Today, is my 21st birthday. Growing up, I had to share everything with my twin sister. We shared clothes, toys, friends, and attention. Although I hated sharing this for a majority of my adolescent life, I would do anything to share just one more birthday with her today. MMT

Today, I was very depressed about some of my recent troubles and the way my life has been going, so I went out to my place of worship to pray - to find some peace. What I saw there made me realize how small my problems truly are. A little girl was on her mother's lap and had a beautiful smile on her face; and it looked like a happy moment until I saw the large surgery scar on the back of her head, and realized her mother was frantically praying to help her child heal and lead a healthy happy life. MMT

Today, a hurricane devastated my hometown. I'm safely 6 hours away from home at college. I haven't heard from anyone at home in over 24 hours. And I can't drive there because the roads are shut down. I'm sitting warm and safe in my dorm while my family is probably cold and in the dark. I feel so helpless and I have no idea what to do. This feeling of helplessness while thinking the worst MMT.

Today, I realized that even though my brother died almost 7 years ago, when people ask, I still automatically say I have two brothers and four sisters. Wondering how long it will take for this wound to heal and feel normal MMT.

Today, as I waited for the train to arrive, tears rolling down my cheeks in the freezing cold, I kept seeing the flashback of him kissing her, and I felt the dreams of a life with the only man I ever loved exploding over and over again like the continuous re-run of a tragic love story from a terrible movie. MMT

Today, my mom took her own life, a week after my dad came out of the closet. MMT

Today, all of my biggest daily frustrations and worries seem completely meaningless while I sit here helplessly waiting for my wife who is in the ICU at the ER. MMT

Today, there’s only one date on our only son’s gravestone. One day, 35 years ago, and we still loved him and cherished his existence for a lifetime. MMT

Today, while deployed to Afghanistan, I received a Red Cross message notifying me that my girlfriend was in a car accident and is in critical condition. I was told I could not take emergency leave because she is not my wife. We have been together for five years and she has stuck with me through all three of my deployments. I’m sitting here, helpless. MMT

Today, she ended her life. One week ago, I broke up with her. One month ago, I admitted to myself that I had fallen out of love with her. One year ago, she wrote me a long email telling me she would die without me in her life. But I had no idea she was serious. MMT

Today at 3PM, I wished my coworker a good day as she finished her shift to go home. At 9PM my manager got a call that the same coworker had died in a car accident at 6:30PM that also put her two beautiful daughters in the hospital. How life stops so quickly and without warning, MMT.

Today, I canceled my lunch date with my mom because I was busy at work. I told her I needed a rain check for tomorrow. At 7PM this evening I received a call from her assisted living doctor. My mom suffered from a sudden, fatal stroke this evening. Just like that. MMT

Today, two months after the date we were supposed to be married, and three months after his passing, I just returned home from our pre-paid honeymoon vacation in Hawaii. I took my dad instead. MMT

Today, when I received confirmation of my father’s 20+ years of serial infidelity, my first thought was a hope that I might have brothers and sisters somewhere that could relate to the pain I have felt for the last 17 years, growing up in this broken, abusive home. MMT

Today, I realized that my older brother was always the stronger one. He was the rock of the family, until six months ago when he suddenly became ill and was diagnosed with bone cancer. And this morning, just like that, I became an only child. MMT

Today, as she bled under the weight of our overturned 3000 pound minivan, my mom looked at me before she lost consciousness and said, “Thank God. I’m so happy you’re okay.” MMT

Today, his tiny fingers clutched the crayon as they had once unknowing clutched the trigger that killed his older brother, and like so many toddlers his age, he stuck his tongue out while he drew a smiley face. MMT

Today, even though I never met her, 10 years later, I still remember every detail of her face. And each time I buckle my young son’s life jacket, I can still see her screaming and running across the sand as they try to revive him. MMT

Today, I realized I will always wish I had told him how much I love him in that text message, like I had intended to. And I know would have, if only I had known it would be the last message I’d ever communicate to him, and one of the last things he’d ever read. MMT

Today, I wanted to cover my ears and block out what sounded like an animal in pain, but it was more important to squish my little sister against me and prevent her from hearing our mother die. MMT