She was afraid that becoming paralyzed would end her marriage. He refused to leave.

“Love isn’t defined by your body.”

By

Mark Wales

Apr 3, 2026

By Mark Wales

April 3, 2026

Add to Google News

Photo credit: Canva – A man holds his wife's hand.

“For better or worse, till death do us part” is the traditional ending to wedding vows. After a woman suffered a devastating injury that left her paralyzed from the waist down, those promises were no longer just words.

In a Reddit post titled “am paralyzed and think my husband should leave me but he doesn’t want to,” a 31-year-old woman shared her challenging situation. Despite being married for five years and raising two children together, her spinal cord injury left her questioning the strength of their marriage.

family, hope, emotional support, caregiving — A happy family smiling.
Photo credit: Canva

He refuses to leave

In the thread, she explains that she has a loving, supportive husband. They’ve been together for eight years, and he’s always been amazing. She then explains the current situation:

“Recently, I suffered a spinal cord injury that has left me paralyzed from the waist down. Doctors say it’s unlikely I’ll walk again. Since this happened, I can’t shake the feeling that my husband should leave me. I know it sounds awful, but I’ve seen so many stories online about partners leaving after someone becomes seriously ill or disabled. It’s made me incredibly insecure.”

She believes her husband deserves to be more than a simple caretaker:

“I brought it up with my husband, telling him he deserves better than being a caretaker for the rest of his life. He completely broke down, saying he married me because he loves me and isn’t going anywhere. We cried, he reassured me, and we cuddled for awhile, but the fear is still there.“

She continues to explain her fear that her husband will eventually feel trapped and resentful, turning to Reddit in search of advice that might alleviate those fears.

disability, hardship, spinal cord injury, devotion — A woman wheeled around in a wheelchair.
Photo credit: Canva

This post has not been independently verified, and there is no guarantee that the details presented are true. However, the story of a woman fearing her marriage might unravel after a life-altering injury clearly struck a deep emotional chord. People wanted to share their own experiences:

“First. Believe him. If my husband was paralyzed, I’d be honored to take care of him.”

“Through sickness and health. He loves you and he’s choosing you. Love isn’t defined by your body.”

“No way I’d leave my wife due to that reason. And I know she wouldn’t leave me.”

“If he says he loves you and wants to be with you, don’t push him away because you’re paralyzed.”

“Trust that he knows what he is doing. He loves you and cares for you. Although you are the one paralyzed, he feels helpless for you too, and helping you actually helps him.”

“How do you get past those fears? Therapy, probably.”

“My wife suffered for years with different health issues. She was unable to work or do much of anything else. We couldn’t be intimate either. But I never considered leaving her.”

severe accidents, supportive spouse, marriage tested, unconditional love — A serious car crash.
Photo credit: Canva

When life changes everything in a marriage

No one is ever truly prepared for a difficult challenge like paralysis. In such circumstances, having a loving partner can be crucial to a person’s emotional well-being. But is it a test some relationships can’t withstand?

A 2024 study examined how husbands and wives face serious spinal cord injuries. Couples who worked together, navigating stress instead of facing the challenge alone, were more resilient. Emotional and mental growth after the injury also helped them emerge stronger from the experience.

A 2022 study found that spinal cord injuries require strong support systems. When a partner becomes the sole caregiver, there’s excess stress, pressure, sadness, and worsening of their own physical health. However, support from others, family education, and learning how to handle the challenges help people do much better.

Success rates for couples facing severe injuries are not determined by the seriousness of the event itself. Instead, the greatest risk to a relationship’s stability is more closely linked to work-related health limitations and financial strain. A 2022 study found a significantly higher divorce rate over time compared to couples without these challenges.

Statistics from SpinalCord.com show that divorce rates are 1.5 to 2.5 times higher when an injury first occurs. However, after three years, the rate falls back to the national average. The data also highlight the importance of maintaining social connections with family and friends, as isolation can increase stress on a marriage.

She shares an update on Reddit

She recently shared an update on Reddit. Here’s some of what she had to say:

“The last few weeks have been good. He’s been a really good support, very loving, and has gone above and beyond. I’m very lucky. I still have my moments when I cry because of my life change, but I’ve gotten used to it now. My husband is genuinely a wonderful guy. I always knew he was, but since then, he’s just proven it even more. — I’ve started working again from home and am happy to be working again. Life is going back to normal and delighted by that.I want to thank everyone on my original post. Who had nice comments thank you.”

She goes on to share that her husband wants to renew their vows. Her fears and doubts that he might leave her have begun to fade. She has even started writing her own vows for their renewal ceremony.

Add to Google News

More for You

Photo credit: Garrett Aitken/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images – A ‘triangle test’ involves mixing up two of the original products with one of the new reformulation – or vice versa – to see whether taste testers notice the difference.

Health

Controversy over Reese’s ingredients reveals standard food industry practices most consumers never notice

A family fight over Reese’s ingredients reveals how often food companies quietly change recipes.

Good Partner

4/6/2026

Jonathan Deutsch

Springtime in Pennsylvania is peanut butter egg season. This year some consumers may taste the eggs a bit more critically and scrutinize the ingredients and label more carefully.

Reese’s, a Hershey brand, is known for combining chocolate and peanut butter in delicious and iconic ways. Reese’s products come in a variety of formats, called “line extensions.” These include everything from peanut butter chips for baking and chocolate peanut butter popcorn for snacking to limited-time offers for holidays – such as the popular Reese’s Peanut Butter Eggs for Easter.

On Feb. 14, 2026, Brad Reese, grandson of the founder, issued an open letter criticizing the Hershey Company for introducing line extensions – in this case, mini hearts for Valentine’s Day, with the flavors familiar to Reese’s lovers but made with cheaper ingredients, such as “chocolate candy” and “peanut butter creme.”

Ingredients like these seem similar but do not meet the FDA standards of identity for milk chocolate and peanut butter, the key components of the original Reese’s cups. For example, the FDA standard for milk chocolate requires at least 10% chocolate liquor.

Hershey responded in a statement: “As we’ve grown and expanded the Reese’s product line, we make product recipe adjustments that allow us to make new shapes, sizes and innovations that Reese’s fans have come to love and ask for, while always protecting the essence of what makes Reese’s unique and special: the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter.”

I am a certified research chef and food and hospitality professor in Philadelphia, where I founded the Drexel Food Lab, a culinary innovation and food product development lab. I am also a huge fan of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. When my older daughter was a toddler, learning her colors and shapes, I trained her to organize her trick-or-treat loot by separating the orange squares for dad.

As someone with decades of experience in product formulation, I am not surprised that the ingredients for some Reese’s products have changed over the years. One of my first jobs as an intern in corporate R&D was formulating cost reductions for existing products and later developing cost-effective line extensions building on the brand equity of the original product. What Hershey is doing with the Reese’s brand is Consumer Packaged Goods Marketing 101.

Reese’s recently introduced some variations of its classic peanut butter cups that use ‘chocolate candy’ compound coatings and ‘peanut butter creme’ instead of real chocolate and peanut butter. AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

How food manufacturers deal with rising costs

Much has changed in the marketplace since Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups were developed by H.B. Reese in 1928 in Hershey, Pennsylvania, about two hours northwest of Philadelphia.

Inflation, tariffs, labor costs, fuel costs, employee benefits, competition and the vulnerability of climate-threatened crops, such as cacao, vanilla and sugar – none of which are produced anywhere near Pennsylvania – have made the confectionery business increasingly challenging.

When faced with rising costs, food manufacturers have three options:

1. Shrink the product. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have gradually shrunk from 0.9 ounce in the 1980s to 0.75 ounce today. That’s a 17% reduction. This phenomenon has been dubbed “shrinkflation.”

2. Raise prices. There is certainly a market for premium peanut butter cups, but how much will a consumer pay for the Reese’s brand? $5? $10? I suspect most consumers expect a single serving to be a couple of bucks at most.

3. Lower costs. While the company can improve operational efficiencies, changing the formula to reduce or eliminate high-cost ingredients is a standard industry practice to keep prices consistent for consumers in the midst of a dynamic supply chain. This phenomenon has been dubbed “skimpflation” and is Brad Reese’s main complaint.

Reformulations are common in the food industry. In addition to prices rising in general, a supplier could go out of business or have a shortage. A regulatory change or shift in consumer sentiment might prohibit the use of an ingredient. Wars, tariffs or climate change can raise costs temporarily or permanently.

Reformulations can be done well

Sensory and food science tools that we teach in our Drexel culinary and food science programs help ensure little market disruption and a consumer mostly unaware of the changes.

For example, a consumer discrimination test that food product developers love is a called the triangle test. Two samples from the original formula and one sample from the new formula – or vice versa – are presented to the consumer. If the consumer can identify the different one, the product developer did a poor job in preserving the beloved brand through the reformulation. But if consumers can’t tell the difference, the reformulation may be able to move forward.

In 1998, Frito-Lay reformulated some of its signature products using a synthetic fat called olestra – with the brand name Olean – that could cause unpleasant side effects, including anal oil leakage. John T. Barr/Hulton Archive via Getty Images

Sometimes product developers get it wrong in introducing a new formulation. Some of us are old enough to remember Crystal Pepsi, the McLean Deluxe burger or Doritos made with olestra. These products failed, respectively, due to lack of defined consumer benefit, misalignment with the brand, and bad press due to digestive side effects.

But most reformulations go unnoticed – the good work of food technologists who strive to keep food safe, affordable and delicious for consumers.

So, are these new Reese’s products inferior to the original? Maybe. Like with taste in art or wine, if it tastes good to you, it’s good. If not, vote with your wallet, or send the company a note like Brad Reese did.

This article originally appeared on The Conversation. You can read it here.

Keep Reading →
Photo credit: Canva – A man washes his hair in the shower

Care, Health

Researchers are blowing people’s minds after revealing the ideal shower length

“In general, you really only need soap in your armpits, your groin, and your feet.”

GOOD Staff

Adam Albright-Hanna

4/5/2026

Some doctors now believe you should be spending even LESS time in the shower than previously thought. Admittedly, I was already shocked when I found out a while back that the average shower should take only eight minutes. But upon reflection, it made sense. While hot showers can feel relaxing, we obviously need to be conscious of our resources, no matter where we live in the world.

But a recent piece by Pang-Chieh Ho called “You Could Be Showering Too Long,” published in Consumer Reports, claims that showers should really only be around five minutes, seven at the most. Just shaving off a couple of minutes can help tremendously with conservation. “For people in the U.S., the average shower lasts about 8 minutes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That’s 20 gallons for every average shower, given that the standard showerhead uses around 2.5 gallons of water per minute.”

Experts say your shower might be too long

A woman washing her hair in the shower. Photo credit: Canva

And it’s not just because of the environment. Our skin can dry out more quickly than some might think. Dermatologist Lisa Akintilo, MD, is cited as saying, “It’s true that long, hot showers may feel restorative, but they can dry and irritate the skin.”

An article in Time magazine, “How Much Do You Actually Need to Shower?” by Angela Haupt, reveals that some doctors say you can skip even the five-minute daily shower, though they admit, “there’s no one-size-fits-all equation.” Dermatologist at NYU Langone Health, Dr. Mary Stevenson, suggested, “Ideally, I think people should shower at least every other day. Most people, by day two or day three, are not clean. But it’s a little bit personal.” She later added, “In general, you really only need soap in your armpits, your groin, and your feet.”

“You probably don’t need to be in the shower as long as you are. You’re no cleaner—it’s just for your psychological health or for your routine.”

– Philadelphia dermatologist Dr. Jules Lipoff

Some people on Reddit disagree. In a thread called “On average, how long do you take to shower?” many admitted that long showers are a guilty pleasure. A few people answered 45 minutes to an hour. One even claimed they showered for “light years,” though someone quickly pointed out that “light year” was a measurement of distance, not time.

@themakeshiftproject
HOW LONG IS TOO LONG?? Shouldn’t Be Longer Than 5 Minutes! #fyp #shower #routine #bathroom #people #clean
♬ Otra Vez – ProdMarvin

One noted that there are variables in play. “Depends on how many shower beers.”

Another measures the length of time in music. “Two Spotify songs,” they insisted.

People online still love their long showers

A bearded man singing in his shower with a microphone. Photo credit: Canva

One Reddit user got vulnerable about the mental benefits of a hot shower. “The mean and the median probably differ quite a lot for me. The vast majority of my showers do not exceed 20 minutes, but I’ve had some depression showers or anxiety showers or whatever you wanna call them where I stayed in for over an hour.” Another commenter put it less delicately: “Until I can no longer feel the pain of life.”

And lastly, this person didn’t mince words but mentioned the temperature variable. “If it’s a hot shower, no less than 30 minutes. If it’s a cold shower, I scrubba dubba the F out of there in less than three.”

This article originally appeared two years ago. It has been updated.

Keep Reading →
Photo credit: Canva – Women laughing on scooters.

Health, Well-being

Happiness expert’s refreshing take that the best friendships are useless

“If you want to be happier you need more useless.”

Mark Wales

4/3/2026

As Americans have become more tribal, isolated, and downright lonely, the need for quality friendships is at an all-time high. Yet, some of the most important relationships begin when we aren’t looking for them. Sometimes something seemingly insignificant, like a simple hobby or a mutual love, slowly grows into a real connection.

Dr. Arthur Brooks shared his insights into friendships on the Mighty Pursuit podcast. He explains that there are three types of friendships, and the one that matters most is a useless friendship.

Aristotle believed friendship was the secret to happiness

(Discussion begins at 1 hour into the video.) Brooks traces the value and importance of friendship back to the famous philosopher Aristotle. He explains that Aristotle believed the ultimate secret behind a happy life was friends. Brooks says, “In the Nicomachean Ethics, he [Aristotle] said there’s three levels of friendship that bring more happiness. And if you get stuck at lower levels, it’s going to be a problem for your life.”

The first type of friendship is transactional. These are people with whom you do business or have a casual acquaintance. You don’t really know them on a personal level. The relationship is friendly, but if business or a reason for interacting stops, so does the friendship.

Brooks describes transactional friendships, saying, “There’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just incomplete.” He continues, “If that’s all you have you’re going to be hopelessly lonely.”

The second type is friendships of beauty. They are chosen out of admiration. These are people we want to be around. Brooks describes it as, “You’re magnetic. It could be because of your physical beauty, your sense of humor, your intelligence, or your success.”

Relationships built on admiration are better than transactional, but Brooks warns, “If that beauty goes away, so does that friendship.”

Fans at a sporting event.
Photo credit Canva

Useless friends are the best

Aristotle described the friendship that brings the most satisfaction as Atelic, meaning it has no specific end or goal. Brooks calls it “Useless. It’s cosmically, beautifully useless. And so if you want to be happier, you need more useless people you just love.”

Describing the characteristics of this type of friend, Brooks shares, “you’re walking together, shoulder to shoulder, into the future and looking at something you both love mutually.” He continues, “There’s always a third love in these perfect friendships.”

Examples offered by Brooks might be a couple loving their children or best friends who love a sports franchise. Brooks says, “It can be dumb, or it can be cosmic. But the whole point is that third love is the glue that makes that, that useless relationship beautiful and perfect to you.”

Women laughing and dancing.
Photo credit Canva

Science loves a useless friendship

Research supports Aristotle’s belief that having a friendship without an agenda makes for a richer and happier life. A 2023 study in Frontiers found that friendships valued for the stimulating companionship and shared activities predicted higher well-being, life satisfaction, and personal growth. Best friends aren’t based on networking or usefulness.

A 2024 study in the National Library of Medicine found that high-quality best friendships lowered loneliness and boosted self-esteem. Meaningful relationships can begin with a shared love, but over time, become a part of who the friends actually are.

Friends enjoy drinks together.
Photo credit Canva

A 2022 study at Cornell University revealed that repeated physical proximity and similar interests strongly increased the likelihood of friendship formation regardless of background or social differences. Activities like walks, hobbies, sports, and creative interests offered a shared space where even unlikely friendships grow.

Brooks suggests the most important friends come from connecting over the smallest things. They don’t happen because we need them; more so, they exist for their own sake. These “useless friendships” are grounded in mutual joy and common loves. They may seem small or incidental at first, but the Atelic relationship shapes our happiness the most.

Keep Reading →