Writing Is Therapeutic and Helped Me Cope With Being Raped

 

THIS IS A ‘TRUE TALES TUESDAYS’ POST

Most of this post was intended to be a guest post on The Gift Of Writing, but Claire didn’t think it fit her audience well, so I revised it and am sharing it with you since it is a true account of my views and experiences and also fits quite nicely with my True Tales Tuesdays posts! Besides, it was already written, and I didn’t want it to sit, unread, on my computer when it was meant to be read by others! 😉 Although it mentions a few personal things, it also speaks of a tragic event I endured – being raped.

I was raped when I was a virgin, two months before I turned 15. It took me years to deal with this, since I was devastated and didn’t speak about it for years. When I finally sought counselling, I learned several coping strategies. Writing was one of them.

I have always found writing to be therapeutic. Whenever I have to make a major decision, I make a pros/cons list and weigh my options. If my emotions are running rampant, or my thoughts are turbulent, I write out what I’m feeling and thinking. I get an indescribable sense of satisfaction from the mere act of taking pen to paper – even though we live in a technological era where computers and word processors are so much easier to use, especially in the editing process. Read More

How Re-Uniting With My Son Impacted My Life

Last week, I told you my true story about how I nearly died last summer. I am now going to tell you how reuniting with my son, J, has impacted my life for the better.

Re-uniting with him has literally changed my life!

This is a picture of the book that changed my life after re-uniting with my son.

This is a picture of the book that changed my life after re-uniting with my son.

Once We Re-united

One phone call led to another and we began talking on a regular basis.

Not arguing, but talking.

It was wonderful! Slowly, J let me back into his life.

We talked, we laughed, we cried.

I had always tried to be a good mother to him, and I must have done something right, since J is a non-smoker (I smoke), a drug-free person (he experimented a few times, with a few things, and so did I), a health and fitness nut who watches what he eats and works out all the time (my idea of working out is typing, and I love eating, as noted in my guest post on Hunger for Happiness), and a rare drinker (this he got from me; I am not big on booze).

J also is a positive person who somehow motivates me to want better things for our future. He truly is amazing.

He’s also tall, dark and handsome, since he’s half Spanish (I am a white, Canadian girl with Czech roots… so basically I am a white, Canadian girl!) and he’s pretty muscular, too, from hitting the gym on a constant basis. He won’t let me post a picture of him; he is a private person (I’ve mentioned this before). Anyway, when December rolled around, I asked him what he wanted for Christmas. I’m his mom; I wanted to buy him a gift. (I like giving presents!)

He told me that he didn’t want anything. Huh? Nothing?

Nope. He told me to save my money.

What My Son Wanted for Me

When I pressed him, he told me that he didn’t need anything, but that it was nice that I wanted to get him something. Instead, he said, it would mean more to him if I bought myself something that I needed. That’s what he wanted for Christmas – for me to buy myself something! Read More

My True Story About How I Nearly Died

THIS IS MY TRUE STORY OF HOW I NEARLY DIED.

I’ll never forget the weekend of August 24-26, 2012 as long as I live. It was the weekend that marked a major, life-changing event. I nearly died that weekend. The weird thing is – I’m actually grateful for this experience, because it led me to my son. 

Let me tell you about it.

This was taken last Halloween but it pertains to the story in this post, so I am using it here... I love colours (as you may know) and this love is evident in this picture! I line up my dabber lids following the colours of the rainbow! (Notice the Certs? I love Certs, too!)

This was taken last Halloween but it pertains to the story in this post, so I am using it here… I love colours (as you may know) and this love is evident in this picture! I line up my dabber lids following the colours of the rainbow! (Notice the Certs? I love Certs, too!)

What happened in my life and how I nearly died:

On Friday, August 24, 2012, I went to Bingo. I ordered and drank iced tea that evening, and began feeling a bit weird. I got a stomachache, and began feeling nauseous. I hadn’t eaten anything, so I knew I didn’t have food poisoning. I thought that maybe the iced tea was tainted. I don’t think I will ever know if it was, for sure. I just know that I felt fine beforehand. Read More

Praise…Please?!

Here’s a totally relevant song to listen to while you read this post:

I have been doing some wondering lately. I’ve been wondering if I should write posts more often, or less often, or if I should write whenever I want. Now that people are actually reading my writing, I’m at a different place in my mind than I was when I first began this blog. At that time, I didn’t think anyone would really be interested in what I have to say (my depression at work). Now, I am a blogger, and people are reading and sharing some of my writing! (I love you for doing this, by the way!) I’ve also been wondering if I should do another survey. I got some very good feedback the last time I did one.

To prove that I’ve actually taken a look at the results, and have learned that the majority of you want to hear the honest-to-goodness truth about some of the things I go through, this post is one that will let you in on some of the behind-the-scenes thoughts and actions of my mind, my experiences, and my life. Read More

Author Lyn Alexander Offers Advice To Fiction Writers

This is a guest post from Lyn Alexander, author of several historical novels, including “The Officer’s Code”. code cover

Every writer of fiction should read read read. Good and bad, classics and the latest best-seller in your preferred category. I hesitate to call it ‘genre’. I deplore the concept of ‘genre’. This word signifies that the book must conform to a preconceived format aimed at a specific reader. Read More