2022 Was The Year Of My Dreams, I Truly Never Wanted It To End.

Let’s just take a minute and reflect on 2022, the year I truly did not want to end. 

This has been one hell of a year, the year I have dreamt about since I was a little girl. This year not only did I buy my first home, but I bought my first home with the love of my life. We finally have a place to call our own and a place to make so many memories to come. Not only did we go in on buying a house together but this was also the year that the man of my dreams asked me to marry him. Not only did he ask me to marry him but he took me to my favorite place and asked me to marry him in front of all my friends and family, on the ocean with a ring fit for a princess.

We started planning our wedding and we found our dream venue….

I didn’t think this year could get much better, that was until I found out I was pregnant in October! I have always wanted to be a mom, ever since I was a little girl. That was my dream. I had the best mom growing up, and I’m lucky enough to say that I still do have the best mom. I have always wanted to be just like her and my dream was finally coming true! Not only did I find out I was going to have a baby but I was going to have a daughter!

A little girl, a little mini me!

I honestly can’t tell you how many times I have cried this year, I promise they were all good tears…. I am so beyond blessed to have the year I did, this past year! I am so excited to see what 2023 has in store for me and, for my growing little family but I really loved 2022 and truly did not want it to end.

 

Fundamental Virtues of Raising a Strong Little Princess

My Princess

There are a lot of things I wish I could tell my daughter. But, she is two years old and the only thing on her mind is Daniel Tiger and Princesses.

 

She’s my sweet baby, and I really don’t want her to grow up and fly far away from me the obsessive mama bear. I want her to stay my baby forever and always. She’s my first child so when I had her everything was new and different. I like to joke that she was my experiment.

 

If I didn’t kill her then I’d be okay. I know one day my daughter will grow up and be more and want more for her life. I know something I didn’t really seem to struggle with too much was my body image.

 

I truly think it was because I had a mother that never really spoke to me at least much about the things she didn’t like about her body. She always showed me how strong she was instead. I think that one simple act was more powerful for my self-esteem than my mother probably ever really knew.

So here is my advice to my future daughter and maybe someone else might say similar things to their daughters one day too.

 

A Thank You To My Mom, Everything I Am Is Because of You

From the moment I entered this world, my mom has had my back. She is my absolute everything.

She is the first one I call when something goes wrong and the first one I call when something incredible happens.

She was there when I was a rebellious teen and pushed her away and is still here now that I’m twenty-something and call her thirteen times a day.

I honestly couldn’t have asked for a better woman to be my mother. She is my teacher, my comforter, my home, my best friend. She has never steered me wrong.

She has stood by me through stupid boys, late night study sessions, random phone calls asking what setting the washing machine should be on because I’d never lived away from her before.

Through every smile and every stress-induced, tear-filled, crazy moment, she’s been there.

She knows exactly how I think and how deeply I feel things, and, most importantly, she knows I don’t mean the things I say when I’m hangry.

Without a doubt, she is my rock and will forever be my best friend. I would be lost in this world without this beautiful angel I was assigned.

She carries me when I am weak, picks me up when I fail, and rejoiceswith me when I succeed.

She has taught me that it’s okay to make mistakes and that my ponytails don’t have to be bump-free. She has taught me how to love but also how to stand up for myself.

Everything that I am and hope to be I owe to my mother. I wouldn’t be half of what I am today if not for her guidance, love, and support.

I could write pages about her forgiveness, kindness, strength, unconditional love… But no amount of words could ever express how grateful I am to have her in my life or just how much I love her.

For more from RC, visit her writer’s page here. 

Study Claims That Spending Time With Your Mother Can Make Her Live Longer

It’s no secret that the relationship we have with our mother is special and unique. Whether we like it or not, she is the woman who brought us into this world. For me, personally, my mom is my very best friend. She’s my anchor, my safety net, and my soundboard whenever life gets hard. No matter what, she will always be there for me.

But, as I’ve gotten older and moved out, I’ve somehow spent less and less time with my mom. It’s hard to always find the time to see each other and hang out when we both work full-time and live in two different neighborhoods. While we speak on the phone every day, there’s nothing that’s quite like spending some quality time together. And, according to a scientific study, spending more time with your mother can help her live longer. 

In 2012, the study was published in the JAMA Internal Medicine and indicated that spending more time with your mother increases her lifespan slightly. The study said that loneliness is a significant factor in why older people die earlier. Loneliness in adults leads to increased depression and other health problems.

How did they discover this? Well, the study looked at 1,600 adults—with the average age of 71-years-old. They found that 23% of people who participated in the study who were lonely ended up dying within 6 years of being apart of the study. Only 14% of those who said they were not lonely died during the same 6 year period.

Basically, keeping your mom’s social life active, positive, and booming can allow her to escape the death grip of loneliness. And, if you can’t see her all of the time, at least try to call her once or twice a day and, possibly, see her once a week. You never know how much you can impact her life!

 

Mother And Daughter Recreate Famous Red Carpet Looks And The Results Are Stunning

Alya Chaglar, a mother from Turkey, has a wildly popular Instagram account where she shares photos and creations with her daughter, Stefani. The two gained popularity after Alya began recreating famous looks from the red carpet and runways all over the world. According to Bored Panda, the idea stemmed from a famous Rihanna look.

One day, I came across a photo of Rihanna in a blue Molly Goddard gown and decided to repeat her fashion look for my daughter, by using different materials on hand. The publication of that photo got very popular on social media, so I went on making a “dress like a celebrity” photo series and posted them under the #ahStefani hashtag.

Since then, the mother-daughter duo has gained over 200,000 followers on the app, sharing their beautiful looks—that, according to Alya, only take 10-30 minutes to create. Talent!

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Things That Happen When You Grow Up With A Blunt Dad

For many girls, fathers are their first loves. Dads are our teachers, caregivers, and best friends. But growing up with a blunt dad is a totally different ballgame. He’s hilarious and fun, but he’ll always tell it like it is. He never had to beat around the bush when trying to teach or discipline you. If that dress was too short, he’d tell you exactly what you look like.

1. Your dad tells the best jokes and stories.

Blunt people are brutally honest. Describing life exactly as it is, with a little bit of sarcastic humor thrown in there, can be hilarious. When your dad gets started, there’s no stopping him. And there’s no escape from the gut-wrenching laughter, either.

2. He has no problem confronting you about your modesty (or lack thereof).

If you were one of those teeny sixteen-year-olds who got dressed up to “go out,” your dad made sure you were kept in line. He wasn’t terribly strict per se, but he was not going to let you out of the house in that dress. The one that made you look like a hooker. Nope, not happening.

3. He gives you the best life advice.

A blunt dad calls it as he sees it. Even if you don’t ask for advice, he’ll tell you what you need to hear. If you’re clearly miserable at your summer internship or hate your major, he’ll sit you down and tell you to look at different paths. A blunt dad won’t just sit around and support you no matter what. He’ll do that, but he’ll direct you down the path you need to take.

4. Your dad always corrected your mistakes.

If you messed up, he’d tell you. But he wouldn’t get mad and get over it. He’d teach you, and help you learn from your mess up. He’d joke and say “Ok, well that was awful.” But he’d make you get back up and try again until you got it right.

5. When your teenage boyfriends came over to meet the parents, he’d tell you his opinion with the most brutal honesty.

It was either, “that was a good kid,” or “HA! get rid of him as fast as you can.” You might have rolled your eyes and dismissed his honesty, but deep down, you know that his judgments were spot on. And thank god for that, because he saved you from a ton of deadbeat scumbags.

6. Your dad would critique your middle school group of friends and steer you in the right direction.

If you had a friend that was too loud, obnoxious, or too shy to say hello, he’d call them out on it. Albeit, he’d be polite, but you were mortified. Your dad likes people who are upfront and direct, so carrying a conversation with your little friends wasn’t too pleasant for him. If it were up to him, he’d tell you who to hang out with.

7. You were never reprimanded by your dad. He taught you how to see things in a different light.

If you broke the rules, your dad wasn’t angry or upset. He was disappointed. But he told you exactly what you did wrong, how you needed to change, and how to be consistent. And when you worked it out, your dad was first to tell you how great you are.

8. He defined the parameters of right and wrong.

Blunt people are black and white. There’s no wishy-washy grey area. So there’s no cutting corners or taking the easy way out with your blunt dad around. He’ll call you out on your laziness, procrastination, or anger. And he’ll help you through it.

9. His love for you is unconditional and pure.

Even though he’s blunt, he’s still a mush for his little girl. You know your dad loves you no matter what, and he’ll always be by your side to guide you and support you through it all.

 

The Truth Is, I Love My Religious Family But Not Their God

Ever since I can remember I’ve been the type to question everythingSo growing up in a very religious environment felt like the world just played the biggest prank on my existence. I always felt out of place in everything related to religious activities and so I played along for the longest time just so I wouldn’t cause any tension in my family, discomfort, or shame. It was hard, and it still is because well, I haven’t really told my parents I’m an atheist. I’ve grown tired of pretending that I believe and care about their religious beliefs when in reality I find them flawed and straight up false.

I tried to find sense in what they believe but the more I researched the more I couldn’t comprehend it.

I can’t understand how simple it is for them to feel so strongly about a faith that has so little or none at all evidence to back it up. So am I wrong for not going along with their religious traditions? I mean, after all, they’re not hurting anyone.

If anything, they have been part of a community that for the most part has given them a sense of belonging and that’s important, I guess. But then again, I do feel a sense of belonging being part of my college community so I’ve decided that being part of their religious community is hypocritical and I just can’t continue with this facade.

I know that for some this is not such a trivial thing to have to deal with their family but it is for me.

I feel like a fraud not being honest with them.

I feel that I’m not being myself and that I’m actually losing part of my identity in an attempt to hold on to this thing that is so not me just for the sake of the family.

I know it won’t be easy to have this conversation. I have been pretending for so long it really feels like the biggest betrayal of all time. It saddens me to think that I can really cause a lot of pain to my parents when I tell them how I really feel.

But I have to believe that their love for me will be greater than my beliefs. Not believing in what they believe doesn’t make me any less of the person they’ve known all these years.

I think religious beliefs are just part of who you are, they’re not all that you are.

I have a moral compass and values. I’m kind to myself and others, I’m not judgemental or at least try to be. I’m understanding of others and I have unconditional love for those I care about.

I don’t need a religion to define me, I define me and my parents should be ok with that.

I think honesty is the best policy. I owe it to them to be truthful and open. I’ll be willing to listen to their views and feelings about it. I know that I will disagree with a lot of their arguments on the subject but I feel that I also have valid points about my views that I can contribute. I just hope they receive my views with empathy and understanding

Is it ok for parents and their child to have different beliefs? I genuinely think so, because even if  I don’t believe in their faith but I love them to death, admire and respect them.

Denying their faith somehow made me feel unworthy of their love.

At times I felt like I shouldn’t belong in this family. It was wrong of me to think that way, it was damaging to my soul.

No religion should separate loved ones and I felt like it didn’t allow me to express myself completely.

It breaks my heart to have that much pressure on myself, but it ends now. My family and I deserve to be close even if we are in disagreement. I choose to not be part of their religion. I’m putting my foot down but I’m doing it with unconditional love and an open heart. Wish me luck.

To The Fearless Girls Who Had The Strength To Break-Up With Their Toxic Dad

A Fearless Girl And Her Toxic Dad

Dads…Who needs them? All girls do but unfortunately, yours didn’t fit the bill as ‘world’s best dad’ and you had no choice but to gather up your ‘daddy’s little princess’ dreams and kicked the toxic bastard to the curb.

It hurt, stung and burned your soul, but you must trust that it’s the best decision you ever made and that you’re going to kick ass at living  life without your dad.

Whether it was because of emotional or physical abuse, the dude failed at his fundamental job to unconditionally love, protect and nurture you.

 

It must be clear that his toxic lack of effort and ability to love is not your fault. It doesn’t have to define you or haunt and shape your capacity to love and receive love.

Your resilient heart has come this far, you made the conscious choice to separate yourself from his toxic influence, and that along has already set you up for a better mañana.

Yes, it’s a great loss, probably one of the hardest break-ups you have to endure, but it has also shown your inner strength and the power you have to fight for the love that you warrant. Cheer up, you’re a self-made badass!

 

Hey Dad, Don’t Read This Until Her Wedding Day

Giving his daughter away is probably the hardest thing a father will have to do in his life.

From dropping her off at kindergarten on her first day to opening the door for guy on her first date, his heart is aching.

And now, that’s his little girl falling in love with the guy she’s going to spend the rest of her life with.

He prays she takes his breath away just by the sight of her, that he’s the guy who will love every ounce of her being without question, that he’ll be loyal to her even in his lowest moments.

Because a father’s love is incomparable to anything else. He loves his little girl with everything in him and would never allow anyone get close enough to her if he had an inkling that she could get hurt.

In his eyes, no one will ever be good enough for her. But the truth is… she’s found her forever. The one guy who she will love for the rest of her life and he’s everything she’s ever dreamed of.

Every prayer her dad prayed, every wish he made, every dream he dreamed. This guy is all of it.

Every tear he shed, every smile he beamed, every “I love you” shared. They all come back in the form of this perfect guy.

He’s the one who treats his princess like a queen, shows his little girl the world, gives her the entire universe, and loves her with all his unending might.

He protects her, cherishes her, respects her, listens to her, encourages her, lifts her up, catches her when she falls, spoils her, and reminds her every day of how amazing she really is.

He stands by her even in the darkest times, never makes her feel alone or abandons her, always holds her hand crossing the street, and never lets her go to bed angry.

He understands her far more than she understands herself, makes her laugh and cheers her up, prays with her, and motivates her to be the best version she can be.

He is the love she has been searching for and the one who holds her heart in his hands

He’s the one.

To My Father Who Wasn’t Man Enough to Stick Around

It’s been so long since you abandoned me, Dad, but people still ask about you. Most want to know how I’m doing without you, but sometimes they’ll ask how you are and I’m forced to admit I have no idea.

I don’t get too upset by the questions. But even if I refused to speak about you for the rest of my life, I’ll never be able to forget the morning you left.

I woke up and my whole world was gone.

At first, I actually thought you were dead. Weird, right? What kind of father leaves their child wondering that?

And even with all of that, I don’t hate you. You are my dad. Even if that’s the only “are” we have left.

Maybe it’s because you were a great dad. Growing up, you were my superhero and my teddy bear, always there to fight off my bad dreams.

You were my pillow when my heart was broken, my motivator when school got hard, and the one who kept me going.

You were my heart, my happiness, my absolute everything. I hope you feel the emotions behind these words because you genuinely hurt me.

Because other people don’t ever get it. They say I should be happy that you weren’t a deadbeat my whole life. And, I am thankful for the times when we were close, but that doesn’t mean I don’t ache over you every day.

I wish I could forget the day you chose to leave, but it’s burned into my memory. My life has never been the same.

I try to stay positive. I don’t want to be bitter, but it’s so damn hard.

Why did you break my heart? There was no logical reason. Many parents don’t live with their children, some get divorced and remarried but they still stay in contact. Why did you have to just abandon me?

Something in you changed and took my Dad away. Maybe it was unresolved pain or depression. Maybe it was pure selfishness. Whatever the culprit, I hope you overcome it someday.

I hope I’ll be able to understand one day, mostly for my own sake but also for yours.

Yes, sometimes I scream that I hate you and will never be okay, but I know I will be. I don’t really hate you. You’ve done something I don’t think I will ever forgive, but I’ll always love the person you used to be.

I hope you find happiness because I don’t hate you. Our relationship is marked by things you used to be, but you are always going to be my dad, that will never change.

Next time I see you, I hope I see something different in you, a smile or some confidence. Something I can’t see now. And if I don’t ever see you again, I hope you love your new life, Dad.

Because I am your daughter and I will never stop loving you. Even if you stopped loving me.

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