Meet our Galentine’s Day Contest Winners!
Reading Time: 4 minutes
Share:
Thank you all for your Galentine’s Day Contest submissions. Reading through the hundreds of stories of friendship that readers like you sent in left me teary-eyed and full-hearted. Many of you shared that your Galentine was the first person you called when you got good news, the person you wanted in the delivery room when you gave birth, or the person you felt most connected to in the world.
Many of you also shared that you wouldn’t have been able to make it through the dark times without her. Reading your stories of loss, abuse, addiction, illness, and heartache showed me just how resilient we are when we have people to lean on.
Each Galentine’s Day Submission was full of deep love and admiration. No matter the outcome of the contest, we who have true friends in our lives are all winners.
Now. . .let’s get to the announcement! Meet our 2025 Galentine’s Day Contest Winners!
Meet Our Runner-Up Winners from Pennsylvania
Rachel and her sister Lauren from Boothwyn
Rachel’s sister Lauren isn’t just family, she’s also her “best friend.” Rachel shared that Lauren recently left her abusive husband and described Lauren’s incredible bravery and “heart of gold.” Rachel says her sister is “rebuilding her life after 10 years of misery and she deserves the world.” Wishing you both well in this new chapter, Rachel and Lauren!
Meet our Runner-Up Winners from Missouri
Shandra from Lees Summit and her Aunt Karen from Kansas City
Shandra calls her Aunt Karen BAE, which stands for “Best Aunt Ever” and I have to agree! Shandra shared “During my parents’ struggles with addiction, she opened her home and heart to me, providing the stability and love I desperately needed.” Shandra said “She has been the mediator in our family, mending broken hearts and fostering unity. Her dedication to seeing everyone rise to greatness inspires me daily.” Thank you for your story, Shandra and Karen!
Meet our Runner-Up Winners from Utah
Zaytey from Toole and her best friend Lilian from Matson
Zaytey and Lilian met 7 years ago when they started high school, but shortly after they graduated, Lilian “was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma and had to go through chemotherapy.” Zaytey shared that this tragedy “only made us closer. We shaved our heads together and took a break from school. I found a lot of different two-person card games for us to play up at the hospital. After a year she was finally cleared right in time for summer and we started growing our hair out together.” Hats off to these young women for their perseverance!
Meet our Grand Prize Winners from Massachusetts!
Katelynne from North Andover and her Galentine Catherine from Webster
Katelynne and Catherine have been best friends for 11 years. They met when they were “both at extremely low points” in their lives at a rehabilitation center where they were struggling with addiction. Katelynne shared that they “connected almost instantly and have been basically inseparable since.” I was inspired by their loyalty, honesty with one another, and how they support each other’s sobriety. Read my favorite part of Katelynne’s submission here:
“Every year we celebrate another year of sobriety and friendship by going back to the rehabilitation center where we met and telling our stories to the women who find themselves there. We want to spread hope and show other women that if we can conquer what we have, then so can they.”
Katelynne shared that Catherine has helped her become more confident in herself. Katelynne also said, “Without her friendship this past decade, I have no idea how I would have gotten through what I have. I believe that we were both in that awful place at the same time because we were meant to come into each other’s lives. She is more than a best friend to me, she is a part of my family.”
Thank you so much for your submission Katelynne and Catherine!
I hope you are as inspired by these stories as I was. Send love and positive thoughts to these duos by commenting below!
There are so many personal battles being fought every day by so many gallant women. I wish you all peace and success in enduring the never ending fight for true happiness. Fight on, Sisters. ❤️
That’s awesome thank you for sharing 🩷🩷
Hello Grace,
I want to thank you for asking me to give advice to this one woman who is new in the neighborhood how she can get to know her new neighbors ; My response one way she can make up a flyer and give it to a few ladies she feels comfortable with, introducing herself letting them know she is new in the neighborhood, and also state in the flyer your house number and or apartment number with an invite to coffee and a time with her phone 📞 number!
Hello Grace, thank you for asking me to give my advice to this one woman who is new to the neighborhood and giving advice to making friends, Sorry for the delay
I read the stories how and why these young ladies became close friends. Each individual story had its moments of despair warmth and resolve. God bless you all for your perseverance and ❤️
Wow 😲 all of the ladies won and they certainly uplifted my spirit, humanity is not lost these stories let me know that you can find deep connections with everyday people you cross paths with and for whatever reason you click and keep clicking together that’s AWESOME 😎💯 I LOVE IT, I LOVE ALL THE WOMEN HERE AND EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD 🌍🌎 GOD IS ALL KNOWING, MERCIFUL, & LOVING… AMEN
Thank you for the support for reaching out to women of all walks of life. Just reading this email brought tears to my eyes… And to my heart… I’m trying to reach deep in my soul to understand the tears and the butterflies in my stomach..that’s how I no this reached my heart. It stirs up feelings I haven’t felt in a long time that has been buried just so I could survive everyday life.my story is a intricately woven root of soul wrenching heartache,that is generational..some how there has to be a way of healing… Besides suicide.. respectfully kat
Happy Galentine’s Day!
If you’re looking for wisdom, laughs, and love-life lessons, here are some gems:
Wisdom: “You are your longest commitment—treat yourself with the love and care you deserve.”
Laughs: “If he’s giving you mixed signals, remember—WiFi does that too, and we don’t date routers.”
Love-Life Lessons: “The right people will never make you feel like you have to beg for their time, attention, or respect.”
Whether you’re celebrating with your besties or treating yourself, today is all about love in its purest, most fun form. What’s the best Galentine’s advice you’ve ever received?
Good Read from the Ladies. Because we all have been through some stuff From A – Z.❤️❤️
I love have a friendship with new friends to always talk to anytime I’m on on cheerleader everyday I love talk to my God is by best friend forever
That is really beautiful to see women being there for women sisterhood is a beautiful thing I have a friend for 23 years our son’s had went to school together but I moved and we still talk our son’s aren’t close or connect but we stayed connect and not for any reason just moved out of state and our son’s were small but we still chatted we had a so called like adopted son connection from her husband. That I introduced her to who gave us both a hard time and that was our connection becouse that son and my daughter were actually close at one point becouse there both bipolar ughhh but we have been on anup and down becouse of their manipulation but we’ve managed to stay in touch and check on each other we genuinely have love and hope and concerns for each other as being women I have supported and got her to embrace her natural beauty for I am a silver sister who supports other women around the world to embrace their grey so
Sister hood is a beautiful thing
I too went through kicking addition. I’ve been sober now for 19 years. I miss it at times but not the bad side effects. I’m glad I am finally in control!!!
Reading your inspiring stories has inspired me a lot! Thank you!
The stories where all great to read wish all you ladies out there the best Galentines day ever . I wanted so badly to post my best friend n I but I been so busy helping take care of a senior neighbor who’s been really ill n taking care of my pets n self that I don’t find space for my free time at times . But today I’ll take the time to send out a shout out and lots of love .
Not sure what comments are to be made here, but I was wondering if you have had a column on losing a pet? I haven’t gone through it yet, but its not far off and I’m scared to death by what this may do to me. I’ve been with LilyMae since she was a yr old. She is a gorgeous white and tan basset hound. She was a new puppy to a man Ryan whome I quickly fell in love with as well as his dog. As years passed, the love and companionship for both were the only thing consistent in my life, we were a family. In 2017 Ryan was suddenly killed in a senseless act of violence while protecting a person this man had severely hurt prior. Ryan was on lifesupport for only a day due to his traumatic brain injury. But as he layed there, I promised him one thing, that I would take care of LilyMae til her last breath. It was a very hard time and I was so lost without him. But I couldn’t be selfish, I had a promise to keep. LilyMae was my purpose and she kept me from letting go. She needed me and boy did I need her. She is now 13 and not one second have been a burden. She has been my saving grace, my sunshine, my LilyMae. Aging is catching up and we both know it. She still has her waddle when she walks and that droopy adorable face. I’m just not ready for life without her. 12yrs with her will be like losing a child. As she lay here in my lap looking up thinking, whatcha doin mom? All I can say is without a doubt, she is the best part of me! 🐾
It’s so beautiful to have friends and family that you can love and that they can love you. It’s so good to have new beginnings. It’s so good to experience something new. It feels so good to be a part of something new.
Love all these stories! True Inspiration.. Faith Strong!
All your stories make me happy that is why I love my best friend Kathy Lynn she helped me raise my kids when I needed help the most she was the first person I ran to when I had bad things going on in my life and then one day we found out that she was dying That she has a lung disease which causes her lungs to harden and turn into a rubber or at least that’s what it looks and feels like to her and because she took care of me when I needed her the most I’ve known her for over 22 years now and now I’m taking care of her All of your stores are wonderful and beautiful and God bless all of you.
My heart goes out to all the people that shared their stories. May they continue to do well. Life is hard and u have to work hard to get to a point where you are at peace with yourself. I am 81 yrs old and still trying to understand. There are no answers. I have lost my husband to suicide daughter to a drunk driver and many family members. I pray my 3 remaining children live long healthy and happy lives. As u do for the rest of gods children.
I wish I would’ve seen this contest earlier because I could tell you a beautiful story but without treatment for my bipolar and personality disorder I ruined and hurt a friend that I truly love. That relationship has ended and I’m in therapy now and look back at my life and I have hurt everyone that I love so deeply. I’m not allowing myself to get close to anyone now until my therapist and I can fix this personality disorder and bipolar. I don’t want to hurt anyone else anymore. I’m in my 50’s and I’m almost alone. I have two great friends that have forgiven me for being so selfish and I am thankful for them. I will try to have a great Galentine’s day with my furry friend!
That’s wonderful, amazing news from these women of perseverance in their lives. May God continue to bless them.
❤️❤️❤️❤️