12/7/25
Hi It’s-Good-You’re-Alive Person –
(The first part is an annual repost; a personal update follows it.)
How are you doing?
Do you believe in any of the HolyDays that are coming up this month? If so, do you ever find it difficult to celebrate it?
If so, you’re not alone.
I just heard about the shooting that happened at the high school I graduated from and can’t stop crying. Although you good people already know this, I feel a compulsion to iterate: Please be kind, you never know when gentleness could influence another to keep them from doing something devastating they can never take back.
A full circle moment is happening because a friend (my Sister Of Spirit, ‘SOS’) and I recently reconnected after not seeing each other since our early twenties. SOS was the one person I couldn’t push away during the teen years, and she (and God, though I didn’t know it at the time) got me through them. I never told her, back then, what was going on in my life but her innate, persistent, kindness kept me from doing something (to myself) that could never have been reversed. Today when I texted her about what happened I thanked her for being the difference in my childhood.
I pray to be the difference for someone else.
No matter which holiday we may or may not observe, it can be a time of joy, truly loving visiting and celebration, or stress, confusion, conflicting feelings, and/or grief, loneliness and desolation. Difficult feelings can be compounded due to the pressure some people feel because it seems the world is telling us we ‘should’ be so excited, cheerful, loving and giving.
I’ll be honest, like so many other good people I struggle to varying degrees during these seasons. It’s not a personal ‘flaw’ or sin, nor is it weak or shameful to feel and admit this. Truth should never be denied or told to shut up just because it could make others uncomfortable. It’s only by bringing the darker truths into the light of honesty that we can create the hope and perhaps healing that comes from knowing we are not alone. Then maybe, together, we can encourage each other to get us through the darkest moments when desperate decisions can be made that create consequences we can never rescind.
And even though we, as mortals, may not be able to see it in those most painful moments when someone chooses to hold onto hope in the midst of their God awful pain, that’s when Heaven rejoices.
Dear Heavenly Father, help us to remember that sometimes joy in ourselves and others cannot always be fabricated and shared to our specifications. Remind us to not ignore someone who is in dire need of a smile or blessing just because it might infringe on our comfort zone. Also remind us that just because someone may not get an immediate ‘pick-me-up’ from what we tried to do for them, it does not discount the gesture. It may be the seed that sprouts in time to keep them (and perhaps others) safe. If only we could see Heaven’s joy then!
If you’re struggling, please know people care (although that may be hard to see right now), and life is getting better. If you need someone to talk to, on the homepage underneath the ‘recent posts’ section is a list of numbers to call or text. Please don’t hesitate to use them; people are ready to listen. Lord knows, I use several of them frequently, and it always helps. You could also leave a prayer request in the comment section below; it will not show up for the public unless you say it’s ok.
Personal Update and encouragement:
A lot’s been going on, and God’s been sending His version of hugs as needed . . . 🙂
So much grief for ‘K’, an older friend I (& others!) cherished who passed away a couple weeks ago. She was a most kind, encouraging, faith filled, elegant and gentle hearted person. So glad we had the time to go on retreat a couple of months ago; had no idea she wasn’t going to be around much longer. God, I miss her, and ‘Mighty Mouse’ too. (She was my beloved ‘adopted’ ‘English Mum’ who died several months previously.)
So grateful to have known these women; there was a time I couldn’t have let good people like them into my life for any length of time. So in a weird way, the grief is a blessing because it shows my heart is learning to love. Hallelujah! (Sniffle).
God sent beautiful comfort hugs of His own, via others.
I was regretting never having taken a picture of K. Didn’t say anything, not even God, yet He heard anyway. The very next day one of her children so thoughtfully sent me a beautiful picture of K when she was relaxed, happy and so full of life.
Then, in my favorite park someone left little vials of star glitter for others to find. A few years ago, when Mighty Mouse had been extremely sick and not expected to live, she had a vision. She saw complete darkness with pinpricks of light, like stars she said. She knew each star represented someone who was praying for her. Looking at that little jar of stars leads me to gratefully think of her, God’s provision, and who so thoughtfully placed them around the park.
Then, Pearl Unchained held a human trafficking awareness event a day or two after K’s funeral. A new friend, ‘C’, stopped by and brought some beautiful flowers to show her care and condolences.
Not to mention, all the people who pitched in and/or showed up to support our event. Not many of them knew, but they all ministered to a hurting heart just by supporting the cause.
Thank you.
During the early decades of life the various abuses would ramp up during holidays. Because of this, even if they’re not remembered consciously, in later years the memories can still effect a survivor during the anniversaries of the original events.
Between the grief and the memories, I’ve ended up in the proverbial pit again. I have spent days at a time at not going out, or doing much at all.
So I made myself reach out to a couple people, asking for prayer. I was so wonderfully blessed when they took me seriously and asked others to join in the petitions. They came through quickly, persistently and with much encouragement.
Thank you, ladies.
And, to be honest, still struggling a bit at times.
As do many people, I like to perform random acts of kindness. Don’t usually brag about it; it’s better if it’s just between God and I, and whoever benefits without them knowing ‘who’. I like to do extra around holidays, when people (and I) are more prone to emotional repercussions. Not only can it edify others, it really does help the do-er, too. This year though, I can’t afford to do what I have in the past and that was adding to the angst. But the other day God sent a nudge to remind me we can still do more random acts of service. Like, even just taking the shopping carts from the parking lot back into the store, etc. It doesn’t necessarily have to be complicated or time consuming.
And adding to the blessings, I recently took a test for the martial arts class. In spite of doing pretty good for the first part of it, the inner self-saboteur declared a ‘not gonna’ when something they asked of us felt like ‘too much’. But so many thanks to God and ‘M’, who wouldn’t let me give up on myself. M immediately jumped up and came over to do the exercises along side of me, and together we accomplished it easily.
Dear Good Person, I’m telling you all this to encourage you. There were a few years not so long ago when life, and holidays, seemed too much of a mountain to carry and climb. If I had suicidal tendencies I never would’ve made it through. Instead of taking the time to become aware of the light of the good that was surrounding and inside of me, all I saw was the dark. And as much as I craved for someone to help, it didn’t occur to me that even if they seemed too busy to notice, the right people would’ve taken the time if I’d’ve asked.
Now, life has changed so much and is continuing to imperfectly improve with God as my guide. I’m learning to do more for others, and when needed, to use discernment to reach out to good people and prayer/support lines until I find someone who can help. That has made all the difference.
I’m not cured of the repercussions of the past and grief of the present yet, but I am healed of the dis-ease of thinking no one could possibly care. No matter who we are, or what we’ve done, someone always cares. God first, and mortals somewhere.
Raise up a prayer and look in safe places like support lines, churches, social services, and people who are genuine in their decency. Some mortals may not have time or ability to help, or opportunities may disappoint us and/or we may have to adjust our expectations of what we want, but that’s no reason to get upset, angry, or to give up. A lot of people would if they could, and will when they can.
Please be persistent – we’re worthy of doing what we can to find what we need, in loving and positive ways.
Amen.