Artwork by Michael Williams @kcmidtownartist When you saw the photo, did your brain make up a story? My brain used to do that, and still does occasionally about many things not only the homeless. One of the most important lessons I have learned is how dangerous it can be to my relationships to make up stories in my mind about anything...what someone is thinking, feeling...and why someone is in the situation they are in or how easy it would be to get out of it. I have come to

Novelist Mary Ann Evans, who wrote under the pen name George Eliot, said, “What do we live for; if it is not to make life less difficult for each other?" Having no knowledge of her, I searched her name and read a bit about her life. Very quickly, I felt akin to her through the romantic relationship challenges, spiritual questions, and love of writing she experienced. Evans lived from 1819-1880 and while her memoir could have been quite powerful, she didn't write under her own

Being human is hard. Raising a human is even harder. "I don’t remember many details of my childhood, but when I look back at pictures, I don’t see a girl who was very happy. And while it would be understandable to feel badly about the clothing and hair styles of the 70s and 80s, I see more than that: I see real sadness and loneliness in that little girl’s eyes." Ginger Bliss, excerpt from the memoir, Brave Enough To Be Bliss Fact: We live in an imperfect world with imperfect

“You don't have a soul. You are a soul. You have a body.” C.S. Lewis Last month, I went to a wedding where the guest attire was formal. Knowing it would be breezy and humid at the outdoor venue, I had wanted to have my hair put up. The stylist was a lovely young woman who I thoroughly enjoyed talking with, but my hair wasn't turning out like my photo from a previous formal event I had shown her. I was honest saying what I didn't like (which used to be hard for me to do), so s

This weekend, I had the honor of attending the wedding of my daughter Kylee's longtime best friend, Danielle. Kylee is the matron of honor, just as Danielle stood beside her at her wedding five years ago as shown in this photo. I've watched these two girls, who are turning 30 this year, grow up together. From the days when they were in elementary school on the soccer field to the countless birthday parties and Halloween costumes, playdates and sleepovers. From summer vacation

The following song came on after a playlist, and I thought it was a great representation of what so many humans need with one caveat, think of the word love in this song as a relationship…to be taught how to love or more accurately, to be taught how to behave in healthy ways within a relationship whether it's again or, like me, for the very first time. Teach Me How To Love Again While the song is referring to a romantic relationship, the same lessons can be applied anytime be

“I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time.” Anna Freud As a healthcare administrator for more than 20 years, I am very aware of how a full moon can signal a bad, or at least a rather crazy night in an emergency department. So, after waking the morning of my birthday recently seeing there was a very crisp, clear full moon still shining brightly, I wasn't quite sure what to think. As the morning pro

This morning, I was reminded of how paralyzing fear can be. It's similar to a first glance of this photo, it looks like the pier will be a perfect place to go sit and admire the ocean but as you look more closely you can see it was damaged in the last hurricane and has yet to be repaired so walking too far out can be treacherous, even life threatening according to the sign's warning. And that reminded me of fear and the alarm signals that go off in our brains based on past pa

I was with a friend last weekend who understandably didn’t eat a "bad spot" in a piece of pineapple, but as I pushed it off the plate and down the garbage disposal, it occurred to me that is how we sometimes treat people when we identify something that doesn’t appear quite right or that concerns us. We can often see or feel bad spots in fruit when we are making selections in the grocery store, but sometimes like with the pineapple, discoloring occurs after cutting it up and t

Dedicated to Gabriella Ann "Gabby" Collins , January 24, 2007-March 31, 2025, and Austin Hayes Waters , December 19, 1994-January 28, 2025, and all their family and friends who love them so dearly. Several years back, if I had read this blog, or virtually any other similar message, I would have disregarded it thinking, she doesn’t know my pain, she must not have challenges like I have, life must be easy for her, she doesn’t live in my brain, etc., etc., etc. I was a master at

After selling my home more than two years ago and getting rid of all but a few physical possessions in order to go away and write my memoir, I returned to Kansas City last year and told my daughter I wasn’t going to buy any Christmas decor for my little studio apartment. My little lover of all things Christmas, who is now 29 years old, wasn’t going to let me get away with making it easy on myself. It sounded blasphemous to her not to have at least some holiday decor, so she b

I was out of town visiting my sister and her family and, on the way back, there was a slight detour because an overpass had been torn out...

I don't often write about my spiritual beliefs, not because I'm uncomfortable doing so, but rather because there are so many people who...

There's a song I'll share at the end of this message that I heard earlier this week. I may have heard it before, but this time I really...

"If one day you have to choose between the world and love, remember this: If you choose the world you’ll be left without love, but if you...

As a parent, I wanted to believe that I could protect my child. I wanted to believe that I could make her life better, happier and safer...

In my memoir, I write about telling my daughter, Kylee, I would take a self-defense class after I finished writing the book and returned...

As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words...but I have just a few more to add. And for anyone who knows me, or better yet...

In memory of Thomas Joseph Karlin May 2, 1994- November 5, 2011, and Joseph Lee Karlin August 19, 1967-December 10, 2024 Through a...

In my memoir's Afterword, I introduce readers to my self-compassion coach, Ginger Rothhaas, through a video. Following is a very brief...