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'My mother, who lives out of town was admitted to a psychiatric ward for depression. After 5 weeks of intensive, exhausting therapy, she was able to go home.'

'I can relate to this because while I wasn\'t admistted to a psychiatric ward, I did suffer depression about 25 years ago. I had just broken up wtih my long-time boyfriend (who I was in a long-distance romance with for the last year of our relationship) and the breaking up was not of my doing. At that point in time, I was prepared to move back to his state (California) and we were to get married. He decided he no longer wanted that even though he still loved me. So, here I was, in the Midwest, just having quit my job and thinking, "now what"? I fell into a deep depression that was only quashed by some one-on-one therapy sessions (and after that didn\'t work), a visit to a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with clinical depression. At that time, anti-depressants weren\'t all that available but I was prescribed one and took it for 6 months. A horrible situation in my life but I got better and moved on. Although I moved on, when describing my inner self to a friend, I say that something in me died. I\'m fine; I laugh; I enjoy a good time with friends, but there\'s a part of me that died with that experience and I have never gotten it to come back to life. I feel that I am an "almost whole" person but not quite complete as a result of that time in my life. I don\'t wish it on anybody. I can completely empathize with the summary above. I know what it is like to experience depression. It is a horrible place to be in, mentally. But the good news is that there is help, even for those who fall into the deep pit of despair, as I did. One of the worst parts for me was that I saw how it affected those around me. I was staying with my Mom for a while during this time, and she would cry (in private but I knew that she was crying because of me. It hurt her to her core that I was going through this. This was a period that I\'d much rather forget, but know I never will.'

"My aunt passed away suddenly. I've learned you have to live everyday to the fullest. Don't let life pass you by."

"About 4 months ago I lost my hero. In the middle of the night, I learned my aunt died in a car accident. My aunt was the most beautiful and strongest person I ever met. She was always the black sheep of the family. Never played by any one elses rules. She never cared what other people thought. When people judged her, she challenged them to think harder and be more critical. She changed my entire life really. She is the one that told me to question everything. That I can only know what I've experienced myself. That so many people in life just follow the person in front of them, and never really know what it is like to live. They don't even know themselves. She challenged me to become a more well rounded person. To think outside of myself and care about other people. She showed me that living a truly fulfilling life meant learning about myself and what I care about and then sharing that with the world. It was about helping other people. She also taught me that dying is only scary if you were never living in the first place. So I know death was not scary for her. I will always love and admire her."

"A road trip with my dad from San Francisco to Monument Valley and everything in between. It was an amazing experience especially since I haven't seen him for quite a while."

'On June this year my dad and I decided to go for a road trip. This was a special event for us because we don\'t usually talk much and it was an experience where I believe we tried to strengthen our relationship that got, in a way, corroded over the years - it was a blast! Not only because of the scenery which was amazing, but because I learned to appreciate my dad as well as be more patience towards him and accept his "shticks" as I am sure I have them too. He was very proud of me for planning the trip so perfectly to make sure we go to the right places and not miss a thing. We started our trip in San Francisco and drove all night to Yosemite. Then we planned to go to Bristlecone Pine Forest, Death Valley, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion Park and back to Las Vegas and all along to road visited other various attractions. Even though I planned it, it was semi spontaneous trip with food, lodging etc. Many of these places are places I only dreamed of or saw in the movies and I am know that my dad was in awe of everything. We took tons of photos and sadly the video camera didn\'t record anything, even though we thought it was recording - apparently there was some defect in it. Regardless, my dad keeps talking about places we\'ve been and things we\'ve seen and he\'s keep referring back to the photos (he even print some of them on canvas to hang in his house).You see, my dad lives overseas so this trip was more than just bonding experience, it was first time I have to see him for a very very long time. For us, it was an amazing experience, a once in a lifetime. We decided to try and meet up at least once a year. We hope to try an mimic the experience in the near future, for a different destination. We know it won\'t be the same but it can be at par or an even better experience.'

'I received a contract for a book I am editing with a colleague after years of uncertainty. We contacted our contributors regarding the project and made plans to move forward with it.'

'Last month, after several years of waiting, I was offered a contract for a book I am co-editing with a colleague. Because the process of submitting a proposal had taken place such a long time ago and because we had not heard anything from our publisher, my colleague and I felt certain that we would either have to re-submit the proposal to another publisher or abandon the project. We had spoken about the future of the project only a week or so before we were offered a contract. At the time, we were quite discouraged and planned to speak about our potential next steps shortly. Thus, when I opened the email, I was shocked. I immediately sent a message to my colleague who was travelling with her partner to share the good news. We were both very relieved and excited. Once we had had a chance to talk, we drafted a letter to the publisher expressing our gratitude. We also wrote to our contributors, thanking them for their patience. As we began to hear back from the publisher with details and from our contributors with excitement, I began to grow nervous. Though I had written several chapters for publication in similar volumes, this would be the first time I would also be editing the text. My nervousness and anxiety heightened my sense of excitement and I felt a new desire to work. What surprised me most was not hearing back from the publisher after having practically abandoned hope. Rather, it was the sense of renewed scholarly motivation that engulfed me that I found most surprising. Now, I am much more focused on my work. I feel grateful to enjoy this new energy, which has also carried over into my teaching as a general sense of purpose.'

"After a close friend of mine died, I was gifted a session with a medium. After 3 years, I finally scheduled it, skeptically, thinking that it would be a waste of time. In reality, it was one of the most incredible experiences I've had such that I had no doubt I was communicating with my friend."

'My friend Hank died three years ago, and a co worker had gifted me a session with a medium after the funeral. I was grateful for the gift, but passed it off as something I wouldn\'t do because I don\'t really believe in psychics or fortune tellers. Three years went by and about three months ago, a friend from my gym was talking about a medium they went to and how much fun it was. I remembered that I had been gifted that session after Hank passed away and got to think about going myself. I scheduled it for the following Friday and was pretty skeptical on what would go on. I figured it would be in a poorly lit room and woman with a bandanna would come out and grab my hand and ask a lot of personal questions then give me a bunch of hokum about the spirit world and lights would flicker and so forth. I figured it would maybe be a fun story to tell at parties. So i get there and this nice young woman, Janice, greets me at the door. We exchange pleasantries and she leads me around the corner to a big red sofa and we both sit down on it and she asks me why I was there, so I told her about my friend Hank, dying three years ago and wondered if he could be contacted. She asked a couple of simple questions about how long ago we met and where then we just began to talk. Not about anything in particular just things. As the conversation went on something amazing happened. Janice grabbed hold of my hand and looked me straight in the eyes and told me about the first time Hank and I met back in high school, and asked if I remembered it. I was dumbfounded. How could she have known that. I told her I did and then she kept talking about things Hank and I did as teenagers and places we went and it was just like talking to Hank. I could not believe it. We started talking about things that he was going through right before he died and how he thought everything would be alright and that he would be watching me to make sure I was not doing anything wrong and things like that. I was amazed at how it all turned out. I thanked Janice and asked her how she does it and she says, she doesn\'t know, that "it just happens". It was incredible. I have recommended Janice to several people over the last three months just to see if they have the same experience I did, and they all have. I called my co-worker back and thanked her for gifting me that session, and I told her how much it meant to me. She said it was no problem and that she was glad she coul help me be comforted after Hank\'s death.'

'I suffered from inflammation in my body that caused my blood not to flow properly. I learned that rest is extremely important when you exercise a lot.'

"i remember my mom called me and wanted to talk in person about a serious matter. She wanted to meet as soon as possible . me and my brother arrived and we both sat down. She explained that the Drs had found a mass on her right breast and they had some concerns, she asked if i could come home for sometime and stay with her. I was frightened and we both went to the first Dr. appointments together, after the biopsy. They found out it was cancer and that is was an aggressive form. So we scheduled the surgery as soon as possible. They did the surgery and they actually messed up. she was home and violently ill we took her back and they had punctured her lung and not bothered to read the x-rays after the surgery. which to me is mal-practice. She had to get a tube put in her and another surgery. We were worried the hospital may kill her if the cancer didn't. We tried to converse with a lawyer but no one would look at it. So instead we found another Dr about 2 hours north that had a way better reputation and we went with him. That was over 5 months ago and she has gone through the worst of it. the chemo was bad and afterwards the radiation we just got done with. the good news is. She is actually in remission and doing much better. I am still home looking after her and she is happy about it and so am I. we have re- kindled our relationship and we get along very good these days. In a way I'm glad it happened, but im sorry she had to go through it. but good things came from it. things I never thought could happen. we never talked much after my dad passed away, but now we are best friends and that is a blessing unto itself. Its a compelling story that has a wonderful turn out and im always glad to tell it , but it was the most scary event of my life in the beginning ."

'My dad has a history of medical issues. He was diagnosed with kidney failure, but is getting a new kidney.'

'My father has always had health issues. When I was in the third grade, he was diagnosed with diabetes. In the beginning, he was careful about what he ate. My mom helped to prepare special meals for him. They called it the "orange tray diet" because she bought him a special tray to use. It was so cute. Over the years, he picked up some of his old eating habits. His condition worsened slowly. It led to other health problems. By the time I was 21, my father had to have a quadruple bypass surgery. It was terrifying, but successful. He still kept his bad habits. A couple of years ago he was diagnosed with kidney failure and that\'s what made him change the way he lived. For the last few years he\'s been exercising and eating exactly what the doctors tell him to. Since kidney damage is not able to be reversed in late stages, he had to be put on dialysis. We just found out a couple of weeks ago that he is a candidate for a kidney transplant and will be beginning tests for that in the upcoming months. I am so grateful for my dad\'s second chance at life. We were not close at all when I was growing up, but this has bonded us. I can\'t imagine losing him now.'

'Over the weekend of the Fourth of July, I visited a friend in his hometown of Ormond Beach, Florida. We did a number of activities, but the most memorable was a walk along the beach'

"Two months ago I visited my good friend in Ormond Florida on the 4th of July. We use to date when we lived in the same city but now there is a a few hundred miles in between us. I've missed him so I wanted to take a quick weekend trip just to hang out. I ended up staying at his place on the beach which was amazing. Each morning we had breakfast at the local diner and then we would head to the beach to relax a bit. It was so nice just to be in his arms again and smell his cologne. The last night I was there was the best. He surprised me with dinner on the beach and the meal did not disappoint. He made fresh seafood pasta with Alfredo sauce, salad, and homemade rolls. We sipped on our favorite craft beer while we set at the little table he had set up. The most memorable part was the walk we took after supper along the shoreline. The tide was starting to come ashore and he stopped and gave me a gentle kiss. I was stunned when he pulled out a small box with a necklace inside. I was blown away by his kindness. I can't wait until we see each other again but I know it will be a few months. I just hope we can both wait this distance out and one day be together. If it's meant to be then it will all work out."

'I went to Punta Cana for my 10 year anniversary. I went snorkeling for the first time. We were a little concerned about news stories coming out while we were there, but it ended up being totally fine.'

'Well, to say I was looking forward to my 10 year anniversary in Punta Cana would be an extreme understatement. I couldn\'t wait to get out there and refresh myself after this past year of working, but when we landed, I couldn\'t help but shake the news story I read on the flight down. "Shark mauls Toronto man in Punta Cana" was the headlines of the ABC News article I read, describing how a man from Toronto got too close to a shark in a scuba diving adventure when the shark lashed at the man. I was planning to go snorkeling for my first scuba experience, and this really threw me off! My wie kept reassuring me that this was a one off chance, but boy was I worked up. I don\'t often feel scared, but this was something that really threw me for a loop. Fortunately, I was able to come back down to earth and convince myself it would be worth it to go, especially when we talked with some local divers that said that the person was snorkeling in an unsanctioned area known for shark activity and that they had not taken proper safety precautions. I knew that I would always spring for the safer option, and that\'s what we ended up doing. It ended up being a giant thrill! Seeing the immense array of colorful animals and the diversity below the surface really opens your eyes to how full of life our planet is. I honestly think I could snorkel full-time, it was that exciting! So much so that our planned 1 snorkeling event turned into a 3-day snorkeling tour that we signed up and which blew me away. Sure, relaxing on the beach and spending quality time was fun. But, these unique experiences really showed me what I\'ve been missing. Honest, I can\'t wait to get back under the water again. Thanks, Punta Cana, I\'ll see you again soon.'

'My friend was cheated on, but we needed dresses for a wedding. A kind stranger gave us advice and much more.'

'I was shopping one day with my friend. We had decided to go shopping and get out of the house since she had just gotten cheated on by her ex. I wanted to get her to take her mind off him anyway, but we both needed a new dress as well. It was a perfect excuse! We went to the mall and went into some of the store. She really didn\'t see anything she liked for a wedding. I told her it probably was because she wasn\'t in the mood for love type things right now. My friend said that right now she\'s not even thinking about spending money on someone\'s wedding, she just hated the idea of love. Someone walking by heard us talking and stopped us and told us that we shouldn\'t lose hope on love. My friend told her that she was just cheated on by her long time boyfriend and for right now men are scum. I started laughing and told the woman to ignore her, she\'s upset. The woman told us it was understandable, but to not take his actions out on all men. She made a good point about our friend\'s marriage and how she must have found a great man that wouldn\'t cheat if she\'s willing to celebrate her love with everyone else. I was like "She\'s got a point!" My friend said, "Ok, ok! You got me! We\'ll go and look for a dress now and I\'ll be a little less bitter about men...tomorrow!" and we all laughed and the woman said to go to the dress shop down near Macy\'s. She said they had great dresses and they were reasonably priced and if we didn\'t mind dresses that had been worn before, they had great cheap dresses and the owner would probably give us a deal if we liked something but it was out of our price range. I was like "I don\'t mind preowned, most of my shopping is thrifted anyway." So we go to the dress place, it has so many good dresses and we tried on and liked so many of them. We were helped by the clerk and decided on 3 dresses we loved each and since the prices were great, we were getting all 3 of them. I joked with the clerk that we were told the manager would cut us a deal because some random woman told us about this place. The clerk called to the back and asked if she could give us a deal and the stranger that talked to us came out and said "Yea, you should cut them a deal. Ring up the cheapest dress and ring them up for that one and let them have the other dresses for free." I was shocked but thankful! We\'ve sent a lot of people looking for dresses there!'

'I had realized the weather was becoming nice. I decided to take advantage of it and go to the beach. I had a good experience and enjoyed myself greatly.'

'I greatly enjoyed that day at the beginning of summer. It is a time I look back on fondly, and many good memories were formed during that time. I went to the beach and I walked around, relaxed, and enjoyed the sites. The weather was not too hot and not too cold, there was also a nice breeze and the water was just right. I think the fact that I had enjoyed myself so much on that day signaled a sign of a good summer. There were a lot of fun things that happened on the beach. I played with my dog. We both went swimming and I laughed at the way he swam. I had also remembered to bring my fishing pole, as there is a dock there. I was not lucky enough to catch anything. However, I still appreciated the meditative atmosphere of the act of fishing in itself. Even though I was not able to catch anything, I still had plenty of various snacks and meals for my dog and I. The sunset at the beach was very beautiful. I enjoyed the wide array of colors, and the sounds of the birds as they wound down for the night. I left after dusk, and I did not encounter anyone there the whole day. I slept beautifully that night as I was plenty tired after a full days outing that I had just taken. I still think back on the day often and I plan to make it a yearly trip to enjoy and signal the beginning of summer.'

"Throughout my difficult pregnancy, I knew my grandmother was with me. When she was born, I felt my daughter had part of my grandmother's spirit with her as well."

'I was already two weeks overdue and I remember my back killing me because of how heavy my daughter was. Last year we just lost our grandmother because of her hitting her head on the floor. My grandma cared for me and my siblings when we were little. I was very young to remember but my parents used to tell me a lot of memories my grandma used to do when she was alive. The doctors said that my amniotic fluid was more than average. And I remember being too worried prior to my daughter\'s delivery. I had to get induced into pregnancy because it was taking too long. My husband and my siblings were there in the hospital with me. But I also felt that grandma was there with me making sure I was okay. During labor I was very pale and I feel like I was going to lose my daughter. It was excruciatingly painful but I wasn\'t concerned about me, I was concerned about my daughter\'s life. I was panicking but I felt my grandmother\'s presence in the operating room. It\'s almost as if she\'s whispering to me, "I\'m here, granddaughter. Take a deep breath and it will be okay." And it turned out to be okay. My daughter is now four years old and she\'s very intelligent and very curious about the modern world. She\'s way too young to be curious about the things going on around her that I am afraid she might grow up and learn about the evils in the world very early. But I can sense that you are guiding her and protecting her, grandma.'

'My cousin lost her way. She has somehow became a member of a cult. My family realized how severe her involvement is when she stopped performing basic functions that she previously has always been dedicated to completing her entire adult life.'

'Mom startled me one day early this year and made me very worried about her mental state. It\'s been a long time since I\'ve seen her so sad. She had recently finished speaking to Aunt Rue in New Jersey on the phone when I noticed how low her mood was. When I asked, she told me she had just learned really disturbing news. According to Aunt Rue, my cousin Deena -- who is my mother\'s and aunt\'s niece -- has apparently joined what other family members described as a "cult." We don\'t live in the same state and visit close to never, so it\'s not surprising that all of us up East were a bit suspicious of the claims. We thought the family Down South was exaggerating the situation... that is, until we went down to see for ourselves. Shockingly, we soon learned, they were not stretching the truth in the least. Deena, always a husky if not somewhat fat person, had lost so much weight we could barely recognize her. Her house, always pristine and inviting, was now a veritable dump with stuff just thrown haphazardly everywhere. The saddest part was that she seemed oblivious to how all of this looked to other people. Months later we still have not figured out how to get through to Deena. She has resisted every attempt to break through her wall and help her understand how dangerous and unhealthy her predicament is. The family Down South continues to monitor her as closely as possible while attempting to not appear like they are stalking her, which makes her defensive, angry and argumentative. Meanwhile, the rest of us are seeking professional advice because it has become increasingly certain that we cannot get through to her on our own. Sad, perplexing situation all around.'

"My heart attack almost two months ago now has changed how I see life. It isn't so much the changes as the priorities I have to have, especially with how I spend and budget my time."

"It happened so fast. 12 weeks ago, I was eating normal and working out everyday. I started feeling chest pains daily but never really paid any attention to it. I would come home and eat dinner with my family and talk to them about it. I went to a doctor but they didn't see anything. I went out running one day, and my chest started hurting really bad. I started grasping it onto my chest and I called 911. They reported to my location almost immediately. I was able to call my family, but I couldn't speak so they couldn't get told til a paramedic arrived. They hauled me to the hospital where they luckily got me taken care of. My whole family was there which made the process a lot better. I wasn't able to go to work and help my family out with that, but thankfully we had savings. It was a terrible feeling. I will always get myself checked by multiple doctors now. Thank you God for being alive still."

'on getting back home that day, i made some calls to some of my friends and family about the incident that happened to me that day and how they could help me by raising me some money to take care of my sick child. all of them turned me down which made me felt that i was left alone by my friends.'

'I am self-employed, this occurrence happened 4 months ago, when i was bidding for a contract in a company. we where many bidding for the contract. and the head of the company said he was going to award the contract to everybody that pass the interview test. i prepared enough for the interview. on the day of the interview, i got to the venue on time waiting for others applicant and the interviewer. everybody came in a short time as well. we were all set for the interview and they started calling us in one by one. i was so afraid where i was sitting down getting nervous because, i was afraid to loose the contract because i needed the profit of the contract to take care of my sick child. my child has been admitted into the hospital for 5 months. while waiting for my own turn, i received a call from the doctor taking care of my child that her condition was getting critical and deteriorating. immediately i was called in for my turn to take the interview. i have already down in my emotions and in my thought, thinking that i could loose my child. i was crying inside of my heart so afraid of what could happened to me and my daughter if i did not get the contract. i did the interview and i was denied the contract. because i did not perform well during the interview. which i know that the call i received from the doctor destabilized me and made me not to perform well for the interview. it was a sad experience.'

"I went to a friend's bachelor trip in Canada. We visited many restaurants and museums. I felt nostalgia and affinity with my friends."

"Over the weekend I took a trip to Canada with some of my old friends to be with Joe for his bachelor's trip. We all flew out of Indianapolis together and that was when the fun started. We all sat together on the plane and chatted about old times. It was great to catch up with everyone and I felt a little guilty that I haven't kept in better contact with them over the years. We all used to be so close and now life has taken us in different directions. When we arrived in Canada we immediately checked into our hotel and went out to dinner. It was a fantastic meal and we continued our conversations from the plane and continued to catch up with each others lives. We also visited museums and even watched a professional basketball game. We were having the best time and I was so glad to be there until Joe pulled me aside after several drinks after dinner the second night there. He confessed that back in college he had slept with my then girlfriend, which is now my wife. He said the guilt has been eating away at him and he felt I deserved to know. I'm crushed. My wife and I have a great relationship and I'm totally blindsided by the confessions. I don't even know what to do with the information-it clearly happened a long time ago, it was a one time thing, I'm happily married now. I'm not sure what to do."

'We were 2 lovebirds thought we would be together forever and we had the time of our lives and share that forever.'

"i remember 3 months ago me and my girlfriend went on a trip out west. we were going to see a famous band on their western tour and we decided to commit to the tour by buying the tickets backwards from the most further away shows west backwards. So we bought the Los Angeles tickets first and then we kept going from San Fran, them Seattle, then Jackson Hole , down to Colorado. we packed and gave notice to our bosses we would be gone over a month. My boss didn't want me to go but I knew I had to do it so he let me go, my girls boss said it was ok. So we left in June (late June) and traveled to Colorado first. We stayed with some of her family first on the way out west and I met some of her family. they were really nice and we first stopped at the arch in St Louis , and we went into the arch. we really had a great time. as we reached the first show we had been on the road a week and we had such a fun time. we went next up to Jackson Hole and drove through the Yellow Stone national PARK AND HAD A WONDERFUL TIME. If I ever moved out west I would really love to move to maybe the black hills area its so beautiful out there. Then we went to Seattle , and down to San Fran . We stayed with my Aunt & uncle for about 4 days and took them to dinner for their birthday. When we came back we went on route 66 most of the way and we had maybe 5 dollars left in money we budgeted for and riding in on fumes. To say the least I got my job back and she did as well. We had the experience of a lifetime and we are no longer together . As bad as that is It was my fault . I still love her and she is now married to another man But when I remember those times I know we both shared a moment in time that we both still say to this very day the happiest and best times of our lives.."

'Micro dosing with LSD for depression has cured me almost immediately. It has changed my perspective and improved my marriage.'

"Two weeks ago, I did something fantastic. I got rid of my depression. The cure was micro dosing with LSD. It was scary at first. I eventually overcame my fears. I then had a fun time on LSD. I saw pink elephants doing the tango with red giraffes. It was a wild time indeed. This also helped my marriage. I wasn't in a bad mood all the time. I smiled at my wife a lot more. I gave her treats and hugs more often. She loved the affection. She said to me that taking drugs was the best thing that happened to me. I couldn't disagree with that statement. I hope this fends off the depression for as long as I live."

'I was part of a large awards ceremony for the best books in the romance writing industry. For the first time in the many decades the award has been around, an African American won the award.'

'6 weeks ago on a rainy tuesday I woke up with a dream that I had won the oscar for best picture for my movie "Johnnie Goodman travels the world". It was a pleasant dream that woke me up to a good mood. I made cereal with Nesquik and 2% whole milk. Outside my window I saw kids playing basketball. For lunch time I had a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches and drank it down with a cup of chocolate milk. It was not much of a lunch but it satisfied me. I was nervous leading into the evening for I was invited to an award ceremony for the Big Book Corporation. I wore a nice solid colored tie and full suit and jacket. I arrived to the award ceremony in my blue subaru and sat staring at the announcer as awards were being given out. I was nervous as many people had partners and I went without one. 10 minutes later I heard my name being called. I could not believe it but I had not only been nominated for an award but actually won one! They called me up for the best book written in the romantic book categories. It was incredible. A few pictures were taken with the award and it was stated that I was the first African American to win this award. It was such an honor and this was a night I will never forget. I went home at one in the morning and slept soundly.'

'The trip to Crater Lake in the summer with my girlfriend was truly unforgettable. The talks and laughter we had while enjoying the great view is something hard to explain.'

"I went on a very memorable trip to Crater Lake Oregon on July 8th. It was particularly special because it was me and my girlfriend's 1 year anniversary. We stayed at the Crater Lake Lodge which is normally a very hard venue to reserve. However, my girlfriend was very prompt and smart about reserving the space very early on which allowed us to stay at the lodge. To our surprise we noticed there was snow amid the hot sun. The crater lake was a unforgettable view and it was breathtaking. It is so hard to describe the emotions that we both felt. During the whole day we drank a lot of wine to keep ourselves warm and with the slight booze it helped us rather excited throughout the day. We went on a couple of hikes throughout the day. One thing that was in our bucket list was to do the jumping to the lake but that never ended up happening. This was because the roads were closed because there were some cracks and boulders that needed to be removed. In the evening the lodge was very cozy. However, with such a beautiful view of the sky we ended up chit chatting until 3AM. Our next day was planned to go to Portland and yes we were exhausted but we didn't really mind. This trip really got us thinking about developing our relationship and thus it was truly unforgettable for both of us. I hope to go again on another time and stay at the lounge with the lake view. That was the only downside because it was hard to reserve a spot and we had to stay in the mountain view. All in all I hope to revisit my memory in the future."

'My son got sick and was hospitalized over the fourth of July holiday. He never listens. Now well be bankrupt.'

'Well my son has since recovered from his illness. We did not in fact go bankrupt. Instead the doctors and hospitals all wrote off the remaining balances. We should sue them all. That is why they chose not to pursue collections against us. They know if we go to court they will lose. Unfortunately my son is an adult and this is not left to me to decide. We would be going to see a lawyer if it were up to me. Needless to say. He is well and that is the important thing. I imagine years down the road he may regret it. But just like all his lessons he like to learn them the hard way! So at this point we owe noone anything for the hospital stay. We are just grateful he is ok. The surgery that started the whole debacle was a complete failure. His breathing is actually worse now.'

'How our bodies give us signs of distress and why we should not ignore them. How my husband ended up having open heart surgery.'

'Three months ago my husband went to the doctor for just his annual checkup. While there, I indicated that he was having issues breathing, that he got out of breath quickly. The doctor hesitated but decided to do a breathing test. This test involved walking on a treadmill while his breathing was being monitored by machines. We thought, ok, not a real big problem. In the days leading up to the testing we decided to do a bit of spring cleaning. We started cleaning our carpets but were not finished the day of the test. While doing the test the nurses were alarmed, canceled the remainder of the test and told us that my husband was NOT to do any more carpet cleaning or anything to exert himself. This caused alarms to us. We went to see the heart doctor who directed us to a heart surgeon. She immediately admitted my husband to the hospital for a quadruple heart bypass. This was a critical day for both of us, not knowing his chances of making it through the surgery or how life would be after surgery. I had to learn how to do the outdoor tasks that usually fall on the man of the house. I learned how to drive the tractor to cut the grass, and the worst of all was learning how to operate the snowblower to clear the sidewalks and driveways. I had to do all household activities for 6 months, however in the end I still had the love of my life and we continue to enjoy life together. Now we take long walks when we want, take naps when we feel we must and enjoy an occasional pizza together.'

"My family and I attended the 4th of July celebration at my mom and dad's home. Everyone had a great time, especially me when I saw Mom wearing her new dentures."

"It was the 4th of July and my family and I attended the celebration at my Mother's and Father's house. I was very happy that day because everything felt so perfect in a sense that everyone was definitely having fun. When me and my husband arrived I was greeted by my Mother. She immediately showed her newly done dentures and she was very ecstatic to show me because I was the one who recommended the dentist. She hugged my and my husband so tightly and when she saw her grandsons she jumped like she's not 60 years old. I went to the back and I saw my Father. I was very happy again to see him because even if I visit him most of the time, I feel like I don't see him that much often. He hugged my and offered me some beer. He was also prepare the barbecue when I saw him. I called my husband to let him help my dad prepare the meats and fries and some other BBQ goodness. My brothers arrive and my sister in laws by the time it was dinner, I was very happy seeing my nephew because he got sooo much taller, almost close to my height now. When the fireworks started around 9pm, everyone was already a bit slightly drunk. My husband always takes care of the fireworks. Luckily he didn't buy the illegal ones and he only got to use the safer ones this time. I still get to smile when I remember my mom showing me her new dentures."

'My son just left to spend his freshman year of college in Italy. I am struggling with my feelings of sadness and loss over him being away, but also pride and excitment for the adventures he will experience.'

"I have never felt so much comfort and discomfort at the same time. A week ago today is the day that John left for Italy, I am happy that he has gone to better himself through his education, but am sad because I can't be there to help him anymore. I know he will learn a lot, probably more than he ever has because this will be as independent as ever. I hope that he is eating well, but not giving in to all of that tempting food, after all it is Italy! I long for the day he will return. I do wonder if he will come back, maybe he find love or a job out there and never returns home. But, this is a part of growing up and I will support his decisions to want to be independent and progress his life. I don't know who will visit who first, if I will go over there or he will come back home. I want to give him an opportunity to settle in and make friends first. I also want to give me an opportunity to learn a little Italian haha. I need to at least know how to ask where they keep the wine haha. I am so proud of him, and can't wait to see him again. I hope that he finds some really good places to take us out to eat, my mouth is watering just thinking about all of that food. I also need a little time to save some money! I haven't been on a trip in forever!"

"I was promoted at work. I became the leader of a work project group after the previous supervisor left. I'm now in charge of decision making for the group."

"I was put in charge of four others at work. We were a group tasked with dealing with various client-related issues. The company I worked for was in the software development business. My job was to write software code as part of a team to fulfill the software needs of our clients. As a group manager I would also be in charge of scheduling and task allocation during software projects. I would also be responsible for coordinating the work done by the group. Coordination was crucial to ensure that everyone's code would integrate together smoothly. We would meet with the clients to determine what their needs were. In a lot of cases that is not always the same as what they think their needs are. Then we would come up with a software solution to those needs as a team. We would present the solution to the client to get their approval before starting work on it. We would also be in regular contact with the client during the development process, because a lot of times their perception of their needs change during development. It was my responsibility to schedule and delegate work. I was also to evaluate the work performed for quality and suitability. I felt empowered but also burdened with responsibility."

'My bathroom remodel turned out to be a life remodel. I gained a beautiful new bathroom as well as a new perspective on myself and my surroundings.'

"I worked with a contractor to remodel my bathroom. I had never done a project in my house before and was really unprepared for all of the decisions that needed to be made. My contractor was patient with me and involved me in the project. He made some great suggestions keeping in mind my taste and budget and we ended up with a beautiful bathroom. He refers to it as a collaboration which boosted my confidence in matters of design and construction. At the same time, I noticed that I was starting to be more observant all around me. I started cleaning out other areas of the house and paying more attention to myself. I suddenly had more energy to go to exercise classes, and even started polishing my nails. I painted the front of my house and hung new house numbers. I put plants inside and outside the house. I am using my Turk money to buy things for the house to refresh the decor, etc. I was acting as if I had come out of a deep sleep. I don't think I was depressed but maybe had fallen into a complacent lifestyle. I had energy for other people and things but had not really directed it toward my living environment. I plan to remodel my kitchen in January and am enjoying the research and getting excited about possibilities for the small space. I will be working with the same contractor."

'I was drunk at a bar and decided to walk home. I fell on the way home and injured myself. I finally went to a hospital emergency room and got treatment.'

"About 3 months ago I went out to a bar with some friends. We stayed at the bar for most of the night. Throughout the night, I drank a lot, and got very drunk. In my drunken state, I decided that I should walk home. I lived close enough to the bar that it would be about a 20 minute walk home. On the way walking home, I tripped over a place where the concrete slabs were uneven. I fell to my right, and into a chain link fence, in front of the house on my street. As I stood back up, I could feel a lot of pain in my arm, and as I reached up I could feel blood on that part of my arm. I couldn't really see the cut since it was dark on the street, but I figured I must have scrapped my upper arm along a sharp piece of the fence. I held the cut and continued on quickly to my house, as it was bleeding quite a lot. I got inside, went to the bathroom and examined my arm. I was shocked by the amount of blood on my shirt, as I pulled it off. There was a lot of blood and the cut was quite deep. I did my best to wash my cut in the sink, before deciding to just use the shower instead, I washed the cut as well as I could and grabbed a towel, which I held very tightly to the cut. After holding the towel to my arm for about 15 to 20 minutes, the bleeding had slowed but not stopped. I replaced the towel with some clean paper towels, and held them tightly for another 10 minutes. Since I still couldn't get the bleeding to stop, I decided that I might need to go to the hospital. So I got some new paper towels, made a thick pad, and covered the cut, wrapped it in an ace bandage, put on a new clean shirt and called a lyft to go to the nearest hospital. When I got to the emergency room, I told the nurse what had happened, and filled out a lot of paperwork. Eventually I got to see a doctor, who looked at the cut, and decided I needed stitches. I got 5 stitches, and a tetanus shot, since I was cut by outdoor, probably dirty metal. After getting treated at the hospital, I went back home, quickly cleaned the bathroom as best I could, and went to bed."

'A person close to me persevered and overcame the struggles of his illness to perform in musical concerts. Despite all the odds against him performing, he made it through the struggle.'

'I have known Jake for over 30 years. He has always had a musical ear. Since childhood, he has been fascinated with music and musical instruments. He started wanted to play Spanish guitar because his family was from Spain. Flamenco guitars in Spain are trendy and is typical to find spontaneous musicians playing on the streets. He was so good that he started to play in a number of local clubs and started to earn significant money with it. His family was so proud of him because he was somehow promoting his heritage by playing the Spanish guitar. But all of a sudden one day about 20 years ago Jake went to a piano concert, and he just fell in love with the instrument. He started to study and practiced almost every day. His family was initially disappointed that he switched the instrument, but he also proved to be a very gifted pianist. Then, ten years ago, he was involved in a terrible car accident, which resulted in his left arm being amputated. He was devastated for a month. Then, he decided he was not going to let that tragedy stop his dreams, and for years after that, he practiced piano with one hand only. He became so adept at it that he was invited to play in the London Philharmonic. That was the proudest day of his life and everyone around him.'

'I bought my first guitar at a music store. I had a wonderful time there. I ended up learning that sometimes the simplest things can be the most beautiful.'

"I went to a guitar shop with my grandpa. He needed to get his new guitar set up. I wasn't sure if I was going to buy a new guitar or not, but I didn't put the idea out of my mind. When we got to the store, I asked to look at the guitars. First off, he showed me a new one that he had in that had been selling very well. It was made of a beautiful kind of wood and had a crisp sound. But it was also one of the cheapest guitars in the store. It didn't have all the flashy features that some of the pricier ones had. No built in tuner, no acoustic/electric, no cutaway. So I kept trying the other guitars, trying to find one that sounded better. I wanted my guitar to be as impressive as possible. But I kept coming back to the first one I had tried. Finally, I gave up trying to one up what was clearly the best guitar in the store. So I bought that one. I've played it almost everyday since, and I couldn't be happier with having decided to buy that one. It might not be the fanciest, but it's humble, and it has an amazing sound."

'My husband was injured at work, over three months ago. He is on workers compensation. He is home all day. He is in physical therapy to help with his recovery.'

"A little over three months ago, my husband, of over 30 years, suffered an injury at work. He suffered multiple fractures in his shoulder. It was my worst nightmare come true. My husband has worked two jobs for as long as we were together. We have had a lot of difficulties in our marriage. It has only lasted for as long as it has because he was always working. I have made my own life and was happy with how I had structured my life. He has been out on worker's compensation for over 3 months and it has changed my entire life or life, as I have lived it. He has been home every day, for the first month in a sling. He couldn't do much of anything and he has tried my patience, to the extent that I can't stand it or him. After a month, he went to physical therapy, which left me even more frustrated. He didn't follow the therapist's recommendations, to do exercises at home. We would get into bitter feuds about it. It reminded me of the early days of our marriage, where frustration ruled the day. He refuses to listen to reason and I feel I have nowhere to turn, to get away from his craziness. His behavior brings me back to very dark place. When he worked two jobs, I rarely saw him and that worked for me. I try to take life, day by day, but its been so difficult for me. I have realized that I have essentially been in this relationship by myself and that we literally have nothing, but our love of our dogs, in common. It's a really sad revelation but his being home, has all brought it to the forefront and is making me question my entire life."

'I was in an automobile accident in a setting that amplified the possibility of death. I came out unscathed and made me realize my luck. I changed for the better.'

'Dear Diary, I am recollecting the time a few months ago when I totaled my car on dark, cold, and wet mountain road and almost met my maker. I was at a dinner gathering at a friend\'s house, and was ready to call it a night. It was a Friday night and the week had been a long one at work. I was more than looking forward to hitting the sack at this point. I got in my car and hit the road. Nothing seemed eerie, out of the ordinary, or anything of the sort which would indicate that danger laid ahead. The roads were slick as there has just been rain fall in the lower region of town I was in. This was, of course, expected. As I began to gain elevation on a road that led through a mountain pass towards my destination, I noticed that there was a gentle snowfall that immediately disappeared on the ground as it melted. As I realized this, I did some mental calculations and concluded that this would make the road as slippery as ever with ice patches scattered throughout. As I was driving, looking out for potential danger, I came through turn around a blind curve. As I cleared the turn, I noticed some debris from a rock slide and swerved to try to avoid it. As I did this, my car veered off of the road and hit the side of the mountain, disabling it beyond operation and repair. I called for help and the police showed up. The grandfatherly officer that was on the scene made sure that I was okay. I was. He did a thorough walk-through of the scene. As he did this, he took thorough notes that were almost mathematical in nature. As he wrapped up the report that he had been compiling, he came up to me and said... "You know son, you are lucky. Just last Friday someone had an carbon copy of the accident you just had. The only difference is that instead of coming to the abrupt stop into the mountain like you did... he and his car ricocheted off of the side the of mountain, slid across road, and tumbled down the cliff side just right there." He pointed what seemed like a dark abyss down below. "He did not make it.", he said. Suddenly, I was struck with a different perspective about life that has made me different in a good way since.'

'My dog has bad allergies, and is very itchy this time of year. Her scratching was keeping us both awake at night, and disturbing our sleep. I massaged her and comforted her enough to activate her parasympathetic nervous system, and for her to relax and fall asleep.'

"Last night something very cool happened. I was asleep, and my dog, Sassy, was sleeping next to me. It is August, and she has terrible allergies this time of year, making her very itchy. She woke up in the middle of the night very itchy, and was furiously scratching. It was making her collar jingle, and also she was bumping up against me as she scratched. I was having a hard time going back to sleep, because she was so itchy and scratching so much. I am a massage therapist, and am very interested in how the nervous system, emotions, and physical feelings are connected. I was thinking about this, and Sassy's problem- and I decided, as an LMT, to try to activate her parasympathetic nervous system, to see if it would calm her and her itchiness. I slowly and gently began to massage her, and she instantly relaxed and stopped scratching. I continued massaging gently, and rubbing her tummy, and she continued relaxing. I did this for about 20 minutes, and she had fallen comfortably asleep. It made me feel really, really good that I could help her, and comfort her enough to help her sleep...and also so that I could sleep! I felt good about my scientific theory, as well as my instincts as a dog mama. We have had several sleepless nights lately, due to her allergies and uncomfortableness. I am hoping that it will work if I try it again, and that I may have found a drug-free solution for my miserable pup!"

'I interviewed for a new job in a new state. The interview went really well and I got the job offer I had been hoping for. I was very excited!'

"Today I drove to Connecticut to interview for a new job opportunity. I am moving to Connecticut with my boyfriend to be closer to work and this is the first job I have applied to. The job is a membership coordinator at a private country club, so it is something I have always said I could be happy doing. It was my second interview and I was feeling pretty nervous and excited. The first interview took place on Tuesday, and I stayed for almost two hours talking with the General Manager. Today, for my second interview, I toured the property with the General Manager and the current membership coordinator. After the tour, we sat down and talked for another hour or so, about two and a half hours in total. I left the interview feeling very confident. Even if I didn't get the job, I knew that I had interviewed well and had made it to the second round of candidates. It was between me and one other girl. That was an accomplishment in itself, because in the past interviews had not been my strong suit and made me very nervous. When I left the interview, my boyfriend called me. He was waiting for me outside of the interview to surprise me and I had driven right past him. That was the most special thing he could have done. I was so surprised and couldn't wait to hug him to calm myself down. We decided to grab some lunch/breakfast at a local diner. It was there during breakfast that I got the call. I had gotten the job! I was so excited. I had been stressed about trying to find a job in Connecticut for months, but I was able to get the first one I applied for. Even though my lease in Rhode Island wasn't up until June 1st, I was moving to Connecticut a few weeks early to start this new opportunity. It was a thrilling day and I still can't believe I have a big girl job now!"

"I went to the birthday party of my friend's daughter. It was her first birthday and when she really started getting to know my daughter."

'A buddy of mine was celebrating his daughter\'s first birthday. I was invited and decided to bring my own daughter in tow. She is 4 years old and a little precocious, so i told her she needed to be on her best behavior around the baby. She agreed, eventually. We showed up to my buddy\'s place with a gift - some age appropriate toy that my daughter help pick out. I deferred to her judgement, lol. Anyway, I mingled with the other parents while my buddy\'s wife tried to wrangle the unruly kids. I felt kind of bad for her, but not enough to deal with all those screaming kids myself. But, every once in a while, I would peak in on the kids, particularly my daughter. She has a hard time with kids her own age, since she\'s hyper-active. But, to my surprise, she was transfixed by the baby. And, she even offered to help my buddy\'s wife with managing the other kids. I heard her yeah, "be careful of the baby, " which made me a little proud. The day turned out to be less trying and more rewarding than I imagined. And I learned that my little daughter is growing up even faster than I thought possible.'

'My wife and I have been trying to get pregnant and finally made that dream a reality. We went out to breakfast together on the morning that she told me and discussed the future.'

"My wife and I have been trying to get pregnant for a few months now. We've had some issues but through it we've remained positive and that positivity eventually worked out for us. A few months ago, my wife decided to take a pregnancy test because she was late on her time of the month. A couple of minutes later she came to me with tears in her eyes, extremely happy, and when I asked her what was up she told me that what we had been hoping for was finally going to happen. We were obviously very excited about it, we hugged and kissed and teared up very ready for this to finally be happening. We talked about it for a little while and then decided to go and get breakfast and discuss it over a meal. We ended up going to McDonald's and sitting down at a table, I believe she ordered a sausage McMuffin and I ordered an egg McMuffin. We talked there for a long time about a lot of different things having to do with preparation and telling our parents. We even discussed things like names if it were a boy or girl, we both wanted to have a boy but would obviously be thrilled with a girl as well. We talked about how we would tell our parents, she had a lot of ideas on the subject and I pretty well just went along with whatever she thought. We even talked about more obscure things like how our two cats would get along with the baby, or what to dress them for as Halloween. It was a moment in time that I think I will always remember, it's a joy that I don't really know if I can accurately articulate. In the back of my mind I've always wanted to be a father, I didn't know if I was ready for it but I think that I am. However that being said it's a scary thought to be one of two people solely responsible for bringing another human into this world, it's a big commitment. I'm really looking forward to it though, I think that we are up to the task. She's a ways along now and it's thrilling to know that our little boy or girl will be here before we know it, we're both very excited."

'My wife and I took our three sons to a park several weeks ago. This was the first family outing we had taken since the birth of our youngest son several weeks earlier.'

'After our youngest son was born, we stayed home as a family for about 3 weeks. After 3 weeks of being home, we needed to have a family outing. We chose a park about 45 minutes from our home which was a local favorite for families with children. The weather was nearly perfect on the day we chose to go to the park. It was 75 degrees and sunny with very low humidity. The park was in down but in a secluded area. Although there were several other families at the park, the park is large enough and spread out so that we were not bothered by other people. Our youngest son was still sleeping for the majority of the day. Our two older sons were outfitted with their swimming trunks and water shoes. The park has a stream running through it which has a rock bottom. Kids are able to gradually hike up or down stream through the park and view several smaller waterfalls. It was a bit challenging to keep track of our two oldest sons (ages 1 and 4 at the time) because my wife was responsible for carrying our newborn. We had a chance to take several pictures of the boys playing in the water and enjoying their time at the park. We took several family photos which was our first opportunity to do so since our youngest was born. In the end, this was a very memorable day for us as a family and a great opportunity to spend time outside together.'

'I was pregnant and struggling with some doubt and fear. My husband felt that baby move, and relief and happiness flooded though us.'

"I am pregnant, and with that has come all sorts of thrills and fears. Overall, things have been going smoothly, but I am still prone to worry that something might be amiss with the baby. This is particularly due to the fact that it is difficult to know what is going on inside, especially in the early months. As my pregnancy progressed, I was eagerly waiting for the moment when I would begin to feel the baby move. This didn't happen as early as something of the books indicated it might, which lead to worry. Eventually, though, I began to feel fluttering movements that seemed different from other sensations I had experienced. I became fairly confident these movements were the baby, but it was still easy to doubt myself. Two weeks of this mix of confidence and doubt was relieved one night, though. I felt some kicks (at least what I hoped were kicks), and I encourage my husband to feel my belly. It was doubtful if he could feel anything yet, as the doctor indicated it might be awhile before anyone else could sense movement, but he felt something. In that moment, his face lit up with excitement, especially as the baby kept kicking, affirming what he was feeling. He held up a finger every time he felt something, and I confirmed that I felt movement simultaneously. It was an incredibly joyful moment for us. It left us feeling close and connected, both with each other, and with the baby. Additionally, it made me feel safe and secure knowing that the movement I had been feeling wasn't entirely in my own head. This was a beautiful moment in our relationship and in my pregnancy."

'My husband and I explored different ideas on spicing up our sex life. We decided to try swinging again and had a pleasant experience this time.'

'Back when we were first married 15 years ago my husband suggested partner swapping. I was relatively unsure as I thought we were meant for each other. We gave it a go and both decided it wasnt for us. Lately though we have found our life in the bedroom a bit boring and were discussing with friends over dinner. They said they had felt that way too and didnt know what to do. We told them about our earlier escapades into swinging and they were shocked. They had never tried that but were interested in the concept. After a few drinks we just decided to go for it. Maybe it was the booze, or the closeness of our relationship but we all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I am not sure that we would do it again but it was a new spice to the relationship. I think if you were looking at adding something it shouldnt be the first thing you try but overall can be rewarding. We also were in the same room so got to see our partners in action. Surprisingly nobody became uncomfortable. Its also nice knowing when we get together with others we all have a secret. Maybe we will have to swing again sometime.'

'I applied for the perfect job. I did two rounds of interviews and after thinking I would get the job, I was rejected.'

"Dear diary: Here I am again. Still looking for a new job. I just don't know what I could have done better last week. When the job opportunity came up, it seemed just right for me. I prepared. I researched the company. I was in a great mood, and confident, knowledgeable, and friendly at the interview. I looked the part. I asked the right questions. I liked my interviews, and I could tell they liked me. As you remember, I got a second interview. I was so stoked! Well, I have to tell you, during that second interview, I felt more scrutinized. Something felt off. Two days later, I got an email. My dream job was given to another applicant. I was crushed. A week later, the rejection still stings. What can I do? Time to brush myself off, get on my feet, and hit the pavement to find my next gig."

'I was laid off from my job a few weeks ago. Since then, I have been dealing with a great deal of anxiety over what the future holds. We are doing everything we can to stay afloat.'

"Here I am unemployed and not knowing what I'm going to do. It's only been three weeks, but I am screaming inside. How am I going to pay my bills, which are already piling up. I was already struggling as it is when I had a steady income. I'm sending out resumes and filling out applications like a crazy person, but I'm not getting any leads or bites. I laughed to myself (derisively of course) about how it's too bad I'm not anybody famous or important's cousin or niece. I'd probably find a job easy if that were the case! Being unemployed with no prospects is the worst feeling in the world. I am sitting home so completely useless to my family. They're trying to be supportive, but I can see they're as scared as I am about this jobless situation. The little cash I had saved will be used to keep a roof over our heads. Once that's gone, that's it. I had chest pains so bad the other day, I thought I was having a heart attack. I know it was only anxiety though, but that was pretty terrifying. I don't have the money for doctors, so I took a break from applying for new jobs to try and relax. It didn't work, but it was good to get off the grind for a few minutes. I hope things will work out for the better, but I'm losing faith."

"I attended my oldest sister's wedding. It was a fun ceremony and reception, full of laughter and good times. My whole family attended."

"My sister got married to her boyfriend of 9 years. The wedding was roughly 7 months ago. My entire family attended, and it was very enjoyable. We had a rehearsal and dinner the night before. The morning of, my family went from the hotel to the church. The groom's family drove from their house. The ceremony was pleasant, and I was one of the groomsmen. After the ceremony, there were pictures, talking, and then everyone went to the reception. The reception was the best part of the night. My girlfriend spent the evening with me, and I was able to talk with so many of my relatives. Everyone had a blast, and the dinner went smoothy. The best man and maid of honor made speeches, both fathers did, the dances commenced, and the food was great. There were 4 different cakes. Afterwards, the few people left went to bars before ending the night. I went back to the hotel with my girlfriend and my family."

'A life of failure at all I tried culminated in a early summer day in the local recreational baseball league. We won the local title and felt accomplished. Failure turned into success for once.'

"This is a story about us winning the local baseball tournament for adults of a recreational league. The morning before the championship game I remember I had woken up with blisters on each of my big toes. I couldn't even walk and as a catcher we have to put support and all our body weight on our toes the whole game so this was not going to go well. I rushed to the store to see if they had anything and they ended up having a sort of blister remover. This blister remove worked wonders but I could still feel pain when putting weight on the toes affected. A friend and teammate of mine recommended that I spray the stuff soccer players spray on their ankles to fight through pain. One of the umpires for the game had some cans in his car because his son played soccer and would complain of pain after every game. I sprayed some of the stuff on my toes and was able to fight through the pain for the game. It was like some anesthetic type spray but spray version of it. I liked it overall and it made the most sense. It was practical and really helped me in the long run. We ended up winning the game because of me being able to play. I feel like I am good at giving signs to the pitcher when I am the catcher. We had won the title and I was real proud of that. We had finally made turned failure into success."

'The weather was not ideal for an outdoor wedding. However, once the guest went outside it cleared up.'

'My cousin got married on a Saturday this past May. He had been planning this event for years. He is a perfectionist and usually needs everything to be perfect and just the way he had planned it to be. He does not handle change well. Growing up with him, I remember how he often used to get stressed when we changed plans on him. I knew that his wedding was a big deal for him. He had planned to have a beautiful summer wedding on the river in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The venue he chose was positioned in a perfect location overlooking both the river and the city. He had specifically picked a date in May as he knew that the average temperature during this time was 80 degrees. However, this precision planning seemed to have backfired on him. That morning I looked outside the window and saw what looked like the coldest and rainiest day in the history of May. There were about fifty people who attended, most wearing summer attire. Families began arriving at the venue and most were still hopeful about having the venue changed. There were several messages sent out in the family group chat that read, "What is going to happen with the venue, will it be changed?" and, "it is way too cold and wet today, surely this will have to be moved to an indoor venue at least?".When I arrived at the wedding, I began seconding guessing my cousins decision not to have the venue moved. By then the wind started picking up and it was not a pleasant day at all. The venue as positioned outside next to a river and by then all of the chairs and tables were drenched. Many of the guests began asking about the possible cancellation/relocation of the ceremony. However, my cousin was determined to give his bride the view that she had asked for. To many of the guests amazement, they decided to go ahead and move on with plan A. When we all finally mustered up the courage to go outside, the most unexpected thing happened, the wind had stopped, the clouds opened up, and a ray of warm sun shine shined directly onto the alter, almost as if it were planned. Although the wedding was not exactly perfect, it was beautiful site and the happy couple were able to enjoy their special day n a ray of sunshine. Everyone was able to breather a sigh of relief at the end. The wedding turned out to be just fine.'

'I was really happy that i could express this day with my wife, and for the first time i expressed child birth. Women deserve to be respect'

'It was early in the morning when my wif woke me up. We had been expecting this time to come any day now. Once it arrived, it was nearly impossible to prepare for! My wife was already in pain. I could see the look of anguish on her face. No amount of childbirth classes could prepare us for the real thing. And here it was! Staring us right in our faces. I quickly sprang into action. Jumping out of bed and nearly tripping down the stairs to start getting things ready. Or course it was the middle of the night, and everything was pitch black in our modest home. My wife was slowly making her way downstairs too, much slower than I. Before I could turn to help her on her decent, she let out a blood curdling scream. The baby was coming. And right this very second. I had no time to prepare. I helped her lay down on the floor and we both began all the steps we had been taught. At that moment, I truly new how powerful a woman was. Even though I felt her anguish remotely, I was in true awe. She was my hero as she brought our son into the world.'

"I received news that our previous foster children's mother was arrested. The following days were filled with ideas that we might need to revert back our old lifestyle, so as to take care of them. In the end, we heard no news and made no changes to our current lifestyle."

'Three weeks ago, something pretty devastating happened. I was sitting on the couch with my husband, and I got a phone call about our previous foster children, Mark and Sarah. Their mother was arrested for breaking and entering. When I heard this news, my heart dropped. All we ever wanted was the best for them. I truly thought they were in good hands! Their mother really seemed to be going on the right track... I thought there was no way she would go back to her previous lifestyle. Then I thought, "will I have to go back to MY previous lifestyle now?" These children need to be taken care of, and it\'s clear that their mother can\'t do that anymore. But my husband and I weren\'t prepared for that task. It had been three years since we took care of those kids. We are used to our lives. Things are quiet. We have more freedom and flexibility. I\'d be lying if I said it wasn\'t a pain to take care of those kids. Of course, we loved them like they were our own, but they were quite the handful. The most shocking part of the situation, however, was my husband\'s response. He was supportive (for once). He said he wouldn\'t mind if I took on less hours at work if I wanted to take the kids back. I knew I married him for a reason. We may not agree on everything, but the man has a big heart. We haven\'t heard any more news about those poor kids or their mother. For now, our life will remain quiet and comfortable. But it\'s nice to know that my husband is supportive of welcoming Mark and Sarah back.'

'Mostly, I got married to my husband a few months ago. It was pretty stressful leading up to the ceremony start time. But, after I saw him I felt way better.'

"Honestly, one of the most memorable events in my life recently was the day of my wedding. This was nearly 4 months ago, and is still pretty fresh in my mind. It was a pretty good day, which started bright and early at 7 am for me and my friends. I had to get to the hair salon at 8am to get ready for hair and makeup. My friends were all tired, and I was as well. Mostly because I was super anxious and ready to get married finally. But it all went smoothly, and we were done in about 3 hours. We still had time to kill, so we went to grab lunch nearby. Then shortly after that we got ready to head to the church to finish getting ready for the wedding. Now that part was chaotic. My dad lost or misplaced parts of his suit rental. And, my dress which had fit previously the week before, was not closing up properly. Go figure, I ended up having to be sewed into my dress. Then it came time to get married finally. And all of the stress and anxiety went away the moment I saw my husband finally. It went very smoothly, even though our friend dropped our wedding rings. We said our vows and all that. And then after the ceremony was over we headed to the after party. There are alot of cherished memories that come along with that day. And, I'll never forget it."

'I threw a small family "traditional" surprise birthday party for my daughter-n-law. The emphasis was on great food, a real bakery bought birthday cake, and awesome, colorful decorations. She was elated and it reinforced our continuing and growing relationship.'

'I love my daughter-in-law, she has been really good to my son. So I decided to throw a "traditional" surprise birthday party for her--about three weeks ago. Most of our immediate family was invited, and some of her close friends, and immediate family was invited as well. My son was tasked with keeping her occupied all day, until it was time to party. I called him that afternoon to drop her off. We all in hid in excitement, anticipating her shocked face. We heard the car pulling up, turned the lights off, and quickly hid. When the door opened, we turned on the lights, and yelled "Suprised". She was elated. She was happy to see all of us. I guess I did something right. The party was great! I had prepared some of her favorite foods. I even her favorite chocolate cake from the local bakery. That cake was gone by the end of the party. She even commented on the colorful decorations--it was her favorite color. Different shades of blue mixed in with white, and other bright colors. She just loved the food and the ambience of the entire event. She had fun chatting and dancing with those she hold dear. Well, I relationship has become even more stronger after throwing the party. My daughter-in-law is letting down her guard more and more each day. Matter of fact we spent some time alone shopping and eating at the local mall. We got to know each other a bit more. I love this woman, and hope our relationship can become even stronger.'

'My husband and I, with another couple, visited Colorado on a four day weekend. We took one full day to tour Garden of the Gods on Segways.'

"On this day in June, my husband and I, along with a couple that we are very close friends with, were in Colorado for a four day weekend. We wanted to see Garden of the Gods and decided the best way to do this was to take a Segway tour. Although my husband is in moderate stage Alzheimer's, we had done it a few years ago with this same couple in Chicago, and we thought he could probably handle it. We talked with the tour guide/instructor, and told him the situation. He worked patiently with my husband and concluded that he would be able to do ride the Segway safely. My friend's husband was super sweet with my husband, watching over him to make sure he was doing okay and guiding him throughout the day. The tour through the majestic rocks was absolutely breathtaking. The weather was a perfect 80 degrees and breezy. The views of the rock formations and the mountains were amazing. We took lots of pictures that turned out fantastic. Our companions were wonderful. We laughed a lot, along with a lot of oohs and aahs. We all said we would love to do it again. Of all the things we did while in Colorado, this was my favorite. Riding the Segways was so much fun, we made the perfect choice for seeing Garden of the Gods."

'My senior dog became ill and very quickly deteriorated. Her world had shrunk from hiking and running to being unable to walk and being confined to one room. I said goodbye to her on a sunny morning on the deck.'

"I knew the day was coming and I thought that I was prepared but I really wasn't, not at all. I got home from visiting my mom and I found her lying on the stairs, lethargic and sad. I carried her up the stairs to my bedroom, her bedroom, and I got her water to drink. I stayed up with her all night making sure the water went down and that she started to perk up again. I hand fed her a bit of food at a time. Over the next few days I thought she had turned the corner and we were even able to go out for short walks. I was so relieved. I was hoping that she would rally as she has done every time in the past. I was wrong. On Monday we went out for a walk, it was a short one. I didn't know it would be our last. She loved being outside but that day she started to drag, her head was hanging, i turned towards home. As we got closer she spotted a bunny, her head came up, tail up, ears at attention and she pulled a bit. That was my girl, ready to give chase. But she gave in to me quickly when I calmed her and lead her away. The next day she was tired, and that night was long and painful for her. She could barely stand, walking was a struggle. I stayed up with her that night and knew I was saying goodbye. I petted her, soothed her, thanked her for being such a great companion. My stoic girl vocalized her discomfort and pain. As soon as it was morning I called and arranged for the vet to come to our home. I wanted my girl to be on her deck in the sunshine when she fell asleep for the last time. I miss her every day. And I can still hear her phantom feet in my very empty and quiet home."

'My family tried to fool me to believe that a fake baby was real. My daughter in law had the real baby.'

'My family and I were traveling to see our third grandchild for the first time. We arrived safely to out destination that was 35 miles away. I walk with a cane because of bad feet and being out of normal balance. I walked in the door of my young sons house. My oldest son greeted me with a big smile on his face and a bundle in his arms. I figured that was out baby he was holding. He offered for me to take Baby, Shona. I wanted too, but due to my terrible awkwardness I turned the idea down. I needed to sit to hold the newborn. I walked across the room and sat on a nice couch. The moment I settled in he hand me the wrapped up baby. I opened the blanket to see her. My first sight was deep blue eyes and light brown skin. We are a very white family. I immediatly became suspicious of the eyes, the were too blue for a newborn. I looked up to say "what is this?\' They had playfully given me a doll that my oldest granddaughter owned. My daughter in law was holding the real baby and started to giggle. It was her idea to pull a trick on me. It was funny to everyone.'

'My child birthday celebration in our home with my friends and relatives. A special event for our family. and friends too.'

'Final week we have celebrated our child third birthday. This occasion is held in our home. all my companions and relatives and colleague are welcomed. They connect us to create this as an extraordinary occasion. The final night of that day we are brightening our home. Its with brilliant color papers and vegetables lights. my child cut the cake and all the occasions are captured in a domestic camera. I have reordered all those people. That night we arranged a special dinner. All are having that fresh vegetables and some prepared dish. then we enjoyed a lot more and more on the day. Its so heart filling with happiness . I love my family. finally we got a bed. thanks god, and all my surroundings. They made my day so special and engaged with the bright. thank you.'

'I went on a trip with a group of friends that we go to every year. I had a great time and so did our new trip attendee. I look forward to going again next year.'

"In January I went on a trip with a group of friends that we go on every year in Baltimore Maryland. This year we managed to convince a new friend to go with us on top of our usual group. We traveled there during the middle of the day and were lucky enough to not have to deal with any snow this year. The previous year was quite snowy when we were driving up. We also managed to get lucky and get a room with a balcony again. We try our best to get one every year but since so many people are going it's often tricky to not find them all booked already. The balcony adds a really nice relaxing place to hang out where you can still see some of the event while taking a break up at your room, it really adds to the experience. The event has a 24-hour arcade that runs every day and we have found over the years that it's best to be up and night and sleep during the day. That way you get to enjoy the arcade with less people and can sleep when everything is super crowded. This year especially I mostly focused on the arcade so I was asleep a lot during the day and just stayed up all night. You also have to be careful about where you get food and when because of how busy everything is. Typically we get a bunch of snacks and things for our room to have something as filler since we aren't sure when we might manage to eat. We also try to make at least one trip to a nearby steak place every year we go, as well as a trip to the local Chinese food place. We did our best to teach our new attending friend our tricks but we mostly let him enjoy whatever he wanted to do and he ended up liking the event a lot which is good. I believe he managed to get something signed by a composer he likes. I hope he comes again next year and we can have another addition to our yearly crew. Overall it was a great time and I look forward to going again early next year. This is so far the main thing I do reliably every year so I hope we get to keep doing it. Hopefully we get lucky with the balcony room again and manage to not have it be too cold or snowy during the event itself."

'The story of an accident that occurred in August 2019, which was memorable due to the impact on my mind and my life. The accident has consumed my mind for many months, in a negative way, which includes: losing confidence, worrying more and completely reduced my trust in people.'

"It's been almost five months now since the accident and I can't believe how much I'm still affected by it. It's really hard to imagine how I will get over this, which is depressing. But I know I have to find a way to get past it. This is really affecting my relationships; reflecting back on the last few months I can see that it's really eroded my trust in people. I know it's not healthy, but it's so difficult to get over it! And seeing how Susie has pulled away has been a real shock; I realize it's been hard, but she is - was - my best friend. I tried calling her at Christmas time and when she hung up on me it was like a cold splash of water to my face. I was hoping that it'd be different once the new year started. New year, new beginnings, that kind of thing. I made this a specific resolution, as I've always been good with those as an incentive. But it really hasn't changed, and that makes me so upset. I have to stop worrying so much; I think that's really exacerbating my problems with trusting people, but it's also really tiring and exhausting. If I wasn't constantly thinking about the accident, maybe I'd be able to stop worrying so much. At least, I think I would. The other big impact is how much my confidence has been destroyed. I don't know that I was really over confident before the accident, but I did have some respect for myself, and that's gone now, too. It's sad. It's really amazing how much that accident has taken over my whole life; it's had such a negative impact on my quality of life overall, and my state of mind has taken a huge turn for the worse. I have to stop wallowing in self-pity and get past this; it's up to me to make my life better."

'The event is dealing with my daughter as she moved to Phoenix. It details my struggles as a parent as I send my oldest child out on her own for the first time.'

'The most memorable event that happened to me took place in mid-May. I flew with my oldest daughter from Detroit to suburban Phoenix. She was starting her first job post graduation as an elementary school teacher. This was striking to me as a mom because I thought she would be excited to be starting a new life. We had such a good time setting up her new house, buying furniture and unpacking. It all seemed to be going well until she broke down in tears. I was distraught as she sobbed that she didn\'t want to be there, that it was too far away from home. I tried (in vain) to be encouraging. I told her to think of it as a new adventure. I held her as she wept, soothing that it was time for her to be on her own and that I knew she would be successful. I believed she had a heart for kids and that this was her vocation. She SAID this was what she always wanted, but the reality of it was just too overwhelming. To be honest, as much as I love my daughter, I don\'t get it. I would have killed for such a great opportunity at her age. She was being given what she said she wanted, and there she was a total wreck! I think about this event often and it\'s something that I mull over on an almost daily basis. I continue to be surprised, shocked and a little pissed when I consider the situation. I hate the term "adulting"; it\'s not a verb I used. But my daughter was not coping well at almost twenty-five. I have to wonder how this happened. I have always been attentive, but stressed that I expected her to stand on her own two feel and to be a strong, independent young woman. I have done my level best to be the best I could as a mother to all my children. Most of them are hanging in there, but I wonder how to help my eldest who is chronically dissatisfied. I struggle to get her to live in the present and to look at the bright side. I do the best I can.'

'My kids rented a house on the ocean on the outer banks. We celebrated our 50 th wedding anniversary with our whole family'

'On the day after our trip we rented a car. The car we got was not what I expected. We got a Doge super charger that was fast and loud. I was excited but my wife was scared of the car. I let her drive it to cracker barrel for breakfast so she would not be scared. We went to Pigeon Forge Tennessee for a long weekend trip. The car made us feel young again. Driving through the mountains on tight curved was exhilarating going so fast. It was Christmas time so we went to Dollywood to see the lights. At night it ts so beautiful with all that is going on. We stayed up until when they closed which is highly unusual for us since we usually go to bed around 8 pm. We even had a late dinner at the resort we stayed at nd had a beautiful room that over looked the valley. Staying up into the wee hours of the morning was like we where 20 years old again. We got up around 12 and that has never happened since we where first married. We had a brunch and went to the theme park again for the day/ We rode on rides that we never thought we would go on again and it was thrilling. We then had a gourmet meal at a high end restaurant and where surprised again that our children had payed for our meal way back when we where on our beach trip. The weekend ended with a nice drive through the smokie mountain national park with stops along the way in little towns to pick up unusual things to remember our trip by.'

'When my mother passed away my sister and I made the arrangements for her funeral. The funeral director was very difficult to work with but in the end everything worked out. It was a nice service.'

"My mother passed away at the end of March and my sister and I made the funeral arrangements for her. The entire process was sad and painful but at least we had each other to get through it. It was stressful at the funeral home because the funeral director was constantly trying to upsell us. The money wasn't the issue. We simply wanted to follow our mother's wishes for a simple gravesite service with her priest present. The funeral director, however, kept pressing us to provide a large tent that was very expensive, as well as other amenities that we didn't think would be necessary but she literally browbeat us for more than an hour to agree to them. We were both very upset when we got back to our car. We didn't have a choice of where to go as my father is buried at the same cemetery and of course we wanted them to be together. It made a stressful time even more stressful. It simply wasn't necessary. On the day of the funeral it was a lovely Spring day, my mom's favorite season. We had a gravesite service and her priest did a beautiful job. I was surprised and moved when my brother-in-law's mother, who was close friends with my mother, quoted an Irish blessing that my mom always loved. As hard as her passing was the funeral, with all of her family present, reminded me instead of the very good aspects of her life and the times she inspired, supported, and - always - loved us. As hard as it was putting the details together in the end it was a perfect service."

"I went to Hawaii with my girlfriend and her family to spread her mother's ashes. We went to the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens and had the celebration of life. Once we were there, I was given the opportunity to partake in the remembrance and it touched me deeply."

"3 months ago, I took a trip to Hawaii with the girlfriend and her family. I thought this was going to be just a family outing. I had NO idea that we were going to be spreading her mother's ashes, who had passed a short time before the trip. I think maybe she didn't want me to say no or be freaked out by the situation. Actually, I had quite the opposite reaction. We had a small ceremony in the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Gardens to honor her memory and her life. The family asked me if I would help out and I was quite moved by that. I haven't ingrained my place in their lives for very long at this point but they wanted to include me in such a meaningful moment. I helped with the releasing of the ashes and had some words to express. I was a little bummed out because I didn't have the chance to get to know my girlfriend's mom very much before she died. I like to think she would be happy that I can be emotional supportive of the family and her daughter. I hope she would approve of me being there. I would do anything for my girlfriend. I was very emotional for the rest of the day but that was to be expected. Hawaii was beautiful, though. I suspect she was looking down on us and making the sun shine the entire trip."

"An old girlfriend of mine is dying of breast cancer - just found out today. I have not been in contact with her - heard it through a mutual friend - and we haven't been together for 20 years, but it still hits me rather hard to hear she is doing so poorly."

"I just found out some really tough news today. My old girlfriend Susan, who I dated as a teenager, is dying of breast cancer. I have a lot of emotions about this. We didn't keep in touch - I really don't think it was that serious. I haven't talked to her in years, but I heard it from my friend Jimmy who still talks to her sometimes. I have a lot of good memories of her, and I feel really guilty now that I did not stay in contact with her. Who knows what she's like now? I remember how into her I was for a few years though. She's way too young to have to deal with this. I wonder what happened to her in between then and now. I'm not sure if I should reach out. She probably would not want to hear from me after all this time. She's so young too. This makes me think about my own life a lot. I don't want to have to worry about things like this happening to me, but I'm not getting any younger. I'm still in my thirties, but so was she. I guess you never really know what the future will bring."

'This is a story of a brief career history. How you should never look back at the old times and always be excited for whats to come.'

'I was working a dead end job. Sure it was in line with what i loved doing, but it was in the worst company i have ever worked for to date. It was a Thursday in a cold January day when i was brought into the office and was told my services were no longer required. I was let go of the company after working for them for 3 years, and I was scared for what was to come but in the same breath can say i was relieved. I drove home thinking what now. I remember the moment i got home i got in my car drove to my wifes job and had a coffee with her and she told me some of the best advice i was ever to get. Take care of yourself and find your path. With that advice i went on unemployment and sought a direction. I took a course in EMT and landed 2nd best in the class, got a job in it but found that the medical profession was something i was not really into. Then i got a call from some old friends about a job opening. NOw being that this job was in a field i was all to familiar with and something i actually loved, i jumped on the chance. The interview came and went and was then offered my pay for approval. When i learned of this i never seen such pay before, this is a real career i thought to myself and ran around the block with joy. Working at my current company i must say i have no need to look back but i do think of how it created me. I look forward to continue to progress in my career and have even thought about going back to college to further my career within the company.'

'I dated a man for a few weeks and then he started to push my boundaries. After that, I decided it was best to breakup with him to protect myself.'

"I was wanting to find myself a boyfriend. I was feeling lonely and needing something to bring me some happiness. I went to a bar one night and saw a man staring at me. He approached me and told me his name and bought me a drink. We chatted for a bit after and then I gave him my phone number. He called soon after and asked if I wanted to go on a date with him and go for dinner. I accepted it and we scheduled to eat at a Chili's on a Saturday night. The food and atmosphere was amazing and spending time with him was a lot better than I expected. We hit it off that night and he asked me out. Of course I nodded yes without even thinking about waiting longer to see how this would plan out. We went on a few more dates in the next couple of weeks. However, he started to become super aggressive and forward with his advances and I was starting to feel super uncomfortable with his vibes so I told him straight that I did not like how he was acting. He apologized and asked me to give him another chance. Me being dumb I said yes. That did not stop and I broke up with him. I feel a lot better now that I got him out of my life because he was just plain creepy."

'I had my fourth baby very unexpectedly after going in to the hospital for monitoring. It turned out that he had a full knot in his umbilical cord.'

"The birth of my fourth child was incredibly unexpected and exciting. I was thirty six weeks pregnant and not expecting to have him for three more weeks at my scheduled c-section when I unexpectedly had to go in to the hospital due to the fact that I was not feeling him move much. I went in for monitoring and they kept me overnight. They monitored his heart rate and it kept dropping, so in the morning they decided they would go ahead and do the surgery. They couldn't figure out what was causing the decelerations. I had left my house the previous night at eleven p.m. not thinking I would be staying overnight and certainly not thinking I would be having a c-section in the morning so I was totally unprepared. All I had with me was my purse and my husband was back home with my other three children who had been asleep when I left. I excitedly got ready for the surgery, knowing that within the hour I would have my baby in my arms but also nervous that he was going to be okay and that I would be going through surgery all alone. Everything went smoothly though. The anesthesiologist was really caring and sat right next to me throughout the surgery and talked to me. When I finally heard my son's little cries, I knew everything was going to be okay. She held him beside me while they finished stitching me up and then finally after nine months of waiting I got to hold him. I went to recovery and held my perfect little son in my arms while I waited to go to my room. Then, I spent two nights and three days in the hospital with my new little son. It was hard because I had never been away from my other three kids before, but it was also special having that time just him and me together. It had turned out that he had a full knot in his umbilical cord which is what was causing the heart decellerations. It's a miracle that I went into the hospital that night and they decided to go ahead with the surgery. He is now six months old and is the sweetest most precious little baby."

'My stepfather passed away. We had time to say goodbye to him but it was still tough and me and my family.'

"My stepfather was struggling with a really bad illness. We went to go see him and he wasn't doing well. We didn't think he had a lot of time left. I knew that he had done this to himself with his drinking. We were all very depressed. It didn't look like he was going to make it. I talked to my wife and told her how things were going. I told her that I may not be home tonight and me and the rest of my family were going to be staying with him. She told me that she understood. In the middle of the night the doctors came to us. Said things were getting worse and we should say our last good byes. I went in sometime after my mom. He told me that he was proud of me. He said that he was happy to see the man I've become. We talked about things. I told him I loved him. He passed away later that night"

'My uncle died in July. My greedy aunts who wanted control of his money took us to court to control what happens to his body.'

"July 1 was an emotional day. My Uncle Eric died. Just a week prior he had been diagnosed with cancer and we were unsure of the prognosis. He wasn't even 50. He lived about 3 hours away from us and my parents were going back and forth to be with him and planned on bringing him to live with them had his prognosis turned out better. The worse part is that my moms sisters filed paperwork with the court to try to control what happens to his body. Eric was autistic and needed a guardian because he couldn't completely take care of himself and needed help with decision-making. All Eric wanted was to be buried next to his parents. He wanted nothing to do with these sisters and actively avoided having them in his life. His parents were cremated and he was aware that he already had a plot next to theirs and that he would be cremated too. The sisters took us to court trying to get control of his trust and his life insurance. I was so upset knowing this wasn't about Eric and his best interest. It was about them trying to get their hands on his money, which my mother controls. My mother didn't ask for this, she was designated by her own parents, yet her sisters have it out for her as if she had done something wrong. They have always been low-life's, hell bent on hurting others so none of this was shocking to us. We barely had any time to prepare but showed up to court with a huge binder of evidence of things they had both done, text messages from Eric, messages from granny from when she was alive, proof of crimes one of them had committed, etc. The one sister who showed up brought one sheet of paper they deemed inadmissible and then lied right to the judge's face as he asked her questions about things he was reading among our mountain of evidence. I was ecstatic that the judge ruled in our favor and that Eric will be where he belongs and where he wanted to be. It was a rough couple of weeks but I'm glad we could get justice for Eric."

"I attended my brother's graduation from boot camp. It ceremony was far away so I was able to fly on a plane for the first time in order to get there. Also, the culture and the ceremony itself was very different from what I experience from day to day."

"An event that is specifically memorable to me is when went to my brother's graduation. It was significant to me for many different reasons. I had to take a plane to get there. It was the first time I had ever been on a plane. Also, my brother was graduating from boot camp. It was my first time experiencing that kind of graduation. I was surprised by how different military culture is from every day life. Something I specifically remember from the event was during the ceremony we had to stand and sit down at specific times. I was surprised by how precise everything was. I also was surprised by how different my brother seemed after he graduated. He was more mature and I could tell the experience changed him a lot. I was really proud of him for this achievement. Over all it was a good experience. It also, allowed me to experience many different firsts. I will remember it for a long time and it fill definitely be something my family talks about often."

'I went to the beach with my mom and sister, our first vacation since the parents divorced. We had a good time, but I had a lot of mental turmoil and realizations about the way things have changed and what it all means.'

'Today was a fun and sad day at the beach. I went with my mom and sister. This was my first vacation since my parents got divorced. We had a bad time at some point when I had an argument with my Mom. I said this would be funner with my Dad. She cried and yelled about it. My sister stopped the argument. My sister and I made a sand castle. My Mom made a bigger sand castle. A tidal wave came by and knocked down both of our castles. We laughed about it. We rented some surfboards. We rode on some waves. My sister crashed and got salt water in her mouth. She said it was nasty. We left the beach with good memories and a bad one.'

'My wife had a back spasm and had to be sent to the ER. I had to arrange for transportation and costs for treatment. It was emotionally and financially difficult, but it has been overcome.'

'My event of choice happened a few months ago. My wife had been having back spasm issues from time to time. We tried to get state medicaid to cover home care for the problem, but they required her to go to a doctor, which she was not able to do with her condition. Finally, the problem got so severe that she had a major back spasm that would not relent. As we had no car, I had to call 911 to get an ambulance to take her to the ER. There, they verified it was a back spasm related to her herniated disc. It was an emotionally difficult time for us all. She was under great pain, so much that she could not speak. I had to maintain my stress level, as I have high blood pressure, and call to get her treated. Then, we were told that she would STILL have to go to her PCP to get treatment, but at least they gave her enough pain meds to get her there. Over the weeks that would follow, there would be many, many consultation visits, scans, and lab works. It was not easy, but they did finally get her on good meds, a back shot, and therapy...back at the ER that would not allowed to treat us at the start without all of this run around. The event and following weeks put much financial and emotional strain on us. It disrupted our ability to earn money, as we had increased bills. However, it is good to know what the problem was. Only recently have things approximated the old days.'

'I went to visit my father. We rekindled our relationship. It was a wonderful trip where we got to talk about the past.'

"I went to visit my father after a long time. He was sick and not doing to well. I usually don't get along with him very well and he usually tells me about how I make the wrong decisions in life. I tend to tune him out and not pay attention. When I went to go see him I felt different. He did not seem like the same person. It seemed like he was interested in talking to me and seeing how I was doing. He talked to me about our family history and I listened intently. I was very happy to hear him talk about his past. I felt more connected to him and felt like he wasn't trying to tell me what to do. I was pleased to be able to have a relationship with my dad that was less confrontational and more open. After we were done talking we sat at the table and had dinner and I had a good time. My mom was there and I could tell she was happy that we were getting along. When I finally had to go I thanked them and hugged my dad. I felt like we really turned a leaf on how we got along and from then on things would be different."

'He was a good friend of mine. when he started to talk to me without my persuasion. He was acting quite amusing that day. I sensed that something terrible has happened.'

'This story was about my bestie. These were the last words he said to me…. You know what that "tomorrow" never came. X ( I am hiding the name ) was a good friend of mine. I first saw him in when I was in sixth standard. I guess he was a new admission in the school. He was very silent by nature. As I am a very talkative person so I always tried to persuade him to speak something. But he never changed his habit. Well that was too much annoying for me. Sorry, but I hate those people who always keep silent and don\'t express themselves. when he started to talk to me without my persuasion. He wasn\'t a brilliant guy so he often scored average in the exams. His desire to learn more brought him closer to me ( actually I was the topper of my class at that time. ) we became good friends there after. I was in eleventh standard when everything changed suddenly. I remembered that day he was very happy. He was talking to everyone and passing smiles to everyone in reply of a hello or hi. He was acting quite amusing that day. I didn\'t asked him the reason but I was happy to know he was enjoying his surroundings. Next day when I reached the school, I found that the environment of the class was quite disturbing. Almost everybody was standing in his own respective friend circle and was whispering. I sensed that something terrible has happened. When I enquired about the topic I was told that four of our school students who were coming to school on a motorcycle early in the morning have been brutally crushed by a truck. One of them had died while the rest are still unconscious.'