Writing Again

I say from time to time “I’m not working on any books for a while or maybe at all ever again” but I did decide I have one non-fiction in me, so I have started on that. Gosh I write, journal, blog a lot. It is indeed my very life.

For the first time in a long while I have days that are full to the brim, though, with work. I am taking (currently) two classes, I have an art therapy client, and I’m working on the book. Oh, and trying to keep up with the household stuff, enjoy fam when they come, have any kind of a small social life. And I I am debating starting my YouTube videos back up again. Maybe weekly, maybe monthly.

One of the things I have been taught in one of my classes is the idea that one cannot be truly happy or fulfilled without giving back in some way. Back in my church days, I had a bit more of an ability to help, mostly with acts of service, but sometimes lead a class or something. Counsel with someone who needed a listening ear. These days I don’t have any real venue unless I make it, such as with art therapy or on YouTube.

Sadly, I do like the sound of my own voice, sometimes… lol. Talk, talk, talk. But if I do have any gift to share, I ought to get on with it, stop pussy-footing around and being all like “eh can I do it?” Just woman up and get it done. So that’s where I’m at. It’s a good place to be.

October Something

My God it has been so long since I blogged. What in hell have I been doing? I guess reading a ton, a little writing, a little arting, some game-playing and a lot of just trying to survive day to day.

I can feel it burbling and boiling and roiling (I was awake at 4 a.m. and the most provocative, insightful and genius thoughts and ideas were running through my head but I had NOT the ability to arouse out of the bed and jot them down, and so, as they tend to do, the little bastards flew away at the light of day.) But it is well past time.

I title this October Something because in reality I don’t know what day it is. (I rarely do.) I know it’s Thursday, that’s the best I can do. I haven’t the motivation to look it up. Who cares in the end?

I am trying to coax all of my wanderings and thoughts and rambles to come back out of hiding and come to rest on my shoulders again so I can get them down, blast it. Listening to a podcast (involving Russel Brand and Gabor Mate) which is firing up my little gray cells. The deep thoughts are lurking, waiting to pounce.

I just heard that even rats (they’ve done experiments) are known to have compassion. If you hurt them, they have a certain level of stress hormone. If you hurt the rat next to them, their stress is higher. They feel compassion and empathy. One could conclude it is something we mammals are born with. Then what the hell have us humans done to ourselves that so many have lost this ability? It boggles the mind.

We have lived within our narrow confining cocoons for so long, being told how to feel, what to feel, how to behave, and we’ve grown so comfortable with it. Such good little sheep we are. And now, in the age of the internet, we’re so hyper-aware of others’ thoughts and opinions, and we are freaking out and melting down. But still most people will tell you that THEIR ideology or worldview is the only one that is true and real and right. It makes me laugh.

All the many things that are so very unimportant is all that our world has chosen to focus on. We buy and buy, we hide and cry, our purchases not fulfilling us for long. We’ve gotten so very off course. 

Try to imagine what an enlightened race from another planet would think if they were observing us right now. The brainwashed far right spouting what they’ve always been taught (and are still being taught) is the absolute truth and right as rain (because, of course, what else would they spout when they’ve locked themselves away for decades, refusing to see anything else, anything new or different, any new thought or idea that may (heaven forbid) show us we’ve drifted far off course?) Cuz who wants to admit that may have been or may be wrong about anything? Certainly not a human American in 2020.

Or the far left or the far any-direction extremist of any background, who cannot, no, WILL not see anything that doesn’t fit their box? Willful ignorance, it’s a thing. Naivete’, simple ignorance (just not knowing, not having information) is one thing, but willfully refusing to learn, grow, study, THINK for ourselves is the true pandemic. Heaven help us all.

We’d much prefer to fit in with the Joneses of the Republican party or the Smiths of the Democratic, than to confront our own selves. To confront our own prejudices, biases, the WRONGness that surrounds us and is threatening to swallow us whole. (One might think that coming out of something very narrow and limited, I’d be more sympathetic, but I’m not.) Again of genuine ignorance I can be somewhat sympathetic, but a refusal to listen, to see, to seek, to grow, to ZOOM out and see the whole world as one large human family…. It’s at minimum, a pet peeve.

I never dreamed the world, humans, would behave in the ways I have witnessed in the last decade, hell, even the last year. I sometimes wonder if I might not jostle and stir and awake from a deep sleep and a bad nightmare. Awake to find people who genuinely reason out and think while loving their neighbors and friends. Who understand that we are all one (it isn’t us vs them, America vs every other country, white vs black, Christian vs Jew or more likely everyone else). We’ve lost it. Entirely. We’ve lost love.

If you’ve been raised to believe the sky is purple and made of marshmallow cream, you’ll grow up believing that with a religious fervor. No-one will be able to talk you out of it. And oh how the world would tilt on its axis if someone tried to tell you that there is actually oxygen in the air and the sky is more often blue than purple. And yes, much of what is going on these days is just this ridiculous.

We have a leader that openly bad-mouths women and minorities, talks and tweets continually in the most horrible and hateful (and ignorant) of ways, and many on the far right call him the second coming of Jesus. I literally have become convinced that there is nothing that man could do that would cause his followers to stop following him. He is untouchable. He is the King. They will literally follow him off a cliff. It’s Hitler-ish in its blind intensity. Yeah, so he can make your 401K gain more interest than ever before. Does this mean I would follow him? Praise him? Or even put up with him? People have lost all of their sense. 

One thing I believe Christianity teaches (wrongly) is that we must follow blindly whatever leader happens to be in office. I do not believe this is something God would want us to do, not any God I could follow. “Just put up with abuse, with wrong, bad leaders,” yeah like he told the people it would be better to wander desperate in the desert than to be under pharoah? One of many, many discrepancies in the bible as we know it. I don’t buy it, never will.

I’ve been reading a story about a family in Poland during the Nazi occupation, and any time I read about Hitler, I am reminded of just how easy it is to be blinded, to close our eyes to the tyranny in front of us. To blindly follow. It makes me want to vomit. Truly. It is the observing of blind-followers that makes me refuse to follow man-made religion ever again. It is just too easy to Jim Jones it, to frack it all up. There are far too many sheep on planet earth.

I won’t be a sheep, not ever. No matter how hard it will be or how many friends I lose, I will always follow my heart and conscience and science and fact. It’s lonely out here, but here I will stay.

I don’t hate, (not people anyway). I hate evil. I hate ignorance and darkness. I hate that there is such pain and abuse and hatred and bigotry on our planet, amongst our people. I hate (currently) that I have to be lumped into this thing called “humanity” alongside those who seem so inhuman, inhumane. 

Perhaps this is all growing pains, maybe since the internet age began we are just going through so many changes, too quickly and it is hard and maybe a certain amount of this BS is unavoidable, I do not know, but I fear the world my grandkids will deal with. Maybe every generation says the same.

The indomitable human spirit, though… Those who gave their lives to bring some information to the British government about the Nazi occupation. Those who risked their lives and often gave them, to hide people that were being murdered for no other reason than their country or religion of birth. (Do any of us have this kind of spirit, this kind of strength nowadays? I often wonder. I wonder if I do.)

If nothing else, this time in history is giving us a chance to stop and think and ponder about the nature of mankind, about our predicament, our circumstance. We are being given a chance to rediscover our empathy, our hearts, to keep our minds and our wits about us. I truly hope we don’t blow it.

Blog June 5, 2020 from the Virtual Blanket-Fort

I say “Ow!” when I’m poked. I sometimes lash out when I feel uncomfortable or attacked. I admit it. It’d be hard NOT to be uncomfortable this year, this month, with all that is going on. And growth is painful as a bitch.

This difficult time is definitely making me take stock, re-affirm the things I know to be true and stretch myself way beyond what is comfortable.

When hurt I do tend to retreat to a safe fall-back bunker, a virtual blanket fort of comfort and self-soothing. I’ve been camped there for about three days, trying to heal enough to poke my head back out. (Especially on social media.)

Sigh.

I find myself afraid to speak in such sensitive times. I definitely do feel like everything I say is picked apart.

I’m not a perfect person, I’m a recovering perfectionist, which, in case you have any confusion, is not a really good thing to be. It’s got the word “perfect” stuck right in there, but it is so far from being the reality.

I was looking back at some thoughts I had a few years ago and was able to say that I’ve definitely grown in some areas, but I have a long way to go. I’m not a person who does “politically-correct” very well, I don’t like to be censored. But even more than that, I don’t want to hurt people who are already hurting. But all I know is how to be myself and speak the way I speak and if I inadvertently hurt someone, try to apologize and pick up the pieces the best I can.

My religion is this: LOVE.

My fallback position is this: LOVE

My answer to most of life’s ills is this: LOVE

I don’t pretend to know how to walk out the answers to the world’s troubles, and I don’t believe in pat answers anyway. But more love, more education, hearts and minds that are opened and willing to learn and grow, this is a key for me. If it isn’t key in your life, we’re probably going to butt heads… a lot.

If you think you’ve got it all figured out, we aren’t gonna mesh well. Heaven knows I struggle with my own self daily to strike a balance between confidence and being a know-it-all. I don’t know it all but also, I’ve learned a very tough lesson about adopting the views of other’s blindly and I don’t do that anymore. And yes, I’m prickly about it. But I’m not likely to join a cult, either. I’m not much of a joiner at all these days.

As I DO feel I’m walking on eggshells, I’ll just say this. I’ve been wrong in the past, and I know I still have things to learn, especially about racism. Also I hate being judged by those who don’t know me. I’m prickly about that, too. (I have a lot of my own issues based on my own experiences, as you have yours.) Rest assured, I’m continually working on me. But I cannot and will not blindly adopt the belief systems of others, (especially when their answer is for me to just be more like them.) For me to know something and know it well, deep down, I have to examine it closely for myself. I’ve grown sick of people telling me what to say or who to be. Sick and tired. A prickly point for me? Yes, indeed.

Also, sick of all the hate, bigotry, misogyny, and racism in the world. If you’re trying to fight that, we are more on the same side than you know.

You do you and I’ll stay in my cozy fort continually working on who ME is. I’ll keep growing and keep learning. I’ll keep doing me the best way I know how to, on any given day. My virtual blanket-fort can be a lonely place at times, but sometimes that’s the point.

And sometimes I invite special folks in for a visit. Special in their love and compassion, usually. (I have little patience for criticism or judgment.)

For those fighting the good fight in big ways and small, for working on yourself, too, no matter how uncomfortable, I salute you.

(Comes out from blanket-fort long enough for fist bumps and coffee mug clinks.)

Peace Out

Blog June 3, 2020

I have (at least temporarily) deactivated my Facebook account. It is an arena that I am going to decline to participate in any longer, maybe permanently, not sure. I finally asked myself. “If you went into a room every day and someone punched you in the gut each day, would you keep going into that room?” My answer was no, that would not be wise.

Some of my frustration word vomit for the day:

Me: I am horrified at what’s happening in the world, the murder of George Floyd. It’s horrible.”

The world: “Don’t say that.”

Me: “Don’t say what?”

The world: “Don’t say it’s horrible, say this instead.”

Me: “Um… huh?”

The world: “Don’t say this, say that.”

Me: “Stop- telling me what to say!”

The world: “Don’t talk about it.”

Me: “Huh?”

The world: “But whatever you do, don’t be silent.”

Tons of white girls: “We know what you are to say and do. Do this.”

Other people of all backgrounds: “No, don’t do or say that. It’s offensive and wrong.”

Me: *face-palming* “Stop it!!”

And that explains my life lately.

But ultimately, it isn’t about me and I recognize that. As with all things, each person handles it differently. What I can no longer do, though, is be told what to do and what not to do every day by fifty random people, all of which tell me to do something different. No, thanks.

So I will default to just me being me the best way I know how. That’s my wheelhouse.

Don’t tell me who I am based on my skin color, if you didn’t notice, EVERYone hates that. If you truly don’t want to hear what I have to say then don’t read what I have to say. Simple enough, right? Right. Thanks. Moving on.

Meanwhile, Covid 19 is being summarily ignored as if it no longer exists. Our county seems to have levelled off at least, so that is good news. This week I am returning to my doc appointments, trying to get caught up there. The mask/no mask battle rages and frankly I don’t care what you think about it, you do you. I am going to wear a mask. The doctor’s offices I am going to have asked me to wear them and I am going to comply. I am also going to wash my mask regularly because that’s just good sense.

Tense, horrible times we live in. And ultimately people who follow blindly are my biggest source of stress.(It being a given that hatred and murder suck.) I cannot be around those who think DT is the second coming. I just can’t. I will blow a blood vessel. 

So. Not much else to say today, except that I am hoping, vibing, praying for change. I will continue to love and to hold out hope because ultimately what else can you do?

Peace Out

May 28th Update (on virus thoughts and life, etc)

May 28th update on my thoughts on the virus and our response, long term:

Everyone has had their own reactions and responses to this horrific event, and our views change (or should evolve and grow) over time. Mine have. The things I thought and felt at day one or week two or day 45 of isolation, they have changed and evolved as things have progressed. I still witness so many people being rude and thoughtless and downright mean-spirited on the daily and this is heart-breaking. I made the decision early on to be open-minded, find facts (as much as anyone can), not get drawn into lunatic conspiracy theories, and adjust my thinking as more info presented itself. The following is where I am at today, May 28th.

Leaving conspiracy theories aside (which I am absolutely doing) though I acknowledge this is a crazy messed up, money-obsessed world with all kinds of things going on that most people don’t know anything about, I believe the world has always operated this way so I’m not shocked at all by any of it. We just hear more now than we ever did before. (And what we hear is distorted to fit someone’s agenda, I guarantee you that much.) Those things aside, here it is.

I think there have been and are still many of us, particularly those of us who would consider ourselves or close loved ones to be high risk, that have felt like this would all one day pass… in 14 days or 30 days or 90 days, that one day it will magically disappear and we can all leave our homes again absolutely risk-free. I no longer believe this is going to happen. If it does, I will be thrilled, obviously, but from all I have read, I now believe that this virus isn’t going anywhere, not for a very, very long time and may stay around pretty much forever much like the cold viruses we have now.

So. If this is indeed true, (and I am not quoting anyone here because people choose to believe what they will and it does not matter one iota what the source is, I’ve seen this many times), then one must then decide what to do about it. To me, wisdom says, be careful, wear masks, wash your hands a lot, stay away from large crowds of people (etc) while also beginning to get back to some sense of life. For me, the biggest thing is being able to see my kids and grandkids again. For some it is going back to work or finding a new job. So, for me, I am working towards a date in the near future where I will be able to see my loved ones, while we all act responsibly (making sure everyone is well at the time of visits, etc). Because it is either this or resign myself to never seeing them again, and I am here to tell you, that is not an option for me.

So over the coming weeks I will begin to wear a mask and go shopping again. Go to my doctor’s visits again. See my chiropractor. Go back to my allergy clinic for shots, and other such things. I intend to be very careful about where I go and take care of myself as well as I possibly can, but I cannot simply stop living forever or stop seeing my family forever. I can’t NEVER go back to a doctor. Life has got to go on. I have come to understand and accept this.

I am endeavoring to accept anyone and everyone’s points of view (as long as they are being kind and compassionate, because I will never understand the mean-ness.) Each of us must decide what feels right for us and our loved ones.

Because we were already so divided (and there are many people in some extreme camps right now in my opinion) the virus took an already touchy and difficult situation and made it a million times worse. If or when I have to, I will delete my social media accounts altogether, but I am HOPING and trusting humanity enough to try and keep my friends and contacts through social media as long as possible. Nonsense will not be tolerated. I do not mind discussing things with anyone but SHOUTING and talking down to me or others or name calling will not be tolerated on my timelines. If I have to go down to 3 people, then I will.

I don’t know where you are at in your thinking about what lies ahead for you and yours, but whatever it is, I offer you compassion and understanding. I say take as much time as you need. Do what you have to do. Just please be patient with others (as I am trying to as well.)

It’s my opinion that as time goes on, we will all have to “come out from under” at some point and find our “new normal”. It’s that or lay down and die. But you do YOU, do what you need to and when you need to, and each of us are in different areas and different situations. Tread carefully. Be mindful of others please, and if you cannot, then take yourself away from me.

Be well, my friends. Be whole. Be compassionate. Be loving. Be alive.

Peace Out

Almost Normal

A good Saturday.

There’s a line in the movie Beverly Hills Ninja where Chris Rock’s character says something like, “Man, every time I leave my house, everywhere I go, there’s someone waiting there to kick my ass.” I haven’t watched that movie in years but apparently that line stuck with me. Cuz I do feel like that sometimes. Metaphorically speaking.

Definitely social media feels like that. Many of us have become careful about what we say, because no matter what it is, there’s someone out there that not only disagrees with you, but wants to kick your ass about it. It’s so tiring. And it happens now more than ever before as we have become so divided. That’s one reason why I’ve started blogging here more rather than saying all my “word vomit” right there on Facebook. I figure the amount of people who will actually care what I have to say enough to click through is small and even the ones who do, rarely want to leave a comment. Hey, cool with me, cuz –if ya can’t say something nice, don’t say nothing at all–works for me.

Me and hubs spent a lot of time outside earlier and even went for a ride in the car, windows down and music blaring. It felt almost, dare I say it, normal. We went over and looked at the ocean but didn’t get out of the car, just drove around a bit. Things are really starting to open up over at the beach area, more and more people are going to the beaches even though they still have the boardwalk and the parking areas blocked off, which makes no sense to me, but there ya go. Seems to me that if ya can plop your chair down and sit on the beach, that’s no worse by parking your car nearby or being able to walk the boardwalk, but I guess they don’t agree.

We’re thinking and hoping to go to the beach in a couple weeks time (we saw some areas that were completely deserted where we could go and still be away from everyone.) It will be nice to do that again. We still plan to avoid restaurants (except take-out) for a bit longer and are staying away from everyone for a while yet. To each their own, I suppose, but we will make our own decisions on where to go and when. (We should live in the ‘show me” state cuz we are big on waiting and watching.) We seem to be down to one new case a day in our county, so I hope the low numbers continue to go down.

Meanwhile, as I said, today has felt nearly normal and we have been needing some of that. The emotional wear and tear on people can be so devastating, but I know people have different thoughts on when and where they go. We’re just taking it slow and easy. It helps me so much mentally just to get outside and get some sun. Hubby will be good once he can start on an outdoor project he has been wanting to get started on, which should happen soon. I think I worry about him more than me (as far as how we’re coping.) I guess because I am so much more used to being at home a lot and not seeing other people for days or weeks at a time. My social butterfly is struggling. Not sleeping well, etc. He’s good, I mean I really think he is, but it’s just so new and different for him. And in the midst of it all, we both realize how incredibly fortunate we are compared to some who have lost jobs, loved ones, etc.

Gratitude helps.

I guess Almost Normal will have to suffice for this weekend, and oh yeah, Happy Mother’s Day  to any Moms out there. I hope you are being loved on. 

Love and safe hugs to all my buds out there! Hang in there.

Peace Out

Melancholy Day

Daily blog. Nearing the middle of May and our lockdown that was initially going to be for 14 days is now around, what, forty-something? And no answers in sight, only a lot of supposition, misinformation, and scrambling… by and large anyway.

Watching so much TV. But everything I do is from home and has been for some time and I’ve put the TV on for company for years, but still… even more. Distraction. But it’s shows, not news.

It’s true what I’ve read about how we tend to go along relatively well for a few days and then have a bad day or two. Up days and down days. A real-life roller coaster.

I do my best when I just focus on the day-to-day, Laundry. Dishes. Grocery lists. Making lists of things that need doing or that I want to do. Being creative helps so much. Exercise helps. Sunshine helps. And what keeps me the most calm is refusing to listen to the muck and junk going on out there. I listen to the news only once or twice a week from our local channel, occasionally watching when our Mayor is on TV. There’s an absolute Ocean of Crazy out there and I don’t intend to drown in it.

Stress is real and it is a killer.

So grateful for my husband (that I’m not entirely alone, as some are). I’m beginning to understand why people do the things they do a bit better, the utter madness, the things we grasp at… the ways we cope. And I can be a judgy asshole, I freely admit it. This is teaching me how NOT to be one, not quite so much. Being stretched in that direction, anyway.

I may never truly understand the perspective of some others but must then also accept that they may never get mine, either. Trying to have love and compassion as my fall-back position. It’s not always easy. Maybe especially for someone like me.

Also grateful that I have a nice home and some outdoor space where I can still be a good distance from others. Grateful that as many, many others have to continue to go out into the world to work, I am able to stay home. I know many have lost their incomes entirely. It could happen to any of us at any time.

Talking to a good friend and neighbor yesterday was good for me (and her, I think). To hear another human’s voice besides mine and my husband’s. And I get to speak with or Skype with family occasionally. 

I’ve come to realize that I’ve been working so hard on myself, to get myself together, figure out exactly who I am and what I can and do believe, that I’ve utterly isolated myself from most other people and I was doing this long before lockdown. Perhaps for years. It’s a trap we introverts can easily fall into.

I’m going to endeavor, especially once we can get out and around again safely, to socialize more, be more open to friendship and to allow people to be who they are. I think I’m ready. I’m ready to be around those very different from myself and still be able to love and embrace them. At least I think I am. I think I will be by the time we are “released” from this nightmare. Realizing that I will still be “too much” or “too different” for some. (Always have been, always will be. I’ve accepted it.) But for me… I WILL be open to more. (And it will be an act of pure WILL.)

Facing yet another day in isolation and here in solidarity with the rest of you also doing so…

Peace Out

My Thoughts Today June 21, 2019

Had a great idea today, got it from watching NCIS. I’m thinking of doing a Dead President’s Journal. Let me explain:

It’s not really anything to do with whichever dead president you choose to write to, it’s about writing a letter to someone who will never get it, never read it, in fact you’ll never send it anywhere. It’s your journal, your diary. Sort of like having a dead Pen Pal. Writing TO someone appeals to me. I feel like I might write differently. Yet this person I can really dump on and they won’t mind. Yeah, I think I’m gonna do this.

My nails are too long and it’s making it hard to type. Time to trim.

I am sooo enjoying my art journaling class and love my teacher (and the guest teachers, too). I feel like it’s taking me to the next level in my art journey and this thrills me to no end. I may be finding my own style, my own groove, and damn, that’s a happy place.

I’ve been taking an all-natural immune system booster thingy that seems to be working well for me. I finally think I see a light at the end of the tunnel and may be getting my health back. I have no idea what to do with all the energy I will have if this continues to work well (see all my rants about having sinus infections and a cough for 17 months straight and the docs, 5 of them, saying, “We can’t give you any more steroids and antibiotics for this,” and I’m like Oh Crap), like, I actually convinced hubs to move out of state to see if it would fix my health and it is a bit better with that alone, but mostly I was still struggling, so this health thing is HUGE for me, I cannot even tell you. I may finally be able to take over the world… or at least handle my own.

As for deep spiritual and philosophical stuff, I can only say I continue on my journey, and find more truths daily. The thing I have also found is that, if you have an epiphany or find some nugget of truth, it doesn’t pay to try to share that with anyone who simply cannot be there at the same time with you. Some things really are best unsaid, unless or until you find the gems in your life who get it and can genuinely hear what you’re saying and even kinda understand it. Or, even if they don’t get IT, they kinda get You, and that alone is truly special. Love my gold nuggets, my fam and friends. My art and literary tribes have become super special to me. Artsy people tend to be a different sort; quirky, swirly, different, weird, twirly, crunchy, and wonderful. They are my truest peeps.

I see God weekly at the beach. Sitting and watching the pale whitish crabs pop up outta the sand and toss aside the dirt they just dug out, then look at me and blink their odd little eyes (that sit atop sticks outta their heads) entertains and thrills me like mad. The pelicans that live and play in our area are also quite entertaining. I love how they fly in formation, and if one falls behind, they will come back for him. I really love when they fly super high, then dive straight down into the water to catch a fish.

There are so may lessons in nature, and they don’t involve pulpits or country clubs. The crabs, the pelicans, they just live their lives. They ARE who they are, they just BE. They do what they were made to do.

(MS Word keeps telling me I ought not say “outta” and such things, but hey, this isn’t for a book, it’s just between us friends, so I’m gonna take off my “editor” cap and let it flow.)

Maybe the biggest/bestest thing I’ve learned in the past decade, is that I do not have to care a whit about what others think of me. I can just BE. Be me, just like the crabs and pelicans. Ya think the pelicans go up to the crabs and ask why they behave the way they do? I think not. Live and let live. You be you and I’ll be me. So liberating, so powerful. And to think I used to think it was some duty of mine to go out and change everyone else so that I might understand them better. It is to laugh.

So much of who and what we are is handed down to us, it’s learned behavior, tradition, family patterns, whatever. It’s so powerful to finally look at all of that objectively, to choose what fits me and discard the rest. Forty, or even ten years ago, I could never have imagined being able to do such a thing.

And so, I come back to this… I am good. That means I am well and happy. I have moments of pure joy, times of sadness or despair, aggravation, even depression at times, but all in all, it is truly well with my soul. Because I finally found ME. I now know who I am. And I love me. And that’s pretty all right.