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.
431 stories from 52 countries, 1924 kudos given in total.
Page 2 of 18, newest stories first.
Due to problems with my family I started to self harm at 11 years old. I tried to commit twice but I came through it. Now im 17, going on 18 still struggling with self harm.
I want to become a singer and I'm currently working on it.
Ice Queen
The fact of watching my child grow up in another family's arms and having her with me only a few hours a month
The fact that one day my daughter and I will finally be reunited and I will be able to savor every second of her presence
Le fait de regarder mon enfant grandir dans les bras d'une autre famille et de l'avoir auprès de moi seulement quelques heures par mois
Le fait qu'un jour nous serons enfin réunis ma fille et moi et que je pourrais savourer chaque seconde de sa présence
Don't Pray for Me
Loss of big amount of my savings as my crypto wallet was hacked. It is not that about the money but the loss of trust into system that allows people to be robbed so easily and noone is held responsible in the end.
My son. Looking at him playing and laughing gives me joy. My creative energy when I design.
The Reckoning
I lost my dad when I was 11 and was bullied extensively for being gay before I even really understood it myself.
I keep smiling and my strength and I work to uplift others so they never feel how I felt. because tomorrow will always be a better day.
Wireless
Something very difficult for me was feeling lost after crossing several countries to finally rebuild my life in a new one, feeling that the person I chose for my life wasn’t committed to what we had planned, and having to return with my dreams broken.
Music always accompanies me with every step, giving me the strength to keep going and helping me release everything that sometimes you can't share with anyone else. We cannot let ourselves drown in our own sea of thoughts; we must be strong.
Don't Pray for Me
Ive been bullied a lot and went trough a lot of hard dark and painfull times
My gf and metal music showed me my life is still worth a lot and i can't give up
Ice Queen
4 years ago I experienced narcissist abuse in my own flesh, that person crossed my limits, took advantage of my good will, my feelings, my support and resources. That person never looked forward to having a relationship with me. My very essence was torn apart. I had to leave that person against my will. The outcome was a devastating depression and temporary memory loss.
Becoming a new person ex nihilo from the inside and outside, forging my own beliefs from the scratch. Earning the local title of Mr. Earth Anzoátegui 2024. My success became my best revenge.
The Purge
2026 was a disaster of a year for me. I lost my grandmother, my greatest support. Also, my wife became ill. Her operation did not go the way it should have. It was a very dark period.
My wife and I never gave up and we kept fighting. At this moment my wife is recovering very well. Your music helped me through this difficult period.
2026 was voor mij een ramp van een jaar. Ik verloor mijn grootmoeder, mijn grootste steun. Ook is mijn vrouw ziek geworden. Haar operatie verliep niet zoals het zou moeten. Het was een heel donkere periode.
Mijn vrouw en ik hebben de moet nooit opgegeven en we zijn blijven vechten. Op dit moment herstelt mijn vrouw heel goed. Jullie muziek heeft mij geholpen door deze moeilijke periode.
Raise Your Banner
Growing up with an emotionally, physically and mentally abusive parent who eventually kicked me out. It left me with a long list of mental health issues and basically zero self worth.
My friends. I found people who love me for who I am and that helped me to love myself, and even in the times where I still struggle to remember why, I know they'd miss me if I were gone, and that reminds me to keep fighting.
Raise Your Banner
I was in my early 20s, and my family did not give me freedom because I am deaf. I am deaf from birth. I could not go to the mall alone, I could not drive the car alone, and I could not choose a boyfriend (I started dating in 2006, I had finished in 2010, he noticed that my parents are controlling) but my parents always controlled my life and I could not even choose a course. I could not choose my own clothes, my mother is the one who chooses, I like black.
In 2016, I was brave enough to join a dating app secretly, and I met my current husband, who is a rocker and a hearing person. I chose my boyfriend myself, without my mother. I married in 2022, I got my freedom, I can buy the things I want myself (my mother does not like what I buy), I drive the car alone myself. To show that my deafness does not stop anything! And I write song lyrics and talk about my past in Portuguese and in English. Today I am 40 years old, I am still not totally free.
Eu tinha 20 poucos anos de idade, minha família não me dava a liberdade por eu ser surda. Sou surda de nascença. Eu não podia ir sozinha ao shopping, não podia dirigir o carro sozinha e nem escolher namorado (comecei a namorar em 2006, já tinha terminado em 2010, ele percebeu que meus pais são controladores) mas, meus pais sempre me controlava a minha vida e até curso não podia escolher. Eu não podia escolher as minhas próprias roupas, minha mãe é quem escolhe, eu gosto de preto.
Em 2016, fui corajosa de entrar no aplicativo de namoro escondida, conheci meu atual marido que é roqueiro e ouvinte. Eu mesmo escolhi o namorado sem a minha mãe. Casei em 2022, conseguir a minha liberdade, eu mesmo posso comprar as coisas que eu quero (minha mãe não gosta o que eu compro), eu mesmo dirijo o carro sozinha. Para mostrar que a minha surdez não impede nada! E escrevo letras de músicas e fala sobre o meu passado em português e em inglês. Hoje tenho 40 anos, ainda não sou livre total
Ice Queen
A breakup that broke me. A separation that destroyed me slowly, followed by a violent depression.
My family! Spending time with them, but also with my friends.
Une rupture qui m’a brisé. Une séparation qui m’a détruit à petit feu, suivi d’une violente dépression.
Ma famille ! Passer du temps avec eux, mais aussi avec mes amis.
During the COVID-19 pandemic we lost many patients. I worked in Pediatrics with children who had special needs. During the lockdown, mothers could not visit their hospitalized children, and one of them asked me not to leave her son alone. That night her son went to heaven, but I protected him and gave everything to caring for him.
After some time I received a package of vegetables (because the mother of the child who died works in agriculture) as a sign of gratitude. Our doctor-patient connection persisted; the mother noticed all the love and effort put into saving her son's life, even though a health worker does not want their patients to die. That mother reminded me that love exists in different forms.
Durante la pandemia por COVID-19 perdimos muchos pacientes. Yo trabajaba en Pediatría con niños con necesidades especiales. Durante el lockdown, las madres no podían visitar a sus hijos que estaban hospitalizados, y una de ellas me pidió que no dejara solo a su hijo. Esa noche su hijo se fue al cielo, pero lo protegí y entregué todo por cuidarlo.
Después de un tiempo recibí un paquete de verduras (porque la mamá del niño que falleció trabaja en la agricultura) como forma de agradecimiento. Nuestra conexión doctor-paciente persistió; la mamá notó todo el amor y el esfuerzo puesto por salcar la vida de su hijo, a pesar de que una persona de salud no quiera que sus pacientes fallezcan. Esa mamá me recordó que el amor existe en diferentes formas.
Sing Like A Siren
I spent years feeling that I wasn't enough. I slowly lost the connection with the person I once was, putting dreams aside, carrying responsibilities and trying to be everything for everyone. Somewhere along the way, I stopped creating, stopped believing in my abilities and learned to hide a part of myself that had always been there. Perhaps the hardest thing wasn't losing my way, but forgetting that I had the right to find it again.
My children, my family, my faith and the little things that remind me why life is beautiful. And art. Art brought me back to myself. In 2022, I picked up a brush again, almost afraid to try, and discovered that something I thought I had lost was still alive inside me. I am still learning, still rebuilding, still dreaming. And perhaps my greatest strength is that, despite everything, I haven't stopped believing that there is something beautiful left to create.
The Purge
Losing my parents, becoming a father myself, getting divorced.
My daughter. She gives me the strength to keep fighting.
The Purge
3 years of grief from our wish for children not coming true, and IVF treatments.
That our miracle baby was finally born healthy.
3 jaar verdriet door het uitblijven van onze kinderwens en ivf behandelingen.
Dat uiteindelijk onze wonder baby gezond geboren is
my dads dementia diagnosis. it’s always been a possibility after losing so many other family members to it, but it happening to someone so close to me is a pain i can hardly describe.
what keeps me going is the love i have for my family, my friends, my partner and music. even when it feels dark and like there is no hope, the love for the people around me reminds me there is still goodness in the world
Sing Like A Siren
There was a time when the pain became so overwhelming that I attempted to take my own life. I couldn't see a way forward or imagine a future where things could be different. I felt lost, exhausted and disconnected from the person I once was. For a while, I genuinely believed the darkness would never end.
Today, I get to experience things I once thought I would never live to see. I've found love, built a life with someone I can't wait to marry, found dreams worth chasing and learned to understand and accept myself a little more every day. Therapy helped me find my way back, but I also learned that healing isn't linear. I still have difficult days, but now I have a future I'm excited about. And that's something I once couldn't imagine.
The Purge
I went through toxic relationship, and it burned my soul and heart. I lost all hope that I had in myself and I tried to survive my own mind.
My family, my friends and the atmosphere that I enjoy every single day. My hoobies, music, cooking, going on the long walk, sharing positivity as long as I can.
The Reckoning
I found out very early that I am a lesbian. I took it for granted for myself, so I didn't come out, and then I had a girlfriend at 14-15. Anyway, I had no idea what was happening to me when my mother told me I was no longer her child. I then forced myself for years to live as straight in order to be accepted.
(I'm an adult now, so time has passed) I separated from my relationship with a man, and months later I secretly had a date with a woman. When my mother found out, she apologized to me. Even though she still doesn't like it, she accepts it, or at least she's trying to.
Ich habe sehr früh rausgefunden dass ich lesbisch bin , habe es für mich selbst so selbstverständlich genommen, dass ich mich nicht geoutet habe und dann eine Freundin hatte mit 14-15. Jedenfalls wusste ich gar nicht wie mir geschieht als meine Mutter zu mir meinte ich sei nicht mehr ihr Kind. Ich habe mich dann Jahre gezwungen hetero zu leben um akzeptiert zu werden
(ich bin jetzt erwachsen , also ist Zeit vergangen) Ich habe mich aus meiner Beziehung mit einem Mann getrennt, und hatte Monate später heimlich ein Date mit einer Frau. Meine Mutter hat sich bei mir entschuldigt, als sie es rausgefunden hat , auch wenn sie es immer noch nicht mag , akzeptiert sie es , oder versucht es zumindest.
Throughout all my life I struggled to see myself fit into society through my queerness. I never felt like I belonged anywhere. I never felt understood, I never understood myself, like being unexplainable.
After years of looking for answers and denying how I feel I understood that I’m non-binary. People around me support me in being myself. Now I feel free to be who I am. My queerness is my beauty and my strength now.
Raise Your Banner
I was humiliated by my family, bullied at school, I went through depression and loneliness, nobody ever wanted to support me in anything and I had to build everything myself
Now I'm building my own music and modeling career, I'm trying to carve out my own space in the world of showbiz and I don't have to rely on anyone because I've learned to rely on myself and even when I make mistakes, I know it's thanks to them that I keep moving forward
The Reckoning
When I lost my dad in 2014, I hadn't come out yet. I came out to my mom shortly after that. I never got to share my wholeself with my dad. That was a really tough day. Things got tougher after I met my now wife. My mom didn't accept her for almost 11 months. My wife didn't want to affect my relationship with my mom and was willing to put our relationship on hold until my mom was ok with us being together. That just about ruined me.
My wife is my soulmate, my other half, the missing puzzle piece to my heart. My mom eventually came around and now she loves my wife as much as she loves me. Without my wife, I couldn't have gotten through everything. Coming out, family pressure, all of it. She is everything to me. She's my best friend and I couldn't do it without her.
The Reckoning
I’m an adult survivor of childhood genital mutilation. Throughout my life, I’ve struggled with PTSD and depression stemming from the violation of my bodily autonomy. It often feels lonely to navigate this grief while living in a culture that normalizes the harm I experienced. As a trans woman, I’ve found it painful that some people conflate the consensual care I rely on to feel at home in my body with the non-consensual genital cutting forced upon me and others as infants or young children.
Recently, I’ve found empowerment in using my voice to break the silence around this issue and advocate for change. I hope to see a world in which children of all genders have their bodily integrity respected. Music and artistic expression have always been deeply meaningful to me. I’m currently developing my skills as a songwriter and musician so that I can eventually release music exploring issues and experiences that have thus far been shrouded in silence.
The Purge
My mom told me that she didn't love me, she never wanted me. She loves my sisters. It hurts in my soul not to be loved. My dad died many years ago. I don't trust people. I became homeless when I was 15 years old.
In 2009 I gave birth to my son, and I get and give love to my child that I didn't think I would get to experience. My dogs and cats have also always meant a lot to me. Their love is pure and genuine.
Min mamma sa till mig att hon inte älskade mig, hon ville aldrig ha mig. Hon älskar mina systrar. Det gör ont i min själ att inte vara älskad. Min pappa dog för många år sedan. Jag litar inte på människor. Jag blev hemlös när jag var 15 år.
År 2009 födde jag min son och jag får och ger kärlek till mitt barn som jag inte trodde jag skulle få uppleva. Mina hundar och katter har också alltid betytt mycket för mig. Deras kärlek är ren och äkta.
Wireless
My mom told me when I was a child that she didn't love me. She didn't take care of me, but she loved my two sisters. She said she never wanted me. I became homeless when I was 15 years old. My dad was not in my life, so I was an orphan and had to learn to take care of myself early. I learned that I can't trust people.
In 2009 I gave birth to my son and he means everything to me. I give and receive love that I never believed existed. My dogs and cats have also helped me survive with unconditional love. I am grateful to be able to give, feel and receive love from my child and from my dogs and cats.
Min mamma talade om för mig när jag var ett barn att hon inte älskade mig. Hon tog inte hand om mig, men hon älskade mina två systrar. Hon sa att hon aldrig velat ha mig. Jag blev hemlös när jag var 15 år. Min pappa fanns inte i mitt liv så jag var föräldralös och fick lära mig ta hand om mig själv tidigt. Jag lärde mig att jag kan inte lita på människor.
År 2009 födde jag min son och han betyder allt för mig. Jag ger och får kärlek som jag aldrig trodde fanns. Mina hundar och katter har också hjälpt mig att överleva med ovillkorlig kärlek. Jag är tacksam över att få kunna ge, känna och få kärlek från mitt barn och från mina hundar och katter.
Wireless
Write in your own language, we'll translate it to English. After sending, we email you a link: your story is published once you confirm your email address. You can delete it at any time with the link in that email.