Today, I realized how homophobic my mother is when she said, 'I'll never agree with your lifestyle and I won't be at your wedding.' But the happy part is, I'm still so relieved that I told her, and I feel stronger now than ever. Living openly is one of the greatest choices I've made and it MMT.

Today, I had to put my dog down due to sudden deterioration from liver cancer that went undiagnosed. As I was trying to deal with the loss of one of my best friends, I went to visit some friends who just had a baby girl. Holding her, I realized that in the same day, I went from mourning the loss of a life to celebrating the beginning of another. MMT

Today, a quieter kid was reading his yearbook signatures- 4 pages and just 4 peoples signatures. I'm considered one of the popular kids at my school, but as I looked down at my own yearbook and realized that the longest signature in mine was only a couple lines, I started to think maybe I'd gone through the last four years of my life incorrectly, making more acquaintances than real friends. MMT

Today, I saw that a fellow student of mine was a recommended friend on a social networking site. This girl sadly passed away this year, and was one the most kind and heartwarming person you could ever meet. She was always volunteering and helping others and was truly a beautiful soul. I looked at her page, and realized that even in her short 22 years of life, she has inspired and helped so many. That's why Karen Pohl Makes Me Think.

Tonight, my boyfriend and I attended our first arena-size concert. About 1/3 of the way through, an elderly man toppled head-first down the cement steps of the aisle we were seated on. My boyfriend leaped out of his seat to attend to the man until EMS could get there. As he stabilized the man, several others climbed down over two or three rows of seats to get more beer, since we were their way. The contrast in people's reactions during the situation MMT.

Today, I realized I am much stronger than I thought I was. My long-term boyfriend passed away July 11th, 2011. My whole world changed. I didn't think I could ever get through this type of pain - I never had to before. But with quiet prayer, his family and a few of my close friends, I'm getting through the pain. I'm more spiritual, I'm trying new things, I'm even trying to write a book about his life. I'm trying to get my happy back one day at a time, and I'm finally starting to make progress. MMT

Today, my husband is in jail, and for the first time in years, I feel safe and free. How the incarceration of one spells the liberty of another MMT.

Today, I saw my former boyfriend of two years for the first time since we went our separate ways three years ago. We had so much in common when we were together, but now he’s the father of two children, with a third on the way with another woman, addicted to drugs, and unemployed. And I am RN, avid mentor for teen crime victims, and married to a wonderful man. How vastly similar lives change with the decisions we make MMT.

Today, I had a wedding to attend for a good friend from high school. Wednesday, a great old man, who is like a grandpa to many in the area, passed away and today was his funeral. The ironic part is they were at the same time, noon. I partially attended both events. Not only was I able to celebrate a new beginning in someone's life; I was also able to celebrate the life of a great man. These two events occurring on the same day at the same exact time MMT.

Today, I know I have an incredible capacity for love. But sometimes I feel ruined, like I can't feel it or express it the way other people do. I know I will only get lonelier if this continues. I don't know what happened to make me stop being selfless and start withdrawing. I feel stuck right now, and I don't know what to do. But every day I am grateful for the people who love me in spite of this. They are the reason I'm still pushing forward. MMT

Today, I was ecstatic to see my dad NOT pour himself a drink when he got home from work. MMT

Today, it has been about a month since my step-father killed himself. After nearly 11 years of an emotionally and physically abusive relationship to myself and my mom, my mom finally asked him for a divorce. While she was away on a work conference, he used her insulin (she has been diabetic most of her life) to take his life. She found him, and understood his message. His loneliness and her courage will always MMT.

Today, my three-year old asked me why she doesn't have a daddy, and I couldn't figure out a way to tell her I was raped without making it seem like I don't want her. I did not want to have sex with that man, but I got the biggest blessing of my life out of that situation. MMT

Today, in a heartbreaking way, I was reminded of how lucky I am to be alive and healthy. I was born with three holes in my heart, when I went in to schedule surgery several years ago, the holes were gone and there were no scars. Doctors said my situation was a rare occurrence, and that it was basically a miracle. My best friend’s daughter was also born with holes in her heart, but she died last night. MMT

Today, as I sat at my desk a father of one of my students was wheeled into my classroom in a wheelchair for our parent/teacher conference. He was holding the hand of his wife and his baby girl with a huge smile on his face. He greeted me with, "Where is that beautiful smile of yours?" I was stressing of a difficult day while his smile lit up the room, putting a smile on my face too. He has terminal cancer and will never see his children grow up. His situation MMT.

Today, right now I am waiting at the airport to fly to California. I have been planning to move to California on this day for the last six months, but I was supposed to be coming with my husband. Instead, I'm sitting next to my family, thankful that I broke off my engagement and escaped a detrimental and abusive relationship before it got worse. Now instead of moving to start a family, I'm moving to get a fresh start. MMT

Today, my best friend got married. She chose her 86 year old grandmother to be her maid of honor. You could see the pure joy in her grandmother's eyes from being ‘chosen.’ During the maid of honor speech she cried and said, "This, this right here is the kind of moment that makes life worth living." During the reception, she danced with the biggest smile. Late this evening, her grandmother unexpectedly passed away. Her life and final moments MMT.

Today, I was sitting on the front porch of my parent's house smoking a cigarette. I'm 19 and home from college for the weekend. My parent’s 50-something year old neighbor walked past, dragging an oxygen tank behind him. He looked at me for a second, shook his head, and kept on walking. MMT

Today, I am 13 years old and just came back from my best friend's funeral. She was in the seventh grade with me, and has had heart problems since birth. No one expected it to be so sudden. She was beautiful, kind, and always smiling. She never once complained about her open heart surgeries that she had to go through every few years. I am going to miss her so much, but I feel blessed for the times I had with her. She taught me to cherish what I have. MMT

Today, I saw him for the first time in five months. He looked at me as if I were a stranger. For years, this was my best friend. Five months ago, I mustered up the gumption to tell him I loved him - the first time I've ever told a man that. He's barely spoken to me since. My courage and his silence MMT.