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

  “Grief is a nasty game of feeling the weakest you have ever felt and morphing into the strongest person you will need to become.” ~ Windgate Lane    Grief. One word with a powerful punch. It knocks us down. Lays us flat out on the ground. Then turns around and does it all over again. The thing about grief is it’s not something we ever see coming. Grief is a living, breathing being. She just shows up one day and makes herself at home. Most of us think grief only comes with death. But that’s just not the case.  She visits every day. The difference is some days we simply ignore her sitting at the table. And the other days she boldly walks through the front door expecting a glass of tea sweetened with our tears.     Personally, I’ve found grief to be bittersweet. She’s complicated. A lot like we are. Grief is sadness, pain, fear, anger and joy all wrapped up in one package. Grief can make us feel weak, inadequate and fragile but that’s not her goal. Not really.    On the one hand she rem

“ Make peace with your broken pieces.” ~R.H. Sin  Let’s talk forgiveness. I know. It’s one of those dirty words we don’t like to use, isn’t it? Nope, it’s not a four-letter word so to speak but it definitely gets the same reaction as the notorious F word doesn’t it?  Who wants to forgive or forget, anyway? It’s easier to hold a grudge, right? Or is it? Does forgiveness really make us weak or is it possible letting bygones be bygones can actually make us stronger? So, what is forgiveness and why is it so necessary anyway?   Granted most of us think of Christianity when the word forgiveness comes up. After all Jesus commanded His followers to forgive, but really, it’s more than a religious commandment. The concept of forgiveness is vital if we want to be happy or live freely. Tell you what. How about we just put the whole I command you thing aside for a moment. Christian or not, forgiveness is an important process. It’s not just a parlor act, an act of leniency or

“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

“Happiness is not a checklist. A dream job, a fast car, a good home, even love, mean nothing at all if you have not yet found a way to feel full and content in your one mind and heart.” ~ Beau Taplin Let me first begin with this...  I usually don’t have a plan most of the time. My imagination, however, always has one. Combine this with my old pal weirdness and most days I’m off and running. See, I’m one of those old souls. I’m a little odd honestly but I’ve never minded the label. Life’s been tough. I won’t deny it. And yet somehow, I still carry a happy heart in spite of the struggle. I’m most definitely an only child, there’s no way around that. My imagination and curiosity can attest to this. I’ve never been lonely though. As for my life experiences? Well each one's fashioned me into the writer I am today. I’m happy I’m me. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.  Turning 45 has me calling my childhood to mind. It seems so long ago some days. Others it feels