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Readers' Poems

Fearless Butterfly

iwalkwithalimp

Untangled

Across the decades
she lived fearlessly
with silent
fear

She trusted that the dry
strong muscles
of her wings
would keep her safe
as long as
she looked over her shoulder

Until the day
she decided
that the words
Fearless Butterfly
was a title of strength

A badge to print over
her heart
A re-frame for
peace of mind, body, soul

The Willow provided
a feathered nest of safety
to breathe
A landing pad for practice flights

And on those cold and windy days
when the sky is grey
and the Willow settles
under winter’s embrace

The butterfly
quietly grows
stronger
loved
free
fearless

©Alexis Rose, Photo by Luca Huter on Unsplash

Thank you for reading my books: If I Could Tell You How It Feels, and Untangled, A Story of Resilience, Courage, and Triumph      

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Mental Health

Emotions on the Rise

iwalkwithalimp

Yesterday I went to a church I attend every so often. I’m not religious, but the pastor and I have become friends and I enjoy his sermons. He is very wise and kind. The church is “Baptist,” but the congregation consists of people with diverse spiritual beliefs and practices. They are very welcoming to all… Continue reading Emotions on the Rise

Guest Blogs

why heal?

iwalkwithalimp

The Wisdom of Tears

159.why heal

When we want to give up on something, we hopefully weigh our options. We ask ourselves why we want to give up, and what would the cost and benefit be if we gave up. 

“Why live?” is a familiar question to this blog, so I wanted to think on the question of “Why heal?” Why go to therapy? Why read these books and articles about my ailments? Why try being healthy? Why take time to think of things that hurt so much to even recall, and had so little justice or affirmation?

I always told myself that I do these things because I don’t want to end up like my parents, whose refusal to heal turned them into the horribly broken and abusive people I know them to be. I would also remember how I want to be a wife (and maybe a mother) someday; a woman who’s…

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Guest Blogs

How to validate our emotions

iwalkwithalimp

Emerging From The Dark Night

Validating our own emotions is not easy for us raised in emotionally dysregulated or neglecting homes.  It is something I have struggled with so much in my sobriety and feel sad that its taken me at least 23 years in sobriety to get this lesson right.  What am sharing here below comes from the excellent book Calming The Emotional Stormby Sheri Van Dijk, MSW.

Calming the Emotional Storm

(the first step)… is to increase your awareness of how you think and feel about your emotions.  If you don’t know how you respond to your feelings, you won’t be able to change your response.  You can practice the following mindfulness exercise to help you become more aware of and accepting towards your emotions.

Sitting or lying in a comfortable position, take a few moments to let your body relax and rest, letting your breath come comfortably and naturally.  When you are ready bring your…

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Guest Blogs

Tattoos – NO APOLOGY

iwalkwithalimp

This survivor reclaimed her power in a beautiful and deeply profound way.

Touched2 MySoul

I hope our relationship has room enough for this conversation. I don’t require your approval. Though I do ask that you respect my decisions.

My tattoos are not some “old fools” thing. My tattoos are me screaming. They are my validation. When I was a child being strangled, and beaten and scared beyond my understanding. I screamed and no one heard me. No one saved me – including you.

My tattoos are me screaming now. Screaming at the top of your lungs for hours, isn’t allowed as an adult- they would lock me up in a psych ward and throw away the key! So I choose to get tattoos. They represent my survival. Though they are hidden most of the time. Those rare moments when they are visible and someone says they are beautiful – it helps to validate my pain. The very pain that no one validated when I…

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Taking Care of Myself

Another Nightmare Last Night

iwalkwithalimp

My nightmares are getting closer together and more intense lately. Last night was a new one, but an old theme – suffocation. After my older brother, Kevin, raped me when I was ten, I swore I would tell our mother in the morning. He left my room but came back when I was asleep. He… Continue reading Another Nightmare Last Night