Arise Blog

Emotions

I Wanted to Marry a Cowboy

When I was a kid, I wanted to marry a cowboy. I loved their manners, work ethic, patriotism, and how they looked in their Wrangler jeans. Separate from

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Emotions

Thorns

Sometimes the loneliness still astounds me. Sometimes it still hurts to breathe. Sometimes I still find myself wondering how all this happened and why. Sometimes I still cry

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4 Lessons From A Courtroom
Emotional Wellness

Lessons From The Courtroom

I feel like the hollow echo when entering a courtroom is unlike any other experience. Just getting there is crazy enough: you dress up, your heart is pounding, you

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Emotional Wellness

20 Truths About My Past

1. My past is not what defines me. It is empowering me to become someone I’ve never been before. 2. My past is uniquely insightful. It is proving that

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Building Character

20 Truths About Single Moms

l. She has four legs, four arms, and two hearts—equaling double the love.2. She carries twice the work load and twice the stress but gets twice the hugs. 3.

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Grief & Loss

Reflections

Well, single mom, it’s that time of year…CHRISTMAS. Everywhere you look you see festive lights twinkling in the night, Salvation Army volunteers ringing their bells, and TV commercials

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Holiday traditions
Emotional Wellness

Holiday Traditions

As a single mom, the most uncertain time for me was always the holidays. Sometimes I had my boys; other times I didn’t. Sometimes plans had to change

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