Of all the people we have the most difficult time forgiving, the person who often stands to be the most difficult to forgive is none other than ourselves. Sometimes we go through experiences that we wish we could take back; circumstances that a restart button could solve immediately. We may even have memories that make us want … Continue reading Dear Me, I Forgive You
I get pretty nostalgic during January. I mean, can you blame me? 2017 and I spent 365 days together. That's 8,760 hours or 525,600 minutes! If you prefer to be even more pretentious, that's 31,536,000 seconds. (Please feel free to check my math, but do me a favor and keep it on the down-low if my numbers are … Continue reading Dear Future Me
This past weekend, I received a disturbing emergency alert message via text message. In all capital letters it read: BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND TO HAWAII. SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. On a chilly Saturday afternoon, a high school friend and I were grabbing lunch and catching up. Two local girls who grew … Continue reading A Sobering Farewell: How The Hawaii Ballistic Missile Mishap Impacted Two North Carolinians
I was in marching band in high school and I played the clarinet. Surprise surprise. Aside from being able to play an instrument well, we also had to be able to do one other thing exceptionally well: march. When everyone around you is wearing matching uniforms, and you are marching on the wrong foot, it's pretty … Continue reading Marching on the Right Foot
A few years ago, a friend of mine shared that every year, in place of a New Year's resolution, he chooses one personally meaningful word (a theme in essence) to help direct the 365 days ahead of him. I loved the idea and so, followed suit. "Go", "Forgive", "Fearless", and "Stay", are a few of … Continue reading Thoughts on Mindfulness
It's hard to believe that the last month of 2017 is nearly half-way over. Yet, with Christmas in-tow, the nostalgia surrounding the new year is quickly approaching. The scurry of retail, the kind gestures of gift exchange, as well as the adoration of decorative lights and precious nativity scenes, will soon bring way to sparkling … Continue reading My Top 5 Life-Changing Quotes From 2017
CLICK HERE TO WATCH "STAY" VIDEO Today is World Suicide Prevention Day. According to the International Association for Suicide Prevention and the World Health Organization, "[m]ore than 800,000 individuals die by suicide each year and up to 25 times as many make a suicide attempt." That is 15, 385 lives gone every week. That is … Continue reading Remind Us to Stay
When I was in Middle School so many years ago, I was bullied to the point of skipping school on a daily basis. I absolutely hated middle school. I would especially try to avoid catching the bus because that was where the most intimidating and hurtful bullying occurred. I hated the bus. Yet, what I hated … Continue reading Cyberbullying in Today’s Middle School World
A Fish Out of Water 