17 years ago I lost one of my best friends to a car accident. Amy Stephens was an identical twin. Her sister Kelly was her best friend and now remains mine. I grieve for Kelly every September 25th, knowing that her heart breaks and her heart is full every year. Losing a friend at 19 was tragic. I literally thought I got the wind knocked out of me and my brain instantly ached from un-shed tears. Loving someone is hard. You never know when the end will be and once Amy died, it felt like death just kept coming. My Grandpa, My Mom, My Dad, My Grandma, and My Brother.... all died with in the next 15 years of my life. At 36 years old, I feel like I have been robbed. I've been robbed of the love I
An open letter to my favorite comedian, Bill Maher. Dear Bill Maher, You have been my absolute favorite comedian for the last 15 years. I have seen you live over 6 times and laugh like there’s no tomorrow. You were the first atheist I ever “knew” and your comedy helped me when I was sick and miserable with cancer in my 20’s. You did your finale on your show about obesity on 8/18/17. You had some great points about Michelle Obama getting grief for implementing healthy eating and the fact that 18% of deaths may be obesity related. According to the National Institutes of Health, obesity and overweight together are the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States, close behind
"Behind every successful woman, is a tribe of other women cheering her on." Women NEED cheering on. We need emotional support from other women who came before us. When a girl tells me she's really a "guys girl" I always ask why. Limiting yourself to friendships of one gender can be harmful to your self-worth. Women don't have to be against each other. We can support and be strong together. We have a bond that unites us, so why not lift each other up? If a fellow lady has been bullied or hurt by another lady, that can really lower self-esteem and cause fear against our fellow woman. When one woman comes to the aid of another, that is one small step to build one another back up. As this conti
