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

    I’ve been grappling with what’s around the corner lately. In fact, I’ve been thinking a lot about this subject. Pondering where I’ve been and where I’m going. What I could have done differently. What I can change. Some days I have a pretty good idea. Others I have no clue. But what I do know is this: I've lived a full, imperfect life. I’ve been bold, loved fiercely and unconditionally. I’ve definitely made hundreds of beautiful memories along with a good number of painful ones too.      Yes, I’ve made mistakes. Lots of them. Horrible and excruciating ones. I’ve fallen flat on my face. Landed on my butt. Are there moments I’d like to do over? Of course, certainly there are. But I have no regrets. Everything in my life has happened for a reason. Every step has led me to where I am. Every slip-up and blunder has been a teacher.      I have faults. Many of them. I’m lacking in more ways than one. I’ve been completely in the wrong and to...

Forgiveness is like a bridge, with water passing underneath.  It’s a word many of us like to use but fail to apply.  I’ve been faced with this same quandary, muddling around the perimeters of forgiveness.  We all have those chapters in our lives we wish could be forgotten, but that’s not exactly forgiveness is it? When we forgive we pardon, exonerate, show mercy. We don’t continue to carry around the wrongdoing, revisiting it like a parole meeting.  The problem with most of us is well we are human, so the offense, the infringement, the breach and the fault of the situation is not as easily let go.  We like to revisit the scene, like a CSI looking for evidence of the crime.  The problem with this practice is it leads to resentment, hostility, and bitterness because we can’t let go of the hurt we feel has been done to us. This practice and this kind of continual grudge holding only leads to contempt so we become the victim of our own grief, agony, de...