Tag: life
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There is Something That I Refuse to Explain About Myself Anymore
I’m not trying to be overly social. This one really bothers people. I don’t dislike humans.I don’t think I’m better than anyone.I’m not antisocial. I’m selective. I don’t want surface-level conversations just to fill silence.I don’t want to perform friendliness as a personality trait.I don’t want to be “on” all the time.Social energy costs me…
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When Death Scares Me More Than I’m Willing to Admit
I don’t talk about this often, because it feels uncomfortable to say out loud, especially as a Muslim, but the concept of death terrifies me. Not in a casual, abstract way. In a deep, chest-tightening, spiral-inducing way. And I know what people expect me to say. I know the theology. I know about the Akhirah,…
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Abuse Isn’t About the Woman
I’m writing this because I’m angry… Recently, my stepdaughter admitted something awful that her mother said about me: that because I was abused in a previous relationship, I must be the type of woman (quiet and subservient) who tolerates abuse because I choose to stay with her ex husband that she claims has been abusing her…
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Abuse Isn’t About the Woman
I’m writing this because I’m angry… Recently, my stepdaughter admitted something awful that her mother said about me: that because I was abused in a previous relationship, I must be the type of woman (quiet and subservient) who tolerates abuse because I choose to stay with her ex husband that she claims has been abusing her…
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What It’s Like Being a Stepmother and Coparenting with a High-Conflict Bio Mom
I became a stepmother when the kids were 9, 10, and 12, old enough to remember life before me, but young enough to still need stability, guidance, and love. Now they’re 12, 13, and 15, and I’ve watched them grow into teenagers right in front of my eyes, all while raising my own 3 year…
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Getting Beyond the Baby Blues
I remember the day I found out I was pregnant. I had been dealing with painful cramps for days and, like I often do, my mind jumped straight to worst-case scenarios. I was convinced it was something serious, maybe pelvic inflammatory disease. When I went to the doctor, the nurse casually handed me a pregnancy…
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How My Love for Film Started
My love for film started when I was a child, long before I ever understood what filmmaking even was. Growing up, we had movie nights every Friday. It was a whole ritual, the popcorn, VHS rentals, the excitement of picking something new at Blockbuster. My parents worked a lot and I never got to spend…
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The Hardest Truth Therapy Made Me Face Today
I just walked out of therapy and I feel very unsettled right now. The entire session came down to one thing I really didn’t want to accept. Some people will hurt you and they genuinely do not care. They don’t sit with it. They don’t feel the weight. They don’t lose sleep. They don’t replay the…
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The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle – Book Review
I’m currently reading this book The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle which centers on living in the present moment to find peace and emphasizing that things like anxiety and worry comes from dwelling on the past or future, and that true self is consciousness beyond the constant mind chatter. It’s seriously changing my life.…
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When a “Best Friend” Doesn’t Feel Safe
I’ve had a lot of girlfriends and best friends in my lifetime, but none of them fit into this category, except her. I recently cut off one of my longtime best friends, and even though it had to be done, I still feel terrible because we had known each other for a long time, long…
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Honestly, Vanessa 