*Warning: Explicit content about sexual harassment/assault and women's rights* My Facebook feed has been full of women, near and far, posting a status of “Me Too”. In solidarity, they are sharing the status if they have ever been victim to sexual assault or sexual harassment. Visually witnessing how many of my sisters are bravely standing up and acknowledging what they’ve endured has had me thinking about my own experiences over the years. It began when I was 15 years old while I was working at a jewelry store in the small town that I grew up in. Instead of teaching me fascinating facts about gemstones, my boss focused his initial teachings on how my looks and interactions with men could hel
We’ve all said or done things in the heat of the moment that we later regret. Whether it’s yelling at our partner or kids, getting escalated during a meeting, or snapping at our aging parents; we’ve all been there. It’s not a fun place to be. When it’s happening we feel angry and frustrated. We might even become physically heated (hence the saying hot-tempered) and red in the face. Our breathing becomes fast and shallow. We might feel as if we aren’t in control and say things we would never say otherwise. So if we know that we do this and feel bad about it after the fact: Why does it keep happening? Because it’s our bodies natural way of reacting to stress. When we experience stress our body
On Monday morning my husband woke me up with the news about the mass shooting in Las Vegas. I felt an immediate gut punch to the stomach and my heart sink deep into my chest. As I looked at the news stories I felt disbelief and anger. How could someone commit such a horrific act of cruelty? What makes a person hate so much that they can take innocent lives? What is happening to our world that shootings are a common occurrence? How can I raise my children safely in such a fear-filled world? As these thoughts raced around in my head, I knew I had to get quiet and go inward for comfort and clarity. As I sat in meditation I decided to rest on the mantra, “choose love”. With every breath I took i
