‘They had just gotten the nursey together': Vermilion Co. family loses home in fire
But it did cost a soon-to-be family of four all of their belongings. Now, they're reaching out to the community for help in rebuilding their lives.
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The family said they've lost almost all their personal belongings. The fire also destroyed all the gifts they got from their baby shower… which was just two hours before the fire started. Now the family has a couple of months before the baby arrives to recreate their home.
'It's one of those things, like you never think it's going to happen to you, and then it does,' Blake Mortimore said.
Devastation hit the Mortimore family on Saturday. A house fire turned their home and everything inside to ash.
'It was terrifying. We didn't really know what was going on. But then a pastor happened to pass by and saw it and came and got us all out,' Sarah Mortimore said.
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Sarah is seven months pregnant. She said her entire family — and their two dogs —were able to get out in time. But everything they bought or were gifted for the baby's arrival is now gone.
'We set up the nursery and got it all ready and were excited. And then, in a matter of an hour or two, it was gone,' Sarah said.
Sarah's husband, Blake, said they are now looking to the community to help replace what has been lost, including clothes and other baby items. And with just two months until the due date, he said they need support now more than ever.
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'Getting so close. She's two months out, and baby's almost here, and everything's put together and ready to go. And then, before you blink your eyes, there's nothing left. So, pretty bad,' Blake said.
The fire's cause is still under investigation. The family also said they will be working with insurance in the coming days to find out the next steps. To learn more on how to help, you can reach out to Sarah directly at SNolen7@gmail.com.
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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
Ask Rachel: I thought I was a straight woman but I'm head over heels for my neighbour, Sarah
Have a sex or relationship question? Ask Rachel about it using the form below or email askrachel@ Dear Rachel, I am in my early 30s and live alone in a small house in a nice area. I've had a few long-term relationships with guys, one being quite significant but it fell apart at the true commitment stage. When I moved here about 18 months ago, I met a neighbour whom I shall call Sarah who is a very fit mid-50s, lives in a lovely, larger detached house and is divorced with two grown-up daughters. We both love cooking and music and she introduced me to lots of friends and got me involved in the local am-dram group. I will admit that I was probably drawn to her as a mother substitute (mine died when I was only seven) but I don't feel the need to make excuses because of that. I have never been attracted to members of my own sex previously and assume she hasn't (although I dare not ask) but this was like a lightning bolt and I spend my entire day thinking of her and calculating ways and excuses to text her, call her or simply knock on her door to spend time with her. I've never been so happy as things are now but I really need to know if she feels the same and, if so, whether to take it further. I'd be astounded if she doesn't realise that I am head over heels in love with her as I'm like a teenager (puppy?) when we're together, which is often. There's the problem with her daughters; will they see me as trying to 'muscle-in' on their inheritance if Sarah and I become partners? What if Sarah says no? Might I ruin the best thing in my life? Do I need more than I have? Sex isn't necessarily essential as love and closeness is really what I seek but the thought of sleeping together is dreamy too. One minute I imagine her just waiting for me to say I love her and falling into each other's arms and the next, there's the nightmare of facing rejection and trying to rebuild what we now have amid a troubled and somewhat ruined atmosphere. Is this just a cowardly way of me asking you to make the decision for me, Rachel? – Anon Dear Anon, Let's go through your letter as it comes. Only a novelist of the calibre of Sarah Waters – start with The Paying Guests – could do justice to the simmering sapphic domestic romantasy you outline. Your few long-term relationships with men didn't work out. You're living on your own in what I think is called a 'bougie' neighbourhood (I'm seeing a Gail's, inn serving craft ales, church hall where you do your am-dram, Italian restaurant specialising in rustic pasta dishes from Puglia, etc). Down the road, in an even more desirable family house (what the French call 'une villa avec jardin') lives 'Sarah' the fit divorcée. You are smitten for the first time with a person of your own sex, and pining for more. It's clear that you are very aware of the tricksiness of the situation: she's older, she's better housed, you hang out a lot and you have 'fallen head over heels in love with her'. My immediate reaction to this is twofold. One, forget the fact that she is female. You are passionate about this person, how they make you feel, and what they mean to you. What's between their legs is beside the point unless and until it gets physical. You are wondering how to move it to that next stage, to move her from back burner to front burner. Switch the sexes, then: if she were some hunk in the 'hood, what would you do? You'd arrange drinks in the local… you'd gaze into his eyes… you'd ask about his love life… you know the drill. And then, at the end of the evening, it's do you fancy a nightcap at mine or getting a bit nuzzly as you say goodbye… and Bob's your uncle or not. When it comes to Sarah, yes, you do risk changing the basis of your relationship if it's a shocked, hard no from her. But women are nothing if not forgiving. If she values your friendship, I doubt she will fling you into outer darkness for the crime of falling in love with her. I doubt she will cast you asunder – or unfriend you, as we say now – if you make a subtle approach. As Alan Clark – the celebrated Tory lunger – wondered in the innocence of the pre-MeToo era: 'How do you know a pass is unwanted until you've made it?' In my younger days, a couple of girlfriends suggested we take things up a notch and I said thank you but no thanks and it was all swept under the rug quite fast. I wasn't appalled, I was flattered! Most people would be if a younger person declared undying love and on the whole, we Brits are far too terrified and constipated about telling people we love them, even on their deathbed. Moving to my next reaction, then. Reading between the lines, you suspect you have fallen in love with a mother figure. I'm sure there is something in this. Your curious assumption that you will be seen as a beneficiary of her will by her daughters only confirms my suspicions. She represents maternal and financial security, and perhaps this is what you are in love with as it's been missing from your life. Of course you ache for the love, nurture and comfort of an older woman that sadly you lacked from an early age and this is what I think you should say to Sarah. So I'd come clean and tell her this. You think you are falling in love with her but you don't want to lose her as a friend and companion whether she reciprocates or not (I'm afraid you have to assume she doesn't – listen to your gut here. Why would you be writing to me if you were sure that your approach would be met with the answering gleam?). At the same time, you should be open about the unhealed 'childhood wound' that is sending your emotional compass into a spin when you're around her. My instinct is that you are in an emotional storm and you should sit it out until it passes. If you are impelled to push it further despite this advice, and ask her to walk on the wild side with you, it is, as you know, high risk, high reward. At the moment your relationship is simmering on the back burner and it looks like only you want to move it to forward and start cooking with gas. Either way, I suspect that Sarah – if she is kind and nice as well as mature – will feel compassion and not revulsion if you admit you have fallen for her, and either way, you will survive. As my late mother always said: ''Tis better to have loved than to have never loved at all.' Ask Rachel anything… Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
Fast Company
7 days ago
- Fast Company
6 fast ways to bounce back from a job rejection
Sarah thought she'd nailed it. Three rounds of interviews for her dream marketing role, glowing feedback from the hiring manager, and a reassuring 'we'll be in touch soon.' So when the rejection email landed in her inbox two weeks later—a generic 'we've decided to move forward with another candidate'—it felt like a gut punch. If you've had a similar experience taking job rejection more personally than you'd like, you're not alone. You're also very human. In fact, research has found that 78% of professionals say job rejection negatively impacts their confidence for weeks or even months afterward. But as normal as it is to feel knocked down, we're also capable of using rejection to clarify our direction, refine our value, and accelerate the outcomes (and ideal roles) we want— not to let it define us. This isn't about building thicker skin. It's about building smarter systems and more empowered thinking. Here are six straightforward strategies to do that. 1. Use the 24-hour rule. You're human, not a robot. It's okay not to feel great when a rejection email lands in your inbox. Emotions may not always be rational, but they're still real. So cut yourself some slack and give yourself permission to feel disappointed without immediately trying to 'fix' it or bounce back. Set a timer for 24 hours, acknowledge the sting, then deliberately shift into learning mode. This prevents both endless rumination and what psychologists call 'emotional bypassing'—jumping straight to positivity without processing the real emotions. 2. Separate the 'no' from your self-worth. This rejection isn't a referendum on your value as a person or professional: it's simply a mismatch, not a verdict. Research has shown that people with a growth mindset—who ask 'What can this teach me?' instead of 'What's wrong with me?'—are more likely to bounce back from setbacks, stay motivated, and take constructive action. When Marcus, a software engineer, didn't get the senior developer role he wanted, he initially spiraled into self-doubt. But when he shifted from 'I'm not good enough,' to 'What skills do I need to develop?' he used the feedback to land an even better position six months later. You do yourself a disservice when you let the subjective evaluation others place on you depreciate the value you place on yourself. That Tom Brady was the 199th pick in the 2000 NFL draft is proof that sometimes those tasked with assessing others' future potential have absolutely no idea. 3. Ask for feedback—even if you don't get it. The simple act of requesting constructive feedback signals a growth mindset and helps you reflect more objectively on the experience. Even when companies don't respond (and many won't), the process of asking forces you to think strategically about your performance and what you might do differently next time. 4. Reframe it as redirection, not rejection. Jenny, a finance executive, felt incredibly disappointed when she didn't get a controller position at a startup. Six months later, when that company folded, she realized the rejection had actually protected her from a career disaster. Sometimes a 'no' is actually steering you away from a situation that wouldn't have served you well. Research from Glassdoor shows that 65% of people who stay in roles that weren't their first choice report lower job satisfaction within two years. 5. Don't personalize systemic issues. Sometimes hiring decisions come down to budget, internal politics, timing, or internal candidates being preferred—factors that have nothing to do with your qualifications. Other times, personal preferences, unconscious judgments, or stereotypes bias hiring decisions. According to research from SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), 48% of HR managers admitted that biases affect the candidates they hire. Many hiring decisions are influenced by factors completely outside a candidate's control. Avoid interpreting rejection as anything more than a decision someone made—a decision shaped by a whole array of factors and biases—that simply wasn't the one you wanted them to make. You can't control those variables, but you can control your response. 6. Track your progress, not just your wins Top performers don't avoid rejection—they risk it regularly and treat it as no more than a hidden curriculum, mining any insights for their next opportunity. Create a system that tracks not only your wins, but also your courage: interviews taken, skills built, connections made, insights gained. Maybe you realized you need to clarify your value proposition. Maybe you discovered a role or industry isn't for you. These are all progress markers. These are all victories worth celebrating. It's not rejection itself that holds future potential hostage, but the emotions of unworthiness it triggers. The irony is that by avoiding rejection, we often reject ourselves—long before anyone else has the chance. So whether you're starting out or starting over, the biggest setback isn't being told 'no.' It's letting it stop you from showing up again. Just imagine the possibilities if you moved forward knowing that rejection is simply part of your individualized growth plan. Let rejection refine your clarity, not shrink your courage.
Yahoo
07-08-2025
- Yahoo
How Psychobabble Is Ruining Our Relationships
Sarah sits across from me, visibly frustrated. 'I've been setting boundaries with my mom like everyone says I should,' she explains, 'but now she won't talk to me at all. My old therapist said it was progress but I feel worse than ever.' This scene plays out daily in therapy offices across the country. What started as legitimate psychological concepts — boundaries, trauma, narcissism, gaslighting — have been simplified, sanitized, and scattered across social media until they've lost much of their original meaning. The result? A generation fluent in therapy-speak but struggling with the messy reality of human relationships. Here's what the memes and armchair experts don't tell you: Boundaries aren't always the answer. The Boundary Industrial Complex Perhaps no concept has been more weaponized than 'setting boundaries.' Instagram therapists present it as a panacea: feeling overwhelmed? Set boundaries. Family drama? Set boundaries. Difficult boss? You know the drill. But here's what the memes and armchair experts don't tell you: Boundaries aren't always the answer. Take Michael, a 28-year-old who lives with his parents while saving for a house. 'I keep reading that I need to set boundaries around their questions about my dating life,' he tells me. 'But I live in their house, eat their food, and they're genuinely worried about me being lonely. Maybe the boundary I need isn't with them, but with my own discomfort about being single.' Research in relationship science shows that healthy relationships require both autonomy and connection. When we overemphasize boundaries at the expense of interdependence, we risk creating what psychologist Eli Finkel calls 'suffocation model' relationships — connections so focused on individual needs that they can't sustain the give-and-take that makes relationships meaningful. The Trauma Trap The overuse of trauma language presents another challenge. Clinical trauma — the kind that rewires your nervous system and fragments memory — is a specific psychological phenomenon. But in popular usage, 'trauma' has expanded to include any negative or uncomfortable experience. By labeling all challenges as traumatic, we lose sight of the learning and growth that often accompany them. Dr. Samantha Boardman Lisa, a college student, came to therapy convinced she was 'traumatized' by her parents' divorce when she was 16. 'Everyone on TikTok says divorce is childhood trauma,' she explained. While divorce is undeniably difficult for children, not every difficult experience creates lasting psychological injury. By labeling all challenges as traumatic, we lose sight of the learning and growth that often accompany them. This isn't to minimize real trauma or suggest that stressful experiences don't matter. Rather, it's to recognize that overusing clinical language can paradoxically make us less equipped to handle life's inevitable difficulties. The Narcissist Next Door The casual diagnosis of narcissism presents similar problems. In clinical settings, Narcissistic Personality Disorder is a complex condition affecting less than 1% of the population. Online, everyone's ex, boss, or difficult family member gets the label. 'My sister is such a narcissist,' David tells me, describing his sibling's tendency to dominate family conversations. When we dig deeper, it becomes clear that his sister isn't pathologically self-absorbed—she's anxious and uses talking as a way to manage her discomfort in social situations. The narcissist label allows David to disregard her rather than address the underlying family dynamics or have a direct conversation. Research by psychologist Keith Campbell shows that true narcissism involves a specific pattern of grandiosity, entitlement, and lack of empathy that goes far beyond everyday selfishness or insensitivity. When we label normal human flaws as personality disorders, we shut down the possibility of understanding, empathy, and change. The Gaslighting Epidemic Perhaps no term has been more diluted than 'gaslighting.' Originally describing a specific pattern of psychological manipulation designed to make someone question their reality, it's now applied to any disagreement or different perspective. 'My husband is gaslighting me,' Amanda reports, explaining that he disagrees with her assessment of their teenage son's behavior. But disagreement isn't gaslighting. Having a different perspective isn't manipulation. When we pathologize normal conflict, we lose the skills needed to navigate disagreement constructively. Real gaslighting is insidious and harmful, involving deliberate attempts to undermine someone's perception of reality. Casual disagreement, even heated disagreement, is just part of being human. Why We're Drawn to Therapy-Speak The appeal of psychological language is understandable. It offers the illusion of clarity in complex situations and provides a sense of control over chaotic emotions. There's comfort in having a label for difficult experiences, and therapy language has given many people permission to prioritize their mental health in ways previous generations couldn't. But like any powerful tool, psychological concepts can be misused. When we apply clinical frameworks to everyday challenges, we risk what psychologist Nick Haslam calls — the gradual expansion of psychological terms beyond their original meaning until they lose their utility. A Better Way Forward The goal isn't to abandon psychological insights — they've revolutionized our understanding of human behavior and helped millions of people. Instead, we need more nuanced applications of these concepts. This doesn't mean returning to the 'just get over it' mentality of previous generations. Rather than automatically 'setting boundaries,' consider whether the situation calls for boundaries, communication, compromise, acceptance, or all the above. Instead of labeling difficult people with personality disorders, try understanding their behavior in context. Before declaring something traumatic, ask whether reframing the experience as challenging but manageable might be more empowering. This doesn't mean returning to the 'just get over it' mentality of previous generations. Think of it like the difference between having a box of eight crayons versus a set of 64 colors. Both can create a picture, but one allows for far more nuance and accuracy. When we rely solely on broad therapeutic labels, we're working with the eight-crayon box — everything gets colored with 'trauma,' 'boundaries,' or 'toxic.' When you upgrade to the full palette, you can make fine distinctions between different emotional states and respond with precision rather than broad strokes. Reclaiming Nuance The most profound insights in psychology aren't simple. They require us to hold multiple truths simultaneously: that we need both connection and autonomy, that difficult experiences can be both harmful and growth-promoting, that other people can be both flawed and worthy of compassion. Sarah, the client struggling with her mother, eventually learned that her situation called not for rigid boundaries but for clear communication about her needs and values. Michael discovered that living with his parents required negotiating shared space rather than creating walls. David found that understanding his sister's anxiety made family gatherings more tolerable for everyone. These solutions aren't as satisfying as simple formulas, but they're more honest about the complexity of human relationships. In a world increasingly hungry for quick fixes and clear villains, perhaps the most radical act is embracing the messy, ambiguous, ultimately hopeful reality of being human. The post How Psychobabble Is Ruining Our Relationships appeared first on Katie Couric Media. Solve the daily Crossword
