“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”  –Maya Angelou I lived a dozen different lives in 2016. It was a year that I eagerly anticipated and just as readily said goodbye to. There was a moment just before Christmas that I reflected back on the last year of my life and I said to myself that I couldn’t wait to start over. “It’s been a really bad year,” I thought. I’ve never been one to rush into a new year with negative thoughts from the one before. But in that moment I thought about the lives…

  When I was younger I remember the excitement of opening a brand new box of crayons and pressing a freshly sharpened stick of pigmented wax to a piece of paper to create a masterpiece that was fitting to my imagination. I have watched that same anticipation in my daughter with a new box of crayons since I trusted her to color on paper and not the walls. And every year since being old enough to go to school, we go shopping for supplies and I watch her as she eagerly chooses a fresh box of crayons to bring to her new classroom. This year in particular she chose with greater intent because “Mama…

My five year old memories are a little hazy, but I remember this to be the year of my life that you entered. The year of my life that life forever changed. You had no idea what you were getting into. But how could you as you had no children of your own. I was a confused little girl who had no idea how to be a daughter to a Father as mine had left me wondering, but you held on and attempted to show me. It’s no secret that we struggled in maintaining a relationship. I stretched your love thin and pushed you away. You pushed right back not knowing…

A couple of weeks ago someone had asked me when I was going to post another ‘inspirational’ blog. I was flattered to say the least, but to be completely honest, I haven’t been feeling very ‘inspirational’ lately. I’ve got worries on my mind and in my heart that are beyond my control but I can’t seem to let them go. I’ve been wrestling with doubts and fighting off the demons of fear for so long that I’ve secluded myself from the world around me. The idea of sharing this with anyone is extremely daunting, so instead, I’ve been hiding behind the mask of perfection. We all do this in our…