Every good story has a hero, someone who will sweep in and make things better. What those stories don’t teach us is that we all have the ability to be our own hero. Sometimes we stumble, make choices we wish we hadn’t made, or feel weighed down by our circumstances. Having low moments is normal, especially […]
We all have dreams, or a heart’s desire that we someday hope to accomplish. Perhaps you have a dream that originated years ago, or something new that was born out of a recent experience. Going through trauma changes us in ways that are sometimes hard to define. The impact of this change may have caused
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Life moves at such a busy pace in today’s world that we rarely take time to stop and check in with where we are. Sometimes we don’t check in because we don’t want to deal with the fear of what we will find, and sometimes it is because we feel we don’t have the time
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This summer, celebrate the most important person in your life – YOU! When last did you take time to check in with self? When last did you give yourself credit for your growth, or stop and notice the changes in your life and being? This summer, celebrate the miracle you are. We came into this
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The Summer season brings plenty of fun, outdoor activities and experiences. This summer, I invite you to explore what your version of summer fun is. We often fall into the habit of doing the same activities each season without checking in to see if they still excite us and bring us joy. Are you doing
We are approaching the summer solstice on June 21st, the official start of summer for the northern hemisphere, and the longest day of the year. The summer solstice is an opportunity to tap into the light – the summer energy of blooming and growth. Be open to the possibilities and the awareness that this growth
Traditionally the focus of summer self-care is all about getting our bodies ready for summer as we shed those winter layers. The atmosphere in the air is one of vacation time, with children being out of school, parents planning family vacations, and those who don’t have children, deciding what opportunities summer can bring them. Summer
Summer is here in the northern hemisphere – a time for vacation, family and, perhaps taking a pause. Summer can be a time for reflection. Nature has thawed and is unfurling her magnificence – we can too. Have you taken time to thaw your being? We often get frozen into daily routines, habits, and practices.
Our most powerful nurturer in life is Mother Earth. We can go through life ignoring her wisdom and gifts, or we can pause and expand our world and our harmony of being, by opening ourselves to her gifts. She is mother to all life forms on our planet. Mother Earth is our healer, teacher and guide. As our human mothers teach
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The most unconditional form of love is the unconditional love of a wonderful mother. Mothers have been known to do the impossible out of love for their children. Focus on the magnificent being you are by viewing yourself through the eyes of a mother’s unconditional love. Unconditional love means exercising forgiveness, seeing the beauty in
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This debut memoir chronicles a woman’s spiritual exploration and growth as she overcame a disturbing childhood and helped others heal.
Brought to America from the Dominican Republic as a youngster, Molina-Marshall should have led a happy life. Her father was a diligent worker, and his large family wanted for nothing. But the author recounts that her dad had a drinking problem and was a serial philanderer. Molina-Marshall’s long-suffering mother left him for a woman. Then it was all downhill for the bright, 12-year-old girl, who was shuttled between foster care and relatives. According to the author, she was sexually abused by the husband of one of her siblings. This resulted in Molina-Marshall becoming alienated and moody. By 15, she simply tried to survive. In her favor were grit and a restless intelligence. She quit school, rented a room, and found a factory job. Time went by, and for a while she was happily married. Yet when her husband left her, her life truly began. She turned to religion for answers but decided that blaming God for her woes was a cop-out.
In this absorbing and moving memoir, Molina-Marshall’s vivid storytelling is fearless. She frankly discusses the truths she discovered and the indignities she suffered. These admissions are disclosed with a touch of resignation and plenty of bite. However painful, everything she experienced was a lesson, and she bravely realized that she was part of the problem: “The fear of being hurt, rejected, or abused often led to me feeling lonely and misunderstood. No one knew the agonizing pain I felt being trapped in my thoughts and anger. I was becoming my biggest threat.”
The author skillfully recounts her intricate spiritual journey. To deal with her psychic wounds, she searched for an inspirational system. Her open-mindedness led her to the interfaith concept—cherry-picking from various religions and spiritual movements, yoga, and Indigenous beliefs as a way of finding peace. Along with her female partner, she built a therapy practice, making use of every spiritual element that aided her and others. The road was bumpy, and she found that women of color in same-sex relationships were not welcomed everywhere. To do good works—and finally live on her own terms—she effectively overcame bigotry.
An engrossing, cathartic account of empathy and success through determination and confidence.
Pub Date: May 3, 2022 | ISBN: 978-0-578-38315-6 | Page Count: 264 | Publisher: From Trauma to Triumph | Review Posted Online: June 13, 2022
