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

  I’m an optimist. Always have been, and always will be. It’s just who I am. I like to see the good in people and situations. I try to look past the negative. Not that I don't have moments of doubt and skepticism or hesitation. I do. I’m a realist too. I understand that not everything is going to come up roses. However, just because I have moments of confusion or uncertainty doesn’t mean I lose hope. I always have hope.  Some folks ask how I keep a smile on my face, especially when I’m at my lowest. I’ll be real with you here. I may be an optimist, but I’ve learned how to hide my pain and smile through it. Sometimes it’s easier to smile rather than explain. Chronic illness has taken a lot from me. Especially in the past 3 years. Surgeries, loss and grief have taken their toll. Estrangement has broken me. And yes, I feel every pin and needle prick drawing more and more energy from me every day. Still, I smile. Why? Because I have hope that whatever the outcome, I’ll find peace ...

  Sometimes life goes sideways. You can fight it and struggle with it. You can even scuffle with the pain and stress all you want. But the bottom line is you eventually have to stop grappling your demons and start sorting out the actual root of the trouble. Problems don’t just go away on their own. Toil and trouble doesn't just disappear because we want them to. Obstacles don't miraculously disappear by hiding from or ignoring strife or conflict. Our mix-ups and setbacks only get bigger, uglier, more intense and hostile the longer we brush them aside. It's like a gremlin, add water, and another one pops up. Then another and another one. Before long, your one gremlin has become as army of it's own. That’s the thing about discord, especially among family. The longer it continues, the more hostility and division it creates.  Prolonged quarreling, squabbling and engaging in assumptions only leads to more confusion and misunderstandings. Hence the gremlin effect.  Now, I’m ...