Contents

Introduction

1. ON SELF-ACCEPTANCE

I Kiss Like a Horse Rebecca Woolf

Have You Ever Tiffany Blevins

I Am Loni Loni Taylor as told to Cynthia Hamond

Again Teal Henderson

Why I Have to Take U.S. History Again Tal Vigderson

Good-Bye My Angel Dear Tyler Phillips

Applying Myself C. S. Dweck

2. DRUGS & ALCOHOL

The Last Song for Christy Rebecca Woolf

The Final Act Lisa Teller

A Sobering Experience Sarah Jackson as told to Jennifer Braunschweiger

Hitting Bottom Jenny Hungerford as told to Susan K. Perry

That Warm Night Sarah Woo

What She Doesn’t Know Kate Reder

The Man My Father Was Kristine Flaherty

A Sobering Place Monique Fields

3. FAMILY MATTERS

What Siblings Know Danielle Collier

How to Scare a Big Sister Natalie Atkins

Sixty-Second Flashback Tiani Crocker

Change Carrie Hill as told to Cynthia Hamond

Table for Three Isabel Philley as told to C. S. Dweck

A Most Precious Gift Jessica Colman

Memories of My Mother Amy Jo Johnson as told to Linda Friedman

The Last Months Traci Kornhauser

Our Song Jennifer Dalrymple-Mozisek

It’s Been a While Catherine Starr

Reaching Mom Analise Antone

4. SUICIDE

I Never Knew Rosanne Martorella

I Am Krysteen Hernandez

Beyond Surviving: Suggestions for Survivors Iris M. Bolton

Learning from My Past Rachael Bennett

Another Statistic Amanda Parmenter

5. TRAGEDY

An Unbreakable Bond Sara Preston

Losing the Best Garrett Drew

Turn It Upside Down Jessie Williams

Sorrowful Lesson James Kisner

Someone to Watch over Me Eva Unga

A House Is Not a Home Zan Gaudioso

Building Bridges Charlie Simmons

6. ABUSE

Losing Myself Jenny Deyo

Help Me Hawon Lee

Nightmares Kara MacDonald

7. ON COURAGE

The Birth of an Adult Jonathan Krasnoff

Unstoppable Nick Springer as told to Stephanie Booth

The Long Journey Home Phillip Thuss

Born to Win Jake Repp

Lumps Christina Angeles

Go for the Gold Michael Munds

The Walk That Changed Our Lives Maggie McCarthy

8. LEARNING DIFFICULT LESSONS

What My Father Wore Bret Anthony Johnston

The Graduation Speech Cheryl Costello-Forshey

The Purse Tal Vigderson

Friends to the End Jenny Michaels as told to Cynthia Hamond

I’m Sorry . . . Teal Henderson

A Different View Zan Gaudioso

It’s Just the Way We Are Kristy Glassen

My Greatest Teacher William Elliott

9. EATING DISORDERS & DEPRESSION

Starving for Control Jamie-Lynn Sigler

Just One of Those Days Jenny Sharaf

Suffering in Silence Ruth Greenspan as told to C. S. Dweck

Cookie-Cutter Hands Kelly Peters as told to Rebecca Woolf

Numb Jessica Dubose

10. DEATH & DYING

This Too Shall Pass Kimberly Kirberger

Seize the Day Teal Henderson

Some People Come Lauren Anderson

My Guardian Angel Meghan O’Brien

And Then I Tell My Story Maria Piñedo

I Wonder as I Wander Hilary Begleiter

The Death of a Friend Cassius Weathersby III

Timeless Friendship Andrea Wellman

Grandma’s Words of Wisdom Heather Deederly

Smiles in My Heart Sara Tylutki

Let’s Go Dancing in the Rain Claire Hayenga

When Tomorrow Starts Without Me David M. Romano

Wherever You Go Kari Fiegen

11. GROWING UP

Somewhere in the Middle Liza Ortego

Losing Becky Gwynne Garfinkle

Something I Couldn’t See Caroline Smith

My Grandma Told Stories William Elliott

Where the Locks Click Open Stephanie Hsu

Rolling Down Summer’s Hills C. S. Dweck

Who Is Jack Canfield?

Who Is Mark Victor Hansen?

Who Is Kimberly Kirberger?

Contributors

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