At 13 I received The Ultimate Weight Solution for Teens by Jay McGraw (son of Dr. Phil) from a family friend. When I opened it they said “because you’re a teen now.” Apparently it was the best way to celebrate that. This was 2003ish so a toxic time for body talk but I remember thinking why tf should I have to thank them for this obviously rude gift? No one in my family acknowledged how weird it was and it sat on a shelf for years.

I love feeling this deeply when I’m reading fiction but absolutely have to take a break when reading things like true crime and some biographies. I think it’s normal! It sounds like you’re empathetic and that’s a great thing.