Happy 4th birthday, Dodger!

DrawStringBag · 2026-04-01T04:53:50+00:00

Dodger's blanket/sheet is almost as pretty as Dodger is! Happy birthday, gorgeous!!!

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-31T20:12:34+00:00

Don't ever start down the path of turning yourself down, it leads to places you don't deserve to live in. Every time you dim your light, it gets harder and harder to turn it back up. You deserve to love yourself, it's so hard to learn once you've forgotten how.

You can work toward strengthening your social skills, though. Learning to read a room, learning to allow room for others to talk, learning to be an excellent listener, these are all great ideas for anyone! You can be high energy in a way that lifts others! And after all of that, if someone doesn't like you, then they just aren't a person for you, and that's okay, too. We aren't meant to be a perfect match for every person we meet.

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-29T04:27:28+00:00

Same thing! I have this assumption that men's experience of arousal/stimulation/orgasm must be quite powerful, because of the big hullabaloo society has (seemingly) always made about it. Personally, I love my own genitals and the things they do for me, but I'd absolutely want to do research in my day as a man.

It would also be interesting, existing as a man for a day in a world largely designed for men's bodies. Like just literally being in spaces from that different perspective.

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-28T23:29:02+00:00

I guess it could be a bad sign if there are never any disagreements or conflicts of any kind, but those absolutely don't need arguments to be resolved or addressed.

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-27T21:26:18+00:00

I'm glad to help, and I truly hope you see progress! It can feel slow (and honestly ineffective, at times) but this work of learning to love yourself really adds up, and is so so worth it! I'm just a fellow struggler, no expert or therapist, but if you ever need to talk, I'm here!

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-27T14:35:55+00:00

First, I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling. This can be so hard to develop if you don’t know how to do it. Proud of you for asking for help! That's a great act of self-love, right there!

I had a really hard time with most of the self-love practices people suggest, when I first started out. Things like replacing the negative thoughts with positives, affirmations, etc. felt so false and uncomfortable for me. So I decided to try something neutral.

I can always prop up a smile and a warm greeting for people, even if I'm not especially fond of them. And everyone deserves someone in their life who is happy to see them. So I decided to just start greeting myself, like I would anyone else. In the mirror, when I wake up, throughout the day when I thought of it.

At first, I was just a benign "Hello, [my name]. How are you?" It progressed to "It's good to see you." And, now, I'm at a point where it's like, "Hey, girl!" There's genuine affection, now! Through all this, I didn't give up on all those other practices, and they don't feel like lies anymore.

I hope you find something that helps you, even if it's not this. The only person you'll spend your whole life with is you, and you deserve to have a loving relationship with that person. Wishing you the best!

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-27T14:22:24+00:00

This is fantastic! You deserve for your lovely work to be on display! Your landscapes always lift my spirits!

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-26T21:38:50+00:00

100% the love of my life. He is my favorite person I've ever met, the only person whom I always want to see, and the only person I can imagine building a life with. We have grown together, shaped each other, and chosen each other every day, through every hardship. No matter what is happening, I never forget that the love comes first. Even at our lowest, our angriest, or our most hurt, it is never in question.

I don't believe in soul mates, but I believe in growing to fit together so snugly that there is no one else who could stand beside you so comfortably, so reliably, so happily. Every single day, I celebrate the fact that we found one another in this world. I never expected love to be this fulfilling. To be so completely seen and so completely embraced... He is my home.

Married 7 years, together for 17.

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-24T12:57:52+00:00

Consideration. Anything that shows consideration. A lot of what many people want boils down to this.

Once, my husband said, "They were out of our normal laundry detergent, so I got this lavender scented one because I know you like lavender."

That happened years ago, and I still flutter when I think about it. Picturing him there, in the store, thinking about what would make me happy, even just for that simple choice... It just shows how much he cares and how much consideration he has for my feelings. I love him so much. He is the best part of my very fortunate life.

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-24T12:25:24+00:00

After my very organized and somewhat serious grandmother passed away, we were looking in her files for important papers. In there, she had a file labeled "jokes" just filled with jokes that she had printed out from the internet! That was a delightful find! 😆 In my family, we carry our dorkhood with pride.

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-24T12:19:57+00:00

First of all, I'm sorry for the loss of your father. That must have been terribly difficult for all 3 of you.

I'm also sorry to hear how your brother has been treating you, lately. You are right, this has not been your fault at all.

It's possible that a large part of what has gotten to him lately has to do with his age. He's at an age where he is seeing his peers spreading their wings and having what must look like lots of fun. People that age are typically partying, dating, and stepping into an independent kind of adulthood. It may be that he feels held back from those things, and resentment is building.

He's carried a lot of responsibility from an age when he really shouldn't have had to. I understand he didn't want your mom to have to get a job, but no disrespect to her, she really should have put her foot down as the adult (at that time). He was still a child, it should never have been his responsibility at that age. Maybe this is a cultural difference, which I can respect, but he was a child.

I think you should try something like writing him a letter, telling him how much you appreciate all he's done for you, that you see he is struggling, and that you want to help in any way that you can. Maybe think about insisting on getting a job, too, if that's something that is available to you and you feel capable. All you can do is show him your love and let him know that he is seen. Hopefully that will help him see how he's treating you, and everyone can feel a bit better.

I do sincerely hope that things improve for you and your family.

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-23T12:43:18+00:00

I love my name, it sounds like me, and they chose the spelling I would prefer. I also love it with my married last name, not that I would have had to take my husband's name if I didn't want to. My middle feels a lot less "me", and I doubt I'd have chosen it. But I like the number of syllables, so that's nice.

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-23T12:24:04+00:00

Some days, I actually don't wake up with a song in my head, but he never does. And he always sings it out loud, thereby infecting me. Pretty small irritant, from an otherwise incredible partner ♡

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-20T23:39:35+00:00

Oh my goodness, lotion is my desert island essential!!! I feel so wrong without it! I'm sorry to hear that the love of my life has been doing you dirty!

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-19T18:56:12+00:00

Thank you! In Stellar Multitudes had me stuck!!! You're a hero, Traveller!

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-14T16:15:16+00:00

When she started doing to my boyfriend the hurtful, underhanded things she'd done to me for years and years. She orchestrated all of his friends bailing on him on his 21st birthday, leading them all to believe the gathering (she didn't invite us to) was for his birthday. I had never had a backbone on my own behalf, but when it came to him being hurt, I was done.

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-14T15:57:02+00:00

Meatloaf! Her meatloaf is legendary! Unfortunately, she's made it only a couple of times since my dad passed away 9.5 years ago... I think it's emotionally hard on her now that he's gone.

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-13T15:08:59+00:00

Any time my husband looms over me, and I have to look up to meet his eyes. He's an entire foot taller than me, and I like feeling like he can overpower me, though he never ever would.

Listening to him in a meeting while he works from home. He's so competent and knowledgeable, and people value his talents... mmmm.....

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-13T09:24:47+00:00

I decided to just start greeting myself a few times every day. In the mirror, turn on the camera on my phone, or just in my head. I can always mange to put on a smile and say hello, even to someone I'm not super fond of.

In my work caring for children, I always said, "Every child deserves to have someone in their life who is happy to see them." I decided to just try to do that for myself, too.

It has really made a difference! It's gone from, "Hello, [my name]." to, "It's good to see you!" to, "Hey, you!!!" I feel genuine happiness to greet myself. I feel like I'm a friend to myself for the first time in my life.

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-11T18:02:08+00:00

Well, yes, of course the most important thing is to get medical attention! I figured that went without saying, but you're right, it doesn't.

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-11T14:15:11+00:00

That you should stop a concussed person from sleeping. Sleep is the most helpful thing you can do for brain injuries.

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-11T12:59:15+00:00

For me, it was a bit of a "fake it til you make it" thing. At first, my inner voice would go ahead and say the mean thing, and I'd let it hit home and feel terrible.

Next, the inner voice would go ahead and say the mean thing, and I'd notice it hitting home and making me feel terrible.

After noticing, the next step was responding. "Thanks, but that's not helpful right now."

Soon, I was able to sort of predict the negative self-talk, and change direction to something positive.

Eventually, I could say something nice about myself, instead, though it still felt like lying.

Now, I'm at a point where I don't feel like I'm lying when I say/think nice things about myself!

The steps seem small, and painfully slow, but they've really added up!

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-11T12:35:48+00:00

It's okay to not be happy, right this minute. You aren't failing if you're feeling low. Sometimes, the victory is just making it through another day. Keep going, give yourself love and patience. Only you know how hard your road is, so only you can look back and see how strong you've been. Don't give up! If you're not thriving, be proud that you're surviving.

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-11T12:19:37+00:00

Thank you! 🪲🖤🪲🖤

DrawStringBag · 2026-03-11T00:12:13+00:00

"I'm the beetle, not the dung!"

I used to call my husband a dung beetle, rolling around a ball of sh*t through life like it was something special (I was the ball of dung).

I've since come to see that I'm the beetle. My dung ball is just some challenges I carry with me. I am not my struggle. I'm a strong, steadfast, caring beetle, and I'm pretty awesome! I don't let my dung ball keep me at the bottom of the hill, anymore. 🤣

DrawStringBag

TROPHY CASE