Every ember is someone who made it through. This is the text-only version of the interactive experience: read stories from people around the world, give kudos, or add your own.
434 stories from 52 countries, 1976 kudos given in total.
Page 13 of 18, newest stories first.
I lost my beautiful baby girl in 2021 and it will forever be my biggest burn. We named her Adelaide Janny, and she will always be our little angel
We were fortunate enough to have our son in the same year and he is our everything. He’s almost 5 and desperate to finally see WT live and meet Mummy’s idol Sharon!
Sing Like A Siren
My father died in 2020, right as the pandemic was shutting down the world. Going through the grief of that coupled with the uncertainty and fear of everything else brought me to my knees. I barely remember those first two years.
Grief, as with all things, is a thing you learn to live with. It's always there, and it always changes, but you learn to get up again and live. We keep going because we have to.
Wireless
Growing up with a (probably) narcissistic mother has led to me now having an anxiety disorder. Because of that I haven't done quite a lot of things, simply because I didn't dare to.
I'm starting to learn that anxiety doesn't have to be a bad thing, and that I don't have to be afraid of my own anxiety. Now that I can let my feelings in more, I also let in the beautiful things more. I'm almost 29 and for the first time I have the feeling that I'm glad that I'm alive.
Opgroeien met een (waarschijnlijk) narcistische moeder heeft ertoe geleid dat ik nu een angststoornis heb. Daardoor heb ik best veel dingen niet gedaan omdat ik het simpelweg niet durfde
Ik begin te leren dat angst niet erg hoeft te zijn en ik zeker niet bang hoef te zijn voor mijn eigen angst. Nu ik mijn gevoel meer kan toelaten, laat ik ook de mooie dingen meer toe. Ik ben bijna 29 en heb voor het eerst het gevoel dat ik blij ben dat ik leef
Ice Queen
In 2021 I had a medical incident every month. Not only did I lose my physical health, but also my mental health, job, career path, etc. The experiences piled up, without me having room to process them. I no longer knew how to carry it, how to take it. Trauma on the medical front, but also on moving, made my world small. I lost my greatest love: dancing.
After a lot of therapy, which I am so incredibly grateful for, and retraining, work experience, recovering, etc., I am now at a point I only dared to dream of. How do you fully stand in life again with lasting damage? Again and again searching for resilience to take on the next step. I did it. I am here. Stronger and wilder and bigger than ever ❤️ Now I make magic with the art group Dancing Rituals and I dance the stars off the sky again ✨ If anyone is reading this: hold on. The tide is turning. 🫶
In 2021 heb ik iedere maand een medisch voorval gehad. Ik verloor daarmee niet alleen mijn fysieke gezondheid, maar ook mijn mentale gezondheid, baan, carrièrepad etc. De ervaringen stapelden op, zonder dat ik ruimte had om ze te verwerken. Ik wist niet meer hoe ik het moest dragen, incasseren. Trauma op medisch vlak, maar ook op bewegen zorgden ervoor dat mijn wereld klein werd. Ik verloor mijn grootste liefde: dansen.
Na veel therapie waar ik zo ontzettend dankbaar voor ben en omscholing, werkervaring, herstellen etc ben ik nu op een punt waar ik alleen maar van durfde te dromen. Hoe ga je met blijvende schade weer vol in het leven staan? Steeds weer veerkracht zoeken om het volgende stukje aan te gaan. Het is gelukt. Ik ben hier. Steviger en wilder en groter dan ooit ❤️ Nu maak ik magie met kunstgroep Dancing Rituals en dans ik weer de sterren van de hemel ✨ Als iemand dit leest: hold on. Het tij keert. 🫶
Ritual
The last 8 years have been extremely difficult. I faced cancer and, 6 months later, the loss of my home due to serious negligence... Since then, my family and I have lost everything and still have to fight to manage to survive...
The love for my family is stronger than anything and I am no longer afraid of much in life. "There's always a sparkle of hope, if you just believe"
Les 8 dernières années ont été extrêmement difficiles. J’ai affronté un cancer et 6 mois plus tard la perte de ma maison dû à une grave négligence... Depuis, ma famille et moi avons tout perdu et devons encore nous battre pour réussir à survivre...
L'amour pour ma famille est plus fort que tout et je n’ai plus peur de grand chose dans la vie. "There's always a sparkle of hope, if you just believe"
Sing Like A Siren
I feel like everything! The weight of living with responsibilities, despite being an adult and carrying them for a while... this year got complicated. I was let go in July, and although I no longer wanted to be at that company, the job search is a massacre. AI has taken away a lot of human value in the processes, and thousands of rejections have made me question my skills and my true worth as a person.
My family and the possibility of learning new things. My cats, music, the people I connect with. Despite the difficulties, there are people who support me.
Siento que todo! El peso de vivir con responsabilidades, a pesar de ser una adulta y llevarlas a cabo por un tiempo... este año se hizo complicado. Me despidieron en Julio, y aunque ya no deseaba estar en esa empresa, la búsqueda de trabajo es una masacre, la IA ha quitado mucho valor humabo en los procesos, y miles de rechazos me han hecho cuestionarme mis habilidades y mi verdadero valor como persona
Mi familia y la posibilidad de aprender cosas nuevas. Mis gatos, la música, la gente con la que conecto, a pesar de las dificultades, hay gente que me apoya
The Reckoning
This year I was recently diagnosed with multiple myeloma. Although it is a hard diagnosis, since it is a disease classified as "incurable," there is nothing left but to face it with a good attitude and fight every day to keep going for my loved ones and, of course, for myself, for that desire to live that has remained intact since the first day of the diagnosis. Here we will continue.
What gives me strength is my support network, my family, my loved ones who are always with me at every moment, who never leave me alone... but above all my two little daughters. They are my greatest drive and strength to keep going through all this so complex that came over this last year.
Este año recientemente fui diagnosticado con Mieloma múltiple, si bien, es un diagnóstico duro ya que es una enfermedad catalogada como “incurable” no queda más que afrontarlo con buena actitud y luchar cada día por seguir adelante por mis seres queridos y claro, por mi, por esas ganas de vivir que siguen intactas desde el primer día del diagnóstico aquí seguiremos.
Aquello que me da fuerza es mi red de apoyo, mi familia, mis seres queridos que siempre están conmigo en todo momento, que nunca me dejan solo… pero sobre todo mis dos pequeñas hijas, ellas son mi mayor impulso y fortaleza para continuar con todo esto tan complejo que se vino este último año
Ritual
Lost my first-born child at 12hours old.
I now have two very healthy children in their late teens and early 20's. Out of a tragedy, something stronger came along
The Purge
Loosing my mum unexpectedly last year. I live away so hadn't seen her for several months. I was very close with my mum and it happening so quickly and unexpectedly really hurt and I still struggle with the loss now
Memories, being able to remember the amazing times with my mum, going to Within Temptation concerts with her, holidays, long phone calls. Having the amazing support of my Dad and partner keeps me going!
The death of a friend at 17 was very hard to bear
Music and friends and family are the best, and my animals and Within Temptation ❤️❤️
Der Tod einer Freundin mit 17 Jahren war sehr schwer zu ertragen
Musik und Freunde und Familie ist das beste und meine Tiere und Within Temptation ❤️❤️
Don't Pray for Me
I am an obese person. Very much so. Ever since I was a child, my life has been full of name-calling and mockery.
After a long struggle with myself, I finally made the decision to go to the doctor.
At 17, my father threw me out of the house for wanting to follow my own dream. I grew up watching my mother suffer violence and, when I tried to protect her, I was also beaten. After I left home, I held on to music and took part in a talent show, hoping to prove that I was capable. But they told me I had no talent. It took me 11 years to heal from those words. Today I wrote four singles and I still keep dreaming.
When other people's words made me doubt myself, your music helped me find the strength to keep believing in my dream. The music helped me. Writing down all the pain I felt on paper helped me become the person I am today. Still a boy of 30, but with a wounded heart.
Aos 17 anos, o meu pai expulsou-me de casa por querer seguir o meu próprio sonho. Cresci a ver a minha mãe sofrer violência e, quando tentava protegê-la, também era agredido. Depois de sair de casa, agarrei-me à música e participei num programa de talentos, na esperança de provar que era capaz. Mas disseram-me que não tinha talento. Levei 11 anos a sarar essas palavras. Hoje escrevi quatro singles e continuo a sonhar.
Quando as palavras dos outros me fizeram duvidar de mim, a vossa música ajudou-me a encontrar forças para continuar a acreditar no meu sonho. A música ajudou me. Escrever em papel toda a dor que sentia ajudou me a ser hoje a pessoa que sou. Ainda um menino de 30 anos mas com um coração ferido.
Don't Pray for Me
For years I have had dark thoughts in my head telling me that I don't matter. Every time things start to go a little well, I always end up falling back somehow. Every time there is something positive, there will always be a downside.
I have been leading a group at scouting for a few years now. It has given me help because I can fully immerse myself in it and give something to the people there. I care so much about my own cub scouts that I would go through fire and ashes for them.
Ik heb al jaren lang van nare gedachtes in me hoofd die zeggen dat ik er niet toe doe. Iedere keer als het een beetje goed gaat klap ik altijd weer op een manier weer terug. Iedere keer als er iets positiefs is zal er altijd een minnpunt komen.
Ik geef nu een paar jaar leiding op scouting. Dit heeft mij z’n hulp gegeven omdat ik hier volledig in kan op gaan en om de mensen daar kan geven. Mijn eigen welpen geef ik zo veel om dat ik voor ze door fire and ashes zou gaan.
Don't Pray for Me
My whole life I was insecure, had low self steem and never did what I wanted to do because I was always worried about what others may think. I wasted most of my adult life pleasing others making my spark smaller and smaller.
Your music, learning to love and accept every part of me; the good, the bad and the ugly. It’s a daily activity to be as kind to yourself as you are to others.
Don't Pray for Me
I lost a part of myself any time I have a panick attack, it is like I can not control myself
I learned how to function with my panick attacks and people around me help me with it. Love to my mom for being super helpful and to WT for being able to listen to them during it
Ice Queen
My father was diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer with metastasis to the bone. It has been a long hard journey, still is. I know it’s difficult for him, for all us involved because unfortunately there is no cure. So now the question is, how can make the remaining part of his life better, more comfortable.
What is good? We continue to wake up to another day. My father still gets to see another sunrise for the time being. We must live life one day at a time.
I was in a 5-year relationship that ended very badly and very suddenly. As a result, I had to move back to my home country thousands of miles away. It felt like everything, from my relationship to my housing situation to my career to my friendships, was ending. I felt like I as a person was ending.
I needed help and began seeing a professional, who taught me that the end of one life can be the beginning of another. Years later, I have more independence, joy, and love than I ever have before. Going through that awful experience allowed me to appreciate everything that I created for myself, building up from ash. Most importantly, it taught me how to preserve these beautiful things, whether as reality or memory. And--I was able to move back to the country I had chosen to be my forever home.
The Purge
My husband cheating, doing illegal drugs, harming our son through neglect and beating the dogs, and doing self harm in front of us.
We left he moved further away and we struggle financially everyday (I work 2-3 jobs to make ends meet each month) but we’re away.
Wireless
My life changed drastically when I was 18. I started using life support machines 24/7 because of a rare disease I have. I also lost my eye sight suddenly and completely. Things felt, and sometimes still feel, too dark and depressing.
I learned to find the light in all this. I learned to play the guitar and make music. The little joys keep me going. My family and my cats give me the strength.
Raise Your Banner
The loss of my loved ones. Especially with my grandma and my cat. Now my birthday and Christmas are getting close again, and it hurts extra much then.
My friends and family who are always there for me
Het verlies van mijn dierbaren. In het bijzonder met oma en mijn kat. Nu komt mijn verjaardag en kerst weer dicht bij en het doet dan extra veel pijn.
Mijn vrienden en familie die er altijd voor me zijn
Don't Pray for Me
I have been struggling with stutter for 20 years. I hated myself. I felt ashamed, unheard and unseen. I feel like I cannot find love. Im always here for people and helping them but I always feel alone.
My hope and will to try, to be my best self and help people is the most powerful thing I've ever felt.
Don't Pray for Me
My daughter's mental health problems, especially a lot of self-harm (scarring).
Music above all, it helps me every day.
Les problèmes de santé mentale de ma fille notamment beaucoup de scarifications.
La musique surtout elle m'aide chaque jour
Raise Your Banner
When i was 14, I lost my mum. My brother and I were put into the care of my grandad and uncle. I had to live my teenage and adult life without her by my side, Its been difficult even now 20 years later knowing that I wont be able to hug her again. Even now its still an emotional process
Even though I lost my mum when I was young, ive met amazing friends who have become my family and amazing partner who help me keep her memory alive. Even though never met her, it's like they have known her all along
Sing Like A Siren
Over the course of several years I went from having a large group of friends that all lived nearby to have nobody left. I grew apart from some, others fractured beyond healing, one was revealed to be a monster who literally took the life of someone else. Earlier this year my last friend who still lived here moved away.
While I still is in contact with some of my IRL friends, what has really saved me from loneliness is the strong community I have found within music and other online communities. I can proudly say that I have met friends from all over the world all thanks to the internet. And while they chatting online can't replace meeting friends face to face the community shouldn't be underestimated.
Raise Your Banner
Losing the best years of my life and abandoning my dreams to care a diseased father until his last days, Death confronted me with the discovery of a person I thought I knew, how many secrets he hid, and how hard it was to accept that I knew nothing about him.
Sharon’s said once “face your fears and embrace your demons”so in the darkest days I tried to find a new way to live
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