Category: Love and Life
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Incompatible
She looked me up and down. “Are you ready to go fishing?” she asked. “Yes!” I enthusiastically responded. “In THAT?!?” I was much younger than I am now, but I will never forget this conversation. I was wearing a miniskirt and stilettos. I looked dressed up for a night on the town (if your idea…
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Lessons Learned
This year has been a year of intense learning, not just in a formal education setting as I pursue my Master of Social Work, but also through revelations in the day-to-day as I sat silently, prayed, listened, and reflected. I am a work in progress. I love lifelong learning. So each lesson means the world…
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Realizing My Responsibility
As we heal, we learn that sexual assault was never our fault. We are validated that we were truly victimized. We realize that our behaviors often directly stem from our trauma. We begin to understand why we are the way we are. If we stop our healing journey too soon, we run the risk of…
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We Don’t Talk (Enough) About Mirabel…
I first watched a movie long ago (and many times since) that truly touched my soul, as is often the case for viewers of many incredibly emotionally moving films out there. I am not unique – this particular movie has spoken to countless people around the globe. Several songs in it became instant successes practically…
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Boundaries Matter
As we stare into the vortex of peak chaos that we call the holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the start of a new year…), chalk full of festivities with friends and family, allow me to be the first to reassure you that your boundaries matter. Your feelings matter. If no one else will validate…
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From Pain to Purpose
She sits across from me – at a sushi restaurant, a coffee shop, in a living room. We tell each other stories – about our kids, our travels, our days. We laugh…until we don’t. Her face and tone change. She opens up about the abuse or the assault years ago – at the hands of…
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Dear Younger Me
I look back on photos of a slimmer, slightly less wrinkled version of myself and I don’t wish I was her all over again. But I do wish I could talk to her. I wish I could sit with her and listen as she unpacked her pain. I wish I could help her make heads…
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A Few of My Favorite Things
I’m a list maker. I find satisfaction in brain-dumping what rolls around in my mind onto a piece of paper so the thoughts upstairs don’t drive me absolutely batty or threaten to instigate a system overload. I love the little dopamine boost I get by checking things off my neat little lists. I even add…
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Mind the Gap
It is most likely that you didn’t notice because people think of us far less often than we fear they do, but I have been silent here for a few weeks. I was blogging weekly, all written and scheduled in advance, and then I took it all down because the last thing I want to…
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Journaling for Dummies
Many people say that they keep a diary to write down events that occur and how they feel about things. It’s rare to hear someone state that they keep a journal. Aren’t they one and the same – interchangeable terms? Well, not really… A diary is a book someone keeps to record events in one’s…
Wisdom from the Trenches 