Raised Free-Spirited: What is Religious Trauma?
As a child raised by two pastor kids, I've always said that I was raised free-spirited. Meaning that yes, I was encouraged to never limit my soul, but also that…
How to Live in Abundance When Shortage is the Word of the Year
I'm in the grocery aisle and I witness an employee greeting a confused shopper. "Is there something I can help you find?" The customer is looking for a particular brand…
The 2022 Formula Shortage: My Journey and What You Need to Know
It is hard to know where to begin with what I have learned about formula feeding since April 2021. See that was the month that I launched a local nonprofit…
One Year Shy of 40: Is It All Down Hill From Here?
Celebrating my 39th year feels so ho hum. Is this a result of pandemic blues or is it really all downhill after 40? I polled my peers, my elders, and…
Does Saying Your Life is Hard, Make it Harder? Perspective Power.
Advice once given: Saying it is hard is making it harder. And I agreed that actually calling something hard could make it feel harder and create a negative perspective. And…
How Body Neutrality Taught Me to Appreciate a Body I Don’t Like
Every body is different. And yet I know I'm not alone in having this image of how my body should look. For years I've worked to love my body. For…
How I Learned to Redefine Charity By Tithing Time and Talent
Charity is defined by giving money to an organization that helps those in need. And it's true, money does help. Our amazing network of nonprofits within our nation depend on…
Induction Birth Story — 5 Focuses To Turn Trauma Into Triumph
A year ago I went to my 40-week prenatal appointment alone, masked following pandemic protocols, but looking forward to the ultrasound to get to see my baby. I was not…
Three Pillars to Rebuild Confidence as a School-Age Parent
Admittedly, I’m lacking confidence as a parent at the end of this school year. Yes, school during a pandemic has been more than just confidence-shaking. But for me it has…
Give Voice to Maternal Exhaustion – A Story of Burnout, Betrayal and Fear
What does maternal exhaustion mean? Well, I knew that I needed to face this topic for the last six months. Instead of writing, maternal exhaustion has been where I’ve lived.…
Time to Prioritize Heart Health — What Survival Teaches Us
Every woman should treat heart health as an important part of living. Why? Because heart healthy living means you understand the risk and preventative measures of heart disease and coronary…
How is Time Management Part of Self-Care? Asking for a Friend
OK, time management has been my pride for more than a decade of my career life. As a self-confessed procrastinator, I dove into learning all the time management skills and…
Distance Learning: Educating the Heart Through Self-Compassion
How to educate has entered pretty much every parent’s home this year in a new way. As I write this I am embracing our third month of facilitating online kindergarten…
Life Lessons Learned From Beloved War Veterans
Veterans Day is always a day of great reflection for me. Growing up the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran and then later marrying a Veteran from Operation Enduring Freedom, I…
Forget-Me-Not: Caring for Those with Alzheimer’s and Dementia
When I try to imagine what it’s like to have Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia, I think of the flower that represents the cause — Forget-Me-Nots. Though…
Anchoring to Your Inner Strength
An anchor is a heavy object to hold a vessel in its place or it’s someone that delivers you the news on television. It can also be a helpful mental…
Transformation Above the Neck: A Journey to Mindful Eating
Transformation. I can’t even tell you how many times in my life I have worked to change my form, my appearance. How can I alter, modify my body? What do…
How to Identify Credibility When Information is Constant
There is a constant stream of information in our lives today. We have devices that fit in the palm of our hands that have access to all the information in the world. And if we don’t have said device, there is certainly someone in our circle that does and openly shares this information, whether requested or not. How do we weed out the noxious misinformation? Is it possible to define credibility within constant change?
The Magnificent Mundane: Finding Belonging From Your Line of Survivors
All the little moments that get lost when you are busy running the race to achievement. It's within these moments where belonging waits to be found.
Crapper Canvases: Lessons Learned From Bathroom Art
This reflection of the impact my mother’s bathroom decor had on my life lessons got me reminiscing on other lessons I’ve taken from crapper canvases.