by Rebekah Brown | Dec 21, 2022 | Guest Contributor, Holiday Stress, Holidays, Hope
“Peace on earth, goodwill to men” I have been a seeker of peace all my life. Not the kind that has to do with war, or being a peacemaker in desperate places. I have been a seeker of peace of heart. As a trauma survivor, peace of heart has been as elusive as...
by Rebekah Brown | Dec 19, 2022 | Healthy Relationships, Holiday Stress, Holidays, Surviving the Holidays
The Mother of all re-gifting stories I recently regifted a present. It was a journal someone had given me that I could not use. Another friend enjoyed journals, so instead of sending it to Goodwill, I regifted it. As I sat across from my friend, the gift bag...
by Rebekah Brown | Dec 15, 2022 | Boundaries, Guest Contributor, Holiday Stress, Holidays, Hope
I watched as the old mule made one last pass across the field below my Grandmother’s house. Damp earth turned beneath the plow and I knew buried treasure would soon be exposed. My brother and I looked at one another in anticipation. It was the second half of...
by Rebekah Brown | Dec 6, 2022 | Guest Contributor, Holiday Stress, Holidays, Hope
I’d like to tell you about impossibilities. I live in the hottest desert in North America, yet, we pick oranges in January. Out in my yard, a giant succulent named fire stick ought to be green all year, but it turns bright orange in December. Flowers put forth their...
by Rebekah Brown | Dec 1, 2022 | Guest Contributor, Holiday Stress, Holidays, Hope
For a trauma survivor, there is no greater time for struggle and disappointment than the holidays. All the promises of hope, love, togetherness, and peace are empty echoes of the things we always wanted but could never have. When families and relationships are...