The Words I Needed

Stories of Truth Spoken, Silence Broken and What We Needed to Hear

By: Kyra Schaefer

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

The Words I Needed is a collection of real stories from people who learned, often the hard way, that a single sentence can change the course of a life. Inside these pages, you’ll find truth-telling that steadies you, language that reconnects you to your own strength, and the kind of humanity that reminds you that you’re not navigating your life alone.

Each chapter offers a moment of recognition: a story that opens something quiet inside you, a perspective you didn’t know you needed, or a line that stays with you long after you close the book. These writers didn’t share polished personas; they shared themselves. The result is a companion you can return to again and again—especially on the days you need grounding, clarity, or a gentle shift toward hope.

Whether you're moving through change, healing something tender, or simply looking for words that feel true, this book meets you where you are.

Table of Contents

1. Four Simple Words – M. Bennett

2. Words, Words, Words – Stacy Christopher

3. The Edge of Survival – Mandy Covington

4. You Were Chosen For Love – Lanya Elsa

5. No One Cares – Sarah Gabler

6. Let Me Think About That – Karen Gabler

7. Words I Never Heard, But Always Needed – Patricia Holgate Haney

8. A Little Guidance and Understanding, Please! – Hugh Imhof

9. Words of Grace – Donna Kiel

10. Rising Phoenix – Joe McMonagle

11. When I Changed the Script: From “Alien Boy” to Adored – John Mothershead

12. When You Can’t See the Shore: Borrowing Tomorrow to Survive Today – Megan Oldenstadt

13. In a World of Emersons, Be a Thoreau – Kyra Schaefer

14. The Question is Living – Ann Théato

15. “Stay Strong, Mimi!” – Michelyn Woityra

16. The Burden of Silence on Feminism: Words that Break the Curse – Janet Zavala