Two Years Gone: Lessons in Grief & Guilt
January 14, 2018, the day my best friend died. This second year in grief marked a big change for me. The waves weren’t as violent and life wasn’t as hard. Life went on and so did I. It goes without saying, she is on my mind and in my heart every minute. I still spend […]
Redefining PTSD
WOW. That is all I can say. My phone and social media completely blew up following my last post. It’s amazing what happens when we put our heart out there and share our struggles. Here are just a few of the extraordinary messages I received: “i just read your most recent blog post and it […]
Dearest Lorelei, Forget the World and Find Your Tribe
Lorelei splashed in the tub as I gently washed the shampoo from her curly hair. She is the first born of one of my dearest and oldest friends, Katherine. I spent the week with them during my Chattanooga speaking tour. “My curls are tiny!” Five-year old Lorelei exclaimed. “Some people have bigger curls and some people […]
Leaping Once Again
My current state of mind is similar to that of six years ago when I leaping from treatment back out into the ‘real’ world… Journal entry (2.23.2016) “I am feeling lots of things. I am worried about work. I am kind of angry. I want to cry. I want to fall apart. I want to […]
Confession: I Don’t Like My Kids
When I was in middle school my sister and I fought like cats and dogs. Actually, that’s not true. We were worse. Way worse. We fought like two bridezillas at a Vera Wang sample sale. We were vicious. One afternoon my sister and I were verbally abusing each other as we climbed into my mother’s […]
Comparison: The Thief of Recovery
Today, December 14, marks six years in recovery for me. I’ll say that again…SIX freaking YEARS. It seems so hard to believe because it feels like yesterday I walked stumbled through the Carolina House doors. I walked through hopeless, broken and tired. I no longer had the energy to fight the monster in my head, much […]
How to Avoid the Freshman 15
The signature Wal-Mart yellow face smiled down on my mom and me as we slowly pushed our buggy through the back to school aisles. I was just a few weeks away from moving out and into my college dorm at Ole Miss. Most freshman fear the move away from home, making friends or getting into a […]
For the Love of a (Dear) Friend
I have this extraordinary friend. Like really amazing. She is unlike any other person that has entered my life and I know God placed her on my path just when I needed her most. She has been a guiding light of the person I want to be. To say her heart is made of gold […]
We are Carolina House
My heart is so heavy. You read about it in books and listen to therapists tell you that eating disorders kill, but you don’t believe it. You never think it will happen to someone you know and you definitely never think it will take your life. But is does and it can. My heart sinks […]
July 11
.July 11. Today marks four years since I made a decision that would ultimately alter the course of my life. A decision that set me on this beautiful path of recovery. Last year, I told my July 11th story in the blog “Angels Among Us.” This year, I can’t help but reflect on the magnitude that […]