Brave Heart, Brave Soul. She who is brave is free.

“We cannot selectively numb emotions. When we numb the painful emotions, we also numb the positive emotions.” ~ Brene Brown Let’s be honest, Christmas can be difficult. Gathering with family can be both rewarding and trying. Finding the perfect gift only to find it’s the wrong size or color can be downright frustrating. And if you’re struggling financially, gifts under the tree can feel elusive at best. Throw in different personalities, tastes and opinions and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.  Face it, the holiday season can be complicated if not exhausting and overstimulating.  For most folks it’s the most wonderful, magical time of the year but for others, it can be the toughest. Christmastime is a mixture of comfort and cheer, and heartbreak and hardship. And as much as we want it to be nothing but merry and bright, this time of year can turn gloomy and dark quickly. I suppose it all depends on which side the coin lands on. And without our consent, Sadness takes o

“We don’t grow when things are easy. We grow when we face challenges. “ ~  Unknown Life isn’t exactly a Disney movie is it? Doesn’t matter how hard we wish upon a star, the happily ever after fairy-tale stories of our imaginations don’t quite exist do they? Why? First of all life is hard, any way you look at it. Secondly, not everyone can marry a real-life prince like Meghan Markle or save a princess from a villainous Queen. I know it’s a bummer, right? Come on now though, there’s only so many crowns and monarchs to go around. I‘d say Disney has cornered the market anyway. Out in the real world, life is raw and difficult. Let’s be real y’all. If any two unwanted and uninvited fairy-tale villains were going to show up it’d be Pain and Panic, coming off all innocent and reporting for duty only to cause chaos, right? And they never show up alone either. On any given day these two have gotta host of unpopular and unfortunate mood killers in tow behind them. For now, though

'If you're lucky enough to be different...don't change." ~ Unknown Have you ever simply felt out of place? And I'm not just talking about feeling different or being mismatched. We're all incompatible at times. No, I'm speaking of something far more complex. Why this subject? Why today? Well I've been doing some thinking lately. See, I'm not remarkable or extraordinary. I haven’t broken the Internet with my ideas, style or popularity. However, I'm not the garden-variety either. I'm complicated, perplexing even and under no circumstances am I typical. Never have been, never will be. You know the type. You may very well live outside the rule yourself. So yes, today, I'm talkin'  the nitty gritty of being a divergent soul. Not some made up flamboyant show and tell reality show lifestyle either. If you’re truly a divergent mind you know what it's really like to live independent of convention and mainstream. And I've got t

“You’re beautiful because you know your own darkness and still, that alone doesn't stop you from finding your own light.” ~ R.M. Drake If you’ve been following my adventures for any time at all, then you have a pretty good idea I’m a hot mess. It’s undebatable. Right from the start I’ve had a bright, intense, passionate fiery streak running through my soul. True, my red hair might’ve something to do with it. I won't deny the possibility. Being a redhead has its unique and sometimes distinct attributes, there’s no denying it. On the other hand, I simply have a free, spontaneous, unconstrained spirit. And let me be plain, my heart, is just as naturally open and genuinely free and easy as my soul is.   Sure I open my mouth and my southern falls out. I’m a yes ma’am, don’t get your panties in a bunch, come hell or high water, thank you kindly, boot wearing, jean lovin’, bless your heart sayin’, raised on cornbread and sweet tea kind of girl. As a child finding me a