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Tomato Soup for the Soul: What My Scars Taught Me
Recently, my daughter learned she has to live with a scar on her face for the rest of her life. Daily she remonstrated about how she doesn’t like it one bit. I don’t blame her. In fact, I could empathize a lot! When I was 13 years old, I had a tragic accident that could’ve caused devastating scarring, potentially ending my life’s dream of becoming a musician and composer. ___________________________ It was the Saturday before starting 8th grade. I was ecstatic for school to start. I had requested a specific teacher and it was granted. I knew it was going to be an incredible year! I was also preparing for…
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What My Trauma “Demons” Taught Me
I used to dread and loath when trauma demons from my past and present came for a visit. They’d come in the form of debilitating flashbacks, triggers, night terrors and nightmares, panic attacks, intrusive memories, and so much more. But then, I had an experience with one of these “demons” that changed everything. My daughter kept asking to go to the beautiful university gardens nearby. I avoided it and made excuses because I feared returning there. I knew it would trigger a suffocating amount of trauma demons. Even though I had graduated over a year prior, a paperwork issue arose that I needed to resolve. I did my best to…
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Christmas Time Healing Time
I’ve been fairly quiet lately. Just a few stories, “likes”, comments, and DMs here and there on Instagram. My very first holiday season as an “official” adult was one of the most traumatic times of my life. I had left home one morning on my bike, planning to go to work, attend classes (my first semester of college), go to work again, and then do my nightly home and farm responsibilities. Little did I know that leaving that morning with just my bike, the clothes on my back, and half my textbooks would somehow result in me never stepping foot in my childhood home again. When the unexpected moment of…
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Surviving, Striving, Thriving
Have you ever felt like you’re standing at a crossroads in your life knowing and feeling with every cell in your body that you and God want to take the fork to the left? But you can’t see clearly? I’ve been feeling for a long time that I needed to become more active online, to share me, my story, my strength, and the hope and healing that I have – that God has give me. I’ve been terrified, filled with many fears and many reasons that had me stuck in inaction. After a lot of prayer, quiet, humble listening while reading the word of God, and gentle self-care, peace, clarity,…
