Sunday, December 31, 2017

The best prescription for 2018 to heal all that ails you!

Happy New Year's Eve 2017

Good morning, 
Today when I was getting ready to start my day I was frustrated, thinking about the many challenges I would face over the next couple of days and within the first months of 2018.  Without getting into too much detail; let's just say that every single aspect of my life is changing. My relationship with family members, my relationship with myself, and living arrangements, and foremost my relationship with my higher power.

Needless to say, with all this change I have been 'scared to death' as the old adage goes. Fear associated with life changes is normal and expected, however how we choose to deal with fear is where the message I received this morning comes in.

Here is the message: My children who know me so very well, know that I do my best  to choose the path of 'love and light'. Each gift I received this Christmas had a reminder of these values that I cling to.

Hillary who is still working her recovery and brings into my life immense feelings of pride over her choice every day to 'see the light', even in the dark which appears from time to time; gave me a Lush hand lotion called 'love and light' that has the most lovely scent and helps with the pain associated with the dryness I experience in my hands this time of year.

Back to this morning; my hands are dry and hurt, I look on my bureau and there is 'love and light' for me to sooth my pain.

Yes! Love & Light



This is what love and light means to me: fear, sadness, frustration, loneliness and pain all show up in our lives. Sometimes it seems like these feelings show up more than the feelings of peace, love, joy, and comfort. What I was reminded of this morning when I chose to gently rub love and light all over my hands is, it helped. Yes the dryness will come back but when it does, I will apply more love and light.

2018 will be here before you know it, please make the choice to choose to heal your wounds with love and light. Choosing to try to heal yourself with people, places and substances that ultimately cause more pain and suffering will bring exactly that, more suffering.

I am not a doctor, although I play one on t.v. (sorry couldn't resist) however, I will offer you this prescription for all the ailments in your life and the lives of those you love;

RX for 2018
Find love and light wherever you can.
It comes in many different forms 
and there is no co-pay.
If you are having trouble finding it,
look to the people (and sometimes furry friends)
who seem to have an abundance and ask them to share.
Anyone who has love and light is always willing 
to give some away and will usually share with you
where they found it.
Reapply as often as necessary 
until peace and calm occur.
dosage: 24hours a day seven days a week
with unlimited refills!


Every time I reach out to the universe in prayer, knowing you are all on this journey with me, replenishes my supply of love and light, thank you for another year of sharing the blessing of community with me. I love you all and wish you 
an abundance of love & light in the coming year and beyond.

In the name of all that is bright and shining 
peace and love, k






Wednesday, December 27, 2017

The light switch

When you walk into a room and it is dark, what do you do? I head for the switch, sometimes I know exactly where the switch is so it is easy to turn on the light. Other times, in unfamiliar places I have no idea where the switch is so I fumble around in the dark until I can find it. If I don't find it I leave because I will never find anything in the dark to guide my way.

Everyone has a switch that can be turned on and off.
It can be turned on or off by you,
or it can be turned on or off by someone else........
if and only if you give them access to your switch.
Ultimately even if someone sneaks in
and flips off your light,
you can and you should turn it right back on
because fumbling around in the dark
is no fun at all.

If you can't see where you are or where you are going
then you are more likely to become lost.

This Christmas my Pastor shared with me an image
and a verse he found on another Pastors social media
that resonates with me on
an intense level, here it is.



I have said it before and I will continue to say it
over and over and over again........
In all aspects of life;
The only cure for darkness is light!

Love and Light be with you always
peace, k


Monday, December 18, 2017

 I Love You,
You got this;
Bird's Eye Rhyolite
Sparks creativity in individuals
who are ready 
to move forward and make things
happen in their life.
Aids in strengthening body and mind
to learn how to enjoy your 
potential. Helps us to allow people into
our lives even if we have 
been solitary or reclusive. Assists
us in processing the past 
helping us move toward our future.
Helps us to listen without
distorting the message.
Provides protection and grounding.
I promise!
xo k



Monday, December 4, 2017

Addicts are selfish; question or statement?

I'd be a millionaire if I had a nickel for every time I heard someone say the words, 'addicts are selfish; they don't care about anyone but themselves'.

This is simply not true in most, if not all cases. In my relationships with people who suffer with this disease it is entirely the opposite.The addiction calls the shots because the addicts, themselves no longer are able to see themselves as valuable so they feel hopeless against the power necessary to change vs. the power of the addiction.

-Have you ever felt hopeless in a situation that seemed completely out of your control?
-Have you ever felt someone/something held all of your cards; spouse, boss, child, illness, etc.?
-Have you ever wanted to give up because no matter how hard you try, your goal always eludes you?
-Have you ever wanted something so deeply that you would do anything to have it, but you don't have the proper tools to get it?
-Have you ever felt like a dog chasing their tail, endlessly; over and over again?
If you answered yes to any or all of these questions then you have a pretty good idea of what those who suffer with addiction go through.

There may be, and probably has been times they try to blame anyone/anything for the reason they are where they are. Ultimately, it is easy to blame someone else because if you have to take on responsibility for your own sh*t, it only makes you feel worse about yourself; more than you already do. Playing the blame game is a defense that so many of us have used at times to hide our own feelings of inadequacy.

Now you throw in the clinically diagnosed, chemical addiction (and often mental illness) and you are 100% shoveling sand against the tide. Try as you might the waves keep crashing in and it can be nearly impossible to keep going.

Now I want you to throw in the fact that in most cases your 'loved ones' are pretty much abandoning you; either in reality or as you see it.

Now I want you to throw in when you are addicted to someone/something, that thing takes over your brain and tells you all of the things your subconscious has been telling you all along; 'you are worthless so why bother'.

Oh, and by the way, did I mention that you can and usually do become so physically and emotionally  ill when you try to stop that I have heard from folks that they would simply rather die.

You tell me, where is the selfishness, where is the 'it's all about me'?

It is there because there is so much damage to your self worth that most things simply don't matter anymore. 

I would like you to consider taking a moment to think about when you have felt the emotions associated with being lonely, in pain, scared, tired, worthless and what you have done to alleviate those discomforts......

Now take a moment and ask yourself if you always chose something healthy to combat those emotions..........

Lastly, take a moment and ask yourself what brought you out of those feelings......

I am going to guess that it was love & light, either from within or from someone who has shown them to you.

When I started SOS almost two years ago it was with the intention to honor Ben's memory by creating a worldwide chain of unconditional, kind, loving healing support by way of positive energy, in the form of multi-faith and nondenominational prayer being sent out to world to heal wounded souls.

Today I ask you to join me in continuing our outreach ministry by sharing these ideas with as many people as you can, if that is one person than I am thrilled that one more person can share in our love of all those affected by addiction.  

 Light is the only source that can
overcome darkness

Let your light shine!

may you feel the presence of light
in your life so warmly
that it shines
brightly for all the world to see
peace, k

photo by Peter Malek
(notice the burst of light)




Wednesday, November 29, 2017

What is stronger than the wind, a 7lb chihuahua or a hawk?

What is stronger than the wind?



I live in Connecticut and over the past few weeks
the wind has been so strong that I thought
my 7lb Chihuahua puppy was going to be
swept away to Oz when I took her outside
off of her leash.
Luckily we both stayed firmly planted
on our morning potty walk however, I watched
as she kept her eyes on me the entire time,
making sure I was there to catch her if she blew away.

Same week, different morning,
I arrived at the location I start most of my days
and I was greeted by the same hawk
that has come to be one of the signs
I look forward to on most mornings.
This day was so crazy windy,
I thought, I just might end up in Oz myself.
I looked up to see this beautiful bird of prey
fighting as hard as she could to stay her course
in the sky. I watched and said softly
to myself, 'she's got this, her wings are stronger
than they appear'. Sure enough she found
the path of least resistance and off she went
to the safety of a nearby tree.

Back to the question, which is stronger?

The answer may, or may not surprise you.
Before I owned a Chihuahua I would have had no doubt
that it was the hawk.

We all spoiled our Gidget from the moment
we brought her home. So much so that now we have a
growling, entitled, little alpha that we are retraining
to be a part of our family and not the boss of us all.

The hawk on the other hand has survived on its own,
for the most part since birth. showing nothing but
perseverance.

The answer is............
Both are equally stronger than the wind.

Both, survived because no matter how strong
the wind was they both made the choice to battle on.

Gidget, seeing me and knowing that I would help her,
however, ultimately helping herself to get to a safe place.

The hawk, depending on her own wings that had carried her
all her life to bring her to her safe place.

As a momma I was so very proud of both of these
small but mighty creatures
and so very grateful for the reminder
that I, too, have the power within me to 
survive the windy days that threaten to blow me away.

Oz may seem like a great place to visit, just as Dorothy believed;
but at the end of the day.............................................

There's no place like home

Today I pray for
firm grounding on a windy day
With love, k


Saturday, November 25, 2017

You simply can not make these things up!

This morning when I woke up,
I was thinking about how much my life
has changed over the past couple of years.

I have always had a knowing
that the power of Divine energy
by way of Spirit exists.

Thanksgiving can be such a hard
day when those we love
are not here with us
for one reason or another.

We try so very hard to be thankful
however when someone is missing
having that gratitude can become
even more difficult.

This is what I saw when I woke and looked at the floor
next to my bed.



How in the world did
a single white feather,
ever so carefully place itself
directly on top of my shoe
where it had not Ben (a typo I decided not to fix)
the night before when I carelessly tossed the shoes
to the floor when I got into bed?

I can choose to believe a number of explanations
as to how it arrived there, I have free will.

........................................I choose to believe that a loving,
compassionate, divine, energy lives among
all of us, at all times, gives us reminders
in many ways; seen and unseen that we
are most definitely not alone. Not alone in our sadness and pain
and not alone in our joy and happiness.

Why do I make this choice?
I make it because I can and I will; and
because doing so brings me
peace, joy, comfort, and hope.

Look for the signs from
those we have loved and lost
to this physical life.
They are right here
just waiting for you
to notice them so they can help
and guide us toward a more
peace filled life.

With hope for the future
that an increase
in love and light
will find a way
to brighten your day <3
always, k



Thursday, November 16, 2017

Please ask yourself.........





.........take that first step
........make that call
.........ask for help
..........be the light inside of you
..........fear can't stop you
...........you are not your past
...........tomorrow is not promised
............you will not fail
...........Spirit loves you

What are you waiting for......................
go, live the life you've always dreamed of.

And may the blessing of a peace filled life
be with you today, right now, & forever!


Hugs & more hugs,
K

Monday, October 30, 2017

Rise and sine Miss Iza!

I have MY light.................

and you have Yours..........................

This is my light and it sits on my bureau. I have
painted stones for SOS to look like this candle. It is a
reminder to me to choose my light. It is  
battery operated and I make sure when it starts to
dim I change them. It is mine and no one
can turn it off. If they try to, I can and will protect it. If
somehow they are able to shut it off,
I will turn it back on because it is MINE!


Every single person 
is born with a light.

That light can be nurtured so it grows, 
or that light can be diminished.

When we are small we don't have 
a whole lot of choice who 
 takes care of our light
and sometimes the people 
who should protect our light the most; 
very simply stated, don't.

My light has changed a lot over the years
and I am here to tell you, that
YOU, yes YOU
can be and will be a bright light.........
If that is what YOU choose to be!

Here's the catch; when you get to 
a certain age, YOU are making all your
own choices. You can no longer blame
your past, it is in the past.
You are your present and you are 
your future.

For me, the dimmer my light gets
the harder it is for the world
to see it.

 The more I shine my light,
the lighter I feel.
The lighter I feel,
the brighter I shine.
The brighter I shine, 
the more light there is in the world

Darkness is only the absence of light.
When you begin to protect your light,
you will start to see the darkness disappear
and it will change how you feel.

When someone or something shows up 
and tries to put out your light,
do not let them;
protect it at all costs.

Your light is the only thing 
that no one can take from you
unless you are willing to give it away.
Once again, the choice is yours.

You have the power to shine,
Use it and treasure it or you will lose it!

Please do not give up on 
YOUR LIGHT!
It has always been there.
Please find it and use it to guide
every step you take!
It is a lot easier to find your way 
in the light.

If you are in the dark and can't 
find your way, there are so many
people who have a really bright light, ask
 them to share theirs; I bet they will.
They know their light
 will not be diminished because
it is shining on you. 
It will become brighter.
THAT is the secret that light holds.
You have a choice to leave the dark behind.

One of the names for Jesus
(my personal favorite)
is 'Light of the world'.
We are all called by whomever
or whatever we believe is the
 creator of the light;
to see the light, be the light,
and share the light.

 I have met many people working
their recovery 
over the past several years  
and the most successful 
are those that have 
seen the light 
and are choosing to share
that light with others who 
struggle to find it.
That includes those recovering
from the trauma associated with
caring for a loved one actively using,
the loss of a loved one to addiction,
as well as those who are in the
throws of this disease themselves.

I will leave you this morning at 6:22am
as the darkness of night starts to disappear
 and I head upstairs to greet 
Miss Iza with the same greeting I
give her and I have given
all my children every other morning,

Rise & Shine!

Let there be light,

XOXO, k
















Saturday, October 28, 2017

Can you climb it?

This photo I took while on retreat last spring. What do you see? What appears to be a large hill to climb, in front of a great expanse of water is merely a teeny tiny sand hill.  Look closely at the grains of sand.

Looking from a distance and this perspective it appears to be a real challenge to get beyond it.

In reality when you get up close you are able to see that it is very small hill around the size of my foot.



Believe me when I say, I am fully aware that facing addiction or any other challenge; either yourself, or dealing with the effects on you because of someone struggling with their own mountains is not quite as simple as this. Anything that is broken down into a single grain of sand is so much less of a challenge.

Today, look at every single second that passes as another grain of sand that has passed through the hourglass of life that YOU single-handedly have survived to see another, and then another, and another grain fall, until you are spending more time looking back at all that you have accomplished instead of all that lies ahead.

It is hard to not to make 'mountains out of mole hills' when you are looking from certain perspectives. Try taking a step back and looking at the big picture, often the mountain is not as big as it first appears.

I will leave you today with lyrics from the Sound of Music which if you have the opportunity, listen to it (loudly of course) and be inspired.

Climb every mountain,
search high and low,
follow every byway,
Every path you know.

Climb every mountain,
ford every stream,
follow every rainbow,
'till you find your dream.

A dream that will need
all the love you can give,
every day of your life
for as long as you live.

-Rogers & Hammerstein
Sound of Music

With peace for the journey,
light for the way,
and strength to climb every mountain

I Love You, K

Monday, October 16, 2017

A gift from Hillary

I love all things Halloween!
The day is inspired by all Hallows Eve & the day of the dead.
There are many traditions associated with this day,
as well as fears and superstitions.

This is a gift I received from Hillary for my birthday
which falls the week before Halloween



Look closely........
what do you see, now look closer..........


What I see is two beings surrounded by a crystal ball,
shielding them from the outside world 
 gently holding each other.

I see the hand holding them as the hand of God.
It supports the couple in what appears to be something soft
that their fragile world rests safely and comfortably on.
The couple appears unaware that the hand is there,
although we, as onlookers know it is.

Divine love is abundant in all things and in all places.
Sometimes where you least expect it (in a Halloween decoration).

It is amazing to me that the artist who created this could capture
the essence of love and kindness.
The photos do not do justice to the feeling
that this piece of art invokes in me.

I presume this is a man holding a woman, however this could represent any relationship.

The man is holding the woman close with his hands on her shoulders
and his chin resting on her head.

She rests her head into his chest
with her arms around his back for added comfort and security.

I cried when I looked closely at this relationship. I cried for the idea that in death there was eternal love. I cried for the gentleness of a caring and compassionate relationship, beyond this life. I cried because so very often in this life we take for granted the love we have here, thinking, there is always tomorrow and I cried because no matter what, the Divine creator of all holds us even when we can't see ourselves and those we love being held.


I will cherish this gift and it will remain in my sacred space throughout the year to remind me; the hand of God is present and this life is the one I will be grateful for. 

Ben's 29th birthday would have been on October 9th.
God held him in this life and I believe when Ben's spirit 
left he was holding the hand of God on his way to
the life everlasting.

Please tell the people you love that they are loved by you
and by the Divine creator of the universe.
Help to remove the cloud of fear and pain from the eyes of all those that suffer
so that the abundant love from Spirit may 
be seen more clearly. 

Peace, k




Wednesday, September 27, 2017

3 C's



Today



It may not be easy.......
however it will be worth it!

Prayers for courage to take that chance
much love, k

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Do you want a gift?

I have a gift.

I want to give this gift to you.

It is a gift that will
keep giving.

I promise this gift 
will change your life.

Many years ago,
I received this gift.

I loved it, until I didn't. 

Then I received the gift again,
I remembered how much I loved it
and that time I kept it a little longer.

I lost the gift.

I received the gift again,
this time I promised myself
I would not lose it.

I broke the gift, smashed it,
by accident.

This went on
for years and years.



I received the gift again,
just the other day.

Today I still have the gift,
it is the gift of 
Thankfulness!

I am so very careful with this gift
because I know that when
I misplace it, I am truly miserable.

Sometimes I let myself forget
and I set it down.
I realize pretty quickly and pick it up
as fast as I possibly can.
Gratitude is most certainly the best gift 
I have ever or will ever receive
and this is why.

The day I learned Hillary was addicted to heroin, I was not grateful at all to say the least. Now I look back and I realize that she had to go through what she went through to be the incredibly strong, courageous, loving, and compassionate person she is today. Her struggles taught her more than any teacher ever could have. When Ben left this life, he left two lives in his place. Those lives have given so many people more love in their hearts than could possibly be imagined. Cameron and Lincoln are two of the best gifts I have ever received and have filled my heart with so much love and that love shines through them toward others.

Addiction and death do not look like gifts, the effects left behind by those gifts are worth more than all the money in the world.

Believe me when I say, addiction and death aren't the gifts you want to open. I truly despised those 'gifts' and would have returned them immediately, but I couldn't. It wasn't in my power to do so.

Here's the thing.......there is a gift in every single moment of every single day. When you receive a gift that you despise and want to return, set it down. Put it aside and look for one of the gifts that you cherish, pick it up and focus on that gift. 

When some time has passed, take a look at that gift again and see if there is something to be grateful for, if not choose a different one. Keep doing this until you can pick up the unwanted gift, hold it in your hands, and receive what it has to offer your heart and spirit.

Some gifts suck at the time we receive it, there is no way to sugar coat that.

My gifts that sucked, I now treasure. Hillary was a royal pain in a butt for most of her adolescence, ultimately allowing her predisposition to addiction to surface. Addiction has given me the daughter that I can say with the utmost pride, is in recovery working it daily in spite of the challenges she faces and living a life she never would have had all because she met Ben.
If Hillary were not at the sober house in between treatments, she would not have met Ben. If she had not met Ben, me and my family would not have had the privilege of sharing the joy he brought into our lives and the family, his family, that are now our family. Cameron and Lincoln his love incarnate, period. Ben's death from this life, that is a gift I still have not truly accepted as a gift. There will always be days that I set that one down, and step away. Then I see all that he does for me and our families from  beyond and I start to be grateful again. . Ben watches over all of us as a guiding force, son, brother, fiancé, father and friend. I believe that I will not truly receive the full gift of Ben's passing until we meet again and we will, of that I have no doubt.

Funny story; Hillary and I are visiting the other day and sharing how Lincoln, who is a little man of few words calls almost everything 'daddy'. He very clearly states 'daddy' when you ask him "what's that'? Be it a me, Hill, an animal, and so many other things and we laughed thinking that would totally be a 'Ben move' to make his sense of humor and presents (intentionally spelled that wrong) known. Whispering in Lin's ear 'that's daddy' and laughing at all of us. A gift, yup, most certainly!

The people I have met, the places I have been and the love and support I have received by being a member of the family of folks that suffer with addiction or care about those that do has been another one of my greatest gifts. We are stronger than we could've imagined and we will continue to stand up, raise our voices in prayers of hope and healing and continue the ministry of healing for every person who is still here fighting the battle of their lives until we ourselves meet those that are waiting beyond our physical borders to welcome us home.

So........when you receive a gift that you simply don't want, wait...... it may have been a gift that has yet to be fulfilled.

One last thing, When someone you love receives 'a gift' it can be very hard to be patient. Waiting for them to see that they have other gifts they should be grateful for can be pretty frustrating. The recovery process takes time and everyone has to open their own gifts in their own time. Say a prayer with the power and force of healing energy and send it in their direction so they might feel the gratitude you have for the gift of them and one day their 'gift' will be the gift of you.

Thank you for the gift of you,
and may the spirit of love and gratitude
be with you all
today and always!

peace and love k






Monday, September 18, 2017

Spiders?

Good morning
At first glance this looks like
a huge scary spider



A lot of folks are deathly afraid
of spiders.

The reality is that most folks
have not been attacked by spiders.
Most folks that have this fear
have never even taken a moment 
to try to understand why most spiders 
are really quite helpful 
and want nothing more than 
to live out there lives the best way they can
no different than most humans.

They control pests;
devouring disease carrying mosquitos and
removing unwanted parasitic bugs
from crops.
Their silk is one of the strongest
natural materials, has been and is studied 
for medical and engineering purposes.
The list goes on.

Many cultures have used spider symbolism to teach.
Spiders weave intricate webs,
our choices weave our web of life.
Spiders have to be patient,
they spend their entire life weaving and waiting.
They are creative and have to use many 
different things within their environment
to support their webs.

My favorite:
They persevere. 
They create a beautiful web to live in,
it gets destroyed, and they go right back to
creating another sometimes even more beautiful one.
They never give up.

This is why everyone who is affected by 
addiction in some way could take a lesson from
our friends the spiders.

Sometimes spiders can and do hurt us,
most of the time we can and do survive the 'bite'.
Care and forgiveness is important.

Spiders can be misunderstood, just like us.

Some people fear spiders, just like some people fear us.

We can learn something from spiders and
we have a lot to teach others.

Spiders have to be patient & wait and we do too.

Lastly,
when we get knocked down or
our web of life is torn apart
we must not give up.

The Divine Creator
breathed life into us and the spiders,
all creatures great and small
have a purpose.

Next time you see a spider
in your web of life and are afraid,
look closely for the beauty and perseverance 
that lies within him/her.
Take a deep breath, let it live......
and maybe, just maybe
set it free.

Peace be with you & all creatures great and small
The Lord our God loves us all!!! k









Thursday, September 14, 2017

Labyrinth First Church West Hartford Center

The labyrinth in the front yard of First Church in West Hartford Center is well maintained, it has to be. At first glance it appears only to be there for appearances however, when you step closer you see that it can be traveled. If the narrow path were not lovingly cared for often it would be almost impossible to see, let alone stay on and it would be easy to lose your way.




Walking the labyrinth
Stand at the entrance and look,
see the center and envision yourself arriving there.
You will need to take small steps, they are the safest.
Steps that are too big can bring you further
then you are ready for and take you off the path.
Watch where you are going and look for anything
that may throw you off course; avoid those things.
Step over anything that does not keep you on course,
or wait until it has left your path before moving forward.
See where you are going and how far you have come.
Know where you have been and remember the path is
only wide enough to put one foot in front of the other.
My husband, Pete walked with me and at times
we came to a place where we got into each others way
and had to stop, think, and know that we could
not go through each other. One of us had to go
first to stay out of each others way.
It is hard to stay on course when there are
others who appear to be blocking you.
It took a while and we made it
to the center because we believed
we could....we did.

At the Center look back at the path
you have traveled and know that it was your
path. Any stumbling, waiting, and misstep
ultimately brought you to where you are.
Now, take all that you learned from
your journey with you as you
walk out of the labyrinth the same way
you came in. Trust yourself and your ability
to step over or wait in an area that was difficult 
on the way in. Eventually you will get back to where 
you were when you entered. 

Stand at the entrance and say thank you
to the labyrinth for showing you the way.
Say thank you for the journey and say thank you
to yourself that although you may have stumbled,
you believed you could....so you did.

Divine creator of the
circles of life,
I give you thanks for showing
me that there is no beginning,
and no end.

There are only circles.
What appears to be death,
opens my soul to a new life.

What is old can become new,
stumbling can become a lesson,
fear can become success,
hate can become love,
and pain can become peace.
I ask that you continue to be with me
and all that travel the winding path of life
that offers new beginnings
with each and every step.

Amen

Peace be with you, k


Monday, July 24, 2017

Cancer and addiction


Some of you might not agree with my beliefs  that addiction is very similar to cancer and other diseases that pop up in our lives without warning.



I would ask you to read on and reconsider.



My husband was recently diagnosed with cancer and I have found when trying to help him that I have very little control over what he chooses to do and chooses not to do.



Just like addiction the person who suffers with a disease ultimately, holds all the cards. They choose how they are going to deal with the diagnosis and pick what treatments they want and don't want. You can make suggestions, be supportive and you can be there but that does not mean that the person is going to choose your path or the path that you would most like for them.



Their journey is their journey. Cancer just like addiction effects young, old, male, female, every race and every religion, it does not discriminate.



People who have addiction, cancer, or other diseases may or may not have made choices  that made them more susceptible to any of these.



Have any of us REALLY ever made every choice with our 'good health' in mind?



All those Living with a disease can choose to ignore it, choose treatment and of course you can choose to change your mind and not choose. Any and all of these choices could mean life or death.



What I know is that I still believe in hope and love and faith and kindness and mercy and grace as all of those things are present in cancer and all of those things are present in addiction and it is only by believing in those things that we can find the peace that we all need in our souls to heal. 



Open your eyes, look closely at the people around you and please do not judge for they may be fighting a battle you know nothing about.



Please consider when searching for answers to search with love and compassion for all that suffer no matter what the disease.

Please also consider reaching out with love and compassion to all those that love and do their best to take care of all those that suffer from any and all diseases for their journey can be and is usually filled with just as much suffering as the afflicted.





Today and everyday I pray for peace & comfort for everyone everywhere who faces the challenges of being a survivor everyday with peace and love for your journey

Amen,

K



Saturday, July 22, 2017

In honor of my wife, yes my wife!


This post is in honor of my wife,
yes my wife; I'll explain.
Many years ago, I met Dawn by chance.
One of those
'in the right place at the right time'
experiences.

From the moment we met we connected
and instantly became best friends.
The problem was that 'best friend' was an understatement.
we were inseparable and became family.
So 'wife' it was. After many years 
we separated for a while.
Why, isn't important. 
Suffice it to say that there was no specific event
or argument, we simply took different paths.
Before I knew it years had passed,
six, to be exact.

Then one day my sister mentioned
having seen her
and I decided that I would reach out.
There was no; hey, wanted to check in,
or hey, what's been going on for six years.
I simply texted her a memory,
to which she replied with a memory,
to which I called and the rest is herstory.
Back together again after all these years
and we, our children, and our spouses
couldn't be happier.

Living with addiction or
loving someone with addiction
causes a lot of break ups.
I know that my daughter and I
'broke up' many times
before she found her way home to find
me right there waiting for her.
Sometimes there is a safety reason,
or a hurt feelings reason,
or even for the reason of betrayal.
Sometimes we need to take a break,
to regroup, 
to see where we belong, and to
find our way back to where we belong,
and who we belong with.

As you read this are you thinking of someone....
Someone whom you may have walked away from
or may have walked away from you?
How long has it been, does this person
pop into your mind on a regular basis.

Juts do it!
Reach out!
If you reach out with your heart and soul
with no expectations and true kindness
I doubt you'll be disappointed
If they respond with that same kindness,
what a blessing.
If they do not respond then you, my friend,
are the blessing and maybe, just maybe someday
they will reach back or open their arms
and welcome you back.

Take the chance

"Every blessing ignored becomes a curse"
                                      -Paulo Coehlo

Peace be with you, with those whom you
have loved and lost,
and with those whom you have
lost and found!

XOX k