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To my own surprise, I am entering my first blog post. I have resisted giving myself the option to blog because of fear. Fear is always at the root of what blocks me. I remember my first experience with facebook. After several friends suggested that I give it a try, I relented. At first, to be honest, it felt invasive, but then it became a way to communicate with people I had lost touch with. There is a part of me that wants to protect my privacy. But on the other hand, it is my greatest desire to share my experiences and artwork with others. As I tell you more of my story, it will help make sense of the conflict I'm feeling. There have been events in my life, going all the way back to childhood, that make me want to wrap a warm blanket around my life for comfort and protection. So blogging is going to push me out of there to explore new things. I trust that whatever lessons this new adventure brings, will have great value.
I am still working to embrace myself as a writer, teacher, and artist even though I have been rehearsing for it most of my life. It was only a few short years that I discovered a love for drawing. Prior to then, I knew I loved helping people and had worked in different fields such as mental health, addiction, and special needs. I also had a vision from the time I was a young girl that I would write a book one day. But all my desires didn't come together until after the darkest time in my life. That was when my beloved, beautiful daughter Jody, died. She died from a prescription overdose at the age of 27. On that day, I thought my life was over. My heart was broken. But unbeknownst to me at that time, my life would begin again, in a new way. My pain helped me tap into my creativity and losing a child made me stronger. I began taking risks to follow my heart and live my dreams. So here I am today, sharing in hopes of inspiring you to walk through whatever challenges life has brought. Know that pain always comes bearing gifts when you reach the other side of it.
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“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us". Marianne Williamson
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"There are no barriers to my dreams"
