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

Love, what comes to mind when you think of amore? Is it romance, passion or intimacy? Maybe it’s none of these things at all. No matter what we think love should be the truth is love is many, many things. Love is kind, forgiving and gracious. Love is full of laughter, sometimes angry, other time it’s filled with sorrow and tears. Love offers compassion, love grows and deepens over time, love is an act of self-sacrifice and yes love is difficult.  True love can be bold, fierce and beautiful whereas the idea of love can be destructive, hostel and vicious.  Sadly many times we get caught up in what we think love should be. We compare our relationships to the ones we see in the movies, read about in books or lyrics sung on the radio. We get so caught up in fairy tales, in a writer or songwriter’s version of a love story; we forget who the real author of our love story truly is. Fear can be a driving force in love. Insecurities, uncertainties, anxiety and doubt can destroy lov...

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...

I’ve been busy this last year. Life has kept me on my toes, that’s for sure.  I went back to work, full time, and found my independence streak was stronger than ever. I hit the ground running. And no I haven’t stopped since. After milling around for a bit I realized I wasn’t a scared little girl, but a grown woman, strong and bold.  With a soft push I stepped off the cliff, wings ready to fly.  I reminded myself who I was embracing the strong woman that I am. With a little more encouragement and confidence I dusted off my degree, wiped off my dirty knees, straightened my skirt and rose up a completely new woman. The adventures I’ve been on, the stories my soul has gathered and the photographs my heart has taken have been amazing. Life, as it should be has been filled with crazy ups and downs from the lunchroom through the moment I stepped back into the classroom as an educator again. Now, I’m ready for summer, to replenish, to relax and enjoy my time off. R...