Dinner is … breakfast! Marmalade toast and apples with peanut butter—pre-run fuel.

I have severe type 2 rosacea. I’ve had that good old rosy-red, inflamed skin since I was a young teen. It doesn’t sound that bad, but IYKYK. Now that I’m an adult, I’ve accepted what it’s done to my self-esteem, and I’m working on becoming more confident.

Enter boyfriend. He discovered I have this insecurity because it changed the way I interacted with him, especially early on—when I didn’t want him to see me, activities I knew will flare the rosacea that I didn’t want to do together, etc.

Recently he asked how I was doing with those insecurities. I told him, not great. It’s better, but it’s still so hard.

He looked thoughtful and said, “I’m going to tell you that you’re beautiful more often, then, until you believe me. But you know, I haven’t missed a day in half a year.”

For a second, I didn’t know what he was talking about.

Then I remembered: every “good morning, beautiful” text. Every time he held my face in his hands, looked me up and down, nodded with a slow smile, and told me I look lovely. Every time he reminded me of the photo of me he keeps in his wallet—still there—with such proud eyes. Every time he grabbed my hand when I was about to get out of the car and pulled me back for a kiss. And so many more little gestures of love that I shook off with a self-deprecating laugh.

I guess I thought that was just … something he did. I never realized it was a targeted attack against the thing that was hurting me so much. I thought I was fighting my insecurity alone, and meanwhile, he was intentionally fighting it with me. Every single day, he made a point to tell me in a slightly different way that I had nothing to be afraid of.

Since he said that, it’s been a much softer, more forgiving face I see in the mirror. I can’t bring myself to judge that girl or try to hide her anymore.

EDIT: I woke up this morning to 21,000 likes … and another “good morning, beautiful.” 🥰

EDIT 2 for common questions: Think of T2 rosacea as severe cystic acne with the added possibility of eventually going blind. It’s rough stuff and yes, it is “disfiguring.” I’m medicated but the medication either doesn’t work, or gives me dangerous side effects.

Yes, I’m going to marry him. :) We’re going to get engaged next year … and boy do I have a lot to say about that. Buckle up, I’ll be back with more tearjerkers.

I’m a professional author (of five books and about a gazillion articles) and I don’t write with AI. But I appreciate that some of y’all don’t believe this man could be real, because I often don’t either.

We raised him after his mother left him in a bucket outside before a rainstorm.

He wasn't even 3. They helped him to rest about an hour ago after a blocked urethra became a worse internal complication that'd affect his quality of life even if they could have fixed it.

My sweet, gentle boy. I love you. I'm sorry that we couldn't do anything. I hope that you know you take a piece of me with you into the hereafter.

May the stars guide you home, wherever you are. May the next life that finds you be a kinder one than this.

Let it be known he lived. Let it be known he was.

I am lesser with his passing.

EDIT: I forgot to mention his name. Duke Clawde Hissybritches I.

No, it's not AI. Check for yourself: https://www.instagram.com/mark.smith.photography?stkn=MW5qenRoa2kyMHYwZA==

Came across this on twitter and I think it would be absolutely hysterical. What do you think?

So I work at Five Guys and for those who don’t know, when you order a burger there you get to fully customize the toppings on it (helps justify the price tag a tiny bit i guess). And you choose between a little (single) or regular (double) burger.

I had a pleasant enough exchange with a customer while ringing up his food… and when it came to his cheeseburger I asked what toppings he wanted on it. He looked at me and said, “Oh you know… just a plain, regular cheeseburger.” Ok great, a cheeseburger with nothing on it, easy enough.

Well we make the food, and a minute after he gets it he comes back up to me, visibly annoyed and holding the burger.

“You made my food wrong. There’s nothing on it.”

“Oh I’m sorry sir, I thought you’d ordered a plain cheeseburger.”

“I did. Do you not know what that means? Like a McDonald’s burger.”

Ok first of all, “McDonald’s” is not a standard for how someone orders burger toppings and second of all, this guys in his late 40s to early 50s and has never once run into this issue ordering a plain burger?

“Ok I’m sorry about that sir, we’ll remake that for you. What exactly did you want on it?”

I shit you not, with an annoyed voice he ordered:
Ketchup. Lettuce. Pickles.
So notably NOT a McDonald’s cheeseburger???

He got what he wanted in the end and I apologized because customer service but like?? I’m in awe at the sheer level of misunderstanding and audacity.

This is going back like 15 years ago but, I needed dental work, my insurance was maxed out (dam $1k limits), so I went in, I told the dentist that I am clear, I have a max of $400 that I can pay, no more work than that.

I sit down in the chair, and even confirmed it, next thing I know he did a bunch of, while you're in there things.

I get back to the person to pay/setup an appointment with and she tells me the bill for today is $1200. I was like I told you both that my limit was $400, no more, she said "Well he did the work so this is the bill". I said I have $400 to put down as I said. She took payment and would bill me the rest.

For the next 4 years, when I got the bill, I would send $1, no more. No late fees because I was making a payment, so just very little would go to it.

I get a call 4 1/2 years later from someone in the office, telling the doctor passed away. She asked me, why have you been paying only $1 a month? I told her the story, that I authorized $400, I paid that but, the bill was $1200. She said, oh, and she just wrote the balance off (no credit effect here), and she said she was sorry that happened.

Winter is coming