Jack Kent wrote a book called There's No Such Thing as a Dragon, which illustrates the idea of noticing and allowing. One morning, a boy wakes up with a tiny dragon in his bedroom. When he tells his mother, she tells him "there is no such thing as dragons." The two proceed to go about … Continue reading Mindfulness: The Dragon
Trauma
Mindfulness: Allow It
Common to all humanity, at least in my opinion, is the struggle to avoid pain. This includes avoiding the pain that can heal us as well. I dropped a 45lb plate on my big toe a few years ago. That toenail eventually fell off. As it started to grow back, I dropped a tractor tire … Continue reading Mindfulness: Allow It
Question
"Was it rape?" "Can you clarify?" "[person's name]...the first time..." “Let’s process.” After skimming back through Amelia Zachry’s book, Enough: A Memoir of Mistakes, Mania, and Motherhood, I asked my therapist the above question early one Friday evening. The following Tuesday, I sat in my therapist's office feeling lightheaded, weak, and uncomfortable in my skin. … Continue reading Question
Enough
I think it was October of 2022 when I ordered a book called Enough: A Memoir of Mistakes, Mania, and Motherhood by Amelia Zachry. I started reading the book almost immediately after receiving it and sent Amelia a message about her story's impact and that I was gleaning so much from it. The more I read, the … Continue reading Enough
Mindfulness: Don’t Look Away
Not two months after being released from the Trauma Institute at the Psychological Institute of Washington (D.C.) my brother passed away suddenly. About a week before he passed away, he had called me to chat. I let it go to voicemail but called back later. He didn't answer, so I left him a voicemail message … Continue reading Mindfulness: Don’t Look Away
Do The Dang Thing
There is a part of me that makes accusations, nasty ones. “You’re not good enough.” “You suck.” “You deserve everything that has happened.” “You are a f*ckup.” “If anyone knows how weak you are, you will be deserted.” “If people know you, they won’t like you.” And so much more. That part feeds shame and … Continue reading Do The Dang Thing
I Needed The “Luckiest Girl Alive”
I understand the importance of trigger warnings for people. I really do. We owe it to survivors of traumatic situations to put a trigger warning on things, but as someone who has experienced some traumatic situations, I need the debate to be less about an attempt to sensor material and more about sensitivity to those … Continue reading I Needed The “Luckiest Girl Alive”
Embrace the Suck…Er…Shame (Part)
Have you ever pretended to be someone you aren’t? I don’t mean “fake it until you make it.” I mean acting a part but being an imposter. I recently read about a man who may have murdered a twenty-year-old man, but investigators couldn’t prove it. Instead, they charged the man for every other crime they … Continue reading Embrace the Suck…Er…Shame (Part)
Power Rangers and Parts
Photo by Raphaël Cubertafon on Unsplash Let’s talk for a moment about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. At the expense of my son’s future dignity, I will reveal that he watched several episodes and a movie recently, and that provided me with the small amount of information I have here. The Power Rangers were not … Continue reading Power Rangers and Parts
The Heavy Bag
Photo by Milo Bunnik on Unsplash Last night I couldn’t sleep. For some reason, I kept thinking about a punching bag—one I had beaten for close to 10 minutes straight without a break. When I couldn’t possibly throw another punch, I held the heavy bag. When I say I held it, I mean I flat-out … Continue reading The Heavy Bag
Burn the Boat! 