Relationships are interesting…complicated…and sometimes, hard…really hard!

On Father’s Day, my family lost a man who had joined us about 40 years earlier when he married my mom.

From the beginning, he seemed to be nice, personable, and caring of Mom….and she of him. I liked him, but I was skeptical because there had been others before him who were not so nice. It took me awhile to see that he truly loved my mom and before long, he loved my whole family, but especially the children, his grandchildren.

Don’t think I’m going anywhere twisted here, because I’m not! He was a very good, loving, and kind grandpa and uncle to the children in our family. That was one big reason he stood out to me and I learned to love him as one of the leaders in our family. He called me “Sis” and I happily responded.

The early years were sometimes tumultuous. They both had kids and ex’s. My little sister was a handful and he had one...

From the moment she was born, the summer of my 12^th year, I was smitten with my baby sister, Kelly.  Adopted, she was our gift from God.  Sharing a bedroom, every night I would gently take her from her crib and place her on my tummy.  She was just precious, tiny and so sweet.  To me, she was a little miracle angel, and I adored her. 

From infanthood on, Kelly’s blue eyes twinkled, and she laughed often, deeply from her belly, causing everyone around her to promptly break out in laughter too.

We were two peas in a pod and believe it or not, this little munchkin accompanied me often, through my teen years, hanging with my friends.  I didn’t mind at all.

Even when I married young and had children of my own, Kelly joined my growing household on weekends, summers, vacations, and special occasions. We were always very close, although I was no longer living in my parent's home.

As a teenager, she struggled with being adopted and feelings...

Staying grounded and feeling solid and strong is essential to me.

It comes naturally…until it doesn’t anymore.

I’ve learned the hard way, in order to keep my confidence level up, there are specific actions I do every day – my individualized morning routine…. and I’ve talked about them quite often here in my WILDD Hearts blogs.

However….there’s more! There are times I veer off course or go down the deep dark hole…lethargy, depression…you know what I’m talking about. This can happen for a variety of reasons, and it does not really matter why.

What is most important is that I get myself back on my path.

Usually, for me, I need to remind myself who I am, what’s most important to me and why.

I must regularly review my beliefs and values, stay aware of myself and pay attention to how I show up in my world.

What I’ve noticed is that sometimes my beliefs change somewhat, but my values stay more consistent...

"Do the best you can until you know better. Then.. when you know better, do better." – Maya Angelou

I get better and better, and if I have it my way, I will keep getting better until the day I die. That’s what I want, that’s how I wish to leave this life – a semi-polished stone who made her way through the mud, grit, grindstone, fire, kicks, brokenness, and attempts to be shaped into what was deemed “correct” by some, but who never gave up and kept rolling along somewhat rough and dirty, and magnificent in her own sweet way.

While these experiences certainly added to the complexity of my story… being polished by a society that values perfection above truth, does not accurately demonstrate the earned scars, flaws, wisdom and unique preciousness of ME. I am not a diamond and never will be…that is truly okay with me. I am good being a diamond-in-the-rough or even just an interesting, unique rock in a forest or a backyard or fire pit...

Science fiction has come to life!

A rampant virus has taken hold and spread among us. We’re asked to self-quarantine and know that sooner or later, it will more than likely, be a demand, rather than a request.

All of us joke a bit to ease our discomfort and fear. We’re being forced into change and that’s not a comfortable place to be. But it’s part of the ride….and we know it.

The thing is many of us have been feeling it coming for a while. We weren’t sure what it was, but we could “feel” the despair, fear, confusion, and isolation.

Whether we know it or not, like it or not, we are ALL connected at a level we don’t fully understand.

When a large group of human beings are feeling something strongly, we all feel it. 
Some of us are more sensitive to what others are experiencing or more connected to the whole, so we may feel it earlier or more forcefully. When there’s worldwide turmoil, whether we watch the news or...

How many of us make the decision every day to skip magnificent opportunities to laugh, play, connect deeply with another human being or nature, help heal another’s heart, restore someone’s faith in humanity or simply make a new friend?

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately and I have a feeling there are a lot more of us than we think. We become so accustom to staying in the “safe” places we have made for ourselves.

Some of us have our valid reasons for staying somewhat secluded – safe with only the few trusted friends or family who have “proven” themselves by being what we have deemed to be “good” people.

We have been betrayed, judged, and hurt or we have lost…loved ones, friendships, trust and hope. We have locked our hearts up, buried the key, with no plan for digging it up anytime soon…at least to outsiders. Resilient, we go to extreme measures to survive by protecting ourselves against what...

In this little video Sylviana conveys her wisdom, and sometimes her frustration about how we all show up in our lives. 

Choosing to see the world through a positive lens is not always easy, and it doesn’t mean we do not understand the reality of what we see or experience. It means that we make an intentional decision to filter how we respond to situations…and then take a moment to respond in a more solution-oriented way.

Perhaps, the situation is difficult and it’s hard to see past that. We can still choose to think “this is a tough situation and I’m not sure what to do right now but I know if I can step back and think about it or discuss with others, I will find a way to deal with this in the best way possible”.

When we choose to handle life proactively and with a solution-oriented mindset, we do not add to the problem by stressing out or stressing others out.

We are calm, cool and collected because we know that life happens, and we WILL...

"These days my waves get lost in the oceans,
seven billion swimmers, man I’m going through the motions"... 
"Can I Get A Connection" by OneRepublic

I met a friend this week to catch up and reconnect in a small, local restaurant and it was the highlight of my week! We shared our stories, laughed, teared up, and confided in one another. We exchanged small trinkets, nothing expensive, but the thoughtful gesture conveyed “I care about you”. When I left I felt inspired, loved and connected, and realized that I don’t feel this way nearly as much as I would like. Connection with people who care about us adds greatly to the quality of our lives.

Connecting grounds me and reminds me who I am at my core. Why don’t I do more of it?

As I reflected on this question I remembered that I identify as an introvert but could possibly be an ambivert, (a person whose personality has a balance of extrovert and introvert features) except I don’t have a...

It’s the year 2020, and I’m happy to be here!

We’ve been conditioned to ring in the new year with festivity, inspiration and hope for the future. I’ve experienced 61 of them and I can admit that my perception of the new year has changed a bit over the years.

Being an incurable optimist, I’ve always looked at the new year as a signal for new beginnings and the opportunity to change or improve. However, I’ve toned myself down, after experiencing many failed attempts to achieve a set goal and some great successes. I’ve learned that change is a continuous process, thankfully, happening throughout the year, rather than just at the beginning, and baby steps and small goals go a long way.

I’ve also experienced a big letdown, depression, and uneasiness the first few months of the year.

For me, the source is usually loss. Over the years, many of us, have experienced the loss of loved ones through death, divorce, incompatibility and...

Good morning, WILDD Hearts!

“All I want for Christmas is you” has new meaning for me these days.

Growing up and indoctrinated by a family who made Christmas BIG, also made the holidays lots of FUN when I was a child. Unfortunately, this brought on an onslaught of anxiety and stress, along with the fun, as an adult. I had this story in my head that Christmas must include an abundance of homemade yummy treats, unending presents for ALL, family and MORE family, libations galore, Christmas music and perhaps, a Christmas Eve service at church. 

At some point, the holidays became more stressful than fun.

I did my best to meet the expectations of the Christmas story in my mind and it never occurred to me that I had the power to change it. But…then, as I matured, I realized that I didn’t have to do things just like everyone else. I slowly, began to implement small changes to make Christmas more meaningful for me and my family. 

For instance, on a...