Merry Christmas
For many people, Christmas is not merry. It is a time of anxiety and stress. It might even be a time of flashbacks and fear. For a few, there is a real danger to going home for the holidays. If abuse has not been disclosed,...
Lyme Life – Learning to Live
Lyme has taught me much about life. Long before I had a diagnosis, there were lessons about how to manage life with a body that doesn't cooperate. I guess they are some pretty universal truths. So, I'll share a few with you. I think a...
I Hope You’ll Dance
In 2014, I bought my husband ballroom dance lessons for his birthday.Mark was so happy. The studio was very nice and the instructors knowledgeable and kind. They took us very slowly through the basics. They sold private lessons and allowed students to join in on...
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
In the work of healing, there are often setbacks. As I write and compare living with Lyme Disease to living with the traumatic experiences of child sexual abuse and child sex trafficking, I’m struck at the incredible similarities.Lyme is nebulous. There is currently no cure,...
The Work of Healing
If you have ever been in a serious accident or know someone who has, you know the work of healing. Broken bones are set and torn muscles are repaired. There may be some ligaments to repair and skin grafts needed. Anyone who has had any...
Be Present
So many of us live outside of the moment, instead of in the moment. Child sexual abuse survivors are especially prone to this. Our God given protective devices that enable us to mentally check-out during abuse can carry over into every part of life. While...
How to Think when You’re Hurt
When I was a small child, I was sexually abused. Most of the time, it happened in a barn, at the edge of my grandmother's property. It started in the house though. It started with my grandmother and aunt preparing us with fear, manipulation and...
Winning Communication
What does it mean to win when communicating? I think it means successfully conveying the information necessary to create positive outcomes for all parties involved. I think most people want to make progress, because we value people. Those of us who have been abused might...
4 Quick Keys to Fulfillment
It sounds so cliche’. Can anyone really give another person keys to fulfillment? How can one person, with their own unique experiences possibly give someone of different background, ethnicity, age or gender keys to fulfillment in their life, when the two might be nothing alike....
5 Ways to Navigate a Rough Road
Everyone's got stuff, right? Everyone who knows me, has heard me say that. The fact that I have had a fair amount of difficulty in my life makes me a little more compassionate for the suffering of others. There are ways to navigate the rough...