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Man Pressured to Leave Overweight Girlfriend So He Did What He Should Have Done a Long Time Ago
Uplifting News

Man Pressured to Leave Overweight Girlfriend So He Did What He Should Have Done a Long Time Ago

After sharing a sweet anniversary post with the world, teenagers Emily Phillips and her high school sweetheart, Aidan Harrison, were harassed online for the worst reason. Over the course of two years, Phillips had put on a "significant" amount of weight. The comments called her "too fat." Thousands of strangers urged her boyfriend to "leave her."They Said Her Weight Gain Was “Disrespecting” Her Man@emphillipx/TikTokWhen Phillips posted a sweet "time jump" anniversary carousel for her friends and family, she had no idea the post would go viral — and the horrific backlash they would receive. Phillips innocently shared a photo from their first date titled "Day 1." Next to it, she posted a recent photo titled, "Day 884." "I'm so happy to experience a love like ours, and know what love is," she captioned the post. In both photos it's clear the couple are very in love. They are holding each other and smiling big — but that's not what the rest of the world saw.Instead, they saw a confident woman, comfortable in her skin at any size — and they wanted to tear her down. The comments were sexist, cruel, and endless. Many of the comments were written by men (probably without girlfriends) writing about how unworthy of love this beautiful, young, woman was, simply because of her weight. One Twitter user — who we can only assume is a men's rights activist — went on to write, "This is why you need to be on top of everything as a man to ensure that things such as this do not happen." Some Twitter users speculated that perhaps Phillips was pregnant. Implying that this alone would justify her weight gain — that a woman is only exempt from having the "perfect" body, if she is with child. It's impossible as a woman, to look through the hateful comments Phillips received, and not have your blood boil.How This Boyfriend Graciously Put an End to the “Lies” Her TikTok had a snowball effect. Overnight, her post gained over 30k comments (and we'd advise against looking through them). While some of the comments encouraged the couple to "ignore the hate," most of the comments were devastating, calling the 18-year-old Phillips all kinds of awful names that we have chosen not to share with our readers.While we can only imagine how many tears Phillips must have shed behind closed doors, her devoted boyfriend Harrison, put the haters in their place in the simplest way. Harrison knew if he responded to each mean comment individually, it would only add fuel to the fire. After all, these mean spirited comments are written with the express purpose of hurting the feelings of those reading it.So instead, he posted this — and it was perfect."We're happy and that's all that matters. I love you sweetheart," he wrote.Young Woman Embodied True Confidence and It’s Inspiring Unfortunately, cyberbullying is a very real consequence of living in the digital age. Without even intending to, we have never been more accessible to thousands and thousands of people we've never even met. The good news is, we have seen the wide reach of the internet be used for good.The bad news is, we have also seen it used to spread hate. Emily Phillips's story is the perfect example of how damaging cyber bulling can be. But thankfully, her story doesn't end there. She chose to have an ever bigger impact, by not doing this one thing.Instead of removing her post, or turning off the comments, Phillips would not allow her haters to get the best of her. She left her post up — hateful comments and all. What happened next was even more incredible. Eventually women and men from all over chose to support this couple. They reminded her she was beautiful. They reminded her love wins. Emily Phillips refused to hide her body in shame — and hopefully her strength inspired others to do the same.It's easy to be a back seat driver. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," friends will dismissively advise. But when you're the target of hate, it takes a whole different kind of strength to withstand it.She took a heartbreaking situation and used it to uplift others. Shockingly, Emily Phillips is paving the way for women who struggle with self-esteem issues, one hateful comment at a time.More from Goalcast:Her Daughter Excluded Her Best Friend for Being “Too Fat” – Shocked Mom Takes Matters Into Her Own HandsWoman Goes to the Gym to Work Out – Breaks Down When She Hears These Startling Words From a ‘Hardcore’ Gym BroPlus Size Man and His Size 8 Wife Receive Rude Comments From Haters – Come Up With the Perfect Idea to Silence Them

Chef Bans Rich Diners for Disrespecting Server in a Scathing Email - And Gives Her the Entire $1200 Bill
Uplifting News

Chef Bans Rich Diners for Disrespecting Server in a Scathing Email - And Gives Her the Entire $1200 Bill

Anyone who has ever worked in the service industry knows how challenging it can be. Because, people.And while most people give service workers the respect they undoubtedly deserve, there are always the entitled few who think that money trumps basic human decency.Tired of toxic customers mistreating his staff, one chef decided to take a stand. And all we can say is, "BRAVO."Chef Roasts Rude Customers in Epic TweetAfter witnessing a group of six entitled businessmen repeatedly disrespect his employee Lily, Lee Skeet, who works as a chef at Cora, in Cardiff, U.K., knew he couldn't just stand idly by.Despite the fact that the group had just racked up the largest bill in the restaurant's history, Skeet was so appalled by their behavior that he wrote the head of the party a scathing email, banning them for life. And then he tweeted about it (or more accurately, X'd about it).Captioning a screenshot of his salty smackdown, Skeet, who famously trained under Gordon Ramsey, wrote, "I’m not clout chasing or looking for likes. I just think we should start calling out rich people who think they can treat people like crap."In the letter attached, Skeet first thanks the unnamed diner for choosing his restaurant. Then he goes in for the kill."Dear xxxxxxx, I wanted to firstly thank you for choosing my restaurant for your meal tonight, and I understand you had the biggest bill we've ever had on one table here. Unfortunately throughout the evening, I was made aware that your party's behavior was inappropriate towards Lily, who runs front-of-house," the email read."She has told me that as a 22-year-old-girl she was talked down to, disrespected, and touched unwantedly by members of your group."In an interview with Wales Online, Lily shared that she was reduced to tears after being humiliated and degraded for three hours while serving the party a seven-course meal.Skeet goes on to explain that as the dad of a daughter, he was absolutely heartbroken for Lily and the emotional toll it took on her. "I have spent the last hour having conversations with her that break my heart, make me feel like a s**t employer and a terrible dad having my own daughter," Skeet wrote.What the Chef Decided to Do NextOriginally, Skeet planned to just refund the group their hefty $1200 bill, minus a $100 tip for Lily — a tip they initially failed to give her. Because demeaning her wasn't enough apparently, they then added salt to the wound and didn't even bother to leave her a tip. He concluded the email, "I would thank you to never come back to my restaurant. Lily means a lot more to me than money. I also think you should assess the people you surround yourself with."However, hours later, Skeet had a change of heart. He decided to hit the patron where it hurts — right in his wallet.He tweeted again, saying:"On reflection I reacted too quickly and emotionally last night. Sorry I was a little bit angry and protective. I’m not going to refund the customer’s money. I’ve instead kept it and transferred to lily x."And if you're currently questioning if your own work environment is toxic, this just set a whole new bar on what a healthy workplace looks like. Having Money Doesn’t Excuse You From Being a Decent Human BeingNot surprisingly, the X-verse applauded Skeet for having Lily's back and creating a workplace that values and protects its employees. His posts received over 150,000 likes and more than 2,000 people chimed in. One commenter wrote, "Your response to the trouble makers is excellent. Putting morals above money is a brave and admirable thing to do. I hope Lily is ok. Much respect to you."Another wrote, "So happy to see an employer stand up so fiercely and unwaveringly for a member of their team. I do hope they had the good grace and respect to do as you asked. I hope Lily is okay after that dreadful experience and if I’m ever in Cardiff I will most definitely come to Cora."A third commenter said, "Absolutely spot on. Workers are not the plaything of the idle rich, to abuse and insult as they want. Money doesn’t buy manners and humility…it’s how you’re brought up and the values installed in you. Top man."Skeet's bold stance against the mistreatment of his staff is admirable. Calling out toxic behavior and standing up for others when we see injustice or mistreatment is crucial to ensuring a positive work environment. Everyone, no matter what position you hold, is entitled to respect, fair treatment, and dignity. These are, after all, basic human rights. More from Goalcast:Boss Is Hesitant When Deaf Employee Asks to Become the Chef – Little Did He Know How Customers Would View HimAnxious Deaf Couple Tries a Popular Restaurant – Realizes the Chef Has Learnt Sign Language Just for ThemTeen Refuses to Go to His Graduation Because His Parents Can’t Make It – But His Manager Has a Different Idea

Hairstylist Takes One Look at Woman and Refuses to Give Her a Haircut - The Reason Why Makes Her Sob
Uplifting News

Hairstylist Takes One Look at Woman and Refuses to Give Her a Haircut - The Reason Why Makes Her Sob

In a world of more than 50 million Americans living with autoimmune diseases, the stories of discrimination against them are all too common. This is the tale of Julia Apodaca-Lane, a woman battling not only psoriatic arthritis but also the stigma attached to her condition.Psoriatic arthritis is a daily struggle for Julia. It comes with the added burden of psoriasis, a condition where skin cells build up, leading to itchy, dry patches. The most critical fact to remember about psoriasis is that it is neither rare nor contagious, but unfortunately, ignorance sometimes fuels discrimination.Why One Hairstylist Refused to Give Customer a HaircutJulia decided to share her recent encounter with discrimination when she went to her local SmartStyle salon in Tuscaloosa for a simple haircut. She recounted the painful moment when the stylist, instead of welcoming her, asked, "Are you contagious?" The hurt in her voice was evident as she explained, "I’ve got some psoriasis on my forehead, that you can see. It’s on my scalp. I have psoriatic arthritis. So it’s just psoriasis."It's disheartening that some people remain unaware of the nature of psoriasis and the fact that it poses no risk to others. It's a condition that shouldn't interfere with something as basic as a haircut.While Lataya Aaron, from the Alabama Board of Cosmetology, clarified that stylists have the right to refuse service if they believe their health is at risk, it's crucial to emphasize that compassion should always be part of the equation. She noted, "A kind word goes a long way. It should have been personal and private. […] I feel that because you want to treat people like you would want to be treated."For Julia, the experience at SmartStyle was far from compassionate, and although the stylist was within her rights to refuse service, the emotional toll on Julia was undeniable. As she recalled the incident, tears welled up in her eyes: "I got to the car and I just sat there and sobbed. Just cried and cried and cried. I mean, like, ugly, heaving sobbing."What made it worse was the heightened self-consciousness Julia felt: "I’m paranoid about it. About people looking at me and not knowing what it is. And she made me feel self-conscious. She made me feel like I had done something wrong. That there was something wrong with me. And while I know that these things aren’t true, it doesn’t mean that you’re not going to think them."Why a Woman Highlights the Importance of Speaking KindlyJulia's story doesn't end with her struggle; it's also about finding strength and solidarity in a support group for people with psoriatic arthritis. She found encouragement and perspective, understanding that judgments are often passed without knowing the battles others are fighting.In Julia's words: "You don’t know that about the person, so be kind. You know, whether they have something wrong with them or not, you should be able to give them the best service that you can."The good news is that Julia's story caught the attention of SmartStyle's District Manager, Jason Emerson, who has taken corrective measures to prevent future incidents with that stylist. Moreover, he's turned this unfortunate event into an opportunity for the company. SmartStyle will provide continuing education for all its employees at salons across the state to raise awareness about autoimmune diseases and to ensure that no one else feels the pain Julia experienced.Julia's story reminds us that compassion, empathy, and education are powerful tools against discrimination. It's a story of resilience and a call for a kinder, more understanding world.More from Goalcast:Man’s Wife of 50 Years Starts Going Blind – So He Goes to College to Learn How to Do Hair and MakeupTeen Hairdresser Leaves the Pub With Her Friends – Finds an Angry Note Shaming Her for Parking in a Disabled SpotRude Men Told Woman Who Uses a Wheelchair She ‘Wasn’t Worth Loving’ – Then This Man Got Down on One Knee