u/Few-University6119

Maid’s Diary by Loreth Anne White was honestly a solid 4.5-star read for me. One of the biggest things this book highlighted was the issue of women constantly believing they have to fix, protect, or clean up the mess created by the men in their lives. The amount of assault and abuse that gets covered up by wives, mothers, girlfriends, and other women is honestly alarming. In many cases, men get away with horrible things because someone is trying to preserve an image while another person’s life is being destroyed in the process.

As much as men are often at the center of these issues, I personally believe a huge percentage of them continue getting away with it because of the women around them protecting reputations, families, or appearances.

Now, Boone’s character is still something I am trying to wrap my head around. I honestly do not know how you can claim to be a friend to someone who cannot have children because she was gang-raped, forced into an abortion, and ultimately lost her marriage because of that trauma — and still stay silent knowing the truth. That part was difficult for me.

At the same time, a part of me also felt like Boone may have been one of the reasons Kit stayed sane. His storyline also touched on discrimination and the fear surrounding sexuality. Maybe one day people will truly be free without being judged for their sexuality, skin color, or identity. I also understand how terrifying it must have been for someone who had never openly come out to his parents. Honestly, that kind of pressure can destroy people mentally. So despite my frustration with him, I still give his character some grace.

Kit, however, absolutely still needs therapy. No one should ever have to go through what she experienced. But I would be lying if I said I was not happy she got her revenge. What fascinated me most was wondering how long she had been living in darkness for her to create an entirely different personality just to survive. Trauma like that can turn someone into a shadow of themselves.

Personally, I think there are some holes therapy alone cannot pull you out of. Sometimes the only thing keeping someone alive is finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel — and for some people, that light becomes revenge.

Detective Mallory was also one of the most relatable characters in the book. She represents the idea of “if I keep working hard enough, maybe I will not have to feel how much I am hurting.” She is an amazing detective, married to a wonderful husband, yet suddenly faced with early dementia. Honestly, marriage vows scare me sometimes because “for better or worse” becomes very real in situations like that.

I also wonder if she would have poured so much of herself into work if her personal life had been perfect. Her job became both a distraction and an escape, but the story also shows that no matter how hard people try, reality eventually catches up to everyone. Every single character in this book had to confront the consequences and truth of their actions in one way or another.

For the longest time, I felt like my life was scattered across different apps, tabs, screenshots, notebooks, and reminders.

One app for workouts.
One for habits.
One for mood tracking.
One for planning.
One for books.
One for journaling.
One for skincare.
One for routines.

And somehow, even though everything was technically “organised,” I still felt mentally cluttered all the time.

Having ADHD honestly made that feeling even louder.

Too many tabs open.
Too many systems.
Too many notifications.
Too many places to remember things.

I’d save books in screenshots, routines in Notes app, goals in TikTok saves, plans in calendars, random thoughts in journals, and somehow still feel like my brain was carrying everything at once.

I realised I wasn’t struggling because I was lazy or unserious.
I was struggling because my life felt fragmented.

So I started building something for myself.

Not because I wanted to create “the next big app,” but because I genuinely wanted a space that made life feel calmer. A space where all the small things that make up everyday life could exist together without feeling overwhelming.

Somewhere I could:
- plan my day
- track my workouts
- save books I want to read
- log my moods
- build routines
- organise habits
- journal
- study with friends
- reset
- basically just… manage life in one place

One of my favourite parts lately has honestly been the study space.

There’s something comforting about being able to study with friends, focus together, and feel like you’re working toward something alongside other people even when everyone is busy with life.

And weirdly, that’s what I’ve been trying to build with this app overall.

Not just productivity.
Not just planning.

But a softer space for people trying to keep up with life without feeling overwhelmed by it.

It’s still a work in progress.
Still building.
Still learning.
Still improving things almost every day.

But there’s something really emotional about creating something you genuinely needed yourself.

Maybe there are more people out there who need a calmer way to organise life too.

The Gentleman on the train

Let me tell you a story.

Healing comes in different forms.

Growing up, I had to heal in a you have no choice kind of way. So when I got older, I learned how to box things up. Cry sometimes. Wipe my tears. Move on. Survive. Repeat.

No one tells you about the vulnerability that comes with softer healing.

What is even stranger is when that healing comes from a random man on a train.

Honestly, I think he was an angel sent by God.

I was coming back from my aunt’s place. Two stops. Mansfield to Nottingham, then Nottingham to Birmingham. Somewhere between exhaustion and silence, I met the gentleman.

We came down the elevator at the station together, and for some reason, I just kept crying.

At first, I thought maybe something had entered my eyes, but now I think sometimes when you don’t respond to pain, it finds its own way out of the body.

The gentleman asked if I was okay.

I said yes.

Because I was okay… wasn’t I?

So why were tears falling from my eyes?

Damn it.

I got off the elevator and somehow walked to the wrong train station entrance. When I finally found the right one, I saw him again.

He smiled.

Before he could even say anything, I laughed and said,
“I promise I’m okay.”

The gentleman offered to carry my box. I said no.

And now I wonder why.

I guess independence becomes muscle memory when you’ve spent so much of your life carrying things alone.

We ended up sitting together on the train.

Truthfully, I had already noticed him earlier. He was listening to music through his Ipods, and I remember thinking,
Ouuu… nice.

But the sadness sitting inside my chest must have reflected on my face because I said nothing and carried on with my life.

The gentleman and I spoke for almost two hours.

It was refreshing. Easy. Strange in the best way.

And somehow, I became vulnerable.

That is the part I still cannot explain.

I was heartbroken, yes. But I thought I was okay. I had convinced myself I had to be okay.

So why did comfort from a stranger almost undo me?

The gentleman carried my box off the train when we arrived. He offered to get me a taxi too.

Again, I said no.

Who is this man?

We exchanged numbers. We have only spoken twice since then, but yesterday something shifted inside me.

For the first time in my life, I think I might actually be free.

Not healed perfectly.
Not suddenly complete.

But free in a way I have never experienced before.

Like my heart is finally learning that healing does not always have to feel lonely.

Then I woke up.

And realized none of it was real.

The gentleman was never there to carry my luggage or order me an Uber. He was only a fragment of a dream.

So I went back to sleep, hoping to continue where we left off.

But he never came back.

Still, I think I will keep sleeping, and dreaming, and waiting.

And even if he never returns, I will keep evolving. Keep getting better.

So that if he ever does find me again, I am no longer the person he first met on that train.

Let me tell you a story.

Healing comes in different forms.

Growing up, I had to heal in a you have no choice kind of way. So when I got older, I learned how to box things up. Cry sometimes. Wipe my tears. Move on. Survive. Repeat.

No one tells you about the vulnerability that comes with softer healing.

What is even stranger is when that healing comes from a random man on a train.

Honestly, I think he was an angel sent by God.

I was coming back from my aunt’s place. Two stops. Mansfield to Nottingham, then Nottingham to Birmingham. Somewhere between exhaustion and silence, I met the gentleman.

We came down the elevator at the station together, and for some reason, I just kept crying.

At first, I thought maybe something had entered my eyes, but now I think sometimes when you don’t respond to pain, it finds its own way out of the body.

The gentleman asked if I was okay.

I said yes.

Because I was okay… wasn’t I?

So why were tears falling from my eyes?

Damn it.

I got off the elevator and somehow walked to the wrong train station entrance. When I finally found the right one, I saw him again.

He smiled.

Before he could even say anything, I laughed and said,
“I promise I’m okay.”

The gentleman offered to carry my box. I said no.

And now I wonder why.

I guess independence becomes muscle memory when you’ve spent so much of your life carrying things alone.

We ended up sitting together on the train.

Truthfully, I had already noticed him earlier. He was listening to music through his Ipods, and I remember thinking,
Ouuu… nice.

But the sadness sitting inside my chest must have reflected on my face because I said nothing and carried on with my life.

The gentleman and I spoke for almost two hours.

It was refreshing. Easy. Strange in the best way.

And somehow, I became vulnerable.

That is the part I still cannot explain.

I was heartbroken, yes. But I thought I was okay. I had convinced myself I had to be okay.

So why did comfort from a stranger almost undo me?

The gentleman carried my box off the train when we arrived. He offered to get me a taxi too.

Again, I said no.

Who is this man?

We exchanged numbers. We have only spoken twice since then, but yesterday something shifted inside me.

For the first time in my life, I think I might actually be free.

Not healed perfectly.
Not suddenly complete.

But free in a way I have never experienced before.

Like my heart is finally learning that healing does not always have to feel lonely.

Then I woke up.

And realized none of it was real.

The gentleman was never there to carry my luggage or order me an Uber. He was only a fragment of a dream.

So I went back to sleep, hoping to continue where we left off.

But he never came back.

Still, I think I will keep sleeping, and dreaming, and waiting.

And even if he never returns, I will keep evolving. Keep getting better.

So that if he ever does find me again, I am no longer the person he first met on that train.

Today an actor died, and somehow it hurt me. Not because I knew him personally. Not because I grew up around him. But because death has a strange way of holding up a mirror. I sat there thinking: “If I died tomorrow, what would people say about me?” Would they say she tried? Would they say she loved loudly? Would they say she created? Would they say she changed lives? Or would I die with all my potential still trapped inside me? A few days ago, I asked on Reddit: “At what point do people snap? At what point do they truly decide they want change?” Not the temporary kind. Not the “new week, new me” kind. Not the type where you ask ChatGPT how to fix your life and forget about it two days later. I mean the kind of change that reaches your soul. The kind where you finally look at yourself and say: “I deserve better.” “I can be better.” “There is more inside me than this.” And today, I think I received my answer. Life is short. Brutally short. Tomorrow is not promised. And suddenly I realised how much of myself I’ve been hiding from the world. I am so much more. I am creative. I am intelligent. I am multifaceted. I am talented. I am beautiful. I am a force. And for the first time in a long time, I am no longer ashamed to say that. The world deserves to know who I am. I am done limiting myself. Done shrinking. Done waiting for permission. I choose to fly. And I will fly so high.

For the longest time, I felt like my life was scattered across different apps, tabs, screenshots, notebooks, and reminders.

One app for workouts.
One for habits.
One for mood tracking.
One for planning.
One for books.
One for journaling.
One for skincare.
One for routines.

And somehow, even though everything was technically “organised,” I still felt mentally cluttered all the time.

Having ADHD honestly made that feeling even louder.

Too many tabs open.
Too many systems.
Too many notifications.
Too many places to remember things.

I’d save books in screenshots, routines in Notes app, goals in TikTok saves, plans in calendars, random thoughts in journals, and somehow still feel like my brain was carrying everything at once.

I realised I wasn’t struggling because I was lazy or unserious.
I was struggling because my life felt fragmented.

So I started building something for myself.

Not because I wanted to create “the next big app,” but because I genuinely wanted a space that made life feel calmer. A space where all the small things that make up everyday life could exist together without feeling overwhelming.

Somewhere I could:
- plan my day
- track my workouts
- save books I want to read
- log my moods
- build routines
- organise habits
- journal
- study with friends
- reset
- basically just… manage life in one place

One of my favourite parts lately has honestly been the study space.

There’s something comforting about being able to study with friends, focus together, and feel like you’re working toward something alongside other people even when everyone is busy with life.

And weirdly, that’s what I’ve been trying to build with this app overall.

Not just productivity.
Not just planning.

But a softer space for people trying to keep up with life without feeling overwhelmed by it.

It’s still a work in progress.
Still building.
Still learning.
Still improving things almost every day.

But there’s something really emotional about creating something you genuinely needed yourself.

Maybe there are more people out there who need a calmer way to organise life too.

Hey everyone,

I am building an app called Lumibud — an all-in-one productivity app designed to help people organise their life, stay focused, and build better habits.

The app has already launched, and I am now at the stage where I know I need someone creative beside me who understands content, storytelling, and building attention online.

I will be honest — marketing is not my strength.

I am still learning as I go, but I genuinely believe in what I am building and I know it has potential. I have so many ideas for content and growth, I just need the right person to grow alongside me and help bring everything to life consistently.

Right now this is not a paid role, so I am mainly looking for someone who is excited by building something meaningful from an early stage and wants to be part of the journey.

Even if you are still learning too, that is completely fine — I am as well.

If you are interested in:
- content creation
- social media
- marketing
- branding
- online communities
- startups and building things

…then I would love to connect.

Send me a direct message and I will tell you more about Lumibud.

Hi everyone,

I am building an iOS app where you can bring everything into one place and only use what you actually need.

Instead of downloading separate apps for planning, habits, routines, notes, etc., you can pin the features you care about and ignore the rest.

The goal is simple:

👉 less switching between apps

👉 more clarity in one space

I’m at the stage where I need real people testing it on real devices, so I’m opening a small TestFlight beta.

👀 Who I’m looking for

You’re on iPhone / iPad

You’re okay installing TestFlight

You’ll actually use it for a few days

You can give quick, honest feedback

This is especially for you if:

you use multiple apps for organisation

you get overwhelmed switching between tools

you want something more flexible than a rigid planner

🧪 What you’ll do

Set up your space (pin the features you want)

Try using it for your normal day

Tell me what felt:

confusing

unnecessary

missing

or genuinely useful

🔁 In return

If you’re also building something, I’m happy to test your app and give feedback too , just let me know.

How to join

Comment “interested”

I’ll DM you the TestFlight link + instructions

🙏 Final note

If you try it and don’t like it, that’s still really valuable feedback.

Thanks for reading 🙌

—the dev

Hey everyone!

I am based in Birmingham and looking to connect with other entrepreneurs or startup founders who would be up for meeting regularly.

I would love to find or even help create a group where we can share ideas, talk through challenges, exchange growth strategies, and build genuine connections along the way.

I have been to a few meetups before, but they have tended to lean more towards the technical or product building side. I am really interested in something more focused on the business, strategy, and growth side of things.

If you know of any great events, groups, or communities in Birmingham, or if you would be interested in starting something together, feel free to reach out!