The anguish comes in waves.

The biggest crashes are when my children cry out for you. They are innocent and unknowing of what you have done to me, and what you have done to them.

I cheated death..

5 years ago I came face-to-face with my mortality.

This is what I learned..

How to cherish life.. consider that everything you experience could be for the last time

Contracts are usually not carved in stone, but some could be lurking in your DNA..

Canceling soul-level contracts and breaking generational vows, revoking their hold on you, is a powerful mindset shift tool.

You are more like a river than you may have considered.. and there is much wisdom for you in those waters too..

Similar to people, rivers can be shallow or deep, clear or dark, refreshing or dangerous, calm or raging. Often what lies beneath the surface is unknown - until you start exploring – and, more often than not, what you discover can be shocking, even within yourself. What kind of rivers (internal and external) are impacting your life right now?

Where were you when you got your first period?

We remember getting our first period as vividly as our first kiss or the birth of our first baby.

If you were fortunate enough to have been prepared, it probably wasn’t too traumatic.

Women have managed this spontaneous cyclical physical programming since the dawn of time. Some feel it’s a blessing, most, a curse.

Is our culture to blame?

July 7, 2021 was Global Forgiveness Day.

Yes, Forgiveness… that enigmatic concept of letting something go that has hurt you. Some words, or action, or omission, by another person, intentional, or not.

Forgiveness… for most of us, is a really, really, tough pill to swallow..

I had a huge aha moment recently about forgiveness.

June roses, wild & free, resilient, beautiful, with their delicate sweet fragrance, always take me back home, to the hills where I was raised and to memories of my father's strong, scarred, hard-working hands, presenting a freshly-picked bundle from the bushes in our pasture, where they faithfully bloomed every year, in time for my birthday.

So much of this memory parallels life…

I used to identify as Christian.

But now, I believe there is so much more than what that concept and practice could hold.

So much more than we have ever tapped into.

More that is abundantly available and accessible.

To ANYONE and EVERYONE!

There is a strong spiritual movement that has been picking up speed in the last few years.

What used to be thought of as pretty woo-woo, is now mainstream.

Do you love your name?

I mean, yes, it’s a beautiful thing to hear someone speak our own name, but do you LOVE your name?

Have you always loved it?

Have you ever loved it?

I have had a love / hate (mostly strong dislike) relationship with my own first name for most of my life.

How does a name change affect us?

Have you said "Good-bye" to someone special recently?

Maybe temporarily or, like me, permanently?

As some of you know, my Mom passed last month. And I didn’t get to say ‘Good-bye’ the way I would’ve liked to…

Have you ever undergone a DNA test to determine your genetic lineage? Were there any unexpected results?

A few years ago, I did one, after my daughter’s suggestion. She and her husband were planning their European honeymoon and doing research to track family roots that may exist in their various destinations. I was curious to see what the test results would show. The day finally arrived, and my results were in. Zero surprises awaited me when I opened the email from Ancestry.com. There it was, in black & white, confirmation that I was..

I'm coming to you today with a major rant and I hope you'll bear with me as I blow off some steam about something. I'm really, sincerely hoping you will let me know your honest-to-God thoughts on this, even if they're different from mine.

That's what all this is about - my blog and my connecting with other women. To sometimes just get in and dig around in the nitty gritty about some of this.

Here goes...

I have always dreaded Fall.. digging my flip-flop-clad heels into the yellowing grass, but to no avail.

It cannot be stopped.

But there are lessons in the falling leaves that I have recently learned to consider..

Have you ever taken a wrong turn and found yourself on some back road that looks like it leads to nowhere, deep in the boonies, where there are more cattle than humans? Some dusty, winding road with little-to-no signage?

What was your first thought?

Last week, in my post “The Beautiful Language of Music” (part 1), I introduced you to two of the most influential people in my life. They both played a huge part in bringing more music to my world.

Now, back to Grade 1 and my fond memories of the funny, feisty, red-headed teacher..

When you ask someone, who has been the most influential person in their life, answers usually include at least one teacher. I am no exception. Here is my story of two of those.

Masks & mirrored glasses have something in common.

Yes, there’s the obvious, how they both cover a particular part of our face. But I recently experienced something with each that made me pause and wonder about how they affect our connection to others.

I was standing in line recently at a checkout and found myself glancing over the covers of magazines on display. I felt a twinge of discomfort, a scurrying flutter of panic, that got my attention. I focused, returning my gaze to the cover that had elicited this involuntary response in me. I came face to face with an adult coloring book.