Dear Friends,

To all of you who’ve subscribed to my stories, I owe a debt of gratitude. As of August 1, I have 407 subscribers to my website. Your support means so very much!

Many of you comment via my blog, email, or on the Facebook posts, and I love the conversations that follow. Your feedback on each story provides wind in my sails and momentum to write the next episode.

This summer I’ve taken a bit of a break from writing and only posted once in July. As you know, it’s draining to revisit these childhood memories. But at the end, when I post the story on my website, I feel a burden lift from my shoulders and freedom from the sharp pain in the memory.

In June, some especially difficult memories surfaced that I needed to work through with a therapist. God is leading and bringing healing. I’m giving myself permission to take some time to breathe.

Last week, my friend Mary emailed encouragement, saying, “Bringing up painful experiences does take a toll. In the long run it will bring healing but taking time now to take care of that little girl is very important.”

A Fresh Start

Meanwhile, I’ve been working on a happy project—repurposing my daughter’s childhood bedroom into a tearoom/sitting room for me. I painted the walls in two shades of my favorite color: purple. Separated by a white chair rail that circles the room, the top half of the wall is lavender, and the bottom half is violet.

Even as a child, my favorite color was purple, but there weren’t many options of clothing or toys available to me in any shade of it. The royal color was rare.

One summer, when I was around nine years old, I spent long hours fantasizing over an idea for a future profession. When I grow up, I’ll be a toilet paper manufacturer, I thought.

TP was a precious commodity out in the Nigerian savannah. Of course, our rolls of tissue came only in white, so I imagined having a rainbow of colors to choose from, particularly in several shades of purple. Maybe with little violets or pink hearts too. Little did I know, Proctor and Gamble had already begun working on that project back in America!

New Appreciation

Normally, shopping presents too many choices, resulting in anxiety and stress. However, with this project, I’m enjoying having options and making decisions. I’ve bought various wall hangings and décor, tried them out in my tearoom, and returned most of them.  This freedom to work at my pace and make decisions without feeling rushed or pressured by expectations of others seems to be freeing me up to relax while running other errands as well.  Yes, the stores still carry far too many options – and once my husband had to remind me, “Remember, you’re having fun” – but this newfound delight is rejuvenating.

Every morning this past month, I’ve woken up with a sense of joyful anticipation. I can’t remember when I’ve felt so lighthearted, even on vacations, because that holiday blissful butterflies-in-my-tummy feeling is always tinged with the knowledge that the event will soon end. Today’s thrill includes the thought, “Once this room is ready, I’ll enjoy it daily!”

While the redecorating is in progress, I often sit at my new table and bask in the warmth of the color that has been my preference since childhood, and my tummy percolates with joy. When I leave the house for my errands, I bound down the steps. On the drive, the sky appears unusually blue and I inhale the sweet scent of the magnolias that I hadn’t noticed before. Perhaps I’m just opening my eyes to my surroundings and breathing deeper.

I want to hold on to this feeling and tap into it when life’s next challenge arises, as one surely will.

With Gratitude

You, my readers and friends, lift my heart to great heights when you tell your personal stories and share the ways you find strength and encouragement in your own life from reading about mine.

Keep sharing!

And please pray for energy to get back to my schedule of two stories a month. I want to forge ahead and get these memories documented, for my own healing and to help others heal.

With love and gratitude,
Debbie

Link It to Your Life

Do you have difficult memories that need revisiting? What can you do to find restoration and rejuvenation? Perhaps you already have a happy place. If not, how can you begin creating one?  

Delving Deeper

Is there something in your life that needs a brief pause? Give yourself permission to take time away from your own stress factors and take time to breathe.