It’s always hard for parents when their children leave home. But usually they can fend for themselves when they do

Despite lots of accomplishments, I suffered existential angst. A potentially fatal diagnosis made me realize that we can make each moment meaningful

I carried an EpiPen around for years, more as a crutch than a reassurance. Then one day, I forgot it while walking in a field of bee-friendly wildflowers

I didn’t realize when I opened my home and my heart that I’d also be opening myself to the type of silence I’d spent the rest of my life avoiding

Trying to live out my upbringing as the perfect wife and mother left me sick, broke and alone. What if I tried all that I’d been afraid of instead?

Since adolescence, I associated exercise with the humiliation I felt as a teenager in PE. But I learned that everyone focuses on themselves, not those around them

After I broke my ankle, I resisted the idea that I needed help. I was terrified by the that the line between sick and well was so easily permeated

I developed all sorts of tricks to hide my need to sleep with lights on. But there came a point where I had to decide: the fear – or me

Would an event centered around parts of my body with which I felt extreme discomfort send me into a panic?

The breakup of my parents’ marriage meant I barely saw my father growing up. I was sure things would be different for my children – then my husband left me

I didn’t think accepting my symptoms would be helpful. But slowly, it became clear that meditation works for me

My own background made it crucial that I speak to my children about personal safety. But I was afraid that they’d think less of me if they knew my story

My father had Lynch syndrome, raising his risk for many cancers. He wanted me to get the test, but I waited until he died

I grew up in Canada but long dreamed of returning to the states. When I did for medical school, though, my country’s inequality took me by surprise

I swung from one fright to another shortly after my college graduation. A friend said it was ‘adulthood crashing in’, but it was an episode

I’d long known I was a woman. But it was the height of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’, so I hid my true self. Then, one day on leave, I decided enough was enough

I fled, fearing for my life, but he ran faster. Thankfully, a group of men nearby heard me scream

A traffic stop could easily escalate and end my life. It happens to black drivers in America all the time

I grew to dread the night when I stopped being able to sleep. When I wasn’t sure I could go on, I knew it was time to take action

I used to be irrationally terrified of travel. When a flight grew rocky, I saw how far I’ve come