Exploring the fabric of our stories one character at a time.

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A Personal Battle of an Anxious Mind

So last week I started talking about what my typical day would be like. By the time I reached leaving the house to go to work, I was exhausted. My mornings are full of thoughts, anxiety, and stress. The afternoons are full of good times and stressful times. By the time the evenings are here, I look for ways to relax, if I can. But usually, it is not until everyone is asleep that I get a chance to breathe. For me, every day is a challenge. And it is not just the people around me that add to the …

A mixed bag full of opinions

You have probably heard of the phrase, “opinions are like (insert a body part here), everyone has one…” (well, you get the picture.) With the way the world continues to evolve and how people are using their thoughts these days, I would like to change that phrase. To me it is more like, “opinions are like a bag of seeds. Not everyone has one, but it is what kind you have and what you do with it that matters.” It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like, opinions can make the garden beautiful, or they can grow …

Trauma can spread like glitter in life

If you have ever been near glitter, then you know that stuff gets EVERYWHERE! Little specks of light that you continue to find in the oddest locations, time and time again. People have even found the stuff, years later. I don’t know about you, but trauma kind of feels like it. How the effect of living through trauma can touch everything, multiple people, and then years later you get reminded of it. The Event A dear family friend had a family member live through a traumatic event recently. (Note: everyone is safe and okay.) When I was told about what …

Wishing you a special Christmas

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring…just the thousands of thoughts in my head. Many people around the world will be celebrating the holiday of Christmas this weekend. Whether you have family and friends coming to you, or you will be traveling to see them, Christmas is a time of magic and togetherness. With every event, the good always has some struggle with it. So many of us will be faced with frustrations, hurt, loneliness, and exhaustion. In all of the hurry, remember to take a little time for you. True feeling …

Tis the holiday to reach out

It is that time of the year. The season of holidays, celebrations, remembrance, and being together. Personally, it is my favorite time of the year. But it is also one of my most difficult times of the year. With all of the prep, planning, coordinating, decorating, and expectations, the time becomes more daunting than joyful. And for far too many, this is a very lonely time of year as well. Lost loved ones, not having friends and family nearby, or have not found the special person yet. Then there are the few of us that have everyone around us and …

I need to Find the Fight Within

Recently I was able to have a few conversations with some close friends. In two separate occasions, I was faced with the challenge of looking deeper into my own actions, thoughts, and emotions. Having someone from the outside of your immediate life, with their own questions on how people think, makes a person question their own thoughts. I was asked how I could not believe that I was beautiful and attractive? Why did I struggle with this so much? Why do I still feel like I am not enough? The Past Growing up, I was faced with constant reminders that …

What are you grateful for?

Today we are celebrating Thanksgiving here in the United States. I was talking to my son this morning about the day and when I told him that Thanksgiving is about mental health, he was ready to argue with me. Yes, I know the history behind Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims and all of that. But hear me out. Today at dinner we went around the table and said what we were grateful for. It is at that time we identify the pieces in our life that bring elements of positivity. Think about it. What are you grateful for? Grateful For Family …

How about just one more worry

Anxiety is the world’s most common mental health disorder according to the World Health Organization. Anxiety has multiple elements that can be defined. For example, PTSD, sensory anxiety, phobias, and social anxiety disorder are just a few types of anxiety. But what I wanted to talk about is more regarding the person dealing with the anxiety and the people in their lives. Because what many of us don’t realize is that we have these main triggers, but it can also be the people and the environment around us that adds to our anxiety. It is as if life is saying, …

Do you know what it is like?

I wanted to give you another glimpse of what it is like to be me. Well, to help some of you try to understand what we go through when we are trying to heal. There are some people I do not share my troubles with, because I know I will get something like, “well you just need to do this” or “why did you do that?” Being someone that has depression, anxiety, PTSD, and is actively trying to heal from everything I have and am going through, it is definitely much easier ‘said than done’. Want to know what it …

Be someone else or choose to be yourself.

Nowadays, we keep hearing about how we should be act in a certain manner, do certain things, look a certain way. If you want people to respect you, act this way. You want the girl to like you, do these things. Trying to get the guy to pay attention to you, try these methods. Then add in constant reminders to always be yourself. Or, if they have a problem with you, that is their issue, not yours. Society has change so much over these years with technology, that most of us just don’t know what to do anymore. Choosing the …