I can't believe it, he's gone for good now. I'm trying to process it all. I didn't really get to say goodbye, but that's fine. I can't do goodbyes. I was afraid I'd get emotional and cry. I did try to see him one last time, but it didn't work out. He was put in another area... I looked for him, but I did avoid it by leaving early. I just couldn't do it. God, I can't believe it's over. I will certainly miss him so.

My friends post their B/A pics and I don't mind. I think it's great that they are proud to have worked so hard to lose the weight and I think for the most part people do feel prettier because they feel better physically and emotionally. I can see how making it seem like 'I'm pretty now' may come across as bitchy, but I've known a few ladies that were bitches before and still stayed bitches after the weight loss.

As a childfree woman, I have very rarely been accused of being selfish, but there are those few who seem to find it particularly infuriating that you followed a script unfamiliar to them. Never married? You must have intimacy issues. Never wanted children? You must be selfish...or seriously emotionally damaged. Once or twice in my life I've been verbally attacked by someone who just couldn't fathom a woman making the choices I have. I'm a very happy, healthy, educated professional woman who makes a great income and has all the freedom I could want. I own a lovely home in the historic district of a wonderful city and have lots of friends. Yet I should have forced myself into another life that someone else decided is "right" for me? For all women? It's so insane to think that way.

My looks were brought up a lot when I was a little girl. However, I got depressed and emotional ate my way to 100 pounds overweight and the same people who praised me for being pretty and smart were the same relatives who called me fat and lazy. I lost the weight after I got away from those toxic people and have learned to appreciate not my outer beauty but who I became while going through a hard time. Now those same relatives are back and talking about how "beautiful" I am now and how they are proud of my achievements.

I wish I could take every woman who is abused in her marriage and have one giant house where I can take them in. I was abused, too, but it was emotional abuse and he was very sneaky and manipulative..and I just didn't even realize it was happening at the time. I also didn't realize there are many different types of abuse, in therapy I was introduced to the "wheel of abuse" (google to find it) which has all of the different forms. In retrospect, he was doing 50% of the abuse on the wheel. I made excuses for him and he had me convinced I was the problem all along. To all of you out there who can't get out of your situation, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Just because you see a kid throwing a tantrum in the store doesn't mean the kid is a brat or a bad kid. It doesn't mean the parent is a bad parent. You don't think the parent can't detect your snide attitude? Don't be a dick. It's like we live in a world where kids are expected to have adult attitudes and emotional stability. They aren't little pets to be controlled. Kids actually don't understand why they can't have a candy bar and I'm sure the parent would like to explain why but then there you are, judging and shaming them into embarrassment.

My mother had me at 17. 11 months later she had my sister, 5 years later my brother and another 5 years after him another sister. I basically raised them because she was emotionally unstable and didn't really care. She always blamed me for her life being screwed up. She always told me she wished she never had me, I was the reason she was fat, I was the reason she was never able to do anything with her life, I was the reason for everything wrong and it was all my fault. I cooked and cleaned for the entire family. I remember crawling into my brother's crib when I was 5 to change his diapers. At 8 I remember cooking hamburger helper that had a cheese sauce and it burned because I didn't know what the heck I was doing. My mother then took the food off the stove and threw it all over the walls, floor, ceiling and everything in range of her. I spent the entire night cleaning it by myself before I was allowed to go to bed. Our home was infested with roaches and mice. I didn't know how to clean properly I was just a kid but that was also my fault we had pest problems. I was physically and emotionally abused until the day I moved out. I am grateful I am here today but if I had a choice in the matter I would rather have been aborted than to deal with a horrible childhood. Not everyone is meant to be a parent. It is better that women know before hand and not put the child through a horrible life.

You know, I really get it this time. We're not meant to be, and that's ok. I don't want him desperately anymore. What I have no idea how to do is undo the damage the whole relationship did to me emotionally. Why on earth is it even worth trying with more men, anyway? I can't fathom it.

Dear 17 year old self, Look your life ends up ok but it is a bad road leading to it. First, don't let the family tear you down all of the time. Your family clearly has issues from the past that isn't your fault so stop trying t impress them and just focus on being the best you can be. This will save you years of depression, therapy and emotional eating. STAND UP FOR YOURSELF. Be polite but firm in this. Don't give anyone a reason to have something against you. Just go to school and focus on that (don't let dad try to talk you into a degree you don't want), run every morning and stay away from fast food. Get a job and save up to get the hell out of that neighborhood once you turn 18. Stay with the boyfriend, he's a good guy.

Your son wants to date me, even though I am not Christian and he is. You tell him that you forbid him to date me because I am not Christian. So, tell me again how "Christian" it is to kick your son out of the house with 5 minutes notice (even though he just paid you $700 for rent), and no place to go, all because you invaded his privacy and read our messages that he planned on moving out in a month so we can date. How "Christian" is it to write your own child out of your life over something so minor? You get your way, I won't date him. I feel him having his family is more important. His ex stole from him, cuts herself and threatened to kill herself over him, was emotionally abusive towards him....but you like her because she's "Christian". I think you have the wrong idea of what it really means to be a Christian.