Phoenix When I created this website, it was to help other women in toxic relationships. It was called From the Ashes. The whole Phoenix rising idea was super cool, I thought, and still do. But I found that it was also very widely used. So many other people have from the ashes in their name or something about a Phoenix. It’s great symbolism and I love the necklace that my sister gave me with a Phoenix. And I want a Phoenix tattoo someday. But I decided my website needed a different name and...

I'm back. In more ways than one. Literally, I am back home after being in Kansas City for a few weeks. And I'm back here on my blog. Yeah, the one I told myself I would write in regularly. I'm also back from feeling like death after chemotherapy. And I'm back to reality. Kansas City Skyline In Kansas City, I could just focus on myself and my recovery. My life consisted of going to the Bone Marrow Transplant Clinic (BMT for short) every day and then back to Hope Lodge where my mom and I...

Guilt. It can wreak havoc on one's mental and emotional well-being. It's pervasive, and if not recognized and dealt with, can be very...