Mental Health

I know by now much of the world has heard the sad news of Kate Spade taking her own life. This really struck a chord with me for a few reasons, and I felt the need to open up about my own story. Kate was a self-made, successful business woman who created a vibrant brand that is loved by many across the world. By all appearances, she really had it all. A husband of 24 years, a precious 13-year-old daughter and great wealth. We always say “don’t read the comments on the internet” because they can be so divisive, ignorant and downright hurtful. Unfortunately, I did read a few and I feel like it’s understandably hard for people to grasp...

According to Webster’s Dictionary, stress is defined as "a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances." Can I get an AMEN? As women, our stress level varies by the day, hour or minute depending on what our surroundings are. We are constantly worried about our spouse, children and the people around us even if we aren’t conscious of it. There are some things I have found to help de-stress me. Self-care is good for the soul and more than the Instagram posts talking about it. We need to take care of ourselves so that we can then take care of others. One of my favorite self-care quotes that I found comes from Eleanor Brown: “Rest...

One beautiful afternoon in September, I was sitting on the back porch watching my four children play joyfully. My oldest child, age seven, came over and hugged me. “This has been a great day, Mom. Thanks for not yelling at us.” He scooted off to play, and I sat there in shock. “Thanks for not yelling at us” hung in the air. Quickly, I recounted our day and realized he was right - I had not yelled at them all day. I thought back to the week before, where I had called my husband crying, because I was so over homeschooling and being a mom and trying to have a sane home all at once. That day had been...

It wasn't too long ago that I left my family. I told my husband “I’m leaving,” grabbed my purse and walked out. I got into my car and drove away. Now granted I only left for 8 minutes and just went around the block, but I had to. I needed to leave. It had been a day of non-stop whining, demands, fighting from the kids. We are in the process of renovating our home so my husband has been over at the new place working during any free time he has. This leaves me home alone a lot with two children who need constant entertainment, through absolutely no fault of his or their own. This day was particularly hard for no...

Do you ever watch those prescription drug commercials, and listen all the way to the end, only to hear the announcer speak at auction-house-speed about all the terrible side effects the medicine could cause? I know you have. My favorite is when they say, “and death.” Death, no thank you! You get the point.  The disaster that keeps on giving… Once the water began to recede you think to yourself, the hard work of rebuilding has to begin and that will be the worst of it. I don’t think anyone prepares for the side effects of such a traumatic experience. Even if you expected to have some struggles, most people have no clue what to expect. I know I never dreamed I...