I’m Ugly And It Makes Me A Better Girlfriend
If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, never make a pretty woman your wife. When I was a little kid I thought I was beautiful. I would stand in front of the mirror in my room dressed for...
View ArticleAll The Time I Wasted Being Pretty
Somehow, while I was busy being beautiful, time passed. Now, I’m just the mom you pass in the supermarket; the woman you don’t notice. It feels like just yesterday I was youthful and beautiful, and...
View ArticleI’m Almost 40 And This Is Not What I Wanted My Life To Be
I need to come to terms with the fact that my dream may never come true. I’ve just turned 38, and I’m single. I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (POCS) and am currently on day 23 of my period (as in...
View ArticleWhy I’ll Never, Ever Get Over My Girlfriend’s Murder
Please don’t tell me how to grieve. Dealing with the end of a relationship is never easy. No matter how rough or clean the break was, there’s still parts of you that you have to pull back together. You...
View ArticleI Broke Up With One Of My Best Friends And I’ve Never Felt Better
Sometimes the most loving thing you can do, is to walk away. I broke up with one of my best friends a month ago. And I have felt nothing but sweet relief that it is over. It all came to a head in my...
View ArticleHow Meditation Uncovered The Mystery Behind My Triggers
Panic attacks are a screeching ambulance siren. “You look like you’re ready for lift-off,” said the dentist. “Bracing for the Novocaine needle,” I said, still gripping the armrests. He smiled and...
View ArticleWhy I Finally Decided To Stop Taking Birth Control
When my doctor wanted put me on the pill, I agreed. But that was the wrong move. Adult life is a scary thing. There are so many things that you have to be in control of. You have to make sure that you...
View ArticleDear Dad: I Did Just Fine Without You
You made me feel like I was replaceable and unloveable, and I’ve carried that with me my entire life. Dear Dad, For as long as I can remember, I’ve tried to pretend I’m okay with not having you around,...
View ArticleBeing Raped Forced Me To Lose More Than Just My Virginity
I lost my virginity to rape, at 13 years old. As friends get to know one another, they usually share stories, and the more you get to know somebody, the more personal those stories become. One of my...
View ArticleI’m Genderfluid And Here’s What I’d Like You To Know
The saying “gender is between the ears and sexuality is between the legs” is easy to remember, but too simplistic. Your gender is whatever you feel and believe it is. You can’t do your gender wrong....
View ArticleI Feel Ashamed For Needing Anxiety Meds
Unless there is a reason to believe that someone is misusing their medication, we should be treated as patients, not addicts. On a warm, summer night after catching a film with a friend during summer...
View ArticleWhy It’s Okay To Feel Really Lonely
Loneliness can be your friend. When I was 17, my dad and stepmother split up and sold our house, leaving me to find a place to live on my own. I moved into a tiny apartment downtown and ended up living...
View ArticleWhy I’m A Relentless Overachiever
In my mind, if I do not incessantly succeed, people have no reason to rely on me. Believe in me. Love me. A childhood nickname made me who I am today. Well, at the very least, it started me on a path...
View ArticleTo All Those Who Don’t Know If They’ve Been Sexually Assaulted
Here’s the thing: I have no memory of ever being sexually assaulted or abused. When I was in 7th grade, I remember being a pretty average teen girl. I remember wearing blue jeans and my sister’s old...
View ArticleThe Women Who Helped Me After My Sexual Assault
And I wonder how I could have left these women out of my story, how I could have given all my attention to the men who had hurt me instead of the women who had helped me. When I’ve told this story in...
View ArticleHere’s Why New Year’s Resolutions Are The Absolute Worst
Crappy New Year. New Year’s resolutions are a bit of a double-edged sword. On their face, they may seem helpful, motivating, an encouraging marker we’ve set for ourselves after evaluating the end of...
View ArticleI’m Diabetic, And Sometimes I Don’t Care
There are both grand and trite lessons one learns with a chronic illness. On my most recent trip to Europe, my friend introduced me to his dearest friends who own a small Chateau in Thiers. They...
View ArticleNo, I Don’t Want To Be Your Token Black Best Friend
For many non-melanated folks, admiring black culture is easy. Loving and caring for black people, not so much. Growing up in a suburb of Cleveland, I always had many white friends. As most black...
View ArticleThe One Thing Lupus Took From Me That I Don’t Miss At All
Lupus was the ugly secret I hid in the closet, the sloppy drunk friend I pretended not to know. “Measure fifty!” the cellist beside me hissed. The notes in front of me wandered off the page to flit...
View ArticleI Have Compassion For Everyone Struggling With Depression. Except Myself.
If I were speaking to someone else who felt this way, I would say, “It’s okay. I’ve struggled with depression pretty much my whole life. My earliest memories of stifling depression go back to the age...
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