Generational Grit
A picture of my great-grandmother, Mary Ella Dawson, sits on my desk as a reminder of generational grit. In the photograph, she is dressed in a suit, a brimmed hat with a big bow, and round glasses. She is not smiling; her eyes are dark and cold, yet steady and determined. Every day I am reminded that courage runs deep in my ancestral bones. I had only seen her, as well as my grandmother, Lillie, wear a house dress with hose and clunky black shoes. My grandmother had never cu


The Ritual of Morning Pages
I rise before the world, the quiet of the house still wrapped around me, and I sit with my journal. Three pages. Handwritten. No one reads them. No one judges. It is the rhythm of reclaiming my voice, the sacred act of listening to myself. I am fulfilling a promise I made to Jon. One day while standing in our kitchen, he held my shoulders, looked intently into my eyes and asked, “Will you write our love story?” I shrugged off the suggestion. He was serious. He told me it was


Sunday Morning Meditation
This morning I felt the need to be very quiet and meditate - to shut the world out for a few minutes and reflect upon my life - how I want to show up in the world, what's lurking beneath my surface, to center into who I want to be and how I want my life to unfold. The past few years brought endless uncertainty - so many questions, so much confusion. I felt unbalanced, unsure, lost and confused....and yet, I held onto a belief in my future. I held tightly to the right of my de


Grab Hold of Your Faith - Or Explore a New One!
Heartache and disappointment can rattle our faith. Nothing can shake it deeper than tragedy, abuse, deep confusion or a broken heart....


Time Heals All Wounds and Other Ridiculous Notions
Let’s get real. We are barraged with ludicrous and ridiculous notions about life and how to manage through it. I could write a separate book on this topic. For now, let’s talk about a few that directly impact our hurting hearts and authentic healing. When I hear the sentiment, “Time heals all wounds,” espoused as truth along with other cultural cliches that don’t make sense, I want to shout from rooftop: “Please, stop the madness!” Time Heals All Wounds . Contrary to popular


Home Is Where The Heart Is!
When you are rebuilding your life, regardless of the reason, it’s important to create a sanctuary of respite for yourself. As Maya...


Go On An Adventure - It's Good for Your Heart!
Most heartache is the result of a significant life change. The death of a cherished loved one, a divorce or job loss can leave us feeling...


Surrender Your Weapons
It was just this past month, 24 months following Jon’s death, that I was able to to sit and read the hundreds of cards and letters I...


Unhinged
I’ve experienced a great deal of heartache throughout my life including physical, emotional and sexual abuse, two divorces, the tragic...


The Sacred Art of Mourning Rituals
It's 5:00 am. Eyes wide open, and there's no turning back. Pulling the covers over my head for another 30 minutes of restlessness sounds...


























