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  • A Collection Of Misunderstandings

    Dear Unsealers,
    You misunderstood when you met me.
    I smiled. I was witty. I was pretty.
    You called me sweet, like it was a bad thing.
    Enrapt, we talked until the city woke up.
    Perplexed, you’d never lost track of time with someone.
    I thought it kismet, dreaming how we’d fit.
    You thought it a distraction, star-crossed and dismissive.
    You thought I’d negotiate love.
    You thought I’d sustain on nothing.
    You thought I’d stay anyway.
    You thought you’d have it all.
    But you misunderstood when you met me.
    Just like you misunderstood when I left.
    I’m not like all the other girls you’ve dated because I,
    I am a woman.

    A

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    Voting ends June 23, 2025 11:59pm

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    • Rena replied 3 months ago

      Great piece, I enjoyed the read!

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    • I feel your power in this piece. Keep holding your head and your standards high. You are an absolute queen. This piece is so strong. Thank you for sharing and thank you for being part of The Unsealed. <3 Lauren

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    • A, it seems like some people in your past weren’t ready for a real woman, but I am glad that you realize your own worth! A real man or woman has no time for games and is direct in what they want, and that is what you deserve! Thank you for sharing your experience!

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  • A Letter to the Person I can't Remember

    Dear You,
    I can’t remember you,
    the version of me I hear so much about. They speak of you as if mentioning your name could call you back, but I know you are gone.
    It happened without warning. One moment, my mind was yours, the next, we were drowning in darkness. A seizure, they told me, a violent rush of nothing, and with it came hypoxia, the suffocating absence of air that stole my memory. When I woke, the world was unfamiliar, and so was I.
    They call it amnesia, a word that feels clinical, indifferent, incapable of carrying the weight of twenty-six years erased in an instant. The memories, the moments, the very essence of who I was, were taken from me without warning. I try to reach for those moments, the ones I should know, but all I grasp is air. And in this forgetting, I am misunderstood.
    To others, I am still the person who existed before, but to me, I am an unfamiliar stranger wearing your face. They tell me, as if it’s simple, “You were this. You were that.” But they don’t understand, the girl they remember doesn’t exist anymore, and every attempt to make me her only builds a wall between what I am now.
    People wonder what it is like, to lose not just a moment, but an entire life. But I do not know. I did not choose to lose myself. I wish they understood how it feels to be seen as someone you cannot be. There is a profound misunderstanding between us. They look at me, and they see you.
    Twenty-six years of moments, laughter, heartbreak, lessons, all of it swept away by time and trauma. And in its place, I stand, piecing together an identity from the remnants you left behind. Maybe I was always meant to start again, not as a replacement for you, but as someone emerging from the absence you left, reconstructing a self that is fully mine, someone who can stand in the space between who you were and who I will become.
    So, to you, the girl I cannot remember, I will not mourn you as a loss, nor will I replicate the memories of your life. Instead, I will design a path forward, not defined by what was lost, but by what I choose to build in its place. I will honor you by living, not in the shadow of who you were, but as someone worth remembering.
    Sincerely,
    The me who now stands where you once were

    Christina Canevari

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    Voting ends June 23, 2025 11:59pm

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    • Christina, the experience you described is absolutely gut-wrenching. I cannot imagine, at 26 years old, losing all of my memories. The fact that you are able to see this setback as part of a greater plan and not as something to mourn speaks volumes about your strength. I wish you the best on your journey forward! Thank you for sharing your experience!

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  • Martha Moore shared a letter in the Group logo of PoetryPoetry group 3 months ago

    Judgment Day

    The crowd gathered round as you rode in on your high horse. We watched as you took your seat on the highest pedestal. As you looked down on those of us on the ground, you decided we were simple fools and peasants. Nothing of your stature. You straightened up and sat tall announcing that the time had come for you to pass judgement. We bowed our heads shamefully, for you told us we aren’t worth a name. Because we are all human garbage, we can be classed as a stereotype. You won’t allow our eyes to meet your gaze, we are too unworthy to be socially accepted by you. “Wasted space,” is what you say, “the world has no place for your kind.” You tell us we are simple minded, useless, and no good. We should never be allowed to associate with your graces. We have not earned the right to stand where you have stood. You mock us and laugh in our faces. We are merely entertainment for someone like you. You have ruled that we are not fit to be among the class of high society and pound your gavel to finalize the sentencing. We watch as you sit back, pleased with yourself and all your wondrous accomplishments. But as we stand together here on the ground, we dance and laugh and live freely. We are proud not to have to sit on a throne or bare the crown of perfection. We embrace our simple lives full of love and joy. For we know: we may have a long, treacherous journey to the top but we have no other way to look but up. As for you, sat way up high, there is nowhere left to go. Only down. Even the greatest kings and queens could never defeat gravity.

    Martha Moore

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  • A Second Look

    I hate her, she’s ugly
    Inside and out
    She says stupid things
    Has no friends, they’re all out

    Her face is too round
    Her hair is so mousy
    Can’t do her makeup
    She always looks lousy

    She’s a horrible mom
    Her house is a mess
    Her husband wants out
    She never says yes

    She forgets half the groceries
    The list on the fridge
    She can’t find her keys and
    just leaves the garbage

    Her kids have too much screen time
    They’re always unclean
    They rarely listen
    They all swear she’s SO mean

    At work she’s just coasting
    The job is just work
    She gives all her effort
    But they think she’s a jerk

    She forgets what she’s saying
    On the phone with her friends
    She barely listens
    She prays it all ends

    I hate her, she’s ugly
    She’s cold and devout
    Watch it, don’t cross her
    Her horns will come out

    Then one day I saw her
    Drop a plate made of glass
    The kids were all screaming
    The tv on blast

    The room filled with chaos
    With her at the wheel
    A tear slid down her cheek
    And she let herself feel

    the babies ran in
    With all eyes on mama
    They hugged her so tightly
    She forgot all her drama

    And in that moment,
    I saw her much clearer
    Tears flowed down my cheeks
    While I stared in the mirror

    I looked in our eyes
    At our too-round pale face
    Tucked up my mouse hair
    And I scrubbed off my face

    She wasn’t the worst
    Maybe flawed, but not bad
    The weight of her jobs just
    almost broke her back

    So I gave her some grace
    She was doing the best that she could
    She wasn’t a monster
    I just misunderstood

    Sarah Marie Allen

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    Voting ends June 23, 2025 11:59pm

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    • Sarah, this poem describes motherhood perfectly. We beat ourselves up on the regular because life is just too much sometimes. How can we possibly manage a full-time job, keep house, and raise our babies? Despite this, we get moments when our children remind us that, to them, we are their soft place to land. This makes it all worth it! Thank you…read more

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  • A Comfortable Distance

    Our eyes meet.

    I smile at you.

    Sometimes you smile too.

    Sometimes you look away.

    We’re not friends,

    But we could be.

    There’s space between us.

    A comfortable distance.

    Or does the comfort only belong to me?

    I assume it’s there because you want it to be.

    You like the space between us.

    But what if I’m wrong?

    Maybe you wonder if I want the space between us.

    I do.

    It keeps me safe.

    It keeps me from getting hurt.

    It keeps me from finding out how you truly feel about me.

    Because I fear being rejected by you,

    I will maintain my reserve.

    I will choose loneliness.

    Cynthia M. Moore

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    Voting ends June 23, 2025 11:59pm

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    • I do that too. Hope we both heal.

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    • Cynthia, it feels safer and easier to protect your heart when you know what it feels like when it breaks. But what if there is a chance for something greater? While I understand your hesitation in putting yourself out there, I hope that one day you choose to forgo your space and take a risk. You never know where it might lead! Thank you for…read more

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  • The Origin of Evil

    Evil is not an entity. It is not a being, nor a force that moves on its own. It does not float through the universe, waiting to strike. Evil is born. And it is born inside us—not as something separate but as something we create, shape, and give life to through emotions we fail to control, thoughts we refuse to confront, and actions we justify in moments of weakness.

    At the root of every evil act, you will find a wounded emotion—someone betrayed, angered, humiliated, or broken. In that moment of pain, they make a choice. A choice that carries weight. A choice that alters reality.

    The Role of Emotions in the Birth of Evil

    Emotions are tools, nothing more. They are meant to guide us, like a compass navigating the currents of life. But just like fire, they can either warm and illuminate or burn and destroy. And here lies the truth: Evil is never born from happiness. It is a byproduct of suffering.

    A person who is happy, at peace, and fulfilled naturally makes choices that align with harmony. It is rare—almost impossible—for a truly happy person to intentionally harm someone. Evil does not breed in joy. It breeds in pain.

    Pain clouds judgment, poisons logic, and blinds the spirit. It convinces a person that destruction is justified, that revenge is righteous, that cruelty is strength. Pain is the doorway where evil enters.

    Think about it:

    • When does a man decide to kill? When his anger, fear, or jealousy blinds him.
    • When does a woman decide to destroy? When betrayal, bitterness, or grief consumes her.
    • When does a child become cruel? When their suffering teaches them that cruelty is power.

    Pain fuels destruction. And the greater the pain, the stronger the reaction. This is why when a person is deeply hurt, their immediate decisions are almost never rational. Their actions come from raw emotion, not thought.

    Now, some will ask: What about those who are born evil? The ones who harm without reason? The ones who kill without provocation?

    The answer is simple: No one is born evil. But some are programmed to become it.

    The Generational Cycle of Evil

    Some people do not need pain to be cruel. They do not need betrayal to deceive, nor loss to destroy. Their actions seem driven by something deeper, something instinctual. But even they are not born evil. They are programmed into it.

    • A child raised in chaos learns chaos as truth.
    • A mind exposed to cruelty accepts cruelty as normal.
    • A soul deprived of love forgets what love feels like.

    This is how evil moves through generations—not as an inherent trait, but as a repeated pattern. The sins of the past embed themselves in the present, rewriting the mind before it has a chance to form independently.

    And unless broken, this pattern continues, spreading like a disease across bloodlines, across civilizations, across time itself.

    Yet, there is always a choice. Always.

    No programming is absolute. No destiny is fixed. Even the deepest darkness can be undone—but only by those who see it. And this is why most do not change—because they do not recognize the chains they wear.

    The Illusion of Justified Evil

    Here is where things get dangerous: Most people who commit evil do not believe they are doing wrong.

    Evil does not announce itself. It does not say, I am destruction. Instead, it whispers:

    • I am justice.
    • I am necessary.
    • I am right.

    No one believes they are the villain in their own story.

    • The man who seeks revenge believes he is delivering justice.
    • The leader who oppresses people believes he is securing order.
    • The woman who manipulates others believes she is protecting herself.

    This is the great deception—evil rarely sees itself as evil.

    When emotion controls the mind, logic bends to fit its desires. And when logic bends, reality distorts—a distortion where cruelty becomes necessary, where harm becomes justified, where destruction becomes an act of self-righteousness.

    The greatest evils in history were not committed by people who thought they were wrong. They were committed by those who believed they were right.

    But the truth is simple:

    If your pain is controlling your decisions, you are not in control. You are being controlled.

    How to Break Free from the Cycle of Evil

    If emotions give birth to evil, then the only way to fight evil is to master emotions.

    Not to suppress them—not to pretend they don’t exist—but to understand them and use them wisely.

    1. Recognize your triggers. What emotions make you react instantly without thinking?
    2. Pause before action. The biggest mistakes in life happen because people act in the heat of emotion. Learn to wait. Learn to breathe.
    3. Detach from the illusion of control. Many people act out of pain because they feel powerless. But power does not come from controlling others—it comes from controlling yourself.
    4. Rewrite your programming. If your bloodline has a history of destruction, it is up to you to end it. Awareness is the first step. Choice is the second. Action is the third.
    5. Do not trust your emotions in the moment of pain. If you make decisions while you are hurt, angry, or afraid, you are handing your power to the very thing you are trying to escape.

    Final Thought: The Truth About Evil

    Evil is not a monster hiding in the dark. It is not an external force waiting to attack.

    It is simply what happens when emotion overpowers wisdom.

    No one is born evil.

    But anyone can become it.

    The question is—who is in control? You or your emotions?

    William joseph

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    • William, this gives me a lot to think about. I’ve always assumed that some people are simply born evil, with killers such as Dahmer and Bundy as prime examples. You make an excellent point though! I think that your points about how to break free from evil could truly help someone as long as that person is ready to make the change. Thank you for sharing!

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      • I appreciate your openness to these ideas. It’s not always easy to reconsider long-held beliefs, but understanding the roots of evil can help prevent it from taking hold in ourselves and others. Thanks for taking the time to reflect on this!

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  • Anxiety Is A Struggle

    Anxiety is an endless invisible string you carry on your shoulders
    Anxiety is often misunderstood and not a simple to-be-fixed mistake
    Anxiety is a daily struggle that never stops
    Anxiety takes over the mind with overthinking, worries, and constant self-shame
    Anxiety can’t a hundred percent be fixed with medication
    Anxiety can make you look calm, but you feel like you’re dying inside
    Anxiety can cause mental and physical struggles unknowingly
    Anxiety can easily cause panic attacks like your lungs collapsing
    Anxiety makes you worry over the simple little things frequently
    Anxiety can make you practice conversations in your head before you speak
    Anxiety makes it uneasy to relax and destress and takes guidance
    Anxiety involves every stress of life that makes it worse
    Anxiety isn’t just “you’re overreacting” or “just relax.”
    Anxiety can cause misunderstandings and misinterpretations
    Anxiety can lead to some having a lack of empathy when it’s unbearable to grasp
    Anxiety can make you isolate from social situations and want to be alone
    Anxiety isn’t for the weak but shows how strong you really are
    Anxiety is a big deal of a disorder and is treatable but still tough
    Anxiety is a horrible mental struggle that not many understand
    Anxiety takes depth to truly comprehend and help those when needed
    People who don’t understand anxiety need to understand two things
    It is a struggle and know what to do to help and deal with someone who does

    Alexcia Cegelski

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    Voting ends June 23, 2025 11:59pm

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    • Alexcia, I think that anxiety causes a lot of people to feel misunderstood. When you feel like you aren’t in control of your mind, it is difficult to help others understand you. I agree that by teaching others that anxiety is a real struggle and providing ways to help those experiencing it, we can make a true difference. Thank you for sharing your…read more

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  • Ava Lawrey shared a letter in the Group logo of Magical MomentsMagical Moments group 3 months ago

    the best day of my life

    march 15 2025
    the best day of my life

    I want to preface this by saying the title may be slightly misleading-march 15 was not the best day of my life in question (although, it was pretty good).

    after spending a couple hours dillydallying about fisherman’s wharf and pier 39 in San Francisco, I decided to take the cable car back to my hotel (only the cable car took us half way, kicked us out, and told us to take the bus, which I opted to walki the mile, I decided I needed to walk that extra scoop of ice cream off). anywho, I was sitting in the cable car, distracting my mind from being present, scrolling through tiktok while also on facetime with my long-distance best friend. i saw a tiktok that nearly stopped me dead in my tracks. he was posing the question of “what was the best day of your life?” and I really thought ‘wow, I can’t pinpoint that’. and of course, the comments were filled with similar thoughts to my own.

    what’s even worse, I could immediately think of an exact date that I’d consider the worst day of my life. I can tell you all the details about that day. almost as if I can relive it.

    so it had me thinking, what could possibly have been the best day of my life? and a lot of people like to go the route of they haven’t lived it yet, they haven’t gotten to the best day ever yet. but that proves the point.
    that proves that we are always just waiting for the next best. that we’re always comparing every good thing to happen to something else. that enough is never actually enough. success isn’t successful enough. happiness isn’t happy enough. every good thing could be better. we have so deeply engrained in us the ideal that the grass is greener on the other side. that’s what drives people to infidelity. because there’s always someone else out there that could be better, right?

    it’s the potential we hold onto, the hope that we grasp onto. I think it gives us purpose- knowing the best day ever has yet to come. that we will always have something to look forward to because the best day has yet to happen. (at least, for the glass half full kinda people- optimistically scouring the earth for meaning, searching for the positive in every situation, seeing the world as beautiful and abundant.)

    but I don’t think that way. I think when we are asked what the best day of our life has been, it’s conclusive only of what we have so far experienced. it’s a day that’s subjective. and may continue to get replaced as we live on, and value other things and find other events more fulfilling or more joyful.

    it’s much easier to pinpoint the worst day ever because we don’t want to top it. we don’t want to one up some really bad shit. we want to leave it in the past. horrible days beg for our acknowledgement because they drain the life out of us. experiencing a day so bad that you were so painfully aware of all of your surroundings down to the smell of the stale air in the brick room of the house that was built in 1812 that you were standing on. down to the sound the floor made when you stepped on the creaky wood on your way out the door for the final time. you’ll remember exact phrases you said, exact ways that you felt. tastes, smells, sights, absolutely consumed you in a moment that left a forever imprint on your being. maybe not everyone’s worst day of their life was a traumatic event, but I think a lot of people have experienced trauma in even smaller scales.

    horrible events beg for us to be sucked into them. they are so energetically draining, like a black hole, an energy vacuum. the energy we put towards negativity requires more effort than feelings of joy, which is why negative memories are far easier to remember than those that were joyful. bad things are often synonymous with our uncontrollables in life. because, unfortunately, we are unable to control everything in our life, which can lead to unfavorable things taking place. and, well, that’s life. but it takes a decision, effort, to make a positive thing happen. it takes effort to have the best day ever, and the worst day ever is typically one that happens TO us, rather than for us, perhaps.

    though, I believe joy requires more autonomy. it’s like the paralysis of decision. deciding which day we can proclaim as the best feels like too much pressure. there’s where the pressure to be perfect comes into play. the pressure for the best. we have more choice in the decision of the best moments in our life than our worst. as I feel joy is a passive feeling, that is fleeting because it feels good to flow with the emotion of. and experiencing pain or suffering is much more active, as we spend the time in efforts to resist the feeling, rather than sitting in it and going with the flow. it’s easy to get in the boat and flow happily along the river, it feels good, natural, easy. it’s much easier to be joyful and have a happy memory. but you’ll remember the time you had to row upstream in a storm and all of the effort you had to put in to keep moving forward. same way our brain works through memories.

    somehow, joy takes effort and happens naturally all at once. that’s the duality of it. it can be easy, and so difficult.

    so, I was thinking about my best day. and I think where I’m struggling is that I want to combine a bunch of favorite memories to make the most perfect best day ever. I find something wrong with each day that I start to think is the best I’ve had. nothing is sufficient. it doesn’t help that I’m a happy crier, it doesn’t take much to make me feel emotional in a good way. and every time I feel so encompassed in my emotion, my eyes swell, I feel so deeply. that’s why I’ve been pondering my best day ever, wracking my brain of every positive memory I have ever had in my 24 years of existence thus far.

    luckily for us, we’re likely to replace our best day ever time and time again. it just means we experience way more good in life than bad, and thank the Lord for that.

    my most recent best day ever was in Belgium.

    I arrived in Brussels and decided I wanted to take the train to Ghent. oddly, I have felt an overwhelming sense of comfort every time I’ve been to Belgium, a home-like feeling. this time was no different. on the 40-minute train to Ghent, I sat by the window. put my phone face down on the tray table in front of me, took my airpods out and put them back in their case, and just stared out the window. I do this thing when I’m traveling where I actively try to soak in every single moment, especially the mundane moments. (though I’m realizing I’m a hypocrite based on paragraph two of this.) if you lived in Brussels and took the train to Ghent every weekend, you likely would find ways to distract yourself, you would get used to the ride, bored of it even. not me, this was my first time. and looking out at the countryside, it was so eerily similar to parts of Kentucky where I’m from, and I started tearing up. the small part of myself that misses home was feeling engulfed in this moment. the little girl that was coloring next to me kept looking over at me and I’d like to think it was because she thought I was cool, but she probably actually thought I was ridiculous. I actually thought she was really cool, I was thinking wow, how cool would it have been to grow up here.

    after getting dropped off in Ghent, I wandered through the streets, and this is what I have in my note’s app,

    “the countryside of belgium, perhaps ‘the burbs’ inbetween brussels & ghent, actually look eerily like kentucky. and i feel weirdly at home.
    ok everyone comes out on sunday to buy tulips & other flowers in ghent? thats cute. and the rich people have having bottles of wine & charcuterie in the middle of all of it”

    that doesn’t tell you much. but for a moment, I envisioned myself living here, coming out on a Sunday afternoon to buy tulips and have a European brunch with family and friends, and I liked the way I felt a serotonin boost just by picturing that alone.

    I decided to take a little touristy boat tour through the canals for 9 euros (where the f is the euro symbol on my keyboard?). I sat down next to a girl who said she’s from Vancouver, who proceeded to tell me about her corporate job that absolutely went over my head. I thought she was cool enough to share a boat seat with for 40 minutes I suppose.

    when I took the train back to Brussels after having wine and the best brioche with chocolate chips, I wandered around (clearly I do a lot of that). ate more random little bites and stumbled into my favorite little park in the city where there is always live music and people joined around. by live music, I mean men who pull up with a guitar and sing typically. but it always speaks to my soul. and I get emotional every time. I sat and listened, I watched, I took some deep breaths to take it all in.

    later that night, I stumbled into a cool reclining wooden chair looking at the cathedral where I sat to watch as the sun went down, and I felt God smiling at me. I swear. on my walk back, I got mistaken for a local and that made me feel like I belong in a cool girl way. I even got gelato and the man shaped it into a rose for me. I saw more people singing but this time in the Grand Place, and I fell in love with life all over again.

    all of that goes to say, maybe that was my most favorite day ever. but then, I can’t help but to think there was probably a day in my life that tops that. part of me feels like the best day ever should have included a cool accomplishment, like when I graduated flight attendant training and was really emotional about it, or ran 20 miles for the first time, or hiked a mountain, my first solo hiking trip, or my first solo international trip, or something. but maybe my silly little 24-hour work trip to Brussels where I took a train to Ghent will sit there for now. and I won’t rush the next best day ever. somehow there is something really awesome about every single day, even the ‘meh’ days.

    ava lawrey

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    • Ava, I love everything about this piece. Your honesty and “realness” is refreshing. Though I haven’t been able to travel as much as I’d like, your trip to Belgium sounds like a dream. What you said about always looking for our next best say really resonated with me. Instead of hoping for something better, I will make an effort to soak up what I…read more

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      • hi emmy, thank you for this <3 I try to be as real as possible, I feel we have lost a bit of originality and authenticity in today's world. all we have is the present moment and I think there is something special about each day. anywho, soak it all up 🙂

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  • Pleasure to Meet You

    Unsealers,

    I seem to have a difficult time finding the right words to begin an introduction about who I am because I am still trying to figure that out for myself. I do know that I have a story to tell, and I feel incredibly grateful to have stumbled upon this community where I finally have an opportunity to start doing that for the first time in my life.
    Starting at a young age, I had a craving for the fast life. I entered into the throws of addiction shortly after my age became double digits, I was gifted with a laundry list of mental health diagnosis at age 25 including but not limited to type 1 bipolar, C-PTSD, anxiety, and depression; and in turn I have landed myself in some fairly… less than ideal circumstances due to those facts. All in all my intentions are mostly pure, but I have a tendency to take red flags and mistake them for a carnival, and I seem to try every wrong thing first before I finally get life figured out. Some of the shit I have gotten myself into has changed me forever, some of it makes for a hilarious story, and some of it can still bring me to tears just by thinking about it. All of it has brought me to where I am today. I have experienced child birth, divorce (not once but twice), multiple types of abuse (both on the giving and receiving end), homelessness, prostitution, incarceration, and the list goes on. It will be interesting to see going forward how this all eventually gets out on paper, but I appreciate every one of you that are about to guide me through making that happen. I would love to get to know you all, and I am looking forward to reading what each of you has to say.

    XOXO, kendy

    Kendy Bendewald

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    • Aww Kendy, It sounds like you have been through so much and at the end of the day it’s all led you to look back inside yourself and connect with your heart. You are so strong, and I loved the line about seeing red flags as carnivals. I have totally been there. Welcome to our family. Thank you for sharing. I am going to feature this peace in our…read more

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    • Kendy,
      Life isn’t always kind, I am sorry you have had so much to deal with. And here you are. I hope to read some of your story. This is a kind and supportive space, It’s good to write, read listen and feel the support of this group. Welcome!

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  • Documented

    As an addict, I know
    How it feels to be misunderstood.
    Most feel judgement,
    Feel inadequate,
    Once you make the decision
    To get clean, in my opinion. Feels
    Like nobody cares, lost in despair.
    As the ones who have never
    Been there, throw shade.
    Not understanding the difficulties
    In place. Probably why I feel
    More comfortable, around
    Other’s who have been through
    The pain, it’s not easy to
    To express if you don’t relate.
    From the outside Looking in,
    It seems crazy, just like anything.
    At first it’s misunderstood,
    Sometimes, you need the experience!
    Not just the scriptures out of a book.
    I know when I tell my story
    It will resonate with somebody.
    Understand me when I say,
    “Not everyone is gonna feel your pain”.
    But like most we’re all
    Misunderstood, we can
    Only imagine what another
    Has been through.
    If you see someone
    In a Mercedes or dresses fancy.
    You might think, ohh, they got it good.
    But that’s just the surface.
    You don’t know how they got it
    Or what it took.

    Michael L George jr

    Voting is open!

    Voting ends June 23, 2025 11:59pm

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    • Michael, though I am not an addict, I can imagine the feelings of judgment from others and from yourself can be nearly debilitating. You are right that when we see successful people, we have no idea how hard they worked to get to that point. They may have once been an addict, too. Thank you for sharing your experience! I wish you the best.

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  • Kendra Bendewald shared a letter in the Group logo of Surviving AddictionSurviving Addiction group 3 months ago

    I see you

    You can see us on street corners
    Or down the dark alleys
    We are hardly a sight for sore eyes
    We are dirty and vacant
    With ripped clothes and sad faces
    We wear this as our new disguise.
    See some time ago
    We were regular people
    Until something in life got us down
    Whether it heartbreak or money
    Family or lack of
    There’s something we needed to drown
    The voices in our heads
    That tell us we aren’t worth shit
    Or The memories we just can’t move on from
    Maybe it’s trauma or sadness
    Or just basic madness
    Fill in the blank with your own noun
    It ripped us apart
    And it spit out the pieces
    And robbed us of all we once cherished
    We were desperate for relief
    So we followed the dragon
    We got lost on the way; our souls perished.
    Now as is probably Expected
    Pretty much textbook
    We burn bridges with selfish behavior
    Some of us come back
    And they find inner peace
    And usually they call it their savior
    But some of us misfits
    The world has forgotten
    We’re broken and fucked up
    downright dirty and rotten
    Someone or something has shattered our hearts
    And we know that we’re never the same
    So we escape all the pain
    With powder or pills
    And we find ourselves stuck in this game
    We spiral and wander
    Away from reality
    And further down into the abyss
    The people around us
    eventually give up
    Cause what’s even still there to miss?
    We are just scumbags on street corners
    Or down the dark alleys
    We’re junkies; unfortunate souls
    We fucked up, we get it
    We don’t need reminded
    Please shut up or spark up a bowl

    Kendra Bendewald

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    • Kendra, this is so powerful but also heartbreaking. You are so worthy. I want to send you the biggest hug, and I hope you find the healing in your heart and the happiness in your life that you so deserve. Please also check out our resources page, theunsealed.com/resources. Sending you the biggest hug.

      Sharing with some of our users that can…read more

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    • Kendra, this poem is raw and powerful. It is easy for others to judge a situation when they aren’t the ones to experience it, but they don’t realize the individual story that each person experiencing addiction has. You are so right that these individuals do not need reminders of what they’ve done at their worst, but instead deserve compassion and…read more

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    • Kendra,
      That is absolutely beyond beautiful 🌹
      You hit the nail on the head in a lot of areas. I just want to share one with you, I’m sure you’ll understand.
      I wrote this at correctional treatment facility in 2000, it’s called…

      The Cloud:
      I have this cloud inside my brain
      That storms out loud with lightning and rain
      That no one can take my…read more

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    • P.S.
      You are an Angel
      You guard with your life people such as myself, and you know the ones that are like us. Never give up, and when you’re feeling hopeless remember…
      You have superpowers inside, just as Lauren Brill has spoken and written about. Please believe her cuz the woman knows what she’s talking about too. I have more respect for you…read more

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  • Heather shared a letter in the Group logo of PoetryPoetry group 3 months ago

    Mood: Nostalgic

    Can we go back to playing barbies on the bedroom floor?
    Playing baby dolls on rainy days?
    Or to those Saturday mornings of cartoons & a big bowl of Fruit Loops cereal?
    Can we go back to those summer days of frozen Capri Suns, popsicles, & all day swim sessions?
    Or to those skid knees from falling off bikes.
    Falling down from rollerblading.
    Can we go back to late night sleepovers at grandma’s house?
    Or those next morning wake up calls of fresh pancakes consuming grandma’s house.
    Can we go back to playing videos games all night?
    Playing the game tag all day outside?
    Can we go back to a time when it wasn’t rushing us to grow old?
    When time was less of our worries.
    Or to those summer days of riding bikes in dust storms feeling powerful?
    Can we go back to a time when feeling free was all we knew?

    Heather

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    • Heather, this takes me back to my childhood. My younger sister and I spent long summer days outside feeling as if they would never end. When we are children, we usually don’t realize the beauty of a life without adult responsibility. I’d love to go back too! Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

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    • Heather, I so feel all of this, and these thoughts enter my head every now and then. Childhood was so magical and I never knew life would be so different when I grew up. Maybe it doesn’t have to be? Thank you for sharing. I am going to feature this piece in our newsletter today. <3 Lauren

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      • Thank you for this! & thank you for sharing in the newsletter. Means so much to not just me but to my internal human who finds such zen in writing. She FINALLY feels heard. Her words are FINALLY being seen in a community that she’s searched for so long. Thank you!!

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  • Martha Moore shared a letter in the Group logo of PoetryPoetry group 3 months, 1 weeks ago

    On My Mind... Again

    I sit down to write
    You’re on my mind again
    But this is nothing new
    By now I’m used to it

    Sometimes it’s all consuming
    Other times, fleeting thoughts
    Either way it hits me
    I’m left feeling lost

    I ache to my core for you
    Miss every moment we never shared
    I need you to know I love you
    And that I’ll always care

    I’ll never forget you
    My soul knows something is missing
    My brain tries to rationalize it
    But my heart is never listening

    Martha C Moore

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    • Martha, missing someone who is no longer a part of our life leaves us feeling bereft and unmoored. No matter how irrational we know our feelings may be, it doesn’t stop them from consuming us. Whether we choose to listen to our hearts or our minds, these feelings do not often dissipate as quickly as we’d like. Thank you for sharing this moving poem!

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    • Martha, This is so beautiful and so relatable. I totally know what it’s like to miss someone you love and feel it in the vibration of your heart. I am going to feature this poem in our newsletter today. Thank you for sharing and thank you for being part of The Unsealed. Sending hugs. <3 Lauren

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  • LITTLE MISS

    Little Miss

    Little Miss
    Understood
    Little miss
    Never good
    Little Miss
    Selfish
    Little Miss
    Hellish
    Little Miss
    Feeling down
    Little Miss
    Broken crown
    Little Miss
    Always mean
    Little Miss
    Never seen
    Little Miss
    Sit quiet
    Little Miss
    Silence your riot
    Little Miss
    Hate the world
    Little Miss
    Take you for a whirl
    Little Miss
    Drama queen
    Little Miss
    Overtly keen
    Little Miss
    Sunshine
    Little Miss
    Undermined
    Little Miss
    Raging storm
    Little Miss
    Not the norm
    Little Miss
    Outcast
    Little Miss
    Backlash
    Little Miss
    Hopeless
    Little Miss
    No sense
    Little Miss
    Do as you should
    Little Miss
    Understood

    Martha C Moore

    Voting is open!

    Voting ends June 23, 2025 11:59pm

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    • Cherrie, I feel this piece! We are dynamic and ever-changing in our journey towards happiness. With so many facets of our personalities and goals, it is no wonder that we are often a little misunderstood. This poem inspires me to embrace all the parts of myself! Thank you for sharing!

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  • My Disability Doesn't Define Me, So Neither Should You

    I have learning disabilities, it’s not one that can be spotted by looking closely at the features of my face. And because it remains hidden I fear that sometimes I am misunderstood because of it.

    When I share that I have a learning disability I fear that people see me through a different lens than they previously did.

    I’ve had family members who have known about my learning disabilities tell me they didn’t know I was smart enough to make it on the honor roll even though I made honors every single semester of high school.

    When I tell people I have a learning disability it’s as if they expect me to then cause a disturbance and act out. But I sit there quietly absorbing everything.

    When I tell people that I have learning disabilities they immediately start putting limits as to my abilities and what I can and can’t achieve. So it’s easier to say nothing and silently prove them wrong.

    When I tell people that I have learning disabilities people tend to assume that my IEP and accommodations exempted me from hard work. I HATE when people assume that. I worked twice as hard as to learn the topics. And even though my accommodations lessened the amount of math problems I had to solve I would sometimes end up doing more than what I was assigned so that I could make sure I mastered the concept.

    When I struggle with learning or doing a task because of my learning disabilities people get frustrated with me and tell me that this should be easy. But in actuality my brain works differently and I may need to see it done a couple of times or have it explained in a different way in order to understand.

    When I tell people I have learning disabilities they tend to cheapen my achievements as if I weaseled my way through a Master’s program and was handed a degree instead of earning it myself. In reality though I worked countless hours to make my way through grad school and to end up where I am today.

    I had a boss who upon finding out about my learning disabilities made some distasteful and unprofessional comments about them as if I were bad and defective and not fit to serve in ministry. Oh the irony that this was after we had done a whole Inclusion Initiative geared towards people with disabilities. She barred me from helping with it.

    When I tell people that I have learning disabilities they often tend to question or doubt my capacity for leadership. But I can still lead and I lead with a greater empathy and understanding because I know what it’s like to struggle.

    I wish when I tell people I have learning disabilities they would see me for who I truly am…..

    An intelligent
    Inquisitive
    Attentive
    Hardworking
    Tenacious
    Creative
    Problem solving
    Professional
    Empathetic
    Leader

    Who demands and deserves respect
    And who can do whatever she puts her mind to.

    Hannah Gonneville

    Voting is open!

    Voting ends June 23, 2025 11:59pm

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    • Hannah, this letter is so inspiring to me. As a teacher, I know that there are countless students with disabilities who are bright, ambitious, and completely capable of the same work as their non-disabled peers. Accommodations are simply a way to even the playing field. I am so glad that you see your worth, and I know that you will continue to…read more

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  • Invisible

    You don’t get me
    You never will
    I’m sitting here screaming
    And you still
    Don’t hear me
    Don’t listen
    Don’t care
    Don’t see
    There is chaos
    Inside of me
    A mind that is not my own
    Consumed by thoughts
    That I don’t own
    Things I say
    I really don’t mean
    Never heard
    Often seen
    The highest of highs
    The lowest of lows
    I don’t understand it
    But that’s how it goes
    I’m tired of the meds
    Tired of pills
    The pain isn’t numb
    It actually kills
    My spirt
    My soul
    My will to survive
    Yet I go on
    Trying to thrive
    Navigating roads
    Yet unable to drive
    I’m tired
    I’m drained
    Not mentally there
    To young to give up
    To old to care
    What you think
    How you feel
    You haven’t a clue
    How it feels
    What it’s like
    When you are the glue
    Holding together
    A paper so thin
    Knowing I’ll lose
    But hoping I’ll win
    So please be kind
    When I am around
    I’m totaly lost
    Looking for found
    Mental illness
    It’s not for the weak
    Wanting to hide
    But forced to seek
    Love
    Acceptance
    You think that you know
    You haven’t a clue where my mind can go
    And I don’t know either
    It’s truly a trip
    When you hold on so tightly
    But never had a grip

    Andrea Mcgonagle

    Voting is open!

    Voting ends June 23, 2025 11:59pm

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    • Andrea, this poem is beautiful and powerful. So many of us struggle with feeling like we aren’t truly seen or heard, and your words capture the complex nature of that. The succinct lines evoke an image of someone torn between conflicting emotions, and I can definitely relate. Thank you for sharing your experience!

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      • That was so nice of you to say!! I feel so many people go untreated or unnoticed in this world, and usually they are the best people too.

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  • PSYCHOLOGY OF PROJECTION

    Dear Unsealed,
    PSYCHOLOGY OF PROJECTION
    The theory of the psychology of projection is a phenomenal viral situation in 2024.
    There are people who project their ill feelings, anger, insecurities onto the closest empath standing in their way.
    You spewed obscenities at me that day
    As you do everyday
    you blame me for your failed attitude
    that is not subdued
    I ask you why
    Why do you project your insecurities onto me
    You reply
    It’s all your fault
    It’s my fault you say
    No, you just caught
    In another lie
    I sigh
    Why?
    You yell at me
    You are nothing to me
    So, let it be
    I cry
    I say
    No
    I could be your fake friend
    Until the end
    So, then you yell
    To me
    Not let it be
    But cruel words of anger
    That makes you a danger
    To my world
    To your world
    To all worlds
    As you carry on
    With your blaming me
    For your misdeeds
    Of unconscious reprimanding me
    Or any other empath
    The victim of your wrath
    You are jealous and angry
    You sit around spewing obscenities
    Of hate and bigotry of amenities
    And talents of other people on Earth
    So, tell me,
    For what it’s worth
    How do you wake up everyday
    To your vile words of insanity
    Of what may be your reality
    To trash the Earth
    With your dark soul
    Of cruel intentions of old
    As your soul was sold
    To the vile fiery hell of hades
    Of your life of death,
    Here what I say.
    Your dark empty vessel of skin
    Can not win
    You are the demon of Earth
    For what it’s worth
    You are not anything
    You are a blank empty soul
    Of nothing
    But your lies
    Your ego
    You cry, you scream
    At me
    Let it be
    You are the epitome of humanity
    Garbage dump
    Dump Dump

    Vicki Lawana Trusselli

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    • Vicki, I’ve never given much thought to the psychology of projection, but I can see how feelings projected onto an empathetic person would be detrimental to his or her well-being. When people with darkness inside them feel the need to bring down those who would do them no harm, it really shows their true nature. I hope that, as an empath, you can…read more

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  • Worth More

    I’m worth more than a few licks between my legs. More than your legs caressing a sacred place I sometimes call home. You do it so well in making me believe I’m the true source of what you need, even though I know deep down I’m really not what you want or need. Love me, I’m a touch me please. Not just your side piece. I like Reeces, but that doesn’t mean take all my pieces until I have nothing
    left for me. Yes I’m a masc, but I don’t mask who I am. For I am and will always be a woman. Underneath these clothes are vulnerability, desire, needs that you refuse to see. Stop intentionally making my femininity irrelevant. You’re not the only one who wants to be bent. You see, that toxic masculinity has your mind so skewed it’s almost impossible to fix. I refuse to try and try again only to learn over and over again, my love is simply not enough to carry the both of us. I want things that don’t qualify as a “true masc woman”, but you withhold things from me simply because you choose to see me as a placeholder. I’m not your filler man until you get who you really want. I’m not a fantasy. I’m reality. Hold me, dominate, reciprocate. Keep going until I see the heavenly gates. A simple question would’ve provided the answers. I keep it real simple. Loving me is not a game. It’s a privilege.

    Lauryn Reece

    Voting is open!

    Voting ends June 23, 2025 11:59pm

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    • Lauryn, you are so right that loving you is a privilege! I wish that everyone could see their worth in this way and stop letting others bring them down. I love that you are true to yourself and don’t let the definitions others consider accurate influence your life. Thank you for inspiring me and for sharing this experience!

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  • Personal Bodyguards

    When I see a tiny lizard or a gecko on the sidewalk, I see you & smell the softness of pancakes cooking in the kitchen.

    When I see a black cat, I see you & instantly smell gingerbread cookies baking in the oven around Christmas time.

    When I see a white Chevy truck, I see two young girls sitting in the bed of the truck embracing the moment of the wind blowing amongst their tiny faces after a fun filled day in the snow

    When I see elder men wearing their “Veterans” hat, I see you standing before me. I feel the softness in the air. I see the gentleness of your soul standing amongst the crowd. I thank that individual for their service as I walk away.

    When I see the color purple out in the world, I see you. When I’m at work & hear similar words from my clients, I think of you standing before me. When I see the card game “Go Fish” being played, I see two younger girls sitting at their grandmother’s table laughing til their tummy hurts.

    When I see a yellow tractor, I see a young adult enjoying the time being spent with their grandfather. When I see a blue truck, I see you & start singing those old country songs we’d sing together.

    No matter where I go in life, I see you.
    I see all of you!
    Wherever I go, you are right there guiding the way. The way to clarity. To beautiful blessings. To happiness. To calmness. To love.

    No matter the length of missing you, the memories, all of the memories will forever be shared.
    Wherever I go in life, I know I have several bodyguards guiding me along my path. Protecting me.

    Heather

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    • Heather, this piece makes my heart smile. We all have little ways of remembering those we lost in our day-to-day lives, and it brings us so much comfort. Whenever I see a butterfly hover near me, I feel like my aunt is giving me a hug. When I see a red bird, I feel comforted by my granny’s presence even though she’s been gone for years. Our…read more

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  • Heather shared a letter in the Group logo of To my younger selfTo my younger self group 3 months, 1 weeks ago

    Church Parking Lot

    I met my younger self on a Sunday morning in a church parking lot.
    She looked as if she just saw God.
    Hair golden blonde.
    Eyes piercing blue.
    Sun beaming on her young face.
    She ran up to my car and jumped in the passenger seat.
    Touching every button.
    Opening every compartment.
    Smiling.
    Dimples radiating so big.
    She looks over at me and with a smile as big as a car tire, she tells me, “We did it!”
    She gives me such a huge hug, one that felt as if it was building up for years.
    Smiles at me with such accomplishment.
    Opens the car door and gradually skips away to the beat of her own drum.
    As I watch that little girl skip away, I acknowledge her happiness.
    Her joy. Her fulfillment.
    I acknowledge the fear that once guarded her.
    As I watch that little girl skip away, I remind myself that every achievement is not just for me, but for her as well.
    She deserves the world.
    She deserves achievements.
    She deserves this moment right now.
    Right here in the church parking lot.

    Heather

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    • Heather, being able to look back and “see” yourself as a child gives you a glimpse of the innocence and uninhibited happiness that you possessed before life taught you to fear. While we all become disillusioned as we see the reality of the world, it is important to remember and appreciate the beauty in the journey. I am glad that you continue to…read more

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