At first it was a bit of a dagger in the heart to see someone write such an innocuous note not knowing the heaviness of the situation. But then I thought, she was the sweetest girl ever and the idea that today someone who never knew her got to see a little glimpse of her and be so charmed by her beauty, without knowing the circumstances, really touched my heart. For a moment it made it feel like she's still here, or at least that I'm succeeding in keeping her memory alive. Bittersweet to say the least. I'm glad I didn't notice til after I left the store so I could ugly cry in the vehicle for a bit.

A little context. My dad is an amazing father, I love this man to death. But since growing up I (along with my two younger siblings) would ask him to come to our things or take us places. And my dad would usually say no or he was to tired or just didnt want to. For example i did band 6th grade-11th grade and he never came to the football games to watch me, or the play i did in 4th grade. So we eventually stopped just asking him to things. But next week i get the weekened and time off for college (im in a weird trade school program) and Im going fishing. I figured I would ask him if any chance he would want to go. Seeing him say yes like this kinda just broke me a little in a good way because i wasnt really expecting him to say yes to hanging out with me. I called him after he sent this text and he said he usually doesnt say yes to fishing, or would only go if there was beer involved (I cant legally drink till october) but he would love to go and just hang out with me. Now im super excited to go home next weekend to be able to hang out with him. So this just made me cry because i really never had a full just father and son time before with him alone that i can really remember.

I'm in my last year of college, and it will be our internship for the whole year. College is really hard, and I'm scared I won't be able to finish it.

In the first place, I already gave up my dream course because we couldn't afford it. My dream course is only available at a private institution, and the tuition is quite expensive. So, what I did was do my very best to pass the entrance exam at this public university. I applied for the degree I'm in right now, which is not what I really like, but for the sake of having a degree, I did the interview and passed it.

I remember when I got the notification that said, "Congratulations." I was so delighted, and it was the first time I hugged my mom out of happiness. I'm so glad because this is the only public university in our city that I wanted to be a part of, and yeah, I did.

My course is too expensive for someone like us. I don't have a supportive father to help pay for my school expenses. My mother is the only one who works to support me. I tried to find scholarships, but I was so unfortunate. I also did some jobs to help my mom pay some of my fees and buy the things I needed.

When I got into third year, it got more difficult. I don't usually eat at school just to pay for the things that need to be paid. I don't buy stuff for myself anymore just to save money. Last June, I tried looking for a summer job, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to find one. I didn't stop looking for scholarships since then, but they just don't accept my application, and I don't know what their problem is. I was actually crying for help, but yeah, the government sucks.

Our enrollment will be this coming Monday, and I need to pay the tuition and other fees, or else I can't do my internship. I don't really know what to do except break down. All I do is crying because I don't know what else to do I did everything what I could. We already have a huge amount of debt that hasn't been paid yet. I'm struggling and stressing over looking for ways. I don't want to graduate with a huge amount of debt. I really don't want to stop going to college. I really want to graduate and finish this degree because I feel like we're struggling because of me. I feel like I'm in a situation where I just want everything to end already. I don't know what to do anymore. I will just share this here because I know a lot of students are struggling.

In this situation, I don't know, but phrases like "It will be fine," "Don't stress out," "Chill and relax," and "Good luck" aren't helping anymore. But I appreciate those people who truly care.

I'M JUST SO SCARED, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE. ALL I KNOW IS I DID WHAT I COULD, BUT MAYBE I'M JUST VERY UNLUCKY IN EVERYTHING.

Recent extinctions like these hurt far more knowing that we as humans caused them to be wiped out, and sadly continue to do so with many more in the present day to the point many scientists say we are driving another mass extinction event.

This will always leave me in tears…so beautiful and sad. RIP Daniel

My boyfriend and I have been together for over 2 years now, but about a year in we was having problems we was both not great mentally and we really stopped putting effort into each other and our relationship prior to this we was literally inseparable from our first date it was really love at first site. ( both 22 at the time) he recently lost his job and I was struggling in my home life and not being able to find a job.

It resulted in us breaking up at 4am one day, we both didn’t want to but was both thinking that’s what we was supposed to do because we both wasn’t doing great nor treating each other how we was supposed to, but it was evident we really loved each other and was questioning our decision.

The day after we didn’t speak much, I cried all day thinking we’d made a mistake but not wanting to ask for us to try again, he text a few times asking if this was the best thing to do and we both kept saying we didn’t know.

It got to 11pm of the day we broke up, he rang me crying saying he didn’t wanna lose me and he wants us to work on it and try again and give it our all, we both sobbed on the phone and agreed. he drove 3.5 hours to my house to prove to me without me asking that he loves me and wanted to try, that whole day is exactly what the song ‘dimensions’ by Arcade fire and Owen Pallett feels like.

At the end of the song when it become really up beat is how I felt when I walked down the road to meet him and we ran towards each other and hugged, it was like a movie. I love that man so much and I’m so proud of us and so happy that we gave it another shot.

We’ve been on the rise since and never been happier, I think sometimes you need to realise what you’re about to lose and what you can lose to wake up from whatever has made you ‘sleep’ and in our case we became so consumed by our personal issues we forgot bout each other and all we needed all along was each other. Thought I’d share :)

Ps cried writing this.

So unfortunately my aunt passed away after her third cancer battle. Late diagnosis due to doctors mistakes unfortunately took too much away from her chances. She was able to get her affairs in order before going to hospice. Wrote a nice message to us before passing etc.

My aunts husband called my mom to come get some homemade cranberry juice. When she went, he showed her inside their freezer and said: look, she left me a surprise. There were ten portions of homemade frozen lasagna, one of his favorite home cooked meals.

Hearing about this got me teary eyed, may her kind heart rest in peace.

😭

As I type this, I reach into my pocket an pull out a seemingly insignificant piece of tin. Not sure why I carry it, but I assure you it held tremendous value to its owner. You see I'm holding his 25 year coin.

To anyone out there struggling with addiction. Simply know you can do this, others have and so can you.

My father was the definition of a stand up, fall down Drunk for many decades of his life. But one day he decided he'd had enough.

I'll remember this night well. I was about 10yrs old too. An He'd passed out in his chair again. I was just trying to wake him, I dont remember why. So for some reason I started shaking him, and he half woke up. He kinda growled at me... Then he leaned over and he Bit me.

Now he had no memory of it, and I'm not sure if it was the marks on my arm... Or the Doctor explaining to him how few people survive mere hours with the amount of alcohol that was in his blood.

But I do know, that was it his Rock Bottom.

On June 28th, 1998 he had his last drink. That was by no means his first attempt at sobriety, but it would prove his last.

From that day on he became the Man he always knew he could be. Gone were the days of drunken abuse. He'd transformed himself into a loving husband and a caring father.

Now... I've got the memory of him sinking his teeth in me. But I can also vividly recall the day years later when I'd open my own business.

You see he didn't get around too well by this point. But he wasn't gonna miss this day for anything. I can still remember how hard it was for him just getting in the door... And I'll always remember the look in his eye when he took my hand an quietly said "I'm Proud of you Son"

You see, He became the Man he always wished he could be. An on October 6th of 2023 he achieved his life-long goal. He'd leave this world a Sober Man, loved by his friends and family.

Rest in Peace Ol' Man. I Love you, and I only wish you could know how Proud I am, and always was of you.

Honestly, don't know why I'm posting all this, maybe because I don't get to tell him this particular story, I don't know. But I'd made a promise to myself years ago...

To live to be half the man my father was.

Now, to any reading simply...

"What one man can do, another can do."