We all know one person

 It is not our place to judge another, yet it happens daily. As a young child, my grandmother taught me the following: 1. Respect - Always treat the janitor and CEO with the same level of respect. 2. Team work - If we do it together, it will be easier and done sooner. 3. Kindness - We are here to be in the service of others without any expectation of return. Keeping those key words in mind, I believe we need to move forward with them as a foundation to a stronger society.   Let me return to the opening sentence to one word..  judgement. It’s one we need to discard.  Regardless of our personal backgrounds, not one soul on this planet has gone without a struggle, and at times we hold our struggle in shame.  Mostly in fear of sharing due to judgement which can make ourselves vulnerable. Why is that?  Why do we hold our errors in shame?  Why do we not hold them as a lesson and build from them?  Lastly, why do we not do that for others?   It isn’t...

If I could tell my younger self something it would be .. Trust in the journey. I can reflect on the hardships in this life over and over again but I’d rather reflect on the lessons, the rewards and the moments that brought me to where I am now.   Everyone has struggles, every single person.  The magnitude of them ranges on the recovery time.  It’s similar to surgery.  We all go in with expectations and come out with the task of rebuilding and recovery.  The time it takes is truly up to us as an individual.  Often, when recovery doesn’t go the way we thought, it can be something that was on our plate, not anyone else’s.   I was a child, not knowing my value as I struggled with abuse and at the age of 16 I left moving into a foster home, then becoming a mother at 18.  I knew the relationship I was in wasn’t right for us so we choose to go on our own ways in under a year.  A few years pass, not giving myself the right amount of v...

Here's the truth.  We are changing. I would like to say, from experience that the generation before me, had it much different and I've learnt how to open my mind and show the next generation how to be better than me. This is how  I see it. Some men, and women growing up 60 plus years ago..  had a different mind set.   Men were not to cry, love other men, show what was perceived as weakness.  Anger was expected to keep a woman or child in line, in fact if they were to fear the man, it was a show of respect. Women were not considered persons, had no ability to be more than raise a family.  Feed and tend to the needs of others.  Pay was never going to be equal and if a woman tried to leave a life that wasn't safe, would find herself as a failure, a tramp, an uneducated worthless breath of life. Children were to be seen, not heard.  They were to be fed at a smaller, seperate table and were to emulate their fathers past, to carry on ...

I have been accused for being vulnerable when, at times others feel I shouldn't.  The problem is, this is who I am .   Being open about my childhood, my previous relationship and life situations, they are part of me.  Some, the past part of me and I am okay with it. From a young girl, as many I fought to find value from my family.  As a young woman and mother, I swore to myself that I would do my best to give that value to the children I would bare, giving away any self care as I thought it was selfish.  Entering a relationship with the need to ensure the life that I felt was necessary, losing myself was truly what I felt was the last straw.  Over 2 decades later, I couldn't do it and had to make the change.  I wasn't enough to handle things and I was completely and utterly lost.  I had spiraled down knowing the climb out wouldn't be easy and not without tearing open some wounds I had never allowed to heal over the course of this life t...

Exposure is something we all encounter   Exposure to a flower blooming, the sky clearing, grass growing, most importantly, to life.  It gives us the opportunity to learn.   As a young child, seeing a cloud passing is a miracle in itself.  How and why are the questions but ultimately they watch the cloud go by, indiscriminately and mostly, without consequence.   Life passes, time goes on and the cloud has been placed in the back of the child's mind but other exposures have come, developing their thoughts, and perhaps creating or directing the path they are on. These exposures, regardless of the difficulty are something we all encounter and they, will test our inner strength.  A part that isn't typically challenged.  Not to say all exposures will be challenging but some will.   On the other side, where one comes out is where the light resides.  Where one becomes the butterfly from the caterpillar.  It's not an...

When I say, life comes full circle, I truly believe this.  Every story, ends where it begins.  Not saying that my life is ending but am saying that a circle within my life is coming full. I've been thinking about this topic for .. years.  I want to say, it started when I was 16.   Mental health. At the age of 10 (from what I've recalled) I was sexually abused. Going to court, my objective was that they would face their demons, find our their whys and learn how to heal.   It was the ONLY way, the cycle would stop.  Being angry wasn't the answer, I already knew that anger wouldn't be the cure but forgiveness would be the key that could help others begin their own healing journey.  Moving into a foster home at the age of 17 then on my own at 18. Further in life, I entered a relationship where I abandoned all of who I could be, to get what I felt would fill my life.  While in this, I didn't have faith in myself, I didn't give ...

Just over a month ago, the rock in life, my father, returned to the earth. Life seemed shattered even though I knew the time was coming faster than anticipated.   I would have this rock in life to have as a foundation to which I built my values.  One in which was hard at times, but lead me on the right path.   To be honest, I've lost more than just one rock this year. But.. What did I gain from those losses? Gratitude I have a tremendous family, large and broad.  For that alone, I am grateful.  I've learnt a lot and gained more than what I felt was necessary.  Nonetheless, gifts of life's experiences were given and I am grateful.  Here is my list of things to do with those you love.. 1. Don't pass the opportunity to tell someone you love them.   2. Let them know the gifts they've given, not just to you but to others.   3. Sit, listen and let them speak.  Listen with the intent to listen.   4...