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

    “A woman in harmony with her spirit is like a river flowing. She goes where she will without pretense... and arrives at her destination prepared to be herself and only herself.” ~ Maya Angelou    Let’s talk about Mayhem, Havoc and Bedlam, shall we? And how about the fourth sister, we call Chaos. Take a look around right now. Our world is totally and completely upside down. Chaotic right? Who knew toilet paper would be a commodity? Or birthday parties would become caravans?  I mean 2019 would’ve had you arrested for wearing a mask inside a bank or grocery store, right? But hey, this is 2020 ya’ll. Don’t worry, now it’s a legit thing. What about canceled vacations or the phrase, “you’re on mute”? Come on, let's be blunt, this new norm isn’t really normal at all. Seriously, who’s gonna forget a record breaking 30 hurricanes in one season or being quarantined? And by all means let's not brush off the Murder Hornets or Zoom bombings. Oh, and just in case you’ve b...

  “When you finally go back to your old house, you’ll find it isn’t the old house you miss, but the love that filled it.” ~ Unknown    This house is my home. It’s small. But I’ve never needed more than I have. She’s a good house. Filled with love and warm, cozy memories. Like many homes her age, she’s a bit weathered. She’s seen more than a few tragedies. Mopping the floors with her tears, this house has in turn filled each nook and cranny with hope. Sure, this house is slightly discolored, her paint’s chipped around the edges and if you look closely, you’ll see where she’s peeling. She’s patched up here and there, and she’s missing a tile or two somewhere I’d imagine. But while she’s a bit tattered, her foundation is still strong, and steady. She’s really quite marvelous in the morning, so quiet and still. I love how the sun shines through her windows, filling every room with warm, soft beams of light. And oh, what a sight she is when the sun goes down. Even aged and mel...

“If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents, and all the generations of your ancestors. All of them are ALIVE in this moment, Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.” ~ Thich Nhat Hanh Fate. It’s an ominous word if you really think about it. I mean destiny can seem out of our hands, much like who and where we come from do. From the moment we’re born our lives are set out on a path and not always the one we’d have chosen if we’d been asked, right? Whether our ancestors called it God’s will, divine decree, the Fates or Norns, determination, resolve and backbone still shape who we become.  Merida, of Disney’s Brave fame is a good example of fearing fate, and in many ways running from who she was born to be. She’d lost track of where she’d come from, neglected her family's struggles, overlooking and disregarding both her mother and father's sacrifices before her and in turn the effect her actions had on her own d...

“Accept that everyone will disappoint you at some point in life. Be OK with that. Know that you will disappoint everyone eventually. Be ready to forgive quickly, heal and let go” ~ Buky Ojelabi I haven’t written for a while. Oh I've meant to, wanted to but just couldn’t no matter how hard I tried. Then today something unexpected happened. As I was listening to my favorite Disney playlist, the lyrics from Toy Story’s “When She Loved Me’ moved me. I don’t know what it was or why it was in those moments I felt it, but I did. Emotion overwhelmed me. Unspoken, pent up thoughts stirred. Life breathed  back into my pen. Suddenly words were bubbled up and out of me. My thoughts were once again words on paper.  Let’s face it, since March life has been turned upside down, kicked sideways, turned backwards,  upwards, slightly right  side up and before being tossed upside down all over again. We’ve been shut in, isolated and removed from life as we’ve always known it. Masks are ...

"My prayer is that when I die, all of hell rejoices that I am out of the fight." ~C.S. Lewis    Wanna know the truth? I’m really not all that brave. I’m pretty much stubborn and hardheaded. That's what I am. Basically, like my cooking, I simply make it up as I go. Give me a pan, some garlic, onion, butter, add a little salt, maybe some pepper and throw in a piece or two of chicken and you’ll eat well. But hand me a spear and you just might starve. Reality is I’m no soldier. I’ve never been trained in the art of war. I don’t know strategy or how to command an army. Sure, I can pick up a shield and sword and yes, I can charge the battlefield but let’s be honest, like a stormtrooper, I’m gonna miss every time. At the end of the day, I’d say chaos is more my art than anything else.      Now I certainly didn’t have a say in matters, things probably would have turned out differently if I did. Still, Chaos certainly found me and never quite let g...