable and can be sold off. Then, there was a back and forth for a moment, trying to determine if the insurance even covered frozen chicken. During these 2 months, still, my husband was not able to work because there was a load still on his truck. We blew through our bank accounts and our savings trying to maintain our bills and a household of 5. This put such a strain on our household and bank accounts. We have never experienced anything remotely close to this in our lives. To put an end to this story, after about 2 months, he was able to unload the contents in his trailer, however, by that time, we did not have any more money to maintain the daily expenses of operating a truck and had to give it up." +"One of the most memorable events that happened to me recently was that I bought myself a new car. It isn't technically new, it's used, but it is still new to me. I haven't had my own car in so many years that I forgot how good it felt to own one. I was struggling pretty badly financially-wise these past couple of years as most of my focus is on my son and what he needs, but I decided some months ago that it was time to start saving up money for this big purchase. I spent countless weeks researching the best options in regards to safety, reliability, and price and I finally figured out what I really wanted to choose. I also read reviews on different dealerships as my credit is not quite the best so I had to make sure I went to a place that could qualify me without too much of a hassle. After I had found the right place, I planned a day to go down and search for a car that fit my criteria. Surprisingly, I was able to find a car right away. I took it for a test drive and immediately fell in love with it. After we got back to the lot, I made sure I asked all the right questions so I would not have any surprises (particularly bad ones) down the road. When doing the paperwork to buy the car, my payments were not actually as high as I thought they would be, as my down payment was a good enough amount to keep me in a reasonable range. I kept getting those excited butterflies in my stomach and could not wait to get the keys to this car. I could not wait to drive my son around and tell him that mommy got this all on her own and I was so proud of myself and I hope that one day he would be proud of me as well. I feel as though we sacrifice a lot as parents and sometimes our needs get put on the back-burner; but sometimes we do need to put our needs first to better care for our children. I will never forget that day." +"First I went an international trip that included the following. Flying over the coast of Perth on my trip to Australia, and first sight of Oz. Looking out of the plane window and seeing it as we started our descent. It wasn’t my intended destination, it was supposed to be Brisbane. My flight to Bris was cancelled so they gave me a new flight which went to Perth, and then a domestic flight to Bris. Second part of the trip that was memorable. meeting a blonde, true blonde, on a date while I was there. I normally prefer redheads or brunettes. But I was in a new country so I wasn't going to hold it against her. After that getting to see the Great Barrier Reef. Needs no explanation. Finally, going to Italy and Seeing the Rome Colosseum for the first time for real. I could right at length about that. But suffice to say it was glorious. A real since of history. A great trip." +"Saturday while I was at work a coworker directly disrespected me while I was trying to help him. I try to do as much as possible for him because we are the only two employees and are stretched very thin at work. He lacks common empathy and decency and despite this I try my best to keep positive and help as much as possible. I will clean up after him and try to maintain a good working relationship with him. The incident occured when I had told him I could work a morning shift to allow him to have the day off to spend time with his son the only thing I asked was to get off a bit early so I can get some rest for the morning shift I now had to work. The same day I had done all of the pre-shift prep and spent hours organizing our inventory as well as making lists of daily tasks for our employees. I spent the rest of the day, working my normal shift which includes cleaning up his messes. Nearing the two and a half hour mark before the end of shift I asked to leave and he made me stay implying that I had done very little to no work. While this was very frustrating I remained at work until 10 minutes before close when he finally let me go home ""early"". He did this on purpose to flex his muscle and stroke his own ego. I felt and still feel very disrespected and wanted desperately to quit my job because of this incident. I continue to deal with this level of disrespect on a daily basis. Sometimes my contempt for him makes me want to seek revenge but I can't directly impact someone's life negatively. I am actively seeking another job. I hope the best for him but I can't continue to work in this environment. I hope something comes along soon that I can happily work in peace by myself. He, nor the owner, deserves an employee as competent and professional as me. I hope for the next person to take my position the climate changes at work." +"It's been four months since that awful day when everything changed. All five of us, were ready for the storm. Had flashlights, food, had put plywood on all the windows. We thought we were prepared but nothing can prepare you for what happened. As the winds started to pick up we still had power for a little while. Once the power was gone, we could hear the winds getting stronger. We were all playing cards using candles for light in the living room. As the winds got stronger it was getting harder and harder to concentrate. The plywood started to fly away and all of a sudden an object came flying through one of the windows. We all ran to our safe room, the bathroom had only a small window so it was the safest room. All five of us were sitting in there listening to the outside noises and the radio. The noises quieted down but the radio warned us to stay indoors that it was the eye of the storm. Sure enough minutes later the loud noises started again. We were in that bathroom for what felt like an eternity, it was by far one of the scariest days of my life. Thanks to that battery radio we were able to know when it was ""safe"" to walk out. By the time we walked out of the bathroom my house was gone. All the windows had shattered and everything was flooded. That day we lost all of our material possessions but we were incredible grateful for been able to survive that ordeal." +"Three months ago, I traveled to Japan. I stayed with a family for three months. I visited all of Japan. I had a great time in the great land. I had the best sushi one day. It had crab, shrimp, and lobster meat on it. I hope I can find this type of sushi in the states. I visited many parks. I saw a lot of pretty trees. They were blossom tress and are the most beautiful trees in the world. I also visited some museums. I got to see some great armor and samurai swords. It was neat looking at history. There were some plays I visited. I also visited some sumo matches. I can't believe they can move while being that fat." +"Roughly one month ago, I shared my first kiss with a woman. It happened at a week-long festivity called Sirius Rising, located on the campgrounds of Brushwood Folklore Center in Sherman, NY. The kiss we shared happened without warning and struck a special chord in my heart as well as my mind. The moment we kissed unfolded Thursday night, while I was waiting for a concert to start. Earlier in the day, I attended a mystical workshop at the Sirius Rising event led by a kind middle-aged lady in a electric wheelchair. I got to meet this lady and know a little bit about her as well as her profession during this workshop. As I was waiting for the concert hosted by a world-famous juggler to start, I met the middle-aged lady again and she set up a seat next to me. After we exchanged a few pleasantries, my mind went into overdrive as I noticed she was leaning in for a kiss. The moment I noticed she was leaning in for a kiss, I did not hesitate; I immediately leaned over and gave her the most tender kiss I could possibly give her. Instinct took over in that moment; 2 seconds seemed like 10, my thoughts no longer required any form of concentration, and I revealed my true character to her without blemish. The kiss we shared was exciting and invigorating. Although I had never kissed a woman before, the experience reached out to me in ways I did not think it could reach. I never believe something as soft as a kiss could get past my hardened heart and mind, but it did in a way that was pleasent. When our lips left, I did not feel any sort of negative emotions as we continued to talk to each other about a variety of topics that are best kept to myself. The kiss we shared is truly unique, and because it was my first kiss, I doubt it will ever happen again, which is why I will cherish the experience forever." +"That was such an awesome day! I can still remember the feeling of my face being stretched in the biggest smile possible - I was grinning like crazy when I was awarded the first place. It was such an amazing validation of the hard work I had put in and the determination I applied to this whole thing. I had started to do it just to keep in shape and because I thought it would be more fun than running or something like that. And then I started really liking it and discovered that I actually had a natural talent for it. The moves came naturally to me and I have quick reflexes so it all worked really well. I got into the competition because my instructor asked a few of us to do so but I was not eyeing the first place, not at all. I just went for the experience and to make my instructor happy. And even once I realized that the level of the competition was not impossibly high for me, I still did not focus on winning, but rather on doing the best I could. And I think that's what made winning it such a great learning experience for me: that you don't need to be obsessed with victory, but rather give it your best. It was very comforting to realize that. You see so many people who crave victory at all costs and who are so competitive, that it sometimes obscures the meaning of accomplishment and success. After the competition I felt so secure and confident. And not mostly because I had won, but rather because it validated that hard work and dedication were the way to go. And it's something I'm good at - I work a lot when I want to get better at something. It kind of makes me feel grounded and I like it. It gives me a lot of trust in what I can accomplish, and it makes the work I invest in it feel meaningful." +"That was such an awesome day! I can still remember the feeling of my face being stretched in the biggest smile possible - I was grinning like crazy when I was awarded the first place. It was such an amazing validation of the hard work I had put in and the determination I applied to this whole thing. I had started to do it just to keep in shape and because I thought it would be more fun than running or something like that. And then I started really liking it and discovered that I actually had a natural talent for it. The moves came naturally to me and I have quick reflexes so it all worked really well. I got into the competition because my instructor asked a few of us to do so but I was not eyeing the first place, not at all. I just went for the experience and to make my instructor happy. And even once I realized that the level of the competition was not impossibly high for me, I still did not focus on winning, but rather on doing the best I could. And I think that's what made winning it such a great learning experience for me: that you don't need to be obsessed with victory, but rather give it your best. It was very comforting to realize that. You see so many people who crave victory at all costs and who are so competitive, that it sometimes obscures the meaning of accomplishment and success. After the competition I felt so secure and confident. And not mostly because I had won, but rather because it validated that hard work and dedication were the way to go. And it's something I'm good at - I work a lot when I want to get better at something. It kind of makes me feel grounded and I like it. It gives me a lot of trust in what I can accomplish, and it makes the work I invest in it feel meaningful." +"I've always been a very maternal friend, even though I don't have many kids of my own. That's why when my best friend had her first baby, I loved that kid almost like he was my own. I babysit him every now and then, but my favorite moment with him (he was about 1 and a half years old at the time) was when I babysat him during this big thunderstorm. We'd had a huge round of storms hit our little town earlier in the month, with crazy amounts of damage, so it was a bit scary for everyone when we had this mild storm front move through. My friend and her fiance were both working, so it was just me and the baby alone in my friend's apartment when it hit. Thunder was shaking the building, rain was coming down in sheets, and there was even a moment we had some hail and a branch flew into the window. As you would probably expect, I was frightened and a little insecure. However, the baby was curious (as most kids his age are) and wanted to see what was going on outside. He kept trying to pull on the back door handle (baby-proofed, thankfully), and throwing toys at the window. It was just innocent curiosity and wonder for something that looked objectively awesome to someone so young. So, in perhaps a mildly reckless manner (although I did keep a good hold of him), I picked up the little man and opened the door to the back patio for him to see. Then, he sprouted his first word that I'd ever heard from him, ""Wow!"" In that moment, with one hand stretching out into the rain, and the other clutching tightly to my necklace, I didn't feel scared anymore. I felt warm, and happy for the gift this world had given me that I got to hold in my arms. Reflecting back, I guess that was the first time I could genuinely see his future stretching out in front of him; and, more importantly, my place in that future. I hope, that by the time he's old enough not to remember that storm, I can still encourage him to follow that curiosity and see all the wonder the world has to offer." +"when my husband and i decided to file for bankruptcy we had no idea what we were really doing and if it would indeed help us in the long run or hurt us. going through the entire process was very stressful and we had to meet up with the lawyer a few times. we were embarrassed that it came to that point that we even had to consider doing what we did but we knew after talking to the lawyer that we were making the right decision for us. we werent those people who had to file because of over spending on luxuries, we were just a normal couple who went through a hard time after having our first son and then job changes and just needed a little boost in the right direction. we got information for the lawyer from my mother in law and moved forward right away. we had to have meetings with the lawyer and get all of our paper work straightened out and bills laid out for him to see. after everything was put together we had to meet downtown with our lawyer to have the court date and to finalize everything. our lawyer was very helpful and it was very reassuring to see other couples and people just like us that were there to do the exact same thing as us. it was all over very fast and the entire process was painless. after going through the entire process and it all finally being over, we learned a lot, not only about our finances but also ourselves. our lawyer helped us out so much and told us that this was a fresh start for us that not everyone gets. we knew that after filing we had to manage our money better and try to start saving. since filing months ago we have been able to save a little bit of money, not as much as we would like, but it is a step in the right direction. we know now that by going through that together we will be able to handle anything as a couple and as a family. the whole thing made us stronger and was a blessing in disguise." +"Sometimes in life the best thing that can happen to you is also the worst thing. Like... Okay, you know how in movies someone will stub their toe and knock open a hidden wall panel? Then they check the wall panel and, gosh darn it, there's the map to old man Henderson's treasure? That wall panel was my life five months back. The stubbed toe? Well that was my financial situation.Do you know what a balloon payment is? Apparently it's when your mortgage payment shoots up suddenly. I didn't know that was a thing. My bank account didn't know either. Now, normally I would have just worked overtime, picked up an extra shift, something like that. But thanks to the car accident and the broken legs, that wasn't really an option. I looked through every option that WAS an option, poured through them really but between the medical bills, the sudden mortgage bump and the price to fix the vehicle... At the end of the day I only had one choice left to me, file for bankruptcy.Ouch, right? When I first considered it, my mind jumped right to the negative. 'What will my family think?' 'People are going to mock me.' That sort of stuff. You hear about corporations having to go through it all the time, but when it's you... Well, when it's was ME, that was a whole other world. I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to suffer all the looks and the glances and the questions about rather that meant I was going to be homeless now or if I needed money for food. Just like the stubbed toe though, I didn't really get a choice in the matter. It's kind of funny though, because looking back on it, it really wasn't that bad. I got my life back under control and the embarrassment, light as it was, only hardened my resolve to get control back in my own hands. It's been five months since I kicked open that wall and not only have I found Mr. Henderson's metaphorical map, I've dug up his metaphorical treasure, sold it off on the metaphorical market and invested that money in my metaphorical savings account. I've never felt more in control or competent when managing my finances." +"Last year my mother did a home fecal test. A few days later we went to see her doctor to find out the result. It was positive for blood. I told her doctor that a few days prior to doing the test, my mother had gone to her dentist for a cleaning. Her gums bled during the cleaning. I asked her family doctor if that could cause a false positive in her stool test. Her doctor said yes. So my mother had to wait a month and re-do the test. For that entire month we were worried. Could it be cancer? Would she have to do that awful colonoscopy? Surgery? All month a dark cloud hovered over our heads. Finally the day arrived for the repeat test. My mother brought the kit home from the lab. She did it and brought it back. Then we waited. No call from the doctor for a few days. We couldn't wait anymore so we went over to get the report. It was negative! So happy! The cloud lifted and we smiled for the first time in a month." +"Last year my mother did a home fecal test. A few days later we went to see her doctor to find out the result. It was positive for blood. I told her doctor that a few days prior to doing the test, my mother had gone to her dentist for a cleaning. Her gums bled during the cleaning. I asked her family doctor if that could cause a false positive in her stool test. Her doctor said yes. So my mother had to wait a month and re-do the test. For that entire month we were worried. Could it be cancer? Would she have to do that awful colonoscopy? Surgery? All month a dark cloud hovered over our heads. Finally the day arrived for the repeat test. My mother brought the kit home from the lab. She did it and brought it back. Then we waited. No call from the doctor for a few days. We couldn't wait anymore so we went over to get the report. It was negative! So happy! The cloud lifted and we smiled for the first time in a month." +"Having a child is a total miracle. Worries of how you’ll perform as a parent are overwhelmed as you look into their eyes and you know it’s going to be OK. Kids call you to a higher level of living. I cried when my daughter was born. These weren’t quiet, demure tears. They were big, breathless sobs. The very air sucked out of me as I held my baby, her own squalling cries drowning out my own. I was overwhelmed. I had never felt so much before. Conventional parenting wisdom says the day your child is born is one of the happiest of your life. At the time I didn’t feel happy. I barely knew what I felt at all. I was filled with an indescribable emotion—some mix of everything all at once. I was awed. I was humbled. I was proud. I loved myself then more than I ever had before. I couldn’t be all bad if I had created something so small and precious. I held her and let myself be swept away by the feeling. I laughed—and even laughed as I cried. I didn’t know I could love so much. I didn’t know anything in the world could be so important to me and so worth protecting. But, when she was born, something in me changed." +"One early spring morning, waking up and rolling heavily to the side of the bed I felt a strange sensation in my abdomen. It can be described as a big drop of water that falls on your umbrella and you feel the vibration of it in the handle. Then my water broke. It was nothing like I imagined. And so the task of a long labor began. Twelve hours plus later, when my strength was running thin the medical team arrived to help deliver the baby. I was eagerly anticipating seeing her and holding her in my arms for the first time. You hear the cry and you look at the red baby that the doctor holds in his hands, and then the nurse takes the baby and brings it on your chest. That moment when the baby first lays on your chest is magic. You go from hearing a crying baby to quiet time. And I say quiet because, besides the fact that baby stopped crying, I honestly did not hear anything else that happened around me afterwards. Looking at the baby girl was all I was able to do. Awed, amazed, and thankful for such a blessing! Brown fine hair covered her little head, she had her eyes open and her head turned towards me, her skin was pink and wrinkled, and looked soft, she had all ten fingers and toes and that felt ridiculously reassuring, even though I already knew that the newborn was physically healthy. The nurse dried her and wrapped her loosely in a newborn blanket. I was then able to hold her for the first time. She had her little fingers in her mouth and was quietly looking up at my face, somewhat expectant. I looked in the dark blue eyes of my little angel and tears of joy filled my eyes. It felt euphoric and unreal to hold my own baby in my arms. She was light and fragile, she felt warm, and she looked so content. I touched her little wrinkled fingers and she clasped my finger in a tight grasp! All I could focus on was her." +"Today my friends really blew my mind (and also my heart). I like these guys a lot, and have for a while, but I really didn't see their birthday gift coming (especially since I asked them specifically not to get me one). Where I thought we were just going to get some brunch and spend a quiet weekend hanging out as normal, I was duped into a trip to Philadelphia by my wildly over the top friends who I love a lot. Walking out of the apartment that morning I found them, with a car, all packed and ready to have a weekend trip, and they told me to go back into the apartment and pack my own stuff, after giving me a birthday card and explaining their elaborate ruse to me. I was flustered, to be sure, but I ran back inside to grab some clothes and toiletries, and we hit the road in the early morning to drive down to Philly. We checked into a hotel near Philly, came up with a game plan, and hit the town. The whole weekend was perfect. We hit the mural mile, went to Reading Terminal, climbed up the stairs at the Museum of Fine Arts, we did the whole thing. It was a great mix of doing what I love in Philly already (Reading Terminal, mainly), and then also doing a lot of new things. I'd always wanted to climb the stairs from the Museum of Fine Arts like Rocky did, because Rocky is a movie that means a lot to me. Sarutday night we returned to the hotel room, ate some of that famous Philly cheesecake, and played around in the pool at the hotel. Sunday we went back into town, hit some food trucks to round out the trip, and did the Mural Mile. Philly is a great city to walk around and reminds me of my hometown, so I really enjoyed that. Then, we had a fun car ride home. Taking car rides with these guys is always fun, because we get into crazy talks and go down fun musical rabbit holes while deciding what's going to get played over the car radio, so the ride there and back was a blast. All in all, it was hands down my best birthday ever, super fun and just way more than I ever could have asked for, kinda like my friends themselves." +"It was about 6 months ago, my birthday was coming up. As it happens around each birthday, people start asking what you want for your birthday. As we grow older, birthdays are just not a big deal any more, so my respond of course was, not to do anything. Every time it is someones birthday we make sure to go out to dinner and drinks. In my mind, my friends were planning a birthday dinner with my family and followed by some drinks afterwards. This being the last year in my twenties, they decided to go a bit further. My friends are good listeners and they discussed all my places i'd like to visit. Little did i know they were planning a trip to Philly. I was in utter surprise as we had never done something so big for each other. I was completely surprised and beyond excited to be going with my best friends. They blew me away going above and beyond to give me the best birthday i'd ever had. Site seeing has to be the most memorable experience there as i love site seeing. This has had to be the best gift since we have been trying to take a trip together for a while now and due to our schedule, it had not happened. Other than site seeing, food is most definitely another one of my favorite things in life. They didn't just make sure i went to one of the places on my list, we also got to enjoy the best philly sandwiches around." +"My husband left our country for the United states around 5 years ago. He comes home few times a year and as soon as he got his citizenship, he wanted me to join him. I prepared all I could and have a travel agency arrange my flight. My visa was approved luckily. I packed all my stuffs and left for the airport. I landed in United States the following day and I was welcomed by my husband. After settling in for a while, my husband started processing for my green card. We went for the green card interview. It was a very fast process but the officer responding to us insisted on us proving that our marriage was real and not some sham. We showed her all old pictures we had together. This includes our wedding pictures. She was convinced after seeing that we were married even before my husband came to United States. My green card was approved the next day and I easily became a citizen. I was so happy. The process was a very easy one for me." +"This happened 2 weeks ago. My life changed and I really didn't like it. I felt sick. My younger sister left to college. I knew this day was coming. She left me alone in a lonely house. My heart raced as she walk out the door. I ran to her and wished I could beg her to stay but I know life has to go on. I felt very uncomfortable as I hugged her goodbye. I'll have to admit. I did get sick and I was very cold. I couldn't get out of the funk I was in. Today though, I will try something new and get out of bed to enjoy my day. I lept out of bed, put the cold water on my face. I ate a half piece of bread for breakfast. All in all I think i'm gonna have a good day." +"My girlfriend and I recently went to her sister's house for a family gathering for the first time. A lot of the people there did not openly greet me when we arrived. Despite this, I went to each individual and introduced myself. Throughout our visit, I couldn't help but notice people giving me mean and disapproving looks. I still tried to interact with everyone and actively participate in everything. When we had group discussions, people always disagreed with every single thing that I mentioned. My girlfriend and I asked her sister to take some pictures of us with my phone. I looked at the pictures afterwards. All of the pictures she took were very bad pictures. My head was cut off in a most of them. As we were leaving, most of the people did not even make an attempt to say goodbye to me. This was my first time meeting them and I had never done anything to upset or offend anyone. I did everything I could to positively engage these people. It seemed as though no one was happy to meet me. This left me feeling very uninvited and little upset. As a result of this, I decided never to attend any more of their family's social gatherings." +"It was a day in July. My girlfriend had the brilliant idea that we should go to her parents' house. I never had met them before this. I was pretty nervous. I had a feeling that they would not like me. I do not know how, but I just did. We got there and immediately, I felt uneasy and could tell that they did not like me. They acted cold and callous towards me for no reason, and they were talking silently among themselves. it was very rude. I felt awkward and decided to get out of there. I texted my friend and told him to call me and act like it was an emergency so i could bail out. He came through and it worked. My girlfriend bought it and we left. I told her how i felt and she actually agreed. she apologized and said i never have to go there again." +"Four months ago, I was saddened and astonished to learn that my friend died in a car crash. We had been quite close and known each other for years; we'd met in college where we became fast friends after randomly sitting together in the cafeteria one day. I still can't believe he's gone, I can't believe I'll never speak to him again. We had so many little jokes and shared experiences I will no longer be able to share with anyone else. Heck, sometimes I feel like we had our own little language. One year, for spring break, we went to Mexico City together. Rather than engage in the usual beach debauchery, we wanted to have a calmer experience. We traversed the city, trying to learn more about its politics and history. We couchsurfed with a cool couple of twenty year olds who were sort of bohemian. We felt so inspired, we all wrote a poetry chapbook together! I loved my friend's writing--he had a way of incorporating language with emotion in an incomparable way. God, I will miss him. I don't even know if I'll ever be able to read his poetry again--it might hurt too much. I feel even worse for his family though. They were blindsided most of all. I hope we can all come together and find some collective comfort." +"Four months ago, I was saddened and astonished to learn that my friend died in a car crash. We had been quite close and known each other for years; we'd met in college where we became fast friends after randomly sitting together in the cafeteria one day. I still can't believe he's gone, I can't believe I'll never speak to him again. We had so many little jokes and shared experiences I will no longer be able to share with anyone else. Heck, sometimes I feel like we had our own little language. One year, for spring break, we went to Mexico City together. Rather than engage in the usual beach debauchery, we wanted to have a calmer experience. We traversed the city, trying to learn more about its politics and history. We couchsurfed with a cool couple of twenty year olds who were sort of bohemian. We felt so inspired, we all wrote a poetry chapbook together! I loved my friend's writing--he had a way of incorporating language with emotion in an incomparable way. God, I will miss him. I don't even know if I'll ever be able to read his poetry again--it might hurt too much. I feel even worse for his family though. They were blindsided most of all. I hope we can all come together and find some collective comfort." +"It was a night of excitement. But that night, I was hungry. I was happy to see my man. However, I needed food. We set out to find something to eat. We had to drive a long distance between each place. They were all closed. So we would proceed even further. I was so hungry, and tired. Eventually, we saw someone and asked. They told us there was a waffle house. The place was all the way across town. However, we got to it. We settled in and ordered food. I have never eaten so fast before. I really enjoyed the meal, and was happy to be with my boyfriend again. We had not met for a long time, and we missed each other." +"It was a driving trip across Canada. The final destination was Niagara Falls. It turns out that the freeway in one country looks like the freeway in another. There were lots of windmills, it was kind of neat to see them. Once you get over the novelty of all the road signs being in KM/hr, then its just another road trip. I regret not having taken more time to see things along the way. Vineyards were apparently something that could have been visited. There is a lot of water flowing over the falls. It is very impressive. It is also a tourist trap. I suppose such places must exist. I can not help but wonder what it would have been like long ago. The bus system in the town was impressive. Buy a pass and you can go anywhere you want. Bus come along at a short interval. I would have like to see something other than a tourist destination." +"I always liked driving around. Sometimes, I can drive for two hours and feel good about it. It's nice to quietly explore the scenic highways. Recently, I thought, ""I have never been to Canada before. Should I visit Canada one week?"" Therefore, I planned a trip driving across Canada to Niagara Falls. As I drove to Niagara Falls, the excitement built the more I drove. I stopped to eat, get gas, and sleep. Otherwise, I was on my way to Niagara Falls with no other destination in mind. After a number of hours of driving, I arrived at Niagara Falls. Niagara was an interesting place to visit. As I looked at the Falls themselves, I remember thinking to myself, ""That is a lot of water."" I can understand why this is such a tourist destination. The amount of water it takes to run these falls is substantial. I'm not sure a lake I live nearby has as much water, and it's considered to be a huge lake. The people here were very nice, and I got to talk to a few of them. Locals tell me that nothing compares to Niagara Falls. I agree with them." +"It was a driving trip across Canada. The final destination was Niagara Falls. It turns out that the freeway in one country looks like the freeway in another. There were lots of windmills, it was kind of neat to see them. Once you get over the novelty of all the road signs being in KM/hr, then its just another road trip. I regret not having taken more time to see things along the way. Vineyards were apparently something that could have been visited. There is a lot of water flowing over the falls. It is very impressive. It is also a tourist trap. I suppose such places must exist. I can not help but wonder what it would have been like long ago. The bus system in the town was impressive. Buy a pass and you can go anywhere you want. Bus come along at a short interval. I would have like to see something other than a tourist destination." +"Probably the best recollections I have with my family is down night. Incredibly, my family will plunk down and play prepackaged games together from time to time. These aren't only a customary locally acquired table game like Monopoly or Sorry, we have an assortment of amazing expert table games. Huge, broad and costly undertakings to exhibit on a table. There has been an entire cluster of individuals to play at our table, from kin, and other relatives, to arbitrary outsiders, I had met just because sitting at the table. It appears to be a few days, the best bonds are made playing at The Game Table. Ordinarily, there are a couple of regulars at our collectible, 8 man wooden table. Myself, my twin sibling, and my more established sibling. Every so often my mom, more youthful siblings, or different companions that tag along participate on board games. We would accumulate our little detachment of players, pull up our pounded seats, and begin to characterize how the day would continue. Our time on the table was not fleeting, it could continue for extended periods, missing whole pieces of the day surrendered to table games. We were experts, and devoted to encompass the entirety within recent memory into messing around together. The about multi year old table still held up shockingly well, because of the way that it has been my lounge area table for my entire life. My gathering of loved ones all allude to ourselves as something my mother calls us, ""geeks"". None of us can essentially deviate, we were the ones playing dream board games. The Game Table Some of the best recollections I have with my family is down night. Incredibly, my family will plunk down and play tabletop games together once in a while. These aren't only a standard locally acquired table game like Monopoly or Sorry, we have an assortment of stupendous ace table games. Huge, broad and costly undertakings to cluster on a table. There has been an entire exhibit of individuals to play at our table, from kin, and other relatives.-happened 6 months ago" +"the story about the coordinator event When your an event organizer, there are never enough hours in the day. Questions about time management will help you understand how the candidate approaches their workload and prioritizes tasks. Before you sit down in the interview. take a moment to ask yourself these questions there are no right answers,.but you do want to make sure your candidate is compatible with the existing team You don’t want a new team member who cracks under pressure. So how does your candidate handle stress. These questions will help you suss out their level of self-awareness, how they handle conflict, and whether they can remain calm when things don’t go according to plan You don’t want a new team member who cracks under pressure. So how does your candidate handle stress These questions will help you suss out their level of self-awareness. how they handle conflict, and whether they can remain calm when things don’t go according to plan. Event success can mean different things to different people. For you, it might mean hitting an attendance or revenue goal. To your sponsors or partners, success might mean a tangible return on their spend. And to your attendees, success means a great experience. Your candidate needs to be able to understand the high-level goals of your event, and to work towards success as you define it. Describe your most successful event planning experience. What did you do that made it so successful. It’s important for event professionals to stay up to date on the latest industry trends and tools." +"The past few months have been so stressful. I love my job but I just keep getting more and more things piled on my plate and it is starting to wear me out. I have always had a passion for organizing events. I was thrilled when I finally interviewed and landed my dream job. I organize events for a huge client in New York City. I deal with celebrities, and giant event spaces. I get to work with nearly unlimited budgets. I am beyond lucky to have this opportunity. However, the stress is unbelievable. I never thought it would be this difficult to get everything working together. So I finally admitted that I needed help, and I was given the budget to hire a team of assistants. That sounds great, right? Not so much. The process of interviewing and hiring a team has been impossible. I feel like it is more stressful than just doing all the work on my own. Everyone I interview is clueless and incompetent. And the few that are slightly qualified want to be paid more money than me! I don't know how I am going to find anyone qualified that I can afford. I know that I need to though. I am not going to be able to keep this job for much longer without some help. My friend suggested looking for someone fresh out of college with no experience, that way I can train them the way I want and they won't have any expectations. I thought that was a bad idea, but at this point I might just try it. I just hope I figure it out soon because the biggest event of the year is coming up !" +"Last spring, I went to the kindergarten graduation for my child. She is autistic with some speech delay, so school is sometimes a struggle for her. I appreciated being able to take part in the celebration of her hard work. The children demonstrated some of their new skills through songs and presentations. I was especially impressed when my child walked right up to a microphone to tell the audience about learning her shapes. At the beginning of the year, she could barely hold still on stage and needed a teacher to help her. She would have been scared to talk in front of people. I was very proud of this new development. After the kids did their presentations, the families ate potluck food. My daughter wanted to eat lots of watermelon. I helped both my kids get plates, and we sat down to eat. Then my kids were running around and playing with other kids. I was impressed to see them demonstrating social skills. My son especially has struggled to play with other kids, so I was happy to see it that night. After that, we went home." +"I must tell you about the even I attended recently. As you know my daughter is now in Kindergarten. They were wrapping up their school year and they had been practicing for a presentation for months. I know what you are thinking, how good will a presentation from little kids be? I was shocked. It was great. They put on a presentation about the founding of our country. They had one child playing Alexander Hamilton and another playing Ben Franklin. They went through all of the major events and it was great. Even though it doesn't seem like they knew what they were talking about it was so funny. The most surprising event was when my child, dressed like George Washington, started break dancing. It was so funny, every one was rolling with laughter. It actually made me recall my own child hood. One of my favorite parts of grammar school was the month before Christmas break where we would plan our Christmas assembly. It was fun learning the songs and it was also fun skipping regular classes. I am glad my child can do something as memorable as that." +"Today, my sister and I found some feral kittens in the forest behind our house. We were hanging out on the back porch and my sister heard the faint sound of something crying. It was a good distance, but it kept crying, so we went and checked it out. A little into the forest, and under a tree we found a group of 3 kittens, but the mother was not in sight. We spent the better part of the day waiting to see if the mother would return. When she didn't we decided to take them and try to find homes for them. We went down the street, door-to-door, asking if anyone wanted the kittens. There were a few that did, but my sister and I got some bad feelings about the first few people. We felt that they were going to be mean to their kittens, and two of the people had big dogs too. One of the last we asked tried to forcefully take the kittens out of our hands, but we managed to get away. In the end, we were able to find a home for all three kittens. They were given to a nice older lady who had multiple cats already and a larger farm to let them come and go as they pleased. The older lady, also said we could come back and visit anytime we wanted. I think that the kittens will be very happy. I know that my sister and I are grateful that we did not give them to the first few people we met." +"Today, my sister and I found some feral kittens in the forest behind our house. We were hanging out on the back porch and my sister heard the faint sound of something crying. It was a good distance, but it kept crying, so we went and checked it out. A little into the forest, and under a tree we found a group of 3 kittens, but the mother was not in sight. We spent the better part of the day waiting to see if the mother would return. When she didn't we decided to take them and try to find homes for them. We went down the street, door-to-door, asking if anyone wanted the kittens. There were a few that did, but my sister and I got some bad feelings about the first few people. We felt that they were going to be mean to their kittens, and two of the people had big dogs too. One of the last we asked tried to forcefully take the kittens out of our hands, but we managed to get away. In the end, we were able to find a home for all three kittens. They were given to a nice older lady who had multiple cats already and a larger farm to let them come and go as they pleased. The older lady, also said we could come back and visit anytime we wanted. I think that the kittens will be very happy. I know that my sister and I are grateful that we did not give them to the first few people we met." +"Today, my sister and I found some feral kittens in the forest behind our house. We were hanging out on the back porch and my sister heard the faint sound of something crying. It was a good distance, but it kept crying, so we went and checked it out. A little into the forest, and under a tree we found a group of 3 kittens, but the mother was not in sight. We spent the better part of the day waiting to see if the mother would return. When she didn't we decided to take them and try to find homes for them. We went down the street, door-to-door, asking if anyone wanted the kittens. There were a few that did, but my sister and I got some bad feelings about the first few people. We felt that they were going to be mean to their kittens, and two of the people had big dogs too. One of the last we asked tried to forcefully take the kittens out of our hands, but we managed to get away. In the end, we were able to find a home for all three kittens. They were given to a nice older lady who had multiple cats already and a larger farm to let them come and go as they pleased. The older lady, also said we could come back and visit anytime we wanted. I think that the kittens will be very happy. I know that my sister and I are grateful that we did not give them to the first few people we met." +"There was this little black cat that was in my neighbors yard meowing at her door. As I was walking up my steps to go into my house my neighbor asked if I could please take the cat in. I didn't really want to but I wanted to help my neighbor. The plan in the beginning was to just put the cat into my backyard. But she was way too cute for me to just leave her. My second plan was to try to find a shelter that would take her. By the next morning I was still sticking to my original plan. By the time I came home that day the cat was just too cute. I couldn't give her to a shelter because I knew they would most likely kill her. So I went out and got all the supplies I needed to begin to take care of this cat. Litter box, food, some toys. I took her to the vet and found out she was only 6 months. She had worms and fleas too. Within a couple of weeks all her ailments were cleared up. 5 months later and here we are, she's still with me." +"There was a young kitten in my neighbors yard that I rescued. My initial plan was to just the kitten in my yard. But, My plans changed from that to talking it to a shelter to keeping it and taking care of it myself. Now, she has a name and a home for life. Because, we're cat folks Sophie and in our home. we already have a dog his name is Simon and now, Simon started loving Sophie. we are allowed to pick up Sophie to our friends are not. He stands there and barks until they put Sophie down follows. Sophie around the house and if the other animals get too rough. He gets between them and pushes them away. Sophie chews his face, his ears, his tail, his paws and he just has this big goofy grin. If you tell him where's Sophie? He runs and finds her. which is good smile because there's a lot of places for kitten to hide. In our house at times we keep joking that they match really. she's a nice cat. I really can't figure out. why someone would abandon this kitten. ""she is very well behaved""." +"What a wonderful day! My baby boy was born just hours ago. I don't know if I can sleep tonight I'm so excited. On my mothers birthday too, what are the odds? We were all at the river park celebrating when my wife's water broke. We rushed her to the hospital. My father drove and I sat in the back with Melissa, holding her hand. I thought we were going to get into a wreck a few times. My dad is bad enough at driving as it is. The way he was swerving, I'll have to talk to him about that. I had never seen such a thing. So much blood and screaming, it's lucky I'm not squeamish. The doctors that handle that stuff are saints. Then I saw him, my baby boy, Max. This day has changed my life forever. I'm a father now. It's the start of our new family, and a changing family for my parents." +"What a wonderful day! My baby boy was born just hours ago. I don't know if I can sleep tonight I'm so excited. On my mothers birthday too, what are the odds? We were all at the river park celebrating when my wife's water broke. We rushed her to the hospital. My father drove and I sat in the back with Melissa, holding her hand. I thought we were going to get into a wreck a few times. My dad is bad enough at driving as it is. The way he was swerving, I'll have to talk to him about that. I had never seen such a thing. So much blood and screaming, it's lucky I'm not squeamish. The doctors that handle that stuff are saints. Then I saw him, my baby boy, Max. This day has changed my life forever. I'm a father now. It's the start of our new family, and a changing family for my parents." +"The family and I went out to West Texas. It was very beautiful. There were mountains, the weather was nice, and the towns were small. The hotel we stayed at was hipster styled. A lot of rental trailers. The desert is cold at night, but tolerable. It's a lot to see and explore. Especially for a first time explorer, there's plenty to do from hiking to trail riding. There's the Marfa lights out in West Texas. The sight is pretty incredible. Though it is surprising when the lights suddenly appear in the dark desert sky. A bunch of people show up every evening to view the mysterious lights. Marfa is an artists based town. Which is good because the people are very nice. I would definitely go out to visit West Texas again." +"Wild ox, N.Y. (WKBW) — In isolated cases in various pieces of the state, Carlique DeBerry and Marla Fenner sold lethal portions of fentanyl. One got a 20-year jail sentence. The other got 5-long periods of probation. ""I think these two cases are not instances of something besides the realities. The realities and the law being applied accurately,"" Hon. Penny Wolfgang, a resigned State Supreme Court Justice, said. So why such a uniqueness between the two sentences if the wrongdoing was the equivalent? The explanation - government versus state courts. Carlique DeBerry, 40, Buffalo, was accused of ""dissemination of fentanyl causing demise"" in a government court. ""It was the medications that the individual disseminated that brought about the passing,"" U.S. Lawyer James P. Kennedy, Jr., said. That requires an obligatory least sentence of 20-years. Marla Fenner, 27, Geneva, a first-time guilty party, exchanged fentanyl for two yogurts and a squeezed apple. That individual later kicked the bucket from an overdose. The way in to her case is that she was accused of ""third-degree criminal closeout of a controlled substance"" in state court. ""Options in contrast to imprisonment especially including medications, attempting to empower treatment,"" Wolfgang said. She wasn't accused of a murder or even criminal carelessness (by implication causing somebody's passing). As per the First Assistant District Attorney Jason MacBride, under state law, demonstrating an immediate connection between somebody who overdoses and the merchant isn't simple. Actually, conveyance of a controlled substance warrants a more serious discipline than a criminally careless charge. Conveyance is around a nine-year sentence.- happened 6 months ago" +"Los Angeles is the best and worst experience I've ever had. I decided that I wanted to go somewhere warmer for school. I decided that I wanted to move to Los Angeles. I pack up all my bags, and flew over there. The thing is I didn't have a plan. I got an apartment, and tried to find a job right away, because of course LA isn't cheap. I couldn't find one. Before I knew it It was the end of the month, and I didn't have enough money to afford my apartment. I freaked out, and I ended up getting evicted from my apartement. I didn't have enough money to get home, so I had to ask my friend to pay for a $1000 flight home. It was absolutely embarrassing. I had failed at the one thing I wanted to, and I got a lot of flac for it back home. But I did learn different lessons while I was there. I learned never to move without a plan, and to move where I can afford. There doesn't need to be a rush for certain things. People are in different places in their life." +"This event happened couple of months ago, on the day my second baby boy was born. I was induced on the day he was due as planned at my prenatal visit. I was very happy to see my baby boy that day. When I went to the hospital they took me inside right at the time of my appointment. After doing some paperwork and initial checkups I was given medication for induction. After a couple of hours suddenly I heard my baby's heartbeat dropped and I was trying to reach the nurse by pressing on the alarm. At the same time I saw a few nurses and doctors running into my room and yelling ""baby's heartbeat dropped"". I got really stressed out and I could not believe what was happening. It was very much unexpected. They got me to relax my body on my hands and knees and they gave me several shots. But still they could not get the baby to get back to normal. They they decided they have to do a c-section on me and get the baby out right away. Next they took me to the operating room. All I saw was so many heads staring at me and acting stressed out. In the operating room they gave me the anesthetic shots to my back without even numbing the area. It was severely painful like electric currents running down my leg. They they inserted a tube into my genitals and gave me more shots on my arm. At this point I was losing hope of seeing my baby boy alive. I felt so helpless and scared. Tears ran down my cheeks. All of sudden they they yelled ""Looks like he's picking up"" and I was much relieved. I just felt like I woke up from a horrible dream. Everybody was so relieved and happy that he was recovered without having to do a c-section delivery. When they took me back to the room I saw my husband was crying. I just gave him a long hug and said ""God bless him!." +"It's been a long, tough, challenging road, but man it feels incredible to be where I am now. It's crazy to think about where I was 6 months ago. It feels like it was such a long time ago now. Things were so hectic, after the breakup, with the difficulties at work, and how much I was eating just to try to distract myself from everything. I couldn't believe the person I was seeing when I was looking in the mirror back then. Thinking about that, I can't believe the person I'm seeing when I look in the mirror now. It really took me hitting rock bottom, when I was struggling to walk up the flight of stairs at home and was dead out of breath for me to finally look at myself and try to get a plan together to turn things around. But I did it! Thanks to all the hard work and the support of my friends, family, and community I found myself a part of at the local gym, I was able to stick to my plan and turn things around. It got really challenging at times, especially early on when I wasn't seeing any results. It was tough to see all my friends enjoying themselves, throwing down pizza and ice cream and not being able to be a part of it. But it was worth sticking to my plan. Hey, maybe I'll be able to join them soon! I hope I can be an inspiration to someone else at some point. I want to write down all the steps I took, and all the thoughts that went through my head, especially early on. There were a lot of times I doubted myself, so I want to make sure I make note of all those things in case I can pass them forward to someone else some day. I'll be detailing all those thoughts and how I addressed them in my coming entries." +"The significance of my story is one of redeeming yourself, and that you can sometimes turn back the clock, and correct the course you're on. For years after high school, I attended college with the intent of being the first in my family to walk away with a degree. I also wanted to be involved in college, and I got so wrapped up in Greek life, I paid no attention to my physical health. I went about 3 years being a glutton and a drinker, although never becoming an alcoholic. My ties were eventually broken with my fraternity, and I went completely down south, and gained quite a bit of weight. To this day I'm trying to finish my degree, but this story is about making change and maintaining discipline. About 6 months ago I decided enough is enough, and that I want to recapture my athleticism, my original form. Now, this didn't come easy, as I knew that if I were to stray any farther, that I may never get any better. This process was no easy task, and was less about obtaining a certain weight, as with all great things come with discipline and practice. I needed to get my diet straight, and to stop binge eating, and to take multiple small meals as opposed to one big one. More than that, I need an intense training regimen that would target a fat burning heartbeat, alongside High Intensity Interval Training. It was painful. But as Eric Thomas once said, ""You're already hurt, get a reward for it."" I fought, I fell, I got back up again, and I won. 6 months from when I first started, I have last 60 lbs and continue to lose more. My journey isn't at an end, but I have forever changed my lifestyle. I do fully intend to finish off my degree and become a teacher, and my my new endurance and overall self respect has given me newfound ambition." +"What an amazing month this has been! Great Aunt Sally turned 100 years old. What an amazing milestone. We had a fabulous birthday party for her on the Queen Mary ship in Long Beach. It was so much fun. We had a huge turnout with more than 150 people coming. All 12 of her children, their spouses and their children were able to be there! We rented the ballroom and had the party catered with an amazing array of foods. There were so many people I hadn't seen in such a long time there. My favorite part was when all of her grandchildren got together and performed a musical that they had been working on for 2 months. They were amazing! It was filmed and I know it's just going to be a huge hit on the internet. We all made plans to get together 6 months from now. We'll have to find a local park that will be able to accommodate all of us, lol. It was such a wonderful day and I'm so happy I got to be a part of it." +"The date was April 22, 2019. I was feeling down and decided to gamble an amount of money that most people would never dream of gambling. That amount was 3,000 dollars. While 3,000 dollars may not seem like a lot to most, it was a lot of money for me at the time (and even now). It was a Monday evening, and I saw that the Houston Rockets were playing the Utah Jazz. I wanted to bet on Houston because they had near-even odds (3,000 to win nearly 3,000 back, which would result in me having 6,000 in total) and because they had a 3-0 lead in the series. I had a strong feeling that Houston was going to win this game, so I bit the bullet and dropped the bet. It was a nightmare from the beginning. Houston was already down more than five points after the first quarter. I was already in a state of shock at this point, despite there being three quarters left. I already felt hopeless after the first quarter. After the second quarter I felt that it wasn't the end of the world because there was still a lot of time left and it was only about a five point game. Then the third quarter came along... Houston had a great third quarter and even took the lead. While my anxiety wasn't gone at this point yet, I felt a lot more calm than I did after the first quarter. I felt that Houston was gonna seal the deal, as they only needed one more quarter to win. Then the fourth quarter happened... It was an absolute nightmare and Utah absolutely crushed Houston. All of my hope went down the drain when this quarter began. It seemed as if Houston didn't even care anymore and wanted to throw the game away. At the end of the day, Utah won by more than 10 points and I was in absolute shambles. I couldn't believe what I saw and negative thoughts were the only thing on my mind. I had no more money to my name and was contemplating many things. After this event, I kept gambling until I realized that this would ruin my life if I didn't stop. While I haven't stopped entirely, I am progressing towards stopping as I am gambling much less and much less frequently. I believe that this addiction can be stopped with time and effort." +"It has always been my desire of mine to help my mother buy a home. She lives in the same city that she was born and has never moved. It is a large metropolitan area. She is frequently annoyed by the traffic during her commute and how crowded the city has become. For years, she was resistant to the idea of moving to another location. She would emotionally shut down when I tried to persuade her to move to the suburbs. I firmly believed that she would be happier in a less crowded location and that she would enjoy the extra space. Earlier this year, she lost a close friend that lived nearby. During her grieving process, she would frequently state that life is too short to deny yourself the things that you truly want. Finally she has a change of perspective. She confided in me that she was ready and had the courage to move. She did not want to be stuck in an area that while familiar, was not a good fit for her. She was ready to conquer her fears of an unknown environment and move to a new location. I immediately embraced her decision and we started looking for a new home together. I suggested some towns that would be a good fit for her. We were able to find a home in her price range and close to a major highway. Another added benefit is that the home is in a quieter neighborhood and my mother finally has a large garden. This was a childhood dream that took years to actualize. My mother is moved into her new home and very happy with her decision." +"The end of August marked my parents' fiftieth wedding anniversary. And fifty years ago, a lot happened that summer. My parents aren't much for big celebrations. However, there was much discussion around how everyone was going to get together. My dad spends a lot of time in the northern part of the state. Was everyone going to head up there? Were we going to meet somewhere in the middle? Dad finally decided to come down, but he didn't want a lot of fuss made or anyone to put themselves out, so he only told my mom and me. I think part of it was wanting to be a surprise and part of it was not wanting people to be disappointed if he couldn't make it down. He did finally make it down towards the end of dinner, though he had to call and get directed to my sister's house as it had been awhile since he had been there. He brought everyone something rather than the other way around, something that was supposed to have been done last Christmas, but oh well. It was a good time, laughing and talking with almost everyone there (my older sister couldn't make it). My parents reminisced about fifty years ago. My mom's brother also got married that year and I don't remember ever learning that, though I might have. It was good to see my dad and both mom and dad seemed to enjoy themselves. It was basically just a family dinner, but it meant a little more." +"One event that was memorable, emotional and striking for me was a social mistake I made recently. It was quite embarrassing and afterwards I felt like I should've known better. My baby sister was about seven months pregnant and had changed the name of her gestating child from the one she'd originally chosen. She and her boyfriend had at first settled on Liam Michael. Liam was a name she'd been set on since teenage years and Michael is our brothers middle name. Suddenly they'd changed the name to Tucker Finn. Those who heard the name including myself, my boyfriend and my brother all privately laughed. Everyone thought it wasn't a great name because it rhymes with many unpleasant words, such as sucker and another word starting with ""F"". All we could think is of how that poor child would get teased mercilessly by his peers. Al three of us became increasingly uncomfortable about how everyone in the family privately snickered but nobody, includng us had spoken up. It felt rude for everyone to be almost sharing a private joke at my sister's expense. We began to surmise that maybe it was her boyfriend who'd initiated the name change or that maybe they just had not thought further about the name. So of course, I was elected to gently inquire,being the closes to my sister. I thought was the right thing to do and both my brother and boyfriend urged me to. I finally asked her gently as possible why they changed the name. I said ""Tucker is okay but Liam was great and you'd wanted it for so long"". Well, she explained that they'd decided Liam was overused. She stated that she found my inquiry rude. I apologized profusely and said I'd meant no harm, I just wanted to be sure it was what she wanted. She accepted but was obviously not cheerful. Later, feeling ashamed, I googled etiquiette on baby names and realized I should've kept my thoughts to myself. The next day I apologized again and she accepted again, but was quite annoyed because after our conversation her boyfriend told her he didnt like the name Tucker Finn. Suprisingly my boyfriend, brother and I had been right that one of the pair didn't like the name but it was not the one we'd expected. In the end they named him Tucker Michael, which is a little better, I think. I will never voice my opinions of someone's proposed baby name ever again, that's for sure." +"Two weeks ago I made the most horrible discovery. For months now, my husband has not been interested in sex. He's also been more irritable than normal. I thought maybe I had done something to irritate him and he wasn't able or willing to tell me about it. I tried talking to my girls friends about the situation and they didn't have anything useful to add. Well, Shelly did make an interesting comment that his behavior sounded like a character in a romance novel she was reading. I tried to get her to say more, but she seemed to regret the comment. Well, I had errands to run so after meeting with my friends, I stopped at Costco, Walmart, and Starbucks for some overpriced coffee. This all happened two weeks ago and my life will never be the same. Well, the errands ended up taking less than I expected. So I got home earlier than I'd told my husband I would. I parked in the driveway and started carrying in the groceries. My husband didn't bother to help carry them in which really annoyed me. But I held my tongue because I didn't want to lash out in anger. Once I finished putting everything away, I started walking to his man cave. He was yelling; I thought maybe he was playing a video game with friends. But as I rounded the corner, I saw him FaceTiming with a woman who was nursing a baby. That really freaked me out so I stopped to listen. After a few minutes of eavesdropping, it dawned on me that this child was his and that he had been cheating on me for nearly a year. Maybe longer. I was devastated and my life will never be the same." +"Two weeks ago I made the most horrible discovery. For months now, my husband has not been interested in sex. He's also been more irritable than normal. I thought maybe I had done something to irritate him and he wasn't able or willing to tell me about it. I tried talking to my girls friends about the situation and they didn't have anything useful to add. Well, Shelly did make an interesting comment that his behavior sounded like a character in a romance novel she was reading. I tried to get her to say more, but she seemed to regret the comment. Well, I had errands to run so after meeting with my friends, I stopped at Costco, Walmart, and Starbucks for some overpriced coffee. This all happened two weeks ago and my life will never be the same. Well, the errands ended up taking less than I expected. So I got home earlier than I'd told my husband I would. I parked in the driveway and started carrying in the groceries. My husband didn't bother to help carry them in which really annoyed me. But I held my tongue because I didn't want to lash out in anger. Once I finished putting everything away, I started walking to his man cave. He was yelling; I thought maybe he was playing a video game with friends. But as I rounded the corner, I saw him FaceTiming with a woman who was nursing a baby. That really freaked me out so I stopped to listen. After a few minutes of eavesdropping, it dawned on me that this child was his and that he had been cheating on me for nearly a year. Maybe longer. I was devastated and my life will never be the same." +"Two weeks ago I made the most horrible discovery. For months now, my husband has not been interested in sex. He's also been more irritable than normal. I thought maybe I had done something to irritate him and he wasn't able or willing to tell me about it. I tried talking to my girls friends about the situation and they didn't have anything useful to add. Well, Shelly did make an interesting comment that his behavior sounded like a character in a romance novel she was reading. I tried to get her to say more, but she seemed to regret the comment. Well, I had errands to run so after meeting with my friends, I stopped at Costco, Walmart, and Starbucks for some overpriced coffee. This all happened two weeks ago and my life will never be the same. Well, the errands ended up taking less than I expected. So I got home earlier than I'd told my husband I would. I parked in the driveway and started carrying in the groceries. My husband didn't bother to help carry them in which really annoyed me. But I held my tongue because I didn't want to lash out in anger. Once I finished putting everything away, I started walking to his man cave. He was yelling; I thought maybe he was playing a video game with friends. But as I rounded the corner, I saw him FaceTiming with a woman who was nursing a baby. That really freaked me out so I stopped to listen. After a few minutes of eavesdropping, it dawned on me that this child was his and that he had been cheating on me for nearly a year. Maybe longer. I was devastated and my life will never be the same." +"On a Saturday afternoon this summer I received a phone call from a good friend of mine. This friend I had known had a drinking problem for many years. I had made many attempts in the past to suggest help for him, but he refused. On this day my friend decided to drink and drive and crashed his car. This day was important to me because it was the day my friend hit rock bottom and decided to get help. On this day my friend went fishing and, unknown to me, he was drinking. I got the phone call from him that he had driven his car in a ditch and needed picked up because he could not get it out. I went to pick him up and we contacted another friend who had a truck and could possible pull his car out of this ditch. Because my friend had been drinking I went with the other friend to try to get the car out of the ditch. After a few hours and some help from some random strangers we were able to pull the car out. It did have damage but was still drivable. After many attempts of trying to convince my friend to get help, this was his breaking point and he realized he needed the help. I was relived that he decided to finally get help for himself. It has been a few weeks of sobriety now and I am very proud of my friend. It is not easy to get over an addiction and takes lots of hard work and dedication. I hope my friend can continue his sobriety." +"When we had gone to the funeral, every member of my family was there to see my grandfather. My family all took turns telling stories of what he had done in his life, and all his accomplishments. After the burial, we all got together for lunch and started to catch up with each other. There's no real way to start this story about my grandpa and his bravery. But, here's how it goes. In 2016, when I was 19, my grandfather was diagnosed with lymphoma. He felt strong for this first fight. He gave his body up to tests and any medicines that would allow him to live longer. He won that fight. He finished it strong supported by my aunts, my uncles, and my grandma. About a year or 2 later, he was diagnosed with Leukemia. He, again, gave himself up to treatments and medication. He wanted to be with his family longer and no one believed that God was ready for him. He, like his strong self, won that battle. Of course, God wasn't done with this tough and brave soldier yet." +"one memorable thing that has happened to me within the last 3-6 months was my grandfathers funeral. when I heard the news I was devastated and thought, ""how could this have happened?"". I was able to meet all of my extended family members at my grandfathers funeral and that was a bittersweet experience. Meeting my family under such mournful circumstances was not how I wanted things to go. We went through the viewing the day prior. The next day was the actual funeral where he was buried with military honors and laid to rest forever. My entire family was saddened at the loss of my grandfather. Each of his sons and daughters went up to the altar and gave a speech about their experiences with him. After the ceremony we all went out to have lunch at a nearby restaurant. things were nice, everyone was chatting and having fun. It was like nothing had ever happened. I spoke with my uncles and aunts about work and finding good jobs, then after the lunch we all went out to watch a movie. It was overall a great experience. We all had tons of fun. I would love to get together with my family again in the future." +"The time has come. My daughter has turned 15 and she wants to learn how to drive. I also want her to learn how to drive. I can't wait until I don't have to be her chauffeur! We went to the her old elementary school parking lot and I let her drive for the first time. It was so much fun. It was also super nerve racking! I remember when I was learning to drive. My dad had taken me to the church parking lot and had me learn how to start and stop and make turns. I was trying so hard to not freak out. As I watched my daughter drive I could see she was having all of the same emotions. Her head was flying back and forth as she wanted to see everywhere at once. It was pretty funny because of course there was no one else or any other cars in the parking lot at all. After she got a little bored in the parking lot, it was time to head home. She stopped and thought that I would drive. But nope - I made her drive on the streets to get home! My dad did the same thing to me and I survived and so did she! It was a lot of fun. She's been driving a few times since and is already getting much better." +"The time has come. My daughter has turned 15 and she wants to learn how to drive. I also want her to learn how to drive. I can't wait until I don't have to be her chauffeur! We went to the her old elementary school parking lot and I let her drive for the first time. It was so much fun. It was also super nerve racking! I remember when I was learning to drive. My dad had taken me to the church parking lot and had me learn how to start and stop and make turns. I was trying so hard to not freak out. As I watched my daughter drive I could see she was having all of the same emotions. Her head was flying back and forth as she wanted to see everywhere at once. It was pretty funny because of course there was no one else or any other cars in the parking lot at all. After she got a little bored in the parking lot, it was time to head home. She stopped and thought that I would drive. But nope - I made her drive on the streets to get home! My dad did the same thing to me and I survived and so did she! It was a lot of fun. She's been driving a few times since and is already getting much better." +"This was about a time I had a vacation with a very few close friends of mine I met online. We usually sit in Discord/Skype/whatever when we're home and free, so we talk a lot. We made the decision to meet up a few months ago for the first time. It was something else, very exciting, everyone made sure they could get the time off, and had spare money to blow on things etc. We met up at Disney, we figured it was the best place since the transportation is free and there is a ton of things to do there. We didn't care too much about the parks and what not, we all cared about just hanging out more. We stayed at the Disney All-Star, and we got an adjoining room, keeping the door open so we had a lot of space. While we were there, we went to downtown disney and did a little people watching one day. After that, we went to their bowling alley that had drinks/food/etc, we got a little tipsy and bowled for a few hours. Following that, we headed back to the hotel to relax and play a board game (we ended up playing Codenames) while we talked. The next day we went to the park, which ended up being Magic Kingdom, and we went on some rides. We also got some food and drink there as well, then we hung around and watched the little parade they do. We stayed a few hours after the park closed since hotel guests were able to do that and then we hit some of the bigger rides again (Splash Mountain and Space Mountain). After that, we headed back to the hotel and rested again. The final day we were there was just hanging around the hotel room/outdoor area and just taking it easy. The following day we headed home and that was the story of one of my favorite trips ever." +"One of the most memorable events of my life was the day my son was born four years ago. My husband and I had struggled with infertility for 3 years and the fact that we were able to get pregnant and have a child was the most happiest day of our lives. I remember when I went into labor. Even though I was in pain the whole experience seemed so surreal to me. I felt so blessed that i was able to experience labor pain since I thought I was never going to have that experience. I still couldn't believe when the doctor told me, ""you are going to have this baby today, you are in active labor"". When my son finally made his grand entrance to the world, I was in awe! He was perfect and healthy and my dream of becoming a mother finally came true. I remember that right away he looked at me and began to look for food. I remember smelling him and looking at his tiny feet. He was so tiny and beautiful and I was his mama! I turned and look at my husband and he also had the same expression on his face. It was very surprising to see him crying being that he I had never seen him cry. I still remember this day so vivid and seeing his little newborn face. It was a day I will cherish and always think as the best day of my life." +"My niece and nephew were over after school as they usually are every, Friday. They're usually pretty hungry after a long day at school and so my mother and I took them to grab a quick bite. As we headed off, I felt a bump under a rear tire but thought nothing of it since we live on a dirt road there are alway a bunch of rocks shifting from day to day. Once we got all of their food we headed back so they could eat more comfortably at home. We headed back home, just another Friday with the kids. It seemed that way until we got to the driveway and that bump had been more than just a rock. I had run over my cat, Patches on the way out, not a rock. I didn't want to startle the kids so I kept driving and helped bring the kids inside so they would hopefully be occupied inside eating. I felt so guilty for what I had done. I know it was an accident, I know but I had a direct hand in her death. I didn't know what to do at first but I knew I couldn't just leave her there. As I moved her out of the road, the kids wandered outside to see what I was doing. They asked me what happened to my cat and so I explained to them what I had done and how much, Patches meant to me. I told them that I had her as a kitten before either of them were even born. I didn't expect either of them to try and comfort me but somehow they just knew what do in that very moment. They told me that accidents happen and that it was going to be okay. To say I was surprised is and understatement. This is one of the many reasons that I love those little guys." +"Every day evening I'll jogging with my pet dog. On a regular Friday evening I was jogging with my pet dog in a park near by my home. Surprisingly my old friend was walking in front of me.I was so happy. I called him. he also surprised. so we hugged each other.Then we seated on the empty bench near by me. we started to make conversation about our past life. I just told about my personal life and my relatives.My friend was a business man.He also shared his professional and family life experiences. this conversation lasted for half an hour. After send off him, I try to continue my jogging. Suddenly,I remember that moment.Yes. my dog was missing. I just call the dog by its name. But there was no response. I just go to various places in park to find the dog. But I cannot find it.But there was no use. So I immediately, I returned my home. that was the time of school vacation. So my niece and nephew were came to my home to spend holiday. I asked help to find the dog. they immediately came with me. We reached park are. We search the dog for long time.But we could not find the dog. I suffered by my mistake. My nephew and niece trying to convince me" +"This explains an astonishing beginning ideal to the piece of the deal. My life from the most punctual beginning stage was fun as I grew up living with my mom's partner and my buddy. Nevertheless, there were a huge amount of fights and I was very hyper back then. I have ADHD so in those occasions when I was near nothing; I was very hyper and wouldn't stop moving around the spot. I by and large was bothering back then and never seemed to finish my homework at school. I was considered at Kaiser Hospital during the year 1996. The essential spot I lived was in the city Via Harriet and was straightforwardly adjacent to a train. It was always uproarious when the train passed by in light of the way that it shook the house and scared all of the animals. It wasn't the best spot to live, yet we at last moved to the slants, I don't review. This explains an unfathomable beginning ideal to the piece of the course of action. My life from the most punctual beginning stage was fun as I grew up living with my mom's buddy and my sidekick. In any case, there were a lot of fights and I was very hyper back then. I have ADHD so in those occasions when I was essentially nothing; I was very hyper and wouldn't stop moving around the spot. I for the most part was aggravating back then and never seemed to finish my homework at school. I was considered at Kaiser Hospital during the year 1996. The essential spot I lived was in the city Via Harriet and was straightforwardly close to a train. It was continually uproarious when the train passed by in light of the fact that it shook the house and terrified all of the animals. It wasn't the best spot to live, yet we at last moved to the inclines, I don't remember where be that as it may. It was a townhouse that was somewhat close San Lorenzo, it was in Hayward. The elementary school I went for Kindergarten was Community Christian Center (CSS) and continued with appropriate to fourth grade. That was the best time of my school year; I had a lot of associates there. My grandmother worked there for first and second grade in spite of all that I recall when I was in her gathering. She was a Teacher's correct hand and sat in the back of the space to support people." +"With our heavy use of digital media, it could be said that we have taken multitasking to new heights, but we’re not actually multitasking; rather, we are switching rapidly between different activities. Adrenaline and cortisol are designed to support us through bursts of intense activity, but in the long term cortisol can knock out the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which help us feel calm and happy, affecting our sleep and heart rate and making us feel jittery. It would seem then that this physiological adaptation, fostered by our behavior, is a predominant reason for the poor concentration so many people report. The fact that we are the cause of this is, paradoxically, good news since it hands back to us the potential to change our behavior and reclaim the brain function and cognitive health that’s been disrupted by our digitally enhanced lives. And this may even be more important than just improving our levels of concentration. Constant, high levels of circulating stress hormones have an inflammatory and detrimental affect on brain cells, suggests the psychiatrist Edward Bull more, who has written about the link between inflammation and depression in his latest book, The Inflamed Mind. Depression, along with anxiety, is a known factor in knocking out concentration. Put simply, better concentration makes life easier and less stressful and we will be more productive. To make this change means reflecting on what we are doing to sabotage personal concentration, and then implementing steps towards behavioural change that will improve our chances of concentrating better. This means deliberately reducing distractions and being more self-disciplined about our use of social media, which are increasingly urgent for the sake of our cognitive and mental health. It takes about three weeks for a repeating behavior to form a habit, says Jeremy Dean, a psychologist and the author of Making Habits, Breaking Habits. Getting into a new habit will not happen overnight and adaptation can be incremental. Start by switching off smartphone alerts, or taking social media apps off your phone, then switching off the device for increasingly long periods. Practise concentration by finding things to do that specifically engage you for a period of time to the exclusion of everything else. What is noticeable is that you cannot just go from a state of distraction to one of concentration, in the same way that most of us cannot fall asleep the minute our head hits the pillow. It takes a bit of time and, with practice, becomes easier to accomplish." +"We could not believe how competitive the market was. Sellers have the upper hand, and let me tell you they know it! There were times when we wanted to throw in the towel and just walk away, there were times where we wondered whether we'd just be better off staying our new place, we even pondered moving to a new country! But let me tell you, when I get to walk into my new home, and see all the great things about it now it just puts a smile on my face and it somehow makes it all worth it. One of the most memorable moments of the whole process came on a sunny, Sunday afternoon a few months back. We came across this great house online that truly fit all of our needs. It seemed like it was just too good to be true, a house that checked all our boxes and within our budget was just too good to be true. We contacted our realtor right away and said we need to see this house now! She warned us not to get too ahead of ourselves as the house had been on the market for a more than a couple of weeks and surely had many offers waiting to be approved. Regardless we wanted to go see it. As we drove up to the house it was even more perfect than the pictures could show, the street, the colors, the neighbors, and trees surrounding it were all perfect! We saw cars in the driveway and figured it was just other potential buyers but as we walked in we were greeted with an elderly couple walking out of the house. They introduced themselves and said they were on their way out and told us to enjoy the house. My wife and I said they did not have to rush out and could even stay if they wanted. This turned out to be the best decision! They walked us through the house and showed us every little corner and what made it all so special. They showed such detail and we did the same when explaining why this house was so perfect for us. We connected on a different level and as we left the house we told them we'd be making an offer the next day. It was going just like we imagined until our realtor called us and told us our offer was the fifth highest of all offers received. She mentioned the buyers were reviewing them all but again, not for us to get our hopes up as we were down there as far as offers went. Not 10 minutes went by when my phone rings again, this time an unknown number. I answer and to my pleasant surprise on the other end was the elderly woman we met at the beautiful house the day before. She had a sound of joy on her voice and explained she wanted to be the one to give me the good news. She went on to tell me that they were so happy to be accepting their offer. The couple did not care about money in the end, all they wanted was the house to go to someone who would take care of it like they did, they saw themselves in us as we walked through the house and it would be their delight to be able to pass it onto us!" +"We could not believe how competitive the market was. Sellers have the upper hand, and let me tell you they know it! There were times when we wanted to throw in the towel and just walk away, there were times where we wondered whether we'd just be better off staying our new place, we even pondered moving to a new country! But let me tell you, when I get to walk into my new home, and see all the great things about it now it just puts a smile on my face and it somehow makes it all worth it. One of the most memorable moments of the whole process came on a sunny, Sunday afternoon a few months back. We came across this great house online that truly fit all of our needs. It seemed like it was just too good to be true, a house that checked all our boxes and within our budget was just too good to be true. We contacted our realtor right away and said we need to see this house now! She warned us not to get too ahead of ourselves as the house had been on the market for a more than a couple of weeks and surely had many offers waiting to be approved. Regardless we wanted to go see it. As we drove up to the house it was even more perfect than the pictures could show, the street, the colors, the neighbors, and trees surrounding it were all perfect! We saw cars in the driveway and figured it was just other potential buyers but as we walked in we were greeted with an elderly couple walking out of the house. They introduced themselves and said they were on their way out and told us to enjoy the house. My wife and I said they did not have to rush out and could even stay if they wanted. This turned out to be the best decision! They walked us through the house and showed us every little corner and what made it all so special. They showed such detail and we did the same when explaining why this house was so perfect for us. We connected on a different level and as we left the house we told them we'd be making an offer the next day. It was going just like we imagined until our realtor called us and told us our offer was the fifth highest of all offers received. She mentioned the buyers were reviewing them all but again, not for us to get our hopes up as we were down there as far as offers went. Not 10 minutes went by when my phone rings again, this time an unknown number. I answer and to my pleasant surprise on the other end was the elderly woman we met at the beautiful house the day before. She had a sound of joy on her voice and explained she wanted to be the one to give me the good news. She went on to tell me that they were so happy to be accepting their offer. The couple did not care about money in the end, all they wanted was the house to go to someone who would take care of it like they did, they saw themselves in us as we walked through the house and it would be their delight to be able to pass it onto us!" +"We could not believe how competitive the market was. Sellers have the upper hand, and let me tell you they know it! There were times when we wanted to throw in the towel and just walk away, there were times where we wondered whether we'd just be better off staying our new place, we even pondered moving to a new country! But let me tell you, when I get to walk into my new home, and see all the great things about it now it just puts a smile on my face and it somehow makes it all worth it. One of the most memorable moments of the whole process came on a sunny, Sunday afternoon a few months back. We came across this great house online that truly fit all of our needs. It seemed like it was just too good to be true, a house that checked all our boxes and within our budget was just too good to be true. We contacted our realtor right away and said we need to see this house now! She warned us not to get too ahead of ourselves as the house had been on the market for a more than a couple of weeks and surely had many offers waiting to be approved. Regardless we wanted to go see it. As we drove up to the house it was even more perfect than the pictures could show, the street, the colors, the neighbors, and trees surrounding it were all perfect! We saw cars in the driveway and figured it was just other potential buyers but as we walked in we were greeted with an elderly couple walking out of the house. They introduced themselves and said they were on their way out and told us to enjoy the house. My wife and I said they did not have to rush out and could even stay if they wanted. This turned out to be the best decision! They walked us through the house and showed us every little corner and what made it all so special. They showed such detail and we did the same when explaining why this house was so perfect for us. We connected on a different level and as we left the house we told them we'd be making an offer the next day. It was going just like we imagined until our realtor called us and told us our offer was the fifth highest of all offers received. She mentioned the buyers were reviewing them all but again, not for us to get our hopes up as we were down there as far as offers went. Not 10 minutes went by when my phone rings again, this time an unknown number. I answer and to my pleasant surprise on the other end was the elderly woman we met at the beautiful house the day before. She had a sound of joy on her voice and explained she wanted to be the one to give me the good news. She went on to tell me that they were so happy to be accepting their offer. The couple did not care about money in the end, all they wanted was the house to go to someone who would take care of it like they did, they saw themselves in us as we walked through the house and it would be their delight to be able to pass it onto us!" +So within the last month I moved states. I moved from Louisiana to Colorado. It was a difficult drive that took about 3 days. We had issues with the hotel we stayed in one night. The room was dirty first. Then the second room had bed bugs. We had some great food on the way over though. And my dad came with me the whole way and stayed with me for a week after. After we were here we went to several places to see the sites. We even got to see some buffalo one day. It was a great experience and great to spend that time with my dad. He took me furniture shopping a few times. He paid for way too much stuff though. It's been nice being back in Colorado but I miss my family at home. I've been lucky to have some really good friends here though. +"The memorable moment in my life was when a guy fall in love with me, who was from completely different background and different religion. During college days, we used to hang out as a friends, attending classes together, having lunch break and sometime even dropping and picking me up from Home to College and college to home. Day in, Day out we used to see each other , spent time together, talk and share things about our life, but when the cupid striked him, I had no idea. One day when we were in cafeteria, he proposed me. He said that he fall in love the first time he saw me and from their on, he decided that he will marry me, and no one else. It was a love at first sight for him, but it wasn't for me. I couldn't think beyond friendship, because my parents will never approve of him, since he is from different religion. I could not say ""yes"" because i was not sure. I walked away from cafeteria and went straight home. I thought a lot the whole day. And the next day i decided to end this friendship, so i told him the truth. He went completely crazy denying my rejection to marry him. I got scared and started to stay far away from him. He was heart broken and disappointed. He tried to talking to me and calling me at home, but i ignored him. So later, he decided to contact my best friend and his boyfriends, since we hanged out together few times. He convinced them and then they try to convince me that he really loves me a lot and he wants to marry me but then i told them it's not possible, due to our differences, my parents will never accept him. Then they said, if he doesn't marry me, he will die and they confronted me and i refused to listen to them. Then my friend told me that i am lucky that i have someone, who loves me so dearly and deeply, wish i had that. Her comment made me think and then i decided to talk to him. I also bought this in front of my parents and they clearly said no. After all this chaotic situation, i finally decided to marry him, but without my parents consent. They got very angry and broke all the ties with me. Even today they are not willing to accept me and my marriage with a guy from different religion." +"The memorable moment in my life was when a guy fall in love with me, who was from completely different background and different religion. During college days, we used to hang out as a friends, attending classes together, having lunch break and sometime even dropping and picking me up from Home to College and college to home. Day in, Day out we used to see each other , spent time together, talk and share things about our life, but when the cupid striked him, I had no idea. One day when we were in cafeteria, he proposed me. He said that he fall in love the first time he saw me and from their on, he decided that he will marry me, and no one else. It was a love at first sight for him, but it wasn't for me. I couldn't think beyond friendship, because my parents will never approve of him, since he is from different religion. I could not say ""yes"" because i was not sure. I walked away from cafeteria and went straight home. I thought a lot the whole day. And the next day i decided to end this friendship, so i told him the truth. He went completely crazy denying my rejection to marry him. I got scared and started to stay far away from him. He was heart broken and disappointed. He tried to talking to me and calling me at home, but i ignored him. So later, he decided to contact my best friend and his boyfriends, since we hanged out together few times. He convinced them and then they try to convince me that he really loves me a lot and he wants to marry me but then i told them it's not possible, due to our differences, my parents will never accept him. Then they said, if he doesn't marry me, he will die and they confronted me and i refused to listen to them. Then my friend told me that i am lucky that i have someone, who loves me so dearly and deeply, wish i had that. Her comment made me think and then i decided to talk to him. I also bought this in front of my parents and they clearly said no. After all this chaotic situation, i finally decided to marry him, but without my parents consent. They got very angry and broke all the ties with me. Even today they are not willing to accept me and my marriage with a guy from different religion." +"Today, I woke up kinda sad. I had had a bad dream, where despite being across the country, and otherwise completely out of my life, Emma broke up with me a second time. It's really been draining me today, the depression. The lack of sleep from that pointless dream doesn't help, and neither does finding mold on my blueberry English muffin from the cafeteria. I ranted about it a bit to the workers, detailing how I told them about it last week. It really upset me, as mold is very much a dangerous thing to ingest. Finding the mold for the first time was just disconcerting, but finding it again less than a week later is just downright disgusting, how little do you have to care as a provider to possibly kill someone? Slowly, I feel more and more like my past regrets and overall despair are beginning to catch up to me, and beginning to tie me down. It really almost feels hellish, and a deep guilt builds up on top of me. Honestly, in relation to the mold event, it caused me to lash out a bit. I kinda wanted to start throwing the bread from the drawer onto the ground, calling out to all the people in the cafeteria to inform them. I think I may just do that if I see it again. I feel bad because it seems heavily childish. Given the amount I am spending for food service though, I don't see it as unreasonable. Hell, I'd do it at a restaurant even. It's not that I don't feel bad or lack empathy for the workers, but that sort of thing simply CANNOT fly." +"I saw someone sitting at a coffee shop and I just fall in love with her. She was by herself and being quiet and cute. I as alone at a table looking through my work studies. I just happened to look up and there she was. She was just looking like the world's most angelic person. It was like someone made her for the purpose of making others happy. Now when I saw I fall in love with her, its not like we really fall in love. More like she made me smile and happy when I thought I wasn't able to. She allowed me to remember to find the joy in love and to share it. I took that as my pay it forward sign of the day. I knew I had to do my best to also make someone happy. I went outside and met people and smiled at them because of it. I was so happy and effected another person. that person was so happy they told. They said I made them day better and was grateful. I thought to myself, it all started when I fall in love with someone I did know." +"I remember I was very upset about my life and just feeling like I've failed my parents. I walked through my city and I went inside of my local Starbucks. I saw this fascinating woman ordering her coffee. I know nothing about her, I'm sure that we've never talked before. But for some reason she just looked so familiar. We were staring at each other through the shop. I scheduled my coffee trips around the same time that I thought she would be there. She seemed to have a routine which was not hard to follow. The more that I saw her the more that I felt this way for her. I could have the worst day at work or at home but just seeing her face gave me some optimism. Just by looking at her I felt happy, I felt that I could pull through the day just to get me back to that Starbucks. We started seeing each other so much that she just began saying hello to me. We would constantly greet each other but never had a conversation. I held the door for her a few times but never really spoke to her. I felt weird that I was in love with her yet we've never had a meaningful conversation. I don't know anything about her. I couldn't even figure out why I felt this way for her. After I accepted how I felt about her I began to feel better in my life and I felt that I could help people. We eventually had a conversation and she approached me. We had a decent relationship after that." +"I went to a family cookout about six weeks ago. Both sides of the family came, I haven't seen some of my father's family in years and some of my mother's family, I had never met. It was fun and exciting to see everyone and learn more about the family and where I came from. We had a BBQ and made burgers and grilled chicken, we had a few different salads and beverages. We played a few games of charades and cornhole and just reminisced about memories we shared together and with members of the family that are no longer with us. It was so nice to see everyone, the kids all had a great time playing games together. They played red-rover and man-hunt in the woods at the campground. They all came back after playing and roasted marshmallows and had watermelon. The campground is beautiful and the lot we had rented was great because it was right by the lake with beach access. If we had brought our canoes we could have pushed right off from them. We plan to do it again next year and make it an annual event, because we had so much fun. Next year we'll definitely bring the boats and maybe we'll camp out a night or two. The facilities were very nice and I think the kids would all like tent camping. Most of my mother's side of the family is from the city so it will be a new experience for them. We should bring fishing poles too. I wished I had mine with me. I saw lots of fish jumping when the sun went down." +"I went to a family cookout about six weeks ago. Both sides of the family came, I haven't seen some of my father's family in years and some of my mother's family, I had never met. It was fun and exciting to see everyone and learn more about the family and where I came from. We had a BBQ and made burgers and grilled chicken, we had a few different salads and beverages. We played a few games of charades and cornhole and just reminisced about memories we shared together and with members of the family that are no longer with us. It was so nice to see everyone, the kids all had a great time playing games together. They played red-rover and man-hunt in the woods at the campground. They all came back after playing and roasted marshmallows and had watermelon. The campground is beautiful and the lot we had rented was great because it was right by the lake with beach access. If we had brought our canoes we could have pushed right off from them. We plan to do it again next year and make it an annual event, because we had so much fun. Next year we'll definitely bring the boats and maybe we'll camp out a night or two. The facilities were very nice and I think the kids would all like tent camping. Most of my mother's side of the family is from the city so it will be a new experience for them. We should bring fishing poles too. I wished I had mine with me. I saw lots of fish jumping when the sun went down." +"Dear diary. Today I randomly thought about one of the craziest times of my life. I'm sorry for never writing in you about it, but I just needed to time to digest it. It happened around 5 months ago. I finally went through with my kidney transplant and it changed my whole life. First things first, I thought I was going to die. Well, not really thought, but I was slightly paranoid. First because the wait for the kidney seemed to span decades and I did not actually think I would ever get a new one until my gf volunteered to do it. She is literally the best thing that ever happened to me now. I still remember holding her hand as we were wheeled into the operating room together. That was the last thing I recall before I just woke up in a strange hospital room with one of the worst pains I ever felt in my life. And I looked down and I had this really gnarly scar on my abdomen. I felt like my favorite wrestler. I was in the hospital for maybe two more days max before I finally got to return home. My girlfriend got there the same day as me and we spent so much time bonding eating jello and watching Curb Your Enthusiasm. I am so thankful for her and wouldn't trade her in for the world." +"Dear diary. Today I randomly thought about one of the craziest times of my life. I'm sorry for never writing in you about it, but I just needed to time to digest it. It happened around 5 months ago. I finally went through with my kidney transplant and it changed my whole life. First things first, I thought I was going to die. Well, not really thought, but I was slightly paranoid. First because the wait for the kidney seemed to span decades and I did not actually think I would ever get a new one until my gf volunteered to do it. She is literally the best thing that ever happened to me now. I still remember holding her hand as we were wheeled into the operating room together. That was the last thing I recall before I just woke up in a strange hospital room with one of the worst pains I ever felt in my life. And I looked down and I had this really gnarly scar on my abdomen. I felt like my favorite wrestler. I was in the hospital for maybe two more days max before I finally got to return home. My girlfriend got there the same day as me and we spent so much time bonding eating jello and watching Curb Your Enthusiasm. I am so thankful for her and wouldn't trade her in for the world." +"Since the time of my writing, the road has been a bit rocky. My husband was able to find a job. That job was an hour away and was twelve hour shifts! So basically he was working fourteen hour days, three to four days a week. That was taking a toll on him. I was constantly worried about his health and safety. He is in his sixties and diabetic and needs a lot of sleep. He was at this job for about three months and we get kept running into walls with his benefits and pay. We were both keeping our chins up and dealing with it. Suddenly, out of the blue he gets a call from two different recruiters. Next thing I know, 5 interviews later he is resigning and starting another position right around the corner. So now we're happy right? Higher pay, way closer, etc. when I get a call the Friday of his first work week, he got injured on the job. An electrical burn. So he's been there two week, he is starting the third week today, Monday, his hand is still wrapped and the wound not healed by far but he is still at this job." +"The most memorable thing that stands out to me is when my husband got laid off from his job. He had been at his former job for 10 years but they moved the plant out of state and he chose not to move. He was given an impressive severance package and life was good for awhile collecting unemployment and salary. He made the mistake if waiting too long to start looking not ever thinking for a second he would have a hard time finding employment due to his experience and work history. It was a lot harder than he thought due to his age. Finally, when we had exhausted every last dime possible, a job came through. We were able to catch u[ on utility bills and we were about to start paying on outstanding debt when the unimaginable happened again. He got laid off again! This time around he was able to find another job but this one is so far away it is taking a toll on him mentally and physically. I worry about him. Right now, he has been praying for some sort of relief when again, out of the blue, recruiters started calling him again. he had three interviews last week and we are hoping for some call backs this week but doesn't look too good, it is already Tuesday and we have not heard anything yet. All I can do is try and make his life easier and be a strong pillar for him. When he wakes up, I have a big smile and a nice m,eal for him. the same as when he comes home after a 14 hour day." +"My nephew had been kicked out of school during his senior year and was told that he wouldn't be able to walk across stage with his class. Part of the punishment was that he had to finish his senior year doing his classes online and that he would be sent his diploma when he finished. In the beginning, he was not very dedicated to his studies as they didn't have to follow a typical 8 hour school day. They were given their assignments and test dates and they just had to finish by the time the rest of the class graduated. Seeing how he didn't seem to care all that much, we had pretty much resigned ourselves to the fact that he would end up having to get his GED because it wasn't looking all that good. To my surprise, my brother called me a day or two before and said that he had not only finished his studies but that the Principal had decided to let him walk with his class afterall. I don't have kids of my own so he and his sister are my whole world. My niece was a straight A honor student who was in drama and on the dance team at school. She was in advanced classes from the time that she was 6 and it always came easy for her. She received a scholarship to a 4A well known college. I think that my nephew always felt like he had to live up to that and that just wasn't the case. She was a freak of nature and nobody could be like her. So as we sat in the crowded gym that Sunday, I saw him walk out and he looked up at us in the bleachers and the smile on his face melted my heart. He looked so proud in that moment and I knew that he would be okay. Hearing his name finally called and watching him walk across the stage to get that diploma was one of the highlights in my life." +"My nephew had been kicked out of school during his senior year and was told that he wouldn't be able to walk across stage with his class. Part of the punishment was that he had to finish his senior year doing his classes online and that he would be sent his diploma when he finished. In the beginning, he was not very dedicated to his studies as they didn't have to follow a typical 8 hour school day. They were given their assignments and test dates and they just had to finish by the time the rest of the class graduated. Seeing how he didn't seem to care all that much, we had pretty much resigned ourselves to the fact that he would end up having to get his GED because it wasn't looking all that good. To my surprise, my brother called me a day or two before and said that he had not only finished his studies but that the Principal had decided to let him walk with his class afterall. I don't have kids of my own so he and his sister are my whole world. My niece was a straight A honor student who was in drama and on the dance team at school. She was in advanced classes from the time that she was 6 and it always came easy for her. She received a scholarship to a 4A well known college. I think that my nephew always felt like he had to live up to that and that just wasn't the case. She was a freak of nature and nobody could be like her. So as we sat in the crowded gym that Sunday, I saw him walk out and he looked up at us in the bleachers and the smile on his face melted my heart. He looked so proud in that moment and I knew that he would be okay. Hearing his name finally called and watching him walk across the stage to get that diploma was one of the highlights in my life." +"Our car was packed. We'd spent a lovely week at the beach and although we regretted having to leave, home was a welcome destination. Since we were traveling by interstate there wasn't much to see. We expected to miss most of the Atlanta traffic since it was a Sunday morning but as we got into downtown, all the lanes on I-75 were closed down except for one. The line of cars stretched well out of site and we were lucky to move at all. My dad was trying to move over to the lane that the traffic was showing a bit of movement but he wasn't making much progress. Dad decided swap through a few of the local radio stations to see if there was any news of the traffic jam, maybe get an idea of how long we could expect the hold up. He really doesn't care for rock music so he ended up going between a couple of the country music stations. I stared at my Gameboy, trying to beat my high score on Tetris and not think about how bored I was while my sister was having a good nap. Mom was reading a book and would occasionally peak up to see confirm we weren't moving. After about 45 minutes of sitting at a stand-still, one of the stations finally chimed in with the details of the traffic. I wasn't really paying attention, we'd all assumed it was a wreck causing the back up. ""A fatal accident is blocking most of I-75 north involving 2 cars. The victims are reported to have been two children and anyone in the area is advised to avoid I-75 until they get it cleared up. We'll keep you updated as we find out more details. Here's Randy Travis's 'Forever and Ever'."" My mother was visibly upset. Her emotions seemed to swap between disbelief, a bit of curiosity but mostly sympathy for the kids. I think she even felt sorry for whoever caused it. I remember her saying how hard it's going to be for them to live knowing what they did. By the time we reached the scene of the accident the cars had been cleared and there were a few police cars blocking the lanes and workers from the city's road department cleaning up the debris left strewn about the road. Apart telling me not to stare, no-one really said anything. Once we made is past the accident, we were back up to speed and I had a feeling of relief. We still had several hours to go before arriving home and I don't remember any talk about the accident for the rest of the trip. Once we cleared the city Dad pulled off at a fast food place and we got some late breakfast. I don't think my sister even knows there was a wreck." +"Our car was packed. We'd spent a lovely week at the beach and although we regretted having to leave, home was a welcome destination. Since we were traveling by interstate there wasn't much to see. We expected to miss most of the Atlanta traffic since it was a Sunday morning but as we got into downtown, all the lanes on I-75 were closed down except for one. The line of cars stretched well out of site and we were lucky to move at all. My dad was trying to move over to the lane that the traffic was showing a bit of movement but he wasn't making much progress. Dad decided swap through a few of the local radio stations to see if there was any news of the traffic jam, maybe get an idea of how long we could expect the hold up. He really doesn't care for rock music so he ended up going between a couple of the country music stations. I stared at my Gameboy, trying to beat my high score on Tetris and not think about how bored I was while my sister was having a good nap. Mom was reading a book and would occasionally peak up to see confirm we weren't moving. After about 45 minutes of sitting at a stand-still, one of the stations finally chimed in with the details of the traffic. I wasn't really paying attention, we'd all assumed it was a wreck causing the back up. ""A fatal accident is blocking most of I-75 north involving 2 cars. The victims are reported to have been two children and anyone in the area is advised to avoid I-75 until they get it cleared up. We'll keep you updated as we find out more details. Here's Randy Travis's 'Forever and Ever'."" My mother was visibly upset. Her emotions seemed to swap between disbelief, a bit of curiosity but mostly sympathy for the kids. I think she even felt sorry for whoever caused it. I remember her saying how hard it's going to be for them to live knowing what they did. By the time we reached the scene of the accident the cars had been cleared and there were a few police cars blocking the lanes and workers from the city's road department cleaning up the debris left strewn about the road. Apart telling me not to stare, no-one really said anything. Once we made is past the accident, we were back up to speed and I had a feeling of relief. We still had several hours to go before arriving home and I don't remember any talk about the accident for the rest of the trip. Once we cleared the city Dad pulled off at a fast food place and we got some late breakfast. I don't think my sister even knows there was a wreck." +"This past Spring, my Grandma took a turn for the worse in the nursing home she was in. I had been visiting her throughout the year, in various nursing homes and witness her mental state decline, which was a result from the multiple strokes and dementia she had. It was very hard to see her like this because she had always been a pretty level headed woman and she was not talking nonsense most of the time, she did know who I was, however, and usually had a big smile on her face when she saw me. This past Spring, I had received a call from my cousin that I might want to go visit her that day because she seemed to be declining quickly. It was a Sunday afternoon, my baby was napping and we were all being a bit lazy, but I got ready and drove down to the nursing home about 25 minutes away. When I got there, she seemed alert and awake and she knew who I was. She was so skinny because she hadn't eaten in a long time. I noticed she was having problems swallowing whatever was in her mouth and she was very thirsty. I would give her some water and she would try to spit out whatever was getting stuck in her throat because she really couldn't swallow anymore. She kept asking for more water which I helped her with and I kept wiping her mouth to try and get her throat and mouth clear of the gunk. I stayed for almost 2 hours and had to leave. One thing that will always stick out in my mind about that visit was, even though she was going through all this, she had enough energy to lift up my hand and give it a kiss, I know that moment will always stick in my mind. Later that night, I received another call from my cousin saying I really should go down there again because her oxygen wasn't good and she could go at anytime. I drove back down to the nursing home and when I walked in the room, my family was there, their eyes all wet and red from crying. I looked over at my Grandma and she was no longer aware, she wasn't in a coma but she was looking up, with an oxygen mask on, taking deep breaths. My family and I stayed for a long time, talking, telling stories and laughing because my family likes to laugh in times like these but we were all a mess seeing her like this. Finally, my cousin and I noticed that her pulse was no longer reading on the machine and we called in a nurse right away. Luckily, there was a Priest who came about that same time and gave her, her last rites and she was pronounced dead. There is one image of my Grandma that will always be in my mind, and that is when the nurse, finally took off her oxygen mask after she passed. I hadn't realized how she looked until he took off that mask, she looked so malnourished and skeletal like that it was kind of shocking and surprising when they took it off her." +"This past Spring, my Grandma took a turn for the worse in the nursing home she was in. I had been visiting her throughout the year, in various nursing homes and witness her mental state decline, which was a result from the multiple strokes and dementia she had. It was very hard to see her like this because she had always been a pretty level headed woman and she was not talking nonsense most of the time, she did know who I was, however, and usually had a big smile on her face when she saw me. This past Spring, I had received a call from my cousin that I might want to go visit her that day because she seemed to be declining quickly. It was a Sunday afternoon, my baby was napping and we were all being a bit lazy, but I got ready and drove down to the nursing home about 25 minutes away. When I got there, she seemed alert and awake and she knew who I was. She was so skinny because she hadn't eaten in a long time. I noticed she was having problems swallowing whatever was in her mouth and she was very thirsty. I would give her some water and she would try to spit out whatever was getting stuck in her throat because she really couldn't swallow anymore. She kept asking for more water which I helped her with and I kept wiping her mouth to try and get her throat and mouth clear of the gunk. I stayed for almost 2 hours and had to leave. One thing that will always stick out in my mind about that visit was, even though she was going through all this, she had enough energy to lift up my hand and give it a kiss, I know that moment will always stick in my mind. Later that night, I received another call from my cousin saying I really should go down there again because her oxygen wasn't good and she could go at anytime. I drove back down to the nursing home and when I walked in the room, my family was there, their eyes all wet and red from crying. I looked over at my Grandma and she was no longer aware, she wasn't in a coma but she was looking up, with an oxygen mask on, taking deep breaths. My family and I stayed for a long time, talking, telling stories and laughing because my family likes to laugh in times like these but we were all a mess seeing her like this. Finally, my cousin and I noticed that her pulse was no longer reading on the machine and we called in a nurse right away. Luckily, there was a Priest who came about that same time and gave her, her last rites and she was pronounced dead. There is one image of my Grandma that will always be in my mind, and that is when the nurse, finally took off her oxygen mask after she passed. I hadn't realized how she looked until he took off that mask, she looked so malnourished and skeletal like that it was kind of shocking and surprising when they took it off her." +"Right after school started in September, I had to eat crow and go next door to ask Missy to borrow her ladder. All summer long I had been planning, along with some neighbors, the first annual house decorating contest for the block. The deadline was in a few days. This years theme was fire and ice. The competition was running hot and cold among the normally tight group. Everything was ready to go. I was at the top of the ladder trying to fasten hardware and I couldn't reach the roof! So now I have to wait for Missy to come home from work. When she does I will ask if her husband is available to carry their heavy ladder over. They could easily sabotage my entry. I hope they are ""available"". I hope they do not delay. I can't get the decorations up in time before the deadline if they play games. Thank goodness our neighborhood is not mean spirited. As soon as Missy got home she sent her husband straight over with the ladder. He ended up doing a good portion of the work! Love my street!" +"Right after school started in September, I had to eat crow and go next door to ask Missy to borrow her ladder. All summer long I had been planning, along with some neighbors, the first annual house decorating contest for the block. The deadline was in a few days. This years theme was fire and ice. The competition was running hot and cold among the normally tight group. Everything was ready to go. I was at the top of the ladder trying to fasten hardware and I couldn't reach the roof! So now I have to wait for Missy to come home from work. When she does I will ask if her husband is available to carry their heavy ladder over. They could easily sabotage my entry. I hope they are ""available"". I hope they do not delay. I can't get the decorations up in time before the deadline if they play games. Thank goodness our neighborhood is not mean spirited. As soon as Missy got home she sent her husband straight over with the ladder. He ended up doing a good portion of the work! Love my street!" +"My children were up early on the first day of school. My son jumped out of bed as soon as the alarm on Alexa rang out and immediately started to get dressed. My daughter was excited but it takes a lot more than excitement to make her jump out of sleep. Her brother turned on her light causing her to stir a little. SHe usually waits for me to come and pull the covers off. She begrudgingly got up and got dressed and followed her brother and I down the stairs. Daddy was in the kitchen making breakfast--my son's favorite--egg in a hole. They both mowed down the food. My son and daughter walked outside for the obligatory picture that I needed to take and then we waited for the first time the kids would not be on the same bus. It was bittersweet seeing son refuse me walking him to the bus stop because gosh mom you are my mom. We had another 25 minutes before my daughters bus was expected so we sat and watched cartoons together. I kept looking at her brushing her hair realizing these times are fleeting. As the bus approached our driveway, she gave me a huge hug and a kiss. She ran to the end of the driveway and turned around and blew me a kiss and hugged herself like she was hugging me. Even though she was a bit afraid, she was excited to start the new year, alone. At least my daughter still clings to me as we say goodbye." +"Journal entry 115: 3 months ago, when my sister and I started at the new school, I was very afraid. I did not want to separate from my sister. Now, I am captain of the soccer team! It took hard work and a lot of running. My sister is the head journalist of our school. I wonder whats for dinner? I am very much excited, its like biting into my favorite pie! Couch say I have a bright future in soccer and to keep up the good work. I remember asking my sister about how she felt about her first day. She says that it was rough and after she stood up to her bully everything was better. Poor, poor, Andrew.. He never saw it coming. After Mom and Dad broke up; Mom sent us to Muy Thai classes. You know the rest. The has been Journal Entry 115. Captain Skateboard signing off." +My friend and I had an argument. It was over something really stupid and shouldn't have happened to begin with. It was basically my fault for letting things happen that happened. I really feel responsible for what happened and the way thing ended up. We went a while without talking because of it and I hate that. I care a lot about that friend and have been friends with her for over 20 years. I don't want anything like that to ever happen between us again. Things still aren't back to normal between us and I really want them to go back the way that they used to be. I don't know if she wants them to or not. We are both really in different areas in our lives right now and have drifted apart. I still care so much about her and always have and always will. I just really want my friend back the way things used to be. I hope and pray some day that they will be the way that they used to be. I've tried calling her and she didn't answer but she will respond to a text message. She will text me at times also. I'm not going to give up on her. +My friend and I had an argument. It was over something really stupid and shouldn't have happened to begin with. It was basically my fault for letting things happen that happened. I really feel responsible for what happened and the way thing ended up. We went a while without talking because of it and I hate that. I care a lot about that friend and have been friends with her for over 20 years. I don't want anything like that to ever happen between us again. Things still aren't back to normal between us and I really want them to go back the way that they used to be. I don't know if she wants them to or not. We are both really in different areas in our lives right now and have drifted apart. I still care so much about her and always have and always will. I just really want my friend back the way things used to be. I hope and pray some day that they will be the way that they used to be. I've tried calling her and she didn't answer but she will respond to a text message. She will text me at times also. I'm not going to give up on her. +"When I graduated with my credential and master's degree it was June. I was hopeful to find a job for the 2019-2020 school year. However, there were not very many teaching jobs available during this time period. This was true for all subjects. This meant that I only had one job interview during that time. Unfortunately, I was the runner up for that position. It was because I did not have experience. While I continue to look for a job, I am substitute teaching. This is not as good of a job due to financial concerns. It also sucks to not have my own classroom. You are not able to establish the same types of relationships with students that you can in your own classroom. It was surprising to me how bad the job market has been considering the news is constantly saying that there is a teacher shortage. Now I am stuck with student loans to pay. My substitute teaching job is not enough to cover these loans. I think that they should be more honest with the state of the teacher job market." +"Three months ago, I graduated college... finally. I had my master's under my belt, teaching credentials in line. I couldn't be prouder. I was finally done. I was able to get a cushy job at a private school for all grades K-12. The pay was okay, but it was more about finally being able to do what I love, what I spent so long trying to achieve. Unfortunately, we took budget cuts. I was the last hired, so I was the first fired. I had to accept a teaching job at a public school after getting used to my dreamy, safe, private school job. The pay is horrendous, it's almost like the government doesn't want kids to learn anything. I had to buy most of the supplies, and some of the kids are so poor, I ended up having to buy supplies for the kids to even be able to learn. Cheap backpacks and notebooks apparently add up. I thought my student loans were bad... these credit card bills as a public school teacher may kill me before I even get a chance to get a raise in 10 years. But these kids... They need me. I feel like I am right where I am supposed to be, helping these kids. Even if I end up having to get a part-time job on top of this to make ends meet." +"Two months ago, my son started college in another state. My husband, younger son, and I all made the trip to get him moved into his dorm. It was a very emotional experience for all of us. As we first drove onto his campus, his new home for the next 4 years, I felt very reflective. I thought about how quickly his childhood had gone. I thought about all of the hopes I had for him to have a happy experience. I also thought about my fears and concerns, and the fact that he was not going to be as protected by us anymore. I started to get teary-eyed, but then as we pulled up to the dorm, I was struck by the warmth and enthusiasm of the upperclassmen who were there to welcome the new freshmen. The next few hours were a blur of activity, as we got him settled into his dorm, met his roommate, and walked around campus a bit. Finally it was time to leave. The moment to say goodbye was very emotional for me. My husband got teary-eyed as well. But what really surprised us all was the reaction of our youngest son. He had been acting very aloof the whole day, as if he was indifferent. When the moment to say goodbye was actually upon us, he sobbed. His emotional reaction took us all off guard, and then we all had to struggle to keep our emotions in check." +"That cry-baby table tennis player was Albert. Since that event, I was telling about him to all the players I had a chance to talk to. All the people I was speaking with said they are not surprised. Albert is acting like that not only to me. Every time he looses, he always has some excuse. Floor is to slippery. Light is terrible in this place. I didn't get a chance to warm up ! This ball is not a three star ball ! The opponent's serve was not a legal serve ! ...and many many other ridiculous excuses - because there is no other way to call these. I find a behavior like that pathetic... when You loose - You loose. Shake the other player's hand, smile and thank him for the game and don't be a baby... nobody likes people like that.Anyway - Albert and myself - we've met again. It was not a tournament, just a regular league, but if he would loose, he would still loose rating points. I saw him not coming to the table when it was our turn to play. I went to him and I told him we should play now. He answered - no. Just ""no"". He gave no explanation, like... I'll play You later, or I'm not playing with You, or ANYTHING. He just said ""no"" like a retarder baby and not a grown up man that he is. I told him then - I'll let You warm up for as long as You want, c'mon, let's play. I just got another ""no"". I find that really disrespectful and I said to him that he is a coward. Nothing - no reaction, no nothing. I mean, if someone is calling You a coward, You want to explain some things with him right ? Naah, I got nothing from Albert... This tells us what kind of a man he is. This was his chance for a rematch and getting his points back, but he acted like a child again." +"Table tennis is so easy. I don't know why he made such a big deal about it. He stunk at table tennis. I don't know why he even challenged me to begin with. Too bad he was such a loser about it. You should have seen how red his face got when I started teasing him about it. I made sure the girl he has a crush on was there too. You ought to have seen how mad he got then! He basically had a temper tantrum that I beat him. He did everything but throw himself on the floor after the game. I guess he thought he was going to win. It was a strange game. I thought maybe he was losing on purpose. You see, he had been bragging around about how good he was. I said I knew how to play. It was like the other day, I tried poker. I know how to play, I just don't." +"I remember this event, but probably not all the tiny details! My sister and I drove up to Bellevue, Washington to spend some time with family. It was a mini reunion. My sister in law lives in Bellevue. The people that came were my brother, his two boys, his ex wife, myself and my sister. We had a great day planned. When we first got there, we enjoyed a bit of wine and some great appetizers that my sister in law had made. She always has the nicest ""spread"". Then we went on with our day to go wine tasting. We went to a small town named Woodinville. Woodinville is a quaint little town that is known in Washington for wine tasting. The drive was beautiful. Summer in Washington is such a lovely time compared to the hideous rain!!!! The first winery we went to was where we tried a wine called mead. It is a wine made with honey. It was too sweet for me. We went to a few other wineries and settled down at one that we thought we'd enjoy. We all sat outside at a table covered by an umbrella. Our server brought us a selection of different wines. We fully enjoyed them as well as the conversation. It's so fun to get together and talk about our lives. I remember that after that we were getting hungry, so decided to go back to Bellevue to eat. We located an Italian restaurant that looked inviting. It turned out to be a disaster because the server/service was incredibly slow. It was surprising that a restaurant like that was so slow because it was so highly rated! All in all, a great day!" +"I have always loved it when i could get to visit my family. It has been getting more and more hard. Everyone is busy these days. Jobs and stuff. Can't blame them though. However, we do try and find time to be together. We got back together last month, around four weeks ago. It was a small family reunion in Bellevue, Washington. Uncle John has a small place there. Mary came, so did Liam and others. It felt like old times. We went on a trip of wine tasting there. It was really fun. It was especially surprising to see Mary enjoy it, as she was never a wine person. We all had such great fun. Hoping to do it soon again." +"Starting August 25th, I decided to embark on a spiritual cleanse. During this time I was to abstain from social media, television, lustful thoughts, cursing, swearing, and sweets for 1 month. The purpose of this cleanse was to test my willpower. In addition to this, I made it my priority to test my spiritual faith during this time, The cleanse proved to be difficult at first but became progressively easier. During the first week, I struggled to tame my mind in the presence of temptation. I did experience a significant relapse. It was discouraging. After the first 2 weeks, I felt more clear minded. After 3 weeks, I felt stronger both spiritually, physically, and mentally. I was able to keep my composure in stressful situations with less effort. At this point, I started to feel a sense of accomplishment. After the 1 month period, I began to question how was I suppose to transition back to regular life. The cleanse ultimately did the job. I felt proud of myself for successfully enduring this personal test. I tested my willpower and found out that cutting out certain things in my life deepened my spirituality and improved my overall state of wellness." +"My sister got married a several months ago. She got married right after Christmas and it was a beautiful wedding. On the morning of her wedding we got ready and had bagels. We got our hair and make up done. It was just us sisters and it was really nice talking and being together. It did not feel rushed or overwhelming. The bride was so calm. She looked so beautiful and natural. When our hair and make up was done, we left and went to her venue to get dressed. It was raining but that did not matter. All events were inside so we quickly ran in and did not let the rain bother us. I got to pick out any red dress I wanted to. I liked that we did not have to wear a specific bridesmaid dress. My sister got dressed and she looked so classic. Her dress was simple and really flattered her. When all was ready we walked down the aisle and had a fast ceremony. The place looked beautiful. It was still decorated for Christmas and just looked like a winter wonderland. The ceremony was quick and straight to the point but there were some really powerful moments. Once the ceremony was over the family took some pictures and then enjoyed cocktail hour. The food was fantastic and then once that was over we danced the night away. She had a great DJ that played music for everyone. People were on the dance floor all night. My sister looked so happy and for that I am very happy for her." +"My sister and I were always really close. Her being the youngest, I always felt a sense of wanting to always be there for her. When we were younger, I would have to say, we didnt always get along. Her choice of men, the people she hung out with. All of it just seemed rather foreign to me since she was kind of the odd child out in the family. That's not to say I didnt love her or anything, but we always felt rather distant. After I graduated college, we kind of sorta fell further apart. She was five years younger than me, so although we were similar in age, the things we did and who we hung out with were pretty drastically different. Aside from family functions, I really never saw much of her after college. She focuses on school work and her friends, myself on my career. It wasn't intentional in any way, but it just didnt feel like we were as close as we should have been considering we were family. That's kind of why I was a little surprised when she called me up one day to talk. I knew that she had been seeing this guy for a while now through facebook and whatnot. I saw when he had proposed to her, although I still didnt really know much about her. She called to ask me to be her maid of honor. I was a little taken back since I had always felt so distant from her. The wedding itself was amazing. It was good to finally have the entire family back together for this wonderful day and it was great to see how happy she looked with her new husband. It was truly an amazing feeling to be up there with her on this day since I had never felt so close with her in my life. After that day, we actually started handing out more. Seeing mom and dad more often. The wedding itself brought our family back together and I finally feel like I have my sister back in my life like I had always wanted." +"When Auntie was diagnosed with cancer for the fourth time, it was rough, but we thought she'd beat it. We went over to visit her often during treatments, went to the hospital when she was checked in for the initial treatments, and generally kept up a lot of support. Me and Kiddo thought it was important for her to know we were there for her. She seemed to be handling treatment well. Then, out of the blue, she had a massive stroke which reduced her to still alive, not needing life support, but also not able to really communicate. We had no way of knowing what she did or did not process, understand, feel, etc. So we acted on the DNR she had signed before and provided nothing but water. It was so difficult to see her there in that state, basically slowly dying and fading away. As (then) executor of her trust I began to gather everything I needed to make sure this went smoothly for my cousin (her beneficiary). It was hard to post her final goodbye to friends on FB after she passed, but I did what she asked. Then I discovered: she had not fully finished setting up the trust and I had very limited resources. Much to my surprise, I was completely unable to do everything she asked, and had to resign as executor and hand it back over to my young cousin and be there for him for support. I did what I could to give him all the info he needed and put him in touch with the trust attorney. Sadly, and surprisingly too, since I last wrote about this he has not done well. He still needs help accessing all of the resources she left him and after his power was shut off reached out for help. The surprises just don't end with this event, they just keep coming and coming and I pray they will settle down soon." +"When Auntie was diagnosed with cancer for the fourth time, it was rough, but we thought she'd beat it. We went over to visit her often during treatments, went to the hospital when she was checked in for the initial treatments, and generally kept up a lot of support. Me and Kiddo thought it was important for her to know we were there for her. She seemed to be handling treatment well. Then, out of the blue, she had a massive stroke which reduced her to still alive, not needing life support, but also not able to really communicate. We had no way of knowing what she did or did not process, understand, feel, etc. So we acted on the DNR she had signed before and provided nothing but water. It was so difficult to see her there in that state, basically slowly dying and fading away. As (then) executor of her trust I began to gather everything I needed to make sure this went smoothly for my cousin (her beneficiary). It was hard to post her final goodbye to friends on FB after she passed, but I did what she asked. Then I discovered: she had not fully finished setting up the trust and I had very limited resources. Much to my surprise, I was completely unable to do everything she asked, and had to resign as executor and hand it back over to my young cousin and be there for him for support. I did what I could to give him all the info he needed and put him in touch with the trust attorney. Sadly, and surprisingly too, since I last wrote about this he has not done well. He still needs help accessing all of the resources she left him and after his power was shut off reached out for help. The surprises just don't end with this event, they just keep coming and coming and I pray they will settle down soon." +"So about one month ago, I was told by a colleague at work about a pet adoption drive they were having at a local center in which they volunteered at. They told me that i should really think about adopting a animal because they felt it would be something that could bring a bit of happiness to my life. At first when they told me about it, I was a little bit hesitant to accept it but they said that I should at least come take a look and that they wouldn't pressure me about going through it. I agreed and went to the center on Saturday. When I got there I was a a little nervous but excited at the same time. I took a look around and immediately noticed a little pup that caught my eye. I went over to where she was and asked the person who was assisting people with their questions about the little dog in front of me. She told me all about the puppy, the breed, gender and other bits of information and asked me if i was interested in taking her. I immediately said yes and was shone where to go to get everything prepared. I took care of all the necessary stuff and finally was able to my new little pouch home. I decided to name her maul because something about her personality just brought this name to me. Well, it took very little time to hit it off and just after a month we've become inseparable. She's like my second shadow and is always there to meet me whenever I get home. It's been such a pleasant surprise to have her around, she truly has brought lots of joy and excitement into my life. It's to see how I've gotten along in life for so long without having such a nice little companion at my side. My world certainly has become a lot brighter with her around. I feel like I finally understand the joy that dog lovers experience from having these little guys in their life." +"Three months ago I didn't realize how stressed I really was and in need of a break. I ended up going to the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains of North Carolina and it was absolutely breathtaking. From the waterfalls to the insane views, I loved every minute of it. I really didn't realize how much I needed this escape to the mountains until I was there. I was in nature and surrounded by the beauty of it. It felt so relaxing and peaceful and I loved every minute of it. I wish I could just build a cabin up there and live there forever. I actually surprised myself with my fitness. Yes, it was hard at first, but made me feel so good and gave me an extreme confidence boost for what I can tackle. But trust me, I slept really well at night. Hopefully, I can go back there or maybe a new place in the future. It was definitely worth it for my mental sanity alone. I've also been keeping up with my exercise since I got back. I didn't realize what a stress reliever exercise could be. Hopefully, that sticks in my mind and I can find the determination to keep that up." +"I have lived in one state my entire life, never been far from my sisters. In 2014 my father passed away. The parents are the glue that holds the family together. After his death things just changed a little. I have three kids and grandparents are important. My husband is from a different state from me, so that's where his parent's live. At the beginning of this year, the company my husband works for had openings at the plant in another state. I told him to apply for it. Moving to this other state would put us closer to his parents making visiting them easier. So he got the position and we moved in June. It was hard moving so far from my sisters for both my kids and I. It was harder for my kids than it was for me really. My sisters and I just weren't as close as we use to be. Also my son's father lives in the state I'm from and it meant taking my son away from him, even though he only spent one day a week with him. I feel bad taking him from all his school friends though and making him start new in the sixth grade. I'm happy with the decision though. I love the town we live in and the state we moved to is just beautiful." +"I usually hate birthdays, but last month my girlfriend made my birthday awesome. She made reservations at a hotel and restaurant in a nearby city. She drove me to the city on Saturday. We spent the afternoon shopping. She bought me the smartwatch I had been looking at for several months. After we went shopping, we checked into a suite the Intercontinental Hotel. After spending some time relaxing in our suite, we went to dinner. We had dinner at a highly-rated local barbecue restaurant that happens to be one of my favorites. I had a smoked brisket sandwich with french fries. My girlfriend had smoked chicken. The dinner was delicious, as usual, and we enjoyed our dining experience very much. My girlfriend surprised me again with tickets to a play at a local theater. The play was very good. We returned to our suite after the play concluded. Our suite looked out to a wonderful nighttime view of the city. The next morning, we checked out of the hotel and headed home. Maybe birthdays aren't so bad after all." +"One major event in my life is that in the past 6 months, I moved to somewhere entirely new, and got a job, and started a whole different life for me. I moved from my parents house and packed up all my belongings over the course of a week or so, then my girlfriend drove down from Northern Maine(I lived in Mass). We loaded up her car and mine, and began the 7 hour drive to our new place. After several weeks of preparation, organizing everything and getting stuff set up and purchased how we would need them, we were finally ready for this huge transition. In the coming weeks after that long drive, we unpacked everything and set up our new place how we wanted it. There was a lot of frustration and sweat and swearing as we struggled to shift furniture around the apartment, but we managed. Then some weeks later, I managed to find a job in a medical office. A position I took to readily and have since been excelling at. The actual act of moving was a stressful one, we spent a lot of time worrying ourselves over money, over my ability to find a job, over how I""d manage to work out my schooling, all of it. Not to mention the fact that my family strongly disapproved of the decision and began treating me incredibly poorly once I broke the news to them. We drove for several hours before making our first stop, me trailing behind her, as her car was larger and she had packed it up to the point where she couldn't really see behind her. We stopped to pick up something to drink and use the restroom, as well as refuel our cars. THe drive was one we'd made many times before so the actual act of driving wasn't too bad, however, it was somewhat exhausting for her since she made the drive down just the day prior. With the cars refueled we went a ways further, before stopping for some Burger King. The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful, and we stopped first at our new apartment to drop off some of the stuff. However, since we got in at around 10pm, we were too tired to really move everything in in earnest, so we went to her parent's house to sleep. Bright and early the next day, we began the long process of moving my stuff, as well as hers, into our new place. Hours upon hours of moving stuff, lifting it up stairs, shifting it around, just general struggle. But ultimately, we have our place exactly how we want it, and I loved the experience." +Around two months ago me and my girlfriend decided we would move in together. I was a little worried how things were going to go because we hadn't been dating very long at the time and didn't know how we would get a long when we were in each other space all the time. We were excited to see how all this would go but first we had to get through the move. I lucky have access to a truck so we didn't need to rent anything. My girlfriend had to work that day so i started the move solo. It wasn't to bad at first since i just did the boxes but that went by fast. Next I started with the heavier stuff with a dolly like the washer and dryer. Next was the chairs and desk but i was starting to run out of the stuff that i could move by myself. I picked my girlfriend up from work and we got a quick snack before we got back to our new place with a great view of Maine. We then started the move with the couch its not very heavy well at least for me but we had to lift it to angle it through the door. That part was very frustrating but we got through it. Next was the mattress. It was much lighter than then sofa but to angle through the halls was a mess and we started to snap at each other. I think we were both getting tired and started to take it out on one another. After we got the mattresses in though that was it and we both calmed down and turned from grumpy to relieved. Now that the move is over we have nothing but good times these last two months and i know we made the right choice to live together. +"This story from life is about a conference I was invited to participate in as one of the speakers. It has been a long time for such a conference to be planned about this subject which deals with the crystal skulls, were were a key part of the plot shown in the last Indiana Jones film that came out in 2008. I had hoped to have the ability to help the conference coordinator with the planning of the conference. This advice would help to make it the best it could be for the attendees. You see, I have helped to organize several such conferences in my past. However, my offer of such assistance was totally rejected. Therefore, I had to step back and let my friend, the coordinator, do the conference as she saw fit. This was very hard for me to do but I released it. I knew closer to the time when the conference was to take place, I then would do my best to prepare a very informative and entertaining presentation to offer. Plus, I would have many interesting things at my booth to share and sell. It should be noted, at the time this diary entry is being written - the conference did already take place. And in some ways it happened in a form much better than I thought it would occur. It was personally successful for myself on all levels. Let me give some examples of what I proposed for the conference that was shot down.. #1 I thought we should have a panel discussion, which has worked at other conferences. #2 - I have written a song on the subject of the conference to play. #3 - I wanted to help to make sure all the speakers coming - got along with each other. Anyway, it was a great conference and I was honored to be a key part." +"This story from life is about a conference I was invited to participate in as one of the speakers. It has been a long time for such a conference to be planned about this subject which deals with the crystal skulls, were were a key part of the plot shown in the last Indiana Jones film that came out in 2008. I had hoped to have the ability to help the conference coordinator with the planning of the conference. This advice would help to make it the best it could be for the attendees. You see, I have helped to organize several such conferences in my past. However, my offer of such assistance was totally rejected. Therefore, I had to step back and let my friend, the coordinator, do the conference as she saw fit. This was very hard for me to do but I released it. I knew closer to the time when the conference was to take place, I then would do my best to prepare a very informative and entertaining presentation to offer. Plus, I would have many interesting things at my booth to share and sell. It should be noted, at the time this diary entry is being written - the conference did already take place. And in some ways it happened in a form much better than I thought it would occur. It was personally successful for myself on all levels. Let me give some examples of what I proposed for the conference that was shot down.. #1 I thought we should have a panel discussion, which has worked at other conferences. #2 - I have written a song on the subject of the conference to play. #3 - I wanted to help to make sure all the speakers coming - got along with each other. Anyway, it was a great conference and I was honored to be a key part." +"I can remember it like yesterday most days. It was five months ago in May, but it was memorable to say the least. Memorable in both the positive and negative sense. Considering we lived together, we were both up all night feeling nervous yet excited. We wanted to walk across that stage so badly yet we were so afraid of what the future held for us. I think I was more nervous than she was though. The day of the ceremony, we both had overslept. She was freaking out about that more than me because she wanted to do her makeup and hair. All I had to do was shower and get dressed really. Thankfully, we made it on time. As we sat waiting for our names to be called, I was shaking whereas she held a calm composure. Her name was before mine so she got up and claimed her degree and everything. When it was my turn, that's when I full out embarrassed myself. Walking up the three steps to the stage, I tripped and fell down in front of hundreds, if not thousands. I laughed it off but I was crying on the inside. Nonetheless, we both achieved what we worked so hard on the past few years." +"My son is still in school but has been on vacation for the past month. He had decided to take a class during the summer, so his vacation didn't start when my other kids vacation had started. We ended up waiting for him to be off so we could go on vacation. Our vacation was pretty short and ended up only actually doing something for a week. It was more of a stay cation. But it was still fun and we did a few things close to where we live. I was a little frustrated and surprised that he wanted to take this class, but it was with the teacher that he really wanted. So, in the end it was fine and my family was able to adjust. It can be hard to keep up with his schedule because its always changing and he usually needs someone to take him to and from school due to lack of parking. So I have had to plan for that, and to make sure my schedule is flexible so I can either take him to school or pick him up. Its a good thing his college is close, or this type of thing would never work. I am so proud of him and how hard he has worked toward his civil engineering degree. So even though I have to deal with the transportation issues, high cost, and the challenging schedule, I think its been worth it. I'm so happy he has this opportunity and I am able to support him through it. My parents never sent me to college or even really thought about my education. So I'm glad that I am able to do this for my son and be there to help him continue his education." +"My son is still in school but has been on vacation for the past month. He had decided to take a class during the summer, so his vacation didn't start when my other kids vacation had started. We ended up waiting for him to be off so we could go on vacation. Our vacation was pretty short and ended up only actually doing something for a week. It was more of a stay cation. But it was still fun and we did a few things close to where we live. I was a little frustrated and surprised that he wanted to take this class, but it was with the teacher that he really wanted. So, in the end it was fine and my family was able to adjust. It can be hard to keep up with his schedule because its always changing and he usually needs someone to take him to and from school due to lack of parking. So I have had to plan for that, and to make sure my schedule is flexible so I can either take him to school or pick him up. Its a good thing his college is close, or this type of thing would never work. I am so proud of him and how hard he has worked toward his civil engineering degree. So even though I have to deal with the transportation issues, high cost, and the challenging schedule, I think its been worth it. I'm so happy he has this opportunity and I am able to support him through it. My parents never sent me to college or even really thought about my education. So I'm glad that I am able to do this for my son and be there to help him continue his education." +"It was kind of fun and kind of weird at the same time. I was walking on the street and he seemingly came out of nowhere, almost pounced on me and recognized me instantly, while I was having a hard time figuring out who he was. After I recognized him we started a conversation but it was a bit uneven. While I was somehow guarded, at least at first, he just dived in the conversation like just as if we had already been talking together for hours. He seemed very eager to know about my life, my present circumstances, even my political opinions. So we chatted, although I didn't have that much time and the context was not the most comfortable. He asked me a bunch of questions and several times veered into personal territory, or asked awkward questions. Among other things, at some point he told me something like: ""You didn't look too bad as a teenager but you were so skinny, I see you worked on that. I guess that's why you're married now - you were like a sack of bones."" So... not the most tactful guy. Of course I made a face when he said that, a somewhat surprised and skeptical face so he realized he had been unpleasant and apologized profusely. He also told me he had not seen his son in many years and knew that his son had had a baby but had never seen the baby. He even implied that it was probably for the best since family is so annoying (his words). But he wanted to know about people we used to know in high school and seemed surprised that I had not kept in touch with any of them. It was pretty clear he was not someone with great social skills, although I had never really noticed it when we were young. I never really hung out with him but we were in the same classes, we had some friends in common etc. He just seemed a bit shy and didn't talk much, but he was quite popular nonetheless - I now wonder why. At the time I thought he was probably really nice once you got to know him better, but now I'm not sure that's what it was. One way or another, we ended up chatting for a rather long time because I felt kind of bad to cut the conversation short - he looked pretty lonely actually, and seemed so thrilled to have someone to talk to." +"Well, that was unexpected. Just walking down the street minding my own business when this guy almost pounced on me. I had not noticed him on the street and he seemed to appear out of nowhere; he literally grabbed me by the arm and almost yelled something like ""Oh my God, you didn't change one bit! What are you doing here!?"" I was really surprised, completely taken aback actually, trying to figure out if I actually knew the guy or if he was just some random bozo trying to make contact. He started asking me about people I did not know. But it was very vague. Like, ""Have you seen Bob again?"" And I couldn't see who he was talking about. Eventually he realized I was not recognizing him and, once again almost yelling, told me he was my cousin Michael. And then I could see that he was indeed. But he had changed a lot. The last time I had seem him he was probably 19 or 20, thin as reed, with long curly blond hair. I was now staring at a portly bald guy with thick glasses and a manic grin on his face. Still, it was him alright and since I was curious, I accepted his offer to go and grab a cup of coffee together, right then and there. Once we were seated in a cafe he calmed down and started acting more normally. So we talked about what we were doing now, how our families had been at war without our generation understanding why it was we couldn't hang out together anymore. (We still don't know to this day why our parents suddenly decided to break all ties with his parents). And we spoke of our current lives. He lives in Germany now and was visiting New York. The more he was telling me about himself the more I realized he was somewhat of hermit, someone who kept away from other people out of misanthropy. Among other things, he told me he had a son, who had just had a baby, so he was ""technically"" a grandfather. The ""technically"" made me laugh and I asked him why he was using that term. He told me his son had totally cut ties with him. And he told me it was better that way, that anyway he didn't really like his son. The least I can say is that it was an interesting conversation. And that I'm glad he lives faraway." +"My family went on a trip out West this Summer. We visited many places, but the one we all enjoyed the most was Bad Lands National Park. I think the reason we all enjoyed it so much is because it was something that my parents, myself, and my young children all could enjoy together. The beauty was amazing, and he wildlife and natural land forms were something so very different than we had ever experienced before. We were able to observe American Bison on the prairie. The sheer size of the creatures is what stands out in my memory to this day. My children still talk about the bison, and we have included studying these animals during our homeschooling days. We also saw huge eagles and hawks! The wildlife that my children probably enjoyed the most were the prairie dogs, as they were able to get fairly close to them! The vast rock formations, and huge canyon was amazing. It was like a giant bowl in the middle of the prairie! We learned about the formation of the rocks, and you could see the different layers of sediment in the rocks. We spent the greater part of a day just exploring the different areas, pulling off at all of the scenic outlooks! It was an amazing family memory! I can't wait to go back when my wife and oldest son can join us!" +"This Summer I went on a month long trip out West. We visited many different tourist destinations. Yellowstone National Forest, Mount Rushmore, and a wildlife park to name a few. One of the attractions we visited was Bad Lands National Park. The rock formations were stunning, and We took many photos. This event was particularly special to me, because I have wanted to visit this park since I Was a little girl. A teacher shared pictures of her own vacation with me, and from that moment on, I have wanted to visit. My visit was everything I have always imagined and more! My family and I saw American Bison, prairie dogs, Big Horn Sheep, and so many birds! One of the most exciting moments was when my children were able to get very close to a prairie dog for a picture! The sun was so hot that day, but there was a nice breeze over the prairie. My children and I climbed a couple of large rock formations together, and the view from the top was spectacular! This park was one of the things we did that all ages enjoyed. My parents and children were equally impressed with the land formations and animals. I plan to return on my next visit out West." +"Three months ago, my husband and I took our twin boys to Disneyworld. We had the grand idea of making it a ""super fun road trip""... you know, for the memories. We got memories, alright. After loading the car down, we discovered a flat. We had to unpack the entire car to get to our spare, and change the tire. That's okay though! Just a flat. We've got this! On the road in just a little under an hour. The boys started squabbling almost immediately, which we expected. I was prepared! I had snacks and activities to distract them!Note to future self - Car rides and cheese cubes are not always a great combo. We had to make a pit stop to clean cheese cube vomit off of our little cherubs, and the entire backseat. That's okay though! Just a little cleaning. Back on the road in just 45 minutes. An hour later, we heard a thumping. What's that? Another flat? Since we just dealt with this earlier, our only spare was gone. Being the rocket scientists that we are, we unpacked the entire car before realizing this. We called AAA, but since we were in the middle of nowhere, it took forever for them to get there. The snacks, gone... The car, stinky... The boys, frustrated... The mom, regretting all her choices... The dad, total dad mode of trying to rally the troops and get this done. Our arrival was uneventful, as the boys were asleep, but we survived!" +"After HVAC school for one year I realized I wasn't comfortable with the amount I was being taught and I was too scared and too heavy to go into this job field I decided to go on another career path that I thought I would love. I earned money several months through Mturk and plasma selling to make enough to afford food, toiletry, proper clothing, and fees so I could go to trucking school. After getting an okay amount of money and supplies, I headed on a bus to the school in the beginning of February. I arrived in a hotel extremely confused as I was in a hotel different from where I was told I would be which gave me an overall bad feeling about the experience. Regardless I went to bed and woke the next morning too early as I wasnt given an actual time about when things started for us but found my way to the proper building eventually that day. After getting into the building everything went smoothly with learning what was going on and what the rules were and general information on what I needed to know. I earned my Class A permit before going to the school while I was ""turking"" so my first week went a little smoother than some other classmates who had to get their Class A permit within 4 days. I also read and learned the permit book in 4 days so I knew they could do it. Fast forward the first week goes by, its only classroom things like learning to shift on computer simulators and what to expect and getting our documents in. Week 2 we actually get in the trucks and learn pre-trip and backing skills. I absolutely ace pre-trip even though people still maintain today that it is the hardest part. My backing was pretty much fine as in it wasn't the best but wasn't the worst. Almost every day I was in a truck I wanted to quit and I remember wondering whether or not future me would continue to go through with this. I was scared around 50% of my days in the last two of three weeks. Fast forward week two my backing is doing great, I aced all 4 things on my evaluation (straight line backing, pre-trip, parallel parking, offset parking) so I'm able to move to road driving week three. I'm of course scared but I get it done and by the end of week three I was told I was testing slightly early than I expected (a Thursday instead of the expected Saturday). I genuinely did not feel ready as not only did i hit a curb 2 out of 3 times in my road test, I was also struggling at parallel parking despite doing it fine at station 2 in week 2. So that Thursday i went in for the test and aced pre-trip, offset, and straight line backing, but failed my parallel parking. I was pretty much down the entire day and couldn't figure out why I parked so well at station 2 but not station 3. The next day I practice backing until I'm absolutely sick of it and was scheduled to retest Saturday morning first thing. That morning I passed everything easily with flying colors much to my surprise but I felt relieved, excited, yet still nervous because I knew this was only the beginning." +"I decided after quitting HVAC school that since I liked to drive that I should instead be a truck driver. Being a pizza delivery driver was one of the longest jobs I had ever held and it was a pretty relaxed job once I stopped stressing over how late the delivery may or may not be. When I told my father he was surprised asking me every few days, ""you're not scared?"" I honestly wasn't, I guess at the time I was more concerned about having enough money to last me during the schooling phase. So February after earning enough money to last me roughly two weeks (which by the way was a lot less than what I actually needed) I got on the greyhound to earn my place in this world. I had studied and earned my CLP (commercial learner's permit) while I did the odd jobs to get the money I needed for the trip. I arrived at night in a completely different hotel than was told I would be in and that frazzled me immediately. With literally no information about where I go next and when I decided to just go to sleep early and get on with it. Fast forward to the beginning of week two. This is where the fear sets in. The fear my father kept asking me if I felt 3 months ago had finally latched onto my heart and head. It was time to actually turn on and drive the truck to do my first backing maneuver. The first maneuver was actually pretty simple, just drive forward and back up. Well it SOUNDS simple but it really isn't; the back of that 53 foot trailer wants to go in directions you didn't give it permission to go in. You had to learn to control the trailer and make sure it stays straight and doesn't continue to offtrack right or left. Eventually I got it down even though I genuinely felt I wasn't going to be able to do it. Then came the next maneuver which was offset parking. Take your trailer and move it to the very next spot. This took some time but eventually I got it after again thinking I wouldn't be able to do it. Then the next maneuver, parallel parking. Just thinking about parallel parking a truck still frazzles me to this day, but eventually I nailed it in five minutes, or so I thought. After practicing all three maneuvers till I got sick of them came test day. In my first station I had nailed all three maneuvers after much practice perfectly. In the last practice station I had trouble with parallel but ended up doing a prefect parallel right before I tested. Because my results had been inconsistent I wasn't exactly sure how I would test but long story short I ended up failing the parallel my first try during the test. I felt so defeated and extremely sad but I wasn't going to let it stop me considering I hated the thought of going back home with mom and dad. In forty eight hours I gave it another try and nailed it being one of three out of twenty four other students in my group able to get my CDL in three weeks" +"That fateful day in June - June Seventh 2019 was a day like any other ordinary day. It began the same, mid way also. The night was what changed everything. I developed and woke up to an extreme pain. This pain radiated in my jaw, teeth, and neck, but was not the ordinary tooth or molar pain. It was intense, extreme, unbearable. Nothing would help it, not over the counter medications, or rest. It was an intense, tremoring pain --- the kind you'd experience during a boxing match or worse, during surgery without numbing. Being that I suffer from anxiety and am getting up there in age, I began to worry. Was this very serious? I contemplated my options all the while suffering. Do I go to the ER? A local Urgent Care? I tried everything I could think of to numb the pain. It was almost as if I was bitten by a poisonous creature. Was it a spider bite? So many things raced through my mind. Eventually, I realized the inside of my mouth was irritated. This was possibly from spicy food or acid reflux, and that it appeared to be possibly infected. After finally coming to and going to the ER, this was confirmed. I was given antibiotics and went home. I have since fully recuperated thankfully." +"It happened 2 months ago, at the evening time on Wednesday. I discovered i was having cold which i did not really take too serious. This cold was not the normal cold the whether could have caused. I skipped that day hoping the next day gonna be better. On the next day i woke up strong and healthy. Before noon, I developed a sudden and a strange severe pain, which i never expected that could happen due to my health condition. I endure this pain for many hours, Later that day i decided to go to the ER after worrying it could be very serious. I went straight to see our family doctor fortunately, I met him on a good condition, He attended to me. I explained to him exactly how i was feeling and from my explanation he could figure out what could be happening. I sense this could be a stroke and was given the all clear. I was placed on medication and was given medicine. I left and started using this pills and a change begin to happen the next day. I felt so clear that i will be fine as my body was responding to treatment. though out the week i took this medication so serious and after all i became better. I was so surprise been so getting better so quick because something similar to this happen to someone i know that took him many month to get recover from it. but my was so surprise and feel happy that i could get fit back again." +"Today was just a normal day that I had to myself. Since I enjoy riding my motorcycle in these off days, I figured today would be a great day. I woke up early so I could get whatever I needed to finished at home. After I was finished I checked the weather and once I say it would be good, got ready to go on my motorcycle ride. My plans were to spend about an hour or two on the normal route I go, but that changed later on. The first half of my trip went as normal. I took in the views and spent most of the time relaxing. I was listening to music during the ride too. The weather was nice and there weren't too many cars on the road. I was starting to think it was time to head back. I figured I would take one last road before heading home. The road was one that I hadn't road on in an of my trips, so I thought it would be nice to check it out. Instead, things went much differently. There was a car coming from the other side of the road, and just as we were both getting close to each other a deer jumped out at us from the woods. I had to quickly steer myself off the road, as to not hit either the door or the other car. I ended up crashing into a tree and the other car made it by fine and the deer jumped away unharmed. The other car stopped and waiting around with me for the police to arrive, and I made it out with only minor injuries." +"So this happened about seven weeks ago and I'm still traumatized by it but I need to get it out by writing it down. It was Sunday and for once it wasn't broiling hot outside, so Pat and I decided to get on the Harley and go for a cruise. We weren't going anywhere special, no destination in mind, just riding in the country, taking in the scenery. Maybe we'd stop somewhere for dinner when we got hungry or just stop off anywhere that looked interesting. It was just a super relaxed kind of day with no responsibilities, no plans or schedules, just the wind in our faces. We had been driving maybe two hours when the incident happened. Out of the blue, with no warning, there was an armadillo in the road right in our path. Like seriously, and armadillo? I didn't even know there were armadillos this far north. I also didn't know they could move that fast, I thought they were more of a lumbering creature. But there was no denying it was right there, almost touching my front wheel, and I had practically no time to react. Time kind of slowed down like some kind of Matrix special effects. I was able to consider swerving to the left and reject that idea because of oncoming traffic. I was able to swerve right even as I cursed the loose sandy berm which I would have to go into. I held onto the handle bars, readying myself to keep control and not go into a skid and the tires went from the hard tarmac to the gravelly sand. Somehow I managed to keep us upright and out of the ditch. Pat was a trooper, hanging on for dear life and leaning with me like an expert to keep from unbalancing us. It all took a split second to happen but it felt like forever. I pulled us back up onto the road, and we continued on our way unscathed physically, but mentally we were both deeply shaken. We haven't been out riding since. But I'm not going to let it hold me back. In fact I think I'll go out tomorrow." +I have thought about this since I was a little kid. I have worked for it since High School and now it's finally here. I AM A JUNIOR ARCHITECT FOR THE BEST FIRM IN NY! After all the dreams and hard work it seems surreal that I was finally hired. I am so excited to get to work however have to admit I'm nervous. What if I am not as good as they hoped? What if I don't get along with my co-workers. Although I've dreamed and imagined this day for as long as I can remember it's the little things I never considered. What am I going to wear? What if I don't do well? What if the hours are too long? How is this going to change my family and household? I know it's going to take a lot of work but I'm concerned about neglecting the other parts of my life. Over all I'm going to just have to push these feelings aside and embrace this opportunity. I will do my best and hope that it all works out in my favor. I know financially this is the best choice for my family and that it's what I love doing. SO EXCITING. +"Wow, it's been a while since I made some notes, but boy how things have changed! Well, 5 months ago, I had a baby boy! I distinctly remember the anticipation of his birth, it was a testy time for me for sure. My wife was under a lot of physical and mental stress, and I was eagerly waiting for labor day, but I was fearful yet excited. It's a feeling I'm not sure if I will feel again, especially when my wife went into labor. I didn't know what was going on -- it felt like adrenaline running through my veins and I felt frantic but also that I knew exactly what I was doing and what needed to be done. I was there to support my wife at all steps and I wished most in the world for the healthy birth of my son and that my wife would be alright. When he was finally born, I remember making a look of shock and awe to my wife, especially when she handed him to me to hold. It was crazy to think that my own son was in my hands, and only a few months back I never had any time of feelings like this. I was almost overwhelmed, but my wife and I always wanted a family, and this had been years in the making. Honestly, some of my first thoughts were, ""Can I do this? Am I going to be a capable father?"". My wife helped me put those thoughts to rest quick, and the joy of having my son around drowned out those types of thoughts quickly when my family and my wife's family showed up to support us, as well as our friends. The amount of support was really incredible. I don't think we had to buy a thing for 3 months as people came in in droves to support us it seemed. I'm a family man now, and I love it." +"Wow, it's been a while since I made some notes, but boy how things have changed! Well, 5 months ago, I had a baby boy! I distinctly remember the anticipation of his birth, it was a testy time for me for sure. My wife was under a lot of physical and mental stress, and I was eagerly waiting for labor day, but I was fearful yet excited. It's a feeling I'm not sure if I will feel again, especially when my wife went into labor. I didn't know what was going on -- it felt like adrenaline running through my veins and I felt frantic but also that I knew exactly what I was doing and what needed to be done. I was there to support my wife at all steps and I wished most in the world for the healthy birth of my son and that my wife would be alright. When he was finally born, I remember making a look of shock and awe to my wife, especially when she handed him to me to hold. It was crazy to think that my own son was in my hands, and only a few months back I never had any time of feelings like this. I was almost overwhelmed, but my wife and I always wanted a family, and this had been years in the making. Honestly, some of my first thoughts were, ""Can I do this? Am I going to be a capable father?"". My wife helped me put those thoughts to rest quick, and the joy of having my son around drowned out those types of thoughts quickly when my family and my wife's family showed up to support us, as well as our friends. The amount of support was really incredible. I don't think we had to buy a thing for 3 months as people came in in droves to support us it seemed. I'm a family man now, and I love it." +"Today, I learned that an ex girlfiend of mine has stage 3 breast cancer. She and I were together shortly after high-school, and though the relationship didn't end all that well, I thought of her often. We had some good times and she was around for a part of my life when I really needed someone. She moved on, as did I. She moved to another state, got married. I remained here, got married and had kids of my own. Even though, I still frequently thought of her and the good times we had. Hearing this news today really hit me - I keep thinking back to high school, the good times we had and the adventures we went on. Now that I'm middle aged, I think of my own mortality (I'm healthy), but this really hit me hard to hear she is dying - literally dying. Her prognosis is not good. I'm not sure exactly how to feel, or whatI should feel, if I should reach out or not...Things didn't end well but I still care for her, even after 20 years has gone by. I saw her picture and she is as gorgeous as I remember. Tough day all around. I guess I didn't know just how hard news like this would hit me. I'm feeling a little confused and not quite sure how to process all this." +"My family vacation may not have been anything too spectacular to anyone looking in from the outside. However, to those who were fortunate enough to be part of the vacation, it meant everything. This family vacation story also shows how important family really is. family. Vacation is also a time where my entire family and I can wind down and relax for a week without having to worry. Family is important, and we do not always have the time to cherish or express how much we love each other. Nevertheless, having the opportunity to go on these small trips is special to me. Going to the Peace Gardens was somewhere that I will always remember. And we Disney World thinks it’s going to be the vacation of a lifetime. Everything seemed to be going smoothly that morning. My family was very happy. When we arrived at the restaurant me and my sister ordered a gigantic hamburger, my wife and children. we finish we were all very satisfied and we headed for a little fun. We saw some lights in the far end and we followed them. We arrived at a show it was called the electrical parade and it was really cool. So we went down there last summer and it was a big vacation for all of us. I know it was more of an children’s vacation which but it was very fun and we all loved. In my opinion we are a little too old for Disney World but it was my favorite vacation." +"My girlfriend broke up with me. We had been dating two months. She was someone that I had known most of my life, but had never thought about an intimate relationship with her. Everything was beautiful at first. Then late one night after we had gone to bed, the phone rang. Suddenly, she became extremely nervous as she spoke in a low voice into the phone. She then ended the Phone call very quickly. I asked her who it was. It was one of her ex boyfriends she replied. She then added that he would call every few months just to talk. So, he calls you this late? I asked. Was he planning to come over? I snapped. She then asked me if I wanted her to tell him to stop calling. This is your house, do as you wish I replied. We begin to argue, and I left. I called her every day for a week, but she did not answer or return my calls. I finally just dropped by and she told me we were done. She said that she had wanted to be with that guy again. I walked out without saying a word. I never did find out how long they had been sleeping together behind my back." +"I noticed that my brother had taken on some of the similarities of those around him. My brother was eating food that I had never seen him eat. I was sure not going to eat any foods that I could not identify. I remember that as I sat waiting for my brother's graduation to begin, that I reflected on my first plane ride. It had been very exciting. I can't believe that I waited thirty years to fly! It is the only way that I will travel from now on. Now as I sat waiting for my brother's graduation, I thought about our age difference and how I really felt like a big sister. I am sixteen years older than him, WoW! Sometimes he has seemed like a son to me. The ceremony very different from when my other brother had graduated in the south. They are more formal here today, with not many speeches from the higher ups. They cut straight to the chase with handing out diplomas for their achievements. As I approach my brother, I can see that he is really surprised, because I surprised him and he did not spot me during the ceremony. For the first time since he was a little boy, I see tears in my brother's eyes." +"This past July I went on vacation with my family. Most years the vacation is a real grind. We have been going to the same place for twenty years with the exception of two years. The truth is for a couple of years I have been trying to back out of it and do something on my own with my vacation time but my mom can do one hell of a passive aggressive guilt trip to get me to go. My parent will ask me and my siblings what we want to do new this year at the destination but the truth is as far as activities go we've gone scorched earth over this place. Anyway, My dad and older sister normally have the trip scheduled down to the minute, leaving no room for anybody else to have much input. I am a little ashamed to admit for the past few years I've spent most of my time in varying degrees of drunken stupor as my main form of entertainment. I had thought this might be the year that the cycle would break but my sister, who definitely drives the engine in this scenario, came up with a scenario to take my brother's children along this year. I have to admit, this was not her worst idea. My brother had moved to a different city and these children had never been to the destination before and would definitely shake up the routine. So, that was what happened a couple of month's ago my brother brought his children to town and we packed them into the cars a few days later for the trip. The car ride down was mostly unmemorable except for the fact that I realized that my spotify playlists were not really kid friendly. The trip itself was a lot of the same things as before but there was a new energy because it was it was new to the children and it was exciting for them to go someplace that they had never been before. Things that had been stale were given new life and people were forced to change up some of their routines. Doing things that had become pedestrian and had lost their luster became fun again as I watched my nieces do them and remembered how I used to love to do these things when I was younger. For some reason I was dominating games that required coordination. Actually, one of the biggest problems was as the week progressed was that time was becoming compressed and there was so much to do. These kids had heard about the different things, those of us who had been coming for years had done, and wanted to do it all. Our last night there we were doing things until one in the morning. The next morning when we left was the first time in a couple years I had felt the least bit sad to be leaving. It was a long drive home I think most people were a little frayed but it had been a good trip." +So far I am still enjoying this position but now I’m having a hard time adjusting. I keep having this nagging feeling that I want to stay home with my daughter. I have thought about once again stepping out and trying to find a new job closer to my home. Currently I am having to drive 30 min one way to work. I am trying to decide if I once again want to step out of my comfort zone and apply for a new position with a new company. There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to this. I have put 6 years in at my current place of employment and therefore I am getting optimum benefits. It will be hard for me to start over somewhere but I am willing to do so if I get better pay and benefits. We will just have to I would love to find a way to make money with my own business. At this point of don’t have a clue of what I could do. see how it goes and if anything that I want to apply for presents itself. I want to be comfortable but also make the most money and get to spend the most time with my family especially my daughter while she is young. once I find a position I will know. I will have to identify if it will be the right fit for me. I can tell these kinds of things by just knowing in my heart. I do like my current company so I will have weigh the pros and cons of both. We will see which way life takes me. +So far I am still enjoying this position but now I’m having a hard time adjusting. I keep having this nagging feeling that I want to stay home with my daughter. I have thought about once again stepping out and trying to find a new job closer to my home. Currently I am having to drive 30 min one way to work. I am trying to decide if I once again want to step out of my comfort zone and apply for a new position with a new company. There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to this. I have put 6 years in at my current place of employment and therefore I am getting optimum benefits. It will be hard for me to start over somewhere but I am willing to do so if I get better pay and benefits. We will just have to I would love to find a way to make money with my own business. At this point of don’t have a clue of what I could do. see how it goes and if anything that I want to apply for presents itself. I want to be comfortable but also make the most money and get to spend the most time with my family especially my daughter while she is young. once I find a position I will know. I will have to identify if it will be the right fit for me. I can tell these kinds of things by just knowing in my heart. I do like my current company so I will have weigh the pros and cons of both. We will see which way life takes me. +"So it's my parents 35th anniversary, and they are getting up in their ages. They are quite old now, and I thought that it would be nice if I did something nice for them. So I decided to buy them tickets to their dream vacation place. They were so happy when I handed the tickets to them, that they actually cried. I can't believe that they cried, so I tried to calm them down. They thanked me profusely for the tickets, and I was glad that I brought the tickets for them. I mean after all their hard work in raising me I thought that it would be nice if I return the favor. And so I did. That's why I brought them the tickets. They had a lot of fun over the vacation, and they sent me many pictures! It was great! I enjoyed it as much as they did, vicariously. I'm glad I brought them those tickets. It was the best thing I could've done. And not something I would regret. It was money well spent." +My best friend and her future husband were dating for ages. They are school sweethearts so they founds each other pretty early in their lives. I've been waiting for her fiance to propose for years now. He was planning to propose few times before but every time something went wrong and he canceled the event. So finally this time he asked me for help. I already planed her engagement in my head few times before. I was so excited and happy for them. I thought that prom party would be the best idea because of the way they met and memories that we share. It was not an easy party to arrange. It took me a lot of planning and lying to my best friend to pull off this party. At the end of the day the party was a huge success and my girlfriend said YES. It was an amazing day. I will never forget the look at the face when she found out what was going on. I'm a maid of honor in her wedding next summer. I hope that the wedding will be as amazing as her engagement. Fingers crossed. +"This event was very significant in my life. My son will now be 14 this year. It’s so difficult when your child becomes a teenager. It’s like a whole other person is emerging from them. I think the most successful thing to do while going through these changes is to remember that your goal is to have them depart from you successfully. It is very hard to see your children grow up but they are going to inevitably. Parents should strive to make sure their children are able to be independent functioning adults and contribute to society. Although, as a mother I can say I do not care how old my son gets he will always be my baby and my firstborn. He is a pretty cool team and has made it easy for me. I do not like him getting older but there’s nothing I can do about it except pray for his life and the best things for it. if I had to give any advice to other mothers it would be listen to your children. I am thrilled that my 13-year-old still wants to talk to me every day about his day. I pray when he turns 14 he wants to do the same. I pray he does it forever honestly. I would like to continue a healthy driving relationship with my adult children. It’s nice to be able to journal these emotion and express how it feels to watch your children grow up. It certainly helps to vent and get those feelings out." +"My oldest son became a teenager 2 months ago. I still cannot believe my baby boy is a whopping 13 years old! It seems like time flies by so quickly these days. Hopefully he enjoyed his party, playing laser tag with all of his cool friends. Minecraft and pizza...what ever happened to Paw patrol and super heroes? Has he really grown up so much! Not to mention the poor party planner dropping one of the pizzas all over the gift table. What a mess! I just hope he enjoyed himself, it wasnt so long ago that I remember when he was just a little boy, asking his mommy to kiss his cuts and bruises. Now, well now he doesnt even want me to be around. Goodness forbid I was at the party trying to help or be a part of his life. Its like as soon as he hit that milestone he stopped wanting me to be in his day to day. I just want him to be my baby boy again. I love that he is growing and becoming his own person, but I just am broken down by not having my little man around anymore. I guess this whole experience is about my growing as well. Its the hardest feeling to have, letting your little bird try and fly on his own. I just hope that he knows that no matter what, his mommy will always love him." +"My ex and I still have no gotten back together. She still emails me telling me how poorly life is going for her and how her life is a mess without me. I feel bad for her but there isn't really a way back into my heart for her. Things that happen in our lives come with consequences. If you screw up in a relationship there can be forgiveness for certain things- but no forgiveness is promised for everything, and sometimes you can screw something up to the point where it is no longer fixable. She has been devoting herself to the protests in Hong Kong. She said she needs something in her life to focus on so that she isn't focusing on what she lost. That makes sense to me but she should focus on herself in my opinion. She has a lot of problems and those problems are holding her back from self actualization and self realization. I know she could be a special person but until she takes care of herself she will remain rough around the edges. I hope she finds someone nice in the future. I am scared that she will hurt herself because the reality of how she fucked up is hitting her. Sometimes I miss her, but I never miss the mental abuse. The language barrier was rough. I should probably date a native English speaker next." +"I don't understand what she is thinking. She broke up with me and humiliated me in front of all of our friends! Who ends a 2 year relationship while out with a bunch of mutual friends having fun? She wasn't ready to settle down? After two years? She's crazy! She expects me to just keep rolling over for her? It's been a month, and I've finally accepted it - I'm done. I should probably just block her number and block on her Facebook, maybe that will prove to her that I'm really not interested. Tonight I ran in to Cindy while Brad and I were out getting a drink after work. I've already been avoiding all of her texts and messages, but then she saw me and couldn't help herself I guess. She came over and told me, in front of Brad (she's apparently getting more comfortable embarrassing people in front of friends), that I had hurt her feelings. I hurt HER feelings by not contacting her back? I haven't done anything but protect my own feelings and I'm done. She's blocked, hopefully she gets the picture." +"Two years ago I graduated from a prestigious school with a master degree in which I worked very hard for several years on. It was very expensive as well and I see a long road ahead as I try to work and pay off student debt. The school was a place where I had wanted to go for several years before graduating high school but wasn't able to secure a scholarship to pay for it. I struggled a lot with myself and the school to try and pay my way through it. It was a difficult time and I was very unhappy with the way things were going. At the time of graduation, I decided not to walk with the rest of my class on that day because I was so upset thinking of the future and what was to come next. As I think back now, I regret that decision very much. I should have walked with the people I had grown close to. The students, the teachers and for everyone who supported me during that time. I am sure that I let a lot of people down because of it. Now that I'm out of college, I wish I would go back and do it again, just to walk with them and celebrate this achievement which I spent so much time and money doing. You can only do it once, and I should have done it. I should have looked past my emotions at the time and thought about the future and realized I would not feel this way forever. It was a temporary state and I would regret it later in life. It's unfortunate that this happened, but I will have to live with it forever now. I would give anything to go back and change it." +Two months ago I finally made the call. After doing some research and getting recommendations from friends I called the highest rated therapist I could find. I was very nervous about this experience because I have never been able to share how I truly feel with anyone. I always worry about them judging me and no one in my life has really truly understood. I have had a lot of hardships as a child and I don't want to share all of them with people I have to see on a day to day basis. Finally the day came and I had my first therapist appointment. As I walked up the steps to the therapists office I was deep in thought. Was this the right choice? I was so nervous. I slowly began to climb the stairs. On the third step my deep concentration on the talk to come distracted me from my climb and I fell backward down the stairs and hit my head. Pain burst through my scalp and my head immediately began throbbing. I reached to the back of my head and felt wetness. I yelled for help. The therapist came running out of her office and called 911. I was rushed to the emergency room and diagnosed with a minor concussion and got 3 stitches for the cut in my head. So much for my first therapy visit. After a week of rest and recovery I once again returned to my therapists office and this time I carefully used the railing as I climbed the stairs. Today I safely made it in to the office for my first official appointment. The first appointment went ok. I was a little nervous but the therapist was kind and I decided to come back twice a week at her suggestion. Since that day I have been seeing her twice a week and I have been able to share many difficult feelings. The more I see her the more I trust her and the more I am able to share about my experiences. Sometimes details that I have not thought about in many years come to me between visits so it is very useful to be able to return later in the week to discuss again. My therapist has become an amazing support in my life and I will never forget my first therapeutic experiences. +"This even took place at my convocation party. I had planned to wear a particular outfits for this event just to standout.But unfortunately ,my dry-cleaner almost ruined it and that would have got me upset really. But i was happy at the end of the day one of my friend came trough for me by making sure the outfit made it to me at the last minute .Just when i had lose hope completely. As if that was not enough. Just when we thought it was over, we planned to have some time out as buddies who just graduated. we went partying at a club downtown. It was fun all night. The music was loud , there were enough drinks to go round. The girls were dancing and happy. The guys were having good laughs and drinks. There were alcohol for everyone. we really had mad fun all this while till when suddenly. One of us started misbehaving and convulsing. He was rushed by the guys for help. I think he had too much to drink not considering his health. One of us attended to him by giving him CPR . after sometime , he gain consciousness . By this time we took him ot of the club. And planning to take him to the hospital but he refused going . He only wants to go home as he was hungover . We left the party and headed to his apartment some miles away from the club. When we go to his apartment, He had his shower and was calm. He made sure he threw-up the alcohol intake from the party. He was calm afterwards. Daniel decided to stay with him to keep eye on him. We left his place to our various homes after all the party was over. I left for my place and when i got home ,dinner was set. Had dinner with my family. I checked on my buddy from the club earlier and my friend [Daniel] told me he was okay." +"it was during my graduation ceremony. I had planned out my to do list as usual prior to the day. Then on the day came and i called my dry-cleaner service to ask why he hasn't deliver my cloth as promised . His number was not reachable. I called the assistant too. It was same thing. I thought i was going to loose it . because that was my only option ., As i intend to look my best on this day. I called my friend who introduced me to this company . I explained my ordeal and he promised to go check on my behalf . Waited another 15 minutes for my friends feedback. By this time ,the guy called to apologize for the inconveniences. I had no option than to accept his apology even though i was furious. He brought my cloth eventually and my friend came in too not long after . We headed out . I arrived in time for my graduation. Family and friends are present already. We merry ,laughed. I was presented my award .I also took pictures with my other graduates . It was a memorable experience and overwhelming too. My family were happy for me,.They were proud of me too.. My mum especially could not hide her joy. We had after party with friends. I went back home to my family ,we prayed ,eat and merry. It was a sweet memory. I can never forget this day." +This was a super fun day. My husband and I planned a surprise 60th birthday party for my mother-in-law at a restaurant that we all go to often. I invited her sister and nieces who live out of town. My husband and I went to the restaurant about a half hour before she would be arriving and decorated the room with balloons and streamers. The restaurant had a small private room for parties. My mother-in-law didn't know what was going on until she walked into that room. She thought she was meeting us for her birthday dinner but did not expect to see her sisters and nieces and some friends there too. When she walked in the room she was completely surprised and very happy. She was not expecting everyone to be there. She hadn't seen her sister in quite a while and she was so excited that she was there. Everything turned out great. The food and service at the restaurant was amazing. We had reserved the room for 3 hours. The party continued after we left the restaurant. We ended up going back to my brother-in-law's house and spent the rest of the night playing games. It truly was a great day. +"The surprise party for my mother-in-law was a big success. I can't believe how much work it was to get everything planned! I honestly did not believe that it would all work out. I had been worried about the guest list but it turned out that I invited everyone important to her. I was even able to get her sister and nieces into town for the big day. The look on her face when she saw her sister, who she hadn't seen in years, was priceless. Seeing her that happy really made me forget about all the stress the party had caused me. I am glad we decided to have it at her favorite restaurant too. The food was amazing. They made a custom menu for us and we were able to have all of my mother in laws favorite foods. The macaroni and cheese with bacon was my favorite. The chicken Parmesan was also very good. It felt really good to give her this party because of the terrible year she had. I can't imagine how hard losing her husband must have been. I just hope this party showed her how many people support her and love her." +"The surprise party for my mother-in-law was a big success. I can't believe how much work it was to get everything planned! I honestly did not believe that it would all work out. I had been worried about the guest list but it turned out that I invited everyone important to her. I was even able to get her sister and nieces into town for the big day. The look on her face when she saw her sister, who she hadn't seen in years, was priceless. Seeing her that happy really made me forget about all the stress the party had caused me. I am glad we decided to have it at her favorite restaurant too. The food was amazing. They made a custom menu for us and we were able to have all of my mother in laws favorite foods. The macaroni and cheese with bacon was my favorite. The chicken Parmesan was also very good. It felt really good to give her this party because of the terrible year she had. I can't imagine how hard losing her husband must have been. I just hope this party showed her how many people support her and love her." +"These past couple of months have been an absolute whirlwind; Derek and I were approved for our first apartment together. We were both really nervous and on edge when we applied, our credit scores have been suffering lately since we racked up a little credit card debt on top of our student loans. But even in spite of our credit, we ended up getting the place we really wanted. We looked for so long and finally found just the right place, I mean we knew we would have to downsize our things coming from a house, but we just knew it would be worth it. The new place is so walkable, our neighbors are interesting and the place is gorgeous and just our style. The problem started though when we really got into downsizing. I thought it was going to be so much easier than it was, we were arguing all the time about who had to throw out what. There was a lot of resentment and hurt feelings, because naturally, the things that aren't yours don't mean much to you. So when I saw Derek's skis that he hadn't used for nearly two years I was determined to make him get rid of them. Why would we need skis in South Carolina?? We never take those kinds of trips. Or any trips really, so that started another fight about how we never travel anymore and it just became a huge mess. Who knew that something so seemingly insignificant as throwing out some clutter could bring up so many unrealized problems? I really saw how bitter I was about not traveling anywhere aside from our family homes and feeling like we were becoming boring. Really, this apartment and it's proximity to some excitement and nightlife was the hope on the horizon. The only obstacle being that we were at each other's throats and still loaded down with junk. I made a lot of concessions and threw out so many things, and unfortunately I threw out things out of resentment too. I regret tossing my white linen blazer. Who cares if he thought it looked silly? I really liked it. Anyway, we ended up getting through it all and moving into our dream house (apartment). I really love this new place, and I've been walking or riding my bike everywhere. I found a great new coffee shop that makes the most perfect peppermint mocha I've ever had, I found a little pub a few blocks away that has some killer bar food and great ambiance, and the shopping around here is perfect. This is exactly how I've always wanted to live, and it seems surreal that I get to have it now. The only thing I'm missing is my amazing relationship with Derek. Ever since our downsizing debacle we've been a little bitter and petty, hopefully everything will get back to normal soon and I can take him to all the great places I've found." +"These past couple of months have been an absolute whirlwind; Derek and I were approved for our first apartment together. We were both really nervous and on edge when we applied, our credit scores have been suffering lately since we racked up a little credit card debt on top of our student loans. But even in spite of our credit, we ended up getting the place we really wanted. We looked for so long and finally found just the right place, I mean we knew we would have to downsize our things coming from a house, but we just knew it would be worth it. The new place is so walkable, our neighbors are interesting and the place is gorgeous and just our style. The problem started though when we really got into downsizing. I thought it was going to be so much easier than it was, we were arguing all the time about who had to throw out what. There was a lot of resentment and hurt feelings, because naturally, the things that aren't yours don't mean much to you. So when I saw Derek's skis that he hadn't used for nearly two years I was determined to make him get rid of them. Why would we need skis in South Carolina?? We never take those kinds of trips. Or any trips really, so that started another fight about how we never travel anymore and it just became a huge mess. Who knew that something so seemingly insignificant as throwing out some clutter could bring up so many unrealized problems? I really saw how bitter I was about not traveling anywhere aside from our family homes and feeling like we were becoming boring. Really, this apartment and it's proximity to some excitement and nightlife was the hope on the horizon. The only obstacle being that we were at each other's throats and still loaded down with junk. I made a lot of concessions and threw out so many things, and unfortunately I threw out things out of resentment too. I regret tossing my white linen blazer. Who cares if he thought it looked silly? I really liked it. Anyway, we ended up getting through it all and moving into our dream house (apartment). I really love this new place, and I've been walking or riding my bike everywhere. I found a great new coffee shop that makes the most perfect peppermint mocha I've ever had, I found a little pub a few blocks away that has some killer bar food and great ambiance, and the shopping around here is perfect. This is exactly how I've always wanted to live, and it seems surreal that I get to have it now. The only thing I'm missing is my amazing relationship with Derek. Ever since our downsizing debacle we've been a little bitter and petty, hopefully everything will get back to normal soon and I can take him to all the great places I've found." +"In early May of 2019, my now wife and I were going to get married. We both had wanted a small private wedding. Something that was not expensive. I knew that my wife had a fascination about waterfalls. I had taken her to see several waterfalls since we had began dating, all of which she thoroughly enjoyed. I therefore decided to book our wedding in Gatlinburg, Tennessee by a small waterfall. I booked the date and had everything set up. It was just going to be my wife, the preacher, a photographer, and myself. The whole experience did not cost much at all. When you plan an outdoor activity in advance, you risk facing adverse weather. As the wedding day approached I kept looking at the weather report and was worried as it had a very high chance of raining that day. On the day of our wedding, I woke up to the sound of pouring rain. I looked outside, and it was indeed raining and cloudy as far as I could see. I was smart enough to have made alternate arrangements just in case, but I knew my wife was really wanting the wedding to be by the waterfall. The wedding wasn't scheduled until 2 pm. My now wife and I began to get dressed and ready for the wedding with both of us hoping the weather would magically change. I heard it stop raining around 1 pm. I quickly looked outside and I saw a blue patch in the sky, but I also saw plenty of dark clouds right behind it. MY wife and I headed to where the ceremony was going to be, all the while both of us praying that the rain would hold up just long enough. To our surprise, it still was not raining again once we got to the waterfall. We were excited and blessed. We had a 10 minute, beautiful intimate wedding but the waterfall where rays of sunshine were beaming on us. Fifteen minutes after we got married, it once again began to downpour. We were amazed and blessed by our luck in the weather." +"May 3, 2019: Today my life has forever changed for the better. It has been a whirlwind year with many changes, however today was by far the biggest change. I woke up this morning in in the queen size bed of the hotel room my fiance and I stayed in while in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Excitement, nervousness, and joy were racing through my veins as I crawled out of bed and looked at my fiance sleeping in the queen sized bed beside mine. I quickly got up and ready for the historic day. I located my phone to check the weather hoping that it had magically changed from the previous day. As I looked down at what my phone said, I let out a soft curse word out of frustration. It was still calling for a 60% chance of rain. My fiance woke up asking what was wrong. I told her, and she said it was okay. We had made alternate plans just in case this were to happen. My fiance got out of bed and kissed me. She proceeded to calmly get ready for the day as I continued pacing nervously. It stopped raining about 30 minutes before it was time for us to leave. I looked at my fiance with hopeful eyes praying that the rain would hold for a couple of hours. We hopped into my car and began driving towards our destination. As we got closer to our destination I could begin to see a patch of blue sky begin to form from the surrounding gray spots. We finally arrived at the waterfall, and the preacher was there waiting for us. My fiance's eyes lit up at the site. She had always wanted to be married by a waterfall. It was a short ceremony but one that would forever change our lives. Today was the day that I married the love of my life." +"I've spent a lot of time talking about my past. My mother and I haven't been seeing eye to eye on things and often times, we end up fighting. I had moved out about 6 months ago when an apartment opened up. My mom was furious about me leaving but then got so mad about it that she stopped talking to me. My now girlfriend lives next door to me in the apartment complex. When I had moved in, we spent a lot of time talking as she was helping me get settled into the place. I had told her about my mother being the way she is. Her mom was the same way and we bonded over that. A about 2 months ago, my mom started calling me again. She was begging me to come home since she had ran out of money. I couldn't believe that she searched me out just because she needed money! I talked to my girlfriend about it and she told me that you know, sometimes it's hard to just let your parents deal with what they are dealing with. I still wasn't sure about it. I knew that I was happier away from her. My girlfriend told me that I have to choose what is right for me. I ended up telling my mom I was sorry and I hope that she figured things out. I haven't talked to her sense then, but my brother calls and tells me she's fine." +"Like i said in my statement before, i found out i had prostate cancer in March 2019. Had my prostate removed in August. Everything went well during the surgery. After surgery the Doctor said everything looks good. The doctor said he wants me to get out of bed and walk around as soon as possible. He said looks like you will be able to go home in the morning. The next morning the doctor came in the room and asked how i was feeling? I said i was feeling good. He said that i can go home today. Went home that day with a catheter in. I was feeling pretty good. A little sore and uncomfortable with the catheter. However all and all feeling pretty good. A week after surgery i had a return appointment with the doctor. He wanted to remove the catheter if possible. After a leak test not sure what that is called. He removed the catheter. Doctor said everything is looking good. Next he wanted me to get a PSA test in 6 weeks. I took the PSA test and had a return appointment the next week. That would have been on October 8, 2019. Had the test done. Doctor said PSA looks good. I will have another PSA test in January 2020. If all is good the doctor said we will check my PSA every 3 months for the first year." +"Like i said in my statement before, i found out i had prostate cancer in March 2019. Had my prostate removed in August. Everything went well during the surgery. After surgery the Doctor said everything looks good. The doctor said he wants me to get out of bed and walk around as soon as possible. He said looks like you will be able to go home in the morning. The next morning the doctor came in the room and asked how i was feeling? I said i was feeling good. He said that i can go home today. Went home that day with a catheter in. I was feeling pretty good. A little sore and uncomfortable with the catheter. However all and all feeling pretty good. A week after surgery i had a return appointment with the doctor. He wanted to remove the catheter if possible. After a leak test not sure what that is called. He removed the catheter. Doctor said everything is looking good. Next he wanted me to get a PSA test in 6 weeks. I took the PSA test and had a return appointment the next week. That would have been on October 8, 2019. Had the test done. Doctor said PSA looks good. I will have another PSA test in January 2020. If all is good the doctor said we will check my PSA every 3 months for the first year." +"The last 5 months have been a dream come true. My house is so old but was a great buy because it was advertised as a ""fixer-upper"". After the first couple of years it didn't seem like it was such a great buy after all. I invested a lot of time and money in working on it but I finally ran out of both. The bathroom was the biggest embarrassment and definitely had an impact on my social activities. As far as I was concerned the loose tiles, mildew stained walls and ancient sink, commode and bathtub was something I could live with but after a humiliating experience with a friend who dropped me off after a lunch date and asked to use the bathroom, a re-model soared right up to the top of the to-do list. She opened the door, walked inside, turned around and came back out immediately announcing that she didn't have to ""go after all"" and left. I refused to have anyone over and as a result, invitations to friend's houses came less and less frequently. I even overheard two friends say they wondered why I always came to their houses but never ""returned the favor"". The re-model was costly but the transformation was amazing. My bathroom looks like something from House Beautiful. The new fixtures, wall coverings, shower enclosure and lighting are incredible. I'm back on the ""social scene"" after a few get-together's and my self-confidence is back. It's so true that one's home tells so much about who you are. Now that I'm proud of my surroundings I feel like that's just the beginning of endless possibilities." +"The last 5 months have been a dream come true. My house is so old but was a great buy because it was advertised as a ""fixer-upper"". After the first couple of years it didn't seem like it was such a great buy after all. I invested a lot of time and money in working on it but I finally ran out of both. The bathroom was the biggest embarrassment and definitely had an impact on my social activities. As far as I was concerned the loose tiles, mildew stained walls and ancient sink, commode and bathtub was something I could live with but after a humiliating experience with a friend who dropped me off after a lunch date and asked to use the bathroom, a re-model soared right up to the top of the to-do list. She opened the door, walked inside, turned around and came back out immediately announcing that she didn't have to ""go after all"" and left. I refused to have anyone over and as a result, invitations to friend's houses came less and less frequently. I even overheard two friends say they wondered why I always came to their houses but never ""returned the favor"". The re-model was costly but the transformation was amazing. My bathroom looks like something from House Beautiful. The new fixtures, wall coverings, shower enclosure and lighting are incredible. I'm back on the ""social scene"" after a few get-together's and my self-confidence is back. It's so true that one's home tells so much about who you are. Now that I'm proud of my surroundings I feel like that's just the beginning of endless possibilities." +Last week I was faced an emotional and heartening event in my life. That day I was walked through the roadside. At that time I saw that a children was begging to peoples for some food. I was very upset to saw that. In our world now a days so many children's beg for food and we are wasting the food. It is not good to our living world. When I saw that i ran to the pass of the child. Then I brought some food items and gave it to him. He was very happy. I saw that a cute smile is on his face. When i saw that my mind is filled with lots of joy and happiness. and I was asking to him where is your house. He had no answer for that question. He have only a smile on his face. finally I realize that there are so many children's like this. +"The hurricane was forcasted to come my way straight on. Even though ive been through many storms never the less it always puts me on high alert. i started to prepare for the winds that were expected and cleaning up the yard of any flying debris. i also worked within the house to gather up belongings should i have to flee my new mobile home. my imagination ran wilder than before because i just moved into a mobile and pictured the worst. I grabed my cash on hand and nothing else but the pets seemed that important. Days of fear were ahead as the cat 5 hurricane was heading right for me. After a long wait and the cone of uncertainty was lifting i sat back and relaxed alittle more as my house and property was in disarry. As days passed i started to put things back together. I wasnt untill days later i woke up in the middle of the night and wondered what i had done with my envelope of money. my memory was shaded, i looked upon myself in motion and was stuck on holding it and nothing else was recalled. I eventually went to a clinical hypnotist to help track my movement to help recall what happen to the envelope. i discovered that my cat whom jumped on the counter had knocked it into a black garbage bag that was at the doorway. I also had a pair of pliars that i was using to get the shutters lifted up. i am still in shock. thousands of dollars in the garbage. im besides myself to think of the chances that happened and no hurricane winds were ever even felt!!!" +"I got married to the love of my life around 5 months ago. SO many of our family and friends came around for the wedding party. It was a real wonderful event and so many people was around. At some point, it stared looking like some family and friend reunion. Quite a lot of people have seen themselves for so long and it provided an opportunity to reunite. The moment of couple dance was a very emotional moment for us. My wife and her dad cried profusely. I was happy since it was a happy parting moment. Our family and friends danced a lot with us. The wedding party was the beginning of a great wonderful thing together. We have grown so fond of one another and we do so many things together. We will be having a kid soon and we are looking forward to this. I hope it would be a girl because I have always wanted one. I understand that it is a new phase entirely and I look forward to this. I hope we stay together forever." +"I remember the time I got married. It was in April. I had so many family and friends around and it was a really joyous occasion for me. I mean, I am getting hooked to my best friend!!!. We were really excited and looked forward to the beautiful life we will be spending together. The wedding reception took place at a lovely place and had a royal theme. It was filled to the brim and my friend told the audience about our beautiful love story. We started out as just neighbors when we were much younger. We met in the university and fell hopelessly in love with one another. We got so many gifts and my father-in-law gave us a car. My mother gave us dishwashers and a washing machine. Matter of fact, most of our home appliances were gifts. My wife initially wanted a smaller occasion. However, with the massive turn out and the opportunity for so many people to see each other again, she was grateful it was an elaborate one. Quite a number of my friends thanked me for the opportunity given. We hope to have a baby soon and hopefully, we will get to see ourselves again." +it was a faithful day for my friends wedding. Suddenly the men in charge of the suits were no where to be found. the car to take us to the next city was faulty. it was like the end of the world. the men in charge of the suits were drunk. but with time they woke up. they met up with the wedding. our panic was over. it showed that sometimes you have no choice against actions. Not every situations needs our actions. we just have to be calm. life brings challenges. it takes diligence. calmness in every situation is needed. it was a nice experience. i learnt a lot from it. i have learnt to always be calm +"Two weeks ago, my long distance boyfriend broke up with me for another girl. It was totally unexpected on my side, which is probably part of the reason it has hit me so badly. We had been together for about 9 months and it was long distance, but there was never really issue with jealousy or trust. I knew he had female friends, and he knew I had male friends, and it was never an issue. He is in Indonesia, and I am in America, so we talked through WhatsApp but our timezones often left us asleep/awake at opposite times and we only had a few hours each day to talk. We spoke through voicechat, videochat, and text messages. One morning about 3 weeks ago now, I woke up to a text message written in a different style than he writes that said something like ""I already have a girlfriend, don't talk to me again. Goodbye."" I was obviously very surprised and confused and I asked him to explain and he said a female friend of his had taken his phone and written that because she was jealous. I said that was very strange and obviously she wanted to date him and he said no, they were just friends and she was being mean. I accepted that and moved on, but then about a week later it happened again, but this time when I told him about the messages he said that she had gotten jealous and confessed that she had feelings for him, and he felt the same, so he wanted to be with her and he and I would just be friends. It was shocking for many reasons because I had believed him when it happened the first time and told him she wanted to date him; he had known her for a long time, so why now; and I found it hard to understand how he would leave me for someone who was purposely trying to hurt me with the way she pretended to be him and say mean things to me. He wanted to stay friends, and I tried, but she began to control his life, and continued to say mean things to me while pretending to be him, blocked me on his phone, and got angry with him for playing a game with me on his phone. I feel like he's in an abusive relationship, and I know real life is easier than long distance, but I still am struggling with heartbreak and pain, and I've even caught a cold. I don't understand why he would leave me for her. We never fought, and it seems like he fights with her everyday. We occasionally speak through the game, but I got my hopes up the other day, so now I'm trying to keep a distance. It's really hard and sad and I love him." +"The week I've been dreading is finally here. My career and job that I love will be gone after this week. I can't believe after 17 years this is the end of it and that it happened so fast. It has been a rough few days letting my employees know that in one week their lives are changing drastically. Some of them are out of a job. Some of them are moving on to new positions and locations and some are retiring. Things will never be the same again. I am one of the lucky ones that was offered a position to stay. Although I am not sure I can stay and do a good job for the company with how I feel right now and not to mention the $5/hr pay cut I will be taking. I am fortunate that my family does not depend on my income and we will be ok either way. Not all are blessed as I am. Before anyone can move on, we need to pack up and tie up all loose ends. It's a hard thing to ask of everyone, given the situation but the company has made it clear that our severance packages will be in jeopardy if we don't. Today is last day that we will do business as usual so that we have the rest of the week to pack up. Today is the last day I will do what I've been doing for as long as I can remember. I feel sad. I feel disappointed. I am going to miss my job and my employees. All of these feelings are going to need to wait until another day. Today, we have a job to do. Today is the beginning of the end." +"The first decent car I ever bought was a 2013 Nissan Maxima. I got it after the $1000 clunker I bought in high school died on me. Having a mechanic glance at it would have cost more than it was worth. I went around looking for a newish used car, but I had bad credit from some delinquent bills from college. Most places wouldn't finance a car without a HUGE down payment. I was just out of college and had no money and only an entry-level job. Billy Bob's Used Cars said that they would finance anyone. The cars in Billy Bobs had the monthly payments stickered onto their windshields. The prices were less than I'd seen elsewhere. I was really stressed out about the whole situation. I was stupid and I rushed through the whole process and didn't carefully read the sales contract. In the fine print was a little mention of this thing called a ""balloon payment."" At the end of the loan, i was expected to pay a lump sum of $1200. That was why the payments were so reasonable. I contacted the Better Business Bureau and the state Department of Consumer Affairs, but they both said that, while rare, car financing with a balloon payment was legal. Just because the dealership failed to mention the final payment verbally doesn't mean that there's anything actionable in the agreement because there it was in writing. I think the dealer and other dealers take advantage of the fact that some people just want to get the odious process over and done with as quickly as possible. It is just an embarrassing episode that I don't like to talk about. I have better credit now, so my bank kindly gave me a loan on the equity of my now 6 year old car. I really should have more closely read the sales agreement to begin with." +"The first decent car I ever bought was a 2013 Nissan Maxima. I got it after the $1000 clunker I bought in high school died on me. Having a mechanic glance at it would have cost more than it was worth. I went around looking for a newish used car, but I had bad credit from some delinquent bills from college. Most places wouldn't finance a car without a HUGE down payment. I was just out of college and had no money and only an entry-level job. Billy Bob's Used Cars said that they would finance anyone. The cars in Billy Bobs had the monthly payments stickered onto their windshields. The prices were less than I'd seen elsewhere. I was really stressed out about the whole situation. I was stupid and I rushed through the whole process and didn't carefully read the sales contract. In the fine print was a little mention of this thing called a ""balloon payment."" At the end of the loan, i was expected to pay a lump sum of $1200. That was why the payments were so reasonable. I contacted the Better Business Bureau and the state Department of Consumer Affairs, but they both said that, while rare, car financing with a balloon payment was legal. Just because the dealership failed to mention the final payment verbally doesn't mean that there's anything actionable in the agreement because there it was in writing. I think the dealer and other dealers take advantage of the fact that some people just want to get the odious process over and done with as quickly as possible. It is just an embarrassing episode that I don't like to talk about. I have better credit now, so my bank kindly gave me a loan on the equity of my now 6 year old car. I really should have more closely read the sales agreement to begin with." +"The first decent car I ever bought was a 2013 Nissan Maxima. I got it after the $1000 clunker I bought in high school died on me. Having a mechanic glance at it would have cost more than it was worth. I went around looking for a newish used car, but I had bad credit from some delinquent bills from college. Most places wouldn't finance a car without a HUGE down payment. I was just out of college and had no money and only an entry-level job. Billy Bob's Used Cars said that they would finance anyone. The cars in Billy Bobs had the monthly payments stickered onto their windshields. The prices were less than I'd seen elsewhere. I was really stressed out about the whole situation. I was stupid and I rushed through the whole process and didn't carefully read the sales contract. In the fine print was a little mention of this thing called a ""balloon payment."" At the end of the loan, i was expected to pay a lump sum of $1200. That was why the payments were so reasonable. I contacted the Better Business Bureau and the state Department of Consumer Affairs, but they both said that, while rare, car financing with a balloon payment was legal. Just because the dealership failed to mention the final payment verbally doesn't mean that there's anything actionable in the agreement because there it was in writing. I think the dealer and other dealers take advantage of the fact that some people just want to get the odious process over and done with as quickly as possible. It is just an embarrassing episode that I don't like to talk about. I have better credit now, so my bank kindly gave me a loan on the equity of my now 6 year old car. I really should have more closely read the sales agreement to begin with." +So regarding this event. Overall i was happy for it because well it was something fun? who would not enjoy something that is a fun and good time out with people. i was looking forward to this since then and planned many since then. As nights out are not something that can be done daily. As fun as that could be but overall it is a highlight for me. Like so many things can be mundane. And not be what you really want them to be when you go out. its good that something at least is what it should be nothing more nothing less. Which since the time of the event i have done it a couple more times. And i plan to go again somewhere else again as drinking and kicking the bucket with friends with a band playing awesome music. Is some of the best moments i have had though that night was in paticular better. Because the bands that played killed it so hard. They were heavy hard and just ripped through their sets. Plus their were so many of them which was a good turn around. +So regarding this event. Overall i was happy for it because well it was something fun? who would not enjoy something that is a fun and good time out with people. i was looking forward to this since then and planned many since then. As nights out are not something that can be done daily. As fun as that could be but overall it is a highlight for me. Like so many things can be mundane. And not be what you really want them to be when you go out. its good that something at least is what it should be nothing more nothing less. Which since the time of the event i have done it a couple more times. And i plan to go again somewhere else again as drinking and kicking the bucket with friends with a band playing awesome music. Is some of the best moments i have had though that night was in paticular better. Because the bands that played killed it so hard. They were heavy hard and just ripped through their sets. Plus their were so many of them which was a good turn around. +Today was an amazing day. It was a beautiful sunny morning and my husband came home from work to watch our son while I went to take my drivers license test! I have been afraid of getting my license after being a passenger in a very bad accident. It was a head on collision at 60 mph. That accident never left my mind and kept me from ever wanting to learn how to drive. I am very proud of myself for finally taking this step . I was quite worried I would fail and then be so upset with myself that I would never try again. I did manage to mess up by not coming to a complete stop at a stop sign but I still passed. I can now go where I want to go without needing anyone to drive me there. The sense of freedom I feel is crazy. I wish I had done this a long time ago. My son is the reason why I chose to go and get my license. I did mess up a bit on my practice drive with the driving instructor. He kept trying to control the pedals more then I needed him to . It made me nervous . He was not my usual instructor and to be honest I disliked him quite a bit. I am so happy I did all my practice drives with the other instructor. He did a great job teaching me so I could pass the test. +"What a wild ride this life has been so far. The ups, the downs and everything in between. My beautiful bride and I have been married for two years now. Our anniversary is tomorrow and we're going on a fabulous date of dinner around Newport Harbor. As I reflect back, I think to how nervous I was to even ask her to marry me. I bought the ring five months before I actually asked her. I practiced what I would say for months and just couldn't work up the nerve. Finally, after all that, I popped the question. I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. And she said yes! She actually said yes, the most beautiful woman in the world agreed to marry me, some schmuck from Brooklyn. We got married just one month later and the most beautiful service ever. We were married at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. Everyone was there, our parents, our friends and even Elvis made an apppearance! We stayed the Mirage just up the street and just had the most wonderful time. The last two years have just been so amazing, I can't wait to see what the future holds." +"What a wild ride this life has been so far. The ups, the downs and everything in between. My beautiful bride and I have been married for two years now. Our anniversary is tomorrow and we're going on a fabulous date of dinner around Newport Harbor. As I reflect back, I think to how nervous I was to even ask her to marry me. I bought the ring five months before I actually asked her. I practiced what I would say for months and just couldn't work up the nerve. Finally, after all that, I popped the question. I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me. And she said yes! She actually said yes, the most beautiful woman in the world agreed to marry me, some schmuck from Brooklyn. We got married just one month later and the most beautiful service ever. We were married at the Little White Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas. Everyone was there, our parents, our friends and even Elvis made an apppearance! We stayed the Mirage just up the street and just had the most wonderful time. The last two years have just been so amazing, I can't wait to see what the future holds." +"My supervisor suggested lets go for a roller coaster ride. I have heard so much about the roller coaster and i'm dying to try it. I said no way i wont be scared to death. I protested shaking my head but my boss would not let me. Everyone else and friends at work greed to . I had no choice to give in. I followed him unwillingly, i was even more nervous when i saw the CAUTION. We entered into a room where we were directed and our seats shwn to us. I SHUT my eyes seized both the seats so tightly that they ached. i heard people shouting excitedly, finally the roller coaster moved. slowly first then faster and began to pick up speed. I felt my stomach turning upside down' my heart was pounding loudly i regretted taking the ride on this scary thing. i screamed at the top of my voice and my hair was flying widely in the air. it really drove me nuts,but everyone seemed exited on the roller coaster. My supervisor tried to console me but it didnt help at all. It swung to the left and to the right and when it slid down from the highest peak, it was the most frightening part of the trip. The fifteen minutes ride on the roller coaster was like a coaster. I buried my face in my hands because i thought the whole world was spinning. It was a great feeling after all that i have conquered my fears and was able to survive the ride. it was scary but i would never forget the event..." +"The most devastating thing that ever has happened to me was the death of my sister in 2017 from cancer. After she died I felt empty and just didn't care about myself anymore. I stopped taking care of me. In May of 2019 my Mom was hospitalized and then had to go to an after hospital rehab. She was there for 18 days. I stayed with here the entire time, she was contagious so I could not leave. It was during this time that I had what I think of as an awakening. There was not much to do and I knew that I had to do something to keep myself strong. I started to exercise. Gradually I began to move. I did consider stopping but I pushed through and each day began to feel better. I also did word puzzles and had a book to read to try and stay mentally sharp. I helped my Mom with her exercises and we had long conversations. But all the while I exercised. While I was just sitting in a chair watching TV, while she was sleeping in the afternoon, I fit it in everywhere. By the time she was released I felt like a new person. This experience saved me." +"Three months ago my Mom became sick enough to go to the ER. The result was a five day hospital stay and then a nineteen day stay at a step down facility. I stayed with her during this entire time. I only left to get something to eat or purchase items that she wanted. Nobody was allowed to visit from home because she was contagious. So it was just her and I for the duration. It was during this time that I had a personal awakening. The week before all of this happened I had been to the doctor myself for my first visit in over two years. Some health issues were discovered that I had not been paying attention to. My sister died two years ago after a short hard fight against a very aggressive cancer. After this I just didn't care about taking care of myself anymore. So while I was with Mom it finally clicked what I needed to do for me. So during this time I began to exercise everyday. By the end of her stay I felt better, had so much more energy and felt better mentally. I have been trying to continue this since she came home. Now I feel like I am winning again." +"Today I woke up just like every other day. I had my coffee and made my breakfast. I ate outside as it was sunny and cool at 7am and wanted to enjoy the view. Everything was going perfect until the phone call. I received a call from my boss asking if I had a few minutes to talk. I said, ""of course"" thinking she might be asking me to work overtime one day next week, or possibly come in later that day. That's when things went sour. My boss advised me that he was not happy with the quality of my work. He said that he is getting pressure from upper management and that he needed to put more pressure on his staff. He said if I did not clean up my act that I would be out of a job within a couple weeks. He was blunt and quick with the conversation and hung up before I could ask him any questions. Just like that my perfect day took a turn for the worst. I immediately starting thinking about my mounting bills and student loans. I could feel my blood flowing through my arms and my chest. I started to sweat as I thought about my rent, car loan, student loan, insurance cost and utility bills. Before I even knew what was going on, I was slouched in my chair and having a panic attack. I thought I was going to faint. I was sweating and breathing heavily. I ran to get a glass of water and was shaking and could barely drink it. I called my mom to come over right away. 5 minutes felt like 5 hours as I thought about the mounting costs of going to the hospital. The bills and cost of medication to help me through this time were going to pile up. Eventually my mom drove me to the hospital and I got an IV and some anxiety medication." +"The other week I met up with some friends to go to the beach. While we were at the beach we noticed that some people were having some type of problem. It turned out to be an older couple. I helped them and administered CPR. The old guy was ok after that. The couple thanked me and asked me for my phone number. I gave it to them, and they told me that they would be in touch. Later in the week we saw the old people again, they thanked me and told me to stop by later at their house. When I arrived, they lived in a fabulous mansion. They said that they were worth millions and offered me a job. I’m still deciding if I should take the job or not. It is a tough decision, and I’m still struggling to make it. It is very tough for me to decide. I decided to talk to my parents about the opportunity, as it would be a life changing event. And in addition, it would require me to move to a new area and start over. This week, the people that I saved reached out to me and offered the job again." +"Today I was thinking back to the day Matt proposed. I'm also reflecting on the years we've spent together and how our relationship has progressed. One of the things I love most about him is that he has learned about me. He knows what I like and don't like. He knows the kinds of things that make me happy. Of course, I've learned the same about him! His proposal is an example of him paying attention to the person I am. He knows that I wouldn't like anything showy or public. I wouldn't want him to bury the ring in a cake at a fancy restaurant, for example, or propose on the jumbotron at some sporting event. He knows that I'm private. The important thing is the two of us. He also remembered what kind of ring I wanted. We had done some shopping together and talked about style and practicality The ring was just right! I think of him whenever I see it on my hand. It represents the bond we've developed over time. I love him and he loves me. His proposal affirms that." +"Today I was thinking back to the day Matt proposed. I'm also reflecting on the years we've spent together and how our relationship has progressed. One of the things I love most about him is that he has learned about me. He knows what I like and don't like. He knows the kinds of things that make me happy. Of course, I've learned the same about him! His proposal is an example of him paying attention to the person I am. He knows that I wouldn't like anything showy or public. I wouldn't want him to bury the ring in a cake at a fancy restaurant, for example, or propose on the jumbotron at some sporting event. He knows that I'm private. The important thing is the two of us. He also remembered what kind of ring I wanted. We had done some shopping together and talked about style and practicality The ring was just right! I think of him whenever I see it on my hand. It represents the bond we've developed over time. I love him and he loves me. His proposal affirms that." +She usually plans hanging out with me and coming over within a specific date. This time she had told my brother and my mom that she was going to be coming over. I was working on the computer whenever she sent me pictures of my city. I was confused to why she was sending me that so I checked my front door camera and I saw car. It shocked me since she told me that she was going to be having a meeting out of town and she has before. When she arrived we spent it many different places just enjoying each other's company. It was really fun going all over town and showing her around. I also enjoyed her at my house while we played video games or us watching videos. It was a great experience and I thank her for randomly surprising me. She had originally wanted to stay for 5 days but she ended up staying for 8 days. During the last day she was crying a bit and was sad that she was not going to be seeing me for a few months. Because of that our goodbyes were very tough to do. We finally did it and I thanked her for coming over. Once she had left and time passed by we planned a new time for us to see each other. Thankfully that we will be seeing each other in a short amount of time. +"It was so much fun having her show up spontaneously. It made it to where we didn't have to stress about making a schedule because we were able to just do whatever we wanted freely. It made me feel so happy having her there and knowing she loved me enough to be able to just show up when I least expected it. I couldn't of imagined a more perfect few days. I enjoyed everything we done together, even if it involved cleaning dishes from us trying to cook sometimes. I enjoyed being able to see the new movie we have been dying to see together but refused to watch it until we were both in the same place. It was astonishing opening the door when I heard an unexpected knock and she was there. I couldn't of asked for a better time. We took many pictures during this time together and we were able to make a scrap book at the end together before she left. Maybe next time I can surprise her. I am hoping she had as much fun as I did being here. I have never laughed so hard in my life than what I did having her here again. IT thrilled me to finally be able to see her face. I wanted to make sure she was always having fun when she was here so we were constantly doing stuff. We ended most of our nights on the roof looking at the stars. It was one of the greatest moments ever." +"I wasn't particularly interested in joining my brother's engagement party. First, it was on the Fourth of July weekend, which is my son's favorite holiday and it meant I had to spend time away from my family because it was not an all ages party. Second, this weekend already takes a lot out of me because I hate the heat and the street fair, so I was already tired from trying to make up time missed with my son. I couldn't even take my wife because someone needed to be with my kid, so I was essentially going alone when compared to this vast network of friends that were totally hip and cool that my brother has met over the years. Regardless, I did decide to attend and I road into town with my aunt. We had a great conversation, actually, and it was very pleasant. I did also meet a couple that were friends of my brother and they felt similarly outcast. The location was a rooftop bar and it was nice enough, but way too nice for someone like me who is not used to this luxury. The niceness of the bar alone was enough for me to feel as if I were a total outcast. This is my brother's lifestyle right now, though, so it made good sense to him and his fiancee. After the party was over, we had a smaller group dinner which gave me a lot more comfort. It was only about ten people and I enjoyed meeting his to-be father-in-law. This guy seemed wild, but also quite nice. I liked him a lot. When the family was made smaller in this setting, it was much better. Putting all this aside, though, I am glad I went - not for me, but for him. It was good to support his first steps into this new life." +"Recently, my brother got engaged. I was very happy for him and I felt like this was a big step for him. He was once an angry young man. He had a lot of things that he was concerned about in life, and I think that finding someone to love was something that he had a feeling would elude him for a long time. I am very happy for him, though, that he was able to find someone. When he told me they were engaged, I was excited. Then he told me there would be an engagement party and that I was invited to the party. I am not a party person. In fact I am not really interested in parties at all. When I found this would be a large gathering at a roof top bar, I have to admit that I was not excited for this part of the engagement in the least. I arrived looking at least like I cared - and indeed, I did care a lot for there engagement. I wouldn't have gone unless I cared a lot. I hope that he does know that even showing up is something I wouldn't do for just anyone. It was so hot and muggy and I didn't know anyone there except my parents. I felt rather lonely and overwhelmed. I don't even drink, so it was tough for me to find anything worth doing. I did end up chatting with his to be father-in-law and that was a very pleasant conversation. Out of all this, I did feel as if I got closer to everyone involved and I really appreciated the opportunity to go. I just don't like social events, usually. It was a rather rewarding moment of growth for me." +"We decided to travel to Mexico on a whim for a friends birthday. He was turning 40. We realized none of us had been there since our youth so we figured that it couldn't be so bad. Oh were we wrong? When got into Tijuana pretty late on a Friday and the cops were already looking at us pretty suspiciously. It was pretty funny actually because even though it is a very tourists spot, we stuck out like sore thumbs. You could tell that nobody liked us and even the bartenders were a bit rude. My buddy John decided that we should try this ""other"" bar he had heard about. What we didn't know was that it was a well known brothel and known for trouble. When we got there a few men started acting a bit creepy towards us. Staring us and and making jokes in spanish. The man told us that we had to each pay for one woman, or we had to leave. We realized what he meant and we slowly backed out. A large man started grabbing my friend and of course we all helped him. Now we had about 20 angry guys and angry people. He said he was calling the cops. I told them all we needed to do. We hailed a cab JUST as Mexican police cars showed up. We told the Taxi to ""hurry up"" and we got back to the border quick. It was pretty scary but also funny to us." +"Six months ago,my sister and I went on vacation. We decided to go to Mexico because it really is not far from where we live but yet it is a very different place to visit once you are there. We had decided that Mexico City was the most interesting place that we could visit. We had heard that there were some dangers in the country but where we were going,it was fairly safe. The problems for us started when we got off our plane. Our brochure said that there was a place that we could rent a car near the airport and we were walking to that location when we thought we noticed someone following us from a distance. When we arrived at the place that was supposed to be a place that rented cars we soon found out that it was a parking lot that looked like at one time they could have rented cars. In our confusion we barely noticed that the car we thought might have been following us was slowing to a stop and had another car with it. We only paid so much attention until the men in the cars started to get out. There were a total of four men and we did not know any of them but they were placing all of their attention on us. We had been warned about dangers in country and how human trafficking and coyotes had become prominent in many places. This is where we realized that the men were together in looking for subjects that were not familiar with where they were and had no real way out. That is when the driver of the white car grabbed my sister by her arm really hard and began to pull her towards his car with all his strength. I ran to him and hit him in his head as hard as I could with hope to stop him from taking my sister. Of course,by this time she is yelling at the top of her lungs and the other three guys are jumping on me to stop me from hurting their friend. As a result,there was an attendant at the lot that overheard her screams. He called the local police to get help to us because he was fenced in the lot he could not do anything else. Thanks to my training with former CIA agents who were my friends,all of my instincts merged together with memory of training. I did a spinning back fist and knocked the first guy to the ground. The next acted as if he wanted to go toe to toe,so my first combination started with a left fake pump followed by an overhand right that he was unprepared for,this smashed his nose and knocked him out. The third guy was scared ,since he refused to get to close I jumped in to the air,kicked him so hard in the temple that he lost consciousness immediately. And as I spun around to face my final opponent,the police sirens scared the guy off that had a hold of my sister,he ran. The three that were at the scene were arrested and the other got away thanks to law enforcement. The police took us back to the airport and we went home." +"This goes back 10 months when I used to live in my mother country, India. I lived in India most of my life and a lot of things went down while I was in India. India was really fun growing up but it came with a lot of sad things. We had a really happy family back then, mother, father, sons and a daughter. One day, we come from a party and everything was really good. Little did we know, that party caused something to happen to my sister. Next day at 8PM, my sister hung herself. This was the most tragic event of my life, I never imagined my life without her but shit. She was 5 years older than me and she helped me with EVERYTHING in my life. She helped me with my math problems and tell me about her life. We had so much fun together. I just with I knew that my time with her was limited because that would've caused me to live my life even better while I was with her. Life took a bad turn after I lost her. Everything went downhill, and my family were traumatized. I never hope something like this happens to anyone but what can you do." +"About a month ago, I traveled about 45 minutes from home to play golf with several friends. My mother had mentioned that my dad was supposed to be going to the doctor that week, but I didn't pay much attention to when it was supposed to occur, since it was a routine checkup. About 30 minutes into our round, I received a text message from my sister stating that there was some emergency at the doctor's office, and that my dad was being taken by ambulance to the hospital. I tried to get ahold of my mom or one of my sisters, but I was in a remote area with a poor signal on my cell phone. If we would've been near my home, I would've just left the course, but I had ridden there with the others, so if I left, several would have to leave with me to travel back home. I kept playing, while trying to contact someone and maintain my composure. After what seemed like an hour, I finally was able to talk to my mom. She said that he had started having chest pains while at the doctor's office. They had left the room, and came back to find that he had passed out. An ambulance was called to rush him to the hospital. She said they were running tests, but things looked better now that he was checked into a room. I explained my situation, and said that I would be there as soon as I could. After we finished the round, we all drove back, and I jumped in my car and drove an hour to the hospital. He spent around 24 hours there, and after multiple tests, the doctors could find nothing wrong. He was just told to get some rest and see his primary care physician. In the month since then, he hasn't had any more chest pain." +"A month ago I got a call from my mother about my father being admitted to the hospital. Of course, it's just so inconvenient, you know? How could he? He interrupted the one day out of the week I get to relax with my friends. I told her to wait a while and I'd be there, a few hours at the most. She started going on about how he was in critical condition and all that. Blah Blah Blah, you know? Who cares? I didn't want to piss off my friends, and, frankly, I was a little pissed off myself. We had at least a few hours left in our game, and, god, what's the point of staying if I'm not there with them? I couldn't just abandon them. What would they do without me? So, we stayed a little longer and played a little bit more golf. I went to the hospital after, my mother was hysterical. I was just a little annoyed, I went in to see my dad. He was fine, by the way, he just had a minor stroke. The doctors say he'll make a full recovery." +"Moved from Boston to Santa Fe. We took our cat. It was 2000 mile or so trip. Drove from boston to Connecticut. From there, we drove to PA, outside of Pittsburg. Then we went to Indianapolis, I think, which sucks. From there we went to Oklahoma. Then from there, finally, to NM, Santa Fe. We mostly ate fast food, and stayed at Motel 6. Drove 8 hours a day most days. It was certainly a journey, but we did it, and now I love where I live, though I'm still me, and struggling with some of the same things as when I lived in Boston, such as money, and being isolated. Still, this city is wonderful, and I love it. I would not ever want to live in Boston again. The people there are very mean. Also, the winter sucks. Yuck." +"I have lived in MA since I was born. In fact, I had never even left MA. I am the definition of not well-traveled. Last year, we both graduated from college and managed to get jobs at the same company. The only issue was, it was in New Mexico. I had planned to live in MA my entire life. I do not like change. But this was something I had to do. We made arrangements and started packing. I said my good-byes to my family, which was hard. Then, 6 months ago, we took of. We drove just because we thought it would be more fun. We took out cat with us. He was in the cage some of the time, but we let him out the majority of the drive so he could look out the windows. It was an insanely long drive. We stopped at countless restaurants and hotels. It was very fun and something I will never forget. Now, I'm still getting used to living in New Mexico. I do miss home." +"When I was nine years old, my uncle unexpectedly passed away. My parents and I were out of the country on vacation. My uncle was fine when we left a few days prior to that. Suddenly, we got a call that he passed away. We were very shocked and sad. My dad almost passed out. We called my uncle's son to find out what happened. He was barely able to talk. His voice was gone and all we could hear was crying. We understood that my uncle had a chest infection that developed into sepsis. His son rushed him to the hospital. My uncles wasn't insured. The hospital refused to offer him treatment until the fees are paid in advance. My cousin tried to gather enough cash to pay the hospital. However, he was running against the clock and he lost the battle unfortunately. It was very sad for us and we regretted not being by his side when he passed away and not being able to help him." +"I hadn't talked to my ex boyfriend in many years but we recently had gotten back in touch when he added me on Facebook. He didn't post often, but one day I was shocked to see a long post from him saying that he only had a few weeks to live. He had a heart condition due to his past drug abuse, and since he had an extremely low chance of survival, no doctor wanted to perform the surgery on him. I contacted him and though there was little I could do, I recommended him some good hospitals with heart surgeons who had worked miracles on my grandparents. I also sent him some healing oil blessed by Padre Pio, which he said he never got. Not long after the surgery, I spoke with him to ask how the surgery went. He said it went well but that he still didn't think he was going to make it. He died a few months later. I felt shocked when I heard the news. I also felt very sad. It was a bit of a ""thing"" to think about, that the last time I spoke to him, he told me he felt he wasn't going to make it. And he didn't make it. He was right. I also feel like I should have done something to help him. or at least give him comfort. But in reality, what could I do? I couldn't cure his ailment. I felt relieved, and convinced myself that he was going to be fine because he had lived through the operation. This was selfish of me. I wanted the relief of not having to worry about it anymore. So in my mind I made it over and done with. I was so wrong." +"The last six months were full of significant events that was both emotionally positive or negative. I remember these six months well, because there were a lot of life changes that I had to make and throughout the months I learned more and more about myself than I did last year. Within the last six months, I moved out of my parents' house for the first time; I had a lot of anxiety moving out (especially since I have an anxiety disorder, among other mental illnesses) and the fact that I had to do it suddenly made the anxiety worse. My boyfriend's roommates decided out of the blue that they were going to move out and there was a risk that him and another friend of our would be homeless. Now, at that point in my life I had a part-time job that paid well enough that I could move in and pay rent -- I had expected to movie in with my boyfriend by May when their lease was up but the past roommates decided to move out in February. Thus, I was not as mentally prepared and had a lot of trouble coming to terms with the fact that I needed to move out of my parents house eventually. I am 24 years old and struggled with severe depression for a large portion of my life. Some times I feel that I am still struggling but since I had moved that struggle became less and less severe. I have gotten to the point where I have a good handle of my anxiety and depression and try to push past them. This came with the move, as my previous home environment was very hostile: my parents fought and argued all the time. Thinking about it, they have always been fighting since I had remember, and moving out was a right step in the direction to get out of that toxicity. I still struggle with my mental illnesses but they became less and less significant and more manageable than I ever felt before. I knew getting out of a toxic environment was a path to better mental health but I didn't realize how beneficial it was until got out of it. Within the past six months I have lost weight, nearly 10lbs, and have a much more positive head space. Because of this, I was able to eat healthier, stop stress eating, start exercising, being more social, etc. A lot of positive things happened that still affect me significantly to this day. As for my parents... well, I love them very much and it was heartbreaking to see my mother cry when I started packing up and moving out. My mom loved me dearly and she would do anything for me and my brother; however, I needed to leave the nest. I do visit often, I try to keep in touch at least once or twice a week. Unfortunately I've been doing this less often lately because every time I go there the fighting and arguing continues. I addressed this problem before but my parents didn't quite understand why I was so upset by this. It also didn't help that there was a language barrier and they were born in another country. Since there was no way for me to stop the arguing I had to be the one to leave. It was a hard decision but I'm much happier for it." +"I went to the beach. Before we left, we loaded all our beach gear into the car. Continuing down the road my sister and two brothers and I sang songs to keep from falling into the depths of boredom. Deciding where to stop for dinner was a real challenge. Everyone wanted to eat at a different restaurant. Finally Dad stopped at Cracker Barrel. I chose green beans, potatoes, and steak for my dinner. We all drank hot cocoa and whipped cream for dessert. Initially we had hoped to reach our destination, Pensacola, before midnight, but it seemed impossible. Just after we crossed the Georgia/Florida border my dad stopped at a hotel. Keeping quiet not to wake the others staying at the hotel, we tiptoed out at 6:00 A.M. Later the next morning, we arrived at the house in Pensacola. My mom’s friend and her family were staying with us. Never is there a dull moment when we are all together. Of course we were very tired from our trip, so we rested all day. Plenty of fun in the sun was in store for us the next day. Ready to get out on the beach I had forgotten something very important. Quite sunburned was I by the end of that day. Sunscreen had not been applied!" +"When I handed in my project, I felt incredibly guilty. Even if I wasn't found out, I would know forever what I did to earn my grade. I pride myself on having integrity, and this was a black mark on my soul. I ended up passing the college class with the project earning an A. The footage was obscure enough not to be noticed as unoriginal and it wasn't something I had submitted in this class before. When I am feeling good about myself, this memory keeps leaking back into my thoughts. It won't let me fully rest and be at peace. I'm not sure what to do to erase the negativity. Maybe mentor someone who needs help passing a college course. I'm thinking of signing up to volunteer and give some time back for free. I think this will help me clear my conscience. If nothing else, that project has taught me not to procrastinate anymore. I get started on deadlines right away for fear of doing less than superior work. So at least my work ethic has improved. I learned a valuable lesson after all." +the women who is my neighborhood. she is very talent. she is car drive lover. she is my college friend but not close friends. one day. A women killed something on the road while driving home one night. She was working with a psychiatrist to deal with her emotions. she afraid about that. she was very shocked. she think that she killed man on the road but that is not a man. some animal are cross the road. that time she drive the car in high speed so she can't able to control. then she made accident. after that she become so upset. she went to deep thinking she did't speak with anybody for 3 days. after some days she recover. +"My fiance and I let our long time friend move in with us, and two months ago, we had to kick him out. He originally said it would be just for a little while, but he ended up being here for just about 3 years. He has never lived alone, and has ended up moving back into his mother's house. Things have not gone well since. He has been telling lies to people about us and the situation to our mutual friends. Even to my fiance's mother. He even said we sponged off of him! And my fiance told him we can still all be friends. The guy told everyone that my fiance ended a 20 year friendship though of course. Nobody believes him though, because he is generally a moody and miserable person. We should have known that inviting that into your home is a bad idea, but he was our friend and wanted to help him. Since he's been gone though, it has been much nicer here. We are once again free to do as we please and walk around in our underwear lol. We don't have to walk on eggshells, and there's not a big dark cloud looming around. It's sad how he is, but it seems that we can't help him." +"My fiance and I let our long time friend move in with us, and two months ago, we had to kick him out. He originally said it would be just for a little while, but he ended up being here for just about 3 years. He has never lived alone, and has ended up moving back into his mother's house. Things have not gone well since. He has been telling lies to people about us and the situation to our mutual friends. Even to my fiance's mother. He even said we sponged off of him! And my fiance told him we can still all be friends. The guy told everyone that my fiance ended a 20 year friendship though of course. Nobody believes him though, because he is generally a moody and miserable person. We should have known that inviting that into your home is a bad idea, but he was our friend and wanted to help him. Since he's been gone though, it has been much nicer here. We are once again free to do as we please and walk around in our underwear lol. We don't have to walk on eggshells, and there's not a big dark cloud looming around. It's sad how he is, but it seems that we can't help him." +My Fathers funeral is today. Im feeling all kinds of emotions I have always been a daddys girl. Even at times when i didn't want to be. My earliest memory of my dad is me dancing in my room while he played the air guitar. I think I was about 4 years old. I remember thinking he was the coolest guy alive. I remember the first time he hit me for no reason i was 10. He was mad at something I cant remember what but he picked me up and threw me into the tv. I really remember feeling pain i just remember my head feeling numb almost like white noise. I cried thinking it had to be my fault I was gonna be better. But I never did get better and things got worse. My father was addicted to drugs I knew that I think it was something everybody knew. I had tried over the years to get him clean. Nothing worked i began to hate him blaming him for everything that happened bad in my life. I looked at his body in the casket i kissed his cheek he was cold. Almost as cold as our relationship had been while i was growing up. I felt a since of loss for our relationship that could of been I felt guilt for not forgiving him. +"Today we laid my father to rest i thought i would feel diffrent when i woke up this morning but i didnt. It seemed like every other day except now i know i have no father because he is gone. The funeral was a sea of people. Most of which i dont remember all saying the same things countless people told me it will get better, How would they know Most them still have there fathers and mother . Why do people think its okay to say something that they dont know is true just because it sounds nice .Today I thought abut all the things that I didnt say to my father. The last time i seen him he wanted to take a picture with my son but i lied and said my phone was about to die thats something that i will carry for the rest of my life. I was embarrassed by his drug use I was embarrassed by how he looked so i lied. That could of been a moment but i denied it because of my bitterness. My son will never know how he grandpa wanted to take a picture with him because i will never tell him because im ashamed. Why did I stay angry for so long. Why didnt I take the dam picture. I hate myself because of it. I didnt cry today because I didnt want to. I didnt want to feel anything. How dare you die dad. How dare you leave me with so much guilt. I deserve it though." +"The trip to the hospital seemed to take forever. I struggled because of my weight and because there was no one there to help me. I had called my husband on the phone but he did not pick up. I called my mother as well, but it made more sense for her to meet me at the hospital. My best friend lived next door and was on her way over. Once my friend got there everything seemed to go a lot easier. She put me in her car and we were on our way. The pain was intermittent but intense. I could not really believe the day had finally arrived. Where was my husband? Why hadn't he picked up? Didn't we agree to be on high alert? My friend pulled into the emergency entrance and they wheeled me into the hospital room. They told me my doctor was on her way. I couldn't find my phone. What had they done with it. It felt like I would be having this baby any second. But it was actually still a few hours away. My husband got to the hospital; so did my mom. Giving birth seemed a lot easier to me than being pregnant. It went by very quickly. Holding my son was the best thing that ever happened to me. I was a mother. Life was good." +"The trip to the hospital seemed to take forever. I struggled because of my weight and because there was no one there to help me. I had called my husband on the phone but he did not pick up. I called my mother as well, but it made more sense for her to meet me at the hospital. My best friend lived next door and was on her way over. Once my friend got there everything seemed to go a lot easier. She put me in her car and we were on our way. The pain was intermittent but intense. I could not really believe the day had finally arrived. Where was my husband? Why hadn't he picked up? Didn't we agree to be on high alert? My friend pulled into the emergency entrance and they wheeled me into the hospital room. They told me my doctor was on her way. I couldn't find my phone. What had they done with it. It felt like I would be having this baby any second. But it was actually still a few hours away. My husband got to the hospital; so did my mom. Giving birth seemed a lot easier to me than being pregnant. It went by very quickly. Holding my son was the best thing that ever happened to me. I was a mother. Life was good." +My memorable diary entry is about a family reunion I had with my family that lives on the East coast of the United States. The occasion for the reunion was very appropriate. My cousin had a house warming and her husband finished his masters degree. This occurred last weekend. I flew to Philadelphia and my cousin picked me up from the airport. We had a great time and seeing my family was unforgettable. It was quite emotional as well. We had not seen each other since my brothers funeral two and a half years earlier. We ate tons of food at a BBQ in my cousins backyard and continued the festivities by blessing my cousins house. What a great time we had. I also met some family I had never met before including a whole generation of cousins that are less than 5 years old. We have now decided we must met a least once a year. The memories must continue. I'm calling my siblings to make sure they join in the plans for next year. My sister has agree. My parents are left to encourage to join us. Call it our yearly family reunion. +"I adopted a dog recently. I knew that I wanted to adopt a dog from my city shelter, as I believe they engage in remarkable work taking care of the city's abandoned animals. I left that day with my 7 year old female pitbull, and my life has not been the same since that day. I truly believe that adopting my dog has made me a better, more self-less person. I have had to make adjustments in my daily life in order to take care of her, but it's not a struggle or an inconvenience (well, maybe it is, but I haven't seen it that way). Owning a pitbull has been an interesting social development. As we walk down the street, some folks will look at her with an obvious discomfort. I have had people remark that they don't want to get to close because they don't ""want their face ripped off,"" or will ask me ""is that one of those mean fighting dogs?"" Even though I've known about the stigma of owning a pitbull, it's still a little awkward and shocking to handle these interactions. I always try to do the best I can in the fleeting passing moments to share that she's a kind animal. That being said, there is an abundance of activity in my neighborhood, primarily of the construction and public utility variety. For context, I live in an area of incredible heat and humidity. I often am concerned for the workers and their conditions. So imagine my surprise when, one day, I am walking my dog and the construction workers come over to pet her and share their water with her on one of the hottest days of the year. It was a gesture that was so sweet and heartwarming. It really made me appreciate human kind and the ability for people to share and care for others. So often when we go on our walks, I do my best to stay out of people's way and give them the room they need to feel safe. It was so nice to have a positive social interaction with my dog and the workers. Now every day when we go on walks they call out to her and give her pets." +"I gave birth to my son. He is my first child. He is everything to me. Everything went smoothly in the hospital. My husband is happy too. We are blessed by God to have our son. My son makes my life complete. He makes all of my days better. It is pure satisfaction being a mommy. I look forward to the milestones that my sons will reach. My boy smiles a lot. My family is proud of us. My son is not a thing; he is a person. I love being a mommy. I want to be the best I can. Things are going well, and I cannot imagine being more happy! It was stressful being pregnant, and we were worried that maybe there would be complications, but it all went smoothly. My son weighed 9 pounds and 15 ounces when he was born; a very big boy." +"Last night was my first night in my new house. I still can't believe that this is actually my house. Waking up in my house makes all of the stress from the past couple of months worth it. All those homes that I toured and put a bid on only to find out that I was too late seem to have led to the perfect house - the house that was meant for me. Then again, I cannot help bu wonder ""How can I have a house when part of me still feels like I am not really a grown up - not like my parents were when I was growing up""? Lol! I know that I have a good job, worked hard to save for the down payment and went through all of the necessary paperwork but I still kind of feel like I am just playing ""adult"" and doing ""adult"" things. I wonder if other people feel like this. I am not really too worried about making the monthly payments which are about 1/3rd of my monthly take home pay. Still, the thought of owing over $200K to anyone is a bit daunting. Still, I can't help but spending all of my time thinking about how I want to decorate this place. I find myself looking online at different websites for decorating ideas constantly. I have book-marked so many things on Pintrest that I will have a hard time even remembering what it was about the site that made me want to book mark it. I think that I will start in the living room. I want to be able to come home at night and immediately feel like I am at ""my"" home. I think that this weekend I will go to Home Depot and pick up some paint. I can't believe that I am actually excited about painting! Two years ago, I would have seen a three day weekend as a time to party - now I am looking forward to painting baseboards and walls. Maybe I am more of an adult than I thought?" +"Last night was my first night in my new house. I still can't believe that this is actually my house. Waking up in my house makes all of the stress from the past couple of months worth it. All those homes that I toured and put a bid on only to find out that I was too late seem to have led to the perfect house - the house that was meant for me. Then again, I cannot help bu wonder ""How can I have a house when part of me still feels like I am not really a grown up - not like my parents were when I was growing up""? Lol! I know that I have a good job, worked hard to save for the down payment and went through all of the necessary paperwork but I still kind of feel like I am just playing ""adult"" and doing ""adult"" things. I wonder if other people feel like this. I am not really too worried about making the monthly payments which are about 1/3rd of my monthly take home pay. Still, the thought of owing over $200K to anyone is a bit daunting. Still, I can't help but spending all of my time thinking about how I want to decorate this place. I find myself looking online at different websites for decorating ideas constantly. I have book-marked so many things on Pintrest that I will have a hard time even remembering what it was about the site that made me want to book mark it. I think that I will start in the living room. I want to be able to come home at night and immediately feel like I am at ""my"" home. I think that this weekend I will go to Home Depot and pick up some paint. I can't believe that I am actually excited about painting! Two years ago, I would have seen a three day weekend as a time to party - now I am looking forward to painting baseboards and walls. Maybe I am more of an adult than I thought?" +"Last night was my first night in my new house. I still can't believe that this is actually my house. Waking up in my house makes all of the stress from the past couple of months worth it. All those homes that I toured and put a bid on only to find out that I was too late seem to have led to the perfect house - the house that was meant for me. Then again, I cannot help bu wonder ""How can I have a house when part of me still feels like I am not really a grown up - not like my parents were when I was growing up""? Lol! I know that I have a good job, worked hard to save for the down payment and went through all of the necessary paperwork but I still kind of feel like I am just playing ""adult"" and doing ""adult"" things. I wonder if other people feel like this. I am not really too worried about making the monthly payments which are about 1/3rd of my monthly take home pay. Still, the thought of owing over $200K to anyone is a bit daunting. Still, I can't help but spending all of my time thinking about how I want to decorate this place. I find myself looking online at different websites for decorating ideas constantly. I have book-marked so many things on Pintrest that I will have a hard time even remembering what it was about the site that made me want to book mark it. I think that I will start in the living room. I want to be able to come home at night and immediately feel like I am at ""my"" home. I think that this weekend I will go to Home Depot and pick up some paint. I can't believe that I am actually excited about painting! Two years ago, I would have seen a three day weekend as a time to party - now I am looking forward to painting baseboards and walls. Maybe I am more of an adult than I thought?" +"Not too long after college, I took a new hobby by playing bass guitar. It was one of my favorite hobbies. It allowed me to express creativity. But when I got a job it gave me less time to work on my bass guitar. So I was unable to practice it and participate in music activities for a long time. It took several years, but eventually I was able to make time for it. I had to make compromises with my work and the church I play with. I also gave up some of my other free time in order to play bass to stay consistent. It also allowed me to become more skilled at it. It made me appreciate my bass guitar and appreciate my own free time. This is a sad memory for me. Im glad I was able to think about this memory again. A hobby is something you should not take for granted. Life is meant to enjoy the little things. Happiness and fufilling your life." +"One of my favorite hobbies is music and playing bass guitar. Because of work, I had to stop play bass guitar for a while to focus on other things. Time passed by and I rarely played my bass guitar while other things in life took priority. Throughout those years I always missed playing bass guitar and wanted to get back into it. It was sad to abandon a hobby like that. I felt like it was a talent that I was abandoning and some way I can both have fun and express my creativity. Just recently I decided to get back into playing bass guitar and very happy to be playing. I was playing for my church, but because of my absence not able to play. But because I am able to play again and able to play at my church. I regret choosing to not play for those several years. There was a specific event that made me want to play again with a gathering of other musicians that made me want to play again and inspired me. One of the bass guitar players inspired me to play again. Later on, i bought a new bass guitar because I was inspired to do so. I also plan to buy a 5 string bass guitar because my current bass guitars are only 4 string. I also plan to not abandon my hobby again and will work around it." +"Two weeks ago i was home on vacation from school for a few days. I am a college student so i don't get to go home a lot but when i do i like to enjoy my time there. Well about two days into my trip i got a call that i wish i had never answered. It was my uncle saying that my aunt was really sick and they did not know how long she had. My aunt had turned 90 a few days before this so her time was petty limited. Once i got to the hospital she didn't recognize me a first, but once she heard my voice she knew who it was. She was mostly blind so it was very hard for her to make out faces. I noticed that her breathing was really slow and her words were coming out so slowly. We talked for a few hours, as she reminisced on her life and her experiences. She told me about so many of the things she did in her life and all the people who she had come to know. she talked about her kids and mall my cousins and how she was proud of all of us. She explained to me how proud of me she was in school bettering myself and she saw me being a very successful young man in the near future. I was at the home for about two hours before i saw her take her last breath. I wont lie that broke me seeing her leave this earth. I did not expect that to be her final moment. I was in tears and could not even begin to comprehend what just happened. I started calling around to different family members and letting then know the news and that she had passed. My cousin, her son said he would be to the home in about an hour, so i decided to stay there until he came. Once he got there i consoled him and was there for him and he was there for me." +"My husband had been having issues but he did not seem to notice it at all. He seemed to just stop and take a deep breath. He did this so often that it almost appeared normal to him. When he was asked about it he just shrugged it off saying he was just a bit winded. He went to the doctor for a yearly physical and did not mention this issue. however I was in the room with him and I told the doctor that the neighbors as well as myself thought it was not normal to breath like he was. So, the doctor suggested that he have a stress test. This started the whole process..After this test we had another. This time an angiogram. The angiogram indicated there were several blockages in his arteries. His heart was not getting the oxygen it needed to be functioning properly. This took us to a heart surgeon. The surgeon admitted him immediately for open heart surgery. The stress test led to another to another test and actually ended up in surgery. Had I not said anything to the doctor my husband could have had a heart attack and been much worse off." +"Three months ago my husband went to the doctor for just his annual checkup. While there, I indicated that he was having issues breathing, that he got out of breath quickly. The doctor hesitated but decided to do a breathing test. This test involved walking on a treadmill while his breathing was being monitored by machines. We thought, ok, not a real big problem. In the days leading up to the testing we decided to do a bit of spring cleaning. We started cleaning our carpets but were not finished the day of the test. While doing the test the nurses were alarmed, canceled the remainder of the test and told us that my husband was NOT to do any more carpet cleaning or anything to exert himself. This caused alarms to us. We went to see the heart doctor who directed us to a heart surgeon. She immediately admitted my husband to the hospital for a quadruple heart bypass. This was a critical day for both of us, not knowing his chances of making it through the surgery or how life would be after surgery. I had to learn how to do the outdoor tasks that usually fall on the man of the house. I learned how to drive the tractor to cut the grass, and the worst of all was learning how to operate the snowblower to clear the sidewalks and driveways. I had to do all household activities for 6 months, however in the end I still had the love of my life and we continue to enjoy life together. Now we take long walks when we want, take naps when we feel we must and enjoy an occasional pizza together." +"I'm sitting here in my office with a cup of tea and a plate of cookies, enjoying life and taking a few minutes to keep my head from inflating too much! It's been two months since we opened our business in this wonderful location, and everything is going wonderfully. But I have to keep reminding myself that it could have turned out very differently. Every time I start to remember the horrible weeks leading up to the grand opening, I have an almost irresistible urge to go find Douglas (the hubby and other half of the business) and give him a big hug and a smacking big kiss for being such a rock through it all. First, 4 weeks before the date, the landlord contacted us to say he thought there might be an unforeseen termite problem with the property. Then a week later, no termites, just water damage, but might need to postpone tenancy. Great, since our current lease at the time was due to expire and we had to get our stock and everything out of the store. Then our movers went out of business. Next, our suppliers contacted us to say they were having problems with labor and shipping, and could we wait eight weeks for delivery. The answer to that was a definite no, and I went power shopping to find new suppliers and fallback shipping. Before I got new suppliers lined up I was tempted to just chuck it all in. But Douglas got our friends to pitch in, we found an alternate location, new movers,new suppliers, an army of friends to help, and it actually happened. The opening went off without a hitch, business is booming. Life is good. Out of disaster came the best business move we ever made. This weekend, the best thank you party for friends!" +"This story took place within the last week, however it was many years in the making and I have endured many trials and tribulations along the way to say the very least. Many years ago a girl opened her heart to me, she told me things she said she had never told another soul, she felt that she could trust me more so than any other person in her life. She meant the world to me, my whole soul lit up the moment she entered the room. I felt myself really falling for her personality, her smile, her laugh. I was very honored that we were able to share time together, it really meant something to me and I hope that it had meant a lot to her as well. When she told me that she was moving cross country, I was heart-broken. I truly thought that she would be in my life forever and yet that was not the case at all. She had been assigned to a job which would take her away from me and possibly to new countries and new adventures. I might never see her again and I felt that was almost too much for me to bear. We did keep in touch, and like I suspected, contact became less and less until it was almost gone completely. I went on with my life, found other people to spend my time with. Dated, and dated some wonderful people, but none really compared to her. I found she was on my mind, if only in the back of my mind as the gold standard to which anyone I met was compared against. It was definitely difficult to compare and my relationships always suffered as a consequence of it. Then one day, just last week my life changed forever. I heard it first, that magical laugh that always captivated me. I had to seek the source of the sound. Although many years had passed, I could remember it like it was yesterday and so many feelings came flooding back. When I turned around I discovered it was her - it was really her! She was standing there a huge smile on her lips. It look me by surprise I never thought I would see her again and yet there was was standing before me. We talked for hours as though we had never been apart. To find out that she is moving back to our town, that she is single and still thinks of me as I had thought of her is almost a stroke of magic. I look forward to the years to come and hope they are just as magical as the very first day I laid eyes upon her." +"This story took place within the last week, however it was many years in the making and I have endured many trials and tribulations along the way to say the very least. Many years ago a girl opened her heart to me, she told me things she said she had never told another soul, she felt that she could trust me more so than any other person in her life. She meant the world to me, my whole soul lit up the moment she entered the room. I felt myself really falling for her personality, her smile, her laugh. I was very honored that we were able to share time together, it really meant something to me and I hope that it had meant a lot to her as well. When she told me that she was moving cross country, I was heart-broken. I truly thought that she would be in my life forever and yet that was not the case at all. She had been assigned to a job which would take her away from me and possibly to new countries and new adventures. I might never see her again and I felt that was almost too much for me to bear. We did keep in touch, and like I suspected, contact became less and less until it was almost gone completely. I went on with my life, found other people to spend my time with. Dated, and dated some wonderful people, but none really compared to her. I found she was on my mind, if only in the back of my mind as the gold standard to which anyone I met was compared against. It was definitely difficult to compare and my relationships always suffered as a consequence of it. Then one day, just last week my life changed forever. I heard it first, that magical laugh that always captivated me. I had to seek the source of the sound. Although many years had passed, I could remember it like it was yesterday and so many feelings came flooding back. When I turned around I discovered it was her - it was really her! She was standing there a huge smile on her lips. It look me by surprise I never thought I would see her again and yet there was was standing before me. We talked for hours as though we had never been apart. To find out that she is moving back to our town, that she is single and still thinks of me as I had thought of her is almost a stroke of magic. I look forward to the years to come and hope they are just as magical as the very first day I laid eyes upon her." +"So, we were at the hospital expecting the birth of my second Daughter a month ago. My Mother was staying at my house with our first daughter. While she was there, she stole and pawned much of my wife's jewelry and my power tools. Needless to say, she's not coming back. I'm done with her crap. This whole thing has made me re-evaluate my life's priorities and how to protect myself and my family from those I shouldn't have to be protecting it from. I have to shut out my birth family in order to protect my wife and children from their influence and from being victimized by them in any untold ways they might dream up. This whole thing has really sucked. I shouldn't have to worry about stuff like this. This is what my life has been like from the beginning. There's been a history of lies told to me since birth. I didn't even know where I was born for 30 years. It's a shame that people can't love their own child enough to take care of them. If my Mother had just been decent to me this wouldn't be an issue. It's over now, but sheesh." +"Today at work, I went out for a smoke break after lunch. The hospital had been pretty quiet, when all of a sudden a Condition A was called in the main lobby as I was walking through. An older man was turning blue, and had collapsed to the floor. I was terrified to respond to my first major code, particularly that I would do something wrong. A nurse was going to get the crash cart and I had to begin CPR. Thankfully, the man had a button down shirt and I was able to get to his chest quickly. He was a very large man, and I was afraid my chest compressions weren't strong enough. I can still hear the sounds of his rib cage cracking as we quickly worked to resuscitate him. The crash cart arrived, and I was able to switch off with another nurse as I grew exhausted. Fifteen minutes and several shocks later, the man came to. He was wheeled away to the ER with a nurse supplementing his weak breathsusing the ambu-bag. I think about him from time to time--I hope he's doing alright. I don't like that I get so emotional during serious events, I've always considered myself to be a calm and rational person. I couldn't help but shake and fight back tears as the gravity of the situation settled in. Needless to say, I had taken a little extra time on my smoke break that day." +"Its me again.... I really didn't think I would be able to do a entry this week. Last week was another one for the FAILURE book. My electricity was behind two payments and my lights were cut off. I tried to get enough money for my minimum payment the week prior by picking up odd jobs and turking. Honestly I didn't have the time to dedicate to raising extra funds. Between getting the kid ready for school, taking my mom to her appointments and already working a 60 HOUR week, how am I suppose to get anything else done? I need sleep. My brother said he couldn't help at first, go figure. What grown man live with his mom and sister and can NEVER contribute. He finally said he could help after the lights we already cut of and they were demanding full payment. At least I was able to get some money out of him. What I want to know is where the money magically appeared from. He is so spoiled. It's most definitely moms fault. I am not putting up with this shit for much longer and you can bet you LIFE on that!" +"Several months ago, I lived in what could only be described as a haunted house. It was located in Southern Colorado. My husband and I were needing a home and looking for a rental property, and this was a charming old house that was built in the late 1800's. Our landlord disclosed to my husband (not to me), that a previous tenant had committed suicide shortly before we were to move in. Knowing that we were already locked in and ready to move, my husband decided not to tell me about the situation for fear I would back out of the deal. It wasn't until we moved in and were settled that he shared the secret with me. The room that the tenant had killed herself in was my new office, and I had always had trouble breathing in there. There is no way to describe it other than the air was constantly sucked out of the room, so that if you were in there for any length of time with the windows and door closed, you literally could not breathe and would feel very faint, as though you needed oxygen or were going to black out. The first month we lived there, we would leave the light over the sink in the kitchen on. It would cut out at several second intervals throughout the night, which I could always see from my position in the bedroom while trying to go to sleep. It would render the house completely dark, and was unnerving. We decided to move out after two months because of the...unrest...that was felt there. Everyone who came into the house could feel the heaviness and the difficulty breathing. IT turned out that the previous tenant had overdosed, purposely, on Klonopin and suffocated in her sleep. This lack of being able to breathe was the most terrifying and memorable event from living there. I still believe this house was haunted." +"My husband and I finally ran out of our home last week. We moved into a haunted house three months ago. We have heard stories of people dying in her because of suffocation. I believe it, since we both had trouble breathing sometimes in the home. That was the least of our worries. In the morning. the table would budge by itself. We thought it was a small earthquake, but this happened every morning. There would be spoons that would just fly out of our cereal. There would be ghosts in the mirror. Glass would just suddenly crack. Black cats would just start talking to us. There would be a broom that would fly out of nowhere. We thought we were on drugs but we never take drugs. We had to call a priest to ward the house off after we stormed out of there." +"I went to San Francisco about 3 months ago for a job interview. I think about it sometimes, because I didn't get it and I'm kind of sad that I didn't . I met the whole group that worked there and it seemed like a good place to work. They work on a lot of projects that seem very engaging and interesting to me. I could easily see myself fitting in with the team, we got on very well. I thought I would be perfect for them. The only part that threw me off was meeting with HR. The HR person was not very friendly. She did not smile the whole time we talked. She also asked a bunch of ""gotcha"" type questions, like, did you tell your boss that you are looking for another job, which is just weird to me. Like, of course I didn't tell them. When I visited, I even scoped out possible places to live and roommates. I traveled around and checked out different neighborhoods. I also met with a friend who lives there and we talked about how great it would be for me to get the position. I know her from college. She now works for a tech company there. I considered living with her but decided not to. But in the end, I did not get the job." +"Recently I went to a job interview in San Francisco. I had been applying for jobs and really wanted this one. The most significant part of this event was meeting with the team. Everyone was really nice. We seemed to really click. However, I came back home and waited and waited to hear from them. I was excited about moving there and had been looking at a rental properties. I checked the different neighborhoods and found the best places to live. I was excited about the job. But the days turned into weeks and I heard nothing back from them. I sent an email and they said they were still in the recruitment process. They relisted the job ad. This made me very sad, because it meant I didn't get the job I wanted. However, I tried to focus on the positive. I realized they thought I was good enough to at least give me an interview. I also realized that they had likely interviewed 5 - 6 people and none of them were what they wanted, so it was a high bar to clear anyways. And I had been really nervous, so I am proud of myself for landing the interview and going at all." +"My son's first session of individual swim lessons went horribly, well, for me. I introduced him to his instructor, walked away, and he just started crying! I had to physically leave the area because anytime he made eye contact, he would start to silently sob. It was heartbreaking, but I knew it was for the best. He needed to learn that he was safe with other teachers/lifeguard, as long as he followed their instructions and listened. This went on, more or less, for the entire session. I signed him up for session two, and he did so great! I walked him over to the instructor, gave me a kiss, and went with her. I sat across the pool from him, where he could see me, and instead of crying he would wave. He became more comfortable on his back and on his tummy, and is pretty much an expert (for a 2-year-old) at holding his breath. When swim lessons were done he would tell me that Sydney (his teacher) was very nice. When we would get in the car to come back the next day, he would say the same. Instead of being scared of the water, he was becoming a ""big boy"" and going in safely on his own. He was happy and joyful while in the water, and no longer scared at the thought of me not being in there with him. While he still wants me close by, he knows that this is for the best, too. And best of all is he is becoming a more confident person in the water." +"Something memorable in the last few months is when I dropped my son off for swim lessons. These were the first lessons by himself, where he did not have me in the pool. The first 2 days were awful; he cried and cried, so I literally left the pool area. It was somewhat painful for me emotionally, but I knew in the long run it was going to be worth it. By the 3rd day he still seemed a bit sad, but he wasn't crying all class like before. And then, by the time we were done with session one lessons, he was happy as could be. I signed him up for another session, and now he looks forward to it daily. He tells me that his teacher is very nice, and that he likes swimming. After class, we go to the outside pool and practice what he learned. For only being 2 years old, I think he is doing great! He can float on his back and dunk his head. He is fearless coming down the slide, and always asks for more! I think by the end of this session he will be ready for the next level up. He is starting to search for things under water, and know that he can hold his breath. As a mom, it's scary initially, but oh so very worth it!" +"I'm someone who enjoys spending time with kids, mostly my own. Sometimes I dislike other people's kids, but that's mostly because other people don't look after their kids. Well in this specific time, I'm looking after several kids with several parents. Every summer I try to organize group trips with other parents in the neighborhood. This year we went out to a nearby park several miles from the house. This isn't a kids park though, many of the directives suggest we be armed in case of a wild animal attack. Luckily I was. Around night time after cooling off one of the soup pots they provide to us on our trip, we prepare for bed using several sleeping bags and a tent. Suddenly, I hear gunshots. In our current climate, you always have to be wary of gunshots as it could be indiscriminate massacre or self defense of a wild bear attack. I shove my kids into our fan and load up my rifle and a shotgun. I figure if it's a bear I can barricade myself inside and hose him down with both guns. I hear more gunshots in the distance, I hear other parents scrambling with their kids to safety in other camps. After about 20 minutes, we see flashlights i the distance, rangers coming by to let us know that a bear had indeed made his way into the reserve but had been taken down before anyone could get hurt. Personally, I figure the only one getting hurt had the bear made it to us would have been Mr. Bear. It didn't come to that, however." +"I'm someone who enjoys spending time with kids, mostly my own. Sometimes I dislike other people's kids, but that's mostly because other people don't look after their kids. Well in this specific time, I'm looking after several kids with several parents. Every summer I try to organize group trips with other parents in the neighborhood. This year we went out to a nearby park several miles from the house. This isn't a kids park though, many of the directives suggest we be armed in case of a wild animal attack. Luckily I was. Around night time after cooling off one of the soup pots they provide to us on our trip, we prepare for bed using several sleeping bags and a tent. Suddenly, I hear gunshots. In our current climate, you always have to be wary of gunshots as it could be indiscriminate massacre or self defense of a wild bear attack. I shove my kids into our fan and load up my rifle and a shotgun. I figure if it's a bear I can barricade myself inside and hose him down with both guns. I hear more gunshots in the distance, I hear other parents scrambling with their kids to safety in other camps. After about 20 minutes, we see flashlights i the distance, rangers coming by to let us know that a bear had indeed made his way into the reserve but had been taken down before anyone could get hurt. Personally, I figure the only one getting hurt had the bear made it to us would have been Mr. Bear. It didn't come to that, however." +"If i could remember what I wrote that would be great. But in the last 2 months there have been many ups and downs in my life. With regards to my mother some of the nights I come to her home, she is very pleasant. I have been out of the country for 10 days. During that time my brother stayed with my mother. She asked about me every night. After my brother went home he emailed me a list of things that needed to be taken care of. One was my mother's continued fight to take a bath or even wash has not changed. He said we needed to try harder as we since have installed a bath chair that was recommended by the occupational therapist. So my second night back I suggested I would come to her home on Saturday morning and help her bathe. She immediately got frustrated. She told me how much she hated the bathroom aids we had installed. She started to get out of her chair to show what she hated. She pointed to the bath chair and the toilet lift and hand rail. She angry shook each piece and told me she hated it. The rest of the night was terrible. She refused to do all her normal bedtime rituals including spitting her pills across the room. She told me to never come back. So to remember what happened two months ago is not easy. Since that time the world has passed by at rapid pace. I try not to think ahead because I just try to enjoy this moment of peace." +"My mother as dementia. She fights with us. She gets very angry. It is very hard to help her bathe, washer her hair and brush her teeth. It has gotten so every night I go to help my dad get her ready for bed. My daughter was home for a month and she offered to go with me. I know seeing the decline of her grandmother is not easy. We keep the routine the same. She gets her blood tested, her insulin shot, takes her pills and then I help. I hand her the toothbrush and she begins to curse at the fact she has to brush her teeth. I get a dirty look during all this. After she rinses and spits in the basin, I leave the room. My mother asks her grand daughter ""Does she make you brush your teeth too?"" And there is the smile on my face that has been missing all day. With a job I don't like and other big stresses in my life, I am always looking for a bright spot. This is one that really worked." +"Three weeks ago I attended an event that would include old friends I hadn't seen or heard from in over forty-seven years. I was thrilled when I heard they would be there, along with their respective spouses, as we were all members of another friends wedding party years ago and very close friends. I got to the event early and sat there on pins and needles waiting to see who walked in first. I was afraid I wouldn't recognize them or they wouldn't recognize me. I was so very wrong! As they walked in the door, although the room was getting crowded, there was no way I couldn't know who they were. All these years just disappeared. Their faces were exactly as I remembered them. We hugged, we laughed, and even a few tears were shed. I can honestly say I was so moved and so very happy to see them all again. We were so close for so long and then time and life intervened. The years flew by and so did that night. We danced, ate, drank and had the best time. This was one of the most emotional times of my life and I'll never forget how I felt and how much fun I had. Before we left I made them promise not to let so much time go by again." +"Today was my day off of work and it just got better. I had planned on going to see the new scary movie that just came out, but instead saw that The Shining was playing at the theater I planned on going to. To watch the movie in a theater was awesome. It enhanced every aspect of the movie and made it even better to watch. I was a little hesitant to purchase the ticket at first, but then figured, why not? Who knows the next time this movie would be in a theater again. As I got to my seat, the theater was empty. Perfect. I was all set with my popcorn and soda and ready as ever. I forgot how long it had been since I had seen this movie. The film was enhanced and restored to have picture perfect quality fit for movies today. The thrill and mystery I remembered from this movie was bigger and better than ever on the big screen. Three other people were in the theater with me and I was able to watch the movie in total relaxation and peace. I am so glad I decided to see this movie today instead of my other choice. Everything happens for a reason and this one was awesome and worth it!" +"This past June I attended my only daughter's high school graduation. She was the valedictorian of her class. While months prior her teachers had indicated she might hold the title, there were still some other students who were being considered. Even when she first told me that she was being considered at all, I felt very proud of her. I told her how pleased I was, and it was fine if she wasn't their final choice. When the decision was final, I was in a state of slight shock. I knew she was a bright, well-behaved child, but to be in that position was quite an honor to me. I thought about how young I was when I had her and how I was determined that her childhood would be more nurturing than mine had been. I thought about how I raised her as a single parent and how everyone had something negative to say when it became clear that I would raise her on my own. It was like God was talking to that scared young woman that I was, telling her (me), ""It will all work out well for you and her."" With all this in mind, I attended her graduation. Even though I had heard her practice her speech beforehand, watching her walk up to the stage and humbly delivering her speech was earth-shaking to me. It was certainly one of the most special moments of my life. It wasn't just that she was in the valedictorian position, which alone was wonderful, but she had beaten the odds. I floated the whole day. I had previously hoped that recording the event would stop me from crying, but it did not. I felt so grateful to watch something so beautiful. Even typing this now makes me misty-eyed." +"I think I met my soul mate 2 weeks ago, in the grocery store, in the personal care section. I was rushing through the grocery store that day, I was running late for work, but I needed to stop to grab meds for my husband, yes my husband. I hit the corner of the isle so fast that I didnt even see him, my soulmate that is, I walked right into him. As I said sorry, we made eye contact, and when i looked into his eyes, I felt like I knew this man my entire life, and what was crazier was that he looked at me the same way. He was a normal looking guy, not overly attractive, just nice looking. He smiled and I smiled and he said dont worry about it, we survived right? We ended up standing in this isle for 15 minutes talking, he was an investment banker, his name was Michael, and he had a dog named Nala. We both were married and we both have kids. The conversation ended with a goodbye and a take it easy. No numbers exchanged, no plans on ever meeting again. The look in eyes matched the feeling I felt, the feeling i felt was that I was supossed to meet that man, we were meant to cross paths, I dont know why but we were meant to meet. I love my family and I would never ruin what I already have, but I felt something talking to this person that I have never felt with another person in my life. Now weeks have passed and I still think of this guy and wonder what the reason was we crossed paths. Like I said im amarried woman and I would never do anything to comprimise my marriage or my family, but there was just something about this man, and meeting him. It makes me wonder what life really has in store for me sometimes, we never really know what were all doing to begin with. Maybe one day this encounter will make sense." +"Once upon time, One Week ago I am Participated in one Competition. That Competition name is Scottish dances. It is My Favorite Competition. I am participate the Competition. I am preparing Very Well in this Dance Competition. My performance is Very Well in this Dance Competition. It is My Dream. Despite a car accident the night before, I was alive and well to play and dance at the annual English Country Dance Ball. In this dance Competition is Very Thrilling and Interesting. And The thrill of the night for me was dancing Mairi's Wedding, one of my favorite Scottish dances. My joy and amazement at being there to enjoy it gave the evening an extra glow. Dance makes you feel like you can do anything. Dance is the one types of Feeling. The best feeling is when you feel so weightless while dancing that you think you could conquer the world. Dancing is a whole-body workout that's actually fun. It's good for your heart, it makes you stronger, and it can help with balance and coordination. ... With dance-inspired workouts ranging from ballroom and ballet to hip hop and club dance classes. Dance is Important. Dance is more than the exploring of different ways to make a shape or learning a series of steps to music; it is a way of moving that uses the body as an instrument of expression and communication. ... Dance also enables students to better understand themselves and the world in which they live. But in my life Scottish dances is in my dream in our life." +"i remember, going to the beach with my brother in law's, my husband and out kids. his brothers kids. driving to the dunes in michigan and spending time together. and being together with no mobile devices. playing in the water. talking and getting to know each other better. i remember arriving there early, and getting lost. then his brothers finding us. i also remember, cooking lunch on the beach. chasing my kids on the beach. i also remember having ice cream afterwards. we had a very long day. we went and found a cave and painted ourselves in mud. the kids loved that part, we went up hills of sand. we had a lot of fun that day. took a lot of photos." +"i remember, going to the beach with my brother in law's, my husband and out kids. his brothers kids. driving to the dunes in michigan and spending time together. and being together with no mobile devices. playing in the water. talking and getting to know each other better. i remember arriving there early, and getting lost. then his brothers finding us. i also remember, cooking lunch on the beach. chasing my kids on the beach. i also remember having ice cream afterwards. we had a very long day. we went and found a cave and painted ourselves in mud. the kids loved that part, we went up hills of sand. we had a lot of fun that day. took a lot of photos." +"This such a hard thing to write about. About a year ago, my best friend's son, named James, was hit by a car. He landed on his head and unfortunately, went into a coma. The most horrific thing about this whole event was seeing James in the hospital bed, bruised and swollen. I could barely recognize him. We were told that, in a best case scenario, he would be a quadriplegic with brain damage. We held out hope that he would come out of the coma, but he never did. I felt horrible about the whole situation as this wasn't just my best friend's son, it was also my godson. I was there when he was born and I watched him grow up. James passed away two weeks ago after being in a coma for about a year. Surprisingly, everyone in the family felt at peace. We believed that James was now more alive than he had ever been over this past year. Shockingly, the funeral was an inspiring event where we celebrated James' life. Although he was taken too soon from us, James still lived a full life that everyone will remember. The funeral conveyed this fact and it ended up being a robust celebration of the life of James." +"This such a hard thing to write about. About a year ago, my best friend's son, named James, was hit by a car. He landed on his head and unfortunately, went into a coma. The most horrific thing about this whole event was seeing James in the hospital bed, bruised and swollen. I could barely recognize him. We were told that, in a best case scenario, he would be a quadriplegic with brain damage. We held out hope that he would come out of the coma, but he never did. I felt horrible about the whole situation as this wasn't just my best friend's son, it was also my godson. I was there when he was born and I watched him grow up. James passed away two weeks ago after being in a coma for about a year. Surprisingly, everyone in the family felt at peace. We believed that James was now more alive than he had ever been over this past year. Shockingly, the funeral was an inspiring event where we celebrated James' life. Although he was taken too soon from us, James still lived a full life that everyone will remember. The funeral conveyed this fact and it ended up being a robust celebration of the life of James." +My friends and I decide to go on this amazing backpacking trip to Europe for about three weeks. We planned for months and final the day had come to depart from the USA and start the trip in Dublin. When we first landed in the morning we checked into the hostel in the city centre. After that we were able to grab lunch at a local spot recommended by an employee at the hostel. The places was absolutely delicious and decide to explore the city. We saw amazing architectures and had some amazing conversation with the locals. Couple days have past and now we are on our way to London by ferry and a absolutely long bus ride so we all decide to catch up on our sleep until we reach our destination. London was ok we got to see the most of the tourist attraction while trying traditional british food. Next stop was Amsterdam we had the opportunity to visit the Heineken brewery and a couple of museums while we made a brief stop here in this city. The city was beautiful and I really like the bike culture there. The absolute highlight of the trip was when we were in Switzerland. I have to say that this was the most memorable country during the whole trip. We went on a 5 hour hike to the longest pedestrian bridge. The journey to the bridge was hard but definity worth it. We got to see a couple of wild animals in the mountain and the most memorable moment was the jaw dropping views of the mountain with the clear blue skies. The food was kind of pricey but was worth every penny. The city and town we stayed in was super clean and the lake was crystal clear. I am glad that we got to meet a lot of different people from different cultures and taste food that we wouldn't have back in the states. I was a enjoyable trip to form new friendship and create amazing memories with friends that will last a lifetime. +My friends and I decide to go on this amazing backpacking trip to Europe for about three weeks. We planned for months and final the day had come to depart from the USA and start the trip in Dublin. When we first landed in the morning we checked into the hostel in the city centre. After that we were able to grab lunch at a local spot recommended by an employee at the hostel. The places was absolutely delicious and decide to explore the city. We saw amazing architectures and had some amazing conversation with the locals. Couple days have past and now we are on our way to London by ferry and a absolutely long bus ride so we all decide to catch up on our sleep until we reach our destination. London was ok we got to see the most of the tourist attraction while trying traditional british food. Next stop was Amsterdam we had the opportunity to visit the Heineken brewery and a couple of museums while we made a brief stop here in this city. The city was beautiful and I really like the bike culture there. The absolute highlight of the trip was when we were in Switzerland. I have to say that this was the most memorable country during the whole trip. We went on a 5 hour hike to the longest pedestrian bridge. The journey to the bridge was hard but definity worth it. We got to see a couple of wild animals in the mountain and the most memorable moment was the jaw dropping views of the mountain with the clear blue skies. The food was kind of pricey but was worth every penny. The city and town we stayed in was super clean and the lake was crystal clear. I am glad that we got to meet a lot of different people from different cultures and taste food that we wouldn't have back in the states. I was a enjoyable trip to form new friendship and create amazing memories with friends that will last a lifetime. +"Shortly after Christmas earlier this year I decided to make a commitment towards the love of my life. She believed in getting a promise ring before the engagement ring so I had to follow suit. I decided to get a very expensive promise ring from Kay Jewelers. The real challenge was deciding on a special place to do the proposal at. I remembered that she would always talk about a particular place that her now deceased mother used to love. It was a lighthouse on lake Hefner. I decided to have her come out and meet me at the lighthouse on the day that I would present her with the ring. It was cold out and the sun was already down. I was waiting at the lighthouse for her father to drive her out to the location. I was amazed by how beautiful it was out there at and around the lighthouse. One thing I was worried about was how much she would actually like the ring. I was almost sure of myself when I thought about how she wouldn't like it. However when I finally presented it to her, she loved it. I put the ring inside a collection of roses I had set out for her with a note in it confessing my love and passion for her. After this, we went out to eat at a very expensive restaurant, and we enjoyed the rest of our evening. Best of all, she ended up loving the ring to my surprise." +"Shortly after Christmas earlier this year I decided to make a commitment towards the love of my life. She believed in getting a promise ring before the engagement ring so I had to follow suit. I decided to get a very expensive promise ring from Kay Jewelers. The real challenge was deciding on a special place to do the proposal at. I remembered that she would always talk about a particular place that her now deceased mother used to love. It was a lighthouse on lake Hefner. I decided to have her come out and meet me at the lighthouse on the day that I would present her with the ring. It was cold out and the sun was already down. I was waiting at the lighthouse for her father to drive her out to the location. I was amazed by how beautiful it was out there at and around the lighthouse. One thing I was worried about was how much she would actually like the ring. I was almost sure of myself when I thought about how she wouldn't like it. However when I finally presented it to her, she loved it. I put the ring inside a collection of roses I had set out for her with a note in it confessing my love and passion for her. After this, we went out to eat at a very expensive restaurant, and we enjoyed the rest of our evening. Best of all, she ended up loving the ring to my surprise." +"We went to a really good barbeque place and it blew my mind. The meat was really tender and juicy. It was like nothing that i've ever ate before. After that, we went to the capital to look around and saw many interesting things. It was a really tall building and there were many pictures in there. We had to go through security before we were able to step in. At night, me and my buddies went out to some local bars. There was a bar there that was made entirely of containers! Oddly enough it was called Container Bar. There were many other bars nearby as well. The next day, we decided we wanted to go to the shooting range. It was my first time there so i was definitely a bit nervous. I was so nervous that i was shaking while holding the hand gun. In the end, it was a great time. I experienced many firsts. I would definitely be going back to Austin." +"We went to a really good barbeque place and it blew my mind. The meat was really tender and juicy. It was like nothing that i've ever ate before. After that, we went to the capital to look around and saw many interesting things. It was a really tall building and there were many pictures in there. We had to go through security before we were able to step in. At night, me and my buddies went out to some local bars. There was a bar there that was made entirely of containers! Oddly enough it was called Container Bar. There were many other bars nearby as well. The next day, we decided we wanted to go to the shooting range. It was my first time there so i was definitely a bit nervous. I was so nervous that i was shaking while holding the hand gun. In the end, it was a great time. I experienced many firsts. I would definitely be going back to Austin." +"Earlier this summer I took a cruise with my family. It was my nephew's first cruise and we were excited about going on the cruise. I decided to leave my cat in my apartment, and someone would come and check on her every few days. Just before I was supposed to leave for the cruise, my landlord mentioned that he had to work on the bathroom. I told him that he can do that, since I will be gone for a week, but he should make sure my cat doesn't get out. The vacation was very nice and I had a great time. I returned back to my apartment a week later, only to find the apartment in complete disarray. Every room in the apartment had parts of my bathroom. Normally when I return from a weekend or vacation, my cat will greet me. This time the cat wasn't in the apartment, and I looked in her usual hiding spots and did not find her. I called my landlord and asked if he has seen my cat, and he said no. I then asked how long will it be, before my bathroom will be finished. He said it might be another two weeks. Therefor I had to drive back to my parents house every night, and then return back to my apartment, to look for the cat. This went on for two weeks before I received a phone call in the middle of the night from my landlord. He said that he found my cat, above his ceiling and under my floor. It turns out, when they were repairing my bathroom, they left a hole near the shower. My cat went in the hole and was unable to get back out." +"I was taking a cruise with my family and I would be leaving my cat alone in my apartment, while I was gone. A friend of mine from work would be coming to check on the cat every few days to make sure the cat had enough food and she was comfortable. A few weeks before the cruise, my landlord was concerned about my bathroom. He thought there might be a leak in the bathroom, and there might be mold. He inspected my bathroom and decided that the tiles should be replaced. A few days before I would be leaving, the landlord brought some people over to check my bathroom. They said the repair would take a few days, and could be done, while I was on vacation. I my landlord that is fine, but to make sure my cat doesn't escape. I had an enjoyable time on the vacation and when I returned to my apartment, it was in complete disarray. My living room was a mess, and everything that was in the bathroom was spread all over the place. I then looked for my cat, but I couldn't find her. It was very strange, because the cat is scared and would never go outside. I spoke with the landlord about my cat, and he said that he never saw her. I also asked about my bathroom, and he told me it might take another week or two longer. I happened to notice there was a hole in the bathroom, and thought there is a possibility the cat went in the hole because she wanted to explore. I tried calling my cats name, but didn't hear anything. Since I didn't have a working bathroom, I had to drive back to my parents house every night. I would then drive back to my apartment to look for the cat, and then drive to work, before returning back to my apartment to look for the cat again. One day, I told my landlord the cat could have gone in the hole, but he didn't believe me. I was sound asleep, when I got a phone call at 3am from my landlord stating he found the cat, hiding in the ceiling. I was able to rescue my cat and make sure she was fine. The entire ordeal lasted almost two weeks. Though I now lock the apartment door at all times, and make sure that I am home if anyone is going to work on my apartment. It was very stressful because I couldn't stay in my apartment, and the landlord wasn't very helpful." +"Well it's been about 4 months since I quit my last job. Man was it burning me out. I was coming home exhausted and had so little energy to do anything. Since then I spent about a week relaxing and trying to catch up on some things. I've picked back up some hobbies and found some happiness in those. I also get a new job that affords me a bit more free time to handle chores around the house like cleaning and laundry and the commute is much shorter so I have more time for family and shopping. Overall I'm doing a lot better since I've given myself more time for myself. There's such a push now to give all of yourself to your job, but you know the fact is any large company would abandon you as soon as they needed to cut expenses. I'm happier now and would advocate to anyone the importance of taking time for yourself. My sleep has improved since changing jobs. I don't have to drive as much and I'm not as stressed out with the requirements so I am sleeping better and sleeping in more. My weekends are more enjoyable too since I don't think about work. I also am able to leave work at the door when I get home. I hope this continues the longer I work at this job. Overall I hope it stays good and I hope to be there a long time." +"I was able to save up enough money to travel overseas. It took all spring and summer but I was able to do it. It was a lot of hard work but like I said it was worth it and taught me a lot. Belgium was a different country in a good day. I liked all of the different kinds of beer I was able to try. The food was really interesting as well. It was not something I was used to. I was not able to eat as healthy as I wanted to, oh well. The food was good and I will need to get on the treadmill as soon as I get back. I met a lot of interesting people as well. That was probably the best part about this place. All of the people just seemed nice and interested in me. All of this made studying and learning just easy. That was the easiest part. I am not sure I could have asked for more. It took awhile to adjust but this finally feels like home to me. I hope some of family can come visit soon. I think they would have a good time like I am. I think eventually I will view this place as my real home. For now though, I just need to keep on adjusting." +"I was able to save up enough money to travel overseas. It took all spring and summer but I was able to do it. It was a lot of hard work but like I said it was worth it and taught me a lot. Belgium was a different country in a good day. I liked all of the different kinds of beer I was able to try. The food was really interesting as well. It was not something I was used to. I was not able to eat as healthy as I wanted to, oh well. The food was good and I will need to get on the treadmill as soon as I get back. I met a lot of interesting people as well. That was probably the best part about this place. All of the people just seemed nice and interested in me. All of this made studying and learning just easy. That was the easiest part. I am not sure I could have asked for more. It took awhile to adjust but this finally feels like home to me. I hope some of family can come visit soon. I think they would have a good time like I am. I think eventually I will view this place as my real home. For now though, I just need to keep on adjusting." +"When I told my father about this incidence of sexual harassment, I was shocked. This was about 2 months ago when the attack happened. Since the person was such a dear friend of my father's, I was understandably worried to approach him about the matter. The family friend who sexually harassed me was Larry, who has been a fishing buddy of my father's for years. We were at the barbecue that was to celebrate the graduation of cousin Gertie. Everyone was laughing and having a great time, and I too was enjoying having a swim in the pool. I found myself at the deep end of the pool, and I had always been a little bit fearful of swimming over my head. There was no one else at the end of this pool and I was caught in my own world when I felt a hand brush against my thigh. I jerked away and my heart raced. At first I though something in the water had bit me. Or maybe it had just been a pool toy. But then I looked up and saw old and disgusting Larry with this sick grin on his face and his hand still near my thighs. I gasped and kicked away, ignoring my fear of deep water and swam as fast as I could. When I kicked away, I got some satisfaction when I felt my left foot slam into the side of Scary Larry's head. I wasn't really surprised that my father didn't believe me. But he did say he wondered how Larry had gotten that huge bruise on his face." +"When I told my father about this incidence of sexual harassment, I was shocked. This was about 2 months ago when the attack happened. Since the person was such a dear friend of my father's, I was understandably worried to approach him about the matter. The family friend who sexually harassed me was Larry, who has been a fishing buddy of my father's for years. We were at the barbecue that was to celebrate the graduation of cousin Gertie. Everyone was laughing and having a great time, and I too was enjoying having a swim in the pool. I found myself at the deep end of the pool, and I had always been a little bit fearful of swimming over my head. There was no one else at the end of this pool and I was caught in my own world when I felt a hand brush against my thigh. I jerked away and my heart raced. At first I though something in the water had bit me. Or maybe it had just been a pool toy. But then I looked up and saw old and disgusting Larry with this sick grin on his face and his hand still near my thighs. I gasped and kicked away, ignoring my fear of deep water and swam as fast as I could. When I kicked away, I got some satisfaction when I felt my left foot slam into the side of Scary Larry's head. I wasn't really surprised that my father didn't believe me. But he did say he wondered how Larry had gotten that huge bruise on his face." +"When I told my father about this incidence of sexual harassment, I was shocked. This was about 2 months ago when the attack happened. Since the person was such a dear friend of my father's, I was understandably worried to approach him about the matter. The family friend who sexually harassed me was Larry, who has been a fishing buddy of my father's for years. We were at the barbecue that was to celebrate the graduation of cousin Gertie. Everyone was laughing and having a great time, and I too was enjoying having a swim in the pool. I found myself at the deep end of the pool, and I had always been a little bit fearful of swimming over my head. There was no one else at the end of this pool and I was caught in my own world when I felt a hand brush against my thigh. I jerked away and my heart raced. At first I though something in the water had bit me. Or maybe it had just been a pool toy. But then I looked up and saw old and disgusting Larry with this sick grin on his face and his hand still near my thighs. I gasped and kicked away, ignoring my fear of deep water and swam as fast as I could. When I kicked away, I got some satisfaction when I felt my left foot slam into the side of Scary Larry's head. I wasn't really surprised that my father didn't believe me. But he did say he wondered how Larry had gotten that huge bruise on his face." +"well what happened to me recently was that although it sounds very silly but it was something that hurt the whole family. My daughter's pet died 1 week ago I know that for some people a pet will be something very silly but for us the I was a member of the family, I remember that my daughter went to school with her sister as usual and when she left school. I was very worried since I saw tuzzi very badly and told me that if I could take her to veterinarian when I left work I said of course that yes but unfortunately tuzzi died minutes later she called me crying and I went immediately to my house. She and everyone was crying, I also cried as part of our family for more than 10 years and it was very painful. After that we took my daughters my wife and I to have an ice cream all 4 together. The day after we put tuzzi in a shoe box and buried him in the courtyard of my house along with a cross that my daughter did extempore. Maybe this story sounds absurd to many. Maybe there are sadder stories but the loss of tuzzi to our family was very tragic. in those 10 years we spent many things together, I gave that pet to my daughter when she was only 5 years old. He was about to turn 11 with us, a few days have passed and my daughter is already better, my youngest daughter also suffered the loss but not as much as the older one since she has a slightly nobler heart and the lost they do it very badly. I told her that I could burn another pet when she decided to do it but she said no, that it was fine since she does not want to know about pets at the moment, she says that as a tuzzi there are not two. I lost a dog when I was a teenager, he accompanied me throughout my childhood and it was very important for me as a human being to grow up with him, now as an adult I have had more animals but nobody like my dog ​​who died. I firmly believe that an animal like this is only found once in your life. I hope that my daughter, as time goes by, feels better and better. For now she is having a good time and I hope that this will continue." +"Myself and my husband met about 5 years ago. We met at a small party. We recently got married. Not long after, I became pregnant. About three months ago we had our daughter. The labor portion was quick but the epidural wore off halfway through the birth. This was very painful for me. I muttled through it. I vowed like every other woman, ""I will never get pregnant again"". Overall we were thrilled to have a beautiful baby daughter. I do think I'll get pregnant again since three months have past. I will remember the pain. I remember to not get an epidural. I would want to have a boy the next time I have children. Overall myself and my little family will live happily ever after." +"Sometime about a month ago, I and my brother went to the Lassen National Park for a nice trip. It was the first time I was out on a hike. I really enjoyed the trip and so did my brother. We spent the day doing the hike up the crater. It was very snowy on the side of the crater. This made it tough. However, it was enjoyable. When we finally completed the hike, we went back to our cabin. We had a beer and planned to do it again. It was a great day, and we were satisfied. It was the first time. It is always nice to do something for the first time. I recommend it. At least once. It is very uplifting, and energy inducing." +"Sometime about a month ago, I and my brother went to the Lassen National Park for a nice trip. It was the first time I was out on a hike. I really enjoyed the trip and so did my brother. We spent the day doing the hike up the crater. It was very snowy on the side of the crater. This made it tough. However, it was enjoyable. When we finally completed the hike, we went back to our cabin. We had a beer and planned to do it again. It was a great day, and we were satisfied. It was the first time. It is always nice to do something for the first time. I recommend it. At least once. It is very uplifting, and energy inducing." +"we moved our son to college. it was fun packing him and getting him ready to go. we had fun trying to decide what he should take and what he should leave. going through his belongings brought forth many memories of his childhood that we could reminisce about. we packed the UHaul with everything that he needed. Our drive to college was enjoyable. We sang and talked and sang some more. we had a good time. when we finally got to his college apartment our moods changed a little due to the chaos of everyone moving in. we quickly unloaded the U Haul and moved it out of the way. Now it was time to organize and put things away in his apartment. This, also, was a fun time. I could tell my son was excited to live on his own. I had packed a lunch so we took a break to eat, laughed and planned his apartment. we decided the best layout for his room and his furniture. I think we took longer than necessary to avoid goodbyes. once there was nothing left to do, sadness set in. It was time to go. Saying goodbye was very hard. I did not want to leave and my son did not want us to either. he kept talking to us with a glimmer of tears in his eyes and I could tell he did not want us to leave but it was getting late and it was time. It is very hard for a mom to leave her son behind to be on his own. I hugged him, told him that I loved him and how proud i was of him. I go into the truck and waved until he was no longer in sight. I cried most of the way home." +"we moved our son to college. it was fun packing him and getting him ready to go. we had fun trying to decide what he should take and what he should leave. going through his belongings brought forth many memories of his childhood that we could reminisce about. we packed the UHaul with everything that he needed. Our drive to college was enjoyable. We sang and talked and sang some more. we had a good time. when we finally got to his college apartment our moods changed a little due to the chaos of everyone moving in. we quickly unloaded the U Haul and moved it out of the way. Now it was time to organize and put things away in his apartment. This, also, was a fun time. I could tell my son was excited to live on his own. I had packed a lunch so we took a break to eat, laughed and planned his apartment. we decided the best layout for his room and his furniture. I think we took longer than necessary to avoid goodbyes. once there was nothing left to do, sadness set in. It was time to go. Saying goodbye was very hard. I did not want to leave and my son did not want us to either. he kept talking to us with a glimmer of tears in his eyes and I could tell he did not want us to leave but it was getting late and it was time. It is very hard for a mom to leave her son behind to be on his own. I hugged him, told him that I loved him and how proud i was of him. I go into the truck and waved until he was no longer in sight. I cried most of the way home." +"My wife and I were trying to get pregnant again. Our first time was so difficult and trying for our second was nerve wrecking because we didn't know know if it would take us an entire year like it was the first time. After trying for about 3 months, my wife walked into our room to show me the pregnancy test. It was positive. I leaped from the bed and was so happy and gave her a bunch of kisses. My first born was up not to long after and we shared the amazing news to her not to long after. As a baby and even till today i font think she still understands that shes going to be a big sister. After a few months of going to the doctor,we found that the baby is in good health and that we will know the gender in no time at all. I was really hoping for a boy since our first born is a girl and would not mind a little fella to hang with. When we learned it was another girl it was almost as if it was like my first born. I did not care , i was no disappointed, I was going to have 2 little daddy's girls. I also felt like I have a chance to redo and enjoy my newborn since my family in a way ruined my new parent stage with their drama. It was a very rough period in my life and will never wish that on anybody. My wife and I then started prepping for the arrvial of our new daughter to come. We got a bunch of new books, toys the new nursery is actually just completed and are awaiting for her arrival (actually should happen sometime this week). We made a budget to try to get us out of some debt and get us ready financially for the arrival as we all know that having a baby can be a little expensive. Currently paid off 1 of our loans thanks to planning, saving and Mturk. I can't wait for our little one to come to the world soon." +"I came home from work a bit early since it wasn't busy, and I found my wife sitting at the dining room table. This was a little strange, since I would usually find her on the couch watching television. She asked me to sit, which I figured could either mean good or bad news. I obliged, and she set a pregnancy test on top of a paper towel that had been placed on the table in front of me. It indicated that she was pregnant. I wasn't sure how to feel. I was excited, but nervous. This certainly was not a planned event. But regardless of how I felt, I needed to deal with it as best I could. My take home pay was just enough to cover our existing lifestyle, and now I would have to purchase diapers, baby food, clothing, and all of the other baby-related items. Our medical bills would increase. It was stressful. However, I knew we could handle it, as we had before. My job was quite flexible, and I could work more hours and bring home more pay. My wife could work online - she was a medical transcriptionist before she quit to take care of our first child, and her company offered to keep her employed on a part-time basis if she ever needed the work. It was a big life change, but I knew everything was going to be alright." +"I recently took a second job to increase my income. I have three children, and unfortunately their father is not consistent with his child support payments. Under the circumstances, I either had to pull the kids out of their extra-curricular activities, or earn more money. I work at Starbucks part time, in addition to my regular job. Because I do have a day job, my Starbucks shifts are usually at night. I am gone from before the children get home from school until 10:30 or so at night. Lately I have been working 3 or 4 nights each week, which means I have very little time in the evenings with the kids. Schoolwork is starting to suffer, and I am exhausted. I don't really get enough sleep when I work a night shift, since I still have to get up at the usual time to get the kids off to school, and me to work. I keep hoping that I can cut back to no more than two nights during the week, and one Saturday morning, but I have to be available when the store needs me. I also try to stay involved in the children's activities, and volunteer when I can. It seems like there is never enough time. I don't glorify busyness, either. I really do try to find ways to cut back, but with three children, two jobs, and no help, it is super hard. I know it is just a season in my life, and I try to stay focused on being lucky enough to be able to manage two jobs, but I am tired. So very tired." +"I recently took a second job to increase my income. I have three children, and unfortunately their father is not consistent with his child support payments. Under the circumstances, I either had to pull the kids out of their extra-curricular activities, or earn more money. I work at Starbucks part time, in addition to my regular job. Because I do have a day job, my Starbucks shifts are usually at night. I am gone from before the children get home from school until 10:30 or so at night. Lately I have been working 3 or 4 nights each week, which means I have very little time in the evenings with the kids. Schoolwork is starting to suffer, and I am exhausted. I don't really get enough sleep when I work a night shift, since I still have to get up at the usual time to get the kids off to school, and me to work. I keep hoping that I can cut back to no more than two nights during the week, and one Saturday morning, but I have to be available when the store needs me. I also try to stay involved in the children's activities, and volunteer when I can. It seems like there is never enough time. I don't glorify busyness, either. I really do try to find ways to cut back, but with three children, two jobs, and no help, it is super hard. I know it is just a season in my life, and I try to stay focused on being lucky enough to be able to manage two jobs, but I am tired. So very tired." +"The last few months have been difficult in my household. A little over three months ago, my husband was injured on the job site. This has been challenging for us both from a financial standpoint, as he is on workers comp instead of receiving his full pay for working, including his usual overtime hours, and from an emotional standpoint. It is difficult for him to sit idly at home most of the day rather than being productive in his physically demanding job. He is becoming very restless but is limited in his ability to even complete projects around the house during this time off from work due to the nature of the injury. He does attend physical therapy three times a week which gives him an outlet outside the house but progress is slow and on days after physical therapy, he's more exhausted and the pain flares a bit more so he's resigned to the couch for most of the day afterwards and can't even do many minor chores around the house. They told us it should be getting easier by now, but it's just not and that's hard to deal with. I don't know how many more months of this we can take. It's hard for me to shoulder the burden of the majority of the household tasks as he is physically unable right now. The other challenge is financial. We had become accustomed to the extra income from his overtime hours, and while I'm thankful for worker's compensation to help cover most of the missing income, it doesn't help with the income above and beyond his base rate. We had been making progress in building up our emergency savings and having some extra disposable income. Now without the overtime hours, the savings progress has come to a screeching halt. It's frustrating to say the least. I have no ability work overtime hours at my job so we're fairly stuck income wise for the time being. I really hope his injury starts healing faster and that he's able to go back to work in some capacity very soon because this is draining and stressful for everyone in our household right now." +"I sat in the hospital waiting for good news. My brother was in tears sitting next to me. These past few months have been a living hell for him. I can't believe how strong he has been up until now. His wife, Crystal stopped taking her cancer treatments. She wants to die with ""dignity"" as she puts it. The chemo wasn't working and she has given up. Their sons are too young to understand why their mother can't play with them and why their father has been distant. I feel horrible for the kids who will grow without their mother, similar to me and my brother. History has a way of repeating itself it seems. The doctors rush out and pull my brother to the room. Crystal is dying, in her final moments. I don't know what she told my brother, but he drank that whole night while I comforted the children. I can't believe she is gone. I always wanted the love they had. Now my brother wallows in alcohol while I ponder why life can be so cruel." +"When I look back on the night my son graduated from college, I am overcome with pride and love. I can precisely picture everything about my surroundings that night. I am usually not that great at taking everything in and focus on small details in my life and at events as opposed to the big picture. This night, however, I can clearly recall the view across the room, the colors, the sounds, the whole entirety of it all, and most importantly, the feelings. I know I could go back to that huge room and find the seat I was sitting in among thousands just based on the clarity of my memory. I took everything in. Before the graduation, I had trouble finding parking and rushed into the venue at the last moment, worried I wouldn't be able to find a seat. I found one way up high with pretty poor view because none of the lower ones were available. At that point, I had no idea where my son was, no idea if I would even be able to see him or not. He texted me as the commencement started and told me where he was. Based on that, I was a little upset because I had definitely chosen the opposite side of the arena from him and was very far away. In spite of that, I absorbed the whole ceremony and kept one eye always fixed on his head, small as an ant. The whole time, I balanced between crying with pride and joy and smiling so hard that my cheeks and jaw hurt. In the end, my bad seating location turned out to be central to the single most memorable moment of the night. As the graduates were being released by row to leave the room, I saw that I was sitting directly over the exit that they were filing out through. Everyone around me was standing and I'm not that tall, so as he approached the exit, I got on my toes as high as I could and raised my arm so he could hopefully see me. With about 30 feet to go before he passed under me, he looked up and directly at me and we locked eyes. I will never forget the look he had on his face. It was so almost too special to be described...a combination of pride, joy, thankfulness, humility. Words don't do justice to that little moment we shared. Mother and son loving, knowing and understanding each other without words." +"My son looked so handsome in his gown and cap the day of his graduation. I think back to the look we shared as he was walking down the lane to find his seat. He was a vision compared to his other classmates. He looked at me and winked with a glimmer in his eyes, a look that said it all. The long hours of studying all these years have finally paid off and he is finally graduating. The road up until here was not an easy one but we made it. The graduation ceremony took place in the arena in the city and was as grand as you could imagine. The arena was prepared for a prestigeous ceremony with attendees from prestigeous educational backgrounds. It really was a day to remember. The commencement speeches started and we were impatiently waiting for them to hand out the certificates to the graduates. My phones camera was on full blast along with our digital camera and video camera. My husband and kids and family was all there and cheering when they called his name and as he walked up to the stage to receive his degree we all went wild with cheers and hollers. He looked up at us in the stand and smiled and waved as we screamed our excitement. he took his degree and proudly walked back to his seat. This is what we had all been waiting for all these years. The celebration of achievement is a celebration like no other. I hope that every parent gets to feel this feeling of pride and love of their childs achievements." +"My cousin was having her bachelorette party. Since it was a one-time thing, we thought it would be funny to hire a male stripper. Nevermind the fact that she is engaged. We also thought it would be funny if she was blindfolded and was told about a surprise guest. The stripper showed up and started doing his gyrations. My cousin was into it, apparently because she thought that it was her fiance. However, she eventually realized that that was not the case. She suddenly flew into a rage. She did not want this type of thing. She is very loyal to her fiance. She believed that he would be furious if he found out. He might even break up with her. He does not tolerate any nonsense. We tried to calm her down. There was no way he would find out. He had his own bachelor party, and the girls wouldn't know anything about it." +"We went to the beach in the beginning of May. It was our first vacation as a family of three. Our son just turned one at that time so we thought it was a perfect time to go to the beach. Our son has never seen the ocean before so we were curious to see if he was going to like it or not. We stayed at our favorite hotel right on the beach. The water was still very cold at that time but we had so much fun just running on the beach. We actually did play in the water but only for short period of time because it was freezing. We built sand castles and just were running away from waves. We kept saying to our son ""oh no, the water gonna get you!"" and he would laugh and run away. He kept calling the ocean BIG WATER and it was so cute. We ate a lot of good food and we walked a lot. We really love walking on the boardwalk and just enjoy the breeze and the salty air. The weather was just perfect! It was sunny and warm but not too hot. Our son really enjoyed it and still keeps asking about the beach and when we can go again." +"We went to the beach in the beginning of May. It was our first vacation as a family of three. Our son just turned one at that time so we thought it was a perfect time to go to the beach. Our son has never seen the ocean before so we were curious to see if he was going to like it or not. We stayed at our favorite hotel right on the beach. The water was still very cold at that time but we had so much fun just running on the beach. We actually did play in the water but only for short period of time because it was freezing. We built sand castles and just were running away from waves. We kept saying to our son ""oh no, the water gonna get you!"" and he would laugh and run away. He kept calling the ocean BIG WATER and it was so cute. We ate a lot of good food and we walked a lot. We really love walking on the boardwalk and just enjoy the breeze and the salty air. The weather was just perfect! It was sunny and warm but not too hot. Our son really enjoyed it and still keeps asking about the beach and when we can go again." +"Several months ago on a Monday morning I had a scary incident at work in which I seemed to have issues speaking and using my hands. At the time it was very worrisome so I ended up asking my boss for the rest of the day off. I then picked up a couple things from my car and ordered a Lyft to take me to the hospital. When I arrived there they had me take a seat and explain what was going on. I remember having issues being able to explain myself. They then checked me and wheeled me over to the triage station. There the doctor did several tests involving balance and strength. After concluding all the tests he said that he didn't want to scare, but it was possible I had conditions of stroke. After that they took me to a room with a wheelchair and several people rushed in. They began monitoring my signs and the first thing they noticed was that my blood pressure was really high. After they put a sleeve on my arm, hooked up an IV and gave me a blood infusion. That helped to really settle me down. Once I was stable they then asked a bunch of questions to see what the issue was. Later they took me down to the radiology lab for several tests. That took several hours, but in the end they said that all the tests came back as negative so it was good news. Finally, later that night at around 9:00 I was finally released and got a ride to pickup my car at work. Overall it was a stressful day, but could have been worse. In the end my thought was it was possible it was just a panic attack because a couple of stressful things had happened that morning." +"The first thing that came to mind was what I believed to be a panic attack that happened a couple months. It all started early on a Monday morning at work. Typically Monday and Sunday are the most stressful days for me because of my dislike about being stuck at work for the week and that the weekend had ended. So generally I am at least a little more stressed those days than others. That morning I also had received a couple voicemails about a couple bills that had been paid for a non-profit that I am part of. Looking back it was an honest mistake because we restructured the organization and thus needed to also change the bank accounts. Generally we had a treasurer that took of those things, but once we had restructured he had left so I was in charge. Unfortunately, though I had very little idea as to what accounts we had out there and what we paying for and how we were doing so. But at the time being in the accounting industry it was stressful because in my own life I am very good at paying bills and always worry about missing something. Those calls got my stress level up to a certain point, but elevated even more was realizing that during a transition period of acquiring a person's work I failed to bill a tenant for several months. Even though I talked to my manager about it and we worked it out it still got my stress level up even more and eventually over the edge. It was around noon that I noticed that I was real jittery and issues typing or even talking. Things seemed to be serious to the point that I took of work and went to the hospital. Upon check-in they believed I may have actually had a stroke so they announced a stroke code upon which several doctors came and gave me a blood transfusion and several tests. Once that was all over though I began to calm down and feel much better. In the end they did a couple radiology tests, which came back negative and they believed I probably did not have a stroke after all. It was only later that after thinking about it more that I thought it was more of a panic attack. So I am trying to do better about managing my stress levels and am thankful that I had been given a clean slate as far as my health." +"When my grandfather passed away, it hit me harder than I expected it to to be honest. As I reflect on it, it certainly made my depression worse but I believe its partly due to the sudden realization that everything I love can potentially be gone tomorrow in the blink of an eye. It's a frightening and sobering thought. I loved my grandfather deeply, and I had tremendous guilt over not being able to say goodbye to him or tell him I love him one last time. It was absolutely devastating. Now closing in on the one year anniversary of his passing, its hitting me all over again. Dia de los Muertos is coming up, which is a holiday celebrated in my culture, and I created an ofrenda -- or an offering altar -- for my grandfather in remembrance. I hope that he knows I loved him deeply and I'm sorry and I intend to do better, be more present, with my loved ones. That being said, I think holding onto this overwhelming amount of sadness and guilt is not helping me grieve. I understand that there is no timeline on how you're supposed to heal from these types of losses but I don't know if how I am currently coping is beneficial or not. Ultimately, I just want to hold my grandfather in my memory, fondly, and not hurt as much as I do. I suppose thats easier said than done. Only time will tell, but with everything going on, I just need a little respite. It's such a traumatic thing, to lose someone so suddenly like that. The only positive thing right now I can muster is maybe I learned something from this." +"It has been a few months now and I am not feeling any better. Everyone says it takes time, but I see no end to feeling this way. I miss my grandfather so much I can't breath. I feel like there is a truck sitting on my chest. I want to get out of bed and live my life to the fullest, but it feels like it takes all of my energy just to get in the shower. Maybe if I talk to someone it will help to get me out of this depression, but that feels so hard too. I know my grandfather would not be happy with me just laying in bed sad all day, he would want me out living life. It is too short we don't ever know how much time we have left on this Earth. Sometimes I just sit and think about how everything could be over in the blink of an eye. When I am feeling my worst I sometimes wish it would end. Then in the next minute I can't believe that ran through my head. I have so many dreams that I want to fulfill I know that I need help. Maybe if I pull myself up and go for a walk I will feel better. You never know what a new day may hold. I'm going to try my best to take it one day at a time. Each day I will do one extra thing to help me heal and feel better." +"Today my son left West Virginia and went back to Florida with his father. He is 23 years old and had a wonderful job offer he had decided to take. I don't care how old he is, he is my youngest, my baby, and it hurts that he left. I am scared and nervous that he will need me but I will not be there to help him and guide him on the right decisions in his life. I am going to miss him so much. We would talk about everything and I feel like this separation will pull us apart. I know in my head that he is a grown man and has to make decisions that are right for him but my heart wants to hold him close. I tried to be happy for him and to put on a strong face. When he left he cried, hugged me close and said he would miss me. That broke my heart. I cried so hard I felt like I was dying inside. Of course his father told me I was being ridiculous, I don't care what he says, I feel like a part of me is gone. My older son Tim, he is staying here and I have to hold on to that. I love him just as much as Kenny but we were never as close. He does not confide in me and ask me for guidance. I don't feel like he needs me as much anymore. I hated living in Florida. It was always hot and the people there are selfish and mean. West Virginia feels like home. I love it here. But to be here means losing out on being with my son. I feel so torn but I have to do what is right for me. He has to grow and become a man on his own. I understand but I don't want to let go. I hope I can stay strong for them both." +"Well today was quite crazy. It was also very frightening and scary. So about 7 weeks ago, well actually it was the 4th of July when this happened, I had a low blood sugar crash. My husband and I were just having a grand time and, of course this would happen, I wasn't monitoring my blood sugar. We were very busy that day with family and prepping for the festivities. Everyone was there, my brothers, sisters, nephews and grandkids. It was joy having everyone there. Well anyway, there I was just going along with preparations when I had a low blood sugar crash. It was a quite an emergency. My husband came rushing to my aid and he helped me quite a bit. The rest of the family was quite concerned as well and tried to help as well. However, my husband had to call medical services to get help since it wasn't something we could handle. Now I'm doing better, thankfully. At least it makes for a story for our family. Now I'm going to make sure to keep myself monitored closely so it doesn't happen again." +"Well today was quite crazy. It was also very frightening and scary. So about 7 weeks ago, well actually it was the 4th of July when this happened, I had a low blood sugar crash. My husband and I were just having a grand time and, of course this would happen, I wasn't monitoring my blood sugar. We were very busy that day with family and prepping for the festivities. Everyone was there, my brothers, sisters, nephews and grandkids. It was joy having everyone there. Well anyway, there I was just going along with preparations when I had a low blood sugar crash. It was a quite an emergency. My husband came rushing to my aid and he helped me quite a bit. The rest of the family was quite concerned as well and tried to help as well. However, my husband had to call medical services to get help since it wasn't something we could handle. Now I'm doing better, thankfully. At least it makes for a story for our family. Now I'm going to make sure to keep myself monitored closely so it doesn't happen again." +"I am thrilled today. I feel the sense of completeness today. My ben called me mama for the first time. It was so surprising and a pleasant shock to say the least. I felt like a mom for the first time in my life today. It happened unexpectedly as i kissed him tonight. He was drifting to sleep as usual. i do not know what powered that within him. But i couldn't be happier. John was thrilled by it as well. he was at his tour during that time. He immediately cancelled all his appointments and is on his way back right now. Afterall, what can be more important than Ben? The entire family is thrilled and happy. We are even considering to throw a party on this occasion." +"I was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer 4 months ago. Prior to that, I noticed a lump in my neck that was getting bigger. My neck was in constant pain, I was having trouble swallowing, and was just in constant discomfort. I didn't even think about thyroid cancer, because I didn't even know about it at the time. When you hear about cancer, thyroid cancer isn't really hear about often. So, I went to the doctor to see what was going on, and a week later, I get told that I need to have a thyroidectomy. I was in shock. Luckily, the doctor said it was caught early and hadn't spread anywhere else int he body. 2 days later, I was in getting ready to go to the hospital, when I tripped on the curb and fractured my wrist. Good thing I was going to the hospital! They said this wouldn't complicate things, luckily. I just had to have it wrapped up. Afterwards, about 2 weeks later, I had a complication of a seroma on my neck. I didn't know what this meant would happen next. I had to go in once again, and they took care of it. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. That month was just hectic, but luckily I am in good health now." +"On July 10th 2019 my husband and I opened a business. I remember how badly we wanted to open this business for years but never had the money. One day we met up with a friend who had they money to make it happen. We became business partners and were finally able to open our store. We were beyond excited to the point where we wanted to cry. Our business partner put in the funds and we supplied the product. We had so much inventory at our home that was enough to start this business. Opening day went extremely well. We had customers from all over town. We even had customers show up from other towns! We made a killing that day. We specialize in product for hobbyists. Our store give a place for kids to come in and enjoy video games as well as card games. I love waking up every day to go into work with my husband and continue to thrive with what we have accomplished. This store supports our family and everything we want. Sometimes keeping up with the store is a struggle, but we manage to give it our all and the store runs smoothly for the most part. We run card tournaments which attracts people from all over. Til this day we continue to give everything we have into this business. I am so happy to be able to give the people of this community a place where they can feel safe and comfortable somewhere to game freely without being judged by others." +"We gather in the car on the way to get some sushi by a nearby parlor none of us had been to. Sushi was not particularly my families favorite food, but I thought the experience would be neat, and the place was very local. We enter the parlor and were greeted by smiling hosts that took us to our seats right away. I really did not know all too much about sushi other then what it was. By this I mean that placing my order may be a little difficult because I dont know the difference between the items on the menu really. We all made our orders, and ended up getting a family platter that allows us to try tons of different types of the sushi. My parents and brothers look excited and happy, although my mom is a little fidgety with eating the sushi. My mom has always been a little squemish when it came to unfamiliar food, however she seemed to be a good sport today. We all laugh and have a good time as our food arrive, and we all seem to really enjoy it. My mom was surprised with how much she liked the sushi in general, and raved about wanting to get it more often. My little brother accidentally ate some of the wassabi sauce by itself to taste it, which provided a great laugh for all of us at the table. Following the restaurant, we all head home to enjoy some cake my mom had made that night and just hang and play games. It was not often the family would be all together, so we tried to take advantage of all the time we had together. We played some new boardgames that my brother brought, as he normally enjoys finding board games for us to try. This one was named Qatan or something like that, and was all about gaining grops and selling them for profit to get the most homes. Days like this really remind me of all the good times our family has had together, and makes you want to set more time aside to spend time with one another. At the same time, there is a medium though because spending too much time can make you a little testy because thats how family gets." +"We gather in the car on the way to get some sushi by a nearby parlor none of us had been to. Sushi was not particularly my families favorite food, but I thought the experience would be neat, and the place was very local. We enter the parlor and were greeted by smiling hosts that took us to our seats right away. I really did not know all too much about sushi other then what it was. By this I mean that placing my order may be a little difficult because I dont know the difference between the items on the menu really. We all made our orders, and ended up getting a family platter that allows us to try tons of different types of the sushi. My parents and brothers look excited and happy, although my mom is a little fidgety with eating the sushi. My mom has always been a little squemish when it came to unfamiliar food, however she seemed to be a good sport today. We all laugh and have a good time as our food arrive, and we all seem to really enjoy it. My mom was surprised with how much she liked the sushi in general, and raved about wanting to get it more often. My little brother accidentally ate some of the wassabi sauce by itself to taste it, which provided a great laugh for all of us at the table. Following the restaurant, we all head home to enjoy some cake my mom had made that night and just hang and play games. It was not often the family would be all together, so we tried to take advantage of all the time we had together. We played some new boardgames that my brother brought, as he normally enjoys finding board games for us to try. This one was named Qatan or something like that, and was all about gaining grops and selling them for profit to get the most homes. Days like this really remind me of all the good times our family has had together, and makes you want to set more time aside to spend time with one another. At the same time, there is a medium though because spending too much time can make you a little testy because thats how family gets." +"One night about four months ago, I went out with a group of friends. We had many drinks and partied the night away. At an after party, we hooked up with many people. At some point I was talking with a guy. We started to make out, and it was great. I enjoyed it very much. It was so good, I had to reconsider my life choices. Especially my relationship with my boyfriend. Was it really worth it? Perhaps I could do better, I thought. However, I quickly cam back to my senses. I got myself together and left. I went back home to my boyfriend. I did not tell him. However, I was happy to be back home in bed." +"One night about four months ago, I went out with a group of friends. We had many drinks and partied the night away. At an after party, we hooked up with many people. At some point I was talking with a guy. We started to make out, and it was great. I enjoyed it very much. It was so good, I had to reconsider my life choices. Especially my relationship with my boyfriend. Was it really worth it? Perhaps I could do better, I thought. However, I quickly cam back to my senses. I got myself together and left. I went back home to my boyfriend. I did not tell him. However, I was happy to be back home in bed." +"While I was at a recent doctors appointment I received some very unwelcome news. I needed surgery but would not be able to have it due to my weight. The doctor was rather blunt and borderline rude. However, I could kind of see his point of view as well. Because of this, I made a commitment to lose weight. I was hoping that the memory of him being rude coupled with the chronic pain I am in daily would help. It actually did somewhat. For a few short weeks, I did everything I could to accomplish this goal. I drank only water, no sodas at all. I completely cut out sugars. The doctor stressed that sugar addiction is stronger than heroin addiction. I made a small amount of progress. Then, much to my surprise, I had a diet soda. That diet soda soon replaced most of the water I had been drinking. It seemed like I had completely relapsed. My desire for sugar returned with a vengeance. I now have to start over from scratch again. I guess the doctor was right about sugars after all." +"While I was at a recent doctors appointment I received some very unwelcome news. I needed surgery but would not be able to have it due to my weight. The doctor was rather blunt and borderline rude. However, I could kind of see his point of view as well. Because of this, I made a commitment to lose weight. I was hoping that the memory of him being rude coupled with the chronic pain I am in daily would help. It actually did somewhat. For a few short weeks, I did everything I could to accomplish this goal. I drank only water, no sodas at all. I completely cut out sugars. The doctor stressed that sugar addiction is stronger than heroin addiction. I made a small amount of progress. Then, much to my surprise, I had a diet soda. That diet soda soon replaced most of the water I had been drinking. It seemed like I had completely relapsed. My desire for sugar returned with a vengeance. I now have to start over from scratch again. I guess the doctor was right about sugars after all." +"I recently had a horse that gave birth. The horse was pretty young herself, but I am a breeder, and she was at a safe age to have a baby. It was a miracle. I know most people probably wouldn't care about a horse, but I feel I was lucky enough to experience the miracle of life. It was a true miracle. Seeing my horse just lie there and bring another life into the world, was magical to say the least. I made sure to be by my horse's side. I made sure that I was available to her and made sure that I would give her anything she might need in order to feel more comfortable. Even though I wished that my father was there, since he was the one who suggested we breed her, I was still so incredibly happy about this. I was so happy to learn that my baby now had a baby. And the baby was beautiful. It was also a female, and she looked just like her mother when her mother was born. I will always remember my beautiful horse. I will always remember that day. There are some things you just can't forget." +"I recently had a horse that gave birth. The horse was pretty young herself, but I am a breeder, and she was at a safe age to have a baby. It was a miracle. I know most people probably wouldn't care about a horse, but I feel I was lucky enough to experience the miracle of life. It was a true miracle. Seeing my horse just lie there and bring another life into the world, was magical to say the least. I made sure to be by my horse's side. I made sure that I was available to her and made sure that I would give her anything she might need in order to feel more comfortable. Even though I wished that my father was there, since he was the one who suggested we breed her, I was still so incredibly happy about this. I was so happy to learn that my baby now had a baby. And the baby was beautiful. It was also a female, and she looked just like her mother when her mother was born. I will always remember my beautiful horse. I will always remember that day. There are some things you just can't forget." +"My first day of work was about 6 months ago. I was so stressed. I was over dressed. I didn't pay enought attention when walking through after my interview. I was wearing a full suit when everyone else was wearing shorts and t-shirts. That's ok though. I was happy to be part of the new team and get started. This was a new beginning. Everyone was so helpful and willing to help me. We joked about the nervousnes of the first day of work. My supervisor led us through some team building excersizes that really help me to break out of my shell and be a part of the team. By the end of the day, I was just one of the members of the team. I took off my sports coat and rolled up my sleaves. Luckily, I had a pair of sneakers in the car. I was able to relax a bit and just be happy to work alongside such a great team." +"Three months ago, I took a trip to Florida to celebrate the end of school. I packed my kids in the car, and off we went on a road trip. I never drove much farther than an hour away before, so going for nearly a day driving was a challenge. We stopped the first day at a motel to recharge. The kids had fun and thought this was an adventure. We got back on the road the next day and made it to my father's house later that afternoon. My stepmother took us to the beaches and her favorite restaurants while my dad had to work during the day. One night, they surprised us with tickets to Disney World. I had never been there before, so I was very excited to experience this with my kids. It was hot out, but worth every second. My children were so happy to see all of the characters and the castle that is always shown on television. That last couple of days during our vacation, we visited other family members nearby. Then we packed up and prepared to come home. We missed my husband, who had to work and couldn't get the vacation time off. It was a longer trip back than it seemed to come there, but we made it home safe." +"My kids have never been more than a state away from home. I figured it was wrong of me to not take them on vacation at least once every couple years or so. I have so many good memories of vacations as a kid, so I wanted them to make memories as well. I decided to take them to Florida to visit my dad and step mom about 3 months ago. Normally they come visit us, so this was a surprise for them. I booked our tickets and we left the next week. The kids were so excited to go on an airplane, which was a relief. I thought they would be scared. When we got to Florida, all they could talk about was Disney World. I told them we weren't going there and we were just visiting family and going sight-seeing. Little did they know, I had bought tickets for the whole family. When we got to my dad's house, we all had a big dinner and dessert. When we were done eating, I went around the table and gave each of them a ticket. My kids went crazy. My dad told me there's no way he wasn't going to pay me back for these considering how expensive they were. Honestly, I was expecting that, as well as hoping for that. We all had an amazing time for about 10 hours. Then we went home." +"My cousin called to tell me that my dad was really sick. My dad and my mom had divorced before I was born and he had never really been in my life my whole 55 years. I had only got to meet him because his dad had gotten died and he came home to the funeral, so I did not meet him until I was about 12 years old. When my cousin notified me, I was really apprehensive. We had talked on and off to each other over the years, mostly on birthdays and holidays. My husband drove me the over one hundred miles to the hospital. He was in ICU and just laying there until I spoke. He then begin to joke around with my husband and I. Later when I had left, I learned that he had coded and a decision had to made. My step-sister of whom I had never met informed of this. I had another sister and two brother by my dad but not my mom who was living but they refused to be involved even though he had raised them. The next day I received a call from my brother who told me that he had been contacted that my step-mother had already pulled the cord and dad was gone. An obituary was written and emailed to me with misspelled names and listed a sister that I had only heard of but never met. The person my step-sister set up everything but having a body at the funeral. My siblings, cousins, dad's brother and I were totally surprise to attend and see a large picture where the body should have been, with no explanation other that it would have cost too much." +"My Father was a strange man. He liked to call himself transient. The rest of us called him a homeless drifter. After several attempts at a failed relationship, we had lost contact some years ago. That was, until he appeared at our doorstep out of the blue. The same rough around the edges man, he was frail and thin. His eyes were sunken and he seemed sad. Cancer, he announced, had had its way with him. From that moment on, he moved in, and we tried to make the most of our remaining time. It quickly became evident that we had nothing in common. He didn't believe in corporate America and disapproved of my straight lace financial job. My Mother couldn't stand to be around him and he lectured her on how she gave in to the patriarchy. The few months we had together were a disaster. When he finally passed, we were instructed to contact his girlfriend- of whom we had never even heard of. She invited us to a park to 'meet'. When we arrived a makeshift funeral of sorts, consisting of 10 people we had never seen crying over a set of crystals was sprung on us. As it turns out my Father has requested his body be cremated and spread over a park. He wanted no one to know when his funeral was because 'life was full of surprises'. In the middle of said funeral it rained. As I walked to my car, his girlfriend asked me for money to cover his expenses and debt. The entire situation was an absolute disaster." +"My Father was a strange man. He liked to call himself transient. The rest of us called him a homeless drifter. After several attempts at a failed relationship, we had lost contact some years ago. That was, until he appeared at our doorstep out of the blue. The same rough around the edges man, he was frail and thin. His eyes were sunken and he seemed sad. Cancer, he announced, had had its way with him. From that moment on, he moved in, and we tried to make the most of our remaining time. It quickly became evident that we had nothing in common. He didn't believe in corporate America and disapproved of my straight lace financial job. My Mother couldn't stand to be around him and he lectured her on how she gave in to the patriarchy. The few months we had together were a disaster. When he finally passed, we were instructed to contact his girlfriend- of whom we had never even heard of. She invited us to a park to 'meet'. When we arrived a makeshift funeral of sorts, consisting of 10 people we had never seen crying over a set of crystals was sprung on us. As it turns out my Father has requested his body be cremated and spread over a park. He wanted no one to know when his funeral was because 'life was full of surprises'. In the middle of said funeral it rained. As I walked to my car, his girlfriend asked me for money to cover his expenses and debt. The entire situation was an absolute disaster." +"Today was a big step forward for me. Two months ago is the day I found out my girlfriend had been cheating on me. Two months ago is when my heart was ripped from my chest. And today is the day that I can finally say that I think I have moved on and am over it. I woke up this morning feeling great. I was smiling and I realized I hadn't done that in a very long time, not since Ashley cheated on me with my best friend. I remember being so happy that day and looking forward to the party so much. My best friend was having his birthday party. It was nothing big, just a bunch of us got together in his basement. We were eating snacks and watching movies. Some people were drinking beers, it was quiet and everyone was having fun. I went outside for a minute to smoke a cigarette and when I came back inside I couldn't find Ashley. I remember everyone was looking at me kind of funny, but I didn't think anything of it. Then I went looking for her and I found her in the kitchen upstairs. She was sitting on the counter top with her legs wrapped around my best friend, they were kissing. I don't know if she was drunk, it really doesn't matter. I don't know if he was drunk, I never gave him the chance to explain himself honestly. In the two months since that day I have done nothing but think about that moment and seethe with anger and disgust. The ultimate betrayal, and from my best friend! That is why waking up this morning with a smile on my face feels like such a big accomplishment. I didn't think I would ever really get to a place where I was happy again, and here I am. I can't wait to leave all this dramatic nonsense behind me." +"Today was a big step forward for me. Two months ago is the day I found out my girlfriend had been cheating on me. Two months ago is when my heart was ripped from my chest. And today is the day that I can finally say that I think I have moved on and am over it. I woke up this morning feeling great. I was smiling and I realized I hadn't done that in a very long time, not since Ashley cheated on me with my best friend. I remember being so happy that day and looking forward to the party so much. My best friend was having his birthday party. It was nothing big, just a bunch of us got together in his basement. We were eating snacks and watching movies. Some people were drinking beers, it was quiet and everyone was having fun. I went outside for a minute to smoke a cigarette and when I came back inside I couldn't find Ashley. I remember everyone was looking at me kind of funny, but I didn't think anything of it. Then I went looking for her and I found her in the kitchen upstairs. She was sitting on the counter top with her legs wrapped around my best friend, they were kissing. I don't know if she was drunk, it really doesn't matter. I don't know if he was drunk, I never gave him the chance to explain himself honestly. In the two months since that day I have done nothing but think about that moment and seethe with anger and disgust. The ultimate betrayal, and from my best friend! That is why waking up this morning with a smile on my face feels like such a big accomplishment. I didn't think I would ever really get to a place where I was happy again, and here I am. I can't wait to leave all this dramatic nonsense behind me." +It has been a month since my husband got a new job. He had to move out because of this and we only get to talk over the phone. I am sad about this. I pass the time watching Netflix. Netflix can only keep me distracted for so long. I also play games. This still doesn't fill enough time. I might have to go see a doctor about my depression. I hope it gets better. I should be able to cope with it after a month. He said he'll visit every few months. I hope I can make it in time. This has been a very boring month. I hope something good shows up on Netflix soon. I'll get a pizza to cope with the depression. +We were trying really hard to get my son in to a good school. It's more important these days than ever. Kids need to be in a strong school from the start. I talked to my wife about it. She had an idea about one school. We tried as best as we could to get my kid in. Talked to the principal. Talked to anyone who would listen to me about it. The school district did not care one bit at all. They kept denying us the transfer. It was a painful experience. We all really had out heart set on that school. We knew it would be the best for our son. But because of their actions we decided to put him in a private school instead. I have to pay tuition now but it's worth it to no my son is doing well. As a father I will always want the best for my children. I want them to get all they can out of life. +"It's been three months since my family and I went on a cruise. We had a wonderful time! There were so many things to do and it was great spending time with my family. We made so many happy memories! It wasn't all fun and games though. There were a few things that almost ruined our vacation. My aunt had her room broken into and someone stole most of the jewelry that she had put on the counter in the bathroom. At first it didn't seem like the ""boat police"" were doing anything to help, but it was only a few hours before they caught the man that had broken in. My aunt got her jewelry back and when we got to the port they put the man off the boat. I was surprised that we were able to put it behind us and have fun. My aunt even led the conga line around the deck after dinner. It's amazing how quickly she forgave the whole incident. The cruise ship was really nice to us after that and they even upgraded our rooms for us. They moved us into a few of their family suites that were unoccupied. It really was great!" +"It's been three months since my family and I went on a cruise. We had a wonderful time! There were so many things to do and it was great spending time with my family. We made so many happy memories! It wasn't all fun and games though. There were a few things that almost ruined our vacation. My aunt had her room broken into and someone stole most of the jewelry that she had put on the counter in the bathroom. At first it didn't seem like the ""boat police"" were doing anything to help, but it was only a few hours before they caught the man that had broken in. My aunt got her jewelry back and when we got to the port they put the man off the boat. I was surprised that we were able to put it behind us and have fun. My aunt even led the conga line around the deck after dinner. It's amazing how quickly she forgave the whole incident. The cruise ship was really nice to us after that and they even upgraded our rooms for us. They moved us into a few of their family suites that were unoccupied. It really was great!" +I was in a car accident with my girlfriend. I was driving and it was raining. The car hydroplaned as I was turning down hill. I completely lost control. As I went down hill I hit a service van. I hit the van's bumper and came to a complete stop. The first thing I did was check to see if my girlfriend was alright. She has asthma so she was having a small panic attack. I eventually calmed her down. It was an emotionally scary event for me. I felt bad for putting my girlfriend in danger. I promised myself to take more precautions in the future. Not having control of situations makes me angry and scared. Thank God no one was hurt and the worker wasn't even in the van when I hit it. The van didn't even have a scratch so no police was called. +"Dear Journal,Holy crap I'm lucky to be alive. I don't know why I'm only writing about this now, I guess I just needed time to process. About 2 months ago I was driving home from work. I stayed late to help out with some extra work that needed to be done. That jerk Gary called in again and screwed us all over. Anyway by the time I left it was getting dark already and had started to rain. I headed out and was driving carefully because I knew I needed new tires. Once I got out on the highway I was getting maybe a little overconfident and impatient and started speeding up. It didn't help that someone was right on my butt like always! Anyway I kept moving down the highway and was getting into a groove with the flow of traffic around me and started moving faster and faster. Before I knew it I had lost control and the steering wheel wasn't responding! I know now what was happening, I was hydroplaning, but at the time I guess I was panicking and freaked out. I was jamming pedals and jerking the wheel and once the tires got some grip I guess I had the wheel turned the wrong way because my car immediately spun out. I went in circles for what felt like a mile and a half and slid down a hill. For a moment I thought this was the end! But it.....wasn't. By the time I reached the bottom of the hill the car had slowed and I bounced harmlessly off a service van. My car had a dent and the van was scratched, but that's all. Whew. I was shaken up and have thought about what I did wrong over and over again since." +"My family and I work with a charity to deliver food to the homeless one weekend a month. One Saturday a few months ago, our truck run was scheduled for the day before Easter. I wanted to do something special for the homeless. I made a few suggestions to my family. My moody teenager daughter soundly rejected each idea and then went upstairs. She didn't return downstairs. I assumed she just didn't want to do anything. A little while later though, she came downstairs with an idea. She suggested we fill plastic eggs with chocolates and deliver them with food to the homeless. So I went out and bought the supplies. My family and I all filled the eggs with candy. On Saturday, my daughter watched as the homeless individual's opened their plastic eggs. I remember that she became teary eyed as she saw the delight on the homeless people's faces as they found the chocolates. She didn't want us to see, but we did. I was very proud of her." +"My family and I work with a charity to deliver food to the homeless one weekend a month. One Saturday a few months ago, our truck run was scheduled for the day before Easter. I wanted to do something special for the homeless. I made a few suggestions to my family. My moody teenager daughter soundly rejected each idea and then went upstairs. She didn't return downstairs. I assumed she just didn't want to do anything. A little while later though, she came downstairs with an idea. She suggested we fill plastic eggs with chocolates and deliver them with food to the homeless. So I went out and bought the supplies. My family and I all filled the eggs with candy. On Saturday, my daughter watched as the homeless individual's opened their plastic eggs. I remember that she became teary eyed as she saw the delight on the homeless people's faces as they found the chocolates. She didn't want us to see, but we did. I was very proud of her." +"Our trip to San Francisco was refreshing. It was a great opportunity to spend time with family. Sometimes you don't know how much you've missed someone until you see them again. The reason for this family reunion was the wedding of my beautiful cousin. The wedding was actually quite small. But many of the guests stayed at our cousin's house so the place was cramped. Being the thoughtful person she is, our cousin booked us a stay at a local motel. At first, my family and I were wary of staying at motels. But we soon found out that the motel she booked was more of a family inn — complete with a wonderful complimentary breakfast. The day of the wedding was hectic, as you could imagine. The bride was running everywhere — followed by 3 or 4 of her bridesmaids and female relatives. The groom seemed relaxed (maybe he was good at hiding his emotions). The actual ceremony went off without a hitch. And the reception featured a wonderful buffet that I can see and smell. Overall, the trip was an overwhelming success. We got to enjoy the cool weather of San Francisco while bonding with family members we've known for a while. We even met a few of our relatives for the first time! I hope to travel more with my family in the near future." +"It finally happened a month ago. I got the promotion I was promised nearly five years prior. When I first took this job, I was told that the person who's position I was most qualified for would be retiring within the year. The position I took was a way to get my foot in the door and I would be first in consideration upon his retirement. So I took it. I worked alongside the man, who ended up not retiring after all. He didn't do well in saving his money, so he couldn't afford to. My boss kept promising me that this would happen and just be patient. I started looking elsewhere 2 years ago when I figured this would never come to fruition. Something always held me back from leaving though. The company was sold a year ago, but our office was kept intact. I met new management, who made me the same promises after looking through my work history. I was ready to leave. Last month, I was called into the office. They had heard that some head hunters were looking at me. They offered me the promotion I wanted and it's been amazing month so far." +"It finally happened a month ago. I got the promotion I was promised nearly five years prior. When I first took this job, I was told that the person who's position I was most qualified for would be retiring within the year. The position I took was a way to get my foot in the door and I would be first in consideration upon his retirement. So I took it. I worked alongside the man, who ended up not retiring after all. He didn't do well in saving his money, so he couldn't afford to. My boss kept promising me that this would happen and just be patient. I started looking elsewhere 2 years ago when I figured this would never come to fruition. Something always held me back from leaving though. The company was sold a year ago, but our office was kept intact. I met new management, who made me the same promises after looking through my work history. I was ready to leave. Last month, I was called into the office. They had heard that some head hunters were looking at me. They offered me the promotion I wanted and it's been amazing month so far." +"My daughter finally married her longtime boyfriend. It was a very special day for her, but it was special for me, too. I had never seen her so happy. I vividly remember the look on her face. It was a rare look of utter joy and being fulfilled. It's almost like I was feeling it with her. And it was a big decision for her. Her life was taking on a new direction and a new meaning. And having family and friends share her joy just made the occasion one the most memorable days for me. My daughter and my son had been experiencing a rift in their relationship. But I think all the sheer happiness of the day allowed the two of them to sit down and hash things out. It was kind of awkward, though. They ended up disappearing off together for about an hour. My daughter's new husband was like, ""Where is my wife?"" So it was nice that that happened, because I wasn't sure it was ever going to. And I have to wonder if it would have been able to occur had not some Happiness catalyst been there to cause it." +"My daughter finally married her longtime boyfriend. It was a very special day for her, but it was special for me, too. I had never seen her so happy. I vividly remember the look on her face. It was a rare look of utter joy and being fulfilled. It's almost like I was feeling it with her. And it was a big decision for her. Her life was taking on a new direction and a new meaning. And having family and friends share her joy just made the occasion one the most memorable days for me. My daughter and my son had been experiencing a rift in their relationship. But I think all the sheer happiness of the day allowed the two of them to sit down and hash things out. It was kind of awkward, though. They ended up disappearing off together for about an hour. My daughter's new husband was like, ""Where is my wife?"" So it was nice that that happened, because I wasn't sure it was ever going to. And I have to wonder if it would have been able to occur had not some Happiness catalyst been there to cause it." +"Now i would like write the diary entry on my very memorable and happy wedding. Actually before 5 years I have been studying my undergraduate degree in my finance subject at that time i have meet my wife as a junior student in my department. When i see her i was totally collapsed. I had love at my first sight after few month i had propose her and luckily she did accept my propose suddenly and that will be very happiest moment in my life. After completing my under graduation we married each other on 06/15/2015. That was the very memorable and happiest day in my life. Our wedding was the most funniest thing because of our friends and family members presence. On our wedding we both were made an affirmation to each other. It was so emotional and memorable. Our parents were so happy for us. Our friend make a sham pine and white cake and surprise us. We enjoyed very well. I am so lucky one to have these relationships. And we made a free lunch for the peoples who are the poor refuges, It was so awesome moment in my entire life. Now after 4 years we have a baby her name is sara." +"The event I am thinking about occurred about six weeks ago from the day that I am writing this diary entry. An individual I met during working a special event contacted me in order to set up a meeting with me. This individual (""Person A"") was dealing with a serious personal problem. I met with Person A approximately four months before this second meeting. Both meetings involved the same personal issue. Person A wanted to meet with me about this personal issue because I had some experience (and expertise) with the issue that Person A was dealing with. After some back and forth through email, we agreed to meet on a weekend day. The meeting occurred at a local coffee shop. The coffee shop was, surprisingly, empty. This was good for us because the issue being discussed was very personal so the fewer people in the shop, the less likely that someone else would hear our conversation. Person A was already at the coffee shop when I arrived. After sitting down, Person A updated me on the events since our previous meeting. Person A also had all the documents related to Person A's issue. The issue being discussed was very complicated. We discussed Person A's issue for the subsequent four and one-half hours before I had to leave the coffee shop for a family dinner. Our discussion was very involved and spirited. During our conversation I felt very close to Person A. I felt a lot of sympathy for Person A and understood Person A's desperate situation. I tried to provide as much insight into the matter as possible. I offered several personal observations. I also tried to help Person A map out a strategy for dealing with Person A's issue. When we finally concluded our conversation, Person A had enough additional input in order to move ahead with the issue." +"One Sunday this past August, I was taking my dog out to use the bathroom. I walked him down the stairs to the grass area. He did his business then I head back up the stairs with him. As I placed my foot on the top step, my dog suddenly decided he was not finished using the restroom. I turned around to head back down the stairs but my foot slipped out the top level and I fell sideways on my left arm. I landed with a thud directly on my arm and wrist. I lay there for a while stunned and in pain. My dog looked at me to make sure I was okay. All I could do was look up at the four steps that I had just fallen down. I tried to get up and that is when I knew something was wrong. As soon as I sat up, I felt nauseous and dizzy. My arm began to hurt tremendously. I yelled for my husband who was inside eating breakfast but he did not hear me. I yelled once more and still no response. After my attempts to get him to come outside, he finally appeared at the door. He came out and saw me still lying on the hard concrete bleeding from the arm and hand. I told him to take the dog inside and I delicately made my way to my feet. I went inside hoping that I had just cut my arm and maybe just pulled a muscle or something. I tried to deny the fact that my arm needed attention for several hours. However, when I looked in the mirror I noticed my left arm was bent and I was unable to straighten it. I could no longer lift in myself. I had to pick my arm up with my right hand to get it to move. I told my husband that I thought I needed to got the urgent care. He took me there and after a short wait and several x-rays, I was told my arm was in fact broken in three places. What a way to spend a Sunday." +"This past Sunday I was taking my dog outside to your this bathroom. I headed down four brick stairs and allowed him to pee. I made my way back up the stairs to the top ready to head back in the house. Suddenly, my dog decided he wasn't finished using the restroom. I turned around to go back down the stairs but my foot missed the next step and I feel sideways, landing on my left arm. I was a bit stunned at first. I looked at my bloody palm as I lie there. I began to slowly sit up. Once I sat up, I broke into a sweat and felt nauseous. I thought I was going to pass out. I called for my husband who was inside eating breakfast. It took several calls before he found me. I knew something wasn't right. I had him take my dog back in the house while I tried to make my way back up the stairs from which I just fell. I looked in the mirror and noticed by arm was bent and I could not straighten it. I went to the urgent care and my fears were confirmed...I had broken my arm. A nice Sunday at home turned into a day of dread and pain." +"We had spent the past few months looking at apartments to rent. We finally found the one that we wanted and I was excited to share with my boyfriend. Since we were moving in together we had to spend a considerable amount of time figuring out what furniture and other household items we should keep and what not to take with us. We also then had to consider how we were going to decorate the place. I was very excited about the move and I tried to keep a level head, but that was hard. So when the time came my boyfriend and I took time off work and spent a few days moving and getting the place decorated. It was a lot of hard work, but we were very happy with the results. Once we had settled in, we decided to through a little housewarming get together with close friend and family. We were so excited to show off the new apartment and all the hard work we put into it. Just about everyone we invited said they could make it. Unfortunately my aunt couldn't make it that day, but we still had a good time. A few days later my aunt showed up to see the place. I was excited and showed her around. I ended up even more excited when she presented me with a housewarming gift. It was a decorative piece of art that I really enjoyed and immediately put up on the wall." +"The story must correspond to the summary and I believe this one does. I'm going to tell you a story about what happened to me because of being a kind person. A years ago when I was going down the highway there was someone who's belongings flew off of his truck. It included things like a dresser and a mattress. Things were all over the highway and I knew he would need help to get it picked up before they got damaged or caused an accident. I decided to pull over to the side of the highway and assist him with picking his items up. We got things picked up from the highway and back into his truck. I used some extra tie down straps I had in my truck to help secure his items. After all of that was done we got to some talking and I find out that he is actually the CEO of a tech startup. He offers me a job on the spot saying that he would love to have such a kind person working with him. After a series of bad investments and bad luck, he eventually had to shut down the company. What I learned while working there was invaluable. I learned how to do things on my own and I now successfully work from home. This was a huge deal for me because I have depression that makes it hard to get out and be social around people. Working from home is perfect for me. I will forever be grateful to that man. I will never forget that day that changed my life forever, all because of a simple act of kindness." +"My father and I did not always have the closest relationship. He was in and out of my life. But as I get older I realized I only had one father and needed to mend our relationship and the time apart. My father is not getting any younger. His health is worsening and I have found out that they do not know how long he has. I went to see him and told him going forward I wanted us to make up for lost time. I wanted him to spend time with his grandchildren. I wanted him to know the past was the past and that when he is gone I want it to be knowing I loved him for who he was, not for the time he was or was not around. I think he appreciated that. He said he did not deserve my forgiveness because of me being gone for so long. That was three months ago and I am forever grateful for the time we have had. Reconnecting and re bonding has been great for both of us. Not getting to say good bye is very hard. It eats at you. You wish you could have said so much more. Losing a parent is devastating" +"My Sisters Unplanned Wedding & How It Ended Successfully. In the past 7 Months my sister called my mum and told her she was pregnant Previously before that concerned family member would ask her about how she was doing with her relationship and we would get no concrete answer from here nor neither has anyone seen a man with her. She is 34 and so not a baby or child that cant be with a man of her own. I was also chocked when i brief that she was pregnant, every member of the family became instantly concerned on whom who impregnated her was. My sister was very secretive and doesn't easily tell other about herself not even me nor our bother and she hardly keeps friends, so there was no way to understand her except by watching her. Finally she brought him home and my mother didn't waste time to tell her it was time to prepare for the wedding because in our family we don't allow ladies have babies before getting married. It first it looked like he wasn't ready and everybody was bothered and hoping he doesn't abandon my sister and run away. A week later he dialed in and requested the family audience for the introduction,he was invited over for a family dinner where he explained his reasoning and asked my mother to allow him marry my sister officially. The next day a day was picked and 3 weeks later the wedding will be done, i was so excited that finally my sister would get married and everyone will feel less bothered about her as we used to all the time. The wedding was unplanned for but no body cared or complained because we all understood what we are trying to achiever and it came into play. The wedding was intended to be a small gathering of only close family relatives on both bride and groom side but that was not the case. Many people not invited showed up at the event and we almost ran out of supply to entertain the guest, luckily it was near a restaurant and i took it as my responsibility to save the day. I walked into the restaurant and ordered all available dishes to be brought to the event premises before the the public addressing finished. Luckily i was right on time, and the restaurant food were used to complement the catering services food that was organized for the event. It was really a very hectic time for all the family members as we had less time to prepare for this great even we had always hoped for because my sister was the first born and she had 4 sibling and in which all are married. It was really a beautiful day and we all went home after the ceremony with joy in our heart like as if finally we discovered where heaven was and that day was the day we went there." +"Man I was really studying hard for that exam I had to take a month ago. It was super important for my profession. I took me way too many hours to do the exam. I felt like I was literally there all day. Don't even get me started on how long it took me to actually study for it. That took literal days if not weeks. I felt like a slave to my books and quizzes. Man I never want to have to go through that again. I can't even begin to describe how much stress I was under. The level of mental strength it took to get through this was something I don't know if I can summon again, that's how hard it was. I have never felt more relief than when it was all over. I didn't even care at that moment what my score was. I was just so happy that it was done and I didn't have to think about it anymore. I literally felt drained. A mental husk of what I used to be, sapped of everything that made me well me. Literally I felt like a brain zombie, nothing left over. What a struggle, I tell ya." +"The night was young and I had just gone over to a new friend's house, who I also had romantic feelings for. We had made plans earlier in the week to take acid that night. We both took a tab and waited for it to hit us before we walked to the bank. She needed to get the money out and it would be more fun that way, which it was. Once the effects started to kick in, the euphoria, seeing shapes and interesting images, we got up and left for the bank which was about half a mile away. It started pouring rain, which would've sucked any other time, but since we were both tripping on acid we took our shoes off. We were walking through the grass and talking about how good it felt on acid. At one point we started talking about our ancestors that walked there before us. We felt the universe both within us and flowing through us. We started playing music and singing along to Lady Gaga, the whole shabang. I remember my goal was to just make sure she got home safely, as she was definitely tripping harder than I was. We got to the bank, and tried our best to get the atm to work. It was going on 1 AM at this point. Even while tripping, we eventually got it to work and made it home fine, somehow managing not to step on glass. Once we got in we both took another half tab. We almost ended up having sex, but were too giggly and disorientated to get to it. We ended up cuddling and it was during this where I felt like our bodies had merged into one. It was the most intimate experience I ever had with another human being." +"There have been a lot of memorable events in my life but the most current event happened about four months ago. I went to the cinema to see a movie and on getting to the cinema i met my longtime friend, it was very pleasing because the last time i saw him was when we graduated high school. I called him by his name he was shocked that who can actually call him by this name, only his closed friends call him by this funny name, he looked and he tried to see who was calling him but he couldn't recognise me well enough because of my new look, beards and all. I went to meet him and i greeted him and after we both saw the movie we went out to talk about life and other things that has happened to us. We spoke about family, jobs, relationships and material possessions. The most amazing thing was that he now drives a Lamborghini aventador. I was so happy for him, he gave me his official card, he said i should email him with my resume. I mailed him with the resume immediately. He made a call and said ""don't worry you'll be paid three times your current wages"". We both laughed about it but he was serious, i saw it in his tone. Jokingly, I asked him when do i start?.he replied and said ""when i'm ready"". I said i'll have to quit my current job. We went to a restaurant not very far from the cinema. We ate and we left. He called me the second day that i've been offered a role in his firm. I was so delighted and happy about the news. I went to the company, he personally gave me a tour of the firm and made me welcomed. I was really surprised but it was overwhelming and i didn't know how what to say, than to say thank you my friend." +"Well this was not too long ago, i believe it was middle of March. It was a Sunday morning and I had just woken up and was laying on my couch. My wife was still asleep in the room and my kids were playing in their room. I then heard a loud thud come from my kids room. I called out to them and asked what was that sound. Then my son says that my daughter, Piper, was on the ground acting weird. So I got up and rushed in there and seen her face down on the ground behind the door. My son then says he thought she had some legos in her mouth. She was shaking and eyes closed not breathing. I started to panic and scream. I called for my wife and as each moment passed I thought I was loosing here. I tried to feel in her mouth, but had trouble opening her jaw and could not find anything. My wife called 911 while I was trying various things as she continued not to respond. I sat down holding her upside down and she was turning blue and I began to panic more. I tried one last time to see if I could find something in her throat and could not. Some emergency service folks and sheriff had arrived and as they were coming up to our doors my daughter started to cry out. At this point we knew she wasn't joking, thankfully so! But what had happened and the hospital confirmed is that she had had a seizure. She had them before but I have never witnessed one whereas my wife has so my in experiencing caused a lot of trauma for everyone." +"My daughter had fallen off the top bunk of the bunk beds. Her brother, who has the bottom bunk, said she was scared by something she had seen in the window. I thought for sure he was joking, my daughter is not one to be easily startled. And honestly, it was a Saturday morning, so I really didn't understand why the twins were up this early anyhow. I went over to the window, just to be sure there was nothing there. And good Lord, there was a bobcat in the tree. I have heard on the news that the wildlife is moving into the suburban neighborhoods, mostly from our taking over their natural habitat with building new homes and businesses, but I hadn't really believed it until now. The cat was a pretty good size, about 40 pounds, and solid black. He gave me quite a start too. I double checked my daughter to be sure she didn't have a concussion, and decided I had to call animal control. It really saddens me that we are pushing out the wildlife with our greed and selfishness and need to keep on building. Especially in Texas, I notice this happening too much. I wish we could live in harmony and build more environmentally by not destroying whole habitats. I made the choice against animal control, and called an animal rescue, relocation unit instead. This isn't the ideal choice, but it was the best option I had at the time. The unit came and told me the cat would be taken to a state part out west. My daughter was ok, just startled, and this was a great teaching opportunity for us." +"Three months ago I took a trip to Hawaii (the big island) with my family. The trip was 1 week long so we were constantly going out and enjoying ourselves since we wanted to do a lot in such a short amount of time. Once we arrived we got settled at our hotel, and then the next day we went out to see the volcanoes and then went to dinner. The day after that we went horseback riding in the rain forest and saw lots of different trees as well as a waterfall. The horseback riding was the most memorable part of the trip, as we were able to slowly climb up the mountain through the rain forest, and then saw the sunset over the ocean. The views we saw on the horseback riding trip were amazing. I was surprised by the vastness of the ocean and the beauty of the sunset. The next day we went golfing and saw plenty of mongoose, wild birds, and goats along the course. The next day we enjoyed lazing around on the beach and going to a luau. I ended up getting a bit of a sunburn that day, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the rest of the trip. The day after that we went to a lagoon and saw dolphins and sea turtles swimming in the ocean. The next morning we spent driving to the airport where we could see plenty of rock formations. We had a layover in Oahu that was 12 hours long, so we were able to explore the city outside of the airport and saw some of the ocean and beaches. The flora was very similar to that of the big island, and was very beautiful. The plane ride was very long and the time change was difficult to adjust to, but I'm glad I was able to experience the wildlife of Hawaii." +"Three months ago I took a trip to Hawaii (the big island) with my family. The trip was 1 week long so we were constantly going out and enjoying ourselves since we wanted to do a lot in such a short amount of time. Once we arrived we got settled at our hotel, and then the next day we went out to see the volcanoes and then went to dinner. The day after that we went horseback riding in the rain forest and saw lots of different trees as well as a waterfall. The horseback riding was the most memorable part of the trip, as we were able to slowly climb up the mountain through the rain forest, and then saw the sunset over the ocean. The views we saw on the horseback riding trip were amazing. I was surprised by the vastness of the ocean and the beauty of the sunset. The next day we went golfing and saw plenty of mongoose, wild birds, and goats along the course. The next day we enjoyed lazing around on the beach and going to a luau. I ended up getting a bit of a sunburn that day, but it didn't stop me from enjoying the rest of the trip. The day after that we went to a lagoon and saw dolphins and sea turtles swimming in the ocean. The next morning we spent driving to the airport where we could see plenty of rock formations. We had a layover in Oahu that was 12 hours long, so we were able to explore the city outside of the airport and saw some of the ocean and beaches. The flora was very similar to that of the big island, and was very beautiful. The plane ride was very long and the time change was difficult to adjust to, but I'm glad I was able to experience the wildlife of Hawaii." +"I remember tournament season like it was yesterday. I always thought of chess as something of a “nerd sport”; less of a sport and more of an assignment .. like homework. It wasn’t until experiencing the play-through of chess and learning the significance of each piece that I began to take interest in it . Cut to a few months after my first game that I thought it would be an excellent idea to join the chess club, and eventually we found ourselves in a few tournaments; Everyone in my school that takes part in the tournament takes it very seriously. This isn’t like a game of connect four, where you go, “Aww, man,” and laugh when you’re defeated. When you lose, it means(at least to us, and the other teams taking part) that you have lost something more than a game. Although deep down we all know that this is just a game; We also love how dignified it all seems. How much respect we all have for the game is what brings us all together I think. We had put together a team that was relatively well-rounded or so we thought, until we were knee deep in losses and on our last game, which of course is very stressful, even for someone who doesn’t take it as seriously as us. We knew we would have to figure out a new strategy for next year and establish some new players. This would mean some players of the team would not be happy. But we probably would be. I knew that out of all the players, I wouldn’t be one of the ones being cut. I was one of the best players we had. I felt bad for what we would have to. Ultimately though, I knew the members would understand. We would absolutely need to balance out the teams weaknesses with more seasoned players. There was no doubt about that." +"I remember tournament season like it was yesterday. I always thought of chess as something of a “nerd sport”; less of a sport and more of an assignment .. like homework. It wasn’t until experiencing the play-through of chess and learning the significance of each piece that I began to take interest in it . Cut to a few months after my first game that I thought it would be an excellent idea to join the chess club, and eventually we found ourselves in a few tournaments; Everyone in my school that takes part in the tournament takes it very seriously. This isn’t like a game of connect four, where you go, “Aww, man,” and laugh when you’re defeated. When you lose, it means(at least to us, and the other teams taking part) that you have lost something more than a game. Although deep down we all know that this is just a game; We also love how dignified it all seems. How much respect we all have for the game is what brings us all together I think. We had put together a team that was relatively well-rounded or so we thought, until we were knee deep in losses and on our last game, which of course is very stressful, even for someone who doesn’t take it as seriously as us. We knew we would have to figure out a new strategy for next year and establish some new players. This would mean some players of the team would not be happy. But we probably would be. I knew that out of all the players, I wouldn’t be one of the ones being cut. I was one of the best players we had. I felt bad for what we would have to. Ultimately though, I knew the members would understand. We would absolutely need to balance out the teams weaknesses with more seasoned players. There was no doubt about that." +"On June 18th of this year, I attended the wedding of my younger daughter. For most fathers, I'm sure, this would be a momentous occasion in any regard. However, for me, it was a miracle. You see, I've been battling a myriad of cancers for almost nine years. And, in April, my doctors informed me that they had done all the could and that I should enter hospice. A week after this revelation, I accompanied my daughter, son-in-law to be, his mom, my elder daughter and her husband, to the park where they were to be married. It was a beautiful, unseasonably mild and sunny, Spring day. There was a small lake, with a beach where the ceremony was to take place. My daughter wore her bridal veil as I walked her down the ""aisle"" of sand to the lake's edge. A family Pastor shared some of his thoughts and prayers as I ""presented"" her to her beloved, tears in all of our eyes and immense joy in our hearts, for this moment. Afterward, we went to their favorite restaurant, The Green Turtle, for a mock wedding luncheon. Then, a few days later, as I prepared to leave for hospice, one of my doctors called. They wanted to delay hospice and invited me to participate in an experimental regimen of new treatments. By this time I had resolved that my life was ending and my soul was at peace. My family said they would abide by whatever decision I chose. In the end, I accepted the treatments. They were profoundly invasive, painful...and miraculous. For I was able to attend, and participate in, the actual events of June 18th, in all their glory and rejoice. I'm now in partial remission and immensely thankful to be living, one day at a time." +"It's been nine weeks since my youngest daughter was married, and I'm thrilled I was able to attend. After receiving my cancer diagnosis it did not appear likely that I would be able to live to the wedding in June. The thought of such a thing just broke my heart. It also filled me with regret. My older daughter suggested an interesting idea, and figured we could do a mock wedding in order to give me the chance to witness a ceremony. Though it was hard emotionally for all of us, it truly made sense to do it advance just in case my treatments were unsuccessful. I had a great time and everything was perfect, but ultimately it saddened me more and left me feeling unfulfilled. Then, with less than a month remaining until her wedding, I went in for my final experimental treatment. By the grace of God something happened that day and my cancer started to go in remission. The doctor gave me a much longer prognosis to live, and told me that I better get my butt to that wedding! We cried and cried with joy over the results of my tests. When I called my daughter to tell her the good news she screamed with delight. We even went out to celebrate at our favorite restaurant later that night. So after a mock ceremony, I was truly able to attend the real thing! I couldn't be happier that I have now attended all of my children's weddings! What joy!" +"My favorite uncle took over as the family patriarch after my father died at an early age. He not only took care of his children but also watched over his nieces and nephews. He helped me become a better father and husband. My son look on his as a surrogate grandfather. My siblings and cousins had similar feelings. We came together from several states to celebrate this milestone birthday. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone. I hadn't seen one cousin in decades. Although we hadn't been together much, we quickly reconnected. We met new family members and shared memories. It was especially nice to pay a tribute to this uncle. We stayed in a ranch house for several days so we had lots of time to visit. We had a wonderful time. It was remarkable because of the instant reconnection. We cooked meals together and made more memories." +"About a month ago we went to the lake house with our extended family to celebrate our uncles birthday. It was a great time to get together because most of the family is getting old. It was really great being together with the family and talking about our different milestones each of us has accomplished. The best part was seeing family members we had not seen in years and some that were kids when we had last seen them are now grown with families of their own. It was a wonderful time to remember for years to come. We all said we would do this more often. A few of the family members have passed away and we don't see each other as often as we need to. Our lives get so busy and time passes way too fast. A few of the family members have fallen on hard times. That's when they need to reach out to others in the family. We went swimming, fishing and we shot clay targets during the reunion. We played a few games and had a big spread of food where everyone brought something. It was so much fun. Everyone got along which in itself is the best thing. It was just magical time and everyone left feeling great. Ready to do it again and out uncle said it was the best birthday ever." +"In this story i tell some thing about my friend married function. we see our friend in some years passed and get interest to saw all of my friends. and the day had come we all on my friend home in 5 day before and getting lots funs and entertainments. we talk to each other and doing some works on friend married things. in one day before the Bachelors party had start that moments in my mind still an beautiful memory. we had lot of dance and untold story we shared and more funs. And midnight walk make the day in awesome. For as long as you can remember, your best friend has been your rock. A wedding, two decades in the making. Instead turn to these clever marriage jokes to get everyone laughing. A best man or maid of honor, or simply the sort of friend or relative who can't resist the chance. There's a story about an odd gift and surprising them. still in my mind remembering that day events. and missing my friend to saw one more time. that make the love and bonding with each other. this event is an beautiful memory in always with my mind" +"This past summer, I guess it was July, I got a call from my only child. This was a little unusual because they rarely called me. Our conversations were usually tense and extremely upsetting so I had slowly gotten used to the loneliness of not hearing from them. Anyway, it seems they were breaking up with their current romantic partner and they were very devastated. They told me that they had no friends and I was the only person that they could call. My heart ached for them but there was virtually nothing that I could do for them except listen. Eventually things got ironed out a little and it seemed like they were on a good path. We talked several times a week. Then the phone calls stopped again and I started to fear that they had gone back to their ex. I had found out that the ex supposedly hated me and did not allow my child to call me or answer the phone if I called them. After about ten days I did get in touch with them and yes they had gone to see their ex. Then they told me they were quitting their job and moving across the country to live with their ex and the ex's parents until they could find work. The last time I spoke to them was about three weeks ago when they were packing. Again, we had a very tense short conversation and then that was it. So, I googled what was going on between us and I found this thing called 'parent abandonment'. Just reading the words was like a punch in the gut. How could this be happening? Apparently it's something of a trend with the younger crowd. I read a few articles about it and then I decided I knew all I ever wanted to know about this. The best advice was from a women who had four children walk away from her at different points in their lives. And this brave soul said, ""Go out and live a full life because you did not abandon your children."" I'm working on that part now and I might even move." +"We just returned from our week long Walt Disney World vacation. It was an amazing time and we made so many memories that I know will stay with all of us forever. Since it was my 5 year old son's first trip to Disney World, we tried to make it extra special by booking a lot of character restaurants. On our arrival day, we ate dinner at Chef Mickey's. The food was terrible but the character interactions were well worth the lack of flavor and the price of our meals. Seeing my son's face light up when Mickey, Minnie, Donald, and Goofy came to our table to interact with him was priceless. He was so happy. The next morning before heading to the parks, we had breakfast at 'Ohana with Lilo, Stitch, and Mickey. Stitch is one of my son's favorite characters right now so he was literally speechless when he saw him roaming around the restaurant. His expression upon meeting Lilo was unexpected and the most precious thing I have ever seen. He held her hand and stared up at her like she was the greatest thing he had ever seen. I ended up ordering that print and will frame it. Later that night while taking a break from the Magic Kingdom, we ate at the T-Rex restaurant because my son is really into dinosaurs at the moment. That was a lot of fun but the food was sub par. On our 3rd day, we ate breakfast at 1900 park faire with Cinderella, Prince Charming, and the wicked step mother. It was a better food experience but my son was not very into the characters. That night, we ate at Garden Grill in Epcot with Chip and Dale. The food was sub par again but the characters were so much fun. All in all, we learned that park food, even in the restaurants is not very good. The lunches and dinners that we had in Disney Springs were amazing though. Our resort was just a short boat ride from Disney Springs so when we took a break from the parks around lunch time, I would run get lunch and bring it back to the resort while my son rested." +"So my family and I went to Disney World for the first time and omg I've been wanting to go for so long. It's almost frustrating because it was so close to a perfect trip. The place was just beautiful. We've been to DisneyLand a handful of times and one of the things that always impressed me was how clean it was. Disney World definitely held that same quality of being almost unnaturally clean for a place that's mostly exterior and that the public has full access to. The rides were super fun though the wait was predictably long. And it's almost more about the atmosphere anyways than the rides. What's great is going to a spot and having a full scale experience of being in that place and part of that fictional universe. About getting as close to feeling like it's real as you possibly can. The Disney parks are so amazing for that. And it was such a neat thing to experience with my family. I'm glad we all got a chance to go and share it even with the new additions. I remember going to DisneyLand with my parents and two siblings when we were young and it was like, another level of awesome to go with my parents, my husband, my brother and his wife, and my sister, her husband and her daughter. Watching the family grow and then all still be able to come together and do something fun as a group is another level of special. I always appreciate when we get to do these big vacations. BUT THEN there was that one thing, just that one thing that made the trip less than perfect. I got food poisoning on the second night! It just ended up being such a wretched evening and I was up all night trying to get it out of my system which meant I was exhausted the next day. Like, it's so frustrating to have that small imperfection mar such an amazing trip!" +"It was a warm summer morning. I was doing my morning chores and I was finishing up of the watering in the garden and backyard plants. I was felling a little low due to work being a little slow. I saw a hummingbird at the corner of my eye. It was darting in and out of the hose water stream. I lowered the pressure on the house to a fine mist. The hummingbird loved this. He/She darted in and out of the stream of water. It was no afraid of me, it liked the water. It took its fill by drinking and cooling off its shiny feathers on a hot summer morning. the humming bird took to flight after it has its fill. I felt closer to nature that morning. I felt that humans and animals can work together and help each other out. It was a good morning. I still thing about my brief time being close with a hummingbird." +"It was about a month ago during a rather warm July morning. I was watering the plants, vegetables, and Cacti. I was feel kind of low due to not seeing many of my friends anymore due to everyone being busy with their own schedule, and work being a little slow was also on my mind. I may have been feeling sorry for myself, but the wounds were real. As I watered the cacti by the chain link fence I noticed a humming bird. At first I thought he was just doing his early morning pollen rituals, but to my surprise he wanted water. The thing is he did not want water to drink he wanted to get wet by the mist of the garden hose. I turned down the pressure of the hose to a fine mist and pointed the mist into the direction of the humming bird . The bird loved it he stayed stationary in the water stream for a long time. If I moved the hose a little he would follow to stay in the stream. It was great the bird had no fear of animosity of a human. He knew there was a human controlling the hose and he did not care he wanted water on this warm summer day. I felt great, I felt a connection with this little bird, we at this brief aquatic encounter were friends. It seemed that God saw my loneliness and sent me a friend. That small communal moment with nature make me feel better for the rest of the day. I started to realize that day can friends come in all shapes and sizes." +"Two weeks ago, I lost a huge amount of money in the money market. For the past year, I'd been thinking about buying a house with the intention of flipping it. I liked the idea of taking something, applying hard work to it, and then selling it for a profit. The only problem was that I had difficulty getting a loan. My credit isn't the best. I had a decent chunk of money I'd saved monthly from my paycheck, but it wasn't enough for the down payment. Then my friend, Thomas, told me about the money market. He said he'd been playing the market for about a year now and had made over $100K. It sounded good to me, and I never do anything without researching it carefully first, so I spent the next four months learning the ins and outs of the market. About 2 months ago, I was feeling pretty confident and invested all of the money I had saved from my paycheck (about $15K) in the market. It wasn't long before it started paying off. I guess I got lucky, because I had doubled my money! Then it tripled! It was like a dream come true. I had enough to make the down payment on the house, but then I got thinking. If I keep this going I won't have to flip the house at all. I can just sit here and let the money keep growing! I hadn't lost yet, so, 2 weeks ago, I took all of the money I'd made so far and invested it back in the market. I had a pleasant weekend and then Money morning I checked the market performance. It was gone. My money was all gone! I seriously hadn't expected it at all and the outcome hit me like a ton of bricks. I'd lost so much money, and now I don't have anything for a down payment for the house. I don't know what I'm going to do now." +"Two weeks ago, I lost a huge amount of money in the money market. For the past year, I'd been thinking about buying a house with the intention of flipping it. I liked the idea of taking something, applying hard work to it, and then selling it for a profit. The only problem was that I had difficulty getting a loan. My credit isn't the best. I had a decent chunk of money I'd saved monthly from my paycheck, but it wasn't enough for the down payment. Then my friend, Thomas, told me about the money market. He said he'd been playing the market for about a year now and had made over $100K. It sounded good to me, and I never do anything without researching it carefully first, so I spent the next four months learning the ins and outs of the market. About 2 months ago, I was feeling pretty confident and invested all of the money I had saved from my paycheck (about $15K) in the market. It wasn't long before it started paying off. I guess I got lucky, because I had doubled my money! Then it tripled! It was like a dream come true. I had enough to make the down payment on the house, but then I got thinking. If I keep this going I won't have to flip the house at all. I can just sit here and let the money keep growing! I hadn't lost yet, so, 2 weeks ago, I took all of the money I'd made so far and invested it back in the market. I had a pleasant weekend and then Money morning I checked the market performance. It was gone. My money was all gone! I seriously hadn't expected it at all and the outcome hit me like a ton of bricks. I'd lost so much money, and now I don't have anything for a down payment for the house. I don't know what I'm going to do now." +"Taking the morning off of work to go and see a bear in my friend's basement. Yes, he really did have a bear in his basement. At first, I don't know why he has this and even this is allowed to be in here. I didn't know how to react to this bear because I didn't expect it to be there at all. I had so much questions to my friend on why he has this bear in the first place. When I got there, I was in complete shock because it is bigger than I expected. This is a beautiful creature and I would like to pet it but I was scared. I talked to him about the bear and asked what is he going to do with it. He said hes going to keep it but I don't know how I feel about that. So I suggested that he should let him out of the wild because bears are not pets. We fought throughout the whole which got me really frustrated because I have no idea why would he keep it at all. I know that these are not meant to stay here and it should out there. I told him that I would take action if he doesn't let this bear free. At the end of the day, he told me I was right and we let him go. I knew he wanted to keep him but I know that its better for the bear more than him. We have to think about the bears happiness to not just my friend." +"Taking the morning off of work to go and see a bear in my friend's basement. Yes, he really did have a bear in his basement. At first, I don't know why he has this and even this is allowed to be in here. I didn't know how to react to this bear because I didn't expect it to be there at all. I had so much questions to my friend on why he has this bear in the first place. When I got there, I was in complete shock because it is bigger than I expected. This is a beautiful creature and I would like to pet it but I was scared. I talked to him about the bear and asked what is he going to do with it. He said hes going to keep it but I don't know how I feel about that. So I suggested that he should let him out of the wild because bears are not pets. We fought throughout the whole which got me really frustrated because I have no idea why would he keep it at all. I know that these are not meant to stay here and it should out there. I told him that I would take action if he doesn't let this bear free. At the end of the day, he told me I was right and we let him go. I knew he wanted to keep him but I know that its better for the bear more than him. We have to think about the bears happiness to not just my friend." +"I can't believe that's it's been 3 weeks since my cousin Jake's wedding already. The girl I met there, Julie, called today and asked how I was. I'm not exactly sure how to take it though given that she hadn't called before now. It's been ages since I got along with someone so well, and everything we had in common made night one for the ages, plus there was a wedding happening! I can't believe Jake managed to get Vulfpeck to play his wedding. That's Jake's style though, all class, and an absolute jazz fanatic. I can't believe how much they must have paid for that shindig between the band, and that incredibe spread from Chez Gus. That guy is a big time chef, I didn't even think he did catering, but Jake can be a persuasive mofo. I guess the Franklins can be too haha. I honestly can't remember the last time I've had such a completely satisfying experience. That sounds underwhelming, but it cover all the bases and that's the best way to describe it. All 5 senses were satiated, the conversation was inteligent yet casual, and Julie sure made the overnight memorable. I think I will try and stay in touch with her, at the least. Who knows, maybe her and I can recreate that night someday, only swap ourselves in as the happy couple. Or maybe we can just hang and bang. Either way, it ought to be fun!" +"I can't believe that's it's been 3 weeks since my cousin Jake's wedding already. The girl I met there, Julie, called today and asked how I was. I'm not exactly sure how to take it though given that she hadn't called before now. It's been ages since I got along with someone so well, and everything we had in common made night one for the ages, plus there was a wedding happening! I can't believe Jake managed to get Vulfpeck to play his wedding. That's Jake's style though, all class, and an absolute jazz fanatic. I can't believe how much they must have paid for that shindig between the band, and that incredibe spread from Chez Gus. That guy is a big time chef, I didn't even think he did catering, but Jake can be a persuasive mofo. I guess the Franklins can be too haha. I honestly can't remember the last time I've had such a completely satisfying experience. That sounds underwhelming, but it cover all the bases and that's the best way to describe it. All 5 senses were satiated, the conversation was inteligent yet casual, and Julie sure made the overnight memorable. I think I will try and stay in touch with her, at the least. Who knows, maybe her and I can recreate that night someday, only swap ourselves in as the happy couple. Or maybe we can just hang and bang. Either way, it ought to be fun!" +My wonderful boyfriend took me to a very beautiful place today. It was a waterfall. It was an import ant place to him so I felt honored that he took me there. It had all kinds of greenery with plants and flowers everywhere. It smelled like fresh cut grass. The sounds of the birds and water was very peaceful. I saw the water come down over the tops of the mountain and splash into the reservoir below. It had a very peaceful nature to it. The small drops of water that hit my legs from the splash was just enough to spritz my legs. The sun was warm and I felt wonderful. I was at peace. The time I spent with my boyfriend was wonderful. We waded in the warm water for awhile and then we full submersed into the water. We went behind the beautiful fall of the water where he took my face gently into his hand and kissed me. What a wonderful day it was. +"Two weeks ago, we found out that my father needs a kidney transplant due to kidney failure. He is the rock of our family, and the idea that he needs surgery is scary. He will undergo a full transplant on Thursday morning. The surgery begins at 8:00am and ends at 11:00am. He will be in the hospital for about a week before returning home. His long term prognosis is a return to full health. After surgery, his restrictions will include an inability to lift weights. My mother and sister are distraught, but glad he will be home soon. His manager at work has said he will be paid in full during his time away. That takes a lot of stress off the family in general. As for me, I am scared. My father means everything to me, and with his history of medical issues, this is a scary time. That being said, he has amazing doctors who will take care of him. I'm also lucky to have a great girlfriend to support me through all of this. I really hope that my father will be OK after his surgery." +"Two weeks ago, we found out that my father needs a kidney transplant due to kidney failure. He is the rock of our family, and the idea that he needs surgery is scary. He will undergo a full transplant on Thursday morning. The surgery begins at 8:00am and ends at 11:00am. He will be in the hospital for about a week before returning home. His long term prognosis is a return to full health. After surgery, his restrictions will include an inability to lift weights. My mother and sister are distraught, but glad he will be home soon. His manager at work has said he will be paid in full during his time away. That takes a lot of stress off the family in general. As for me, I am scared. My father means everything to me, and with his history of medical issues, this is a scary time. That being said, he has amazing doctors who will take care of him. I'm also lucky to have a great girlfriend to support me through all of this. I really hope that my father will be OK after his surgery." +"My whole life I've felt a pull towards the south and about 3 months ago I was finally given an opportunity to move there with my wife. My job offered me a higher paying position in Texas and my wife had just been laid off her job, so we figured ""Let's do it!"". We were both pretty excited about the move and I knew I could make back the cost of moving with only two or three months of work in Texas. An agent found us a beautiful home, we sent our belongings out ahead by moving truck, and my wife and I packed a few items in a Uhaul to make a road trip out of it. Our spirits were high and it was almost like a fun getaway driving to our new life. We didn't recognize the first signs of trouble, but they were there, literally. As we entered the State, Trump signs began spotting the roadsides with sayings like Build the Wall, Muslims Go Home, Lock Her Up and Trump Will Make Us Great Again. We saw them and didn't think twice about it because we were so happy and focused on enjoying our road trip. The sun was setting as we drove up to our new home and the house looked exactly like it did in the online pics, except for the 6 or 7 signs sprinkled across our new lawn. There were lawn signs that said things like Build The Wall - Make America Safe Again, No Illegals - Lock Them Up, etc. We didn't know whether they were a welcome to the neighborhood gift or a warning to go home. I looked over at my hispanic wife with concern and she began crying. ""We can't live here"" she said. I held her while she cried and then got out of the car and ripped all the signs from our lawn, tossing them over the fence into our new backyard. I wasn't going to let this ruing our plans for the future. We were moving to the south and it would be ok. My wife and I left all our belongings in the car, walked to our front door and went in our new home. As we entered the house I turned and locked the door behind us, it suddenly hit me that I didn't feel safe here. I told my wife she better use the bathroom because we had a long drive home." +"I remember the day as if it was yesterday. My parents had arrived from overseas a few days prior, and my uncle and cousin drove from the country next-door to be with me. I was excited, more than I was trying to admit, or show. I don't like showing emotions, but sometimes my face betrays me. I may have been the last one in the house to wake up, despite it being my graduation day. I could hear people going up and down the stairs getting ready. My boyfriend calls me and tells me he's on his way to pick me up and take me to the commencement ceremony, so I get up and start to get ready. I cannot decide what shoes to wear, so I go for my favorite pair that are light pink with flowers and wear a white dress. At this moment my boyfriend has arrived and is in the living room with my two uncles and my dad. It was his first time meeting my dad and the oldest uncle, which was to be honest kind of awkward for all of them. I put on the graduation gown, the cap and tassel on my hand and go downstairs and signal my boyfriend and cousin that we are ready to go. Before, I make sure to leave the ceremony tickets to my uncle to make sure that they have the ability to come there with no issues. We drive to my school, and I talk on the phone with my other friends who tell me that they are in the gown room, in line. I notify my boyfriend and cousin who were in line to go inside the audience, and I head out to the gown room. I find my name-card, my friends and I put on my cap and tassel and the time comes where we walk outside in rows and head for our seats in the podium. I remember thinking ""wow, this place is huge!"". I try to locate my cousin and boyfriend in the podium, which I succeed, after I call him on the phone. The ceremony starts, there are a lot of students graduating, and because our college was the last one, we had to wait for hours until it was our turn. However, now it feels as if it went pretty fast. Finally, our time to shine was almost there and our row gets up and starts heading to the podium. I could feel my legs shaking, and it was moving very fast. One by one the students were walking across, and it was finally me - I hand out my name-card to the caller, who surprisingly gets my name right, and I start heading towards the dean of my college and the president of the school, who shake my hand, congratulate me and hand me my diploma folder while taking a picture. I start heading out of the podium and I see my parents and uncles cheering me on, and I am so happy. The mos chilling moment that I had, was during the closing remarks, when the president guided us into turning the tassel from the left to the right side, to symbolize the end of an era of bachelors- I did and I still get the good chills. I will never forget how I felt - it actually makes me go back to school again just so that I can experience again the emotions of a commencement." +"It was the morning of May 11th, 2019. This could have probably been one of the happiest days of my life. I remember waking up excited and getting ready because in just a few hours I would be walking in the podium to the sound of people cheering at the call of my name. It was my graduation day. The day I had been waiting for ever since I started college. I would go to the website of my university all the time and look at previous commencement ceremonies and daydream about mine. That's how excited I was and how long I was waiting for it. All of my closest people were there - My parents, uncles and cousins, as well as my boyfriend. I felt extremely proud and happy to share these moments with them. Many of my college friends were graduating with me. It was fun to sit with them and chat about the day and what the plan would hold for us. It was also immensely happy to glance to the side and see my parents who flew overseas to be with me for that moment. I had finally graduated from a long and tiring phase, 5 years of school. I also was able to graduate with honors, and I was able to wear a medal around my neck which looked so good on me. I would not be able to explain the goosebumps I felt when I was called to walk to the podium, receive my diploma and take the picture with the Dean and the President of my School. Or hearing the people cheering at the sound of my name! I was surprised to hear that my name was pronounced correctly. Locals usually have difficulties pronouncing my name. The ceremony ended with, a lot of hugs, flowers and tears, as well as an after-party with all our loved ones and dearest friends. It truly was a memorable day for me." +"This is a event i dont like to think about as it evokes feelings and emotions that are extremely unpleasant. I remember being in the ER room with my mother, wondering what in the world could be causing her limp left arm. Overhearing the ER doctor commenting how sad it was that my mother had suffered a stroke, without her realizing what was taking place, having the sympathy looks. I remember having the most horrid scenarios implicating a life with my mother as a stroke victim. When we were moved to an inpatient room, we were seen by an array of doctors. every single imaging testing was conducted. within the span of 48 hours mom had over 4 imaging test and constant blood testing. Sleeping in a hospital room for a total of 2 nights, watching over my mother made me realized, how much my mother had age, her vulnerability in the moment, and how dependent of my care she was, it was the most gut wrenching feeling i had ever experience, i can feel it right now in the center of my chest. it took a full body imaging to give us the answer we were all looking for. finally on the 3rd day, we received results that my mother had over 70% rotatory cuff tear, the ligament was hanging by thread which was causing stroke like symptoms. I remember my brother and i exchanging looks, realizing we were going to be more than okay. the look of relief in my mothers eyes, i will never forget, i will also never forget on the drive back she was so worried she was going to become a burden for me. which that will never be the case, i love my mother and i am honor to be able to take care of her. a total of 3 days of being in the dark with different diagnosis being thrown at us, with possibilities of disabilities to deal with. Never in my life will i ever want to experience something of that nature. i feel emotionally drained at the thought. I also despise that the ER doctor was so bold and abrasive and make a diagnosis on the spot with all of the testing done and results on hand. making such diagnosis without considering the families worries and pain, is truly insensitive and torturous." +"This is a event i dont like to think about as it evokes feelings and emotions that are extremely unpleasant. I remember being in the ER room with my mother, wondering what in the world could be causing her limp left arm. Overhearing the ER doctor commenting how sad it was that my mother had suffered a stroke, without her realizing what was taking place, having the sympathy looks. I remember having the most horrid scenarios implicating a life with my mother as a stroke victim. When we were moved to an inpatient room, we were seen by an array of doctors. every single imaging testing was conducted. within the span of 48 hours mom had over 4 imaging test and constant blood testing. Sleeping in a hospital room for a total of 2 nights, watching over my mother made me realized, how much my mother had age, her vulnerability in the moment, and how dependent of my care she was, it was the most gut wrenching feeling i had ever experience, i can feel it right now in the center of my chest. it took a full body imaging to give us the answer we were all looking for. finally on the 3rd day, we received results that my mother had over 70% rotatory cuff tear, the ligament was hanging by thread which was causing stroke like symptoms. I remember my brother and i exchanging looks, realizing we were going to be more than okay. the look of relief in my mothers eyes, i will never forget, i will also never forget on the drive back she was so worried she was going to become a burden for me. which that will never be the case, i love my mother and i am honor to be able to take care of her. a total of 3 days of being in the dark with different diagnosis being thrown at us, with possibilities of disabilities to deal with. Never in my life will i ever want to experience something of that nature. i feel emotionally drained at the thought. I also despise that the ER doctor was so bold and abrasive and make a diagnosis on the spot with all of the testing done and results on hand. making such diagnosis without considering the families worries and pain, is truly insensitive and torturous." +"Today, I got a call from my estranged husband saying he needed to move back in to the house we own together after living with his ex-wife for the last ten years. Not only am I totally pissed, I am sick to my stomach. I don't want him back in this house. But there is nothing I can do. He legally owns half the house. I am beside myself. I can't stand the guy. Just looking at him repulses me. He says he has no where else to go. His ex wife and kids kicked him out. He doesn't own the house they live in, so he can't force them to let him stay. Meantime, over here, I wish there was some way to stop him from coming back. I guess I'll finally have to file for divorce even if I don't have the money, because I am not living with him. This is gonna be hell until I can figure something out. I'm thinking of moving to California where my younger son lives. Get a fresh start somewhere else. And get as far away as I can from this person. I know one thing, I can't live with him. I will do whatever I have to, to get away from him." +"Six months ago, I got a call that would change my recent life. It was my husband, one I hadn't heard from in about 8 years. He was married before me and had two children. Ten years ago, they had an affair and I kicked him out. I thought we could still work things out eventually, but he went back to his ex-wife and lived with her. Due to the complexity of insurance, and our home, we just never got divorced. Then he calls six months ago. He misses me and can't stand to live with this woman anymore. He begged to come home. I wasn't seeing anyone, and quite frankly, I missed him. So, I did the unthinkable and said yes. I can tell he is going to stray. Maybe he just had a fight with her and will go back. I just don't know why he's here as we haven't talked much. I should file for divorce." +"Losing Dad the way we did still haunts me just about every day. Not only do I think about that night, I dream about it. And so does Jimmy (my husband). When we assumed the role as Dad's caregivers and moved in to his home - the house in which I was raised - constantly reminding him to use his walker when he moved through the house (and picking him up off the floor when he didn't) became an all-too-common occurrence. But when we heard the loud thud upstairs the night he died, I think we both knew this fall sounded different. God how I wish we were wrong. That memory feels like yesterday. I miss Dad so much and still think about him every day. When I recall seeing him lying face down in the tub where he had fallen head-first, the nightmare comes flooding to my mind. They say we don't remember certain traumatic events, rather we tend to block all memory from our minds. This is quite the opposite. I remember every minute of that tragic event like it occurred last night! The 911 call. Jimmy trying desperately to revive Dad. Seeing the ambulance pull up and the paramedics rush in. Calling my brother, who was vacationing in Las Vegas at the time, to ask about Dad's do-not-resuscitate order. Talking to my twin brother as Jimmy stayed by Dad's side, desperate for reassurance that everything was going to be ok. After all, that's why we moved in to take care of him. So he wouldn't have to give up his home and belongings, as well as a lifetime of cherished memories they created there, to go live in a ""facility"" with strangers. And plus, I intended to keep the promise I made to Mom on her deathbed: that I would do everything I could to make sure Dad lived out his days in the home they created for our family. I just hope they both are watching over me, knowing that the great love I have for them still overshadows the sadness and grief I still feel." +"This past Spring, I lost my dad. My husband and I had been serving as primary caregivers for him in his home. One night very late, we heard him fall. We found him in the bathtub, where he had fallen face down after suffering a heart attack. I immediately called 911. My husband administered CPR while I was on the phone with emergency dispatch. When the paramedics came, they were able to revive Dad before transporting him to the hospital. But they warned us that he likely would not regain consciousness. Dad had an active DNR and we wanted to honor those wishes. Hospital staff advised that we get the family together to say goodbye. I was devastated. Icould not bring myself to go and watch my dad die. I stayed behind and my brother and sister met my husband at the hospital. They said their final goodbyes, though I doubt Dad heard their words. I haven't been able to reconcile the decision to stay home that night in my mind. To this day, it still pains me. I think about Dad often. I dream about him in happier times almost every night." +"One week ago, my life changed. My late husband's daughter from the first marriage, walked into my life six years after his passing. She reached out to me on the Facebook and attached a photo of being held by her dad when she was little. Seeing my husband young and full of life brought tears to my eyes. It felt as if a part of him was still here, as if he reached out to me across some invisible distance. His daughter looks so much like him, especially her eyes. I began to wonder whether I would be able to refrain from being overly emotional if we actually met in real life because looking at her would remain me so much of my husband. I miss him dearly and I hope that this new relationship and connection with his daughter will bring me comfort and peace in knowing that some part of him still lives through her. Perhaps her reaching out to me was meant to be, a little gift of love that my husband sent from heaven to ease the pain of his loss. I'm happy that she will have the opportunity to meet our son, her half brother. They are not too far apart in age and both go to college, so maybe they will have some things in common. They also have similar faces since they both look so much like their father. My husband kept a lot of things for the kids. He was a gifted writer and filled many notebooks with poems and short stories to pass along to his children. I definitely want them to see his writing and see how talented their dad was. Maybe even pass it along to their kids. I also have other mementos like photos and records that I know he would want them to have. One step at a time, however. Right now I'm looking forward to meeting his daughter at the airport next Friday. I invited her to fly out and stay with us over the weekend while my son will be visiting from college. We can all spend some time relaxing and getting to know each other better." +"One week ago, my life changed. My late husband's daughter from the first marriage, walked into my life six years after his passing. She reached out to me on the Facebook and attached a photo of being held by her dad when she was little. Seeing my husband young and full of life brought tears to my eyes. It felt as if a part of him was still here, as if he reached out to me across some invisible distance. His daughter looks so much like him, especially her eyes. I began to wonder whether I would be able to refrain from being overly emotional if we actually met in real life because looking at her would remain me so much of my husband. I miss him dearly and I hope that this new relationship and connection with his daughter will bring me comfort and peace in knowing that some part of him still lives through her. Perhaps her reaching out to me was meant to be, a little gift of love that my husband sent from heaven to ease the pain of his loss. I'm happy that she will have the opportunity to meet our son, her half brother. They are not too far apart in age and both go to college, so maybe they will have some things in common. They also have similar faces since they both look so much like their father. My husband kept a lot of things for the kids. He was a gifted writer and filled many notebooks with poems and short stories to pass along to his children. I definitely want them to see his writing and see how talented their dad was. Maybe even pass it along to their kids. I also have other mementos like photos and records that I know he would want them to have. One step at a time, however. Right now I'm looking forward to meeting his daughter at the airport next Friday. I invited her to fly out and stay with us over the weekend while my son will be visiting from college. We can all spend some time relaxing and getting to know each other better." +"About a month ago my husband was let go from his job which was out of the blue and came to us as a shock. He's still struggling to understand why he was fired, and it has been causing unwanted tensions in our relationship lately as he struggles to find a new job. My husband believes the company lied about why he was fired and he has found proof about it. We're trying to figure out what to do now. Should we get a lawyer? Do we contact the company directly? I'm not sure at this point. We are thinking of taking legal action and have been asking around if we have a legitimate case. Right now we're just in the preliminary stages. My husband isn't the kind of person to just shrug it off and move on, he will continue to search for answers. Hopefully we make some progress soon as it is starting to take a toll on our relationship. My husband has been a bit depressed and angry lately. It's a side of him that I had never seen before. Of course I want to support my husband, I just hope this is not a lost cause. We've scheduled a meeting with an attorney this week to talk about the possibility of wrongful termination. I hope to get some more professional insight as everything we've learned so far has just been off of our own research on the internet and talking to some close friends and family. However, our friends and family have never dealt with anything like this themselves. So we're anxious to see what the lawyer has to say on the matter." +"It was a sunny day, unseasonably warm. What a great day for a birthday party. We had planned to host the party inside, using the garage as the big room for the pinata and party games but it was so glorious out that we moved everything to the yard. The birthday boy was eager to see all of his friends and cousins from up north. We planned to start the party at 12 pm but of course, the day started much earlier than that. We had to get up early and put the final touches on the decorations and I went to the bakers at 10 am when they opened to get the custom cake we had made. We decided on a space theme for the party since the birthday boy loved amatuer astronomy. The cake was a gorgeous representation of a fantasty sci-fi spaceship. The pinata was the planet earth. And some of the party favors were glow in the dark stars, along with the typical candy. The main colors were blues and blacks, which doesn't sound super festive but when we had put it all together looked glorious. Soon it was time for the guests to arrive. Aside from the family, the first guest was his best friend, of course, those two were inseperable. I loved seeing them going through life together, helping each other and celebrating the good times. The party went off well and the birthday boy enjoyed every minute of it. Sometimes I worry about throwing lavish parties for the kids, because it becomes an issue of how to re-create the excitement from previous parties, but also life is short and the good times should be celebrated. For my birthday I want to relax on the beach." +"last week a surprise birthday trip was planned for a seven year old child. to visit wild waves,amusement and water park in Washington state. It was a surprise party. so everyone ready to do it. and the trip is planed to go morning and spend one full day in that place. so everyone is ready to go. Morning we are packed our bags luggage's and other needs. then we finally we started our journey. it was a memorable experience in my life. we are reached their on time. First we are plan to visit The wild waves. it was a beautiful experience. very attractive scenes and so on .then we are visit amusement&water park. and it was a nice experience very beautiful scenes and memorable experience. in his life it was a big surprise. so he was very happy. we are also happy to saw that. It was very important in his life. finally we started our journey back. the journey is very beautiful and memorable. finally we reached back." +"last week a surprise birthday trip was planned for a seven year old child. to visit wild waves,amusement and water park in Washington state. It was a surprise party. so everyone ready to do it. and the trip is planed to go morning and spend one full day in that place. so everyone is ready to go. Morning we are packed our bags luggage's and other needs. then we finally we started our journey. it was a memorable experience in my life. we are reached their on time. First we are plan to visit The wild waves. it was a beautiful experience. very attractive scenes and so on .then we are visit amusement&water park. and it was a nice experience very beautiful scenes and memorable experience. in his life it was a big surprise. so he was very happy. we are also happy to saw that. It was very important in his life. finally we started our journey back. the journey is very beautiful and memorable. finally we reached back." +"I was in a situation where I had to move, and a family member offered to let me rent from them. The catch, however, is that they were on the other side of the country. Since I did not have a car and did not want to rent one, I decided to take the train. I chose the train, because I was able to have take several bags with me. On a plane, I would at most be able to take a carry-on and a checked bag. On the train, I could have two carry-ons and two checked bags. Once I booked my ticket, it was time for me sort through all my belongings. Even though I could have more luggage on the train, I could not take everything with me. As such, I had to throw out over half of what I owned. I had previously given away 90% of my books, and now I had to give away half of what was left. This was in addition to giving away most of my already limited amount of shoes, a bed, clothes, kitchenware, and many other things. It was difficult, but with enough detachment and my walks up and down several flights of stairs, I did it. While the move was difficult emotionally, I learned a valuable lesson. I learned about what was essential and nonessential. I learned the consequences of choices I had made that led me to having to move across the country. Finally, I learned to let go. While I hope that my next move will be under different circumstances, I know that I will have the emotional strength to handle whatever emergency situation that comes my way." +"About four months, my partner was accepted a new job on the west coast. I've lived in the state where I was born all my life, so I was honestly really hesitant to pick up and move. It would mean leaving behind my family, my friends, and my home. But change can also be good, so we decided to take the plunge, pack up, and head west! The pacing up part ended up being much more difficult that I thought it would be. We've owned our home for almost a decade, and I guess I didn't realize quite how much stuff we'd accumulated over those years. Not only did we have to think about limited space in the moving truck, our new apartment is much smaller than our old house. It was honestly kind of emotional to shift through all of my things and decide was to keep, and what to just let go of. It really brought into perspective how materially-oriented our lives can become. I felt so attached to so many objects. However, letting go of things I no longer need did start to get easier. Especially when I knew my possessions were going to others who could get real use and joy out of them. It was kind of freeing in a way. It really helped me to set priorities and realize what's truly essential. Walking into our apartment, it felt kind of freeing to be clutter free. It was like a burden was lifted in a way, and we are ready to make a fresh start." +"Today I celebrated my 2 year anniversary with my boyfriend. I sit here thinking back to the beginning and how we met and it all seems like a dream. I traveled often for work at the time. I was away from home 5 days a week, and I would come home on the weekends. I was single and very focused on my career. This particular weekend I had been sent to the other side of the country for a week. I was sitting in my hotel room one night bored and I decided to walk around and find somewhere to get some food. I wound up in a little pizza place. I was staring at my phone, reading a work email, while I ate pizza with the other hand. I must have looked like such a snob. As I was walking out of the pizzeria a man stopped me to compliment my sweater. I looked up and, as cliche as it sounds, I just felt my heart explode. This was the most attractive man I had ever seen. The rest is very fairy tale-like. We started talking in that pizzeria and I don't think we stopped for 8 hours. We walked around the city all night and chatted and got to know each other. Fast forward to 2 years later and we are madly in love. I decided to leave my old job and find one that required less traveling. I also moved across the country. I can't believe it has been 2 years already since I found my soulmate." +"Recently I had a friend pass away, it was very upsetting and truly a horrible event. my friend got hit by a bus and it was really bad, she fell over into the middle of the road by accident and got killed immediately. it was tragic, it was really bad and i really dont like to think about it at all. everyday i think about it and it still causes me mental issues because i saw it in person, i was there when it happened. I saw my friend trip and fall into a bus that was oncoming in traffic. it was arguably the worst thing i've ever seen or witnessed in my entire life. it was just terrible and i hate to think about it. The bus immediately stopped as well, but she was dead on impact. The bus was going very fast as well, it wasn't slowing down. My friend should still be alive. She accidentally tripped and fell. Mistakes and life happens sometimes. You can't really help it sometimes. Life really gets the better of you and its shameful. Maybe it was her time to go? I don't really know yet, i haven't decided if it was fate or not." +"I have missed my family. During the time of writing this diary entry, I had not seen them. Recently, my father and I went on a vacation to his home country. I hadn't seen my father in six months. During this time i was able to visit family and hang out with friends. Visiting my fathers country was very rewarding but also very tiring. We walked for miles an d took public transportation everywhere. We ate a lot of food that was delicious. A downside to the trip was getting sick. I am not quite sure what i had. I suspect it was either food poisoning or sun poisoning. It's hard to pinpoint as we ate at many restaurants that did not have healthy options and I had gotten a severe sunburn. I had a fever for a few days and had stomach issues the days following up to today. It was a great trip to bond with my dad and to explore the area where he grew up. I hope to come back in the near future." +"What a busy day at work today! I'm exhausted but in a good way. It's been a whirlwind since starting this job about a month and a half ago but it's worth it. Honestly, I can't believe that I'm here. I never imagined that I'd be working for a company such as this. Thank god for Prof. J (which reminds me..purchase birthday card for Prof. J). I don't know if I would of pass her class and did so well on the certification exam two months ago without her encouragement. It was a tough ride. I can't believe I'm here now. I remember the night before taking my exam, I barely slept, I was so nervous. When Prof. J told me that I had done so well on my exam, I couldn't believe it. What a moment." +the story is about my personal life. i have a very good family. i have one daughter. she is very cute and adorable. she is 3 years old. she is very naughty. i love her a lot. one day she is playing in garden. my daughter have kids bike. she is playing in the garden with the kids bike. me and my partner were busy with our work. we are doing garden cleaning process. my daughter went near to the pool. she nearly went to fell off from the floor to pool. my kind neighbor seen this scene from his house. they came very fast and save my daughter. they helped me to get her to urgent care. i am very much thankful to them. +Two months ago I volunteered at the Animal Defense League. My job was to walk and play with the dogs. Sometimes I would also go to the cat and kitten building and play with the cats. It was a rewarding experience. I loved bring a little joy and comfort to all the animals. It also brought joy to me and helped me with my depression. The unexpected thing that came about was that I really got attached to one particular dog and adopted her a month ago. It was the best decision of my life. She brings me so much happiness. I will never regret spending my spare time with these pets. I often take Pippen to the shelter to interact with some of the dogs. It is so sweet when she recognizes some of the dogs that are still there. Adopting Pippen has been so emotionally good for me and my family. I post online picture from the shelter. I would encourage everyone I know to do the same. +"Recently, my softball team had a double header cancelled because of the weather. This week, we also had a double header and the league decided to make up the one that was cancelled from a few weeks prior. This meant that we were going to play four softball games in a row. This wouldn't be so bad if it weren't 95 degrees and humid. Just one inning into the game, we were all sweating buckets. We knew it was going to a be very long day. Still, we persisted and won our first game. Dripping with sweat and exhausted, we moved on to the second game. This game was much closer to the last, with signs of fatigue clearly showing on our faces. Normally, this would be the last game of the day. Sometimes, we only played one, but we advanced to our third of the day. A couple errors really brought the team down early in the game, but we managed to string along some runs via some great hits and couple home runs and brought our daily record to 3-0. With the finish line in sight, we walked over to another field to play our fourth and final game of the day. By now, the lights were on and a light drizzle began to fall. Usually rain was unwelcome, but on a day like that we all took it with open arms. Unfortunately, we weren't able to complete the undefeated day. We were bested by a good team that was playing their first game of the day, but no excuses! We could have pulled it off, but in the end I was honestly just happy to be heading home." +"Last summer I joined a softball team because I like to play, I would like to be in better shape, and I always had fun playing team sports as a kid. Generally it's a good release on the weekends, but this weekend was awful. We were rained out on Saturday, so our double header got pushed to Sunday. Because we then won our double header, we progressed to the finals - which were the same day. We had to play 4 softball games in one day. None of us could believe it. Usually I'd be grateful for good weather, but the heat made all of us lightheaded and grouchy. None of us were as happy as would've or should've been to make it so far in the tournament because we were all so damn hot. We didn't end up winning and we should have all felt really proud of how far we made it, but we were just grateful it was over. I was so exhausted that when I remembered it was Sunday and I had work the next day I was so angry and upset. I wanted to burst into tears. I took up softball as a kind of relaxation or tension relief, and I felt more stressed out than before the weekend started. My body was exhausted and my job is very physical, so the thought of having to expend more energy just made me miserable. I quit playing softball on weekends not long afterwards. It didn't relieve any stress and I was anxious the same kind of thing would happen again. It just wasn't worth the anxiety and effort anymore." +"One time, about five months ago, I got severely injured at work. I was working at a hospital on the west coast—specifically, on the psychiatric unit. I had been assigned to a schizophrenic patient who had displayed severe aggression in his last admission. I had remembered this specifically from his last admission, and I thought I would be more prepared to handle him. Boy, was I wrong. In a matter of seconds after introducing myself, he jumped from his seat and grabbed my left arm. My shoulder dislocated nearly immediately, rendering me completely defenseless. Thankfully, he threw no punches at me, but he held onto my arms as I called for help. Eventually a nurse was able to push him back, and in that adrenaline rush I grabbed him with my good arm to take him to seclusion with the nurse. Somehow, with my dislocated arm, we were able to escort him to the seclusion room for unit safety. It is one of the craziest things I had ever experienced, and to this day I still have nightmares about it. Today, I still do not have 100% range of motion in my shoulder or arm, and I think that will be the case forever. It was a very bad thing to happen to me, and I am fortunate it did not get any worse. It is a crazy thing to remember as I write this and it still affects me emotionally. Fortunately, I have been able to use some mindfulness meditation to get it off my mind whenever the memory creeps up on me." +"So we go to doctor appointments about four to five times a year. We have to drive down the hill for them, about 1 hour from home each way. We always try to make a day of it, but usually we just go window shopping. I drive because my dad is mentally disabled. This was mid May and my dad's birthday is the beginning of June, so this was my widow of opportunity to surprise him. He was just expecting us to go home, but I drove around a bit, went out of my way, cruised the mall, passed it, then watched his face light up as he knew we were going to his absolute favorite restaurant. Vince's Spaghetti is an hour from our house, so we only go like once a year maybe, but not every year. This time it'd been about 7 years in-between visits. We had the best early dinner, and we always order an extra gallon of sauce to take home with us to sustain the long visits. The bill was almost $100 with tip and I'd never paid for a dinner before. I paid this time, and it was just so nice. That level of finally giving back financially, it's a good feeling. Like that baton has finally been passed. He almost teared up over it, and he's not a crier. Normally this shouldn't have been that special, but just the spur of the moment thing and the bill pay made it special." +"So we go to doctor appointments about four to five times a year. We have to drive down the hill for them, about 1 hour from home each way. We always try to make a day of it, but usually we just go window shopping. I drive because my dad is mentally disabled. This was mid May and my dad's birthday is the beginning of June, so this was my widow of opportunity to surprise him. He was just expecting us to go home, but I drove around a bit, went out of my way, cruised the mall, passed it, then watched his face light up as he knew we were going to his absolute favorite restaurant. Vince's Spaghetti is an hour from our house, so we only go like once a year maybe, but not every year. This time it'd been about 7 years in-between visits. We had the best early dinner, and we always order an extra gallon of sauce to take home with us to sustain the long visits. The bill was almost $100 with tip and I'd never paid for a dinner before. I paid this time, and it was just so nice. That level of finally giving back financially, it's a good feeling. Like that baton has finally been passed. He almost teared up over it, and he's not a crier. Normally this shouldn't have been that special, but just the spur of the moment thing and the bill pay made it special." +Now it's fall and everyone is hiring for seasonal employment. I'm looking for another part time job . At the moment I'm not having much luck. So I decided to fast & pray . I went two days without out food and fell out of my bed. I felt awful . It has been advised to me by a physician because of my undiagnosed blood disorder not to fast! When I began to eat again I started vomiting. I wish my health was back to normal again . Every since that first hospitalization I have never been one hundred percent. Fasting in the past worked for my anxiety. Fasting also helps with my attention span. My total recall is improved with fasting. With my undiagnosed blood disorder I'm not able to live life without worry. I must always have a phone . I also alert people around me of my disorder just incase I faint with my eyes open . To the untrained eye I may look dead. People my be afraid to call 911 not knowing whats going on. I don't mind telling them because they may just have to save my life. I feel vulnerable with my fate in the hands of strangers. All I can do is try and live my best life. +Now it's fall and everyone is hiring for seasonal employment. I'm looking for another part time job . At the moment I'm not having much luck. So I decided to fast & pray . I went two days without out food and fell out of my bed. I felt awful . It has been advised to me by a physician because of my undiagnosed blood disorder not to fast! When I began to eat again I started vomiting. I wish my health was back to normal again . Every since that first hospitalization I have never been one hundred percent. Fasting in the past worked for my anxiety. Fasting also helps with my attention span. My total recall is improved with fasting. With my undiagnosed blood disorder I'm not able to live life without worry. I must always have a phone . I also alert people around me of my disorder just incase I faint with my eyes open . To the untrained eye I may look dead. People my be afraid to call 911 not knowing whats going on. I don't mind telling them because they may just have to save my life. I feel vulnerable with my fate in the hands of strangers. All I can do is try and live my best life. +"when you do the work to overcome your difficult experiences, you can heal. “And, when we choose to do it together, our families really can become even better in the end,” said Hibbert, also author of the forthcoming memoryMaybe you’re going through a similar experience or are grieving another kind of loss: a romantic relationship, a friendship, a job, a house. Or maybe there’s a completely different kind of stressor in your lifeStill, you might worry that your emotions will be too overwhelming. While this can happen, people tend to get stuck because they’re actually not feeling their emotions, Hibbert said. “Instead, they think about, wallow in, and replay events. But they are not letting themselves really feel the pain, loss, sadness, anger, that is lurking withinWhen people bottle up challenging situations, the problems grow and mutate into horrible worries and anxieties,” said Ryan Howes, Ph. D, a clinical psychologist and author of the blog “In Therapy.” Talking about your troubles, however, helps you better understand your own fears and get valuable feedback from others, “who have probably experienced similar levels of distress and can give you the perspective you need. While you might not have time for your usual healthy habits, you can still take good care of yourself. For instance, if you can’t prepare a nutritious meal, keep protein bars in your bag, she said. If you can’t go to the gym for an hour, take a 10- to 15-minute walk around the block to “relieve physical tension and clear the cobwebs in your mind.”Ten minutes of meditating or a 20-minute power nap also helps, she said. Remember that a stressful situation isn’t a sprint; sometimes “it may be more of a marathon. [You] need to pace [yourself] and take the necessary time to rest to reboot your mind and body.”“During a moment of meditation or prayer, visualize handing those items over to your higher power and letting them go. Then focus on what you can control, like your self-care, your words, your actions and your decisionsYou might assume that you can and should handle this difficult time on your own. Many people do. But, interestingly, when Duffy talks to his clients, most say they’d never expect others to manage similar situations alone. “We need to relinquish control, ask for help, and receive it with grace.”When asking for help, you may need to be direct. Let others know what you need, such as “support and compassion,” and what you don’t need, such as “[not] criticiz[ing] my slowness to heal,”" +"What is rarely analyzed, is that the real reasons why they ascend do not come to be attributed to personal aspects and errors that, although they seem to go unnoticed, for the superiors and co-workers, you are not ready or not the person indicated for a position better than the current one or who should not even hold the position he has now. 22-05-2019 Thus, it can also be a mistake in the company and can also deteriorate its image at work. The first thing to clarify in this article, is that he has realized that he is an excellent profile, has extensive experience, outstanding academic training and, in general. an interesting resume, the following errors (among others), which may be the cause that a job promotion has not yet been obtained, even if merely, or what is ""selling"" the wrong way, by giving a signal of the market that does not correspond to what you really want to reflect or that does not correspond to what it really is. His high fitness, but his bad attitude. One of the most common mistakes of some workers who are excellent in work and have a great career, is their bad attitude. You do not have to take your personal problems to work with you on a daily basis, nor are others to blame for them. As expert as it may be in your role within the company, this does not ""give you the right"" to treat others badly or to be in the majority of times of bad character, causing others to have to guess when you are in good standing. humor to be able to approach you. . It is jumping from bliss. He received the ascent he expected so much. Or on the contrary, he took it by surprise. He is too young and has advanced by leaps and bounds in that ladder of his company. The truth is that a promotion will always be a reason to celebrate. Not only do they improve their economic conditions, but they also progress along the path that has been drawn from the professional field. He feels comfortable with what he has achieved. It is the result of that effort, dedication, but above all, passion that impresses you with your work. However, what seems at first glance only a panorama of good news, can also generate some differences between your coworkers, quarrels, suspicions, and even out of context comments such as ""you are too inexperienced for that position"" or ""will you be able with this new position? Some will be amazed, others will make blinding comments, especially if you have worked with them from “you to you” and find it difficult to give them the level of boss. These and other situations may arise at the time of coupling to your new position, so it is important that you know how to handle them with all assertiveness and intelligence, so that the ship you are sailing on now does not shipwreck. Remember that the key is to earn respect, not to impose it." +"So, in the last story that I wrote I described the details of the wedding. I can not recall all of the details of the story because I wasn't there. I wasn't there and so I can't recall the details in full so I will tell you details my daughter recalled to me. Specifically the one I was told about by my daughter. I made it all up because I was ghosted from going to the ceremony, and because at the time I was desperate for any work that paid. Yes, he got married. Yes he had a long courtship and married a girl he is compatible with. I don't think that the marriage will last because she will see past the person she thinks she married and see the callous shell of a person he is. Here is the most memorable thing that happened at the wedding. At the wedding they had a friend that is a Taylor Swift impersonator. It was one of my daughter-in-laws best friends and supposedly she looks just like Taylor Swift. She sang at the wedding and impressed people with how similar she looks. She was a really good singer and my daughter said she even sounds like her when she talks to people. The signifance to me of my son getting married is huge and has been eating at me ever since. I did the best I knew how with my son, tried my damndest to raise him right and to be ghosted from his wedding really sucks. It hurts like no other feeeling I've had because it wasn't just the wedding it is completely. That's about all I want to write at this time, just hurts to bad." +"So, the story I have for you happened this past Friday, August 23,2019. The event came at us out of left field last spring when my son announced he was finally getting married to a beautiful girl he had started dating for over 4 years! We didn't really expect it, because they had been dating so long. Well, the day finally came and my son looked like a million bucks. He was dressed to the nines in his black tuxedo, with his beard neatly groomed, and a smile from ear to ear. Then we saw the bride and wow what a dress! She was beaming with joy and excited more than I've ever seen her before. The bride's parents had rented a really nice outdoor chapel on the side of a mountain in the North Georgia Mountains. The place was incredibly beautiful this time of year as fall is quickly approaching us. Many of my sons friends and family were there, people from his childhood, church, and schools. It is so memorable and significant for me thinking about that day. I sat there thinking back over the years at all the amazing times that we have had together, and at the same time I was watching him stating his vows and thinking about the man he has become. After the wedding ceremony they had a reception that went for about four hours. It was pretty fun and everyone got to dance and party like their was no tomorrow. I danced with my wife and my fifteen year old daughter both. It was a very special moment for myself and my wife on the dance floor because we didn't get married in a church, and had no reception. So...ultimately seeing him married and thinking back over the past when we had him at 18 and where we are now, was very special to all of us." +"Having an alcoholic child takes away a lot of my happiness. My son's drinking has put him in the hospital with a seizure and he's had at least one more since then. The emergency room doctor told my daughter-in-law that her liver is dangerously enlarged and she's killing herself with her vodka consumption. My son, Lucas, recently got hired back at a previous job. His wife told me she's packing two little bottles of vodka with his lunch because if he stops cold turkey it could kill him. They call it his regiment. A doctor told them that he needs to taper off but not slowly. Every day he should drink half as much as the day before so it shouldn't even take a week until he's alcohol-free. Then he needs to address cravings and the reasons for his destructive behavior. Needless to say, that job didn't even last two weeks. They are homeless, living in my daughter's garage,. It wasn't so bad in the summer but it's cold now so they'll be using a space heater. Now I have to worry about a fire on top of everything else. I've always been a happy person. I like to laugh and sing, but my son's drunkenness hangs over me like doom. It's hard to be happy without deciding to forget about him, which I can't do anyway." +"My son and his wife are severe alcoholics. Over the years I've loaned them quite a bit of money (which they never repay) when I've been optimistic that they're straightening out their lives and need help to move forward. This July they lost their jobs as motel managers in Utah and returned here, homeless with two cats and a dog. They moved into my daughter's garage and went on a ten-day bender. They neglected their pets, had violent arguments, didn't return their U-Haul which was about to be reported as stolen, etc. My daughter asked my son's wife to leave after she made a drunken scene insulting her neighbors. She got a motel room and decided she'd just like to stay there. My daughter and I handled everything for them and my son eventually snapped out of it. He asked me if he could borrow $250 which he'd repay when he got a check in the mail in a few days and I foolishly agreed. The check did come and he called me and said he was coming right over with the money and asked if he could do some laundry. I haven't seen him since. He took the money and paid for some more nights in the motel room and lots of vodka. I was taking care of his dog who howled all day and night with separation anxiety. I've been worried and scared for my son's health and safety for a long time but after this incident, that's changed into anger and fear for my own safety from people who absolutely put alcohol ahead of everything in life. It was a new low since before lying and stealing hadn't been part of the picture." +"What a crazy day for baseball! Our team deserves to go to the championship this year. Today was the perfect summer day for a game; it wasn't a scotching hot day. The tournament started at 8 this morning. I met with Conner this morning for breakfast at the cafe, then we headed to the game together. Our boys first game was an easy win and they advanced to the next round. The team they played second put up more of a fight, but we won by 10 points. The third team was tough and played well. We only won by 3 points, but advanced to the final team. The team was tired and we could tell. Clouds began to come out and I hoped it would stay away until the last game was over. We knew this would be a tough game, but agreed that these were to 2 best teams. The game started slow, the players are obviously tired. The score stayed close the entire game. In the eighth inning it began to rain a little. By the ninth inning the rain was more sturdy, but the teams played on since there was no lighting and the rain was not too hard. Our team was down two points and needed 3 runs to win the game. Miller was up to bat and the bases were loaded. Miller steps up and gets a home run and we win the game. Next stop, championships!" +"When my friend and I met for the first time one of the things we really enjoyed was sitting around the bonfire. We enjoyed the flames licking at the logs and the warmth spreading out from the fire. We made smores and had a few drinks, spending most of our time just talking laughing and joking about life. At my house I have motion sensor lights. One night when we were sitting in the back yard around the bonfire one of the motion sensor lights kept going on and off. The odd thing about this was that it had never acted that way before. Talk around the bonfire went to ghosts and spirits, we joked that there may be a ghost trying to get our attention. Laughingly she said ""We see that you are here and recognize your presence."" After that the light did not go on again. This was something that we both found interesting, it's like she acknowledged whatever was going on and it was happy to be acknowledged it. The night was uneventful after that but it was the topic of conversation for the next few days, even though we had bonfires after that, we didn't experience that situation for any of those other bonfires. The other thing we enjoyed tremendously was going to Ren Fest. It was hot and humid that day but we both dressed as different Steam Punk characters. There were so many different things to look at and enjoy, we got to experience the fire whip, the jousting and the comedy troop. We spent hours just going through the different shops, enjoying the wares that were sold. And the food, don't get me going on the turkey legs, we spent so much time stuffing our faces with the different specialty foods that when we came home we both joked we would need too go on a diet. The sights, sounds and flavors that assaulted our senses were something that I will never forget." +"Two weeks ago, I met a friend online for the first time. We decided to go on a vacation together. We did a lot of exciting things together. We went ren fest, rock hounding, dave and busters, and had some bonfires. This was a great time. I had the best time at dave and busters. We got lunch at first. I got a big burger to eat. She got a salad. I had some beers. She was the driver that night. We then played some arcade games. I played the basketball game. I almost got the high score. I then played some ski ball. I had a blast getting some 100 point rounds. It was a great day that day and hope to have many more." +"I invited all my friends and family for a pool party on the fourth of July. We had just bought and set up a pool. And we also bought some yard games. Then we went and bought lots of the usual cookout foods. And also bought a keg and some alcohol. Everyone showed up that we had invited. I was all dressed up and acted as the hostess. It was a lot of fun. People ate and played games all afternoon. It was one of the best days of the summer for me. People even brought their dogs so they all could play together in our dog pen. It was stressful setting up but after that it was a fun and relaxing way to spend the holiday. I liked it much more than I do when we go out on the Fourth. I would like to do it again next year. And maybe just make it more like a potluck, rather than us worrying about all the food." +"I invited all my friends and family for a pool party on the fourth of July. We had just bought and set up a pool. And we also bought some yard games. Then we went and bought lots of the usual cookout foods. And also bought a keg and some alcohol. Everyone showed up that we had invited. I was all dressed up and acted as the hostess. It was a lot of fun. People ate and played games all afternoon. It was one of the best days of the summer for me. People even brought their dogs so they all could play together in our dog pen. It was stressful setting up but after that it was a fun and relaxing way to spend the holiday. I liked it much more than I do when we go out on the Fourth. I would like to do it again next year. And maybe just make it more like a potluck, rather than us worrying about all the food." +"These past few months have really taught me a lot. Of course, the time I spent looking for a job was stressful. There were times when I thought that I would never find another job and that I would end up living on the street. I thought this even though I knew that I could survive off of my savings for a few months and that I had marketable skills. Still, it was a stressful time. There were times when I thought that I should have just stayed with the soul-sucking miserable job that paid well. More importantly though, I realized that life is too short to stay in a job just because it pays well. I know that some people need to stay in miserable jobs because they have no other choice but I am talking about a different situation. For me, everybody said that my first year associate position at a Big Law firm was what everybody is supposed to want and that it would be the ticket to happiness. I was made to feel that walking away from the job that had me working 65 hours/week, waking up stressed, not seeing family and friends and losing myself was what I was supposed to do. I felt like I would have thrown my education away if I quit. I now have a job that I love. While I make a bit less money, I am able to achieve the perverbial work-life balance. I worl 40 hours//week and really like my co-workers. Also, I am given substantially more responsibility in this job so I think that I will grow more professionally. I do not regret my decision in the least. I realized that I need to live my life for me - not for others." +"These past few months have really taught me a lot. Of course, the time I spent looking for a job was stressful. There were times when I thought that I would never find another job and that I would end up living on the street. I thought this even though I knew that I could survive off of my savings for a few months and that I had marketable skills. Still, it was a stressful time. There were times when I thought that I should have just stayed with the soul-sucking miserable job that paid well. More importantly though, I realized that life is too short to stay in a job just because it pays well. I know that some people need to stay in miserable jobs because they have no other choice but I am talking about a different situation. For me, everybody said that my first year associate position at a Big Law firm was what everybody is supposed to want and that it would be the ticket to happiness. I was made to feel that walking away from the job that had me working 65 hours/week, waking up stressed, not seeing family and friends and losing myself was what I was supposed to do. I felt like I would have thrown my education away if I quit. I now have a job that I love. While I make a bit less money, I am able to achieve the perverbial work-life balance. I worl 40 hours//week and really like my co-workers. Also, I am given substantially more responsibility in this job so I think that I will grow more professionally. I do not regret my decision in the least. I realized that I need to live my life for me - not for others." +i remember the day my 2nd son was born. it was a stressful situation my wife had to go to the hospital immediately from her routine dr appointment. her blood pressure had spiked and they were worried about the baby. she unfortunately had to get induced again which she did not want to happen. our 2nd son was born 10 days early but it was a long 2 day process. they were worried she was going to be preeclampsia. they started her on medication to help dilate. that was a long 12 hour process. once things got moving though things were moving. even though she was induced for 34 hours she only pushed 4 times and he was finally here. he was perfect and healthy and my wife was happy and healthy and doing good. she was a champ. the next day we got to introduce our 1st son to our new son. it was the most precious and lovable moment i will never forget. his face and his face towards my wife. it was the best. +"Three months ago, my second baby boy was brought into this world. My mother cried about having another grandson. My father wept about how the baby has her mother's eyes. I introduced the child to his older brother. The older brother gave a big smile and patted the baby on the head. It will be hard sharing a room with the younger brother. The older brother will get used to it. He will have to defend the little brother now. The little one looked nice in his new baby outfit. It was a blue shirt and green pants. It looked great. There wasn't a tear on the outfit. The youngest one did puke at the first taste of baby food. He cried for a bit. He got over it. He will have a happy life." +"Last weekend I went shopping with my niece. I had a great day with her as usual . We went out shopping at some different stores around the mall. Then we drove to a town nearby. There was a new ice cream shop there. She was dying to try it out. The most exciting part of the day was that we were able to get discounts at multiple shops. People just loved how cute my niece was! We also stopped at the pet store, and looked around. I have done this a few times with her and it's always a lot of fun and a good time. I enjoyed this diary entry, I like looking back on days I've spent. I can't wait to spend more time with her in the future! We always have a good time. SHe is such a funny, bright child. She spreads joy wherever she goes. It really was a wonderful day." +"Last weekend I went shopping with my niece. I had a great day with her as usual . We went out shopping at some different stores around the mall. Then we drove to a town nearby. There was a new ice cream shop there. She was dying to try it out. The most exciting part of the day was that we were able to get discounts at multiple shops. People just loved how cute my niece was! We also stopped at the pet store, and looked around. I have done this a few times with her and it's always a lot of fun and a good time. I enjoyed this diary entry, I like looking back on days I've spent. I can't wait to spend more time with her in the future! We always have a good time. SHe is such a funny, bright child. She spreads joy wherever she goes. It really was a wonderful day." +"My landlord decided to sell her house! I can't believe it. Where would I go if she sells the house? I would have nowhere to go. This wouldn't do. This wouldn't do at all. I tried to persuade her. To keep the house. After all, it's a great house. Why would she even sell it. That's not a good idea at all. If she sells it I would have nowhere to go. In the end, I didn't manage to persuade her and she sold the house anyways. That was a horrible way for me to get kicked out of the place I was living at, but in the end I managed to find another place, even though I didn't like it as much. Oh well, at least I have a place to live at now. It's not so bad." +"My landlord decided to sell her house! I can't believe it. Where would I go if she sells the house? I would have nowhere to go. This wouldn't do. This wouldn't do at all. I tried to persuade her. To keep the house. After all, it's a great house. Why would she even sell it. That's not a good idea at all. If she sells it I would have nowhere to go. In the end, I didn't manage to persuade her and she sold the house anyways. That was a horrible way for me to get kicked out of the place I was living at, but in the end I managed to find another place, even though I didn't like it as much. Oh well, at least I have a place to live at now. It's not so bad." +"This is the summary of my work experience as a fresher in a production company. Here I joined as an Junior Engineer, where all they were seniors presented there, by age and also by their work experience. It was very difficult to mingle with them, I tried a lot and respected them for their seniority. But no one looks back to me. It was the most painful situation. For any of the doubts, it was being to solve it by myself. I felt very guilty to talk any one in this company. One day there was a biggest problem came to me which was created by my seniors, to check the eligibility of my working capacity of my knowledge. They were eagerly waiting me to get out of this company. At that time. I took a courage situation to overcome all the obstacles in that place. So I put my complete effort to win this challenge. I referred many of my college professors for theory doubts that helps me in many ways to win this challenge and finally I made it. This is the first and best success in my life to lead me in a good and right way. This is not only a success of my effort, this helps me in promoting to the higher rank and position in my same workplace company." +"When I was in my workplace, there is no one to teach me how to overcome such problems in my company. This is the most challenging obstacle for me in that situation. But, I tried myself with the help of my college professors and my friends. And I stood against all my seniors in that challenging obstacle. That was the first experience to face a problem in my work place and finally I came to an solution to solve such kind of problems. Although at the time, my company CEO call me upon for a meeting which is an important meeting to discuss about the new products and signing an agreement of a company. This becomes my greatest achievement because of my hard work from my own capability do anything that a fresher can! I proved this and hence I'm the very younger person came to attend this meeting. In life, a person has to learn that he/she must be ready to do anything that is difficult in today's society, also should know that no one will help them for anything that they know even it is very simple to solve. The world is full of jealous about other peoples what they are doing in their life. As I learnt was to struggle in the bad situations to achieve the things to be better than the worse. After this incident my seniors of the company appreciate for my effort without knowledge of them and achieved a great success in my life. This is my most memorable, sweetest memory that happened before 2 months. Also I will never forget this memory till the rest of my life. So, if we don't have a place to learn, we should make a place to learn. This is the good time by this task I can recall many things that helps me to be in greater success." +"Two months ago I was able to attend my big sisters wedding. I'm not the kind of person that likes big events, and usually avoid large crowds. For my sister, I was more than willing to put aside my own anxiety. My sister is a very special person to me. I was always close to her, and being able to see her that happy made me feel full of joy. Unfortunately, the wedding didn't go off without a hitch. There was one embarrassing moment when the ring boy was walking down the aisle. I felt so bed for him because he turned to smile as he walked by his mom and tripped over his own feet. He went down pretty hard and then there was a scramble to find the ring. My sister, being the gentle and caring person she is, went up to the boy and told his it was alright. The rest of the wedding went smoothly. There were a lot of tears, and even more smiles. Seeing my sister say ""I do"" was a very memorable moment to me. She looked so happy in that moment. I felt a little sad, knowing that my sister would be around less, but that was quickly replaced by my elation." +"My brother's wedding was almost a year ago in September. He got married for the first time at 48 years old. My brother is mentally ill and suffers from Schizo Effective disorder. Only two years before he was almost living on the street. The event of his wedding meant so much to the entire family. The fact that he overcame his obstacles, was taking medication regularly and met and was marrying a wonderful woman was cause of celebration for all of us. I felt so honored to be there and to be the one who put his boutineer on. My daughter was also one of the flower girls even though she was fourteen at the time. She and the bride's niece were together wearing matching blue maxi dresses and headpieces of baby's breath that made them look like angels. My daughter was suffering from OSFED (otherwise specified eating disorder) at the time and was struggling that day. It was still a wonderful day. Both my brother and his bride are devout Catholics and had a full mass. I haven't been at a mass for a long time because I left the Catholic Church when I was 18. However, the mass was beautiful. Despite it's length, it was still wonderful. Afterward, a friend of my brother's lent him the use of his large house for the reception. It was a potluck reception and very simple but also very nice." +"I have decided along with my husband that it is time for a new start in a fresh area. We have travelled a lot of the country and would really love to retire to Hawaii. We have visited there many times and now that we do not have to stick to a schedule, it seems like the perfect time to find a permanent home there. We have friends that retired to the Big Island, but I think we would like Maui a lot better. It is very easy to get to all the different islands. I also know I would be able to see many of my friends that are still in the Army if they are coming through Oahu. My husband will be working for a little longer but he can work remotely. We have enough saved up in our travel fund that we can fly to Maui a few times to find a place to live. And whatever is leftover we can use toward our down payment. We are hoping to find something with a detached guest room area so that people can come and visit easily. It will also be really convenient to be closer to Asia so that we can do more traveling Being in the Army has offered a lot of opportunity and changes but I am very exciting to be able to be on my own schedule and devote more time to my personal hobbies. I am also excited to be able to grow more fruits and vegetables in a more tropical climate, and with more time to devote to the garden. It will be hard to say goodbye to the lifestyle that I known for so long, but so exciting for the next chapter in my life. I am glad to not have to use an alarm clock to wake up anymore! And I am so thankful that we have saved enough money to retire early and have the opportunities before us." +"Today I was home cooking supper when Mark surprised me with a new red Hyundai Santa Fe, I am so excited. We've been talking for over a year about getting a new car, he knew I wanted another Hyundai and this time I wanted a crossover. He even got red, my favorite color. The interior is beige fabric, I like fabric seats rather than leather, it has a backup camera, a great sound system, and I am able to connect my phone with bluetooth. The first thing I did was to connect my phone and drive up the road and call my husband using the buttons on the steering wheel. I've never had a brand new car so this is so exciting for me. It is going to take a little while to get used to such a big vehicle, and use the back up camera but I already love this car and feel that its comfortable to drive. It has everything that I want without overdoing the extras. I'm so happy. It will also be great for when my daughter comes to visit, it has a lot more room for her 2 boys, and it will be much easier getting them in and out, and plenty of space for all of the extra that you need when traveling with little ones. I no longer have to worry about space when I go grocery shopping and its not so big that my mother cannot get in and out when I pick her up. I know how Mark is and I'm sure he cannot wait to go over every little thing in the manual. I hope he doesn't start tearing into the engine, I'll have to remind him that it's a new car and he doesn't have to rebuild it. Well its starting to look like the Huyndai is now our brand, it's our third one and Kevin recently bought a new Huyndai as well. I can't wait for tomorrow, we're going on a little road trip to give it a good work out and see how she runs." +"Two weeks ago, I found the best man in my life. I always thought that it would be some good looking investment banker that recently realized that he loved men and not women. I know that feeling of being confused with my sexuality. I spent my whole childhood wondering if anyone else had these feelings. I thought that this man would be new to my life and I would love him more than anything I had ever known, but the truth is that this man was in my life since I was born. My father did not take my coming out very well. He was confused and that confusion turned into anger. My father wanted to know how I could do something like this that would embarrass the family. He was caught up in what I had to deal with my whole childhood, which was wondering how my life decisions would effect everyone else. Since my fathers blow up, I have been talking to my mother in order to try and not lose any relationship we ever had. My mother has been wonderful throughout this process and believes that who I want to spend my life with, has no barring on who I am as a person. She has helped my father see the light and I am forever in her debt. Two weeks ago I got a phone call from someone who I was not sure that I would ever speak with again. It was my father. He wanted to come by my house and talk. He wanted to let me know that no matter what I did in life, he would always love me and support me. He apologized for the way he initially handled everything. I finally met the best man in the world." +"Two weeks ago, I found the best man in my life. I always thought that it would be some good looking investment banker that recently realized that he loved men and not women. I know that feeling of being confused with my sexuality. I spent my whole childhood wondering if anyone else had these feelings. I thought that this man would be new to my life and I would love him more than anything I had ever known, but the truth is that this man was in my life since I was born. My father did not take my coming out very well. He was confused and that confusion turned into anger. My father wanted to know how I could do something like this that would embarrass the family. He was caught up in what I had to deal with my whole childhood, which was wondering how my life decisions would effect everyone else. Since my fathers blow up, I have been talking to my mother in order to try and not lose any relationship we ever had. My mother has been wonderful throughout this process and believes that who I want to spend my life with, has no barring on who I am as a person. She has helped my father see the light and I am forever in her debt. Two weeks ago I got a phone call from someone who I was not sure that I would ever speak with again. It was my father. He wanted to come by my house and talk. He wanted to let me know that no matter what I did in life, he would always love me and support me. He apologized for the way he initially handled everything. I finally met the best man in the world." +"Two weeks ago, I found the best man in my life. I always thought that it would be some good looking investment banker that recently realized that he loved men and not women. I know that feeling of being confused with my sexuality. I spent my whole childhood wondering if anyone else had these feelings. I thought that this man would be new to my life and I would love him more than anything I had ever known, but the truth is that this man was in my life since I was born. My father did not take my coming out very well. He was confused and that confusion turned into anger. My father wanted to know how I could do something like this that would embarrass the family. He was caught up in what I had to deal with my whole childhood, which was wondering how my life decisions would effect everyone else. Since my fathers blow up, I have been talking to my mother in order to try and not lose any relationship we ever had. My mother has been wonderful throughout this process and believes that who I want to spend my life with, has no barring on who I am as a person. She has helped my father see the light and I am forever in her debt. Two weeks ago I got a phone call from someone who I was not sure that I would ever speak with again. It was my father. He wanted to come by my house and talk. He wanted to let me know that no matter what I did in life, he would always love me and support me. He apologized for the way he initially handled everything. I finally met the best man in the world." +"So, wow... I went to my high school reunion! I can't believe I actually did it! And that it was so much fun... When I got the invite months ago, my first reaction was ""Naahhh, not going..."" But then I started thinking about it and felt a bit like a coward not wanting to even take the small risk of spending an uninteresting evening. So I decided I would go. When I showed up there, the first thing that struck me was how little the school had changed. It was a bit like a time warp actually. There were some small things that were more current, but mostly, the place was still very much the same, with the same vibe. Then there were the people. And that's when I could see time had passed, although more for some than others. I had wondered whether or not it would be an occasion to talk to people I didn't use to be close to. You know, like, now we're all adults and we've changed so we're more open to other things and it's easy to reach out to someone and just get to know them - more than back then. But actually, no. The groups reformed almost immediately as they were back then. And I suppose it's normal. When I got there, my old friends had pretty much all arrived and were in a corner, chatting very happily. They spotted me and called to me and that was it. Back to the good old times. It was so much fun to see them again. Most of them I had totally lost track of, although I'm still in touch with two of them. So there was a lot of catching up. But also a lot of reminiscing. And the result was completely seamless and very lighthearted and breezy. Time flew by. And then it was 2 AM and we were the last crew standing and they had to kick us out. And because that's what we are/were, we moved our little party to the lawn in front of the school and we kept on partying for another hour and a half." +I really enjoyed seeing everyone at the high school reunion. It is a time to catch up with everyone and it makes you feel like no time has passed and you are back in with everyone. I love seeing everyone. It lets you get out of the day to day grind and just enjoy everything for a while. There are people like myself that have moved away so when we get together it always brings us closer together again. I like that because I get to go home back to New York and see everything I grew up with. Being in Florida is much different so I am glad that we have these get togethers. Plus I have time away from my kids and get to be with other adults. Being with old friends bring old memories back and lets you live in the easy going times of your life. I think that everyone should experience that. Because everyone should be able to go back to their happy place. Who wouldn't want to go back to their youth? Who wouldn't want to be carefree if just for a little while? I love to go back home even for a day or two just to see how the area is. I know others love to do that too. It is so fun to do. +"Two months ago we took a family beach vacation for about a week. We were in Florida, the sun shining above us, the heat of the sun on our backs. It was beautiful. We had a free week of any work and school for the kids between the 16 and 23 of July, and it was an amazing opportunity we couldn't pass up. Our kids were distracted by the sand and the water. Me and my husband were calm and relieved for the first time in God knows how long. We actually enjoyed ourselves. I remember my daughter found a full sand dollar and showed it off to us, and I was shocked. I had never seen a complete one in my life, only pieces. My husband pretended to care, but I knew he was dozing off on his fold out chair while trying to maintain a conversation with out excited daughter. I held up the conversation for him, sparing him it. He deserved to rest. This year had been incredibly busy for him, and he just needed a break. I for one had fun playing with the kids in the water. I was really in touch with my inner child on that vacation." +"My husband and I attended a swinging party in a nearby town. It was held in a hotel that we were able to get rooms in. The party would take place downstairs in the conference room. We had spent quite some time getting ready for the costume themed party and took some pictures. When we got downstairs, we were surprised by how crowded it was. They had a black light and other disco lights going and the music was loud. We chose a table in the middle and as soon as we sat down, we had another couple approach us. This was our first couple since the big blowup earlier in our swinging history. The other couple seemed very nice and clean cut and both members were attractive. We thought we were getting along well, but we had to run to our room for a minute to freshen up and when we came back out and was waiting for the elevator, we saw the woman who we were speaking to rushing out with her luggage and crying. This was right after we were all at the table together talking well so we were surprised when she would not get on the elevator with us or speak to us. We thought to ourselves, uh oh, they can't handle our sauce! One of our biggest issues was finding couples that were on the same page in their relationship but obviously this was not it! She apparently had some unresolved jealousy going on that she was not honest about. The husband seemed oblivious to all this so we concluded that he had talked her into going. I do not think that she was fully involved in that decision and was just going along to please her husband." +"My husband and I decided we needed to spice up our sex life. We had already explored options such as toys, role play, and locations. We wanted to revisit the subject of swinging since we had enjoyed it so much previously. The reason we stopped it in the past was due to a huge fight we had one night with a couple we were swinging with. It almost escalated to police being called and their were some punches being thrown. It was very emotional and I thought our marriage was broken after that night. It took a lot of work, but we got back on track and stopped swinging. We had been happy for several years without swinging, but did miss it. We recently decided due to our emotional maturity that we wanted to get back into the swinging lifestyle. We booked ourselves for the next party on a swinging site we are a member of and hoped it would go well and be a much better experience than when we left before. We got to the hotel that was hosting the party and got ourselves checked in and started to get ready in our hotel room by dressing up in our costumes. The party had a theme so we had purchased outfits accordingly. We were finally ready and went down to the party. We walked in and was very nervous that it would end like last time. This visit was a whole new vibe though. Everyone was very friendly and we were like social butterflies talking to all the other couples. By the time the party was over, we felt like it could go on all night as we were having such a grand time. We left this party with smiles on our face and satisfaction in our heart. We enjoyed it so much we have decided to go to every party they host (they have one once a month)." +"Four weeks ago I was travelling to another city for a convention. It was about a two hour long trip and I was just thinking about ways to pass the time. I ended up making the trip with another colleague of mine so we could chat on the way. When it came to the day we got in the car and left. When we almost were at the city we saw a big accident. An 18 wheeler had gone under a bridge and gotten stuck! I was very surprised to see this as those bridges/tunnels are usually clearly marked. The road under the bridge had narrowed to one lane. Traffic was being directed through it by police. II assume they were trying to get the truck unstuck from the bridge overhead but I'm not sure how they would've accomplished that. Two days later, when we were making our trip back home the truck was gone. The road was back to being two lanes like nothing had ever happened. It was an interesting experience. Me and my colleague chatted about it a bit on the way back. We were both surprised to see it in the first place. We told work about it the next week when we got back. I hope to not see an accident like that if I ever have to go that way again." +Within the past six months I took a couple of large steps towards adulthood. The first thing I did was being able to work online and get paid on Amazon Mechanical Turk . Which is hard to get approved. But once I did I started working hard till this day. It was a big step for me because I have extreme Anxiety and health problems. Which is very difficult to get a job. Being able to earn money has had a large impact on my daily life. Ive been able to finally pay my share and help out my parents. They gave me a lot of support financially and emotional. It felt really good to be able to helped them out. I The second step I took was finally open a bank account. Which was important because without it I wouldn't be able to transfer money I earned from Amazon Mechanical Turk. It was really difficult for me because I get really bad panic attacks. I have to listen to relaxing music to calm my nerves like of monsters and men whenever I am in a vehicle. But I managed to get it done without a sever panic attack. With those two steps I took I might be able to finally overcome my anxiety and start living a normal life. +"My eldest child went to kindergarten for the first time on August 12th. We had been leading up to this event for a long time. She became very nervous. At night she would tell me that she didn't want to go to kindergarten. I think her nervousness came from our nervousness. She is our first born, and this was a monumental event in her life. She had gone to preschool, but this felt very different. We tried to do things to make her more excited. we took her shopping for back-to-school clothes. She did get a little excited about that. We also had an informal event at the school, so she got a chance to look at the school and the things in the classroom. I made sure to take the day off, so that I could help take her to school and be there when she got home. we got to the classroom, and she found it in and seemed to be having a great time. Before we even got to the school, we took a lot of pictures of her. We took pictures of her on our porch, and pictures of her in front of the school. It was very moving to see her so grown up and ready to go to school. After school that day, she came home. She came through the door and threw her arms up in the air and told us that she loved kindergarten. It was so relieving to know that she had had a good time. In some ways it was more moving hearing how excited she was about the day, then it had been watching her leave to go to kindergarten. In either event, it was a very moving day for me and my wife." +"My grandfather, about six months ago, went into the hospital. It was very traumatic at the time for me. I have been his caretaker for a few years, but his behavior started to change. He didn't know who I was, couldn't swallow, it was scary. I took him to the hospital and they admitted him after a long wait. He was up and down for about a week. They doctors at first could not figure out what was wrong. They first thought he needed a pacemaker, then his vitals began crashing and they thought he had a stroke. We were lucky that it turned out that one of his medications were causing issues. Once they stopped it, he began to improve. I was at his side at every moment, communicating with family and being his advocate when he couldn't communicate. I helped feed him and move him around. It was extremely daunting. Up at about 6AM every morning, go to the hospital and just wait. Then go home around 8PM, hoping he would be with us the next day. He was in and out of many different wards, including the CCU. In the end, we were lucky that it was just one of his medications and he is actually better than he was before the incident, and they found another, unknown condition he had that we weren't aware of, so that is now under control as well." +"Now that the emergency is over I can finally write about it. It seems like ages since I've been able to write anything but it's only been a few short months since the surgery to remove my spleen. Through it all I have the love of my life, my darling Charlene, to thank for her care and understanding. If you've never experienced what I have you probably won't understand but she was there when it happened, she was the one who insisted that I go to the hospital and it was her who cared enough to stay by my side night after night when things took a turn for the worse. It wasn't the surgery that laid me up but the complications caused by a negligent hospital staff and it was Charlene who rode their tails and saw to it that I received the follow up care I needed when things went side ways. So there I was, sitting on the sofa with my girl. We watching a movie on Netflix. I felt a stabbing pain in my back. Then I blacked out but it felt like I had just nodded off for a second. I woke up when Charlene started shaking me. She was upset. She knew before I did that things weren't right and before I could stop her she was already on the phone talking to my doctor. Next thing I know I'm in an ambulance racing through traffic with sirens blasting and lights flashing. They took me straight into the operating room and I woke up a few hours later with a 9 inch incision on my side where my spleen should have been. The first sign that something wasn't right was when I started trembling. I thought it was just a chill but Charlene knew better. Turns out she knew better than all the nurses and doctors because what mhad been written off as a minor infection turned out to be meningitis without Charlene's insisting on the hospital doing further tests I wouldn't be here today. Thank you Charlene. I love, love, love you!!" +"Now that the emergency is over I can finally write about it. It seems like ages since I've been able to write anything but it's only been a few short months since the surgery to remove my spleen. Through it all I have the love of my life, my darling Charlene, to thank for her care and understanding. If you've never experienced what I have you probably won't understand but she was there when it happened, she was the one who insisted that I go to the hospital and it was her who cared enough to stay by my side night after night when things took a turn for the worse. It wasn't the surgery that laid me up but the complications caused by a negligent hospital staff and it was Charlene who rode their tails and saw to it that I received the follow up care I needed when things went side ways. So there I was, sitting on the sofa with my girl. We watching a movie on Netflix. I felt a stabbing pain in my back. Then I blacked out but it felt like I had just nodded off for a second. I woke up when Charlene started shaking me. She was upset. She knew before I did that things weren't right and before I could stop her she was already on the phone talking to my doctor. Next thing I know I'm in an ambulance racing through traffic with sirens blasting and lights flashing. They took me straight into the operating room and I woke up a few hours later with a 9 inch incision on my side where my spleen should have been. The first sign that something wasn't right was when I started trembling. I thought it was just a chill but Charlene knew better. Turns out she knew better than all the nurses and doctors because what mhad been written off as a minor infection turned out to be meningitis without Charlene's insisting on the hospital doing further tests I wouldn't be here today. Thank you Charlene. I love, love, love you!!" +"Honestly, one of the most memorable events in my life recently was the day of my wedding. This was nearly 4 months ago, and is still pretty fresh in my mind. It was a pretty good day, which started bright and early at 7 am for me and my friends. I had to get to the hair salon at 8am to get ready for hair and makeup. My friends were all tired, and I was as well. Mostly because I was super anxious and ready to get married finally. But it all went smoothly, and we were done in about 3 hours. We still had time to kill, so we went to grab lunch nearby. Then shortly after that we got ready to head to the church to finish getting ready for the wedding. Now that part was chaotic. My dad lost or misplaced parts of his suit rental. And, my dress which had fit previously the week before, was not closing up properly. Go figure, I ended up having to be sewed into my dress. Then it came time to get married finally. And all of the stress and anxiety went away the moment I saw my husband finally. It went very smoothly, even though our friend dropped our wedding rings. We said our vows and all that. And then after the ceremony was over we headed to the after party. There are alot of cherished memories that come along with that day. And, I'll never forget it." +I was recently talking to my neighbor. I haven't talked to him in a little while. In doing so I came to find out that we was renovating the house next door. Turns out he was asked to gut the house and pull out all the walls. I had told him that I was in the process of re-doing my kitchen. In the kitchen of the house he was renovating was a newer style stove. It was considerably better than the original stove that was in my house and he offered for me to have it. I was very thankful and appreciative of him letting me have it. The timing of the event couldn't have been better. I gave him some advice on some projects he was thinking of doing at his house. When I completed my project I invited them over to come see how it turned out. I also showed him the new stove and thanked him again. It has been a nice addition to my house. When I see it I am glad. It saved me a good amount of money and looks very nice. +"One day in late June the gas company rang my doorbell. ""There is a slight gas leak under the sidewalk in front of your property,"" he said. ""We discovered it May 31st. A crew will come do the repair around July 15th."" My eyebrow went up. He saw it, and added, ""it's a very, very small leak, so it's ok to wait. We use a machine that can detect parts per million. Yours is something like 5 parts per million."" Should I trust them? This gas company was the one responsible for the San Bruno explosion in 2010, and also the Northern California wildfires last year. This company is bankrupt and owes something like $20 billion. Maybe they are being more proactive now in looking for leaks to avoid more lawsuits. But should I trust them? What option do I have? I'm no expert. July 15th was a long time to wait. Would I get blown up if Fourth Of July fireworks set off the gas? No, no, he assured me. This guy seemed to know what he was doing. Ok, I'll wait. The following week the little colored flags were planted to mark the gas lines, electric lines, phone lines, cable TV line, and water pipe, very colorful to match the American flags on Independence Day. Tick tock. Tick tock. Nerves were just beneath the surface. Finally the day came, and they showed up in force with several huge trucks with digging equipment. It took them from 8:30 am till 8 pm to plug the leak. Sigh of relief all around." +"One day in late June the gas company rang my doorbell. ""There is a slight gas leak under the sidewalk in front of your property,"" he said. ""We discovered it May 31st. A crew will come do the repair around July 15th."" My eyebrow went up. He saw it, and added, ""it's a very, very small leak, so it's ok to wait. We use a machine that can detect parts per million. Yours is something like 5 parts per million."" Should I trust them? This gas company was the one responsible for the San Bruno explosion in 2010, and also the Northern California wildfires last year. This company is bankrupt and owes something like $20 billion. Maybe they are being more proactive now in looking for leaks to avoid more lawsuits. But should I trust them? What option do I have? I'm no expert. July 15th was a long time to wait. Would I get blown up if Fourth Of July fireworks set off the gas? No, no, he assured me. This guy seemed to know what he was doing. Ok, I'll wait. The following week the little colored flags were planted to mark the gas lines, electric lines, phone lines, cable TV line, and water pipe, very colorful to match the American flags on Independence Day. Tick tock. Tick tock. Nerves were just beneath the surface. Finally the day came, and they showed up in force with several huge trucks with digging equipment. It took them from 8:30 am till 8 pm to plug the leak. Sigh of relief all around." +"I woke up one morning and my dog's hind legs were shaking. She was having trouble walking. Just yesterday she had seemed just fine. I immediately called our normal vet, who luckily had time to see my precious dog that very same day. I rushed her over to the vet. At first she thought it could be a pinched nerve or even simple dehydration. But she ordered an x-ray and my worst fears came true. My beautiful, loving, caring, spirited, wonderful, amazing dog had cancer. She had not one but three tumors on her spinal cord. The vet advised us that even with surgery, cancer in this location, these size tumors and multiple tumors had a very poor prognosis. Since my dog is twelve, my vet did not think we should operate. I made the painful choice not to do the surgery. I took my dog home and for the next week we pampered her, showered her with love and affection and gave her the best week of her life. After the week was over, we called a different vet, one that does house calls, because I wanted my dog to be put to sleep at home where she was comfortable. The vet came over and, surrounded by family, my companion for the past twelve years was put to sleep. I will never forget my precious dog, and I still miss her every day, but I keep on moving because I know that life and death are intertwined and it's something we all have to deal with and accept." +"Dear Diary,I've had it with Jason not willing to commit. He is able to commit to other things such as his friends and his career but when it comes to me it's crickets. Understand this, if things dont change I will have to change them. I am a young beautiful woman that deserves a man that is willing to build with me. I cannot stop my life for someone that is always doing what he wants to do. Here is going to be my way of doing things. I am going to slowly withdraw myself from the relationship. I am going to put a wedge between me and them. I am sure that he waill get the message. I cannot keep going through this. It is making me look weak. I know that I am patient because we have been together for five years. However, it should not be something that I invoke in order to get done. It should be something that he feels and believes he should do. If he feel like he needs to take a dump, he aligns himself to a toilet because he values body health. In like manner he should see value right before him." +Dear diary I just broke up with my boyfriend for about 10 years. i was so heated when he said he was over the ida of marriage. i know it was just him being a flippin follower and not a leader and just listening to what the news or his friends are telling him. He is such a thing from a different planet sometimes. I just want him to step up. Hopefully this breakup will make him wake up that he is losing out on life. I hold the key to life in between my legs. He is the only one I am willing to suffer to bring a child into this life for. As he looks on as a spectator I am going through the fight of my life he is ready. Right now though i am sick of him. I miss him. I am sick of though. I know I am making the right decision. He has to see what life could be without me. If he want s to make it work he has to see that I am more than just some hang around girlfriend. Search instead for Dear diary I just broke up with my boyfriend for about 10 years. i was so heated when he said he was over the ida of marriage. i know it was just him being a flippin follower and not a leader and just listening to what the news or his freidns are telling him. He is such a thing from a different planet sometimes. I just want him to step up. Hopefully this breakup will make him wake up that he is losing out on life. I hold the key to life in between my legs. +"Recently my father and I went shark fishing in the Atlantic ocean. We took off from the port of savannah early in the morning. I was very excited, because I really enjoy fishing, especially with my dad. It was also the first time in several year that we found time to go and the weather cooperated. At first, the fishing was rather slow. We were able to get plenty of bait fish, but no sharks were biting. After about an hour, this changed. Tarpon started swimming all around the boat, and I got very excited. We quickly reeled in all the rods to switch lures to catch these tarpon. About one minute after we casted back out, a tarpon bit the lure and took off. The rod was bent all the way down into the water and the guide grabbed the rod. He set the hook, then passed the rod of to me. Then, another rod bent all the way down. Another fish was on! The guide grabbed that pole and handed it to my dad. I was busy fighting the tarpon, and he was fighting his. After about 10 minutes, the tarpon on my line jumped in the air and snapped the line. I was disappointed, but still excited because I had a lot of fun fighting the fish. I looked over at my dad, and he was still fighting his fish. After several more minutes, we saw it break the surface. It was an 8 foot bull shark! The shark was half the length of the boat! We were very surprised to have caught such a big shark. We took pictures with it, then cut the line and let it swim away. It was a very exciting moment." +"I went to pick up my scarf after the state fair ended and a number of people were drawn to the colors and pattern of my scarf. I received many compliments and it really felt good, especially after all the hard work I had put into it. I actually took quite a bit of time finishing the scarf as I did weaving it. I even looked through books for a different way to do the ends, i did not want fringe on the ends. So, I found an old book and found a very interesting way of tying knots to finish the ends. There was a comment on the paper that came with my ribbon, strengths and weaknesses of my project. They were not enthuisatic about my ends, but I am fine with the way I choose. It is extremely different and was difficult to learn, which increased my self esteem and was more encouraging. I often look at my scarf and know I have a lot of potential and talent in me for weaving. I'ts interesting to think about why it took decades for me to intersect with a way to learn how to weave, when I had been wanting to for decades. Of course the internet did not exist in the 1970's. I am not a big fan of all this high tech in life. But I will say the internet is a blessing for every person on this planet that has access. No matter where you are, you can type something you want to learn about, and up it pops. People from all over the globe have uploaded their skills and instructions for doing everything! It's absolutely amazing." +"I went to pick up my scarf after the state fair ended and a number of people were drawn to the colors and pattern of my scarf. I received many compliments and it really felt good, especially after all the hard work I had put into it. I actually took quite a bit of time finishing the scarf as I did weaving it. I even looked through books for a different way to do the ends, i did not want fringe on the ends. So, I found an old book and found a very interesting way of tying knots to finish the ends. There was a comment on the paper that came with my ribbon, strengths and weaknesses of my project. They were not enthuisatic about my ends, but I am fine with the way I choose. It is extremely different and was difficult to learn, which increased my self esteem and was more encouraging. I often look at my scarf and know I have a lot of potential and talent in me for weaving. I'ts interesting to think about why it took decades for me to intersect with a way to learn how to weave, when I had been wanting to for decades. Of course the internet did not exist in the 1970's. I am not a big fan of all this high tech in life. But I will say the internet is a blessing for every person on this planet that has access. No matter where you are, you can type something you want to learn about, and up it pops. People from all over the globe have uploaded their skills and instructions for doing everything! It's absolutely amazing." +Today I had to quit working my job that I have had for 21 years. I can not carry-on working with my bad hip. Can no longer carry out my duties at work . which leaves me no choice but to quit and work from home hopefully. I am so upset that I cannot get around like I used to. I am a creature of habit and this will make me change so many things in my life. I am not sure I can come back from this situation . I will have to try and get myself back in shape so I can at least take Sheryl out on the weekends to shop and do weekend get togethers. I can't sleep at night thinking about it. I have never been so depressed and lonely in my life. Things' must get better or I will go crazy. I must get better. I must find some other kind of work. I must do the work from home. I hope my wife will still love me. Life is a crape shoot. You never know what is going to happen. +"It is always a good idea as parents to take kids to school. This is one of the tasks that a parent may fail and the kids can hate you forever. I took Junior to school at an earlier age as parent. All i had in mind was to make my a responsible mom and make his good life. The efforts of my past came to conclusion like two months ago. After Junior being in school for 16 years , he finally completed his first degree. This was a day for me to remember since every body was eager for it. I woke up as normal and prepared everything in the house as normal and waited for the rest of the family to wake up. Junior was the first one and he went all the house reminding everybody what it was. We left the house for Harvard where the graduation will take place and everybody was happy about it. At school he introduced as to most of his friend he has pushed with. surprisingly he introduced his girlfriend. everything in school was going as planned. The ceremony took off well i was impressed by the fact that he topped everything in his class. We were all happy to see him receive the first class honors. We all arranged an after party which was well spent." +"It is always a good idea as parents to take kids to school. This is one of the tasks that a parent may fail and the kids can hate you forever. I took Junior to school at an earlier age as parent. All i had in mind was to make my a responsible mom and make his good life. The efforts of my past came to conclusion like two months ago. After Junior being in school for 16 years , he finally completed his first degree. This was a day for me to remember since every body was eager for it. I woke up as normal and prepared everything in the house as normal and waited for the rest of the family to wake up. Junior was the first one and he went all the house reminding everybody what it was. We left the house for Harvard where the graduation will take place and everybody was happy about it. At school he introduced as to most of his friend he has pushed with. surprisingly he introduced his girlfriend. everything in school was going as planned. The ceremony took off well i was impressed by the fact that he topped everything in his class. We were all happy to see him receive the first class honors. We all arranged an after party which was well spent." +"My first day at work was a day I can never forget. It was surprisingly one of the most dramatic moments of my life. I was with my family on a faithful sunday when I received an email that I should come for an interview. The interview was scheduled for the next day. which happened to be monday. I got home as early as I could to get dressed and prepare for my interview, because the job was actually my dream job. I dressed nicely and set out for the interview. I got to the interview venue and when it was just few minutes to my interview. I realized that I forgot some of my credentials in the at home. I was so confused and devastated, I instantly called my wife and told her to send the credentials through a local motorcycle logistics company. I was impatiently waiting for the credentials until it was exactly my time to enter for the interview. I was confused and sweathy. Just as i was about to step into the interview room without my credentials, The company summoned an emergency meeting. luckily for me, my interviewers were also called for the interview. My credentials arrived just before they could finish the meeting. I proceeded with the interview and it was a really successful one. I got the job and in fact, I'm still working with the firm." +"We went camping recently. We had another group camp with us. We arrived shortly before they did and started getting everything set up. Shortly we finished they pulled up. I had asked if they needed any help setting up since we were finished and they said no. I was okay with this because we had already spent a decent amount of time getting majority of the things set up. We all went on a walk to explore the campground in its entirety and decided to go swimming. When we came back we played a few games of cornhole. After this we started the camp fire and the grill we brought so we could cook dinner. We had a few drinks with dinner and started to settle around the campfire and have a few more drinks. I was drinking cold beer and somebody who we will call ""person B"" for the sake of this entry insisted on having some celebratory shots. I gave in. That was a mistake. By the time the shots caught up with me it was late. I was sitting on the top of a table when I lost my balance and fell to the ground. Everybody thought it was amusing, but it was a clear indication I drank way to much that night. We all went to bed shortly after." +I had my wedding about 8 months ago or somewhere around there. I got to marry my absolute best friend and she is amazing. I could not have asked for a better person to make my wife. The wedding was so stressful. Getting ready and making sure everything was just perfect was very difficult. All of a sudden the day had arrived I found myself at the front of the aisle waiting. The music started playing and my groomsmen walked up the aisle. Then my soon to be wife was standing before me. She was absolutely beautiful. I found myself tearing up she had taken my breath away. We both said I do and the day continued. At the reception there was alot of dancing and music and drinking. After the reception we left to go to the airport. We ended going up on our honeymoon to Mexico. We had a blast drank some more and really enjoyed spending time together. Finally we were back to reality and we came home to start our new lives together. +"I consider myself very fortunate. I had to work hard to get to where I was. I had to slog through a lot of long nights just to be in the position that I'm in. I was fortunate enough to have a partner that was there through all of it. What an actual sweetheart this person was. Seven months ago, we finally tied the knot in front of an intimate setting. The young person in me always wanted this to happen. I just couldn't believe that day was finally upon me. But here I was, staring at my fiance. We got married, and afterwards we immediately left town for our honeymoon. I can't really repeat what happened, most of it anyway, because I want to keep that private, but it was well-deserved. We worked our butts off to be successful. We didn't have a lot of time to just take things as they come. But that honeymoon was that chance. I have no regrets." +"During this family vacation to Destin, Florida, I took my son on an offshore fishing trip. This was a private charter fishing experience so we had a captain and one of crew member on the boat and then it was just my son and I. This was an extremely memorable experience as this was my first time ever going on a fishing charter. My son really wanted to catch sharks so they took us black tip shark fishing. We ended up catching 6 with the biggest being one my son caught. It was such a fun bonding experience with my son and it's something I will never forget. I think about this fishing trip quite often. My son, who is only 5, still talks about this fishing trip. He has even written about it in his school work. He loves telling all of our friends and family about the big four foot black tip shark he had caught. Luckily, we were able to capture this memory by taking lots of pictures. We even had a picture of my son and me holding the shark that we've since gotten framed in his bedroom. I get such joy thinking about this event. One day, I'd hope my son gets to take his children on a fishing trip like this. I am truly blessed to have experienced this." +"I recently went on a family vacation to Destin, Florida. This event took place roughly two months ago. What made this trip so special was the fact that it was the first time my children have ever been to the beach. I have a son who is five and a daughter who is three. Another special moment on this trip was we went with friends and family. While we were down there, we got to meet up with a special person in my life that I served with in the United States Marine Corps. I had not seen this friend for five years so it was a great reunion for us to get together and catch up. While in Destin, Florida, we stayed at a condo that was right on the beach. The views from our room were amazing and the water was crystal clear. We were also amazed at how beautiful and white the sand was. It felt like we were walking on silk. Aside from hanging out on the beach all day, we also went to out to eat at some very nice restaurants. I got to eat some fresh seafood. We're from Ohio so the seafood we can get in Florida is not like the seafood we can get in Ohio. On one of the nights we went out to play miniature golf. On another night, we went and rode go-carts with the kids. The duration of the trip was a week-long. I wish we could have stayed longer as we had such a fun time. I feel like the trip went by very fast. We plan on coming back to Destin, Florida next year as we liked it so much. Honestly, this was one of the most memorable trips I have ever been on. I will keep the memories of this trip forever in my mind." +"Well it's been two months now and my lump of a husband still won't listen to me. I know in the past I've had some money making ideas which didn't work, but this time it's different. In the ad they said anyone could do it and that was all I needed to get started. I don't know why Harry won't listen to me. He's not the one who has to manage the finances. The kids need new back-to-school clothes and we really need something extra coming in. The whole thing is really simple. I demonstrate Miracle Health to people, they buy it and we make money. Even Harry could do it. And when anyone signs up under me I get a commission for everything they sell. It's just so perfect for us. If I could only get that couch potato to turn off the TV just once to pay attention to me. I never ask for anything for myself, you would think just once he would cooperate and do this for the family. I've tried everything I could think of to try and get it through his thick skull. I think it's time to call the Psychic Hotline and see if they can give me some advice." +"I had just gotten my license, and I couldn’t wait to go cruising’ around. I had spent the day at my friend’s house, and now I was on my way home. I was almost home, I just had to turn onto the gravel road to get to my house. While I was turning, I was trying to put in a mix CD I had just made, and trying to turn the corner at the same time. I guess I was going a little too fast, because all of a sudden, I found myself lying in the ditch, outside of my car. I had the bitter taste of blood in my mouth. I was very scared. I slowly got up on one leg and struggled up to the road. There was a man approaching and I waved. It was a man and he called an ambulance. While we were waiting for the ambulance I was hysterical like a child away from home. I couldn’t move or feel my left arm or leg. I felt like I was going to pass out from the pain. The man did everything he could think of to calm me down a little bit. He asked me questions about family, school, and pretty much anything he could think of. The man was braver than me. Later eventually, after what seemed like three hours waiting for the ambulance, it finally got there. The whole way to the hospital they asked me questions about my injuries and on what I remember about the incident. The pain was almost unbearable, so I told enough of what they wanted to hear, just so they’d shut up! They gave me something for the pain. After about 15 minutes in the ambulance we got to the hospital and they hauled me into the X-ray room and took X-rays of my arm and leg. The injury wasn’t too great thank goodness. Besides being alive, that was the best news I had heard all day." +The Summer day that my niece and I spent together Started with getting up early and going to breakfast. We went to IHOP and ordered pancakes. The waitress was really nice and the food was really good. We were not in a rush so we took our time and enjoyed the meal. Afterwards we went to see the movie The Lion King. It had just been released and my niece was looking forward to the movie. I was also eager to see it because I had seen the original when I was a kid. The movie was very good and we both enjoyed watching it. As we walked out of the theater we both were talking about our favorite parts of the movie. We both decided that we like the very beginning and the very end of the movie. We then got into my car and drove the twenty minutes to the skating rink. My niece and I both like to skate so going to the skating rink is a lot of fun. When we arrived at the rink it was not too crowded and I paid for admission and to rent a pair of skates for my niece. I already had skates so we saved a little money. We both put our skates on and started skating. My niece had really improved since the last time I saw her skate. We both skated for a couple of hours and then after we were tired we decided to leave. It was a lot of fun but can be really exhausting. I drove us home and at that time it was late afternoon. After a long day with a lot of fun we both fell asleep early. It was a great day that I will always remember. +The perfect summer day with my niece. The day started out with my niece and I going to IHOP to get breakfast. She loves pancakes so IHOP was the perfect place for her to eat. We both had a large stack of pancakes and left the restaurant feeling great. After breakfast we went to a early movie. The Lion King was playing and she really wanted to see it. Since I had seen the original I thought it would be interesting to take her to see the new version. I bought the tickets and we went in and got popcorn and drinks. We found some seats in the middle of the theater and sat back to enjoy the movie. The movie was really good and brought back memories from my childhood. My niece also loved the movie. It was now mid afternoon and we decide to go to the skating rink. Both her and I like to skate so it was a good way to pass the time. After about a 20 minute drive we arrived at the rink and noticed that the parking lot was not too full. That was good because it would mean the rink had less people on it and more space to skate. We went inside and rented our skates. We spent the next three hours blissfully skating in a nice oval direction. The music was good and it was not that crowded so the experience was really nice. When skating I never seem to get tired. I think it is because I enjoy it so much. When we left the skating rink it was late afternoon and we were hungry so I took her to Chi Fil A to get some sandwiches. She loves that restaurant. We took the food home and waited for her father to get off work. After eating the food and spending time with her father my niece fell asleep on the couch. It had been a long fun day. +"My story of how I became a father is a rocky one. It starts like most, I met a girl, I fell in love, everything seemed like happiness, sunshine, and rainbows. It was all perfect for a time. That is, until she got pregnant. Things took a dark turn when she got pregnant. I know that hormones can get pretty crazy, but let me tell you, crazy was a complete understatement. I was no saint. I knew nothing of how to deal with mood swings and hormonal imbalances. I would yell, get angry, and overall most of the time just make the situation worse. I never knew how to act almost. I did my best but my very best just wasn't good enough. She would yell constantly. And so would I. Fights were back and forth screaming matches. It got slightly better after the baby was born. I was finally a dad. We were finally a family together. Her and I split up a few months after the baby was born. It turned out that not everything was perfect sunshine and rainbows. I am still in my child's life, but I long for that family dynamic ever so much." +"We have been planning to do a family vacation for a long while because I work at a company that consistently needs my attention all the time. However, two weeks ago, I was blessed a whole week vacation to spend time with my family. I suggested we should go to the apple orchard that is half an hour away from us, and they all thought it was a great idea. I took them out to the apple orchard and it was a magnificent sight to look at. There was a bunch of bright, red apples everywhere and my kids were so excited that they ran with all their might to go touch the perfect red apples that not even Wholefoods may have. My kids saw a tall apple orchard in the distance and excitedly wanted me to grab the highest apple from the tree. Of course, I was reluctant about it because it was so high I can take a rocket ship. My wife motivated me even further saying she would make lasagna this week, and that was all the encouragement I needed... apart from my kids of course. I took the ladder and positioned it at the tree. I looked up and I saw an apple calling for my attention. I knew right then and there that was the apple I needed in my life. I plucked it from the stem, but it took a great force to pluck it and the ladder wobbled. Had it not been my family, I would have fallen! Forget Marvel, my superheroes were my family that day. My family saw the apple and thought it was probably the apple that Snow White ate. We got so many apples. We were able to fill two buckets! After we plucked and sang, we did many other fun things. We played hide and seek in the orchard and that was fun because there were so many hiding spots to choose from! We may have accidentally squashed some apples as we ran but I apologized for it. It was a vacation we all needed. The business there allowed us to bake an apple pie from the apples we got, and I thought that was so amazing from their part; and we baked the most beautiful, delicious Apple pie that not even Gordon Ramsey can compete with. I'm content that I was able to spend a beautiful time with them." +"Over the last few weeks I had the joy of attending a dear friends wedding. I first began my journey by flying to the airport to NYC. Then we got stuck in a lot of traffic at La Guardia Airport. It was truly a nightmare. It made me certainly realize that I will never fly out of this airport again. Next we drove to Long island and met the soon to be bride. She looked so stunning and I was so proud to be her friend. The wedding was phenomenal. I played cello at her ceremony and it was a perfect summer day in New York. The food was amazing. She had spent around $250 per person on food and it was nothing short of spectacular. I had Seafood, Salad, Filet Mignon, Duck, Salmon and eight kinds of desserts. After the wedding, we had a lot of dancing. It was a traditional Jewish Wedding and it was so energetic. It was so much fun. The next day we took a train ride into the City and had some yummy Pizza and bagels. I will cherish this special moment forever." +"Just a matter of months ago I got married for the first (and hopefully last) time in my life. As one would expect, it was a very significant step, and a very special moment in my life. We opted to not go too overboard, and had under 100 guests total. Everything went very well, and the memory of that day will stay in my mind, and I'll cherish it for the rest of my life. Besides our immediate family, I had my best friend come up from across the country to be my best man. I absolutely love him and his family, and cherish every moment we get to spend together. I don't get to see him too often, so when I do I take full advantage and try to enjoy every moment as much as possible. Not only did he come with his daughter and wife, but his parents were there as well, as they are very important to me. I was overwhelmed with the amount of people we had there, and probably felt as loved and important as I ever have in my life on account of all the people there. The only part that was a bit bothersome was with it being a wedding, and so many people, I didn't get much time to chat with each person, as I would have liked to. I've come to realize that's just how weddings are with so many people and only so much time, that it's part of the gig. But beyond that, it was an amazing experience, and I enjoyed myself a great deal. My wife looked gorgeous (as usual), and I am overly thankful to spend the rest of my life with her. The photographer did an excellent job, and I helped her out by being a joker and keeping people laughing and smiling which helped with pictures. It was a great day, and I am still ecstatic that I got to share our special day with such great people. The caterer did fantastic, and the venue we used was absolutely perfect, and extremely affordable. It did rain a little bit, but we managed to dodge the brunt of it, which was good as we had planned and hoped to have it outdoors. We did have a backup plan if we would have to move it inside, but we were hoping that we could keep it outdoors. All in all it will go down as one of the most memorable and enjoyable days of my life." +"My daughter is 19 months old and is just learning to talk right now. We snuggle and share affection together frequently. We open our arms wide when we hug and we say ""no thank you"" instead of ""no"" in our household to promote politeness and to soften the negativity you can feel with a basic no. Last week, I opened my arms wide and asked her for a hug. She gave me a coy smile and said, ""no thank you!"" and ran away. My heart simultaneously burst with pride for her understanding of body consent and broke because she rejected my affection. I could tell she really understood how telling me no would make me feel and she enjoyed having some power in our dynamic. This was also the first time she had ever said ""no thank you!"" at all. She is so smart! I am so happy she feels safe to tell me no to touching her person and the physical affection we share will be more special than ever because it's going to me made up of touch we both want to give and consent to. This was a milestone I wasn't expecting and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since it happened. I've told the story to every important person in my life. I am just so proud of my baby girl and I can't wait to see whats next in life for her. Parenting has been such a wild ride- so bittersweet! And also so full of surprises but I love watching my children grow and imagining the women they will be someday." +"Today me and my friends went on a trip. We decided to go camping, the group we went with was very large. The next day when we woke up we had a nice breakfast cooked over the camp fire. It reminded me of my days in the boy scouts when I was young. After we cleaned up the mess we made by making breakfast we decided to head to the river. We also brought a kayak and paddle boards to enjoy our time on the river. I have never kayaked before, nor even seen a paddle board. I tried both and they were equally enjoyable. When I first got into the kayak it flipped over on me, we all laughed. Once I was able to turn the kayak back over and get back in we explored down the river. As we kayaked on the river there were many beautiful nature scenes we observed, it was very peaceful. Once we returned to the dock I tried to paddle board, it was really not as much fun as kayaking so I did not participate long. After several hours on the river we were all tired, and decided to pull the river toys out of the water and take a break. As we were eating a snack I could not help but think how assured I was of the growth me and my friends have made in the last couple years. It is great to have wonderful friends that truly care for one another. I had such a great time camping and being on the river, I can't wait till I cam come back." +"It was a beautiful day one filled with happiness, joy and a touch of sadness. Sad because our friendship was going to change forever. Really happy because its a proud moment in my life and am happy for my friend. There is a part of me that wonders if it is soon ot be my turn. It turned out to be a really long day however as I was on my feet for hours. since the day started early in the morning getting ready and getting in the car and getting to the church. He was so nervous. The ceremony seemed to be longer then I remember it being at the rehersal but that could be just me. The pictures were taken at a local park near the church but far from the reception center. That was also a long reception. I was exhausted by the end of it to be honest. Once the cake was introduced and passed around everyone in the wedding party was more ready to head home. I think almost all of us in the party were happy but could not wait for the night to be over. The day was long and we all knew there was a sense of it being a lot longer. Once the groom and bride left the reception lasted another hour or maybe a little longer." +"It was Friday of last month. My best friend had his bachelor party. We decided to have a fairly tame night out at a popular local bar with all our closest friends in attendance. It was a very cool night out compared to the hot weather we had been having. When we got to the bar we all played several rounds of pool and ordered several rounds of bourbon. We had a lot of fun just sharing stories and playing games. It was such a memorable night due to the simplicity of it. We rarely all get together like that anymore and the focus was on having a good time. We had a pretty large bill by the end of the night and were entirely too drunk. I had to call a cab to get us all back to his apartment. From there we ordered a pizza and fired up some old games. We must have played until at least five in the morning when the last of us had finally dozed off. The next day we were up early for the weeding and we had to scatter back to our places to get ready. The wedding was was outdoors at a local winery. It was such a nice morning and it felt good to breathe in the fresh air. The ceremony was simple and everyone was elated. I remember the bride’s slim yet long white dress and the rows of pristine white chairs. I was best man and was very nervous having to stand up in front of all those people I didn’t know. My friend was so confident when he spoke of his love to her. I felt happy just to be there in that moment. After the ceremony the music started right away and we all began to enjoy the wine provided. My friend said I didn’t have to give a speech but I decided it would be a good idea to say a few kind words and toast to the new marriage. It was a short nerve racking moment; however, it seemed to be received well We watched as they had their first dance and then hit the floor ourselves. It was kind of sad because I realized that he would have a lot less time for us at this point forward. They were moving to a new city and he would be starting a new job." +"I've always known that flooding takes place regularly where I live but I've never been affected by one until 2 weeks ago. It all started on a Tuesday night. I was leaving work and the rain was coming down hard. I usually don't worry a lot about a little rain. However, while I had been working and not following the weather, there had been a lot of rain apparently. I ran from the building to my car, focusing on getting to the vehicle without getting my laptop wet and not really taking notice of the torrents of water pooling throughout the parking lot. I did notice that my shoes and clothes were soaked once I had reached the car. So, I drove from the lot and headed to my home that's just several miles away. I recall now driving through standing water on the road and shrugging it off as drainage issues. When I was close to home, I knew by this time that this rain was different. It was raining hard and not letting up. I couldn't see very well through the rain falling on the windshield. I contemplated pulling over but I was already so close to home. As I prepared to drive over a little bridge overpass, I felt my car being rocked a little. The car struggled for traction and I found myself being pulled off of the road by the rain runoff. I did the only thing I could think of, I exited my car and held onto a nearby tree. I watched as my vehicle and all my possessions inside it were swept over the bridge into the creek bed below. I waited in stunned silence until another driver spotted me and I climbed into their vehicle. I still can't believe this happened to me. I just feel lucky to be alive after something like that happening. I now am much more careful about driving in the rain and warn others to do the same." +man just thinking about what i am going to write about makes me not want to write about it. it was the toughest thing that has happened to me. and it is probably the hardest anyone will ever have to go through. I saw someone who is the world to me just deteriorate right in front of me. my mother was riding the bus after work and she had a seizure but she didn't tell anyone about it. my mother again had a seizure while riding a bus but this time in front of the driver who calls an ambulance who they call her sons. finally we get some info on what was happening to her and she never told us why she didn't say anything to us about the seizures. well we knew it was seizures she was having instead of passing out because she went to the doctors. the doctors diagnoses was brain cancer. which is the worst thing that can happen to you. the doctors said it was pretty grim but there might a chance. so she got eight weeks of radiation treatment which just hit her like a ton of bricks. she became listless but the radiation didn't take. the doctors had one last medicine a pill that would kill all the cells in her brain. she took it and she got sent into a coma because of it. and she died shortly there after. +"It has taken me five months to come and write this. My therapist says it will be good for me, I guess. Two months ago, my mother died. Sometimes I feel numb to it, like it happened to someone else, and I'm just watching my suffering through a television screen. My therapist says that's called ""dissociating"" and it's ""bad."" Anyway. My mother was all so stubborn. I've kind of hit the anger part of grief. Where I wish she would have just listened to us when we said the migraines weren't normal, and for a woman like my mom to be bedridden for days in pain was not normal. She never listened until that day. Seizures in the kitchen, collapsing. My father calling to hospital, only because she was too sick to say no at that point... She only lived for three months after that day. They did scans of her brain around the clock, while my father and I shared wooden and metal benches to sleep on, waking up only to see if there was any news. Once we got the news, they told us she would die soon. I couldn't take it, her laying there, lifeless and empty. The same woman who danced me around the kitchen to Elton John and Stevie Nicks, now laying lifeless incapable of the most basic human tasks. I begged my father to pull the plug on the day before her last, crying hysterically. He was trying to hang on to her, she was suffering, she was never coming back, the cancer had spread too far. When she died, her lifeless face broke into somewhat of a smile and her eyes sealed like a tomb, or maybe that's just the grief talking." +"One week ago, I went to concert given by my very favorite musician. Her music has been incredibly important to me for many years, basically since I was a young teenager. The tickets were a wonderful surprise from my partner. I had told my partner she was coming to a city about an hour away from us, but that I didn't have the money for tickets and that I was gutted that I would miss it. It was surely going to a memorable tour experience, as she was playing solo in small, intimate venues which is unusual. The day the tickets were released my partner grabbed some before they sold out, took me to dinner that night, and told me there. I was so happy I cried in the restaurant! Anyway, the day of the show my partner was gracious enough to drive over to the venue two hours before the doors opened so we would be sure to get a good seat. We waited in the cold, I was so excited time flew by. The venue was a gorgeous old church, with the audience sitting in pews. We got some drinks and sat around for an hour, and then the lights dimmed. I almost couldn't contain myself, I felt as though I was going to burst. The artist came on, and immediately launched into my very favorite song! Which she never plays live! I was stunned, and immediately began crying. The rest of the show was equally as beautiful and touching. Her voice was transcendent, soaring into the eaves of the church. The experience was absolutely indescribable. I've never been to a concert like this one. I couldn't believe what a great show it was. I cried through most of it." +"Last week I was feeling really miserable after finding out that I didn't do too well on my exams. I also got my hours at work reduced before Christmas and I just wanted to stay home and pull the covers over my head. Kelly text me and said she and Benji were going to see a show that night and they had an extra ticket if I wanted to go. I really didn't but I missed Kelly's birthday party in November and I was feeling guilty about it so I felt I could say no again so I grudgingly went along. The band was called Kero Bonito and I only knew them a little. I have seen their stuff on a few Stopify playlists but wouldn't call myself a fan. The night was a bit boring really and the warm up acts were terrible. Several times I just wanted to leave because it wasn't my scene. Well, Kero Bonito are a much better live band because when they did come out they just smashed it. They were fantastic and they put on one of the best shows I have ever been to. I forgot all about my problems and just let go for the first time in weeks. I was dancing and singing (had to make up some lyrics!) and just acting like a big goof. I swear just allowing myself to be happy and to focus on the moment was so badly needed. It was like a religious experience. I just felt like I was in my body and felling all my feelings rather than being in my head thinking and thinking and thinking (negatively) like I've been doing the past few weeks. I'm not sure if this is me turning over a new leaf but I do think the feeling has carried into my life and things don't feel so bleak now. Sometimes, we just have to get out of our heads but it's not easy. Hopefully it's the start of better things to come?" +"Turning 40 was a wakeup call for me. I thought 50 would be right around the bend but boy was I wrong. I started aching more year after year. I had to get some surgeries to fix my foot, and ended up losing a lot of my hair. 0 to 40 flew by, but now time is crawling by. I thought that was a bad thing at first but recently had an epiphany. About 2 months ago I turned 47. My dad flew into town to visit the grandkids and happened to stay to celebrate my birthday. THe kids were in school so we went to lunch at the tavern and headed home and asked if we could put on a movie. We used to go to movies a lot as a kid and I don't think I've seen one with him in the last 15 years. I grabbed no country for old men which is one of my favorites and we sat down and watched it. We made popcorn on the stove like we used to when I grew up and just watched and chatted about life. It made me realize that I had everything I needed right there. I had a good family, a roof over my head, 2 kids and a wife I love. I didnt need any more material goods, or a bigger house, or more money. I needed quality time with my family. My dad's birthday is coming up and I plan to go visit him and return that gift." +"Turning 40 was a wakeup call for me. I thought 50 would be right around the bend but boy was I wrong. I started aching more year after year. I had to get some surgeries to fix my foot, and ended up losing a lot of my hair. 0 to 40 flew by, but now time is crawling by. I thought that was a bad thing at first but recently had an epiphany. About 2 months ago I turned 47. My dad flew into town to visit the grandkids and happened to stay to celebrate my birthday. THe kids were in school so we went to lunch at the tavern and headed home and asked if we could put on a movie. We used to go to movies a lot as a kid and I don't think I've seen one with him in the last 15 years. I grabbed no country for old men which is one of my favorites and we sat down and watched it. We made popcorn on the stove like we used to when I grew up and just watched and chatted about life. It made me realize that I had everything I needed right there. I had a good family, a roof over my head, 2 kids and a wife I love. I didnt need any more material goods, or a bigger house, or more money. I needed quality time with my family. My dad's birthday is coming up and I plan to go visit him and return that gift." +"There is this girl I fell in love with when we both were kids. She was my first real love. I hadn't been in love before I met her but we instantly connected. She was very sweet, generous, compassionate and always helpful. I remember back when we met, she would bring me sweets from her house and we would share chocolate and ice cream. I fell in love with her since I was 7 years old and although we were kids and didn't understand much about love, there was this feeling that we belonged together. When we were applying for high school, we chose the same schools and we got accepted at the same high school. We started officially dating during our second year of high school. We had clearly been in love ever since we met but didn't know what love means until then. Our dating life was very gratifying. We were best friends and always inseparable. We kept each other's secret and always had each other's back. Unfortunately, when we left for college, we couldn't continue our relationship long distance and ended up breaking up. She married someone else after college and I married another woman as well. Four months, I got informed that she had been diagnosed with cancer and a few weeks after i learned that, I received the worst news I have ever received that she had passed away. I still haven't gotten used to this world not having her in it. She was the most beautiful soul and I haven't experienced any happiness since her passing." +"There is this girl I fell in love with when we both were kids. She was my first real love. I hadn't been in love before I met her but we instantly connected. She was very sweet, generous, compassionate and always helpful. I remember back when we met, she would bring me sweets from her house and we would share chocolate and ice cream. I fell in love with her since I was 7 years old and although we were kids and didn't understand much about love, there was this feeling that we belonged together. When we were applying for high school, we chose the same schools and we got accepted at the same high school. We started officially dating during our second year of high school. We had clearly been in love ever since we met but didn't know what love means until then. Our dating life was very gratifying. We were best friends and always inseparable. We kept each other's secret and always had each other's back. Unfortunately, when we left for college, we couldn't continue our relationship long distance and ended up breaking up. She married someone else after college and I married another woman as well. Four months, I got informed that she had been diagnosed with cancer and a few weeks after i learned that, I received the worst news I have ever received that she had passed away. I still haven't gotten used to this world not having her in it. She was the most beautiful soul and I haven't experienced any happiness since her passing." +"In high school, I had a crush on this beautiful girl. I was smitten. Anytime I had the opportunity, I would daydream about us being together. Unfortunately, nothing ever came from it. She was never interested in me. I had tried to pursue her, but I was shut down. As much as it hurt, I never forgot my first love. A few months ago, I found out she passed away. It seemed very sudden. Although I do not know how she passed away, it was a shock. It was quite traumatizing to me. First, the feelings I had for my first love resurface. Then, I started grieving by crying uncontrollably. Furthermore, I felt as if I were in her life, I could have done something to prevent this. Although it was 25 years ago, I still feel very strongly about her. Her death brought back all those strong feelings like a ton of bricks." +"Within the last two weeks I rented a cabin for my family for the weekend. I invited my parents and my in-laws along with my husband and son. We also invited my husbands aunt and uncle to join us for the day, not the entire weekend. The cabin we rented was on a lake with direct access to the water. The cabin had a full kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms. It was expensive but we don't go on vacation often so we felt it was worth it and we were able to include a lot of our family on this adventure. One of the most memorable moments was when I convinced my mother in law to go kayaking. She is a heavy set lady and doesn't like to partake in psychically activities. I talked her into going into a double kayak with my husbands aunt, we will call her Sue. My mother in law agreed and her and Sue went out into the lake the double kayak. I was in a single person kayak and kayaked along side them. My mother in law, to my surprise, did really well paddling the kayak and keeping her balance. After a short trip around the marina we headed back to shore. I quickly got up out from my kayak and pulled the boat to shore. Sue and my mother in law pulled up on the beach. Sue got out fairly quickly and then grabbed her phone to record video footage of my mother in law getting out of the kayak. She appeared to be stuck and was complaining. A roar of laughter came from everyone and when offered help by my husband, her son, she scolded him. He stepped away to let her find her own way out of the kayak. The kayak was at a decline and she didn't want to get her feet wet. After a few minutes of laughter Sue helped her out of the kayak and she did not fall in the water. We laughed about the situation for a long time but I was proud of her for trying to kayak as it was her first time in one." +"I rented the cabin out on Thunder Lake a few weeks ago. I thought it would be a lot of fun to get all of the families together. So I went ahead and rented a pretty large cabin. It was really cool, the kitchen was wide open with a lot of windows looking out over the lake. There were plenty of bedrooms for everyone so both my parents and my inlaws came along, along with our kids and some of their friends. We all wanted to get out on the water and we rented some kayaks to use while we there. Everyone was taking turns and having fun but my mother-in-law refused to try it. Finally after a lot of pushing by just about everyone, she finally decided to give it a try. It was so funny she was really pretty freaked out about the entire thing. But she got in the kayak just fine and managed to have some fun kayaking along the shoreline. It was hard not to laugh when she finished. She got back to the dock and just stared at all of us. She couldn't figure out the best way to climb back out of the kayak! Some grandkids went over to help her. They essentially had to pull her out. We all got a good laugh out of it, even her. It really was a great time and she thinks she may even kayak again sometime." +"Today I ran into the woman who I like to think I saved a few months ago. It was so crazy the way I found her, but I am grateful I did. I was driving home from work and I was on a side street. I remember seeing a young boy run out of the front door of his home crying. I kept driving. I assumed his mother had kicked him out for drawing on the walls or something. I looked in my rearview mirror and I saw that the young boy was running out into the road waving his arms, maybe something was wrong? I decided I would just drive around the block on more time and see if he looked injured or anything. As I approached his house for the second time he nearly jumped on top of my car, I had no choice but to stop. He started screaming through his sobs something about his mother. I jumped out of the car and got him to calm down enough so that I could understand he said his mother was having a baby. I ran to the front door and could hear the mother screaming out in pain. I walked inside and there she was, his mother was sprawled out on the floor bleeding and screaming in pain. I called 911 and somehow they managed to get to her house before the baby was born or before she lost too much blood. Ever since that day I don't ignore my gut feelings because if I had that day who knows what would have happened. When I saw her today she looked great, and the baby is already getting so big. It was nice to see them and to feel how appreciated they consider me." +"About three months ago, my eleven month old nephew past away. My husband and I were at my sister-in-laws house for a family gathering. My brother and sister-in-law had recently bought a beautiful, large home, with a pool, which now made it the place for parties. However, they didn't have the pool enclosed with a cage at this time. My little nephew was, however, enrolled in a swim class to teach infants life saving maneuvers, so it didn't seem like that big of a risk to have the pool open. At some point during the party, my nephew quietly slipped into the pool without any adult noticing. His father found him face down in the water and everyone began to panic. My mother-in-law, a ARNP, began CPR as my husband called 911. All efforts were pointless. No one was sure how long he had been face down in the pool, but there was no resuscitating him. Understandably, my sister-in-law has not been well since. I, myself, struggle with it daily still. How could I have not heard or noticed him? The guilt haunts me and is almost unbearable. I cannot imagine what my sister-in-laws feels like. Such a normal thing, to have a pool, and not realize the devastation it can cause so quickly when not respected appropriately." +"About three months ago, my eleven month old nephew past away. My husband and I were at my sister-in-laws house for a family gathering. My brother and sister-in-law had recently bought a beautiful, large home, with a pool, which now made it the place for parties. However, they didn't have the pool enclosed with a cage at this time. My little nephew was, however, enrolled in a swim class to teach infants life saving maneuvers, so it didn't seem like that big of a risk to have the pool open. At some point during the party, my nephew quietly slipped into the pool without any adult noticing. His father found him face down in the water and everyone began to panic. My mother-in-law, a ARNP, began CPR as my husband called 911. All efforts were pointless. No one was sure how long he had been face down in the pool, but there was no resuscitating him. Understandably, my sister-in-law has not been well since. I, myself, struggle with it daily still. How could I have not heard or noticed him? The guilt haunts me and is almost unbearable. I cannot imagine what my sister-in-laws feels like. Such a normal thing, to have a pool, and not realize the devastation it can cause so quickly when not respected appropriately." +"I took my daughter to her first day of preschool. I remember being a knee clinger when I was a kid and I never enjoyed school. I was surprised that my daughter was gung-ho about the idea. She ran to school and I had to actually keep up with her. When we got there, she was all smiles and talked to everyone. I'm a bit of an introvert myself so it was unexpected to see her so extroverted with everyone. It was a soft-start to school, so I got to stay with her. She ran from station to station and was showing the other kids how everything was done. I barely had to do anything as she had it handled herself. She was especially fond of the play dough section. She spent most of her time there. After the ""free-reign"" time was up, she sat in the circle with the other children and sang a song about a greedy squirrel or something like that. She had a lot of fun and I was quite surprised at how well a toddler could do. The only downside was when I told her school was over and she cried. She thought that school was over FOREVER and she didn't like that at all. Fortunately, I explained that it was just the first day that was over and she had months of fun to look forward to. All in all, she did way better than I had hoped and taking her to school is actually quite enjoyable for me." +"My oldest sister recently got married, and I of course attended her wedding. The wedding was 5 months ago, but I still remember it fondly. My sister is a bit unconventional, I guess you could say, so the wedding was no different. It wasn't set in a church or in a field next to a barn like a lot of weddings these days. Instead, it was held in an underground cave. It began with guests being blind folded and led down stairs deep into the cave. They were seated at there assigned table and then when the blindfold was removed they could see the beautiful surroundings. My whole family ended up attending, which was a huge surprise. Everyone was so happy and joyous to see that the whole family was there, including those some people haven't seen for years. The evening began with my sister and her groom making a grand entrance and performing a short ceremony. Afterwards, the drinks started flowing and the real fun began. There was a light show with lasers, smoke machines, and a fantastic DJ. Everyone was having such a good time, and the surroundings pushed everyone to let loose. Fun and laughter was had by all, especially since the drinks just kept on coming. I'm sure some people thought they would never make it out of the cave alive. I'm sure to this day we still have a few family members trapped inside. All in all it was probably the best wedding I have ever been to. It was unique and different, and the best part was everyone was able to attend. I only hope that my wedding can even come close to the fun everyone had that evening. Leave it to my unique sister to through a wedding for the ages." +"My sister got married to her boyfriend of 9 years. The wedding was roughly 7 months ago. My entire family attended, and it was very enjoyable. We had a rehearsal and dinner the night before. The morning of, my family went from the hotel to the church. The groom's family drove from their house. The ceremony was pleasant, and I was one of the groomsmen. After the ceremony, there were pictures, talking, and then everyone went to the reception. The reception was the best part of the night. My girlfriend spent the evening with me, and I was able to talk with so many of my relatives. Everyone had a blast, and the dinner went smoothy. The best man and maid of honor made speeches, both fathers did, the dances commenced, and the food was great. There were 4 different cakes. Afterwards, the few people left went to bars before ending the night. I went back to the hotel with my girlfriend and my family." +"I attended my oldest sister's wedding. It was a fun ceremony and reception, full of laughter and good times. My whole family attended. I didn't want to originally; I didn't think it would be fun for me. Ultimately my family persuaded me though. While there I met a girl I went to high school with. In high school I thought she was attractive. Nothing came of it however, because she was dating another guy. I was also too preoccupied with my extracurricular activities to really date at the time. I don't think we ever had a meaningful conversation in high school. I started talking to her, for lack of anything else to do during the wedding. To my surprise, it turned out that she was also attracted to me in high school. She never acted on it because she was loyal to her boyfriend at the time. Now though we were both single and the time seemed right. We hit it off smashingly, and even before the wedding ended we had made plans to go away for a trip together." +"Dear Diary,I still cannot believe that I married my best friend about 7 and a half months ago. It seems so unreal. We are still giddy and ultra happy, like most newly weds. Always calling each other husband and wife in playful ways. I know that I will never forget the way that he looked at me as I walked down the aisle. I have never in my life felt so beautiful, or so loved. I think that memory will always be burned into my mind. It changed the way that I feel about myself, some of those little nagging self beliefs that have hung around since childhood are finally gone. We are saving for a down payment on a home. We're almost there and we've been looking at the most adorable lake houses. I can just see myself, sitting on the back porch, watching kids play or fish. I can picture us having days on the lake in a boat, relaxed and carefree. Our life is moving toward something that I never imagined for myself until I met and fell in love with my husband. And even more dreams and goals are coming about now that we are together and planning our lives. It has been such a joyous time, living together and being together. I can't wait for whatever the rest of our lives hold. Always,B" +"Dear Diary,I still cannot believe that I married my best friend about 7 and a half months ago. It seems so unreal. We are still giddy and ultra happy, like most newly weds. Always calling each other husband and wife in playful ways. I know that I will never forget the way that he looked at me as I walked down the aisle. I have never in my life felt so beautiful, or so loved. I think that memory will always be burned into my mind. It changed the way that I feel about myself, some of those little nagging self beliefs that have hung around since childhood are finally gone. We are saving for a down payment on a home. We're almost there and we've been looking at the most adorable lake houses. I can just see myself, sitting on the back porch, watching kids play or fish. I can picture us having days on the lake in a boat, relaxed and carefree. Our life is moving toward something that I never imagined for myself until I met and fell in love with my husband. And even more dreams and goals are coming about now that we are together and planning our lives. It has been such a joyous time, living together and being together. I can't wait for whatever the rest of our lives hold. Always,B" +"Today, I received a call from an old friend at the best possible time. I had the absolute worst day of my life. My partner of five years admitted to cheating on me. Not once did she tell me about any problems with me or our relationship. Not once did she share any negative emotions. She always had a smile on her face and we did things together. To add insult to injury, I was transferred to a different unit at work even though I performed well and expressed a strong interest to finish my career in my unit. Evidently, the new boss wanted to clear out the veterans and make room for his friends. I guess I should have expected that considering his approach on projects he had been involved in--all consisted of old college buddies. And yet, despite these incredibly painful events, I was treated by the universe with a call from one of my most trustworthy friends from my childhood. It was as if the universe didn't want me to fall into depression. It was as if I was being reminded that there are always good and bad things that happen, but it was important to remember that they are all experiences we must go through. I had never been so happy in my life that day. I felt like that there's always hope if you wait for it. I'll never forget how awesome and supported I felt at the end of that day." +"I have been in and out of court with my child's father for four years. It's been an emotional battle. Around four months ago, we went to court. I was sitting on the bench and I was hit with a huge surge of clarity. I realized that he will never help me take care of our child .I was extremely devastated after court because it sunk in. I cried for at least two hours. After I cried, I felt free...in a sense. When our child grows up she'll know who really tool care of her. He's hurting himself and the relationship with his child. He will have to answer to her when she's old enough. In that moment, I felt light as a feather. I hadn't felt that way in years. I'm a strong believer in karma. I believe that the hurt my child's father tried to cause me,it will come back to him. That has given me peace. I have moved forward since then." +"Today was the big day. My son finally got married. He found a lovely lady to be subservient to him. She is submissive and doesn't have any opinions about anything. She has been looking forward to this wedding for her whole life, it's literally the only thing she was ever taught to care about. They had a beautiful ceremony. It was amazing. I am so happy that she was able to live out her bourgeois fantasy of having everyone show up to give her attention for getting married. I had such a good time and it made me love our culture. These are people who have absolutely no understanding of contemporary politics, all they know is Disney fantasies. It is good that they are able to shield themselves from reality. My sister thinks it's self indulgent. She's wrong. She's some kind of political activist or something. Anyway, the wedding was amazing! I love weddings!! I am SO HAPPY FOR MY SON! MARRIAGE IS INHERENTLY AMAZING!" +Three months ago I helped my brother move into his college dorm room. I didn't realize how many emotions it would stir up from my old college days. When I moved into my dorm room I was so nervous about what my room mate would be like and how well we would get along. My brother on the other hand was excited at the thought of meeting someone new that he could possibly become life long friends with. I saw my brother decorating his room and how much fun he was having doing. When I went to college I was so nervous and anxious that I didn't even think about what my decor would be. After he was done decorate his side of the room we decided to walk around campus to get a feel for how everything was. When we got to his cafeteria I have to admit I was a little bit jealous because the food variety was way better than what my school offered. As we toured the rest of campus together I looked around at all the other new freshmen and it brought back all those feelings of what I felt on my first day. I was a little sad after I realized college was so many years ago. Those were the days when I had so little responsibility. I remember thinking would I meet any cute guys. Would I make friends? I was scared of failing and letting my family down. Would I pick the right major? How would I know what major was right for me? Then I realized this wasn't about me but about my little brother. We walked back to his dorm and his room mate had showed up. I looked at him and I could see him beaming with the biggest smile. I knew he would be alright. I hugged him and told him I'll talk to him later and can't wait to hear how things went. +"I have always been healthy and feeling well. When I became pregnant with my first child I determined to do everything possible to maintain my health as well as the the health of my developing child. This included regular visits to my OB/GYN for checkups. After one visit for routine tests, I got a text to contact the doctor's office as soon as possible. I called immediately, and shocked to be told the test result indicate that my baby may have Downs Syndrome. While still trying to process that news, the doctors told me the best thing I could do is to terminate the pregnancy. I was stunned. How could this be? I have been taking meticulous care of health. I had no statistical markers for risk of have a Downs child. I cried for day, not knowing what to do. Finally, I asked the doctor's office to send the test results indicating this diagnosis. It turns out, the test I took was not even for Downs. There was no way for the doctor to make that determination. The stress of this situation caused me to go into labor 3 months early. And Alex was born healthy. After a 2 weeks in MICU, he came home with and doing great. Now that I have the time and energy, I have hired a law firm that specializes in medical malpractice. The stress and hardship this doctor caused me should never happen to anyone." +"Oh my God! You will not believe what happened for my birthday a few months ago! I am still in complete and utter shock! My husband actually planned a whole dinner and movie birthday date night, and to my surprise, all of my friends and coworkers were there! Not to mention, my best friend from high school had even made it to surprise me! This was literally the best thing I could have asked for. I still cannot believe he was able to pull this off without me finding out. It was amazing and I had the best time ever. He actually forgot my birthday the year before, so the fact the he went above and beyond this year was really important to me. I would have really got it if he didn't do it right this time. But I am relieved to say the least! I just am so excited to see what is in store for next year now. I mean how could he top that? My best friend from High School, who I haven't seen in years! He had her flown in all the way from across the United States to spend the birthday weekend with us! How amazing is he? I am still in shock that he was able to complete all of this under my nose. He is a real trickster and he has won husband of the year!" +"Oh my God! You will not believe what happened for my birthday a few months ago! I am still in complete and utter shock! My husband actually planned a whole dinner and movie birthday date night, and to my surprise, all of my friends and coworkers were there! Not to mention, my best friend from high school had even made it to surprise me! This was literally the best thing I could have asked for. I still cannot believe he was able to pull this off without me finding out. It was amazing and I had the best time ever. He actually forgot my birthday the year before, so the fact the he went above and beyond this year was really important to me. I would have really got it if he didn't do it right this time. But I am relieved to say the least! I just am so excited to see what is in store for next year now. I mean how could he top that? My best friend from High School, who I haven't seen in years! He had her flown in all the way from across the United States to spend the birthday weekend with us! How amazing is he? I am still in shock that he was able to complete all of this under my nose. He is a real trickster and he has won husband of the year!" +"On this day, I was pretty sure I was about to have a bad day. I was sure that day that it was going to be bad because my wife kept nagging me about buying a car around that week. We argued a lot in the morning up until around lunch time. It was a very hard and long debate because it was an argument mainly because of how she is very incompetent in buying the best deal for a used car. Honestly, my point to her was that it is extremely important to look into a car and find anything that could have brought the price down of the car, because not most of the time that there is a car that is too much good of a deal. She definitely got mad at me for trying to lecture her. It was just one of those days that no matter how much truth I speak out to her, it comes into her ears as noise. It was a good thing that by afternoon she kind of calm down. She actually tried and did her research when she took her time in the time she was just alone. She surprised me and as soon as she tried to convince me when she informed me all the details of this car, and after that, I was definitely convinced. We went to the car dealership, and I was so happy for her because she figured it out on her own. I do have my way of trying to talk down to her and I definitely asked for forgiveness from her and promised to avoid doing that. I was proud of her because she followed the steps I was trying to show her. We bought the car because it was definitely the best affordable used car available, without any glaring issues. Sometimes, I should definitely try to remind myself that things need to calm down first, instead of rushing to a quick fix." +"This was was a very eventful day to start off with. Early in the morning me and my wife started arguing. We were arguing about buying a new car because we were mostly arguing about how it is not easy to plan and choose to buying a car. The arguing carried mostly until lunchtime, we somehow dialed it down after lunch. During lunch time my two daughters made me cook some SPAM for their lunch, these little kiddos love that processed meat. I usually try to make it similar to breakfast because I don't usually get to eat breakfast that often anymore. So I cooked some sunny ide up eggs too and some hashbrowns alongside with the SPAM. During the evening, that's when we wen to the dealership. My wife surprised me on how she did her research after we argued, she surprisingly followed my strategies in finding the best deal possible. Me and my wife also brought in the kids, they just played around close to me while I was with the salesperson. I was definitely feeling it that me and my wife was very sure about one particular car. The salesperson was even a lot more transparent than usual. Long story short, we bought the black hybrid car. I was so happy and proud at the same time for my wife. She was also forgiving because I am usually short tempered when we argue." +"I've always considered myself to be a funny guy. Not too long ago, a childhood classmate of mine died of cancer at the age of 16. I was quite saddened by this event. However, during the funeral, I felt funny. Everyone around me mourned for the death of a sixteen year old boy while I stood in the background. I was quite emotionless, and stood like a statue. How does this relate to me being a class clown and outgoing personality? Well, I'll tell you. After the funeral, family and friend attended his wake. While there I was able to catch up with old friends that I hadn't seen in years. Everyone tried to keep a smile on their face but the death of a fallen comrade watched over us like a stormy cloud sucking all the happiness and life out of the room. This is when my personality seemed to kick in to second gear. Sadness? Not if l could help it. Before I knew what was happening, I was buzzing all over the banquet room telling jokes here and there. Talking to family members of my dead friend as if we had known each other for years when in actuality the death of their brother, nephew, or cousin was what brought us together in the first place. I tried my best to make everyone forget what had actually happened. Hours later, walking home in a 3 piece suit. Jacket hung over my shoulder like I was a tough guy from the 20's, I smiled. My effort had been a success. I knew that in my own way, I was sort of a superhero." +"On May 1st, 2019, my wife and I adopted our daughter. She had been living with us as a foster child for just over one year. The three of us, my parents, and multiple social workers that were involved in her case joined us at the court house. We had to wait a short time in a foyer with other families who were adopting that day. Our turn was first. The judge called us in and the three of us sat in front of her. She signed the papers. She banged her gavel. Then it was official. Our daughter is ours forever. She has our name. Her birth certificate changed to list us as her parents. This was largely a happy day, though surrounded by sadness. Her mother had just gotten out of the hospital. All three of us were recovering from the flu. And it was the anniversary of my wife's mother's death. We try to see it as a new beginning for all of us." +"There had never been a car accident near my house. There have been times my car had been run into when it was parked on the next street over, but that's about it. Tonight, however, was a different story. I heard a huge bang outside from the living room. I looked outside, and saw smoke fuming from a SUV. A driver slammed into a guard rail in front of my house. Afraid the car would blow up, I rushed out there to rescue the driver and any passengers. I saw that the driver had beer in his hand. I pulled him out of the car and dragged him to safety. Then, I called 911. Thankfully, other neighbors did just that before I did. I waited on the phone outside my house as they were on their way. About three minutes later, emergency personnel arrived. They questioned what took place. I told them to the best of my ability and honestly. They saw that he has a record of drinking while driving. Thankfully, the worst damage he did was to a guard rail and his vehicle. He could have done that to another driver or person walking on the road." +"There had never been a car accident near my house. There have been times my car had been run into when it was parked on the next street over, but that's about it. Tonight, however, was a different story. I heard a huge bang outside from the living room. I looked outside, and saw smoke fuming from a SUV. A driver slammed into a guard rail in front of my house. Afraid the car would blow up, I rushed out there to rescue the driver and any passengers. I saw that the driver had beer in his hand. I pulled him out of the car and dragged him to safety. Then, I called 911. Thankfully, other neighbors did just that before I did. I waited on the phone outside my house as they were on their way. About three minutes later, emergency personnel arrived. They questioned what took place. I told them to the best of my ability and honestly. They saw that he has a record of drinking while driving. Thankfully, the worst damage he did was to a guard rail and his vehicle. He could have done that to another driver or person walking on the road." +"There had never been a car accident near my house. There have been times my car had been run into when it was parked on the next street over, but that's about it. Tonight, however, was a different story. I heard a huge bang outside from the living room. I looked outside, and saw smoke fuming from a SUV. A driver slammed into a guard rail in front of my house. Afraid the car would blow up, I rushed out there to rescue the driver and any passengers. I saw that the driver had beer in his hand. I pulled him out of the car and dragged him to safety. Then, I called 911. Thankfully, other neighbors did just that before I did. I waited on the phone outside my house as they were on their way. About three minutes later, emergency personnel arrived. They questioned what took place. I told them to the best of my ability and honestly. They saw that he has a record of drinking while driving. Thankfully, the worst damage he did was to a guard rail and his vehicle. He could have done that to another driver or person walking on the road." +"My mother's memorial was a beautiful gathering. She was a very well respected doctor in our area as well as a great friend to many people. The event took place at a local farm and it was a truly beautiful venue to honor her. At least a hundred people showed up to give condolences and celebrate what an amazing woman my mother was. There were obviously lots of tears, but also laughter as we remembered her. My brother played a piece on the piano that she used to love. People came from all over the country to support me and my family. A lot of my personal friends also showed up. Some of the women who came to support me hadn't even met my mother! They were there simply to support me in my time of grief. The greatest support came from my boyfriend, though. We started dating about a month before my mother's passing. His loyalty and love has been instrumental in helping me get through this. Two of my closest girlfriends were also there. Both of those women are in college still, and they took time away from classes to come and be with me. The outpouring of love was amazing!" +"My mother's memorial was a beautiful gathering. She was a very well respected doctor in our area as well as a great friend to many people. The event took place at a local farm and it was a truly beautiful venue to honor her. At least a hundred people showed up to give condolences and celebrate what an amazing woman my mother was. There were obviously lots of tears, but also laughter as we remembered her. My brother played a piece on the piano that she used to love. People came from all over the country to support me and my family. A lot of my personal friends also showed up. Some of the women who came to support me hadn't even met my mother! They were there simply to support me in my time of grief. The greatest support came from my boyfriend, though. We started dating about a month before my mother's passing. His loyalty and love has been instrumental in helping me get through this. Two of my closest girlfriends were also there. Both of those women are in college still, and they took time away from classes to come and be with me. The outpouring of love was amazing!" +"I have been hearing a lot about podcasting. Initially I did not give it much thought and considered it a waste of time. After hearing some stories about how people are actually making impact just by using podcast as a means to share their honest view of various issue and people are actually willing to listen to it. I decided to listen to one, so I had my friend recommend one for me about 2 months ago, and he did. I tuned in after getting home from work, at first I did not get the idea but once I paid attention I realized what every was saying. I became a regular listeners of that podcast. A month later I was laid off at my job, I guess due to restructuring. I had nothing to do I was just at home all day everyday sleeping and eating, and maybe go out with my friends once in a while. At one of those outings I met the voice behind my favorite podcast and he told me how he got started. I decided to give it a shot, and then I did some research for about a week. I had no reason not to, no job, just bills to pay. 2 weeks ago I went live, I only had a few listeners, with few regular downloads at first. About 5 downloads to be precise and they were all my friends I suspected. One day I was just frustrated and I started ranting about my former job. This rant attracted people, I was amazed. Though I never the name of the company Where I worked but I said some things to me day to day and people seemed to like stories. I just kept on telling them different story everyday and now I am very successful as I have over 5,000 downloads every week." +I wanted to start a podcast. I have a lot of knowledge about fantasy football. I wanted to share my knowledge with the world. I decided to research by looking at how other fantasy football podcasters do their shows. Looking up different kinds of software was the next step. Adobe suite was my preference. They have different tools for creating video. I wrote a summary of what would happen this week in fantasy football. I did a video about the summary. I posted the video online. I shared it with all my friends. My friends shared it. Everyone liked it. I did the same thing next week. More people started watching. I began to make money off of the advertising that showed before the video. I was happy that I was successful. +"My most memorable event from the past six months is when I started my fantasy football podcast. This is something i've been wanting to do for the past several years but I never had the guts to do it. I finally realized that I need to go ahead and follow my dreams and achieve this goal. I did tons of research. I listen to to ther podcasts every day. I study the great football podcasters. When it was time to do my own podcast, I knew exactly what to do. I knew my first post had to be exciting. I made it about one of my favorite quarterbacks. The podcast ended up getting a lot of views. Many people commented on it. Even professionals commented on it. I did a great job. I will keep doing my podcast. I'll keep getting better." +"My father has been ill for a few weeks now and it's been getting our whole family down. My mom hasn't said anything, but I know she's worried sick about how she is going to be able to pay the bills while my dad is out of work. It's been a dark cloud over the house. Today things changed! I was finally offered a promotion at my job! This means I will be able to help them out for a change. My dad has always supported me and now it's my opportunity to return the favor. It feels so good to be recognized for all the hard work I've put in at my company. I think this is going to be a great start of a new beginning. My dad looked so proud when I told him about the promotion. He smiled so big and I felt so happy. I never want to let him down and I had been feeling like a failure lately. I know he didn't feel that way but I had such high expectations of myself because of him. I am feeling pretty good today. Here's to a new start." +"My father has been ill for a few weeks now and it's been getting our whole family down. My mom hasn't said anything, but I know she's worried sick about how she is going to be able to pay the bills while my dad is out of work. It's been a dark cloud over the house. Today things changed! I was finally offered a promotion at my job! This means I will be able to help them out for a change. My dad has always supported me and now it's my opportunity to return the favor. It feels so good to be recognized for all the hard work I've put in at my company. I think this is going to be a great start of a new beginning. My dad looked so proud when I told him about the promotion. He smiled so big and I felt so happy. I never want to let him down and I had been feeling like a failure lately. I know he didn't feel that way but I had such high expectations of myself because of him. I am feeling pretty good today. Here's to a new start." +Today was a fun and sad day at the beach. I went with my mom and sister. This was my first vacation since my parents got divorced. We had a bad time at some point when I had an argument with my Mom. I said this would be funner with my Dad. She cried and yelled about it. My sister stopped the argument. My sister and I made a sand castle. My Mom made a bigger sand castle. A tidal wave came by and knocked down both of our castles. We laughed about it. We rented some surfboards. We rode on some waves. My sister crashed and got salt water in her mouth. She said it was nasty. We left the beach with good memories and a bad one. +"When we dated, *Jacob talked only of himself. His job, his friends, his hobbies, general anecdotes from his life. He was not interested in hearing stories from my life. Even as they relate to a shared interest among the two of us. We both enjoy hiking. He frequently retold stories of his endeavors, especially in public settings. He spoke loudly, and always pulled up the same photo on his phone. I don't believe in being rude, especially to a person I'm partnered with. So I reacted with intrigue. Finding new things to point out. On a particular occasion, I wanted to show him a photo of a solo mountain hike I recently completed. He was not interested. At that point, I began to realize something wasn't right. After all, why are my experiences any less interesting than his? Why can't he show me the same courteous listening I show him? This is where I decided the relationship needed to end." +"Three months ago, I talked to my mother about my partner's breakup. She was always a bit crazy. She would smile at one time and in the next second yell at the stove. She would throw plates around the room and then apologize for throwing them. She would get crayons and start to eat them and then puke them right after. I think she might have some mental issues. I hope she gets better. She also did some jumping jacks while eating pancakes. She would sing the theme song to I Love Lucy while doing this activity. She was a strange one indeed. I didn't get any videos of this happening. This would of been a goldmine of views. I could of made money off of it. My mother was shocked about this. My next girlfriend should be saner." +I had to leave me job previously. All my coworkers helped me out by giving me a going away part. It was at a local brewery. There were lots of people there. Almost everyone from work. I got card and gift. And plenty of cake was flowing around. I was glad for all my managers and colleagues that helped me while I was there. They are true friends. My time with the company was great. It was good to have good friends and leaders there to help me when I needed them. I am glad I was a part of the company. It was very nice to see that they are true friends. The party was fun. I felt that everyone there was a true friend to me. +"One week ago, my nephew was having his fifth birthday party. My aunt and uncle forgot until the last minute to buy a cake because they had been so busy. They only realized this during the party, so they rushed out to buy a cake. When they finally had time to get to the bakery, they bought the first cake they could find without checking what kind it was. While they were gone, my nephew was opening his presents as fast as he could, because he was more interested in eating his cake than his actual presents. We watched as he opened many presents with new toys, without caring because he was so excited for his cake. When my aunt and uncle returned, he just about leapt out of his seat and ran to them. He couldn't wait to have a piece of his birthday cake. They sliced the cake with a knife, and gave him the first piece. When he tasted the cake, he immediately spat it out. It was carrot cake! He was so upset. He wasn't even interested in playing with his new toys because his birthday was ruined by the last-minute carrot cake his parents had bought. None of the adults thought the cake was terrible, we all enjoyed it. When we think back to my nephew's fifth birthday party, this is what we all remember and laugh about." +"Six months ago my mother who had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, passed away. Initially she had been diagnosed 4 years prior and was given 6 months to live. She had received chemotherapy and radiation and nothing helped. Our family had gone to Medjugorje in Bosnia as my mother was very religious and wanted to visit the shrine. We spent 10 days there and hiked up the mountain to the shrine. Upon our return to the United States her cancer had disappeared. Fast forward 4 years after almost being declared cancer free, her cancer returned. She fought every step of the way to live but eventually the cancer overtook her. While in the hospital as she lay dying, she said she saw Jesus, her parents, and a beautiful place. Those were her last words and died less than a minute after speaking them. We were all speechless. We received peace that day that she was happy and with ones she loved in a beautiful place. I learned a lot of this experience. The main thing was not to fear death or dying. That the end of a life even though we miss that person incredibly can be a peaceful and beautiful passage." +"Six months ago I watched my mother pass away from cancer. She was a very caring person who also had her own demons. She always wanted to be a part of our lives but she was coping in the wrong way which prevented us from being together. The last few year she was alive we became close and finally developed a bond. When she found out she had cancer we all laid around the hospital bed and cried. There wasn't anything the doctors could do and she only lived 30 days after diagnosis. I was so heart broken that this happened to my brother and I. We buried her under her favorite shade tree on our farm. The day she passed away, I had noticed her breaths were coming very far apart. We rushed her to the hospital and she was fighting to get out of the bed. I suppose she knew what was going to happen and was trying to out run death. Everyone came by to say goodbye at the hospital. The next day around noon, she took her last breaths with us by her side. She had a peaceful and pain free death. We helped clean her body and prepared her with the coroner. He took her body to the local funeral home in our hometown. She lived to be 46 year old and was survived by her two children." +"The memorable event that I shared was when my step-father got in touch with me after a long time of us not speaking to each other. My biological dad left when I was a baby so my step-dad was pretty much the sole father figure in my life during some of my formative years (around age four to nine). This was until he and my mom unfortunately got divorced. He still tried to be there for me but life got in the way. He and I drifted apart over time. So my step-dad apparently got my phone number from my mom and gave me an unexpected call one day several months ago. I said how good it was to hear from him, and we updated each other on some of the new mundane things in our lives. He also told me about his health, which he's had issues with at times, but on the whole things are going pretty well for him especially considering he's in his 70s. I shared news about my own health which has also had some bumps in the road. He told me he has a new wife who he said is great and he's very happy being with. The memorable and rather shocking part of the story was when that my step-dad told me his younger sister had died (only in her 50s) far too soon from cancer. I was really quite sad and taken aback by this. It brought up a lot of memories from my childhood of staying over at her house and how nice she was. I of course tried my best to offer my condolences and sympathy. It was a nice conversation and moving experience that lasted about half an hour. At the end of the call we expressed intent to stay in touch, which we have. It's been good to have him back in my life even in just a small way." +It was a hot summer day in April. My phone rang and I didn't recognize the number. I don't usually pick up unknown numbers. I decided to pick it up today because I wasn't that busy. It was my step-father. He wanted to see how I was doing even though we hadn't spoken in several years. Growing up we had a rocky relationship. We never really got along and argued a lot. I felt like he always tried to be my dad and I didn't want him to. Sometimes our arguments turned physical. But now that we were on the phone our conversation was calm. We spoke about my childhood and his relationship with my mother. It was a rough conversation at first but then it got better over time. The conversation was emotional and we caught up for a bit before hanging up. We agreed we would try to stay in tough more often. +"I had one good friend in my family and it was like everyone has Yeah it was my cousin. I told him about that I was coming for you. I was so excited about that and our family packed our bags for me .He was so happy about that and he was very happy and he made an arrangement for party . I like him very much because he is very naughty and funny. And also because he has the same birth date as mine! Let me tell you something more about him. He is ten years old and has big mischievous eyes and curly brown hair. His favourite food is masala data and he loves to cat ice-creams. He runs very fast and always wins lots of medals for his school. He is the captain of his school athletics team, lie also loves to read books, watch movies and play video games. John stays in Newyork and visits us in the summer holidays every year. When he visited us last year, we had a lot of lint by joining a swimming camp and taking guitar lessons together. I am very excited because my mother has promised that John. I can celebrate our birthday this year by throwing one big party for all our friends. I have so much fun whenever John visits that I sometimes wish that he stayed near us so that I could him meet him every day and we could study in the same school together! I will continue enjoying my funny cousin until everybody else gets what he is saying. The second thing that I like about my cousin is that he is easy going. this memories will never fade away and my cousin was best cousin the world and I love him a lot." +"My most memorable childhood event was last year the Fourth of July. A big family vacation a barbeque, over night stay and out of town trip to six flags, and I had a blast the night before me, my mom, sisters and brother packed our bags to stay the night over my cousin house in Goodlettsville ,Tennessee. She had the biggest house ever I thought it was a mansion; six bedrooms two an half bath, a swimming pool, a game/movie room with a nice big kitchen. It was something that I was not use, knowing that we stayed in a three bedroom based on an income apartment on the East side of Nashville. Arriving to my cousin house i seen a lot of my family members even the ones that was from out of town A Memorable Experience in Photography To experience photography, one must have a certain style of photographs to really appreciate or admire. Photographs are picturesque images and views thatreally catch the interest of the photographer. For me to experience and admirephotography, it took me only one photographer to really appreciate the power ithas his name is Robert Capa. Robert grew up in Hungary he experienced thepolitical unrest and turmoil. He lived under the oppression of Horthy andknew the kind of anarchy that constitutes war(Images of War 8). His work also had a swift understanding and sympathy for the people who sufferfrom being caught in war. This type of suffering made it impossible for himto ignore the events which affected their lives(Images of War 9). Robert'sbelief on photography is ""If your pictures are not good enough, your not closeenough""(Photographs Foreword).Robert's breakthrough in the field of photography came during the Spanish CivilWar. His most famous picture was a snapshot of a courageous man in the act offalling(Capa18). His own special talents and course of world happenings, ledhim into a role as a professional photographer of war(Images of War20). Toreally admire and understand Capa, you must have a fascination for dramatic andemotional pictures of war. There probably has been thousands who admire thework he does. Well you can include me in that group of thousands. Capa putsinto perspective in just one photograph, something my grandfather will neverforget. The Bombing of Pearl Harbor. The photograph that brings back thesememories is taken somewhere in Europe during World War II. I" +"April 17, 2019Dad died today. My brother called to let me know. I was expecting it, because my brother had called the night before to say the facility my dad was at had contacted my mom and told her he was not doing well, and they expected the worse. My brother asked if I was going to go over to the facility, but I said not tonight, but that I would go in the morning. I have mixed feelings about that decision. You see, my dad had been diagnosed with Parkinson's and had been moved to an assistant living facility for people with chronic mental issues when my mom was no longer able to care for him. He was pretty much in a vegetative state in that he didn't speak or move. He breathed unassisted and had to be fed, bathed and changed. I had visited him a few times at the facility and hated seeing him that way. He didn't communicate with me at all. I talked to him but had no idea if he was hearing any of it. He lay on his side in a semi-fetal position, his hands frozen in a curled, claw like posture; his face expressionless, his mouth frozen in an open position. His eyes didn't move or follow you in any way. I secretly hoped he would pass on quietly and peacefully in his sleep, sooner rather than later. I didn't know what else to do. He wasn't going to get any better, and no one knew how long this would go on. I remember thinking how can anyone in this world think this is the way anyone would want to live? It made me think how selfish people were, because the only people who could see this as an acceptable way for another person to live would be someone not going through it, but willing to put someone else through it just so they would not have to deal with the death of a loved one. If it was possible to choose to have him euthanized, I would have done it. But that is not an option in our ""civilized"" world, so I was stuck just hoping nature would take its course, sooner rather than later. I do not regret those thoughts. I do, however, regret not having gone to the facility the night my brother called and being by my dad's side when he died. I honestly do not know if I did not go because I honestly thought he would make it until the next day, or if I just didn't want to see him that way again. I still struggle with that decision and the reasons behind it." +"April 17, 2019Dad died today. My brother called to let me know. I was expecting it, because my brother had called the night before to say the facility my dad was at had contacted my mom and told her he was not doing well, and they expected the worse. My brother asked if I was going to go over to the facility, but I said not tonight, but that I would go in the morning. I have mixed feelings about that decision. You see, my dad had been diagnosed with Parkinson's and had been moved to an assistant living facility for people with chronic mental issues when my mom was no longer able to care for him. He was pretty much in a vegetative state in that he didn't speak or move. He breathed unassisted and had to be fed, bathed and changed. I had visited him a few times at the facility and hated seeing him that way. He didn't communicate with me at all. I talked to him but had no idea if he was hearing any of it. He lay on his side in a semi-fetal position, his hands frozen in a curled, claw like posture; his face expressionless, his mouth frozen in an open position. His eyes didn't move or follow you in any way. I secretly hoped he would pass on quietly and peacefully in his sleep, sooner rather than later. I didn't know what else to do. He wasn't going to get any better, and no one knew how long this would go on. I remember thinking how can anyone in this world think this is the way anyone would want to live? It made me think how selfish people were, because the only people who could see this as an acceptable way for another person to live would be someone not going through it, but willing to put someone else through it just so they would not have to deal with the death of a loved one. If it was possible to choose to have him euthanized, I would have done it. But that is not an option in our ""civilized"" world, so I was stuck just hoping nature would take its course, sooner rather than later. I do not regret those thoughts. I do, however, regret not having gone to the facility the night my brother called and being by my dad's side when he died. I honestly do not know if I did not go because I honestly thought he would make it until the next day, or if I just didn't want to see him that way again. I still struggle with that decision and the reasons behind it." +"Today I am meeting with a long time female friend whom I haven't seen in years. We are going to have dinner at Sam Snead's Steak and Lobster. This all started about 3 months ago when I was preparing for the release of my new EP. I thought it would be a great idea to celebrate my birthday and the release show for my new album on the same day. It would be sort of a double celebration. My personal assistant felt it would be a good idea to go to Miami and spend my birthday there. The record company agreed and booked a very popular club on South Beach to have the party. I flew down to Miami a few days before the event, just to relax and take a break from all the stress of getting this record released. My personal assistant thought it would be good press for me to visit a local high school in the community and visit to talk with the students and I agreed. Giving back has always been important to me and I personally feel that people of power and influence have an obligation to help others. My assistant decided on Dade City High School as the school to visit. She contacted the school and set everything up for me to come visit. When we arrived at the school, we checked in at the front office. I met the principal and he introduced me to the other people present in the office. I signed autographs and took selfies with several of them. Just as we were about to leave I heard this voice from behind me say, ""I always knew you were going to be a great musician."" I turned around and saw a familiar face.... it was Cynthia Ortiz! As I walked up to her, I saw her name badge read ""Assistant Principal"". One of the secretaries asked, ""you two know each other?"" Cynthia quickly chimed in, ""yes we do.....me and this gentleman were high school sweethearts."" So that brings me up to tonight. After that high school visit, Cynthia and I started talking on a regular basis. I flew back to Miami last night to see her and have dinner. Who knows where this will lead, but I do think it was just more than a simple coincidence that after almost 15 years, we would run into each other like this." +"The most unexpected thing happened to me about 3 months ago. I've been so busy since then that I'm just now writing about it. I'm such a procrastinator! My best friend and I were on our way to see my favorite band, Highly Suspect, perform at the Amphitheater when I heard my phone ringing from the depths of my purse. I almost didn't answer it because I was driving and all that, but my best friend fished it out of the abyss for me. I am SO glad I took the call! It was an automated call from the local rock station I listen to religiously on my way to and from work, telling me I had won a trip to Las Vegas. They have a web page where you can enter-for-a-chance-to-win stuff like T-shirts, concert tickets and vacations (obviously). I had totally forgotten about it because I never win anything, even though I check the page daily for new contests. I was so excited when I got that call, having never been to Las Vegas, that I immediately called the radio station. I almost thought it wasn't real. The lady who answered the phone assured me that if I had gotten the automated call I had definitely won the trip. She got real quiet and said she needed to check something, so she put me on hold. When she came back on the line it was with the most awesome, unexpected news! I had actually won a trip to Mexico. This excited me even more, because I've always wanted to go to Mexico. It was the most amazing trip and I will forever remember it!" +"The most unexpected thing happened to me about 3 months ago. I've been so busy since then that I'm just now writing about it. I'm such a procrastinator! My best friend and I were on our way to see my favorite band, Highly Suspect, perform at the Amphitheater when I heard my phone ringing from the depths of my purse. I almost didn't answer it because I was driving and all that, but my best friend fished it out of the abyss for me. I am SO glad I took the call! It was an automated call from the local rock station I listen to religiously on my way to and from work, telling me I had won a trip to Las Vegas. They have a web page where you can enter-for-a-chance-to-win stuff like T-shirts, concert tickets and vacations (obviously). I had totally forgotten about it because I never win anything, even though I check the page daily for new contests. I was so excited when I got that call, having never been to Las Vegas, that I immediately called the radio station. I almost thought it wasn't real. The lady who answered the phone assured me that if I had gotten the automated call I had definitely won the trip. She got real quiet and said she needed to check something, so she put me on hold. When she came back on the line it was with the most awesome, unexpected news! I had actually won a trip to Mexico. This excited me even more, because I've always wanted to go to Mexico. It was the most amazing trip and I will forever remember it!" +"I went on vacation to Las Vegas this past August with a few friends and family members. We all got together a few weeks earlier and planned everything from what activities we'd be doing to how much money everything would cost. We got our plane tickets and had a nice flight to the city. The experience was fantastic as we went to visit several casinos and resort locations. We also visited Freemont Street which had a ton of attractions, people, and local events. A few days after we took a day trip to visit the Grand Canyon and go on a bus tour. The experience of that was unlike any other especially since I come from the suburbs of New Jersey. There was a ton of tourists there and besides the massive caverns and the canyon itself, I was floored by the beauty of the landscapes and colors of it all. After that day we went to a concert in one of the casinos to see a Michael Jackson impressionist and performances. We also attended a small magic show that cost practically nothing. We didn't gamble too much but we tried a little bit. Our hotel was nice too although nothing too fancy. We tried to spend our money wisely and carefully as even food costs were expensive. Luckily one of our friends knew people from Vegas and we got a nice buffet deal for a few days. By the end of the trip we were all pretty exhausted and ready to go home. It was a fantastic experience but it's not something I'd do all the time." +"We were bored of the city life. Hence we decided to move to a house on country side. In the mean time we also know that our daughter's birthday was coming in six months. So myself and my spouse decided to buy a house on country side and give as a birthday gift to our daughter. My daughter was also interested in riding horses, hence country side house would help her in developing skills on horse riding. As promise we kept the plan as a surprise. We approached real estate agents in search of the house. Finally we found a house and bought it before a month from my daughter's birthday. She was eagerly asking about her birthday gift because she can't tolerate surprises. Her birthday arrived three months ago and we arranged a party in our house. On the party, my spouse wished to say the surprise gift to our daughter. After the cake cutting celebration, my spouse showed the new house agreement to our daughter. Our daughter was really shocked and was unable to speak for few minutes. She hugged us and expressed her happiness of the gift she received. She immediately shared the news to her friends and enjoyed the party." +"We were bored of the city life. Hence we decided to move to a house on country side. In the mean time we also know that our daughter's birthday was coming in six months. So myself and my spouse decided to buy a house on country side and give as a birthday gift to our daughter. My daughter was also interested in riding horses, hence country side house would help her in developing skills on horse riding. As promise we kept the plan as a surprise. We approached real estate agents in search of the house. Finally we found a house and bought it before a month from my daughter's birthday. She was eagerly asking about her birthday gift because she can't tolerate surprises. Her birthday arrived three months ago and we arranged a party in our house. On the party, my spouse wished to say the surprise gift to our daughter. After the cake cutting celebration, my spouse showed the new house agreement to our daughter. Our daughter was really shocked and was unable to speak for few minutes. She hugged us and expressed her happiness of the gift she received. She immediately shared the news to her friends and enjoyed the party." +"My mom and I went over to my sisters house for the first time in months. We both do not have a good relationship with her because she is kind of insane. We went there just to see my niece, her granddaughter. We were expecting the usual fighting with my sister, but were surprised at how normal and nice she was. She greeted us with a smile for the first time in years, she made us dinner, she answered our questions, and didn't yell once. My mom and I were looking at each other throughout the 3 hour stay because we wanted to see each others' reactions to this. My sister even asked us about our lives and what has been going on. This has NEVER happened before. What was even more surprising, as I already said, was that she answered our questions. I asked if she was still working at the same spot, she said no and told me where she works now. Had this been even 5 months ago she would have replied with 'why do you want to know?' We then asked her if we could take my niece out to get some ice cream. She said yes right away, which, again, never happens. She even came with us and treated us all. This all sounds really normal to most people, but my sister has been a psycho for ten years now and having a good time with her really made my year. My mom even cried on the way home." +"Oh yeah this story haha. Okay so I was traveling across the country to create a life with the love of my life in a state I never lived in. Big jump! I wasn't gonna leave my son (Rocky the Turtle) behind. Can't drive so, hopefully airplane security will be cool with a turtle. He's a real charmer, so while TSA was skeptical when I first explained the situation, the moment the box opened and Rockso went to say hi to this new exciting person, they were captivated. Got to skip the x ray imagers, but they still had to swab him down for potential explosives. Or drugs? I guess he's just that HOT looking haha. But really. They swabbed him down, found nothing of course, and then we were off to wait for the airplane. Rocky was NOT a fan of the box by the way. He would shuffle around and try to dig his way into the paper towels I laid down for the trip whenever the box was closed. When it was open, however, he'd chill and peek his lil turtley head up and out, taking in the sights. He got to meet several curious travelers including one delighted lil toddler whose mother was v charmed by my personable lil guy. This was only between planes, however. Could not open the box and take him out midflight. Seemed risky, didn't want him getting loose and causing a panic, or even worse, getting hurt. He was tucked under the seat in front of me the entire flight, and all you could hear was occasional little flurries of scrapes as he tried to burrow his way out of the box to freedom." +"Oh yeah this story haha. Okay so I was traveling across the country to create a life with the love of my life in a state I never lived in. Big jump! I wasn't gonna leave my son (Rocky the Turtle) behind. Can't drive so, hopefully airplane security will be cool with a turtle. He's a real charmer, so while TSA was skeptical when I first explained the situation, the moment the box opened and Rockso went to say hi to this new exciting person, they were captivated. Got to skip the x ray imagers, but they still had to swab him down for potential explosives. Or drugs? I guess he's just that HOT looking haha. But really. They swabbed him down, found nothing of course, and then we were off to wait for the airplane. Rocky was NOT a fan of the box by the way. He would shuffle around and try to dig his way into the paper towels I laid down for the trip whenever the box was closed. When it was open, however, he'd chill and peek his lil turtley head up and out, taking in the sights. He got to meet several curious travelers including one delighted lil toddler whose mother was v charmed by my personable lil guy. This was only between planes, however. Could not open the box and take him out midflight. Seemed risky, didn't want him getting loose and causing a panic, or even worse, getting hurt. He was tucked under the seat in front of me the entire flight, and all you could hear was occasional little flurries of scrapes as he tried to burrow his way out of the box to freedom." +"My recent family vacation to Jamaica is what comes to mind. It is my birth country, before my family decided to move to America when I was a small child. I have not been back for over 20 years, so it was like stepping back to my childhood. When I first went back to my neighborhood, it was like nothing I remembered. It's almost as if this was not the place I grew up and everyone was just lying to me. I was in a complete state of shock seeing people that I have not seen in 20 years. Kids in the neighborhood were now grown adults, and look nothing like I remember them. I was in a sense of disbelief, and just in a daze the whole time. Its funny when you move away from somewhere for a long time you're expecting time to stand still. The whole place just seem a lot smaller, maybe because as a kid everything is just bigger. A lot of people moved away that I grew up with, I guess I expected. I went back to visit my old school that I went to, trying to find my old teachers and classmates. Doing this made me realized how long 20 years really is. No one was there, the school was shut down and no one was in sight. This kinda made me sad, like a whole part of my life was erased. I don't know if I regret going back or I'm happy about it, guess I'm still trying to process things." +"Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that something so mind-blowing, heartwrenching, and beautiful could ever happen to me. I mean, I was present when my sister gave birth to my first nephew and I got to witness him come into this world... but never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would have to deliver one of her children. When Miley Cyrus sang ""I came in like a wrecking ball"", I don't quite think she really knew what that meant, considering this sweet baby that I had delivered, had done in a physical sense. I woke up that morning and my sister and I were about to go shopping for some of her baby shower decorations when she tells me that she does not feel very well. We weren't expecting for the baby to come for another four weeks, so neither one of us detected that she was actually having contractions, especially considering they didn't really feel like contractions to her. She decides to lie down for a little while to see if maybe a little rest would help her feel better. Well, a few hours later she thought she needed to use the restroom so she got up, and she felt something really strange. By this time she calls me into her room and as I'm walking in she starts screaming that the baby's head is crowning already so I call 911 to get an ambulance on it's way, but the baby was coming way too quickly. I rush to gather some towels at this point because I just already knew that this baby was coming fast. I get my sister laid back on her bed and have her hold her legs up. At this point more of the baby's head is showing. The 911 operator is calmly telling me what to I need to do, but I'm still freaking out a good amount so I put the phone on speaker so that I can do exactly as they tell me to do. I counted with my sister and helped her with her breathing and pushes, and after three long pushes, out comes this baby. At first he's really quiet so I really start to freak out, but as I wrap him in the towel and rub his back, he let's out this strong wail. I pass him over to my sister and just about the time the 911 operator is telling me what else I need to do after this point, the paramedics knock on the door." +"In this story i tell some thing about my friend married function. we see our friend in some years passed and get interest to saw all of my friends. and the day had come we all on my friend home in 5 day before and getting lots funs and entertainments. we talk to each other and doing some works on friend married things. in one day before the Bachelors party had start that moments in my mind still an beautiful memory. we had lot of dance and untold story we shared and more funs. And midnight walk make the day in awesome. For as long as you can remember, your best friend has been your rock. A wedding, two decades in the making. Instead turn to these clever marriage jokes to get everyone laughing. A best man or maid of honor, or simply the sort of friend or relative who can't resist the chance. There's a story about an odd gift and surprising them. still in my mind remembering that day events. Instead turn to these clever marriage jokes to get everyone laughing. A best man or maid of honor, or simply the sort of friend or relative who can't resist the chance. There's a story about an odd gift and surprising them. still in my mind remembering that day events. and missing my friend to saw one more time. that make the love and bonding with each other. this event is an beautiful memory in always with my mind" +"Since that time I ve been working on getting better. Seems something is always going on. My grandson had just been born when I ""died"" and have been spending time with him. Then my granddaughter came just after that. Want to take them a lot and keep them with me but I don't trust myself being alone with them. It is the picking them up and crrying them around that is hard. I can't always pick them up and hold them. I get very tired and have to rest a lot. I also have issues remembering some things at times. I forget more often and have to work to remember stuff. I also get more frustrated with the kids than I did when my oldes granddaughter was born. It is all very frustrating to me and just want to feel normal. I also want to be able to drive but my son refuses to let me drive in case something happens. I almost hit a guy on a bicycle one time. My son just laughed but it really bothered him. I didn't feel I was too close but he did." +"It was about six months ago when I had just gotten a new mountain bike so that I could ride some trails with my oldest son, who is 18. My son always loved mountain biking and was getting quite good at it. When I agreed to bike on some trails with him I was not sure what to expect, however I was excited to see what it's like. I knew how to bike quite well but I hadn't gone on any serious mountain bike trails yet. I remember when we arrived at the trail, he told me to follow him and that he would go slow. I was surprised how much stamina and focus it took to go down these trails right away but I kept up with my son at first. After a few minutes of going down the trail, however, my memory of the event gets hazy. What I do remember is that the trail started to feature these large jumps, and my son would back flip off every single one. So I figured since he's doing so many back flips, I would be able to do at least one pretty easily. The last I remember is getting so much air off the jump that I was headed straight into a river next to the trail. After that I don't remember anything until I woke up in the hospital, but my son tells me I performed a triple back flip off the biggest jump and landed straight in the river, and that he was able to get me out. But when he did, I apparently wasn't breathing, and thankfully he was CPR certified and was successful. Since then my memory has been pretty bad, I think I hit my head on a rock even though I was wearing a helmet. Since then I have been pretty terrified of biking at all. But I know one day I'll have to face my fear and perform that trick again, even though my son tells me not to." +"Six months ago I planted the most beautiful garden. Planting this garden was a very important event in my life because it marked the anniversary of my father's death. My father always wanted to plant a garden but never had the time and died a lot earlier than we planned. What my father had planned to do was plant a garden in his retirement, which he never made it to. In honor of my father's memory I planted the best garden I have ever seen! It had everything. I planted green beans in in the northeast corner, my fathers absolute favorite! I even planted some garlic so I could make his favorite dish, all with ingredients right from my garden! There was everything. More colors than you could imagine. The reddest of red tomatoes. The yellowest of yellow peppers. And the most purple purple you have ever seen could be found right on my eggplants! And oh boy was it green! Every shade of green from the darkest to the most pale found it's way onto the leaves of the plants growing in my garden! Now that the summer has died down I am enjoying the fruits of my labor. Not just the many vegetables I have grown, but there is something extra special. Something that is only ready when the harvest begins to come in. That's right; pumpkins! Big, bright, orange pumpkins, of all different sizes; I must have grown over a dozen of them! And let me tell you this; they faired much better than the watermelons I tried to grow this year! Some may say my garden might have been a little over ambitious for my first one; but you know what? My dad would be proud. It was his garden, whether he was here to enjoy it or not! I bet he looked down on me while I was working on it smiling, just glad he didn't have to do all the work!" +"So, 4 months ago, my best friend left. I was PISSED. I'll be honest with you, I didn't think he would leave without saying goodbye. I just felt so angry at him and the thought he could just go without saying anything--like, what if I never see him again? I tried texting, no response. He's just decided to up and ghost me now, I guess we were never really friends in the first place, huh? I just wanted to give him a hug goodbye. I don't know, I just feel hurt. Yeah, he was the one leaving and I'm being selfish. But I feel like I deserved a goodbye. I just really missed him. I really hope we can see each other again. I didn't mean to be clingy or weird about it, it's not like that. I just feel lonely sometimes and he's the only person I could ever call a true friend and person I could confide in, and he just decided to drop all of that and leave me in the dust. Which, ok, cool. Whatever. Fine. I'll find a new friend anyway, but that doesn't mean this hurts any less. It's been 4 months, I'm still not over it." +"It was 4 months ago , late April to be exact. It was soccer season . I was the best striker in the team . We were 3-1, the other team was losing hope . Everything was looking up and up , until i started dribbling the ball i felt pain above my heel. I couldn't stretch my ankle or stand on my toes. The pain was severe, and the area felt tender, stiff, and swollen. And i heard a popping noise when my achilles tendon was ruptured. I fell to the ground and i immediately held my knee. I felt that my soccer season was over and this was something serious. I tried to ice the area to keep the swelling down, but that was obsolete. I knew i had to go to the emergency room right away. At the hospital they confirmed that it was an achilles rupture, but instead of surgery i may need to wear a cast for six weeks. During this time the tendon will grow back together. The doctor had me in the cast and told me it will be changed every two to three weeks to help stretch the tendon. I have leg brace splint that keeps me from moving my foot to prevent further injury. After one week the doctor said it is ok to walk with the cast without putting too much pressure on it. Now i am two weeks into my post injury care and it seems to be healing as expected. Next week i will go to the doctor to have the cast changed." +"It was 4 months ago , late April to be exact. It was soccer season . I was the best striker in the team . We were 3-1, the other team was losing hope . Everything was looking up and up , until i started dribbling the ball i felt pain above my heel. I couldn't stretch my ankle or stand on my toes. The pain was severe, and the area felt tender, stiff, and swollen. And i heard a popping noise when my achilles tendon was ruptured. I fell to the ground and i immediately held my knee. I felt that my soccer season was over and this was something serious. I tried to ice the area to keep the swelling down, but that was obsolete. I knew i had to go to the emergency room right away. At the hospital they confirmed that it was an achilles rupture, but instead of surgery i may need to wear a cast for six weeks. During this time the tendon will grow back together. The doctor had me in the cast and told me it will be changed every two to three weeks to help stretch the tendon. I have leg brace splint that keeps me from moving my foot to prevent further injury. After one week the doctor said it is ok to walk with the cast without putting too much pressure on it. Now i am two weeks into my post injury care and it seems to be healing as expected. Next week i will go to the doctor to have the cast changed." +"This event happened some months ago. I was at the park with my girlfriend on a Saturday evening. We were basking in the ambiance of the park when something really disheartening happened. A group of teenagers who seemed playful initially started harassing another kid. Initially I felt they were just messing around until I observed one of the bullies strike the kid. I immediately rushed down and calmed things down. While doing so, scolded the offenders. Out of no where came one of the parent of the kids. She barely asked for an explanation before going berserk. She called me all sorts of unprintable names. She said I should be ashamed of myself for defending a Latino. It was quite shocking. She also yelled ""leave our country for us"" at the little kid. It was really horrible. It's an experience I'm actually ashamed of typing." +"The story was about the time when my friends took me to the beach and taught me how to surf. I had always wanted to learn how to surf, but either never had enough time for it, because I traveled a lot for work, or just never got around to it. Years went by, and I still had not learned how to surf, and I got older. Finally, I got around to finding some time, and my friends were willing to teach me. One Saturday they took me to the beach, and since they are all very good surfers, they took turns showing me what to do. I have always been a good swimmer, so I was not too frightened of the water and the waves, but I am older now, and I was afraid that I would not even be able to get up on the board, let alone surf. I managed to paddle out with them on the first try. They had gone over with me what I needed to do in order to push myself up on the board. So, in theory I had everything memorized, and now I just needed to put it into practice. Surprisingly getting up on the board was nowhere as hard as I thought it would be. I missed the first nice sized wave that came around, but I paddled and caught the following one. My friends were yelling and laughing, and then I heard clapping. Surprisingly I managed to push myself up, and stand up on the board on my first try. That was the biggest surprise. I rode the wave all the way to the shore without falling off. It was amazing. I fell in love with surfing that day, and I surf now as much as I can. I am practicing my technique, and just getting better with every time I get up on that board again." +"I'm not going to start this off by telling you that I had no fear and tackled learning how to surf head on. There are a lot of thing that stress me out, and the possibility of drowning is definitely near the top of the list. That just goes to show how much I trust my friends, and how persuasive they can be. Three months ago my friends were able to get me in the car, wedged in the back seat between a surf board and giant cooler. I was lucky that my friends are experienced surfers. The fact that they knew what they were doing put me more at ease. With a little bit of coaxing and a lot of instruction, I was finally able to stand up on the board without falling down. The feeling of accomplishment was like a drug and it made me push even harder. I never would have thought that I could like something like surfing. I thought my fear of falling in the water would make me hate it, but that fear completely went away. I remember turning to my friends after the first time I successfully stayed on my board and seeing their beaming smiles. I think it might have meant just as much to them that I was able to overcome my fears. I guess that's what true friends do, they lift you up. I almost feel like I am addicted to surfing now. I spend a lot of time checking out surf videos online, and even purchased my very own board." +"My sweet daughter lost her little girl several months ago. She was 7 months along when the doctor lost the heartbeat. We met her at the hospital where she was induced. About 4 hours later her little baby was born. It was really hard, we cried and prayed together. Her faith has helped her get through it. She and her husband are being strong for each other and their other two kids. She understands that faith in God makes hard things possible. She wrote us about it and quoted this from one of our church leaders: This is a vivid illustration of the truth expressed by President Russell M. Nelson: “When the focus of our lives is on … Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him."" She has helped us through this as much as we have helped her. She has reminded us that everyone’s situation is different, and the details of each life are unique. Nevertheless, I have learned that there is something that would take away the bitterness that may come into our lives. There is one thing we can do to make life sweeter, more joyful, even glorious. We can be grateful! We are trying to live that way." +"Recently, my daughter became pregnant with her third child. We were also very excited about it! Things were progressing nicely, and normally for the first seven months of her pregnancy. Two months ago she went in for a routine doctor visit, and the doctor couldn't find the heartbeat of the baby. A few hours later she was in the hospital being induced to have the child. I was with her through the entire experience, holding her hand and trying to comfort her as best I could. As awful as it was, I was able to be with her through this very difficult time. It took about three hours before she was ready to have the stillborn child. Five hours after she was started, she was holding her little tiny girl in her arms. She spent a few days recovering from it, and then we had a funeral for the tiny baby. My husband and I were heartbroken. Years ago we lost a child, so we knew kind of what they were going through. As hard as it has been, during the last few months they have been strong, and have continued with their lives. It is ironic because through this time we have seen how it has strengthened their family. As hard as it was, they will come out better for it." +Its like iam going to share some important incedent happened in my life. So its very hard if i keep on thinking of it. When i am 18 years old i met an unforgetable incident in my life. My aunty passed away in an accident. Its really always feels sad if i think of it. she suffer a lot like she just say bye and she goes with her son in bike. it was an accident and she just passed away few minutes after the accident. so its very hard for all my family members to comethrough it. its like she was very carying and loving and she is very attached with my family. she likes me very much she is like she is my another mom she just take care of me. when i am little she only take me which her and taking care of me very much. so its always very hard if i think about her. and i feel very sad if i think about her. she is very lovely and she is very loving and caring. she is very beautiful too. she is just 50 when she met that accident. so i feel sad for her always. and i always like thinking about her. if i think about her lot of lovely incidents strike my mind and i just feels like i miss her so much. +Its like iam going to share some important incedent happened in my life. So its very hard if i keep on thinking of it. When i am 18 years old i met an unforgetable incident in my life. My aunty passed away in an accident. Its really always feels sad if i think of it. she suffer a lot like she just say bye and she goes with her son in bike. it was an accident and she just passed away few minutes after the accident. so its very hard for all my family members to comethrough it. its like she was very carying and loving and she is very attached with my family. she likes me very much she is like she is my another mom she just take care of me. when i am little she only take me which her and taking care of me very much. so its always very hard if i think about her. and i feel very sad if i think about her. she is very lovely and she is very loving and caring. she is very beautiful too. she is just 50 when she met that accident. so i feel sad for her always. and i always like thinking about her. if i think about her lot of lovely incidents strike my mind and i just feels like i miss her so much. +To find a job is very difficult now a days. I am very tired to find the perfect job for me. I find my job according to the qualification that I have. I searched the job in a lots of websites. And goes for an interview to the many companies. But they did not call for me after the interview is finished. Even I performed well in the interview. Mostly I prefer to pursue employment in person. So we can face any problems and we can establish our talent as much we can. So I refer interviews like job in persons. I've searched and went for an many interview. I am not going to quit my job findings until I find the perfect job. No one can stop me. One day I will achieve my goal and become an successful employee. They is not so far. +"My husband's 60th birday was approaching, so I decided to do something extra special for him this year. Since he enjoys staying at hotels, I booked a room at a luxury hotel for a weekend getaway. I did not tell him before we checked-in to the hotel, but I had chosen this hotel because it had a large, heated indoor pool. We got to our room and I immediately opened my suitcase and pulled out his swimming trunks, that I had packed in secret. We changed into our swim clothes and headed down to the pool. As we approached the pool, we both noticed that there was also a whirlpool located next to the pool. I was elated! My husband suffers from back pain and the whirlpool would certainly made him feel good. We swam for quite a while, then relaxed in the whirlpool. After we got back to our room, we both were extremely hungry and we agreed that a steak dinner was what we wanted. We ate our favorite steaks along with baked potatoes and creamed spinach. For dessert, my both had the most delicious chocolate cake that we'd ever eaten. After dinner, I gave him directions to a nearby movie theater, where we planned to see a remake of one of his favorite movies, The Lion King. The theater featured state of the art video and sound, but when we entered the theater to take our seats, I was astonished to see that all of the seats were overstuffed leather recliners that changed position with the touch of a button. Again, this made me particularly happy because of my husband's back issues, sitting for long periods of time can be painful for him. I was sure that he would be very comfortable in his seat and would be able to enjoy the movie thoroughly, which he was and he did. The sound and video quality, along with the comfort of the seats made us decide that we would never go to different theater ever again. All in all, the weekend was a great success because my husband had a fantastic time." +"My husband's 60th birday was approaching, so I decided to do something extra special for him this year. Since he enjoys staying at hotels, I booked a room at a luxury hotel for a weekend getaway. I did not tell him before we checked-in to the hotel, but I had chosen this hotel because it had a large, heated indoor pool. We got to our room and I immediately opened my suitcase and pulled out his swimming trunks, that I had packed in secret. We changed into our swim clothes and headed down to the pool. As we approached the pool, we both noticed that there was also a whirlpool located next to the pool. I was elated! My husband suffers from back pain and the whirlpool would certainly made him feel good. We swam for quite a while, then relaxed in the whirlpool. After we got back to our room, we both were extremely hungry and we agreed that a steak dinner was what we wanted. We ate our favorite steaks along with baked potatoes and creamed spinach. For dessert, my both had the most delicious chocolate cake that we'd ever eaten. After dinner, I gave him directions to a nearby movie theater, where we planned to see a remake of one of his favorite movies, The Lion King. The theater featured state of the art video and sound, but when we entered the theater to take our seats, I was astonished to see that all of the seats were overstuffed leather recliners that changed position with the touch of a button. Again, this made me particularly happy because of my husband's back issues, sitting for long periods of time can be painful for him. I was sure that he would be very comfortable in his seat and would be able to enjoy the movie thoroughly, which he was and he did. The sound and video quality, along with the comfort of the seats made us decide that we would never go to different theater ever again. All in all, the weekend was a great success because my husband had a fantastic time." +"I hosted a bridal shower for my best friend a little over a couple of months ago. It was a hot day. The shower was outside. We had a few canopies set up over the tables to provide shade. We also had some large fans pointed at the tables. There was a taco bar, drinks, and three games with prizes. First, the guests ate. Then we played the games. After the games there was time for mingling and socializing among the guests. At the very end of the shower, the bride opened gifts. When the bride was opening gifts she opened a ""joke"" gift, but she did not realize it at the time. Only a few guests were in on the joke. A few hours after the shower, we got ready for the bachelorette party and attended that that evening. The bachelorette party was outside as well. We went out to eat. We also went to a few bars." +"I recently hosted a bridal shower for my best friend. The shower was at her mom's house. I arrived early to set up decorations. The caterer showed up and set up the food also. Once the guests arrived, everyone ate first. After everyone had a chance to enjoy their food, I began the games. There were three games in total. Each game winner received a prize. After the games were done, the bride-to-be opened her gifts. She received a lot of gifts. The most memorable gift was a gag gift from her coworkers. The bride-to-be did not realize it was a gag at the time, which made her reaction to opening the gift even funnier, because she was trying to maintain a serious face. After the gifts, guests socialized for a little long, took pictures, and said their goodbyes. I stayed after the guests had left to clean up. Once the shower was over, we got ready for the bachelorette party that was later that night. We went out to eat and then went to several bars." +"This is the predicament I find myself into today. I'm 50 years old I have health issues and a house and a mortgage that I can't afford any more. This was a job that I've held since I was 18 years old in a career that spanned over 30 years. I wish I could say I saw it coming. To me personally, yes, but not for the entire staff- no! We helped build this company for decades and to lose it over one contract is just unbelievable but that's the way the business was heading. We did not diversify our portfolio enough and dependent on one contract basically to keep this place afloat. It was not a lucrative contract by any means because the competition is very fierce and we could not perform and offer the things that were making other offers attractive. It was a lot of discussion about cuts and how we could continue to move forward as a company without making some pretty severe adjustments. However I don't believe I could really see our doors closing forever. For me personally, it is going to be a very difficult time in my life. I do not have the means or resources and I haven't saved enough money. I have gone through my 401k another for other reasons mostly. Health issues and what not have put me in a rather precarious position. But I'm not like any other people are going to feel this severe impact of losing their incomes. Hopefully, my friends and the people that I get along with are going to be okay it's but it's going to be painful. For many others I suspect it will be devastating and they will need to figure out a way to recover maybe in an unconventional ways." +"One of the best days of my life. This is day will be remembered forever. It was something like the movie Hangover, but without the extra. It happened about a month ago, my friend parents had went on vacation for about two weeks. My friend decided to throw a party for his three closest friends; to celebrate our 22nd birthday. Since none of us had a birthday party this year, and we where born the same year. My friend said be at his crib around 8 and bring some liquor and call some girls. So i called a few girls, and posted it on a blog post. I arrived to my friend crib around 8 , it was kind of dark outside but wasn't fully dark in which the moon was at its glory. Walked inside and saw it was a small amount of people inside. I would say about 20 people in total. The music was very smooth, like a nice slow jam to dance with the ladies. I shook three of my friends hands, and gave four girls i knew a hug. More people started to arrive and that's when everything got lit. About 40 more people arrived and that's when the heavy liquor came in. People brought in Hennessy, Ciroc and other expensive drinks i haven't heard of. Let me tell you, we got wasted that night. I was taking shots, after shots, after shots, and more shots. I think I had about 10 shots of liquor, for what i can remember. All i remember was i threw up all over my friends couch, table, and bathroom toilet. But that didn't stop the party, we party until about 4 a.m.. It was a night to remember. I woke up the next morning with the worst hangover ever and barely remembering anything. I end up staying at my friends crib cause i was so wasted. He showed me the video of me throwing up and dancing with a couple of girls. We laughed about it and then i went home." +"One of the best days of my life. This is day will be remembered forever. It was something like the movie Hangover, but without the extra. It happened about a month ago, my friend parents had went on vacation for about two weeks. My friend decided to throw a party for his three closest friends; to celebrate our 22nd birthday. Since none of us had a birthday party this year, and we where born the same year. My friend said be at his crib around 8 and bring some liquor and call some girls. So i called a few girls, and posted it on a blog post. I arrived to my friend crib around 8 , it was kind of dark outside but wasn't fully dark in which the moon was at its glory. Walked inside and saw it was a small amount of people inside. I would say about 20 people in total. The music was very smooth, like a nice slow jam to dance with the ladies. I shook three of my friends hands, and gave four girls i knew a hug. More people started to arrive and that's when everything got lit. About 40 more people arrived and that's when the heavy liquor came in. People brought in Hennessy, Ciroc and other expensive drinks i haven't heard of. Let me tell you, we got wasted that night. I was taking shots, after shots, after shots, and more shots. I think I had about 10 shots of liquor, for what i can remember. All i remember was i threw up all over my friends couch, table, and bathroom toilet. But that didn't stop the party, we party until about 4 a.m.. It was a night to remember. I woke up the next morning with the worst hangover ever and barely remembering anything. I end up staying at my friends crib cause i was so wasted. He showed me the video of me throwing up and dancing with a couple of girls. We laughed about it and then i went home." +"I'm glad I learned how to kayak three months ago. My local park was offering free kayak lessons and I signed up. It is something I always wanted to learn, so this was a perfect opportunity. When I got there, a small group was there already. I was nervous but excited. The instructor was friendly and patient. I learned where to place my feet. I learned how to fasten myself in. He taught us the proper way to use the paddle, how to go forward and how to turn. I climbed into a kayak and he pushed it out into the water. I headed for the middle of the lake. It was wonderful. It was a clear sunny day. The light was shining off the water and the waves lapping against the kayak and the sound of the paddles dipping in an out the water was soothing. Maybe too soothing. Because I loosened my grip on the paddle and it slid out of my hand into the water! Fortunately, it fell within arms reach and I was able to get it back, but my heart skipped a beat for a few moments. I continued paddling around the lake for an hour before it was time to head back." +"I have always thought love at first sight is a not for me until this very day. It was 4 months ago when I rode the Metro as usual after work. I had stayed back to cover an important part of my task before going home. At 8 pm, I was just leaving the office. I was pretty famished and all in my head was what I will get to bite when I reach home. I sat down gently by the window. The seat next to me was empty and I was just praying it wouldn't be a mother with a kid that will come and sit next to me. I like kids but at that point, I didn't just want one to disturb my peaceful ride back home. I brought out my phone and starting checking Reddit for the popular posts on that day. The seat next to me was still empty. I didn't know what made me look far right, beyond an elderly man was this lady on glasses. Her nose came out a little than the other girls I know. Just when I was praying that she looks sideways so I see what she looks like, she turned sideways. I froze at the spot. It took about 10 seconds to caution myself that I've been staring way too much. Those 10 seconds were the most enchanting moment of my life. The elderly man seated next to her left and maybe not wanting to sit alone, she came to sit just beside me. I can't say maybe it was the scent of her that made my nervous that one word could not leave my already slightly opened lips or that I didn't expect her to make that move. I just slowly turned back to checking Reddit. I still feel bad I didn't even say Hi." +This move is much different than I thought it would be. It has been hard to adjust to a new environment. There is too much pressure and I feel like I am failing. I see others do much better than me and take on more responsibility. I want to do well but I don't know if I can do it. Anytime that I feel like I am making progress there are more steps back. More of what I want to do seems out of reach. I am afraid that it was a mistake. My life back home was easier. It was easier to do the same thing again and again. It was easier to have the same places to go and not be too concerned about what to do next. I would like an easier job. I received a raise but not by much. I am not sure if it was worth it but I am here now. I cannot change the past and I need to move forward. The was is not what I expected. +"I worked so hard for this promotion. But I didn't expect that I would be working even harder after. It also requires I move to another state. This was five months ago and wow! It's been quite a ride! I have never lived this far away from my family so it's been scary and hard not having them here to support me. I miss my mom so badly and I miss my friends. At my age I didn't realize how much I still needed my m'om! I'm making new friends here but I still spend more time alone than I want. I think I might get a cat from the shelter to keep me company, i spend so much time at the office that I don't have a ton of time alone. It's mainly on weekends when I would be out with friends or having dinner with my parents. I love my new job even though it's so fast paced. I feel like I'm making an impact already. I got a nice raise with the promotion and am able to save money at a pace I never thought I could. I should be able to move from my apartment into a house within the next two years. I'm glad I took the promotion even though it required that I move. And I am flirting with my cute neighbor and think he's going to ask me out.." +"Two weeks ago, we had a birthday party with the son. It took a while to find a great place for him. We finally found a nice arcade and pizza place. The pizza was great. I had a large meat lover's and shared it with the family. They enjoyed it as well. There were many games in the arcade. I played some Ski ball. I let my son when and he had a lot of fun. I played some classics, like Pac-man. I let the little one beat me in Pac-man but just barely. He got a 1000 points more than me. The arcade wasn't that full. We had this party by ourselves. We all went home with a smile on our faces and will remember this forever." +"Two weeks ago, we had a birthday party with the son. It took a while to find a great place for him. We finally found a nice arcade and pizza place. The pizza was great. I had a large meat lover's and shared it with the family. They enjoyed it as well. There were many games in the arcade. I played some Ski ball. I let my son when and he had a lot of fun. I played some classics, like Pac-man. I let the little one beat me in Pac-man but just barely. He got a 1000 points more than me. The arcade wasn't that full. We had this party by ourselves. We all went home with a smile on our faces and will remember this forever." +"Since the last time I wrote we are currently still homeless. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay at my boyfriends house and get a few online jobs. I also was able to get in contact with my real dad who is currently moving back to Dallas to buy a house so he can help me get my life back together. I haven't seen my mom in about 5 months, I refuse to, she make my skin itch and I don't wanna be around her anymore. My mom's boyfriend and her are staying at my grandmas house full time with my little sister and niece. He also refuses to get a job because he says his money is still coming and it's any day now. Now no one in my family likes him except my mom, he thought he would reach out and bother me everyday with long text messages and phone calls every 10 minutes. Him and my mom also tried to convince me not to go live with my real dad and that they can offer me a better life. They are both so high up the others butt it's sad, but not sad enough for me to go see them. My life took a turn back in October, i went clubbing with my best friend and was drinking and dancing the night away. The next day I woke up and felt a real sharp pain in my leg and a liquid leaving my body, turns out I had been pregnant and was having a miscarriage. I went through that for about a week and was really low in my life, I had realized that I really had nothing to call my own. I didn't tell anyone but my best friend and my boyfriend, I couldn't bare to tell anyone in my family, I just couldn't bare it. I still talk to my mom on the phone from time to time and she wants to talk to me in person about her boyfriend and whether I like him or not. This is one of the reason I refuse to see her, she only cares about him and me being away from my dad, another reason is her constant lies she's been telling that have come out. I don't wanna get into exactly what she lied about, but I hate liars and it was enough for me to look at her differently. The only upside is that my relationship is stronger than ever, we're actually thinking about building a tiny house and travelling the USA. He wants to get married but I want to wait a few more years after we get our degrees." +"So this story begins 4 months ago, I was working at Target and I had been planning to leave with my boyfriend to go back to school. We were planning on saving up our money until July and just go to school full time. So one day I come home from work and my mother tells me that her and her long time boyfriend will be getting married so there's no need for me to work anymore and that we would be moving houses as well. So I told my boss I was going to put in a three week notice in so I can just focus on school from now on. When it came time to move my moms boyfriend had no money, absolute nothing to his name. So my mom quit her job and had to pay for everything for the move we didnt even have a moving truck so my boyfriend offered to let us use his grandpas truck . So we moved all of our stuff out of our home and put it in storage. My mom then told us to bring clothes enough for three days cause well be staying in an airbnb until his so called money came through. So three days had passed and his money still wasn't around so we had to go to another airbnb this happened for five weeks. We hoped around to different airbnb's, not to mentioned no one in my family has a car so we had to depend on me and my sisters boyfriends. So June 13th came around and this happens to be my nieces birthday we had planned to order her a cake from a place on Ubereats, because at this point no one in my family had any money at all, so we had to use my Venmo account to get food every night to eat. So my moms boyfriend messed up the dates we were suppose to be there, so the maid came and told us we had to leave, because another tenant was coming. So we had to hurry up and get our stuff and leave, thank god my boyfriend was off and decided to spend the night, the night before. So we leave and went to a coffee shop so we could figure out our next move, we ended up sitting there for over three hours, so me and my boyfriend went to his house and told them to call us when they had a place. They never found a place and I've been at my boyfriends house every since, my mom and her boyfriend are homeless and having been sleeping at the hospital with my grandma and sometimes hop from house to house with my moms friends. If this wasn't enough my mom still has no money and we lost everything we owned in our storage unit, I had the most belongings in there because I'm kind of a shopaholoic, so I was devastated. I had work so hard at my old job for everything I had and for it to be gone in the blink of an eye really depressed me. I am now trying to save up money to get my own place and get as far away from my mom and her bummy boyfriend. Lastly I just find that it's so crazy how one person can come in your life and completely change everything you were so use to, also I almost forgot I wont be able to attend school this fall, my mom didnt even fill out the Fasfa form I told her to so I really quit my job for nothing." +"We went to NYC for my husband's birthday. We stopped at his parents' house first and dropped off our kids. Then we took the train into the city. We got lobster rolls for lunch and went to Roosevelt Island. That night we went to dinner at a cool place and enjoyed it very much. The next day we went to Governor's Island and it was so hot we had to leave after an hour. We spent most of the day in our hotel since it was so hot. That night we went to Keene's Steakhouse and had a great dinner. After dinner, we went to a rooftop bar next to the Empire State Building. On the walk home, both of our shoes fell apart. I don't think we will ever forget it. The next day we woke up and went right back to my in-law's house. We had bought both of the kids gifts and we gave the gifts to them. They liked the gifts. We got my son a toy bus and my daughter a glass trinket." +"We went to NYC for my husband's birthday. We stopped at his parents' house first and dropped off our kids. Then we took the train into the city. We got lobster rolls for lunch and went to Roosevelt Island. That night we went to dinner at a cool place and enjoyed it very much. The next day we went to Governor's Island and it was so hot we had to leave after an hour. We spent most of the day in our hotel since it was so hot. That night we went to Keene's Steakhouse and had a great dinner. After dinner, we went to a rooftop bar next to the Empire State Building. On the walk home, both of our shoes fell apart. I don't think we will ever forget it. The next day we woke up and went right back to my in-law's house. We had bought both of the kids gifts and we gave the gifts to them. They liked the gifts. We got my son a toy bus and my daughter a glass trinket." +"I am still processing the information and still undergoing tests. I had a follow-up with the urologist two weeks ago and got the results from my first tests that he did. Unfortunately, the results were actually higher than the initial blood test from my annual physical. The next step will be biopsy to be taken next week. The procedure does not look like anything that'll be even remotely pleasant but I suppose it needs to be done. I am not looking forward to it. Still haven't mentioned this to anyone outside of my wife and my boss and probably won't until I hear some definite word or whether it or isn't benign. I find myself thinking more about life and my family and friends. I am trying not to worry too much at this point as there is still no word for certain. It is uncomfortable being in limbo with such a potential issue ahead though. I hope it turns out not to be cancerous. I do not have a history of cancer in my family so I take that as a positive. There is much to do at home that I want to see finished. The grandchildren are visiting next weekend and I want to be around to see them grow up. I try to stay focused on the positive aspects of life and not dwell upon something that *might* happen yet. It just isn't always easy." +"I went to my follow-up appointment with my primary care doctor last week. I was expecting a fairly regular report as I hadn't really been experiencing any particular issues. I was a bit taken aback when she informed me that I was showing red flags for prostate cancer. To get more information, she set up an appointment with a urologist that I will go to later this month after returning from my monthly business meetings. I have been ruminating on the idea and doing some research - my results are not very high, which is good but do bear investigation. I am frankly a bit scared but hopeful that things will work out. My wife is supportive which I appreciate. I have not told anyone besides her and my boss. We had the grandchildren over last Saturday to go to the county fair which was fun but I have had the news hanging in my mind. I do have a co-worker who is a survivor of this cancer. I intend to talk with him when I see him next and see what he can tell me from his experience. I don't want to alarm my friends and family until I know more. It isn't always easy to keep a normal outlook though. There is no close history on cancer in the family that I know of. I find myself worrying about things that I normally wouldn't." +I've been thinking alot about the job at intuit. Its been 5 months already since my internship. I really miss working there. There was so many great people and alot of perks. It really is a great job. I'm just worried that there might be a better job that I'm missing out on. I don't think I'd ever get tired of the work there on one hand but it's the first real career I've been offered. My boss Bruce definitely kept things exciting. I didnt know what to expect when I first started. The actual work was better to do than I had imagined. There was such a great sense of community. They welcomed me though and made me feel like I belonged. I still have to make it to graduation before I can start. The more I think about it the more I want to go back. I guess we'll see if that changes. +I've been thinking alot about the job at intuit. Its been 5 months already since my internship. I really miss working there. There was so many great people and alot of perks. It really is a great job. I'm just worried that there might be a better job that I'm missing out on. I don't think I'd ever get tired of the work there on one hand but it's the first real career I've been offered. My boss Bruce definitely kept things exciting. I didnt know what to expect when I first started. The actual work was better to do than I had imagined. There was such a great sense of community. They welcomed me though and made me feel like I belonged. I still have to make it to graduation before I can start. The more I think about it the more I want to go back. I guess we'll see if that changes. +"Your dog really can be the most important family member to you sometimes. I know that for me, my dog Buddy is just that. He's like a young cousin, a son, and a brother all rolled into one. I love my dog Buddy with all of my heart. That's why when I thought he was losing or had already lost his vision, I almost lost it. I was so incredibly distraught. I didn't know what to do. I checked multiple sources online, and I really believed he might be going blind. I knew what I had to do. I loaded up Buddy in the car, and I took him to a proper vet. That was the best decision ever. It had turned out that Buddy wasn't losing his vision. He simply was having an allergic reaction to some fleas. The vet gave us flea medication. Now, Buddy is happier and healthier than ever." +"Your dog really can be the most important family member to you sometimes. I know that for me, my dog Buddy is just that. He's like a young cousin, a son, and a brother all rolled into one. I love my dog Buddy with all of my heart. That's why when I thought he was losing or had already lost his vision, I almost lost it. I was so incredibly distraught. I didn't know what to do. I checked multiple sources online, and I really believed he might be going blind. I knew what I had to do. I loaded up Buddy in the car, and I took him to a proper vet. That was the best decision ever. It had turned out that Buddy wasn't losing his vision. He simply was having an allergic reaction to some fleas. The vet gave us flea medication. Now, Buddy is happier and healthier than ever." +"In July, I took my two daughters, aged 7 and 9, to Ohio to see my boyfriend and his 6-year-old daughter. This was the first time our girls had been together in almost a year. We'd lived all together for a year prior. My girls and I moved back to Indiana where their dad lives. They are adorable together. You'd think they'd grown up together, so it was especially lovely reuniting them. We spent long day of swimming at the pool, teaching them pinball, and playing outside. Then we set camp chairs up out back at dusk to relax. The sun began to set. The youngest noticed the first fireflies. Within 15 minutes we'd punched holes in 3 mason jar lids for them to catch fireflies. Watching our little girls run around barefoot in the dark catching fireflies was a truly lovely moment. The simplicity of screen-free old-fashioned entertainment was heartwarming, especially when the littlest caught her first firefly. By the time they grew tired, they each had a jar full of flashing little bugs. While my boyfriend and I have struggled to maintain our relationship, I am so proud and grateful of how we've nurtured our girls' relationships with each other and can continue to give them lovely life experiences together." +when i was born. we are very poor family. my dad don't has enough money to run the family. they put many effort. and hard work to earn money. but he has one dream. he don't like to work as a worker. he wants to run a new business. so he and his some friends plan. and join the business. finally my dad achieved his dream. and solve all the problem money problem step by step. after some day passed my dad do business. and run the business very well. finally he achieve the goal give a trible amount to that man. but the we never forget the shameful moment. the painful moment in my life...we live a happy life now. my +"Several weeks afterward, the man came back into our lives. He was stopping by to see how everything was going and if the business was thriving. After being assured, my father invited him into the house for a glass of gin. He kept looking at me standing off in the corner watching as they chatted with each other. He asked my father if he would like to make another transaction and my father said ""yes"". He went on to talk about what a pretty girl I am and how he would like to make me a concubine in his harem. I did not know what he meant. I am only 14 and have not seen much of the world. I have been protected by my family and not aware of the customs of our country. After much negotiation back and forth concerning my worth, they reached an agreement. I was nothing more than a slab of meat in the window of the shop waiting to be purchased. I was then commanded to pack my belongings for the trip to his home. Of course, my mother was upset but she told me to be brave. She said I would learn to love him in time but I had my doubts. This is the custom in my country and women have no rights or say so in what happens to them. With a sadness and fear in my heart, I packed my bag and went with him to my new home." +"This happened around 4 weeks ago. It was a regular day and I decided to go to the zoo with my kids. I was planning this trip for about a month now. My children were really exited to go to the zoo and observe the animals. My kids love being in nature. So we all packed up and we were on our way there in no time. It took us 30 minutes to get there and it was an easy ride. When I got there I parked my car in the zoo's parking lot. I bought the tickets and we all went inside the zoo. To my surprise, I met my friend with his kids at the zoo. I was exited to see him there with the children. We all joined each other and were exploring the place together. We walked around the whole zoo back and forth. Then we saw a sprinkler right next to the playground area and we all decided to go and play in the water. Our kids had super fun. They enjoyed themselves a lot and they had a great playtime. After that we had some snacks and watch animals for like another hour or so before we all decided to leave. It was an awesome day to remember." +"This happened around 4 weeks ago. It was a regular day and I decided to go to the zoo with my kids. I was planning this trip for about a month now. My children were really exited to go to the zoo and observe the animals. My kids love being in nature. So we all packed up and we were on our way there in no time. It took us 30 minutes to get there and it was an easy ride. When I got there I parked my car in the zoo's parking lot. I bought the tickets and we all went inside the zoo. To my surprise, I met my friend with his kids at the zoo. I was exited to see him there with the children. We all joined each other and were exploring the place together. We walked around the whole zoo back and forth. Then we saw a sprinkler right next to the playground area and we all decided to go and play in the water. Our kids had super fun. They enjoyed themselves a lot and they had a great playtime. After that we had some snacks and watch animals for like another hour or so before we all decided to leave. It was an awesome day to remember." +"Two weeks ago, I drove my kids to college and dropped them off. I was both super excited and very scared. What if they need me and I am not there? So many what if's scenarios. My mind was flooded with emotions. I didn't cry the whole trip there though. I cried on the way home. It only took a few minutes before the tears started coming. They were so excited to go though. They had smiles on their faces the whole ride. My daughter didn't even pick up her phone to talk to her friends. She was so excited to go, she was busy talking to me and her brother the whole trip. She was telling us about what she was going to do and whom she was going to do it with. It was so much fun listening to her. Her brother was smiling along with her." +"Two weeks ago, I drove my kids to college and dropped them off. I was both super excited and very scared. What if they need me and I am not there? So many what if's scenarios. My mind was flooded with emotions. I didn't cry the whole trip there though. I cried on the way home. It only took a few minutes before the tears started coming. They were so excited to go though. They had smiles on their faces the whole ride. My daughter didn't even pick up her phone to talk to her friends. She was so excited to go, she was busy talking to me and her brother the whole trip. She was telling us about what she was going to do and whom she was going to do it with. It was so much fun listening to her. Her brother was smiling along with her." +"The day before my birthday my phone started ringing. It was unusual for my mother to be calling that early. Then she started calling my girlfriend. I automatically knew something was wrong. I called her back and she told me that I needed to find a way down to Florida to see my dad because she didn't think he was going to be alive much longer. Right after I got off the phone with her, my brother texts me, yes text, and says our father is in heaven with our sister. I called him up and told him what mom told me. He said she was in denial and that it was just the breathing machine making him looks alive, but that he was dead already. I was so confused. Was he alive or dead? I called my mother and told her what my brother said. She was sounding desperate and hung up the phone. My guess is that she ran to my brother and father. It was so hard to receive that kind of news. It was a roller coaster. First he's alive, then dead, and having to tell my mom. I was crushed. I hadn't seen him in person in so long and now I would never be able to again. I would never be able to hear his voice again." +"The day before my birthday my phone started ringing. It was unusual for my mother to be calling that early. Then she started calling my girlfriend. I automatically knew something was wrong. I called her back and she told me that I needed to find a way down to Florida to see my dad because she didn't think he was going to be alive much longer. Right after I got off the phone with her, my brother texts me, yes text, and says our father is in heaven with our sister. I called him up and told him what mom told me. He said she was in denial and that it was just the breathing machine making him looks alive, but that he was dead already. I was so confused. Was he alive or dead? I called my mother and told her what my brother said. She was sounding desperate and hung up the phone. My guess is that she ran to my brother and father. It was so hard to receive that kind of news. It was a roller coaster. First he's alive, then dead, and having to tell my mom. I was crushed. I hadn't seen him in person in so long and now I would never be able to again. I would never be able to hear his voice again." +"It was a rainy afternoon and I had stopped by the grocery store to pick up some groceries for my mother. I was somewhat annoyed in that I didn't really have time for this and this errand would put me behind. I walked out to the car and started loading the groceries into my little Civic. That's when this black car drove up behind me and rolled down its window. The guy inside said ""Hey (my name), is that you?"" I was a little suspicious as I was surprised a seemingly stranger knew my name. Yet there was something, I couldn't place what, familiar about his voice. I said ""Yes...do I know you?"" He said ""it's (name of friend) from high school, remember me?"" All of a sudden memories came back to me. This was one of the few people I hung out with in high school! Given I was bullied really bad, I didn't have many friends and kept to myself. This was one of the few people that was always nice to me, though we lost touch after high school. My jaw dropped when I saw him again and I said ""1-800-555-ElCheapo!"" El Cheapo was the name of a fictional company we came up with that was there to make students lives harder. We'd use it to lampoon rules we hated, teachers we didn't like, ect by writing all sorts of cartoons/editorials about it. My friend laughed saying he remembered that and how we used to get a laugh out of it. So I stood there in the rainy parking lot for what seemed like forever, going back over old times. Each of us told the other memories we'd forgotten. While it had been over 20 years since I last saw him, it felt like we just picked up where we left off. For a handful of minutes, we were back in high school again. We traded contact information and promised to keep in touch. I said I had to get going as I have perishable foods in the car so we said our good byes. In the end, my mood went from bad to good! If I hadn't done that errand for my mother, our paths never would've crossed! A bad day transformed into a good one it was!" +"It was a rainy afternoon and I had stopped by the grocery store to pick up some groceries for my mother. I was somewhat annoyed in that I didn't really have time for this and this errand would put me behind. I walked out to the car and started loading the groceries into my little Civic. That's when this black car drove up behind me and rolled down its window. The guy inside said ""Hey (my name), is that you?"" I was a little suspicious as I was surprised a seemingly stranger knew my name. Yet there was something, I couldn't place what, familiar about his voice. I said ""Yes...do I know you?"" He said ""it's (name of friend) from high school, remember me?"" All of a sudden memories came back to me. This was one of the few people I hung out with in high school! Given I was bullied really bad, I didn't have many friends and kept to myself. This was one of the few people that was always nice to me, though we lost touch after high school. My jaw dropped when I saw him again and I said ""1-800-555-ElCheapo!"" El Cheapo was the name of a fictional company we came up with that was there to make students lives harder. We'd use it to lampoon rules we hated, teachers we didn't like, ect by writing all sorts of cartoons/editorials about it. My friend laughed saying he remembered that and how we used to get a laugh out of it. So I stood there in the rainy parking lot for what seemed like forever, going back over old times. Each of us told the other memories we'd forgotten. While it had been over 20 years since I last saw him, it felt like we just picked up where we left off. For a handful of minutes, we were back in high school again. We traded contact information and promised to keep in touch. I said I had to get going as I have perishable foods in the car so we said our good byes. In the end, my mood went from bad to good! If I hadn't done that errand for my mother, our paths never would've crossed! A bad day transformed into a good one it was!" +"We enjoyed thoroughly the entire event. It can be fun to get out of our comfort zone in a brand new activity. However, starting with one we already know and love will give. Make a quick list of the activities we are most comfortable with. Need some good ideas first. Take a look at our list of fun ways to meet new friends in a new city as well as ways to meet friends online. Personally I love the immersion dating nature of the show, not to mention how addictive it is to watch, and think we should all try it at some point. It is viscerally impossible not to like someone who genuinely smiles at you. This means smiling with our entire face, including our eyes. Try this as to greet friends and colleagues and observe their reaction. A smile will disarm defenses, boost your likability and increase the chances of a positive conversation before you say a word. Every time smile makes us start a good relationship. At last had a good partner. It’s time to get super clear on what you love to do. Because when you pursue hobbies and activities you enjoy, you have a good chance of meeting people with similar interests. When you’re just starting to get to know someone, foster intimacy by talking about something deeper than the suck weather. Gradually disclose something meaningful about yourself and see if your new friend will do the same. While not everyone has the courage to do it, most of us know how to pursue a crush. Swipe right. Send flowers to their office. Invite them to a concert of a band you know they’ll love. Ask them to check yes or no under the question Will you go out with me? on lined paper. Apply similar tactics when pursuing a potential friend. For example, send the person an email asking them to lunch or coffee next week, and follow up afterward to say you had a good time and mention something specific that was funny or memorable." +"We enjoyed thoroughly the entire event. It can be fun to get out of our comfort zone in a brand new activity. However, starting with one we already know and love will give. Make a quick list of the activities we are most comfortable with. Need some good ideas first. Take a look at our list of fun ways to meet new friends in a new city as well as ways to meet friends online. Personally I love the immersion dating nature of the show, not to mention how addictive it is to watch, and think we should all try it at some point. It is viscerally impossible not to like someone who genuinely smiles at you. This means smiling with our entire face, including our eyes. Try this as to greet friends and colleagues and observe their reaction. A smile will disarm defenses, boost your likability and increase the chances of a positive conversation before you say a word. Every time smile makes us start a good relationship. At last had a good partner. It’s time to get super clear on what you love to do. Because when you pursue hobbies and activities you enjoy, you have a good chance of meeting people with similar interests. When you’re just starting to get to know someone, foster intimacy by talking about something deeper than the suck weather. Gradually disclose something meaningful about yourself and see if your new friend will do the same. While not everyone has the courage to do it, most of us know how to pursue a crush. Swipe right. Send flowers to their office. Invite them to a concert of a band you know they’ll love. Ask them to check yes or no under the question Will you go out with me? on lined paper. Apply similar tactics when pursuing a potential friend. For example, send the person an email asking them to lunch or coffee next week, and follow up afterward to say you had a good time and mention something specific that was funny or memorable." +"This past week has seemed like the longest week of my life. I have known my mother in law for quite some time now. We have had our differences over the years, but overall we have had a pretty good relationship. She was recently diagnosed with advanced stage cancer. She has been admitted to a rehab home for constant care. I went to see her and make sure I could make her as comfortable as possible. When I first walked into her room, she could not see me. I burst into tears, and left her room for a moment to pull myself together. After all, I could not let her see me in a moment of weakness. She needed all the positivity she can get. I went into her room and brought her a drink she loves, and a bouquet of roses (which she has always adored). We carried on a conversation as if nothing was wrong, and it was a normal day. With each passing day her skin grew a little more dry and pale. Her voice started sounding quieter as well as soft. I knew her time was near, and that really got to me sometimes. My mental health had drastically suffered since finding out about her cancer. I started to realize all of the things I used to fret about, suddenly became so small and irrelevant. I found myself reflecting on what I would do when she finally passed. Did I do everything in my power to leave a lasting impression on her as she passes into the next life?" +"This past week has seemed like the longest week of my life. I have known my mother in law for quite some time now. We have had our differences over the years, but overall we have had a pretty good relationship. She was recently diagnosed with advanced stage cancer. She has been admitted to a rehab home for constant care. I went to see her and make sure I could make her as comfortable as possible. When I first walked into her room, she could not see me. I burst into tears, and left her room for a moment to pull myself together. After all, I could not let her see me in a moment of weakness. She needed all the positivity she can get. I went into her room and brought her a drink she loves, and a bouquet of roses (which she has always adored). We carried on a conversation as if nothing was wrong, and it was a normal day. With each passing day her skin grew a little more dry and pale. Her voice started sounding quieter as well as soft. I knew her time was near, and that really got to me sometimes. My mental health had drastically suffered since finding out about her cancer. I started to realize all of the things I used to fret about, suddenly became so small and irrelevant. I found myself reflecting on what I would do when she finally passed. Did I do everything in my power to leave a lasting impression on her as she passes into the next life?" +"It's been a crazy year. Reflecting back, I feel I've changed for the better. A year ago, I was discovering my brother's cancer diagnosis and doing soul searching. I treated him so horribly when he was sick, I was a real asshole. He deserved to have a supportive sister, not someone telling him he's making it all up and using his sickness as an excuse. I was so hard on him for so long, I wasn't sure he'd even forgive me... I wouldn't. We worked on our relationship and I supported him like I should have. It came up that he needed a bone marrow match. I immediately sent off my swabs, but it took almost 2 months to hear back. We were a match. We underwent the process and the doctor says I helped saved my brothers life. He has a real fighting chance now. We sobbed together. Reflecting on this year, I really got my act together. And as bad as it may sound, my brother's illness was instrumental to me going down the right path... and I'll be thankful to him for the rest of my life." +I broke up with my long term girlfriend & to me it was more a formality then a big deal. We had grown apart as the years had gone on. She had become a lot more cold towards me & had started to ignore or delay responding to me. When I told her it was over she started crying & got really emotional which surprised me. I didn't think she'd even care the way she'd been acting. I knew there was no changing my feelings or mind so it didn't effect me. She had just made me numb towards her. She had been taking me for granted & I could tell she didn't really care anymore. We had been seeing & talking to each other less & less. We were having less sex & she just didn't seem too into me anymore. I'm too proud to be in that kind of relationship. I still have positive feelings for her but have no urge to talk to her or be a part of her life. My grandmother had just died so maybe that made the whole thing seem small in comparison. I wish she had shown the emotion she showed when I told her I was leaving when I was around. That would have been nice. +I recently broke up with my long term girlfriend. We had been dating seriously for over 5 years. As time had gone on we had grown further & further apart. We both had sexual relationships outside our relationship & we no longer seemed to be sexually attracted to each other. Our relationship had become cold & I knew it was time to be honest with myself & her & just move on. I think the last straw for me was my grandmother dying plus me writing her a happy birthday email & getting no response. I told her I was done with her & she got very emotional. It didn't have any effect on me. I had just become hardened to her. I didn't want the relationship to continue & told her I didn't even want to be her friend. She tried a few weeks later contacting me but I yelled at her. I felt bad about it but we both just needed to move on. Hopefully someday we can be friends again. I'm not sure if it'll happen though. Too much water under the bridge. +"My little girl came at the right time. It was about six months ago, when I had her. It was a big blessing and I was so happy. I did not know if I could have the baby in a natural way. However, my husband was next to me all the while. This made the process so much easier. I was in pain, but his presence made it easy. He has always been a supporting rock. He held my hand through it. I pushed and pushed. The baby came out and she was so pretty. We named her Juju. This was a name of our good friend. She was happy and honored. We went home happy with our new bundle of joy. We love getting her in our arms." +"It was a sunny Alaskan day in the brooks range. I saddled up 12 dogs and headed out on a training run. My training runs with the dogs were between 5-10 miles because that’s what I typically took the guests on. The sun was so bright the snow was a perfect texture for the dogs to get some speed. We took off fast and ran Ahead of pace majority of the run. I decided to take A break at one of my favorite spots where the trail meets the river. As I looked out to my amazement I saw a baby moose struggling through the snow. A minute later I spotted the mom moose not far behind. I sat very calm and still so the dogs didn’t get alarmed. Next, I heard a strange sound I hadn’t heard before. As I looked out I saw something trotting through the woods, not far from the moose. To my surprise it was a lynx. Lynx are a pretty rare sight as they are very sneaky. I noticed another lynx not far behind the first one, it was an amazing sight. Before the dogs noticed I gave the call and we took off. We continued the rest of the trail fast with a smile." +"It was a warm winter day in the interior of Alaska with the sun shining brighter than it has in months. I harnessed up 11 out of the 12 dogs i had to the sled and hit the trail. The trail was extremely fast considering the sun was melting the hard packed snow and freezing it over night. We took off on our normal training run and the dogs were extremely focused. I had my go-pro rolling since the day was so beautiful and i wanted to capture the openness of crossing the river on such a bright day. We ran without a break until we got to the river and i could tell the dogs were getting tired. We took a break right before the downhill to cross the river and when i looked up i noticed a moose just across the bank. The dogs were so tired they didn't even notice, the more i watched this big cow moose eat off the trees i noticed a calf emerge from the woods behind her. I watched in amazement as i always did when i saw moose, now was my chance to be quiet and watch because they hadn't seen me yet. While i was watching the moose i heard a scream not too far off which sounded like a cat, and indeed it was. Only 45-50 yards away from the moose was a full grown lynx walking the bank of the river. Lynx are extremely rare to see in the wild and i was excited. I couldn't believe that the dogs had not made a sound at this point, but they typically didn't during a needed rest. Just when i thought this free nature show couldn't get any better a second lynx walked out from the woods and began a mating call with the first lynx. I listened to them and watched them walk the bank for what seemed like and hour. I have never seen anything so great and beautiful from nature and probably never will. Soon as the lynx and moose were out of my site i commanded the dogs to hit the trail and continue the run. I am very thankful for this day in Alaska as a dog musher." +My wife and I adopted a dog a few months ago. We first saw him when she saw a post on Facebook from the local animal shelter. She sent me a picture of the dog. He was very thin and looked very sad. We both felt very sorry for the dog. My wife saw the dog a week after we had moved into a new house. We had talked about getting another dog after we moved but ultimately decided against it. Our older dog is jealous of attention given to other dogs. We thought that he would be happier as an only dog. So when we first saw the dog at the shelter we talked about donating money to his care if he was picked up by a rescue group. However a few hours later neither of us could stop thinking about him. We called the shelter and were told that the dog needed more care than they could provide and that he wouldn't be kept there any longer. We decided that we had to go pick him up. We took the dog to a vet. They determined that he would need a blood transfusion but that it should wait until the following morning as the vet wasn't sure if he would survive the night. The next day the dog was given a blood transfusion. We were then able to take him home a few days later. We named him Pablo. Several months later he has gained weight and is more than twice the weight he was when we got him. He rather quickly adjusted to living with humans and has learned to use the bathroom outside. He is friendly and loving. Though he does still bite occasionally and is scared of strangers. +"The saddest day of my life is still the day my dog, Luke, passed away. I always loved my dog. He was like my best friend. He knew when I was sad and he was always right there for me to cry on. I can't even count the number of times I laid on his belly and cried my eyes out. He was there throughout a lot of my worst times as a young adult. The heart breaks, the lost jobs, Luke was always right there. Everyday when I came home he was the first thing I thought about. That feeling of opening the door and knowing he would be waiting right there and he would be so excited to see me was like nothing else in the world. I was always his favorite person. He would pretend to bite anyone who came too close to me or who touched me. He was the best thing in my world. And then one day he was gone. He was 12 years old, I knew it would happen eventually, but I wasn't ready for it. I have never felt such a profound loss. He was such a big part of my life, and now he was gone. I would come home from work and open the door and feel that momentary excitement of expecting to see him, and then I would remember he was gone. My heart would sink and I would fall apart sobbing. It hasn't gotten any easier as the months have gone by. Anytime I stop to think about him I still cry uncontrollably. I have his blanket that I sleep with sometimes. I used to use it to cover him when he was sleeping on the couch. It makes me feel safe when I am having a terrible day, the same way he used to when he was here." +"The bad part is, five weeks later and I don’t feel like I am any closer to achieving my goal than when I started. I mean I enjoy the job that I moved out here for it just seems like there isn’t enough room for advancement. So to be honest I don’t know what to do anymore. Recently I’ve been talking with my family on skype and they tell me to come home. I know they mean well, but I wish they could just come here instead. They told me I was crazy for doing what I did, and maybe they are right. But the craziest thing are usually the best things too! At least I hope they are, especially I. This case. I feel like giving up, like crying. I don’t know why this always happens to me, but I think I’m going to try and take some leave to clear my head. I want to see my family again and just get this weight and pressure to succeed off my back. In the end I guess I would be happy either way. To be honest as long as I keep my smile and my love for myself and my family in mind I know I will do great things in my life. I I just have to keep believing, and never stop." +"The bad part is, five weeks later and I don’t feel like I am any closer to achieving my goal than when I started. I mean I enjoy the job that I moved out here for it just seems like there isn’t enough room for advancement. So to be honest I don’t know what to do anymore. Recently I’ve been talking with my family on skype and they tell me to come home. I know they mean well, but I wish they could just come here instead. They told me I was crazy for doing what I did, and maybe they are right. But the craziest thing are usually the best things too! At least I hope they are, especially I. This case. I feel like giving up, like crying. I don’t know why this always happens to me, but I think I’m going to try and take some leave to clear my head. I want to see my family again and just get this weight and pressure to succeed off my back. In the end I guess I would be happy either way. To be honest as long as I keep my smile and my love for myself and my family in mind I know I will do great things in my life. I I just have to keep believing, and never stop." +"Two weeks ago I had a hysterectomy. It was very emotional for me, as being a woman anyone would understand. But I know the result from having it done was much better for me. It's so much better for my health because of the diseases I had. I won't suffer anymore as I used to. The surgery itself was tough, but after recovery I will feel much better. I'm sad in some ways that this ended up happening, but I'm glad I found a doctor who was able to help me. Life can still go on and I will bounce back from this. I am grateful I was able to finally come to a resolution with my health and move on. I can look forward to being out of pain and suffering now. In the long run, quality of life is what is most important so I can enjoy my days. I know this won't make me any less of a woman. I've always been scared of surgery, but I got through it! I am a strong woman. This is just another reminder of my strength." +"We were out deep in the woods. It was the best time I can remember. The girls, my granddaughters were having a wonderful time. The made faces at each other while I cooked. We had a great dinner and then we told ghost stories. The girls got a little scared, but they comforted each other and made each other laugh. While they were making each other laugh, they made me laugh too. We all got a good night's sleep and woke up early. We went for a hike and even caught some fish. The girls were tired but were still having a great time. We all went together to a waterfall, walking underneath it as a group. We got soaking wet but it was so great. We just laughed and had a great time. We walked back to camp that night and toasted marshmallows. The girls didn't know it, it was a surprise, but I had brought along chocolate bars to make smores. We stayed up late eating smores and talking and then in the morning drove home." +"My cousin got married on a Saturday this past May. He had been planning this event for years. He is a perfectionist and usually needs everything to be perfect and just the way he had planned it to be. He does not handle change well. Growing up with him, I remember how he often used to get stressed when we changed plans on him. I knew that his wedding was a big deal for him. He had planned to have a beautiful summer wedding on the river in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The venue he chose was positioned in a perfect location overlooking both the river and the city. He had specifically picked a date in May as he knew that the average temperature during this time was 80 degrees. However, this precision planning seemed to have backfired on him. That morning I looked outside the window and saw what looked like the coldest and rainiest day in the history of May. There were about fifty people who attended, most wearing summer attire. Families began arriving at the venue and most were still hopeful about having the venue changed. There were several messages sent out in the family group chat that read, ""What is going to happen with the venue, will it be changed?"" and, ""it is way too cold and wet today, surely this will have to be moved to an indoor venue at least?"".When I arrived at the wedding, I began seconding guessing my cousins decision not to have the venue moved. By then the wind started picking up and it was not a pleasant day at all. The venue as positioned outside next to a river and by then all of the chairs and tables were drenched. Many of the guests began asking about the possible cancellation/relocation of the ceremony. However, my cousin was determined to give his bride the view that she had asked for. To many of the guests amazement, they decided to go ahead and move on with plan A. When we all finally mustered up the courage to go outside, the most unexpected thing happened, the wind had stopped, the clouds opened up, and a ray of warm sun shine shined directly onto the alter, almost as if it were planned. Although the wedding was not exactly perfect, it was beautiful site and the happy couple were able to enjoy their special day n a ray of sunshine. Everyone was able to breather a sigh of relief at the end. The wedding turned out to be just fine." +On the day after our trip we rented a car. The car we got was not what I expected. We got a Doge super charger that was fast and loud. I was excited but my wife was scared of the car. I let her drive it to cracker barrel for breakfast so she would not be scared. We went to Pigeon Forge Tennessee for a long weekend trip. The car made us feel young again. Driving through the mountains on tight curved was exhilarating going so fast. It was Christmas time so we went to Dollywood to see the lights. At night it ts so beautiful with all that is going on. We stayed up until when they closed which is highly unusual for us since we usually go to bed around 8 pm. We even had a late dinner at the resort we stayed at nd had a beautiful room that over looked the valley. Staying up into the wee hours of the morning was like we where 20 years old again. We got up around 12 and that has never happened since we where first married. We had a brunch and went to the theme park again for the day/ We rode on rides that we never thought we would go on again and it was thrilling. We then had a gourmet meal at a high end restaurant and where surprised again that our children had payed for our meal way back when we where on our beach trip. The weekend ended with a nice drive through the smokie mountain national park with stops along the way in little towns to pick up unusual things to remember our trip by. +"Sometimes when you lose someone, the best way to find them is in the happy memories. The smell of the local bbq place immediately brought me back to the time we were having lunch and the extra sauce flung of the table and covered everyone. The sight of our favorite secret creek, makes it feel like my dad was here. I miss him so much and want nothing more than a hug. The reality has set in that I can no more. So trips back to my roots, bring me as close as I can get. When the Kentucky sun shines on my face, I feel peace. The happy memories loft in and I am content that I have them. Occasionally a tear catches my eye, when I think about the fact no more memories can be made. The moments of sadness quickly pass, when another recollection of your laugh floods my memory. The loss of a parent is hard, but trips back through history help. Soon a trip down our favorite trail will chase the sad feelings away. Going forward with the new, while remembering the past is the best way for time to pass. Kentucky time seems pass slower than I'm used to. Its the perfect setting for a trip of memories. Nostalgia sets in with the sunset and peace follows suit." +"Sometimes when you lose someone, the best way to find them is in the happy memories. The smell of the local bbq place immediately brought me back to the time we were having lunch and the extra sauce flung of the table and covered everyone. The sight of our favorite secret creek, makes it feel like my dad was here. I miss him so much and want nothing more than a hug. The reality has set in that I can no more. So trips back to my roots, bring me as close as I can get. When the Kentucky sun shines on my face, I feel peace. The happy memories loft in and I am content that I have them. Occasionally a tear catches my eye, when I think about the fact no more memories can be made. The moments of sadness quickly pass, when another recollection of your laugh floods my memory. The loss of a parent is hard, but trips back through history help. Soon a trip down our favorite trail will chase the sad feelings away. Going forward with the new, while remembering the past is the best way for time to pass. Kentucky time seems pass slower than I'm used to. Its the perfect setting for a trip of memories. Nostalgia sets in with the sunset and peace follows suit." +My decision to adopt a child wasn't an easy one. In fact I would say that it was the hardest decision I had to make in my life. I had so many doubts about my ability to love and and care for a child that I didn't help make. I wasn't sure if I was that kind of person. Me and my wife were trying to have a child for the past five years with no luck. She would get pregnant but she would have a miscarriage within 5 months. This happened a number of times. My wife as more relectant than me to adopt a child. At first we didn't even talk about adoption but her mother said something to us about it and we looked into it. We were both doubtful but with more research we began to feel better. Our confidence grew and we thought to ourselves maybe we can do this. We still weren't sure but we were moving along with the process. What made us really consider the situation was hearing stories from other people. Parents who adopted children felt just like us. They didn't know if they could truly love a child that wasn't theirs. But in the end they found out that they could love another child. And that was a major reason why we began the adoption process. +"Since my mom was diagnosed with cancer two months ago, I have had to accept that my life is going to change. I will have to be totally self-sufficient. But I am doing my best to save her. I have some knowledge in health and nutrition. I believe that high iron and low iodine levels in her food contributed to her problems. The most useful thing that she has done is utilize an infrared heat lamp. I use one personally and can say that it helped my health, even though I don't have cancer. The issue is that her immune system is so overwhelmed that she can't fight the cancer properly. She needs to deal with all of the chronic infections and problems. They make her constantly tired and her appetite isn't very strong. If she passes away, it will be difficult for me because I have no family of my own. It is accelerating my realization that I need to find other people in my life that I can rely on. Unfortunately, there are not many people who are close to me. I will have to move elsewhere for sure and my financial situation will be worse. I could end up totally alone in the world. I'm at a critical crossroads." +"Since my mom was diagnosed with cancer two months ago, I have had to accept that my life is going to change. I will have to be totally self-sufficient. But I am doing my best to save her. I have some knowledge in health and nutrition. I believe that high iron and low iodine levels in her food contributed to her problems. The most useful thing that she has done is utilize an infrared heat lamp. I use one personally and can say that it helped my health, even though I don't have cancer. The issue is that her immune system is so overwhelmed that she can't fight the cancer properly. She needs to deal with all of the chronic infections and problems. They make her constantly tired and her appetite isn't very strong. If she passes away, it will be difficult for me because I have no family of my own. It is accelerating my realization that I need to find other people in my life that I can rely on. Unfortunately, there are not many people who are close to me. I will have to move elsewhere for sure and my financial situation will be worse. I could end up totally alone in the world. I'm at a critical crossroads." +"We move house diffent states and we very happy to find the state best for us weather very nice , people very nice and kind, the food best one . We find the house and learn about custom here we very love here so far. Everything here is very different from where we used to be. Here are all the mountains, forests, live things, everything is green and we like it very much. Here they know how to enjoy their lives. They love sailing, they like camping, they don't like staying at home, they like traveling together and looking at beautiful wings and enjoying new dishes and new tastes. Every morning I see them walking together with their pets and often having a cup of coffee. They take their children to play places. Here but the small house and they decorated very cute and good-looking. They plant trees and flowers throughout their gardens. Everyone here is very happy they like to talk to each other when they meet anyone on the road. Here the trees are very big and very high. There are big rivers. There are very beautiful parks for children. There are tall buildings. Here the traffic is very pleasant to go on a trip. Here they enjoyed walking together. There are shops that sell very good food and look very cute. There are great shopping areas. I really like the libraries here that have so many different things that I have never seen before. I was very proud that I found a great place. We are going to learn and learn where each code comes from." +"Two months ago, I lost a huge wager on a French Open tennis match. I've been setting a lot of wagers over the last few months and have been facing a ton of losses. I can't believe I did this to myself. I even promised myself that I would only be a spectator at the French Open. How am I going to recover the funds that I lost? I know I have an addiction and I think it's time I get some help for it. I'm never going to save enough money to buy a new car or a new house if I keep doing this. I might have to stop going to these events. I seem to be tempted just being in a situation where I can make a bet. At least if I'm at home, I can't be as tempted. I wonder if I can find someone to talk to. I really want to start saving money instead and I am not helping myself in any way. I'll have to look for more work in order to get some more income. I just can't be tempted to bet that money too. So here's me saying it right now. I need help. I don't know where and how I'll get it yet, but I'm starting with step one and saying that I need help controlling my temptations and setting up long-term financial stability." +"When you think of Wisconsin, you dont really think of big events. But lo and behold, we got to do a milwaukee comicon. We had some big names enroll to speak, like some game of thrones cast, a couple marvel writers, and a local carnival offered rides. When day of the event came it was abysmal. We had way more people come than expected, and a lot of them didnt tickets. The rides didnt all have operators so the operators were switching between rides to make them run. 2 of the guests cancelled so our panels suffered. The restaurant that catered the event also ran out of bread so sandwhiches were off the table which many people were requesting. There were no written agreements as the organizers did everything on the phone. It was a mess and all around a bad time. I think people should just stick to san diego comicon. It wasnt all bad though. The guests who did show up were engaging. The vendors had some really cool booths, and a lot of good cosplay was had. It turned into a so bad its good type of situation. At least part of it was able to be salvaged." +"When you think of Wisconsin, you dont really think of big events. But lo and behold, we got to do a milwaukee comicon. We had some big names enroll to speak, like some game of thrones cast, a couple marvel writers, and a local carnival offered rides. When day of the event came it was abysmal. We had way more people come than expected, and a lot of them didnt tickets. The rides didnt all have operators so the operators were switching between rides to make them run. 2 of the guests cancelled so our panels suffered. The restaurant that catered the event also ran out of bread so sandwhiches were off the table which many people were requesting. There were no written agreements as the organizers did everything on the phone. It was a mess and all around a bad time. I think people should just stick to san diego comicon. It wasnt all bad though. The guests who did show up were engaging. The vendors had some really cool booths, and a lot of good cosplay was had. It turned into a so bad its good type of situation. At least part of it was able to be salvaged." +"So, I became injured three months ago. How I got injured, is pretty annoying and embarrassing. See, I was doing my Crossfit workout of the day, and assumed I was doing one of the exercises correctly. Well, I didn't do it correctly, and pulled a nasty muscle in my back. I was so alarmed by the pain and by the limited mobility I had, that my wife drug me to the hospital to get it looked at. They pretty much said time and rest will mend it, and not to overdue it. That was it. I wasn't expecting anything else, but my wife was just so concerned, that I'm glad we got it checked out anyways. At first I was alright with knowing that I would be on rest for a little while, in terms of doing strenuous things. Then the annoyance escalated at not being able to reach a glass high up in the cupboard. How laying down on the bed was painful because of the muscles I had to use to do it. Not being able to do my daily work outs was a drag, too. I was embarrassed with telling people that I did this to myself by not properly executing an exercise, but my wife just rolls her eyes and tells me that crap happens, and that I just need to get better. This took almost a month to heal completely. Afterwards, I make sure that I don't mess around during exercising, and to make sure my form is perfect. I do not want to deal with that mess again." +"So, I became injured three months ago. How I got injured, is pretty annoying and embarrassing. See, I was doing my Crossfit workout of the day, and assumed I was doing one of the exercises correctly. Well, I didn't do it correctly, and pulled a nasty muscle in my back. I was so alarmed by the pain and by the limited mobility I had, that my wife drug me to the hospital to get it looked at. They pretty much said time and rest will mend it, and not to overdue it. That was it. I wasn't expecting anything else, but my wife was just so concerned, that I'm glad we got it checked out anyways. At first I was alright with knowing that I would be on rest for a little while, in terms of doing strenuous things. Then the annoyance escalated at not being able to reach a glass high up in the cupboard. How laying down on the bed was painful because of the muscles I had to use to do it. Not being able to do my daily work outs was a drag, too. I was embarrassed with telling people that I did this to myself by not properly executing an exercise, but my wife just rolls her eyes and tells me that crap happens, and that I just need to get better. This took almost a month to heal completely. Afterwards, I make sure that I don't mess around during exercising, and to make sure my form is perfect. I do not want to deal with that mess again." +"I recently ran a 10K race. I had NOT been feeling well the last several months so I didn't think that I would be able to finish the race. I started off very slowly and I felt bad as the race started. There were several moments where I considered dropping out. At about 1/3rd of the way through, my stomach was hurting and I felt nauseated. However, I kept telling myself that if I could find a good pace, I might be able to complete the entire race. For the next 1/3rd of the race, I found a good pace but I also knew that I wasn't pushing myself. For the final 1/3rd of the race, I seemed to find a sudden burst of energy and I started running faster and faster. I actually passed a number of participants that had previously been in front of me. I felt as if I had found my second wind and I continued to push myself as hard as I could for that last portion of the race. When I crossed the finish line, I felt elated that I had completed as I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to complete the race. I felt very emotional when I finished as I knew that my health had not been the best in the previous months and being able to complete this race felt like I was conquering my health restrictions. I felt as if I proven to myself that I could persevere and will myself to finish. At the finish line, I shared my joy and excitement with several other friends who had also run the same race with me. I also decided to remember this event for future times when I feel as if I want to quit or stop. I know that perseverance and grit are important characteristics to possess and I believe that improved myself in these areas as a result of this experience." +"Today I left therapy again with little to no positive feelings. That horrible car crash from a couple weeks ago has ruined my life. It wasn't my fault, it was the other drivers fault, but my life will still forever be changed. I can't get the look of the other drivers dead body out of my mind. Their head was crushed by the weight of one of my wheels on top of their hood. That is what is most memorable to me. The blood, the brains. It was terrible. I blame myself even though it wasnt my fault. I hope one day I can get over this and be able to move on with my life. Hopefully therapy will help me tomorrow. I just still can't believe I killed someone, even though it was an accident. Life just will never be the same. If the other driver didnt die things would be different. However, I can't change that now." +"Today I left therapy again with little to no positive feelings. That horrible car crash from a couple weeks ago has ruined my life. It wasn't my fault, it was the other drivers fault, but my life will still forever be changed. I can't get the look of the other drivers dead body out of my mind. Their head was crushed by the weight of one of my wheels on top of their hood. That is what is most memorable to me. The blood, the brains. It was terrible. I blame myself even though it wasnt my fault. I hope one day I can get over this and be able to move on with my life. Hopefully therapy will help me tomorrow. I just still can't believe I killed someone, even though it was an accident. Life just will never be the same. If the other driver didnt die things would be different. However, I can't change that now." +"Two months ago, I clocked one year at my current place of work and it was time for my first appraisal. Usually, the company I work with carry out performance appraisals every year and based on the results, the company could decide to confirm your appointment, or offer you a promotion. A few weeks after I clocked one year, I was summoned by HR for my appraisal and I began to get really nervous. I was to appear before a panel the next Monday to answer some questions and review my performance over the last 12 months. I was dressed up and ready to go. Just as I was walking to the conference room, A colleague mistakenly spilled his coffee on my shirt. I was devastated as I was specifically advised to appear as smart and neat as possible before the panel. I had no time to go home to change so I had to walk in that way. I was so tensed up. The first question I was asked was why I looked so tacky. I explained that few minutes ago, a colleague spilled his coffee on my shirt and there was no time to go and change my shirt. The members of the panel laughed and told me the session was not going to take more than 3 minutes. They said they had noticed my work ethic and just had to summon me for formality sake. They made positive remarks about my performance and told me to check my mail box for a break down of my scores. They then handed me a letter of confirmation which also contained information about an upward review of my salary as a confirmed member of staff. That was it. I came out as the happiest tacky looking fellow in the world." +"I was at work one day, when all of a sudden, I had sudden pains in my chest. I thought it was just heartburn, but then the pains kept growing and growing. I felt as if my body was going to burst. Next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital bed. I was confused, but as I was recollecting myself, I realized that I had just experienced a heart attack. A doctor came in and told me the severity of the situation. As I listened to his explanation of what happened, I realized that I had been ignoring the problem and putting it aside for the longest time. he told me that I had some surgery done, something called a stint procedure. He then handed me the hospital bill. Despite being afraid of the costs, I decided to take a peek. It seems that most of the cost was due to a stint procedure done. My doctor then explained that it helped unclog my arteries. Weeks later, I came back into the hospital for another checkup on my situation. I could not just leave the hospital without any plans to prevent future heart attacks, so my doctor advised me to come back in for cardiac rehab. I was doing better by then." +"Well, now comes time to decide whom returns the gift and I'll say neither of us are happy about this I mean it was like the perfect gift for her. I only think it's fair that she returns hers because she talks with more and knows more of what to get her while I'm floundering around maybe running into something that could be considered worthwhile. Then to make matters worse my mother has been getting a kick out of this because for some reason to her it's funny that we're fighting over who can give her the gift. I will give it to her though she did offer the suggestion of buying the matching massaging neck piece and then it would look coordinated at least. But I wanted to give the slippers because they are going to be used the most, and my sister has dug her heels in insisting it be her way. Ugh! I'm soooo mad about this at the moment. I mean maybe to people on the outside looking in it wouldn't seem like such a disaster but her and my sister were only a year apart mostly and they always were closer because of the age difference. To this day that hasn't changed I mean they're both on the same social media, go to the same schools, I mean they're inseparable. I don't know how to combat that bond of theirs and try to make it seem like I'm interested in that as well. I do suppose however there was the way my mother said and it would look like there was as much thought involved anyway but how do I back down from the sister? I mean it could start a whole new conflict if she wants to get her the other item, and I say I'll get it? You know I bet she doesn't even realize how lucky she is to have people fighting over what to get her? I mean I guess it's not really a big deal but it matters enough to cause all this commotion in the family. I wonder if there's anything else I could get that would be just as great? I just wanted her birthday to be special this year and I feel as though it's all blowing up in face. I mean I wonder if I'm over reacting? Maybe I should just go and get something completely different if it matters to my other sister so much." +Some time ago I had moved into my apartment. I just needed some where to stay I didn't want to live in hotels anymore. It was expensive and I couldn't cook. There was also very bad neighbors or guests going in and out. Some quite some loud I just couldn't deal anymore. So eventually I started looking for an apartment in my city. I was able to find a few but not all of them were great. Overtime after looking for a little while I was able to find something decent enough. I was able to get the apartment on an 12 month lease but things didn't go all the way. the 12th lease turned into an 11 month lease and it was a nightmare. The aparment was filled with lead in the ducts making air unbreathable. The landlord didn't even want to fix even the smallest of problems. My stove even went out so I couldn't cook how I wanted and landlord refused to fix. I contacted the board of health and they cited the landlord. That's how my 12 month lease turned into an 11 month lease because I had gotten evicted from the apartment. +"Today I had the bitterest experience of my life. I never had such an awful experience in my life before. I had gone to Agra for an urgent work. There were very few buses plying today as most of them had been put on election duty. I waited for two hours at the bus-stop to get into the bus. It was much crowded. I somehow managed to get some space for myself. It was really difficult to breathe. Everyone was sweating. People were pushing each other. After journey of two hours, I came out of the bus and took a sigh of relief and they will likely. I’ll never forget this journey in my life. and i will achieve more awards and more the popularity Due to the complications at birth, the doctors said that I had less chances of surviving; as I was losing my blood pressure at a faster rate. Despite all the odds, without being kept in the incubator, I made it by just clinging onto my mom and absorbing her body heat. I was not kept in the incubator; as the only available incubator in the hospital was not working. My mom had her labor pain at an unexpected time and had to get admitted in a rural hospital with less facilities." +"My daughter was born on May 15, 2019 at 10:41 a.m.. It wasn't as simple as most births are. I chose to have a home birth with a doula. We had everything set up in our spacious living room. My husband was behind me in the pool hugging me for comfort and helping me do my breathing. I was in labor for 9 1/2 hours. When my daughter was born, she was blue and hadn't pinkened up. The umbilical cord was around her neck, but it didn't tighten until she was coming through the birth canal. There had been no distress in the womb, and the heartbeat had been regular. We had to call an ambulance, which showed up within 10 minutes. They immediately put an oxygen mask on my daughter to help her breathe. My husband accompanied my daughter in the ambulance to the hospital. My doula had to help me deliver the placenta and help me get cleaned up, dressed, and headed to the hospital. When I got to the hospital, I was put in a wheelchair because I still felt very weak, and I was pushed up to the NICU where my daughter and husband were. They had stabilized her and had her on oxygen, and her oxygen level was 82%. My daughter also had pneumonia and was in the hospital for 1 week on antibiotics before being released to go home as a very healthy 9-lb-13-oz baby. She is 5 months old now and looking beautiful and thriving. Anxiety has been replaced with pride, joy, and contentment." +"My sister passed away last month but I found out she was dying about 6 months ago. It has been a long sad process although this fate has been in the cards for quite some time now. She was an alcoholic for most of her adult life and things had gotten quite bad over the past several years. She disappeared and was out of touch for the past five years or so, we'd only hear where she was if she ended up in rehab, jail or the hospital. Last March I get a phone call that she is in the ICU and has only a short amount of time to live. I try to get back to see her but am unable to for a couple months. This lead to a trip home in May and I wasn't even sure if I would get to see her. She happened to be back in the hospital the day after I landed and I was able to go in for a visit. This would be the last time I'd ever get to see my sister. She was so different and sick and completely ruined. She had been an brilliant young woman, beautiful and could have had anything but she fell victim to a lack of family support and the harms of drugs and alcohol. I admit that I have had my own struggles throughout my life and often have thought about my sister while trying to straighten myself out, even long before she passed away. She passed away one month ago to the day and it has been life-changing in many many ways, I'm trying to be better everyday so that I can find a way to honor her and not let her death be in vain. I want to be able to help others that find themselves lonely and lost, like she often was. There is much that I need to learn and a lot of growth that I need, the loss is still fresh and I often find myself confused about how I'm feeling lately. All I know is that I'm changed and I won't let her memory be lost." +"It was a beautiful August day. My youngest son was off to his first day of kindergarten. I was excited for the new adventure he was about to start but also sad that my baby was off to kindergarten. I had to force myself to hold back the tears. I didn't want him to be sad. I wanted him to look forward and be excited for this day. We had read the book ""The Kissing Hand"" the night before to remind him that I love him and will be with him. He was a little scared about the day. I remember holding his hand and walking him up to the doors and down the hall to his classroom. You could see all of the other parents doing the same thing. I gave him a big hug and walked him into the classroom. I was at a loss for words and was surprised when he turned to me and reassured me it would be ok. His teacher showed him where his desk was as I waved goodbye to him. I could feel my eyes start to tear up as I turned to leave. I made it out to my car before I let go of the tears. I went home and waited. I couldn't wait to hear about his day. Thankfully it was an early day. I waited outside of the school anxiously looking for my son. I finally saw him and waved to him. I was happy to hear that he had a great day and met some new friends. He said it was scary but also fun. I was so relieved that he had a good first day. It was so hard to see my baby growing up but it made it easier to know he was ok." +"This past month has been an emotional roller coaster for me. The day was August 14th to be exact. My youngest child was starting kindergarten. My baby was not a baby anymore. I had trouble sleeping the night before. I woke early that morning. I did everything I could to hold back my emotions as I got him ready for the big day. The time was finally here. I drove him to school soaking up the last few minutes. I had tears well up in my eyes as I walked him up to the school doors. The most memorable part of that day was when he looked at me and smiled and told me everything would be ok. He was comforting me. That made my day and will be a treasured memory I will always have. It is so hard to let go of your children and let them go out on their own. I loved having him be by my side day after day, but now I can the pleasure of seeing what he can do on his own. Letting go is hard but it is has to be done." +"June 1, 2019 I did it I got married! It was amazing! I cant believe we finally took the plunge. It was perfect for us. I was late our best friend married us and everyone who we love was there. My dad walked me down the isle. I married the man of my dreams. There were a few minor things I would have changed. But really it was amazing! I wish things would have went a little smoother. The d.j. was late so we didn't get music while I walked down the isle. I forgot my wedding band and had to improvise. The food was amazing. I got way drunker then I should have. A acted like a hooker and was making out with every single female she could, she even attempted to finger a girl without their consent and that pissed me off. Our minister got dropped by a friend of ours while they were paying around on the dance floor. My step son did his very first ever karaoke song ""every rose has its thorn"" and it was the sweetest thing ever. Another friend of mine sang ""tennesee whiskey for me and every one kept taking the mic from him witch upset me because I know he had been practicing the song for months to surprise me. But honestly I got to marry my best friend and partner in life. so what more could I possibly ask for?" +"This summer we moved! However, we did not just move we bought our first house. We didn't move very far from the townhome that we were renting but the process of buying a house and moving when you have kids is all very challenging for sure. I am 47 years old and I catch myself thinking that I will be able to do these things the way I could before but then I realize that before all this I wasn't married, had no kids and was younger and had more energy! It's been about 3 months now and the worst of it is over and I feel relaxed and pretty settled in. There's always some fun things to for example, I thought it was fun to have my first Ring doorbell set up, and of course not having to deal with landlords anymore and their just greed and total lack of understanding that we needed things like heat and a working stove. Right now sitting at home and working I think if I was still living in that place and trying to get through this day there would be this huge cloud of stress over me from that situation. I also have a better layout now though where I don't have to go up and down stairs all the time like you have to do in a townhome. And we're a single family home! No more shared walls! There's so many good things now and I'm so happy and thankful that we were able to do this. One of the best things to come out of this was pretty surprising - instead of just leaving wall mounts the previous owners left behind 2 smart tvs! They actually also left behind a pool table but during the property negotiations we were pretty sure that they would be leaving that. They may not have expected to leave or give so many things but I think that they had so many property transactions going on and so much of their own moving stress that they just had to do whatever to be done with it all and move with kids and dogs and all the things that must have made their own move very difficult. I think they were actually a week or two between closings as well the way that their timing worked out and they had to store everything and just live in a hotel for awhile. It's much easier to go from renting to buying a house then to go from one property that you own to another I think. I'm glad things worked out the way they did for us and I think everything worked out for the sellers as well. They were definitely a blessing to us." +"M journey bagan on a chilly morning. i had lost my cousin in a road accident. she lived in california and we lived in north calorina. we had to use a car beacause most airlines were booked. By the time Fisher got in her yellow Volkswagen, the sky had transformed again: It was somehow both shrouded and glowing. Many other residents had learned to keep a “go bag” packed by the door, with water, medications and copies of important documents; a woman from the local Fire Safe Council, a volunteer known affectionately as the Bag Lady, held frequent workshops demonstrating how to pack one. But Fisher was indecisive and moving inefficiently. It had taken her nearly 40 minutes to commit to leaving, wrangle the dogs and scramble to grab a few haphazard possessions. It was now 8:45. So many calls were being placed to 911 that a dispatcher interrupted one man reporting a fire alongside Skyway Road — the busiest street in Paradise and the town’s primary evacuation route — with a terse, “Yeah, sir, we have fire everywhere.” Officials had started issuing evacuation orders about an hour earlier; Fisher’s neighborhood was among those told to clear out first. Her street was plugged with cars. A thick line of them crept forward at the end of her driveway. There are five routes out of Paradise. The three major ones spread south like the legs of a tripod, passing through the heart of town and continuing downhill toward Chico and the valley below. Fisher lived in the northern part of town, on the easternmost leg of the tripod, Pentz Road; she rented a bedroom from a woman who worked at a nursing home in town. It baffled her to see that all the cars in front of her house were heading north on Pentz, cramming themselves away from the center of Paradise, away from the valley, and further uphill. The opposite lane, meanwhile, was totally empty. It seemed obvious to Fisher that, if the fire was approaching from somewhere in the canyon behind her house, there would be plenty of Paradise left in which to safely wait it out. So she pushed across the traffic, into the empty lane. But she barely went 100 yards before a driver sitting in the jam alongside her rolled down his window and explained that Pentz was blocked up ahead." +"I was thinking about Scott again. Scott was an unique hero with unique hands and tattooed leg I walked over to the window and reflected on her comfortable surroundings. She had always loved beautiful Birthday Party with its pickled, prickly picnic area. It was a place that encouraged her tendency to feel surprise. Then she saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was the an unique figure of Scott PIke. I quickly gulped. She glanced at her own reflection. She was a sneaky, smart, whiskey drinker with fit hands and blonde legs. Her friends saw her as a broken, bright brute. Once, she had even helped a spotless baby turtle recover from a flying accident. But not even a sneaky person who had once helped a spotless baby turtle recover from a flying accident, was prepared for what Scott had in store today. The sun shone like swimming turtle, making me calm. Danielle grabbed a Party table that had been strewn nearby; she massaged it with my fingers. As I stepped outside and Scott came closer, I could see the jittery smile on his face. Scott gazed with the affection of 7996 thoughtful broken birds. He said, in hushed tones, ""I love you and I want surprise the protagonist.""I looked back, even more calm and still fingering the Party table. ""Scott, I can't believe it's been this long since we have seen each other,"" I replied. We looked at each other with excited feelings, like two steamed, small squirrels playing at a very clever birthday party, which had rock music playing in the background and two hands on uncles eating to the beat. I regarded Scott's unique hands and tattooed legs. ""I feel the same way!"" I revealed with a delighted grin. Scott looked happy, his emotions blushing like a cautious, cheerful cake. Then Scott came inside for a nice glass of whiskey." +"I was thinking about Scott again. Scott was an unique hero with unique hands and tattooed leg I walked over to the window and reflected on her comfortable surroundings. She had always loved beautiful Birthday Party with its pickled, prickly picnic area. It was a place that encouraged her tendency to feel surprise. Then she saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was the an unique figure of Scott PIke. I quickly gulped. She glanced at her own reflection. She was a sneaky, smart, whiskey drinker with fit hands and blonde legs. Her friends saw her as a broken, bright brute. Once, she had even helped a spotless baby turtle recover from a flying accident. But not even a sneaky person who had once helped a spotless baby turtle recover from a flying accident, was prepared for what Scott had in store today. The sun shone like swimming turtle, making me calm. Danielle grabbed a Party table that had been strewn nearby; she massaged it with my fingers. As I stepped outside and Scott came closer, I could see the jittery smile on his face. Scott gazed with the affection of 7996 thoughtful broken birds. He said, in hushed tones, ""I love you and I want surprise the protagonist.""I looked back, even more calm and still fingering the Party table. ""Scott, I can't believe it's been this long since we have seen each other,"" I replied. We looked at each other with excited feelings, like two steamed, small squirrels playing at a very clever birthday party, which had rock music playing in the background and two hands on uncles eating to the beat. I regarded Scott's unique hands and tattooed legs. ""I feel the same way!"" I revealed with a delighted grin. Scott looked happy, his emotions blushing like a cautious, cheerful cake. Then Scott came inside for a nice glass of whiskey." +"I was thinking about Scott again. Scott was an unique hero with unique hands and tattooed leg I walked over to the window and reflected on her comfortable surroundings. She had always loved beautiful Birthday Party with its pickled, prickly picnic area. It was a place that encouraged her tendency to feel surprise. Then she saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was the an unique figure of Scott PIke. I quickly gulped. She glanced at her own reflection. She was a sneaky, smart, whiskey drinker with fit hands and blonde legs. Her friends saw her as a broken, bright brute. Once, she had even helped a spotless baby turtle recover from a flying accident. But not even a sneaky person who had once helped a spotless baby turtle recover from a flying accident, was prepared for what Scott had in store today. The sun shone like swimming turtle, making me calm. Danielle grabbed a Party table that had been strewn nearby; she massaged it with my fingers. As I stepped outside and Scott came closer, I could see the jittery smile on his face. Scott gazed with the affection of 7996 thoughtful broken birds. He said, in hushed tones, ""I love you and I want surprise the protagonist.""I looked back, even more calm and still fingering the Party table. ""Scott, I can't believe it's been this long since we have seen each other,"" I replied. We looked at each other with excited feelings, like two steamed, small squirrels playing at a very clever birthday party, which had rock music playing in the background and two hands on uncles eating to the beat. I regarded Scott's unique hands and tattooed legs. ""I feel the same way!"" I revealed with a delighted grin. Scott looked happy, his emotions blushing like a cautious, cheerful cake. Then Scott came inside for a nice glass of whiskey." +"With respect to my workforce, I resigned from a job I had two months ago. It's hard to do your job when you can't speak, and that's exactly what happened. I tried to improve my voice over the course of time but there was nothing I can do about it. Instead of trying to force my weight around, I resigned. I didn't want to, but I don't think I had much of a choice. As it turns out, there was significant blockage. This blockage took place in my saliva gland, and that caused me to lose my voice. I never knew such a thing was even possible. Then again, my scientific background isn't exactly sparkling. I just wanted to be there for everyone, but I needed to take care of myself. Most of my job required talking, so not being able to talk was going to cause issues. It took a while for me to admit a problem. But, I also didn't want to have the workforce lag behind. I think my coworkers understood. And maybe I'll come back." +"With respect to my workforce, I resigned from a job I had two months ago. It's hard to do your job when you can't speak, and that's exactly what happened. I tried to improve my voice over the course of time but there was nothing I can do about it. Instead of trying to force my weight around, I resigned. I didn't want to, but I don't think I had much of a choice. As it turns out, there was significant blockage. This blockage took place in my saliva gland, and that caused me to lose my voice. I never knew such a thing was even possible. Then again, my scientific background isn't exactly sparkling. I just wanted to be there for everyone, but I needed to take care of myself. Most of my job required talking, so not being able to talk was going to cause issues. It took a while for me to admit a problem. But, I also didn't want to have the workforce lag behind. I think my coworkers understood. And maybe I'll come back." +"We went on a family vacation recently. It was myself, husband and three kids. We went to South Carolina. We went to go visit my husbands family due to his aunt passing away. We were there to finish spreading her ashes. We went to many great places but the most memorable one was going to Pretty Place. The name says it all. The place is amazing. It way up in the mountains so the drive is sorta long since it's at the top. But when you walk in it's all open so you get to embrace nature all around in the center is a cross. It makes you feel at ease when here. It sorta feels like all your problems just go away. But in the event that we were there for it was nice being with family and telling stories about his aunt. It was very emotional but at the same time it was nice to be with everyone and comfort everyone. The weather was amazing. South Carolina was a great time and I recommend everyone go and visit." +"My aunt and uncles 40th anniversary was last weekend. I took the bus up from DC to Boston to attend. It was a long bus ride, but I took the overnight bus so was able to sleep for most of it. When I got in I was exhausted. To get ready I drank some coffee and went to the party. My cousins rented a local Italian restaurant for the party. It was a surprise and they were very shocked to see all of us there for the event. There was a lot of food. Seven courses in all. In the end I wasn't able to complete more than 5. I initially resisted having desert. But the rum cake they got for the party was so good that I was somehow able to finish two servings. I don't get to go home that often. It was nice to see my whole family together. It reminded me of the family get togethers we had when I was a child." +"Last week, my aunt and uncle were celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary. My family lives about 2 hours from Boston but we decided to take a bus to the city in order to celebrate. So my dad, mom, sister, and I got to the bus station early in the morning and began the trip. When we pulled into the bus station in Boston, it turned out that we had a lot of extended family members waiting for us who also made the trip. It was awesome to be able to see these family members because I hadn't seen them in so long. I saw all of my cousins and it was like no time had passed between the last time I had seen them. Last time we were all together, was at a family reunion when we were little. That was such a fun time and me and my cousins always enjoyed it so much. So being able to be with them all again for my aunt and uncle's anniversary was wonderful. We spent the week exploring the city and seeing everything that Boston had to offer. We went to the harbor, ate at a lot of restaurants, went on the duck boats, and just enjoyed being with family. This was the most fun I had had in a long time. Finally, the week came to an end and we all had to say goodbye to each other. We promised that not as much time would pass until the next time that we saw each other again. I feel like we grew closer as family members and will remember the trip for the rest of our lives. I love my family." +"I remember about a few weeks ago a meet a stunning lady who shinned brighter than a star. She was so absolutely beautiful and rich in personality. Even though she was my type - I found he irresistibly attractive. She loved the music I loved. She even knew the lyrics to my favorite songs. She was perfect in so many ways. I felt like I was on cloud 99 with her. She is one of the coolest people I've vibed with in a while. It was nice to experience a breath of fresh air. I thoroughly enjoyed her company. She is fun to be a around. We had a natural chemistry. From now moving forward, I always want the lady to be a friend above all before more can ever transpire. This has set the bar to the stars. I will expect the best and nothing less from this point forward." +"While we were at my parents for this trip, we went out to one of my favorite new shops that sells vintage toys from my youth. It was nice seeing my kids enjoy all of this as much as I did. They had all of the Masters of the Universe, Ghostbusters, and Wrestlers that i played with. They had a ton of records that my dad also enjoyed looking through which was nice. ALl of the kids were overwhlemed by al lof the toys and it did my heart good because I could empathize with tha tfeeling. This is something that we make a habit of doing now whenever we go in there. It's right by the park that we went to for my moms birthday that had fishing, boating, and mini golf. I miss being there, bu tthese trips are special and evoke so much nostalgia for me. I wish we could go more often. The prices are high and the kids always want a lot. But to maintain the feelings it gives me I always pay up plus it helps the small business. The hard part is the kids don't really play with the toys anymore once we ge thome. I think they are feeling kind of what I am in that this store is a marker of happiness because they are with their grandparents. We always try to hit up all the small businesses when we are in. This one is the one that brings the kids the most joy though." +"While we were at my parents for this trip, we went out to one of my favorite new shops that sells vintage toys from my youth. It was nice seeing my kids enjoy all of this as much as I did. They had all of the Masters of the Universe, Ghostbusters, and Wrestlers that i played with. They had a ton of records that my dad also enjoyed looking through which was nice. ALl of the kids were overwhlemed by al lof the toys and it did my heart good because I could empathize with tha tfeeling. This is something that we make a habit of doing now whenever we go in there. It's right by the park that we went to for my moms birthday that had fishing, boating, and mini golf. I miss being there, bu tthese trips are special and evoke so much nostalgia for me. I wish we could go more often. The prices are high and the kids always want a lot. But to maintain the feelings it gives me I always pay up plus it helps the small business. The hard part is the kids don't really play with the toys anymore once we ge thome. I think they are feeling kind of what I am in that this store is a marker of happiness because they are with their grandparents. We always try to hit up all the small businesses when we are in. This one is the one that brings the kids the most joy though." +"Why can't people just leave me alone, why is it hard for people to understand it when you need your space. What happened today had nothing to do with race or anything, any one around their could see i was engrossed and really busy on my phone. On this particular i was way behind scheduled on so many office assignments and i had to find a way to cover up. I have been working my ass out lately at the office because i volunteered to cover up for a friend who had to go his girlfriend and Miami. their relationship was on the verge of collapse, so i had take one for the team. Unfortunately for me our boss told me a delegation from the headquarters where coming the following week, we had to put things in order and owing to the fact that my colleague travelled i had to cover up for him and at the same try and tidy up files for both of us. This wasn't what i expected but lo and behold it is happening. So after a very stressful morning i went for a lunch break as didn't have breakfast that day, made and order for some food which i can't even remember presently and I was trying to get some things done on my phone before while my order was been prepared. I looked and saw a Mexican looking man in a green shirt in front of me, went back to what i was doing on my phone almost immediately. I noticed him mumbling something but i was too engrossed to pick out the words. The next thing i knew was him ranting at me claiming i wasn't talking to him because he Mexican and calling a racist. Now please tell me how does sitting in a restaurant and waiting for your order to arrive make me a racist. I had to call security on his ass for me to have some peace, that was when i noticed my order had already been brought to my table. I think people should learn to mind their business and leave people alone when they are not in the mood to talk. I had to go for 15 minutes walk before i could go back to my work. He basically made me waste 15 extra minutes of my precious time. The good thing is that i was able to finish all i needed to do in due time" +"Why can't people just leave me alone, why is it hard for people to understand it when you need your space. What happened today had nothing to do with race or anything, any one around their could see i was engrossed and really busy on my phone. On this particular i was way behind scheduled on so many office assignments and i had to find a way to cover up. I have been working my ass out lately at the office because i volunteered to cover up for a friend who had to go his girlfriend and Miami. their relationship was on the verge of collapse, so i had take one for the team. Unfortunately for me our boss told me a delegation from the headquarters where coming the following week, we had to put things in order and owing to the fact that my colleague travelled i had to cover up for him and at the same try and tidy up files for both of us. This wasn't what i expected but lo and behold it is happening. So after a very stressful morning i went for a lunch break as didn't have breakfast that day, made and order for some food which i can't even remember presently and I was trying to get some things done on my phone before while my order was been prepared. I looked and saw a Mexican looking man in a green shirt in front of me, went back to what i was doing on my phone almost immediately. I noticed him mumbling something but i was too engrossed to pick out the words. The next thing i knew was him ranting at me claiming i wasn't talking to him because he Mexican and calling a racist. Now please tell me how does sitting in a restaurant and waiting for your order to arrive make me a racist. I had to call security on his ass for me to have some peace, that was when i noticed my order had already been brought to my table. I think people should learn to mind their business and leave people alone when they are not in the mood to talk. I had to go for 15 minutes walk before i could go back to my work. He basically made me waste 15 extra minutes of my precious time. The good thing is that i was able to finish all i needed to do in due time" +"Why can't people just leave me alone, why is it hard for people to understand it when you need your space. What happened today had nothing to do with race or anything, any one around their could see i was engrossed and really busy on my phone. On this particular i was way behind scheduled on so many office assignments and i had to find a way to cover up. I have been working my ass out lately at the office because i volunteered to cover up for a friend who had to go his girlfriend and Miami. their relationship was on the verge of collapse, so i had take one for the team. Unfortunately for me our boss told me a delegation from the headquarters where coming the following week, we had to put things in order and owing to the fact that my colleague travelled i had to cover up for him and at the same try and tidy up files for both of us. This wasn't what i expected but lo and behold it is happening. So after a very stressful morning i went for a lunch break as didn't have breakfast that day, made and order for some food which i can't even remember presently and I was trying to get some things done on my phone before while my order was been prepared. I looked and saw a Mexican looking man in a green shirt in front of me, went back to what i was doing on my phone almost immediately. I noticed him mumbling something but i was too engrossed to pick out the words. The next thing i knew was him ranting at me claiming i wasn't talking to him because he Mexican and calling a racist. Now please tell me how does sitting in a restaurant and waiting for your order to arrive make me a racist. I had to call security on his ass for me to have some peace, that was when i noticed my order had already been brought to my table. I think people should learn to mind their business and leave people alone when they are not in the mood to talk. I had to go for 15 minutes walk before i could go back to my work. He basically made me waste 15 extra minutes of my precious time. The good thing is that i was able to finish all i needed to do in due time" +"On this day, I was in charge of dropping my boys to their schools. Most of the time I am the one who is always in charge but this day was very special for us as a family. I prepared the sandwiches for my youngest son, he always want that simple PB and J, my oldest son just wants to eat an apple because he was saving for something and just wanted an extra allowance instead. This day was very special because it was the first day of school for my youngest son, it is always a very exciting experience to me because I can get to see my son go to school for the first time. On the other hand, I have my oldest son who is about to end his school year. He is actually doing great and I feel sadness in a way because I feel like he's getting more independent and not reliant to me anymore. My children are incredible though, they are not embarrassed by me even though I try to embarrass them. Even when I dropped off my youngest child that day, he was very happy and excited and was actually being a good kid, he was prepared surprisingly. My oldest son was very proud for some reason that day, probably related to what he was saving for, and was very excited too to end his school year. He was comforting me in a way because he knows that I feel sad that he is already getting older, and sooner or later, will move out. When I dropped both of them off, I went to a coffee shop to do some work. It was a sunny day, everything feels like a perfect day, but at the moment I was done ordering at the coffee shop, I went to the rest room, rushed actually to wipe a little bit of tears because I felt sad still. It was a weird feeling but it was a day that I will always remember the rest of my life. Later that day, I asked my children where they want to eat or what do they want for dinner. We went to Applebee's and we all ate a lot because for me, I was very stressed for the day, but very thankful." +"A while ago my new neighbor moved in. For a bit of background, I live in a basement apartment in a house. Half of the time, the upstairs is an AirBNB, the other half it is rented by other tenants. The upstairs has two bedrooms, while down here is just one. Anyway, the previous neighbors were a couple, they were pretty nice, they have a dog. My new neighbor is a younger guy, who also has a dog. When he moved in my landlords let me know he was moving in. I decided to bake him some cookies, so I biked down to the grocery store to get chocolate chips. He started moving in, and I made the cookies. I overheard my landlord mentioning that she was thinking about baking cookies but did not because it was too hot out, so I was relieved that I wouldn't be doing something redundant. I finished the cookies and was nervous about bringing them up. Was the timing good, would he be busy? I am nervous about talking to people. Eventually I put them on a plate, covered the plate with plastic wrap, and brought them up before they lost too much heat. My neighbor was out there, near his car, I talked to him and handed him the cookies which he accepted. His mother was helping him move in, I shook her hand and talked to her also. Once the conversation seemed like it was winding down I said I'd let him get back to moving in and went back inside. Also I gave him a card with my phone number." +"My dad fell while delivering pizzas and broke his foot. My parents were unable to pay their mortgage. They would likely lose their house in a few months. My brothers and I saw did a bit of renovating. A friend of my brothers helped and gradually cleaned the house out, as we reveled in old memories, and had my parents temporarily move in with me, as I was the only homeowner with space. In the mean mine, I helped my mom and dad make a budget. We got all their ""stuff"" in order to find an independent living apartment. The wife and I didnt hace the best time. She is a fairly private person and did not want my parents living with us for an indeterminate amount of time. She held strong and they eventually moved out. My parents were a bit traumatized by having to switch locations twice. Also, the room they were in is not heated and they needed a space heater. My brother and my wife healed over time and get along well again. My parents have way less worry. They dont worry about debt, houses or bills anymore." +"My dad fell while delivering pizzas and broke his foot. My parents were unable to pay their mortgage. They would likely lose their house in a few months. My brothers and I saw did a bit of renovating. A friend of my brothers helped and gradually cleaned the house out, as we reveled in old memories, and had my parents temporarily move in with me, as I was the only homeowner with space. In the mean mine, I helped my mom and dad make a budget. We got all their ""stuff"" in order to find an independent living apartment. The wife and I didnt hace the best time. She is a fairly private person and did not want my parents living with us for an indeterminate amount of time. She held strong and they eventually moved out. My parents were a bit traumatized by having to switch locations twice. Also, the room they were in is not heated and they needed a space heater. My brother and my wife healed over time and get along well again. My parents have way less worry. They dont worry about debt, houses or bills anymore." +"It’s been two months and I still can’t get over the Fact that I’m a homeowner!! It took sooo long to save up for our down payment. We spent what felt like forever saving up money and cutting expenses on other areas. I’m really proud of what we accomplished. Last night, my parents threw us a surprise housewarming party!! We couldn’t believe it. We got some great gifts, but more importantly it was so awesome to see our family and friends come together and support us. They are truly amazing. I can’t wait to see all the surprises this home has in store for us. I can just picture turning the spare bedroom into a nursery, or Brandon installing a swing set in the yard. I look forward to cooking Christmas and thanksgiving dinners in the kitchen. I know we have so many exciting memories to come here. It just feels so good to finally be able to say that we accomplished our goal. We will set another financial goal soon but for now we are just basking in the newness I’d this situation. We praise God for making this happen and blessing us beyond all measure! And we pray that he uses this home to bring our family closer to Him, foster fellowship, and build love and community. We are so lucky." +"My grandfather passed away recently. He was someone I was very close to growing up. I spent a lot of time with him throughout the years. His funeral was Saturday. I wasn't sure of the nature of how the funeral proceedings would be as it was handled by his children (my parent, and her siblings). However, I wanted to say something in his honor at the funeral. On Friday night, which was the night before the funeral, I could not sleep and decided to write out a remembrance. I have a fear of speaking in public, but I wanted to do itso badly that I committed myself to doing it anyway. During the funeral, a religious gentleman who had come to know him recently gave the service and eulogy. After he finished, he did not ask if anyone would like to say anything - the attendees started getting up and moving around - I immediately went up and asked everyone for a few moments for me to say some words. During this time, I was afraid I was being inappropriate, but I really wanted to honor my grandfather. I waited a few moments for everyone to go back to their seats. Most all sat back down, and a few stood attentively where they were at. I spoke my tribute to him and afterwards I was pleasantly surprised by how much it was appreciated. People rushed up to give me a hug and thank me. I felt so happy that it was both appreciated and that I pushed myself to do it regardless of how doubtful I was about doing it." +"I was really nervous, as I am not great with speaking in front of others. My sadness had overtaken my nervousness and I had tried my best to remain composed while reading. When I saw the look on my grandmas and dad's face, I instantly started crying. In this moment I knew that I was never going to see my grandpa again. It is as if it hit me all at once right there in front of everyone-- he's really gone. Who is going to read my kids their Christmas books on Christmas eve? Who is going to joke about how much food we made for Easter? A thousand thoughts had come to my mind all at once and I felt overwhelmed. I am still trying to get passed the fact that he is gone forever. I am not sure how I will ever accept that but I am trying hard everyday. It's been such a sadness I couldn't describe, I wasn't ready to see him like that at his funeral. I can't get the image out of my mind, I just want to remember his smiling happy face instead of what I saw at his funeral-- cold and just not ""grandpa"". As much as I had tried to make the tribute into something beautiful and happy, I don't think it mattered because we all knew he was gone. I enjoyed the fact that the service was non traditional-- he had an exceptional personality that definitely was not traditional. Overall, I am extremely sad about him being gone but am trying my hardest to move past the sadness I feel everyday." +"The other day, I was watching a live feed of my favorite consultant. This was around 2 weeks ago. This consultant was showing off some fancy new jewelry that was stunning. I think this jewelry even costs thousands of dollars. The consultant revealed halfway through that there would be a giveaway. Whoever shared the live feed on their page would be entered in. The winner would be announced the following day. Of course, I shared the video. I went to bed that night excited for some reason, thinking I may have a chance to win. Low and behold, I was right. When I woke up the next morning I received an email saying i was the winner! I do not think I have ever been so thrilled before. It was an amazing moment. I thanked the consultant profusely. I am so thankful that I won this giveaway." +"Recently I began a job search. I searched online on several websites. About two weeks in, I found an ideal opportunity. I had a lot of experience for this job so I applied. I did a phone interview with the manager. He liked me a lot. I had worked with two of the employees at that company in my current job as a vendor. Those employees were familiar with me and my work ethic and knowledge level. This helped me gain goodwill. The boss, two of the people on the team I'd be joining, and one person on another team flew in to meet me. They took me to a steak dinner where we got to know each other. A few weeks later, I received an offer. I acccepted the offer on Monday. Today I gave my notice today at my job. I had been there for many years and my colleagues are sad. It is bittersweet but I feel it will be a good move." +My mom is coming to town everybody keeps telling me . I smile sometimes and say oh yeah and change the subject other times I ask questions about the so called visit. My cousin wants to know if I will let the kids see the kids this time. I hate her for asking the question. Why should i let her see them why should they know her has she earned the right? There are people that say you should forgive and forget . Im not one of those people I fell you should never forget especially when a person refuses to give you closure. I remember I asked her one year about my childhood and she said God has already forgiven me for the things that have happened to you. I stood there shocked thinking well dont you think you should want forgiveness from me too. But of course I got nothing not even a sorry . So no she will not be able to see my kids. Just so they should be come attached and maybe become victims of the same abuse I did. That would make me a responsible. Because I Know what she is capable of. Even if others are fooled by her sweetness. She always talkes about chursh and loving god but where was that love when i was little. Surely god saw what you did to me . Surely he say how you treated me didnt you care a bout his approval then. I wish I wasnt so bitter. +My mom is coming to town everybody keeps telling me . I smile sometimes and say oh yeah and change the subject other times I ask questions about the so called visit. My cousin wants to know if I will let the kids see the kids this time. I hate her for asking the question. Why should i let her see them why should they know her has she earned the right? There are people that say you should forgive and forget . Im not one of those people I fell you should never forget especially when a person refuses to give you closure. I remember I asked her one year about my childhood and she said God has already forgiven me for the things that have happened to you. I stood there shocked thinking well dont you think you should want forgiveness from me too. But of course I got nothing not even a sorry . So no she will not be able to see my kids. Just so they should be come attached and maybe become victims of the same abuse I did. That would make me a responsible. Because I Know what she is capable of. Even if others are fooled by her sweetness. She always talkes about chursh and loving god but where was that love when i was little. Surely god saw what you did to me . Surely he say how you treated me didnt you care a bout his approval then. I wish I wasnt so bitter. +I recently went to Florida with family and my girlfriend of 13 years. It was a wonderful trip. One day my dad asked if I would want to go deep sea fishing with him and my brother in law. I was very nervous because I had never been and the thought made me unsure. I talked it over with my girlfriend and decided to wind up going on the trip. We had to wake up early around 5 a.m. that day to make it to the harbor. When we showed up it was very crowded as we joined the group to get onto the boat and begin our journey. We left the harbor about 7 a.m. and traveled for almost 2 hours to reach the open ocean. The deck hands told us how to use the rods and how to bait our hooks with squid. I hoped to catch a really big fish today and dropped my line. Within a couple seconds I was already reeling up my first fish. It was a Vermillion Snapper and it was a bright red color to it's scales. We were keeping them in a bucket to make our journey back to shore. We fished for 2 hours and I managed to catch 5 fish but only was able to keep 2 because of the length limits. Once we made it back to shore we went back to our rental house while a family friend cut up the fish and began to fry them. They were the best fish I've had and to know we caught them was exciting. It was a perfect day to a very good vacation. +"A recent event that meant a lot to me was my nephew's first birthday party. It was memorable because I was able to spend quality time with my family, which is rare these days. I also saw many friends, some of whom I hadn't seen in years. The party was loud and hectic, but it was a lot of fun. It took place in the back yard of my brother's house. There were children running around everywhere, laughing and playing. The adults were talking and laughing. My brother was manning the grill. I made it a point to spend some time talking and catching up with everyone there. The food was great. We had burgers, hot dogs, chicken, potato salad, garden salad, stuffed mushrooms (one of my favorite foods) and ears of corn. Eventually, they brought out the birthday cakes. There was a big cake for everyone to share and a small cake just for my nephew. He promptly smashed his face right into that little cake, which had everybody laughing. After all of the eating was done, we watched the birthday boy tear into his presents. As the sun started to set, we lit a fire in the outdoor fireplace and sat around it talking while the kids toasted marshmallows and made s'mores. All in all, it was a great day, and I will always remember it." +"One year ago today I asked my ex girlfriend to marry me. She was the light of my life. I thought we were soul mates. The year that followed was wonderful. We laughed, and had so much fun together. I did not see the signs. I assumed after she said yes , and excepted the ring, that I would have nothing to worry about ever again. I believed she would be mind forever. About six months in I noticed a few things were different. She seemed to be drifting away. I felt like she didn't understand me anymore. I shrugged it off as many of us do. I assumed she was stressed. She had a lot going on at work. These are the red flags I shouldn't have ignored." +"Well, he was acting funny for a couple days, being lethargic and not having any appetite at all. Finally one night it was just too much, so I took him to the very expensive emergency vet. Well they said they'd take a peek at him, so they took him in the back and I made myself comfortable in the waiting room. It was quite a wait. Many folks with their sick and wounded animal came and went, and still I waited patiently. I read a magazine for a while. If I remember correctly I think it was a national geographic. I forget what article it was I read, but that's not really important. Anyhow, where was I? Oh yeah, so eventually the vet returned from the back rooms and flagged me down. They said they'd run this test and that, and had him in an oxygen cabinet for the better part of an hour to see if that didn't help him. Well they'd sent some x-rays out to another doctor to get a second opinion, and the verdict was that the poor little guy had lung cancer. Well I was pretty upset at the news, as you'd imagine. The vet said there wasn't much of anything that could be done, so I took him back home and made him as comfortable as could be. He lasted for another three or four weeks. Eventually though it got to the point where we had to have him put down. So that was that." +"Well, my cat passed away a few months back. He'd been acting somewhat strangely, loss of appetite and moping around. So one night he seems even more off than usual and is somewhat short of breath. I put him in the truck and off we go to the all-night vet. After a couple hours hanging around in the waiting room the vet summons me into the back to tell me that he had lung cancer. Christ knows how he got that. Anyhow, she was of the opinion that maybe we ought to just put him down right then and there, but instead of that she gave me some pain medication for him and home we went. He lasted a few more weeks, and some of the time he seemed to be doing pretty well. One morning though it was just time, and we both knew it, so I carried him down to the normal vet and that was that. His ashes are in a little box now. On the kitchen table actually. I suppose I should find somewhere more official for them to go, but he always did like hanging out in the kitchen. There are worse places to be I guess. It was a rough few months after that. There's not much to be done about it though. It's a shame cats don't last longer than that, but such is life." +"was vacationing with my older sister last month. We had decided to take a beach vacation together. While I do like vacationing with my sister, we have very different sleep schedules. I like to get up early and she likes to stay up late. So, on our first day of vacation, I woke up at about 7AM and decided to take a walk on the beach. While I was walking, I noticed a very handsome man who was walking in my direction. As he got closer, our eyes locked and we passed each other slowly. At about the same time, we both turned around and looked at each other and started laughing. He broke the ice first and said his name was tom and we shook hands. We chatted for a few minutes and he invited me to breakfast. I agreed! There were several restaurants along the beach highway and he said he knew the best one. As we got closer, here said: RIGHT HERE! It was a beautiful condo right on the beach and I was surprised. He invited me in and told me he made the best pancakes in the world. And, he was right! We had a delicious breakfast of pancakes with straw berries and champagne! I was feeling a little woozy and said I had to go, so I ran off and went straight back to our hotel room. My sister was just getting up and asked how my walk was and I said : The early bird gets the worm." +"It's been about two years now since my cousin got engaged. Hard to believe it's been that long already. Time really does fly when you get older. Anyway, the wedding took place the beginning of June this year. They had planned to have a summer wedding since the beginning. They're both outdoors people so they love the warm weather. The day arrived and tons of my family flew in from around the US. I was kind of anxious to see everyone again. It's been years for some fo them. Luckily everyone gets along. We all arrived at the venue which was a really nice local garden. It was really impressive even from the very start. I was really impressed how much work they out into it! It was a wonderful day and I was so happy that everyone seemed really relaxed. Everyone seemed to be in a great mood and very friendly. The more casual vibes made it a great and enjoyable celebration of their union. I wish all weddings could be as enjoyable as this one was!" +"It's been about two years now since my cousin got engaged. Hard to believe it's been that long already. Time really does fly when you get older. Anyway, the wedding took place the beginning of June this year. They had planned to have a summer wedding since the beginning. They're both outdoors people so they love the warm weather. The day arrived and tons of my family flew in from around the US. I was kind of anxious to see everyone again. It's been years for some fo them. Luckily everyone gets along. We all arrived at the venue which was a really nice local garden. It was really impressive even from the very start. I was really impressed how much work they out into it! It was a wonderful day and I was so happy that everyone seemed really relaxed. Everyone seemed to be in a great mood and very friendly. The more casual vibes made it a great and enjoyable celebration of their union. I wish all weddings could be as enjoyable as this one was!" +"This past summer, my family consisting of my husband, three or our children (all boys, ages five, nine and thirteen) and myself, took a trip driving in car from North Carolina to visit family in Florida. We drove thirteen hours to get there. We stayed for three days. My nephew was getting married so family from other states was there as well. We were able to see family we rarely get to see, including my father-in-law who lives in Arizona and my sister-in-law and her family who live in Ohio. We, of course, got to see our family that lives in Florida. It was great seeing everyone all in one place, which has only happened one other time since I've been in my husband's family which has been for 23 years. We all had a great time! The wedding was absolutely beautiful! My nephew and his new wife looked really happy together! After the wedding, everyone went back to my sister-in-laws house, drank some beer, listened to music, danced and just had a really good time. Everyone was happy to be able to spend time together. But, it was a very emotional time for a lot of us, especially the ladies who cried at the thought of everyone going our separate ways again so soon. We don't get to see each other very often so knowing that it would be ending soon was really sad. It was sad to have to leave, knowing that we most-likely wouldn't all be together again like that for a really long time." +There was a great preparation for my girlfriend's mum birthday. A whole lot of family and friends will be travelling down to celebrate with her for her 60th birthday. I had taken permission from my office for the trip. My wife also cancelled all engagement close to the date. We planned our trip and made all necessary bookings. Her mum stays in a more colder region so we also got ourselves some sweatshirts and cardigan. We got her mum a birthday present also. It was a food processor. We had a smooth flight down and we were well received by those already there. The mum was particularly happy as its been a while we saw last. We settled in my girlfriend's room and the whole family had a great dinner together. I was able to bond well with the family as we shared our experiences with anxiety and depression. My girlfriend felt I talked too much but I made her understand it was because I felt at home. We argued before going to bed and when we woke on the next day. I was furious as it was her mum's day and I dont like the fact that she is ruining it already. She later calmed down and apologized. I let go and she fell asleep in my arms..i also had a small nap too. +"Two months ago, in a desperate attempt to get my position back, I volunteered to set up the science olympiad at school. I had been moved into the math department due to a lack of funding. I was desperate to get back into the science department. I was licensed to teach both subjects, but I hated math. And more importantly, my students hated math. I figured if I could pull off the olympiad event I might make a good impression on the superintendent. I started getting everything together and realized it was going to be a lot of work. I had to get enough kids to participate, get parents to help, and get donations. I was doing pretty well and then I got a phone call that the school had decided to include the younger grade levels as well. All the work I had just done had to be redone, and at three times as much. Somehow I managed to pull it off. The event went perfectly, the kids all had fun. I looked really good and I was anxious to see if the SUperintendent would notice. The next day at school I was immediately called into his office. He was so impressed with my organization that he decided I belonged in the science department! I could have my old position back effective immediately. I was so happy I could have cried." +"Two months ago, in a desperate attempt to get my position back, I volunteered to set up the science olympiad at school. I had been moved into the math department due to a lack of funding. I was desperate to get back into the science department. I was licensed to teach both subjects, but I hated math. And more importantly, my students hated math. I figured if I could pull off the olympiad event I might make a good impression on the superintendent. I started getting everything together and realized it was going to be a lot of work. I had to get enough kids to participate, get parents to help, and get donations. I was doing pretty well and then I got a phone call that the school had decided to include the younger grade levels as well. All the work I had just done had to be redone, and at three times as much. Somehow I managed to pull it off. The event went perfectly, the kids all had fun. I looked really good and I was anxious to see if the SUperintendent would notice. The next day at school I was immediately called into his office. He was so impressed with my organization that he decided I belonged in the science department! I could have my old position back effective immediately. I was so happy I could have cried." +"[12:02 PM, 8/26/2019] Debman: back a year prior, to the march or 2019. My cousin, the son of my mother’s oldest sister, has gotten engaged. It’s the first engagement of all the cousins on my mom’s side — granted, there are only two cousins outside of myself, my brother and my sister. Still, it’s enough to be hot, hot family news and send us into a collective, year-long planning mode: How do we get to the wedding, what do we wear to the wedding, where do we stay for the wedding, what do we do before and after the wedding? The wedding becomes what we plan our lives around.[12:04 PM, 8/26/2019] Debman: It’s not that we’re crazy, wedding-obsessed people. It’s that my cousin’s wedding is in Shanghai, China. Both of my parents are from Shanghai. Most of my mom’s family is still in Shanghai, and my cousin who is getting married lives with my aunt and my uncle and my grandmother in the same house that my mother grew up in as a child. My family also lived in Shanghai for nearly two years when I was around 8 and 9 years old, and visited again a year later. But I had not been back since. And not only had I not been back, but in that 13-year separation, I had forgotten the bulk of Chinese I had ever known how to speak. Instead of focusing on re-learning the language in the year I had, I shoved it to the bottom of my mental to-do list. By the time December 2012 rolled aroun[12:11 PM, 8/26/2019] Debman: I was no better at remembering how to say “Where is the bathroom?” than 12 months earlier. When we finally arrived in Shanghai, the reality of being in China’s largest city began to settle in. On the streets, taxis weaved in and out of lanes, miraculously avoiding crashes by near inches. People crowded the sidewalks, pushing others to get by and rushing across busy streets, also miraculously avoiding getting hit by cars. Buses honked. Street vendors hollered. We spent a day getting over the jet lag before the wedding. We saw my cousin and the rest of the family. We ate a lot of food in a short amount of time. And to be honest, by the morning of the wedding day, I wasn’t too worried about not being able to speak Chinese. My family had been assigned a big table[12:18 PM, 8/26/2019] Debman: together, and we could enjoy the wedding with each other." +"the marriage of my friends brother came off in march. i was cordially invited to attend that. is weans the grandest marriage,i have ever attended. it afford great joy and mirth to every members of the procession. its unforgettable experience. on the day of the marriage the house of my friend was tastefully decorated with multicolored flowers,bunting and balloons. a served with juice,sweet, dry fruit and coffee. in the evening at about 4 p.m, some ceremonies, prior to the departure of the barat were performed. everybody was putting on his best suit. there was joy and cheer everywhere. the priest put a coronet decked with flowers on the bridegroom's head. the women started singing songs. the bride groom was made to ride a mare decked with ornaments of silver. the best band of the city created sweet sensation by it's tunes of modern films. the barat started on foot towards the bride’s house. It was at a distance of half a mile. The party of jolly young boys and girls began to dance and twist to the tunes of the band. There was a drum beater surrounded by lust young bachelors chancing and jumping at the head of the barat, crackers were also let off. ‘The father of the bridegroom was throwing handfuls of paisa which attracted many a child." +"Last month I went back to my hometown and celebrated my Grandmothers 97th birthday. It was a huge event with family members flying in from all over the world for the event. Some of these people I had not seen for ten years and others, I had never met. It was so amazing to have everyone gathered in one place and for me it was especially important because my Grandmother has always been my rock growing up. She raised me on her own and has always been more of a mother to me than my actual mom. Her guidance, advice and sense of morality has been my core for my entire life. To see how happy she was and how emotional she was as more and more people came into the room, you couldn't help but cry in joy. It just made me think about how important it is to have a sense of yourself and a connection with others. I have always had a hard time bonding and letting my guard down, but this experience further reiterated the need to be able to do that. Seeing all of my various family members and seeing them all connecting again made me so happy. It also made me realize that isolating myself from the world and from relationships was not something that was healthy nor was it helpful for the bigger picture of life. I know my Grandmother wants me to be happy. I know that I need to be happy. However, I need to change my outlook on things in order for this to occur. I need to branch out, maybe move to a new place, and have a fresh start in life. I think I need to be my own person and put myself in some new situations in order to truly grow." +I went to Grandmas birthday party last month. My uncles and aunts were there. All my nieces and nephews were also there. Grandma was happy and in a good mood. She was glad to see everyone gathered together. We had a great time. We told stories about past events in our lives. we talked about trips we had taken when we were young. We had great food that we all brought. Grandma made some food also. We had a huge birthday cake for her. We loved being together. we dont get to be together that often anymore. We all plan to get together for the holiday season. Hopefully we can all have a party again. We plan to do so for Christmas. And we want to get together for a big cookout Memorial day. Everyone was making suggestions on how to get the family together more often. It makes me think how little time we spend together. I hope we can change that because life is short and should be enjoyed. +"Last month, I had to have my beloved persian cat, Monkey, put to sleep. It was the most emotional thing that I've been through recently. Monkey was my best friend and companion for 12 years. She got me through the hardest times of my life, like when I went through a divorce and moved across the country to start my life over again. Monkey was with me every day, through all of the tears, and she always made me feel better. She was not eating, and acting very strange, so I took her to the vet. After running some tests, the vet informed me that Monkey had cancer, and it had spread throughout her body. The vet told me that I could spend $5,000. 00 to give her some treatments, but she would still probably die within 6 months. After thinking it over for 2 days, i decided not to prolong things and to have Monkey put to sleep, so she wouldn't be in pain anymore. The morning I took her to the vet to have her put to sleep, was the saddest morning of my life. I'm crying as I type this, so it's still very hard for me. I stayed with her as the doctor gave her a shot to first put her to sleep, and then another shot to stop her heart. She was in my arms when she went to sleep, which makes me feel better. I have to keep reminding myself that she's not in pain anymore, and I did the right thing. I keep second guessing myself, and wondering if I should've just paid the 5 grand to have her with me a little bit longer. I think that's being selfish though, and I dont think Monkey would've wanted to go through each day in pain, that would get worse as time went on. People have told me that it will get easier for me as time goes by, but some days it feels like the pain will never go away. Some days I don't think about it a lot, and other days, like today, it feels like it just happened. I haven't gotten another cat yet, but I'm looking into it, and will probably get a kitten soon. For me, pets are just as important as people, and they have a positive impact on everyones lives. I feel better knowing that Monkey is in Heaven, and I will see her again someday." +"Write about your social or romantic life. One of the easiest things you can write about may be your social or romantic life. Finally, we will have few problems to start an entry about something that you are passionate about or that produces strong feelings. The following are some examples of notes you can start with:Your love interests Write about a person you like, a person with whom you have recently ended or a person with whom you have a relationship. Write about things you did or plan to do with friends. For example, if you and your friends have planned a big party, write about it......Write about your personal thoughts. Perhaps the most therapeutic topic you can write is about your deep personal thoughts. They can be thoughts that you don't want to share with anyone else, but that you feel comfortable writing them in a diary. You can start the entries with the following examples:Your hopes and your dreams for the future. For example, write about your vision for your life in the future. Your personal doubts For example, reflect on your doubts about yourself or your own abilities. If you think you are a clumsy person, write a little about the subject. It can help you gain more confidence. Your individual fears For example, write about your fear of death, your fear of loneliness or your fear of never loving someone................Reflect on your professional life and your aspirations. A good way to start writing in a newspaper is to take the opportunity to write about your professional life. This should be a journal entry with which you can easily start, since you will have a lot to talk about. You can write about the following:About your goals in five, ten or twenty years. About big projects at work. About the frustrations you have with co-workers or with the administration. About the ideas you have about how to do your job better or how to make your business more efficient. About a business you want to start in your free time..............Write taking the audience into account. When deciding what to write, you will have to take the audience into account. This is important, since you can write for a variety of reasons. Some potential audiences include the followi." +"Write about your social or romantic life. One of the easiest things you can write about may be your social or romantic life. Finally, we will have few problems to start an entry about something that you are passionate about or that produces strong feelings. The following are some examples of notes you can start with:Your love interests Write about a person you like, a person with whom you have recently ended or a person with whom you have a relationship. Write about things you did or plan to do with friends. For example, if you and your friends have planned a big party, write about it......Write about your personal thoughts. Perhaps the most therapeutic topic you can write is about your deep personal thoughts. They can be thoughts that you don't want to share with anyone else, but that you feel comfortable writing them in a diary. You can start the entries with the following examples:Your hopes and your dreams for the future. For example, write about your vision for your life in the future. Your personal doubts For example, reflect on your doubts about yourself or your own abilities. If you think you are a clumsy person, write a little about the subject. It can help you gain more confidence. Your individual fears For example, write about your fear of death, your fear of loneliness or your fear of never loving someone................Reflect on your professional life and your aspirations. A good way to start writing in a newspaper is to take the opportunity to write about your professional life. This should be a journal entry with which you can easily start, since you will have a lot to talk about. You can write about the following:About your goals in five, ten or twenty years. About big projects at work. About the frustrations you have with co-workers or with the administration. About the ideas you have about how to do your job better or how to make your business more efficient. About a business you want to start in your free time..............Write taking the audience into account. When deciding what to write, you will have to take the audience into account. This is important, since you can write for a variety of reasons. Some potential audiences include the followi." +"Write about your social or romantic life. One of the easiest things you can write about may be your social or romantic life. Finally, we will have few problems to start an entry about something that you are passionate about or that produces strong feelings. The following are some examples of notes you can start with:Your love interests Write about a person you like, a person with whom you have recently ended or a person with whom you have a relationship. Write about things you did or plan to do with friends. For example, if you and your friends have planned a big party, write about it......Write about your personal thoughts. Perhaps the most therapeutic topic you can write is about your deep personal thoughts. They can be thoughts that you don't want to share with anyone else, but that you feel comfortable writing them in a diary. You can start the entries with the following examples:Your hopes and your dreams for the future. For example, write about your vision for your life in the future. Your personal doubts For example, reflect on your doubts about yourself or your own abilities. If you think you are a clumsy person, write a little about the subject. It can help you gain more confidence. Your individual fears For example, write about your fear of death, your fear of loneliness or your fear of never loving someone................Reflect on your professional life and your aspirations. A good way to start writing in a newspaper is to take the opportunity to write about your professional life. This should be a journal entry with which you can easily start, since you will have a lot to talk about. You can write about the following:About your goals in five, ten or twenty years. About big projects at work. About the frustrations you have with co-workers or with the administration. About the ideas you have about how to do your job better or how to make your business more efficient. About a business you want to start in your free time..............Write taking the audience into account. When deciding what to write, you will have to take the audience into account. This is important, since you can write for a variety of reasons. Some potential audiences include the followi." +"My aunt died several months ago. It was a shock to all of us because her death was so sudden. She had stomach cancer but didn't know. One day she didn't feel well and asked her neighbor to take her to the hospital and three later she was gone. There wasn't anything the doctor could do, since the illness was so advanced. My cousins didn't tell the family how bad her condition really was so I never got a chance to see her before she died. When I heard she was in the hospital I assumed she would get better and I would see her when she got out. She lives in Europe and I live in the US so I wasn't able to visit her. I was planning on seeing her this Summer. I learned a valuable lesson from this. Life is short and you need to live it to the fullest. You never know when it's going to end. One day you're fine and everything is going well and then all of a sudden everything come crashing down. I will never see my aunt again and I'm going to miss her. I want to learn from this experience and to start making changes to my life." +"so about 3 months ago I lost a very important person in my life. she was truly the love of my life and because of my stupid ego she is gone forever. it was a mistake of me walking out during an argument. and i shouldn't have now she is getting married to her high school sweet heart. i'm pretty devastated. We had argued a million times in the past but always worked through them. we traveled the world together , and never really had many arguments we couldn't get past. I don't know what happened. I just got angry and said , well or thought. the hell with this I'm leaving.. I should have just got away until we both had calmed down. now I am always along and its sad. I only think of her, I cant eat , I cant sleep . I'm just beside myself with anguish. She wont answer my phone call, or letters, and I try every day to get in touch but her ex answers her phone and tell me to get lost.. hes not good for her, and she knows it, we have even discussed it a hundred times. So now I'm gonna have to find a way to get her back....also I am taking to her family for help. They want me to get her back and they also pass messages to her from me. I think she has made a grave mistake not allowing time to pass to see how this is such a bad choice on both of our parts but we shall see." +My love has left. I am so sad I cannot breathe. How will I get her back? Maybe I didn't pay attention to her as she needed? Perhaps if I show her attention she will soften? I should start giving my all to her and expect nothing in return. Unconditional love was what was missing. Love is something that must remain pure. Must remain without expectations or limitations. Only then can we know if the love is real. Conditional love is not love at all but tolerance. Life is too short for this. This is how I can get my love back. Show her unconditional love. Show her unwavering love. Expect nothing in return for my love. +"This is one of the funniest incidents I was ever a part of while in the restaurant business for many years. I was working at a famous restaurant in a major U.S. metropolitan area known for it’s dining scene. The place was crazy busy as usual, with an hour wait for a table; the bar was three-deep; everyone was working full-speed-ahead. A couple walked in, obviously tourists: Fisherman’s Wharf sweatshirt, sensible walking shoes, the kind of skin that suggests years of working outside. After making their way through the crowd, they walked up to the host and asked if they could sit one of my just-vacated tables. The host replied, “You can if you’re Tippen!” The guy handed the host a buck, who proceeded to escort the couple to their seats. Suddenly, I was told later, a man walks up to the host and asks why “those people” were seated ahead of him and his wife, while they had been patiently waiting for well-over a half hour. The perplexed host explained that the host he called out the next name of the list: Tippen. “But I’M Tippen!” the man asserted. The host apologized, walked up to soon to be confused party of two, threw the dollar down on their table and blurted, “That’s not the way we do things around here!” It wasn’t until the host walked back to assuage the passed-over guests’ feelings that the homonymic connection between “Tippen” and “tipping” would light up his brain like a bolt of electricity. The couple was allowed to finish their meal in peace. I don't think anyone ever explained to them what happened. I do recall they seemed rather befuddled and perplexed when I first went up to them. The host had initially told me to ignore them. One can imagine they are still reminiscing about their weird experience is San Francisco." +"This day was absolutely hilarious. I haven't had such a day in my life i think. It started out normal. Just like any other day. I went to work and was waiting on the tables as usual. Around evening, this elderly couple walked in. They asked me if they could be seated. This was surprising to begin with- as we do not have a reservation policy. However, i politely informed them that they can take a seat. They seemed to know what they were doing. However, how wrong i was! As i came back from the kitchen, i saw them sitting besides these children. The kids seemed confused, and a bit terrified? The mom was furious for sure. Apparently the elderly couple didn't know our ways it seems." +"I was biking with my usual group of friends. We go mountain biking every week. I was having a good time when my bike went out from under me and I slammed down onto my collar bone, breaking it and also some ribs. I was overcome with pain at the time, and just lay there helpless and really afraid of what damage I'd just done to my body. When the shock of the fall wore off and I became aware of my surroundings, I saw my circle of friends around me, busily assessing the situation and arranging for help, calling 911, asking if I was OK, etc. The ambulance ride was a blur, and I was taken to the hospital 30 minutes away. Later my family and some friends all came to the hospital, surrounding my with smiles and concern, and trying to make me smile and laugh. I was in so much physical pain when the fall happened, and whenever the pain meds would wear off at the hospital. But the support of everyone, my friends and family, was so great it just felt like my heart was full of good feelings and love for these people. I really felt so supported and cared for. It was weird to be the center of all that attention. I felt surprised at all the concern being shown for me. I guess in retrospect it's silly to be surprised by that. Of course I would have done the same for any of them. Yet still I was so touched that they all cared about me and showed so much concern." +"I was biking with my usual group of friends. We go mountain biking every week. I was having a good time when my bike went out from under me and I slammed down onto my collar bone, breaking it and also some ribs. I was overcome with pain at the time, and just lay there helpless and really afraid of what damage I'd just done to my body. When the shock of the fall wore off and I became aware of my surroundings, I saw my circle of friends around me, busily assessing the situation and arranging for help, calling 911, asking if I was OK, etc. The ambulance ride was a blur, and I was taken to the hospital 30 minutes away. Later my family and some friends all came to the hospital, surrounding my with smiles and concern, and trying to make me smile and laugh. I was in so much physical pain when the fall happened, and whenever the pain meds would wear off at the hospital. But the support of everyone, my friends and family, was so great it just felt like my heart was full of good feelings and love for these people. I really felt so supported and cared for. It was weird to be the center of all that attention. I felt surprised at all the concern being shown for me. I guess in retrospect it's silly to be surprised by that. Of course I would have done the same for any of them. Yet still I was so touched that they all cared about me and showed so much concern." +"Wow, what a memory! I think about that from time to time. it was a benchmark in my life, really. I remember some nutso woman on Facebook telling me, ""Just force yourself to eat! That's what I tell my daughter and sister-in-law when they make such a nonsense bitch! Just EAT!""And that woman was crazy. Forcing yourself to eat probably works most of the time for most people. But what I was suffering from was almost ... an ANTI-eating illness. My body didn't WANT me to eat food. And that is truly weird. I should do some Internet research and find out what was going on with my system. And I still find it .... interesting, that after taking the medication I was given to make me eat, I now eat regularly with no problem. (I just wish I had better food to eat!)I wonder if my current weird eating habits now have anything to do with my previous problem? I love toast with scads of margarine spread on it. And I'm suddenly really like strawberry. Strawberry ice cream, strawberry jam, strawberry whatever. :)But just so long as I am EATING, it is much, **much** better for me, health wise, than what I was going through a few months ago. Thanks for this opportunity, and have a good day!!" +"Up until about a week ago I had a great appetite. My family and I went to a restaurant to celebrate my brother's birthday. We ate and drank and had a really good time. The next morning I woke up feeling a little weird, not exactly sick, but not myself either. I decided to skip breakfast that morning before heading off to work because of the way I was feeling, and because I'm not a big breakfast eater anyway. Things went downhill from there. I had no appetite that day, but decided not to force myself to eat, thinking that my appetite has to come back eventually. I was wrong. The day after that I felt worse, and again didn't eat. After the third day with no appetite, I decided to make an appointment with my doctor. She ran some tests and asked me what medications I was taking. To my surprise, she told me that not having any appetite for a few days is not all that unusual. She did list some pretty scary things that could be causing my lack of appetite, but said she didn't think it was anything serious. She told me to try to force myself to eat, and to come back in a couple of days if there was no improvement. Well, I tried to do what she said, but I just couldn't make myself eat, because I couldn't even stand the sight of food at that point, and I missed my appointment with her two days later because I just didn't feel like leaving the house. The next day I began to feel faint. My sister-in-law was with me because she had heard I wasn't feeling well and had come by to check on me. She immediately suggested we go to the emergency room. After seeing how pale and weak I was, they decided to admit me right away. After being admitted, I spent three days in the hospital and they ran more tests, but still couldn't determine the reason for my lack of appetite. In the hospital, they had me on an intravenous drip, and were somewhat successful in getting me to eat a little. Also, while in the hospital they put me on medication to increase my appetite. After the three days I was well enough to go home, I am still on the medication, and my appetite is back to normal." +"Recently I left a homeless shelter for vets I had been staying at over the last two years. I'm a disabled OIF/New Dawn army vets with major depression, anxiety disorder, PTSD, and minor agoraphobia, and my time has run out at the shelter, meaning the VA wouldn't pay for more than 2 years of staying there. I had been living in LA for the last 7 years, since I left fort hood Texas. I moved to LA to try and go to UCLA, but I didn't realize at the time just how bad my mental condition was, and it quickly became apparent. After about 4 years of on and off trying to go to classes, and my symptoms becoming more apparent and dictating my life's choices. For 3 weeks I stayed in a park, hiding as best I could, and coming to near starvation. I found out from another homeless vet that although there weren't any shelters or food cupboards I could go to without a referral near by to where I was, I could always travel the 25 miles to go to the VA where they would place me in housing of some kind. So I finally did, and they put me in a recovery program for the homeless, mentally ill, and drug addicted vets of LA. It turned out I was much worse outside and it was apparent to others how much worse I was doing mentally, than I was aware of on the inside - and the VA very quickly approved not only the increase to my disability benefits, going from 50% service connected to 100%, and also paying for my shelter stay on a 3 month basis, with a second manager from the VA coming to check on progress and whether I needed the continued shelter. Of course, this was great news, but I was still new to medication and therapy, and I was in an extremely self destructive and self hating place. I wanted to kill myself, I thought about it daily, I didn't think there was any hope, so when the good news came in, it barely registered in my mind. Just like my physical shape – going from 220 pounds at 15% body fat to 400 pounds in under 3 years – I was nearly unaware of my circumstances changing. And the VA paid me 15000 dollars in back pay from when I submitted the increase in benefits. Looking back, I wish I has been ready to leave then. But I wasn't. And over that year, I ate nearly 30000 in fast food, almost never leaving my room, and eventually breaking my leg with how overweight I got. In May of this year my time ran out. I had been on medication for nearly 6 months, and it had started helping a ton. No more panic attacks when I didn't go outside. Very little suicidal thoughts on a day to day. And my new case manager had helped me come up with great coping mechanisms for when I left. And so I did. I left for Florida, where my son is, and I've been living here since. I've dropped 40 pounds, I go on walks daily, I'm eating less than 1500 calories a day, and swimming multiple times a week, and now even working online with amazon mturk. I have my own apartment, I shop by myself, I cook on my own, don't eat any fast food, and soon, I hope to be in my sons life." +"My mother and I have lived in the same rented home for about five years. We live near a river and have always been a bit concerned about flooding and have spent a few sleepless nights keeping an eye on the water. A couple months ago we were expecting the same experience. Things turned out very different however. We had experienced a couple days of rain but nothing really serious. It was a Friday unlike many others. My mother always tends to worry about flooding and went several times to check the water level. She seemed a bit more nervous but I assured her everything would be fine. Around six PM the river had filled beyond capacity and came out into the field. This had happened several times before so I wasn't terribly concerned. This time turned out to be different. The rain began to pick to pick up and soon the field right below our home was covered. This also had happened a couple times, and while I wasn't afraid at this point, I did start to feel concerned. The rain continued to increase. Suddenly water started to rise near the back of our home. This had never happened before. We debated leaving but by this time it was dark out. We tried calling 911 but learned many were trapped and no one was currently available. We would have to wait. Within the span of 40 minutes our house was completely surrounded by water. It was terrifying. Everywhere you looked all you could see was dark water. I think it was probably the most afraid I have ever been. Help never showed up and thankfully towards morning the water began to recede. It was a night I will never forget and hope to never relive." +"So things have been starting to get easier at my new job. Last week I was feeling very overwhelmed. I didn't know if I could handle speaking with a large volume of customers again. It was really embarrassing. We were on the sales floor and my chest started to get tight. I started to hyperventilate, and the room got small. It seems so silly in hindsight. The floor was hectic and people were talking so loud. I had to leave and take a breather in the bathroom. I was worried about the way that everyone would see me afterwards. I didn't want to be so visible to everyone on just my second day back. I had no idea what to expect. Everything has been good though. Luckily everyone still welcomed me back to the team regardless. I now feel like I belong there again." +"So my buddy who I have been best friends with finally proposed a few months back. It was a long time coming since they had both been together for what seemed like forever, so we were all expecting the proposal to be soonish. What I was more excited about was the bachelor party. My buddy and I get along extremely well. Almost too well. We both have a hugely diverse friend group who love to party, so I knew this was going to be nuts. What made this bachelor party nice was the fact the wedding still wasnt for another few months. He wanted it to be in the summer rather than winter since there were more things that we could do. So for this party, we all flew out to Denver. We both got some of our close friends out there and he had never been, so he thought it would be awesome to go out there and rage Milwaukee style, in Denver. We all flew out on a Thursday since the whole party/get together was from a Friday until Sunday. He wanted to stay until Monday, but if I knew myself and our group, there was no way we would want to stay an extra day in the condition we anticipated being in. So I flew out with another friend of mine Thursday evening and arrived at roughly 10pm. Far too late to actually do anything besides have a few brewskis and meet new friends. And that is exactly what we had done. Friday and Saturday both ended up being a complete blur. Between being kicked out of bars to losing people for hours, it was probably some of the most fun I have ever had. Between the groom and myself, we have some of the nicest guy friends in existence and it proved right this time around. I got to meet some of his friends that I had never met before despite always hanging out with the groom on the weekends at home. The best part about the trip was feeling like I left with more friends than I got there with, despite forgetting most of the experiences we shared together." +"This past weekend I went to my buddies bachelor party. I was particularly excited since most of the people at this house I had no idea who they were since it was for a friend who i am close with, but not his group of friends. So we all got to the house and of course, nobody was there since I had gotten off of work late. I find out that we are all over on at a bar down the street so I head out over that way. I meet everyone and the beers start flowing pretty generously. That evening we all took a turn for the worst as we all struggled to make it to bar close and then back to the air bnb where we were all staying. That night I ended up going home since the Air BNB didnt have any AC in it. I mean, who gets an Air BNB with no AC?! It was super humid, so it was tough to stay there. That morning, some of the bros came over to my house and we had a few beers. We headed back over the Air bib since that day we were all going to go to a brewers game by way of the party bus. Well the party bus was of course an hour late to pick us up and actually had no AC just like the air bnb which we thought was all really funny. So we partied all day at a tailgate and met lots of new people. Since none of the people who were at this bachelor party really knew eachother, it was fun to see everyone's differnet traditions and norms for getting turned up in a parking lot. We learned tons of new games and pretty much drank a truck load of white claws during teh course of the day. You know as they say, Aint no laws when youre drinking claws. So after the game, which im amazing we ever made it to teh seats, we made it back to the bus and then out and about downtown. The night ended just as strong as it had begin. That evening we all got back to the house, had tons more white claws, and i parted ways with the group since it was way too hot for me to stay there. I met new friends with whom i exhanged numbers with and i cannot wait to hang out more with them in the coming future." +"So I have something crazy that I have to tell you. It happened about 3 months ago or so. My beloved grandpa whom I love dearly got sick. And my dumb cunt of a grandma wanted to divorce him years ago. However, knew she wouldn't be getting anything as he made her sign a pre-nup. So when he gets sick what does she do? The fucking evil bitch lies to the doctors. I believe that she took advantage of the situation by telling them stuff that was going on that wasn't going on. He was pretty much in a daze because of all the different medicine. And naturally she was the power of attorney and so whatever she told the doctors they were going to listen. He didn't even have a chance to defend himself. Now he's in some fucking mental ward. I don't even know what to think or what to do. My own grandmother lied to me, lied to all of the family. She lied to herself, she betrayed us all. I am so hurt and I don't know who to trust anymore. I'm very reserved now, and feel like a hermit crab sitting in my apartment by myself drinking jack daniels and eating burnt toast..." +"Nearly a year ago I was asked to dinner by the parents of my now-Godson Herman. I was very surprised that they asked me to do the honor as I didn't know them very well. I accepted, of course. The ceremony was held about two months after his birth. It's about 9 months ago now. The rite is beautiful (Orthodox Christian). It's an immersive baptism, three dunks. Everything went well. Except that he peed in the font while being baptized. Embarrassing, but not unheard of. There were two babies after him to be baptized, unfortunately, in the same water. It's been great having a godson. My wife and I have been unable to have children so it really has been a godsend for us. We've also grown quite close to his parents. They're over several times a month." +"Nearly a year ago I was asked to dinner by the parents of my now-Godson Herman. I was very surprised that they asked me to do the honor as I didn't know them very well. I accepted, of course. The ceremony was held about two months after his birth. It's about 9 months ago now. The rite is beautiful (Orthodox Christian). It's an immersive baptism, three dunks. Everything went well. Except that he peed in the font while being baptized. Embarrassing, but not unheard of. There were two babies after him to be baptized, unfortunately, in the same water. It's been great having a godson. My wife and I have been unable to have children so it really has been a godsend for us. We've also grown quite close to his parents. They're over several times a month." +"We had been planning it for a long time, but finally my girlfriend was able to spend a full month with me. She was on summer break and managed to drive here to stay at my apartment. Without a doubt it was amazing to spend so much time with her again. She lives in a different state while she finishes her schooling, so we don't really get to spend much time together. It's tough sometimes. We have been dating for six years so the long distance aspect hasn't affected our relationship, but we really needed this time to just sit back and enjoy each other's company. You can only get so much of a connection from video chatting with someone for so long. Eventually you want to reach out and give that person a hug. So this was a pretty wonderful time for us. Luckily I was prepared and had nearly a month's long schedule of plans. Over that month we went to concerts, sporting events, and fancy restaurants. We also hung out with tons of old friends and went to numerous graduation parties. I even scheduled a big surprise going away party for her on the second to last day she was in town. I know she was thrilled and completely surprised by all the people I managed to fit in my tiny apartment. All in all we had a blast for that month, and I can't wait until she graduates and we can live together full time." +"Recently, my car broke down. I got a new battery, replaced it, and it still wouldn't start. I had several friends come look at it for me to try and fix it because I don't have much money and knew it would be expensive to fix. Fortunately, I had a good friend that I also work with, who was willing to let me ride with her to work every day for a week and then let me borrow her car at night so that I could do other things like go to the store and the gym. One day during the week my car was broken, I got a text from my brother, saying he was coming to visit me on Saturday to bring me something. My birthday had just passed and he lives in another city about an hour and a half away so I thought he was bringing my nephew to visit me since I don't get to see him much. My brother has never randomly visited me so I was excited that he was coming. Meanwhile, during that week, my dad reached out to me and offered to pay to have my car fixed. This meant a lot to me because my relationship with me parents has been strained lately and we hadn't spoken much. Saturday came around, and my brother text me to let me know that he and my dad were both headed to visit me. My dad had a flight out of the airport near me that day so they came into town early so that the three of us could eat lunch together. When they arrived to pick me up, my brother handed me a small gift, wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper with a bow on it, and told me I couldn't open it until he left. I agreed, and we all went to eat lunch together. Once we finished eating, my dad offered to let me drive his truck until my car got fixed since it would be parked at the airport all week anyway. I appreciated that he trusted me to drive his truck while he was gone. So, I had a vehicle to drive for the next week and headed home after work feeling very grateful. At home, I opened the gift my brother gave to me. It was a small box that belonged to my grandmother before she passed away, and he included $1000 in cash inside. I immediately started sobbing. My brother has had a hard life and struggled for a long time. He battled drug addiction and has been clean for several years now. He worked incredibly hard and supports a wife and 3 kids. I called him and told him that no one had ever done something like that for me and that I would never ever forget it. He said he has never been in a place to help me and now that he was, he wanted to do something for me since he knew I was struggling financially. I was in shock and felt more grateful than I ever had in my life." +"A few months ago, my band was asked to open for one of our favorite bands. They were embarking on a reunion tour and it was the first time they would play America. This band had broken up in the early nineties and no-one thought they would ever play together again. Naturally we were all excited and quite honored to be involved. I had already met the bass player before on a trip abroad. It was great to see him when we arrived for soundcheck, in fact the whole band were friendly and cool. We all had a few drinks downstairs at the bar as people wandered up. Our band, had, in fact broken up many years earlier so it was fantastic to play with my old pals again. One member is in France. One member is in New Mexico. The third member is actually in Greece so it is hard to get together. Rehearsals had gone well and we seemed ready to go. The joint was packed. The clock was ticking. The drinks were on hand. It was time to go. First song was fantastic and that was the last thing I remember. The crowd ate it up. Afterward, I got to kick back with a drink and watch one of my favorite bands play. Favorite bands, and now, friends. We still keep in touch." +But it has been so awesome. He is the sweetest guy. He makes me smoothies every morning. We hang out all the time too. We watch netflix and chill. It's so fun. I just love having moved in with him. It has been the best experience and decision of my life. It's so cool. I'm really glad that I thought it was a good idea and went for it because my life has really increased and I'm so much happier now. It's so awesome. I really love it. It's such a good time to be alive and I'm so proud of my decision making skills. One thing and probably the only thing that bothers me is the mess in the bathroom. It always smells in there like he went on the floor. I don't know how to bring this up to him but the stink really bothers me. I hope he can learn to control himself in there better.. +"The last month has been pretty wild, but I'm finally starting to settle in. Moving away from my hometown was a crazy change, and it's hard to believe I actually went through with it. Most people don't. Ultimately though I was just too bored in my hometown. Seeing the same friends at the same places while drinking and eating the same things just grows so tiresome. At least for me anyway. It was my snoozefest of a desk job that forced me to pack up and head across the country for a new life, but the dull familiarity of the area was a big reason too. I needed a change in the worst way. I probably should give myself more credit for actually pulling such a change off too. Even if that change means starting at the bottom at a new job and living in a tiny apartment. But it's new and it's fresh, and that's the significant part. I have a whole new area to explore here out west, and the weather here makes back home feel like Russia. I know some of my friends are already thinking about coming to visit for a weekend or so. In a way I don't want them out here, but I would certainly like to see them eventually. This new life has the potential to really let me grow in ways that I never could back home, so I'm just pumped about getting to blaze my own trail at this point in my life." +"The last month has been pretty wild, but I'm finally starting to settle in. Moving away from my hometown was a crazy change, and it's hard to believe I actually went through with it. Most people don't. Ultimately though I was just too bored in my hometown. Seeing the same friends at the same places while drinking and eating the same things just grows so tiresome. At least for me anyway. It was my snoozefest of a desk job that forced me to pack up and head across the country for a new life, but the dull familiarity of the area was a big reason too. I needed a change in the worst way. I probably should give myself more credit for actually pulling such a change off too. Even if that change means starting at the bottom at a new job and living in a tiny apartment. But it's new and it's fresh, and that's the significant part. I have a whole new area to explore here out west, and the weather here makes back home feel like Russia. I know some of my friends are already thinking about coming to visit for a weekend or so. In a way I don't want them out here, but I would certainly like to see them eventually. This new life has the potential to really let me grow in ways that I never could back home, so I'm just pumped about getting to blaze my own trail at this point in my life." +"Letting go of my special car was a very sad day in my life. Some people would say that ""a car is just a car"" and there is no reason to get emotional about it, however, my car was more than just an object or a means to get around. My car represented me and my true personality. In my youth, I worked extra hard to purchase my dream car, I took all types of odd jobs and made sacrifices to make it happen. It was not easy because I just graduated college and did not make a lot of money, however, I was determined to work extra hours in order to make my dream come true. I still recall how good it felt when I first drove to my apartment in my brand-new car and pulled in front of my building! I felt so proud, like I was on top of the world and nothing could stop me. Those were the happy days but life has a way of changing in unpredictable manner. They always say that if you want to make God laugh, tell Him about your plans. We face both, moments of triumph and failings. I got married, became a father, became a father again, lost a job, found a job, and lost one again. Family became a priority above cars and other non-essential possessions. I hit hard times and had to say goodbye to my beloved car. I did not want to wake up that morning, knowing that I would have to take it out of the garage for the last time and watch some strangers load it unto a trailer and drive away into the unknown. It felt like closing a favorite book, filled with chapters representing a happy part of my life that I could never get back again. I did not look as they drove away with my car and headed back into my house. My heart ached and I felt sad, however, seeing my kids laughing while playing some silly game on the rug erased the dark clouds that gathered above my head on that day and I knew that more happy moments were bound to come my way in the future." +"Letting go of my special car was a very sad day in my life. Some people would say that ""a car is just a car"" and there is no reason to get emotional about it, however, my car was more than just an object or a means to get around. My car represented me and my true personality. In my youth, I worked extra hard to purchase my dream car, I took all types of odd jobs and made sacrifices to make it happen. It was not easy because I just graduated college and did not make a lot of money, however, I was determined to work extra hours in order to make my dream come true. I still recall how good it felt when I first drove to my apartment in my brand-new car and pulled in front of my building! I felt so proud, like I was on top of the world and nothing could stop me. Those were the happy days but life has a way of changing in unpredictable manner. They always say that if you want to make God laugh, tell Him about your plans. We face both, moments of triumph and failings. I got married, became a father, became a father again, lost a job, found a job, and lost one again. Family became a priority above cars and other non-essential possessions. I hit hard times and had to say goodbye to my beloved car. I did not want to wake up that morning, knowing that I would have to take it out of the garage for the last time and watch some strangers load it unto a trailer and drive away into the unknown. It felt like closing a favorite book, filled with chapters representing a happy part of my life that I could never get back again. I did not look as they drove away with my car and headed back into my house. My heart ached and I felt sad, however, seeing my kids laughing while playing some silly game on the rug erased the dark clouds that gathered above my head on that day and I knew that more happy moments were bound to come my way in the future." +"I got a promotion about two years ago. It changed my life because I was struggling with debt and now I suddenly didn't have to worry about it anymore. I was able to pay off bills and live comfortably. It surprised me because I wasn't expecting it when it happened. Also, it was much needed. I've only received a promotion twice before in my life, so it was a happy surprise. My family sudden was able to get by and live comfortably. I got more respect at work. I was proud of the recognition. I felt like a new man walking into work. I was more confident in my abilities. I felt like I had more of say. When I had something to say, I felt like it had more weight. I was even able to get a new car. Overall, it was a very good feeling. I can't wait for my next promotion. I don't even know what I'll do with that extra money. Maybe I'll save it. Maybe I'll retire earlier. Who knows?" +"Our baby girl arrived today! After all the time spent waiting, she's here, happy, healthy, and beautiful. She's absolutely perfect! Everything went smoothly for the most part, and her mother is resting comfortably. I could not have asked for more. I'm so thankful for every blessing I have been given. After 9 long moths of waiting, we got to meet our baby girl. She is the sweetest most adorable baby girl I have ever seen, but I may be biased! After having a toddler that's 100% boy, and can destroy things with great ease, I hope she is a much more calm experience. At least until her teens, then there's a whole-nother set of problems to worry about. I look forward to the future to see what they'll both become. You never know what life has in store for you. As I write this i think about how short life really seems when you get to my age, and that all you want is to see your family be happy and successful. Time to go now. The little one needs me!" +"I had the most fun today. I woke up in a great mood ready to take the day on. I had lot planned for my family today. we were going to the zoo and then out to lunch and then we went to the park, the kids can fish and the puppies could run around. then we went fishing. my baby girl didn't really enjoy the fishing part that much but she loved everything else. the boys loved fishing with their dad. at the zoo she got scared a little at the animals, which gave everybody a laugh until she started crying. then the cutest thing happened her brother comforted her and held her hand the rest of the time we were there. for lunch we went to golden corral, everyone enjoyed the time we spent there and it was great. from there. we drove to the park where my baby girl who is 6 loved running with the puppies and they even got in the water and swam with her. we tried to get her to fish but she didn't like it. my oldest son caught a couple fish and when he showed them to his little sister she had such a cute little freak out at the fish, every time she tried to touch it it kept moving. after that we went home, we stopped at McDonald's and then the kids were to tired to do anything. everyone went to sleep early that day" +"Last year I spent a lot of time struggling to get my mother on Medicaid. She has dementia, and it wasn't until early November of 2018 that I was informed about how bad it was really getting. During most of 2018, I wrestled with Medicaid to try and get her the help she so desperately needed. First, I had to try and find her paperwork, which was very hard as with dementia she didn't keep things. Then, her application was denied because she made $200 too much. After retracing my steps and talking with some people in the main office for my state, I found out about the waiver program and worked for four months with her social service rep. What made it especially hard was that I live over 200 miles away. I was very thankful that my aunt was nearby to help as much as she could. During this time, there were a lot of issues in that my mother still had her car and was forgetting how many glasses of wine she would drink at night. Finally, after so much work, we received the news in August that she was eligible and accepted into the Home and Community Based Services aging waiver. I remember nearly crying as I received the news from the social service rep. The program meant that she wouldn't have to drive anymore, and that she would have in-home aides and care (non-skilled) for as long as she was able to remain at home safely. Even though it is still incredibly tough, emotionally and logistically, we now have someone there are least 6 hours every day to keep an eye on her and make things so much easier on both me and my aunt. We no longer struggle alone, and my mother now has the care she deserves. The struggle will not end, but we have a service coordinator who is incredibly sweet. He is attentive to our needs and tries to navigate the ever-changing system for us. My mother is getting worse, but she is also much calmer than she was before and I will never forget the day that I finally had some relief in the news that someone knew we needed help and was able to help us." +"Well, today was the day it finally all came together. I've been working for months to get my mother state help for her dementia. I knew she had been diagnosed, but I didn't know how bad it was until then. Ever since then it's been constant calls, week-long trips down to try and get paperwork done, and worrying. So much anxiety that I've lost 30 lbs in the space of 4 months. Every week there was at least one crisis where my mother was overspending herself into the red because she couldn't remember getting money out of the bank that day, or signing up for multiple life insurance policies. When I first applied for Medicaid for her, I was instantly rejected and no one told me. I had to call up after a month before learning she made $195 too much in Social Security to qualify for assisted living. I was devastated and started crying. But I kept going, kept pushing, and found out that I could apply for home services because it had a higher income bracket. Getting the paperwork together from 250 miles away was hell and it took weeks and weeks even with help from my aunt who lived nearby. When we finally got it in, the Medicaid service worker who was helping me was taken off the case and her case was given to someone else, but they didn't tell me. It felt like a merry go round, and my head was always spinning. I spent a lot of nights crying when my mother would call and spout word salad, feeling like I was totally alone in the world. Everyone I called said they couldn't really help and some places didn't even pick up the phone. A long-distance caregiver, only child of a single mother, so young and trying to care for her mother with dementia when she should be having kids and starting a family. I didn't want to be self-pitying, but I did fall into it sometimes. Then I opened my mailbox and it happened. It was a letter saying that she was approved for Medicaid waiver HCBS and that she could start immediately. I dropped to my knees and started crying, knowing that the fight wasn't over but that at least I had some sort of help. Someone recognized that my mother was in need and that I couldn't do it alone. It's still been a struggle since then and she's definitely had some very bad days where I had to go down to make sure she was OK. But we are slowly moving towards someone being there at least 4 days a week for some amount of time, which is more than she has now. This letter has changed my life, because it proves that someone listened. I'm no longer alone and neither is my mother." +"I can't believe what happened 2 weeks ago. My supervisor tested positive for cocaine! I would never have guessed that she used drugs of any kind. I'm really shocked and I feel so disappointed. On top of that, nothing happened to her because of it. Management did nothing. Nothing! Drugs are such a non-starter at work for all of us and it's not tolerated at all and for good reason. Everyone is so angry with management and trying to figure out what is going on and why nothing has happened about this. I mean, it's been 2 whole weeks and it's like it never happened. My supervisor is continuing in all of her supervisory roles right now. She's completely acting like a failed drug test never happened. All of us at work are concerned now because it seems like the rules don't matter (at least to some people?!). I'm wondering if someone needs to go to management or leave some sort of anonymous ""suggestion box"" note for someone in management to figure out what's going on and what the rules are for the rest of us. We all kind of want answers! I love my job but this feels really unfair and makes me feel like I'm working for a sketchy company." +it has been a very rough past 3 weeks. I thought getting my degree and moving forward towards accomplishing my carrear goals. I am so stressed out. can i handle all this stress? yes i can and i just need t keep reminded myself that. the unknown of it all is still starting to crush my spirit. the school work is so hard and daunting. Added on to my degree work still piling up i got the internship coming up. I know i should be ecstatic but i am surprised that i am terrified. i thought i had it all under control. the internship is a great opportunity so i have to figure it out. i should be excited i was so happy getting the internship i will always remember getting the internship. it is all just a matter of scheduling. i think i will make a big spreadsheet and put it all down hour by hour over the next few months. that way i will know when to study. Am i terrified? yes i am and i will figure it out. I have all the resources i need. i will keep studying and i will get it done. i am excited about my internship and i am excited to start. I just need to manage my time. i will be successful. +We have live in rural area. Refrigerator is a very must thing in everyone's house. Because we can't able to go supermarket everyday. so we have to buy some vegetable in a week or monthly once. We kept in refrigerator. But since two months we were very struggle to keep vegetables in milk in our house. So we decided to ask help to our adult child. They save their packet money in their wallet. we don't have other option than to ask help to our children. After they decided to help us we bought double door refrigerator to our home. we went to home appliance mall with our children. and select refrigerator what they like. They were very happy with us to decided their choice. we pay for our new refrigerator. Now we are so happy and proud with our children. +"Things were slow at my place of work. It had been slow for quite a while. There was poor leadership and a lack of direction. I sensed that something would happen, but did not know when. I was given a heads up that there would be a layoff coming soon. I was asked to keep quiet about it, so I said nothing to any of my colleagues. A meeting was set to announce the changes. Upper management arrived in the office late spring this year. That told everyone about how bad things were financially. They then started to talk to all the employees one by one. They laid off 3 people. 2 more quit of frustration. I was emotionally spent. I was also angry they upper management let things go for so long. I had told them about the problems, but my words were ignored. Several people I was close to are no longer here. It was devastating at first just to come into work. The few that were left behind are still in shock. I still can't believe how it was handled and how things turned out." +"I had just finished my degree in Character Animation, and I was ready to celebrate with my family. It had been months since I had last seen them, and it was exciting that we were all coming together to celebrate. Before they came down, we settled on visiting Zion National Park as part of a graduation trip. My parents rented a car, and drove out from California to Utah. When we arrived into town, we checked into a hotel located on the river. The hotel was next to a bus system that could take us into town, and then into the national park. The bus was helpful, since the weather was overcast and rainy. Due to the rain, we had less of a selection of trails, but we still made the most of the trip. After we unpacked all of our things, we went into town to shop and explore the area. We ate at one of the restaurants, got a trail guide, and explored a few of the shops. The next day we took the bus to the trails at Zion National park. We hiked along beautiful trails with waterfalls, plant life, and animals. My favorite trails went right up to the waterfalls. We also visited the nature center, and learned about the wildlife and history of the park. After hiking, we went back into town and relaxed. We brought snacks back to our room and talked about our day." +"Recently, I visited Zion National Part with my parents. It was an exciting trip, since I just graduated from college. It was also the first family trip we took with the three of us in months, so it was fun to be just with them. I really enjoyed the trails and exploring the landscape of the national park. I was a bit out of shape, so some of the trails were difficult, but I felt happy once I completed them. My favorite walks on the trail were the paths that lead to waterfalls and hanging gardens. There were beautiful rock formations, and amazing plant life. Also, the bus ride up to the trails was fascinating, especially seeing the variety of different locations. After our days in the park, we headed into town to check out the shops. A lot of the shops were rock and mineral shops. There were some nice rocks, but I didn't end up purchasing any. There were also lots of outdoor stores that had a wide range of supplies. I got a hat and a water bottle as a souvenir. We also went to some local restaurants and had some snacks and drinks. Overall, the trip was very fun and memorable." +"I went to a concert with a coworker who I've worked with for a few months at that time but I didn't really know well. I had interacted with her and talked to her a lot but most of that was very casual. At some point I mentioned that I was buying tickets for a concert. She said that she liked the band as well. I was a little surprised as they're not well known. I suggested that we buy tickets together. We did and went to the concert together. I had a lot of fun at the concert and I thought that my coworkers was fun to hang out with. She was a little different than she usual comes across at work. I was surprised to learn more about her tastes in music and that she knows a lot about music. We've since shared songs and artists that we've discovered and liked. As my music tastes aren't exactly mainstream I was happy to find someone else who shares those tastes. I wouldn't have guessed that she was so into music as it's not something that she ever talked about at work. We also have a similar sense of humor. She hides it more at work as she makes sure not to say anything inappropriate. We don't get together outside of work that often, but we do she's something I like socializing with. I was happy to make a new friend." +"Today I am watching my granddaughter while my son and his girlfriend are both at work. The child spends most of her time with me. Over the past few months CPS has twice assigned me as a guardian protector of sorts of the child due to her mother. Her mother has now been diagnosed with a mental disorder and is being watched closely for that and for drug use. It's hard having them all in the home. I have been trying to help all of them. I try to help the mother to understand how to be a mother and to keep clean of drugs. I try to help the baby to be healthy mentally and physically. I also spend time trying to help my son to be strong enough to raise the child on his own if he has to. This morning I cleaned up the baby bottles and high chair. It is something I do every day as the mother does not understand keeping things clean. I just got through feeding the baby lunch. I'll be alone with her until about six tonight. In truth, I am a sort of part time mother to her. It will soon be time to put her down for a nap. I have grown close to her. I hope every day that she has a bright and safe future. I worry all the time about what will happen if CPS gives her back to her mother." +"Today my first grandchild was born into the world. It is a happy but also a sad day. My grandchild is a girl and that is happy. She is healthy and that is happy. However, her mother is what brings the sadness. My son's girlfriend is a possible prostitute. She is a known drug user. She has no job and has tattoos all over her body. She is twenty two years old and already has two children from previous relationships. The youngest of which she does not even know for certain who the father is. Another sad thing is that she has child protective services involved with the two boys and now this girl. She got high and her two year old was out wandering the streets alone. The police were called and found her passed out on the sofa. Now, they are involved with this baby. My granddaughter, son, and his girlfriend are having to move in with me and my husband. We have to sign papers that we will watch the child and not allow her mother around her unsupervised. Basically I now have to raise my grandchild as my own child." +"The most impressive event in my life so far was the day I participated in the driving exam. When I was 18, I had to leave home to study in another city, so my mother thought that I had better got a motorbike so I could easily travel to school. They intended to buy me a pretty one, but I could only get it after I successfully passed the driving exam. I signed up to study in a training course, and it took me about a week to learn all the theory and traffic law. However, the most difficult part was to pass the practical exam, which required me to ride my motorbike over some obstacles. After another week of practice, I finally got to the driving lot. There were a lot of people there, and all of them were as worried as me. I felt that my heart nearly jumped out of my chest, and I could not keep my hands from shaking. I had been through many tests in different subjects in my student life, but I thought that was the only one that made me freak out. The 8 line was the most difficult part, and many people failed to pass it. It made me even more stressful, but my father told me to watch them closely so I could avoid the same mistakes. My name was finally called, and I could not remember exactly how I walked towards the lot, got on the motorbike and finished my turn. I heard something but my vision was blurred, but I was attempted to complete the ride well. My dad almost yelled when I got out, and I was so happy that I hug him really tight. Maybe it is just an ordinary license that anyone can get, but for me it is such a great process and effort; and I will never forget about that event." +"Today I went to the company's annual conference at the state's capitol and met the Attorney General, who was our keynote speaker at the event. I began the day waking up early at 4 AM to get some work done. I ate breakfast, hopped in the shower, then packed a bag. After double-checking to make certain I had everything, I pulled at my phone and ordered an Uber. The driver made good time, and, after some delay at the TSA checkpoint on account of my expired driver's license, I boarded the plane. The flight was uneventful, and, after navigating the airport, which had been redesigned since my last visit, I summoned an Uber to take me downtown. I arrived with plenty of time to spare as final preparations were underway. Eventually, people started filling in, until over a hundred people had taken their seats. The Attorney General gave a presentation about the number of lawsuits he was filing against the US Government and the Trump Administration and concluded his remarks after taking a few questions. For the next few hours, several panel discussions took place, with the audience members frequently peppering the panelists with questions. Once the event had concluded, I stuck around to nibble on the snacks the caterers had prepared and schmoozed with several of the other attendees. Soon, though, I had to excuse myself to grab an Uber back to the airport so I could catch my flight back home. Once again, TSA gave me grief for the expired license and I had to endure a groping, but I was eventually allowed through and made the evening flight with time to spare. After landing, I grabbed an Uber home without much trouble. I needed to unwind, so I tossed my bag in my apartment and headed over to the corner bar. I bumped into a friend and recounted the day over drinks, then called it a night around midnight. I returned home and was sound asleep in no time." +"My flight to the event could of been better. Even though it wasn't a long flight I was placed by a screaming child. No matter what those poor parent's did their kid would not stop screaming. I gave them a look of sympathy as we exited the plane. The event was amazing. Great food, good conversations and the chance to meet employees from different company locations. The speech that our CEO gave was heartfelt and motivational. He told us about his personal struggles this year while undergoing treatment for cancer. And thanked all of us for being there to make sure our company continued to work to the high standards our clients expect from us. The flight home was thankfully much more quiet. I met my friend Jason at our local bar and we caught up a little bit on how the event went, how his job is going. We've been friends since high-school and have only grown closer as time has gone by. Despite having all in all a great day. It was a long day. Returning home felt like a blessing. I was able to kick off my dress shoes, and get into some comfy clothes. The rest of my evening consisted of watching a movie and then going to bed." +"It was the time when my wife was about to deliver our twin baby girls. We were in the house and her water suddenly broke. I rushed upstairs and got all the stuff we prepared ahead. Everything happened so fast. When we arrived in the hospital my wife was taken to the Operating Room as she need to undergo C section. I was very anxious and was pacing about. After a couple of hours in waiting finally the babies were out. What seemed to a joyful moment suddenly turned into a sad one, as one of the twins needed to be resusitated and was taken immediately to the intensive care. It was really devastating for me and my wife. One baby was doing fine while the other one was fighting for her life. It was difficult to celebrate and be joyful. We spent a couple of weeks in the hospital. After a few weeks one of the twins recovered very well. We were now ready to go home. After several weeks of being apart it was a very happy moment for our family to be together. The babies have recovered and are healthy as well as my wife and I thank God for that." +So we celebrated out 20th anniversary. We just got back from a wonderful cruise vacation with our family so we didn't plan anything huge. We found an Italian restaurant nearby that we have never been to and wanted to try. We got dressed up nice and drove there just to find out that this place closes down for a summer break. After 20 years of marriage this is not a big deal. We got back in the car and my husband took me to a Japanese steakhouse. We didn't have a reservation but we got a table in just about 15 min. The food was great. I had ahi tuna steak and my husband had the seafood combo. Our chef was great and cracked some pretty funny jokes. He was amazing with the cutting skills and he did the usual onion volcano thing. We had a lot of fun and had a nice experience to bond over some good entertainment and good food. We had some fun table mates too that I didn't mind sharing the table with. At the end some stuff members came out with a huge drum and wished us happy anniversary along with some nice cupcakes. It was a happy outing that we will remember for a long time. +"The most memorable event in the last few months was celebrating our 20th anniversary. Our children are getting a bit older so my husband and I decided to have a nice dinner out. We planned to go to a rather upscale Italian restaurant not too far. We have been there once for my birthday that is in January. So we dressed up nice and got ready. Got into the car and drove to the restaurant. The parking lot was strangely empty. I began to have doubts. Then my husband spotted a sign on the door. The restaurant was closed for summer. Apparently, they close down for 3 months every summer. Well that must be nice! However, Google does not have that noted so I was not alerted when I looked up the restaurant. My husband and I have been together for so long and have been through so much together that something little like this could not phase us. We had a good lough and got back into the car. My husband knows me all too well so he know right away where to take me. He drove us to a Japanese steakhouse. We had a wonderful time, drank some nice sake and had amazing steak along with a great cooking show. The restaurant even gave us a free anniversary desert. We had a great time and strengthened our bond." +"Recently, I have connected with my oldest brother whom I have never met. I have always known that I have an older brother from a marriage that my Dad had before my Mother. I had found my oldest brother on Facebook years ago and tried to reach out to him then. Unfortunately, at that time, he was uninterested in knowing me or my brothers. Recently though, about 3 months ago, my brother reached out to my Mom and let her know that if my brothers or I wanted to contact him, we could. I ended up messaging him on Facebook and have been talking to him ever since. It's strange how very similar we are and how much we look alike as well. This contact with my estranged brother has brought about MANY emotions that I never knew that I had. Our father passed away in 2014 and talking to my brother has in some ways resurfaced my grief. I've also felt joy, happiness and a feeling of connection with him that I never knew that I could. Also, we ended up getting in touch with each other around the five year anniversary of Dads death and that felt like a punch in the gut. It was my Father who chose not to have contact with my brother and in a lot of ways, I feel terrible for him. My dad was amazing to me and my full blooded brothers but for my oldest brother, Dad was never there and now there will never be a chance for him to make amends to him. My oldest brother would never know the joy that my Dad brought to the people around him. My Dad was an amazing man with many flaws, like us all but he was still caring, intelligent, kind and most importantly, he was my Dad. My oldest brother will ONLY ever know him as the man who was never there for him. As for the most memorable part of this event, it has to be the joy that I have felt reconnecting with my brother as well as the grief and pain. In a lot of ways, he and I are so very similar. We like the same kind of music, we play the same games, we have the same type of humor. My full blooded brothers both take a lot more after our Mom but I look so much like my Dad. My oldest brother also does so, we both look similar whereas the brothers that I grew up with, we do not look similar. Moving forward, I look forward to growing closer to my brother and hopefully making up for lost time." +"i was in a bad position, because my body not in proper condition. it really very lazy, i want to sleep more time. early morning cannot wake up, sometimes i getting trouble with my body. fever, cold, sick like etc.. in the situation still i am working on a company. just as i was starting to get nervous about having a place to live, still i earning money and save also into bank account. slowly i earn money into my bank account, i want to buy a separate home. long time my hobby is buying a own home. that dream became coming true, because of my neighbors posted their home for sale. i saw it, i willing to buy, lot of happiness and joy. after that i want to purchase their home, then i make a contract with them, then long time i working make a more money for them. still keep money for every month, and i remodeling the home nicely. nowadays so many houses are remodeling into the passion, i also want to make like that. i find a remodeling contractor and ask them to do remodeling for my own decision. now i feel happy and still working for that house payment loan. and every month on going the due payment. now i feel better to before. i stay happily and enjoyable at my own home. after that i tell this thing to my parents they also very happy." +"whenever i feel my birthday date was forgotten. but really i forgotten my birthday date for every year. sometimes my friends everybody remember me my birth date. but last year nobody tell me about my birthday date. i normally go to my office as usual and see my colleges they are look very surprised, i think about my boss say anything to them , i just guessing that moment they are laughing so funny. i thought any celebration going on in my office... office look like a celebrity showroom. so i waiting for few minutes they make me surprise and they make me proud of them. i felt so much that day cannot forget in my life. because my besties give me much and kind of celebration and i have a lot of happy and fun. i miss that day so much , even 100 years also i cannot forget that moment, still i have tears in my eyes, i dont know how many years i live with them, i so luckily to have my friends and really lucky. so whole day full of i enjoying my birthday in my office. after so many years i celebrating my birthday because i forget so many birthdays. i just try to remember the date only only few months to go my birthday i forget again the date. after my birthday finish i remember the date few days before only, but that one time i really enjoyed so much, because of my friends and i miss them so much really i lucky to have them all. i really miss them all. i want to meet them all, but nowadays no time to see them." +"whenever i feel my birthday date was forgotten. but really i forgotten my birthday date for every year. sometimes my friends everybody remember me my birth date. but last year nobody tell me about my birthday date. i normally go to my office as usual and see my colleges they are look very surprised, i think about my boss say anything to them , i just guessing that moment they are laughing so funny. i thought any celebration going on in my office... office look like a celebrity showroom. so i waiting for few minutes they make me surprise and they make me proud of them. i felt so much that day cannot forget in my life. because my besties give me much and kind of celebration and i have a lot of happy and fun. i miss that day so much , even 100 years also i cannot forget that moment, still i have tears in my eyes, i dont know how many years i live with them, i so luckily to have my friends and really lucky. so whole day full of i enjoying my birthday in my office. after so many years i celebrating my birthday because i forget so many birthdays. i just try to remember the date only only few months to go my birthday i forget again the date. after my birthday finish i remember the date few days before only, but that one time i really enjoyed so much, because of my friends and i miss them so much really i lucky to have them all. i really miss them all. i want to meet them all, but nowadays no time to see them." +"You would think my graduation at Harvard three weeks ago harbored for me only feelings of joy and excitement. And while this may be true, These feelings were mixed with those of regret and fear. Fear of the unknown in the new chapter of my life I was about to enter, the workforce. This is why we work so hard to get into Harvard , right? Still, there's always that anxiety when welcoming drastic change in life, and this may be the most drastic change of mine. I only wish I could have gotten to know my fellow classmates better. I'll never know, but I feel like there were lifelong friendships that could have been had if I put myself out there. And as I was on that stage I'll never forget how excited I saw all my peers, i'm sure each story they had to tell was just as exciting. I won't give the excuse of how busy I so frequently was, or how my involvement with band made things that much more unlikely. Speaking of band, I've had so many good and bad stories to tell. My most memorable would have to be while performing at a tournament. One of the band teams was so off their own instructor quit mid performance! I felt sorry for that group, it was so embarrassing to watch. We on the other hand got second place among stiff competition. That speaks to how close we are as a group and how in sync we were. When I was in band I never felt out of place, quite the opposite. So as I looked again at that stage and see everyone whose name was called I can't help but wonder, could I have formed just as strong a connection to he and she. I guess I'll never know, what I was sure of though was the next chapter in my life I would make the most of it." +"You would think my graduation at Harvard three weeks ago harbored for me only feelings of joy and excitement. And while this may be true, These feelings were mixed with those of regret and fear. Fear of the unknown in the new chapter of my life I was about to enter, the workforce. This is why we work so hard to get into Harvard , right? Still, there's always that anxiety when welcoming drastic change in life, and this may be the most drastic change of mine. I only wish I could have gotten to know my fellow classmates better. I'll never know, but I feel like there were lifelong friendships that could have been had if I put myself out there. And as I was on that stage I'll never forget how excited I saw all my peers, i'm sure each story they had to tell was just as exciting. I won't give the excuse of how busy I so frequently was, or how my involvement with band made things that much more unlikely. Speaking of band, I've had so many good and bad stories to tell. My most memorable would have to be while performing at a tournament. One of the band teams was so off their own instructor quit mid performance! I felt sorry for that group, it was so embarrassing to watch. We on the other hand got second place among stiff competition. That speaks to how close we are as a group and how in sync we were. When I was in band I never felt out of place, quite the opposite. So as I looked again at that stage and see everyone whose name was called I can't help but wonder, could I have formed just as strong a connection to he and she. I guess I'll never know, what I was sure of though was the next chapter in my life I would make the most of it." +"You would think my graduation at Harvard three weeks ago harbored for me only feelings of joy and excitement. And while this may be true, These feelings were mixed with those of regret and fear. Fear of the unknown in the new chapter of my life I was about to enter, the workforce. This is why we work so hard to get into Harvard , right? Still, there's always that anxiety when welcoming drastic change in life, and this may be the most drastic change of mine. I only wish I could have gotten to know my fellow classmates better. I'll never know, but I feel like there were lifelong friendships that could have been had if I put myself out there. And as I was on that stage I'll never forget how excited I saw all my peers, i'm sure each story they had to tell was just as exciting. I won't give the excuse of how busy I so frequently was, or how my involvement with band made things that much more unlikely. Speaking of band, I've had so many good and bad stories to tell. My most memorable would have to be while performing at a tournament. One of the band teams was so off their own instructor quit mid performance! I felt sorry for that group, it was so embarrassing to watch. We on the other hand got second place among stiff competition. That speaks to how close we are as a group and how in sync we were. When I was in band I never felt out of place, quite the opposite. So as I looked again at that stage and see everyone whose name was called I can't help but wonder, could I have formed just as strong a connection to he and she. I guess I'll never know, what I was sure of though was the next chapter in my life I would make the most of it." +"Well today I went for a run at the local park. I planned to run a total of three mile today. I started my run normal as usual with a little back paint to my lower back. I ran enough to warm up and get rid of the pain. While running I noticed a woman walking the same path but in opposite direction. I said hello and kept on running. Im not into chubby women however, this one caught my attention for some reason. So, every time that I passed by her I would say something. Trying to get her to talk. We had brief conversations. When I say brief I mean really brief. I should have asked her for her name. I did not. If i were to ever run into this person again. I might ask her for her name. She was supper pretty." +"This past spring, we attended the wedding of my cousin and her fiance. My immediate family lives out of town, so we all flew in for the occasion. After arriving to the wedding, we were seated at our table and the ceremony itself got underway. The main of honor was the bride's sister and the best man was the groom's brother. My cousin looked absolutely amazing in her dress and she seemed to really feel comfortable in it. The ceremony was short and sweet and then the party got started. We enjoyed a delicious dinner that was served family style at out table. After dinner, the open bar really got going and people were ready to party and dance the night away. There was the standard father-daughter dance and the groom-mother dance. While I myself refrained from drinking too much, my aunt did not follow the same game plan. I looked over a one point and she was dancing with a glass of tequila in her hand. After a few hours of repeating this behavior, she got really sick and threw up all over the table. It was embarrassing, but in our family embarrassing is the norm. Overall, minus the vomit, everyone had a great time. It was such a treat to spend time with some family member and celebrate a new party of life beginning." +"This past spring, we attended the wedding of my cousin and her fiance. My immediate family lives out of town, so we all flew in for the occasion. After arriving to the wedding, we were seated at our table and the ceremony itself got underway. The main of honor was the bride's sister and the best man was the groom's brother. My cousin looked absolutely amazing in her dress and she seemed to really feel comfortable in it. The ceremony was short and sweet and then the party got started. We enjoyed a delicious dinner that was served family style at out table. After dinner, the open bar really got going and people were ready to party and dance the night away. There was the standard father-daughter dance and the groom-mother dance. While I myself refrained from drinking too much, my aunt did not follow the same game plan. I looked over a one point and she was dancing with a glass of tequila in her hand. After a few hours of repeating this behavior, she got really sick and threw up all over the table. It was embarrassing, but in our family embarrassing is the norm. Overall, minus the vomit, everyone had a great time. It was such a treat to spend time with some family member and celebrate a new party of life beginning." +"Two weeks ago, I was taking a walk. It was a very nice, sunny day. I saw a little dog wandering around. He looked like he was lost. He also seemed very hungry. I happened to have a cracker in my pocket, so I gave it to him. He seemed so appreciative of it, licking and kissing me. I let him follow me home so I could feed him. I already had a dog at home, so I had some food there. My dog and the lost dog were instantly friends. The new dog made himself right at home, and he has been there ever since. I did post an ad online about the dog in case someone was missing him. I was happy to be able to keep him after no one claimed him. I could not imagine life without him. He was the piece we never knew was missing from our family until we found him that day." +"Two weeks ago, I was taking a walk. It was a very nice, sunny day. I saw a little dog wandering around. He looked like he was lost. He also seemed very hungry. I happened to have a cracker in my pocket, so I gave it to him. He seemed so appreciative of it, licking and kissing me. I let him follow me home so I could feed him. I already had a dog at home, so I had some food there. My dog and the lost dog were instantly friends. The new dog made himself right at home, and he has been there ever since. I did post an ad online about the dog in case someone was missing him. I was happy to be able to keep him after no one claimed him. I could not imagine life without him. He was the piece we never knew was missing from our family until we found him that day." +"Approximately four months ago, I was outside walking my dog. It was around 9:00 PM, the usual time of her evening walk. The evening was beautiful and the sky was very clear. I tend to be a bit of an amateur astronomer and like to stargaze. On the horizon that I was facing I saw a strange object. It was a spherical shape and of a purple hue. The object began to rise and change it's color to a deep green. It continued to alternate between colors. The sphere began to move toward me but did not make a sound. As it approached my direction, it continued to rise. When it was directly overhead, I would estimate it at about 500 feet. It was about the size of a small private plane. It then be began to increase speed rapidly and disappeared. The speed it was moving at was astonishing. The experience was unbelievable. I told my wife and a couple other people and they seem to think it was some sort of experimental aircraft. Whatever it was, it was highly advanced technology." +"I spent months trying to find a new hobby that interested me. I knew that I enjoyed art because it was a great way to express myself. I found the beauty in most art pieces even if it seemed confusing to others. Last week, I had an unexpected meeting with an art gallerist. We have become friends and I plan on visiting a lot more. Even my sister is plan on purchasing a painting by one of his top artists. I look forward to learning more about art and the history. He has taught me the meaning behind several paintings. My sister came to the gallery with me today and saw something she liked. She has shown an interest in painting. We always painted when we were children and I'm glad we found something in common as adults. My sister and I plan on making this a weekly thing by having lunch then visiting the gallery. With this new friendship with the art gallerist, I thought about inviting him to lunch with us. He can give us more information about purchasing art and the best pieces. Next week I plan on going because I have been wanting more decor in the family room. He suggested the perfect painting for me because it matches the color scheme." +"I spent months trying to find a new hobby that interested me. I knew that I enjoyed art because it was a great way to express myself. I found the beauty in most art pieces even if it seemed confusing to others. Last week, I had an unexpected meeting with an art gallerist. We have become friends and I plan on visiting a lot more. Even my sister is plan on purchasing a painting by one of his top artists. I look forward to learning more about art and the history. He has taught me the meaning behind several paintings. My sister came to the gallery with me today and saw something she liked. She has shown an interest in painting. We always painted when we were children and I'm glad we found something in common as adults. My sister and I plan on making this a weekly thing by having lunch then visiting the gallery. With this new friendship with the art gallerist, I thought about inviting him to lunch with us. He can give us more information about purchasing art and the best pieces. Next week I plan on going because I have been wanting more decor in the family room. He suggested the perfect painting for me because it matches the color scheme." +"I am a person that I like to experience new things, new experiences I consider myself as a very clear person to things. Several weeks ago I had hated talking about mushrooms that make you feel wonderful, they make you use sub-regional things while transporting you for a period of time to a parallel world where you are the King. When I heard it, I felt very intrigued and excited about how it was or how I felt trying these substances and experiencing their effects on me. Until I found a person I recommended that if I was going to do it I needed to drink orange juice and chocolate in case that as they say my ""trip"" is not as good as expected. I dared to do it I went and bought the mushrooms and apart from that a lot of chocolate and orange juice to prevent things from going wrong, I came to my house and turned on the stove I boiled water and prepared a magic tea with psilocybin mushrooms. I was very excited to know what effects it would have on my body, after the tea was ready I sat in my chair, and for a few minutes while I waited for it to cool a little, I thought about my life, and how crazy it is to do this to Conventional people like most people in the world. After a few minutes that my cold cooled, I drank it almost completely, while I could feel it, the effects were beginning to emerge on my body, and when I finished almost completely my tea, I had the best and craziest experience in my lifetime. I left my apartment and headed with the effects of mushrooms to a park, and I could see everything with sharpness and colors too bright, people looked different than I usually see them. There was happiness everywhere, then further steps I could see a tree with violet leaves was something incredible, everything was so colorfully beautiful. Without a doubt I could enjoy that experience to the fullest after this, I began to feel a little dizzy and uncoordinated it was there when I knew that I had to do something to stop the effect, unfortunately I had to say goodbye to that colorful and beautiful city and see again The somber city of always. I ate chocolate with a good glass of orange juice and the effects started to go down, but something unexpected happened when the effects were removed and it was that my eyes opened and I managed to see and understand the good things of the world, the good things of me .I understood at that moment that this was my true self, a happily crazy person who lived submerged in a world of complete happiness and total freedom. It should be clarified that before, when I was a little younger, I suffered a lot of contempt from my friends at school, this brought to my life what they read now, an even better person, freed from any external opinion other than mine. And without a doubt today I feel much better with myself than ever, I can feel comfortable with what I do, I am not afraid to do any madness. After this I can gladly experience this sensation so wildly, it was a great pleasure for me. Fin." +"A memorable event that has happened to me in the last few months was going to the fair. This happened over the summer, and was very memorable to me because I went with my children. We have never been to the fair before, so my children were very exited. Looking at all the majestic rides, the regret on spending so much money instantly flew out the window. While we were walking around, they headed off to the first ride, and I stayed behind with my mother and my 2 years old son who is too young for any of the rides. After about 30 minutes, my children came back, all giddy and happy . My second daughter asked for some cotton candy, and we went over to buy some. I wished I had went on one of the rides, but it was very late in the night. As my daughters walked over to the Ferris Wheel, I walked over with my 10 year old son to the Ice ride. The line was extremely long, but in the end he loved the ride and wanted to go again. This moment was very memorable to me because I was able to watch my children have fun and the event was a very nice outing. My daughters had finally returned from the Ferris Wheel, and I encouraged them to ride the Ice ride. They rode on, and getting off they excitedly talked. Since it was very late in the night, my family and I decided to call it a night. We took some pictures, then drove off to Burger King. When we got home, I told my husband about the events. He was very happy we had fun. I myself was happy and glad that I spent the money I did. It was nice for us us to go to the fair as a family for the first time." +My stepfather was getting really sick. We knew he wasn't in the best shape. But we didn't know what was going to happen next. It was around Christmas time. Just after Christmas in fact. We got a call that Dave was really sick. We ran to the hospital as soon as we got the call. My mom was there and she was crying. We tried to make her feel better. She told me more about what was going on. She told me how sick Dave was. She told me he probably wasn't going to make it. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to feel. We were able to spend some time with him and say good bye. I told him that I loved him. He passed away later that night. It was tough on me and my family to deal with all of it. +My stepfather was struggling with a really bad illness. We went to go see him and he wasn't doing well. We didn't think he had a lot of time left. I knew that he had done this to himself with his drinking. We were all very depressed. It didn't look like he was going to make it. I talked to my wife and told her how things were going. I told her that I may not be home tonight and me and the rest of my family were going to be staying with him. She told me that she understood. In the middle of the night the doctors came to us. Said things were getting worse and we should say our last good byes. I went in sometime after my mom. He told me that he was proud of me. He said that he was happy to see the man I've become. We talked about things. I told him I loved him. He passed away later that night +"Today couldn't have been any better. It was like a dream I had been waiting to come true for awhile now. About 3 months ago I got a raise and a promotion at my job. But today was great because I started working on my own, my training is finished and I can move forward in my new job. Before then I was feeling really down and possibly looking for a new employer. I didn't feel like I was making the progress I would like to in my job. I didn't feel noticed. I had briefly mentioned my wanting to move up the corporate letter to my boss during a review, but I didn't see a promotion coming along anytime back then. To my surprise Becky the HR coordinator called me to her office out of the blue around 3 months ago, and along with my department manager Will they discussed that I was being promoted and that my salary was going up substantially. I was shocked. I think I might have almost cried when they first brought it up to me. They told me that it would be a rather long training schedule for the new position as they wanted me to succeed in my new position. I didn't quite know what to expect. Several months later here I am leading my own team. I am confident. I am happy to come into work everyday. I am glad that I put in the effort to move forward in my career. I can't wait for my next chance to climb to the ladder further." +"Three months ago I received some good news. I was informed by my supervisor at work that I was receiving a promotion. The new position included a very nice salary increase and I was quite surprised. Because of the available positions, I had expected to be offered my choice of two different higher-level positions. However, I was happy to be chosen for the one I was chosen for. Due to the large salary increase, I've been able to live more comfortably while also being able to put money into savings. I've begun contributing to my retirement through a Roth IRA my accountant friend recommended to me. I have purchased a few things I had been wanting earlier but could not afford, such as an upgraded computer and a nice stereo system for my car. These things make me happy, but I do feel the increased stress at work and responsibilities required of me are not worth the extra money. I would much rather be poor than burdened with stress and responsibilities. I've considered talking to my supervisor about these feelings of being overwhelmed. Perhaps I'll see a counselor to cope with these additional stressors instead. One thing I do know, however, is that I'll get through the rough times eventually in my own way. I've made a commitment to deal with them and that's what I will do. I'm determined to live a happy life." +"Three months ago I received some good news. I was informed by my supervisor at work that I was receiving a promotion. The new position included a very nice salary increase and I was quite surprised. Because of the available positions, I had expected to be offered my choice of two different higher-level positions. However, I was happy to be chosen for the one I was chosen for. Due to the large salary increase, I've been able to live more comfortably while also being able to put money into savings. I've begun contributing to my retirement through a Roth IRA my accountant friend recommended to me. I have purchased a few things I had been wanting earlier but could not afford, such as an upgraded computer and a nice stereo system for my car. These things make me happy, but I do feel the increased stress at work and responsibilities required of me are not worth the extra money. I would much rather be poor than burdened with stress and responsibilities. I've considered talking to my supervisor about these feelings of being overwhelmed. Perhaps I'll see a counselor to cope with these additional stressors instead. One thing I do know, however, is that I'll get through the rough times eventually in my own way. I've made a commitment to deal with them and that's what I will do. I'm determined to live a happy life." +"Journal,As you know, I've been complaining about feeling pretty lousy (without reason) for over a year now, right? Well, here we go with the explanation. I kept going to my usual doctor and he kept doing the usual: telling me to lose weight and stop smoking. Anyway, as you know a few months ago, he wasn't in the office on my appointment day and I ended up just seeing his P.A. She ordered some more detailed lab work because she was actually concerned about everything I was describing. Well, the blood tests came back (as you already know) and she called me and wanted to refer me to a hematologist. Went and saw the blood-doc a month ago. Why so long? Well, it takes forever to get in to see these guys around here. Anyway, the new doctor, Margaret, took more blood and I just got the results a couple of weeks ago. It seems that I have a little genetic problem and that resulted in being diagnosed with a pretty rare form of leukemia. It's called Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia or CMML. She also said that I have a specific sub-type, CMML-2. This is NOT good! Hell, I'm only 52 and now I'm being told that with a lot of totally miserable treatment, I MAY have 2 -5 years left to live. Maybe more if I can qualify for stem cell transplant. Heh, I may even get as many as 8 years. This isn't fair at all, if you want my personal opinion! My wife and I still have 2 children at home. Sarah is 13 and Mary is only 11. We have to tell them what's going on and it's gonna absolutely destroy them. Oh, and I should tell you that we just recently got good news as well (well, good is a relative term, haha!)! We're expecting again! I may be 52, but you know that Em is 18 years younger than me as well. She's hoping that maybe our expecting another baby will give me even more reasons to hang on and live to see this new child. I don't know how I'm going to handle this!!" +"This story was about me going on a date for the first time in a while. I had to work the day of the date which was fine I would be off work with plenty of time, and it would make it so I didn't overthink what I was doing and make me nervous. I decided to take a shower around an hour and a half before I left so my hair was fully dry and I wouldn't look weird. I brushed my hair after getting out of the shower and got the clothes I was wearing to the date on. I then decided to chill out until it was time to leave, since I didn't want to walk around thinking about what I should do. I wanted to act natural and like I planned everything in advance. It came time to leave and I headed out to the restaurant we were meeting at. I got there pretty much as she got there and we took our seats at the table. We both ordered and then talked while we were waiting for the food to come out. I thought we were at least somewhat making a connection, since we had some similar interests. I learned enough about her that I definitely would have gone on a second date with her if she wanted to. The conversation died down a bit when the food came out because we were both pretty hungry. As we were both getting down eating I had to use the restroom, so I excused myself. The floors must've been wet in the bathrooms or by our table because as I was walking back I slipped and fell face first into our table. I landed right on the corner and busted my forehead open and started bleeding. As if that wasn't bad enough, I also spilled what was left of our dinners and drinks onto both of us. I started apologizing right away to the girl, but there is only so much apologizing while having a busted open forehead can do. I ended up going to the hospital and getting stitched up. She never responded to if she wanted another date and I don't really blame her for that." +"My story is about experiencing God's unfailing love and finding freedom from my past mistakes, hurts, and pains. Several months ago my brother passed away. Since that time I have been searching my soul. I have felt the need to get my life in order. I had two or three unresolved issues in my life and I have felt the need to resolve those issues. Resolving those issues has been a struggle for me, but while on this journey, I have felt and experienced God's amazing love and grace through it all. I started by taking an intense Bible study that lasted ten weeks. I have spent time in prayer, pouring my heart out to God. I have learned that my past mistakes, hurts, and pain does not define who I am, but my life in Christ defines who I am. While studying the Bible, I have found so many verses about God's unfailing love, His truths and promises, forgiveness, and strongholds that Satan has reminded me of for too many years. I started writing these verses in a small notebook and when I am having a bad day, I can quickly find what I want. I have learned to forgive and let certain people know that I have forgiven them, and I have learned to ask for forgiveness for things I have done. I am on my way to freedom! Sometimes freedom it is not an instantaneous thing, but a work in progress. To find it, I must study God's word and apply His truths to my life every day. God's love and grace is so amazing. I am glad he did not give up on me! Recently I have been able to share my story with a couple of good friends. One of them gave me a small card the other day. One side of the card said something about faith is like a tiny mustard seed that can move mountains. The other side said ""I have been assigned this mountain to show others it can be done.""" +We've been planning this trip to California for a long while now. My wife and kids I've been really excited about this trip to California. We have great plans to visit Hollywood studios and we really want to see the Hollywood sign. Then we want to see that area where they have the Stars footprints and hands in it. This will be a great chance the visit with my wife's parents who live in California. My kids we'll have a good chance to reconnect with their grandparents. We had such a great time visiting the stars homes. My son Eric was fascinated buy the stars homes. I will have a great memory I've going to my cousins Ashley's wedding. Everybody was so surprised when a belly dancer came out at the reception. No one was more surprised and Ashley's husband who had the dance with the belly dancer. But sadly we have to come home now but we will always have the memories of our California trip. Once we we're home we started to watch all the videos we have taken. The first video we watched was of the wedding reception. But the video we watched the most was the video of the homes of the Stars. +"We had a fantastic time on our cruise vacation. We loved every moment of it. We enjoyed visiting the ports we stopped at and learnt a lot about these places. My favorite stop was Curacao. The town is so pretty and colorful and has so much history and stuff to offer the visitors. Also, we got to swim with turtles here. I must admit, that was my personal favorite thing. We also got to know a few nice people on the boat including our waiters and room stewards. All-in-all, this was a very memorable vacation for our whole family. My kids both loved their program and wanted to stay with their friends all day. Which was kind of nice for me and my husband too as we got to spend so much time together and connect like we could never back at home with our busy schedules. Since we were returning guests with Carnival and celebrated our anniversary on the boat we got some nice perks from guest services. We got free bottles of water and a few free drinks at the bar. The food was great every night and it was easy to get into the dining room. Carnival has a new app that you can use to text and reserve tables in the dining room etc. It is very easy to use and handy. The whole experience was very pleasant and we all would go back in a heartbeat." +"We had a fantastic time on our cruise vacation. We loved every moment of it. We enjoyed visiting the ports we stopped at and learnt a lot about these places. My favorite stop was Curacao. The town is so pretty and colorful and has so much history and stuff to offer the visitors. Also, we got to swim with turtles here. I must admit, that was my personal favorite thing. We also got to know a few nice people on the boat including our waiters and room stewards. All-in-all, this was a very memorable vacation for our whole family. My kids both loved their program and wanted to stay with their friends all day. Which was kind of nice for me and my husband too as we got to spend so much time together and connect like we could never back at home with our busy schedules. Since we were returning guests with Carnival and celebrated our anniversary on the boat we got some nice perks from guest services. We got free bottles of water and a few free drinks at the bar. The food was great every night and it was easy to get into the dining room. Carnival has a new app that you can use to text and reserve tables in the dining room etc. It is very easy to use and handy. The whole experience was very pleasant and we all would go back in a heartbeat." +"The amount of people in the audience had to be in the thousands I imagine. All there for the event that was about to take place, of which I would be on stage and having to face these strangers. It was nerve-wracking, but all my dedication had led me to this moment, this sensation of displaying my success in front of these thousands. It was Graduation Day, and nothing could have felt better than owning up to the last four years of my life, and seeing the fruit of that labor. The dean and president began their speeches, lovely poems and quotes about embracing the future making up the bulk. I couldn't see my family, however, I knew they would be looking for me once I am called to receive my diploma. The clapping that took place after the speeches could have triggered an earthquake, or maybe just my senses were heightened on this occasion. The air was crisp and cool, with the overcast sky darkening the ceremony it was very relaxing. I had done it, and now my life is truly ready to begin. What awaited, I did not know, and to be honest, I did not care. In that moment all that mattered was taking in the sights that are once in a lifetime. Only once would I be on this stage that was foretold about for years. Ever since I could remember, College was this distant place that would somehow change my life. However, now I can see that that is the truth; reflecting on the ways I have grown and matured, it really is surreal. All those years of sitting in a classroom validated in a single moment, it was overwhelming. This was a moment that I would reflect on forever, an eternity of waiting to lead up to the rest of my life. How could I not enjoy this?" +"It has been over 6 months since we thought my Dad was going to pass away. I still can't think about the incident for too long without getting overcome with emotion. He had been complaining about chest pain and headaches for days. Honestly, we ignored him because he is very dramatic and he complains about nothing all the time. Finally, he knew something was wrong and took himself to the emergency room. We found out the next day that he had suffered a heart attack sometime in the days prior to his hospitalization. Even worse, after performing some tests, it was determined that he would need surgery. He needed emergency bypass surgery in order to open up the passageways to his heart. In total he would need 5 bypasses to be performed. The surgeon was very direct and blunt with his feelings on the matter, it was likely there would be serious complications. My dad has been a heavy smoker for my over 50 years. The surgeon feared that his lungs wouldn't be able to withstand the trauma that is involved with a surgery as big as a bypass surgery. The day of the surgery my mother and brother and I gathered in the waiting room and stared at the television in the distance. For hours we sat like that, waiting to hear something about my Dad. Finally the surgeon emerged from one of those big locked doors. He looked so serious, I remember thinking he was coming to tell us my Dad had died. For those 3 seconds that it took him to finish walking to us I lived in a world where my Dad had died, I will never forget that feeling. I was wrong, though, he survived the surgery. He was in recovery and although it would be a few days before my Dad was able to be taken off a breathing machine, he would make a complete recovery." +"My dad had been complaining about being extra tired for a few days. Honestly, we ignored him because he tends to be dramatic and he seemed fine. Then one day he started feeling these sharp pains in his chest so he went to the hospital. We all expected he'd be home later, we didn't expect he would be in the hospital for 3 weeks. It turns out my dad had a heart attack a few days before going to the hospital. He has had heart attacks before, he had minor surgeries as a result, and he was fine. This time it wasn't that easy. He had some tests done the next day and it was discovered he had severe blockages in his heart. He needed 5 bypasses performed. To say my family was shocked would be an understatement. I remember I was driving my mom to the hospital to visit him and we still didn't know what was wrong. My dad called and said something about surgery. Emergency surgery, we didn't really understand what he was saying. When we finally got to his bedside it was explained to us how serious the situation was. He might not survive. He might survive but die soon after anyway, due to his age and smoking history. I remember this day so vividly because it was the day I really had to face the reality that my Dad might not live much longer. It was the day his ""Superman"" exterior really started to crack. He was scared. I'd never seen my dad scared. We were all scared, it was the beginning of a very long and emotional month for me and my family." +"I was so surprised that I needed eye surgery so soon. I thought I would have a few more years before it was needed. I scheduled the surgery on one of my eyes first. The other eye would have surgery later after the first one healed. I was so nervous the day of surgery. I was fortunate to have a family member with me because you can't have the surgery without someone being there. Everyone at the surgical center was very nice and tries to put you at ease. I had an eye exam before the surgery to confirm the type of lens to be used. I was prepped for surgery with a mild anesthetic. It's a very strange feeling to be awake for the surgery. I was very much aware of what the surgeon was doing which was a big surprise to me. I could feel everything, but there wasn't pain with the actual surgery. I was surprised that I was able to talk to the surgeon and staff. It was a very strange sensation to know when the lens was being replaced. I was very glad when it was finished even though it didn't take very long." +"I was gradually having more and more trouble seeing. My eyes would become unfocused with little spots appearing in my blurred vision. It had become dangerous to drive and was affecting my job. It was difficult to make myself go see the eye doctor because my insurance has a high deductible, but I couldn't keep putting this off. I went in to the office thinking that I'll probably just get some six hundred dollar eye drops and be on my merry way, but I was so horribly wrong. It's about to get even worse because the doctor told me I have some really serious, severe problem with my eyes that will only continue to progress, some long name medical condition that I can't even recall. I have to go in for surgery to treat it. I don't know how I'm going to be able to take off work for this, and I can only dream that my insurance will cover it. It feels like my whole life is crashing down around me. I'm going to talk to my boss this afternoon to request time off. It's just eye surgery, so I shouldn't need very long to recover, right? I think my eyes will just be sensitive, like a bad hangover. If I get fired for missing work, then I don't know what I'll do. Maybe I can just go blind. At least then my apartment will let me have a dog, right?" +"My wife had been wanting to go on vacation for a while. I wanted to take her. However it's tough for us because we don't have a lot of money these days. I talked to her about it and told it would take a while to save. I did all I could and saved up a ton of money. It took a lot of extra work. I put forth a lot of extra effort in my job and put in extra hours. I also sold some things that I had laying around the house on Ebay. Finally I had enough money and I asked her where she wanted to go. She said she wanted to do a beach vacation. We looked at different beaches. We thought about Florida. Finally we decided on Orange Beach, Alabama. It was a great place. We had a ton of fun while we were there. She was very happy and thankfully for all that I had done for her." +"My friend came with his wife that i have never met and she was fairly decent at introducing herself and being nice to me and me and my family and hanging out with us. But when me and my friend started a a barb q in the backyard and bought a few beers i could see the bitter side of her come out. She started to first whisper to him then i saw them go into the garage i had in the back and starting arguing. I did not want to be intrusive so i just backed off but when he got back to sit down i saw something was bothering him so i asked him whats wrong and he said not to worry about it. We then sat down and had a few more drinks then i saw it happening again and at this time it was a little louder than before which i tried to ignore but i could not at this time so i had to go in between them and asked them to calm down. What really went on that he did not want to tell me is that he was an alcoholic and he was keeping it from me and when he drank he could not stop. That is why his wife was getting mad at him for drinking and she knew that he could get out of control if he had too many. She was actually telling him to stop and not to go any further and embarrasses her. I felt like i knew my friend but in reality a lot of things have changed over the years. I can now see that people change over time and no one ever remains the same especially child hood friends. Sometimes in life people go thru things that affect them greatly, i was not there from when he got married up to that point so i could not really tell what was going on. I also did not know that he drank so much and it was affecting his married life. I felt that i knew my friend, as a younger person he did not have any addiction, he was into sports and loved spending time with his family , that is what i have known him for mostly . I do not know where in life he went wrong or what happened. After we were done that night after the BBQ i had a little talk with him and asked him if he needed anything from me or if he ever needed anything in life no matter what it was even if it was emotional support i would always be there for him and never forget how we were when we were little kids and growing up how things should be when you grow older although not the same. He said yea he might be in touch but this is just something he has to figure out on his own and that it has nothing to do with anyone or anything. He said that his addiction is somewhat uncontrollable due his it running in his genes." +"TERATOMA, ENCEPHALITIS, these are words that I had never heard before and in all honesty, never wish to hear again. These are words that caused a fully functioning adult and changed her into a child. A child who has to depend on everyone around her to keep her clean, to keep her healthy , to help her relearn to walk . I had a good life, great job, great coworkers or so I thought. In July of 2018 i started having symptoms of many things, none of which I would ever imagined would be a mass on my ovaries. I knew something was wrong with me, I did not feel like myself but I continued to do my everyday activities, going to my job, working out on my treadmill, occasionally lifting weights with my home gym. I was eating healthy and losing weight everyday, which I had finally gotten under control. One day I was picking up my car from the garage down the street and on my way home I thought I had passed my house. I literally had no idea where I was, and that was pretty f'in scary. I went to my PCP and told her I was no longer comfortable to drive. I had been driving everyday since I was 17 years old. I was able to work at home thanks to my employer but the more I worked, the less focused I was. I initially thought it was due to my vision, so i had my eyes checked. They weren't terrible, but I thought I would give my glasses a try to see if it helped. It didn't. I went on FMLA, never thinking I would have to go through what I went through. After 41 days in the hospital, undergoing a multitude of tests, plasma exchanges, testing for Lyme disease, I went to the rehab inpatient for 7 weeks. I had 4 sets of serial casts, fitted for my braces which I continue to wear everyday thanks to my father. I am finally in outpatient therapy and I should be happy as I am making some progress but negativity around me drags me down. I love my mother and my brother and sister but it seems I am never doing enough for myself. They don't understand that if I could do it I would be. I have started standing at the parallel bars, my knees pay for it later,but they aren't hurting in that moment. I got up on all fours,never thought I would be so happy to be on my knees but I could do it.. and that is what matters. I am focused on getting my legs strong enough to stand. Hoping for some solutions when I have my doctors appointments this week." +"We had recently been assigned a new project at work. It was to merge some of our databases in order to sell them to an important business partner. We had been working on it for over a month now and the deadline was nearing. We got to work the next day and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Then we finally got ready to start our work for the day and were met with a terrible surprise. All of our work was gone. We don't know what exactly happened to it, but it appeared to have been deleted somehow. We were all absolutely devastated by this revelation. Some people panicked and others just sat there in disbelief. We tried to gain our composure and thought about what to do next. Somebody thought to go to IT and ask if there was a way to revert our systems back to when the work was still there. When we got to the IT office, they told us that it would depend on when the work was deleted, because they only store previous states for so long. So then we waited for what seemed like an eternity, but was maybe an hour or two. Ring ring! Our team leader picked up the phone. They looked concerned, but then their stoic face gained a smile. The work was recovered. We were all ecstatic. We learned the important lesson of being careful and backing up our data, as well as keeping calm under pressure. It was a very important day in all of our careers." +"It has always been a dream of mine to take a trip to the might Buffalo National River and go on a float trip. I'd been to Saco a few times with some friends and I have always been yearning for another trip. We’re all getting older, so it’s tougher to organize a trip with everyone, but I was committed to going. It was the last thing I wanted to do on my bucket list and I was presented with the perfect time to go about 3 months ago when I had quit my job after being offered a much better paying job in a new city. I took the leap and took the trip to the river on my own in this free time I had. I was nervous since I would be alone, but even if I didn’t make friends, I would be content floating on the river and relaxing in nature for 6 days. Much to my luck, when I got there, I almost instantly found a few people who were in the same situation I was and we bonded instantly. As we floated down the river, swapping stories and kicking back beers, our group grew larger and larger. It got to the point where we were floating in a big group of about a dozen people. We were from all walks of life and we would have never met or interacted in any other setting. Everyone had a unique life experience and we all enjoyed each other’s company and stories. We would stay up all night talking about our lives, what led us here, what we hope the future brings, and shared some of our fondest memories from growing up. This group of people were amazing, and I am so happy I was able to meet them. The weather on the trip was perfect so I was able to relax with my new friends without having to worry about the conditions too much. As it turns out, a few of the people I met were from the city I was moving to, so I made sure to get their contact info. I even met a really cute girl who I made plans with meeting up with once I got to the city and settled in. This trip truly was life changing." +"It has always been a dream of mine to take a trip to the might Buffalo National River and go on a float trip. I'd been to Saco a few times with some friends and I have always been yearning for another trip. We’re all getting older, so it’s tougher to organize a trip with everyone, but I was committed to going. It was the last thing I wanted to do on my bucket list and I was presented with the perfect time to go about 3 months ago when I had quit my job after being offered a much better paying job in a new city. I took the leap and took the trip to the river on my own in this free time I had. I was nervous since I would be alone, but even if I didn’t make friends, I would be content floating on the river and relaxing in nature for 6 days. Much to my luck, when I got there, I almost instantly found a few people who were in the same situation I was and we bonded instantly. As we floated down the river, swapping stories and kicking back beers, our group grew larger and larger. It got to the point where we were floating in a big group of about a dozen people. We were from all walks of life and we would have never met or interacted in any other setting. Everyone had a unique life experience and we all enjoyed each other’s company and stories. We would stay up all night talking about our lives, what led us here, what we hope the future brings, and shared some of our fondest memories from growing up. This group of people were amazing, and I am so happy I was able to meet them. The weather on the trip was perfect so I was able to relax with my new friends without having to worry about the conditions too much. As it turns out, a few of the people I met were from the city I was moving to, so I made sure to get their contact info. I even met a really cute girl who I made plans with meeting up with once I got to the city and settled in. This trip truly was life changing." +"When my oldest daughter was born we brought home a dog and name him, Tucker. Tucker was the name of my first pet. Shortly after I had my first daughter, we decided to get a cat for my second daughter. Tucker always wanted special attention and we couldn't see him sharing that with another dog. Tucker was very protective Labrador that got along with all my daughters friends. Both of my daughters are grown now and married. It was no surprise that they both adopted Labradors and named their dogs Turker1 and Tucker2. All the dogs got along just fine when we had family gathers. My oldest daughter married her best friend, Jane. Jane had a pet poodle. My second oldest daughter married her high school sweetheart. His name is Tucker. We call him ""T"" for short. Any time he is around and say his full name, her comes our Tucker running to be petted. About a year ago, Tucker became ill. We thought it was a seasonal cold. He would not eat his gourmet dog food. He would sleep for most of the day and move slowly. I took him to the veterinary and the Vet stated it was just old age and add supplements to Tuckers meals. We did so. Tucker seemed to improve a bit but not completely. Six months later I took Tucker in and the vet ran some test. She found that he had kidney disease and that he would not live for long. 4 months passes and so did Tucker. We had ceremony is my backyard, shedding tears and remembering the life of Tucker." +"Seven weeks ago, I was experiencing a manic episode and I made some risky decisions. I met with a stranger at a bar. I didn't know him at all but I still was willing to leave the bar with him. I knew it was risky, but I didn't care in the moment. He wasn't a man I would usually go home with either. He looked mean and rough and he wasn't very kind to me really but I still followed him when he asked me to leave the bar. When we got outside, he led me into the alley by the bar. There was an overflowing dumpster and a bad smell but I still let him push me against the wall and kiss me. I knew I shouldn't be doing this; I knew that this was a bad decision and frankly, I was scared. I pushed him off me as hard as I could and even that barely worked. Once he got off me, he was very angry. ""What's the problem?"" he asked. I slipped out of his grasp and started to retreat.""I don't want this. I'm going back to the bar. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding."" I tried to remain calm. He starts to follow me out of the alley and I break into a run. I get in before he gets to me. Once I'm inside, I tried to get to the bar and to the safety of the bar keep. The man from the alley entered the room, looked at me next to the bar, and walked out. He could still be outside and I'm fearful that he wants revenge." +"Seven weeks ago, I was experiencing a manic episode and I made some risky decisions. I met with a stranger at a bar. I didn't know him at all but I still was willing to leave the bar with him. I knew it was risky, but I didn't care in the moment. He wasn't a man I would usually go home with either. He looked mean and rough and he wasn't very kind to me really but I still followed him when he asked me to leave the bar. When we got outside, he led me into the alley by the bar. There was an overflowing dumpster and a bad smell but I still let him push me against the wall and kiss me. I knew I shouldn't be doing this; I knew that this was a bad decision and frankly, I was scared. I pushed him off me as hard as I could and even that barely worked. Once he got off me, he was very angry. ""What's the problem?"" he asked. I slipped out of his grasp and started to retreat.""I don't want this. I'm going back to the bar. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding."" I tried to remain calm. He starts to follow me out of the alley and I break into a run. I get in before he gets to me. Once I'm inside, I tried to get to the bar and to the safety of the bar keep. The man from the alley entered the room, looked at me next to the bar, and walked out. He could still be outside and I'm fearful that he wants revenge." +"My sisters wedding day was one that I am sure not to forget or live down. She married a man that was perfect for her and of course wanted everything to look great and go well for her on her ""special day"". I might add that the ceremony itself was quite lovely and it did indeed go without a hitch. Later on while celebrating after the ceremony, I being very clumsy spilled red wine on her beautiful white gown. It was very lovely and I could not believe that something like this could happen! This is something she no doubt spent quite a lot of money on, and would later need to spend quite a lot of money to get professionally cleaned. This isn't the first time that I have done something so clumsy. I cannot even say that I was overly drunk as I don't drink that much or very often. It was more a case of me tripping over something I am sure. We were both very shocked when it happened. I offered to pay for the dress as I knew that it would be quite costly. She at least did not seem to be too distraught and laughed it off. I am just very fortunate to have her as my sister. It could have gone much differently if she became enraged or upset that she couldn't have the most perfect of days. She did take it in stride and of course being my caring sister did her best to calm me down - I am pretty sure I was more concerned and distraught then she was. It definitely gives us a story to tell later on, I just wish that it didn't happen of course." +"I went to a wedding two months ago. I had a fun time at the wedding. My sister was getting married to a CEO. She will have an easy life from now on. At the wedding party, I had an accident. I tripped and spilt red wine on to my sister's gown. She was a bit mad but got over it soon. She had to change into something else but it wasn't that big of a deal. The party was very fun. I had a great time eating the many food items there. There was steak to eat. There was cake to devour. There was biscuits to eat with my steak. All the food was delicious. We all had a great time at the wedding. Everybody will remember this event forever." +"The time my wife and I Hiked a 10 mile hike along a national lake shore. We began the hike at the trail head that looped around 10 miles of coast line. The trail was a magnificent changing landscape between forest, sand and mud. The most beautiful part of the hike was the events beginning from the complete start and finish. It was an eight hour hike. During the hike we spotted one deer, nearly fell from a cliff twice and did a handstand at the edge of a cliff. Among the many many trails I have conquered. This trail was number two ranging from trails I have done across states and different countries. This trail was difficult, yet thrilling. Thrilling in the sense of the natures beauty and in the adrenaline pump of nearly falling and catching the fall. When I caught myself on the hard sandy surface; my wife pulled my arms as I was lifting my body up over the edge. We embraced and I swore to no longer attempt risky photos. My wife and I continued the hike. Went on to seeing more great landscapes. Favorite part of it all, the sense of accomplishment." +I recently had a really bad job. it was for flying j. It was like working for a zoo with angry and slow animals. Or better description is a reality show with catty people. If they did not like some one they tried to get you fired . They did this with me on more than one occasion. Thank god they are not the brightest banana's in the bunch. I was able to catch them and call them out. The manager were also all rude among other things. They would talk down to the guests and make them feel unwelcome. I was getting really tired of that situation. I had to get out before i got into trouble or worse. So I believe I did the right thing and quit. I am having a really hard time finding another job. I know though that with time I will find a good one I can enjoy. Hopefully one with benefits. +"On this day in June, my husband and I, along with a couple that we are very close friends with, were in Colorado for a four day weekend. We wanted to see Garden of the Gods and decided the best way to do this was to take a Segway tour. Although my husband is in moderate stage Alzheimer's, we had done it a few years ago with this same couple in Chicago, and we thought he could probably handle it. We talked with the tour guide/instructor, and told him the situation. He worked patiently with my husband and concluded that he would be able to do ride the Segway safely. My friend's husband was super sweet with my husband, watching over him to make sure he was doing okay and guiding him throughout the day. The tour through the majestic rocks was absolutely breathtaking. The weather was a perfect 80 degrees and breezy. The views of the rock formations and the mountains were amazing. We took lots of pictures that turned out fantastic. Our companions were wonderful. We laughed a lot, along with a lot of oohs and aahs. We all said we would love to do it again. Of all the things we did while in Colorado, this was my favorite. Riding the Segways was so much fun, we made the perfect choice for seeing Garden of the Gods." +"My wife texted me at work . She had some free play at a local casino and asked me to stop on my way home and meet her there. Sounded like a fun plan as I always liked the casino and usually had a pretty good time. If I won some money I could stop and have dinner in Raul's restaurant. All in all it could make for a fun evening. As I drove there in 5 o'clock traffic I began to notice how crowded the area was, I had forgotten about a large convention that was in town. I arrived ,found a good place to park and headed into the casino to locate my wife. Soon I located her and she was winning . A few minutes in my friend Jim just happened by ! A complete coincidence! WoW! Jim was planning on eating at Raul's would we like to join him ? Sure ! We played the slot machine for a few minutes and the walked toward the restaurant. Jim had reservations so there was no wait. The Host called us and we were walked to a small room at the back of the restaurant. When the door was opened there were my friends from work, from the neighborhood and school.""SURPRISE"" was shouted by everyone. There was a big cake, a table full of presents, What a surprise ! I had forgotten it was my birthday! Soon the music started out came the dancing girls! Man can my wife plan a party !" +"My husband and I went through a difficult time over nine months ago, probably closer to a year ago. Prior to that, the owner of the company I worked for had made the decision to shut down the business where I had worked at for about five years. As it was a family run small business where I was the only employee, I was not offered any kind of severance benefits. I was only informed that they would give me a month's notice before they closed down the business. As it was, I was unemployed for a good six months. It was unfortunate that during this time my husband hurt himself while working his restaurant job. He had to have a hernia surgery and had to recover for a good two weeks. During this time he was not allowed any physical activity and could not work. At this time, I was collecting unemployment benefits, our only source of income, which did not remotely cover our monthly expenses and rent. We had virtually no savings, and had mounting debt. My husband and I both grew depressed and started to get into arguments over the smallest things, like the fact that his smoking habit was making a dent in my meager unemployment benefits, or my not wanting to get out of bed and look for employment because I was depressed. However, as my unemployment benefit was set to run out, I had no choice but to go out and look for employment, even if it paid minimum wage and inconvenient hours. I was scouring employment websites and Craigslist for hours every day looking for jobs that I had no interest in just so that I could put food on the table. I was discouraged because I did not get any calls, emails or applications returned while I was coming closer and closer to maxing out my unemployment benefits. It was not look good for us. Finally though, I managed to get a part-time job as a receptionist for a debt collector, a job which I hated and lasted at for three weeks before I managed to interview for a logistics job which I got and have stayed at to this day." +"My husband and I went through a difficult time over nine months ago, probably closer to a year ago. Prior to that, the owner of the company I worked for had made the decision to shut down the business where I had worked at for about five years. As it was a family run small business where I was the only employee, I was not offered any kind of severance benefits. I was only informed that they would give me a month's notice before they closed down the business. As it was, I was unemployed for a good six months. It was unfortunate that during this time my husband hurt himself while working his restaurant job. He had to have a hernia surgery and had to recover for a good two weeks. During this time he was not allowed any physical activity and could not work. At this time, I was collecting unemployment benefits, our only source of income, which did not remotely cover our monthly expenses and rent. We had virtually no savings, and had mounting debt. My husband and I both grew depressed and started to get into arguments over the smallest things, like the fact that his smoking habit was making a dent in my meager unemployment benefits, or my not wanting to get out of bed and look for employment because I was depressed. However, as my unemployment benefit was set to run out, I had no choice but to go out and look for employment, even if it paid minimum wage and inconvenient hours. I was scouring employment websites and Craigslist for hours every day looking for jobs that I had no interest in just so that I could put food on the table. I was discouraged because I did not get any calls, emails or applications returned while I was coming closer and closer to maxing out my unemployment benefits. It was not look good for us. Finally though, I managed to get a part-time job as a receptionist for a debt collector, a job which I hated and lasted at for three weeks before I managed to interview for a logistics job which I got and have stayed at to this day." +"This happened about three months ago. It started when my cat vomited constantly for a full day. I knew something must have been wrong but hoped it would turn out okay since I couldn't afford a vet at the time. However, he didn't improve. For days after, he couldn't keep food down. He eventually stopped eating entirely and stayed in one place all day. Once he urinated on himself instead of getting up to get to his box, I knew I needed to do something so I wrapped him in a towel and took him to the local vet. Kidney failure. That's what she said was wrong with him. They would give him medication and monitor him to see if he got better and I was told I didn't have to pay up front. He improved after three days. I got to take him home and he sat in my lap all day. Then I was awakened in the middle of the night. He was convulsing. A seizure. Then another. And another. Every ten minutes. I took him back and explained what had happened. They took him in again and said they would watch him. I went to work. A phone call. Even if they could stop the seizures, brain damage was so severe that he wouldn't be the same. They recommended euthanization. I couldn't leave work to be there when it was done." +"Feb, 2019. I had the great opportunity to travel overseas and meet the woman of my life. I had been chatting with her online for several years now, we met through an online video game. As time went on, we found that we had alot in common. It started out that we just happened to be in the same guild for an MMO, called World of Warcraft. As a healer in my guild, she healed me when we did raid dungeons, because she was assigned to my group. There were times that we would privately whisper to each other and talk about various things in life during these gaming events, and we found that were very interested in what we had to say, and listen. It was then we I made the decision to ask her out online, not knowing to where it would lead later. We ""online dated"" for a good while, until she asked me to come see her in her country. It is very far away, but I thought, yes, I need to meet this person, so I decided to do it! Afterwards we set a date, budget, flight plans, etc. Then, I embarked on a 30 hour trip to see this person. It was a pretty good trip overall, but when I landed the airport was very packed and I felt overwhelmed how many people were there. I ended up getting lost there in the sea of people. I did meet her and her brother there, but then I had to go back into the airport to use the restroom since our plane was flying over the airport for some time. When I got back out, I couldn't remember where their car was, so I got lost until her brother found me again lol." +"My birthday was last month, and my friends threw me a party. It made me so happy that they remembered and thought it was a special occasion. They told me to come to my friends apartment to celebrate. I showed up and there were all the special people in my life. I was so grateful. It was a special movement for me. They had lots of food set up, including all of my favorites. The music was good. I kept walking around the room hugging everyone. Last year I didn't have a very good birthday. So this meant a lot to me. We were there for a long time. It was dark when we finally went home. I'm grateful to have such good friends. They make my life better." +"My daughter gave birth with her first child and it was so different then mine. Her pregnancy wasn't to hard, she'd been caring her child well until the last week of birth. I remember when I was carrying her, I had to be induced because she was two weeks late. She was a trooper, all the family was with her as she gave birth. So many hours in labor but she didn't waver. and oh my goodness what a beautiful bundle she had. She was a small baby herself when I birthed her, but this child of her's, this baby boy was just the cutest you'd ever seen. He was long, lanky and absolutly screaming when he arrived. There were four generations in the room that day. Great grandmom, Grandmom, me and my husband, her parents, her younger brother, husband and her step kids. So many people. But it was so worth the wait of this baby bundle. She was such a trooper, all the pain was taken in stride as we all took turns holding my daughters hand and helping her through it all. I just can't imagine everything that was going through her mind. I know when I was giving birth to her I was thinking about everything I'd teach this precious child. Maybe that was happening throughout the whole ordeal. I know she'll make the best mother ever, and this child will be the luckiest child to have such a loving mother. My daughter was the most loving daughter there was for me, I can only imagine just how much joy that son will bring her. She's such an amazing woman." +"If someone were to tell me that I would witness an absolute life changing experience 3 months ago, I would not have believed them. 3 months later, here I am a person who feels reborn through the birth of another. The birth of my own children was monumental and shaped my life for the next almost 30 years. As my life went on, so did my comfort with who I was and how things were. After so many years, I knew that there was nothing that was going to change my views on life and me as a person. I was wrong. My daughter, Sarah, recently gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. This is our first grandchild. Let me tell you, there is nothing in this world that can prepare you for being a grandparent. It is an experience all to itself. The day started like any other, until I got the call. Sarah called to tell me that she was in labor and heading to the local hospital, and she wanted me there. I have never gotten dressed and out the door so fast in all my life. When I arrived at the hospital I found my baby, Sarah, smiling and excited to meet her son. On the way to the hospital I had images in my head of a girl who needed her mom to help her though this painful ordeal but there she was all smiles. As the day, and her labor, progress Sarah was her usual chatty, funny self. Momentary pauses during her contractions were but a semi-colon in her stories. It was hard to believe when the doctor said she was ready to push, Sarah had barely winced from what I know to be tremeandous pain. It seemed to happen in the blink of an eye. Sarah was calm and focused as she brought her son, my grandson, into this world. In that moment of birth I was not longer Mom, I became Grandma. Never did I think I could love any child more than my own, but I was wrong. Sarah was no longer my baby, she was a battle proven mother who I admired more than anyone. Though I was always careful not to spoil my own children, I found a yearning to give this little boy everything his heart desired. I had a new mission in life, to dote over and spoil my new grandson." +"My son is probably one of the more eager or better term yet, the more determined babies out there. I can just see his determination to do something without giving up, or you know, crying about it if ever he fails. This morning, I was doing my laundry while I was alone with my son. He just had his breakfast, which was Cheerios. His favorite was the sweet one, not the lame boring Cheerios you get that comes in a yellow box. After, he ate a full kids bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios, I then took my breakfast. I usually do that in order for me to focus on him first before I have my own breakfast. So right after our breakfast, I let him watch some Sesame street, while I do my laundry. Suddenly, after around 10-15 minutes of me getting busy with sorting out my laundry, I hear some little cute grunts while I was bending down sorting clothes. I kind of get to check my little nugget only by my peripheral vision and when I focused on him, he was trying to let go of the small table to get his balance sorted out! I rushed and got my phone for me to record his attempts to walk on his own, gave it my best support to my little guy. He fell a couple of times, and one instance, I guided him towards me, he looked so determined and very excited, he started his first steps, then walked four more steps, just on his own without holding on to anything, then I grabbed him and raised him up so high for him to know that I was very proud of him. I kept telling him that I was very happy and proud, it was a defining moment for me as a father. I realized and almost tore up thinking about if ever my Dad was still here, I would tell him everything about it, let him spend time with my kid. Being a father is definitely one of the greatest roles in life, my father made me realized that." +"The event I am thinking about happened in July. On the 2nd day of the month I found and removed two ticks from my back. Not thinking much about it I never really considered that they might have infected me. About four days later I started feeling bad and within a day had a raging fever. Great I thought, I've probably got the flu although it seemed a rather odd time of year to get the flu. I was very sick for 3 days and finally decided to go see a doctor. The diagnosis, a virus. Wait a couple days and if the fever doesn't get better, call them back. In two days I felt much better. Another week passes and suddenly I started getting this strange rash all over my body with a bulls-eye rash on my back at the tick bite site. I refused to believe it was serious and waited. Several more days passed and one night I developed a raging fever. This began to worry me and my wife was beside herself, emphatically trying to get me to see the doctor again. Finally I relented and made the call. The diagnosis this time was Lyme disease. My joints swelled, my head hurt and I was sick with a fever for several more days. The doctor prescribed antibiotics and in a couple days I began to improve. The process is slow though and I still have residual symptoms. Some people have these for months or even years. Only time will tell how my case proceeds." +"Last month marked 5 years with my wonderful girlfriend. As I was sure she couldn't be more thoughtful, loving, and kind, she surprised me with a weekend getaway to our favorite place. We woke up in the morning and exchanged words, kisses, and gifts, as we had officially been dating for 5 years! After we had woken up we made breakfast and sat and talked about what we should do for the day as we had our whole day free. She smirked and acted as if she had something to say but was holding back. After a moment it's as if she burst and with a wide grin she explained how she had a surprise planned and I had an hour to pack. Excited and nervous, I quickly threw clothes and necessities into a bag and before I knew it we were on our way! We drove into the city and on the way we listened to our favorite songs, laughed, and talked about our days' plans. We checked into the pre-booked hotel room and jumped on the bed. After settling in we left and explored the city. Although we've been to the city numerous times, it's always exciting to visit our favorite spots and look for things we'd missed or forgotten about. We ate plenty of great food, saw plenty of cute dogs (our favorite), and had a day full of love. It's always nice getting surprised and I was so taken back by her actually planning all of this without me knowing! She's not usually one to be able to keep a surprise so this was very out of character. Overall we had a great anniversary and the only thing that could top it would be an engagement... which is soon to come!" +"When I was a child, there was a hill that felt as if it were a straight drop. Of course, when you're young you do not read this as danger. Instead, you read this as excitement. All of the neighborhood kids would talk about 'bombing' the hill on your bike. Any kid who could do this would automatically gain bragging rights. And as a kid, bragging rights are the most valuable form of currency. It took little to no convincing before my cousins and I found ourselves atop of the hill, looking down towards the street below. What was the worst that could happen? I strapped my helmet on tight, and my cousins did the same. We had no knee pads. There was no protection from the asphalt other than our thin t shirts and shorts. Kids do not thin things through. Instead, they just act. The whole neighborhood gathered at the top of the hill. And with one deep breathe, we were off. At first the thrill was exciting- that feeling in your stomach when you drop on a roller coaster. But within seconds, we lost control of our bikes. The terrain was rougher than expected, and collided. My cousin writhed in pain from a broken wrist. My face was scrathed, my shoulder dislocated. Parents ran out of their homes. We spent the summer in casts- but we had the most bragging rights in the neighborhood." +"When I was a child, there was a hill that felt as if it were a straight drop. Of course, when you're young you do not read this as danger. Instead, you read this as excitement. All of the neighborhood kids would talk about 'bombing' the hill on your bike. Any kid who could do this would automatically gain bragging rights. And as a kid, bragging rights are the most valuable form of currency. It took little to no convincing before my cousins and I found ourselves atop of the hill, looking down towards the street below. What was the worst that could happen? I strapped my helmet on tight, and my cousins did the same. We had no knee pads. There was no protection from the asphalt other than our thin t shirts and shorts. Kids do not thin things through. Instead, they just act. The whole neighborhood gathered at the top of the hill. And with one deep breathe, we were off. At first the thrill was exciting- that feeling in your stomach when you drop on a roller coaster. But within seconds, we lost control of our bikes. The terrain was rougher than expected, and collided. My cousin writhed in pain from a broken wrist. My face was scrathed, my shoulder dislocated. Parents ran out of their homes. We spent the summer in casts- but we had the most bragging rights in the neighborhood." +"When I was a child, there was a hill that felt as if it were a straight drop. Of course, when you're young you do not read this as danger. Instead, you read this as excitement. All of the neighborhood kids would talk about 'bombing' the hill on your bike. Any kid who could do this would automatically gain bragging rights. And as a kid, bragging rights are the most valuable form of currency. It took little to no convincing before my cousins and I found ourselves atop of the hill, looking down towards the street below. What was the worst that could happen? I strapped my helmet on tight, and my cousins did the same. We had no knee pads. There was no protection from the asphalt other than our thin t shirts and shorts. Kids do not thin things through. Instead, they just act. The whole neighborhood gathered at the top of the hill. And with one deep breathe, we were off. At first the thrill was exciting- that feeling in your stomach when you drop on a roller coaster. But within seconds, we lost control of our bikes. The terrain was rougher than expected, and collided. My cousin writhed in pain from a broken wrist. My face was scrathed, my shoulder dislocated. Parents ran out of their homes. We spent the summer in casts- but we had the most bragging rights in the neighborhood." +"It's hard to believe time has passed by. It doesn't feel like it. Months are gone, but his memories still lie with us. I wasn't that close, but it's still made a significant impact. I am still here today, and that's what matters. His death made me realize we can die at anytime and that if you want to do something, go do it. Because the next chance you get won't be the same one. That feeling you have of uncertainty, just do it. And if you fail, that's okay. At least you now know and you can move on. If you don't pursue that uneasy feeling, you're left with feelings of regret. And that's worse. So it doesn't matter what your circumstances are. If you see something you like, do it. If it makes you tense, do it. Give yourself a buffer to let all the nerves out, then go for it. Regardless of the outcome, you will become a better person for it." +"I'm writing to reflect on the passing of my uncle. I can't believe its been 3 months since he died. I am still trying to wrap my brain around all of this. He was only 7 years older than I am. It really is true that life passes by in the blink of an eye. It seems like just yesterday that we were young again and were spending the nights together laughing at the lake house. It really has been difficult losing him. There are so many plans we had together that will never be fulfilled now. I am going to use this as a wake up call though. Life is so impermanent. I am going to do all of the things that him and I had planned together in honor of his memory. Right now, the sadness is almost unbearable. Starting today, I am going to do my best to life life and stay in the moment as much as humanly possible. The thing that I need to remember, is that complacency has a tendency to creep back in at the drop of a dime. I need to revisit my commitment to focusing on the moment regularly so that I don't get sucked back into the monotony of day to day life." +"Today was my first day at sea on my Alaskan cruise. I woke up to our view of the ocean and mountains out our window. We sat and admired how awesome the snow capped mountains looked in the distance as we went by. We got up and ate breakfast in the main dining room. I forgot how awesome it was to be served food at every meal and ordered a full breakfast. We then ventured out looking around the ship. My son wanted to first play putt putt which ended up being a very windy ordeal causing the ball to move every once in a while either by the wind or the rocking of the boat. I couldn't help but admire the amazing landscape that could be seen on the horizon. We checked out the casino and ended up losing money on slots which was normal. We ate a hardy lunch in the cafe spot and decided we wanted to try the swimming pool. My son and I braved the slightly chilly temps and swam for a bit in the pool that was rocking back and forth with the waves. Afterwards, we both had some much needed hot cocoa. We went back to our room, got cleaned up and got ready for dinner. I had a great cool fruity soup and then halibut for dinner. Afterwards, we went to a dance party and my son had a great time. We finished the night off by going to the balcony and watching the mountains go by. It was a relaxing fun day to start our trip." +The day i lost my mum was really an unforgettable day. Its happened eight months but its still feels like yesterday. I could remember every thing as a clear as though it was yesterday. My mum literally means everything to my siblings and I. My dad had drinking problems he always beat my mum so my mum left with us. That every day was a special day for i and my siblings am the first of three. Dealing with her death wasn't an easy job for me especially cause i had to take full responsibility of my siblings. Mum had been really sick for quite some time she had cancer. she was always sick every now and then. At a point I sincerely thought she wont go through with it cause the sickness really did got to her really. I was scared at that some point . but on the day of her death was the worst of all I could literally see the light leaving her body that was how bad it was. I had doubt she was even actually gonna survive it. My siblings and i were with here i can remember her telling us how much she loved us. she told me specifically to take good care of my siblings if anything had happened to her. at this point in became really scared on how we were gonna survive. a little while she started struggling to breathe my sibling called the nurses to come help us. I literally saw here took her last breathe. The picture is still really clear in my head it is a day i will literally never forget +The day i lost my mum was really an unforgettable day. Its happened eight months but its still feels like yesterday. I could remember every thing as a clear as though it was yesterday. My mum literally means everything to my siblings and I. My dad had drinking problems he always beat my mum so my mum left with us. That every day was a special day for i and my siblings am the first of three. Dealing with her death wasn't an easy job for me especially cause i had to take full responsibility of my siblings. Mum had been really sick for quite some time she had cancer. she was always sick every now and then. At a point I sincerely thought she wont go through with it cause the sickness really did got to her really. I was scared at that some point . but on the day of her death was the worst of all I could literally see the light leaving her body that was how bad it was. I had doubt she was even actually gonna survive it. My siblings and i were with here i can remember her telling us how much she loved us. she told me specifically to take good care of my siblings if anything had happened to her. at this point in became really scared on how we were gonna survive. a little while she started struggling to breathe my sibling called the nurses to come help us. I literally saw here took her last breathe. The picture is still really clear in my head it is a day i will literally never forget +it was about 3-4 months ago and when i was addicted to smoking weed. i was staying at a motel out of town that was close to my work at the time. i brought with me and couple bags of weed but knew it wasn't going to last long. with the bedbugs biting me every night while i stayed there i was feeling really anxious about my future and smoked all my stuff quickly. after i smoked it all i was still anxious the next few days and had no clue where to buy more from so i went door to door at the motel asking around. one person said they would sell me some and to wait in my room. After a couple hours of sitting on the floor to avoid the bedbugs i heard the door knock. I sprinted to the door like a marathon and low and behold the person was there with a baggie of something. i had no clue if it was legit or if it had something in it that was bad but i was anxious so i took it and payed for it. i paid the man the money and went to the table to open the baggie. it wasn't the usually stuff i was working with but it looked pretty normal to me. i packed my bowl and went to town on it. it relieved all my anxiety that very moment and i felt very relieved. Only problem was it was lasting only 5-10 minutes when my usual stuff would last hours. So i kept packing and packing my bowl with this weird substance of weed or as i look back now probably the legal K2 Stuff thats horrible for you and all night just kept packing it. halfway through the bag I noticed i started feeling very weird.. I took off my clothes and took a cold shower but that was no help. I started laying on the floor gasping for air trying to breath but couldn't grab enough oxygen. My girl took me to the hospital that day and it was just an 'anxiety attack' but i bought the stuff to help with the anxiety. how could it have made it worse. since then i have been dealing with severe anxiety. +"Sometimes I feel like I'll never master the guitar. Seriously, whenever I feel like I'm ""getting it"", I'm slapped by the harsh reality of mediocrity. Luckily, my teacher is such a positive dude and always seems to get me back on track. My feelings of inadequacy will probably never go away. But, they seem to be getting shorter and less intense. I don't know how he does it and sticks with me until it clicks. Maybe he's brainwashing me or something. LOL. Anyway, I'm really grateful for his tutelage and don't know what I would do without him. The funny thing is, I've seen my teacher play. And he's not that good! I guess he just has the right personality to teach. In any case, I'm happy to have him to push me forward. I don't know if I'll ever be great. But, I sure do have a lot of fun when I get in my groove. Party on, Wayne!" +"Six months ago, my friend Jonathan from Paris send invitation to inviting me his marriage function. My wife and me planned to join in this ceremony. After planned this trip , we faced many of problems. Such as difficult to book flight tickets .Selecting most acceptable gift .Becuase of delaying flight ticket booking, my wife started to yelled me. So I was stressed. However I booked two flight tickets to Paris after many difficult procedures. In the day of arrival, we just packed our things in brief case and went to airport. After reaching airport, my wife rtemebered that she forgot to pack the gift box. I was shocked. Because we bought costly wallclockto gift new couple .I had lots of angry on my wife. But I planned to choose another gift. I had chosen to buy smartphones under 400 dollars. So I bought smart phone immediately. we got in plane. After reaching Paris, we had to face some issues in immigration because I packed knifes by mistake. After long investigation airport officers allowed us to leave. After those big struggles, we joined in the wedding ceremony. that moment was very enjoyabale. We celebrated the party with lot of fun and happiness. These moments were also remebered my wedding ceremony.. My wife made conversation with bride . I just stunned by wife's beauty. I just forget all of the troubles before yet." +"Six months ago, my friend Jonathan from Paris send invitation to inviting me his marriage function. My wife and me planned to join in this ceremony. After planned this trip , we faced many of problems. Such as difficult to book flight tickets .Selecting most acceptable gift .Becuase of delaying flight ticket booking, my wife started to yelled me. So I was stressed. However I booked two flight tickets to Paris after many difficult procedures. In the day of arrival, we just packed our things in brief case and went to airport. After reaching airport, my wife rtemebered that she forgot to pack the gift box. I was shocked. Because we bought costly wallclockto gift new couple .I had lots of angry on my wife. But I planned to choose another gift. I had chosen to buy smartphones under 400 dollars. So I bought smart phone immediately. we got in plane. After reaching Paris, we had to face some issues in immigration because I packed knifes by mistake. After long investigation airport officers allowed us to leave. After those big struggles, we joined in the wedding ceremony. that moment was very enjoyabale. We celebrated the party with lot of fun and happiness. These moments were also remebered my wedding ceremony.. My wife made conversation with bride . I just stunned by wife's beauty. I just forget all of the troubles before yet." +"Six months ago, my friend Jonathan from Paris send invitation to inviting me his marriage function. My wife and me planned to join in this ceremony. After planned this trip , we faced many of problems. Such as difficult to book flight tickets .Selecting most acceptable gift .Becuase of delaying flight ticket booking, my wife started to yelled me. So I was stressed. However I booked two flight tickets to Paris after many difficult procedures. In the day of arrival, we just packed our things in brief case and went to airport. After reaching airport, my wife rtemebered that she forgot to pack the gift box. I was shocked. Because we bought costly wallclockto gift new couple .I had lots of angry on my wife. But I planned to choose another gift. I had chosen to buy smartphones under 400 dollars. So I bought smart phone immediately. we got in plane. After reaching Paris, we had to face some issues in immigration because I packed knifes by mistake. After long investigation airport officers allowed us to leave. After those big struggles, we joined in the wedding ceremony. that moment was very enjoyabale. We celebrated the party with lot of fun and happiness. These moments were also remebered my wedding ceremony.. My wife made conversation with bride . I just stunned by wife's beauty. I just forget all of the troubles before yet." +"It started two months ago. I accepted a job with my kids school. I have been running an in home daycare for about 7 years now. While I love what I have been doing the days are getting longer. My kids are growing up faster than I could have expected. I was shocked when the school called and said they had a job they could offer me but it would only be part time. Now I am very excited to take on the challenge I really had to discuss with my husband if we could financially swing this. I make decent money right now but it doesn't allow me the freedom to just focus on my kids. This is a very important time in their lives as they figure out who they are and the type of people they will become. I feel as though what I have been doing worked for us while they were little but now they will both be in school full time, it is time for me to figure out what I want to do with myself as for as our future. I think working at their school has the perk of being able to work and being sure if they don't have school I don't have to work. We will have the same schedule and be able to spend the one on one time I so crave. They are only little for so long and it is time to focus on them. I am very excited to start this new adventure. My family is excited and in only a few short weeks we will be adjusting to our new schedules. We can not wait to see what the future holds for us." +"Several months ago, I was in a position of really needing money. I had gotten into the habit of buying lottery rickets. Each week there are two drawings of the state lottery, Mega Millions and Power ball. In addition, I buy about 19-15 scratch off tickets a week. I always do quick pick, and am not in the habit of checking the tickets. I generally tack the tickets to a bulletin board in my study. When there are many tickets there, my partner usually asks me if I have checked them yet. When I am tired of hearing that question, I check the tickets using an app on my phone. Last summer, I was lucky enough to win a few thousand dollars. I was very happy when I saw the ticket, and called the lottery offices to get instructions about what to do to collect my winnings. I had to travel to a bigger city near me, and go to a lottery office. I filled out some forms, and they validated the ticket within 30 minutes. My total after tax winnings were around $4000. Around that time I was behind in my rent, so I believe that I used most of the money to get caught up. I felt very happy for about 3 days, and then this became an experience like any other." +"I've always been a casual lottery user. I think there is a certain appeal. It's a rush of knowing earnings are possible. It's a risk but with high reward potential. But that's probably how they get you. A few months back I signed up for a lottery ticket. I bought it, and didn't really give it a second thought until weeks later. As it turns out, I had actually pulled a ticket that was worth a lot of money. So much so that it helps with bills. It was something I certainly didn't expect. I think it's best to approach it casually. Those who are avid goers risk a lot. It's not fair, but that's inherent to the game. It's fun, but high risk. I just hope that fortune strikes twice." +"Three months ago I graduated from college. What a dream come true. I could not belive that this day was finally here. It was a dream come true. The odds were stacked against me but I knew that I could do it. As I thought back on my experiences, I remember it being a tough time but at the same time it was fun. Many people to me that I would not finish due to my family background. I was so glad that I showed all of the people that ever doubted me. I knew I could do It. When I first started I did not understand anything. I eventually got the hang of it and got through it. Now the fun really starts I get to find a really good job. I get to have that dream job of fixing any car that is broken. I'm hoping that the job is worth all the time I took to learn this work. All in all I say I did a great job!" +"This time last year, I was going through a very bad divorce. I had only been married a short time (under a year), but I asked for a divorce and separated from my then-wife. This separation occurred around the holidays, so it was especially lonely and depressing. Having to spend Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years alone was a very dark thing to experience, very lonely. I had a great support system, and got myself into some healthy habits (gym, therapy, hobbies), but it was still an incredibly difficult time in my life. There were times when I wasn't sure things would ever get better. My divorce was finalized five months after separating, and I knew I needed to take the time to be single and get myself in a good place before I started dating again. As luck would have it, right when I started feeling like ""myself"" again, I met a wonderful woman. I am still with her to this day, and have a strong, fulfilling, and satisfying relationship. In the end, I learned that although I went through a dark time, all bad things will eventually pass as long as you're willing to put in the hard work to see them through. In going through the pain of a separation and divorce, I learned to appreciate not only myself, but my girlfriend. The little things she does seem so much more meaningful and important, because I came from a bad relationship where I had none of them. I now know what it's like to feel love and respected, but first, I had to learn to love and respect myself. That's something that could only come from recovering from a divorce. I hope my story ends up serving as an inspiring tale to those around me who don't believe there is light at the end of the tunnel." +"My wife and I had a messy separation and divorce. I had tried to avoid it, but fights and arguments would still take place. I even had to live like a homeless person for a few weeks at a time due to our struggles. Finally, we pulled the cord on our marriage by getting divorced. Following the divorce, I went through a dark period. Thankfully, during this dark period. I met a great woman. She is aware of my previous marriage. She encourages me to move forward. She forgives me for my past. I'm still with her today. I am thankful that someone else decided to be with me although I had a divorce. This serves as a strong reminder to me. Tough times pass with persistence and hard work. If you give up, the tough times will never pass." +"My wife and I had a messy separation and divorce. I had tried to avoid it, but fights and arguments would still take place. I even had to live like a homeless person for a few weeks at a time due to our struggles. Finally, we pulled the cord on our marriage by getting divorced. Following the divorce, I went through a dark period. Thankfully, during this dark period. I met a great woman. She is aware of my previous marriage. She encourages me to move forward. She forgives me for my past. I'm still with her today. I am thankful that someone else decided to be with me although I had a divorce. This serves as a strong reminder to me. Tough times pass with persistence and hard work. If you give up, the tough times will never pass." +"We were sick,old, and fat, and needed to change. We did keto, and diet, worked together and lost an amazing amount of weight. That was my one of best friend suffering because of her fat and other heath issue. so doctors suggest them to reduce there weight. Then my friend take action on diet control. But he can't do that because of her weight too high. Then we suggest some kind of simple work to him. they do it regularly. Then They got some confidence on him. And follow the diet and other work out. Then they do the work continuously and lose some weight. It feels him very happy. From the results they work hard and lost weight at good level. then again go to checkup he got alright. It make him very happy and thank to god. it is very amazing moment to my friend to lose this much of weight in short period." +"My daughter moved far away from home. When she met and got engaged to a Canadian who was working here in the US, I hoped he would try to get residency here and they would stay. But it's hard to get legal status nowadays, even for married couples, so they decided to move to Montreal, where he is from. She has already started the process for residency there. I miss her so much! She's been gone for about 4 months now and I still can't get used to not seeing her every few days. I was spoiled because we did spend a good amount of time together. I miss watching 90 Day Fiancee with her and talking about it (she can't get it in Canada!) and having Sunday dinners with them. We do message almost every day and talk a few times a week but I miss her SOOOO much. I am touched that even though she has her own grown up life now that she still sends me a meme or a note every day and keeps me updated on what's going on in her life. I plan to go visit her in the Spring but that's still a long time away. I'm trying to convince her to come for Christmas. I can't imagine the holidays without here. Some days I feel like a piece of my heart is missing. She is an adult but she will always be my little girl." +"There have been many different memorable events that have occurred in my live over the past 6 months. I think that to me, the event that was the most memorable was able to help a friend achieve one of his dreams. My friend has always wanted to be able to move out and live on his own since he graduated high school. I always love to help out friends whenever it is possible, but this situation was tougher than normal. I frequently would help him search for apartments for rent that were within his price range, but most of the time it was unsuccessful. Around 4 months ago, we had finally started seeing potential options. Once he finally found the potential one, we went and toured the complex. Everything had seemed to be going great, but we eventually found out that he would not be able to rent the apartment due to having no renters history. Now I already live in a different state than he does and I live on my own, so this gave me an idea. After giving it a lot of thought, I decided that I would offer to have him come live with me. At first, he had declined because he is not the type of person to accept handouts and he still would not technically be living on his own. I talked it over with him, and after a long conversation he accepted my offer. I've never seen him as happy as he was in that moment which really touched me. Since moving in with me, his quality of live and overall happiness have drastically improved. Even thinking back on that moment makes me emotional because i love seeing people extremely happy. Helping him out and having him move in with me has been one of the best decisions that either of us have made." +"It was my brothers wedding. I was his best man. I was handed over the family ring, and I was supposed to take care of it. I always used to keep it in my pocket in case I needed to show it to someone. One day it just skipped my mind, and I gave those pants to the laundry. After giving them up, I realized it had my brother's wedding ring. I was shocked and devastated. I went rushing to the laundry and asked the guy on the counter about my pants. I had lost all the hope that I would find it. He brought them to me, and I immediately checked its pockets. To my expectations, it was not there. However, the guy at the counter was smiling at me and asked me, ""Are you looking for this?"" He had the ring with him and you can't imaging how relieved I was. Till this day I had not told this event to anybody else. The event still give me goosebumps. I wish it never happened." +It happened about a month ago. I was chosen to be thee best man of my brother's wedding and boy was I excited! I had made all the necessary preparations for it . However I somehow managed to misplace the bride's ring! I cant believe it. I felt like I put it down for a second to get me something to eat and it was like it went poof! I was freaking out so bad. but I couldnt let anyone know about this mishap. I had to find it no matter what. My brother would have never forgave me if he knew this had happened. I then quickly traced all of my steps from decoarating the table to getting food. Thankfully I did manage to find that ring. It had fallen under the table with all the food on it. I was so relieved . After that the rest of the wedding went smooth. My brother or his wife never found out about the moment I misplaced the ring. Everything was beautiful and i cried. +so i have a story that happened about 1 month ago that deals with me going to visit my father. Throughout the years we haven't had the best relationship at all. So during this time of being together we were able to get things back on track. to have a good father and daughther relationship. We spent a lot of time hanging out just to try and get comfortable with each other. That seemed to work out pretty well. being that eventuallly we started cracking jokes on each other. the most memorable part was when I told a joke that was true of something that he did in the past. No one seemed to be offended and that was great. We spent a lot of time out shopping and riding around in his car. I was able to get anything I wanted from the store we went to. We went out to dinner and ate seafood together. Overall it was a wonderful trip where we go to talk about the past. Times he wasn't always there for me and how he plans to not continue the same path. I really enjoyed hanging out and getting to know my father. +so i have a story that happened about 1 month ago that deals with me going to visit my father. Throughout the years we haven't had the best relationship at all. So during this time of being together we were able to get things back on track. to have a good father and daughther relationship. We spent a lot of time hanging out just to try and get comfortable with each other. That seemed to work out pretty well. being that eventuallly we started cracking jokes on each other. the most memorable part was when I told a joke that was true of something that he did in the past. No one seemed to be offended and that was great. We spent a lot of time out shopping and riding around in his car. I was able to get anything I wanted from the store we went to. We went out to dinner and ate seafood together. Overall it was a wonderful trip where we go to talk about the past. Times he wasn't always there for me and how he plans to not continue the same path. I really enjoyed hanging out and getting to know my father. +"Three months ago I thought John and I were in love. Then he dumped me. Still don't know why. Spent three weeks crying over it. Apparently, he has already moved on to someone else. Good riddance. His loss. But, now things are great. Met Sam at the park Saturday. He was playing frisbee with his dog and it landed near me. I picked it up and threw it back to him. We started talking and he asked me out for lunch at Mario's Pizza. I was so nervous. As I was sitting there staring at Sam, I accidentally knocked over the basket of bread and butter on his lap. So embarrassing! We laughed so hard I was crying. He walked me home. I think I smiled the whole day. He asked me out for dinner Wednesday. That night, he gave me a kiss and said he was falling in love with me. I was shocked because I felt the same way. It happened so fast! I've pretty much seen him every day. A kiss and two months later, we are engaged. Funny how things happen when you least expect it." +"Three months ago I thought John and I were in love. Then he dumped me. Still don't know why. Spent three weeks crying over it. Apparently, he has already moved on to someone else. Good riddance. His loss. But, now things are great. Met Sam at the park Saturday. He was playing frisbee with his dog and it landed near me. I picked it up and threw it back to him. We started talking and he asked me out for lunch at Mario's Pizza. I was so nervous. As I was sitting there staring at Sam, I accidentally knocked over the basket of bread and butter on his lap. So embarrassing! We laughed so hard I was crying. He walked me home. I think I smiled the whole day. He asked me out for dinner Wednesday. That night, he gave me a kiss and said he was falling in love with me. I was shocked because I felt the same way. It happened so fast! I've pretty much seen him every day. A kiss and two months later, we are engaged. Funny how things happen when you least expect it." +"The meaningful event that happened to us in the last six months may seem somewhat strange. We lost our son when we were pregnant and found out at 21 weeks. We had no idea prior to that that anything was wrong. It was the most horrible event that we've been through on so many levels. It was terrifying and sad. But, in the aftermath, we were witnesses to a great level of grace that was incredibly meaningful, and continues to be. We had friends and family take care of us in a way that we'd never experienced before. We had extended family tell us ways that they grieved through the process, and that helped us feel supported. We began looking for rainbows after the rain, both literally and figuratively. Those rainbows are a reminder of color in the dark times of life. Whenever I see one I feel at peace. We've been able to talk to and support other people through similar events. We can't ever understand why we went through what we went through, but we have been blessed to feel so much stronger as a couple and as people because of it. Our faith grew. We will always carry the gift we will were given." +"My cousin, the son of my mother’s oldest sister, has gotten engaged. It’s the first engagement of all the cousins on my mom’s side — granted, there are only two cousins outside of myself, my brother and my sister. Still, it’s enough to be hot, hot family news and send us into a collective, year-long planning mode: How do we get to the wedding, what do we wear to the wedding, where do we stay for the wedding, what do we do before and after the wedding? The wedding becomes what we plan our lives around. It’s not that we’re crazy, wedding-obsessed people. It’s that my cousin’s wedding is in Shanghai, China. Both of my parents are from Shanghai. Most of my mom’s family is still in Shanghai, and my cousin who is getting married lives with my aunt and my uncle and my grandmother in the same house that my mother grew up in as a child. My family also lived in Shanghai for nearly two years when I was around 8 and 9 years old, and visited again a year later. But I had not been back since. And not only had I not been back, but in that 13-year separation, I had forgotten the bulk of Chinese I had ever known how to speak. Instead of focusing on re-learning the language in the year I had, I shoved it to the bottom of my mental to-do list. By the time December 2012 rolled around, I was no better at remembering how to say “Where is the bathroom?” than 12 months earlier. When we finally arrived in Shanghai, the reality of being in China’s largest city began to settle in. On the streets, taxis weaved in and out of lanes, miraculously avoiding crashes by near inches. People crowded the sidewalks, pushing others to get by and rushing across busy streets, also miraculously avoiding getting hit by cars. Buses honked. Street vendors hollered. We spent a day getting over the jet lag before the wedding. We saw my cousin and the rest of the family. We ate a lot of food in a short amount of time. And to be honest, by the morning of the wedding day, I wasn’t too worried about not being able to speak Chinese. My family had been assigned a big table together, and we could enjoy the w" +"My cousin, the son of my mother’s oldest sister, has gotten engaged. It’s the first engagement of all the cousins on my mom’s side — granted, there are only two cousins outside of myself, my brother and my sister. Still, it’s enough to be hot, hot family news and send us into a collective, year-long planning mode: How do we get to the wedding, what do we wear to the wedding, where do we stay for the wedding, what do we do before and after the wedding? The wedding becomes what we plan our lives around. It’s not that we’re crazy, wedding-obsessed people. It’s that my cousin’s wedding is in Shanghai, China. Both of my parents are from Shanghai. Most of my mom’s family is still in Shanghai, and my cousin who is getting married lives with my aunt and my uncle and my grandmother in the same house that my mother grew up in as a child. My family also lived in Shanghai for nearly two years when I was around 8 and 9 years old, and visited again a year later. But I had not been back since. And not only had I not been back, but in that 13-year separation, I had forgotten the bulk of Chinese I had ever known how to speak. Instead of focusing on re-learning the language in the year I had, I shoved it to the bottom of my mental to-do list. By the time December 2012 rolled around, I was no better at remembering how to say “Where is the bathroom?” than 12 months earlier. When we finally arrived in Shanghai, the reality of being in China’s largest city began to settle in. On the streets, taxis weaved in and out of lanes, miraculously avoiding crashes by near inches. People crowded the sidewalks, pushing others to get by and rushing across busy streets, also miraculously avoiding getting hit by cars. Buses honked. Street vendors hollered. We spent a day getting over the jet lag before the wedding. We saw my cousin and the rest of the family. We ate a lot of food in a short amount of time. And to be honest, by the morning of the wedding day, I wasn’t too worried about not being able to speak Chinese. My family had been assigned a big table together, and we could enjoy the w" +"This is about my daughter picking out her wedding dress. My daughter wanted me to help her decide on a wedding dress. I met her and her friend at the salon. It was a bit of a drive, but it was worth it. She had narrowed down the choices ahead of time, which was a good thing. The salon was not crowded which was also good. She had found a dress she liked the most on the clearance rack. She's quite petite and wanted a modest dress, so it was hard to find something. It was great that she found something that looked good on her on the clearance rack. The lady who helped her spread the dress out around her. She stood there beaming. She was juts beautiful. I agreed with her about which one was the best. It suited her very well. It was feminine but modest. Her best friend also liked that one the best. She also looked at accessories. She tried on veils but didn't like them. She liked the combs better but they were expensive. She also was not sure the combs would stay in her hair. So she didn't get one. She and I were both so relieved that she had found a dress. I paid for it at the register. She and her friend had come together but I had come separately. I was happy-sad driving home." +"It is crazy to think of my daughter being old enough to get married. I still remember holding her in my arms and rocking her to sleep at night. I remember singing lullabies to her. Now, she has grown into a beautiful woman and has found the love of her life. About a month ago she invited me to go wedding dress shopping with her and her best friend I was excited to share this special moment with her. I didn't know if I would still be around when this day arrived, considering all of my health challenges. I felt very blessed to be there on that day with my daughter. We walked into the wedding dress shop with smiles on our faces, happy and eager for the entire experience. I thought back to the day I picked out my wedding dress as I watched my daughter examine the dresses on the racks. Within ten minutes of looking, she grabbed three dresses she wanted to try on. They were all very traditional type dresses with puffy skirts, like the kind of dresses you might see on a disney princess. She went to the dressing room and slipped on the first dress and came out for us to see. She was glowing with happiness. She looked like a princess. The dress fit her just right. The beadwork was beautiful. The store attendant brought her a crystal tierra to try on. My daughter's eyes filled with love for that tierra. She slipped it on her head and gazed at herself in the mirror. She was smiling the largest smile ever. I soaked in this moment and formed a memory. I wanted to remember this day forever. My daughter said, ""This is the dress!"" without even trying on the other two! We all stared at her and agreed that she looked absolutely gorgeous. A tear slipped down my cheek as I didn't think I would still be healthy enough to join my daughter in this wonderful adventure of hers." +"Since last writing about this event, it has continued to progress and develop. My son is now much more mobile and active than he was when I last wrote about this. He is walking around (while holding onto things) and climbing all over everything. He is opening cabinets and drawers and taking things out to play with them. He is quite a handful now. His personality is even more apparent and he is able to process and display more complex thoughts and emotions. We are much more social with each other now. talking and playing have a lot more significance now. He has grown so much in the last few months. It is clear that at this stage, his growth is faster than it has ever been. I assume that his growth will continue to accelerate until we can't even keep up with him anymore. Enough time has passed that I am beginning to miss when he was smaller because of the simplicity we had in our lives, but I love watching him learn and grow up. I look forward to seeing him start to walk on his own. I am also excited for his first word. It will be great when we can communicate meaningfully with each other. I also am looking forward to when he can hold a bottle up all by himself." +"Since last writing about this event, it has continued to progress and develop. My son is now much more mobile and active than he was when I last wrote about this. He is walking around (while holding onto things) and climbing all over everything. He is opening cabinets and drawers and taking things out to play with them. He is quite a handful now. His personality is even more apparent and he is able to process and display more complex thoughts and emotions. We are much more social with each other now. talking and playing have a lot more significance now. He has grown so much in the last few months. It is clear that at this stage, his growth is faster than it has ever been. I assume that his growth will continue to accelerate until we can't even keep up with him anymore. Enough time has passed that I am beginning to miss when he was smaller because of the simplicity we had in our lives, but I love watching him learn and grow up. I look forward to seeing him start to walk on his own. I am also excited for his first word. It will be great when we can communicate meaningfully with each other. I also am looking forward to when he can hold a bottle up all by himself." +"It was a nice Sunday, and i was driving home from the grocery shop. Traffic was heavy as usual downtown, yet fluid in movement. Students from the local university were outside drinking , partying, and taking in the sun. Then it happened ,I absently took my eyes off the road and car in the front of me for a second to look, to take in the scenery and when i looked back, the car in front of me had come to a quick stop. I slammed on the brakes, but it was not enough to prevent a car accident. Thankfully no one was hurt , numbers and dollars signs started running through the my heed, as typical for anyone who has been in an accident, but specially so for a wife of a personal finance blogger. So i like to share this information in this time because its the most valuable and memorable event of my life, as well its also an beautiful event for my life. On that time i felt very bad about that suddenly looked car and shocked a second for avoiding that incident. But god's grace i won't make any damages to that car as well as a people who are all in that road. So that this incident made me to feel proud and teach me a lots of lessons through that single minute, the very worst drawback was i won't wear my seat belts too at that incident happenings, but if the accident happens and I definitely met with the greater injuries because of that worst event. The opposite driver was also a very good driver who has a lots and lots of experience in driving because he easily control the vehicle in preventing the accident,the major accident was reduced because of that driver's anxiety and smartness. But now a days people won't have that much amount of smartness on the hardest situations, like this driving incident we should have a clear cut of ideas about what we are going to do, because we need a very much of talent in this controlling feelings. so I advice every one to follow the rules and regulations to find the happiness in their life, i recommend everyone to follow the rules after this incident because i experience the clear cut of accident. After that i advice everyone to stay constant and be brave on taking decisions as well as people was also started to believe in my words because of this incident. sometimes i admired those believe which gave to me by the people around me . As well I advice them to teach the traffic rules and create some awareness to the irrespective people like me to avoid the accidents. They also respect my words and started to create awareness among the irrespective and rural people to follow the rules and regulations, it will help their life to be strong and live the stress free life too." +"It was January, 2009, I experienced a traumatic experience on my very close friends wedding. My mother was driving my friend, me, and my brothers back home because the wedding was over. My youngest brother, my friend, and I, were in the backseat and my eldest brother was in the passenger seat. Every one was tips and we all lost controls in so many things at the wedding before we left but my mum insisted we leave because she had to o to work early the next dayAll of a sudden, the world went black. I opened my eyes moments later only to see my mother crying helplessly and weakly for help. I looked to my left, where my friend was, she was calling for her mother, saying “I want my mom, where is my mom?” and complaining that her shoulder hurt. I then looked to my right, and saw my little brother crying, and breathing harshly. My eldest brother, surprisingly was fine. He asked me if I was alright, and I responded by saying, my head hurts. My brother suddenly looked at the side of my face, and said “Jade put your gloves on your face.”I saw strange faces telling us to be calm and was helping us out of the car, When we were fully out of the car, my mom was still trapped inside. Her door had been caved in and she was unable to move. I shed a tear, then quickly ran and looked for help so i could reach 911 and luckily I got and the quickly arrived. I watched as the ambulance rushed her away, began to cry, and then realized that my little brother was standing right next to me. He was not breathing well and his face was beat red. My little brother is an asthmatic, so I immediately alerted a medic. We all followed them to the hospital where we were each assigned a room, my friend and I were in a room together, and my brothers were each in their own rooms. At thatat point I realized that you don’t know how much you love someone, until they are fighting for their life just so they can live to see your face everyday. My mom is my idol. She has fought for her life in order to stay in mine and my siblings’. She has dumped guys she really liked, because she knows that when things are real bad, we are the ones that help her get through it the most. She has even gone days without eating so that we could eat. I look to my mom for everything, and am hoping she will be around for a long time. Death, can sweep you away in an instant. Some people just let it happen, but others are just too stubborn to give up." +"To celebrate our 10 year anniversary my wife and I travelled to the White Mountains. The white mountains hold a special place in our hearts and I have fond memories of going to the shops and restaurants there when we were out of college. My wife and I stayed at the the white mountain resort where we were able to finally have a break from our wonderful three children. We realized during our trip just how easy it is for us to get bogged down by the day to day reality of raising kids. It was a good event for us and I hope to do something similar every year from here on out. There is something about revisiting past locations that brings up emotion and memory. Two events stick out in my mind. One, on our first evening we went out to the Moat brew pub and had a great dinner. I have vivid memories of being out from college and eating the cheapest meals available. The other event that stuck out was the evening we spent on the deck of the resort having evening cocktails and just being together. I think when we do this again next year I would go back. The one thing I would change is our reliance on our phones. I think next year the rule will be that we turn them off and rely on our own two heads to get around. I want to have the time to get away from it all but I want to do it with her. A great memory!" +"To celebrate our 10 year anniversary my wife and I travelled to the White Mountains. The white mountains hold a special place in our hearts and I have fond memories of going to the shops and restaurants there when we were out of college. My wife and I stayed at the the white mountain resort where we were able to finally have a break from our wonderful three children. We realized during our trip just how easy it is for us to get bogged down by the day to day reality of raising kids. It was a good event for us and I hope to do something similar every year from here on out. There is something about revisiting past locations that brings up emotion and memory. Two events stick out in my mind. One, on our first evening we went out to the Moat brew pub and had a great dinner. I have vivid memories of being out from college and eating the cheapest meals available. The other event that stuck out was the evening we spent on the deck of the resort having evening cocktails and just being together. I think when we do this again next year I would go back. The one thing I would change is our reliance on our phones. I think next year the rule will be that we turn them off and rely on our own two heads to get around. I want to have the time to get away from it all but I want to do it with her. A great memory!" +"I had been feeling a little down because I was going through some difficult times and needed cheering up. I went to see my boyfriend, who I have a long distance relationship with, for the weekend. My birthday was coming up and I felt down because I did not want to feel alone. He told me he was taking me out to the pub and nothing seemed unusual. When we got there I was surprised and delighted to find that a surprise party with all of our friends had been arranged. Everyone was there, including my best friend. This made me feel really emotional and grateful. I was so happy to see all of my friends and to know that they cared. For the entire evening people bought me drinks and made me feel loved and supported. We talked and socialized for hours. At the end of the evening my boyfriend and I strolled home holding hands and I felt full of love for him. We talked about the evening and I told him how much I appreciated what he did. It was a really happy event for me! The best part of it all was the fact that people went out of their way just for me. They took time out of their own schedules to arrange an event purely to support me." +"Dear Diary, It's been one month since I started my new job. The process was so tedious, but I'm so excited I finally got the job. Now that the excitement has worn off though, I'm feeling a little bored. I'm starting to understand why the work pays so well. It's just so repetitive! If I didn't need the money so badly, I'd hand in my resignation tomorrow! I can't wait to look for something new. Still I'm afraid of looking for another job, because I may not find something as well paying as this one. Additionally, I know it looks super bad on a resume to skip out on a job after only a month! I honestly wish I had read more reviews on this job before I applied. The interview process was so long as well! It took almost a month for me to receive a formal job offer! That seems insane right? I know a lot of companies take that long, but with a company turn over this high, you'd think they would've been able to move it along a little faster. I remember going to the first interview, almost dying from nervousness! I wondered at the time if my boss could see it, and that seemed to make me even more nervous. I actually had to hold my leg down to keep it from shaking because when I get nervous that tends to happen. I guess it most not have bothered him too much since I got the job. I was only made more nervous not to get a formal job offer and be strung along for weeks. Anyway, I'll try to stick this out for awhile and build up some savings so I can look for something else. Maybe I'll be able to work up the ladder with this experience? Who knows?" +"I recently started a new position working in the IT field. This was the effort of several weeks and months of work. It had to go through several rounds of interviews and they were pretty taxing and stressful. The position will be starting soon and it's my first time working this type of job so I'm pretty excited and nervous. I want to do a good job since this job will be very important in my future. It's a government job, so your prior experience and reputation are very important in resume building and career advancement. It was a pretty memorable experience since it took about two weeks in total to complete. This included getting a background check, two rounds of interviews, contacts to all my references, etc. Additionally, they were panel style interviews, basically you sit there and 4 people grill you with questions. I also have some fear/ nervousness in the sense that I'm not sure this is what I really want to do with my life and career, but I need to make a commitment to a job and stick with it. I'm getting to the age that I want to settle and get a house/ wife/ etc, so I need a stable job to support that. I think ultimately this event will be pivotable in what I hope to be a long and steady career. This event happened in the past month, however I didn't get the acceptance for the position until last week so this is all still very fresh in my mind. I hope that I can look back on this in a few months and laugh at how nervous I was. I hope this position will lead to more opportunities and a better life." +"Earlier this year I experienced a health scare regarding my sister and my dad. My sister was diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma and my dad was being tested for colon cancer. I am so very blessed to say that my sister beat cancer and my dad's tests came back negative. This made me decided to change my life and to not take life so carelessly and for granted. Life is short and you never know when your last day will be. Since then I have lost over 50lbs, I have completely changed how I eat, and I am also beating a health problem that I was diagnosed with. I was told I was on the verge of getting rheumatoid arthritis and would need a cane to walk with, I would have to be on medication my entire life, and that's just how my life would be. I was getting ready to accept it. I did not. I turned my life around. I am healthy, happy, and LUCKY. Lucky to have been able to receive such a message and still have the opportunity to turn my life around before it was too late. My sister lives across the country and we haven't seen each other in almost a decade. This ""health scare"" also made us decide it is finally time that we somehow figure out a way to see each other. So we are counting down the days, 17 more days in fact, until we all reunite on a week long vacation at Disney World." +"This has been a very interesting, roller coaster of emotion past six months. This year so far has been filled with very many ups and downs. At the start of the year, my dad had to have a procedure done because there was a chance he could have colon cancer. Thankfully, they were able to remove everything and the tests came back negative for cancer. So of course that was incredible news. Then, a month later, my sister discovers she is being diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma. She then goes in for a procedure, they were able to remove all of the tumor, and her test come back negative for anymore cancer. Again, incredible news. All the while that is taking place we are trying to plan and schedule our very first family vacation to Disney World. Family being, myself, my husband, our two daughter, my sister (who previously had skin cancer), and her family. We haven't see each other, my sister and I, in almost a decade so between no seeing each other and the cancer scare this trip will be very emotional for all of us. How did this effect me directly you might ask? Seeing my family go through such trauma made me stop and think about my own health. At the time, it was not good. I was severely overweight and had been diagnosed with arthritis recently. I was going down hill fast. Watching what my sister and my dad went through made me see that life is short and you have to take care of you and make yourself better, no one can do it for you. I decided it was time to change my life and get healthy. Within 6 months I can very proudly say I have list 50 pounds and feel the best I have ever felt!" +"Three months ago I lost a job that paid minimum wage. It was barely enough income to get by on and not enough for my budget to include savings. That's how I found myself homeless. Within a matter of a few months, I was consigned to wander through the streets that used to be mine. I now sleep in the same park where once I stood looking lovingly at the green earth, the trees, the birds sweetly fluttering. That park is now a place to hide away from the rest of the world, so like a leper. It seems just yesterday that I'd belonged with those people who come for the fresh open space. My eyes now follow their peaceful smiles, their kids full of crisp laughter as they casually walk about the grounds. They're spending a pleasant holiday hours just seizing a chance to drift and dream. That's very different than being me who is now a drifter who never dreams anymore. Much of the time I stay huddled far back into the rich foliage, under old blankets and plastic. I've ceased dreaming and now know only the nightmare of little to no food, warmth, or affection, and all I can feel is fear. I don't understand why this happened to me. I didn't do anything wrong; I just lost my job. Several losses followed-- my apartment, belongings, my pets, even my friends. I hold onto my faith fiercely hoping a miracle might come along." +"Three months ago I lost a job that paid minimum wage. It was barely enough income to get by on and not enough for my budget to include savings. That's how I found myself homeless. Within a matter of a few months, I was consigned to wander through the streets that used to be mine. I now sleep in the same park where once I stood looking lovingly at the green earth, the trees, the birds sweetly fluttering. That park is now a place to hide away from the rest of the world, so like a leper. It seems just yesterday that I'd belonged with those people who come for the fresh open space. My eyes now follow their peaceful smiles, their kids full of crisp laughter as they casually walk about the grounds. They're spending a pleasant holiday hours just seizing a chance to drift and dream. That's very different than being me who is now a drifter who never dreams anymore. Much of the time I stay huddled far back into the rich foliage, under old blankets and plastic. I've ceased dreaming and now know only the nightmare of little to no food, warmth, or affection, and all I can feel is fear. I don't understand why this happened to me. I didn't do anything wrong; I just lost my job. Several losses followed-- my apartment, belongings, my pets, even my friends. I hold onto my faith fiercely hoping a miracle might come along." +"Mom has been dead for three months now and I still don’t know how I feel about it. I’m still trying to process everything that happened that weekend and I wonder if I could have done anything differently. Would she still be alive if I’d stayed home? I don’t know. I’d been taking care of mom for five years, after her dementia got bad enough that she wasn’t safe to allow to live by herself anymore. Over time it’d gotten more and more difficult as she was less and less capable of taking care of herself or understanding why I wanted her to do things like eat and drink and bathe. My sisters and brothers haven’t been much help at all. They live far away and aren’t willing to disrupt their lives to chip in. It was an absolute nightmare. Her health had been stable for a while so I decided to take a well deserved break to catch my breath. I arranged for her to spend the weekend in respite care, which was incredibly expensive mind you, so that I could have some peace. I really thought she’d be ok. They said she had a stroke. I guess it happened pretty fast. One minute she was being helped to use the comode and then suddenly she slumped over and it was like the lights went out. They rushed her to the hospital but she died only a couple hours later. There's nothing I could have done but I wish I had been there with her." +at dinner time during spring break. I was was at home visiting my smug grandma. My entire conceited family and snobbish sister was there with her arrogant baby. I said I cant eat this much ever again. I puked and had to leave the party because I was so sick. I spent all night on the toilet puking out the massive amount of sugar I consumed. This event hurt my confidence a lot. I had trouble sleeping for weeks after. At work and around other people I lost a lot of confidence in myself and began to withdraw into my own mind. Eventually I learned to move on. Use it as a learning experience. And try to gain my confidence in my self in other ways. I tried to take up other hobbies. Because when I become good at something my confidence rises. And I am able to interact with others more. +"My Mom was a vibrant, independent ninety eight year old in May. She actively volunteered at the local senior center twice per week and went on her own to her hairdresser every week. In early July she unexpectedly fell hitting her head on concrete. While we waited for an ambulance she never lost consciousness and spoke of getting up. Two neighbors came to assist as torrential rain began to come down. We were all soaked. She spent four days in the hospital where they detected a brain bleed. She seemed on the mend with even the neurologist amazed at what great shape her mind was in at her age. Just six weeks later, during the wee hours of the morning she experienced trouble breathing. We again went to the hospital via ambulance where she remained for ten days. This time the prognosis was far less promising. She was diagnosed with congestive heart failure, acute aortic stenosis and kidney disease. The following weeks saw her decline under home hospice care. She became completely bedridden and unable to consume regular foods. Everything has to pureed to avoid aspiration." +"Back in January of 2018 I experienced one of the most traumatic events of my entire life. My best friend killed himself. His downfall had actually started back a year before that. Three weeks after he came back into my life after being gone for ten years, he told me our plans to hang out were cancelled and then he sent a picture of himself to me with a gun held to his head. I jumped into my car and drove over to his apartment as fast as I was able. When I arrived he was thankfully alive and concious, but informed me of all the pills he had taken. There were over five empty bottles. I wasn't aware at the time he had a flair for the over dramatic, so I began freaking out. I began to make sure that he kept engaged in conversation with me and did my best to keep him alert. Not long after he stood up saying that his arm hurt and he then he fell to the floor. Dead. His heart had stopped beating from all the pills that he had taken. I called 911 and tried CPR. I kept his heart beating until help arrived. They were able to revive him where he spent about 4 days in the ICU and then was under psych evaluation for five days. He made three attempts after that over the course of a year before he succeeded." +"Dear Diary,About two and a half months ago, my little family became complete. I became an aunt, actual blood related aunt. My brother and his wife gave birth to a baby boy the day after my late best friend's birthday. His birth on this date was very special to me because it was like he was a gift sent from heaven. It was almost like my best friend that had taken his life a few months ago had looked down on me, saw how sad I was, and decided that this beautiful little boy was exactly what I needed to help alleviate the relentless grief that I have been feeling. Little Ben was born a couple weeks early, and happy and healthy. He truly was a wonderful blessing to our family. I find it amusing that he has the same ears and blues eyes as my late best friend. Ben has only been in this world for two months and my life has already seemed to gotten better with him in it. I look forward to the new memories I will make with my new nephew. I am now happy that the future will be possible for new and happy memories to be made. It helps to take focus off of all the future memories that I lost when my friend died. Ben is the best thing to happen to my family. He is such a sweet and well behaved baby. I love that he was hand picked as my nephew." +"My girlfriend and I don't argue very much, and when we do, they tend to be over small things that every other couple argues about. Two weeks ago, we started arguing about why I never want to be around her friends. I find them annoying, so I told her that. I think its pretty common for the boyfriend to not what to hang out with his girlfriend and her friends. She took it as a bit of an insult, though. She said insulting who she likes is an insult to her character. The whole thing was blown out of proportion. She tried to trap me with stupid questions like ""so if I get along with annoying people, you find me annoying?"" and things like that. About 15 minutes into it, I could tell this was going to be a bad argument. I didn't realize just how bad until later in the night, though. We were supposed to go to dinner at my parent's house, but she said she wasn't coming. She loves my parents, and my mom's cooking, so that was a sign of just how mad she was. Still, though, it was such a stupid argument, so I didn't apologize. I went to dinner and then came back. She wasn't there. She decided to stay at her friend's house. I was shocked that she was so offended at this. We didn't talk for 2 days. We sort of made up after that, but its never really been the same. I think its headed for break-up soon." +"In May, we wife went into labor and we headed to the hospital. The timing was unexpected as was our third child. We had been terrified to find out my wife was pregnant at first. It was in August of 2018 when my wife told me. My father had just died and I was dealing with some severe depression -- plus insecurities as a man. It was somewhat ironic that we were pregnant. Our older two had had some health problems with food allergies. In fact, my wife had been bedridden for about a year in 2016 from toxic mold. We were still trying to rebuild our life when we found out she was pregnant with baby number three. Despite having two children, I was absolutely in awe of my third child, a boy like my oldest. He was healthy and happy. In the weeks that followed, he continued to be healthy and he thrived as he grew. Although he is allergic to dairy, he can have a special goat milk formula. Christmas recently passed and it was joyous with all three kids. Our third child is over seven months but already wearing eighteen month clothing. This year was perhaps the best Christmas ever. An unexpected child who is the joy of our life and two older siblings that absolutely adore him. We are also three years removed from my wife's sickness. My older two kids have outgrown most of their food allergies. Life is good and I am thankful to have the opportunity to write about this. This reflection has caused me to realize just how much life can change in a short period of time." +"Recently, my wife and I welcomed our third child into the world. Although we have two older children, this birth was significant to us. As a family, we have been through a lot. Our oldest was born with severe food allergies and he would scream for six to seven hours a day. He eventually outgrew much of this but our second child, a daughter, also had some issues with food allergies. Needless to say, my wife and I were a bit stressed over the prospect of a third child. The day of the birth came and my wife began having contractions. Now on our third child, the hospital trip was largely uneventful. We arrived and checked in and waited for her contractions to become more painful. It was around 3:00 am and we were both hoping that the day would be over sooner rather than later. Around 5:00 in the morning, my wife began to get closer and her water broke. From here on out, it was largely a waiting game for us. Our room was situated with a view of the Penobscot River. The sun began to slowly rise and it was the most spectacular view I have ever seen. Rays of sun casts pink and purple hues over the river and accented the landscape around the large town of Bangor, Maine. My wife had a doula on hand who also did photography of the event. The day was very special and stressful at times. After a couple hours of contractions, my wife's contractions intensified. Within the space of thirty minutes, she dilated to the point that she was ready for birth. The process itself was painful with no epidural. I helped encourage her through the birth of our son and prayed for. When our son was born, it was beautiful. Although he screamed as most newborns do, he quickly calmed down. He was able to nurse right away and for once it seemed like we had a happy baby. After having two fussy babies, our third baby was nothing short of a miracle." +"Recently, about a month ago, I went to a comic convention with various members of my family. I had been reading comics since I was a little girl, with my passion being promoted y my family. I had built an impressive collection of comic books, and I loved the environment. I just felt that I belonged, you know? These are my people! I wont ever forget that day, I was excellent. I went to many booths and talked to many creators. I got merchandise signed, I went down artist's alley. I remember just talking to a bunch of different artists about their favorite fandoms. I even got to talk to a few professional comic artists! We didn't go to a particularly large convention, we went a regional one that was more local. However, I felt this increased the closeness of everyone there, and I was happy to see that well known creators came despite it. I enjoyed that day, and I hope to be able to do it again some day! I want to be able to bring my family there again. Anyway, it was very, very, very, very fun!" +"Recently, about a month ago, I went to a comic convention with various members of my family. I had been reading comics since I was a little girl, with my passion being promoted y my family. I had built an impressive collection of comic books, and I loved the environment. I just felt that I belonged, you know? These are my people! I wont ever forget that day, I was excellent. I went to many booths and talked to many creators. I got merchandise signed, I went down artist's alley. I remember just talking to a bunch of different artists about their favorite fandoms. I even got to talk to a few professional comic artists! We didn't go to a particularly large convention, we went a regional one that was more local. However, I felt this increased the closeness of everyone there, and I was happy to see that well known creators came despite it. I enjoyed that day, and I hope to be able to do it again some day! I want to be able to bring my family there again. Anyway, it was very, very, very, very fun!" +"Those most memorable event that I can think about that happened recently was the grieving process after my cousin died. My first couple was a healthy individual and one day we were hanging out and she randomly got sick and did not recover. The most surprising part about this was that she was completely healthy and had never had any sort of ailments before. I ended up dropping everything and went up to the funeral and it was very memorable because I saw my family that I haven't seen in so long. I saw the mother of the deceased and it had been so many years since i'd seen her and she still remembered me. It was important to me to actually be there because she had meant so much to me. We were extremely close in age and it really shocked me that she passed away without me being able to say goodbye. This selfish feeling, I did not like at all, I didn't like that I was thinking about me getting closure instead of the fact that my cousin passed away. It was very important to me to be able to say my final goodbyes to my cousin. I did not like seeing her in the casket that way because it was forcing me to accept that she was actually gone. It was really difficult for me to accept this and what made it even worse is when I sit at home and I have no one to snapchat. I remember we would send each other silly videos during the day. My sitting at home without those videos and without hearing her voice was an important moment that I realized that she was actually gone. Now that I reflect on the memories that she and I have made, I wish for more time, but it is entirely too late. There isn't anything I can do now except honor her legacy and let her kids know what a wonderful woman she was. I'll definitely miss her and will do everything I can to make sure she's remembered." +Its been two weeks since Albert passed away he sure was my favorite cousin. The way he left us so soon with a bright future ahead of him is devastating. Is uncertain how long will it take Andrea to bounce back it was so close to their wedding. My aunt Griselda has not come out of her room since the burial services. Your death have been hard and one of the worst feeling somebody can imagine. I have been unable to go to work. Albert I missed you very much we were so close almost talked to you every other day. The family reunions will never be the same. Who is going to watch the soccer games on Sundays with me (your team lost). I drove like 3 hours yesterday to clear my mind. I wish you were still with us making great plans for the future. I am not the same since the news. I can't function right. I cry almost every hour. I need to clear my mind and go somewhere by myself. I will never forget all the great memories you have left me and our childhood memories will be with me forever. +"Something that has effected my life greatly in the past 6 months is I got my medical cannabis card in my state for ptsd. Since going on it I have been able to get off of all of the other medications I was taking. My energy and willingness to participate in life has also changed drastically in this time period. I had spent most of my life since 2012 basically sedentary and having given up hope after the passing of my wife. I spent years trying to get help through pharmaceuticals and counseling to be left little more than a zombified prisoner in a group home waiting to die. It has been a change in my life that I never expected to be this drastic. A lot of me wanting the card was I just wanted to be able to get high and escape. I knew it might help some, but if I am honest with myself I wanted to get high. That being said I am now walking 5 miles 4-5 times a week, am actively hunting for a job, my cleanliness and grooming are also hugely improved to daily cleaning and showering(I would straighten the house maybe 3 times a year and was living in squalor and was only bathing a couple times a month), and there have been other improvements in my overall outlook and quality of life as well these are just some major ones. There have been a few negatives, mostly just being a bit more forgetful, but nothing compared to the side effects that left me sleeping most of the day and tired the rest. I have energy and I have hope that I can find some sort of life that I can at least be content with in the near future all of which I would have laughed at you and probably been very hostile if I was told this was possible before. So I have to add sentences because whoever coded this messed up. It says it must be 15-25 sentences or 600-3000 characters. I was over 1600 characters at 8 sentences when my story was finished so it should have been fine. But it seems the coder made this an and statement instead of an or statement or something like that." +"My son moved into his own apartment. It was a big step in both our lives. A room became available at a friend's place, so he decided to take it. It was quite sad for me to help him find his belongings that he wanted to take. That said we had a lot of fun finding old toys and books in his room that he had forgotten about. We talked a lot during that time. Remembering fun times. I was very sad when he left, but he told me he would be back soon. I missed him from the very moment he was gone. He came back very soon. The washing machine at the new house wasn't working! He has returned quite a lot since then. Always with his laundry! I miss him a lot but I am glad that he is on a new adventure in his life. Everyone is happy." +"My son moved into his own apartment. It was a big step in both our lives. A room became available at a friend's place, so he decided to take it. It was quite sad for me to help him find his belongings that he wanted to take. That said we had a lot of fun finding old toys and books in his room that he had forgotten about. We talked a lot during that time. Remembering fun times. I was very sad when he left, but he told me he would be back soon. I missed him from the very moment he was gone. He came back very soon. The washing machine at the new house wasn't working! He has returned quite a lot since then. Always with his laundry! I miss him a lot but I am glad that he is on a new adventure in his life. Everyone is happy." +"We hadn't seen my daughter's father for several years. He had become recluse and didn't really have much to do with his children anymore. His mother had frequently told me that she was afraid he might take his own life, so while we had this idea hanging in the back of our minds, nothing can really prepare you for when it actually happens. I knew when I received the call from her last week that it wasn't good news. She was crying and could hardly get the words out that our daughter's dad was gone. I think what made this so incredibly difficult for my daughter was that she never got to say goodbye. Her last words were so long ago that she really couldn't recall them. Try as she might, she couldn't bring to mind pleasant or happy memories of him. It really has made her think about how he decided to leave. He has made her realize that the only way she could get over it is to forgive him and find a new path in life that invokes strength and love. His passing in life, sadly, has affected us more than his life ever did. We always tried to anticipate a day when he would show up. When we found out he had taken his own life, we were robbed of that chance. But we have to move on. We can't dwell on someone who was rarely there to begin with. All we can do is try to remember the limited happiness he brought us." +"We hadn't seen my daughter's father for several years. He had become recluse and didn't really have much to do with his children anymore. His mother had frequently told me that she was afraid he might take his own life, so while we had this idea hanging in the back of our minds, nothing can really prepare you for when it actually happens. I knew when I received the call from her last week that it wasn't good news. She was crying and could hardly get the words out that our daughter's dad was gone. I think what made this so incredibly difficult for my daughter was that she never got to say goodbye. Her last words were so long ago that she really couldn't recall them. Try as she might, she couldn't bring to mind pleasant or happy memories of him. It really has made her think about how he decided to leave. He has made her realize that the only way she could get over it is to forgive him and find a new path in life that invokes strength and love. His passing in life, sadly, has affected us more than his life ever did. We always tried to anticipate a day when he would show up. When we found out he had taken his own life, we were robbed of that chance. But we have to move on. We can't dwell on someone who was rarely there to begin with. All we can do is try to remember the limited happiness he brought us." +"My family and I were travelling in Washington State along I-90 one summer day. The weather was overcast but warm. As my wife was driving, I heard a yell, it was my wife. A large dust cloud had appeared before us, obscuring the roadway. I had my wife pull over and put on the blinkers immediatly. There was a Toyota 4 Runner with a smashed front end in the passing lane and a Honda Civic that was just barely half the size it was before. A leg was sticking out of the driver seat. All traffic slowed and all of a sudden a lot of people got out of their cars and rushed over to the Honda Civic. Everyone that looked inside the car immediately looked up and had a white look on their face, like they had seen a ghost. I assumed everyone knew that the man inside was going to die. I assume he was mechanically decapitated from the impact as he was parked and the 4-runner was travelling faster than the speed limit as it was. I heard screaming from behind me, a woman appeared from out of the bushes. She was stunned, the walking dead, but she appeared to be ok. My wife had her sit down and just then a State Trooper arrived. I told him to go to the car. He was mad at me for directing him but he did so. He looked in the car and stood up, his face white. The man died later at the hospital and the woman survived, a widow." +"My family and I were travelling in Washington State along I-90 one summer day. The weather was overcast but warm. As my wife was driving, I heard a yell, it was my wife. A large dust cloud had appeared before us, obscuring the roadway. I had my wife pull over and put on the blinkers immediatly. There was a Toyota 4 Runner with a smashed front end in the passing lane and a Honda Civic that was just barely half the size it was before. A leg was sticking out of the driver seat. All traffic slowed and all of a sudden a lot of people got out of their cars and rushed over to the Honda Civic. Everyone that looked inside the car immediately looked up and had a white look on their face, like they had seen a ghost. I assumed everyone knew that the man inside was going to die. I assume he was mechanically decapitated from the impact as he was parked and the 4-runner was travelling faster than the speed limit as it was. I heard screaming from behind me, a woman appeared from out of the bushes. She was stunned, the walking dead, but she appeared to be ok. My wife had her sit down and just then a State Trooper arrived. I told him to go to the car. He was mad at me for directing him but he did so. He looked in the car and stood up, his face white. The man died later at the hospital and the woman survived, a widow." +"I experienced this incident nearly 3 months ago. It was an memorable incident. That time workers were sorted for promotion. It was based on their work for the past 1 year. I was also included in the list. We had many internal politics between each of them. It was hard to neglect it. But I was mostly concentrating in my work. I completed the given work on time till now. I guessed another worker would get the promotion because he was close to boss. Not only me, most of them were thinking like that. The shortlisted people were called by boss one by one. He had individual meeting with every people about the promotion. I was also called for it. Everything was over and finally the day arrived for the promotion. To my surprise the promotion was given to me. I really didn't expect it. My boss congratulated me on the promotion." +"I just got married this year, i am so happy because finally i bring my wife here in US. Years ago, i meet my wife online and we became friend until in romantic relationship. I traveled hours and miles away to see here. I knew i love her before i meet her and i was right. When the first time i saw her i know she is the one for me and i claimed it. We been in long distance relationship for so long, we travel together in different country too every time we meet. It was not easy because we always wanted to be together but i am living far from her. I have my things to be considered too before moving to her country so we can't do it for now. Until then i proposed and bring her in my country. It's so hard but we did it, we never give up and promise to each other that giving up is not and never be an option. So when she get here, we got married and finally we can start our life together for good. I never think i would get marry again after 16 years and will be happy again like this. I been with a bad relationship and i thought getting married again is a big mistake but she proved me wrong. I tell her everyday that i am so thankful she came into my life and i love her so much. She change my life and give me inspiration aside from my kids. I know we gonna be happy and always will because we both love each other so much." +"I never think of getting marry again all my life until i found her. I was divorce for 16 years and not knowing i will found another girl who will complete me and love me as much as i love her. I meet this girl online and she was living far from me ( other country) , i love her smile, her generosity and kindness. I knew i love her before i meet her and when we first meet yes it is true, i fall in love more than i think of. We did everything to be together (her moving in USA) and now we are happily living together and officially married. It was 2015 when we talk online and i visited her after a month of talking. 2016 i came back to her country to see her again and getting to know each other more. 2017 when i came back again and we travel together everywhere. i know she is the one for me and i know she loves me so much too. That visit was so memorable when i propose to her and she said yes. After the proposal i came back to USA and i petitioned her so we can be together for good. We been through a lot but we never give up. We know that giving up is not an option. 2019 she got her visa and she flew to USA and still cant believe we are together already. The long wait is over, now i can hold her, kiss her and tell her how much i love her everyday. 5 months ago we got married and its one of my happiest and memorable moment in my life." +"i went to my friends wedding today. the dude is hella cool and very loved by all ofo his family and by his new wife. they looked amazing together. i really wish/hope that someday i can find someone that looks at me the way she looks at my friend. they look like a great couple, im sure theyre both extremely happy! it just makes me think back to a long time ago when they were just friends and they would always be flirty with each other, they always seemed like they were going to become a couple(before they did). and then after they started dating they were always what seemed like the perfect couple. i really hope him the best in life. he seems genuinely happy now. and i am sure that only good things are to come in his life. he told me after the wedding that we will be going somewhere fun as a group of frineds soonish. i really cant wait for that. its going to be amazing. the last time we went somewhere as a group we had the most fun ive ever had with anyone. it was all his doing, he set everything up for everyone." +"Dear diary, about 6 months ago my cousin got married. It was a beautiful wedding and we had been helping her plan it for months. The day had gone perfectly, so far. Everyone got together in the morning to get their hair and makeup done. My cousin looked gorgeous and everything was set to go. We were all having fun beforehand and drinking champagne. There was a lot of people in a tight space, so, I bumped into someone and spilled champagne entirely down my blush gown! I panicked and felt terrible. I was so scared that I ruined the dress and the day. We called my Aunt to come in and she immediately had me take off the dress. She cleaned up the stain somehow. After that, she held the dress under a dryer. Miraculously, the stain came out and it dried in time. After that, we walked down the aisle and no one could tell! The wedding went on without a hitch. Everyone was so happy. It was great to see my cousin so happy. I enjoyed celebrating with her and had a great time." +"Four months ago, my cousin got married. I was a bridesmaid in the wedding and it was beautiful. She wore a lace dress. We wore blush colored bridesmaids dresses. She and I are very close so it was great to see her marrying someone she loves. The most memorable moment was when I spilled champagne on my dress before the wedding. I was panicked. Thankfully, one of the girl's mom was a dry cleaner and immediately took the dress to get the stain out. We got the dress back right before we had to walk down. Then, the reception was so much fun because it was filled with family. It was very emotional because she was so happy and we were all grown up. Their first dance was beautiful and we had fun dancing and celebrating. During the toasts, everyone cried. It was very emotional to see them so happy. It was definitely the best wedding I've been to and one I will never forget." +"My husband and I went hiking for our anniversary in July. It was a fun day that really cost us nothing as we also had a picnic after our hike. We walked for hours in the slightly hilly area of our local state park. We saw turtles, frogs, and bunnies. We each almost slipped a few times. But we were wearing shoes with traction, so that helped prevent any falls. There was a spot at which I felt we were walking in an enchanted forest. There was a tiny cabin in the distance, a wooden bridge over a small creek, and very high trees. I could almost imagine the smell of pies being baked and the story of Hansel and Gretel in the forest. I got some bug bites but had a balm that helped prevent the bites from getting irritated. My husband was got bitten more than me, but he didn't complain. My husband is funny as he tried to scare me for fun. He said stuff like, ""I saw someone stare at us and hide."" Or, ""What was that? There's a Sasquatch over there. Careful!"" Then he would tap one of my shoulders and made me jump. When we were done hiking we had a picnic. We brought sandwiches, water, celery sticks, trail mix, and fig cookies. It all tasted very good and we went home feeling refreshed from our time in nature. We also ended the day feeling grateful for having each other on our anniversary." +"At this point this incident happened around twelve months ago. It was the first time in my life that I had ever suffered any kind of major injury before. I was at home and walked from the living room into the kitchen to go and get a glass of water. I tripped on the tile floor and fell. I ended up hitting my head really badly. Apparently there was a decent amount of blood and I was knocked out cold for a few minutes. Luckily, my parents were home at the time and called 911. I was taken to the hospital via ambulance. When I came to my parents and other family members were there. Luckily, I ended up being fine outside of just being a bit out of out and being really lightheaded. I did not have any broken bones or a concussion or anything like that. I did have to stay in the hospital overnight, just to make sure that everything was okay. I ended up going home the next morning. It took me about two weeks to recover in terms of not feeling lightheaded and to take all the pills I was given for the pain. I also had some short terms memory issues for a bit but those subsided in that time frame also. Nowadays I am a bit more cautious when it comes to walking on hard floors." +About 6 months ago I was walking up the steps to go to bed. At the top of the steps I felt my feet give out on me. I fell down the steps and hit my head. My parents tried to help me up after the fall but I felt lightheaded and could not stand up. My parents had to call 911. The ambulance came and took me to the hospital. The doctor did a lot of test on me and thank goodness nothing was broken and I was fine except for a lot of lightheartedness. The doctors wanted to keep me overnight for observation to ensure I was fine. That night I was sore and could not sleep from everyone checking in on me. My mother stayed with me to keep my company and to make sure that I did not need anything. After being released I spent two weeks recovering. My mother took the time off of work to be with me and assist me with anything that I may need. I spent those two weeks down stairs recovering and after that time it was so nice to be able to walk up the steps and sleep in my own bed. I am going to more careful after this happened. This was the first time I ever had to spend time in the hospital. +"I went to various sites in North Dakota that gave me a good taste of what it was like to be there 200 years ago. I visited a burial ground with the graves of Wild Bill Hickock, Calamity Jane, and Seth Bullock. There were flowers there that present-day people left there to commemorate these legends. I took a tour down downtown South Dakota, and watched a reenactment of when Wild Bill was shot in a saloon. Then, I got to visit that saloon. The whole city of Deadwood has a nostalgic feel like you are transported right back to the time those characters in history existed. Also there are many shops to visit. Some people talk to you in an old-time manner, and you feel like you are talking to an old shop keeper of the time period. The hotels in the area are designed like casino themes much like the time period that they were probably casinos. There is a lot of memorabilia to buy. An actor in the play we saw had given us a free deputy badge to cherish. it took a long time for us to travel there by car. We drove about 15 hours to get there. It was well worth the wait though. It was unlike anything I have ever done before, and I would recommend anyone do it who is a history buff from that time period." +"I went to various sites in North Dakota that gave me a good taste of what it was like to be there 200 years ago. I visited a burial ground with the graves of Wild Bill Hickock, Calamity Jane, and Seth Bullock. There were flowers there that present-day people left there to commemorate these legends. I took a tour down downtown South Dakota, and watched a reenactment of when Wild Bill was shot in a saloon. Then, I got to visit that saloon. The whole city of Deadwood has a nostalgic feel like you are transported right back to the time those characters in history existed. Also there are many shops to visit. Some people talk to you in an old-time manner, and you feel like you are talking to an old shop keeper of the time period. The hotels in the area are designed like casino themes much like the time period that they were probably casinos. There is a lot of memorabilia to buy. An actor in the play we saw had given us a free deputy badge to cherish. it took a long time for us to travel there by car. We drove about 15 hours to get there. It was well worth the wait though. It was unlike anything I have ever done before, and I would recommend anyone do it who is a history buff from that time period." +"I went to a baseball game in the summer. I was with a large group of friends. We all had a great time. We watched the game. The game was a long one so we sent much of the night there. We have a large group of friends who like to get together. We have not done so for awhile. We all rooted hard for our team. The crowd was great. The players put on a great show. We talked about how we missed getting together. We loved hanging out and snacking on ball park food. Even though the game was long, the night went too fast. We all wanted it to last. The jokes flew, just liked the old days. Th e game was very competitive. Very exciting." +"I never write in a diary, at least not consistently, but I bought one because I need to write about what happened three months ago before I forget any more details. It was one of the craziest weekends of my life so far. It was a Saturday afternoon, and I went to an all day CHIRP radio station event at the House of Vans in Chicago, CHIRP stands for the Chicago Independent Radio Project, Nikki does some volunteering there. Anyway she was working a table and there were a few bands and DJs playing. I was off dancing and watching the music while she was handing out information for the radio station and selling some records. Apparently there was a drunk guy who kept sitting on the table she was working, right on top of the records Nikki tried to ask him to move but he wasn’t listening so she yelled at him, the guy turned around and slapped her in the face and ran off laughing. Nikki was absolutely beside herself so she came to find me and she pointed him out, I told her to go get security while I kept an eye on him and called the police. The guy tried to make a break for it when we approached him but we were able to block his exit long enough for the police to get ahold of him. We spent a long time filing a police report and winding down. Nikki didn’t want to be in Chicago anymore at that point, she needed a break and was shaken up, so we made the hour and a half drive north to Milwaukee. It was starting to get later into the evening and I asked if she wanted to just relax and watch TV. She said she wanted to be around people but someplace bright and not at a bar. We went to a nice bright sushi restaurant and had dinner but after that I wasn’t really sure where to take her, I usually hang out in dark places. On a whim I suggested we go to the Potawatomi casino thinking she wouldn’t go for it as neither of us are big gamblers, but surprisingly Nikki was up for it and we went. We gave ourselves a $20 limit each and lost all that money disturbingly fast, I suppose that’s how it usually goes. So we decided to get another $10 and just play the penny slot machines to kill time. We were chatting away and playing slots, getting the weirdness of the day behind us. I was getting down to my last few pennies and I wasn’t really paying attention to what I was doing when the slot machine started going nuts — I had won the jackpot! $79,502! Well half that after I split the jackpot with Nikki. We had some drinks at the bar and went home to crash and In the morning I took Nikki to the train station to catch the Hiawatha train back to Chicago and then met my Mom downtown for lunch at the Comet Cafe. I told her about my crazy day and in typical Mom fashion she told me that gambling is dangerous and I shouldn’t do it. Oh well, she didn’t complain when I paid for lunch though." +"I have been feeling a little depressed about the way my life has been going this past year. My job has been a total disappointment, I feel like I'm getting no where and my boss really treats me disrespectfully. I am just working to get by and pay the bills. I've tried to figure out something I can do to help the community and also satisfy my budget needs. After talking to a career counselor, I've decided to get my TEFL certification. I feel like this will make a big difference in my life. I enrolled last month and am going to be starting my first class in a week. I am a little nervous to be making such a big change in my life, but I am optimistic that this will be a better change for me. The course will be taken at the Daytona State College which is not too far from my house. I also think I may sign up for a couple of extra curricular activities. Some of the groups include helping immigrants settle in their new lives in America. I will be helping to navigate around the city. Showing how to use the bus system and make local appointments and shop in the main stores in the area. I also get to help plan parties and celebration in honor of our new friends. I am already feeling so much more positive and happy about my life. I hope I can really keep moving forward in life and fulfilling my needs to help and actually help people in return." +"This happened in the beginning of June. My extended family came over from Hawaii to celebrate my younger sister and my cousin's birthdays. They were born on the same day but different years. My family and I haven't seen my aunt and two cousins since we went to visit them in Hawaii back in 2015. It was really great that we were able to spend time together. During one of the days they were here, we decided to go to Knott's Berry Farm. The last time I went to Knott's Berry Farm was 10 years ago. I was very excited. There were a total of 7 of us that went. We had a lot of fun. A lot of things have changed at the amusement park. We rode a lot of rides and enjoyed good food. I was very excited that I got to eat funnel cake. It tasted so good! The most memorable thing that happened that day was when we went on a river rafting ride. I underestimated how wet the ride would be. The whole backside of my pants ended up getting wet. It was very fun. Before closing, we all decided to get matching shirts to commemorate out time there. We rarely have the chance to see each other in person so I'm glad that we were able to make a lot of memories that day." +"My extended family from Hawaii came over to celebrate some birthdays. My cousin and grandfather have the same birthday. Myself and my two brothers are all born in the same month. This always makes celebrating easy, but a big event. This year we decided to go to an amusement park. I've been there before, but most of my family hadn't been there in years. Even so, I knew we would all have a great time. As it turned out, some of us had a little bit too much of a good time! My cousin has always been kind of a problem drinker and we all hoped he would control himself this time. This was not the case. The day started out great. A lot of catching up and laughs. It was around lunch time and we all decided to get something to eat. A few others had a drink, nothing unusual, but my cousin went overboard. For the rest of the day he was very loud and even got kicked off one of the rides. We still had a lot of fun and made some great memories." +a few weeks ago my poor dog bear was so sick. I did not know what was wrong with him. I called into work to tell them I had an emergency and would be out for the day. I rushed bear to the vet. I was so scared he is like my third child and I could not stand it if something happened to him. When we got to the vet they took him right in. I was so nervous but the vet was calm so I tried to be as well. They gave me several meds for him. The vet did not know what caused the episode so that has me worried. It could happen again if I do not change whatever caused it in the first place. I felt unsettled because I did not know if it was something he ate or if he was allergic to something. What if the next time it is even worse? I did not know where to even start to try and find out the cause. I decided to take him back to the vet in a couple of days for a recheck and to talk to the vet in depth about steps I can take to make sure he stays well. I hope the vet does not think I worry too much. +"My grandmother passed away a few months ago and her funeral was one of the most depressing moments of my life. I still remember seeing all of my relatives get together and reminiscing about the past. There were also lots of my grandmother's friends from all over the country that came to see her. It made me think that she had a good life surrounded by loved ones. Still whenever I saw her body, I felt incredibly sad. My grandmother took care of me during a lot of my childhood years because my parents had to work a lot. She took me to school everyday, cooked a nice dinner, and entertained me. I was sad that I would never experience that again. For the last few years of her life, I rarely got to see her. I was an adult now and her to work and take care of other things. I rarely got to see my grandmother. During the funeral, our family would talk about the good times and also tell stories about how my grandmother was like before I was born. I learned lots of new things about her. She seemed like a great person and a hard worker. I cried for the first time in years when my grandmother was lowered to her grave. I hope she was in a better place now." +"One of the most memorable events within the last two months was the passing of my grandmother. It was devastating to me because I spent the majority of my childhood with her. My parents had to work about 12 to 14 hours everyday. They worked at a restaurant so they were always tired after work and went to sleep right away. I did not spend much time with them, so my grandmother too care of me a lot. The funeral was large because she had quite a few children and all of them attended. My grandmother had a lot of friends too so it was nice seeing all of them paying their respect. I did not talk much during the funeral. All I could do was think about all the good memories we had together. It was nostalgic. Seeing her body in the casket felt unreal. I could not believe that I could no longer spend time with her anymore. It made me regret not seeing her much when I was an adult. When they lowered the casket down in the grave, I cried a lot because the moment was truly the last time I would see her. I just hoped she was in a better place now." +"Things had been very strange at work for months. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but it felt increasingly odd going into work each. Then, about five months ago, it happened. One of my team members did something that ended up getting him sent to our HR department. Though I didn't know at the time, this person supposedly viewed adult content on his work computer during work hours. This was strongly against company policy and met with zero tolerance. Despite pleading his case and begging to stay, this employee was terminated the following day without a fair hearing. I felt like I knew this person fairly well and didn't believe he would do this, so I began to investigate. After speaking with our IT department and correcting a rare error on their end, I came to a startling conclusion. My co-worker had been unfairly fired and absolutely deserved his job back! It was another co-worker who had viewed the adult material instead. Despite feeling bad about what I would have to do, I went in and spoke to my boss to correct the issue. He was shocked and felt terrible about the mistake. He then called the terminated employee and offered him his old job back and a raise because he felt so bad. In the end I felt bad about the situation for everyone but determined that I did a good thing for the company by making sure the truth was known to all." +"I went to a fourth of July party at a friends house. He had a big barbecue and a lot of people brought fireworks for afterwards. I ended up running into some old friends who I hadn't seen in close to 10 years. They attended a family reunion the day before and decided to stay over another day to visit with old friends in the area. We had a lot of fun (and a lot of drinks) while we were catching up. I've always thought one of them should've been a comedian. He is always making people laugh, and that night was no exception. The more intoxicated he became the funnier (and more offensive) he got. We celebrated and watched fireworks well into the night. If I remember right, it was somewhere around 3 AM by the time I left. That was the first time I had let loose and had a lot of fun in a long, long time. It was a good reminder of what my teenage years felt like. After sobering up and taking some time to think about it I realized that I needed to make some changes to my lifestyle. All I had really been doing was working, either at my job or in the gym. The lifestyle of a natural bodybuilder demands a ton of discipline and a huge time investment. I became so committed to these goals over the years that I basically stopped trying to have fun. I just didn't feel like I had time for it. After that night I decided that needed to change, and my life has become more enjoyable since." +"We recently celebrated the fourth of July with a party a friends house. Everyone came over for a big barbecue and to watch a fireworks display after. When I arrived I couldn't believe that a couple of my old high school friends were there. I hadn't seen these guys in nearly a decade. It turns out they were in town for a family reunion and decided to stop over and celebrate with us. It was great to catch up with them. We had a lot of laughs. One of them was always the class clown and he got pretty drunk, hilarity ensued. People were shaking their heads, others were rolling on the ground laughing. I won't repeat any of it here because it could be pretty offensive. We watched fireworks well into the night and I ended up getting drunk for the first time in about 15 years. I felt like a high school kid again (at least until I sobered up later). It was just a really positive, almost magical night. One of those times where everything seems to come together and just make sense. When I looked back on it, I realized that I haven't been living my life the way I'd like. I have just been going through the motions. Since then I've made it a point to try to enjoy life more." +"Wow it has been a crazy time over here! I haven't been able write recently because of how busy it has been. Exactly three months ago today, our little girl was born! We named her Kate and she is the absolute sweetest baby! We have decided that she will probably be our last baby! It's a little bittersweet thinking of that concept but I mean, our oldest child is in college! Speaking of, our oldest child, Will, gave us quite the news this weekend! He is getting married to his long time girlfriend Stacy AND they are pregnant, due in March! AHHH! We couldn't believe it! I am so excited for him but at the same time I kinda wish they had waited on the baby until they had gotten married. Anyways, I want to be supportive and I really am elated for them. I can't wait to be a grandma in March! Yikes I really should stop having babies especially now that I'm a grandma! Wow, I feel old! Anyways, that's what has been happening recently. I'll update you in a bit!" +"Wow it has been a crazy time over here! I haven't been able write recently because of how busy it has been. Exactly three months ago today, our little girl was born! We named her Kate and she is the absolute sweetest baby! We have decided that she will probably be our last baby! It's a little bittersweet thinking of that concept but I mean, our oldest child is in college! Speaking of, our oldest child, Will, gave us quite the news this weekend! He is getting married to his long time girlfriend Stacy AND they are pregnant, due in March! AHHH! We couldn't believe it! I am so excited for him but at the same time I kinda wish they had waited on the baby until they had gotten married. Anyways, I want to be supportive and I really am elated for them. I can't wait to be a grandma in March! Yikes I really should stop having babies especially now that I'm a grandma! Wow, I feel old! Anyways, that's what has been happening recently. I'll update you in a bit!" +"when I had chest pains, I often ignored them. One day they became so strong, I knew I'd had better go to the ER. Moms arent suppose to get sick I kept telling myself. The doctor came in and ordered a bunch of tests. I had EKC's, chest xrays, blood, urine..you name it I had it..Now waitng for the results, I wasnt ready to hear the results. The doctor came back in and said not only did I have a slight heart attack, but I have 4 blockages. he explained that I need stents, and I couldnt wait..I said fine. The next day was surgery day. I was scared but knew God was watching over me..I said my prayers, hugged and kissed my family and left. fter what seemed like days, I was in my room, with littlle pain and thankful for God and staff for being their for me. After it was all over, I wanted to see my kids and tell them I loved them. My husband knew I loved him. I just felt the need to remind my kids. They were so happy.. They hugged me so tight. I was blessed to have more years with them. They know we have better days ahead. Make everyday count. We sure did too." +"About three months ago it was my daughter's birthday and we decided to go to the mall and celebrate with some shopping at her favorite stores. We quickly got ourselves ready at home and hurriedly packed ourselves into our small commuter sedan to start our day. On the way to the mall I asked my daughter, ""what is it like being 7? I'm sure it beats being 6 still!"". Blushing, she responded,"" I'm one step closer to being as old as you mommy! I wanna be just like you one day"". Her response melted my heart, I knew she always looked up to me for guidance and strength during times she wasn't feeling strong spirited, but it was even more meaningful to actually hear her say it out loud. As a single mother of 5 years, I always wanted to be strong for my little girl, and after her dad walked out on us, I knew she needed a strong role model in her life. Therefore, I made it my life's goal to do just that. Once we stopped at the mall in the next town over I started feeling this chest pain again that I experienced for the past two days. It wasn't something I was overly concerned about at the time, but it certainly did cause me enough pain to end the conversation I was having with my daughter. I didn't want to show her that I was in pain because mom's aren't supposed to get sick. Continuing to ignore the pain, we entered the mall ready to have a great day together when all of a sudden, the intensity of the pain grew even more. The pain was so bad that i dropped to my knees to the floor and yelled for someone to call an ambulance. it felt like my ribcage was about to cave in on itself. In a daze, I woke up in the ER in what seemed to be in a split second of travel. I was relieved to see my daughter standing beside me holding my hand because for her to witness the scariest moment of my life, I did not want to to feel afraid." +"when I had chest pains, I often ignored them. One day they became so strong, I knew I'd had better go to the ER. Moms arent suppose to get sick I kept telling myself. The doctor came in and ordered a bunch of tests. I had EKC's, chest xrays, blood, urine..you name it I had it..Now waitng for the results, I wasnt ready to hear the results. The doctor came back in and said not only did I have a slight heart attack, but I have 4 blockages. he explained that I need stents, and I couldnt wait..I said fine. The next day was surgery day. I was scared but knew God was watching over me..I said my prayers, hugged and kissed my family and left. fter what seemed like days, I was in my room, with littlle pain and thankful for God and staff for being their for me. After it was all over, I wanted to see my kids and tell them I loved them. My husband knew I loved him. I just felt the need to remind my kids. They were so happy.. They hugged me so tight. I was blessed to have more years with them. They know we have better days ahead. Make everyday count. We sure did too." +"Several months ago, for an international vacation, I decided to travel to France for ten days. I traveled there with my brother and a close friend and we spent the whole time relishing the change in scenery and culture. While staying there, I got in touch with a friend of mine on social media that had been my best friend throughout my entire youth. Through our back-and-forth chats, I discovered that she was visiting her sister in a small city rather near where we were staying. Immediately, we were both enthused about the possibility of reconnecting and didn't want to miss such a surprising opportunity. The vacation was nearing its end, but I decided to extend my stay there by five days since I didn't need to return to work for another week and I could spare the expenses. My brother and friend returned home on a flight the next day. The following day, we decided to meet at a local cafe. The cafe was a beautiful little countryside shop that was surrounded by some stunning scenery. I arrived first, but only had to wait for five minutes or so. We picked a table outside, which made for a very pleasant experience due to the lovely weather and tranquility. Somehow, despite having hardly spoken for eight years aside from a message or two, we reconnected so easily. Our conversation wasn't the least bit awkward or stilted even at the beginning and we fell back into a sort of easygoing, lighthearted rhythm remarkably naturally. After a small lunch, we spent the rest of the day traveling by train through the countryside. We talked and laughed and shared numerous stories about our lives over the years. Nothing felt difficult to talk about and the depth of our friendship seemed to have never left, as though it would be able to survive anything. We said goodbye to each other that night, but met up again two days afterward and spent the majority of my remaining time there together. Aside from the reformation of a wonderful friendship, the whole experience was one of the most transformative of my life. It reawakened my creativity and love of life to an extent that few other things ever had. It also emphasized the importance of maintaining my relationships throughout life. We parted in great spirits and have kept in contact regularly ever since." +"Today i had the bitterest experience of my life. I never had such an awful experience in my life before. I had gone to agar for an urgent work. There were very few buses playing today as most of them had been put on election duty. I waited for tow hours at the bus_stop to get into the bus. it was much crowded i somehow managed to get some space for myself. It was much crowded i somehow managed to get some space for myself it was really difficult to breathe everyone was sweating people were pushing each other. After journey of two hours i came out of the bus and took a sigh of relief. i find that writing down my thoughts, especially at night, allows me to uncluttered my mind, of all the good and bad things that accumulate in a day it puts things in perspective for me. Also i learn things i didn't even know were inside of me, they just come pouring out, effortlessly so to me writing is a wonderful release, allowing me to grow in awareness and peace. i think so i am a strong advocate of journal almost daily and find that is is amazing to go back and read what i have written because it gives a clearer reflection of how i felt about something a moth ago than i could possibly muster now. Our perceptions of our past emotions are always skewed by our current feelings. That is what makes journalist so helpful. i somehow managed to get some space for myself. It was really difficult to breathemy mom had her labor pain at an unexpected time and had to get admitted in a rural hospital with less facilities. My mom give birth to me through suffered some complications and till now she has been suffering from back pains, unable to stand for more then 10 times" +"in fact, the problems in the building I lived in have been going on for the last year. There were problems in the water system of the building before. I took care of this problem myself because it was simple. then the electrical system began to fail and I don't understand the electricity business, so I gave the building owner notice, but he passed away. but the big problem broke out 3 months ago. In heavy rain, the roof of the house was very bad and the upper floor of the building became unusable. this was purely a structural problem of the house and as a tenant I had no fault of use. the situation again I gave notice to the landlord. at first he wanted to pass. but when I insisted he came and saw the problem in place. I had a really serious damage and, according to the contract, he had to pay compensation to me and get the roof repaired. he would have to pay a substantial amount for these expenses. he told me that, despite the contract between us, he would not pay anything, that if I wanted to sit, I had to accept the building like this, that the rent rate would increase very much due to the shopping mall to be opened soon, and that I was so stupid that I could almost know that I was sitting for free. the landlords in this neighborhood kept saying how positive the new shopping mall would be. but things did not go as expected by the landlords. The company that made the shopping center went bankrupt due to a serious loan debt. The shopping center construction unfinished passed to the lending bank. The bank did not want to continue to the shopping center construction. due to this event, the rental rates in the neighborhood decreased to lower amounts than before. What did my landlord do? albeit forced to repair the roof, he paid me compensation for my belongings. There was only one requirement to extend the duration of the contract for another 5 years. because he knew perfectly well that when I evacuated this house, maybe 1 or 3 years, he can't rent this place to anyone. How do I know? no one has been sitting in the building next to me for exactly 3 years, but the owner of that building has to pay dues for the site costs." +"in fact, the problems in the building I lived in have been going on for the last year. There were problems in the water system of the building before. I took care of this problem myself because it was simple. then the electrical system began to fail and I don't understand the electricity business, so I gave the building owner notice, but he passed away. but the big problem broke out 3 months ago. In heavy rain, the roof of the house was very bad and the upper floor of the building became unusable. this was purely a structural problem of the house and as a tenant I had no fault of use. the situation again I gave notice to the landlord. at first he wanted to pass. but when I insisted he came and saw the problem in place. I had a really serious damage and, according to the contract, he had to pay compensation to me and get the roof repaired. he would have to pay a substantial amount for these expenses. he told me that, despite the contract between us, he would not pay anything, that if I wanted to sit, I had to accept the building like this, that the rent rate would increase very much due to the shopping mall to be opened soon, and that I was so stupid that I could almost know that I was sitting for free. the landlords in this neighborhood kept saying how positive the new shopping mall would be. but things did not go as expected by the landlords. The company that made the shopping center went bankrupt due to a serious loan debt. The shopping center construction unfinished passed to the lending bank. The bank did not want to continue to the shopping center construction. due to this event, the rental rates in the neighborhood decreased to lower amounts than before. What did my landlord do? albeit forced to repair the roof, he paid me compensation for my belongings. There was only one requirement to extend the duration of the contract for another 5 years. because he knew perfectly well that when I evacuated this house, maybe 1 or 3 years, he can't rent this place to anyone. How do I know? no one has been sitting in the building next to me for exactly 3 years, but the owner of that building has to pay dues for the site costs." +"Oh My God. I had the absolute worst day I have ever had in my life!!! So I went to the landlord to tell him that my pipes in my bathroom were leaking and he needed to get a plumber here to take a look at them. No big deal right, I thought I would just fill out a form and my name would be on a waiting list. I was so wrong about that! As soon as I walked in I could already tell that he was in a bad bad mood. He gave me an evil eye as soon as he saw me, he spoke to me rudely and asked what I wanted and why was I bothering him. First of all, I am not bothering anyone, this is his job and that is what he needs to do. I was polite though, I am not going to be rude about it, anyway. I told him that my pipes were leaking and I needed someone to come look at it. He asked me if I had looked at it myself because if I could do it myself then I should be here asking him. I was taken a little aback and I told him that it was his job to do this and I expected it to be done soon. That was the wrong thing to say to him, because he jumped up out of his chair, yelled at me called me an idiot and stupid and that he should rip uo my contract to the apartment because he was tired of me being needy. I was completely floored by this and just ran out of there. I was so completely mad that I almost wanted to call my lawyer and sue him or something. I went to the local coffee house, and called my friend who talked me down a little. Once I felt better about the situation I decided to go back home and try to ignore my landlord. Well, he was there waiting for me in the entry way with a completely different look on his face. He apologized profusly and told me that he had just found out some bad news and said that he hopes I forgive him, and that he will have the plumber up there in the morning. I forgave him because I can understand someone having a bad day, I went upstairs and went to bed." +"We arrived at the hospital on a Tuesday night for my wife to be induced for the birth of our first child. We did not know the gender of the baby so we were excited for the surprise. We began in one room where they prepped my wife to begin inducing. Soon we were moved into our next room where we would wait for our daughter's arrival. My wife progressed slowly throughout labor. The hospital staff went through their many procedures to induce labor. By Thursday morning, the hospital staff told us we should expect our baby by noon. Noon came and went,no baby. Next we were told by three they would be here. At three o'clock, still no baby. After much pushed our lovely daughter finally arrived at 5:48. It was nearly 48 hours after we arrived in the hospital. When I finally got to hold her, I was elated. Tears fell down my face. She was born healthy and my wife was amazing. It was the greatest day of my life." +"We arrived at the hospital on a Tuesday night for my wife to be induced for the birth of our first child. We did not know the gender of the baby so we were excited for the surprise. We began in one room where they prepped my wife to begin inducing. Soon we were moved into our next room where we would wait for our daughter's arrival. My wife progressed slowly throughout labor. The hospital staff went through their many procedures to induce labor. By Thursday morning, the hospital staff told us we should expect our baby by noon. Noon came and went,no baby. Next we were told by three they would be here. At three o'clock, still no baby. After much pushed our lovely daughter finally arrived at 5:48. It was nearly 48 hours after we arrived in the hospital. When I finally got to hold her, I was elated. Tears fell down my face. She was born healthy and my wife was amazing. It was the greatest day of my life." +"Three months ago, my old faithful friend, Arwen was unable to get up out of her bed. She had lived a very active, long life. We spent our free time going to the park and hiking along the shady paths along the lake. For sixteen years, we had been inseparable, enjoying weekend excursions. She loved to run along the quiet paths where we hiked. She would bark at butterflies and chase falling leaves! I knew she loved the outdoors, so I helped her and carried her outside to lay on her favorite cushion on our sunny deck to take in the morning breeze. She wagged her tail and laid her tired head on my kneee as I sat beside her. She did not want to eat anything that I offered. I had called before we went outside and had an appointment at her vet. I carried her to the car and placed her on her favorite blanket. I knew that she would not be coming home again, and I wanted this to be as easy on her as possible. Although it made me sad to say goodbye, I knew it was time for her suffering to be over. Although this was a sad morning for me, I am so thankful that we had our time together. Arwen, I will never forget you! You made a huge impact on my life!" +"Three months ago, my old faithful friend, Arwen was unable to get up out of her bed. She had lived a very active, long life. We spent our free time going to the park and hiking along the shady paths along the lake. For sixteen years, we had been inseparable, enjoying weekend excursions. She loved to run along the quiet paths where we hiked. She would bark at butterflies and chase falling leaves! I knew she loved the outdoors, so I helped her and carried her outside to lay on her favorite cushion on our sunny deck to take in the morning breeze. She wagged her tail and laid her tired head on my kneee as I sat beside her. She did not want to eat anything that I offered. I had called before we went outside and had an appointment at her vet. I carried her to the car and placed her on her favorite blanket. I knew that she would not be coming home again, and I wanted this to be as easy on her as possible. Although it made me sad to say goodbye, I knew it was time for her suffering to be over. Although this was a sad morning for me, I am so thankful that we had our time together. Arwen, I will never forget you! You made a huge impact on my life!" +"Two months ago I went to a music festival not to far away from me with my girlfriend and our friend Jess. During our drive there the weather looked like it was going to rain but by the time we got there the sun was shining. We decided to drive to the festival instead of camping because the music festival was not that far away and I had to go to work the following day. When we arrived at the festival we had to find parking which took a very long time. Afterwards we unpacked our chairs and blanket and started the hike up the hill to the main stage. Once we found a spot to place our equipment I headed off in search of food. Part of the reason why I like going to festivals is the food, I love to eat. It took about 30 minutes but I returned with enough food and snacks to feed an army. I was ready to settle in and enjoy the show. My girlfriend and our friend Jess had other plans. They wanted to go shopping and see all of the booths that were set up before the show started. I relaxed and ate while they went shopping. By the time they came back the show had started and they had shirts for all of us. Everyone was happy and settled in to enjoy the show. We watched a few bands and hung out for a while when all of a sudden friends of ours from school happened to walk by. We got their attention and caught up about how our summers were going. We then decided to sit together and enjoy the rest of the concert. There was a surprise band that played after the headliner to close the show. We were all blown away by the quality of the performance. While the last band was playing the encore song we headed to the car in an attempt to beat some of the traffic. While we drove home we discussed which bands and songs we liked the most. All in all it was a great day." +It was the day after my birthday. The morning to be more precise. I was in my room watching TV while my parents were in the living room doing the same. It seemed like a normal calm day like any other day. That mornings calmness was shattered when I heard a loud thump and shortly after the sound of my step mother screaming for me. I rushed to the living room to find my dad on the floor and my step mother hysterical in panic. She said he wouldn't get up or respond. I went over to my dad and saw that he had stopped breathing. Without even thinking I called 911 and tried to do CPR on my dad while the ambulance came. Time seemed to slow down as we waited for the paramedics to arrive. Once they did though it seemed like someone hit the fast forward button. They showed up and asked what all had happened then got to work on my dad. They worked on him for what seemed like a minute but in reality was more like 10 minutes. They decided that they needed to rush him to the hospital to try to do anything more that they could. My step mother went with them while I stayed behind and cleaned up the mess the paramedics had made as well as to call family members and let them know what was going on. About 2 or 3 hours later I got the news that my father had passed away. The doctors tried everything they could and they would get his heart started and he would be stable for a minute or two before it would stop. It got to the point where the doctors had said that they could keep on working and try to stabilize him as best as they could but with how much time had passed that even if they could his braid had been without oxygen for so long that he would have been basically brain dead and would have been on machines for the rest of his life. We had to make an impossible choice. As much as we wanted to keep fighting me and my step mother knew what choice my father would have made if he was asked. So we made the hardest decision in our lives and let him go. That was the worst day of my life. +"During my lunch break, about three months ago, I ran into an old colleague from a previous employer at a coffee shop. We sat and chatted over coffee during my break and caught up on each other's lives. He told me about his family and how great he and his wife were doing. While chatting about what a nightmare our previous employer was and gossiping about former coworkers, they told me that they too finally left the place. They were frustrated that the career wasn't going anywhere and have been working odd end and meager jobs while applying for more suitable positions. He was also growing concerned because he has a family to support and his wife is already working as much as she can. I told him about my current company and the culture there and expressed that we are usually looking for people. I asked him if he could email me his resume and information and I would try to forward it on to my boss. We exchanged information and I went back to work. As soon as I checked my email, my old colleague's resume was there. As promised, I went to my boss and told her about him and his situation. She listened and said the we should be able to find something for him so I thought so highly of him. I gave her the resume and his information and left. I returned to my cubicle and sent him a quick note to let him know that his information was passed on and my boss sounded interested in him. I asked him to keep in touch and let me know how things went. I also asked if he wanted to get together sometime soon after the job search stress was over. After a week, my former colleague contacted me and said that they had been hired. They were greatly relieved to have new job security and wanted to go out and celebrate. We went out and had a great time. Now, we often get together after work and maintain a great social and work relationship. We don't work in the same departments, but do have some contact with each other in the office. It worked out well and makes me feel good that I was able to help them out." +"My MomI love my mom to the moon and back. She has chronic kidney disease for last 2 years. She has no one at her place to take care of her. I bring her to live with my family. After coming to my place she started trowing up badly, she could not keep anything in her stomach, not even sip of water. I had to take her to the emergency room in a point when she throw up 7 times in a row. After testing everything and staying in the hospital for 40 days, doctor wanted to starts dialysis on her. I was not sure if I was making the right choice as it seems like doctors were trying to force dialysis on her. Now she is on dialysis and I am still wondering if I made the best choice for her, sometimes it seems like she is a money making machine for the dialysis center. Every time I take her to the center and I look around I doubt the doctor decision. The other day there were a social worker who works there said the same thing. Seems like I am giving them a permanent income source. I wish there are some alternative to the dialysis. They are working on artificial kidney. I hope it is available in the market soon. So that there will be no long wait for a transplant." +"Out of the blue Billy called the week before his visit 4 months ago. He said he was in town from London, and wanted to get together. I thought this was odd since I hadn't seen him in at least 5 years since he moved to Europe for his job. But I said sure, and suggested we go to Disney World as I had just renewed my annual pass. When Billy arrived at my house it was like no time had passed between us. We were back to laughing and joking just like we had when we were kids. I drove us over to Disney World, and we set out on our adventure. First we went on Space Mountain - I think Billy screamed more than I did. We went on Big Thunder Railroad, and laughed like kids the entire time. We went over to Epcot for a food tour - we both liked the Japananese food, and the beers in the Germany area. We reminisced about the old times growing up, and our parents. Billy shared with me that he still wasn't ready to settle down, but did have a girlfriend in London who sounded lovely. We watched a parade, hugged Mickey Mouse, and even saw the fireworks show in the evening. At the end of our day we drove home, and talked about making this an annual adventure for the two of us. That was the last time I saw Billy. A week after our Disney World adventure, Billy was killed in a car accident in London. I still haven't accepted the fact that this was our last adventure together. I would give anything to have that day back and re-live it over and over." +"Two months ago, I went back to work. I quit temporarily at the job. Things haven't improved, since I got back. I will get another job when I can. The boss is so mean. He always insults the workers. He called me slow and stupid for being a second late on a project. I was so mad and complained to human resources anonymously. This made him wise up to not being insulting to his workers. I was glad he got reprimanded. The other workers are alright. They aren't too mean but I wished they would smile more. Can't say why they should smile more in this work environment. The pay is alright. I will definitely get out of here one day." +"I remember the day very well. We had just settled into playing some board games when my sister started making some panicked breathing. We thought it was a panic attack, but she pointed to her stomach area and we realized it was the contractions that was making her breath so heavily. Her husband asked her to indicate on fingers what the pain was at, and she held up nine fingers. He then asked if she thought we should go to the hospital, she vigorously nodded her head. Without a second thought, everyone jumped up and my brother-in-law went to go retrieve the hospital bag. Their car had some issues, so my BIL asked if I would take them to the hospital. Still in a state of surprise, I agreed and went to go warm up the car. My BIL and sister came out of the house and I showed them to the backseat. I got in the driver's seat and began driving to the hospital. My sister continued to make deep, long breaths and she was trying to relieve the pain any way she could. I drove as fast I could without being at risk of being pulled over. We made it to the hospital after what seemed like hours and I dropped them off near the entrance. I asked if they wanted me to stick around and my BIL said that that would be fine. I know they had their car in the shop but there wasn't anything we could do about it right now. I parked the car and went up to delivery rooms. I chose not to be inside, at least for the first little bit, and waited for the baby to be delivered! Thankfully, everything worked out. The suddenness of the baby coming makes the event stick out so much in my mind." +"So the other week, I got to participate in the birth of my sister's baby! She was due near the end of the month, and was still a couple of weeks from that point, but her contractions were getting more and more intense as the days went by. At the time, I was with her and her husband at my parent's house playing some board games, unaware of what was going to happen next. Suddenly, my sister starts reeling in pain and having difficulty catching her breath. The contraction went away but it didn't take long for the next one to come. My brother-in-law looked at me and asked if I could drive them to the hospital. I agreed. They grabbed their hospital bag and we went on our way. It was stressful the whole way since my sister was letting out mini-screams. We finally arrived at the hospital, and I asked my brother-in-law if I should just go home. We needed to figure out a vehicle situation, but for now he told me to just wait around. My sister was quickly rushed into the labor and delivery room and I was on the outside while I could hear her screaming. It took a few hours of labor, but she finally was able to get the baby out (it was a girl)! I went in when the baby was born and was able to hold her. I told her I was relieved all that was over, and offered to help any way I can. Everything was so unexpected since things went much differently than expected, but I was glad to be a support. Stressful, but exciting!" +"My family and I moved 4.5 hours away. We decided to do this, because we wanted to do something different. I was sick of my job and wanted to do something different. My girlfriend got a really good job here! We started saving in January or so and saved enough money by July to be able to move. I gave my boss a months notice and we started packing all our stuff. We got a dumpster and threw a buch of stuff away. The day that we moved it was the hottest day of the year!! We wanted to be able to have more time to do things together as a family. We are all very happy with the decision. It's beautiful here. There were a bunch of factors that went in to this move. My girlfriend was working a dead end job. So she decided she wanted to go back to school. However she applied at a place knowing she hadn't finished her schooling. She let them know she had some schooling but never graduated. They hired her anyways. We are so happy here!" +"I've been a bit stressed over the last couple of weeks. My boyfriend works as a dog groomer and 2 weeks ago his boss agreed to keep a dog kenneled at his place of business for a few days. The dog was left out in an open area walled off with dog-gates. Before leaving for the night, my boyfriend put a leash on the dog so that it wouldn't jump over the gate when no one was around. My boyfriends boss was supposed to close up for the night and let the dog off of it's' leash before leaving but unfortunately did not do so. The dog ended up jumping over the gate with its leash on and passing away. Since the business wasn't licensed to kennel dogs overnight, the business owners are facing a serious issue. My boyfriend has been told to stay home during this entire ordeal and is worried that he could face legal consequences because he was the one who left the dog on a leash. He is worried that he could lose his job over this and that would really hurt us financially since he gets paid very well for what he has to do. We are worried that we won't be able to keep up with the rent if this situation gets dragged out for an extended period. He has been working freelance gigs in the meantime by working for food delivery services but the work isn't consistent and doesn't pay that well. On top of that, we don't know how long he can keep it up since he is having car troubles as well. I work a full-time job as well but even with what I earn paying all of the bills can be a struggle. My boyfriend has also been looking into getting his real-estate certification so that he has an actual career to fall back on. We're both hoping that the dog owner doesn't take any legal action and that my boyfriend's boss doesn't get into any trouble for taking in a dog when he shouldn't have." +"Monday April, 22nd 2019, Diary Entry 101Today started out in a very depressing way, my best friend called me about am saying he was very sick and needed a ride to the hospital, which was an hour away. I did not sleep at during the night, I tried but I could not. My girlfriend has been away for three days now, I have been calling her in vain, her phone rings and she sends me straight to voicemail. I scratched my head several times those past few days wondering what I did wrong so I could apologize but I could not place my finger on anything, I tried to assume that being Easter Holidays she must have traveled to her home town. But why did she not tell me? Anyway, I got up and showered quickly and went and picked up my friend and on the way to the hospital he could tell something was off. I decided to open up since we rarely kept anything from each other, I told him how we had spent Christmas together with my girlfriend, for the first time I did not go home to my parents home to celebrate because I wanted to spend it with her, this was also her idea, she did not have to convince me much to do it, I was in love. My friend felt disappointed, he tried to encourage me to just hang in there and everything will be work out for the greater good, this sounded like Greek to me at this point, I just wanted her back. Halfway to the hospital she called, I asked her to call me back in hour after I had checked my friend in the hospital and was free to talk. My heart was racing all the way to the hospital, anxious of what she was about to tell me, were we breaking up? where was she?. Questions and all sorts of reasoning clouded my mind and I could not wait to hear what she had to say. Finally, I was free to call back. I dialed her number and an unfamiliar male voice picked up the phone, I apologized and hang up assuming I had dialed a wrong number, I tried again and got the same voice, I tried to contain my composure and asked him if I could speak to my girlfriend, his answer ripped my heart in a million little pieces! He calmly told me ""his"" fiance was on holiday and he did not appreciate me calling her all the time. I am safely back home now. I just have to rest my head and my heart! It has been a long and stressful day and there is nothing I can do to forget about it. I just hope that tomorrow when I wake I will be level headed and start my healing and moving on journey. I do not know whether I will have the strength or the courage to fight for this love. Only time will tell, I highly doubt it though. Matters of the heart are very complex, no matter what age one is. All in all, life has to go on and I have to keep my head high, I will try however hard it is. Maybe next time I will love with my head and not my head, there could have been red flags but I was too blind to see." +"We had a fun excursion last week. We had planned it ahead of time. Our son Johnny always wanted to see the movie Toy Story. He had been talking about it for months. He begged us to let him go. Having seen it before, I knew he would like it. It's a great movie. So me and my wife planned to take him to the theater last weekend. It also happened to be his birthday, so we lined up a little surprise for him. He was already excited to see the movie. We got ready and hopped in the car. We drove to the theater. We walked into the lobby and got our tickets. Little did he know, we had arranged a surprise party for him. All of his friends were there waiting for him, as well as some extended family. He was so thrilled! We also had gifts for him and rented the little party room at the theater. After the movie, we opened presents and had cake and refreshments. Everyone had a really good time. Johnny had a blast and loved the movie. He was so happy to see all of his friends, and the movie was delightful. It was maybe his best birthday event yet. A great day all around, and one that we won't soon forget." +"We had a fun excursion last week. We had planned it ahead of time. Our son Johnny always wanted to see the movie Toy Story. He had been talking about it for months. He begged us to let him go. Having seen it before, I knew he would like it. It's a great movie. So me and my wife planned to take him to the theater last weekend. It also happened to be his birthday, so we lined up a little surprise for him. He was already excited to see the movie. We got ready and hopped in the car. We drove to the theater. We walked into the lobby and got our tickets. Little did he know, we had arranged a surprise party for him. All of his friends were there waiting for him, as well as some extended family. He was so thrilled! We also had gifts for him and rented the little party room at the theater. After the movie, we opened presents and had cake and refreshments. Everyone had a really good time. Johnny had a blast and loved the movie. He was so happy to see all of his friends, and the movie was delightful. It was maybe his best birthday event yet. A great day all around, and one that we won't soon forget." +"I can't believe it! Yesterday I met someone online on my dating site. She was just awesome and I was initially too scared to write to her. I didn't think I even had a chance. I was about to close her profile and move on to the next one but then something inside me told me to write. I guess I just felt we had stuff in common. So I wrote the best note from the heart I could. And I sent it, thinking nothing would come of it. Well, guess what? Today she wrote me back and said she loved my profile too and wanted to meet for dinner! I am still in shock! I've never gotten such a positive response from someone before! And the thing is I like her so much too. So now I'm waiting for her to call me. She said she would when she got off work tonight and we'd meet. I'm very nervous of course but excited too. I've been sitting near the phone for an hour now. My throat feels dry and my heart is racing. This could be the start of a wonderful relationship." +"I can't believe it! Yesterday I met someone online on my dating site. She was just awesome and I was initially too scared to write to her. I didn't think I even had a chance. I was about to close her profile and move on to the next one but then something inside me told me to write. I guess I just felt we had stuff in common. So I wrote the best note from the heart I could. And I sent it, thinking nothing would come of it. Well, guess what? Today she wrote me back and said she loved my profile too and wanted to meet for dinner! I am still in shock! I've never gotten such a positive response from someone before! And the thing is I like her so much too. So now I'm waiting for her to call me. She said she would when she got off work tonight and we'd meet. I'm very nervous of course but excited too. I've been sitting near the phone for an hour now. My throat feels dry and my heart is racing. This could be the start of a wonderful relationship." +"In June I had my dog put to sleep. She was suffering and the decision was a necessary one. She had been a wonderful companion and letting her go was difficult. At the vet she roused a bit and struggled to follow me. It was as if she knew what was coming. Afterward, there was more adjustment to my life than I had counted on. When I got home from the vet I had to round up and dispose of her things. This was a sad exercise. Each item recalled a specific moment and the reason for buying it. I had no trouble donating my parents excess possessions to charity when they passed. I found it unexpectedly difficult to do the same for my dog's things. They were my possessions really, but in my mind I attributed ownership to her. I had to cancel the automatic delivery of her dog food. The customer service rep took that as an opportunity to try and sell me things, which I didn't appreciate. I don't like to think of pets as possessions, but after a short period of mourning I decided it would not be disloyal to adopt another dog. I took my time and in early August brought home a female Basset hound puppy. She seems happy and the pet void in my life has been substantially filled. We are having a familiar yet unique set of experiences." +"In June I had to have my dog put to sleep. Her name was Ginger. She was twelve and a half years old. This was a decision I had been dreading for weeks. For a basset hound, Ginger was usually rather spry. Around March of this year she began to spend most of her either in her bed or curled up next to me on the couch. I attributed her behavior to old age, and the vet agreed. He could find no illness or injury. Over the coming weeks she became progressively weaker until she was unable to walk. Her breathing was increasingly labored. I delayed the decision for as long as I could. On June 22, I carried her, bed and all, to the car and drove her to the vet. He agreed that she would not recover and felt that ending her suffering was the correct decision. Throughout, Ginger was as alert and affectionate as ever. This made everything more difficult for me. I was certain that I was doing the right thing, but sometimes the right thing really sucks. Ginger was a playful, smart, and affectionate dog. She was a wonderful companion and definitely a member of the family. I will miss her greatly for a long time." +"Two months ago, I went to visit Sedona in Arizona. I was in need of healing, both physically and mentally. This was because I was going through a rough patch in my life. Arizona is one of my favorite places, so I decided to go there. I wanted to see if the vortexes there could provide me with any sort of healing or wellness. These are centers of energy there that I believe are good for healing the soul. The most surprising thing there was when i ran into an old friend that I hadn't seen in years from school. I believed this was a sign of fate. We both spent hours meditating there. It was a serene and uplifting experience. The views were gorgeous, and it was good to get the fresh air. There's a reason why it's one of my favorite places. I wish I could have stayed there longer. It definitely helped improve my frame of mind. After that, I felt more relax and at ease with myself." +"I've been working on this project at work for about a year, and three months ago we finally soft launched it. I work for a transit company, and we provide the only real mass transit in my city. Recently we launched an exciting new BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) line. This route has been in planning for years, and ever since I started working here I've been involved with planning, tracking, outreach, etc. It was exciting to launch it, we had the news here, tons of people, 200 volunteers from the city, and all sorts of other things. We had live bands playing at some of the stops, a DJ at the transit center, and a ribbon cutting at city hall. The exciting part about this line is that it uses a fleet of full electric vehicles, they emit almost no pollutants, and are extremely quiet. There were some hiccups. Ridership was much higher than we anticipated, so the buses were going much slower than intended. Usually the buses will run every 10 minutes, the whole line should take about an hour and a half to complete a full round trip. The line runs North to South, and we were pushing 35-45 minute wait times. The buses were so packed that we eventually had to turn people away if it was too full. After the launch we received some complaints due to timing issues. We fixed those by adding more buses to the routes. Another complaint we had was that bus stations (these are center lane stations) were causing congestion, so we improved traffic light switches for bus only lanes, to minimize the time at each stop. The city was excited and came out in force, and it made all the hard work worth it. I feel like we dropped the ball in some places, but man we did our best, and I'm so proud of my team and myself. We did some fun activities that entire week, and we have some other fun stuff in the works. I can't wait for the future lines, we have two more lines coming in the next 4-5 years." +"Nicholas Carr picked up on this again in an article in the Atlantic in 2008, before going on to publish his book The Shallows two years later. “Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy,” he wrote. “My mind would get caught up in the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case any more. Now my concentration often starts to drift after two or three pages. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel as if I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.” The impact of interruptions on individual productivity can also be catastrophic. In 2002, it was reported that, on average, we experience an interruption every eight minutes or about seven or eight per hour. In an eight-hour day, that is about 60 interruptions. The average interruption takes about five minutes, so that is about five hours out of eight. And if it takes around 15 minutes to resume the interrupted activity at a good level of concentration, this means that we are never concentrating very well. In August 2018, research from the UK’s telecoms regulator, reported that people check their smartphones on average every 12 minutes during their waking hours, with 71% saying they never turn their phone off and 40% saying they check them within five minutes of waking. Both Facebook and Instagram announced they were developing new tools designed to limit usage in response to claims that excessive social media use can have a negative impact on mental health. With our heavy use of digital media, it could be said that we have taken multitasking to new heights, but we’re not actually multitasking; rather, we are switching rapidly between different activities. Adrenaline and cortisol are designed to support us through bursts of intense activity, but in the long term cortisol can knock out the feel-good hormones serotonin and dopamine in the brain, which help us feel calm and happy, affecting our sleep and heart rate and making us feel jittery." +"I have been living on my own for about 2 years now. Since both of my parents passed away I got myself my own apartment, a new job, a new partner. Things have been hard to adjust but I have made things work. Financial struggles have been a norm for me. While I am able to have small things like a few video games, some DVDs and stuff I really don't get to have much fun with all I work. My birthday was this past August. To my surprise I had several packages delivered that day. All of them were gifts from various friends and family! One package was some brand new clothes. Another package had a really cool Figma statue of Link from the Legend of Zelda. A new cell phone was in a box, cheap, pre-paid, but exactly what I needed as my old one had seen better days. Another box had a couple new Switch games in it. However the big box is what surprised me the most...it was a brand new X Box and a new laptop for work! I had never had an X Box before and was really surprised someone would spend that much on me. My friends all chipped in together and got me these things as a big cheer up/ birthday surprise. They all knew how hard I had been having it of late and really came through and made my day special. I felt so loved and so accepted by everyone and I don't know if I can ever repay them for their kindness. Getting the laptop makes doing mTurk so much better for me now s it is one of my income sources. I love my friends and I hope I can do nice things for them soon." +"I am thankful every day to be able to see my children. I was very worried about them and how they would feel if I did not beat the odds and died. I lost my mother to cancer so I knew how hard it was. I wanted to live but was more worried about them then myself. My only grandson at the time was very close to me and still is. I don't think he would have done very well with loosing me. I am so grateful the my doctors and to my youngest daughter for everything they did for me. I lived me my youngest and she and I went through everything together. She still goes with me to all the doctors appointments and we both hold our breath every time. I still have a fear when I go for checkups. However, I would rather be aware of what is happening so I can make good choices and catch it as early as possible. I stay very aware of anything odd I feel. Any experience like this makes you very aware of everything in you body. You pay attention to the smallest things. I also don't randomly say I don't feel well. I don't want to worry my children." +"I am thankful every day to be able to see my children. I was very worried about them and how they would feel if I did not beat the odds and died. I lost my mother to cancer so I knew how hard it was. I wanted to live but was more worried about them then myself. My only grandson at the time was very close to me and still is. I don't think he would have done very well with loosing me. I am so grateful the my doctors and to my youngest daughter for everything they did for me. I lived me my youngest and she and I went through everything together. She still goes with me to all the doctors appointments and we both hold our breath every time. I still have a fear when I go for checkups. However, I would rather be aware of what is happening so I can make good choices and catch it as early as possible. I stay very aware of anything odd I feel. Any experience like this makes you very aware of everything in you body. You pay attention to the smallest things. I also don't randomly say I don't feel well. I don't want to worry my children." +"This was over the summer. I met my girlfriend near the beginning of the year and we have really hit it off and get along well. I hadn't met any of her family and they had been hearing a lot about me, as well as seeing me a lot on her Facebook. So she said they really wanted to meet sometime soon. I was a little nervous but I knew it was important to her and I agreed. They suggested getting together to meet for a nice weekend sometime because they are too far away to just meet for a quick dinner. Because they live in Massachusetts, and I live in upstate New York, it was decided to meet in Vermont which is about halfway for each of us. I was a little bit nervous because I am introverted and quiet around new people, but I wanted to make a good impression. But luckily, it went really well and everyone ended up having a great time. We walked around town after having Mexican and got to talk a lot. And I got to learn more about my girlfriend's time growing up and her family, which was nice. And we also did a brief hike to see some flowers. After dinner, we got together and played a board game which was a lot of fun too. Overall, it was a really pleasant experience and I wasn't nervous. They are even visiting New York for Thanksgiving which I'm really looking forward to now." +"This was over the summer. I met my girlfriend near the beginning of the year and we have really hit it off and get along well. I hadn't met any of her family and they had been hearing a lot about me, as well as seeing me a lot on her Facebook. So she said they really wanted to meet sometime soon. I was a little nervous but I knew it was important to her and I agreed. They suggested getting together to meet for a nice weekend sometime because they are too far away to just meet for a quick dinner. Because they live in Massachusetts, and I live in upstate New York, it was decided to meet in Vermont which is about halfway for each of us. I was a little bit nervous because I am introverted and quiet around new people, but I wanted to make a good impression. But luckily, it went really well and everyone ended up having a great time. We walked around town after having Mexican and got to talk a lot. And I got to learn more about my girlfriend's time growing up and her family, which was nice. And we also did a brief hike to see some flowers. After dinner, we got together and played a board game which was a lot of fun too. Overall, it was a really pleasant experience and I wasn't nervous. They are even visiting New York for Thanksgiving which I'm really looking forward to now." +OUR COMPANY WAS PREPARING A PROPOSAL TO REPRESENT A COMPANY AS THE SALES AGENT FOR A NEW DEVELOPMENT. THIS DEVELOPMENT WAS A LARGE PROJECT. WINNING THE JOB WOULD MEAN SIGNIFICANT REVENUES TO OUR COMPANY. WE ARE PRIVATELY OWNED AND THE OWNER PICKED A GROUP TO PREPARE THE PROPOSAL. THERE WAS A TEAM OF THREE. I WAS SELECTED AS THE TEAM LEADER. WE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS PREPARING THE PROPOSAL. I FELT GOOD OUT THE FINAL PRESENTATION BECAUSE I FELT IT WAS FAIR TO THE OTHER COMPANY AND MY COMPANY. WE PRESENTED IT TO THE OWNER AND HE FELT IT WAS NOT AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH. THE CHANGES HE SUGGESTED MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO EARN A PROFIT AND I KNEW IT. I TRIED TO CHANGE HIS OPINION BUT I GAVE UP. WE WON THE PROPOSAL AND THE FINANCIAL LOSS WE SUFFERED CAUSED THE COMPANY TO LAY OFF A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE. MY FRIENDS AND COWORKERS LOST THEIR JOB. I FEEL AWFUL I DID NOT STAND MY GROUND AND GAVE IN SO EASILY. I AM ASHAMED AND EMBARRASSED TO THIS DAY. THE OWNER TOOK NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS INPUT AND PUT THE BLAME FOR THE FAILURE OF THE PROJECT ON MY. I WAS SO ANGRY THAT I HAD TO LIVE WITH THIS SHAME. +OUR COMPANY WAS PREPARING A PROPOSAL TO REPRESENT A COMPANY AS THE SALES AGENT FOR A NEW DEVELOPMENT. THIS DEVELOPMENT WAS A LARGE PROJECT. WINNING THE JOB WOULD MEAN SIGNIFICANT REVENUES TO OUR COMPANY. WE ARE PRIVATELY OWNED AND THE OWNER PICKED A GROUP TO PREPARE THE PROPOSAL. THERE WAS A TEAM OF THREE. I WAS SELECTED AS THE TEAM LEADER. WE SPENT COUNTLESS HOURS PREPARING THE PROPOSAL. WE PRESENTED IT TO THE OWNER AND HE FELT IT WAS NOT AGGRESSIVE ENOUGH. THE CHANGES HE SUGGESTED MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO EARN A PROFIT AND I KNEW IT. I TRIED TO CHANGE HIS OPINION BUT I GAVE UP. WE WON THE PROPOSAL AND THE FINANCIAL LOSS. THE LOSS WE SUFFERED CAUSED THE COMPANY TO LAY OFF A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE. MY FRIENDS AND COWORKERS LOST THEIR JOB. I FELT AWFUL. I DID NOT STAND MY GROUND AND GAVE IN SO EASILY. I AM ASHAMED AND EMBARRASSED TO THIS DAY. I KNOW I SHOULD HAVE STOOD MY GROUND. IF THE OWNER DID NOT AGREE I SHOULD HAVE THREATENED TO QUIT MY JOB AND IT THAT DID NOT WORK QUIT AND LOOK FOR ANOTHER JOB. I WILL NOT GET A CHANCE TO GO BACK AND THAT IS SOMETHING I WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH THE REST OF MY LIFE. +"Three months ago, I was watching P.S. I Love You. The main character Holly, lost her husband to cancer. She was devastated, young, and angry. She spent a lot of time alone, called off work; stopped living, essentially. A few weeks after her husband's death, while she was grieving alone, her friends and family showed up to her apartment to wish her a happy birthday. Holly had turned 30 years old. It was then I was hit with the idea that the dreaded thirties are coming my way. I ruminated on the years that had passed me already. How I'd never again experienced all the good things I've lived through. I also thought about all the bad things I never have to live through again. Once was enough for me, and in a larger sense, I suppose that's good with both the good things and the bad things. And although devastated in thinking about the past, I was met with a bittersweet overall feeling: I have lived a good life. Thinking about my upcoming birthday, I decided that I wouldn't make a big deal about it because I would just be grateful to be alive another day. When my birthday comes, I would celebrate in silence, in peace. Although, the dreaded thirties are almost here, I have come to peace with it." +"Three months ago, I was watching P.S. I Love You. The main character Holly, lost her husband to cancer. She was devastated, young, and angry. She spent a lot of time alone, called off work; stopped living, essentially. A few weeks after her husband's death, while she was grieving alone, her friends and family showed up to her apartment to wish her a happy birthday. Holly had turned 30 years old. It was then I was hit with the idea that the dreaded thirties are coming my way. I ruminated on the years that had passed me already. How I'd never again experienced all the good things I've lived through. I also thought about all the bad things I never have to live through again. Once was enough for me, and in a larger sense, I suppose that's good with both the good things and the bad things. And although devastated in thinking about the past, I was met with a bittersweet overall feeling: I have lived a good life. Thinking about my upcoming birthday, I decided that I wouldn't make a big deal about it because I would just be grateful to be alive another day. When my birthday comes, I would celebrate in silence, in peace. Although, the dreaded thirties are almost here, I have come to peace with it." +"My boyfriend of 3 years proposed to me 2 weeks ago. We had a fun Saturday with his son and a few of our friends, then we went home - which isn't typically we usually stay the night because we've had a few too many drinks and we never drive like that. He didn't drink, which wasn't strange at the time but looking back I realize he chose not to so he could drive us home. The next day he suggested we go for a bike ride and a picnic, which is not unusual - we do this most weekends when we have free time.  We ride to the park where we picnic often. He suggested we bring my new metal detector - he bought one for my birthday - a new hobby I am loving! I asked him to hid a coin for his son to hide, I wanted his son to get into my new hobby and he agreed (this was before we left).  We have our picnic and begin to ""hunt""  but the metal detector wasn't working properly and I was getting flustered. He kept asking me to go to where he hid the coin but I was trying to teach his son the right way to detect. We finally get to where he buried to coin and there is a trail of white rocks that lead to heart? shaped circle type thing - I thought it was so his son could find the ring easier - which at the time I thought was so silly because his son is 7 and super smart. Then he asked me to dig in the hole and now I am upset bc his son is meant to find the damn coin! So I finally agree after we go back and forth and there is a box - I hand it to his son to open bc I thought his dad put the coin in the box - again it was so silly bc he is 7!I ask his son what is in the box and he says ""coins and this folded piece of paper"". He hands me a piece of printer paper that was folder a few times and I open it up - in his son's handwriting is read "" Will you Marry me? "" and there were a few cute drawings of his dad and me. I began to cry and I turned my head and my boyfriend was kneeling down, with a ring in his hand and I covered my face because I was so ashamed of how silly I was acting and I almost ruined the sweetest proposal in the world." +"Sunday June 4 -I can't remember when early summer felt so good - the warm, sunny day almost felt velvety against skin that has been far too accustomed to the flannels and sweaters of winter. I'm still surprised that Michael chose the Conservation Park as his birthday experience this year, but I guess I shouldn't be. He's always taken after me and Mom in our love of all animals. His father and I drove him down last evening and we stayed at the local Hilton. He's not too old, yet, to be tickled with the hotel swimming pool. We also found an all-you-can-eat buffet near there that had chicken tenders and french fries. He can still eat so much! It's no wonder he's over 6 feet tall! Best of all, Allie came home from college just to join us and surprised him. The way his face lit up as he caught sight of her made this mother's heart just sing. I'm so glad they're growing closer to each other as they get older. I'm still amazed they never actually killed each other growing up. I think that Michael is giving serious consideration about going into wildlife conservation as his college major. I've noticed him taking a bigger interest in his biology class and he's been spending more time volunteering at the animal shelter, too. They're just growing up way too quickly. I love them so much but it makes me sad to let them go." +"Last month I engaged in a project competition at my workplace. The competition had been arranged by the board of directors. The winner was to receive an unknown prize. We were all anxious to see the prize. I was so excited because I had done my research well. My colleagues and I made a presentation to the board of directors. We were then evaluated and amazingly, my presentation was selected as the best. I was so happy remembering when one of the directors asked a challenging question that I had not expected. I got a promotion from the top rating. I got so excited and happy that I managed to beat all my competitors. I called my family and broke the news. They were all excited and happy for me. My mother arranged a party to celebrate. I invited my friends too. I had fun and everyday I dedicate the promotion to myself and my mum who helped me research. I am still excited on getting a promotion because I never expected one." +"It's been almost two months since I've opened my journal here. What a roller coaster these intervening weeks have been. For the last 3 months I've had intermittant swelling and pain in my leg. Joe finally convinced me to see the doctor, after my usual fuss about useless tests. Well, turns out (after several rounds of all those ""useless"" tests), they found a blood clot! So the good news and the bad news. They can't operate (well, I guess that is both good and bad, since surgery is not on my bucket list!.) They can treat it with medicine (ugh, but I should be, and kind of am, grateful for that.) But the real killer (bad choice of words!) is that I have had to make some dramatic changes in my life style. That's good and bad too I suppose. I needed to make some changes anyway, as I know since retiring I have been way too sedentary. But the tricky part is: I need to walk daily, but not too much. And, I can sit and stand, but not for long periods of time. (Guess I will scratch off my bucket list flying to Australia...or any flights longer than 2 hours.) On the one hand, I am so grateful that this is treatable, and honestly, probably NOT what I will end up dying from. On the other hand, it is one more thing that I have to think about... a lot. Seeing that my besetting sin is worrying and anxiety, this does NOT help. But, I do see that this trauma (okay, maybe that is a bit dramatic) no longer shakes my faith like such things used to. That sign of spiritual growth is encouraging. Joe and other family members have been really supportive, as has our church and our friends. And, as is always the case, I'm praying and reading Scripture more. And, walking more and going to the gym. The most annoying thing is that I've had to set my alarm to make sure I don't sit for more than 1/2 an hour at a time...and of course, I have to remember to set my alarm! And each day slips by so quickly that sometimes I forget (Joe calls it motivated forgetfulness...ha) to go take my twice daily walks. But, making progress, so a good, or at least, okay thing in the long run." +It was my cousin's wedding last month. I have enjoyed a lot. In that wedding i met many of my school friends. Also i have seen him. I was fall in love with him. The first impression is the best impression. He is a friend of my cousin. I fall in love at the first sight. I would like to speak with him. But unexpectedly he comes to me and tell his love with me. I was surprised. He is very handsome and perfect person. Till now we are lovers and make love with each other. That wedding is the memorable day of my life. He also fall in love with me at first sight. I love him very much. He also loves me very well. I think we are the perfect lovers in this world. I cannot forget that wedding. Because that day i met him. +"It was a hot day in July that our community decided to paint a mural on an intersection for public art. I had decided to volunteer to help paint. I signed up for the morning shift and arrived a bit early. They had started to paint the street with primer for where the design would be painted. While I waited for that to be finished, I signed in so that the city could keep track of the amount of volunteer hours that everyone preformed. I then was instructed to have some of the donuts and water that had been brought. As I ate my donut, I noticed a couple chickens crossing the road. I was told that they lived on the block. I went back to get my camera and take a few pictures of the chickens and the beginning of the artwork. I finished taking the pictures and they were ready for me to start helping. I found a paint roller and chose to start with painting the yellow rays of sunlight. It took a couple hours but it looked great. I had wanted to paint a part of the mural that I could come back and say, I did that. I decided to paint the manatee. It had already been drawn so I got the grey paint mixed and started to paint it. A young girl, who was visiting the neighborhood, asked to help paint. I directed her to where there were more paint brushes and she soon came back. It was a fun time painting the manatee. The outline of the manatee looked really bad at this point, so I got some black paint and went over the entire outline having to change some of what we had previously painted. When I was finished with the outline, it looked great and everyone was really happy with it. I then took a picture of it and went home happily knowing that there was a manatee painted on that street by me." +"I really loved being able to get together and learn more about art. I always love to observe art on the streets or in museums but 3 weeks ago I got to have a very cool art experience. Many neighbors came together to paint a mural in the middle of the intersection. It was my first time to pain on a street and the first time to paint a ten foot manatee. We chose the manatee because it is the elementary school's mascot. It was also a great way to get the kids involved. I learned about how to paint on the street and make sure it isn't easily washed out. This was a really great experience for me because I paint often. I am no master artist or anything but I think this experience has given me a huge burst of inspiration. I do not think I will start creating graffiti or anything but I might start using different tools. My choice paint is watercolor because of how delicate it is and soft and beautiful the strokes come out. It takes patience because what appears when you paint, and what comes out when it dries are two different images. What I love about painting the street is that it is easy to just make corrections immediately without having to wait much. This was a great experience that opened my eyes to new things. I think I may try using acrylics next time I am in front of the canvas." +"I never wanted kids. I just never saw any interest in them. I wanted to worry about myself. I never wanted to completely shut out the idea because that means walling off a life that could become something I desire at any point. When me and my wife talked about having kids, this was of course with her knowing how I felt, it suddenly started to make sense. It could have been the hormones talking, but all of a sudden with her kids didn't sound so bad. We didn't try very hard, but one day the fateful notice was seen. She was pregnant. I was going to be a father. How did this happen? Well I know how it happened, but I didn't try too hard to stop it. Nine months later, my little girl was born. I honestly couldn't believe it when she was in my arms for the first time. All of a sudden, I realized that in some way I had wanted this secretly my whole life. I felt whole." +"I never wanted kids. I just never saw any interest in them. I wanted to worry about myself. I never wanted to completely shut out the idea because that means walling off a life that could become something I desire at any point. When me and my wife talked about having kids, this was of course with her knowing how I felt, it suddenly started to make sense. It could have been the hormones talking, but all of a sudden with her kids didn't sound so bad. We didn't try very hard, but one day the fateful notice was seen. She was pregnant. I was going to be a father. How did this happen? Well I know how it happened, but I didn't try too hard to stop it. Nine months later, my little girl was born. I honestly couldn't believe it when she was in my arms for the first time. All of a sudden, I realized that in some way I had wanted this secretly my whole life. I felt whole." +"i prepared to teach my Bible lesson to my adult class buy studying today. Even though I have spent over 30 years of studying 6 hours per week to teach adults the one hour class, I still am taught new things by the Holy Spirit as I study. I encountered something that I found to be particularly touching today as I studied Acts 1:1-11. The passage states that the book of Acts is about all that Jesus began to do and teach. By verse 11, Jesus has already ascended into heaven, but this is still the beginning of what Jesus began to do and teach. Subsequently, he will use the apostles and others who are called to preach to continue his teachings to the world. The apostles have spent the 40 days since Christ's resurrection learning how all of the Old Testament was about Jesus. They were being instructed in the knowledge they would need continue to teach others. Yet, they had been cowardly, scattering away from Jesus when he was crucified (except John who stayed). So in addition to knowledge, they needed power to behave differently and that would soon come with the new ministry of the Holy Spirit introduced at Pentecost, 10 days after Jesus' ascension. But, in addition to knowledge, believers were advised to conduct themselves in a manner that could not be criticized (1 Peter 3:15-17). Their behavior should adorn them. That is what touched me. The word adorn is so beautiful. Most days I simply dress myself. Yet, when I was dating, I would adorn myself with some cologne and my best shirt to be as attractive as I could be. It touches me that the scripture urges be to adorn myself with righteous behavior. It also convicts me. I have studied and have a lot of knowledge of God through the Bible. However, I still battle with my sin nature and often I am not adorned like I would like to be." +"My family and I were traveling to see our third grandchild for the first time. We arrived safely to out destination that was 35 miles away. I walk with a cane because of bad feet and being out of normal balance. I walked in the door of my young sons house. My oldest son greeted me with a big smile on his face and a bundle in his arms. I figured that was out baby he was holding. He offered for me to take Baby, Shona. I wanted too, but due to my terrible awkwardness I turned the idea down. I needed to sit to hold the newborn. I walked across the room and sat on a nice couch. The moment I settled in he hand me the wrapped up baby. I opened the blanket to see her. My first sight was deep blue eyes and light brown skin. We are a very white family. I immediatly became suspicious of the eyes, the were too blue for a newborn. I looked up to say ""what is this?' They had playfully given me a doll that my oldest granddaughter owned. My daughter in law was holding the real baby and started to giggle. It was her idea to pull a trick on me. It was funny to everyone." +"This last summer on a beautiful day our family went kayaking in Indianapolis on the White river. We have been kayaking and canoeing before. But this is the first time we have been on this particular river and we were excited. It was especially exciting because my oldest son was bringing his significant other along as his fiance. He had asked her just the week before. So myself and my husband got a double kayak, my son and his fiance got a double kayak and my youngest son got a single kayak. It was a 4 hour trip which we did in about 3 because the youngsters didn't let the old folks slack. My husband did not know how to steer the dang kayak so there was some yelling until we kind of got the gist of it. He is lucky he didn't get a oar up side of his head! Next time I am going to get a single kayak! We all got to talk and laugh with each other while we paddled down the river. The best thing is that they really couldn't get away from us so they had to spend time with old ma and pa. Not that they didn't want to anyway. They even got to see me fall in the river as clumsy me tried to climb back into the kayak. This was after I pulled the kayak through a shallow part with my husband in it! We got sunburned, we were tired and I ached from physical exercise. Basically, it was a great day spent as a family that we don't get enough anymore." +"Me and my partner got a dog from the street and we like it very much. So we took it to our home and it was with us for six months. We both love our dog very much. But one day 3 months before, our dog met with an accident. it was really a great surprise for us and i could not imagine that my dog had met with an accident. It is in very critical stage and i could not even digest that our dog is in a serious condition. It was very much sad to see the dog. We have investigated about the accident and they told that it was met with an accident with another dog. Then we thought that it will get better day by day. I have more hope that it will get ready with few days or weeks. And i was eagerly waiting for the news that our dog is getting better day by day. But the hope did not lat for more time. They have informed that the dog is in a critical stage and it is very hard to recover the dog back to normal. It is very sad and i could not even think of a day without my dog. I was crying loudly and our dog is nearly a family member for me. So i could not imagine a day without our dog. The dogs are the real living thing which have full 100% love on us. So i love him very much. Now he is no more and we have last him and he is in a permanent sleep. I could not be in our home and see the places without him. Every where i see i could see him in all the places. Now a days i am looking for a small puppy and i have to take care of him like my old dog. Me and husband is now happily living with our new puppy with our old dog memories. Though we grow up more than 10 dogs i could not forget my first dog who is like my first son and i will be always thinking of him every time. It is a very bitter memory but could be satisfied if i would think of him." +"Three months ago I was headed to work and decided to stop by the bank on my way out to deposit a check. As I was standing in line, I felt pains in my chest. Suddenly my arms were tingling. I realized I was having a heart attack. I called out for help as I dropped to the floor, then lost consciousness. As luck would have it, one of the other customers in line at the bank was a doctor. He immediately recognized the emergency and performed CPR. He kept the blood pumping in my heart until the EMTs arrived. Then they continued working on me until we arrived at the hospital. There they performed surgery. I had a STENT placed in my LAD artery. Later when I was at the hospital, they would discover that my main incoming artery - the LAD - was 100% blocked. They call this artery The Widowmaker because it can get blocked quickly and in most cases, the person dies. But since I was lucky and had my heart attack in the presence of a doctor who saw what was happening and performed CPR until the ambulance arrived, my heart never went without blood and oxygen. Luck saved my life and let me with no damage to my heart muscle." +"It started out as an innocent-enough day. I went to work like normal, and got through most of the day without any abnormal occurences. Then I received a text from my ex, and my mood instantly went downhill. It had been an abusive relationship, and scary breakup. I thought I had finally gotten free. When I left work, I decided to alleviate some stress by stopping at a little bar. I figured I'd have a couple of drinks and some food, and take my mind off things a little bit. After being seated for just a couple of minutes, the bartender came over. This drink is from the guy at the end, she said. I thought to myself that this is interesting, since no guy had ever bought me a drink before. We ended up talking for hours, and before I knew it I was feeling pretty good. I told myself that I deserved to relax though, and I was safe to drive. On the way home, it all started to hit me. However I only lived 2 miles away and knew that I could make it. Suddenly I saw a bright flash of light, heard screeching, and then nothing. I awoke in the emergency room with a concussion and severely fractured arm. Now, on top of ex problems, I'd have to take time off work. Definitely a lesson learned." +"It started out as an innocent-enough day. I went to work like normal, and got through most of the day without any abnormal occurences. Then I received a text from my ex, and my mood instantly went downhill. It had been an abusive relationship, and scary breakup. I thought I had finally gotten free. When I left work, I decided to alleviate some stress by stopping at a little bar. I figured I'd have a couple of drinks and some food, and take my mind off things a little bit. After being seated for just a couple of minutes, the bartender came over. This drink is from the guy at the end, she said. I thought to myself that this is interesting, since no guy had ever bought me a drink before. We ended up talking for hours, and before I knew it I was feeling pretty good. I told myself that I deserved to relax though, and I was safe to drive. On the way home, it all started to hit me. However I only lived 2 miles away and knew that I could make it. Suddenly I saw a bright flash of light, heard screeching, and then nothing. I awoke in the emergency room with a concussion and severely fractured arm. Now, on top of ex problems, I'd have to take time off work. Definitely a lesson learned." +"What a day. Julie and her kids came to visit us today. This creaky home of ours always come alive when the grandkids come along. My daughter came over to give us our set of photos from the disposable cameras we had on our trip to California two or three months ago. The photos turned out beautiful! John and I went to a few theme parks with the grandkids while my wife and my daughter went shopping at Rodeo Drive. Remind me never to say yes to Disney ever again or I'll end up 6 feet under by 65! Thank god I had my son-in-law to help keep the twins in check. I might've lost the kids one too many times but let's not let the missus find out. The twins made me wear a Mickey ears headband and got me joining them in the face painting queue. I never knew I'd look good with a tiger painted on my right side. Might have to bring that up to my wife and maybe get myself a new tattoo hah! It's unfortunate that the pictures we took at the beach did not turn out as good. It's probably because of the Sun exposure. Still, there's a good handful of photos of the twins messing around with me. Those rascals buried me in the sand and made me look like a mermaid when I was asleep! We had our annual sandcastle building competition. It was the twins and I versus Julie and John. It was obvious that we were going to win.... until the waves crashed into our castle. The girls cried but then John ""accidentally"" tripped and fell over their castle. We ended that day with a draw and spent the rest of the day swimming. I'm glad that I have these photos to look back on when things get rough. I don't have that many years left to my life but god, I only wish for safety and happiness for my family. Look over them for me when I'm gone." +"What a day. Julie and her kids came to visit us today. This creaky home of ours always come alive when the grandkids come along. My daughter came over to give us our set of photos from the disposable cameras we had on our trip to California two or three months ago. The photos turned out beautiful! John and I went to a few theme parks with the grandkids while my wife and my daughter went shopping at Rodeo Drive. Remind me never to say yes to Disney ever again or I'll end up 6 feet under by 65! Thank god I had my son-in-law to help keep the twins in check. I might've lost the kids one too many times but let's not let the missus find out. The twins made me wear a Mickey ears headband and got me joining them in the face painting queue. I never knew I'd look good with a tiger painted on my right side. Might have to bring that up to my wife and maybe get myself a new tattoo hah! It's unfortunate that the pictures we took at the beach did not turn out as good. It's probably because of the Sun exposure. Still, there's a good handful of photos of the twins messing around with me. Those rascals buried me in the sand and made me look like a mermaid when I was asleep! We had our annual sandcastle building competition. It was the twins and I versus Julie and John. It was obvious that we were going to win.... until the waves crashed into our castle. The girls cried but then John ""accidentally"" tripped and fell over their castle. We ended that day with a draw and spent the rest of the day swimming. I'm glad that I have these photos to look back on when things get rough. I don't have that many years left to my life but god, I only wish for safety and happiness for my family. Look over them for me when I'm gone." +"Within the last six months I have been medically retired. I filed for disability three years ago when I could no longer function in the workplace due to a chronic, progressive medical condition. I did not want to retire. My body did not agree with my wishes. My condition was deteriorating as I went through the three year legal process. I hired an attorney to help me understand the process and to ensure I was following the procedure correctly. Not only has it been frustrating not to be able to be employed financially, but it has taken a toll on mentally as well. I did finally qualify for my disability. The entire process was very taxing on me. I was in a constant state of worry while going through it. I wondered what would become of me if I was denied my disability? I wondered how I would be able to receive any kind of medical attention if I was denied. I wondered if I would lose my house when my savings ran out if I didn't get it. I lost sleep during the three years because of the stress. The stress affected my physical condition as well. The entire process should be streamlined so that recipients shouldn't have to wait years for a decision." +"I'm still feeling depressed after having been medically retired from the military in the past 6 months. It was a long time in coming and I fought it along the way, but to no avail. Even though I was injured, I really felt that I would be able to go back to duty with enough PT and rest. I'm still young and feel like I have a lot to contribute. I always did not job to the best of my ability and got many commendations. I'm still so surprised that the military didn't have my back. It's been really rough not having a job to go to, to not feel useful, and to not be my old self. I spent too much time and money trying to reverse this process. It was long and draining and in the end I didn't prevail. I wonder if I made the right decision because perhaps it might have been better to just accept the decision from the get go. Then I might have moved on by now instead of dwelling on everything that happened. I have my good days and I have my bad days and I'm hopeful I'll be fully recovered at some point. I need to earn some money already. Keeping my fingers crossed! I still have a lot to offer. Sitting home just me and my dog is driving me crazy." +One month ago I was in a local coffee shop I go to many days during the week. I was doing my usual routine of getting coffee. I went to the bathroom and left my laptop on the table where I was sitting. When I came back my laptop was gone. At first I thought I forgot where I was sitting. I got very nervous when I realized my laptop was gone. I asked the employee if they saw anyone take my laptop. They said they did notice anything. I was upset. I know I do not have the money to replace the laptop. I called mom when I got home to tell her what happened. She knows my financial situation. Later that same day mom made a visit to my apartment. She was carrying a box that looked like the box my old laptop came in. Mom had gone to the store and bought me a new laptop exactly like the one stolen earlier today. I was surprised she would buy me a new laptop. Her financial situation is not that good. +"The first event that comes to mind when I think about something that happened to me recently that was emotional and memorable is unfortunately a negative event, and it happened about a month and a half ago. I went to the grocery store after class one Monday afternoon, and I had my school bag with my laptop in it sitting in my back seat. As I drove to the store I noticed dark clouds forming on the horizon, and I knew it was going to rain. Of course, upon leaving the store it began to drizzle, and by the time I got home it was absolutely pouring rain. I did not want to risk getting my computer wet, and I knew it would be hard to protect it since I had to carry in the groceries as well. I decided to leave my computer bag in my car for a couple hours until it stopped raining, but I completely forgot about it, and I apparently also forgot to lock my car doors (I'm sure you can see where this is going!). The next morning I realized my mistake and went to my car to get my laptop, only to discover it had been stolen! Panicked, I immediately called my mom, and she advised me to first contact the police, and then contact my insurance company. The officer who arrived was very kind, but unfortunately it had rained again that morning, wiping away any fingerprints, and there was not much he could do to help other than file a report. Shortly after he left, I contacted my insurance company and was able to get money back for the items I had lost because it happened on my property and was covered by my renters insurance policy. I was still devastated, mostly because in taking my laptop, the thief also took my flash drive with all of my school files on it, meaning I now have to try to get back all the files I lost. On the bright side, my previous laptop was rather old and needed to be replaced anyway, so I now have a much nicer computer. Having my laptop stolen is definitely an event that I will not soon forget, and it taught me several lessons. First, I learned to always, ALWAYS, double check that my car doors are actually locked. Second, I learned that it is critical to keep a record of the product codes for all expensive items, because without that number the police cannot give you back your laptop even if they find it." +One day after leaving work at around 2 pm I went ahead to go grocery shopping. Before I went grocery shopping I made sure to check that my computer and flash drive was in my back seat I couldn't remember if. I had brought it down with me from the office. There was some important work I had to finish and documents that I needed to go over and sign. It was there so I didnt have to worry much. Now I am at the grocery store getting things from my list. Then I remembered that I left my windows down and doors unlocked and it was raining. I instantly thought my stuff would be stolenor get wet. I had planned to come back to the car when I remembered that I did leave it unlocked. I was already in line with all my groceries waiting to pay. The angle I standing I wasn't able to see my car from the store. Soon as everything was rung up and paid for I tried to hurry and get to my car. Everything looked normal from afar but when I got there I realized it was gone. My computer and flash drive were stolen from me. However I was able to contact my insurance company and was compenstated for what was taken. +"My previous response was in relation to a Candidate Phsyical Ability Test (CPAT) test that I took for a firefighter position. This position is a career path that I hadn't necessarily thought of in my youth, but I did always have it in my mind that I wanted to be a direct help to my community, either through police work, fire work or other service aspect. Following my son's birth in May 2018, I talked to my wife about these aspirations as it was a far cry from what I am currently doing. She was thrilled to hear about this idea despite the dangers the career path could put me on. I started the lengthy process that summer which consisted of detailed applications, written tests and the latest step, the CPAT. The CPAT process started this summer, around May 2019. There were several opportunities to prepare and pass the test, yet I kept falling short. What was encouraging, aside from my wife, was that each leg of the process I was getting better. While I wouldn't pass during the attempts nor the practices, I was able to improve a little each time without any regression. On my final attempt, I was beyond nervous. The difference between passing and failing this test was the difference between continuing on my path versus waiting THREE YEARS to try again. Needing to put my family in a financially stable position, failing was not an option. I buckled down and drove through that test to the best of my ability, finishing with just under 40 seconds left on the clock. I still was not where I want to be physically, but I passed which is all that they were concerned with. I remember how elated I was; despite being in a ""job interview"" so to speak, I let my emotions out and screamed ""F*** YEAH!"" and I got a chuckle from firefighter instructors. I immediately called my wife to share the exciting news and we celebrated the events with a nice lunch. It was difficult to process what I had just achieved, but with the passing time I have a real sense of success with my achievement." +"My previous response was in relation to a Candidate Phsyical Ability Test (CPAT) test that I took for a firefighter position. This position is a career path that I hadn't necessarily thought of in my youth, but I did always have it in my mind that I wanted to be a direct help to my community, either through police work, fire work or other service aspect. Following my son's birth in May 2018, I talked to my wife about these aspirations as it was a far cry from what I am currently doing. She was thrilled to hear about this idea despite the dangers the career path could put me on. I started the lengthy process that summer which consisted of detailed applications, written tests and the latest step, the CPAT. The CPAT process started this summer, around May 2019. There were several opportunities to prepare and pass the test, yet I kept falling short. What was encouraging, aside from my wife, was that each leg of the process I was getting better. While I wouldn't pass during the attempts nor the practices, I was able to improve a little each time without any regression. On my final attempt, I was beyond nervous. The difference between passing and failing this test was the difference between continuing on my path versus waiting THREE YEARS to try again. Needing to put my family in a financially stable position, failing was not an option. I buckled down and drove through that test to the best of my ability, finishing with just under 40 seconds left on the clock. I still was not where I want to be physically, but I passed which is all that they were concerned with. I remember how elated I was; despite being in a ""job interview"" so to speak, I let my emotions out and screamed ""F*** YEAH!"" and I got a chuckle from firefighter instructors. I immediately called my wife to share the exciting news and we celebrated the events with a nice lunch. It was difficult to process what I had just achieved, but with the passing time I have a real sense of success with my achievement." +"Two months ago my best friend and I got into a huge fight. I thought it would blow over, but we haven't spoken since. I had to finally come clean about something that had been bothering me for awhile. There was this guy that she had just started dating. He seemed nice enough at first. But then I started looking around on the internet. I found him connected to a couple of really sketchy dating profiles. He was saying things that didn't seem to match the way that he portrayed himself with her. She had met him at a bar, so she had no idea about any of this. She didn't even have a profile on any dating apps. I thought about the situation for a couple of weeks. I also asked for advice from some mutual friends. Eventually I couldn't really avoid the situation any longer because I didn't want her to get hurt. She had really started to like this guy. I invited her out for drinks, and then I told her what I had found. She listened pretty patiently, but then she exploded on me. She didn't understand why I needed to bring this up. She said that maybe he had changed, and these were old profiles. She said maybe people are different on the internet sometimes. I don't know. I guess I need to try to talk to her again, but she seems to be choosing him over me." +"Two months ago my best friend and I got into a huge fight. I thought it would blow over, but we haven't spoken since. I had to finally come clean about something that had been bothering me for awhile. There was this guy that she had just started dating. He seemed nice enough at first. But then I started looking around on the internet. I found him connected to a couple of really sketchy dating profiles. He was saying things that didn't seem to match the way that he portrayed himself with her. She had met him at a bar, so she had no idea about any of this. She didn't even have a profile on any dating apps. I thought about the situation for a couple of weeks. I also asked for advice from some mutual friends. Eventually I couldn't really avoid the situation any longer because I didn't want her to get hurt. She had really started to like this guy. I invited her out for drinks, and then I told her what I had found. She listened pretty patiently, but then she exploded on me. She didn't understand why I needed to bring this up. She said that maybe he had changed, and these were old profiles. She said maybe people are different on the internet sometimes. I don't know. I guess I need to try to talk to her again, but she seems to be choosing him over me." +"Two months ago my best friend and I got into a huge fight. I thought it would blow over, but we haven't spoken since. I had to finally come clean about something that had been bothering me for awhile. There was this guy that she had just started dating. He seemed nice enough at first. But then I started looking around on the internet. I found him connected to a couple of really sketchy dating profiles. He was saying things that didn't seem to match the way that he portrayed himself with her. She had met him at a bar, so she had no idea about any of this. She didn't even have a profile on any dating apps. I thought about the situation for a couple of weeks. I also asked for advice from some mutual friends. Eventually I couldn't really avoid the situation any longer because I didn't want her to get hurt. She had really started to like this guy. I invited her out for drinks, and then I told her what I had found. She listened pretty patiently, but then she exploded on me. She didn't understand why I needed to bring this up. She said that maybe he had changed, and these were old profiles. She said maybe people are different on the internet sometimes. I don't know. I guess I need to try to talk to her again, but she seems to be choosing him over me." +"I have always wanted to travel in my life. I didn't have the chance to really until just recently. About four months ago I took the plunge. I decided to visit a friend who I had known for a while and felt comfortable flying across the Atlantic for. I traveled from the US all the way to London, England. Traveling this distance was a bit nerve-wracking, but at no point did the nerves outweigh the excitement I had for this event. I seriously just was so excited and I couldn't imagine backing out now. After a lengthy flight, I met the friend and even though I had nerves meeting them too, I was still really excited to hang out with them. I wanted to hang out with them for a long time. I just couldn't believe it was happening. When we met, it was exciting and fresh and new. I couldn't believe I was so fortunate to be in the position that I was in. I got to see all of the sights, experience the food, and just spend some time in a culture that is different than mine. I encourage everyone to go through this if they can. It's an experience not soon forgotten." +"I have always wanted to travel in my life. I didn't have the chance to really until just recently. About four months ago I took the plunge. I decided to visit a friend who I had known for a while and felt comfortable flying across the Atlantic for. I traveled from the US all the way to London, England. Traveling this distance was a bit nerve-wracking, but at no point did the nerves outweigh the excitement I had for this event. I seriously just was so excited and I couldn't imagine backing out now. After a lengthy flight, I met the friend and even though I had nerves meeting them too, I was still really excited to hang out with them. I wanted to hang out with them for a long time. I just couldn't believe it was happening. When we met, it was exciting and fresh and new. I couldn't believe I was so fortunate to be in the position that I was in. I got to see all of the sights, experience the food, and just spend some time in a culture that is different than mine. I encourage everyone to go through this if they can. It's an experience not soon forgotten." +"Three weeks ago, I had the most wonderful wedding. My family and friends were there to help us celebrate. We planned every detail of our special day from food, decorations and flowers. It wasn't a very large wedding, but it was special none the less. It took place on the beach in front of turquise colored water. The natural environement was more beautiful than the decorations. My dress was simple. I wanted to be comfortable, and I didn't tell everyone what they had to wear. We wrote our own vows and recited them in a meaningful way. Looking back at the pictures brings tears to my eyes. It was one of the best planned events that has ever taken place in my life. What was most amazing is that everything went perfectly and everyone had a wonderful time. Marrying one's best friend is a very satisfying thing. If I could do it all again I would. I have dryed some of the flowers as a memory and plan to put them in a shadow box." +"My wife and I's anniversary was coming up so we decided to have a romantic getaway. We decided that going to Jamaica was the best option for us. We booked our flights and hotel and counted down the days until we were off to celebrate our anniversary. Finally, the day had arrived and we landed in Jamaica. The first thing we did was get drinks on the beach. We walked along the beach with our drinks and took in the beautiful scenery. The ocean was crystal clear and my wife and I held hands as we walked further. Since it was the afternoon when we arrived, it had started to get dark at this point. My wife and I were starting to feel the romance in the air. I kissed her on the beach and things escalated from there. It's like we are on this beautiful vacation, might as well yolo it. We decided to strip down and have sex right then and there. When are we going to have this opportunity again? Just as we were really getting into it, we noticed another couple not too far away watching us. We realized they were starting to have sex, too. It turned into this giant turn on and a race to see who would get off first. I tell you, it was the wildest night of my life!" +"On June this year my dad and I decided to go for a road trip. This was a special event for us because we don't usually talk much and it was an experience where I believe we tried to strengthen our relationship that got, in a way, corroded over the years - it was a blast! Not only because of the scenery which was amazing, but because I learned to appreciate my dad as well as be more patience towards him and accept his ""shticks"" as I am sure I have them too. He was very proud of me for planning the trip so perfectly to make sure we go to the right places and not miss a thing. We started our trip in San Francisco and drove all night to Yosemite. Then we planned to go to Bristlecone Pine Forest, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion Park and back to Las Vegas and all along to road visited other various attractions. Even though I planned it, it was semi spontaneous trip with food, lodging etc. Many of these places are places I only dreamed of or saw in the movies and I am know that my dad was in awe of everything. We took tons of photos and sadly the video camera didn't record anything, even though we thought it was recording - apparently there was some defect in it. Regardless, my dad keeps talking about places we've been and things we've seen and he's keep referring back to the photos (he even print some of them on canvas to hang in his house).You see, my dad lives overseas so this trip was more than just bonding experience, it was first time I have to see him for a very very long time. For us, it was an amazing experience, a once in a lifetime. We decided to try and meet up at least once a year. We hope to try an mimic the experience in the near future, for a different destination. We know it won't be the same but it can be at par or an even better experience." +"My dad recently called me to see if I wanted to help him move. He was going from San Francisco to Monument Valley and had rented a U-Haul to take his things. He wanted a riding partner so it didn't seems so long. I hadn't seen him in a really long time, so I agreed to it. I got time off work and met him in San Fran on that following Monday. As soon as I got there, he showed me the empty home. It was where I had grew up and now where someone else would be living. It was bittersweet to say the least. When we got started, there wasn't much to say other than catching up with each other. We did a few pit stops at rest areas to stretch our legs. We went out to eat as well. The best part of this whole trip was after the small talk, we had really deep conversations. My dad told me he was scared of moving to Monument Valley. He didn't know anyone there but had just found a nice house that was in his price range. I asked him why he wanted to move then. He said the home he had had too many memories of my mom. We had a nice cry after that and then went back to keeping it light. We told jokes and sung songs, but in my mind I never forgot what he had said." +"Well, its been over three months since i left my husband or should i say he left me? On paper he left me but as i look back at our marriage i checked out a long time ago. I am still trying to make sense of it all. Why I chose to married this person? Why me? Its all still there. My bruises haven't quite healed yet. Well, something happened in the store today that triggered everything that i've been trying to get over for the past couple of months. As i was waiting in line at the grocery store i saw a man shoving a female, who was probably his wife or girlfriend into a car. He was screaming at her and we all can hear it from the store. It all just brought back memories of.. yeah, that was me a few months ago. So i've been sitting here going thru all of it in my mind again. What hurts the most from what i remember is not the final divorce procedure with the lawyers but the day he gave me divorce papers. Are you kidding me? Your the one who constantly used me, abused me, and shouted at me when i did anything you didn't like. I guess i have regret and that's what bothering me today. The regret that i should of divorced this person a long time ago. It feels he got the last laugh in this whole mess. I also felt i needed to write about it so it doesn't build up inside of me. That's what my friends keep telling me. They've been very supportive of me, especially Karen. I am lucky to have such a friend. I did feel hope today. A very attractive man smiled at me today and he made me blush a little. That's something right?" +"Well, its been over three months since i left my husband or should i say he left me? On paper he left me but as i look back at our marriage i checked out a long time ago. I am still trying to make sense of it all. Why I chose to married this person? Why me? Its all still there. My bruises haven't quite healed yet. Well, something happened in the store today that triggered everything that i've been trying to get over for the past couple of months. As i was waiting in line at the grocery store i saw a man shoving a female, who was probably his wife or girlfriend into a car. He was screaming at her and we all can hear it from the store. It all just brought back memories of.. yeah, that was me a few months ago. So i've been sitting here going thru all of it in my mind again. What hurts the most from what i remember is not the final divorce procedure with the lawyers but the day he gave me divorce papers. Are you kidding me? Your the one who constantly used me, abused me, and shouted at me when i did anything you didn't like. I guess i have regret and that's what bothering me today. The regret that i should of divorced this person a long time ago. It feels he got the last laugh in this whole mess. I also felt i needed to write about it so it doesn't build up inside of me. That's what my friends keep telling me. They've been very supportive of me, especially Karen. I am lucky to have such a friend. I did feel hope today. A very attractive man smiled at me today and he made me blush a little. That's something right?" +I finally got to see a real birth one day and it was of my sister giving birth. It was so astonishing to be able to see this powerful action that a woman can do. I remember seeing the pain she was in leading up to finally being able to push her sweet baby out. She was absolutely miserable and I could tell she wanted to hurry up and be able to meet her baby. She had me and her husband switch back and forth between us for rubbing the bottom of her back. Finally it came time for her to push and get this baby out. It was such an amazing experience to see this happen in front of my own eyes. Seeing how a womans body goes from this small little thing to pushing out a 8 pound baby. It was also weird seeing how the baby's little had kind of scrunches up like a cone shape and helps it get through the hole. It is truly inspiring to see a woman go through something like this. Never in my life did I think this was how it happened. It was amazing to watch my sister be so strong in pushing her baby out. I know she was so happy and relieved when he finally made his appearance. I enjoyed so much being able to cheer her on and tell her he was coming. She is such a strong woman. +"Four months ago, I watched something memorable. I saw my sister give birth. I almost fainted but I powered through it. She was in a lot of pain. The baby was beautiful and had the mother's eyes. I saw her cry for a few minutes. Their was nothing wrong with the baby. I hope they have a great life together. I got some baby clothes to help her out with expenses. I wrote to everybody about the news. The whole family was very proud. The whole family met at her house the next week. They all had a great time playing with the baby. Everybody had a tear in their eyes. I definitely had one. I went home later hoping I will have kids one day." +When I was growing up I could not stand dealing with this person. We really didn't get a long very well in school to the point that we had become rivals even though we were of opposite genders. We would go out of our ways to mess with each other and just do things to make the others life more difficult while we were going to school together. As we got older and popularity in high school mattered we would do things to mess with the other in that regard to. I felt like this rivalry between us would never end because he would always end up getting the better of me when it came to our little wars of words going back and forth. When I graduated from high school I figured that this rivalry would likely end because of everyone going their separate ways and low and behold this one did not. He was still in my life as we had some mutual friends and he would be at some of the same places that I was heading to. I felt like at this point it was best to really try to bury the hatchet with this guy. We had been feuding with each other since we were in elementary school so I really felt like it was time to just try to settle this and move on to something else to let us both go on with your lives like we are true adults. When I first attempted to do this he just kinda laughed and acted like there was no way this had any chance of ever happening. So I decided that this just wasn't going to happen at this point in time and just let it go. After that I didn't see him for a little while and wondered what had happened. I almost felt concerned because even though how we felt about each other I had known him for a long time and didn't want anything bad to happen. I finally saw him again about 4 months ago and I asked him where he had been. He explained that he had a few bad things come up in life that he had to take care of so he didn't really have time to go to parties and just hang out anymore. I felt like he was in a bad place so I asked him to dinner with me and he said ok. When we could just sit down and talk together we really hit it off with one another right away. I feel like this was truly a day that changed my life as today we are together and looking to get married. When we really got to know each other we realized that we were a perfect match and maybe the reason we didn't get a long all those years ago was because we were just to much alike so it caused friction between us. I am truly grateful that we got to sit down and realize that we we're meant to be together. +When I was growing up I could not stand dealing with this person. We really didn't get a long very well in school to the point that we had become rivals even though we were of opposite genders. We would go out of our ways to mess with each other and just do things to make the others life more difficult while we were going to school together. As we got older and popularity in high school mattered we would do things to mess with the other in that regard to. I felt like this rivalry between us would never end because he would always end up getting the better of me when it came to our little wars of words going back and forth. When I graduated from high school I figured that this rivalry would likely end because of everyone going their separate ways and low and behold this one did not. He was still in my life as we had some mutual friends and he would be at some of the same places that I was heading to. I felt like at this point it was best to really try to bury the hatchet with this guy. We had been feuding with each other since we were in elementary school so I really felt like it was time to just try to settle this and move on to something else to let us both go on with your lives like we are true adults. When I first attempted to do this he just kinda laughed and acted like there was no way this had any chance of ever happening. So I decided that this just wasn't going to happen at this point in time and just let it go. After that I didn't see him for a little while and wondered what had happened. I almost felt concerned because even though how we felt about each other I had known him for a long time and didn't want anything bad to happen. I finally saw him again about 4 months ago and I asked him where he had been. He explained that he had a few bad things come up in life that he had to take care of so he didn't really have time to go to parties and just hang out anymore. I felt like he was in a bad place so I asked him to dinner with me and he said ok. When we could just sit down and talk together we really hit it off with one another right away. I feel like this was truly a day that changed my life as today we are together and looking to get married. When we really got to know each other we realized that we were a perfect match and maybe the reason we didn't get a long all those years ago was because we were just to much alike so it caused friction between us. I am truly grateful that we got to sit down and realize that we we're meant to be together. +"Over Memorial Day weekend I took a vacation with my two grown sons and my boyfriend. We had planned for months and I had my fingers crossed as to how it would go. It is difficult to coordinate 4 people meeting from 3 cities. My boyfriend drove to Newark to visit his daughter and her family. On Saturday morning, I flew into Newark where Doug picked me up outside. The timing was perfect. We drove to NYC to drop off items for my younger son's apartment. My older son had taken the train up to NYC on Thursday and stayed with his brother. He was able to visit school friends. We all fit in the small car and continued on to Cape Cod. The condo rental was nice and near the beach so that evening we hit the grocer and planned for the next day. We got up early to take the first ferry to Martha's Vineyard. The air was cool and the view wonderful. As soon as we hit land, we rented bikes and headed for an hour long ride to Edgartown and the lighthouse. We witnessed a wedding in front of the lighthouse and proceeded to an outdoor meal of seafood at a really nice restaurant. We toured a bit by bike and shopped. We then biked back and walked out bikes through the historic cottages of Martha's Vineyard. We finished out ride and got the bikes back before closing and took one of the last ferries back to the Cape. We then went to the Knob that we read about in travel guide for sunset. It just undeveloped piece of land which people go to catch a gorgeous sunset. It was really the icing on a wonderful day. We all enjoyed the day so much and we enjoyed each other. I don't often get a chance to connect with my sons as they live on the East Coast. I am from Kansas City. Sharing adventures is a great way to really appreciate the time that we have." +"My two sons, my boyfriend, and I took a trip to Cape Cod this past May for a vacation. It was the first time that my boyfriend had traveled with my boys. We've been together for 2 years, and he really gets along well with my boys. But still, I was a little nervous about how it would go. I am pleased to say it went really well. We rented a house to stay for the week that we were there. It was nice because we could cook our meals right there. We were also able to rent bikes. We went on a number of bike rides throughout the area. My boyfriend took the boys on a few rides just the 3 of them as well, which was really nice. Little did I know, they were also planning a surprise for me. We did a beautiful tour of lighthouses by sunset. Lighthouses are something I really like to see. As we were watching the sun set, my boyfriend dropped down on one knee to propose! And he had my sons read a poem to me. It was sooo sweet that he included them. Of course, I said yes. Wow, what an amazing trip!" +"My family, and aunt in particular, experienced immense and sudden loss a few years ago. My aunt was trying the best she could to deal with her grief but had a mental break due to the stress. This was actually the best thing that could have happened to her. My aunt lost her only child tragically and suddenly a few years ago after losing her mother (my grandmother) 4 months before. She thought she was dealing with her grief and she probably was the best way she could at that time, but she really was not. She let grief take her over. It was extremely painful for me and our other family members to witness this. At one point she hit rock bottom and had a complete mental break. This ended up being the best thing for her and made her realize that she wasn't and hadn't been dealing with her grief. So she started making steps to start dealing with her grief and emotions surrounding my cousin's death. She seems to be on the mend now, but I still remain cautiously optimistic. She has made herself more stable both emotionally and physically and is taking good risks now. She is showing a bravery that I knew she had in her all along, she had just allowed the grief to take over. I was very close to my cousin. We were only 18 months apart and she was my only female cousin on both sides of the family. The loss of her hit me very hard as well and I tried very hard to not let grief take me over. Grief changed me. I'm not the same person and I don't necessarily have the same outlook on life anymore but I realize how difficult it can be to fight grief from overtaking you after such heavy losses and I'm so proud of my aunt for clawing her way back and starting to live her life again." +"This year is the 5th anniversary of the death of my cousin whom I was very close with. She was 30 years old when she passed away suddenly. She passed away only 4 months after our grandmother passed away. So her mom (my aunt) not only lost her mother but also lost her only child all within a few months. My aunt was trying her best to keep her head above water and grieve in her own time and way but she completely let grief take her over. I had been witnessing a steady decline in her mental health the past few years and her behavior getting more erratic and manic and suspected that she was self-medicating. This became clear around Christmas time this year when she was staying with our family for the holiday and she was inebriated so much that she did not realize that she had accidentally turned on the gas on the gas stove in the middle of the night. Luckily my brother smelled the gas and remedied the situation. So that incident told me that she was not doing well at all. Then a couple of months later in the spring she had a complete mental break. Which in a way was what she needed I think, as much as it pained me to see her like this. I think she finally needed to break and hit rock bottom and scare herself to realize how much she had not been dealing with her grief. We had long talks about this, she and I, and she admits that she had not actually been dealing with her grief even though she thought she was and doing it to the best of her ability. We started sharing our travels of grief and I confided in her that I had gone to grief therapy, which she knew was a huge step for me because I have been against myself (only myself) going to therapy since I was made to go to family counseling against my will when I was younger. I told her how angry I had become after losing both my grandmother and my cousin and that anger was how grief had manifested in me. I also told her that it was OK to let grief in even though it is so painful. The more you push it down the worse it will be to overcome later. She worked hard to pull herself up to a ""standing position"" and is since doing much better and has found a great community to support her and seems to be getting back on her feet." +"My oldest child is thriving in her new environment. She is excelling at school and meeting the demands of living in an apartment versus our house or a dorm with maturity. She is so enjoying having a kitchen at any hour of the day or night. She is branching out with her kitchen skills and making candy. This is one of the ways that she manages her stress. She is extraordinarily shy but is handling dealing with the leasing office with questions that have arisen and navigating an inconsiderate room mate issue. She is doing very well with her budgeting, paying bills on time, grocery shopping and preparing her meals. She is fascinatingly frugal. It has now been 2.5 months since we have seen her. Looking at the calendar with her because I miss her and want to visit she is firmly but kindly letting me know she has a lot of responsibility and a visit will set her behind and mess with her routine she has established. She thrives on routines and a visit would throw hers off and be a source of stress. Even though she misses us, she is self advocating for what she knows is best for her. With Thanksgiving approaching I expressed concern about her being alone for the holiday weekend. She let me know she is reaching out to a friend group to see who is around and making plans. Then let me know she will be home for a month two weeks after Thanksgiving which is not far off. I am very proud of her and love seeing her mature on a weekly basis. She is growing into be even more responsible and independent than I thought she would at this stage of her life. And she's right. She's got this. She's been on the Dean's List each semester in a major so demanding the Advisors for it do not cheer them on but rather question their commitment since most classes will not transfer to a different major. Her tenacity and determination are awe-inspiring." +"Today we packed the pickup truck full of my older daughter's stuff to move her to her first apartment. We then drove to Tempe, AZ to meet her and help her move. This is such a big step as a parent, having your first move out to an apartment. It seems so much more important and different than when she moved to the dorm. The dorm was strictly for two semesters whereas the apartment is a year long lease that ends after her next school year starts. This is the beginning of her being even more grown up and on her own. She will most likely never live with us full time ever again. The moment is filled with pride, seeing how she has grown and going after her dream. She is an amazing person. Empathetic, loyal, a great example to her younger siblings, still painfully shy, yet emerging as this fiercely independent young woman who is willing to step out of her comfort zone to overcome the obstacles she encounters, one who knows she has value and a right to be seen as equal. Last school year her younger sister attended the same college. They lived in separate wings of the same dorm. I liked the comfort of knowing she had her best friend available at all times. This time is different as her sister has decided to change colleges and is at home for this year. She is off campus, attending events at night where she makes her way to her apartment without the security escort the college has available for those living on campus. She has worked out a good system to ensure her safety. She is learning to juggle her studies with the demands of keeping up a living space and shopping and cooking all her meals. I miss her terribly but am so in awe of this person and I can't wait to see how she conquers the male dominated world she is entering." +"Thomas... surprised me. About a week ago, I was taking Thomas out with me to run some errands. We were at Target, getting some items for the house when I noticed him becoming a little excited. He always reacts near the same way when excited, his therapist said it's called ""stimming"" which is very normal for an autistic person to do when they are overwhelmed. I looked over and saw our old family friend, George, who used to come over quite a bit when Thomas was a teenager. He helped him out or just watched him while I tended chores. It started for I could stop it, Thomas was off. I almost yelled after him, but I didn't want to cause a scene in public. We get enough looks as it is in public. I was... and still am surprised. He was able to carry a conversation with George... surprisingly well. No weird offshoots of random conversation. No repeating a million times over and over the same question or thing. It was almost like the disability had shed his mind for the smallest of moments. I was so proud. Watching him stim lightly and just enjoy the conversation of an old friend. George was proud, and my heart is still singing with joy at the encounter." +"Thomas... surprised me. About a week ago, I was taking Thomas out with me to run some errands. We were at Target, getting some items for the house when I noticed him becoming a little excited. He always reacts near the same way when excited, his therapist said it's called ""stimming"" which is very normal for an autistic person to do when they are overwhelmed. I looked over and saw our old family friend, George, who used to come over quite a bit when Thomas was a teenager. He helped him out or just watched him while I tended chores. It started for I could stop it, Thomas was off. I almost yelled after him, but I didn't want to cause a scene in public. We get enough looks as it is in public. I was... and still am surprised. He was able to carry a conversation with George... surprisingly well. No weird offshoots of random conversation. No repeating a million times over and over the same question or thing. It was almost like the disability had shed his mind for the smallest of moments. I was so proud. Watching him stim lightly and just enjoy the conversation of an old friend. George was proud, and my heart is still singing with joy at the encounter." +"When I was 25 I found out my father had metastatic cancer. I took the diagnosis really hard. I was always so close to my father. My father and I had a special relationship that not many people can say they've had. When finding out about his diagnosis I was about to start my college courses in New York. I think I was in denial, thinking that there was going to be some time, and medicine that would cure it. I had high hopes that everything was going to be okay. While I was away in New York in college he passed away suddenly. It was really sudden since the diagnosis to the end of his time. I was completely in shock. I wasn't there with him, which I felt terrible for. I know my father didn't want to tell me how serious his condition was. I thought maybe he just wanted me to stay in New York so I dint have to witness him in the condition that he was in. I took time away from college to attend my fathers services, I know that I have to carry on my plan as expected, because that is what he wanted me to do. So as i carry on his name I want to make him proud. My father will always be with me, looking down on my journey in life." +"Yesterday was the big day! My wedding was the best day of my life so far. Everything went as planned without a hitch. The weather was perfect for mid-April; no rain, sunny skies, and a comfortable temperature. My favorite part of taking pictures at the park was when Olive was with us. I love that dog. I can remember the fluttering feeling in my heart perfectly as I walked down the aisle with my dad, trying to hold back tears. I was so nervous when Jake held my hands as RJ began the ceremony. I kept focusing on all of the people looking at me. Our first dance was perfect and romantic. At the end of the night, we were able to sneak up to the rooftop bar together. The cool night sky overlooking downtown was beautiful. Today we leave for our honeymoon. I'm overwhelmed by all of the love and gifts we received. I can't wait to spend the next week on the beach with my husband." +"Six months ago, I was at work when my wife called. That she had a surprise news for me and she isn't going to tell me till I'm back from work. I persuaded her to reveal what is but she insisted that she isn't going to tell me over the phone and she hung up. After receiving her call, I finished up with the work I have on my table and I started going home. On getting home, she divulged the surprise news to me that she's 3 months pregnant and I was extremely excited. So, I told her to get prepared because we'll be travelling tomorrow to visit my family since it's been long we visited them. We woke up very early the next day and we went to the park to board a bus. I had a long road trip with my children which was very tiring and stressful. But eventually, we got there. We were welcomed by all and after settling down, I told them that we are expecting a new baby! My big sister was so happy about it and talked to my hears that she has something to discuss with me. I left my wife and His brother in the sitting room while i took a work with my big sister. She discuss with me her new business she's about to open. And she wanted me to introduced this to my wife. Later that day we had a nice time spending with each other and all day was fun." +"Three months ago I was asked if I had time to be a Big Brother for a co-worker's son. There is nothing about the job I do for my employer that would qualify me for such a responsibility. But I was told by the parent they see something in me that assures them I could play a valuable role as a friend and mentor to the boy, whose father abandoned him and his mother two years prior and hasn't been heard from since. I wasn't quite sure I could fulfill a commitment to her son. But was flattered she would ask me and I found it difficult to tell her no. I agreed to meet her son the following weekend and we would allow him to make the choice of whether he wanted to spend time with me. The mother was being careful not to decide for her son that he should consider me a mentor. The following weekend I arrived at my co-worker's home to meet her son. He was only 12 years old but he expressed a fondness for my car I would ordinarily expect from a teenager. My car is a 2019 Ford Mustang. My car is as close I've come to something precious to me, for I have never had children of my own. The boy was eager to go for a ride in my car. And with his mother's urging, we took a short drive. He was very curious about the specifications of the engine and features. He operated the satellite radio while he fired off questions he had about the vehicle. He touched the interior surfaces and commented on how nice and new the car was. He liked the seats, the controls and even marveled at the dashboard sensor gauges. I was pleased the ride was a pleasant experience for him and admired his well-behaved demeanor. I took him back home and thanked him and his mother for the introduction. I agreed to come back the next weekend and continue this role as a Big Brother. It had turned out to be an experience I had no expectation of personal satisfaction, yet that is exactly how I felt when the visit was over." +"My son was graduating last Saturday from his Masters in Landscape Architecture. He has been hard working on this degree for the past three years. He really wanted his family to be there to see him walk across the stage and receive his diploma and celebrate with him. We all woke up pretty early that morning, around 6am, so that we could all go to his graduation. My son had to go ahead of us to prepare for the graduation with his classmates. So he got his robe, hat and tassel, and drove to the school ahead of us around 7am because the school was about 2 hours away. Me and my husband wanted to leave at 8am to make it to the 10am graduation. However, because of a ""bathroom incident"", we didn't end up leaving until 8:30am. On the way to the graduation, the traffic was okay and smooth. My husband drove a bit over the speed limit, but luckily there was no issue. We actually got to the school with 10 minutes to spare, but there was no more parking in the school's lot. We searched around for about 5 minutes and found a spot a couple blocks away. I grabbed my purse with the tickets and ended up having to run all the way to the school. We got there just in time to hear my son's name being called, and told my husband to quickly take out his camera so we could record the moment. I'm so happy we made it just in the nick of time." +"This was just a crazy wild day! I live in suburban Orlando and my son's graduation was in downtown Orlando. Normally a 20 minute drive. ON the day of his graduation, he had to be there a few hours early for rehearsal. So, my intention was to drop him off and come home and shower and get ready and pick up his aunt and uncle who had come from out of town. Well, the plan started out well and I got him ready and dropped him off at the venue. Just about that time, two other nearby graduations were getting out and I was in gridlock. All of the stop lights were turned off and the police were directing pedestrian traffic. An hour later, I am no further than a half a mile where I dropped him off. I had no choice but to wait it out. I had to pick up his aunt and uncle. When I finally got out of the gridlock I just sped as fast as I could go! See, I never ever ever speed. I've being driving for 40 years without a single ticket. I was in a complete panic that there would be no time to get back. I zipped home in no time. I got out and showed and dress in about 5 minutes-wet hair and all and picked up my sister and her husband. Somehow, we got there just in the nick of time and mad it to see him on the stage." +"This was just a crazy wild day! I live in suburban Orlando and my son's graduation was in downtown Orlando. Normally a 20 minute drive. ON the day of his graduation, he had to be there a few hours early for rehearsal. So, my intention was to drop him off and come home and shower and get ready and pick up his aunt and uncle who had come from out of town. Well, the plan started out well and I got him ready and dropped him off at the venue. Just about that time, two other nearby graduations were getting out and I was in gridlock. All of the stop lights were turned off and the police were directing pedestrian traffic. An hour later, I am no further than a half a mile where I dropped him off. I had no choice but to wait it out. I had to pick up his aunt and uncle. When I finally got out of the gridlock I just sped as fast as I could go! See, I never ever ever speed. I've being driving for 40 years without a single ticket. I was in a complete panic that there would be no time to get back. I zipped home in no time. I got out and showed and dress in about 5 minutes-wet hair and all and picked up my sister and her husband. Somehow, we got there just in the nick of time and mad it to see him on the stage." +"It was a hectic week to say the least. But it ramped up around Thursday when most of the group was there. We had a huge 40 inch pizza sitting in the living room. We had five of us sleeping in the living room on couches and in the hallway as well. We went as a group to a Dave and Buster's like arcade. I won a couple of people some anime figurines. I watched a friend play DDR. And we just generally hung out and dicked around. It was a great night. We got back home and then as a giant group played some Jackbox. It was a helluva day overall where we all just hung out and did cool stuff. I'll look back fondly, because I don't get to hang out with people in person very often. So it was great to get out of my shell, talk to actual people and actually physically do things. It's important for you own self to get out and do things. Even if it's just going out alone, and even better if it's with people, get out and do stuff." +"Last month I went to a thing called Birthday Week that my friend in Kentucky hosted for a bunch of online friends! I had reservations about going because I'm a shy person. But I knew most of these people a bit and it would be a good time learning about where I'm soon moving to! So I hopped in my car and took the 7-8ish hour drive to the house and the adventure began. I got there as the second person, so for a day it was just a few of us chilling. The next day more people started filing in and we went out to eat for the first time. The third day is is when things really ramped up as we ordered a huge 40 inch pizza and the bulk of the people that I connected with the most arrived. The next day we went to a pretty dope arcade as a group and the rest of the people that were coming arrived as well. We were in a packed house full with 13 people and it was crazy. People were sleeping everywhere imaginable. The next day, the 13 of us went out to eat, partook in some weed and played some video games like Jackbox and Smash Ultimate. We did so many little things like eating out as a cool kids group of us, went to a gaming bar, shopped at Wal-Mart at like midnight and just so many little fun moments I won't forget. People started leaving on Saturday, so we light off some fireworks in celebration. The last day I was there the few of us left went out to eat and then I took off to head home in the afternoon. It was a pretty dope week." +"Three months ago, after deciding he was fed up with the slew of roach/mice issues, run down appliances, and poor communication from the property owners, my boyfriend decided to break the lease for his studio apartment and search for a different apartment in the city. I had long since stopped spending time here - the first sign of bugs was enough for me - and I had to admit the strain of only hanging out at my place (we were not living together) was beginning to wear on us both. His landlord insisted the issues would be brought under control, and he did hire pest control and repairmen; however, it was too little, too late, and my boyfriend broke his lease. He asked for my help one day with looking for a new place. I was happy to oblige, having moved around the city a number of times in the last few years. ""Are you looking for another studio apartment, or do you want to upgrade to a one bedroom?"" I'd asked. He told me it depended. ""On what?"" I asked. ""On you,"" he said, smiling. He asked me to move in with him, the next big step in our relationship. Immediately, I felt a wave of mixed emotions. I was happy and in love, and my mind immediately flashed to happy images of us living together - cooking fancy dinners together, snuggling on the couch, picking out ways to decorate the place. But I was also hesitant - I'd never lived with a significant other before; and on top of that, my sibling had just gone through a horrendous breakup where they had to move out of the apartment they and their partner were sharing, so that was definitely fresh in my mind. What if the same happened to us? We seemed to be building a life that would be near impossible to untangle. I suppose my emotions showed on my face. ""I want us to move to the next step. Isn't that what you want?"" my boyfriend asked me. I told him of course it was, and that I loved him with all my heart; but I wanted to be honest with my feelings, so I also told him I was a little nervous to take such a big step. ""It's what I want too,"" I told him. ""I am scared but I think it just means I care and I'm invested in our relationship."" We ended up finding a beautiful one bedroom apartment in a historic area of the city. I've never regretted my choice, despite that first flicker of fear. After all, life would be horribly boring without the need to take any risks." +"Three months ago, I drove 450 miles to visit my Mom for mother's day. Finally, I got a chance to make this happen this year. My boss was very understanding this time for allowing me to take one week off. I was very excited when my leave was approved. Immediately, I made plans that I could do with my parents during my stay. I purchased gifts for my mom on the same day of leave approval. On my way to my mom's place, I witnessed an interesting event. I was on the highway. I saw something on the road a few hundred feet ahead. So, I slowed down. When I approached the scene of interest; it was a gang of deers crossing the road. The funny thing was there was a tiny deer moving slowly and others were surrounding it while moving forward in order to cross. I took the video of the event to share with my mom. After, 7 hours of driving I reached my destination. I hugged my mom who was extremely excited to see me after a long time. We talked about everything. She was surprised and excited to see the video that I recorded on my way. The next evening, we went to a nice restaurant to celebrate Mother's day." +"Every five years, a large event occurs in which thousands and thousands of people from my religion come together to fellowship, worship, and spend time together. Ten years ago, I attended it for the first time. Five years ago, I was one of the few selected to help be responsible for running all of the background events, activities, and safety. At that time, I thought it would be last one I was able to attend due to future work and school commitments. However, several weeks ago, my friend surprised me with the information that we would be able to go and participate, even if it were for only a few days instead of the entire week. I was so excited that I would be able to go and at least participate in some of the activities. We found a group of friends that agreed to host us and provide us with a place to camp (everyone camps out at this event) and feed us. The large evening meetings were the most impactful however. Since we were unable to go for the entire week, I had watched some of the previous programming on the live stream available. But the feeling and experience were not the same. With our group of friends, we managed to get seats right at the front which allowed for a one of a kind view. In years past, I had never been able to sit that close. The evening of the program, while we were sitting close, I could feel the emotion and inspiration around me and on the stage with the programming. When it came time to sing the theme song one last time, everyone was on their feet singing along, shouting the words as loudly as possible. It was dark, so the only lights were on the stage at that time, but turning a looking back it was a sea of starlight (provided by the flashlights on everyone's phones). It was beautiful sight to behold. It made me feel a sense of belonging and community, even though the majority of the people present I probably have never and never would meet. That sense of belonging, awe, and wonder made me realize just how connected we are throughout the entire world even when our paths only cross for a moment." +I was part of attending a celebration of the installment of new grassy turf on the playground at the animal shelter. The shelter invited the media and other guests to share the celebration of getting this turf installed. The turf was donated by a company in the community. For many years all there was was dirt on the playground and the dogs would get very dirty when they went out to play. Several volunteer groups were instrumental in getting this turf. The local commissioners were there for the celebration and the shelter chief was there for the celebration. Refreshments were served and shelter souvenirs were available to give to selected participants in the celebration. Many of the old volunteers were at the celebration and we all were so excited. The playground looked great and the turf is so much better for the dogs to go out and play. They don't have to have a bath now after playing on the playground. The installation of the new turf was part of some revitalization of the shelter to show the community that the new management was serious about helping the shelter environment. I walked around and met several old friends that had been a part of the shelter. It was a very good day to see this finally installed for the dogs. It was a great day for talking about the future of the shelter with more improvments to come. The community came together for this project. +My grandmother passed away suddenly. I wish that I had spent more time with my grandmother. I always seem to put things off that I mean to do and I didn't realize that the loss of my grandmother would be so sudden. I feel so guilty for not spending more time with my grandmother or taking the time just to call and say how are you doing? The funeral was very moving and was attended by family members and friends of my grandmother that I had never met before. My grandmother went on several trips through her church and had numerous friends form her outings. I talked to several friends of my grandmother and they shared various stories and humorous interactions about my grandmother I never knew. I learned things about my grandmother from her friends that made me feel closer to my grandmother. My grandmother was a special person and had more wonderful qualities to her that I hope to carry on in my life. I consider my grandmother to have been a great role model for myself. I hope I make my grandmother proud in how I carry myself as a person and my actions through life. I have learned from this event in my life to spend more time with the people I care about and let them know how much they mean to me. Life is for an indefinite time and we need to make the most of it while we are here. People should not have to live with regrets of things they put off until it was too late. Live every day as if it were your last. +"My grandmother died earlier in the year. I had a hard time accepting it but I new it would happen soon. When it came time for the funeral I was mentally prepared, although still shaken up. When I got to the service I saw quite a few people I didn't know. My grandmother was a well loved person and many people came out. The service was beautiful and people had some great things to say. She had an amazing headstone engraved and her favorite flowers planted around her grave. I met some people from my family that I never knew existed! I talked with them and they told me some things about my grandmother that I had no clue about. She was so much more adventurous and daring than I had thought. I was told stories of when she was younger and how much she loved to travel. I hope to follow in her footsteps and be a great person as well. All in all the funeral helped me a lot and gave me some closure. I also have more people to talk to if I am in need. Thank you grandma for everything and I know you are watching over me. I love you tons." +"The first day of spring was the day my twins were born. I went in for a routine OB visit and it was determined we would be induced that day instead of waiting for them to arrive on their own. The induction went well and the babies arrived healthy. The whole hosptial knew of them by the time we left. Everything in my life has been so different since they arrived. I eat cold meals and rarely sleep more than 2 hours at a time. I have never had to talk to as many strangers as I do when I am out and about with twin babies. It has forced me to learn how to be more comfortable with speaking to people I dont know. I find that the more I do this the easier it is. I am also learning how to better just go with the flow of life, rather than always needing a to do list and a plan. The have brought so much joy in my life. And even though I have not had a decent nights sleep since they were born I am in the best place mentally that I have been in a long time. It amazes me every day how ok I am with just letting things go. Things that used to matter, like my to do list and sparkly clean home, no longer matter as much. I find what matters is being present with my children and bettering our lives for experiences rather than things." +"I went to Los Angeles to visit friends. It was a girls trip, so my husband and children were at home. This was the first time I had been on the West Coast and the first time in a long time that I had been away by myself without anyone from my family with me. The weather was amazing and I saw a lot of great things. We went on two tours, a Hollywood tour and a WB Studios Tour. It was really cool to see the back lots of WB Studios and even get to step foot on the stage of the Ellen show. I also got to see some of my favorite shows' sets and also got to see famous people's houses on the other tour. I also had some of the best food while there. We went to a restaurant that was part of LA restaurant week and I wasn't even sure what I was ordering, even with the descriptions. We went to another restaurant that wouldn't allow you to take pictures on your cellphones. That was really different, but great because it made us all focus on each other instead of technology. We also went to the beach and to an art museum. The beach was a great experience and it was the most diverse part of the city I saw. That was my first time stepping foot in the Pacific Ocean. I will never forget this trip because it reminded me that I'm still a person outside of work and family. I get lost in the daily grind and forget how to enjoy life. This trip made me so happy and I don't think I'll ever forget it." +"there are many things i do that make me feel happy, fulfill, and satisfied. I like to sing, take photograph, make pantomimes, participate in church and dramas, help others, etc. Everything I do has be great. I like using my imagination and being creative in everything i do. When my work represents my person is very well done. I am the type of of boy that every detail has to be covered, nothing more and nothing less. I usually go beyond what people expect of me. These are the things that make me feel this way. However, when something does not go as I want, or simply does not work out well I get frustrated, anxious, and drained. There are many things I mastered as a person but when I have my comfortable zone I get frustrated and lose myself. When you do things you bad never done before it requires more effort and more of me. In the other words, is going beyond what the person expects from you. Also, is thinking deeper than usual so everything can go as I plan. Therefore, is good to get out of your comfortable zone and try new things but I understand that not everyone has the capacity for a change as drastic as this one sometimes. it has helped me to make better decisions and work more with my emotions. For situation can change, make an action plan." +"I planned a weekend to Rocky Gap Casino for myself and my girlfriend for her birthday. She is not much of a gambler, but it is a resort that is on a lake that has many more activities for her. We had a few good meals, took a hike, and did stand up paddle boarding on the lake. The first evening, we went on a hike on around the lake. The intention was not to hike the entire thing, but as we made progress we figured we would just go for it. The hike was 5.5 miles in total. The weather was nice and it was a good time. After returning, we went to the casino for a little bit. As she is not a gambler, it is natural she won on her first few spins, and then quit gambling for the weekend. I did not have as much luck. On Saturday, we woke up and had a nice buffet breakfast on site. After we hung out outside on the lake and went paddle boarding. This was my first time paddle boarding. I picked up on it pretty quickly, but there were times that I was wobbly. I ended up falling on my face at one point. Luckily no one saw it until after I was laying on the board." +"Last month, my girlfriend and I went away on a mini vacation to Rocky Gap Casino Resort in Western Maryland. We went for a long weekend for her birthday. We left early Friday morning. It was about a 2.5 hour drive. Upon arrival and check in, we check into our room overlooking the lake. After check in, we had massages scheduled, so we went and got them. It was very relaxing and just what I needed. It was my first real massage ever, and now I want more! After that we laid around the room a little bit. We went to the sports bar on site for dinner. I got a spicy chicken sandwich and it was pretty good. We then went and gambled in the casino some. Miranda has never gambled, and she ended up winning on one of her first spins. I was not as fortunate. On Saturday, we went for a hike around the lake, which was about a 5 mile walk. After we went stand up paddleboarding on the lake. We finished the night with a nice dinner at another restaurant on site. All in all it was a great weekend." +"Dear Diary,This morning I almost forgot to say my daily prayer! I don't think God would mind if I missed one day, but I would certainly feel something was wrong if I did. Thankfully I saw the framed scripture I have on the wall and it reminded me. This morning I thanked God for helping me find a good job. It's part time, but I haven't had a job in months and was getting worried I never would. It's at a nice company and I love my coworkers so far. I'm still working on amazon mturk as well on the side. I'm not doing as much as I was before but it's still a nice bit of extra income. I also thanked God for the family I have left. My brother stopped by the other day to check on me. I'm always glad to see him, I know he's having a hard time too and we can support each other. I bet mom and dad would be proud of us. Really though I think the Church is the biggest support system for both of us. They welcomed us in no questions asked and have been great for us. I think God really wanted us to find that Church. If we pull off our plan to save up money and move back to California in a few years leaving the church will be the hardest part." +"Earlier this year I decided it was time to start taking antidepressants to help deal with the chronic depression and anxiety I'd been suffering from for the past few years. I went to the doctor and was prescribed Sertraline. The medication helped with the anxiety immediately. I continued on the course prescribed by my doctor: continue taking the Sertraline and increase the dose at regular weekly intervals. I began taking the smallest dose, 25 milligrams. In the following weeks I upped the dose to 50mg, then 100mg, then 150mg. After several days on the 150mg dose, I began feeling somewhat ill with stomach problems and a bit of increased anxiety. I was informed enough to know that these were symptoms of a potentially dangerous condition known as seratonin syndrome which is caused by elevated levels of seratonin in one's system. I immediately reduced my dosage of the Sertraline to 100mg. Knowing that I had another follow-up appointment with my doctor several days later I assumed that my seratonin levels would drop by the time of the appointment and then we could discuss weaning myself off of the Sertraline. In the time leading up to the appointment my seratonin levels continued to spike though, and while the negative symptoms were increasing (hyperactivity, shakiness, muscle tremors) the spike also triggered a breakthrough in my depression that was so powerful I can only equate it to what one might call a ""spiritual"" awakening. I went to my docotr's appointment as planned. I explained the situation and events and was put on an accelerated plan to get off of the medication. It took several days to come down from the seratonin syndrome, but after that I still felt the positive effects of the breakthrough. With the weight of the depression lifted I've been able to devote more energy to self-care activities such as going to the gym and meditation." +"The say I learn you cheated on me was the most heartbreaking time of my life. We fought for hours I feel like because II’m more emotionally unstable then a lot of people realize. I hide it well, I try not to let what has happen to me take over my life. But there are days it gets to much for me to take on, and I feel over taken by the story no one knows. He have let be feeling like I am not worth anyones times. We have been together more then I have been with anyone, and this is how you treat out love? Or was there any love at all. Now I question everything and everyone around me. I would have give up so much to give you everything, and it seems you were willing to throw away everything we built for a time or lust and lies. I sit alone with my thoughts so many nights. In the still quietness of the reality that consumes my present, and all but assured future, I fall in the pit of its emptiness. The nothingness takes over far more often then I’d like to admit. YOu have caused me to question myself. This I will stay with me for a long time and I will find it hard to get past for a better future. I thought we were meant to send out life together. Not I know you were a block in my growth and will be hold be back. I dont want to see you every again. I wish I never met you." +"The say I learn you cheated on me was the most heartbreaking time of my life. We fought for hours I feel like because II’m more emotionally unstable then a lot of people realize. I hide it well, I try not to let what has happen to me take over my life. But there are days it gets to much for me to take on, and I feel over taken by the story no one knows. He have let be feeling like I am not worth anyones times. We have been together more then I have been with anyone, and this is how you treat out love? Or was there any love at all. Now I question everything and everyone around me. I would have give up so much to give you everything, and it seems you were willing to throw away everything we built for a time or lust and lies. I sit alone with my thoughts so many nights. In the still quietness of the reality that consumes my present, and all but assured future, I fall in the pit of its emptiness. The nothingness takes over far more often then I’d like to admit. YOu have caused me to question myself. This I will stay with me for a long time and I will find it hard to get past for a better future. I thought we were meant to send out life together. Not I know you were a block in my growth and will be hold be back. I dont want to see you every again. I wish I never met you." +"Dear Diary, I'm never smoking marijuana again! Last week when I was on vacation in Indonesia, Jessie convinced me to smoke with him. I told him no because I don't do drugs. Also, I don't even know where he got the marijuana from. Anyways.. he eventually convinced me to try it. Honestly, it was the worst experience ever. I tried to sleep it off but I was wide awake. I eventually decided to go on a jog to a nearby shop for snacks... BIGGEST MISTAKE EVER! I wasn't even halfway there when this creep in front of a rundown motel grabs my arm mid-jog. He kept pointing at a room window where there were a couple girls in the window that looked to be about thirteen or fourteen years. I was so disgusted. I yanked my arm away and ran all the way back to the hotel. I locked the hotel door and stayed locked in the room until the vacation was over. I won't be coming back here anytime soon. Thinking back I probably should've called the cops on that creep. Anyways... remember to say no to drugs! This was my first and only encounter with drugs." +"I went to a wedding for one of my closest friends. It was out of town and took me about 4 hours to drive there. It was nice catching up with lots of old friends I saw there. There were lots of people I didn't expect to be there. It was a nice surprise. I had a lot of fun catching up with everyone there. I didn't want to go at first because it was kind of far away. Also I was moving that weekend. I decided to go after my friend, the groom, asked me over and over again on the phone. I'm glad I ended up going. I probably wouldn't have he didn't call me up personally to try and persuade me to come. It was a decently lengthy road trip and I'm glad the weather was nice. I planned to go and come back the same day but that didn't end up happening. I decided to spend the night out of town. I ended up having more fun than I planned. It was a great trip overall." +"I remember going to my first cousins Angela's wedding. It was in St. Louis, Mo. It was her 2nd marriage. Her first marriage was annulled at the age of 17 because she was underage at the time of marriage. Anyway now she was 23 and very happy the way things turned out. What I remember most about the wedding was that there was no alcohol served of any kind. Made for a very nice evening. No stupid tricks, no arguments, and no one following down drunk at the reception. Just a nice ceremony, good food, good dancing, and good fellowship. As the night wore on everybody was enjoying themselves. I was too and so was my wife. It was good to see how she got along with my family. This was the first time she had met the farmers from my father's side of the family. Anyway the reception broke up at 2:00AM. Then everyone went back to their hotels." +"I remember going to my first cousins Angela's wedding. It was in St. Louis, Mo. It was her 2nd marriage. Her first marriage was annulled at the age of 17 because she was underage at the time of marriage. Anyway now she was 23 and very happy the way things turned out. What I remember most about the wedding was that there was no alcohol served of any kind. Made for a very nice evening. No stupid tricks, no arguments, and no one following down drunk at the reception. Just a nice ceremony, good food, good dancing, and good fellowship. As the night wore on everybody was enjoying themselves. I was too and so was my wife. It was good to see how she got along with my family. This was the first time she had met the farmers from my father's side of the family. Anyway the reception broke up at 2:00AM. Then everyone went back to their hotels." +"While at work, I was outside on a busy street with a few of my coworkers. We were assisting with the functionality of our business when we were disturbed by a group of people screaming on the street. They seemed to be yelling in a direction together, however they were yelling at no one. We continued working and tried to down out the yelling even though it was very distracting and was interrupting our work. As the group got closer, we started to wonder if they were going to target us as bystanders. We began to collect and discuss our course of action if this group were to get hostile. They passed on the inside sidewalk of the street adjacent to our location. When they had passed we resumed work as normal. A couple minutes pass and the same group, still angry, passes by our location even closer. They seemed to be making glances in our direction and this time were more threatening. We tried to ignore them until they were closer, then proceeded to alert our manager. When the group was closing in, my manager grouped some of us together for safety purposes. The group passed us in the same disruptive manner, however they did not disturb us. Afterwards we were very on edge doing work in that location. Working under such public conditions proved to be terribly difficult." +"So I am usually a people pleaser. I also hate to be the cause of conflict. So here I am, at work, feeling queasy from morning sickness (I’m 8 weeks)And I get a message from DH’s Aunt. She asks me if I had anything planned for my birthday which is in about 3 weeks. I figure she’s just organising her families calendar, so I say “nothing as of yet, when I do it might just be low key pizzas at our house” (We are actually organising something so we can announce we are pregnant to his family!)And she writes a spiel about her MLM (I forgot she was involved in) and how she can host a party for me and my friends and it will be loads of fun and we will get loads of freebies and blah blah blah. And I instantly get a cold sweat, I wonder how I can explain to her that I’m fundamentally against supporting MLMs without pissing her off, if it’s less hassle to just let her throw one, while also being irritated that she would even ask. Every invite I’ve received from her so far on FB, I’ve just ignored, hoping she wouldn’t notice me among all the other women she invited. Then the hormone monster took over for a second, and I wrote “No, thank you” and hit send. And she wrote back “Oh, OK” And that’s it! And now I’m sitting here with a stupid grin on my face because I feel relieved that I didn’t do what I normally would do which is stew over it for days, trying to figure out how to tiptoe around the issue, or bean dip, meanwhile stressing myself out. My original instinct was not to “go on a rant”, it was the feeling of needing to justify my response, and the stress of trying to figure out how to justify my lack of wanting to be involved, without hurting any feelings. I did not say that MLM people are crazy monsters. I do think the MLM business model is unethical and I hate having friends and family trying to sell me things. But that wasn’t my point of posting. My point was that I was trying to come up with a good excuse or response and was feeling stressed about it, when all I needed to say was “no”. I’m very bad at doing that, and it felt good to do so. I did the same thing throughout my wedding, so I thought I’d share as a reminder that it’s okay to say no." +"Our son is now almost six months old now. Our daughter had problems using the potty. She finally on her own broke her fears and now uses the potty. We even got a call about our sons birth . We are owed money! How cool things are going great! School for our daughter was rocky in the beginning and now she is doing great! It’s awesome to watch them both grow. It’s great to see them hit milestones in their lives. Things are going well and hope the next six months will be even better! However not too fast as I we want to enjoy our children as much as we can. It’s been a joy to have the little one added to our family. It still hits me when I come home and see my family. It’s been an extra challenge, but we are up for it all. It’s well worth it . Seeing our family happy is a joy. It sure is every day!" +"Recently about one month ago we had our second child. It was our first boy! We were very happy to have a boy. We have one girl already and she is five. Adding a second child to our lives has been strange to me. Its just so different to have another child in the house. I will catch myself being surprised of that quite often. We are very happy to have him in the house. Our daughter has been very helpful with the baby. She is very excited to have a baby brother! She will help changing the baby and throwing his diapers away. She wants to show him his toys, but he is not ready for them yet. She does not quite understand why just yet. She will be starting kindergarden soon. Having this happen all at once the baby and her school has been tough. Hopefully soon everything will fall in to place. This even has been very emotional in several ways. The new baby and our daughter going to school. As a family we are strong and will get through the coming days." +"My dad got remarried. It came as a sudden surprise as he had not told us anything about it and so me and my younger brother were shocked. The emotional wounds of losing our mother 2 years prior were still fresh and the pain had yet to fade. So when he invited us out to dinner and brought along a lady-friend, we were surprised to say the least when he announced to us that this was his fiance and that they were to be wed in a few days. Our dad was never really close to us growing up so communication was always a little awkward. We respected him and he respected us, but he was never much of a ""father"". Instead it was our mom that kept us on track, fed us, drove us to all our activities, and was there when we needed someone to talk to. I guess this is typical of an Asian family, stereotype or not. But still, he mourned just as much as me or my brother when it came to the loss of our mom and I had felt our familial ties pull taught as now we were down to just the three of us. At that time I was just graduating college and my brother was transferring between universities, so none of us were prepared to lose someone so important so early on. It felt like our lives were just beginning and we imagined our mom to be there every step of the way, to introducing our future girlfriends to eventually seeing our mom hold our future kids with the same love that they had blessed our childhood with. All of that was gone now. So him announcing his new marriage just 2 years later felt so fast and abrupt to me. I felt like we barely had any time to process my mom's death, and now I suddenly had to face another big shift in our family. Maybe it partly had to due with my dad's lack of communication, but that fault also laid with me as I had not really attempted to make any headway in understanding each other either. So I guess in hindsight it's understandable, why he chose to wait until the very last minute to announce a new family member. It didn't feel like a replacement of our mom. It just felt like a new companion for our dad, someone to keep him busy and help him move on. I still don't even refer to her as ""mom"" but as ""auntie"" and she seems to be very understanding of such. After all, how can you replace someone that loved you for 25 years of your life. My dad got an early start, and we're all starting to progress in our own lives now, but the memory of my mom lives on." +"Earlier on in the year, my girlfriend and her family invited me to go on a trip with them. We would be going to South Texas to float on fish on a river, and do some camping for several days. My girlfriend and I are in a long distance relationship, so I take every opportunity that I can to see her. We planned the trip for several months, and brainstormed many different places in Texas to go for the trip. For a while, we were going to go to a local lake, but decided that it was a little bit too primitive. For a while, we also thought that we would all be in tents, but eventually we sourced a camper from a family friend, and we thought it would be fun for all of us to stay in it together. Finally, after a few months of planning, we decided on a pretty nice campground along a river south west of San Antonio. We had heard great things about this place, so we made up our minds pretty quickly. We got their on a Thursday night (I drove alone, as I live in a different city from my girlfriend and her family) and we set up the camper. It was really hot, around 99 degrees, but once the sun went down it was not so bad. One of the things I remember most fondly about this trip was actually falling asleep next to my girlfriend that first night we got to the campground. Since we do not live together, sleeping together is really special for us. Obviously though, we didn't do anything much more than some kissing, because we were sharing the camper with other people. Over the next few days we did a lot of really fun activities. We rented some kayaks from a local man, and we went up and down the river in them. The water was super clear, and the scenery was just beautiful. At night, we had a campfire, drank beer, told jokes, and just enjoyed each other's company. Looking back, the thing I remember most about the trip was just being able to spend time with my girlfriend, and not necessarily what we did on our tip." +"In the beginning of June I went on a little bit of a vacation with my girlfriend and her family. We went on a camping trip to south Texas, by the Nueces river. My girlfriends family was able to get a tow-able camper for us to stay in, which ended up being a great thing because the weather hit over 100 degrees several times. I had brought a tent for my girlfriend and I to use, but I was glad that we were able to sleep in the camper instead because of the heat and humidity. During the trip we went fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and floating down the river. The water was pretty fast at times, but that made it even more exciting for us. Even though the weather was a little too hot, I was thrilled to spend some time with my girlfriend and her family. We have been together for two years, and our relationship has been a long distance one for the majority of that time. Because of this, I do not get to see her as often as I would like. We enjoyed the trip so much that we are thinking about going back to the same place some time in the near future. I would love to go in the fall (because it wouldn't be as hot), but if we want to go back when the weather is warm, I think we would have to go about a month earlier than we did. Overall, it was a great bonding experience for us all. My girlfriend and I cannot wait to go back. We had so much fun. In fact, we may plan a trip of our own next time." +"I am engaged to get married to a woman I have known for over a year. We met through socializing with our mutual friends. One of those friends, Judy, was very close to both of us. I had known Judy for two years from working with her in the company I still work for. My fiance, Betty, has known Judy since high school and until recently they were very close friends. A couple months ago we were all at a party thrown by a friend. Everybody had been drinking and socializing for an hour or so. All of sudden I heard Judy screaming at Betty. She called her a ""bitch"", and said she never wanted anything to do with her again. I was shocked, and walked over to them to see if I could calm things down. Judy looked at me and said, "" And you...you are the cause of all of this!"" Judy then stomped out of the party and we have not spoken since. I asked my fiance what this was all about, and she just shrugged and said she was shocked and did not know what the problem was. I have tried unsuccessfully to figure it all out. The best I can figure is that Judy had had a crush on me and felt that Betty had taken advantage of me. It seems crazy to end friendships over some silly jealousy, but that is the best explanation I can come up with. I am sad that it happened, but I feel like Betty and I are definitely not at fault. I can only hope that our relationships to Judy improve again over time." +"This is the story about when my wife and I got to ride the new Harry Potter ride at Universal Studios. We decided to spend our anniversary in Orlando. After pending a few days at Disney, we decided to go to universal studios and islands of adventure to check out the new Harry Potter ride. The ride had just come out a couple of weeks prior to us going. There were stories that the ride was randomly open and it was very difficult to ride due to the maintenance concerns. We decided to go early in the day and head straight to the Wizarding world of Harry Potter. After arriving at the ride entrance, we learned that it was closed. I spoke with some employees and they said it opens up at random times of the day with a huge 4 hour estimate. We decided to sit around and wait to see if it would open up in a reasonable amount of time. After about 15 minutes of waiting, we saw people start moving away from the entrance to some other area. We decided to follow and were surprised to see a holding area had opened up. We waited about 40 minutes in this holding area before the line started moving. As we got to the front of the line, they stopped us from continuing on so that cross foot traffic can proceed. We were let through after about 10 minutes of standing in the blistering sun and made our way to the ride. We were among the first 50 people to ride the ride that day and it was incredible. We were incredibly fortunate to be there at that time as we only had to wait about an hour total, where as we heard horror stories of people waiting 10 hours." +"My brother and sister in law came down to visit us in FL when we had a place right near the beach. Their kids came with them, and everyone stayed at our beach house for the week. We had a great time together. We went to a lot of restaurants - ones they do not have access to in Alaska, where they live. They got to try fresh mahi mahi and other fish from warm, southern waters. They most they get is cod and salmon, although they get them fresh as well. My sister in law also wanted to do a lot of shopping. She loves the Florida beach look, so we did a lot of shopping in nice gift shops and such. She bought a lot of decor and gifts for people, stuff that really represents the beach look and sand and surf. They have ocean in Alaska, obviously, but definitely not the white sand and warm beach waters that we have here! She also bought a lot of beach-type clothing, but since not is really appropriate for cold and snowy weather, she bought a lot of sweatshirts that said ""Florida"" on them. We spent a lot of time at the beach, which is my favorite thing to do. We showed them how to surf cast and fish for whiting and pompano and bluefish and sheepshead. We also took out our boat several times, and my sister in law caught a small black-tip shark! They really had a fun time, as did we. My brother in law even got me jogging again, since he is a competitive mountain runner and had to keep running while with us. He said the soft sand gave him a great workout! It was a really busy week, and it was a bit exhausting toward the end, but that's how it should be when friends and family come to visit. It was relaxing at times and harried at others, but all in all we had a fantastic time and can't wait to visit them in Alaska and continue our adventures. There is nothing like being with family and we want to continue to do this every year." +"I haven't seen my siblings in a long time. The fact that they called us and told us they were going to come over here in Florida really surprised me. I was excited about the fact that we were going to have a lot of activities planned here and it was during the summer as well. So they show up at our place on a Friday yesterday. We all greeted them and gave them a gave them a big hug. We let them get adjusted to arriving here in Florida due to them living in Texas. We spent the day eating dinner and reconciling in the living room. We felt like a genuine family and we bid them goodnight since we were going to the beach tomorrow. We went to the store early and bought everything needed to go. We went around 1pm since we wanted to get a good spot and avoid the crowds that were going to show up later. We then spent the whole afternoon playing football,swimming,sunbathing,and snorkeling there. We were quite sunburnt and we needed to wash off the sand off our feet and body so we were left around 7pm. We all took a shower since I wanted to invite them out on a seafood dinner. We went to this nice restaurant by a beach and the scenery was amazing. We were amazed by the food and the service that was provided and it was a bit expensive but it was so worth the price. We had a lot of fun with them here!" +We wanted to start something new and exciting. We wanted to see how far we could go in order to make our dreams come true. We both came from households that welcomed adventure so we thought it would be a good idea to go for the ride. We are both young and we like to have fun for the most part. The state we are going to make things happen is in California. So we just packed our things and said good bye and hello to California. I know this is a cut throat environment. It can be a little competitive at time but for the most part its something I am used to. We told family and they were shcked. They thought that we would come back never looking the same. Especially since they know what they do to people with low self esteem. I dont want to be labeled as such. So I am confident things will be ok. I am sure of it. Our parents raised us right. +We wanted to start something new and exciting. We wanted to see how far we could go in order to make our dreams come true. We both came from households that welcomed adventure so we thought it would be a good idea to go for the ride. We are both young and we like to have fun for the most part. The state we are going to make things happen is in California. So we just packed our things and said good bye and hello to California. I know this is a cut throat environment. It can be a little competitive at time but for the most part its something I am used to. We told family and they were shcked. They thought that we would come back never looking the same. Especially since they know what they do to people with low self esteem. I dont want to be labeled as such. So I am confident things will be ok. I am sure of it. Our parents raised us right. +"My wife and I moved back to my home state after several years living in Colorado a few months ago. We haven't moved back to my home town, but a couple of hours away. I had a friend who I'd known since I was a kid - we were friends all through elementary school and high school, and then I started touring with my band and we fell out of teach. Over the last decade or so I've searched for him just about every way - Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, just plain Google. I never found anything. A few weeks after we'd moved back and I started a new job I stopped in a gas station on my way to work to grab an energy drink; it was maybe 6:30am. I checked literally 3 times that my eyes didn't deceive me, but there my friend was. At 6:30 in the morning, in the same gas station, several towns over from where we both grew up. I was blown away. I walked all the way up to him before I said anything because I just couldn't believe it was happened. As soon as I said something he looked right up and recognized me, and straight away we started talking and catching up. He hadn't been in town longer either - maybe a year - so we were both kind of dumbfounded to see each other at all, nevermind in such a random place at a random time. We exchanged numbers and it turned out he'd tried to find me a few times over the years too. We've both gotten married and he has a few kids. We still haven't actually caught up in person over a beer but we will do soon." +"Me,my sister, and my three brothers took my Dad to Ireland, which was something he had always regretted not doing, and never thought he would get to before he died. He was 88, and we knew that this would make him so happy. The kindness and sheer simplicity of our visit is something that we all will never forget. The people of Ireland are friendly, welcome long lost kin as if we had been best friends forever, and take part in a simpler way of life that just held so much meaning for my Dad. Evenings were filled with music, as friends and family gather in someone's home for a nice night of Irish ballads, whiskey, good food, and lots of laughs. My dad loved the old fashioned meals, with fresh butter, eggs and vegetables right from the farm we were staying at. He could not get over all the sheep that his relatives owned. My Dad, even at 88, ( now 89), makes a point to walk about five miles a day, and found the little lanes and paths in the villages we stayed in to be special, like travellng back in time. The highlight of the trip was an AA meeting. My Dad came back from Korea and promptly developed a drinking problem, and very luckily, sought help from Alcohol Anonymous in 1954. The has faithfully gone to weekly meetings since then , and this year, celebrated 65 years sobriety. He went to a meeting not too far from where his grandfather grew up, met some wonderful people, and said it was a memory he will carry with him through eternity. Another great by product of this trip is how it keeps my siblings and I close. We each take turns choosing events or trips to take together to keep us close. We lost our mom when we were very young, and we know just how important family can be, because you can lose a part of it in an instant. That's why the Ireland trip was so important. For dad to meet cousins, and other relatives really made him feel part of his history. My brothers are into motorcycles, and while eating at a nearby pub, met some other like minded distant relatives, and went on a nice long ride all along that section of Ireland, on rented bikes. My brothers are all Harley boys, but enjoyed the Irish motorcycles a lot. One place Dad wanted to see , was St Patrick's Cathedral inDublin, so we took him there. We have a picture my brother Tim took, of Dad walked down the long aisle toward the altar. My dad is only five feet tall, and the majesty of the cathedral with my dad in the middle of it makes quite a statement. The memories of this trip will always be with us, long after my dad passes, and worth every penny and every minute." +"Me,my sister, and my three brothers took my Dad to Ireland, which was something he had always regretted not doing, and never thought he would get to before he died. He was 88, and we knew that this would make him so happy. The kindness and sheer simplicity of our visit is something that we all will never forget. The people of Ireland are friendly, welcome long lost kin as if we had been best friends forever, and take part in a simpler way of life that just held so much meaning for my Dad. Evenings were filled with music, as friends and family gather in someone's home for a nice night of Irish ballads, whiskey, good food, and lots of laughs. My dad loved the old fashioned meals, with fresh butter, eggs and vegetables right from the farm we were staying at. He could not get over all the sheep that his relatives owned. My Dad, even at 88, ( now 89), makes a point to walk about five miles a day, and found the little lanes and paths in the villages we stayed in to be special, like travellng back in time. The highlight of the trip was an AA meeting. My Dad came back from Korea and promptly developed a drinking problem, and very luckily, sought help from Alcohol Anonymous in 1954. The has faithfully gone to weekly meetings since then , and this year, celebrated 65 years sobriety. He went to a meeting not too far from where his grandfather grew up, met some wonderful people, and said it was a memory he will carry with him through eternity. Another great by product of this trip is how it keeps my siblings and I close. We each take turns choosing events or trips to take together to keep us close. We lost our mom when we were very young, and we know just how important family can be, because you can lose a part of it in an instant. That's why the Ireland trip was so important. For dad to meet cousins, and other relatives really made him feel part of his history. My brothers are into motorcycles, and while eating at a nearby pub, met some other like minded distant relatives, and went on a nice long ride all along that section of Ireland, on rented bikes. My brothers are all Harley boys, but enjoyed the Irish motorcycles a lot. One place Dad wanted to see , was St Patrick's Cathedral inDublin, so we took him there. We have a picture my brother Tim took, of Dad walked down the long aisle toward the altar. My dad is only five feet tall, and the majesty of the cathedral with my dad in the middle of it makes quite a statement. The memories of this trip will always be with us, long after my dad passes, and worth every penny and every minute." +"i am kane workingin private sector and i have used to day to day workers on to starting ''5 am to 10pm'' that has my whole and daily working and all some other cooking other activities also included of them i have many memeries onmy past life is more worry about them but i have recovered so on everything from work to school and everywhere in between. There are all different types of diaries, like food diaries, health diaries or academic diaries. But your diary doesn’t have to be specific if you don’t want it to be, it can also just be a place where you write about whatever you want. If you’re just getting started, maybe you haven’t decided what you want to write about, and that’s fine. That is what we are here for – to help you with all those moments of writer’s block you may be having. Our tips can help guide you and inspire you. Let’s begin! How to Start a DiaryTo start a diary, all you need is a willingness to write. Start by figuring out what you want to write in your journal. If you aren’t sure, simply start writing and see where that leads. It can also be useful to set a time limit in your early writing sessions. Set an alarm for 10 to 20 minutes and start writing. Keeping a diary is a great way to record your growth and personal development. More entries will allow you to look back and see what has changed over time. The earlier you start, the more grateful you will be later on. There's no time like the present - start your free online journal today! 8 Tips When Starting a DiaryWriting can be hard and getting started is usually the hardest part. If you feel like you don’t know how to write a diary entry, don’t stress over it. You can start writing about anything but. You can even write about how you can’t think of anything to write. Once you start getting words out some, they will start to flow naturally. 1. Decide to writeFirst, you need to decide you want to start a diary. Once you have decided you want to dedicate time to creating a diary, starting one will be easy. 2. Decide what to writeThis is definitely the hardest part when writing a diary, but it is used probably" +"I decided to go to the store around the corner to pick up a shirt. It was so close that I decided to walk to the store. My daughter walked with me to the clothing store. I looked around the store and found a few blouses to try on. I tried on the shirts and chose the one I wanted to keep. I paid for the item. I thanked the lady. We left the store and headed home. I put my change in my bag. I put receipt in the clothing bag. I dropped something on the ground and bent over to pick up the item. I got the item and we kept walking. Suddenly, I felt a slight breeze. However, I did not notice that my pants were ripped. Therefore, I did not try to hide the torn pants. I was walking and I noticed people staring at me. They were in a car riding by and staring at me as if they had never seen people. I told my daughter to check behind me because I did not see anything wrong with my daughter. She was walking slightly ahead of me. She saw my pants were ripped and my underwear wear showing. I was so embarassed. I practically powerwalked home in order to avoid more people seeing me." +"I decided to go to the store around the corner to pick up a shirt. It was so close that I decided to walk to the store. My daughter walked with me to the clothing store. I looked around the store and found a few blouses to try on. I tried on the shirts and chose the one I wanted to keep. I paid for the item. I thanked the lady. We left the store and headed home. I put my change in my bag. I put receipt in the clothing bag. I dropped something on the ground and bent over to pick up the item. I got the item and we kept walking. Suddenly, I felt a slight breeze. However, I did not notice that my pants were ripped. Therefore, I did not try to hide the torn pants. I was walking and I noticed people staring at me. They were in a car riding by and staring at me as if they had never seen people. I told my daughter to check behind me because I did not see anything wrong with my daughter. She was walking slightly ahead of me. She saw my pants were ripped and my underwear wear showing. I was so embarassed. I practically powerwalked home in order to avoid more people seeing me." +"This definitely got my attention. I wondered if I should call the cops. No, the other people will probably get to it. Because of the overall disturbance that ensued, I decided that i should let the others worry about the guy. Instead, I took the opportunity to get some free food out of the ordeal. I was grateful that no one paid much attention to me. The gas station snacks were strewn all over the floor. I put some Snickers bars in my pocket. Feeling guilty for some reason, I started helping the store personnel to clean up. I was thinking about the cameras and how I might get busted once the cops review the macing footage. This made me excited. No one seemed to care about a few snacks. They mostly bitched and whined about the crazy psycho that went on the macing rampage all of a sudden. After the cops came, I quickly bolted and wondered how it would have felt to mace other people. Hmm, maybe I should start seeking my shrink again.... That was my last thought in between chewing my ill gotten goods." +"This definitely got my attention. I wondered if I should call the cops. No, the other people will probably get to it. Because of the overall disturbance that ensued, I decided that i should let the others worry about the guy. Instead, I took the opportunity to get some free food out of the ordeal. I was grateful that no one paid much attention to me. The gas station snacks were strewn all over the floor. I put some Snickers bars in my pocket. Feeling guilty for some reason, I started helping the store personnel to clean up. I was thinking about the cameras and how I might get busted once the cops review the macing footage. This made me excited. No one seemed to care about a few snacks. They mostly bitched and whined about the crazy psycho that went on the macing rampage all of a sudden. After the cops came, I quickly bolted and wondered how it would have felt to mace other people. Hmm, maybe I should start seeking my shrink again.... That was my last thought in between chewing my ill gotten goods." +"I had 8 years clean and sober. One day I was watching TV and a beer commercial came on. It showed people relaxing and enjoying a nice cold beer. I had the thought that I missed being able to do that and thought that it had been long enough that I could handle a beer or glass of wine every now and then. I purchased a beer and handled it fine the first few occasions. However, soon my drinking became an issue. It got to the point where I had to have it daily and was drinking a lot quite regularly. My drinking quickly began to effect my family and work life. Within a few months, it got to the point where I knew it was unmanageable. That's when I reached out for help because I knew I couldn't quit on my own. I told me friends, family, and employers what was happening and told them I wanted to get help. I found a local detox center that I could check into for four days. I arranged for childcare for my children and put in for some PTO at work. I checked into the detox center and stayed for the full four days. They helped me with medications and counseling and gave me enough time to get all of the alcohol out of my system. I have been sober ever since, which has almost been four months now." +"I had been clean and sober for eight years. In January, I decided that I had been sober for long enough and was mature and responsible enough now that I could have a drink every once in a while in social situations. It all started with a beer commercial. I was watching everyone relax with a drink and they seemed so happy and carefree. I am a mother of five with a high stress full time job. I loved the thought of coming home and relaxing with a glass of wine. I went to the store and bought a small bottle. I had a few glasses and it was lovely. I didn't drink again for several days but when Friday came around, I bought another small bottle. I followed this pattern of drinking twice a week for about a month but things got worse really fast. Within a couple months, I was drinking daily. I started drinking so much that I would get the shakes during the day until I got home and could have a drink. It got to the point where I really wanted to stop, but I physically couldn't. Once I realized that I couldn't stop on my own, I reached out to my family and the owners of the Company I work for. After getting honest with everyone including myself, I decided to check myself into a detox center. It took me three tries to find one that would take me due to the fact that most detox centers are for low income people without medical insurance. For once, having medical insurance was actually a bad thing. Eventually, I found a treatment center that would work with me. I checked myself in immediately and stayed for 4 days. It was the best decision I've ever made. I learned that I can never tell myself the lie that I can have ""just one."" I am an addict and the only way to stay sober is to have none. I am happy to say that I have two and a half months alcohol free now and am happier than ever." +"Whenever I have trouble sleeping, it instantly takes me back to my time in NICU when my son was born. I thought I'd had experiences with losing sleep before, but nothing has ever compared to this. Even being healthy, early birth aside, I couldn't help but feel something could and would go wrong at any moment. I was constantly on edge, thinking some nurse would come in to tell me he'd taken a turn for the worse. All of this and overall environment made it impossible to get anything resembling a solid night's sleep. I'm sure I got some, since I wouldn't be alive right now to write this if I hadn't. But, it felt like I may as well have awake the whole three weeks. I also got very accustomed to the taste of hospital food and the beeping of machines. That could maybe be considered a life skill in future situations I hope I'm never in again. I was lucky to have my family around for support, at least. Although I'm sure I acted more than a little nuts to them, they managed to put up with me regardless. I don't know if I've ever had a moment of pure relief more powerful when the doctors told me he was ready to come home, and was doing fine. I was grateful that me and my partner's family offered to stay over for a while, since I don't think I would've gotten much more sleep at home the first few nights without them. When I finally got in my own bed, I slept like a brick. Waking up knowing my son was safe and healthy had to be the best feeling I've ever had." +"Today was my first at work. I have been unemployed for 5 years due to the fact that I have to take care of my family. I was quite excited that it was my first work day after years of being idle, but at the same time I was quite nervous because I didn't know what to expect. I went to bed late last night since I could not get my mine off the big day tomorrow. I woke up in the morning feeling a bit tired, and at the same time I was a bit nervous. I was extra careful to select the proper clothing to wear. I made my cup of coffee and headed out the house. I arrived to work about 10 minutes early. I checked in with my supervisor and she was surprise that I showed up to work today. She instructed me to head to the break room to wait for her, and so I did. After sitting there for about 15 minutes, the supervisor came back to the break room and asked if I had received an email couple days before. She then told me that I was actually rescheduled to start tomorrow instead of today. I was quite disappointed and awkward that I actually went to work on the wrong day. I immediately checked my email with my phone and there it was, the email was there unread. The world began to feel it was collapsing on me. How can I make a mistake on my first day of work. I apologized to my supervisor and headed home." +"Okay, it has been several months since i came back from my primary doctor's visit. My primary doctor gave my phone number to the best specialist at the hospital. Then it took like a week to hear back from the people who schedule appointments at the hospital. It was a matter of me going to hospital to see why they hadn't called me, when my primary doctor said that someone from the hospital would. It took weeks to see a urinary specialist. I don't know the exact length, but i had to wait a couple of weeks just so he can hear my side of the story and see what steps he can take with me. I went to my first visit with the urinary specialist on July 27, now i'm going back to see him tomorrow (August 27, 2019). After my first visit with the urine specialist, he gave me a 2 week supply of blue/purple pills that said that these pills might cure me and get me back to normal. But it didn't. I took them and turned my pee to a blue color, which on the package, it said that it was normal. But it didn't cure my frequent urination, which is what i'm going through right now. I wish the health care industry in america would be a lot more efficient and not have someone that is poor and not a lot of money have them wait an eternity for treatment. But, i am going to see him tomorrow, that is what is important. What the urinary specialist told me was they're going to ultra sound my kidneys. Then they're going to look inside my urine hole while i'm under anesthesia. I'm hoping this will end good, not bad. Hope for a speedy recovery, so i can go back to work like i used to 2 years ago." +"It's been two months since I saw the doctor for my problem. Without warning, there were times I was hit with the sudden urge to pee and ended up holding it too long. I knew that I probably had an infection, and I did. I remember while I was waiting in the office thing that with my luck, it was quite possible that I would just wet my pants right there and then. Holding my pee had become a regular habit for me. It all started six months prior when I saw a family friend that I hadn't seen in awhile. As soon as I saw him, my heart started pounding. My stomach dropped to the floor and, of course, I had to pee right away. All of the bad memories assaulted my mind in a matter of seconds. The way he had sexually assaulted me those many years ago. All of a sudden, it seemed like it had happened just seconds before. So that was the day that holding my pee became a problem. I wet myself and left in quite a hurry. It was positively humiliating to me but I'm pretty sure no one else noticed because I left so quickly. So now, it's a common problem. I never know when it's going to hit me, but as soon as the flashbacks happen, the urge to pee always follows and I feel frozen in place trying to hold my pee. I thought maybe it would stop after a few times but it seems to be going strong 6 months later and I'm at my wits end as to what to do. The doctor had treated my infection but I suspected that I needed a therapist at this point. Even though I'm feeling defeated, I'm also feeling oddly hopeful too." +"It was ice cold, I recall. The weather didn't shift much, and as we trotted around the city we'd slip and regather ourselves perpetually. It was icy cold but the hospitable warmth made up for it. We managed to visit many great breweries and drinking holes and enjoyed the time spent staying up late and barhopping. We had a great meal and one of the local restaurants, food to make one weep really. We spent our days taking in as much of the sites as we could. The harbor, catching the sights and sounds of the waves, the cultural diversity in the area, swinging and changing as we walked. Areas changed in the night time and looked so different. We managed to sleep in and enjoy the warmth of the bed only to head outside to grab fresh baked goods and coffee. We did some tours of a nearby museum housing cryptids. The recreation of many scary and formidable beasts we've managed to spot, including Bigfoot. As we prepared to leave we were gutted to have to end our vacation. We agreed to go back as we enjoyed a final plate of fries smothered in gravy. We went for a last stop at a brewery and were lucky enough to win a prize. We got some free beers and we felt very appreciated. We sparked conversations and loved every moment of that special trip walking through the wintry wonderland of Portland, Maine." +"It was ice cold, I recall. The weather didn't shift much, and as we trotted around the city we'd slip and regather ourselves perpetually. It was icy cold but the hospitable warmth made up for it. We managed to visit many great breweries and drinking holes and enjoyed the time spent staying up late and barhopping. We had a great meal and one of the local restaurants, food to make one weep really. We spent our days taking in as much of the sites as we could. The harbor, catching the sights and sounds of the waves, the cultural diversity in the area, swinging and changing as we walked. Areas changed in the night time and looked so different. We managed to sleep in and enjoy the warmth of the bed only to head outside to grab fresh baked goods and coffee. We did some tours of a nearby museum housing cryptids. The recreation of many scary and formidable beasts we've managed to spot, including Bigfoot. As we prepared to leave we were gutted to have to end our vacation. We agreed to go back as we enjoyed a final plate of fries smothered in gravy. We went for a last stop at a brewery and were lucky enough to win a prize. We got some free beers and we felt very appreciated. We sparked conversations and loved every moment of that special trip walking through the wintry wonderland of Portland, Maine." +"It was ice cold, I recall. The weather didn't shift much, and as we trotted around the city we'd slip and regather ourselves perpetually. It was icy cold but the hospitable warmth made up for it. We managed to visit many great breweries and drinking holes and enjoyed the time spent staying up late and barhopping. We had a great meal and one of the local restaurants, food to make one weep really. We spent our days taking in as much of the sites as we could. The harbor, catching the sights and sounds of the waves, the cultural diversity in the area, swinging and changing as we walked. Areas changed in the night time and looked so different. We managed to sleep in and enjoy the warmth of the bed only to head outside to grab fresh baked goods and coffee. We did some tours of a nearby museum housing cryptids. The recreation of many scary and formidable beasts we've managed to spot, including Bigfoot. As we prepared to leave we were gutted to have to end our vacation. We agreed to go back as we enjoyed a final plate of fries smothered in gravy. We went for a last stop at a brewery and were lucky enough to win a prize. We got some free beers and we felt very appreciated. We sparked conversations and loved every moment of that special trip walking through the wintry wonderland of Portland, Maine." +"My girlfriend and I had been talking for some time but hadn't really gone 'in depth' in our discussions. After we sparked up a conversation everything just happened. It just happened. We went from one topic to another and just couldn't get enough of each other. Eventually I quit my job and just ran off with her, we would talk for something like 7-10 hours a day. Religion played such a large role in our experiences. It was like everything in the world was speaking to us, through us, through the world, and through others. The biggest thing was music. We both experienced it, the music was just speaking directly to us. Not just interpreting it that way but like, everything was relevant to our moments together. Everything just flowed perfectly in perfect synchronicity, Everything was perfect. It was like, yea we had been waiting all our lives for this. And God just temporarily removed our blindness and we all celebrated our coming together. It was all just about love and harmony. Everything was just perfect." +"My girlfriend and I got together six months ago, we met at a christian church and at first she did not even want to talk to me. I asked her out to dinner and she said no, that her main and primary focus was on church. I then asked her about god, if she believed in everything the bible said and if maybe she would like to go out with me on a date to bible study and she actually said yes to both questions. A week later we met up at bible study and after the lesson we had the type to sit and talk to each other about life, love and god. She told me that god is her first love and that she will always believe in and put God above everyone else in her life. I told her that was sweet and that I actually do the same, once she saw that I actually had the same beliefs as her she wanted to get to know more of me. It was sweet and romantic and we continued to meet up at church and bible study and we learned a lot about each other while also learning about each other. We would discuss God, the bible and our beliefs. We would talk about how the earth came to be, how we came to be and the things that made us and the people around us similar. We both decided to join the church choir together and it was the best decision I have ever made in my life. Not only did it make her very happy but it made our relationship so much stronger, singing, learning and loving god together has truly been a blessing in my entire life. I never would have thought I would form such an amazing bond with someone and share the same views so much with someone like I do with her. I feel like she is my soulmate and our entire relationship revolves around our religion and our love for christianity and the bible and I think that this is a beautiful thing. The bond we have created is amazing. I love her and God and they will always be very important aspects of my life. We still continue to go to church and bible study and sing in the choir to this day." +"This event occurred about 5-6 months ago. I had just began talking to my (now) girlfriend. Her and I had been friends for about a year prior but we had never really talked much up until that point. Eventually we started talking about a few political issues and then, gradually, one thing led to another we started talking more and more. I was working as a cook at the time at Old Chicago and after we began talking we just fell so deep into each other and couldn't stop talking. I quickly quit my job and we would spend 7-10 hours a day talking for a solid 3 weeks. During this event I had a profoundly spiritual experience...we both did. It was like a celebration as if God was singing about our relationship that one day would flourish into a marriage....it was beautiful. It lasted for the entirety of those 3 weeks. Eventually we were like okay...we really have to get back to our lives. Since then that spiritual connection has diminished...because of our sinfulness. But we feel that together that is our mission. Our goal in life. And we are partners on this adventure together. Deep, profound meaning. Finally, someone who understands. Our lives were so similar. Our thoughts, our actions, our feelings, all so similar. I've been in many relationships and none....none ever even compared to this. She is so beautiful and thinking about her soul, her spirit, her face, brings me to tears." +"My niece was born when I was a senior in high school. Her mother, my sister, passed away very shortly after, when her daughter was still just an infant. My sister's ex-husband and never planned on being a father figure in his daughter's life, and when doing so meant being a single parent, he ran for the hills. I took my niece in and raised her myself, as a single ""parent"". I moved around a lot to make sure she always got to go to good schools, got a good education, and was able to get into a good college - on her own merits, god knows I couldn't afford to help her pay for it. Suddenly she was a 22-year-old freshly minted college graduate, asking me to walk her down the aisle at her wedding! I write this now the day after the wedding - we partied late into the night at the reception. All I can feel is a flood of varied and overwhelming emotions, ranging from sadness and loss to pride and joy. I may be losing the closest thing I had to a daughter, and suddenly I'm an empty-nester without having ever been married. On the other hand, now I have a new ""son"", a nephew, and a whole new family to be part of. Her new husband is a great guy, and in fact he graduated with a law degree - and asked me about a job in the legal team at my company. I think I have to say yes, he's a brilliant attorney, plus he's putting food on my niece's table. Who knows, maybe a few decades from now he'll be running the company, putting food on my grand-niece's table. Maybe I'll bug my niece and tell her the tables have turned. Maybe I'll move in with her and let her take care of me! So many possibilities spring from those two little words - ""I do.""" +"Last winter there was a really bad storm in our area. It was like nothing seen here in living memory and no one was prepared for it. It came upon us suddenly with an unexpected snowfall. And it kept snowing, and snowing. That evening, we lost power. But we weren't concerned just yet. Around midnight, we were a little surprised that the power hadn't been restored. We were even more surprised that it was STILL snowing. And then came the cracking noises. We live in a forested area, so we are no strangers to the noise that trees make when they fall. It's a terrible sound. There are creaking and cracking noises, ripping and tearing; it's so loud, and it echoes. You don't know if a tree is falling at your neighbor's place, or right onto your own roof. Then comes the crashing thud as the tree hits the ground. Sometimes it takes out other trees on the way down and sometimes it takes out a structure or some utility lines. Trees cracked and fell all night and the snow piled up. More snow than we had ever seen here in our 16 years at this place-far more. In the morning we were able to assess the damage. We lost dozens of trees and large limbs. All roads were impassable. Power and phone lines were down everywhere. We were stranded and had no means of communicating with the outside world. We hiked to our two closest neighbors to check on them. And then we waited. And it continued to snow." +"I was just thinking today about the winter storm we stayed through that happened last February. My fiance and I went to her parents house to stay there and take care of their dogs because they happened to be out of town at the time. We camped out in the living room because we didn't want to stay in their room, it just felt weird. One of the nights the power went out, and I remember one of their dogs walking on my face trying to get in close; she doesn't like storms, or power outages apparently. I went out onto their back porch during the storm at one point. The wind was really strong, and cold, but it was kind of fun standing out there. The dogs didn't like it for sure; they wouldn't even come close to going outside to pee. The next day the backyard was full of branches and leaves that had fallen because of the wind. There was even a big branch in the pool, which I had to go in and get out so it wouldn't scratch the liner on the bottom of the pool. It was ridiculously cold. Luckily that was the worst of the problems. We took a walk with the dogs the next day around the neighborhood. There was a lot more damage to other houses than we got, which was lucky. At one house, the tree in front of the house had almost split in the middle, making one whole side fall off. Another house had a branch through the roof. It was weirdly quiet everywhere, too." +"The event was me getting to see my cousin and his family after not seeing him in over 17 years. The most memorable part was reconnecting with him and getting to meet his 3 children, who he didn't have the last time I saw him. I took them around the city and showed them a lot of the popular attractions around here. I think they were happy to get the super in depth tour, and got to show them things that other people probably wouldn't know about visiting here. The event was significant to me, because its important to maintain relationships with family. It was both about the past and the future to some degree. In a way seeing him again reminded me of several events from my past, and allowed me to remember some of those past events with him. Seeing him again also was positive because it sort of reignited our relationship, and we now have a bit of basis to build on to further enhance our relationship going forward. Meeting his family was very important as well. They are already almost young adults themselves now, and it was important for us to connect so that they knew who their extended family is. We have already been in a touch a bit more since we last met. I am hoping we can keep the momentum going. The event overall was pretty significant for me because it put family in the forefront of my mind. It kind of reassures me to know that no matter how much time passes, or how far away you are, there is always an opportunity to reconnect with family. I'm definitely going to try to go visit him within the next year or two to keep in touch and keep time between us shorter." +"The event was me getting to see my cousin and his family after not seeing him in over 17 years. The most memorable part was reconnecting with him and getting to meet his 3 children, who he didn't have the last time I saw him. I took them around the city and showed them a lot of the popular attractions around here. I think they were happy to get the super in depth tour, and got to show them things that other people probably wouldn't know about visiting here. The event was significant to me, because its important to maintain relationships with family. It was both about the past and the future to some degree. In a way seeing him again reminded me of several events from my past, and allowed me to remember some of those past events with him. Seeing him again also was positive because it sort of reignited our relationship, and we now have a bit of basis to build on to further enhance our relationship going forward. Meeting his family was very important as well. They are already almost young adults themselves now, and it was important for us to connect so that they knew who their extended family is. We have already been in a touch a bit more since we last met. I am hoping we can keep the momentum going. The event overall was pretty significant for me because it put family in the forefront of my mind. It kind of reassures me to know that no matter how much time passes, or how far away you are, there is always an opportunity to reconnect with family. I'm definitely going to try to go visit him within the next year or two to keep in touch and keep time between us shorter." +"On April Fools Day, I observed the death of my father. It was a surprise, though it had been coming for a long time. He did not, as one would say, go peacefully. But at least I can say he went into peace. It had been a long, slow slide down, with his claws dug into the side of the cliff, and he may have thought he was climbing some of the time. Since losing the use of his legs some twenty years ago, his life had become a daily struggle to perform even the simplest of tasks. The life that had become drudgery, with us, his daughters, the only bright spot, he'd somehow still wanted to keep. He'd dug his teeth in like a stray dog into a scrap of bone. Then, he had a heart attack while going into an MRI machine. He was dead for twelve minutes. But God sent him back from Hell, and not only that, but woke him up. That doesn't happen after twelve minutes. He was able to talk and respond to questions. Perhaps dying had killed the stubborn part of him. He was able to accept the peace of God, speak to his daughters for a whole week, and say goodbye. And then he pried his fingers off the side of the cliff so suddenly that I was the only one there to observe his fall." +"We finally closed the estate. My father passed as his health had been failing him for a hard time. I moved here to help my family only to find out that they were still scam-artists. No good deed goes unpunished, right? My father had been in and out of the hospital with several issues including shoulder replacement and heart valve issues. So, it was really no surprise when he died. My mom couldn't get a handle on herself. She was enraged and immature all the time...with bouts of anger that she didn't even fully understand. Hormones may have been a part of it, but the bottom line is that she is extremely mentally ill and desperately in need of intense therapy. Due to this, administrating the estate fell on me. It was the most difficult thing I've ever done (especially with her madness going around). We thought that the estate was insolvent which made everything doubly stressful. In any case, it finally closed months ago. Wouldn't you know it...my mom never even thanked me for carrying her through that time. I was even able to pull through and find a way to pull some money out of the estate...which was surprising. Regardless, she just took all the credit and moved on. What a joke. We did go out and celebrate as I was able to look past that as I know how sick she is. Another thing is that, despite my hard work, she tried to steal my inheritance. It didn't fly entirely but she was able to get half of it. The joke will be on her as I won't be around if she ever needs my help again..." +"We finally closed the estate. My father passed as his health had been failing him for a hard time. I moved here to help my family only to find out that they were still scam-artists. No good deed goes unpunished, right? My father had been in and out of the hospital with several issues including shoulder replacement and heart valve issues. So, it was really no surprise when he died. My mom couldn't get a handle on herself. She was enraged and immature all the time...with bouts of anger that she didn't even fully understand. Hormones may have been a part of it, but the bottom line is that she is extremely mentally ill and desperately in need of intense therapy. Due to this, administrating the estate fell on me. It was the most difficult thing I've ever done (especially with her madness going around). We thought that the estate was insolvent which made everything doubly stressful. In any case, it finally closed months ago. Wouldn't you know it...my mom never even thanked me for carrying her through that time. I was even able to pull through and find a way to pull some money out of the estate...which was surprising. Regardless, she just took all the credit and moved on. What a joke. We did go out and celebrate as I was able to look past that as I know how sick she is. Another thing is that, despite my hard work, she tried to steal my inheritance. It didn't fly entirely but she was able to get half of it. The joke will be on her as I won't be around if she ever needs my help again..." +"I remember the day like it was yesterday. It was a horrible day that I will never forget. I still have nightmares about it to this day. Two months ago I was in my room playing video games. It was a typical day and I was home along in my house. My dad would be coming home any minute now. We had recently gotten a new dog and my old dog and her go along just fine or that what we originally thought. However, on that day I heard growling and then a loud yelping noise. I pause my game and run down the stairs as fast as possible. My dogs got into a huge fight and one had the other one by the neck and was trying to kill her. I rushed over there and pulled them apart the best I could. The small dog had puncture wounds all over and had heavy bleeding. Thankfully my dad walked right in the door and took control of it. I knew how to solve the issue but was not ready to take control. He sprung into action telling me the things he would need to help my dog. I grabbed all of the supplies for him and he started washing and stitching my dog up. I was very lucky that he is a veterinarian and that he was able to save my dog. Now we keep both dogs separate but I will never forget that fateful day." +"It has taken me years but I have finally done it, I got into Grad School! It feels surreal to finally be able to complete what I started years ago. I had really started to believe that I might never get the opportunity to do so and that was ok but I am just ecstatic that I've been accepted. I really can't say that I've had a bad life, my two kids are wonderful, but having them did slow my progress toward my dreams down. I don't know if I'd say this out loud, and I don't mean to sound like I regret them but I could've reached this point years ago. Both of them now have moved out and accepted jobs to begin their careers and I couldn't be more proud of them, I hope no one ever sees that I feel they delayed me, I would hate for them to know that. It has taken me a long time to get to writing this down, Oh I hope I haven't forgotten any details about it since I got accepted. Lets see...I get to start the program in their biology program, I'm going to study aquatic bio, and I've been accepted as a research assistant too! Finally a break for me, I've been working and going to school for so long but now I'll be able to combine the two and focus almost entirely on my passion. I really hope that whatever work I do find makes a difference. I'm getting ahead of myself but I'm already imagining what I'm going to do after. I'd love to end up working federally for the US Forest Service as a Fisheries biologist, I've heard its competitive though but I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I get there. But it would be so cool to be outside working and studying stream ecology. Its just such a relief that all of my patience and hard work is finally paying off. I still have 2 months before I begin the program so I'll make sure to write more as I get closer to starting. I really need to make a point of writing at least once a week after I've started, note to self." +"It has been a rough two weeks, since the passing of our beloved dog Spot. We knew he was sick - he had been sick for about five months, diagnosed with a rare case of bladder cancer. However, we didn't know how bad it was. On that dreadful morning, two weeks ago, his passing took us completely by surprise. Spot was acting his usual self, other than a lack of appetite and energy. He was still happy, friendly, and full of life. The doctor told us he had about a year to live, if he didn't make a full recovery. Our hopes were high, and we were hoping for the best. So was Spot. He knew he could over come it. But then the worst happened. Spot threw up about 3 or 4 times that morning. We knew something was up, so we took him to the vet. He spent his last waking moments on the vet bed. The doctor examined Spot, and told us that the cancer had spread throughout his body. Spot would not make it much longer. With heavy hearts, we decided to put Spot out of his misery, and let him go on to a better place. The doctor put Spot down, with all of us surrounding him for his last moments." +Today i have gone with my children and family for outing. The outing experience was good. I really enjoyed a lot. It was cool. Everyone were happy. we had lunch from outside. and also had dinner from a popular restaurant. In the meantime we have gone for movie. and to a park. Amusement park was good. the rides were fantastic. we enjoyed a lot. Today i have gone with my children and family for outing. The outing experience was good. I really enjoyed a lot. It was cool. Everyone were happy. we had lunch from outside. and also had dinner from a popular restaurant. In the meantime we have gone for movie. and to a park. Amusement park was good. the rides were fantastic. we enjoyed a lot. +"it was a fine morning when we all woke up early enough for the big day. Everyone was all smiles since we were really waited for this particular day my sister was going to get married to her long time lover martin. Martin the spouse was a good guy with a high dignity and a lot of respect,we all loved him and he loved us back. The day is here everyone looks so sharp and bright. my sister is happy as she prepares for her big day,i personally i am happy and i was one of the maids. When we are done preparing we went outside to take some nice pictures with beautiful poses. At the church even the congregation is all smiles as they take the vows and nothing goes wrong. At the reception the place is well decorated and the theme of the wedding is maroon and beige and they look so beautiful. We eat to our fullest and dance the whole afternoon together with the newly weds. The evening was so romantic,everyone was in white and the evening was so bright. We drank expensive wines and when everyone is all high we dance again i partners. we made the evening so sweet for my sister. the day is done and everyone is tired now. The newly weds prepare themselves for their honeymoon in Bahamas and everyone else leaves at their own pleasure. I went home really tired together with my husband and enjoy our night. the following day i called my sister to know if they reached safe and they confirmed they are all good. I settled and went through the pictures and they looked so awesome. i am all happy for her wedding they are now three months old married." +"Google can be an exciting place to work for, but it can also be a place where you slowly die as an individual. You may make a difference for the company with what you do, but in my case, day in and day out, I was involved in the most meaningless tasks and unappealing jobs ever. Don’t get me wrong. I was making $140,000 for writing simple code and playing ping-pong with the other Google engineers. Free lunches and subsidized transportation was also lovely. But at the end of the day, I was not fulfilled. Every morning I woke up unhappy because I was working with my brain instead of my heart. I was excellent about what I was doing, but I had no passion for it. I realized that I needed to pivot and turn my passion into my career. It was not an easy decision because everyone I talked to thought it was not a good idea. But I did it anyway. I turned in my resignation letter one month ago and moved to Colorado and have made snowboarding my new life. I have been hired as a backcountry tour guide. I know my Google colleagues would be laughing with my current salary. I will get $30,000 a year plus incentives, almost five times less than what I was making at Google. And I love every minute of it." +The strangest thing happened to me a police officer randomly knocked on my door and said he had a complaint of a strange smell like that of drugs being made. He asked if he could look in the house and of course I had nothing to hide so I let him. He checked assured me that everything was okay and then left. The next day it got even stranger. I had another random knock on the door and when I answered it was Child Protective Services. The caseworker claimed that they got a call that my children were living in unacceptable conditions and she was doing a follow up. It was trash day and I had the trash waiting to be taken out to the curb but that was the only thing wrong with my house. She took pictures of the trash and took a tour of the house. She looked at everything even the bathroom to make sure that I had running water (who doesn't). After she was done looking around she talked to my girls and took pictures of them. It felt like such a violation. She gave me a paper saying I was being investigated for child neglect and left. After she was out of the door the first thing I did was call my wife and she came home from work immediately. We went insane on cleaning the house and I mean over the top. We were scrubbing floors and making sure there wasn't a speck of dirt anywhere. It was just unbelievable that this was happening to us. For the next several weeks the case worker would show up at random. This made it to where we didn't even let the girls have their toys out to play. It felt like we were the worst parents in the world and if even a small mess got made it was a complete disaster. This was three weeks of hell. Finally without notice the case worker completely dropped the case without even filing it. We had to call Child Protective services to even find this out. Overall I don't think I have been more scared or worried about anything in my entire life. You hear horror stories about how this happens to other good parents but you never believe it until it happens to you. +"In the middle of the night I was quickly awoken to a lot of loud banging on my front door. Groggy as can be I stumbled down the steps to see what was going on. Three policemen were at my door. Confused, I opened the door and their barreled themselves in. They quickly grabbed my arms and threw me to the floor. I was asking them what was happened and they said they believe drugs are being made here. Shocked, I told them there wasn't. However, they didn't take my word for it. Then, my kids started to wake up and started to cry when they saw the policeman and my situation. I tried my best to calm them down, but it didn't work. After they left not finding anything, they apologized and said maybe they had the wrong house. Well, they forgot to tell child protective services this because they came over in the morning asking questions about what the police originally said. Then, they started asking my kids if they saw me do anything out of the ordinary. If many people were over, things like that. I was so upset and angry. It was a hard 3 months proving to them I did nothing wrong. Police needs to get their facts straight. I feel scarred for life!" +"Back in June, my sixteen year old cat, Kisses, passed away. I got him from a local no-kill shelter when he was only 9 weeks old. It was an incredibly sad and emotional day for me. He was the perfect, orange tabby with a weak meow and a super skinny-face. I often thought he may have had some Siamese in him given his angular face. In any case, he hadn't been feeling well and had lost some weight. It was all of a sudden, too. It was over the course of about one-two weeks, where I could tell something was bothering him. I took Kisses to the veterinarian, and they did a check up and some x-rays. They came back to the room and let me know he had lung cancer, which appeared to be fairly advanced. I was in a state of shock. Kisses was always a strong, little cat and hadn't shown any signs of illness until the very end. I could tell he was slipping away and was in pain. I asked the vet if there were chemotherapy or radiation options. He looked at me with tears in his eyes (he has been my vet since the beginning) and told me it had spread. In other words, there wasn't much they could do for him. The part I dread about having a pet is in their last days. I opted to put him to sleep, so he wouldn't continue to be in pain. I will always miss my sweet Kisses, but I was so fortunate to have him." +"I continue to reminisce over my recent concert activities. I have a thorough enjoyment of the bluegrass genre of music. I even go online to catch videos of my favorite artists that performed at the festival I attended. That is how excellent the musicians were. Even revisiting some of the artists through a sometimes less than stellar audio and video, ie: uploaded amateur recordings, is still worth another listen! Any time I have the opportunity I look for other venues in my area that offer the genre. I am blessed to live in an area where the opportunities are abundant. What has really been exciting is finding out that many of the artists I admired for their talents are often performing in areas of the country close enough that I can both financially and physically attend some of the venues. I have continued learning guitar. I practice regularly. I have discovered that playing is very therapeutic and a definite way to relax. I find an inner peace no matter what kind of day I have had. I have yet to find an opportunity to plan a musical vacation with my granddaughter. She is a busy young lady, college is on the horizon. But we now have another special reason to stay connected. We can talk about what we are learning and techniques we use to improve and progress in our abilities as 'guitarist's'." +"Recently I decided to treat myself to a concert at a bluegrass folk festival. I had wanted to go for years but never was in time for tickets. They always sold out. This past year I watched carefully for when tickets became available and I bought them early! I anxiously waited for the concert day. When the event arrived I was at the front of the line. The performers were top notch and it was a night of first class music. The vocals were melodic and the playing ability of the musicians was the best you would find anywhere. Even though the tickets were rather expensive for my budget it was money well spent. I would do it again in a minute. As a matter of fact, I am keeping an eye out for the next concert! Also, my love of music has caused me to recently decide to purchase a guitar. My goal was to become capable enough to surprise my granddaughter. She has taken up playing the guitar and I wanted to be able to bond with her through music. She is now a teenager and communication is not as easy. Well, I have been practicing very hard for the past few months. So recently on her birthday, I surprised her with a birthday song. She was shocked and excited. I hope to soon get her to attend some concerts with me as well as we both have a love of music." +"Six months ago, my wife had a terrible reaction to her chemotherapy treatment. She was fine at the treatment center, but once we got home she became violently ill. She retched for hours and hours. I felt helpless. All of the information that they gave us did not prepare us for this. She was shaking and feverish and could not stop throwing up, even when there was nothing left to expel. When helped her into bed I noticed that her was seemed higher, she was awfully pale, and her breathing became shallow and labored. When I tried to wake her, she didn't respond. That is when I called the ambulance. As the ambulance was wheeling my beloved wife out of the house, my dog started howling. He must have known something was wrong and was reacting to the palpable emotions around him. I put him on his leash so that he wouldn't run out the door, and I led him outside. He continued to howl, even with my comforting pats. As I approached the ambulance behind my wife, a paramedic told me that my dog couldn't come in the ambulance. It was then that my new neighbor stepped over to us. I hadn't met her yet, but I had seen her taking out the trash and playing with her kids on the front lawn, and she was always friendly. She bent down and began soothing my dog and told me not to worry about the pup. She would watch him for as long as we needed. She told me to focus on my wife. The dog would be fine. Her children who were several feet behind her also volunteered to help. I almost cried in relief and gratitude. I couldn't believe my new neighbor was so kind and selfless. I thanked her and handed her the leash. She looked at me with sympathy and told me not to worry about a thing." +"Six months ago, my wife had a terrible reaction to her chemotherapy treatment. She was fine at the treatment center, but once we got home she became violently ill. She retched for hours and hours. I felt helpless. All of the information that they gave us did not prepare us for this. She was shaking and feverish and could not stop throwing up, even when there was nothing left to expel. When helped her into bed I noticed that her was seemed higher, she was awfully pale, and her breathing became shallow and labored. When I tried to wake her, she didn't respond. That is when I called the ambulance. As the ambulance was wheeling my beloved wife out of the house, my dog started howling. He must have known something was wrong and was reacting to the palpable emotions around him. I put him on his leash so that he wouldn't run out the door, and I led him outside. He continued to howl, even with my comforting pats. As I approached the ambulance behind my wife, a paramedic told me that my dog couldn't come in the ambulance. It was then that my new neighbor stepped over to us. I hadn't met her yet, but I had seen her taking out the trash and playing with her kids on the front lawn, and she was always friendly. She bent down and began soothing my dog and told me not to worry about the pup. She would watch him for as long as we needed. She told me to focus on my wife. The dog would be fine. Her children who were several feet behind her also volunteered to help. I almost cried in relief and gratitude. I couldn't believe my new neighbor was so kind and selfless. I thanked her and handed her the leash. She looked at me with sympathy and told me not to worry about a thing." +"Six months ago, my wife had a terrible reaction to her chemotherapy treatment. She was fine at the treatment center, but once we got home she became violently ill. She retched for hours and hours. I felt helpless. All of the information that they gave us did not prepare us for this. She was shaking and feverish and could not stop throwing up, even when there was nothing left to expel. When helped her into bed I noticed that her was seemed higher, she was awfully pale, and her breathing became shallow and labored. When I tried to wake her, she didn't respond. That is when I called the ambulance. As the ambulance was wheeling my beloved wife out of the house, my dog started howling. He must have known something was wrong and was reacting to the palpable emotions around him. I put him on his leash so that he wouldn't run out the door, and I led him outside. He continued to howl, even with my comforting pats. As I approached the ambulance behind my wife, a paramedic told me that my dog couldn't come in the ambulance. It was then that my new neighbor stepped over to us. I hadn't met her yet, but I had seen her taking out the trash and playing with her kids on the front lawn, and she was always friendly. She bent down and began soothing my dog and told me not to worry about the pup. She would watch him for as long as we needed. She told me to focus on my wife. The dog would be fine. Her children who were several feet behind her also volunteered to help. I almost cried in relief and gratitude. I couldn't believe my new neighbor was so kind and selfless. I thanked her and handed her the leash. She looked at me with sympathy and told me not to worry about a thing." +"Our most interesting vacation this year was to the Hotel Del Coronado in California. I read some reports that the hotel was haunted and I think they are correct. We checked in at midnight after a long day of travel. When we got to our room the TV in the room was on. We were tired so we went to bed. At around 3am, I woke up because the bathroom light was on. I got up and turned it off. Around 4am the light was on again. At first I though someone left it on, but it was so weird to happen again. Over the next four days the bathroom lights would turn off and on with increasing frequency. They even would turn off while someone was using the bathroom. It was creepy. We went on a ghost tour to learn about the history of the hotel. The tour guide mentioned that people have been complaining about the ghosts in the hotel bathrooms. I told the guide about our experience." +"I went to California for a vacation a few weeks ago. I went to visit some family, but mainly to relax a little. You know how stressed I have been? That's why I needed the vacation. I thought that the Hotel Del Coronado looked like a great place to go and relax so I got a few nights there. When I checked in, I was told that I might hear some things and to ignore them. I asked ""What kind of things?"" and the hotel clerk said ""Just footsteps, laughing, ghost noises."" I laughed and ignored that. I don't believe in ghosts so whatever. That night, I was laying in bed after taking a shower and had just turned the tv off. I got comfy and started to doze off when I heard a ball bouncing. I opened my eyes and the noise stopped. I flipped over and saw nothing so I assumed it was my imagination. I closed my eyes again and hear a child laughing and the ball bouncing again. I sat up and turned the light on. There was nothing there. I thought back to the clerk telling me about the noises. I was a skeptic, but that night I think I believe in ghosts now." +"This summer we went on a two month van camping trip across many states of the USA. We visited a lot of new places but the most memorable was visiting Laura Ingalls Wilder's childhood home. This was on a working farm. There were animals, including an adorable baby miniature horse. I was able to ride a covered wagon. I also visited a schoolhouse like the one she would have attended and taught in. A volunteer provided a lesson and challenged us with things children back then would have been required to know. We walked our dogs across fields and up to the edge of the crops. We could also see an old church in the distance across the field. There was a museum with a movie to watch as well. The best part was probably the reproductions of the sod house, the claim shack, and their first home on the prairie. Re-enactors demonstrated the ways of life in times past. We were able to camp right there on the farm. While camping, a neighbor family in a nearby camper had a birthday party for their little girl. They invited us to come over for ice cream cake. While we were all singing Happy Birthday around the picnic table, a lot of cows came right up to the fence to see what was going on. That was so funny." +"This past spring I was invited to attend the college graduation ceremony of a long time family friend. I had worked with the boy's mother many years ago. I met her when she was a new employee and new to this country. She was a Lebanese immigrant who came to this country to marry a Lebanese man from her village. They made their home in America and were very hard workers. I helped her assimilate to this country, assisting with drivers license and insurance paperwork. I was there for the birth of her three sons. They had no family in the US. As a co-worker I became a part of their family through our long relationship. The third boy was born on my birthday and we often shared a birthday celebration together. Their father got Alzheimer's and the three boys all worked jobs, studied hard in school, and spent long hours at home helping their mother care for their father at home. The father died about a year ago. This past Spring the third son graduated from College. He wanted me and my husband to be there. It was a celebratory time because he had been accepted into Medical School-but also sad because the father had passed and was not there. He would have been so proud. The boy was like a son to me and I was so proud of him and proud to be asked to share the special occasion. His was the immigrant success story. They have worked so hard and been so caring -I am saddened by the negative attitudes some folks have against immigrants. The most memorable part of the day was shortly after he received his diploma we were dismissed and were looking for him in the crowd. His two older brothers were the first to find him. They both ran to him and wrapped him in a big brotherly bear hug that lifted him off the ground." +"This past spring I was invited to attend the college graduation ceremony of a long time family friend. I had worked with the boy's mother many years ago. I met her when she was a new employee and new to this country. She was a Lebanese immigrant who came to this country to marry a Lebanese man from her village. They made their home in America and were very hard workers. I helped her assimilate to this country, assisting with drivers license and insurance paperwork. I was there for the birth of her three sons. They had no family in the US. As a co-worker I became a part of their family through our long relationship. The third boy was born on my birthday and we often shared a birthday celebration together. Their father got Alzheimer's and the three boys all worked jobs, studied hard in school, and spent long hours at home helping their mother care for their father at home. The father died about a year ago. This past Spring the third son graduated from College. He wanted me and my husband to be there. It was a celebratory time because he had been accepted into Medical School-but also sad because the father had passed and was not there. He would have been so proud. The boy was like a son to me and I was so proud of him and proud to be asked to share the special occasion. His was the immigrant success story. They have worked so hard and been so caring -I am saddened by the negative attitudes some folks have against immigrants. The most memorable part of the day was shortly after he received his diploma we were dismissed and were looking for him in the crowd. His two older brothers were the first to find him. They both ran to him and wrapped him in a big brotherly bear hug that lifted him off the ground." +"This past weekend, my family and I traveled to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in our new Jeep. We visited the ""Smokey Mountain Jeep Invasion."" My goodness, it was so much fun! It was a four day event, beginning Thursday. There was a get together meeting that night. Friday was a day at the convention hall, to visit vendors and take instructional classes. There was an after party Friday night. Saturday was much the same as Friday. Then, Sunday morning, we went on a group ride through Cades Cove, a beautiful section of the National Park. There were over six hundred Jeeps on the ride through the park. There were over seven thousand in attendance to some of the events over the weekend. Everywhere you looked, there were Jeeps. My daughter was delighted, she thought it was amazing. We stayed in a nice hotel in the town of Pigeon Forge that had a two pools, with splash fountains, slides, and a lazy river. We ate at some great restaurants. We visited a small zoo, where my three year old got to see some animals she had never seen before. It was a great weekend, all made possible because we finally got a Jeep." +"I finally got my dream car. I have been wanting this my whole life. I have been so happy since i bought it. Friends i never had are now flocking to me because of my car. I never knew buying my dream car would give me so many new friends. The surprising part of the car was it comes with twelve months of SIRIUS/XM radio. Even more surprising is i receive Howard Stern on my radio. Having all access SIRIUS/XM is a pleasant surprise. Finally,all these years of working hard has paid off. All of those overtime hours has given me the car of my life. I love my new dream car. I love all of my new friends too. This has been so exciting. I do not remember the last time i have been this excited. My life is now complete." +"The event that really emotionally played a huge part of 2019 was my brother's wedding. The woman he is now married to is absolutely adorable, being my brother's best friend, this is so important to me. My brother didnt have the greatest relationship with my mom growing up. I always worried he was going to be too cynical to get married. His wife supports him in every possible capacity so that is good for my heart and his too I'm sure! She is so supportive in fact that they got married on a boat because he loves fishing so much. The best part for me was watching them say their vows. I bawled like a baby, my best friend, my brother - married! Seeing the love on their faces really gave me home for my own future. I never imagined I'd get married but now I lik at things differently now, thanks to them! The boat was big dinner boat, and they got married up on the deck. Helping set up and drcorate made me realize the beauty in simple things. A single flower in a dish, a sprig of mint on a white clothe napkin. There was an open bar and catered good that was delicious. Champagne for everyone even non alcoholic for the kids. They had a beautiful ceremony which is a perfect but cost effective wedding. I loved the photo opportunity the natural background created for us. Seeing my big brother this happy has been a blessing!" +"I remember the best day of our life, our marriage. My husband and I planned everything until the last detail. We had our marriage on Catalina Island in the city of Avalon Ca. My family and his family flew to be with us in this special day that we will remember forever. The last 3 moths were the best of my married life so far. I still fell the emotions that i had in the day of the marriage like it was yesterday. We were so stressed the day before and worried so much that we forgot different things but it was only normal to be stressed just hours before. Every detail was planned ahead we had our wedding on the beach with a nice decor that was made by our wedding assistant. She took care of everything, from the flowers till the last chair and ornament. The day before my wedding it was pouring so bad that i thought we won't have our wedding the next day. Rain was forecast in our wedding day and it rained until the start of our ceremony. I wanted something on the smaller side and i invited only family and a few friends. I didn't want nothing fancy but something special that i can remember and enjoy forever. When we got to our vows part we were hit by light of sun and the weather turned right for our special moment. We celebrated after with our friend and family we will cherish the moment forever." +"The day had started out uneventfully. I finally had a few days vacation and I was looking forward to spending the weekend at the beach with my girlfriend. I had been spending a lot of times stressing about how I was going to look in my bathing suit and thought that maybe a good workout would provide the necessary motivation and confidence needed to feel better. After calling my girlfriend and making further plans to go out and to dinner and see a movie I grabbed my gym bag and headed out the door. I called my best friend to meet me at the gym. We had both made a commitment to get healthy a few months ago and tried to be each others personal trainer and cheerleader. I arrived at the gym first and sat in my car imagining all the fun stuff would would be doing on out vacation. When my friend finally arrived we got going quickly. My friend jumped on the treadmill and, after stretching I started with the weight bench. I was in a great mood. I felt stronger than ever and so proud of how hard I had worked at the gym over the last few months. I noticed my friend jump o the treadmill and signal it was time to leave. As they opened a water bottle I decided to push myself had in the last couple minutes. As my friend stood watching I head a small pop. It didn't hurt at first but I was curious what it was. Immediately The pop was followed immediately with the most extreme pain I had ever felt in my leg. I knew I had made a mistake. I knew I had pushed myself to hard. I saw the concern in my friends face as they tried to help me up. Why had I been so stressed about how I would look in a bathing suit? As my friend helped me into her car on the way to the doctor, I realized my vacation would be ruined all because of my lack of self-confidence." +"The day had started out uneventfully. I finally had a few days vacation and I was looking forward to spending the weekend at the beach with my girlfriend. I had been spending a lot of times stressing about how I was going to look in my bathing suit and thought that maybe a good workout would provide the necessary motivation and confidence needed to feel better. After calling my girlfriend and making further plans to go out and to dinner and see a movie I grabbed my gym bag and headed out the door. I called my best friend to meet me at the gym. We had both made a commitment to get healthy a few months ago and tried to be each others personal trainer and cheerleader. I arrived at the gym first and sat in my car imagining all the fun stuff would would be doing on out vacation. When my friend finally arrived we got going quickly. My friend jumped on the treadmill and, after stretching I started with the weight bench. I was in a great mood. I felt stronger than ever and so proud of how hard I had worked at the gym over the last few months. I noticed my friend jump o the treadmill and signal it was time to leave. As they opened a water bottle I decided to push myself had in the last couple minutes. As my friend stood watching I head a small pop. It didn't hurt at first but I was curious what it was. Immediately The pop was followed immediately with the most extreme pain I had ever felt in my leg. I knew I had made a mistake. I knew I had pushed myself to hard. I saw the concern in my friends face as they tried to help me up. Why had I been so stressed about how I would look in a bathing suit? As my friend helped me into her car on the way to the doctor, I realized my vacation would be ruined all because of my lack of self-confidence." +"My daughter has a condition called syncope. This could flare up at any point. So naturally, when I took her in for a dentist appointment, I was nervous. I didn't want the dentist to accidentally lacerate something. This all took place about a week ago. I also didn't want my daughter to be traumatized by the experience. I trust the dentist fully, but I don't trust the syncope. It's never known when she'll have an episode next. It just took some time to fully grasp what I was dealing with. As she was getting dental work, she also needed nitrous oxide. I had no idea if this would exacerbate or it or numb it. Fortunately, no episode took place. But judging by the sweat on my forehead, there was. I just don't want my daughter to ever be in pain. That would tear me up." +"My daughter has a condition called syncope. This could flare up at any point. So naturally, when I took her in for a dentist appointment, I was nervous. I didn't want the dentist to accidentally lacerate something. This all took place about a week ago. I also didn't want my daughter to be traumatized by the experience. I trust the dentist fully, but I don't trust the syncope. It's never known when she'll have an episode next. It just took some time to fully grasp what I was dealing with. As she was getting dental work, she also needed nitrous oxide. I had no idea if this would exacerbate or it or numb it. Fortunately, no episode took place. But judging by the sweat on my forehead, there was. I just don't want my daughter to ever be in pain. That would tear me up." +"Dear Diary, I am still so excited over what happened. It was really surprising. I had no idea he was going to do it. A few weeks ago, Tim and I decided that we were sick of winter already and wanted to go somewhere warm. We decided to book a trip to Florida to go spend some time at the beach. We got a pretty good deal on tickets and a resort. So the second night, we were walking on the beach around sunset. It was perfect. The weather was awesome, there was hardly anyone on the beach. Just as the sun was hitting the horizon, Tim got down on one knee and proposed! I couldnt believe it. I was so happy. I started crying and obviously said yes! Oh my god, I just can't believe it. I called Mom the next day and told her. I texted all my friends. I wish we had a picture but I'll never forget that moment. We will probably get married on the beach." +"This past August our son and his family came for a visit. It was our daughter-in-law's birthday the day they arrived so I planned a surprise family birthday party. I planned the menu: grilled meats, twice-baked potatoes, a green salad. I also purchased a birthday cake from the best bakery in town. I bought decorations online: colorful streamers and globes to hang, a happy birthday banner, and some matching cake plates and napkins. While she went for a walk with her family, my husband and I put up the decorations. The decorations turned out to be exceptional. They were colorful and reflected light from the sun...very joyful and festive. I thought this would mostly be fun for our grand-daughters to experience. The girls did love it, reacting with surprise and excitement. However, my daughter-in-law was equally surprised and delighted. She said she couldn't remember when she last had a ""traditional"" birthday party. She even got teary-eyed. Our meal was excellent. My husband grilled steaks and sausage while I baked some salmon. Potatoes and salad were made the day before, so prep was easy. We sat down to a gourmet candlelight dinner, including a favorite wine and lots of table conversation. The girls were getting giddy after dinner so they were put to bed a bit early. Then the adults enjoyed her birthday cake, complete with candles. All in all, it turned out to be a very positive, memorable experience which continued to grow an already good relationship with our daughter-in-law." +"I love my daughter-in-law, she has been really good to my son. So I decided to throw a ""traditional"" surprise birthday party for her--about three weeks ago. Most of our immediate family was invited, and some of her close friends, and immediate family was invited as well. My son was tasked with keeping her occupied all day, until it was time to party. I called him that afternoon to drop her off. We all in hid in excitement, anticipating her shocked face. We heard the car pulling up, turned the lights off, and quickly hid. When the door opened, we turned on the lights, and yelled ""Suprised"". She was elated. She was happy to see all of us. I guess I did something right. The party was great! I had prepared some of her favorite foods. I even her favorite chocolate cake from the local bakery. That cake was gone by the end of the party. She even commented on the colorful decorations--it was her favorite color. Different shades of blue mixed in with white, and other bright colors. She just loved the food and the ambience of the entire event. She had fun chatting and dancing with those she hold dear. Well, I relationship has become even more stronger after throwing the party. My daughter-in-law is letting down her guard more and more each day. Matter of fact we spent some time alone shopping and eating at the local mall. We got to know each other a bit more. I love this woman, and hope our relationship can become even stronger." +"About four months ago, I went on a cruise with a group of my friends that I went to college with. The trip consisted of five friends and myself. Most of us live in Florida, so we departed from Miami and had stops in Key West, Mexico and Belize before returning home. The reason we decided to do the trip was it had been 10 years since we graduated from college and went on a graduation cruise together. While taking that first trip, we made a pact to take a cruise every decade to reconnect and have fun together. Our work and personal lives have made it hard to see one another that often, but we managed to coordinate our schedules to take this trip. I roomed with one friend on the ship, while the other four had a larger cabin that they all shared with one another. Each day, we had a different activity to do. On our two days at sea, we went to the pool and the casino during the day, while enjoying some adult beverages. While we were in Key West, we walked around the town and visited local restaurants and bars. In Mexico, we were only there for a few hours due to inclement weather, but managed to do some duty-free shopping. And while we were in Belize, we got a taxi and went to a local beach and tavern to enjoy the natural beauty of that country. During the evening, we had our own table in the ship’s dining room and then would go to one of the shows that the ship had and then to a bar or club onboard. There was plenty of time for all of us to reconnect with one another, reminisce about when we were younger, and have fun. On our last night, it was hard to believe how fast the trip went and how many of us won’t get to see one another for a long period of time. There were a few misty eyes, but we pledged to do this trip again in 10 years and to keep better in touch with one another in the interim. Since then, we regularly text one another and share social media posts. I have been able to grab a bite to eat with two of them recently, while they were in town for the day. This trip reminds me how fast time can fly and how important it is to maintain friendships over the years. It can be hard to make the time, but it is well worth it." +"Last month I ordered and received a new Dell PC desktop. I installed it and within an hour I had big red warning boxes popping up all over the screen saying my Windows 10 was compromised. There was a telephone number which I thought was microsoft so I called it. A guy with an Indian accent (naturally) answered and I told him my problem. Unfortunately, I could barely understand him so I asked to speak to an american-accented person. He hooked me up with another Indian person. By then, I was getting frustrated because I couldn't understand anybody but they seemed to understand what my problem was. So somebody else came on online and gave me a quote for $225 to fix it and wanted my credit card number. At that point, I stopped and asked to make sure they were Microsoft but they never confirmed it in so many words (I thought about this afterwards). So I gave them my credit card number and they took over my computer and tried to fix the problem. The next day, I got the red error boxes again. I called them and wanted my money back and they said the charge was already gone through. I asked to speak to a manager, but nope, never got anybody else. I argued for a while with them and got nowhere. I hung up crying and called my bank and told them I was scammed. It took 2 days to get my money back from the bank. I can't believe this happened to me. I continually warn my friends about stuff like this. But now I know how scammers work. They scam you when you're vulnerable and have no other place to turn in the middle of your emotions! I swear, this will never happen to me again (I hope). I hope my bank is doing something about them - I got a letter afterwards explaining that it ""was"" a scamming company." +"THE STORY TAKES ME BACK TO WHEN i THE MOST IN-LOVE I HAD EVER BEEN. WE PILED UP ON THE COMPUTER AND LOOKED AT COOL TRIPE. I WAS A REALLY BIG FAN OF A BAND CALLED WIDESPREAD PANIC SO I LOOKED AT THE WESTERN TOUR. THEN i PROCEEDED TO BUY TICKETS BACKWARDS FROM THE FURTHERST POINT WEST BACKWARDS. WE THEN LOOKED AT THE PATH AND MADE THE ITERNARY FOR THE TRIP AND BOOKED THE ROOM WE COULD BOOK. WE THEN WENT TO OUR BOSSES AND ASKED FOR A MONTH OFF AND HE SAID NO, SO i PUT IN MY 4 WEEKS NOTICE. I HAD TO GO. AND I NEEDED TO MAKE THIS TRIP WITH HER. WE PLANNED OVER THE NEXT MONTH AND WENT IT GOT HERE WE LEFT 3 DAYS EARY. WE WENT UP THROUGH THE MIDWEST AND WE STOPPED IN ST LOUIS. WENT TO THE ARCH AND HUNG OUT. THEN WE WENT TO HER FAMILIES HOUSE IN IOWA/STAYED A WEEK AND THEN WENT OUT TO WYOMING THE BLACK HILLS AND THE BIG PARK YELLOWSTONE, WE STAYED IN JACKSON WHOLE FOR 3 DAYS THEN LEFT OUT TO SEATLLE AND THE OUTSIDE EVENT THE GORGE IN WASHINGTON STATE. 3 NIGHTS THENRE THEN DOWN THE COAST TO MY FAMILIES PLACE IN SOUTHERN CALI WHERE WE SAW THEN IN THE GREEK THEATER AND HUNG OUT IN CALIFORNIA FOR A WEEK, THEN DOWN TO SAN FRAN AND THE THE LAST LEG OF THE SHOW AT THE CLASSIC WILTERN THEATER. WE LEFT FOR HOME AND WERE SO TIRED WE DIDNT EVEN GO 20 MINS IN TO SEE THE GRAND CANYON. BUT WE SHARED A MONTH THAT WILL LAST IMPRESSIONS OF A LIGFETIME. WE BROKE UP NOT TOO LONG AFTER AND I WISH WE WOULDNBT HAVE . I MISS HER AND I HAVENT DATED MUCH , REALLY NONE AT ALL AND I JUST MISS HER." +"i remember 3 months ago me and my girlfriend went on a trip out west. we were going to see a famous band on their western tour and we decided to commit to the tour by buying the tickets backwards from the most further away shows west backwards. So we bought the Los Angeles tickets first and then we kept going from San Fran, them Seattle, then Jackson Hole , down to Colorado. we packed and gave notice to our bosses we would be gone over a month. My boss didn't want me to go but I knew I had to do it so he let me go, my girls boss said it was ok. So we left in June (late June) and traveled to Colorado first. We stayed with some of her family first on the way out west and I met some of her family. they were really nice and we first stopped at the arch in St Louis , and we went into the arch. we really had a great time. as we reached the first show we had been on the road a week and we had such a fun time. we went next up to Jackson Hole and drove through the Yellow Stone national PARK AND HAD A WONDERFUL TIME. If I ever moved out west I would really love to move to maybe the black hills area its so beautiful out there. Then we went to Seattle , and down to San Fran . We stayed with my Aunt & uncle for about 4 days and took them to dinner for their birthday. When we came back we went on route 66 most of the way and we had maybe 5 dollars left in money we budgeted for and riding in on fumes. To say the least I got my job back and she did as well. We had the experience of a lifetime and we are no longer together . As bad as that is It was my fault . I still love her and she is now married to another man But when I remember those times I know we both shared a moment in time that we both still say to this very day the happiest and best times of our lives.." +"This happened few months back when i went to my home country to attend my sister marriage, my grandpa who is 65 years old had some heart blockage and undergone surgery, may be due to his age and few other factors related to brain he didnt recovered well. he lost his memory too and failed to identify family and friends. i am very close to my grandpa, he always talks about me to me directly thinking that am some one. several times i told him that am your grand daughter about whom you are talking about, but he is not in astage to identify me. i felt very embarrassed about my grandpa situation. one day it was almost like his last day, we called our family members but to our surprise he recovered. we felt some miracle happened. but this happiness did not last long, one day early in the morning he left the house when no body was around him. i feel that is the worst day in our life. we searched for him whole day but no info about him. we even filed FIR in police station regarding his missing but we could not get him back. we searched every possible way , enquired every where. finally we got some info that one person identified my grandpa. so according to his info, we started tracing the way he followed. we found him in some cctv footages and followed that route videos but at a junction we missed him again. i think that is the last footage in which we saw my grandpa alive. after few more days, we got information from police regarding a old man who passed away with heart stroke. It took me almost 3-4 months to come out of his memories, because he is like pillar to our family. I love you forever grandpa." +"I got up early today, I had to go and visit my grandmother at the retirement home today. The bus ride there always takes about 45 min, Today there was a lady riding the whole way there with me. I wonder who she was going to see. The weather today was a bit cold and clammy and I should have worn my boots over shoes. I got there around 10am, which is right after breakfast which is always a good time to go a visit as everyone is wide awake. The most interesting woman was sitting and talking to my grandmother when I arrived. My grandmother introduce her as Edith and she moved here from Estonia shortly after the war. She told me about how she been in some of the pride rallies back then. That she had seen Hitler speak before he came to power and liked him. It was interesting to listen to someone who was welcoming of the Nazi party when they invaded her country. But after learning of the crimes the Nazi's did feels sad about ever liking Hitler. We spoke for about an hour and she told me all about her family life during the war. I stayed until after lunch and took the same bus home. The lady from earlier wasn't on the bus again, I wonder if she left already? Got home and made dinner for myself. I'm tired today and plan to get to sleep early." +"I was just sitting back and surfing the internet one day, when I heard in my spirit: ""Start an Ebay business."". It came from out of nowhere. I tried to dismiss it, but I just kept hearing in my spirit: ""Start an Ebay business"". Over and over again I kept feeling it. As a Christian, I know when the Holy Spirit is guiding me to do something. So, I began to look into it, and almost immediately, I came across a video about something called ""Dropshipping"". I didn't even know what Dropshipping was, but again, in my spirit I felt: ""Do that."". I hadn't even clicked on the video yet. But, I watched it and learned about dropshipping. From there, the doors have just been opening up for me as I have started this eBay dropshipping business. Probably the most surprising blessing in starting this, is that I needed the funds to start it. I thought I needed to save up about $1,000 to start. But, I heard the Holy Spirit say: ""You don't need that much, you only need $400."" So, I prayed to be able to save $400 and the Spirit told me: ""Don't worry about it, I will provide."" Sure enough, my Mother ended up getting a bonus check and she knew I was going into this and the amount of the check was just enough to give me that money to start, so I didn't even need to save up for it. Since then, everything that I've prayed for has instantly come, to help me start the business. Resources, software, training, it just falls right into my lap when I pray for it. I just launched the business a couple of days ago, and I'm super excited for what happens next." +"This previous story is still quite relevant. I think all the time about how much of an impact it had. I have been able to stick to my goals for learning new skills, and I work through online courses every day. Right now, I am a few hours into a new Udemy course, which has been challenging. I feel concerned about the challenges that lay ahead but am just taking things one day at a time. While my goals have shifted a little bit since the internship (I have decided to focus on a different path than the Excel stuff I had been working on), the motivation and perspective have stayed. My life is changing rapidly in the wake of this. I have put my love of video games and music on the backburner, because they were getting in the way. It seems like sometimes you can't dip your toes into life - if I want to succeed in this career change, I will have to devote myself to it. Knowing that someone believed in my potential has helped me believe in myself and this is just the first step. I've begun networking outside of my company to find other opportunities. I got my library card so I could check out books about the subject matter. I've made a few difficult financial decisions, knowing that I will need savings and stability in case anything comes up. I guess you just never know what is going to happen in life... just a couple of years ago, programming and data analysis seemed like a form of magic that I would never comprehend. Now, it makes more sense every day. I hope one day to look back on these diary entries and know that I'm still pursuing this. Maybe the internship itself wasn't the path that I wanted but it certainly opened other doors for me." +"This previous story is still quite relevant. I think all the time about how much of an impact it had. I have been able to stick to my goals for learning new skills, and I work through online courses every day. Right now, I am a few hours into a new Udemy course, which has been challenging. I feel concerned about the challenges that lay ahead but am just taking things one day at a time. While my goals have shifted a little bit since the internship (I have decided to focus on a different path than the Excel stuff I had been working on), the motivation and perspective have stayed. My life is changing rapidly in the wake of this. I have put my love of video games and music on the backburner, because they were getting in the way. It seems like sometimes you can't dip your toes into life - if I want to succeed in this career change, I will have to devote myself to it. Knowing that someone believed in my potential has helped me believe in myself and this is just the first step. I've begun networking outside of my company to find other opportunities. I got my library card so I could check out books about the subject matter. I've made a few difficult financial decisions, knowing that I will need savings and stability in case anything comes up. I guess you just never know what is going to happen in life... just a couple of years ago, programming and data analysis seemed like a form of magic that I would never comprehend. Now, it makes more sense every day. I hope one day to look back on these diary entries and know that I'm still pursuing this. Maybe the internship itself wasn't the path that I wanted but it certainly opened other doors for me." +"I went to the Philippines in may of 2018. Right around now is a good time to go because it is before 'monsoon' season, and you might avoid the heavy rains. But don't quote me on that(I could have it switched around). Anyway, I went to Boracay, Coron(bausuanga), legaspi, Manila and the Bato rice terraces. Boracay and Manila are touristy, but boracay has great scuba diving if you're into that. If you like off the beaten path, in this order from my experience, Bato rice terraces, then legaspi, then Coron. Bato because it is so unique and out of the way (overnight is trip away), and you can do day and camping hikes. Legaspi because it is also not on the typical tourist agenda, but still really cool sights to see. Also great spicy foods. Coron is a small island, so technically off the beaten path, but is surrounded by ww2 Japanese ship wrecks that divers love to frequent. I spent a month there with a Filipino friend and we had a freakin blast. Also got to meet all of his family in his relatively small village, and do local things. Have many stories of you're interested for another time. Over all I haven't been else where in SE Asia, but I loved the Philippines and will not hesitate to return. I would love to go back, but money is an issue right now." +"I went to the Philippines in may of 2018. Right around now is a good time to go because it is before 'monsoon' season, and you might avoid the heavy rains. But don't quote me on that(I could have it switched around). Anyway, I went to Boracay, Coron(bausuanga), legaspi, Manila and the Bato rice terraces. Boracay and Manila are touristy, but boracay has great scuba diving if you're into that. If you like off the beaten path, in this order from my experience, Bato rice terraces, then legaspi, then Coron. Bato because it is so unique and out of the way (overnight is trip away), and you can do day and camping hikes. Legaspi because it is also not on the typical tourist agenda, but still really cool sights to see. Also great spicy foods. Coron is a small island, so technically off the beaten path, but is surrounded by ww2 Japanese ship wrecks that divers love to frequent. I spent a month there with a Filipino friend and we had a freakin blast. Also got to meet all of his family in his relatively small village, and do local things. Have many stories of you're interested for another time. Over all I haven't been else where in SE Asia, but I loved the Philippines and will not hesitate to return. I would love to go back, but money is an issue right now." +"For my mom's birthday, we usually go somewhere close by and spend a few days. This year, we went to the Great Smoky Mountains. My cousin came along since we are a close family. We went on a Friday and left on a Sunday. I was so excited for this trip that I bought myself a new camera to take pictures with. The mountains there are beautiful and very photo worthy. When we first got there, we decided to head to Dollywood first since it was about mid-day when we arrived. It had been years since we went there so it was fun to see it again. We all love Dolly Parton. We rode the train and looked through all the shops since we aren't amusement park ride ride people. It didn't look anything like I had remembered. After that, we went to see Gatlinburg for a bit. There were so many people there. I don't remember it ever being so crowded before. Then, it was time to settle in to the hotel for a bit. The next day we went to all the shopping areas in Pigeon Forge. I spent a lot of money. I think my mom had a great birthday and me and my cousin had a great time!" +"My brother, mom, and I went to the Smoky Mountains for a vacation. My mom was having a birthday during this time so it was even more special. Going to the mountains was what we wanted this year. It is really beautiful there. I actually bought myself a new camera for this trip because I wanted to take pictures of the mountains and have them look good. I've had cameras in the past that didn't give me good pictures. I also wanted HQ video. As soon as we got there, we went to Dollywood which was really fun. I hadn't been there since I was a little kid. We went on the train and it was the perfect time for me to take pictures. After that, we went to Gatlinburg and walked around. It was very busy there, but it's basically the same place I remembered it to be. We were able to go to Anakeesta and everything. It is different since the fires, though. We spent the next few days shopping all the various stores in Pigeon Forge. It's always a treat to go to the Walmart in the area, it's so different than all the other Walmarts I've been to. We got a funnel cake as my mom's birthday cake and it tasted so good! All in all, it was a great trip and I hope we do it again soon." +"Three months ago, I went to a funeral. It was for my Grandpa. I remembered the good times I had with my Grandpa. I remember him taking me hunting one day. I got to kill a deer. He made the deer dinner that night. It wasn't bad to eat. I remember playing catch with him. He still had an arm on him. It was very fun playing catch. I also remember going to a restaurant one night. He had a big steak. I had a big lamb. They were both delicious. I also had beer that night. I hope he is in heaven right now. He will be remembered by many people. He will be loved by many people. He left a legacy on this world." +I have been a writer for about ten years. This was my dream since the age of 8. I feel like I'm a natural at this. I have such a great imagination. I have learned a few things through these years. I have been rejected more than once. I have been told to give up because I would never go anywhere. I say don't give up! About four monthes ago my manuscript was finally acceped for publication. I worked very hard for this and never gave up. This was long overdue. We were all very excited when it was accepted. We went out to celebrate with some dinner and drinks. We had a great time and a great celebration. Overall my advice to you is to never give up on you dream. +"Something memorable that happened to me in the last couple of weeks was when my coworkers helped cheer me up when I was going through a hard time. I recently broke up with my boyfriend, so the last few months have been hard. We were living together, so I've had to find a new place to live that I can afford on my own. I've never lived by myself before, so its been a struggle adjusting to being alone. I had thought that my boyfriend and I would get married, but I was sadly mistaken. Our relationship wasn't growing enough and we decided it was best to part ways. My coworkers noticed that I've been acting different lately and asked what was wrong. At first I didn't want to talk about it, but eventually I confided to one of my coworkers about what I've been going through. I could tell that she felt sympathetic towards my situation, and she told me that she went through something similar a few years ago. It felt nice to talk to someone about it, but I didn't expect what would come next. The next day I walked into work and was surprised to see that my office was filled with flowers and chocolates. On my keyboard there was a card from my coworker. Inside the card was positive quotes and uplifting messages from all of my coworkers to try and lift my spirits. I was surprised that my coworkers cared so much about me that they would surprise me in this way. I felt very appreciative, and was happy that I had people in my life who supported me." +"I met what I thought was a specatcular guy. He was everything to me. At least that's what I thought. About three weeks ago, I had to break up with him. He just wasn't taking our relationship seriously. I could not see a future with him. I did the regular girl thing and ate my icecream and curled up in a blanket. I watched a lot of movies. I walked into work one day and my desk was filled with flowers and gifts. I was overwhelmed with gratitude and love. I never thought any of my coworkers cared this much about me. As soon as they came over to me, I started to cry. I was so happy that they were so supportive. It's nice to know that so many people care about you. My spirits were lifted and we even went to happy hour that day after work." +"I was looking through some old(er) videos that were sent to me when my wife was only my girlfriend. We were having issues and I felt that she was withdrawing from me, most noticeably, in a sexual manner. Seeking out sexual releases, I looked to some videos she had sent me approximately 2 years earlier. After I played with the audio for my own liking, I realized that I was hearing a couple male voices and one female voice on a video that was designed for me only. When I asked her about it, she said I was hearing things that were not there. That is when I took a closer look at even older videos. I found one other video in which I heard a male voice. When I questioned her about it, she denied it of course. Then I went to even older videos, and I realized that she was watching something over and over and that those videos were made in advance of them being sent to me. Yes, I did ""tweak"" the speed and enhance the audio, but that did not affect the fact that I realized that she was watching a video. I discovered that she was watching the same video over and over as she performed a solo sexual act. As I became better adapted to settings that would bring out background audio and hard to see objects in a visual sense I started seeing what I was previously being distracted from seeing. I realized that the women I loved and the one I had moved to Europe for and waited for 13 months to marry after returning from Europe was not performing for me or because of me. When I looked closer, I realized that what I was seeing was her watching a video of a dog performing oral sex on her. The woman I was to combat animal abuse alongside -- was in fact, an animal abuser." +"In early June, I discovered the person -- my wife -- had been involved in animal abuse either early on in our relationship or not too long before I met her. We met on-line in late Summer of 2015 and we met when we were doing a ""tweetstorm"" on Twitter in objection to the Minnesota dentist who had killed Cecil the Lion. Our who relationship --our whole being together -- was forged by animal advocacy and veganism. I first discovered the animal abuse by my wife when I started playing back videos she had sent me early-on in our relationship and additional videos she had sent me in the Summer of 2017 through June of 2018. The reason these where sent to me was for the intention of sensual and sexual and romantic purposes. I soon realized that not only was she engaging in animal abuse, but she had also gone to great lengths to conceal (cover up) images from what she was watching as she was filming herself for me. Oddly enough, they were not for me as she had actually filmed these all before we met or early-on in our relationship. She sent them to me as though they were current and in response to missing me or in response to a video I sent her. When we first met, she was living in Cyprus and around a year after first meeting on-line, I was in Cyprus living with her. The intention was for u to marry and live our days out together. The problem with that, is that she didn't follow through and after 9 months I returned to Oregon. That is when she sent most of the videos. It would be another 13 months before I saw her again. When I did see her after 13 months, she came here to Oregon and we married. She returned to Cyprus and I was to come within 3-4 months. Needless to say, I am sitting in Oregon typing this and I have not returned to Cyprus." +"Dear Diary - It is almost that time. Almost a year ago, my dog passed away. She was 16 years old. She lived a real long time for a border collie but not as old as I would have liked. It has been almost a year and not a day goes by that I do not think about her. She was a really good dog. I did not have her as a puppy but I feel like that would have been a blast a see. Nope, she was a rescue dog. I got her when she was about 4 years old, the adoption agency said, however, she did not act like a 4 year old. She was a little rascal, running around and acting like she was a puppy. But she was not aggressive. Maybe aggressively playful but not aggressive at all. She would whine at other dogs. She would want to look and sniff at every little thing in the park. She would just pull me all over the place. She was a really good dog. I still miss her and I always will." +"Three months ago my child was born. It was the best day of my life. I always wanted children but it took me and my husband five years to conceive. We went through many miscarriages and heartache to get our baby. We also went through 4 rounds of ivf. So, when our son was born it just felt incredible. The most memorable part of my sons birth was seeing my husband meet our son. He was so in love and was crying. My husband never cries so it was a rare beautiful moment to see. I also loved looking into my sons eyes and talking to him. My son's birth signified that I was finally a mom. I have wanted to be a mom since I was a little girl. My dreams finally came true and I couldn't be happier. Child birth was really hard but I would do it again to have my baby. I also had a traumatic hemmorage after I gave birth but I pulled through. My son was worth everything." +"five hours might seem like a long time, but when i'm with them it goes by like it was in an instant. I remember so many great moments from that trip, like when Tom got caught peeing behind the bushes on the 12th hole! i mean we all had to go but of course Tom couldn't wait, he's always like that. But probably the weirdest thing was something that you see in an Adam Sandler movie. I was on the 5th hole when i got a water foul, but it wasn't just any old regular foul. I'm watching in horror as my ball flies towards the lake and then CHOMP a gator comes out and swallows it! I was shocked, and asked the manager about it later just to find out thats ""Bill"". Apparently he roams these here parts, and has done so for about the last 6 years. Unbelievable i know, but hey what can you do these things happen i guess? Man, it really doesn't feel like it was 2 months ago, it feels like yesterday and i already can't wait to get back out there and meet Bill again. And in the end, who do you think ended up winning all that prize money for our little wager? yeah thats right, me and Ron blew it out of the water (or sand if you prefer). I mean i felt bad of course and wanted to treat the guys to something special for being good sports. After the game we went down to the local bar ""Charley's"" and had a round on me. Of course one round is never enough for us and we ended up being there until about midnight before calling a taxi and heading home. What a night to remember!" +"I had to take my son to have a hearing test that we have been trying to get done for a while. He had to be put to sleep because he just turned 3 and they had to have him stay still and quiet for about an hour to be able to get accurate results. We had to drive about an hour and a half away to have this test done because not just every place does them. We had to go to a specialty children's hospital. I was very nervous because he had never been put to sleep before and actually hadn't even ever been in the hospital since he was born. I was upsetting to me when I walked in the room and it looked just like a regular operating room. They gave us all the information about the procedure and then it was time to get started. We laid him on the table and had to hold him down while they put the mask with anesthesia on him. He was trying to scream but nothing would come out. It was a horrible experience and he was stating up at as wondering why we were helping them do this to him. It was absolutely heartbreaking. After about 30 seconds he was asleep and they put the IV drip in to keep him sleeping while they preformed the test. We were unable to stay in there for the test but it didn't last as long as they thought it would, only about 40 minutes. They called us back in and gave us the results that his hearing is fine and then we just had to wait for him to wake up. That took about 15 minutes for the anesthesia to wear off and him to awaken but once he did they gave him some just and we were able to take him home." +"About three months ago, my husband Dave and I had to take Alex, our four-year-old boy, to the doctor for a hearing test. We were really scared. Alex had to get knocked out cold with anesthesia. I don't remember what kind, but we were really worried. And we were also super worried about Alex's hearing. Alex was scared, too. Some nights he'd wake up crying and get in bed with us. We were all worried about the whole thing. The day we went in, the nurses and everybody, they were all so helpful. They took Alex in and got it done in under an hour while we waited. Well, thank God, it's over now, and the results are good! Alex's hearing is completely fine. We're all breathing big sighs of relief! We do need to keep following up with hearing tests every six months, for now. This is probably nothing at all, but they want to follow it just to make sure. We're all so glad it's over!" +"This is a story it's about a family who is trying to stay together, at least partially. It starts with a husband who made it terrible mistake by having an affair. It's about a wife who found out and obviously was devastated. Unfortunately it's the kids who suffer the most, as they have to deal what's the consequences that are outside of their control. This is about a husband who has sought counseling, has apologized constantly and has tried to show that he has changed. This is also about a wife who cannot bring herself to forgive. So then what happens to the family? The wife states that she is going to divorce him, yet can't bring herself to actually do it. You have a husband who is stuck in no man's land. The husband will not file for divorce. Which puts the family in a trap that no one can seem to get out of. The parents are separated, the family is separated, do they still do things together. No one can seem to move forwards together or a part. It is a family in crisis, that they can't seem to get out of. So where does this family go from here? And how can this family move on, when 1 person wants nothing but reconciliation and the other person can't make up their mind. And in the middle of this, are two kid's who just want their family back together." +"Today I found out that my wife is going forward with a divorce. I still can't believe that she is going to do it. I feel like the past two years of focusing on reconciliation, was for nothing. I also don't believe that she is thinking of the kids. Having parents that were divorced and growing up in that environment, is the last thing I wanted for the kids. I don't think that my wife realizes how this is going to impact the kids. I am so sad, frustrated and upset by all,of this. All I wanted was to restore our family. I miss my wife. I miss being with the kids everyday. I miss us being a family. I continue to pray for healing and restoration, but I'm losing hope. I know God is in control, but I am struggling. I think about when the tragedy that struck our family just over 2 years ago and never thought it would result in our family separating. All I can do is focus on God and be strong for the kids and let them know that we are still a family." +"One of the hardest decisions I had to make was when I resigned from my job as a teacher. 6 months ago my husband's company decided to transfer him to a different state, and I was no longer going to be able to commute to this job. We wanted to keep our family together, so we all moved together, my husband, me, and our two children who are also in elementary school. I decided that for awhile I will be a stay at home mom and take care of our two boys while they are in their younger years. I think my teaching background will help with this and make it a good experience for them. I was very sad to leave my job because I love my coworkers and students. My students have always been great, and they gave me little cards that they made to wish me good luck in the future and told me that they will miss me. At the same time, I think there will be an opportunity for me in the future to become principal of a local school in our new area. I had thought about moving up like this for awhile and might have the opportunity a few years down the road. I have enrolled in a graduate program to prepare me for this next step in my journey and will be able to dedicate more time to it since I will be staying at home with the kids and will have some time during the day while they are at school. It was difficult for me to leave everything I knew and the city I grew up in to move away with my husband, but I think it will also open new doors and new opportunities for me. I have needed a little push to get me going in the direction I want to be going, and this might help me take the leap and go the next step in my career. My husband is very happy about his promotion and transfer, and I think this will end up being a promotion for me as well. My students and I all took a picture on my last day and I have it framed in our new house. It was hard and tear-filled when I had to say goodbye to my colleagues and leave the building with a box of my stuff. Most surprising to me has been that several of my students parents have reached out to me on social media, so I think that will be a nice way to keep in touch with my roots and not completely lose touch with my home town. I have become friends with one parent in particular who I always viewed as a difficult parent, but she is very well-meaning and wants the best for her children and I have a completely different view of her now that we are friends and not just seeing each other in parent-teacher meetings. It is interesting to see different sides of people and see things you didn't think you would see. The other thing that was difficult for me was that our new town is smaller than our old one and it seems a little bit more difficult to meet people but I am hoping that being in school will help with that, and I might try to start some social groups, which is something I had always thought about doing. Overall I feel like a new life is blossoming in front of me." +"I was driving on the freeway when I saw a dog trapped by the concrete divider. He looked terrified. I went to the next exit to get off and go back around to see if I could get him. I pulled my car over a little ahead of him. He had a collar on so I knew he was somebody's pet. I was very nervous as it was a busy time on the freeway. Cars kept wizzing by us. I tried to crouch down and slowly walk towards him. I had my hand stretched out as I walked. I could see him visibly shaking. I slowly walked toward him and he made a couple steps towards me. I kept imagining grabbing him by the collar. I wonder if he would bite me. I got closer and closer to him. I was just in reach of him when a huge truck flew by and blared his horn. It was a loud, jarring noise that caused the dog to panic. He turned away from the divider and ran headlong into the traffic where he was hit by a car. He kept getting run over by all the subsequent cars. It was a terrible thing to witness." +"Last month while I was driving on the freeway, I saw a dog on the side of the road. I pulled over to the side. Cars were whizzing by me very fast. The dog just stood there, like he was paralyzed. I slowly walked toward him with my hand outstretched. I spoke to him in a low voice. I was very worried he would run out into traffic. He had a collar on so he was somebody's pet. He looked at me and his eyes were very wide. I could see that he was shaking. He started to slowly walk towards me. He was a big dog so I did have the consideration that he could bite me. I wanted to help him though. I could imagine me grabbing his collar as he got closer to me. We were just about to meet when a huge truck rushed by blaring his horn. The dog freaked out at the noise and bolted into the traffic. He was hit by multiple cars. It was one of the worst things I've ever seen. I sometimes feel guilty, thinking maybe if I didn't try to grab him that he would have gone back to his home." +"I am fascinated by old cemeteries, so when I had the chance to return to Alaska, I knew exactly where I would go. I had been to the Eklunta spirit houses four times before, and was looking forward to the visit. I took my kids with me this time. I want them to experience the feeling I got on my first visit. We get out of the car, and walk the distance to the spirit houses. It is a cold and peaceful morning as we approach the groups of brightly colored small buildings on the ground. I explain the history of the cemetery to the kids. The kids are not as religious as I am, and they do not have the connection to the Alaskan people I do, so they did not understand. I walk off by myself to pay my respects. I stop at each of the little buildings that contained the graves. I take in the colors, I think about how the family must have felt painting the colors on the little shelters. Tears come to my eyes. The native people fascinate me. They have managed to both embrace a new religion, yet keep their old traditions. I can feel the peace here, the love. I stay as long as I can, I could stay all day. I will surely return as I seem to be called back to this special place at least once a year." +The wedding I went to in WV was so much fun. I had a blast. I saw so many family and friends. We laughed and talked and just had so much fun. I don't usually dress up so the fact we had too was really fun for me. I did my hair and make up and had a really nice dress. The weather was perfect. The ceremony was really nice. They did such a great job at the entire thing. The food was amazing. The music was great too. We danced and dance late into the night. Drinks flowed freely all night. I am really glad I decided to go. I can't wait until the next family function. I took a lot of photos and well get them together for an album soon. I am also going to send the newlyweds copies of many of my photos. They turned out so good. +The wedding I went to in WV was so much fun. I had a blast. I saw so many family and friends. We laughed and talked and just had so much fun. I don't usually dress up so the fact we had too was really fun for me. I did my hair and make up and had a really nice dress. The weather was perfect. The ceremony was really nice. They did such a great job at the entire thing. The food was amazing. The music was great too. We danced and dance late into the night. Drinks flowed freely all night. I am really glad I decided to go. I can't wait until the next family function. I took a lot of photos and well get them together for an album soon. I am also going to send the newlyweds copies of many of my photos. They turned out so good. +"This afternoon I passed my CompTIA exam. I was terrified when I walked into the testing room. The only thing that calmed my nerves was that I was the only person testing that day and was situated all the way in the back. I came in to the room prepared to the best of my ability. I had spent months studying for this but did not have any experience in what it was, so I figured anything could happen. I knew that I was at the point in my life where I needed a career change and needed to begin settling down, so this was a big deal. If I failed the first step, what would that say about my future? So I turned the computer on and started with the exam. Right off the bat I was sure that I would fail. The questions were worded very oddly and it took a few reading before I was able to get what they were asking me. The only thing that I feel saved me was flagging those questions and going back to them later. That gave me more confidence when I would easily get the more understandable questions. I felt nervous the entire time. I felt that I had wasted my money to get the voucher to do this. What I felt was my only saving grace were the Performance Based Questions where you have to do things like set up a router, create an email address and set up the correct ports/protocols, etc. People said those were supposed to be the hardest, but I found them the easiest. You couldn't imagine my shock when I saw the screen congratulating me for passing. It was such an odd experience for me. I have a new certification to take next month, and I'm hoping I can take the confidence I've gathered from this experience and apply it to that one." +"This afternoon I passed my CompTIA exam. I was terrified when I walked into the testing room. The only thing that calmed my nerves was that I was the only person testing that day and was situated all the way in the back. I came in to the room prepared to the best of my ability. I had spent months studying for this but did not have any experience in what it was, so I figured anything could happen. I knew that I was at the point in my life where I needed a career change and needed to begin settling down, so this was a big deal. If I failed the first step, what would that say about my future? So I turned the computer on and started with the exam. Right off the bat I was sure that I would fail. The questions were worded very oddly and it took a few reading before I was able to get what they were asking me. The only thing that I feel saved me was flagging those questions and going back to them later. That gave me more confidence when I would easily get the more understandable questions. I felt nervous the entire time. I felt that I had wasted my money to get the voucher to do this. What I felt was my only saving grace were the Performance Based Questions where you have to do things like set up a router, create an email address and set up the correct ports/protocols, etc. People said those were supposed to be the hardest, but I found them the easiest. You couldn't imagine my shock when I saw the screen congratulating me for passing. It was such an odd experience for me. I have a new certification to take next month, and I'm hoping I can take the confidence I've gathered from this experience and apply it to that one." +"Oh my god so two weeks ago I had a very emotional experience. My daughter had her first day of school. I went to graduate school, she grew up seeing me continuing my education. She is going to be doing the same thing! And going to the same school that I went to! Oh how I've changed from the days of hard partying. To now I get so emotional seeing her doing what she loves. You can see it in her eyes. She isn't just doing this to please her daddy. You can see that she really truly wants to do this. She's talked about wanting to go to the same school that I went to for years. No one can prepare you for the wave of emotions that you will get when you have children. And then not only having said child but getting to see them grow. Getting to see them make decisions on their own. She is growing up so fast! It's difficult to imagine her being old enough to leave the home and attend graduate school. I am crying tears of joy!" +"Oh my god so two weeks ago I had a very emotional experience. My daughter had her first day of school. I went to graduate school, she grew up seeing me continuing my education. She is going to be doing the same thing! And going to the same school that I went to! Oh how I've changed from the days of hard partying. To now I get so emotional seeing her doing what she loves. You can see it in her eyes. She isn't just doing this to please her daddy. You can see that she really truly wants to do this. She's talked about wanting to go to the same school that I went to for years. No one can prepare you for the wave of emotions that you will get when you have children. And then not only having said child but getting to see them grow. Getting to see them make decisions on their own. She is growing up so fast! It's difficult to imagine her being old enough to leave the home and attend graduate school. I am crying tears of joy!" +"The night of the abuse was scary. I had never seen that side of him before and it came out of nowhere. One minute we were sitting around laughing and the next I was up against the wall as I was being yelled at and spit on. Alcohol. Alcohol does this to people. People that you would least expect it to. I didn't even know my fiance was having any problems. He never told me of any emotional issues or issues at work that he was dealing with. That's the thing about men though, they bottle everything up inside of them because it's not ""manly"" to vent. We had never even had an argument. I didn't do or say anything to make him mad. It literally just happened in the blink of an eye. People that drink every day are covering up problems. It's not normal to come home and get drunk every night. This is the number one sign and I missed it. I should've seen that something was wrong and for that I partially blame myself." +"The night of the abuse was scary. I had never seen that side of him before and it came out of nowhere. One minute we were sitting around laughing and the next I was up against the wall as I was being yelled at and spit on. Alcohol. Alcohol does this to people. People that you would least expect it to. I didn't even know my fiance was having any problems. He never told me of any emotional issues or issues at work that he was dealing with. That's the thing about men though, they bottle everything up inside of them because it's not ""manly"" to vent. We had never even had an argument. I didn't do or say anything to make him mad. It literally just happened in the blink of an eye. People that drink every day are covering up problems. It's not normal to come home and get drunk every night. This is the number one sign and I missed it. I should've seen that something was wrong and for that I partially blame myself." +"It was 4 months ago, i had my second house get together. It was a game night and i invited friends and family that were my age and a little older. I didn't know what to expect or how they would react, however. The night came and it was a blast. we had so much laughs and fun being together everyone wanted to know when would be the next one. I felt so happy to have shared that time with my family and friends, when they left i genuinely missed them and could not wait to see them again. it had everything you you would love in a party, food, family, friends and fun. Now that its been so long I'm definitely getting ready to do another with hopes of it turning out even better. For this to turn out the way it did, it did take quiet a bit of planning. I had sent out invitations a month in advance, and the same time i chose the games i wanted to play as well as what we would eat at the party. I decided on us playing a card game with a twist and for food I had pizza, patties, an array of drinks as well as cake. The first person that arrived got a prize. And as we waited for everyone to get there, we sat talked and watch a movie. Everyone showed up somewhat on time and that is when the games began. We ended up playing and laughing it up for a good 3 hours." +"What a great vacation! My husband and I decided to take a last minute vacation before the summer is over. We went to the beach, and it was amazing! We had both been very stressed with work, and the kids, and finances, and just all around busyness. We hadn't just taken the time to be with and enjoy each other for quite a while. My sister agreed to watch the kids for a long weekend, which was so nice of her. We quickly packed our bags and headed out for our drive to the beach, hoping to get there in time to watch the sunset. And we made it! Our room was lovely, nothing too fancy, but just right for what we needed. We had a nice view of the ocean from our window. We opened the window to enjoy the salt smell on the breeze, and the refreshing cool air. We were able to reconnect with each other on the first night, and it felt so good to just be together. I don't even remember the last time we had time alone - without the kids! We took a nice long walk on the beach, and played in the waves. In the morning we ordered room service for breakfast, and then went down to the beach again, and collected some beautiful shells. It was such a nice weekend, I wish we could have stayed longer!" +"What a great vacation! My husband and I decided to take a last minute vacation before the summer is over. We went to the beach, and it was amazing! We had both been very stressed with work, and the kids, and finances, and just all around busyness. We hadn't just taken the time to be with and enjoy each other for quite a while. My sister agreed to watch the kids for a long weekend, which was so nice of her. We quickly packed our bags and headed out for our drive to the beach, hoping to get there in time to watch the sunset. And we made it! Our room was lovely, nothing too fancy, but just right for what we needed. We had a nice view of the ocean from our window. We opened the window to enjoy the salt smell on the breeze, and the refreshing cool air. We were able to reconnect with each other on the first night, and it felt so good to just be together. I don't even remember the last time we had time alone - without the kids! We took a nice long walk on the beach, and played in the waves. In the morning we ordered room service for breakfast, and then went down to the beach again, and collected some beautiful shells. It was such a nice weekend, I wish we could have stayed longer!" +this was a very memorable experience. my daughter has worked very hard. she is a founder of her troop because she was one of the first girls to join boy scouts when girls were allowed in. so she has to work to get her ranks and prove herself. as mom has to help along the way and keep her on track. i felt very happy and over joyed at the court of honor. it was a really big deal. she doing good and moving up ranks pretty quick. it has been a lot of work in a short time. thats ok its well worth it. she has also made some life long friends along the way. he boys were very excepting also of the girls coming in. they have been a possitive influence on my daughter to. my daughter before she joined scouts was pretty lazy and didnt do much so this was a really big surprise that we found her calling and she loves the outdoors and competition. im very proud of the young woman my daughter has become and how much she has grown in such short time. +this was a very memorable experience. my daughter has worked very hard. she is a founder of her troop because she was one of the first girls to join boy scouts when girls were allowed in. so she has to work to get her ranks and prove herself. as mom has to help along the way and keep her on track. i felt very happy and over joyed at the court of honor. it was a really big deal. she doing good and moving up ranks pretty quick. it has been a lot of work in a short time. thats ok its well worth it. she has also made some life long friends along the way. he boys were very excepting also of the girls coming in. they have been a possitive influence on my daughter to. my daughter before she joined scouts was pretty lazy and didnt do much so this was a really big surprise that we found her calling and she loves the outdoors and competition. im very proud of the young woman my daughter has become and how much she has grown in such short time. +"While we were down at the beach, we decided to take them to a nearby aquarium. We did not have a car and the aquarium was about a twenty minute drive from the resort. We looked into options and decided that we would Uber. I had never used the service before so I was a bit nervous. I downloaded the app and order the ride. When it showed up to the resort, my family and I hopped in. I began to engage in a bit of small talk with our driver. It turned out that he was from the same state that we were from, Massachusetts. So here we are in South Carolina and our driver was from the same state. It was a crazy coincidence. After continuing our talks it turned out we lived in communities that were about half and hour apart. We shared some stories about back home, and he gave us some great recommendations. Him and his wife had retired down there a couple years back so they knew the place well. For my first Uber experience it was a good one and one that I will not forget. The one back to the resort was not as entertaining or surprising to say the least. I wonder if that will ever happen to me again." +"Two months ago in July, my sons Jeff and Todd turned 10, and so my wife and I decided to plan something very special for them both. We knew that Jeff has always had a deep interest in airplanes since he always tells us how he wants to be a pilot when he grows up, and Todd really enjoys being lazy on the beach. After my wife and I took off work for a couple weeks during the month of July (before the boy's birthdays), we both thought it would be a great idea to make this whole trip a complete surprise. We planned to travel to a beach for Todd's sake and that it be far away enough from home so that we'd be able to board an airplane for Jeff's sake. So, after endlessly searching for the best prices and deals for airline tickets and hotel rooms, we finally landed (no pun intended) on really cheap tickets that were about $350 each round trip with a hotel room included in the package deal. My wife and I were very excited to reveal the plans to our kids when their birthday came around, but at that point in time, we were just hoping that neither of us ""spilled the beans"". Two weeks later, it finally was time to reveal the big secret. As soon as Jeff and Todd woke up in the morning, we happily wished them both a happy birthday. After seeing the loving smiles on their faces my wife and I knew it was time to make their day even better. This was the most memorable moment that I could remember, when we told the boys about the trip we had planned they both leaped out of bed and hugged each other and yelled out of excitement. Neither of the boys had been on an airplane before so this was going to be a brand new experience for them. Seeing them so overwhelmed with joy brought so much love to my heart that day. I also remember the way that the kids packed up their suitcases the day before we left for vacation, it was surely a sight to see. They were so full of energy that they piled all of their clothes and toys mindlessly in one large heap in the middle of the suitcase, they wanted to leave as soon as possible no matter how disorganized they were! My wife and I sighed with relief that neither of us ruined the surprise for them as we both watched our children prepare for one of the most exciting trips of their lives at the time." +"We were on our way up to a new location that our company had recently opened. There was still some work that needed to be done as well as some assessments of the location. It was about mid morning as we were traveling north bound on the highway. About 40 minutes into the drive traffic started to get a little heavier as we hit the Boston area. My boss was to the right of me in the back seat and I had two fellow employees in the front. All of a sudden I heard my boss say whoa! My fellow colleague whom was driving said the same thing. I couldn't really see from my vantage point of what was occurring, but we had a box truck in front of us slam hard on its break. We soon followed as well. Traffic started to slow and it seemed to happen so quick. All of a sudden you see a Fed-ex truck in front of the truck that was ahead of us swerve hard to the right. Then it almost felt like a movie where things slowed down and the truck went head on into a guard rail and the back end of it turned into the guard rail and the truck flipped over on to its side over the rail. Traffic came to a dead stop and we could see the driver unclip his seat belt and fall to the roof of the cab. He then crawled out of the truck. It was good to see him get out OK. There were packages and debre everywhere." +"We were on our way up to a new location that our company had recently opened. There was still some work that needed to be done as well as some assessments of the location. It was about mid morning as we were traveling north bound on the highway. About 40 minutes into the drive traffic started to get a little heavier as we hit the Boston area. My boss was to the right of me in the back seat and I had two fellow employees in the front. All of a sudden I heard my boss say whoa! My fellow colleague whom was driving said the same thing. I couldn't really see from my vantage point of what was occurring, but we had a box truck in front of us slam hard on its break. We soon followed as well. Traffic started to slow and it seemed to happen so quick. All of a sudden you see a Fed-ex truck in front of the truck that was ahead of us swerve hard to the right. Then it almost felt like a movie where things slowed down and the truck went head on into a guard rail and the back end of it turned into the guard rail and the truck flipped over on to its side over the rail. Traffic came to a dead stop and we could see the driver unclip his seat belt and fall to the roof of the cab. He then crawled out of the truck. It was good to see him get out OK. There were packages and debre everywhere." +"in my life the most memorable event is my marriage. i am so eagerly waiting for that day. we are known each other from childhood. but i never thought that he going to my husband in future. we were studied in same class at our childhood. we both have crush on each other. at last that crush went became love. we approach our parents. they accept our love. so finally we got married. it's been two years now. i love him a lot. this was my most memorable day in my life. but still we got some struggle in our marriage. even this struggles make our marriage so special. when we approach our parents, at first they are not understand our relationship. we need to explain a lot about our relationship. some struggles we have met to make our parents understand. finally they understood us. first we did our education and college graduate. he went abroad for work often after his studies. i startup my own business here. so we both got settled in career and life. our financial status became good." +"Our dog was 12 and we had celebrated another Christmas with her. She'd grown a tumor several years before and we were always happy that it didn't cause her any issues and she was able to stay with us. Then she got sick. She wasn't able to keep food down. She was throwing up even water. She got weaker and weaker so that she couldn't even make it outside anymore. We knew the end was coming and even though, since her tumor developed, we knew it would happen, we weren't ready to let her go. In her later years, she'd developed some anxiety and didn't like to be away from the family. So, rather than take her to the vet, we kept her at home so she'd be calm. We stayed with her round the clock, petting her and talking to her and letting her know how much we loved her and how grateful we were for her being with us and letting us love her. In the early morning hours a few days after she first fell ill, she passed away in our arms. She went peacefully and with us there to say goodbye. We prepared a spot in the backyard, which she loved to spend time in, so she'd be in a happy place for her and close to us forever. She has a nice spot that gets plenty of sun because she loved to lay out in the sunshine and just soak up the rays. In the spring, we planted wild flowers over her to brighten the yard as she had done with her presence before she passed. We just celebrated our first Christmas without her but she still has her place in all our hearts and we think of her often." +"My son wanted to the earn the eagle rank at the boy scout. He has been a member of the boy scout for 11 years and wanted the award. For him to complete and earn this rank, he must perform a task. The task was about rebuilding the church outdoor and adding access ramp for the handicap. He completed the task excellently with the help of his friends. He got the rank and was happy about it. After he got the rank. He wanted to attain another higher rank and he have to perform another tedious task. He was so happy that he got the eagle rank. He was honored at the court of honor. He go about with his rank. He does not joke with his duty. He also values the boy scout. He is nice and helping. Finally, he was grateful to God." +"My son wanted to the earn the eagle rank at the boy scout. He has been a member of the boy scout for 11 years and wanted the award. For him to complete and earn this rank, he must perform a task. The task was about rebuilding the church outdoor and adding access ramp for the handicap. He completed the task excellently with the help of his friends. He got the rank and was happy about it. After he got the rank. He wanted to attain another higher rank and he have to perform another tedious task. He was so happy that he got the eagle rank. He was honored at the court of honor. He go about with his rank. He does not joke with his duty. He also values the boy scout. He is nice and helping. Finally, he was grateful to God." +"Something memorable that I was a part of within the last few months was the end of life care for and death of my grandmother. She was in an assisted living facility where she had been for two years due to increasing dementia and heart related health issues. One week we went to go to an event that was held at her facility that was supposed to be a family dinner and celebration. My grandma would not get out of bed to attend. This was very unlike her and from that moment on for the next three weeks she gradually stopped getting up at all, eating, and finally drinking. A few weeks before her death she was put on end of life care, hospice, and I made it a point to be at her home every day for several hours a day helping to care for her. This was both heartbreaking and beautiful all at the same time. To be able to care for someone who cared for me almost my whole life was very eye opening and humbling and extremely emotional. This was the woman who I thought walked on water and here she was now unable to do even the most menial of daily living tasks. How the tables had turned. A few days before she passed she became sort of comatose as she stopped drinking water and responding to anything other than pain, and a lot of pain she had. It was such an honor to be a comfort to her while she was in the transition from life to death. The most memorable part of this was the day before she died, where she had been no responsive for several days, I started to talk to her about my childhood and what a huge influence she was on me and how much I loved her and wanted to model my life after hers. I told something funny that happened when I was a child. I knew she heard me because she fluttered her eyes and she made a half grin. I will forever be grateful for these last moments with her and I will remember them as long as I live." +"When I went to my dad's house a few weeks ago, I had a really unsettling experience. My dad and my brother were taking about people of different races and kept laughing about how they weren't racist and how they thought that other races complained too much about their issues. My dad said ""I even hire them!"" in reference to black people. But when he criticized black hairstyles, I questioned him. I asked him if he knew why black people even wore some of those hairstyles, (they're protective hairstyles). My dad said something that disgusted me to my core. He said, ""To keep the bugs out?"" The level of ignorance that my dad exhibits is so upsetting to me, even now. I try to make peace with the fact that he is who he is but it's really difficult to. I feel depressed, I feel anxious, and I hate that I can still hear them laughing. I'm half puerto rican. My brother is too. My dad is Italian. I don't think he knows how uncomfortable all of this is and how racist he is. But I hate knowing that those are my roots, that my roots are so so racist. My mom isn't around anymore and I really wish that she was. I know that she wouldn't have let him talk like that without reprimand." +"My dad hasen't been a huge part of my life lately. He and I are very different in how we view people. I love all people and love to talk with everyone. Race doesn't matter to me at all. I will talk and treat anyone the same no matter the color of their skin. I went to visit my family back in New York and my dad showed his true colors. We were walking down the main road and he was shouting vulgar and obscene words. I have never been so embarrased in my whole life. What type of person does these type of things? How could this be the person that raised me? How did I turn out so different then he. Would my life be different if I was raised by someone else? Why didn't my mom protect me from my dad more? let me tell you, he almost got in numerous fights saying racist comments to everyone around him. I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide from this man. Maybe he just doesn't understand," +"My sister and her husband are great parents. We live miles away from eachother. They incude me in there everyday lives with there children. They tell my nephew what a great person I am. They tell him that I cannot wait to see him. they regularly have him call to say hi to me. Two monthes ago he chose me to aid him in his nap time routine. I am astonished, surprised and filled with glee. I am happy. I chose to read him a story called, ""Thers a monster at the end of this book"". He loved this story so much. He said that he wanted me to read to him again tomorrow. I was filled with extreme delight with that statement. He ended the call by saying, ""I love my auntie"". My day all that day was the best day ever." +"My sister and her husband are great parents. We live miles away from eachother. They incude me in there everyday lives with there children. They tell my nephew what a great person I am. They tell him that I cannot wait to see him. they regularly have him call to say hi to me. Two monthes ago he chose me to aid him in his nap time routine. I am astonished, surprised and filled with glee. I am happy. I chose to read him a story called, ""Thers a monster at the end of this book"". He loved this story so much. He said that he wanted me to read to him again tomorrow. I was filled with extreme delight with that statement. He ended the call by saying, ""I love my auntie"". My day all that day was the best day ever." +"My birthday was a four months ago and birthdays are big in this family. We always celebrate for at least three days. Once with family, once with friends and then a night out with our significant other. On this birthday it came and went and no one hardly mentioned it. My husband wished me a happy birthday but didn't take me out. I couldn't understand that and I was really quite hurt. Even at work I didn't get a cake or anything which is unusual. Three days after my birthday my husband said we were going to our marina to spend the night on our boat. He told me to dress up though in case I wanted to go out to dinner or something. I thought it was odd but I dressed up anyway and when we got to the marina there were more cars there than usual and I started seeing familiar faces and realized it was a surprise party for me. I can't even express the happiness I felt. I had never in my life have anyone give me a surprise party. It was my daughter who had planned it and to this day I can't figure out how they kept it a secret. My co-workers were there, my family and my friends. It was a huge party and it's a memory I will never forget and I'm extremely grateful to my daughter for having it for me." +"Three months ago, I went to Target before noon with my mother. I got a Funko Bulbasaur POP. I also got some Pokemon cards and posters about Detective Pikachu for my brother. We watched the movie later that day. It was a fun movie but was very bland. I decided to play with my POP. I made it walk on the ground. I made it fly in the air. I made sure to keep it away from my dog. My dog wanted to chew on it. He thought it was food. That is adorable. I gave the dog a nice pat on the head. I threw a ball to distract him from the POP. I had a fun time with the POP. I hope there are more of these in the future." +"Three months ago, I went to Target before noon with my mother. I got a Funko Bulbasaur POP. I also got some Pokemon cards and posters about Detective Pikachu for my brother. We watched the movie later that day. It was a fun movie but was very bland. I decided to play with my POP. I made it walk on the ground. I made it fly in the air. I made sure to keep it away from my dog. My dog wanted to chew on it. He thought it was food. That is adorable. I gave the dog a nice pat on the head. I threw a ball to distract him from the POP. I had a fun time with the POP. I hope there are more of these in the future." +"When i went to my grand parent the other day it was a mess. My cousin decided to bring this friend. At first he was cool and down to earth. However, when alcohol was involved I saw them take a turn for the worst. They started to provoke my family in ways that made me mad. I thought I should just try to remove him from the situation. It started to get physical after that. I saw that my cousin lost control of the situation and he assisted me in removing them. It was something out of a horror film to be honest. This random cam out of no where and just started threatening people. It was at that point I was like enough is enough. We called the police afterwards. He ran back to wherever he came from. It was something that weekend. I wont forget this for years to come." +"When i went to my grand parent the other day it was a mess. My cousin decided to bring this friend. At first he was cool and down to earth. However, when alcohol was involved I saw them take a turn for the worst. They started to provoke my family in ways that made me mad. I thought I should just try to remove him from the situation. It started to get physical after that. I saw that my cousin lost control of the situation and he assisted me in removing them. It was something out of a horror film to be honest. This random cam out of no where and just started threatening people. It was at that point I was like enough is enough. We called the police afterwards. He ran back to wherever he came from. It was something that weekend. I wont forget this for years to come." +"My son's birthday was a great time. It was about two weeks ago. He had been wanting to go the zoo for a while but we just never had the time or the money to engage in it. It also took a while for him to get ready for this event, but that's alright. I just wanted him to enjoy himself. It's hard seeing him grow up and knowing he might grow out of something at any moment. That being said, the experience was great. He got to say a variety of animals. He loved the pandas, fishes, and he had a great experience with a lion. The lion was surprisingly docile, and let my son pet him on the nose. The purr the lion made could start earthquakes, I tell you what. We spent a couple of hours there and really enjoyed ourselves. Afterwards, we made the trip home. The fun wasn't over, as he still had presents to open. He opened the presents with great velocity and truly appreciated each one. I think I'm raising him right." +"My son's birthday was a great time. It was about two weeks ago. He had been wanting to go the zoo for a while but we just never had the time or the money to engage in it. It also took a while for him to get ready for this event, but that's alright. I just wanted him to enjoy himself. It's hard seeing him grow up and knowing he might grow out of something at any moment. That being said, the experience was great. He got to say a variety of animals. He loved the pandas, fishes, and he had a great experience with a lion. The lion was surprisingly docile, and let my son pet him on the nose. The purr the lion made could start earthquakes, I tell you what. We spent a couple of hours there and really enjoyed ourselves. Afterwards, we made the trip home. The fun wasn't over, as he still had presents to open. He opened the presents with great velocity and truly appreciated each one. I think I'm raising him right." +"My elderly father has been dealing with cirrhosis of the liver for approximately a decade. Since he was diagnosed, his condition has progressively gotten worse over time: he has difficulty controlling his bowels, suffers from poor energy levels, has difficulty keeping food down, etc.. He has gone to numerous doctors and has had several procedures performed, but his health has continued to decline. Still, he managed to remain mostly independent until sometime this year. Approximately 2 months ago, he had his first incident which required a 2-3 week stay at the hospital. He fell ill while at home and 911 was called to bring him to a local hospital. When I found out about the incident, I was basically forced to pick up responsibilities around my parent's home. This included picking up and helping drive my mother to and from the hospital on a daily basis so that she could see my father. It also included having to handle grocery shopping and basic household chores, such as doing the laundry, taking out the trash, and general housekeeping since my mother was frequently at my father's bedside in the hospital. All these sudden and additional tasks were a heavy burden on me because I had to juggle them in addition to my own normal everyday tasks. The incident also added an emotional burden because I now had to worry about my father's physical well-being while at work. I couldn't plan too far ahead in advance because I knew I had to be on call and be available whenever my parents needed my help. I was no longer taking care of my own affairs and I had to refocus my energies on helping my parents get through their difficulties before I could attend to my own. Since then, my father's condition hasn't really improved. Although he has returned home, I'm still on call at all hours in case he has another incident. I have had to take him to the hospital again on multiple occasions and his doctors say that he should be brought back anytime he feels unable to resume his daily activities." +It was a shocking time for me when my father fell ill. He is 85 and getting frail so any small illness or virus could really be a problem. We ended up taking him to the emergency room. He had to have a procedure to clear his lungs. He was in the hospital for a few days. During this time I was checking on him and staying with him as much as could. I also had to care for my elderly mother during this time. It is a challenge to have aging parents and have to help care for them while also keeping up with your own responsibilities. I work full time and I have young children so this was really a challenge. I had a lot of work duties during this week and I had to ask for extra help. I am lucky that I have very nice neighbors whose daughters helped me watch my children. Unfortunately my spouse does not really step up to help in times like these. I was just relieved he took care of himself. I was considering hiring outside help for my parents but I wanted to be the one there for them. I did hire some help for housekeeping at my home and my parents' home. +"It happened about 3 months ago when I was driving back from work to my apartment. I was on the most busy road that day near my apartment and there was a lot of traffic. I should have been more careful but I did not see this coming. It was around 3pm right after I got off of work and I was trying to rush home so I could eat and go to sleep. I stopped at the left turn with my Honda accord and was waiting for an opening. I thought I saw an opening and commited, thats when I was blind sided from the right with 2 cars (1 truck and 1 sedan). It was so terrifying and the noise from the metal was deafening. It almost knocked me out and I had emotionally been damaged from the car crash. I was luckily not hurt but emotionally I was terrified and I couldn't breath right for a couple of days. I had a couple of lashes on my head that needed stiches from the glass but overall I was fine. I learned to be more careful after that and to double check my surroundings before committing. The day after, I had to call the insurance companies and explain everything that happened. I had a boost in insurance rates and was pretty pissed off, but in the end it was my fault. After that, I took a long break from work and tried to recouperate myself from the physical and mental damage. In the end, I took it on the chin like a man and moved on." +"Recently I became a US citizen. After months of waiting I finally got called for an interview. It went well and the guy told me immediately my application was approved. A few weeks later I went to my naturalization ceremony. It was a very emotional day and I teared up several times. The ceremony itself was really unorganized and I was very stressed that morning. We arrived with plenty of time to spare but the parking lot at the venue was full so we had to park elsewhere. Then the line for security was insane. It was like going through customs at an airport! Then I simply followed the people ahead of me into another room because there was no signage or instruction about where to go! It was actually horrible. I am a control freak (I acknowledge that) and I felt incredibly out of control. By the time I got to my seat I was sweaty and stressed out. Once the ceremony started, that faded away. There were 1500 people there to pledge their allegiance to the US along with me and it was such a sight to see. During the ceremony the judge talked about becoming an 'us' instead of a 'them', and that now I was responsible for helping shape the future of our country. It was really a great speech that moved me. After the ceremony I went out to lunch with my father and my wife. We only went to Denny's, nothing fancy, but it seemed appropriate. ""America's dinner"" on the day I became an American." +"I couldn't believe how worried I was! After all the work and all the money and all the preparation that took place, I didn't think I'd be able to get my citizenship three months ago. The whole event is still fresh in my mind as though it happened yesterday! I was surprised at how disorganized the entire event was considering the solemnity of it all. I really thought my new home country would be more organized than my birth country. Everything did settle down and we got down to business fairly quickly once the judge came out. She looked quite regal in her black robes, but she was quite stern. I could tell she was no-nonsense since when she entered the room, everyone scrambled to get things right. When the swearing in began, I couldn't believe how quickly the previous disorganization around me faded into the background. With just a few words, I was now a brand new United States citizen! The one thing that brought me into the present as I raised my hand to take the oath was how my new American friends cried tears of joy when I spoke the words pledging my allegiance to the U.S. I knew they cared, but I didn't know how happy they were for me until that moment. Getting my citizenship was the best day of my life. All the effort was more than worth it when I left the courthouse with my brand new citizenship. I never had to worry about not being protected from deportation ever again. I'm going to love my new life!" +"That weekend was a super frantic one. At first we really didn't think we needed to be worried and then with every passing hour, things got more intense. So, I had to wake up early and get my kids dressed and ready. I had to take a ride sharing car to the grocery store and i had to go in along side all of the zombies trying to find food to last should the hurricane hit and we lose power. It was awful because the store was packed, the lines were long and there was no water left. There was hardly anything substanial at that point. After that, I went to the liqour store to buy some rum. The hurricane did not end up hitting us at all. It was a fluke and every one was panic and filling gas and spending money and we did not get hit. I am so grateful that we did not get hit but i am also so over whelmed thinking about the ordeal that was. Now, i still have food that remains from that weekend. Still in the cabinets, untouched. It was better to be safe than sorry and be prepared just in case. It was better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have. In case things did go sour and we lost power, i'm glad that it all worked out and things were not ant worse." +"Saturday 8 am: Super stressed out, the weather channel says there is a hurricane coming so mom is not letting me hang with my friends this weekend. It looks as though I will be hiding out in my room unless they warn us to get to the storm shelter. 12 pm: It looks a bit cloudy outside and I have heard thunder a few times but nothing serious. The storm is now projected to be here between by late tonight or tomorrow morning so we will shall see. I think I am going to curl up and try to read a book this whole situation has me on edge. 8 pm: Woke up in recliner to little brother snoring on the couch but still no storm so far. I am going to go try to go back to sleep in my own room. 12 am: Woke up to a text from Jen tried to sneak out but got caught by mom, but its not even storming! Sunday 10 am: Woke up, no storm still. Looks partly cloudy, weather channel still predicts 50 percent chance of hurricane until 1 pm and everyone is freaked out. But it really don't seem to be happening. I still cant leave the house. 2 pm: Nothing happened, the whole thing got called off. To top this whole thing off I am grounded for trying to sneak out. 6 pm: Helped mom serve dinner and cleared the table, I even washed dishes. 8 pm: Not much to report, hopefully I will be off punishment by next weekend so long as I behave myself and keep sucking up." +"So I'm a manager at the the sober living halfway house here in town. I've been the manager here for many years. As you can imagine there are a lot of different characters that come and go. And seeing as how we can't discriminate about 2 months ago I had the worst fucking person to deal with yet. I had no choice but to accept him. The guy was struggling with addiction and also had an array of mental health issues. They were only made worse by the amount of drugs he was taking. He was IV using methamphetamines. I don't know how much experience you have with people who use that stuff. But let me tell you it's no fun. Even once they get sober the effects are still present for some time afterwards, some effects end up being life long. He caused trouble with the other residents. Others say that they thought he was high and was causing drama. However we have a tight budget and he is drug tested every 5 days. He had never failed a test. So it was hard to just kick him out. Well, I let the owner of the home know we had some complaints. And some suspicions about him. So, figuring that he would get high for 2 days and then not use for 3 days to get his urine clean for her test or using fake pee whatever he was doing, we set him up. He allowed for me to use the following weeks test the day after the first test and we had him pee in front of me. And wouldn't you know it he was lying to all of us but more importantly himself. He burned a hole in that cup he was dirty for METH!! Back to jail you go bro, and I hope you all the best in the future, but stay the hell away from here." +"So I have been in a lot of relationships in the past. Recently I met someone that loves me for me. We used to talk on the phone a lot in the past. One day we seen each other at the coffee shop. I did not know it was her, since she was dressed in a costume. I was for sure I was getting hit on, by a woman i do not even know. Anyways, she asks me, if I would dance with her at the coffee shop, outside in the rain. Of course, I said yes. We talk for about an hour, and that is when she reveals her face to me. I am very shocked, and baffled. She said, ""I knew I would find you here"". The day was over, and the night sky was out. Stars remind me of her. She asked if I would marry her. Do you know what i said?.........Yes!!!!! I can not believe this just happened." +"Five weeks ago, I got into an argument with a friend. We were at a bar. He was making fun of me. I cursed at him. He cursed back. I decided to go home alone. He had to get an Uber. I didn't talk to him for a few days. I decided to go to the movies alone. I saw a nice blockbuster. It had a lot of action scenes. It had a great plot. Later that week, I decided to be friends again. We both went bowling to celebrate. I barely beat him. It was an intense game but we both had a lot of fun that day. We got beer to drink while we bowled. I almost puked during bowling but glad I didn't. They would of kicked us out for puking." +"We stayed in a hotel right near the airport on Jacksonville. There had been fires in the area near the freeway that had stopped traffic and we wanted to make sure we got on the plane for the first leg of our trip to Los Angeles. So the next day we got on the plane and made it to Los Angeles. We stayed overnight there in the Crowne Plaza hotel right near the airport also. Our flight to French Polynesia was and unusual one in that it took off in the afternoon and got to Papeete at about 9 pm at night. We got on the plane for the long flight. We got there and were met at the airport by a group that our Tahiti Legends had on the ground to take us to our overnight stay in the island of Tahiti until the next day when we would get on the ferry to go to Moorea. Papeete was a typical city atmosphere which we really didn't like that much. I knew that from when I went there 27 years ago. So we really didn't consider our vacation had started until we got to Moorea. The next day we got to Moorea on the ferry and began to see the beauty of what I had experienced 27 years ago. When we got to the Moorea dock, we were picked up for our ride to our hotel with an over water bungalow. The ride was kind of sad because I remembered Moorea from 27 years ago and it had been built up and was more crowded, which was to be expected. Not as nice as 27 years ago. We made it to our hotel and were escorted to our bungalow. Now our vacation had started. It was a beautiful place to stay with the view over the water. The most beautiful things we saw was a rainbow over the water the next morning." +"Two months ago my husband and I took a trip for our 25th weeding Anniversary to French Polynesia Islands. We went to 5 of islands of the French Polynesia Islands to be exact. This was such a wonderful trip for me because I had been there 27 years ago and I fell in love with the islands there. Plus, I needed to take a vacation because it had been 3 years since I had took one. I love the water there. It is this beautiful aqua blue that is crystal clear, it shimmers like a gemstone. The beaches are so magical. My husband and I spent 12 days there, so we got to so many things. I truly enjoyed the snorkeling excursion because that is where I got to take my long awaited photos of sharks, and there was so many types. The photos will always be one of the best memories of this vacation. They are displayed in my house in photo frames for everyone to see because I am so proud of them. The food was also some of the most unique food I have ever ate. Thanks to guy at the hotel who told my husband to go to this one restaurant because the food was the best on the island of Bora Bora. I had one of the best meals with some of the most fresh vegetables and fruits I have ever had. I also love the hike we took to the rain forest, that is something you do not see in the western part of Texas I am from. There is so much to tell about this place but honestly a person needs to go for their self to know what I am talking about. Trust me you will fall in love with this place, I would love to retire here. Nothing better, the beaches, the people, the culture, the food, it is what made me fall in love with this 27 years ago." +"I've been 35 for 4 months now and it doesn't feel too bad. You know what they say, ""35 is the new 25"" ! I'm still recovering from my big Las Vegas birthday weekend, so maybe that saying isn't true. Anyway, we had so much fun. We got it in and partied hard. I realized that I was getting older and wanted to make up for lost time. I wasn't much of a partier when I was younger, too shy and introverted. Severe social anxiety kept me cut off from life. Plus, I come from a highly dysfunctional family and was burdened with huge responsibilities from a early age. Once I got into my thirties I decided that enough was enough. You only get one life to live so you might as well live it. Back to the celebration! I've never been to Las Vegas before, never even been on a plane, it was huge and overwhelming but in a good way. Very hot too. I just wanted to stay in my air conditioned room or lounge by the infinity pool but my friends dragged me up and down the Strip. We went from casino to casino, buffet to buffet, indulging almost all of the seven deadly sins. Marie tried to take us to a strip club, but they were too full. Oh well. I won about $500 but spent it getting us bottle service at the dance club. I almost felt kind of foolish being my age, like the old auntie in the club trying to keep up with the young ones. I had much more fun eating my way through the elaborate buffets and shopping at the fancy stores. I bought some cute clothes but I can't fit them. I think I gained 10 lbs that weekend and I'm still trying to work it off. My friends liked the casinos the best, especially since I gave them the money to gamble! Overall, I had a good time and I can say that I did something fun in life. Hopefully, I can have more fun in the future and not just on my birthday." +"It was a horrible accident that we witnessed on our way to work. We were driving on the back road which is a two lane road that usually don't have a lot of traffic but there are some sharp turns on the road. It was mid morning I think, we were talking about what we were going to do that day and planning how to work that day. Then we saw the sharp turn and we made sure that we slowed down a little bit. Just about when we passed the turn, we saw a SUV flying around the corner and before I can react it flew right off the road and then went into the bushes. I have never seen anything like that happened in my life and in front of my eyes!!!!! It was so horrible and felt that it is unreal!! It landed on the side of it, the driver seems like he had a hard time get out too. So we parked on the other side of the road and ran out to help him. At that time there was no other cars on the road or passing by. I was calling the cops and my friend went over to check on the driver. Finally there was someone drove by and stopped to help us. At that time, there was also something leaking like a gas tank leaking in the back of the car. The guy got that tank out and shut the valve. My friend and the guy were trying to pull the driver out. Then this Spanish lady drove by, stopped, came out of the car and was crying, she came to me asked what is going on and is the driver ok, she was crying so hard and she was telling me that she told the driver to drive slow, but he didn't listen. So I knew by then that she was his friend, I held her and told her that everything will be ok, they are trying to get him out, the cops are on the way too. I was shaking but I know that if I don't remain calm it will scare her even more. Later the cops were asking us about the details of the accident, so she was there looking at the car and waiting for them to get the driver out. We were done doing the report and was ready to leave, she asked for the contact information she said she will pay us, but we said everyone under that situation would do the same thing and we don't need any reward or pay. We were just doing what normal people would do. We told her we hope her friend recovers soon and then we left." +"I was out with a friend today and we witnessed an accident. It's amazing how people can get into completely avoidable accidents. It is some coincidence that we were at the right time and the right place to see the accident happen. I can't recall the last time I saw an accident happen as it must have been many years ago. However, I am glad that we were there so that we could offer help. One of the driver's was in bad shape and needed help. Being aware of the fear and panic that can cause bystanders from stepping in and helping during a crisis, we decided to get out to see if we could help save the driver. We are not sure if the person that came up to us for help was with the driver when the accident happened, but apparently she was a friend of the driver. She was noticeably panicking and losing control. Based on experience during a emergency, I knew the best thing for her to do was to be calm and rational. I tried to ease her nerves and offer her reassurance. She was grateful and wanted to contact us later. That ended up not happening as there wasn't anything in return that we were in need of. I wonder what happened to the driver and the driver's friend. I hope that they are okay and that they can avoid getting into accidents in the future." +"Oh man, the last house purchase I made ended up being a mistake. They say in life that you live and learn, and nothing can be farther from the truth. I am a single father trying to move ahead in life, and it was time to stop living in an apartment and get an actual house to live and raise my daughter in. A couple months ago, I went looking on the internet trying to find a good deal. I was looking in a suburban area found a decent location next to a large city. It seemed too good to be true and had me ecstatic. After a couple weeks of sending spuratic emails with the land/homeowner, I feel like I had a sort-of good idea of the condition of the house, although my main judgement was based on the pictures posted online. When the day came that I was to move it, I could not be happier. I had my Uhaul ready, and left for my new, possibly wonderful home. When I got there after a 3 hour drive, my expectations died. The house needed new aluminum siding, and the lawn looked sad and dead. My heart sank. I then realized that I got catfished. I pieced together in my mind that the pictures of the house i saw online were several years old. Once going inside, the house stunk. The carpets were dirty and the paint on the walls were all chipped up. The worse part was that there were so many dead bugs in the house. After inspecting the mess, I contacted the previous owner. I was irate and livid and told them all the issues present. They tried to argue, but in the end they agreed to come out and get some work done on it. After about 2 weeks of repairs and touchups, the home I purchased looked so much better. I learned that in the future, I need to do more research before making big decisions." +"Oh man, the last house purchase I made ended up being a mistake. They say in life that you live and learn, and nothing can be farther from the truth. I am a single father trying to move ahead in life, and it was time to stop living in an apartment and get an actual house to live and raise my daughter in. A couple months ago, I went looking on the internet trying to find a good deal. I was looking in a suburban area found a decent location next to a large city. It seemed too good to be true and had me ecstatic. After a couple weeks of sending spuratic emails with the land/homeowner, I feel like I had a sort-of good idea of the condition of the house, although my main judgement was based on the pictures posted online. When the day came that I was to move it, I could not be happier. I had my Uhaul ready, and left for my new, possibly wonderful home. When I got there after a 3 hour drive, my expectations died. The house needed new aluminum siding, and the lawn looked sad and dead. My heart sank. I then realized that I got catfished. I pieced together in my mind that the pictures of the house i saw online were several years old. Once going inside, the house stunk. The carpets were dirty and the paint on the walls were all chipped up. The worse part was that there were so many dead bugs in the house. After inspecting the mess, I contacted the previous owner. I was irate and livid and told them all the issues present. They tried to argue, but in the end they agreed to come out and get some work done on it. After about 2 weeks of repairs and touchups, the home I purchased looked so much better. I learned that in the future, I need to do more research before making big decisions." +"Two weeks ago I was spending the evening at a cat rescue that I founded. It was calm and quiet and I was giving the 40 cats some well needed quality time. The sky suddenly became very dark and the tornado sirens just outside the door started going off. I was in a panic. I realized I had to get all 40 cats to safety in the basement. I ran up and down the stairs with cats,placing them into rooms in the basement, some had to go down in carriers because they were ill. Cats hide when tornado sirens go off. I was exhausted and scared. Updates showed that the tornado was getting closer to us but I was still missing about 10 cats. It was horrible, as I cried, I had to make the choice of what cats to leave upstairs. I took as many as I could and went into the basement until it passed. I cried the entire time. All I could think about was the cats that I had to leave upstairs. I wanted to go get them. When it was over, the building was very damaged, but all cats were fine." +"Now that the dust has literally settled - It is time to reflect. I am trying to find the positive in this very stressful time. We thankfully have insured the house for the damages of the tornado...and all 40 of our rescued cats are recovering from this traumatic event. Trying to find cats in a large home (when the power is out) is a very daunting task. Most of our feline friends instinctually sought refuge in the basement, which was a great help. A handful had to located and dragged from the smallest hiding spots. I went around with a flashlight looking everywhere I could think of...only receiving a few scratches (...which reminds me I need I trim Mr. Sprinkles nails today). I am so thankful for the radio and cell towers that still allowed me to communicate with others during those stressful moments crowed in the basement with stressed-out kitties. Hours later after the tornado left, our sister-cat rescue arrived with salvation. What a blessing! They able to help up transport our cats to their location while we rebuild our own rescue. Their timely aide left us forever grateful. Hoping to rebuild our place with the insurance money and aide from the community. Or we try to find a new vacant house all together. In a way, this may be a much needed way for us to expand our cat rescue with new ideas. Lots to think about and a lot to be grateful from this tornado experience." +"On June 15th, 2019, me and my family went to Idlewild Park and Soak Zone, a local amusement park. This park was rated as the #1 Children's amusement park in the world, of which I was very skeptical, as this was my first time going there. My wife and I got the kids up at about 7 AM for breakfast and to get ready to leave. Around 9:30 AM, my in-laws arrived to join us, and we all piled into the van for the hour-long drive to the park. We hit the road, and arrived at the park around 10:30 AM, which was good, because we wanted to get there when the gates opened at 10:30 AM. We found a parking spot and everyone got out to apply sunscreen, and gather their accessories for swimming in Soak Zone and the lunch we had packed for the day. We headed into the park, and were immediately amazed by the number of rides for children tat were available. The park layout was sprawling and went off into the woods in seemingly all directions. The kids were overwhelmed with excitement, and started feverishly discussing and pointing to where we would head first. We spent a few hours riding various rides: the train, a rope climb, ball pit, and walked through Storybook Forest. All the attractions were amazing! It was now lunch time, so we stopped at a pavilion to eat lunch and get a break from the hot, summer sun. Then we headed to Soak Zone to cool off. We spent the rest of the day riding watersides, in the wave pool, the lazy river, and enjoying each other's company. Before we knew it, it was 6 PM and Soak Zone was closing, so we left to grab a bite to eat, and headed home. It was an amazing experience, and I can see why Idlewild and Soak Zone is rated the #1 Children's amusement park in the world." +"Time does not necessarily heal all wounds! My son fell into a waterway covered in algae about 3 months ago, and I'm still feeling intense bouts of anxiety regarding the event. I have frequent nightmares and I almost have panic attacks whenever we are out in public, especially near any body of water. The nightmares are silly, and always center around what would or could have happened, if there hadn't been people around to help get him out. Luckily between me and the good sanitarians, we were able to get him to safety very quickly, so the nightmares have no basis in fact. We had been going for a stroll on the waterway that day. It was the first day it hadn't been raining in over a week, so we were feeling some cabin fever. I suggested an afternoon walk, and my son was only too happy to come along. He brought his toy truck with him, and had been playing with it near the waters edge. I saw a neighbor and went over to talk to her, when I saw out of the corner of my eye my son's truck rolling into the water. Too late, I saw my son fall in after it. Between me, my neighbor, and a few passerby, we were able to get him out quickly, but it was a stressful experience for both of us. Luckily, he calmed down and seemed to forget the incident within the hour. Me on the other hand, I'm still reliving it everyday. It's amazing that it happened to my son, and he's fine, while I'm still in shock about it! It's quite surprising how that happens, isn't it?" +"Time does not necessarily heal all wounds! My son fell into a waterway covered in algae about 3 months ago, and I'm still feeling intense bouts of anxiety regarding the event. I have frequent nightmares and I almost have panic attacks whenever we are out in public, especially near any body of water. The nightmares are silly, and always center around what would or could have happened, if there hadn't been people around to help get him out. Luckily between me and the good sanitarians, we were able to get him to safety very quickly, so the nightmares have no basis in fact. We had been going for a stroll on the waterway that day. It was the first day it hadn't been raining in over a week, so we were feeling some cabin fever. I suggested an afternoon walk, and my son was only too happy to come along. He brought his toy truck with him, and had been playing with it near the waters edge. I saw a neighbor and went over to talk to her, when I saw out of the corner of my eye my son's truck rolling into the water. Too late, I saw my son fall in after it. Between me, my neighbor, and a few passerby, we were able to get him out quickly, but it was a stressful experience for both of us. Luckily, he calmed down and seemed to forget the incident within the hour. Me on the other hand, I'm still reliving it everyday. It's amazing that it happened to my son, and he's fine, while I'm still in shock about it! It's quite surprising how that happens, isn't it?" +"My younger nephew called me two weeks ago. He told me his parents have bought him a huge kite. It was actually a yellow one! In addition to that, it was Paul Frank styled. He told me they wanted to pass by my home at Sunday to try it out. It was a very windy week so the moment seemed appropriate! I couldn´t wait for their visit. Finally, Sunday came. We agreed that we would try to fly the kite first and have lunch after that. There is a wide open area behind my home so kites can easily be flown over there. The only problem was that, if a lot of people showed up to fly kites, there might be accidents. But when we went outside there were just a few people so it would not be easy for kites to get tangled with each other. Besides, it´s been over two decades for me since I last flew one! So we made the first tries. It took some time for the kite to lift up. On time, it started gaining height. The wind was wonderful and finally, the kite majesticly rose in the sky!! It was a wonderful time for us to remember. After that, we have one of the happiest lunches we ever had." +"My nephew and I are pretty close. I love doing things with him when I have the time. He loves kites. I have probably bought him 5 kites over the past few months and he spends hours playing with them. He called me one day 2 weeks ago to tell me his parents bought him the biggest kite he ever had and he wanted to come to my house to fly it in the yard. I said of course he could come over, so I made plans with his parents and they were on their way. While they were on the way, I ordered a few pizzas and went to the corner store to get some candy and soda. 30 minutes later, I saw them in the driveway. He jumped out of the car with a kite twice the size of him and told me to go to the back yard. We both ran to the back and started getting ready. The wind was perfect for flying kites. I offered to help him get it right and ready, but he assured me he could do it. He actually did it himself. 20 minutes later, he was running up and down the lawn, laughing and staring up at the sky. We ate pizza while we watched him have fun. It was a great time." +"ON DECEMBER 30, 2019. I WANT TO GO ONE EXCITING TRIP. SO I DECIDED TO GO WITH MY GIRLFRIEND CLARA. I LOVE HER SO MUCH. SHE IS MY CHILDHOOD FRIEND. MY PARENTS AND HER PARENTS ARE FAMILY FRIENDS. I ASKED HER TO COME WITH ME. SHE IMMEDIATELY ACCEPTS AND COME WITH ME. BOTH OF US DECIDED TO GO IN BIKE. BUT AT THAT TIME MY BIKE WAS STUCK WITH SOME PROBLEM. SO I HANDOVER MY BIKE IN MECHANIC SHOP BECAUSE OF SOME FAILURE IN BRAKE SYSTEM. IT TOOK MORE TIME TO RECOVER. SO WE DECIDED TO GO TRIP USING RENTED BIKES. I ASKED MECHANIC ENGINEER FOR RENTED BIKE. HE GAVE ME AN FANTASTIC BIKE FOR RENT. BOTH OF US HAPPY WITH THAT BIKE. THAT'S HARLEY DAVIDSON BIKE. WE DECIDED TO GO LONG TRIP, SO WE CHOOSE LAKE TAHOE. THAT'S BEST PLACE TO SPEND MORE TIME. WE REACHED THERE IN MORNING. ON THE WAY WE TOOK LOT OF SELFIES AND PICTURES OF US. THAT'S SWEET MEMORIES. AFTER THAT WE BOUGHT PIZZA FROM ONE LOCAL SHOP. THAT'S TOO DELICIOUS AND WE DIDN'T TASTE PIZZA LIKE THAT NEVER BEFORE. WE PAID MONEY FOR THAT, AND ASKED THEM ONE MORE PIZZA." +"Today my granddaughter turned 4 months old. It was a small but important milestone for me. We celebrated by having pizza over at my daughters house. I know it seems silly to celebrate every month but we are all still so happy she is here and healthy. I remember 4 months ago like it was yesterday. I was in Bali enjoying a vacation with my friends when I got a call from my son in law. My daughter had gone into labor very unexpectedly. She was only 28 weeks pregnant and something had caused her to go into pre-term labor. I don't remember how I did it but I managed to get to the airport and on a plane within a few hours. The flight was long and I had no cell phone service the entire way, I have never been so scared in my entire life. Once I landed and turned my cell phone on I had probably 30 text messages and missed calls, the baby had been born. She was healthy! I don't think I'd ever felt such relief in my entire life. I will always remember that day and how close I felt to possibly losing my little granddaughter. I guess that is why I want to celebrate every tiny milestone she reaches. 4 months ago we really thought we might never be celebrating any birthdays, and so even the monthly ones are important." +"My event has to do with me bringing my puppy home to live me. I picked her out in February but was unable to bring her home with me. My landlord said I absolutely couldn't have a pet so my sister agreed to watch her until I found a place at the end of my lease that would allow her. Finally, last month, I moved and was able to find a place that would allow her. I was so excited to bring her home to live with me finally. The first day was rough. She refused to eat and was throwing up all the water she drank. I was nervous that she was sick. I thought I'd give her some time to see if it was just nerves. The next day she was better and we found a better bathroom routine. She didn't act like she needed to use the bathroom at all the day before. She just sat by the back door waiting to come back in. After about a week, she was eating and had a regular bathroom schedule. About two weeks ago, as we were sitting on the couch next to each other watching TV, I got this warm feeling. I knew then and there that she was meant for my family and it wasn't mistake buying her back in February. I watched her lay there for awhile and smiled thinking about how well she completes our family." +"Roughly 8 months ago my wife was complaining about slight pain in her leg. It was her right leg to be exact. She would occasionally brush it off and blame the fact that she was getting older as the cause. This went on for a few months. One morning when she woke up and got out of bed I noticed she was limping. I asked if she was okay and she explained that her leg was hurting worse than ever. I told her to call and make a doctors appointment and I would drive her up there to get it checked out. During her appointment, the doctor explained the issue and said she would need a minor procedure and the routine surgery to be performed would have her feeling better in no time. We met with the surgeon and he helped calm our any fears we had about about the procedure and did a fantastic job reassuring us that we should have nothing to worry about, it is a very common procedure. The day of the surgery they wisk my wife away for this routine procedure. They explained it would take about an hour and I would be able to see her after. A couple hours had passed and I began to worry if everything was alright. I asked a nurse for an update and she went and got a doctor who explained that there were some complications. They had cut an artery and bundle of nerves by accident, so things did not go as planned. I was horrified. The recovery process was much more entailed than expected. During this recovery she gained an infection from a small instrument they forgot inside her leg. They explained they would have to operate once more and they did so quickly. She almost lost her leg. The recovery process has taken much longer than anyone could have guessed. She now walks with a limp and has pain that is occasionally worse than it was before the surgery and this will continue the rest of her life. All in all this was a miserable experience." +"About five months ago, I was at an awards breakfast for our local Youth Sports Association, of which I am a member. I played a lot of sports in my youth and as an adult, I've devoted much of my time coaching little league baseball, as well as participating in bringing new members into the Association. I was having a great time socializing with the people at my table during breakfast and was looking forward to the awards being given to the winning teams and coaches. After giving a thunderous round of applause for each award recipient, everyone rose and gave a standing ovation. The chairman of the Association approached the podium yet again. He began speaking about a new award being given this year. After much consideration, they decided to award the person who had worked above and beyond to increase the Association's membership. As I sat in my chair, I felt so proud that such an important aspect of what makes our Association so successful would be honored today. I was so absorbed in this thought, that I initially paid no attention to my name being called. The person sitting next to me brought me back to the moment by nudging me with his elbow. I looked around to see all eyes in the room on me. I then heard the Chairman say ""come on up here!"" I stood and felt quite shaken by the surprise at first. As I walked to the stage, I was overwhlemed by the sound of applause and cheering behind me. I could feel tears welling up in my eyes. As I approached the podium, I was given a bear hug by the Chairman. He then handed me a gold plaque and I paused to read the inscription. It said ""For your tireless work toward growing the SPYSA, you have been named Youth Sports Association Advocate of the Year, I was truly speechless and took more than a few moment to compose myself before addressing the audience. ""This was so very unexpected because I don't really think of what I do for this organization in terms of winning or losing. It is about giving each and every person a chance to shine. It seems that today is my turn to shine and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart.""" +"I still can't believe it happened to me. I thought I was stronger. It's been six months and I'm still freaking out about it. It was just a simple procedure, I wasn't even going to stay overnight. Just a quick in and out for my hernia. But after I woke up from the procedure the nurse gave me a glass of orange juice and it went down the wrong pipe. I don't remember anything after that until I woke up a few days later. They said it went into my lungs and I stopped breathing. I nearly died. I started going to a therapist a month after the incident, after I threw up trying to drink orange juice. It's so stupid. It was a freak accident but I couldn't even drink a simple cup of juice. The therapist says it's PTSD and at first I couldn't believe it. I thought PTSD only happened to soldiers or cops or something. But apparently it's really common with medical emergencies and often goes untreated? Who knew. The good news is that my therapist thinks I'll get better over time if I keep working at it." +"Two weeks ago our cat, Baby Kitty, disappeared for several days. Our family went crazy looking for her. It got so bad that I was trying to think of how to gently break her disappearance to our daughter. Baby Kitty could usually be found in our daughter's presence. Whenever she would get upset, Baby Kitty would help calm her down. When we finally found her she couldn't even stand up. We got her to an emergency vet right away. He told us we were lucky we got to her when we did. With the snowstorm coming, it wouldn't have been good if she got caught in it. The vet made a splint for her hind leg, apparently Baby Kitty broke it, we don't know how. The vet believes a car might have nicked her. My daughter brought in a notepad to the vet so she could take down notes for Baby Kitty's recovery. At home, my daughter declared that she will take care of Baby Kitty to make sure she gets better. Two weeks have gone by since the incident, and Baby Kitty is doing a lot better. The vet wants to see us in another two weeks to take some x-rays to make sure the bones are healing well. True to my daughter's words, she has taken care of Baby Kitty and sees to her every need, when Baby Kitty lets her." +"I was about to get a foreclosure a year ago. I am the first owner. It was a new condo community in 2017 in a shore beach rental community. So I assume the idea was to make money on the increase in equity in The hot market back then. I bought it two years ago from the original owner, my dad knew him well. Apparently original owner was a mortgage broker and he and another guy bought 3 units. His main one is the one I bought. His partner(who I don’t see around much) still has a condo. I tried to sell it because I was moving to a new city, and there was many problems with the house. I bought it for 217 2 years ago. When cleaning found some mail that said the dude actually owed over 600 K so maybe he got a seconds mortgage? Anyway, I think he’s still a mortgage broker, hopefully a little wiser. IIt's been a year and it sat empty it deteriorated and the roof leaked so it was cosmetically bad, but no major damage. During the cleanup I found what I guess was a note his daughter wrote to him telling him to cheer up and smile as her and mommy were worried about him stressing out, and that they still loved him. Kind of made me see the other side of this foreclosure mess. had to call lawyers and get it handled, it took a while for them to tell me I couldn't sell it. One other thing was most of the bathroom doors had holes in them like someone punched them. Not sure if it was him or the renters. So, it was kind of sucky to be profiting off someone else’s mistake. But I cant move now, I guess I'm stuck with this as my home for now." +"I was about to get a foreclosure a year ago. I am the first owner. It was a new condo community in 2017 in a shore beach rental community. So I assume the idea was to make money on the increase in equity in The hot market back then. I bought it two years ago from the original owner, my dad knew him well. Apparently original owner was a mortgage broker and he and another guy bought 3 units. His main one is the one I bought. His partner(who I don’t see around much) still has a condo. I tried to sell it because I was moving to a new city, and there was many problems with the house. I bought it for 217 2 years ago. When cleaning found some mail that said the dude actually owed over 600 K so maybe he got a seconds mortgage? Anyway, I think he’s still a mortgage broker, hopefully a little wiser. IIt's been a year and it sat empty it deteriorated and the roof leaked so it was cosmetically bad, but no major damage. During the cleanup I found what I guess was a note his daughter wrote to him telling him to cheer up and smile as her and mommy were worried about him stressing out, and that they still loved him. Kind of made me see the other side of this foreclosure mess. had to call lawyers and get it handled, it took a while for them to tell me I couldn't sell it. One other thing was most of the bathroom doors had holes in them like someone punched them. Not sure if it was him or the renters. So, it was kind of sucky to be profiting off someone else’s mistake. But I cant move now, I guess I'm stuck with this as my home for now." +"I was about to get a foreclosure a year ago. I am the first owner. It was a new condo community in 2017 in a shore beach rental community. So I assume the idea was to make money on the increase in equity in The hot market back then. I bought it two years ago from the original owner, my dad knew him well. Apparently original owner was a mortgage broker and he and another guy bought 3 units. His main one is the one I bought. His partner(who I don’t see around much) still has a condo. I tried to sell it because I was moving to a new city, and there was many problems with the house. I bought it for 217 2 years ago. When cleaning found some mail that said the dude actually owed over 600 K so maybe he got a seconds mortgage? Anyway, I think he’s still a mortgage broker, hopefully a little wiser. IIt's been a year and it sat empty it deteriorated and the roof leaked so it was cosmetically bad, but no major damage. During the cleanup I found what I guess was a note his daughter wrote to him telling him to cheer up and smile as her and mommy were worried about him stressing out, and that they still loved him. Kind of made me see the other side of this foreclosure mess. had to call lawyers and get it handled, it took a while for them to tell me I couldn't sell it. One other thing was most of the bathroom doors had holes in them like someone punched them. Not sure if it was him or the renters. So, it was kind of sucky to be profiting off someone else’s mistake. But I cant move now, I guess I'm stuck with this as my home for now." +The most amazing thing happened to me. Today I got promoted to assistant manager. when I went in today I was doing my normal things. I walked to my desk and sat down to start my day. As soon as I turned my computer on my boss came into my office . He looked serious. I was afraid that I was getting fired. Instead he told me that Joan was leaving and I was the best candidate for her replacment! He asked me if I would accept the job. Of course I did. This is so wonderful! I didn't expect to be doing so well this early on in my career! I've only been working there for almost a year. This puts me so far ahead of my plans of buying my own house. I think in about six months I will be looking for a house. If I save all of my raise I will have enough for a down payment. Hard work pays off. +The most amazing thing happened to me. Today I got promoted to assistant manager. when I went in today I was doing my normal things. I walked to my desk and sat down to start my day. As soon as I turned my computer on my boss came into my office . He looked serious. I was afraid that I was getting fired. Instead he told me that Joan was leaving and I was the best candidate for her replacment! He asked me if I would accept the job. Of course I did. This is so wonderful! I didn't expect to be doing so well this early on in my career! I've only been working there for almost a year. This puts me so far ahead of my plans of buying my own house. I think in about six months I will be looking for a house. If I save all of my raise I will have enough for a down payment. Hard work pays off. +"My son and I were school shopping. It was back to school season and time to go get things for that. When we came out of the store, we heard a whimpering coming from a car. There was a small dog looking back at us. The poor thing was so thin and looked like it hadn't had a good meal in months. We took the dog home with us and cleaned him up. The next day, I took him to the vet to see if he was micro chipped or anything like that. Turns out, someone had brought in the dog's brother. Someone had dumped both of these poor things and left them to starve. You know I hate people like that and it just pissed me off that someone could do that! I ended up asking to adopt them both. I wanted to give them both the best life that I could! Thankfully, I was able to do that since they both were not chipped. Spanky and Muttons are doing really well now. They are happy and never stop wagging their tails!" +"My son and I were school shopping. It was back to school season and time to go get things for that. When we came out of the store, we heard a whimpering coming from a car. There was a small dog looking back at us. The poor thing was so thin and looked like it hadn't had a good meal in months. We took the dog home with us and cleaned him up. The next day, I took him to the vet to see if he was micro chipped or anything like that. Turns out, someone had brought in the dog's brother. Someone had dumped both of these poor things and left them to starve. You know I hate people like that and it just pissed me off that someone could do that! I ended up asking to adopt them both. I wanted to give them both the best life that I could! Thankfully, I was able to do that since they both were not chipped. Spanky and Muttons are doing really well now. They are happy and never stop wagging their tails!" +"Last week I invited some friends of mine to attend a class on love and yoga. During the class we began discussing the meaning of love, how it manifests itself in relationships and how it is seen within the universe. One of the things about the class that impressed me was the teacher's clarity that love is undefined and unconditioned. nit does not fluctuate much like the human conception, but instead it is a powerful force that can be said formed the universe. After the class we all had a chance to talk and converse what was shared. My friends were overjoyed that I would invite them to such a program because it was something that touched the hearts of all of us. Some people felt love was like An ocean in which we all swam or floated or drowned. Others felt that love was like a tree that ascended towards the heavens and humbled itself deep into the earth. Then there were some that felt love was a hummingbird that sought nectar from all of life. I could not help but agre with all three sentiments and feel that love takes many forms. some of these forms are seen in relationships between two people. Another form is between a parent and a child. There is also the form of love between friends which is most equal. There also exists a form of love between a teacher and a student. One can also see love between animals that care for their young or their mate. Love appears in many forms indeed. My feeling is that it's best to express rather to repress ones love. It's best to follow ones love." +"In the last six months I have lost two dear friends to death. They were the closest friends I had. One was a cousin, neighbor, and friend. We went to church together and were in a Sunday School class together. It is a small class and we are very close. The other was a friend I worked with for many years. We worked together when our children were growing up. We didn't see each other as much as when we worked together. We talked on the phone a lot. I miss those phone calls. She changed jobs several jobs so she would have insurance. The company we worked for decided to drop the insurance. This was a long time before Obama Care. I was fortunate to have my husband's insurance. I will always miss them and think about them almost every day." +ONE OF THE SAD EXPERIENCES THAT WE CAN HAVE IN OUR LIFE CAN BE A LOST OF A FATHER OR MOTHER. REALLY SAD NOT SEE AND ALWAYS REMENBERING GREAT MOMENTS FOR EVER. IS OUR FAMILY CAN IMAGINE A SITUATION LIKE THAT MOST OF THE BEST TIME WE HAVE WITH FAMILY MEMBERS. LIKE A FATHER OR MOTHER ALWAYS BE FOREEVER U WILL NEVER FORGET TIME THAT NEVER WILL BE TURN BACK. U ONLY HAVE A DAY TO SAY HOW MUCH U LOVE A FAMILY LIKE UR MOTHER OR FATHER. THE BEST MOMENT GREAT WILL NEVER SEE BACK AGAIN. ALWAYS SAY HOW MUCH U WILL LIKE TO SEE THAT PERSON AGAIN. NOT EASY A LOST OF A FATHER OR A MOTHER THEY ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR YOU. FOR EVERYTHING THEY ALWAYS BE THERE FOR YOU. THEY NEVER WILL FORGET YOU AND NEVER GOIN TO SAY NO. FAMILY ALWAYS BE THERE AND FAMILY ALWAYS. THEY BEEN THERE FOR U ALL YOUR LIFE YOUR FATHERS. GREAT MOMENTS BEEN TRUTH. I CAN SAY HAVE THE GREAT TIME IN YOUR LIFE WITH FAMILY. NOW YEARS PASS AND THEY ALWAYS BEEN AND GOING TO BE THERE FOR YOU. THE NEVER GOIN TO LIE TO YOU ONLY IS FOR BETTER FOR YOU. THEY CAN GIVE YOU THE BEST TIME AND THE BEST ON THE WORLD TIME. ALWAYS TRYING TO HELP AND FEEL SAFE. ALL LIFE TO GIVE YOU THE BEST FOR US. U ALWAYS LEARN FROM THING LIKE THIS. SINCE WE ARE KIDS WE DON'T CARE OR DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DOING. BUT NOW WE ARE A NEW GENERATION WITH GREAT OPORTUNITTIES. +"The day I met my wife I will never forget. We had been flirting and talking for a few weeks prior to that and it was nice. We decided to finally meet, it was nice. We went to IHOP for a nice brunch and to finally see each other in person. I enjoyed seeing her in person and knew it was real then. We sat down and had a nice talk with each other, gazing into each others eyes. It was right then and there I knew she was the one. Some people think that is probably creepy, but I knew. I have evidence to show it because we are married with a kid already. This was so awesome to think about and continue to right. I am one proud husband and father now. It all goes back to that day when I met the one. The one who set me straight and on the right path. The one who I forever get to hold. I really like thinking and writing about that day." +"So I got called for jury duty. At first I didn't want to go but when I learned that I could go to jail for not going I forced myself to go. The event was dull and terribly boring. I had to wait for hours on end doing nothing but watch the orientation, and waiting for no reason. I spent most of the time on my phone, messaging my friends, and telling them how boring it was there. After a whole 2 hour of waiting, they starting calling different people out. I wasn't called, so I guess I didn't have to go on actual juror duty. That was true, and in the end they told us that they had enough people and the rest of us can go home. Well, at least we got paid for our time. That's that I guess. So I went home, and after 2 weeks they sent me a 20 dollar check. In the end I forgot to cash it in. I guess I just did jury duty for free, didn't I? Oh, well, my time was wasted. Not like that's anything new. But at least I know what's it's like now." +"So I got called for jury duty. At first I didn't want to go but when I learned that I could go to jail for not going I forced myself to go. The event was dull and terribly boring. I had to wait for hours on end doing nothing but watch the orientation, and waiting for no reason. I spent most of the time on my phone, messaging my friends, and telling them how boring it was there. After a whole 2 hour of waiting, they starting calling different people out. I wasn't called, so I guess I didn't have to go on actual juror duty. That was true, and in the end they told us that they had enough people and the rest of us can go home. Well, at least we got paid for our time. That's that I guess. So I went home, and after 2 weeks they sent me a 20 dollar check. In the end I forgot to cash it in. I guess I just did jury duty for free, didn't I? Oh, well, my time was wasted. Not like that's anything new. But at least I know what's it's like now." +"The chaos started after the police arrived. I could not find Joshua. We went to this protest together as I convinced him to come with me. They were dragging people and arresting them. I was afraid of Joshua being taken. I shouted as loud as I could calling him. I did not hear any response. I am getting anxious and angry. I'm sure these police officers have been paid off by the giant corporation we're protesting against today. They're evil, anti-planet monsters. The air that we breathe and the water that we drink is being polluted by them. I saw Joshua much later that day. He was tear-gassed and I apologized to him. He was also angry. Not to me, but to the giant corporation. He said that if he died that day it would all be for the Sunrise Movement. He said that four weeks ago. He died today for the cause." +I have a young daughter. She is only 2 years old. Both me and my husband work jobs. I would prefer to stay at home with my daughter. But we wouldn't make enough money to make ends meet if I didn't work. I got a call the other day from my daycare provider. They said they are closing themselves down in just two weeks. I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't quit my job. I would prefer to be able to just watch my daughter myself. I don't have very much family. The family I do have that is local also works so that cannot watch my daughter either. This has become a big stress. I don't know what we're going to do moving forward. I wish my life was a bit easier. There is always some problem in my way. +"Last week I drove up to Vermont. I had hoped to catch the peak foliage; it always comes down to a gamble. Luckily this year I managed to catch some peak color, and even the trees that weren't at peak color yet were only a day or two from perfection. I made the decision to travel the back roads, and found a beautiful field, and while driving around trying to find a cell signal I found a beautiful lake. The trees across from it made for a stunning picture. I even stopped at a secluded town and took a stroll. I got breakfast at the local market; some fresh baked donuts and apple cider! Eventually I made my way to a local ski resort, which was holding its annual Columbus Day weekend events. The main event was a gondola ride to the top of the mountain to catch the panoramic view of autumn trees as far as the eye could see! The view from the actual top was slightly hazy, but the view from the gondola ride was picturesque! That was the highlight of my trip, as by the time I got down from the mountain the sky was clouding up, preparing for rain. I stopped at a local country store and a local farmer's market. I bought trinkets, fresh fudge apples and pumpkins. By the time I really started to head home it started to rain out, but I didn't mind. Truly I had an autumn experience to remember." +"They left me planted on my wedding day and since that day my life could not be the same, that day I was prepared to marry ""the love of my life"". It was not like that and the opposite happened. With the arrival of good weather, the number of couples who decide to go through the altar increases. Every weekend, churches, courts and town halls see love for their halls parade. although not all stories end up as a fairy tale. Ending a relationship and literally breaking wedding invitations is not that uncommon. Gone are months of preparations and disbursement of money as a reservation of the place of the invitation. the flowers, the trip or the dress of the bride. What can the abandoned do? Apart from crying, since it is legally impossible to demand the fulfillment of the promise and force someone who does not want to marry, you can claim the money invested for the celebration. Getting married today is a luxury that many cannot assume. It hurt the money. my life. my family. everything." +I was in a wedding for my friend who I have known since kindergarten. We are still very close and have kept in touch. Her first husband died. I was so happy she found another great guy. When she asked me to be a bridesmaid I was so excited! I spent the whole weekend with her getting ready. We had such a good time! We went to get our nails done and have massages. We went out to eat with her family and the rest of the bridal party. I met some new friends and had a great time. The day of the wedding was actually a lot of fun. The pictures were beautiful and we had fun doing them. It was pretty relaxed getting ready. The wedding itself was beautiful. I read some scripture at the wedding. Afterwards the reception was so much fun! The food was wonderful. We had a lot of fun at a photo booth as well. +"Two weeks ago I was in a friend's wedding. She has been my friend since we were four years old, so this wedding meant a lot to me. First, I got to meet a lot of her family and friends that I had never met before. I live six hours from her now so it was wonderful to catch up with her. We spent the first night eating dinner together and we had the best time. I loved getting to know her friends and her fiance better. The next day we spent most of the day getting ready for the wedding. We went and got our nails done. We went to lunch together. We went to the church and began setting up for the wedding. The day of the wedding we went to the church early so that we could get ready and relax as well. We had so much fun watching each other get our hair and makeup done. When it was time for the actual wedding we got a lot of great pictures. We told a lot of jokes to try to keep our nerves calm! The actual wedding was beautiful. Everything went smoothly and not one thing went wrong. After the wedding we had a beautiful reception with great food, a picture booth, and lots of great friends getting to chat. It was one of the best events I have been to in a long time. This story is significant to me because my friend has risen above her circumstances to find happiness, and I love that." +"We went to a picnic near a lake with friends and family. It was sunny and warm. We found a spot kept our things and took our floaties and entered into the lake. I was with my son and my daughter was right with me and my husband. I and my friends were all chatting and meanwhile, I was thinking my husband was taking care of my daughter and my husband thought that I am keeping an eye on her. Just within minutes, I noticed that my daughter was not there. All bad thoughts flashed in front of me. I was shivering. I started shouting and my husband was also panicked. My friends started looking for her in water. Suddenly I noticed on the shore that my daughter was playing in the sand. I took a deep breath and informed everyone. I told her not to leave anywhere without letting me know. That was a lesson for me and I promised myself to be more careful hereafter. That's how our picnic trip became a panic trip." +"That was such a frightening day. I was so worried that she had drowned in the water for a few minutes. Seeing her on the shore really helped me calm down. I was so glad to see her there. I was so nervous that she wasn't going to be alive. It was one of the worst panics of my life. The way I felt was pure terror in my soul. I never felt like that. I was shaking at the thought. Her little body on the bottom of the lake cold, lifeless, dead. I was so sad because my thoughts were racing. They raced to the bottom of that lake with her baby body just dead. My baby girl gone forever. We would have to go bury here and get a baby gravestone, in a baby graveyard. I t was so terrifying. But the relief that she was just on the shore was such a relief. I'm so glad it's over." +"That trip was so fun! Not only did i get to meet new people that i was sure i would like, I got to see new places. We talked so much online that we felt like we knew each other already, so it was really fun to meet up face to face and do things together. I am sure we will stay in touch for a long time. I sure hope we do. One friend in particular and i really hit it off. It was like we were long lost sisters or something and had finally reunited after many years. We plan to get together again, without the entire group. Im sue we will get together as a group again, but we two want to pursue our relationship further for sure. I think next time she will come see where i live. Now that i got to see her stomping grounds so to speak, she can see mine. She lives in a big city with lots and lots to do constantly. I live in a much smaller city, but its right on the water so we will have quite a variety of different things to do. She has never been kayaking, so that will definitely be on the to do list. I sure am looking forward to our next get together!" +Today I had to bring my car to the mechanic. I was involved in an accident and it was a single car. I was so happy when they told me they would fix the car for free. I was surprised that today somebody would be willing to do that. I was going to tell everyone I knew about what a great company they were. There are not many people in the world today who would be willing to do anything for free. It truly shows that there are still some amazing people out there. I love that they went above and beyond. My car now looks as good as new. I am very happy with everything. I am glad I had brought my car to them because someone else may not have done that. If I know anyone that is looking to get their car repaired I will refer them to this place. I was sad when the accident happened. I am just glad they were able to take care of everything for me. The work was done in a quick manner. All being said I met a great company that I would continue to use in the future. I will now pay it forward and help someone when they need something. This has restore my faith in humanity. Great people like them still exist in this world and I still have my car which I really love. +"One Easter Sunday, I had to go to the emergency room. This was totally unexpected, as I hadn't been to a hospital or emergency room in several years. It didn't start out as a trip to the emergency room, but the urgent care I went to sent me right over! It happened like this...Two days prior, I had developed a rash on my left forearm. This was nothing new, as working outside you sometimes end up with all kinds of bruises, bites, scratches and rashes. What was different this time was on Easter Sunday, I was having a hard time mentally. I was dizzy, disoriented, having a hard time concentrating, couldn't focus, etc. My roommate, who had moved in two years prior, was concerned enough to offer to drive me to a doctor, as it was obvious to him that I shouldn't be driving! After finding one nearby that was open, we headed there, and when we arrived, I was so disoriented I couldn't complete the check-in process, so he gave them my information, and they sent me right over to the emergency room! There, I was seen almost immediately by a very competent doctor, and had to undergo an EKG and blood draw. My roommate, knowing that I had a real phobia about needles, stayed by my side the entire time, and even held my hand while my blood was drawn! I ended up being in the ER for nearly 5 hours! The doctor diagnosed me with not only a case of shingles, indicated by the rash and associated pain, but also a pretty severe case of low sodium! I was immediately given anti-virals and pain meds, and the doctor actually told me to eat more salt! He even suggested I have a bag of chips on the way home! More than anything else that happened that day, the simple acts of kindness and compassion on the part of my roommate made me realize that this was a person who I would be able to count on, probably for the rest of my life, which even with everything going on that day, made me feel very happy and content!" +"My roommate doesn't give the credit they deserves They really helped me out over Easter Sunday. I started to feel weary a little bit before that, but it got really bad on that day. I needed to be driven to the ER. I hated that I chose that day to get sick, but there's never going to be a good day to get sick, I suppose. My roommate was there from the time I was admitted to the time I got out of there. It was incredible. They showed incredible resolve and love for me. It was from an area of caring. There was no ulterior motive. If there was, wow did they hide it well. Imagine if this selflessness was commonplace in the world. This should happen more often. We should look out for our own more often. It doesn't happen enough. I plan on showing the same level of care if God forbid something happens to them." +"I wanted to attend a historical All-Star game. Yet, I knew that I could not afford to attend. I decided to try to attend another event surrounding the game, but my mother became ill. Since my relative really enjoys baseball and could not attend any of the events, I decided to do something special. I perused MLB 's website and I found a cap. Yet, I wanted a really stylish one. Therefore, I continued to look on the site and I found the perfect hat. It was similar to what everyone was sporting and had a signature logo on it. It was the right cap for my relative to receive in lieu of him missing the game. As a result, he was so happy. I was grateful that I was able to find some memorabilia for him. Yet, still sad that I could not attend. As I watched the game that night, I was happy with the outcome because someone from my home team won MVP. It was one of my fondest memories. I am grateful that my hometown hosted and the game ended well." +"My most memorable event was having the 90th anniversary of baseball's All-Star Game in my hometown. It was the most electrifying and captivating moments of the year. On the day of the game, I was trying to participate in an event that was hosted by my city. I wanted to meet one of the players on the American league's team. Yet, it can be very difficult to navigate in this section of the city. Also, it is safer and more enjoyable to experience this moment with someone else. Thus, I asked my mom to attend this event with me. Unfortunately, she was not feeling well and we could not attend. Although I was really disappointed, I continued to look at the site to see the price for discounted tickets for the event. In the corner of my computer screen, I saw an ad for memorabilia. Initially, I was cautious but I wanted to click on it to see where it would lead. When I clicked on the ad, I was taken to the website for Major League Baseball. They were promoting free shipping on all-star game memorabilia. Since I know some baseball fanatics, I knew it would be nice to purchase one of those items. Therefore, I picked out a nice gift and sent it to one of my relatives who is a baseball fan. Weeks later, my relative was so excited to show me the memorabilia." +"Several months ago I got a call that my grandma wasn't doing well. She had not been doing well for several months, and due to the nursing home's neglect, she had contracted sepsis. Sepsis is basically an infection to your blood that is very toxic and dangerous for the elderly. I was extremely upset to hear this. I was angry and confused, as well as scared. How could this happen? I live in Illinois and my grandma lived in Florida. At the time, I did not have a good enough job to be able to afford a trip down to Florida. I felt absolutely broken about this, as I had not seen her in years and knew that I would not be able to see my grandmother ever again. Fortunately my mom was able to afford the trip down there to be with my grandmother as she passed on. I wish I could have been there for my mother as sh went through that as well. We had hope at first that strong antibiotics would knock the infection out of her system, but old age was working against her and the drugs were not working at all. She passed away peacefully in hospice care surrounded by her family, which is exactly what her wishes were. I know she did not suffer. She did not feel any pain due to the miracle of modern medicine. I still feel terrible that I was not able to be with her, but I also know that she knew I loved her and that we will see each other again someday. I find peace knowing she is in heaven with my grandpa!" +"My children recently asked me of the next vacation we take could be in Europe. They specifically wanted to go to Ireland, but we also decided to visit several other countries including Spain. I usually take my kids on one vacation every year, but I never would have dreamed of going to a place like Europe with them when they were younger. Now that they're a little older, I thought I would try to make it happen. We were really excited when we got on the plane two weeks ago, but the trip wasn't nearly long enough. We stayed for 10 days. The children have Irish ancestry from their father's side of the family, so they had a blast in Dublin. I wanted to go to Tenerife, Spain, and I think that the children had an even better time there. Our favorite place we visited was a beach in Italy that sat on the Mediterranean. The children had never before seen a beach that had sea glass instead of sand. They spent hours just picking up sea glass and looking at it. The weather was absolutely perfect, but it was not warm enough to actually swim. We shared so many amazing memories with one another on the trip back home over the Atlantic. I know this was a trip of a lifetime, but I would love to be able to go back. My children will be thinking about this trip for the rest of their lives. Hopefully, when they're a little older, we can go back again and relive our dream vacation." +"My fiance had a mother that was to graduate college in December. This was grad school, so many days of effort were involved. She got her Phd. It was quite large too. We had presentations and cakes. Awards were given out. We even had special appearances by several friends from the past. Everyone seemed to have a great time. We laughed all night. She even met up with several people she hadn't seen in years. She was happy people cared and took the time. It was exciting to see her notice the effort and time we took. She was in tears at first. It was unexpected for her. But she had a great day that she will never forget." +"The holidays are finally over - and so is my relationship with Devan. I am still reeling over what happened between us - or rather - what crap he decided to pull. Mind you, we were together for what - 4 years? I was honestly expecting a ring this year for Christmas. Needless to say from the start of my entry, that is not what happened at all. In all our years, this was the first time he took me home with him for the holidays. We usually went to my family events because his parents usually traveled to Peru for the holidays. Since his grandmother had passed, they had no reason to go this year. and his mother made all kinds of elaborate plans that would span 5 days. He must have asked me a thousand times if I wanted to go or not, or if I would be comfortable with all of his family speaking Spanish. I am fluent - he knows this. But, I thought he was just being considerate seeing that I am the only white person coming - the only person who does not have Hispanic roots, period. I assured him that I was fine, and I would be prepared for a bit of a cold shoulder coming at me. I was tougher than I looked. We arrived at his parents home on the 23rd of December. The house was brightly decorated inside and out, and it smelled of cooking - you know how it smells when there are several types of food layered on top of another - but it just smells like home? Yes, like that. Everyone was incredibly gracious and kind, and I made a good impression by helping with cooking, clean up, set up and just having general conversation with his family - even his allegedly racist great uncle. Oddly enough, Devan seemed angry that they were warming up to me so well, making snide comments like they liked me more than him, etc. Often, I found myself alone with his family members while he was no where to be found, or off in a corner messing with his phone. We left on the 28th, and had plans for a bug NYE party in the city - tickets I had paid $400 for. He called me on NYE at 8pm (and hour AFTER he was suppose to meet me) and said that he had taken me to his family's home to see if he could get their approval before marrying me. He SAID they were only being polite and that NO ONE actually liked me, and he was sorry, but he just couldn't be with someone that they did not approve of. I must have cried for a week, but eventually I began to feel that he was lying because there was no way I could have misinterpreted the situation that badly for 5 whole days. I called his mother to ask if I had left my Hermes scarf there (I knew I hadn't) and she talked my ear off for over an hour, and said how she couldn't wait until Easter so we could be together again, and that she had told Devan she couldn't wait to have a new daughter - that lying imp used his family as an excuse!" +"I received a call from Korea that my aunt has died. My mom was with me and she looked shocked. I don't know why but I started bawling. I came to the States when I was eight so it didn't make sense that it was impacting me this much. It is not like an aunt that I meet regularly or talk to regularly. For days prior to the event I felt my heart was aching. I wasn't sleeping well and my heart was literally aching. Maybe I'm just a sensitive person and can feel other's pain. If that is the case, I'm not sure if I like it. I called them back to talk to my cousins in Korea. I was crying more than them. It just doesn't make any sense. They were trying to comfort me rather that the other way around. I felt embarrassed. Am I a cry baby? I'm not always this way...maybe I should got the the doctor...a psychiatrist." +"I've been self-employed for almost a year now. I sometimes do freelance work that's available through Amazon, and sometimes apply to individual jobs via different job-posting sites. On one such posting, I applied to a job for data entry. The employer was verified by the site, and had many others applying for the same job. Not long after I posted, I was contacted by someone who claimed to work for the company. They pressured me into quickly acquiescing to an interview over Google Hangouts. Although it was suspiciously sudden, the constant pressuring that the person gave made me quickly decide that it was worth taking the chance, rather than losing an opportunity. As I spoke to the interviewer, I was alarmed by their poor grammar, but their explanation of being a foreign company gave me some hope. However, it was their offered benefits that disillusioned me. They were offering to pay me more than twice what I applied for. Although they explained that I would have more responsibilities than I applied for, it still seemed too good to be true. I decided to use a break in the conversation to look up the company. The first relevant hit warned me to immediately walk away, and that I was in the middle of a practiced scam. I immediately ceased conversation with all people involved, blocked them, and deleted what personal information I could. I now know to personally vet whatever company I work with, and I've researched some of the more tell-tale signs and predictable plots. Although I was very angry at the aftermath, I've been able to learn from the experience and better myself." +"I've been self-employed for almost a year now. I sometimes do freelance work that's available through Amazon, and sometimes apply to individual jobs via different job-posting sites. On one such posting, I applied to a job for data entry. The employer was verified by the site, and had many others applying for the same job. Not long after I posted, I was contacted by someone who claimed to work for the company. They pressured me into quickly acquiescing to an interview over Google Hangouts. Although it was suspiciously sudden, the constant pressuring that the person gave made me quickly decide that it was worth taking the chance, rather than losing an opportunity. As I spoke to the interviewer, I was alarmed by their poor grammar, but their explanation of being a foreign company gave me some hope. However, it was their offered benefits that disillusioned me. They were offering to pay me more than twice what I applied for. Although they explained that I would have more responsibilities than I applied for, it still seemed too good to be true. I decided to use a break in the conversation to look up the company. The first relevant hit warned me to immediately walk away, and that I was in the middle of a practiced scam. I immediately ceased conversation with all people involved, blocked them, and deleted what personal information I could. I now know to personally vet whatever company I work with, and I've researched some of the more tell-tale signs and predictable plots. Although I was very angry at the aftermath, I've been able to learn from the experience and better myself." +"I just attended my 50th High School Reunion. I was able to reconnect with past classmates from over 50 years ago. This was due to alot of my classmates also attended my grade school. So, I was remembering some of them from over 60 years. The memories that were relived by each of us had us laughing and crying. I was grateful for the time I was able to see my old friends. For a while, I was reluctant to attend this event. This is because my best friend had died a few years prior. She and I had attended our 20th reunion together. In high school, we were inseparable. Wherever she was, I was right there along with her. At this reunion, they had a table set up with votive candles and cards in front of each one stating the classmate's name and the date of their death. It was very emotional for me to see so many names of classmates I knew and missed. At my table was my neighborhood girlfriend, who lived down the street from me growing up. She and her husband had moved out of state, as I and my husband did. Out of our 367 graduates, 93 have passed away that we know of. We had 75 graduates attend this reunion. Not bad for 50 years. It was a night I will long remember. I am definitely glad that I attended." +It has been over 5 months since it happened but I still find myself sitting here thinking about the day I was released from prison. 3 years spent behind bars. 3 years wasted because I made some terrible decisions. I often think about what I did to end up in prison and have to stop myself. Thinking about the past will not change it. I have to move forward. Being released from prison was the best feeling I have ever experienced. To walk out and see my parents waiting. They loved me. They didn't hate me like I had imagined they would. I was free. It had been a long time since I'd been able to do whatever I wanted. I could run down the road. I could stare at the sun. I could stop and get a milkshake. I remember just listening to every sound like I'd never heard before in my life. Every car driving past was amazing. Every bird chirping was mind blowing. I hope I never forget that feeling. I hope I never take freedom for granted again. +"The event I am going to write about is the birth of my daughter a little over four months ago. It is still one of the most unforgettable events of my life. I was a part of it along with my spouse since the beginning, from the doctor visits up until she and the baby were discharged from the hospital. It was a long road but all worth it. As a part of the story there was one event that stood out. In the middle of the surgery when the baby was delivered, that tense and overwhelming moment, the doctor looked at me and asked where the camera is so I can take her first picture. I was so lost and in a hurry to get in the surgery room that I have completely forgot to bring the camera with me. I was so happy, a feeling that I have never experienced before, it felt like I was a new person, a new me. I remember calling my family, my parents and brothers letting them know that my daughter was born. I was very excited and proud when I gave them the news. Another exciting moment was when we all got finally home. From that moment I knew that all our focus has shifted on her. Everything is about her now, cuddling, feeding, bathing and even doctor visits for shots. We both learned to cherish every moment we're spending with her. The feelings of joy I had back then are unchanged and we are enjoying her as much and will for many years to come." +"The most recent event that had ans still has a great impact was the birth of my daughter just 4 months ago. I am still feeling of being overwhelmed with joy and pretty sure it will last me a very long time. After the mother was hospitalized for more than two weeks for being at risk due to the age we were very nervous on how everything will turn out. She was very well taken care of and assured that everything will be alright at the end. After the two long weeks waiting the team of doctors decided that she will have to be induced into labor and will have a Cesarean section. I was totally taken by surprise, they gave that gown to put on and everyone rushed into the surgery room. Then was when I was the most nervous because I felt the need for urgency, I was quickly calmed down, we were not running to the room but the whole team was gathered and did not wanted to have anyone waiting. I was told that there was a set time when the surgery starts. Inside the surgery room was a different story, I felt like I was in a spaceship, everything sterile, I could not detect any faces, they were all covered with surgical masks, including mine. The whole surgery lasted about 45 minutes and everything turned out perfect. The great moment was then and there, I had tears in my eye. The doctor that made the delivery looked at me and asked me if I want to take a picture, her first picture. I did not even take the camera with me in that rush but after 4 months the picture still lays in my mind unchanged. I can say that it changed my life forever. As we got home a new chapter started and I felt the happiest I could have been." +"So my family lives relatively close together. My sister lives in Boston, I live in Rhode Island, and we're originally from Connecticut. However, we don't usually meet up with each other unless it's a special occasion. So for this past Mother's day in April, we all planned a surprise for my Mother's birthday in a fancy Italian restaurant in Boston. I remember a bit of skepticism since we didn't even spend Christmas together, but everyone wanted to make this happen. So we started planning and everyone carved out a chunk of time for the occasion. On mother's day we met up in Boston and actually had a really good time. I think the fact that we were all able to take time out was the most surprising and I think everyone really enjoyed being around the family. We ordered some expensive wine and had some expensive dishes and we indulged. We talked about a variety of subjects from dieting to work to random nonsense. It was a very relaxing time. Afterwards, we shopped around the Italian marketplace since my mother and I love to cook. We found some cool ingredients and got some chocolate. My sister made me pick up the bill. We then went for a walk around the city before heading back. My sister had to leave first since she had to catch up on some work, but I still enjoyed the time nonetheless." +"So this past mother's day, my entire family got together in Boston. They live a bit farther away, as do I, but my sister lives in Boston. Now, we are not a tight-knit family. We are usually pretty independent and like doing our own thing. However, we like to make time to get together for special occasions like this. Since my mother's birthday is also close to Mother's day in general, we decided to have a nice lunch in a relatively fancy Italian restaurant and market in Boston. We met up during Sunday afternoon. I had to run some errands and my sister was doing her own work related tasks. Now, this was the first time we had all been in the same area since the holidays, so it had been well over five months. We are not that sentimental as a family, but I could tell that my parents were really happy that we both could make it. We didn't really discuss too many emotional things, instead we strayed towards things like relatives, job talk, and diet talk. However, it never got contentious and everyone seemed like they were having a good time. I think the most memorable part of the event was just going shopping afterwords with my Mom to pick out different pastas and chocolate. I've gotten into cooking more in the past year, so I think my Mom was happy to discuss different ingredients with me. Overall, I had a good time, and it was a productive use of my day. Even though I can get self-centered, and wrapped in my own head, sometimes I do have to just step back and appreciate the things I have like my family." +"One day I went and got my mail out of the mail box and my husband received a birthday card from his sister. A few minutes later my husband called form work as he always does everyday and he tell me open the card. I open the card and I was expecting a check for maybe 30 dollars as she usually does every year. Out of the card a check falls onto the table and it is written for 1,650. 00 . I tell this to my husband and he was surprised, we both thought maybe she made a mistake. Now I hang up the phone and before I do that , my husband states I will call you back I am going to call her. I thought maybe she sent a wrong check and this was for a bill she was suppose to pay. I did get that call back and it was correct ,she wanted to help us pay-off a loan we had for a mobile home we bought. Shocked and delighted it was something that was so surprising. they are not rich but doing well . I felt great that the gift would help us finely own our own home after all the things we have been through. After the check cleared we did go to the bank to pay-off this loan. Our life had been difficult with losing a home due to serious illness and job loss. Having a place of our own again and starting again makes the gift even more amazing. We did send a thank-you card to his sister and brother-in-law , it funny how good things seem to harvest other good things. When your mind feels good about your life I am guessing it opens up your life for more blessings. The love and caring of family is something that money can not replace , because it was a gift of love . Family can sometimes be a curse and a blessing when they say I see what you have been through and want to help." +"The Hawaiian people are fierce protectors of their nation. Of their land, people, and treasures. The sacred mountain Mauna Kea has been sought after for its precious views. The Hawaiian people, though, see this mountain as one of their greatest treasures. They will not let it be used for scientific purposes. In particular, the scientists of an astrological organization have been attempting to use some of the land to place a telescope. This mountain has the perfect coordinates to see well into space. It would allow for cosmic objects to be observed. However, since the Hawaiian people greatly value this mountain, it has been difficult for the construction of this telescope to occur. It has certain ethical and moral reasons. This has always been the Hawaiian people's land, and the telescope cannot just be built there without their permission. There have been a lot of protests in Hawaii due to the proposed construction of the telescope. After the first attempted construction that led to the death of a Hawaiian after some conflict, there has been a standstill. Neither side has made a move, and the Hawaiians especially are upset with even the proposition of this telescope. Access to the area has been blocked, and the Hawaiian people will do anything to stop them." +"It happened about five months ago. I and my boyfriend were invited to a wedding ceremony. We had to go to Chicago for the wedding. It was a nice trip. We were excited about it. However, there was a nagging feeling of unhappiness bothering me. I could not get my mind off the fact he was about to be deployed. He is in the army, and after the wedding, he would go away. This ceremony was supposed to be a lovely getaway. We did make the best of it. We had as much fun as we could. We knew that after that, we had to say goodbye. It was hard. We stayed strong, and had fun regardless. We returned home afterward. We said our goodbyes." +This event happened to me about 6 months ago. My dog and best friend Indy passed away. She was with me day and night for 12 years. I think I will miss her forever. She had such a big personality one of those unique characters. Indy had problems with her eyesight she couldn't tell what was what when it was far away. She ones saw a woman pulling a suitcase and thought it was a dog or animal on a leash. She barked and went crazy over seeing a suitcase being pulled along the street. Our family always laughs about that. She also saw a huge painting of a man on the wall of a store in town. She thought he was real and barked and barked. Her hair was raised up on her back and she didn't stop till we drove away. Indy was part Lab and part german shorthair. She had a short tail that had been cropped by who ever had her as a puppy. She was a rescue dog. We buried our beloved Indy in the backyard in the garden. She spent a lot of time out there with me. I planted wildflowers over her grave. We placed a big rock with her name printed on it to mark her grave. I still talk to her when I am in the garden. I will miss that dog till the day I die. +This event happened to me about 6 months ago. My dog and best friend Indy passed away. She was with me day and night for 12 years. I think I will miss her forever. She had such a big personality one of those unique characters. Indy had problems with her eyesight she couldn't tell what was what when it was far away. She ones saw a woman pulling a suitcase and thought it was a dog or animal on a leash. She barked and went crazy over seeing a suitcase being pulled along the street. Our family always laughs about that. She also saw a huge painting of a man on the wall of a store in town. She thought he was real and barked and barked. Her hair was raised up on her back and she didn't stop till we drove away. Indy was part Lab and part german shorthair. She had a short tail that had been cropped by who ever had her as a puppy. She was a rescue dog. We buried our beloved Indy in the backyard in the garden. She spent a lot of time out there with me. I planted wildflowers over her grave. We placed a big rock with her name printed on it to mark her grave. I still talk to her when I am in the garden. I will miss that dog till the day I die. +"Over the summer this year my ten year old daughter took voice lessons to prepare for an audition. She is involved in musical theater. She was hoping to get a lead role that would involve singing for the first time. She has had lead roles previously, but they have always been based completely on her acting and facial expressions, not singing. By the time her audition came she had improved her voice a lot and did very well. I helped her practice her songs and lines every day. She got called back for the role she wanted, along with a few other kids. She made it to the last round of the audition, but then did not get the role she was hoping for. She got yet another role that is all acting, no lines or singing. She was very upset and cried for more than an hour. I tried to help her understand that it is not because her singing is bad, it is because she has a special talent for a certain type of acting that is difficult for most people. She really just wants to sing. As the days have gone by since then, she has started to feel better. I hope that she will still have fun with the show. I will be there with her a lot because I work on the costumes, so I will be there to help her out if she is upset." +"On November 6, 2019, I decided to tell my family about the decision that my husband and I made. We've decided to move out of state to start a new life elsewhere. We're just not happy with where we are currently. We want to get out of the cold and enjoy a better environment. I feel depressed here. Unfortunately my family was upset about this. They don't want us to leave. I understand why, they love us, and they'll miss us. But it's 2019, and there's plenty of ways that we can stay in touch. We can still talk to each other on facebook and through text messages and stuff. We don't even see each other much anyways, so it's not like us moving will be a big change in how my family and us interact. Even though they're not happy with our decision to move, it's going to be a final decision. We've come to terms with what we're doing. We've decided that this is the best decision for us. Although we'll see my family less, we'll still be able to keep in touch, and I'm sure I'll still visit them and they'll visit us. So, goodbye to Illinois, and hello to Florida!" +"My phone pinged on my way to work: It was a meeting invite from my director for 9:30 a.m. that same morning. Weird. Our weekly check-in was yesterday. My heart rocked in my chest as I quickened my pace. At the conference room table, my director and our CTO sat on the same side, a piece of paper between them. Fuck. The company was losing money and non-essential personnel would be let go, effective immediately. Tears smarted in my eyes and then fell in ample waves down my cheeks. I signed the termination letter. The rest of the day, I roamed through the city with no sense of a destination, doubled down on my anxiety and hit shuffle on my mental playlist of worries. In four weeks time, I was planning to move out of the apartment I shared with my boyfriend. He was bound for Chicago and I’d already planned to spend a month at my mom’s in the suburbs until I secured a new place to live. He and I had recently made the joint decision to separate; it was a choice the two of us lauded as a mature while burying our grief for a relationship we just couldn’t support anymore. And now I was unemployed." +"My life turned a different direction when I lost my mum. I was 21 years old then, after that my dad brung me, my two younger brothers and two sisters were still in school. I was just going into college and was misbehaving at a lot. I just didn’t care, had very poor performance and I got excluded a lot and when I was turning 23 I got kicked out of school for good; so then all I did was sit about the house all day ‘til my friends graduates. I started drinking and smoking hash nearly every day. I pushed drugs to earn a living. Then when I got a bit older, about 24/25, I started taking ecto’s (ecstacy) and coke, only really when I was drinking and mostly at the weekends. Then one day somebody asked me and my friend if we wanted to try smack! At first we were saying no, I hated that stuff, I had seen what it had done to people. Then we both decided we would try it, just once, and never again. So we took it. We had a good few hits each and it took all our worries, all the bad stuff that had happened in our pasts, away. So we started taking it every day. One day I woke up and felt really ill. My stomach was in so much pain, I had cramps and my legs were sore when I would be sitting. I was always fidgeting, I couldn’t stay still. My bones were aching, I thought I had the flu. My nose kept running and one minute I would be cold, 2 minutes later I’d be really hot. That’s when I realised I never had the flu, I was rattling. I had £10, so I went and got a bag of smack. I started smoking it, and straight away I felt normal again. It was like I needed smack to feel normal again ‘cos I had a habit now. I started pushing drugs and coke till I got arrested for itI was in prison for 2years and turned a new leaf in there and on the day i was released my friends and family waited for me and when I say them I knew how importand friendship was and how it was a good thing to have integrity." +"My life turned a different direction when I lost my mum. I was 21 years old then, after that my dad brung me, my two younger brothers and two sisters were still in school. I was just going into college and was misbehaving at a lot. I just didn’t care, had very poor performance and I got excluded a lot and when I was turning 23 I got kicked out of school for good; so then all I did was sit about the house all day ‘til my friends graduates. I started drinking and smoking hash nearly every day. I pushed drugs to earn a living. Then when I got a bit older, about 24/25, I started taking ecto’s (ecstacy) and coke, only really when I was drinking and mostly at the weekends. Then one day somebody asked me and my friend if we wanted to try smack! At first we were saying no, I hated that stuff, I had seen what it had done to people. Then we both decided we would try it, just once, and never again. So we took it. We had a good few hits each and it took all our worries, all the bad stuff that had happened in our pasts, away. So we started taking it every day. One day I woke up and felt really ill. My stomach was in so much pain, I had cramps and my legs were sore when I would be sitting. I was always fidgeting, I couldn’t stay still. My bones were aching, I thought I had the flu. My nose kept running and one minute I would be cold, 2 minutes later I’d be really hot. That’s when I realised I never had the flu, I was rattling. I had £10, so I went and got a bag of smack. I started smoking it, and straight away I felt normal again. It was like I needed smack to feel normal again ‘cos I had a habit now. I started pushing drugs and coke till I got arrested for itI was in prison for 2years and turned a new leaf in there and on the day i was released my friends and family waited for me and when I say them I knew how importand friendship was and how it was a good thing to have integrity." +"My boyfriend and I took a surprise trip to the beach. He knew I was feeling stressed out and haven't had a break from work in quite awhile. It was a complete surprise, he called me out of the blue after having flowers delivered to my work. He picked me up in his truck. He'd gotten our hotel room, planned the trip, and drove the entire way. It was like a mini-vacation that I really needed but couldn't have asked for. We made a fire on the beach, went to some local bars. We made a ""no Yelp"" rule and agreed that instead of searching online for where to eat or hangout we instead just went exploring every day. We took a small fishing trip the first day out of the blue. We got a bit tipsy during the boat ride back and called a cab to get a bite to eat at a local restaurant. After that we went on a small bar crawl and went back to our room. The next day we rented Vespa's and rode into the city. We had a take out lunch pic-nick near a skatepark. Went swimming, then had dinner at an upscale restaurant he'd booked a few days prior. I had a bit too much wine, he didn't drink the rest of the night and became my DD." +"I was shopping one day with my friend. We had decided to go shopping and get out of the house since she had just gotten cheated on by her ex. I wanted to get her to take her mind off him anyway, but we both needed a new dress as well. It was a perfect excuse! We went to the mall and went into some of the store. She really didn't see anything she liked for a wedding. I told her it probably was because she wasn't in the mood for love type things right now. My friend said that right now she's not even thinking about spending money on someone's wedding, she just hated the idea of love. Someone walking by heard us talking and stopped us and told us that we shouldn't lose hope on love. My friend told her that she was just cheated on by her long time boyfriend and for right now men are scum. I started laughing and told the woman to ignore her, she's upset. The woman told us it was understandable, but to not take his actions out on all men. She made a good point about our friend's marriage and how she must have found a great man that wouldn't cheat if she's willing to celebrate her love with everyone else. I was like ""She's got a point!"" My friend said, ""Ok, ok! You got me! We'll go and look for a dress now and I'll be a little less bitter about men...tomorrow!"" and we all laughed and the woman said to go to the dress shop down near Macy's. She said they had great dresses and they were reasonably priced and if we didn't mind dresses that had been worn before, they had great cheap dresses and the owner would probably give us a deal if we liked something but it was out of our price range. I was like ""I don't mind preowned, most of my shopping is thrifted anyway."" So we go to the dress place, it has so many good dresses and we tried on and liked so many of them. We were helped by the clerk and decided on 3 dresses we loved each and since the prices were great, we were getting all 3 of them. I joked with the clerk that we were told the manager would cut us a deal because some random woman told us about this place. The clerk called to the back and asked if she could give us a deal and the stranger that talked to us came out and said ""Yea, you should cut them a deal. Ring up the cheapest dress and ring them up for that one and let them have the other dresses for free."" I was shocked but thankful! We've sent a lot of people looking for dresses there!" +"Today was definitely not the best of days. After what seemed like forever but was really only a short period, my cat Stubbs has passed on. I had known that he was sick but had been giving him medicine to treat his kidney issues for a while and he had seemed stable. Then in the lead up to this, he stopped eating or drinking, had trouble even walking, and had a dull glassy look in his eyes. I took him to the vet in a panic whereupon he informed me that Stubbs red blood cell count was dangerously low and his kidneys had degraded even further. After spending a week under observation there being given fluids and medicine I was allowed to take him home, under orders to inject a saline solution into him every day which he understandably was not overly happy about (and the scars from the scratches and bites on my arms can attest to that), but it seemed to be working for several months. Then he just abruptly degraded again do it was back to the vet, they did the usual treatment and observation before letting me bring him home, but this time was different and I think we all knew it, but no one wanted to say that I was just taking him home so he could die in a place of comfort rather than a cage surrounded by people he didn't know. He was fine for a short while upon coming home seeming to have one last gasp of energy where he was friendly and playful, but the other cats could sense something was off and kept their distance. All too soon he found himself unable to even stand and was forced to drag himself around the room on his side, even picking him up caused him to yowl in pain. The end was upon us that night, there was a loud screech from him in the middle of the night and by the time I had gotten out of bed and over to him he was already dead. It was heartbreaking to witness it, but at the least it wasn't drawn out forever with him in pain, and when the worst of it came he passed fairly quickly. Both I and my remaining cats were in a malaise for days, as they could tell he wasn't coming back this time. I had him cremated and then buried wrapped in his favorite blanket that he'd drag around everywhere. It was hard on me but I'm happy I was able to give an older (15) cat a new home to enjoy his remaining days rather than languishing at a shelter. It's going to make it all the harder to go through this another three times as my other cats get on in years though and I'm coming to dread every ailment that they suffer out of fear of it being the prelude to this happening again." +Life is full of unpredictable situations and it's so important to have people who support you. About 9-10 month ago I had to move to another state. I was transferred because they shut down the building I was working in before. I was very sad and afraid about my future. I was worried that I might get fired too. It was a relief when I found out that I can be transferred to Austin. They have a huge division of my company there. I was relieved because one of my best friends lives there. I visited her in Austin few times before but I still didn't know the city that well. I didn't know where is a good place to rent an apartment. Well I didn't even know where my company was located. My girlfriend was amazing. She did her own research and helped me tremendously. She helped me with my move too. She opened her house door to me for some time until I found a place to live. It took me a while to get my car there so she was driving me around and let me use her car from time to time. She was amazing and I don't know what I would of done without her. +Life is full of unpredictable situations and it's so important to have people who support you. About 9-10 month ago I had to move to another state. I was transferred because they shut down the building I was working in before. I was very sad and afraid about my future. I was worried that I might get fired too. It was a relief when I found out that I can be transferred to Austin. They have a huge division of my company there. I was relieved because one of my best friends lives there. I visited her in Austin few times before but I still didn't know the city that well. I didn't know where is a good place to rent an apartment. Well I didn't even know where my company was located. My girlfriend was amazing. She did her own research and helped me tremendously. She helped me with my move too. She opened her house door to me for some time until I found a place to live. It took me a while to get my car there so she was driving me around and let me use her car from time to time. She was amazing and I don't know what I would of done without her. +"I had found a puppy a few months back. I could not keep her, unfortunately. So, after a lot of research and time, I was able to locate a rescue that was willing to take her in to a foster family. Before bringing her to the rescue, or looking for one, the real owners came forward. They were using her to breed as a puppy mill dog, basically. So, I spoke with my vet and go to get the dog in foster care anyway. I just found out a few days ago this puppy was put into a new home. I was told she is perfectly happy now. This pleases me to no end. I knew nothing good would come if the puppy was given back to the original owners. I was thrilled, and always will be, that I was able to change another creature's life for the better. I never thought I would be able to have such an impact on a creature's life. I realized after the fact that had I not intervened, she may not be here today. I was told by my vet she was not well too. I reported all of this to the rescue, and all of her health problems were detected and fixed. A dog that was being used just to make puppies for profit now is spayed and has a wonderful, loving home!" +"This summer I had the wonderful privilege of going to Europe for the first time in my life. I spent two weeks there with my parents and my boyfriend. First we went to France, where I was immersed in the most gloriously romantic places I have ever seen in my life. It was here that I was shocked to find that the stereotypes I had always heard about France smelling foul and the French being rude were completely incorrect. I found the French to be polite and impossibly chic. They know how to live! I don't think anybody in France works; everyone just lounges at cafes enthralled in deep conversation over a glass of wine and great food. Needless to say, we were easily able to acclimate to that way of life. Highlights of France were trying escargot in a Parisian bistro, canoeing down a river in Bordeaux, and lounging on a beach in Marseille. Next, we moved on to Italy; Or shall I say EATaly! There, we engorged on the best food that the world has to offer, like pasta, pizza, bread, gelato, and more. When we weren't shoving food in our mouths, we were gawking at the finest art that has ever been created. It was a culture overload, and it was amazing. The best parts of Italy were seeing La Traviata at an exquisite opera house in Bologna, walking through ancient architectural marvels, and sipping prosecco on the gorgeous Amalfi Coast. This trip has transformed my perspective on life. Seeing new cultures has broadened my outlook in such a way that I have tried to incorporate European habits into my life. For example, I noticed that the French were very present and engaged with each other, not like us Americans who are always on our phones. This is a valuable souvenir that I have brought home with me, and I can't wait to return and experience more!" +"I went on a little road trip with my husband and a friend. We just jumped in the car and drove around for a few days, with no where in particular in mind to go. We went to a couple waterfalls. My husband went swimming one time, but it was too cold for our friend and I. Glad my husband had fun swimming though! Brr! My husband got a drone that he brought to record all the scenery. He lost it twice. The first time he was able to find it way up in a tree, but it took a lot of time an effort to get it back. Then later on in the day he lost it at another water area. This time the wind took it and he had no idea where it went, so we had to accept it as gone for good. We camped out only one night. We were planning on camping more, but the boys complained too much the one time saying the ground was too hard and it was too cold out, so we got hotels the other nights. For dinner when we camped we had veggie hot dogs and baked beans. We bought some other things to go with the meal at a cute nearby store, but I forgot now what they were. We ate lots of good food overall. We had lots of wines and different cheeses and chocolates, and even got tequila one night. We had pancakes for breakfast several times. Pancakes are awesome. We stopped at a few tag sales and got some fun finds. We went to at least one arcade and we collected a lot of tickets and got some fun prizes. It was a fun little trip!" +"I have no relationship with my parents because they are radically religious, and when I was 18 they discovered that I, their daughter, was a lesbian, and since they've wanted nothing to do with me. It's been about 9 years, as i'm 27 now. One thing I have always feared was the day one of my grandparents would die and it would force us to all be at a funeral together after not seeing them in so long. That fear finally became a reality in June of this year. My grandfather's funeral was a time to honor him and his life, and in my mind I was willing to set everything with my parents to just all be together as a family for this hard time. I didn't know how my parents would react. I thought it could go one of two ways. Either they would absolutely be infuriated by my showing up with my significant other and possibly start a scene at the funeral, or this death would soften their hearts and make them see the wrong in their behavior and that it could possibly start a rekindling in our relationship. I always had secretly hoped that the latter would be the result, unfortunately this was not the case. The night of the wake, the day before the funeral, I saw my parents and tried to briefly greet them and make small talk, even though it was incredibly awkward and uncomfortable. They seemed very sad, but quiet and it seemed as though they weren't going to cause any problems. Then, within an hour of leaving the wake that night me and my phone was lit up with messages and voicemails about how I dare not bring my significant other to the funeral tomorrow and that they were making conference calls with other family members trying to get her name removed from the obituary, as it was such a horrible sin and everyone should be ashamed for putting it on paper. It was not removed and I did bring her to the service with me. As a result, my mother thought it so horrible that she couldn't even bring herself to show up. This was the most shocking thing to me. I knew she was upset, but not attending her own father in law's funeral who she loved and had a good relationship with for nearly 40 years, it's just a whole new low for her. My father showed up, but kept a wide distance the entire time and would never directly look at me. It was hard not to be upset by this, but as time has passed and I've had a little distance from the situation I realized it's not anger or resentment I feel toward my parents anymore. Its pity. Pity for the fact that they've isolated themselves and hurt their relationships with so many family members. I think about how sad it must be and how alone they must feel at times. I'll always still love them from afar and hope something sparks a change of heart. I don't want them to live out the rest of their lives this way." +"It happened quickly and came on without a warning. I remember where I was when I heard the news. I was sitting in my office catching up on some email when my wife walked in and told me. Our son was very upset when he came home and he said it's because the teacher told them that his classmate and friend will be going to heaven soon. My heart went out for the family. I felt horrible and even more horrible for my son that he'd have to learn about life and death so young. It broke my heart to think of that child, his parents and his extended family. Life can be so cruel. Life can be random, without any particular rhyme or reason. I prayed to a God I barely believed in and figured out how I'd talk to my son. I wish innocence can stay with a child longer, but today my son learned a valuable lesson about life and cherishing the moments we are here because at any time tragedy could strike. I had to figure out a plan of action. How to talk to my son and make sure that he could learn to cope with the tragedy. In the end I settled on letting him know that the best course of action was to just enjoy the time left with his friend. Let them know that they are there for them and will always think of them. Just be a darn good friend and love the memories he has with them." +"we were all home for thanksgiving, we had been cooking the day before and my brother and his wife had just arrived. she was a big as a house, meaning she was pregnant and expecting anyday. we had been watching some football and the wives were outback by the pool late in the evening when I heard a scream. i rushed out back only to see my wife with a look of disbelief and surprise , it was time, we had brought things with us just in case and we were ready. my brother ran to the truck our parents helped her to the front door, almost having to carry her. and then she yelled again. it happened in an instant and the water broke. thank god the hospital is only 5 minutes away we were there in 1 minute as i drove like a bat out of hell. so we get there the nurses take her back and i get suited up. i rush to the back and my brother and parents go to the waiting room, she was in labor for around 2 hours but everything went fairly smooth and fast. at 8:51 thanksgiving even jacob was born. a smiling baby boy. i thought he came out smiling but it was actually a breech birth. meaning he thought his butt was him smiling. we all got a pictures, and the rest of the family came back. she went into recovery and we all clelebrated Thanksgiving in the hospital but it was the best thanksgiving anyone could ever ask for. Jacob reiley walt was brought into the world and changed my life forever." +"we were all home for thanksgiving, we had been cooking the day before and my brother and his wife had just arrived. she was a big as a house, meaning she was pregnant and expecting anyday. we had been watching some football and the wives were outback by the pool late in the evening when I heard a scream. i rushed out back only to see my wife with a look of disbelief and surprise , it was time, we had brought things with us just in case and we were ready. my brother ran to the truck our parents helped her to the front door, almost having to carry her. and then she yelled again. it happened in an instant and the water broke. thank god the hospital is only 5 minutes away we were there in 1 minute as i drove like a bat out of hell. so we get there the nurses take her back and i get suited up. i rush to the back and my brother and parents go to the waiting room, she was in labor for around 2 hours but everything went fairly smooth and fast. at 8:51 thanksgiving even jacob was born. a smiling baby boy. i thought he came out smiling but it was actually a breech birth. meaning he thought his butt was him smiling. we all got a pictures, and the rest of the family came back. she went into recovery and we all clelebrated Thanksgiving in the hospital but it was the best thanksgiving anyone could ever ask for. Jacob reiley walt was brought into the world and changed my life forever." +"Well, since writing that original entry that I'm supposed to refer to, my divorce has been finalized. It's been 17 days since it was finished. I'm still heartbroken and completely lost in terms of the direction my life takes from here. I made the gigantic mistake of basing the fundamental pieces of my existence on my marriage and my partner. I found I was content as long as love was present in my life. That nothing else mattered; such as money, status, material objects, vacations, houses, etc as long as I had my wife. The betrayal stings like nothing has ever stung before. Although my fault, I have been almost completely robbed on my independence. When I say that, I refer to my living situation. I was living near, but away from family for the last 8.5 years and enjoying every moment of my 'freedom'. Now I live with my brother & grandmother, and nothing feels quite right anymore. I'm stuck between this rock and hard place about seeking out another individual to build anything with. My trust has been used up, my life has been changed drastically, and I have lost the person who said for over 8 years that she didn't believe in divorce. This experience flat out sucks. And while I hold all of the power on how to feel about the situation itself, as well as myself, it's difficult to adapt to something I didn't want to willing cooperate with. Truthfully a dejected series of events being the one wanting to work through the problem while your partner does not." +I move to our house with my partner which is most described in the my life. it is very happiest moment in my life time. there after the life will be very happily to move on. It was happened 7 years ago. my partner is very supporting me in my all time favor. it is a big benefit for me and makes life more easily. this was very special to me and it has a very memorable moment. and he diary was good time for us. for day to day life also very much excluded with the diaries. my family was perfectly fit for the situation. The diary entry was much important for us and it happens good time for us. there will be a all benefits are having in that so all are easily with the situation. It is about our new house function. and there after i realized my partner with my lot of love. It was the best time in the life time. and there was a function about the new house party it was too fun with the friends and families. and they are enjoying a lot with our function. it makes us really too happy. it happened best thing in our life. it is also very unforgettable moment. +"Well, since writing that original entry that I'm supposed to refer to, my divorce has been finalized. It's been 17 days since it was finished. I'm still heartbroken and completely lost in terms of the direction my life takes from here. I made the gigantic mistake of basing the fundamental pieces of my existence on my marriage and my partner. I found I was content as long as love was present in my life. That nothing else mattered; such as money, status, material objects, vacations, houses, etc as long as I had my wife. The betrayal stings like nothing has ever stung before. Although my fault, I have been almost completely robbed on my independence. When I say that, I refer to my living situation. I was living near, but away from family for the last 8.5 years and enjoying every moment of my 'freedom'. Now I live with my brother & grandmother, and nothing feels quite right anymore. I'm stuck between this rock and hard place about seeking out another individual to build anything with. My trust has been used up, my life has been changed drastically, and I have lost the person who said for over 8 years that she didn't believe in divorce. This experience flat out sucks. And while I hold all of the power on how to feel about the situation itself, as well as myself, it's difficult to adapt to something I didn't want to willing cooperate with. Truthfully a dejected series of events being the one wanting to work through the problem while your partner does not." +"My significant other has always loved succulents. She began buying a few here and there and reading about them on the internet. I thought she was just reading about them as a hobby. One evening over dinner, she suggested that we start a succulent company. I was like ""yeah, sure, that sounds like fun!"" I didn't know quite how big or fast it would grow. We began buying more succulents and expanded to other exotic plants such as carnivorous plants. One day she surprised me by telling me that she had filed all of the paperwork to make us an official business. We owned a business! I guess she had some unexpected money come in from backpayments owed to her, or something. She decided to spend the surplus to make us official. No time like the present! My background is in web development, so I got to work on the website. I put together a blazing fast website for us and set us up with a payment processor. She is the resident plant expert. She logged the inventory and wrote the plant descriptions. We had a full-functional ecommerce website in no-time flat." +"I work for a non profit organization. We often partner with local charities to raise money in the community. Six weeks ago, we held an event to raise money for two charities in my hometown. One of the charities provides food for homeless people in my community. The other charity provides school supplies for children whose parents do not have the money to provide them. Both of these charities are special to me. The event was very successful. One of the donors was extremely generous! He donated enough money to keep both charities running for the next six months. I couldn't believe how generous his donation was. It was so unexpected and greatly appreciated. I think my favorite part of the event was the food. The vendors we selected did a fantastic job. I especially loved the street tacos and mixed drinks. I hope the organization will make this an annual event. I think it helped a lot of people in my community." +"We had decided we wanted to go on a mini vacation so we could take the kids during summer. The kids loved swimming so it was only natural for us to decide to go to Myrtle Beach. We asked the kids what they would think about taking a trip down to Myrtle Beach and needless to say they were ecstatic. We hadn't had time to go on any type of vacation since my husband and I work fulltime jobs trying to pay off our mortgage. Well, we decided to go on a Friday morning so we took that Friday off of work. We headed down and it took us about 2 hours by car. The car ride there was actually pretty relaxing to say the least. The kids were busy on their iPads and I just enjoyed the scenery while my husband drove. When we got there, we checked into the hotel and the check in was seamless. We were pretty hungry after settling into the room so we decided to eat at the restaurant inside the hotel. The restaurant was busy but this didn't take away from our experience. The food was delicious. I decided on a fettuccine Alfredo, my husband a steak and the kids a burger each. After, the kids got ready to go into the pool for a bit before sundown. My husband had a few beers while I just had a margarita and the kids had so much fun at the pool. The next day, we decided to go to the beach. We bought sand toys for the boys and some snacks and a few umbrellas to fully enjoy the beach, and we did." +"We had decided we wanted to go on a mini vacation so we could take the kids during summer. The kids loved swimming so it was only natural for us to decide to go to Myrtle Beach. We asked the kids what they would think about taking a trip down to Myrtle Beach and needless to say they were ecstatic. We hadn't had time to go on any type of vacation since my husband and I work fulltime jobs trying to pay off our mortgage. Well, we decided to go on a Friday morning so we took that Friday off of work. We headed down and it took us about 2 hours by car. The car ride there was actually pretty relaxing to say the least. The kids were busy on their iPads and I just enjoyed the scenery while my husband drove. When we got there, we checked into the hotel and the check in was seamless. We were pretty hungry after settling into the room so we decided to eat at the restaurant inside the hotel. The restaurant was busy but this didn't take away from our experience. The food was delicious. I decided on a fettuccine Alfredo, my husband a steak and the kids a burger each. After, the kids got ready to go into the pool for a bit before sundown. My husband had a few beers while I just had a margarita and the kids had so much fun at the pool. The next day, we decided to go to the beach. We bought sand toys for the boys and some snacks and a few umbrellas to fully enjoy the beach, and we did." +"When I was subbing at one of my regular schools, I got the news that my friend, who had been battling brain cancer had died. I found out when I was teaching a 5th grade math class, that was pretty out of control. The kids were throwing books around and running around screaming. Not all of them, but with 40 kids and half with behavior issues, it's hard to keep them safe. I sat down and checked my phone. I saw a message from my partner that said our friend had died. I knew it was coming, but it was still hard. I had hoped maybe things would turn around and get better. I don't really remember what happened for the next couple of minutes. I know I sat down and was just lost in my own thoughts and grief. I expected the kids to just take advantage of this and get even more out of control. That's not what happened. Instead the students were very nice. They went and found someone who could cover the class, so I could leave the room for a few minutes. Of course, the next time I subbed, they acted like nothing had happened." +"I will always remember where I was when I got the phone call. It was 2nd period math class and my 4th graders were rowdy as usual. I could tell their attention was slipping and I was having trouble getting them to pay attention. I was feeling a little miserable and sorry for myself. One of the administrators poked her head into my classroom and I remember thinking one of the kids was having a family emergency. I stepped out into the hallway. My friend's wife Susan was sobbing on the phone as she told me my friend had passed. I felt all the air go out out of my lungs. My stomach dropped. I was in shock. I walked back into my classroom, numb. I started packing my things to go. The administrator had gone to get a substitute teacher. The kids could all see that something had happened and settled down. One of the girls asked if I was OK. I said ""my friend died"" without even really meaning to. The kids got me tissues and tried to distract me as we waited for the sub." +"I was walking along the road when I heard the screech. I saw a car. Bump into the rear of another car because the first car it stopped at a red light. After the crash, the driver of the rear car got out, and so did the driver of the front car. They began to argue with each other. It became a fully fledged fight. At one point one of the men looked my way. “What are you looking at,” he said menacingly. Then the police came. The separated the 2 angry drivers. One of the men refused to be subdued. The police took their handcuffs and handcuffed him with one hand to a pole. The police took control of the situation. They move the cars out of the traffic. They kept the two men separated. I believe they gave a summons to the person who rear ended the other." +"I was walking along the road when I heard the screech. I saw a car. Bump into the rear of another car because the first car it stopped at a red light. After the crash, the driver of the rear car got out, and so did the driver of the front car. They began to argue with each other. It became a fully fledged fight. At one point one of the men looked my way. “What are you looking at,” he said menacingly. Then the police came. The separated the 2 angry drivers. One of the men refused to be subdued. The police took their handcuffs and handcuffed him with one hand to a pole. The police took control of the situation. They move the cars out of the traffic. They kept the two men separated. I believe they gave a summons to the person who rear ended the other." +"My nephew was born in late February. I went to go see him when he was just a few weeks old. It was surreal holding him in my hands, hearing him breathe and yawning, showing his toothless gums. While holding him, it made me think about how we are so similar at the beginning and ends of our life. Children, and the elderly, need lots of support and care, to be surrounded by loved ones. I began to think that one day, I was this little bundle of joy for my own parents, and one day I would have a child with my wife as well. Thoughts about childcare, diapers and bottles all filled my mind, and I questioned if I was ready for such an endeavor. My wife also had a chance to hold him and thought he was the cutest thing. Soon after, the baby would not stop crying, no matter what his parents did to soothe him. I also wondered if I was such a child for my parents, and whether I would have to deal with this in the future as well. It was great seeing the entire family altogether in one place, as it doesn't happen very often. I pondered what kind of role I would play in my nephew's future, if I would be very involved or just a distant relative he would see during the holidays. My brother and I are not very close, but obviously for events like this we would have to be present. Regardless, I'm not sure if this child is enough to bring our relationship any closer. Seeing new life is one of the biggest encouragements to make someone reflect on their own life, and what is most important to them." +"I was looking forward to being able to spend time with my nephew. My brother and I are very close and when he got married I was really happy for him because his wife is a wonderful person. I knew they'd be great parents, like ours were, so it was with great excitement and anticipation that I accepted their offer to babysit for them while they took a much needed week-long break from work and parenting. My brother doesn't live far away, so I drove down in my car, which I figured would be good anyway for getting around and taking my nephew for walks in the park. When I arrived, my brother and his wife were very excited to see me! They were nearly bubbling over with enthusiasm for my arrival. I mean, I knew we were close, but this was unusual, even for them. It should have tipped me off that something wasn't quite right. My nephew was taking a nap at the time and it gave us a chance to go over all of the things I needed to know to take care of him. There was a lot to learn! Much more than I had anticipated. There were the bottles, and the cleaning and the feedings and the medications and what to do if he's crying. That was when I should have known what was up. It turned out that my nephew had a very bad case of colic, and had been so for some months. He was only 9 months old at the time, but man did he have a set of lungs on him. I don't know if you've ever cared for a baby that has colic, but boy can they be loud. My brother and his wife gathered their things, thanked me and hugged me and pretty much ran out the door. From the moment the door closed it seemed like my nephew never stopped crying! I tried everything to get him to stop, from feeding, to playing to rocking him. It was pretty much non-stop crying - and now I knew why they had looked the way they did. In the end, I discovered a great tactic for calming the crying. It seems my nephew loved to ride in my car! So, whenever the crying got too much, even in the middle of the night, I just loaded him in the car and drove around the block a few times. That did the trick! I was never so happy to see someone than I was when my brother returned from their vacation." +"I am really stressed out. Today my sister and I found out that our father has been cheating on our mother for many months. My sister and I confronted him, but he lied about to directly to our faces. We saw them together in public. We saw the messages on Facebook - he left it up on our shared computer! He wasn't doing a very good job trying to even hide it from us. We are not sure if our mother knows yet, and we really want him to admit it to her. We don't want to have to bring the bad news to her - it will break her heart. The worst part is this woman is much younger than him. She's actually younger than my sister! That grosses us out a bit. We are really not sure what further to do with the situation. I suppose in the next week or so if he doesn't come forward to our mother, we will have to do it for him. Our mother cannot go on with this lie. It isn't fair to her and she will need time to deal with it. I am so disappointed in him, as a person, as our father. I know people go through stuff, but to maintain something for so long is disgusting." +"We were always worried about her. When she was born she had this diagnosis of having mild down syndrome. The wife and I were shocked. We completed a number of testing beforehand. Everything we saw showed up as almost no chance of any mental development issues. I know that these tests aren't perfect. It was discussed at length and we did a lot of research. Our doctor went over it a bunch of times. We were thoroughly convinced that she would be born without any sort of these problems. Sure enough, by about age 1 or so, she showed signs of being, different. We were concerned so we took her in to a specialist. They did a battery of testing that took a few months. At first they figured it was just a simple case of her taking a bit longer than most kids learning simple things. But then the diagnosis came back with downs syndrome. We worked with a number of therapists and behavior experts for a few years. Slowly and surely, the outward signs were almost gone and we were very happy about this. Sure enough, now that she is in 1st grade, there's nothing that one can see to tell you that she has this disorder. She is just like any normal kid and even though she technically has downs, she has thus far battled over all of the hurdles that it presented. This is why we are so darn proud of her. She worked very hard to get here. I hope this continues but at this very moment, we are beyond thrilled about this whole thing. We literally could not be happier for her" +"My daughter is my world. She is very pretty girl. I call her angel. she is first in class. and also. she is first in sports. and also she is first in extra curricular activities. like swimming,drawing extra. she is very talented girl. i am very proud to be her father. she got many medal at state level. she is very active girl in her class. even her teacher told to me. 1 weeks ago my daughter is love her new first grade class. As a parents we are very proud of her. We are looking forward to seeing all her fun things doing in class. we do many fun things even in our home. i was wonder when she did fun things." +"Earlier this year I went to see my Grandma on my dad's side. I hadn't seen her in many years, not since I was in junior high from what I remember. My Grandpa died last Thanksgiving and only my dad was able to make the trip at that time. This time just me and my dad went. I was a little nervous from having not seen her in a while and wasn't sure how much my memories were correct. It turns out they were mostly on the money. Surprisingly my memory of her and her house was better than hers, she didn't even remember the last time I visited and thought I hadn't been there since I was really little. We had a nice time and visited some relatives I had never met before. We had dinner at their house which was a nice home out in the country. It was more of a proper dinner than I was prepared for and I felt a little awkward. They were nice though, and they keep bees and gave us some honey to take home. Unfortunately all their hives mysteriously died a few months before. Other than visiting them we went out to see the cemetery where my grandpa was buried. It's a military cemetery and looked nice and well kept. I took a few pictures of all the grave markers and some of the nearby lake." +"Earlier this year I went to see my Grandma on my dad's side. I hadn't seen her in many years, not since I was in junior high from what I remember. My Grandpa died last Thanksgiving and only my dad was able to make the trip at that time. This time just me and my dad went. I was a little nervous from having not seen her in a while and wasn't sure how much my memories were correct. It turns out they were mostly on the money. Surprisingly my memory of her and her house was better than hers, she didn't even remember the last time I visited and thought I hadn't been there since I was really little. We had a nice time and visited some relatives I had never met before. We had dinner at their house which was a nice home out in the country. It was more of a proper dinner than I was prepared for and I felt a little awkward. They were nice though, and they keep bees and gave us some honey to take home. Unfortunately all their hives mysteriously died a few months before. Other than visiting them we went out to see the cemetery where my grandpa was buried. It's a military cemetery and looked nice and well kept. I took a few pictures of all the grave markers and some of the nearby lake." +"This was a birthday party that was supposed to be somewhat of a surprise though I had my suspicions beforehand due to the number of text messages I received from different friends. It was not only the messages themselves that gave it away but the volume of the messages were unusual. I distinctly remember walking in to the door and noticing my chairs being out of place. I knew what was coming but still tried to act surprised as everyone greeted me. I very clearly remember everyone's faces at that instant as they welcomed me to the party. Overall, my friend Steve helped quite a bit in organizing the party. Aside from my family, my childhood friends Raymond and Wei was also there at the party. We had some drinks, snacks and a very delicious fruit cake. I received some very nice gifts and was completely flattered. There was quite a bit of chatter and some catching up with friends that I see less often. Eventually we moved onto playing some games in groups. However, I had a long day at work and was very tired. I could not enjoy that portion of the birthday party to the fullest. Eventually people had to go and I thanked them for coming. I had a very nice long rest after everything." +"The other day, I helped organize a birthday party for my older brother with the help of my family and friends. We didn't have too much time to get things together because my friends gave me really short notice. The birthday party was supposed to be a surprise, and I think we did a good job keeping it that way. His wife might have clued him in on the party, but even if so, he still acted surprised. I got to meet some really interesting people at the party that I had never interacted with before. Most notably was my sister in law's friend, who was full of energy. Even though I was exhausted from working a long shift, his energy was contagious and it really pepped me up and I was able to enjoy myself and have a great time with my loved ones. We had a caterer for the party who did quite a nice spread, with all kinds of food. I was adamant about there being vegetarian options, because I know a lot of people who might attend were vegetarian. Sometimes you go to parties with food and it's all meat, or just really boring stuff. But this caterer was particularly fancy, and we got a great deal because the lady who owns the business is a friend of mine. I overheard a lot of people talking about how great the food was. My brother got some really silly gifts. The most memorable was a teddy bear onesie. His friends made him put it on for the remainder of the party, which was really hilarious." +"The other day, I helped organize a birthday party for my older brother with the help of my family and friends. We didn't have too much time to get things together because my friends gave me really short notice. The birthday party was supposed to be a surprise, and I think we did a good job keeping it that way. His wife might have clued him in on the party, but even if so, he still acted surprised. I got to meet some really interesting people at the party that I had never interacted with before. Most notably was my sister in law's friend, who was full of energy. Even though I was exhausted from working a long shift, his energy was contagious and it really pepped me up and I was able to enjoy myself and have a great time with my loved ones. We had a caterer for the party who did quite a nice spread, with all kinds of food. I was adamant about there being vegetarian options, because I know a lot of people who might attend were vegetarian. Sometimes you go to parties with food and it's all meat, or just really boring stuff. But this caterer was particularly fancy, and we got a great deal because the lady who owns the business is a friend of mine. I overheard a lot of people talking about how great the food was. My brother got some really silly gifts. The most memorable was a teddy bear onesie. His friends made him put it on for the remainder of the party, which was really hilarious." +"My son, we will call him Sam, decided to play football. Now, Sam is a bit on the husky side, but that is truly his only downfall. He is incredibly smart and gives all tasks his all. He is super friendly, and kind of Ferdinand in that he doesn't like using his size to hurt others. He also is home schooled, because as a parent, I am worried about bullying and the other social factors that cause students to become sidetracked from their studies and lead to emotional problems. In any event, when Sam began playing football, he began with a group of kids that already had been playing together for years and also went to school together and lived in the same neighborhood. He had made some friends, but this core group of kids was hard to crack - especially since Sam had no previous football experience AND the coaches were all father's of this golden crew. Sam was having an especially tough practice, and was confused about the instruction of a particular play - and finally angry because on day 7 Sam didn't know what in the heck a touch back, left tackle was or the different rules that apply to offense and defense yet. The coaches son said some incredibly hateful things to Sam behind his back, but loudly enough so that Sam could hear. He was crying and so upset when all of those kids laughed and picked on him all practice. I briefly spoke to the coach who did NOTHING but say it was FOOTBALL and to toughen up. I talked to Sam, and he decided to stay. He seemed a little off that day, but worked hard and had all the plays figured out as he had studied up the night before. When it came time to scrimmage the other 3rd and 4th grade team, they SHOULD have demolished them, but since Sam was a left tackle and his job was to protect the punk that had been treating him like crap - he decided to literally, and VERY obviously step aside and allowed the 150 lb beast of a defensive linebacker attack the little jerk. After taking a couple of hits, Nate, the snot nosed coach's son, started hollering at Sam to do his job. Sam called a time out and very loudly said, ""I tell you what, Nate. I'll make you a deal - you stop talking smack about me and treating me like dirt, and I will do my job. Does it seem really smart to be mean to the one person protecting you from a monster sized kid with death in his eyes? Do you think it makes sense to piss off someone twice your size? So what do you think? Are you ready to be nice, or do I need to keep leaving a hole?"" The whole field was silent - and the kid was so red. His mother gasped. I was SO SO proud, of Sam - and then someone started clapping, and then everyone joined in. He handled it like a champ - and since then - there have been no squabbles on that field!" +"Two days ago my son was harassed at football practice by some of his teammates. He is an incredibly good player, good student, and is well-liked. However, some kids have taken affront to the fact that he is an all around good kid and good guy. They are jealous of his popularity and his alleged perfection. Before practice 4 kids circled him up and pushed him around while taunting him with emotionally scarring words that effected his game play during practice. He didn't want to turn the kids in because he felt that that would cause more problems, but he did choose to share his concerns with me -as a way to vent. He and I went for a long run to get it out of our systems. I couldn't sleep that night, I was angry at the kids and upset for my son. Even though he said he was ok, I knew that he wasn't and I could see the hurt and frustration in his eyes. The next day, I called the coach and took it upon myself to report the situation. He was surprised because everyone likes my son, and was concerned that he opted not to say anything to him about it. The coach wound up looking at the security footage from the field for that day, and though he couldn't hear what was being said, he was able to determine who it was, and what was happening. He showed the whole team the footage at practice the next day. The entire team -except those kids of course - voted to have the brats kicked off the team for bullying and harassment. They were also suspended from school for their behavior. I know it was wrong, but I couldn't help but feel a little pleasure in the how this was handled." +"I've always been really concerned with my weight. Despite obsessing over my figure and the scale, I've never been a healthy weight. I really do try to eat healthily, but food is more than just sustenance. It's a reward. It's comfort. When I've had a bad day or am under a lot of stress, a switch flips off in my brain, the switch that cares about what I'm eating. And so, I stuff my face full of every rich, fattening food I can get my hands on. Then, I feel really bad about it, so guess what I do? I have a good cry. I put on my determined face. I look up healthy recipes and resolve not to do it again, but I still hate myself for having done it, and the switch flips off again. I finally decided that enough is enough. Normal people aren't like this. I booked a therapist and waited and ate my way through the month until I could finally talk to her. I told her about my habits and my relationship with food. And I was right, there was something wrong with me. She told me I had something called a binge eating disorder. Being overweight and being told that I have an eating disorder was a shock. I'd only heard of anorexia and bulimia, but I wasn't a rail thin supermodel with body dysmorphia. She told me some healthy ways to cope with my emotions that don't involve food. This was the root of the problem after all." +"I clearly remember that day having gone to the hospice facility where my grandma was approaching the end of her life. It was a mad scramble with the family and I knew more than anybody that you was ready for her last days. We assembled as a team and took shifts to be with her. She was there probably about 14 days in a row by now. The nurses that were coming in and out of the room had this look on their face like they knew what was about to happen. The background was very serene and quiet and there was momentos of the family all over the place - family pictures, fresh flowers, trinkets. My grandmother was laying there quietly. She was laying on her side and had her eyes closed but she was still breathing. The blankets were laying on top of her. Her hands were cold and turning dark. The last few times I tried to talk to her, she could barely open her eyes but I knew she was there. She had spoken of you times and I was always sitting by her side just waiting for her to say something to me. She was extremely drugged and incoherent and barely able to speak. I leaned over to brush her hair aside, and I whispered in her ear ""Grandma, I'm here. We're not going to leave you"" I touched her hand and she closed her fingers around mine. She opened her eyes barely and said these words to me ""Don't worry I'll see you again"" As I began to cry, she took a last gasp and passed away. I whispered to her ""Yes, I will see you again"" and I hugged her tightly." +"Three months ago my friend and I started our road trip. We started from San Francisco and the destination was Los Angeles. We did not make any plans, but we stick to follow the Pacific Coast Highway. During the trip we stopped at many cool locations, including a coffee place where my friend met a girl who was also doing a road trip. However, she was alone and did not had a car, as she was mostly relying on rides. We offered her to join us on the rest of the trip, which she promptly accepted. We continued our journey visiting many small places and seeing very nice landscapes. During the trip, the new girl and my friend started to flirt with each other. One or two days later they starting to date. Once we arrived in Los Angeles, they booked a separated room for them. Later on, we found out that the girl was from San Francisco as well. We then came back to our town, but this time we flew. The girl came with us. Looking back to the road trip, it was a very pleasant experience for me and especially for my friend. My friend is still dating the girl we met in the trip. In fact, I think he is about to propose to her. I think that without the road trip, he would never had fallen in love with this girl and be about to start a marriage. My friend thanks me a lot for this, since the road trip was my idea." +"Several months ago I was released from my company for a violation of company policy. I was well aware of what I was doing at the time I knew that it could lead to my firing. However I was so unhappy with where I was working I was not at all concerned about the potential ramifications. Eventually I got caught doing this thing I knew I shouldn't be doing and I was let go. At this point I felt an extreme amount of shame and embarrassment because I knew from day 1 I shouldn't have done this. I was forced to go home and tell my family that I had been fired. I spent several months looking for a new position. I had no idea what was going to take place. I didn't know if the real reason I was fired would come out and it would impact my future employment. After several months of stress and anxiety of being out of work I was able to find a job. I was forced into a significant pay cut and I had to impose further stress on my family to tighten our budget. In the long run I ended up at a job I am happy with however we needed some significant changes to our lifestyle to stay on budget. However in the long run I ended up not at a company that made me miserable and treated me like dog meat, and I was able to find a large measure of happiness at my new position. It just went to show me that if you are that unhappy at a business you need to leave. Additionally I learned money isn't everything as I am much happier making less." +"So I'm going to tell you about an experience I had with my girlfriend. This event took place about 2 months ago. We went to a theme park that's not too far from our house. Only about an hour and a half away, not that bad! And we didn't really know exactly what we were going to do. I know she mentioned she wanted to hit up the roller coasters. And I definitely wanted to go on the go-karts! We got there and there was quite a few people there. We got to the roller coaster line and it was pretty long and she could see I didn't really want to stand around. She's awesome and said well let's so check the go-kart line maybe we can come back to the roller coaster later. So we went to the go-karts and the line was also pretty long! Unfortunately she also didn't want to wait in line. So since she was just so understanding I returned the favor and said well let's go find something to do that doesn't have a long line! And we found there was a spot we could get on a creek and kayak! Cool, we hadn't done this before. So you get in the creek and then a couple miles down the creek theres a spot where you get off and they give you a ride back to the park! We really enjoyed it and had so much fun that we didn't even bother going on any of the other rides, we went home so happy! SO MUCH FUN! LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING IT AGAIN!" +"Six months ago I was hired at a great company as a travelling adviser making excellent pay. The benefits and vacation time were good and to top it all, I am able to travel to many places as part of my job. I felt everything has fallen in place for me and for the first time in a long time, I was on top of the world. Everyone was happy about me obtaining the job and able to afford to eat at fine dining restaurants, drive a very nice car, stay at the finest hotels and take my family to places they never thought they will see. My husband and I were pulling close to 300,000 a year with both incomes and to me, life was grand. I wasn't stinking wealthy but I were living great. I talked about my experiences often with friends, showing off places my family and I went, snapping pictures of wads of cash with captions here and there. Some noted as 'haters this could be you too!' The places I used to frequent with friends became less and less and I somehow found myself not exactly on the same levels as my friends anymore. I noticed I here less and less from each of them as time passed. Initially I did not think much of it until one day a long time good friend of mines wanted to have serious chat. She noticed a change of attitude with me and said I was not the same as woman she used to know. I had the tendency to humble brag a lot and seem to distanced myself away from everyone else. Other friends thought the same but fear upsetting me. I felt a bit shocked about how everyone felt and I apologized if I allowed my job to change who I were. Unfortunately that friend and I is no longer close like we used to be and a few others left my life too. I felt horrible about the outcome and made a conscious decision to humble myself. What comfort me is everything happens for a reason and a lesson to be learn is to not only be grateful but towards close to me ands not allow superficiality be a theme of my life." +"It was last Friday that this happened actually. I was going to the auditorium because my supervisor said that she had a surprise to me tell me about. She told me to meet her at the auditorium when i finished my lunch. I ate lunch with a coworker of mine and after finished, we headed straight to the auditorium. I thought it was only going to be and my super visor but my other coworkers were there as well. They all looked really happy to see me and i saw my supervisor standing on stage. She told me to head up there with her. When i got up there, she told me that i was going to get a promotion. All my coworkers burst out into cheers and claps. I almost felt like tearing up when i got the news. I worked really hard to get the promotion and i felt like i really deserved it. After the auditorium incident, my supervisor also handed me a small gift. It contained a little key chain. It was a small token of appreciation for all i have done for the company. Once i got home, i was still shocked about what happened." +"It was last Friday that this happened actually. I was going to the auditorium because my supervisor said that she had a surprise to me tell me about. She told me to meet her at the auditorium when i finished my lunch. I ate lunch with a coworker of mine and after finished, we headed straight to the auditorium. I thought it was only going to be and my super visor but my other coworkers were there as well. They all looked really happy to see me and i saw my supervisor standing on stage. She told me to head up there with her. When i got up there, she told me that i was going to get a promotion. All my coworkers burst out into cheers and claps. I almost felt like tearing up when i got the news. I worked really hard to get the promotion and i felt like i really deserved it. After the auditorium incident, my supervisor also handed me a small gift. It contained a little key chain. It was a small token of appreciation for all i have done for the company. Once i got home, i was still shocked about what happened." +"Recently, about 3 months ago I took on my largest cake order so far. I run a small business fro home baking cakes, cookies, cupcakes and the like, until this all of my orders had been relatively small orders. It was for a dear friends brother's wedding, it was a large three tier cake, and I was nervous but I felt like I should take it on. The cake design its self was one that was difficult, square, which is difficult for me because in needs crisp edges, covered in handmade flowers, and wrapped in a black ribbon. The act of getting it to the wedding venue its self was gong to be stressful because it had to be transported in the heat of the summer in the south. I also felt that their wedding was a little unorganized but I felt that they were a great couple to do my first wedding cake fo rdue to the fact that they were laid back and very understanding people. I was so nervous, I started working as far ahead as I could and researched the best ways to transport and stack the cake. The day before I prepared the cake and had everything ready, and my nerves were a wreck. My husband and I laid down to go to bed, at three in the morning we got a phone call. My father in lay had a heart attack and was in critical conditions, my husband rushed to get his things together and make the drive 2 states away. So now I had to figure out how to pack me and 2 children and my husband enough stuff to last however long we might need to be there and deliver a wedding cake with 2 small children in tow. I was now officially a nervous wreck, I called the lady who was planning the wedding, and told her I needed to deliver the cake as early as I could, I packed all of our clothes, and the cake in the car with my 2 and 6 year old and headed towards the church. I managed to set up the cake and prepare it for the bride in 20 minutes and head towards my father in law. I had to leave the church before the bride was even able to come see the cake. I then drove 4 hours with two little kids to meet my husband. Thankful my father in law is on the mend but that was an extremely stressful day. The bride ended up being very happy with the cake as well and the wedding has gotten me several other orders." +I had just started a business. I've always been a baker. I wanted to take what was my hobby of baking and turn it in to a profitable business. I decided to start being a cake maker. I had been contacted by a couple who were having a wedding. They wanted a cake from me. I was more than happy to start working on it for them. Even though it was my first wedding cake I think I did a great job on it. It was the big day and I was on my way to take it over to their wedding chapel and get it set up. When I was about 5 minutes away from the chapel I got a phone call. It was my husband and he was saying that my son had broken his arm. I had to hurry and get the cake set up as fast as I could so I could deal with my son. I got the cake set up in 5 minutes flat and then rushed over to the hospital. My son was there and crying. I couldn't believe this happened on such a day. +"This is a story about the loss of a pet. Pets are family and should be treated as such. A friend gave us Maggie when my children were 3 and 5. I was a single parent at the time and she was a great addition to our little family. She was just a kitten and loved to play. Maggie grew up with my children. When I started dating my current husband he ""hated"" cats (so he said). A few years later, my kids and I were set to move in with my then boyfriend (now husband). The deal was to have Maggie fixed and declawed and she would be fine to come along. My children are now 21 and 24. They never knew life without Maggie. She played with us and gave us tremendous joy. We all loved her, even our dogs. Now she's gone and I miss her. We buried her in the back yard and planted flowers on her grave." +"This is a story about the loss of a pet. Pets are family and should be treated as such. A friend gave us Maggie when my children were 3 and 5. I was a single parent at the time and she was a great addition to our little family. She was just a kitten and loved to play. Maggie grew up with my children. When I started dating my current husband he ""hated"" cats (so he said). A few years later, my kids and I were set to move in with my then boyfriend (now husband). The deal was to have Maggie fixed and declawed and she would be fine to come along. My children are now 21 and 24. They never knew life without Maggie. She played with us and gave us tremendous joy. We all loved her, even our dogs. Now she's gone and I miss her. We buried her in the back yard and planted flowers on her grave." +"My son and his wife said that they would be in town for something that she had to do and that they would be happy to drop by for a short visit. We were excited about that. They live about 2 hours from here. So, my husband and I clean the house, got ourselves all dressed nice and looked forward to them ringing the doorbell. They arrived, sat down and they had a heart shaped red box and they handed it to me and said, ""We just got you a little something."" I lifted the lid on the box, moved all the tissue paper, and saw the sleeve of a little white T shirt. My husband later said that he was a little confused about what it was. We had never expected to have this surprise as we did not think that our son and his wife planned to have children. I started crying immediately. I couldn't believe it. Then my husband realized what it meant and he almost cried as well. After we settled down, we talked with them about what a great surprise this was and asked them what made them change their minds. They just said that their life was different now, and they thought they would stop trying not to have a baby, and just see what happened. So there we have it. We are going to be grandparents, and they are going to be parents, and that is what we are the most happy about. We look forward to watching and helping them on this journey." +"Our youngest son and his wife live about 2 hours away from us. He called and said that his wife had to be in town and that they thought they might stop by on that day for a visit. We were so excited. They arrived, we all hugged and they handed us a red heart shaped box and said it was just a little something for us. We opened the box and, inside, found a little onesie, a baby t-shirt. We were shocked, I was crying and laughing. They are going to have a baby. We are going to be Grandparents! This was very unexpected and we were so surprised. Then we were told that we had to keep it a secret until about the three month mark. This was going to be difficult. This was a wonderful experience. They will have a baby boy in February. This makes retirement really exciting. We are so happy for them." +"So we were running low on drinks at the house. I suggested to my roommate that we should head to the store and he obliged. We get in the car and head to the store. As soon as we get to the store he starts swatting down by his legs. I go to get out of the car and he stops me. ""You see any spider webs down there?"" He asks. I turn the flashlight on my phone on and look, not really seeing anything. ""No."" I said. Suddenly we see a small white spider crawl from behind his steering column and back under the steering column. He starts freaking out asking me what we're gonna do about it. The whole time I'm just cracking up. Finally after a few minutes we head inside. When we get back to the car after putting the groceries in the trunk, he just stands by his open driver door. I get in the passenger seat and try to coax him in for at least 5 minutes. He was not having it so i offered to drive home. The next morning he refused to drive his car to work and called an uber." +"My diary is about the day my neighbor gave birth. It was such I day I can never forget. I was in my apartment reading a novel when I heard a scream from close by. I could recognize the voice and the first time I heard it and concluded it was my neighbor. I rushed down to her apartment. I got there and the door was locked. She kept screaming and I realized her husband was not in the house and she was all alone. I had no choice but to break down the door and help her to the car. I immediately contacted the ambulance and decided to drive to the hospital because an ambulance may not be able to make it on time. I instantly get in the car and started driving. We were just few minutes to the hospital when she could not hold the pain no more and started screaming louder. Then I realized she was close to delivering. I instantly pulled over and contacted the ambulance. Fortunately, I passerby that tried to help happened to be a nurse. She helped with the delivery and she gave birth without any problem. It was such a great experience for me and I was glad I could help." +"I was planning to celebrate my wedding anniversary, that was about two mount ago. I don't have much money with me but I just hope there is nothing God cannot do. Many of my friends also encouraged me to celebrate it in a big way since it 30th celebration. It was a three days to the event and many things that we needed has not been gotten. I was already thinking of not celebrating it and just do it in a small way. In the evening, My son called me and told me he is sending a big amount of money to me for the celebration. I was happy and that was a great relief to me. After some times I receive credit notification, that was from my son. I called him to appreciate him. Bout Five minute later, another credit notification, this time, it was my friends. I was not expecting that much from them. At first, don't know all the details about the money, it was when one of the called me that he explained everything to me. I was speechless but extremely happy. At this moment, I have more than enough to spend for the anniversary. The following day, we got all we needed and make all the necessary preparations. The anniversary went well and everyone that came was satisfied." +"I was planning to celebrate my wedding anniversary, that was last mount. I don't have much money with me but I just hope things will work out well. Many of my friends also encouraged me to celebrate it in a big way. It was a three days to the event and many things we hope to use has not been secured. I was already thinking of not celebrating it and just do it in a small way. In the evening, My son called me and told me he is sending a tangible amount of money to me for the celebration. I was very happy and that lifted a great burden off me. After some times I receive credit notification, that was from my son. i called him to appreciate him. Five minute later, another credit notification, this time, it was my friends. I was not expecting as much from them. Initially, don't know the total genesis of the money, it was when one of the called me that he explained everything to me. I was totally speechless. At this moment, I have more than enough to spend for the anniversary. The following day, we got all we needed to get and make all the necessary preparations. The anniversary went well and everyone that came was satisfied." +"So, I went to Las Vegas this March. I go down to Vegas a lot, since I make the majority of my income from playing poker. Unfortunately, my Vegas trips typically turn into more of vacations than work trips like they should be (other than when I actually go specifically to play a tournament). Anyways, like I said, I go a few times a year, at least, but this trip was really quite special. I was down there for two weeks of March Madness, and my Uncle and a few of his work buddies were there for a weekend. I think I've been there at the same time as family members before, but have only really done Vegas with friends, so this was quite cool. It was the first weekend of the tournament, so the place was a zoo. Some of the most memorable moments were watching basketball at the bar by the sports book at Venetian. Another was hanging out at the Wynn's pool during some basketball games and having some beers. We also had a couple of great meals at a steak house at Cosmo and then some Italian place. It was really a lot of fun. I guess what made it so special was seeing my Uncle, who is also my Godfather, with his friends. They are all businessmen or in real estate, and it was cool to see them unwind. I think they go every year. I did get a little too drunk at times, so I kind of regretted that, but overall, I think we had a good time. I can be a bit of a shit show, but I think, if you're going to let loose, Vegas is definitely a place where that is allowed. One of my Uncle's buddies even asked to hit my joint while we were walking down the strip, which I got a kick out of." +"So, I haven't seen my Uncle in quite a while since he moved to Las Vegas. I was really missing him, so I decided to plan a trip there 4 months ago during March Madness. We used to watch a lot of games together when I was younger, so I thought this would be the perfect time to go see him. he was so excited when I called to tell him I booked my flight that I could barely get him off the phone. I got there on a Monday and planned on staying until Sunday. He insisted I stay with him and his wife and kids instead of paying for a hotel, and I could not argue with that. Plus, he said his wife and kids were going to visit her mom for a few days while I'd be there, so we'd have the house to invite some people over. The week was a blast. I'm so used to being around him with his family that I almost forgot how much fun he used to be before he got remarried. We went to the games, hung out at sports bars, ate like kings are some fantastic restaurants, including a few hidden gems only frequented by the locals. We also did some gambling. But, I think my favorite part was him inviting some of his buddies over and seeing him relax and have fun with his friends. What can be better than male bonding over sports, right? Plus, I had forgotten how great he was with the grill. I'm really glad I went. I wasn't sure if I should take the time off work, but I'm really happy that I did. I definitely had a great time and brought home some unforgettable memories." +"I recently graduated college after going back as an adult. I took online classes while I worked and it took me about two years to finish. I felt like I had made great sacrifices while I was in classes, missing family events, suffering financial burden, and being generally over worked. It all paid off though when I finally got my degree. I took on a lot of student debt but feel it was worth it. Not only do I have my degree now, which gives me personal satisfaction, I also am able to get a better job. I had a small celebration with family after I graduated. My mom gave me a very generous gift which helped with student loans. I was really surprised since I am older now and have kids of my own. I really wasn't expecting any gifts. I was very proud though and pleased with the gift. It helps relieve some of the student debt I incurred. My wife also returned to school around the same time I did. She graduated as well and we both have felt very positive about completing the goal. I am so glad I decided to go back to school. This has been one of the most exciting things that I have done as an adult." +"I finally graduated college. After trying more than once! You see I dropped out when I was younger, because of certain reasons, and now I went back to try to get my degree when I'm older now. But the good news is that I finally managed to graduate on my second try. Not too bad, I'll say so myself. It actually took me around 2 years to finish it, and let me tell you how hard it was to do so. The courses was hard. The teacher weren't that great. I basically had to do everything myself. But the good news is that I managed to do it and graduate with a smile on my face. I even got a financial gift from my mom when I did! That really did helped me out. I love you mom! Thanks for the help. I don't know what I would've done if I didn't get the help that I got." +"i am a surgeon. i perform operations. i believe in saving life .i want to be part of the solutions not the problem. so i became a surgeon and transferred to a teaching hospital. my boss at the hospital just hated me with passion. for no reason i felt so sad. i wanted been part of the solution but my professor in charge was against me in all way. but i was not prefered by himdespite i knew what i was doing in this field of endeavour. but he never wanted to believe me in any way. he always send me out of the operation room. i always watch from the stand just because of the hate he had for me. i corrected an on going operation some day and i was right with my corrections but yet,he hated me the more. this event makes me feel so bad and down,i felt useless,i felts hated,i felt unuseful. i feel so sad. he just don't want me in this field .but i know what i was doing [perfectly well. i know i am going to be a good surgeon and i will keep on pushing to attain my goal towards my dreams." +"I have a friend who has been dealing with depression for the last few months. I've known him since middle school and we have always been very close. He has supported me through many dark times in my life and has always been a source of positive energy. He has had to deal with a series of unfortunate events recently such as his father suddenly passing away and breaking up with his girlfriend of 4 years. About a month ago he called me in the middle of the night and told me that he was planning on taking his own life. When I arrived at his place he was just sitting in the dark in his living room with a pistol on the table. It really surprised me because my friend had never touched a gun before in his life. It was heartbreaking to see someone who has done so much for me in so much pain, knowing that there was little I could do to fix the situation. There were times during that evening where I felt helpless and that nothing I was saying was making it through to him. I even got upset myself because I felt that he wasn't willing to listen to me despite our relationship and decades of friendship. That was a very taxing evening and there were moments where our friendship felt extremely strained but I knew I couldn't just abandon him when he was at his lowest. I spent the entire night trying to talk him out of it and eventually succeeded but knew that I had to do more. The next day I convinced him to look into therapy and even considered having him temporarily committed to protect him from harming himself but ultimately decided that something like that would probably ruin our friendship for good, despite it being done with the best intentions. Fortunately my friend responded to therapy and medication very well and has made a lot of progress dealing with his mental issues. I still worry about him but at least I know that he is slowly improving. There are times where I think back to that night and am honestly surprised that I wasn't the least bit afraid of being there that night with my friend despite the tense situation and the dangerous weapon." +"My grandmother passed away late this summer. Her health had been in decline for years so while it wasn't unexpected it was still difficult. After she lost the ability to walk to diabetes we moved her to a nearby nursing home that specialized in employing caretakers that spoke our native language. There weren't many choices and my father worked hard to get her into this particular one which was highly regarded in the community. We visited her at least once and often two or three times a week to bring her meals to help her adjust. Unfortunately she never quite adjusted to the loss of freedom and autonomy. This went on for about four years and despite how routine it was every visit was different. Sometimes she'd have conflicts with other residents and sometimes with nurses and caretakers. She changed rooms five times during her stay which I believe was more than anyone else has. Every attempt to make things better seemed to have made some things worse. I simultaneously feared going back every week and got terribly anxious being away. Probably the biggest challenge was getting her to eat enough. She hated the food so we tried to bring her home cooked meals as often as we could but this only made her dislike the nursing home's food even more. We kept her fridge fully stocked at all times but because she hated the nursing home food so much she felt the need to save food from home for a later time. Early this year after a particularly bad illness she stopped eating altogether and had to be forced. She passed away a few months after that. She was hospitalized to find the issue and when they found cancer in her liver they determined that there was nothing they could do. We visited more often for a few weeks before that and we were with her when she passed. It shocked me how quickly everyone expected to act. The funeral was arranged within the next half hour and the nursing home pressed us to clean out the room. The wake and funeral came quick and everyone in our small family that didn't seem to care much until now seemed to care a lot. My grandmother's sister brought many strangers from her church, and the majority of people who attended were strangers. I'm still not sure how to feel about the whole ordeal. It's been an exhausting four years." +"My family and I were going to my sister in law's wedding. My husband sat on the one side because he was in the wedding ""unofficially"" and my daughter was one of the flower girls. During the ceremony, my son, who has autism, was being happy, making noise, being loud, but he also wanted to get down. My husband had him at the time. He happened to be sitting right behind the groom's father and step mother. My husband was trying to keep him entertained and get him to be quiet, but he's little so he didn't understand. The father and his wife kept giving side eye glances to my husband and son because they were annoyed. I tried to avoid the camera and go around to get my son because they were getting upset that they couldn't hear. I took my son to the back of the ceremony area where he couldn't annoy them anymore. He kept making noise and wanted to run around because he just didn't understand. I ended up missing a lot of the ceremony because I was busy entertaining my son and making sure he didn't run into the ceremony where they were filming. I guess I was surprised that someone could get that upset about a little boy making noise. He wasn't even crying, he was just having a good time. I was hurt that they could treat my son that way and that someone thought of him as an annoyance. I just felt bad for my child." +"My family and I were going to my sister in law's wedding. My husband sat on the one side because he was in the wedding ""unofficially"" and my daughter was one of the flower girls. During the ceremony, my son, who has autism, was being happy, making noise, being loud, but he also wanted to get down. My husband had him at the time. He happened to be sitting right behind the groom's father and step mother. My husband was trying to keep him entertained and get him to be quiet, but he's little so he didn't understand. The father and his wife kept giving side eye glances to my husband and son because they were annoyed. I tried to avoid the camera and go around to get my son because they were getting upset that they couldn't hear. I took my son to the back of the ceremony area where he couldn't annoy them anymore. He kept making noise and wanted to run around because he just didn't understand. I ended up missing a lot of the ceremony because I was busy entertaining my son and making sure he didn't run into the ceremony where they were filming. I guess I was surprised that someone could get that upset about a little boy making noise. He wasn't even crying, he was just having a good time. I was hurt that they could treat my son that way and that someone thought of him as an annoyance. I just felt bad for my child." +"About a year ago, I considered leaving my current job as a part time banker. However, after much consideration, I decided to stay. About three months ago, my direct manager reprimanded me in front of my entire office for something very petty. The incident led me to seriously consider leaving again, as she does have a habit of doing this to my team. I spoke about leaving my job with my husband for a month, I started my resignation letter, I started to look for other part time work, and created a pro/con list of why I should stay or leave. After weeks of tears, I finally decided to announce that I will be leaving. It took my manager by surprise. I was heartbroken because I love my job and the people I serve on a day to day basis. My manager asked me to stay for one more quarter, and as I continue working, day by day, I keep getting affirmations on my decision. I also wanted to leave on good terms, and continue to serve my Members well. In the last few weeks, I've received many compliments and awards at work. I was even recognized with a Challenge Coin from the local Police Department because I prevented someone from getting scammed. I also kept reading articles that reminded me it's OK to temporarily leave the work force. My Mother, however, was not very supportive. She called me weak for wanting to leave and be a stay at home parent. My Mother-in-Law is excited for me and is happy that I'll be able to spend more time serving my family." +i went to a wedding of a close friend but someone that i hadn't seen in a couple years. i got to cathc up with a ton of people i haven't seen in awhile. the close friends name was sarah and we went to college together. it's been about 5 yeras since i have actually talked to her and seen her. it was good to get to know her new husband and also a lot of the other girls that i haven't seen in awhile and meet their boyfriends or husbands also. many have we changed since then. we all have our careers some are moms and some are still doing the stuff we did in college and unable to relaly settle down. we promised we would keep in touch more often. i have a feeling that might not happen though. All of us girls were so close in college we were in the same sorority we cheered together and we truely were best friends. it makes me sad to think how we got so far from each other when we use to be so close. The one friend christy has 2 kids that i have never even seen before. i have to say facebook lets me know what they are doing but it's stilln ot the same. nora has 2 kids a lawyer and an amazing husband. how did we go from being best friends to barely even knowing each other. +i went to a wedding of a close friend but someone that i hadn't seen in a couple years. i got to cathc up with a ton of people i haven't seen in awhile. the close friends name was sarah and we went to college together. it's been about 5 yeras since i have actually talked to her and seen her. it was good to get to know her new husband and also a lot of the other girls that i haven't seen in awhile and meet their boyfriends or husbands also. many have we changed since then. we all have our careers some are moms and some are still doing the stuff we did in college and unable to relaly settle down. we promised we would keep in touch more often. i have a feeling that might not happen though. All of us girls were so close in college we were in the same sorority we cheered together and we truely were best friends. it makes me sad to think how we got so far from each other when we use to be so close. The one friend christy has 2 kids that i have never even seen before. i have to say facebook lets me know what they are doing but it's stilln ot the same. nora has 2 kids a lawyer and an amazing husband. how did we go from being best friends to barely even knowing each other. +The story is about Losing my Grandfather. The most memorable event is I can spend some time with him in the days before he died. When he unexpectedly died I was not there. This event is happened three months ago. I felt very sad on that time. I don't know why my grandfather died. But I wish I had great time my grandfather. I love my grandfather more than my father. On that time I also had examination in college. So I could not be with grandfather. If there is no exam in my college. I am surely might not leave my grandfather. My grandfather is very proud of me. He also cares me. He will call me if any problem occurs. This is happened three months ago. +"While I have mostly come to terms with my living with my mother, it is still weird at times. My brother recenly came to visit and it was an odd dynamic for him to visit and stay with our mother while I am a permanent resident of her place. It felt a little ackward. He is coming from out of state where he is happily living his life and visiting me, who felt like he needed to move in with our mother for her sake. He never said anything derogatory or tried to make me feel bad for living with her, but I felt it anyway. I know it was all in my head, but I just kind of felt like the loser that is living with mom. He stayed for a long weekend. We would hang our around the house and go out to eat a lot. We would watch movies at home and play Scrabble. He fixed a few things around the house, because he is good at that sort of thing. The visit was fun and it was good to see him, it just reminded me of the status of my life and how I am sort of tied down to my mother. It is all my choosing and I think my brother is glad I am here, but I still feel jealous of his freedom and that's probably where a lot of the negativity that I feel stems from. Even though I had the negative feelings while he was out here, I just pushed those to the side when he was here and acted like all was well. I love my brother and his coming out meant a lot to both my mother and myself. I know he will always be there for me when I need him, but right now I am concentrating on being there for my mother." +"While I have mostly come to terms with my living with my mother, it is still weird at times. My brother recenly came to visit and it was an odd dynamic for him to visit and stay with our mother while I am a permanent resident of her place. It felt a little ackward. He is coming from out of state where he is happily living his life and visiting me, who felt like he needed to move in with our mother for her sake. He never said anything derogatory or tried to make me feel bad for living with her, but I felt it anyway. I know it was all in my head, but I just kind of felt like the loser that is living with mom. He stayed for a long weekend. We would hang our around the house and go out to eat a lot. We would watch movies at home and play Scrabble. He fixed a few things around the house, because he is good at that sort of thing. The visit was fun and it was good to see him, it just reminded me of the status of my life and how I am sort of tied down to my mother. It is all my choosing and I think my brother is glad I am here, but I still feel jealous of his freedom and that's probably where a lot of the negativity that I feel stems from. Even though I had the negative feelings while he was out here, I just pushed those to the side when he was here and acted like all was well. I love my brother and his coming out meant a lot to both my mother and myself. I know he will always be there for me when I need him, but right now I am concentrating on being there for my mother." +"My very favorite cat got very sick. We had to put her to sleep. I loved her very much and I miss her now. I think of her every day. We buried her by the river in a beautiful place. I have told my family that I want my ashes to be placed near her when I die. Oddly, I almost look forward to it. It is very comforting to think of resting near her. She was a very good friend. She followed me from room to room and often slept on my head while I slept. Sometimes she slept with her cheek against mine. She was extraordinarily beautiful with a long face and very long slender legs. Her feet were very small. I think she was a special breed and a little wild. She walked like a tiger." +"We traveled to visit my brother in another state. There was a family fishing contest and we decided to go. My children went fishing for the first time with us. My brother and I taught them how to cast their lines, bait a hook, and watch for bites. We spent the afternoon at this contest at a private fishing lake out in the countryside. My kids are suburban kids and not used to being out in nature, so this was a new and fun experience for them. I grew up in the country so it was incredibly rewarding to see them enjoying something like that. Within being there just a few minutes, my son caught his very first fish! He was so excited. We helped him reel it in and hold it up for pictures. The other kids all gathered around and touched the fish. They helped toss it back into the water. Not long after, my eldest daughter caught her first fish. We didn't win the contest, we were just there for fun. However, it was just a really great experience to share with my kids." +"So I had lost my job a few months back. I was trying to find work but I just never could. I had to start living on savings. I lived on saving for about 3 months. Still unable to find more than a few odd jobs, I could no longer pay my rent. Because of this my landlord started an eviction process. Unfortunately this turned into a fiasco that I'll never forget. He went completely insane. My landlord started beating on my door threatening to kick it down and to attack me physically. This was way outside of the normal legal process of eviction. We eventually had an altercation and I had to call the police on him. They arrested him and I continued to live in the residence until he got out of jail about a month later. After he got out he started the formal eviction process. By that time luckily I had found work and just decided to leave ASAP and find another place to live. I'll never forget how shocked I was that he would lose his mind so much that he was going to physically attack me." +"I was in a strange part of my life. I didn't see what was coming to me. I was working a dead end job and was forced to live in an apartment in the shady part of town. This lasted about 6 months. Most of the time it was fine, but one day my landlord started acting strange. We had a deal where I was just paying him rent in cash. It was a little strange, but my choices were limited and him and I were both fine. He didn't appear to be a crackhead but I heard rumors among the complex. One day he just snapped. The first was when my rent was usually due. I went to his office like normal. When giving him the cash, he stood up, silent. Then he started berating and yelling at me. I was genuinely confused and started to leave. That's when he threw a punch at me. I was able to avoid it. I quickly started looking for another place to live and my cousin let me stay on his couch about a week while I was able to do that. I'm glad I got out of there." +"Two weeks ago, something tragic happened in the family. My great uncle got hit with a car. The person who hit my great uncle was my great, great uncle. My great uncle fell into a coma because of this. He luckily came out of the coma. The great, great uncle felt really bad and bought my great uncle a new car. The great uncle forgave him. They are still in good terms. The rest of the family was in shock. My mother scolded my great uncle. My father nearly punched my great uncle. My sister hugged my great, great uncle. My brother gave my great uncle the bird. The dog barked at the great uncle. We eventually forgave the great uncle." +"I had always been incredibly hard on myself. I thought I would suffer now and embrace the fruits of my labor later on. I also didn't have the best upbringing, though I had no doubt that I was loved. It was just hard for me to ever put myself first and it's a lesson that I still struggle with. That being said, things came to a boil in May of 2019. I had finally graduated the college I had been slogging over for the past four years. Trials and tribulations were a common occurrence. It was hard to have a social, personal, or just a fun life. My nose was always in some kind of book, and not even a lot of interesting ones. Finally, in May I had seen the things that I wanted to come to fruition happen. It was hard to be praised but I let it happen. As my name was called to walk down the aisle, I heard shouting from certainly my family, who had shown up for me. It was a moment that the loans that I pay now can't put a price on. It's a memorable day. I still get chills thinking about it." +"Recently--was planning on it being more temporary than it ended up being--moved across the country. I nearly immediately got a job, had an apartment, was doing pretty alright. Ended up losing my apartment and did not particularly know what to do. Luckily, a friend lived in the area and I started staying with them. It was difficult to get to work. One day, the car got a flat and I was not able to get to work. I did not / could not be too much of an imposition, so this was a major loss for me. I ended up developing an infatuation with my friend's roommate, but was unsure how long things would last seeing as he was moving out of the area fairly soon. After he left, I soon had to leave too. I would help out, was not getting paid and really had no place to go. I slept in my car for a while, which was fairly terrifying. I would go on walks among the redwoods in the morning, work during the day and hang out with friends in the area. Everything was alright, but fairly terrifying and full of doubt and mystery. I eventually ended up moving in with my beau, and am hoping to get even more on my feet. It's a slow process, but I built my skills this year to bring in success this year." +"I never thought I'd be in this situation, but about five months ago I found myself homeless. I'd been living paycheck to paycheck, and despite all the Dave Ramsey videos I've seen, I never put away any money for an emergency. When my dog got sick, I ended up spending about $5,000 at the vet. When rent came due, I asked my landlord to work with me, but he was a jerk about it and kicked us out. That is when I found out what a true friend is. I ran into an old highschool friend Mary and her boyfriend. They offered me a spare room that was connected to their garage. It's not half bad. My dog and I have our own space, and my friend isn't charging us rent. Now I have a chance to save up some money and get that emergency fund going! I don't plan on finding myself in this position again. I do know that no matter what happens in life, Mary will always be a friend of mine. I'm pretty sure Red, my dog, feels the same way. By the way, he isn't sick anymore. It ended up he had a tumor, but it's been removed and he's doing great." +"So a week ago I finally got my visa to go to Australia! It was such a long journey, but really this is just the beginning. After my husband moved to America and we went through that whole ordeal of getting his green card I knew it what it would be like getting my visa, I'm glad that's finally over. Eleven long months of applications and waiting to finally get my visa, but it was worth the wait. I can't believe that we're actually moving to Australia. I know it seems weird that my husband would move to America, just for us to both move over to Australia a year later. Honestly it just seems like the whole situation will be better once we get over there as long as we don't get burned up by the fires, lol. We began shopping for houses a few weeks ago when we felt like my visa would be approved, but we're still not quite sure where we're going to move to exactly. I think somewhere along the east coast, because I'm pretty sure there's not much else west of that. Speaking of learning I might need to get a book or something. I don't even know what kind of money they use, and I just realized I'll have to learn to drive on the other side of the car and the other side of the road. This whole move seems like a daunting task but I know it'll be worth it. Even the kids are excited to go. They think they'll get to have a crocodile as a pet! Not sure how I'm gonna let them down on that one, but they'll have a lot better experience growing up there. Anyway, this is really just the beginning of a big new chapter in our lives." +"So a week ago I finally got my visa to go to Australia! It was such a long journey, but really this is just the beginning. After my husband moved to America and we went through that whole ordeal of getting his green card I knew it what it would be like getting my visa, I'm glad that's finally over. Eleven long months of applications and waiting to finally get my visa, but it was worth the wait. I can't believe that we're actually moving to Australia. I know it seems weird that my husband would move to America, just for us to both move over to Australia a year later. Honestly it just seems like the whole situation will be better once we get over there as long as we don't get burned up by the fires, lol. We began shopping for houses a few weeks ago when we felt like my visa would be approved, but we're still not quite sure where we're going to move to exactly. I think somewhere along the east coast, because I'm pretty sure there's not much else west of that. Speaking of learning I might need to get a book or something. I don't even know what kind of money they use, and I just realized I'll have to learn to drive on the other side of the car and the other side of the road. This whole move seems like a daunting task but I know it'll be worth it. Even the kids are excited to go. They think they'll get to have a crocodile as a pet! Not sure how I'm gonna let them down on that one, but they'll have a lot better experience growing up there. Anyway, this is really just the beginning of a big new chapter in our lives." +"Over a year ago I started having pains in my knee. Not like oh my knee is sore pain, but ouch I don't know if I can walk pain. I tried to tough it out for a few days but it was no use, I had to have it looked at. Getting in to see the doctor was the usual trouble, call to book an appointment, nothing open for a while but finally I did. After a brief examination the diagnosis was clear: I had a knee injury and would need surgery. After a few more doctor visits for examinations, meeting the surgeon, discussing the procedure, the day finally came for the surgery. I went in for knee surgery in January. After being admitted and put in a gown and bed, the last meeting with the doctors took place. At the end of it the anesthesiologist asked a series of questions just as final confirmation. ""Are you allergic to any medications?"" No I replied. ""Do you have sleep apnea or any breathing disorders."" No I don't I said, thinking that I had already wrote this all in a questionnaire. ""Is there any possibility that you could be pregnant?"" No I am not pregnant I said. ""This is very important though, is there ANY possibility that you could be pregnant?"" Hmm I thought. I didn't feel pregnant, but then again I had never been before, how would I know? So I said ""yes, it's possible I suppose, what does that mean?"" I'll tell you what it means. It means that your knee surgery gets postponed while they administer a pregnancy test. It means they have to do a second test, and then a third one to confirm. It means I went for a simple surgery and instead found out I was 5 months pregnant. It turns out that they couldn't do the surgery when I was pregnant, the danger to the fetus was too great. My surgery was cancelled. After a closer examination of my knee they decided the problem with my knee could wait a few months for surgery, or may even resolve on its own with physiotherapy. But there was one complication of my knee problem that none of us ever expected: I gave birth to my son in May." +"my friend marriage function :Just before one year my friend got married . he invited everyone of us . me and my friends went to that function with lot's of excitement . the celebration started well And a party went pretty good .It slightly started with a beer and some meats . we dance together with rock and pop and finally everything was a beautiful there. then we sing together and played some games including rap songs .we take some tools like guitar , balls. there is a swimming pool we just swim. we just started to strip our clothes .we ended with bikini. then finally we got some sex partners to enjoy that whole nightwe got sex with our partners. we had sex. we had it. we had it. we had it. we had it .we enjoyed it. we do it again. the whole night we fucked a lot. we enjoyed a lot. we enjoyed a lot .we done a lot .we had sex. we had sex. we had sex." +"Six months ago, I realized I should be grateful. The daily grind can get to you and make you hateful. I thanked in my mind many people that helped me in my life. I thanked my mom for being loving and supportive with my ventures and forgiving my mistakes. I thanked my dad for making me tough and teaching my life skills on how to succeed. I thanked my brother on how to stand up to bullies in the world. I thanked my grandma for her support. I thanked my grandfather for his wisdom. I thanked my dog for helping me out in the bad days. I am very grateful to all of these people. I am grateful for people who make good food. I am thankful to the people who made great shows. This has helped me in life. It has made me have smiles. I hope my life will get better." +"Six months ago, I realized I should be grateful. The daily grind can get to you and make you hateful. I thanked in my mind many people that helped me in my life. I thanked my mom for being loving and supportive with my ventures and forgiving my mistakes. I thanked my dad for making me tough and teaching my life skills on how to succeed. I thanked my brother on how to stand up to bullies in the world. I thanked my grandma for her support. I thanked my grandfather for his wisdom. I thanked my dog for helping me out in the bad days. I am very grateful to all of these people. I am grateful for people who make good food. I am thankful to the people who made great shows. This has helped me in life. It has made me have smiles. I hope my life will get better." +"Six months ago, I realized I should be grateful. The daily grind can get to you and make you hateful. I thanked in my mind many people that helped me in my life. I thanked my mom for being loving and supportive with my ventures and forgiving my mistakes. I thanked my dad for making me tough and teaching my life skills on how to succeed. I thanked my brother on how to stand up to bullies in the world. I thanked my grandma for her support. I thanked my grandfather for his wisdom. I thanked my dog for helping me out in the bad days. I am very grateful to all of these people. I am grateful for people who make good food. I am thankful to the people who made great shows. This has helped me in life. It has made me have smiles. I hope my life will get better." +"Six months ago, I realized I should be grateful. The daily grind can get to you and make you hateful. I thanked in my mind many people that helped me in my life. I thanked my mom for being loving and supportive with my ventures and forgiving my mistakes. I thanked my dad for making me tough and teaching my life skills on how to succeed. I thanked my brother on how to stand up to bullies in the world. I thanked my grandma for her support. I thanked my grandfather for his wisdom. I thanked my dog for helping me out in the bad days. I am very grateful to all of these people. I am grateful for people who make good food. I am thankful to the people who made great shows. This has helped me in life. It has made me have smiles. I hope my life will get better." +"my friend marriage function :Just before one year my friend got married . he invited everyone of us . me and my friends went to that function with lot's of excitement . the celebration started well And a party went pretty good .It slightly started with a beer and some meats . we dance together with rock and pop and finally everything was a beautiful there. then we sing together and played some games including rap songs .we take some tools like guitar , balls. there is a swimming pool we just swim. we just started to strip our clothes .we ended with bikini. then finally we got some sex partners to enjoy that whole nightwe got sex with our partners. we had sex. we had it. we had it. we had it. we had it .we enjoyed it. we do it again. the whole night we fucked a lot. we enjoyed a lot. we enjoyed a lot .we done a lot .we had sex. we had sex. we had sex." +"Six months ago, I realized I should be grateful. The daily grind can get to you and make you hateful. I thanked in my mind many people that helped me in my life. I thanked my mom for being loving and supportive with my ventures and forgiving my mistakes. I thanked my dad for making me tough and teaching my life skills on how to succeed. I thanked my brother on how to stand up to bullies in the world. I thanked my grandma for her support. I thanked my grandfather for his wisdom. I thanked my dog for helping me out in the bad days. I am very grateful to all of these people. I am grateful for people who make good food. I am thankful to the people who made great shows. This has helped me in life. It has made me have smiles. I hope my life will get better." +"Six months ago, I realized I should be grateful. The daily grind can get to you and make you hateful. I thanked in my mind many people that helped me in my life. I thanked my mom for being loving and supportive with my ventures and forgiving my mistakes. I thanked my dad for making me tough and teaching my life skills on how to succeed. I thanked my brother on how to stand up to bullies in the world. I thanked my grandma for her support. I thanked my grandfather for his wisdom. I thanked my dog for helping me out in the bad days. I am very grateful to all of these people. I am grateful for people who make good food. I am thankful to the people who made great shows. This has helped me in life. It has made me have smiles. I hope my life will get better." +"Six months ago, I realized I should be grateful. The daily grind can get to you and make you hateful. I thanked in my mind many people that helped me in my life. I thanked my mom for being loving and supportive with my ventures and forgiving my mistakes. I thanked my dad for making me tough and teaching my life skills on how to succeed. I thanked my brother on how to stand up to bullies in the world. I thanked my grandma for her support. I thanked my grandfather for his wisdom. I thanked my dog for helping me out in the bad days. I am very grateful to all of these people. I am grateful for people who make good food. I am thankful to the people who made great shows. This has helped me in life. It has made me have smiles. I hope my life will get better." +It was our first ever family reunion and it was really cool. We weren't able to really do this before besides random holiday meet ups sporadically so it really was a nice change of pace. We got to really spend some time together that wasn't rushed and catch up on at least a decade worth of misc stuff. It was surprising how much fun it was because I always had memories of being bored out of my mind. I guess when you're a kid/teen you would rather be doing other stuff but now that I'm an adult I understood the value of it. I wish I could go back in time and tell myself not to squander these moments as we never know if they will be the last. Some of my family had passed away in the time frame from when we last met up for the holidays and the reunion so I won't ever get to spend time with them again and that sucks. It was really good to see my aunt and uncle again as they are the most similar to myself with our love for technology and in general relaxed personalities. I wish I had connected with them much sooner but when my parents divorced people kind of took sides and it was hard to reach over the divide. I won't make that mistake again I want to keep these relationships going so we did promise to keep in weekly or bi weekly contact. We are all in general bad at communication so hopefully we can keep this up and I will try to take control of it being the youngest. I guess personally I am at fault for the divide when it comes to this family. I should've been the one to really reconnect us years ago but I was just generally absorbed in the grind of life and my immediate friends/family that I didn't try. I will look at my relationships with my distant family and friends more so we stay more connected. It was great to write about this again because I feel like this is a different view from the last time since I have been chatting with my family more since the last time I did this. +We had a family reunion about 4 months ago that was a really great time. I got to see my distant family that I hadn't seen in decades since I was a kid and close ones that I rarely see. It was cool to see my grandpa because It's honestly been at least 25 years and since he is handicap it's hard for him to get around. He also lives on the opposite coast so it is just hard to meet up. He was looking in pretty good health about the same as when he left so that was good to see considering all the time that has passed. My grandma was there too I had my issues in the past with her but it was still nice to see her. She treated my mom poorly so we don't talk much but I put aside my issues just for this small time period to make the gathering go smooth. I got to see my favorite aunt and uncle who both shared similar passions to me with computers and tech stuff and it's been like 20 years since I saw them so that was sweet. Basically they are the same as I remember just older but they are just as into tech stuff as they were back then. I remember I would bring my GameBoy or old PC games over to their house and they would know about them or have them themselves. Just really good memories honesty that I was happy to remember with how stressful life has been. Finally I got to just catch up with some other family members like my cousins and some others who I didn't remember as well cause I was so young back then. This might have been the last time a lot of us get to meet because we all live so far apart and aren't exactly wealthy so we tried to make the most of it. We took a lot of pictures and overall had a great time and we pledged to try and talk over the phone/webcam more often. I hope everyone gets to meet up with their family at some point because in the end it's all that you have and you don't want to waste that. +"I have a good solving skill in my work place. Having a good creative skills in designing software. Though this is the production company where we use some of the 3D modelling software. I'm the junior among all the staff members and have a good name in working skills. So there started more jealous on me among my seniors. At that time a challenging obstacle came to me, which was created by my seniors in my work place. The problem was to solve the query of the customer end, which was done by one of my seniors and they showed their hand on me. So, here I have to face it. I thought that respecting seniors is the best way to overcome a situation and so suddenly I called upon my college professors to ask for doubts to solve it curiously. They helped me in many ways, as I respect them till now. And finally I solved the problem in a meeting arranged by my Employer, whom he was wondered to see me, solving the queries of the customer end. That leads me in good direction. My Employer came forward and promote me to a higher position. All the seniors present there were shocked to me see me in that particular situation. Even thought they are jealous on me, they appreciated me in the success." +"When I was in my workplace, there is no one to teach me how to overcome such problems in my company. This is the most challenging obstacle for me in that situation. But, I tried myself with the help of my college professors and my friends. And I stood against all my seniors in that challenging obstacle. That was the first experience to face a problem in my work place and finally I came to an solution to solve such kind of problems. Although at the time, my company CEO call me upon for a meeting which is an important meeting to discuss about the new products and signing an agreement of a company. This becomes my greatest achievement because of my hard work from my own capability do anything that a fresher can! I proved this and hence I'm the very younger person came to attend this meeting. In life, a person has to learn that he/she must be ready to do anything that is difficult in today's society, also should know that no one will help them for anything that they know even it is very simple to solve. The world is full of jealous about other peoples what they are doing in their life. As I learnt was to struggle in the bad situations to achieve the things to be better than the worse. After this incident my seniors of the company appreciate for my effort without knowledge of them and achieved a great success in my life. This is my most memorable, sweetest memory that happened before 2 months. Also I will never forget this memory till the rest of my life. So, if we don't have a place to learn, we should make a place to learn." +"every time our band gets together there is always drama. We have been together for 10 years as we met in college, but ever since then most of us have gone stable with a 9-5. This is true for everyone except rebecca. Rebecca graduated in our class, but decided to go full anarchy mode and always talk about the man and how were all cogs in the machine. She blogs as a profession however really doesnt make anything more than rent money from it. She also has no filter and doesnt seem to care about our group any more outside of just having something to do. However about 2 months ago we saw a shift. Troy sat down with her and really started asking her questions. Like what her passions were and what she wanted out of life. She admit that she was a bit lost and the idea of a stable job is just overwhelming and thats why she harps on everyone else. It was really cool to see her open up as we all thought she was just stuck in a rebellious phase. Troy had an opening at his company for some manual work and offered to get her set up with an interview. She said she would consider it but was a bit apprehensive. From going to staying at home all day to 8 hours in a warehouse seemed a bit of an abrupt change. overall we gained more respect for troy and rebecca that night." +"It was quite a long drive but I was finally glad to pull into my uncle's massive driveway on a brisk Friday night. I instantly saw dozens of cars, some of which I recognized and others that I could not place. Regardless, it was clear that our big reunion was already underway. If the lines of cars didn't give it away, then it was the smell of burgers, brats, and hot dogs coming from a nearby grill, where my uncle held court. After setting up my tent and then making small talk with numerous groups of relatives that I had not seen in a while, I walked over to the food tables and grabbed myself something to eat. Before I could even grab the bun for my burger, my closest cousin tapped me on the shoulder and handed me an ice cold beer. Obviously he knew I love IPAs, and this was a local brew from near his house which I had never tried before. After quickly scarfing down the burger and talking with my cousin for a few minutes, we both walked over the to massive bonfire on the front lawn. There must have been 20 relatives already sitting around it, with maybe six or seven different conversations all flowing simultaneously. In many ways it was nostalgic, and I instantly felt at ease around so many of my family and friends. Throughout the night I made a handful more trips to the food table for random snacks and probably more than a handful of trips to the beer coolers. Eventually some of the chairs that housed relatives became empty as we sat by the fire telling stories and remembering great times from the past, and before I knew it I was one of just four cousins left awake when the fire started to finally die out. We knew that our grandma's homemade donuts would be ready for us bright and early in the morning, so we agreed to call it a night and retreat to our tents. The next morning, as expected, we were treated to a glorious spread of fresh donuts decorated in just about every variety possible. Though I was unable to stay a second night due to work obligations, I was thrilled with my short time with my family for our yearly get-together. It's rare to have a group of people so care-free and fun to be around, and I will always cherish the time we have been able to spend together each year for this special event." +"Six weeks ago, I got the best news! Because of my hard work and diligence, I was getting a promotion. I honestly wasn't expecting it, because I had been under a lot of pressure at home. My mother became sick, and moved in with our family. At the same time, I discovered my husband was having an affair. He announced he wanted a divorce. I thought that I might just break down and crack. Instead, I put my best efforts into my job. I'm so excited that it paid off. My boss said that he was impressed with everything I've done. I just started my new role as a Senior Developer. I love my new team and my new coworkers. I'm looking forward to a great future here. I'm glad that I'll also have more resources to take care of my mother. My husband can enjoy his new life of poverty without my nice paycheck." +"There were many events happening in my life. No matter they weregood or bad, they all were impressive in my memory. The mostmemorable event in my life is the trip I took to Japan and stayed there forone month in last summer vacation. I went there to study and travel. Andthat was the first time I went abroad by myself without the company of myfamily or friends. I went to Tokyo that was located in the middle of Japan. It is a big city in Japan with a large population and a convenient publictransportation system. There are many convenient JR lines for people totake. That is the reason why Japanese don't ride motorcycles. Theenvironment also benefits from it. A car accident of which I was the victim occurred last year at a roadjunction. One day, I was riding my motorcycle to buy some food. When Iwas waiting for crossing the street intersection, a car rushed by a red lightand crashed into the ass end of my motorcycle. We had a fender bender. Although it was not a serious accident, I had the jitters because I wasshot out of my motorcycle. If I didn’t wear a hard helmet, I could have hadmy head smashed in that position. Fortunately, I just suffered only a minorconcussion and slight abrasion on my right knee and back. However, I was very angry at the driver because he tried to hit and run. Luckily, someone helped me on my feet and asked me, “Did youremember the plate number of the hit and run car? Did you need anambulance?” I shook my head. I scolded in my mind and reflected, “Whydidn’t the driver observe the rules? Every one should observe the trafficregulations!”Finally, I just had to live with my bad luck and went home. Fortune ofthe misfortune was that I didn't get heavy hurt. Nonetheless, the accidenttaught me a lesson that wearing a safety helmet is very important. I thinkthe car accident is an unforgettable experience in my life.." +I was preparing myself once i got out of high school. i submitted applications to colleges. i visited a few colleges. one college that i visited in the summer turned out to be my favorite. i kept checking my mail for letters from the colleges. finally one day i opened the letter and i got a surprising offer from the favorite college i visited. I was so happy. i told everyone that i was going to that college. The next week i had some more mail in my mailbox. i ended up getting another acceptance letter. it turned out to be an even better deal. i decided to go to the college with the better deal. i was beyond excited. i couldn't wait to further my education. I can't wait to find my dream career. +I was preparing myself once i got out of high school. i submitted applications to colleges. i visited a few colleges. one college that i visited in the summer turned out to be my favorite. i kept checking my mail for letters from the colleges. finally one day i opened the letter and i got a surprising offer from the favorite college i visited. I was so happy. i told everyone that i was going to that college. The next week i had some more mail in my mailbox. i ended up getting another acceptance letter. it turned out to be an even better deal. i decided to go to the college with the better deal. i was beyond excited. i couldn't wait to further my education. I can't wait to find my dream career. +"It looked like it was never going to be. When the time came, we all came together and celebrated the event. My friend Ben had dated his Fiancee, Dora for 6 years. They were now going to wed. Arrangements had been made and put in place. All the invitees had received their invitation cards and all was set for the big day. Every body was in the mood. All was set. Dora's parents were the happiest of all seeing their only daughter take a big step into happiness. She was to get married to the love of her life. They had waited long enough and Actually Dora had confirmed being 2 months pregnant. Ben was so happy knowing that a few months into marriage and he will be a father. Little did he know what was waiting for him on the day of the wedding. The day was finally here and and the grand exchange of vows was on going. When it came to Dora's time, the worst happened that will forever remain in my mind like it happened yesterday. Dora took to her heels running across the church leaving everyone flabbergasted. That was the last we heard of her. What we came to learn later on is that, her pregnancy was not Ben's but from her immediate Boss." +"I recently used Facebook to ask for financial assistance (and I got a small amount by doing this). I hated having to ask and I didn't want to but I did (twice) and both times was helped by different people (one family member and two friends). I certainly wasn't expecting the help but I was so happy to receive it! Thanks to the unexpected financial help I received I was able to get medication for myself and for my husband. I take care of my mother on the weekends and hate leaving my husband home alone. We have been unable to afford food at the end of every month for the past few months because, after my dad died last year, my rent shot up (over $200 a month). I have been tyring to have it lowered. My husband literally go to be hungry some nights. I definitely never expected anybody to respond so nicely to a facebook post. I only got one pseudo-mean comment in response to my request for help. The people who helped really moved me. My sister in law was one. Two of the others were friends but not super close friends. Part of the surprise was the people who replied. My sister in law has been the most helpful out of everybody. It is still a little embarrassing but great to know help is there! It also makes me happy to know that I can leave my husband alone on weekends and he will have food and medicine when I am not home." +"Two months ago I realized my family lies to me more regularly than I previously wanted to acknowledge. It was the first time my husband and I had been away from our twin sons since they were born. My mother was supposed to watch them and stay the night at our home. Her husband was to sleep elsewhere because he has various medical conditions that cause him to sweat an ungodly amount when he sleeps and we didn't want him to sleep in our new bed due to that. She agreed he would not be sleeping our bed multiple times in the weeks leading up to our mini vacation. We spent a wonderful night alone camping at a lake and enjoying ourselves without worrying about our children for the first time in two years. It was definitely a much need relaxing time for us both but when we arrived back home she acted as though everything had went according to plan but I soon realized that was not the case. Her husband had undoubtedly slept in our new bed thus staining the sheets and our mattress pad and they had both lied dead face to both my husband and I about the situation. It took a night of soaking and an hour of scrubbing to get the stains out, luckily it didn't soak through to our mattress. This is not the first she had lied to me and I know it won't be the last. The best thing I think I can do in this situation is try to limit exposure to her and her husband. This has a certain level of guilt that comes along with it but I know I'm preventing some major issues by doing so. It really makes me feel a certain kind of way to know that I cannot trust anyone in my family. I don't much care for that but it is what it is. I know one day none of this will matter but right now it definitely appears to." +"Several months ago myself along with several others flew to Oregon to backpack along the PCT, the Pacific Coast Trail. We had all just turned 18 and were looking for something to together before we all left for university. The PCT is over 2000 miles long stretching from Canada all the way to Mexico and takes at least 6 months to complete. Our goal was to complete the Oregon section and backpack all the way across Oregon into Washington in 3 weeks or less. We grossly underestimated our task. Our first challenge arose just minutes after landing in the small municipal airport 30 minutes from the trail head. We needed to find someone to drive us to the trail head before nightfall, which was quickly approaching. We found someone willing to take the 6 of us in a minivan the 30 minutes to the trail head. The unfortunate part was that our driver had no idea where the trail start was - and neither did we. He ended up dropping us off on a gravel road in the middle of nowhere, just an hour before sunset. What we had though was the start to the trail ended up being just a game trail. We were lost in a foreign state, in the middle of nowhere with no signal to use GPS, the sun setting behind us. So we picked a direction and started walking down the gravel road. Several miles later of the same landscape along with the now high moon lighting the road, we flagged down a passing truck, the first person we had seen in hours. We explained to him what we were doing and that we were lost, he told us to keep walking down the road and we will eventually find a sheriffs station who can help us out. He also made sure to remind us of the impossibility of our goal and that we should just go home. Later in the night, closer to 1 am we came across a group of rangers performing a search and rescue, we again explain our situation and after their several minutes of amusement at our situation they tell us that the trail is less than a mile up a nearby path. They kindly give us some food and water along with a map and send us on our way. We reached the trail head that night and went on to complete the rest of the Oregon section within 3 weeks - probably to the surprise of the man in his truck. There were many other adventures and memories had within that time, but that is for another essay." +"This past summer was such a memorable season in my life. It was filled with high highs, and low lows. Even though summer only ended 2 months ago I feel like it has been weeks and years since I was out in nature enjoying the beautiful weather and wind blowing on my face. One of my fondest memories this past summer was something that I saw outside my window. I peeked out of the kitchen window and looked out to see a rainbow in the sky. After enjoying the rainbow for some time I noticed there was a nest build on my window sill. I cannot believe I almost missed this beautiful sight. The mother bird was a rare shade of pink I have never seen before in nature only in the zoo. But the most majestic part of this experience was the eggs that laid peacefully still in the nest. The eggs were the bluest shade of blue I had ever seen before. I never pictured that a pink bird could lay such beautiful blue eggs. The mother bird was always so attentive to the nest and watchful over these eggs. Just before I left for holiday I saw an egg begin to crack. I unfortunately never got to see the birds hatch. I only wish I could have been there to see their birth and watch them fly off into the world. This was such a rare memorable experience I doubt I will ever get to see again." +"The day started like almost any other day. I woke up and thought that not much would be different but I didn't realize how wrong I was. That day, my life would change forever, it was the day I decided to spend the rest of my life with the woman of my dreams. Months earlier we were invited to attend the wedding of good friends of ours. I knew the venue and where the wedding was to take place, I knew the people and frankly I didn't expect many surprises but from the minute I arrived I was proved wrong. As I sat down in the crowd at the reception area and the party began to walk down the aisle I felt tears rolling down my face. I couldn't contain the feelings of joy as the beautiful ceremony began. The music, the flowers, the dresses and suits, it was all just perfect. I remember vividly as the music began and the bride began to walk down the isle I thought about all the hardship they had endured and how happy this couple was to be together and how lucky I was to be spending this day with them. It was at this moment that I looked over at my, now fiancee, and began to think about how she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. She was the one that I wanted to share a day like this with. She was the one I wanted others to look at as she walked down the aisle to meet me and feel overjoyed with emotions. I don't enjoy making people cry but in this case I think it is warranted. The very next day I went out looking for an engagement ring, I scoured everywhere I could and went looking for the perfect ring. When I finally found it I knew it was meant to be and I could not be happier to give it to her. Fast forward a little bit of time and we are as happy as could be, planning our special day. In my head I keep that special day in the back of my mind, the day I knew I wanted to share the rest of my life with my significant other. It may have started like any other day but it will never be that for me. It may another day or just another wedding to others but it will always be much more for me. And I'll always know the reasons why." +"My Cousin sister. She and her boyfriend had arranged a week long barn raising at their home. Family and friends came to the wedding. We had a great time camping in their back yard, building the barn, community cooking. We had a great food, a good bar and a comfortable surroundings. Then we played volleyball in the evening. We had a great time. The last day of the barn raising was a planned Dance. Before the dance, my sister’s boyfriend stood up and thanked everyone for their contribution. Then announced that He and my sister did not believe in long engagement. So they were getting married after dinner. My cousins and I went to gather some wild flowers for her and my friend brought the wedding cake. They had a simple ceremony presided by their local minister with their parents standing as witnesses. We had a great time dancing and dining in the new barn. we had just built to celebrate their new union." +"Wow what a fantastic day! This morning we woke up to such a gorgeous sunny day. The family decided to take a day to go and enjoy the beach together. I was really excited as it was to just go swimming and enjoy the sun and sand but the coolest thing happened when we got there. We saw a stand advertising discounted surfboard rentals and everyone decided to give surfing a go. At first no one could figure it out so we were mostly just laughing and falling all over the place. Eventually though some of us figured it out and we enjoyed playing and riding around on the waves. I even managed to catch one really good wave and stay up riding through the whole thing! I was pretty proud and excited about that. Still the coolest part of the day hadn't even happened yet. At one point near dinnertime, as we were talking about heading in for the day, my brother noticed something shiny in the water. We all turned to look just in time to see a dolphin pop out of the water! It was unbelievably cool to see up close. A couple other dolphins joined him, there was even a baby! We kept our distance and just enjoyed the sight until they swam off leaving us mesmerized. I honestly couldn't have imagined such a perfect beach day." +"Wow what a fantastic day! This morning we woke up to such a gorgeous sunny day. The family decided to take a day to go and enjoy the beach together. I was really excited as it was to just go swimming and enjoy the sun and sand but the coolest thing happened when we got there. We saw a stand advertising discounted surfboard rentals and everyone decided to give surfing a go. At first no one could figure it out so we were mostly just laughing and falling all over the place. Eventually though some of us figured it out and we enjoyed playing and riding around on the waves. I even managed to catch one really good wave and stay up riding through the whole thing! I was pretty proud and excited about that. Still the coolest part of the day hadn't even happened yet. At one point near dinnertime, as we were talking about heading in for the day, my brother noticed something shiny in the water. We all turned to look just in time to see a dolphin pop out of the water! It was unbelievably cool to see up close. A couple other dolphins joined him, there was even a baby! We kept our distance and just enjoyed the sight until they swam off leaving us mesmerized. I honestly couldn't have imagined such a perfect beach day." +"Over the summer this year I spent a weekend at the beach with my two kids and wife. We were invited there as our friends has reserved a beach house and a few rooms were going to be empty anyways. It was a lot of fun to be at the beach. It's memorable for a few reasons. The first is that I got to see my oldest child build up the courage to get into the ocean for the first time. She was very pensive at first and was crying. I was able to sit down next to her and tell her that it was safe and there was nothing to be afraid of. Eventually she was able to fight her fears, with the help of her mom and our friend, and get into the water. It made me feel very proud to see her build up the courage to get in the water. Another reason is that my youngest daughter was able to nap on the beach for a few hours. She is normally a crazy kid with boundless energy, so it was very surprising to see her calm down and sleep that way. It gave me a lot of happiness to see how much fun my kids had and how well they got along with the other kids that were present. The reason that this event will be significant for me is that it was one of the first vacations that we have had as a family. It was also mostly positive and mostly stress free. It was something that I hope to do more of in the future." +"When my house burned down about 8 months ago, in April, I was devastated. I dialed 911 when I really smelled smoke strongly, but it took the fire department a very long time to get to our house. Due to this, almost everything was completely tarnished. I was completely devastated that I lost everything, but I retained the most important thing, and that is my family. I just cannot believe that this happened to us. The fire department later told us that it was due to a gas leak inside the house. If not for our smoke detectors, we would all almost certainly be dead. It is a horrifying thing to think about. Since then, I have encouraged all my friends to check smoke detector batteries. It is nothing to fool around with. I am trying to have an outlook on this event in a positive manner, and so far it has really been changing my life for the better. I am more faithful, I care more about others, I am more empathetic, and i have even started going to Church more. My family has begun the process of building a new house with the insurance money from the old house that burnt down. I am still extremely upset that i lost all of my possessions, but i have realized that family is far more important. I thank God every day that I am still here on earth. When the fire happened, we still barely made it out despite the detectors going off. My father even had to run through a flaming doorway before the fire department got there. It was simply a horrifying event that I would never wish upon anyone. We are all trying to turn our lives around." +"When my house burned down about 8 months ago, in April, I was devastated. I dialed 911 when I really smelled smoke strongly, but it took the fire department a very long time to get to our house. Due to this, almost everything was completely tarnished. I was completely devastated that I lost everything, but I retained the most important thing, and that is my family. I just cannot believe that this happened to us. The fire department later told us that it was due to a gas leak inside the house. If not for our smoke detectors, we would all almost certainly be dead. It is a horrifying thing to think about. Since then, I have encouraged all my friends to check smoke detector batteries. It is nothing to fool around with. I am trying to have an outlook on this event in a positive manner, and so far it has really been changing my life for the better. I am more faithful, I care more about others, I am more empathetic, and i have even started going to Church more. My family has begun the process of building a new house with the insurance money from the old house that burnt down. I am still extremely upset that i lost all of my possessions, but i have realized that family is far more important. I thank God every day that I am still here on earth. When the fire happened, we still barely made it out despite the detectors going off. My father even had to run through a flaming doorway before the fire department got there. It was simply a horrifying event that I would never wish upon anyone. We are all trying to turn our lives around." +"When my house burned down about 8 months ago, in April, I was devastated. I dialed 911 when I really smelled smoke strongly, but it took the fire department a very long time to get to our house. Due to this, almost everything was completely tarnished. I was completely devastated that I lost everything, but I retained the most important thing, and that is my family. I just cannot believe that this happened to us. The fire department later told us that it was due to a gas leak inside the house. If not for our smoke detectors, we would all almost certainly be dead. It is a horrifying thing to think about. Since then, I have encouraged all my friends to check smoke detector batteries. It is nothing to fool around with. I am trying to have an outlook on this event in a positive manner, and so far it has really been changing my life for the better. I am more faithful, I care more about others, I am more empathetic, and i have even started going to Church more. My family has begun the process of building a new house with the insurance money from the old house that burnt down. I am still extremely upset that i lost all of my possessions, but i have realized that family is far more important. I thank God every day that I am still here on earth. When the fire happened, we still barely made it out despite the detectors going off. My father even had to run through a flaming doorway before the fire department got there. It was simply a horrifying event that I would never wish upon anyone. We are all trying to turn our lives around." +"Ugh, okay, so my husband and I went on vacation a couple months ago and most of the trip was great! Except one thing. My husband, being the sweetheart that he is, decided to treat me to a spa day at the resort's spa. I was so excited, I had never had a hot stone massage before and was really looking forward to the experience. They always look so relaxing on the commercials and TV shows. Unfortunately the guy giving me the massage was just so...creepy. There's no other way to describe it he was just a creep. Constant comments on how great my body is and how he loves my long hair. Not to mention that I'm pretty sure there wasn't supposed to be rock repeatedly balanced on my butt (they never show that in commercials anyway). I wanted to speak up so badly but there's a large man standing over me with rocks in his hands, this doesn't exactly put me in a safe position. So I just layed there waiting for the whole mess to be over with. Safe to say this is the least relaxing massage I have ever gotten. I haven't told my husband yet, I don't want him to feel bad or get angry at the massage therapist or other hotel staff and do something stupid. Either way it's probably been too long now. I hope someone else deals with it and reports him." +"Ugh, okay, so my husband and I went on vacation a couple months ago and most of the trip was great! Except one thing. My husband, being the sweetheart that he is, decided to treat me to a spa day at the resort's spa. I was so excited, I had never had a hot stone massage before and was really looking forward to the experience. They always look so relaxing on the commercials and TV shows. Unfortunately the guy giving me the massage was just so...creepy. There's no other way to describe it he was just a creep. Constant comments on how great my body is and how he loves my long hair. Not to mention that I'm pretty sure there wasn't supposed to be rock repeatedly balanced on my butt (they never show that in commercials anyway). I wanted to speak up so badly but there's a large man standing over me with rocks in his hands, this doesn't exactly put me in a safe position. So I just layed there waiting for the whole mess to be over with. Safe to say this is the least relaxing massage I have ever gotten. I haven't told my husband yet, I don't want him to feel bad or get angry at the massage therapist or other hotel staff and do something stupid. Either way it's probably been too long now. I hope someone else deals with it and reports him." +"I had a very uncomfortable experience at the spa today and I am never going back. My male massage therapist seemed to be a little more than just a masseuse and felt he was making advances towards me. It reminded me of a time when I was 16 and very very stupid. I ran away from home and made my way to Port Authority in NY City never imagining that anyone could be bad in all my stupidity. A man there approached me and was being very friendly, so I thought. Being sixteen at the time I was pretty naieve. He asked me where I was going and I said to Florida, I had friends there. He offered me a ride from the train station to the airport. On the way he pulled into a back alley and started pawing at my chest and asked me to take off my clothes, I refused and fought back, he let up and then pulled out into an intersection. He ran the stop sign and another vehicle hit us. I was unconscious and the police came, THANK GOD for that accident. I woke up in the hospital with my parents by my side. The police said he was not taking me in any direction of an airport so I am sure he was taking me to become a prostitute or to kill me. I am so thankful to be alive, so ashamed still to this day of the horror I caused my parents, they are gone now but so wish I could tell them how sorry I am , it still eats me alive when I think of what I put them through. Today I still feel awful, when my granddaughters are a little older I will tell them this story so they will never do anything stupid like I did." +"Three months ago we went on a long anticipated trip to the Oregon Coast, we had been planning this trip for months and the whole family were so excited. I Googled the weather before we went because I was really worried about rain, I know it is summer but you just never know. Thankfully the weather forecast for the whole week was bright sunshine. We packed a lot of sunscreen, I needed a new bathing suit so went shopping the week before and found the perfect one, I don't usually go to the beach. The kids got new books to keep them busy on the drive there and I swear I repacked at least seven times. We took a lot of games to play because the kids get bored easily and we wanted to make it a tech free vacation so we knew we needed to keep them busy! We ended up playing a lot of games on the trip, especially poker, who knew it was so much fun! I think the highlight of the trip for me was collecting seashells, we wanted to get enough to make some jewelry when we got home, my youngest kid was so excited about this and spent hours searching for the perfect shells. It is actually crazy how many washed up on the shore, we really enjoyed walking along the beach and it was so peaceful. I was surprised to see so few other people, I mean it was June, you would think there would be people everywhere. We saw maybe 10 people the whole time. It was so relaxing and we would sit in the hot tub in the evening and just remove stress from daily life. The kids want to go back soon and even my husband who is more of an inside type person is asking to go back! I think it is probably one of the best vacations we have ever had. And the best part is nobody got sunburn! I think the only thing I would change is the hotel we stayed in, it was rated as four star but it was not great and overpriced. I will have to research better for next year now we know we love the location." +"We have gotten to see so many things while out in Las Vegas. The top of the Stratosphere was one of my favorite attractions. Being on top of the Stratosphere at night was amazing, there were so many lights and even helicopters flying by! Another attraction we had gone to was the LINQ. We had a great time on the LINQ since my wife and I were put on the capsule that had the open bar! I had never gotten so drunk in 30 minutes before it was crazy. The best day I think was one of our last days. The day consisted of going to the spa and getting a facial cleaning and a massage. It was not on the strip or really ""Sin City"" oriented but I loved getting the relaxing spa day. We had also spent so much time eating. We had gone down to Fremont and it was 9:30pm we decided to eat at the buffet. It was seafood night and we did not realize we spent 2 hours eating. The weed was also another great thing to have. The first time I had been in Las Vegas cannabis had been illegal but this time it definitely was legal. I cant wait to go back again!" +"We have gotten to see so many things while out in Las Vegas. The top of the Stratosphere was one of my favorite attractions. Being on top of the Stratosphere at night was amazing, there were so many lights and even helicopters flying by! Another attraction we had gone to was the LINQ. We had a great time on the LINQ since my wife and I were put on the capsule that had the open bar! I had never gotten so drunk in 30 minutes before it was crazy. The best day I think was one of our last days. The day consisted of going to the spa and getting a facial cleaning and a massage. It was not on the strip or really ""Sin City"" oriented but I loved getting the relaxing spa day. We had also spent so much time eating. We had gone down to Fremont and it was 9:30pm we decided to eat at the buffet. It was seafood night and we did not realize we spent 2 hours eating. The weed was also another great thing to have. The first time I had been in Las Vegas cannabis had been illegal but this time it definitely was legal. I cant wait to go back again!" +"So every summer I go to a convention in Austin, TX called RTX. It is a con hosted by a company called rooster teeth. I had been to this con about 5 years straight at this point. The year before I had met this girl there. We followed each other on Instagram and started talking. At first it was usually about school, work, or food. Next we started sharing memes with each other. Eventually I realize I was really into her. I didn't want to tell her cause I didn't know how he would react, so I kept it to myself. We were both going to attend the con again so we started planning things to do and places to eat, but I always included other people so it wouldn't be weird. I arrived in Texas the Saturday before the con, and although she lived in Texas she didn't get off work til the next Tuesday. Tuesday comes and we were supposed to go to donuts together and i brought my friend along cause he liked donuts and so it wouldn't be weird. When we went to ramen and mini golf later we ere talking and poking each other but i didn't think much of it. Then we went to the bars drinking and that's when things hit off. First we were just sitting next to each other, then she grabbed my arm and put her head on my shoulder, then we were holding hands. Cause she got a bit drunk i told her she could stay at our loft which was right next to the bar we were at. She said ok and we slept(but didn't have sex) together. We kissed and the next day I ask her out. The kiss kind of gave me the indication but i told her my feelings and she said yes basically instantly. We have been going out since and she s visiting next month during my birthday." +"Last month, I finally got up the guts to ask this female friend I like on a date. We'd been talking back and forth since last year and hung out often, but I didn't think she'd want to be anything more than friends. In the meantime, I'd been developing some really strong feelings for her that I hadn't told her about. I didn't know if she'd feel the same way, or if she'd be offended or what. Would she even want to go out with someone like me as more than a friend? Anyway, last month we were both invited to the same party. It was a nighttime pool party at a mutual friend's house, with drinks and food. We each had a couple drinks and got to talking about our feelings a bit more. I know it was the rum talking, but I suddenly blurted out that I really liked her as more than just a friend. She actually started blushing, and she grinned at me. She said she'd been feeling the same way but she was too shy to tell me. Well, we laughed about this and talked about how we should've both said something sooner. But better late than never I guess, since we've been dating for a month now. I think it's starting to get pretty serious. Who knew a rum and Coke was all it would take?" +"Three weeks ago I went camping at a Texas state park with two siblings. It was a cool summer afternoon and it had just finished raining. We decided to pack up our things and take a spontaneous trip to the most remote part of Park. Once we arrived, we set our things down and set up camp. We unpacked the marshmallows and started up a fire. We sat around the fire and just talked. Talked about our childhood, jobs, girlfriends, sports, you name it. We talked away the afternoon and our nostalgic memories lit up our faces. Our past few years hadn't been easy, with Dad leaving us and mom being stressed out raising us alone. This was our chance to just forget about hardships and focus on our love. Finally we got up and hiked up the mountain before nightfall. Once we reached the apex, we were greeted by the most majestic view of the valley. The forest canopy glistened under the soft glow of the moonlight as far as the eye could. We gasped in delight. Finally it was time to go back. I wish we couldve stayed in that moment forever." +"Three weeks ago I went camping at a Texas state park with two siblings. It was a cool summer afternoon and it had just finished raining. We decided to pack up our things and take a spontaneous trip to the most remote part of Park. Once we arrived, we set our things down and set up camp. We unpacked the marshmallows and started up a fire. We sat around the fire and just talked. Talked about our childhood, jobs, girlfriends, sports, you name it. We talked away the afternoon and our nostalgic memories lit up our faces. Our past few years hadn't been easy, with Dad leaving us and mom being stressed out raising us alone. This was our chance to just forget about hardships and focus on our love. Finally we got up and hiked up the mountain before nightfall. Once we reached the apex, we were greeted by the most majestic view of the valley. The forest canopy glistened under the soft glow of the moonlight as far as the eye could. We gasped in delight. Finally it was time to go back. I wish we couldve stayed in that moment forever." +"My parents decided they would move to Texas and wanted me to go with them. I objected and wanted to stay where we currently lived so I asked how long I would have to save up money. They told me it would be 8 months from now so I figured I would have plenty of time to save up money and find a place to live. About a month later they up and decided that it was time to move now. This gave me only an additional 2 weeks to figure something out. I was left in a panic. I only had about 600$ to my name and nowhere to live. Being who I am, I'm very reluctant to ask for help so when it came down to it I had to break my stubbornness. I started reaching out to my friends from all aspects of my life. The most promising one was a good friend of mine that I played fighting games with. He said he had a cheap room and it was small but it was promised to someone else who he thought mike flake on the deal. Unfortunately I never heard from him after that. Another Idea I had involved renting a place with 2 of my close friends as we had talked about it before. Sadly in this situation I found out that one of them didn't have enough money saved yet and the other was taking care of his sick father so that was out of the equation. Luckily one of the people that I hadn't even contacted offered me a very reasonably priced place to live so I ended up moving there. I was very jaded with my parents for putting me in this situation but since I've come to terms with it. I still appreciate all they've done for me and I hope they have a happy retirement." +"I remember three months ago I was in a terrible position because of something out of my control. It all started with my parents. They originally decided to move to Texas in 8 months and we planned around that date. However, at some point they decided that they had to move sooner. They said it was because of an offer they got on their house and they really didn't want to miss the opportunity to sell above market value. The problem is this was a very difficult position for me because I was budgeting to have enough money to move in eight months. When they moved up the date, I began panicking because I would not be able to afford to move to Texas with them and I would have no where to live if I stayed here. The whole situation turned out to be a really big strain not just on me but on my relationship with my parents. Having no choice but to move with them in a month and a half turned my life upside down. I turned to a friend of mine who I knew I could trust and I asked them what I should do. My friend told me I should make a decision based on reason and logic. He suggested I write down a list of all of the options I have and the pros and cons of each. That way, I could visualize the problem and have a better chance of making the right choice. By approaching it like a math problem and adding up the option with the most pros, I was able to make an informed decision. Even after using this strategy, I still took several nights to sleep on my decision just to make sure it was what I wanted to do. In the end, I decided to move with my parents and leave everything behind for a fresh start in Texas." +"Three weeks ago it was such a special night for me and my family. We always celebrate the 4th of july in a big way. It's a special time of year for us since we are very patriotic and believe in the USA. We often talk about how there is no better place in the world to live. My mom also had just gotten her new dentures, we were all really excited. She had talked about getting a new pair for months but could not afford it. My uncle ended up paying for them and she was so eternally grateful. Me and the family threw her sort of a mini celebration when she got them. We bought her chocolate cake which is her favorite treat in the whole world. She walked into the surprise with glowing eyes. Me and the family felt so special at that time as we always enjoy seeing each other happy. It has really improved her quality of life when eating as well which has improved her overall health. Going forward we will always ensure she stays on top of replacements with her own money. It is great that my uncle helped out but it is really not his responsibility. In the end it was a special gift and family need to look out for each other!" +"Three weeks ago it was such a special night for me and my family. We always celebrate the 4th of july in a big way. It's a special time of year for us since we are very patriotic and believe in the USA. We often talk about how there is no better place in the world to live. My mom also had just gotten her new dentures, we were all really excited. She had talked about getting a new pair for months but could not afford it. My uncle ended up paying for them and she was so eternally grateful. Me and the family threw her sort of a mini celebration when she got them. We bought her chocolate cake which is her favorite treat in the whole world. She walked into the surprise with glowing eyes. Me and the family felt so special at that time as we always enjoy seeing each other happy. It has really improved her quality of life when eating as well which has improved her overall health. Going forward we will always ensure she stays on top of replacements with her own money. It is great that my uncle helped out but it is really not his responsibility. In the end it was a special gift and family need to look out for each other!" +"Several weeks before My daughter left for France, I saw some strange behavior appealed, such as some weight loss, sleeplessness and dark circles around the eyes . As a father I became concerned, asked some questions and tried to Know what was wrong with my daughter. I took her to three different physicians within two weeks. And just two days after seeing the second doctor, on November 4th, 2000, she came home from basketball, where she was coaching her sister’s football team, and fell down to the ground. She had suffered from a massive heart attack because of using a drug called meth. We learned of her meth use in the ICU. She was in a coma. The doctor explained that they found methamphetamine in her system and that every time you use meth it damages your heart. And after she went to practice and worked hard for two hours, she came home and suffered a massive heart attack. She literally blew out the bottom of her heart. After several days her eyes opened and I asked the neurologist if she was waking up. He took my daughter’s head in his hands and gently rolled her head from side to side and every time he rolled her head her eyes would roll with the head. “That’s called doll eyes,” he explained. A sign of permanent, irreversible brain damage. Several days later we gave our permission for life support to be disconnected. And as we loved and caressed our daughter, she slipped out of our arms and into eternity, without giving us a second chance to help her." +"Several weeks before My daughter left for France, I saw some strange behavior appealed, such as some weight loss, sleeplessness and dark circles around the eyes . As a father I became concerned, asked some questions and tried to Know what was wrong with my daughter. I took her to three different physicians within two weeks. And just two days after seeing the second doctor, on November 4th, 2000, she came home from basketball, where she was coaching her sister’s football team, and fell down to the ground. She had suffered from a massive heart attack because of using a drug called meth. We learned of her meth use in the ICU. She was in a coma. The doctor explained that they found methamphetamine in her system and that every time you use meth it damages your heart. And after she went to practice and worked hard for two hours, she came home and suffered a massive heart attack. She literally blew out the bottom of her heart. After several days her eyes opened and I asked the neurologist if she was waking up. He took my daughter’s head in his hands and gently rolled her head from side to side and every time he rolled her head her eyes would roll with the head. “That’s called doll eyes,” he explained. A sign of permanent, irreversible brain damage. Several days later we gave our permission for life support to be disconnected. And as we loved and caressed our daughter, she slipped out of our arms and into eternity, without giving us a second chance to help her." +"I still remember the whole event. I wanted to plan something special for my daughter's second birthday. So I began saving to take my husband and daughter to the zoo. I began doing more surveys and spend less money. When it arrived three days before the end of the my husband informed me that we were short for rent. We had been struggling financially for a long time. And God has always provided a way for us to overcome. I immediately new I had to cancel my plans and use the money I saved for rent. I accepted the fact that it was a part of life that we were not going to go, and I would just have to save the money again. To my surprise a few days later I got a call from my husband's parent. They decided to surprise us and take us to the zoo. I was extremely grateful, for their generosity. We haven't done anything fun in a longtime, so I was excited for what was to come. It was fun to see the joy in her face when she saw all the different animals. It gives me hope that one day I can repay his parent's for their kindness." +"This story is about my vacation and my fiance's surprise proposal to me. It was about one month ago that I was preparing to go on vacation with my fiance. We had been jointly planning this vacation for about a year at that point. I couldn't wait to start this vacation. I was experiencing a lot of stress from work at that time. We decided to visit Hersheypark in Hershey Pennsylvania. We chose this place because we wanted to experience an area different from California and my fiance understood that I have been a huge fan of the Hershey Chocolate Company since I was a child. I think the Hershey Chocolate Company and it's products are magical and couldn't wait to arrive. When we arrived we immediately got on the SooperDooperLooper and the Wildcat. Both of these rides were really scary and fun. We then took a break from the rides and visited a picnic area. My fiance surprised me by secretly planning a catering service to provide us with food in this picnic area. I then begged him to go to the ZooAmerica part of the park. I really wanted to see the Southern Swamps section of ZooAmerica. I am a big fan of the barred owl and the roseate spoonbill. I started to get tired and I just wanted to go back to our room at this point. However, my fiance said he had one more surprise for me. He took me to this ride called the Kissing Tower. It gives you a a panoramic view of Hershey through windows shaped like a Hershey's Kiss. I was highly impressed since he knows that is my favorite Hershey's candy and the views from the tower were very romantic at night. I was startled we he began to get down on one knee and present me with a ring in a special Hershey Kiss box. I started to shake and tremble before eventually saying yes. I had never felt more surprised or loved then at that moment. I still can't believe he gave me the most surprising moment ever in Hersheypark of all places! I couldn't think of a more magical vacation or proposal then what I received that night." +"So the toilet was clogged. I called my husband to let him know what was going on. He said that he would take care of it when he got home. He worked on it and put some powered sepic safe unclogger in it and let it sit. He called his mother to let her know what was going on , that he put unclogger in the toilet. She then decided to stop at home depot to pick up something else. She bought draino , which is NOT toilet safe , and should not be mixed with ANYTHING else. Well she came home and dumped an entire bottle of draino in the toilet and created a toxic gas , basically mustard gas according to poison control. Decided to go smoke a cigarette while the entire house filled with the chemical fumes. I ended up taking them both to the ER for breathing issues. My mother in law tried to kill her and my husband by mixing chemicals and not reading warning labels. She brushes the incident off as nothing serious but it was. So please read the warning labels on chemicals. Do not use draino on a toilet. BE safe and think about when you are doing first." +"So the toilet was clogged. I called my husband to let him know what was going on. He said that he would take care of it when he got home. He worked on it and put some powered sepic safe unclogger in it and let it sit. He called his mother to let her know what was going on , that he put unclogger in the toilet. She then decided to stop at home depot to pick up something else. She bought draino , which is NOT toilet safe , and should not be mixed with ANYTHING else. Well she came home and dumped an entire bottle of draino in the toilet and created a toxic gas , basically mustard gas according to poison control. Decided to go smoke a cigarette while the entire house filled with the chemical fumes. I ended up taking them both to the ER for breathing issues. My mother in law tried to kill her and my husband by mixing chemicals and not reading warning labels. She brushes the incident off as nothing serious but it was. So please read the warning labels on chemicals. Do not use draino on a toilet. BE safe and think about when you are doing first." +"I woke up one Sunday day and I was completely exhausted. I really didn't feel like going to church and seriously considered not going, but I somehow mustered up the energy to drive down to church. After getting to church, I sat in my car for a moment and prayed that I wouldn't fall asleep, and that I would gain something valuable out of the service despite being so tired. I went to go get the pre-service coffee, and the lead pastor somehow saw me and immediately recognized me as someone who hadn't been to the church before. He came over to talk to me and we chatted for a while, and he introduced me to several people. One of the people he introduced me to was someone who was a researcher at the university I would start attending in the next 3 weeks, and had personal connections with the people I wanted to be my PI. The pastor then connected me with a young peoples group that was meeting that night, and I said I would go. He then gave me his personal cell phone number so he could connect me with more people. After that, I went into the sanctuary and sat near the back. The pastor then came up to me about 5 minutes later and asked if I would sit with him today, as he wasn't giving the sermon. I said yes, for some reason, and so I went and sat with the lead pastor at a church in the front row. I definitely did not fall asleep that service. At the end of the service, they made an announcement that they were looking for volunteers to help with the audio mixing of the band and the technical support for the service. This is pretty much a job description of my previous job which I held for the past 3 years, so I was a perfect fit. I went up after the service and said I would be willing to volunteer. God answered all of my prayers that day, and He did it within 2 hours." +"my husband won tickets to kennywood from a radio show. We asked his best friend if he wanted to come, and he said yes. Then we asked my younger brother, since he had been wanting to go for awhile but didn't want to go by himself. It was a little over an hour drive, so we left early in the morning so that we could get there right when the park opened. we stopped at a fast food place to get breakfast that we could eat on the way. we ended up getting lost because the gps on my phone was confusing, but it only took an extra ten minutes to fix. once we got there, we decided not to pay for parking, so we parked further away and walked to the park. luckily it was all downhill. when we got to the entrance, we wasted about 10 minutes in the wrong line because it was busy and we got confused. once we got in, we went to the bathrooms and then decided where we wanted to go. i tried to be fair and make sure that we took turns deciding on what to do, so that everyone was able to do something they liked. we went on multiple water rides, and i waited outside roller coasters with the bags while the others went on them. we got rained out kind of early, so we went on an indoor ride to wait out the rain. it was super fun. we also went on a kiddie water ride; i guess our boat was too heavy because we ended up getting stuck in the middle of the ride and had to push ourselves out. it was hilarious, though. we left about 30 minutes before the park closed; walking uphill to the car was not fun for my asthma and i had chest pains most of the ride home. we also took a different road, so we ended up driving through downtown pittsburgh, which was somewhat stressful for my husband. we had to pee, so we stopped at this gas station once on the interstate, and i kid you not the bathroom was disgusting. i felt like i could get diseases from it, and i've used alot of dirty bathrooms. it was creepy. but all in all, it was a fun day." +"Me and a group of my friends went to the theme park that was taking place in our town for the next week only. It was me and 4 of my best friends. We were so excited to go on the cool rides and eat all the circus junk food. We got there and the lines were long for the entry. Finally we paid and got in. We heard all the sounds of people screaming on the rides and children playing and sounds of game machines dinging all over the place. We decided to go on the scary rides first before we ate anything. Afterwards we gorged on cakes, cotton candy and caramel popcorn. We had so much fun! The n we decided to go on a few more rides again because they were so much fun. We went on a ride that brought us hundreds of feet in the air and then dropped us and we fell almost crashing into the ground. OMG! That was the scariest ride ever! After many hours we finally decided to go home. But in the car ride home I got very nauseous and wound up vomiting in a plastic bag. But it was so fun none the least and I would do it again!" +"One of the events that happen to me not long ago was my first trip to South America. I went to the country of Peru, to visit Machu Picchu which was located in Cusco. For this trip, I went with my older brother, who is as adventurous as I am. When we got the city of Cusco, we learn that people drank this coca tea to prevent altitude sickness since the highly city was elevated. From our stay there, we visited the ancient Inka's ruin and we learnt about their lifestyle back them. They were free people who enjoyed their land and the fauna and flora that were on earth. We learn that they believe in multiple Gods and have done sacrifices in the past for their Gods. They spoke the language Quechua . They were conquer by the Spaniards and forced into Catholicism. It was a remarkable experience to have learn from such powerful civilization from the past. Their architecture was very impressive. It was done all by man power with huge rocks that you couldn't even imagine how to stack them without technology. We also got to eat their popular dishes called Lomo Saltado and aji a la Huancaina. They are also know for their ceviche mixto and cuy dish ( guinea pig). This experience was memorable because it was out of what I am normally used to. I got to spend time with my older brother and share memorable experiences that will last." +"I was very excited. I was going on a trip. It was out of the country. I had never been out of the country before. I was going to South America. I was nervous too. Even though I wanted to go, I kept wondering if I would fit in in South America. When I went there, I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone was so nice. I ended up learning a lot about South American culture. I went to many of the country's museums. I learned so much about ancient civilizations and how they lived. I was shocked about how much I did not know. I ate South American food. I was delighted to find out that their food was even more delicious than my country's. I had a fun time." +"My soul mate, my cat Ashton passed away four months ago. The first month was heart wrenching. Every time I look around I see a shadow of him everywhere. I missed him tailing me wherever I go. With a sinking heart I took out the batteries of the laser light, he loves chasing the red dot. What still trouble me was that I did not realized how much an impact we have on each other. Little did I know then that he was part of my world, but I am the world to him. It is when he tore my bedsheet and shredded only on my side of the bed that I realized that he was actually trying to dig for me. He could not understand why I left him for five weeks, which would almost be half a year in cat’s years. It was uncanny, my comforter looks unruffled but underneath, you can see the torn bedsheet. When I pass by a cat on my walks, I always made eye contact and think about Ashton. He was incredibly smart. I totally missed him at the window going out to work and his goodbyes and greetings at the garage door downstairs. I thought we might get another cat one day. Not now, I am still sad. I do continuously read about cats everyday on my iPad, and look at animal shelters online. I also check out Craig’s list periodically. I love and missed Ashton and where he goes a part of me goes with him." +"My soul mate, my cat Ashton passed away four months ago. The first month was heart wrenching. Every time I look around I see a shadow of him everywhere. I missed him tailing me wherever I go. With a sinking heart I took out the batteries of the laser light, he loves chasing the red dot. What still trouble me was that I did not realized how much an impact we have on each other. Little did I know then that he was part of my world, but I am the world to him. It is when he tore my bedsheet and shredded only on my side of the bed that I realized that he was actually trying to dig for me. He could not understand why I left him for five weeks, which would almost be half a year in cat’s years. It was uncanny, my comforter looks unruffled but underneath, you can see the torn bedsheet. When I pass by a cat on my walks, I always made eye contact and think about Ashton. He was incredibly smart. I totally missed him at the window going out to work and his goodbyes and greetings at the garage door downstairs. I thought we might get another cat one day. Not now, I am still sad. I do continuously read about cats everyday on my iPad, and look at animal shelters online. I also check out Craig’s list periodically. I love and missed Ashton and where he goes a part of me goes with him." +"As I sit here today I think about the ones I have lost. I pause for a second just to think back to someone that was with me for what felt like such a short time. People or animals come into our lives and leave us as well pretty normally but few are truly special. That brings me to why I feel like I do today. Around two months ago I lost my friend someone close and I loved. It was my companion dog Buddy, the best dog a person could every have. Buddy was brought into my life from love and at a time when I needed him the most. He was caring and loving and was always by my side, loyal in every way possible. I needed him the most when he came to me to pull me back to happiness. He came to me and even though it was brief he lead me back to happiness. I don't know if I just got lucky to have him but he made an impact in my life that I have rarely felt. As I reflect back now in a state of sadness I am also happy. I know that sounds strange but I am happy because I knew him but sad because I lost him as well. I can only thank the lord for bringing him to me and showing me that I can be okay. So tonight I will drink to my friend Buddy, lost but never forgotten. This two months have been hell but memories will get me through, thank you Buddy I will never forget you." +The story is about my mother unexpectedly passing away. She was found on her apartment floor. She had a lot of health issues due to the way she lived her life. Smoking and drinking throughout most of it. We never had the type of relationship I wanted but I am learning to be more at peace with it now. When I first found out I was upset but I was still felt ok. Then I talked to my brother on the phone and next think I know I was talking weird. My blood pressure spiked I was having a panic attack. My fiance rushed home to find me on the floor. She wanted me to go to the hospital but I could not do it. I pleaded with her not to go just let me lay. I did lay down and was able to calm myself. I scheduled a doctors appt to get some medicine to help me cope. I know am finally learning to be at peace with it and putting more time into my relationship with my 4 year old son. My mothers passing is behind me and I can move on. May she rest in peace with my father. +The story is about my mother unexpectedly passing away. She was found on her apartment floor. She had a lot of health issues due to the way she lived her life. Smoking and drinking throughout most of it. We never had the type of relationship I wanted but I am learning to be more at peace with it now. When I first found out I was upset but I was still felt ok. Then I talked to my brother on the phone and next think I know I was talking weird. My blood pressure spiked I was having a panic attack. My fiance rushed home to find me on the floor. She wanted me to go to the hospital but I could not do it. I pleaded with her not to go just let me lay. I did lay down and was able to calm myself. I scheduled a doctors appt to get some medicine to help me cope. I know am finally learning to be at peace with it and putting more time into my relationship with my 4 year old son. My mothers passing is behind me and I can move on. May she rest in peace with my father. +"My cat is like my best friend, and about 4 months ago, I thought I was gonna lose him. I realized one day he was acting strange, meowing a lot, not running around, etc. I took him to the vet to get him checked out. This was one of those lucky coincidences or fate, or whatever you want to call it, because the vet told me within like 20 minutes of checking on him, that had I brought him in even a few days later, he wouldn't have had a chance. They told me he needed surgery and it was a medical emergency. I was not expecting a surgery bill in my budget, but I had to do it for my cat. They took him in, told me to go out and get some lunch, run some errands, and they'd call me when finished. While I was out, all I could think about was surgery complications. I've had this cat since I was a kid. This was the first time I'd ever had to take him to the vet, so I never imagined he'd be so sick since he never was before. I called my mom and dad, told them what was going on, tried to get comoforted a bit. 3 hours later, I get a call to come back to the vet. They told me the surgery was successful and he'll be fine. They had to put a urinary catheter in and that was a big reason he was saved. I was given medicine to put in his food and told to keep an eye on him. I was so happy he was ok." +"My cat is like my best friend, and about 4 months ago, I thought I was gonna lose him. I realized one day he was acting strange, meowing a lot, not running around, etc. I took him to the vet to get him checked out. This was one of those lucky coincidences or fate, or whatever you want to call it, because the vet told me within like 20 minutes of checking on him, that had I brought him in even a few days later, he wouldn't have had a chance. They told me he needed surgery and it was a medical emergency. I was not expecting a surgery bill in my budget, but I had to do it for my cat. They took him in, told me to go out and get some lunch, run some errands, and they'd call me when finished. While I was out, all I could think about was surgery complications. I've had this cat since I was a kid. This was the first time I'd ever had to take him to the vet, so I never imagined he'd be so sick since he never was before. I called my mom and dad, told them what was going on, tried to get comoforted a bit. 3 hours later, I get a call to come back to the vet. They told me the surgery was successful and he'll be fine. They had to put a urinary catheter in and that was a big reason he was saved. I was given medicine to put in his food and told to keep an eye on him. I was so happy he was ok." +"June, 2019. I don't recall the exact date as it is now in the last waning days of August but I definitely know it happened in June. There is a licensing expo in my town every year and last year I met the owner of a company I get collectible pieces from. This year, it was a little bit different. A few other people were coming in for a visit along with the owner of the company I mentioned before. I have been swamped with work lately because we are short-staffed in the office and I suppose it is much easier to put more strain on one person than it is to hire someone or extend the overtime hours that the one person is getting. By that, I mean myself. But I digress. Anyways, one of the people who was coming in, I was engaged in a chat with. I had perceived that I had done something to upset the organizer of this event a few months prior so I did not particularly wish to reach out and speak with him because I did not want relations strained more. The person I was chatting with sent me an invitation via instant messenger which went something like: ""Your presence is required Thursday at 8:00 pm."" I had to give him directions to my place as I don't have the money for a car and he didn't care because he had a car rented for the duration of his stay. I actually delayed proceedings a bit because I was trying to get pictures done. A few people like what I can draw, although I don't think I'm all that particularly good, and since I didn't have an exorbitant amount of money like the person organizing the event, I wanted to do what little I could to contribute to the occasion. We ate at a restaurant where I could never go on my own. The most inexpensive item was something like $60! And although it felt a little awkward, being the only girl there and not really being as involved in the company or the company's online group like the others, it was a nice experience." +"My mother passed away. I was with her when she died. She had a long history of poor health - she was a breast cancer survivor, had kidney issues, had a triple by-pass many years ago, has had pneumonia...many, many issues over the years. And she was a bit of a hyprochondriac as well. So this time when she went into the hospital, I didn't know how serious it was. She was in the hospital at least once every other year. As always, I went to see her, talked to the doctors, etc. This isn't the first time it looked really bad. But after a few days, I could tell this time it was different. She couldn't feed herself, her memory was sketchy. I went to visit her everyday and finally the staff and I started talking hospice care. But before that could happen, I got a call at work that she was close to death. I rushed to the hospital and she was barely conscious. I arranged for last rites and sat holding her hand. A few hours later, she slipped away. I sat with her a bit longer before letting the nurse know. I had papers to sign and then I left the hospital. It was so strange leaving her there. I just didn't know what to do. But I had to call family to let them know and figure out the next steps. I hated that while I was trying to grieve I had so many ""things"" to take care of." +"I recently had a very memorable experience with the birth of my son. This was my second child but the first time I carried a boy. His birth was so memorable to me because up until that point, I was sort of disconnected from my pregnancy, as I was going it alone as a single mom. I remember arriving to the hospital that morning. I met with my midwife and she sat down with my daughter in the waiting room as I went in for my surgery. My doula met me in the post-op room, and we spent awhile there talking with the surgeon about what I could expect. As they brought me into the room, I remember the brightness and 'holiness', if you will, of the operation room. I sat down on the cold table and the anesthesiologist came to prep me for my spinal. That was the moment I lost it and began to cry. Not because it hurt, but because I was about to meet my son. It felt surreal. I was given the spinal and immediately laid back on the table so the medicines could kick in. They draped a curtain over my stomach and I began practicing my breathing techniques I had learned for the home birth I had originally planned to have. My son was breech up until 41 weeks, and although I did everything I could to get him to turn, he remained the 'wrong' way and I ended up scheduling my c-section. I felt so calm. The complete opposite of how I had expected to feel as I lay there, about to be cut open. The smell of burning flesh hit me. I felt a bit of tugging as I deeply breathed in and slowly out. I looked at my doula and asked her if they had started it yet. She smiled at me and said ""He's almost here."" A minute later I heard a loud cry, and I broke out of my trance and began to cry myself. He was here. They came around the curtain with him and my first thought was how beautiful he was with his little wrinkly forehead. I couldn't wait to hold him. I was just so happy." +"Roughly three months ago I attended a baby shower for a friend of one my husband's friends. While I already knew the parents to be, I was still rather anxious about it because the overwhelmingly large majority of the guests would be people who I hadn't met before. I generally get anxious about events since I don't know many people here. After arriving we sat on the roof top deck with a few others. It felt a bit lonely at first but after a while I began to relax. I was able to just hang out with others instead of feeling like an outsider. While there my husband and another guy sparked up a conversation. They found out that they've both worked for the same company. As the conversation progressed, we realized that the other guy and I were from the same city and he and my older brother attended the same high school at the same time. We all had a lot of fun conversing and enjoying the food. Upon leaving we all talked a bit more. I mentioned my high school to which the guy responded his sister went there. I asked for her name and realized she was someone I had known since middle school. It was so crazy to find out all these connections to someone who started off a total stranger. After the shower a few of us walked to the beach to finish a great day." +"Last month, I went to a baby shower. It wasn't anyone I am really close to and they don't tend to run in the same circles as I do. I was afraid that I would not enjoy myself because I didn't know everyone as much as I would like. I arrived a little early (as I usually do) and helped with any last minute set-up. The space was adorable, with lots of pink and bows everywhere. They really outdid themselves. I forgot to get the name of the caterer but the food was absolutely divine. They served so many kinds of finger foods and I probably stuffed myself with enough to feed a small army. I ended up making a lot of small talk with everyone and it wasn't as terrifying as I thought going into it. I actually have a lot in common with a few of the other guests. So we exchanged numbers and hopefully we'll all be able to meet up sometime soon. It was a really fun event. The gifts she received were all cute and pink (as you could imagine) and we played a lot of fun games. I don't think I'll ever be afraid of going to a baby shower even again. I can't believe I thought about not going! What a great day." +"Six weeks ago, I attended my son's middle school graduation ceremony. I was very proud of my son. I has grown up a lot since he was a baby. There was a slideshow of all the kids from the past eight years of school life. I saw the little squirt sliding down the slide in kindergarten. I saw him get his first A in the first grade on a big math test. I saw him get into a fight in second grade over a girl. In third grade, I saw him make a fun science experiment. It was a volcano. This was very impressive and I was proud. After the slideshow, there was a pizza party. Everybody was excited and I had a lot of slices. Everybody was full from the pizza. There was some soda and I drank some. I went home after the ceremony feeling proud." +"Six weeks ago, I attended my son's middle school graduation ceremony. I was very proud of my son. I has grown up a lot since he was a baby. There was a slideshow of all the kids from the past eight years of school life. I saw the little squirt sliding down the slide in kindergarten. I saw him get his first A in the first grade on a big math test. I saw him get into a fight in second grade over a girl. In third grade, I saw him make a fun science experiment. It was a volcano. This was very impressive and I was proud. After the slideshow, there was a pizza party. Everybody was excited and I had a lot of slices. Everybody was full from the pizza. There was some soda and I drank some. I went home after the ceremony feeling proud." +"So, today we went to Tiff and Crystal's for a BBQ for Koda's b-day or so I thought. Everyone started off outside which was great. We all ate and had a good time. The kids were playing and running amok. However, later, all the adults went in and left me outside with the kids because there were stairs to get into the house. I felt pretty annoyed and frustrated. They -all- know I'm in a wheelchair so why would they invite me over if they were going to go inside at some point knowing I can't go in too. I really think I'm just not going to go over there for anymore stuff. It made me feel like total crap. Later on, they all came back out because Katie basically made them. It was the world-wide annual candle-lighting at sundown and I had told her I would only come if we could light our candles there. She explained what we were doing and we took a picture for the website. None of them really get it, though. It's a nice to honor my friends and I as survivors and remember those who have died. To them, it was really a big deal. Whatever. I'm done with them." +"I have a disability. I cannot hear ever since I was a baby. I grew up with difficulties because I could not be taught like other kids in school. I had to attend a special needs school where I was taught through sign language. Fortunately, I can speak, so responding in school wasn't a problem. The biggest problem for me is not being able to have a normal social life. Most of the people I know, including my friends and family don't have the same problem so it's not easy for them to adapt to me when I'm around. It kills me when I see them laughing at a joke that I did not hear. Whenever I am with other people, I cannot help but feel inferior. I recently talked about it with one of my friends and she told that they try to make sure that I am included but sometimes involuntarily end up forgetting that some one with special needs is around. Moreover, having this disability as a woman is very hard. Other than not having a meaningful social life, my dating life has been hell. I can hardly ever connect with anyone. For someone to date me, they would need to be fluent in sign language and willing to use it all the time to talk to me. It's also worth noting that it's hard to express emotions through sign language so it's hard for me to have an emotional connection with a partner. Most of my partners just end up leaving because my life situation is too much for them to endure." +"This summer me and some friends went to the beach for a three day weekend. It was supposed to be a really good time, we arrived on a Thursday afternoon. The water was lush and the temperature was perfect. We all went to the beach the next Friday. It was a really good time, everyone was having a lot of fun. The next Saturday we woke up and went to brunch before hitting the beach again. Once again, it was a memorable time and we all had a lot of fun. We went body surfing in the water when all of a sudden we saw a shark fin. Another swimmer appeared to have gotten bit, this was completely crazy. I swam as fast as I could to help the other swimmer, and when I arrived he seemed ok. But he couldn’t swim, and so I helped him to get back to the shore. It was a struggle to help him. When I got back to the shore I looked around for the lifeguard but couldn’t find him. So I wrapped up the shark bite wounds with my towel and drove this guy to the hospital. The hospital said he would be ok and only needed some stitches. I waited for the guy to get the medical treatment that he needed. It didn’t take that long and he eventually got the treatment. Later that day he thanked me and invited me and my friends to a party. We all became good friends and to this very day, we all stay in touch. It was a radical moment in my life." +"Seven months ago, my father passed away. I remember being there, taking care of my daughter when the moment actually happened. It was a surprise to us; we didn't know he was going to pass at that moment. But that one moment is etched in my memory. I even remember what my daughter was wearing at that moment. She was only 1 at the time. At least she didn't know what was really happening and she doesn't remember that moment at all. But I always will remember it. I think we knew that he was going to pass at some point; he wasn't healthy and he was stubborn about going to the doctor. He was just set in his ways. I guess I can be happy that he met my daughter and he did live a full life. He was only 65 when it happened, which is part of why we were surprised. He always seemed strong to me when i was a child. I know that no one lives forever, but it's still a surprise. You don't know when it will happen. Nothing can prepare you for that." +"My sister started a fight and hit me. She has a temper issue and is a drama queen. Unfortunately I didn't walk away like I should have and I hit her back. My other sister called the police. She claims I hit her too but I did not. I was the one who was arrested and went to jail. It was pure hell for 24 hours. I went to court and the judge said I couldn't live in my house anymore because it's too close to the ""scene of the crime"". This all happened at my parents house next door to me. I was so upset and crying by the time I got home. For some reason my keys wouldn't fit in the door so I thought my landlord locked me out. By then I was so distressed I wanted to kill myself. I thought of many ways to do it. But then I thought of my mom and my cats and had the sense to drive myself to the hospital. I was treated there for a couple days on suicide watch then transferred to a behavioral health center where I stayed for five days. They put me on anxiety medicine which helped tremendously. This was an absolute horrible ordeal I went through and I'm still going through it for the next year. I have to see a probation officer every month, pay court costs, pay the health center and I can't afford it all. I'm on social security. I can hardly wait for this nightmare to be over with." +"This past March one of my sisters had a problem because I asked my mother a question. She hit me in the face and we ended up fighting. I should have just walked away because what happened in the next few months has left a huge scar on me. She and my other sister called the police and they arrested me. She hit me first but they arrested me. It was a horrific ordeal when I was in jail for 24 hours. I've had several court appearances since. After one appearance I was so upset and distraught I wanted to kill myself. The urge was so strong but I thought of my mom and my cats and drove myself to the hospital. My heart was pounding so hard they thought I had a problem with it. I couldn't stop crying either. I was on suicide watch for two days. Then they transferred my to a behavioral health center where I spent the next five days. I was put on anxiety medication and felt better. After I was discharged I went to therapy classes. Now I'm on probation for two years and owe thousands of dollars I don't have to the court, the hospital and the behavior center. I'm on social security and cant keep up with my bills. It's hard and it really stresses me out big time. So for the next two years it'll be very hard on me. I don't miss my sisters at all. I will never ever see them for the rest of my life because I want nothing to do with them because of what they put me through. They have no clue what it's like for me. My life is forever changed. I also lost my husband to a sudden heart attack four years ago and they have no clue how hard that's been on me too. But I get by with the love of my mom and my cats." +"So anyway, about 6 months ago, as I was driving down the street. I noticed I had no idea where I was, or where the location I had to go was. I was basically driving in circles. I found myself driving around in circles for about 30 minutes before I said it was enough, as my phone was dead, and had no idea how to read a map. I ended up pulling up to a rundown business, in the middle of no where, as I had no idea where I was. As I proceeded to enter, I got looks from all around the room, turns out it was a bar. I asked if anyone could help me with directions, most of which all the people were sitting down. I asked the group of people by the front door, and they said sure we can help. He proceeded to give me step by step directions in order to reach the hotel. After he gave me those directions, I said thanks for the help, but i'm not really good at remembering stuff like that, I have been driving around in circles for almost an hour. I asked him if he could write it down on a piece of paper, but it turns out they didn't have a pen. The guy turned to me and said, I haven't been drinking, I have just been giving these guys company. I would be able to take you to the hotel, if you would like. I remember wearing some poor clothing that day, so I looked sort of homeless. Even that It was dark outside, so I asked if he could just write the directions down on a piece of paper. We found someone who carried a pen around, and he jotted down the directions, and thanked him, and I was on my way out." +"Last week I got to meet and hangout with Real de Minas a soccer team that my younger bother plays on in Honduras. This was just an amazing time. The team was so nice and treated me like family. The coach took me out to dinner at a nice restaurant in Tegucigalpa the capital of Honduras. I was able to have some of the team members show me around town. we visited some awesome museums. Then on that Saturday I got to watch them play in the National Stadium. My brother was in the starting line up for the first time and made his international debut. The game was an amazing experience. At half time I was able to go down on the pitch and watch the game at half time. They won the game 3-2. The game was a great battle back and forth, My brother had an assist and almost scored. After the game we went to a famous restaurant to celebrate the win. It was sad to leave on Sunday and come back to states. I hope to travel down again to watch him and the team play this year. It was one of the best experiences in my life." +"I'm a life long fan of soccer. My brother is a soccer player. About 2 weeks ago I watched my brother play soccer. Not just any soccer. He made his soccer debut in Honduras. This was the best thing that ever happened to me. I was elated. I was excited not only for me but for him. My brother has struggled to become one of the best soccer players since the age of 4. He did it! I'm very proud to call him my brother. I am slightly younger than he is. I'm well on my way to become a soccer star too. I hope that I'm next to follow in his footsteps. I was to play in other countries too. Overall, him playing in Honduras was elating!" +"There comes a time in everyone’s life where we hit a complete dead end with our jobs. We start to feel unfulfilled, under-valued, and that we are not using all of our skills we spent so long honing for the workplace. This happened to me about 3 months ago, where I completely hit a wall in my job at the time. I had been working as a Staff Accountant for a nationwide retail pharmacy chain for about 4 years. I took the job right out of college and thought it would be great. It was a huge company so I knew my job would be stable, and if I wanted to move around a bit I figured that I would be able to. Well, after 4 years of small raises and no real big opportunities, I decided that it was time to chase my passion and look for new work about 3 months ago. I was such a small cog in this company since it was massive so I felt that my work was not meaningful. A family friend of mine had recently started a job in sales at a very small board company responsible for some big hit games, and they were looking to fill out their accounting department. Taking this job would be a risk, but board gaming is something I am passionate about and this company was so small. Anything I did in that job would be noticed by everyone. I would be making a real impact in my work. I decided to throw caution to the wind, and apply for the job. I've now been here for 2 months and I love it. The work I do is meaningful, I care about my company, and I am excited to come in to work each and every day. I am so happy I took this risk and chased my passion and left my dead end job. If anyone ever feels stuck at work, it is always worth it to chase your dreams. I know from experience now." +"There comes a time in everyone’s life where we hit a complete dead end with our jobs. We start to feel unfulfilled, under-valued, and that we are not using all of our skills we spent so long honing for the workplace. This happened to me about 3 months ago, where I completely hit a wall in my job at the time. I had been working as a Staff Accountant for a nationwide retail pharmacy chain for about 4 years. I took the job right out of college and thought it would be great. It was a huge company so I knew my job would be stable, and if I wanted to move around a bit I figured that I would be able to. Well, after 4 years of small raises and no real big opportunities, I decided that it was time to chase my passion and look for new work about 3 months ago. I was such a small cog in this company since it was massive so I felt that my work was not meaningful. A family friend of mine had recently started a job in sales at a very small board company responsible for some big hit games, and they were looking to fill out their accounting department. Taking this job would be a risk, but board gaming is something I am passionate about and this company was so small. Anything I did in that job would be noticed by everyone. I would be making a real impact in my work. I decided to throw caution to the wind, and apply for the job. I've now been here for 2 months and I love it. The work I do is meaningful, I care about my company, and I am excited to come in to work each and every day. I am so happy I took this risk and chased my passion and left my dead end job. If anyone ever feels stuck at work, it is always worth it to chase your dreams. I know from experience now." +"The type of event is travelling. I went on a trip with my youngest son to NYC. It was our first trip together, just the two of us. It was the first time either of us have ever been to NYC. It was amazing. The sights, the sounds, the energy of the city! We visited the Statue of Liberty, the 911 Memorial, Central Park, and so many more places. We stayed out late and slept in late. My son's favorite place was Times Square. He loved the bright lights and the people. I enjoyed seeing all the places. I don't think I could pick a favorite. I loved the history behind the Statue of Liberty. The 911 Memorial was sobering and left us quiet and contemplative. Central Park was a fantastic dose of nature in the middle of the large city. China Town and Little Italy were so exciting and different for us. The most memorable thing for me happened on the last day. We were walking towards the subway to head back to the airport. My son turned to me and said ""Mom this was an amazing trip. I had so much fun with you. Thanks.""" +"The type of event is travelling. I went on a trip with my youngest son to NYC. It was our first trip together, just the two of us. It was the first time either of us have ever been to NYC. It was amazing. The sights, the sounds, the energy of the city! We visited the Statue of Liberty, the 911 Memorial, Central Park, and so many more places. We stayed out late and slept in late. My son's favorite place was Times Square. He loved the bright lights and the people. I enjoyed seeing all the places. I don't think I could pick a favorite. I loved the history behind the Statue of Liberty. The 911 Memorial was sobering and left us quiet and contemplative. Central Park was a fantastic dose of nature in the middle of the large city. China Town and Little Italy were so exciting and different for us. The most memorable thing for me happened on the last day. We were walking towards the subway to head back to the airport. My son turned to me and said ""Mom this was an amazing trip. I had so much fun with you. Thanks.""" +"I sent my kids to go stay with their Uncle, Aunt and Cousins this summer thinking it would be a good way for them to be a part of their dad's family, especially since they haven't seen their dad in years. Everyone was very excited to spend time together, get to play together and become a family in spite of their dad. The boys got along with the Uncle and the cousins, who are all girls, got along with my daughter. The only one no one could stand was the aunt (newly married). The visit took a bad turn when the Aunt started treating my daughter more like an 'evil step daughter' than one of her family. If my daughter left out clothes or food she would call her many ugly names and send her away to her room alone. It made a weird rift between my daughter and her cousins, Uncle and brother. No one felt comfortable and my daughter called every day for me to allow her to fly home. I don't quite understand anything that happened because their last visit last summer was amazing and my daughter didn't even want to come home. My daughter felt picked on and her brothers didn't do anything to aleviate the situation. Her biological uncle made things worse by feeding the fuel and going back to his wife saying nasty things about my daughter. It was just an ugly situation and I was glad when she got home. My relationship was never great with them but now it's non-existent. I'm happy that the boys maintained a good relationship with their uncle and cousins but the lashing out from their Aunt to their sister has scared their relationship forever and has put the boys in an awkward situations. At least the Uncle has been calling the boys every week to check in. My daughter is not ready to talk to her Aunt or Uncle and even feels badly towards her cousins who didn't step in to help my daughter when she was being verbally attacked by the Aunt (the cousin's mom)." +"Recently I went to the doctor for a physical. During the physical the doctor ordered lab work. The lab work detected that my fasting blood sugar wa borderline high. The doctor's office contacted me and asked me to come in for a consultation. They advised me that I needed to make some lifestyle changes. I was told that I should work on following some guidelines for a healthier diet. I was also advised to spend some time exercising. The doctor made it very clear that the type of exercise did not really matter so long as I was spending some time being active. The doctor also made it clear that not following the guidelines he suggested coukld have serious consequences. He let me know that I could become diabetic if I did not make lifestyle changes. He also let me know that I could be at risk of becoming overweight as well. Diabetes does not run in my family, so I was surprised to be given this news. I was sad when I found out that I had not been doing my best to take good care of my health. Having this experience made me want to make some changes in the way I was living. Since finding out my health was at risk I have made some big changes. I make sure I am up on my feet more often. I also am far more aware of the foods I eat. My hope is that I will have made some improvements by my next appointment." +"In June, I planned a vacation for my family to go to Jamaica. After a lengthy and bitter divorce with my now ex-husband, I was very excited to be able to finally plan this trip. We all needed a relaxing break. My children and I were very excited about the trip! Several extended family members ended up coming on vacation with us. They essentially piggy backed on our trip, which was great. Though the trip was meant to be a time for my kids and I to relax and simply enjoy time together, I had heard about other people visiting schools in the area, and bringing along gifts for the school children. I thought that was a great idea and did some research about doing something similar while we were there. I contacted the concierge at the resort we were going to stay at, and she made the necessary arrangements for us to visit a local school. The concierge was nice enough to provide me a list of items the school would need the most. I sent this list to my extended family members who planned to join us on the trip. We all purchased items for the school children (school supplies and toys!) and packed them in our suitcases. I have to say, visiting the school was the highlight of my trip! It was very enriching for my children to see the conditions of the school in Jamaica. I made sure to point out to them all the differences between their school and the school in Jamaica. I think it was a great learning experience for my kids and it was important for them to see how good they have it at home. I definitely feel this visit had a positive impact on my kids, and helped them to appreciate what they have. I would highly recommend this type of experience for anyone going on vacation to a third world country." +"Two months ago I had the honor and privilege to work as an intern for the immigration clinic in my home state. The work was very hard but rewarding. There is one case in my mind that sticks out in particular and that is the case of Client. (name omitted). Every week, the intern group would head to local facilities where immigrants seeking asylum were held. The group would give a presentation to the detainees about the services we provided and their rights as detainees. At the end of the presentation, one man walked directly up to me and began telling me his story. The man said that he was from Eritrea. He had been a professor there, and was persecuted for speaking out against the local government. He had been jailed in a facility without windows for seven months and was subsequently released to return to work as a professor, this time with government agents sitting in on all of his lectures. After one session in particular, Client felt as if he was going to be arrested and imprisoned again, and he set out to flee Eritrea, which he did successfully. With the help of a false passport (his home government had confiscated his), and extended travels through three countries, Client arrived in America where he was subsequently detained. After hearing his story, I decided to take him on as a client to help him gain asylum. Over the course of 4 weeks I studied endlessly, learning everything there was to know about Client and asylum laws. A great deal of time was also spent with Client rehearsing the details of his long and harrowing journey and detailing the precise reasons he needed to be granted asylum. At the end of the four weeks, the moment of truth arrived. I entered the courtroom with Client and waited patiently. After what seemed to be an eternity, our case was finally in front of the judge. They called Client to the stand and we began the direct examination. The examination was perfect. Everything that Client and I had prepared for was executed seamlessly. We were so thorough and convincing that the other examining party had minimal questions for Client and gave minimal push back to the idea that asylum was absolutely necessary for my client. We received the news last month that Client has been granted asylum, and I can honestly say that hearing that news was one of the greatest moments of my life." +"Yesterday I was in the supermarket looking for some dinner. I was almost done shopping when I heard a very loud crying coming from he next aisle. I walked over to see what was going on. There I noticed a young mother trying to deal with her baby. I usually try to avoid loud children but she seemed so overwhelmed. I felt like I needed to help. I offered to hold her baby and she gladly accepted. Surprisingly, the baby stopped crying! The mom was able to shop in peace finally. Afterwards, she could not stop thanking me. This has changed the way I feel about crying children. In the future I will no longer think of them as an annoyance, but an opportunity for me to try to help someone out. I wonder how many other things in life I should consider differently. I never thought I would be the one to approach a crying kid. Who knows what else I may actually be good at." +"Yesterday I was in the supermarket looking for some dinner. I was almost done shopping when I heard a very loud crying coming from he next aisle. I walked over to see what was going on. There I noticed a young mother trying to deal with her baby. I usually try to avoid loud children but she seemed so overwhelmed. I felt like I needed to help. I offered to hold her baby and she gladly accepted. Surprisingly, the baby stopped crying! The mom was able to shop in peace finally. Afterwards, she could not stop thanking me. This has changed the way I feel about crying children. In the future I will no longer think of them as an annoyance, but an opportunity for me to try to help someone out. I wonder how many other things in life I should consider differently. I never thought I would be the one to approach a crying kid. Who knows what else I may actually be good at." +"The event that I am thinking about is the time when I went to a party about a month and a half ago. It was my friend Jessica's birthday and we all went and did karaoke. I drove to the event, which was incredibly stupid because I knew I was going to be drinking and when I drink I also drink too much. The karaoke place was about two miles from my house. Over the course of the evening I proceeded to get drunker and drunker as did everyone else. I dont think we even had a DD or someone who was just drinking a little bit. When the end of the night came, which had been a lot of fun, we all kind of staggered out to the parking lot. I initially got in my car deciding I would drive home, but I suddenly couldn't even remember where I was in the city. Like, I could not think of which direction to drive in to get to my house. I finally got my phone out and kind of fought with it for probably 15 minutes until I finally was able to update my credit card information in the Uber app and contacted a driver. When I got home it was probably 2:30 in the morning and I immediately passed out. When I came to around 7:30 I looked at my phone and had dozens of missed calls and missed messages on my phone and in my group message. It turns out one of my friend's had gotten caught up at a DUI checkpoint and was calling from jail asking for assistance. He was calling to know if he should take a breathalyzer or just deny it and wanted us to research what to do online. I missed all the frantic messages from my friends though, which I would have been worthless anyway in that situation because I was so out of it. He also wanted us to come bail him out but our jail must be too overcrowded because they didn't hold him and just released him at around 9 in the morning, even though he was still legally drunk, I""m sure. We did have to take him to get his car from an impound lot. The whole experience was terrible, but I also felt relief for myself." +"So Marsha and I have both had terrible relationship luck. We've both been full of doubt. Her and I have been dumped, turned down, or just ignored many times before. We finally tried something new. Instead of looking for those who ignored us, we looked for someone who is like us. We found each other. It was hard at first because we both had our guards up. But we got over ourselves and really were able to make it work. We've been dating now for about 3 months. It's been very rocky. Things have been mostly going pretty well. I think she is the one for me. I'm thinking of proposing to her. She is very special to me. It took us getting treated badly to find each other." +"So Marsha and I have both had terrible relationship luck. We've both been full of doubt. Her and I have been dumped, turned down, or just ignored many times before. We finally tried something new. Instead of looking for those who ignored us, we looked for someone who is like us. We found each other. It was hard at first because we both had our guards up. But we got over ourselves and really were able to make it work. We've been dating now for about 3 months. It's been very rocky. Things have been mostly going pretty well. I think she is the one for me. I'm thinking of proposing to her. She is very special to me. It took us getting treated badly to find each other." +"I was set up on a blind date with a widower of 2 and 1/2 years. We had such a great time. We were a good match. It all was going well until his immature 27 year old daughter found out he was dating. She was spoiled and babied by him and his wife all her life and that has made her a pretty immature, worthless adult. She calls on purpose to ruin dates and creates nonstop drama. She texts and calls constantly. And she is a big drinker. And when she is in town visiting, he is not even allowed to acknowledge my existence. She is self obsessed and immature, she likes to control her father and manipulate him to an extreme. She tells him what to do and how to do it. He is not man enough to stand up to her and be the adult parent. It makes life miserable. It's hard enough with a widower, but the daughter puts the situation over the top. It is so emotionally hard to deal with because you can't just tell him his daughter is an asshole. You have to put up with it. But, he makes the problem worse catering to her. If that obstacle wasnt in the way, things would be so much easier. I dont expect them to easy with a widower. I decided it is too much for me to have to handle. She won't leave him alone until she might finally have a boyfriend but no one will want to date someone like her. Once I got out of the situation, I realized how much stress it was putting on me. It's nice to not have to listen to a phone constantly going off, or sit there with someone that has a phone in their face all the time." +"I was set up on a blind date with a widower of 2 and 1/2 years. We had such a great time. We were a good match. It all was going well until his immature 27 year old daughter found out he was dating. She was spoiled and babied by him and his wife all her life and that has made her a pretty immature, worthless adult. She calls on purpose to ruin dates and creates nonstop drama. She texts and calls constantly. And she is a big drinker. And when she is in town visiting, he is not even allowed to acknowledge my existence. She is self obsessed and immature, she likes to control her father and manipulate him to an extreme. She tells him what to do and how to do it. He is not man enough to stand up to her and be the adult parent. It makes life miserable. It's hard enough with a widower, but the daughter puts the situation over the top. It is so emotionally hard to deal with because you can't just tell him his daughter is an asshole. You have to put up with it. But, he makes the problem worse catering to her. If that obstacle wasnt in the way, things would be so much easier. I dont expect them to easy with a widower. I decided it is too much for me to have to handle. She won't leave him alone until she might finally have a boyfriend but no one will want to date someone like her. Once I got out of the situation, I realized how much stress it was putting on me. It's nice to not have to listen to a phone constantly going off, or sit there with someone that has a phone in their face all the time." +"Ever since I've lived on my own, I've been a little wild. Experimenting with drugs was probably the first of it, and it never really stopped. I wouldn't say I've ever had a ""problem,"" but it has made me view the world, and the people surrounding me differently, less judgmentally - maybe sometimes more judgmentally. Recently, I was invited to a ""dance party under the stars,"" where I went to a swimming hole to camp in a town that no longer has a police force. I did what I always do in these situations - I took psychedelic drugs and went on an adventure in my mind. But this time it was different - this time, no one else was doing the same. For the first time, this ""hobby"" of mine I used to make friends and relate to people, made me an outcast. I was alone, I was terrified - I was hiding in my car ripping my inner self to shreds and rebuilding who I was. For eight hours, I hated who I was, what I was doing, and I just wanted to disappear, I wanted everyone to forget I existed - while simultaneously knowing how much it would hurt when I was forgotten. I spent that night alone. While everyone else was dancing under the stars, drinking, and sharing love, I was hiding so no one would know what I had done. In retrospect, I do not think I would have been as harshly judged as I felt like I was in that moment, but I do believe no one would have wanted to spend that evening with me anyways. I missed out on a good time because I tried to make it better with substances. We are a sum of our experiences, we must take the good with the bad. All my mistakes have made me who I am and I have grown from my experiences." +"We had experienced a hurricane about 3 months back. Some friends of mine from church stopped by to tell us it was on the way and we should make plans to evacuate. They prayed for us and left. Most of the people in town had evacuated or stayed in a shelter. Not my family and I though. We have been through multiple hurricanes before and none of them had caused significant enough damage to justify leaving the house this time. We unanimously agreed that we would stay in the house and brave this out. Sure enough this turned out to be a category 5. Several hours into the storm, the windows blew out. And with that came flooding indoors. I was starting to wish that I had left, so my family and I are grabbed our most important belongings and put them into a suitcase. The next step was to get up to the car. This was difficult because the driveway was almost completely flooded. Fortunately we made it. My wife steered the car and I was able to push it from the front into the road. When we got to the highway it was raining so hard and obscured my vision. As I was turning a car came out of nowhere and hit the car. The next thing you know I woke up in a hospital. It turned out that I had 2 broken legs but everyone else was OK. Then the nurse came in and told me I had a visitor. It turned out to be my friends from the church. Hey cracked a joke saying that I should have listened to them in the first place but were glad I was OK. They congratulated me on getting my family to safety at least. Next time I'm going to take such warnings seriously. I don't wanna ever experience something like that again." +"My personal life story begins like all of us at my birth. Being born in a small village in the West African country of Ghana gives me my uniqueness and an identity that has culture, history and politics in it. The village is called Dixcove after the British Captain who was called Captain Dixon who colonised the region in the 16th Century. My Mother is a Ghanaian and my Farther is from England, the North West a West Cumbrian. When I was four it was decided by my parents that I would live in England with my dad’s sister my Auntie Dot. ‘It was for the best reasons’ I have remembered my Auntie saying and after all it was the brave new world of the nineteen sixties, where the ‘civil rights’ movement was in its ascendency. Being sent to live in Egremount in West Cumbria had a number of challenges, not just for its white working class identity which served up a lot of prejudice for me; it was also the beginning of the sexual abuse that I had to endure as a child. My Auntie had two Sons and one Daughter. This was my home and where I lived with them, my cousins, my Auntie and my Uncles. From the age of seven up until the age of ten I was sexually abused by one of the boys on a weekly basis, apart from a three month period in each year. I was forced to act out sexual favours for him. He was eighteen at the time and the abuse would always happen in mine and my dad’s room. This is mentioned for the reason of if I was reading this I may ask ‘where was my dad when this was happening? Dads are supposed to protect you aren’t they?’ He lived in Ghana working and living with my Mum where he would spend nine months in Ghana and three months in England. As a black child, young adult who had no black friends, no black family members or black role models there has been a visible lack of ‘group identity’. My contact with blackness was watching Muhammad Ali win the heavy weight championship of the world, the Jackson Five singing ABC and the Brazilin footballer Pele being my school nickname given to me by my white peers. Having to live with experiencing sexual abuse has had a huge effect on me; anger, depression and anxiety have been emotions which were hard for me to live with but easy for me to relate to. Even so the sexual abuse had not affected the real sense of ‘uniqueness’ my situation gave me. It did not matter that there was a lack of blackness in my world to relate to, both subtle and overate messages every day gave negative, positive assurance of my sense of self, I felt black, it was certainly not the case of being proud of this fact after all I had been sexual abused as a child. Self-image has direct long term impact on self-esteem and is vital in helping a healthy development. When my cousin who sexual abused me told me ‘if I spoke to anyone about the sexual abuse no one would believe me because I was an outsider, a brown bugger no one wanted’ his words stopped me from saying anything to anyone." +"My husband and I got married a couple years ago, and really wanted to have kids. We were trying for kids for the past year, and it was very heartbreaking and difficult. There was a lot of pressure to have kids After about a year we had all but given up and decided to adopt instead. A couple months ago, I found out I was pregnant and we were really really happy. We had just gotten really great insurance. We are so excited to be parents soon. This event is really special for us, since it took so long to get pregnant, and it is my parents' first grandchild and my grandmothers' first great-grandchild as well! It was also really special for our family too. My sister in law knew how difficult it had been, and she was so happy for us. She revealed to us that she was pregnant too, and only a little further along than me, so our kids will be close in age. We were really excited for each other. My grandparents were also really excited. Right after I found out, we went on vacation to the lake. I will always remember that lake as a special place now. We are hoping to make more memories at this lake too!" +"It was the most wonderful night of my life. I'm actually still shocked as to how amazing the entire evening went. Me and my boyfriend went to this beautiful Mexican restaurant, I had cheese enchiladas, rice, and beans while he had steak chimichangas. The dinner was amazing and I'm sure the waitress was really happy too for the big tip she got. For months we had waited for this night. Tonight was the night that one of our favorite artists would be in town and we had bought tickets a long time ago. The artist was Electric Light Orchestra, and now that we were done eating we were heading to see the show. Tonight would be the last night I would see my boyfriend for the entire summer so we wanted to make it special. Me and my boyfriend absolutely love live music, one of our favorite things to do is go to shows and I'm so glad we went to this one. We couldn't believe it, Electric Light Orchestra opened with most favorite song! We spent the entire night listening to good music and eating food. We were in love and nothing could change that not even a summer apart from each other. We didn't worry about a single thing all night, just enjoying ourselves and each other's company. I don't think this is a night i'll ever forget the rest of my life and it's already been four months since it happened. My boyfriend is going to be back soon since summer is almost over, I can't wait. I usually don't wait this long to write into my diary but it's taken me this long just to process how magical this night was." +"Six months ago I had my birthday! I always love preparing in advance and treating the guests with cake pieces, sweets, snacks, soft drinks and tea. The most memorable portion of this was being with my family which is rare. My dad is in jail and my mom and I are not too close. Despite this, i love spending time with her. I really wish my dad was here as well but I have accepted that he is gone. I try to be as positive as possible though and look at the bright side. It can always be worse. I will always hold these memories dear as nothing lasts forever. Every year gets better and better though and makes me feel like my mom and I are close. It's comforting. My writing experience was good. It came naturally because it's based on true facts of my life in a way. It is based on your prompt but I twisted it into my life. My dad is in jail but my mom and I are actually very close. We have to be to get through something like that. I am interested in writing more if needed." +"One nice evening, my spouse and I went for a walk in the little wilderness area that is near where we live. It had been raining quite a bit recently, so the service berry bushes were full. We enjoyed eating service berries as we walked. All along the pathways, especially when there was tall grass on either side, were a large number of dragonflies flying around. I knew that there is a spring of water in the area, but I hadn't seen so many flying around at one time before! We noticed a female deer resting among tall grass, but once she saw that we were no threat, she remained where she was. We also saw ravens in a tree playing with little sticks. The weather was very nice that evening; it was nice to be outside with my spouse enjoying the fresh air. There was an avenue of blooming trees that we walked along, so fragrant. The trees were also apparently full of wasps and bees, because they were buzzing so loudly! Apparently we weren't the only ones enjoying the fragrant trees. One thing that happened during the walk was that a dragonfly landed on my spouse's shoulder, holding a wasp it had caught! It was big (both insects), and I was surprised to find out that dragonflies ate wasps. The dragonfly landed only briefly, and then flew away. It was a really wonderful, memorable walk." +"One nice evening, my spouse and I went for a walk in the little wilderness area that is near where we live. It had been raining quite a bit recently, so the service berry bushes were full. We enjoyed eating service berries as we walked. All along the pathways, especially when there was tall grass on either side, were a large number of dragonflies flying around. I knew that there is a spring of water in the area, but I hadn't seen so many flying around at one time before! We noticed a female deer resting among tall grass, but once she saw that we were no threat, she remained where she was. We also saw ravens in a tree playing with little sticks. The weather was very nice that evening; it was nice to be outside with my spouse enjoying the fresh air. There was an avenue of blooming trees that we walked along, so fragrant. The trees were also apparently full of wasps and bees, because they were buzzing so loudly! Apparently we weren't the only ones enjoying the fragrant trees. One thing that happened during the walk was that a dragonfly landed on my spouse's shoulder, holding a wasp it had caught! It was big (both insects), and I was surprised to find out that dragonflies ate wasps. The dragonfly landed only briefly, and then flew away. It was a really wonderful, memorable walk." +"Two weeks ago, my six year old son fell down the steps getting ready for school. This might not sound like a huge ordeal, but let me explain further. My six year old son is medically complex and has a seizure disorder with a chromosomal abnormality. I was using the restroom when suddenly, I heard a loud boom. I ran out of the bathroom to see my little boy lying unconscious on the floor. I assumed he hit his head. I ran down the steps. His eyes rolled back into his head and he began seizing. I was in a state of panic. I yelled for my husband to dial 911. He remained unconscious for what felt like hours. In reality, it was only about three minutes before paramedics arrived. He was shaking in my arms, started to turn a pale shade of blue and was not alert at all. I was crying and yelling his name, but in my mind, imagining that this was the day that I was going to lose my child. EMS administered a medication rectally. He started to cry inconsolably, and then said ""Mommy."" I have never felt more joy in my heart to hear that little voice. We were taken to the hospital and stayed for two days for further monitoring. I could not stop kissing his little cheeks during those days, and felt so emotional knowing that things could have ended so differently." +My life is partially mixed with the good and bad. I take good thing to be happy. And bad thing to be sad. My life going on smoothly. I have a small circumstances in life. My romantic partner is very lovable. My two lovable children are so cute. My working life is good. But sometimes it is very stressful. My friends are very helpful and caring. I love my family and friends. When i feel upset they encourage me. And i am happy with what i have. My life is entirely different from others. I love to travel. And i think i'm a wandering soul. But in life i want to change some characters to interact with the other peoples. +"My brother died in March. I remember the last time I saw him in the hospital and I had no clue it would be the last time. I mean, he was sick, but his doctor was telling him he would be getting out the next day. He took a turn for the worse, though. The last time I saw him alive was on March 17 which was St. Patrick's day. My 12-year old son came with me and we stopped to get my brother a St. Patrick's day bouquet. My son wanted this HUGE blow-up hat, too, so I got that as well. It is hard to describe, but it was so tall, he had to duck to get in some of the doors. My brother was sitting up in his chair watching a baseball game when I got there, and he was so happy to see us. My mother was there, also, and they both laughed at my son's hat. My brother talked with me for awhile and asked me to try to contact his wife who was in the Philippines at the time visiting family, and I tried, but I could not get her on the phone for him. He then asked me if I had any sugar-free candy as I usually brought him some. But, I didn't. I told him I'd run out to the store to get him some. It was Sunday and the gift shop in the lobby of the hospital was closed, so I went to the Walmart close by. My brother lived in a town about 50 miles away, so I was surprised that I saw a former co-worker when I went to the Walmart. We are Facebook friends, but I still had no clue she had moved recently to that city. Anyway, my brother was so happy to have a little hard candy that was sugar free (I got him some peppermints) and he hugged me tight before I left. I did not get a chance to come back to see him later that week when he went to ICU due to some heart issues as I came down with the flu and I feel badly about that. But, I can still see his smile at the little bit of St. Patrick's day stuff I brought, and his happiness with the hard candy I went to get him." +"It was four months ago when I last saw my brother. I was not expecting it to be the last time, he seemed to be happy and I did not think it would be fatal. He was a friendly child and I enjoyed him immensely. He did not deserve to get so sick, but some things are out of our control. I believe he is in a better place, I am happy knowing he is no longer suffering. I will never forget my brother. I will always hold a place for him in my heart. He was a great person and will be sorely missed by the whole family. If I ever have a son I will name him after my brother. He will always be in my memory. I loved him dearly and we used to spend a lot of time together. He was always a bright child, and full of life. When the sickness took hold he was resilient and strong at first. But the sickness was more serious than we thought. It ended up taking him. Rest in peace brother. You will be missed so much." +"I went to work today. It was my last day of work which was bittersweet. I am looking forward to relaxing and pursuing my hobbies, but I don't know what it will feel like not going to a job five days a week. I was actually more sad than I thought I would be on my ride to work thinking of not seeing my coworkers every day. I parked my car at my usual parking space , but didn't have much to take into work . I had already cleared out my office so there was really not much I needed. I went into the building and greeted everyone on way to my office. Everyone was acting giddy today , but I thought nothing of it. I assumed there was some good news about the company they didn't feel the need to share with me any longer. I got to my office and preceded in tidying up my paperwork and closing all of my accounts when my supervisor called me to her office. When I reached her office she was waiting for me at her door and asked me to walk with her. Our conversation centered around what I would be doing from now on and she told me how much I would be missed. I wasn't paying attention to where we were walking, but when she opened the door to the break area, I heard all of my coworkers yell ""Surprise"". It took me a moment to realize what was happening , but when I did, tears came to my eyes. They presented me with a Memento of a plague and we spent the next hour reminicsing and saying our goodbyes. There were party games and of course tales of the wonderful memories we had shared. I will cherish this day as long as I live." +"I went to work today. It was my last day of work which was bittersweet. I am looking forward to relaxing and pursuing my hobbies, but I don't know what it will feel like not going to a job five days a week. I was actually more sad than I thought I would be on my ride to work thinking of not seeing my coworkers every day. I parked my car at my usual parking space , but didn't have much to take into work . I had already cleared out my office so there was really not much I needed. I went into the building and greeted everyone on way to my office. Everyone was acting giddy today , but I thought nothing of it. I assumed there was some good news about the company they didn't feel the need to share with me any longer. I got to my office and preceded in tidying up my paperwork and closing all of my accounts when my supervisor called me to her office. When I reached her office she was waiting for me at her door and asked me to walk with her. Our conversation centered around what I would be doing from now on and she told me how much I would be missed. I wasn't paying attention to where we were walking, but when she opened the door to the break area, I heard all of my coworkers yell ""Surprise"". It took me a moment to realize what was happening , but when I did, tears came to my eyes. They presented me with a Memento of a plague and we spent the next hour reminicsing and saying our goodbyes. There were party games and of course tales of the wonderful memories we had shared. I will cherish this day as long as I live." +"Today I went to a baseball game. It wasn't just any old game, it involved my son playing in it. What made it special was our whole family history intertwined in the game for many, many seasons. He was a baseball player his whole younger life, starting when he was only about seven. My husband, his dad, was his coach. They were together for so many years as my husband coached him and he played shortstop mostly and was trained to be a pitcher. I sat at all of his games, watching them both interact together and it was a special thing to see. I didn't know anything about baseball when I was growing up. I had two sisters and we really didn't play sports. As they progressed in skill over the years, my knowledge of the game increased to the point where I might have been able to coach a time myself. So many thing happened over those years but the constant was always baseball. My son graduated and went to college on a baseball scholarship. After he graduated, he wound up playing minor league ball for a time and we traveled to see him play. Once he started his business career, he turned his attention to his other interests and there were no more games to attend. Many years went by until he was asked to fill in for an adult team member on this amateur team. So here I am again, doing the same thing that I did all that many years ago and remembering all those good times." +"This summer my son joined a teenagers baseball league with his afterschool activities comity. He has not played baseball for atleast 5 years, and seeing him start again is so awesome! He used to be so amazing, but eventually he lost interest. I am not a baseball kind of guy, but i am a total baseball dad. I loved going to see his games, james always out performed expectations. Once he began to lose interest, it went downhill very quick. Now that he has begun again, he is back to being incredible, and outperforming my, and everybody else's expectations. I honestly think he could make a career out of it, if that is what he wants. He can pitch better then anyone, he can bat and has the home run record at his school. He has all the attributes it would take to go professional. He would make a great role model. Even his coach said he is amazed. My son was able to get right back into the swing of things. This summer will be another amazing summer. I get to spend my free time, watching my son crush baseballs, and there is nothing i would rather spend my time doing. Warm summers, cold drinks, and watching their son excel at competition, is what i think almost every father on planet earth can enjoy" +"We were surprised to find out that my sister was pregnant. She had been struggling to become pregnant, and it finally happened after weeks of fertility treatments. Her and her husband deserve to have a baby. Everyone at our father's day event became an emotional mess after finding out the great news. It means a lot to me that I am finally an aunt, so that is why I started crying. My entire family also cried. I have always wanted to have a baby in the family. Whether it be a little sibling or a niece or nephew, I always wanted a baby. After we cried, we all went shopping to the store Marshalls. We were off to find clothes and new accessories for the new baby. We are thrilled to have this baby in our lives. It came as quite the surprise, but it was very happy. The ultrasound made us weep when we saw it. We all can't wait to find out the gender of the baby. I am so happy for them." +"It had been about 3 months since I last saw my sister. We worked and lived in different states, so we couldn't see each other often. For the holidays, she invited me to her home to celebrate. A couple days before Christmas, she spilled the big news. She told me she was pregnant as we were sitting in her couch in her living room. I couldn't believe it. She had been trying to get pregnant for the past two years, and hadn't been able to. It had taken a great toll on both her and her husband. I didn't like seeing her unhappy. Yet here she was, telling me that I would soon be an aunt. We both started crying tears of joy. She had wanted to be a mom for so long and soon it would become a reality. We decided to go to the mall to see what we could buy for the baby. We were both so excited and I wanted to buy my little nephew or niece something. I love my sister a lot and this news was amazing-- not just for her, but for me too. I had always wanted to be an aunt." +"The funny thing is my husband always told me that when he first met me he wanted me to be the mother of his child, even though he already had Tim from his previous marriage. It makes me laugh now when I think about it because with Laila and Marcus from my previous marriage, I always said to him those two were the best behaved children ever, and I didn't want to jinx my luck by having any more. I couldn't believe how insistent he was that we just had to have another baby to unite our kids and complete our little blended family. Sure enough though after months of trying to convince me that this would be good for us, I finally gave in to the idea. But, then I thought about it again, diary: Did I really want to have to worry about Pediatricians again? Daycare costs again? Especially after I'd gotten comfortable with having older kids that I practically grew up with! I was in such a good place. The weird thing about it all is that I remember he and I were together and I just knew what he was trying to do. At first, I was skeptical, but then I began getting excited about the possibility of having his baby. After all we didn't have one together, and our blended family was working so well that we both knew it was right. I just couldn't believe how upset I was when I took the first of a few tests and it came out negative. Eventually, I began to accept the fact that at 35 years old, I didn't NEED to have another baby at all, and this was life's way of saying that I wasn't suppose to have another baby. I was OKAY with that Diary!!! We enjoyed our life and family time. It's just funny how Dana's baby shower changed it all for us for some reason. When I came home that night from Norfolk, and I began telling him about the shower and how excited Sasha and her husband were and how cute the gifts were, I could see just feel the idea of having another baby getting him worked up and excited. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that that was the night our little man was conceived! After 2 eventful years, it took me going to a baby shower for a friend for our son to decide that he wanted to come into the world too! Life is so crazy, but I wouldn't have it any other way." +"I'm so happy my cousin got a job at Google. He is like a son to me and I am so proud that he was able to make this happen. He just got this job and it was his dream job, so we celebrated it, my wife and children and I, because he has finally made it in life. I have heard great things about Google as an employer and my cousin will likely fit right in. He had a rough life in the beginning and struggled a bit to get where he is, but I know he will do great things at Google. He wants to stay there for a long time and become an executive of the company, and I have no doubt that he will. He has always been a very smart kid and was ambitious as he worked through his various life struggles. My wife and kids are very close to him as well. My kids like to hang out with my cousin and learn about computers and programming with him, and he is always happy to teach them. Maybe one day they will get jobs at Google as well. My cousin is the baby of the family and we always thought he would do great things. It seems like a long time ago that he got the job at Google, but it was only 6 weeks ago and his life is about to change very much. He gets paid very well and will be able to buy a condo and travel and do all of the things on his bucket list. We are so proud of him and all that he has done. We went out to dinner a few times to celebrate and invited some of his friends along with the family. My children want to grow up to be just like my cousin and I can't imagine a better role model for them." +"My husbnd and I were married at disney. We loved every second of it. It was magical. We stayed at the French Quarter and my husband had never been before. We went to all the parks and for our honeymoon night diner we ate at the california grill. it was the first time either of us was able to eat at a fancy restaurant. we were treated like royalty because we wore our honeymoon pins in the park. my husband actually got to star in the festival of the lion king thanks to those pins. i don't think we could hae picked a better place to get married. we talk about it all the time and we have so many fond memories. we loved bein in florida. we especially loved being in disney. we will be going back every year for our honeymoon. i know it won't always be as perfect, but i hope it will be close. we loved our trip and we will definitely be back." +My cousin got married in Washington. We enjoy a lot. It makes me very happy. I met many family members in this wedding. I also met my school friends in this wedding function. We take many photos. They are good memories to me. This wedding function is one of the memorable day in my life. Me and my friends are speak with our olden memories. It gives me a wonderful feeling. The happiest moment in our life is met our friends at the unexpected moment. I also feel it. Because i don't know they are come to my cousin wedding. They gives me a very good company. My friends are so lovable. They made my day. I am very lucky to having such a friends. It was the unforgettable day in my life. My cousin also so cute. That wedding is so beautiful. +"My daughter has grown up very fast right before my eyes. She is such a smart, and wonderful kid, I've always thought so. She's proving it today by acting like a big girl and going away to camp for a few weeks. It is a leadership camp to help her with her goals. This is a big step for me because she will be going to college soon. She has always been an independent child and I care for her a great deal. It is hard for me to see her go to this camp, but ultimately it will be good for us. I will hate to see her leave to college in two years but I will love the fact that she is starting her life. This is a significant step for us and I see it as a milestone. I was so surprised to see her grow up so fast. Life goes by quickly when you are raising a child. She has been a joy to bring up and I am so proud of her. I cannot wait to see her aspirations and dreams come true for her. She works hard and is committed to her goals. She is a bright and wonderful girl and I am happy to be her mother. I think that anybody could say the same and I will miss her a lot when she is gone, but I will know that she is improving her life. I am so happy for her and I just cannot wait to see where she goes in life." +"My daughter has grown up very fast right before my eyes. She is such a smart, and wonderful kid, I've always thought so. She's proving it today by acting like a big girl and going away to camp for a few weeks. It is a leadership camp to help her with her goals. This is a big step for me because she will be going to college soon. She has always been an independent child and I care for her a great deal. It is hard for me to see her go to this camp, but ultimately it will be good for us. I will hate to see her leave to college in two years but I will love the fact that she is starting her life. This is a significant step for us and I see it as a milestone. I was so surprised to see her grow up so fast. Life goes by quickly when you are raising a child. She has been a joy to bring up and I am so proud of her. I cannot wait to see her aspirations and dreams come true for her. She works hard and is committed to her goals. She is a bright and wonderful girl and I am happy to be her mother. I think that anybody could say the same and I will miss her a lot when she is gone, but I will know that she is improving her life. I am so happy for her and I just cannot wait to see where she goes in life." +"Three months ago, things took a turn for the better with my family. My husband had been applying to many different jobs. The one he had was not really cutting it for our finances, and money was really tight. We found that we were spending more money each month than we were earning. It was a very stressful time for us. My husband found a great job that paid almost three times his previous salary. He also got a signing bonus that allowed us to put down a down payment for a larger vehicle. We had to take two cars to get our whole family somewhere, and now we can all fit in our (new to us) van! We bought a 2012 Honda Odyssey and the color is a gorgeous deep red. We got a really good deal on it, and while I never really wanted a minivan, I'm glad that everyone can finally fit in one car. I was surprised how much I loved it! We were also able to catch up on our electricity and gas bills. We weren't behind a whole bunch but it was refreshing to finally be able to reach a balance of zero! It is so refreshing to be able to pay the bills. We have some money saved up now to get the kids some great gifts for Christmas. We won't be taking our newly found financial freedom for granted. I plan on being frugal with my household purchases and contributing to a large emergency fund." +"Three months ago, things took a turn for the better with my family. My husband had been applying to many different jobs. The one he had was not really cutting it for our finances, and money was really tight. We found that we were spending more money each month than we were earning. It was a very stressful time for us. My husband found a great job that paid almost three times his previous salary. He also got a signing bonus that allowed us to put down a down payment for a larger vehicle. We had to take two cars to get our whole family somewhere, and now we can all fit in our (new to us) van! We bought a 2012 Honda Odyssey and the color is a gorgeous deep red. We got a really good deal on it, and while I never really wanted a minivan, I'm glad that everyone can finally fit in one car. I was surprised how much I loved it! We were also able to catch up on our electricity and gas bills. We weren't behind a whole bunch but it was refreshing to finally be able to reach a balance of zero! It is so refreshing to be able to pay the bills. We have some money saved up now to get the kids some great gifts for Christmas. We won't be taking our newly found financial freedom for granted. I plan on being frugal with my household purchases and contributing to a large emergency fund." +"When I first had anxiety, I started having a lot of panic attacks. It was in my last year of college and at the time I was considering changing my major. I was a psychology major, but I wasn't able to pass my math class so I had to switch to sociology. Before the change, I was really nervous and unsure of myself. I tried to find comfort in the familiar stuff in order to cope. When I would get anxious, I was lucky to be surrounded by people that were supportive. My fiance would often play board games with me and that helped a lot. I found that petting my guinea pigs really helped me out too. In the moment, the anxiety felt very intense but I was able to overcome it for the most part. Although it never fully went away, I got better with dealing with it as time went on. After switching to my sociology major, I found that a lot of my teachers were very nice. The homework got easier for me, and it felt like it was a major that I belonged in. Although I initially wanted to study psychology, sociology was a good compromise. They are two related fields that are similar in some regards. Being in a new and better environment really helped my anxiety too." +"When I first had anxiety, I started having a lot of panic attacks. It was in my last year of college and at the time I was considering changing my major. I was a psychology major, but I wasn't able to pass my math class so I had to switch to sociology. Before the change, I was really nervous and unsure of myself. I tried to find comfort in the familiar stuff in order to cope. When I would get anxious, I was lucky to be surrounded by people that were supportive. My fiance would often play board games with me and that helped a lot. I found that petting my guinea pigs really helped me out too. In the moment, the anxiety felt very intense but I was able to overcome it for the most part. Although it never fully went away, I got better with dealing with it as time went on. After switching to my sociology major, I found that a lot of my teachers were very nice. The homework got easier for me, and it felt like it was a major that I belonged in. Although I initially wanted to study psychology, sociology was a good compromise. They are two related fields that are similar in some regards. Being in a new and better environment really helped my anxiety too." +"once I returned to work from lunch to be told to get to the hospital quickly, my father had died. once I almost lost it when I hung up the phone after being told by my brother I had lost more than a quarter of a million dollars on a stock deal. An instructor at college once told me my work was better than any graduate student's work he had seen in his career and I was an undergrad at the time. The way way Sheryl put her arms around my neck and gave me ""the look"" you always want to get from the woman you love. driving my beloved and ancient cat to the vet while it's suffering Jacobson's contractions on the seat, and dying before we got there. looking down into the toilet and seeing it filled with blood and realizing my ulcer had burst and that I needed to get to the hospital right now. Pulling a dead man from the ocean and trying to bring him back to life with no success. having a friend offer me my dream job, without a single interview, and being the happiest at work I have ever beenscreaming at work at the insanity of a stupid proposed strategy that cost millions. buying that first Mercedes convertible and driving home with the top down and feeling like a million bucks. waking up in the broiling sun, naked, on the deck of a dive boat after being rescued from certain death by the US Coast Guardrelaxing with a cigar at the end of a long and wonderful day in Positano, Italy with my girlfriend. feeling my heart pounding when the mugger pulled out the switchblade and backed me against a fence overooking a canal in Amsterdam. having my sister ask me to walk her down the aisle after my father died. my mother, giving me my father's gold watch, that his father had given him- standing back and viewing the sailboat I had built from scratch signlehandedly, the first time it was completely finished. opening up the envelope and seeing the packet containing my first patent and the big bonus check that came with it. looking into the eyes of the woman I loved the very first time I entered her and seeing love reflected back at me." +"So I just did something. I created a Subreddit on the GalaxyNote 10. I am really proud of myself because going out on a limb like that isn't something I would normally do. I'm also really nervous about it. I feel like I really took a chance and maybe it will work out for me, but maybe it won't. I'm not used to just getting something done without talking myself out of it. I spend so much time just dealing with my anxiety that I don't always go out and live my life. I mean, what's really going to come of it anyway? It's just a Subreddit. The thing is, I don't start conversations. I'm just an introvert who keeps to myself. I'm out on a limb though! I'm branching out...taking risks. I hope it helps the anxiety. It can't hurt, right?" +"My dog has gotten to be an old man. I've had him since he was a puppy. He was a little scrawny thing {and so was I), no more than six pounds when we first laid eyes on each other. I picked him out to play with him and told him I'd be back that weekend to get him when I got paid. He looked hurt that I was leaving, but I assured him I'd be back. Fast forward 13 years and he's been my constant companion. He's almost a person the way he behaves. When he started having seizures at the end of the summer, it made me realize that he's not going to be with me forever. I mean, I knew this day would come; your pet going on is always in the back of your mind, but it always seems far away. Then far away gets real close. He likely has a tumor and he's on medication, which seems to be keeping the seizures at bay. I know one day the medications won't matter and we'll part ways. For now, I'm going to take every day with him as a gift, as cliche as that sounds. I will do my best to usher him into the next life and I hope we'll see each other again. I take comfort, as small as it is, in that when he does pass, my grandma and my other dog will be there to take care of him." +"i need to move a new city, because my adviser say need to move, suddenly ask me to move to new city. because i have incompetent adviser that's why he don't have knowledge about it. anyway i need to move on new city. need to pack everything and quickly need to move on, many difficulty at many things and my groceries and my clothes, bikes and cars. i dont know about the new city. whether, climate, surroundings, neighbors all. i need to spend long life there, i scared about new city life. my friends and collages are here, i don't know how about i spend their without this. i need to start my new life at new city. need to start everything, i hope there are hope and happiness and full of joy. i restart my life their. i need to find new friends and pet shop and groceries shop their, everything happens because of my adviser fault. lack of knowledge, my father scold him many time for his knowledge. i booked transport for shift everything to the new city. i come back to new city , i feel bit fine than older place, but my friends nobody around me. need to meet new friends there and everything make new. we all enjoyed the new city life. very nice amd a lot of fun at the new city. i feel good and compare to old house is better than new house." +"I had graduated from college a few months ago, in an education-related field, and I had secured a position as a student teacher in a new city on the East Coast. Things went well at the start. Even though the city was a large, and expensive one, I had gotten an Airbnb for a few weeks, to stay at while I looked to sign a lease at an apartment. Rents were very expensive, which I expected, and many areas were places that I wouldn't consider living because of noise, crime, and similar factors. Still, I was able to find a semi-reasonable, comfortable, place within a week. So finding a place to live was going well. The student teaching job, was another matter entirely. My adviser had assured me that the program I had selected, was going to start in the Fall, which was a couple of months from now, so I went about buying furniture and stuff for my new apartment. Not long after that, I happened to be looking at the courses I was scheduled to teach on the college employee portal, and I saw there were several course conflicts; I had been scheduled to teach more than one class, in the same time slot. It also turned out that these classes weren't for the Fall semester, but they were starting in the Winter. I was receiving a grant for housing assistance and living expenses, dependent on starting teaching in the Fall, and my savings were limited, so this was going to create problems very soon. I went to the campus and spoke to my adviser, and at first tried to insist that this was the course schedule I had selected. After that, he blamed a 'problem with their computer system.' Finally he told me that he had indeed made a mistake, but the Fall schedule had been set, so at this point there was nothing he could do. I found myself in a strange city, with bills I would soon be unable to pay, and no clear purpose for being there for the immediate future. I attempted to look for work for the next month, but couldn't find anything, so I ended up breaking my lease, paying a penalty, and moving home. I would have to start the process of getting a student teacher appointment, from scratch." +"I will never forget the day my life changed. My five year son had been acting odd peeing the bed, excessively drinking and eating a ton of food for about two weeks so I decided to take him in to the doctor. I was sitting in the physician's office waiting on his urine test result when she came in to tell us yes there was glucose in his urine and next we would do a finger stick. The fingerstick reading was 562. We were in utter shock as she told us we needed to rush him to the hospital immediately and could not stop at home to grab clothes. In the ER the antibody tests were run, we were told we would need to stay in the hospital for three days for Type one diabetes training. I stared at my little boy in the hospital bed hooked up to an IV in disbelief. I could not believe that just hours ago I had given him breakfast without a care in the world and now he would need insulin with each meal to even survive. It was so hard to wrap my head around the fact that without insulin my child would die and he would need it for the rest of his life. The next days were filled with holding down a crying five year old giving him shots, him tearfully asking when his diabetes would go away and me sneaking in to the hospital bathroom to cry. It was a time of grieving the life that he would never have, a life without insulin. It was a time of sorting thru the mess and finding hope as well. Seeing the tiny triumphs of him not crying thru his last finger pokes in the hospital and his excitement to leave the hospital behind and just head back to being a child with a few minor adjustments. As much as that time shook me to my core and brought me to my knees with grief I also saw strength and hope in a child that I never imagined I would see. I may be here to raise and protect my son but he is my hero and he saved me by teaching me that there is hope and light in even the darkest of circumstances." +"Jane, was honored for a life service. She is super smart. She worked on getting funds and doing fundraising for the university. She was focused a lot on outside contributors. Her biggest donation came in the amount of $100,000. Jane attended this university. Her degree was in the arts, but raising money was something she always excelled in. When she was a girl scout, she earned multiple badges related to fundraising. The honor from the university came with a beautiful letter, which was framed. She also received a gift certificate to a local diner. Her friends and family were part of the celebration. Her boyfriend also attended. She had many of her fellow students there as well. It was a wonderful day, full of excitement. They also served coffee and cake." +"Jane, was honored for a life service. She is super smart. She worked on getting funds and doing fundraising for the university. She was focused a lot on outside contributors. Her biggest donation came in the amount of $100,000. Jane attended this university. Her degree was in the arts, but raising money was something she always excelled in. When she was a girl scout, she earned multiple badges related to fundraising. The honor from the university came with a beautiful letter, which was framed. She also received a gift certificate to a local diner. Her friends and family were part of the celebration. Her boyfriend also attended. She had many of her fellow students there as well. It was a wonderful day, full of excitement. They also served coffee and cake." +"My father decided to take our family cabin off the market. In 2018 he put our family cabin up for sale. He had been diagnosed with tonsil cancer. To me this was just a knee jerk reaction He felt he might not be around much longer. I feel he didn't want to leave us with what he might think was a burden financially. We all tried to tell him this was not a good decision. However, no one knew his personal struggle at the time. We didn't want to upset him more than he already was. We were all very surprised when he chose to do this. No matter how much we talked to him and tried to get him to change his mind he did not. We made the most of that ""last"" summer at the lake. It was difficult but what mattered most was his health. We were very pleasantly surprised when my dad told me that he was letting the contract end. He decided he was not going to renew the contract. Our cabin would remain in the family. This was the most wonderful gift ever. While 2018 was awful, 2019 has been good to us. We not only got to keep the cabin and were very thankful it did not sell, but my dad is cancer free. This cabin has been a part of my life for over 40 years now and has been a big part of my life every summer. While I was hurt he put it on the market, my surprise at him taking it off is something I will always remember. It helped me realize to live each special moment making memories because you never know when things might change. Life is precious and we sometimes need those reminders. This was a hard wake up call and I am forever grateful for it. We still have questions as to why he did it in the first place but happy he changed his mind. We are also hoping this does not happen in the future." +"At that time, cancer for me and probably for anyone else was an unknown monster who spared no life when it hits you. There were endless nights full of hope for her recovery. At night before I would doze off to sleep I would look at her closely. She still had that same pretty face, beautiful eyes, lovely shaped lips and brilliant mind. But deep inside, it was too painful to see my ever energetic mother lying in bed with all the tubes in her body. Too hurtful to think that all we had shared, our plans might come to an end…This is an adolescent daughter’s account of her journey with having a mother diagnosed with cancer. Dealing with maternal cancer can cause distress and anxiety because this illness is usually associated with poor prognosis, agonizing pain, negative effects of the treatment, and low survival rates. Cancer is considered by many as a “silent killer,” which unsuspectingly ravages the body from within. It can be a stressful experience, not only for the patients themselves, but also for the entire family. Every member of the family, especially the children, has to adjust to the emotional burden, physical demands, and lifestyle changes which cancer brings about. The occurrence of cancer has alarmingly increased throughout the years, affecting and claiming many lives around the world. It has been estimated that around 12. 2 million people are diagnosed with cancer worldwide (American Cancer Society, 2007). It is also projected that the number of cancer cases and deaths will continue to escalate in the future. New cancer cases are estimated to increase from 11. 3 million in 2007 to 15. 5 million in 2030 (WHO, 2008). Based on the worldwide proliferation of cancer cases, this disease is now considered to be a major health problem." +"Just last week I added another degree to my repertoire. I finished my Master's Degree in Accounting. This came after six months of hard work and determination. I worked endlessly day after day to finish ten demanding classes. I wrote papers, took numerous tests, and completed many different projects. This was all more than worth it. This degree will help me in my career. A Master of Accounting Degree will help me to make more money at a job. It will also help me to prepare for the CPA exam. Because of this degree I am now more marketable in the workforce and can be more prepared for my job. I feel very blessed that I received this degree. I had a few setbacks along the way that almost derailed my goals. I failed a few tests and papers. Thankfully, I was able to redo or resubmit the tests or papers. This way I could receive a passing grade and earn my degree!" +"In May, one of my close friends from high school graduated from medical school. I originally wanted to attend the ceremony but I had to go out of town for my brother's graduation. Fortunately, my friend was having a party as well. When I got to the party I saw some classmates that I hadn't seen for many years. It was an interesting reminder of how I didn't like one of those girls. I didn't realize how fancy or big the party was going to be. Everyone was dressed up and my friend's relatives from Africa were all arriving. Clearly, it was a really big deal. As the night progressed, we ate and danced and talked. I was really happy I could be there for my friend. Finally after a few hours, people began making speeches. This included my friend's father, a Cameroonian uncle/preacher, and my friend herself. During her speech, she highlighted her relative's recent accomplishments including getting into pharmacy school and their own graduations. Then she started talking about me! I thought it was going to be family only but then I heard my name. I was not expecting to have the spotlight on me, no matter how briefly, in front of nearly a hundred people. I'm sure the moment got caught by the videographer. I was very happy to hear that my friend would include me in her special moment. It was a nice reminder of how much our friendship has meant over the years." +"In May, one of my close friends from high school graduated from medical school. I originally wanted to attend the ceremony but I had to go out of town for my brother's graduation. Fortunately, my friend was having a party as well. When I got to the party I saw some classmates that I hadn't seen for many years. It was an interesting reminder of how I didn't like one of those girls. I didn't realize how fancy or big the party was going to be. Everyone was dressed up and my friend's relatives from Africa were all arriving. Clearly, it was a really big deal. As the night progressed, we ate and danced and talked. I was really happy I could be there for my friend. Finally after a few hours, people began making speeches. This included my friend's father, a Cameroonian uncle/preacher, and my friend herself. During her speech, she highlighted her relative's recent accomplishments including getting into pharmacy school and their own graduations. Then she started talking about me! I thought it was going to be family only but then I heard my name. I was not expecting to have the spotlight on me, no matter how briefly, in front of nearly a hundred people. I'm sure the moment got caught by the videographer. I was very happy to hear that my friend would include me in her special moment. It was a nice reminder of how much our friendship has meant over the years." +"My boyfriend and I was dating for a while. He is a very nice and attractive guy. I like him very much. After we met for a couple of time, he told me he got STD. I still wanted to be with him. So we still went out and have great time together. It came from his last relationship. It was incurable. I was very surprised. I checked online a lot of information. It is very hard for me to break up. I like him a lot. He told me he did not want to continue. I agreed. I was very sad for several months. It is a tough relationship, which could end up with a much better outcome. I still remember the time we spent." +"I can't help but find myself thinking about Anthony all the time. It has already been six months since we broke up and I can't change my mind on the reason why I wanted to break up, but I also can't help but miss him and think about him all the time. I really felt betrayed when he told me that he had contracted an STD. I was scared for my own health and angry at him because I know that he did not get the STD from me. He was honest with me about cheating on the ski trip and I believe that he truly was remorseful. I wish that i could find it in my heart to forgive that and continue a relationship with him. I can't find anyway to see that as tolerable and it continues to be a line crossed that I cannot move past. I feel like he still wanted to be with me and that he respected my wishes and understood my hurt in allowing our relationship to end. I wish that he would have fought for me but it makes me feel that he truly did care for me that he respected how I feel. I keep comparing any new potential relationships to him and there is always something that makes me hesitant. This guy is too tall, that guy is too skinny, this one isn't smart enough, that one is too cocky, but in reality every excuse should be that they are not Anthony. It is frustrating for me that I find myself in a situation where I want something that I will not allow myself to have. Truly does feel like a fight between my heart and my mind. I know that I will ALWAYS suspect him of cheating again and that I can never fully trust him like I did before he cheated. That inability to trust is just a red flag that I can find no way of getting around." +"Five weeks ago, I was fuming at the car lot and the sales guy that suggested that this was the perfect car for me. I admit, the car was my style. I got in the car and took a right turn out of the dealer parking lot heading down Main Street. I saw a friend of mine walking towards the coffee shop and honked hoping they would turn their head and notice me. She did and gave a smile and a thumbs up. I turned right again onto Laurel Street and the car made a little noise. Nothing too major but enough to get me to notice. As I continued down Laurel Street, the car made a few more noises. This was concerning me so I decided to end my test drive and head back to the lot. As I was driving, I began to notice smoke coming from underneath the hood. I knew this was not good. I just kept thinking, I just want to make it back to the lot. As I was a couple of blocks away from the lot, the car just died on me. Right in the middle of traffic. How embarrassing. The cars behind me began to blow their horns. I was blocking traffic. I could not believe my luck. I was so embarrassed. I got out the car and slammed the doors. I just threw up my hands and walked away. I left the car right there. I walked back to the lot and angrily threw the keys on the desk of the car salesman and told him what happened. He became uptight because I left the car there. Piece of junk." +"Today is the day that we celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary with a renewal of vows. We have been planning this day for several years and now our children will also be a part of the big day. Ten years ago we got married very quickly. Your visa was about to expire and we didn't have much time. We quickly went to the justice of the peace and had a quick ceremony. Only three people were with us at the time. We always said that some day we would have a proper church wedding. But we got busy. Then the kids came along and we were really busy. But then we realized that our ten anniversary was quickly approaching and we still had not had our real wedding. I made the plans at church and got the music and flowers. You found the perfect dress. Your parents were in town and I invited my parents to join us. We have always joked about your mother not liking me. But when she got up and ran out of the church during the ceremony, it was shocking. I wondered if she was really upset or was she sick. She later said that she was sick and I want to believe her. The kids did a perfect job and it was great to be able to include them in our special day." +"Most of my life I lived with my mom. Her and my dad were seperated. When I was thirteen, I started getting in trouble and my mom thought it would be good for me to live with my military dad. So I traveled all the way across the country to go and live with my dad. I had no idea how stressful it was to be in a military family. I remember one day my dad coming in and sitting the whole family down, right when the gulf war had picked up in the 90s. ""I might have to go to war, guys. I might be deployed."" He hung his headband began to cry. It was a stressful couple of months, not knowing what was going to happen, dad always talking about things I had no idea about, war terms and such. Finally, he came home one day and said he was not going to be deployed. Everyone was so happy. But that didn't take away the stresses. We may have to move, may have to change schools, he may be stationed somewhere else. It was a constant churn of not knowing. I didn't like the feeling. I was so glad when dad decided not to reenlist after 21 years of being in the military. It was such a relief knowing we would never have to move again." +"i met my ex boyfriend when we were still in the university and he the best thing that ha sever happened to me then, he asked me out for a year and i keep friend zoning him because i was not ready to go into any relationship. he keep pestering me, stalking me all over the school. my friends kept telling me to give him a chance but i was skeptical because i was scared. so one summer, i finally gave into his pleas and we began dating. i felt he was the best thing that can ever happen to me then. we we go on holidays together, i go to visit his family, i even got pregnant twice for him but he said we should abort because it would enable us plan our future better. when my ex boyfriend dumped me all of a sudden without warning, i felt life slipping out of me. i was so confused because i didn't know what to do. i just walked out of my house and continue to go down the street without any direction with tears dropping freely from my eyes. i was so emotionally exhausted that i was contemplating on committing suicide. i did not expect him to treat me the way he did. so as i was walking down the street at night i just felt a hand touching my shoulder from behind and when i turned back it was alex, the guy that has been hitting on me for a long time and i just collapsed. when i woke up the next day, i found my self in the hospital with alex sitting by my side on the hospital bed with flowers beside my bed. that was how alex became my boyfriend and helped me out of depression that has already began to swallow me. we celebrated our union and he proposed to me not long after we began dating. Alex is the sweetest thing that has ever happen to me. he's so honest, caring, down to earth, handsome, kind and any other good thing you can think of in a man." +"i met my ex boyfriend when we were still in the university and he the best thing that ha sever happened to me then, he asked me out for a year and i keep friend zoning him because i was not ready to go into any relationship. he keep pestering me, stalking me all over the school. my friends kept telling me to give him a chance but i was skeptical because i was scared. so one summer, i finally gave into his pleas and we began dating. i felt he was the best thing that can ever happen to me then. we we go on holidays together, i go to visit his family, i even got pregnant twice for him but he said we should abort because it would enable us plan our future better. when my ex boyfriend dumped me all of a sudden without warning, i felt life slipping out of me. i was so confused because i didn't know what to do. i just walked out of my house and continue to go down the street without any direction with tears dropping freely from my eyes. i was so emotionally exhausted that i was contemplating on committing suicide. i did not expect him to treat me the way he did. so as i was walking down the street at night i just felt a hand touching my shoulder from behind and when i turned back it was alex, the guy that has been hitting on me for a long time and i just collapsed. when i woke up the next day, i found my self in the hospital with alex sitting by my side on the hospital bed with flowers beside my bed. that was how alex became my boyfriend and helped me out of depression that has already began to swallow me. we celebrated our union and he proposed to me not long after we began dating. Alex is the sweetest thing that has ever happen to me. he's so honest, caring, down to earth, handsome, kind and any other good thing you can think of in a man." +"We threw a birthday party for my son. He was turning 1. A few weeks before the big day, I created a Facebook Event and shared it with all of our friends. We also sent out invitations to many people we know who do not have Facebook. We reserved a large gymnasium for the party. This was fairly easy because I work at a school. I talked to my secretary and was able to reserve the gym for free! My sister-in-law arrived about an hour early at the gym and decorated. We had everyone park out back because there was a closer entrance to the gym back there. My son had a lot of fun playing with his friends, opening gifts, playing with his toys, and eating his cake. The event was a huge success. My wife and I also had a great time eating, opening gifts for our son and talking to people we have not seen in a long time. Many people drove over an hour to come see our son on his special day. I felt really happy for him. It was a great day!" +"We spent days getting ready for this event. It was gonna be my sons first ever birthday party. Although this wasnt his first birthday, this was his first actual party. He was finally at that age where he would enjoy a day of friends and family dedicated just to him. The previous day we went to Walmart and gathered enough supplies for the attending bunch. Paper plates, plastic silverware, burgers, hotdogs, soda, you name it, we got it all. The special day came and one by one relatives from all around traveled here. My parents drove 3 states to be here. And my wife's parents drove 4! My sister in law also drove nearly 2 hours to bring her daughter here, who's a special friend of my son. The party went amazing, we grilled up some burgers and hotdogs. Both of our parents brought a variety of homemade foods as well. We had a full buffet going which made my sons eyes light up as he loves food. We played games throughout the party that he could enjoy. Tag, bean bag toss, monkey in the middle, we even had a pinata. However the best moment was when we brought out his cake. We had them decorate it with his favorite superhero and he went wild. Probably the biggest smile I've ever seen on him. We cut him out a slice and he dug his face right in! Today was such a magical day. While we lay here in bed, my wife and I can't help but feel so prideful and joyful as we had really made his first birthday party special." +"We walked into the funeral home and there he was: my girlfriends grandpa, laying peacefully in his casket. He had passed just a few days prior and many in the family were torn up about it. I had known him to be a decent guy. Like many older people I meet, he was a little brash and a little racist, but if he liked you, he treated you well. He always treated me well, but I had heard stories about him that suggested he wasn’t always the best person. But I never want to see death and I felt sad for the family about it regardless. When it came time for anyone to say a few words about him, no one said anything, which I found odd. I almost wanted to just out of pure awkwardness. I’ve only been to a handful of viewings and one other funeral in my life, so I never really know quite what to do or say or what others are supposed to do or say, but it just didn’t feel right. I didn’t ask about it, though, in case I were to offend anyone. Some cried, so I knew they felt emotional, but maybe they just didn’t know what to say. It’s hard telling, really. In the end, it was just several hours of me feeling weird, uncomfortable and awkward. But it wasn’t about me, so I didn’t make it about me. I was there for her family and that’s what counted." +"We walked into the funeral home and there he was: my girlfriends grandpa, laying peacefully in his casket. He had passed just a few days prior and many in the family were torn up about it. I had known him to be a decent guy. Like many older people I meet, he was a little brash and a little racist, but if he liked you, he treated you well. He always treated me well, but I had heard stories about him that suggested he wasn’t always the best person. But I never want to see death and I felt sad for the family about it regardless. When it came time for anyone to say a few words about him, no one said anything, which I found odd. I almost wanted to just out of pure awkwardness. I’ve only been to a handful of viewings and one other funeral in my life, so I never really know quite what to do or say or what others are supposed to do or say, but it just didn’t feel right. I didn’t ask about it, though, in case I were to offend anyone. Some cried, so I knew they felt emotional, but maybe they just didn’t know what to say. It’s hard telling, really. In the end, it was just several hours of me feeling weird, uncomfortable and awkward. But it wasn’t about me, so I didn’t make it about me. I was there for her family and that’s what counted." +"Two months ago, my husband and I got into a fight. We have been struggling in our marriage, and this pushed it over the top. It made me question whether staying with him was worth it or not. I felt it was the right thing to do because you stick with your partner for better or worse, through sickness and health. Both of us are at fault. We started drinking and things got too far over something minuscule. After endless arguing, we ended up in a physical altercation. I was trying to get out of the house, and he wouldn't let me. I started hitting him. He wouldn't budge. I already hated when we argued, but now, I'm not allowed to leave my own house. I felt like a prisoner. Why can't he just let me leave? We would fight for a few hours before anything subsided and got to sleep. However, we only got a few hours of sleep because of the hours we stayed up arguing and fighting." +"Two months ago, my husband and I got into a fight. We have been struggling in our marriage, and this pushed it over the top. It made me question whether staying with him was worth it or not. I felt it was the right thing to do because you stick with your partner for better or worse, through sickness and health. Both of us are at fault. We started drinking and things got too far over something minuscule. After endless arguing, we ended up in a physical altercation. I was trying to get out of the house, and he wouldn't let me. I started hitting him. He wouldn't budge. I already hated when we argued, but now, I'm not allowed to leave my own house. I felt like a prisoner. Why can't he just let me leave? We would fight for a few hours before anything subsided and got to sleep. However, we only got a few hours of sleep because of the hours we stayed up arguing and fighting." +"I was feeling anxious that day. I went for a bike ride to the place I usually go. When I got to the park, I looked over at the bench next to the parking garage; it was empty. I decided to go there. The bridge across the creek to that place had children on it though, with their mother. They weren't really paying attention. I rang my bike bell to let them know I had to get through, the mother seemed concerned. The children got out of the way but to opposite sides of the bridge. I carefully biked past them very slowly. Simultaneously there was a group of bikers coming in the other direction. They slowed down to stop, and I crossed past them. The intersection was right after the bridge, and required a left turn from me to get where I was going, so I had to go in front of them. I went slightly before they came to a total stop, and didn't signal, because to signal I would have to take a hand off the handlebars and I was worried about losing control with so many people in all directions. The bikers were upset, because they seemed to think I should have signalled, or waited for them to pass. I honestly hadn't considered it, even though I didn't have right of way, I always make that turn without stopping, and having just navigated the bridge with all those children on it I was distracted. I ignored them." +"When your grandmother dies, it's pretty much always a tragic and sad event. It was on another level for me. I was extremely close with my grandmother. I knew that she was getting ill, and a big part of me knew her time was coming close. I avoided her. She asked me over, and I'd make an excuse about why I couldn't come. I always was sure to tell her how much I loved her, but I just couldn't bear to see her so sickly. Eventually, she passed away, and I had the biggest problem dealing with it. I felt such an extreme amount of guilt for not seeing her before she passed. I even started blaming myself about it. After talking with friends about it, they told me that what I did was wrong. But they didn't just try to make me feel worse. They told me that it was understandable why I did it, and that I should try and move past my mistake. They told me not to make it again with anyone else. I'll never forget that advice." +"When your grandmother dies, it's pretty much always a tragic and sad event. It was on another level for me. I was extremely close with my grandmother. I knew that she was getting ill, and a big part of me knew her time was coming close. I avoided her. She asked me over, and I'd make an excuse about why I couldn't come. I always was sure to tell her how much I loved her, but I just couldn't bear to see her so sickly. Eventually, she passed away, and I had the biggest problem dealing with it. I felt such an extreme amount of guilt for not seeing her before she passed. I even started blaming myself about it. After talking with friends about it, they told me that what I did was wrong. But they didn't just try to make me feel worse. They told me that it was understandable why I did it, and that I should try and move past my mistake. They told me not to make it again with anyone else. I'll never forget that advice." +"This story is about a road trip i made to do mystery evaluations on some businesses. That day i knew i had a long day ahead of me. around 300 miles of roads where I've never been. I left early so i could have time since I imagined it would take me an hour to finish an evaluation. Everything went well at the first stop, people were great and the evaluation went well. I stopped to eat something and then i was on my way, but from now on it was everything new for me. An hour later i was at the next stop and i didn't like how the people treated me here, they got a bad score of course. The next 3 stops went smooth and them my favorite part of the trip started. I got to a coastal town where they had stunning beaches where coconut trees were on the sides of the road for like 2 miles. Unfortunately i got a flat tire there and had to stop for like half an hour. For a moment i was really scared because i didn't know anyone there and was alone but some people told me where to go and managed to get someone to do the job. After that when i was at the last place of evaluation i witnessed an accident. Luckily no one died, a woman broke her leg though, it got to me for a moment, but i managed to finish. Ready to go home i bought a beer first to calm myself down. After 3 hours i was home. It was a memorable trip for me, a lot of things happened, but i managed to get it done and now it's something nice to remember." +"This story is about a road trip i made to do mystery evaluations on some businesses. That day i knew i had a long day ahead of me. around 300 miles of roads where I've never been. I left early so i could have time since I imagined it would take me an hour to finish an evaluation. Everything went well at the first stop, people were great and the evaluation went well. I stopped to eat something and then i was on my way, but from now on it was everything new for me. An hour later i was at the next stop and i didn't like how the people treated me here, they got a bad score of course. The next 3 stops went smooth and them my favorite part of the trip started. I got to a coastal town where they had stunning beaches where coconut trees were on the sides of the road for like 2 miles. Unfortunately i got a flat tire there and had to stop for like half an hour. For a moment i was really scared because i didn't know anyone there and was alone but some people told me where to go and managed to get someone to do the job. After that when i was at the last place of evaluation i witnessed an accident. Luckily no one died, a woman broke her leg though, it got to me for a moment, but i managed to finish. Ready to go home i bought a beer first to calm myself down. After 3 hours i was home. It was a memorable trip for me, a lot of things happened, but i managed to get it done and now it's something nice to remember." +"Life is full of unexpected events, my life has been no different. About ten months ago I found out my significant other was pregnant, I knew a new adventure was about to begin for me. As the weeks rolled by, the due date was coming closer and closer, and time seemed to move quicker too. I knew I was going to need lots of baby stuff, and a lot more money. I immediately started saving money, as well as working many more hours. Saving money wasn't the only hurdle I was going to have to overcome, I also needed to move many hours away from where I was raised, and where my business was located. About a month before the due date my significant other decided that I could finally move up to where she was, I did not delay, and moved as quickly as I could. It took me three trips to move all of the baby stuff, and another trip to move my necessary belongings. Upon arriving, I immediately setup the nursery for our soon to arrive daughter. There were many other things to prepare, like child proofing the house, and making sure that we were ready. I made tons of food, and froze them into individual servings, ensuring we would have proper caloric intake upon our return. I also made sure that our vehicles were in top operating condition. Before we knew it, we were driving to the hospital. After two long days, our beautiful daughter was in our arms. It was the happiest day in my life, and the beginning of my new family. A few days later we were able to go home, and start a new chapter of our lives." +"What I wrote about before was the cruise I took a few months ago. I went with my sister and her daughter. My sister and I flew to Texas. The ship was leaving from Galveston. When we got to Galveston we stayed overnight in a hotel in order to board the ship the next day. We left on time. The ship was super crowded with people. Not my thing but oh well. We spent two days/nights sailing to our first destination. During the sailing we attended some events for entertainment. I really enjoyed just sitting on our balcony in the room. It was so relaxing just to watch the ocean. We also spent some time enjoying the food in the restaurants. Really good food. So we finally arrived at our destination, which was in Mexico. We got off the ship and did a little shopping in the touristy areas. Then we took a taxi to the beach. It was so hot and so humid. Being at the beach was great because we could jump in the ocean and cool down. We ate some Mexican food as we sat on our lounge chairs. We then got back on the ship to our next destination. We spent one night sailing there as I remember. We again spent some time on the beach there. Driving back to the ship we drove through the little town, which was extremely poor and run down. Really sad." +"What I wrote about before was the cruise I took a few months ago. I went with my sister and her daughter. My sister and I flew to Texas. The ship was leaving from Galveston. When we got to Galveston we stayed overnight in a hotel in order to board the ship the next day. We left on time. The ship was super crowded with people. Not my thing but oh well. We spent two days/nights sailing to our first destination. During the sailing we attended some events for entertainment. I really enjoyed just sitting on our balcony in the room. It was so relaxing just to watch the ocean. We also spent some time enjoying the food in the restaurants. Really good food. So we finally arrived at our destination, which was in Mexico. We got off the ship and did a little shopping in the touristy areas. Then we took a taxi to the beach. It was so hot and so humid. Being at the beach was great because we could jump in the ocean and cool down. We ate some Mexican food as we sat on our lounge chairs. We then got back on the ship to our next destination. We spent one night sailing there as I remember. We again spent some time on the beach there. Driving back to the ship we drove through the little town, which was extremely poor and run down. Really sad." +"I went hiking on a trail that I have hiked many times before. It was a beautiful day and I was incredibly excited. I drove about three hours to the hiking trail. I do not live in the mountains so I have to drive out of town to go hiking. I love hiking so I do this quite often even though I have to drive so far. When I got there I loaded my gear up into my backpack and made sure I had everything. I began the hike and felt pretty good about the task ahead. I had hiked this trail many times so I was not expecting much difficulty. However, I quickly found myself struggling to catch my breath. I'm not sure why, but on that particular day I was having a hard time making it to the top. The hike was ultimately a tough battle, but when I made it to the top the views were breathtaking. I learned that day that sometimes the mountain does not simply hand you a win. Sometimes victories must be earned through hard work and determination. I left the hike that day feeling incredibly accomplished. I have since been back to hike that trail at least one other time. I always remember that particularly tough day on the trail when I'm there." +"I went hiking on a trail that I have hiked many times before. It was a beautiful day and I was incredibly excited. I drove about three hours to the hiking trail. I do not live in the mountains so I have to drive out of town to go hiking. I love hiking so I do this quite often even though I have to drive so far. When I got there I loaded my gear up into my backpack and made sure I had everything. I began the hike and felt pretty good about the task ahead. I had hiked this trail many times so I was not expecting much difficulty. However, I quickly found myself struggling to catch my breath. I'm not sure why, but on that particular day I was having a hard time making it to the top. The hike was ultimately a tough battle, but when I made it to the top the views were breathtaking. I learned that day that sometimes the mountain does not simply hand you a win. Sometimes victories must be earned through hard work and determination. I left the hike that day feeling incredibly accomplished. I have since been back to hike that trail at least one other time. I always remember that particularly tough day on the trail when I'm there." +This summer was very hard for me me and my boyfriend broke up. We have been going threw a lot of problems and even fighting with each other. I have been so depressed i couldnt even very out of bed i just been hating myself. Ive gotten down to thoght about taking my own life. My boyfriend cheated on me with me with one of my friends just becuase he saw her on facebook. I am so upset i can manage i thought he loved me like no one else. I can blame anyone but myself my mom once told me before she left that no one is going to love me like my family is going to love me. My only hope is that i can find myself again ive been struggling though everyday its a battle just to eveh eat food. I would like to sing i often write my own songs in hope of freedom. My class mate tells me dont worry about anything but just helping myself. These days i just feel like smashing my head threw a wall becuase i am just being consumed by overwheling revaltions about this world and who i ama. I dont know how people can just move on like that do they not feel as deeply as they show. Have mercy on me have mercy on my soul. I cannot forgive myself at least not yet i am trying and trying. I want to be proud of myself and make the ones who came before me proud. +"My boyfriend and I have been together for several years now. I thought he was going to ask me to marry him. Instead, about two months ago he told me that he fell out of love with me and that he thought we should separate. I have been devastated. My emotional roller coaster has been mostly down. I have had thoughts of suicide. I know that killing myself over a guy is stupid, but they continue to come. I don't have any support in my life. My boyfriend was my entire support system. My parents have been out of my life for several years. I cannot turn to the since both of them are druggies on skid row. I am just so sad and alone right now. I'm thinking to try to go to a support group, but just cannot figure out where to turn. I'm glad that I do not own a gun because that would have made it too easy to do it. I do not want to die, but I cannot imagine a life without him." +"My Grandma recently has decided to sell her house. This house is far more than a place to live. It has always been my safe space. She raised me from the time I was 3. She has always been my person. The one person who I could call when everything is going wrong and she would say ""come on over!"" Now that she is moving I feel like that is all changing. Heaven forbid I need a place to go her house won't be an option. I have been helping her to clean it out and go through things. I am strong for her but I really could just sit down and cry. When you are a child you don't ever think that your childhood home will one day be gone. But that is how I feel. My safe space will belong to someone else and never again will I pull into that driveway and walk up to the door. I think that is the hardest part. I wonder how many times I will forget and pull in without even thinking about it. As I was helping her go through photographs and papers I found so many of my photos that I didn't even realize existed. She has every dance photo I ever took. She has all of my costumes too! I am 33 years old and my grandmother has kept every childhood memory she could of me. It is nice to know that those memories mean just as much to her as they do to me. When it is gone for good I will still have all of those memories. And I can still go visit my grandmother and talk with her. For that I am so thankful. She is my safe space. Not the house. Not the town." +"Two months ago i had my birthday party and it was glorious. I enjoyed myself and it was a very awesome experience. I was surprised when i saw my ex girlfriend. i didn't expect her to come, She got me a brand new Ipone X Max. My present girlfriend gift was not as good as my ex. My friends said that they believe she still loves me. I drank so much on my birthday. I kissed my ex girlfriend in the closet. She was so pretty on my birthday party. My girlfriend was jealous .I was not really bothered about the kiss though it was a lovely moment . My girlfriend did not know about the kiss. I was tipsy but still active and alert. Later i told my friends about the kiss, and the little romance. we all laughed about it and we continued with the party. Later i went to the rest room, my ex also came to the rest room, we kissed and cuddled. I felt guilty because i was cheating on my girlfriend but i was not very bothered based on the fact that i was enjoying the moment." +"It's hard to believe all that's happened in the 4 months since James accused me of being abusive. My life is still in shambles, all from a lie. I'd heard stories about people who were wrongly accused, but I never thought I'd star in one. Even though he apologized in the end, the damage was done. Once word spread that I was an abuser, I lost my job and any sort of clout I had built up in my career field. Years of school, years of working under the thumb of my ""betters,"" all erased with a single utterance. I've spent the these last few months wallowing in my own self pity. Drinking, smoking, whatever I can do to keep my mind off the disaster known as my life. I can't even remember the last time I truly had a conversation with someone outside of saying thanks to a cashier. I have to change things, but the very idea of moving forward seems so impossibly out of reach. I spend my days secretly praying that someone or something will save me from this nightmare. James has come by a few times, but how can I ever let him back into my life? I keep him at a distance, I keep everyone at a distance these days. What's the point in trying to establish myself again when it can all crumble in the blink of an eye? I thought I was depressed before all this happened, but that was nothing compared to the pain I now feel on a daily basis. Soon I'll be out of money, and I don't know what I'll do then. I have no family to rely on, no real friends left who would help me on any sort of level above thoughts and prayers, I have nothing. I have to save myself, but I'm not sure I'm worth the effort." +"I thought when I became a stay at home mom that I would have no options for income. I was resigned to the idea that I would be broke all the time and have to depend on my husband for any money I wanted or needed. My friend Jessica, who also stays home with her daughter, suggested I look into taking some night classes at the local community college. She said she was able to start her own business and work from home and make herself a decent income. My husband thought it was a great idea, so I took some business courses and got certified in accounting. After I finished the classes I jumped right into my business. I had some background in bookkeeping so it seemed smart to stick with what I knew. It has officially been 2 months since I started the bookkeeping business and it is going great. I have several clients who depend on me. I have been able to get quite a few referrals also. The best part is I can do all this work around the time I spend with my baby. I have been earning a great income and I feel so much better about myself. I am so glad I took my friends advice that day and looked into the courses. I think if I hadn't I would be losing my mind sitting at home doing nothing by now. One of the best parts of all this is that I have actually been able to help my clients build their own small businesses. BUt the absolute best part is that I still get to spend everyday with my baby, showing her what a strong and capable woman can do!" +"My seven-year-old son made me something very special for Mother's Day. He shyly walked into the kitchen and put down a handmade card in front of me. I looked down and saw a paper with slightly torn edges and an adorably misshapen heart in the center. Inside the heart was a poem he wrote: ""I love you evree secit, I love you evree minut, I love you evree awr, I love you evree day"". I looked at my husband with tears in my eyes and asked if he prompted him to write and he said no he came up with it on his own. My son at this point had left the kitchen for fear of embarrassment when I read his sweet and tender Mother's Day card. That day completely changed how I view myself as a mother. To get a brief glimpse through the eyes of my son and see how much he adores me made me feel so much better about how I am doing as a Mom. I've always been very hard on myself in pretty much every aspect of my life and motherhood has been no exception. It is quite daunting to raise children and imparting the love, wisdom and compassion that they are going to carry with them into their adult life as they create their own journey. I found the seven-year-old hiding behind the doorway and I wrapped him up in a gigantic hug. I told him how talented he was and thanked him for the beautiful poem. When I looked at him, he also had a little tear in his eye. I know I am raising someone who will be kind, thoughtful and compassionate throughout his life. I'm raising a future man who will not hide his emotions and will showcase his feelings openly and authentically." +"This past Mother's Day, my seven year old son presented me with a card. Inside he wrote a poem that said "" I love you evree second, I love you evree minute, I love you evree hour, I love you evree day, I love you evree year."" It was written on a piece of notebook paper with torn edges. It was decorated with hearts and stick figures of him and I. When he gave me the card he was a little embarrassed and told me to read it while he was in the other room. I looked at my husband and asked if he put him up to it and he said ""No, I had no idea!"" I read the little card and tears began to stream down my cheeks. I saw him peep around the doorway of the kitchen and then he ran and gave me a giant hug. I'm writing about this because it profoundly impacted me as a mother and a human. To create a tiny creature that has the wherewithal to write poetry was astounding. The fact that he loves me so much he sat down and thought of those words was beyond amazing. That evening once the kids went to bed, I sat on the porch in quiet contemplation. I have been a mother for seven years and a step-mother for nine years. To be honest, sometimes I feel that I'm failing. I'm not a perfect mom. My hair never looks good, I forget about PTO meetings. I listen to Punk and Metal. None of those things matter to my children. In the eyes of my children I am worthy of poetry and that's all that matters." +"I woke up early in the morning and took a pregnancy test. I didn't expect for it to be positive. I had just had my third miscarriage 3 months prior. My two children that I do have were conceived after over a year each of trying. This was the first month we had tried since having our miscarriage. I wanted to give my body time to heal. I took a test not expecting it to be positive. There was no reason for me to believe that it would actually happen on our first month of trying with our horrible history. I was so excited, but also so nervous all at once. I didn't know if I should tell anyone or wait a while. I, of course, told my husband right away, but decided that it would be best to wait to tell our children. I also decided to tell my mom and dad right away because I wanted their support and prayers. My mom will be watching my children so I can go to the early appointments without them. I called my doctor right away to get in for an early appointment and for any early testing. I'm so excited that we are expanding our family and pray that everything goes right this time. The fear is overwhelming at some times though. I'm hopeful that I will go full term and take home a healthy baby this time though." +"My close friend's wedding was indeed a beautiful memory that I carry in my heart. It was as special to me as it was for the bride and groom. A few days ago, I was having dinner with my friend whose wedding played an important role in my life. We went through some pictures from the wedding album as we took a stroll down memory lane. As I went through the pictures, I refreshed my memory about how the wedding planning started and how it all came together. The hard work that went into and the final outcome that made me realize the part I played in the entire event. People often say that family events matter a lot. But in this case it was a close friend whose wedding became an event even bigger than anything I had ever done for a family member. It was a great honor to have been chosen by the bride to be a part of the wedding planning. The toast raised to thank me for my hard work was a surprise and even today it makes me tear up a little. I sincerely hope that my friend is able to help someone near and dear to her like I did. So she can enjoy the moment of being part of an immensely joyful event. The effort and hard work that goes into planning an event as big as a wedding is certainly rewarding when it becomes a success. Just knowing that your gestures and planning has made two people happy and helped build memories for life to cherish. It sometimes makes me wonder about the time and effort that goes into organizing an event as significant as a wedding and the outcome of that final day coming into play." +"I was looking forward to my friend's wedding with much anticipation. I offered to help her plan all of the intricate details for the wedding and wanted everything to go off without any problems. It took many, many hours of planning and preparation to arrange all of the details. I wanted everything to be perfect for her special day. As the day grew closer, my anxiety increased. The day of the wedding proved to be a stunning event. Everything from the dresses to the flowers were in order. The chapel was like a scene from a fairytale with just the right amount of elegance for the event. All of the hard work and effort paid off as it was the most beautiful wedding I have attended. There were small nuances that I probably only noticed because I had help to plan and arrange them. The people that attended the wedding were commenting on how beautiful everything was and I was smiling inside. Amazingly there were no problems that sometimes happen at wedding to deal with and everything was perfect from start to finish. I was proud of my efforts in helping the bride create a very special day. I stepped back and soaked in all of the details and special touches of the day. I will remember this wedding for a very, very long time." +"Travelling to another state is always a good time. Or at least, for me it always is. I haven't been to every state, but I have been to all the important ones. I've been to California, New York, Texas, even Nevada. I am originally from Florida, so travelling to all those faraway places was extremely exciting. The state that I was visiting this time though, is a state you might not expect. I was visiting Arizona. Now, I know that Arizona has the grand canyon, but seemingly, other than that, there really isn't anything to do. This couldn't be further from the truth. Phoenix is the 3rd biggest city in the country. It is amazing down there in Phoenix, though scorching in temperature. There's also this extremely cool city called Sedona, which has so many colorful and large rocks. Another great city is Flagstaff. It's a college town with a lovely atmosphere. Overall, I loved my trip to Arizona." +"Dear Diary,I just can't stop thinking about the wonderful trip that my sister and I took to Universal Orlando! We had such a great time, and it was a memorable bonding experience for us. It was like we had stepped onto the movie set of the Harry Potter movies. We really felt like kids, walking around with our custom-made wands, waving them to cast spells. I was surprised that we weren't the only people there with no children. I guess kids of all ages love Harry Potter! We were pleasantly surprised by how delicious the food was while we were there. Amusement park food has a reputation for being bland and greasy, but everything we ate or drank while we were there was outstanding. We ate at the Leaky Cauldron and the Three Broomsticks, of course, but we also tried several restaurants and snack stands in other parts of the park. Everything was fresh and tasty. There were even healthy options available at several places, something that can be very difficult to find at theme parks. The variety of souvenirs available was also impressive. Most of the time, parks will have the same items scattered across numerous different shops, but each store at Universal had its own theme and unique items. We did see some repeats, but most places had their own things. We finally had to start taking photos of items and labeling them with the name of the store, since we wanted to see everything before we made our final decisions on purchases. We were able to ride all of the rides and attractions we wanted to experience while we were there, and got to ride many of them more than once. We were very surprised by the short wait times, even on popular rides. There were a couple of times that we were able to walk directly onto the ride without having to wait at all! Overall, this trip was an experience of a lifetime. I truly hope that we can take another trip together soon!" +"My child has been sick for four months. I still remember the day that I found out. I called my friends and family and let them know what had happened. I even asked for their help setting up some sort of fundraiser to help with the expenses. Every one of them turned me down. Either they didn't have time or they just couldn't be bothered. It still hurts me to think about. I am trying to take care of this situation on my own. Taking my child back and forth to hospital visits and having to miss work. I just can't believe no one wants to help me. I feel so alone. When they need my help, I am always there. I try to help out when I can and I would do anything for my friends and family. It feels like they just take from me and don't really care how much it hurts me. I'm behind on my bills and the stress is taking its toll." +"My husband and I have lived in our first home for ten years. About two months ago we sold our lovely home. We are both very happy but also sad to leave our nest. The memories we had and the growing we did in that house will never be forgotten. Now it is time to move on to the next chapter in our life. We are looking for a new home. We are even thinking about adding to our family. It may be another dog. Who knows, it maybe a child. We need something bigger and closer to the city. We understand it will be a risk from leaving what we know. We are ready for the adventure. We will need to make sure it's within our budget. We will need an extra room for company. I hate the though of packing and moving though. We will need to hire a mover." +"This past weekend was my bachelor party. It was one of the most fun experiences I have had in a long time. The weekend started with seeing my best man for the first time in eight months. He got a ride ,from one of his fraternity brothers, to my apartment in the afternoon on Friday. We then jumped into my car and drive to Niagara Falls. While we drove we had some background music playing, but we had a running conversation the whole time. It was about two hours of total drive time but it felt like it took no time at all. We had no difficulty crossing the border, and our rental house was about two minutes from the guard station. We were the first ones to show up at the house, followed shortly by my cousin. All of us ran to the grocery store to pick up some supplies. It turns out that the store we went to did not take any of our debit or credit cards. Luckily they took American cash! My future brothers in law arrived at the house while we were out. My last groomsman showed up about ten minutes after we got back. That night consisted of drinking, lots of meat, and an incredible view of the falls. Saturday we went for a gokart ride, a three hour arcade binge, and an informative experience in the casino. Sunday morning we went our separate ways." +"Two weeks ago I went to visit my sister. I hadn't seen her in almost four years. She moved away with her husband to another country. It has been hard to find enough time to get away from work to go see her. She lives in Europe now and I need a lot of vacation time to be able to get over there and see her. Anyway, when I finally arrived there she seemed not that that excited to see me. When we were kids we were very close we did things together all of the time and I was so excited to catch up with her. When I got there she seemed like she was afraid of her husband or something. She didn't talk much as he was a big talker. I think he may have her brainwashed or something. I have never seen her act like this. It breaks my heart to see her as a shell of her former self. I hope she does something to fix this as I don't want to completely lose my sister. I will make it my goal to keep her connected to the family. I especially don't want my parents to be without her forever." +"Hubby has always wanted to buy a bike to turn into a track bike. This has been a dream of his for many years. About 4 months ago, I decided to look around online in our area, to see if I could find a bike that would work for him to turn into a track bike, to make it his own. I did not have a lot of money to spend, so I had to look carefully. I may be a woman, but we are both riders, so I know a thing or two about them. We've had discussions about this topic in the pat, and I already knew that I wanted to make this happen for him. He's a very hard worker, and he deserves it very much! I ended up finding 3 of them that I was interested in, so I began to write the owners and ask them questions about the motorcycles. I narrowed my search down to the one that I thought would work the best for him, and then I told him I found him a bike! He was so excited, so we went and looked at it that weekend, and purchased it. This will be a good project for us to over the winter months, to get it ready for him to ride it on the tracks next year! It needs some cosmetic work done mainly, and a little more mechanically. We had to buy tires immediately so that he could ride it and see what he needed to do to it, to make him happy with it. We will be able to go different tracks in a couple of different states next year, and that is very exciting! I'm a little nervous for him, but I know that he will be safe, and I'm very excited to watch him ride, and have a dream of his come true!" +"For the past year I have been dealing with grand mal seizures and other seizure activity along with other issues that come along with prolonged and constant seizure activity. In the process I have gone though many specialists, have been hospitalized for 9 days and have been on a lot of soul sucking medications. I have heard I have epilepsy directly correlating with my right temporal lobe. I have heard I have psychogenic seizures caused by severe complex post traumatic stress disorder due to my life being full of catastrophic events beyond my control. I have heard I am damaging my brain and my short term memory and I am not doing anything to my brain. Eventually I got a 5th opinion about a month ago recommended by my welfare doctor who had seen me once and to me I just seemed like a number. Welfare has been helpful money wise but as far as a decent doctor is concerned, I am not convinced. Either way I had high hopes that I would maybe get a definitive answer. Instead I was lead to disappointment when the office refused to do testing to trigger a seizure, which I asked for so they had current and accurate data. Its usually common proceedure to do at least a strobe light test on someone with seizures to see if its epileptic or non epileptic, this doctor did a 20 eeg of me taking a nap. My main triggers are stress, they kept trying to convince me my activity would still be abnormal if I had epilepsy which is not what I had heard. I also had brought all records I had from all hospitals and doctors and this new doctor did not review any of them, just asked who I saw and said so and so is great doctor and he is more than likely right. Immediately my heart sank, I guess he doesn't give his own professional opinions and only goes off of other doctors opinions. He did prescribe me something for my migraines (typical when convulsing to have a migraine prior), and said something about we will call your ""episodes"" seizures for now. My father was very upset. So I am back at square one, even more frustrated and still having multiple grand mal seizures a week." +"My life has changed completely. I will never forget when I first met him at the airport 3 motnhs ago. I feel complete and adored. My romatic partner has sparked new feelings in me that no other partner has. I am in love with him, my life and everything around us. I can never take this moment for granted, I am forever grateful I met him. I need to study myself while I'm wrapped up in such feelings. I am aware that it has been much too soon for me to feel this way. Any mistake can happen and things could turn out to disappoint me. I need to be careful not for me but for others around me to.. Why do i always second guess myself like this? Why can't I just enjoy the feelings as I go? I am getting older and need to make rational decitions based on my goals and mental health not feelings. Or am I just being selfish? I've had good relationships but none that made me feel this way before. should I trust the feeling?" +"She had a great first day of 1st grade. She's such a good kid, who I honestly really respect, love, and am so proud of. I love her love of learning and of school. It's so much fun to watch. I'm amazed at how much she likes to gain knowledge. Like, she prefers to have nonfiction books much of the time. Learning facts and weird but true things makes her happy. And she remembers these things. Being her mom is an amazing experience that I enjoy so much (even if sometimes I want to go a little crazy). Coaching soccer is going to be a lot of fun, I think. It's a really good group of kids, and I hope that I can help them to start learning some of the most basic soccer skills. It's going to be tough coming up with practices, drills, etc. that keep them engaged (this is an age where they really don't always pay attention - and especially at this time of day). But, I think/hope I'm up to the challenge! This year is going to be a lot of fun. It's going to be busy, special, and probably crazy, but I can't wait." +"My husband recently retired from the post office after 30 years of employment. He wanted to leave but I did not want him to retire yet. He had promised that he would stay at his job until our car was paid off, but his supervisors and managers at work have bullied employees on an everyday basis and have just made people miserable. We went to counseling several times and he was also prescribed medication to help him deal with the stress, but there came a point that he couldn't take it anymore. So about 2 months ago, he resigned. This situation has also caused me a lot of stress. Neither of us are old enough to collect Social Security and my husband's retirement money will cost us a 10% penalty if he withdraws it before age 59 and 1/2. So I'm keeping my eye out for a job and we've been working on sorting out our finances to decide what we need and what we can live without. My own doctor has readjusted my anti-depressant and anti-anxiety meds which has seemed to help with my stress and energy levels. I don't talk about this much to others because it sounds burdensome and I know that other people have enough problems of their own. I feel very lucky to have a good psychiatrist. My husband sees the same doctor as myself. Sometimes I feel guilty about complaining because we're still better off than a lot of people. We have enough money to live on. The change in my meds has helped significantly and I don't feel the extreme stress that I felt when this first began. I think it's mainly difficult because it is a new stage of our lives with lots of big changes which can make a person feel off balance and uncertain." +"I'm not sure why, but John just had to retire now, before either of us were financially stable. I can't believe it. He just up and retired at his job without even really telling me. This happened two months ago already and I'm still so upset because it's put a strain on our marriage and obviously the household finances. I don't know who else to even talk to about this, but I find that writing about it helps somewhat, just to get the anger out. We still have so much credit card debt and even have five years left on the mortgage. I'm still working full time and standing all day at the store is exhausting. My knee feels like it's about to give out any day now and our health insurance has never been very good. So far I've managed to pay off a decent chunk of one credit card when I worked overtime last month. But now it hasn't been so busy now that the holidays have passed. He doesn't even seem to care very much, he's just enjoying his retirement, sitting at home doing nothing and he hasn't even called a plumber to fix the leaky bathroom faucet! I go to bed every night exhausted but unable to sleep. My mind keeps racing and thinking, what if we lose the house when we've come so close to paying it off? What if I need knee surgery? What if I miss a credit card payment? I'm worried about all these things and I need John to get on board somehow too. I'm trying to convince him to work part time, at least to help me out. I'm not not convinced that he will want to." +"My mom passed away six months ago. It has been incredibly difficult to deal with. I was staying with her, taking care of her, and doing her laundry, cooking, picking up her medications, etc. For years, she was in and out of the hospital, but she always came back home within a month. They would have to regulate her medications, and she was fine. This time was different. She had to have open heart surgery. My family and I went through a lot of ups and downs. One day they would tell us that she's making great progress on her recovery, the next, they'd say she's regressing. This went on for a month, before they finally told us there was nothing they could do for her. She and I had our fair share of issues, but we both loved each other very much. She was the only person I could say who truly loved me. Now she's gone, and I've been staying at a friend's house, trying to decide what to do next. I've suffered with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and suicidal thoughts for decades. I honestly don't know if I want to continue. My mom was the only reason I kept going. I knew that if I committed suicide while she was alive, that it would kill her. Now she's gone, and I have no reason to live." +"I'd been feeling so happy as of late. My relationship with Justin was going so well and I felt like if I spent my whole life with him, I'd be perfectly happy. When he asked me out on a date to a really fancy Italian restaurant, I was so happy to get to go some place nice and dress up and spend time with Justin. Justin was going to love seeing how pretty I looked in it. I spent an hour getting ready for the date, fixing my hair and getting my makeup looking perfect. Then, it was time. Justin showed up to pick me up, and we headed to the restaurant. This was a restaurant I've always wanted to eat at, but the prices were pretty high, so it was definitely a special occasion restaurant. But I'd heard good things and really wanted to eat there. We got to the restaurant and it was looking really fancy. Justin ordered my favorite wine and we had a good laugh about what we'd both done all day. The food came out and it was really delicious. The night was magical so far, but after dinner, Justin took me to the beach. It was one of the nicest beaches in Florida, and the view was amazing. We were looking out over the water, and just then fireworks went off. They were so beautiful. I looked over at Justin, and he was down on the ground on one knee. Then a chill came over my body once I realized what was happening. He opened a small box and inside was the most gorgeous diamond ring. He then asked me to marry him. I was flooded with so much emotion and began to cry. In that moment, I had no doubts about him and knew he was the perfect man for me. So of course I said yes. He then got up and we kissed and hugged for a long time while the fireworks went off in the background and the ocean breeze whipped around us. It was the most magical night a person could ask for." +"So three weeks ago, my 18th birthday came and went, just like all my other birthdays. My mom took me out for pizza and gave me a $20 gift card to Ulta. While we were at dinner she kept complaining about Dad and that he doesn't care about me but my heart is telling me differently. She said he doesn't give us any money and that he ran off with some younger women who is like half his age. I know she doesn't make a lot of money and she tries her best to get things for me but we're lucky if we actually have food in the house lately. She has to get her car fixed so she could get to work and that pretty much tapped her out for the next three months. She is a waitress so she said she'll pick up some extra shifts to get more tips to pay things off. I know she is trying her best and I can see why she is mad at Dad because he is supposed to be paying us for support. I just finally had the chance to sit down and write my thoughts as it's been crazy. Well, last week Dad called me and wanted to meet but he didn't want me to tell Mom. So he picked me up after school and we went for some ice cream. I was so nervous and scared as Mom always said mean things about him I didn't know what to expect. The only memory I have of him was when I was like three and he would take me for walks. I haven't seen him since then. He looked differently then I remember and he tried to give me a hug when he picked me up but that made me feel weird. Well, I wanted to write down and remember this day because I got a whole new perspective on my life. Dad sat me down with a chocolate sundae and opened up. He told me he had to leave mom because they were arguing all the time and they just fell out of love. He actually started crying and I felt really bad for him. I really want him back in my life so I gave him a big hug and told him I love him. He said we will work out a way to see each other and he will talk to mom. Since I am 18 Mom doesn't have much say about my life because I am an adult and if I want to see Dad then I will. I'm feeling so much better about my life right now." +"This was a significant moment in my life as I was basically reconnected with my father that I barely knew. It was mostly memorable because it was the first time we told each other, ""I love you."" I'm 35 years old so this was significant to me. I always wanted to have a relationship with him and I was happy when he reached out to me. Now we talk on a regular basis and have kind of formed a bond. It's very interesting to hear his side of things because all I ever knew was what my mother told me. None of which were positive things. So, I grew up having a somewhat negative view of him since I automatically believed what my mom told me about him. I also have always kind of been the ""black sheep"" of my family. It was nice to meet someone so much like me. Even though we never really knew each other, we are so much alike! It a little refreshing to hear some of his stories. I look forward to getting to know him better as he has really helped to push me through a difficult time in my life. He helped me in immeasurable ways and really stood out as being sincere and unconditional. Now, I have a positive view of him and understand why my mom would always say I was ""just like him."" I kind of just laugh about it now because what can you really do? Not much, so laugh." +"So three weeks ago, my 18th birthday came and went, just like all my other birthdays. My mom took me out for pizza and gave me a $20 gift card to Ulta. While we were at dinner she kept complaining about Dad and that he doesn't care about me but my heart is telling me differently. She said he doesn't give us any money and that he ran off with some younger women who is like half his age. I know she doesn't make a lot of money and she tries her best to get things for me but we're lucky if we actually have food in the house lately. She has to get her car fixed so she could get to work and that pretty much tapped her out for the next three months. She is a waitress so she said she'll pick up some extra shifts to get more tips to pay things off. I know she is trying her best and I can see why she is mad at Dad because he is supposed to be paying us for support. I just finally had the chance to sit down and write my thoughts as it's been crazy. Well, last week Dad called me and wanted to meet but he didn't want me to tell Mom. So he picked me up after school and we went for some ice cream. I was so nervous and scared as Mom always said mean things about him I didn't know what to expect. The only memory I have of him was when I was like three and he would take me for walks. I haven't seen him since then. He looked differently then I remember and he tried to give me a hug when he picked me up but that made me feel weird. Well, I wanted to write down and remember this day because I got a whole new perspective on my life. Dad sat me down with a chocolate sundae and opened up. He told me he had to leave mom because they were arguing all the time and they just fell out of love. He actually started crying and I felt really bad for him. I really want him back in my life so I gave him a big hug and told him I love him. He said we will work out a way to see each other and he will talk to mom. Since I am 18 Mom doesn't have much say about my life because I am an adult and if I want to see Dad then I will. I'm feeling so much better about my life right now." +"More recently on New Years, I was invited to the friend that was referenced in the earlier diary entry. It was pretty impromptu and unexpected but I was happy to be on their radar. We all had a great time and I felt really involved with them. We have hung out multiple times between the time that I wrote that entry and now. The party was small and intimate. I saw other friends that I haven't seen for months and one that I haven't seen for closer to a year. We reconnected and I felt a warm feeling of togetherness. We reminisced on things that happened years ago. I stayed the night at their place and we went out to get food in the morning. It was nice to hang out with them in a more sober sense. I made sure that my surprise and gratitude was genuine and not just the effects of alcohol. Turns out it was genuine and I beat myself up for thinking I was ever ostracized from them. I realized that it was most likely me just being anxious and crafting a narrative in my head that had no basis in reality. I am almost giddy in anticipation of the next time I will hang out with them. I seriously can't wait." +"More recently on New Years, I was invited to the friend that was referenced in the earlier diary entry. It was pretty impromptu and unexpected but I was happy to be on their radar. We all had a great time and I felt really involved with them. We have hung out multiple times between the time that I wrote that entry and now. The party was small and intimate. I saw other friends that I haven't seen for months and one that I haven't seen for closer to a year. We reconnected and I felt a warm feeling of togetherness. We reminisced on things that happened years ago. I stayed the night at their place and we went out to get food in the morning. It was nice to hang out with them in a more sober sense. I made sure that my surprise and gratitude was genuine and not just the effects of alcohol. Turns out it was genuine and I beat myself up for thinking I was ever ostracized from them. I realized that it was most likely me just being anxious and crafting a narrative in my head that had no basis in reality. I am almost giddy in anticipation of the next time I will hang out with them. I seriously can't wait." +So I have always been one of the most active people I know. I don't really like to have to sit down for long I just like to stay active. Doing things just helps my mind stay clear of doubt and worry. Those things when thought about could become very hard from some to deal with. Unfortunatly about 6 months ago I ended up getting into a bad accident. It was terrible because it was totally unexpected no one was looking forward to this issue. I ended up breaking my ankle in that accident which caused me a lot of issues. I basically had to learn how to walk again. after spending almost all of my time being alive walking and running that had came to a halt. I couldn't do those things anymore it was hard for me to do. Learning how to walk again after a personal tragedy is no small feat. It's crazy to think maybe one day this could happen. It changes your mindset and makes you see things in a whole new way. I know now to be carefull and stay safe at all times. I couldn't imagine having to go through this again. +So I have always been one of the most active people I know. I don't really like to have to sit down for long I just like to stay active. Doing things just helps my mind stay clear of doubt and worry. Those things when thought about could become very hard from some to deal with. Unfortunatly about 6 months ago I ended up getting into a bad accident. It was terrible because it was totally unexpected no one was looking forward to this issue. I ended up breaking my ankle in that accident which caused me a lot of issues. I basically had to learn how to walk again. after spending almost all of my time being alive walking and running that had came to a halt. I couldn't do those things anymore it was hard for me to do. Learning how to walk again after a personal tragedy is no small feat. It's crazy to think maybe one day this could happen. It changes your mindset and makes you see things in a whole new way. I know now to be carefull and stay safe at all times. I couldn't imagine having to go through this again. +When I was driving that Saturday in the parking lot and saw the shelter's dog set up I just decided to stop and look. I didn't have any exact thoughts about an animal nor did I really have an inclination that I really wanted an animal that day. As I was getting out of the car I noticed the set up and they had some of the animals in a trailer and some of the larger dogs outside on the grass in a small fenced in area. The larger dogs outside seemed to be having a good time barking at cars and the others milling about. As I was looking one dog in particular just looked sad. I walked up to the fence area and she just looked up at me and didn't make much a fuss that I was even there. I picked up her card and his name was Mop and he was 3 years old and the card stated he was owner surrender because his owners went into a nursing home. How sad I thought as I walked off and kept looking around at all the animals. As I was making my rounds my eye continued to go back Mop. As I walked back to where Mop sat I decided that he was coming home with me. I did the paperwork and Mop and I went to the pet store to get what he was going to need to live with me. As we walked around the store Mop didn't seem interested at all. When we got home I showed him his new bed and toys. He laied down on his bed immediately and started rolling all around. He seemed potty trained and indicated at the door when he wanted to go out. The first day I just pretty much followed him around and making sure he knew where everything was and telling him no when he was looking at something I didn't want him to be messing with. The first night (and every night since) Mop has slept at the end of my bed during the night with no issues. The impact has been amazing because Mop has just become a part of my everyday life. +When I was driving that Saturday in the parking lot and saw the shelter's dog set up I just decided to stop and look. I didn't have any exact thoughts about an animal nor did I really have an inclination that I really wanted an animal that day. As I was getting out of the car I noticed the set up and they had some of the animals in a trailer and some of the larger dogs outside on the grass in a small fenced in area. The larger dogs outside seemed to be having a good time barking at cars and the others milling about. As I was looking one dog in particular just looked sad. I walked up to the fence area and she just looked up at me and didn't make much a fuss that I was even there. I picked up her card and his name was Mop and he was 3 years old and the card stated he was owner surrender because his owners went into a nursing home. How sad I thought as I walked off and kept looking around at all the animals. As I was making my rounds my eye continued to go back Mop. As I walked back to where Mop sat I decided that he was coming home with me. I did the paperwork and Mop and I went to the pet store to get what he was going to need to live with me. As we walked around the store Mop didn't seem interested at all. When we got home I showed him his new bed and toys. He laied down on his bed immediately and started rolling all around. He seemed potty trained and indicated at the door when he wanted to go out. The first day I just pretty much followed him around and making sure he knew where everything was and telling him no when he was looking at something I didn't want him to be messing with. The first night (and every night since) Mop has slept at the end of my bed during the night with no issues. The impact has been amazing because Mop has just become a part of my everyday life. +"This is a story that I'm not too proud of. One night last June after having a few (or more than a few) cocktails at a bar about 1 mile from my house, I decided to walk home instead of drive. I was pretty drunk and got to about 3 blocks from my house. Of course being drunk, I decided to text a woman that I know, and see if she'd respond. She did and as I was walking I was texting her back. I wasn't watching where I was walking and ended up taking a fall after tripping over a piece of sidewalk that was sticking up from tree roots growing under it. I not only hit my head but didn't catch myself correctly and dislocated my shoulder. I knew I was hurt pretty badly and it was late at night. I was drunk enough to think that I would be better off if I just laid here for a while. I was only one block from a hospital but didn't want to get up and go there. I ended up making the decision to get up (after over 30 minutes) and try to make it home. I didn't realize the extent of my injury so that's what I thought would be best. I got up and walked the 3 blocks to my house, got in the front door, laid down and passed out. I slept for a good 2 hours or so and when I woke up in a pool of blood, and realized that my shoulder was injured badly. I decided I better go to the hospital. I got up and walked to the emergency room. I ended up getting a stitch in my nose and having my arm put back in the socket. I recovered pretty quickly and was okay after a few weeks, but it was a significant event in my life. I will never be walking drunk and texting again in the dark. Bad things can happen." +"I was lost in every way. I had just gotten out of an abusive relationship. I had a dead end job. I felt so isolated in this city. I had moved here for this now terminated relationship. I spent a lot of time researching various topics to give my life direction. I had searched for the meaning of life. I had pondered my life's purpose. I roamed libraries and new age shops for hours. I finally found a book that really spoke to me about 6 weeks ago. It told me to let go of all of my previous beliefs and just celebrate me. It told me to be my own God and forge my own path. I should no longer succumb to the pressure of celebrating holidays that virtually mean nothing, but have been marketed endlessly. It truly set me free and I now only know that I am here for a short period of time, so I better make that time count for myself. This book changed my life for the better." +"I was a part of a destination bachelor party to Nashville which happened now about five or six months ago. I can remember feeling a bit apprehensive at first for a few reasons. One, the bachelor wanted to stay longer than I was comfortable with. This wouldn't be a problem normally, but he had planned it for weekdays which wasn't ideal. After some back and forth, we all agreed that some would go certain days while others would leave earlier. Seemed like a good compromise. After all, it was his day and I didn't want to take away from his special day. Another consideration was the mindset of the group going. We all pretty much knew one another for the most part, but I as well as another friend of mine knew these guys were spenders. We were all very upfront and open about costs. Luckily everyone understood and were cool about keeping costs reasonable. I would say the most surprising thing was the city itself. They say New York City is the city that never sleeps, but Nashville really embodied this line of thought. It seemed like there was a constant flow of people wherever we went. At the same time, everyone was so friendly and calm. You'd think crowds would be a problem, but it wasn't the case here. We all seemed to make new friends and conversation wherever we went at any hour of the day. Suffice to say, this made for an extremely memorable and eventful trip that most of us will never forget! Any apprehension I initially had faded and I would go back in a heartbeat." +"I went to a destination bachelor party about two months ago. It was for three days in Nashville, Tennessee. I was the best man in the wedding so it was important that I attend. I was surprised that the city was always full of life. They say it's the city that never sleeps and they aren't exaggerating! I was also surprised how friendly everyone was. I had no trouble striking up conversations with strangers wherever we went. We had a lot of things planned for each day so we were very busy all the time. It was night to get away and just let loose with some great friends. The trip really strengthened the bond between everyone who attended. I remember feeling very accepted and glad that I went. It can be difficult for everyone to get together these days. Between jobs, partners and just life in general, finding time is not always as easy as it was. I'll always remember this trip and the fun we all had. It was not only a great change of pace, but a great way to reconnect. I would go again anytime." +"Well, my stepfather, Mike, is now in a rehab facility. I still cannot believe he had a stroke a few short days ago. He is pretty young at 58 years old to have one, but I know it can happen to anyone, regardless of age. Mom dais he was sitting at the table eating dinner wehen he got a strange look on his face and had strange movements. After that shock passed, he tried to speak but had a horrible time with it. Despite all the signs of something is really wrong. Mike refused to believe he couldn't shake it off. Mom was freaking out because she knew without a doubt he had a stroke and wanted to call 911. But, Mike is the most stubborn man I have ever known. He was able to communicate to not call an ambulance, and he was adamant about it. Thank goodness he finally relented, but still. He saw the doctor and was in the hospital for a couple of days. He transferred to a rehab facility yesterday. Mom has been a trooper. She really hasn't left his side for a minute. I bet she was terrified witnessing him go through that but she won't dwell on it or talk about it. I need to make sure she takes time for herself in the coming weeks. She takes too much on and needs Mike to do the work now. She can encourage him, but should not be by his side every second of the day. I imagine it is too early to get concerned. A lot to come and a lot of work for Mike. It will be interesting to see if he uses his stubbornness to really work on the rehab. I bet he will and is up to the challenge." +"It was one week ago that our world changed forever. My step father, a very healthy man most of his life, was suddenly struck ill with a possible stroke. As a family, we've always been close. We generally know when one or another is sick or feeling bad. He had exhibited signs and symptoms, but we could not get him to respond or go to the Doctor. It really upset us that we could not get him to go. His stubbornness initially made us mad, but we got past that. He was just too ill to feel mad at during this dire situation. Upon visiting the doctor at the ER, he was diagnosed with a Subdural Hematoma. A Subdural Hematoma is what doctors refer to as a traumatic brain injury - which is in effect a collection of blood between the covering of the brain. It is very serious and can lead to death or disabilities if left untreated. The Doctor will usually put you on a blood thinning medication such as Warfarin if your body is able to respond. Fortunately for our family, he got there in the nick of time. He is resting, recuperating, and responding to treatment and prognosis is looking great for a full recovery. We now wonder if his initial stubbornness was the result of the stroke - that is, the symptoms of not fully understanding the seriousness of the matter and deciding against going to the hospital." +"This summer my family and I were struck with tragedy. We loved and cared for a rescue dog who we named Lilly. She was the bright light that shined in our home every single day. She had charisma and truly brought my family together. Although death comes with life, we did not expect her life to end so abruptly. We noticed her struggling the breathe, but we didn't think much of it. Quite possible she may have had a cold or maybe she was struggling with allergies. It turned out that it was much more. Lilly suffered from a tumor on her heart and mucous that surrounded her lungs. We knew the results were unfavorable, but we didn't quite understand the severity. It was almost impossible to wrap our heads around. This seemingly healthy, happy, and beautiful dog was ill and right before our eyes we couldn't even grasp it. Within a week it was determined that to allow her the tiniest amount of suffering possible we would have to put her to sleep. It crushed us. It crushed me. I had never dealt with loss so abruptly and with something I cared so much about. I think about her every day and I know that her spirit still lives on." +"Over the past month, I have come to know someone very significant in my life. I already consider this person a very close friend and lover. Our circumstances of how we met are unusual and not a coincidence. We believe it was meant to happen. Last week she took me to this park.. It's a beautiful park. She took me along a path and showed me a waterfall. We talked and had a nice conversation for a while. A Crane bird flew overhead and it was a nice moment. Then she showed me a calm river. While we were looking over the river, I thought about all the things we had experienced over the last month. I am a shy guy who lives in a small town and she has given me opportunities to express myself that I never had and to be able to see more of the world. I thought about how compatible we are to each other. I thought about how special she is and that I would help her along life's path whenever I could. Then while we were overlooking the river, she turned to me and closely looked into my eyes for a while. She has beautiful brown eyes. I'll never forget this moment." +"My friend and I were invited to a party by my boss' wife. It was his birthday surprise party. My friend and I thought, whatever, it may be fun, so we went. We arrived and started mingling with a few friends and the boss' wife. Our boss came in, and was greatly surprised, but somewhat distant from the party. A few hours passed, and my friend and I were close to leaving. All of sudden, our boss runs down the stairs, yelling for someone to call the police. We got so worried and scared, and everyone started mumbling about what could possibly be going on. We over heard people talking about several things, but eventually found out that someone had stolen important documents from our boss' office. This scared us, because who could do that? Our boss was a great person, very caring and empathetic, and we would never dream of something like that happening at his party. The police came and everyone was questioned. We eventually were allowed to go home, but it stuck with us for sometime. Even work seemed different. And they never caught the person who stole the documents. I often wonder if it's someone I sit next to at work." +"My daughter just graduated from high school a couple months ago. She was up in Colorado with my brother to finish her senior year of high school. The schools are spectacular there, they are A rated schools. My husband and I were not able to go out there to see her walk across the stage. However, they were live streaming it so we could see it from home while she walked across the stage. At first I didn't even notice her, it was a very long ceremony as they had over 500 seniors that graduated. When I graduated we only had 94 students, so it was a very different and much short ceremony. My brother, his best friend and two of my daughter's friends were there with her. She graduated at the very famous Red Rocks. She graduated on a very special day that was significant to my mother who passed away about 8 years ago. I am sure she was watching over her. She flew back home that night and arrived at 3:30 in the morning. We were so happy to have her home. She slept for almost 2 days. She was so happy to be home with us. We missed her very much." +"Last week, I went to a restaurant. I had a good time in the restaurant. I started out with a big cola. It was very delicious. I then got some queso to eat. It was pretty good. I then ordered some fajitas. They were beef fajitas. The waiter almost tripped with the fajitas. That would of been disastrous. Gladly, he didn't drop the fajitas. The fajitas turned out decent. They were a little chewy. I got the bill. It was a little pricey. I gave the waiter a decent sized tip of the tragedy that almost fell both of us with the fajitas. I gave a big smile to the waiter after giving the tip. I walked out with some sweat on my forehead." +"A week ago, I almost got into an accident. I went to the restaurant for a nice meal. I started the meal with a nice glass of water. It was very refreshing. I then got a bowl of queso to eat. It was the right temperature. It was very good to eat. It came with chips and salsa. They were both delicious. I then ordered fajitas for the main meal. They were steak fajitas. Right when the fajitas were about to be brought out, the waiter almost tripped. I had a sweat and a bit of a panic for a second. I'm glad he didn't trip. That would of been a disaster in the making. I made sure to give him a big tip for our near trip to the hospital." +"We were friends from high school. I got a call from another friend with whom I hadn't spoken in a while. Even then I knew it wasn't gonna be good news. We had all shared a lot of memories over the years. Despite the somber setting we had a good time reliving some things from our past. The deceased's best friend had never lost a peer before so my heart went out to her especially. I remember feeling kind of hopeful once it was all over. Like life would carry on for me. I guess it seemed more like a celebration than other funerals had ever been. For the first little bit I was still ashamed to laugh at funny stories we were remembering or to raise my voice to add to the stories being told. But it felt more and more natural to talk about her with some enthusiasm. By the time it was over, there was definitely a feeling of healing. Not completely, though. It was still very raw for some. But the funeral had done some good and that was something I had never experienced before." +"We were friends from high school. I got a call from another friend with whom I hadn't spoken in a while. Even then I knew it wasn't gonna be good news. We had all shared a lot of memories over the years. Despite the somber setting we had a good time reliving some things from our past. The deceased's best friend had never lost a peer before so my heart went out to her especially. I remember feeling kind of hopeful once it was all over. Like life would carry on for me. I guess it seemed more like a celebration than other funerals had ever been. For the first little bit I was still ashamed to laugh at funny stories we were remembering or to raise my voice to add to the stories being told. But it felt more and more natural to talk about her with some enthusiasm. By the time it was over, there was definitely a feeling of healing. Not completely, though. It was still very raw for some. But the funeral had done some good and that was something I had never experienced before." +"What a day that was, honestly. My granddaughter, someone I was very close to, was getting married. I wouldn't miss that for the world. I went to Florida to go and see her. I approved of her choice of life partner, as he treated her right and always made sure she felt like the only person in the room. There were some odd nuances, however. I noticed that her former boyfriend was there. They broke up amicably, but the thought of this person being at the wedding wasn't necessarily off putting, but it is a little bizarre. I just wanted to make sure this wedding went well. I don't know of the reasons why, but there was also a dog at this event. I don't know who it belonged to. Normally I'd be concerned over it because I feel like that could be a disaster. That being said, the dog was well behaved. I even gave it some pets at one point. A weird, but successful, wedding." +"so after not talking to my ex for almost 2 years, i accidentally butt dialed her. she called me back a few hours later and we started talking. she mentioned how she missed me but never tried reaching out because she thought i hated her and all that. i told her no that it wast the case at all and that i just had left her alone after the break up because it seemed like she wanted space. so we talked a long time over the next week or so and decided to hang out. she came over my place and we hung out a few hours and had fun. next day she messages saying how she enjoyed and missed that and would really like to try dating again. i said ok but lets take it slowly since one of the main reasons we stopped dating in the first place was the fact she would constantly make plans and then cancel. she would do this time after time and i got annoyed since i dont like making plans and then have them cancel out right before or not even be told til hours after. so i kind of had a feeling this would happen again in the back of my mind. and of course, it did. a week later she talked about her mom going away and not having to do that much for the week her mom was gone. it sounded like a good thing but again, in my back of my mind i had a feeling all this was just going to end like normal. and once again, of course it did. her mom left on a Friday and we had made plans for Saturday. well Saturday came and went. then Sunday. i finally hear from her on Monday with a story about how her grandmother got sick and she was in the hospital since Friday and all these things. mind you, she had been posting on social media all weekend and nothing mentioned this at all. i said ok no problem, lets try Wednesday. she agreed and we talked some more, but in my mind i knew this was not going to happen. and again, nope. the day came and went and i finally hear from her Thursday that she was so tired that she couldn't get out of bed. i said uh ok, and then out of the blue she comes up with that she doesn't think she can do this relationship cause she just cant seem to ever get time to come see me and how its not fair and just all kinds of things. i pretty much just gave up on her for the second time then." +"We first drove up to Idaho from our home in Nevada, which took about ten hours in total. We arrived at the campground, and there were already many families who had set up their trailers or tents. We found a spot that had some shade and parked our van. We set up our tent and said hello to some people who were there already. Our kids were anxious to go play with cousins and to play on the giant slide that someone had set up on the hill. It was a tarp with sprinklers running over it, and people had tubes that the kids could ride down the hill. Our kids ran over and slid down the hill over and over, having the time of their lives. Over the next couple of days, there was much of this and eating food together with family and having fun. On the second day, everyone got together to take a giant family picture. Each family wore a different color shirt that corresponded with the person whose family they belonged to--the seven original siblings who had started the reunion. None of the original siblings were still alive, but many of their posterity were gathered and carrying on their legacy. It was very cool and inspiring to see the ripple effect that a few people can have, and how a family can grow over time. We had fun trying to get the picture taken, but we were kind of glad when it was over as the sun was shining on us and the kids were getting restless. We also had a raffle where people had donated items, including a homemade quilt, and the raffle tickets proceeds went toward funding future reunions. It was a lot of fun and our kids and us made some good memories. Camping can be a lot of work, but it sure is a fun part of childhood." +"We first drove up to Idaho from our home in Nevada, which took about ten hours in total. We arrived at the campground, and there were already many families who had set up their trailers or tents. We found a spot that had some shade and parked our van. We set up our tent and said hello to some people who were there already. Our kids were anxious to go play with cousins and to play on the giant slide that someone had set up on the hill. It was a tarp with sprinklers running over it, and people had tubes that the kids could ride down the hill. Our kids ran over and slid down the hill over and over, having the time of their lives. Over the next couple of days, there was much of this and eating food together with family and having fun. On the second day, everyone got together to take a giant family picture. Each family wore a different color shirt that corresponded with the person whose family they belonged to--the seven original siblings who had started the reunion. None of the original siblings were still alive, but many of their posterity were gathered and carrying on their legacy. It was very cool and inspiring to see the ripple effect that a few people can have, and how a family can grow over time. We had fun trying to get the picture taken, but we were kind of glad when it was over as the sun was shining on us and the kids were getting restless. We also had a raffle where people had donated items, including a homemade quilt, and the raffle tickets proceeds went toward funding future reunions. It was a lot of fun and our kids and us made some good memories. Camping can be a lot of work, but it sure is a fun part of childhood." +"My wife and I have been trying to get pregnant for a few months now. We've had some issues but through it we've remained positive and that positivity eventually worked out for us. A few months ago, my wife decided to take a pregnancy test because she was late on her time of the month. A couple of minutes later she came to me with tears in her eyes, extremely happy, and when I asked her what was up she told me that what we had been hoping for was finally going to happen. We were obviously very excited about it, we hugged and kissed and teared up very ready for this to finally be happening. We talked about it for a little while and then decided to go and get breakfast and discuss it over a meal. We ended up going to McDonald's and sitting down at a table, I believe she ordered a sausage McMuffin and I ordered an egg McMuffin. We talked there for a long time about a lot of different things having to do with preparation and telling our parents. We even discussed things like names if it were a boy or girl, we both wanted to have a boy but would obviously be thrilled with a girl as well. We talked about how we would tell our parents, she had a lot of ideas on the subject and I pretty well just went along with whatever she thought. We even talked about more obscure things like how our two cats would get along with the baby, or what to dress them for as Halloween. It was a moment in time that I think I will always remember, it's a joy that I don't really know if I can accurately articulate. In the back of my mind I've always wanted to be a father, I didn't know if I was ready for it but I think that I am. However that being said it's a scary thought to be one of two people solely responsible for bringing another human into this world, it's a big commitment. I'm really looking forward to it though, I think that we are up to the task. She's a ways along now and it's thrilling to know that our little boy or girl will be here before we know it, we're both very excited." +"My wife and I have been trying to get pregnant for a little over a year now. We've gone to the doctor to get checked, we've tried pills and things of that nature to help things along, we've done a lot of things and yet we still haven't managed to get it to go through. We've continuously tried and failed with my wife finding new things for us to try every couple of months or so. Last month however, something finally clicked with us. On the 18th of August, my wife came downstairs in the morning to wake me up with a very big smile on her face. I asked her what she was so happy about and she told me that we were finally going to be having a child. I couldn't believe it, we'd been trying so hard to make it happen and finally we'd managed to pull it off. I was ecstatic and we went out to breakfast that morning to celebrate and discuss all our plans for our child. I will always remember that morning, it's one of the happiest times in my life. We went to McDonald's, I got an Egg McMuffin, she got a Sausage McMuffin, and we just sat there and talked about everything we needed to figure out before our son or daughter arrived. We both kind of want a son, however we will be very happy regardless of the gender. I think what will be the most memorable thing about this event is just the impact that it's going to have on my life. I've always wanted to have a kid, however I know that I can't fully appreciate everything that's going to go into it. That moment will be the distinct split between my young life and my adult life. It's a scary concept that I'm going to be in charge of something as important as the life of another person, however it's a challenge that I welcome with open arms." +"first of all Funfair is a British term and “Carnival” is the American term for Amusement show with amusement rides, games of chances and skills, food, food and food. last week As it was new year, countless cities and towns across the United States gear up for a beloved annual tradition. the new year celebration. so i and some of my friends decided to to host a fair last weak that was part of our new year celebration. we could spend time together with our partners and families. And while there are a few things that unite them all fried food, rides, and carnival games, to name a few. some fairs use their time in the spotlight creatively, with kooky contests, strange delicacies, and unusual traditions. so we started planning on how to make this fair fun and memorable. we contributed money and we set up an organising committee to organise the fair, on the day of the fair, i went with my partner and my friends. Everything from the food, to the weather, to the crazy fair art was amazing. it was really a perfect fair. nwe had lots of great tasty food, we sang and dance to the dj playing good music, we took pictures together. we were all happy and never regretted it. from the planning to the execution of the fair was impromptu and everything gave a positive result. we all went home happy and excited after the fair. it was really a a picture-perfect day." +"This summer I went on a camping trip to Albeni Cove, a really awesome campground right on the river in Northern Idaho. I moved to Northern Idaho in February after living in Reno off and on for about 11 years. It was the end of summer camping trip and we were throwing a going away party for my brother, who was moving back to California. I had not seen my Uncle in about 8 or 9 years because he was living in California when I moved to Reno. A huge fire took out the town he lived in, Paradise, so he relocated to Washington. It was a birthday surprise for my brother, so my uncle came and met us at the river. It had been so long since I seen him, I ran and gave him a huge hug once he got there. I had tears welling up in my eyes and was so incredibly excited. We sat by the water and talked about all the years that we had missed and all the times that we had planned on making new memories. I was excited for my kids to get to know my uncle and excited for him to get to know them. We had a great day, one I had waited for for a long time! My uncle told me that he is looking for a house in the same town in Idaho that I live in. I was so excited to hear this! We talked about all the barbecues and fun things we are going to do together. It was the start of rekindling our relationship. My uncle has always been incredibly important to me growing up, so to have him back in my life means the world to me!" +"My uncle and I were very close. He was like a third parent to me. He took incredible care to make sure I was okay, safe, and accounted for. On a recent camping trip I was able to reconnect with him after some time away. It wasn't intentional, just certain things happened in our life to where we couldn't interact all the time. But having him back in my life was something special. I learned a lot from this man. I wish I hadn't lost so much time with him but that's not to see things can't change. Having him back in my life is a great start. I don't expect the journey to be smooth, but I don't know if I'd have it any other way. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as the old cliche goes. I think it holds true here. This camping trip was just the tipping point. The real reconnection begins now. I can't wait for it." +"My mom has smoked cigarettes for as long as I can remember. When I was a child, I use to take her cigarettes and crush them. I would then throw them in the garbage. As I got older, I would always beg my mom to quit smoking. I knew that smoking was bad for her health. I wanted my mom to be around for as long as she could. I didn't want her to get sick from smoking. My mom resisted quitting for so long. She was so addicted, she smoked around three packs a day. She recently moved in with her boyfriend. They both smoked. Once her boyfriend turned 60, he decided that he thought they should quit smoking. She agreed with him. I was so happy when she told me that they were going to quit together. I have been waiting my whole life for her to quit smoking. I know that she will feel amazing after all the ill affects of the smoke leave her body. I am so happy for her and her boyfriend." +"My mom recently quit smoking ciggarettes. She has been a smoker for a very long time. She has smoked for as long as I can remember. She has even told me that she would smoke a little bit while she was pregnant with me. When she told me that she wanted to quit smoking, I was really surprised. She is almost 60 and I thought she would never quit. She and her boyfriend decided to quit together. I am so happy for both of them. I have been trying to get my mom to stop smoking for years. Her and her boyfriend quit about 4 and a half months ago. I really hope that they cam keep going. I quit smoking a few years ago an I want to be here for her for support. She has her whole family that is here to help if she needs it. Smoking is a horrible habit. I'm glad that I no longer smoke." +"Not long ago, our puppy started going crazy outside and my son went out to investigate. He could hear hissing behind a board. He came in to tell me what was going on and I told him to leave whatever it was alone and bring the dog in. Well, as it turns it out, it was a small kitten. Later, when he let the dog out, he went crazy again. Again, my son went to check what was going on. The kitten did not take the opportunity to leave when the dog was inside. So, my son decided to help this kitten, he removed the board the kitten was hiding behind and pick up the cat. Once the dog saw the cat, he went crazy again. This spooked the kitten and it clawed up and bit my son. My son came inside with cat scratches all over, including a deep one on his lip, and had a rather deep puncture bite wound on his hand. We went to the ER, my son ended up on powerful antibiotics and a few stitches in face. The kitten was captured and sent for quarantine and testing for rabies. Not long after, my son's lymph nodes in his groin area started swelling. We went to the urgent care and they put him on antibiotics. The lymph nodes did not go down, but instead more started swelling. Our regular doctor put him on a second, more powerful antibiotics. That didn't help and now lymph nodes in his neck started swelling. Doctor sent him for an ultrasound and the lymph nodes were extremely swollen and it was recommended to get a CT from waist to neck. Lymph nodes from groin to neck were all swollen. Our doctor told us he was 85% certain he had cancer. Not just cancer, but an extremely aggressive cancer. The surgeon removed the first, extremely large lymph node and told us it didn't not look like cancer, that he thought it was cat scratch fever, but we had to wait for the results. Our regular doctor was still certain it was cancer. Turns out my son had a massive case cat scratch fever." +"Over the summer, I was in another state visiting family. There was a day - a Sunday - when I was planning on going home. For one reason or another, I chose not to. The next day, my mom informed me that my dog was not doing well. Immediately, I knew I had to try to get back. I don't drive and couldn't find any flights, so I opted for Greyhound. I rushed to get to the station for a very last-minute departure. While trying to board, I was denied access because my identification had expired since I left town. I was profoundly crushed. And upset at myself for letting that happen. I would make different plans to get home the next morning. However, I woke up to a text from my mom saying that my dog had not made it through the night. I barely got out of bed for days. I didn't care about going home anymore. The thought of being in my house without my dog made it feel haunted." +"Three weeks ago, my dog died. I was not there. I had been out of town visiting family. When I was told that she was doing well and things were looking dire, I made last-minute plans to rush home. In the middle of the night, my only real option as a non-driver was Greyhound. As luck would have it, there was a proper route from where I was to where I was going. I booked it, and rushed to pack and leave to get to the station (20 minutes away, 90 minutes before departure). When I got there, I was denied the ability to board. My identification had recently expired. I told them my story; begged, pleaded. Nothing. I felt profoundly hopeless, hysterical, self-loathing, and broken. With no other options, I returned to where I was staying. As it turned out, I would not have made it. My dog went sometime in her sleep in the night before I would have arrived. I hadn't seen her in her last two months, and I couldn't see her before she went. It absolutely haunts me. My parents had her cremated. I still haven't been able to go back home. It will never feel like home again. Not without her." +"Two months ago, I had to give up student teaching because my child was put on half a day. I am so disappointed. This was the last thing I needed to do before getting my teaching certificate. So close, and then I hit an obstacle I can't get past. Fortunately, I have online work to fall back on. I have been making a decent amount of money with audio transcription and my blog. I also got my old job at the library back. I do that while my child is at school, and I work online while my child is at home. It's not a bad routine. I like working at the library. It is nice and peaceful there, and sometimes I have enough down time to do a little studying. And, of course, my child won't be on half days forever. I think it will be a year or two. I took a leave of absence from the university, so I'll be able to go back when my child is back on full days. I'm looking forward to it. I just hope I remember what to do when I go back!" +"Two months ago, one of my best friends got married. He asked me to be his best man for the wedding. When he asked me I was so excited, but as the wedding got closer, I got a little bit nervous. I had never been the best man for anyone before, and I didn't want to mess it up. I rehearsed my speech for weeks leading up to the wedding. I edited it so many times and had all my friends listen to it and let me know what they thought. Nobody had any corrections for me, so I didn't change anything. Instead, I focused on memorizing it. I had a feeling that when I got up on stage at the wedding to say the speech I would forget everything. On the actual wedding day, I brought a copy of my speech in my pocket, just in case. When it came time for me to read my speech, I decided to try it without using the paper. At least until I needed it. It turns out, I had the whole thing memorized and didn't need to reference my notes at all! I was so thrilled to be able to honor my best friend in this way. It was a beautiful wedding and I was happy to be a part of it." +"One day when my hospital was leaving work he boss came in and gave his a letter. It was from the hospital stating that they would start taking 25% out of his check each week to pay back his bills. This is really hard when you live basically paycheck to paycheck. My husband gets paid twice a month so that is almost $500 we are losing each month until it is paid off. This is basically a whole month's rent minus like $25. We are struggling, but we are making it. I turk every day to help which I already did, but now it is more of I have to then I want to. We have tried not to change the way we live as we don't want to worry the kids something is wrong, but we have cut back on eating out. We might struggle every month, but we find a way to survive. Some bills are a little late, but they are getting paid. I rather have things paid then getting cut off. We only have another couple of months to get through and it will be paid off. I believe we worked it out and we will be struggling until taxes in 2020. It has already been three to four months and we are making it work. That is all you can do. You find ways to work around the struggles. No matter what they are." +"One day when my hospital was leaving work he boss came in and gave his a letter. It was from the hospital stating that they would start taking 25% out of his check each week to pay back his bills. This is really hard when you live basically paycheck to paycheck. My husband gets paid twice a month so that is almost $500 we are losing each month until it is paid off. This is basically a whole month's rent minus like $25. We are struggling, but we are making it. I turk every day to help which I already did, but now it is more of I have to then I want to. We have tried not to change the way we live as we don't want to worry the kids something is wrong, but we have cut back on eating out. We might struggle every month, but we find a way to survive. Some bills are a little late, but they are getting paid. I rather have things paid then getting cut off. We only have another couple of months to get through and it will be paid off. I believe we worked it out and we will be struggling until taxes in 2020. It has already been three to four months and we are making it work. That is all you can do. You find ways to work around the struggles. No matter what they are." +"You can distance yourself from the main character and approach the different characters more objectively. You keep an eye on the story and have a wider perspective on the situation, making the third person ideal for complex storylines. You can make the book more exciting by giving certain information away that the main character does not know yet. Write in third person. ...Introduce your main characters and conflict at the beginning. ...Summarize the main events of the plot. ...End with resolution of the book. ...Include only necessary information. ...Demonstrate character development and emotion. ...Avoid complimenting your own A summary is a short retelling of a longer written passage, containing the author’smost important ideas. Summarizing helps improve both your reading and writingskills. To summarize, you must read a passage closely, finding the main ideas andsupporting ideas. Then you must briefly write down those ideas in a few sentencesor a paragraph. It is important to understand the difference between a summary and a paraphrase. A paraphrase is simply a rewriting of a passage in your own words. A summary, onthe other hand, contains only the main idea and the supporting ideas of a passage. A summary will be much shorter than a paraphrase. How to Summarize a Paragraph1. Preview and read. Preview and read the paragraph closely. You probablywill find that you need to read the paragraph more than one time. 2. Make a list or outline. Determine the main idea and the supporting details of" +"You can distance yourself from the main character and approach the different characters more objectively. You keep an eye on the story and have a wider perspective on the situation, making the third person ideal for complex storylines. You can make the book more exciting by giving certain information away that the main character does not know yet. Write in third person. ...Introduce your main characters and conflict at the beginning. ...Summarize the main events of the plot. ...End with resolution of the book. ...Include only necessary information. ...Demonstrate character development and emotion. ...Avoid complimenting your own A summary is a short retelling of a longer written passage, containing the author’smost important ideas. Summarizing helps improve both your reading and writingskills. To summarize, you must read a passage closely, finding the main ideas andsupporting ideas. Then you must briefly write down those ideas in a few sentencesor a paragraph. It is important to understand the difference between a summary and a paraphrase. A paraphrase is simply a rewriting of a passage in your own words. A summary, onthe other hand, contains only the main idea and the supporting ideas of a passage. A summary will be much shorter than a paraphrase. How to Summarize a Paragraph1. Preview and read. Preview and read the paragraph closely. You probablywill find that you need to read the paragraph more than one time. 2. Make a list or outline. Determine the main idea and the supporting details of" +"Two months ago there was a huge drama in the family. My entitled aunt accused my nephew, my sisters son who is 15, of stealing from her purse. Here is what happened. We were having a family get together for my sisters birthday and most of the family was there. Aunt comes in late, as usual, with her bratty daughter (15) in tow. Aunt places her purse by the front door. It's a huge monstrosity of a bag that is open at the top. This will be important later. They complain about the food all through lunch. We just ignore this and continue with fun of the day. After lunch, the parents are all drinking coffee in the dining room while the younger kids play and watch movies in the salon by the front door. Entitled cousin does not want to watch the movie that is on, I think it was Frozen, saying it is lame and is a kids movie. She takes the remote and changes it to Game of Thrones. All the other kids are mad and complain that the show is too scary. A tussle ensues for the remote and in the course of the wrestling, Aunts bag is knocked over and items scatter onto the floor. My Sister comes in and tells everyone to quiet down, changes the show back to Frozen and takes the remote which makes Entitled cousin cry and scream that Nephew hit her and wants him punished. Aunt comes in and yells at Nephew that Cousin should have what she wants and for Nephew to stop being a brat. Then Aunt sees her bag knocked over and starts screaming at Nephew that he is stealing from her. She picks up her bag and says her FitBit is missing. I roll my eyes because of all the crap in that bag, how would she know immediately that her FitBit is missing. Aunt demands Nephew turns his pockets out. Nephew says he does not have her FitBit and to leave him alone. Sister tells Aunt that her Nephew does not have her FitBit and maybe she should look under the couch where her bag fell over. One of the other kids does just this and does find her FitBit. Aunt yells at Nephew saying he stowed it there for later so Sister tells Aunt that this is rediculous and it is time for them to leave." +"May 2019, I am graduating college, the first to finish in my family. I was filled with joy and happiness to walk across the stage and get my diploma. In the back of my head, I have not found the job yet that i want for so. I wanted to graduate and immediately enter the job force. Any person i told after graduating ""i don't have a job yet,"" would tell me ""it takes time it will come."" I decided to sign up with an employment agency to find temp positions for me until i can find a permanent position. Two months later i have not been placed at a temp position but i have been on interviews through the applications i put in. The interviews have really helped me get comfortable in interviews, which at first i wasn't comfortable nor confident. Where in July about to enter August and i still have not found that permanent position yet, but for some reason each time i get an interview i get a confidence boost and a desire to apply for more positions. I know it is a short amount of time that I have been out of college, looking for a job but to me it feel like years have went by. I continue to read articles online about people talking about how long they waited for their first position after college. Throughout all my reading the average recent graduate had to wait 6 months or more to find that position. Not having anything lined up also helped me get familiar with mturk this year and is a great thing to do to make at least 100 a week. Mturk has made the time go by faster and better because im actually getting paid to do something. Instead of sitting at the house watching TV. All in all this is what i wanted but is probably what i needed." +"In the past two months i have almost attend at least a ten job interviews,but all in vain no good results and i did not reap anything good after sowing good things. got frustrating and thought to quit .But i understood that i had to flow with the current to find success rather than fighting the current, which turned out to be useless .So i started trying and getting adjusted to people who interviewed me and correct my mistakes ,and learn from wrongs and i started to get confidence and i worked more on faults , and started to improve and i soon got a good placement in a good company which i did not expect .I got very well with the companies environment, and it was very cool .I was doing well in my jobs and my senior were happy with that and everything was going very well .Recently I had a call from a pastor friend who wanted to get his church out of a portable situation and into a new facility. We had talked about the move several times, and on this particular day he was down the wire. His church had given at unbelievably sacrificial levels, but he was still at least 6 figures short of his goal. Yet they had a building deal in front of them that they could move on now before costs escalated beyond what they could afford. He asked me what I thought. I asked more questions. The answers really didn’t help me get much clarity at all, despite my friend’s best intentions. I asked him what other wise people he and I both knew were saying. He said everyone thought it was pushing the known limits. I said I tended to agree. We talked some more. So what advice did I end up giving him? I told him:I think this will be spectacular. It will either be spectacularly wonderful or a spectacular failure. And I don’t know which." +"In the past two months i have almost attend at least a ten job interviews,but all in vain no good results and i did not reap anything good after sowing good things. got frustrating and thought to quit .But i understood that i had to flow with the current to find success rather than fighting the current, which turned out to be useless .So i started trying and getting adjusted to people who interviewed me and correct my mistakes ,and learn from wrongs and i started to get confidence and i worked more on faults , and started to improve and i soon got a good placement in a good company which i did not expect .I got very well with the companies environment, and it was very cool .I was doing well in my jobs and my senior were happy with that and everything was going very well .Recently I had a call from a pastor friend who wanted to get his church out of a portable situation and into a new facility. We had talked about the move several times, and on this particular day he was down the wire. His church had given at unbelievably sacrificial levels, but he was still at least 6 figures short of his goal. Yet they had a building deal in front of them that they could move on now before costs escalated beyond what they could afford. He asked me what I thought. I asked more questions. The answers really didn’t help me get much clarity at all, despite my friend’s best intentions. I asked him what other wise people he and I both knew were saying. He said everyone thought it was pushing the known limits. I said I tended to agree. We talked some more. So what advice did I end up giving him? I told him:I think this will be spectacular. It will either be spectacularly wonderful or a spectacular failure. And I don’t know which." +"This is the story of my catastrophic love life. It all happened so fast, about a week ago when I saw my ex boyfriend with another lady in a fancy restaurant. I was walking my dog about 4 miles from where I live. Obviously angered by how abusive he was to me, I ran straight at him with tears trying to escape my eyes screaming his name. As soon as I got to him, all he had to say was ""what the fuck are you doing here, I thought I told you not to ever stalk me"". This guy has always maltreated me but the love I have for him has made me blind so I end up being the to beg him. I endured this abusive relationship for far too long was the next thought that crossed my mind after he said all those shit to me. I tried to hit him on the face but I missed, he grabbed me tightly and almost thought about strangling me with his hands before my 3 year old Rottweiler jump on the table and bit his fingers and other parts of his body. It was a nightmare in the restaurant , a gory scene. And soon after I started to regret every of my actions. I thought to myself, if you had just walked away it wouldn't have gotten to this. The restaurant owner called the medics and was reluctant on calling the cops on me. Soon as the medics arrived, I got into the van with them and I was also saparated from my dog. I guess they too him to animal control. In the hospital, the doctors carried out x-rays and ran some tests on my ex boyfriend. He had a lot of open wounds so he had to get stitches and one of his fingers was also broken, so they got that fixed up also. I really wished I could go back in time and avoid causing problems." +"This is the story of my catastrophic love life. It all happened so fast, about a week ago when I saw my ex boyfriend with another lady in a fancy restaurant. I was walking my dog about 4 miles from where I live. Obviously angered by how abusive he was to me, I ran straight at him with tears trying to escape my eyes screaming his name. As soon as I got to him, all he had to say was ""what the fuck are you doing here, I thought I told you not to ever stalk me"". This guy has always maltreated me but the love I have for him has made me blind so I end up being the to beg him. I endured this abusive relationship for far too long was the next thought that crossed my mind after he said all those shit to me. I tried to hit him on the face but I missed, he grabbed me tightly and almost thought about strangling me with his hands before my 3 year old Rottweiler jump on the table and bit his fingers and other parts of his body. It was a nightmare in the restaurant , a gory scene. And soon after I started to regret every of my actions. I thought to myself, if you had just walked away it wouldn't have gotten to this. The restaurant owner called the medics and was reluctant on calling the cops on me. Soon as the medics arrived, I got into the van with them and I was also saparated from my dog. I guess they too him to animal control. In the hospital, the doctors carried out x-rays and ran some tests on my ex boyfriend. He had a lot of open wounds so he had to get stitches and one of his fingers was also broken, so they got that fixed up also. I really wished I could go back in time and avoid causing problems." +"Since this event has happened, I have since reconciled with my boyfriend. I was incredibly angry and upset with him at first, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with him. But, as time passed, he continued to try to contact me. Eventually, I gave in, and we are now back together. I do not regret my decision, and I do believe that our relationship is stronger than it was before. I do sometimes get feelings of suspicion or feelings that he is going to cheat on me once again, but I try to see past those feelings because I know that he really loves me. I never told my parents about the situation because I know that they would never want me to see him again. They would have told me that I need to know my self worth and that I should be with someone who would never do that to me. I agree, but I think he made a mistake that hopeful he will learn from and we will overcome as a couple. It has not been easy, but I still love him and care about him, and I am trying to make this work the best that I can. If this does happen again, however, I will never see him again. I have made a promise to myself that I will do my best to look out for myself and I will leave him if he ever cheats again. I do not want to be one of those girls who gets repeatedly cheated on and stays anyway. I will not let that be me. But i am truly hoping that he will change as a person." +"I always knew my boyfriend was a liar. I just continued to believe him despite obvious reasons not to. But two months ago I was at my wit's end. I knew something was up. He said he was headed out to hang with friends one night, and something seemed fishy about the way he was acting. I looked on Facebook and saw that some of his friend's were online, so I asked one of them what my boyfriend could bring that evening. That's when I knew. So began to leave I snuck out to my car and followed him. He drove for just five miles, to a subdivision nowhere close to where his friends live. I was furious but continued to stay focused. Once he pulled into a random driveway a young girl wearing a leather jacket came out and got in his car. They passionately kissed and accelerated off into the night. I didn't bother to follow them. I simply went back home and tossed all of his things in the yard and proceeded to turn the sprinklers on. Whoops! Such a shame for him that he ended up getting back nearly five hours later, to all his possessions soaked on our front lawn. I haven't seen him since." +Back in the early 70-80s I was a big fan of cher. I wasn't one of those uncontrollable fans but I did really like cher. She is one of my favoritve artists to ever listen to and see perform. I've been to a few of her concerts from back then. Reecently about 3 months ago I had received word that cher would be in town to perform this weekened. I thought to myself that it would be fun to go see her again. So I had a conversation with my wife about it and she thought it was a good idea too. So we made the date and went ahead and purchased our tickets. The date had finally arrived but we still had to wait until later to go. Most of the day we spent our time doing random things and listening to her music all day. Before we knew it the time had come to go to the concert. we had splurged on great tickets so we had good seats. It was a very special night for us because we grew on this music. Loving the artist and getting to see here live in person was a good experience. we really enjoyed seeing cher in concert again. +"When I think of my child leaving for college and the regret of what I should have said or done but didn't screams in my soul that my beloved daughter heads off to college in Texas. Her departure very much feels like “The End.” She’s excited about her new adventure. Most important is the fact that she’s excited about going. You aren't doing anything wrong—this is just a normal part of growing up. Teens who are trying to find independence need to differentiate themselves from parents and family and express their own strong opinions and ideas of how things should be done. Don't conclude that your child has always hated you and that their real nature is coming out now that they're leaving for college. It's just part of the separation process and is a temporary stage of development. Don't take it to heart; it's not your child talking—it's the fear of leaving home and entering the adult world that's lashing out at you. Many parents use social media to keep track of their kids at college and ask their children to ""friend"" them so they can maintain contact. . Part of growing up involves facing difficult or challenging moments and finding a way through those hard times. Signs of maturity include flexibility, adaptability, and resilience, and college is the ideal time to work on these skills. But if situations escalate to the point at which they threaten your child's physical or mental health—or put them in jeopardy—step in and offer aid. But ask for permission first. You want to support your child as much as possible but not to the extent that you dismantle the initial foundation of self-sufficiency. Finding the right balance will take time, but eventually, you'll both get there." +"When I think of my child leaving for college and the regret of what I should have said or done but didn't screams in my soul that my beloved daughter heads off to college in Texas. Her departure very much feels like “The End.” She’s excited about her new adventure. Most important is the fact that she’s excited about going. You aren't doing anything wrong—this is just a normal part of growing up. Teens who are trying to find independence need to differentiate themselves from parents and family and express their own strong opinions and ideas of how things should be done. Don't conclude that your child has always hated you and that their real nature is coming out now that they're leaving for college. It's just part of the separation process and is a temporary stage of development. Don't take it to heart; it's not your child talking—it's the fear of leaving home and entering the adult world that's lashing out at you. Many parents use social media to keep track of their kids at college and ask their children to ""friend"" them so they can maintain contact. . Part of growing up involves facing difficult or challenging moments and finding a way through those hard times. Signs of maturity include flexibility, adaptability, and resilience, and college is the ideal time to work on these skills. But if situations escalate to the point at which they threaten your child's physical or mental health—or put them in jeopardy—step in and offer aid. But ask for permission first. You want to support your child as much as possible but not to the extent that you dismantle the initial foundation of self-sufficiency. Finding the right balance will take time, but eventually, you'll both get there." +"After years of saving and waiting I was finally ready to buy my first home. This was a long and sometimes painful process but a good experience nonetheless. I viewed tons of homes and could not find the one for me. I searched and searched and just couldn't find that one that stood out from the rest. Finally, after what felt like an eternity of searching I was ready to give up. I was exhausted from searching and just didn't want to do it anymore. The last house on my viewing list was the one! It was perfect for me. I ended up putting an offer in on the house and the sellers accepted. There were a few things that needed to be done and a few things that needed updating but the house was exactly what I was looking for. This experience taught me to never give up. I couldn't have been happier. It was a long time coming. Finally, my house hunting journey was over. I have been living in this home ever since and I love it." +"What a day! About three months ago something amazing happened to me. I bought my first home! The process was a long and drawn out one but so worth it in the end. I looked at house after house after house and finally settled on the perfect one for me. I started the process months before I actually purchased. It took a long time finding a home because I am so indecisive and I didn't want to make a mistake and buy something I would hate in the future. This caused me to want to see any and everything that was available. Even after I thought I had seen it as I contemplated which house to purchase I couldn't decide. I received a phone call from my realtor a few days after all the showings available to me were over and she communicated to me that there was one brand new listing that we had not seen. This turned out to be the one. It was everything I wanted and dreamed of when I first started the process of buying a home. I was in love with the house and put in an offer immediately. My offer was accepted and sometime later I moved in and have been loving life ever since. I don't want to live anywhere else. Although this was a daunting task, I wouldn't change how it all played out." +"In June I went to Minneapolis to see my friend, family, and a concert. We went to the Mall of America with my daughter, and my mom. Later on that day I met up with my childhood friend. After that my mom, and daughter went to my moms house. I went back to my friends house. Later that night my friend and I went and saw the band The Specials play. The price of 2 drinks was $23. We were fairly confident that the bartender overcharged us. The concert itself was awesome. On the way back home our uber driver essentially hustled extra money out of my friend. Sleeping was difficult that night because my friends basement was super hot, and my friends sleep apnea snoring was unbearable. Eventually I went back to my aunts house the following day and met up with my mom, and daughter. Finally we drove home. That night when we got home UFC 238 was on, I bet $80 on Henry Cejudo and won over $100 back. Overall it was a very good weekend. It made me miss having a proper social life!" +"I lost my grandmother earlier this year. She was 94 years old. She passed away on Memorial Day weekend. She had said she was ready to go, but it was still, of course, a sad moment in my life. She had gotten really frail overall and was in a nursing home the last few weeks of her life. The last time I saw her, she was asleep, and didn't wake up while I was there, but I was able to tell her that I loved her and that I hoped she had sweet dreams. It felt good to be able to do that. When we got the call, I wasn't surprised. But I still miss her, of course. She was a really interesting person. She was born to Belgian immigrants. She grew up on a farm with no electricity or running water. She had a really happy life though, and did more than she ever expected. Her funeral was really nice. A lot of people came. It was really nice to hear how many lives she touched." +"Grandma was such a good person. She was always helpful and there for you. She would stop what she was doing to help with anything. Sadly she was lost over the spring. She was pretty up there in age. So it wasn't really a surprise. It was still sad to see her go though. She will be missed. She has a full and happy life though. Don't think she left with any regrets. She loved to travel, had been around the world. So many different places. And she always brought something back for the grand kids. Little trinkets. People she met from everywhere came to her funeral. The room filled with flowers. It was very nice." +"It had been a lifetime dream of mine to be able to drag race in a National event. I had raced many years ago and had gotten out of it. While it was always something that I wanted to do, my family always came first and working to provide for my wife and kids was my priority. There was a national event coming up and while I planned on attending it, it was only as a spectator. My family apparently had different plans as they worked out a plan with some friends of mine. Their plan was for me to actually drive a car at the track and race. They worked out their plan to perfection as I had no idea what they had planned. As it turned out, I was really surprised that they had figured out a way for it to happen. I didn't have a car to run but they had figured out a way for me to have one to enter. I ran the qualifying passes and it felt great to be back on the race track. Yes, I was a bit rusty behind the wheel of a drag car, but it sure felt great. My family said that I was grinning from ear to ear when I climbed out of the race car after my first pass. When the 1st round came up, my nerves were a little wound up as I had a ton of different emotions going through my system. I was nervous and excited at the same time. While in the staging lanes, my family was all around the car and we were just saying how fun it was to be at the track and that there was no pressure. It was time for the race rounds to begin so I got into the car, buckled in, and put my helmet on. I waited for my chance to run and got the car pre-staged. The lights came down and I had a really sharp reaction time. The other racer had a great reaction as well. When we got to the finish line, he was slightly ahead and I lost the race. Even though I didn't win any races, it was great to have the chance again to see if I could still do it, and I could. It was a moment in my life that I will never forget and hopefully, I will get the chance to do it again in the future." +"It was during the first weekend of July when I was finally able to do something that I hadn't been able to do in over 25 years. I was able to drag race for the first time since I was in my lower 20's. While that was a big deal, the fact that I was able to race in a national event was huge. It had always been a lifelong dream for it to happen as I never figure that I would be able to buy a race car so I never thought that it was a possibility. But about two weeks before the race was going to take place, a really good friend surprised me and told be that he had always known that I wanted to race and that he wanted to make it happen. He had ran in several national events and I had been able to watch him do it on a couple of those occasions While he had never made it past the 2nd round in any of his attempts, he knew that I would love to give it a shot. My birthday was coming up and he said ""that it was time for me to get my chance."" At first, I thought that he was kidding but he was being honest. He told me that he had been working on the race car and that it was ready for me to run it. The weekend of the races, we headed to the track and did some qualifying passes. The car ran great although it took me a few runs to get used to the shift set-up that he had on the car. My reaction times were decent but they definitely weren't where I needed them to be for race day. We had a small engine issue pop up but nothing major and it was fixed in a short amount of time. My family enjoyed being able to see some of the racing greats that were there and my kid's really like getting autographs from them and getting to take pictures with them. It was expensive to do anything there but it was all about the memories that weekend. I wound up losing in the 1st round due to my poor reaction time. But either way, I was an experience that I will never forget." +"I had to buy school supplies and clothes. It always happens around this time of year. The school supplies are many, and I needed a way to buy them all. I always save up for it and thats what I did. I had a good amount for all the needed stuff. Each year changes as far as required items and this year she needed special glue. I also got to go see her new teachers. They seemed nice and proper, and full of energy. I feel that the needs of the kids will be met. My daughters new friends were energetic as well. And everyone was nice. It was good to know everything was going well. The school supplies were paid for and the school teachers seemed great for the job. Her new friends energy was quite shocking. I'm sure she will have a blast." +"Over the summer my boyfriend’s first cousin passed away. My boyfriend was extremely hurt and had a difficult time coping because they were as close as brothers. He passed away a few days after his birthday due to health related problems. The entire family has been devastated as it was huge unexpected loss. I did not know him for long but I was also hurt. He was someone who was extremely respectful and welcoming and liked to make people laugh. One of the hardest things to do was see his immediate family after the loss. The heartbreak and overwhelming emotions they experienced was very sad. It was hard to see the children. It was difficult to see his mother, brother, and wife dealing with the terrible loss. It was hard to keep my boyfriend positive amongst everything. At one point he wanted to give up. I told him he had to make his cousin proud who was now watching over him. I have not dealt with a loss like this so I was in shock and did not know how to react. I just kept waiting to be told it was a joke and he was alive." +"I was surprised by birthday gift that my husband gave me this year. My husband bought me a car eight months ago as a birthday gift. He did it secretly and I totally had no idea of what he was going to buy me as a birthday gift. On my birthday, he took me to a car dealer. He told me that we were going to try new cars. When we got to the car dealer, we tried several new cars and I was very excited because I really needed a new car since I lost my old car during a car accident not long before. When I got out of a Hyundai car, my husband handed me a car key. I guessed he bought me a new car! Though he did not say a word, I was totally shocked that my husband bought me a new car secretly. He bought me a Hyundai hatchback which was very nice. I especially loved the sunset orange color which was so cute. I was impressed by the materials used by Hyundai which had improved and their look was very modern. I also liked the back-up camera, front and side collision warning, hatchback and audio bluetooth functions. I hugged my husband at the car dealer because I was so thrilled and touched by his behavior. The new car was very important to me because my beloved old car got totaled during a car accident earlier. This event was very memorable." +"I was surprised by birthday gift that my husband gave me this year. My husband bought me a car eight months ago as a birthday gift. He did it secretly and I totally had no idea of what he was going to buy me as a birthday gift. On my birthday, he took me to a car dealer. He told me that we were going to try new cars. When we got to the car dealer, we tried several new cars and I was very excited because I really needed a new car since I lost my old car during a car accident not long before. When I got out of a Hyundai car, my husband handed me a car key. I guessed he bought me a new car! Though he did not say a word, I was totally shocked that my husband bought me a new car secretly. He bought me a Hyundai hatchback which was very nice. I especially loved the sunset orange color which was so cute. I was impressed by the materials used by Hyundai which had improved and their look was very modern. I also liked the back-up camera, front and side collision warning, hatchback and audio bluetooth functions. I hugged my husband at the car dealer because I was so thrilled and touched by his behavior. The new car was very important to me because my beloved old car got totaled during a car accident earlier. This event was very memorable." +Took dad to the VA clinic again today. It takes forever to get into this place. When you finally get a appointment you realize that everybody has the same appointment time as you so its a waiting game. Dad is cranky as usual he hate this place but its the only place he can go that treats him for almost free. Even though his appointed was for 10am we didnt hear the lady call his name untill 11:30. At this point both of us are pissed off i hold mine in Dad lets his show. I guess he has earned that right. The doctor goes through the normal questions as i start to drift off thinking about all the other things that i have to do today. Hearing the doctor say how high my dads blood pressure is today snapped me back to reality. I was almost confused dad eats like he is still in the army no junk food doesnt drink he is actually pretty good about taking care of himself. The doctor gave him some meds to bring it down and a follow up appointment to check on it in a week. Great now we have to come back. The medicine worked even before we left the clinic so that was a relief. Of course dad wanted to stop at the barber to get a haircut I try not to roll my eyes. He barely has any hair left I know this is a social call for him and his buddies. But I guess I dont mind he has earned it. +Took dad to the VA clinic again today. It takes forever to get into this place. When you finally get a appointment you realize that everybody has the same appointment time as you so its a waiting game. Dad is cranky as usual he hate this place but its the only place he can go that treats him for almost free. Even though his appointed was for 10am we didnt hear the lady call his name untill 11:30. At this point both of us are pissed off i hold mine in Dad lets his show. I guess he has earned that right. The doctor goes through the normal questions as i start to drift off thinking about all the other things that i have to do today. Hearing the doctor say how high my dads blood pressure is today snapped me back to reality. I was almost confused dad eats like he is still in the army no junk food doesnt drink he is actually pretty good about taking care of himself. The doctor gave him some meds to bring it down and a follow up appointment to check on it in a week. Great now we have to come back. The medicine worked even before we left the clinic so that was a relief. Of course dad wanted to stop at the barber to get a haircut I try not to roll my eyes. He barely has any hair left I know this is a social call for him and his buddies. But I guess I dont mind he has earned it. +"I've been sick the past week or two. I went to the doctor and got prescribed an antibiotic for an infection on my legs, but it turns out I'm allergic to the antibiotic. I got very very sick. I had a fever of 102, headaches, nausea. and then the rash started and spread over my entire body. I really felt like I might die, I didn't tell anyone that, but I was in pretty bad shape. Allergic reactions to medication is no joke! I am very lucky to have such a wonderful husband though. He was so helpful and kind while I was sick. He's always been a sweet and helpful guy, but he really went above and beyond to make sure I was comfortable and had what I needed. Everything made me nauseous, so he did research and went to the store and bought several different things for me to eat. When my mom suggested taking a few various vitamins, he left immediately to get them for me. He took the day off of work for two days and wouldn't let me get up from my resting spot for any reason. He was truly a lifesaver, I am so grateful for him. I can't imagine having to go through that alone." +"On May 15, 2019 was the day my Father-in-Law passed away. It's been a tough couple of years as I seen my Father-in-Law struggle with his breathing. He was diagnosis with pulmonary lung disease back 2018 but probably had this disease long before that time. He was a vibrant man considering his age of being 80. He lived on a farm raising cattle and always took care of his chores until he no longer could. My husband and brother-in-law had to take over the family farm. Eventually the situation started taking a hold on the families since we all lived an hour away. His prognosis wasn't good but he kept persevering until he could no longer take care of himself or the farm. He did not want to go into a home so we called hospice and they helped a couple times a week with the rest of us helping the other days. Towards the end my Father-in-Law had to use an oxygen tank. I noticed every time I seen him he kept loosing weight. He had so much fluid on his lungs that he was no longer hungry. He was wasting away to nothing. We finally had hospice bring a bed into his house and place it in the living room. He no longer had energy to walk to his bedroom. I knew the end was near. We took turns with staying over night at his house as he was now in need of 24 hour care. The night that me and my husband were staying with him he wanted us to say a prayer together. After that he said he loved us and was really tired. We told him we loved him and to get some rest. At about 1 in the morning we heard a noise and we both got up. We went to the living room to see my Father-in-Law coughing, chocking, and having a hard time breathing. He eventually fell back to sleep. A couple hours went by and we both woke to my Father-in-Law letting out a gurgle. We both held his hand and he eventually passed away." +"My close friend's grandpa died recently. She was pretty upset over it, as it was her first loss of someone close. Her family was taking it pretty hard, as they were pretty close to the grandpa. She was already dealing with a breakup at the same time. She struggles with depression and anxiety, so she was experiencing a lot of difficult emotions. She usually doesn't open up about her feelings that much, because she has difficult sharing them and being emotionally vulnerable. At a really emotionally vulnerable part of her life, I suppose it was harder to keep up the walls. She opened up about herself and how she'd been really feeling. It was so memorable because it meant a lot that she trusted me, and she admitted she really appreciated me as a friend. It's unlike her, but I knew she really meant it. We then had a deep talk about life in general, which was pretty moving in itself. I don't really talk to anyone about this kind of thing as well, so it was really pleasant being able to talk to someone about this kind of thing. She and I are actually pretty alike as people. We both tend to keep our emotions to ourselves, but we really seemed to connect that day. She said that her grandpa always gave her crap about dyeing her hair, but right before he died, he wanted to dye his hair green. She dyed his hair and he was happy about it. She decided to dye her hair green for the funeral in honor of him. She told me that when her dad saw it, he started choking up and crying. She told me all of this without any walls up, and since then we've been pretty close and tell each other about everything." +"What a wild party! I was looking forward to this get together and meeting up with old friends that I haven't seen in many years. We started out by going to a restaurant and having a great meal. Then one of my friends decided that we should go on an adventure through the city. He stated that he had never been in a gay bar. None of us had and then made a decision to go to a couple. After a quick search, we found several gay bars in the area. It was during this time that we drank some more and smoked a joint in the car ride. We parked at the first club. It was very interesting to see a culture that we are not normally integrated into. After having a few drinks and then smoking aother j on the way to my place, we were feeling no pain. Once at my place, the party and good times continued. We recounted stories from the past in a very drunken state. It was actually very odd having my friends here as I have never had anyone else over to my place. We had a great time together and it way fun, but it is not something that I will repeat in the near future." +"What a wild party! I was looking forward to this get together and meeting up with old friends that I haven't seen in many years. We started out by going to a restaurant and having a great meal. Then one of my friends decided that we should go on an adventure through the city. He stated that he had never been in a gay bar. None of us had and then made a decision to go to a couple. After a quick search, we found several gay bars in the area. It was during this time that we drank some more and smoked a joint in the car ride. We parked at the first club. It was very interesting to see a culture that we are not normally integrated into. After having a few drinks and then smoking aother j on the way to my place, we were feeling no pain. Once at my place, the party and good times continued. We recounted stories from the past in a very drunken state. It was actually very odd having my friends here as I have never had anyone else over to my place. We had a great time together and it way fun, but it is not something that I will repeat in the near future." +"I was in a meeting at work I was not feeling well. I was very quiet which is unusual for me, before I knew it I was silently crying and unable to move. I work in a doctor's office so the triage team was paged, they came up and assessed me. I remember trying to tell them I had had a mini stroke before. They called an ambulance. My oxygen was low and my head throbbed. The EMTs came and as they brought me down they started to yell at me that it was a pseudo seizure and I needed to stop faking. They kept yelling at me to speak and talk. I couldn't I felt so upset I was afraid I'd choke. Next thing they threatened me with a NG tube, I couldn't respond so they stuck it in my nose and down my throat. I couldn't grab it and yank it out. They finally realized that I was not faking it and calmed down. When we got to the hospital they felt the need to tell the nurses and doctors they thought I may be faking it. I work in a clinic and the doctors knew it was real, but EMTs thought I was faking it. I felt so relieved when they finally left my room and the hospital. I did try to file a complaint, but they did not receive reprimand." +"I was in a meeting at work. I had recently been promoted to a lead position. It was a meeting about a new ugrade to our electronic medical system. While the meeting was happening I started to feel weird. I started to have tingling and numbness. I had experienced it more and more. I knew it was a hemiplegic migraine. I had had these in the past. They often can mimic strokes. All of the sudden someone commented on how quiet I had been which is not like me, and I started to tear up. I realized I couldn't move. My face drooped, I couldn't stand. THey lowered me to the floor I work at a clinic so a triage team was called. Unfortunately, my coworker who knows best about my issues was not there and my doctor was not either, but another doctor assessed me I had a transient ischemic attack (TIA or small stroke) previously so an ambulance was called. The EMTs and fire department arrived. I was put on a stretcher and put into the elevator the whole time the EMTs told me to stop faking and told me I was having pseudo seizures. I was unable to talk." +"Growing up I always had pets, one of my favorite was a mutt my parents had adopted named Scruffy. He always helped make facing life a little easier. No matter what I said or did all he showed was love. During the rougher times in life he was always by my side and helped me stay calm and think clearer. Those memories are what have fueled my decision. I greatly miss having a canine companion and after much research I have decided that a lab would be the best kind of dog to suit my lifestyle now. I particularly love the coloring on the chocolate labs and with a little luck I found my new doggy soul mate. I went to 3 different shelters and visited with many different dogs. While they are all adorable and I somewhat wish I could take them all home. There was something special about ""Sugar Bear"", even his name seems to fit perfectly. Once we met, it was literally love at first site. He is amazing and I feel so much happier having him in my life. Hands down the best decision I've ever made so far! I don't feel as depressed anymore now that I have a furry friend by my side. He makes my evening walks so much nicer and helps me feel safe. I love getting to cuddle with him at night after a long day. I can't believe I waited this long to adopt another dog honestly, but I am so happy that I finally did. I cannot picture life without my lil lab." +"Growing up I always had pets, one of my favorite was a mutt my parents had adopted named Scruffy. He always helped make facing life a little easier. No matter what I said or did all he showed was love. During the rougher times in life he was always by my side and helped me stay calm and think clearer. Those memories are what have fueled my decision. I greatly miss having a canine companion and after much research I have decided that a lab would be the best kind of dog to suit my lifestyle now. I particularly love the coloring on the chocolate labs and with a little luck I found my new doggy soul mate. I went to 3 different shelters and visited with many different dogs. While they are all adorable and I somewhat wish I could take them all home. There was something special about ""Sugar Bear"", even his name seems to fit perfectly. Once we met, it was literally love at first site. He is amazing and I feel so much happier having him in my life. Hands down the best decision I've ever made so far! I don't feel as depressed anymore now that I have a furry friend by my side. He makes my evening walks so much nicer and helps me feel safe. I love getting to cuddle with him at night after a long day. I can't believe I waited this long to adopt another dog honestly, but I am so happy that I finally did. I cannot picture life without my lil lab." +This story is about an altercation i had with some thugs around my neighborhood. It all started when my little brother and sister were on their way home from school. While coming home they ran into these thugs from another school. It was around 10 of them and just my little brother and sister. So these thugs were getting ready to bank them however I could hear this all happening and ran out side and chased them all away. We called the police nothing was done. A few weeks past and 3 of them came back and broke my window. I tracked them down with another brother and said why u break my window. Next thing you know its about 15 of them now wanting to fight us because we are white. We knew we couldn't fight some minors so we ran home but they chased us. We were banked by all of them. All they wanted to do is cause terror and fight. We called the cops because my brother did get punched by one in the face and of course they broke the window. The cops took for ever to get here and when they did the thugs ran away. However the cops had the audacity to say it was our own problem. And the one who broke the window was right in front of the cop calling him a profanity and the cop did not even arrest him. This was very surprising the police officer knowing this was the thug who committed the crime did nothing and let him run away. The only thing that stopped these thugs from coming back and harassing us was going to their school and it all stopped. +"I felt vulnerable and angry. That's when I decided to extract my own revenge. I knew they'd come back. I asked a friend to stay at my home while I spent the next morning at a local hardware store. There, I gathered a carefully-researched bundle of goods that would ensure that anyone else trying to enter my home would be sorry they did so. To protect myself, I won't specify the steps I took or the items I used. Rest assured that they were set up to be painful but not deadly. I spent the afternoon setting everything up. That evening, I made sure that my exit from my home was well-staged so that it could be seen by others in the area. I even returned only 10 minutes after leaving, looking nervous, making sure I was seen. After a few minutes, I left once again. While I was seen walking down the street towards the uptown area, I didn't go there. I went to my neighbor's home (I had a key) and planted myself by the window facing my home. Sure enough, one of the thugs showed up. It was glorious. Tomorrow, dear diary, I'll explain exactly what happened next." +"Tae Kwon Do has been a passion of mine since I was a small kid. I grew up in a household remind mom and dad were both really into fitness. My mom had recommended to me Tae Kwon Do so that's what I did. I fell in love with it right away and moved up the ranks. While other kids were at school practicing football and baseball I would be at the Dojo learning all I could. Fast forward about a month ago it was finally time for me to go for my red belt. Practice had become my life because achieving this belt meant everything to me. I went through my entire repertoire while filming myself. I wanted to see where I could improve. I took not and practiced what I needed. At that point I felt that I had the discipline and skill necessary to achieve the rank. In the weeks leading up to this I continued to practice night and day. I felt muscles in my body that I didn't even know existed, but it all paid off in the end. When I receive my red belt it felt like a crowning achievement. To this day I'm still really proud of this and I plan on getting better and better in this amazing sport." +"Tae Kwon Do has been a passion of mine since I was a small kid. I grew up in a household remind mom and dad were both really into fitness. My mom had recommended to me Tae Kwon Do so that's what I did. I fell in love with it right away and moved up the ranks. While other kids were at school practicing football and baseball I would be at the Dojo learning all I could. Fast forward about a month ago it was finally time for me to go for my red belt. Practice had become my life because achieving this belt meant everything to me. I went through my entire repertoire while filming myself. I wanted to see where I could improve. I took not and practiced what I needed. At that point I felt that I had the discipline and skill necessary to achieve the rank. In the weeks leading up to this I continued to practice night and day. I felt muscles in my body that I didn't even know existed, but it all paid off in the end. When I receive my red belt it felt like a crowning achievement. To this day I'm still really proud of this and I plan on getting better and better in this amazing sport." +"It has been a month and I am still sore from all the training I had to do. About a month ago i was testing for my red belt in tae kwon do. In order to achieve it I needed to demonstrate a lot of skills I learned. First I had to show all the forms I know. After this I had to demonstrate that I knew all of the skill. s After my forms I showed punches and kicks. And finally I had to show blocks. The blocks were the hardest part for me. I trained for months leading up to it and the test was over in a bit under an hour. Waiting to be awarded the red belt was the hardest part. I had others testing that same day and had to wait for them all to finish. When all was done I was awarded the belt. I am unsure if I will train much beyond it. I am getting older and my body is taking the brunt of it. I am in awe of those who continue to proceed later in life. For me though, red may be where I end up stopping." +"One month ago, my daughter came to me asking for help. She was determined to start her own lipgloss line. At first, I was a bit skeptical, since she had been prone to picking up hobbies and tossing them aside quite often throughout her youth. However, I quickly realized that she had put a considerable amount of thought into this and was surprisingly passionate about it. I was quite happy for her to say the least and was myself determined to help her in any way that I could. The primary aspects she wanted help with were the packaging and the pricing for her products. I was pleased to find that she was so deep into the process of creating this lipgloss line. Of course, I thought these were great ideas to start with. To start, we went to a nearby crafts and art supplies store and decided to spend much of the day browsing the extensive collection for what would work best. She already had her mind set on packaging that was bold and memorable. We looked first at the most striking colors and materials we could find. To my surprise, she was immediately taken by a combination of colors and materials, as though she had fully established in her mind the design she'd be going for. We selected our packaging supplies and were thrilled we had made it so far so efficiently. We then thought extensively about pricing. She had several ideas and was confident that they would work. I searched online for similar pricing models for makeup and lipgloss lines and quickly found that my daughter's ideas were in line with the common pricing trends. The whole day proved to be a success and I love that my daughter has finally found an aspect of her life she can be fully involved in and passionate about. It warms my heart." +"Three months ago I discovered that I'm pregnant. It's really hard to believe. There was a time in my life when I didn't think I would ever want to have kids. I mean, they're just so sticky and smelly and...they just seem like work. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that this might be a gift. Maybe I'm ready for my life to mean something more than...to be about something more than just me, just getting through, just going from one moment to the next. I keep thinking about the future. What it looks like, what's going to happen after I'm gone. I never really thought much about it before, never really thought about the past either for that matter. And now, all of a sudden, it's like time has just opened up before me. I think about the baby inside me. Who are they going to be? Where are they going to end up? How will they change the world. I keep think too about the past, all the people before me who were once children, were once babies growing inside someone's stomach. It makes me dizzy, like looking up at the stars from the top of the mountain--how they just keep going and going. It scares me too, makes me afraid for this little life I'm going to bring into the world. How can I keep them safe? But I'm excited, I'm determined, to make the most of this gift." +"Three months ago I discovered that I'm pregnant. It's really hard to believe. There was a time in my life when I didn't think I would ever want to have kids. I mean, they're just so sticky and smelly and...they just seem like work. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that this might be a gift. Maybe I'm ready for my life to mean something more than...to be about something more than just me, just getting through, just going from one moment to the next. I keep thinking about the future. What it looks like, what's going to happen after I'm gone. I never really thought much about it before, never really thought about the past either for that matter. And now, all of a sudden, it's like time has just opened up before me. I think about the baby inside me. Who are they going to be? Where are they going to end up? How will they change the world. I keep think too about the past, all the people before me who were once children, were once babies growing inside someone's stomach. It makes me dizzy, like looking up at the stars from the top of the mountain--how they just keep going and going. It scares me too, makes me afraid for this little life I'm going to bring into the world. How can I keep them safe? But I'm excited, I'm determined, to make the most of this gift." +"My wife and I decided it was time to have a kid so we did. We had our gender reveal party. I actually prefer to call it a genital reveal party, because that's what it really is. Gender doesn't perfectly correspond to sex in the way more traditionally minded people in western culture think it does. Also, it's just as likely that your kid is intersex as it is that they have green eyes, but we don't insist there are only brown eyed people or blue eyed people. But my wife and I are dumb and uneducated Trump supporting types, so we ignored all of that complicated stuff and decided that the genitals of our child will determine like 90% of it's life. We will assume all kinds of things about it, and we will have a gender reveal in order to invite those assumptions from out friends and family so that they can also participate in conditioning this baby to conform to whatever the relevant norms are for people with those genitals. We had the reveal and it was great. It turns out my baby has a vagina. It's weird when I say it that way, but is that not all I'm communicating when I tell you that it's a girl? If it seems weird that I would excitedly announce that my baby is going to have a vagina, you're the weird one not me. You're weird for thinking that's weird. Why would we not celebrate genitals? Genitals are wonderful. I love genitals." +"It was tough being diagnosed with a rare, incurable immune disease, especially when your family wouldn't understand the nuances of the diagnosis. I had to do everything on my own, so I wouldn't scare my family. I had to make many severe lifestyle changes, hold everything together, and slowly heal myself. The consequence of my illness is sudden, unexpected anaphylaxis. Every day, I never know when a life-threatening attack could happen. I live minute-by-minute every day. When you have a disability, the ""little things"" no longer matter. There are too many ""big things"" now taking their place. ""Ablest"" problems are so minor. I felt like I needed a frame of reference for what really matters in life. So I took a few mental notes from the experience. I've limited my social interactions and reached out to more positive people/friends. I think it's important to practice self-care, and this time I'm putting myself first. I found a new therapist who's helping me work on my mental health, and how to cope with the future I am now facing. She helped me explain to my parents what my diagnosis really meant, and assure them I will probably be OK. Fortunately, several good things happened. I bought and renovated a home, trained a service dog, published my first book and started feeling more like a normal (healthy) person again. I have a very savvy medical team and my illness is well-managed. My family are supportive about treatment options and care. I stepped right back into life during a time when I knew I could die at any moment. I did things I used to be afraid of doing. I still actively avoid death daily, but I'm very proud of how I handled everything, and what I have accomplished this year." +"It was tough being diagnosed with a rare, incurable immune disease. I still have to make so many severe lifestyle changes. The consequence of my illness is sudden, unexpected anaphylaxis. Every day, I must try to stay alive, never knowing when a life-threatening attack might happen. I live life minute by minute. Every day, I dance with death. I'm pleased with my new therapist. She's helping me work on my mental health, and how to cope with the future I am now facing. Fortunately, a few wonderful things have happened. I finally closed on the house, completely gutted and renovated it with new heating and cooling, got a service dog, published a book and started feeling like a normal person again. I now have a great medical team and my disability is pretty well-managed. I jumped straight into life when I thought I could die at any moment. I did things I had dreamed of, but was too afraid to start. Yes, I still dance with death every day, but I am very proud of what I have accomplished this Spring and Summer. You haven't seen anything until you've seen a woman come back from what should have killed her. Go Me!" +"Depression really sucks, but I think I'm finally starting to get a better handle on it. I accepted a job offer two months ago and am really liking the work I do. It's very meaningful and rewarding to see all the people I can help on a daily basis. The pay also isn't too bad either. My office and coworkers are both as nice as I could have asked for too, so I'm pretty excited for the first time in a long while. I spent months and months stressed out and depressed about not having any work, so this is big. I was declined by more companies than I could count during my job search. I really started to look inward and blame myself too, which I have now learned is the wrong way to interpret the situation. Some of the online classes I've been taking have really helped me see how poor my mindset was for all those years. I really regret not getting a handle on my depression earlier. These classes are truly helping me in ways I never imagined, and I know I can translate some of what I'm learning into my daily life both personally and professionally. Any stress I might experience at work will not affect me in the ways it used to in the past. That much I know for sure! There will definitely be tough days ahead without question though, so I know I need to stay focused on getting my mind in a healthier place. With this new job helping to take my mind off the financial struggles of my life though, I think I'm going to end up being just fine!" +"Depression really sucks, but I think I'm finally starting to get a better handle on it. I accepted a job offer two months ago and am really liking the work I do. It's very meaningful and rewarding to see all the people I can help on a daily basis. The pay also isn't too bad either. My office and coworkers are both as nice as I could have asked for too, so I'm pretty excited for the first time in a long while. I spent months and months stressed out and depressed about not having any work, so this is big. I was declined by more companies than I could count during my job search. I really started to look inward and blame myself too, which I have now learned is the wrong way to interpret the situation. Some of the online classes I've been taking have really helped me see how poor my mindset was for all those years. I really regret not getting a handle on my depression earlier. These classes are truly helping me in ways I never imagined, and I know I can translate some of what I'm learning into my daily life both personally and professionally. Any stress I might experience at work will not affect me in the ways it used to in the past. That much I know for sure! There will definitely be tough days ahead without question though, so I know I need to stay focused on getting my mind in a healthier place. With this new job helping to take my mind off the financial struggles of my life though, I think I'm going to end up being just fine!" +"This is unbelievable. My crappy refrigerator finally kicked the bucket. Even worse, I have no money to get a new one. I went and checked out one I saw on Craigslist, but I'm pretty sure something was growing in it. Too bad my credit sucks. I went and applied for a Lowe's Card and got denied, story of my life. As if it wasn't bad enough, my girlfriend started arguing with me about it. I didn't think it was very mature to call me names because of something I don't seem to have any control over. She hasn't tried to get a new one. I'm not really sure why this is only my problem. It looks like I'm just going to have to get fat eating fast food for awhile until I save up enough money to get one. Maybe I should giver her an ultimatum. I shouldn't have to deal with this myself. It should be both of our problems. I just hope some family and friends have some odd jobs I can do to speed up the process." +"Over the past few months I have been developing my own business, and have begun marketing it. I was surprised when I ""turned on"" my marketing efforts, that they produced results very fast. I managed to bring on new clients, without having to prospect for them. When I had a client approach me, out of the blue, and request my services, it was a ground-breaking day for me. I realized that I had the ability and knowledge to be an expert in my field. Even if it's only on a small scale, people are seeking me out, rather than me going out and convincing people that they would need my services. I think that, for the first time, the idea of starting my own business as a primary form of income has started to look like a possibility. It was exciting and also a bit nerve-wracking. I hope that I can continue this trajectory. I would hate to let down a client and lose their faith. I need recommendations and word-of-mouth in order to grow in this field. I am also nervous that my services may not meet expectations. I think I have a case of imposter syndrome around this particular thing. I'm looking forward to getting to work and growing my business. I was surprised with the pace of growth. It's pretty impressive but daunting!" +"Three months ago, my friend and I went out for a night on the town. We started drinking and become extremely intoxicated by the end of the night. When we returned to his apartment his girlfriend became upset at my friend's drunken state. Things got out of control and my friend's girlfriend was becoming more and more angry. Things continued to escalate. I tried to intervene and calm the situation, but voices continued to rise and there was nothing I could do. She actually became physically violent with him and things were so out of hand and noisy that the police were called to the scene. The neighbor that called the police also showed up and it was just a mess. Ugh, nosy people! By this point the girlfriend had locked herself in the bathroom and the police had to convince her to come out so they could talk. She finally did and things truly calmed down by then. Luckily, no charges were filed and the police left once they knew that my friend would come home with me to allow the girlfriend time to cool down. Boy, it was drama filled! The night become sort of iconic in our eyes and we even have a catchphrase to remember it by. ""Don't drink and go home to a sober girl!"" This is not a night I will soon forget." +"Two months ago, I attended a memorial service for a friend who committed suicide. It was nice to see his parents, yet so hard to see them. What could I say to them besides how sorry I was? My friend's suicide really shocked everyone and we are all left with so many questions. My friend was always happy and would be there for anyone who needed them. I remember the last time that I spoke to them. They seemed so positive and excited about things going on in their life. I didn't pick up on any warning signs or clues for them wanting to end their life. Maybe they just hid their feelings and emotions well? Perhaps, it was just an intense emotional moment. I wish that I was there to try to stop them. To tell them they will be okay and that things would get better and not to give up like this. I wish they would have reached out to me or to someone else. How I wish that I could change things. To see the look on the parent's faces and to see how much they hurt. I wish I could take the pain away and make everything better. I wish I knew what happened. It was nice to pay tribute to my friend and celebrate their life. I hope that they looked down and knew how much they were loved and how missed they are." +"I was so excited to finally be graduation from college. It was a long and what felt like an endless road. I gave everyone I knew an invitation to my graduation. I knew when I was getting my diploma It would be a proud moment so the more people there to support me the better. Finally the day came. I got dressed and grabbed my cap and gown, then headed to the venue. I was sitting in my seat waiting for my name to be called. I turned around to find my family in the bleaches. I waved when I finally saw them. Then I heard my name and headed for the stage. As I reached the top step, I came crashing down on my face. I knew I shouldn't have worn my heels that day. I quickly got it, grabbed my diploma and walked off stage with my head down. It was the most embarrassing moment of my life and I feel I will never ever forget it. It is still a story that is being told and family gatherings." +"I still cannot get my graduation from four months ago out of my head. I was supposed to be one of the biggest events of my life. Graduating college with a degree I busted my butt working to gain. My family was in the audience as well as some friends that knew how hard I had worked. I had gotten my hair and make-up done at the local salon before the ceremony. Everything was going to be perfect at the ceremony and at the party later on at my favorite restaurant. I sat with my class waiting anxiously for my big moment. The moment where my name would be called and all in attendance would share my accomplishment with me. Finally! My name was called. I got up from my seat, a smile on my face and made my way up to the stage. I briefly looked out into the audience and saw my family smiling up at me. Their pride in what this meant was easy to read. This however was my first mistake. I should of been paying attention. Instead I tripped on my gown and fell in front of everyone. There was a brief moment of surprised silence. And then....the laughter started. Now I look at my diploma and instead of feeling proud....all I feel is the embarrassment as the sound of so many people laughing at me echos in my ears." +"I still cannot get my graduation from four months ago out of my head. I was supposed to be one of the biggest events of my life. Graduating college with a degree I busted my butt working to gain. My family was in the audience as well as some friends that knew how hard I had worked. I had gotten my hair and make-up done at the local salon before the ceremony. Everything was going to be perfect at the ceremony and at the party later on at my favorite restaurant. I sat with my class waiting anxiously for my big moment. The moment where my name would be called and all in attendance would share my accomplishment with me. Finally! My name was called. I got up from my seat, a smile on my face and made my way up to the stage. I briefly looked out into the audience and saw my family smiling up at me. Their pride in what this meant was easy to read. This however was my first mistake. I should of been paying attention. Instead I tripped on my gown and fell in front of everyone. There was a brief moment of surprised silence. And then....the laughter started. Now I look at my diploma and instead of feeling proud....all I feel is the embarrassment as the sound of so many people laughing at me echos in my ears." +"Today I was on my way to a doctors appointment when it started raining. The rain started out as a drizzle at first but eventually turned into a raging downpour. I remembered the weather said it would be storming today but I didn't realize how bad it was going to get. I turned on the radio and set the channel to the local news station hoping to get some info about the forecast. As much as I was focused on keeping my car on the road during this monsoon, I still had an appointment to get to and at this time I was starting to run late. I got onto 95 North and started picking up speed. The rain was seriously coming down now and I could barely see out of the windshield. Up ahead there were a few cars travelling about the same speed as me on this four lane stretch of the highway. My windshield wipers were trashing from side to side violently as I did my best to stay in lane. Out of nowhere I saw a white sedan that had been cruising in the slow lane start to drift over across the lane next to it. It turned sideways and shot across the highway, slamming directly into the black SUV that was about fifty feet or so in front of me. I slammed the breaks and felt the ABS kick in but it didn't do much to stop me. Both of the cars came together with a loud bang and collided with the jersey wall on the left side of the road. I must have come within about 10 feet of hitting these two cars as they were drifting across the highway. I passed the wreckage and looked in the rear view mirror as the cars came to a rest blocking three of the four lanes. I didn't stop and just kept on driving. I was so shook up that I just felt numb and scared. I thought about that event for a long to afterwards and easy it would have been for that to me in the accident." +I am married to my husband for 5 years now. We had explore the a lot of countries and we had fun on doing it for many years. We are in are prime years and thought of having kids of our own instead of just having dogs with us. He said we are not getting young anymore and this is what we always wanted to have a big family. We tried to conceived for couple of months and we were successfully conceived after a while. It was a bit hard for me because I was vomiting and having morning sickness the whole day. I cant even go out and have fun because I was so sensitive with anything I smell. So 9 months had passed so quick I was able to deliver a bouncing baby girl. I was so happy I cant even tell how lucky to have her in my life. But life isnt just all rainbow. Recently I am so obsessed with my daughter and cant even leave her with anyone. I was always feeling blue and cant see good in everyday. I feel like I dont want to live anymore. But I dont want to discuss it to my husband. I seek for the guidance of a Psychologist and prescribe me medication and got counseling with our Parish Priest. I felt how God loves me for letting me surpassed this events in my life. I didnt thought that I postpartum depression is real and with people who loves you and care about you will help you get through it. +"The loss of a parent is probably the hardest thing that most people have to deal with at some point in their lives. The death of my father, however, was something I don't think I'll ever be able to fully get over. I love my father so much. He was always there for me, always by my side. He gave me the best advice anyone could ever give. He was there through my first break up, there for my graduation, even there for me when I was going through a rebellious phase in my 20s. Most people rebel in high school, but I was a really good kid. I guess in my early 20s I was tired of being so good, though. I just know that he would always love me. I knew that he would always be there no matter what. To this day, I still feel upset over his death, and the way he died. I will never be able to live the same again. I try not to get so sad, because I know he wouldn't want that for me. But it's so extremely hard not to miss him. I honor him every year on his birthday." +"The loss of a parent is probably the hardest thing that most people have to deal with at some point in their lives. The death of my father, however, was something I don't think I'll ever be able to fully get over. I love my father so much. He was always there for me, always by my side. He gave me the best advice anyone could ever give. He was there through my first break up, there for my graduation, even there for me when I was going through a rebellious phase in my 20s. Most people rebel in high school, but I was a really good kid. I guess in my early 20s I was tired of being so good, though. I just know that he would always love me. I knew that he would always be there no matter what. To this day, I still feel upset over his death, and the way he died. I will never be able to live the same again. I try not to get so sad, because I know he wouldn't want that for me. But it's so extremely hard not to miss him. I honor him every year on his birthday." +"I remember the situation that happened at my cousins birthday, i had prepared a marvelous gift to present to my cousin. But sweetly fortunate for me, the lady i had been trying to woo, Linda eventually showed up in the party. I wasn't the cocky type of guy, that has the strength to walk to her straight. but i knew i wanted her. My cousin understands i was well in love already with this damsel. I got a sweet feeling about her, i loved her even without speaking to her yet. All my attention was focused on how we will get talking and hopes she likes me. I swiped into a light conversation with her, and after a smooth conversation, i led her outside were we got up gist and laughing, that was the point i knew i love her. so I got my first kiss. That moment i knew she is the love of my life. A birthday party became a love party for me. This is where the love story started from. Still grateful i met Linda, She has never failed in caring and loving me. This is how much i cherish her. Guess what? i gave her the gift i prepared for my cousin. She Love made me do nasty things.... am laughing" +"The memorable day i found so unforgettable is my cousins birthday, each moment i look into the eyes of my beloved girl friend i seem to replay all the event of that day all over again. On the 23rd of May, 2019, My cousin Sarah Jones was celebrating her birthday, which brings us the friends and family together. Sarah ofcourse is the talk of the town due to her generous lifestyle and beauty. She dragged me all the way in getting the party set. I had gotten a nice Gucci footwear as a present for her. At evening as people get around to start the jamz, i suddenly sited a lady, so elegant and sparkling at the corner of the room. i was dazed at such beauty. I ask my cousin Sarah who she was, i was informed of how great Linda is. I was so desperate to be around her and setup a conversation. Sarah made a quick introduction which set me on a good to start gist. she was so lovely to be with. Well the funniest and craziest thing i did was to give her the gucci Footwear i intended to give the celebrant (Sarah). She smiled, obviously knowing the footwear was not originally hers, but a good heart give her. After much dancing and drinks, we decided to go and enjoy a little privacy in other to gist better. I wonder how Linda could easy get my heart. so funny and loving. Planted a peck on her cheek, and when i saw the reaction, i made a way to plant a kiss on her lips, so sweet a day. i caught her attention, and inthe nearest week, we were in love. And till now she is my lovely baby girl." +"Man diary, yesterday I wrote about how great my life was going and the unthinkable happened. There was a huge rain storm and my house flooded. This sucks because the insurance is not going to cover it. At least I started my new job for more income and better benefits. That is the one good thing going for me. I am glad that everyone was ok but the money needed will take years to make up. The worst part was it was my birthday when this happened. We had just got done singing happy birthday when the sirens went off. I got the alert on the phone and shrugged it off not thinking about it. I got done opening the last present when the water started rising in the basement. I put some towels down and went to bed thinking it will stop. I wish this is where it ended. I woke up a few hours later to the dog barking. That is when the trouble happened. There was about 2 feet of water in the basement and continued to rise. A few hours later it was up to the stairs and I had to get everyone else out. Luckily we ran uphill to the neighbors and they were safe. Unforunately I went back and everything was almost underwater. Once again, I am happy we all left, but not the best birthday ever." +"A little while back, my friend and I had gone to a fitness expo that focused on nutrition and proper training techniques for progress. It was located in Connecticut, so we had to go on a road trip to get over there to participate. It was a very exciting opportunity and one that we were both looking forward to greatly. To get there, we took shifts driving, with each of us driving 3 hours! When we got to the expo, we were really exhausted, to say the least. It all began with a bunch of guest lecturers telling us their pieces and great advice in areas that they all specialize in. I was greatly informed on things that I never had considered before. After that, we were informed we'd all participate in a contest against each other! It was split up into a bunch of teams, 3 on each team, and I was very nervous and didn't think I had a shot at all in winning the prize. I tried my very best and really kicked my own butt, and somehow myself and my teammates miraculously won over the other team! It was certainly because I had put forth my best effort, since I was the one who clinched the win with my breakneck sprint at the end. I still can't believe we had done it! I was super sore after it all. Soreness was nothing though, since I made it with a prize in my pocket on the way out! I definitely couldn't have done it without the support of my friend who was there with me." +"Not too long ago, I won a contest at this one fitness expo that my friend and I attended for a whole weekend. He surprised me with a birthday ticket to the whole event, which really was a pleasant thing. The whole point of the expo was to promote proper nutrition and training when you adapt it to a full body workout experience. At the very least, I was hoping to get some really good information for future reference! We had to drive over 5 hours to get there by car, but it was not too bad since we split up the drive between us two. Anyways, while there, we also competed in a contest with over one hundred other individuals of varying levels of fitness! It was a crazy experience, and I was very nervous to perform in front of so many people, especially ones that were definitely more fit than me (at least they seemed to be). Some of these guys looked like they were bodybuilders and had been working out like that for many many years! I only happened to start the program just a year ago. I did put a lot of effort into the workouts leading up to this, but I definitely think I had my work cut out for me! Crazy enough though, I actually outperformed them and won first place! I was ecstatic and couldn't believe it. Little old me, who was half the size of most of the people there, on his first try did what seemed like the impossible. My friend told me that it was all the hard work I put in prior to this expo, which really made me feel happy and glad that I agreed to join him on this trip. What a great weekend!" +"Sometime around ten months back, my dad fell sick. My elder sister was planning her wedding around this time. We hoped that he would recover soon enough. He made strides and took his medication. His symptoms improved. He was getting stronger. We were happy for him. He always dreamed about walking his daughter down the aisle to her husband. When the wedding day came around, he was able to do this. We were happy. He was excited too. He did the honors, and my sister was happy. She is now happily married. My father is healthy and strong. The family is happy and can move forward with our happy lives." +"Sometime around ten months back, my dad fell sick. My elder sister was planning her wedding around this time. We hoped that he would recover soon enough. He made strides and took his medication. His symptoms improved. He was getting stronger. We were happy for him. He always dreamed about walking his daughter down the aisle to her husband. When the wedding day came around, he was able to do this. We were happy. He was excited too. He did the honors, and my sister was happy. She is now happily married. My father is healthy and strong. The family is happy and can move forward with our happy lives." +"Several months ago, my partner and I were lucky enough to journey to Costa Rica. We were excited to settle in for a few days deep into the mountains, where we could unplug and experience the quiet and lushness of pure nature. We stayed in a cabin next to a stream, falling asleep to the sounds of local flora and fauna each night. We spent each day lounging about and getting a feel for a different sort of life. Each day, we were a little happier. It was a joy to use our bodies and minds for something other than work. On our last day, we decided to try to do a nearby hike in hopes of seeing the sun set from a particularly choice location. We got a tip from a local and decided to set out in the late afternoon. As we left our cabin, a few local dogs seemed to just understand where we were heading and suddenly followed us. After traipsing alongside us for a few moments, they rushed ahead and started to lead us up a beautiful winding path. They played and trotted in front of us, taking us through a dense path of beautiful trees. As they led us up the mountain, the sun began to fall. They would stop and play if we fell behind, sometimes posing regally as the sun continued to drop in the sky. It was an overwhelmingly serene experience--we felt at one with the day, the world, the dogs, the country. We finished the ascent and sat with our one-day canine friends, full of calm and ready to return home with an astonishing memory of natural connection." +"Recently I started DM'ing for a group of friends for Dungeons and Dragons. They are a group mostly put together by my roommate, but I am friends with them also, and love playing games enough to make it work with anyone! We drew their character sheets up, and started our adventure a few months back. The first 'episode' involved all of the characters meeting in a pub. I was worried about how to make this flow naturally, but luckily my close friend quickly caused a disturbance with one of the local patrons, and a fight broke out as he tried to swindle money from this dude. The whole group got involved in a bar fight/chase sequence, ending in a mystery involving some cultist that they solved. I was surprised how creatively people both created and solved the problems that this group storytelling made occur. We played a few more sessions over the next few weeks, but have been unable to find a time to meet in a couple months. This is a bummer, because I plan out sessions a little in advance, but all of my efforts feel wasted when plans fall through. What more, a couple was playing as two of the characters, and the one I was more friends with both moved away from my city and broke up with the other one. Now when we play, we'll be without one of the most creative members as well as one of my better friends. I'm worried about the future for the campaign, and would almost rather start from scratch with a new group. I now have even better friends that I enjoy spending time with, and I feel like it would be easier to meet up with them more regularly. That said, I made a sort of commitment to my first group. While I'm confused now, I know once I start playing again with either group, I'll enjoy myself again. It just stinks that an outlet that I quickly came to enjoy so much ended up being so difficult to make work for so many people." +"Two months ago I had my 31st Birthday and I was thrown a surprise party for the first time in my life. I had no idea that I was going to be thrown this party and I had no idea who was going to be there. The party was thrown by my Aunt with the help of two of my close friends. I usually don't like surprises and this is well known among my friends and family. Despite not liking surprises the perfect planning and inclusion of the correct people made the night a real success. I was really touched by the fact that people were willing to do so much for me. I didn't realize how special of a gesture it was to plan a party for someone without their input. The most memorable part of the evening was when I came up to the balcony and saw all of my friends. I knew they were going to be afraid of my reaction, but I think I was able to act happy enough to convince them I wanted the party. This was also very significant to me because it was a birthday that I was planning on doing nothing for. If my friends asked me to have a party before this event I would definitely have turned down the idea. Another thing that made the even very special were the choices of food and drinks. My friends chose to have Mexican food, and also chose to drink tequila. Mexican food is my favorite type of food and I love when it is paired with Tequila. I think the choices of food and the choices of guests are what made the night so successful." +"I have been at my company for almost a year at this point. I was promoted about 3-4 months ago and have steadily taken on additional roles and responsibilities in my new position. Recently we lost a couple low performers on my team. I have volunteered to take on additional job duties to help spread the added work load around the team. I have continued to have nothing but success at this job and I continue to get great feedback from other workers. I have recently gotten a couple monetary bonus' for my work and have even gotten a 10% raise. I am very excited about where I am this early in my work career. I will be having my first annual review shortly and I am confident this will get me another decent raise. I can very easily see myself staying at this company for numerous years and rising even further in the ranks. I would really enjoy leading a team of analysts and having that level of power. I think I could be a very good manager, because I have had both really good and really bad managers to learn from. I am hoping for another promotion in the next review cycle and so far I have no reason to believe it won't happen. I recently joined a new team and I've been very open with my new manager that I am very interested in taking on even more tasks. I am very lucky to be where I am and I am loving my job, it is exactly what I was wanting to do after college. I am certainly open to leaving to another organization in the future, but I don't have any reason to currently." +"I was recently promoted at my job. I'm rather young and was hired at the company less than a year ago fresh out of college. This was the exact type of job that I was wanting to get into and I really think I can have a career here. It is a corporate job at a very large firm, so I am very happy being with the company. So far I have received nothing but commemoration and positive feedback on my work. This is despite that fact that I really don't find it hard and have quite a bit of downtime to relax on my phone and browse the internet. I honestly find most of the work to be easy and it comes naturally to me. I've gotten great feedback from my leadership team as well, so I really think I will be able to excel in this position and get a very high position in the future. I'm very excited about the opportunity and I think I will be able to be a millionaire from working here. My promotion was to a senior level position and I think I can lead a team of analysts in the near future. I also think I can take my skills and abilities from this job to other large companies. At such a young age I am very excited about how my career is progressing. My peers are not progressing as fast as I am and I try to be very humble when talking about the promotion. I may be managing these people in the future, so I try to keep a very good working relationship with them. Overall, I am very happy with where I am at in life and I think I have quite a few options in the future for where I end up." +"My husband has been sick for nearly 30 years now. It is just something that we have learned to live with. It seems that it goes in cycles, from tolerable to extremely painful. This cycle has been by far the worst that I can recall. He has been in so much pain, that it interferes with every single thing he does. He doesn't sleep good, he cannot move very well, and he is just miserable. He has been to so many doctors, and none of them have been able to help him. They just refer him to another specialist after they see their treatment does not help him. He has had injections, X-rays, MRI's, CT scans, bone density scans, nerve conduction tests, blood work to where it is amazing he has not passed out from the amount taken from him at times. The last doctor we say was a rheumatologist, and he has referred my husband to a hematologist/oncologist. Knowing that this might be a type of blood cancer has us extremely worried and concerned. We want answers, but this one is definitely a scary one to have to go see. Knowing that it might be cancer is scary. We are trusting God though for a good report. The only bad thing about this appointment, if it goes well, is that we still don't know why he is in so much pain." +"My husband has been very sick. He has been in a lot of pain, and it got to the point where we had to see a doctor. The first doctor, our primary, referred him to a specialist. Tests were run, and he was referred to another specialist. That specialist then referred him to another specialist. See the pattern here? He saw our primary care physician first, then an orthopedic doctor. Next was a pain management doctor. After that, it was a vascular surgeon. That doctor referred him to a rheumatologist. That doctor has referred him to an oncologist. Everything was fine until this. We knew he was in pain. We knew something was wrong. We were not expecting to be referred to an oncologist. He has had so many tests, and has had physical therapy as well as massage therapy. Nothing is helping him, and now we have this added fear. The appointment is in two weeks, and we are on pins and needles waiting to see what is going on." +"So we took a trip to Walter Reed for my husband to get his back surgery. He hurt his back while at work, and had to get surgery for it. The surgery isn't going to be cheap either, so it's going to take a huge chunk out of our payroll. I wasn't happy at all to hear that. But he needed to get it done, so I don't get a choice. When we got there we spent a day exploring the downtown Washington D.C. It was huge! And it was nice exploring it. We had fun. A lot more fun than I thought that we would have. We saw some national monuments, and they were amazing. Just the best. I thought the trip was were worth it. It was just that great of a trip. I'm glad we went." +"So we took a trip to Walter Reed for my husband to get his back surgery. He hurt his back while at work, and had to get surgery for it. The surgery isn't going to be cheap either, so it's going to take a huge chunk out of our payroll. I wasn't happy at all to hear that. But he needed to get it done, so I don't get a choice. When we got there we spent a day exploring the downtown Washington D.C. It was huge! And it was nice exploring it. We had fun. A lot more fun than I thought that we would have. We saw some national monuments, and they were amazing. Just the best. I thought the trip was were worth it. It was just that great of a trip. I'm glad we went." +I was pet lover. i am very addict to dog. puppy is my favorite things. even in my childhood days. i adopt 2 dogs. but after i convert to other area. i missed that dog. two months ago. i adopted puppy. their name was chloe. that is look like a baby. i take care like a baby. i feed regularly. i bought many feeding things. for the my puppy. that is very attached to me. that was my first child. i love them. he comes with me. everywhere i go. he also take care of me. one day we went to shopping i crossed the road. then i did't see my puppy next to me. i look back i get shock my puppy was dead. i was cry for 5 hours continue +I was pet lover. i am very addict to dog. puppy is my favorite things. even in my childhood days. i adopt 2 dogs. but after i convert to other area. i missed that dog. two months ago. i adopted puppy. their name was chloe. that is look like a baby. i take care like a baby. i feed regularly. i bought many feeding things. for the my puppy. that is very attached to me. that was my first child. i love them. he comes with me. everywhere i go. he also take care of me. one day we went to shopping i crossed the road. then i did't see my puppy next to me. i look back i get shock my puppy was dead. i was cry for 5 hours continue +I was pet lover. i am very addict to dog. puppy is my favorite things. even in my childhood days. i adopt 2 dogs. but after i convert to other area. i missed that dog. two months ago. i adopted puppy. their name was chloe. that is look like a baby. i take care like a baby. i feed regularly. i bought many feeding things. for the my puppy. that is very attached to me. that was my first child. i love them. he comes with me. everywhere i go. he also take care of me. one day we went to shopping i crossed the road. then i did't see my puppy next to me. i look back i get shock my puppy was dead. i was cry for 5 hours continue +"I knew I was getting older. I was afraid that when I walked the streets at night, I might end up getting attacked. I was scared. My family was scared. I loved to take walks at night because it cleared my mind. I knew what I had to do. I decided to take martial arts classes. I was nervous at first because I was the oldest one there. But the others were really nice. They took me in as one of their own. We all practiced together. We got to know each other. Soon we were all like family. I knew everyone's name. It got to the point where I didn't feel like the ""old guy"" in the class anymore." +"I knew I was getting older. I was afraid that when I walked the streets at night, I might end up getting attacked. I was scared. My family was scared. I loved to take walks at night because it cleared my mind. I knew what I had to do. I decided to take martial arts classes. I was nervous at first because I was the oldest one there. But the others were really nice. They took me in as one of their own. We all practiced together. We got to know each other. Soon we were all like family. I knew everyone's name. It got to the point where I didn't feel like the ""old guy"" in the class anymore." +"Today I helped set up a couple to meet that were from completely different countries. My friends and I gave them the need information. I think that they will really have a lot in common. They should hit it off well. I plan to get with my friends to find out how it all went. I hope they find lots to talk about. They should have. They are both in the same field. It will be weird for them meeting though, since they are from different countries. I wonder if they will have any trouble understanding each other. They speak different languages. Maybe they will find a way to make it easy to communicate. This is something they never will forget. Who knows, they may even end up together forever. One never knows." +"My brother and four year old niece came over to visit last week, and it was the first time I saw them in almost a year. My niece had grown so much since then, and was running around, talking up a storm, and asking for someone to play dolls with her. She came dressed in a Frozen 2 princess dress and sneakers, and looked like she was ready for action. She had just gotten some Barbie dolls for her birthday and, as an only child, had no one to play with, so I volunteered. It was incredible to see how smart she was, and how she could figure things out on her own. I hadn't seen her since last Christmas, and with so many family members around, it's a little hard to be with anyone individually. I remember her as a shy little girl who really wanted nothing to do with me, so seeing her break out of her shell this time was such a revelation and joy for me. I was incredibly impressed at how she bounced around from one activity to another, and I had trouble keeping up with her! I only made things worse by giving her a small piece of candy - one little Reese's peanut butter candy and she was hyper! Eventually, my brother showed me a way to calm her down... by letting her watch some videos on YouTube that I had no concept of, but entertained her to no end. She asked to take her shoes and socks off - so polite - and proceeded to spend the rest of her time here as a barefoot little angel. After that, we did some coloring, and played with her dolls some more. It was all too soon that her dad was telling her it was time to go home, but she didn't want to! She said she wanted to stay there and play with me... something that touched me so dearly! I was so appreciative that I was able to have such an effect on her! We promised she could visit again soon, and they left, also wishing she could stay a little longer. I was glad I was able to bond with my niece for the first time." +"This was an amazing experience. I've been feeling very down lately and I've felt like I've not had the help I need to cope with my mental disorders. My friends and I decided to take a psychedelic trip together. It was so amazing, I was pain-free, everything felt great. We were at my best friend John's house and we were all in his room. This was the first time that we all did it together. This happened 3 months ago and it was an amazing educational experience. I never knew that I could feel this much pleasure from an experience like this. My life has been filled with so many challenges due to my mental disorders. Sometimes I forget what I'm doing or I forget who I'm talking to. I feel like my mind plays tricks on me and it's a very difficult thing to deal with. This is the first time that I felt like I could cope with my mental disorders. My friends don't have mental disorders but they felt like it would help. I feel so much more optimistic now. I've been going on these trips again and I feel like my life is so much better now. I'm more optimistic. I also feel like I function better. Everyone in my life is impressed with how my mood has changed and feel like this is a change for the better. I will definitely continue to go on these trips. This all started 3 months ago and my life has changed for the better." +"This was an amazing experience. I've been feeling very down lately and I've felt like I've not had the help I need to cope with my mental disorders. My friends and I decided to take a psychedelic trip together. It was so amazing, I was pain-free, everything felt great. We were at my best friend John's house and we were all in his room. This was the first time that we all did it together. This happened 3 months ago and it was an amazing educational experience. I never knew that I could feel this much pleasure from an experience like this. My life has been filled with so many challenges due to my mental disorders. Sometimes I forget what I'm doing or I forget who I'm talking to. I feel like my mind plays tricks on me and it's a very difficult thing to deal with. This is the first time that I felt like I could cope with my mental disorders. My friends don't have mental disorders but they felt like it would help. I feel so much more optimistic now. I've been going on these trips again and I feel like my life is so much better now. I'm more optimistic. I also feel like I function better. Everyone in my life is impressed with how my mood has changed and feel like this is a change for the better. I will definitely continue to go on these trips. This all started 3 months ago and my life has changed for the better." +"It was a rare event that the whole family got together. We usually just kept to ourselves in our different corners of the country. Most of my family, though, lived in Spokane. I was down in Texas, and my parents lived in California. We all were going to meet up in California in order to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday bash as we liked to call it. It was a wonderful event. Although I love my dad to death, nobody expected him to live to 80. Heck, I'm surprised that I'm still alive and kicking. I always knew that my dad was special. It turns out that when you take care of yourself you just live longer. It was getting harder and harder for him though. I can tell that his time might be soon. He has been struggling a lot, and might even have a degenerative bone disease. You just never know when someone's time is, so spending time is important. I'll always love my dad." +"It was a rare event that the whole family got together. We usually just kept to ourselves in our different corners of the country. Most of my family, though, lived in Spokane. I was down in Texas, and my parents lived in California. We all were going to meet up in California in order to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday bash as we liked to call it. It was a wonderful event. Although I love my dad to death, nobody expected him to live to 80. Heck, I'm surprised that I'm still alive and kicking. I always knew that my dad was special. It turns out that when you take care of yourself you just live longer. It was getting harder and harder for him though. I can tell that his time might be soon. He has been struggling a lot, and might even have a degenerative bone disease. You just never know when someone's time is, so spending time is important. I'll always love my dad." +"My father's brother died two weeks before I was born. He was such a force on this earth, everyone that knew him, had a funny story to tell about him. He was loved by so many people in the small town I grew up in and anytime anyone found out he was my uncle they would beam a huge smile and tell me about their time spent while he was alive. Several months ago, I came across an old Facebook post of a cousin on my mother's side of the family. She had mentioned being at the bar my uncle was in with his friends on the night of his death. He was thrown from the passenger sent out of the front dash because he wasn't wearing a seat belt. His friend was obviously too drunk to be driving, but survived because he did have his seat belt on. In my cousin's post, as I said before, she mentioned that she was there and that as he and his friend were leaving, she thought to herself, that it was a bad idea for them to be on the road and maybe someone should call cab. This post is so frustrating for me. I want so badly to have met this man. My oldest son looks exactly like him and, oh, the pain when someone see him and says so. I always hear, ""Your uncle would have just been so tickled with him (my son)."" Yes, I believe he would be and would have been with me, too, as a child growing up. I feel robbed of his presence in my life, even though I understand that he made the decisions that lead to his death. Now with the added insult of knowing another family member was there and didn't make a effort help adds even more sickening feelings into my already overflowing pot of emotions. Unfortunately, my cousin is now also deceased for nearly a year and I am angry and frustrated at the fact I can't pick her brain about that night or find any closure on my anger with her for not helping because she's dead, too." +"Two weeks before I was born, I had an uncle that past away in a car accident. He choose to get into a car with a friend driving, and not wear a seat belt. They were both intoxicated. My whole life I have heard so many wonderful stories about him and how full of life he was. About a month ago, while scrolling through an old Facebook post that a family member had posted a picture marking that my uncle would have been 60 years old. I saw where another family member of mine who just recently passed due to years of substance abuse, had commented. She wrote that she was there at the bar that night, and realized that as he was leaving she should have stopped him, but didn't. I have such horrible feelings about seeing this post. Since she is also dead, there is no way for me to confront her and find some sort of resolution. How could she have let he just walk out knowing what state he was in? I have been left now after finding this information out, in such a state of turmoil. I'm not sure how to reconcile my feelings. I have always felt cheated in life that I never got to know him, and this comment that I discovered on Facebook makes it so much worse. I realize that he made his own choices, and that they were not good ones. I just wish my cousin had one moment in her life where she wasn't a complete waste and speak up for him and possibly keep him safe. I hate her. I never really liked her much because of how her drug/alcohol abuse made her act, but now I harbor such contempt with no way to confront her. It's one of those things everyone tells you to give to God. I'm trying." +My very first time performing at a show was such a mixed experience. A few months ago my cousin told me about a show that features a open mic segment for up incoming artist. I was hesitant to accept but he assure me that i would regret the decision to not participate and eased me into the thought of performing. I prepared for this the best i could in such shot notice. He picked me up that evening and we rode of to the venue. When I got there i felt rather underwhelmed by the presence and aura around the venue. I remember being rather confident almost borderline arrogant about my talent and abilities to entertain the crowd. I was talking myself up to the other artist present at the venue with looking back seemed like a cover for the underlying nervousness I felt. When I was finally called up I felt a release of a almost crippling anxiety build up inside of me. The more I approached the stage the worst the anxiety affected me until I finally hit the stage. That's when a feeling i can't quite describe came over me. I felt like I could do any thing and that I was on auto pilot a natural high of some sort. It was liberating something I want to feel over and over again. That rush has help me step into even more opportunity over the past few months. I think that was the single most pivotal moment for me this year. +"When my youngest son was about 2 or 3 years old we went for a walk near my home. I live out in the country and it wasn't safe to push a stroller on the gravel along side of the road so I would push the stroller across the road and on the sidewalks in the little cemetery. It was a beautiful spring day, the sun was shinning and my son was sniffing the air and it wasn't long and he asked me what that smell was? I knew what it was but decided to ask him, what do you think it is? He replied I didn't know dead people smelled so good! I couldn't help but chuckle and I had to show him where the wonderful smell was coming from. There was a little shed in the back of the cemetery where the lawn mower was kept and behind the shed was a lilac bush in full bloom. The smell was being blown in the wind and it was delightful. My little son just assumed it came from the people that were buried in the cemetery. It was so funny and I will always remember that day. Out of the mouths of babes, as they always say! To this day whenever I smell lilacs I recall that beautiful spring day and our walk in that little cemetery. Time passes quickly but memories linger on like the beautiful smells of a warm spring day. We just never know what each new day will bring. When we have children its amazing what they will say. Our lives are enriched by everything in nature." +"When my youngest son was about 2 or 3 years old we went for a walk near my home. I live out in the country and it wasn't safe to push a stroller on the gravel along side of the road so I would push the stroller across the road and on the sidewalks in the little cemetery. It was a beautiful spring day, the sun was shinning and my son was sniffing the air and it wasn't long and he asked me what that smell was? I knew what it was but decided to ask him, what do you think it is? He replied I didn't know dead people smelled so good! I couldn't help but chuckle and I had to show him where the wonderful smell was coming from. There was a little shed in the back of the cemetery where the lawn mower was kept and behind the shed was a lilac bush in full bloom. The smell was being blown in the wind and it was delightful. My little son just assumed it came from the people that were buried in the cemetery. It was so funny and I will always remember that day. Out of the mouths of babes, as they always say! To this day whenever I smell lilacs I recall that beautiful spring day and our walk in that little cemetery. Time passes quickly but memories linger on like the beautiful smells of a warm spring day. We just never know what each new day will bring. When we have children its amazing what they will say. Our lives are enriched by everything in nature." +"Back in January my wife and myself had our first born baby boy. Fast forward to September, we intended to make a visit to my 88 year old grandmother but did make the trip yet. We finally felt it was the right time to introduce her to our son. I called up my grandma on the phone and asked if she would be open to us stopping by on Saturday. She said that would be great and would love to have us. So, we got up early around so we could be on the road by 8 am for the 2 to 2-1/2 hour drive. I told my grandmother we would arrive between 10-10:30 am. We made it exactly to her house at 10:30 am, which my grandma mentioned ""when you say you will be her at 10:30 am you meant it."" I thought that was cute because I know she was anticipating the visit so much. When we arrived you could tell her face lite up. It had been at least a year since I saw my grandma and I felt guilty. I feel like I could visit more often and call. It is hard to find time between work and having a new born but none the less I feel like I can do better. Anyways we sat down with here and she had many questions about our baby. We also asked if she would like to hold him and she was hesitant. She said she didn't want to drop him, but she said yes anyways. We took some cute pictures of both of them together. After we visited for about an hour, she asked if we would like lunch. We said no thank you, trying to be polite. But she didn't take no for an answer. She started to set the table with bowls. I was confused at the moment on what she was planning on serving for lunch. As I watched she went to the refrigerator and grabbed a gallon of ice cream out of the freezer. She asked for help from my wife to scoop the ice cream since it was frozen. We had ice cream, potato chips, cookies and grapes for lunch. Then we left shortly after." +"She and I had never been away together before, and this would be a big step for us. A romantic getaway to the Bahamas was just the ticket. When we arrived in the Bahamas, though, much to our surprise, our luggage was not at the airport. We waited and waited, eager for our vacation to begin, but our bags never showed up. Eventually the conveyor belt was empty, without our bags. We went to the customer service desk, and they told us our bags had been taken to Chicago instead. Everything was in those bags...clothes, toothbrushes, etc. We had nothing! We were told our bags would arrive in two days, so we unfortunately spent our first night of vacation going shopping for necessities to hold us over until our bags arrived. What was even worse was I had an engagement ring in my suitcase. I was planning to propose to my girlfriend over dinner at this ritzy restaurant on the island the next night. Needless to say...it was not the start to my birthday vacation that I was hoping for. Four months later, we are now engaged. It didn't happen at the restaurant that second night as I had hoped, but I was able to do it on our last night there because our suitcases DID eventually arrive. I took her for a walk on the beach and proposed there in the moonlight, which was equally great. So it all worked out." +"Last fall, my family made the decision to put our long time family home up for sale. Because my siblings had already left the house and I was going to be leaving for college the following fall, my parents were ready to downsize. It was an emotional decision because my siblings and I had been raised in this home and my parents had lived there before any of us were even born. So last winter we set our sights on fixing anything that needed fixing in order to put our home up for sale. This included painting the walls, a new roof, and new siding in some areas. At the end of winter, our house was ready for the real estate market. We were all very anxious about putting the house on the market. My parents began looking for a new place to live and my siblings and I were trying to imagine a world in which we did not come home to the house we had grown up in and made so many memories in. After a couple of months on the market and a price drop, the home finally had an offer at the beginning of summer. But that is also where the headache began for myself and my parents. The people who put in the offer made too many demands including leaving some furniture and appliance items that we had planned to take with. After we conceded to some of what they wanted, the process of them getting verified to actually by the house turned in to a long drawn out process. In fact, mid way through summer my parents were just ready to be done with it as they had envisioned it going much smoother. My parents had to resign documents many times and were continuously told that the final offer might not go through, so they were stuck between purchasing their new home or waiting. Finally, at the tail end of summer, just as I was heading off to college, the offer went through and my parents were given 30 days to leave the home. By that point, I was already preparing to leave for college so it didn't seem to take as much of a toll on me as I thought it would. My parents were so fed up with how the process went, that they too were ready to say goodbye. Looking back on it, the home really didn't get the emotional goodbye I thought it should." +"I finally got time to make my journal entry for last weekend. I have been so busy, I haven't had time to write. Last weekend was particularly brutal. We had had three storms in a row and I had all the plowing and roof shoveling I could handle. The money was good, but it was exhausting work. On Sunday, I could not wait to get home because my dog, Scarlet, was new to the family and I knew she needed some company. I got home and Scarlet was so happy to see me that she was quivering. I took her out so she could do her business and that didn't take long. I sense she is not fond of the cold and snow. We got back inside and I got her some food and fresh water while I heated up a bowl of homemade chili, I had leftover. I was cold inside and out and just wanted to relax. The night was perfect to get a nice hot fire going in the fireplace. I piled in some dry kindling and a few seasoned pieces of ash and the fire was crackling and burning beautifully. I got up to go fetch my chili and when I came back into the room, I saw that Scarlet was hiding behind the chair shaking with a fearful look on her face. I set my bowl down and got down close to her to comfort her. I am not sure of her first year and what she went through before I rescued her from the shelter. I have seen occasional things that seemed to trigger some anxiety, but not like this. I think it may have been the sound of the fire and the intense warmth in the beginning. I picked her up like a baby and held her in my arms and sat on the couch. She was a bit uneasy, at first, but talking to her and taking occasional bites from my bowl of chili, she seemed to calm down and she looked up at me, with a knowing look in her eyes and I felt her tail wagging ever so slightly. I rubbed her belly with one hand and finished my chili with the other hand. As soon as I put my spoon in the empty bowl, she jumped up and licked a bit of chili off my chin, I had dribbled, and then didn't stop there. She licked my face all over. I had not seen her that happy since I walked through the door earlier. She, eventually, calmed down and curled up under my arm and we both drifted off to sleep." +I recently just got a new dog after 2 years since I had to put my old dog to sleep. I had the other dog for 12 years of my life. He was my first dog that was mine and mine only. I thought he was going to be my only dog id ever have because I didnt want to go through losing another pet again. It was something I just accepted that Id never be a dog owner because I couldnt handle losing another one. Until recently when i got a call of a dog that was taken to the vet a family member works at that a young dog was left to be euthanized. Turns out the dog had parvo and the owners either couldnt afford the treatment or didnt think it was worth it. My family member she could take the dog home and make sure he has constant fluids. She said she has a good chance at saving him but she cannot keep another dog. So i agreed id take him if he made it though. And eventually he got better. Tested negative for any signs of parvo. Hes a ~1 year old bull terrier mix ive been told and hes been so much fun. Ive never seen a dog love the water more than him. He sleeps in my old dogs bed now. I know they wouldve been best friends had they met eachother. Im glad i gave another dog a chance. +"Going to a pool is something I love doing. It allows me to be a child, in a way. It's fun. It relieves stress. Plus, it's just good exercise. My girlfriend, I, and my friend went to a water park. The wait was rough, but that's to be expected. It was a warm day. We were able to get on rides after a long wait. I didn't really mind too much. It was fun to just be in good company. It was fun to experience the journey. I loved spending time with them. The food was pretty great too, so that didn't hurt. We also played in the wave pool, as an added bonus. I think it was a journey that I won't soon forget." +"It was not only a profitable day, but also an entertaining day. It started early, since the show started at 8. I know that people like to get there early and I wanted to make sure everything was ready. First, I went to Wal-Mart and bought some spray paint. Then I went home and measured the width of my van. I figured that that would be the largest anoint of parking space needed. Then I took a measuring tape and made a small line with the paint. This way I would know where I should spray the full lines at and it would look nice and neat. I made approximately 50 spaces altogether. I have a pretty large front yard. By this time it was late afternoon so I made lunch. After, I used the paint to make large wooden signs informing people of tree parking. I put one in the front yard, and several more spread out down the street. By this time it was about 6. I went to the store and got change,both bills and actual coins. Then I went home and got ready got the excitement. The first people came about 730. Starting with them, I'd simply mention that closer parking cost more and ask how much they had. By 930 every spot had been filled, and I almost had $700 in my pocket. Plus I'd met some really cool people during the night. The icing on the cake was being about to listen to the show." +"It was not only a profitable day, but also an entertaining day. It started early, since the show started at 8. I know that people like to get there early and I wanted to make sure everything was ready. First, I went to Wal-Mart and bought some spray paint. Then I went home and measured the width of my van. I figured that that would be the largest anoint of parking space needed. Then I took a measuring tape and made a small line with the paint. This way I would know where I should spray the full lines at and it would look nice and neat. I made approximately 50 spaces altogether. I have a pretty large front yard. By this time it was late afternoon so I made lunch. After, I used the paint to make large wooden signs informing people of tree parking. I put one in the front yard, and several more spread out down the street. By this time it was about 6. I went to the store and got change,both bills and actual coins. Then I went home and got ready got the excitement. The first people came about 730. Starting with them, I'd simply mention that closer parking cost more and ask how much they had. By 930 every spot had been filled, and I almost had $700 in my pocket. Plus I'd met some really cool people during the night. The icing on the cake was being about to listen to the show." +"Recently I participated in a surprise engagement for my high school best friend. Her now fiance had planned out the event and asked a couple of her closest friends to be a part of it to help plan and to be there for the special event. Seeing the joy in both of their faces was something I'll never forget. It was great to be a part of something so special in their lives. A group of us all got together to spend a weekend together, the reason unknown to my friend of course. We spent a few days together catching up and sharing laughs. The night of the question, we all went to dinner and continued our ""vacation"" as normal. We took a stroll of the city to enjoy the nightlife and scenery until we happened upon the location set up for the scene. We all watched as he dropped to his knee and popped the question as their favorite song played softly in the background. She said yes and we all cheered and congratulated the happy couple. From there we continued to venture the city, this time in celebration. It was definitely a night to remember. Not only for the newly engaged couple, but for all of the rest of us to be able to partake in such an important event in their lives/relationship. It was great to be able to witness the pure happiness in both of their faces and to be able to share that with them. We all can only hope the wedding will be just as magical." +"The job I currently have moves me around quite a bit. Every few years I know a move is coming and I prepare myself for another relocation. I have a family to worry about now but my son and my wife know this is a part of my job. My son is still young but old enough to at least understand that when I tell him we have to move somewhere else because of my job he knows what that means. I'm not far away from retirement but I am sure I have a few moves left before I can call it quits. I know my wife is good with the moving but I am not sure what the effects will be on my son when he gets older. He has never said anything to me or my wife but as of right now I can only assume that he likes moving. He has a few friends but he has done well making new friends wherever we have moved. I had been informed a couple of months ago that me and my family would be relocating to Texas. Texas was a place that we had never lived and we were all looking forward to moving there. About five weeks ago while I was at work I was told that I was not relocating and that I can and/or need to stay where I was. I wasn't sure how to feel about this because I was already in a routine and I had already told my family we were moving. I sat them down when I got home from work and told them what happened. My wife was supportive but my son simply said okay. That evening when I went to say goodnight to my son, he had his art pad by his night stand and it was open. I looked at the page it was on it he had written (I am very happy.) After seeing that I gave him a big hug and told him goodnight. I was really happy to see that he had wrote that because now I knew how he felt and that he was happy to stay where we were." +"The job I currently have moves me around quite a bit. Every few years I know a move is coming and I prepare myself for another relocation. I have a family to worry about now but my son and my wife know this is a part of my job. My son is still young but old enough to at least understand that when I tell him we have to move somewhere else because of my job he knows what that means. I'm not far away from retirement but I am sure I have a few moves left before I can call it quits. I know my wife is good with the moving but I am not sure what the effects will be on my son when he gets older. He has never said anything to me or my wife but as of right now I can only assume that he likes moving. He has a few friends but he has done well making new friends wherever we have moved. I had been informed a couple of months ago that me and my family would be relocating to Texas. Texas was a place that we had never lived and we were all looking forward to moving there. About five weeks ago while I was at work I was told that I was not relocating and that I can and/or need to stay where I was. I wasn't sure how to feel about this because I was already in a routine and I had already told my family we were moving. I sat them down when I got home from work and told them what happened. My wife was supportive but my son simply said okay. That evening when I went to say goodnight to my son, he had his art pad by his night stand and it was open. I looked at the page it was on it he had written (I am very happy.) After seeing that I gave him a big hug and told him goodnight. I was really happy to see that he had wrote that because now I knew how he felt and that he was happy to stay where we were." +"he day it happened was the same as most; I was stressed, and I was running late. I was concerned on the grounds that in a couple of hours' time I would have been persevering through a more than two hour trip with my children, ages 1 and 4. I was running late in light of the fact that, in the same way as other guardians of little kids, I regularly find there sufficiently aren't hours in the day. We were visiting my family and I was anxious to return home to my better half. My 1-year-old little girl had recently gone down for a snooze when, during the time spent pressing, I understood that my child's earphones, the ones he used to watch a motion picture on the plane, had broken. I called over the house to my mom that I was going to race to the store to supplant them. ""Me as well,"" my child said. I inquired as to whether he was certain he would not like to remain at home with Grandma. ""You loathe setting off to the store,"" I reminded him. ""No I don't!"" he said. I ought to have seen what was happening — my folks had been letting him play with the iPad in the vehicle and he was attempting to score the additional screen time. We got in my mom's minivan and traveled a mile up the street, through the sluggish subdivision where I'd grown up, the kind of subdivision where children ride bicycles in parkways and a lot of individuals try not to bolt their entryways, at that point we stopped in the as of late raised, about void strip shopping center. I had two hours to get the earphones, return home, get my 1-year-old little girl up from her rest and sustained and changed, get everybody to the air terminal, through security, and onto a plane. ""I would prefer not to go in,"" my child said as I opened the entryway. ""I'm not catching your meaning you would prefer not to go in? You needed to come.""- happened 5 months ago" +"GW was an elderly family friend who lived next door to my uncle. My uncle owned a business and GW and I worked both worked there for a while. GW was the strong silent type but he loved jokes and pranks. He got a wicked sense of humor and he was well liked. His wife AW used to tutor my sister after school. GW was a US Army veteran and fought in the Korea War so we also had that in common since I served in the Marines during OIF. After I moved on to a different job I still kept in touch with GW. One day my uncle got a call from AW saying that GW was in the hospital. He had some form of terminal cancer and he would like to to see us. Sensing that this could be the last chance to see GW I took my uncle and my aunt with me and we went to visit him at the hospital. When we first got there GW was asleep. He looked so pale and frail like he had shrunk a few sizes. It shocked me to see him in this weakened state. The GW I remember was this funny, gentle giant with strong hands but here he was in a hospital bed. A sick old man, helpless and dying. I got a bit choked up watching him. We asked a nurse to woke him and when he came to he was slightly confused at first but recognized us quickly. He grasped my right hand and I felt how cold and weak his hand was. I let him hold mine for a while because I felt like he didn't wan to let go yet. We asked him how he was feeling and told him we'll wait for him when he come home although we knew it was unlikely. After we left I couldn't shake the image of GW in the hospital and I felt a bit sad and melancholy. The next day afternoon we got another call from AW that GW had passed away in the morning." +"This was a charity event that a charity in my town puts on every spring. We provide beginner gardens for low income people so they can grow their own vegetables. We give them dirt and plants and seeds to get started. We even provide containers for them if they don't have a yard to plant in. The local gardeners and high school career center students grow tomato and pepper plants and donate them to the event for the people to use to start their gardens. I volunteer at this every year. It's fun to see how excited the children are to be able to pick plants that they want. It makes me feel good because I think what we're doing is showing them another way to feed themselves that's healthy and cheap. The lady that runs it says we're helping the next generation rise out of poverty by giving them the skills to do different things that can better their lives, like growing healthy food. Maybe when they get older they'll be healthier and continue to grow their gardens and even pass the tradition down to their kids. At this year's garden giveaway they had a Big Seed contest. The charity gives the seeds to the local schools who give them to the students. Each year it's a different seed. The students are encouraged to grow the plant at home (this year it was watermelon) and bring it to the Garden Giveaway and enter it in a contest for biggest plant. My favorite part of the giveaway this year was the look on the little boy's face who won for biggest plant! He was so proud. It's moments like that that touch me the most. How easy it is to make a child feel special and proud of themselves." +"It went really well and you could tell the low income people were really happy here. A lot of them were just really intrigued by the whole process of growing a garden. I really have to say it intrigued me too. I think its nice to come together with people who you assume are different than you are, and realize that no, its not that way at all. You also find out you like similar things. They are low income people, and I even hate that term now, they are just people to me now, and I am just glad we were able to help them. I think it was just something that needed to happen for me to wake up a little bit. Now I really want to do as much as I can to help people, either similar to me or just not in a good spot, like I am for now. This also let me know that I might not always be in good spot, and that there are people out there who could and want to help me. Besides the important thing of helping people who needed it, the whole garden part about it was really nice as well. Now that I know more about that, and how it can bring people together, I am really intrigued by it. Its something that is a process, but at the same time it is also peaceful. I think that is a hobby when it comes to gardening that is something I am going to look into. It made those people happy, and it did me as well. This was something that I am just glad I got to experience with people who really ended up making me happy in the end as well. I look forward to helping more when I can." +"My relationship with my father has not been good for years. Growing up, he was cold and distant, much more interested in his work and his life than he was in mine or the rest of his family. As the years went on, I did not include him in much of our lives. I felt resentment and that he would be the same type of grandfather that he was as a father. I did not want my children to have this negative experience in their lives. We did see him some as I felt I should include him in the big events in our lives as he was my father. Last Spring, he came to visit. I was actually happy he was visiting. There were good times with him growing up and I missed those and that side of him. I did love that side of him but I always felt conflicted. My 3 boys were older now and I was less concerned about his effect on them as they had their own lives in school and with friends now. My oldest son expressed an interest in visiting his grandfather. While I was hesitant at first, they had plans on things they wanted to do together and it was only for one day and back the next morning. The visit went very well and my son told me Grandpa wanted to play the guitar like I did when he visited us. This was quite a change for dad from his younger years. My son's visit was 4 months ago and I have seen dad since. I have come to realize he has changed for the better with the years. He now is interested in spending time with his family. I never doubted that my father loved me but I see he also loves my boys. We have included dad more in our lives in the last 4 months and it has gone well. I am happy our relationship has taken this turn and I get to have the father I wished he would have been when I was younger and my boys have grandpa. We will continue to see more of each other. This is a very pleasant surprize this year!" +"My relationship with my father has not been good for years. Growing up, he was cold and distant, much more interested in his work and his life than he was in mine or the rest of his family. As the years went on, I did not include him in much of our lives. I felt resentment and that he would be the same type of grandfather that he was as a father. I did not want my children to have this negative experience in their lives. We did see him some as I felt I should include him in the big events in our lives as he was my father. Last Spring, he came to visit. I was actually happy he was visiting. There were good times with him growing up and I missed those and that side of him. I did love that side of him but I always felt conflicted. My 3 boys were older now and I was less concerned about his effect on them as they had their own lives in school and with friends now. My oldest son expressed an interest in visiting his grandfather. While I was hesitant at first, they had plans on things they wanted to do together and it was only for one day and back the next morning. The visit went very well and my son told me Grandpa wanted to play the guitar like I did when he visited us. This was quite a change for dad from his younger years. My son's visit was 4 months ago and I have seen dad since. I have come to realize he has changed for the better with the years. He now is interested in spending time with his family. I never doubted that my father loved me but I see he also loves my boys. We have included dad more in our lives in the last 4 months and it has gone well. I am happy our relationship has taken this turn and I get to have the father I wished he would have been when I was younger and my boys have grandpa. We will continue to see more of each other. This is a very pleasant surprize this year!" +"My best friend had been thrown outside and left to fend for herself with her child. I offered her my home as a safe place. However, it instead offered her freedom she hadn't had any opportunity. to have for close to a year prior. Her priorities shifted from her son being her only priority and reason for her to live, to becoming a social party animal once again while only living in the moment. I am still unsure what led up to her becoming thrown out of the house by her 'man'. but i often wonder if she wasn't the one to blame. for his actions. Not that I would condone those actions, but women can create scenarios in which result in them being able to play a sympathy card. to others. I recall feeling crushed. That my helping her, in my point of view hurt her. She was the 'love of my life' and still is. I regret not being more direct with her immediately when I noticed issues arising. Her son was her wo. rld and she loved him more than anything in the world. I apologize for my vague sentences but I""m trying to fit the requirements as my first attempt i recall, was too long.. and then after I made my comment about not knowing how long tis response should be, it said it was too short so I""m trying to add to the story but without completely rewriting it." +"About three weeks ago my best friend gets kicked out of her house along with her child and she came to me for help. I gladly accepted her and her child to stay at my home rent free until she is ready to go on. My bestfriend and her husband had a huge falling out. I felt extremely guilty. I allowed her to stay at my house for three weeks now. All she has done for me is take and take from me without ever giving. I figured that she was hurt and not in a good place, so I allowed it. After day in and day out of her not cleaning after herself or her son, not helping around the house, and not being a decent roommate is where I feel like I could have done something. My bestfriend was hurt and I felt obligated to help her. Now I don't know if we will be friends after this whole ordeal. I allowed her to walk all over me because I felt bad, I let her not clean up after herself, and I allowed her to neglect her duty to her son. I feel like I am the one to blame because I took her in and fed her without trying to get her up and going. I gave her too much space. I should've been a better friend, instead I decided to let her do what she wanted. I do not know what to do with her. I want to kick her out, but how bad of a person could I be if I decided to do that. She has a child, nowhere to go, and no friends that will take her in as graciously as I have." +"One of three of my Siberian Huskies is named Sheriff and he is a certified Therapy Dog. Although we visit several kinds of places such as Senior Citizens Daycare Centers, Schools for Disabled Children and Assisted- Living Homes, our favorite place to visit is Shriners Children Hospital. When Sheriff and I do our weekly visit we actually put on a program in the hospital's auditorium. It is always amazing to me to see these happy children faces when I know they are battling serious, and sometimes terminal illnesses. Just being in these children's presence is such a blessing and reminds me to appreciate each day. The program Sheriff and I do is quite interactive with the children, so when someone doesn't participate it is quite noticeable. About 6 months ago I would notice a young girl, probably about 7 years old, standing off to the side. She looked incredibly lonely and sad. I have learned over time to let the kids approach us or Sheriff as they deemed to be comfortable. Each week I would hold eye contact with her for a little longer and subtly move a little closer to this girl, whose name I later learned is Rebecca. It took about 4 weeks to get close to Rebecca, and finally one day when we were close I asked her if she would like to pet Sheriff. She approached us in a shy manner and gently put her hand on Sheriff's back. The following week she actually walked up to Sheriff and gave him a big hug. My heart felt so much overwhelmingly love for this girl. As time went on I spoke with Rebecca often and felt we had become close. It was with a heavy heart when I received a phone call from the director who asked is Sheriff and I would visit Rebecca in her room. She had become gravely terminal. It was a day of love but one of extreme sadness as well. Rebecca's mom told me that one of Rebecca's wishes was to see Sheriff. She told me that Sheriff brought so much happiness to Rebecca. That day I knew the power of Therapy Dog and what a difference they make in people's lives." +"One of three of my Siberian Huskies is named Sheriff and he is a certified Therapy Dog. Although we visit several kinds of places such as Senior Citizens Daycare Centers, Schools for Disabled Children and Assisted- Living Homes, our favorite place to visit is Shriners Children Hospital. When Sheriff and I do our weekly visit we actually put on a program in the hospital's auditorium. It is always amazing to me to see these happy children faces when I know they are battling serious, and sometimes terminal illnesses. Just being in these children's presence is such a blessing and reminds me to appreciate each day. The program Sheriff and I do is quite interactive with the children, so when someone doesn't participate it is quite noticeable. About 6 months ago I would notice a young girl, probably about 7 years old, standing off to the side. She looked incredibly lonely and sad. I have learned over time to let the kids approach us or Sheriff as they deemed to be comfortable. Each week I would hold eye contact with her for a little longer and subtly move a little closer to this girl, whose name I later learned is Rebecca. It took about 4 weeks to get close to Rebecca, and finally one day when we were close I asked her if she would like to pet Sheriff. She approached us in a shy manner and gently put her hand on Sheriff's back. The following week she actually walked up to Sheriff and gave him a big hug. My heart felt so much overwhelmingly love for this girl. As time went on I spoke with Rebecca often and felt we had become close. It was with a heavy heart when I received a phone call from the director who asked is Sheriff and I would visit Rebecca in her room. She had become gravely terminal. It was a day of love but one of extreme sadness as well. Rebecca's mom told me that one of Rebecca's wishes was to see Sheriff. She told me that Sheriff brought so much happiness to Rebecca. That day I knew the power of Therapy Dog and what a difference they make in people's lives." +"I just put my first bid into a house for a fix and flip project using all of my life`s savings that I would make me solely the investor, contractor and seller. This is the first start to my own real estate property company and I am extremely anxious to start, work and take all the lumps included. Now its just a bid so there`s no guarantee that I would get the property. In my head the entirely day waiting for the response from the seller is, ""was my bid high enough"",""did I disrespect them with my bid"" or ""did someone outbid me."" I get a email back from the agent of the seller but I am too nervous to check it. I ask my girlfriend to check it for me and I get a direct answer. They accepted my offer! I finally can begin my dream of having a real estate property company but the hard work has just began. I wait 10 days for the close of the contract to end before I can start on the project. I get the proper permits, put together my own crew of workers to begin and we head into the project right away. I soon find that heading an entire project is not as simple as I thought of and a lot of things are beginning to miss the deadlines of what I set forth. Definitely overwhelmed as I am starting to notice that you have to have reliable people that move the same way you do to be efficient throughout a project as you cannot do all the work yourself. As tough as this task is, I find it so rewarding as I am my own boss and get to make important decisions daily. I am extremely happy about the chance I took and my ability to consistently adapt to my new environment. I eventually finish the project and the house is now listed for resale for me to start a new project right after. I finally did it as I talked about this process for the longest. I even left a secure job that paid me more money to take jobs that I could learn what I needed for this opportunity. Completely rewarding and happy!" +"I went to a music festival back in June with my sister. It was about a 2 hour drive from where I lived. First I had to drive 2 hours to pick up my sister. Then we drove up to the festival together. We had to camp in the far back lot where we had to take the bus to the front gates. The first night we set up camp. I was trying to help and my sister was getting frustrated with me. She did not like how I set up camp. It hurt my feelings because I was only trying to help. We then drank energy drinks and alcohol. We also chatted with our neighbors who were very cool and helped us set up. After pre-gaming a bit, we hopped on the bus to go see Odesza. I was very excited to see them they are one of my favorite bands. On the party bus someone offered me a bag of wine and I slapped the bag and drank up. It was so much fun. We then had to walk quite a while to the concert. There was a huge crowd at the concert already. We stayed in the back at first but we went up further into the crowd to see them better. The music was beautiful I danced the whole time. I felt such joy dancing in the crowd next to my sister. The long drive and setting up camp was worth it." +"Two weeks ago I went to my kids school for ice cream day. It was beautiful and sunny outside, so everyone got to have their ice cream on the playground. My kids and I all got strawberry because that's our favorite. I love that I got to spend extra time with my kids and share that special memory with them. Ice cream is always good, it's even better when you have someone you love to share it with. The kids were all so excited and I loved just sitting and watching them run around with smiles on their faces, enjoying a break from their school routine and a refreshing scoop of ice cream as well. My kids and I say under the shade of a tree for almost an hour talking and reading a book together while we ate. We laughed together and talked about what we would do the following weekend. It was very relaxing. Some of the other kids ran around the playground and went on the swings and slides. They all had a great time. Once thing that shocked me was how clean all the kids were by the end of the outing. I was expecting sticky hands and faces and lots of ice cream stained shirts. I even brought wet naps, just in case, but they were all clean as a whistle. The greatest part of the ice cream day was that we raised enough money to fix the ceiling in the school library! I was shocked. I thought it would help us towards our goal, but I never thought we'd actually raise all of it. It was a day I will never forget!" +"Two weeks ago I went to my kids school for ice cream day. It was beautiful and sunny outside, so everyone got to have their ice cream on the playground. My kids and I all got strawberry because that's our favorite. I love that I got to spend extra time with my kids and share that special memory with them. Ice cream is always good, it's even better when you have someone you love to share it with. The kids were all so excited and I loved just sitting and watching them run around with smiles on their faces, enjoying a break from their school routine and a refreshing scoop of ice cream as well. My kids and I say under the shade of a tree for almost an hour talking and reading a book together while we ate. We laughed together and talked about what we would do the following weekend. It was very relaxing. Some of the other kids ran around the playground and went on the swings and slides. They all had a great time. Once thing that shocked me was how clean all the kids were by the end of the outing. I was expecting sticky hands and faces and lots of ice cream stained shirts. I even brought wet naps, just in case, but they were all clean as a whistle. The greatest part of the ice cream day was that we raised enough money to fix the ceiling in the school library! I was shocked. I thought it would help us towards our goal, but I never thought we'd actually raise all of it. It was a day I will never forget!" +"I spent the last 5 years going to college. Two were at a community college and the other three a university. After all the blood, sweat, and tears that went into this, I finally graduated. They held it at the arena on campus, which was massive. There must have been at least 2,000 people in the crowd and at least 600 graduating with me. I didn't think that I would have many people there for me, most said they couldn't make it. That's why it was so surprising to hear so many people cheering me on when I got my diploma. I wasn't expecting it, but a lot of people showed up for me. It was really heartwarming to see. I couldn't help but smile when I walked across the stage. I figured that I would just grab my diploma and quickly walk on before anyone noticed that there were only a few people there for me. After hearing how many there were, though, I took my time and reveled in it a little. After commencement ended, I took some time to talk to my other classmates and wish them luck. I got to say goodbye to a lot of people I had spent a lot of time with. While this was sad, it was nice to know there would be so many like minded people going out there to further the field of Social Work. Overall, it was a pretty great night." +"Today was my graduation. I spent 5 years in college for this moment and I couldn't be happier. My friends and family came to see me and cheer me on. It made me smile so much to hear them from the audience. I didn't think anyone would come, so this was a great surprise. When I walked across that stage, it felt like my whole life was going somewhere. I could feel how big of an accomplishment this was. I'm nervous, too, though. I have a degree and am a part of a professional organization now. I have new responsibilities and obligations. I'm worried that I won't be able to live up to it all. That maybe I'll fail and let everyone down. I'm also nervous about working with actual clients. I worked with a few during school, but this is different. Mistakes here could be life changing. I think I'll do alright, though. I just need to remember the good feelings and remember that I am trained and qualified. Damn it's an exciting time right now." +"My best friend was getting married and his fiancé was a very nice, wholesome, “girl next door” type. He was worried that I, and his other good friend would do something stupid, or pull a practical joke that might embarrass his soon to be wife during the wedding, so we we’re sternly warned to be on our best behavior. Or else!!The wedding began, we (we were ushers at the wedding) took our places on the stairs leading up to the dais, and stood respectfully watching the ceremony. Perfectly reverent. As we stood there, we casually glanced over at the bridesmaids who were across from us on the steps, and noticed one of them was slightly swaying. We continued to watch as her swaying became more pronounced, and then she proceeded to fall over like a fresh cut tree right between the bride and groom. Out like a light. Total chaos ensued, but we continued to stand stoically as directed. After a brief pause to take in the moment (and share a wink and nod with my counterpart) I stepped up, picked up the still unconscious young lady, and carried her to a side room where she was treated and soon recovered. We returned to the service as the bride and groom were announced as husband and wife and walked together out of the church. Happy ending. They’ve been married 25 years. I almost felt bad for my friend, who was so mistrustful and concerned about my (our) behavior that he felt the need to admonish us. No, that’s not true. I rub his nose in it every time we all get together. it was good memories." +"This summer, our family friends came to visit from Ireland. The story behind this visit started when I was 10 years old. My family joined a program that brings children over from Belfast, Ireland each summer to stay away from the ""troubles"" and violence that occurs in the summer over there. We were matched up with an 11 year old girl who came and stayed with us for 6 weeks. We quickly bonded. She became the sister I never had (I only have a brother), and she came to stay with us for many summers after that. She is a huge part of my childhood and we grew up together in the summers. The last time she was here was when I was 20... which was 10 years ago. In those last 10 years we both got married, had kids, and got homes of our own. So much had happened, and life passed us by. We kept in occasional touch on Facebook, and knew what was going on in our lives, but we hadn't seen each other in a long time. This July, she came back for the first time in 10 years with her husband (who had been here a few times when we were teens, but as her boyfriend) and two small kids. We got to meet each other's kids and spent a wonderful two weeks together. She stayed at my brother's house and we had get togethers, dinners, baseball games, and other fun activities. When I first saw her, the day after she arrived, I was so joyful. I didn't expect to be so excited, but I was smiling, laughing, and giving her a huge hug. It was a wonderful moment. We spent two weeks together with all of our families and children doing so many fun, memorable things. When they had to leave, it was definitely a bit heartbreaking. I know I will see her again but I don't know when. I hope and pray it's not another ten years, and I also hope that one day, I will get to visit her in Ireland, as many of my family members have done." +"My friends Sarah and William have never been to the United States. When William had the opportunity to interview at the Chicago branch of his firm he was able to work in a visit to us in Grand Haven Michigan. One of the first places we spent the day was the beach at Grand Haven. We haven't seen in each other in person for such a long time that we spent half the day just talking at picnic table in the shade while watching the windsurfers play. My partner Jamie knew of a little place we could get great sandwiches and picked them up for everyone as we scouted out a place on the beach to set up for the day. Even though the beach was busy it was very relaxing. If you've never been to a winery I can tell you that Traverse City has some fabulous locations to visit. This was on Sarah's wish list and we were more than happy to take them up North to experience everything the near upper peninsula had to offer. We left in the late afternoon to check into our hotel to visit the wineries early the next day when they opened. On the drive there we took a detour to stop at Sleeping Bear Dunes. William is a hobby photographer and really wanted to see a sunset from this vantage point. It was a trek to the best location but it was amazingly worth it. I think we were all ready to a good nights rest after the travel and hiking that day. The wineries the next day were equally amazing and we learned a lot about the wines are made. At least a couple of us enjoyed ourselves a little too much so it was a great idea that we'd decided to Uber from the hotel and back again. They have some amazing restaurants in TC so after we had a couple hours to recover we took them to out favorite spot in town. It was pretty busy for being the middle of the summer so we had to wait a little bit, but it was worth it. They specialize in locally grown and sourced foods and really care about the quality and presentation. We were happy our friends could experience this on their first trip to the states. With only a few days of their trip left we took them up to Mackinaw Island for a day trip to experience what it's like to ride in a horse drawn carriage, and to ride on bikes to get where you need to go. We had so much visiting all of the charming shops and taking in the scenery. We were fortunate we had gorgeous weather that wasn't too hot for June. We had such an amazing time visiting with out Irish friends that we're already talking about finding away to visit them in Ireland before they potentially end up moving to the states. We're fortunate they were able to visit us in the summer when our state really shines! Maybe we'll take them skiing in December if William ends up getting that transfer." +"Today I loaded a 22-foot Penske truck with all my worldly possessions. I began driving my truck fromPortland, Oregon to Phoenix, Arizona. My first day of driving was going to get me to a place south of Sacramento, California. It was set to be around ten hours in the truck. My father in law was in the cab with me and my elderly chihuahua was in my lap. As we worked our way south to Crater Lake we saw beautiful views and incredible scenery, but the trip was taking much longer than expected. The truck couldn’t go faster than 30 MPH over hills and was guzzling much more gas than expected. After ten hours we were still about four hours from our destination and I was beyond tired. When we hit the California border I felt moderately better, but knew we still had a long way to go. It was pitch black outside by the time we got to Sacramento. My dog started caterwauling. I knew she likely had to relieve herself but I wanted to find a gas station to stop. Soon she stopped howling and I felt a warmth in my pants. She had peed in my lap on the only pants I hadn’t packed. We finally got to our hotel just before midnight, got some horrible, cold and stale McDonald’s and attempted to rest before resuming our journey the next morning." +On July 4th I gave birth to my beautiful son. It was one of the best days of my life. I went into labor early that morning and had him in the afternoon. As soon as my water broke my husband and I headed straight to the hospital. My director came also. She met us there. The labor process was a bit painful but I got through it. My husband was alongside me every step of the way. He did a great job helping me manage my pain. I am so blessed to have given birth to a precious wonderful a amazing baby boy. He is one of the joys of my life. He gives me joy each day. The best job I could ever have is God trusting me to take care of him. I will do my best in every area and aspect. I love him do much. The doctors said I did amazing. They said I was one of their best patients in a very long time. J was so happy to hear that. +I went on a vacation to my cousin's house in Tennessee. This trip was meant to celebrate the 4th of July. They had a very large house and we played a lot of games and it was a fun time. We spent a lot of time in the yard playing. After that we had a big family dinner with all of family. After that we all went to bed. In the morning we had a large breakfast. After that we played for a little while longer and then said good byes. Overall I think the trip was a very fun time. I got more of a chance to play outside than I normally do. We had all different kinds of games and it felt like there was a never ending list of things to do. It's always very fun to be able to catch up with them. I don't get to see this part of my family very often so it was a very fond memory and I was surprised how much everyone had grown. I really enjoy being out there because there is house is further away from the city than mine is. I always enjoy going out there because my aunt is a very good cook. I hope I can start taking these trips more regularly. +"My most memorable event was was the Fourth of July. A big family vacation a barbecue, over night stay and out of town trip to six flags, and I had a blast the night before me, my mom, sisters and brother packed our bags to stay the night over my cousin house in Tennessee. She had the biggest house ever I thought it was a mansion; six bedrooms two an half bath, a swimming pool, a game/movie room with a nice big kitchen. It was something that I was not use, knowing that we stayed in a three bedroom based on an income apartment. Arriving to my cousin house i seen a lot of my family members even the ones that was from out of town. We greeted each other and we went on about our business. As my grandmother, mom, and aunts prepared the food for the barbecue. The other adult gathered around different tables playing cards, dominos, shooting dice, and watching movies or sports on TV. I remember me my siblings and cousins played outside from swimming to sports. When the food was ready we gathered together and said prey and feast. After dinner we went to the family room to see a movie. That lasted a couple of hours and it was a a pretty good movie. After the movie we all went to bed. In the morning we all got up and made breakfast together. Overall I really enjoyed the trip. It was surprising to see how much everyone had grown since the last time I saw them." +"Thankfully, the nerve ablations were successful in alleviating a significant amount of pain and inflammation in my thoracic spine! I was so relieved when the nerves started to die off causing the pain to decrease. All in all, it was a very good experience. I think the only downside was having to drive an hour to get to the appointment. I think that when I need to have the procedure repeated in another year or so, I'd like to explore the town a little before my appointment. Now that I am fully healed from the procedure, I have been able to become a little more active. I have done a few moderate hikes and have started to swim again. It feel so nice to be able to do the things that I love again without causing significant pain. I plan to start physical therapy soon! Since my last journal entry, I have sprained two of my ribs in an unrelated incident. I have needed that to heal some before trying to really stretch and work that area. It can be frustrating to need so much long term care for all of my spinal injuries. But I feel so thankful that I have had so much physical and emotional support throughout the years. And we are able to afford a really great health insurance policy that has taken are of a lot of the procedures and appointments that I've needed. That has been a huge relief! My next goal is to get stronger and to find a more natural alternative to some of the medications that I am needing for my spine." +"Thankfully, the nerve ablations were successful in alleviating a significant amount of pain and inflammation in my thoracic spine! I was so relieved when the nerves started to die off causing the pain to decrease. All in all, it was a very good experience. I think the only downside was having to drive an hour to get to the appointment. I think that when I need to have the procedure repeated in another year or so, I'd like to explore the town a little before my appointment. Now that I am fully healed from the procedure, I have been able to become a little more active. I have done a few moderate hikes and have started to swim again. It feel so nice to be able to do the things that I love again without causing significant pain. I plan to start physical therapy soon! Since my last journal entry, I have sprained two of my ribs in an unrelated incident. I have needed that to heal some before trying to really stretch and work that area. It can be frustrating to need so much long term care for all of my spinal injuries. But I feel so thankful that I have had so much physical and emotional support throughout the years. And we are able to afford a really great health insurance policy that has taken are of a lot of the procedures and appointments that I've needed. That has been a huge relief! My next goal is to get stronger and to find a more natural alternative to some of the medications that I am needing for my spine." +"three months before i would engaged with my lover. it was the memorable moment in my life. we were in relationship more than four years. my partner is very caring person. he always take care me. when ever i come late at home,he came and pickup me at the late night. so i really admire my partner love and affection. we spend much time together. we share lots of things .whenever i supposed in the critical situation he would help me. i really him lot. he surprised me every day. he would gift me lot of precious things. i thought how much he loved me. really it makes me felt very happy. he always celebrate my birthday in unique place. i really surprised,each and every moment he thought about me and he did anything for me. i would felt very lucky,he is my god gift. we were plan lot of things for our wedding. we really looking forward for my wedding day." +"My father died in an accident six months ago. So nearly four months myself and my mother decided to sale our house and move to other location. I searched in online for buying a new house in my preferred area. We even approached many real estate agents to find a good home. In between we sold our old home and deposited the amount in the bank. We moved to a rented house for a temporary time. We searched for many houses but we didn't find any proper house. I even asked my friends and family to inform me about any house selling. Suddenly I got a call from my friend. She said that she found a house ready to sale in her locality. I liked the house from outside. Immediately I went to the house and looked for the facilities and any damages so that I can ask for right price. Everything was fine with some small damages here and there. I decided to buy the house and talked about the price. But at that time they asked a high price for the house. Then two months ago they came to my house with some price negotiation. Though the price was somewhat high, I accepted to the price and the deal was concluded." +"Several months ago, I proposed to my girlfriend. It was during a walk. Walks are something we both enjoy, and it’s when I asked her to take a walk after dinner one evening that she realized that she loved me. I thought it was the perfect thing. It’s simple, yet personal. It’s us. It was a warm fall afternoon. We took a walk around the neighborhood. It’s not a fancy route, but it’s one we both enjoy. She was thrilled. I was thrilled. She said yes without hesitation. The decision to propose to her in the first place was a no-brainer. I’ve loved her for a long time, and I couldn’t imagine my life with anybody else. I’ve never had any doubts about her. She’s who I want to spend the rest of my life with." +"Exactly one month ago today, I poposed to my beautiful girlfriend. Listen to my story it is beautiful. Her and I were walking along the beach on a nice romantic summer night. All you could hear while walking was the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. I stop and tell her to look at the bright full moon and say, ""isn't it beautiful?"". She shyly agrees and I sneak in a kiss. She kissed me back and knew it was time. I put my knee in the sand, and reach into my pocket to pull out the ring. I open the box and look her into her eyes and say, ""I love you and will you spend the rest of your life with me?"". She very happily said, ""Oh yes, yes I will"". We kissed with a great passion. I put a ring on her finger. She then started to cry. She then text all her friends and family. All in all I'd say we had a beautiful evening." +"I've found the problem with people is they only care about themselves. People like to consider themselves generous and kind and caring, like they actually have consideration for those in and around them ... but in reality they don't. Who people actually care about is themselves. My old acquaintance didn't actually have any real interest in reconnecting with me. When I responded to the contact, what I found was he was looking for some ""research"" on me. And not even me in particular. Just the kind of person I am, based on the kind of person he remembered me being. His boss needed some ""details"" and ""personal stories"" on certain kinds of people, and I was just a checkbox on his list. He reached out thinking I could be a checked off box for him, and did so by dangling the bait of some small amount of Hollywood access and sightseeing. The contact was all about him, not me, and I only wish I'd learned that people will only ever favor themselves before I let the possibility of a reconciliation put me in a position to have an old wound ripped open. It could have been significantly less painful if I'd just ignored him. Or remembered how things had ended in the first place. When you let yourself believe you should put others ahead of yourself, you're just setting yourself up to be pummeled. I managed to figure out the game in time to avoid getting drawn in too deep. But not in time to avoid having old wounds clawed open afresh." +"Today I was called out of the blue by an old friend from high school, someone I haven't seen or thought about in decades. He's now living in California, and found me through social media. Which is pretty funny considering I have next to no social media presence, but there you go regardless. Pete invited me out to Los Angeles, to catch up and get reacquainted. He's a mid-level manager with a props company that works with studios and producers, and he remembered I love movies. I love them more now. I was surprised to find I enjoyed the conversation. I was even more surprised by the invitation. He'll put me up out there, room and board for the most part, for a whole month if I want. All I have to do is pay for my travel. It's a very tempting offer. I haven't traveled much, even though I've wanted to. And I do remember having some good times with Pete back in school. I'm still thinking the offer over, and told him that much. But I think, after I dither some more for a few days or maybe a week, I'll accept. After all, I do love movies and Hollywood. And Pete and I need to make up, after the falling out we experienced." +"When my husband told me he wanted to have another child I was shocked and disagreed. We had our plate full with two toddlers already and adding a third just seem like not the right thing to do. Our family had gone through a lot of family and financial issues and the thought of having another child just didn't seem like the right thing to do for us at the time. After sitting down and talking about it we decided that having another child might not be so bad afterall. It would shed a new light on our household and it would just be something great in the end. So that is what we decided to do. After we talked to our other kids we decided that adoption would be the route to go and then the process started. That was four months ago and now our babygirl is the best thing that has ever happened to us. She gets along well with the other kids and everyone just adores her. She has opened our hearts and filled our household with so much more love and she is truly a blessing. I am thankful for my family and my husband who supported me throughout all of this. I am also glad that we did decide to go through with the adoption which was a quick process. I can see that there is a very bright future ahead of us and I can't wait to explore everything with my little family. I am so happy I have a happy, healthy family and we all love each other very much. If anyone would have told me a long time ago this is how things would have ended I would not have believed them, I have a nice life and that is all that I could ask for." +"When my husband told me he wanted to have another child I was shocked and disagreed. We had our plate full with two toddlers already and adding a third just seem like not the right thing to do. Our family had gone through a lot of family and financial issues and the thought of having another child just didn't seem like the right thing to do for us at the time. After sitting down and talking about it we decided that having another child might not be so bad afterall. It would shed a new light on our household and it would just be something great in the end. So that is what we decided to do. After we talked to our other kids we decided that adoption would be the route to go and then the process started. That was four months ago and now our babygirl is the best thing that has ever happened to us. She gets along well with the other kids and everyone just adores her. She has opened our hearts and filled our household with so much more love and she is truly a blessing. I am thankful for my family and my husband who supported me throughout all of this. I am also glad that we did decide to go through with the adoption which was a quick process. I can see that there is a very bright future ahead of us and I can't wait to explore everything with my little family. I am so happy I have a happy, healthy family and we all love each other very much. If anyone would have told me a long time ago this is how things would have ended I would not have believed them, I have a nice life and that is all that I could ask for." +"I am so thrilled! I got my first full suspension mountain bike today. Even since i moved here to the hillside, i always wanted to explore here. What better way to explore the hills than a mountain bike, right? I have been searching for one for a while now. Doing my own research on them. I have been feeling unsure about getting one though. What if it turns out to be disappointing? Had my doubts. However, i am so glad that i decided to get one anyways. It far surpasses my expectations for it. Its performance is top notch. It rides so smooth and easy through these hills. I am fully satisfied. I am riding my bike daily now for sure." +"Dear Diary,I recently got back from a trip to visit my recently disabled mother. I'm very pleased to say that it was a good experience. I also want to say that showing up in person can really improve a relationship. Things were getting so weird on the phone with my family that I was half expecting them to be really unhappy to see me when I arrived. I had such misgivings about the trip that I didn't even bother calling them to say that I'd be visiting. And so I was really surprised by how happy they were to see me when we actually met. The way it happened: I drove into town and surprised them just as they happened to be walking out the front door. I was immediately greeted with happy faces and a big, long hug from my aunt. Even my mom was glad to see me. I was particularly worried about how she would take my visit. But she was very glad to see me. - Don't get me wrong. - Things were still kind of weird between us. And things remain weird in our family. I've spoken with them on the phone since my return, and I have to say - I don't pretend to understand them very well. But for all I know, showing up in person was something that sort of saved our relationship." +"I just got back from my trip to visit family. My mom looks like she's recovering but will never have her old life back. Her short-term memory is obviously not too good anymore. Before the trip, I wasn't even planning to visit so soon. Plus I didn't really want to see them. They'd been giving me the impression that I wasn't exactly welcome anymore. But I wanted to be a good son, and I sorely needed a vacation anyway. When I left, I was feeling so bothered, so pressure, so paranoid that I didn't even tell them I was coming. My attitude about them was, ""well, here's you son - like it or lump it. Let me do my filial duty and get out of here."" When I saw them in person, everything was different. There was welcome surprise, big hugs, and really just gratitude for me showing up in the flesh. Plus, my mood was positive and peaceful, pretty much from start to finish. It really was a pleasure. It was such a good and unexpected experience that I plan on visiting again before too long. I don't know how things will be next time, but my goodness, that is my mother. As a son, you're supposed to visit your sick parents." +"My son asked his girlfriend to marry him on Aug. 11th 2019. He proposed on the beach on our family vacation. It was such a happy time for our family. It got me to thinking. I have been married to my wonderful wife for thirty five years and now my son gets to start that journey. I also said wouldnt it be neat if I proposed to marry my wife all over again and re-new our vowels. We went to visit my dad in the hometown where we both grew up. We got married at the church I grew up in. It was a united methodist church. So I said lets go for a ride and see what has changed in our town. In the process of riding around we passed the church and I said lets go in for a bit see if anything has changed. We get inside and no one was around , so we go down to the alter in the front of the church and I look her in the eyes and get down on one knee. She starts teering up and ask what are you doing? I said My wifes name and asked if she would marry me again? It was such an emotional time for us both because we had stood in that very spot some thirty five years ago and got married. My wife was overwelmed with emotion but she did say yes! Such a sweet time for us." +"This was something that i never even expected to happen. I was bored one Friday evening and i just went on an online dating website. I met this girl and we just connected right from the start. We had the same hobbies. We even liked the same type of food. Everything was going great. I decided that i really wanted to meet her in person. Just like that , i booked a ticket to New Jersey to see and meet her. She was exactly what i imagined. She was beautiful and smart. She was also very witty and friendly as well. After about 2 months of chatting, we were official. She decided she wanted to move to my state and live with me. Everything is going great. I'm so happy that i was able to meet her. She is my everything." +"This was something that i never even expected to happen. I was bored one Friday evening and i just went on an online dating website. I met this girl and we just connected right from the start. We had the same hobbies. We even liked the same type of food. Everything was going great. I decided that i really wanted to meet her in person. Just like that , i booked a ticket to New Jersey to see and meet her. She was exactly what i imagined. She was beautiful and smart. She was also very witty and friendly as well. After about 2 months of chatting, we were official. She decided she wanted to move to my state and live with me. Everything is going great. I'm so happy that i was able to meet her. She is my everything." +"I had been riding behind my dad on motorcycles. He was seriously injured from the accident and had actually died and needed to resuscitated on his way to the hospital. I thought I would lose him. He had broken his C7 vertebrae, crushed his larynx, pharynx and paralyzed his vocal cords. During his stint at the hospital he was handling it well. He wasn't very happy about it but he was pushing through and just continued to be himself. Every day his voice is getting a little bit stronger and he is scheduled to get the tracheotomy taken out soon. This will relieve the family of a lot of the everyday nursing duties that we've shared. It will be a bit of a recovery time for him but the doctors think he is ready and he is beating all standards so far so we are not going to be ones to disagree with him. Right after he had a consultation he wanted to go to the motorcycle dealership to look at new bikes. He already has his eyes set on a new a one. I told him that when he was ready to buy a new one I would buy one with him too. Granted he will probably buy a much nicer bike than I will but is nice to be able to still share that with him. He won't be able to ride for a bit but we are both hopeful. It is very satisfying to see that even a huge accident wouldn't deter him from his love of motorcycles. He has been riding forever and we were all worried if he would become scared of them. I don't think any of us expected him to want to get back on so soon but he just loves them so much. I'm just glad he is progressing steadily and can keep looking to the future." +"Ever since I was 12 i loved motorcycles. i saved up money to buy a dirt bike since I wasnt old enough for a motorcycle. I rode that thing into the ground. When I finally turned 18 I bought my own bike and started going on rides with my dad. We travelled the US camping and going to biker bars across the states. We never had any trouble until recently with all the texting and driving. About 4 months ago we were on i80 and a car came barreling in off an exit and clipped my dad doing 75. The driver was on their phone the whole time and didnt even see him. My dad slid about 400 feet into the side of the road tossing and flipping. His bike was toast. There was blood everywhere and he for sure had a broken arm. When we got to the hospital it was much worse. His lung collapsed, 5 broken ribs, a broken collar bone and his arm was broken in 2 places. He was unconscious for 2 days and things werent looking too good. On the 3rd day he woke up and was in good spirits though a bit groggy. Since then he has been doing his rehab and up around the house. Im so thankful he made such an incredible recovery." +"What is the point of trying to be the best mother possible when your children are just going to disrespect and break your heart? I just had to decide to do what is best for my family and myself by letting my oldest son go. He has decided that he is grown and no longer needs me. That part I can accept. I know that he is legally an adult, I get that he has to become his own person. What I don't get is how can he disrespect in the way he has? He just stood in my yard and called me out of my name. I feel that he has taken everything I have ever done for him and thrown it back in my face. As if I am not good enough, as if I have not done well enough, for him to call me 'Mom'. I can deal with a lot of things. I can support him when he needs help, when he makes mistakes. However, I cannot and will not allow anyone to disrespect me in such a way. It is unacceptable for him to treat me with anything less than respect when he believes he no longer needs me. Does that mean that when he decides he needs something from me, that I will once again be 'Mom'? I am furious that he can do this to me. I am hurt that my baby boy has the ability to basically betray me. That is exactly what he has done. He has betrayed the Mother/Son bond that we have. Now, I have to show him that if he can't respect and appreciate me the way that I deserve, I will not jump at the chance to be his saving grace again." +"Three months ago, in the middle of October, my son James had become really oppositional to our family rules and especially to my requests. I am not sure what participated this change, likely it was because my son started middle school and his personality has become much more defiant. I'd expected some personality changes as my son moved past elementary school but it's been really beyond the pale. I should have expected worse. Anyway, our relationship reached an all-time low in October as my son flippantly told me that he was going to go to a Halloween party with his friends from school as if he didn't need my permission. I don't know all of these friends and I don't know the parents where the party was going to be hosted. I voiced my concerns to my son. I told him that I had to check first before agreeing to anything. I thought it was a minor and reasonable thing but my son raised his voice and accused me of being controlling. He stormed upstairs to his room and I followed him trying to explain the issue that I have with him being up at all hours with people I don't know. James apparently had enough and he slammed his bedroom door shut, nearly hitting my face in the process. Now, I try to be patient when dealing with my son but this was too much for me. I admit I shouted and my voice was several decibels higher than what it should have been. I shouted at James that avoiding me isn't going to solve the problem and slamming his door just meant that he is going to lose his privacy. I collected myself, went downstairs to the basement, grabbed a screwdriver and hammer, and went back to James' bedroom door. I had his door off its hinges in about 30 seconds. With privacy being one of the most important things to James, this was intolerable to him. He acted as if the world was ending. However, I stood firm and explained that actions have consequences and shutting the door in my face means that he loses his door until he can close it properly. I'd expected this to be a short term, temporary thing, but it seemed to have brought about a change in James. He calmed down over the next few days and we actually had a pleasant dinner for once. I put the door back on its hinges a few days later and James hasn't slammed his door since. We still have our differences but I think James now knows how to work on them a bit more constructively." +"My wife and I were having a rough time. We were fighting a lot and she gave me an ultimatum. She gave me the option of leaving the family. I almost did. For a whole night I thought we were through with. I tend to clam up, emotionally. I don't communicate very well. I am constantly annoying my wife whenever I attempt to talk to her. I misspoke about something and she blew up at me. She screamed at me in front of our kids and told me to leave. I had to leave the whole night. I slept on a bench. I came back when the kids were sleeping and she told me we were splitting up. We cried all night and eventually made up. It was the worst night of my life." +"We were coming home from a party with a couple of girls who typically hang out with us after-hours. My roommates Pete, Jim and Bob (who we all call Lude) had gone with me to a party at my friend Lisa's house. At the party, we met up with Ann and Chris, two girls who hang out with us a lot. Ann and I used to be romantically involved a few months ago, but we're just friends now. Chris and Pete have had an on-again, off-again relationship. When we got back to the house, my roommate John, who had not attended the party with the rest of us, was there drinking beer with several of his friends that I didn't really know. One of John's friends seemed to take a liking to Chris and was chatting her up outside on the patio. She seemed interested in him. Pete noticed the interaction and started drinking a lot of bourbon, perhaps because he had hoped to have sex with Chris that night and saw that he had competition. As the night wore on, we all had become pretty drunk, especially Pete. The first guy who had been hitting on Chris ended up leaving with her. Pete had been distracted with something else and didn't notice until they had been gone for several minutes. When he figured out that Chris had left with another guy, Pete went kinda crazy. He started blaming our roommate John for bringing those strange guys to the house. Pete started yelling right in John's face, and John got very agitated. A fight between Pete and John seemed likely to break out, but a second and third guy that we didn't really know, walked up and settled the situation down by separating Pete and John. However, a fourth guy was disappointed that Pete and John had decided not to fight. He tried to agitate them into fighting by saying some really insulting obnoxious things about Chris and Ann, but a fifth and sixth guy came in a tried to shut up the fourth guy. The fourth guy and the sixth guy, who seemed to known each other fairly well, took exception to each other, and the sixth guy got really angry. The sixth guy really lost his cool and started throwing stuff around the patio area. It looked like they would come to blows, but they managed to avoid each other for the rest of the night. By then, my roommates and I had decided to call it a night, so we sent everybody on their merry ways. I think everybody needed to sleep it off." +"Two months ago I was surprised to receive an offer of employment from my former organization. It was unexpected but I thought this reflected well on my past performance as an employee. It appears that the organization is going through a restructure and my former employer thought my input and guidance would be useful during this challenging period. My former manager, who asked me to return as manager of a newly forming team, said he believed I would be a great asset in bringing old and new employees together to help drive the organization forward. He also said my old team had been affected by my retirement and their productivity was not quite as good as it had been under my leadership. Admittedly, I do miss my former colleagues and team but I do not miss the pressure of my former position and having new and harder targets to achieve on a regular basis - not only was it hard for me but even harder leading others to achieve. My former industry is becoming more and more competitive as new technologies are released and more talented people are attracted into the area. My former manager also offered me a significant pay rise and good bonus potential. I was very tempted by this offer especially as my 401k and social security could use the boost! That said there are many aspects of the job I don't want to repeat even with the temptation of potentially new ways of doing things. I was happy to retire as I was getting very tired and stressed by the demands of the organization and industry. I do not think I have the energy and ambition to tackle the more unpleasant aspects of the job. Still, the offer had me torn and I asked for a week to think things over. My former manager said that would be fine and he hoped I would return. During that week I called some former colleagues to find out what had been going on within the organization since I had retired. They all agreed, separately, that the industry has indeed become much more competitive and the organization was struggling to keep up, hence the restructure. Most commented that it had been and still was a difficult and stressful time. Some said they envied my retirement and wished they could do the same! The things my colleagues said helped me make up my mind to turn down the offer. I enjoy being retired too much to return to a highly stressful job. I love being able to spend much more time with my grandchildren and money isn't too tight. I don't have expensive tastes any way. I also enjoy spending time on my hobbies and not having to get up every morning at the same time." +"Two months ago I was surprised to receive an offer of employment from my former organization. It was unexpected but I thought this reflected well on my past performance as an employee. It appears that the organization is going through a restructure and my former employer thought my input and guidance would be useful during this challenging period. My former manager, who asked me to return as manager of a newly forming team, said he believed I would be a great asset in bringing old and new employees together to help drive the organization forward. He also said my old team had been affected by my retirement and their productivity was not quite as good as it had been under my leadership. Admittedly, I do miss my former colleagues and team but I do not miss the pressure of my former position and having new and harder targets to achieve on a regular basis - not only was it hard for me but even harder leading others to achieve. My former industry is becoming more and more competitive as new technologies are released and more talented people are attracted into the area. My former manager also offered me a significant pay rise and good bonus potential. I was very tempted by this offer especially as my 401k and social security could use the boost! That said there are many aspects of the job I don't want to repeat even with the temptation of potentially new ways of doing things. I was happy to retire as I was getting very tired and stressed by the demands of the organization and industry. I do not think I have the energy and ambition to tackle the more unpleasant aspects of the job. Still, the offer had me torn and I asked for a week to think things over. My former manager said that would be fine and he hoped I would return. During that week I called some former colleagues to find out what had been going on within the organization since I had retired. They all agreed, separately, that the industry has indeed become much more competitive and the organization was struggling to keep up, hence the restructure. Most commented that it had been and still was a difficult and stressful time. Some said they envied my retirement and wished they could do the same! The things my colleagues said helped me make up my mind to turn down the offer. I enjoy being retired too much to return to a highly stressful job. I love being able to spend much more time with my grandchildren and money isn't too tight. I don't have expensive tastes any way. I also enjoy spending time on my hobbies and not having to get up every morning at the same time." +"Here I am unemployed and not knowing what I'm going to do. It's only been three weeks, but I am screaming inside. How am I going to pay my bills, which are already piling up. I was already struggling as it is when I had a steady income. I'm sending out resumes and filling out applications like a crazy person, but I'm not getting any leads or bites. I laughed to myself (derisively of course) about how it's too bad I'm not anybody famous or important's cousin or niece. I'd probably find a job easy if that were the case! Being unemployed with no prospects is the worst feeling in the world. I am sitting home so completely useless to my family. They're trying to be supportive, but I can see they're as scared as I am about this jobless situation. The little cash I had saved will be used to keep a roof over our heads. Once that's gone, that's it. I had chest pains so bad the other day, I thought I was having a heart attack. I know it was only anxiety though, but that was pretty terrifying. I don't have the money for doctors, so I took a break from applying for new jobs to try and relax. It didn't work, but it was good to get off the grind for a few minutes. I hope things will work out for the better, but I'm losing faith." +"One of my more prouder and memorable moments I've experienced the last few months was when all three of my children went off to school for the first time this past September. My children are 10, 7, and 3 and they are entering the 5th, 2nd, and preschool grades. There was something that made my 'inner mom' proud to see my children growing and getting to that next step of not needing me anymore and wanting their independence instead. But at the same time, I felt like there was a sense of emptiness as they all eagerly skipped off to their bus. My older school-aged children was excited to see their friends after not really seeing them the entire summer and swapping stories on what they did and showing off their new clothes/school supplies. I was very happy for them and even secretly relived for them to get out of the house for a little bit. I was even more excited to hear about their day, their classrooms, their teacher, and the new friends they might have made! It was very cool to watch them grow up and I couldn't be more excited for them. However, the child that really made my heart sad was my three year old as he was starting school for the very first time. I most definitely took it a lot harder than he has as he did not even stop to say goodbye. Just watching that interaction made me realize that he is in such a hurry to move forward in his life and I am trying to hold back the leash, so to speak. I had a tough time letting go of the toddler stage and letting him go onto the preschool stage. It really was tough to see him SO happy to leave me while I stood back and watched him explore his classroom. Of course it was kind of tough not to take it very personal - I was hoping he was secretly wanting to stay with me... but he didn't. And then I realized that this is his first step towards independence and the very first steps towards the rest of his life. As he goes through different stages, he will always need me even if he doesn't show it. The last child is tough because that is 'your baby.' I will admit, however, having a few free hours to myself was amazing. After school was over, I picked him up and he was all smiles and he couldn't wait to do it again. It was then where I realized I did a great job raising a happy and secure child." +"The day started off like any other day. I was going about my business around the house and as was his habit, my brother asked me for a ride to the gym. His car was in the shop getting fixed and of course I agreed. The gym is a short distance away and I've been in a position where I didn't have access to my own vehicle before, so I know the feeling. I had just dropped him off and was headed out to take care of some errands. As I crossed through an intersection, I heard the screech of tires and caught sight of a vehicle skidding through the red light and into my passenger door. I composed myself quickly and we both pulled over to assess the damage. To no one's surprise, a young woman whose phone was glued to her hand had caused the accident. I was not happy about the time and expense this was going to cause me, but the girl was as helpful as she could be. It was refreshing to hear her agree that she was 100% at fault. Her father also had premium insurance, so everything would be taken care of. As I made a previously-unexpected trip to the body shop, I thought about how the day had started helping my own brother out because of his lack of transportation. Now I would be without my own car for a time. It's funny how the opportunity to show kindness to someone down on their luck can flip back on you providing someone else the opportunity to show kindness to you. I hope my brother isn't too tired from his workout to walk home." +"One night about four months ago, I met with some friends at the local bar. There was a pretty girl having a drink close to us. The finest girl in the bar. I thought she was a little out of my league. However, my buddy nudged me on. I spoke with her. We had a great conversation for the rest of the night. We both relaxed with each other and had a few drinks. I ended up leaving the bar with her phone number. We also agreed to meet again. It went really well. As a result, I think I should have more faith in my self confidence. The encounter made that more apparent. Also, my buddy is a great wing man. Props to him." +"One night about four months ago, I met with some friends at the local bar. There was a pretty girl having a drink close to us. The finest girl in the bar. I thought she was a little out of my league. However, my buddy nudged me on. I spoke with her. We had a great conversation for the rest of the night. We both relaxed with each other and had a few drinks. I ended up leaving the bar with her phone number. We also agreed to meet again. It went really well. As a result, I think I should have more faith in my self confidence. The encounter made that more apparent. Also, my buddy is a great wing man. Props to him." +"Six months ago, I had a terrible thing happen. My child died. This was incredibly painful for me. I was depressed for a few weeks. My wife almost killed herself over this. I stopped her and said the kid wouldn't want this to happen. I had a ton of drinks to distract myself from the pain. I puked a bunch of times. I remember the good times with the kid. I remember going to the park to play ball. I threw the ball back and forth for an hour on every Saturday. He got so good, he was a star pitcher for the school's baseball team. They won a championship. I hope he is doing well in heaven. He had a good life." +"Six months ago, I had a terrible thing happen. My child died. This was incredibly painful for me. I was depressed for a few weeks. My wife almost killed herself over this. I stopped her and said the kid wouldn't want this to happen. I had a ton of drinks to distract myself from the pain. I puked a bunch of times. I remember the good times with the kid. I remember going to the park to play ball. I threw the ball back and forth for an hour on every Saturday. He got so good, he was a star pitcher for the school's baseball team. They won a championship. I hope he is doing well in heaven. He had a good life." +"Today was one of the hardest days I have ever had to go through. It all started 16 weeks back when we finally got the good news that we were going to have children. We were both so excited and couldn't wait to start looking into getting the room ready. When we heard that we were actually about to have twins, I just couldn't believe it! We were so happy! On the way home we just talked and talked about names and room designs. We let all our families know and talked in great detail about everything we had planned to do. But now I feel like everything is falling apart. Our marriage seems to be struggling and just going the through the day is harder than it has ever been. We haven't been fighting but we are surely slowly drifting apart, I don't think either of us has any blame for the other but still there is a void forming. Every day I wonder if things will get better. We try to communicate through small talk but it falls short every time. Neither of use really have interest in watching our shows. We no longer are wanted to get out into the world and experience things. I don't know how we will ever recover but I really hope we do. I really hope we can recover from this but it is very hard. I don't even know how to begin telling our families. Hopefully we can get the strength to over come this. Maybe we will try again once we heal. But as it stands now I don't see that coming anytime soon." +"Last week, I had a great time with my son. He just got done with a tour. I picked him up at the airport and gave him a big hug. We got a big steak dinner that night. For the next week, he told me stories about his tour. He told me that he got 5 terrorists killed in one day. He is a sniper. We caught up on each other's lives. I told him I got a promotion at a job. He was very surprised, since I haven't gotten one in forever. He told me about how it was very hot in Iraq. There was hardly any water except what they brought from the United States. He said it was boring most of the time until some terrorists needed to be killed. He had to go back in a month. I gave a big hug goodbye." +"Last week, I had a great time with my son. He just got done with a tour. I picked him up at the airport and gave him a big hug. We got a big steak dinner that night. For the next week, he told me stories about his tour. He told me that he got 5 terrorists killed in one day. He is a sniper. We caught up on each other's lives. I told him I got a promotion at a job. He was very surprised, since I haven't gotten one in forever. He told me about how it was very hot in Iraq. There was hardly any water except what they brought from the United States. He said it was boring most of the time until some terrorists needed to be killed. He had to go back in a month. I gave a big hug goodbye." +"My son was young when he started walking. He was only 9 months old. This was earlier then some of my friends kids. It was something to watch. It was fun and joyful to see him laugh and giggle as he walked around. Many of my family were there, and saw the scene. Some were amazed. They tried to remember when their kids started walking. I think a few were around the same time. Other were amazed because they felt it was quite early. But overall everyone had a great time. They watched him walk, sometimes falling. It was a day full of emotions and fun. It will be something we will remember forever. I am glad he is progressing properly." +"my sister died in may of 1018. She was 30, going about her life with the excitement and optimism of someone with endless possibilities. A move to London with her fairly new (but besotted) boyfriend was a few months ahead. All the usual feelings were present: nerves about leaving behind her family, excitement to meet up with old mates, wonder about what would happen on the job front, and whether she and the bloke would cement their relationship. we get together every year for a memorials. All it took to end those possibilities was one misstep. One Sunday night I received a call from my brother's wife. Our sister's boyfriend was at her door, wondering if anyone knew where she was. It had been almost 20 hours since he'd heard from her, which was unusual. Looking back over my phone, I'd texted her the previous night seeing if she wanted to join us for a drink, but hadn't heard from her since about 5pm. Racing through our contacts, no-one had heard from her for some time. She had been out for drinks with an old friend, so naturally I got in touch, to hear she'd put my sister in a cab around 10pm and sent her home — ""drunk, but nothing too serious."" At this point, we still weren't overly worried, but thought we best head to her apartment to see if we could find her, or at least be with her partner. Her apartment was locked, and her partner didn't have a key. The decision was made to break into her place to double-check before looking elsewhere. We'd called the hospitals and police with no luck. We called a locksmith, who jemmied the door. We entered. I noticed the bathroom light on so went in that direction, before hearing, ""She's here, she's dead."" It's a time t o reflect and remember the good times with her." +"My sister's death came as a surprise to all of us. We all knew that she had a lot of problems, but I guess we were all just too busy in our lives to do anything about it. I still remember coming home that day to an empty house. The lights were all off and it was as still as you can possibly imagine. As I called out her name walking up the stairs I began to panic. If only I had treated her condition with the same sense of urgency a few hours ago, maybe this all could have been avoided. I blame myself a lot for what happened. And the timing of it all, as sick is it may seem, just makes me feel that she was trying to get back at me for something. Maybe for following all of the rules. For going to school. Getting a good job. Listening to our parents. Maybe in her state of mind she wasn't quite thinking so far ahead, but as fate would have it, I was the one who got to witness her lifeless corpse hanging from the ceiling by a telephone cord, the blood dripping down her ankles. I let out a scream. I felt like I was in a movie. And there was nothing that could have been done. Every year in May we gather together and reflect on her life. What we could have done differently. And the changes we all need to make to leave this world better than we had entered it in." +"My sister's death came as a surprise to all of us. We all knew that she had a lot of problems, but I guess we were all just too busy in our lives to do anything about it. I still remember coming home that day to an empty house. The lights were all off and it was as still as you can possibly imagine. As I called out her name walking up the stairs I began to panic. If only I had treated her condition with the same sense of urgency a few hours ago, maybe this all could have been avoided. I blame myself a lot for what happened. And the timing of it all, as sick is it may seem, just makes me feel that she was trying to get back at me for something. Maybe for following all of the rules. For going to school. Getting a good job. Listening to our parents. Maybe in her state of mind she wasn't quite thinking so far ahead, but as fate would have it, I was the one who got to witness her lifeless corpse hanging from the ceiling by a telephone cord, the blood dripping down her ankles. I let out a scream. I felt like I was in a movie. And there was nothing that could have been done. Every year in May we gather together and reflect on her life. What we could have done differently. And the changes we all need to make to leave this world better than we had entered it in." +"THE BIRTH OF MY SWEET NIECE,MY SISTER HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE TRYING TO GET PREGNANT. IT WAS REALLY HEARTBREAKING BECAUSE I HAVE 3 KIDS AND ONE I HAD AT 42. I DID NOT HAVE ANY ISSUES. AFTER YEARS OF TRYING MY SISTER AND HER HUSBAND WERE ABLE TO SAVE UP THE MONEY TO TRY IN VITRO FERTILIZATION. THIS IS NOT AN EASY PROCESS AND IT SCARED AND WORRIED MY SISTER. I WAS THERE THRU THE WHOLE PROCESS WITH THE SHOTS AND OVERALL STRESSES OF THE EVENTS. WHEN SHE FOUND OUT SHE WAS PREGNANT, WE WERE SO HAPPY. WE ALSO DID NOT GET OVERLY EXCITED UNTIL SHE HIT 12 WEEKS. SHE WAS SO GOOD DURING THE PREGNANCY. I KNOW SHE WAS UNDER SOME STRESS TOO. SHE DID EVERYTHING THAT WAS ASKED OF HER AND MORE. I WENT TO A FEW OF HER APPOINTMENTS. EEVERYTHING FROM START TO FINISH WAS GREAT. AT THE 35 WEEK MARK SHE ASKED ME TO COME OVER. I WENT TO SEE HER AND SHE ASKED IF I WOULD BE IN THE ROOM WITH HER AND HER HUSBAND. I WAS OVER THE MOON EXCITED. I HAD NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD GET TO BE ON THIS END SO TO SPEAK! HER DELIVERY WAS SCHEDULED TO MAKE THINGS EASIER. I SHOWED UP AT THE HOSPITAL AROUND 7AM FOR THE 8AM INDUCTION. THE THING THAT I REMEMBER THE MOST WAS HOW CALM AND PEACEFUL THE WHOLE THING WAS. SHE DID GREAT AND WE WERE ALL SO RELAXED DURING THE PROCESS. HER CONTRACTIONS WERE MILD AND SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE EPIDURAL EARLY TO HELP ELIMINATE THE STRESS ON HER AND THE BABY. SHE DID HAVE TO PUSH FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES SO THAT WAS A LITTLE TIRING FOR HER. MY SWEET NIECE WAS BORN AROUND 3:45 IN THE AFTERNOON AND SHE WAS PERFECT. WE WERE ALL TEARED UP BUT NOTHING DRAMATIC." +"Two months ago my husband and I were a part of our best friend's wedding. Their ceremony was in a beautiful cathedral with high vaulted ceilings and stunning stained glass windows. Their reception was right down the road at the local wildlife park. They had fairy lights strung up through the canopy of trees over the dining tables. A little dance floor was set up where the DJ was playing exciting music as the guests ate. My husband and I sat with each other having a few cocktails, enjoying the ambiance of the evening. We danced a little, ate a little, and enjoyed time with our lovely friends. My absolute favorite part of the evening was when my adoring husband took me off to the side of the gathering where it was a little quiet. He took me into his arms and we danced under the stars. He whispered how much he loved me and how happy every moment spent with me made him. On our friend's special day this amazing man still made me feel like the bell of the ball. We kissed under the night sky with the faint echo of music and laughter in the background. Eventually our little escapade into the trees had to end. The rest of the evening went off without a hitch. There was much laughter and my sister caught the bouquet! It looks like she will be the next lucky lady. I will always remember that little moment we had together; it made me realize truly how lucky I am to have this amazing man in my life." +"Two months ago my husband and I were a part of our best friend's wedding. Their ceremony was in a beautiful cathedral with high vaulted ceilings and stunning stained glass windows. Their reception was right down the road at the local wildlife park. They had fairy lights strung up through the canopy of trees over the dining tables. A little dance floor was set up where the DJ was playing exciting music as the guests ate. My husband and I sat with each other having a few cocktails, enjoying the ambiance of the evening. We danced a little, ate a little, and enjoyed time with our lovely friends. My absolute favorite part of the evening was when my adoring husband took me off to the side of the gathering where it was a little quiet. He took me into his arms and we danced under the stars. He whispered how much he loved me and how happy every moment spent with me made him. On our friend's special day this amazing man still made me feel like the bell of the ball. We kissed under the night sky with the faint echo of music and laughter in the background. Eventually our little escapade into the trees had to end. The rest of the evening went off without a hitch. There was much laughter and my sister caught the bouquet! It looks like she will be the next lucky lady. I will always remember that little moment we had together; it made me realize truly how lucky I am to have this amazing man in my life." +"I've been really struggling with my health ever since I was diagnosed with cancer. I love living on my little farm, but things have gotten too much for me to keep up with. I guess I am blessed to have the friends and family I have. Three months ago I was telling my son that I just couldn't manage the farm and keep up with all the projects that needed to be done. The next day a whole gang of friends and family showed up. They built the prefab carport and greenhouse that I had ordered a year ago and had just been laying there in boxes and on top of that they prepped my garden for the next round of planting. I know now I can count on those close to me for help when I really need it and I don't need to give up my farm and life to this horrible illness. I really see God's hand in this. It makes me love my family and friends even more. On some level because I was sick I didn't think I deserved to be able to stay here. I know I can ask for help now. It will for sure make things easier on me. I won't kill myself by staying. I won't kill myself by leaving. I couldn't ask for a better outcome." +"I've been really struggling with my health ever since I was diagnosed with cancer. I love living on my little farm, but things have gotten too much for me to keep up with. I guess I am blessed to have the friends and family I have. Three months ago I was telling my son that I just couldn't manage the farm and keep up with all the projects that needed to be done. The next day a whole gang of friends and family showed up. They built the prefab carport and greenhouse that I had ordered a year ago and had just been laying there in boxes and on top of that they prepped my garden for the next round of planting. I know now I can count on those close to me for help when I really need it and I don't need to give up my farm and life to this horrible illness. I really see God's hand in this. It makes me love my family and friends even more. On some level because I was sick I didn't think I deserved to be able to stay here. I know I can ask for help now. It will for sure make things easier on me. I won't kill myself by staying. I won't kill myself by leaving. I couldn't ask for a better outcome." +"The most memorable event that happened to me four months is the arrival of my first born son on June 5th. I cant stop thinking about it. It was amazing. The entire labor and delivery took about an hour and 45 minutes and that was the most surprising part . Our baby boy arrived at 6:42 am. He was 8 Lb . Our family was complete. I still get emotional just thinking about it and how tears of joy drop down my face for the first time. My wife was in awe at how serene i was during the birth. It was everything i had hoped for. A beautiful, gentle start for our baby. I felt such overwhelming waves of love. Everything felt perfect and wonderful. All our family and friends were there to meet the little one. He had jet black hair like his daddy. I couldn't stop gazing into his squinting eyes and stroking his wet little head. Remembering that day still makes me weepy." +"Originally Answered: What is the current format of a diary entry? Tense Most frequently used- Simple past, Present perfect and future. Begin the entry with general sentence describing the day or momentary feelingsWrite a diary entry expressing your joy and surprise. >Write a diary entry sharing any secret of your life. >today is your birthday. you got many gifts. wide your feelings. > Write a diary entry when you visited Agra. Brainstorm what you're going to write about. ...Ask yourself questions. ...Write down your answers. ...Pick a format. ...5. Make them different. ...Don't be hard on yourself while you're writing. ...Keep your thoughts in orderWriting a diary is good for releasing your emotions and other thoughts and feelings that you have trouble, or don't wish to communicate with anyone. ... I think writing a diary is the best thing one can do for oneself. Not only does it helps you assess your life and your actions, but it helps us know our self better. A diary entry should be in first person from your selected character's point of view. The entry should include a summary (retold by the character) of what happened in the particular chapter/short story OR elaborate on a major scene." +"Think about who is going to read your story. ...Just start writing. ...Write the Scenes of Your Life. ...Decide How to Organize Your Story. ...Choose a Theme. ...Use Friends and Family. ...Use Photos to Jog Your Memories. ...Add a Range of Emotions. Use a hook. A “hook” is your opener. It's the attention-getter, the question or quote that immediately hooks your listener or reader. ...Tell the story. A story has natural momentum to it. ...Reflect. Many people seem to tell stories just to tell them. ...Your story is waiting… I've helped lots of people tell their stories. When an author writes a book about someone's life, it's called a biography. When a person writes about his or her own life, that is called an autobiography. Biographies and autobiographies are popular books. Do not pursue publishing. ...Seriously, don't pursue publishing. ...Read my posts about writing memoir. ...Begin immediately writing down your story. ...Meanwhile, create a reading plan for yourself. ...Begin to craft your book." +"Well she left again, my mother. This is not the first time she has left, but it is a painfully familiar. As a child she was always very distant yet always there like a black hole hanging over a galaxy or a unseen pocket in a room, the darkness simultaneously hints the existence of something and nothing. She took care of me as she was suppose to, but she treated these transaction like a job and no real warmth could be felt. My dad was quite the opposite. He was a constant presence and keystone in my existence. He was funny and very perceptive and whenever he was a round I laughed and played, but there was constant arguing in my household. My dad was always dissatisfied with my mom and when they argued it was very violent and insult filled. One day my mother and father were in an especially terrible argument over the common disagreement subject, money. Money and me were the top agitators. When the fighting begins logic is in the leed, but when one of them begins to lose that's when the insults begin to take center stage. This time my mother was the one losing this battle so she comments on my father's manhood and other inadequacies when compared to other males, particularly the one she has been cheating with behind his back. This is when my father hits my mother which sends her to the floor and out of our lives. She of course did not bring me along, this was a surprise to no one. The following year became really tough. My father was not the happy man he was when my mother was around and he turned into this stressed person. He fought to pay the bills and worked most of the time, I mostly took care of myself. This changed when she returned for health reasons. Things were good for a while,but inconsistent. She eventually left for minnesota for six months to visit family as she states, but I don't think she will be coming back." +"Summer was fast approaching and I promised my family and I that we were going go have a nice time with him come summer. I didn't let them down on that. It was approaching and I saved for it already. Summer came and all road led to Hawaii. This was a place we have never been. We chose it for the adventures. We heard a lot about the place and the nature friendliness there. We got there and being summer it was hot there. There was a lot of rivers around, making the breeze cool and convenient. It was August and this time there were various activities going on there. We participated and made merry with them. There was one where willing families went to renew their marital vows which I participated with my husband. It was an all time experience for we really enjoyed ourselves. We got back and resumed work. I hope to visit the place again next vacation." +"Uggh, when will my life ever get back on track. First I got fired for working too hard. I kept coming in to get extra work done, but my boss didn't want to have to pay me overtime. I actually got fired for working too much. It's unbelievable. Then I felt so bad I thought I might hurt myself or kill myself. My parents realized that something was off and took me to the hospital where they realized I was suicidal. Now that I've been released, I'm moving back in with mom and dad. I can't believe that I'm living with my parents again at the age of 40. I feel like a failure. At least mom and dad still love me and were willing to take me in. I feel bad but I'm hoping to get back on my feet. If I can beat this depression, I want to go back to school and get training to be a nurse. That's a job that does pay overtime and can accommodate my hard work. Maybe they will appreciate me." +"On Saturday night, we went over to a friend's house. Maybe 8-9 of us total. We had some chili, things felt very stiff and sad. But then we said, ""Well hey, let's write some messages to him on these balloons and release them!"" Everyone was feeling that idea, so everybody grabbed a Sharpie and retreated into a corner and wrote a little missive. (I did 4, myself - confessing that I was sorry for letting the dog go, telling him I loved him, I don't even remember). Somebody at one point drew some male genitals, which he'd have cracked up at, and that had everyone laughing a little bit. We loosened up, released the balloons into the night sky, and then went back inside. We wound up drinking a little more but mostly just playing Cards Against Humanity and Heads Up, which were his favorite card games. The stuffy, church service his family put on was Saturday morning - Saturday night was for US and what WE wanted to do, and we knew he'd have wanted exactly that - friends gathered around, playing games and laughing. It felt so good to laugh. Sunday morning bright and early I drove to Atlanta to participate in the AFSP (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention) walk. I'd wound up raising over $1,000 under his name for the cause - $1,015 I believe to be exact. I got a free t-shirt and I think they'll give me some other piece of swag later, but whatever, I wasn't there for the swag. We met up with my good friend from college. It was just a 1 1/2 mile walk and when it was over we drove to this place right by Piedmont Park called the Nook that specializes in nachos made of tater tots." +"Our downstairs neighbors, A and B, have been heaven sent during this time. A is a retired (got shot in the line of duty) police officer, and so as soon as it happened I thundered down the stairs, rang his doorbell incessantly, over and over, while on the phone with the police. He had been outside smoking and so when he came back in, he said he saw me pacing the stairs like a cornered animal, sobbing uncontrollably. Apparently (I have no memory of this) I just sort of screamed, ""A, he's dead."" The rest of this is a blur of police officers, the coroner, detectives, lots of flashing lights and crying and phone calls. I don't remember that blur. What I remember is the downstairs neighbors across the hall from A's apartment holding me in their arms and praying over me, their voices a tide of soothing murmurs. I remember A pullling aside an officer - he knew all of them - and telling them that I was family, and they needed to treat me as such. I remember standing beside the investigator's unmarked vehicle as one of the officers pulled me into his embrace and towed that line between business and casual, still ""ma'am""ing me but being as helpful as he could. I remember the kindness and gentle demeanor everyone treated me with that night. If he knew how many people were upset, if he had ANY idea how many people were so devastated, he'd have never left us. I spent this weekend, four months ago, holding his family close to me, sharing memories and laughter and General Tso's chicken with his father and mother, his grandmother. I see him mirrored in their actions - his father's reflexive ""rubbing the back of his head in times of stress"" motion, his mother's love of animals and her silly, non-PC sense of humor. He has his mother's nose and mouth, his father's kind, loving eyes, and his grandmother's generous heart. I held his grandmother while she cried and asked me if her grandson loved her, because she'd been told he did, but she just wasn't sure. I spent two nights and three days with these people, my future in-laws, and hugged the dog I loved very much goodbye. His father handed me a worn-out leather Bible, told me it had been his first after he'd been saved, and he wanted it to stay in the family. He pressed it into my hands and I rubbed the cover like a talisman as I went back inside the apartment building, too sad to see them leave." +When I first saw the cat I felt sorry for it and took it into my house. The cat looked so sad when I gazed upon it. It looked at me with so much sorrow in its eyes. I went to pick the cat up to comfort its pain. It has been a few weeks past since I took the cat into my house. I am so happy to see the cag is safe now. The cat is happy as well. It eyes are full of joy when I play with it daily. When I get home from work the cat all ways greet me at the door. I am glad the cat came into my life. A year has passed and the cat and I are still happy together. The cat still greet me at the door. Some days I can not wait to get home. I am excited to see the cat like it is the first time. Wea re so happy with each other. +When I first saw the cat I felt sorry for it and took it into my house. The cat looked so sad when I gazed upon it. It looked at me with so much sorrow in its eyes. I went to pick the cat up to comfort its pain. It has been a few weeks past since I took the cat into my house. I am so happy to see the cag is safe now. The cat is happy as well. It eyes are full of joy when I play with it daily. When I get home from work the cat all ways greet me at the door. I am glad the cat came into my life. A year has passed and the cat and I are still happy together. The cat still greet me at the door. Some days I can not wait to get home. I am excited to see the cat like it is the first time. Wea re so happy with each other. +"So, today was one of the worst days of my life. I let my school know that I was not going to be completing my degree. Yeah, right before my student teaching internship. I was so, so excited to finally be in a classroom for almost real, to actually interact with students and have them look at me as a teacher. I had so many ideas to put into action. It feels like my future is gone in a wink. I mean, I knew this was coming. The budget hasn't been adding up for months now. Years, if I'm honest. And when I didn't get that last scholarship I knew it was over. It's just so impossibly hard now that it's actually the day. It's actually, truly over. Everything I worked for evaporated. Just for dumb reasons too, like my stupid car breaking down at the wrong time, and Rory getting sick...as if things weren't bad enough. At least I had teaching. At least I had my career. Not anymore. I don't know what I'm going to do now. My dad said he could find me a job where he works, but it'll be something awful like a secretary or IT support...not what I wanted. Not even close. I guess this is just life in America these days. Sorry kids. I hope your new, richer teacher cares about you as much as I would have." +"So, today was one of the worst days of my life. I let my school know that I was not going to be completing my degree. Yeah, right before my student teaching internship. I was so, so excited to finally be in a classroom for almost real, to actually interact with students and have them look at me as a teacher. I had so many ideas to put into action. It feels like my future is gone in a wink. I mean, I knew this was coming. The budget hasn't been adding up for months now. Years, if I'm honest. And when I didn't get that last scholarship I knew it was over. It's just so impossibly hard now that it's actually the day. It's actually, truly over. Everything I worked for evaporated. Just for dumb reasons too, like my stupid car breaking down at the wrong time, and Rory getting sick...as if things weren't bad enough. At least I had teaching. At least I had my career. Not anymore. I don't know what I'm going to do now. My dad said he could find me a job where he works, but it'll be something awful like a secretary or IT support...not what I wanted. Not even close. I guess this is just life in America these days. Sorry kids. I hope your new, richer teacher cares about you as much as I would have." +"Wow so something that was striking and or memorable that I can recall this would be tough since I really haven't been doing much in the last six months. but I guess the most memorable thing that I can recall is that lately I have been tasked with learning about a new operating system. at work that Is basically for production of materials and it greatly effects my current job and they had to send me out to Chicago a few times. so that I can get some extra training and this went on for a few weeks .and then they sent me to Ohio also for further training and in the meantime I am staying at random hotels. and eating at some unusual restaurants like the weber grill which is actually pretty goodand a few other random places normally I wouldn't eat at. back home like Portillos or Giordanos which was super awesome pizza, and the culture in Chicago. was way different from where I am from the diversity and the fact that a lot of people were speaking spanish. was a bit of culture shock for me but everyone is super friendly at the places I went to. and was doing my training. I would for sure go back someday with my kids and kind of show them some of the places that I visited. in my spare time when I wasn't working like Wrigley stadium and some of the museums. and even the city which is actually pretty clean as far as city's tend to go at least compared to the city I live in. This is something I would probably never do again but it would be fun to maybe visit someday. Ohio was ok it was kind of boring in comparison though to Chicago and I probably wont visit. They did however have some nice people and good places to just get a beer and that is always a good thing." +"Vacation Bible School really was a blast. They act on the outside like it's about church and religion, but it's really more like regular camp and a few hours in the morning focus on religion. The rest is like regular camp. So it's really like just hanging out with your friends from school and church. It's a big hookup time during the summer. Sort of more than school time because not as many classes and studies getting in the way. Brian and Lila got together and broke up at least 3 times over the summer. Kyle must have hooked up with no less than 5 girls during that time. He's like everyone's first. He's great, but someone to never get a crush on, he's so not sticking around. Nicole and Adam are going strong, they've been together forever it feels like and I'm guessing they'll get married right after college. I like Jason a lot, but nothing really happened with him more than just basic flirting. But he's just a year ahead of me in school, so maybe eventually we'll go out. But that's mostly all we did at Vacation Bible School, it's like a big social event. Glad I didn't miss out on it. The religion part is a drag since I'm totally not into it, but my parents want to push that on me while they can. Luckily it ended up being fun hanging out with my friends even though I'm not here for the official bible and church stuff like that." +"It's been almost a year since my dog Bella passed away. I still miss her terribly and think about her each and every day! Bella was a dog that my daughter actually wanted to adopt from the shelter. I had no interest in her and didn't really want to adopt any animal. I was not a fan of dogs at all before Bella. I adopted her and brought her home for my daughter. Anyone who is reading this and loves dogs probably knows exactly what happened next. Bella quickly stole my heart and became my best friend, basically like a child. I loved her with all my heart and soul. We bonded in ways that words cannot begin to describe. A couple of years after adopting Bella, she started showing signs of having an autoimmune disorder. She was seven years old when we adopted her but appeared to be in great health. I will never know for sure what caused her illness. The vet prescribed some medications that helped her but were quite strong and hard on her body. About 4 1/2 years after we adopted her, she started to go downhill. She was sick and weak for a few months towards the end. To say it was devastating is an understatement. It was absolutely horrible to watch my baby suffer and not be able to do much. She got to where she couldn't hardly walk up stairs and had to be carried. One night before tucking her into bed, I could tell she was in great pain because she was whimpering and couldn't stand up. My family and I rushed her to an emergency vet where we were told there was nothing that could be done. Before they had a chance to give her anything, she passed peacefully on her own. I was right by her side and somehow even though it was a terrible experience, it was beautiful at the same time because she knew I was with her when she took her last breath. I will never forget my precious Bella or the great impact that she had on my life. I am now a ""crazy"" dog person and always will be!" +"Half a year ago, my dog Bella died. I will remember the good times I had with the good boy. I remember going to the park to play ball. I threw the ball a lot and she always got the ball back to me. I accidentally hit somebody in the shin. I had to run away from getting into a fight with the person. The dog got the ball back. That was funny. I also remember she loved eating peanut butter on her dog food. I gave her this treat once a week. She would always be smacking her lips after eating the peanut butter. It was a funny sight to see. I hope she is doing well in dog heaven. I hope I can see her again one day. She will always be a good dog." +"I was not too comfortable with my current job because i needed a raise. household expenses and other expenses are becoming high and more money is needed so i decided to start searching for jobs online. I got called for an interview in a city that was about 5 hours drive from where i stay. I decided to embark on this journey that faithful day of the interview. On getting to the location was not too easy for i was running late for the interview. Getting there i finished and headed back to my place. I am having issues in my relationship, my girlfriend is not making me happy and she is taking me for granted in which i have been sober for almost 3 months no. I boarded a bus back lucky for me a young pretty lady sat next to me i was a bit happy because she was my type of girl. she later changed sit. with i was not really happy about, i never wanted to loose on both ends because i did not get the job. i wanted someone to talk to and make me happy. She was sitting behind me, she tapped me on my shoulder and asked if i could lend her my pen, there and then i knew she noticed me then i initiated a conversation and asked her to come sit beside me, to my surprise she did. we talked all through the journey, for those hours i forgot about my worries, i was happy. she is nice and friendly. Her gaze, her smile her voice is everything i can think about right now." +"Yes. I'll never forget that. It was Gus , we had to put asleep. He was with us for 11 years and he was our biggest friend. He was a Yellow Lab (male). He never had problems with his health , but we knew, someday, it would be his last day. That day came in Jan. 2 2019.(Exact 1 year ago). My wife went down and found him in the corner of the room. He wasw lying on his side and alive with his brown eyes wide open. He had pooped on the floor and also threw up. He seemed to be in no pain, but he could,nt get up. We brought him some water and he drank some. After calling tyhe vet, we had to put him into the car. That was very dfficult, because he could not move and he was heavy (105 lbs). We manged to put him in the car with a blanket and we drove to the vet. With some help, we took him inside. The vet checked him and looked troubled. He hardly had bloodpressure. He is in a shock. There wasa a possibility , to find out, what happened top him,but that was very expensive. ($4000),and the chance , there was nothing serious wrong was zero. So we decided to let him sleep. The vet gave him the shot, and we said goodbeye to him. We all cried. It was so hard. We still miss him. Now this statement below tells me , I have only typed 8 sentences. But when I count, there are more than 20. Hoiw is this possible? In the meantime, I typed 4 more and still have only 8.What do I have to do to make 15 sentences? One more. One more. Two more? Three more./Four more? Five more. Six more. Seven more." +"Yes. I'll never forget that. It was Gus , we had to put asleep. He was with us for 11 years and he was our biggest friend. He was a Yellow Lab (male). He never had problems with his health , but we knew, someday, it would be his last day. That day came in Jan. 2 2019.(Exact 1 year ago). My wife went down and found him in the corner of the room. He wasw lying on his side and alive with his brown eyes wide open. He had pooped on the floor and also threw up. He seemed to be in no pain, but he could,nt get up. We brought him some water and he drank some. After calling tyhe vet, we had to put him into the car. That was very dfficult, because he could not move and he was heavy (105 lbs). We manged to put him in the car with a blanket and we drove to the vet. With some help, we took him inside. The vet checked him and looked troubled. He hardly had bloodpressure. He is in a shock. There wasa a possibility , to find out, what happened top him,but that was very expensive. ($4000),and the chance , there was nothing serious wrong was zero. So we decided to let him sleep. The vet gave him the shot, and we said goodbeye to him. We all cried. It was so hard. We still miss him. Now this statement below tells me , I have only typed 8 sentences. But when I count, there are more than 20. Hoiw is this possible? In the meantime, I typed 4 more and still have only 8.What do I have to do to make 15 sentences? One more. One more. Two more? Three more./Four more? Five more. Six more. Seven more." +"About 6 months ago I was attending a house warming party for close friends along with my partner, Pat. This party was taking place in a brand new home that was built in a very small and close-knit town. As the night went on the party started to wind down and almost everyone had left. Pat was going to find our friend in the backyard to say goodbye and I went inside to find our other friend to thank her and say goodnight, but she was already asleep upstairs so I went back outside and headed towards my car. On my way down the dark driveway I was surprised to see a person pace down in the gravel. I got our my phone to use the flashlight and discovered it was Pat, and he was injured badly. His head had a huge gash and he was bleeding and not very responsive. I called 911 and gave the dispatcher all of the information I could, but I did not know the address, nor was I familiar with the town or any landmarks. It took a long time for the paramedics to arrive, and when they started to treat Pat I was approached by 4 sheriffs who wanted to ask me questions. I tried to give them as much information as I could, but since I was inside when the incident happened I really had no idea how Pat ended up in the state he was in. Soon, the sheriffs started accusing me of assaulting Pat. They questioned the homeowners who could not provide any information because one was asleep, and the other was at the far back side of their property cleaning up and putting out the fire we had going earlier. Nobody heard or saw a thing. So the natural conclusion for the officers was that I had a baseball bat and bashed in Pats face in the dark driveway. I was treated like a criminal, and was not able to go with Pat to the hospital or even know what hospital they were taking him to. Finally, with no evidence or baseball bat weapon to be found, the sheriffs let me go with a stern warning that the case was not closed and they would be watching me closely. I found what hospital Pat was in, was able to speak to him after treatment, and found out that he had tripped on a tree root in the dark on his way to find our friend and hit his head on a rock. The doctors and nurses even showed my the bits of gravel they had to dig out of his head. From that night forward, and even still to this day, the sheriffs drive by my house continuously, often parking nearby and watching me as I go about my day. It has affected me in a terrible way to be accused of something so awful and to made to feel I could be arrested at any time because of a made up theory that somebody decided must be true of me." +We got a new dogWe recently moved and were never able to have another dog. Now we could finally make this dream become reality and went to the shelter to found an adorable dog. It is so great to have him at home now. especially because he is a type of extra protection for the house. He already scared off someone just standing at our backyard wall weird. He is so loving and you can tell he is very thankful to be adopted from the shelter where he was as a stray. This event definitely changed our life for the better. i really wouldn't want to miss him in our life now. One thing he still has to learn is not to chew up his toys completely. but i am sure he will get there and become a even better pet for us. Our other dogs are still not really sure what to do with their new friend since he is a lot bigger. They don't play with him but it will be alright. Also he jumped the wall once. i had to call a friend to help me get him back from the field behind the house. luckily we could get him very fast. +"Rex needs time to learn and that's exactly what will make him feel part of the family. My husband and i brought in a dog trainer and Rex is now so promising. He has learnt quite a lot and i am impressed on the speed at which he is learning. The last time we were at a park with our daughter and Rex helped us find her when we lost track of her as she rode her bike in the park. We heard Rex barking from a distant and we went running towards the direction of the sound. We were happy to find Rex and Stacy together under a tree. On asking Stacy why she didn't come back, she announced that her bike had spoiled and could not move. She trusted that somehow we would go looking for her. It was such a good moment and we loved Rex even more. We have even bought him a new collar. It has his name written on it. Rex is so promising. There was this memorable night when burglars came home and were about to break in. Rex with all his courage took on them and managed to pin one down who is helping the police with investigations. Rex has become one of us and we value him so much. He has proved to be a member of the family and with a lot of love. In many instances, Rex has proved to be capable beyond our expectations. Though he is proving his ability, we intend to retain the trainer for the full time intended. Rex is one of the finest German Shepherd i have come across. We love him so much." +"It was a friend in my bible study group who got my attention to an ad in our neighborhood website. She knew I was a Math tutor. So I looked up the ad and found it. The mom who wrote the ad sounded desperate. She said they had tried another tutor before but it did not help her son. I always liked to help students in Math. My high school Math teacher made me enjoy working with Math. She was very patient with her students. She was also knowledgeable. She inspired me so much that I decided to take Engineering in college. To take Engineering, one must be well versed in Math. So I called the mom who wrote the ad and gave her my experience and a few testimonies from former students' parents. I told her how all of my students had passed their subjects at year end. In addition, all of my students passed their Virginia SOL tests. I worked with her son. Went over his homework and test review packets. Immediately he got good grades from his tests so that by the end of the year her son finished with a B+ in Algebra 2 ! She even gave me a gift card in addition to my regular fee!" +"My husband and I drove our daughter to her dorm for her first day at college. My husband borrowed his brother's pickup to be able to carry all her stuff. The dorm had a list of all the stuff that she needed to get. Of course, we bought everything on the list. So did the other three set of parents. The dorm was set in the mountains by the school. It was very pretty. The school was built there was beautiful as well. The dorms were sets of apartments that had two bedrooms each. Each bedroom had two roommates. The shared a living room, kitchen and a bathroom. They had a total of about 500 square feet in each apartment. We had lunch at a Chinese restaurant in town together. It was a lovely day even though our daughter left us for the first time. It was time for her to grow up and learn about being an adult." +"I had been a housewife for 18 years until my daughter went off to college. She left about 12 months ago and it was hard for me. This was her actual first day away from home. I had sheltered her for so long. Then the day finally came where she became an adult. I tried to talk her into staying home during her first year of college but she wanted freedom. I understood because I was the same way when I moved away from home. She is my only child so I felt lonely when she left. I talk to her everyday but life hasn't been the same. Maybe if she was closer to home I would feel better. After the semester ended, I thought she would come back home, but she decided to stay. She said that was her home now. The bright side is that I had one last lunch with her at a Chinese restaurant that was near her apartment. I told her how proud I was and how much I was going to miss her. Although this has been hard for me, I know she is becoming a young woman. The first day was just the hardest." +"This took place on the eve of the high school graduation of one of my nieces. We had dinner scheduled at a local fine-dining restaurant for the whole family, over ten of us in all, many of whom had traveled from across country. My mother, sister, and her husband were staying with me and my girlfriend, and the larger extended family were staying either at hotels or my brother's house on the north side of the city. About 45 minutes before we were going to leave for dinner I noticed a fairly large storm headed our way on my phone weather app. I didn't think much of it, just that we might get some rain and thunder. I was glad to see the rain because the city could use it. What we ended up receiving was a torrential downpour, 60 mile per hour gusts of wind, hail, strong lightning, and a power outage throughout much of our city. The storm blasted through the city in less than 1 hour but left in it's wake thousands of downed trees, power lines, and many flooded streets. Personally, at my house, it knocked out power, blew down a wall of planters where we had a herb garden planted, and damaged some branches on a tree in the front yard, but we were luckily spared any larger damage. After the storm had abated we decided to head to the restaurant, not knowing the extent of the damage the city had faced. Driving down to the restaurant we had to navigate downed tree branches, electrical lines, flooding, dead traffic lights, and emergency vehicles. When we made it to the restaurant and they were out of power as well, and wouldn't be able to open until power was restored, and nobody knew when that would happen. Fortunately, cell phone networks still worked, so we started to organize and decide on a new plan. My brother still had electricity up where he lives, so we ended up driving to my brother's house and ordering a bunch of pizza from Dominoes and chowing down on cheap pizza and just partying with the whole family and having a good time. It was a memorable experience and one that, I feel, will stick with me much more vividly than if we just had a nice dinner at the restaurant." +"This took place on the eve of the high school graduation of one of my nieces. We had dinner scheduled at a local fine-dining restaurant for the whole family, over ten of us in all, many of whom had traveled from across country. My mother, sister, and her husband were staying with me and my girlfriend, and the larger extended family were staying either at hotels or my brother's house on the north side of the city. About 45 minutes before we were going to leave for dinner I noticed a fairly large storm headed our way on my phone weather app. I didn't think much of it, just that we might get some rain and thunder. I was glad to see the rain because the city could use it. What we ended up receiving was a torrential downpour, 60 mile per hour gusts of wind, hail, strong lightning, and a power outage throughout much of our city. The storm blasted through the city in less than 1 hour but left in it's wake thousands of downed trees, power lines, and many flooded streets. Personally, at my house, it knocked out power, blew down a wall of planters where we had a herb garden planted, and damaged some branches on a tree in the front yard, but we were luckily spared any larger damage. After the storm had abated we decided to head to the restaurant, not knowing the extent of the damage the city had faced. Driving down to the restaurant we had to navigate downed tree branches, electrical lines, flooding, dead traffic lights, and emergency vehicles. When we made it to the restaurant and they were out of power as well, and wouldn't be able to open until power was restored, and nobody knew when that would happen. Fortunately, cell phone networks still worked, so we started to organize and decide on a new plan. My brother still had electricity up where he lives, so we ended up driving to my brother's house and ordering a bunch of pizza from Dominoes and chowing down on cheap pizza and just partying with the whole family and having a good time. It was a memorable experience and one that, I feel, will stick with me much more vividly than if we just had a nice dinner at the restaurant." +"Two months ago my brother decided to stop doing drugs. His baby was born last night and he got to hold him for the first time. Seeing his child for the first time seems to have caused my brother to have a reality check. His son looks just like him. I was able to hold him for a few minutes. He is a very beautiful baby. I hope my brother gets to spend many years raising him up to be a wonderful man. After the baby was born I spoke to my brother and asked him what his plans were. My brother said he would seek help to get over his addiction but that he couldn't afford to go to rehab with a new baby to take care of. He doesn't want to burden his girlfriend. I agree that he shouldn't leave his girlfriend with no help but I also think that addressing this problem full force now would be a good thing. If he handles the addiction and spends a few weeks or months away from the baby then it is worth it for all the years in the future he will have with his child. He had this epiphany two months ago and from what I have seen, he appears to be clean but I know the pressure is on. I hope he can stay strong and be there for his family. I will continue to offer any assistance that I can in the mean time." +"Ugh.. can this day get any more worse? Apparently yes. I was told I was in the second half of the renewal period for my license so I thought I only had to do 2 classes to renew my license. Yesterday I found out that I need the full 24 hours to renew. I couldn't believe it in the beginning. So i went to verify it today. Yes, it is true. I need to go through much more hassle. To add salt to the wound, i found out that my salary would be delayed this month. Really? Come on! How worse can this get! Without the license, my job will go into jeopardy. And now i am facing financial trouble. I don't even have the money to spend on this." +"i remember my mom called me and wanted to talk in person about a serious matter. She wanted to meet as soon as possible . me and my brother arrived and we both sat down. She explained that the Drs had found a mass on her right breast and they had some concerns, she asked if i could come home for sometime and stay with her. I was frightened and we both went to the first Dr. appointments together, after the biopsy. They found out it was cancer and that is was an aggressive form. So we scheduled the surgery as soon as possible. They did the surgery and they actually messed up. she was home and violently ill we took her back and they had punctured her lung and not bothered to read the x-rays after the surgery. which to me is mal-practice. She had to get a tube put in her and another surgery. We were worried the hospital may kill her if the cancer didn't. We tried to converse with a lawyer but no one would look at it. So instead we found another Dr about 2 hours north that had a way better reputation and we went with him. That was over 5 months ago and she has gone through the worst of it. the chemo was bad and afterwards the radiation we just got done with. the good news is. She is actually in remission and doing much better. I am still home looking after her and she is happy about it and so am I. we have re- kindled our relationship and we get along very good these days. In a way I'm glad it happened, but im sorry she had to go through it. but good things came from it. things I never thought could happen. we never talked much after my dad passed away, but now we are best friends and that is a blessing unto itself. Its a compelling story that has a wonderful turn out and im always glad to tell it , but it was the most scary event of my life in the beginning ." +"I bought a new car a few months ago. I really didn't want to, my wife was the one who had talked me into doing it, as she had been bugging me about getting a new car for awhile. We also went the day after we had gotten into a pretty big fight, so I guess I just wanted to make her happy. She promised we would make some lifestyle changes to be able to afford this car. Mainly to stop eating out as much and she was supposed to get some kind of a job. Even to just work on Mturk to make a little extra money to help put towards it. I have been hustling and doing a lot of side jobs to help bring in extra cash, but she has done nothing. It's very frustrating as I already work a full time job and am doing side jobs to help afford this car and other bills, and she is doing nothing. Since completing this original hit she has still not lifted a finger to help. I shouldn't be surprised as this is not the first time she has promised to help out to make me happy in the moment, and wound up doing absoutely nothing to help. We have gotten into fights over this many times before. At this point I am just done. I don't want her to get a job just to shut me up. I want her to do it because she actually wants to contribute something. She knows how stressed I am about bills and money, and it really hurts that she doesn't care." +"I was strong. I had no weakness 5 months ago. I was a successful construction worker, a drywall hanger to be more specific. I have 3 children and a wife and I was the primary breadwinner. If you don't know much about drywall one thing that is important is the weight involved. Each sheet of 12 foot by 4 foot drywall is 70 pounds. If we are talking about 5/8 drywall the weight is 120 pounds. I lifted anywhere from 40 to 60 of these sheets everyday for 15 years. All my joints were wearing down slowly particular my neck. I enjoyed my job, but it was labor intensive and hard on my body, but I was young. This all changed 5 months ago with a injury. One day while lifting a sheet, I felt tremendous pain that brought me to my knees. I rushed to the hospital where they did a ct scan on my abdominal cavity. I was diagnosed with a ventral hernia. I could not go back to work, I had a family to take care of and I could barely get out of bed. While I was stuck in bed my muscles were shrinking which cause a whole host of problems from pain to speech problems. I could not even speak to my children without feeling pain. I had find something to do for income, I just started selling on amazon and mturk surveys. I would like to tell you I am passed all this now, but I am still going through it and I'm yerrified everyday." +"Six months ago, I thought about training for a half-marathon after watching some YouTube videos. This is or was odd for me because I've never given much thought to participating in a marathon. Nevertheless, the videos were interesting enough to make me start seriously consider training for one. After watching the videos, I started looking at workout videos - specifically, cardio workouts - to use to build up my endurance. I knew to steer clear of HIIT or high impact workouts because I didn't work out regularly. And as an older adult, I didn't want to risk hurting myself. So I settled on a few low-impact routines. I started small with a 15-minute routine. It seemed easy enough while watching it, but some of the movements were challenging for me as a newbie. Still, I persevered. And within a few weeks, I decided to move up to a 30-minute routine. It, too, was a little challenging. However, I was able to adjust to 15 addition minutes fairly quickly. During this time, I noticed that I had more stamina than normal. And I also lost a few pounds, which proved to be very motivating. So I started pushing myself little by little. For example, I started walking three miles a day a few times week. And once I got used to three miles, I moved up to four, five, six, seven and now I'm up to eight miles. I'm proud of myself because I've gone from being a pretty sedentary person to a highly active person within six months. And I'm looking forward to participating in my first half-marathon next year. I still have a ways to go, but I believe I will reach my 13 mile goal within the next few months." +"If you had told me this time last year that I would be so happy, I would have thought you were nuts. Yeah, the kids were doing well and we were better off financially than we had been in a long time, but I was super unhappy with the state of my marriage. My husband had just started a new job, and while I know it was stressful and that I should give him some time to adjust, I just couldn’t stand the cold way that he was treating me. It felt like when he got home, he would hide away and play on his phone or lay on the couch watching TV – he never really made an attempt to engage with either me or the kids. I let it go for a long time, I made excuses for him, I started to blame myself – what was I doing wrong that was pushing him away? Finally, after months of living with a virtual stranger, I couldn’t take it anymore and I blew up. I said a lot of hurtful things, including bringing up and comparing him to his own deadbeat dad. He said a lot of hurtful things too, about my weight gain and diminishing sex drive. I honestly thought that we were irreconcilable and started doing the research for divorce. I even confided in my dad, just in case I would be forced to take the kids and move in with him. It was a dark time, but hindsight shows me that it was a necessary time. The fighting was cathartic and we were able to get down to the root of our issues and start over. It’s been a rocky road, but I know it was worth it because life has gotten so much better. Last month, we went on a vacation just me and him to my favorite place in the world: Florida. We spent the whole week just relaxing together on the sandy beach. Drinking cocktails, reading, laughing, people-watching and in general just reminding ourselves how much we enjoy each others company. It was an amazing time for us both and we have pledged to spend more time like this together in the future." +"This past June was a momentous time in my life for a couple of reasons. Towards the beginning of the month I turned 26 years old and a week or so after that I graduated from UC San Diego with an engineering degree. It marked the beginning of my true independence and adulthood, though I may have been considered an adult before. Upon graduating I began to realize the responsibility and pressures that life was staring to lay upon me. Before I graduated life was very simple and my only responsibilities were to complete my education and enjoy my time in sunny San Diego. After graduating I was tasked with finding a career that I truly enjoyed and that would also provide me with the opportunity to live comfortably for the rest of my life. The stresses of this event were compounded by the fact that I lost my father to cancer a few months prior to graduation. This would mean that I have to contribute to my family financially and emotionally during a time that was meant to be unique and special. I went from enjoying the college life to stressing about the future. The loss of my father had a profound impact on my studies and my view of the world. My mother and sister flew in from far away to watch me graduate. We spent the week together sightseeing and visiting places that we would enjoy. We also visited places that my father would have enjoyed seeing such as Naval museums and where he used to live. It was an emotional graduation ceremony because we all knew how hard I had worked over the past six years and that my father was not there to see it through. There were many ups and downs, including transferring from a community college to a good university, family health issues, as well as money issues. All of these issues and triumphant events made the graduation ceremony much more meaningful to us all. I still do not know where my life is headed, however this was a major stepping stone in my life's story and I am proud of my accomplishments. As I look forward I hope to find a meaningful career that I can utilize the skills I have developed over the past several years." +"We lost 3 chickens 1 duck the other day. I know this isn't something most people care about, and they wouldn't understand why I care. These animals aren't just a source of food for us though. They are our pets. We care deeply about them. We raised them from just a few days old. Now they're just gone. Without a trace. I think a fox got them. There is a cornfield behind the house, and I just learned that foxes live in cornfields. The night before we locked up the coop and counted our chickens. All chickens were accounted for and ready for sleep. The next day we noticed one missing. She was broody and was attempting to hide a nest from us. This makes it more weird because they usually won't leave the eggs, but she was just gone. We counted our chickens that night, locked them up, and then searched the entire property for her. She was nowhere to be found. The next morning I let the chickens out, but then by 7 am there was two more missing. One of my white silkies and an ISA Brown. I went on an immediate search over the property. I then asked my neighbor for permission and searched her yard. They weren't there, but there was a strange place in the cornfield. So I walked further into the corn and there I found a pile of feathers from our Barred Rock, the first hen that went missing." +"One day in my apartment, i was sleeping until i heard a loud bang on the door. I thought it was the front door and it was the mailman so i ignored it. The banging got increasingly louder and my roommate decided to open the door. All of a sudden police came through and were looking for someone. Apparently my other roommate who was in New York at the time was associated with a known gang member. The police questioned me and asked me if knew the gang members whereabouts. I told them no and i told them i had only met the suspect once and it was very briefly The police went through my room and quickly searched around. They then asked me if i knew my roommates number and i disclosed it to them so they could leave me alone and i could get back to my sleep. They left and i called my roommate letting them know they were looking for her and the suspect. She was in obvious shock and i let her know how serious the situation. I went to bed and slept the rest of the morning but that memory of the police raiding my apartment has not left me. I disclosed this info to my parents to let them know what i've gone through. I disclosed to my friends at work and they were shocked that this happened to me. I still think about it from time to time. i'll never look at police the same." +"Two months ago, my family came to a standstill in life. My mom received the worst news that any woman could receive from a doctor. Breast cancer. She was sick and could potentially die. I sat in the waiting room as my dad and mom sat in the doctor's office, hearing the news for the first time. Even two months later, I'm still processing it. Thankfully, from what I understand and my parents explained to me that night after returning home, it's in the early stages. There's a good possibility she could survive. That makes me happy. I don't know what I would do without her. They told me and my siblings that she would be starting chemotherapy, whatever that is, in about a week. They warned us that mommy may not look the same for a while, may not smile as much, may not play with us as much. Dad told us her long hair would probably fall out. I don't fully understand what all this means, but they've tried explaining it to me. I don't want my mom to die. This isn't really fair, is it? Why her? But I'll stay strong for my siblings, for my dad, and for my mom. I won't cry. She'll get better. You'll see." +"The most memorable thing that happened to me recently was when my mom was told that she was cancer free. She had stage 4 cancer in her lymphatic system that she had been fighting. The doctor had told us that the chances of survival where not very high. She had to do six rounds of chemo so that she could try to fight the cancer. During her chemo she was very sick all of the time. My mom has always been a very strong and independent woman. Suddenly she could no longer open jars or close the heavy back door any more. Seeing her like that was very hard on the entire family. We all took turns staying with her and helping her out by cooking and cleaning. After her six sessions we had the longest wait of our lives. After Chemo you have to wait over a month to do a scan to see if it is gone. Finally the day came for us all to hear the results and the doctor brought a cake in the room that said remission! We were all shocked, even the doctor who said this wasn't a likely outcome. We were all jumping for joy. We celebrated by taking her out for dinner and then held a party for her later once she was feeling better. I cant think of a better gift to have received." +"Three months ago, I got into my favorite college. This college was Harvard. I took the SAT many times to get in. I am still shocked that I got into the school. I got a nearly perfect score on one SAT. I did write a very impressive essay about how to solve wars. I said that you just need to be in business with each other, so you are reliant on each other. This will reduce the chances of war. I will be majoring in law. This will be a hard task for me. I will need to study a lot. I will need lots of coffee. I hope I can meet some friends to ease the stress. It's a big college, so this shouldn't be a problem. I hope I'll graduate someday." +"Today I drove to Connecticut to interview for a new job opportunity. I am moving to Connecticut with my boyfriend to be closer to work and this is the first job I have applied to. The job is a membership coordinator at a private country club, so it is something I have always said I could be happy doing. It was my second interview and I was feeling pretty nervous and excited. The first interview took place on Tuesday, and I stayed for almost two hours talking with the General Manager. Today, for my second interview, I toured the property with the General Manager and the current membership coordinator. After the tour, we sat down and talked for another hour or so, about two and a half hours in total. I left the interview feeling very confident. Even if I didn't get the job, I knew that I had interviewed well and had made it to the second round of candidates. It was between me and one other girl. That was an accomplishment in itself, because in the past interviews had not been my strong suit and made me very nervous. When I left the interview, my boyfriend called me. He was waiting for me outside of the interview to surprise me and I had driven right past him. That was the most special thing he could have done. I was so surprised and couldn't wait to hug him to calm myself down. We decided to grab some lunch/breakfast at a local diner. It was there during breakfast that I got the call. I had gotten the job! I was so excited. I had been stressed about trying to find a job in Connecticut for months, but I was able to get the first one I applied for. Even though my lease in Rhode Island wasn't up until June 1st, I was moving to Connecticut a few weeks early to start this new opportunity. It was a thrilling day and I still can't believe I have a big girl job now!" +"Today was such an exciting day. I got a job! I am the new membership coordinator at a private country club. My days of serving are finally over and I can stop stressing about what’s next finally. And even better, this is the job I’ve always said that I wanted. Everything seems to be coming together for my move to Connecticut with Alejandro. It is happening way quicker than I thought, but I couldn’t be more excited! I have been so upset lately thinking that I had no direction, but everything fell into place. Normally I stress out so much with interviews, but the last two have gone so well and I think that I have gotten better than I thought. Today’s interview started off with a tour of the property. A long conversation with the General Manager followed and I knew that it was going well. I even met the current person in my position who I’ll be training with and the Bookkeeper who seems very nice! Alejandro even surprised me after my interview! It meant so much to me! He had parked nearby and waited to surprise me for almost an hour. (The interview was almost 2 and a half hours, so he was waiting for a while). We grabbed some food at a diner nearby. The menu wasn’t very big but I ordered a western omelette and a cup of coffee. I looked down at my phone after a few minutes and had a missed call. It was the General Manager of the Club. When I called back, I couldn’t believe it. I got the job! They wanted me! I actually will be starting on Tuesday, which is way sooner than I thought. Even though it’s bittersweet to say goodbye to my current job and my current apartment, I am so excited to begin this next adventure and am so proud of myself for achieving this goal!" +"Last year I took a train from Chicago to Denver by myself. I took the train because I'm not a big fan of flying anymore. And I figured it would give me a chance to see some beautiful landscape on the way. The train ride itself was pretty comfortable. I was lucky not to have to sit next to anyone, so that helped. But I was definitely happy to get off the train in Denver. The whole ride took about a full day. When I got to Denver, I had to kill a little time before I could check into my hotel, so I decided to walk from the train station. There was a bike/walking path going most of the way there. So it was a nice walk. The only downside was that it was a very hot day. So when I got to the hotel I was pretty sweaty. Once I settled into my hotel room and had a nice shower, I found a dispensary nearby that looked good and bought some edibles. It was my first experience with cannabis, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. The edible was probably too strong for me, and I felt like there was a big heavy blanket around my head. I remember trying to watch the news on TV and not being able to follow what they were talking about. Then I slept like a baby. The rest of the trip was full of typical tourist stuff. Then I took the train back, which was about 5 hours late getting into Chicago (that part sucked.)" +"I am from Chicago. I have a friend in Denver. He uses cannabis so he invited me over. I boarded a train from Chicago to Denver to try cannabis for the first time. On my way to Denver, i shopped in a dispensary and bought edibles. After i tried the cannabis, i felt good and was ready to go back to Chicago. I boarded another train to Chicago. On my way to Chicago, i was hungry and ate the edibles. Shortly after i ate the edibles, i fell asleep. It took me 6 hours before i woke up. I called my friend to tell him what happened. He laughed and said that was because it was my first time. I was nervous and first but it felt good. I wanted to try again. That was all." +"I didn't think that it would be easy moving back in with my Dad, but times are tough and I had to do it. He was always good to me growing up, so I didn't think it would be that bad. When we first moved in, it was hard for him to adjust. He was very stressed out about it all the time, being used to just him in the house alone all the time. We had a few fights about who does the dishes and who does laundry when, but those were just hiccups in our story here. My daughter did, however, step on my father's cat, and that was hard to get over. The cat was fine, but he is my Dad's best friend, so it was tough. He yelled at my daughter -- moreso because he was afraid for the cat, but it still shocked her and me. Since then, we have all adjusted pretty well and realized that everything is going to go well. I think my dad is even starting to enjoy having all of us around all the time now too. I was surprised that things worked out so well. We have a lot of fun times now. We go to dinner a lot as a big family. We all love going to Dave and Buster's. I think that this is all going to work out pretty well." +"That was very surprising moment for every one i never want to forgot that moment for my entire life so that was happened. That birthday party planned to my self and i planned it very surprisingly actually it is planned on a expensive hotel. me,she and some of friends came that time to that party on that time my sister don't know about surprise she came to get a treat for the birthday. we spoke every thing about that surprise to hotel management. they arranged it very beautifully at that time they shut the current for a second and after current came they arranged every thing and some fireworks and cakes that surprise starts from that to over the parties full of surprises that was so beautiful day to me and my sisters life. balloons are arranged. blossoms are arranged. fire works are arranged. parties are arranged. food for the whole hotel for that night arranged. dance party arranged. tons of tons of happy moments happened. my best moments of the life and i don't want to forgot even after my death. we both feed foods for poor peoples. contribute some amount for child homes. really this was happened before one ago. lot of things i can't explain in words. that day was full on emotions and enjoyments." +"That was very surprising moment for every one i never want to forgot that moment for my entire life so that was happened. That birthday party planned to my self and i planned it very surprisingly actually it is planned on a expensive hotel. me,she and some of friends came that time to that party on that time my sister don't know about surprise she came to get a treat for the birthday. we spoke every thing about that surprise to hotel management. they arranged it very beautifully at that time they shut the current for a second and after current came they arranged every thing and some fireworks and cakes that surprise starts from that to over the parties full of surprises that was so beautiful day to me and my sisters life. balloons are arranged. blossoms are arranged. fire works are arranged. parties are arranged. food for the whole hotel for that night arranged. dance party arranged. tons of tons of happy moments happened. my best moments of the life and i don't want to forgot even after my death. we both feed foods for poor peoples. contribute some amount for child homes. really this was happened before one ago. lot of things i can't explain in words. that day was full on emotions and enjoyments." +"I always wanted to escape corporate culture. I was never the one to work a regular nine to five job. As a security officer, I did not enjoy the job. I wanted more flexibility and control. I prefer to work when I want, and play when I want. This can only be possible as an entrepreneur. So I decided to quit my job. I left and never looked back. I put in my notice, and resigned. I have tried different businesses so far, but nothing has worked. I am researching others to get into. However, I am also taking the TEFL certification. This allows me to teach English. This can get me income while on my hustle. I think it will work." +"I had planned to go and visit him for a few months prior. We got in contact about it and set a date. This happened about half a year or so ago. He had some things piled up that he had neglected in his home that he needed help with. But this was also the perfect opportunity to catch up with him and keep him company, since he's getting older now. I arrived and he was extremely happy to see me, since we hadn't seen each other in a long time. I loved seeing him as well. When I got there we got straight to business to get everything done and out of the way, we both have the same personality so that made it easy to accomplish. We sorted everything out and had a massive yard sale. My grandpa made some good money on things he wanted to get rid of, which helped him fix up his house a bit. After we finished the work it was good for us to relax. We had lots of coffee everyday since he loves to talk and drink coffee. We went out to lunch and dinner, we watched movies. He loves the classics so he enjoyed sharing them with me (which I had never seen before). Overall the trip was a huge success. I'm actually going back out there soon." +"I recent visited my Grandfather in Texas. It has been about 10 years since I've last seen him. The purpose of me visiting was to see him again and help him out around his place. He needed a lot of his old stuff sold or tossed out because he didn't need it anymore, but he had so much that it was overwhelming to him. I had a few garage sales for him and organized everything he had. Both of us really cleared up his place, and now his garage is actually a garage where he can park his car, rather than a storage unit. It was great seeing him again. After we finished with his place we were able to relax. I took him out to many treated dinners and we enjoyed watching some old movies together. Where he lives is pretty laid back. There isn't much to do there except eat really. It's not a very big city. Most of the time we would hang out around his place, but we would go out and get some coffee and have a nice talk. I stayed there for three weeks and we really got a lot done. he was grateful for my help and it was good to see me again. I have another planned trip out there later this year and I look forward to that as well." +"So I remember this particular event occurring in a past Christmas (Actually, it was right before Black Friday). My husband and I had a joint checking and savings account that we had our checks deposited into. I had gotten paid the day before, and I was at work when I got a call from him on my break. He said that he saw a Black Friday Sale at Kohl's, and wanted to buy a Playstation 4. I said okay, but he left the part out where he was going to take my paycheck that was deposited the day before to pay for it. So when I checked my account later on, I saw that he already transferred and withdrew a majority of my paycheck (around 400 dollars) to buy the PS4 on Black Friday. That paycheck was to go toward the bills that I was responsible for, and to buy the kids Christmas gifts. I spoke to him and got him to wait until he got paid to actually buy the PS4 with his own money instead of knowingly using the money that was allocated to something else. Overall, I felt betrayed and hurt. I was also confused because, in my opinion, normal people don't do things like that. He tried to justify it by saying that we could play on it too. There have been a few other instances of things like this happening, but the Black Friday PS4 debacle was one that was really notable for me. I think it's because so many parents go through a lot of trouble to make sure that their children actually get gifts for Christmas, instead of taking money away and spending it on themselves. Now I have my own personal checking and savings account, and have been contributing to bills, and buying Christmas gifts for the kids months in advance. As far as my husband is concerned, I've been adding a few small gifts into the grocery list (we use a pick up app) so he is still financially contributing to buying Christmas gifts for the children without actually having to go out and do it." +"So I remember this particular event occurring in a past Christmas (Actually, it was right before Black Friday). My husband and I had a joint checking and savings account that we had our checks deposited into. I had gotten paid the day before, and I was at work when I got a call from him on my break. He said that he saw a Black Friday Sale at Kohl's, and wanted to buy a Playstation 4. I said okay, but he left the part out where he was going to take my paycheck that was deposited the day before to pay for it. So when I checked my account later on, I saw that he already transferred and withdrew a majority of my paycheck (around 400 dollars) to buy the PS4 on Black Friday. That paycheck was to go toward the bills that I was responsible for, and to buy the kids Christmas gifts. I spoke to him and got him to wait until he got paid to actually buy the PS4 with his own money instead of knowingly using the money that was allocated to something else. Overall, I felt betrayed and hurt. I was also confused because, in my opinion, normal people don't do things like that. He tried to justify it by saying that we could play on it too. There have been a few other instances of things like this happening, but the Black Friday PS4 debacle was one that was really notable for me. I think it's because so many parents go through a lot of trouble to make sure that their children actually get gifts for Christmas, instead of taking money away and spending it on themselves. Now I have my own personal checking and savings account, and have been contributing to bills, and buying Christmas gifts for the kids months in advance. As far as my husband is concerned, I've been adding a few small gifts into the grocery list (we use a pick up app) so he is still financially contributing to buying Christmas gifts for the children without actually having to go out and do it." +"It's exciting. Getting a job with one of the big boys means that all the hard work and the sleepless nights are finally paying off. That it was all worth it. That I made the right decision. I can't believe it's only been three months since I got hired. It was hectic right after I got the news. All of a sudden I needed to find a new place to live halfway across the country. In a city I'd only been in once. That's crazy isn't it? Coming down for the interview was the first time I ever set foot in the city itself. I didn't know anyone here at all. Hell, I didn't even know where to get a decent cup of coffee. At least I got the coffee thing figured out now. That's when it all really set in for me. Once I had found a place to live and found a place that I could get decent coffee. I didn't have much time to really think about it until then I guess. The job is pretty much what I expected. In the back of my mind I was worried that I was going to settle in after orientation and realize that I'd just made a huge mistake. A mistake that I'd signed a contract committing to making every single day for the next five years. Including a no compete clause so if I'd really hated it then I would have been in trouble. All in all though I'm happy. The work isn't as interesting as I would like it to me. It's not as boring as it could be though so silver linings. The folks in the office have been very welcoming so far and the office itself is amazing. I loved my desk chair so much that I want out and bought one for myself." +"The trip to Colorado actually worked in my favor in a lot of aspects of life. My brother and his family had just recently moved to Colorado and I was lucky to stay with them for a week in the summer. During this week I was able to go to the music venue Red Rocks. I have wanted to visit this place for years. I was lucky enough to see my all-time favorite band and a more current band I have grown to like at the venue during this week in Colorado. So I was lucky and got to visit with family, see two amazing music acts and visit a beautiful part of our country. I was in awe of the scenery. This was actually the highlight of the trip. I was moved by the experience and plan on moving to Colorado in the near future. I have began making plans with my brother to become a resident. I went to Colorado to watch a concert and left in love, with a new vision for retirement. This is substantial to me. I have never really had a good plan. This trip and visit has made a plan for me. I will visit there annually until I live there. I am grateful for this trip." +"There's an island near where I live that is a great place for dog walking. It has lots of attractions and food stands there, as well as a baseball stadium, but from what I see, most people just go there to dog walk. Anyway, 3 weeks ago, I put my dog in the car and headed off to go meet my friend to walk our dogs. It wasn't until I got there that I realized I was almost out of gas. There is no gas station on the island. We were there when it was getting dark out, so we walked our dogs and said we'd figure out what to do with the gas situation afterwards. My friend told me he'd follow me to the closest gas station off the island just in case I ran out. He didn't want me to run out of gas in the dark with no station around. I thought that was very nice of him. I got in my car, and we drove off. I was praying I wouldn't run out. I wasn't scared of being alone in the dark because I had my dog and I could always call my insurance company to bring me gas. I just didn't want to deal with all that. We got to about 300 feet away from the station when I ran out. We had to push the car there. I had seen that in movies before, but this is the first time I had to do it. It was kind of fun. It could have been much worse, though." +"I have an day here in my financial record the time of debt I had from driving an car. Not one car but two, the 98 Ford Mustang the later matching my last name of the Ford expedition. AN tour with an Army unit the first time buyer cost jumped out the roof. My unknown phenomenon was credited to my version of street racing. When Ford Motor all but eliminated passenger cars from its North American lineup earlier this month to concentrate on trucks and S.U.V.s, it turned the page on a long and storied history of now-defunct but once red-hot nameplates: the Model T, the Model A, the Galaxie, the Fairlane, the Thunderbird and the Falcon, to name several. There was one conspicuous survivor: the Mustang.“Get rid of the Mustang?” asked James D. Farley Jr., Ford’s president of global markets, when I asked him this week how the Mustang had survived. “The Mustang is like Rocky: It survived the 1970s fuel crisis, the glam 1980s, the move to S.U.V.s. It’s made it through every round of cuts.”For me, the Mustang’s reprieve came as welcome news: I took my driver’s test in my mother’s 1967 turquoise Mustang notchback. On the rare occasions I was allowed to drive it, it conferred instant status and triggered unabashed envy among my high school classmates. Wall Street probably would have been just as happy to see the Mustang go the way of the Fusion, Taurus and Fiesta, current models that Ford said it would phase out and which Mr. Farley dismissed as “commodity silhouettes.” (Ford says it will continue to make passenger vehicles, but they just won’t be in the shape of today’s sedan. The Focus, for example, will survive, but as a crossover S.U.V.)That’s because in its last earnings report, Ford revealed for the first time that a relatively small number of products, including the hugely popular F-150 pickup truck series, accounted for 150 percent of its earnings before interest and taxes, with profit margins in the midteens. Another group was barely profitable. By contrast, Ford said its “low performing” products lost money, with negative margins of more than 10 percent." +"Wedding proposal. My fiance proposed to me for the second time, because he didn't like how he did it the first time. I was standing in the kitchen, and he came home and he said he wanted to speak with me. He got down on his knee in front of me and he took a small jewelry box out of his pocket. He took my hand and he said to me that he had always been disappointed by the way he asked me to marry him the first time. He didn't really have a ring, and he kind of just blurted it out awkwardly. I didn't really mind that much, and was still in love with him and excited to be engaged, but I knew what he meant, I was nervous the first time he asked me and I hesitated for far too long. He opened the box and there was a small, plain ring inside with just a few small diamonds on a white gold band. I loved it immediately. I had previously explained to him that I liked more practical and less flashy jewelry but whenever we had looked at rings, I got the impression he didn't understand my taste. I was so surprised at how perfect it was, and how well he seemed to understand everything I told him, and then he explained to me that the diamonds were from his grandmothers wedding ring that she had left to him when she died, and he had had them reset for or me in a plain band. I loved it even more. He asked me to marry him again and I cried a little bit and said yes. The way he proposed the first time would have been fine. We still would have still been in love, and gotten married and been happy, but this is a nicer story to tell our children and friends and families." +"My fiance proposed to me one time. It was hastily done and I wasn't really thrilled with the outcome. He has shopped at the mall for a pretty simple ring. The ring didn't fit and I didn't like it very much. More than that, he didn't give the impression that he wanted to be married to me at all. So I felt kind of sad that the first time I was proposed to, it didn't seem perfect. I was much happier this second time around. We were on the coast, hanging out on the beach and the boardwalk. We had had a great day. The sun was shining brightly and we both were enjoying each other's company. We had a lovely seafood dinner, and then sat on the beach and watched the sun set. I wasn't expecting him to propose a second time at all. But then he pulled out the ring and presented it to me. He even got down on one knee to make his proposal. THe ring he bought this time was really beautiful - it was perfect. And the proposal fit the occasion perfectly. I was so happy to say yes." +"I was on vacation with my partner and their partner. We're poly, and that's important to me. We went out to a really nice cafe together, known for having good vegan options in town. It was a really stressful thing, trying to find places that would actively cater to my friend/my partner's partner. But, we found this place, and set out to go together. They were vastly understaffed, but the food was good and it was a quiet, gentle atmosphere. We took pictures together before we ate, and the meal was really nice to share. My partner sat between us, and we were all on a booth seat. We had a nice conversation and enjoyed the food. After that, we went out on a walk together throughout the town. It was a really nice experience, being able to be publicly affectionate without the worry of judgement. No one around here really knew us, we're just visitors. It's not like it'd have a lasting effect on us if they wanted to be upset with us for being visibly queer and non-monogamous. The feeling of safety and warmth of getting to spend time with my family, walking around, admiring the sunset and enjoying our meal together was wonderful. I will remember this day for a very long time. We had to go home that next day, but that night was one of the most memorable, holding hands freely in public, taking pictures, even being able to kiss in public. It was a nice feeling, that we rarely got to have, one that was set in a stunning backdrop of a quiet downtown and a cute vegan-friendly cafe. It almost seems like it couldn't be real, from how much fun we had." +"The weeks leading up to my daughter going off to college were kind of stressful and there was some anxiety about the limited time we had with her at home. I recall the day we left for her move in day. i thought it was going to be tear filled and sad, but there was more excitement and forward thinking on the way out to Buffalo NY. She was excited to start her new life away from the day to day home life and start moving towards her academic and professional goals in he new life going forward. We found that she joined a couple of groups at school related to her chosen pre-dental profession and related academics in sciences and math. She also is involved in a networking group to stay up to date on changes and trends in dental fields and orthodontics. i'm excited for her and happy to see her drive and ambition so early on in her collegiate career. As we reflected back on the month or so building up to moving her off to school, my wife and I seemed to realize that our feelings, though justified, were more about how we felt and our anxiousness about her leaving and not really about how she felt and what her ambitions are, I am glad we found that she was looking forward to this new life and that she was nervous like us but seems to have it under control. She has a roommate and other friends in the same pre-dental studies and they work well together and have a study group. That makes me proud as a parent and glad to see that my worries were for nothing and she is so well adjusted to college life. High school seems so long ago and the strides she has taken in the past couple of months are impressive. Maybe it is because of necessity but nonetheless she is ahead of the curve related to others I have seen and heard about at her stage of the game. As parents we have gone from worrying stressed out and nervous people to proud and excited parents. The transition has been painless and she has led the way without our interaction. I think the most impressive part is that she is not the same person at school as she is at home. She is very quiet, sort of lazy, and not proactive at home and it seems she is the ultra opposite away at school. I would like to say it is like that for most parents a they see their oldest grow up fast and do well but some friends and neighbors have some stories that would make me cringe at what they tell me if it is true." +It has been a stressful couple of months. I have been more anxious to go outside and do the things that I used to like doing. I have noticed that it is starting to affect my daughter. It kills me that my anxiety is having this effect on her. About 3 weeks ago I noticed that my anxiety would get really bad when I would drop my daughter off at school. Around this time she started to not act like her happy self and she started to detach herself from her friends. She used to go out with her friends about every weekend and then a couple of days after school to work on homework. Three weeks ago I noticed she wasn't doing this as often and she was staying home to make sure that I was okay. I decided that I needed to do something to change the situation. I needed to do it for her and for me. I decided to reach out for help. I called the family member in and asked what they thought I should do. They suggested I talk to a therapist. I called one up and immediately started seeing her. I was put on medication and started to feel better. I would go out with my daughter more and make myself face my fears. I encouraged her to hang out with her friends again and she has started to do so again. Everything is looking better now. +"I spent the whole Summer with my 2 children this year and we did many fun activities together. This year was different because neither of my twins wanted to go to Summer camp. They felt at age 13, that they were too old for camp. Because of this, I didn't get my usual 2 week break to relax and have some me time. The boys made a list of the things they wanted to do. We went to the Zoo one day. We went to an amusement park. We went miniature golfing. We rented canoes on a lake nearby. One weekend we went hiking. Another weekend we went camping. We went to a museum. And generally had a good time each day whatever we decided to do. I tried to keep the boys busy throughout each day so that they wouldn't be tempted to spend days on the couch playing video games. Or being on their computers. All in all we had a very nice Summer. The boys not only had fun, but they learned some things. I must say that as the Summer was coming to a close, I really thought that I was looking forward to them heading back to school. But once they went back, I really missed them and it made me sad. The house seemed very empty each day. Especially for the first month. I was surprised. I thought I so wanted my alone time. I eventually got back into my daily routine, but I was very thankful for the quality time we spent together. I am looking forward to next Summer and I am sure we will share many more adventures together." +"You don't really get over a mass shooting. It sort of becomes a part of you. It never really goes away. And that's true for me. Even though it had been nearly two years since the event, the wounds don't fully heal. They can scab over, scar up, and become less noticeable but they're all unfortunate errors in this painting of my life. Nobody deserves to have people taken away from them like this. It's incredibly bitter to swallow. It's made more bitter by the fact that these shootings appear to be more commonplace than ever before. It's hard to imagine we let ourselves get to this point. I can't really believe it myself. These scars are still very fresh. They still cut incredibly deeply. It's just an unfortunate learning experience. But one that will never be forgotten. I hope the families find peace someday." +"Last week there was a big storm front rolling through the area. I was out of town at the time of the first storm but came back to wet carpets and a damp smell. I couldnt figure out where the leak was coming from right away, but as the next storm came I started to hear dripping. I trace the dripping to the window where my AC unit plugged in. Sure enough the seal on the window was not very tight and the groove filled with water. This combined with the slightly downward angle of the unit caused a leak to happen. I took the unit out of the window and shut the window for the duration of the storm. Once the window unit was out I noticed that it was pretty dirty and had a bit of debris on the bottom helping the water to pool underneath. I removed the debris and wiped off the unit with a towel. I also placed a shim in place to get the angle more closer to 0 degrees to prevent leaking. I went upstairs to check the other units and they seemed fine. However once I turned on the upstairs one it started sputtering a bit of water. I took this one out of the window as well and turned it upside down onto a towel. There was a bit of loose droplets in there but i got most of them. As a precaution i placed a towel over it when i turned it back on to flick the remaining water into. After this event I will be sure to check the units every year." +"Last week there was a big storm front rolling through the area. I was out of town at the time of the first storm but came back to wet carpets and a damp smell. I couldnt figure out where the leak was coming from right away, but as the next storm came I started to hear dripping. I trace the dripping to the window where my AC unit plugged in. Sure enough the seal on the window was not very tight and the groove filled with water. This combined with the slightly downward angle of the unit caused a leak to happen. I took the unit out of the window and shut the window for the duration of the storm. Once the window unit was out I noticed that it was pretty dirty and had a bit of debris on the bottom helping the water to pool underneath. I removed the debris and wiped off the unit with a towel. I also placed a shim in place to get the angle more closer to 0 degrees to prevent leaking. I went upstairs to check the other units and they seemed fine. However once I turned on the upstairs one it started sputtering a bit of water. I took this one out of the window as well and turned it upside down onto a towel. There was a bit of loose droplets in there but i got most of them. As a precaution i placed a towel over it when i turned it back on to flick the remaining water into. After this event I will be sure to check the units every year." +"I travel a good portion of the year and my travels last summer landed me in the Florida Keys. I was traveling in Florida when I was offered a job working on an island. I was surprised when I got the job because I was planning on staying at spot for vacation the same week I was scheduled to start the job. It all just fell into place like it was meant to be. I immediately accepted the job and headed for the Keys. I arrived in paradise and was amazed at the scenery. I spent a couple of days getting situated and then went to work. It was a mostly outside job and I enjoyed being in the environment and seeing all of the wildlife. I worked directly with guests vacationing in the keys and met many nice people. The lifestyle was so different anything I had ever experienced and was very enjoyable. I made many new friends and have stayed in contact with them. My wife and I would interact with co-workers during and outside of work. We were really able to experience the Keys to the fullest. We interacted with the community, enjoyed the food, experienced the night life and spent a fair amount of time on the water, fishing, boating, and scuba diving. I will never forget this experience and hope someday to return." +"Dear Diary, This summer I was able to work in the Florida Keys! It is such an amazing place! The beaches are fantastic and the people are really nice. I got a job at a swanky hotel just driving people to and from the airport. Most people were really good tippers and we had great conversations. There are a lot of gay people in the Keys. Even though I am not gay, I love being around them because they are so friendly when they feel they are accepted. Everything is so relaxed around here. There was only one argument I noticed on the beach. A couple were arguing and the woman threw her drink in the man's face and walked off. He tried to grab her but a couple of men grabbed him and told him he should leave her alone. I don't know the whole story but I'm glad it did not escalate and the woman was able to get away from him. He was loud and probably drunk. This brought back some memories for me that I would rather not think about. There was always someone grabbing me when I was young and I had to get away from them. So I really feel the woman's pain. I'm glad she was able to stand up for herself and throw a drink in his face. Like I said, it was the only incident out of character for this whole trip. Everything else was fantastic. I even made some new friends and got a few addresses and phone numbers. I will definitely be coming back!" +"We had this trip planned for a few months now. None of us had been to the amusement park as it just opened within the last couple years. We arrived early so we were some of the first people allowed into the park that day. We made sure to purchase a fast trak pass to let us get on the rides quickly. We all love rollercoasters and thrill rides, which this park has a lot of. Some of them were pretty scary. There was a lot of walking around, the park is huge. When lunch time came around we looked at all of the interesting things to eat. We ended up getting a huge fish and chips plate to share between the three of us. After lunch we decided to see a couple of shows that the park hosted. They were very entertaining. As it started to turn dark the park announced that it would be closing in a half hour, so everyone started heading for the exits. Our time here was at a close, but it was very enjoyable. After the park we went to a new pizza place that opened up in town. The pizza there was amazing, albeit expensive. Overall the trip was very memorable and we all had a lot of fun." +"Two months ago, we went to AstroWorld. It's my mom's favorite amusement park, and by proxy, I guess that makes it mine too. We've had season passes sense I can remember, but I've just gotten to the point where I will join her on the big rollercoasters she loves riding so much. There's the Scorpion, the Sizzler, and the Green Monster. That one is her favorite. We'd done all of the little kid stuff that I usually drag her to, and I could tell her energy was flagging. She'd been going through chemo for sometime, and I'm surprised she was able to take the hot Texas heat as long as she did. We would need to go home soon, where she'd fall asleep almost immediately upon sitting down on the couch. But first, we had to do the Green Monster. We waited in the snaking line, her resting against the guard rails along the way. When we finally got to the front, we sat in the very first row. She reminded me how rarely that happens. Immediately after the coaster took off, it began the slow ""click-click-click"" up the first hill, heading toward the first perilous drop. As we neared the top, someone tapped Mom's shoulder. She turned around and a little boy was behind her with his big brother (or so it seemed). ""Ma'am, you should take your hat off for this.""Mom faltered. She hated showing her bare head, bald from the chemo treatments. But reluctantly, she plucked it off and sat on top of it. She looked at me and gave my hand a squeeze. Seconds later, we plummeted down the track. I saw nothing but joy on her face." +"Two months ago, we went to AstroWorld. It's my mom's favorite amusement park, and by proxy, I guess that makes it mine too. We've had season passes sense I can remember, but I've just gotten to the point where I will join her on the big rollercoasters she loves riding so much. There's the Scorpion, the Sizzler, and the Green Monster. That one is her favorite. We'd done all of the little kid stuff that I usually drag her to, and I could tell her energy was flagging. She'd been going through chemo for sometime, and I'm surprised she was able to take the hot Texas heat as long as she did. We would need to go home soon, where she'd fall asleep almost immediately upon sitting down on the couch. But first, we had to do the Green Monster. We waited in the snaking line, her resting against the guard rails along the way. When we finally got to the front, we sat in the very first row. She reminded me how rarely that happens. Immediately after the coaster took off, it began the slow ""click-click-click"" up the first hill, heading toward the first perilous drop. As we neared the top, someone tapped Mom's shoulder. She turned around and a little boy was behind her with his big brother (or so it seemed). ""Ma'am, you should take your hat off for this.""Mom faltered. She hated showing her bare head, bald from the chemo treatments. But reluctantly, she plucked it off and sat on top of it. She looked at me and gave my hand a squeeze. Seconds later, we plummeted down the track. I saw nothing but joy on her face." +"So I was hanging out with my friends at the movies. It was fun. We watched an action movie and it was just great. I loved it so fun. We had so much fun. It was just great. I don't know. When we were watching it we had popcorn. They tasted so good. It was such a nice experience. We loved it so much. At one part of the movie something scary was happening and I had to shut my eyes, because I didn't want to see it. The ghost in the movies was so scary and I didn't want to see it. So I closed my eyes. I'm pretty sure my friends closed their eyes too. It was just weird to see. I don't know why it was scary but it just was." +"So I was hanging out with my friends at the movies. It was fun. We watched an action movie and it was just great. I loved it so fun. We had so much fun. It was just great. I don't know. When we were watching it we had popcorn. They tasted so good. It was such a nice experience. We loved it so much. At one part of the movie something scary was happening and I had to shut my eyes, because I didn't want to see it. The ghost in the movies was so scary and I didn't want to see it. So I closed my eyes. I'm pretty sure my friends closed their eyes too. It was just weird to see. I don't know why it was scary but it just was." +"I was working at a wonderful private school for three years. It had years of strong leadership and enrollment. My children had attended the school and were still there when I got the teaching job. The principal stepped down a month after he hired me and took a vacant teaching position. An inexperienced teacher took the principal position. At the end of the year we were told they were going to close the school due to past financial debt the school was unable to pay back. The school community refused to let that happen and with a stroke of luck was able to raise the money on a vigorous fundraising campaign in only two months. The next year uncertainty loomed as enrollment had dwindled. By my third year things seemed great until they fired the principal without explanation, brought in a new person from another school that last two months and then left us with threats of closing the school again because there was no principal. Parents again spoke up against the vindictive leadership and the superintendent brought in another principal. It was evident immediately the principal was incompetent and had no clue how to comb her hair let alone run a school. The loving vibe became negative and toxic. After a few bizarre run ins with the principal I made the conclusion I was not going to continue working in such a hostile environment. Rather than abruptly quitting before the school year ended, which I had seriously thought about, I resigned two weeks before school ended. I have no regrets. I listened to my gut on the decision and when people tell you to listen to your gut because there must be a reason they are right. When the new school year started I started hearing stories about what is going on at the school and all I can think is thank goodness I left. I am happy and have moved on to a much better working environment." +"I have always liked teaching. It's great to know that I am partially responsible for impacting our future. That being said, some jobs are only temporary. About three months ago I had started to really feel this hard, and it was starting to affect my psyche. I had probably been experiencing burnout for a long time and had only realized it just before it was time to leave. I just wasn't doing a good job overall. It was time for me to move on. It was time to do something more for me. My last day was bittersweet. So many faces I had seen over the years. So many lives I hopefully have positively influenced. It was hard saying goodbye. It was hard leaving the building for the last time. But it had to be done. I look forward to the next chapter." +"Three weeks ago, I was moving into my new house. I hugged my parents goodbye. My mom cried. My father had a few tears as well. I was also going to open a bakery. This will be my first business. I am a little nervous. This business has a high failure rate. I hope I don't go under. I learned a lot of tips on how to have a successful business. The most important part is location. Another important tip is price and quality. I will make the best donuts this world has ever seen. I will also make some delicious bagels. I will have coffee that will rival the giants in the industry. I hope I will be successful in the world." +"Three weeks ago, I was moving into my new house. I hugged my parents goodbye. My mom cried. My father had a few tears as well. I was also going to open a bakery. This will be my first business. I am a little nervous. This business has a high failure rate. I hope I don't go under. I learned a lot of tips on how to have a successful business. The most important part is location. Another important tip is price and quality. I will make the best donuts this world has ever seen. I will also make some delicious bagels. I will have coffee that will rival the giants in the industry. I hope I will be successful in the world." +"Three months ago, I met my dream girl. We went on a date to a restaurant. I had a big steak with some coke. She had a salad with some wine. I paid for the meal and we left to her house. We later decided that we were met for each other. She proposed to me and I accepted. I can't wait to get married. I am planning on using a black tuxedo. She will be going in a white dress. We will invite all sorts of people to the wedding. I will invite me parents and brothers. She will invite her parents and sisters. We will have the wedding in a casino. It will be crazy. This will be the funnest wedding of all time." +"I still think about the mugging. It's been over a month now yet it is still just as upsetting now as it was then. Every time I'm on the subway I find myself looking around constantly, scanning everyone else up and down. I'm even thinking about what I should do if someone starts approaching me, where can I run to, where is the nearest exit, or is there anything I can just hide behind. Every now and then I see someone who looks like the mugger. It startles me every time. Even if its in broad daylight or in some big store with dozens of other people in it. I know this is insane but I think he may be following me, maybe lying in wait to do it all over again. And this I really hate, I used to have no problem with chatting up people in public, no problem with making new friends, but now I try to avoid it all costs. I just walk around with a hoodie up and headphones in, hoping no one notices me or walks towards me or anything like that. I'm pretty much running when in public just so some other mugger will have less of a chance to exploit me. I haven't worn what I was wearing that night again. Not even the shoes. I should probably just throw all that clothing away, even seeing it sitting in the corner of the room is too much. It just brings up those memories all over that run and run like a video stuck on repeat. I'm not sure if I should donate it to goodwill or something - I don't know why I find myself thinking like this, but it's almost like everything to do with that night is tainted. Why should I give something that's been ruined like that to someone in need? I'm actually thinking of moving out of the city now. If something like this happens again I just couldn't handle it. I can barely handle it now. Things weren't all that stressful before the mugging, but now I'm almost having panic attacks just putting on my coat and tying my shoes. Everyone has noticed that I'm not going out anymore. Everyone at work can see that I'm almost falling apart. And I just can't stand going to work, climbing down the stairs at that same station. It doesn't matter what time it is, even when there are a hundred people on the platform." +"One of my favorite recent memories was my trip to Wisconsin with my Dad. The reason it was so memorable was for starters it caused a fight within my family. Since my mother is sick and my father is the primary caregiver I had to ask my siblings if they would take care of her for a week while I took my father on the trip. They weren't happy about this. It caused a big argument. In the end they agreed. We set a date for my father and boyfriend to pack up and head 8 hours north with my father's fishing boat which he hadn't taken out in years. My father is 80 years old. He grew up in WI and misses trips tremendously. It made me feel goo inside to take him. You never know when it may be their last. We spent the trip fishing, telling stories, visiting old friends and eating as much as we could. Lake time was super important so we made sure to get up early and spend a lot of time fishing the lake. Although we didn't catch a lot of fish due to the time of year, we still have a great time. It was well worth it to see that big grin on my father's face. In the end everyone pitched in to give a really nice memorable gift to my father." +"I had always dreamed about visiting the south pacific. My wife and I finally got the chance to do that in June. We went to the Cook Islands for a week. It was magical. Being able to see the stars at night is something that you rarely get the opportunity to see in contentinal America. being able to snorkle in crystal clear torqouise waters was incredible. Just the peace was nice. Not having to deal with the hustle and bustle of modern life in America. Being able to sleep in was something that I enjoyed. It was so dark at night, with almost no artificial light present. I was shocked by how peaceful and relaxing my sleep was. The people were also so friendly and accommodating. We stayed on two islands. The main island Rarotonga and a more remote island Atituatki. Aitutaki has a population of less than 2000 people, whereas Rarotonga is closer to 15,000. We preferred Aitutaki because it was more beautiful, clean and peaceful." +"Earlier in the summer, we went on a trip up north. We have a cabin by a lake. There is so much to do there. We like to sailing, jetskiing, etc., even just fishing. A lot of my family stops by to visit and it is really a comfy time. Sometimes, we'll go on a car trip somewhere nearby - maybe 1-2 hours away tops. We spend a lot of the summer away, so we have all the time in the world to do anything we want. One time, me and my brother went on jet skis and went on a trip around the entire lake. We stopped at islands, waded in the water and had a lot of fun. The most surprising thing was when I first got on the jet ski and pressed the gas, I started moving at what felt like 60 miles an hour. I had no idea the controls were so sensitive! All in all, my family is important to me and moments like these are very memorable. i care about making memories with our loved ones. If we don't cherish the time that we have, eventually we'll lose it. So we have to make due with what we have." +"We were getting a new puppy. My son found a puppy we wanted. The puppy was over 600 dollars. She was also over 300 miles away. My son put a 100 dollar deposit on her. As we are driving 300 miles away to get the new puppy, our car breaks down. We are now unable to make it to the place to get the new puppy. My son lost his 100 dollar deposit. So we decide to let go the idea of a new puppy. we were looking online to find a new puppy. We weren't really sure we would find another one. When a few weeks later we see that someone is selling a puppy that was the same kind as the one we were going to get. This puppy was also 100 dollars cheaper. Also the new puppy is only 6 miles away. So last week we got a new puppy!" +"Dear diary,I'm still getting days of sadness when I think about the puppy trip from 4 months ago. The whole family was so excited to get a our new puppy. We had spent months trying to find the perfect one to bring into our home. Then we finally found Louie, a perfect little springer spaniel. The only problem was that he was a couple of states over. We planned a road trip to go pick him up, and it was going to take us about 8 hours to get there. We were all super excited and began our trip on Friday morning. Dad didn't check the car for any problems as it's usually fine, but we all definitely regret not convincing him to. We were only 2 hours into the ride when the car started to smell a little a funky. We didn't think much of it since we just wanted to see our cute new puppy. Then after another hour the check engine light came on and that was a sign for the worst. Only 3 hours into the trip and the engine was billowing smoke all over the highway. Turns out the radiator blew and it wasn't going to be possible to keep driving. The owner of the puppy said we had to be there as it was a first come first serve deal and the puppy was definitely wanted by more people than us. Without a way to keep on going, Dad called up AAA and had them tow the car. They couldn't tow the car to where we were going and then back, so we had to cancel the trip and go home. Because of this we missed on the opportunity to get the puppy. Since then we've been very demotivated to try and find a new puppy." +Three months ago i moved out of my parents home. I decided to get an apartment with my girl friend. This really helped my mental health out very much. It made life much easier having a place to ourselves and i was very nice. I remember the moving process was a pain but in the end it was worth it. It really helped me look at life in a more positive way. If you work hard you will get the things that you want in life. I worked very hard to move out of my parents house and now i finally did it. This was a huge jump start in my life. This made me very proud to have worked so hard to move out. I had to save thousands of dollars and it was well worth it. It helped my mental health because it made me grow up. It made me see life in a different way than i did before. It helped my girlfriend and i grow closer. We are now engaged and i think the move helped. +Three months ago i moved out of my parents home. I decided to get an apartment with my girl friend. This really helped my mental health out very much. It made life much easier having a place to ourselves and i was very nice. I remember the moving process was a pain but in the end it was worth it. It really helped me look at life in a more positive way. If you work hard you will get the things that you want in life. I worked very hard to move out of my parents house and now i finally did it. This was a huge jump start in my life. This made me very proud to have worked so hard to move out. I had to save thousands of dollars and it was well worth it. It helped my mental health because it made me grow up. It made me see life in a different way than i did before. It helped my girlfriend and i grow closer. We are now engaged and i think the move helped. +"The weather was hot, typical for a July day in Las Vegas. My friend Trudy texted me to let me know she was nearby and could we meet for lunch. We texted back and forth and finally agreed to meet at a local casino in thirty minutes and try the buffet. I drove to the casino and found a place to park in the garage in the shade. Nothing quite as much fun as returning to your car when it is 110 degrees outside and the inside of the car is considerably hotter from sitting in the sun. We found each other in the casino and headed upstairs to the buffet. Soon we were in the line choosing what we each would have. I choose the prime rib with sweet potatoes. Trudy choose the broiled salmon with Hollander sauce. We sat down at our tale and began to catch up on what was going on in our lives . It had been some time since we has actually sat down and caught up. I commented on how I missed seeing her and she mentioned that she felt the same. Perhaps we should make an effort to get together more often We finished up our meal up with a cup of coffee and some delicious pastry from the desert line. On our way out we decided to try our luck at one of the many slot machines in the casino. Wow what a good idea ! We each found a machine to play . With in a few minutes I had hit a jackpot of $1000. 00 ! While I was waiting for the machine to clear Trudy hit a jock pot also ! What a great lunch ! We both made a few dollars on their lunch break. The family will benefit from my wonderful lunch. We agreed to meet again soon !" +"The weather was hot, typical for a July day in Las Vegas. My friend Trudy texted me to let me know she was nearby and could we meet for lunch. We texted back and forth and finally agreed to meet at a local casino in thirty minutes and try the buffet. I drove to the casino and found a place to park in the garage in the shade. Nothing quite as much fun as returning to your car when it is 110 degrees outside and the inside of the car is considerably hotter from sitting in the sun. We found each other in the casino and headed upstairs to the buffet. Soon we were in the line choosing what we each would have. I choose the prime rib with sweet potatoes. Trudy choose the broiled salmon with Hollander sauce. We sat down at our tale and began to catch up on what was going on in our lives . It had been some time since we has actually sat down and caught up. I commented on how I missed seeing her and she mentioned that she felt the same. Perhaps we should make an effort to get together more often We finished up our meal up with a cup of coffee and some delicious pastry from the desert line. On our way out we decided to try our luck at one of the many slot machines in the casino. Wow what a good idea ! We each found a machine to play . With in a few minutes I had hit a jackpot of $1000. 00 ! While I was waiting for the machine to clear Trudy hit a jock pot also ! What a great lunch ! We both made a few dollars on their lunch break. The family will benefit from my wonderful lunch. We agreed to meet again soon !" +"The worst day of my life is when I lost one of my best friends my grandpa. He was so close to me. I always used to share all kind of stories with him. I used to share my happiness and sadness with him. He was the best person to share all type of difficulties because he had so much experience so he would guide you through the right directions for sure. The day he passed away I was out of town for some business purpose and that was the first time that I was leaving him for about two weeks or so. However, when I left him, he was perfectly fine and was healthy as well. He had no health issues whatsoever. I was so impressed with his diet and the style that he lived his life. In addition to that, I called him couple times while I was away but suddenly, he had a heart attack and my family took him to the Emergency. He fought with his life in ICU for couple hours before he died. As soon as I found out about this, I went straight to the airport, but the flights were delayed for couple hours due to incremental weather. However, I took the first flight and went straight to the hospital, but it was too late. I could not meet him in his last time. I still regret about this and perhaps will never forgive myself and will never forget that incident." +"Today I am going to share something that I never wanted to think again in my life. However, after reading the requirement that was the first thing came in my mind. This happened almost three months ago while I was away from home. I loved my grandfather so much. I was so close to him. He used to tell me a lot of old stories about him and I used to enjoy them a lot. We always had so much fun together. So I had to go out of state for some work related issues for about two weeks or so. In that time my grandfather was really fit and had no health issues whatsoever. However, after few days I got a call from my mom that the grandfather just had a heart attack and he is in ICU now. I had no words to say. I got so panic and did not know what to do. I went straight to the airport and found out the flight just left and the next flight was in about 3-4 hours. I had no choice but to wait for the flight. Those three to four hours for me were like three to four years that day. I just wanted to go to the hospital and see him. Anyway finally, after waiting for couple hours I took the flight and went straight to the hospital. When I reached there I saw that everyone crying and hugging each other. I asked my mom what happened, where is grandpa? Is he okay? She said “he is no more, he left us”. When I heard this I felt like I lost my best friend. A friend that I used to share everything of my life. That was a big loss of my life. I still miss him a lot in so many cases and still cry remembering his stories." +"Times change and so do people. I've know my friend for years. We grew up together, we were in school together all the way through high school. We went to separate colleges and still maintained a solid relationship. When I had time or he had time we would call each other to catch up and just shoot the breeze for a while. If we couldn't talk over the phone, we would at least shoot each other a text to make sure we were okay. After we both finished college we moved back home. He studied Criminal Justice and pursued a career in Law Enforcement, I studied Engineering and started working with a small firm. Our careers took us different places and we started drifting apart. We would still call each other occasionally and grab a bite to eat if we were free. From time to time we would go to a bar or a brewery and get a beer or to to catch up. Once he got married these meet ups became few and far between. He's busy and I understand that. Establishing a family is no easy feat, but we were good friends and then it suddenly changed. After a while we just cut off communication. One I gave him a call to see what was going on and if he wanted to get some lunch. We went to an Italian place that we both like. We talked for a bit and enjoyed our meals. Both of us came to the realization that this could be our last meal and we kind of left it at that. This was two months ago and I haven't seen or spoken to him since." +"I recently graduated from college in May 2019 after spending 6 years on and off in school. This is memorable to me because at the end of all the pain and hard work, I feel I have achieved my dream of finishing school. In all these times, there were days when I had to work long hours at my job as well work on the courses to achieve a good GPA. I finally managed to get a 3.8 and earned me a cum laude. Initially I went to a community college to get my subject credits as my friends started to go off to costly state and private schools. While they had the luxury of getting good grants my situation didn't help. I got my associate degree and then earned a bachelors by transferring the credits into a state school. As I recollect the days when the tuition seemed too expensive, I had to take time off and earn some money to keep myself sheltered. I also recollect days when I used to eat ramen all week due to scarcity of money. Looking back and thinking ahead, this graduation day would give me a great boost to my confidence whenever I'm feeling low. Dreams do come true. While these are good to reflect, it is also important to plan ahead. For example, I have been applying to numerous jobs in the last couple of weeks so that I can make use of my degree. I did clear couple of interviews at a local office and hope to hear back from them soon. In the mean time to keep myself busy, I keep working at the same job I worked as a student in school." +"Having my first child has been the best thing that has ever happened in my life. I never imagined that I would have a child and thought it wouldn't be possible. I was told there was a very small chance due to me having weak swimmers. This stems from the military and exposure I had while deployed. Of course, this would never be acknowledged by the military. So having my first child and thinking I wouldn't be able to have children was a miracle in itself. I guess there was one little strong one in the bunch. To make things even better is that we had a girl. In our family, we have not had a girl born into my family in over 3 generations. When we found out we were pregnant, we never imagined having a girl. Turns out that not only did we get pregnant, but we had a girl. I can't say enough about having a child other than how rewarding these past months have been. There have been many ups and downs, but in the end, it is amazing. I love my daughter so much and my wife just as much. No one can understand the love a parent has until they have a child. There is nothing that compares or comes close in this world. There is so much emotions bundled up and I am just so happy that we have her. Everyday gets better and better and watching her grow is a gift in itself." +"The one thing that I remember and can think about better than any in my entire life is the birth of my daughter. I have always wanted a daughter and never imagined that I would be having one. All of my family, including cousins, aunts, uncles, and anyone for the past 3 generations has had boys. There are no girls in our family over those 3 generations. The day that we had the revealing ultrasound was one of the happiest days of my life. The day she was born was the best and it was unimaginable how it would change my life. I am so thankful and grateful for having her. I couldn't imagine life being any other way. The amount of love that I never imagined having blew me away. When she was brought out, I remember the look she had. It was almost as if she was looking at me and could see every notion of my being. I know she couldn't see, but it sure felt like it. Her eyes were looking directly at me and she didn't whimper one bit. That day is a day I could never forget. It was the most beautiful and captivating face I have ever seen. My daughter who looked exactly like me. It's crazy to think about it, but she sis a spitting image of myself." +"I have been doing some serious reflection the past week. The dissolution of my first marriage has been weighing heavy on my mind. I was never happy. That is what it comes down to. I wasn't happy in my marriage. I wasn't happy at work. I wasn't happy period. I couldn't figure out why I was so miserable. My husband was great. He tried so hard. But eventually I just blamed him. I started being nasty. I pushed him away all the time. I hated when he did nice things for me. I hated everything, even the things that had nothing to do with him. Sometimes I wonder if I could go back in time and be kinder if things would have ended differently." +"This day was a great day. My parents live with us in the basement and they went to visit my sister in another state. We decided while they were gone we were going to do a whole bunch of fun things we would normally not be able to do while they were here and we had to take care of them. On this day we bought ice cream, chips and made cookies. We made a list of all the 80's and 90's movies that we wanted to see. We made a ""bed"" on the living room floor and got all of our junk food out. We watch video's and ate junk food all day long. We would go from one movie to another and only stop if we needed the bathroom or more junk food. After part of the day was over we changed TV's and moved to a real bed as even with all the pillows and blankets we were starting to feel the floor digging in. My son was so excited about this day. Some of the movies he loved and some he was not that impressed with. My husband was really relaxed and happy. It was a day of no one having to say no or argue with our pre-teen that he would not be allowed to do something. We would love to do this day again. We are waiting for summer when the next opportunity will be to do movie marathon day again." +"This day was a great day. My parents live with us in the basement and they went to visit my sister in another state. We decided while they were gone we were going to do a whole bunch of fun things we would normally not be able to do while they were here and we had to take care of them. On this day we bought ice cream, chips and made cookies. We made a list of all the 80's and 90's movies that we wanted to see. We made a ""bed"" on the living room floor and got all of our junk food out. We watch video's and ate junk food all day long. We would go from one movie to another and only stop if we needed the bathroom or more junk food. After part of the day was over we changed TV's and moved to a real bed as even with all the pillows and blankets we were starting to feel the floor digging in. My son was so excited about this day. Some of the movies he loved and some he was not that impressed with. My husband was really relaxed and happy. It was a day of no one having to say no or argue with our pre-teen that he would not be allowed to do something. We would love to do this day again. We are waiting for summer when the next opportunity will be to do movie marathon day again." +"There are very few times in your life where things can suddenly go from being very good to very bad in an instant. This is a story of one of those times in my life. That very night I had the good fortune to have the entirety of my tax return get deposited into my account. I decided to ask my friend if they wanted to hang out. They said yes and so I ventured to their house to hang out. Well I did have to leave at some point and ended up meeting a random man on the street. After we got to talking I decided to stop inside of a 7-11 to grab some cups. I was excited to hang out with a random stranger, but, then, things very suddenly changed. A man walked up to me, demanded my wallet, and, upon me giving him the wallet, stabbed me multiple times with a box cutter. There are very few more surprising things that can happen than suddenly finding yourself being the victim of a violent crime in a convenience store. Now as you can surmise by me typing this I did in fact survive. In fact, I wasn't seriously injured at all. However, now I got to spend my evening at a hospital around the corner. Instead of drinking with a random guy in the street now I was suddenly being put under for exploratory surgery. As anyone who has ever been in a car crash or gotten their identity stolen can attest to, once the shock and the trauma wear off, it just turns into a bunch of errands you have to run. After spending the next few months recovering there were a few things I had to do. I had to have an ultimately fruitless, albeit intimidating, interview with the police after the fact. The only other thing that I had to do, quite luckily, was, go through the rather Kafkaesque process of attempting to find a therapist. This, more than the interview, more than the stabbing, more than the recovery, more than the surgery, ended up being the most labor intensive part of the whole experience." +"Well, I do not know how to quite start this, but, the long and the short of it is I got stabbed. Earlier that evening I had suddenly gotten my tax return in my account. I immediately sent a good portion of the money to my mom as me and her had agreed. I immediately called my best friend and asked if she wanted to hang out. She said yes under the condition that I'd leave at 12am. So, I took an uber to her place in the city and we hung out. I was quite drunk when I left, ended up talking to a random guy who I end up going to 7/11 with. While inside, in line, a different person walks in, demands my wallet and stabs me three times in my breast, arm and side with a box cutter. I was taken to a local hospital, scanned, was crying, and then was told they needed to do exploratory surgery on my abdomen. Now a few interesting things happen when you find yourself the victim of a violent crime. Firstly, now I had to recover from surgery. From there, I had to have quite an intimidating interview with the police department in the city. Of course, despite the fact this happened on camera in a store in the richer part of the city they did not catch the guy. Now, I found myself having to deal with the psychological horror of yet another near death experience, and still dealing with it (as this happened roughly 6 months ago.) Finding a therapist has literally took me this long. But, I had to find a silver lining which is, now I can stay on therapy if I lose my insurance (I'm currently unemployed and am on medicaid) due to our state's victims compensation fund. Luckily, I have an amazing support system and I had a lot of different people reach out, but, it's still a long process." +"I just checked into a mental health rehabilitation center for feeling suicidal and very emotionally unstable. I am the only patient here for mental health recovery. Everybody else is here for drug abuse. The staff aren't following proper protocol, however they are very short staffed at the moment so I do understand they are trying to help everybody. I am still concerned I may hurt myself or the people around me. They let me keep my belt and a multitude of other objects I could use for self-harm. Being in the inpatient care does seemingly keep me stable for the time being. The food is better than I thought it was gonna be, and the therapist is a little better trained for the situation than I thought she was going to be as well. However I am confused as to why I was prescribed medication before I was properly diagnosed with a mental health ailment. I do appear to be self aware and mentally stable enough to communicate my problems. I am not a trained for the situation like they are so I'm trying not to stress out about it. There are only a few channels available on the TV, and it's driving me crazy. The commercials playing are largely about mental health issues and being compensated for a lawsuit. I am being triggered by some and just plain annoyed by others. I've never felt mentally stable yet crazy before in my life and its a very peculiar feeling." +"My most memorable childhood event was when I was 15 years old. It was the Fourth of July. A big family vacation a barbeque, over night stay and out of town trip to six flags. And I had a blast the night before me, my mom, sisters and brother packed our bags to stay the night over my cousin house in Goodlettsville ,Tennessee. She had the biggest house ever I thought it was a mansion; six bedrooms two an half bath, a swimming pool, a game/movie. We had so much fun and bonding in there. We go hiking in the mountains, catching fish on the rivers nearby and we have had so much activities there. It was so unforgettable. We were so happy with my family. It was really a blast for me. I want to do it again someday with my children. It was really relaxing and satisfying. I hope they maintain the cleanliness of the place. Those memories are very hard to forget. I hope we go there again someday." +"I was already two weeks overdue and I remember my back killing me because of how heavy my daughter was. Last year we just lost our grandmother because of her hitting her head on the floor. My grandma cared for me and my siblings when we were little. I was very young to remember but my parents used to tell me a lot of memories my grandma used to do when she was alive. The doctors said that my amniotic fluid was more than average. And I remember being too worried prior to my daughter's delivery. I had to get induced into pregnancy because it was taking too long. My husband and my siblings were there in the hospital with me. But I also felt that grandma was there with me making sure I was okay. During labor I was very pale and I feel like I was going to lose my daughter. It was excruciatingly painful but I wasn't concerned about me, I was concerned about my daughter's life. I was panicking but I felt my grandmother's presence in the operating room. It's almost as if she's whispering to me, ""I'm here, granddaughter. Take a deep breath and it will be okay."" And it turned out to be okay. My daughter is now four years old and she's very intelligent and very curious about the modern world. She's way too young to be curious about the things going on around her that I am afraid she might grow up and learn about the evils in the world very early. But I can sense that you are guiding her and protecting her, grandma." +"I was already two weeks overdue and I remember my back killing me because of how heavy my daughter was. Last year we just lost our grandmother because of her hitting her head on the floor. My grandma cared for me and my siblings when we were little. I was very young to remember but my parents used to tell me a lot of memories my grandma used to do when she was alive. The doctors said that my amniotic fluid was more than average. And I remember being too worried prior to my daughter's delivery. I had to get induced into pregnancy because it was taking too long. My husband and my siblings were there in the hospital with me. But I also felt that grandma was there with me making sure I was okay. During labor I was very pale and I feel like I was going to lose my daughter. It was excruciatingly painful but I wasn't concerned about me, I was concerned about my daughter's life. I was panicking but I felt my grandmother's presence in the operating room. It's almost as if she's whispering to me, ""I'm here, granddaughter. Take a deep breath and it will be okay."" And it turned out to be okay. My daughter is now four years old and she's very intelligent and very curious about the modern world. She's way too young to be curious about the things going on around her that I am afraid she might grow up and learn about the evils in the world very early. But I can sense that you are guiding her and protecting her, grandma." +"Many years ago, I moved from another country to the USA where I now live with my wife and children. A few months ago I got a call from my brother (my family still lives abroad). He told me that my mom was in the hospital, not to worry, but she had a stroke. At first, I didn't realize the seriousness of the situation. I asked him if she was okay, he told me he didn't know. Over the course of the next few days, I found out my mom had had a serious stroke and was in intensive care. This was very difficult for me being so far away, knowing there was nothing I could do to help. A few days went by with me trying to find out as much as I can but getting very little information from my family. It turned out I had the same amount of information as them, which was very little. My mom underwent surgery and was placed under anesthetic until the doctors felt she had stabilized. They then announced that they were going to wake her up. None of realized that the process of waking her up would take two weeks, so this was a very tense time wondering if she was going to be okay once she was awake. When she eventually woke up she didn't remember much of anything or anyone. Since then she has been going through a lot of therapy, both physical and psychological. I have spoken to her a few times during her recovery, but she never seemed to completely be sure of who I was. Last week I called my mom to see how she was feeling. When she answered, I could immediately tell things were better as she immediately called me by my name. She knew exactly who I was and spoke to me like nothing had happened. This was amazing and very emotional. I was so happy she is finally on the road to being fully recovered from the stroke and that we can finally say she made it." +"I started a lawsuit against five people/companies. They were represented by four different insurance companies and their lawyers who scheduled my deposition (answering questions before a court reporter). A snowstorm was predicted in the days leading up to the scheduled date. I tried to get it postponed, but my opponents refused. I had to wake at around 4:45 a.m. and dress in the freezing cold in the dark, and drive to a coffee house on icy roads to use the restroom and have a bite to eat. Then I walked on icy roads to the bus stop, leaving my car in a safe parking space. The bus trip was about two hours with one transfer to a second bus. The deposition was held in a basement room in the courthouse since they didn't have to pay a fee for the room. It was gray, with basic table and chairs, and without windows, dimly lit. I played dumb as everyone assembled and was able to overhear a couple bits of useful information. I was not surprised that they started by trying to pick a fight about our agreement to end by 5 p.m. so I could catch my return buses. I maintained my position but the nastiness was relentless. Two of them glared at me with hatred most of the day. At lunch we took a quick break and I ate a pouch of lentils and rice I had brought (no microwave available to heat it). One attorney spent most of the day questioning me so they could say they had many questions left and force me to return a second day. This was expected, a typical game, but it started a further fight about scheduling the second day. By the end of the day I was exhausted but pleased about how I had answered their questions. I had expected I might get motion sick on the return bus as I had on previous similar trips. The long bumpy trip with exhaust fumes trapped inside the bus, and reducing my fluid intake due to lack of restroom available, was almost guaranteed to make me sick. I had even brought a couple barf bags in case. I was surprised, however, that I threw up during most of the return trip. When I recall it, it crosses my mind that they poisoned me, not likely physically, but the equivalent psychologically. It took weeks before my digestive system returned to normal." +"I was deposed in a lawsuit I initiated against some vicious people. I knew this would be difficult, especially as I had 5 opponents, so 4 lawyers would be questioning me. I tried to set some reasonable parameters but this only made them more difficult. Apparently they have no scruples and nothing to do with themselves but hurt others. The deposition was in a gray rundown room in the basement of the courthouse. There was an ice storm forecast, but they would not reschedule. I had to get up at 3:45 a.m., dress in the dark in the freezing cold in the car (and this is slow for me as I have a tremor), drive to a coffee shop to use the restroom and have a bite to eat, and then leave my car there for safety to walk to the bus stop. The buses are in poor repair, very rough riding and full of exhaust fumes that make me sick. I had to make a tight time transfer to a second bus too. Then the torment began. I had insisted on a 5 p.m. end time but they started right in to pressure me on this. Two of them made angry faces at me most of the time. They dragged out the deposition so I'd be forced to schedule a second day. They concocted nasty and unfathomable procedural offenses on my part. One insisted on interrupting so that two were questioning me at the same time. There was a short lunch break at which I ate my barley and lentil pouch without benefit of microwave. Finally, it was over. I threw up through a good part of the return bus trip. Fortunately, I had packed a barf bag. But my digestion was off for weeks afterwards." +"My wife and I took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Paris, France. We had saved for a year to be able to afford it. I did not sleep any on the flight over. When we arrived we walked into Paris and went straight to Notre Dame. The beauty of the cathedral was overwhelming. We spent the rest of the day walking the streets of Paris and going to museums. The food was amazing and of course the sites and sounds were second-to-none. By the time it was dark and we were heading back to the hotel I had been awake for 24 hours. I was very tired but still feeling a buzz from all of the fun we were having. By the time we go to the room, I crashed in the bed and slept for almost 12 hours. my wife was upset when I woke up b/c she wanted to be roaming around Paris and not watching me sleep. I realized then that I should have slept some on the plane. Little did we know that jut a short time after visiting a mass at Notre Dame that most of it would burn down. We probably have some of the last pictures taken inside of the building. It was a highlight of the trip to see a mass there." +"My wife and I took a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Paris, France. We had saved for a year to be able to afford it. I did not sleep any on the flight over. When we arrived we walked into Paris and went straight to Notre Dame. The beauty of the cathedral was overwhelming. We spent the rest of the day walking the streets of Paris and going to museums. The food was amazing and of course the sites and sounds were second-to-none. By the time it was dark and we were heading back to the hotel I had been awake for 24 hours. I was very tired but still feeling a buzz from all of the fun we were having. By the time we go to the room, I crashed in the bed and slept for almost 12 hours. my wife was upset when I woke up b/c she wanted to be roaming around Paris and not watching me sleep. I realized then that I should have slept some on the plane. Little did we know that jut a short time after visiting a mass at Notre Dame that most of it would burn down. We probably have some of the last pictures taken inside of the building. It was a highlight of the trip to see a mass there." +"I was up late one evening and I started to feel poorly. I can't explain what exactly was wrong, I now believe that I was having a panic attack. When I arrived at the hospital I told them that I was having chest pain and they did tests. They admitted me and did a lot of tests. They came back and told me my blood sugar was dangerously high, enough that I should be in a coma. I was diagnosed with diabetes. They kept me in the hospital the rest of the day and then released me with a lot of information and medications. I was emotionally very stressed out by the diagnosis. My mother has had diabetes most of my life and I have watched her health deteriorate. I visited my personal doctor a couple of days later and he had some recommendations. I completely changed what I ate, cutting out all foods that might have a negative impact on my blood sugar. I started running, six days a week for minimum half an hour, which I later increased to an hour. Over the next six months I lost about fifty pounds and was able to stabilize my blood sugar and stop taking insulin injections. I am healthier, physically, now, than I probably ever have been as an adult. Yet I started having severe panic attacks everyday that left me unable to do anything until they passed. Even when I wasn't having one the fear of having one was nearly as paralyzing. I pulled out of most of my social activities and quit my job. My health scare got me to take better care of myself but it also caused my mental and emotional state to deteriorate." +"Recently I was diagnosed with diabetes. This isn't normally a traumatic event but it was for me. I couldn't sleep one night, so I as up late. It was around 3am when I started to feel very strangely, dizzy, disoriented and scared. I woke my husband up and asked him to take me to the emergency room. Once we got there they ran many tests to find out why I was feeling the way I was. My blood sugar was very high, dangerously so. The doctor was surprised I wasn't in a diabetic coma. I was in the hospital for around 20 hours while they tried to determine if anything else was wrong with me. They were worried I might have had a stroke due to some of my symptoms. I had lots of blood work and a contract MRI done, as well as x-rays and cognitive tests. Once they were sure that I hadn't had a stroke they tried to bring my blood sugar down to a safe level. I was given multiple injections over several hours that failed to bring it down significantly. Finally it came down just barely into safe levels and they sent me home. Since that incident I have changed my life style. I've changed how I eat, started working out and running six days a week and lost forty pounds. I still have anxiety and fear associated with my health that I never experienced before going to the emergency room." +"Well today I received an anniversary gift for my 20th year of employment. My company awarded me and my family with a trip to Universal Studios in Florida. I was very shocked. My wife knew about it before I did. We waited until I got home to tell the kids. The kids were very excited. The vacation was at a Universal Studios resort for 6 nights. It included a meal package as well to all of the amusement parks. We had to decide on an exact date so we started getting everyone's schedules together. It was going to be hot but August was the choice! It was too expensive to fly so we chose to drive. Took us 10 hours to get there. Weather was very nice. We went to the big water park first, Volcano Bay. The kids loved it. The next day we stayed and hung out at the resort and swam in the pool mostly. We played some games and went bowling. Next two days we went to Universal Studios park and then Adventure Island. Adventure Island was my favorite. THey had a bunch of Marvel themed restaurants and rides. The vacation was awesome. Ended too early. Food and entertainment were great and kids had a blast." +"It was a beautiful spring day. The sun was shining so I thought I'd take the long way back from class - the way that winds through the field. After all it was dry so I shouldn't have any problem. In fact, I should really enjoy myself. I had my Airpods out with me while I was walking. I thought that I'd enjoy listening to some of my favorite music. However, before I could put them on my phone rang. It was my mom so I knew I had to talk to her. In my rush to grab my phone everything became a blur and somehow I managed to loose my Airpods. I didn't realize that I'd lost my Airpods until I reached the dorm. Once inside I saw one of my classmates and we struck up a conversation. We sat down on the couch and I started putting things away. This is when I realized that I didn't know where my Airpods were - that I'd lost them somewhere in the field I was walking through while on the phone with my Mom. My classmate and I headed out to look for them. Thank God we found them." +"Today was the perfect example of why I need change. Once again, I am minding my own business browsing on the internet when all of a sudden Mike starts hollering in the kitchen. This all happens last night. He claims someone drank his six pack of Shiner Bock out of the fridge. Of course I did not do it. Scott is saying the same thing. He has no idea what happened to Mike's beer. All I know is that I did not drink his damn beer. I don't even like that brand anyway. It is overrated. So, we all start yelling. I have no idea if Mike just forgot he drank his beer or if Scott really did take it. Next thing I know, we are in a shoving match, and Mike actually punches me in the eye! Of course the landlord does not give a damn as long as we pay the rent, and the police dont care either. I cant break the lease, nor do I have enough money to go someplace else, find new roommates, and leave these two ass clowns with each other. It is another two months on the lease and a race against time. Hopefully, we can stay out of each others faces just long enough to go our separate ways. You just cant be too careful when choosing roommates. I might have to get a lock for the bedroom door and hope Mike remembers when he drinks his damn beer. He gets real mean when he is drunk. Of course, you dont figure this out until you have a signed a lease. Scott is OK, but he is kind of just there. There are a couple of people I know who might make good roommates when this is over. They are not so much into beer like Mike is and can actually remember what they did last night. I wish I could get a raise so it would not even be necessary to have roommates." +"So in this event I dated a guy. We met at a Meetup and he seemed super interesting and fun, also charismatic. We totally hit it off with intellectualism and we started hanging out. After a few dates things got kind of intense and he seemed to get a little controlling. It was something I thought he maybe didn't intent to happen so I talked to him about it, but he had a really defensive vibe when I brought it up to him. He just kept going doing what he was doing even though it made me really uncomfortable. The sex was really good, but he was just wouldn't listen to what I had to say. After a couple of weeks I had really honestly had enough, he had asked me to go with him to pay off a parking ticket in another city and I was like cool this is lame. Afterwards, we had dinner and I continued to express my concerns and he was like oh this is a loop and your feelings aren't important. Prior I had directly told him that I can't do people that don't validate my feelings. So, I was just like I am going to end this and I was sad. Later he started messaging me and sending me apology letters and such, but it was like all on his terms and was creepy and controlling. Like I met him in a coffee shop and he kept trying to lure me away from the coffee shop to see the moon or something. I don't know, it was weird. I had to see him again two nights ago and I just ignored him, because frankly he is the worst." +"The event that I've decided to talk about it is a short relationship I had with a man. It was our ultimate break up that I am going to write about. First, I met this guy when I was at a Meetup and he seemed super nice and kind and interested in me. Well, I ended up reaching out to him and seeing if he wanted to get a cup of coffee. When I reached out to him, he wanted to and so we met up and started talking. I was really interested in him at first, but I've been hurt before so I had some guard up. Well after a while, about 2 weeks of getting to know each other, he started imposing on my boundaries and being what I describe as controlling. I asked him first for a little physical space, because he was all over me at first and it made me a little confused. He wasn't super receptive to that and took it kind of like a personal slight. Another thing I asked him, was when he was talking to ask me some questions and not just dominate the conversation. Well his reaction to that was that I should just interrupt him if I had something to say and he started to call me stupid. I was more and more frustrated with him and he began pressuring me more and more to do things his way and without my input. It made me very upset and I decided that I wanted to end it. He got really upset and said that I was just labeling him and not being kind enough to him, he didn't mean to push my boundaries, how do you know unless you try he kept saying. In my head it was confusing, because a lot of my relationships in the past had been unhealthy, and I am just learning healthy ones. So, it turns out he wrote to me and tried very hard to get me to get back together with him. But, I don't want to be with him, he makes me feel stressed out and tired and I am glad I got out of that relationship." +"Three months ago I made the decision to take better care of myself and myself. So, I decided to start exercising. It was really hard for the first few weeks, but eventually I started a rhythm. To boost my weight loss, I also changed what I was eating in my diet. After 6 months, I really started to see a difference in my body. I had more energy, my clothes were fitting, I felt pretty good! Because of that, I decided to start training for a 5k. I would start off running every morning and day after day I would go a mile further. This was hard on my body. My feet started to hurt and swell. My knees killed me and my legs felt like jelly. I didn't think I could do it. Then, at the fourth month, I caught my stride. Adding an extra mile everyday didn't seem so bad on my body anymore. My lungs didn't burn and I wasn't huffing and puffing. The day finally arrived for the race. It was a chilly morning, but enough to get me energized and to wake up. More people were at the race than I thought there was going to be. However, even though I didn't get first place, I won something for myself. The ability to finish something that I set out to do." +"Not to long ago me and my wife decided to get divorced, i'm remember the day vividly. we were talking about filing taxes and we got into a big fight about some of the ways we would use some of the tax return. I tried to point out to her some of the ways we could donate a portion of it away and why, and she was trying to explain her reasoning as well. We had been have marital problems for awhile but i knew in that moment sitting at the table i had to make a decision about our future, i knew she was not happy and neither was I. So i tried to calmly gather my feelings and courage to tell her that it was not working and we needed to separate. I knew it was going to be hard and heartbreaking but i also knew in the future it would be what was best for her and me. I had packed up my bag for the night and said goodbye to my son, as i drove to my friends house it was one of the hardest decisions I've had to make in my life, i was trying to keep it together and try not to turn around and go back. one of the hardest part for me to accept also was not being able to see my son for awhile. he is very young and i knew he would not understand what was happening or why. A few days later her parents came to our home to pack up some of her stuff to take with. I remember them asking what the plan was moving forward and me trying to explain to them what my plan was that i knew of so far but that i did not have all the answers. I remember i took my son for a few days while they packed up and left behind what she didn't want. we only lived in a apartment so there wasn't a whole lot of possessions to take. After she had finished packing and left with our son, I walked into our apartment knowing that life would never be the same again, that I would have to sacrifice time spent with my son but knowing that if i could just hold onto what would be better in the future for everyone that thats what i should do. It would be better for him to grow up with both of us happy instead of us staying together and being miserable just for the sake of appearances. It was a difficult decision but the right one." +"Recently, I went on a trip with my partner to Japan and Korea. We were there to see the countries but also to visit with his sister and soon to be son in law. We first stopped in Tokyo, because I was excited to go to Tokyo DisneySea. I was blown away by the cleanliness of the park, the friendlieness, and just the general kindness of the people around us. While on vacation in Japan, we went to a spa with my sister-in law and her boyfriend. The spa was completed gender separated, the girls and the boys were not able to bathe together because you were expected to go into the hot spring nude. I was struck by the thought that I would have to be in front of my sister in law naked and how many other women. I worried about my body, my hair, my fat the entire train ride up into the mountains. But once, we got there, and I was in my robe waiting to go into the water, I stopped caring. I was quick to adjust and accept that was what was going to happen. The first time I went in I thought it was like a soak that you would do in a hot tub. I was wrong, very wrong. It was more like a spa experience where you are expected to do temperature treatments in the water. Going back and forth between hot and cold while you clean/scrub your body. I felt great afterward, my skin was so soft. I quickly became comfortable with my body and it wasn’t an issue. I was self-conscious but accepted that my body is my body and it isn’t going to change in the next hour. It was an emotional experience because during that time that my sister in law and I were in the water we got to talk and I thought really get to know one another. We hadn’t seen each other much since we were living in different countries and it was a great experience to spend together. It was great to have such a personal experience of accepting my body with another strong confident women beside me. We talked about our body insecurities and over coming them together. For a girl that has always been big this was a major moment in my life." +"I met her when i had gone to visit my Fiancees(her sister) parents around five years ago. This was before we got married. She was in her second year studying Nursing in University. The following year me and my partner wedded and moved to another city as i had been posted there by my company. Two years later i realized that my wife had an affair and i filed for Divorce which she accepted. We parted ways. I moved on. Bitterly couldn't get myself into another relationship. All this while and i had not seen nor heard from her sister. My company pays well and kept me busy all round the year. I wanted to feel and stay busy so i didn't fill any vacation. Some of my off days i would be at work. Sometimes even standing in for a colleague just to stay away from idleness and being free. I had no plans of any relationship in the near future. I finally filled my Leave request form which was accompanied by a heavy bonus and i chose to get out of town for the six weeks. Japn was the place i had dreamt and longed to visit. This was where i bumped into my former Sister In Law. It was my first experience at a naked Japanese hot spring, which I shared with my sister in law. I hadn't spoke to her in depth in over five years and we finally had time together to accept our bodies." +"A month ago today, I received some extremely great news. My best friend's father found out his cancer was in remission after a long several year battle with a horrible cancer known as Glioblastoma. I was overjoyed, as this family has been almost like a second family to me and have seen me through the good times and bad. His father even offered me a place to stay when things were looking rough at my home life. When I had first heard the news of his cancer announcement I was in a tough emotional state as the chances of surviving this cancer can be low and the surgery that has to be performed on the brain is long and difficult. I just remember seeing him post surgery, post chemo and everything and just not seeing the man I grew up knowing. He lost most motor abilities and the ability to speak. The recovery took 3 years and still to this day he is just gaining back the ability to speak coherent partial sentences, enough for us to understand him. Now with the cancer in remission I feel relief, joy, and some angst as the doctors say the woods are still yet to be cleared but for now everything seems to be moving along well. Part of me knew he would be tough enough to fight through this as he is already capable of driving on his own, which came to much shock to the doctors as that is a rare recovery component so early into rehab. This is part of the reason why I have hope for his recovery because this man battled adversity his whole life to become who he is today and to lose all of that in a matter of weeks was certainly heartbreaking. As I reflect on this recovery I am constantly overfilled with emotions as I keep rethinking the situation over in my head. I feel I am being pulled in every direction as I am unsure how to entirely handle the recent news of the remission. My friend seems to be feeling the same as me and I try to show my emotions on my sleeve in front of him and provide needed solace. All we can do is wait and hope the cancer continues to diminish as the odds of this case of cancer reappearing are still high. I have high hopes that within the next year or two I will be celebrating with him as he continues to live his life to the fullest and now be brought down by this disease." +"I was home and decided to go to the market about less than a block from my apartment. We had run out of toilet paper so I asked my mom, who I am living with at the time, to watch my daughter while I went quickly to the store. I walked over and thinking back I should have just gone in my car instead of walking around by myself at night but we live and we learn. Well, I got to the store and wandered around a bit since I was already there. I ended up buying more than I anticipated. One of the baggers offered to walk me over to the stop sign but I politely refused, I regret this now. I should have accepted, I should have done so many things. About a few minutes before arriving to the apartment I saw my ex husband. I thought it was strange since we haven't seen each other in a while. I asked him what he was doing here and he said he wanted to see our daughter. I asked him why he didn't call first and he seemed upset that I even asked. He then asked me if I wanted to go take a ride an I refused. I told him I didn't want to go any where with him any more. He ended up forcing me in his car and having his way with me. It was the most horrible thing I had ever experienced. I ended up calling the police and they took me to a hospital. I won't ever walk alone at night." +I went to a wedding a few months ago. I remember helping with the setting up. The bachelor was my friend and he invited me to be a groomsman and I accepted. I ended up finding a DJ for their wedding. Other people did their colors and theme. They wanted a pretty big and elaborate wedding. They definitely got it. I remember the wedding being pretty big as we had a couple hundred people attend. It was a pretty fun wedding. The bachelor party was better in my opinion. I won't get into that though. It got me thinking about the future between my girlfriend and I. Where were we going? I wasn't sure how to answer that and over three months later I still don't. I think we need more time to develop our relationship after sitting down with her. I just don't think we're ready. +I went to a wedding a few months ago. I remember helping with the setting up. The bachelor was my friend and he invited me to be a groomsman and I accepted. I ended up finding a DJ for their wedding. Other people did their colors and theme. They wanted a pretty big and elaborate wedding. They definitely got it. I remember the wedding being pretty big as we had a couple hundred people attend. It was a pretty fun wedding. The bachelor party was better in my opinion. I won't get into that though. It got me thinking about the future between my girlfriend and I. Where were we going? I wasn't sure how to answer that and over three months later I still don't. I think we need more time to develop our relationship after sitting down with her. I just don't think we're ready. +"It was a summer night, a beautiful night, not too hot (very rare for Wisconsin), clearest night in a long time. My boyfriend(let's call him R.) and I had the house to ourselves, so we just had some Asian food and enjoyed the silence. It was one of my favorite parts of that relationship; being able to just sit with a person and not say much and still be completely at peace. No obligation to say something funny, be smooth, or entertain. Just peaceful bliss. His family got home eventually and I got to enjoy that for a couple hours. At some point R. and I decided to go see a movie, and The Fault in Our Stars had just been released earlier that week, which we were very excited about. We had a nice long drive (he's a terrible navigator and we got lost), but still got to the movie in plenty of time. The movie itself was fantastic. We laughed, we cried, we held hands; it was beautiful. Also, it was the first movie I had seen on an 8k screen, which I tried to explain to his, but... that's not important. We loved it. Fast forward twenty minutes after the movie. We get back to his house, get out of the car, and he just lays down in the soft grass in his front yard to look at the stars. I think, ""Oh, this is cheesy as hell, but what the fuck, I can deal..."". We laid there for a good ten minutes, hand in hand, knees brushing, exchanging soft words among the silence of their quiet little village. After a time, I just felt the urge. I needed to kiss this boy. It was too perfect. The stars were clear in the sky, the moment was right. And then, for the first time, I leaned in and I got the kiss right. It was the most magical moment I have ever experienced. It literally could not have been more picturesque. I didn't think this date would go well because of what he was wearing, but I then saw his eyes, which made me think it was stupid to focus on what he was wearing." +"It was a summer night, a beautiful night, not too hot (very rare for Wisconsin), clearest night in a long time. My boyfriend(let's call him R.) and I had the house to ourselves, so we just had some Asian food and enjoyed the silence. It was one of my favorite parts of that relationship; being able to just sit with a person and not say much and still be completely at peace. No obligation to say something funny, be smooth, or entertain. Just peaceful bliss. His family got home eventually and I got to enjoy that for a couple hours. At some point R. and I decided to go see a movie, and The Fault in Our Stars had just been released earlier that week, which we were very excited about. We had a nice long drive (he's a terrible navigator and we got lost), but still got to the movie in plenty of time. The movie itself was fantastic. We laughed, we cried, we held hands; it was beautiful. Also, it was the first movie I had seen on an 8k screen, which I tried to explain to his, but... that's not important. We loved it. Fast forward twenty minutes after the movie. We get back to his house, get out of the car, and he just lays down in the soft grass in his front yard to look at the stars. I think, ""Oh, this is cheesy as hell, but what the fuck, I can deal..."". We laid there for a good ten minutes, hand in hand, knees brushing, exchanging soft words among the silence of their quiet little village. After a time, I just felt the urge. I needed to kiss this boy. It was too perfect. The stars were clear in the sky, the moment was right. And then, for the first time, I leaned in and I got the kiss right. It was the most magical moment I have ever experienced. It literally could not have been more picturesque. I didn't think this date would go well because of what he was wearing, but I then saw his eyes, which made me think it was stupid to focus on what he was wearing." +"It was a summer night, a beautiful night, not too hot (very rare for Wisconsin), clearest night in a long time. My boyfriend(let's call him R.) and I had the house to ourselves, so we just had some Asian food and enjoyed the silence. It was one of my favorite parts of that relationship; being able to just sit with a person and not say much and still be completely at peace. No obligation to say something funny, be smooth, or entertain. Just peaceful bliss. His family got home eventually and I got to enjoy that for a couple hours. At some point R. and I decided to go see a movie, and The Fault in Our Stars had just been released earlier that week, which we were very excited about. We had a nice long drive (he's a terrible navigator and we got lost), but still got to the movie in plenty of time. The movie itself was fantastic. We laughed, we cried, we held hands; it was beautiful. Also, it was the first movie I had seen on an 8k screen, which I tried to explain to his, but... that's not important. We loved it. Fast forward twenty minutes after the movie. We get back to his house, get out of the car, and he just lays down in the soft grass in his front yard to look at the stars. I think, ""Oh, this is cheesy as hell, but what the fuck, I can deal..."". We laid there for a good ten minutes, hand in hand, knees brushing, exchanging soft words among the silence of their quiet little village. After a time, I just felt the urge. I needed to kiss this boy. It was too perfect. The stars were clear in the sky, the moment was right. And then, for the first time, I leaned in and I got the kiss right. It was the most magical moment I have ever experienced. It literally could not have been more picturesque. I didn't think this date would go well because of what he was wearing, but I then saw his eyes, which made me think it was stupid to focus on what he was wearing." +"I have lived in the U.S since I was four years old. I never felt like I was “illegal”. That is until I was 16 and it was time to get a job. Fortunately around that time DACA was started, and I have been legally working for about 8 years. Last year in July I married my long time boyfriend. Then in October we filed to fix my status. All this to say when I received the case approval letter I was overcome with joy. And for someone who is not usually very emotional publicly, it was extremely moving. Although it really didn’t fix anything I suppose being so close to never having to worry about renewing a work permit. Even more the thought of actually being able to meet my family outside of the U.S was very impactful. I was at work, I remember I worked with Rosendo one of my employees who is the same nationality and also able to work because of DACA. I received a message from my mom with a picture of the letter. Suddenly that was it I was beaming, bouncing with joy. Having someone who understood around really added to the experience. I high-fived him and my eyes were a bit watery. I can’t imagine how I’ll feel when this is all over...which is hopefully very soon." +"It was the worst email I have ever received. It arrived about five months ago on a normal Wednesday morning as I sipped my coffee from my desk. The ominous title of the email said ""Urgent: Future of Company"". I knew something was up before I even clicked to open it. Our boss had decided to automate most of the company going forward in a spur of the moment decision. Something about cutting costs and making a shift towards automated intelligence, he said. The only thing that mattered was the fact that we were given two months before we would effectively be phased out of our jobs. Entire departments were being replaced with robots to perform the same tasks. Pretty soon the water cooler talk was crazy, and the entire mood of the office became more somber than a funeral. Over those last few weeks it was tough having to say goodbye to so many colleagues I had built a rapport with over the years. Real people. The type who can form friendships that can't exactly be duplicated by a robot. My job search, which basically began when I opened the email, has yet to offer up much hope. In turn this has really affected my mental state, and it's tough remaining optimistic about new openings when I've been turned down so many times. I know my old boss did what he felt was best for the company, but I don't think I can forgive him for the way he tossed so many good people out on the street like he did." +"It was the worst email I have ever received. It arrived about five months ago on a normal Wednesday morning as I sipped my coffee from my desk. The ominous title of the email said ""Urgent: Future of Company"". I knew something was up before I even clicked to open it. Our boss had decided to automate most of the company going forward in a spur of the moment decision. Something about cutting costs and making a shift towards automated intelligence, he said. The only thing that mattered was the fact that we were given two months before we would effectively be phased out of our jobs. Entire departments were being replaced with robots to perform the same tasks. Pretty soon the water cooler talk was crazy, and the entire mood of the office became more somber than a funeral. Over those last few weeks it was tough having to say goodbye to so many colleagues I had built a rapport with over the years. Real people. The type who can form friendships that can't exactly be duplicated by a robot. My job search, which basically began when I opened the email, has yet to offer up much hope. In turn this has really affected my mental state, and it's tough remaining optimistic about new openings when I've been turned down so many times. I know my old boss did what he felt was best for the company, but I don't think I can forgive him for the way he tossed so many good people out on the street like he did." +"Today I went to a guitar store with Grandpa. I wasn't sure if I wanted to buy anything, but I ended up finding a guitar that I was more than happy with. I honestly wanted to buy something fancy, but this guitar that I found was the cheapest in the store. However, it was far from the worst. Compared to everything else that I tried, this one by far sounded the best. The guy at the store was named Bob, and he was very friendly. I appreciated that he wasn't too pushy. He was very excited to try Grandpa's new Martin guitar, and he seemed to just enjoy playing and talking. This humble and kind attitude that he displayed made me want to make a purchase. So I tried several guitars, but I kept going back to the first one I tried. It is a Jasmine s35, and it produces a tone that I haven't heard before. Something about it just sings, and it has a warmth and a depth to it that makes it very satisfying to play. I know that I will remember this day for the rest of my life. When I decided to buy it, Bob shared my excitement. He gave me a discount on a bag for it, and he also gave me several other things for free." +"My best friend bought me a gift card for my favorite music store for my birthday 2 weeks ago. She knows me so well. She knew that I had wanted to buy this guitar for over a year now. She also knew that I would never spend that kind of money on something just for me. I thought it was a silly purchase though since I don't know how to play. It has always just been a dream of mine. I was so grateful and excited that I made her come to the music store with me the very same day. When we walked into the store my eye immediately went to where I knew the guitar was on the wall. It was so beautiful. It was a dark creamy brown with a thin vine like pattern on the neck. I asked the sales person to get it down for me, because I could't reach it. She handed it to me and it felt better than I had imagined. My friend and I went over to sit down by the back wall and I strummed it for a bit before making the final decision to purchase my dream guitar. I purchased the guitar and actually signed up at the store for lessons since I had such a wonderful time there. I realized that night while just staring at the guitar in my room that sometimes the simplest things can be the most beautiful." +I went to Greece with a close friend of mine and we had such a difficult time at first. We ran out of money during our trip because we initially just went for backpacking. We did not see as many sites as initially wanted. During one of the hot evenings we decided to cool down and go through an alley way instead of the main street. We heard beautiful music playing down the alley and saw a band practicing their music for a show. It was a very human experience since I was able to unwind and just listen to the music wafting through the alley. Of different sorts of instruments and a slow strum guitar. The locals said in a heavy accent that they enjoyed us listening while we just cooled down and de-stressed. It was a relaxing and humble experience. Out of all my adventures I find this experience to be the best because I was able to see the side of humanity that is universal and no cultural differences kept that apart. I really liked the feeling it gave me. I think the best thing about the experience was that it made me realize we all are human. It does not matter where we come from. I think the backpacking trip as a whole kept me grounded. I do not take things for granted as much. I relate it all to the day in the alley. +I went to Greece with a close friend of mine and we had such a difficult time at first. We ran out of money during our trip because we initially just went for backpacking. We did not see as many sites as initially wanted. During one of the hot evenings we decided to cool down and go through an alley way instead of the main street. We heard beautiful music playing down the alley and saw a band practicing their music for a show. It was a very human experience since I was able to unwind and just listen to the music wafting through the alley. Of different sorts of instruments and a slow strum guitar. The locals said in a heavy accent that they enjoyed us listening while we just cooled down and de-stressed. It was a relaxing and humble experience. Out of all my adventures I find this experience to be the best because I was able to see the side of humanity that is universal and no cultural differences kept that apart. I really liked the feeling it gave me. I think the best thing about the experience was that it made me realize we all are human. It does not matter where we come from. I think the backpacking trip as a whole kept me grounded. I do not take things for granted as much. I relate it all to the day in the alley. +"A few weeks ago, my mom was supposed to come visit me. We had plans for her to fly to Los Angeles and spend a long weekend with me. Something happened last minute, and she wasn't able to come. I was sad, and laid in my bed for a while because I had been so excited for her to come. There was a knock on my door. I opened it, and not only was it my mom--who tricked me--but my dad and my older brother. They had all flown in to surprise me! I was so surprised. My mom told me she had been able to get a cheaper flight and my dad was able to get off work, so they wanted to come in secretly. When my brother found out, he also wanted to be part of the fun. I was so happy to see them, but I also didn't know where they would stay, since I have a studio apartment. We got an air mattress and my brother slept there, while I slept on the couch. The weekend in LA was so great, and I had such a wonderful time hanging out with my family. I took them to all of my favorite places, and we just had a lot of really good bonding time. For most of the weekend I was pretty chill, but when I opened my door and saw my family standing there, I almost burst into tears." +"Today is the day I am taking the plunge. I'm 45 years old and I'm going back to school. I've been a hair stylist for 25 years and never pursued my dream of becoming a doctor. Well now my kids are grown and I have the chance to better myself. Today is my first day of Biology 101 and I am going to rock it. Everybody tells me it's too late, and I know it will be a lot of work, but I've balanced more before. I've raised two kids while working full time without any support from a man. I've taken all the prereqs at the community college to get ready and it has been work but I know I can do it. I will be so glad to walk across the stage and get my diploma and even more to see the words ""Medical Doctor"" next to my name. I am not turning back till I achieve my goal. I can do this. My kids will be so proud. I want to show them what can be done if you just put your mind to it. Day 1 starts now. Let's begin." +"Today is the day I am taking the plunge. I'm 45 years old and I'm going back to school. I've been a hair stylist for 25 years and never pursued my dream of becoming a doctor. Well now my kids are grown and I have the chance to better myself. Today is my first day of Biology 101 and I am going to rock it. Everybody tells me it's too late, and I know it will be a lot of work, but I've balanced more before. I've raised two kids while working full time without any support from a man. I've taken all the prereqs at the community college to get ready and it has been work but I know I can do it. I will be so glad to walk across the stage and get my diploma and even more to see the words ""Medical Doctor"" next to my name. I am not turning back till I achieve my goal. I can do this. My kids will be so proud. I want to show them what can be done if you just put your mind to it. Day 1 starts now. Let's begin." +"This was a journal entry from several months ago. Today was a very emotional day. I had to have our old dog put down. She was a big sweetie. We (my wife and I) have had several dogs over the years. We get quite attached to them and they have always lived a long time. Ghost was 17, Casper was 16, and now Cheeba, who was 13. I will miss Cheebs, as I called her, as I feel this may be the last dog that my wife and I get as we are getting up in years ourselves. Cheeba was having respiratory problems that have been getting worse and worse until some days she could hardly catch her breath. Her appetite was about gone except for special meals that I would fix her. Cheebs was a great dog- lots of intense love went both ways. We had had her since she was a very young puppy. She was very protective of our family, but not mean at all. So, today has been one of the worst days of my life. We agreed that she was suffering and no way to get better and we were just being selfish, so we decided today would be it. We called our Vet who had been expecting this call. He told us to come on and with a heavy leaden heart, we got her into the car. She liked car rides and didn't mind the vet as she'd known the same one all her life. We both got out of the car with tears in our eyes and let her pee on the grass and then took her inside. They were ready for us and we put her on the table and got her calm and said our good-byes. It was almost like she looked at me with understanding and was okay about it. We stayed with her and the Vet injected her with the drug. After a few seconds, her eyes closed and she went unconscious and died almost immediately. We felt about as bad as one can and I hope she is waiting for me when I have my last journey too." +"There's no really good way to find out your Mom has cancer. But a note in your birthday card is up there with really bad ways to find out. Especially when it arrives the day before your birthday and you had big plans. A trip out of time, tickets to a concert and nice hotel room suddenly seemed about as appealing as a plate of rotten fish. My Mom has always been there for me through all my mistakes and failures. Always trying to help, although never really having the right words. But just knowing that at least one person was one my side was usually enough to get me through to the next thing. The card and the note hit me like a train. It didn't really say how serious or treatable the cancer might be. So I was left wondering about her health as I broke the news to my friend going with me that the trip was off. Although I live a short distance from my parents, I don't go over there anymore because of my father being such a jerk. I got tired of the fighting and insults and vowed to never set foot there again. My brother had wisely made the decision 25 years earlier, so I knew he would have no info either. I was filled with dread and fear as I picked up the phone to call. They say no news is good news, but not so much when it's your Mom's health. Of course my call goes to voicemail, which further increases my anxiety. The next day my Mom calls me back to say that she has a tumor but they think they will be able to operate and remove it. Fortunately they don't find any cancer in the bloodstream or lymph nodes. Having been through a breast cancer scare with my best friend a year early I knew this was a good sign. Yet still I was mostly paralyzed with a foreboding sense of doom and a real trepidation that my biggest supporter in life might not be around too much longer. As each day ticked off until the operation I could barely think of anything else and could barely get any work done. When it was over, the doctors said that they were very successful in getting the tumor out, and they had no concern that it had spread but chemo would still be necessary." +"About four months ago my son and my four year old grandson visited us from Europe where they live. It had been six months since we had seen them. When we went to the airport to pick them up, our grandson had been so excited that he had hardly any sleep on the flight over. For the next couple of days, our grandson was so excited, and he talked constantly. His body clock was still on European time, so he woke up every morning around 4:00 am to begin the day. Of course we wanted to spend as much time with them as possible, so we all got up at four in the morning. The first morning, by about 6:00 in the morning, he had already eaten breakfast and was ready for some ice cream. We all ate ice cream cones at about six in the morning! That was a lot of fun! On another day, because he enjoyed hot chocolate, we sat together in a recliner and had our ""coffee"". One morning, while his grandfather was making scrambled eggs and sausage for breakfast (one of my grandson's favorite foods for breakfast) he was still so excited, and exclaimed ""I love Grandma's house!"" He made both Grandma and Grandpa very, very happy. During the next week, we went out everyday to do something fun together. One evening my son went out to spend some time with a friend, so I prepared our grandson for bed. I received lots and lots of hugs and kisses, while saying our good nights and I love yous and tucking him in. That week was so wonderful." +"The event was a woman who has recently lost her grandaughter in a car accident. I noticed the woman alone standing in the museum and approached her. I started a conversation mentioning what a nice museum it was. She noded, said yes and smiled. I moved away to look at a nearby painting. I could not help but see her continue to stare at the one painting. She looked sad. I went back over to her and said, this painting is very lovely. It was then I got the surprise of the day when she told me the painter was her granddaughter and that she had died two months ago in a car accident. I was shocked and moved as I did not have a relative but a friend and co-worker who had died and it was after his death that I started going back to read his articles. He was a newspaper sports reporter. I could feel the women's agony and pride as I stood there next to her. It was as if the person was there again, just like for me. The time spent standing quietly next to this woman, gave me closure and a bond. I left happy to know she and I shared the chance to relieve the life of someone special to us, not just in memories, but in something tangible they had created." +"I went to the museum today to see the exhibit where Jenny's pictures are on display. It was a painful experience but a bit cathartic. She looked so happy in the pictures, just like she always did when she was alive. I cannot believe she is gone. At least I can go see her at the museum. It was seniors get in free Tuesday so I used the money that I would have spent on the ticket to get a sandwich from the cart outside the museum. I took the sandwich to the park near the museum that Jenny and I have lunch only 8 weeks ago. we had such a nice lunch and she told me about all the exciting details in her life. Her career was going wonderful. Her parents wanted her to do something practical but she wanted to be a model. I supported her and I spent many nights on the phone listening to her complain about my daughter and son-in law. She had a new boyfriend and loved her little apartment. Two weeks after that lunch Jenny was gone. I have a hard time holding back the tears as I write this. I was a bit afraid to go to the exhibit. I thought I might breakdown. Actually it was a pleasant experience. I have so many photos of Jenny in my home, I see them everyday. The pictures in the show were different. It was almost like she was alive again. I chatted with her a bit about life. I cried a little but mostly the experience brought me joy." +"The event was a woman who has recently lost her grandaughter in a car accident. I noticed the woman alone standing in the museum and approached her. I started a conversation mentioning what a nice museum it was. She noded, said yes and smiled. I moved away to look at a nearby painting. I could not help but see her continue to stare at the one painting. She looked sad. I went back over to her and said, this painting is very lovely. It was then I got the surprise of the day when she told me the painter was her granddaughter and that she had died two months ago in a car accident. I was shocked and moved as I did not have a relative but a friend and co-worker who had died and it was after his death that I started going back to read his articles. He was a newspaper sports reporter. I could feel the women's agony and pride as I stood there next to her. It was as if the person was there again, just like for me. The time spent standing quietly next to this woman, gave me closure and a bond. I left happy to know she and I shared the chance to relieve the life of someone special to us, not just in memories, but in something tangible they had created." +"This event occurred about 4 months ago, while on a trip to the Adirondacks in Upstate New York. When I finally got there with my friends for a weekend camping trip I decided to take a short walk around the surrounding campsite. It was a breath of fresh air that I took in as I don't usually get exposed to nature where I'm from. I didn't walk that far away when I suddenly heard some noise coming from the floors of the creek I was approaching. Leaves seem to be rattling and I can tell something was lurking underneath. I wondered what it could've been and decided that it was probably nothing to worry about. But I also too scared to walk further without my friends to accompany me. So I decided to stay there and wait for them to come get me; I should've mentioned that I told them I was walking to the creek. I sat on a giant slab of rock, covered with fern. It was cold and smelled like fresh cut grass. Then I starting to hear rattling again, very sharp and quick swipes of sounds coming from the fallen dried leaves on the ground. I picked up a small tree branch, a skinny dried out stick and poked around the leaves. It didn't take me very long to identify the area where the mysterious ruckus was coming from. I toppled some of the leaves from this particular area and saw a little mouse! I got scared, to be honest. Immediately, I threw the stick at it but it just ran away. I remember that it wasn't just a regular mouse but one with creepy big bulging eyes. Later my friends told me that it was probably something called a muskrat. The incident with mother nature got me thinking that maybe I'm not cut out for the outdoors after all. But the rest of the trip was nice, as I stayed mostly in the tent the entire time." +"One day four months ago, my eyes opened to the California sun in my face through my venetian blinds, little dust particles scattering before my waking consciousness. I was feeling good after a long run along the Santa Monica coastal path, and hour of yoga, and a nice Acai bowl before bed. It was a normal weekday, living off the interest of my well-invested exit cash from Snap's IPO, wondering which canyon I'd explore north of the Palisades. Altruistic good nature ebbed into my gathering self awareness, and I was compelled to do something good for someone else. I asked Siri, ""where can I donate blood?."" A list of blood drives popped up, and I was happy to see there was one right up the street. I popped up out of bed, threw on my huaraches, pancho, and skinny jeans and hopped on my one wheel for the quick jaunt. I had never donated before, but I take good care of myself, so I wasn't surprised I passed the screening. Needles are scary, but I sucked it up for the good I was doing and this little deposit in the karma bank. I stood up to walk away, threw a shaka at the phlebotomist, and started one wheeling it home. Suddenly I lost consciousness and fell into the curb. I came to in a hospital bed, concussed, and with a broken arm. The doctor suggested I have an MRI. I don't feel good about cosmic rays penetrating my body! A bone was protruding through my skin. There was blood everywhere." +"Towards the end of April, my mom and her fiance came to visit me and my husband from Pennsylvania the weekend after my birthday and she'd been asking me what I want to do. I'm a major homebody nowadays - what with having moved away from family, friends, civilization as I had always known it. I don't explore, I don't go out, I like comfy socks and TV shows. I live in the most rural area I've ever seen in my life after growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Talk about culture shock. But anyway, the last time I'd visited Pennsylvania, she had talked about doing an Escape Room as a team building thing for work and I expressed how much I wanted to try one of those. So even though I didn't know what I wanted to do after my birthday, my mom found an Escape Room in a nearby city. She booked it and we went. So this being my first Escape Room, I had no idea what to expect. Mom sent me the list of the ""scenarios"" and said we should do an easier one since it was my first, but the one that struck my fancy was the one where I was supposed to be an FBI agent - the hardest one. I said, ""I hear what you're saying, but I want to be an FBI agent!"" So that's the one we did. And we did really well. At first there were so many different things that could be puzzle pieces that I was literally running from corner to corner wondering where to start. That took more time than it needed to, but once the first puzzle got solved it was pretty smooth sailing. We were in the room with three teenagers who seemed a little shy. Having worked retail, I tried to introduce myself and get their names because - you know, team building. It took a little while for them to really start engaging with us. The whole thing went by in a blur and I honestly barely remember the entire process, I just know I had a great time and that we got the very, very last piece of the puzzle - a book with the code to unlock the door - when the clock was at 30 seconds. At this point, we weren't thinking as much as we should have been anymore and all but ignored the telling part of the clue that revealed the page of the book the code would be on. I was proud for almost getting out though, I think we definitely would have done if we didn't get frantic. Afterwards my husband told me that he loved seeing me like that. I had no idea what he was talking about. ""You were so amazing in there, you took charge of the situation and told people what you thought and I loved it."" I didn't realize how naturally I'd fallen back into my Assistant Manager role where I knew what to do and how it needed to get done, but it felt really good. It was a much needed reminder that I have valuable problem solving skills and leadership skills that I can apply when given the opportunity." +"Three months ago my mom wanted us to try something different. In a way, it was a form of catharsis that I didn't really know that I needed. I was working long and hard to improve on my thinking and leadership skills, but just could never crack or edge on through. My birthday took place on the day my mom wanted me and my husband to go with her to do an Escape Room. It was challenging, and exhausting, but we made some pretty substantial progress. There were so many different mechanisms involved that it was hard to imagine there was actually a way out. But I was excited, and I could tell my family was excited too. We had worked hard to make progress, and while it was slow, it was still progress. It was my first ever try at one of these rooms. I had only heard of them in passing but had never seriously looked into them. After that night though, I want to go more. It's an exhilarating way to pass the time and to have fun doing something a little bit different. It's hard to deal with certain things. Some things just felt counter-intuitive. We ultimately didn't make it to completion that night, but I'm confident I can do it if I had just a little more time." +"Two months ago I had to take a tech program examination. My standing at work was under challenge by other people in my company. If I didn't pass the test I would have been demoted and I would have had my pay lowered. I didn't want that so I tried my best to pass it. It was an extremely stressful time. I wasn't afforded much time to prepare for the test, not even a day. It was sprung on me at a moment's notice. I was worried that I wasn't going to make it on time to the test. I managed to make it there. When I sat down I got right to work. I started to calm down when I noticed that the questions were things I was very familiar with. This gave me confidence that I needed at the time. When the exam was finally done I was relieved. Later that week I found out the results of the exam, and I had passed. I was able to keep my social standing and position in the company. My boss and my co-workers congratulated me for passing." +"Two months ago I had to take a tech program examination. My standing at work was under challenge by other people in my company. If I didn't pass the test I would have been demoted and I would have had my pay lowered. I didn't want that so I tried my best to pass it. It was an extremely stressful time. I wasn't afforded much time to prepare for the test, not even a day. It was sprung on me at a moment's notice. I was worried that I wasn't going to make it on time to the test. I managed to make it there. When I sat down I got right to work. I started to calm down when I noticed that the questions were things I was very familiar with. This gave me confidence that I needed at the time. When the exam was finally done I was relieved. Later that week I found out the results of the exam, and I had passed. I was able to keep my social standing and position in the company. My boss and my co-workers congratulated me for passing." +"my wife and i had been having issues resulting from a range of problems. the most compelling had been the little time we spent together. so i decided to try to fix the issues we had by discussing with her and looking for a way to resolve the issue. she reluctantly agreed to a number of things we should do and changes so as to make our marriage work. among the things she said was that she wanted a trip to a wonderful island somewhere in chile . she had seen the place on a magazine. she said it will help us rejuvenate our relationship. i was reluctant at first but later agreed. i took some days off from work and took some loans to help fund the trip. we made arrangements and took off to the island. this happened two months ago. on our way to the island i started feeling like i had made a mistake, considering the cost and stress. because i was not talking as she should she was also quiet. the trip was very slow and boring. the closer we got to island the more i felt i made a mistake making that trip. we when i got to the island i was amazed as to how beautiful it was lots of sight seeing. beautiful landscape. This story captures the awe-inspiring island of Chiloé, Chile in a nutshell. Speaking to a small first day hike we took that culminated in walking among penguins and feeling quite proud of the accomplishment. it was a memorable experience that i would never forget. that trip fixed my marriage and i was glad i made that trip." +"Two months ago I finally had enough of my awful, filthy room mates. Sarah was so messy, she would make food and eat it on the couch with no napkin or tray, so of course crumbs would get everywhere. It wouldn't have made me so mad had she at least vacuumed afterwards but no, she made no effort to clean. This is on top of coming home from work every night to seeing John's laundry strewn about the apartment, piled in the halls and filthy. I tried to communicate to them, I really did.. We held apartment meetings, created chore lists; they would agree to start picking up after themselves, and to their credit they would.....for a week! Then it was right back to being filthy, dirty, nasty, messy all over again! Now, I'm not a clean freak but come on... live like humans, not animals! Last month they where both late on rent by a whole 2 weeks, I was able to cover it and told them they had to pay me back by the 14th. Well, the 14th came and I asked again for the rent money, I was told to stop bugging them about it and they'd get it...Apparently John didn't stop off at the bank after work.... Yea? Right! I couldn't take it anymore. I just said, ""OK, that's fine."" My name was thankfully NOT on the lease, it was in Sarah's as she had better credit, so I didn't have to worry about breaking contract. I called into my job the next day, packed my things and moved in with my sister for a few weeks as I got back on my feet. I am now in my very own apartment, it's small but it works for me. I can afford my necessities and make due just barely scraping by. But I'm happy now, I'm not as stressed, I don't have a huge mess to clean up everyday and although I'm in debt from having to use my credit cards to help me through this first month, I'd rather be in debt because of my actions, not because my room mates/""""friends"" didn't help pay bills. It sucks though, Sarah and I used to be best friends, and now we hardly talk. I'll never move in with friends again, not for a long time anyway, especially if I can make it on my own. When you start living with someone everyday, what you thought was tolerable or cute eventually becomes annoying and even mildly aggravating; and unless we can talk about it, it only gets worse. I think I've learned my lesson now. I'm focusing on myself and what I need to do, the future looks hard but bright." +"Prior to my 2nd son's 1st birthday party, we were told that several family members were going to attend. The day of, we found out by other people that majority of our family members weren't going to make it to his party. Not only were my husband and I let down, my kids were disappointed. We were so heart broken for them. Their cousins weren't there to play with them so they were they only kids. We of course decided to make the best of it and my husband ran around and played with our toddler while the one-year-old was getting plenty of attention from his grandparents and great grandparents. On the bright side, there was an abundance of food and drink for us all. We only had the party room rented for a couple hours so we needed to start packing up our food and decorations in time for the employees to clean. It felt like the party flew by! My mom had the funny idea of having my grandma, her, myself and my sister to all go down the giant inflatable slide together. She wanted to end the day on a positive and fun memory. After laughing about the idea, we starting climbing into the slide. My mom went down first and after much effort my sister and I made it down. We waited a while for my grandma to get to the top. The happiest and silliest moment of the day was watching her have so much fun sliding down the slide. We all got packed up and said our goodbyes with hugs to end the day." +"Prior to my 2nd son's 1st birthday party, we were told that several family members were going to attend. The day of, we found out by other people that majority of our family members weren't going to make it to his party. Not only were my husband and I let down, my kids were disappointed. We were so heart broken for them. Their cousins weren't there to play with them so they were they only kids. We of course decided to make the best of it and my husband ran around and played with our toddler while the one-year-old was getting plenty of attention from his grandparents and great grandparents. On the bright side, there was an abundance of food and drink for us all. We only had the party room rented for a couple hours so we needed to start packing up our food and decorations in time for the employees to clean. It felt like the party flew by! My mom had the funny idea of having my grandma, her, myself and my sister to all go down the giant inflatable slide together. She wanted to end the day on a positive and fun memory. After laughing about the idea, we starting climbing into the slide. My mom went down first and after much effort my sister and I made it down. We waited a while for my grandma to get to the top. The happiest and silliest moment of the day was watching her have so much fun sliding down the slide. We all got packed up and said our goodbyes with hugs to end the day." +"I am the coach of a youth level baseball team. This year marked my 10th year as a head coach. I was a major part in starting this program back in the summer of 2009. Since the beginning our our program we have fielded about 65 teams. 3 of them have won our league championship. This summer I took a team that had a losing record and tried to become the 4th team in our history to complete a championship run. The season started off well and the boys responded well to all the training and upgraded competition. We found ourselves as the number 2 seed in our division and the number 6 seed overall out of 45 teams. Things turned for the worst when we lost to a team we had beat 4 times earlier. We needed to win the next 2 games and keep our runs against down just to advance into the playoffs as a wildcard team. Somehow we found a way and won 2 very close games. The next morning we played in the quarterfinal against the team we lost to prior. Let’s just say the boys came to play. It was our biggest margin of victory the entire season. Our semifinal game was a nail bitter. This ended up as a 1 run game that we won in the last inning of play. On to the Championship the boys were on cloud nine! It was amazing watching them play with confidence and finally realizing they were the best team on the field. We took an early lead and never looked back. Finishing off the season with a 8-5 win and a record of 42-8. What an amazing season, one that I will never forget!" +"In July I left the United States for the first time in over 10 years. I went first to the UK but that was just a layover. I was leaving the US to move to Morocco so that I could meet a man I had met online and get to know him with the intent of working together and starting a relationship. This was so important to me because I was starting a new life. I remember getting off the plane. The Agadir airport is so small. I think only about 6 people work there. 2 immigration people, 1 customs person, 2 guys on baggage and 1 information person. I mean it's one of the smallest airports I have ever seen that accept international flights. It's so small they don't even charge you for a baggage cart. I remember getting my bags and heading out the door. I could see A from the foyer. It was the first time I have seen him in person. I was so terrified that he might not like me. I almost went back inside. However I walked outside and met him and it was amazing. Now I have been here for 2 months and I have never been happier." +"Three things I did this summer are very interesting. I have the opportunity to go to England with the band. The other thing I did was that I joined the Milwaukee Pro Golf Tournament GMO (Milwaukee). I think this is wonderful. The last thing that really stood out in my summer was that I met new people from other countries of the world including Wisconsin and the UK and Germany. First I ran away to England. This is the most exciting experience I have ever experienced. Last summer I wrote a journal travel diary to Europe and after a year I visited these diary entries again. Please remember the ups and downs of trains and planes through Spain and Italy while drinking coffee with important people. I am on the other side of this creature fence, but I know that my expecting wife wants to review pregnancy and learn from the first regression. From various foods to various emotions and triggers of various physical symptoms, by attaching a specific pregnancy diary, the burden can be reduced because the term passed. ter completing my Yellowstone work contract in late September, I drove the spectacular BearTooth Highway and went from there to the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument. Then from Custer’s Last Stand it was on to Custer, S.D. where I saw the annual Buffalo Roundup. Then I headed to Estes Park, Colorado to see friends I worked with last summer. I finished up at White Sands National Monument in New Mexico and enjoyed sledding down the snow white dunes. Everyone has something to contribute whether it’s with their people skills or just their willingness to do what is needed. But yet, it is not for everyone. It is spending lengths of time away from family and being out of their “comfort zone” that bothers some people. I am used to living “outside the box” so no TV, spotty or no cell service is not an issue for me. I am blessed to also be in healthy shape to be able to do this and for that I am extremely grateful." +"Throughout 2018 and into 2019, I had rekindled a romantic relationship with a girl that I used to date while I lived in Southern California several years earlier. I was living in Michigan so we established a long-distance relationship. We had known each other since 2001, and had been romantic partners for about a total of 10 years, but had not seen one another for about four years before we decided to reconcile. When we reconciled, we specifically agreed to see one another exclusively. I went to visit her in Los Angeles about seven times during the long-distance relationship for a total of about 3 months. She also visited me in Detroit. In February of this year, I went to visit her for about a week around Valentines Day. On one of the days I was with her, I mentioned to her something indicating that we were in an exclusive relationship. To my complete and utter surprise, she looked confused by my statement. She asked me, ""did we agree to that?"" I reminded her specifically of how and when we had agreed about it. The point here is that her reaction clearly showed me that she was not dating me exclusively. After discussing it with her for several minutes, she unconvincingly tried to backtrack and deny that there was anything for me even concern myself about. However, as I looked back at our relationship, it became clear to me that she had been seeing other guys while she was supposed to be exclusively with me. During the entire 17 years or so that I have known her, I was aware that she had challenges telling the truth. Her instant reaction to anyone who questioned her about something would usually be to provide a deceptive answer. She would often reveal to me the habitual lies that she would routinely tell other people and would even occasionally ask for my advice on a convincing lie to tell someone. I usually told her it was better to just tell the truth. Most of the time that I was with her, I naively believed that I was the only person that she was not lying to. But suddenly, I had discovered that I was also just another one of the many people that she routinely deceived. I carefully reexamined the prior year during our long-distance relationship and looked at it with skepticism about whether the things that she told me were truthful. I noticed that many of the things that never really made sense to me, actually made sense when I assumed that she was lying and cheating on me. It was a painful revelation to me to discover that someone that I loved and completely trusted was constantly deceiving me and being unfaithful to me. As a result of my long-distance girlfriend's inadvertent revelation and my own soul-searching about the depths of her deception, I ended my relationship with her and discontinued all contact with her. It has been a very painful lesson to me about trusting the wrong person too much. I assumed that she would never want to hurt me in the same way that I would never want to hurt her." +"It was a weird moment when my girlfriend revealed to me she was cheating on me. This happened while we were out at dinner. She started crying all of a sudden and told me that she had something to tell me. We had been dating for about 2 years up until that point. She told me she had been secretly seeing a coworker for about half a year now. They really liked each other and she was basically breaking up with me. When i heard the news, my heart broke. My eyes started tearing up and i was just confused. We had just bought a new apartment together so i really couldn't put 2 and 2 together. She was someone that i really cared about. She was my first love if i had to put it in exact words. She had been lying to me this whole time. All the times she said that she loved me was all lies. I was a bowl of mixed emotions at that time. 5 months later, i am a better man and have moved on. I even met a new girl that i really liked as well." +"That memorable event was my baptism that made me one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I celebrated it with a party with my friends. At the baptism, everyone kept congratulating and told me I had made one of the best decisions of my life. During the baptism, one would be dipped into water and that dipping into water signifies that one is dead to his past way of life. When I came out of the water, it signified that from that day henceforth, I was dedicating my life to serve Jehovah and to be obedient to him no matter what he asks of me. The baptism was not a hurried decision. I had been studying with Jehovah's Witnesses for more than two years before I decided that I wanted to get baptized. I had learned much about Jehovah, his word the Bible, and what it means to be a christian from Jehovah's Witnesses. When I decided to get baptized, the brother studying with me was very happy but I was happier. On the day of my baptism, I called all my friends to witness the event. My family also came to the Assembly hall. I must say that it was a very memorable day for me. I was very happy that day. I took lots of pictures and selfies so that the memory would remain with me for a very long time. That Saturday in April is one that I will never forget in a hurry. I must say that this is not my first time to undergo any baptism. But this baptism was the first where I was getting baptized with the full consciousness of what the symbolism involved and where I had the freedom to choose to do so. I love Jehovah and decided to serve him that is why I got baptized that day." +"This event is concerning when I was baptized as a Jehovah's witness. It happened in April and I still relish and remember that day. It has taken me about two years of continuous study of the Bible to finally be approved for baptism. I was very happy when the elders told me that I was approved for baptism. I told all my friends and family. I had not been baptized at any church in my life except when I was a child and so I was determined to make this day a memorable one. I asked all the questions I could ask about it and felt anxious when the day arrived. During the baptism, a baptismal talk was given and we were told to answer two questions. After that, we all lined up to present ourselves at the baptismal pool. I was nervous as I went to the pool and was dipped into the water. The dipping into the water signifies that I have been dead to my former course of life and was reborn to a new life with service to Jehovah in mind. I celebrated the day with friends and family. After the baptism, I held a party for my friends and family. The party was held at my home and I gave a talk on the significance of the day for me. I was then asked questions by those present and they gave me advice on how to make a success of my new resolve to serve Jehovah. The day ended by my giving a little prayer to Jehovah that I would do his will all the days of my life." +"A few months ago I attended a music festival in Orlando. I was invited by my best friend, his girlfriend and her sister. I was originally going to decline the invitation but I was able to get the weekend off at work so I decided I would go. We left Saturday afternoon and arrived in Orlando later that night. After arriving there , we went out to dinner with some of our friends who live in town. We were able to catch up on our lives for a couple of hours before we headed to the hotel to check in and sleep. The next day we got up and went to breakfast to get our stomachs full for a day of drinking and dancing. After filling our bellies we went to a liquor store to get out party supplies and then headed back to the hotel to pre-game. Afterwards, we went to the location of the festival and let the sounds of the electronic music move our bodies. I usually don't dance much but the alcohol changed my entire mindset. I found myself shuffling and dancing to the music as if I did it for a living. I had an absolute blast dancing all along the edge of the pool with the other party goers. This went on for about five hours before the rain started falling. It was then that we decided that our age was catching up to us and decided to call it a night. We went out to eat before heading back to the hotel to rest up for the trip back home the next day. It was an absolute blast of a weekend and I wouldn't mind going again." +"In early June I accompanied my friends to a music festival. It was in Orlando and it was my first time going to something like this. I wasn't going to go initially but I ended up getting the weekend off so I figured I had nothing to lose. We went up to Orlando the day before in order to get settled in and hang with some friends before the festival. The next day we went out and got all the essentials we would need for the day, namely alcohol. We had a few drinks in the hotel room and then took an Uber to the location of the festival. It was a pool party and everyone was dressed accordingly. I normally don't dance too much but after a few shots of vodka and a few beers I was a dancing machine. The weather was a bit gray and overcast but it was actually a blessing. Hundreds of people dancing and sweating wouldn't smell very good. We ended up dancing and partying until it started raining. When the rain came we decided we had enough and took an Uber to get something to eat. My age had caught up to me by that time and I realized how tired I was. I could barely hold my head up at the table but I was able to get through my meal. We then headed back to the room and slept like babies. All in all I had a really good time and I wouldn't mind going again." +"My recent visit to Africa. It was quite an experience! I recently traveled to Africa with my boss for a brief summit. The experience was thrilling. I got to realize that most things we hear about Africa are in fact fallacious. They were very accommodating and hospitable. In as much as most of the roads were deplorable, they were still motorable, which leaves room for improvement. The cuisine was esquisite. Their cultural display was really good. The weather condition was also great. I made new friends who were ready to learn and explore. The locals took me on various tours. They have good game reserve. I really enjoyed my entire time there. I wish to go there on a vacation sooner than later." +"My memory was a family reunion we went to a few months ago. I helped planned it for months and when it finally came the weekend I was so excited and anxious. I wanted to make sure everything went off without a problem. We had family coming in from all over the United States so we had prepare for alot. Unfortunately it was hot as ever and we didn't get to use the tent and chairs we purchased. We hung out inside most of the time. I enjoyed hugging necks of cousins, Aunts, Uncles etc I haven't seen in years. I was exhausted after it but enjoyed making memories. We had it at my brothers and sister in laws so they had alot more to prepare than I did. I did create a family album for the 9 brothers and sisters that was special to me. We also had a huge birthday cake made for all the sisters and brothers. They toasted champagne and blew out the candles because they are never together to celebrate each others birthday. We had a photo area where everyone took family picutres and they uploaded them online. We can go online and download them free of cost. Everyone exchanged information to keep in touch. It was such a good time had by all." +"My family used to have a family reunion every year when I was a kid. Now an adult, my family is trying to hold annual reunions once again. It was my brother's idea so we decided to invite everyone to his house. We held the reunion over the summer 3 months ago. We set the date to fall on my dad's birthday just like we used to. I was surprised at how many and how far some of relatives drove to attend! My cousins all came and they're from the country and so have tons of kids. My own kids were finally able to meet some aunts and uncles of mine that they had never met before. While it took the adults a little time to warm up to each other, the kids were all laughing and playing together in no time. The food was provided by potluck. My brother's wife is amazing cook and supplied some of the best dishes. Together with her contribution and all of the food brought in, there was a real feast! We ate outside for the most part even though it was one of the hottest days of the summer. When everyone was full, we played games in the backyard. I got to catch up with one of the cousins I was closest to growing up. It was so nice to finally meet her husband and their two small children. We've been in touch since. My brother and I are already planning our next reunion!" +"We found out that dad had terminal lung cancer around 6 months back. The entire family was devastated. Mom took it the hardest though. It made the entire situation much worse for me, as i had to somehow find a way to keep mom going while having to deal with such an unexpected shock myself. Dad had been coughing for years now. We have all been telling him to get and consult a doctor for years. He was adamant. No surprise there, old military habits. He always smiled when we brought up the topic. There was so much confidence in that smile that we let it go. Perhaps i shouldn't have. Could i have changed the outcome if i had pushed for a diagnosis with dad back then? I don't know. How could i push dad! He has always been known to be strong and adamant." +"It's been five months since I began the journey that made me realize why people say ""you are your own worst enemy"". It came on slowly at first. Fatigue, numbness, that general feeling of hopelessness when you constantly tell yourself that things would just be better if you'd make a list, a schedule, eat some vegetables, take up yoga. you know- drink the green tea.. If you'd just DO what needs to be done instead of procrastinating and enforcing the cycle of dread and overwhelm. It took me a couple months to believe that I wasn't suddenly just a useless, lazy waste of oxygen. That I needed someone who wasn't me to judge the situation. I had a hard time with the meds at first. There's a stigma. And therapy didn't magically fix me either. All my therapist could do was try and teach me coping methods and how to recognize the warning signs. Recognizing that there was a chemical imbalance in my brain didn't immediately cure me. It wasn't a waste of time but I still had a lot of work to do and it took time. Somewhere in there I decided I was worth the effort. Not every day is perfect but I've really been feeling back to myself the past couple months and it's amazing the difference. I wonder how I didn't notice how off kilter I was when I was in the trenches. It seems obvious to me, now,that I shouldn't feel the need to cry over an, admittedly, endless pile of dishes in the sink. I shouldn't feel defeated at the thought of taking a shower. I hope I never forget how I felt in that hard time, so I feel compassion and understanding for those struggling and can do my best to help others while remaining reasonable and unoffended when I am unable to ""fix"" them." +It's been so long since I've written in here! So much has been going on in my life. Things have been pretty stressful which is why I'm so glad made an addition to our family! About 6 months ago we adopted Azul. Azul is our amazing Blue-headed macaw. He is so much fun. He was just a baby when we adopted him from Angelina Jolie! I still can't believe we got to meet her. She was volunteering at the local animal shelter and we happened to be there at the same time. That just makes Azul so much more special to us. So Azul has been flying everywhere and getting very confident in his abilities. We've been working on training him to do certain tricks. Just within the past week we were able to get him to step onto our hand! It's so cute to see him walk so gently right into the palm of my hand. I am so in love with him. He was the best addition we've made in a long time and he is such a stress reliever! +It's been so long since I've written in here! So much has been going on in my life. Things have been pretty stressful which is why I'm so glad made an addition to our family! About 6 months ago we adopted Azul. Azul is our amazing Blue-headed macaw. He is so much fun. He was just a baby when we adopted him from Angelina Jolie! I still can't believe we got to meet her. She was volunteering at the local animal shelter and we happened to be there at the same time. That just makes Azul so much more special to us. So Azul has been flying everywhere and getting very confident in his abilities. We've been working on training him to do certain tricks. Just within the past week we were able to get him to step onto our hand! It's so cute to see him walk so gently right into the palm of my hand. I am so in love with him. He was the best addition we've made in a long time and he is such a stress reliever! +"It was rainy last Tuesday but my Alice still wanted to go out to Walmart and get her promised toy. On the left there was water crossing over the road to the other side. It seemed to have been flowing from one swamp to another. It wasn't raining, so I felt this was a very odd thing to have happen during summer. We suddenly hit the water and started fishtailing it. The car started to slide all over and I was losing the ability to control it. I was so scared and she was screaming in her car seat. The car turned and crashed into a tree. I was horrified. I thought I killed my daughter, but I could hear her screaming. Well she had bumped her head but no bleeding. I called 911 to come find us but they could't find our road on the system. We were on an old back road which had flooded. I was able to get myself out of the car and Alice out as well. Finally the 911 operator had said she found us. I was very grateful for it. Once we were check out we both had to go to the hospital in an ambulance as I had a broken arm and poor Alice had a concussion. The poor dear. I felt so bad for her, but I was thankful we were both alive and ok." +"Several months ago, I went to the doctor. For this purpose of the doctor, it was to get a physical. They checked my blood sugar. They checked my blood pressure. They checked my weight. They checked my cholesterol levels. They checked to find out how active I was. They checked my flexibility. They checked my physical strength. They checked my hearing and inside my ears. There were other things they checked as well. Afterwards, I was to come in again. For this purpose, it was to receive the results of the physical. I felt, as I often do, okay, but could be better. So much with the body is a science." +"I always think everything positively. This is a good thing. To follow this attitude, we have to keep good health. In my point of view, good health is most precious one. With the help of healthy body we can achieve anything. So To ensure this I always follow healthy diet. I always follow the doctor's advice in eating,sleeping and exercising. Yearly once I go to hospital to check my health. These process is one of part of taking care of my health. When meeting with doctor , we can learn many things abut diseases and how to protect ourselves from the dangerous diseases. When I met doctor before few months, he was advice about Giga virus. I was shocked about the impacts of the damn virus. So I just consider this activity as the most important thing in y life. Especially he was my family doctor. He always takes extra care on my family. So we always follows his advice. Then I always do Yoga in every early morning. So I can observe cosmic energy easily. I always advice my family and friends to follow the diet control and proper exercise. By following doctor's proper advice, I could feel so energetic. This can enhance me in my professional career. By consulting with doctor, I can increase the knowledge about diseases and germs. So I can protect my family. I always create awareness about diseases and good foods through campaigns and social medias. By doing this , I feel that I fulfilled" +"I was extremely excited when I became a father. I couldn't stop talking about my son to everyone I know. Even my friends got bored of listening to talk about him all the time, the joy of fatherhood was just overwhelming. After about two years, my wife and I were advised by some friends to start potty training. We didn't have any idea on what to do, as he was our was first child. We decided to talk my parents to get some tips on how to go about. Once we were about to start potty training him, we made a time-table, which mostly based on when at first it was fun. We thought everything was going great, we were having fun introducing the potty to him and demonstrating when he is supposed to use the potty. After the first week there was no improvement, we still were highly motivated to keep going, as were still had other methods and processes to try. After two more weeks it became clear that he was not improving in anyway, no matter the process we tried, even when we tried rewarding him he still did not improve. My wife and I then decided to go online for some updated information about potty training, because at that point we were already frustrated. We found some information which we applied. After the application and there was some slight improvement, but it was far from the main goal. We finally caved after about two months and we had to higher a professional. Hiring the professional was not cheap, but we had to make the sacrifice, also we were already emotionally exhausted. After about two weeks of hiring the professional there was some significant improvement. Till today we still wonder what we did wrong." +Something that's very meaningful that happened in the past 6 to 9 months was getting married. 6 months ago I got to walk down the isle after what seemed to be the longest 7 year engagement. I was very excited to finally take a step to the future. I have been with my husband for almost 10 years so getting married was a full circle of our relationship. Even though we haven't been married long I feel like we will have a long and successful life. We are currently trying to have a baby and expand our family. We have 2 dogs but we also would like to have 2 kids. We have also since remodeled our house I kinda feel that has put some stress on our relationship due to us both working full time and going to school and redoing a house all on our own. Its very hard and challenging but we step up together and keep pushing forward to complete each project and in the end we will be better off knowing we can be put through trying times and achieve our goals. We are looking forward to continuing building our life. We are very happy together. We are very patient with each other and we know how to interact with each other always. Our relationship isn't perfect. We do fight sometimes but we always move past it fast and continue back to happy times. I'm excited to see where life takes us. +Thinking over my life during the last six months there has been a lot of changes. I have bought a house and a new car. I also received a new job where I almost doubled my pay so that helped a great deal. I also got married after being with my fiancé for over 8 years so that was a great accomplishment. I have a very busy schedule I'm working 2 jobs plus doing my amazon surveys. I am also attending night school. My husband also works full time and goes to school as well. We are trying our best to be successful in life. We also try to have a date night once a week to keep the relationship going in a positive direction. We also go on lots of vacations together from going to the beach to the mountains. We are continuing to grow together as a couple and are working on expanding our family. We currently have 2 dogs named jax and tucker. They are pit bull and chichuaua. We have had jax for 5 years and tucker for 3 years. We plan to try for a baby next. +"Three weeks ago, at the company where I worked. They had a big party to celebrate that a great comma had been watching us with a project that the company would benefit greatly. Everyone was very happy and I could only see Teresa from human resources. She had taken A holiday in southern Greece and really looked more beautiful than normal. I wondered if she is admiring her beauty or was admiring the fact that she looked so relaxed and fresh and at that time I asked her to tell me about her vacation when that moment a companion arrived and fell and the champagne that he brought in the cup went to give the beautiful dress that the young woman brought. Immediately went to clean and I continued admiring its beauty in the distance. The next day some friends arrived with a money problem that to be honest do not understand something about bowling and I really ignored them, all the time I spent thinking about Teresa and her beautiful wine-colored dress. The truth is that I spent the next day thinking about her, what she would be doing where she was going and every time she had a chance. I talked to her but one day. unfortunately, she left work. got a better job offer and without hesitation she left. So now I only think if I will see her again one day. I hope it's like that. Maybe that day I can invite a coffee. Maybe now if he says we go to lunch and get to know you better." +"Oh heavens. Back in September I went to the science educators conference down in Long Beach. I was supposed to just be there to observe and maybe pick up some ideas for the group. However, I got sucked into a major presentation! I couldn't believe it. On the second day I ran into Bob from the 8th grade team. He mentioned that their main speaker had caught the measles and was under quarantine and asked would I please step in since he new I have a masters in science education. Well, I was pretty surprised. First of all, I didn't even realize Bob was at the conference - I thought it was just the grade level leads. Secondly, I had no idea what their presentation proposal had been. But, Bob looked pretty upset so I figured I'd give it a shot. I mean, show I'm a team player and all that. Well, then I found out that the presentation was at 4pm that afternoon. Talk about no time to prepare! So I'm madly checking out their presentation outline, their slides, and their purpose and thinking ""I can't believe this."" I basically gave up a whole day of the conference in order to save Bob's rear. I sure hoped it wouldn't be as bad as I thought. I can't believe I'm going to say this, but the presentation went so well, I was mobbed at the end! So many people came up to chat and exchange cards. I feel like the crazy hours of stress were totally worth it." +My oldest daughter got accepted into the Disney College pRogram. We moved her from Pennsylvania to Florida which is about 16 hours away. She was going to be living in Florida for 7 months. We decided before we moved her in to do a week vacation and visit Disney World and Clear Water Beach. It was very last minute but we had the best time! We went to all of the parks and had tons of fun. We ate at new restaurants and some of our old favorite ones. The weather was very hot and rainy but we still had a great time. My son loved meeting allt he characters and visiting the Lego Store in Downtown Disney. We ate at Beast Castle and had one of the best steaks I have ever had. We did tons of swimming and shopping. We went to Clearwater and had a great day on the beach. The water was so clear then we walked all the shops along the Boardwalk. We ate a a little restaruant with cheap drinks and very good fresh seafood. We really had a great time bonding as a family even though we knew that we wer leaving our daughter. +My oldest daughter got accepted into the Disney College pRogram. We moved her from Pennsylvania to Florida which is about 16 hours away. She was going to be living in Florida for 7 months. We decided before we moved her in to do a week vacation and visit Disney World and Clear Water Beach. It was very last minute but we had the best time! We went to all of the parks and had tons of fun. We ate at new restaurants and some of our old favorite ones. The weather was very hot and rainy but we still had a great time. My son loved meeting allt he characters and visiting the Lego Store in Downtown Disney. We ate at Beast Castle and had one of the best steaks I have ever had. We did tons of swimming and shopping. We went to Clearwater and had a great day on the beach. The water was so clear then we walked all the shops along the Boardwalk. We ate a a little restaruant with cheap drinks and very good fresh seafood. We really had a great time bonding as a family even though we knew that we wer leaving our daughter. +"Today, I had a very interesting thing happen to me at work. It involved something that I was hoping that might happen a little later down the line in my career. I guess it was one of those things that really takes you by surprise when it happens a lot sooner than expected. I was pulled aside by my Operations Manager for a little chat. We mainly talked about usual work related stuff and such, nothing too out of the ordinary. He twas telling me about a new position that had opened up for the current lead on the team and that they would be moving on to a different account. I was thought that this was good for them and mentioned that I hope they did well in their new position. My boss then says that it would obviously open up a new spot and that they would need to get someone new to come in. He asked what I thought about this and I just said that I wasn't sure at the moment but that I thought one of my other colleagues could probably step into the position. Then out of no where he just says that he's going to give it to me. At first I thought he was joking but then I saw that he appeared to be serious. I was a little caught off guard by this because I thought that some of the others might be better suited to step into this position. He basically told me that he thought that I had been doing such a good job and that I had shown the ability to do the job. I still felt a little uneasy about it but at the same time I knew that I could take on the challenge if I put the effort into it. I told him that I would gladly accept and that I would do my best. That was the very surprising and super exciting highlight from my day today." +I recently had to get a MRI done. I have been feeling a lot of dizziness lately. It is a little unsettling. I have no problems with MRI's though. It was honestly kind of relaxing. I am lucky that I am not claustrophobic. Getting an MRI done can be very helpful. It can help your doctors determine what is causing symptoms. MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. It uses a magnetic field and radio waves to make images. I have not heard the results yet. I am not too worried because my symptoms have not been getting worse. I trust my doctors and MRIs. I am not sure how expensive a MRI would be without insurance. Luckily I had insurance to cover it. +"I have recently come to the realization that I am asexual. I've always wondered why I do not crave or want to ever have sex or do anything sexual with anyone. I did some research and found that there is a large spectrum of asexuality. I found one aspect of it that explained how I exactly feel. I am homoromantic. I've always known I was gay but I've wondered why I never have the desire to even date someone. What homoromantic basically means is that I am exclusively attracted to males but not attracted to sex. I've never really been interested in gaining affection from people. I don't even like being touched. I do not crave social interaction to make me feel good about myself. I do masturbate as much as most guys, I think, but I am happy with just that and don't need anyone else. The desire to masturbate is just to release the tension that guys feel after not ejaculating for awhile. I've never had the desire to be in a relationship or have children. I am perfectly fine knowing that I will be by myself for the rest of my life. I enjoy my own company and have many hobbies." +"So, three months ago I reconnected with an old classmate. I hadn't seen him in over 30 years I was excited but worried, the only thing I was worried about is if we still would have the same chemistry we once did. At the end of the month we met up at a fast food restaurant. Once we met up again it was like old times and I realized that chemistry can't really die. It had been thirty years since we last talked but, it felt like we hadn't talked for a few days instead. We talked about old times, all the things we did in high school all the trouble we had gotten into when we were younger. We discussed old friends and old loves we had. We discussed our families and anyone we were still in contact with. I learned that he had married one of our old friends from high school and we actually made plans to have dinner at his house so that I can meet their kids and see his wife again. Its crazy to think his youngest kid of 4 children is a senior in high school. I feel like it was only a couple years ago that we were having house parties and running from the cops. Of course, that's years ago now at this point. I found out that he had a few dark years after high school, he told me the trouble he got into. He spent a few years in jail for burglary, but said those days are long behind him. We are both old now. We kind of realized simultaneously at the restaurant how two punk kids whose parents and teachers told them they were going to be nothing ended up having pretty nice lives. Also, it didn't matter anyway all the people who had their sour opinions about us are dead at this point anyway. We talked for a few more hours, before we realized that it had been a few hours. We made plans for another dinner, a week later. I can say that the chemistry hasn't faded, and to hold onto friends through thick and thin." +"So, three months ago I reconnected with an old classmate. I hadn't seen him in over 30 years I was excited but worried, the only thing I was worried about is if we still would have the same chemistry we once did. At the end of the month we met up at a fast food restaurant. Once we met up again it was like old times and I realized that chemistry can't really die. It had been thirty years since we last talked but, it felt like we hadn't talked for a few days instead. We talked about old times, all the things we did in high school all the trouble we had gotten into when we were younger. We discussed old friends and old loves we had. We discussed our families and anyone we were still in contact with. I learned that he had married one of our old friends from high school and we actually made plans to have dinner at his house so that I can meet their kids and see his wife again. Its crazy to think his youngest kid of 4 children is a senior in high school. I feel like it was only a couple years ago that we were having house parties and running from the cops. Of course, that's years ago now at this point. I found out that he had a few dark years after high school, he told me the trouble he got into. He spent a few years in jail for burglary, but said those days are long behind him. We are both old now. We kind of realized simultaneously at the restaurant how two punk kids whose parents and teachers told them they were going to be nothing ended up having pretty nice lives. Also, it didn't matter anyway all the people who had their sour opinions about us are dead at this point anyway. We talked for a few more hours, before we realized that it had been a few hours. We made plans for another dinner, a week later. I can say that the chemistry hasn't faded, and to hold onto friends through thick and thin." +TODAY I ATTENDED THE FUNERAL OF MY BROTHER. HE WAS ONLY FIFTY-TWO. I WAS DEVASTATING BECAUSE HE LIVED WITH ME AND WE WERE CLOSE. WE WOULD HAVE LONG TALKS EVERYDAY AND REMINISE ABOUT THE GOOD OLD DAYS. HIS DEATH WAS A COMPLETE SHOCK TO ME AND EVERYONE. HE WAS AT HOME WITH ME AND JUST STOP BREATHING AND TRIED TO REVIVE HIM. BUT HE LEFT . I WAS DEVASTATED AND IN SCHOCK. I THOUGHT HOW CAN I MOVE ON NOW MY BEST FRIEND IS GONE AND THEN I REALIZED I WILL SEE HIM AGAIN. ONE DAY SOON WE WILL SIT AND TALK ABOUT THE GOOD OLD DAYS FREE OF PAIN AND REGRET. I CANT WAIT TO SEE HIM AGAIN AND TELL HIM HOW MUCH I HAVE MISSED HIM. I HAVE KEPT ALL OF HIS THINGS JUST AS THEY WERE WHEN HE WAS HOME. I SOMETIME THINK HE IS HERE WHEN I HERE A STRANGE NOISE. I DO BELIEVE IN THE AFTERLIFE AND THAT EVEN THOUGH WE CANT SEE THEM THEY ARE HERE. I WILL BE SITTING ALONE AND HE COMES TO MY MIND. TONY I LOVE YOU AND CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU AGAIN. I KNOW YOU WILL BE THE FIRST PERSON I WILL SEE. +"I was with my sister in law and she was pregnant at the time. I remember she was still not due for a couple weeks or more. Her water broke when I was with her and she went into labor, I was the only other person with her at the time. I remember being so worried and scared because I had never been in such a situation before, only seen it being played out in movies and TV shows. I got her stuff together and put it in the car and then took her to the car and we headed for the hospital, I called on the way to make sure they knew we were coming. When we got there they put her in the room and I could finally think and I called my brother and the rest of the family to let them know what was going on. I stayed in the room with her for a bit until my brother could get there and then I went into the waiting area and stayed, waiting on family to get there. We waited a bit before we got news that the baby was born, I was so excited to have another nephew. Everyone took turns visiting the baby and the parents. I waited a bit before going to visit because I was going to be staying a little longer than everyone else, so I took a little nap while waiting to see the baby. I remember my mom waking me up and I felt like I had been sleeping for hours but it had only been around 30 minutes or so. So I went to see my sister in law, brother and my new nephew after most people had left. It was really nice to be able to hold him and look at him after waiting for him to be born all of these months. I went home soon after because I was really tired. I was happy everything went well with me getting her to the hospital but I never wanted to go through that again, it was way too stressful." +"I finally have a chance to write about what happened two weeks ago when my niece was born. I was sitting home alone relaxing when I get a frantic phone call from my sister in law who lives around the block. She said she feels some pain and thinks she might be having the baby. She was 38 weeks pregnant, so I figured it was just Braxton Hicks contractions, but I headed over to her house anyway. Once I got there and saw the puddle of liquid on the floor around her I knew she was having the baby. She didn't want to call an ambulance because they would take her to the closest hospital, not the one she wanted to go to. I had no choice but to drive her. This was her third child and the doctors had predicted that once she went into labor she would deliver very quickly, so I was terrified she was going to deliver my niece in my car. The 45 minute drive to the hospital was the most nerve wracking experience of my life. I can't even explain how much I was shaking and praying. I was praying we made it, I was praying I wouldn't have to deliver a baby on the side of the road. For as much as I was freaking out my sister in law was surprisingly calm. She focused on her breathing and didn't talk much. I could tell as we approached the hospital that the pain was starting to be too much for her. I pulled up outside of the hospital and she jumped out and ran into the emergency room. I parked the car and ran inside after her. They took her into the delivery room right away and luckily my brother was able to make it to the hospital before the baby was born. After it was all over it felt great to be so involved in the birth of my niece. It was a long day, but once all my family came to the hospital to be with us and visit it turned out to be a great experience." +"This was a while ago now. I may not remember as many details. The wedding took place on a farm that belonged to my cousin's father-in-law. Since there were no trees around, it was nice and quiet and quite beautiful. It was very hot, and the reception being held in a nearby metal barn didn't help either. The bathrooms were in a trailer that was air conditioned, so that was nice. I was able to see family from Chicago, England, LA, and other places I don't normally get to see. It was fun watching my dad have to squirm while he interacted with brothers he doesn't particularly care for. They had an issue with food running out, so my aunt had to call a local pizza place for an emergency order. In the end it all worked out. The ceremony was nice, and my cousin looked beautiful in her dress. I felt like I was sweating too much due to the heat, and the pictures I'm in I don't look too good in. In an odd turn of events, I never actually got to speak to her husband, even though we were in a picture together. But I understand they were very busy that day and had a lot of guests to interact with. Overall I had a very good time at the wedding." +"This was a while ago now. I may not remember as many details. The wedding took place on a farm that belonged to my cousin's father-in-law. Since there were no trees around, it was nice and quiet and quite beautiful. It was very hot, and the reception being held in a nearby metal barn didn't help either. The bathrooms were in a trailer that was air conditioned, so that was nice. I was able to see family from Chicago, England, LA, and other places I don't normally get to see. It was fun watching my dad have to squirm while he interacted with brothers he doesn't particularly care for. They had an issue with food running out, so my aunt had to call a local pizza place for an emergency order. In the end it all worked out. The ceremony was nice, and my cousin looked beautiful in her dress. I felt like I was sweating too much due to the heat, and the pictures I'm in I don't look too good in. In an odd turn of events, I never actually got to speak to her husband, even though we were in a picture together. But I understand they were very busy that day and had a lot of guests to interact with. Overall I had a very good time at the wedding." +"The scariest thing happened to me a couple months ago. I had a tree that was dying and in danger of falling in my front yard. I have been told sometimes these dying trees are referred to as 'widow-makers' because they have been known to fall over on a whim and cause fatal accidents. After learning that, I decided the safest thing to do would be to chop it down preemptively. I used a chainsaw and this was my first time using this tool as well as my first time cutting down a tree. Well, I learned my lesson because the tree fell down in the wrong direction and almost killed me anyways. The one thing I was trying to prevent in the first place. This came as a total shock because I did not even consider this being a possibility to watch out for. I should have watched a youtube instructional video first! As usual, I thought I could handle anything and did not need to research such a ""simple task"" before hand. I was wrong. I always expected my life to flash before my eyes in an event like this. However, this was not the case because it all happened so fast. The dang tree almost was a widow-maker after all. Next time I will hire a professional (or so my spouse insists)." +When you chop down a tree you got to make a face cut and then a felling cut. You make the face cut in the direction that you want the tree to fall. You then make the felling cut 180° from the face cut. In such a way that you can escape safely when the tree starts to crack and fall. Conventional wisdom says that you should not try to cut down a tree that has a lean in it. Or cut down a tree on a windy day. I was trying to cut down a tree that had a lean and it was windy. I made the face cut extra deep you're only supposed to go 30% I want about 50%. I was also using an axe which is inherently dangerous and much more difficult than a chainsaw but much more manly. As I was cutting the felling cut strong gust of wind came up and blew directly opposite where I wanted the tree to land. I then heard some cracking and so I ran 45° away from the tree. And much to my horror the tree went backwards. this resulted in the tree getting hung up and some other trees which is an even more dangerous situation. I picked myself up off the ground and looked at the situation which was not what I had been expecting. It was frightening but the realization didn't really hit me until the adrenaline had gone down a bit. I know the chopping down trees is dangerous but it can be relatively safe as long as you follow a few rules. I learned that you definitely need to follow those rules that day. +"The scariest thing happened to me a couple months ago. I had a tree that was dying and in danger of falling in my front yard. I have been told sometimes these dying trees are referred to as 'widow-makers' because they have been known to fall over on a whim and cause fatal accidents. After learning that, I decided the safest thing to do would be to chop it down preemptively. I used a chainsaw and this was my first time using this tool as well as my first time cutting down a tree. Well, I learned my lesson because the tree fell down in the wrong direction and almost killed me anyways. The one thing I was trying to prevent in the first place. This came as a total shock because I did not even consider this being a possibility to watch out for. I should have watched a youtube instructional video first! As usual, I thought I could handle anything and did not need to research such a ""simple task"" before hand. I was wrong. I always expected my life to flash before my eyes in an event like this. However, this was not the case because it all happened so fast. The dang tree almost was a widow-maker after all. Next time I will hire a professional (or so my spouse insists)." +"My son just turned 18, so I decided to take him and his friends to New York, about 3 months ago. The drive took about eight hours and we were all hungry. We went to an amazing Japanese restaurant on Times Square. The food was great. My son loved it. Although I think a few of his friend would have rather ate pizza. After eating, we decided to check into a hotel for the night. We were all very tired from the drive and just wanted to relax. Yet, the excitement was evident, as we all had tickets to see the Broadway show, ""Lion King"". I don't think anyone got a full nights sleep. In the morning, we all ate a huge breakfast at the hotel. We decided to take the subway to see the show. I think this was a first time experience for everyone. After exiting the subway, we walked two city blocks to the show. The show was absolutely amazing. The sounds and actors were brilliant. This was the high point of the trip. After the show, we ate pizza on Times Square. Then we returned to the hotel to check out. We had a wonderful trip." +"Today is Easter Sunday, it's a beautiful day and I'm having a wonderful time spending the week at my daughter's house. The kids woke me up early because they were excited to see what the Easter Bunny had brought for them and were eager to hunt for their eggs. We all sat down and enjoyed a nice breakfast and relaxed while the kids tore into their baskets. In the afternoon, we all thought it would be nice to take a walk to the beach and let the kids burn off some of that candy energy. We all had a great time. It had been a few hours so we thought we should head back to the house because we were expecting Jessica's in-laws for Easter dinner. As we approached the house I noticed that the street was full of parked cars. I figured all of the neighbors were having family over as well. When I walked into the house I was stunned! It was a surprise party for my 50th birthday! There were so many people there, aunts, uncles, cousins and old friends, many I haven't seen in years. We all ate and talked a lot, mostly catching up. While we were eating cake the family surprised me with a video they had put together. Everyone in my family had a part in it, even some old friends. Each one of them wished me a happy birthday and talked about their most memorable moments with me. I could hardly see because tears just kept running down my face. I laughed a lot too, so many great memories, where does the time go? I never expected this and felt so honored that my family thought so much of me to organize such a wonderful gift of memories. It is the best gift I have ever received and now one of my most prized possessions. I watched the video again after everyone had gone home. This was one of the most memorable days of my life." +"March 21, 2019Dear Journal,Today my daughter was born! This has been the most exciting day of my life thus far. It has been a very emotional ride and will continue to be. Chelsea started labor at around 6 this morning. We were in the labor room for hours and hours and she was drifting in and out of sleep. I couldn't sleep at all. I was very anxious and nervous and I guess a little scared too. She was in active labor for 15 hours before the doctor decided it was best to do a C-section. I really didn't like this idea, but the doctor said that Elizabeth was getting stressed out and tired inside of Chelsea. They took us all to the OR but had me wait in a separate waiting area for what seemed like forever, until finally bringing me. The actual surgery itself was very scary. I wasn't sure what was going to happen. In the end, everything turned out okay and I got to meet my newborn daughter and first child, Elizabeth. The rest of the night in the hospital was very stressful, because we had to moved into 3 different rooms until finally settling in the one we will have for the next 3 days. This experience will impact me for the rest of my life." +"My girlfriend and I decided to book two plane tickets to Orlando, Florida and go to Disney World for the Weekend. Out plane took off in the morning from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and landed at approximately 11:00 am in Orlando, Florida. After we picked up our rental car we drove to the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa which is located on Disney's property to unpack our bags in the hotel room. With almost the entire day left we decided to go to the Magic Kingdom park. The most memorable experience was the first night when we both went to the Magic Kingdom park to watch the fireworks and light show displayed on and around Cinderella's Castle while eating our favorite ice cream from Main Street USA. After we watched the fireworks and light show we then decided to do some shopping in the nearby stores. We bought a few things and then decided to head back to the hotel room. We then has a magical two more days at Disney World that was full of fun memories we will never forget. When it was out last night we ended up in Epcot where we got to travel around the world to the several different countries. The next day we packed out bags and started driving towards the airport to catch our flight. We were laughing and smiling all the way back to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the best trip we had ever taken and we can't wait to go back soon. Disney will always be a very special place in our hearts. We constantly talk about this trip to our friends and family and encourage them to also take a spontaneous trip with their significant other because it is like no other. Hollywood Studious park just announced they are releasing the opening date for Star Wars meaning it may be fun to fly down the weekend it opens. Overall, everything from the fireworks and light show with ice cream to fabulous milkshakes and traveling around the world in Epcot was an amazing experience." +"My family and I went on a trip to Disney's Magic Kingdom for the holidays and it was an amazing experience. The theme park always decorates so intricately and creates an amazingly festive atmosphere that my family really enjoyed. We just arrived back home last week and I am already wishing I could go back! My absolute favorite part of the trip was watching the fireworks above the castle, they were simply stunning. The lines for the rides were extremely long due to the park being packed for the holidays, as well as the new Star Wars ride opening. Unfortunately I did not get to ride Rise of the Resistance because we had too many little children with us who were afraid. Instead we rode many of the rides in Fantasyland, which I love due to the nostalgic feelings of reminiscing about visiting the theme park when I was a young child. We also spent quite a bit of time shopping in Disney Springs. My nieces and nephews all had to buy various Mickey Mouse ears, which were adorable and holiday-themed. We also enjoyed just walking through all of the different shops to see the unique items they might have. I ended up buying a piece of jewelry for myself, which I love and am wearing right now! We ate dinner at Planet Hollywood, which has been another favorite of mine since I was a child and I have many good memories of eating at this restaurant in different areas of the United States. It also had a good kid's menu, so everyone was happy, and we all had their amazing milkshakes! On our last day in the parks we visited Epcot, which was so fun! We traveled around the work and sampled food at each place we went to." +"Five months ago, I went one on the best trips I can remember. I couldn't wait, it was the first time going to Bogota, Colombia. Before leaving the airport, I had been staying at my Dad's place getting ready for my trip. His place is closest to the airport so it made the most sense to stay there. For the next three months, I stayed at a friend of the family's house in Bogota. Since I was there for three months, I had enough time to visit all the tourist spots. I went to one of churches right by the house. The inside of the church was beautiful and the statues took my breath away. What really blew my mind was the food. Everything tasted so fresh and the food was amazing. I went to the local market and they had fresh fish right from the rivers. It was unbelievable. That night I went home and had fresh grilled fish. I connected with some friends there and they showed me the non tourist spots. It was really fun I felt like I had a peek into their daily life and wasn't an outsider. As my trip was winding down and I was due back home, I felt a bit sad to be going back. However, just as I was leaving I got a notification from one of my friends that showed a collage of pictures from the trip that they posted. It made me feel much better." +"Five months ago, I went one on the best trips I can remember. I couldn't wait, it was the first time going to Bogota, Colombia. Before leaving the airport, I had been staying at my Dad's place getting ready for my trip. His place is closest to the airport so it made the most sense to stay there. For the next three months, I stayed at a friend of the family's house in Bogota. Since I was there for three months, I had enough time to visit all the tourist spots. I went to one of churches right by the house. The inside of the church was beautiful and the statues took my breath away. What really blew my mind was the food. Everything tasted so fresh and the food was amazing. I went to the local market and they had fresh fish right from the rivers. It was unbelievable. That night I went home and had fresh grilled fish. I connected with some friends there and they showed me the non tourist spots. It was really fun I felt like I had a peek into their daily life and wasn't an outsider. As my trip was winding down and I was due back home, I felt a bit sad to be going back. However, just as I was leaving I got a notification from one of my friends that showed a collage of pictures from the trip that they posted. It made me feel much better." +"Well this all started about one month ago. I asked my mother and father if it was okay that I move in to the family house for a couple of weeks since the wife and I were in the process of buying our first home. I thought everything would be okay but my mom failed to return an answer to me that same day, in fact she never answered me about the question as a matter of fact. After this they both started acting weird with me, not returning my calls and just being very distant with me, it was awkward and frankly, it hurt me. I finally had the nerve to ask them what was wrong and why they did not include me. They did not have an answer for me instead they behaved as if nothing happened, it was disheartening and made me lose all hope. I gave up and went a few days without even thinking about them when my sister messaged me, she said she had something important to tell me. I immediately messaged her back and we agreed to have some coffee that same evening. We met up that day and my sister said she had some big news to tell me, which I was surprised to hear, even more surprised when she told me the reason my parents were distant these past few weeks. She said that all this time they had been lying to me about not being angry and in reality they were very mad at me. The reason? Apparently they could not fathom that I did not baptize my child under their Catholic customs, which is something I was always vehement about not believing, but they did not want to see it nor care until now when it was my daughter's turn to be baptized, they felt it was my duty as a born Catholic. I was enraged and I vowed never to speak to them again. I haven't since then, they have yet to call me or even send me a text. This was very surprising to me and I never imagined to be in this predicament." +"I went over the parents house to celebrate the 4th of July. I had not been over there for a while. It took longer then I remember. It could have been because of the thought I talking about the same things over and over like always. While everyone in our family loves one another, it often turns into the same type of thing. Every get together seems to be the same. The parents try to get to know what going on. One parent or both try to offer advice or directly tell what should have been done instead. Disagreements on what happened in the past often occur between siblings. Sometimes we fight over the same things since last time we met. But in this case, none of that really happened. The parents asked what was going on in our lives overall and left it at that. All the siblings remember the good memories and didn't disagree on anything. It was kept civil and fun. We enjoyed all the food and had a great time." +"I went over the parents house to celebrate the 4th of July. I had not been over there for a while. It took longer then I remember. It could have been because of the thought I talking about the same things over and over like always. While everyone in our family loves one another, it often turns into the same type of thing. Every get together seems to be the same. The parents try to get to know what going on. One parent or both try to offer advice or directly tell what should have been done instead. Disagreements on what happened in the past often occur between siblings. Sometimes we fight over the same things since last time we met. But in this case, none of that really happened. The parents asked what was going on in our lives overall and left it at that. All the siblings remember the good memories and didn't disagree on anything. It was kept civil and fun. We enjoyed all the food and had a great time." +I've always been the type to make money and save money. I just always thought it was important to be able to manage money. Managing money can be very lucrative in the future for anyone. So I just thought it was best to learn it early on in life. I had a friend who struggled with doing just that. we weren't really friends at first it took time to connect. Our relationship started due to them not being able to budget correctly. So I was able to help them out with that. Due to my patience and advice it sparked a little friendship between us. Even after giving them advice I prayed for them to get help and learn how important it was to budget and save. I was grateful and joyful once we became friends. I ended up gaining a lot of help and outstanding relationship for years. All thanks to a prayer that helped me and friend out. Things can always get better due to practice. Being determined to do something will help out as well. +I've always been the type to make money and save money. I just always thought it was important to be able to manage money. Managing money can be very lucrative in the future for anyone. So I just thought it was best to learn it early on in life. I had a friend who struggled with doing just that. we weren't really friends at first it took time to connect. Our relationship started due to them not being able to budget correctly. So I was able to help them out with that. Due to my patience and advice it sparked a little friendship between us. Even after giving them advice I prayed for them to get help and learn how important it was to budget and save. I was grateful and joyful once we became friends. I ended up gaining a lot of help and outstanding relationship for years. All thanks to a prayer that helped me and friend out. Things can always get better due to practice. Being determined to do something will help out as well. +"I have a one best girl friend. Both of them are very interesting to share their feelings. Both of them are very happy when we are good friends and have a dating with them. Later some personal problem i went with her and joined. But she rejected me. I suffered lot .She also so sad to ignoring me and i went her house and told about reason. She can't accept it. And later she accep it. I feel very happy. Both of them are went outside and enjoying. I very happy for my girlfriend dating in a long distance relationship for 6 months. We again finally met in real life. I spent two weeks with her, the best two weeks of my life. It is a unforgottable one in my life. After long days we joined together. I thank god." +"That day, it still haunts me and keeps me up at night. It was a normal Thanksgiving week filled with all of the normal stress that is entailed. I had to go out and get all the ingredients for the food I planned making for that day. As the week went on I heard from more and more family telling me that they were planning on coming to my house. This would be the biggest thanksgiving we have ever had! I had to make sure that all the food was perfect. After buying all of my ingredients, I had to make sure to get my house clean. I also had to make sure to decorate too! The week went on slowly as ever but finally the day came. I was up early preparing all of the food. The clock had finally struck 2 and guests were starting to arrive. My aunt from Florida came and it was nice to see her after such a long time. She told me about all of his new fitness goals and how she had being going to the gym 5 times a week. As more guests began to filter in I saw my aunt start to look sick. Out of nowhere she passes out and we rushed her to the hospital. The doctor came out and told us my aunt had stage 4 brain cancer and that he would have about a week to live. She ended up dying that night in the hospital." +"Well as usual I had to go potty. As soon as we walked in our room and I decide to just go ahead and strip off my clothes while I am in the potty. I come out of the potty and walk directly across to the luggage/closet area. I open the suitcase to find something I can lounge around in. Well, while I am bent over, mind you naked as a jaybird,looking through the suitcase. I suddenly hear my husband scream my name and slam a door. He had gone out to the balcony to look at some brochures and rest a while. He had left the door open unbeknownst to me. In the meantime someone had pulled in and backed into a parking spot so that they were now facing our room. He said they were just sitting there pointing and laughing. He could not figure out why so he got up to come inside. Then he said that was when he realized what all the laughter was about. The whole time there I was in all my glory rummaging through my suitcase oblivious to the fact that my butt was the butt of their joke! I was mortified! I definitely will be careful getting dressed from now on." +"Today, I got together with my best friends. We met in high school, and almost right away became good friends. We haven't seen each other in a long time, and that's why we decided to come out for a good vacation. It was a lot of fun, and we did many things together. The beach was nice. And the weather was great. We swam, and told each other stories. My friends and I even build a sand castle together, even though I thought that was a little childish. But we had fun. And that's the most important part. We haven't seen each other in a while. So we had a lot to say. We enjoyed our time there, and had a blast. It was great. I'm never going to forget the time we spend together." +"Lately I have really started to build my cardio up with running. I got into a habit of setting my alarm at 5am and going for a morning run before work. It really seems to give me energy through the day, and is the best workout imaginable at that time in the morning. My stamina has also increased nearly three times over, and I can run for a few miles easily without even feeling winded. About a month ago I went for a super long run back to my old hometown. It was still before sunrise and the town was eerily silent. I kept going towards an old elementary school that I attended as a kid. I'm not sure what came over me but I opted to stop running immediately noticed a massive tree I remember from school. We often used to climb this same tree during recess, and it brought positive memories to once again be in its presence. A tree that I took for granted at the time was standing before me, looking the same as always. I sat down under it and really started to think about life and how time passes us by. I felt a great deal of peace for the twenty odd minutes I sat down pondering. Then as I began to see the sun begin to wake, I gave one final stretch and look over my surroundings. I felt strangely at peace with everything in life, filled with nostalgia even. I then hopped to my feet and began my long run back home as the sun escaped from the horizon." +"I proposed to Claudette last month. She is my childhood sweetheart. I met her in high school, and it was quite literally love at first sight. I was always told by my friends that sticking to one girl in this day and age is idiotic. But no. She was the one. I always knew it. I took her to Niagara falls. It is one of her favorite spots to be at. She was feeling cold and asked me to hold her close. I took her hands, pulled her to me and held her tight. She felt something in my hand. It was the ring. The look on her face was priceless to say the least. She started tearing up, and i was getting concerned if she would hesitate to say yes. But she did." +"I woke up early, excited for the day. I was going kayaking, with my brother and his girlfriend. We ate breakfast then loaded up the truck with the kayaks and drove out to the dock. After parking and getting set up we were ready to go out on the river. We had coolers filled with drinks and sandwiches, fruit and snacks. My brother's girlfriend started drinking as soon as she woke up, and didn't eat breakfast so the drinks started hitting her hard before we were even out on the water. As we started kayaking I was having fun, but it was apparent that my brother's girlfriend was drinking too much and was going to have some issues. She immediately lost her paddle and we had to hurry to grab it for her. She thought it was funny, well she thought everything was funny thanks to the influence of alcohol, and while she started laughing and having fun, my brother and I were in damage control mode, having to watch her and make sure that she was ok. I wasn't able to have a good time because everytime we got into a rhythm on the water, she would flip her kayak and we'd have to stop and fix everything again. I was getting really frustrated, if she hadn't drank so much then we could be having an enjoyable time. I think next time my brother asks me to go kayaking with him I'm going to specify that it should only be me and him, that way I can have fun without worrying about another person. I really wanted to have a good time today, I'm miffed that I wasn't able to because of one person. Maybe if she would've ate breakfast it wouldn't have been so bad. I'm going to have a talk with my brother about this, maybe he can tell her how uncool her actions were. I enjoy drinking and having a good time too, but not when we're doing something in water, that can be dangerous." +"It was intended to be a normal doctor's exam. They were going to check on me via ultrasound. As they began the ultrasound the nurse noticed that my fluids - the amniotic fluids my son was living in - were looking low. She took the proper measurements and excused herself to make a call. For days I had felt I was leaking amniotic fluid but doctors and nurses who I remarked this too just laughed. They chalked it up to the over imagination of a pregnant woman 5 days past her due date. Nonetheless, since 5 days had passed and still no baby they brought me in for a routine exam. When the nurse came back into the room she announced that she had spoken with my midwife and that the news she was going to deliver ""probably isn't going to come as a surprise but the midwife wants to keep you overnight."" It was a surprise. I was at the hospital with my daughter and husband and we didn't have anything packed or ready. Regardless, I was ushered upstairs to a room and put into a hospital gown while my husband and daughter rushed home to grab supplies and our overnight bag - prepared months in advance. When they returned, the doctors had already started me on the medicines necessary to start induction. It was time to have this baby! While this took me completely by surprise, I can't say I wasn't a little bit anxious. After all, he was supposed to have been born almost a week prior! A little over 8 hours later at 3:30 in the morning my son came into the world - late, unexpected, and with a little help from several kinds of medicine!" +"It was intended to be a normal doctor's exam. They were going to check on me via ultrasound. As they began the ultrasound the nurse noticed that my fluids - the amniotic fluids my son was living in - were looking low. She took the proper measurements and excused herself to make a call. For days I had felt I was leaking amniotic fluid but doctors and nurses who I remarked this too just laughed. They chalked it up to the over imagination of a pregnant woman 5 days past her due date. Nonetheless, since 5 days had passed and still no baby they brought me in for a routine exam. When the nurse came back into the room she announced that she had spoken with my midwife and that the news she was going to deliver ""probably isn't going to come as a surprise but the midwife wants to keep you overnight."" It was a surprise. I was at the hospital with my daughter and husband and we didn't have anything packed or ready. Regardless, I was ushered upstairs to a room and put into a hospital gown while my husband and daughter rushed home to grab supplies and our overnight bag - prepared months in advance. When they returned, the doctors had already started me on the medicines necessary to start induction. It was time to have this baby! While this took me completely by surprise, I can't say I wasn't a little bit anxious. After all, he was supposed to have been born almost a week prior! A little over 8 hours later at 3:30 in the morning my son came into the world - late, unexpected, and with a little help from several kinds of medicine!" +"This incident happened 3 months ago. It was an unusual fogy morning. I was running late for work and I was in a rush for the meeting that I had at 9 am with my boss. I was driving kind of fast and when I was crossing the train tracks I got stock and my car would not move. I was terrified because there was a train coming my way. I was trying to start up the car but it would not. Then I tried to open my car doors but it would not open. The train ended up hitting a back of my car, sending me flying down the road, thankfully there were no other cars. At that moment the time literally stopped for me. I have seen life flashing through my eyes. Then it went black and I found myself later in a white room with bright lights. Thankfully I was not hurt that bad. But the experience was definitely devastating. It made me to rethink my whole life. It gave me a new outlook on everything around me. Life became more precious to me. I did not even realize how I was coasting through life without a real purpose and was not taking a full control of my life circumstances. I was not living a life, I was on automatic every day, chasing the wrong thing. That was the day when I truly became aware of myself." +"This incident happened 3 months ago. It was an unusual fogy morning. I was running late for work and I was in a rush for the meeting that I had at 9 am with my boss. I was driving kind of fast and when I was crossing the train tracks I got stock and my car would not move. I was terrified because there was a train coming my way. I was trying to start up the car but it would not. Then I tried to open my car doors but it would not open. The train ended up hitting a back of my car, sending me flying down the road, thankfully there were no other cars. At that moment the time literally stopped for me. I have seen life flashing through my eyes. Then it went black and I found myself later in a white room with bright lights. Thankfully I was not hurt that bad. But the experience was definitely devastating. It made me to rethink my whole life. It gave me a new outlook on everything around me. Life became more precious to me. I did not even realize how I was coasting through life without a real purpose and was not taking a full control of my life circumstances. I was not living a life, I was on automatic every day, chasing the wrong thing. That was the day when I truly became aware of myself." +"My life was very much like other people's. Wake up, shower, coffee, go to work, work, come home from work, maybe order take-out. Routine. I was going through the motions of living but not actually living. Or as that old saying goes I wasn't stopping to smell the roses. That changed one day. Typical day, was driving to work. I didn't see the lights of the train until it was too late. Perhaps this was fates way of saying ""Hey you need to slow down, you need to pay attention"".Sure, recovery was rough. But the more I think about it. The more I realize I wouldn't want to change what happened to me. I feel as though I have a new start. Sure, there's still some routine in my life. But, I also go out to seek new things. I take the time out to appreciate what the world has to offer. And not just big things, small things too. The way the raindrops fall off of leaves, the bee that goes from flower to flower. While I do not suggest getting hit by a train...I do suggest to take time to appreciate this life. You only have one after all." +"It's been a helluva week with getting kicked out of me apartment. I was hoping to move in with a buddy but he ended up getting a roomate of his own and I got kicked outta the mix. Oh well... my landlord has an open apartment that he'll let me move into so phew I don't have to be homeless.. Too bad my girlfriend is leaving me I'm pretty heartbroken.. Hopefully I can find a new girl and live my dreams of becomming a married man. The new apartment is pretty swanky though, I owe my landlord bigtime. Life sometimes just gets in the way, yknow? Can't be mad for long. Welp, see ya nexttime, journals! Hah. So I've written the required amount but cannot submit for some reason, is something wrong? I'll just... Try and. Stretch this out I guess.. How are you? Do you love writing as much as I do? I not read too good though. I hope this is okay holy crap what an assignment. Only one more sentence I think. There we go." +"My cat Miki was very naughty. He was always curious about everything. In the end his curiosity brought him to his death. My cat was always very bad about what he did. One day I could not find Miki anywhere. He always ran loose in the neighborhood so I never worried too much as he always came home. But this time a whole day had gone by. And no Miki to be found anywhere. I was very worried that he was lost. So I started to look in the neighborhood. I put up picture posters of my cat everywhere in hopes someone would call me if they found Mike. But 3 days past and still nothing at all. I was sure he was gone forever and maybe passed away in the woods in the area. Cats often that get sick are known to go into the woods when they know they are to die. Some say it is because they do not want their owner to see them die. But I am not sure that is true or not. But then one day I get a call from a local neighbor who saw my poster. I was so hopeful the neighbor had found Mike okay. But the news was bad. Mike was curious as I noted and apparently he had jumped into a neighbors shed window somehow and could not get out. Due to the heat of the shed and the fact he could not get food or water to eat for day, he was found dead. It was a very sad day for me for sure." +"Four months ago today I married the love of my life. She, the woman of my dreams and made me the happiest person in the world. I cherrish this woman to no end and cannot see myself with anyone else. My parent made my wedding the best I've seen in forever. We had great decorations, flowers, and the church looked beautiful. All of my friends and family made this day the most special. I love celebrating with friends and mostly my family. We took several pictures to remember this day and to tell our children and grandchildren. I love this woman. We have only begun to start the best days of our lives. We met merely five years ago. I knew the day I met her she would be the one. I wonder if she'll want to have 6 kids. I would love to share our lives with several family members. Family is very important." +"When we brought the dog home, my kids were so excited. They were in love with her. But of course like everything my kids got bored after a couple months. Of course we still have the dog and I love her with all my heart, she is now my baby and we are like best friends. We hang out and if the kids try to mess with me she protects me. The kids still like the dog but not as much. Like they are not so excited to take her for a walk or feed her or pick up after her if she had an accident on the floor. This has def. been an adjustment for our family. I really like having a dog around for the times when everyone is asleep or the first thing in the morning before anyone is awake. Its like a happy face addition to our family. She really is a shining star in my life. I tried to cut her nails myself once and it turned out to be a nightmare. I will never do that again, the dog freaked out and I freaked out. I like to take her to my best friend, she is a professional groomer. She is a little expensive but she is worth every penny as long as I dont have to do it again." +"When we brought the dog home, my kids were so excited. They were in love with her. But of course like everything my kids got bored after a couple months. Of course we still have the dog and I love her with all my heart, she is now my baby and we are like best friends. We hang out and if the kids try to mess with me she protects me. The kids still like the dog but not as much. Like they are not so excited to take her for a walk or feed her or pick up after her if she had an accident on the floor. This has def. been an adjustment for our family. I really like having a dog around for the times when everyone is asleep or the first thing in the morning before anyone is awake. Its like a happy face addition to our family. She really is a shining star in my life. I tried to cut her nails myself once and it turned out to be a nightmare. I will never do that again, the dog freaked out and I freaked out. I like to take her to my best friend, she is a professional groomer. She is a little expensive but she is worth every penny as long as I dont have to do it again." +Well my son has since recovered from his illness. We did not in fact go bankrupt. Instead the doctors and hospitals all wrote off the remaining balances. We should sue them all. That is why they chose not to pursue collections against us. They know if we go to court they will lose. Unfortunately my son is an adult and this is not left to me to decide. We would be going to see a lawyer if it were up to me. Needless to say. He is well and that is the important thing. I imagine years down the road he may regret it. But just like all his lessons he like to learn them the hard way! So at this point we owe noone anything for the hospital stay. We are just grateful he is ok. The surgery that started the whole debacle was a complete failure. His breathing is actually worse now. +"Seven weeks ago, my son got sick. He had to go to the hospital. This took place on the 4th of July. He held the firecracker for too long and got severe burns on this arms. This was very sad to see. I gave him a big hug in the hospital. The doctors' say that it will take a month to recover. We are poor and can't afford the bill. This will leave us impoverished. I hope my wife can get a raise at her job. We really need the money now. We will have to beg our friends and family for some money. They should give us some. I hope it will be enough to survive on. I will definitely teach him to be careful from now on." +"I recently prepared my son to move out on his own. He was preparing to move to a city that was about 100 miles away from where we live. This was the first time he was to be away from home and on his own. Because my son has Asperger's syndrome, I have spent my whole life advocating for and protecting him. As I prepared him to leave, I realized that I would no longer have any any control over that anymore. As a last ditch effort to be useful, I took him shopping and bought him all that I thought he would need to be prepared to be on his own. I also took a lot of time to explain to him things he would have to remember to do and take care of. I was anxiety ridden and I thought about how he would get along without me. I worried that something bad would happen to him. The night before he left, I could not sleep. That morning, I tried to hold back tears as we packed up all his belongings into my car and prepared for the trip. The whole drive I lectured him on safety. I know that he got tired of listening to me and I worried he tuned out. I reminded him of the importance of keeping clean and respecting his roommates. When we pulled up to his new apartment, I put on a smile and brave face even though I was torn to pieces on the inside. My stress levels were through the roof even as his excitement was abounding. We moved him in and he was in a hurry to rush me out the door so that he could begin his solo journey. I was totally crushed. I sobbed as I gave him a hug and told him how much I loved him and would miss him. I got back in my car and cried the whole way home. I cried for the next few days. I still worry every single day about him and his safety." +"I never knew this was even possible for me. I am still in doubt. Was this the right thing to do? Would ben be alright? I even don't know if he could take care of himself. My brain says that he could, that he is old enough to be on his own. But my heart, for some reason disagrees. He had asperger's syndrome since he was little. I always felt protective towards him. He always needed me. For everything. And i had always considered a blessing to be there for my child for even the most little of his needs. But i guess the time has come for me to let him go and make him free. To let him live his life the way he sees fit and figure out his destiny. Ben was surprisingly okay with all this. I guess he is ready, afterall." +"having to deal with idiots is no fun. having to deal with laziness is no fun either. but having to deal with lazy idiots is even less fun. living with these people is horrible. i have to deal with most being too lazy to even clean. one who is supposedly the ""owner""descant clean anything and basically sits around all day playing video games and getting high when hes not at work. which btw, he barely does and then spends all his money on drugs and video games and is constantly begging us to borrow money. dealing with all that and such, we all got the nice notice from his MOTHER that they wanted to put the house up for sale. mind you, the reason they gave was utter shit. she claimed she wasnt getting money in to cover all the bills and such and it cost 710 a month for everything. so doing some light research i found the mortgage was only 200 a month, insurance was 80, water was 20, gas and electric was 220 and then that was it. so between myself and the friend there, that was 600 a lone. i have no idea what her son paid but 600/700 right off says to me they are full of shit. so myself and friend and her girlfriend all moved out. as we were moving the mother insisted we leave QUICKLY since they had ""sold the house"" to which, we discovered was a lie. im not shocked, seeing the caliber of the son that the mother was just as rude and crooked and a liar. its sad that they ruined a decent friendship over his lying and her being a ass" +"i dont understand why people think they need to hide or lie about things. i have a friend i am currently living with due to medical reasons. hes a good guy but tends to be VERY rash and doesnt always think things through before doing them. his parents got him this nice old quaint house for a steal and so he lives here with myself and another set of friends. the bad part here is, they dont get along with anyone anymore. they tend to be very standoffish and self serving along with being very self centered. its not a fun thing since they really bring the house down. which is where this comes in. he has been frustrated with them for months, even before i came along. i knew this but not to the extent that i just found out. i find out that they have owed his parents rent for months and have barely paid anything on what they owe . in addition to this, now the friend whats out of this arrangement all around. hes tired of trying to get things working and to find another job since he will have to change jobs in the next few months. which is fine,i told him thats not an issue and we can find him something else. but nope, he doesnt want to do that, he just wants to give up and move out of state. out of state to where he knows one person, after complaining about him being alone here with only knowing us. people really make no damned sense and just are really starting to annoy me." +"It's frightening how things can change so quickly for the worst. My father used to be a fairly healthy person. While he could have improved his diet, it's not like he was constantly eating fast food or anything like that. But, he works a very stressful job which has only gotten more stressful over the past year. My mother and I noticed that it seemed like he was getting out of breath more easily, and it seemed like his skin was always very red. After a few months of noticing this, we suggested that he should see a cardiologist. He's so stubborn, though, that he didn't finally make the appointment until 2 weeks ago. When the results came back, we were stunned, but not particularly surprised. He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and they think he has a blood clot. They scheduled surgery for next month, and the entire family is very stressed out at the thought. My father has been forced to quit working temporarily in order to not aggravate the condition before the surgery. We are all very nervous because the surgeons told us there is a somewhat significant chance the operation could kill my father. In addition, because my dad hasn't been working, it's been up to me to financially support the family in the mean time. I asked my boss to give me extra hours, but there was only so many they could give me so it's been a bit rough. I thought about selling some of my stuff, like my extra monitors and computers, but I can't bring myself to do it. I'm just praying that the operation goes well so we can live our lives as a happy family again." +"It's frightening how things can change so quickly for the worst. My father used to be a fairly healthy person. While he could have improved his diet, it's not like he was constantly eating fast food or anything like that. But, he works a very stressful job which has only gotten more stressful over the past year. My mother and I noticed that it seemed like he was getting out of breath more easily, and it seemed like his skin was always very red. After a few months of noticing this, we suggested that he should see a cardiologist. He's so stubborn, though, that he didn't finally make the appointment until 2 weeks ago. When the results came back, we were stunned, but not particularly surprised. He was diagnosed with congestive heart failure and they think he has a blood clot. They scheduled surgery for next month, and the entire family is very stressed out at the thought. My father has been forced to quit working temporarily in order to not aggravate the condition before the surgery. We are all very nervous because the surgeons told us there is a somewhat significant chance the operation could kill my father. In addition, because my dad hasn't been working, it's been up to me to financially support the family in the mean time. I asked my boss to give me extra hours, but there was only so many they could give me so it's been a bit rough. I thought about selling some of my stuff, like my extra monitors and computers, but I can't bring myself to do it. I'm just praying that the operation goes well so we can live our lives as a happy family again." +"While working as a PI I was able to find a Skip(Bail Jumper) That was released on a 250,000$ Dollar bond; For those who dont know PI/Bounty Hunting Bounty hunters are usually compensated 15-20% of the bond when recovering someone who is on the run. I usually use my skills in research and charge bounty hunters for me to find them; I can usually make maybe 15 to 30 bucks in 15 minutes doing so. I took advantage of the laws In this state licensed PI's can purse bounty hunting if they wish. This case is a one and a million opportunity. ""This is an old fish story you hear in the bar from old men who have story's that get better every hour"". I heard-about from a banker who was a personal friend of the ""skip""(Person Wanted), who faced termination because he did not follow procedure in advising his friend and let him take out a second mortgage on his home. The next step in the process was to see if i could find him; I use a data mining tool that scans social media tool all at once for mentions and acquaintances. Using my own technique i was able to get a general idea of his location but this was-like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I was lucky to find one the first person i talked to. This was unique because it usually takes talking to 10-15 people to find someone that either knows them; and is willing to give them up. The problem was that I was alone; when i did do bounties it would usually be for something little like skipping out on a DUI or simple possession. Within minutes i made the decision to go in and I would cuff him right when I saw him. Since i was alone and i considers him dangerous I had 911 on my phone ready to go. When I walked in I scanned the hall and saw him sitting at a table this was it. In my head I was concerned""is that really him or is my head playing tricks on me"". If I arrest the wrong person I am looking at a false imprisonment charge. Then I saw the tattoo in his lower left wrist and knew it was him. I walked right up to him and cuffed him while he was still sitting down. After taking him in I was awarded 37K which made my summer. I was struggling work was slow this summer and I would make on average 90 # a day or so." +"I was driving back from the lake with my wife and kids when we nearly got in an accident. A car sped up behind us and was following very closely. We were on a two lane road with lots of curves so there was no decent place to pass us. The car was swerving into the oncoming lane as if they were going to pass us before turning back into our lane and nearly hitting us. The car was driven by a woman and it appeared her husband was in the passenger seat and their daughter was in the back. The man appeared to be screaming at the woman and she was occasionally yelling back. The daughter seemed to be trying to calm them down. Finally, the road we were on turned into two lanes and the car sped passed. They were only able to pass us before the road turned back into one lane. As the road turned into an entrance ramp for the highway, the car was seemed to be trying unsuccessfully to pass people on the shoulder. When it finally came time to merge onto the highway, the car swerved into the fast lane cutting off some traffic in the process. My wife and I were looking at each other in disbelief at how dangerous this person was driving. She had mentioned calling the police to report the driver but I told her they would be gone by the time anyone caught us. As the car passed out of sight, my wife and I finally settled down. We were talking about how crazy the situation was when up ahead a few miles, we saw a car pulled over by a police officer. “That would be hilarious if that was that car” my wife said. We both started laughing as we passed the car that nearly crashed into us as they were pulled over on the side of the road." +"Yesterday I was almost in a car accident. I was driving home from my parent’s house with my wife and kids when a car behind us started tailgating. After following us closely for a few miles, the car started swerving into the other lane. With each successive attempt to pass, the car got closer and closer to hitting us. In the passenger’s seat, the driver’s husband was yelling at his wife and clapping in her face very aggressively. What appeared to be their daughter in the back seat was yelling loudly and appeared to be scared. After nearly forcing us off the road multiple times, the group was able to pass us before a highway on ramp. They were still stuck behind multiple vehicles who they also started to follow much too closely. They tried to pass the car in front of them on the on ramp unsuccessfully. When it came time to merge onto the highway, they swerved in front of highway traffic trying to get ahead of the cars in front of them. After merging onto the highway they sped away out of our sight. My wife and I looked incredulously at each other and wondered if we should call the police. I remarked that we didn’t get the license plate and the car was nearly out of sight. Within five miles, we saw a vehicle pulled over on the side of the road by a highway patrol officer. My wife and I laughed happily and in relief as the wreck less driver had been caught." +Recently I took a trip to Las Vegas. This trip was all for my brother's birthday who at the time was officially of drinking age. What I experienced was pretty weird and very strange. Being a night person I woke up around 1:00 pm that day. It was day two of our Vegas trip and we just made some money playing small stakes on some slots that day. At least I did my brother wasn't as lucky and was down some money. We made our way back to our room because my brother was pretty drunk at that time and was already pretty upset about losing so much money. Sitting on the bed though I still couldn't sleep probably due to the fact of my time clock. I decided to go back down to play some slots and told my brother I was going. After getting down there I felt an urge to go to the roulette wheel instead of slots. This would turn out to be a huge mistake later. It wasn't even the real roulette it was automated. I lost the money I had won previously and decided to get some more money. I betted on my usual numbers and the wheel would land 8 greens in a row depleting me of my bank balance and the rest of the money I had for the trip. I made my way back to my room sad and upset I would not play roulette for a long long time. It made me despise the game and I decided I would rather stick to slots. All in all it was a learning experience for me. +"Three weeks ago I had the absolute pleasure of hanging out with my best friend. She lives around 3 hours away due to school so we always plan and get together when possible. For this trip we decided to check out the local Hibachi grill for dinner then go peruse the carnival that just so happened to be in town this weekend. When she arrived, I couldn't help but give her the biggest bear hug since it had been so long since our last meet. We decided that we would try a new Hibachi place that had opened up in town for dinner. When we were seated, we got paired with a group of people who were celebrating a birthday. Everyone was jovial and incredibly friendly. Our grill chef was also such a pleasure. Everything was going great, he was flipping shrimp and making the flames almost lick the ceiling. We stared in awe as he balanced an egg on his cooking flat. Unfortunately he made a mistake while doing his flare. Poor guy ended up tossing an egg, and instead of catching it; it landed flat on his head and broke open. There was egg all over him!! It was hard not to laugh at this guy's misfortune but he took it like a champ. After a brief recess he was back at it to finish up our dinner. When our bellies were nice and full we headed off to the carnival. There were lights and rides and games everywhere. My friend even won me a giant teddy to keep as a memory of the night. To end the evening we rode the Ferris Wheel. Looking at the city lights twinkle against the night sky was awe inspiring. I will never forget the time we had together and we are already planning our next trip!" +"It's our 7 year anniversary. My husband surprised me with a vacation. We went to England. He took me to the Tower of London, Hampton Court, the Lake District. We went all over the place. It was so wonderful. I've always wanted to travel to England. There's so much interesting history there and the architecture is beautiful. The best part, though, was spending time with my husband. Our relationship is still so loving and passionate. The most memorable thing about the trip was hiking and camping with him. It was magical. I can't believe how lucky I am to have him and to have everything else that I have in my life. I feel very fortunate. I'm a truly happy person." +"I remember the letter coming in the mail like it was yesterday. We had been anticipating it for quite some time. He grabbed the letter, opened it, and a huge smile spread across his face. My heart still fills with joy every time I think about it. Knowing his hard work had paid off. My baby would be leaving us to start to really explore life. We celebrated together, had a great meal, and discussed the future. We talked about problems he might encounter, as we had done openly in the past. We also discussed the excitement he will experience. At several points, we all began to cry from happiness and sadness, at the same time. We have such a close relationship that we all realize how hard it will be to let go, yet it will be an opportunity of a lifetime. A chance to learn new things, meet very diverse groups of people, and have new types of fun. We talked about my own college experience and how the world will be more open to him. I still have a hard time getting over it. My baby will be gone and my nest will be a little emptier." +"My son got accepted to college away from home. It was a very exciting moment, but very surreal that he would be leaving home. We have a very close relationship, so this is very strenuous event for all of us. When he got his letter, we were all extremely excited. It was his college of choice and it is a bit difficult to get into it. But, his hard work paid off. We are now preparing for his entry, including gathering everything he needs and completing all necessary paperwork, which is bittersweet. It makes me very emotional to think about him being nearly three hours from home, as travelling is quite difficult for me. So, I won't be able to visit as often as I'd like. I plan to set up a webcam so we can chat via video while he's away. However, it isn't the same as him being around all the time. I easily start to cry when I think about this. He is very excited, but nervous about this adventure. He has conveyed that he sometimes becomes very scared about being away from home as well, which really makes me nervous. But, I really hope he thrives in this environment. I counted 5 squares." +On a nice day about two months ago I was riding my go cart. It was really fun to ride. It was really fast and handled really good. I was thinking to myself that this is the best go cart ever because I built it myself. I took it down this really bumpy road going really fast. After a few minutes I noticed I felt something cold and wet so I pulled over to check it out. I noticed a gas line off so I put it back on. when I went to start it back up it must have made a spark and caught on fire. At this point I had to just get away from it because the gas line that had just came off leaked on my shirt and pants. It was very scary knowing I could have just caught on fire and still could. I had to watch my new go cart burn completely up and could not do anything about it. On the other hand I was thankful to be alive and not injured in any way. I though back to when I was working on go cart and could not think of what did wrong because I know that I tightened clamp up on line. I was stuck miles out on a gravel road. I had to hide go cart in the weeds while I walked all the way home to get a vehicle to haul go cart back. I was really upset because of all the time and money I put into my project. but I knew it was to late and was very thankful it was just the go cart and not me that had caught fire. +"I was needed to go to my local grocery store. I went into the store before work. There was no one in the store. After I got all of my items I went to the self check out register. A worker offered to check my items out for me since I had a lot of items. I declined and went to an open register. She made another attempt to get me to bring my things over to her. As I was checking out another employee came over and began checking my screen and items. She placed some of the items in my basket on the counter and scanned them. I told her that I was fine checking out myself. I told her that she was scanning things that I already scanned, and I asked her to step away from me after she continue ringing items up in error. The entire process took an extra 15 mins since I had to have the items removed and some things I paid for were put back on the shelf. The employee was very rude and the experience left me very annoyed. I was so upset at the time by her attitude that I could not think of anything else. This was the first time that I have had this type of experience." +"I have a cat as my pet. I love it so much and I care for it. One day my cat's walking seemed to be strange because it suffered from eye problem. At first I thought it was usual. But it continued for days. Hence I decided to take it to the veterinary doctor. After taking my cat to him, he examined it carefully. Then from the reports he came to a conclusion that my pet has ocular cancer. I was shocked to hear that. He said that my pet is losing his vision due to this. He gave me two options. One was to force blindness on him, second is to take a chance that the cancer will not spread. Both the options were very difficult and painful for me. I was not in a situation like this before. I left it with the doctor and asked him to move on with the best decision among the both." +"When I got home a few months ago, my cat came to the door to greet me like he always does. As he approached he bumped against the table. I've noticed him bumping into things a lot lately but I thought he was just being clumsy. He has a bobtail so he's not as graceful as other cats I've seen... cats use their tails for balance. Anyway, I picked him up to comfort him and saw a bloody spot on his eye. It was kind of a dull brownish red, and I hadn't noticed it before. It wasn't a recent injury and it wasn't from hitting the table. I decided to see if it healed up or went away, and it didn't. Meanwhile, he kept on bumping into things. I decided it was probably time for a visit to the vet. I made the appointment, scooped him up into his carrier on the day of the appointment, and drove him out. He yowled the entire way because he hates going to the vet. We checked in and waited. After we got called back to the treatment area I explained my concerns. The tech weighed him, took his temperature, and looked into his eyes. A few minutes later the vet came in and we started talking. The vet peered into my kitty's eyes and quickly determined it was a tumor of some sort. ""These kinds of things happen sometimes as cats age, and usually there are a couple of choices. We can wait it out and see if it spreads, or we can go ahead and take the eye out. Keep in mind that if we let it spread there's a good chance your cat will go completely blind, but taking the eye out will cause a great seal of discomfort the rest of his life, and besides bumping into things, he doesn't seem to be hurting. So which would you like to do?""I decided to wait, and it looks like that was a wise choice. The cancer has not spread and my cat still wanders around bumping into things, but he is otherwise happy and in great condition for a half blind cat." +"When I got home a few months ago, my cat came to the door to greet me like he always does. As he approached he bumped against the table. I've noticed him bumping into things a lot lately but I thought he was just being clumsy. He has a bobtail so he's not as graceful as other cats I've seen... cats use their tails for balance. Anyway, I picked him up to comfort him and saw a bloody spot on his eye. It was kind of a dull brownish red, and I hadn't noticed it before. It wasn't a recent injury and it wasn't from hitting the table. I decided to see if it healed up or went away, and it didn't. Meanwhile, he kept on bumping into things. I decided it was probably time for a visit to the vet. I made the appointment, scooped him up into his carrier on the day of the appointment, and drove him out. He yowled the entire way because he hates going to the vet. We checked in and waited. After we got called back to the treatment area I explained my concerns. The tech weighed him, took his temperature, and looked into his eyes. A few minutes later the vet came in and we started talking. The vet peered into my kitty's eyes and quickly determined it was a tumor of some sort. ""These kinds of things happen sometimes as cats age, and usually there are a couple of choices. We can wait it out and see if it spreads, or we can go ahead and take the eye out. Keep in mind that if we let it spread there's a good chance your cat will go completely blind, but taking the eye out will cause a great seal of discomfort the rest of his life, and besides bumping into things, he doesn't seem to be hurting. So which would you like to do?""I decided to wait, and it looks like that was a wise choice. The cancer has not spread and my cat still wanders around bumping into things, but he is otherwise happy and in great condition for a half blind cat." +"it was a nice night and we flew to Spain for a good time. it sounded fun so we did it! Once we arrived, no one was there to pick us up... it sucked! We just stood there like stooges waiting for nothing. the time in Spain was fun and we did lots of things. we ate at restaurants, seen shows, talked to locals and just overall had a wonderful time! the hotel was super nice, too. it had all of the comforts that we needed. it was a very comfy stay! My wife got tired and we decided to go home. I was willing to stay longer, but she was complaining of being tired and that her feet hurt from all the walking. So we got on the next flight home. the flight home sucked! It was turbulent and just uncomfy the whole time! Plus, the wife wouldn't stop nagging about it. Once I got home I felt so tired due to jetlag that i slept for 12 hours!" +"the story that I resumed a few months ago was shocking because it was supposed to be a quiet trip, until the thieves got up and shot at the collector. because of that event many things happened in my life, I had post traumatic stress. Among other things I suffered quite the first months because it was the first time they killed someone in cold blood in my presence, it was quite shocking. Already in this moment of my life I see it as a distant memory. With the support of my family I also got ahead. I rarely remember the incident badly. I think they should improve safety at bus terminals, so people can travel quietly. Passenger safety must be guaranteed at all times. Also take more precautions when it comes to being on a bus. I always see who gets on the bus and what they look like. although it is difficult to know for sure who can be a danger. Sometimes I think that luck greatly influences those cases. There are things that we simply cannot control at all. when an event of that magnitude happens, it will simply happen. this is the end of my little summary." +"when I was on a bus and witnessed how the driver was killed to rob everyone there. they were moments of great tension because apparently the assailant was shot. they stole everything they could and then left as if nothing. leaving the body of the thrown driver. I helped at that moment by lifting the body so that they would take care of him in the hospital. Then wait to see how everything turned out. They gave us the worst news, the driver had passed away. It was somewhat traumatic after that incident suffered post-traumatic stress. I had a hard time getting out of that situation. but with will I succeeded. I guess they are experiences. things that have to happen and that leave a lesson. Everything is in the mind. and well nobody will return the driver's life. It was a very unfortunate moment for him." +"My wife's children that she had lost when she was much younger came back into her life. My wife is ten years older than I and had been a child bride after being raised in a cult. When she broke free doing so meant losing her children, and four of the five that she lost have come back into our lives after she had missed them for 17 years. She was able, because of their return, to be there when her eldest child proposed to his girlfriend and began wedding planning. She is excitedly buying things for the wedding but I know how much the hole in the timeline that their absence made will never quite fill. I know that she will always miss the time that she missed with them and all the memories that she would have made over the years with them, but seeing her excitedly bustle and plan and be filled with joy as she plans to watch her son, her first baby, be happy is sometimes a bit overwhelming to me. I am so happy for her and yet fell so badly for the pain she is still in. It is admittedly strange watching the kids blend together, as she had one child with a subsequent partner and then later two with me. Eight kids, and seven of them are regularly in our lives. it is chaotic, and funny, and sweet, and scary. Seeing the ways that the kids are all the same and yet so diverse is neat. It is often strange realizing that my eldest stepson is only 8 years younger than I am. It is shocking to others that we are already grandparents, though our son doesn't have contact with his daughter. I wish that I could help them more, with their challenges in life. I hope that I am doing enough to support my wife while our family makes these transitions. I am certainly trying." +"So now it's been over 4 months and I still haven't talked to her. I have talked to my son though and some weeks ago he said ""You and Mom shouldn't live together"". He also told me she had fallen and broken her wrist. Unfortunate, but she really needs to find the underlying cause of why she keeps falling. She does it on a regular basis, only this time she broke something. But, it's not my place to take care of her anymore. So I'm moving on. I found a really cool place to live in the foothills of N.C. I'm house sitting for an owner who works in Virginia and comes home 2 weekends a month. I look after the house and also 2 dogs. All the benefits of owning a nice house without having to pay a mortgage or a lot of bills. I expect to be here until early Summer when I will return to my Summer job not far from here. I am kind of lonely at times but I think being lonely is better that living in the stress of a bad relationship. I'm reflecting on things I could have done, should have done. But more importantly looking towards the future for the first time in a long time." +"So now it's been over 4 months and I still haven't talked to her. I have talked to my son though and some weeks ago he said ""You and Mom shouldn't live together"". He also told me she had fallen and broken her wrist. Unfortunate, but she really needs to find the underlying cause of why she keeps falling. She does it on a regular basis, only this time she broke something. But, it's not my place to take care of her anymore. So I'm moving on. I found a really cool place to live in the foothills of N.C. I'm house sitting for an owner who works in Virginia and comes home 2 weekends a month. I look after the house and also 2 dogs. All the benefits of owning a nice house without having to pay a mortgage or a lot of bills. I expect to be here until early Summer when I will return to my Summer job not far from here. I am kind of lonely at times but I think being lonely is better that living in the stress of a bad relationship. I'm reflecting on things I could have done, should have done. But more importantly looking towards the future for the first time in a long time." +"I got a certificate in the mail for my winning photo at the fair. I wanted to do something different and capture something meaningful. I decided to stay a few days in the South Indian Forest to capture some nature shots. It was a great way to get away from the stresses of the world. I guess you could say I am coping with life through my photography. Anyways, I would get up at dawn and hike until noon. Each night I found a different spot to camp near different habitats. One night I heard some really weird noises coming from the distance. It sounded like a women screaming but I knew that was not the case. I grabbed my camera and slowly started up to the hill when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. It was a bob cat and their young hunting. Mom was teaching her children how to hunt at night. I automatically grabbed my camera and I knew I would only get a few shots to capture the moment because of the flash. In that moment I was able to capture the most perfect photo of the three. Just looking at the photo you can see how proud the mother was of her young. I was able to win the contest with that photo and a nice little cash prize." +"Approximately 6 months ago we made the decision to sell our home and build another one with all of the things we wanted. I had recently gotten a significant promotion at work and we knew that with the economy being the way it was, it was as good a time as ever to make this move. Whenever we talked about our wishes for our future home, we always knew we wanted a view. There was some land being prepared for some new houses to be built on in our current neighborhood. The way it was set up, we knew that there would never be the ability to have new construction block the view of the lot we wanted to purchase, meaning we would always have the view we wanted. With the market being the way it is, our house sold quickly and we needed to move into temporary residence until the new home construction was completed. We chose to rent a duplex in our current neighborhood so that the kids school would not be affected. This was going to be an exciting adventure for them! We had secured all the loans and funding in addition to the money from the sale of our house to purchase the new home and were all set to get going on the build. There ended up being a very bad weather pattern that settled in our area for weeks. The land we wanted was on a pretty steep hill and as it turns out the water run off washed away a good part of the hill during this unusual weather pattern. We backed out of the deal and decided to keep looking for a different location to build. I had gone to work the next week and as it turns out my new position at work was offering me an opportunity to relocate with better pay! The new job was located in California, just 20 minutes away from Disneyland! We talked it over as a family and ultimately made the decision to start this new adventure over in a whole new place! We were all so excited!" +"My friend and I took off of work at the same time to take a trip to Western Europe. Neither one of us had a lot of money saved up, but we were determined to go on the trip together. We decided that we were going to stay in hostels with others to save some money. We also went to cheap museums to learn about the local culture of the areas we visited. I knew that I wanted to do more than just go to museums, so we looked up other free things to do. We decided to go to a local beach one day since it was the summer to swim in the water and sunbathe. We also found a couple free parks to hike where we saw some beautiful scenery and animals. The most important thing for me was tasting the local cuisine, so we ate out almost every meal. We found the best rated restaurants and eateries within our budget and went to a different place each time. We even spent a couple nights camping in the wilderness to save even more money during our trip. One of the last things we did was went to local shops to find local souvenirs to purchase. We didn't want to risk losing them throughout our travels or have it stolen, so we waited until the evening before we left. I bought a couple shirts, jewelry, and a keychain. My friend bought similar things as well, plus some extra things for her younger siblings back home. We both had a fun trip and didn't spent more than we had planned on. We both would like to take another similar trip together at some point in the future." +"We took our sons to Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA. This was a family trip for my sons to experience something really fun and exciting! It was the perfect place to go because they love the show Sesame Street. We knew it would be age appropriate. They loved it! They each went on a few rides and met LOTS of characters. They were especially starstruck when they met Big Bird and Elmo. My oldest son was pretty afraid of the big characters but that soon turned to delight. He just needed a bit to warm up. The best part was the parade where you get to see all the characters at once. The music is so fun and it's just an incredible experience. To our surprise, Elmo pulled my oldest son out of the parade which was so exciting. I'll never forget when he grabbed his hand! I will always cherish the wonder and awe my kids experienced at this place. A perfect place for their ages!" +"We took our sons to Sesame Place in Langhorne, PA. This was a family trip for my sons to experience something really fun and exciting! It was the perfect place to go because they love the show Sesame Street. We knew it would be age appropriate. They loved it! They each went on a few rides and met LOTS of characters. They were especially starstruck when they met Big Bird and Elmo. My oldest son was pretty afraid of the big characters but that soon turned to delight. He just needed a bit to warm up. The best part was the parade where you get to see all the characters at once. The music is so fun and it's just an incredible experience. To our surprise, Elmo pulled my oldest son out of the parade which was so exciting. I'll never forget when he grabbed his hand! I will always cherish the wonder and awe my kids experienced at this place. A perfect place for their ages!" +"My eldest is slowly opening up to me. It took awhile but, our relationship is healing. She has opened up a bit about what she had gone through, how she handles it, and her goals moving forward. When I told her I regret and cannot forgive myself for not believing her...she just smiles and tells me ""Dad, he had everyone fooled. How were you supposed to know? Besides, if things didn't happen how they did I don't think I would be half the woman I am now.""I don't understand how she keeps such a positive attitude. Or how she could forgive me so easily. She has a strength that I envy in a lot of ways. She refuses to see herself as a victim but sees everything as something she can learn,grow and gain from. Instead of shutting everyone out she let's them in. Granted, it takes a bit to earn her trust. But, once you do she's loyal to a fault. What she went through didn't make her uncaring or jaded. She wants to help those who have gone through the same things as her. I guess despite how badly I feel I failed as a father....I did something right with raising her." +"This is my daughter's story. Though as her father it very much weighs on me even now. At the time my eldest and I were not very close. I can't explain why even to this day. Since as I've gotten to know her these past couple years I can see that she really is a remarkable person. She's been through so much in her life and yet she didn't let it change her negatively. I think what bothers me the most is how often I let her down. Even when she had to move back home after her engagement ended. Her plan was to move out within a year. But she was in an accident and lost her job, though she recovered it took a bit for her to be able to work. And even longer for her to save enough to move out. It was during this time that she entered into a relationship with someone she had met online and started a relationship with him. He was great. I really thought that she might marry this man. A couple months in I allowed him to move in with us. He lived hours away and was spending most of his time here anyhow. This is when my daughter started changing. She became even more withdrawn and seemed on edge. She tried to tell my wife and I that she was being abused. But, we blew her off. We thought she was lying. After all this man seemed amazing. This went on for two years. Until finally we saw what she was trying to tell us." +"I work for an insurance company and until four months ago I wasn't making very much money. I had a mortgage and car note to pay and it was costly. My position was that of an insurance sales agent. I loved the job but it held me back in a few ways. For one, the hours were crazy. I didn't know some days if I'd get off at 5pm or 9pm. It really depended on what happened that day. Another thing was that there was a lot of paperwork involved. I don't mind paperwork but that position required way too much. I sometimes couldn't finish it all on time. My main concern was that I wasn't making enough pay. Especially relative to how much work I was putting in. So I went ahead and applied for the position of team leader. I'd only been working there nine months and wasn't sure if I'd get the job. Most of the team leaders had been working there at least two years before they even thought about applying. There's a lot of responsibility but it involves talking on the phone, with clients, and with your team more than it involves paperwork. When I saw the position was open, I didn't hesitate to apply, even though I knew I didn't stand much of a shot. I was so surprised when two weeks later my manager told me I'd gotten the job! He said everyone had been watching me work and all agreed I went above and beyond for the team, the company, and the clients. I was so happy and overjoyed, and I felt appreciated and valued by the company. I work with a great team and every day I look forward to going to work." +"I was taking my old boy Jake for a walk at the park. He's an Australian Shepherd, 14 years old, and just the goodest, kindest boy. I try to take him early in the mornings when it's quiet, because something from his past makes him nervous around other dogs. Unfortunately, there happened to be someone else there, someone who didn't realize we were, and had left their young dog off leash to run around. It's not legal, though I can understand energetic dogs do need lots of exercise. The pup sprinted to us, eager to play with Jake, tail wagging, barking and bouncing. Jake wasn't very pleased with the sudden stranger, a ball of noise and energy, running up to us uninvited. As the owner ran over, shouting his dog's name, Jake grumbled at the puppy. The younger dog did not like Jake's defensive nature, and barking escalated between them. Eventually, the pup got too close, and Jake lunged for the bite. Once dogs start fighting, it is impossible to deter them. No amount of yelling, throwing water, or pulling on the leash will snap them out of it. We both had to grab our dogs by the midsections, lift their hind legs and drag them away from each other between bites. Luckily, there were no wounds, only trails of saliva and continued barking. ""Nice dog,"" the man said to me sarcastically as he dragged his puppy away, trying to finally affix his leash. I know it shouldn't have hurt, I know it was a throwaway comment from an idiot of a stranger, but those words wounded me. Jake was only protecting me, protecting himself from what he perceived to be an unwanted intruder. He's been through abandonment and attack, and despite being a big, black, old dog, the very stereotype of the ""mean dog,"" he made it through the animal shelter system, and into my home where he's been a dear and loyal friend. I don't care what anyone else thinks. Jake IS a nice dog." +"Three months ago I was driving my trailer to my friend's house when suddenly I felt awful pain in my stomach. I felt like I was dying. I had never felt pain like this before. It came from nowhere. I thought it would pass. It never did. So I drove to the hospital. I didn't have anywhere to put my trailer, and the hospital had a service where they put your trailer in a free camp spot. It was such a hassle that it honestly was not worth it. The security did such a bad job that I can't believe I owe the hospital money after that. They totally ruined my trailer. It was completely dented and banged up. Anyway, it turns out my appendix burst. I had surgery and had it removed. Ultimately, it wasn't that serious. I am still mad about the trailer though." +"Three months ago I was driving my trailer to my friend's house when suddenly I felt awful pain in my stomach. I felt like I was dying. I had never felt pain like this before. It came from nowhere. I thought it would pass. It never did. So I drove to the hospital. I didn't have anywhere to put my trailer, and the hospital had a service where they put your trailer in a free camp spot. It was such a hassle that it honestly was not worth it. The security did such a bad job that I can't believe I owe the hospital money after that. They totally ruined my trailer. It was completely dented and banged up. Anyway, it turns out my appendix burst. I had surgery and had it removed. Ultimately, it wasn't that serious. I am still mad about the trailer though." +"We had such a great weekend! My favorite band, Volbeat, was playing a concert with Godsmack. They weren't going to be in town but they were at a venue only about 4-5 hours away. So we decided to go for it. We got up in the morning and headed out. It was an uneventful drive, aside from a lot of rain. Our trip took us from Kansas City to Evansville, Indiana. We stopped for lunch at a diner and had a good salad and some delicious rolls. We continued on and arrived at our hotel around 4 pm. We got all checked in and then went to pick up our tickets. It was fun to see all the people who were there for the show. Finally it was almost time to go in. We waited in line by the doors until they opened, then rushed in. We got great spots on the floor - very close to the stage. Volbeat played an awesome show and we had an amazing time. The next band, Godsmack, wasn't as good so we left a little early to go back to the hotel. It was right across the street which was convenient. We went to bed and slept great. In the morning, we had breakfast at the buffet and then headed home. We arrived later that day. It was a fun trip for me and my husband." +"We had such a great weekend! My favorite band, Volbeat, was playing a concert with Godsmack. They weren't going to be in town but they were at a venue only about 4-5 hours away. So we decided to go for it. We got up in the morning and headed out. It was an uneventful drive, aside from a lot of rain. Our trip took us from Kansas City to Evansville, Indiana. We stopped for lunch at a diner and had a good salad and some delicious rolls. We continued on and arrived at our hotel around 4 pm. We got all checked in and then went to pick up our tickets. It was fun to see all the people who were there for the show. Finally it was almost time to go in. We waited in line by the doors until they opened, then rushed in. We got great spots on the floor - very close to the stage. Volbeat played an awesome show and we had an amazing time. The next band, Godsmack, wasn't as good so we left a little early to go back to the hotel. It was right across the street which was convenient. We went to bed and slept great. In the morning, we had breakfast at the buffet and then headed home. We arrived later that day. It was a fun trip for me and my husband." +"The day my husband and I got married was the best day of my life. It was beautiful. We travelled to Costa Rica, and flew our closest family and friends out to be a part of the ceremony. It was expensive, but it was worth it. Nothing was more important to us than sharing that day with our loved ones! We began our day very early that morning. The men and the ladies attended separate breakfasts, and I was shocked when I received a beautiful family heirloom from my husband's mother. Next we all went to get ready. We got married around 2 PM, and then we had the reception. We dined on local food for the reception, it was very delicious and the perfect way to kick off our new life together. I danced with my husband, and then with my dad, and then we stayed for about 45 more minutes before we left to begin our honeymoon. Everyone stayed for a week, and then my husband and I left to befgin our offical honeymoon in Europe. We stayed in Europe for 2 months, and then we came back to the United States to vacation in Vermont for a month. The wedding was all I ever dreamed of and more. What's even better is that my union to my best friend was celebrated and enjoyed by the people closest to us. Our families bonded, and it was just a really beautiful way to begin our new life together." +"This story is hard for me to tell. A few years ago I got into a college of my dreams and was very excited. We had frosh at the beginning. This is a time for people to meet each other and get used to being at a new school, and to have some fun. I met some friends there and we ended up hanging out for most of our free time. A few years later we had a thanksgiving party. This is where the good turned too bad. I decided to do some magic mushrooms with my friends. They ended up blacking out and even got physically violent. I had never seen such a strange personality change occur. I never expected to see that side of them. It caused nightmares for me that night. I couldn't look at them the same afterwards. We planned just to have a good time but things got out of control. Now I hardly talk to them any more." +This story is about the day i met the love of my life. I am not the going out type of person. A friend of mine invited me to her birthday party so i attended because she has invited me to different occasions and i was not able to attend. When i got there i was sitting all by myself. All of a sudden a girl pass me. It was the girl i have been disturbing her about to introduce me to her. i was surprise to see her at the party because my friend told me she stays in Canada and she was at a party in Seattle. So i walk up to her and we got talking. It was then i realize we have a lot in common. we talked a lot and shared contact. After the party we still reach out. one afternoon she called me she had move to Seattle and will love us to hang out. I was happy and we did. From there i asjer her out and we started dating. She is one of the nest thing to happen to me. I love her so much and she loves me too. I am always glad i attended that party. +"I was called as a witness in a parental rights case in May. I was subpoena by both the state and the mother which I believe was unusual. The mother was expecting to be able to influence how I would testify but I explained to the judge's clerk that she was trying to influence me. The judge held a hearing to verify that I intended to honestly testify about the case. During the hearing the judge admonished the defense and sent the case to arbitration prior to hearing the full case. During the arbitration period the defense and the state negotiated a custody agreement that did not remove the mother's rights permanently. The surprise was that the mother agreed to give rights to my friend who is the great-grandmother and list me as the backup if my friend is unable to care for the child due to a health condition which flares up regularly. I was totally amazed to receive custody of a 4 year old boy who is not related to me. It has been difficult at times because the child has behavioral issues due to abuse and the drug environment which his mother was raising him in. The rewards of watching him heal and starting to grow into a normal child is very rewarding and provides a fulfillment in my life. I retired earlier this year and had planned to spend it doing many activities which did not include being involved in raising a child again. I have become involved in arranging therapy, doctor's appointments, preschool, etc. This is not how I planned for my retirement be but I have decided that this will be just as rewarding as raising my children was. I have adapted my plans and others have stepped up to help me so that I can still do some of the travel that I had planned to see my own family. The zoo has replaced Europe as a destination!" +"Three days ago my sister emailed me to tell me that our mom passed away from lung cancer. We wasn't close at all. As a matter of fact, I haven't talked to her in about 4 years. I know that's a long time to go without speaking to your mother. But she walked away from me and my sister when we were little. She gave us to our grandmother. Mawmaw raised us since we were little girls. Then as we grew up, we tried to give her another chance to be in our lives but guess what? She blew that too. Initially she was doing good. She called us, we talked about things, enjoyed family time and everything. Then one day, it just stopped. It was like she disappeared. She didn't call us anymore. She didn't answer phone calls. We tried calling her from different numbers, still no answer. We didn't know what to think. Now, to find out that she's dead, my feelings are numb. I don't know what to think. Do I mourn the loss of a mother who was never there for me anyway? I can't cry tears because they aren't there to be cried. I am wondering about how long she had the cancer and did she know about it? I have so many unanswered questions that I guess I'll just have to deal with." +"When my son had his first birthday it was his first time eating more than a small bite of sweets. I was surprised that he didn't immediately start smashing his birthday cake. He instead picked up the piece of cake and took a bite out of it. It was very cute! After that first bite he started smashing up the cake. He was taking handfuls of cake and shoving them in his mouth. He had cake smeared all over himself, his highchair, and the floor. He actually quit eating it sooner than I expected. He looked very full and tired of the cake. We had to give him a bath after the cake eating before he could open presents. When it was time to open presents, he ripped off a tiny piece of wrapping paper and played with it. We had to really encourage him to rip more paper. I mostly opened his gifts because he wouldn't. He had a ton of fun playing with the wrapping paper. We had to encourage him to actually play with the gifts." +"My sons birthday was today. He really had a great time and there were a lot of kids who showed up, which was nice. There were even some who showed up who didn't even RSVP, which was great, because we were sort of sad that my kid's friends wouldn't all be there to celebrate with him. My wife had bought WAY too many presents, naturally. I spent the day setting up all the tents outside, so we would have room for everyone. It was supposed to rain that day, but we lucked out and it turned out really nice. My son had a blast with all his friends at his house. He was very excited to show them all his toys and we really didn't have any conflicts over them, which is rare. It was so hard to tear him away from his friends to actually sit down and participate in his own party! In the end, his friends were the ones to actually convince him to come and eat cake. He loves chocolate cake a lot too. We had one made with some characters from a TV show he likes, which was a great surprise for him. He tore into his cake too, really enjoyed it and made a mess everywhere which was ok, since we were outside. The dogs had a good time cleaning up the cake and ice cream afterwards too. Naturally, all his buddies were excited to have him open their presents, and I think he even had more fun opening the presents, moreso than what they actually contained. In the end, it was a really great day and we all had a blast together." +"We are now settled into our new country home after two weeks. It was a lot of work unpacking and taking care of the property but it was well worth it in the end. We now have a stall to put our horses and the meadows and vast scenery is beautiful. My wife's horse Bessie passed away earlier today so we buried her on the farm and had a funeral for her. Right now I am working on building chicken coops so we can get hens for eggs and I am planning on placing ducks in the pond out back so I can get duck eggs. We plan on raising our own eggs and beef cattle so we can avoid paying high prices for groceries. Everything is good despite a tragedy that occurred on the farm two weeks earlier in the pigpen. My sister went out to the pigpen one night to feed the pigs. I woke up in the morning and she was nowhere to be found. I went to the pigpen and found nothing but bones and a few teeth. The pigs had eaten my sister. I didn't want to deal with the police so I buried her bones in the meadow and had a memorial. This gave me an idea. I was tired of my wife running around and cheating on me with every man in town and I thought about killing her for awhile but I was worried about getting caught. If I killed her and fed her to the pigs they would eat her, bones and all and the police would never find out what happened to her. I am deciding on a day and time when to kill her and how I am going to kill her. I will keep you updated next diary entry." +"We are now settled into our new country home after two weeks. It was a lot of work unpacking and taking care of the property but it was well worth it in the end. We now have a stall to put our horses and the meadows and vast scenery is beautiful. My wife's horse Bessie passed away earlier today so we buried her on the farm and had a funeral for her. Right now I am working on building chicken coops so we can get hens for eggs and I am planning on placing ducks in the pond out back so I can get duck eggs. We plan on raising our own eggs and beef cattle so we can avoid paying high prices for groceries. Everything is good despite a tragedy that occurred on the farm two weeks earlier in the pigpen. My sister went out to the pigpen one night to feed the pigs. I woke up in the morning and she was nowhere to be found. I went to the pigpen and found nothing but bones and a few teeth. The pigs had eaten my sister. I didn't want to deal with the police so I buried her bones in the meadow and had a memorial. This gave me an idea. I was tired of my wife running around and cheating on me with every man in town and I thought about killing her for awhile but I was worried about getting caught. If I killed her and fed her to the pigs they would eat her, bones and all and the police would never find out what happened to her. I am deciding on a day and time when to kill her and how I am going to kill her. I will keep you updated next diary entry." +"My sister had invited my family to a party at the beach. More often than not, her idea of fun varied from what we find appealing. She is a wildcard and a little too much at times, as are her friends. But once we got to the beach our attitudes changed. The night itself was perfect. The sun was just setting and cast an orange and red light over the water and horizon. There were more people than expected, but it was different than what I was prepared for. Instead of drinking heavily and listening to loud music the crowd was casually conversing with each other. Eventually a bonfire was started. Having grown up making bonfires with our family, it brought back so many good memories. My Father showed us how to roast the perfect marshmallow. My mother joked about ""cheating on her diet"". And my sister for once didn't present herself as the party girl. Instead she was a mature, happy version. An improved version. A version we could all relate to. In a way it was a grown up version of who we were as children. We ended the night laughing while make smores and listening to the waves. It was a perfect family evening." +"It was on the day my wife gave birth to our second child. Previous hospital visits and scans had assured us that everything was fine and the baby was going to be a girl. We were glad and anticipating her arrival especially since we already had a boy as our first child. On the day of delivery, I drove her to the hospital for normal check up. We never really had an idea what was coming. On arrival at the hospital, the Doctor examined her and told us it was time. I was shocked as we didn't come for delivery but rather for a hospital checkup. She was admitted and I drove back home to bring her stuffs. I was at home getting the stuffs and thinking about our new responsibility that is underway when I receved a call that she has put to bed. I was so overjoyed, speechless and felt grateful. I didn't know what to do. I later rushed to the hospital to see my bundle of joy. She was so cute like her mother. I never thought we will have it that easy. Especially knowing what we passed through with our first son. It was such a memorable day." +"I didn't know at the time if it was for the better or for worse. I met someone that made me feel like I was the most important person in the world. It was a long nine months. It was hard. Delivery was scary. She got stuck and I had to have surgery. I didn't know what was going on because it happened all to fast. One min I am laying on this cold table and the next I hear small cries of the love of my life. The past three months have gone by in a fury. Going through all the trials and tribulations of birth and raising a baby, alone, is hard. I never thought this would be the way. I have wanted to break down and ask for help, but I haven't. The help has came to me. My family is nothing but supportive of me. I honestly do not know if I could ever repay them. They mea" +"To have that level of connection again is everything. It's an indescribable feeling, to walk into a crowd, totally anonymous and yet completely understood. About four weeks ago I went to a Bad Religion concert; that is where I discovered this feeling. In the space of just five hours I experienced things that I think people take lifetimes to discover. I made friends and I danced with perfect strangers. I experienced an emotional roller-coaster moving swiftly from excitement, nervousness, frustration, delight, and finally into pure unadulterated ecstasy. I even got to meet the band! The guys were amazing, I felt like an old friend visiting them. I really expected the meet and greet to suck, they'd be tired from performing and just want us gone. It wasn't like that at all! For a moment I thought one of them was going to invite me to an after party but when someone yawned the moment was gone. What is really the magic of all of this is that weeks later, I can still feel the traces of how that day made me feel. I can't believe it's been nearly a MONTH since then! I desperately want to go to another show. I've been checking the tour dates just hoping they'll update with one near me soon. So far the closest one is in Cincinnati, probably too far away. I might just look at flights anyway. You never know, right? Oh, who am I kidding? I can't afford even the cheapest flight. Maybe going to another show will feel the same, I doubt it. I mean who else has the kinds of fans and stage presence as Bad Religion? I heard Pink is coming to town, maybe I will look at those ticket prices. I know some of my friends like Pink though, I really want to go alone, like I did before. I know I will see them play again, I just hope I can do it soon!" +This was a horrible thing for me because I had to stay in this hospital for awhile and it had a pressure bed to notice my movements. I couldn't get out of bed without someone coming to help me. I had to be on a strict diet and they had to take me off medicine slowly to see what that did to me. This was really painful for me because it was boring and I felt really restricted during this time. My friend was with me so it made it a lot harder to sit really because I knew she was bored and wanted to go home. I didn't feel myself the entire time I was there because my medicine was not right that I had been taking for years. I was very uncomfortable because it was really loud in this hospital as well doors were slamming all the time and I couldn't go to sleep. Being confined to a bed is a lot harder then i thought for multiple days. It was a big surprise to me what they found and my medicine had to be changed. It's always scary when I have to go on different medicines for side effects. Or take high dosages of medicine to stop the abnormal brain waves. The doctors were really nice here so that was a little easier. I think they could have made it better with more things for me to do. They could have had specific time for me to get out the bed and walk around. I wouldn't want to do this again it was kind of a nightmare. +"I had been feeling strange for quite awhile. At first I thought it was just stress or lack of sleep but the odd feelings didn't subside and I decided that I needed to make an appointment with the doctor. The process of making an appointment was easy enough, but as the date was upon me I began to become very nervous about what they were going to discover was wrong with me. Could it be cancer? Diabetes? Do I have a family history of these kind of illnesses? Perhaps I should call my mother to get some reassurance? I decided against the latter and dressed myself for the occasion of wondering out to meet my fate. When I arrived at the doctor's office they started off with some simple blood tests and then ended up booking me for an extended EEG. I wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but the doctor said that it was a test to find out if my brain was functioning as intended. It turned out that my scan was abnormal and they did a bunch more tests without giving me any concrete answers as to what was wrong with me. The whole ordeal was very stressful and by the time it was over all I wanted to do was go home and sleep. Even after all the tests were done they said they couldn't tell me exactly what was causing the abnormal brain patterns, but that they would study the results and try to have some answers within the next few weeks. So, now I'm sitting here and trying to distract myself from the fact that my brain is broadcasting abnormal messages and there may be something seriously wrong with how my head is working. I've tried distracting myself with work and television but it is doing very little to cope with the worry that is slowly consuming me. I just hope that when they finally do get back to me they have some good news to report." +"I had been feeling strange for quite awhile. At first I thought it was just stress or lack of sleep but the odd feelings didn't subside and I decided that I needed to make an appointment with the doctor. The process of making an appointment was easy enough, but as the date was upon me I began to become very nervous about what they were going to discover was wrong with me. Could it be cancer? Diabetes? Do I have a family history of these kind of illnesses? Perhaps I should call my mother to get some reassurance? I decided against the latter and dressed myself for the occasion of wondering out to meet my fate. When I arrived at the doctor's office they started off with some simple blood tests and then ended up booking me for an extended EEG. I wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but the doctor said that it was a test to find out if my brain was functioning as intended. It turned out that my scan was abnormal and they did a bunch more tests without giving me any concrete answers as to what was wrong with me. The whole ordeal was very stressful and by the time it was over all I wanted to do was go home and sleep. Even after all the tests were done they said they couldn't tell me exactly what was causing the abnormal brain patterns, but that they would study the results and try to have some answers within the next few weeks. So, now I'm sitting here and trying to distract myself from the fact that my brain is broadcasting abnormal messages and there may be something seriously wrong with how my head is working. I've tried distracting myself with work and television but it is doing very little to cope with the worry that is slowly consuming me. I just hope that when they finally do get back to me they have some good news to report." +"Two weeks ago, I did something fantastic. I got rid of my depression. The cure was micro dosing with LSD. It was scary at first. I eventually overcame my fears. I then had a fun time on LSD. I saw pink elephants doing the tango with red giraffes. It was a wild time indeed. This also helped my marriage. I wasn't in a bad mood all the time. I smiled at my wife a lot more. I gave her treats and hugs more often. She loved the affection. She said to me that taking drugs was the best thing that happened to me. I couldn't disagree with that statement. I hope this fends off the depression for as long as I live." +"I went to the movies to see Detective Pikachu. I went to the theater just up the street. I went with my boyfriend. It had been about 7 years since I had been to see any movie in a theater because I'm not a huge movie fan in general and I don't like the theater experience. This was an important event for me because my boyfriend suggested it on his own and it was something special we could share. I have been a fan of Pokemon since the beginning, but for many years I had no one to share it with. I thought about how when the first Pokemon movie came out almost 20 years ago I had no one to go see it with, and finally having someone to share Pokemon with made me feel so happy and special. The best, most memorable part was when Pikachu got sad and serious in the movie and my boyfriend leaned over to hug and kiss me. It was a special moment. Also, I hadn't been in a theater in so long I hadn't realized how much they have improved, with the recliners and the assigned seating. It was so much more comfortable and less cramped. It was also awesome going to a weekday matinee when almost no one else was there. It completely changed my view of movie watching. This reminds me of another top moment. When we were selecting our assigned seats I found out my boyfriend also likes the front row just like I do. Most people don't like the front roe in movies. Having that in common was really cool." +"Sixteen hours in the car is enough to make anyone crazy. When that sixteen-hour road trip includes torrential thunderstorms nearly the entire time it's even worse. To say the drive from Chicago to Connecticut was stressful is putting it mildly. When we pulled up to the beautiful, historical boarding school where my daughter would be living for the next few months we all knew it was worth it. The school was originally built in the late 1700s and the original buildings are just as beautiful and imposing as they were hundreds of years ago. Any residual trepidation I had about leaving my young daughter here slowly flew away with the light breeze in the enormous oaks in the quad. We got our room assignment and found my daughter's room. As we made our way up the three flights of stairs to unpack her, we realized immediately how tough a New England summer without air conditioning was going to be. She was so excited, she didn't even notice. We made our way into her new room and met her roommate and their family and thankfully it was a great match. After we got everything unpacked and set up, it was time to say goodbye. I've never left my kids before, especially so far away and for an extended period of time. I had been preparing for this moment for months. I told myself I had to be strong for her. As I leaned in to kiss her goodbye, and saw her admiring her new pointe shoes from the corner of her eye, I knew everything was going to be just fine. With a big wave and grin she yelled ""bye mommy!"" as I walked out the door, and I didn't shed a single tear." +"Today was such a big day: I dropped my baby girl off at Bolshoi and left her there. I can't believe this all actually happened. It feels so surreal. I know that she will be so successful; she will grow and learn so much, but a part of me still worries. Will she be homesick? What if she gets injured? Or sick? How quickly can I get to Connecticut from Chicago in an emergency and limited income. Thank god for Facetime. My favorite part of drop-off was either making up her bed (her roommate also had a purple color scheme!) and unpacking her or meeting all of the program staff. She has a corner room in a building from the mid 1800s and NO air conditioning. I am so glad we brought those fans. I love that she's in such a beautiful setting, but man it is going to be hot in there! I am so proud of my myself that I managed to not shed one single tear when I said my goodbyes. I knew if I cried, she might cry, and I had to be strong for her. She is on the first adventure of her life, on her own, and she isn't even 12 yet. Only six weeks to go! I know I can do this. And watching her in the final performance and seeing her growth will make it all worth it!" +"yes,i was involved in a prejudice act by my head of department. i am a medical surgeon. i was posted to a new health centre. But the professor in charge hated me. this event is awful for me. i am always in thought. he sends me out of the operating room. during any operation i watch from the stand. he wants to destroy my dream. he wants me to quit my profession. i am disturb with this act. i feel like commiting suicide most time. i feel rejected. i feel useful. i feel like i am not successful yet. he has been awful to me and my dream at large,but i will not call it quit on my dream. i will keep pushing hard for the opportunity with the surgical team." +"My story is about when my best friend passed away. We were very close and her death was extremely unexpected. After a vacation was supposed to be back at work on Monday morning. Upon arriving at work, my boss brought me into the office. He told me she had passed away in her sleep the prior night. My heart dropped. How could this have happened to a healthy 42 year old? Why was I hearing about this from my boss? I actually did not believe him, and wondered why he was doing this to me? I had just talked to her yesterday! Losing her rocked my world. I was lost. I could not function at work or home. My kids were upset, she was like an aunt to them. It was honestly one of the worst things I ever went through. One of the worst things for me was how I learned about her passing. I was so hurt that her family did not call me. I just didn't understand how someone who was like a sister to me could just be gone, and I had to find out by my boss. Since she was so young, they did not release her body for burial until 2 weeks later. Her husband held the funeral a week later. It has been a very difficult month since the funeral. I often pick up my phone to call or text her. I have read through our text messages so many times that I have them memorized." +"My friend was passed 2 months ago. I don't know what was the cause of death but what i found out was that he died in his sleep and his mother and father found out and called the school and his close friends. I will miss very much and all i can remember is him smiling whenever i did something stupid. I saw him smile when he was with his girlfriend. I just remember him being one of the happiest people when he talked about his girlfriend,if something great happened to his family or him. Now it is just not one of those times and myself, his family, and so many others will miss him. From surprising him and reuniting with him after all those years. I'm just thankful that even though our friendship was largely online , he didn't care for distance or boarders. Once i was his friend i would always be his friend. Adaptability is one of those things that humans can be good at. It will be hard , but i know that you will adapt. Kinda feels like our friendship was too good to be true. I feel like the world is all wrong without him in it. We have talked about death and we have accepted that no one can live forever. But i did not expect that it would happen so soon. We have talked about getting old together, that our friendship will be as strong as ever. Fly high man, you won't be forgotten for all the amazing times everyone had with you." +"Well today we went back to school shopping! It was so much fun to see him choosing all of his supplies and really realizing that he will be all grown up and in school here soon. He chose a Minecraft backpack which was pretty surprising to me because I didn't realize that he liked it so much. It was really cute though to learn about what he likes. I kept thinking about how much I had left to do, I need to get him a haircut and clean the house and attend all sorts of school meetings. I'm still really excited though. We are a couple of weeks out, now. I feel like that time will definitely pass quickly. Hopefully I can keep track of my to-do list and get it all done. I think first of all we'll go get his haircut done tomorrow. Later in the week I can clean the house and everything. I'm just so excited for this new chapter in our lives. I'm so proud of our kid for growing up so fast. I can't wait to see what he'll learn and how he'll change. This whole thing is more exciting that I ever expected it to be. I hope it all goes great." +"Well, today was the day! I had to take my son to the store to do his back to school shopping. I can't believe my first baby will be going in to Kindergarten so soon. He did have a lot of fun choosing a Minecraft back pack, and some clothes and shoes for school. Buying the school supplies was fun and nostalgia inducing but at the same time I wasn't prepared for the hefty prices. We also went and got his hair cut, he chose a sort of skater style. He looks so cute and handsome and grown up. I think he'll make a lot of friends this year, and grow up even more. I am excited but sad about it. I can't believe it's just coming up here in four weeks. We have so much to do this coming month. I have to go to his orientation, and back to school BBQ. We also have his sixth birthday coming up the same week. It's going to be a busy and emotional time, but I am excited mostly. I can't wait to see how he feels that first day he gets home from school. I'm praying it all goes really well." +"This event was the birth of my daughter. The most memorable part about this birth was how difficult and dangerous it was for my wife and daughter. My wife struggled very hard to push our daughter out. This was surprising and concerning because this is her sixth child so she obviously knows what she's doing. On top of this, it turned out the umbilical cord was wrapped around our daughters neck. So as my wife struggled to push the cord would constrict around our babies neck and her heart rate would plummit. This made everything very complicated and stressful. As time went on they prepped the operating room for an emergency C-section and told my wife she only had a couple more tries at natural birth. My wife had an emergency C-section on her first child many years ago so even this solution was dangerous. There was no real easy way forwards but my wife was determined not to have another C-section. something finally gave way and our baby started moving. They used a suction cup on her head to help the process along. Once everything started moving they still had to get the baby out far enough to remove the umbilical cord from her neck. There was a tense couple of pushes and I just remember feeling worried for them both. At last they got the umbilical cord removed and everything went smoothly from there. It all worked out in the end but the process of the birth was very uncertain and stressful." +"This event was the birth of my daughter. The most memorable part about this birth was how difficult and dangerous it was for my wife and daughter. My wife struggled very hard to push our daughter out. This was surprising and concerning because this is her sixth child so she obviously knows what she's doing. On top of this, it turned out the umbilical cord was wrapped around our daughters neck. So as my wife struggled to push the cord would constrict around our babies neck and her heart rate would plummit. This made everything very complicated and stressful. As time went on they prepped the operating room for an emergency C-section and told my wife she only had a couple more tries at natural birth. My wife had an emergency C-section on her first child many years ago so even this solution was dangerous. There was no real easy way forwards but my wife was determined not to have another C-section. something finally gave way and our baby started moving. They used a suction cup on her head to help the process along. Once everything started moving they still had to get the baby out far enough to remove the umbilical cord from her neck. There was a tense couple of pushes and I just remember feeling worried for them both. At last they got the umbilical cord removed and everything went smoothly from there. It all worked out in the end but the process of the birth was very uncertain and stressful." +"It's been five months and I still can't believe I'm here. I think part of that is because I was so focused on completing one task and then the next and then the next for the year building up to opening my business that it seemed sudden when the day actually came and it was a go. (Well, except for that last day. The 24 hours before launch were absolute hell. Too nauseous to eat. Too wound up to sleep. Certain, absolutely certain, that I had forgotten something critical and the whole damn thing would come collapsing down on me the next day.)But I did it. I jumped through all the hoops. I learned things I never even suspected I needed to know two years ago, and I made it. My company has been functioning for five months now, FIVE FUCKING MONTHS, and it's working! Last year this time, I wasn't even certain I was going to be able to get the damn thing started. The amount of knowledge that I had to learn and all the legal stuff (none of it written in actual English) were mind-numbing at times. I cried more than once just from exhaustion and feeling overwhelmed. But it's really working. I feel like I can do anything right now. Absolutely anything." +"It's been five months and I still can't believe I'm here. I think part of that is because I was so focused on completing one task and then the next and then the next for the year building up to opening my business that it seemed sudden when the day actually came and it was a go. (Well, except for that last day. The 24 hours before launch were absolute hell. Too nauseous to eat. Too wound up to sleep. Certain, absolutely certain, that I had forgotten something critical and the whole damn thing would come collapsing down on me the next day.)But I did it. I jumped through all the hoops. I learned things I never even suspected I needed to know two years ago, and I made it. My company has been functioning for five months now, FIVE FUCKING MONTHS, and it's working! Last year this time, I wasn't even certain I was going to be able to get the damn thing started. The amount of knowledge that I had to learn and all the legal stuff (none of it written in actual English) were mind-numbing at times. I cried more than once just from exhaustion and feeling overwhelmed. But it's really working. I feel like I can do anything right now. Absolutely anything." +"I owned a couple of guinea pigs for three years or so. They were generally pleasant to have and take care of, and they helped alleviate some of my loneliness while living by myself. One was named Pumpkin and had brown and white fur, and the other was named Pepper and had black and white fur. Pumpkin had died a few months previous, and so I was left with just Pepper. She honestly seemed happier living by herself in her cage, and would squeak at me happily whenever I grabbed some vegetables out of the fridge. One day, I had just woken up, and I heard some light murmurs from the other room. I walked over to the guinea pig cage on the kitchen counter top and saw Pepper lying on her side and squeaking lightly. I put my hand on her to pet her, and she wasn't really moving that much. I then put her on a towel and put her in my lap and petted her for a while. I had a feeling she was sick, but I wasn't going to be able to bring her to the vet since I had no money at the time. She murmured and squeaked a bit for a while, and she eventually stopped moving. It was really sad when she died, since she was a constant companion of mine for a few years. I ended up burying her at my mom's house in her backyard. I put a little grave marker up, bending a coat hanger into the shape of a P over the spot where she was buried. My friend and her boyfriend were there, and they actually surprised me by saying some nice words about Pepper after she was buried. The most memorable part of the experience for me was probably just seeing my little friend die and being there with her during her last moments. It was sad for me, but it was also nice to know that I was there with her at the end. She was just a little guinea pig, and I'm sure some would laugh at me for showing any kind of affection for a creature like that, but I considered her a friend. It's good to know that her body is now returning nutrients to the soil, where new grass will grow and new vegetables might grow as well, so that other creatures similar to her will be able to have their own things to nibble on." +"I am writing about the time I went to Colorado to visit my sister in law. Me and my son went on a trip about two or three weeks ago and we went to Colorado for 4 nights. I was super excited to see my sister and my son was super excited to see his cousin. It was a whole lot of fun and we did a lot of activities while we were there. We went hiking with and without the kids. We went and drank and danced when we were by ourselves, but we went on a trail walk when we took the kids. Me and my sister participated in adult activities such as going to the bar and going to the arcade, which also had a bar. We went to eat a numerous amount of times and just enjoyed each other's company. On our vacation we did a lot of dancing and just lounging around. The most surprising thing that happened to me is that i developed a stye on my eye the day before our last day on our trip. My son did not pay me any attention the whole trip because he was so excited to see his cousin. They played all day and night and hardly went to sleep in fear of missing out on the fun times. We went to the mall and did a little bit of shopping and window shopping just to pass the time. Me and my sister rode to Denver with some friends one of the nights I was there and got a big gigantic airbnb. We cooked, listened to music and just vibed with each other that whole night. On the last day of our trip we took the entire group including the kids to lunch. Afterwards we went back to my sister's house and played board games and watched movies until we fell asleep. When it was time to go back home we were sad yet happy to be going home. The flight back seemed very short, probably because me and my son slept almost the whole way there." +"When I joined the military as a teenager I only planned on serving one enlistment of four years. Twenty years later I am now sitting here wondering where the time has gone as I am in the process of retiring and beginning that next chapter of my life. I stayed in for many reasons but one of the biggest reasons were the promotions and opportunities afforded to me. Prior to the military most job positions I had lacked any ability to be promoted or opportunities for advancement. For those that had them the qualifications were vague, subjective, or I did not qualify due to things such as a college degree being required. In the military I found that everything was written so that things were defined and understood. Everyone had the ability to be promoted it was a question of if you wanted to be. What very few understood, though, was that you could go above and beyond just being promoted with the norm but hard work and knowledge of your job could be recognized by superiors with advanced promotion. This happened to me multiple times. When I went through the nursing program, on my last week of school, I had to study both for the nursing exam as well as my promotion exam. I was in the top 5% of the nursing class and I was the only individual to get a perfect score on the promotion board. I was promoted 2 years earlier than I was eligible to recognize me for my hard work. One year later I was promoted again one year earlier than I was eligible which, combined, pushed my rank 3 years ahead of fellow peers. This went on for my entire career. The hard work I put in went towards early promotions allowing me to achieve rank higher than peers. This led to higher pay raises and more income earned over time. It allowed me to attend education and training opportunities I would not of been able to otherwise. This allowed me to be able to afford materialist goods I desired and to pay for the family I currently share my life with each day. The promotions and income allowed us to have nicer homes, nicer cars, and more time off to spend with one another. Many complain that promotions, wealth, and education are all based on who you know and luck. I came from a household of poverty and am now considered upper middle class retired before age 40 with a masters in nursing. I am proof that hard work leads to those promotions and success in life. I made my own “luck.”" +"When I joined the military as a teenager I only planned on serving one enlistment of four years. Twenty years later I am now sitting here wondering where the time has gone as I am in the process of retiring and beginning that next chapter of my life. I stayed in for many reasons but one of the biggest reasons were the promotions and opportunities afforded to me. Prior to the military most job positions I had lacked any ability to be promoted or opportunities for advancement. For those that had them the qualifications were vague, subjective, or I did not qualify due to things such as a college degree being required. In the military I found that everything was written so that things were defined and understood. Everyone had the ability to be promoted it was a question of if you wanted to be. What very few understood, though, was that you could go above and beyond just being promoted with the norm but hard work and knowledge of your job could be recognized by superiors with advanced promotion. This happened to me multiple times. When I went through the nursing program, on my last week of school, I had to study both for the nursing exam as well as my promotion exam. I was in the top 5% of the nursing class and I was the only individual to get a perfect score on the promotion board. I was promoted 2 years earlier than I was eligible to recognize me for my hard work. One year later I was promoted again one year earlier than I was eligible which, combined, pushed my rank 3 years ahead of fellow peers. This went on for my entire career. The hard work I put in went towards early promotions allowing me to achieve rank higher than peers. This led to higher pay raises and more income earned over time. It allowed me to attend education and training opportunities I would not of been able to otherwise. This allowed me to be able to afford materialist goods I desired and to pay for the family I currently share my life with each day. The promotions and income allowed us to have nicer homes, nicer cars, and more time off to spend with one another. Many complain that promotions, wealth, and education are all based on who you know and luck. I came from a household of poverty and am now considered upper middle class retired before age 40 with a masters in nursing. I am proof that hard work leads to those promotions and success in life. I made my own “luck.”" +"I had a miscarriage 8 months ago. It happened on February 12th 2019. I was eight weeks pregnant, so barely there, but enough to know and to feel some symptoms. I found out really early (5 weeks) because my period is like clockwork. Well...used to be. It was at the time. The craziest part of the whole experience was actually passing the fetus. The pain was some of the worst in my life, and i've been though some other shit in the past. I felt and saw it - it was kinda like something big going through me and then it was all over me. The size of my hand, literally. I was able to pick it up, move it, etc. Once the fetus came out, the pain reduced a lot, although it was still painful. It's crazy to think about even now. It still feels like yesterday sometimes. My life will never be the same." +"I had a miscarriage 8 months ago. It happened on February 12th 2019. I was eight weeks pregnant, so barely there, but enough to know and to feel some symptoms. I found out really early (5 weeks) because my period is like clockwork. Well...used to be. It was at the time. The craziest part of the whole experience was actually passing the fetus. The pain was some of the worst in my life, and i've been though some other shit in the past. I felt and saw it - it was kinda like something big going through me and then it was all over me. The size of my hand, literally. I was able to pick it up, move it, etc. Once the fetus came out, the pain reduced a lot, although it was still painful. It's crazy to think about even now. It still feels like yesterday sometimes. My life will never be the same." +"The story I posted on Reddit about a month ago made me very popular; for about a week. I guess that is an eternity on the internet. I was inundated with offers to review products. I took people up on many of the offers and received lots of cool gadgets. I look forward to reviewing them all over the next month or two. I got so excited I even agreed to meet someone that said they really liked my story. That proved to be a bad mistake. They just wanted to try and steal from me. I know I shouldn't have agreed to meet them but I was just feeling so good about myself at the time. Almost like I was invincible. Pretty silly I guess, but live and learn. Still, out of all the people I came into contact via the internet, most were good and followed through on what they said they were going to do. Just this one person soured me on ever meeting anyone in person that I meet online. Hopefully I can put this incident behind me. I do not want to have a distrusting nature or end up bitter and cynical just because of them." +"Within the last few months I created a true account of something that is happening in my life that I posted on Reddit in one of the chat threads. Because of this post my inbox blew up with messages of support, offers to date me, illicit offers, and even offers of friendship. I actually started corresponding with several of the people who sent me messages and I even went on to meet one of the writers within my metro area in a public setting. We actually went on several dates and meetings, and they tried very hard to have me give them my address or have them pick me up at work but I would not allow this. I try not to every do that until I feel as if I've gotten to know the person which for me, usually takes at least 3 months or more. While this person seemed nice, and true they were not. Over the course of several weeks of dates, and meetings, I discovered that everything they said was a lie. Who they were, where they worked, the family they had. All lies. This person was attempting to prey upon me due to the story that I put out in a public setting. It was disheartening to discover this but in reality it opened my eyes that virtual friends, interchanges, etc., are truly not real or actual. The internet is a very dangerous place and one should not venture there alone or without friends. I have truly learned my lesson and will be extra cautious when posting on public chats and make sure that all of my personal information is safeguarded. In this day and age you should never trust anyone no matter how kind or nice you are, and no matter how kind and nice they seem. This was a very valuable lesson that I learned." +"The car accident was very weird, even my doctor told me hearing it made her scared to drive. As I was driving I glanced into the rear view mirror and noticed a truck coming up on my too fast. I tapped my brake lights to try and bring the driver out of his fog. Before I knew it he had rear-ended me. I looked in the mirror as I was getting ready to pull over and saw that he meant to hit me again which he did. Now I was getting freaked out it starting to feel like a Stephen King movie. I looked in the rear view once more and realized that he intended to hit me again. I swerved into the next lane checked to see what he was doing. He had followed me into the lane. I then swerved back over and quickly pulled into a parking lot. I saw him fly across the oncoming traffic lanes and plunge into a cemetery across the road. He tried to get his truck going again, I felt like he was trying to flee the scene. However, his truck had become lodged on a tombstone. I proceeded to call 911 where they promptly sent a sheriff. After the sheriff interview the other person he came over and talked to me." +"The car accident was very weird, even my doctor told me hearing it made her scared to drive. As I was driving I glanced into the rear view mirror and noticed a truck coming up on my too fast. I tapped my brake lights to try and bring the driver out of his fog. Before I knew it he had rear-ended me. I looked in the mirror as I was getting ready to pull over and saw that he meant to hit me again which he did. Now I was getting freaked out it starting to feel like a Stephen King movie. I looked in the rear view once more and realized that he intended to hit me again. I swerved into the next lane checked to see what he was doing. He had followed me into the lane. I then swerved back over and quickly pulled into a parking lot. I saw him fly across the oncoming traffic lanes and plunge into a cemetery across the road. He tried to get his truck going again, I felt like he was trying to flee the scene. However, his truck had become lodged on a tombstone. I proceeded to call 911 where they promptly sent a sheriff. After the sheriff interview the other person he came over and talked to me." +"My family got evicted from our home a few months ago. I lived with my mother and two younger brothers. This was very upsetting for us as we don't have a lot of family or family friends in this city. My family eventually became estranged from one another. My youngest brother moved in with relatives in another state, my second youngest brother (a teen) became deliquent, and my mother went to live with a guy she was dating. I moved to a homeless shelter for youth on the other side of town in search of stability and greater opportunity for myself. I worked two jobs to be able to move into my first apartment. The apartment was apart of a transitional housing program/intentional living community. These are programs that not only provide housing, but they also provide support in other areas (education, family mediation, career opportunity and more). It wasn't an ideal environment that I wanted to be in, and I ended up isolating myself from most of my peers. The people I did get involved with were probably the worst social group that I could have chose. I began smoking weed and tobacco products daily. I began drinking and I tried other drugs also. I knew the risks, but at this point with no family and being forced to drop out of college, I felt like I had nothing to look forward to. Luckily for me, this phase was short-lived considering that most people get addicted to drugs/alcohol and never recover." +"Two months ago, My friend was traveled to my home town by drove a car with my old grandfather. He was around 80 at that incident. In order to enjoy the scenarise along the road side my friend Sam car speed was around 60 km/h. They enjoyed their travel very much. Unexpectedly one car was with high speed without any control which missed it track and hit Sam's car opposite to them. Sam's car was crushed badly. Due that accident my grandfather had many injuries and fractures. His left arm joint was replaced and his left side hip bone was completely broke. He lost his conscious and Sam had many inner bleeding in his body. They two was immobile due to that drastic hit. With in a few minutes Sam was gained his energy and checked my grandfather condition. People rushed and help them to escape from my car. But wonderfully opponent car had no major damage and the driver was free from injuries. He made huge mess on our life but he does not asked any sorry towards us. Sam decided to sue over driver reckless drive. That person looked like criminal with dishonest quality. He seemed irresponsible and cold heart fellow." +"Yesterday I went to my doctor for some stomach pains and blood in my urine. I set my appointment for 10:00am and left at 11:00am. When I went they took my weight, blood pressure, and temperature. I thought I was passing a kidney stone; however, I was having a miscarriage!! Wow. I cried when I got the call...haven't even left the facility yet, I cried all day. My boyfriend was really comforting, as always. I couldn't handle knowing the fact that I...lost a baby. I knew I missed my period that month; So what I did was purchase pregnancy tests, went home to take them. Turns out, no pregnancy. So maybe I'm thinking the dental visit, xrayed my fetus away from my uterus. I was thinking about so much!! I was sad. I was angry. I was crying all the way home. I don't need to have a child right now, but I didn't wanna hear THIS news today and whatever. Anyway, that isn't even the end of it. The day before I deposited a fake check into my checkings account, it was a fake check so now I can't even access my bank account. I really hope I don't have to pay my bank back! I got scammed and had a miscarriage all in the same 24 hours!" +"I lived in a safe neighborhood. Or, so I thought. I was walking around town one day. I have done this for years, so I didn't think today would be any different. However, a man tried to kidnap me. He caught me by surprise, and he was able to get a hold of me before I had any time to react. Thankfully, a neighbor saved me and the kidnapper ran away. We called the police, and filed a kidnapping report. They are currently looking for this kidnapper. I don't know why this kidnapper thought he could kidnap me. I'm a middle-aged Korean man. Although he had control of me initially, I know martial arts. My martial arts would have been able to get myself out of that situation. Thankfully, my neighbor was nearby, heard the commotion, and came out to save me. I am thankful for what my neighbor did for me, but I am confident that I would have been able to escape thanks to my martial arts skills." +"Today I need to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life. It turns out I am unable to cut it here in New York City and in order to make ends meet, I need to move back home to Portland, Oregon. My parents have been gracious enough to let me stay with them for the time being. This is particularly painful as I really thought I had it set. I was following my dreams in New York. I was chasing the goal of being a Broadway actor but I'm just not cut out for it. It is an immense struggle to balance the art while maintaining a day job. To make matters worse, the politics of the musical theater scene are intense. I do not know how people are supposed to make it in this city. Everywhere you go, people are fake. Everyone is using you to get ahead. How does anyone manage healthy relationships in this environment? Everyone is constantly trying to get ahead and no one is willing to help the young people get started. I see no path for me to get ahead. I can't continue living in my studio apartment, barely making ends meet, for a dream in an industry that does not care about me one bit. It is time for me to accept defeat and move on." +"Today I need to make one of the most difficult decisions of my life. It turns out I am unable to cut it here in New York City and in order to make ends meet, I need to move back home to Portland, Oregon. My parents have been gracious enough to let me stay with them for the time being. This is particularly painful as I really thought I had it set. I was following my dreams in New York. I was chasing the goal of being a Broadway actor but I'm just not cut out for it. It is an immense struggle to balance the art while maintaining a day job. To make matters worse, the politics of the musical theater scene are intense. I do not know how people are supposed to make it in this city. Everywhere you go, people are fake. Everyone is using you to get ahead. How does anyone manage healthy relationships in this environment? Everyone is constantly trying to get ahead and no one is willing to help the young people get started. I see no path for me to get ahead. I can't continue living in my studio apartment, barely making ends meet, for a dream in an industry that does not care about me one bit. It is time for me to accept defeat and move on." +"One month ago I was lucky enough to be the officiant for my best friend's wedding. What an honor that was! I felt very blessed to be such an integral part of their special day. It was a beautiful summer wedding and I'm glad it was my first. It was such a lovely experience, but two moments in particular stick out to me. The first is when my best friend, the bride, walked down the aisle. She was stunning! She had her dark hair in an intricate up-do and perfectly done makeup. Her dress was sleeveless, had lots of perfectly placed lace, and fit her like it made especially for me. It was almost as if she walked straight out of a bridal magazine! The groom's expression was so wholesome. He had tears in his eyes and I heard him clear his throat a few times. I got choked up too, seeing him being so in love with my best friend. The second moment was when they exchanged their vows. They chose to write their own. Neither were big writers, but both wrote some of the most beautiful words I have ever heard. Their love for each other really showed. It was hard to keep my composure as the officiant because the moment was so breathtaking. When she asked me to do this, I did not realize how important this moment would feel to me. I simply thought I would be doing them a favor, but it was so much more than that. I was able to join my best friend and the love of her life together in holy matrimony. This is a day I will never forget and will cherish forever." +"I happened to have a day off from work back in May. I get a call from my younger sister asking me to go with her to her doctor's office to get the gender results for her baby as she was about four months pregnant at that time. She was tired after work that day and wanted to know if I minded driving her there. I of course agreed to help. I waited in the car while she went in to get the results and had the idea to contact my best friend whom I hadn't seen in quite some time. He had suggested a month earlier that we should have a coffee date one day. With the work schedule I had at the time, I didn't think we'd get to do that any time soon. However, that day presented the perfect opportunity. I happened to have a decent amount of cash that day and asked my sister if she minded me meeting up with my best friend for coffee after he got off from work. I offered to give her gas money for her time and to keep her gas tank full. She agreed to let me drive to his job to get him. We got there and waited until he was done for the day. This didn't take long yet I was worried she would grow impatient. Luckily, my sister was very calm and relaxed. I forgot that she knows about the history of me and my best friend and how we used to date and still have feelings for each other since she was a kid at the time. Not long after, his work day ends and he comes out of the building. We hugged for a moment before driving to the local coffee shop up the street. He and I go in and order. We sit down and talk for about 45 minutes about everything on our minds. He surprised me by suddenly holding my hand and rubbing it for the majority of the time we were there. I felt so shy yet also warm, relaxed, and safe. We sat there staring at each other for a long moment. I admitted to him that this was the best I'd felt in a long time. Although we don't see each other often, we talk through social media every day. We've both been coping with unfavorable situations and it was like at that moment all our stress evaporated and we found peace in each other's company." +"Two weeks ago, I was on vacation, and I decided to go for a walk in the woods. I like being out in the woods alone. I love the smell of the earth under my feet, as I feel my lungs fill up with fresh air. The smell of the trees fills my nostrils. This was a pine forest, so the smell was piney. As I hiked along the trail, I left them every once in a while to go off into the trees. I found a few areas that could be great to set up a tent. They were fairly flat, and there were not many rocks to clear away. They were far enough away from the trail to be quiet and private, but close enough to the main roads to run for help in the case of a bear attack. I'm kidding. Maybe not entirely kidding. There was even a little brook that ran past some of them that would be good for a dip. There's nothing like swimming in a clear, cold stream to refresh you on a summer camping trip. I loved my solitary walk in the woods. I might want to go back and have a camping trip there someday soon. I returned to my hotel feel rested and rejuvenated, just as one should on a vacation." +"Two weeks ago, I was on vacation, and I decided to go for a walk in the woods. I like being out in the woods alone. I love the smell of the earth under my feet, as I feel my lungs fill up with fresh air. The smell of the trees fills my nostrils. This was a pine forest, so the smell was piney. As I hiked along the trail, I left them every once in a while to go off into the trees. I found a few areas that could be great to set up a tent. They were fairly flat, and there were not many rocks to clear away. They were far enough away from the trail to be quiet and private, but close enough to the main roads to run for help in the case of a bear attack. I'm kidding. Maybe not entirely kidding. There was even a little brook that ran past some of them that would be good for a dip. There's nothing like swimming in a clear, cold stream to refresh you on a summer camping trip. I loved my solitary walk in the woods. I might want to go back and have a camping trip there someday soon. I returned to my hotel feel rested and rejuvenated, just as one should on a vacation." +"Two months ago, I graduated from a residential facility for treatment for eating disorders. This event was extremely memorable because I was at the facility for thirteen weeks and had a major life change during that time. I felt a lot of emotions upon leaving the program. I felt relief for finally getting out, animosity for not getting the treatment I needed there, and gratefulness for receiving a scholarship to pay for my treatment since I have no mental health insurance. It was very sad to leave all the friends I made in treatment. I knew that we probably would never see each other again. But I also felt very relieved to have gotten out, because the staff there were growing tired of me for vocalizing my displeasure with how the program worked there. The therapist were often very dismissive and the RC's would often yell at the clients for minor mistakes. During my graduation ceremony, my therapist presented me with a necklace with three charms on it that she thought described me. The charms were ""believe"", ""warrior"", and ""grace"". The warrior charm made me cringe. It is such a stereotypical thing to say to someone with an eating disorder. Overall, the graduation felt extremely superficial and inpersonal. Not at all what I was expecting after being there for three months. Not surprisingly, I relapsed as soon as I was taken to the airport. The treatment there made me worse than better unfortunately." +"Today started like any other day. I went through my usual morning routine and generally everything was normal. What I didn't expect was that today I will be one of my favorite days in recent memory. The reason being that I will hit a personal record while bench pressing and finally have a sense of validation for my hard work. Even when my workout started, there was no evidence that anything was different. To be honest, getting in the gym has been rough of late. It seems like my lifts have plateaued. I'm not seeing the results that I wish I was getting. I feel like I am giving maximum effort, but I guess it just hasn't been enough. That is, until today. As I got under the bar to bench press, I could start to feel the weight felt lighter than usual. I warmed up like normal, but as the lifts got heavier and heavier, I wasn't struggling as much as usual. I figured now was as good a day as any to try and set a personal best. I put on the 200 lbs and went for it. To my surprise I was able to get this up for 5 reps! A personal best and goal of mine. My hard work feels validated by these results. I hope I can continue to get stronger!" +"Today started like any other day. I went through my usual morning routine and generally everything was normal. What I didn't expect was that today I will be one of my favorite days in recent memory. The reason being that I will hit a personal record while bench pressing and finally have a sense of validation for my hard work. Even when my workout started, there was no evidence that anything was different. To be honest, getting in the gym has been rough of late. It seems like my lifts have plateaued. I'm not seeing the results that I wish I was getting. I feel like I am giving maximum effort, but I guess it just hasn't been enough. That is, until today. As I got under the bar to bench press, I could start to feel the weight felt lighter than usual. I warmed up like normal, but as the lifts got heavier and heavier, I wasn't struggling as much as usual. I figured now was as good a day as any to try and set a personal best. I put on the 200 lbs and went for it. To my surprise I was able to get this up for 5 reps! A personal best and goal of mine. My hard work feels validated by these results. I hope I can continue to get stronger!" +"Six weeks ago, I experienced a tragedy. My beloved grandfather died that day. I had some memories about my grandfather. I remember him playing catch at his house. We played for an hour then went inside for some milk and cookies. I remember having a big fishing trip with him. He taught me how to fish. He caught a small fish but I somehow caught a big fish. We cooked it that night for dinner. It was amazing. He also taught me how to run fast. He only shown me the form but he was to old to run. I won many track events because of his knowledge. I will never forget my grandfather. I hope he will rest peacefully." +"Six weeks ago, I experienced a tragedy. My beloved grandfather died that day. I had some memories about my grandfather. I remember him playing catch at his house. We played for an hour then went inside for some milk and cookies. I remember having a big fishing trip with him. He taught me how to fish. He caught a small fish but I somehow caught a big fish. We cooked it that night for dinner. It was amazing. He also taught me how to run fast. He only shown me the form but he was to old to run. I won many track events because of his knowledge. I will never forget my grandfather. I hope he will rest peacefully." +I have a great career. I found out about four months ago. I had this five-year old patient who I was tending to. This poor little guy went into cardiac arrest right in front of me. I was the only one in the room. I had to perform CPR for the first time. Knowing that this little tyke's life was in my hands. I had to do everything I could to save him. He pulled through and made it. He survived and went on to recovery and was released from the hospital two short months later. This event lasted in my memory. I can still see his little face as he bagan flatlining in front of me. He was the most precious five year old that I have ever met. I'm so glad that I saved him. That was the day I knew that I would be a nurse forever. +"Going to visit my dad's new family was hard at first. I've wrote about the divorce and how messy it was. That's why it took so long to visit him. When he cheated on my mom, I never thought that I could forgive him. Years later, I decided that I am old enough and I can handle this. I reached out to him to see if I can come visit. He was surprised but sounded really happy about it. I took my family to his place and we sat in silence for a little while. His new wife was the woman he cheated on my mom with and was the reason that they got a divorce. She took my kids outside and they played. I told my dad that I was there to figure out why he did it. I needed answers so I could forgive and move on from this. He explained everything. After sitting and crying for a while with him about how much of the past few years we have missed from each other, we hugged and patched things up. My kids came running in and talking about catching frogs with my dad's wife and how much fun it was. My wife took to my dad's wife as well. What I thought would have been a horrible experience, ended up being one of the best ones. It's great to understand why my dad did things and it's also great to see him so happy now." +"Some time ago, I went to a baseball game with my brother-in-law. It was a sunny day, and we both had the day off of work. We were sitting on the first level. We had pretty good seats. The day was going pretty well. We were drinking a few beers and having a good time. I don't know which of the players from the Cubs hit a home run, but when they did, we jumped up in excitement. I lost hold of my beer in the excitement, and it flew and hit the back of this lady sitting in front of me. It was almost a full beer, and all of it went on her shirt. She was furious, and I was mortified. She started screaming at me, and at first I was apologetic. When she continued to scream at me, I told her to ""Fuck off, I already apologized. What the fuck else do you want me to do?"" At this point, the guy she was with started getting loud and threatening. My brother-in-law started jawing back with the guy as well. Then security started to approach, while we were going back and forth. When security got there, I explained that it was an accident, and that I was not being drunk or disorderly. They diffused the situation, and we were able to continue and watch the game. There were no further disturbances. We laughed about it after the game, and in hindsight, it was pretty funny, although somewhat unfortunate." +"Some time ago, I went to a baseball game with my brother-in-law. It was a sunny day, and we both had the day off of work. We were sitting on the first level. We had pretty good seats. The day was going pretty well. We were drinking a few beers and having a good time. I don't know which of the players from the Cubs hit a home run, but when they did, we jumped up in excitement. I lost hold of my beer in the excitement, and it flew and hit the back of this lady sitting in front of me. It was almost a full beer, and all of it went on her shirt. She was furious, and I was mortified. She started screaming at me, and at first I was apologetic. When she continued to scream at me, I told her to ""Fuck off, I already apologized. What the fuck else do you want me to do?"" At this point, the guy she was with started getting loud and threatening. My brother-in-law started jawing back with the guy as well. Then security started to approach, while we were going back and forth. When security got there, I explained that it was an accident, and that I was not being drunk or disorderly. They diffused the situation, and we were able to continue and watch the game. There were no further disturbances. We laughed about it after the game, and in hindsight, it was pretty funny, although somewhat unfortunate." +"Three months ago I took a vacation to the beach with my husband and two children. We were trying to get away from the daily drudgery that had become our lives. With one daughter in school and a baby son to meet his needs, we needed to have a break. I like when we can just be together as a family. When it is just us that makes me happy. Our marriage has been a little on the back burner with problems at work and meeting family obligations. We needed time to just put things aside and let ourselves relax. Then when we were together in a calm setting, on the beach, that is, we could discuss what we could do to make things better. We held hands and just watched the waves come in and go back out. We watched seagulls play. Our children stayed by us. Their laughter made us happy. We knew we would still have problems when we left but we had time to just rest and not think about them. I didn't want to bring up those problems but I knew they wouldn't go away. I started to talk about them but my husband said they will still be there when we left. We should enjoy the time together now, he said. I wanted to but my mind kept thinking of how when we left things would be the same. I didn't want that. I said alright maybe later on we can discuss solutions to them. He said that would be fine. He said right now let's enjoy being with our children. We are only down here two days he reminds me. I don't want to spend it thinking about the daily grind back home. We didn't have any big problems waiting for us. For that I was grateful." +"Three months ago I took a vacation to the beach with my husband and two children. We were trying to get away from the daily drudgery that had become our lives. With one daughter in school and a baby son to meet his needs, we needed to have a break. I like when we can just be together as a family. When it is just us that makes me happy. Our marriage has been a little on the back burner with problems at work and meeting family obligations. We needed time to just put things aside and let ourselves relax. Then when we were together in a calm setting, on the beach, that is, we could discuss what we could do to make things better. We held hands and just watched the waves come in and go back out. We watched seagulls play. Our children stayed by us. Their laughter made us happy. We knew we would still have problems when we left but we had time to just rest and not think about them. I didn't want to bring up those problems but I knew they wouldn't go away. I started to talk about them but my husband said they will still be there when we left. We should enjoy the time together now, he said. I wanted to but my mind kept thinking of how when we left things would be the same. I didn't want that. I said alright maybe later on we can discuss solutions to them. He said that would be fine. He said right now let's enjoy being with our children. We are only down here two days he reminds me. I don't want to spend it thinking about the daily grind back home. We didn't have any big problems waiting for us. For that I was grateful." +"So the date took place at a place called Top Golf. It was one of the coolest first dates ever because I knew nothing of how to play golf and they claimed to not know how to play, but little did I know they did. This place is located in Miami right in front Dolphin Mall. I remember we decided to take a break and we sat on the couch next to our booth. He leaned in and tried kissing me but I thought it was too soon so I denied him and we continued playing golf instead. We then ate some food and drank some drank and it got us talking about communicating a little more with each other. Me denying his kiss was kind of a good experience because it gave me a chance to see how he would react when it came to rejection. Honestly, he was totally cool about it and didn't take it to heart or thought that was it, date is over. So I really respected and honored that about him and his character because it shows me that he has patience. After top golf we hung around the place a little longer and just talked. I had to work the next day and so did he but I did not want to leave was not worried about work the next day. We talked for about 3 more hours and it was like 1 in the morning. I remember before I left he gave me the cutest cactus plant too. I still have that plant till this day and its the cutest most adorable gift ive ever gotten. Weve gone on other dates aside from that one but that one was by far the best." +"The day that I met but didn't really meet my current boyfriend. We were both in the same place, he noticed me hadn't noticed him, let alone noticed that he had been eyeing me trying to find out more about me any chance he got. Days later, we had our first date, he talked a lot, wasn't even nerves, just him. He impressed me though by being his true authentic self and not pretending to be anyone except himself, and I fell in love with him for it. After we left we walked around a bit and got to know each other even more. He told me about his family, friends, and what he enjoyed doing. He has a great job that he really loves and he lived alone. I remember thinking, this is great!. The way he spoke about himself was so different compared to most people in Miami. I liked the fact that he was so honest about his experiences. He really wanted to let me know who he truly was. While we were playing golf, he was doing really great and tried showing me some pointers and tricks to do better. I still didn't get better and really wanted to learn and do better than him. Before the date, he bought me the cutest plant ever instead of flowers and I really appreciated that. I remember him telling me about his mom and the problems they both had. He was always trying to help her." +"It's been a while since I wrote here. Ten months exactly, and about ten months ago something happened that I need to let my feelings out about. I went to a party hosted by my friend Max. He's a really social guy, but I didn't realize how many friends he had. The party was wild and packed. SO many people showed up I couldn't have counted them if I wanted to. This made me pretty jealous for some reason. Since then, I haven't been able to be as close to Max as I once was. He's one of my only friends! Yet, he has so many friends outside of me. Do I even really matter to him? I don't know anymore. It messes with my head and so I prefer to just avoid him nowadays. Last week, he invited me to another party. I did NOT go!" +"With the struggles of daily life always being a burden on a person's mental well-being there comes to a point in time where everyone is met with the same question; what are we fighting for? It wasn't until I met my significant other years back that I came to this question with an actual answer. Our times have been splendid, we have fallen harder over the past 2 years and 3 months together with plenty of eventful times together. Over the summer it's been quite the lovely one with trips to Disney Land, others to different parts such as Seattle, Los Angeles, etc. All of them were magnificent times that have paved the way for me to ask her to one day become my wife. After an eventful time at our conventions, a hobby we have involving gaming, comics, anime and more, we opted to go to California for a trip to an event called ""Anime Expo"". She's usually rather excited about this event due to the fact she can dress up as her favorite characters as do most others do as well. It's always a lovely time, the atmosphere is fantastic with all the people having a blast going around to booths, visiting voice actors and checking out merchandise halls. As usual we had quite the lovely time together, spent all of our time dressing up, going out as characters from series such as ""Darker than Black"" and ""My Hero Academia"" with lots of laughs, gifts and food to enjoy. Although we had lots of fun to share with each other I still had in store one more event after all was said and done. Typically we do go out to eat together so on that note we took a bus ride all the way down to a pier to enjoy the area, look around to gaze at the scenery and for me to be able to catch her off guard with a ring in a relatively quiet, calm area. She was completely taken aback from the ring, confused initially then started to cry as most would. Of course she did not expect it in the slightest but was more than happy to oblige with her own ecstatic joy reaching down to grab, hug me completely ignoring the ring as she says, ""Yes!"". Could not have been a happier event of our lives that leads me to the main questions that have bugged me over the years. Why do I live exactly? I live to make those around me happier and to find happiness with myself through others." +"Two month ago, I took my fiance on a over night trip to watch a play in Louisville. We had been dating for a bout a year and I knew that we were meant to be together. Since we have dated there have been things happen in our life that have brought us closer together. We celebrated her new job and we mourned the death of my father. After he passed it really put life in perspective and I knew that I wanted a family. I decided to visit my friend who owns a jewelry store and selected the perfect ring. It was a little over 2 carats but worth every cent. When we arrived in Louisville we checked into our hotel room and then had dinner at Jeff Ruby's Steak House. The meal was delicious and the view was even better. We decide to walk next door to the performing arts center and have a few cocktails before the show. We took our seats in a private balcony and when the first half was over the magic began. I got down on my knee and proposed to my future wife. She cried and I let a few tears slip myself. The crowd began clapping when they realized what was happening and it was the perfect moment. Now we have to plan our wedding and that may be a little more stressful." +"Two of my friends survived bouts with cancer. A group of my friends decided to all take a cruise together. We wanted to celebrate life. The two who survived cancer were part of the cruise. We wanted them to decide where to travel to on the cruise. They selected a caribbean cruise. We booked the cruise for 7 days and had 5 different destinations. We partied everyday, and went on daily excursions. One friend who was single at the time met a great guy while on the cruise. She currently still dates the guy, and they are quite serious. We attended an art auction while n the cruise. I purchased two pieces of art . The art work is currently in my living room. While visiting local areas we climbed a waterfall, and got out hair braided. As we sat on the deck of the boat, we observed a pod of dolphins. We took a lot of pictures and videos of the trip. We have a lot of keepsakes to remember our vacation." +"it was one of those moments that happened all at once, but also felt like it time stood still. it was me and my wife, and our precious son, he had just turned 14 that spring and he always wanted to hit the trails and go mudding. Living in the south it's always been popular among the boys, especially when i was younger before all this technology took over. i was more than happy to oblige, anything to him out of the house right? it was a decent Thursday afternoon, sun shining through the trees, just thousands of beams bounding off the ground. i felt insanely nostalgic, everyone was all smiles and just having a blast talking about they recent week, school, books, games, you name it. It was sudden when we went up the hill ""get some big air dad WOOO"" my son kept saying and who was i to say no? 40, 50, 60, we sped up to it and climbed. and we got air alright! Its not that there was too much, it was the huge mud-hole at the bottom from where it rained the night before. when we landed my front left tire hit it just right and got it stuck just long enough to send us flying. screams, disorientation, glass everywhere and then suddenly its like i woke up upside down. The only thing i could think about was are they okay... i couldn't think about me right now. i look to my right, and behind me and breath a big sigh of relief, they look shaken up but safe. glass in our hair i crawled out the now broken window and helped my family to their feet. We kind of stood there for a few minutes and then, for seemingly no reason, we started to laugh. A chuckle at first and then a roar, it was a birthday my son never would forget, and i'll never forget him telling me how it was ""SO COOL DAD"". Best worst day ever." +"Three months ago, my best friend got married. She married her high school sweetheart. I was very proud of them. The marriage ceremony was great. She walked down the hall in a white dress. The man had a great tuxedo on. They kissed and were married that day. The party was very cool. There were steaks for everybody. There was also a big cake to eat. It was very good. They told me that they were expecting a child. I wished them the best. They think it will be a girl but I put a bet that it will be a boy. The bet is only a few bucks. I hope they have a happy life. They are a strong and young couple, so they should live long." +"My father-in-law is someone I'm very close to. When he was diagnosed with cancer, it was a dark cloud on our time. I didn't know how serious it was. But, if there is one positive, we are closer now than we have ever been. I didn't imagine myself connecting with this man as much as I have been. I still can't believe the good that was fostered from such a poor situation. I have become his health and mental counselor. I have supported him so much and I continue to grow closer to this man every single day. I could see where my partner gets their charm and compassion from. Cancer is no longer a death sentence. I choose not to associate with the what-ifs as much as I used to. There's no time for that. I just try to enjoy the here and now. I try to spend as much time with him as I can. I don't know what tomorrow could bring." +"My father-in-law is someone I'm very close to. When he was diagnosed with cancer, it was a dark cloud on our time. I didn't know how serious it was. But, if there is one positive, we are closer now than we have ever been. I didn't imagine myself connecting with this man as much as I have been. I still can't believe the good that was fostered from such a poor situation. I have become his health and mental counselor. I have supported him so much and I continue to grow closer to this man every single day. I could see where my partner gets their charm and compassion from. Cancer is no longer a death sentence. I choose not to associate with the what-ifs as much as I used to. There's no time for that. I just try to enjoy the here and now. I try to spend as much time with him as I can. I don't know what tomorrow could bring." +"It was less a bar and more a fetish club, really, a plece where people with certain proclivities could meet each other. There was alcohol, but I didn't drink any, because I do not drink. I never have and I never will, most likely. I didn't start then. I didn't really interact with people, either. I found a spot in the back, I sat back. I observed, I waited. The thing about just observing and being quiet is that people draw conclusions. They think you're smart just because you don't say anything, they think you're contemplative. That might be true for me. The important thing is that the image draws in people who like contemplative people, and I like people who like contemplative people. So, I waited for someone to come to me. And someone did. She was attractive, and I listen to her, let her take the lead. That's important, too. I take her ideas and expanded on them, rather than taking control of the conversation. I explored what she wanted to explore, that's one of the reasons we hit it off. To be honest, I would have liked to get to know her better, but that's not what she was interested in. I prefer long term relationships, she wanted something immediate and short term. I followed her lead in that regard. When she asked me to escort her home, I did so. When she asked me inside, I accepted. It's not something that I'd like to do again, but I enjoyed it at the time." +"It was less a bar and more a fetish club, really, a plece where people with certain proclivities could meet each other. There was alcohol, but I didn't drink any, because I do not drink. I never have and I never will, most likely. I didn't start then. I didn't really interact with people, either. I found a spot in the back, I sat back. I observed, I waited. The thing about just observing and being quiet is that people draw conclusions. They think you're smart just because you don't say anything, they think you're contemplative. That might be true for me. The important thing is that the image draws in people who like contemplative people, and I like people who like contemplative people. So, I waited for someone to come to me. And someone did. She was attractive, and I listen to her, let her take the lead. That's important, too. I take her ideas and expanded on them, rather than taking control of the conversation. I explored what she wanted to explore, that's one of the reasons we hit it off. To be honest, I would have liked to get to know her better, but that's not what she was interested in. I prefer long term relationships, she wanted something immediate and short term. I followed her lead in that regard. When she asked me to escort her home, I did so. When she asked me inside, I accepted. It's not something that I'd like to do again, but I enjoyed it at the time." +"Since our encounter with my ex husband, my kids have grown a lot in these 3 months. When this event happened, I used it as a real life lesson of the kind of man that their father is and how, as men, they should never be. They have learned to be more observant of their surroundings and potentially bad situations and ask me about them all the time. I am so thankful of this because the world they are growing up in today has so many new things to understand and face. Im glad they don't have to feel like they are ever facing these things alone. They have learned and grown. I have confidence that they will not be repeats of their fathers behavior. Now, going forward they have a new role model/father figure in their life that shows them how a woman should be treated. He treats me with the upmost respect and honor like all men should. My husband has been an excellent father for my boys and a rock for our family. We all grow together and love together. And now we have a little girl in the mix and I hope to be the perfect role model to her and pray that he never has to experience things that I have. I hope my kids have a better life than I could even imagine. They may be young now, but the future is theirs. look out." +"Five weeks ago I was picking up my three kids from their dads house. We have joint custody and we have agreed that he can take care of them on weekends. On this particular weekend, I showed up to the house and I already knew something was off. I smelled smoke. We had agreed that while around the kids, my ex was not supposed to ever smoke cigarettes. He had even told me that he quit. When I opened the front door, already furious, I found my ex smoking a cigarette on the couch. My children were nowhere to be found on the first floor. I yelled at him and asked him what he was doing. He said that he was sorry and that he had a really rough day. A rough day does not allow him to smoke a cigarette in the house when my kids are around. We even have in writing in legal documents that he is not allowed to smoke around them. I called the police and they showed up around five minutes later and diffused the situation. My husband had to agree that if he smokes again he will not be allowed to watch my children. It was a good life lesson for my children because they learned that smoking is not good for them and that they should not be around second-hand smoke. They know now that if their dad is smoking again that they can call me and he will not be able to watch them anymore." +I lost my first foster kitten about two months ago. It completely broke my heart because I never knew how hard it was going to be not being able to save one of them. I had picked her up from the shelter along with a mother cat and two kittens. Those babies did fine and got adopted pretty quickly. I had renamed the kitten Minnow because she was just so impossibly tiny. Her mother had been apparently a feral female cat and they had just managed to trap Minnow instead of both. At the time she was probably all of five weeks. She seemed healthy when I brought her home and was eating fine but a few weeks later she started losing weight rapidly and going downhill fast. We tried electrolytes and she perked up for a bit and I had her eating this super high calorie after surgery food they give animals for recovery. She seemed to be doing well but then I walked in one morning and she was having seizures in her pen. I called my rescue leader to come help and B took her home to do an IV but it was too late. We later discovered she had a liver defect and she just wasn't able to get the proteins and fats she needed to survive. It was a terrible situation and my heart still hurts. I have used this as a learning experience though so going forward I know what to do when these things happen. I have a little willow doll specifically for her and for the other foster babies I may lose in the future. +"I recently lost my first foster baby. She was a tiny kitten named Pina Colada but I had nick named her Minnow because she was a small fish in a big pond. She was a really sweet kitten but had been taken from her mother way too soon so had some issues eating. She did pretty okay for the first few days and then went down hill. I fed her electrolytes and special vet recovery food and she did well for a little bit but then she just didn't make it. She ended up having seizures and dying a week later. The vet said it was liver failure due to a defect and that we gave her the best life possible. I cried so hard. I know she was just my foster but she was the best kitten ever and I am glad to have had her in my life even if only for a few weeks. I bought a statue to help memorialize her and to give myself some peace. I never realized how hard it would be losing something that wasn't really mine to start with. I plan on keeping the statue in the rescue room and using it as a memorial for all the babies that don't make it. I don't want any of them to be forgotten just because of the circumstances of their birth. I feel like everyone should do their part in animal rescue, and if you can't spay and neuters. It's not that hard and saving a life is worth every second of it." +"My boyfriend and I had been dating for 2 years and some months, even my parents had seen him and I'd also met with his parents. So when we planned on settling down, I was surprised when my parents decided not to agree on our marriage. We tried everything we could to persuade them but they insisted that I wasn't going to marry him. We had planned to get married without my parent's permission. Eloping into the mountains seemed perfect because we love Colorado and it's natural scenery has holds a special place in our hearts. I told three of my close friends about our plans, and asked two of them to be our witness to our 'ceremony. But there was a big surprise given by my hubby and his friends, that they called my parents and got permission from them. That was the biggest surprise and the best gift I could have hoped for. The wedding turned out to be a more successful one with both our parents there. We ended up getting married in Barcelona, in a random secluded spot in Parc del Laberint d'Horta. ""It was very spur of the moment (we planned it in less than a week!)"". Despite and because of everything, I love how we got married anyway. ""It was a beautiful day and perfect for us. I made myself proud. My Dad was so surprise of what the weeding could turned out to, it was a great one." +"Last month, the month of August, was my birthday month. To celebrate my birthday and to for general relaxation I decided to take a vacation. I went to Saint Lucia for 10 days and 9 nights. This in and of itself is not out of the ordinary or remarkable, as I have done something to commemorate the date of my birth every year since I was born. What was notable about this particular vacation was that it was the first time that I travel with a sex worker as a companion. I was a bit apprehensive about the idea at first. I did not want to a bad experience with someone who has a disagreeable personality. I am experienced in dealing with sex workers, but only on a short term basis i.e. a matter of hours. Also, I spent some time living in Saint Lucia during my childhood. This vacation was going to be nostalgic and had sentimental value to me and I did not want to spoil that. After much deliberation I decided to travel with a beautiful provider I have been working with for nearly two years now. She has been quite lovely and professional through out the time that I have had the pleasure of working with her. One of the things I enjoyed about her was that she was comfortable sharing the same bungalo at the resort. We made time to spend together and also had separate engagements. I even visited the town of Black Bay where I lived as a child." +"It was April 30, 2019 and I had a loaded morning. First, I had to go a health science statistics class to deliver a presentation. The presentation was a group project where we analyzed Wingate Test data. I had done most of the project myself because I did not fully trust my group member, so I was quite nervous. Despite the problem, we did quite well, and it was reflected by the grade that we received later on. However, at the time, I just knew that we stumbled a bit. I then went on to a different building where I began to study for the more challenging task of the day - an anatomy practical and exam. I had been studying ALL over the past week, which a much heavier emphasis on the prior weekend for these. I needed a good grade here to maintain my 4.0 average (whereas my grade in my stats class was relatively safe). I studied in this building from approximately 9:45 AM to just shy of 12:30 PM. At this point, I headed up to the floor where my exams were and changed clothes (scrubs are a must in the anatomy lab). After changing clothes, I went to the hallway just outside of the lab where classmates were starting to gather. I sat down and studied just a bit more before the professors arrived. Unfortunately, I did not make it into the first group of test takers (the practical only had around 10 stations and there were 16 students, so we had to be be split up). This meant that I had to hang out in the hallway for a bit longer while the first group took exams. While there, I studied and had a conversation with a girl about our dogs (we both have a dog named Darwin). Finally, it was time for me to start the practical. I went in, and had some uncertainties about a few of the stations that made me feel pretty miserable - I was certain that I was going to lose my A. After the practical, we moved on to the written exam, where I was able to brood some more about my performance on the practical. As I struggled through the exam (it was the hardest one yet), I just knew one thing - I was tired. As I finished (with only one other student in the room), I slowly got up, walked to the teachers and turn in my exam before I left towards my car. I had decided that I was going to to go to the store and get some wine. On the way, I checked my phone and much to my surprise - they had already graded and posted to grades for the practical. Contrary to what I had expected, I had done extremely well - my average was safe!" +"I woke up this morning dreading the exam today. I knew I wasn't going to do well and I did not even want to go and take it. I finally dragged myself out of bed to go to school, I was not a happy camper. I fed myself because of course that's the right thing to do, just so I would have energy for the day. I got in my car and drove to school slowly, not wanting to get to where I was going. I got to the class to take the test knowing it wasn't going to go well, but I powered through it anyway. I thought oh boy that was horrible, I knew I had failed. So I packed up my things and went home, feeling even worse than before. I got an email regarding my grade, I did not even want to open it. I finally opened it after 30 minutes of just staring at it. I was shocked, I actually passed! I needed to celebrate, so I called my friend. We went to go get coffee and something to eat. I told her how I knew I would fail but somehow I passed. She laughed and said yeah that happens all the time." +"My friend D, who lives on the other coast wanted to pay for a trip for my friend M, who was recently diagnosed with a serious illness. M had no time for anything but work and treatment but loved to travel. D felt bad about not being able to help her with anything from so far away. She also felt like I was doing the majority of the day to day care and doctor's appointments, so she wanted me to come on the trip too. M wanted to pick a tropical location. So D paid for an accommodation at a place it would be easy enough for us all to get to. We were each responsible for our own flights. D flew in from the West Coast and M and I took the same flight from the East Coast. D was already there when we arrived. M and I pulled up in the taxi and saw the hotel was more beautiful than we imagined. We could never imagine staying in a place like this before. There were several pools to choose from and well as being right on the beach so the ocean was steps away. At night we would go out or simply walk around in the beautiful tropical weather. We were able to just relax for awhile and give M a chance to breathe. It wasn't always an easy trip, given the reason we went but the memories were well worth it." +"As I watch the sun come up on a new day I start to think about something real. I think about the how I have no worries as of now but I am still confused. Am I really different from other people, or am I just the same as others. I am thinking in terms of freewill. If you really look at things stop and think for just one minute. Realize and pay attention to what is around you, it's everyone doing the same thing. Trying to understand there place and to live there best life. No matter how many times I try to think that there is more to life than this there really isn't. I tried to fool myself into thinking that we are complicated beings that all strive for different things. Stop and look at the less complicated and just breath, understand one true thing about us all. We are all the same in terms of what we are trying to do in this world, no matter how you put it, the universe revolves around one basic thing. We are all living based on trying to understand our places and live our best lives. Isn't that funny that we do have freewill but we all are still doing the same thing. I laughed when I realized this so every event good or bad in my life leads me back into trying to do the same thing and that's me trying hard to live the best way I can. So in a way I am trying to express an event such as now and death and loss, but it still leads me back to where I was before and I am still in the exact situation. So funny how life is and how we overly complicate things, but lets stop that and just realize we are all the same and just try to live our best lives, Life and loss matter, just like me losing my mother, even though content, I still want to live and be happy." +"The wiring from my brain to my chest felt like dull razors cutting my insides slowly. It was very uncomfortable. It had been a major surgery. The only other surgery I had before this was a tonsillectomy when I was 15. I got to eat ice cream after that surgery! Much different experiences. I am still feeling pain and my surgery was back in May! I haven’t gone back to school yet but I am hoping to soon. My family has been great but my boyfriend, Chad, has been distant. He looks at me differently now; like he pities me. I don’t like it. I’m pretty sure he wants to break up with me but is afraid it will look bad. I wish he would just go ahead and get it over with. I don’t want to be with someone who pities me. In fact, I’ll just go ahead and break up with him first! I need to beat him to the punch." +"Well, I am 34 year old man. I had been in a relationship with a woman for 17 months. I was completely in love with her. Given my age, how long we were together, and how much I enjoyed her, I was thinking about proposing. I've never met anyone else in my life that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. However, she decided to end our relationship. We were living together for the past 6 months. She came home from work like every other ordinary day and told me she wanted to talk to me. She told me she didn't see a future with me anymore. I was completely blindsided. I initially felt shock then panicked and tried to talk her out of it. I was quite emotional and she remained calm. She left and told me she would come back on the weekend to gather all her things. Not a day has gone by since that I haven't thought about it. It was emotionally devastating when it happened. Nothing much has changed since." +"Late that summer of 2019, my wife and daughter and myself went to the local community center. It was early morning and looked like rain. My wife had dressed up my daughter real fancy-like. And my daughter was pretty excited. Kids and parents were there, everywhere. I surprised by the amount of people so interested in the event. This became an interesting part for me. I had already brought my camera. And it was not just a camera but a Nikon D300. Older but sturdy camera with a 35mm lens. I would like to take some pictures of my kid but it turned out more than that really. Unfortunately, I had begun to rain heavily outside. It was the plan of the event coordinators to parade the children around the neighborhood. Kid and their parents had made big signs and event makers had made big signs as well. I could see someone was going to be disappointed. Yet it didn't turn out like that. The event coordinators decided to hold parade in the large gymnasium that was just build over the summer. Big enough for all of us, I think. Kids didn't seem to mind. My daughter saw her teacher from last year and I took pictures of them. I took pictures of kids: happy kids eating, and parents hugging their children. There was quite a variety in this pack of kids. Black, white, Asian, spanish, and my daughter, biracial juggernaut that lived for selfies and Taylor Swift." +"It's fun to be able to do something for the little ones. It reminds us of our own youth, in a way. It allows us to be centered. To be more grounded with the aspects of innocence. There was a parade at this local school about three weeks ago that my child was attending. I took pictures of these kids, jovial and excited just to be a part of something. They were between 3 and 5 years old. The age of exploring more of the world but still in that protective bubble of accommodations. Imagine being a kid again. That's a pretty wild concept even for me. It takes time to remind ourselves that part of living is to have fun. It's about enjoying oneself. I took pictures of these kids as well just to remind myself of that too. Innocence shouldn't be totally lost. It should be nurtured." +"Three months ago, I went with a hike with my boyfriend. It was a fun hike. I set up a tent at the entrance of the woods. We both went fishing. I got a big fish. He got a little fish. We both hiked up a hill. We saw the lovely sunset on the hill. He decided to do something unexpected. He proposed to me while the sun was setting. It was very romantic. I said yes and we will get married in December. It will take some time planning the wedding. I hope to look my best when the occasion arises. I hope we both look good at the wedding. I will definitely be sending wedding cards to everybody who is invited." +"Three months ago, I went with a hike with my boyfriend. It was a fun hike. I set up a tent at the entrance of the woods. We both went fishing. I got a big fish. He got a little fish. We both hiked up a hill. We saw the lovely sunset on the hill. He decided to do something unexpected. He proposed to me while the sun was setting. It was very romantic. I said yes and we will get married in December. It will take some time planning the wedding. I hope to look my best when the occasion arises. I hope we both look good at the wedding. I will definitely be sending wedding cards to everybody who is invited." +"There was a time in my career that I decided I wanted to move up to a higher position. That position is called head cashier. I worked very long and hard to be able to interview and get this position. There was also a favor of this position being open. Finally, a Head Cashier position opened up, and I interviewed for it. Unfortunately I was not the right fit at the time. So I worked even harder and made sure I stood out from the rest. I wanted to show I can do the job. A while later another Head Cashier position opened up. Yet again, I did not get it. At that point I felt worthless. All of my hard work had gone unrecognized. A few weeks later, another one opened up. This time I got the position! I was thrilled. It was finally time to shine!" +"I was taking my dogs for a walk in the woods behind my house. Everything was going to be fine or so I thought.. Turns out, walking your dogs in the woods can be far more than you expected. In reality, this walk in the woods turned out to be a 2 1/2 hour endeavor. How could a seemingly innocent walk in the woods with your fur family members become an elongated process? Well.., when you decide to check out new paths and different areas you can REALLY become lost in the woods. Trees start to become the same, especially here in the Maine where we are called ""The Pine Tree State"". That's really all you see-- pine trees mixed with scant hardwood forest species (once pine trees take over an area the forest floor soil becomes acidic making it harder for other trees to propagate) and patches of shrubs in open areas. Where I live in particular is hilly and did I mention has many trees? I eventually found myself in new territory with my dogs, and confused about which direction home was in. This confusion kept hitting me for about an hour and a half, walking back and forth continuously coming back to an area. The final time I came back to this area in the woods, I noticed something unusual, numerous letter 'P's or '9's hanging from small tree branches, made of felt material. It was very odd to see, as there were at least a dozen or more hanging in this small area off these one or two trees and their numerous small branches. I immediately took that as a sign from where I was standing in relation to these letters/numbers, I had to go in the westerly direction. After walking for what felt like an eternity, my dogs and I finally noticed familiar territory! We were approaching our home, and made it home safe despite being dehydrated and wiped out (covered in ticks no less). In essence walking in the woods with your dogs can be fine and dandy as long as you bring your phone with a GPS app (I use Gaia GPS) and do not encourage yourself and your poor English bulldogs to go further and further in. Thank God." +I always take my dogs for a walk ever morning. We live out in the country so there are always interesting places to go. This one morning I decided to go in to a part of the woods that I never go in to. It was a dense area and I started to get scared. I tried to find my way back but the more I tried the worse it got. I was starting to get nervous. This caused my dogs to feed off my reactions and they started getting nervous too. I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to find my way back. I kept on moving through the forest. Finally I stopped and I could hear cars. I traveled in the direction of the cars. It was a road that I knew. It was about 5 miles from my house. I followed the road back. I was so thankful to find it. +"This event I can remember easily because it was on a holiday and near my fathers birthday. I have been a casual gambler now for about ten years, with a few wins and losses mostly small. I loved to play video poker and had saved up quite a bit of comp dollars, which is money you can spend at the casino you earn from gambling. As St. Patrick's day drew near, the casino begin advertising a special holiday menu at the various restaurants. I had decided to my parents out to eat during to holiday to indulge at the special menu celebration for my fathers birthday. When I arrived to get my parents to eat, my father had forgotten about the reservation and ate breakfast. I told him no to worry and set off at the casino alone. I arrived to the very busy restaurant. I ate the special meal and was very full. After my meal, I decided to gamble a little bit, but in the high limit area. This makes me very nervous as you can lose money very fast. I had saw a game that I have seen people online play and win big, I decided to try. This was after I was down quite a bit. After a few spins, the bonus was hit. This game has a particular bonus, as after each spin, the line hits rise in multipliers by 1. So after getting a few free games and a re-trigger, on spin seventeen resulted in a line hit of over seven thousand! The total bonus was almost ten thousand dollars. I stood there shocked and amazed. Winning this money really changed my life, as it helped me pay off a tremendous amount of debt." +"This happen on St. Patrick's Day in March of 2019. I live about 20 minutes away from The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Tampa, FL. The buffet at the casino was having a menu special for the holiday, with a lot of Irish dishes such as shepherd's pie, corned beef and cabbage, and fish and chips. I had planned to take my parents to eat at the buffet since my dad's birthday was coming up. The plan was to go right when they open because it can get pretty busy during these special menu days. My father must have forgotten and had eaten a big breakfast in the morning so he declined to go, and my parents were out of the trip. Not wanting to waste the special menu day, I head over there to partake in the buffet special. The meal was delicious, from eggs benedict to prime rib and then fish and chips and I discovered I'm not a fan of corned beef. The meal was for free, as I was an elite member at the casino since I do gamble regularly. After I was done, I decided to head to the high limit area of the casino. I had won quiet a bit since the beginning of the year, and I had a pretty high bankroll. I start with around 1500 dollars and begin to play. I wasn't really looking to take any risk, but being full from the delicious feast, I decided to entertain myself and gamble a bit. It did not take long to lose all my money. Now I was on full tilt, frustrated with my enormous losses. Instead of walking out, I decided to make a withdraw of another 1500. Down another 500, I decide to try one more machine. After a few spins, I hit the bonus playing at 20 a spin. The bonus game is pretty unique with the multiplier of win line hits goes up after every free game. The thing that happened was when there was a 7x multiplier, I had a line hit for over 7000!! The bonus ended with almost winning 9500 which is my biggest jackpot every. I was very emotional, with shock and disbelief of what occurred. This was a gift, as it helped me pay down a lot of debt. I will forever remember this day, as it changed my life." +"Last month, just before school started I went on a camping trip. It was just me and one of my grandsons. He lives near by and wanted to have a last adventure before he started back to school. He is 14, and started high school a few weeks ago. We drove to the mountains and hiked another mile into the forest where we set up our camp. He set up the tent while I got a fire going. We brought tin foil dinners and cooked them in the fire that evening. We started to roast marshmallows just as it started raining. We retired to the tent where we talked and listened to the rain until we fell asleep. During the night we heard a bear nearby so that was exciting. In the morning we had bacon and powdered eggs and packed up camp. We hiked back to my truck, and stopped to get some firewood on the way home. I felt very happy to bond with him on this fun camping trip. We can’t wait to do it again. It was something special I won’t forget." +"My old boss's wife had passed away and I was very touched to learn that he wanted his daughter-in-law to let me know. It showed that he considered me close enough to the family to be one of the people that he would want to attend the funeral. I had quit the firm a year before and I had worried that my boss had harbored ill feelings towards me but him notifying me about the funeral made me realize that he will always hold a special place in his heart for me and it will be the same for me. I had worked for him for over 20 years and I learned so much from him. He's an intelligent, caring, and ethical person and I was lucky to have him as a mentor. He always trusted me to do my work and gave me so much latitude. He made me a partner in the firm and would always tell me how much he appreciated my work. He made sure my 401k was well funded and that started me on a course towards saving a good amount for my retirement. I will always appreciate the fact that the job made me financially secure. We had our disagreements but we will always be close. I realized how silly I had been to worry that he had bad feelings towards me after I had left the firm. I should have realized that the years of working together and mutual affection would not change. He had Parkinson's and his mobility is reduced so I am thinking about visiting him in Florida sometime soon. I haven't seen him in over a year and his wife's passing made me realize how little time we have left and I should visit him soon. It will be nice to reminisce about the company and gossip about our coworkers." +"The wife of my old boss recently passed away after a long illness. I was surprised to find out that I was on a list of people to notify and invite to the funeral. I had worked for him for over 20 years so my history with him was long and complicated. The last 2 years were especially strained and stressful and when I had decided to quit the company, he was very disappointed in me. He also told my coworker that I was disloyal. I felt like I had no choice in leaving though. My other boss was deteriorating mentally and physically and would not admit to his deficiencies. He would not be able to concentrate and was shirking his work. I could not stand by and let him ignore his work. We managed other people's money. Their accounts were being ignored and there was nothing I could do about it. After being notified about the funeral, my old boss and I had a chance to chat and it was really nice. I realized that he only had good feelings toward me. I also would like to visit him soon if I can. He has Parkinsons so I do not know how many years he has left. I do miss him." +"I was walking home from work at 7pm on night this past August. I was walking through a predominantly black neighborhood, when I was attacked by a pack of 15-20 young black males. They knocked me to the ground and kicked and punched me. They stole my backpack, my phone, my laptop, my wallet, my keys, etc. They then stripped my pants off, and left me bloody, naked from the waist down, and unconscious. At some point, the police and EMTs arrived and I was taken to tge hospital. I remained in a medically induced coma for 5 weeks. I didn't get released from the hospital until 3 weeks ago. The police did not make any arrests, and refused to investigate it as a ""hate crime"" because they said that I was wrong to walk through that part of town, and I should've known it was dangerous. It was on local tv and in the newspaper, yet never once was it reported as a hate crime. I am not 100% better yet. I am bitter and angry. I am scared to walk home from work. I now carry a firearm that I do not have a permit for, because I am terrified of those people now. I wish I would have taken a cab instead of walking home from work." +So I made a decision around six weeks ago to make a career change. My previous career was going no where and I was stuck in a rut. That's when I saw a commercial for real estate agents. I felt like my mind was open. Why work for someone else when I can be my own boss? I called the number and got all the info. I went to the classes and learned all the tricks of the trade. I got my license and became an official agent. It's a big change for me. I have more freedom now but I also have more risk. I can work all day and night and not get paid for it if I don't make a sale. I'm so nervous because I can easily lose money doing this. I feel like it's worth it though. I finally have the pressure I need to push me far in life. I feel like this is the first step towards real success. +We had recently moved to a new state and therefore a new neighborhood. We only briefly met our neighbors. There was a massive storm and the power went out due. After about 12 hours we realized this was a big thing and that the power might not go back on for some time. It turned out that is was out for several days. Our neighbors put a generator and note on our driveway so that we could power our refrigerator and not lose all the food. They didnt even know us. Tthey reached out and shared their resources when we were all in a time of need. It was incredibly emotional for my family and I because we were feeling defeated being so new to the area and not having power and just in a slump. Their offering and good deed made our day. It made us want to help others by paying it forward. I realized how good some people are. There is just as much good as there is evil in this world. Some people really do care about others. Even when they get nothing in return. +The power is finally back on! It has been 2 long weeks! I can't even believe how different life is without power. We have been hit with tons of hurricanes over the years. But when this hurricane hit we knew it was different. The wind was so strong I thought the house might blow down. The trees across the street were snapping. It was really scary. After a few hours the power went out. We figured it would be back within a few hours. The next morning when we woke up the sun was shining but the power was still out. The power company said it could bee 7-10 days before it was restored! The entire area had been destroyed and the power lines had to be rebuilt. My neighbor was nice enough to leave a generator for us to use. We came home to find it in the driveway with a note attached. They didn't want all out food to go bad in the heat. It was really difficult not having power but the kindness of our neighbors and family really helped. When I woke up today and the power was back I did scream from happiness. It was a very long two weeks. But we survived! +"It was a lovely morning. I was walking around the path by the river. There is other people around too. There was a big noise from the sky suddenly. I looked up to the sky. There are seven to eight flight jets flied over the sky. their are flying in V form above the river . People were taking picture from their cell phone. When I took out my cell phone, I want to take some picture, the jets are all out of scene. That flied to south. It was too late for me. After that people was back to their thing again. I am continuous my walking. This was a surprising event happen in a normal day. It came with a little excitement from my daily life. I will get my cell phone ready next time." +"Today was a sunny day. it feel little bit cool as summer almost over. I ride my bike in the path around the river. it is time just pass 9 am. people was jogging and walking on my way. Suddenly, there is big noise from the sky. I looked up to the sky. Seven fright jets flied though the sky. People was taking picture on it. I was too late to take my picture. I wonder if it is preparing an event for Labor day. After that I kept looking at sky, think it may be had more jets will fly though. I could have a chance to take a picture. however, it didn't happen. Sometime, you can't expecting a thing happen twice if you don't know what it from." +"In April my husband and I drove from Tennessee to Miami to celebrate my older sister's birthday and to see our niece and family. It was a long drive and we stopped some place about 2 hours away for the night. We arrived right at lunchtime, but my sister and husband hadn't gotten there yet. They were coming from just across the state. So we had a little time to visit with my niece who I'll call N. We also got to meet her staff who works out of N's home. Once my sister (C) arrived we started to have lunch, but not before N took her mother's sandwich and hid it. She made C find it in the oven which was her way of telling her mom and dad that a new grandchild was on the way. Later we found out that N's husband (J) was working his last day for the major department store he worked for. They were restructuring and he was being laid off. But they weren't too concerned about that. We had a great time with everyone that evening. On Sat. we just enjoyed hanging out. N had a dinner party that evening with all of us and J's family. Sunday was a sit around the pool and finish up the Sat. night leftovers. On Monday it was discovered that the septic system was having an issue. J called someone and we all took off for a little place that sold the best cinnamon rolls I have ever had. When we returned the problem was fixed. Then is was Tuesday and time for us to head back. Some other events were playing with some new kittens that N was caring for, watching a lot of TV geared to a 2 year old., visiting an outlet mall and having a SC low country boil dinner for my sister's birthday. It was a great few days and I'm looking forward to going again." +"In April my husband and I drove from Tennessee to Miami to celebrate my older sister's birthday and to see our niece and family. It was a long drive and we stopped some place about 2 hours away for the night. We arrived right at lunchtime, but my sister and husband hadn't gotten there yet. They were coming from just across the state. So we had a little time to visit with my niece who I'll call N. We also got to meet her staff who works out of N's home. Once my sister (C) arrived we started to have lunch, but not before N took her mother's sandwich and hid it. She made C find it in the oven which was her way of telling her mom and dad that a new grandchild was on the way. Later we found out that N's husband (J) was working his last day for the major department store he worked for. They were restructuring and he was being laid off. But they weren't too concerned about that. We had a great time with everyone that evening. On Sat. we just enjoyed hanging out. N had a dinner party that evening with all of us and J's family. Sunday was a sit around the pool and finish up the Sat. night leftovers. On Monday it was discovered that the septic system was having an issue. J called someone and we all took off for a little place that sold the best cinnamon rolls I have ever had. When we returned the problem was fixed. Then is was Tuesday and time for us to head back. Some other events were playing with some new kittens that N was caring for, watching a lot of TV geared to a 2 year old., visiting an outlet mall and having a SC low country boil dinner for my sister's birthday. It was a great few days and I'm looking forward to going again." +"Two months ago, I lost a lot of weight. I lost 80 pounds. This was a huge loss in weight. The weird part was that nobody said anything about it. My coworkers just went on there day. My boss always gave me a frown. My wife didn't even notice and that was the strangest part. The only person who noticed was my friend. He gave me a lot of compliments about my weight loss. He also bought some beer to celebrate the occasion. We went to the bar and watched the football game. The cowboys barely won against the giants. This was a great time. I hope I can keep my weight off. This shouldn't be too hard if I just stick to calorie counting." +"Two months ago, I lost a lot of weight. I lost 80 pounds. This was a huge loss in weight. The weird part was that nobody said anything about it. My coworkers just went on there day. My boss always gave me a frown. My wife didn't even notice and that was the strangest part. The only person who noticed was my friend. He gave me a lot of compliments about my weight loss. He also bought some beer to celebrate the occasion. We went to the bar and watched the football game. The cowboys barely won against the giants. This was a great time. I hope I can keep my weight off. This shouldn't be too hard if I just stick to calorie counting." +"This past June, I was surfing at my local beach, when a great white shark swam right past me. I had been in the water for about two hours and waves were fairly consistent. It was a typical summer day in Huntington Beach, with June gloom (heavy marine layer). There was a small southwest swell running at two to three feet. The water was warm and fairly clear. Up until that point, it was just like nearly any other day. I usually surf every day, swell permitting. June is typically sharky in Southern California. It's the time of the year when the juvenile white sharks are migrating back up North. There had been recent sightings in the area, but it doesn't stop hardcore surfers from surfing. So, as I paddled back to the lineup, I sat up on my board and waited for a set. That's when I seen a dorsal and caudal fin heading right towards me. I knew right away what it was. I remained calm, but was scared. It approached me, then at approximately five feet away, it turned and swam by. I could clearly see its black eye checking me out as it passed. It was a juvenile, approximately six feet in length. Not big by great white standards, but still bigger than me. After it passes, I caught a wave in and notified a lifeguard, that closed the beach for the day. It was definitely one of the most tense situations of my life." +My dog doesn't like being in small spaces. Sadly my daughter's room is too small for him. We needed him to go in there for the night. Didn't want him bothering me and the wife. I tried to convince him with treats. He wouldn't listen to me and just go in there. I tried to talking to him about it. He wouldn't listen to me at all. I tried to pet him and be sweet to him but no matter what I did he had no interest in go in there. Finally I decided to just force him to go in there. He was so freaked out. I felt bad about it. He was crying about it and was looking at me all mad. He ended up tackling me. My wife laughed at both of us over it. I guess he's not going to go in there anymore. +In the beginning of 2019 I had my regular mammogram. I got a call the next day to come back for an ultrasound because they had found something that just didn't look right. The ultrasound showed several masses in my left breast and swelling in my lymph nodes so next they wanted to preform biopsies. I have 20 biopsies of different areas. It was painful. I had to wait 5 days for the results. When they called to say the results were ready they wouldn't tell me them on the phone. I had to come in person. I knew that was not good. Even though I knew what to expect it was still so shocking to hear. I started radiation for the cancer two months ago. I had previously completed five months of chemotherapy. It was exhausting having to go every day for my radiation treatments. By the time I finished going for five weeks I ended up with very sore and severe burns. Between my chemo treatments and the start of radiation I had to have surgery and I chose to have a double mastectomy. Recovering from surgery was painful and extremely emotional learning to accept my new body. +"So something amazing happened two months ago. What? I met Ased. Yes, the same Ased who was my best friend in high school, actually, we were kind of inseparable. Then life happened, I had to move states and so did he after his parents divorced. We kept touch for a while on the internet but then, you know. So it had been almost a decade since we last spoke and two months ago I was walking around a mall and someone tapped on my shoulder. I looked back and no, I did not remember him but then a light bulb went on inside my brain. We hugged it out and he we sit down to chat, he told me he was waiting for his wife. And you, wouldn't believe, who his wife was. Yes, the same neighborhood girl, he had a crush on back then. She was as surprised to see me as I was to see her. We talked and talked and talked, he told me that he had served a few tours in army and was not on social media. I told him what I was up to and invited him home. They told me that they were are looking for homes in the area as they are planning to settle here once he comes comes back from his last tour in couple of months and then they will invite me to their home. And guess what, we, well mostly Rach, the wife and I kept in touch since and he is coming back this week and I will be going to their home soon. So, here is to meeting old friends and making great memories." +"So something amazing happened two months ago. What? I met Ased. Yes, the same Ased who was my best friend in high school, actually, we were kind of inseparable. Then life happened, I had to move states and so did he after his parents divorced. We kept touch for a while on the internet but then, you know. So it had been almost a decade since we last spoke and two months ago I was walking around a mall and someone tapped on my shoulder. I looked back and no, I did not remember him but then a light bulb went on inside my brain. We hugged it out and he we sit down to chat, he told me he was waiting for his wife. And you, wouldn't believe, who his wife was. Yes, the same neighborhood girl, he had a crush on back then. She was as surprised to see me as I was to see her. We talked and talked and talked, he told me that he had served a few tours in army and was not on social media. I told him what I was up to and invited him home. They told me that they were are looking for homes in the area as they are planning to settle here once he comes comes back from his last tour in couple of months and then they will invite me to their home. And guess what, we, well mostly Rach, the wife and I kept in touch since and he is coming back this week and I will be going to their home soon. So, here is to meeting old friends and making great memories." +"Four months ago, my family went on vacation to San Diego for 4 days. The first day we visited out uncle at his ranch where we had a barbecue and I played with my cousins I hadn't seen since I was a baby. The second day we went to the San Diego zoo and looked at the different animals. My favorite were the tigers. The most memorable moment is when one of the tigers walked up to the glass enclosure and tried to pounce on my little sister who was wearing a hat with cat ears on. We laughed while it pawed at the glass to reach her. We took pictures of the tropical birds. Mom bought a stuffed bird from the shop. The third day, we went to the beach. We went on the different rides. My sister ate funnel cake for the first time, and at night they had fireworks. The fourth day, we went shopping and had lunch. I bought a sundress and shades. My dad bought t-shirts with San Diego for everyone, and my mom bought a coffee mug. We ate at an outdoor cafe." +"Four months ago, my family went on vacation to San Diego for 4 days. The first day we visited out uncle at his ranch where we had a barbecue and I played with my cousins I hadn't seen since I was a baby. The second day we went to the San Diego zoo and looked at the different animals. My favorite were the tigers. The most memorable moment is when one of the tigers walked up to the glass enclosure and tried to pounce on my little sister who was wearing a hat with cat ears on. We laughed while it pawed at the glass to reach her. We took pictures of the tropical birds. Mom bought a stuffed bird from the shop. The third day, we went to the beach. We went on the different rides. My sister ate funnel cake for the first time, and at night they had fireworks. The fourth day, we went shopping and had lunch. I bought a sundress and shades. My dad bought t-shirts with San Diego for everyone, and my mom bought a coffee mug. We ate at an outdoor cafe." +"Two weeks ago I was in Vegas with some friends for a weekend getaway. We were walking around enjoying the sights and wandered into this kind of dive bar a little off the strip. It was a nice little place with some really friendly people. We were having some drinks and talking to another group there. They had some slot machines at the bar that you can play while drinking. I was playing casually, not paying all that much attention while talking to everyone. All of the sudden some bells and lights started going off. I didn't even know what was going on, but everyone was looking at me. I finally realized I had one the large jackpot. It was several thousand dollars! I was so happy about it that I bought everyone at the bar a round of drinks. It was a lot of fun after that. Everyone was coming up to me and hanging out and talking. We met people from all over that night, and it'll be something I'll always remember. To be honest though, I'm a little ashamed that this is the most memorable event in my life recently. The fact that it involved a lot of drinking and some gambling isn't something I'm that proud of." +"Two weeks ago I was in Vegas with some friends for a weekend getaway. We were walking around enjoying the sights and wandered into this kind of dive bar a little off the strip. It was a nice little place with some really friendly people. We were having some drinks and talking to another group there. They had some slot machines at the bar that you can play while drinking. I was playing casually, not paying all that much attention while talking to everyone. All of the sudden some bells and lights started going off. I didn't even know what was going on, but everyone was looking at me. I finally realized I had one the large jackpot. It was several thousand dollars! I was so happy about it that I bought everyone at the bar a round of drinks. It was a lot of fun after that. Everyone was coming up to me and hanging out and talking. We met people from all over that night, and it'll be something I'll always remember. To be honest though, I'm a little ashamed that this is the most memorable event in my life recently. The fact that it involved a lot of drinking and some gambling isn't something I'm that proud of." +"Two weeks ago I was in Vegas with some friends for a weekend getaway. We were walking around enjoying the sights and wandered into this kind of dive bar a little off the strip. It was a nice little place with some really friendly people. We were having some drinks and talking to another group there. They had some slot machines at the bar that you can play while drinking. I was playing casually, not paying all that much attention while talking to everyone. All of the sudden some bells and lights started going off. I didn't even know what was going on, but everyone was looking at me. I finally realized I had one the large jackpot. It was several thousand dollars! I was so happy about it that I bought everyone at the bar a round of drinks. It was a lot of fun after that. Everyone was coming up to me and hanging out and talking. We met people from all over that night, and it'll be something I'll always remember. To be honest though, I'm a little ashamed that this is the most memorable event in my life recently. The fact that it involved a lot of drinking and some gambling isn't something I'm that proud of." +"This ex of mine was also a cheater. He was abusive mentally, physically and emotionally. After the previously mentioned scenario, he moved out of state to ""find himself"". He took all of my belongings, ensuring me that he would come back for me when he was ready to start again with me. I found out that he was cheating on me then in a new state with someone else. He had left me in an empty home; all that I had was a mattress, a couch, and a TV. Everything that I had owned was in a different state with him. I had experienced immense self hatred for being with him and believing that he would change, even just for himself. I had drank every night I could afford to. When dark thoughts would enter my mentality, I would take Valium to put me to sleep. I self-harmed myself because I wanted to feel something other than the pain I was feeling. I could barely afford to live where I was by myself, so I had a girl friend move in. It was the best decision, especially since my mental health was at risk. I worked 3 jobs in total to help pay bills, and I still couldn't really afford groceries. When I say I invested in my last relationship, I did. I had nothing left. I was spiraling out f control, and wanted to cease to exist. A few months had passed and I regain my sense of self again. Of course, my ex contacted me crying, begging for me to be with him again. I had already started going on dates, and getting back to hobbies that I had stopped entertaining because of him. I proudly said no. I could never let myself reach that dark place again. I was not happy with him, and I had not seen it clearly until he left me all alone. Through hardship I persevered. Why would I return to misery, just because he loved my company?" +"The last time I saw Steve, my abusive ex, was about four months ago. He and his friend were out drinking and came back late one night. Though we had already broken up at the time, Steve was still living at my house while he looked for a new place. It certainly made for an uncomfortable living situation. So apparently Steve lost his key and ended up pounding on the door and smashing the doorbell over and over. It startled me awake to say the least. When I opened the door I was shocked to find a bloody mess. Steve's friend was holding his hands over his face, as blood poured out onto the ground. They were hysterical and didn't even answer me at first about what the heck had happened. Evidently they had gotten into a fight in the parking lot over something trivial and my ex punched him in the face. What a good friend! It was clearly a broken nose that needed to be re-set, which was a bit above my pay grade as a trainee nurse. The house was absolutely covered in blood though, especially the bathroom where Steve's friend immediately went after coming inside. Knowing that I had to get up early for work, I had no choice but to clean all the dried blood up before I laid down to finish my now disjointed sleep. I felt terrible that next day at work, and don't think I am out of line to blame it squarely on my ex and his poor actions. Boy am I glad to finally have his aggressive tendencies out of my life!" +"When we entered the cave on our tour, the air gradually cooled and there was a sensation of wind blowing across our skin. The waterfall near the entrance to the cave itself, as we walked down the stairs, tinkled musically. A rich earthy smell, pleasant and verdant, filled the air around us. We went through the entrance area and entered into the cave opening itself. The ceiling is low here and some people had to duck. We followed the guide along a paved path that was very easy to walk along, past some interpretive signs about the animals that live near the cave's entrance. There was a notation that no animals live within the cave itself. The guide slowly walked us into a larger chamber of the cave and using a flashlight, directed everyone to a metal railing. We were asked to firmly grab the rail and once he confirmed that everyone was holding the rail, he turned his light off, plunging us into complete darkness. Then the guide said, ""Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The Mammoth Cave,"" and flipped on the brighter tour lights. Suddenly, before our eyes we realized we were standing in an immense cavern that stretched out beyond where the light touched. Many people gasped in delight and awe as they took in the scope and size of this wondrous place. My daughter turned to me with sparkling eyes and breathed, ""It's so beautiful! I had no idea a cave could be this big!"" I too, was stunned at the size, having been in many caves and thinking of them as low, tight places. Our whole group listened to the guide as he told of the cave's discovery, how people mined for saltpeter here during the American Civil War, how a doctor thought the cave air could cure tuberculosis patients and brought them here in the hopes they would recover. We saw the places where a preacher gave sermons and where visitors marked their names on the roof of the cave with candle soot. Visiting the Mammoth Cave was an experience that taught me so much. I have told many people that visiting this cave is something they shouldn't miss the opportunity to do." +"July 14, 2019On the morning of July 14th myself, my husband, my brother, my niece and my sister and her husband all decided to hike to the top of Mt. Leconte in the Smoky Mountain National Park. We had attempted this before but were unable to make it to the top because of an injury to my daughter. She had had knee surgery in the past and was unable to make it to the top due to her knee pain. WE were determined we were going to make it this time. WE started at around 8:00 am that morning. Although it was very hard because it was up hill the whole way I made it to the top. Two of our party did not make it to the top but tried their best. Of the ones who made it, it took us 4 hours to make it all the way to the top. We were exahausted but elated we had reached our goal! The way down didn't take nearly as long because it was mostly down hill. It took about 2 and a half hours to make the journey back to our car. On our way back down we met up with the two in our party who did not make it to the top although they had made great progress. They were disappointed and vowed to make it to the top the next time we went. I really enjoyed our hiking expeirence although it was very taxing. I would love to try again in the future and see if we can make it to the top faster the next time." +"A month ago, I went on a hiking adventure in 2019. I went with several family member. We decided to hike the top of Mt. Leconte. It was a fun experience. My father got some brown boots and brown pants for the hike. My mother dressed in all black. My brothers and sisters decided to dress in all white. It was a big adventure. There was a panic at one point. My brother slipped in the middle of the hike. I thought he might of gotten injured. He only got a small scrape and we continued on. It took a few hours to reach the top. We celebrated with a big picnic. It was a feast of some chicken and apple pies." +"Two weeks ago, I was fortunate to be attending my 20 year old son's ""White Coat"" Ceremony for his acceptance to Pharmacy School. His older brother has already been in Pharmacy school for the past two years and his younger brother was wanting to join him. For me as a parent, I was super excited and happy for my son. He has had some challenges getting to this point, some were academic and some were personal. His mom did not have the confidence that he would get in, and I did not waiver in my belief that he would make it in. Samuel (20 year old) is a very hard worker, but at times can be lazy. He initially started his college career at the main University and was struggling. I convinced him to start his schooling at the local community college to help with the transition. He objected at first, he thought it would look like he failed, but it turned out to be the best decision that he made. He met a professor there that inspired his passion for the Pharmacy school. I really think his path via community college helped shape his direction into getting accepted to Pharmacy school. His older brother (Albert) also played a huge role in helping and support. I was very emotional knowing that the two brothers were working together and that Albert was excited to see Samuel with him at school. I was a proud parent that day, and as a family we felt very fortunate, the best thing to come out of the experience was the example to my youngest son (Jacob) who is eleven. He wants to pursue a career in the medical field as well." +"I was getting in my car, getting ready to leave my family behind. My girlfriend was crying because she knew she wouldnt be seeing me for a couple months. I was off to university and ready to accomplish the next part of my life. The anxiety i felt was unnnerving. As i was driving, i felt my heart begin to race. Why am i so trembly? i thought. Then, i became lightheaded. It was hard for me to focus on the road and started swerving. I stopped to rest. i mustve made 20 stops on my way to san fransisco. it took me all day to get there. But once i did i saw the lights. A wednesday night and the city was surprisingly calm. One or two other cars on the road driving around the streets. The city really felt asleep. Anxiety than just slipped away. I was calm and absorbed the calm energy the city was giving me. i knew I was gonna be ok." +"What I don't understand is why she didn't just listen to me in the first place. After all, she went out of her way to ask us how to get out of the situation she'd put herself into, but part of me thinks it wasn't asking for that at all so much as subtly and indirectly trying to get our approval. She didn't, and she didn't care. That was what surprised me most. She normally has such wisdom, and she should know better, but when it didn't match what she wanted, she ignored it. He's not that interesting. And, as it turns out, he's abusive and pretending not to be. Probably for dating points, which is sickening. And now I feel betrayed, you know? I just felt upset and angry that she'd bothered to ask me the question, to put that emotional labor onto me, to transfer the onus of saying no (instead of passively accepting ""yes"") and then just completely disregard it. I don't know what the point was. To pretend everything is okay? It isn't, and not even validating it, or pretending it isn't happening, is disrespectful. And, in a weird way, I'm more worried about him than her. He's an idiot, after all. I'd expect this from him." +"It has been such a whirlwind these past 8 months. Michael and I have had so many exciting things happen to us it's hard to know where to start! In April of this past year, my wonderful life partner surprised me with a flash mob wedding proposal. It was such a surprise and we were able to get it all on film. It has become one of the most watched wedding proposals of 2018 on YouTube. After Michael proposed we got to work straight away on all of the details. We both wanted a small intimate wedding at our favorite Catholic Church. We made an appointment with Father Francis and started our 6 month wedding prep classes. They were so informative and we really enjoyed them. We made some new friends and a few of them even came to our wedding! We planned an exotic honeymoon to Tahiti and are leaving next week. We are staying for 10 days and 10 nights. It's always been a dream of ours to go somewhere exotic, and we have been able to save up enough money to pay cash for our honeymoon! We found a quaint little apartment and have furnished it with some furniture that our parents have donated to us. We plan to have our first family get together as soon as we are home from the honeymoon. Life is bliss and I couldn't be happier!" +"This story is about the day I got married. This occurred on December 15th 2018, and although occurred during the month of December, it turned out to be a very nice day. The day actually had me starting out alone since my wife to be spent the night at her parents house for an early day of getting prepared. I feel like the day flew by and before I knew it, it was over. The morning hours saw me and my groomsmen preparing for the big day and also had pictures being taken on both sides while preparing. The limo arrived to pick us up in the AM hours and then it was off for pre wedding pictures at a local park, where I would see my wife to be for the first time. Once we had all the photos we requested, it was off to church for the ceremony and services. Even this part of the day seemed to fly by. I would have never guessed that this day would move this quick since it was such a lead up to it. Once more photos were taken at the church and with extended family, it was off to our reception at a local country club. Everything was decorated perfectly and it was a nice winter/Christmas theme. After more pictures with the wedding party at this venue, the night was set to begin with introductions and the rest of the festivities. Cake cutting, dancing, and dinners rounded out the night for everyone that attended. This part of the night seemed to go even quicker than the rest of day. What a 5 hour event, seemed to be over in the blink of an eye. Everyone that we spoke to said how wonderful it was and how memorable it would be. I think it went off without a hitch and ended up being a big success." +"This story is about the day I got married. This occurred on December 15th 2018, and although occurred during the month of December, it turned out to be a very nice day. The day actually had me starting out alone since my wife to be spent the night at her parents house for an early day of getting prepared. I feel like the day flew by and before I knew it, it was over. The morning hours saw me and my groomsmen preparing for the big day and also had pictures being taken on both sides while preparing. The limo arrived to pick us up in the AM hours and then it was off for pre wedding pictures at a local park, where I would see my wife to be for the first time. Once we had all the photos we requested, it was off to church for the ceremony and services. Even this part of the day seemed to fly by. I would have never guessed that this day would move this quick since it was such a lead up to it. Once more photos were taken at the church and with extended family, it was off to our reception at a local country club. Everything was decorated perfectly and it was a nice winter/Christmas theme. After more pictures with the wedding party at this venue, the night was set to begin with introductions and the rest of the festivities. Cake cutting, dancing, and dinners rounded out the night for everyone that attended. This part of the night seemed to go even quicker than the rest of day. What a 5 hour event, seemed to be over in the blink of an eye. Everyone that we spoke to said how wonderful it was and how memorable it would be. I think it went off without a hitch and ended up being a big success." +I remember the day we went to court. We adopted my niece so we could be her forever home. It was August 14 2019. She has lived with us for two years. Me my husband and her knew this would be forever long before we went to court. Yet it was still a significant day. It was truly bitter-sweet. While all of us were overwhelmed that she would be able to stay with us forever her parents also had to verbally give up their rights to the sweet girl which was painful for us all to hear. Even though it was best for all involved. After we had all signed on the dotted line the judge came and gave us all hugs. She said this is a new beginning even though it was painful and rough to get to this point. She gave my niece a teddy bear. So she could always remember this day and how it was an important day for all of us. She had a new family that promised to take care of her and love her and keep her safe. Even tough she didn't always feel like people had done that for her before. +"Three months ago, I fell in love. She always gave me a hug in the morning. It was the best part of the morning. I was always happy to see her. We went to many restaurants. We went one time to a steakhouse. We both got steaks that night. I got a giant ribeye with some mashed potatoes. She got a small sirloin with some green beans. I had beer with my steak. She had wine with her sirloin. The bill was expensive. Another restaurant we went to was a chicken place. I got a full chicken to eat. She got a half chicken to eat. It was pretty good and juicy. The sad part is is that we broke apart. I miss her. I wish I could see her again and be together once more." +"It is weird, how life can throw you a curve ball. You think you know yourself. But do you really? I had always considered myself a dog person. I have been fond of dogs and puppies ever since i was a child. I always wanted one. I never got around to getting a dog though. However, this idea persisted in my head always. People always categorize you. You should either be a dog person or a cat person. Since i liked dogs, i always thought i disliked cats. I was proven terribly wrong today. I adopted a tiny little kitten from the local shelter. I fell in love with her the moment i saw her. I named her ""bella"" and now she is my best friend! Who knew? I am really a cat person, not a dog person." +"Three months ago was when it started, I had just married the most amazing person or so I had thought. Thee months ago was the start of the truth but the story is even older by another four years. Our relationship was a long distance one spanning an entire ocean, time zones were a constant challenge but somehow it always worked. I was a college graduate with a Masters in Bio Engineering and se was a post grad working towards a career in medicine. We would speak twice minimum every week for at least ninety minutes and spend two weeks together twice a year, once in my hometown and once in hers. Most of the four years went on without a hitch but I could tell in the fourth things were changing a bit. Our phone calls became slightly shorter and a bit less detailed. We missed a few of our annual get togethers, we were pulling back a bit. I decided then that is was now time to make an extra effort to close that wide ocean separating us and took a dive. It took a great deal of effort and deep discussions with he in the six months leading to the wedding but still there was something off. The wedding planning was smooth and very little went wrong. The week of the wedding or families were together and getting along well. The day of the wedding was perfect and we both agree we wouldn't want anything different. We opted out of a traditional honeymoon, well it was already a big logistical debacle anyway. Excited to begin our life we discussed our future and for me living away from my home that I have known for so long. Thats when I leaned the truth, she was not amazing. She was not a post grad student working towards a medical degree. She was once but not now, she is not amazing in that sense but she is my beautiful and loving wife. I am happy to say that together we have rekindled her excitement of achieving her dream of medicine and i will one day be married to a beast loving SUPER Amazing woman." +"I went for a run this morning, and I couldn't finish. My knee was really hurting. There was no ignoring it this time. I had noticed the knee pain from time to time the last few months. I initially chalked it up to the increase in my distance running since I was prepping for a half marathon. I was starting to worry that I had a small tear in a tendon or possibly had done some serious damage to my kneecap the last time I fell while running in the rain. I decided that I needed to call a doctor and have it checked out. My regular doctor was able to get me in the next day, first thing in the morning. He instructed me not to take painkillers or do anything that might effect the actual issue I was dealing with. Normally, the pain went away relatively quickly, but not this time. I was DYING to use some ICY HOT, or take some Advil. As promised, the doc saw me at 9am bright and early - I had never been so happy to see him. He ran some tests, took some blood, wrenched my knee this way and that until it brought tears to my eyes. He also ran an extra AND took an Ultrasound. All this uncertainty had me extremely worried. He said he thought I had arthritis, but really wanted me to see an orthopedic doctor to confirm. At 33, he felt I was really awful young and healthy to be worried about arthritis. I was shuttled to the other side of the hospital offices to meet with the ortho doc. He did, in fact, confirm that I had Osteoarthritis in my knee. There really is no CURE or treatment, only a way to calm the symptoms. I felt really defeated. I loved to run - it was my source of stress relief and made me feel so good about myself. The doctor suggested I cut back to my old running routine, and put the half marathon on hold - apparently by giving my knee a break and boosting bone strengthening vitamin intake - my knee might bounce back later. But in my mind,...all I could imagine was being 45 and walking with a cane. I mean, if it is already starting at my age - I didn't like to think about what the future would hold." +"Well, I was actually hoping to not have to revisit this story/event, but I guess I will. It happened a couple months ago. My beloved dog, Aby, died on my bed in front of me as I was about to give him lunch. I had been nursing him for six months prior. I'd given him drips and vitamins and home-cooked his meals. I took him to various vets and to my disgust most of them were like ""Well, he's 20, what do you expect?"" routine. Talk about terrible medicine. But I did my best for him under the circumstances. I could not afford an MRI though at his age/condition it might've killed him. I guess I feel good with him knowing I went the distance for him. Some people told me to kill him. I never do that. I hope he knew that I would've done anything and everything for him. I think he did. He was my souldog. I'll never have another like him. I'll probably never adopt again. But I had him and was so lucky to have known and met him. I'll always miss him dearly. I guess the most memorable part was just having him all those years." +"Well, unfortunately this event happened to me a few months ago and it will always be with me. It's not a happy tale. But it is memorable for it was the day my beloved dog died. I was doing everything I could for him. Yet, his 20 year old body just didn't want to go on. It couldn't defy time I guess. I carried his emaciated body to the tub to wash him a few times a day. I fed him through a syringe a few times each day. I gave him intravenous fluids. I gave him supplements. At times he'd seem to come back to life a bit. To be his former self. The dog I'd spent more than half my life with, through ups and down and everything. How could my rock, my best friend ever, be leaving me like this? What could I have done differently? I made him the best meals I could, taking time for each and every ingredient to cook just right for him. I cuddled him and loved him all I could for years. I went everywhere with him. You don't just leave somebody you're so connected to like that. You don't just get sick one day and stoop eating. Just before the moment of his passing, I went to give him his lunch. As he took his last breath, I sat there helpless. Part of my soul, gone forever. One never forgets one's soul." +"About 3 years ago, as I lives on my own, I get a call from my brother stating that he was in a homeless shelter. He then asked if I could come and pick him up and asked if he could stay with me. I agreed mainly because this is my brother. Upon transpoting my brother to my home and allowing him to get settled. we eventually conversated about upgrading to a two bedroom apartment. We discussed who would pay for what bills and how much we'd split rent . We moved into our first apartment and everything seemed all well. But then my brother started falling short on his rent payments. Which ultimately lead to our 1st eviction. So now were both homeless. But that doesnt stop me from gathering funds up to get another place for us. Which i did within one week. We moved into our second place with the same attitude. Who's paying for what bills. My brother promised tgat he would hold up his end. He didnt. This continued for two more apartments which led to us both returning home with our mom." +"One week ago, I encountered something I rarely see in my day to day life anymore. I saw someone act out of pure kindness. I was waiting at the bus stop that morning to head to work. I work at a local coffee shop and choose to take the bus since it is a bit far from where I live and I don't have a car at the moment. It started raining that morning probably because we were under a tropical depression warning. We are so use to these type of storms that people generally go about their day to day lives until the storm turns in a higher category hurricane level. There was a man and woman waiting there with me. I had never seen them before until today. The man looked a bit unkempt and sketchy in my opinion. However, this is the moment I learned never to judge a book by it's cover. I was keeping a close eye on the man because I was worried what he might try to do since it was just me and this other woman there to take care of each other in case he were to try anything. I saw him reach into the inside of his jacket and I immediately felt anxious. He pulled out an umbrella and helped shield the other woman from the rain. I should point out that the other woman was an elderly woman and the bus stop is not covered. It was a simple random act of kindness from a kind soul." +"One week ago, I encountered something I rarely see in my day to day life anymore. I saw someone act out of pure kindness. I was waiting at the bus stop that morning to head to work. I work at a local coffee shop and choose to take the bus since it is a bit far from where I live and I don't have a car at the moment. It started raining that morning probably because we were under a tropical depression warning. We are so use to these type of storms that people generally go about their day to day lives until the storm turns in a higher category hurricane level. There was a man and woman waiting there with me. I had never seen them before until today. The man looked a bit unkempt and sketchy in my opinion. However, this is the moment I learned never to judge a book by it's cover. I was keeping a close eye on the man because I was worried what he might try to do since it was just me and this other woman there to take care of each other in case he were to try anything. I saw him reach into the inside of his jacket and I immediately felt anxious. He pulled out an umbrella and helped shield the other woman from the rain. I should point out that the other woman was an elderly woman and the bus stop is not covered. It was a simple random act of kindness from a kind soul." +"Two weeks ago, I was feeling particularly stressed after work. I couldn't wind down, I couldn't relax, I couldn't stop thinking about my day that day, and everyday forward, showing back up to that same old place. I decided to head outside, pop my headphones in, and take a stroll. As I walked along, I tried to focus on my breathing. In, and out it went, slowly synchronizing with my steps and the harmony of the music in my ears. In and out, with every exhale I left more and more of the workday behind. Forgetting the stress, the ungrateful clients and thankless work, and the dull boredom pounding at the back of my head. I'm not sure how much time passed by... maybe minutes or hours. All I can say, without a doubt, is a few laps around the block later I felt relatively at ease. Yes, I had to go back the next day and do it all again. However, at least for the moment I didn't have to worry about that. I could return home, kick my feet up, and focus on myself for the moment. Maybe I'll crack open a beer and catch up on some reading, or just chat with my friends. Who knows, it doesn't matter. Let's take it day by day." +"Two weeks ago, I was feeling particularly stressed after work. I couldn't wind down, I couldn't relax, I couldn't stop thinking about my day that day, and everyday forward, showing back up to that same old place. I decided to head outside, pop my headphones in, and take a stroll. As I walked along, I tried to focus on my breathing. In, and out it went, slowly synchronizing with my steps and the harmony of the music in my ears. In and out, with every exhale I left more and more of the workday behind. Forgetting the stress, the ungrateful clients and thankless work, and the dull boredom pounding at the back of my head. I'm not sure how much time passed by... maybe minutes or hours. All I can say, without a doubt, is a few laps around the block later I felt relatively at ease. Yes, I had to go back the next day and do it all again. However, at least for the moment I didn't have to worry about that. I could return home, kick my feet up, and focus on myself for the moment. Maybe I'll crack open a beer and catch up on some reading, or just chat with my friends. Who knows, it doesn't matter. Let's take it day by day." +"Two weeks ago, I was feeling particularly stressed after work. I couldn't wind down, I couldn't relax, I couldn't stop thinking about my day that day, and everyday forward, showing back up to that same old place. I decided to head outside, pop my headphones in, and take a stroll. As I walked along, I tried to focus on my breathing. In, and out it went, slowly synchronizing with my steps and the harmony of the music in my ears. In and out, with every exhale I left more and more of the workday behind. Forgetting the stress, the ungrateful clients and thankless work, and the dull boredom pounding at the back of my head. I'm not sure how much time passed by... maybe minutes or hours. All I can say, without a doubt, is a few laps around the block later I felt relatively at ease. Yes, I had to go back the next day and do it all again. However, at least for the moment I didn't have to worry about that. I could return home, kick my feet up, and focus on myself for the moment. Maybe I'll crack open a beer and catch up on some reading, or just chat with my friends. Who knows, it doesn't matter. Let's take it day by day." +"My good friend Steve passed away almost 7 months ago. He was a very active and fun person that was getting ready to retire in the next year from work. He was a very active golfer and loved to fish. He had many groups of friends and was very active for being 65 years old. A group of us would go on a guy’s vacation trip twice a year to the mountains and to the ocean. We would rent a place, play golf, water ski, shoot guns and play some poker. We did this tradition for the last 8 years. We had such great fun with our group that was from the ages of 30 to 70 years. It was sad to see him develop cancer. He went downhill very quickly. The cancer was very aggressive and he made it about 4 months before he passed due to complications. He was a military veteran and we had a wonderful celebration of life starting at the military cemetery. The funeral was sad but wonderful to reflect on all the stories about Steve’s life and how he carried himself. We proceeded after his ceremony to his favorite sports bar to celebrate his memory. It was fun to catch up with some of the other people in his groups of friends and family that I did not know. It was great to hear about his youth and many of the fun stories and events that occurred in Steve’s life. It was very healing for me to be able to share. A sad but warm feeling around Steve’s friend and family." +"The group of us guys that have hung out together over the last 10 years, just lost one of our closest friends two months ago to lung cancer. Our group of guys is a bout 15 people and range in age of 40 to 70 years old. We play a lot of golf together, we hang out at some of the same sports bars, and we play poker together. We had a funeral for our beloved friend Steve two months ago. He was a veteran, and hard worker, and a good friend to all. It was amazing to see how many people who showed up at Steve's funeral to pay their respects. I was one of the speakers and shared some funny stories on some of the golf trips and other vacationing trips we went on. It was a sad but happy moment that all the friends were able to get together to honor our friends. It was good to have Steve's siblings there because they lived hours away and did not know the type of friends he had. They did not know all the fun experiences he had with friends in the last 10 years. Most importantly the did not know what a great support group he had. So after the great memorial, we all met at his local watering hole and enjoyed some food and libations. It was such a wonderful time to have a celebration of life as Steve had so many good friends. His extended family also showed up and partake in the celebration. We had collages and pictures of Steve's life and his activities. Some of them catching fish, play golf, or just having fun. His co-workers also came to the gathering and got to swap stories with them. What a sad and wonderful day to honor and remember our friend Steve." +"The country seems a lot larger after you spend a lot of time crossing it by car. San Diego always felt relatively close to where we live, but after spending long, grueling hours in a minivan with my entire family, I now know better. Writing about it this way makes the trip seem worse than it really was. Despite spending what seemed like an eternity cramped into a small space with the people who know how to get on your nerves better than anyone else, the experience was something that I'll always cherish. It's only been 5 months since we've come back and the memories of our time at Sea World are just as fresh and vivid as if we had only returned yesterday. I can still smell the different exhibits clearly. I've never been a fan of seeing animals in captivity, but I can't deny the impact of seeing an orca or dolphin up close. Even the penguin habitat took my breath away. It's hard to reconcile these feelings. My family seemed to enjoy it just as much as I did. Maybe more. They don't have the same reservations that I do about zoos and such. It was definitely something that my little brother won't ever forget. I think he's just old enough to really realize what's going on, and you could see on his face that the moment he pet the dolphin was magical. I can't wait to see how he feels about that moment when he grows older." +"Life without my dad has been so hard. He really was the most amazing person in my life, he always encouraged me and did whatever he could within his power to make me happy. Having him gone so suddenly was such a shock. It's not like you could ever be prepared for something like this, no matter how much notice you have, but the fact that it just happened is so hard to cope with. He was fine one day and then gone the next. My mom is heartbroken, along with my other siblings, no one knows how to function without him, he was the rock of the family. He always had an answer for everything, there was nothing he couldn't fix. I am so glad that I had the time with him that I did, he taught me so many different useful things that I am forever grateful for. I always joked that I was his boy, he wanted a boy so badly and taught me all the things you would teach your son. Countless days changing breaks, oil changes, spark plugs, cutting the grass, building furniture. I hated it, now I am so grateful for that time and wish I could go back and hear him yell at me for holding the flashlight in the wrong position just one more time. The whole family has really come together for the first time in a long time to celebrate his life and be sure no one forgets what a wonderful person he was. The first few days, listening to all the stories people had of him, sharing photos, seeing how many lives he touched, it meant so much. We plan on holding a family picnic every year for him on his birthday, a day to reminisce and come together to remind us of him. He would have wanted everyone to be happy and think about the good times with him, so that's exactly what we plan on doing. He has grandchildren that will grow up hearing the stories of how great their papa was and will never have to wonder about him because well all be sure to keep his memory alive and let them know how loved they were by him." +"It was a cold morning, I picked up my manager and we were on the way to work. We were driving towards our building and coming upon an intersection. As I slowed down for the red light, we saw an SUV make a turn and WHAM! Hit a teenage boy who was crossing the road. The boy bounced off the hood of the truck like a ragdoll, flying back into the street. Will and I were both like ""Holy shit dude!"" I turned on my hazards and pulled over, dialing 911 as we jumped out of the car and ran to the boy. The SUV started driving down the street and my mgr. snapped a picture of his license plate, but then it stopped and the man driving jumped out to check on the boy. The boy seemed extremely dazed and was holding his arms in an awkward looking position, we sat him down on the curb. I was freaking out because 911 had me on HOLD of all things, I thought that was something that happened in disaster movies not in real life, not at 7 am on a Monday morning. But as soon as they finally picked up I gave them the cross-streets, and it took less than 2 minutes to hear sirens and see the paramedics coming down the street. We thought the boy was concussed, but then realized he had a clubbed arm and some features of a Down's Syndrome person. Jesus, how messed up, this poor retarded kid was just crossing the street and got hit by a car. And they guy driving, how sucky must that be to not just hit a person but a mentally disabled one? Anyway, paramedics took care of the boy, his father was called and came to the scene quick, he was going to be okay and the sheriff was talking to the dude driving the SUV. I gave my statement and left. Messed up Monday." +Right about 6 months ago I and my brothers where planning on going to Ghana to host and event for my mom. This is the first time I and my brothers have decided to go all together for this special event for my mom. We have previously planed it a year before and it didn't work out. It didn't work out when we planted it the first time because my brother was hired in his new job and he couldn't make. So he told us to all wait the following year so we all can go together. In Ghana on April there is always a special event that occur so my brothers decided that we should host my mom birthday event at that same day. We discussed this event with a few family members so they can come help us celebrate. We all bought out tight and got ready to travel to Ghana. My two brothers landed in Ghana first and I landed last. When I arrive my brothers came to the airport with a few other cousins to pick me up at the airport. On our way home my brothers where talking about finding me a lady because I didn't have any woman in my life. A few days later my brother introduced me to this lady and I really didn't feel the connection much. Around that time it was getting closer to my mom's birthday celebration. I met a woman within a few days and she also didn't seem interested in me. All she seems to be interested was how much I will be spending on her. She didn't tell me but I can feel that is what she was about. So a few days later we hosted the event for my mother and everything went as planned. After my mom events I and my two brothers decided we are going to an Easter event. When we got there I saw a beautiful woman which I fell in love with by just looking at her. I tried to talk to her but she wouldn't give me some time to talk to her. I kept trying because she was the kind of woman I was looking for. So after a few tries of trying to get her number I offered her mine and left later on. So the next day she called and I told her that I would love to get to know more about her. She agreed and we started getting to know each other. I have and met her family and soon or later she will become my wife. +"So I went to Ghana in April with my two brothers. We both went on a separate date. We all wanted to meet there this year to have a celebration for my mom's birthday. My father and mother are no longer together but my father happens to be in Ghana also. We had a party for my mother and it was a successful event. After the event I went out with my two brothers to enjoy the rest of the evening. While we were out there having fun I saw this beautiful young lady. I really liked her so I try to talk to her but she wouldn't pay me no mind. I kept trying but she wouldn't give me her attention. I think it was because she was with her mother. Soon her mom left her alone to get something, so I tried again and I was able to get her number. I called her and we went out to get to know each other. In my culture marriage is not something that takes a long time to get into. I told my father about the girl and he wanted to speak to her. I brought the girl to my father and he asked her a few questions about her family. In my culture it is easy to marry a woman if both of our cultural are the same. So my father agreed with me getting to know her and possible marrying her. We arrange an event for her parent to come meet with my parent for us to discuss if I can marry her. We had the meeting and everything went well and now I am preparing to marry her in 2021. For now we are taking it slowly. The only problem is it's a long distant relationship but I think we can make it work. she lives in Ghana and I live in the U.S. We talk to each other every day. It is not easy waking up and not having her next to me. I plan to visit her soon again this year." +"Journal entry, it's been months of clean scans and health since the cancer scare. I've been living life with more purpose recently, going out more, being more healthy in habit. Not everything magically changes with post cancer life, it's not a movie where I suddenly become my fullest. I've recently looked into going back to school and changing my career. Besides trying to change my career and habits, I've been reconnecting to older friends as well. It's challenging to try and improve so much at once. Some steps are backwards, but I've kept them in strides and bounce back. Life in some ways is mundane right now, while that can be it's own blessing. With so much anxiety in the past I'm glad to be optimistic towards the future. Some nights I wake up with night terrors remembering the surgery and cancer, grabbing my scar in reaction. Thankfully these are slowing down with each month. With a reminder of that past I keep moving towards a healthy lifestyle. I hope that others will find that same optimism I had to find. I look forward to seeing what is around my corner. With all this said, that's my recent story." +"Journal entry, it's been months of clean scans and health since the cancer scare. I've been living life with more purpose recently, going out more, being more healthy in habit. Not everything magically changes with post cancer life, it's not a movie where I suddenly become my fullest. I've recently looked into going back to school and changing my career. Besides trying to change my career and habits, I've been reconnecting to older friends as well. It's challenging to try and improve so much at once. Some steps are backwards, but I've kept them in strides and bounce back. Life in some ways is mundane right now, while that can be it's own blessing. With so much anxiety in the past I'm glad to be optimistic towards the future. Some nights I wake up with night terrors remembering the surgery and cancer, grabbing my scar in reaction. Thankfully these are slowing down with each month. With a reminder of that past I keep moving towards a healthy lifestyle. I hope that others will find that same optimism I had to find. I look forward to seeing what is around my corner. With all this said, that's my recent story." +"I had the greatest experience about six months ago. I went two this local, neighborhood bar. It's thought of to be a hole in the wall by many people. Don't judge a book by it's cover, however. They have a mixed crowd there. Not many wealthy individuals, but a few. They have some GREAT food in there. It's home cooking, more or less. The prices are right, too. There are some drawbacks, however. These fools don't have Maker's Mark there. How can you have a bar without Maker's Mark! One lawyer in town said that he would never patronize a bar that didn't have Maker's Mark. And I used to agree. But for this place, I am making an exception. Well, it's sort of economics. I don't have the money to buy Maker's Mark at a bar 99% of the time anyway. The point is moot! In the future, I might even watch some of the football games there. By football games I am talking about my teams. The Cleveland Browns are one team. They are my NFL squad. For life. My team for NCAA Division I or whatever it's called is The Ohio State Buckeyes." +"We have been married for 15 years now. Together we raised two lovely, healthy, happy children. And yet I know now that the time is right to move on. We have been unhappy together for many years. We tried to work things out. We went to couples' therapy, individual therapy, went on frequent holidays together to recharge. But we just continually argued and didn't get along. It's been hard on the kids, I know. But even more than that it's been hard on us. We both show the signs of stress from years of bickering and conflict. It's painful to see my husband struggle. And it's been really painful to feel that I am not the same woman I was when I married all that time ago. So I am setting out on my own. For the first time in a logn while, I will be independent of a man, and free. I am excited to explore the world and travel again. And I look forward in time to meeting another man who will love the free spirit that I am and will become." +"We have been married for 15 years now. Together we raised two lovely, healthy, happy children. And yet I know now that the time is right to move on. We have been unhappy together for many years. We tried to work things out. We went to couples' therapy, individual therapy, went on frequent holidays together to recharge. But we just continually argued and didn't get along. It's been hard on the kids, I know. But even more than that it's been hard on us. We both show the signs of stress from years of bickering and conflict. It's painful to see my husband struggle. And it's been really painful to feel that I am not the same woman I was when I married all that time ago. So I am setting out on my own. For the first time in a logn while, I will be independent of a man, and free. I am excited to explore the world and travel again. And I look forward in time to meeting another man who will love the free spirit that I am and will become." +"I recently attended a family gathering in Michigan and got to spend time with many family members. it was in Michigan, in the northern part of the state. I drove through Canada and stayed in Niagara Falls on the way. Niagara Falls was beautiful. I visited Bird Kingdom and ate poutine. It took a long time to go through customs though. In Michigan I went to a winery with my girlfriend, aunt, uncle, mom, and sister and we talked about growing up and got nostalgic. The next day was my cousin's wedding. I remember him as a baby so it was strange to see him getting married. He is all grown up now. Everyone laughed and drank and had fun. I got to talk to all my aunts and uncles. One uncle I had not seen in 10 years so it was nice to catch up. He has been going through a rough patch. Seeing everyone made me remember how much I loved them all. I wished we lived closer. It was a very memorable event. I hope there is another wedding or family reunion soon." +"Two months ago I attended my best friend's wedding. The day was perfect, mid-spring. The air was cool with the steady and rising warmth that only that part of the season could offer. The wedding was enveloped in hues of light pink or blush and accented with the type of white only a bride could wear. You would not believe how gorgeous her dress was. The cut was perfect for her shape. The bodice was covered in delicate pearls. Standing by her side on the most important day of her life thus far, was an honor and so much fun. I remember when we were 7, planning our weddings together and watching it come into fruition brings a tear to my eye. The wedding took place on her aunt and uncle's farm with a beautifully renovated barn. All of our friends and her family gathered together to take part in such a wonderful day. The reception went smoothly besides the fact that I tripped on my dress and fell in a very unladylike fashion. I hope one day she will be able to stand by my side just like I did for her. Her newly minted husband is actually someone I like, get along with and feel is deserving of her love and commitment. After 24 year of being my best friend and sister from another mister (haha) my standards of who would one day marry her have always been high. I'm happy to report that just two short months ago my best friend started a lovely journey that will be filled much joy and love." +Well I seem to have made a new friend today. More importantly I have a new four legged roommate. I was sitting in my car waiting for Beth to get out of school when all of a sudden I her a thud on the hood of my car. I looked and saw the biggest cat I've ever seen standing there looking at me. Then this furry beast jumped threw the open window and into my lap. He looked right at me then kneaded my lap and sat down. By the time Beth jumped into the back seat he was purring away like a little engine. Of course she was smitten right away. She went on about how cute and friendly he was. According to Beth the cat had chosen us so now we needed to take him home. I'm a big softy when it comes to animals so we headed to the pet store. An hour later Tom-Tom had a new litter box and scratching post. Not to mention a nice soft bed and a huge bag of cat food. When we got home he leaped out of my arms and strod into the house like he owned it. I guess cats really do choose their people. +"The cat was orange and white, I think they call these tabby cats but I am not too sure. The cat was huge and had big cheeks on his face. His eyes were a emerald green. When I felt him on my lap, I jumped and screamed so high I thought I might have made a hole in the roof of my car. The cat started to put and rub its body against my arm as if it already knew it. After I calmed down, the cat laid down next to me. I thought it was the strangest thing. I checked the cat for a collar and it had none. I did see it had some bald spots as if it had been in previous fights with other cats. I reached my hand out to touch it and it stretched and let me pet it. I wasn't too familiar with cats so I didn't know what to do but it was apparent to me that this cat chose me. After several minutes of petting, I decided to take the cat home with me. I was worried about what my husband would say but knew he wouldn't totally oppose to the idea. I came home and let my husband know what happened. The cat looked weak and tired so we decided to take it to the nearest vet to check its health. The cat was weak and dehydrated as I had speculated. Since we or I decided to keep it, the vet gave the car a round of shots and gave us a few tips on caring for a feral cat. It was definitely a stressful day but I hope it doesn't get too tough from here on out." +"Just a little bit shy of three months ago, I had to put my little dog Ginny down. This was incredibly hard for me because dogs to me are not just dogs, they are treasured family members, it was losing a family member to me. I also just could not believe that this was happening. I took her to the Veterinarian three weeks ago for what I was assuming would be allergies, only for them to tell me that she had lumps that had to be tested. We did a blood test and a biopsy and the results came back as Lymphoma, as rather aggressive form. I took her to a specialized Canine Oncologist, which I did not even know existed, to find out what Ginny's options were. It was disappointing for me to learn that at best, she had about nine months to live, but if I put her through Chemotherapy, they had a large chance of being good months. I put a lot of thought into it, and ultimately decided that it was worth it to try Chemo, if there was a chance I could give her some more good time, I would. I took her to her first treatment and everything seemed to go well, she was in treatment for the afternoon, I was able to pick her up after work. When I picked her up it was like I had the old Ginny back, she was lively and engaging and so excited about her meal, which she had not been for a while. These feelings of normalcy lasted for two days, by the time she was due for her next treatment, she was just as tired and worn out as she had been. I was told that this was normal, but I was not sure, it seemed like Ginny was not having the responses that she should have. When I picked her up from the second treatment, she was off, she was not lively like the first time, she just seemed exhausted. Later that night I had to call the animal ER to answer questions about Ginny's condition, she was refusing food and water and just seemed so sick. By the next day her symptoms only intensified, she became incontinent. I decided that this was an indignity that she should not have to suffer, she was having a terrible quality of life and I needed to do right by her. That day, surrounded by loving family members, we let her go, it was the right move, but so hard." +"I had a very sad experience with loss of life recently. When I was a child, about 10 years ago, my family got a dog. It was a beautiful beagle dalmation mix. We played together all the time. We would go to the park and run chasing each other. A few years ago she got sick with heart worms. We took her to the vet and she was prescribed a medication that fixed the issue. That's what caused what happened 10 weeks ago to be surprising. When she had another health issue, I expected it to be treatable. We took her to the vet who took a blood sample. He also took a biopsy. The results came back as cancer. He said we could try treating her. I knew that cancer was going to cause a decline in her health. But I didn't expect the medication itself to cause an allergic reaction in her. During the first dosage, she went into cardiac arrest and we abruptly had to put her down." +"Today was a rough day. I worked a long shift that had a lot of difficult people come into my world. All I wanted to do today was come home, get in comfy clothes and read a book. God had a different plan for me today, that's for sure. When I left work this afternoon the weather was horrible. Pouring rain, thunder, wind....you name it. It was very hard to see the road. I was on Beecher Ave and the car in front of my hydroplaned and ran off into the woods. I couldn't believe it. It was a horrible sight! I for sure thought whoever was in the car was badly injured. I pulled over to help at the scene. I called 911 and ran to the car. There was an elderly woman in the driver's seat. She had her seat belt on, thank goodness, and only had injuries from impact. Her car was completely wrecked though. She was able to unbuckle herself and get out of the vehicle. I sat with her until the police and ambulance arrived. The poor woman was so shaken up. All I wanted to do was hug her. I felt horrible, but I was so glad I was there to comfort her and help her in her time of need." +"My friend was traveling to Los Angeles from Washington, D.C and needed a ride to the airport. We readily agreed because we thought we might see some of the sights of our nation's capital while there. The drive itself was uneventful. As was dropping our friend off for his flight to Los Angeles. The fun happened when we went to see the Lincoln Memorial. Washington, D.C. is so confusing and has so much traffic. We knew we needed to park near to the memorial, but the roads and directions were a little bit confusing. Finally, we happened upon a parking garage near the memorial. As it turns out, we got turned around and found ourselves in the wrong parking garage. We were no where near the Lincoln Memorial! We were across the town at a different memorial. Because the traffic was so bad and confusing we decided to visit that area instead. It was neat. But, it was not what we had hoped to see." +"Dear Diary,I am sorry that I haven't written in so long. I have just been so busy with my boyfriend, Jake. The turning point in our relationship came on a weekend about three months ago, and I'm sure you want to hear all about it. As I said, that was about three months ago. Jake had seemed kind of fishy, smiling a lot during the previous two weeks. When Friday came, he showed up at my apartment and told me that I needed to pack enough comfortable clothes for three days! Considering he typically doesn't even stay the night, this made me very nervous! He refused to tell me where we were going, but told me I needed jeans and shoes for walking outside. So I nervously packed up and we got into his car. He wanted to put a blindfold on me, but I refused, because it would make me car sick. I agreed not to pay attention to where we were going. Turns out, he had rented us a cabin right on the lake, about 90 minutes out of town. It was so beautiful! It was quiet and peaceful. The first thing he wanted to do was go swimming in the lake. I didn't bring a swimsuit! Well, he didn't either, and turns out he had wanted us to go skinny dipping. It was awesome, but I was so embarrassed because I had never let Jake see me naked in full daylight where he could see all of me. It was also very.... inspiring, so you can only guess what happened after the swimming.. I'll never tell!!Anyway, it started getting late and Jake wanted me to cook dinner. Well, guess what? There is no stove or microwave in this place. Just a big fire pit in the back. I have never cooked on a fire before! He said he learned how in boy scouts and that he would show me, and he did! It was the best weekend, so peaceful and beautiful and I feel so much closer to Jake now." +"Last week was a whirlwind. As soon as I closed the Jonestown deal, my boss paired me up with Frank Dingle to hammer out a new corporate initiative addressing The Defamation of Hirsute and Burly Longshoremen. If there is one silver lining, it's that I get to work with the dreamiest, steamiest, CREAMIEST hunk in the office, Frank Dingle. I first became aware of Frank last February when he applied for a job as Junior Director of Roast Beef Juice Operations. He didn't get the job, but he got me all hot and bothered when he strutted through the office in a bedazzled business suit and golden wingtips. He was later called back to interview for a staff accountant position. Since that's my department, I was asked to sit in on the interview. (Just between me and you, diary? I wish they had asked me to sit on Frank's lap!) I recommended him for the position and he was hired. Frank and I will be working together until this new job is ready to submit. So it's exciting, but I dunno. Ever since my divorce, I've felt like a part of my is missing. Sometimes Frank says things that remind me of my ex. I can't tell if I'm being paranoid, or if I should regard them as warning signs, but he's such a stud-muffin I can barely contain it! I keep trying to make eyes at him. I can't tell if he's ignoring my signals or if he's just very dumb. Yesterday I saw him eat an entire tube of Crest toothpaste. Like, as a snack. Nevertheless, I hope to God he asks me out. I could really use a stiff drink and a hard... well... anyway. Talk to you later, diary! XOXOXO" +"There were times when I felt the pile of assignments were not going to get done. There were times when I didn't sleep for days and days. The dreams felt like they blended in with the days. My college experience was a confusing time, filled with sadness, heartbreak, loss. I know for a fact however that my experience was felt by many others too. I found solace in that at times. But at the time I felt like the world was going to come crashing down. It was such a memorable experience but I am happy it is over. There was one time when I felt I couldn't finish it. I felt like running away from all of my responsibilities but I didn't. I pushed through, I passed in all of assignments on time. I aced all of my finals. I asked for recommendation letters from all of my professors. It was a great experience, and worth every penny. I wouldn't change anything if I had the chance to do so." +"There were times when I felt the pile of assignments were not going to get done. There were times when I didn't sleep for days and days. The dreams felt like they blended in with the days. My college experience was a confusing time, filled with sadness, heartbreak, loss. I know for a fact however that my experience was felt by many others too. I found solace in that at times. But at the time I felt like the world was going to come crashing down. It was such a memorable experience but I am happy it is over. There was one time when I felt I couldn't finish it. I felt like running away from all of my responsibilities but I didn't. I pushed through, I passed in all of assignments on time. I aced all of my finals. I asked for recommendation letters from all of my professors. It was a great experience, and worth every penny. I wouldn't change anything if I had the chance to do so." +"In a few more weeks, I'll have to start round two of seeing my ex-husband in court. I know I went away from the previous time feeling okay about it all, relief, I guess, but as it gets closer to this next round, I'm getting nervous again. I guess I just wish it would end. I wish he would do what he's supposed to do and stop trying so hard to bankrupt me. He wants to see our children in a setting that won't require supervision, but he abandoned them almost two years ago, which is why the order was set in place. We were both interviewed by a social worker, and she told me in no uncertain terms that she would fall on the floor dead if he was given unrestricted visits to our children. This does set my mind at ease, but having to re-live everything I've gone through with him was probably even more difficult than seeing him for the first time in a year and a half. I guess this isn't really re-telling the first experience, so much as re-reflecting on it leading up to the new situation concerning it, but I am still a little nervous. I think the relief comes from knowing he can't personally hurt me anymore, but he does have the potential to hurt my children. Initially, seeing him for the first time was certainly going to bring about nervous feelings, but as time goes by and I realize it's not done, the anger and nervousness that had subsided is turning quickly back to square one. Knowing that our children fear him and don't want to see him makes me worry about the effect this is going to have on them. They're in therapy, but how will it help them once they inevitably have to spend time with him? Will he ultimately disown them if the magistrate decides to hold the original order? I really don't know, and not knowing is where I am now instead of feeling relief. I really don't know if I will ever feel relief unless he gets help or is out of our lives for good." +"In a few more weeks, I'll have to start round two of seeing my ex-husband in court. I know I went away from the previous time feeling okay about it all, relief, I guess, but as it gets closer to this next round, I'm getting nervous again. I guess I just wish it would end. I wish he would do what he's supposed to do and stop trying so hard to bankrupt me. He wants to see our children in a setting that won't require supervision, but he abandoned them almost two years ago, which is why the order was set in place. We were both interviewed by a social worker, and she told me in no uncertain terms that she would fall on the floor dead if he was given unrestricted visits to our children. This does set my mind at ease, but having to re-live everything I've gone through with him was probably even more difficult than seeing him for the first time in a year and a half. I guess this isn't really re-telling the first experience, so much as re-reflecting on it leading up to the new situation concerning it, but I am still a little nervous. I think the relief comes from knowing he can't personally hurt me anymore, but he does have the potential to hurt my children. Initially, seeing him for the first time was certainly going to bring about nervous feelings, but as time goes by and I realize it's not done, the anger and nervousness that had subsided is turning quickly back to square one. Knowing that our children fear him and don't want to see him makes me worry about the effect this is going to have on them. They're in therapy, but how will it help them once they inevitably have to spend time with him? Will he ultimately disown them if the magistrate decides to hold the original order? I really don't know, and not knowing is where I am now instead of feeling relief. I really don't know if I will ever feel relief unless he gets help or is out of our lives for good." +"I recently complete truck driving school. There were three other people in the class with me. One was a typical ""truck driver"" type. One was a very annoying middle aged woman that insisted everyone learn the ""pre-trip inspection"" the way she was. And finally there was a loud abrasive lady that struggled with memorizing the pre-trip inspection. Of the three instructors that rotated through the students, there was one that honestly didn't even know the pre-trip that well. One older guy that had obviously been teaching it the same exact way for years and a third, more reasonable, instructor that knew it well and was only concerned that you learned it and did not care about what verbiage you used. We all tried to help the loud lady learn the steps of the inspection. I told her to use little memory tricks to remember different things, but the older teacher told me that the only way to be sure to pass was to learn his method and verbiage. The annoying student also insisted this was how the loud lady should learn. Both the annoying student and older teacher quizzed me daily and always pointed out any time I deviated from their method, even if it was technically correct. After the first of two weeks, I had the entire pre-trip inspection memorized in my own way. And honestly, I could even do it with the exact verbiage the older teacher insisted on. However, the loud lady had only memorized maybe a third of it. I worked with her before class and kept telling her to use the memory tricks that worked for her. She started to get it. By my last day of class, she had most of it down. The next day was my CDL test at the Motor Vehicle Division (MVD in Arizona, but DMV everywhere else). I performed the pre-trip for the inspector in my own method with my own verbiage. I used proper wording for different parts and procedures, but not at all in the way the older teacher had insisted. When I had finished, the inspector said, ""I don't usually tell people their score. I just tell them if they passed or not. But you got 100%. You were perfect and I have only ever had 3 people do it perfect. Whatever you did, you did it right"".I found out later that the loud girl did pass her inspection." +"I was on my break from work and sitting eating outside when someone came up to me and said they were filming a movie in the mall. She said they needed people to do extra work at the weekend in some bar scenes downtown. She asked if I'd be available that weekend to be an extra and I said I would. I conformed that it would be paid and she took my details. On Friday evening I got an email with directions and instructions for the nxt day. I was nervous and still a little sceptical but I went down on Saturday anyway. I was sitting in the holding area for about 90 minutes when I was asked to follow the assistant director. They took me to the hair and makeup trailer and after looking me over they asked if I would be interested in being a body double. This meant an increase in pay and I got to be part of the action in the longest scene of the day standing opposite the leading man. We did many, many takes and I was standing in for all the rehearsals and about 12 takes of the scene. I got direction from the director and the crew was very nice to me. We were taken to a 5 star hotel in the city for lunch and I got to sit and eat with the stars rather than the other extras. The day was long, I was there about 14 hours all in but I got to be a famous actresses body double for the day, I earned a lot of money, I met the stars and the director and they asked me to come back the next day, Sunday, where they put me in a bar scene and gave me a decent amount of screen time sitting behind the leads. This also took a long time and we were at the bar for about 10 hours with another lunch break. That day we got cash to go buy our own lunch. We got $50 each so that was nice and I got to pocket most of it. It was something I never though I would do and it was a very cool day." +"We had a child that needed to be taken care of. We could pay for child care, but he price was great. So we thought about me being a stay at home dad. It would help on cost. But I would also forgo working a paying job. Overall it was a tough choice. But being a stay at home dad was a great thing to me. I love being with my kids. I love to take care of them. So on many fronts it is a great thing. I do sometimes wonder what it would be like if we did the child care route. But I can't imagine not being with them each day. They are a big part of my life now. I like to be a parent to them. So overall I think we made the right choice." +"I decided that it was time to give myself a break from my busy work schedule and hop on a plane for a vacation. I'm currently single and my friends don't have the flexibility of schedule that I do so I had to take this trip solo. Because I live in the south I decided to fly somewhere more temperate to escape the pounding heat I get to suffer through in the summertime. Seattle was my destination, as I've never been to the Pacific Northwest. Traveling alone can be a bit daunting. You're solely responsible for all your arrangements, itinerary, and transportation. The trip to the airport was a bit lonely because my most recent trip was with an ex of mine whom I traveled with frequently. I found myself reflecting on that relationship and our struggles during transit. Along with the lonely feelings I had while making my way on this trip was a profound feeling of smallness. I felt very much just like another piece of cargo; screened, packed up, put on a conveyer, and shipped. The constant goings and comings of an airport can make one feel quite small when alone, adrift in a sea of strangers trying their best to keep their cool in the face of the complications of travel. A woman next to me in the terminal nearly had a breakdown when she learned her flight had been delayed. It was quite the scene. Though I don't often worry about the safety of air travel, it definitely occurred to me that should my plane crash(as unlikely as that was to happen) I would just be another name on a manifest of souls lost to mechanical malfunction or ill-tempered weather. It's a shitty feeling to think that you're just another face in a crowd and mass transit sure has a way of making you feel exactly that way. Ultimately I got to my destination and had a fine time. Being a tourist in another town is freeing in a way, because you're not beholden to certain local customs. You're forgiven for asking questions, being lost, meandering about in public spaces, and generally being curious when you'd otherwise be expected to be getting on with your life." +"I decided that it was time to give myself a break from my busy work schedule and hop on a plane for a vacation. I'm currently single and my friends don't have the flexibility of schedule that I do so I had to take this trip solo. Because I live in the south I decided to fly somewhere more temperate to escape the pounding heat I get to suffer through in the summertime. Seattle was my destination, as I've never been to the Pacific Northwest. Traveling alone can be a bit daunting. You're solely responsible for all your arrangements, itinerary, and transportation. The trip to the airport was a bit lonely because my most recent trip was with an ex of mine whom I traveled with frequently. I found myself reflecting on that relationship and our struggles during transit. Along with the lonely feelings I had while making my way on this trip was a profound feeling of smallness. I felt very much just like another piece of cargo; screened, packed up, put on a conveyer, and shipped. The constant goings and comings of an airport can make one feel quite small when alone, adrift in a sea of strangers trying their best to keep their cool in the face of the complications of travel. A woman next to me in the terminal nearly had a breakdown when she learned her flight had been delayed. It was quite the scene. Though I don't often worry about the safety of air travel, it definitely occurred to me that should my plane crash(as unlikely as that was to happen) I would just be another name on a manifest of souls lost to mechanical malfunction or ill-tempered weather. It's a shitty feeling to think that you're just another face in a crowd and mass transit sure has a way of making you feel exactly that way. Ultimately I got to my destination and had a fine time. Being a tourist in another town is freeing in a way, because you're not beholden to certain local customs. You're forgiven for asking questions, being lost, meandering about in public spaces, and generally being curious when you'd otherwise be expected to be getting on with your life." +"Two months ago I lost the person that gave birth to me in this world. It still doesn't feel totally real, but the amazing part is that I'm actually coming to terms with it a lot quicker than what I expected to. This woman was my hero. This woman helped raise me and steered me towards the direction of success. But lung cancer took her away from me. She was so stubborn though, and put up one heck of a fight. She tried her best to last as long as she could. She beat the odds every time it felt like and at times I thought she was simply invincible. Only way mom was going was kicking and screaming. I think the reason she held out for so long was because she felt like her family needed her. She wanted to make sure they were taken care of. She wanted us to feel safe, just as much as she had her entire life. Two months ago she felt safe with this knowledge and left for those big clouds in the sky. It does still sting. But I'm so proud of her, and I hope she's the same for me." +"Two months ago I lost the person that gave birth to me in this world. It still doesn't feel totally real, but the amazing part is that I'm actually coming to terms with it a lot quicker than what I expected to. This woman was my hero. This woman helped raise me and steered me towards the direction of success. But lung cancer took her away from me. She was so stubborn though, and put up one heck of a fight. She tried her best to last as long as she could. She beat the odds every time it felt like and at times I thought she was simply invincible. Only way mom was going was kicking and screaming. I think the reason she held out for so long was because she felt like her family needed her. She wanted to make sure they were taken care of. She wanted us to feel safe, just as much as she had her entire life. Two months ago she felt safe with this knowledge and left for those big clouds in the sky. It does still sting. But I'm so proud of her, and I hope she's the same for me." +"March 5th 2019 my friend and I decided to go down to Miami to enjoy spring break. Little did I know that this spring break would change my life forever. So my friend and I decided hey let's try out the clubs to ight since we're here in Miami. So I said Alright, and we went. So were dancing doing our normal thing and a girl walked up to me and asked me to dance. I said yes ofcourse and danced the night away. After the club we exchange numbers and began our relationship from there. Calling and texting and eventually I asked her out on a date, it was awesome and the most amazing part about it was that we had alot of things in common, for example I loved animals and sports and so did she. So our 1 date turned into 4 dates and by the time I knew it we had gotten very close. She was even coming out with me and my friends like she was just part of the group, it was a really nice time. Everything was going absolutely great however there was one problem. She was from England and only here in Miami on vacation. So the day that she had to leave we said our goodbyes and it was very tough for the both of us. However we promised each other that we would always stay in touch. We even spoke above making arrangements to see each other over the holidays. So in the end I feel like I have something good to look forward to in my future." +"there has been a serious accident at a T-junction. the accident occurred among 4 cars there's no specifics of the cars in question. why did this accident happened in the first place? base on the information gathered, one car caused it. the car which caused this accident wanted to overtake another car. there's no much details about the car which cause the accident. the challenge that occurred between all the drivers doesn't make sense at all. why will a driver even think of overtaking another driver at a T-junction. it doesn't make sense for a trained driver to do that. I personally think there should be a traffic light at the T-junction so to prevent anything problem in the future. By the way was there a traffic light at the T-junction? if there was a traffic light at the T-junction then why did the driver try to overtake another driver. My main point in this whole story stated above is the fact that, did they involve the police? did the police arrest the driver who tried to overtake another at the T-junction. It's a tragic seen and mentally passengers will need to visit the hospital." +"there has been a serious accident at a T-junction. the accident occurred among 4 cars there's no specifics of the cars in question. why did this accident happened in the first place? base on the information gathered, one car caused it. the car which caused this accident wanted to overtake another car. there's no much details about the car which cause the accident. the challenge that occurred between all the drivers doesn't make sense at all. why will a driver even think of overtaking another driver at a T-junction. it doesn't make sense for a trained driver to do that. I personally think there should be a traffic light at the T-junction so to prevent anything problem in the future. By the way was there a traffic light at the T-junction? if there was a traffic light at the T-junction then why did the driver try to overtake another driver. My main point in this whole story stated above is the fact that, did they involve the police? did the police arrest the driver who tried to overtake another at the T-junction. It's a tragic seen and mentally passengers will need to visit the hospital." +I hadn't been on a vacation in way too long. I was so thankful when my family invited me to go to Disneyland. I had never been there before. I had always wanted to go but never had the money. I packed my suitcase and headed off to go on the trip. I was so excited. When I got there I couldn't believe it. It was like being taken to a different world. Everything was so amazing there. The castle looked so beautiful. The rides were so amazing. The food was quite expensive but it was still very good. I had a great time. I now see why they refer to this as the happiest place on earth. I can't remember the last time I was so happy in my life. +"The most memorable event that happened to me took place in mid-May. I flew with my oldest daughter from Detroit to suburban Phoenix. She was starting her first job post graduation as an elementary school teacher. This was striking to me as a mom because I thought she would be excited to be starting a new life. We had such a good time setting up her new house, buying furniture and unpacking. It all seemed to be going well until she broke down in tears. I was distraught as she sobbed that she didn't want to be there, that it was too far away from home. I tried (in vain) to be encouraging. I told her to think of it as a new adventure. I held her as she wept, soothing that it was time for her to be on her own and that I knew she would be successful. I believed she had a heart for kids and that this was her vocation. She SAID this was what she always wanted, but the reality of it was just too overwhelming. To be honest, as much as I love my daughter, I don't get it. I would have killed for such a great opportunity at her age. She was being given what she said she wanted, and there she was a total wreck! I think about this event often and it's something that I mull over on an almost daily basis. I continue to be surprised, shocked and a little pissed when I consider the situation. I hate the term ""adulting""; it's not a verb I used. But my daughter was not coping well at almost twenty-five. I have to wonder how this happened. I have always been attentive, but stressed that I expected her to stand on her own two feel and to be a strong, independent young woman. I have done my level best to be the best I could as a mother to all my children. Most of them are hanging in there, but I wonder how to help my eldest who is chronically dissatisfied. I struggle to get her to live in the present and to look at the bright side. I do the best I can." +"The day we my son and I went to Disney world was a day like no other. Even though we are both adult, we felt like kids again for the first time in a long time. I guess it would be more like I felt like the kid this time. To see the Disney castle as we approached the park was something magical. Who ever thought that an adult as old as I am could smile so wide just seeing their favorite Disney characters. It was so much more than I ever could have expected, or imagined. Since it was an all day venture, we started by having breakfast. We ate pancakes while watching old Mickey Mouse videos on a large monitor. We laughed and laughed. Walt Disney's vision was defiantly revolutionary in bring happiness to not just kids, but adults alike. After a couple tours around our favorite parts of the theme park, namely the Lion King and Aladdin, when got some lunch. While eating lunch we watched Goofy bring smiles to the faces of many kids. Then we headed off to the Star Wars areas, because my son is a huge fan. We visited a movie theater, and watched Mulan. After that we watched the live showing of the theater play The Lion King. That was my favorite. It was getting late so we went to get dinner before we left. My son choose a cafe themed after Star Wars of course. The food was excellent, whatever it was called, haha. We got so many pictures that I will always cherish. This was a day that I truly got to be a kid again. Thank you." +"The day we my son and I went to Disney world was a day like no other. Even though we are both adult, we felt like kids again for the first time in a long time. I guess it would be more like I felt like the kid this time. To see the Disney castle as we approached the park was something magical. Who ever thought that an adult as old as I am could smile so wide just seeing their favorite Disney characters. It was so much more than I ever could have expected, or imagined. Since it was an all day venture, we started by having breakfast. We ate pancakes while watching old Mickey Mouse videos on a large monitor. We laughed and laughed. Walt Disney's vision was defiantly revolutionary in bring happiness to not just kids, but adults alike. After a couple tours around our favorite parts of the theme park, namely the Lion King and Aladdin, when got some lunch. While eating lunch we watched Goofy bring smiles to the faces of many kids. Then we headed off to the Star Wars areas, because my son is a huge fan. We visited a movie theater, and watched Mulan. After that we watched the live showing of the theater play The Lion King. That was my favorite. It was getting late so we went to get dinner before we left. My son choose a cafe themed after Star Wars of course. The food was excellent, whatever it was called, haha. We got so many pictures that I will always cherish. This was a day that I truly got to be a kid again. Thank you." +"Last month a friend of mine passed away. We had been close since the age of 7 when we met in the first grade. When I heard the news that she was gone, I almost couldn't believe it. It didn't feel real. It still doesn't. I feel like I could call her now and she would pick up, but the realization hits me that that can no longer happen. Waves of sadness, grief, and despair come over me. I remember the last time I spoke with her. It was a strange encounter, at the store, as we usually meet at each other's homes. That was the first, and last, time, I'd ever ran into her. She seemed to have a light shining behind her, and I distinctly remember that when I looked at her, it was like no one else was around. She seemed so healthy, so happy. What had gone wrong? Why couldn't I have helped her? I just didn't know anything was wrong inside of her. Her passing showed me that I need to reach out more to others and help them if I feel like I should. I need to ask how they're doing more often or just offer to come see them and be more friendly. When I think back on our long conversations, I never remember her seeming like she needed more. I realized after her death that sometimes you have to just offer more, even if the person doesn't ask for it, because you never know just how much they need." +"This is a story about the myth of meritocracy. My brother and I grew up poor. One day he became rich by inheriting money. Instead of helping me, he started a business and underpays workers in order to make money while he sits around doing nothing. He won't give any of that money to me. He only offered me a job at his business where I'd make even less than I do at my current job. This is why we must move beyond capitalism. It makes people act like trash and exploit workers. The money he inherited is built on slavery in the first place. That's just how it works. The reason I didn't get any inheritance is because I didn't talk to my dad anymore, the one who passed it on. My brother really believes that he earned his place in society because of the messages constantly being blasted by the corporate / establishment media. He is a stunted human and if he weren't so rich I'd feel bad for him because of that. Hopefully he is able to see the error of his ways. When the revolution comes it might not be good for him." +"I'm not sure when it was exactly, but it was toward the beginning of summer. I'd suffered from a severe bout of extreme insomnia. For about a week afterward, I was light headed and short of breath. My exhaustion had left me with a heart flutter. This was quite worrying. I finally resorted to taking sleeping pills and the flutter went right away. That was a relief. I was worried that there may have been something wrong with my heart. Of course, now I make sure I get plenty of sleep. I don't want to experience that again. I told a friend about my experience and he didn't seem to be fully convinced that it wasn't my heart. I told him that heart flutters are a symptom over other problems and not a disease in and of themselves. Still, my friend seemed very worried and kept asking me how I felt. I was touched that he cared so much about me. I realized I had a very good friend. More so than I had previously been aware." +I suffer from perimenopause. I am a 50 year old female. I have several different symptoms. I get dizzy. I get sick with colds all the time. I get paranoid. I have had atleast 70 different symptoms. About 8 weeks ago. I started suffering from a debilitating insomnia. From this I developed a heart flutter. My friend became concerened. She was in fear I would pass out. She was very much afraid I'd even pass away from this. I put her mind at ease as I have gone to the Doctor and got help for it. It was then about 8 weeks ago I realized I had a really good friend on my hands. I love my newly realized best friend! +"Quite a lot has happened since this last event, but I will try to recall it as best as I am able. Leading up to the appointment, my mother had been getting quite a lot of uncertain information. She started out with a soreness in her throat, but the initial tests she went through didn't find anything. Then some nodes started to develop on her neck, and she went in for a biopsy to find out what they were. They found thyroid cancer. So, she was called in for further scans (I apologize, but I can't remember exactly what kind now) and the diagnosis quickly escalated from a fairly treatable version present in her thyroid and surrounding lymph nodes to a rapidly growing tumor that was threatening her airway. That was when the meeting that I described came in. The scans happened on that Monday, and on Friday we were sitting in a doctors' office with so many specialists there that they couldn't all fit into the room. My father and I went with her to the appointment knowing generally what we were going to hear. We had a little trouble finding the right place to go, but we still got there early. A nurse took some readings first while we waited. Then a doctor came in and started going over the past events with her to make sure that they had everything right. My father and I sat off to the side mostly for moral support but also to take notes and chime in with questions, reminders, or clarifications. There was a knock on the door, and quite a few doctors filed in. They milled about a little trying to find places to stand without crowding anyone. Then they introduced themselves and their specialties explaining how they might be involved in the process ahead. They explained what they had seen and what it meant too. One doctor set up a camera to go into her nasal cavity so they could observe the tumor breaking into her airway in real time. They talked amongst themselves and explained to us what they were seeing. Another doctor did a quick swallow study having my mother do some vocal exercises and swallow water and applesauce to see what would happen. Eventually most of the doctors filed out except the radiologist who introduced herself. She explained that she would be leading the radiation treatment which was the first step, and we learned what that would involve. Finally, a different nurse responsible for coordinating the doctors came in and introduced herself. That was it for that day" +"The event I'm choosing happened just yesterday although in reality it was more spread out through the week. My mother has been experiencing difficulty swallowing and shortness of breath for a few weeks now, and from some testing done since then doctors concluded that it was probably thyroid cancer. On Monday, she got an MRI (I think that's what it was) that gave the doctors a much clearer picture of what was going on. Anyway, they called her in for a consultation on Friday, and I went along just to provide support. After a little bit of bouncing around trying to find the right place (it was a new hospital), we were brought to a patient waiting room. A nurse took some preliminary readings and then left. Then a doctor came in to get an overview of events from my mother. I was there to add any details she'd missed, but I ended up not needing to. I mostly just sat in the corner and nodded. Anyway, before she had finished there was a knock on the door, and moments later there were about 10 people coming into the room - mostly doctors and a few nurses. They were all different specialties (radiation, chemotherapy, recovery therapy, etc.) but focused on throat and neck diseases. At this point, the room was fairly crowded so I was definitely aware of my position off in the corner. I was just trying to stay out of the way now. They ran a small camera into her nostril to check out the vocal cords. While it was in there, they asked her to do a few breathing/vocal exercises and to swallow water/applesauce. It was sort of hard to watch. It seemed like they spotted what they thought they'd seen because after a few seconds of recovery they began walking her through what they were thinking. Apparently the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and lungs and was continuing to grow fast. I won't focus on the details here, but the plan was about two weeks of radiation as soon as possible and chemotherapy from there. The overall outlook looks very poor. Like I said, this was not information thrown at us all at once right then and there. The picture was revealed throughout the week via correspondence and examiner's reactions. Still, this was everything being laid out for sure. It was a moment of clarity I guess you could say. Then the doctors all explained how they would be involved in the process and introduced themselves and left for now - I'll end the story here because I'm getting the warning" +"On June 22nd I heard my mother calling me from her bedroom door. She was having trouble breathing. I wanted to call an ambulance but she said to just take her to the hospital. The hospital is only 4 minutes from our home. My husband called the ER ahead of time to tell them to be ready for us. On the way my mother was saying she felt ill. I told her that was okay. When we pulled up to the hospital, no one was waiting. I ran to the ER door and it was locked, I had to push a button and wait. They immediately began asking insurance information for her. I yelled that she needed help NOW. They finally got a wheelchair to her and we took her in. One nurse was asking me questions, another was asking mom to walk to the bed. I looked down and mom was no longer breathing, I asked that they help her. The nurse slowly walked to the phone and said she had an unresponsive female. They left mom sitting in the wheelchair. After 4 minutes the doctor arrived, and it took another 3 to begin CPR. They attempted to revive her for over an hour. She was pronounced dead at 10:56 pm. This event was traumatic and shocking, and all I think about daily." +"I met a guy a few months ago that I really started to like. Even on our first date, I could tell he was special and that we got a long in a way that I really didn't with anyone else. I could see myself actually marrying this guy and I'd only known him for a few minutes. I thought to myself on our first date: ""This is what love at first sight feels like."" We had one more magical date and then he moved back home to Los Angeles. I still think about him all the time and it's been two whole months. He thinks about me as well and feels the exact same way. I just bought a house in North Carolina. I can't leave and I won't for a new relationship. I know that it won't last long distance and it hurts. I feel like you only meet people like this once in a lifetime. I'm worried that this is my first and last time meeting a soulmate. I'm hopeful that one day we'll meet again. But for now, I'm not completely sure it will work out. He's told me that he could fall in love with me. And honestly, I could fall in love with him also. That's what I want as well." +"i grew up in a poor home. while growing up, seeing commercials about Walt Disney World would only be a dream. my parents would never ever think about taking me as a child. whenever i asked, they instantly said no. i kept dreaming and never forgetting. i now have 2 kids and we just got back from a two week vacation from Walt Disney World. it was the best vacation. although it might be a once in a lifetime event due to money, we made memories that will last a lifetime. im so happy to have taken my kids and myself. i made dreams come true. hopefully one day we can go again but that would mean saving up all over again. till this day i cant believe it. my parents were so happy for my. they know how much of a disney fanatic i am. i love everything disney." +"My husband died a little while ago. As a now single mother, I was devastated. I almost gave up on everything, but the need for providing and helping my 3 children kept me going. I am from a country marred with corruption and nepotism. I knew that my income would not be enough to raise three kids, and I also understood that it would be difficult getting a new job. I talked to a few people and they told me that I should try going to United States of America under asylum. I researched on the process, and I started my journey. I researched lawyers and picked a good one who is an expert in the field. We made all necessary contact, and she invited me to come to the United States. Shortly after arriving, I applied for asylum. The lawyer told me that I should apply ''affirmatively''. During application, I included my children who are my driving force and the main reason I was doing it. I included all necessary additional documents. I also had to add the little evidence I had that my country was not good for raising three kids as a single mother. After this, I mailed my document to the relevant organization. Earlier this week, I was invited for an interview by the USCIS. I had to bring some identification and witnesses. At the end of it all, I was granted asylum." +"My ten-month old daughter took her first steps at duck park. Her older sister and cousin were both running around the splash pad having a great time while the adults sat under an umbrella. Her uncle was snoozing on the ground and she pushed herself off his chest to a standing position from the ground and looked at me. She took three deliberate steps toward me and I lost my mind. My father saw it as well and he was overly excited as well. We were both laughing happily and making a fuss over her. We woke up her uncle who was snoozing on the ground and exclaimed how amazing it was to just have witnessed such an amazing thing. My mom and sister both missed seeing the milestone in her life but were both delighted to have been there when she accomplished something so amazing. At that moment, I was such a proud mommy. Being a mother and witnessing these beautiful little babies accomplish any milestone is one of the best feelings a person can experience. I'm so proud of both of my little girls. In that moment, I also felt my mortality. Watching your little ones age and grow you become aware of your own aging. You know that you will never get these moments back. They will only ever live on in memory. But every moment is worth it." +"When I was 9 months pregnant, I just wanted to have my baby already. I wanted to be able to go back to a normal life, and I also wanted to see my beautiful baby. I was completely done with being pregnant. Then, one somber afternoon, it happened. I knew that I was going into labor. I yelled for my husband, and we go into the car and drove to the hospital. I was in so much pain on the way. I remember yelling at my husband almost the whole way there, but he took it like a champ. I was so ready to have this baby. When we arrived to the hospital, I was starting to get more worried. This was my first child, how would this feel? What if something goes wrong? My mind raced, but I was mostly in too much pain to care. Apparently I couldn't get an epidural because I was ready to have the baby right away. My baby was finally born, and I couldn't be happier." +"I went to a surprisingly progressive birthday party a while back with the theme of ""Princesses."" This wasn't your average princess party. My friend put quite the twist on the average played out Disney princesses. Instead she focuses on strong woman role models, who also just happened to be women. Her guests were adorned with a gift bag that was specific to one princess. My daughter received a Princess Diana themed bag. It had a picture with information on the back, and a fact book about her. It also had a crown that replicated Princess Diana's. The girls all dressed up like there princess, and said out loud one fact they learned. The followed up with a costume contest. The person who seemed to have captured the essence of their princess the best one a prize. Each prize was specific to a princess as well. The cake was magical. It was a portrate of the birthday girls favorite princess! Everyone had a great time, and learned something important that day. I was very impressed with my friends idea. It made me really think about what I wanted to do for my daughters birthday." +"I went to a surprisingly progressive birthday party a while back with the theme of ""Princesses."" This wasn't your average princess party. My friend put quite the twist on the average played out Disney princesses. Instead she focuses on strong woman role models, who also just happened to be women. Her guests were adorned with a gift bag that was specific to one princess. My daughter received a Princess Diana themed bag. It had a picture with information on the back, and a fact book about her. It also had a crown that replicated Princess Diana's. The girls all dressed up like there princess, and said out loud one fact they learned. The followed up with a costume contest. The person who seemed to have captured the essence of their princess the best one a prize. Each prize was specific to a princess as well. The cake was magical. It was a portrate of the birthday girls favorite princess! Everyone had a great time, and learned something important that day. I was very impressed with my friends idea. It made me really think about what I wanted to do for my daughters birthday." +"I helpedplan a baby shower with two other coworkers for another coworker. We got together and planned the specifics such as the date, food , decorations and budget. I helped collect donations from coworkers. Another coworker ordered the food. The other coworker bought the decorations. On tge day of the event, one coworker picked up the food and i helped bring up the food. I helped decorate the room and prepare tge food on the table. It took two hours to complete but we worked as a team to accomplish this event. After the event, i helped to clean up. I removed the decorations on the walls. I helped pack the remaining food. I also helped move tables. After the event we gave remaining food to our coworker to take home. She in turn passed out candy to show her gratitude. She even gave us pictures of her family." +"It was, and remains, one of the most memorable experiences of my life. One I'll be telling my grandchildren about one day, I hope. Approximately three months ago, my company was having an outing for its employees as a way to reward them for their hard work. They provided tickets for us to go to a baseball game. We could bring one person with us. Naturally, I decided to bring my boyfriend. I had never been to a baseball game before and this sounded like a fun thing to do, so I was really looking forward to it. My boyfriend and I sat close to the stadium, I had a hot dog in one hand a drink in another and I was chewing on the hot dog when suddenly, I noticed my face on a big screen above the stadium. Someone called my name. My boyfriend held my hand and led me to the courtyard, got down on one knee and as I held my breath and tried not to cry, he proposed to me while holding out the most precious, blue sapphire ring I'd ever seen. The entire experience felt surreal and he took my breath away at that moment. I had always seen these things happening to other people on TV, but never in a million years did I expect something this grand to happen to me, as much as I wanted it to. He mumbled a few romantic words and I could tell he was nervous. I was smiling. I was trying hard not to cry. I didn't want to ruin the moment for him. I heard him say he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. He called me his best friend. His true souls mate. It couldn't get any more romantic than that. then he popped the question. Naturally, I said yes! My co-workers cheered. I started crying as he slipped the ring on my finger. We kissed and I couldn't wait to tell my parents that I was engaged." +"I'm finished with the Microbiology part of the program now. In fact, I just started back after a two week break from school. Now, I'm starting the Hematology part of the program. Anyway, on the point of Microbiology, I did learn a lot about the subject. It kind of turns out that it is, more or less, just a desk job. Albeit, a very stinky desk job. The workers come in, have a stack of work in front of them for the day, and pretty much just work on that at their desk. Because of this, it is kind of my least favorite part of the lab. The other departments involve quite a bit more moving around and multitasking. I have worked plenty of desk jobs in the past, and don't have much desire to continue to do so any more. I'd rather have a job that's a little more fast paced and active. Luckily, it looks like the profession that I'm choosing has a little bit of both. I wouldn't want to stay too active all the time, either. Having a good balance will make for a better experience. I think I'm going to dig it." +"In order to understand why I was at the place indicated in my story, I have to give a little background. I am enrolled in a Medical Lab Tech program at a college. I have already finished the core class requirements for the program, and am now engaging in clinical rotations. These rotations take place at local hospitals. I essentially go in, as if I am a regular employee, and learn how to do the job with other working employees. Unfortunately, there is no pay for this, but the idea is that the experience will pay for itself. Once of the classes I had to take was Microbiology. The class itself was tough, and a little confusing. It was essentially a long list of organisms, and the media that is used to grow the organisms. So, a lot of memorization. Now, and for the past six weeks or so, I have been doing my clinical rotation in the Microbiology department. The surprising thing that I have found is that the job itself isn't nearly as confusing as the class led me to believe that it would be. Granted, there is a massive amount of knowledge that is required to be known, but there are tons of reference materials at hand, and the use of them is heavily encouraged. The job is basically a desk job. I did not expect that. The employees in the Microbiology department work at one of six stations. The stations determine the type of work that will be performed for that day. The work that they will be doing for the day is laid out in front of them at the beginning of the shift, and once it is completed, they are basically finished working for the day, and just do extra things until the shift ends. So, this experience has opened my eyes to what working in this department would really be like." +"I have a good friend who decided to interrupt our friendship for a long stretch. We had been friends for years through some interesting and formative moments of our lives. We originally met through work quite soon after graduating. I think that we became close because we had a lot in common and had gone through many of the same things: moving to a new country, traveling a lot for work, being somewhat under-appreciated. Several times, we even lived together as housemates which was fun and allowed us to be pretty close friends. About 18 months ago, having recently lived with my friend while job hunting, he somewhat suddenly stopped talking to me without much of an explanation. This was very difficult for me, especially because I didn't know why or what had happened to precipitate this falling out. It felt strange and undeserved and I couldn't really find a reason for it or a way to undo it. However, in the last several months, he has started writing and even talking to me again. This was a considerable weight off emotionally. I had ruminated a lot about what I had done to deserve that silent treatment. While I'm still not sure why he had cut contact (and maybe I never will be), I'm just glad to have this friend back in my life. We live quite far away from each other, but he's a really good anchor to talk to and to bounce ideas off of. It's good to chat with him and just basically destress. For me, that's great to have someone like that in my life who is a good friend and who has been through so much with me. I'm really glad to have him back in my life. While he's still not as communicative as I am - and our friendship is still not where it was, I'm just glad to have him back and hopefully things will return to where they were again someday." +"Do you remember Larry? He was the guy that I used to work with that was a really great friend of mine but had cut contact with me after he got married. Anyway, it has been years since I heard from him. Not a peep. Not even mutual friends have heard from him. It was really weird and concerning how he dropped all of us like that. Well, the other day he had called me and left a message for me to call him and gave me his new phone number. I don't know what I was expecting, so I called him back. He seemed really upbeat and happy. I asked him how life was and he said it was going better. He had just gotten divorced and was moving back to the city. Turns out, his wife and him had moved out of the city to a new area away from everyone. I also found out that she was abusive to him and he had to get away from all of that. I told him he was a smart guy for doing that. We made plans to get together and grab some food. I asked other friend if they had heard from him and they all have. It's just really nice to have someone that I cared about so much back in my life!" +"So it happened. After years of hard work and dreams, I graduated college 2 months ago. This is suppose to be an exciting and monumental moment in my life. Unfortunately, it’s been anything but. I have not been able to get a job lined up. No one tells you that when you get out into the real world, there aren’t as many jobs available for someone like me with a business degree. No one tells you that even without a job, you still have bills to keep up with and student loans to pay off. No one tells you that falling for your best friend could end up torturing every fiber of your soul. I try to suppress these feelings. I mean after all, he has a girlfriend. And as much as I hate to say this, I kind of like her. If I express how I truly feel, it will only make things awkward between us. Then, not only will I be a broke, unemployed, but educated college graduate, I will also be without my best friend. Why is everything so difficult and stressful now? I thought the stress would ease up after graduation. It’s actually worse." +"The type of job that I currently do is data entry. It becomes very mundane and boring looking at the same screen and typing in similar material. 12 weeks ago, a new job opened up that seemed interesting. It is a far cry from what I am doing. There is more interactions and less of the same old thing going on. I was nervous about the interview process because it has been a long time that I have interviewed for anything. I was a little shy, which was strange because these are my co-workers, and a little unsure of myself. However, I carried on the best way I knew how. I tried to sound confident without coming across like a know-it-all. I made mention how much I like to work at the company and how I am ready and willing for a new role and that I will not let them down. This new opportunity has me excited. It comes with a slightly higher pay and new daily tasks that won't end up boring me to tears. Some of the people hinted since I have been with the company for a long time that I will mostly be given a more thorough look at. It is time to start a new chapter in my life and prove to others that I am a Jill of all trades. I am a quick learner and know I can pick up this new role within a couple of days." +"The type of job that I currently do is data entry. It becomes very mundane and boring looking at the same screen and typing in similar material. 12 weeks ago, a new job opened up that seemed interesting. It is a far cry from what I am doing. There is more interactions and less of the same old thing going on. I was nervous about the interview process because it has been a long time that I have interviewed for anything. I was a little shy, which was strange because these are my co-workers, and a little unsure of myself. However, I carried on the best way I knew how. I tried to sound confident without coming across like a know-it-all. I made mention how much I like to work at the company and how I am ready and willing for a new role and that I will not let them down. This new opportunity has me excited. It comes with a slightly higher pay and new daily tasks that won't end up boring me to tears. Some of the people hinted since I have been with the company for a long time that I will mostly be given a more thorough look at. It is time to start a new chapter in my life and prove to others that I am a Jill of all trades. I am a quick learner and know I can pick up this new role within a couple of days." +"The type of job that I currently do is data entry. It becomes very mundane and boring looking at the same screen and typing in similar material. 12 weeks ago, a new job opened up that seemed interesting. It is a far cry from what I am doing. There is more interactions and less of the same old thing going on. I was nervous about the interview process because it has been a long time that I have interviewed for anything. I was a little shy, which was strange because these are my co-workers, and a little unsure of myself. However, I carried on the best way I knew how. I tried to sound confident without coming across like a know-it-all. I made mention how much I like to work at the company and how I am ready and willing for a new role and that I will not let them down. This new opportunity has me excited. It comes with a slightly higher pay and new daily tasks that won't end up boring me to tears. Some of the people hinted since I have been with the company for a long time that I will mostly be given a more thorough look at. It is time to start a new chapter in my life and prove to others that I am a Jill of all trades. I am a quick learner and know I can pick up this new role within a couple of days." +"My dreams cam true a few days ago. I finally got to see John Mayer. I was literally crying tears of joy. I have been a big fan for the last ten years. I started to listen to his songs in college because my boyfriend and share a favorite. It was like he was signing to me except there were thousands of other people there. My boyfriend and I fought the crowd and found our seats just in time. The parking lot was jammed packed and almost made us late for the show. Anyways, once we got in our seats the lights flashed on and he came out with a guitar singing and started singing in the mic. There were a few slow songs in which people would hold up their lighters and wave them in the air. He played for a good 2 hours and even brought some special guests on stage. I was hoping we'd catch a peek after the show when he went to his tour bus. Once again the crowd was so thick we couldn't make it outside in time. The experience was overwhelming and I won't forget the pure joy I felt that day. I'm glad that I could share the moment with my hunny bunny even though I paid for the tickets. He did pay for supper and gas so that means something. I'm hoping we can catch him next year but after spending so much on tickets I might have to wait a few years." +"My dreams cam true a few days ago. I finally got to see John Mayer. I was literally crying tears of joy. I have been a big fan for the last ten years. I started to listen to his songs in college because my boyfriend and share a favorite. It was like he was signing to me except there were thousands of other people there. My boyfriend and I fought the crowd and found our seats just in time. The parking lot was jammed packed and almost made us late for the show. Anyways, once we got in our seats the lights flashed on and he came out with a guitar singing and started singing in the mic. There were a few slow songs in which people would hold up their lighters and wave them in the air. He played for a good 2 hours and even brought some special guests on stage. I was hoping we'd catch a peek after the show when he went to his tour bus. Once again the crowd was so thick we couldn't make it outside in time. The experience was overwhelming and I won't forget the pure joy I felt that day. I'm glad that I could share the moment with my hunny bunny even though I paid for the tickets. He did pay for supper and gas so that means something. I'm hoping we can catch him next year but after spending so much on tickets I might have to wait a few years." +"My family and I went on a trip to southern Utah to check out the rock formations and the unique environment. We brought our trailer house and we had plans to get to the campground in Duck Creek Village around 3 PM on the day of arrival. On our trip down, about 2 hours into the drive, we were in the middle of nowhere when the truck lost power and started making a horrible whining sound. We were on the interstate and had a max speed of 30 miles an hour. We were also in a one lane construction zone with no shoulder to pull off on to, so we were stuck on the freeway, 1 lane, cars piling up behind us, going 30 miles an hour. We reached the next exit nearly 45 minutes later. I had a couple tools in the trailer and opened up the hood to see if a spark plug cable or something had an issue. I couldn't find any obvious problems. I was completely perplexed. I then called the insurance company for a tow truck, but since we were so far from every city, it took 2 hours for a truck to come. We eventually had a tow truck reach us and towed the truck back the direction we came to the nearest dealership. It has been 72 days and the truck still is in the repair shop without any knowledge of what happened to it. We were able to borrow a truck from a relative that lived close by and got to the campground just after midnight that night. The trip went off without a hitch afterwards; we all had a great time. Southern Utah has some incredible and mind-blowing places." +"Gosh I feel accomplished. HP love craft has always been an inspiration of mine but I never dreamed I’d be a writer. And now I wonder if I made the right decision sticking with the first publisher to come along. But I can’t worry about that right now because I’m a writer! Ah it’s so exciting and My parents and wife are so proud of me. We went out to eat at a fancy restaurant the night I found out I was going to get a publication. I don’t think I’ll be on the best seller list or anything but fingers crossed. “We’ve never seen anything like this before we love it”. It was incredible hearing that from someone with an unbiased opinion. I always am the type of person to doubt those closes to me. But now I have to make sure to keep it up. I’ve already started brainstorming and writing down ideas for a new article maybe even a book! All this positive motivation has me feeling like I could do anything. There’s a lot of nervous anxiety sprinkled in but that’s normal. I hope to have a rough draft written up by next month and see what they think. Well, time to break out the story board! Wish me luck!" +"It was the day after Memorial Day weekend in 2019. It was like any other day when it started. I had gotten up, showered and got myself ready for work. I then woke up my baby girl as she went to work with me everyday. We had breakfast together as a family, and I got her ready for the day as well. We then packed up and headed to work. I had been working for the company for over 6 years and loved my job. I had thought everything was going the same as always. Little did I know this particular day would change the path of my life going forward. Once we got to work everything seemed completely normal. I started my day as I did every day, by going through emails from clients and vendors alike and responding to their requests and needs. I processed all that needed processed. It was no about 10:30 am, this time is about which is when my daughter likes to take her nap, so I grabbed her bottle from our bag and we sat in the rocker and she feel asleep. I put her down in her pack and play and continued to go about my work while she napped. I was busy working away when I heard a soft knock on my office door. I opened it and it was our HR Manager, she asked me to come over to the Owner's office. So of course I complied. As soon as I walked in the door I could sense it was not good news. I sat down and the owne proceeded to tell me I was being laid off that very day. I honestly do not remember hearing much more of what was said after that as I was just in complete shock! I was handed my final paycheck and sent on my way. Still being in complete shock, I called my Husband first of course to tell him the news. I then packed up our bag and left. I knew as I drove away from there that this was permanent, they would not be asking me to come back if business picked up again. I also couldn't believe how easy it was after dedicating over 6 years of my life to a company ow it could be over in less than 20 min." +"Today is the happiest day of my life. I know it is a well-known cleashe to be calling your wedding that. But i do understand why everyone says that now. Brad and i got married today. It has been four years in making and we couldn't have imagined a more perfect wedding. Everyone was there- even uncle larry showed up! It was particularly surprising considering he was combating cancer for a while now. But all those didn't matter today. It was about us, and our new beginning. We had a traditional catholic wedding. Mom insisted on that. Jen was my maid of honor. The catering was fantastic. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. It was a happy time with family." +"It had been one of those days a week ago where I was filled with dread while at work. There was nothing particular that happened to make me feel this way. Guess you could say it was literally ""waking up on the wrong side of the bed"" type of situation. I was in a not so great mood and it likely reflected that on my facial expressions. Still I tried to remember to breathe and try to get through this day. When the boss decides to drop by and explain that he needs to have me come up with some new ideas for a product that has been in the works for the past few months that many of us have focused on. He also wants me to make the office run more efficiently and wants ideas on how to create that by the end of today. I've never been the most organized. In fact you can say I enjoy organized chaos while my desk area may look messy, I know exactly where things are. So, I turn my music on and get to work when I'm interrupted again. I can feel my stress rising. I need to get away from my desk and cannot. I have yet to start on another project that recently got assigned to me. What could this distraction be? I look up and ask what's going on? The answer ""everyone gets to go home early."" Apparently the boss realized that the stress levels were getting high and that a break was needed. That time off and the ability to relax a bit was definitely beneficial for me." +"two months ago I was on my way to work. and I saw someone stealing a defenseless old. lady and the man mistreating her without. mercy, that really hit me as there are human. beings with a heart so hard to do something so violent. with an undefended. elderly person. do not hold and I got to defend it and I managed to spend several days impacted. with that, thinking that if it. happened. to my father or my mother. or a close relative would hurt. a lot and surely seek to do justice by my own hands, it is not fair that there are people like this in this world with so much evil. No mercy to harm innocent. people who have not harmed anyone in this life. oh my good not problem all respect" +While we were on our cruise my husband had booked a few special things for us. He first had our room decorated for when we got there. He then had a cake in the room when we arrived. The night of arrival he had book a specialty steakhouse for our first nights dinner. Later that week we took a great trip at one of the ports to a beach club. We enjoyed the relaxing day at the beach. We then got to your the island. Back on the ship we got dressed up for special photos. We took our pictures and then went to dinner. He surprised me with dinner at the Chefs Table. We were served an 8 course meal. That night we went to a show. To close out the cruise he had booked me a message. I got to have an hour long deep tissue message. I felt like a new woman after the massage. +While we were on our cruise my husband had booked a few special things for us. He first had our room decorated for when we got there. He then had a cake in the room when we arrived. The night of arrival he had book a specialty steakhouse for our first nights dinner. Later that week we took a great trip at one of the ports to a beach club. We enjoyed the relaxing day at the beach. We then got to your the island. Back on the ship we got dressed up for special photos. We took our pictures and then went to dinner. He surprised me with dinner at the Chefs Table. We were served an 8 course meal. That night we went to a show. To close out the cruise he had booked me a message. I got to have an hour long deep tissue message. I felt like a new woman after the massage. +"Last month I got one of the worst calls I have ever gotten. My dad had sent me a text message asking me to call him as soon as I could because it was important. My Maw Maw had been having a lot of health issues lately so I knew the call had to be about her. Even though she had been doing a lot better and in rehab I still got that feeling that it was about her. Sure enough my dad told me my Maw Maw had passed away early that morning. My heart pretty much broke in half when I heard those words. My Maw Maw was the best person I have ever met. She was loving to everyone and always put others before herself. She was married to my Paw Paw for over 50 years and he had passed 4 years prior to this so after he passed her health started going more down hill. She never smoked a day in her life or drank so I will always question why she was taken so soon and young from me but I know she hadn't been the same since my Paw Paw passed, he was her rock and she loved him with all her heart. After I got the call I started searching for flights immediately. I had planned to fly out a week and a half later anyways but had to move up my flight to get out there for the funeral. I ended up getting a flight for 2 days later and my mom was planning the funeral for that Friday, I flew out early Tuesday morning. It was nice to get home to family sooner than I had thought I would and see everyone but a very important person was missing. My oldest son is 8 and he was pretty heart broken too knowing he wouldn't see her again. He was stronger than me though and able to look at her at the viewing and tell her goodbye. That stuff is hard for me, seeing a dead body and the person not being inside of it anymore. The viewing and funeral went very well though. It felt very rushed because her house was also set to close before she passed so we had to clean it out fast for the new owners to move in and throwing stuff away then trying to find a place for the rest was hard. I don't like just throwing her stuff away but we were pushed on time and really had no choice. My parents live in Georgia, me in Texas and Maw Maw lived in North Carolina so not really anywhere to put stuff other than my uncle's house which he has a lot in his garage now. I will always remember my Maw Maw as the best woman I ever knew and plan to make sure my kids always remember how great of a person she was. I am very thankful they grew up having such a great- great grandma. I think her death was also the hardest for me because she was my last living grandparent and probably the one I was closest too even though she lived far from me my whole life but always made sure she saw us as much as possible." +"When I was growing up, my mother used to tell me stories about how my grandparents fell in love and got married. My grandmother used to tutor my grandfather in school. When he first saw her, he thought she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. ""She had long dark hair and was carrying her books in her arms as she walked down main street."" Not long after their tutoring sessions ended, they began a courtship and quickly fell in love. It was the 1930's and they were young and poor. My grandfather couldn't afford to purchase a wedding ring for my grandmother. She didn't much care about a ring but my grandfather desired to give her one. Many years later, my grandfather opened a jewelry store in a Fitzgerald, Georgia. On their fifteenth wedding anniversary my grandfather drove my grandmother to his store and had her pick out a wedding set. She chose a modest round cut diamond solitaire and a matching diamond fishtail band. She was very fond of the rings and would only wear them on special occasions that required formal attire. My grandparents have been gone for a couple of decades now but I often think of how determined my grandfather was in getting the rings. He only had an 8th grade education but in his lifetime he owned a Standard Oil filling station, a jewelry store, and was a brakeman for the railroad. Last year on my birthday my mother came over to bring me a card and a gift. She handed me a little velvet box that had my Grandfather's jewelry store name embossed on it. I shed some tears as I opened the box to see my grandmother's rings. They were more beautiful than I remembered. I was so deeply touched that my mother wanted me to have them. I now wear the band with my wedding set. The rings represent my grandfather's hard work, commitment, and love. Wearing my grandmother's band makes me feel like a part of my grandparents are still with me." +"My grandfather grew up working on the family farm. My grandmother grew up in the city. My great grandmother was a stay at home mother while my great grandfather worked as an accountant. My grandmother was taking a walk through the city one day and accidentally bumped into my grandfather. They hit it off instantly. They decided to meet the following night at a small diner on the corner. While my grandmother was afraid to inform her father of this date she went ahead and told her parents. They wanted to meet the ""young fellow"" that was going to be taking their daughter out. My grandpa showed up at their doorstep with a bouquet of flowers. While they expected a young man who came from money they agreed to give my grandpa a chance. My grandpa took my grandmother out to a diner called the Milkshake Diner. My grandmother knew she was falling in love with my grandpa the moment they sat down. They decided to go dancing afterwards. My grandpa took my grandma home at 10:00 and walked her to the door. My grandmother sat down with her parents the following day and expressed how she felt. She wanted her parents and his parents to all go to church the following day. They met up at church and had lunch afterwards. My grandfather asked for my grandmother's hand in marriage. My grandfather and grandmother were married the following month. My grandmother knew my grandfather didn't come from much wealth so she didn't expect a ring. My grandfather surprised my grandmother with his mother's engagement ring. She was unbelievably touched and cried through the whole ceremony. They have now been married 50 years and couldn't love each other more. I love being able to tell this story. I will forever cherish the ring she gave me." +"Dear Diary,I am so excited to announce that 2 weeks ago I was given a raise! I have been working with and reporting to regular donors at the school and because of the donations that they have given the school felt like my work warranted a raise! This money is really going to make a difference as I have had trouble making enough to pay for this apartment. My first paycheck with the pay raise should be here tomorrow and I plan to go out to treat myself to a nice dinner to celebrate. I think maybe Ill go to that new taco place that opened across the street. Moving forward I know that great things are going to happen. Over that last year things have been really hard since Michael left. I feel like all I could do was to dig into work and forget about my home life. Perhaps I haven't dealt with things as well as I should have. Is work all that I think about? Damn him... Even now when something great happens I second guess my happiness. I should go to that therapist mom recommended, insurance will pay for it. Tomorrow Ill start painting again. Ive been to into loss and work to remember what makes me happy. I was going to be a portrait artist. Now my portfolio is covered in dust. The brushes I didn't bother cleaning because I was going to use them again tomorrow are now dried and useless. But thats yesterday. I can still start anew." +"Dear Diary,I am so excited to announce that 2 weeks ago I was given a raise! I have been working with and reporting to regular donors at the school and because of the donations that they have given the school felt like my work warranted a raise! This money is really going to make a difference as I have had trouble making enough to pay for this apartment. My first paycheck with the pay raise should be here tomorrow and I plan to go out to treat myself to a nice dinner to celebrate. I think maybe Ill go to that new taco place that opened across the street. Moving forward I know that great things are going to happen. Over that last year things have been really hard since Michael left. I feel like all I could do was to dig into work and forget about my home life. Perhaps I haven't dealt with things as well as I should have. Is work all that I think about? Damn him... Even now when something great happens I second guess my happiness. I should go to that therapist mom recommended, insurance will pay for it. Tomorrow Ill start painting again. Ive been to into loss and work to remember what makes me happy. I was going to be a portrait artist. Now my portfolio is covered in dust. The brushes I didn't bother cleaning because I was going to use them again tomorrow are now dried and useless. But thats yesterday. I can still start anew." +"On June 18, 2019, I gave birth to my fourth child. I went in to the hospital at ten p.m. the night before to start the induction process. I wasn't worried at all, because, well it was my fourth child, I had given birth three times before and the process had always been easy, quick and pain free, thanks to an epidural. This time around, my plans were the same. I should have known this time would have been different, should have recognized the signs when things started off downhill, after all, it took them seven different sticks and an emergency response team to get my IV in. Around 5 a.m. on the 18th, I wasn't having any bad pain, just a few contractions here and there, nothing consistent. I had not been checked for dialation since midnight, but the pain was increasing, just a little, so I decided to go ahead and get the epidural so I could get some rest, afterall, they hadn't broke my water yet. The anesthesiologist came in a few moments later and began the process. Let's just say that this didn't go as planned either. So here I am, sitting on the edge of the bed, hunched over so he can tap my spine correctly. Well, he misses- FIVE times. Five! No joke, he used six different kits. About 45 minutes into the process, something isn't right. All of a sudden my contractions had sped up, coming in around 30 seconds apart when they had been several minutes apart before. My pain increased exponentially, I was in excruciating pain, still being forced to hunch over and hug my knees because he couldn't get the ""right spot"", meanwhile, the efforts he was making were hitting nerves left and right, send fire and twitches down my right side. During this time, I am screaming, telling the nurse I need to push. She assures me that my water has not broke yet and it's not time to push, the epidural is nearly done. I knew something wasn't right, I pushed the anesthesiologist out of the way just as he started taping the needle down, saying we were good to go. Sure enough, as soon as I laid down the nurse informed me that the baby was crowning, while another nurse called in an emergency response team (there were no ob's available). Ten minutes later, I had a perfect little baby girl in my arms, but OH MY GOSH, the pain! Unbelievable. By the way, my epidural finally kicked in about five minutes after she was born, so there's that." +"Three months ago, I had given my final exams. Vacations were coming up, and I had nothing much to do. I talked to my mother, who lives away, and I told her that I am coming over for my vacations. She told me that my grandmother has not been feeling very well lately, and I should see her. It sounded like a good idea, and I changed my plan. Instead, I visited my grandmother in the hospital, and decided that I would stay there for a week. Doctors told me that due to her diabetes, she has been feeling very unwell. However, I thought it was because of loneliness, since she also used to live alone. She was very happy to see me, and even happier when she got to know that I am there to stay with her. I brought over some books, which I used to read it to her. She had been showing a tremendous positive progress since I had went to her. After a week, I had to go back to my home to meet my family. I felt really upset on leaving her alone like that. After some days, the doctors told that her health is declining again, and it would be very difficult for her to survive. The news was indeed very saddening, however I was thankful that I got to spend her last days together." +"Three months ago, I had given my final exams. Vacations were coming up, and I had nothing much to do. I talked to my mother, who lives away, and I told her that I am coming over for my vacations. She told me that my grandmother has not been feeling very well lately, and I should see her. It sounded like a good idea, and I changed my plan. Instead, I visited my grandmother in the hospital, and decided that I would stay there for a week. Doctors told me that due to her diabetes, she has been feeling very unwell. However, I thought it was because of loneliness, since she also used to live alone. She was very happy to see me, and even happier when she got to know that I am there to stay with her. I brought over some books, which I used to read it to her. She had been showing a tremendous positive progress since I had went to her. After a week, I had to go back to my home to meet my family. I felt really upset on leaving her alone like that. After some days, the doctors told that her health is declining again, and it would be very difficult for her to survive. The news was indeed very saddening, however I was thankful that I got to spend her last days together." +"There's a little boy in Prague that renewed my faith in humanity three months ago. I was on a vacation with a friend, sightseeing, and doing all things tourists do. I ended up not paying too much attention to the people around me when I suddenly heard someone yell at me that I was getting robbed. I looked to see where the voice came from and it was from a boy no older than my 8 year old nephew back home. He alerted me early enough to see what was happening. A thief was trying to slash my bag to take my wallet. My eyes connected with the thief's and I first saw panic in his, then came anger and headed straight towards the little boy. Thankfully, someone was close enough to the little boy to protect him from the thief. The thief got tackled to the ground by two men from the gathering audience. The boy was then taken into a shop nearby to make sure that he was safe. I went to the shop where the boy was to express my gratitude and tell him how I thought he's very brave for what he's done. The boy smiled at me and said that he was only doing the right thing. I then bought him $25 worth of candy in the store to reward him and I could swear that he's the happiest boy on earth that day. I stepped out of the store to see two policemen taking the thief into custody. They were actually looking for me to take my testimony and asking if I wanted to press charges against him. I went with the policemen to the precinct for the paper works and the thief was in jail 10 minutes later." +"There's a little boy in Prague that renewed my faith in humanity three months ago. I was on a vacation with a friend, sightseeing, and doing all things tourists do. I ended up not paying too much attention to the people around me when I suddenly heard someone yell at me that I was getting robbed. I looked to see where the voice came from and it was from a boy no older than my 8 year old nephew back home. He alerted me early enough to see what was happening. A thief was trying to slash my bag to take my wallet. My eyes connected with the thief's and I first saw panic in his, then came anger and headed straight towards the little boy. Thankfully, someone was close enough to the little boy to protect him from the thief. The thief got tackled to the ground by two men from the gathering audience. The boy was then taken into a shop nearby to make sure that he was safe. I went to the shop where the boy was to express my gratitude and tell him how I thought he's very brave for what he's done. The boy smiled at me and said that he was only doing the right thing. I then bought him $25 worth of candy in the store to reward him and I could swear that he's the happiest boy on earth that day. I stepped out of the store to see two policemen taking the thief into custody. They were actually looking for me to take my testimony and asking if I wanted to press charges against him. I went with the policemen to the precinct for the paper works and the thief was in jail 10 minutes later." +"Well I went to my best friend's son first birthday! I thought it was pretty fun. I brought along a toy truck for the little guy. The party definitely went amazing. Plenty of games for the other kids, lots of gifts for the son and lots of fun was had. I took a ton of photos of the party. toward the end of the party my best friend brought out a smash cake. it was so funny watching him tear it up. it looked like he was having lots of fun with it. He was smiling as well as he scooped up pieces of cake to eat. my best friend was also helping him eat the cake. He messed that cake up really good. But when we got to the point where we unwrapped gifts for the son. he acted like he wasn't paying attention to what was going on it was really funny. He kept staring off into the distance. I dont even know what the little guy was staring ." +"Well I went to my best friend's son first birthday! I thought it was pretty fun. I brought along a toy truck for the little guy. The party definitely went amazing. Plenty of games for the other kids, lots of gifts for the son and lots of fun was had. I took a ton of photos of the party. toward the end of the party my best friend brought out a smash cake. it was so funny watching him tear it up. it looked like he was having lots of fun with it. He was smiling as well as he scooped up pieces of cake to eat. my best friend was also helping him eat the cake. He messed that cake up really good. But when we got to the point where we unwrapped gifts for the son. he acted like he wasn't paying attention to what was going on it was really funny. He kept staring off into the distance. I dont even know what the little guy was staring ." +"This year I decided that I wanted to start more to help those less fortunate than me. Around Christmas time I started to really notice how many people were struggling around me. I knew it happened, but somehow I never really thought too much about it. About 2 weeks ago now, I was walking down the road on my way to get a cup of coffee before doing some Christmas shopping and I saw a bunch of businesses with people curled up outside them. Trying to keep themselves warm with blankets, sleeping bags and hats. Those were the lucky ones. I saw ones that were just huddled up inside doorways doing their best to stay warm and alive with empty cups in front of them, or signs. Just begging people to help them out with the basic needs that every human being needs and deserves. I don't know what it was that made me notice today of all days. Maybe because I was out spending too much money on Christmas presents that really weren't that needed when there are people who can't even afford a hot meal. I spotted one guy sitting there with just a small blanket, though he wasn't using the blanket, the blanket was curled around a small dog, who looked as though he had seen better days. I dug into my pockets and checked what I had for cash, and it wasn't much. I stopped to talk to him, and learned he had been laid off 2 years ago and lost his home and has no family near by. I talked to him for a bit learning that he found the dog abandoned one day and decided to keep him. His money that he gets from panhandling goes to feeding his dog, who is his best friend. I asked him if he was hungry and he looked at me quite surprised and said he was starving, he was lucky to eat at all each day. He asked a friend of his a few feet away to watch his dog, and off we went to get some lunch. I picked up some sandwiches for the others that I spotted and some hot cups of coffee, and of course a bag of dog food for his buddy. We delivered the food, and I've never seen such joy before. It was a good moment, I made a lot of people happy, but most of all, I made myself happy." +"I'm still amazed that I am living in my very own home for the first time. I've lived here now for 5 months, so it still feels new to me. Last March, I had no plans to buy a home. An ad online caught my attention and I was linked to a home for sale in my local area. The house had just been vacated and was well above my price range. I couldn't get the house out of my mind however. I eventually asked my realtor friend just to show me around for fun. I visited the home on a snowy weekend and was greeting by a warm and spacious home. I instantly fell in love. I could imagine living here making memories for years to come. I went home determined to save until I could buy this house. I pooled all of my resources, I even borrowed money from family. I was able to gather the down payment I needed in just a few weeks time. By the time I was ready to put down an offer, I received word that the house already had a pending offer. I was really upset for awhile. I looked at other homes online but this one just felt like the one for me. I moved on and just decided to wait to see what houses went on the market come springtime. Out of the blue a few weeks later, my realtor calls to tell me that the offer on the house fell through. I put in my own offer and it was accepted the same day! I'm just so grateful for how everything worked out and have so much to look forward to." +"I hate riding in cars. Being in one for more than an hour drives me stir crazy. There's barely any room to move and nowhere else to go. Still, Ryan convinced me to go on a road trip. It took a lot of convincing before I caved it. I still can't believe he managed to change my mind. I especially can't believe that I ended up having a blast! But I set some ground rules: no stopping in really small towns (they make me nervous), and breaks every couple of hours to stretch our legs. We went two months ago, planned around Thanksgiving and a visit to Ryan's family in Minneapolis. One of the first places we stopped was this cheese emporium in Wisconsin. It's sounds cheesy (ha!), but was pretty cool. Products were a little overpriced, but they had some cheeses that I've never seen elsewhere. But the real highlight was the restaurant inside -- very menu item involved some kind of cheese, even drinks I had this shake/smoothie filled with small chunks of creamy cheesecake. It reminded me of boba and pudding drinks. The cheesecake was souffle-like, not dense and heavy. It was heavenly. I've probably had my fill of cheese for the next few months though. We also stopped in Madison, WI, which I've been to a couple times before back in college. It's an adorable college town. Despite being the state's capital, it still has a cool, quirky vibe. One of my favorite online clothing stores is based out of there. We came across this board game store that had every kind of board game you can imagine. They also had copies of every game for people to test out and play before buying. It was cool seeing all the games I loved as a kidI'm really glad Ryan convinced me to go. Maybe we'll take another road trip this summer." +"I'm feeling so disappointed in myself this last week. I had been putting it off for awhile, but I finally decided to bite the bullet and just drop out of college. For the last year I've felt bogged down with anxiety and it's getting worse and worse. I didn't want to let anyone down or waste my efforts so far and so I tried really hard to push through it. Unfortunately, it's just been too hard lately and I couldn't take it anymore. I actually literally left in the middle of a class because I was feeling so overwhelmed. At that point I was just done. I made an appointment with my counselor later that afternoon, and I let them know I wanted to drop out. I feel so stupid, though, because I have all of this debt now and it's for no reason! It doesn't seem fair that I didn't finish but still have to pay in full. I will try to look into it and see if I have any options, but I feel totally hopeless. It's a joke, to me, that our system works like this. Right now I just feel like such a failure, I want to curl up and do nothing. I hope I can start to feel better soon. This is really making me think that it's time to get in to see a doctor about this anxiety, because it is ruining my life." +I've been dealing with a lot of anxiety for the past few years. I keep dropping classes and having to retake them. I decided to drop out of college and work on my mental health. The most memorable part of this was logging in to my account and seeing how much I owe in student loans. I have it deferred for now but I don't know how I'm going to pay it off. The strain of it is pretty overwhelming. I really hope to get my mental health together so that I can go back and get my degree. I'm taking meds right now that are helping somewhat. I plan on getting counseling. Maybe EMDR. I want to start going back to the gym and see if that helps. I definitely need to clean up my diet. I want to find a decent paying job so that my husband doesn't feel like everything is resting on his shoulders. I want to feel like I'm contributing more to our relationship and our finances. Anxiety is really a bitch. +"Well we have a annual family get together now for the last 5 years. On Fathers day I have a bbq and invite my sons family over. My grandson has his birthday shortly after Fathers Day so we combine the two. We had so much fun with the kids and having everyone over also. I have a younger grandson his brother, and we have a yard bbq party for him also now in August. Last time he got a helium balloon for him and I and he accidently released ir. We all wathed the balloon for a long time and got it on video. He watched it after about 10 minutes it disappeared. We all so much look forward to our yearly bbq now. We are planning another next year. I have wore out my bbqer and need to get a new one for next year. We always have good weather in June for the occasion. I go out of my way to get the yard looking good. We usually have 3 to 4 bbqs each summer. Hope to have a great one again this year." +"Two months ago, my daughter invited me over for Father's Day. I was pretty excited because it was also my grandson's 5th birthday that day. The whole family came over to her house. The weather was perfect with a slight breeze. My son in law barbecued chicken, burgers, and hot dogs for everyone. Most of the family that attended brought side dishes. Two cakes were presented after lunch. One said Happy Father's Day and the other was Happy Birthday. We blew the candles out on each together and laughed. I had an amazing time watching my grandson open his gifts. It never fails to amaze me the delight in a young child's eyes. When evening hit, I knew it was time for me to get home before it got too dark out. I hugged everyone. When I said goodbye to my grandson, I thanked him for sharing his special day with me. I wouldn't change this day for the world." +"Four months ago, I applied for a Ph. D. position at a major NYC university. I hve worked really hard for the past ten years on my education with the goal of getting a Ph. D. AFter receiving my appliction, the university only granted me a M.A. position. I already have two M.A.'s and do not see the value in another one. Additionally, i cannot afford to spend more on another M.A. and this would be a HUGE strain on me financially. I have to figure out what i want to do. I spoke to a counselor about the idea of reapplying. I have to determine if it is worth re-applying and if i should apply somewhere else. This rejection was incredibly tough on me . I have spent my whole career in education and learning for this point. Not getting into my PH. D program which was my dream was really tough. I am worried that it will knock my confidence too much for reapplying. I am going to try my best not to let my emotional get in the way." +"Four months ago, I applied for a Ph. D. position at a major NYC university. I hve worked really hard for the past ten years on my education with the goal of getting a Ph. D. AFter receiving my appliction, the university only granted me a M.A. position. I already have two M.A.'s and do not see the value in another one. Additionally, i cannot afford to spend more on another M.A. and this would be a HUGE strain on me financially. I have to figure out what i want to do. I spoke to a counselor about the idea of reapplying. I have to determine if it is worth re-applying and if i should apply somewhere else. This rejection was incredibly tough on me . I have spent my whole career in education and learning for this point. Not getting into my PH. D program which was my dream was really tough. I am worried that it will knock my confidence too much for reapplying. I am going to try my best not to let my emotional get in the way." +"I often thought I knew what happiness was. I often thought I knew what love was. I had no idea what either were until I looked into my daughter's eyes for the very first time. Three months ago, I stood anxiously holding my wife's hand as she delivered our first child. When it was nearly time, the doctor told me to look and there she was, my wife was delivering a perfect, beautiful baby girl. As I nervously cut the umbilical cord, my daughter opened her eyes to look at me. In that instance, I knew what happiness and love was. A few moments later, as I sat with my wife and daughter, my heart nearly exploded for both of them. I couldn't believe that my wife had just gone through the most painful event ever to give me this perfect baby. Over the course of the last few months, my love and happiness has grown each day even through sleep deprivation. My wife and I are truly a team when it comes to this child-rearing business but I am not arrogant enough to think we have it all figured out. I know we have nothing figured out but we are finding our way. At night, when it is my time to get up with our daughter, I can't help but smile when I look at her. It's totally hard to believe that we created this perfect, little human. I am sure there are trials and tribulations to come but. for right now, I am simply enjoying these moments." +"My friend Jon had been having a hard time as of late. It was two months ago when he was laid off from his job. There was no warning and he honestly thought he'd be working there for years. I helped him get a temp job at a place near where he lives and that helped him out some. We've been hanging out a lot more and I've been there for him to talk to, and he says I've been a lot of help. It was around that time when Jon met me after work one evening. I had been a little late as I forgot something in my cubicle and went back to get it. When I came outside I saw Jon talking to Sara, a coworker of mine. Sara is not exactly someone I would consider girlfriend material. She has a reputation around the office, and one of my other coworkers used to date her and told me she cheated on him several times while they were dating. I walked over to them and said ""Hi"". That was when Sara said she better get going and left. Jon explained his interest in her, and told me Sara had given her number to him before I had gotten there. I told him about her reputation and my coworker who used to date her, but Jon didn't want to believe it. He thought she seemed nothing like that and said he was going to call her that evening. I was surprised to hear that the next day Jon had started dating Sara. I think he made the wrong decision. Since they've been dating he hasn't talked to me as much, and I think he's going to end up getting hurt in the end." +"My friend Jon had been having a hard time as of late. It was two months ago when he was laid off from his job. There was no warning and he honestly thought he'd be working there for years. I helped him get a temp job at a place near where he lives and that helped him out some. We've been hanging out a lot more and I've been there for him to talk to, and he says I've been a lot of help. It was around that time when Jon met me after work one evening. I had been a little late as I forgot something in my cubicle and went back to get it. When I came outside I saw Jon talking to Sara, a coworker of mine. Sara is not exactly someone I would consider girlfriend material. She has a reputation around the office, and one of my other coworkers used to date her and told me she cheated on him several times while they were dating. I walked over to them and said ""Hi"". That was when Sara said she better get going and left. Jon explained his interest in her, and told me Sara had given her number to him before I had gotten there. I told him about her reputation and my coworker who used to date her, but Jon didn't want to believe it. He thought she seemed nothing like that and said he was going to call her that evening. I was surprised to hear that the next day Jon had started dating Sara. I think he made the wrong decision. Since they've been dating he hasn't talked to me as much, and I think he's going to end up getting hurt in the end." +"I will write of a recent event that happened last month. The event is about my journey in Colombia, Latin America. It involved me directly since I was the one who traveled. The event was emotional and touching because it involved the beautiful landscape and wonderful people of Colombia. The event was memorable because it was a personal challenge for me. My journey was marking because it was a milestone for me. It also was striking because I would never forget the challenges of my journey. The journey was long and involved. It took many hours of flying to Colombia. It involved airport transfers and long delays. The layovers were also long. The journey included traveling by plane and buses. The roads I have travelled were not in a good shape. The schedules between the busses were not convenient. And the bus travel time was very long between the bus stops. But the natural beauty of Colombian landscape made up for a lot of challenges on the way. It was rewarding to arrive in a strange destination." +"My first day patrolling as a police officer, my field training officer and I came across a local church that had an unlocked door on the back side of the building around 23:00. My partner and I called over the radio to inform dispatch that we had found an unlocked door and that we were going to check the building to ensure that no one was inside that was not supposed to be. This was very exciting as it was my first major event that I did as a police officer. It may not sound like much to the average person, but for a police officer searching a building with the unknown potential of a person being inside is quite dangerous because you do not know if they are armed and/or under the influence of a substance. After securing the building there were no individuals found inside. We contacted dispatch again to let them know the result of the search and to contact a ""key holder"" to let them know about the unlocked door. We returned to our patrol car and waited for dispatch to contact the key holder for the church. This church was one of three churches within our community and we did proactive policing by check all the doors at each church. That is how we came across this unlocked door at the church. This is only one of many stories that I have as being a police officer. This job requires patience, paying attention to little details, learning and reacting from mistakes without hesitation, and to be respectful and brave. We look out for our community and the safety of each and every individual within. I love my job as a police officer and I cannot wait to see where it takes me in the future. I highly recommend this occupation to those who love to be active and enjoy doing something that can go from nothing to something dangerous in a moments notice. The feeling of doing good and protecting those who need it most is very satisfying." +"In August, my mom and I took my best friend and his girlfriend on a nice day trip. We had all decided on going to Martha's Vineyard to site see and enjoy some time at the beach. We arrived at the ferry around 9 in the morning which was an event in and of itself with how long it took to get there. It was a nice leisurely boat ride to the island. Once we got there we went around and explored the first city. It was pretty, if a bit crowded. We ate some ice cream and then decided on going to see some llamas. We took a bus ride to the llama farm and went in to see them. They were incredibly adorable, though I was expecting that. My friend and his girlfriend ended up buying a couple of shirts for themselves to commemorate the occasion. We headed back into to town to get something to eat before heading to the beach. We ended up getting some extremely good fish and chips at a pretty good restaurant. It was kind of overpriced but what ever. After this we headed over to the beach to get some sun. We stayed at the beach for a couple of hours and then decided to head on back home. It was overall a pretty great day." +"So about a month ago I decided that I would invite my best friend and his girlfriend to Martha's Vineyard. We had to drive over to Falmouth to catch the ferry over to the vineyard. I brought my dog with us and boy was he scared of being on the ferry. He refused to sit still. We enjoyed the ride out there because it is absolutely beautiful. Once we got to the island, it was a completely different atmosphere. It was extremely relaxed and laid-back. We had to change into our bathing suits and went to get something quick to eat before heading to the main event. The main event was to see llamas on a llama farm. They were absolutely majestic. They were a little afraid of my dog but since hes just a small little guy, it wasn't a huge deal. After looking at these beautiful animals, we headed to the beach. We laid down and had a drink, while my dog played in the sand. He loved to dig in the sand and then just throw himself into the hole he made. After getting some sun for a few hours, we grabbed a bite to eat at a seafood restaurant. To end the day we grabbed some ice cream and then headed back home." +"My younger sister and I were very close to each other and we tell secrets that nobody in my family could know. We have an elder sister but because she move out the house early so I was responsible to take charge on taking care of my little sister. Growing up was so easy for us to enjoy because we have each others back. I would always protect her and she will always be my shoulder to cry on. Then there came the time that I had to leave the house and marry my husband. I think it was a heartbreaking and emotional part of leaving her and wont be able to see her for a long time. I had to stay of different side of the country. Five months ago, I had a call from my mom and she was sobbing. I was so scared why she was acting like that. Then she told me the big news that my little sister was diagnosed with Epilepsy. I felt my jaw dropped and my body is numb. I couldnt hear anyone and all the things just turned blank. Tears fell on my cheeks and there my little sister came. I didnt saw all the signs but my mother said it happened when I was away from home. She was able to keep the secret from me because she knew I wont leave her if I knew that was happening to her. She is a very brave on handling the Epilepsy. She had all the test and taking medication to prevent her from falling and jerking. I cant believe my sister is going thru this pain. She was positive in her outlook in life and she told me that is everything is okay and dont want me to think about it. She said she accept and dont want to dwell into negativity. But thank God for a new chapter of her life" +"I moved to a new area. I had to after getting a divorce from my wife. I didn't have a lot of money to go out. I couldn't really socialize and I had to deal with the emotional trauma of my divorce. I didn't get to see my children as often. I didn't get to see people that I had become friends with in my prior neighborhood. It was just too far away from where I had moved. I had a core group of people that I could count on to hang out with on the weekends or when there was any free time. We would barbecue together, or go out for dinners. After I moved I met a very outgoing person. She eventually became my girlfriend. We started going out a lot. She would always introduce herself and me to anyone that was out in the same location as us. As we started going out more and more I became friends with several guys that were local. We started going out on guys nights out and in turn I started getting out of my social shell." +"Dear Diary,It's not that I don't like people. People are fine -- they just don't like me. Back in the days of high school, socializing was much easier. I went to school because I had to, and they were there because they had to be. It wasn't a big deal...I talked to them, because I didn't have a choice. Sure I was bullied, and I had a hell of a time...but that little bit of socialization helped me in may ways. Once I graduated, I didn't feel the need to really go out. And that snowballed in the last decade to me possibly being a hermit. I wouldn't call myself that, but my sister did a couple weeks ago when she called to catch up. I'm not going to lie, it hurt because I knew it was true. I had only moved here a few months ago, I told her...but she laughed. She knew that was an excuse. This was ongoing behavior for me, and we both knew it. So I took the plunge the next day, joined a local writer's club and opened up. A few of us exchanged social media info, and started chatting on the phone and thru text. We all kinda clicked. Big Sis wasn't all that impressed...apparently people are supposed to do these sort of things. Anywho, just writing to brag a little about finally coming out of my shell after so long of being a hermit. Sorry I haven't written lately...I've been busy with the new friends! For the 3rd time this week we're hitting the town!" +"When my granddaughter was born, I told my son that she was going to grow up to do huge things. My son joked that all grandmothers say things like that. I meant it. All growing up, she has a spark about her that was special. She was caring and smart. She really enjoy business and how businesses worked. When she was 7, she had her own lemonade stand and was smart enough to see that there was a demand and slightly marked up prices. We told her that might be price gauging and she should not do that. Other than that, she had a knack for it. Soon, she was graduating. We knew that she wanted to be in business. How could we not know? It's all she ever liked! After she graduated, she came home and wanted us to go out to dinner with her. She had huge news. We expected a pregnancy or a marriage. We were beside ourselves when she said she was getting a job at our state's capital! She had went in for an interview and they loved her! She said she was going to be heading the business division for the state! We were all so proud of her and now she's doing huge things for our state!" +"I remember this took place on a particularly drab week. I was living with my girlfriend... Depression was slowly building from boredom too. Eventually I thought, ""fuck it I gotta see how the avengers ends"". I hopped into the car (without my lame girlfriend) and it turned out to be a really nice day. Cloudless, extrememly bright too. Lot's of people were walking around downtown. I decided to join them after watching half of the movie. This is when I was approached by an elated bald man who thought I was the singer for the Sexdolls (at the show nearby or something). We ended up having a highlightable but completely worthless conversation for me. It was nice to talk to someone in a good mood. The man could not fathom that I wasn't the singer, either. I must have looked a lot like a Sexdoll. HA. We talked back and forth a minute too. But it was such a relieving day being in the sun. Still one of my best memories." +"I remember this took place on a particularly drab week. I was living with my girlfriend... Depression was slowly building from boredom too. Eventually I thought, ""fuck it I gotta see how the avengers ends"". I hopped into the car (without my lame girlfriend) and it turned out to be a really nice day. Cloudless, extrememly bright too. Lot's of people were walking around downtown. I decided to join them after watching half of the movie. This is when I was approached by an elated bald man who thought I was the singer for the Sexdolls (at the show nearby or something). We ended up having a highlightable but completely worthless conversation for me. It was nice to talk to someone in a good mood. The man could not fathom that I wasn't the singer, either. I must have looked a lot like a Sexdoll. HA. We talked back and forth a minute too. But it was such a relieving day being in the sun. Still one of my best memories." +I applied for the perfect job. I did two rounds of the interviews and after thinking i would get the job. I was rejected it was very disappointment moment for me. And then I told my interview experience. It was happen in home town and I applied for senior manager. I attend first round. There are lot candidates attend the interview. And I successfully completed the first round. Then I have ten minutes break. At the time i prepared for second round. Then I attend the second round. I was rejected because of the some politics happen in that interview. I am really disappointment for that interactions happen to me. then i realize the politics also involve in interview also. It was my rejections details. +"I was recently looking for a job. I decided to apply at a well-known retail chain. They are famous for having good benefits and paying a living wage. I went in to apply for the job and had a really good interview. Both people conducting the interview seemed to like me. I was ready for all their questions. I felt at ease. I was quickly called back for a second interview. I didn't feel the same level of rapport that I had in the first interview. Even though it didn't go as well as the first round, i still thought I was a great fit for this company. I waited for a couple weeks and I started to feel nervous. Finally they called and told me they weren't going to hire me. I was beginning to feel hopeful. I was pretty devastated as I needed a job with a future. I'm still looking for a good job." +"This is a story about rejection. I don't relish the telling. A few weeks ago I walked into a newly-opening business with an application in hand. I was optimistic, excited, nervous. I was greeted by an employee that did a short screening of my application and she told me that they'd be happy to give me an on-the-spot interview. I was elated! This was a great job, in my field, with great benefits. I waited some time, restlessly, and was finally called to a corner for an interview. It went so swimmingly. It felt like I had acquitted myself well. They told me I'd hear from them in a few weeks. All the tension that led me to that moment came out as I was leaving in the form of happy nervous energy and I went home to celebrate and imagine how I feel with this job. I was so surprised when they called me the next day! I arranged a second interview and even though I felt my answers weren't as well received, I thought I was perfect for this job. I was told they'd call me in a few weeks. A week went by. I started to feel apprehensive. I got a call this week that they decided NOT to offer me the job. I was floored. Reeling. It felt like a gut punch. I had begun to imagine this job as mine, and it was gone." +"Six months my daughter finally got married. She has been with Sean for about five years, though they definitely had their hard times. Things started out so well before they began to have a lot of disagreements around Sean's alcohol consumption. Around two years in it became absolutely unbearable for Sharon and she had to do something about it. After a large argument and much intervention, she ultimately told Sean that she needs to leave him if he did not quit drinking. She did not want to leave him but she was under the belief that this was the only thing that could get Sean to go back to his former self that she fell in love with. Initially, Sean took this terribly and told her if she really did not love him that she should just go then. She, reluctantly, left. Two days later Sean called her from a rehab center, saying that upon further reflection he knew Sharon was right and he decided to check himself in to rehab. Sharon agreed to support him through this and they stayed together while Sean learned to handle his problems. After about six months Sean got out of rehab and their relationship began to blossom again. It was exactly like it was when things started out and Sean and Sharon were the perfect couple together again. About a year ago now, Sean proposed to Sharon and seeing that he was a changed, true, and whole man again, Sharon agreed excitedly. After a lot of planning, they settled on the perfect wedding for them - a small wedding in a small venue with only close friends and family. It was truly the proudest moment of my life. It was wonderful to watch my sweet daughter get married to the man of her dreams and it was also clear to me that Sean's intentions were true and honest. A story that started out blissfully, turned into much pain, finally had a happy ending and I could not have been happier about all of it. It was a true joy and an absolutely wonderful event. They are still so happy together and I could not be happier Sean never looked back to the bottle." +"Last month, I experienced dating for the first time in over a decade. After being married for 12 years, I truly thought that my last ""first date"" was behind me. That all changed when my husband filed divorce papers seemingly out of the blue. I was shocked and saddened by what felt like a betrayal, and took over a year on self-reflection before feeling confident enough to put myself out there again. It was still a nerve wracking experience - I didn't feel like I knew ""how"" to date at this point since I was so out of practice. What do you ask? What should they ask you? Despite my fears, I accepted a first date offer from someone I met through an on-line dating site; cliche, I know. I chose a dress that I thought would make me feel more at ease and we settled on a small dinner club in the area. We met at the restaurant and ordered drinks. I had a cosmo, he went for a beer. The drink made me feel a little more at ease and we got to talking about our past. It turns out that we had a lot more in common than I would have guessed. His sister even worked at the same company as my brother! We finished off the dinner with a shared creme brulee, but weren't ready for the night to end. We decided to head out to a local bar to continue getting to know each other. That was our last stop for the first date - but I definitely sense a second one coming up soon." +I've been working 50 hour weeks for as long as I could remember. I needed the week off. I was perfectly happy to sit on my couch all week and rest. Then my friend called me and told me to pack my bags. We went to his uncle's house on the beach. I'm normally weary of beach trips. I love the beach but hate crowds. Luckily this wasn't a tourist beach. His uncle's house was right on the shore. No long lines. I spent the three days up to the fourth on the beach. I burned but it was worth it. I read books. I drank beer. I didn't think about work. Then on the fourth we had our own fireworks show. At the end of the vacation I was sad it was over but my energy was back. +"Dear diary, I finally got the break I had been needing. Work was so crazy hectic over the last few months. I felt like I was going to lose it. With the Fourth of July holiday approaching, I was really happy to finally have a day where I could be lazy and just do nothing. First I thought I'd lie on the couch all day and maybe binge the new seasons of Stranger Things. I could eat a bunch of junk and just chill out. I ended up going to the beach instead. I was fully expecting crowds which honestly made me not want to go at first but I ended up having a good time. There was a few families there but it wasn't crowded in the least! The people there were super nice and they even invited me to eat with them. One guy was grilling all sorts of stuff on a huge grill and the family had a nice tent set up. It was hot so I really appreciated the shade. Even though it was a fun-filled day, it still was pretty relaxing at the same time. I didn't have any worries and was with just all around great people. I ended up exchanging info with a few of the women there. We're hoping to hang out some time in the next few weeks." +"We are still talking about how great our trip to Disney World was. Not only was my husband having to use an electric wheelchair, but Orlando was under a heat advisory. It was the hottest day of the year and Disney's busiest day of the year! What really impressed me was how much fun we had an how little waiting we had to do despite the adverse conditions. We got to Disney World as soon as it opened, determined to make the best of our time there. We at breakfast in our AirBnb and headed out. Because of my husband's injury, we got to park in handicapped parking. This was definitely a silver lining of his having to use a wheelchair! We were in covered parking and didn't have to walk far at all. We got into the park and started with our pre-scheduled fast passes. Everything went so smoothly and the waits were so short. The highlight of our trip was my daughter getting to meet all the princesses. I was worried about this, and figured we wouldn't be meeting any characters. Everything I had heard was that you had to wait in line for hours and it didn't seem worth it to me. But you can use a fast pass for character meetings! So we did that, and it was amazing. My daughter loves meeting characters. We got to take great pictures of our own and she had a blast. Another big surprise for me was how amazing the food was. We had nachos for lunch and hamburgers for dinner, and they were so delicious! I've eaten a lot of theme park food at various Six Flags and even at Universal the day before. Wow! Disney really delivered on the menu items. It was Independence Day, so our day ended with fireworks. It wasn't always easy navigating with the wheelchair and putting up with the heat, but it was definitely worth it." +"We are still talking about how great our trip to Disney World was. Not only was my husband having to use an electric wheelchair, but Orlando was under a heat advisory. It was the hottest day of the year and Disney's busiest day of the year! What really impressed me was how much fun we had an how little waiting we had to do despite the adverse conditions. We got to Disney World as soon as it opened, determined to make the best of our time there. We at breakfast in our AirBnb and headed out. Because of my husband's injury, we got to park in handicapped parking. This was definitely a silver lining of his having to use a wheelchair! We were in covered parking and didn't have to walk far at all. We got into the park and started with our pre-scheduled fast passes. Everything went so smoothly and the waits were so short. The highlight of our trip was my daughter getting to meet all the princesses. I was worried about this, and figured we wouldn't be meeting any characters. Everything I had heard was that you had to wait in line for hours and it didn't seem worth it to me. But you can use a fast pass for character meetings! So we did that, and it was amazing. My daughter loves meeting characters. We got to take great pictures of our own and she had a blast. Another big surprise for me was how amazing the food was. We had nachos for lunch and hamburgers for dinner, and they were so delicious! I've eaten a lot of theme park food at various Six Flags and even at Universal the day before. Wow! Disney really delivered on the menu items. It was Independence Day, so our day ended with fireworks. It wasn't always easy navigating with the wheelchair and putting up with the heat, but it was definitely worth it." +"I've been dating my boyfriend for about three years. I'm not pregnant. Our baby has a genetic condition. About four months ago, we went out on a nice date. We ate and talked in the fabulous restaurant. At the end, I got the surprise of my life. The desert was brought out to us. On my plate was written ""Will you marry me?"" in chocolate! Oh my goodness, I was so surprised. This was so unexpected. Tears welled up in my eyes as I gleamed yes to him. Everyone in the restaurant was watching with anticipation and begin clapping and chearing. We hugged and kissed to a round of applause from the staff and other customers. We are beginning our new lives together. We are planning to be married just before the baby is due." +"Two months ago, I was homeless. I was going to university while I was homeless. I went to the library to read a book. It had fables of Ancient Persia passed down orally through the generations. These stories were very unique and rich. There was a tell about a boy. He played with his dog everyday. He threw a ball down the road one day. A cart was going to hit the dog but it missed. This taught me to look around for my surroundings. I was sorry for the dog. He was scared in the story. I'm glad that he didn't die. This tell should be taught to everybody at a young age. It teaches them to be careful and thankful about their mortal life." +"Last year, My Fiance and I decided we wanted a baby. About five months ago she ran into the room and showed me her pregnancy test with excitement. This was a very emotional moment because we had been trying for five months. The whole process has been life-changing. I feel like I've grown so much as a person because of this. Her sister isn't able to have babies so we weren't sure if it was hereditary at first. So Immediately when we found out, we were both really happy. We had bounced names off of each other all week for a boy or a girl. I think at the time we decided either Luca or Atlas if it was a boy. If it was a girl we were both set on rory, since we used to binge gilmore girls. A few months later and we finally were at the doctor. This was going to be the big gender reveal. Our child was being stubborn in his mom and wouldn't turn over but eventually we discovered what we were going to have. We're having a boy. Words can describe how excited i am for him to arrive." +"We started feeling distance and disconnected 3 weeks prior to our relationship. We fought alot and bickered at each other for no reason. It was stressful. We decided to take a break for a week and it ended up being a full break up. We both moved on and this was 6 months ago. Now we have been talking again and realized it ended pretty poorly, we always got along. Shes a nice girl. We have decided to hang out for the day as friends only because we enjoy each other's company this weekend. We really helped each other out in our time of need when we were dating and its unfortunate how it ended so ugly. We are going to try to end it better but not plan the future and just go with the full little by little, day by day. I am excited to see her again. Like i said we have both been really busy with work and school which lead to us breaking apart in the first place. I think we both need to take a step back and slow down. Afterall we connect really well as human beings and yes are still attracted to each other but both dont have the time for each other sexually. I hope Things go well. Im hoping beyond hangout." +"October 9, 2019: Today Dave and I went to the Philadelphia Zoo. I haven't been to a zoo in years and it honestly was not my first choice of places to go. But it was our niece Skylars birthday so we pretty much had no choice. I have to say the zoo is nothing like I remembered it to be. It has changed so much from when I was there as a kid dozens of years ago. First of all the layout is so cool. There are different rooms and exhibits to visit all over the place. The monkey and reptile rooms were interesting but my favorite animals were the cheetahs. When you see them on TV you don't realize how big they are in person. I was surprised at how enormous their paws are! They were so friendly and personable they reminded me of my cats at home. I know the cheetahs could rip you to shreds in a second but it was cool to get so close but still be safe - ha ha. Watching them play reminded me of giant kittens. The zoo visit turned out better than I thought it would. And I may have to go back to check on the cheetahs. I hope they add more to this exhibit in the future." +"It was my daughters 14th birthday party and i wanted it to be one that she would remember since this year was a roller-coaster of a year. I spent an entire week cleaning the backyard and building an area where her and her friends could relax . The theme was a movie night along with sleeping outside. I had build an L-shaped couch with air mattresses for them to sit. A table full of snacks, candies, and soda where all set. The tent was up , with even a fridge added inside. We allowed the girls to purchase two movies to watch , whatever they wanted. This was of course after the pizza , cake and presents were done. Then they headed outside. I can recall just hearing them laugh and being typical teenage girls. I wont ever forget that night since i was exhausted from preparing everything . But especially since the girls never went to bed! My bedroom was right near the tent so i heard them all night. I specifically recall them at 6 am saying there was donuts inside. As they ran to the front door i jumped out of bed and ran as well . Since a stampede of teenage girls were about to raid my kitchen. Overall , the girls ate there donuts and one by one went home. It was a success and i made it throught the whole ordeal . But its definitely one i will remember. the giggling of teenage girls all night and the hard work i put forth in doing it was all worth it in the end." +"July 5th, it was my daughter birthday . I worked continually to give her the best 14th birthday a mom could give her daughter with little money to do. It took me about a week to construct everything that was needed , built an outside couch with scrap wood and a movie screen , so the projector collecting dust could finally have purpose. Nonetheless , after working tirelessly to construct everything it all came together with some hard work. The L shaped couch was built , with two air mattresses , solar lights where put up so they could see, projector was set up , tent was put up so she could have a sleep over in the same area. Nonetheless , the say had finally arrived when all my hardwood would pay off. My daughter turned the corner to see all i had done for her , and she immediately began to cry! Tears of joy of course, but she couldn't believe what i had don and how much it looked so wonderful. Later that day her friends arrived and were also astonished. I had popcorn , full size candy bars, pizza, and cooler full of sodas. They had a blast, and i could hear her friends saying how cool i was and couldn't believe your mom did this. It made me feel wonderful that all my hard-work paid off. But the best part was that my daughter will never forget her 14th birthday. Ever child should have memorable moments like this during there childhood and im just so happy i was able to pull it off. I dont think i will ever forget myself , since it took so much work to put together. But in the end the tears rolling down my daughter face and enjoyment she had with her friends will last lifetime for both her and I." +"Four months ago this past weekend, I went to my sister Jane's wedding. She and her fiancee (now husband) were married on a small hobby farm about 45 minutes away. They wanted to get married in a field, which is what they got: a small meadow in a grove of old-growth oaks. The weather was unseasonably cool, and basically perfect: blue sky with fluffy white clouds, only about 80 degrees, and not a drop of rain. I finally know what they mean when they say a bride looks radiant: I've never seen Jane looking so happy! The ceremony was conducted by Uncle Tad. He made some moving remarks. Afterwards, we took tractors and trams across the highway to a little ""lodge"" and retreat center. I saw so many of our friends and family and it was great to reminisce and play ""catch up"" with them. I gave a toast that I worked on for weeks, and Jane cried a little. Dinner was excellent and we danced the night away! I also made a lot of new friends, including a college friend of my sister's. She and I really hit it off! I got her phone number and we have been texting almost every day! All in all the day was beautiful and wonderful--just like Jane. It was a perfect day, just like she deserved." +"My patch in came totally by surprise. My chapter was called to an out of town meeting one weekend. When we got there I was immediately put to work. I was sweeping the club house and fetching drinks as the members held their meeting in the other room. At one point my fellow prospects and myself were sent outside. While outside we did some work on the fence and otherwise just hung out and talked. I got to know a couple of the prospects from that chapter as well and we got along great. Then at one point myself and another prospect were called in front of the members. We were grilled with questions like asking how many days we had and what we learned in that time. At one point another member came up behind me and pulled my prospect cut off me. I struggled a bit but he eventually got it off me and asked if I wanted it back. If I did I would have to go through him. My heart was racing and I was about to do it too, but then I heard the snap of a can opening. As I turned around I saw several brothers walking up to me with open cans and proceeded to dump them on my and my other brothers head. The feeling was cold but still felt so good knowing what it meant. I felt a great sense of accomplishment and pride knowing my hard work has paid off. I was then handed a set of patches to put on my cut and I went to work. We had a few beers and then had to get back on the road. I reeked of beer the whole way home but it was worth it." +"It still comes to my mind all these months later. Six months ago, I was patched into the Crazy Demons motorcycle club. I had NO idea it was going to happen. I had been hanging out with Jimmy for a while now and the boys definitely seemed like they had begun to like having me around, but still it didn't seem like they fully let alone into the club anymore. It was just the old members and associates like me who would were cool to hang out sometimes but not to go riding with or to wear the jackets. I still never expected it to happen the way it did. They made me feel like a real brother. The leader Joe had never seemed to fully warm up to me but he did seem like he was a bit gruff with everyone so I hadn't taken it to heart. But imagine my surprise when he clapped me on the back and said ""welcome, brother."" That was incredible to have earned his trust. I hope I am worthy of it. That night was amazing though. I tried not to get emotional or anything because that wouldn't have been cool around those guys. Thankfully it was easy to get distracted with the amazing music that was playing and all the alcohol we were drinking. Man, I barely remember a lot of that night, it was such a great time. So many laughs and great stories, I know that." +"it was about six months ago when my youngest sister started getting sick. suddenly at first it started off as a cold and we took her to hospital but after being checked by the doctors she was diagnosed with malaria. so the doctors prescribed some medicines for us we went to the chemist and bought the medicines and then headed home. after a few days she started recovering. we were very happy and we resumed to living our lives just like before because now she was able to do some chores by herself and she later on started going back to school because she felt better again. After a few weeks i remember it was an evening we had taken our supper and we were all seated at the sitting room me, my younger sister,my dad and my mum watching some news on the television. suddenly my younger sister started complaining that she was feeling very cold my dad suggested that she should go and wear another sweater or bring a blanket and cover herself,she did just that and came back later on she started sweating. we were all very scared because she couldn't talk at all. my dad asked me to go and call the ambulance. as i went i found my mother crying not knowing what to do next. i called the ambulance and after some few minutes the ambulance came and she was rushed to the hospital. we were not allowed all of us to board the ambulance so we followed from behind with our vehicle. When we reached the hospital she had been rushed to the emergency room. we were all worried because we had never seen her in such a situation. we waited for almost 45 minutes without hearing a word from the doctors. After some few more years the doctor came out and told us that our sister was in a very delicate state and she had just died. just hearing that my mum fainted and i don't remember what happened next because when i woke up i was lying on the hospital bed. i started crying because i just watched her die without helping her out.. it was a very disturbing moment for me and my family until now we are still mourning" +"it was two months ago and my younger sister who was in high school fell ill and we had to rush her to the nearest hospital because she was in a very critical condition. Both my parents and siblings were so worried because she had been suffering with her illness for a while now. she looked so tired and she was complaining of having so much pain on reaching at the hospital the doctors told us that she was in a critical condition and she had to be rushed to the emergency room. We waited for the doctor for almost 30 minutes without hearing nothing from the doctors,everybody was getting very anxious because we didn't know what was happening to our little girl. My mother was walking all over talking to all the nurses trying to find out what was going on with her doctor. After an hour the doctor that was taking care of my sister came out and his face looked a bit worried just looking at him my mother started crying because she thought something bad had happened to her little girl. The doctor came over and told us that he was very sorry because she was dead. i felt like the world was coming to an end all i could see is darkness all over the room i don't remember what happened next i only woke up to find myself in a hospital bed that's when i remembered that my little sister was no more. i immediately started screaming and asked my mother why did this have to happen to her when she was only eight years old my mother couldn't say anything she was just seated besides me weeping uncontrollably. she was my best friend my confident someone i could turn to whenever i had a problem now she was no more. my dad came into the room and told me to take heart because everything happened for a reason and i should thank God because she had been suffering for a while now with the sickness. i got out of bed and demanded to be taken to my sister so that i could see her body. she was lying there so innocent it was very painful watching her sleeping so lifeless. It was like the world was coming to an end. loosing her was very painful and i always think of her. i loved her so much until now i miss her so much" +"I was in a pretty standard meeting with my boss near my birthday. It was a boring meeting until he told me that he wanted to talk to another co-worker of mine. He said I should go into a conference room and get him because he was meeting with someone else. I had never done that so I was a little worried about busting into another meeting but I trusted what my boss told me. As I rounded the corner to the conference room - I could hear voices but I didn't think anything of it. I went into the room and everyone shouted ""Surprise!"" I was so shocked! They had organized the whole thing. The main organizer was a co-worker who had just started working there! They had presents for me and a donut shaped cake. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to me. It was really awesome and touching. I couldn't believe that they put so much effort into organizing such a nice gesture for me. They gave me some donut socks and a pair of donut covered pj pants that I love. They really know me and what I like! I think everyone enjoyed just getting a break and not having to work. We always laugh and joke with each other when we get a chance like that. Plus the cake was delicious!" +"My co-workers threw me a surprise Birthday party the other day. It was a complete surprise to me. It really made me emotional because I didn't expect anything for my birthday. My boss called me into his office and mentioned that he wanted one of our other co-workers to be in attendance. He asked me to go get him out of another meeting he was in. When I went to the conference room to find him, all of my co-workers yelled ""Surprise!"" and totally shocked me! I started to tear up because it was such a sweet gesture. The person who organized the whole thing was a new co-worker who didn't even know me very well. They had a cake and even some donut related presents. I love donuts so this made me very happy. We all stood around and ate the very delicious, donut-shaped cake. One of my other co-workers had made it especially for me. I felt so well-loved that day. Even thinking about it now makes me smile. I tell people about it all the time and my co-worker who organized it is now one of my good friends!" +"My parents were having a get together in the house last week. This weird lady came and asked if she could see my record collection in my room, I just assumed she was part of the party downstairs and I showed her my records and I let her listen to them. After a while she left my room. I then discovered this woman was not part of the party. It turns out that this woman was a random addict that just saw a party going on and had just walked into the house. I still have no idea how she knew I had a record collection in my room. the whole thing was just messed up and weird. We called the police who stated she was breaking into multiple houses. She actually stabbed one of my neighbors while he was in the shower. Thankfully, my neighbor is recovering. I do not understand how she made it to my house after she attacked so many people before us. Did anyone call? Where were the police? I just do not understand! It was one of the most after-scary things that’s ever happened to me." +"It was my mom's birthday, and we decided to have a gathering involving many of her closest friends and family. They all arrived, and the party had started, with food on the tables, and music being played throughout the house. The night was going swell, as my mother had received her gifts, and we were just hanging out, talking before we headed back to the kitchen for the cake. The party came to a sudden halt, however, when I discovered a surprise. I had decided to take a minute away from the party, and retreated to my room to browse on my phone. I was looking through Twitter, seeing what people were saying when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. I had briefly looked up, and saw something that at the time, didn't mean much to me. A woman had walked into my room, a dead look in her eyes as she started at me, before turning around and walking out. I had assumed it was somebody looking for the bathroom, but they didn't ask for instructions, instead me assuming they were just shocked at walking into a bedroom. I brushed it off, and continued with what I was doing, until I heard a shriek come from the living room. ""Who are you!?"" I heard my mother shout. I got up and ran to the front room, to see what was going on. I arrived just in time to see some of the guests escorting the mystery woman out of the house. It turned out that this wasn't somebody invited to the party at all, instead being some random drug addict. The people who walked the woman out told us that as she was leaving she said that she ""saw a party, and wanted to have fun too."" Thankfully, she understood the hint, and didn't come back that night, but it's still something that I'll never forget." +"My twelve year old son just told me he is transgender. I am trying my best to deal with it in a positive way without letting my feeling affect my reaction. it's harder than I thought it would be, but as his mother it is my job to be there no matter what the situation or circumstances are. It is very hard to hear that situations. Then I handle them in good manner. Then he over emotion because of her changes. so i mange him and how to behave in that situations. Then i told him about the changes and look. After that I thought him to behave like this and not like casual. He feel the changes in organ changes. Then he feel about her changes. I convince him and do whatever you want. Then he feel very relax and doing good. He survive his life like all. Then both feel good and healthy." +"Two weeks ago I hosted a birthday for Khloe. I had planned this event so that I felt that everything should go well. I thought the day would be easy and successful. I got up early to pick up the final things for the party. I needed to pick up some helium filled balloons. I could not do this ahead of time since the helium would leak out. Next I went to pick up the cake. I wanted it to be as fresh as possible. Having done these last two chores, I returned home. When I unpacked my car, I realized that I had lost my wallet. Oh well, I will call these business concerns later and see if I can locate it. Everyone arrived and things seemed to be going well when out of nowhere Autumn puked. What a mess! I had to clean this up as quickly as possible and make the best of a messy situation. At least the cake was okay. Boy was I glad when this day was over. Everyone seemed to have a good time and now on to find my wallet. I made a few calls and was beginning to panic when some wonderful person knocked at my door and returned my wallet. What a day!" +"Two weeks ago I hosted a birthday for Khloe. I had planned this event so that I felt that everything should go well. I thought the day would be easy and successful. I got up early to pick up the final things for the party. I needed to pick up some helium filled balloons. I could not do this ahead of time since the helium would leak out. Next I went to pick up the cake. I wanted it to be as fresh as possible. Having done these last two chores, I returned home. When I unpacked my car, I realized that I had lost my wallet. Oh well, I will call these business concerns later and see if I can locate it. Everyone arrived and things seemed to be going well when out of nowhere Autumn puked. What a mess! I had to clean this up as quickly as possible and make the best of a messy situation. At least the cake was okay. Boy was I glad when this day was over. Everyone seemed to have a good time and now on to find my wallet. I made a few calls and was beginning to panic when some wonderful person knocked at my door and returned my wallet. What a day!" +"Three months ago, my dog did something amazing. It was super hot that day and he was afraid of the hot road when it was very hot. He saw another dog on the other side of the street. He braved up enough to cross the street. He tried a few times but eventually crossed the road. He had fun with the other dog. The other dog went home. My dog was still on the other side. He was too scared to cross back. I had to carry him back over. I petted the dog after this ordeal. I gave him some water. I gave him some dog food. He was happy because of this. I hope that he will have a long and happy life as long as we both live." +"Three months ago, my dog did something amazing. It was super hot that day and he was afraid of the hot road when it was very hot. He saw another dog on the other side of the street. He braved up enough to cross the street. He tried a few times but eventually crossed the road. He had fun with the other dog. The other dog went home. My dog was still on the other side. He was too scared to cross back. I had to carry him back over. I petted the dog after this ordeal. I gave him some water. I gave him some dog food. He was happy because of this. I hope that he will have a long and happy life as long as we both live." +"In May of this year I graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in information technology. I was able to do quite well in school and graduated with a good GPA. This was especially memorable to me because I'm not a traditional student. And I'm in my 30s and never thought I would have a degree. I tried college earlier in life and didn't do so well and figured I wouldn't go back but I'm really glad I did. It feels good knowing that I accomplished this goal and I'm proud that I did it. It certainly wasn't easy and there were a lot of missteps but now that it's over I can look back and know that I saw it through. It was also memorable because I haven't really accomplished much in my life and didn't think I could do this or do well in school, so it's been a big morale boost for myself and my confidence. I was supported by my girlfriend through most of the process and am thankful she helped so much. I certainly learned a lot of new things and am eager to apply them to my life. It was also a unique experience in the classroom and I met a lot of new people. I remember the excitement when I received my degree in the mail. I opened it in front of my girlfriend and she told me how proud of me she was. It was so nice to be able to share that memory with her. I certainly would have done some things different, but I don't regret any of it looking back." +"My younger brother and his wife had a baby about a week ago. I have never cared for, wanted or even liked children. I have never held a baby - I have never wanted to. They seem irritating and look like big nasty grubs. My wife and I have never wanted kids, we could not afford them, we both struggle with depression, and barely have enough time to make it through the day on our own. Also just having a forty-hour a week job prevents me from getting enough sleep as I should. I could not imagine functioning without sleep and caring for a child. So I was ambivalent about my brother have a kid and being an uncle. The day after he was born I went to the hospital to visit them out of politeness. His wife, my sister-in-law was asleep fro medication - she had to have a c-section, my mom and her mom were there. When I came in my mom was holding the baby, and she asked if I wanted to hold him. I figured I should. I sat down and they gently gave him to me. He seemed so light and he was sleepy. It was awkward holding him at first, my mom took a photo of me literally ten seconds after passes the child to me. A change came over me, I held this little child and I realized I care for him. I want to be a good uncle and want to see him succeed and I can't wait to buy him gifts. I think this is because the kid is a blood relative - he has my blood in him. People say that when I tell them I don't like kids - most say ""You'll like your own"". It's true, I can about my nephew. I could sleep that night when I heard he had to go to intensive care. Every thing was okay - just a normal test. So I went from almost despising children to loving one, and I think it's only because I can feel that he is a blood relative." +"I had been searching for several months for a horse that would make a great next horse for me and my daughter. I had in mind exactly what I wanted and I knew it would be very challenging to find one that met those expectations. I saw an add for this one and immediately contacted the owner about him. However, he did not fit perfectly what I had in mind. I decided to sit on it a week and think about it. I could not get him out of my mind and kept looking at his pictures over and over. I decided to make the 3 hour drive to check him out and as soon as I saw him I knew he was the one. I rode him and he was ok, but once again didn't fit exactly what I wanted. I knew in my heart though that he was perfect so I decided to give him a try and purchase him on the agreement that if he didn't work out right he could go back to the original owner. He worked out perfect and there was no looking back. He is my dream and we work wonderful together. My daughter changed his name to Butter from Tucker and it fits him perfectly. He gets along with my other horses wonderfully, in fact one of them escaped to get in the pasture with him when I first brought him home. They are all best friends now and share their food wonderfully. He is very sweet and loving. He always wants to give hugs and nuzzles. He will talk to you anytime he sees you." +"Today I bought a new horse that I think is going to be my heart horse. He is beautiful with this long blonde mane and tail and a gorgeous yellow body. He seriously looks like he is right out of a fairy tale. He is the absolute sweetest boy ever. I think he would spend hours just letting you brush on him and give him attention. He loves to have his ears scratched and makes the most adorable face when you do. I have been looking for a horse just like him for months. I went out on a limb to purchase him because he was not exactly what I was looking for, but from the minute I saw him I knew it was love. He has only had one other owner his whole life so I know his background and training. He has no hidden ghosts in his closet, unlike Bourbon. His name was Tucker but he is being renamed to Butter because he really does look like a stick of butter. My daughter loves him and thinks that he is just the best thing ever. She has now renamed several of her toy horses after him. I am ecstatic that I found him and that he is going to work out perfect for us. Now he just has to stay in his pasture and not escape!" +"In the fall, my husband and I drove our two children to college. The drive takes about 8 hours. When they jokingly asked if we were there yet, I would joke back that if they had picked a college closer to home, we would be. My daughter kept teasing me that I would cry when we left them at their dorms. Both kids agreed they would be very embarrassed if I cried or made a fuss. Moving them into the dorms was a very long day. Their dorm does not have an elevator. No elevator! Not a single one! And of course, my kids are on one of the top floors. We carried mini-fridges, tvs, microwaves, so much stuff up all those stairs. The kids have two of everything because they do not room together. It was a pretty hot day, but it could've been worse so that was good. And at least it wasn't raining. After we move everything in, we helped them get all their stuff put away. My husband fussed that I should leave them alone to put away their clothes and make beds, alone, etc. But I wanted to get them off to a good year and plus, they won't be around all year for me pick up after. Finally at the end of the day, we took and got ready to leave. I did good and held back most of my tears, even though I was a bit choked up. When we got in the car and waved goodbye, I did cry, but I didn't do it in front of the kids or friends, so all was well." +"Last month my husband and I took my two oldest children to college. I was determined to be the great mom that helped them move in and didn't cry or annoy them. However, that is not as easy as it seemed in my head. We had a hard time fitting everything in the car. After all, two college bound kids means two of everything. But after trying a few times, we got the important stuff in the car. The rest of it were items that we could pick up in the town where the kids' college was. So a few laundry baskets microwaves were left behind for me to return to the store later. The next morning, we all got in the car. The drive was longer than I thought it would be. We missed a turned and got mixed up. Then there was a detour and that messed us up. But we finally arrived, although late. Good thing we drove up a day early. So the next day dawned and we headed to the school to unload. It was hot and humid. The kids' dorm didn't have an elevator! But they were living on the fourth floor. All that lugging of fridges, clothes, books, tvs up those stairs made us hot, tired, and bit cranky. When the time came to say goodbye I did end up crying." +"Three weeks ago, something pretty devastating happened. I was sitting on the couch with my husband, and I got a phone call about our previous foster children, Mark and Sarah. Their mother was arrested for breaking and entering. When I heard this news, my heart dropped. All we ever wanted was the best for them. I truly thought they were in good hands! Their mother really seemed to be going on the right track... I thought there was no way she would go back to her previous lifestyle. Then I thought, ""will I have to go back to MY previous lifestyle now?"" These children need to be taken care of, and it's clear that their mother can't do that anymore. But my husband and I weren't prepared for that task. It had been three years since we took care of those kids. We are used to our lives. Things are quiet. We have more freedom and flexibility. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a pain to take care of those kids. Of course, we loved them like they were our own, but they were quite the handful. The most shocking part of the situation, however, was my husband's response. He was supportive (for once). He said he wouldn't mind if I took on less hours at work if I wanted to take the kids back. I knew I married him for a reason. We may not agree on everything, but the man has a big heart. We haven't heard any more news about those poor kids or their mother. For now, our life will remain quiet and comfortable. But it's nice to know that my husband is supportive of welcoming Mark and Sarah back." +"This is the day that made me feel a connection to other animals like I've never had before. I never thought I'd experience the closest thing to spirituality when I agreed to go to the zoo. While I've always enjoyed going I never had such a wonderful opportunity like this. My mom, brother and I were all there, and I think we all shared this wonder. We all had our hand full of leaves purchased at the kiosk. I assumed I'd drop mine in fear. Giraffes are much bigger up close. Much, much bigger than horses. I was nervous on approach but the one giraffe that came to me looked into my eyes before she bent her head, and by that time I was so mesmerized I let her take the leaves. She knew I had more in the other hand so she waited patiently while I gave her the rest, and my reward was to be allowed to brush through her hair with my fingers. I even touched a velvety horn. What surprised me was it's tongue. The giraffe's tongue touched my hand once, but I didn't mind. It wasn't too wet. It was a bit like a dog's but also very long and snakelike. And then I did it over and over. I kept running back to the kiosk for more leaves. My mom and brother were ready to move on, but I didn't want to go. I feel like this day changed me and made me want to study animals more. I work with dogs all day, 40-60 medium to large sized dogs, but I'm really thinking I'd like to study bigger animals." +"This is the day that made me feel a connection to other animals like I've never had before. I never thought I'd experience the closest thing to spirituality when I agreed to go to the zoo. While I've always enjoyed going I never had such a wonderful opportunity like this. My mom, brother and I were all there, and I think we all shared this wonder. We all had our hand full of leaves purchased at the kiosk. I assumed I'd drop mine in fear. Giraffes are much bigger up close. Much, much bigger than horses. I was nervous on approach but the one giraffe that came to me looked into my eyes before she bent her head, and by that time I was so mesmerized I let her take the leaves. She knew I had more in the other hand so she waited patiently while I gave her the rest, and my reward was to be allowed to brush through her hair with my fingers. I even touched a velvety horn. What surprised me was it's tongue. The giraffe's tongue touched my hand once, but I didn't mind. It wasn't too wet. It was a bit like a dog's but also very long and snakelike. And then I did it over and over. I kept running back to the kiosk for more leaves. My mom and brother were ready to move on, but I didn't want to go. I feel like this day changed me and made me want to study animals more. I work with dogs all day, 40-60 medium to large sized dogs, but I'm really thinking I'd like to study bigger animals." +"When I had my worst period in my 22 years of age, it was the year that I did not leave the house for more than 8 months. A routine of getting up to watch the roof eat and go back to bed, my self-esteem and consciousness were fragile at that time. With that situation for a person so active in social or sports activities, it was a very strong blow to my lifestyle. My mother at that time offered to serve me in the church, I was not very comfortable with the idea but I had no argument to deny her so I decided to give it a try and enter the production area to learn to put together event lights. From there I began to meet great people who have been every blessing in my life. From that moment on every Sunday I attended to learn faster in my service area, I talked with everyone in the church to meet them in addition to spending my free time simply enjoying the free coffee service. All the activities that the church was attending without hesitation since it wanted to see in its entirety as the community towards its goals and objectives with these activities. as once we went to a hospital after a sharing among all church servers to give our patients time to chronic diseases. Seeing their reactions and their stories was pleasant and makes a difference in your way of thinking towards the world and towards yourself. In addition, the church moved to a new terrain towards which I have been able to witness its growth from 0 to date. which gives me a very strong sense of belonging to the community. In addition to building stronger ties with people and living unique experiences with them while we build a place for those who seek help and peace. To date I am really happy and comfortable and able to solve the problems that life presents. There is still much to solve but I no longer feel anxiety if I don't get excited to see the result of my future actions. No more to add until the next story in the newspaper." +"We went on a float trip with my dad and my kids grandpa. We had a really good time. There were 7 of us all together. The ride to the drop off point was a lot of fun and many people on the bus were enjoying my dad's sense of humor. Everyone was calling him grandpa. People were saying that they wanted to float along with us on the float trip. Some parts of the float were a little hard when the water was moving swiftly and we got caught up in downed trees, but for the most part, we had a great time. As we floated down the river, people from the bus would yell out ""Grandpa!!"" and my dad would wave to them and say something funny. It was really a nice day and all of my kids had a lot of fun. My dad has been showing signs of Alzheimer's lately. The disease runs in his family with most of his aunts, uncles, and his mom all having it. I've always figured that one day he would be dealing with it too, but always hoped that it wouldn't attack him also. He does have a hard time remembering things or following conversations sometimes, but on the float trip, he really seemed pretty good. He was having a lot of fun and was also really good at steering the canoe and telling the person in front how to help. On the way home from the float trip we were talking about how much fun we had and discussing some of the funny stories from the trip. When we were talking about it, my dad didn't even know that he had gone on a float trip that day. He was very much in shock when we were telling him what had happened. He couldn't believe it. It was really sad and it especially hit my kids really hard because they really didn't know how ugly Alzheimer's can be." +"We went on a float trip with my dad and my kids grandpa. We had a really good time. There were 7 of us all together. The ride to the drop off point was a lot of fun and many people on the bus were enjoying my dad's sense of humor. Everyone was calling him grandpa. People were saying that they wanted to float along with us on the float trip. Some parts of the float were a little hard when the water was moving swiftly and we got caught up in downed trees, but for the most part, we had a great time. As we floated down the river, people from the bus would yell out ""Grandpa!!"" and my dad would wave to them and say something funny. It was really a nice day and all of my kids had a lot of fun. My dad has been showing signs of Alzheimer's lately. The disease runs in his family with most of his aunts, uncles, and his mom all having it. I've always figured that one day he would be dealing with it too, but always hoped that it wouldn't attack him also. He does have a hard time remembering things or following conversations sometimes, but on the float trip, he really seemed pretty good. He was having a lot of fun and was also really good at steering the canoe and telling the person in front how to help. On the way home from the float trip we were talking about how much fun we had and discussing some of the funny stories from the trip. When we were talking about it, my dad didn't even know that he had gone on a float trip that day. He was very much in shock when we were telling him what had happened. He couldn't believe it. It was really sad and it especially hit my kids really hard because they really didn't know how ugly Alzheimer's can be." +"This sucks so bad. I can't even start to describe how I regret going on that hike the other day. It was all good and fun until I slipped on that tree root and fell and broke my ankle. I should so have stayed home that day. But the weather was so beautiful and I just wanted to take advantage of it and be surrounded by nature. And it was amazing before this whole crap happened. The woods were lovely, fragrant and green and all alive with cute critters, birds etc. I saw a few chipmunks and tons of birds, some of them very colorful. And I did feel so close to what was happening in the present. It was like all my worries were gone and I was just being there. And the waterfalls... So pure and gorgeous and sweet. But oh my God the pain and the shock of falling and twisting my ankle so badly. And hearing it break. Oh God, I have shivers just thinking of it. And not good shivers. This so sucks... Now I'm going to be with crutches for at least a month, probably more like a month and a half. And then PT, and so much work. Things happen so fast sometimes." +"This sucks so bad. I can't even start to describe how I regret going on that hike the other day. It was all good and fun until I slipped on that tree root and fell and broke my ankle. I should so have stayed home that day. But the weather was so beautiful and I just wanted to take advantage of it and be surrounded by nature. And it was amazing before this whole crap happened. The woods were lovely, fragrant and green and all alive with cute critters, birds etc. I saw a few chipmunks and tons of birds, some of them very colorful. And I did feel so close to what was happening in the present. It was like all my worries were gone and I was just being there. And the waterfalls... So pure and gorgeous and sweet. But oh my God the pain and the shock of falling and twisting my ankle so badly. And hearing it break. Oh God, I have shivers just thinking of it. And not good shivers. This so sucks... Now I'm going to be with crutches for at least a month, probably more like a month and a half. And then PT, and so much work. Things happen so fast sometimes." +Today was really sad. My stepfather passed away. I was out running errands when my mother called me telling me he had been in a accident and that i needed to get to the hospital right away. I stopped what i was doing and made the twenty minute drive there only to find out he passed away about four minutes before i got there. It's hard to believe he passed away. My poor mom is beside herself. We are absolutely stunned by this. They say now that it was a drunk driver. He drove right through a red light ramming my stepfathers car. When he T-Boned my step fathers car he crushed the entire drivers side door in. They had to use the jaws of life to pry the doors open to help him. The detectives say they have a lead on who hit him. They went back to the scene and got footage of the crash. The footage gave them a clear enough view to see the liscense plate. I really hope they catch who did this and get justice for our family. +Today was really sad. My stepfather passed away. I was out running errands when my mother called me telling me he had been in a accident and that i needed to get to the hospital right away. I stopped what i was doing and made the twenty minute drive there only to find out he passed away about four minutes before i got there. It's hard to believe he passed away. My poor mom is beside herself. We are absolutely stunned by this. They say now that it was a drunk driver. He drove right through a red light ramming my stepfathers car. When he T-Boned my step fathers car he crushed the entire drivers side door in. They had to use the jaws of life to pry the doors open to help him. The detectives say they have a lead on who hit him. They went back to the scene and got footage of the crash. The footage gave them a clear enough view to see the liscense plate. I really hope they catch who did this and get justice for our family. +"The story above is about my engagement to my fiance. It was significant to me not only because it was on our three year anniversary but also because I love him and had been wondering if he ever even wanted to get married since he always complained about marriage as an institution in the past. The most memorable moment for me was the long hike we took. My fiance proposed to me early on in the new year (2019) but it was the first warm week of winter. It felt like the sky opened and the sun came out just for us. We were even surrounded by swans!! It couldn't have been more perfect. I remember how joyous and refreshing our long hike felt. I was so shocked that he actually got down on his knee in the mud (because the sun had just melted the snow so the ground was muddy and gross still!) and ruined his jeans to propose. He's a bit obsessive compulsive about messiness and it always annoyed me. This gesture felt extra special and showed that he was making an effort to overcome his obsession with cleanliness. Since then, we have continued to grow as a couple. We have not started planning our wedding yet. We do have a date set though. We want to get married on the first Saturday in June of 2021. I hope we are able to prepare in time!" +"The story above is about my engagement to my fiance. It was significant to me not only because it was on our three year anniversary but also because I love him and had been wondering if he ever even wanted to get married since he always complained about marriage as an institution in the past. The most memorable moment for me was the long hike we took. My fiance proposed to me early on in the new year (2019) but it was the first warm week of winter. It felt like the sky opened and the sun came out just for us. We were even surrounded by swans!! It couldn't have been more perfect. I remember how joyous and refreshing our long hike felt. I was so shocked that he actually got down on his knee in the mud (because the sun had just melted the snow so the ground was muddy and gross still!) and ruined his jeans to propose. He's a bit obsessive compulsive about messiness and it always annoyed me. This gesture felt extra special and showed that he was making an effort to overcome his obsession with cleanliness. Since then, we have continued to grow as a couple. We have not started planning our wedding yet. We do have a date set though. We want to get married on the first Saturday in June of 2021. I hope we are able to prepare in time!" +"My family is sweetest family. i have ever seen compare with other families. we are huge big family. so many members in one house. we do anything with help of others. we done lot of fun. we went to many vacation. jolly trips are so many. we have a lot of small memories. The almost infinite hug that my mom and my sister gave each other. The beautiful smile of my father to see his girl. The joy of knowing that love is not altered even if you spend years without seeing a person. so love is every thing. we have love on every relationship even in parents, friends. not only to lovers. we can share our love to others. show our love to others." +"Last month, I alone went to my in laws house over the weekend to spend some quality time with them. It has been awhile since we have connected and spent time together. Honestly it maybe past three months already since I saw them and life really does fly past by us and we just don't necessarily notice that. Anyways, Paul, my father in law always cooks this mean and delicious lasagna everytime I come over. He does this because he knows it is my favorite food to eat a lot everytime I come over, now Janet, on the other hand, my mother in law, sets up the games we play for the night. The games usually is a combination of board games and mostly mind games, I remember that night it was a little bit of Jenga for a casual warm up game, and the main game for the night was charades. I don't usually drink but I am pretty sure that night I drank around 3 bottle of beers, I didn't feel drunk at all even though I was driving. I was incredibly happy that night because I remember winning a lot of the charades game. I definitely missed them because we don't usually meet up anymore and spend quality time quite often like before. I ate just a little bit of lasagna though even though it was still consistently good. It is a good thing that I didn't ate a lot because I drank more than I ate. When I was about to leave for the night, I really felt happy and enjoyed the night. I won a lot of games and it's been awhile since I drank alcohol. Nights like that always makes me wonder if only people try to spend quality time with the people close to them, it is not that hard. Hopefully I get to spend some more time with my in laws in the coming months, I truly did miss them a lot." +"Me and my fiance are still engaged. We are still very happy. We haven't set a date for the wedding yet. however we are still thinking to get married in the winter. i want to get married in the winter because i live in a cold state, so i will get married some place warm and take a break from the cold midwest weather. we're making payments on our house. we are financially stable. My dog is doing good. she is a little over 2 years old now. We are thinking of breeding her soon. when we breed my dog we are giving one of them to my mom. it will be half maltese, and half poodle. my mom recently lost a dog, so i think this will make her happy. as of now, life is really good. we are happy for what's to come in the future." +"About five months ago one of the best things in my life happened. I was finally able to marry the girl of my dreams, something that for a long time I didn't know was possible. We haven't officially gotten married yet, but being engaged allowed to take things to the next level. We bought a house that was simply beautiful and was pretty similar to what I wanted to have growing up. It was hard to believe that things were falling into place for me. While the house was great and the person I got to spend my life with was greater, something was still missing. We weren't really about kids, but we wanted to care for something. I had wanted a dog for a long time, and she was a dog lover herself. The breed was debated here and there, but we ultimately settled on a Maltese puppy. I believe we made the right decision. The pup has taken well to the household and we think that was what was needed to complete the home. I honestly just look forward to my future unfold before me. Again, hard to believe someone like me could be blessed with something so wonderful. And this was just five months ago. And we're only getting started." +"There are many things I can tell you about my live that have happened in the last 6 months. Where do I start. I am a 43 year old mom of 4 kids, 21, 16, 13, and 6. My husband and I are both veterans. In the past 8-10 years I've become dependent on alcohol. Due to this I have faced many problems at the expense of my family. I am seen by a doctor and do have a job (not sure how I have a job because I miss a lot of work). My kids love me and turn a blind eye because I am a functional alcoholic. I'm starting to feel a bit sad. So here it is, I was pulled over 5 months ago, DUI. Crazy! White, a mom, pretty, has a good job, veteran, all these things. This is something that is my fault completely. I've recently went to court and am so thankful for how things were decided. I did have a lawyer I hired ($3000). I do have a lot of fines and probation. I realize I need help and have been seeing a counselor at the VA since (and before). Sometime we don't realize how depression can affect us even when to other people we seem to have it all..." +"I was driving one night, and I was pulled over by the police. The police had me breathe into a breathalyzer. I was disappointed that I was above the legal limit. I shouldn't have been drinking, but I felt I didn't drink enough to be above the legal limit. As a result, I was detained and put in jail for a night. I was sad, mad, depressed, and disappointed. I now have a DUI on my record for life. After a few hours, I realized how fortunate I was. If I hadn't been caught, this behavior was likely to escalate. If it did escalate, I would have been well above the legal limit in the future. Moreover, I could have killed someone tonight with my irresponsible behavior. Therefore, I am thankful that the outcome was not worse. I was released from jail the following morning, with a new lease on life. However, when I came home, my parents were disappointed in me. Instead of talking to me, they put me down. They told me I was nothing, and that I couldn't drive a car because I would amount to nothing. How disappointing. My optimism toward life has turned into pessimism." +"I was driving one night, and I was pulled over by the police. The police had me breathe into a breathalyzer. I was disappointed that I was above the legal limit. I shouldn't have been drinking, but I felt I didn't drink enough to be above the legal limit. As a result, I was detained and put in jail for a night. I was sad, mad, depressed, and disappointed. I now have a DUI on my record for life. After a few hours, I realized how fortunate I was. If I hadn't been caught, this behavior was likely to escalate. If it did escalate, I would have been well above the legal limit in the future. Moreover, I could have killed someone tonight with my irresponsible behavior. Therefore, I am thankful that the outcome was not worse. I was released from jail the following morning, with a new lease on life. However, when I came home, my parents were disappointed in me. Instead of talking to me, they put me down. They told me I was nothing, and that I couldn't drive a car because I would amount to nothing. How disappointing. My optimism toward life has turned into pessimism." +"In reference to the summary above, I had first wrote about my uncle being diagnosed with terminal cancer, and how my mother kept this a secret from me which resulted in a huge straining of our relationship as mother and son. Since my first writing, not much has changed between my mother and myself. We are definitely not as close as we were before any of this, and there has been no real attempt by either of us to repair our relationship. Again, to reiterate points I made in my first writing, my uncle is very important to me. He played a major role in my upbringing, was a massive influence in my life, and a very positive influence to that matter. Thankfully, I have been able to visit him a few times since the last writing, and have been in contact with him via text messaging quite a bit. Unfortunately, in the last few weeks he has taken a turn for the worse, and is now back in the hospital again after being released for a short period of time. Two days ago we found out that his platelet count has dropped very low after receiving chemo treatment, which he never really wanted to have done in the first place. He says he has made his peace, and whatever happens is whats going to happen, and doesn't think it is worth it to keep racking up such high medical bills when there is no chance the chemo will be able to save his life. I am having a hard time with this, and am finding it very difficult to accept. I know that this how things go when someone is diagnosed with something such as this. But the man is like a father to me, and I'm not really sure where I am at emotionally at the moment. Thankfully I have a good support system in place with my wife, and friends, and they are really helping to keep the negative emotions at bay. At this point, the doctors have no real expectations of how long he'll survive, as every time something positive happens, it seems like something equally as negative happens. But just like I said in my last entry, I am going to keep doing my best to stay positive, and keep hoping for the best. Maybe in the coming weeks my mother, and will begin to repair our relationship, and maybe not. But, things are what they are now, and there are far more important things on my mind than the way she chose to handle this situation." +"In reference to the summary above, I had first wrote about my uncle being diagnosed with terminal cancer, and how my mother kept this a secret from me which resulted in a huge straining of our relationship as mother and son. Since my first writing, not much has changed between my mother and myself. We are definitely not as close as we were before any of this, and there has been no real attempt by either of us to repair our relationship. Again, to reiterate points I made in my first writing, my uncle is very important to me. He played a major role in my upbringing, was a massive influence in my life, and a very positive influence to that matter. Thankfully, I have been able to visit him a few times since the last writing, and have been in contact with him via text messaging quite a bit. Unfortunately, in the last few weeks he has taken a turn for the worse, and is now back in the hospital again after being released for a short period of time. Two days ago we found out that his platelet count has dropped very low after receiving chemo treatment, which he never really wanted to have done in the first place. He says he has made his peace, and whatever happens is whats going to happen, and doesn't think it is worth it to keep racking up such high medical bills when there is no chance the chemo will be able to save his life. I am having a hard time with this, and am finding it very difficult to accept. I know that this how things go when someone is diagnosed with something such as this. But the man is like a father to me, and I'm not really sure where I am at emotionally at the moment. Thankfully I have a good support system in place with my wife, and friends, and they are really helping to keep the negative emotions at bay. At this point, the doctors have no real expectations of how long he'll survive, as every time something positive happens, it seems like something equally as negative happens. But just like I said in my last entry, I am going to keep doing my best to stay positive, and keep hoping for the best. Maybe in the coming weeks my mother, and will begin to repair our relationship, and maybe not. But, things are what they are now, and there are far more important things on my mind than the way she chose to handle this situation." +"We wanted to buy our first home. So, we began looking at houses and condos. There were many properties to look at. We even tried putting offers, to no avail. Someone else already put an offer or some other issue. Finally, we found a condo that we really liked and we put an offer. This time the offer went through! However, there was an issue as we went on with the process and could not get the condo. Right after this happened, we found a small house. We put a (cautious) offer on it. We went through inspections, paperwork, etc. Everything went through this time and we were officially home owners! It was worth all of the searching, rejection, and effort to finally get our home. Now that we own a home there is much to learn and do. This begins a new chapter." +"We wanted to buy our first home. So, we began looking at houses and condos. There were many properties to look at. We even tried putting offers, to no avail. Someone else already put an offer or some other issue. Finally, we found a condo that we really liked and we put an offer. This time the offer went through! However, there was an issue as we went on with the process and could not get the condo. Right after this happened, we found a small house. We put a (cautious) offer on it. We went through inspections, paperwork, etc. Everything went through this time and we were officially home owners! It was worth all of the searching, rejection, and effort to finally get our home. Now that we own a home there is much to learn and do. This begins a new chapter." +"SUNDAY JUNE/23/2019 THE DAY I BECAME A FATHER. I rem this day like it was yesterday. The most memorable day of my life was becoming a father. It was on June 23rd of 2019,I got off from work and decided to surprise my wife. I bought her some flowers and a very beautiful dress because i wanted to take her out for dinner. I was so excited to get home and see my wife after a long day at work. At this point my wife was 9 months pregnant and she was almost delivering but we knew she had like one week left before the baby comes. When i got home i found her sleeping on the couch watching a movie,i told her i had a surprise for her en i asked a to go and freshen up cause i wanted to take her out. After the shower she tried the dress on and it looked perfect on her. As we were busy telling each other how good we looked that evening,she said she felt a sharp pain in her tummy,she ignored it,then came the pain again for the second time,she started screaming asking me to help her. that's when i knew it was time for my prince to come out,she looked so beautiful in that dress,honestly i got a little confused by that situation cause i didn't know what to do first. I remembered the scenes in the movies where a man took the car keys first,that's exactly what i did,i helped her down the stairs and we headed to the hospital. As i was driving my heart and mind were racing,i so nervous,we got to the hospital and the doctors took her to a private ward,the doctor asked me to relax that my wife was gonna be okay,i tried but i couldn't relax at all,i was anxious and nervous at the same time. I had to call my mom and sister to come and be with us at the hospital,my mum was so excited about the news,my heart kept pounding but again i couldn't help the excitement of becoming a father,i was so happy because this was gonna be my first child. After few minutes my mom and sister arrived,then the doctors came out smiling,when i saw the smiles it calm me down and i knew all was well,they told me its a boy and he was normal and healthy,believe me nothing can measure the joy and pride i felt that day,i jumped up and down hugging my mum and sister,i remember i even cried,they were tears of joy. I couldn't wait to hold my little man,my mini me,we were allowed to go in and see my wife and kid,when she saw me she started smiling and she said,""you are a father now,i love you"",i couldn't believe holding a baby that belongs to me for the first time,we had waited for so long before my wife could get pregnant but on 23rd of June 2019 she gave me a son. I will never forget this day even if i get old,this is a very special day to me,the day i became a father. I am so happy to be a father and i thank God for my son." +"I attended my sister's wedding last week. She had prepared for the wedding for a long time and it was finally here. we were all excited. we got to the place where it was taking place in time. we were all happy for her. Finally it started. When time to take the vows came, Her husbands son came vowed to read his. it was sweet. he was asking her if she could be her mother. the boy tears to my sister's eyes and embraced him and said yes. The boy was such a highlight for that day. The wedding went on well. We had a great reception and enjoyed the meal. Finally we wished the new weds a good marriage. we went home feeling happy." +"I never wanted kids. It just never appealed to me. My family and friends might have wanted me to have them but it really wasn't their decision to make. I just didn't see kids in my future. And I was pretty strong on feeling that that wasn't going to change. It's hard for some people to think that I'd be so firm on this, but again, it was my choice. That being said, I did get pregnant not too long ago. It's hard for me to talk about this still but about six weeks ago I had an abortion. I didn't like the idea of going through with it but I was still just as firm on not having kids. I had enough problems focusing on myself. I was confused, and I was saddened by having to go through all of it. But I had to do what was best for me. I had to do what was best for my family too. Those that don't understand will just not be able to understand. I did what I felt was right." +"Last week I went to get some lunch with my husband and we ran into an old friend at the restaurant we went to. It turned out to be my best friend from college who I haven't seen in 40 years. She told us that she was engaged to my bothers best friend. I screamed because I was so excited and my husband said ""Congrats!"" So she asked me to be a bridesmaid and I of course said yes! So she showed us the ring and ended up giving us our food for free! Not only was the engagement a surprise but apparently she's the owner of the restaurant too! I couldn't stop, laughing so much good news at once. So my husband and I sat down and got our sandwiches and sides and enjoyed a meal together. Then out of no where he surprised me with plane tickets to Paris next month! What a day! So I cried, again from joy and hugged him. I asked him how he got those tickets because when I looked online it was outrageous-the price that is. He said that our friends were going to go but couldn't because of their job, so he bought them from them for a 60% discount! So needless to say that day was amazing. It was filled with events that I never expected." +"I was sleeping about a week after my fathers death and dreaming heavily. My experience dreaming heightened to some kind of new reality to where the dream felt ultra real and everything brightened. When I was younger I was into church and God but my dad was not so much. He told me when he passed he would come back to let me know if there was an afterlife. I was not able to see him before he died but everyone else did. I could not make it because of bad driving conditions. After his visit when I spoke to him on the phone he told me he did not think he had to much longer on earth and he needed to see me before he passed but this did not happen. Everything turned hyper-real and my dream quickly switched to a room with yellow walls and a bed. I was sitting on the bed sitting facing someone dressed in bright white robes. I looked and it was my deceased father. He was around 30 years old, smiling widely with mouth closed, and looked the greatest and happiest I have ever seen him. He had no eyes but there were wisps of smoke that I clearly felt as his spirit floating around inside his head. He was telling me he was spirit now and confirmed the afterlife to me. This makes me very satisfied and in awe of ""source"". ""Source"" is the word I use to refer to GOD." +"My father passed away two weeks ago and he came to visit in my dreams last week. You see, I had not seen my father for 2 years before he died because of very hectic lives on both our parts. When I was a little girl, I was very spiritual and was having a conversation with my dad about life after death. He was not a believer but told me that when he died he would come visit me to confirm it's realness if it was so. Fast forward to adulthood again, and about 1 month before he died we were talking on the phone and he stated that we have to see each other soon. He was afraid that he did not have much time left here. He needed to see his baby girl quickly. He soon passed but came to me my dreams dressed in white. He was smiling broadly, and around 30 years old. He had no eyes because what replaced them was wisp of spirit I could see clearly in them I knew he was fulfilling his promise to me when I was a little girl. This has reaffirmed my spirituality and faith. I am forever happy to have had him here. The experience has made me stronger. The be experience has made me love more. The experience has made me more optimistic." +"It has always been a family tradition for my parents to host me at their home for Thanksgiving. However last year I did not receive their invitation. I suspect it is because my mother found out that I had decided to quit college to pursue my passion. Since I was lonely, I decided to hang out with friends instead. Mary hosted me in her apartment. She prepared a nice meal and opened a bottle of wine. After a few glasses, I opened up to her about my anxiety. I told her about how I was finding it hard to conform and meet my parents expectations of me. I found myself breaking down as I explained my problem. She is a very good listener. She was able to offer me advice and comfort. In the evening, she ordered a ride home for me. She even called to check on me when arrived. In the end, I was glad to have a voided my judgmental parents. The time spent with Mary was meaningful to me. I forged a strong relationship with Mary." +"My son has now been in college for over half a semester. I have gotten use to him not being around everyday. He is really having a good time. He has only come home once or twice and that was so I could take him out to eat and get some groceries. I text with him a day or two out of the week. I am trying not to bother him to much. So far he is getting all A's and B's. He says that he seems to have less work now than he did in college. He doesn't really have to study much because most things come natural to him. He just understands math, science, etc. He is hanging out with a lot of people but doing any partying. He has no interest in drinking or going to parties. We got together for lunch with weekend. We had some good food and good conversation. He has a little more than a month of school left and then he will be done for the first semester. After the first semester he will already technically be a sophomore since he placed out of 11 credit hours. I am looking forward to him coming home for the semester break and spending some time together. It has taken some getting use to him not being home, but I have. Thank good for texting and cell phones." +"Two weeks ago, we move my son into college. This is a major life changing event. Not just for him, but for myself and my wife as well. My son was excepted in the Engineering department at North Carolina State University. This is where I went to college. We moved him in on August 17th. We woke up that morning and my wife and I followed him there to help him move in. It only took us about 2 hours to get all of his stuff in. His door room use to be a hotel so the room is much bigger than an average dorm room. He and his roommate also have their own private bathroom. The room also came with a microwave and fridge so we did not have to get those and try and move them it. We only live 15 min away from the school, but him moving out has effected me more that I thought it would. It just seems so strange with him not in the house. When I walk by him room, I get sad. He is still so close, but it just seems different. The first 2 or 3 days was really bad and I was teary eyed a lot." +"In my quest to locate my ancestors, I decided to do a DNA test and was so surprised to find that I did have a second cousin whom I did not know. It was such a surprise because I thought I knew everyone in our family, at least those in our immediate circle. When I got a notification that this person would like to contact me I was so happy and intrigued. The surprising thing after we communicated that she lived in my own community just mile or away. I have always believed that there are no coincidences that most things in your life are placed there at just the right time. My new cousin told me that she had never been able to find out where she came from and it was so important to her self identity. We got together and shared photos and stories about our past. Come to find out, her mother and I actually attended the same university at the same time. We graduated the same year. We have planned a large family reunion next summer. This should acquaint her with the rest of the family. She is so grateful. We still can't believe we live so close. Our family is so excited to meet her and to hear her story. I will never forget this entire experience." +"In my quest to locate my ancestors, I decided to do a DNA test and was so surprised to find that I did have a second cousin whom I did not know. It was such a surprise because I thought I knew everyone in our family, at least those in our immediate circle. When I got a notification that this person would like to contact me I was so happy and intrigued. The surprising thing after we communicated that she lived in my own community just mile or away. I have always believed that there are no coincidences that most things in your life are placed there at just the right time. My new cousin told me that she had never been able to find out where she came from and it was so important to her self identity. We got together and shared photos and stories about our past. Come to find out, her mother and I actually attended the same university at the same time. We graduated the same year. We have planned a large family reunion next summer. This should acquaint her with the rest of the family. She is so grateful. We still can't believe we live so close. Our family is so excited to meet her and to hear her story. I will never forget this entire experience." +"You always forget how little and quite helpless your pet can be. They can't tell you where they hurt, or how they feel, it is kinda like they are little babies. I always forget how little my dog is, I'm always calling him my little man or my little grandpa. He acts like an old man, grunting, huffing, yes my dog with huff at you in disapproval. We had no clue he was sick until one night he just fell out in the floor and released his bladder, unresponsive, weak, stiff as a board, eyes open, looked like he had died. It was very scary not knowing what to do, do you move him? do you leave him alone? does he need CPR? I was so scared and I am a mother of 2 grown sons. He continued to have 2 more of these episodes throughout the night, morning could not get here fast enough. We took our little man to the vet, he was scared and unsure, like always. We found out our babies heart murmur has gotten worse, this is not good. Basically his heart gives out and he passes out. He is now on a heart medication, twice daily. And he actually takes his medication like a good boy. But it worries me, how long will he have? When will he do this again? What if this happens and I'm not home to help him. This is the part of being a Dog Mom that absolutely sucks. My baby is 6yrs old, he was a rescue when he was about 6mths old. This is going to suck, bad." +"I've been working with the youth wrestling league for several years now. When they told me that I'd get to plan out my first match as a wrestling booker, I was extatic. I was also nervous. I spent two weeks planning the matches. It was so intense. The felling was out of this world being able to help out the younger talent. About six weeks ago, I got to watch my plans and talent unfold. The matches were a success. We drew some of the biggest crowds we'd seen in quite awhile. The event turned out so great. To watch all that unfold was just amazing. The people had so much fun and were so grateful for all I had done. I can't wait to do it again. I hope to become the best booker the league has ever seen. I have such high hopes for the futre." +"I've been working with the youth wrestling league for several years now. When they told me that I'd get to plan out my first match as a wrestling booker, I was extatic. I was also nervous. I spent two weeks planning the matches. It was so intense. The felling was out of this world being able to help out the younger talent. About six weeks ago, I got to watch my plans and talent unfold. The matches were a success. We drew some of the biggest crowds we'd seen in quite awhile. The event turned out so great. To watch all that unfold was just amazing. The people had so much fun and were so grateful for all I had done. I can't wait to do it again. I hope to become the best booker the league has ever seen. I have such high hopes for the futre." +"In the end, my daughter ended her employment with that workplace. She was having trouble dealing with the crowds in that store, and she began college shortly afterward. She was happy at the job and made some friends among the employees, but she was also quite upset with how some customers treat retail employees. Personally, I'm glad she doesn't work there anymore, because she was texting me during her work hours, telling me she was feeling horrible about how customers treated her, and that it made her feel anxious. I hope she can eventually hold down a job, but I need for her to get a better hold on her mental state, and on her emotions. For now, college is enough responsibility. She needs some more time in therapy and some more time learning how to fulfill expectations in a workplace. She's studying nursing and needs to learn that she can't just pick up and leave because she's becoming overwhelmed. She needs to learn to deal with stress in a constructive manner and to stick things out, even when they are difficult. I need to quit babying her. I need to stop rescuing her. I need to let her take her lumps. I also need to stop hovering over her. Finally, she needs to prioritize her work and school over her friends. Life's too short not to take school seriously, or a job." +"In the end, my daughter ended her employment with that workplace. She was having trouble dealing with the crowds in that store, and she began college shortly afterward. She was happy at the job and made some friends among the employees, but she was also quite upset with how some customers treat retail employees. Personally, I'm glad she doesn't work there anymore, because she was texting me during her work hours, telling me she was feeling horrible about how customers treated her, and that it made her feel anxious. I hope she can eventually hold down a job, but I need for her to get a better hold on her mental state, and on her emotions. For now, college is enough responsibility. She needs some more time in therapy and some more time learning how to fulfill expectations in a workplace. She's studying nursing and needs to learn that she can't just pick up and leave because she's becoming overwhelmed. She needs to learn to deal with stress in a constructive manner and to stick things out, even when they are difficult. I need to quit babying her. I need to stop rescuing her. I need to let her take her lumps. I also need to stop hovering over her. Finally, she needs to prioritize her work and school over her friends. Life's too short not to take school seriously, or a job." +"About three months ago I had applied for a promotional opportunity at work. I did not really think that I had a chance to get the job, but I ended up applying anyway. I was temporarily upgraded to the job but it was not a permanent upgrade so I had to apply still. I ended up getting an interview so I went to it. I was very nervous, but I took a few deep breaths when I got there and gathered my confidence and did pretty good. In the end, I did get the job. This new job would be a pretty significant increase in pay, it would also require me to commute to a new workplace. I was apprehensive about the new job and new workplace. I was not sure how well the new group of people would perceive or like me but I had no choice but to show up and get started. I have a supervisory role so it was a bit of an adjustment. It took awhile for me to get used to people expecting me to make the decisions on what they should be doing at work. People were calling me boss man and it felt very awkward. However, as time goes by it has become a good feeling to be counted on and relied upon. You have the ability to make a large impact in many different situation for your employer and employees. I am trying my best to succeed and to do a good job. Overall I am enjoying this role." +"I just lost my job of nearly 20 years as an analyst out of the blue about 4 months ago. The news was just dropped on me as I walked in to work. I got called into a meeting room with my direct supervisor and and another upper management guy and was told I was being let go. I asked why and they gave some vague answer; they said unforeseen circumstances require that they immediately downsize the department. Sounded like a load of B.S. to me. During this, my supervisor wasn't him self and was unusually quiet. The upper management guy did all the talking. Even now with it being months later, I still feel confused and frustrated over this. Our department was making good progress with work and I have always had good performance reviews. The worst thing about all this is that I can't help but speculate all the reasons why I might have been ""let go."" Was I getting too old and they wanted someone younger? Did I inadvertently piss off some important client or someone in upper management? Maybe the CEO's nephew didn't like the look of my face. It doesn't really make sense to me. This is what 20 years of loyalty buys these days. I have reached out to a competitor since, and I am scheduled for an interview tomorrow. My main drive now is to make my old company regret firing me." +"I just lost my job of nearly 20 years as an analyst out of the blue about 4 months ago. The news was just dropped on me as I walked in to work. I got called into a meeting room with my direct supervisor and and another upper management guy and was told I was being let go. I asked why and they gave some vague answer; they said unforeseen circumstances require that they immediately downsize the department. Sounded like a load of B.S. to me. During this, my supervisor wasn't him self and was unusually quiet. The upper management guy did all the talking. Even now with it being months later, I still feel confused and frustrated over this. Our department was making good progress with work and I have always had good performance reviews. The worst thing about all this is that I can't help but speculate all the reasons why I might have been ""let go."" Was I getting too old and they wanted someone younger? Did I inadvertently piss off some important client or someone in upper management? Maybe the CEO's nephew didn't like the look of my face. It doesn't really make sense to me. This is what 20 years of loyalty buys these days. I have reached out to a competitor since, and I am scheduled for an interview tomorrow. My main drive now is to make my old company regret firing me." +"Approximately four months ago I decided to plan a trip with my spouse to get away from the kids. This is something we haven't done since the second child was born. It took some planning as we currently do not reside near any family member. My mom agreed to fly over and watch the boys while we took the trip. We had to make sure that our trip coincided with mom's calendar as to when she could get a vacation from work. We decided on Las Vegas as we heard of all the live shows and it seemed like something we would be interested in. The day of the trip came and my mom was here and all settled in with the boys. While I was very nervous leaving them for an extended period, I had all confidence in my mom who already raised 7 kids herself. Getting to Las Vegas and seeing all the street performers, the many sights and the crowds was exciting and overwhelming at the same time. The live show we saw was magical. The acrobatic movements of the cast daring and scary but was a sight to behold. Dressing up in anything but leggings and t shirt was also a welcome change. It was simply amazing. The most memorable part of this event was being able to reconnect in a special way with my husband. Having the chance to focus only on each other helped us to remember why we fell in love . I would definitely like to make this an annual event where we get away just the two of us." +"My mother in law seems determined to totally immerse herself in my business. It didn't happen in stages, but all at once. She's overwhelming me with her attention. I sometimes wonder if she has anything else to do or am I not just the number one item on her agenda, but maybe the only thing on her agenda. Her latest invasion into my life was cupcakes. What could be more innocuous than a cupcake, you ask? Well, in the hands of my mother in law, a cupcake is just another weapon in her arsenal. Last week, I made the mistake of complimenting her on a batch of cupcakes she brought to a family gathering. And she responded by promising to make me some and to show me how they were made. Sounds innocent enough, doesn't it? Well, not in the hands of a woman who seems determined to show me that she's Super Woman! Or maybe more like Wonder Woman? Anyway, we got together a few times last week and baked a few batches together. All right so far, right? And then on the final day of practice, when we were going to bake a final batch, she 'surprised' me by presenting me with cupcakes she had baked and decorated on her own. The batch was covered with glitter and sparkles and looked nothing like the cupcakes we had practiced making. They looked, to me, gaudy and not very appetizing. I have no idea what the entire exercise was about. Is she trying to be my best friend? Or, more probably likely, is she out to compete with me on any level she can find, even to the extent of 'outcupcaking' me?? Stay tuned. More MIL stories to follow, of that I'm sure!" +"it was same time like this, 2 years ago when the whole fight started. i and my brother happen to be the only two surviving children after the car accident. alone in this cold world where all that could be thought of was ones self. Mark who happened to be my younger brother was a delivery guy and had to deliver papers to the nearby hospital. that's how it all started. Mark came home that day looking so excited like he had just won a lottery. i was compelled to ask what it was. ""she's the most beautiful girl i have ever met. her lips so soft like i just felt my life packed in a can. her eyes so bright i could see my future reflecting back at me with a smile"". he kept on blabbing that i got tired of his whaling that i had to stop him. 2 months later, Mary missed her period and went to the hospital for checkup. that was how it was discovered that she was pregnant. of cause that night she had sex with Mark wasn't the only encounter. most of the time he went to her place and even at the hospital where Mary worked. they both agreed to keep the pregnancy but there was one issue. they both had no apartment of their own. I, being the older brother and in control of things had to accept that the baby be kept in the house with us while they both worked harder to pay for an apartment of their own and care for their baby. 6 months later, Mary put to bed and behold, it was a glorious sight unknowing to them that was the beginning of all trouble. i really couldn't stop him as it was a means to more income in the house. soon after, Mary found out about Mark's new found love with his boss at his work place and confronted him. Mark couldn't deny it. Mary was so angry that nothing i said mattered to her. later that month, she filed a case against Mark and with social services, claimed full right of baby kelvin. that was the last time i ever saw my baby nephew." +"My friends birthday: Tt was on the 31st of may this year,we prepared to have a small house party with few friends and family. We got cake and chops and music .The while the party was on going ,my friends ex showed up in the middle of the part . While my friends present girlfriend was present in the party. It was an awkward situation because she was obviously there to make a scene. While she was trying to make a scene. She was accompanied out by myself and other friend at the party. We went back to the party and try to persuade my friends girlfriend because she was livid. While trying to calm her down. The party went on and we had lots of fun. It was a memorable experience to be honest. We shared so many fun moments. Overall, my friend was happy we made his day. We were all happy too. We all left for our various homes happy. It was a pleasant day. Thanks to family there. 31st was a day to remember. We look forward to next year." +"My friends birthday: Tt was on the 31st of may this year,we prepared to have a small house party with few friends and family. We got cake and chops and music .The while the party was on going ,my friends ex showed up in the middle of the part . While my friends present girlfriend was present in the party. It was an awkward situation because she was obviously there to make a scene. While she was trying to make a scene. She was accompanied out by myself and other friend at the party. We went back to the party and try to persuade my friends girlfriend because she was livid. While trying to calm her down. The party went on and we had lots of fun. It was a memorable experience to be honest. We shared so many fun moments. Overall, my friend was happy we made his day. We were all happy too. We all left for our various homes happy. It was a pleasant day. Thanks to family there. 31st was a day to remember. We look forward to next year." +"It started off like a regular day at work when I walked in that morning. My boss walked into my office like he typically does and it's usually to chat about work related stuff as well as to chat in general about how things are going. This time, he started off chatting about normal, routine work stuff and then casually threw in that my promotion was finally approved and about to go into effect. He's been pushing for my promotion for over a year and a half at that point and I had almost given up all hope of this happening any time soon. Evidently, the higher up managers approved the promotion as well as Human Resources. A salary was also approved and my manager informed me of what that new, higher salary would be. I felt relieved that this finally happened and I could stop wondering about my upcoming promotion. At the same time, once my supervisor told me the percentage raise I would receive, I was slightly disappointed. The percentage of my increase equaled the usual annual salary increase I received the past couple of years, even without a promotion. I was unsure if this signified that my past annual increases were abnormally high or if my promotion salary increase was abnormally low. I was hoping for a much bigger raise. Ultimately, my supervisor informed me that there is a cap on how high of an increase an employee can receive in any given year and hopefully there will be more of a raise coming up after my annual review in a couple of months. Given that we had just had my annual review, performance reviews, and all that, I was hopeful that perhaps, even with my recent promotion, I would still qualify for a significant raise when the fiscal year was over. I didn't tell my supervisor about my disappointment with the percentage increase because he was so happy that he was able to get my promotion pushed through after all this time. I didn't want to deflate him or make him feel that his efforts were unappreciated." +"It has been a hectic month. Ever since I got the promotion to regional manager I haven't had a second to breathe, or write. I found out from my boss that I had been selected for the role of regional manager at my company. I was so proud! I was thrilled at the idea of more responsibility and more money. I would have a bigger office and my own personal assistant. I was sure the pay increase for such a promotion would be pretty substantial. I didn't want to seem ungrateful so I didn't really ask for specifics about the raise when I was offered the promotion. I knew it had to be a lot of money, and I wanted the promotion. I accepted and got caught up int he excitement. Later that day I was called into human resources to sign some paperwork detailing the new position and my responsibilities. I started reading the formal offer and was shocked to see that the amount of money I would be making was not much more than I was currently making. I actually asked the HR director if it was a typo, there was no way that was the correct salary. I would have a ton more work to do, and I would hardly ever be home. She assured me that was not a typo, that was the salary. I was devastated. I had already started planning what I would spend all my money on, and now there was no money. I still accepted the position, if I turned it down I would have to leave the company. It has been a few weeks now and while I love the job I am still pretty bitter about the pay. I think I will give it a few months and let my performance speak for itself. By this time next year if I do not get offered a raise I will have to start thinking about finding a new job." +"I was at work and I went to go check my email for the first time that day. When it finally loaded I had and email from Disney about my upcoming trip to Disney World. I got really excited because it referenced Galaxies Edge, the new star wars themed land opening up soon. I was already prepared to be waiting in line forever, but little did I know this email was about to change all of that. The email was making me aware that Disney was going to accept reservations for all of the attractions in Galaxies Edge, but that the reservations were already open! I rushed to the closest computer I could find and I called my wife. We both logged on and the webpage kept crashing constantly. I just kept reloading the page and my wife did the same over and over until we finally got put in line. Adrenaline was pumping, and she got the reservation for us to do the droid building, and I got the reservation to go into Olga's Cantina to drink the blue and green milk. I am so excited I can barely contain myself, I am a huge fan of star wars and it defined my childhood. It is also working out amazingly that Galaxies edge opening day is on my 5 year wedding anniversary. My wife doesn't care for star wars as much as I do, but she will enjoy it because I like it so much. It will make my wedding anniversary that much better, and I get to walk around saying ""Babe, I am your husband"" in my best Darth Vader voice. And we will have a wedding anniversary drink of the blue milk, and a droid that we built together. I wish we got into the light saber building but the reservations were full and I did not want to spend 200 dollars not knowing if it would be worth it or not." +"So a memorable event that happened was my brothers wedding to his current wife. It was an amazing experience for me and everyone who was there. There were hundreds of people at the event who were all there to celebrate him and his wifes love for each and the bond that they have. It felt weird to me, as I was his best man during the wedding, and it was awesome to see him moving on with his life, but hard to think that he was moving on from me and my other brother to create his own family. I love my brother so much, but it really was a bittersweet moment to me. The most memorable thing about the event was basically the wedding ceremony. I remember getting emotional as they were saying their vows, and it just created this weird sensation that I had never really experienced before. His wife looked so beautiful, and he looked sharper than I had ever seen him. Another memorable part of the event was my best man speech. I remember not being able to think of the right things to say up until the very day they were getting married. I wrote my speech only a few hours before I had to give it. In it I described how if how my brother loved me was how he was going to care for her, than she was in good hands. I knew that they were going to have a happy and awesome marriage. It was an experience that I would not change for anything, and look forward to having one of my own. Still one of the most memorable experiences I have had in a very long time, and I still think about it when I think about my brother and how he is doing." +"Four months ago, I went to my brothers wedding. It was a great time for everybody. The beginning ceremonies were great. There was a bunch of trumpet players playing a nice song. My brother walked down the aisle first. He had a black suit on and looked great. The future wife walked down the aisle second. She had a white dress and a rose in her hair. She looked beautiful. They kissed and were officially married. The party afterwards was great. I had a lot of beer that night. I think everybody had at least 5 drinks because everybody was smashed. It was a fun time seeing people trying to talk. They all slurred their words." +"When I wrote this entry last time, it was very fresh in my ind. I honestly wish I could read what I wrote one more time because I know the pain has faded and I can talk about it without tearing up now. My boyfriend and I moved in together and he ended up being a person I hoped he wasnt. We'd already agreed we would end things after the summer and I wanted to have one last good day tpgether. I took acid and we were going to go to a museum, something we'd done before and I loved. Once we were outside he was clearly mad and started going off on me, yelling at me in the street. I was starting to peak and all I could see was the absurdity in this. Why was he so mad? What did this matter? I don't even remember what pissed him off, it was so stupid. I couldn't help it, I laughed. That made him furious and he grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me back to the car. I could think of nothing worse than an hour drive home with him yelling at me, then being trapped in an apartment in the suburbs with no where to go and him yelling at me. I shook free and said I wouldnt be going. He said he was going to force me, and I pointed out how bad that would look for him. So he left me in the city. I watched his snapchat location, while he texted me things about how horrible I was, and saw him drive off, leaving me alone in a low cut dress. I had no wallet, no friends in the area, just my phone. so I started to walk. I walked and just tried to look like I wasn't lost and about to sob. I wonder how strong those feelings felt now" +"When I wrote this entry last time, it was very fresh in my ind. I honestly wish I could read what I wrote one more time because I know the pain has faded and I can talk about it without tearing up now. My boyfriend and I moved in together and he ended up being a person I hoped he wasnt. We'd already agreed we would end things after the summer and I wanted to have one last good day tpgether. I took acid and we were going to go to a museum, something we'd done before and I loved. Once we were outside he was clearly mad and started going off on me, yelling at me in the street. I was starting to peak and all I could see was the absurdity in this. Why was he so mad? What did this matter? I don't even remember what pissed him off, it was so stupid. I couldn't help it, I laughed. That made him furious and he grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me back to the car. I could think of nothing worse than an hour drive home with him yelling at me, then being trapped in an apartment in the suburbs with no where to go and him yelling at me. I shook free and said I wouldnt be going. He said he was going to force me, and I pointed out how bad that would look for him. So he left me in the city. I watched his snapchat location, while he texted me things about how horrible I was, and saw him drive off, leaving me alone in a low cut dress. I had no wallet, no friends in the area, just my phone. so I started to walk. I walked and just tried to look like I wasn't lost and about to sob. I wonder how strong those feelings felt now" +"I have my own business creating different products for clients on demand. I make anything from clothes to accessories, pillows, pillow cases, decorative items, throws, among others things. I show my items on my website and the clients order the amount they need, I make the products and ship them to the clients. Two months ago I got a big order for custom made pillows of different shapes and designs. I started sewing the items with and was halfway done when my sewing machine stopped working. This put my business in serious jeopardy. The client doesn't pay until the products are delivered. I didn't have enough money to replace or repair the sewing machine. I need one urgently to complete the order. I didn't know what to do. the order was due a week from then. I was so worried and panicked. I told my husband about this. he saw how depressed I was and how concerned I was. The sewing machine was industrial quality. It wasn't something I could but cheaply. It was an absolute necessity if I was going to survive as a business. My reputation was at stake here. I also didn't want to let this new client down. There was potential for continued business with them and I couldn't risk losing their trust. I came home one day after shopping for groceries feeling helpless. I noticed my husband has a funny smile on his face and he told me to look in my office. I went in there and to my surprise I found a large box on the floor. I opened it and saw the sewing machine I desperately needed. I was able to complete the order on time, deliver the product, get paid and, on top of everything else, the client recommended my business to a partner who also order products from me." +"Today I went to the gym and saw my stepsiblings there. That is incredibly cool! I am very happy that I was able to see my stepsibling there -- I haven't seen them in a very long time... I feel that I should reconnect with that side of the family more. I just haven't had the time! I feel that I am not able to spend time with my family as much as I would like these days. Work and kids have gotten most of my time, and my wife needs my attention as well of course. I feel that I am trying my best as a father and going to the gym will help me and my family out. I feel much more calm and relaxed after working out at the gym and my wife is pleased with my appearance. I want to please my wife as much as possible, she deserves a man who will put in effort to look good for her. I am excited to continue to be a better man, going to the gym is what will help me be a better man! To be a better man, I need to visit my family more and pay more attention to them. My stepsibling helped remind me of that. I do not understand why society is set up the way it is, in that we are not able to spend more time with the family and children. Isn't that what life is all about after all? I hope things will change in the near future, or else society is going to lose touch with what it means to have a family and be a family member. Remember, you are a son and a husband.-Until next time diary." +"Taking a walk through the Detroit Institute of Arts was an experience that I wasn't expecting to experience anytime soon. It was a great way to end the semester after all the new concepts I have learned from the online ARTH 100 course. Walking through the DIA and seeing concepts that each artist included into their own works of art was truly beautiful, and I wasn't able to see this type of beauty portrayed in their work until after I had taken this course online. Furthermore, one of my many favorites had to be Fowl and Melons, an oil canvas painting, painted by Sisson Blanchard who is from Haiti, born in 1952. This oil painting was truly beautiful and caught my eye due to the colors and uniqueness of the birds. Looking deeper into the painting were details that didn't originally catch my eye, and that I had to look for. That being said, there were watermelons actually painted in between the birds in this painting! That being said, colors had a big influence on how my eye caught these details. The colors red, orange, yellow, deep blue and purple; it gave off a warmth feeling of harmony. I believe there is a reason why the artist choose these colors after staring at the painting for so long and my theory comes down to this: I believe that due to the amount of scattered birds in this picture, the artist wanted to balance this by carefully choosing which colors to incorporate into this painting without taking away the uniqueness of the painting. As far as shape goes, the lines formed by the artist is what makes the shape of the painting; mainly targeting the birds and the hard-to-miss details of the melons in between. The texture in this painting is oily (which is ironic considering it is an oil painting), but the details such as the feather bumps and circles make it as if the birds were rough and bumpy. Then on the other hand you have a bunch of shrubbery in all the possible spaces where there wasn't a bird placed. The shrubbery makes you feel as if you were to get poked by touching this painting, just like as if you were about to touch a cactus. Finally we have the last element of art; Value. Value is the illusion portrayed by the artist by using different shades and tones of light in the painting. Since this painting is very cluttered and there are so many details to be contributed in this piece, we can see that the value of light used in this painting was strong due to the colors used in the painting as well. Overall, the trip to the Detroit Institute of Art museum was an experience that I previously wasn't planning on going on, anytime in the near future; but I'm glad I took this opportunity to look at different works of art and to analyze paintings using what I've learned from this course. It was a great opportunity to look at beautiful expressions that the artists portrayed using something as simple as oil pastels, like Sissan’s did while painting Fowl and Melons." +"My family and I flew to the Caribbean this past summer for vacation. After landing and going through customs our rental car was ready. We drove to the resort where they greeted us with fruit punch for the kids and rum punch for my husband and I. The lobby was fantastic with open air views of the pool and ocean, marble floors and coastal decor with a touch of elegance. Once we settled into our room we returned to the lobby to check out the activity desk. Since we had never been on a boating trip we decided to take the off island boat trip to a small undeveloped tiny island where we would have food and drinks prepared by the boat captain. We headed out early the next morning to meet with the boat captain and leave for our excursion. The captain was a middle aged man with a pleasant demeanor. The waters were a little choppy that day and the kids ended up getting sea sick. I thought to myself please let this boat trip end soon. The captain let us off at the small island while he stayed aboard to cook us lunch. My family and I went snorkeling and saw some beautiful sea life all around us. The kids and I were amazed at how beautiful this little piece of paradise was. We got out of the ocean and dried off. There were a few sprinkles to start but nothing major. We were getting hungry and could smell the food being prepared on the captains boat. All of the sudden a huge gust of wind came barreling through, the skies darkened and the waves picked up. It started pouring rain as the boat started sloshing back and forth through the waves. The storm caused the anchor on the boat to become unhinged and the boat was adrift without an anchor. The captain tried to get the boat close enough to shore but was fighting off every inch of water and waves. After about four hours the sea calmed and my husband swam out to the boat and was able to bring the small dingy to get us from the island to the boat. We made it back to the resort unharmed. My family found it to be exciting and exhilarating, something unexpected, full of wonder and a little nerves but an experience to always remember." +"Ive had a few family members that had HPV before the vaccine was invented. My uncle Tommy, and my great grandfather abraham. This is what sparked my interest in studying the virus and eventually reading a book about it. I wanted to know the details of the disease. How it affected the immune system and cells of the body. I wanted to know how they thought about about and how they created the vaccine. After reading the book it made me realize how important hpv vaccine really is. My mother was extremely upset when my uncle passed away when she was just a child and when she found out there was a vaccine for it recently it motivated her to get vaccinated as well. I dont know much information about my great grandfather but knew how he died. I told my mom to read the book and my brother. My brother didnt listen and didnt seem to care when I brought it up. My mom skimmed through the book. I didnt have to convince her to get the vaccine because she already knew how important it was. I will continue to get vaccinated hwenever I am due. I will also get other important vaccines because there is some deadly diseases flying around and it is good to be safe than sorry." +"My Most Memorable Day of My Life! I found my other half, although it all seem wrong at first, but persistence and understanding can solve any problem. I was ordered a job at her office and I was to deliver the job to her. To be candid, I was not in the right emotional state to easily comprehend her simple order of bringing the files to her office. So, I just sat there waiting for her to come outside and sign the papers. Soon, I slept off. After some few hours, I was already dreaming of how possible I could solve my other problem that put me off in the first instance. Then, I felt a light tap on my left shoulder. I opened my eyes and it was already dark. Wow! I exclaimed. ""You must be very tired"", she said. ""Would you love some Chinese"". I was surprised at the kind gesture, but had to follow through by asking her to sign the paper first. She is just nice, I thought to myself while I was in bed later that night. Right now, she is my wife!" +"I was put in charge of four others at work. We were a group tasked with dealing with various client-related issues. The company I worked for was in the software development business. My job was to write software code as part of a team to fulfill the software needs of our clients. As a group manager I would also be in charge of scheduling and task allocation during software projects. I would also be responsible for coordinating the work done by the group. Coordination was crucial to ensure that everyone's code would integrate together smoothly. We would meet with the clients to determine what their needs were. In a lot of cases that is not always the same as what they think their needs are. Then we would come up with a software solution to those needs as a team. We would present the solution to the client to get their approval before starting work on it. We would also be in regular contact with the client during the development process, because a lot of times their perception of their needs change during development. It was my responsibility to schedule and delegate work. I was also to evaluate the work performed for quality and suitability. I felt empowered but also burdened with responsibility." +"The situation took place about four months ago. I was promoted from being a regular contributor in my work project group to being the supervisor of the group. I work in software development, so my regular duties include designing and developing software. As an individual contributor I would get a piece of the project and write my code for it. Now as a supervisor I have a lot more influence regarding the direction that work projects go. For example, I get to decide how the team approaches the project. I get to decide how the project is scheduled and broken down. I get to decide which team member is responsible for what part of the project. Of course I consult and deliberate with the various team members. Ultimately though, the decision is left up to me. This was a significant thing for me because it showed management's trust in me. We're a small company with only a couple of work groups, so this is an important position. The group's prior supervisor was high on me, and recommended me to management on his way out to replace him. Management accepted that recommendation and here I am. As someone who doesn't really get emotional about this, I felt like this was a good moment for me. That's why I chose this moment for this entry." +"Oh God, here we are... I had been dreading such a thing and now it has happened. Ms. Fong sold the property and the new owners are looking at making as much money out of it as they can. We know the drill, don't we? They are jacking up the rents as much as they legally can. Then, when people leave because they can't afford their rent anymore, their apartments are going to be renovated and then rented for a ridiculous amount of money. It happened to us when we were on 7th Street and it's happening again! One day, three will be zero affordable apartments left in this city for regular middle class people like us. And still, the streets around here are filled with young people who seem to work from home, have coffee in fancy coffee shops at 11 AM and look like struggling artists, yet can afford prohibitively expensive dwellings. Who are those people? What kind of job do they have? Writers maybe, although I've never thought that writing could be that profitable. Or they started some kind of startup and they're swimming in money because they struck gold with their brilliant new concept. Meanwhile, almost everyone I know is struggling financially even though we've all been to nice colleges and have decent paying jobs. I guess New York is not for regular people anymore. Time to start looking for a house in Jersey or something." +"Oh God, here we are... I had been dreading such a thing and now it has happened. Ms. Fong sold the property and the new owners are looking at making as much money out of it as they can. We know the drill, don't we? They are jacking up the rents as much as they legally can. Then, when people leave because they can't afford their rent anymore, their apartments are going to be renovated and then rented for a ridiculous amount of money. It happened to us when we were on 7th Street and it's happening again! One day, three will be zero affordable apartments left in this city for regular middle class people like us. And still, the streets around here are filled with young people who seem to work from home, have coffee in fancy coffee shops at 11 AM and look like struggling artists, yet can afford prohibitively expensive dwellings. Who are those people? What kind of job do they have? Writers maybe, although I've never thought that writing could be that profitable. Or they started some kind of startup and they're swimming in money because they struck gold with their brilliant new concept. Meanwhile, almost everyone I know is struggling financially even though we've all been to nice colleges and have decent paying jobs. I guess New York is not for regular people anymore. Time to start looking for a house in Jersey or something." +"It was the birthday of a family member. I had prepared for it by gathering items necessary for the party. I had bought candles, a cake, lights, balloons, and other miscellaneous supplies necessary for celebrating their birthday. I prepared for the birthday party by first unpacking the supplies and then preparing the table. I then unpacked the cake and placed it on the table. I spent some time setting up the remainder of the supplies, preparing our house for the party. When my family member saw the cake, they were elated. It was a nice setup. Soon we lit the candles. There were many candles on the cake, because they looked good on the type of cake that I had bought. We lit the candles, and soon the candles erupted into a large flame. The flames had joined each other into sort of a bonfire like appearance. It was funny but somewhat dangerous. My family member had to blow them out quickly before the whole cake burned up! My family enjoyed the party." +"It was the birthday of a family member. I had prepared for it by gathering items necessary for the party. I had bought candles, a cake, lights, balloons, and other miscellaneous supplies necessary for celebrating their birthday. I prepared for the birthday party by first unpacking the supplies and then preparing the table. I then unpacked the cake and placed it on the table. I spent some time setting up the remainder of the supplies, preparing our house for the party. When my family member saw the cake, they were elated. It was a nice setup. Soon we lit the candles. There were many candles on the cake, because they looked good on the type of cake that I had bought. We lit the candles, and soon the candles erupted into a large flame. The flames had joined each other into sort of a bonfire like appearance. It was funny but somewhat dangerous. My family member had to blow them out quickly before the whole cake burned up! My family enjoyed the party." +"Work can be stressful for most people, but for me, I feel like my job takes it to another level. For one, my boss is always on my back. I never feel like I can just be myself or do my job, because she'll always hassle me about one thing or another. This has completely altered my mental health. I feel like I'm anxious all the time. I go to work, and am just nitpicked to death. I started to hate my otherwise good job. I still enjoyed other aspects of my job, like the actual work itself and the fact that I was helping people. It still felt good. I decided one day that I wasn't going to let my boss control my work situation. I decided to go to my local mental health clinic. There, I was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder, and given some anti-anxiety medication. I have never felt better. Now, my boss doesn't stress me out so much. I couldn't be happier in the slightest." +"On Thursday of last week I had an appointment to meet with my senior research mentor. My mentor had great and surprising news for me. I had been chosen from over 300 students to travel to the state of Maine to participate in a research study. The trip will be paid in full by my university. I was one of two students chosen at my university for this research. The choice was determined by GPA, leadership and overall ability to succeed. I am overwhelmed and grateful for this opportunity. My first few years of college were great. The next few were a bit of a mess. I fell into the party scene and neglected my studies to the point of being dropped from a major university. I moved back home and spent the following 12 months getting my life together with the help of my family. I enrolled in a different university and put all of my focus on my studies. I have worked very hard to get my GPA back up and this opportunity has shown the dedication that I have shown towards making a good life for myself. My mentor is aware of my previous problems with college and he has shown a great deal of respect for me considering my previous problems in college. This opportunity is one that I never thought I would have, so I am extremely exited and grateful. The most positive outcome of this is the fact that the research that I will be conducting will be published in an academic journal. This means that I will have published work before graduating with my Bachelor's degree. This will be a very positive asset to have when I apply for graduate school. I am so excited for October 6th to get here as that is when we leave for Maine." +"I just got back from my trip to Maine. I had never been there. Maine had gorgeous scenery, and the weather was perfect. I truly was surprised and taken back because no one ever talks about traveling to Maine or Maine being on their bucket list. I spent my mornings and afternoons working on my grant research project. I really did not mind, though, as it is what I am passionate about. My project went really well! I thought I did great. I bonded with the other student too. When my project is published, I believe this is really going to help my resume. I'm super pumped about having this project under my belt. When I was done for the day, I explored parks and rivers. I hope that I can always remember the scenes that I came upon. I ate at several fabulous restaurants. Their seafood is unbelievable and very fresh. I captured beautiful sunsets. I also met some new people that I plan to stay in contact with. Overall, it was a fabulous trip. I'm extremely grateful that my university picked me as one of the two students to represent the school for the project." +"So we were going to my uncle's wedding that I hadn't saw for a few years. Since we both have pretty hectic lives, we had input our destination some time ago. As usual we hit traffic on the way to our destination. So after 30 minutes of backtracking, side streets and getting on and off the highways we finally arrived. Or so we thought. We quickly parked, hit the lobby bathroom and went down the street to the location. When we got inside the reception was going full swing. I noticed it was kind of odd that I didn't recognize anyone there. Like literally anyone. We found some empty seats and surveyed the room. I remember whispering, ""um, I think somethings wrong."" A little while after that a elderly gentleman sat down with us and starting telling us a story of the bride and groom when they were young. And the groom had a different name than my uncle. Apparently the venue had a conflict with scheduling and the reception had been moved to a different location. Which we were not aware of. Guess they missed us on the update, or we just didn't pay attention to it. Upon realizing our mistake we casually made our way to the exit and rushed back to the car. A couple of phone calls later and some more driving and we arrived at the correct location." +"Around seven months ago, I was out with friends celebrating my birthday. It was a fun night overall of catching up and enjoying ourselves. By the end of the night we find ourselves stopping at Target because a friend needed something out of there. Everyone else wanted some sort of refreshments so they agreed to stop as well. So we go in the store and basically split off from one large group. I find myself heading towards electronics as usual to browse. A bit after I'm browsing, I realize I need something near sporting goods. I stop in an isle and I hear a voice call my name. I froze, caught up in a whirlwind of tons of emotions because I recognized that voice. It was my ex girlfriend that I'd known for over a decade. She looked different, like the happiness had been sucked out of her. She looked tired, really tired and I wondered how she'd been. She didn't explode with excitement or even move. Quizzically, she just said my name again. I greeted her and we embraced. We hugged for what seemed like 10 minutes and then we finally broke apart and began to catch up. I tried to keep everything casual but on the inside I felt a bit bad for her and missed her. She told me about some of the rougher things that were going on and caught me up on what she had been doing. By the end of it all, I couldn't help but to feel a bit bad but I was happy to have seen her. We promised to keep in touch and then parted ways again." +"Two and a half months ago, it was my birthday. I was celebrating in different ways with family and friends for the most of the day but the last place I expected to be by the end of the night was a Target. There's this girl I've known for about 13 years now. During those 13 years we would date, break up, date, break up. Eventually, the last time it happened, we stopped talking for the longest time period and to me it was like we both finally got the point that it wouldn't work out. This night, someone wanted to stop really quickly at Target because they needed something to drink and another person wanted to grab something for their phone. I break off alone and walk through the store to find something in particular and this familiar voice calls my name. I'm terrified and happy at the same time when I hear it because I know it's her. I think of all of the pain and heartbreak associated with her and how much I despised her after we stopped talking three years before. Yet, there she was, saying my name in the gentle yet comforting way she always did and smiling at me like I was something to be proud of. We walked towards each other, stunned, and embraced one another. For what seemed like ages, we just held each other and didn't say anything. Finally, after two minutes or so she whispered in my ear, ""I miss you"". I walked around with her that night and we talked for a while and caught up. She told me how awful her life had been going and expressed how she wanted to end it all. By the end of it all, I unblocked her from my phone and saw older texts flood in. I ended up calling her again. It would probably turn out to be a mistake but realistically, even through all of the rough patches, she was the only one that really made sense to me." +"This dairy event here was about a project I had to do with another person, who did not like to keep in touch, or do normal communications. He was rather distant and not like others at all. The project, a presentation was due and he never contacted me. I just unsure and nervous about the presentation, and even more so since he did not contact me. He felt that I should have known that he would do his part. That for me to question that was silly. Not sure why he felt that way since I did not know him or his work ethics. Anyway everything worked out in the end and all was good with the presentation, it worked but made me uncomfortable. The event was okay, and we got an a. The project would have less stressful with proper communication. He probably thought I was normal. I am not but that is not important. The project was stressful without adding stress. I felt it could have worked out better. I am a high functioning autistics, he felt I was normal. I had him fooled." +"This dairy event here was about a project I had to do with another person, who did not like to keep in touch, or do normal communications. He was rather distant and not like others at all. The project, a presentation was due and he never contacted me. I just unsure and nervous about the presentation, and even more so since he did not contact me. He felt that I should have known that he would do his part. That for me to question that was silly. Not sure why he felt that way since I did not know him or his work ethics. Anyway everything worked out in the end and all was good with the presentation, it worked but made me uncomfortable. The event was okay, and we got an a. The project would have less stressful with proper communication. He probably thought I was normal. I am not but that is not important. The project was stressful without adding stress. I felt it could have worked out better. I am a high functioning autistics, he felt I was normal. I had him fooled." +"So, I had started this job that seemed so promising, but it was an absolute nightmare. My boss was horrible and rude, and he would steal our tip money. I always felt exhausted from running around constantly. The customers never seemed to be happy, and I never seemed to do anything right. I couldn't stay any longer, so I quit after only two weeks. i felt kind of guilty, but no pay was better than making myself miserable. I'm super glad I listened to myself though. About a week and a half after quitting, I found another job. It was similar to what I was doing before, so I was kind of nervous applying. The boss seemed really cool though, so i thought I would give the job (and her a chance)Boy, was I blown away! It was the complete opposite of my last job. My coworkers were awesome, and my boss even better. The customers seemed genuinely happy to be there. I never would have gotten the job if I hadn't quit the other one, and I've been here for 4 months! It was the best decision I have ever made." +"Several months ago, I was able to meet with the professor of my top choice medical school that I was applying to. My uncle put me in contact with the professor, and said that he was very influential in the school, and that his mentorship and rotating with him would improve my chances of an acceptance. Early that morning, my uncle gave me his e-mail address, and I wrote him an e-mail expressing my interest in shadowing him and gaining his insight. A few minutes later, he e-mailed me back, and told me to meet him at the school that day. This threw me off guard, as I wasn't expecting even an e-mail from him that day, much less to drive to the medical school and meet with him. I quickly put on a pair of chinos, and a collared shirt (which was wrinkled because I didn't have anything ironed), and drove to the medical school to meet with him. It took me about twenty minutes to get there, and about another 10 to wait in front of the front desk. It was awkward explaining my situation to the receptionist out front, since I was neither a medical student nor a patient, but just a desperate individual trying to get into medical school. His assistant eventually called me in, and he walked me over to a conference room where we went through my application. I initially didn't know what to expect from the conversation, or what he would ask of me. My grades weren't the best, but I had a relatively MCAT score that would make me competitive for most schools. I was shocked by how nice he was, and what length he was going to for a person that he had never met. He told me that I would be competitive for his school, as well as a number of other schools. He told me that I needed to finish the rest of my application ASAP however, which I kind of already knew to begin with. However, hearing it from him gave me a sense of urgency, so I ended up being determined to finish it. This conversation continued for over an hour, as we went through things I could do to improve my application. Overall, I was really impressed how giving he was. I can't say that I've ever encountered someone so willing to help out a total stranger. This confirmed that this school was my top choice, and it was my mission to become accepted there." +"Several months ago, I was able to meet with the professor of my top choice medical school that I was applying to. My uncle put me in contact with the professor, and said that he was very influential in the school, and that his mentorship and rotating with him would improve my chances of an acceptance. Early that morning, my uncle gave me his e-mail address, and I wrote him an e-mail expressing my interest in shadowing him and gaining his insight. A few minutes later, he e-mailed me back, and told me to meet him at the school that day. This threw me off guard, as I wasn't expecting even an e-mail from him that day, much less to drive to the medical school and meet with him. I quickly put on a pair of chinos, and a collared shirt (which was wrinkled because I didn't have anything ironed), and drove to the medical school to meet with him. It took me about twenty minutes to get there, and about another 10 to wait in front of the front desk. It was awkward explaining my situation to the receptionist out front, since I was neither a medical student nor a patient, but just a desperate individual trying to get into medical school. His assistant eventually called me in, and he walked me over to a conference room where we went through my application. I initially didn't know what to expect from the conversation, or what he would ask of me. My grades weren't the best, but I had a relatively MCAT score that would make me competitive for most schools. I was shocked by how nice he was, and what length he was going to for a person that he had never met. He told me that I would be competitive for his school, as well as a number of other schools. He told me that I needed to finish the rest of my application ASAP however, which I kind of already knew to begin with. However, hearing it from him gave me a sense of urgency, so I ended up being determined to finish it. This conversation continued for over an hour, as we went through things I could do to improve my application. Overall, I was really impressed how giving he was. I can't say that I've ever encountered someone so willing to help out a total stranger. This confirmed that this school was my top choice, and it was my mission to become accepted there." +"My cousin is in the Navy. He doesn't get off from duty very often, but he did about 4 months ago or so. He came down to visit us for a few days, maybe a weekend or so. He likes to visit my family the most, as we don't have a great relationship with my grandmother or other extended family. Anyways, we always used to go to a graveyard near our house. This time we decided to go to a nearby Publix or Kroger and buy a bottle of wine each, and we did just that. So around midnight or 1 am, we drank a bottle of wine each and started on the way to the graveyard that was about a half mile or so from the house. We took a shortcut through a wooded section and we heard a coyote howl pretty close to us. I think it might have made both of us jump, so we hurried out into the streetlit area. As we neared the graveyard, there was no one else out, no cars on the road at all. Inside the graveyard we sat and talked for awhile. After a while I noticed that there was something that kept flying over us. Every now and then I would see bats flying around the graveyard, which was honestly a very cool thing to see. We both really enjoyed our adventure to the graveyard. Seeing bats in a graveyard and hearing a coyote that close, while both drunk on wine makes for a night I won't forget easily!" +"I have a cousin whom I see only a few times a year, but we get along well. About two months ago he had some time away from his military duties. He wanted to enjoy himself. And so we spent the early part of the evening enjoying some alcoholic beverages. Perhaps we had a few too many. The next thing that I remember is that we were in a graveyard. Along the way I heard a coyote's howl. Then in the graveyard, some bats flew by. It was like something out of a cliched horror film. The drinks were messing with me head. I felt freaked out. But in the end, I would say that it helped me build a bond with my cousin. When I was very young, I embarrassed myself in front of him. I'm not sure he ever had real respect for me after that. I worry that it's always in the back of his mind that I was that pathetic little kid." +"Earlier this summer I went to visit my extended family in another state as I always do. This summer was a special visit though because I made sure to spend extra time with my grandmother. My grandma is very sick and during my visit we were just starting to realize how serious it is. The summer before my grandfather died, so I knew it was important to spend time with my grandma because we never know how much time someone has left on earth. During my week long visit, I made sure that I went and spent extra time with my grandma. I helped her do chores around her house, run errands for her, and just help anyway that I could. I made sure that I had deep and meaningful conversations with her. We talked about life and I got her advice on somethings that I thought were important. During the rest of my visit I hung out with my other family members and we did a lot of fun things. We went skating, to the library, to a softball game and shopping. Other days we visited different family members. And most days we lounged by the pool soaking up the sun. I really had a lot of fun. And of course I enjoyed seeing everyone. But the most important and fun part about this visit was spending time with my grandma." +"Earlier this summer, in June, I went to visit my aunt in another state. I always stay with her about a week each summer with my 3 children. She lives there with my uncle and her two children. We look forward to it every year. It is a special visit always. But this year was extra special. My granny, who lives right now the road, is very sick with an incurable disease. She very likely will not be here on earth for our next visit next summer. So I made a point to visit her and spend extra time with her. When I arrived I was take aback because she was much sicker than she was the last time I saw her. I sat and talked with her, helped her around the house, and ran errands for her. I visited her on numerous days this visit. Last year, her husband, my grandpa, died. So I know how important it is to spend time with her because it may be limited. As a matter of fact, my grandpa died one week after my visit last year and I was so grateful that I made a point to spend time with him. During my visit with my granny I had deep conversations with my her. She told me details about her life that I did not know, and gave my advice about my own life. I will cherish that forever. I also spent a lot of time with my various family members, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. We had a blast as always. We sat by the pool and sunbathed. We went to softball games. We went to a skating rink and out to eat. We played with puppies. Overall, the visit was perfect, and made even better with time spent with my granny." +"well i did it. I retired from the military. I never thought i would do it so early, it was my career you know? you stay at a career until you can no longer do it anymore...at least that was the way i was brought up. 20 years is a long time, but heck i'm barely in my 40s and already retired! Now what do i do? But i HAD to do it. that day...that bus...it haunts my dreams. Could this have been prevented? I don't know..possibly..probably. Its funny ow one event changes how you think about things you thought were one way your whole life...then wow. I cant explain it to anyone, its my personal nightmare. Get therapy. what do THOSE guys know? they've never left the cusion of that sweet couch thy sit on while they are judging you. I'm not talking to them about war and destruction...they wouldn't know destruction. they think destruction is dropping their precious phone. whimps." +"I have been in the military for 20 years. I have reached my goal of being in the military long enough to receive a lifetime pension for myself and my spouse. I am very proud of my service and everything I have done for this country for the past 20 years. Last week, I started the process of retiring. As difficult as that decision was, I felt it was time, at that particular moment. However, yesterday, I came across a bus filled with children. As I was approaching an area adjacent to the bus, the bus exploded. I ran over to try to commence rescue and recovery, but there was no hope. A difficult decision to retire has become very simple. However, this presented a new challenge. I have to wait to retire from the military until the process is complete. The process can take anywhere from 3-6 months. After this bus explosion, I'm not certain I can wait that long. I already feel like I spent one too many days in the military, but I'm not able to get out until my retirement process is completed. As I'm taught to do, I'm going to try to suck it up and get through these remaining months. However, I find that I will have difficulty due to the trauma I experienced from that exploding bus." +"My neighbor works on my vehicle's and he is often very unreliable. He works for a great rate but doesn't communicate and sometimes has take over a month to do a job. So this was one of those times. I went out of state for 3 weeks and dropped it off, assuming that he could do the job while I was gone and I wouldn't be waiting when I got back. It all was very efficient. Well, I got back to town and guess what? The job still wasn't done. I was told it would be done the next day. Nope. The next week. Nope. Then I just wasn't told anything. So while this is going on, another friend who knows how these mechanics can be had a Subaru sitting in his driveway that he didn't want anymore. It was in a bit of rough shape and certainly understandable why it was being given away, but the interior was nice and more importantly it drives like a dream. I couldn't believe how cool this was because the friend I speak of, who gave me the car, was barely a friend at this point. We had maybe hung out 2 or 3 times. It was just completely unexpected and came at a great time. I was able to sell my Jeep to someone who really needed it and the car has treated me well for the most part. Although currently I'm again waiting on repairs ." +"My neighbor works on my vehicle's and he is often very unreliable. He works for a great rate but doesn't communicate and sometimes has take over a month to do a job. So this was one of those times. I went out of state for 3 weeks and dropped it off, assuming that he could do the job while I was gone and I wouldn't be waiting when I got back. It all was very efficient. Well, I got back to town and guess what? The job still wasn't done. I was told it would be done the next day. Nope. The next week. Nope. Then I just wasn't told anything. So while this is going on, another friend who knows how these mechanics can be had a Subaru sitting in his driveway that he didn't want anymore. It was in a bit of rough shape and certainly understandable why it was being given away, but the interior was nice and more importantly it drives like a dream. I couldn't believe how cool this was because the friend I speak of, who gave me the car, was barely a friend at this point. We had maybe hung out 2 or 3 times. It was just completely unexpected and came at a great time. I was able to sell my Jeep to someone who really needed it and the car has treated me well for the most part. Although currently I'm again waiting on repairs ." +"I was really upset when I was fired. I never thought that that would happen to me. I immediately began to worry about finding another job and how I would pay my bills on time. I didn't have much of a savings at the time. It took me a little while to decide what I would do. I was going to have to start all over again. That was 5 months ago now. I have since started a new career program. I always thought that I might go back to school but being fired made me really consider it. I have been doing well by being really careful with money while I look for a new job in a totally different field. My mom has been letting me stay with her and we've been getting along better than ever. I feel really great about this new program. It always seemed risky when I was working for my former employer. I'm doing surprisingly well, top of my class actually. I've made countless new friends and even some contacts that will help once I'm working again. I just can't wait to find a job but I know that once I do, I'll be really glad that I was able to pursue my dreams." +"My youngest brother and his wife had their first child! She was told that she would never be able to have children so it was truly a miracle. It is my niece/nephew so it is very exciting for me. My brother's wife had complications with the pregnancy a month before the due date so they had to induce labor. It was scary because she was already a high risk pregnancy. They induced labor and nothing was working correctly. She spent 3 days in the hospital before giving birth. Me and my mother went to see her and my brother, even though they were exhausted. I felt so terrible for her because she had to have a balloon inside of her to expand her cervix so she was in extreme pain. We didn't stay that long because we didn't want to bother her. The next day they gave birth to a healthy baby girl with a full head of hair! She is so precious! I was beyond happy for them and also excited because I can't wait to see her grown and get to know her. It gives me a way to live vicariously because I don't think that I will ever have any kids of my own. Even if I do have kids down the line, I'm excited they will have a cousin to look up to." +"My youngest brother and his wife had their first child! She was told that she would never be able to have children so it was truly a miracle. It is my niece/nephew so it is very exciting for me. My brother's wife had complications with the pregnancy a month before the due date so they had to induce labor. It was scary because she was already a high risk pregnancy. They induced labor and nothing was working correctly. She spent 3 days in the hospital before giving birth. Me and my mother went to see her and my brother, even though they were exhausted. I felt so terrible for her because she had to have a balloon inside of her to expand her cervix so she was in extreme pain. We didn't stay that long because we didn't want to bother her. The next day they gave birth to a healthy baby girl with a full head of hair! She is so precious! I was beyond happy for them and also excited because I can't wait to see her grown and get to know her. It gives me a way to live vicariously because I don't think that I will ever have any kids of my own. Even if I do have kids down the line, I'm excited they will have a cousin to look up to." +"I recently went to a American Quarter Horse Show in Camden, South Carolina. The show took place the middle of April. While at the show, we watched several extremely talented riders. There were several different disciplines including showmanship, roping, and reigning. In showmanship, the rider walked to horse out into the arena to be judged. While they are being judged, they are asked to do several different tasks. These tasks can be walking, running, backing up, or turning the horse. Whenever a rider is showing their horse, the stay on the opposite side of the judge, so they are not in the way. Roping is when you have the rider behind a locked gate. A person at another gate releases an animal, usually a calf. The rider rides in to throw a rope around the calf's neck. If the rider is successful, they are timed. The times are ranked. The person with the best time wins that round. Next, Reigning is when a rider comes in riding their horse. The horse and rider are challenged with several different tasks, many which consist of spinning. Spinning is making tight circles while going as fast as the rider can. At the end of their presentation, they often run the horse and have then slide into a sitting position. Reigning is a difficult class, but one that is especially fun to watch. If you ever have the chance to attend an American Quarter Horse Show, you will not regret it." +"My wife and I went to a wedding a few months ago. It was for a few friends and my wife was in the wedding. I wasn’t in the wedding, but I might as well have been. I basically made sure that everything went smoothly. First, I made sure that the groom made it to the ceremony. He had some alcohol beforehand and started to get emotional. I made sure that he stayed under control. Then, after the ceremony, I made sure to get everyone drinks and snacks while they got their pictures taken. The bridal dance was a mess initially because nobody knew what they were doing. I made sure that it went well and that everyone kept dancing. At the end of the night, I helped load the cars. Basically, I made sure that the wedding went off without a hitch. These originally were my wife’s friends so she was very appreciative. As a result, she definitely was looking to reward me. So, we ended up having some amazing sex at the end of the night. It definitely was an experience to remember." +"We recently were at a wedding involving two close friends. I was not in the wedding, but my wife was in it. It turns out that I probably should have been in the wedding because I did a lot to make sure that it went well. The groom was a bit nervous beforehand and I took it upon myself to make sure that he kept it together. I made sure that the bridal party had food and drinks while they were getting their pictures taken. I made sure that the bridal dance went well. Nobody knew how it worked, so it was up to me to make sure that people had fun doing it. I also helped a clean up afterwards. It was a little frustrating at times because I basically had to babysit people throughout the night. However, it felt good to be a part of things even though I wasn't in the wedding. People were very appreciative of the things that I did to help. It definitely made for a fun and memorable experience. These were my wife's friends originally, so she was very appreciative of my help as well. This appreciation, coupled with the emotions of the wedding, definitely brought us closer. Add in a little alcohol and we ended up having amazing sex that evening. Suffice it to say that this was a great day that I won't forget anytime soon." +"My partner and I recently moved to a new state, just across the border. But this meant about a couple hours drive for family to see us. After a short while we were having my mother come stay with us. Knowing my mother I know she likes this to be particular. She also really loves our home state and doesn't want to move from it. She's a New Englander through and through but feels that some of the major states, like Mass and NY are too busy for her. Anyway, she arrived the Friday and would be staying for a week. We spent the first day or two getting her settled in and showing my mom how we lived. How we liked to cook, how we used our little firepit outside our home and how much space our dog had to run around. She seemed to be quite happy staying with us. We went out one night for dinner and she loved the city so much we stayed out, getting drinks and bar hopping for hours. I think she really took too and enjoy the time being in a new city and state and being around different people. After the days rolled by and we spent our evenings together she got really involved. She cooked in our kitchen, made a meal for us, we drank lots of wine and watched movies on the couch. We just enjoyed the cool evenings of summer out on our patio, by the fire, cooking outside and having fun. After the week ended and she was preparing to head back, she asked about coming back with my dad when he could get off work for a weekend. This was thrilling, it was amazing to have my mother be so excited about joining us out here and wanting to spend more time with us. We made plans and they'll be coming out in just a few days. I can't wait!" +"My partner and I recently moved to a new state, just across the border. But this meant about a couple hours drive for family to see us. After a short while we were having my mother come stay with us. Knowing my mother I know she likes this to be particular. She also really loves our home state and doesn't want to move from it. She's a New Englander through and through but feels that some of the major states, like Mass and NY are too busy for her. Anyway, she arrived the Friday and would be staying for a week. We spent the first day or two getting her settled in and showing my mom how we lived. How we liked to cook, how we used our little firepit outside our home and how much space our dog had to run around. She seemed to be quite happy staying with us. We went out one night for dinner and she loved the city so much we stayed out, getting drinks and bar hopping for hours. I think she really took too and enjoy the time being in a new city and state and being around different people. After the days rolled by and we spent our evenings together she got really involved. She cooked in our kitchen, made a meal for us, we drank lots of wine and watched movies on the couch. We just enjoyed the cool evenings of summer out on our patio, by the fire, cooking outside and having fun. After the week ended and she was preparing to head back, she asked about coming back with my dad when he could get off work for a weekend. This was thrilling, it was amazing to have my mother be so excited about joining us out here and wanting to spend more time with us. We made plans and they'll be coming out in just a few days. I can't wait!" +"Three years ago I finally realized a goal I had for many years. I went back to school and acquired my masters degree. After finally realizing this goal I started looking for a job and after over a year looking I found a job. The job was a dream come true for me, a wonderful opportunity. However, after only eight months I was laid off. Ever since I started, my immediate supervisor felt threatened. She is a very smart girl with so much potential but for some reason she did not want me to succeed. I experienced some things I would have never imagined. Things like messing with files I have worked on or flat out deleting them. I caught on and started saving my work in my own UBS but she was on a mission to get me out. I am definitely an asset to whoever I work with. I am hard working and always willing to learn. I believe my age might hold me back a bit but the reason why she did not want me there is a mystery. I have to say, I did a good job and was always willing to work with good attitude no matter how she treated me. I guess there is something better waiting for me." +"It was the greatest feeling ever. I finally was in my dream job. I finished my degree, I went to the interview, and I completely nailed it. It took me so long to get my Master's degree too. It finally felt to me like all my hard work was paying off. I would never forget that day. I even went out with my mom and dad to celebrate, it was so big of an event. Once I actually started working, I found I loved the job even more. I finally felt like I had the perfect job. I finally knew what all those people I had thought were crazy were talking about when saying they had a job that wasn't a job. To me, my job was just so much better than any job I ever did. That's where the good part ends. My boss had never liked me. This was so extremely scary to me, because I had never done anything to my boss to make him act this way. He simply felt that I was performing so well that I would go after his position. I didn't care about all that, but what did he know. After eight wonderful months, I was let go. I will never forget this, as I view it as a great injustice. I don't think I'll ever have a job as good again." +"Two months ago, I was really struggling financially. I am the sole provider in my household. I do not make all that much money. My job is about an hour and a half away in walking distance. For the entire year, I walked to and from the workplace because taxis would eliminate all of my profits from that day. I wanted to pick up extra shifts, but the walking destroyed my energy. I started to save up for a car. I was quickly beginning to realize that I was unable to save any decent amount of money up because too many bills kept piling up. I then got the flu and I had to miss an entire week of work, which only made matters worse. After I got better, I returned to work, but I was already way behind on my finances. There was no overtime available to me, either. I asked my stepfather for help looking for a car back in June of this year. He agreed to do so, but I told him that I was on a really tight budget. He then contacted me and told me that he had found a car. The memorable moment was this: He gave me the car for free! I did not expect it. He told me that he had seen how hard I was trying and he just wanted to help me out. I am forever thankful to him and I even offered to repay him, which he refused to accept." +"When we first started planning our vacation, we knew that we wanted some place that was relaxing, that we could take our children and just not have to travel around too. We picked the beautiful city of Seaside, Florida. We planned out where we would stay, the things that we would do and how many times we would eat out. My sister and I decided that she would pay for the beach house and my husband and I would pay for the rental van and the cost of the gas and then we would split the cost of the food on days that we didn't eat out. We planned a pretty relaxing time and most days were uneventful and we spent 5-6 hours at the beach. There was one day that we spent in Panama City and we toured the town, shopped and ate at Pompano Joes. There was another day that we drove back into Destin, toured the city, watched the fisherman fillet huge fish and ate at Dewey Destin. We spent a few different evenings walking about 2-3 miles to the beach, to catch little crabs, dig for seashells and just splash around in the water, while my sister was snapping pictures. We spent one Thursday evening having our family pictures professionally taken and those memories will never be lost! I seen my children having a fantastic time just being kids. My smaller little one was getting brave the last day that we were there, riding an intertube out into the ocean just a bit. The last time that she seen the ocean was when she was about 8 months old, so this was such a blessing to be able to take her back. I love spending time with my family and having those memories to hold onto. We seen sea turtles, dolphins, manatees and a baby shark, while we were on the pier in Panama City. My oldest experienced a ferris wheel and getting to gaze over the city with my niece and sister. We seen the cities biggest candy shop and I seen my little girls eyes, as big as saucers. I have a new found love for my husband, as I know the drive was torture and it wasn't cheap. I seen him playing with my kids, especially my girls that made me fall inlove with him all over again. It made me wish that we lived closer and could experience that same things on more of a regular basis. The city of Seaside will always have a piece of my heart and I can't wait to return." +"When we first started planning our vacation, we knew that we wanted some place that was relaxing, that we could take our children and just not have to travel around too. We picked the beautiful city of Seaside, Florida. We planned out where we would stay, the things that we would do and how many times we would eat out. My sister and I decided that she would pay for the beach house and my husband and I would pay for the rental van and the cost of the gas and then we would split the cost of the food on days that we didn't eat out. We planned a pretty relaxing time and most days were uneventful and we spent 5-6 hours at the beach. There was one day that we spent in Panama City and we toured the town, shopped and ate at Pompano Joes. There was another day that we drove back into Destin, toured the city, watched the fisherman fillet huge fish and ate at Dewey Destin. We spent a few different evenings walking about 2-3 miles to the beach, to catch little crabs, dig for seashells and just splash around in the water, while my sister was snapping pictures. We spent one Thursday evening having our family pictures professionally taken and those memories will never be lost! I seen my children having a fantastic time just being kids. My smaller little one was getting brave the last day that we were there, riding an intertube out into the ocean just a bit. The last time that she seen the ocean was when she was about 8 months old, so this was such a blessing to be able to take her back. I love spending time with my family and having those memories to hold onto. We seen sea turtles, dolphins, manatees and a baby shark, while we were on the pier in Panama City. My oldest experienced a ferris wheel and getting to gaze over the city with my niece and sister. We seen the cities biggest candy shop and I seen my little girls eyes, as big as saucers. I have a new found love for my husband, as I know the drive was torture and it wasn't cheap. I seen him playing with my kids, especially my girls that made me fall inlove with him all over again. It made me wish that we lived closer and could experience that same things on more of a regular basis. The city of Seaside will always have a piece of my heart and I can't wait to return." +"Things have been surreal these last few days. The shooting in my hometown happened two weeks ago, but it still feels like yesterday. Everything has been like a blur since that day. My phone has been in a constant state of activity with so many friends from other states reaching out to see how I am. Everyone wants to know if I knew any of the victims. The crazy thing is that I truly didn't know how to answer them. I was waiting for plenty of responses from other friends who live nearby, so it was very stressful. You never really expect this type of thing to happen to you in your own backyard, so it has understandably rocked us all to the core. The vibe around town has also changed quite a bit. People seem more cut off, more distant towards others. For so many people to lose their life because of senseless violence is just a complete tragedy. And to make matters worse the shooter was known to many people and a lifelong resident. My younger brother went to school with him and even shared some classes. Though he moved away after graduating high school, he still has vivid memories of the shooter back before he showed violent tendencies. All in all it's just been a rough time here lately, though I'm hopeful we can move past this. We might never forget how this event changed our lives that day, but we can definitely be stronger from it." +"In summer we went to my nephew 's wedding. It is in a state that i lived before. There was this nature that is different thn here in South, where I live now. Flowers , mountains, diffrent trees everything brought me back to my childhood. Was so precious. i enjoy every moment of it. I met at the wedding old friends, I have to meet family, that i did not meet in long time. There was this beautiful bush of roses on the fence of the neighbour, that I was seeing only in my childhood. It was facinating. Looking every morning, till we were there brought me so much joy. I had to spend time with my grandaughter, she was so friendly and so loving. All the time excited to see new things and playing , non stop. It just reminded me how small kids can look at everything like exciting . When we grow, we are not paying attention, we get bored or non appreciative. Wedding was so full of dances, joy and just everyone look at their bes. beautiful dresses. The groom and bride was marvelous, happy, relaxed and just had so much fun. I loved seeing all relatives, that i seen only on social media, but not in person. This event kept me warm for a long time. I often think about it. Ilke memories that are good. Makes me feel loved, happy and appreciative." +"It was my nephew wedding. The event was planned long time ago. And we were all so excited to go.We have to travel far and has to coordinate things with other family. We have to arive at the aitrport in different days than my son, who was commming from another state. So my brother can have time to pick all of us and not be preassured.The wedding was first in church. Was very emotional. I was dressed very nice. And was so excited to be there with my grandaughter too. She was dressed so cute . Dress was blue and all with ruffles. She fell she was a princess. I remember dancing all the time with her during the night. She was dragging me all around to play with other kids."" Grandma, lets go play"". We live far from my son and my grandaughter. So i enjoy so much being with her.I let my son and his wife enjoy their time. The wedding was perfect too. They had all these amazing games and fun things. Was invited a famous singer and everyone enjoyed it and was singing with him.Very popular songs.Was very surprising at one point they ask all of us to go out to tha lake .The groom and bride dance in a circle. And we all dance too . They light some special fires that was in a cops and can rotate. So everything was suddenly in a red light. Just an amazing effect.I worried it may rain. previous days was raining. but we were lucky. Weather aws perfect. Bright skys." +"So my husband and I decided that we wanted to try experiencing new things, so we got together with another couple and we tried many different new things together. It was fun and we all had such a great time together. We also learned many new things from each other that we didn't know before. It was just great. At first I hesitated, because I wasn't sure if that's what I wanted but after experiencing it, I just want to experience it over and over again. I didn't want the fun to end when it just started. So we got together. And we did it. Again and again. Soon we were great friends, and everything was just perfect. I'm so glad we tried it out. And my husband is also very glad. It's just so much fun! I love it. It's great." +we are very big family. once upon a time. we enjoyed lot. we played many plays. we always happy. but that was very different because every body separate as a single family. i hate this. this is not good. and also an abusive relationship with my mom and brother. that would eventually lead to them stealing from me. this was happened 11 months ago. after that i went to hostel and stay alone. i didn't like the situation what was going in my house. but i hoped this will change one day. after 11 months the family was changed totally like as before. i was very happy. and come to home again and joint with my family. +"My girlfriend and I had been together for a little over eight years, and I finally decided it was time to propose to her. I knew that it had to be now or never because we had been together for so long that people were starting to wonder if we'd ever be engaged. All I knew was that I was finally ready to be committed to her. I had the perfect opportunity when we went on a beach vacation together over the summer. It was the very first time she had ever been to a beach of any kind, so that made it even more special for us. A few weeks prior to the trip, I went to the jeweler that I had been ring shopping at for months and purchased the ring. I made sure that I kept it in the box but also inside another small container so she would never suspect it. I placed it inside one of my bags that I was bringing with me to the beach so I would not forget it. We were at the beach for a few days and when we were walking on the beach at sunset, I decided to propose right then and there. I got down on one knee on the sand and asked her if she would be my wife. She thankfully said yes, and at that moment I was the happiest person on the planet. It was also kind of funny because I recall not seeing anyone too close to us, but after she said yes I heard a couple people start clapping in the distance. I remember it being one of, if not the most, nerve wracking and scary moments of my life. I knew that she would say yes, but at the same time it still made me incredibly nervous. I am so glad that I finally had the courage to propose to my long-time girlfriend because she is the one. I will always cherish this magical moment for the rest of my life." +"Just a few months ago I made one of the biggest (and scariest) decisions of my life. My girlfriend and I had been dating for about 8 years and decided it was time to take a nice vacation for just the two of us. After discussing it for a while I found out she had never been to a beach, so we decided to head to Miami. She was so excited and everything was perfect, however there was another reason I wanted to take this vacation. I decided that she was the love of my life and it was high time that I went ahead and asked her to marry me. So I found the perfect beach in Miami for us and decided this would be where I popped the question. After the flight, we checked into our hotels around 5pm and decided to go out to eat before we went to the beach. I got the ring ready, and decided it was about time to make the biggest decision of my life. Dinner was amazing, I had the fried calamari and she ordered the baked salmon. I saw the gleam in her eyes and debated whether to ask here then and there. Something in me told me that the beach would be the perfect place, so I decided to wait. After dinner we got changed and headed to the beach, when she saw the sunset her eyes lit up and you could tell that she was amazed at what she saw. I figured this was the best time, so I grabbed her hand and got down on one Knee. Her hand pressed quickly over her mouth as I finally got the nerve to ask ""would you marry me"". Tears ran down her cheek and as she shivered with excitement nodded her head and said ""Yes"". This was the greatest day of my life and the start to many great adventures." +"Just a few months ago I made one of the biggest (and scariest) decisions of my life. My girlfriend and I had been dating for about 8 years and decided it was time to take a nice vacation for just the two of us. After discussing it for a while I found out she had never been to a beach, so we decided to head to Miami. She was so excited and everything was perfect, however there was another reason I wanted to take this vacation. I decided that she was the love of my life and it was high time that I went ahead and asked her to marry me. So I found the perfect beach in Miami for us and decided this would be where I popped the question. After the flight, we checked into our hotels around 5pm and decided to go out to eat before we went to the beach. I got the ring ready, and decided it was about time to make the biggest decision of my life. Dinner was amazing, I had the fried calamari and she ordered the baked salmon. I saw the gleam in her eyes and debated whether to ask here then and there. Something in me told me that the beach would be the perfect place, so I decided to wait. After dinner we got changed and headed to the beach, when she saw the sunset her eyes lit up and you could tell that she was amazed at what she saw. I figured this was the best time, so I grabbed her hand and got down on one Knee. Her hand pressed quickly over her mouth as I finally got the nerve to ask ""would you marry me"". Tears ran down her cheek and as she shivered with excitement nodded her head and said ""Yes"". This was the greatest day of my life and the start to many great adventures." +"We have been dating for over 5years and the talk was marriage wasn't something that we were allowed to discuss in any of our homes. We tried to make our parents understand our point of view but you know how South Asian families are when it comes to caste and religion. Only thing Oshan and I knew that very day back in April was that we were going to get married that month and we were going to go ahead with our plans no matter what obstacles we would have to face. See, Asian families have this idea of who a perfect partner for your child is. The thing they don't understand is that they want their child to marry a stranger just because they like that person, not even considering the opinion or the choice of their own child. Our case was similar. He was tall and I was short, I was a bit on the chubby side and I wore glasses. The only issue his family had with me was that I was fat, ugly and a christian. Too bad they didn't realize that I was a warrior. There was this one time when his father actually told my father that I was fat, and my father responded saying, ""I feed my children well and unlike your kids mine aren't malnourished.""! My parents were supportive of our marriage and relationship unlike his parents. Getting back to April, we decided we would get married after witnessing our families fight with each other regarding our relationship for nearly 2 years. On the 28th we went ahead as planned, at my house. Just like that we got married! No big wedding, just us and a few close friends and a good BBQ! I still remember the tiny little details just like yesterday. I was excited and so was he. He got me flowers in the morning to decorate and they were white and yellow. The skies were a bit dark and all of us were worried that it might rain in the evening, and it sure did! He came over with his friends in the pouring rain and was wearing a light grey suit. I was in an emerald green dress with a bouquet of flowers made with yellow, white and green. It was beautiful. Everything went according to plan. The only people missing were his family. They refused to come." +"My brother has always wanted to be a law enforcement officer and he decided to take steps to pursue his career as soon as he turned 18. When he turned 18 he began doing local programs with the police where he could train in community programs. At the same time, he attended college and obtained his criminal justice degree. By the time he graduated, he had several years of experience with the local police program, a criminal justice degree, and a clean record. He applied to become a Sheriff and he was chosen out of dozens of applicants. There were six people hired total and my brother was one of them and I can remember when he broke the news to the family. He sent a message in the family chat on Facebook where our family members communicate. The message informed us that he had been accepted by the Sheriff's office and would be having a commissioning ceremony next month. The ceremony began at 7 am but I arrived 45 minutes early. I talked with my grandparents in the parking lot of the Sheriff's office while we waited for the others to arrive. At about 7 am, a Sheriff came to the gate and let in the group of family members which had swelled to include the family of the other applicants. We were led through the Sheriff's office where we saw all kinds of memorabilia including old photos, awards, and memorials. Finally, we arrived in a conference room where my brother was waiting with the other applicants. After a brief speech, the Sheriff himself arrived and gave a speech of his own about how family is what is most important and the reason why they do the job they do. Lastly, the Sheriff pinned badges onto each of the six new Sheriffs including my brother finalizing their acceptance in the program. Sadly, were not allowed to visit afterwards because they had to begin training right away. We had planned to go to breakfast with my brother in celebration but our plans were not to be. It was still a moment of great pride and I am glad to have been there for such an important occasion in my brother's life." +"My brother has always wanted to be a law enforcement officer and he decided to take steps to pursue his career as soon as he turned 18. When he turned 18 he began doing local programs with the police where he could train in community programs. At the same time, he attended college and obtained his criminal justice degree. By the time he graduated, he had several years of experience with the local police program, a criminal justice degree, and a clean record. He applied to become a Sheriff and he was chosen out of dozens of applicants. There were six people hired total and my brother was one of them and I can remember when he broke the news to the family. He sent a message in the family chat on Facebook where our family members communicate. The message informed us that he had been accepted by the Sheriff's office and would be having a commissioning ceremony next month. The ceremony began at 7 am but I arrived 45 minutes early. I talked with my grandparents in the parking lot of the Sheriff's office while we waited for the others to arrive. At about 7 am, a Sheriff came to the gate and let in the group of family members which had swelled to include the family of the other applicants. We were led through the Sheriff's office where we saw all kinds of memorabilia including old photos, awards, and memorials. Finally, we arrived in a conference room where my brother was waiting with the other applicants. After a brief speech, the Sheriff himself arrived and gave a speech of his own about how family is what is most important and the reason why they do the job they do. Lastly, the Sheriff pinned badges onto each of the six new Sheriffs including my brother finalizing their acceptance in the program. Sadly, were not allowed to visit afterwards because they had to begin training right away. We had planned to go to breakfast with my brother in celebration but our plans were not to be. It was still a moment of great pride and I am glad to have been there for such an important occasion in my brother's life." +"In class today, we were asked to write about life experiences. I was drawing a huge blank! I didn't really have it in me to write a long tale about anything, but I also didn't feel inspired to write a short story. I thought about writing in the fashion of Bukowski, but I recalled how our professor stated to never write like someone else. We were to write how we'd want to be heard. When I decided to just write and see what came out, it came out disjointed. Nothing really made much sense regardless and it was a flowing sea of words that were choppy like waves. Soon, I realize that maybe I was thinking about this all wrong. I thought how writing like Bukowski is different than writing in the style of him. His style is very unique and I really love how he tells stories. Maybe his style is a little disjointed, much like my writing in the class was becoming. At the end of the class, we all turned into the professor our work. The next day, I was called to the front to read my story and was used as an example of how to write in the style of someone and not copying them. I was flattered that my work was recognized! It was even more flattering when I knew that my paper was probably just a disjointing thought process written to paper." +"My wife gave birth to a perfect baby. I had spent the 9-10 months reading to her belly, painting the nursery, assembling baby things, researching about breast feeding and cloth diapering, which carseat to buy, etc. It's crazy getting ready for a baby. We had not found out the sex beforehand, but we were both hoping for a baby girl, and that's what we got! My wife got induced at 6 a.m. and didn't have the baby until 12:17 the next a.m. She was a champ the whole time. When it came time to push, it was all very exciting and happened so quickly. I cut the umbilical cord which I was hesitant about, but I am so glad I did it. When the baby came out and they told us it was a girl, pure joy ran across both of our faces. She was a big, healthy girl. Almost 9 pounds! We fell in love in that instant and fall in love more every day. It was the happiest day of our lives and it has only gotten better. 10/10 would highly recommend." +"I had a memorable experience about two months ago when I got married. I had been looking forward to getting married for a while, as we had been together four years by the time we finally got married. It was enjoyable because I got to share the experience with my family and friends, and it was a beautiful sunny day. I was emotional during the ceremony and was so happy that I could barely stand it. I felt nervous leading up to walking down the isle, but as soon as I got up there and was standing in front of my fiance, I was happy and all of the nervousness left my body. Although some things got messed up throughout the day, there were still more good things than bad. There was a lot of good food to eat and a lot of snacks. It ended up raining not too long after we got done taking pictures, but it only lasted about 10 minutes. It was nice that it rained for a brief period of time because I had heard that it brings good luck, and it also cooled it off a bit. The wedding was outside during the summer, so the break in hot temperatures was refreshing. People ended up staying into the late evening, and I got to talk to family that I don't see that often. I also got to meet more of my husband's family, including his grandmother. She is a nice woman that I enjoyed talking to and getting to know. At the end of the day, I got to relax with my husband and enjoy our first married night together. We both had a great time and I will remember the day for the rest of my life." +"This has been kinda hard to process. I felt that it had been long enough to heal up a bit and start moving forward but it's still so hard. I see their families trying to process things and move passed it. I can't even get passed this, how can they possibly be doing it? I know when i lost my sister i couldn't move for months. literally couldn't get myself moving. it was miserable. i still have hard days, and it has been what....three years now. Another friend of our family passed since i wrote my last entry. she had a young daughter. i've been seeing her pictures from christmas and new years. surrounded by love but she'll never get her mommy back. life is TOUGH. She was really young and had a huge life ahead of her. at least, she had plenty of years to watch and grow. she died from drugs. another young life taken because they wanted to have more fun." +"This has been kinda hard to process. I felt that it had been long enough to heal up a bit and start moving forward but it's still so hard. I see their families trying to process things and move passed it. I can't even get passed this, how can they possibly be doing it? I know when i lost my sister i couldn't move for months. literally couldn't get myself moving. it was miserable. i still have hard days, and it has been what....three years now. Another friend of our family passed since i wrote my last entry. she had a young daughter. i've been seeing her pictures from christmas and new years. surrounded by love but she'll never get her mommy back. life is TOUGH. She was really young and had a huge life ahead of her. at least, she had plenty of years to watch and grow. she died from drugs. another young life taken because they wanted to have more fun." +"Well let me start off by saying that my family and I were very excited about the 4th of july event that was being held at our church. My wife had made her famous potato salad and I was going to be grilling the burgers for everyone. We arrived at the picnic and had everything setup and ready to go. People were showing up with their families and bringing the food they had prepared for the forth of july celebration. This was about six weeks ago and I remember it being very hot that day. I was watching the kids run around around and play and have a good time while my wife visited with the other couples that were at the celebration. I started grilling the hamburgers for the party I had it all setup the grill everything was cooking fine and you could probably smell the grill for about a mile or so. Thats when I herd one of the children say ""hey mama there is a bear over there"". I looked up to see a huge black bear making its way to the celebration. I grabbed some pots and pans that we were using to cook with and started banging them together to make a really loud noise. For some reason I remembered that from some show. Well this got everyone's attention and everybody came over to see what I was banging pots and pans at and saw the black bear running away. Everyone thanked me and we all had a good story to tell later. There was more to the story everyone was packing up to leave as we walked to the cars we all heard noises coming from one car. We all went to check it out and low and behold there was a black bear in somebodys car ripping it apart looking for food in the trunk. We had to scare that bear off also I felt bad for the people whos car the bear tore up." +"Well let me start off by saying that my family and I were very excited about the 4th of july event that was being held at our church. My wife had made her famous potato salad and I was going to be grilling the burgers for everyone. We arrived at the picnic and had everything setup and ready to go. People were showing up with their families and bringing the food they had prepared for the forth of july celebration. This was about six weeks ago and I remember it being very hot that day. I was watching the kids run around around and play and have a good time while my wife visited with the other couples that were at the celebration. I started grilling the hamburgers for the party I had it all setup the grill everything was cooking fine and you could probably smell the grill for about a mile or so. Thats when I herd one of the children say ""hey mama there is a bear over there"". I looked up to see a huge black bear making its way to the celebration. I grabbed some pots and pans that we were using to cook with and started banging them together to make a really loud noise. For some reason I remembered that from some show. Well this got everyone's attention and everybody came over to see what I was banging pots and pans at and saw the black bear running away. Everyone thanked me and we all had a good story to tell later. There was more to the story everyone was packing up to leave as we walked to the cars we all heard noises coming from one car. We all went to check it out and low and behold there was a black bear in somebodys car ripping it apart looking for food in the trunk. We had to scare that bear off also I felt bad for the people whos car the bear tore up." +"It's been four and a half month since I had the job interview at my dream company. I was quite depressed in July and August, after I got the news. Even though I like my current job, I still had a hard time getting out of bed every morning. I dreaded going to work for a while since I thought I was going to be in a new city by then. I cannot believe how certain I was that the job was going to be offered to me. I still don't know what happened there. One reason why I was so depressed was that I lost my confidence. I told to myself, ""If I cannot even get a job after a good interview, how is this going to ever work for me?""Early September, I took a week off and went camping. Oh, how much I needed this vacation. I was out in the mountains, where I did not have any cell phone connection. I spent my days reading my books and just enjoying the nature. I didn't go hiking or kayaking. I simply took my time to relax and recharge. This vacation helped me get over my depression. I came back to my home and to my work with a completely new perspective. I like my job, but my job, or any job I may get in the future, does not define me. The real life that makes me happy is out there in the wilderness. I will keep working to be able to afford living a comfortable life and to continue to enjoy nature and outdoors. I feel much better now." +"I was looking for a new job and came across one that was my DREAM job! I looked at it and read all of the information ans was very excited to apply. i went ahead and applied. I had a good feeling and was sure that they would call me. i waited a few days and nothing happened. then as soon as i was thinking that they wouldn't call, they did. the call went very well and i was asked to come in for an interview. I went in for the interview and everything went very well. the person interviewing was nice, i felt right at home. we exchanged thought and I answered questions. we shook hands and I left. I was sure i would get the job. they never called me to offer a job. It made me sad. i feel like i messed up somehow, but i do not know what i did." +I feel so sorry for my aunt. She suffers from breast cancer. She doesn't have the best life. Her ex husband harasses her from jail. He writes her letters in order to gain her back. About a week ago her ex was released from jail. Right away her ex starts calling her. He also comes to her house to harass her. She asked him nicely to please leave her alone. He gained his way into her home. He tricked her and said he just wants to talk. He punched her right in the face. She fought back as best as she could. Through this altercation though she broke some ribs. She reported her ex to the police and he went right back to jail. +"Last semester was a full of blast. It does not get any crazier than just telling myself that I would one day get up in the morning and run to school and back for an entire semester. I did not tell my friends or post in social media what my plan was to save money for college. I did it because I thought it was the right thing to do to challenge myself and be more productive while I am not working. During the summer time, I have placed myself in a situation where I will be on a challenge. to get myself together act. Many of which had to do with my inability to communicate with people efficiently. I was sick of not being able to go anywhere in life. I did not have a car to take me anywhere. However, I see cars as a tool for transportation. It can be done without it. My plan was to do this until the semester ended. I had Two campuses to visit in order to follow lectures and taking tests. The journey began with a trip to the closest campus. It was six miles away. The following day followed with a trip that was eleven miles a way. Both were doable for me but as time followed, my body was could not keep up with the work that was required to keep commuting on foot. There was many generous rides. I met new people and was able exchange phone numbers although I never called them back after the ride. Two months in and I had suffered enormous pain. I decided to take the bike for the longer commute and run as usual on the shorter route. During the period in which I experienced the most pain, I decided to eat more of real food and avoid the junk. I also switched from sleeping on my bed to the direct floor as my back was always hurting from the weight of my bag. At the end of my semester, I did not learn anything. What I got out of it is meeting new people and going outside is a blast." +"Working with Mike has always been great, and it was unfortunate that he had to move. It was obviously a great opportunity for him. I only wish he had told me how she felt about me before he was already out the door. I had just gotten into work and was walking towards Mike when he blocked my path. He confessed to me that he always had feelings for me, but felt he was unable to act on it since we worked together. He went on about how he thought we could have something. The thing is, I also like Mike, and withheld this for the same reason. I think due to the timing of this all, we both knew nothing could come of it. He was moving all the way to Washington to co-lead the new branch. Maybe one day he'll move back. Maybe I'll move there. Who knows. For the time being we're gonna stay in touch. I don't think anything will come of this though. It is simply too much distance. Oh well. Next time I'll be sure to say something." +"We visited my wife's Mom, who has been dealing with cancer for the better part of the year. We knew based on the advanced degree of her illness that she had been dealing with it for a long time. Having known her though, and how she has been basically her whole life, and while she this cancer must have been in her life un-diagnosed, we just knew she would beat it. She is Taiwanese, so she was staying in Taiwan while being treated since her Mandarin was a lot better than her English. Also, the treatment was basically free, and they treat many instances of this type of cancer there, non-small cell lung cancer. So it was less than a year since our last visit, as we had visited after getting married. After she visited us for a couple weeks for our wedding, we went to Taiwan to see relatives, and had some traditional Taiwanese wedding celebrations. So when we visited in April of this year, we were expecting to relax. However, this time, she was looking ill. My wife and I have backgrounds in medical, and we noticed her skin looking yellowish, as well as her eyes. She complained of foot problems, but she said it was because she rolled her ankle. We knew something wasn't right as soon as we saw her. As our stay went on, her condition got worse. Her breathing was very labored, and she felt uncomfortable in her side. She didn't have much energy to do anything. Gone were the days when she would be going for long walks every day, waking up early to go to the market, and talking with all of the locals. Now she was in bed the whole time, only moving to go to the bathroom, which she really hated, and to go lay down on the couch. We had to go to the hospital for a visit with her doctor, he said she was jaundiced really badly, and needed to be admitted to the hospital. We asked her to go to the hospital sooner, but she was waiting to see this particular doctor, as he was the best. Now she was stuck in the hospital, and we were visiting her every single day for the rest of the 2 weeks we were staying. We were coordinating with my wife's two brothers to have someone always there with her. Her oldest brother was there earlier, and he left the week before we got there. My wife's Dad was going to be staying there the day we left. We talked about staying longer, but my wife was needed at work as she hadn't set up someone there to fill her time. This was all happening so fast, and we were so very scared, the cancer was worse than we all were willing to accept." +"Three months ago, I was there to witness something that I had been occasionally thinking about since the first day that I had become a father. My son stood tall and proud in an Eagle Scout ceremony. The day started out as usual, I said good morning to my son and asked him how excited he was for his big day. He responded exactly like I thought he would, casual, but not wanting to hurt my feelings. Ever since he was young, being an Eagle Scout is something that he’s been interested in. I was an Eagle Scout myself when I was younger but I made sure that I didn’t push the idea onto him; this is something that I wanted him to do through his own free will. We both finished getting ready and headed to the ceremony. We arrived and went our separate ways, him to the scout area so that he could get ready and myself to the bleachers were an abundance of prideful parents sat. Though there was nothing particularly special or different about this ceremony, I just couldn’t help but feel so proud of my son standing on that stage. He’s worked hard for this moment and it’s something that really means something to him. The most memorable part about it to me was when they had each scout walk up to the microphone and explain what being an Eagle Scout means to them personally. A lot of the answers were expected and a little generic, but when he stood on that stage and began to speak, you could tell that he really meant every word of what he was saying. It brought me back to the days of my youth. All of the times I spent with my scout mates, the hard work that we put ourselves through to be the best that we could be; it was almost overwhelming. For that hour long ceremony, I felt like I had gone back in time. Though I would never tell my son this directly due to the fear of embarrassing him, I see a lot of myself in him; and this experience in my life has done nothing but confirm it. After all was said and done, the ceremony proceeded to end. I stepped off of the bleachers and patiently waited. He walked up to me and I gave him the biggest hug I have in a while. He excitedly told me everything that had been going on behind the scenes and I told him how proud I was of him and how glad I was that he’s found something that truly makes him happen at this early stage in his life. We left the ceremony area and headed back to the car so that we could go home. I’d like to believe that I’ve been doing my best as a father but no one is perfect. My son has grown into a fine young man and though I probably could have done better in some aspects, I am incredibly proud of him. Being an Eagle Scout isn’t something that means much to most, but to us, it’s an honor and a privilege. I love my son and know that he will continue to become the man that he’s destined to be." +"Three months ago, I was there to witness something that I had been occasionally thinking about since the first day that I had become a father. My son stood tall and proud in an Eagle Scout ceremony. The day started out as usual, I said good morning to my son and asked him how excited he was for his big day. He responded exactly like I thought he would, casual, but not wanting to hurt my feelings. Ever since he was young, being an Eagle Scout is something that he’s been interested in. I was an Eagle Scout myself when I was younger but I made sure that I didn’t push the idea onto him; this is something that I wanted him to do through his own free will. We both finished getting ready and headed to the ceremony. We arrived and went our separate ways, him to the scout area so that he could get ready and myself to the bleachers were an abundance of prideful parents sat. Though there was nothing particularly special or different about this ceremony, I just couldn’t help but feel so proud of my son standing on that stage. He’s worked hard for this moment and it’s something that really means something to him. The most memorable part about it to me was when they had each scout walk up to the microphone and explain what being an Eagle Scout means to them personally. A lot of the answers were expected and a little generic, but when he stood on that stage and began to speak, you could tell that he really meant every word of what he was saying. It brought me back to the days of my youth. All of the times I spent with my scout mates, the hard work that we put ourselves through to be the best that we could be; it was almost overwhelming. For that hour long ceremony, I felt like I had gone back in time. Though I would never tell my son this directly due to the fear of embarrassing him, I see a lot of myself in him; and this experience in my life has done nothing but confirm it. After all was said and done, the ceremony proceeded to end. I stepped off of the bleachers and patiently waited. He walked up to me and I gave him the biggest hug I have in a while. He excitedly told me everything that had been going on behind the scenes and I told him how proud I was of him and how glad I was that he’s found something that truly makes him happen at this early stage in his life. We left the ceremony area and headed back to the car so that we could go home. I’d like to believe that I’ve been doing my best as a father but no one is perfect. My son has grown into a fine young man and though I probably could have done better in some aspects, I am incredibly proud of him. Being an Eagle Scout isn’t something that means much to most, but to us, it’s an honor and a privilege. I love my son and know that he will continue to become the man that he’s destined to be." +"Three months ago, my family gathered for my parents wedding anniversary. Everyone was getting along and in good spirits. Then things went wrong for me. Both Dianne and Wilma (my sister-in-laws) gleefully (rightly so) announced they were having more children. It is their 3rd and 5th child respectively. I am, myself, unable to have children. Since this revelation, I thought I had come to terms with this, but apparently not, as I found myself having to excuse myself as I became overwhelmed with sadness. I was more surprised by my reaction to the news, than to the actual news. Since this time, I've reflected on the event, and my reaction to it. I've tried to take what manifested as a painful experience for me, and turn it into a positive. I've come to the conclusion that I don't want to have children, so there's no reason to let this news have this effect on me. Further, under more rational thought, having calmed down, I know that due to advances in science, there are other, non-traditional means for me to have children should I change my mind. I could also always look into adoption. The best thing to come out of this introspection, is the reminder that this is a joyous event. I will soon have two new nieces or nephews that I can spoil, and then send home. I need to do less reacting, and instead acknowledge what I'm feeling, without letting those feelings overwhelm me." +"It is safe to say that I have had a challenging life. I've always been a Christian, but sometimes I lapse and am not the best one that I could be. I always try to do the best I can. However, a few months ago I went to the doctor and I got the news that I might have something wrong with me. I won't get into that because it's another topic. However, the weeks leading up to that appointment I did a lot of praying. I pray about my life and bargained. I asked God if He let nothing be wrong with me, I'd be a better person. I know you aren't supposed to do things like that, but I did. I felt that was all I had. Which I know now, that isn't true at all. When I went back to the appointment, it turns out the test came back negative. I had nothing wrong with me! I was so relieve that I prayed and thanked God all the way home! I was blessed with a second chance and I am not taking that for granted! I have finally found peace with my life and with my religion!" +"It is safe to say that I have had a challenging life. I've always been a Christian, but sometimes I lapse and am not the best one that I could be. I always try to do the best I can. However, a few months ago I went to the doctor and I got the news that I might have something wrong with me. I won't get into that because it's another topic. However, the weeks leading up to that appointment I did a lot of praying. I pray about my life and bargained. I asked God if He let nothing be wrong with me, I'd be a better person. I know you aren't supposed to do things like that, but I did. I felt that was all I had. Which I know now, that isn't true at all. When I went back to the appointment, it turns out the test came back negative. I had nothing wrong with me! I was so relieve that I prayed and thanked God all the way home! I was blessed with a second chance and I am not taking that for granted! I have finally found peace with my life and with my religion!" +"It was an otherwise normal morning when I found my new furry friend. I was walking my dog and stopped to talk to a friend of mine about mundane things. After talking for a little bit, we both noticed a small furry animal walking up the walk towards us, stopping now and then as if it was lost and looking for home. My friend called out to it with a series of ""clucks"" and clicking noises, and it immediately ran to us. It showed absolutely no fear of my dog as it approached, and went directly to my friend. He picked it up and it nestled into his arms, clearly enjoying the attention. He then transferred over to me and nestled into my beard, licking it and playing gently with it. It was a very young ferret, apparently lost or abandoned, and needed a place indoors. Since he and my dog got along well, I volunteered to take him in until we found out where he belonged. I searched online and newspaper lost and found resources, but there was no mention of any owners looking for him. I recalled seeing a small cage in the dumpster earlier on the day we found him, and had my suspicions that he had been abandoned, but checked with our apartment manager just to make sure. It turned out that the day prior, a family that had owned a ferret had moved out, also abandoning their dog inside the apartment. I couldn't believe that someone would commit such an act, and promised my new little friend that he would have his forever home with me. The abandoned dog had already been picked up by animal control, and I later found out it was adopted out too. This little ferret is now bonded with me and my family and we couldn't imagine life without the little terror. Always into whatever is left out, but never misses a chance to make me laugh, or at least smile. All-in-all this was one of the best days in my recent history, and I wouldn't change it for anything." +"It was an otherwise normal morning when I found my new furry friend. I was walking my dog and stopped to talk to a friend of mine about mundane things. After talking for a little bit, we both noticed a small furry animal walking up the walk towards us, stopping now and then as if it was lost and looking for home. My friend called out to it with a series of ""clucks"" and clicking noises, and it immediately ran to us. It showed absolutely no fear of my dog as it approached, and went directly to my friend. He picked it up and it nestled into his arms, clearly enjoying the attention. He then transferred over to me and nestled into my beard, licking it and playing gently with it. It was a very young ferret, apparently lost or abandoned, and needed a place indoors. Since he and my dog got along well, I volunteered to take him in until we found out where he belonged. I searched online and newspaper lost and found resources, but there was no mention of any owners looking for him. I recalled seeing a small cage in the dumpster earlier on the day we found him, and had my suspicions that he had been abandoned, but checked with our apartment manager just to make sure. It turned out that the day prior, a family that had owned a ferret had moved out, also abandoning their dog inside the apartment. I couldn't believe that someone would commit such an act, and promised my new little friend that he would have his forever home with me. The abandoned dog had already been picked up by animal control, and I later found out it was adopted out too. This little ferret is now bonded with me and my family and we couldn't imagine life without the little terror. Always into whatever is left out, but never misses a chance to make me laugh, or at least smile. All-in-all this was one of the best days in my recent history, and I wouldn't change it for anything." +"My birthday was about three weeks ago and I had a great couple of days that week. On my birthday itself it was a pretty quite day, but I got to do stuff I wanted to do. I don't make a big deal out of my birthday, but I try to at least do what I want to, even if it's small. So that day I went live on my stream and hung out with friends and played video games all day. I started off playing a single player game. After that, me and my friends played multiplayer games for hours and I ended by playing another game. It was just a chill day where I got to hang out with friends and have a good time. The next day my mom came over and brought me a cake and some ice cream for a late little birthday party! We had a red velvet cake and peanut butter cup ice cream. We also watched a movie and I had a great meal I prepared for myself. All in all, those two days were very memorable for me. Not because it was my birthday, but because of what happened on those days that were awesome. I encourage people to do what they want to do whenever, it's your life. don't make huge a huge deal about your number going up once a year. But if you absolutely must, keep it simple and you'll enjoy it more." +"Two weeks ago I achieved my dream of finally attending the Boston Fan Expo. It was my first time and although I had read about the event, nothing could have prepared me for how much fun it was. One event in particular really stood out. There was a guy dressed in a professional level Hulk Buster Iron Man suit complete with lights and everything. He was surrounded by people admiring his costume and folks requesting selfies, me being one of them i'm not ashamed to admit. While I was standing there next to this giant Iron Man costume getting my selfie, a little girl, no more than 7 years old, stepped out from the perimeter of interested fans. She stepped forward with two foam Hulk fists on her hands, both toy fists nearly as big as she, and proclaimed ""HULK SMASH!"". The crowd bursted into laughter, as did I. As I stepped out of the way, the little girl pounced forward and began punching the Iron Man's leg with her foam fists. The man in the Iron Man outfit, being a good sport, decided to put on a show and duke it out with the little She Hulk. I was able to catch the action on my cell phone but of course the video was shaky due to my uncontrollable laughter. After the staged fight I stepped aside to reflect on the brawl I had witnessed and it got me to thinking. I started thinking about my own life and how this event is such a strong metaphor to my day to day. I am just one small person in a whole wide world, fighting against injustices, prejudice, and those telling me I won't ever achieve my dreams, yet this little girl so clearly showed that no matter your size or position in life, you can overcome the greatest of obstacles. I will always remember this day, the setting of the amazing Boston Fan Expo, and the little girl who not only made my day, but inspired me to recognize the strength I possess." +"What a surprise and shock to say the least. I never would have thought in my wildest dreams that I'd ever have breast cancer. After all, I'm a guy! I always thought it was a woman's illness. Until that day a few months back, gosh, I remember it so clearly. I stepped out of the shower and was drying myself. And there it was. At first I thought it was an insect or bite. When I felt closer and looked in the mirror I knew it was something else. I kept touching it the whole night and my friend told me on the phone to get it checked out. But we both didn't think it could be breast cancer. Then, the doctor said those two words. I was in disbelief. I even asked him, but Doc, I'm a guy! As if that would change things. I'll never forget that wave of panic and fear that swept over me. One minute I was on top of the world, the next, under it. I felt like I couldn't walk. Like I was less of a man. I didn't even want to asknowledge it. Still today, despite getting treated, I am in shock and despair. I can only pray that it goes away and never comes back. This unwanted lump of hell." +"What a surprise and shock to say the least. I never would have thought in my wildest dreams that I'd ever have breast cancer. After all, I'm a guy! I always thought it was a woman's illness. Until that day a few months back, gosh, I remember it so clearly. I stepped out of the shower and was drying myself. And there it was. At first I thought it was an insect or bite. When I felt closer and looked in the mirror I knew it was something else. I kept touching it the whole night and my friend told me on the phone to get it checked out. But we both didn't think it could be breast cancer. Then, the doctor said those two words. I was in disbelief. I even asked him, but Doc, I'm a guy! As if that would change things. I'll never forget that wave of panic and fear that swept over me. One minute I was on top of the world, the next, under it. I felt like I couldn't walk. Like I was less of a man. I didn't even want to asknowledge it. Still today, despite getting treated, I am in shock and despair. I can only pray that it goes away and never comes back. This unwanted lump of hell." +"The event calendar is available online by clicking here. For an all-ages show, guests of all ages are welcome with an admission ticket. Children age 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Most of the concerts at the House of Blues Orlando are general admission. General admission means that there's no reserved seats in the audience; in fact, on the main concert floor, there are no seats at all. Concert-goers simply stand wherever they can. There are a few seats around the perimeter of the floor Located 4.9 miles from the Orange County Convention Center, House of Blues accommodates 15 to 2,500 guests, and our talented staff handles every detail, so you don't have to! On any given day, guest attire ranges from business suits and dresses to fashionable jeans and t-shirts. House of Blues would like to thank you for not wearing tank tops, sleeveless shirts (men only), gym wear or casual shorts, which are not permitted in the Foundation Room. Dress shorts are acceptable. Disney Springs. Disney Springs (previously known as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village in 1975, Walt Disney World Village in 1977, Disney Village Marketplace in 1989, and Downtown Disney in 1997) is an outdoor shopping, dining, and entertainment complex at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near OrlandoGigs usually last between 2 and 3 hours, it depends how many supports there are and how quick at setting up they are in between. Most gigs with doors of 6.30 start between 7 and 8 and finish between 10 and 11....The House of Blues is an American chain of live music concert halls and restaurants. It was founded by Isaac Tigrett, the co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, co-star of the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. A new band might only have 10 songs, while a band like U2 has dozens at least. I'd say if you have 3 or more albums, a 90-minute show should be the minimum. But I remember being disappointed the first time I saw Depeche Mode, as well as a NIN concert I saw, each of which were only 90 minutes. If you've got a 30-45 minute set then I'd say about 7-10 songs, depending on how long your songs are, and how much stage banter you do. If you arrange a gig, the venue or promoter should tell you how long your set will be, and if they don't, there's no harm in asking." +"What happened to me yesterday was totally unexpected. I have been so down and out since my 'gray' divorce last year. I began my cross-country journey a few months ago, living out of a camper van, driving across what seems to be an endless stretch of desert. Life alone is not easy, especially for a divorcee starting over in her 'golden years'. I normally pull over and eat a quick sandwich in the car, but yesterday, I was just too tired to deal with eat, and really craved the presence of other people for a change. I was happy to see a small but run-down diner on the horizon around lunchtime. When I walked into the smoke-filled diner, a young waitress with a pulled-back pony tail greeted me with a jagged-tooth smile and handed me a menu as she walked me to my booth. I noticed a scant number of other diners seated randomly in the restaurant. As I sat and studied the greasy menu, i happened to peer over the top, feeling the gaze of someone on me. I saw a man sitting at the counter, staring straight at me. He was 50-something, with a tousle of salt-and-pepper hair peeking out from the brim of his cowboy hat. He was dressed simply in blue jeans and a starched shirt, wearing a belt with a large silver buckle. He did not break his gaze on me, as he sipped slowly on a cup of coffee. I have never felt such an instant spark of connection. Suddenly, as our eyes met, I knew it. This man was to be my husband." +"What happened to me yesterday was totally unexpected. I have been so down and out since my 'gray' divorce last year. I began my cross-country journey a few months ago, living out of a camper van, driving across what seems to be an endless stretch of desert. Life alone is not easy, especially for a divorcee starting over in her 'golden years'. I normally pull over and eat a quick sandwich in the car, but yesterday, I was just too tired to deal with eat, and really craved the presence of other people for a change. I was happy to see a small but run-down diner on the horizon around lunchtime. When I walked into the smoke-filled diner, a young waitress with a pulled-back pony tail greeted me with a jagged-tooth smile and handed me a menu as she walked me to my booth. I noticed a scant number of other diners seated randomly in the restaurant. As I sat and studied the greasy menu, i happened to peer over the top, feeling the gaze of someone on me. I saw a man sitting at the counter, staring straight at me. He was 50-something, with a tousle of salt-and-pepper hair peeking out from the brim of his cowboy hat. He was dressed simply in blue jeans and a starched shirt, wearing a belt with a large silver buckle. He did not break his gaze on me, as he sipped slowly on a cup of coffee. I have never felt such an instant spark of connection. Suddenly, as our eyes met, I knew it. This man was to be my husband." +"One day I took my dog to a park. The park is near the beach in the city where I live. It was a weekend day so I had plenty of time to relax and walk my dog at the park. I have 2 adopted siblings - a brother and a sister - that live near the park and I just so happened to see my adopted brother. He was skateboarding at the park. I sent a message to our adopted sister and she was able to come to the park to see me and my dog also. My sister had a friend with her. Her friend had spent the night. I sent them to get smoothies for all of us. The smoothie store is near the park. I am not able to see my adopted siblings very much because of family dysfunction, but the day made me very happy. My adopted brother did a special skateboard move just for me and I was able to videotape him on my phone. They were happy to see me. My dog was extremely happy to see them. I was overjoyed to see that they were doing well." +"In February, I lost my grandfather who was of 90 years of age. But I did not know him all that well due to a language barrier I had with him. I spoke only english while he strictly spoke spanish with a few words in english to convey what he was thinking at the moment; often times to make me laugh but with repetitive jokes. When I lost him, my family and I traveled down to south Texas in order to attend the funeral. The funeral was behind held by a catholic church, which allowed nearly everyone he knew in his life to come and join us. It was not as emotionally taxing as I thought it would have been until I saw him in his coffin, at which point I did become emotional. After we had buried him, we moved on with our lives. Nearly a year later, I sometimes think about him, but I still did not feel a connection towards him. The strangest part is that I have more of a connection with my grandmother, whom I rarely talk with anyways but has a stronger grasp on english. We are hoping to bring her and part of our extended family up with us to where we live. This will allow us to grow closer in the aftermath of losing my grandfather. The strangest part that I discovered is my grandmother doesn't feel much about losing her own husband. She has not cried since the funeral and finds the freedom from marriage to be far more enjoyable. This has made me reflect on my own life with a possible marriage, on what a partnership it would be. But in the end, I feel as though she has grown closer with us while we await to bring her up with us. In this way, the family connection can be stronger than it ever has before." +"The in the middle of February of 2019, I had to attend my grandfather's funeral. This required me from leaving my current state that I was living in to travel to the state he lived in. It was a 2 day exhausting car ride and by the time I had reached the funeral home, I was tired but still felt emotionally taxed as I saw my grandfather in his casket. What I did not expect to happen for me was that I was overwhelmed with emotions of seeing my grandfather who had now passed away. I was unsure how to take the feeling and felt conflicted with myself as I had rarely talked with him. In all my life, I had only talked with him a dozen times, and mostly these conversations were insignificant. And yet here, I was on the verge of tears. After the funeral was completed and my grandfather was buried, I didn't feel those emotions again. I was unsure whether this was me or how I viewed my grandfather. As the week progressed on, I knew I was all right and that I saw death as a natural process to life. The following week after required me to return home to my home state. The drive home was ever more tiresome as it required me to drive for hours on end, sleep at a hotel and wake up to keep going. By the time I arrived home, I was completely wiped out. I did not want to talk to anyone and I did not want to eat much. This took another week before I was fully myself again." +"Sunday, August 25th, 2019 was my 46th birthday and it was filled with fun. I started off the day by going to work for a few hours to complete some paperwork that needed to be done for a sale that I just successfully negotiated and put together. I was at the office form around 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. After leaving the office, I went to 7 Springs to enjoy the afternoon with friends and family shooting sporting clays in a fundraiser for Hidden Valley ski patrol. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, with sunny skies and a very comfortable temperature. The shoot took about 2 hours to complete and I had a complete blast. Dinner and the awards ceremony followed the event. The dinner served was very good, I ate a burger & grilled chicken, plus dessert. The awards ceremony also was fun and exciting. My wife was the overall top female shooter for the day and I came inn 2nd overall, unfortunately I missed 1st place by 1 shot. After my day at 7 Springs, I went home to have some friends over for a fantasy football draft. I enjoyed a night on the patio with some friends. We drafted our teams, had a few drinks and good conversations. After the draft, a few friends stayed a little longer to watch the Steelers play preseason football. The game was exciting and everyone enjoyed the night. All in all, I had a great birthday." +"My birthday was a complete opposite of the week before it. Two weeks ago, my father died. The man I had known my entire life, looked up to my entire life, just no longer existed. Something that I had always known was there, suddenly was not. It was difficult to deal with, as most death is, but his spirit and the memories I have of him will never disappear. And I learned this a week later, when things finally came to it's normalcy. I had spent the entire day hanging out in the yard and the hills and decided to go up that evening and dig up some of my childhood toys for the kids and there it was, the pistol my dad bought me when I was a kid. It was a piece of crap, of course; rusted and dusted. A children's toy meant to shoot wooden pellets, something I'm sure the political correctness of this generation would frown on. I brought the gun down from the attic and told my son to come over and bring his friends and I taught them out to use it. They had watched us old fogeys shoot on the range for the better portion of the day, I suppose their turn was coming. The moldy box of pellets still had a few usable pieces of ammunition and I drew a bulls-eye on the side of the house and let them play target practice. A couple of times, I had to warn the kids of the safety of pointing it in each other's face but watching them play with a potentially dangerous yet fun piece of my childhood brought those tears and memories right back to me. The times we had were well spent. The times I'm having with my kid and someone else's kids are also well spent. So, this was when I realized that this is how things are supposed to be. Farewell, Dad." +"My son turned one a few months ago. We had planned a small party, just ourselves and grandma. We decided to do a cake smash to get some cute photographs. I baked a cake and decorated it with cut strawberries. We tried to take a video of him smashing the cake, but he was too obsessed with the strawberries. He insisted on picking off and eating each one individually. Eventually we had to turn off the video and just wait for him to finish eating the strawberries. When he finally did get to the cake, he jumped right in with both hands and made such a mess. It was adorable and made for some great pictures. I think I was the only parent who ever wanted their kid to stop eating fruit and eat cake! It was so fun though. He had a great time. We're looking forward to the next one. I enjoy showing the photos to other people. He's one cute kid!" +"My son turned one a few months ago. We had planned a small party, just ourselves and grandma. We decided to do a cake smash to get some cute photographs. I baked a cake and decorated it with cut strawberries. We tried to take a video of him smashing the cake, but he was too obsessed with the strawberries. He insisted on picking off and eating each one individually. Eventually we had to turn off the video and just wait for him to finish eating the strawberries. When he finally did get to the cake, he jumped right in with both hands and made such a mess. It was adorable and made for some great pictures. I think I was the only parent who ever wanted their kid to stop eating fruit and eat cake! It was so fun though. He had a great time. We're looking forward to the next one. I enjoy showing the photos to other people. He's one cute kid!" +"I’d heard about the rise of new apps that help young women who want to make friends in new cities meet up, and since I figured I could use some new friends, I decided to give one a try. Hey! Vina is a friend app that acts a lot like Tinder. You set your preferences for what city you’re in and age limits, and then you swipe left for ‘I’ll pass’ and right for ‘I’d like to be friends, maybe.’ If you both swipe right on each other, then you match and you can send messages about meeting up. I felt weird using an app to make friends to begin with, because I felt like maybe it meant I was terrible at making friends in real life. But I gave it a shot and quickly matched with a few people in the area. However, despite attempting to make plans, only one of them actually followed up. We decided to meet at a coffee shop downtown that we both loved. The woman I was meeting, let’s call her ‘Ruth’, was already there when I arrived…but it took us seriously nearly 10 minutes to even ID each other. Firstly, Ruth didn’t look anything like her profile pic, which didn’t bother me like it would if I was on a date with a guy, but it did make it super hard to figure out who was her. Secondly, once we did find each other, it quickly became apparent that she was very, very sick. Like, coughing every three seconds and eyes red sick. While we ordered some coffee and found a seat, I tried to be sympathetic to her apologies for being sick, but I couldn’t focus on what she was saying between all the coughing. I hardly drank my coffee because I didn’t want to get sick. It was honestly a shame because Ruth was probably a very interesting person and we seemed to like some similar things. But I couldn’t shake the thought that somebody who shows up to meet a stranger this sick might be too desperate to make a friend. When we walked out and Ruth said she’d love to meet up again and I agreed, I already knew I didn’t really mean it. I deleted the app soon after that." +"This entry is about how we said goodbye to our dog a few months ago after a long bout with cancer. He was a rescue dog. We found him wandering in the desert, and he started following our car, so we stopped and picked him up. He chose us. He was about a year old, and we had him for over 10 years. He was such a happy dog. He loved to play, to take walks, and my husband was the center of his universe. He came down with cancer, and we did everything we could, but we finally had to let him go. It's been a very sad day saying goodbye. He was such a big part of our lives. We have pets, not kids, and this has been like losing one of our children. The most surprising thing about the day we let him go, was when we got back from the vet and it was so quiet in the house. Writing this has been very painful, since it feels like we lost him just yesterday. I still have dreams about him. I miss him so much. He was a wonderful dog. I'm glad we have cats, because they are a comfort in this time of loss. They sense that I'm sad, and they are constantly by my side." +"Today we said good-bye to our beautiful dog. We've done everything we possibly could, but he hasn't been able to keep any food down, and he can hardly walk. The vet receptionist had to carry him in from the car. Damn cancer, damn it to hell. It is so unfair. This was the happiest dog in the world. All he wanted was to be with my husband-- he's been the center of the dog's universe since the day hubby found him in the desert, starving and half-dead, and brought him home. We've loved him for 11 years, and I would give anything to have him longer, but it was time for us to let him go. The vet knew this could happen any time, so all we had to do was call, and we got in right away. We laid him down on a blanket in the exam room, and my husband and I told him how much we loved him and would miss him. By this time we were all crying, even the vet. It was so hard to say good-bye. We held him as the vet administered the meds, and he was looking at my husband when his eyes closed. It's good that the image he took with him to Rainbow Bridge was his beloved daddy, his everything. I had my hand on his chest and I felt his heart stop. I don't even know how to process this, other than the crushing grief. I'm not a dog owner anymore, after 11 years. No more meds or pain, that's good. He's well and whole again, playing with my dad's dog at Rainbow Bridge as he waits for us. But here, no more walks, no more playing with his rope toy or watching him lie in the back yard with his head up toward the sun. no more checking on him every hour, no more dog to check on us. There was this huge emptiness in the house when we got home. We have four cats, and they will be a comfort to us, but this dog was one in a million. My heart will be broken for a long time - our pets are our kids, and this is such a huge loss. It's so quiet." +"Two months ago, my aunt died. It had taken a toll on the family. My mother cried for a few hours. My father had to get some drinks. My sisters had a giant cry. My brothers had to drink to forget the pain. I had to drink and cry. I was close to my aunt. I remember going out to eat at a fancy restaurant. I had a big steak to eat. She had a giant salad to eat. We both shared some wine and I had beer. The dessert was very good. It was a cookie sandwich. I hope I can get over the pain of her loss now. I hope she is resting in heaven. She was the life of the party and will be remembered by a lot of people." +"Two months ago, my partner and I took our children on our first real vacation. Our children have been too young to go on a real vacation and we have not had the money to be able to go until now. We decided this summer that our children were old enough to real enjoy it and we had saved up enough money. We travelled to the coast of our state and stayed in a nice hotel. We ate a several nice restaurants and saw several attractions. The biggest part of our trip was going to a large water park. We bought our tickets ahead of time and were worried the weather might ruin our plans but luck for us the weather was wonderful the day of our visit. We got to the water park as soon as they opened. It wasn't too crowded at that point. We went to all the big slides as soon as we got in to try to avoid long waits. Our first big slide was so much fun. The looks on my kids' faces when we go to the bottom was worth the whole trip. My daughter and I went on one slide together 7 times in a row. We had lunch at the park, a huge cheese pizza split between all of us. By lunch time it was getting crowded but we were still having a good time. We stayed for another 3 hours. By then we were all getting exhausted. We went back to the hotel and cleaned up. At that point it was time for dinner so we walked across the parking lot to a Buffalo Wild Wings. The kids played arcade games while we waited on our dinner. After dinner we walked next door to a rolled ice cream shop. We got the kids big bowls of rolled ice cream. They couldn't finish them but it was worth it. We went back to the hotel and put on a movie. We were all asleep before it was over." +I helped with Vacation Bible School last July. I was one of four leaders of a group of sixteen students. Each day started with a drama in the sanctuary. This drama caught the student's attention. The next activity was Bible story. The leader of the Bible story and her assistant made the event intriguing to the students. The next activity was crafts and science. The students enjoyed each day's opportunity to make a project. The science experiments caught their attention. This was followed by a snack time. This was a favorite of the students. The next activity was recreation. This gave the students the opportunity to be active as they played the games of the day. The final activity was music. The music leader was skilled in keeping the attention of the students. Finally we returned to the sanctuary for dismissal. This was the order of activities each day for a week. +"I was a volunteer with Vacation Bible School. This is a church program for children to experience a drama, Bible stories, crafts, games, music and snacks. It is held for a week in July from 9:00 am to noon each day. There is a closing program and a picnic on Friday. My role was to be one of four people leading a group of children. I supervised the children and led them to the different stations. The children seemed to enjoy the program. They were engaged in the activities. They particularly liked the snacks. Some of the snacks were matched with the theme and Bible stories. It was an outer space theme. There were also robots. The church was decorated with this theme in mind. There were displays with planets, stars, and robots. I believe these decorations added to the experience. I enjoyed my experience helping with Vacation Bible School. It was rewarding to get to know the children. I was able to see them learn and participate. I hope to participate again next summer." +"This story took place about a week ago. The sun was shining and the weather beautiful. My daughter, who's aspiring to become the female version of Tony Hawk. She was having a lot of difficulty reaching one of her skateboarding goals. Her goal was to learn how to drop in on a large quarter pipe. In one of her attempts, she fell pretty hard. Her knees were bruised. I was afraid she broke one of her arms but luckily that was not the case. She got up and recollected herself. We made sure she wasn't hurt too badly. She got back up on the ramp. She made many more attempts and finally nails the drop after a dozen or so attempts. As a proud father, my daughter earned my admiration. She worked through the pain and did not give up. Stood up from where she fell and persevered." +"While our skateboarding sessions continue with frequency since the weather has cooled down, we've added a wrinkle to the schedule. We recently went snowboarding in the high country and my daughter got two really good days in on the slopes. The comparison between skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding is loose, with each having their own intricacies, but the base balance is the same. We put in extra work at the skate park before we headed up north, and I tried to help her work on balance more than tricks. Rolling in on the bigger ramps and boxes and trying to speed around the park without taking her feet off the board were key in simulating the snowboard experience. But the one thing we could not account for was the bindings and/or the fixing of the feet to the board. This is a very unnatural feeling and hard to simulate or get used to when first on a snowboard, but I think the work we did in the skate park was beneficial. We put her in a lesson to start the trip and she gained confidence from the instructor, who was not her dad, and learned the basics of movement, stopping, and keeping a tow or heel edge. On our first trip up the lift, she seemed confident but also had some trepidation. I encouraged her with my early experiences and tales of how long it took me to be able to get down a run without falling. We both fell getting off the lift and I think that put her at ease a bit, to see me fall and recover to help her exit the landing zone. Once we were strapped in she had some issue adjusting to the steepness of the run, as it was much steeper than the hill she took the lesson on. I helped her get her heel plow down and told her it was the easiest way to stop or slow down if she got going too fast. Initially, the heel side riding is easier because the muscles are stronger and the angle is better to ""dig your heels in"" rather than try to dig your toes in - at first at least. The first run was very frustrating for her after feeling like she did well in the lessons, but I was so proud of her to want to get back on the lift after some tears, screams, and bumps and bruises. Again a proud dad moment and it got better through out the two days - way better. She was right on the edge of getting the feeling of snowboarding in control and I could see her confidence boost after each run. I'm sure the two days snowboarding will improve her skateboarding and I'm eager to get to the skate park this weekend!" +"This story took place about a week ago. The sun was shining and the weather beautiful. My daughter, who's aspiring to become the female version of Tony Hawk. She was having a lot of difficulty reaching one of her skateboarding goals. Her goal was to learn how to drop in on a large quarter pipe. In one of her attempts, she fell pretty hard. Her knees were bruised. I was afraid she broke one of her arms but luckily that was not the case. She got up and recollected herself. We made sure she wasn't hurt too badly. She got back up on the ramp. She made many more attempts and finally nails the drop after a dozen or so attempts. As a proud father, my daughter earned my admiration. She worked through the pain and did not give up. Stood up from where she fell and persevered." +"This story is about a fun, short trip with my family. A week ago, I went with my daughter and granddaughter to the homecoming game. We traveled on country roads to get to the game. Our team put up a great fight and won against a very strong opposing team. This is what surprised me most about the game. Our team was losing right up until the end, when they made an amazing comeback and won. I wasn't expecting them to win, but was glad that they did. We were all very thrilled and excited. After the victory, we decided to celebrate. My daughter and granddaughter and I went out to dinner. We had a nice dinner together. This was a great memory made with my daughter and granddaughter. It is very important to me to spend happy moments like this with my family. I cherish the time that I spend with them. This was a great night." +"This was a trip to the farm my grandad grew up in. We went up to the house after driving all day through Georgia and Kentucky, and when we arrived most of my grandfather's family was there. His younger brother and two sisters were there with their kids and grandkids. I didn't recognize most of them. But my great uncle looked like my grandad when he was younger, and my great aunts looked like my great grandmother. The house felt so different. It was empty, mostly, all the treasured things gone or taken apart. Upstairs, where I had not been in decades, felt small and cramped, and the floor was bowed. The old maple tree seemed sickly. I felt like the place was sort of dying, and so much of it had faded away. But when I went down to the barn, it was still sturdy, and the honeysuckle and blackberries were fuller than ever. We all walked around and sat and talked, and there was a lot of laughter and people sharing memories. The best thing of all was seeing my grandad with his siblings, and seeing them all in the house they grew up. But the worst thing was knowing this was goodbye in a lot of ways. I think he'll never be with them again, and I know now, after the fact, that the house will be torn down. I think the most memorable event was when my grandaddy and his siblings sat around the kitchen table and talked. One of my cousins had taken wood from the barn and made plaques for all of them that said our family name. They were beautiful, and it would mean they could take a piece of the farm home and keep it always. I am grateful we will always have that in the family." +"This was a trip to the farm my grandad grew up in. We went up to the house after driving all day through Georgia and Kentucky, and when we arrived most of my grandfather's family was there. His younger brother and two sisters were there with their kids and grandkids. I didn't recognize most of them. But my great uncle looked like my grandad when he was younger, and my great aunts looked like my great grandmother. The house felt so different. It was empty, mostly, all the treasured things gone or taken apart. Upstairs, where I had not been in decades, felt small and cramped, and the floor was bowed. The old maple tree seemed sickly. I felt like the place was sort of dying, and so much of it had faded away. But when I went down to the barn, it was still sturdy, and the honeysuckle and blackberries were fuller than ever. We all walked around and sat and talked, and there was a lot of laughter and people sharing memories. The best thing of all was seeing my grandad with his siblings, and seeing them all in the house they grew up. But the worst thing was knowing this was goodbye in a lot of ways. I think he'll never be with them again, and I know now, after the fact, that the house will be torn down. I think the most memorable event was when my grandaddy and his siblings sat around the kitchen table and talked. One of my cousins had taken wood from the barn and made plaques for all of them that said our family name. They were beautiful, and it would mean they could take a piece of the farm home and keep it always. I am grateful we will always have that in the family." +"My brother in law has been drinking quite a lot lately over the past month. He didn't used to be much for alcohol, but he is going through a really rough divorce right now, and he is not coping very well. This is my husband's brother, so I am not any closer to his wife than I am to him. I first noticed how much he was drinking when I stopped by the apartment he is renting until the divorce is final. There were beer cans everywhere, and even though it was noon, my relative was still in his pajamas and he looked like hell. I asked him if he was doing okay, and he pretty much told me to get lost. I told my husband how worried I was about his brother when I got home, and suggested he talk to him. The next thing I know, my husband is telling me he is going to take his brother out with some friends to help get his mind off the divorce and drama. What an idiot! I think his brother has a drinking problem, and my husband is going to take him out to drink. How dumb can you get? I was wrong however. The group wasn't really going out to drink, they were taking my in law to an AA meeting to have an intervention. While they were gone, I went to my brother in law's apartment and got rid of all the alcohol he had there. I hope these will be his first steps to coping with the divorce better and realizing we are all here to support him. Not the alcohol." +"I was planning a trip to go back east to see my family. Before I booked the flight, my friend's mom hit me up to let me know that she wanted me to take her son's sentimental belongings out of storage and drive them in his car back to them across the country. Her son, my best friend, has terminal brain cancer. I obliged. I took everything out of storage that they would want. I packed it into his car and drove 2700 miles across the country. When I got there, he was in ICU because he suffered a seizure while I was on the road. The entire week I spent every day in the hospital with him and his family. I spent more time there than I did with my own family. They felt comforted because their other son is living in another country and couldn't be there. Also, most friends didn't know that he was even sick with cancer. I was able to inform everyone I knew that he was in the hospital and I got them to come visit. I felt like I was sending out an army to help him and his family. After the week was over, I flew back across the country to where I live. I continue to check up on them." +"My best friend has brain cancer and his parents asked me to drive his car and his belongings 2700 miles across the country so that they could prepare for his final days. Without any hesitation, I said yes and started to plan my trip. I drove from California to Pennsylvania and visited lots of beautiful sites that my friend would have also enjoyed. I finally made it to Pittsburgh after four days of driving and returned the car back to his family. I spent a week in the hospital visiting my friend, because on my road trip he ended up having a seizure and had to be admitted. My friend had looked a lot different from the last time I saw him. It broke my heart but I knew it would make me stronger. Every single day I spent at the hospital to be there with his family. In this time, I really grew with his parents who I never really knew before. I was able to get in contact with lots of friends who had no idea he was in the hospital and they were able to pay him a visit. I felt like I was able to send an army to help his family deal with all of this. While in Pittsburgh, I was staying with my parents, and I do not get along with my dad well. But going to the hospital brought me comfort and joy even though it was such a sad time. When it was finally time to leave to fly back to California, my friend's dad dropped me off at the hospital. We had a deep conversation and when it was time to step out of the car, I gave him the biggest hug I ever gave someone in my life. I will always remember that hug." +"My boss recently let me know that she had turned in her two week notice. By the time I found out she only had a week left to work because the partners at the firm wanted to keep it quiet. I was extremely shocked and sad when I found out. I had been working for her for almost six years. I was so shocked that I could barely listen during my CPE class I attended that day. My boss had become more than just a boss, she was my friend so I knew I would miss her a lot. She was also the person I went to with any questions so work is going to be harder now without her. I am not sure how my firm will survive, she was very smart and worked really hard. She kept us all running smoothly. Now that she is gone I have more work because everyone's work got shifted to take over what she used to do. I miss her a lot but I am happy for her. She deserves the best. I am now having to learn how to manage without her. She was always my go to person when I could not figure something out. ninspend a lot more time researching. I always took it for granted that she would be able to help me out. ni am learning to stand in my own to feet and make judgment calls now though." +"This is a story when I was 22. I was at the bar, drinking after a break up with my girlfriend. We had been together for more than two years. I thought she was the perfect one. I thought she was the one that I wanted to marry. But fate had different plans for me. We broke up because she did not know if the relationship would work out. I do not know I did to her but now I am here in a bar alone. The bar was the perfect place to vent out my emotions. Nobody was there to stop me. I drank so much that I blacked out. I do not remember anything that happened after I blacked out. But there is something I know. The thing is that I was talking to two girls. One large one and one a somewhat attractive one. They were caring for me to listen to me. That is all know. I found myself blacked out, taken home. Apparently, I had sex with the large lady rather than the attractive girl when I was blacked out. In the end, it does not matter at all." +"This is a story when I was 22. I was at the bar, drinking after a break up with my girlfriend. We had been together for more than two years. I thought she was the perfect one. I thought she was the one that I wanted to marry. But fate had different plans for me. We broke up because she did not know if the relationship would work out. I do not know I did to her but now I am here in a bar alone. The bar was the perfect place to vent out my emotions. Nobody was there to stop me. I drank so much that I blacked out. I do not remember anything that happened after I blacked out. But there is something I know. The thing is that I was talking to two girls. One large one and one a somewhat attractive one. They were caring for me to listen to me. That is all know. I found myself blacked out, taken home. Apparently, I had sex with the large lady rather than the attractive girl when I was blacked out. In the end, it does not matter at all." +"Three months ago I lost my beloved pet dog, Jesse. The day before Jesse passed away I wanted him to have his best day ever. We started the morning off by going on a long walk around the neighborhood. I let Jesse stop and sniff as many times as he wanted. When we got back home I gave him his favorite dry kibble topped with eggs and bacon I had prepared. We then hopped in my Jeep and headed to the ocean, one of Jesse's favorite spots. I threw his ball into the water over and over again until he got tired and we both rested on the cool sand. We then walked side by side along the ocean, taking in the cool breeze and salty air. After that we got back in my Jeep and drove to a local dog bakery where I bought him his all time favorite carob and peanut butter bone shaped cookie. He gobbled it down as I sat on the bench smiling at him. A woman and her child came by and asked if they could pet him. I said ""of course"" because Jesse loved people and any attention he got from them. The little girl rubbed his ears and gave him a kiss. We decided to head home and lay on the couch together and took a nap. That night I gave him his favorite wet dog food and we snuggled in my bed together. The next morning I woke up and Jesse had his eyes closed but was not breathing. I knew he was getting old, but I still felt like I had at least six more months with him. I will never forget my best friend Jesse and all the happiness he brought me." +"Three months ago I lost my beloved pet dog, Jesse. The day before Jesse passed away I wanted him to have his best day ever. We started the morning off by going on a long walk around the neighborhood. I let Jesse stop and sniff as many times as he wanted. When we got back home I gave him his favorite dry kibble topped with eggs and bacon I had prepared. We then hopped in my Jeep and headed to the ocean, one of Jesse's favorite spots. I threw his ball into the water over and over again until he got tired and we both rested on the cool sand. We then walked side by side along the ocean, taking in the cool breeze and salty air. After that we got back in my Jeep and drove to a local dog bakery where I bought him his all time favorite carob and peanut butter bone shaped cookie. He gobbled it down as I sat on the bench smiling at him. A woman and her child came by and asked if they could pet him. I said ""of course"" because Jesse loved people and any attention he got from them. The little girl rubbed his ears and gave him a kiss. We decided to head home and lay on the couch together and took a nap. That night I gave him his favorite wet dog food and we snuggled in my bed together. The next morning I woke up and Jesse had his eyes closed but was not breathing. I knew he was getting old, but I still felt like I had at least six more months with him. I will never forget my best friend Jesse and all the happiness he brought me." +"This story is about my campaign experience and an election. There were a lot of memorable things that made the event special. However, the most memorable was when I realized that I had actually won the election itself. This was significant in that it started a new chapter in my life. I was going to be starting a new job as an elected official, that meant having new things to learn about. I was also going to be in the public eye and needed to do some soul searching regarding behaviors and things I participated in. It was almost like a complete transformation except my mind was the same. This event opened up so many networking doors and now has promoted me to start my MBA (which will be finished in January of 2021) and proceed to take the LSAT and hopefully accomplish my dream of getting my law license. During the event, I learned a lot about myself including my goals and my drive. I challenged myself to disregard negative comments and focus on the goal at hand. This was a deep process for me and I feel that I came out of it stronger and better as a person. To be the first female and republican in 100 years gives me great pride. I value the accomplishment and it fuels me to be better. I am constantly making my father and mother proud with my accomplishments. I look forward to where this road takes me." +My most memorable moment in my life happened about six months ago. I inevitably became the first female to ever be elected to the office that I hold. I was also the youngest. The best part was I was privileged enough to have my father swear me into the office. It was even done in front of my community. This made me the most happy woman. I am elated and I'm very proud of myself. I have several achievements. I have several awards. There is nothing I cannot try to do and aim to succeed. I am a strong powerful woman. I will go further in life. But this was the most memorable and will stand out in my head forever. I realize my jobs ahead of me will be trying. I am ready! +"I lost my job and had bills to pay and couldnt. I was really depressed and sad. This happend about 6 months ago. I stayed in my room and hardly came out. I hardly ate and drank. It really bothered me bad. I don't like being at the city I'm in. It's where I'm from and the opportunity sucks. I just have up a little bit. My past negative thoughts started popping up. All the bad things that I been through and almost died at the age of 20 in the hospital bed. It really still affects my mind, anxiety and panic attacks. I had to meditate and stay focused. Losing my job at the time really messed me up. I had to be patient for something better." +"It was such a sad time. We had to put him to sleep right before my daughters high school graduation. We had company coming in to town for graduation. After the dog passed away we were all so sad and did not have a lot of energy to get the house ready for company. The dog was my best friend. He was so sweet and kind and loving. He followed me everywhere. He loved to cuddle with me on the couch and put his head on the backs of my knees. It was such a soothing experience being cuddled up like that with him. When we discovered he was dying we found a puppy from a little girl on craigslist. She could not take care of the puppy and happily sold him to us. The puppy was great for the dying dog. It gave the dog a purpose and something to focus on, training the new guy. At first the puppy looked at us in shock, as if to say, ""Rules??? I don't do rules!"" He quickly came around when he discovered there were treats to be earned by following the rules. I am glad we got a puppy as the older dog was dying. He made life a little more enjoyable after the old dog passed away. I still miss the old dog. I hope when I get to heaven that he comes running to greet me!" +"When my kids were in kindergarten and second grade we decided to get a family dog. We named him Cosmo after Cosmo in the fairly odd parents cartoon for the kids. The adults liked the name Cosco because he was kind of goofy like Cosmo Kramer on Seinfeld. He ended up becoming my wife's dog as she was home with him most of the time. He loved the kids and loved walking to school with them. He was a great watch dog, he watched over the house and watched the kids from the window when they were old enough to ride bikes to school alone. I remember one day our son fell off his bike and Cosmo ran to me in the office and barked like crazy. I had no idea why he was barking. My son walked in all scratched up and told me he fell off his bike. We had many good years with Cosmo. He loved being with his family and going to the dog park. He loved cuddling on my wife's legs. When he was only 8 years old the vet detected a heart murmur. The murmur progressed to heart failure. My wife was very depressed and so was Cosmo. We got a puppy to cheer everyone up and it worked for about 9 months. It gave Cosmo a job to do and got him out of his depression. Sadly, he had a stroke and could no longer stand up. We had a vet come to our house to put him to sleep. It was one of the saddest days of our lives." +Waking up this morning was the worst. I found that my laptop was soaked even though it was inside. After looking into where the water could have come from I found that the water was coming in from the chimney. Now not only do I have to buy a new laptop I have to repair the chimney. Along with that I also have to repair all the damaged drywall. This day couldn't have started off any worse honestly. Now I have to deal with my insurance and contractors to get everything repaired. This is going to take forever and it is a complete pain. I'm researching who I can come and have repair it all. I'm looking at thousands in damages. Hopefully this day gets better soon. On the positive side at least I'll get new paint colors. And a new laptop. Trying to see things from the positive side. Fingers crossed tomorrow is a better day. +Waking up this morning was the worst. I found that my laptop was soaked even though it was inside. After looking into where the water could have come from I found that the water was coming in from the chimney. Now not only do I have to buy a new laptop I have to repair the chimney. Along with that I also have to repair all the damaged drywall. This day couldn't have started off any worse honestly. Now I have to deal with my insurance and contractors to get everything repaired. This is going to take forever and it is a complete pain. I'm researching who I can come and have repair it all. I'm looking at thousands in damages. Hopefully this day gets better soon. On the positive side at least I'll get new paint colors. And a new laptop. Trying to see things from the positive side. Fingers crossed tomorrow is a better day. +"So it has happen, the thing that I was dreading and extremely worried about. My little niece has gone and grown up some and has started kindergarten. She is a great little girl and I love her so much. I have spent so much time with her and she has depended on me for a lot and I have gotten used to taking care of her and her being with me a lot of the time. See she has went through a lot as a little girl and I was there through it all. The hospital stays and the seizures and even the little things like having a cold. But she finally reached the age of Kindergarten and whether I liked it or not she was ready to go. I mean all kids have to do that at some time. I was worried about her too because it would be the first time that she was gone all day also. Well it has went okay. She likes it and she has made a lot of friends already. She has also learned so much. She really is enjoying herself and having a good time in life. I am glad it is working out for her and that she is happy and I have gotten used to it also and am able to enjoy some time that I am not chasing after a silly little girl. We will continue to make memories together and there will be other times in life that there will be change and hopefully it is as good as this has been." +"It's amazing how time flies! My niece is already starting kindergarten, I can barely believe it. It feels like I was watching her mother give birth just a few months ago, and now just like that she's in kindergarten! It's wild! I am a bit sad however because due to my work schedule I won't be able to see her very much this fall as she starts up school. Since her mother passed away it has been especially hard for her growing up, and I like to help out any way I can with her growth and development. We have talked numerous times before about how she feels about what happened to her mom, and I like to think I am a significant portion of her life. Previously I was able to drive her to preschool, but my promotion at work has forced me to work stricter hours with less flexibility. I know I will miss our car rides together to and from school. It's tough because I wish there was something I could do to help out more. I know she will make tons of friends at her new school and in her class though, so it might be a decent idea to have her take the bus going forward. Her father and I both are somewhat concerned about her safety on the bus, but I think that's natural when a young child takes a bus on their own for the first time. Growing up and experiencing things on her own is important for her development too! She's a kindergartner after all! I know I'm probably worried for no reason and that she will be just fine in the end, but it's inevitable for me to feel these motherly duties after all we've both been through." +"Title: An Embarrassing MomentStory:About twelve months ago, several members of my high school band came together to plan a special event for our band director. We decided to have a sit down dinner and a talent show to honor him. My band director was the best at hosting and organizing talent shows, so we wanted to honor him with a talent show that we organized. We decided to have guest speakers, such as the mayor and other delegates to speak at the event. Several band members volunteered to be on the planning committee to ensure that the event was a success. After nine months of planning, we had obtained the banquet hall, guest speakers, entertainment, and etc. It was very challenging, but we prevailed. During the planning of the event, the committee agreed to have one person to speak on behalf of the group at the end of the event. This individual would ""thank"" everyone for coming and give words of encouragement. I immediately informed the committee that I would not be the spokes person due to my stage fright and nervousness. Another member of the committee volunteered. On the day of the event, everything went well until the ending of the event. The entire committee was called to the stage and I was immediately put on the spot and asked to say a few words to the audience and the honorary. The person who asked me to say a few words is the same person who volunteered to be our spokes person. I immediately froze like a deer in head lights. Not one word would come out my mouth. I felt so embarrassed as I was totally unprepared. After enduring this situation, I have gain more confidence and have over come my stage fright and nervousness. I also make sure to have a speech ready when hosting any event." +I work in medical tech and am pretty well known in the field. When my partner and I went to attend a conference I had no idea we were intended to give a speech. The conference had many doctors and researchers from around the world there. When they asked me to come up and speak I decided to go up and give it my best effort but I froze up. I didnt have slides or models. I was talking about a device that I could not show off or effectively communicate our product. I think i lost some clout with these people as I floundered and didnt know what to say. I know if i were being explained a medical procedure or device i would want someone well versed in it. Since this happened 6 months ago I have been working on impromptu speeches and confidence in public speaking. I want to be prepared if this happens again. I think it is important to communicate efficiently even when under prepared. I have some key talking points now and have been able to bring it up in casual conversation no problem. Time will tell if I am prepared the next time a big event comes up. But all in all I have learned a valuable lesson. Always be prepared for anything that may come your way. +"On the 8th of September, my boyfriend came to visit me. We were both in a long-distance relationship at the time, and we still are. He came all the way from New York, while I was in Los Angeles, CA. It had been 4 months since we had seen each other, and I was very glad to see him. On the day he was coming, he did not tell me since he wanted it to be a surprise. He did ask me two days before if I was to be free on that day, and I responded in the affirmative. The day he came was on a Saturday, and on that day I was at home with a couple of girlfriends. We were having a movie day since we had had a tiring week at work. When he came to the house, I was pleasantly surprised and very emotional, since it had been such a long time since I had meet him. Luckily I was able to compose myself quickly. While I was composing myself, my boyfriend passionately kissed me while massing my buttocks. He then said loudly I love you very much. That was before he noticed that my friends were around. He then became very embarrassed and started apologizing. That was because my boyfriend is a very shy person. Luckily he was able to compose himself and we had a very great day. My boyfriend left about four days later. When He reached the airport before he left in the plane, I told him I also loved him very much, and that I was glad he came to visit me. I also told him that I didn't respond to him when he said he loved me because I didn't want him to be embarrassed further. He was pretty happy when I told him that." +"On the 8th of September, my boyfriend came to visit me. We were both in a long-distance relationship at the time, and we still are. He came all the way from New York, while I was in Los Angeles, CA. It had been 4 months since we had seen each other, and I was very glad to see him. On the day he was coming, he did not tell me since he wanted it to be a surprise. He did ask me two days before if I was to be free on that day, and I responded in the affirmative. The day he came was on a Saturday, and on that day I was at home with a couple of girlfriends. We were having a movie day since we had had a tiring week at work. When he came to the house, I was pleasantly surprised and very emotional, since it had been such a long time since I had meet him. Luckily I was able to compose myself quickly. While I was composing myself, my boyfriend passionately kissed me while massing my buttocks. He then said loudly I love you very much. That was before he noticed that my friends were around. He then became very embarrassed and started apologizing. That was because my boyfriend is a very shy person. Luckily he was able to compose himself and we had a very great day. My boyfriend left about four days later. When He reached the airport before he left in the plane, I told him I also loved him very much, and that I was glad he came to visit me. I also told him that I didn't respond to him when he said he loved me because I didn't want him to be embarrassed further. He was pretty happy when I told him that." +"Three months ago, I finally stopped drinking and using drugs. I decided this after almost dying from taking drugs. I was puking from taking too much cocaine. It was a scary trip. I decided to never drink or use drugs as long as I lived. It was tough at first. I had to punch walls to stave off the craving. I decided to go cold turkey. I somehow got over my addiction. I'm glad I stopped taking the drugs and drinking. I feel a lot better now. I got a better job because of it. I look better as well. My family is so proud of me. I will visit them soon. I will talk to them all about my ordeals in my life." +"Three months ago, I finally stopped drinking and using drugs. I decided this after almost dying from taking drugs. I was puking from taking too much cocaine. It was a scary trip. I decided to never drink or use drugs as long as I lived. It was tough at first. I had to punch walls to stave off the craving. I decided to go cold turkey. I somehow got over my addiction. I'm glad I stopped taking the drugs and drinking. I feel a lot better now. I got a better job because of it. I look better as well. My family is so proud of me. I will visit them soon. I will talk to them all about my ordeals in my life." +"So Sally and Tasha kind of forgot to tell me that they didn't renew their lease for next semester. I was kind of surprised when I came back to the apartment after spending the weekend with my folks to see that they had moved all their stuff out. I mean Sally was actually there cleaning up the bathroom. She looked at me really flustered and angry. I asked her ""whats up"", she huffs on how I'm such a procrastinator and she's doing all the cleaning because Tasha is ghosting her. I asked Sally, what are you talking about? Did we get robbed? Where's all your stuff? and then ""Oh, didn't Tasha tell you, that we have to be out of the apartment by Tuesday?"" Honestly, my jaw dropped. I don't know why it did, its not like Tasha was the best roommate, her communication sucked. So here it is Sunday night and I'm panicked. I clearly did not plan on moving and now I have a 24 hour window to find something! So I went down to the mail room and found some empty boxes, I should at least box my things up, while I send out text messages to see whose got a room available or knows of anything I can rent for the next semester. I texted my parents to, my dad said it was a blessing in disguise. Sally did all the cleaning and Tasha was already gone, so I just had a small section to pack up. My dad is always very calm and reassuring, it helped. I don't know why I hadn't panicked yet, I mean there was a rumored housing shortage both on and off campus. Yet, I knew a lot of kids were graduating this year and hopefully someone hadn't given up their space.Phil had graduated last year and was working for a small boutique law firm in outside the city, he rented this super cute artist studio in a idyllic neighborhood. Well it turns out Phil, had actually spent the summer applying to law firms back on the east coast and this morning he signed a contract with a new firm and started the following week. Phil was offering me, his studio, his landlord agreed to a small rent increase, but it was a still a screaming deal and I was ecstatic. I spent the whole day, filling up my small car with boxes, to and from storage. I only packed what I, myself could carry. My arms and shoulders hurt, my legs hurt from all the up and down motion. I was emotionally drained, because i think the adrenaline, finally crashed." +"What do you do when she just doesn't want to be with you anymore? There was no fight, there was no argument, she just looks you in the face, tells you she loves you and that you are an ""amazing man"", but she just doesn't feel right and wants to leave. I have never been more confused in all my life, HOW can I be an ""amazing man"" and yet she wants to leave. But there it was, she had been looking at places to move behind my back for months and I guess seeing someone else as well. I bought my first house with this woman, adoped a dog with this woman and swore to take care of this woman (to her father) and now she wants to leave. We bought the house, that house flooded two months later, I busted my butt to rebuild and make it more comfortable for HER, not me HER. And now she's leaving. My purpose for having a house and rebuilding it the way I did was there no longer. One of the hardest things in my life. So what to do? Well, I pack. She didn't want to be there, she was coming to get her stuff (eventually), so I began to pack every-single-thing of hers and shove it away. So I didn't have to see it. Pots, pans, utensils, everything that could be taken down or moved was packed. Anything that reminded me of her. I repainted rooms, redecorated, tried to make what I built for her mine in a few weeks time. I spent time outside and built a patio, I built furniture that would replace the ones that I bought for her. When her dad and uncle came to help her pack they had tears in their eyes, I guess they loved me too (or knew how much pain I was in). They didn't know why I did most of the hard work for them, it was because they were great men and I wanted them to be my family, hell, sometimes I still do... but it just wasn't meant to be. I helped load her up and send her on her way to a new life, and I was left trying to rebuild mine... again." +"Today was like any other day, I was happy and in love. When I say this came out of nowhere I really mean it. I woke up and did my morning ritual. I made coffee and breakfast for myself and my girlfriend. We normally survive on coffee and something simple to eat. I cooked our favorite which we, I, call egg in a hole. As soon as my girlfriend, or should I say ex-girlfriend by now, entered the kitchen, something felt off. I looked at her face and got a tinge of fear. She looked so serious when she's normally so bubbly. From that moment, all time slowed down but yet everything felt like a blur. First she said she needed to talk to me. I panicked and she must have saw it because she tried to calm me. She said that had found someone else and was no longer in love with me. My heart sank. It came out of nowhere, or I missed all the signs. I begged and pleaded with her not to leave me. I might have made a fool of myself, I cringe when I think of it. I was crushed and began to cry. She left after eating. I couldn't eat and just went to my bed. I drifted in and out of sleep because when I slept it didn't hurt." +"The most recent memorable event involving me would have been a weekend getaway. Definitely needed getaway, as it has been sometime since the last one. There was plenty of fun and rest. There is something about being close to the ocean that calms you. A couple of days on the coast with a loved one, plenty of food, a wonderful dining experience. Great drinks! Alot of time for play and doing absolutely nothing! Amazing! We only had a few days, but definitely made the most of it. Long drives are worth it, when the destination is absolutely beautiful! Hopefully the next time, won't be that far in the future. I had hesitated at first, since the trip was booked spontaneously. But all in all, I am so glad we went. The cost was expensive, but so worth it! Why save and save, if you never spend on yourself!? This is definitely my most memorable recent event." +"My husband has been working at his job for twenty years. So when he lost his job two months ago, we were all appalled. His income is now just gone. The gave him a small severence and we have some savings. But for the company to unexpectedly move all of it's west coast operations back to the main office and lay off the entire west coast workforce was a shock to everyone. So now we find ourselves racing to get a new business up and running. He knew his job well. But we need to start bringing money in soon before we run out. Our savings won't last long. His severence wasn't that great. The company didn't even give the union a heads up before the decision came down. Luckily, my husband has kept contact with his direct customers. Many of them are calling him directly here at home. I think we are going to make this work. The customers are on our side and dumping the company for us." +"My husband has been working at his job for twenty years. So when he lost his job two months ago, we were all appalled. His income is now just gone. The gave him a small severence and we have some savings. But for the company to unexpectedly move all of it's west coast operations back to the main office and lay off the entire west coast workforce was a shock to everyone. So now we find ourselves racing to get a new business up and running. He knew his job well. But we need to start bringing money in soon before we run out. Our savings won't last long. His severence wasn't that great. The company didn't even give the union a heads up before the decision came down. Luckily, my husband has kept contact with his direct customers. Many of them are calling him directly here at home. I think we are going to make this work. The customers are on our side and dumping the company for us." +"My wife and I had trying to get pregnant again for almost a year. We were starting to get frustrated but where doing ok. Well, it finally happened but that's just were the story begins. We were super excited that it finally happened but both of us kept having this nagging feeling that maybe we were getting more than we bargained for. After a few weeks we went in for a preliminary ultrasound just to make sure that everything was alright. As soon as the tech brought up the image our intuition was proven correct. We were having twins. Everyone was crazy excited and it's been a lot of fun but also a lot of worry. I never realized how much more involved a twin pregnancy is compared to a singleton. We have had to go get ultrasounds every other week and we still don't know if there are problems with one of the babies. We know that his umbilical cord is missing an artery so he is on the small side. By itself that's a not a big issue. However, he might have a problem with how his internal organs are developing as well. It might require surgery after birth. That's a little stressful but I believe things will work out." +"me and family was living in the same home. our home is detached home, my parents were became old. they can't able to look after their needs. so i have to look over them. they are stayed with me. few moths ago my father have illness. so i took him to hospital. treatment was going. but doctor said its very difficult to save him. his heart stopped its function 80%. so it was difficult to save him. we all felt very bad about my dad health. for one week my dad was in hospital. we all never sleep and eat at all. it was very horrible. one day he passed away. it hurts a lot. we felt very bad. i would give anything to change it." +"Two months ago I experienced the most bittersweet event in my life so far. It was the end of my high school days. Graduation was just a few days ago. We were all excited but also sad. We knew that many of our friends that we had grown up with were all going their separate ways. Year after year this comfort my friends and I had knowing that the first day of school would not be lonely because we had each other since grade school. But now in a few months it would all change. We would be going off to college and have to make new friends. Some of us would be left behind in this town. Feeling all of these emotions really pushed us to want to spend one last night together to reminisce and enjoy each others company. We all met up at a local restaurant and ate dinner. We thought about going to the movies but then we wouldn't be able to enjoy each others company. So instead we went to the park by the river and talked about all of our past memories and things that were funny and embarrassed. It was fun and really helped to bring us closure and peace knowing that we would always have each other no matter how far apart we all were. After what seemed like hours, we got icecream and went to my friends house and had a sleep over. Just like when we were kids." +"My best friend, whom I've haven't actually seen in person in nearly seven years, came to visit me for my birthday this past year. They had arranged to come up and stay for a long weekend so we would have plenty of time to just hang out and catch up. They finally had a chance to see the home I bought a few years ago as well as meet my partner for the first time. We had made reservations at a new restaurant we all were excited to try out, which turned out to be fantastic. We stuffed ourselves with steak and garlic pork, had a few drinks. We told old stories and laughed about dumb things we used to do when we were younger. The restaurant knew it was my birthday and brought out this enormous piece of dessert with the plate decorated with cocoa powder and the words Happy Birthday in melted chocolate. Even though we were full to the brim, we managed to knock that dessert down! The next couple days passed in a sort of blur. We didn't actually go out and do much of anything special, but we stayed up late every night, talked about every topic under the sun. Just like we used to. When it was finally time to say goodbye, it was a little rough. I didn't want them to go so soon, as it seemed like they had just gotten there. They didn't want to go either, for the same reasons. We both cried a little as they drove away. It was a great visit and we are already making plans for the next one!" +"My best friend, whom I've haven't actually seen in person in nearly seven years, came to visit me for my birthday this past year. They had arranged to come up and stay for a long weekend so we would have plenty of time to just hang out and catch up. They finally had a chance to see the home I bought a few years ago as well as meet my partner for the first time. We had made reservations at a new restaurant we all were excited to try out, which turned out to be fantastic. We stuffed ourselves with steak and garlic pork, had a few drinks. We told old stories and laughed about dumb things we used to do when we were younger. The restaurant knew it was my birthday and brought out this enormous piece of dessert with the plate decorated with cocoa powder and the words Happy Birthday in melted chocolate. Even though we were full to the brim, we managed to knock that dessert down! The next couple days passed in a sort of blur. We didn't actually go out and do much of anything special, but we stayed up late every night, talked about every topic under the sun. Just like we used to. When it was finally time to say goodbye, it was a little rough. I didn't want them to go so soon, as it seemed like they had just gotten there. They didn't want to go either, for the same reasons. We both cried a little as they drove away. It was a great visit and we are already making plans for the next one!" +"Last month we moved my daughter to her apartment 2 hours away at her college, and we became empty nesters again. The move was busy and tiresome, so I didn't get too emotional during any of the moving process. We spent weeks making lists, buying supplies, packing up boxes, and preparing. This move is the one where she may not come back next summer, and she took her furniture in her room and some in our bonus room with her. That means I can't go sit in her room without her here and it look the same. Two rooms upstairs look completely different. As we moved her furniture to the truck and I went back upstairs to see how different it looked, I had to take pictures, and it really hit me then what a difference it was. We were so busy that I didn't have time to get too sad about it though. We made the drive the next day and got everything moved in and spent a lot of time setting things up and decorating. As I saw it come together, it made me feel good about the place she is getting to live in. I was so tired when we left and happy with how it turned out, so I made it through without crying. I was surprised that I didn't even cry when we hugged her bye and left. Over the past few weeks, getting to hear from her about how happy she is at school makes it okay with me that she is not living at home. I have had a couple of times I did get sad and cry after the moving part was over. For the most part, though, I am excited for her and happy that she is enjoying it." +"My mother was watching my son for me, like she always does during the week. When I went to pick him up, she casually mentioned that his arm seemed to hurt. So I watched him all night, and noticed that he wouldn't use his arm at all. His arm just dangled there like a wet noodle. I had a friend and her daughter for a sleepover. And while the kids were playing on the slide, my son bumped his arm, and started crying and would not stop. That's when I knew that something must be really wrong with him. While I felt guilty, it was night time so I knew the only option would be either to keep him at home or take him to the ER. I thought going to the ER would be more traumatic than helpful so I just put some ice on his arm, and put him into bed with me. After I got him settled down, he was able to go to sleep. In the morning he was back to his normal self, except he still wouldn't do anything with his arm. So I took him into urgent care because I knew that they could do x-rays if need be. The doctor asked me questions about how it happened, and I felt bad because I didn't know how it happened. I told her we thought that he fell off the coffee table, but we weren't entirely sure, since no one saw what happened. In the end, it turned out that he had broken his left arm. I felt guilty, but he was in really good spirits about it." +"It was happened three months ago. I was really fear and getting very worry about my son. Sometimes my son did not do any thing without the help of myself. Nowadays it was really very hard thing to manage my son activities in home. My wife works at home. But she also do not know about how to tackle or manage my toddle son's non stopped activity. Three months ago my toddler son broke his arm while I was not around on him. My also doing some work in the house. So she did not know how to make the first aid kid. So she suddenly make a call for me and telling about the incident. I was really getting very sad about the incident of my small child Because I love my son very much than everything in this world So, that I am not able to tolerate this incident. I was totally blanked and think of my child's pain while going to the home. My colleagues are very support and make myself calm and help me taking my child in the hospital After the injury of my child I often took permission or leave. But the manager of my office may understand my situation. because he is also a father of his child. And also I spent more time for my toddle kid making himself very enthusiastic and enjoyable.Nowadays I was really very like to spent more time between my son and also my wife. Which decision made myself very happy and energetic to do my works properly in my office and also in my house so I just giving the best advice to all married couples is being very good to your child and family which makes you very happy and made your life fulfillment. Nowadays my life is very beautiful only because of my lovable family. Unexpected event that changed my Life Sometimes things happen in the lives of people that they have no control over. When these things happen I call them life experience, and they often leave people muttering the words Why me From time to time, actions of others affect my own. Other times, an act of irresponsibility and immaturity on people’s part could cause life changing events on our loved ones and on us. From bad events, I have learned. If you want to be happy you should spent more time with family members. always do more things for you family makes you happy and feel proud to yourself. Families are an integral part of one’s life it does not matter if you have a small or big family as long as you have one. A family serves as the first school to the child where one learns about various things" +"I was looking to buy my first home a little over a year ago. With my limited budget and the market being so flooded at the time, I was looking for a really long time. I put offers in on 11 different homes. In every case they accepted someone else's (probably higher) offer. It became very discouraging finding a home that I liked, or even some that I loved, that I wanted so badly and couldn't have because they chose a different offer. Then, about 4 months ago I came across this house, it was at the top of my budget and it was old, but it was perfect. It had everything that I needed and wanted. It checked all the boxes. I offered full price, all the money I had. I also wrote a letter to the owner expressing how much this home would mean to me. I truly envisioned myself in the home. They got back to me the next day and told me that they had picked ME over someone else's offer that was 10,000 dollars over asking. I was so touched and honored that they chose me over more money. It really felt like it was meant to be. It has been my favorite moment in my life that has meant something monumental." +"I was extremely sad to find out a few months ago that my daughter moved seven hours away from our home. My daughter and I have always had a close relationship, and I knew that I would miss seeing her so frequently. She comes to our house several times a week just to visit or have a meal. On occasion she will even come over and cook dinner for us. We would bake together, or just sit and chat over a cup of coffee. She is my only daughter and I'm not sure how much we'll get to see her. Right after we found out that our daughter was moving, we found out that our son was moving as well. This was a double whammy! Both of our kids being in different cities than us is going to be hard. Especially when they both get married and have children. I will really hate not being close to my grandchildren. But I know that the move for both my son and daughter will further their careers and I have to support that. My hope is that we will get to be together for holidays. My husband and I were both really sad about this for awhile. Then it dawned on us that we didn't have to experience empty nest syndrome. We would only have to worry about ourselves! And now we have to admit that we're kind of excited to experience this next chapter in our lives. We'll just get used to a new normal." +I never thought my father would die. I guess I thought he would live forever but as of about 4 weeks ago I found out that wasn't true. It was the most heartbreaking day of my life. I was expected to speak at his service and I didn't know what to do because I hadn't stopped crying since I got the phone call that he had unexpectedly passed away. I searched my heart and my brain to find something to say but for the life of me I couldn't stop crying long enough to get anything out onto paper much less anything that I could get up in front of everyone and say. I just decided that I would go with the flow and try to come up with what to say on the spot. That was a disaster. From the minute I walked up to the podium I started crying and could barely get a word out in between sobs. Once I got calmed down a bit I tried to talk about all the good times and memories that I had with my father and I got a few out before I had to take a break. I told about the times when we used to go riding around in his mustang and the time he let me move it in my grandmother's driveway and freaked out because he thought I was gonna hit that big tree. I talked about how much he loved his grandkids and how he would take them fishing and teach them how to work on cars. I talked about how he put off his retirement for years and we all knew it was because he loved his job regardless of how much he claimed to hate it. I knew he would be proud of me for standing up in front of everyone talking like that. He knew I had terrible anxiety but I was glad I was able to control it long enough to talk about him and what he meant to me. When I finally said everything I was able to say I went back to my seat where I collapsed into my mother's arms and cried for the rest of the service. +I never thought my father would die. I guess I thought he would live forever but as of about 4 weeks ago I found out that wasn't true. It was the most heartbreaking day of my life. I was expected to speak at his service and I didn't know what to do because I hadn't stopped crying since I got the phone call that he had unexpectedly passed away. I searched my heart and my brain to find something to say but for the life of me I couldn't stop crying long enough to get anything out onto paper much less anything that I could get up in front of everyone and say. I just decided that I would go with the flow and try to come up with what to say on the spot. That was a disaster. From the minute I walked up to the podium I started crying and could barely get a word out in between sobs. Once I got calmed down a bit I tried to talk about all the good times and memories that I had with my father and I got a few out before I had to take a break. I told about the times when we used to go riding around in his mustang and the time he let me move it in my grandmother's driveway and freaked out because he thought I was gonna hit that big tree. I talked about how much he loved his grandkids and how he would take them fishing and teach them how to work on cars. I talked about how he put off his retirement for years and we all knew it was because he loved his job regardless of how much he claimed to hate it. I knew he would be proud of me for standing up in front of everyone talking like that. He knew I had terrible anxiety but I was glad I was able to control it long enough to talk about him and what he meant to me. When I finally said everything I was able to say I went back to my seat where I collapsed into my mother's arms and cried for the rest of the service. +"This June, my boyfriend and I decided to get married. We had been talking about it for a while, and the timing finally seemed right. We couldn't afford a large wedding ceremony and reception and all of the expenses that go along with traditionally getting married in the United States, so we decided to elope at home. We planned a short, private ""ceremony"" in our living room to be held the following week, and we invited only our close and direct family members to attend. In that week, I bought a casual $100 white dress and a small faux bouquet of flowers for our ceremony. My boyfriend and I were nervous a bit that we were moving too fast or not thinking everything through, but we knew we wanted to be married and that pre-wedding jitters are normal. The night before we married, we went out for a special dinner just the two of us. We discussed our nerves but also our excitement, and we wrapped up our vows that we planned on saying to each other. The next morning, the strap on my dress broke and we told our families to come over an hour later than planned so I could fix it to wear for our marriage. I was stressed out and cried a bit, wondering if this was a mistake and that we should wait to have a ""proper"" engagement and wedding. However, I told myself that the wedding itself wasn't the important part, the marriage was, and I was positive I wanted to get married. I fixed my dress, our families arrived, and everything was wonderful. We played some music and read our vows, I got very emotional and cried, and so did our families. My husband's family surprised us with a beautiful cake and champagne, and we had a toast and cut the cake. We grabbed a broomstick from our basement and jumped over it since our wedding was actually more of an elopement. We took a ton of photos in our living room to remember the special day, and went out to dinner together as a new family. I'll always remember this special day that I got married even though it wasn't what I imagined it to be. It was low-key and casual, and it was very special to us even though it was not a traditional wedding." +"So this event actually took place yesterday. I went on a bike ride, a really long bike ride with this girl that I've had a thing for off and on for the last three years. I hadn't been planning to hang out with her yesterday, but she texted me the night before asking if I wanted to join her on the ride. Of course I was going to go. I love hanging out with her. Anyway, we decided we were going to bike to all three towns that make up our area. In all, the ride was going to take about 2.5 hours. We get going and it's just a lot of fun. Beautiful day, earlier in the morning, and we were making good time and progress. It was great talking with her as we rode as well. Anyway, I knew that we would be crossing one of the bridges coming up to get over to the third town. This was the part that was going to bother me because I hate heights and the bike paths on the bridges are not great. I'm super tall and would end up falling over the railing if I messed up. We got to the bridge and I could feel my heart racing. I knew I had to walk my bike across on a path that was only wide enough for one biker at a time. She went on ahead to get over and I started walking. If someone else came up from behind, I would have to move really close to the road to give them room to pass. But surely there would be no one else right? I watched my friend go across as I continued to talk. All of a sudden, I heard a biker behind me. I had to move over. They passed without incident and I felt relived. Once I reached the bottom of the bike path, my heart stilled as well and I was no longer nervous. All in all, a great day on a bike with a great friend who I want to hang out more with." +"I recently got vacation time to relax after a rather stressful period at work. I knew that I wanted to got somewhere with a lot of sun shine and beach views. so, naturally, my top two options were Florida or Hawaii. I found a good deal on a Hawaiian package after searching for vacation packages online. I was looking at a 5 days, 4 night on the sunny beached of Hawaiian. I was excited and eager to start my relaxation. Little did I know that this vacation did the exact opposite for me. When I arrived at the hotel, I was amazed at the tropical scene, the cool, blue skies, and the active beaches. After getting situation in my hotel room, I ate some breakfast. It was then that I first noticed it in the hotel's restaurant. There doesn't seem to be a lot singles here. All I see are couples or hotel workers. I look around the restaurant, and It seems like I am the only single guy here. I got self-conscious real quick after that. I tried to forget about this by eating my breakfast and to head to the beach. Once at the beach, the scene got worse for me. I laid on a beach chair and saw couple after couple smiling and enjoying themselves. Seeing them just made me realize how alone I am. My desire to form a connection with another person was raging within me. I couldn't enjoy the rest of my vacation after that. As I boarded my flight home, I made a promise to myself that when I return here, it would be with a girlfriend and me proposing to her on that beach." +"Today was pretty great. We went to my husband's aunt's birthday. There was everything you want there, cake conversation and woohoowilly a playground. Im so surprised but delighted my kids wouldnt have to sit bored inside the whole time. Every restaraunt should have one. The kids had a good time so that meant I did too. There were about 30 of us at the spot, all talking and laughing and eating(when the food finally made its wayward way to each of us). My salad was a huge mountain and I gleefully dug in. I was thrilled to be out of the house and socializing. After we ate I took the kids outside for some fun. The playground was packed but they had a blast. A man sat outside singing for the guests who visited the restaraunt. He strummed his guitar and the mood was light and summery. Even more luck since there was a pokistop right on the playground. When they had worn themselves out, we went back inside for more food and fun. Truely a fantastic night." +"the day that my son was leaving home to head to the dorms at college , I was so very proud but so sad as well. My child was leaving me. My nest was now empty. He had his stuff all packed into the SUV that his father gave him. I had gotten him everything I could think of that he would need to be starting out on his own. I wanted him to have everything. I was worried if he was prepared for life on his own. I was worried about him so deeply and was struggling to let go with a smile on my face. I did not want to burden him with my sadness and worry. I wanted him to be free and happy and strong. I wanted to hold him in my lap again then I huffed at myself he was now 5 10 and about 180lbs wouldnt fit on my lap anymore . But in my minds eye I remember cuddling with him and playing . I was proud he has done good never gave my one problem growing up. No drugs never skipped school no drinking . I couldnt help but think he had become what he was in spite of me not because of me. so seeing him leaving that day was such a mixture of feelings. happy and sad and I was so lost. I missed my son already. That part of my life was over and it seemed like just a blink of an eye and he was walking away." +"Time is cruel. I still remember having my son in my arms as a little baby. I just wanted him to stay like that. But that's not how life works. That's not how anything works, unfortunately. We can only move forward and hope we raised our kids right. I was very proud of him. He was heading off to college, and when I hugged him goodbye, I held on a little longer. Memories flowed, but they were just that. I wanted him to stay home, but I wanted him to succeed. He is very intelligent. But I remember just walking him to preschool. Where did fourteen years go? Cherish the time you have. It ends before you realize." +"When my partner came out as transgender to her parents, they decided to cut us off for a while. Not financially (we are on their phone plan and gas card) but by unfriending us on social media, not coming to my ballet performance and not speaking to us. I was more hurt by that than Ashley, because they have always come to my shows and there wasn't any reason for them not to, except to punish her. Or her through me. They actually moved to another city 2-3 hours away because of this as well. The mother is very passive-aggressive and also has a history of overreacting to things. When my partner was just out of high school and this came up, she drove into a wall and started to break down. They also mentioned that she was embarrassing them because their friends had heard about it. Things have gotten slightly better since then. Her mother has re-friended me on social media and is speaking to us and has said moving was a big mistake. But the subject of Ash being transgender is something they just don't talk about. This has really hurt my partner a lot, but she's actually handling it pretty well. She basically thinks if they don't want to talk about it or acknowledge it, then that's fine and they can just have a distant relationship. And I agree. If they aren't even going to try to love and understand their child, then they are a waste of time." +"When my partner came out as transgender to her parents, they decided to cut us off for a while. Not financially (we are on their phone plan and gas card) but by unfriending us on social media, not coming to my ballet performance and not speaking to us. I was more hurt by that than Ashley, because they have always come to my shows and there wasn't any reason for them not to, except to punish her. Or her through me. They actually moved to another city 2-3 hours away because of this as well. The mother is very passive-aggressive and also has a history of overreacting to things. When my partner was just out of high school and this came up, she drove into a wall and started to break down. They also mentioned that she was embarrassing them because their friends had heard about it. Things have gotten slightly better since then. Her mother has re-friended me on social media and is speaking to us and has said moving was a big mistake. But the subject of Ash being transgender is something they just don't talk about. This has really hurt my partner a lot, but she's actually handling it pretty well. She basically thinks if they don't want to talk about it or acknowledge it, then that's fine and they can just have a distant relationship. And I agree. If they aren't even going to try to love and understand their child, then they are a waste of time." +"I recently experienced the worst in my marriage. About a month ago, I intercepted a message from a strange woman professing her love for my husband. My heart shattered on seeing the message. I was so confused I didn't know how to react. I felt like my world was coming to an end. I was so confused about how to treat the situation. I consulted a close friend seeking advice about what to do. Should I confront my husband? Or should I play along in order to learn more about this strange woman? My friend Sarah advised I confronted my husband to ensure I don't act on assumptions. I acted on the advice and confronted my husband who played down the issue, insisting the strange woman in question was just an admirer. he assured me nothing was ongoing between them and promised he would never cheat on me. But there is a part of me who thought my husband is not being honest. I'm scared right now because I think my marriage is hanging on a balance. I have since sought advice from friends and family about steps I need to take to prevent my marriage from crumbling to the ground. Should I hire a private investigator in a bid to learn more about this strange woman? Or should I trust my husband and allow the issue slip? I've been a confused woman for the past two weeks and all meaningful help to savage my situation is extremely welcomed and appreciated. Thanks." +"Today is Thursday. I can’t believe it’s been one week since all of the drama with my neighbor went down. I can’t really understand how a women with such a great career and future ahead of her could stoop so low. I doubt she thought the truth would get out. An affair with a fairly new hire at her business, come on! Not to mention the thievery they committed together. They nearly stole millions of dollars from her company. I can’t help but think this man came into the picture before getting hired by her. A heist this big had to have been planned for months. She totally took advantage of her managerial position and intentionally hired this guy to make their plan work. Honestly, how did they figure they wouldn’t get caught?! Now her children and her husband have to deal with the shame. Their name is all over the paper and the news. How could she compromise their well-being and peace for her own selfish gain...it’s sickening. I’m glad somebody caught on and told on them. The nerve she had to lie right to the police officers face! I really can’t fathom how her poor family must be feeling." +"My brother lives across the country, where we all grew up. My other brother and I live in a new city now, so he came to visit us. I was excited to see him since it had been about two years. I don't go to visit him because he still lives with my parents and I don't have a relationship with them anymore. My visiting brother is very into good deals and things that are well priced, so we found a lot of low cost activities to do. We also did a lot of traveling in the area, since my brother isn't very familiar with it. We went to the coast and spent some time on the beach. We went to visit a mountain and took lots of pictures. We went to an area with lots of waterfalls and did a bit of hiking. We had a fun time joking around and taking pictures of each other. My brother who lives in town has a girlfriend whose father was visiting at the same time, so we all spent time together and got to know each other. We went to a big city and did tourist type activities. Of course, we ate a lot of food. We went to local restaurants and also cooked some food. I'm really glad we got to have this experience and that my brother and I are still close." +"My brother lives across the country, where we all grew up. My other brother and I live in a new city now, so he came to visit us. I was excited to see him since it had been about two years. I don't go to visit him because he still lives with my parents and I don't have a relationship with them anymore. My visiting brother is very into good deals and things that are well priced, so we found a lot of low cost activities to do. We also did a lot of traveling in the area, since my brother isn't very familiar with it. We went to the coast and spent some time on the beach. We went to visit a mountain and took lots of pictures. We went to an area with lots of waterfalls and did a bit of hiking. We had a fun time joking around and taking pictures of each other. My brother who lives in town has a girlfriend whose father was visiting at the same time, so we all spent time together and got to know each other. We went to a big city and did tourist type activities. Of course, we ate a lot of food. We went to local restaurants and also cooked some food. I'm really glad we got to have this experience and that my brother and I are still close." +"In February, I had my annual check-up at the gastroenterologist. I have Crohn's Disease, but it has been in remission for many years now. I have to take a medication, an immuniomodulator, to keep the disease under control. The medication reduces the effectiveness of my immune system and makes inflammation less likely to occur. The medication also can cause unintended side effects: one of which is lymphoma, a type of cancer. I've been taking this medication for 5 years, and I've always felt wary of it because of the possible side effects. The week before the appointment I had an MRI scan to check for any active inflammation. At the appointment, the doctor revealed that my MRI showed that there was no active inflammation and no evidence of inflammation in the past. I was very relieved to have confirmation, but not surprised because I've felt completely fine recently. Then the doctor said that they would like to try taking me off the medication I had been taking for 5 years. I was super happy about this and immediately agreed. I would no longer have to worry about the potential side-effects. I was a little apprehensive because I was afraid of what would happen if the inflammation came back, but I haven't taken the medication since February. I feel completely fine. I feel like a major burden has been lifted from my shoulders!" +"I have always wanted to live a normal life , have kids , start a loving family have a fulfilling career , but things don't always work out the way we planned. Life has been a series of tests and can i say revelations but my greatest test came on the 27th of august 2013. Being sexually assaulted ,beaten and left to die while coming back from work was totally devastating. I can still see images of my assaulter and i still relive that experience every night when i go to bed. I am totally grateful for the love my family has bestowed upon me this trying time , without them i would have been wallowing in self loathing and regrets. Sometimes i still ask myself whether i brought this upon me , wasn't i good enough , that thought keeps coming. I was totally comatose and was rushed to the ER by a passersby , so i was told when i gained consciousness. It took me several weeks to fully recuperate and i kept wondering of all the people in the world , why this this happen to me. Several tests were done and luckily for me i was screened negative. I felt i was that was a comfort because i was already contemplating suicide if i was diagnosed with an incurable disease. Sleeping has become a time of torment for me that i get so scared to close my eyes at night. I knew there was something wrong so i had to see a psychologist where i was diagnosed with PTSD. I was given several medications and some lifestyle changes so i dont go spiral. I had to always move around people and take anti-depressant drugs. The doctor assured me that it would fade away gradually if i stick to my medications and also have lots of rest. Its been 5 years now and thanks to the love and compassion showed to me by my family, the whole incidence looks like a bad dream that never happened. I can finally say my healing process is complete" +Well back in May me and my wife got married. It was the happiest day of my life. Before we got married we had been dating for three years. I met my wife through a customer of mine when I was doing work at her moms house in New York. My wife was living down in Florida. Her mom said I have a daughter who is single with three kids and I think she would like you. I said okay tell her about me and give her my number if she was interested. Three years later here we are happily married with four kids. Three kids were from her previous marriage. I remember going to sleep the night before the wedding and how I was so excited. When I woke up that morning I was so nervous because I wanted to make sure everything went according to plan and minimal problems. I also couldn't wait to finally say I do and spend the rest of my life with her. We had all of our family there from different parts of the country. The wedding was so beautiful and so nice. The food and entertainment was amazing. But the best part of it all was now I have a family and a wife. +"The Vermont I saw looking out of the Greyhound window seemed to me to be a depopulated zone. It looked the way I had imagined the frontier had looked a century earlier. We passed farms, woods, towns removed from each other by expanses of bright green rolling hills, more vivid and beautiful than anything I had seen in Technicolor. I thought: Oh, this is that place that Norman Rockwell paints for the Saturday Evening Post. The bus ride to Barre was so long that it seemed I really was headed into Canada, if not the Arctic Circle. There were no interstate highways in Vermont at that time. We motored up Route 14 along the White River Valley out of White River Junction. Finally we got to Barre, and I was picked up at the bus stop by my assigned farmer, Louis Carrier, and taken to his dairy farm on a hill in Williamstown. I was thrilled that he was going to keep me on. I had no money for a bus ticket home. I spent most of my first month’s pay on maple syrup purchased at a general store and mailed home. Why was it so expensive? I wanted to show my family that I was going to be the kind of working man who shared his wealthI made certain I did everything right, but went light on feeding the calves to allow me enough time to sneak in the house and scoop out some ice cream before the family got home. Louis inspected the barn — but not the freezer, thankfully — and was duly impressed. I experienced his first words of praise and I basked in them." +"The Vermont I saw looking out of the Greyhound window seemed to me to be a depopulated zone. It looked the way I had imagined the frontier had looked a century earlier. We passed farms, woods, towns removed from each other by expanses of bright green rolling hills, more vivid and beautiful than anything I had seen in Technicolor. I thought: Oh, this is that place that Norman Rockwell paints for the Saturday Evening Post. The bus ride to Barre was so long that it seemed I really was headed into Canada, if not the Arctic Circle. There were no interstate highways in Vermont at that time. We motored up Route 14 along the White River Valley out of White River Junction. Finally we got to Barre, and I was picked up at the bus stop by my assigned farmer, Louis Carrier, and taken to his dairy farm on a hill in Williamstown. I was thrilled that he was going to keep me on. I had no money for a bus ticket home. I spent most of my first month’s pay on maple syrup purchased at a general store and mailed home. Why was it so expensive? I wanted to show my family that I was going to be the kind of working man who shared his wealthI made certain I did everything right, but went light on feeding the calves to allow me enough time to sneak in the house and scoop out some ice cream before the family got home. Louis inspected the barn — but not the freezer, thankfully — and was duly impressed. I experienced his first words of praise and I basked in them." +"The first day of Kindergarten for G. Leading up to this day, I was so anxious to say the least. Every time I thought about it I would get a giant pit in my stomach. She's been to school before, VPK but that is different. Small class, I walk her in and out and it's only 4 hours a day. She was just 4, likely the youngest of the entire class. How could she possibly keep up with the other children? Her birthday would be the second day of school but still! I was just certain that she would get lost and be so scared. Wondering why we would do this to her. Well, that was all for naught! The first day of school was exciting for G not terrifying. Her teacher Ms. Huffmann is kind and clearly capable of creating an environment for these little people to feel safe. I was so proud of G's bravery and sense of adventure. She made friends, played on the playground and loved lunchtime! She couldn't wait to go back. We're in our third week now and I couldn't be more excited for her. I hope her enthusiasm for school continues throughout all her years. Not likely to happen but I'm hopeful!" +"In the last few months, I had my first same-sex relationship with a woman. She was really wonderful. I feel really comfortable with her and felt like I could be my genuine self. We came from very similar backgrounds in terms of class (i.e., working class) and some other life experiences. We met first on a dating app and talked for along time this past winter, but then I actually ghosted her because I had two family members die in a mass shooting which was so rough, and I couldn't handle my shit. But then, I reached back out to her again in July, and she immediately asked me out on a date. We have been hanging out a lot, but now she is not sure if she wants to keep hanging out. I am poly which means that I have a partner who is heterosexual and male-identified. He is extremely supportive of me dating women and not in the bisexual fetishization way, if that makes any sense? He is not dating anyone else currently, and she does not want to date anyone else either besides me. She told me a few days ago that she is really falling for me, but is not sure if she can be in a relationship with me because it terrifies her that I'm with someone else at the same time. I have a lot of feels about this because I know that I am falling for her too and would love to pursue things more, especially since the relationship is so new, but feels so right and good. I think the other complicated factor and layer is that I am also struggling with my sexual orientation. I had originally asked my partner to go poly with me because I needed to figure out who I was, and I had not dated that many people in general: guys or girls. I could tell he was really sad when I told him, but he was extremely supportive. On top of that, we were planning a wedding/partnership committment at this time, so we almost called that off. We ended up getting committed (we aren't legally married) in June. Everything has been so confusing, and I am feeling quite a breadth of different emotions. I really want to work things out with my girlfriend, but know that there is so much that she needs to figure out. I honestly feel like I could love her because we connected so amazingly. And, I know that she too is falling for me and that her heart is heavy right now. I also know that I need to respect her process. I tried to reassure her that we could do all the things that partners do, like meet my family and plan trips. She seemed very open to that, but also that she feels really sad and terrified. I really hope that things work out." +"Wow, we did it. The Law Office of Hamlin Hamlin and McGill gave me a shot as a junior attorney to try one of the biggest medical malpractice cases the office had ever seen. Mr McGill himself worked closely with me on this case. We worked so hard, it was so stressful. At times, I thought we were going to lose. Mr McGill told me to just keep my cool and don't worry about those little pitfalls in the case. He told me, just keep your eye on the finish line. Keep delivering the facts to the jury and the facts will speak for themselves. And boy was he right! Even through all the stress, this was such an amazing and fun experience. I learned so much from this. And we won the largest verdict the firm has ever seen. We won $65 million dollars! At our firm, we are not greedy like many other law firms out there, so our client was stunned to find out that they will be taking home $40 million of that! My cut of that is a cool $1 million! Wow, I'm so glad I volunteered for this trial and that Mr McGill actually let me participate." +I am very glad to share you something which is unforgettable. It was an amazing event yeah that was my birthday. The birthday is common to all but for me it was a special day. Because I was met my parents after a long while. Actually I got love marriage. So my parents had not accepted me. But on my birthday they came to my birthday party and gave a big surprise that they bought me a diamond necklace and surprised me. I got speechless. Meanwhile I met my close friend which last before 3 years. And my spouse gifted me a new car. And got a more and more surprises. That was an awesome day. Overall I felt that I was a only person in this world who was most happiest person. My spouse met my parents secretly to convince them without my knowledge. He done a big thing for me. Never ever back that day again. Thanks to give me such an opportunity to share the wonderful thing. Thanks a lot. +"I had a great trip three months ago with my sister. We decided kind of spur of the moment that we wanted to see the red rocks in Sedona and we had time off so. I invited my friend to come along since he had never really been out of the city. It was a great time of year to go because it was just after winter and there weren't a lot of other tourists there yet. The weather was a little bit chilly in the mornings and at night but we hiked all along Oak Creek which will definitely warm you up. We found a cool place to swim, too. The water was freezing but after exploring all around the rocks and getting all sweaty, it was really refreshing. My friend was fascinated by everything and took a million pictures. There are a ton of little trails to explore and we set up a base camp near the creek to come back to after checking things out on a bunch of them. On the last night we had a little bit of a scare when we were lying in the tent and heard something walking around outside. My sister stayed with my friend and I got to be the brave one to investigate with the flashlight. It is really dark out there at night when there isn't much of a moon. I didn't dare go to far from the tent because I had no idea if there might be bears or something. I was shining the light around and suddenly saw two glowing eyes. I was about to freak out when the animal moo'd at me. It was a cow! There we were out there in what seemed like the wilderness and a domestic cow just ambled on into our campsite. I went back into the tent to tell the others and the cow just kind of wandered off. All in all, it was a great four days and we had that added thing to tell people back home." +"It was a terrible series of events, my ex-boyfriend, Jeff, the jail bird, was very abusive towards me and was quite casual about his demand for anything he wanted from me. If you ever look up what a person is who is a user and a loser, there will be a photo of Jeff next to the very definition. Diary, I have told you about how he was a suspected rapist and I know he used hard drugs and lied all of the time about where he was and what he did, but my new boyfriend, Steve, has been the light of my life lately. I'm so lucky to have Steve. We met at the Farmer's Market. He's tall and handsome, and smiles a lot. I was with Jeff the day I met Steve, and Jeff became insanely jealous immediately. I barely tried to hide my attraction to Steve and even mentioned it to Jeff. I said ""He's cute"". That morning, I was slapped by Jeff so hard after we got back to our car, in the parking lot of the Farmer's Market. I would usually feel the tears welling up in my eyes immediately but not that morning. I got out of the car and walked inside and handed my business card directly to Steve and told him ""Call me, I want to get coffee with you, tonight?"" and he sort of smiled and shrugged as picked up some cardboard boxes and said ""Cool, is it ok to call this afternoon?"" and I smiled and said ""of course it is!"". I walked out of the parking lot, past Jeff's car. Jeff followed me for a while, and begged me to get into his car but I just ignored him and kept walking through the snow on the sidewalk. It's been two months now and I feel so great about my life with Steve now. He has never struck me, he opens doors for me, he is polite and kind and good and amazing and a thoughtful lover. All of the things that Jeff was not. I hope that someday soon, I will forget the name of the man I tried to find love with, only to be shown what love is not. Things are so much brighter now, the birds sing, the sky is bluer and my life seems destined for fulfillment." +"When my grandmother died it all took us by surprise. She was a lovely woman and everyone who knew her, even people outside our family absolutely loved her. She was, however, very secretive about her health and didn't want everyone to be concerned about her dying. When she did pass, it was a big deal for our family. We had spent almost every holiday at her house, eating delicious foods at her table. She always went all out when it came to the family, and everyone always go the best she could offer. My family was really upset that I didn't go to the funeral. At the time I was only a teenager and had never attended a funeral. I was grieving but also really terrified to see her in that way. I was scared that that would be the last time I saw her. I thought about all the times that we had shared together and it was overwhelming and unbearable for me. My family just could not find the sympathy to understand how I felt and acted as though I didn't care about her passing, when that was the furthest from the truth. The only person who really understood was my father. He really got how frightening it could be for a child to have to see their grandmother's body before they put her in the ground. He told me not to worry about the rest of my family's opinion and that it would eventually blow over. I still am really thankful for him understanding how I felt." +"When my grandmother died it all took us by surprise. She was a lovely woman and everyone who knew her, even people outside our family absolutely loved her. She was, however, very secretive about her health and didn't want everyone to be concerned about her dying. When she did pass, it was a big deal for our family. We had spent almost every holiday at her house, eating delicious foods at her table. She always went all out when it came to the family, and everyone always go the best she could offer. My family was really upset that I didn't go to the funeral. At the time I was only a teenager and had never attended a funeral. I was grieving but also really terrified to see her in that way. I was scared that that would be the last time I saw her. I thought about all the times that we had shared together and it was overwhelming and unbearable for me. My family just could not find the sympathy to understand how I felt and acted as though I didn't care about her passing, when that was the furthest from the truth. The only person who really understood was my father. He really got how frightening it could be for a child to have to see their grandmother's body before they put her in the ground. He told me not to worry about the rest of my family's opinion and that it would eventually blow over. I still am really thankful for him understanding how I felt." +"I went on a trip to India for school a few months ago, I have a lot of friends here. It's been about 2 months, I guess? When I was there, I admit, I was very irresponsible. I was vulnerable! I wasn't used to the local culture and I was a tourist. Before I knew it, my bag and my laptop were gone without me even noticing for an hour. This was worse than when I lost my laptop at college--I am very bad at keeping my things together, and I am worse at keeping my laptop safe. I contacted the police--no help there. They basically told me ""give up, you aren't going to find it here"". Which, cool, I guess. So i'm angry, stressed out, no laptop to get any work done--nothing to distract me. Then the nicest human being I ever met came up to me and asked me what was wrong. I told them--I'm an idiot, I got my laptop stolen. They were so nice, and told me they'd show me to a place to get a new one so I could at least get SOME work done while I was on this trip. They guided me to a local store and even covered a little bit of the cost for me. I wont forget them, nicest person I've known and one of the most interesting characters I've met." +"I went on a trip to India for school a few months ago, I have a lot of friends here. It's been about 2 months, I guess? When I was there, I admit, I was very irresponsible. I was vulnerable! I wasn't used to the local culture and I was a tourist. Before I knew it, my bag and my laptop were gone without me even noticing for an hour. This was worse than when I lost my laptop at college--I am very bad at keeping my things together, and I am worse at keeping my laptop safe. I contacted the police--no help there. They basically told me ""give up, you aren't going to find it here"". Which, cool, I guess. So i'm angry, stressed out, no laptop to get any work done--nothing to distract me. Then the nicest human being I ever met came up to me and asked me what was wrong. I told them--I'm an idiot, I got my laptop stolen. They were so nice, and told me they'd show me to a place to get a new one so I could at least get SOME work done while I was on this trip. They guided me to a local store and even covered a little bit of the cost for me. I wont forget them, nicest person I've known and one of the most interesting characters I've met." +Starting a new job. And working hard and being dedicated . Seeing the rewards and fruit or labor. When I started I was placed. Below the other workers but in a surprising and rewarding change of events I moved up the ladder. Had claimed a higher more achieving role. in a long period of time. But work and hard work and dedication. s is rewarding and achievable. So if the road is long. And the ending pout of sight. The time is dragging the goal seems distant and not visible . Hang on the dawn is breaking .The fog is lifting. The rooster is crowing. What was done now has come complete circle. And interest has matured . Collection is in order. A new place given a old one retired. +"I was fired from my last job due to no fault of my own. They thought I started that fight, but I was only defending myself. Desperate for money, I took a gig at a construction company installing roofs. This time I felt like I needed to get out of this situation. I've been in debt longer than I can imagine. I worked hard. I took many 12 hour shifts trying to just make ends meet. I finally got an apartment in the better part in town and was able to pay off some medical bills. I decided to attend university via online classes. For many years it was painful. I just grinded every day and it seemed like the last. Eventually though, a few years later, I got a degree in management. I was finally able to move up in my company. I am thankful that I pushed myself so hard. The 12 hour shifts with night classes finally was over. I was able to relax and make more money as well." +This past summer was really challenging for me. My teenage daughter wanted to visit friends that live in California. I wanted to say no and that it was too far away from home. Deep inside I knew that this would be a great experience for her to see new things and the friends she would stay with were really good people. I was worried in the beginning about her being in the airport and changing planes but she did it all with no problem. She stayed for 6 weeks and had so much fun. She visited all the major sites in Hollywood and even went to Disneyland. It was hard not having her at home when I'm used to seeing her everyday. I didn't have anyone to take care of on a daily basis and that was weird for me. I missed her laugh and her smile. I missed her company everyday. I thought she would be so busy and glad to be away that I wouldn't hear from her much. I thought I would be the one trying to get a hold of her to check in. I was very surprised when that wasn't the case. She was texting me from the time she was in the airport and everyday after that. Sometimes she would text me several times a day to tell me what they were doing. She really wanted to share everything with me and even ask my advice sometimes. It just felt so good to know that she still needed me. I feel better about her leaving for college next year and I know I won't be forgotten. +This past summer was really challenging for me. My teenage daughter wanted to visit friends that live in California. I wanted to say no and that it was too far away from home. Deep inside I knew that this would be a great experience for her to see new things and the friends she would stay with were really good people. I was worried in the beginning about her being in the airport and changing planes but she did it all with no problem. She stayed for 6 weeks and had so much fun. She visited all the major sites in Hollywood and even went to Disneyland. It was hard not having her at home when I'm used to seeing her everyday. I didn't have anyone to take care of on a daily basis and that was weird for me. I missed her laugh and her smile. I missed her company everyday. I thought she would be so busy and glad to be away that I wouldn't hear from her much. I thought I would be the one trying to get a hold of her to check in. I was very surprised when that wasn't the case. She was texting me from the time she was in the airport and everyday after that. Sometimes she would text me several times a day to tell me what they were doing. She really wanted to share everything with me and even ask my advice sometimes. It just felt so good to know that she still needed me. I feel better about her leaving for college next year and I know I won't be forgotten. +"four months ago I went out of town from my state to north carolina. I haven't really traveled much before so I was ready to do something new. I had to get ready a little early due to me leaving straight after getting off from work. After work I stopped by the local convienant store to grab a few snacks. I always get the same things to snack on some chips, chocolate and some kind of sour candy. after getting to the airport I scanned my belonging and boarded the flight. It took a few hours to get there I went sleep almost instantly. on the trip I discovered how different where I grew up and where this new place was. I was able to learn a bunch of new things. Like how people lived in north carolina. Also the type of places to visit like the malls they have in charolette and greensborough. It made me understand that the world is a big place and there is some much opportunity out there just waiting to be found out and grabbed. In my case I was able to find people that helped me to get a project together and started moving. It's really interesting on the type of people you meet and places. I really enjoyed being in north carolina." +"four months ago I went out of town from my state to north carolina. I haven't really traveled much before so I was ready to do something new. I had to get ready a little early due to me leaving straight after getting off from work. After work I stopped by the local convienant store to grab a few snacks. I always get the same things to snack on some chips, chocolate and some kind of sour candy. after getting to the airport I scanned my belonging and boarded the flight. It took a few hours to get there I went sleep almost instantly. on the trip I discovered how different where I grew up and where this new place was. I was able to learn a bunch of new things. Like how people lived in north carolina. Also the type of places to visit like the malls they have in charolette and greensborough. It made me understand that the world is a big place and there is some much opportunity out there just waiting to be found out and grabbed. In my case I was able to find people that helped me to get a project together and started moving. It's really interesting on the type of people you meet and places. I really enjoyed being in north carolina." +My most memorable trip occurred the early part of this month. I went To Russia with my dad. I went specifically to Moscow. It was a very positive experience for me. I have never been overseas in my whole life. The furthest I have ever been to in my life was Canada. I saw in Russia so many sights. I saw the Kremlin. I saw the Bolshoi theater and a ballet performance there. I got to taste some good Russian cuisine like beef stroganoff. Napoleon cakes are delicious. I spent immense quality time with my dad in the trip which lasted two and a half weeks. I also made day trips to the Russian countryside. I experienced life in the small villages. Very humble life there. I am literally longing to go back to Russia very soon. I truly miss it. I went to countless museums and Red Square. +"This story is about how a relationship can falter and how you can notice your own flaws, and that we should all be trying to change for the better as people. Not everyone changes, or wants to, or can. However, my story was about realizing that in my relationship when I wanted to think none of it was my fault I realized that some of it is, and that you really have to be committed to view the other person's perspective. It doesn't mean you have to agree, but you should always be learning. The most surprising thing was when I learned that my SO felt a certain way that I would have never thought of, and suddenly a lot became clear. I always thought of myself as pretty emotionally intelligent, but when I learned I was wrong it really opened some doors to more thinking. The only thing this really means to me is again, it's important to keep learning and keep having and open mind and keep trying to better yourself. It doesn't mean things will work out. It doesn't mean everything will be OK. But it will probably be better for the person trying to grow, even if you end up broken-hearted in the end. There's not much you can do about that. In conclusion, that relationship didn't end out with us together forever. Now I can take what I learned and bring it into another relationship. I can only hope to keep in mind everything I learned. That way, if things ever fall apart I can be proud and say I did my best." +"I can't get upset or angry very easily. Whether it's with my spouse, friends or colleagues, I find myself getting emotional over minor things. A few weeks ago, one of my direct reports made an error in a project that was presented to senior management. We didn't catch the error until after the presentation. Our conclusions would have been different had we not made the error. I spent a day explaining to the meeting attendees what had happened and how we would fix it. I was also very angry with my analyst who didn't double check his work. I told him that I am going to give him a bad review on the project and that will definitely affect his bonus for the year. After the dust settled, I felt awful. First, I could have caught the mistake myself had I paid more attention to the presentation. Second, most people were understanding as we were going to fix the error. Third, this incident carried over in the evening to my home where I was upset and was rude to my spouse and son. The learning from this incident is that I should learn to be calm under pressure. I should start with being kind to myself, and then be kind to others. Though I have known this for years, I have never been able to put this into practice. But I am going to take a sincere effort and improve myself going forward. I am also planning to take some online courses and read books to help me improve. I apologized to my colleagues, my wife and my son after the incident. Only time will tell if I can improve." +"Today, I ended up talking with my ex again. We always end up talking, monthly. But today I realized that I wasn't always right. He had done so much wrong that it blinded me to everything. I wanted him to make up for everything bad he's done, without giving the opportunity for him, as a person, to be able to make it up to me how he could. It was an impossible task and impossible standards that I kept asking of him. I couldn't see past myself, I could only see me and how wounded I was. It might mean that the damage has been done, but this different perspective has given me a lot to think about now. How often have we cycled through the same thing over and over again with no change, because I'd been insisting he needs to be different without giving him a chance to be so. I ask him to jump and want no hesitation, but he's always been the type to hesitate. I just really didn't take into account who he was, and how we could compromise or come to a solution. At this point in time I'm still processing the information, the feelings, and what it all means. I feel more confused now than I have ever been. It's funny, because you don't ever want to see yourself in a bad light especially when truly, you were hurt the most. He DID do bad things, I'm not negating that, but I also have been expecting some changes that are probably impossible. I would get overwhelmed talking to me too, the way I have been. I can only hope to learn from it if not for this relationship, than any in the future." +"Two months ago I had probably the craziest experience I can remember while driving. I was coming home from the store after getting groceries for dinner, when a massive black bear ran in front of my car! I wasn't even in a rural area either, so it totally took me by surprise. That thing really came out of nowhere too, and ran way faster than I imagined a bear could run. This was definitely not a small bear by any means. I had to slam on my breaks at the time so thankfully there was nobody behind me. I could see another car going the same direction that also stopped. When we eventually drove off we both locked eyes and kind of expressed the same level of astonishment to each other as we parted. It was all very surreal, and something I've never experienced before in this area. The bear ended up running into a larger forest on the other side of the road, but I can't imagine we have a large population of bears here despite this incident. The environment isn't too bad but I wonder how much food they would be able to find since most of this city is suburban. My only regret about that day is not having time to get my phone out for a picture. My wife didn't really believe me when I told her the story, and only relented after seeing how serious I was about the whole thing. A picture would have been all the evidence I needed, and also a cool memento to remember the event. I know I will definitely be on the lookout for my new friend next time I'm driving in the same area!" +"Two months ago I had probably the craziest experience I can remember while driving. I was coming home from the store after getting groceries for dinner, when a massive black bear ran in front of my car! I wasn't even in a rural area either, so it totally took me by surprise. That thing really came out of nowhere too, and ran way faster than I imagined a bear could run. This was definitely not a small bear by any means. I had to slam on my breaks at the time so thankfully there was nobody behind me. I could see another car going the same direction that also stopped. When we eventually drove off we both locked eyes and kind of expressed the same level of astonishment to each other as we parted. It was all very surreal, and something I've never experienced before in this area. The bear ended up running into a larger forest on the other side of the road, but I can't imagine we have a large population of bears here despite this incident. The environment isn't too bad but I wonder how much food they would be able to find since most of this city is suburban. My only regret about that day is not having time to get my phone out for a picture. My wife didn't really believe me when I told her the story, and only relented after seeing how serious I was about the whole thing. A picture would have been all the evidence I needed, and also a cool memento to remember the event. I know I will definitely be on the lookout for my new friend next time I'm driving in the same area!" +"I underwent surgery to repair an umbilical hernia about six weeks ago. As a mother of two, I was faced with not being able to pick up my toddler, or anything heavier than a gallon of milk for that matter, for a duration of four weeks. I felt extremely anxious about the situation. How would I get her in and out of her crib, give her a bath, or even get her in the high chair for meals? My mother-in-law came to the rescue. Without hesitation, she drove five hours to stay with me for the first two weeks. She canceled work appointments and social engagements to help me care for my children. It was so selfless and generous that I don't think I will ever forget her kindness. I felt so much pain from the surgery, especially during the first week, that I didn't want to do much of anything. She stepped right in without ever complaining. The thing I appreciate most about her coming, was that as I started to heal, she graciously stepped back. My husband was working nonstop, and I felt like we had such a nice feminine ""dance"" in a way around the house. She didn't step on my toes and interrupt when I wanted to push myself to start caring for the children again. I will be forever grateful to her. I hope that I can repay her one day." +"My recent break-upLess than a month ago my girlfriend Heather broke up with me. This was very difficult for me because we had been pretty serious about eachother (we had plans for a life together) and I wasn't expecting it at all. I had to move all of my things out of the place we had together, I remember thinking at the time that it didn't feel real to me, I couldn't get my emotions to process and as a result I felt disoriented. Even weeks after the event I still think about it from time to time. I have a lot of regret, could I have done something different? Could things have worked out if I had put in more effort? I'm learning that sometimes we can do everything right and things still not work out in our favor. That's part of being human. So now I'm trying my best to not dwell on my past and to look forward to my own personal future. This future will be devoid of other people determining my value or worth and I'll set my own goals for what I think is right. I used to worry about growing old and alone. Now I worry more about growing old and not achieving the things that I've always wanted for myself. I'll focus now on becoming more independent and stable. I no longer seek company from people who want more than just my presence. I think I can be happy again." +Not long ago I was in a situation involving my daughter. She was living in another city with her mother at the time. Late one night I got a call from the Police Department in the city my daughter lived saying they had my daughter at the station. First I panicked thinking she had maybe been hurt or possibly broken the law and gotten herself in to trouble. Those worries were soon put to rest but a new one quickly took their place. I was told I needed to pick her up because she had ran away from home. So of course I was on my way to get her soon after. While I was on the way to her I was able to get in touch with her mother. She told me that she had locked her out of the house because she had a friend over after school that she was not supposed to be associating with. I was told that the friend was a drug user and so when they were found together her mother decided to make them leave. This seemed like a rash decision to me considering the first thing my daughter did was go to her friends house. When it was discovered where she had went my daughter's mother called the local police and reported her a runaway. Knowing where she was the police went to the house and picked her up. They took her to the police station where she refused to go back with her mother because she felt unsafe there at that point. Once I arrived I was able to sort things out with child protective services and take her home with me. Since then she has lived with me in my care and in a new city. She has taken the move really well and is getting along much better now. +"Three weeks ago, I was given a discount. After the air conditioner man worked, he tried to take the discount back. I said no and you should agree to your business practices. They had the nerve to sue us. They almost sued us, but I threatened them to post this on social media. They backed down and went on their business. I hope they go under because of this. This is very deceitful practices and they should be ashamed because of it. The price was barely worth it with the discount. The cool air will help me cool off because of this. I hope it won't break again. I won't call them again. I will get somebody better. I will get somebody cheaper. I hope my conditioner doesn't go out." +"Three weeks ago, I was given a discount. After the air conditioner man worked, he tried to take the discount back. I said no and you should agree to your business practices. They had the nerve to sue us. They almost sued us, but I threatened them to post this on social media. They backed down and went on their business. I hope they go under because of this. This is very deceitful practices and they should be ashamed because of it. The price was barely worth it with the discount. The cool air will help me cool off because of this. I hope it won't break again. I won't call them again. I will get somebody better. I will get somebody cheaper. I hope my conditioner doesn't go out." +approximately 5 years ago. I get fever. That was not like normal fever. That was high fever. I can't able to bear that fever. i get tired on anytime. i can't do any work. even i can't sit properly. i was always slept on my bed. i went to hospital for checkup. The doctor said i am affected by cancer. That is very serious disease. I get shocked .and i was admitted at hospital for 3 months . i take many treatment. after the struggles. i fought the disease. i am perfectly cure after 3 months. i am become very happy. I thank to god. i thank to the doctor. actually i was fear. even i think i will die soon . +approximately 5 years ago. I get fever. That was not like normal fever. That was high fever. I can't able to bear that fever. i get tired on anytime. i can't do any work. even i can't sit properly. i was always slept on my bed. i went to hospital for checkup. The doctor said i am affected by cancer. That is very serious disease. I get shocked .and i was admitted at hospital for 3 months . i take many treatment. after the struggles. i fought the disease. i am perfectly cure after 3 months. i am become very happy. I thank to god. i thank to the doctor. actually i was fear. even i think i will die soon . +"Last week, I had a very long and tiring day. I had been looking forward to coming home to relax after my shift at the hospital. I picked up my son from the babysitter and I could already tell that he was in a mood. I get him into his car seat all while he is screaming his head off. Man, I had such a headache from working all day and this is the last thing I wanted to deal with. He screamed the whole way home. I thought all this fussing was because he was hungry, so I quickly got dinner ready. I tried sitting him down at the dinner table to eat but he refused and said he wanted to eat in front of the TV. I told him that was not OK and reminded him of my dinner time rules. Well, the arguments went on and on. Finally, it was bath and bed time. My son was still argumentative when I was tucking him in and didn't want to go to bed. I finally got him to agree to go to sleep but then he said the strangest thing. He said, ""If you don't have a past, you can't have a future."" I was shocked when I heard this come out of my son's mouth. Where did he learn this? I don't think I've ever said that before. I asked him to elaborate on his statement but he was already falling asleep." +"My oldest daughter starting Kindergarten was one of the most teeth chattering mornings of my life. Her mother and I had the talks with her. We know that she's a smart kid, and generally stays out of trouble. But this is a rough school district, and it can't be said for sure that every single person is safe. I took the day off from work so that I could drop my daughter off myself. I know that I can't do this every day and she'll eventually need to take the bus, but I wanted her to have some sense of familiarity. My daughter was fearless. As much as we warned her to stay clear of trouble, she didn't fully grasp the concept of how dangerous this school is. Truth be told, I didn't want to lay it all out on the table for her. Perhaps I lulled her into a false sense of security? But more likely this is a childlike, innocent fearlessness. She grew up in this rough neighborhood, but of course we always kept a very close eye on her, and she hasn't had to face many of the harsh realities of ""the hood"".One day I'll get her out of this neighborhood. She'll be able to ride the bus to and from school every day without being exposed to the ugliness around her. The homeless, the addicts, the criminals. My daughter deserves better, but I can't give it to her just yet. As she steps out of the car and skips into her class, all I can hope is that this school does not break her." +"My oldest daughter starting Kindergarten was one of the most teeth chattering mornings of my life. Her mother and I had the talks with her. We know that she's a smart kid, and generally stays out of trouble. But this is a rough school district, and it can't be said for sure that every single person is safe. I took the day off from work so that I could drop my daughter off myself. I know that I can't do this every day and she'll eventually need to take the bus, but I wanted her to have some sense of familiarity. My daughter was fearless. As much as we warned her to stay clear of trouble, she didn't fully grasp the concept of how dangerous this school is. Truth be told, I didn't want to lay it all out on the table for her. Perhaps I lulled her into a false sense of security? But more likely this is a childlike, innocent fearlessness. She grew up in this rough neighborhood, but of course we always kept a very close eye on her, and she hasn't had to face many of the harsh realities of ""the hood"".One day I'll get her out of this neighborhood. She'll be able to ride the bus to and from school every day without being exposed to the ugliness around her. The homeless, the addicts, the criminals. My daughter deserves better, but I can't give it to her just yet. As she steps out of the car and skips into her class, all I can hope is that this school does not break her." +"Memorable day of my life. This reminds me of 5 months ago. The year I got married to my beautiful wife. It was a great and amazing day. It was a day I will never forget in my life. I met my wife in high school. And we've been dating ever since then. We both met eachother and fell in love at first sight. We eventually got married 5 months ago and it was a really beautiful moment. In fact one of the most beautiful moment of my life. The wedding was on my birthday. I can remember vividly, how beautiful my wife looked in the white wedding gown. My family traveled thousands of miles just to be with us and celebrate with us. Glory to God, we have 2 beautiful children together. And we're living our best life." +"What a long journey I've been on. These last 5 months since my mother's funeral have been very difficult and emotional. I think the most difficult part was trying to control my feelings during the funeral, while everyone around me was crying and melancholic. My black dress was stained with the tears of not only myself, but many others as well. But, the most memorable thing was how everyone took the time to comfort one another and provide support like nothing I've every seen. The amount of compassion exhibited was extraordinary. I don't think I've every received so many hugs and condolences in my life. It was quite an unusual thing to experience. I have thought about it many times over the last 5 months. I have even spoken to several of those who attended since that time. It is still hard to adjust to her being gone, but she will never be forgotten. I look at her pictures often and it still puts a smile on my face, yet makes me tear up at the same time. I find many conversation are now geared toward remembering her and how she made everyone laugh. Those are the best memories to remember. This is what will always remain in my heart and mind." +"The birth of my son was an experience I'll never forget. I woke up early that day, around 5am. The weather was unseasonably warm as I stepped outside to head to the gym to get a swim in. Baby Cameron, the name my husband and I had picked out soon after I found out I was pregnant, was taking his time being born. The night before, my husband and I had discussed our options for inducing birth if it didn't happen naturally this week. I was scared because I had read that induction can cause complications. That of course didn't need to happen, thankfully. Maybe the shock of the cold water or the mild exercise induced labor, but as soon as I stepped out of the pool I felt my first contraction. I immediately called my husband. He rushed from home where he was getting ready from work to pick me up and take me into the hospital. When we arrived at the hospital I was immediately taken to a delivery room. The doctor I had chosen for my birth was thankfully on duty at the time and was able to come in right away. He checked my cervix and announced that the baby would come soon. The next few hours that followed were a blur of pain and hard work. I opted for a natural birth with no medication, and I'm glad I did. It wasn't fun, but I got to fully experience the wonder of birth. My husband was at my side the entire time while I squeezed his hand. Finally, at 11:01am, Cameron was born. He was a beautiful baby with a thick head of black hair. He has his father's eyes, and my button nose. The nurses all said he was the most handsome baby they had ever seen. After nine months of waiting, I couldn't believe that it only took five hours for my son to arrive. We stayed overnight at the hospital so that his health could be monitored. A breast feeding specialist came in to make sure Cameron was latching that morning. After that, we were able to head home with our new son." +"My friends and I went to a local climbing spot that we like to frequent. It was a regular day and everyone seemed to be doing well , and we were having a fun time. I was doing a route, and there was a certain section that I couldn't get past, so my buddy decided to give it a shot. He is one of the better climbers in our group, so we didn't think it would be too hard for him. He started up confidently, and was climbing with ease. Out of the blue he lost grip with one of his hands. This rarely happened to him, and as we were watching it felt like slow motion. He fell about 20 feet off the rock face and hit the ground. We heard a loud crack when he hit the ground , and knew instantly what happened. He broke his leg. We all rushed to his aid, and tried to support the broken leg as best we could. We had no choice but to help him down the hill which was quite a distance. We ended up making it back to the car, and we drove him to the hospital. We were all very worried about him, but the doctor assured us he would be fine. We have all been very careful since that day." +"My friends and I went to a local climbing spot that we like to frequent. It was a regular day and everyone seemed to be doing well , and we were having a fun time. I was doing a route, and there was a certain section that I couldn't get past, so my buddy decided to give it a shot. He is one of the better climbers in our group, so we didn't think it would be too hard for him. He started up confidently, and was climbing with ease. Out of the blue he lost grip with one of his hands. This rarely happened to him, and as we were watching it felt like slow motion. He fell about 20 feet off the rock face and hit the ground. We heard a loud crack when he hit the ground , and knew instantly what happened. He broke his leg. We all rushed to his aid, and tried to support the broken leg as best we could. We had no choice but to help him down the hill which was quite a distance. We ended up making it back to the car, and we drove him to the hospital. We were all very worried about him, but the doctor assured us he would be fine. We have all been very careful since that day."