Tag: spirituality

BOOK, Harmonious Health 4 Life, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

Butterfly Days:Soul Notes – Love, Wendy

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There comes a point when you realize that some things in life do not respond to patience or reason. Like a fly that keeps circling your head…buzzing, distracting, disappearing just long enough to make you think it’s gone…only to return again.
You swat it away once, twice, dozens of times, hoping it will finally leave you in peace. But it never does…
It feeds on access…on hesitation…on the quiet hope that restraint will be enough. And eventually, you understand that the only way to restore your peace is to stop swatting and take decisive action…


Not out of anger, but out of self-preservation. You let it die. You do not resurrect it. You do not explain yourself. You choose silence, stillness, and peace…and you breathe again.

Because some cycles persist…circling endlessly…zapping your strength and endurance…until the moment you stop participating in them…

I am partial to butterflies…their nature is to glide, and when the time is perfect, they land gently…with grace and presence…shedding old burdens as they embrace freedom.

Today is a butterfly day…gliding… and finally landing in grace, presence, and healing.

Love and blessings,
Wendy

BOOK, Harmonious Health 4 Life, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

The Silver Lining – Love, Wendy

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A draft—an intentional blooming of revelation from my upcoming book, “Soul Notes.”

14 years in recovery…blooming, releasing, rebirth.

There is always a silver lining, but sometimes it comes at a cost that bankrupts you…energetically, spiritually, physically, mentally…and yes, financially.

For a long time, I was diminished by the voices around me—and eventually, by the one that took root inside of me. I learned early in my life to stay quiet. To disappear. To not say a word. That silence followed me into adulthood, into relationships, into spaces where I should have felt safe but instead I was always in a state of heightened alert…

And so I adapted.

I held on longer than I should have. I endured more than I deserved. Until one day, I let go of the rope—finally recognizing that it wasn’t holding me up… it was burning me alive.

What I didn’t know then is how long it takes for the mind and body to catch up to that kind of release. Even after you uncouple, even after you walk away, even after you begin to recover…something inside you still flinches, still waits, still remembers.

Healing is not immediate. It echoes.

There are days when grief rises up and levels you…for a minute,

a reminder…a reality check of not only what happened—but for how long it lasted…Nearly a lifetime…For what was lost in the silence. For the version of you who didn’t yet know she could leave.

And yet…

Without intending to, I made myself stronger.

I built a life where I am no longer dependent…financially, emotionally, physically, or spiritually. It may look smaller from the outside, even simpler by certain standards. But what I gained is something no external lifestyle could ever give me…

Peace.

I traded comfort and riches…for truth.
And I would make that trade again and again.

I have been judged, misunderstood, even quietly excluded…Addiction and mental health challenges have a way of isolating you from others who choose to stand in judgment and to apply the stigma that keeps so many unwell and afraid to ask for help…stigma…

Over the years, I have worked diligently to raise awareness, to educate, to erase that stigma and to encourage treatment seeking behavior…to serve the recovery community through my own story…

I chose to speak…to live out loud in recovery.

Not about everything—some truths I have carried quietly, with intention and protection…but enough to break the silence that keeps so many others trapped and unwell, unnecessarily.

I wrote not just for myself, but for those who have not yet found their voice. For those living in shame. For those afraid to step forward and ask for help. For those who do not feel safe and who feel judged.

And in doing so, something shifted.

Not just within me…but around me.

Some people leaned in with love and support.
Others turned away, uncomfortable with what honesty requires…who do not want to understand this brain disorder. (The DSM-5 classifies addiction as a Substance Use Disorder (SUD).

That, too, was part of the awakening.

Because when you speak your truth, it doesn’t just free you…
it gently (or not so gently) invites others to face their own…to exercise compassion and empathy, and to open their mind to learning about a fatal disease previously thought of as a moral deficit.

The greatest gift in all of this has been quiet, but profound…

To know that my children witnessed not just my fall from grace…
but my rise from the ashes.

To know they saw me choose life.
Choose healing.
Choose to rebuild—piece by piece, breath by breath.

To show them that no matter how far you drift, how broken you feel, or how much time has passed…

You can find yourself…perhaps for the first time.

And…you can begin…right there.

And maybe that’s what healing really is—
not becoming someone new,
but allowing yourself to emerge, finally, and to be who you were all along.

As I finished writing these words, a song about cherry blossoms began to play—soft, unexpected, perfectly timed.

And it stayed with me.

Because cherry blossoms don’t bloom forever.

They arrive after a long, barren winter…
delicate, fleeting, and breathtakingly beautiful.

They don’t ask for permission to bloom.
They don’t wait until everything is perfect.

They simply open…

fully,
and without apology.

And maybe that’s the lesson.

That even after everything—
the silence,
the pain,
the years of holding on…

you are still allowed to bloom.

Right on time.

Hope begins to find you the moment you choose to look for it…

The Silver Lining…

Love and blessings,

Wendy

To purchase my book, Write Pray Recover:A Journey To Wellness Through Spiritual Solutions and Self Care, click here: https://a.co/d/0frfiKCH

BOOK, Harmonious Health 4 Life, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

The Heart of the Matter

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Some of us do not have traditional families.

Some of our closest connections are friends who have become family over decades of love and shared life…where the lines blur so completely, you no longer know where friendship ends and family begins.

Some are children we didn’t give birth to, but love just as deeply and somehow resemble us in our mannerisms, values and lifestyle…Some of us are missing family members—by choice or by loss…death or unfortunate estrangement.

And some of us live more independently, with our circle made up of friends, colleagues, and chosen connection rather than a family structure…small yet complete.

And it’s all meaningful and heartfelt.

Because connection isn’t defined by societal norms or standards—it’s defined by feeling connected at the most basic level: communication, compassion, presence, love.

“It’s the heart of the matter.”

Love and blessings,

Wendy

BOOK, Harmonious Health 4 Life, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

Embracing the Boredom:Soul Notes – Love, Wendy

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Boredom is not something to escape…it’s something to embrace…and dare I say…

Revere…

We’ve become a culture that constantly fills the space—scrolling, watching, distracting…mistaking stimulation for engagement and activity for productivity…

But when the noise stops, something else begins.

Fourteen years ago, in the earliest days of my recovery, I didn’t have the option to distract. I had to sit with myself. Hours turned into weeks, weeks into months, months into years. No numbing. No escaping. Just me…beneath the pain…beneath the disorder.

It was uncomfortable. It was confronting. And it was necessary.

In that unstructured silence, I began to meet myself exactly where I was…honestly.

Not who I performed as, not who I feared I was—but who I actually am.

We’re taught to avoid boredom, but what if it’s an invitation into your evolution?
Not emptiness…but emergence.

The ability to sit with yourself, without reaching for distraction, may be one of the most radical acts of self-evolution and inner transformation.

I’ve done that. And I’ve arrived at many destinations along my journey…

yet I continue to willingly travel back to boredom along the path of personal exploration and discovery…

A lifelong adventure.

Love and blessings,

Wendy

BOOK, Harmonious Health 4 Life, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

The Bridge Between Us:Soul Notes – Love, Wendy

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There is something sacred about being in the presence of another human being…really being there. Not just exchanging words, but exchanging energy, tone, breath, pauses…the subtle language of being seen and heard…communication that uses language, inflection, and even non verbal responses that create depth to the exchange.

So much of our communication today lives behind screens, where meaning can become lost in translation, and intention can be misread. A text message can carry words, but meaning can become subjective.

I’ve always believed that when we sit across from one another…when we risk speaking honestly and listening openly…something transformative happens. Even if we don’t agree. Even if we walk away unchanged in opinion, we are changed in experience. There is a softening, a widening, a humanizing that can only occur in that shared space.

But what happens when the divide is not just about perspective, but about values…

Hmmm…

I have come to understand that while differences in opinion can be navigated, and with the right person even appreciated…however…differences in core values often cannot. There is a distinction between seeing the world differently and seeing humanity differently.

In some relationships, love has been strong enough to hold space for disagreement. To say, “We willl agree to disagree,” and instead focus on the bond that remains. And sometimes, that is enough—especially in relationships that are held gently, occasionally, with room to step away and return.

But intimacy is different.

To share a life with someone requires more than love. It requires alignment in the ways that matter most…the way we see others, the way we hold compassion, the way we respond to difference, to vulnerability, to truth.

I used to believe that love could bridge any divide. That communication could soften even the sharpest edges. That if two people cared enough, they would willingly meet somewhere in the middle…exercise flexibility and openness and respect for other’s perspectives.

But I’ve learned that not all spaces have a middle.

And more importantly, not all hearts are willing—or able—to meet there.

So I no longer ask myself to make room for what feels misaligned with my core. I no longer try to translate what feels fundamentally incompatible. I can care for people, even love them…from a distance…and still recognize that they are not meant to walk beside me in the most intimate way.

This is discernment…

And in that discernment, my vision has become clearer…not narrower in limitation, but more refined in truth.

I am not looking for perfection. I am looking for resonance.

A steady presence. A kind mind. A man who leads with warmth, who remains open to learning, who values connection over certainty. Someone who understands that love is not just a feeling, but a practice…one that requires time, empathy, attention, and care, and the willingness to be vulnerable.

A shared space where both people feel safe, seen, and valued.

Where communication is not a battleground, but a bridge that builds intimacy…

The architecture.

Where love is the foundation alongside in person communication, consistent presence, similar values, perspectives that are open to interpretation and respected, and devotion from the foundation, right across the span that never deviates from the intended journey…

in real time…

an offline encounter.

Love and blessings,

Wendy

BOOK, Harmonious Health 4 Life, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

Information Travels Quietly:Soul Notes – Love, Wendy

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Information Travels Quietly

For a long time, I carried the weight of being misunderstood.
Of having my struggles minimized.
Of feeling like I had to justify what my body was going through…

But recently, I didn’t have to say a word…and I felt the shift.

The truth spoke for itself.

Not loudly.
Not forcefully.
But quietly… and clearly.

And in that quiet, something else arrived too…

Support.
Kindness.
Community.

It made me realize something I’ll carry with me moving forward…

You don’t always have to correct the narrative.
You don’t always have to prove your challenges.
You don’t always have to defend your truth.

Because when you live it—genuinely, consistently, and with integrity living as an open book…

It speaks volumes between the lines…without a word.

Never judge a book by its cover.

The truth is always calm and peaceful.

Information travels quietly.

Love and blessings,

Wendy

BOOK, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

Peace Begins With Me: Soul Notes – Love, Wendy

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When the body feels safe, it can access curiosity, kindness, peace, even humor.

Without safety, the body goes straight into fight, flight, or freeze.

When we mindfully practice composure—it is self-leadership and can promote equanimity and peace.

“Peace begins with me.”

Love and blessings,

Wendy

BOOK, Soul Notes, Write Pray Recover

“The Joker and the Queen” – Love, Wendy

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When I heard the song, The Joker and The Queen by Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift…it deeply resonated. It reminded me that love arrives gently when the timing finally lines up.

The metaphor is beautiful…

The queen doesn’t have to chase, or prove her worth.
The joker is the one who recognizes her value, and chooses her with his whole heart.

And the deeper message in the song is that the queen is already complete on her own. The joker simply sees her clearly and stands beside her.

An unlikely pair finding love where it is least expected…

And the waiting…??? It isn’t empty time nor wasted moments…
It is a new story…
It is the universe making sure the joker who arrives knows exactly what he’s been given…

Until then…keep doing exactly what you’re doing…living, growing, learning, laughing, writing, loving, healing, and sometimes even “floating” when you need to.

When the joker’s cards fold, he has nothing left to hide behind…no bravado, no winning hand, no performance. His guard drops…

The game is over.

And in that moment, the queen truly sees him.

Not just when he’s confident or successful, but when he’s exposed and human. And instead of turning away, she sees the goodness and heart in him…his best self…even when he may not see it himself.

The joker represents the imperfect, wandering soul who sometimes feels like he doesn’t belong in the royal deck…

The queen represents someone who sees through the chaos and recognizes the soul underneath.

The card imagery is really about vulnerability and worth.

Real love is not about the winning hand.
It’s about being fully seen when the cards fall.

I have learned that…

The right joker doesn’t just hope the queen will see him…

He lays the cards down willingly because he trusts her heart…

And together…

We are a full hand…of hearts.

“Full hands…Fuller hearts.”

Love and blessings,

Wendy