Trigger Warning: This story mentions cancer, the loss of loved ones, and grief. Please read with care.
Chloe grew up in South Africa as the youngest child by several years. By the time she was old enough to understand the world around her, her siblings were already finishing school and starting their adult lives. For most of her early life, she was simply grateful that her family and siblings were with her. That natural gratitude began to fade as she grew up and developed her own personality.
Things took a very difficult turn during her twelfth-grade year. Her aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer and passed away toward the end of the year after going through treatment. It shook Chloe deeply because her aunt had just given birth, and her little cousin was only two years old at the time. She could not understand why something like that would happen. About three weeks later, Chloe turned eighteen. Her family was still grieving, but they all gathered for a small party. Just one week after her birthday, her dad passed away suddenly. No one knew he was sick. The loss was completely unexpected and shook her entire family.
Her dad had been the person supporting the family. Her sister was already married and had her own life, so Chloe took on the responsibility of supporting her mother since there was no one else left to do it. She started working immediately. She went from being the youngest kid to carrying the responsibility of her family. Her whole world was turned upside down. It took her a long time to get back to being grateful because she felt she had lost everything she pictured for her life and had to start from scratch.
Chloe realized by the end of 2025 that she could not sit in anger and hurt anymore. She decided to look around at what her family had and what they had worked for. She used to look at her life through the negatives, telling herself that she was not studying or doing the things she wanted to do. She eventually changed her perspective and reminded herself that she was given a massive amount of responsibility and was doing the absolute best she could with it.
“Gratitude is looking at the things that you have and being happy that you have them. Even though most things you would think are bad, they taught you something and shaped you.”
~ Chloe
Chloe was looking for a place to vent all the thoughts running through her head. She decided to try journaling digitally first and came across the Gratitude app. She used the journaling prompts to help articulate what she was thinking in a different way instead of just focusing on the negatives. She eventually switched to a physical journal because her phone was always dying and she missed writing. She now writes down three things she is grateful for and does a mind dump of everything she is feeling. She follows that by writing out her affirmations. She also makes a to-do list and sticks a physical note inside the journal with a motivational message like, “You got this” or “You are doing great.” That little note motivates her to keep going when she looks at her journal again.
Chloe carried a lot of heaviness before practicing gratitude. She preferred to sit in her room alone. She was easily triggered and did not want anyone around her or to leave her house. It constantly felt like one bad thing was happening after another, making her feel like she was failing at whatever she did. She realized she was putting too much weight on negative things once she started writing them out. She began to feel less burdened. She started speaking to her mom more, socializing with neighbors, and inviting friends over. It became easier to laugh, and she was much more willing to put herself out there.
“You do not need to carry the entire world to feel like you are going to make it in life. The whole point of living is to have experiences, learn things, and move on.”
~ Chloe
In May 2026, Chloe stepped onto a plane and moved across the world to America. She is now twenty-one years old and living the exact dream she had when she was eighteen. She works as an au pair, acting as a loving nanny while studying early childhood development. Her goal is to become a teacher and specialize in supporting children with learning and developmental challenges, including ADHD and OCD. She settled into her new country without struggling with cultural differences, and she feels she is thriving more than ever.
“When you stop putting the negative energy on it, you look at it and realize this is an experience you are happy to have had because it became something positive.”
~ Chloe
She spends her weekends exploring new places. She puts herself out there to try new things and talk to new people. She went from being someone who wanted to isolate herself to going out by herself and talking to anyone. She wakes up excited for the next day and is deeply grateful for the life she has built. She stepped up to support her family when they needed her most. She is now taking that same strength and pouring it into her own dreams.
This is Chloe’s story, shared in her own words and curated with care to preserve its truest form. I’d love to hear your story too. Write to me at preeti@gratefulness.me 💌
Every story is a reminder to notice the good that already exists.
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