Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in Viva.
Women Feeling Less About Themselves
This upsets me the most, having a friend of mine telling me how she doesn’t feel pretty enough or good enough or plain and simple enough, because a guy did not see her worth. Ladies do not ever let any man make you feel less about yourself because he thinks more with his bottom head, then with his actual brain. Believe me I know it is hard to not let a guy get in your head, I have been there, but I am here to tell you that you are not the problem. He was the problem.
Manhatten J. SpanglerPublished 6 years ago in Viva- Top Story - February 2018
Products for Your Boobs They Will Thank You For
Yes, there are tons of products for your boobs that they will thank you for, and you need them right now. From simple products like nipple covers and boob tape to a face mask made just for your cleavage, there is a product for all of your breasts' needs.
Leanna DavisPublished 6 years ago in Viva Reprimanding for False Allegations
#MeToo is about letting other women know of their sexual assault tales. But the popular hashtag is causing a ruckus of the protocol in the ways people look into sexual assault. Recently in the news, a physician for the Tampa Bay Rays was given the boot after a 26-year-old woman claims he sexually assaulted her ten years ago.
Heather WilkinsPublished 6 years ago in VivaDark Memories
There are so many of them. Memories of my not-so-well-known childhood. I never spoke about all the occurrences as a kid due to the fear of my family being harmed or shamed. However, after a while it just became a habit. It was easier not to share my pain with anyone then to even remember it ever happened.
Bonita Fernandes-BennettPublished 6 years ago in VivaMy Experience with Skinny Shaming
I'm a size zero—the size often referenced as the pinnacle of beauty. The phrase "you don't have to be a size zero to be beautiful" is one common to the body positivity movement, and I wholeheartedly agree. What I'm here to tell you is that not only does beauty come in different sizes, but being a size zero does not inherently mean you're confident and love your body. For me, it's meant quite the opposite.
Katie BurkholderPublished 6 years ago in VivaDon't Miss the #MeToo Point
Far from the idea that women are the "weaker sex," women have exhibited tenacity and bravery for centuries as they fight and die to claim the most basic human rights. In modern years, as the force of liberal ideas grew, women called themselves "suffragette" and "feminist" until critics added the words "man-hating" to the accepted definition. The words for demanding the right to vote or to determine one's own life outcomes have become shameful.
Alice MoorePublished 6 years ago in VivaI Am a Work in Progress
Since the beginning of my educational career, I have always been drawn to the importance of helping others. Before my mother passed away eleven years ago, I always dreamed about becoming a nurse, but it wasn’t until midway through my college experience that I realized that the medical field was not for me. It was during that time when I found myself being challenged. It was also during that time when I found my true passion, the act of servicing my community, working with young women and girls. I began my research on the topic of beauty representation in the media as well as in society and realized the amount of psychological damage, and psychological harm it does to women and girls starting at a young age. It was at that time that I picked up women and gender studies as a major because I was so intrigued.
Yvonne ColemanPublished 6 years ago in VivaMerry Christmas to Me, I Got an IUD
I have been a big fan on IUDs (intrauterine devices) for quite some time, but I never made a real effort to get one. I mentioned it to by OB/GYN in Chicago about a year ago, but they were having trouble with my insurance. I was already on the pill, and it was working quite well—in the sense that I hadn’t gotten pregnant. So I dropped the idea of an IUD and stuck with the birth control I already had.
Grace MikusPublished 6 years ago in VivaFrom Victim to Thriver
Too me, the #MeToo movement has to be the most gratifying thing I have ever seen. You see, the first time I was sexually assaulted I was in ninth grade. The guy I was dating, was slowly working up my trust in him. He came to church with my family, Sunday dinners, and I was at his home often. Finally came time for the Valentine's Dance. We had lots of fun, laughed with friends, and went to his house to hang out for a couple hours before my curfew was up. The next thing I know, I am in the bathroom vomiting. I clean myself up, and his aunt takes me home. The first few days, everything was hazy. I could not remember anything that happened after the dance. I knew I should, I did not drink or do any recreational drugs - my dad was a strict Baptist Gideon and would find out easily in a smaller town. When I was not grounded within a week, I knew I had not done anything against his rules. So it is up to the next weekend, and I am out shopping with my step-mom. We are looking at items for a spring picnic. She shows me several different colored checked picnic tables, and I bust out crying. I did not know why, and my step-mom looked at my like I has lost my mind. It felt like it honestly. I had just turned 15, what was wrong with me? The previous week I was perfectly happy, and now this!? I knew something was not right at all. I went to my best friend, and told her about my memory loss from that night. She decided to help me figure out what I lost. A few days later, she told me she had overheard some guys talking about my boyfriend. When she confronted them, our worst nightmares came true. My boyfriend and his cousin had raped me in the cousin's bedroom. The walls? Black and white checker board print. Just like those tablecloths in the store that had made me cry. To this day, I can not be sure if I was drugged, or my mind just blocked everything out to save my mind from cracking. I choose to believe the latter. This was not my only experience with being abused, beaten, or raped. Just my first. I was far too trusting in my younger years. I was later on married to my first husband, who very quickly became violent. He yelled, screamed, and threatened me. Pretty soon, my nightmares in the past became reality once more. The man I married would do things too me in my sleep. That was a nine-year hell. I finally got out, only to discover the new guy in my life would be slamming me down on beds and couches in our home. This way, I never bruised. This man was my second husband, and he actually sent me to counseling saying there is no way a doctor would agree with my claims of him being "mean" to me. He also wanted proof I was not lying about my past abuses. I was in therapy for nearly two years. It was at that point that I learned the different stages of recovery in my therapist's eyes. He told me there are three in his eyes. Victim, survivor, and thriver. The victim stage is the longest. It is when you think of your abuse and abusers every day several times a day. Nightmares are a nightly occurrence. Then you have survivor. It is everything else. The reality of what you have been through, less nightmares, and less trusting of others. But the final stage my therapist demands....thriver! It is when the nightmares stop, the trust returns, and you are not hard on yourself at all. You have stopped blaming yourself for something that was never your fault to begin with. This is my life now. The life of a thriver! I went to college and got my degree. I found a real man who has never laid a hand on me or threatened me in any way. I have a home, grown boys, and two grand-babies at the age of 41. My life has changed so much, and I am proud to be part of the #MeToo movement! It is about time women had a real voice, and stood up too say "This is my life and my body!! You have no right to touch me without MY permission!!" (Tiffany Allen)
Tiffany AllenPublished 6 years ago in VivaWomen Should Be Treated with More Respect
So first things first is that women do need to be more respected. They work hard all of the time, whether it’s from home or at work, but they are always working and at work most of the time they are the ones that keep the men in check and remind us stuff that we need to remember. Also when they are at home the man rely on the women to clean the house and cook.
Chandler SmithPublished 6 years ago in Viva24 Unique Gift Ideas That Enhance Every Woman's Life
Have you ever wanted to do something special for a loved one that they would absolutely love? Not every gift has to come with a definitive price tag. The most memorable things in life are sometimes free.
Silena Le BeauPublished 6 years ago in VivaPlus Size People Who Inspire!
If you're someone that believes someone has to be a size 0 to be attractive then I don't think this post is for you. But if you're someone who needs inspiration to love yourself no matter what size, shape, height, skin colour, then this post is for you.