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  • My significant other

    Meeting you was like winning the lottery. It was the best decision I ever made to become your girlfriend. Thank you for loving me for who I am and not wanting to change a thing about me. Thank you for helping me love myself more each day. You consistently go above and beyond, and you have been nothing but a blessing in my life. I’m grateful for you every day, in every moment.

    Your touch, your scent, your smile, your eyes—everything about you is perfect to me. You are the most selfless, unique, outgoing, and loving person I have ever known. I remember the first time we met and our first conversation. I recall the moment you thought I was cute and when you asked me to be your girlfriend. It was in Central Park, and it was raining. We stood under a bridge, soaked, and you held me in your arms, asking, “Will you be my girlfriend?” It felt like a scene from a romcom.

    I remember our first kiss and all the special moments we’ve shared. We have now been together for 992 days, and we continue to promise each other forever. With you, it truly feels like eternity. I remember when I first fell in love with you; it wasn’t love at first sight. I fell in love when you stayed with me at the hospital for ten hours. That’s when I knew you were different from other men I’ve known, and I love you for that.

    People say that when you are truly with the right person, you start to look alike. That’s what I see in us. I love you, handsome, forever and always.

    Jacqueline Sonia

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    • Jacqueline, I am so happy that you’ve found a person that you feel happy and content with! Being in a relationship that helps you love yourself more sounds amazing. I hope that your relationship continues to grow and flourish. Thank you for sharing your experience!

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  • callimae submitted a contest entry to Group logo of Write a love letter to something (not someone) that you loveWrite a love letter to something (not someone) that you love 4 months, 2 weeks ago

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    A Love For Music

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  • My Beloved

    Dearest darling, my beloved,
    You’re the one that I most covet.
    For all your strength, you can be sweet,
    And nothing else can quite compete.
    You’re hot, you’re cool but always smooth.
    My wrangled feelings you can soothe,
    But you can also energize,
    And have, indeed, opened my eyes
    In ways impossible without
    Your potent aid, I have no doubt.
    Sometimes, you have a hint of spice,
    And yet, I think, you’re awfully nice.
    When we’re together, whilst I sup,
    I feel I can just drink you up.
    So, coffee, coffee, Valentine,
    Fill up my cup and, please, be mine.

    Prowritingaid Style Score 100%

    Susan Joy Clark

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    • Susan, I think many of us would argue that a good cup of coffee outshines just about everything else, especially first thing in the morning. I, too, am in a committed relationship with my favorite brew. Isn’t it amazing that something so simple can bring us so much joy? Thank you for sharing your experience!

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  • To the thing that gives me life

    To the thing that gives me life, the energy within everything that is. My love for you transcends all dimensions, time, and space. I have always felt love for you, but it took me a while to understand you. Growing up, others taught me that your love was conditional and if I was not obedient, then it would no longer be there, but I never believed that. So instead, I let your love live inside of me until I understood it for myself.
    You are the reason for life on Earth and the feelings within my body. Because of you, the wind blows and the sun shines. I can feel sadness while also feeling joy, fear while also feeling courage. You are the reason I feel immense peace when staring at the sky. There are no conditions for your love because you are just that: love. The intensity you carry brings people together; creates life on Earth; brings purpose.
    Your love is what we are here to find and connect with. A journey that is made specifically for you. Everything always comes back to you. My heart skips a beat thinking of how intense my love for you is because it is simply all that I am. I long for a greater awareness that your love exists and for those to feel it the way I do, because it is what keeps me going. I will dedicate my entire life to sharing my love for you with those around me. My purpose is to show others they can also feel the same love for you as I do.
    Universe, you are the reason I live and I would simply not exist without you. Continue sharing your love with me because it is the best feeling I have ever felt. It is strong enough to move mountains and create miracles, but we must accept it. My greatest accomplishment is letting you into my heart, and you will forever be there with me. I love you Universe.
    (100% style score)

    Samantha Traudt

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    • Samantha, this is a sweet and moving letter to the universe. While it can be difficult to pinpoint precisely what the universe does for us, we would not exist without it. It allows us to feel and experience life like nothing else. I hope that your love for the universe continues to grow! Thank you for sharing your experience!

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  • Dear Coffee

    Dear Coffee,

    I just had to tell you how much I love you. I’m so glad you’re a part of my life. Every day, I Wake up just knowing we will be together. You smell so good to me. How you do it, I’ll never know. My lips can’t wait for you to be against them. Your taste is so luscious for me. I can’t get enough of you. Your Aroma fills my room, and it makes me want you even more.

    You, baby, are the best I’ve ever had. When I wake up in the mornings, I love knowing you’re there for me, willing and ready to fill feel my every desire. You make my heart skip a beat. Your bold, robust taste is attractive. You are my heart’s delight. I love it when we go out together early in the morning, just before sunrise. I caress you gently against my lips. As the sun rises. As I look down at you, all hot and steamy. And all I can think about is how good my day is going to be. I think about you all day and can never get you off my mind. You’re the one for me. There is no other. I will meet you later at the coffee shop. Until then, your favorite set of lips.

    I love you today tomorrow and forever yours truly, coffee girl

    STYLE SCORE 100%

    Diane M. O'Sullivan

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    • Diana, coffee really is amazing, isn’t it? To be able to coax us out of bed with its intoxicating scent and to wake us up after a night out shows us the power this miracle elixir possesses. I know that while I could probably survive without coffee, I surely don’t want to! Thank you for sharing!

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  • To my precious love

    When we have to depart from each other, it leaves me with an ache of longing to be in your presence just a bit longer.

    I enjoy feeling your grip take hold of me as the flames of desire seem to burn stronger.

    All the places I’ve been to, things I’ve done, and faces I’ve seen. I couldn’t have experienced it all on my own, so thank you for assisting in allowing that for me.

    My time with you has involved a whirlwind of events and emotions that I may not always understand, fear, or willingly wish to face.

    Regardless of those moments, I feel completely safe when I find myself wrapped in your powerful embrace.

    You have become my drug that my body craves….my addiction that I can’t shake. After leaving from our time together…my body feels refreshed, rejuvenated, and awake.

    I find myself missing you as I carry on throughout my day. Sometimes I find myself in a state of frustration at the fact that I can’t be with you when I want to because my impatience makes it difficult having to wait.

    Although I know that I will see you again within hours of having to tell you goodbye. That timeframe, for me, is excruciating, to say the least, because you are never very far from my mind.

    Of all that your presence brings me, the 2 most powerful are the sense of euphoria and the blissfully calming peace.

    The only thing that I hope you know and will never forget is that I always have, I always do, and I always will… absolutely, undeniably, unconditionally love you My precious sleep.

    (47% Style Score)

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    • Sleep is something it feels like we can never get enough of as adults. When we are children, we resist napping, but as adults, we celebrate the opportunity. Sleeping truly does rejuvenate our bodies and minds. I hope that your future is full of glorious siestas! Thank you for sharing your experience.

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  • A Letter To Pregnancy

    Dear Pregnancy,
    This has been the most intense nine months of my life. I have never grown so much as a person so quickly. From my body, to my relationships, all the way to the way my mind works, you have taught me so much about myself. I won’t lie there has been times when I’ve seriously not liked you, but at the end of this long journey I’ve never been more grateful for an experience more than this one.
    At first you were quite a head rush. Everything about you seemed exciting. I told everyone about you. Every person in my life was excited for me. In my mind, I had always wanted this. There was nothing that could break my happy high. I started planning as soon as you arrived. Some could even say I got a little ahead of myself with how quickly I moved as soon as I found out.
    Then suddenly there was all the bad. The sickness all day every day. The hatred for all the foods I once loved. The sleepless nights of insomnia. The absolute shame I felt looking into the mirror. The amount of friends I lost. Last but certainly not least, the dread of feeling like there was no way in the world I could ever be a mother.
    Slowly but surely, you taught me the reverse of all these things. Like how the sickness was my body starting the creation of my little boy. The fact that losing my favorite foods meant temporarily enjoying all the weird and fun cravings. Even some things I never liked at all! All the sleepless nights made me be so much more appreciative of my rest and how important it is for me, because before I took my rest for granted. I also have a beautiful new outlook on my body image because of you. I grew a whole human! Do you know how insane that is to wrap your head around? I may have a tummy and definitely no thigh gap, but I have the most wonderful little man in the entire world. I also learned that some friends are meant to be left in the past. There are some who are behind closed doors super fake and are not deserving of my love and devotion. There are also some who I had to let go because they were not healthy for me and I would have never seen that without you. Lastly, I was so scared of being a mom. I did not think I had what it takes to be one. Maybe I don’t, but now I know that there’s nothing in the world I would not do for this little guy. I have learned that I am going to make so so so many mistakes and that sometimes my belief in myself is going to shake. That’s okay. This will make me stronger and will help me grow and learn so I can do better for him.
    So I guess I’m just trying to say thank you. Thank you for all the bad that I did not understand was all the good. Thank you for teaching me to grow as a person. Thank you for pushing me to learn so much about myself. Thank you for seeking out my genuine friends. Thank you for making my relationship with my partner blossom in new ways I didn’t know to be possible. Most importantly, thank you for my little boy who I can’t wait to watch grow, and learn, and love. Thank you.
    Our time seemed long while it was here. When in reality it was quite short. I look forward to visiting you in the future again. I cannot wait to see what else you will teach me then.
    Love always,
    A first time mom……
    (Style Score- 62%)

    Rose Eldridge

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    • Rose, there is absolutely nothing more exhilarating than preparing for a baby in my opinion! Knowing that a tiny miracle will rest in your arms makes all the nausea, insomnia, and discomfort worth it. I’m glad that you were able to enjoy the beauty of pregnancy and I am so happy that you got to meet your baby boy! Thank you for sharing!

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    • Congrats Rose, this is such a thoughtful and beautiful way to describe the polarizing emotions that come with pregnancy and why its all worth it in the end. Love this piece. Thanks for sharing. <3 Lauren

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  • Beautiful Promise

    Beautiful Promise,

    Your metal is both cold and hot. The chill of your initial presence makes you hard to ignore, but it is your warmth that tells me how special you truly are. It is as if all the love shared between my partner and I have embedded deeply within you. The continuous circle represents the never ending bond between lovers. Your diamonds shine with the blinding bliss of knowing we’ve come this far. And your unique design, both of antique detail and modern style, tells of a story for the ages. You hold our history, the good, the bad, and the lovely. You are my reminder of the bold love I am blessed to share, and I will forever cherish you.

    Love,

    A Future Bride

    Style Score 100%

    Jessica Zylinski

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    • Congratulations! Your new adventure awaits 🙂

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    • Jessica, congratulations on your upcoming marriage! I’m sure you are loving the sweet anticipation and planning. I love how you describe your engagement ring as a beautiful promise of your love. One day, it will be an heirloom for your children and grandchildren to look at and remember your story. Thank you for sharing!

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  • pensword submitted a contest entry to Group logo of Write a love letter to something (not someone) that you loveWrite a love letter to something (not someone) that you love 4 months, 3 weeks ago

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    Love letterings

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  • It Had to be You

    Dearest love of my life,

    I love you with every breath of my being
    I love your good
    I love your bad
    I love everything about you
    I love you easy but hard
    I fell for you when I was 13
    I never experienced a love as this
    It was a cosmic unbalance that knocked me off my feet
    The chemistry between you and I
    I needed to touch you, see you, feel you and that creativity of bliss
    I needed you, I yearned you in the deepest place of my soul
    Poetry, you have always been the one for me
    Always and forever, oh how you’ve completed me
    I love the foreplay in our wordplay as the ink splatter thy pages
    Coming together making masterpieces of disbelief
    The relief you give me for allowing me to completely be me
    It’s Always been you and I
    Pen full of ink and pages in the wind
    We make love constantly, intertwined, combined and the euphoria is devine

    FloetpoetDivinity

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    • For people who truly appreciate reading and creating poetry, it speaks to their soul. It really is a love affair based on rhythm and words. It is wonderful that your love for poetry will never let you down and will always provide you solace. Thank you for sharing your experience!

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  • Love Love Love

    Dear you;

    My love. My kryptonite. My coldest enemy and my warmest embrace. I never thought I would be yours. People say that you fall in love in certain ways, and I may have acknowledged it, but I never actually believed it to be true. Yet here I am, palms sweating at the thought of lacking your presence. At first you were a subtle love. I played it cool. We didn’t get together that much, and I never called you during our time apart. It didn’t take long for me to fall head over heels in love with you. The way you took the breath out of my chest. The way I could feel alive in your presence, and the nights that we would spend together, learning everything about one another. I will never be the same after meeting you. This will now be my life as I know it, and YOU gave that to me. You opened up parts of my mind and my soul that I hadn’t known existed before. You enveloped me in courage, confidence, and motivation to be better. You uplifted me.

    At first. You helped me through my long work days, and you pushed me to get through my roles as a mother until I was finally allowed rest. At first. You taught me how to have fun again, and how it felt to be amongst friends. At first. You taught me to be responsible, and how to build and maintain the best possible life for myself. At first.

    But shortly afterward, you started changing. You started changing me. My night shifts were easier, but my roles as a mother became more and more scarce. Soon enough, after CPS involvement and harsh words exchanged between the fathers of my children, I got the girls less. Even more so after my children were traumatized by the person you made me become. I lost them. My babies. Eventually, my job followed suit. Soon enough, it wasn’t fun anymore, and I saw more evil amongst the snakes disguised as friends than I had ever witnessed prior to you. My life started to crumble before me like shattering teeth as I lost every bit of my self esteem. Eventually, I crashed. Into the pits of what most may call rock bottom. You watched me smash into it’s dark, cold, lonely, fucked up pit, and instead of grabbing my hand and helping me, you laughed at me. You mocked me. With the most sinister smile, you reminded me that they had all warned me about you, and I hadn’t listened.

    I knew you would break my heart. I knew you would leave me weak when you took my strength, lonely when I ruined every relationship around me just to keep yours, broken from when you influenced me to make these stupid decisions. You weren’t there for me when I fell down the way that you promised you would be. As I look around, I am on my own. The only people present are the ones asking me if I am hungry, because my homelessness is now suddenly so obvious. The families feeling sorry for me because they know what I am lacking, or judging me, because my absolute need for you is becoming physically apparent.

    I put my trust in you. Gave my life to you, methamphetamine. You did what every single person told me you would. You grabbed ahold of me and you dug your claws deep inside of me. You held on for dear life and you watched me ambush mine. You sat back while I self-destructed and turned myself into an empty shell of the person that I used to be. You stole my sunshine. You stole my kids. My home. My job. My family. My friends. You made me depend on you, and you taunt me every fucking day of my life. Those that don’t know you should feel fortunate. Because you are a monster. A beautiful, vicious, exciting, terrifying existence, and I wouldn’t wish you on my worst enemy. Yet here I stand, with you in my daily routine. Learning more and more new ways to experience the absolute fucking euphoria that accompanies you for those few moments after we connect. Shaking, nauseated, in physical agony, and desperate for you when you are gone. I love you, and you fucking hate me. You prove that to me every day as you assist me in letting go of one more piece of myself.
    I will never forget you, but I need to say goodbye.

    (Style Score 77%)

    Kendra Bendewald

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    • Kendra, I am speechless after reading this letter. I can’t imagine what you are going through, but I do not judge you. I’m sure that when you first met methamphetamine, it seemed like an exciting way to ease the challenges of your life. You wouldn’t fall victim to its trap. I hope that you are able to get your life back from this drug’s clutches…read more

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    • Wow Wow Wow! I am speechless as well. This is so honest, authentic and well-written. I am so sorry for what you are going through, but you sound so self-aware and ready to take. stand against your addiction. I am glad you are saying good by to meth and I hope and pray you have the support and resources to get back on track. Sending you prayers and…read more

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  • Highschool skies and sea green eyes

    Freshman Year. 

    My freshman year of high school was breezy and easy, like the Washington skies. I was just growing out of the ridiculous haircut I had gotten in 8th grade, and nobody cared about all the drama that happened in middle school, anyway. I had a fresh start, and I intended to use it in this big new high school. 

    I found my new best friend in drama class, which we both failed. She was warm and friendly like the summer, which was her name. We became inseparable, and I haven’t found a friend like her since. 

    The majority of my freshman year revolved around one thing. He was tall and had green eyes. I’ll never forget the first time we held hands, also in drama class. We were watching 12 Summer Nights, by Shakespeare. I was playing with the ring on his finger that spun around in its metal case, and then I wasn’t. We were holding hands, and we did for the rest of the movie. At the end, the lights came on, and I didn’t know what to say. We just looked at each other. 

    Hello, Green Eyes. I thought, and he raced off. 

    Our first kiss was outside of his house. Although I didn’t have the best of eyesight, I could see his mom’s disapproving gaze from the living room window. But it happened anyway, and he ran off, just like before. 

    See, he was dying of cancer. But one moment with him felt like forever, and that’s how I thought it would last. 

    There were a lot of firsts with him. He was my first actual boyfriend, and my first real life lesson. He was also my first, and I was his first. We both skipped drama (the first class we ever skipped) to go to his house, and when we got back, everyone knew what we had done, and we pretended to be embarrassed. But we weren’t. 

    It was also the first time I remember being truly happy, inside and out, or at least the first time since I had been a child. And we both sat in the class as the others teased us with grins on our faces, and when I looked at him, I was speechless.

    Hello, Green Eyes. 

    Sophomore Year. 

    Sophomore year started out like my freshman year of high school, but ended very stormy, like the Colorado skies. My mom told me she “missed the mountains,” so it was goodbye Washington, and hello Colorado. Goodbye popularity, goodbye best friend, goodbye warm weather and happy feelings. 

    Goodbye, Green Eyes.

    I never really said goodbye to Green Eyes, not even online. I didn’t want to face the fact that it would hurt more to say goodbye than to pretend I had never left. Of course he found me and we talked, but I never told him out loud all that he meant to me. 

    Growing up, everyone always told me to have no regrets. They never told me what to do when they started piling up. Nobody explained how to cope with guilt or how to get rid of the regrets. Not saying goodbye to that boy and telling him something, anything, still weighs on me today.

    My family and I drove down to Colorado on a three-day trip on a crowded GreyHound bus, to a small trailer park on the very edge of a small town. My mom, her boyfriend, and my brother and sister, and I moved into a three-bedroom trailer with my mom’s friend and her son and daughter. You can imagine it was crowded. 

    A few months after I started school, now poor and an outcast, I thought it couldn’t get any worse. Then I got a few messages from my friends back home telling me that he was dead. He died in his sleep. The cancer had won. At first I felt numb. All I could do was stare in the mirror, and think, goodbye, for real. 

    Goodbye, green eyes. 

    Junior Year. 

    Junior year was a blur. The storm clouds in the sky paralleled the ever-present storm clouds in my mind. I didn’t go to class much. When I did, I was (please excuse my language) a frigid bitch to those around me. I had a few friends, but none of them went to the high school. I started to lash out at my mom and burn the bridges around me. 

    I wouldn’t admit it, but all I wanted was my green eyes back. So there were plenty of blue eyes, and brown eyes, and blurry faces and one-night stands, and a lot of parties. I went to school less and less and started doing other things more and more. 

    I snuck out all the time and ran away twice. I got into a fight with my mom’s boyfriend and he ended up in jail. That night, my mom told me I had to find somewhere else to stay. 

    And I did, quickly. But my struggles were only beginning as I would have to learn how to balance school on top of my Couchsurfing lifestyle. 

    As I walked through the cold one morning on my way to school, I caught my gaze in the reflection of a car window, and I stared glumly at my tired face.

    I miss you, green eyes. 

    Senior Year. 

    Senior year was a silver lining on the horizon, like the morning I woke up after I had spent the night underneath the town bridge and gazed at the Colorado mountains with a new sense of determination. I was never going to have to do that again. I knew I deserved better, and I was the only person who was going to do something about it.

    I switched schools to an alternative school called Horizons, and the principal of my old school agreed to reinstate my credits from Junior year as long as I passed all my classes in this new school. 

    Although I still struggled with homelessness, drugs and alcohol, I found that life was easier in this new school. I was passing all my classes, and my future seemed hopeful. 

    When I watched my sister graduate college from Fort Lewis, I had never felt so proud of anyone in my entire life. I wanted to feel that pride for myself, too.

    My sister showed me her college diploma, and I showed her mine from high school. She hugged me. I looked at her straight in her eyes, which were normally a dark rich chocolate-brown. But at that moment, the sun shining through the clouds bounced off the vibrant sea of leaves to reflect that familiar sea-green hue I had not seen in a long time.

    “I’m so proud of you,” she said, and smiled. 

    “I’m proud of you, too,” I mumbled back, and smiled even bigger. 

    I love you, Green Eyes. Thanks for everything. 

    High school is a time of learning who you are, what you want to do, what you’re gonna be, and where you’re gonna go. One of the most important lessons I learned in those four years was that life can change in an instant. Life is resilient but can be fragile. Everyone always told me to have no regrets, but never told me what to do when you do find yourself carrying them around, like the heavy books in your school bag. What you can do is this: let your regrets change you. Let them teach you. Let them challenge you. Sometimes the only way to make things right is to do things differently, because you can’t change the past. Because time rolls by like the puffy clouds in the sky, and change is inevitable. So live a life that you are happy living, cherish and value people. Because eventually we all close our eyes. And man, I miss those green eyes. 

    77%

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  • Alexis shared a letter in the Group logo of Remembering those we lost/GriefRemembering those we lost/Grief group 6 months ago

    A Heartbeat Silenced: Reflections on Loss and Love

    I look around and see so much loss. Be careful in life; it comes at a cost.

    There’s no avoiding death; it’s a scary fate. Live life to the fullest before it’s your day.

    It’s excruciatingly painful, but it’s a part of life. Grief is an emotion that cuts deep like a knife.

    Cherish every second, minute, and hour with the people you love. Always be prepared to relive memories with your loved ones up above.

    There’s no right or wrong way to grieve when someone leaves our lives unexpectedly. But we can keep their memory alive by living out our lives intentionally.

    Of course, they wouldn’t want us to be sad, yet they’re no longer here. It’s hard to be happy when life takes away someone we hold dear.

    There’s no time like the present when tomorrow may not be promised. It’s okay to be sad and to cry. Embrace your feelings and keep it honest.

    I don’t handle loss well, so I write my feelings down. It’s hard to stay strong when there’s loss all around.

    Don’t take loved ones for granted; appreciate them while you can. Everything happens for a reason; it’s all part of God’s plan!

    Alexis Harvey

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    • Thank you for sharing your peace through your journey of grief and being an inspiration onto others. Grief is a very tough battle that I struggle with everyday. It has its curve balls in the most random times. I’m so glad that you have this outlet to process through this tough time. You are seen. And you are heard!
      -Cierra

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      • Aww thanks Cierra, I appreciate your kind words 💕 It feels nice to be seen and heard 🥺 I’m glad that my words are inspiring to you as well as others!

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  • Erin Williams shared a letter in the Group logo of Remembering those we lost/GriefRemembering those we lost/Grief group 6 months, 1 weeks ago

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    “I lost my Dad.” -3y.o

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  • LIVING THROUGH LOVE AND LOSS: THE JOURNEY OF CUMULATIVE GRIEF

    I remember the smell of Charlie perfume and peppermint candy, the sound of her strong voice and the feel of her warm, calloused hands. Grandma Lee Lee, as she was fondly called, loved to cook, dance and play the piano at church. Often when GaGa had political engagements and mommy was busy living her life, I spent immeasurable time with Grandma Lee Lee. I just had my sixth birthday party and although Grandma Lee Lee wasn’t feeling well, I remember her being the fun hostess everyone adored because she always loved a good party. I remember going home and a few days later waking up to everyone crying in my house. When GaGa told me Grandma Lee Lee had died, my little mind couldn’t comprehend it. I told my grandmother that Grandma Lee Lee had just come to me that night, beautiful and not sick. She told me that she was better, that she loved me and I was to be a good girl because she’ll be watching me. How could Grandma Lee Lee come see me if she was dead? My grandmother looked at me, the tears streaming from her eyes and held me close without saying a word.
    That was my first memory and experience with death and a couple of years later a childhood friend, Karla Campbell, was kidnapped and murdered. We were just eight years old and all I was thinking about was that I was never going to see her again because a bad man hurt her. My biggest heartbreak came in 2000 when we had to make the most difficult decision to take my grandmother off life support on Easter Sunday at noon. GaGa had been my world and I had been her caregiver since a senior in high school. I never fully recovered from that decision or day and over the years, I would replay and relive the moment to my mental and spiritual detriment.
    Since then, death has often paralyzed me each time; with the last decade experiencing multiple losses, seemingly back to back with little time or rest to process the last transition of a loved one. For example late 2011-2013, I had lost thirteen loved ones; among them my god child, the suicide of a cousin, the murder of another cousin, my uncle who was my father figure and finally ending with the sudden death of my grief counselor herself. I had started going to therapy in 2012 to deal with my compounded grief and she was a great inspiration for my healing. Imagine someone giving you coping tools for grief processing and ultimately you have to deal with losing them as well. It was the first time I had heard about complicated and compounded grief:

    “Complicated grief is like being in an ongoing, heightened state of mourning that keeps you from healing. Signs and symptoms of complicated grief may include: Intense sorrow, pain and rumination over the loss of your loved one. Focus on little else but your loved one’s death.”

    “Compounded grief, also known as cumulative grief, is a pile-on effect of grief or “grief overload.” It may mean losing several loved ones in a short period of time. It may mean losing a loved one, then a relationship, then a job, then a pet, then a natural disaster hits and damages your home, etc. The losses can come from various sectors, but put together, it’s a big pile of grief and loss to deal with”

    I thought I would never see a season of so much loss like 2011-2013 but unfortunately, I was wrong. And although my perception of death matured with my spirituality, my constant and prolonged grieving has often prevented me from healing as much as I could. 2017 I lost my mother to breast cancer after an estrangement. Being at her bedside, despite it all, I was allowed to care for her the last two weeks of her life and by the Lord’s grace, we found our closure before she transitioned but the mourning of our relationship and time lost continues until this day. I would experience more loss soon after, a village mother and two pets, which only compounded my grief. Then the pandemic hit and of course like many, Covid-19 took some loved ones I thought I’d never be without and I found myself drowning in depression even as I facilitated grief and bereavement support groups for Project WINGS.
    Last year I lost my big brother Sean and a childhood friend back to back. The holidays are hard to endure and haven’t been the same for years but I push through for others sake and not my own. It can be daunting to have to smile when inside you are drained and emotional from grieving.
    Even as I write this, I’ve experienced the loss of five loved ones since June 2023. A dear cousin that was like a brother, a best friend since seventh grade, a nephew to murder, a father figure/mentor and a young man that had become my earth son the last few years. As much as I try, the world seems so hard and feels so cold dealing with loss. However I heard a saying recently “Grief is the price you pay for loving that person” and Dr. Joseph Smedley tells us that after each loss, you have to reinvent yourself because you are not the same person who was before the loss of a loved one. Having cumulative grief means constantly reinventing myself almost to the point of not recognizing who I am sometimes. I’ve found some solace in therapy, family and friends as my life lines yet sometimes I struggle with feeling like a burden or downer to them, so I tend to isolate which isn’t good for my mental health. Though I still struggle and will continue to fight myself, I offer these tidbits for someone who is dealing with complicated or compounded grief:

    Therapy
    I can’t stress enough the importance of counseling to help with your mental health! You can have theology/religion and therapy too, in fact, I strongly suggest you do both to help heal your overall being. Because grief is also a mental health crisis, it is important to get the tools and resources you need to survive it.

    Coping Skills
    Whatever your healthy coping skill is, use it!
    I know people who walk or jog, I know others who are creatives using their talents and some who volunteer for organizations. I’m grateful to be an artist that can utilize some of my gifts to help relieve stress, anxiety and depression. Laughter is also one of my coping skills I utilize to get me through hard times. Coping skills help us to raise our resilience against life stressors. Just a simple act of sitting in the sun, watching a movie, listening to music or helping someone can make you feel better. Find a way to celebrate or honor their lives in some way. Being grateful for their lives, the impact they have in yours and cherishing fond memories.

    Life lines
    Have a circle of family/friends that you can lean on during this time. There is power in reaching out to those who love you and empathize with you. Having a trusted circle that you can go to in times of need is essential to your wellbeing and self-care.

    Griever’s Rights
    You have griever’s rights, use them! I find it necessary to remind myself to be kind and gracious to myself while grieving. That everyone grieves differently and that grief is not a straight line. Look up mental and spiritual health resources that can help you during your grief process. Know that grieving is a unique journey for every individual. Know your grievers rights and honor your grief processing.

    Prayer and Praise
    Pray, Pray and Pray! We are social, biological, psychological and spiritual beings. The journey of healing entails addressing each aspect of our beings and I personally have found that praying daily, listening to mediation and/or praise music helps to stabilize my moods and helps to raise my vibrations against depression. It’s not easy but there are times when I have to literally stay in prayer all day to stay focused, encouraged and to keep my mood up.

    Self-care
    Take care of yourself!
    All of the above is self-care and self-care is imperative to the grief process as well as the journey of healing. Sometimes self-care is hard to do when you can’t get out of bed, or just taking a shower seems so overwhelming. In therapy and living through cumulative grief, I’ve discovered that small steps, coping skills and grace for myself aids in my self-care.

    Loves and Lights, grief is something you don’t get over but live through. For those of us who are experiencing cumulative grief, the journey can often feel endless but after every storm is a rainbow. Sometimes you have to fight extra hard to see or find it, but the rainbow is always there, a promise from The Most High that this too shall pass and that we are not alone. There is help and hope for us if we choose to seek it. As I live out my grieving process, my prayer for myself and for anyone struggling is that you have comfort, grace and strength on your healing journey. That you celebrate Life’s about moments so please don’t give up; stay encouraged and find your joy in every moment and everywhere that you can, while you can.

    I love you

    TaMara E'Lan G.

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    • Wow Tamra you have endured a lot of grief and pain. My heart goes out to you. As I was reading this I felt my heartbreak. I have never known about compounded grief until I had read your story. That is a perfect word for someone who has experienced numerous losses in their lifetime. Thank you for creating ways on how to process compounded grief.…read more

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      • Thank you Cierra for your response and encouragement. Sending you my light and prayers to you on your healing and journey. Grief is never a straight line so we have to be kind to ourselves and be there for another. I’m here if you ever want or need to talk. ❤️

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  • Melancholy

    He just couldn’t stand the “American Dream”
    Presence left, his soul never leaves
    When I lost my father my vision turned blurry
    Flavoring my life even though I lost the strife
    I still worry that I can’t hold the knife
    Even though God tells me not to withhold it
    Wrath of emotions symbolize despondent
    How could anyone compare Immune to the heartache
    Limbs of despair roaring through the thick air
    The air revolve around the painful calamity
    Dysphoria chemistry within a distant memory
    Wishing human nature could stick to the roots of imagery
    A tree of life. A tree of symbolism. A tree of purity.

    Artistic Ci

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  • I Guess

    Why is Grief alive when the person I love is dead?

    Why does Grief taunt and speak when my relationship is quiet, nothing more said?

    Grief keeps coming to over power me, over take me, overcome me-

    Leave me Grief!
    No! You’re all I have left.

    Stay I Guess

    Stephanie Thomas

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    • This is such a powerful letter about grief. Grief has been my best friend since 2014 and has become a bigger monster last year! Grief comes in various forms of faces whether it is sadness, or anger. There are times grief disables our minds our bodies and our voices. I try to run away from it but I am learning to face the fear and battle of grief.…read more

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  • From Heartbreak to Healing: Trusting God's Timing

    Have you ever wanted something so deeply, prayed for it for years, and finally had it within your grasp—only for it to be taken away? That kind of loss is indescribable, a pain that shakes your very soul. I’ve seen people in moments like this lose their faith, turn their backs on God, and cry out, “Why me?” But I’ve also learned that the real question is often, “Why not?” What if the denial isn’t punishment, but protection? What if it’s God’s way of preparing us for something far greater than we can see in the moment?

    Sometimes, we carry unhealed wounds—trauma buried so deeply it shapes our lives without us even realizing it. Instead of confronting it, we move forward, adding layer upon layer to a foundation that isn’t stable. We pray for blessings, but how can God build something beautiful on ground that’s fractured? Before He gives us what we’re asking for, He often calls us to heal, to prepare for the weight of the blessing. That’s what I’ve come to understand through my own journey.

    In 2020, my world was turned upside down. I lost my dad, a man whose presence was a constant in my life. That same year, I ended an eight-year relationship with my fiancé. At the same time, I received a promotion at work—a bittersweet high in the midst of so many lows. Life felt like a chaotic mix of gains and losses, but I buried my pain under work, pretending everything was fine. I kept smiling, kept pushing forward, even though my heart was heavy and my spirit was weary.

    Then came 2021, and instead of taking the time to heal, I jumped into a new relationship. At first, it felt like the escape I needed, the fresh start that could make everything better. But I wasn’t okay—I hadn’t dealt with the grief of losing my dad or the pain of my broken engagement. I was running from myself, hoping a new love could fix what was broken inside me.

    When I found out I was pregnant, it felt like a sign, like God was finally giving me the joy I had been praying for. My kids were so excited, especially my son with autism, who joyfully spoke about baby clothes and all the things we would do. For a brief moment, it felt like everything was coming together. But that joy was short-lived. The dream was shattered when I was told my baby had passed away.

    The loss was devastating, and the weight of it all overwhelmed me. The day before the procedure to remove the baby, I finally broke down, letting out the tears and sorrow I had been suppressing. It was one of the hardest moments of my life, but in that pain, I began to find clarity. As much as I wanted to hold on to the hope of new life, I couldn’t ignore the reality of my situation.

    The relationship I was in wasn’t right. My partner wasn’t ready to be the kind of father I needed for my child, and the foundation wasn’t stable enough to support such a blessing. It became clear that God wasn’t denying me; He was protecting me. He wasn’t going to bring new life into chaos or confusion, and as painful as it was to accept, I knew He was saving me from something I wasn’t ready for.

    December 10th, a day I had always celebrated as my parents’ anniversary, became a day of deep reflection. Though it was marked by pain, I never lost my faith. Instead, I began to see the spiritual meaning in the loss. Sometimes, the blessings we pray for require preparation. They demand healing, clarity, and a solid foundation. God’s timing is perfect, even when it doesn’t align with our own. What felt like denial wasn’t punishment—it was protection, a reminder that some blessings aren’t meant to come into chaos.

    This experience, as painful as it was, taught me strength and patience. It deepened my trust in God’s plan and reminded me that not all delays are denials. I’m still grieving, still healing, but I hold on to the belief that when the time is right, the blessings meant for me will come. And when they do, they’ll come on a foundation that is whole, healed, and ready to embrace them fully.

    Anita A Williams

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    • I really resonated with the first paragraph in this letter, I was feeling the tormenting of why am I losing a lot of things that I have prayed for but I clicked over to awareness of it is what it is and sometimes we have to let go for better things in life that aligns with our purpose. I am so sorry you went through so many challenges, and am…read more

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  • “Hey Dad”

    As you ascend high be
    my devotional eye
    that watch over my life

    Bad memories will not
    be nebulous to
    my mind, my vision aligns

    Close to your mint
    euphoria essence so vigorous
    and divine your presence left behind

    Dust from coarse remains that
    gusts new leaf of imagery
    that never leaves my sight my

    Eyes mirrors dauntless
    mist that shallows
    amongst the billows of the skies

    Forget-me-nots floods
    the humus but
    strife leads to fragile

    Generosity that appears
    while restless thoughts
    fills the atmosphere

    Hopeless drives but
    you still shine through the darkest
    times, please fill my hearts hemisphere

    Ignore the burdens
    that’s big as the bruins
    over conquer my fears

    Justice unleashes
    the chambers of resentment
    bring back the contentment

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  • Pipita

    Rest in Peace Pipita

    Like a precious bottle of Malbec~ from the vineyards of Argentina Vintage 1928.
    Her hair is stunning red, roots deep brown with traces of white.
    The lines on her face emphasized the years of laughter and tears. So many stories of the old Argentine neighborhood she speaks about~ I see these stories in her lines.
    Her expressions are truth.

    Her hands remind me of an atlas map
    Tracing veins like blue rivers with finely detailed “lunars” (known in English as beauty marks) properly positioned.
    The jewelry she is adorned in brightly shines
    Even after so many years without polish
    Her gentle smile reminds me of her youth and vibrancy

    “I am not afraid” she recited to me once “When God calls for me, I will answer”

    Her spirit makes life worth living.

    Looking forward to old age.
    With my heart and soul, I am a reflection of her.

    She is my GRAND-Mother.

    Bendicion~ 🙏

    Sandra Martini

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    • I really admire the comparison between nature and your grandmother. By reading your poem I can feel that your grandmother was truly rooted and connected to her spiritual being! She is shining over you everyday, proud of how you are writing beautiful poetry about her presence on Earth. Thank you for your inspiration for others who are going through…read more

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