Melinda. I read this and I see so much strength. I am sorry for what you are going through. But it takes courage to fight to get better and it takes even more courage to tell people about it.

One thing I know for sure about life, is it’s always changing. You may fell like your story isn’t progressing. But you’re just to close to it. Every day…read more

Wow!! Ashley this is so fire!! this is so powerful. This last part is so good!

Revisiting her old memories leave her vulnerable,
But her energy has now become indestructible.
Wait until you see her next,
She’ll vanquish every single quest.

You are so strong and you will conquer every challenge. Keep pushing forward. You got this and we got y…read more

Yes, I do have a friend. I call her my sister now because we’ve gotten so close. I’ve also taught her these things that you put out in your letter, which is very great in the way to teach people to stay true to themselves and shine light in their future. This letter is very inspirational and I’m glad that you were given such great thought and w…read more

Aww Hannah, I love this. We can all be so hard on ourselves. But you are so right that we need give ourselves grace, be kind to ourselves and embrace the fact that we are indeed human. This piece is so real and I, along with I am sure so many others, can relate to your story very easily. Thank you for sharing this. <3Lauren

As fellow a perfectionist I can see a lot of my former self in your letter. At one point I was pushing myself so hard to complete a project at work that I was putting in 18 hour days and working on the weekends even though I was only paid for 35 hours a week. Eventually ended up at the doctor as a result of chest pains. Luckily I was just stressed…read more

This is such a powerful message. I love that your teaching many people to forgive themselves. Because it is one thing to forgive another but forgiving yourself is also a main thing to do because if you don’t it can affect you mentally which is why a lot of people are hard on themselves today. Great Letter!

The power of breathing is truly amazing. I was dealing with some high stress a few years ago. I had rememebered someone recommending me a few meditation podcasts a few years prior to that. I decided to give them a try and found they were really helpful. I was pretty sure it was the slow deep inhales and exhales that were making all the difference.…read more

When you were reading this monday, I totally felt like this was about me. It is amazing the pressure we put on ourselves and its impact on our well-being. But it’s also amazing the relief we got from a simple breathe. I love this. It’s so real and so relatable. <3Lauren

I remember when I had such a hard time with anxiety and it got so bad to where I started to get panic attacks. What happened was I was going through stress attacks due to a lot of things happening in my life. My sister helped me through my first one by breathing. It always helped me calm down and through that, I’ve been learning to always try and…read more

Hi Ashley,

It’s so brave of you to share this with your struggles and put it in beautiful poetic words!

I like how you poem reminds me of slam poetry, it’s to the point and I can imagine a beat when I read through it. I like your own interpretation with how you deal with OCD. I feel like everyone might have different or relatable experinces . I…read more

Ashley!! This is so good! It really captures how your mind and the anxiety associated with OCD impacts you. Writing is so powerful, I can feel you processing and facing your struggles.You are so strong. Never forget that. This poem is great. Sending love.

Lauren

Aww, I am so sorry this happened to you. When someone violates you, it totally does feel like for a moment in time you don’t own your own body. But remember, you have persevered. You have risen above. Be proud of your strength and continue to move forward in life with power and grace. Don’t let the people who tried to hurt you hold you back, ever!…read more

ASHLEY!!!!!! This is soooo good!! so strong ! So inspiring and so powerful. I think we have all felt shame at some point in our lives – often for something that wasn’t our fault. I felt a lot of shame after my sexual assault. This poem is so powerful. You are taking your power back. You are owning ! Claiming it! And letting the shame fall by the…read more

Hi Ashley,

First of all, this poem was just splendid. I liked how, what’s the term, it’s like cut-throat and openly vulnerable to how we feel about ourselves. Shame and trauma, I hate how shame is put near trauma, since we shame ourselves for the trauma we went through but we need to keep reminding ourselves it’s not our faults.

I liked your…read more

You can & you will ! Love this . Definitely resonated with the finding your authentic self under the debris of the traumas & Feeling reclusive . It gets greater later though , we got this

Dear Bryan,
I am so impressed with your extreme bravery and selflessness. I am also so proud of you and feel privileged to say you are my cousin.
I am so glad you sought and received the help you needed. I am very happy that you are physically and mentally better now.
It was an honor to read your letter and learn of your…read more

Bryan,

First I thank you for your service. My family’s history is synonymous with service to the military so I know how important your service is.

Like you I too have suffered depression. Also like you I have lived with a severe vitamin d deficiency. My levels were so low that I was given 50,000 IU pills to take on several different occasions.…read more

Bryan, First of all thank you so very much for your service. This piece is such a testament to your strength and courage. I think it takes a lot of both to go get the help you need, especially when you don’t even understand the root of the problem. I am so happy that you are feeling better. It’s is so important to express yourself. And I am so…read more