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'The first day of school for a 10 year old boy and girl in the morning. THe fears and the feelings of a boy and girl, both starting out on their own.'
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"It was the first day of school for my son, 10, and my daughter 7. My daughter had stated she needed to get up at 6 am even though her bus doesn't come until 7:57 am. When I awoke at 6, she was not moving so I let her sleep. About 6:27 when my morning alarm normally goes off, I decided to wake her up. She is a heavy sleeper and is not a morning person. I gave up after whipping the sheets off of her and trying to talk to her for 10 minutes to no avail. I instead made my way to my sons room after I heard his alarm sound, helping him by grabbing new underwear and socks. My son then said he would take care of waking my daughter as I made my way downstairs to find the rain jackets due to the thunderstorm outside. Minutes later my daughter came down with her rainbow winged dress and my son with his Harry pOtter tuxedo shirt. Both waited patiently for Daddy to come down and make breakfast. Soon it was time to slip on the shoes and jackets and don the backpacks. My son'sbus comes first at 7:30 and since this was first time at a different stop I asked if he would like us to walk him. He at first said no, but then changed his mind. As we walked, he said I don't want to be seen with my parents. Gasp, he is becoming a teenager! My husband and I silently trudged back to the house and then waited with my daughter for her bus. She was excited, but a little hesitant because this is first time she would not have my son on the bus with her. We sat outside on porch watching the lightning storm and I listened to her fears about getting electrocuted by the lightning. Soon, the bus came and she had her umbrella held high but hesitated 2 times running to the bus. She was afraid but she took a deep breath and ran. My two babies are not babies anymore."
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'Me and my Uncle had not really talked for 15 years. Suddenly out of the blue he contacts me and asks if I would like to go flying with him. I say yes, as I had not flown with him for 40 years.'
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"Me and my Uncle have not been very close as of late, late being the last 15 years or so, So I was a bit surprised that he had contacted me to fly out of of a local airport in his plane. I have not been flying with him for the last 40 years, so I was curious to see why he had contacted me. I then met him at the airport and we talked a bit in the lounge and we then proceeded to go to the airplane and being the pre flight check. When we had completed this we got in the plane and he started it up. After some chatter with the control tower, we were cleared for a runway and we began to taxi. When we were all lined up the control tower gave us a clear for takeoff and he put the engines on max and we quickly gained speed and then the ground left us as we were up in the air. It was exhilarating. When we were up, I looked around at the familiar surroundings that were now not so familiar with the altitude and the new view. I looked all over and couldn't believe we were so high up in the air. He began talking and we made small talk for a while, but then he got into the story of the last 15 years and why he had basically just withdrawn into his own world with his sick daughter and his marriage that had been in shambles as a result of his daughter getting sick. We had a good time bonding and after being in the air for about 35 minutes he got a hold of the control tower again and we came in for a landing. Yes, it was an interesting day once again bonding with my uncle. And a surprising one at that too, as I had not been up in a private plane for a good 40 years. It was good to reconnect with my Uncle. I think that we should all be in touch with family members. It was a shame that we were out of touch because time moves too fast."
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"I attended a friend's wedding. One of the least likely of my friends to get married. I met someone at the wedding and we hit it off."
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"I was invited to my friend's wedding. When I got the invitation in the mail I couldn't believe it. He was one of the least likely friends to get married. He was not the type that would settle down and start a family or commit to a long term relationship. He was a traveler and could not stay in one place for long. When we graduated from high school we had gone our separate ways. I went to study at university and he had joined the military. We lost touch for a bit and I had not heard from him in a while. Getting the wedding invitation was a surprise and I could not wait to see my friend again. We lived on different sides of the country so I decided it would be easiest to take a flight there. The flight went smooth and I arrived at the destination right on schedule. My friend picked me up from the airport. We caught up on the drive to the wedding venue. My friend was really happy and I was happy for him. Everything was going great in his life. We got to the wedding just in time and I took my seat. My friend and his wife were a lovely couple and I was glad to see my friend again doing so well. After the wedding there was the beautiful reception. Besides some of my friend's family there was not many people that I knew. Most of the people there were friends of the bride or people that my friend knew or worked with. That is when I met her. She was seated across from me at the table and once we locked eyes I could feel an immediate connection. She was a friend of the bride and she did not know many of the people at the wedding either. We ended up sitting next to each other talking all night long and really hit it off. Little did we know that night was start of an amazing relationship for the two of us."
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"I got fired from my job at a meat department for stealing. It made me really ashamed of myself and I've become a better person."
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"I got fired from my job for stealing. I worked at a meat department in a big warehouse type store, and I had stolen a LOT of meat. I would hide steaks under cheaper cuts of meat and buy them. I would underweigh things and print off their labels and steal things that way. I got caught for something relatively minor, and management didn't know the extent of my theft. This happened about 4 months ago, and I've matured since then. I felt like a fucking idiot for getting caught. I was deeply ashamed and embarrassed. I was extremely grateful that the police didn't get involved. I feel that I get lucky like that a lot in my life, and I don't deserve it. My boyfriend was very disappointed in my for the theft. He told me a lot to stop doing it, but I guess I'm the kind of idiot that has to learn from their mistakes. While I was stealing from work I had also started shoplifting from stores. I never got caught for the shoplifting, but I haven't shoplifted since. I feel like I made my stupid, dumbass mistakes, and I'm eternally grateful that I didn't suffer any real consequences from them. I want to be a better person now."
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"It was about reconnecting with an old friend. We really hit it off. I'm going to visit him at his home later on."
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"He was in town visiting his own family. He found out that I still lived here locally so he got in contact with me. I received a phone call from him and we chatted for about an hour. It had been a long time since I had seen him, at least going back to our high school days. He went off with the military and I stayed here and worked locally. When we met up for lunch it was like we had never separated. We really hit it off. He actually had a family now (after multiple divorces though I'm told). When our meeting was finished we told each other that we should keep in contact more often. We agreed to call each other at least once a month as to not drift apart again. We also promised each other that we would visit during the holidays because he said that he was in the area most years to visit his family. I felt really good that one of my best friends growing up was doing well. Its nice having him as a part of my life again. We call each other all the time now just to keep current on each other's lives. In a few weeks I'm going out there to see him. I'll finally get to meet his family and see where he lives."
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'Lost my cats a few months back They are both with happy families now. So it all worked out in the end'
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"A little over a month ago i found myself without a place to live. I had to surrender my cats to the humane society of Tampa. I was very depressed. I found comfort in the fact that they are going to be well taken care of. Plus one of the cats were adopted to a girl i know personally so I'm able to check on him. She send me pictures and videos. My other cat was adopted a few weeks ago. I knew she wasn't going to last at the shelter. She is very friendly and out going so I knew she was gonna charm someone . I wish it did not go this way . I try to the positive In everything . I doubt i will every own another pet though. I still look at old pics. I cant take the heartache. I still love cats. I follow pages online. I maybe foster. I also maybe volunteer. Or open up a shelter"
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'My niece and I had a day out together. We got some toys, ice cream, dinner, and went to my house and the pet store. 3 places gave us discounts because of how cute my niece is.'
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"Last weekend I went shopping with my niece. I had a great day with her as usual . We went out shopping at some different stores around the mall. Then we drove to a town nearby. There was a new ice cream shop there. She was dying to try it out. The most exciting part of the day was that we were able to get discounts at multiple shops. People just loved how cute my niece was! We also stopped at the pet store, and looked around. I have done this a few times with her and it's always a lot of fun and a good time. I enjoyed this diary entry, I like looking back on days I've spent. I can't wait to spend more time with her in the future! We always have a good time. SHe is such a funny, bright child. She spreads joy wherever she goes. It really was a wonderful day."
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'It was my sisters 20th birthday, so the family planned a surprise trip to the zoo for her. We got to see a bunch of cool animals, go out to eat, and eat some cake as well.'
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"Dear Diary, Today is my sisters 20th birthday. My mom actually told me what we were doing earlier this week. She decided that the whole family is going to go to the local zoo. After the zoo, we are going to go get something to eat at a kind of nice restaurant nearby. This is all going to be a surprise to my sister since it is her birthday. We got a slow start today, as usual. After we finally made it out of the house, we all got into the families minivan. We then began our trip to the zoo. We finally arrived. It was a hot sunny day. It was a perfect day for the zoo. We got to see all cool types of animals. I think my favorite was the monkeys. One of them had a back injury for some reason, so it was secluded from the others while it healed. The penguins were pretty neat too. After we had finished seeing everything the zoo had to offer, we got back into the minivan and departed for the restaurant we were going to. I think everyone was exhausted by time we got to the restaurant from walking around the zoo all day in the hot sun. I didn't really like the place we went to eat, because the music was just a little to loud. The food was pretty decent at least. We paid the bill and headed home to sing happy birthday to my sister and eat cake. This was probably my favorite part, because I could finally sit down and relax."
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'I stepped out of my comfort zone and applied for a new position. This came with trials and having to have faith and patience.'
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"So far I am still enjoying this position but now I'm having a hard time adjusting. I keep having this nagging feeling that I want to stay home with my daughter. I have thought about once again stepping out and trying to find a new job closer to my home. Currently I am having to drive 30 min one way to work. I am trying to decide if I once again want to step out of my comfort zone and apply for a new position with a new company. There are a lot of things to consider when it comes to this. I have put 6 years in at my current place of employment and therefore I am getting optimum benefits. It will be hard for me to start over somewhere but I am willing to do so if I get better pay and benefits. We will just have to I would love to find a way to make money with my own business. At this point of don't have a clue of what I could do. see how it goes and if anything that I want to apply for presents itself. I want to be comfortable but also make the most money and get to spend the most time with my family especially my daughter while she is young. once I find a position I will know. I will have to identify if it will be the right fit for me. I can tell these kinds of things by just knowing in my heart. I do like my current company so I will have weigh the pros and cons of both. We will see which way life takes me."
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'I went to Las Vegas and met up with my Uncle and his friends during March Madness. We had a lot of fun, and it was really cool to see my Uncle around his friends, since I usually only see him with his wife and kids. It was definitely memorable and a great time.'
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"So, I haven't seen my Uncle in quite a while since he moved to Las Vegas. I was really missing him, so I decided to plan a trip there 4 months ago during March Madness. We used to watch a lot of games together when I was younger, so I thought this would be the perfect time to go see him. he was so excited when I called to tell him I booked my flight that I could barely get him off the phone. I got there on a Monday and planned on staying until Sunday. He insisted I stay with him and his wife and kids instead of paying for a hotel, and I could not argue with that. Plus, he said his wife and kids were going to visit her mom for a few days while I'd be there, so we'd have the house to invite some people over. The week was a blast. I'm so used to being around him with his family that I almost forgot how much fun he used to be before he got remarried. We went to the games, hung out at sports bars, ate like kings are some fantastic restaurants, including a few hidden gems only frequented by the locals. We also did some gambling. But, I think my favorite part was him inviting some of his buddies over and seeing him relax and have fun with his friends. What can be better than male bonding over sports, right? Plus, I had forgotten how great he was with the grill. I'm really glad I went. I wasn't sure if I should take the time off work, but I'm really happy that I did. I definitely had a great time and brought home some unforgettable memories."
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"We went on a trip for my husband's birthday. It was hot. We had a great dinner. We loved the rooftop bar. Our shoes both fell apart and that was very strange."
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"It was my husbands 45th birthday, so I wanted to plan something special for him. So, I rented a helicopter, to take us to Phoenix for the night. My husband loves Phoenix, it is his hometown. I booked us a table at a beautiful restaurant that has an amazing rooftop bar. I thought he would so very excited and surprised! The day of his birthday I drove him to the heliport and told him my plan. He was absolutely shocked! The helicopter ride was about an hour long, and the scenery was amazing! We landed in Phoenix and it was sooooo hot! We walked around Phoenix for a while, but it was so hot, our shoes started to feel like they we're melting! We went to the restaurant for dinner, and sat out on the roof top bar. The floor of the bar was soooo hot! It made our shoes literally start to fall apart! We couldnt believe it was happening, it was so crazy! The bar was beautiful and the food was amazing though! We ate our dinner, and quickly left, with our shoes literally falling off our feet. We ended up stopping at Target and had to buy new shoes to wear home. Needless to say we we're totally shocked and confused by the experience, and it certainly ended up being a memorable birthday for my husband!"
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'The summary of the story is that I was not prepared to speak at an important event. I was not notified and completely froze. The moral of my story is to be prepared to speak at anytime without a speech.'
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'Title: An Embarrassing MomentStory:About twelve months ago, several members of my high school band came together to plan a special event for our band director. We decided to have a sit down dinner and a talent show to honor him. My band director was the best at hosting and organizing talent shows, so we wanted to honor him with a talent show that we organized. We decided to have guest speakers, such as the mayor and other delegates to speak at the event. Several band members volunteered to be on the planning committee to ensure that the event was a success. After nine months of planning, we had obtained the banquet hall, guest speakers, entertainment, and etc. It was very challenging, but we prevailed. During the planning of the event, the committee agreed to have one person to speak on behalf of the group at the end of the event. This individual would "thank" everyone for coming and give words of encouragement. I immediately informed the committee that I would not be the spokes person due to my stage fright and nervousness. Another member of the committee volunteered. On the day of the event, everything went well until the ending of the event. The entire committee was called to the stage and I was immediately put on the spot and asked to say a few words to the audience and the honorary. The person who asked me to say a few words is the same person who volunteered to be our spokes person. I immediately froze like a deer in head lights. Not one word would come out my mouth. I felt so embarrassed as I was totally unprepared. After enduring this situation, I have gain more confidence and have over come my stage fright and nervousness. I also make sure to have a speech ready when hosting any event.'
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"My close friend's wedding was the most eventful and beautiful memory of my life. It has a special place in my heart because I was involved in the wedding planning and organization."
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"My close friend's wedding was indeed a beautiful memory that I carry in my heart. It was as special to me as it was for the bride and groom. A few days ago, I was having dinner with my friend whose wedding played an important role in my life. We went through some pictures from the wedding album as we took a stroll down memory lane. As I went through the pictures, I refreshed my memory about how the wedding planning started and how it all came together. The hard work that went into and the final outcome that made me realize the part I played in the entire event. People often say that family events matter a lot. But in this case it was a close friend whose wedding became an event even bigger than anything I had ever done for a family member. It was a great honor to have been chosen by the bride to be a part of the wedding planning. The toast raised to thank me for my hard work was a surprise and even today it makes me tear up a little. I sincerely hope that my friend is able to help someone near and dear to her like I did. So she can enjoy the moment of being part of an immensely joyful event. The effort and hard work that goes into planning an event as big as a wedding is certainly rewarding when it becomes a success. Just knowing that your gestures and planning has made two people happy and helped build memories for life to cherish. It sometimes makes me wonder about the time and effort that goes into organizing an event as significant as a wedding and the outcome of that final day coming into play."
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'We ate ballpark food. We drank a little beer and soda. The best part was getting together. We talked about old times. What surprised me was we all had a good time even though our team lost.The night was pleasant, not too hot, very clear.'
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"At the end of October I took a trip out to New York City, where I'm originally from. Many of my friends from high school are still living there and I made plans to get together for a Yankees game with some of them. The evening we choose to see the game was a beautiful night. The temperature was unseasonable hot so nobody has to wear a jacket. There was also not a cloud in the sky so the views of Yankee Stadium were just amazing! It had been such a long time since I had the chance to be there that I had forgotten how truly stunning Yankee Stadium is on its own. Since we got there early we decided to get some delicious ball park franks along with nachos! No matter how our tastes change over the years one thing that never can be topped is Yankee Stadium's food. Just smelling it brought back memories of visiting the old Yankee Stadium with my family. Most of us went ahead and got some beers with the food. Although some of us with more sensitive stomachs decided to opt for soda instead. We took all of our snacks up to the bleachers and found our seats. Hanging out together as some music was playing and people were slowly filling in the stands was an amazing aspect of the evening. It just made everything seem so much fun and we all found each other's company so relaxing. Finally as the stadium filled up the Boston Red Sox team were introduced as the visitors, to many boos from the audience. We all settled in to watch the Yankees win. Much to our dismay the Yankees ended up losing the game. None of us were very happy with the outcome of the game but we all did end up enjoying the evening together very much and hope to be able to repeat it soon. Looking back I really do feel like the highlight was just spending time with old friends and reconnecting with them."
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'I made a major life change by switching jobs. I make a lot more money, and I took a lot of stress off me. I cut my commute and the time I have to spend away from home.'
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"So a few months ago I was just living my life like normal. working a job that I didn't really like much but bills needed to be paid. I had to spent about 12 hours a day at this job just to get by making a little money. It was hard for me to get by at times due to the hours. Sometimes my checks would be good but often I had to work a lot. I didn't really have many days off either. Eventually I was able to get another job. This job was way better for me personally. I had made a major life change by switching jobs. I make a lot more money, and I took a lot of stress off me. Due to having to travel and work longs hours to get some money to get by. Now my commute it almost cut in half. I also don't have to work the long hours that I had to work at the old job. Overall I am excited and able to live more comfortable. I haven't had an issue with my new job yet."
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'My wife stumbled across a Facebook post from the local animal shelter of a dog who had been picked up. He was in very poor health and very thin. Several months later he is happy and has a family.'
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'I was part of a rather remarkable occurrence that took place over the past 3 months. I fear that if I don\'t write it down soon I may not believe it myself in another 1/4 of a year. As you might know, there are no leash laws in my community. The neighborhood dogs tend to spend the days visiting each other and ... being dogs. Most of them go back to the particular human family that "owns them" at night to be fed and cared for, but there are always a few that don\'t seem to belong to anyone in particular and just sort of make the rounds between a few different homes. Well, my wife stumbled on a post on facebook that a local stray who we had always called Rufus had been taken into the pound by animal control. He had been found under a nearby house when the homeowners investigated the source of a whimpering noise they had been hearing for a few days. Apparently there was a thorn in his foot that had become badly infected, and these people (not having money for veterinary care, nor desiring to have a dog) had him taken to the shelter. Well, I had always been rather fond of Rufus in passing. So when my wife suggested we cover the cost of his antibiotics and adopt him I agreed. A couple weeks of healing and good food and he was back to his rascally good nature. However, now that we "owned" him on paper problems began to arise. You see, my wife and I live on the edge of town and coyotes live in the valley below us. They don\'t really cause any trouble in town, but they are the reason that most farmers in the area have a dog to scare them away from livestock. It used to be that when the coyotes would start "singing" at night several of the town dogs would "rap battle" right back. A territory thing I suppose ... Well, Rufus in particular had always seemed to see it as part of his oikos to protect the smaller dogs and bark loudly to keep the coyotes at bay. Nobody ever seemed to mind, but once he became "our" dog that changed. Neighbors began to call the police with noise complaints. They demanded that we keep him in the house at night. Now, he was a very sweet dog, obedient to many commands like sit, shake, Eskimo Kiss, etc. but being rather a free spirit the one thing he would not do is come when he was called. He would come close enough to "check in" but not quite into arms reach until he was good and ready. Well, after a few more exchanges with the cops we started keeping him tied up with a cable when he went out so we could make sure that he came inside at night. Well, one night the local pack of coyotes were raising a right ruckus. Long story short, Rufus broke the cable and ran off to join them, I have been hearing his deep happy bark mingling with their song from the valley.'
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'My family had its semi-annual family reunion in June. All of my aunts and uncles came in town with their kids so there was a lot of people. I was in charge of setting up food and drinks at the barbecues.'
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'We just recently had our biannual family reunion and I was asked to be in charge of food and drinks. As soon as I found out this information and the location of the event and cooking options I began researching for recipes and methods of preparing food for large groups of people. I wanted the food to be delicious and to be able to keep making it fresh throughout the day and for the drinks to be tasty while giving everyone choices. For the drinks I purchased many watermelons , berries and other melons and created a fruit mix ice and water. We used the carbonation machine at the building to add fizz to the bottles as they had some large seal-able bottles we used to make fruit soda essentially. For the food I began by making sandwich patties with lentils and oats and spices to go along with the grilled vegetables. Dad helped set us the grills and we had a nice even heat going by mid morning and began cutting up the various vegetables and potatoes and yams and onions. We had a large variety of foods all prepared by mid morning and began setting them on the grill in trays and allowed them to cook. The first people starting arriving before noon to help and I wanted to have the first batch of food ready to feed them and also to test the system for when the bulk of the family arrived. The first batch of food, thanks to dad helping watch over and regulating the heat, was perfectly cooked. I asked my aunts and uncles to take a break from setting up the tables and chairs and so we all took a break and tried out all the grilled veggies and potatoes and they each had a bit of the sandwiches too. I then poured them all a fizzy fruit drink and they all said it was delicious. We went to the store and purchased several more watermelons and stopped by the farmers market to see what they had and was able to buy freshly picked strawberries. We also bought a box of potatoes and brought all the food back to the party. A few more relatives arrived while we were out getting food and they volunteered to help prepare the potatoes for the grill. We had many different trays and so decided to spice each tray of potatoes differently with some adding peppers and onions . I also created two trays of brussel sprouts and added several other vegetables. The food was a bit and later we popped a bunch of popcorn and each family also brought a dish and so we had all types of foods and deserts.'
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'My father was in a car accident right before my birthday. He was hospitalized for 10 days before finally passing away. To be in accordance with our religious funeral rites, I dressed him in appropriate clothing.'
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"I am still kind of in shock. You can do everything right in life, and still not be rewarded. 11 weeks ago today the day My dad died. He was driving down for the weekend to celebrate my birthday when a drunk driver swerved into him. My dad's car rolled several times and he had to be airlifted to the hospital in the city. I remember sitting in the hospital on my birthday hoping he would wake up, that is the only present I wanted. I didnt feel like celebrating or doing gifts, I just wanted to see my dad. Unfortunately 10 days after the accident he passed away. I didn't know what to do or how to take it. I knew he was still heavily involved in the church and this brought me some soalce. I attended but didnt really know all the rules and stipulations of this church. Apparently one of the monarchs was in town and told me about the traditional funeral rites and about the special garments they wore. I asked if I could get these garments somewhere and he told me of a store downtown. As I shopped around I was filled with the grief from his sudden passing and knew this is the last thing I would buy my dad. I wanted to honor his beliefs so I bought the shawl and clothing. It was bittersweet saying goodbye, knowing there was nothing he could do to prevent what happened. I miss him and hope wherever he is now he is looking out for me."
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'My sister moved to another state far away. I helped her move out and did some chores to help her when she was moving out. My family and especially my mother was upset that she moved.'
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'My sister moved out the the southwest because she wanted to find work there. She was preparing to drive the whole way there with a friend. I did a few things to help her move, like helping to take care of her cats. I really enjoyed that part because I like getting to be around animals. I also helped move some of the boxes of her stuff to her car so she could drive cross country with it all. Some other family members were around and helping out too. I am not very close with my sister so it felt weird and awkward hanging out with her helping her move. She was more polite and thankful to me than I thought she was going to be, which was nice. My mother was really upset that she was moving away because she was pretty close to my sister. I think my dad was happy that she was finding a place of her own. It was weird seeing my mom cry about her leaving. I think it was extra hard for her because it is so far away. My parents also bought a bunch of stuff for her new place. Her friend who was helping her move was vegan and my mom freaked out about finding the right kind of food for her. After she left my parents were sort of sad for a while, but they got better when she moved into her new place for real.'
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'There was an arrest. I bailed out my friend. It was a surprising event. Lucky for us things turned out okay.'
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'It didn\'t seem we were even doing anything illegal. Sure, we had rolled through a stop sign, but that normally is just a slap on the wrist. A slap on the wrist--if not, for that empty bag of marijuana in the passenger\'s side door panels we had forgotten about. "Do you agree to a search?" the officer asked. Feeling we had nothing to hide, we simply acquiesced. He began just rummaging through the glovebox, and we knew we were fine. Nothing to find, here. Then he knocked a book out of the door panel and out emerged an empty bag of marijuana with a few flakes clinging to the interior of it. It may have been there for three, five years, who even knows? What we do know, is that was enough to put my buddy, the driver, in court the next morning. The judge was aghast the officers had wasted her time over some amount of marijuana that equated to fish food, and she released him that same morning. We never went back to that city again, because usually a rolled stop sign does not cause a quasi-disaster. We henceforth were much more careful about leaving discarded trash in the car. You never know what that trash could be! When a rolled stop sign and an empty bag lands one in jail, is it ever "Worth it?"That is a definitive no.'
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'The day I found out I found out that I was going to be a father. The highs and lows due to losing my father. Finding out I was having a girl.'
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"The event that I am writing about is probably one of the if not the greatest thing to ever happen to me. I found out that my wife is pregnant with our first child! When I first found out I was overcome with emotions. At first I was so happy and excited because we had been trying for so long to get pregnant. Then I was overcome with sadness. You see my dad passed away a couple years ago. In my eulogy I spoke how the day that I find out I would be a father would be one of the toughest days for me. That would be because I wouldn't be able to call him and see his excitement. I wouldn't be able to call him for advice. My wife is now about 6 months pregnant. Still to this day I have highs and lows because of these two things. Highs because I am so excited to be a dad. Lows because I don't have my dad here to help me. We found out we are having a girl! I always thought I wanted a boy first, but when I found out we were having a girl I was so ecstatic. I immediately went into papa bear mode. I began looking into how to be the best dad to a girl. What I needed to know about having a girl. I know that she is going to be the most important thing in my life. So this sums up not only my most recent important life experience, but probably the most important one ever!"
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'I was sitting at the table eating breakfast when I found out I got accepted into a PhD program that I had been waitlisted at. I cried tears of happiness and informed my mother, and she was happy, too.'
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"I was scrolling through my email one morning, as I do every day before work. I was sitting at the wooden kitchen table in my kitchen. I was eating peanutbutter toast. Suddenly, my heart stopped when I saw I had a notification from my dream genetics PhD program. After a second, I relaxed a bit, figuring it must be another survey or follow-up email they were sending regarding my place on the waitlist. However, when I clicked it I saw I was admitted to the program. The whole world stopped still. Everything I had worked hard for the past eight years was finally a reality. I sat there in silence for a moment, the spoon to my cereal in my hand, midair. After a couple moments of sitting in shock, I yelled out to my mother. She was getting ready for work and was a little annoyed when she entered the kitchen because I had interrupted her morning routine. When she saw my face, her mood lightened. I was crying tears of joy softly as I told her the news. I've never heard my mother shreak so loudly in my entire life. She ran across the kitchen and gave me a big hug. Tears of joys were running down her face as well. Everything felt just right as I continued to hug my mother and think positively about my future for the first time in a while. I was so excited to start the rest of my life."
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'I went to a wedding for one of my closest friends. It was out of town and I got to see old friends there.'
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'About 3 months ago I went to one of my best friends wedding. I had to take a trip about a hour and a half out of town to go to it. It was a nice drive and I really enjoyed the peace of the drive up to the venue. I\'m always happy to see my friends happy and to see them make new steps in their lives and find someone that cares for them. I was really happy to see so many old familiar faces there too. Some people look exactly the same as I remember them, most of them aged really well and look great. This isn\'t the first wedding I\'ve went to with someone from our friend group, It always reminds me how I\'m a little behind in that department. I haven\'t found anyone that cares for me or that I care for enough to make such a big commitment to. I know all my friends are hoping for me to find that special someone in the same way that they have. I know I will eventually, It will just take time. I saw the "one that got away" at the wedding too. She still seems like she hasn\'t found anyone either. We talked for a bit and maybe might get together for dinner in the next week. I know better than to get my hopes up about such things. I was really surprised that she was the one who suggested getting together.'
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'We had fun hiking and picnicing for our 5th wedding anniversary. We encountered some cute animals. My husband got a rise out of me for fun, pretending there was a Sasquatch and stalker in the forest.'
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'My husband and I went hiking for our anniversary in July. It was a fun day that really cost us nothing as we also had a picnic after our hike. We walked for hours in the slightly hilly area of our local state park. We saw turtles, frogs, and bunnies. We each almost slipped a few times. But we were wearing shoes with traction, so that helped prevent any falls. There was a spot at which I felt we were walking in an enchanted forest. There was a tiny cabin in the distance, a wooden bridge over a small creek, and very high trees. I could almost imagine the smell of pies being baked and the story of Hansel and Gretel in the forest. I got some bug bites but had a balm that helped prevent the bites from getting irritated. My husband was got bitten more than me, but he didn\'t complain. My husband is funny as he tried to scare me for fun. He said stuff like, "I saw someone stare at us and hide." Or, "What was that? There\'s a Sasquatch over there. Careful!" Then he would tap one of my shoulders and made me jump. When we were done hiking we had a picnic. We brought sandwiches, water, celery sticks, trail mix, and fig cookies. It all tasted very good and we went home feeling refreshed from our time in nature. We also ended the day feeling grateful for having each other on our anniversary.'
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'We were 2 lovebirds thought we would be together forever and we had the time of our lives and share that forever.'
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"I met him at summer camp earlier this year. His auburn hair, his blue eyes and demeanor drew me in. He had a smile that could light up an entire room. Boys like that tend to draw me in. I was doomed from the start. We started off just talking and getting to know each other. Comments on social media turned to texting, texting turned to phone calls that lasted for hours, phone calls turned into a friendship. It didn't take very long for this fledgling friendship to turn into something more. At first, I was really scared about how much I liked him. Every time we hung out, went swimming and talked, I knew that I was in trouble with this one. I knew that he would be the one to break my heart. I mean, how could he not? He was everything I wanted and more. I found myself in love really quickly. Summer seemed infinite, and made it feel like this love would never end. I began to think that he may stick around even after camp ended. Maybe we could make this work. Maybe he was the one.. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. We both agreed that long distance wouldn't work. It would be too hard, so we decided to end our relationship. It still hurts to this day, but I cherish every moment of what we had. Those memories are precious and will connect me with him forever. Memories are what makes love eternal, even when love isn't enough."
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'I was having a hard time adjusting to a tough breakup with my boyfriend so my coworkers surprised me with thoughtful gifts to lift my spirits. I felt appreciative that I was supported by the people around me.'
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"Something memorable that happened to me in the last couple of weeks was when my coworkers helped cheer me up when I was going through a hard time. I recently broke up with my boyfriend, so the last few months have been hard. We were living together, so I've had to find a new place to live that I can afford on my own. I've never lived by myself before, so its been a struggle adjusting to being alone. I had thought that my boyfriend and I would get married, but I was sadly mistaken. Our relationship wasn't growing enough and we decided it was best to part ways. My coworkers noticed that I've been acting different lately and asked what was wrong. At first I didn't want to talk about it, but eventually I confided to one of my coworkers about what I've been going through. I could tell that she felt sympathetic towards my situation, and she told me that she went through something similar a few years ago. It felt nice to talk to someone about it, but I didn't expect what would come next. The next day I walked into work and was surprised to see that my office was filled with flowers and chocolates. On my keyboard there was a card from my coworker. Inside the card was positive quotes and uplifting messages from all of my coworkers to try and lift my spirits. I was surprised that my coworkers cared so much about me that they would surprise me in this way. I felt very appreciative, and was happy that I had people in my life who supported me."
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"Woman shocks a man, desperately in love with a break up. Man has to deal with the hard facts that she doesn't love him anymore. This is some of his reactions and aftermath of her decision."
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"Today was like any other day, I was happy and in love. When I say this came out of nowhere I really mean it. I woke up and did my morning ritual. I made coffee and breakfast for myself and my girlfriend. We normally survive on coffee and something simple to eat. I cooked our favorite which we, I, call egg in a hole. As soon as my girlfriend, or should I say ex-girlfriend by now, entered the kitchen, something felt off. I looked at her face and got a tinge of fear. She looked so serious when she's normally so bubbly. From that moment, all time slowed down but yet everything felt like a blur. First she said she needed to talk to me. I panicked and she must have saw it because she tried to calm me. She said that had found someone else and was no longer in love with me. My heart sank. It came out of nowhere, or I missed all the signs. I begged and pleaded with her not to leave me. I might have made a fool of myself, I cringe when I think of it. I was crushed and began to cry. She left after eating. I couldn't eat and just went to my bed. I drifted in and out of sleep because when I slept it didn't hurt."
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'I lost my Airpods in the field while walking back from class. I classmate came and helped me search and find them.'
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"It was a beautiful spring day. The sun was shining so I thought I'd take the long way back from class - the way that winds through the field. After all it was dry so I shouldn't have any problem. In fact, I should really enjoy myself. I had my Airpods out with me while I was walking. I thought that I'd enjoy listening to some of my favorite music. However, before I could put them on my phone rang. It was my mom so I knew I had to talk to her. In my rush to grab my phone everything became a blur and somehow I managed to loose my Airpods. I didn't realize that I'd lost my Airpods until I reached the dorm. Once inside I saw one of my classmates and we struck up a conversation. We sat down on the couch and I started putting things away. This is when I realized that I didn't know where my Airpods were - that I'd lost them somewhere in the field I was walking through while on the phone with my Mom. My classmate and I headed out to look for them. Thank God we found them."
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'We took a long awaited trip to French Polynesia after I had been there 27 years ago. We visited five islands and I got my long awaited shark pictures. This was our 25th wedding anniversary and we had a wonderful time.'
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"27 years ago I made my second trip to French Polynesia and fell in love with the place. I finally decided to cash in some stock that I had and set up the trip for our 25 wedding anniversary. I thought about it and chose the islands that I thought my wife would enjoy. And I had one special island for me. On Rangiroa 27 years ago I took many pictures of the black tip reef sharks, a very few with mine and many more with another person's camera. I only had one that came out ok. So I wanted my shark pictures. We went to the airport early and took our first plane to Los Angeles and got on an afternoon flight to Papeete. Our first island stop was Moorea, where we spent 7 days in an over water bungalow. The Moorea of today saddened me because 27 years ago it was pristine and uncrowded. Not now. Next we went to Huahine, where we found the French Polynesia of 27 years ago. Few cars and few people and absolutely beautiful. I actually stayed in the same hotel that I had stayed in 27 years ago. We had a great time there and rented a car to drive around the island. Bora Bora was our next stop and it was pretty much the same as it was 27 years ago. It looks really nice flying in, but not so much on the ground. We had decided not to get an over water bungalow there because it was too expensive. But when we got there, we were moved into an over water bungalow at no additional charge. We left after 3 days to my ultimate destination, Rangiroa. We were staying a very nice hotel with our beach bungalow facing out to the crystal clear blue water. Then on Sunday we went out to the Blue Lagoon where not only did I get shark pictures, I got shark videos. I had tears in my eyes on the ride out because after 27 years I was finally going to get my shark pictures. It was a rough ride, but we got to the blue lagoon and I was overjoyed. This was the trip of a lifetime and I only hope we can make it back one more time before we get too old."
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'I flew in an airplane for the first time. The experience was transcending and made me realize how small I was.'
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"Dear Diary,I've never had a need to fly in an airplane before. I grew up in a small town in Kentucky and I don't really know many people outside of the State. At least not that I had realized. My Papaw a week ago was the first person to say that we should go see my Great Aunt Helen before she passed away. Mind you I'm twenty five now and have never even heard of the woman. Guilt must have been a motivating factor, he had vowed to pay my way and who was I to pass up the opportunity? The most stressful thing was getting through the airport and the wait to even get on the plane. I don't ever remembering having to take my shoes off to get through an x-ray machine, but I did and I didn't die from it I guess, haha. It took a bit to even get going after sitting down in my seat with my Papaw. He seemed nervous, but I was not. I wanted to mark this off of my bucket list. The take off really freaked me out, but being in that seat, man there is NOTHING like it. I felt lifted out of my body. There was a familiar knot I felt in my stomach like when I was high on a Roller Coaster, but it was only similar in that sense. Nothing and I mean NOTHING, compared to this feeling. I looked down through the window at what looked like boxes of corn fields and such and just realized that somewhere down there in those little tiny rows were my family. I was that small. I still can't get over that feeling that somewhere there are tons of people probably having that same revelation. It's an insane experience and I'm glad I got to do it. See ya,R"
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'My father passed away the day before my birthday. It was confusing when I received the news. I never got to see him.'
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"It was around the time when I completed my graduation and was looking for a job. I just had a few hundred dollars to support myself. I was hunting for a job. I was at the end of my resources. I did not have much to maneuver around. I took up a part-time job at a hotel for valet parking to support myself. This is a tedious job and the pay is also very simple. Meanwhile, i got news that my pop has been admitted with chest pain. My morale was blown to pieces. I felt as if I dont have a shoulder to rest. I could picture the bewildered state of my mom and sister. My grandpa will be at his wits end on hearing this. I felt as if there was a big load on my chest, suffocating me, I felt very hard to take a breath in. I felt as if i was ready to pass out. I wasn't able to process this information. It took a few minutes to get hold of myself. I took a cup of coffee and gathered my thoughts, I was planning to go home around next week after i land a job or had something near to closure."
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'I attended a graduation ceremony for my Kindergarten child. She did a small presentation with her classmates.'
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'Last spring, I went to the kindergarten graduation for my child. She is autistic with some speech delay, so school is sometimes a struggle for her. I appreciated being able to take part in the celebration of her hard work. The children demonstrated some of their new skills through songs and presentations. I was especially impressed when my child walked right up to a microphone to tell the audience about learning her shapes. At the beginning of the year, she could barely hold still on stage and needed a teacher to help her. She would have been scared to talk in front of people. I was very proud of this new development. After the kids did their presentations, the families ate potluck food. My daughter wanted to eat lots of watermelon. I helped both my kids get plates, and we sat down to eat. Then my kids were running around and playing with other kids. I was impressed to see them demonstrating social skills. My son especially has struggled to play with other kids, so I was happy to see it that night. After that, we went home.'
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"I planned a weekend getaway for my husband's birthday. We stayed at a lovely hotel and enjoyed time swimming and using a whirlpool. We ate a delicious steak dinner, then saw one of his favorite movies in a state-of-the-art movie theater."
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"My husband's 60th birday was approaching, so I decided to do something extra special for him this year. Since he enjoys staying at hotels, I booked a room at a luxury hotel for a weekend getaway. I did not tell him before we checked-in to the hotel, but I had chosen this hotel because it had a large, heated indoor pool. We got to our room and I immediately opened my suitcase and pulled out his swimming trunks, that I had packed in secret. We changed into our swim clothes and headed down to the pool. As we approached the pool, we both noticed that there was also a whirlpool located next to the pool. I was elated! My husband suffers from back pain and the whirlpool would certainly made him feel good. We swam for quite a while, then relaxed in the whirlpool. After we got back to our room, we both were extremely hungry and we agreed that a steak dinner was what we wanted. We ate our favorite steaks along with baked potatoes and creamed spinach. For dessert, my both had the most delicious chocolate cake that we'd ever eaten. After dinner, I gave him directions to a nearby movie theater, where we planned to see a remake of one of his favorite movies, The Lion King. The theater featured state of the art video and sound, but when we entered the theater to take our seats, I was astonished to see that all of the seats were overstuffed leather recliners that changed position with the touch of a button. Again, this made me particularly happy because of my husband's back issues, sitting for long periods of time can be painful for him. I was sure that he would be very comfortable in his seat and would be able to enjoy the movie thoroughly, which he was and he did. The sound and video quality, along with the comfort of the seats made us decide that we would never go to different theater ever again. All in all, the weekend was a great success because my husband had a fantastic time."
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'I took my abusive ex to court to make him pay the money that he was supposed to pay me and I won the case and he has started paying.'
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"Yes, never give up. Because god is always with you, as long as truth is on your side. It was scary when i decided to take George to court. He had left a lot of emotional scars within me over the years. The abuse.. God.. How did i tolerate him? Why did i tolerate him? And to think that i paid for his mortgage from my hard earned money? I admit, i was taken aback when he came back couple months back, begging to take him back. I wasn't sure. he seemed changed. But no, i was wrong. I realized it right when he started the abuse back again. That's when i realized that i couldn't let this go on. I went see a lawyer straight away and filed a petition in court. And i won! Now he pays me, for everything i have done for him so far, for everything he had done to me. Justice prevails."
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'I applied for a few law schools and was largely accepted. However, as the schools that accepted me did not offer 100% scholarships, I opted to withdraw from this admissions cycle and reapply much earlier next cycle.'
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"After two attempts at taking the law school admissions test, I had received a respectable score. I took several weeks to craft a personal statement to send to three law schools. I waited until the last possible day, of each law school's admission cycle, to submit my applications. One law school rejected me; it was the highest ranking school. Over the next two weeks, the other two law schools both accepted me and offered me 60% scholarships to attend their programs. Unfortunately, both schools offered these scholarships with conditions. The conditions seemed completely attainable- do not fall below the bottom 20% or the class, for one, and to stay above a 2.33 GPA for the other. Both of the schools that accepted me were relatively high-ranking schools. The dean of the higher ranking of the two schools requested a conference with me to discuss my options and any concerns I might have. Initially, that school had offered me a 40% scholarship but during this conversation the dean raised my scholarship offer from 40% to 60%, unsolicited. I attempted at that time to further negotiate my scholarship details- the conditions only. The dean expressed he would bring my concerns up with the admissions committee and contact me back with a determination. The admissions committee sent out my revised scholarship offer soon after, however the conditions were still attached. After long consideration, I withdrew my applications from both law schools. My goal was and continues to be to obtain 100% scholarship for law school. I will be retaking the LSAT and reapplying my earlier in the upcoming cycle."
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"I was excited to plan and setup for my son's birthday party. It was going to have fun games and lots of food."
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'I was very happy to setup my sons birthday three months ago. I wanted this to be a special event because he was turning 5 years old. There was going to be so many family and friends there and i wanted it to be special. I hired a magician to come to the birthday party. This made the party so much fun and my son was so happy. I remember seeing him smile so much. Another thing i remember is when he openend his presents he was smiling so much. He had friends over as well and they had a blast. When they saw the magician doing tricks everyone was laughing so much. It was a blessing to plan this party for my son. I cant wait for next year to setup his next party. I have so many new ideas for next year. My son keeps talking about a new ipad. I already bought the ipad for him. I plan on giving it to him for his 6th birthday party!'
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"My wife and my two kids had all arranged to have the day off to go to my wife's mother's 75th birthday party. This was just one month ago. We had a bit of a ordeal getting some wine for the party. Thankfully we had a great time. My mother-in law had a great time."
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"I can't believe it has been a month since my mother in laws birthday party! It took a lot of work for me to get the day off and on top of that having both my kids and wife get it off too. Somehow I pulled off putting in the time off for it considering how busy I have been as of late. I had been being nagged by my wife for weeks before about the wine that she had wanted from a specialty store up state. Apparently this wine had been served at her birthday years before and it was important for her to have it. It took me all morning to get the kids dressed and ready for the day so when I got them all strapped in and ready for the drive to the winery of course 10 minutes in both of them would have to stop and go the bathroom! We pulled off into a fast food place and quickly took care of business. As we got back onto the road our tire popped and I had to quickly change the tire as we were getting down to the wire for being on time for the party. Finally we arrived at the winery and the lady at the front desk told me that the wine was going to cost $550!! I called my wife immediately and she told me that I had to get it and I was more than upset. After the morning I had had I tried to brush it off and we finally made it to the party with the wine as promised. We had a great time and so did the kids. My mother in law thanked us endlessly for the wine and said it had made her life! I'm glad it worked it and it was a memory to remember. Thankfully we will never have to buy that wine again! I will be having my wife do all those type of gift buying the next time."
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"I had a very serendipitous car accident. The woman who hit my car was actually the mother of one of my daughter's childhood friends. Because of a language barrier between me and the woman who hit my car, my daughter assisted in the communication and was reunited with her friend."
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"Last week I was on my way to work when someone hit my car from behind. Fortunately, it wasn't a hard hit because because we were only driving about 15-20 miles per hour. There was a woman with 2 small children in the car that hit my car. We both pulled over to the side and eventually moved into a parking lot. The woman who hit my car did not speak English and I was having a hard time understanding her. I speak spanish but it's a bit rusty. I had my daughter help translate because she speaks spanish fluently. The woman gave my daughter her ID and some paperwork from the car. I wanted my daughter to let the woman know that since there wasn't really any damage to my car, I wouldn't call the police or file a claim. When my daughter was talking to the woman their conversation became animated. I was picking up on the conversation in bits and pieces but couldn't really understand why they were so excited. They continued speaking for a while and my daughter pulled out her phone and started searching for something on her phone. She showed the woman an image of my daughter with another young girl from about 15 years ago. Then the excitement really grew. The woman wrote down a phone number and gave it to my daughter. Finally, my daughter and the woman hugged and my daughter and I went back to my car. It turns out that the woman that hit my car is the mother of one of my daughter's school friends from a long time ago and the two young children in the can were my daughter's classmates children. The woman had given my daughter her daughter's phone number so they could reconnect. It's a small world."
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"A long-time coworker confesses his feelings for me which are mutual. It's a potential romance with chemistry, as we never would've guessed we had feelings. Things are complicated when he's moving across country, but we'll always keep each other in our thoughts."
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"Working with Mike has always been great, and it was unfortunate that he had to move. It was obviously a great opportunity for him. I only wish he had told me how she felt about me before he was already out the door. I had just gotten into work and was walking towards Mike when he blocked my path. He confessed to me that he always had feelings for me, but felt he was unable to act on it since we worked together. He went on about how he thought we could have something. The thing is, I also like Mike, and withheld this for the same reason. I think due to the timing of this all, we both knew nothing could come of it. He was moving all the way to Washington to co-lead the new branch. Maybe one day he'll move back. Maybe I'll move there. Who knows. For the time being we're gonna stay in touch. I don't think anything will come of this though. It is simply too much distance. Oh well. Next time I'll be sure to say something."
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"I went to a family reunion. We had a cook out, played games, talked and just enjoyed each other's company."
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"I went to a family cookout about six weeks ago. Both sides of the family came, I haven't seen some of my father's family in years and some of my mother's family, I had never met. It was fun and exciting to see everyone and learn more about the family and where I came from. We had a BBQ and made burgers and grilled chicken, we had a few different salads and beverages. We played a few games of charades and cornhole and just reminisced about memories we shared together and with members of the family that are no longer with us. It was so nice to see everyone, the kids all had a great time playing games together. They played red-rover and man-hunt in the woods at the campground. They all came back after playing and roasted marshmallows and had watermelon. The campground is beautiful and the lot we had rented was great because it was right by the lake with beach access. If we had brought our canoes we could have pushed right off from them. We plan to do it again next year and make it an annual event, because we had so much fun. Next year we'll definitely bring the boats and maybe we'll camp out a night or two. The facilities were very nice and I think the kids would all like tent camping. Most of my mother's side of the family is from the city so it will be a new experience for them. We should bring fishing poles too. I wished I had mine with me. I saw lots of fish jumping when the sun went down."
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'My friend V., whom I had not talked to in almost two years, texted me out of the blue. It turns out he wanted to reconnect and invite me to his wedding. I decided to go, and had a good time.'
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'About one month ago, I received an unexpected text message from my friend. He and I had not spoken in almost two years because we had a falling out towards the end of 2017. This was a friend I made in graduate school, and with whom I used to hang out fairly regularly for about four years. We would go to the movies, go hiking, have lunch, and other things. I helped him through a particularly rough patch when he lost two people close to him and went though a breakup within a year\'s span. I was glad to have him as a friend and we could talk about important matters with one another. At one point, however, our friendship became very strained, and we had an argument, after which we didn\'t speak for almost two years. When I received that text (which was simply a "Hi, how are you?"), I was very unsure about whether to respond to it or not. I put it off for a few hours, but finally decided to answer back. I did not receive a response for several days, and was not sure what happened: whether he was experiencing a major issue or just wanted to be friends again. When he finally texted me back several days later, it turned out he was reaching out to invite me to his wedding. He was getting married the next month, and wanted to reconnect and make amends. I was taken aback because I had not expected to ever hear from him again. I was cautious about going, but decided to accept his invitation after consulting with a few people about whether it would be a good idea. The wedding was in just a few weeks, so it was short notice, and this would be the first time we were seeing each other in almost two years. I was afraid it would be awkward or tense. Luckily, the wedding was a beautiful occasion, and I was glad I went and was able to reconnect with him after all this time. His wife is a very intelligent and lovely woman, and I am happy for him, especially after the difficult time he went through.'
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'It took time, effort and cash but now I have a gorgeous, relaxing courtyard to spend time in. And the trickling sound from the waterfall in my pond adds to my enjoyment.'
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"I finished landscaping my courtyard about two months ago. I bought my condo last year and the courtyard was one thing I had always wanted and had based my purchase on it. I've taken horticulture in college so I'm pretty knowledgeable about how to do it. About 4 years before I purchased the condo, previous owners had hired a landscape company to decorate it with a flowering tree, plants, pond and black river rock stone as mulch. They sold the condo to a retired woman a year later and she never even pulled one weed. So when I bought it, it was an overgrown jungle. My first step was pulling out weeds and dead bushes. My next step, which took about 3 months, was pulling out all the river rock from about 1 foot down in the dirt. From rain and other weather, the rocks had sunken down through the landscape fabric and underneath all the weeds. Every day, I spent 15-30 minutes overturning the dirt, one shovel scoop at a time, then pulling each rock out (from 1 in. to 4 inches wide) and tossing them into huge plastic bins in the garage. I then drew out a new landscape plan, bought the plants, dug the holes and planted them. To my surprise, I called a pond company and I was able to afford their services of rebuilding my broken down pond and adding a filter, pump and some underwater plants. After that was all done, I called a landscape company to drag the bins out of the garage, lay down new landscape fabric and all those black rocks. I also brought out my garden decor, added fish to the pond, added some smaller plants to decorative pots and finally stood back to look at my work. I can't believe how beautiful it is and my neighbors also love it. It's a soothing place to come out to several times a day for relaxation."
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'I severely cut my finger in a kitchen accident. My daughter and neighbors rallied around the cause and made me realize how incredibly lucky I am to have them.'
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'I totally forgot to tell you about my finger! About 3 months ago, I was in the kitchen cutting some fresh veggies. I was going to make some salad and put tomatoes and things in it. Well, I was talking to my husband and wasn\'t paying attention. I mean, I\'ve cut countless tomatoes and other things and never had a problem! I just slipped and cut the tip of my finger clear off! I was screaming and holding my hand up while blood poured from my tip. My husband grabbed a towel and told my daughter to go get the phone and call an ambulance. I was screaming \'IS THAT NEEDED?" and my husband picked up my tip of finger and told me "YES!" A few minutes later, the ambulance came and took the tip that I had cut off and I was off to the hospital. What a time! I couldn\'t believe that I was so careless to let something like that happen to me. They were able to put the finger tip back on, sadly it\'s a little deformed. I don\'t really mind, just the fact that I have an intact finger is enough for me to be honest! I just couldn\'t believe how supportive and caring my family and my neighbors were. Sure, we all shared our jokes, but they were coming and helping me all the time.'
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'A championship game is down to the wire and it begins to rain. Our team is exhausted and has already played three games that daybut pulls through to win it all!'
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"What a crazy day for baseball! Our team deserves to go to the championship this year. Today was the perfect summer day for a game; it wasn't a scotching hot day. The tournament started at 8 this morning. I met with Conner this morning for breakfast at the cafe, then we headed to the game together. Our boys first game was an easy win and they advanced to the next round. The team they played second put up more of a fight, but we won by 10 points. The third team was tough and played well. We only won by 3 points, but advanced to the final team. The team was tired and we could tell. Clouds began to come out and I hoped it would stay away until the last game was over. We knew this would be a tough game, but agreed that these were to 2 best teams. The game started slow, the players are obviously tired. The score stayed close the entire game. In the eighth inning it began to rain a little. By the ninth inning the rain was more sturdy, but the teams played on since there was no lighting and the rain was not too hard. Our team was down two points and needed 3 runs to win the game. Miller was up to bat and the bases were loaded. Miller steps up and gets a home run and we win the game. Next stop, championships!"
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"The summary details my day as I flew to my company's annual event at the state's capitol. I flew there, attended the event, and flew back on the same day. Upon returning home, I grabbed a drink with a friend and went home."
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"Today I went to the company's annual conference at the state's capitol and met the Attorney General, who was our keynote speaker at the event. I began the day waking up early at 4 AM to get some work done. I ate breakfast, hopped in the shower, then packed a bag. After double-checking to make certain I had everything, I pulled at my phone and ordered an Uber. The driver made good time, and, after some delay at the TSA checkpoint on account of my expired driver's license, I boarded the plane. The flight was uneventful, and, after navigating the airport, which had been redesigned since my last visit, I summoned an Uber to take me downtown. I arrived with plenty of time to spare as final preparations were underway. Eventually, people started filling in, until over a hundred people had taken their seats. The Attorney General gave a presentation about the number of lawsuits he was filing against the US Government and the Trump Administration and concluded his remarks after taking a few questions. For the next few hours, several panel discussions took place, with the audience members frequently peppering the panelists with questions. Once the event had concluded, I stuck around to nibble on the snacks the caterers had prepared and schmoozed with several of the other attendees. Soon, though, I had to excuse myself to grab an Uber back to the airport so I could catch my flight back home. Once again, TSA gave me grief for the expired license and I had to endure a groping, but I was eventually allowed through and made the evening flight with time to spare. After landing, I grabbed an Uber home without much trouble. I needed to unwind, so I tossed my bag in my apartment and headed over to the corner bar. I bumped into a friend and recounted the day over drinks, then called it a night around midnight. I returned home and was sound asleep in no time."
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"Going to my niece's birthday party, where we danced, played games, ate cake and had a grand ole time. We also play with barbies and she has trouble blowing out some trick candles."
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"Last week I attended my niece's birthday party. She was turning and her parent's were having a small get together with family and friends to celebrate her birthday. I arrived a little after five, just in time for her to put on a little show. She was dancing to an Aladdin song if I remember correctly. Afterwards, we went outside where we sat and talked for a while until it was time for dinner, in this case pizza. After pizza me and niece and her little brother started to play catch with a ball. This only lasted for about five minutes until she became distracted with some slime so we played that too. She then convinced me to lay barbies with her, so we went up to her room and got what seemed like all the barbies in the world and a giant barbie bus. When we came back to the party it was cake time. My niece had chosen a giant ice cream cake, but her dad had decided to put those trick candles on it so she was huffing and puffing for what seemed like five minutes, until finally all the candles had been blown out. After cake we had a large dance party. I was swinging her around and throwing her in the air and it was a great time. We probably danced for about ten minutes before it was time to open up some presents. So she opened her presents and super exited with all the unicorns and books about mermaids she received. Afterwards everyone said their goodbyes and I went back home."
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"Again, sad, mad, depressed, disappointed. One night in jail and a record for life. I'm thankful that the outcome was not worse, but at home it is."
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"I was driving one night, and I was pulled over by the police. The police had me breathe into a breathalyzer. I was disappointed that I was above the legal limit. I shouldn't have been drinking, but I felt I didn't drink enough to be above the legal limit. As a result, I was detained and put in jail for a night. I was sad, mad, depressed, and disappointed. I now have a DUI on my record for life. After a few hours, I realized how fortunate I was. If I hadn't been caught, this behavior was likely to escalate. If it did escalate, I would have been well above the legal limit in the future. Moreover, I could have killed someone tonight with my irresponsible behavior. Therefore, I am thankful that the outcome was not worse. I was released from jail the following morning, with a new lease on life. However, when I came home, my parents were disappointed in me. Instead of talking to me, they put me down. They told me I was nothing, and that I couldn't drive a car because I would amount to nothing. How disappointing. My optimism toward life has turned into pessimism."
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'After a month of getting to know each other, my soul mate and I both hinted at our love for each other (her first, then me). Anticipation built throughout the day, until we finally dropped the "I love you" words at the end of the night.'
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'I met what would be my soulmate through my sister. At the time I would have never have guessed it was him. We started off as close friends. We began talking a lot on the phone, getting to know each other. I really never thought there would be a relationship due to us both being in different states, him in Florida and me in Alabama. So we began getting to know each other talking on the phone everyday. I started realizing that I felt more for him than just a friendship after a few months of getting to know him. I knew that we would eventually meet up again to see how things would work out. I never wanted to tell him how I felt until I knew he was feeling the same way. One day I was working when I got a phone call from him asking me where I worked at. I was a little confused, but did not think much about it. I continued to work, as I was getting on break, I walked outside and I seen him. I was shocked! He actually drove 7 hours to come see me. It was later that day when I got off of work he took me to dinner and asked me to be his girlfriend. Of course I said yes. After months of getting to know each other, my soulmate and I hinted at our love for each other him first then me. After Anticipation built throughout the day, until we finally dropped the "I love you" words at the end of the night.'
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'My house burned down in April. Because it took the fire department so long to get to our house, almost everything was ruined by the time they put it out. Despite that and the fact that everything I owned was destroyed, I am just thankful that my family made it out okay.'
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'When my house burned down about 8 months ago, in April, I was devastated. I dialed 911 when I really smelled smoke strongly, but it took the fire department a very long time to get to our house. Due to this, almost everything was completely tarnished. I was completely devastated that I lost everything, but I retained the most important thing, and that is my family. I just cannot believe that this happened to us. The fire department later told us that it was due to a gas leak inside the house. If not for our smoke detectors, we would all almost certainly be dead. It is a horrifying thing to think about. Since then, I have encouraged all my friends to check smoke detector batteries. It is nothing to fool around with. I am trying to have an outlook on this event in a positive manner, and so far it has really been changing my life for the better. I am more faithful, I care more about others, I am more empathetic, and i have even started going to Church more. My family has begun the process of building a new house with the insurance money from the old house that burnt down. I am still extremely upset that i lost all of my possessions, but i have realized that family is far more important. I thank God every day that I am still here on earth. When the fire happened, we still barely made it out despite the detectors going off. My father even had to run through a flaming doorway before the fire department got there. It was simply a horrifying event that I would never wish upon anyone. We are all trying to turn our lives around.'
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"I lost a good friend of mine. I wish I had kept talking to her but I didn't. Donuts and coffee became a bad habit which I was able to break at some point."
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"I remember this one day back in high school. I had just finished my last year of school, in a brand new area since my father had us move for work. I was really sad about a friend I had, because she said she was moving away the day that school ended. I was so distraught I couldn't bring myself to say anything to her, since it was too painful for me to remember how I would never see her again. I ended up bolting out of my last class and heading to the local market, where I bought a maple bar and coffee. Maple bars and coffee ended up being a ritual of sorts for me after that day. I bought a 20 dollar store card at that same market and redeemed it for a video game, which I played for an hour before breaking down in tears. I wished at the time things were different, that I didn't have her leave my life. I was certain, at least at the time, that I had met someone very special to me. Fast forward a couple of years, and I no longer speak to her. Part of me wishes that I kept in touch, but I realize now that people have to move one. No matter how painful or uncomfortable it may be. I still drink coffee and eat donuts from time to time, but I've stopped for the most part. I try to be healthier, even if it seems like it is an effort that goes unnoticed. I wish her the best."
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'It was my college graduation ceremony. I was awarded 10 prizes as the best graduating student. I was glad to share the moment with my family.'
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"This was my lifetime dream. I got ready and go to ceremony in early. in my college everyone meet and enjoyed. Everyone gave compliment for my prizes. I got 10 Prizes and graduations. all my family members are Happy to see the ceremony. i told to my all my relatives. I even told to my old school Friends. They all of them congratulate me and happy. I even didn't gave me any party to my friends but they are happy to see me in ceremony. I am going to receive 10 prizes in my graduation day. all the prize for many categories. The main in my graduation day is my invention about the space. all my staffs and HOD encouraged me a lot. I love this day in my life time."
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"This was one of the biggest days of my life and one I'll never remember. Even if others don't know how important it was, I will always remember this wedding that led to one of the most important events of my life. I look forward to one day sharing that story in detail with others."
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"My Cousin sister. She and her boyfriend had arranged a week long barn raising at their home. Family and friends came to the wedding. We had a great time camping in their back yard, building the barn, community cooking. We had a great food, a good bar and a comfortable surroundings. Then we played volleyball in the evening. We had a great time. The last day of the barn raising was a planned Dance. Before the dance, my sister's boyfriend stood up and thanked everyone for their contribution. Then announced that He and my sister did not believe in long engagement. So they were getting married after dinner. My cousins and I went to gather some wild flowers for her and my friend brought the wedding cake. They had a simple ceremony presided by their local minister with their parents standing as witnesses. We had a great time dancing and dining in the new barn. we had just built to celebrate their new union."
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'We were travelling along the freeway. A major accident happened. A man died. A woman became a widow.'
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'My family and I were travelling in Washington State along I-90 one summer day. The weather was overcast but warm. As my wife was driving, I heard a yell, it was my wife. A large dust cloud had appeared before us, obscuring the roadway. I had my wife pull over and put on the blinkers immediatly. There was a Toyota 4 Runner with a smashed front end in the passing lane and a Honda Civic that was just barely half the size it was before. A leg was sticking out of the driver seat. All traffic slowed and all of a sudden a lot of people got out of their cars and rushed over to the Honda Civic. Everyone that looked inside the car immediately looked up and had a white look on their face, like they had seen a ghost. I assumed everyone knew that the man inside was going to die. I assume he was mechanically decapitated from the impact as he was parked and the 4-runner was travelling faster than the speed limit as it was. I heard screaming from behind me, a woman appeared from out of the bushes. She was stunned, the walking dead, but she appeared to be ok. My wife had her sit down and just then a State Trooper arrived. I told him to go to the car. He was mad at me for directing him but he did so. He looked in the car and stood up, his face white. The man died later at the hospital and the woman survived, a widow.'
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"I attended my cousin's wedding and experienced a range of emotions as a result. There were a few events in particular that triggered past sadness in me."
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"3 months ago I went to my cousin's wedding--we were really close as kids, and she was marrying one of our childhood friends. I felt a bit empty, having just gone through a divorce. Seeing them together made me depressed, because I remembered our childhoods and how we used to be so close, and how we slowly drifted apart over time. life just takes you in different directions, I guess? It's funny, I actually dated her fiance in highschool. It wasn't too serious, but I never thought they'd end up getting together. They just didn't seem to have that type of chemistry--they were just friends. But I guess they were best friends, in a sense? And I guess that's the type of person you'd marry. I don't know. I just, I feel happy for them. I just feel so sad about my personal life and all that. Like what if I had married him? What if I had chosen a guy who wasn't just, terrible? It just filled my head with horrible thoughts. I tried to be happy for her, I really did, but I just couldn't get over my own personal baggage, I guess."
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'It was supposed to be a wonderful trip to a wedding. People are immature and very petty. It ended up being the worst road trip ever.'
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"As I caught the flight to see my parents during a vacation while in school, I thought nervously about the day. It was my birthday. I thought to myself. My birthday would be a special on to spend with my whole relations and siblings. I didn't know anyone at the family house and I was worried. My only wish was to be happy at when I get there and have a memorable birthday,when I got to the airport I took an uber to take me to the house. Soon I arrived home, I looked around with no idea of where every one was .the front door was open . I didn't like it. I became anxious and worried. I went upstairs and I met my sisters son . she said they all stepped out so we familiarized and I enjoyed her company because she was very funny. I felt like an her playmate for years. I sat down and closed my eyes. I remembered my old school, my old friends, my teachers and we all played when I was much younger like her. Suddenly my sister her mom walked up to me and screamed happy birthday and at that moment every one came out of their hiding position and I was shocked because I never expected such surprise. It was the best birthday ever and I wish to have such birthday again soonest. Everyone presented lots of gift to me and i was so happy and perplexed on what to say because i was confounded with the best words to use and explain my feelings."
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'I went to a wedding recently. I was a bridesmaid. This is the story of getting ready for the wedding and the progress of events.'
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'I was in a wedding for my friend who I have known since kindergarten. We are still very close and have kept in touch. Her first husband died. I was so happy she found another great guy. When she asked me to be a bridesmaid I was so excited! I spent the whole weekend with her getting ready. We had such a good time! We went to get our nails done and have massages. We went out to eat with her family and the rest of the bridal party. I met some new friends and had a great time. The day of the wedding was actually a lot of fun. The pictures were beautiful and we had fun doing them. It was pretty relaxed getting ready. The wedding itself was beautiful. I read some scripture at the wedding. Afterwards the reception was so much fun! The food was wonderful. We had a lot of fun at a photo booth as well.'
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'My girlfriend got very sick which lead to tension in our relationship. We started being very hateful with each other. Finally, i told her enough was enough and we ended the relationship.'
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"Oh, gosh...worst time with my girlfriend. well, about a month ago she got really badly sick. I'm talking fever, unable to breathe, things like that. She absolutely needed to go to a hospital but refused to go because she'd had a bad experience before. We argued about it a lot for a few days until I put my foot down. She was too weak to stop me and I carried her to the car to take her in myself. She couldn't fight me about it, and the doctors all agreed she'd needed to come in. She got better after taking the medicines they gave her, but she was so mad at me and refused to talk to me for days. I refused to apologize for doing what was right but she still wouldn't see that! Things got really really tense and we both said some pretty nasty things to one another for like, weeks at a time. It got to the point that I was sleeping on the couch! After a couple more weeks of this I decided I'd had enough. I sat her down, told her I was glad she was better, but that I couldn't do this any more. I broke up with her then and there and left our apartment for my Dad's. We haven't spoken to one another since."
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'The Hawaiian people are fighting to protect their sacred Mauna Kea from being further desecrated. They are blocking a thirty meter telescope(TMT) from being built upon the mountain.'
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'I have always been proud that Hawaiian blood courses through my veins. That\'s why recent news of Mauna Kea emphatically hit me. Native Hawaiians are fighting construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on sacred land. Unfortunately, it\'s an oft-repeated tale as ancient as time itself. As the traditional guardians of their lands, indigenous communities have tried and tried again to protect what is theirs, bucking against forces with systemic authority and deep pockets. And it\'s not usually the native populations who win in the end. What\'s happening with Mauna Kea is "no different than what they did to the Native American Indians in Arizona,For the Native Hawaiians, it is not a question of faith against science. It\'s cultural preservation versus blind commercialism – the prioritization of capital over human interest. Located on the Big Island, Mauna Kea is not only an inactive volcano, but also the globe\'s highest sea mountain. For a decade now, international scientists have aimed to build the $1.4 billion project on the land, due to the absence of both light pollution and moisture in the air. Supporters favor the predicted economic growth with accompanying job opportunities. But the plan has encountered indigenous opposition every step of the way. At this point, thousands of Hawaiians have engaged in peaceful protest, blocking passage to the summit. Kūpuna, or elders, gather at the forefront. 30 elders were arrested at the the Mauna Kea access road as they attempted to block construction crews from proceeding up the mountain. They are not disputing technological progress, but pushing to maintain a sacred site of Hawaiian spirituality. Already the summit hosts 13 other telescopes that dishonor Mauna Kea\'s true purposes. Mauna Kea means respecting the earth. With its delicate ecosystem, the mountain and its endangered species face threats from human development, like habitat loss. Ultimately, it means native rights. So much social justice nowadays centers around finally giving indigenous communities – peoples with irrefutable historic connections to these lands – their duThanks to international media coverage and campaigns to #ProtectMaunaKea, the Thirty Meter Telescope announced a potential alternative to construct on the Canary Islands. But the battle is far from over.'
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'One day I was shopping & I let a woman go ahead of me in the checkout line. She then handed me money for helping her out.'
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'3 months ago the strangest thing happened to me. I was doing a heavy grocery shopping load. I noticed the woman behind me had 2 items. I told this woman to please, go ahead. She then said, "thank you". I thought it was over at this point. I continued to load my groceries on the panel. The lady finishes. I thought she\'d just walk out the door never to see her again. She then turns to me, hands me a $20 bill. My eyes bulge out of my head. I was shocked and excited at the same time. I get tears to my eyes because I need the money. I hug the lady and tell her thank you so much. We then part our ways. I will never forget that.'
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"the day my father passed away was surprising because we didn't expect it to happen. He had suffered stroks in the past, but none had been as devastating as the one he had on that day."
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"It has been 7 months since my father's passing. I didn't see it coming. I didn't imagine that it would happen so quickly. One moment he was here, the next he was gone. Seven months isn't very long, and my heart still feels broken into a million pieces. People say that time will heal things, but at this point I don't know that I believe that saying. Those million broken pieces of my heart seemed to have been scattered by some unknown wind and I have yet to find them. I can only imagine what my mother must be feeling right now. My father had suffered some strokes previous to this all deadly one. But, he came through them before and was still his cheerful self. However, the day this deadly stroke happened was awful. My mother was home with him and they were getting ready to go on vacation to Yellowstone. My father was a nature enthusiast and loved getting away to places where he could be closer to nature. He always told me that it made him feel at home and brought to his heart a peace like no other. As they were packing for this trip, the deadliest of strokes slammed my father. My mother noticed the symptoms of previous strokes, but this time they got worse. She dialed 911 and the paramedics arrived. They loaded him into the ambulance and rushed him away. My mother was able to ride in the ambulance with him. The paramedics worked furiously on him during that drive to the hospital, and then, silence. He was gone. The phone call came. It was my mother. Her voice was full of the deepest sorrow on earth as she told me that dad was gone. My heart sunk, and broke, and tears flowed down my face like a never ending waterfall."
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'I was very sad to have finished a long novel named "Lonesome Dove" by Larry McMurtry. It had a great deal of personal meaning to me for a variety of reasons (e.g., birthplace and upbringing). It was a great book and I feel like I lost a friend.'
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"I've read the full four book lonesome dove series and I consider it to be among the finest of the great western classics. I've also seen the numerous depictions in film of McMurtry's stories. I first discovered the adventures of Call and McCrae in my freshman year of high school. My new girlfriend at the time (who considered herself a bit of a cowgirl) was obsessed with the series. She wasn't exaggerating to say she'd tried her hand at being a cowboy; she once joined an old fashioned cattle drive that took a herd of livestock from idaho to montana by horse. She was so taken by the series and it's characters that she even had her bicep tattooed with a full half-sleeve of McCrae rearing back on a horse. It was quite good work and I was quite jealous. I wouldn't mind going back to visit some of the timeless characters in those novels, they really do hold up in their unflinching depiction of the old american west, blemishes and all. Some of the most profound things I took from the stories were the details surrounding the cultures of the various native american tribes the cowboys encounter along the journeys. It's very interesting to know how the comanches and apaches were so desperately feared, and some other tribes simply were not as their way of life was much different. It also doesn't surprise me that plains native americans would be so tough and willing to fight to defend themselves given the overall harsh environment of north and west texas. One of the most striking moments in the series is when the long time adversary of Call and McCrae, the former chief of the comanches, is on his death-bed and seeks a personal journey to die alone and apart from his tribe. The cowboys have fought him for decades and want nothing but vengeance but they never get it. Instead the reader is treated to a profound moment of acceptance from an incredibly strong-willed man as he ushers himself from his world. It is truly one of my favorite books and having grown up in Texas, I some sense of pride imagining that events as romantic if at time brutal probably took place. It makes me feel at the very least that Texas is as unique a state as we Texans would like to believe and often proclaim."
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'A few months ago, my mom suffered a stroke. The initial hospital visit was heartbreaking and difficult, however she seems to have made amazing progress and we can now say she survived it.'
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"Many years ago, I moved from another country to the USA where I now live with my wife and children. A few months ago I got a call from my brother (my family still lives abroad). He told me that my mom was in the hospital, not to worry, but she had a stroke. At first, I didn't realize the seriousness of the situation. I asked him if she was okay, he told me he didn't know. Over the course of the next few days, I found out my mom had had a serious stroke and was in intensive care. This was very difficult for me being so far away, knowing there was nothing I could do to help. A few days went by with me trying to find out as much as I can but getting very little information from my family. It turned out I had the same amount of information as them, which was very little. My mom underwent surgery and was placed under anesthetic until the doctors felt she had stabilized. They then announced that they were going to wake her up. None of realized that the process of waking her up would take two weeks, so this was a very tense time wondering if she was going to be okay once she was awake. When she eventually woke up she didn't remember much of anything or anyone. Since then she has been going through a lot of therapy, both physical and psychological. I have spoken to her a few times during her recovery, but she never seemed to completely be sure of who I was. Last week I called my mom to see how she was feeling. When she answered, I could immediately tell things were better as she immediately called me by my name. She knew exactly who I was and spoke to me like nothing had happened. This was amazing and very emotional. I was so happy she is finally on the road to being fully recovered from the stroke and that we can finally say she made it."
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"My indescribable blood disorder sends me to the E.R. on a regular bases. I'm afraid of what might be."
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"I can't tell if I want to cry or scream more, I don't think I've ever cried from being angry before, but I am on the verge now. I'm sick. I just got back from being in the ER and I'm in my bed, I've locked the door and I just want to be alone. I have a blood disorder that makes me feel weak all the time. The idea of being sick, and feeling this way for the rest of my life makes me feel...well like I don't want to have to do that. I mean some days I can't get out of bed, my whole body hurts, and if I get a cut or scrape, I just bleed and bleed and it needs constant attention. That's why I was at the ER just now, I cut my finger cutting vegetables. A normal person would just get a band aid and move on, they would get to eat their salad and enjoy their night, but I had to go to the ER. I have to go to the ER so much for the dumbest stuff. It's just all so pointless, I'm so scared and angry. The doctors are only treating my symptoms and have no cure, my disease is just too rare, so I just have to shut up and deal with it. This visit, the doctor didn't even know anything about this disease, he was asking me about it, like I am the expert. Which I guess I am if I've lived with it for this long. 2 months ago I went to the ER because I collapsed at my school dance. I was so mortified. I can't do anything someone my age gets to do, I mean everyone was nice about it, but it ruined my night. It's like I want to do one fun thing, one little extra thing, and life shuts me down. I'm just so frustrated right now, I want to sleep, but I don't know if I can right now."
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'Dinner with friends at restaurant and what I did to prepare for it. Also what happened at the dinner and how everyone enjoyed it'
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"3 months ago I had the task of preparing for going out to dinner with my group of friends. I was in charge because I love planning stuff. I narrowed it down to a few places. My one friend is vegan ,so I had to find somewhere with options for her. Another friend is lactose intolerant, so that meant in Italian food. After taking everyones diet into account I found the perfect restaurant. It was a modern place with lots of dairy free and meat free options. WHen I asked everyone they agreed that was a good place. The night we were supposed to meet I had trouble finding something to wear. I thought I had the perfect dress. When I went to put it on I found out it didn't fit any longer. I started to panic. I didn't have a backup outfit. I eventually settled on dressy jeans and a top, but I felt under dressed. Despite the chaos the dinner was fun. Everyone had a great time. It was nice to be able to catch up with my friends outside of our homes."
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'Streamer A from Asia came to visit the US in which Streamer B lives in the same city and state. Myself and other viewers convinced Streamer B to meet Streamer A. We provided information from Streamer A so that Streamer B can find Streamer A. Streamer B met with Streamer A as well as others.'
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'About a month ago, one of my favorite streamers came from Asia to the US. Another one of my favorite streamers was in the same area. I, along with other viewers who was watching the streamer that was in the second area convinced him to go meet the streamer that came from Asia. This turned out to be an adventure in itself which we eventually got the streamers together. The most surprising event of the story was how each person turned out to be a streamer. After this day, the streamers met up again and had a day out, which we all were involved in as viewers who participated in chat. The adventure continued in which the new group of friends explored the city which involved going to different restaurants, bars and even landmarks. As the day continued, things got more intense as more people joined. Each of the people involved had different personalities and so it was fun to see how the introverted people interacted with the extroverted people. The extroverted people interacted a lot with the public. I, as a viewer in chat commented in chat towards the streamer that I was watching, how crazy things were. The streamer that I was watching echoed the sentiment by saying that he was out of his element, however he was having a lot of fun. The reactions of the public were also interesting as the streamers were meeting new people who had all kinds of different professions. Two notable people were doctors and one of them was from Korea. All in all, we had a great time in which I was a viewer and commentator, felt that I was on an adventure with them due to the interaction via chatroom.'
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'Parent goes to backyard cookout during holidays. Parent tasked with watching a child, instead of all of them at once, while drinking a beer, and loses him/herself in the moment. Children too, enjoyed the backyard cookout.'
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"I went to a holiday celebration with a backdoor cookout. It was memorable in the sense that it was the first planned outing with my children, who are still toddlers. It's been difficult as a homemaker with my toddlers, especially during the first couple of years. I feel like I sacrificed a lot to personally raise them, and sometimes I still feel ambivalent about my decision to have a family. So to say this was personally memorable, at least to me, might be a bit of an understatement. The part about the holiday party that stood out the most was just sitting in their backyard and drinking a beer straight from the bottle with the sun shining on my face. I was tasked with watching one of my toddlers while my spouse took care of the others. It felt easier with one kid. I think the work multiplies significantly with more children, and I can understand why most parents these days want to stick to one child. Anyway, that moment in the backyard felt relaxing, like something I hadn't experienced in a long time. It was equal parts freedom, and for a moment, it felt like I didn't have any kids at all. I mean, I had one that I was watching at that time, but that fleeting moment felt like a tasty raindrop when you're stranded in a barren hot desert wasteland. My children thoroughly enjoyed the event, despite not really eating the great food. They got to play around with other children that were also there, and they got to see what an actual party with adults seems like. I personally enjoyed it, and wish for more events like that in the future."
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'My family took a long ill fate road trip with two young kids. There were a lot of frustration and tears, things went wrong but we eventually made it to our destination.'
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"A few weeks ago my family went on vacation. The trip was a 16-hour drive one way. I have two children. Having children cooped up in a car for such a long was stressful. During the drive, we had to make a lot of stops for potty breaks and diaper changes. The car we rented was uncomfortable and a gas guzzler. The car was a far cry from the modern SUV we had reserved on the company's website. Midway through the trip, I was frazzled. I felt like I had made the biggest mistake of my life. There was no time to sight-see because I was to busy soothing a crying baby. My curious toddler was asking me a million questions a minute. On top of that my fiance needed me to stay awake so that I could keep him engaged in conversation so that he would not get sleepy. I wanted to turn the car around and go home. I wanted to scrap the entire vacation. I was fed up I had enough. We eventually made it to our destination. We were able to enjoy our trip and we made some good memories. The drive back was just as miserable. We made it home with our sanity barely intact but we made it."
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"This was one of the biggest days of my life and one I'll never remember. Even if others don't know how important it was, I will always remember this wedding that led to one of the most important events of my life. I look forward to one day sharing that story in detail with others."
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"As I saw there in the aisle waiting for the couple to come down to the altar all I could think was how I would ultimately want that to be me. As I saw the beautiful dresses. All I could think was how beautiful my bride would look and how I wouldn't want it to be anyone other than I person I was sitting next to. As I thought about it, listened to the music that surrounded the room. I watched the parties walk down the aisle I couldn't help but be overcome with emotion. I was moments from crying, crying tears that were nothing but the happiest of tears. I continued to think about our future together and how a wedding and a ceremony to celebrate our love was only the beginning of our life together. It was only the start and there would be so much more to look forward to. We are expected to be somewhat emotional at weddings, this was a close friend of ours to be exact so it was to be expected. We knew the struggles the couple had faced so it was even more suitable to be emotional in this moment. However, what my future fiance did not know was the real reason I was so emotional, the real reason behind my happy tears. This would be something she would find out later in our relationship and something she would come to love. The more we began to know each other and the more I told her about those moments that made me fall in love with her, the more she fell in love with me. Those moments that I have to myself are so special to myself. Although at the time they were private and only shared by myself I remember with the fondest of memories."
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'I had the most memorable birth experience on valentines day. Nothing tops a Valentines day like the one we had, along with a little rule breaking, and affirming the love we have for each other.'
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"Last Valentines day, my wife surprised me with a backpacking adventure in the Sierra Nevada mountains. 3 days on the trail with the second being the 14th. Upon arrival at the trail head the weather was perfect and we set off gear in tow. Now I like to be overly prepared and have high aspirations when I do anything, so we had too much gear for the both of us and wanted to go much farther then we actually did. After the first 3 hours of of hiking we were spent. However I had originally wanted to get another 5 miles before camping. Along the way we crossed paths with group of people and they had suggested veering off trial to visit a waterfall. Adn it turns out we weren't that far. So we decided to drop our bags and scout it out. While off trail we witnessed one of the neatest things, a doe giving birth. At first we heard some strange sound, I never heard a deer holler but this one certainly was making some kind of noise. As we got a bit closer we spotted her lying down making some kind of racket. We thought it must be injured. Deer usually have ticks and fleas so we decided it best to leave it alone. and continue on to the waterfall. Once we spotted the waterfall we were underwhelmed to say the least. More like babbling brook and less like the idyllic waterfall flowing into a mountain pond. so we decided to head back to the gear. As we headed back we saw the same doe, this time wandering around thrashing and acting erratically we thought must really be injured. however it was just a distraction, moments later we saw the cutest tiny little deer stumble out of the bushes. The doe and baby deer set off less than a minute later. We think we saw its first steps, and in under a minute it was gracefully prancing and darting off. Anyway the rest of the trip went smoothly, campfire and moonlight. Love and affection. And lastly on the drive home I got pulled over for speeding. All in all a great Valentines day"
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"The story of my friend and her quick passing from cancer. How quickly it affects someone's life directly and indirectly with knowing and not knowing how grave a situation might be, could be and is."
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"This day I was awoken by my text notifications going off like crazy, it was my downstairs neighbor calling for help to get to the pharmacy for her prescription. She was in so much pain but wouldn't allow us to pick up the prescription for her. When we were leaving she actually had to stop and take a break to get to the car. Her breathing was taxing and her color of her skin was all off. You could tell something was really wrong but she was so hesitant about telling us about her condition. I know she believed if she kept it inside it wouldn't effect anything on the outside. We could totally see she was in pain and lots of suffering. While we were at the pharmacy counter the pharmacist asked if she needed any explanation about her meds, and she replied no. They asked her for the identification and then proceeded to tell her that the prescription was morphine and what her dosage was. I acted as if it was no big deal, but just about then I new something was really wrong. She then pulled me aside and told me her predicament of her diagnosis, and then told me it was metastatic pancreatic cancer. I was destroying her liver, kidneys and stomach. The next day we took her to the hospital, and stayed with her as long as we could, she had no one except us. Her family was all gone, she had a daughter that had no idea that her mother was so sick, she had absolutely no clue, but that is how her mom wanted it. She was diagnosed a week ago, and today, less than a week later, she is gone."
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'My fiance and I went to the hospital because she was in labor, and nearly 15 hours later, we had our newborn daughter. The doctor urged for us to get a C-section. The experience was very stressful but at the same time it was wonderful to have our daughter.'
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"March 21, 2019Dear Journal,Today my daughter was born! This has been the most exciting day of my life thus far. It has been a very emotional ride and will continue to be. Chelsea started labor at around 6 this morning. We were in the labor room for hours and hours and she was drifting in and out of sleep. I couldn't sleep at all. I was very anxious and nervous and I guess a little scared too. She was in active labor for 15 hours before the doctor decided it was best to do a C-section. I really didn't like this idea, but the doctor said that Elizabeth was getting stressed out and tired inside of Chelsea. They took us all to the OR but had me wait in a separate waiting area for what seemed like forever, until finally bringing me. The actual surgery itself was very scary. I wasn't sure what was going to happen. In the end, everything turned out okay and I got to meet my newborn daughter and first child, Elizabeth. The rest of the night in the hospital was very stressful, because we had to moved into 3 different rooms until finally settling in the one we will have for the next 3 days. This experience will impact me for the rest of my life."
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'I found out that I have breast cancer. Finding a lump at first and then being diagnosed with this horrible disease. The feelings with deep emotion and fear.'
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'The most memorable day was when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I found out by accident. I felt a lump in my breast and decided to call my doctor and have it checked out. My OBGYN had me come in right away. She felt it as well. She then ordered a mammogram and ultrasound. I went in and had the mamogram and then went to have my ultrasound. They found a suspicious area in my left breast and had my ultrasound and right then the doctor did a biopsy and he said he was very sure it was cancer. I was shocked and scared. Sure enough the results came back and it was. I then saw a surgeon and about 2 weeks after that had a mastectomy. I have been very busy with appointments and it has been a rollercoaster of emotions. I am now on a anti harmone therapy for at least 8 years. I also just had a CT scan and found that I have a lung nodule that they will be keeping an eye on. I will find out my gene testing results at the end of the month. This has been scary to my family as well. but, we have faith in God.'
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'The story is about having a medical test called a tilt table test. During the test, I was sure I was not going to pass out. However, in the end, I did faint.'
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'The story I am writing about is a medical story. For my whole life, I have had a fainting disorder. My doctor thought it might be a condition called POTS. It took months to get a cardiologist to order the test, for some reason. They seemed to test me for everything else first. I eventually went to a heart hospital and had a test called a tilt table test. In this test they strap you to a table, with a pillow behind your head. You lie down for a while, and then they tip up the table to an angle less than 90 degrees. For about half an hour you just stand still and everyone waits to see if you are going to have symptoms. I didn\'t think I was going to have any, and the test was almost over. When I had finally decided I was never going to faint, I did. The nurse asked me how much I remembered. I said, "I remember saying I feel weird." She replied, "Wow." So I have no idea how many things I must have missed between passing out and coming to. I was so grateful that I had proven this condition to the medical community that I was laughing and joking around with the four people who had been monitoring me. I was really grateful, and so grateful, that I was just happy. I did feel awful once I got home, but it was also a relief to finally know I would be getting some answers to a lifelong health problem.'
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"My insurance company suddenly stopped covering two medications you're not suppose to just stop taking. As a result I got very sick. They finally changed their minds and sent it. I'm still recovering."
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"Since I'm back on all my medication, I am doing better, no longer sick, dizzy or unsteady. My depression isn't as bad and my mood stabilized. But the pain that had improved when I first started taking the fibromyalgia medication has not improved. It is making everyday tasks much harder than they were. My apartment is on the second floor and going up and down the stairs hurts my knees. Doing even small chores around the house often cause enough pain that I have to rest or use an ice pack. I'm beginning to feel this will never get better and I will have to live with the increased pain for ever. I am already having trouble supporting myself because I can't work for more than two hours straight without having to take at least a half hour rest break (doing more causes pain that makes work impossible for hours, if not days). The increased pain makes my being able to support myself seem even more impossible. I am very much afraid of what the future holds. I am single and only have myself to rely on. If I cannot support myself I could become a burden to my family. My greatest fear is being a burden to my children. Should this happen, I'll have to decide if it is crueler to continue being a burden or kill myself. Talk about Sophie's choice."
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'The story revolves around meeting my ex boyfriend. Things started out casually on campus, but I fell in love. He began to pull away , and I reciprocated but I still miss him.'
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"I recall meeting my most recent ex boyfriend on campus. There is a bar i would frequent often and would see him, sometimes he would buy me drinks, but my focus was not on dating. Eventually, we grew close and everytime I went to the bar he would meet me there. it was always a great time. As most women do, i fell in love first. It was hard to not to when I was spending every night and morning with him. I knew things were meant to be casual, but couldn't help how I started to feel. He began to cancel on me often and given other subtle signs that his feet were getting cold. I chose to ghost him in an effort to protect myself and my heart, but I still miss and long for him so much. As time goes on, it gets easier. However. he will always have a place in my memory and my heart. I believe that he was a lesson. A lesson that love is often unexpected. A lesson also, that love can be even better than what we experience. While I enjoyed many qualities about him, I also know that I will not tolerate some things ever again as a result of our intense but short relationship."
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'My mom and I went over to my sisters house expecting to fight with her and be talked down to as usual. She surprised us with how nice she was, how open to conversation she was, and she even made us dinner. This was the first time in years that we had a good time with her.'
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"My mom and I went over to my sisters house for the first time in months. We both do not have a good relationship with her because she is kind of insane. We went there just to see my niece, her granddaughter. We were expecting the usual fighting with my sister, but were surprised at how normal and nice she was. She greeted us with a smile for the first time in years, she made us dinner, she answered our questions, and didn't yell once. My mom and I were looking at each other throughout the 3 hour stay because we wanted to see each others' reactions to this. My sister even asked us about our lives and what has been going on. This has NEVER happened before. What was even more surprising, as I already said, was that she answered our questions. I asked if she was still working at the same spot, she said no and told me where she works now. Had this been even 5 months ago she would have replied with 'why do you want to know?' We then asked her if we could take my niece out to get some ice cream. She said yes right away, which, again, never happens. She even came with us and treated us all. This all sounds really normal to most people, but my sister has been a psycho for ten years now and having a good time with her really made my year. My mom even cried on the way home."
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'I randomly fall in love with someone I did not know. That love was spilled over to my life and joy with others'
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"Fall in love with something or someone everyday, it will keep you genuine. To love blindly and completely, what a beautiful concept. The other day I fall in love with a girl I'll never know. She sat across from me at Starbucks, unknowingly stealing my breath away. Yes I'll never see her again, but for that hour I was in love. And it is because of that I will continue to have a wonder day, hopefully paying it forward to an unknowing stranger needing a reason to smile. I wish I could have talked to her but I didnt. The man across from me noticed I was smiling so he said I had a pretty smile. That made me happy. I was hapy he saw my joy. I think because of that I was able to upleft others. I when and talked to my co worker about it late. He told me I was a good perosn. I was feeling positive about the interaction. But in my mind I was still hope to see her again. Maybe one day I wil. You never really now."
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'My nephew was getting married so my family and I drove from North Carolina to Florida for the wedding. Other family members from other states were there as well. The wedding was beautiful, spent some time at the beach and enjoyed the company of each other.'
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"This past summer, my family consisting of my husband, three or our children (all boys, ages five, nine and thirteen) and myself, took a trip driving in car from North Carolina to visit family in Florida. We drove thirteen hours to get there. We stayed for three days. My nephew was getting married so family from other states was there as well. We were able to see family we rarely get to see, including my father-in-law who lives in Arizona and my sister-in-law and her family who live in Ohio. We, of course, got to see our family that lives in Florida. It was great seeing everyone all in one place, which has only happened one other time since I've been in my husband's family which has been for 23 years. We all had a great time! The wedding was absolutely beautiful! My nephew and his new wife looked really happy together! After the wedding, everyone went back to my sister-in-laws house, drank some beer, listened to music, danced and just had a really good time. Everyone was happy to be able to spend time together. But, it was a very emotional time for a lot of us, especially the ladies who cried at the thought of everyone going our separate ways again so soon. We don't get to see each other very often so knowing that it would be ending soon was really sad. It was sad to have to leave, knowing that we most-likely wouldn't all be together again like that for a really long time."
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'Over the past four months, I took part in a series of Candidate Physical Ability Tests (CPATs) for a firefighter position. I felt overwhelmed and lacking confidence that I could pass, but succeeded on the final attempt just a two weeks ago. It was one of the most exciting moments in my life.'
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'My previous response was in relation to a Candidate Phsyical Ability Test (CPAT) test that I took for a firefighter position. This position is a career path that I hadn\'t necessarily thought of in my youth, but I did always have it in my mind that I wanted to be a direct help to my community, either through police work, fire work or other service aspect. Following my son\'s birth in May 2018, I talked to my wife about these aspirations as it was a far cry from what I am currently doing. She was thrilled to hear about this idea despite the dangers the career path could put me on. I started the lengthy process that summer which consisted of detailed applications, written tests and the latest step, the CPAT. The CPAT process started this summer, around May 2019. There were several opportunities to prepare and pass the test, yet I kept falling short. What was encouraging, aside from my wife, was that each leg of the process I was getting better. While I wouldn\'t pass during the attempts nor the practices, I was able to improve a little each time without any regression. On my final attempt, I was beyond nervous. The difference between passing and failing this test was the difference between continuing on my path versus waiting THREE YEARS to try again. Needing to put my family in a financially stable position, failing was not an option. I buckled down and drove through that test to the best of my ability, finishing with just under 40 seconds left on the clock. I still was not where I want to be physically, but I passed which is all that they were concerned with. I remember how elated I was; despite being in a "job interview" so to speak, I let my emotions out and screamed "F*** YEAH!" and I got a chuckle from firefighter instructors. I immediately called my wife to share the exciting news and we celebrated the events with a nice lunch. It was difficult to process what I had just achieved, but with the passing time I have a real sense of success with my achievement.'
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'I took my abusive ex to court to make him pay the money that he was supposed to pay me and I won the case and he has started paying.'
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"My husband is a drug addict and we are separated. He has been abusive over the last few years and left myself and the children with nothing. I was pinning kitchen towels on my son because we had no diapers. He had been ordered to do things over and over as our marriage went on and decided not to abide by any of the agreements we made that were turned into court orders, but no one ever did anything about those things. I finally was able to take him to court and get justice for myself and my children. We went to court last month on a Rule to Show Cause for why he had not done the things that were in the agreement. He got a lawyer, but I could not afford one, as it took me 10 months to save up the money for filing for the hearing in the first place. When we started testifying, his lawyer kept breaking in to say that the things that I was trying to tell her were irrelevant, but I needed to get the information out there to prove why they were relevant. He also lied to the court regarding what I was testifying about and had lied in many cases in the past and always won based on those lies. In one case, he lied in a child support case to the extent to where the judge wouldn't listen to anything I said and even went so far as to deny me child support in the case, leaving the kids and I with nothing at all from him but what we were able to talk him out of at holidays, which typically was not much. But for some reason, this judge was different. She actually listened to me and let me present my evidence and connect the dots in the case. I didn't have an attorney, so I wasn't really sure what I was doing and I was scared that he would be laughing at me on the way out the door again, as he always did when they won. But she was patient with me and gave me a chance to locate the information that she needed in order to decide what she was going to do about is. There was one part of the case that he should have been responsible for paying for that she dismissed, because of an error at the courthouse that caused his attorney to not have all of the documentation that she needed, but the judge said that she would allow me to bring that case back with the proper paperwork, so that they could fix the error and she would decide on that separately. When it was over, she ordered him to comply with the order and pay me everything that he owed me within 45 days or go to jail. This was extremely emotional for me because myself and my children are having a hard time living with no income and we were at risk of having some of our utilities turned off. Now we are doing a little better and have been getting some payments from him, which is nice, considering that we were getting nothing at all prior to the court case. Before we left, my heart sank a little because his attorney threatened to appeal the case which would mean that I would have to wait even longer to get anything done or get some help with the kids, he was not able to and had to start paying me."
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'A grueling morning led me towards a very meaningful anatomy practical exam. The exam itself seemed to go horrible wrong while I was taking it. However, I ended up with an excellent grade and I then celebrated.'
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'It was April 30, 2019 and I had a loaded morning. First, I had to go a health science statistics class to deliver a presentation. The presentation was a group project where we analyzed Wingate Test data. I had done most of the project myself because I did not fully trust my group member, so I was quite nervous. Despite the problem, we did quite well, and it was reflected by the grade that we received later on. However, at the time, I just knew that we stumbled a bit. I then went on to a different building where I began to study for the more challenging task of the day - an anatomy practical and exam. I had been studying ALL over the past week, which a much heavier emphasis on the prior weekend for these. I needed a good grade here to maintain my 4.0 average (whereas my grade in my stats class was relatively safe). I studied in this building from approximately 9:45 AM to just shy of 12:30 PM. At this point, I headed up to the floor where my exams were and changed clothes (scrubs are a must in the anatomy lab). After changing clothes, I went to the hallway just outside of the lab where classmates were starting to gather. I sat down and studied just a bit more before the professors arrived. Unfortunately, I did not make it into the first group of test takers (the practical only had around 10 stations and there were 16 students, so we had to be be split up). This meant that I had to hang out in the hallway for a bit longer while the first group took exams. While there, I studied and had a conversation with a girl about our dogs (we both have a dog named Darwin). Finally, it was time for me to start the practical. I went in, and had some uncertainties about a few of the stations that made me feel pretty miserable - I was certain that I was going to lose my A. After the practical, we moved on to the written exam, where I was able to brood some more about my performance on the practical. As I struggled through the exam (it was the hardest one yet), I just knew one thing - I was tired. As I finished (with only one other student in the room), I slowly got up, walked to the teachers and turn in my exam before I left towards my car. I had decided that I was going to to go to the store and get some wine. On the way, I checked my phone and much to my surprise - they had already graded and posted to grades for the practical. Contrary to what I had expected, I had done extremely well - my average was safe!'
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'In my above story I explained in detail how I made my dream purchase of buying my Audi A3. I described how satisfied I was with my new purchase and some of the detail in my vehicle. Further, I explained my first road trip the day after that I bought it.'
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'I had a memorable event that has stuck with me when I was given the opportunity to buy my dream car. I have always driven a full size pick-up truck and due to my commute to work decided that it was time to downsize and buy a more compact car. I have long wanted a 4 door Audi A3. The style and overall design really attracted me the the Audi line. With a strong financial income and little to no debt I thought that it was time for me to make my dream purchase. I went to my local Audi dealership two weeks before vacation with high hopes of driving away in my dream car. Two dealerships later and a whole lot of negotiating I was given the deal that worked for me and was able to drive away in my brand new Audi A3. \tIt was a cold April night when I finally completed signing my life away and was handed over the keys to my new car. I will never forget the smell of that black and grey leather interior. Also, the feeling of the heated leather seats! Due to the weather that night and how late it was I decided to head home and wait until the next day to go for a nice long ride. I left my house the following day after admiring the exterior of the car and how good it looked parked in front of my house and headed straight for the beach. I know, surprising right? Heading to the beach on a cold April day? Yes! To this day I enjoy my rides to work just a little bit more each day thanks to my beautiful Audi A3. The added bonus is the gas mileage that I get with this car! I would highly recommend this compact sporty vehicle to anyone in the market. Thank you Audi; you have earned yourself a lifelong customer! This was the most positive memorable event that has happened to me over the last few months!'
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'In June I had my dog put to sleep. She was suffering and the decision was a necessary one. She had been a wonderful companion and letting her go was difficult.'
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'In June I had to have my dog put to sleep. Her name was Ginger. She was twelve and a half years old. This was a decision I had been dreading for weeks. For a basset hound, Ginger was usually rather spry. Around March of this year she began to spend most of her either in her bed or curled up next to me on the couch. I attributed her behavior to old age, and the vet agreed. He could find no illness or injury. Over the coming weeks she became progressively weaker until she was unable to walk. Her breathing was increasingly labored. I delayed the decision for as long as I could. On June 22, I carried her, bed and all, to the car and drove her to the vet. He agreed that she would not recover and felt that ending her suffering was the correct decision. Throughout, Ginger was as alert and affectionate as ever. This made everything more difficult for me. I was certain that I was doing the right thing, but sometimes the right thing really sucks. Ginger was a playful, smart, and affectionate dog. She was a wonderful companion and definitely a member of the family. I will miss her greatly for a long time.'
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'My fiance and I threw a surprise celebratory party for my mother in law who is expected to receive her PH.D in December. The party was program led and included awards, a custom cake, special appearances and speeches, and lots of love and laughter.'
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"My fiance had a mother that was to graduate college in December. This was grad school, so many days of effort were involved. She got her Phd. It was quite large too. We had presentations and cakes. Awards were given out. We even had special appearances by several friends from the past. Everyone seemed to have a great time. We laughed all night. She even met up with several people she hadn't seen in years. She was happy people cared and took the time. It was exciting to see her notice the effort and time we took. She was in tears at first. It was unexpected for her. But she had a great day that she will never forget."
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"Almost 5 months ago, our company let us know that in two month's time, we will be losing our jobs. Our job hunt involved an emotional roller coaster of confidence and self defeat. I also spent a lot of time mourning severed relationships between me and my colleagues."
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'About 7 months ago, the company I work for let us know that in the matter of two months, we would be losing our jobs. I still think about this now. It was a very tough time. I actually had a nightmare about it again last night. In my nightmare, my colleagues and I were just told and the devastation in the room was just unbearable. I still keep in touch with some of my colleagues from that job but it is not the same. The last day of work, we all came into the office with smiles on our faces but heavy hearts. that was the most memorable for me: saying goodbye to a team that I had worked with for years. This has been one of the most memorable/sad times of my life. I look upon this time as a big loss in my life. A loss of connections and relationships. A complete loss of confidence. I faced fear of being able to provide for my family in this time. It is something I do not want to face again. It is also something I will worry about facing again in the future.'
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'That was an unforgettable vacation of me and my family. I enjoyed so much with my family and that was so unforgettable.'
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"I don't know why I've waited so long to write this down. Maybe a part of me thought it was better to keep it all wrapped up in my head, as though putting it to paper would cheapen it in some way. Regardless of the reasons, the time is now. After a lifetime I saying i'd never been, about a million people telling me I should go and a few dozen times planning a trip I would never take I have finally done it. 12 months ago, I finally went to Disney World. Mind you, this was not entirely my choice. If it were up to me, I would have likely stopped short just after browsing the site and looking at the package costs. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately depending on how you think about it, my wife was there this time. You see, our youngest daughter, Jane, was finally turning 18. The nest was about to be full blown empty for the first time in maybe thirty years! We couldn't simply let that go without some sort of send off. So we didn't. We called up the other kids, packed our bags and headed for California for one last big family trip. I can not believe it took me an entire lifetime to do this. I could go on about the themed rooms, the service of the staff or the rides...All of which were fantastic, but I wont. Because the truth is, I barely noticed them. While everyone else was laughing at goofy or hugging another full grown man in a Mickey Mouse costume, I was watching my family. The grin on Jane's face when we watched the fireworks show on night one... The excitement Trent displayed when he saw Space Mountain for the first time... The real vacation was in those looks. We spent three days over there before it was finally time to come home. Truth be told, a part of me never wanted to leave. However light hearted it was supposed to have been, we were a whole family for a few days and that was something that Trent's job, Maggie's wanderlust and my bum hip hadn't allowed for in a long time. Eventually we did come home though. We came home and Jane went off to her East Coast college. I'll never forget the last hurrah. The vacation of a lifetime that summed up a lifetime of familial achievement."
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"My girlfriend and I had gotten into a fight the morning of her mother's birthday celebration. I bonded with family members over our shared experiences with anxiety and depression. My girlfriend and I made up, and fell asleep happily in eachothers arms."
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"There was a great preparation for my girlfriend's mum birthday. A whole lot of family and friends will be travelling down to celebrate with her for her 60th birthday. I had taken permission from my office for the trip. My wife also cancelled all engagement close to the date. We planned our trip and made all necessary bookings. Her mum stays in a more colder region so we also got ourselves some sweatshirts and cardigan. We got her mum a birthday present also. It was a food processor. We had a smooth flight down and we were well received by those already there. The mum was particularly happy as its been a while we saw last. We settled in my girlfriend's room and the whole family had a great dinner together. I was able to bond well with the family as we shared our experiences with anxiety and depression. My girlfriend felt I talked too much but I made her understand it was because I felt at home. We argued before going to bed and when we woke on the next day. I was furious as it was her mum's day and I dont like the fact that she is ruining it already. She later calmed down and apologized. I let go and she fell asleep in my arms..i also had a small nap too."
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'My wife and I recently visited the Cook Islands. It is such a beautiful and peaceful place. We really enjoyed our time there.'
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'I had always dreamed about visiting the south pacific. My wife and I finally got the chance to do that in June. We went to the Cook Islands for a week. It was magical. Being able to see the stars at night is something that you rarely get the opportunity to see in contentinal America. being able to snorkle in crystal clear torqouise waters was incredible. Just the peace was nice. Not having to deal with the hustle and bustle of modern life in America. Being able to sleep in was something that I enjoyed. It was so dark at night, with almost no artificial light present. I was shocked by how peaceful and relaxing my sleep was. The people were also so friendly and accommodating. We stayed on two islands. The main island Rarotonga and a more remote island Atituatki. Aitutaki has a population of less than 2000 people, whereas Rarotonga is closer to 15,000. We preferred Aitutaki because it was more beautiful, clean and peaceful.'
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'After my brother got married, everyone had a good time at the after party. I made sure that everyone felt attended to and had a good time.'
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"My brother got married about a month ago, and I remember the after party really clearly. Once the eating finished and we opened the dance floor, I wandered around to talk to everyone to make sure they were having a good time. I remember watching my brother and my mom dancing, and then his wife and her dad dancing, and finally the newly weds. I made sure to stay close by to my older brother, because he isn't married yet and I knew he felt lonely. I also grabbed some cake balls, because yum. When the actual dancing started — like, with everyone — I joined the people on the floor and had a blast. I'm not the best dancer, but I can follow along and can keep rhythm. I remember seeing my brother and how happy he was, and how pretty his bride looked. Even once the dancing started, though, I remember that i was a host and tried to keep an eye on people. I noticed one person in particular who looked lonely, and normally she really likes dancing. Not wanting the day to go badly for her, I left the dance floor and went to talk to her. I discovered she was sad because her own husband couldn't make it, so I said I would dance with her. That made her really happy, and she went back out on to the floor. Once I was satisfied she was okay, I found a couple other people to partner up and dance. I remember feeling so content and like I was serving an important purpose. I'm not normally very extroverted, but I felt like it was my responsibility, you know? We ended the night by having all the groomsmen grabbing my brother and hoisting him over their heads, then throwing him up in the air to crowd surf. He was a little terrified, but he also had fun, so it was an absolute win. I'm so glad everyone had a good time."
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'My sister and were not the most cooperative siblings as we were growing up. That is why it was so surprising that I had an effect on her development as a professional musician due to the music that I would play for my own satisfaction and emotional fulfillment.'
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'When growing up my sister were not on the best of terms during our childhood. I would theorize it could have been mostly due to competition for the affection of our parents. I was the second child...she was the first. She was the one with stellar grades all throughout her education, from kindergarten all the way through her prestigious university years. She is now a professional musician in an orchestra as well as a music teacher. Growing up I tended to be a rather mediocre student. I am confident that I am intelligent, I just never have had the drive to excel. Perhaps because I knew devoting a great deal of energy to "competing" with my sister would not only be futile, but absolutely exhausting. I have always been one to get lost in my thoughts and I prefer to be in nature to feel truly alive. That is why it was so memorable that a few months ago my mother told me that recently my sister told her that she only knows particular symphonies because she would hear me playing them in my room, next door to hers. I did not even know she was listening to the music I was playing, I always pictured her diligently reading and/or practicing the various instruments with which she is now proficient. After hearing that from my mother I actually felt a rush of pride. Not only was I absorbing and getting lost in the extraordinary music, but I was also influencing my orchestral musician sister. To add to that, the other day, she called me up about a certain composer because, as she put it, I am a "musicologist of sorts." (In addition to listening to music, I would study biographical information about the various composers to whom I listened. Back in my childhood days, I never would have dreamed that I would be having an unintended influence on my rather brilliant sister. It just goes to show that perceptions of the moment are not always accurate...it helps to get perspective outside of your own head.'
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"I attended a cousin's wedding. It was truly a memorable experience. We created beautiful memories. We enjoyed good music, great food and company. Everyone enjoyed the festive occasion and had a lot to talk about and share."
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"I can't believe that's it's been 3 weeks since my cousin Jake's wedding already. The girl I met there, Julie, called today and asked how I was. I'm not exactly sure how to take it though given that she hadn't called before now. It's been ages since I got along with someone so well, and everything we had in common made night one for the ages, plus there was a wedding happening! I can't believe Jake managed to get Vulfpeck to play his wedding. That's Jake's style though, all class, and an absolute jazz fanatic. I can't believe how much they must have paid for that shindig between the band, and that incredibe spread from Chez Gus. That guy is a big time chef, I didn't even think he did catering, but Jake can be a persuasive mofo. I guess the Franklins can be too haha. I honestly can't remember the last time I've had such a completely satisfying experience. That sounds underwhelming, but it cover all the bases and that's the best way to describe it. All 5 senses were satiated, the conversation was inteligent yet casual, and Julie sure made the overnight memorable. I think I will try and stay in touch with her, at the least. Who knows, maybe her and I can recreate that night someday, only swap ourselves in as the happy couple. Or maybe we can just hang and bang. Either way, it ought to be fun!"
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'My stepson came to visit us in June. He decided to ask to stay with us instead of returning back to where he was living. We decided to allowed him to stay with us and try to find work and finis school.'
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"My stepson came to visit us nine weeks ago. He is my wife's son from a previous relationship. We got along very well while he was here. During his visit, he confided in us that his home life has been really unhappy. He is living with his father, who works long hours and really isn't around for support. He loves his Dad, but they can't spend enough time together to foster and maintain a good relationship. My stepson is at an age where he could really use sensible guidance and a reliable support system. Left on his own, he might not make good choices, and I'd hate to see him head down a destructive path. I also don't want him to develop resentment against his father for not being there for him. His father does the best he can, but is single and can only do so much. To my surprise, my stepson asked us if it would be alright if he came to live with us. He said he would try to find a job to help us out with expenses, and he would finish school here. We do have a bedroom, where he stays when he comes to visit. After discussing it with my wife, we decided to allow him to stay with us, as long as his father had no objections. We think that his dad will let him do it. He knows that we have the resources and that one of us will always be around for support."
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'Me and my friends planned a psychedelic trip together at a friends house. It was an amazing time and we most all had a blast. I learned things about myself that help me cope with my mental disorders to this day.'
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'This was a fun day. It was mostly just a friendly hangout. I was mostly there to be the sober sitter, but took a microdose due to all the positive energy happening. It was not really what I expected, but it was still worthwhile. We didn\'t really come together and have fun, everyone did their own thing. I meditated in a shed for a couple hours while one of my friends had some troubles on the come up. It really did make me realize some things about my anxiety that have helped me better cope with it to this day. Actually, to be honest the lessons I learned that day seem to be fading, but the memory is still there. It also meant a lot to me to reconnect with old high school friends. The most memorable part was still my buddy freaking out over ants and saying "They out here man." Had to be there but it was hilarious. Sadly, we had a falling out since then, me and the friend who said that. He is just a selfish asshole who talks mad shit if you hang out with any more than just him. I am still a person with severe panic disorder. At least this day helped remind me that despite how negatively I may feel, I am still a person. I am still myself, whoever that may be, I do not know yet.'
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'I bumped into my secret crush. I won a scholarship and in keeping a grudge on the girl that snubbed me. I had a fight with my best friend.'
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"Dear diary, today, yet with the boy of my dreams. After following him for a few months, we bumped into each other. We only talked for like two seconds, but I can tell that he is totally into me. Apart from that, I just heard I won a scholarship. Remember I went to write it a few days ago. The girls there are mean. I tried talking to one of them but she like totally snubbed me. I've decided G hat when I get to the school, I would do the same to her. Judging by the fact that I'm going to be super famous. My best friend and I had a fight today. I know im not supposed to feel hurt because I'm the strong one. But it seems she is taking forever to apologize. In going to try as hard as possible not. Do think about her. Well that is it, see you tomorrow."
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'I took a train from Chicago to Denver because I wanted to try cannabis for the first time. I shopped in a dispensary and bought edibles. Then I ate an edible and slept like a baby.'
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'Earlier this summer, I went to Denver for the first time since cannabis was legalized. I took the train (because I\'m not a big fan of flying) from Chicago to Denver which took about 20 hours. It was by far the longest I\'ve ever spent on a train, and I was super happy to finally get off in Denver, but the ride wasn\'t so bad. It\'s way more comfortable than flying because the seats are bigger, with lots of legroom and you can get up to walk around. They even have an observation car with giant windows, although it was usually crowded. Nobody was sitting next to me, so I had tons of room. And there was free wi-fi, so I watched Netflix and did all the normal things on my computer that I would have done if I was at home. All in all it was a pleasant ride. When I got to Denver, I had a few hours to kill before I could check into my hotel room. So I decided I would walk the 5 miles from the train station to the hotel. There just happened to be a nice bike/walking path along a creek that covered most of the distance. It wasn\'t in a hurry and it was a hot day, so I took my time. I saw lots of breaks to sit and watch the cyclists and joggers pass by. When I finally got to the hotel, I was pretty sweaty and red in the face, and I still had a little more time to kill. So I found a bathroom and freshened up and relaxed in the lounge for a bit. Then I checked in and went to my room. From a quick internet search I saw that there were about 5 dispensaries all within walking distance from my hotel and I could see 3 of them from my room. So I picked the one that had the best reputation and went to buy legal cannabis for the first time. When you first walk into the dispensary, it looks like a boring waiting room. You give your ID to someone and then they buzz you into the main room where everything is for sale. Then you assigned a "budtender" who helps you choose what you want to buy. I had no idea what I wanted, so that was helpful. I ended up buying some edibles, which I tried that night. It was my very first experience with cannabis and I slept like a happy baby.'
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'A Hawaiian birthday party event with friends and family. A night to remember that lasted all night. From a hall to our house.'
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'A memorable moment was recently when I hosted a birthday party for my boyfriend. We rented out a hall and threw a party there. We recently moved to a different city so we have not seen our friends in a while. On his birthday we invited everybody down and had a good turn out. The theme of the party was more of a Hawaiian theme which everyone seemed to enjoy. There were lots of foods, drinks, music and games. Seeing everybody get together to celebrate this moment was special. There were also some unexpected gifts that he received. Our kids were also at this party and they put together a dance for their dads birthday. Our kids are young which makes this even cuter. To see his reaction to the dance was memorable. The smile on faces was such a positive feeling. Later on that night we ended up taken everybody back to our house. The hall was only rented out for a few hours and it went better then expected so we continued it at home. Some people spent the night since they could not drive back home. Waking up that next morning to a house full of people and laughs about the night before was also very memorable.'
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'My Maggie the cat passed away after 18 years of living in our home as part of the family. She lived in our home with our other animals all of her life. She lived a great life.'
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'This is a story about the loss of a pet. Pets are family and should be treated as such. A friend gave us Maggie when my children were 3 and 5. I was a single parent at the time and she was a great addition to our little family. She was just a kitten and loved to play. Maggie grew up with my children. When I started dating my current husband he "hated" cats (so he said). A few years later, my kids and I were set to move in with my then boyfriend (now husband). The deal was to have Maggie fixed and declawed and she would be fine to come along. My children are now 21 and 24. They never knew life without Maggie. She played with us and gave us tremendous joy. We all loved her, even our dogs. Now she\'s gone and I miss her. We buried her in the back yard and planted flowers on her grave.'
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'Coming face to face with a childhood bully gave me a better understanding of how it was all harmless and fun.'
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'A while back, I came into contact with someone from my past. It was a bully. The person was someone who in school would pick of me nonstop. I had a small pit in my stomach when I used to see them around class, but never got over it. Who is to ever say that they weren\'t being mean to me? I always thought that they were being mean. This was based on how they acted around me and how I felt. Well, when I met hi,magain. They said hi. I had that same pit in my stomach that I had before from seeing them. He asked if I remembered them and I said "Yea." It turns out that they were never meaning anything they said as ill will. They were just joking around with everyone. I told them I always took them as being a mean person and being just all around a bully. They apologized for that and I was sorry that I took the wrong intend of the situation. We ended up getting some coffee a little while later and catching up. I didn\'t realize that it was harmless fun!'
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'Four months ago, I had to sell my favorite possession, my beloved 1970 Chevy, corvette. I had this car for over 30 years and had so many wonderful associations and memories.'
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'Four months ago I had to let go of my most beloved possession-my faithful, yellow, 1971 Chevy corvette. I had to sell it because I lost my job and I had to save my family home from foreclosure until things get better again. I dreamed about this car since I was a boy of seven while looking at car magazines with my school buddies. One day I came home from school and told my mom and dad that some day this car would be mine. They just laughed at my naive childhood dreams, they were simple country "folk", living in rural Texas. My was father a strict military man, stationed at a Fort Hood army base, and certainly not interested in fast cars or any "fancy" things like that. He would say that such things were a "foolish waste of time and money" and that a man\'s job is not to own "fancy" things but to serve his family and put bacon and bread on the table. However, I was a free spirit, quiet different from my parents and their ways. I followed my dream of the "super car" and purchased my corvette when I turned twenty-two with my own hard-earned money. I loved my car all these years, not as a fancy object that I would show off to others, but a symbol of my own hard work and dreams. It represented my character and "together" we went through some many memorable experiences in life. It was a very tough and heartbreaking decision to sell it, however, I had to do it for my wife and my two children. Their well-being and comfortable is much more important to me than any sentimental object-even my "super car". I told myself that when things turned around again, I could always get another one. Cars can be easily replaced but a family happiness in once in a lifetime. My heart broke when I took it out of the garage for the last time and handed the keys to a young man who came to purchase it all the way from Salt Lake City, Utah, with his father. I looked at his face and saw his eyes shining with excitement. he reminded me of myself when I first got my car, a dreamed who reached his goal! I wished him good luck and I hope that he will enjoy it as much as I did all these years. I felt very sad, however, it was priceless when my five-year-old son ran into my arms and said : "Dad, when I grow up, I will buy you the faster car ever and we will fly!".'
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"My grandmother died. I went to the funeral and caught shit because I'm not an emotional person. I grieve, just in my own way."
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"So yeah, I didn't go to my grandmothers funeral. I know that sounds bad but I like nearly a thousand miles away, and to be honest, I just can't be bothered going back to where I grew up more than once a year or so. I grew up in Northwest PA in a tiny remote town, and I never really fit it. I like computers, engineering, and technology, and my hometown relies on oil and logging. I live near Boston now, and its great. Stores are open past 8pm, there's variety, shops, resturatants, etc. Its no wonder I don't like to go back there. I'm also not a sentimental person and I'm not particularly attached to my family. They're fine for the most part, but that's about it. Just...fine. I know it was just random chance that I was born into that family. I'm not close with them and I'm fine with that. So yeah, its not a huge surprise that I didn't go back for my grandmothers funeral. I actually grew up in the same town she lived in, until I was in second grade, but all I really remember is how much that side of the family fought with each other. Its like they thought they had to stick together because they're family, but they also didn't like or get along with each other. I guess I just learned from an early age that just because you're related to someone doesn't mean you have to be close to them."
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