My sister, Nicole, used to call me after every doctor’s appointment and ask me the same question, “When did the doctor say the baby will be born?” I always laughed because it’s basically impossible to predict exactly when a baby will be born unless it’s a planned c-section. She was just so excited and didn’t …
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month which aims to raise public awareness about sexual violence and provide education for how to prevent it. Even if we can’t change the outcome, we all have a role to play in preventing sexual assault. Awareness According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center: Nearly 1 in 5 women …
Today, I heard someone describe Easter weekend as “grieving with hope.” I thought that phrase summed it up perfectly. At Easter, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. However, the whole weekend wasn’t a celebration. Friday Jesus was betrayed by his friend and turned over to the authorities. He was relentlessly beaten, …
It can be very embarrassing to share my story on this blog. I’ve dealt with shame because I feel like I should have done things differently and not allowed the abuse to happen in the first place. It’s hard to talk about the pain and heartache that I brought on myself. It’s equally as hard …
I struggle with negative self-talk. It’s not hard for my thoughts to spiral into a very mean place. Unfortunately, for some reason those are often the thoughts that stick. My negative self-talk can be debilitating at times because it causes me to forget who I am. Here’s the thing though, those thoughts are not an …
For International Women’s Day I want to honor the women who have rallied around me on my motherhood journey. So many incredible women have loved and supported me during my time of need. Each one played a very important role in helping me find joy, meaning, and healing. To the woman who raised me – …
If I’m being honest, this past week was tough. I don’t like when things are out of my control and almost everything seemed out of my control. The roads were extremely icy on my drive to work. I called 911 and reported 3 accidents involving multiple vehicles along the way. The power went out. We …
I still remember exactly where I was the day I decided to change my phone number. I was sitting in my car after going to TJ-Maxx on a Saturday in April 2019. I had taken maternity photos a few weeks prior and the photographer had just sent me the link to all of my pictures. …
This never happens. It’s 7:30 pm and the house is still. The kitchen is clean, Gideon is asleep, and everything is ready for work tomorrow. I have the place to myself. I had a different blog post ready to write tonight, but instead I’m going to take the time to enjoy the silence. I learned …
Recently, Stand Up Survivor posted an image on their social media accounts and asked for feedback. The image said, “I wish that people knew that domestic violence…” I started thinking about what my answer to that would be. I know every experience is different, but here is what I wish that people knew when it …