WRITE HERE

Hi y’all! I’m back for another Write Here Wednesday where I share some of my favorite responses to the weekly Write Here prompts. Like I’ve said before, I try to read every piece (and you all are writing a lot, which is a good thing!) and I feature stores that I think are creative, relatable or in need of more reader love.

But it’s important to me that you all know how extremely happy I am that so many of you are finding inspiration through the Write Here prompts every week and even if you’re not feature in Wednesday roundups, please know that your writing has value, I’m always reading (as are so many others at Medium) and I want to do whatever I can to encourage you to keep sharing your insight and your voices with us.

We have so many cool things coming up that I hope will continue to spark your creativity, including our Summer Creator Workshop Series. In the meantime, please continue to write and share. Your words matter.

Let Me Be

I am tired of the expectations,/That you possess in millions./They make me dance to your tune,/And lead me further to ruin. ––

Kavya

I Am Tired of Following My Passion

Yes, I want to like the work I do but my work doesn’t have to be my passion. ‘Follow your passion’ took the joy out of the things I loved once. I can’t think of my life without any creative interests but I no longer want to bear the burden of earning my living from my hobbies. ––

Rummy Kaur

I’m Giving Up on Postpartum Body Positivity

Whatever happened to keeping it real? For once I just want to read about a mom who says, “I love my baby, but I hate what having them did to my body.” Instead, social media and other news outlets are full of celebrity and influencer moms posting pictures of their postpartum bodies and writing it love letters. So when I, a nobody, was preparing for my own postpartum body, I was sure that even though it would be bigger and misshapen and lumpy and soft, I would be fine with it. I thought I would be posting pictures of my cankles and reciting sonnets about my fupa.

Here I am a year later, and while I may be squeezing in a fitness class once a week and living an active lifestyle with my daughter, I’m still not even close to where I want to be. And I feel like an ungrateful hag for feeling that way. ––

Jordan Peden

You could be the defining moment between life and death

Failure Is Not An Option, It’s Mandatory

Failure is not an option. It’s mandatory. The option is whether or not to let failure be the last thing you do. ––

Matthew Maniaci

I’m Tired of Replying to Impersonal Birthday Wishes on Social Media

I don’t need birthday wishes from strangers because I don’t want to feel guilty for not responding with thanks. And I’m damn sure I don’t want to spend my birthday with this mental load that I’ll have to respond to countless birthday wishes I should be grateful for because people took a moment to think about me for my birthday when it was for them was only a click. At the same time, for me, it will be countless clicks, pretending, in turn, that I’m grateful for receiving a pre-defined birthday message. No, thanks! I’m good. ––

Eva Grape

To, My Body

I want to not only apologise but say thank you. Thank you for putting up with me and still going no matter how much I eat junk food, not drink enough water, or give you any exercise. I don’t take care of you as I should, but you still give. ––

Casey Stanley

It’s good to be here.

I Didn’t Have the Luxury of Being Nervous

So, the next time you puke over a presentation you are about to deliver, panicking to meet some crazy deadline for the CEO, or find your heart skipping a beat because you discovered you overdraft your bank account, remember: It could be a lot worse.

You could be the defining moment between life and death. ––

Crystal A. Walker

The Surprising Shame I Felt While Clearing Closets

Moment of shame 2: I discovered an unopened box with a weight loss system I never used, and only have a vague memory of purchasing. I know I was hiding the purchase from my husband. I hid it so well that I promptly forgot about my goal and my purchase. Another wasted wad of cash. The whole ‘system’ was thrown in the trash because it expired years ago. ––

Catherine Nichols

I Just Got Engaged – Here’s How My Life Changed

Suddenly, we were arguing more often than before. And we had drastically different styles of approaching conflict. I am an incredibly non-confrontational person. I saw my parents fight all the time when I grew up. I heard my father scream and yell at my mom for what seemed like whole days on end, while my brother and I tried to distract ourselves from the fighting. I resolved I wouldn’t fight with whoever I was with later on in my life. It wasn’t a very realistic resolution, but I wanted any relationship to not be like the failing and terrible marriage of my parents. ––

Ryan Fan

What’s Going Good Today?

It’s all good, you’d say. Even on the days when it is not — it’s good to be here. ––

Megan Minutillo