Some people enter our lives and ease our loneliness before we even realize how desperately we need them. Research explains why these connections feel so life-changing: the strength and quality of our relationships directly impact both mental and physical well-being. Furthermore, according to PubMed Central, strong social support provides critical “protective effects” when individuals are coping with distress or trauma.
Earning a PhD is often seen as one of academia’s highest achievements. For many students, it is driven by passion, curiosity, and years of dedication to a field they deeply care about. But behind the prestige of doctoral programs lies a reality many graduate students quietly endure: exploitation, intimidation, and abuse.
A school should be a safe, nurturing environment where any child can grow and thrive academically, emotionally, and behaviorally. When parents drop their children off, they deserve the peace of mind that the staff will support their child’s needs, rather than become a source of harm. While most schools are staffed by dedicated, well-trained educators, others can fall tragically short.
There is a darkness inside all of us that can wound others as well as ourselves. And, there is a light that we are afraid to show because we fear more pain. We let certain people only see one side of us because it feels safer than being whole. Whether we are a professional, family member, friend, or stranger, there are only parts of our hearts we feel we can show. We are not only afraid of our pride, envy, wrath, greed, lust, gluttony, or sloth, but we can equally be afraid of our tenderness, accountability, sincerity, and our ability to love with a full and honest heart.
During the 1967 Boston Marathon, Kathrine Switzer crossed the finish line as the first woman to compete as an officially registered runner, defying the era’s misogynistic insistence that women were physically incapable of endurance running. However, it wasn’t just the 26.2-mile course she had to overcome.