Activity
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Anita Williams shared a letter in the
To the people we love group 6 months, 2 weeks agoTo Myself, With Gratitude
Anita A WilliamsThank you for seeing the light in others,
Even when they only cast shadows over you.
For holding onto love, despite the cracks,
For believing in its power, even when it broke you.Thank you for cherishing beauty in the world,
Even when the mirror refused to reflect it back.
For still standing, still breathing, still hoping,
When life handed you reasons to fall apart.Thank you for rising from every tumble,
For trusting in the divine process of growth.
For embracing the seasons of solitude,
Letting transformation carve your soul anew.Thank you for choosing to love yourself,
For recognizing the strength in your heart.
For seeing the brilliance within your spirit,
And refusing to mirror the hurt you’ve endured.You are the masterpiece shaped by storms,
A testament of resilience and grace.
I thank you, dear self, for never giving up,
For holding onto faith, love, and your radiant place. -
sciifly shared a letter in the
Remembering those we lost/Grief group 6 months, 2 weeks agoPipita
Sandra MartiniRest 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~ 🙏
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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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James/Maintain4life shared a letter in the
Surviving Addiction group 6 months, 3 weeks agoThis post is viewable by the Unsealed community only.
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Rose Dreamera shared a letter in the
Remembering those we lost/Grief group 6 months, 3 weeks agonever take love lightly
never take love lightly
remember that
the world you know today
could, and will shift in an instantbe courageous enough
to love so deeply
that you’ll go the extra mile
to create beautiful memories
with the people you cherish
and involve all of your senses
in being present with themtell them that you love them
but don’t stop there
learn what to do for the ones
who’s lives matter most to you
seek what makes them feel loved
listen to what touches their hearts
and see them shine brighter
as you learn to speak
their languagestart with giving yourself
all of that care
because if anyone deserves it
so do you
then spread that love around you-
Hi Rose, thank you so much for sharing what love truly is and giving insight on how we can share love amongst those who are around us. I was reading in another post and the words resonated to me so well “unadulterated love”. I feel like that ties into unconditional love just truly loving someone the way that they are because we never know what…read more
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Am! I’m really thankful for your message. It feels good to know that my words resonated with you. ^^
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Anita Williams shared a letter in the
Remembering those we lost/Grief group 6 months, 3 weeks agoThe Weight of Grief: My Journey
Anita A WilliamsMy grief began on January 20th, 2020, the day my dad passed away unexpectedly. His death shook my world to its core. Before he passed, I was on a journey of self-discovery. I was losing weight, exercising, building routines, and trying to figure out who I was. At the time, I was still in a relationship I knew I needed to leave, and I thought I was getting closer to freeing myself from it. But when my dad died, it felt like a part of me died with him. I had never been without him, and I didn’t know how to live without his presence in my life.
Instead of facing my grief, I did what I always did: I went back to work two weeks later. Work became my way of coping—a distraction from the deep pain I didn’t want to confront. This became a pattern in my life. Whenever tragedy or loss struck, I buried myself in work to avoid the pain.
After my dad passed, I ended a long relationship with someone I deeply loved—the first person who ever loved me correctly. From there, I found myself in relationships I never should have been in, all while grieving and ignoring the emotions I desperately needed to face.
Then, on December 10, 2021, I faced another devastating loss: the baby I had prayed for passed away. I woke up that day with my baby still inside me, no longer alive. I had to go to the hospital to have my child removed, and after that heart-wrenching experience, I went right back to work—this time at the prison where I was employed. That environment was already filled with stress and negativity—not just from the inmates but from the staff as well. Yet, I threw myself back into work instead of confronting my grief.
More loss followed. My dad’s brother passed, and once again, I buried the pain under work. But this year, God made me sit down. He placed me in a season of isolation where I couldn’t run from my emotions anymore. I had to deal with everything I had been avoiding: the grief, the unhealthy patterns, and the trauma I had been carrying for years.
I ended a three-year relationship, began setting boundaries, and started addressing the pain I had ignored for so long. Day by day, I’ve been working through it. It hasn’t been easy, but with each step, it’s getting better. I’m learning that healing is a process, and I’m finally allowing myself to feel, to grieve, and to grow.
This year has been about progress. While I still have a long way to go, I know I’m moving in the right direction. And for that, I am grateful.
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TaMara E'Lan G. shared a letter in the
Remembering those we lost/Grief group 6 months, 4 weeks agoI held her to me: Mommy
TaMara E'Lan G.The storm had finally arrived after brewing in a silent sea of delusion for far too long. The wind of truth blew fiercely against us all and the rain that fell endlessly were indeed our tears. The clouds drifted across an amber sky of clustered thoughts that hid the sunlight that day.
Yet still I held her to me.
I spoke of angels and good Soul food, whispered love and affirmations in her ear, and kissed her lips. Memories like morning dew covered and saturated my heart.
Yet still I held her to me.
Not knowing that she felt me or even knew who I was any longer because the time was at hand. Her breathing was shallow and yet the life she had lived spoke volumes throughout her transitioning. There was no more time for abandonment issues or thoughts of past transgressions; no space for generational strongholds to reinforce trauma bonding. For soon she would be gone, embraced by the light and Angels she adored. “Thank you” she had told me a mere few days ago as I cared for her, cleaning her and playing her favorite music. “I love you” she had said words that I thought I would never hear her say again after our estrangement.
Yet still I held her to me.
The embrace gave us both the closure that we needed and sought from each other. This day the hospice nurse comes to pull us out of the dark room “Give her space to transition” she said, “often loved ones won’t transition when being watched.” At the time, and in my grief, I thought that was odd of her to say. However when we went back into the room, I touched my mommy’s cooling skin and her stillness almost frightens me, yet it was then that I knew she was gone.
Yet still I held her to me.
Emotions too deep to express escaped us as we gathered around the shell that once housed her spirit. She had joined the ancestors that now danced in the wind beyond this realm. And as the years and time attempt to comfort us all in her absence, as she comes to visit us in dreams to hold dear with our memories, when moments too big for explanation are captured – my thoughts are of our last hug, when still I held her to me.-
Thank you so much for being such a wonderful light and sharing your insight and outlet through grief. I believe it’s so important to find a helpful and healing outlet through the journey of grief. Reading this brought back memories of my father. I also love your imagery in this piece. Thank you so much for sharing.
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beyondbarriers shared a letter in the
Remembering those we lost/Grief group 7 months agoThis post is viewable by the Unsealed community only.
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James/Maintain4life shared a letter in the
Surviving Addiction group 7 months agoThis post is viewable by the Unsealed community only.
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Matthew Jablonsky shared a letter in the
Remembering those we lost/Grief group 7 months agoBroken New Years
Matthew L JablonskyThe year is almost over,
And another will soon start.
This year, however,
I’ll begin with a broken heart.I’m missing my loved ones,
My friends who’ve recently passed.
I miss their sweet voices,
Their smiles and their laughs.It was supposed to be a Merry Christmas!
Another photo in the album!
Then suddenly that changed,
to the first Christmas without ’em…I screamed up at God,
“CAN YOU JUST TELL ME WHY?”
“ARE YOU EVEN UP THERE?!”
“AM I JUST YELLING AT THE SKY?!?!”I fell to my knees,
and started punching at the ground.
When suddenly I realized…
My loved one’s are all around…They’re right here with me,
Feeling all this pain.
Does that mean they feel the sunshine?
Does it mean they feel the rain?Maybe they’re not as gone,
As the world seems to say.
Maybe they’re right beside me…
Every night and every day!If they’re here with me,
Guiding my every move…
Then I know that I can make it!
Because there’s nothing they can’t do!This poem is dedicated in loving memory to my friends Alex Wisniewski, Joe Ewer, and Tammy Pouliot, but it goes out to anyone who has lost a loved one.
You are not alone. ❤️❤️❤️
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Wow, this poem almost brought me to tears. Your words are very heartfelt and gave me insight that I am not alone on this grieving journey. At times, I scream and feel alone. But I am learning that there are other people who understand the grieving process and that it is not easy. Thank you for your kind words and confidence in sharing your…read more
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Hey Matt, I watched my father slowly pass from lung cancer. And my mom is only getting older. Three cousins passed,2 were younger than me and passed due to drug addiction. And a bunch of guys I grew up around do to gun violence. But one thing I learned in recovery is life don’t get better we get better at life.
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Shelby Warren Gomez shared a letter in the
Surviving Addiction group 7 months agoThis post is viewable by the Unsealed community only.
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Barbara Lorello shared a letter in the
Remembering those we lost/Grief group 7 months agoDear Bernie Marcus
Love, BarbDear Bernie Marcus:
I met you in 2014, when I got recruited by the company you and Arthur Blank started back in the 1970’s. That story came to life in your book “Built from Scratch.”
If anyone told me that my life’s mission would be in a hardware store, I would have told them they were crazy, but it has been the place where God placed me to do his work.
When my children were young, my ex-husband didn’t want me to work. That was the time I got the volunteering bug. It felt so good to give back, and I went all out; I volunteered full time at my children’s school. I also volunteered in a nature preserve studying endangered plants and served on several boards.
While I was going through my divorce, another talent surfaced. I realized I had a knack for encouraging young people to reach their potential to be the best version of themselves. I could teach them how to be great leaders, care for their people, and love the company they worked for. This came in the form of tough love, empathy, and compassion for the trials that young people face as they grow.I started this part of my journey with an electronics company with a yellow tag for their logo. I honed my skills and blossomed in that environment. At the time, that company was struggling to find its place. Five restructurings in six years had me questioning my future. It was divine intervention when a recruiter from your company came into my yellow tag store and asked my boss if he had any talent that was affected by the most recent restructure; he gave her my name.
Both these skills led me through ten years of working for you, using God given natural craft to make each store I worked in just a little better. I’ve been able to develop leaders who will continue to make your company strong into the future. You’ve allowed me to give back to our community through writing grants for veterans and those in need.
God knew what he was doing when he brought us together. Working for you also gave me the opportunity to hear people’s stories. For some reason, people gravitate to me and tell me their stories, most consist of life’s struggles. It gives me an opportunity to slow down, offer a shoulder to cry on, and a hug to ease their pain.
Bernie, although we never met in person, your legacy is commendable. You’ve helped make thousands of blue-collar people become millionaires. Your foundations, created before and after your time in service, are still strong and help thousands of people every day. This will all live on in your memory, and we will keep your legacy alive.
I am deeply honored to work for your company. RIP, Bernie, you did it well.
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Isabella Serra shared a letter in the
Remembering those we lost/Grief group 7 months, 1 weeks agosince you disappeared, you've been everywhere
Isabella SerraWhen a human dies, the world stands still for a quiet moment and no one on earth can breathe. Then each individual except for you takes their next inhale and I realize that the world was never still at all.
People say that they would die for you, but do people ever say that they would live for you?
I would live for you; I will live the life that you never got to experience fully and I will take you with me.The sorts of things that people live for; I will chase exhilaration as a hungry ghost praying for its bones and flesh.
I will collect my insides begging to love them. I will watch fireflies and wonder what they mean.I will curse the day that you had to leave this blip of mine.
I will dance until I cry, then I will cry until I laugh. I will throw myself into the depths of an ice bath just to miss the heat.I will find joy in the little things because it’s what you would have wanted. And I will stop smoking cigarettes out of spite. I will celebrate the person that you were and the people that you healed and forgive you for letting yourself be so out of reach.
Since you disappeared, I’ve seen you everywhere! At the sight of tea, the sound of a sad guitar, in the eyes of those who loved you.
Those who knew the gift of knowing you and wanted you so badly to stay.When a human dies, the soul searches the universe for a body to be held; what I would do to feel your warm tears wet my goose-bumped shoulder and squeeze your hand saying that we’re not that different from each other instead of this.
When a human dies, their friends and blood carry their body across the fields of a lonesome cemetery and place flowers to keep them company.
And for some people the world keeps spinning. But for some of us, the world is just as still. -
Sasha Poet shared a letter in the
Surviving Addiction group 7 months, 1 weeks agoAddictive
SashaPoetAnxiously waiting an emotional state
Anticipating just so I can relate
You’re addictive, I’m the addict
Bad habit forming, so eager to date
Compulsive behavior that couldn’t wait
You’re addictive I’m the addict
Compelling thinking,
Let’s keep it straight
Put you on a peddle stool
I needed you, not hate
You’re addictive, I’m the addict
Everybody was doing it
Falling so deep,
In my eyes, it was great
Good feelings I couldn’t shake
You’re addictive, I’m the addict
A feeling that creates, a feeling of escape
My problems you eliminate
You’re addictive, I’m the addict
The real problem was you LOVE
I thought I found it in many versions of him but I couldn’t find it within
You became a drug,
Always needing, looking, searching
Finding that thing called love
You’re addictive, I’m the addict
Confessions of a recovered Love-aholic
Looking in the mirror,
Contemplating the reflection looking back at me
Appreciating that feeling,
The beauty that’s skin deep
The feeling of self love -
Barbara Lorello shared a letter in the
Remembering those we lost/Grief group 7 months, 1 weeks agoDear Queen Elizabeth
Love, BarbDear Queen Elizabeth:
I miss you dearly. The day you died it was as if my grandmother died all over again.
I’ve always had a morbid obsession with the royal family. I’ve read all the books about your family from Diana, by Andrew Morton, to A Royal Duty, by Paul Burrell, to Spare by your grandson, Prince Harry and many more. All of them were fascinating, although not always true.
Throughout my life I have grown up with you. I was born in 1962 so by the time we met you were already Queen of England. As I grew, so did you. I was a shy little girl with many insecurities. To me, you were a vision of beauty, grace and commitment. I would learn later that you probably had the same insecurities as I did.
My grandmother was the matriarch of our family, although we were far from royalty. She had the same stature; petite, always wore a dress, never pants. Wore modest heels and always carried a handbag. As a small child I remember her always having hard candy in her bag, a way to keep me quiet during Sunday church services. She even had the same hairstyle. All during my childhood she and I were close. She was my everything and my example of what it was to be a strong beautiful woman, head of the family, and full of love, just like you.
I guess what happened when Nani got Alzheimer’s is when there was a switch. The last time I saw my grandmother was in 1988. I’d lived in Florida, had a baby, and came home to visit. When I visited her, she didn’t remember me. See, I’d been away for a while. Alzheimer’s disease does that to a person. I left that day carrying my six-month-old baby boy, tears streaming down my face, vowing to never see her again. I wanted to remember as she’d been all my life. I couldn’t watch her wither away. For the next eight years my grandmother hung on to her life.
They say that God works in mysterious ways. What I am about to tell you, Elizabeth, is proof of that. During the years after I saw her last, I would pray for Nani every day. My Aunt, her caretaker, and my father would keep my abreast of her condition, which was slowly deteriorating. In the Autumn of 1996, she was declining quickly and by mid-November that year, we knew the end was near.
I continued to pray that God would take her home so she could be with the love of her life, my Papa Sam. I knew He was listening, but she was hanging on. Then, on December 19, 1996, I got a call from my father telling me that my grandmother had passed away. I took a deep sigh and cried. They were tears of relief that her battle was finally over. You see God gave me the greatest gift that day, he took my beloved Nani home, on my birthday. It was one of the greatest gifts he ever gave me.
I watched you grow old, lose family members, and your beloved Philip. You took each setback with dignity and grace. Unlike my grandmother, you had all your facilities till the end of your life. You didn’t have to suffer, you went quickly. I believe God knew your work here was done, and it was time for you to go home.
Thank you, Elizabeth, for doing God’s work, staying true to your faith and loyal to your family. I’ll continue to miss you.
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James/Maintain4life shared a letter in the
Surviving Addiction group 7 months, 2 weeks agoThis post is viewable by the Unsealed community only.
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Cheyenne Jamerson shared a letter in the
Surviving Addiction group 7 months, 2 weeks agoThe Crystal Ball
Cheyenne JamersonWhat is it that you seek?
What is it that you saw?
You should never listen to my wicked crystal ball.
What is it that you seek?
What is it that you saw?
You should never listen to my wicked Crystal Ball.
Have you seen the crystal ball?
Have you heard the souls scream trapped in her cloudy walls?
Everything you love gone before it even happens,
nothing left of your soul among the cold dark ashes.
They say fools wish to be free,
until they’re in a free fall…
Fools gamble time and the ball she takes it all
‘Cause the crystal is a cheat,
the crystal is a liar,
The crystal is a frozen world of ice and of fire. To live in a lie the price is the truth,
to be frozen in time the price is your youth. But you knew, it never tricked you,
You let it seduce you, left scars on your skin-as if it ever needed you.
Some always come crawling,
some may escape her call.
But you should never listen to my wicked Crystal Ball…
What is it that you seek?
What is it that you saw?
You should never listen to my wicked crystal ball…
You should never listen to my wicked crystal ball.A young boy sits in a wooden chair
Gazing forward
A ball of crystal perched before him
Almost invisible
It warps and clouds what lay behind it
He knows there will be a price
But he must try
He wants to know,
He has to know.
He gazes into its prism chamber
And it tells.
When he lifts his head, his breath taken away
The awe of the secrets told to him
Fade
When he sees his reflection
He sees that he is no longer the same man
But old, so old.
The ball has told him what he wished to know
But he had to pay the price of time
He walks away, as many have before,
Feeling cheated
Feeling like it all went by so fast
If he could only have another chance
If he could only get that time back
But he can’t
Time is the only thing you have
And the only thing you can never have
It is yours, spent
And the crystal ball will steal your time
The crystal will steal your life.-
Love this! I’m a recovering addicted also but, mine was opiates. Now I’m going on 7 years clean.
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This is really powerful and well-written. I feel like it’s a story that people could read and apply to their own lives in myriad ways as the crystal ball can represent so many different things – depending on the person and their story. Thank you for sharing! <3 Lauren
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Dana N. shared a letter in the
Remembering those we lost/Grief group 7 months, 3 weeks agoA Ballad of Brothers, A Sister's Lament
DanaWhen I woke up this morning
I didn’t know
What I would come home to.
Where did you go?
There wasn’t a warning
Now we’re all in mourning
Wond’ring if our time was well spent.Oh brother dearly departed of mine
Why did you leave
Without saying good night?
I was sleeping soundly
When I woke up to a scream
That I swear was you saying goodbye.As the time passes
We all start to heal.
Except for one brother
Who just couldn’t deal.
Several years later
All that reckless behavior
Just got him a grave next to yours.Oh brothers dearly departed of mine
Why did you leave
Without saying good night?
I was sleeping soundly
When I woke up to a scream
That I swear was you saying goodbye.Now there’s only one brother
Left standing with me.
I thought things were fine
Until he tried to leave.
In sharing this truth,
Though closer in youth,
I thought that our time was well spentOh brother nearly departed of mine,
Why would you leave
Without saying goodbye?
I thought that only you
Could understand what I’ve been through,
So at least it would be you
To say goodbye.Author’s Note:
I debated whether or not I wanted to share this with the world. It’s been a part of me for 20 years. It’s one of the most vulnerable parts of me and putting that on the internet for the world to see is intimidating, even as someone who sees vulnerability as strength rather than weakness.I wrote that second verse when I was 15 trying to make a song out of it, but more words never came no matter how hard I tried. As the inspiration came though me to write the rest this month, I realize now that I had more life to live before it could truly come to life. It needed to be on the back burner all this time to find the full depth of this feeling I will always carry with me.
I don’t know if I’ll ever try to turn this into a song like the original intent. Just writing that last verse, saying it all out loud, and writing this post have brought me to tears more than once. But it felt right to at least bring it to life as is because Jeremiah would be turning 40 tomorrow and that’s the kind of celebration you do big gestures for, right?
25 years without him, 9 years without Adam, 3 years since other things. This kind of healing doesn’t happen without scars. I am the happiest and healthiest I’ve ever been in my life. These feelings still creep in now and again. It doesn’t make me any less happy and healthy, it’s just a small price tag to pay for the love I still carry.
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I’m so sorry for your losses.
This was beautiful written.
Sending you big hugs💜 -
Dana, this is a beautiful tribute not only to your brothers, but also to your strength in being able to remember and honor them. Siblings share a special bond, even if they aren’t that close as adults. Your vulnerability here certainly shows how strong you are. Thank you for sharing your experience and your beautiful writing.
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Thank you so much. I definitely wanted to honor that sibling bond. There is not a word for an orphan of siblings so I wanted to explore that feeling and provide a space for anyone else who has shared that feeling. Even though my last brother is still around, coming so close to losing him really highlighted the fear of mine to lose him too young…read more
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Tia Earley shared a letter in the
Remembering those we lost/Grief group 8 months agoI carried an angel
Tia EarleyDo angels exist? Of course, ask me how I know because I carried one. I have two kids but you can only see one growing in the physical. My daughter knows her sister she speaks with her often she tells me about how she had to back to heaven. She was only two years old two years ago when I lost her sibling but she was there with me every step of the way. No one talks about how deep child loss hurts and it’s only something you could understand through experience and that’s something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. It was a darker time in my life around that period but I’ve found a way to improve my mental, and physical strength, and emotional well-being. I know many women who suffer silently. This is why I have created a safe space for bereaved parents my nonprofit organization is called « It Happens » consciously named after the best phrase I could think of to comfort myself through the pain. Sending healing and safe thoughts to anyone grieving and borderline losing it you never forget the person you miss only learn to place the grief somewhere safe in your heart.
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sheila shared a letter in the
Remembering those we lost/Grief group 8 months agoThis post is viewable by the Unsealed community only.
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leebothegood shared a letter in the
Remembering those we lost/Grief group 8 months, 1 weeks agoMy superhero
Leroy. Bragg.My grandfather Dr.Leroy Pike taught me Many things and one was too NEVER GIVE UP, If I ever needed help with a project, he didn’t care he was there, and I ALWAYS WON, with his help,I was in highschool and my grandfather saw my classes I was taking for the following year and he KNEW I was better than that, so he went and challenged me and I was in highschool only 3 years, My senior semester, we got word he had Cancer, WOW, I remember hearing him cry and I knew Real Superheroes cried, he got to see me graduate Highschool and was at my wedding, but sadly 3 years later on that very day, he would pass away, ITS BEEN 16 years and there’s NOT A DAY goes by I don’t think of him.God knew I only needed 1 Grandfather and HE WAS and still is My Superhero
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