My name is Desiree Herrera and I am 57 years old. I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, raised in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, and now live in La Jolla, California. Most importantly, though, I am Godmother to Devon. As I recall my childhood, I would categorize it as pretty normal outside of my parents’ divorce when we…

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The dark smoke engulfed my lungs and forced a film over my strong blue eyes which sat behind a pair of classic silver aviators. The thick green jacket felt tighter than usual around my muscular arms which pleased me, almost enough to distract me from the piercing shots, making every effort to remind us all…

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We all have a story. We carry them within us. Some of us carry them deep down inside, while some of us wear them on our sleeves. I am mostly a member of the “buried deep inside” camp. For years I internalized everything that’s ever happened to me. A friend of mine told me that…

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In a #MeToo era, where men and women are extended an olive branch to share their stories of sexual abuse, I still felt like mine wasn’t “bad enough,”… like I shouldn’t have let it rock me the way it did because it could’ve been worse – I could’ve been younger, he could’ve been older, I…

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My name’s Tyler and I’m 23 years old. I was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico where I grew up with my mom, dad and two younger brothers, in our close-knit, conservative, Christian household. Reaching back to some of my first memories, I can tell you my family has always been extremely charismatic. My father –…

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I’m not usually one to put my feelings out in the open, but I feel like life is all about embracing changes and growth, and I’ve certainly experienced a ton of that over the last year. So, my hope in sharing this, as I write and think back on everything, is that I will gain…

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MOM

Listen to the Audio Version Instead: Who knew a blank white page could be so daunting?  Where do I begin? How do I write something that will adequately explain the impact my mom has on me?  I suppose I’ll start by mentioning something I’ve written in every Mother’s Day card for the last seven years……

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Another interview! Although I may not be totally keen on putting these conversations together after the fact, sitting down with someone and connecting with them face(Time) to face(Time) is one of the things that makes me happiest in the world. Which is great, considering that’s all we’re doing now. #ZoomMeetings Did you hear that, NBC?…

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Sadie didn’t want to go back to the shitty dorms. With her dad in this condition, she didn’t want to go anywhere, but her mom insisted. “Guys, listen to the doctor. Go to the house and settle in. I’ll call you if anything changes,” Jamie demanded, in the most firm tone she could muster. The…

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Hello, everyone. My name is Dominique De Wet and I am 22 years old. Fair warning, everyone, English is my second language, so if this doesn’t run as smoothly as previous blogs, my sincerest apologies. I was born on a farm between civilization (as we knew it) and rural Zululand (a beautiful, underdeveloped country with…

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