Hello 2019!!
Polar Bear Plunge at 35 degrees!!
Moving From Surviving to Thriving
January 2, 2019
Facing Fear, Family, Personal Growth Adventure, facing fear, personal growth 13 Comments
Hello 2019!!
Polar Bear Plunge at 35 degrees!!
December 25, 2018
Family Christmas Memories, Family, motherhood 10 Comments
December 16, 2018
Facing Fear, Family, Personal Growth, Recovery, Trauma Family, Mental Health, motherhood, parenting, recovery, truth 18 Comments
I’m in awe of a recent experience that brought my classwork alive.
The week before Thanksgiving, a speaker in my class was discussing how children deal with trauma. She was explaining how the brain works and what needs to happen for them to process trauma. It was a lot of interesting theory. Until she said something that really hit home.
“Children need to tell the trauma story over and over and over. This is how they metabolize, process, and heal from it.”
One of my most traumatic stories is one that still has an emotional life of its own. Every time I think about, talk about, or write about this event, the feelings are still incredibly raw. I thought about how I was never allowed to tell my stories, let alone repeatedly. In fact, this story remains mostly untold. More
November 21, 2017
Facing Fear, Family, Personal Growth, Recovery, Trauma Charlie Rose, depression, Gayle King, Mental Health, recovery, truth 27 Comments
Thanks to Gayle King, I’m in tears this morning…fresh tears remembering how hard it was to tell someone what Dad had done to me for so many years. And how similar Charlie Rose is to my Dad. The power. Oh. My. God. The. Power. More
September 19, 2017
Family, Personal Growth, Recovery, Trauma friendship, recovery, truth 30 Comments
Several months ago, a very cherished friendship ended.
I’ve been grieving the loss ever since, but today I’m really missing her.
Even though it was me who said I couldn’t continue the friendship, More
October 15, 2016
Alcoholic Parents, Family, Personal Growth, Recovery healing, Health, Mental Health, motherhood, parenting, recovery, truth 25 Comments
Over the years, I’ve heard several women say they had no intention of babysitting if they had grand kids, or even if they already had them. I was mystified. I couldn’t imagine feeling that way, and assumed if I had grand kids wild horses couldn’t keep me away.
Then I had grand kids.
While it’s true that wild horses can’t keep me away and I do babysit every chance I get…I think I now understand why some people avoid their grand babies and choose not to babysit.
The first few months after our first grandson was born in January was such a confusing mix of joy and pain. I couldn’t understand why I felt so much pain and sorrow when I was so excited and happy. More
June 20, 2016
Family, My Journey with God, Personal Growth Family, finding freedom, gratitude, healing, motherhood, parenting, recovery 35 Comments
November 22, 2015
Family, My Journey with God, Personal Growth Family, Forgiveness, motherhood, parenting 39 Comments
Mom moved into an assisted living facility this month. She turned 90 this year, and she’s been legally blind for several years so it’s probably overdue.
Still, it comes on the heels of me finding out I’ll be a grandma in a few short months.
I feel sandwiched in the middle of two life altering events. Mom easing into her final chapter, my grandson soon to make his debut chapter.
The timing is odd, the emotions hard to describe.
December 20, 2014
Facing Fear, Family, My Journey with God, Personal Growth, Recovery, Trauma childhood trauma, Christmas Memories, emotional strength, Facing Adversity, facing fear, Family, forgiving dad, Forgiving My Father, healing, Letting Go, Mental Health, recovery, Spiritual Journey, Transformation 13 Comments
Dad’s birthday is today; gone now nearly 5 years, he would be turning 92.
He hated Christmas. Apparently his birthday was forgotten every year in the midst of Christmas preparations when he was growing up. The pain of being forgotten never seemed to leave him. He would not allow us to put up a tree until his birthday had passed, and even then did so grudgingly.
I know now Dad’s Christmas experience is only a tiny window into his life story. More
November 2, 2014
Family, Personal Growth Family, first day of kindergarten, Growing up in Alaska, personal growth, School Memories 29 Comments
Our kindergarten class went to the community library building and all I remember was watching Sesame Street. Our family didn’t have TV and it was a novelty to me. Big Bird was quite mesmerizing! I also remember going to the ‘big school’ down the street and visiting the first grade class. That was exciting! I couldn’t wait to start school.
Though I was thrilled to be in school, first grade is very vague for me. About all I remember is liking my teacher, Mrs. Randazzo.
Mrs. Knapp entered my life for second grade. She was the most magnificent and wonderful person I knew. I simply adored her. She always had a smile and she always made me feel special and smart. All these years later, she told me I was one of four second graders in that class that could read. It explained why I remember being called on to read the script below the silent films we watched sometimes. She had a reading corner with lots of books and cards you could mark off when you finished a book. I couldn’t get enough of reading, I think mostly because she gave me lots of praise and encouragement.
Third and fourth grades were with Mrs. O’Donnell. She was a spitfire and didn’t settle for any nonsense. Tammy was a year older than me and I remember the two of them getting tangled up one time. It wasn’t pretty. Tammy bit Mrs. O’Donnell and all hell broke loose. More