Practicing What I Preach
Did I fail to pay my rent? Nope. My crime is feeding the squirrels and stellar jays who light up my life each day. My crime was escalated to a capital offense because I decorate my balcony with beautiful flowers.
Tag Archives: self-care
Before We Can Soar Like an Eagle: Intellectual Curiosity, Healthy Sense of Responsibility, and Self-confidence
To thrive and be successful, we need to master three essential traits: intellectual curiosity, a healthy sense of responsibility, and self-confidence. As soon as each person developed this trio of traits, they began to blossom and flourish. The good news is that it is never too late.
Bullying: Oprah’s Call to Protect Kids
We can all learn from Oprah’s advice to kids and their parents today about how to deal with bullies.
Keeping the Faith: Guidance for Christian Women Facing Abuse
This is the most liberating book I’ve ever read. The author, Marie M. Fortune, helped me debunk and jettison distorted religious teachings that held me prisoner and severely damaged my self-perception. It ignited a feminist spark within me and launched my quest into biblical scholarship.
Keeping a Journal: The Write Stuff
Most of us who have experienced prolonged abuse ~ particularly if extreme emotional abuse was involved ~ sometimes feel like we have scrambled eggs for brains. Yet, at the same time, we are literally making life and death decisions.
During those dark days, my journal was my greatest tool and, in many respects, my best friend.
SARK: I May Day
SARK is one of us. She experienced physical and sexual abuse at the hands of her brother. She adopted the name SARK which stands for Susan Ariel Rainbow Kennedy.
Today’s post is in a rainbow of colors because that’s how SARK writes her books. They are a riot of colors in SARK’s scrawling handwriting. She beautifully illustrates all her books in ways guaranteed to make you smile.
Bravo, Bloggers!
Today, in the spirit of the Ms. Foundation’s Outrageous Acts campaign, I want to give some shout-outs to folks doing great stuff. My hope is that we can all stop feeling alone in the wilderness and start building a vibrant virtual community to bring an end to the violence.
Impact of Domestic Abuse on Health
Physical abuse is no longer just about bruises and broken bones. Emotional abuse is about more than hurt feelings.
The long-term health impacts of domestic violence (DV) are being characterized as “epidemic” and a “national scourge” by Robert S. Thompson, MD, because DV affects between 25% and 54% of women in their adult lifetimes, and a disproportionate number of these women experienced physical or sexual abuse as a child. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,200 women are killed (three each day) and 2 million are injured each year from intimate partner violence (IPV). This impacts 15.5 million children.
Great Day to Buy Books!
These happy flowers reflect my mood this morning. Three of my favorite authors are releasing books today! Debbie Macomber’s Summer on Blossom Street is the latest in her delightful series […]
Carole May: Winning Attitude
In my Life Rafts section, I’ve told the stories of celebrities and famous people who have survived tough times yet gone on to thrive and find joy. This story is about Carole May, the proverbial girl next door. We met at our apartment complex swimming pool. She’s a teacher by profession who spent her career with the Brooklyn diocese in New York City. Here in Washington State, she is the web goddess for David Lanz, a Grammy nominated pianist.
Anne Caroline Drake 