Life has been hard but life has also been good. I have gone through things I never thought I could handle. I’m still standing. I think besides the greatest thing I’ve come to know-the love of God and Spirit, the second greatest thing I have learned is that hardship can work for good if you just have faith.
For those of you who know my story, please humor me over the next paragraph. For those of you who aren’t familiar with my story, I will suffice to say that life has been rough. I’ve gone through abuse of numerous kinds, substance abuse, the death of two children and suicidal tendencies as a result of the pain that has rocked my life even up until recently. I am happy to say, though, that I have made the decision to move forward in the honor of my children’s memories and most of all, in the honor of my heavenly Father who so graciously saved them from the fate of death. It’s been a long, trying, at times desperate road, but I choose to walk the rest of the way in as much peace and love as I can muster. The perspective of being a help to others keeps me motivated too. Which brings me to the topic of this blog post: my extreme gratefulness for the awards I’ve won for my books.
My books are written about the pain that I’ve been through. I was hesitant to start writing about my life but I have found that in the three books I have penned thus far, the lessons I’ve learned and shared in my poetry and prose have blessed other people. I had no idea they would be so well received. It is a bittersweet yet beautiful opportunity that I’ve had to experience the effect my writing has had on others. To date, I have won 30 awards for my three published books. I can’t even describe how that makes me feel. So much pain has gone into the pages of these books, including the memory of my most recent child’s death. Before she passed, she convinced me to write Breaking The Silence. Because of her that book is published. I also penned Poetry and Ponderings while she was still with me and we were waiting expectantly to see how that book would help others as well. Unfortunately, she left me before Poetry and Ponderings was published.
To all of you who have gone through trauma and grief, know that you are not alone. Also know that there is a possibility for a brighter day on the horizon. It is with great respect to you and hope that you can find strength to move on that I accept these awards. Because it has not only changed my life but also those of you who have contacted me or left reviews regarding my words that you have read. I will never take these things for granted because I believe that we are all here for a reason, together for a purpose and destined to do something wonderful that will help each other and the world around us to thrive. I pray we will all grow in Spirit and fulfill our destinies. Because that is the end result which will change everything for the better.
God bless!