Tag: hope

She Always Knows

A Girl In A Complex World

Sometimes it’s a dog that fills the void.  The room feels so different when she isn’t in it.

People come and go and they will repeatedly let you down. They make promises they can’t keep, love you – but with conditions, and leave when things get hard. But a dog? A dog just stays. No questions, no demands. She’s just there, filling the empty spaces you didn’t even realize you had growing inside you.

It’s strange, isn’t it? How something so small can take up so much room in your life?

Well no, not strange. It’s just … rare. The kind of love that doesn’t ask for anything but still gives you everything in return. The kind that’s always there when you need it most, and somehow, without a single word, it reminds you that you are worthy of being loved.

Zoey, my 9-year-old yellow lab, is lying beside me in my hotel room tonight. She’s bringing a desperately needed sense of calm to my anxious nervous system. I have been in and out of fight, flight and freeze all week. We traveled 5 hrs today and checked in to a hotel for the night. In the morning I have an appointment for a special medical test that can only be done in this particular hospital.

I am an amputee. I lost my left arm in a car accident 10 yrs ago so I have been living with just one hand. Last week I seriously injured that hand and it has had devastating consequences. Life changing. I am looking at partial to full loss of use of the full hand and wrist, which would strip me of most of my independence.

I’m scared. This test tomorrow will determine which type of surgery they will be performing and whether or not it can be repaired. There are a lot of unknowns and the fear is trying to strangle the life out of me.

But as I lay here with my girl beside me, listening to her deep relaxed breathing I am reminded to take a deep breath of my own. I realize that there’s nothing I can do tonight other than rest. Worrying is only causing more suffering. Tomorrow will come and I will face each challenge as it comes. So for now, I’m going to pause and appreciate the presence of my beautiful furry companion.

I’m going to reclaim my peace tonight as I allow the love of my dog to calm the fear and anxiety within me. With no questions or demands, I know Zoey will bring comfort to my hurting soul.

She knows. She always knows.

Have Mercy

A Girl In A Complex World

You’re gonna need to help me out today, God.

If anyone in my life needs encouragement today, it can’t come from me because I am in need of the same thing. I just can’t blow sunshine up anyone’s ass today, Lord, so I ask that you send them whatever it is that they need, please.

If it is possible, can you also please remind me that millions of other human beings through history have lived through worse situations than me and still managed to make art, and find joy, and give hope and resist despair? Could you do that for me today?

In fact, send us all a little reminder that we can suffer and still be ok. May our faith be stronger than our fear.

And help us remember to drink some water. My body really needs some hydration.

In other words, have mercy on us.

Amen

Be Gentle

A Girl In A Complex World

Another restless night, tossing and turning, yearning for relief from the pain that’s raging in both legs and head. The demon of pain strikes much harder when vulnerabilities are high.
Tired.
Emotionally drained.
Quesy from a day of unhealthy erratic eating.
Cold.

Be gentle …

The demon of self contempt emerges from the shadows, tempting me to engage in the game we so often play. He pounces on me. Stupid! Fat pig ... More derogatory comments about being fat and choosing a Dairy Queen ice cream over black coffee. WEAK.

My quivering voice whispers, “Be gentle …” in return.

Be gentle …

You precious soul. I see you. I feel your pain. Breathe through it. I am with you.

Demons become angry, cursing me for allowing the presence of gentleness. Get out, they growl. How dare you show up here NOW. You’re too late. The damage is done.

Grief comes out of the shadows. Too much has been lost, she weeps.

Anger bursts forth, with vengeance. DON’T you dare give in. Gentleness doesn’t belong here.

Be gentle …

Out of the shadow creeps memory. Thoughts of the nightmare start toppling over one another. My body shivers and shakes, building momentum by the second.

Be gentle …

Fire shoots at me from the demon of harm. New pain sears it’s way into the flesh of my upper thigh and I gasp, breath catching in my throat.

Be gentle…

You darling child. I see how much it hurts. Here, hold my hand. Give me that flaming dagger. Let it go.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me.” (Psalm 23)

Heavenly Father sits beside me on the cold tile of the bathroom floor and together we watch the demons fade into the darkness at the sound of His voice.

Be gentle.

Hope Strengthens, Fear Kills

A Girl In A Complex World

Those words were shared in an email response that I received from my psychologist last week. It had been a difficult session and afterwards, I spiraled. I emailed her in the midst of my upset and her brief reply ended with those words – Hope strengthens, fear kills.

Yes. I am scared. Terrified – of my own brain. I have no control whatsoever of the way it reacts to things anymore. Its like I’m dealing with a completely separate entity. I’m going about my day as if im babysitting some overly dramatic child that can’t be left alone for 2 minutes or else it’s going to get into something it’s not supposed to.

I got up after a nightmare that night and spiraled into the danger zone. I remembered that Magda (psychologist)  had pointed out a couple of wins from the previous week (which I really appreciated) and she said that what I was doing was helping me grow my window of tolerance. In my frustration that night, I was like,  “F* my window of tolerance. I’m not doing this”. 

I want to be numb. I want to go back to the days when I was void of all emotion. I used to be so frozen inside but it’s like I’m thawing out now. I don’t want my thoughts to be so loud or sounds to be so clear. When my head was heavy and foggy and I barely even remembered conversations I didn’t have to deal with any of this stuff. My brain dissociated for a reason.

I feel like I’m going crazy. The fear is strangling me. Choking me. Killing me …

I’m afraid of what’s going to happen to me. So much fear, that I’m going to just snap, go totally crazy, lose my sanity entirely.

Fear. Its trying to kill me. The fear of uncertainty. Not knowing from one minute to the next what I’m going to think or feel. The fear that I’m not strong enough … that I might find myself completely alone and have to navigate it all by myself – again … that I’m going to collapse under all the pressure … fear that I’m going to start but never be able to stop crying …

Fear kills.

*Video clip of me in the midst of a panic attack*

BUT ….

she also said that hope strengthens. Hope. I need strength. I need hope. I’m not going to find either if I just wait around for it to fall into my lap though. So I must make it my daily goal to seek out hope. I know it exists in more than just the ink on my wrist. I see it around me. I see that other ppl have it. Its just that it never feels like there’s any for me.

If you want something in this world you have to go after it right? Well, I want to be strong. I want hope to fill me and strengthen me.

And dammit, I deserve it!

God? I’m Scared.

A Girl In A Complex World

Me: God, I’m scared. I’m trying so hard not to be, but I am.

God: I know, my child. Do you want to talk about it?

Me: No, not really. Besides, you already know everything. Talking isn’t going to change it.

God: Let’s talk about it anyway. We’ve done this before.

Me: I know. I’m just so tired. I should be stronger than this. I can’t seem to get anything right.

God: *waiting patiently, never annoyed.*

Me: I’m just so tired. I’m never going to figure out how to live and manage all this. Its too much. I’m scared that I’m going to crack under all this pressure. My heart has never felt so broken before. I’m afraid that my attempts to recover are actually going to be what kills me. I’m afraid that I’m not strong enough to cope with it all. I’m afraid of the things I’m having to process in therapy. I’ve spent years acting as if my nightmares are just that – things in my imagination. I have tried so hard to make it all go away. Its what my whole life has revolved around. But all that energy put into avoiding has been for nothing because here I am, having to stare it straight in the face.

God: Anything else?

Me: EVERYTHING ELSE.

God: Remember the other day when the smoke alarm was beeping in the kitchen and Buddy came running across the house?

Me: Yes.

God: When you heard him running, you started calling out to him before he even got to you … remember? Do you remember what you called out to him?

Me: I said, “You’re okay! You’re okay! Mommy’s right here.”

God: Why did you call out to him? Why didn’t you just wait until he got to you?

Me: Because I wanted him to know that I was here, and I heard him, and he didn’t have to be afraid because I was right here.

God: Exactly. I hear you, my child. I hear your thoughts racing like Buddy’s little puppy feet down the hallway. There’s another side to all of this and I’m already there. I’ve seen the end of it. And I want you to know that as you walk through all of this, you’re going to be okay. I haven’t turned my back on you. I’m right here. I always was and I always will be.

Me: *crying* Can you just wait here with me for a while until I calm down? Can you hold me and cover me in your peace before I go back to facing it all again?

God: There’s nothing I’d love more. ❤

You’re Going To Make It

A Girl In A Complex World
Me and Buddy, in the backyard

Sometimes I get out of bed in the morning with an incredible heaviness in my stomach and immediately I think to myself, I’m not going to make it. Today was one of those mornings.

But instead of letting it permeate, I tipped my head back and glanced toward the sky.  Remembering all the other mornings I’ve felt this way I smiled. I made it through all of those days.

And I will make it through this one too.

How My Hope Was Restored With A Shooting Star

A Girl In A Complex World


I don’t have the vocabulary to be able to adequately describe what I am feeling right now. There are simply no words that could do justice in explaining what’s in my heart.

Today was a good day. They’ve been few and far between lately but today the positives just seemed to accumulate, and for that, I am ever so grateful.

Now tonight … it’s hard to even breathe because I am just so overwhelmed. I love nature. I love being outdoors. I live with salt water mere feet from my doorstep. And I love summer nights. Lately, though, I have been so full of darkness that there has been little room for much else. My craving for peace and calm has been so intense that it has morphed into a physical ache.

Tonight as the day came to an end, I felt myself being quickly swallowed up by the darkness once again. I went out and sat on the back patio, to take in a few moments of fresh air before calling it a night, and the sky was incredible. I turned off all the outdoor lights on the house and positioned my chair to get the best view. I sat back and was simply in awe.

The stars were brighter than I ever recall seeing them before. Not a cloud in the sky, just hundreds and thousands of tiny sparkling lights. The longer I sat there on my patio in the dark, the more overwhelmed I felt. Sheer gratitude to be able to sit and see such beauty, with the sound of the light waves on the beach in the background. To be living and breathing and seeing and hearing is a blessing I am so often guilty of taking for granted.

I thanked God, for reminding me that no matter how dark things may appear, there’s always something beautiful waiting for me to experience. I am 42 years old and in my entire life, I’ve just seen one single shooting star. But tonight, in 2 hours, I witnessed 11 of them. ELEVEN!!!!  It was like watching a screensaver on a computer screen.

I feel renewed. I feel refreshed. I feel … hopeful. My cries of desperation seemed to fall on deaf ears lately but I’m now reminded that things are not always as they seem. I believe I was given the opportunity to have this experience tonight so I could be reminded that God never turns a deaf ear to me. Not one tear that has fallen from my eyes has gone unnoticed. And that even though my mind has been full of so much darkness lately …

hope still remains

He Heard Me

A Girl In A Complex World
June 14th, 2024

Yesterday evening was rough. Anxiety had been raging through my body all day and my mood was all over the place. I was pretty discouraged. But it was a beautiful evening and I had been out in the garden. My pain level was quite high and I was close to tears. I sat back in my chair on the patio and I was looking up at the sky. Talking to God, I was telling Him how I could really use a dose of encouragement.

There was a notification on my phone and it was a pastor friend of mine. We began chatting and I shared a bit of what was going on. In between texts I was resting my head against the back of the chair, looking up at the sky. I noticed a long white jet trail stretching out above me. And when I looked closer I saw another trail beginning. I watched the jet make it’s way across the sky, soaking up the beauty of the evening sunset.

I’ve seen many jets in my lifetime, flying high in the sky, but what I witnessed yesterday was like a personal sign from God. The thought came to me … beauty still remains, you just need to look closer. It moved me to tears. The colors of the sky at that precise moment along with the fresh jet streams running above me were such a sight to behold.

I was reminded, in more ways than one, that I am not alone even though it felt that way yesterday evening. I was reminded that in the midst of struggle, beauty remains. Between the words coming to me from Linda and the view stretching across the sky above me, I was encouraged.
Which is what I asked for.

It felt nice to be seen and heard.

🦋

Time Is Funny Like That

A Girl In A Complex World

Do you ever wonder if you’ll ever get over it? Yeah, me too.

Chances are, if it was something that ripped your soul in half, it’s gonna leave a mark.

No. You won’t forget it.

Will you get over it? Maybe not.

But you will get through it.

Because time is funny like that. It drags you along, kicking and screaming, whether you like it or not.

Warrior In The Making

A Girl In A Complex World

You are a warrior!

You’re not crazy. It has all been real, and it stretched you, and at times, it has felt as if it would even kill you.
Their words broke your heart.
Their actions broke your trust.
That injury broke your body.
That illness broke your hope.
That circumstance broke your spirit.
BUT GOD…
He came to overcome it all.
And guess what?
It never broke you!
It challenged you, and it LOST!

You’re still here. You’re not “just” a survivor. You’re a fighter. You’re a warrior. And yes, you may be covered in scars, but they are scars of deaths defeat! Your scars have become a memoir of your  journey, and they tell ONLY a story of triumph!

You see, they don’t see you the same way anymore, because a warrior was birthed from the destruction and fires in your life! What was meant to kill you, didn’t and while some keep judging you for starting over, others are clapping because you never quit! You went into the flames covered in life’s grit, but came out of the fire polished in Gods grace!

The abuse, the pain, the anxiety, the bullying, the fear, the anguish, the doubt, the worry, the crushing, the pulling, the words, the moments, the days and the years – were real, but so was your strength and resilience. You did it. You survived everything they said you wouldn’t! You are still standing, and you are a WARRIOR!

Growing

A Girl In A Complex World

You did not come this far for nothing. I promise you. And deep inside your heart, you know it too.

Yet all the setbacks and all the obstacles and all the dark paths you have faced along the way make you question if you have truly made any progress at all.

Do you remember at the beginning when you could barely see the next moment? Now look at you.

You have grown. And taken chances. And fallen. And gotten back up.

And i think that if you were to be honest, you would admit that occasionally when the light shines just so onto your bedroom walls, you can see a glimmer of something. Something that wasn’t there before.

A dream, perhaps. Or a heartbeat that rises up from a place you never thought you had. You are not just trying. You are doing this.

And every step forward is a step in the right direction. Keep going darling. You’ve got places to go.

Remember, in order to get there you have to actually be here. So don’t throw in the towel just yet. Just you wait and see. Your sunshine is on its way. It won’t keep raining forever.

Holding On

A Girl In A Complex World

Despite my runny nose, sore throat, and hacking cough my heart feels full. The sun is beaming here today. The birds are out enjoying every second of it. While I watch some of them from my kitchen window I also see drops of water fall from the roof, indicating the temperature outside has reached a whopping +10°c. It’s the warmest temperature we’ve had so far in 2024.

The weather man on the local news is saying that tomorrow it will be plummeting to -13°c. That’s quite a drop. Ouch. My mood often fluctuates with the weather, especially this time of year. This back and forth, from hopeful excitement back to depression, will probably be my pattern over the next couple of months as Mother Nature grapples with whether to hold on or let go of this brutal winter.


Yet its an amazing time, hope filling the dark crevices of my soul. Even though the freezing days remind me of my dark moods, I feel a sense of hope glow internally. It may be just a small glimmer but it’s there.

Hold on.

50 Things About Me! ☆Part 2☆

A Girl In A Complex World

26. Can you whistle? Slightly. I can make a sound but that’s about it
27. Where were you born? Grand Falls, NL Canada
28. Any Surgeries? 2 (repair of shoulder following a traumatic arm amputation. And a knee repair)
29. Piercings? 6
30. Shower or bath? Shower
31. Last song you heard? Amazing Love
32. Broken bones? Cheek bones, nose, chin, 5 fractures along my spine, 2 toes
33. How many TV’s in your home? 2
34. Worse pain? Recovering from a car accident was brutal from a physical standpoint. But the worst pain I’ve ever felt was deep within my being. Mental illness was destroying my mind as well as my body and I was crying out to God to let me die. That is a pain unlike any other.
35. Do you like to sing? Yes
36. Are your parents still alive? Yes
37. Do you like to go camping? Love it!!
38. What do you binge watch? All the medical drama shows … 9-1-1/Grey’s Anatomy/The Good Doctor/New Amsterdam etc
39. Favorite Pie? Oooohh. That would definitely have to be cherry
40. Favorite time of day? Sunrise. The darkness is leaving and a new day is dawning
41. Chocolate or vanilla? Definitely vanilla
42. Have you ever been on a plane? Yes. I flew to Ontario to a rehab center then flew back home several months later, clean, sober, and alive!
43. What did you want to be when you grew up? A social worker
44. What is the best job you ever had? I absolutely loved working as an early childhood educator at a local daycare and preschool center
45. Favorite movie? Girl Interrupted
46. Christmas or Halloween? Christmas all the way!!
47. What color is your toothbrush? Purple
48. Bad habits? Skipping meals, not opening mail right away, ignoring the signals my body sends me
49. Last person you hugged? David (husband)
50. What is one thing you could talk about for hours? My dogs!

A Red Light Moment

A Girl In A Complex World
February 9th, 2024 ☆ Gander, Newfoundland

A single moment where colors hit the right places at the right time and I happened to be there to appreciate that moment. When you are practicing mindfulness, learning how to be present and in the moment, it’s rather amazing the things that you may notice. There’s a world full of incredible beauty beyond our awareness that’s just waiting to be embraced. Being mindful allows us to tap into hidden reservoirs of splendor and delight that are available any time – just look closely.

Word Of The Year

A Girl In A Complex World

Have you ever heard of ppl choosing a word of the year? It’s like a way to keep yourself on course. Sort of a guiding star. Or the title to a chapter in the book of your life. Picking a word of the year is less stringent than making a new year’s resolution and it helps you go with the flow without feeling like a failure because you aren’t keeping the resolutions you said you were going to.

It gives you the opportunity to check in during the year and ask yourself if the path you’re on is bringing you closer or further away than where you want to be in your life. It also gives you a chance to DO THE THINGS that put that word at the front of your life. Invite the good things in!

I’ve never picked a word of the year before. I realize upfront that I might not always embody it to the extent that I want to – I admit that. But I will make sure it always teaches me something.

I am grateful for all of the lessons that 2023 taught me but I am more than ready to say goodbye to it. There are some parts of my soul and my self that feel a bit torn, worn out, ragged. At times it was a rough year. Healing always is. Now I find myself needing … something. When I was thinking about what could be my word, ACCEPTANCE came to mind. It encompasses exactly the kind of vibe I need to be in right now. 

So, my word for 2024 is:

I need to make room for the person I am right now. Not dwell on the girl I wish I was or feel sorry for the girl I used to be. But the girl I am right now, in this very moment.  I want to make the best of what happens this year and not constantly think about what my life would be like if things were different.

I want to accept my body as it is. I’ve spent a lot of time trying to change it, never feeling pretty/strong/skinny/capable/flexible/healthy/attractive/innocent/spicy/good … enough. This year I want to accept and appreciate my ageing body for what it can do and what it has to offer me.

I want to be more accepting of ppl – all ppl. My family, my friends, medical professionals, spiritual leaders, cashiers, etc Especially those who have ideas that are different than mine, different beliefs and those in different levels of power. This year I want to use my voice and talk with those people, even a simple hello is often progress for me.

I want to accept offers to try new things and not let my own doubts or anxieties prevent me from stepping forward.

I want to accept that not all days need to be productive. That especially during times of sickness, fatigue and chronic pain some days I need to just be and not worry about checking off things on my ‘to do’ list.

This will be my first time choosing a word of the year and I feel really good about this. I believe that this particular word, ACCEPT, is exactly where my focus needs to be right now. I need to shift myself from avoidance and move into embracing acceptance in all areas.

Did you choose a word or make any resolutions this year? Do tell! Feel free to comment below and tell me what direction you want to go in this year? Happy New Year everyone!

Hope Is Here

A Girl In A Complex World

There’s never been a year when I’ve so needed
To see the season come around
To sing the familiar Christmas carols
And see the lights all over town

Because I need to be reminded
In the darkness of these days
That God is not very far away

Hope is here
Love chose to leave His throne
Hope is here
He made our world His home
I hear an echo from the angels saying
Do not fear
Because hope is here.

Hope For Better Days

A Girl In A Complex World

Take a minute with me, to reflect, breathe, and remind yourself that just because you make mistakes it doesn’t mean that those mistakes define who you are. I just want to make that clear to everyone. None of us are perfect. Everyone experiences challenges and insecurities.

However, the fact that you are still here today after experiencing the depths of your anxiety and loneliness during the night … the fact that you are still getting up every morning … despite all the tears that soaked your pillows while you tried to sleep … the fact that you are still breathing … and the fact that you are right where you are right now …. its all evidence that there is hope for better days to come. You can still become the person that God wants you to be.

Better days are on their way, my friend, better days are on their way.