Beauty from Ashes.

Those who know me know that I hate people who bully others. From what I know growing up being that person to peers at school to being bullied in school myself. I did it as a way to process my horrific home life and for me it was a survival skill. That’s not an excuse for what I did to others. Then I experienced it as a teenager and it’s not fun at all. One of greatest passions is to stand in the gap for others for children and adults who can’t do that for themselves. When I see it happening now I can’t stay quiet. The biggest reason is because when people knew that something was not right in my home, instead of speaking up they put their heads in the sand.

I hate confrontation but I will do this everyday for the rest of my life if I have to. Maybe this person does it to feel in control of their lives. Maybe they weren’t able to control it as a child/adult. I think of the reasons why they do it. I have heard them say that because of trauma in their lives it’s why they do the things they do.

I get that more than you know, but I also know that we have choices in our lives. Most of my life I have worked hard to get to where I am today. It did not come easy at all but I also didn’t like who I was. I was angry, I never smiled and blamed everyone around me. None of it was my fault.

I knew that there had to be a better life out there and I sought it through amazing counselers in my life. After a lot of years I took responsibility for what I had done. I forgave myself and I sought out healing from the Lord. It didn’t happen overnight, in fact it took years and years. I never ever use my trauma as an excuse for how I behaved. I just didn’t know. Not one soul in my life would ever know what happened to me as a child growing up. I’m a different person these past 9 years. I love who I am and where I am in my life. I am happy. I have an amazing family, friends and a job that I love so much. Life is good.

So what do you do when someone who seeks out the quiet people around you and targets them. This hits home for me and I’ve tried to be compassionate, caring and help them. It’s like they are out to conquer the entire world themselves. These decisions effect everyone around you and it’s like when you throw a rock into a lake  and it creates rings around it, this is called ripples or waves. “These expanding circles are a result of the energy from the rock’s impact traveling outward on the water’s surface” ( taken from Google through AI )This is what happens when one person creates this ripple effect when they try to control others around them. The smooth waters no longer are smooth.

 I’ve been giving it to to the Lord because I can’t control what others are doing. I can only control myself. I hope this person seeks out help because whatever they are doing now is not working for anyone especially themselves.

If your experiencing things in your life that feel out of control. There is help out there. I have an amazing Christian counselor who is helping me in this journey called life. Find someone you trust. ❤️

Today is Father’s Day and six months ago to the day my dad passed away. He passed away on a Sunday the 15th. When he passed away my work gave me this white orchid. It was delivered to my home. It bloomed for a long time. After the last flower dropped off, I just watered it and put it in the window. I noticed buds starting to grow on it. The biggest bud is opening into a beautiful white flower.

I don’t believe in happenstances that is decided to bloom right at Father’s Day and 6 months later. I love that even though it makes me tear up. I miss my dad so much. I miss so many things about him. He had AMAZING stories and he loved to laugh. His smile would brighten up your entire world. He loved adventures and went on many with my mom. He loved reading and you often could find him outside sitting in the shade reading his book.

His face would light up when I came over to visit. When he got dementia every 6 weeks I would go and spend the weekend with him while my mom went to have her own respite. I loved spending time with him. He loved music and we would put on the old records and he would remember all the lyrics. They lived near the beach and we would walk for hours along the shore. He knew every inch of that beach. He dad walked out for 40 years. 

I have a bowl on my patio full of rocks and shells he’s collected and given to me. I even have some driftwood. Sometimes we would sit on a log and look out at the water and watch the boats and the people. He especially loved the children and dogs. We would order pizza and have it delivered to the house. He always told me it was the best he’d ever had.

My dad gave the best hugs. I miss him so much. This is my first Father’s Day without him. I wish we could walk on the beach one more time and he could tell me his stories. I have so many amazing stories about him. My mom and I are doing to hang out tomorrow. It’s hard on my mom she misses her best friend so much. Life is definitely not the same for any of us with my dad here. Happy first Father’s Day in heaven. Know what you are missed and loved so very much. ❤️

We all know how much nutrition is so important for our children. With raising prices and the cost of the living, it sometimes can be really hard to find nutrition for our families.

I work at a community school and I love that we get funds from companies to help feed our children. Every morning we have a breakfast program that helps feed our students in our school. Children that don’t eat breakfast we see lack of concentration and focus. We can see behavioral issues. I will never forget how it feels to feel your stomach growl because your hungry. There is definitely no focusing on anything. It consumes everything you have.

We have a lunch program and families get to contribute what they can. Without proper nutrition It can also affect cognitive development, memory, and overall well-being, making it harder for children to succeed in school and ultimately in life. 

This information is what I found online about children and lack of nutrition.

• Decreased Concentration and Focus:Hunger makes it harder to concentrate and follow instructions, leading to difficulty in learning and retaining information. 
• Learning Difficulties:Lack of essential nutrients can impair cognitive development, affecting memory, problem-solving skills, and overall academic achievement. 
• Lower Test Scores and Academic Performance:Children who are not well-nourished may experience lower scores in vocabulary, reading, and other academic areas. 
• Difficulty Catching Up:Nutritional deficiencies can make it harder for children to keep pace with their peers in academic progress. 

Social-Emotional and Behavioral Impacts:

• Increased Behavioral Issues:Hunger and poor nutrition can contribute to behavioral problems such as aggression, attention deficits, and difficulty with self-regulation. 
• Difficulty Forming Friendships:Children who are hungry may struggle to form healthy social connections and engage in positive social interactions. 
• Higher Rates of Absences:Students experiencing food insecurity may be more likely to miss school due to illness or other factors related to poor nutrition. 

Long-Term Consequences:

• Developmental Delays:Poor nutrition during childhood can lead to long-term developmental delays in cognitive and physical development, impacting future opportunities. 
• Health Problems:Malnutrition can weaken the immune system, increasing the risk of illness and making it harder for children to recover from infections. 
• Lower Work Capacity and Productivity:Nutritional deficiencies can lead to reduced physical and cognitive abilities, potentially impacting future work capacity and productivity. 

I’ve seen the effects of not having enough nutrition as a child. It effects everything in your life. That’s why I have a poor immune system and get sick lots. That’s why school aged children it’s so important for them. Not only do you need it for your brain but also your teeth, bones and your digestive system.

This morning I was really touched by an email sent out to ask our families that there is help. Let’s give children success in their lives so that they can grow and thrive into the best people. ❤️