Dear Self,

Here, we meet again. Here we meet where you are in such a different place mentally,physically, & spiritually than you were even a year ago. 2024 was the year where your ability to be a writer and photographer was tested the most! You overcame so much self doubt that you are mor confident going into the next chapter of your life. You faced changes that were good and changes that were not as good, but you came out on the other side.Thank goodness for those changes! You have learned that instead of looking at the world as a series of mistakes you have made, you were reminded by your “chosen sister” that you are just having lessons! Her love and support have made you into a better person simply because she sees what at times you do not see, yet. I stress the word “yet.” The weight that lifted off your shoulders of carrying the weight of what you were programmed to see as mistakes with the penalty of punishments is no longer apart of your mindset. You have detoxed that mentality out of your system and You have actively changed your mindset. The woman you were eight years ago was insecure, sad, & desperate to get out of a toxic marriage that did not align with your future. You were scared to leave. You were even more terrified to shake up the life you knew. The abusive dynamics you had become accustomed to believe you deserved to survive are now just whispers of your former life! You are no longer the woman who thinks you deserve to be punished and this is just how it is for you. Now, when you look back at how scared you were back then another challenge to embrace who you are growing into comes to a head, again. You have another life choice to make and the previous one of ending an abusive-toxic marriage gave you the skills you need in order to make this decision. This challenge seems a little less scary. You have learned what you will not tolerate for your life. You have learned to embrace what you do in fact want for you. Now, you are more confident in yourself that you have the skills to pick yourself up and start a new business endeavor to move forward with and the best part is that you are not fearful. You are elated! Life is a series of lessons learned or lessons revisited. Kid, this time not only do you know what to do. You know how you’re going to do this and move along while moving forward to your most successful chapter yet! Only you can hold yourself back and why would you ever want to be held back ever again? This is another choice in order to move forward on your own terms and the lessons you have learned are what will make your life moving forward even better than you can ever imagine! After all, life is a series of lessons not mistakes! Now, go get ‘em!

With Love,
Sarah

Dedicated to my chosen sister, Karen

Dear Ashley,

Today, I want to take a moment to honor and thank you—a person whose journey is a testament to strength, compassion, and resilience. You’ve not only weathered storms that could have easily drowned a weaker soul, but you’ve transformed those experiences into a beacon of light for others. This letter is my way of recognizing the heart, dedication, and unyielding passion you’ve poured into your work, your family, and yourself.

You began life with challenges that could have defined you differently. From abandonment as a baby to experiencing the pain of loss and fear as a child, you’ve carried burdens many wouldn’t understand. And yet, instead of letting those hardships harden your heart, you chose to open it wider. Instead of succumbing to bitterness, you embraced empathy. You’ve become someone who not only dreams of a brighter future for others but actively works to create it.

As an Early Head Start worker, you’ve shown up every day to nurture, guide, and inspire children during some of the most formative years of their lives. Your work has been more than a job—it’s been a calling. You’ve taken your personal understanding of struggle and turned it into a wellspring of compassion, providing a safe, loving space for children to grow. You’ve helped them navigate the complexities of early childhood, showing patience when they struggled, celebrating their milestones, and encouraging their independence.

Think of the moments that may have seemed small to others but were monumental for those children—the quiet reassurance you gave to a nervous child on their first day, the joy in their eyes when they finally mastered a skill you taught them, the times you wiped away tears and replaced them with smiles. You’ve done more than teach them ABCs and 123s; you’ve shown them what it means to be cared for, to be seen, and to be valued. That is a gift that stays with someone for a lifetime.

But your impact doesn’t stop with the children. You’ve touched the lives of families, many of whom are facing struggles you know all too well. Through your understanding and empathy, you’ve become a source of hope and guidance for parents who may feel lost or overwhelmed. You’ve extended your hand to help them find the tools and strength to build a better future for their children. You’ve shared your light, even on days when your own path felt dark.

As much as you’ve poured into others, the love and care you give your own children is extraordinary. Your daughter sees in you a role model—a woman who, even through challenges, prioritizes love, growth, and creativity. She is a reflection of your dedication and strength, and her joy and curiosity are testaments to the safe, nurturing environment you’ve built for her.

And your son—what an incredible journey the two of you have had together. From the very start, you’ve been his rock, his comfort, and his guide. He’s watched you navigate life’s challenges with grace and determination, learning from your example how to be resilient, kind, and strong. Through your love and unwavering support, you’ve shown him what it means to stand tall even when life feels heavy. The bond you share with him is unshakable, and it will continue to grow as he builds on the foundation of love and strength you’ve provided.

Both of your children remind you daily of the beauty and purpose in your life. In them, you see your legacy—a reflection of all the hard work, faith, and love you’ve poured into your family. They inspire you to keep going, just as you inspire them with your courage and unwavering determination.

Beyond your work and family, you’ve taken your story—your pain, your triumphs, and your faith—and turned it into a platform to help others. Through your blog, your testimony, and your creative projects, you are reaching people who need to hear your voice. You’re reminding them that they are not alone, that there is hope even in the hardest of times. That takes courage, vulnerability, and an unshakable belief in the power of connection.

You’ve given so much to others, but I want to remind you of the importance of giving to yourself as well. Take pride in the legacy you’re building—one of compassion, perseverance, and love. Recognize that it’s okay to pause, to breathe, to celebrate how far you’ve come. You are deserving of rest, joy, and the same care you’ve extended to others.

As you continue your journey, remember that your work matters. Every moment of encouragement you give, every life you touch, ripples out into the world in ways you may never fully see. The children you’ve nurtured will carry your kindness with them as they grow. The families you’ve supported will be stronger because of your guidance. Your own children will stand as living proof of your strength and love. And the people who hear your story will find courage in their own lives because of your example.

Thank you for never giving up, for continuing to believe in the goodness of others even when life gave you reasons not to, and for finding beauty in the midst of brokenness. Thank you for being a light in the lives of so many, including your son, your daughter, and yourself. You are proof that even in the face of adversity, resilience and love can triumph.

With deep gratitude and admiration,
Your Inner Voice

There aren’t enough words to express or describe the amount of gratitude I give to myself. The amount of hardships and battles I had to face on my own and deal with consumed me as if someone was suffocating me to death. As a start, I mostly thank myself for slowly crawling my way through like a turtle to the finish line of finishing and completing my college degree. Being financially broke, struggling with money, having no job, and living with a parent while being a full-time online student. However, having so much support around me was the glue I needed to have the strength to see it through. I thank myself for continuously confronting death with those so close to me but silently dealing with the fact of thinking, who else will I lose someday? The way it suddenly hits me hard at certain moments is like an ocean wave crashing to shore as a result of a hurricane. My grandfather, my Godmother, my Great Aunt, my cousin; all people who I’ve recently lost and have devastated me. I thank myself for coming to terms with the mistakes I’ve made which make me stronger. No one on this Earth is perfect, but like a phoenix, I continuously rise from the ashes. I thank myself for not bottling up my heart and giving love a second chance when I was afraid. Knowing I made mistakes, but the man I love did too, and bad things occurred. In the end, if you still are deeply in love with that person, what’s stopping you? A love that feels so true and so rare is hard to find, like a diamond in a mine, and I will do anything to protect the love I have for my special someone. I thank myself for gaining more confidence in myself no matter how I look. To glance at my reflection at my most vulnerable each day in the mirror and say ‘I am beautiful’ with a smile on my face. Finally, I thank myself for not giving up and persistently working hard by pushing myself to do better. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel, and I try to keep it in my mind to see it through to the end. As a whole, a quote from Harry Potter, spoken by Albus Dumbledore, is something I’ll always live by as long as I try, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” Thank you me, thank you for everything this year you’ve shown me.

I have always considered myself a poet at heart, so it would have felt easier for me to write a poem on this. However, it’s a challenge – therefore, I approach things differently when challenged. Why not think more outside of the box this time? Poems can be interpreted a thousand different ways – this letter is designed to be rather straightforward.
See, writing was always sort of a secret or maybe even subconscious outlet for me to release my inner most thoughts without anyone’s judgement. Also, the love and thrill of falling into the fantasy of something. Even if every human on Earth failed or bored me – that next interesting page still awaits. If I open it up. It can become borderline secretive if you allow it. A secret weapon in my eyes. Like a smart superpower if you will.
My beloved grandmother always told me that if I kept reading & writing it would keep my brain active and smarter, however I never pursued anything in life (at least anything worthwhile in my opinion) that had anything to do with writing. I still somehow kept it in my back pocket. I could type plenty of information on a computer, but does that really fulfill my soul? No. I coasted off other accomplishments, admired other writers & collected a nifty bookshelf over the years.
Here comes the mushy part. Clearly, I spent a lot of years in my life being shy as well as trying to fill my soul with things that were superficial. I would write or make a cool project, but then allow life to get in the way of what really made me truly happy inside. I didn’t like the attention on me, nor did I want rejection – so given the fact I never had any sort of degree or experience I continued to keep things in and just go about my little life.
The real shift came when I experienced serious loss in my family and started suffering mentally as well as physically. Every life trauma I ever experienced started to bleed out of me, preventing me from even functioning. We all know that 2020 was also a strange year and everyone had plenty of time on their hands as well. But in this case for me, something had to be done.
I started writing stories and poems, looking back through old diaries and books, reading different authors, listening to frequencies that helped my brain, taking tips and notes and meditating. Next thing you know I had tons of followers on social media and I’m writing on a consistent basis. I realized …. Why was I always holding back so much? I allowed my insecure fear to block me this WHOLE time. I am a writer! Who is to tell me I’m not? I may not have books published yet or be famous but my Higher Power & signs all from all over the Universe are throwing it right in my face. I just must keep trying to master this art. That’s all.
Then one night I sat with my son who is an avid hockey and baseball player. We watched Derek Jeter’s documentary. Everything I just wrote about in the previous paragraph helped reiterate to me that I wasn’t crazy, and then Lauren Brill and the Unsealed started easily giving me another platform to write and share my stories for so many people to read. Who cares if it’s perfect? It’s art, it is beautiful! It’s for people to read, drift and make their souls feel good.
You don’t necessarily have to wake up one day and be the best at something. But if you get up every day and tell yourself you’re going to do it, put your mind to it and stay consistent- then chances are you will be successful – somehow, someway. At least that’s the way I’m looking at it. I’m on my way to being a new self-published author. So, this is the thank you not only to all my inspirations but to ME for doing that. Changing my perspective, sacrificing certain habits and remaining resilient, consistent and patient is the only way this could ever and will happen.
So sincerely again, thank you Kelly.

Dear Blue,

I feel grateful that I am not in an attitude of gratitude all the time. Feeling gratitude for all of the horrific trauma that I have experienced does not make me stronger. Trauma actually makes me weaker.

By feeling my feelings exactly as they are, not how I wish I felt, I am making room for the discomfort and facilitating my healing from those traumatic memories.

Every day I choose to feel the challenging emotions, I get one day closer to gratitude that does not feel as if I am betraying my true feelings. One day at a time.

As I inch closer to a feeling of authentic gratitude, I release the deep breath that I did not realize consumed every molecule of my being.

I feel grateful for finally being able to breathe easily, even if for a moment, because I am one moment away from feeling gratitude for the ways I have coped over the years.

The dissociation kept me safe while I was experiencing the trauma. I feel grateful for this now-maladaptive coping skill because I am not plagued with so many gut-wrenching memories as I could have endured.

I miss the life I could have had if the trauma had not overtaken me against my will. I know I could have made a greater impact on the world.

I feel grateful that it is not too late for me to leave a footprint on the hearts of everyone I meet. I may feel weaker because of my trauma. That does not mean I have to be down for the count for the rest of my life.

While I may not feel grateful for a while, this break will allow me to process my emotions.

There are multiple paths to recovery, and none of them are straight. I choose the path that gives me many places to sit and rest.

There is no recovery without rest. I feel grateful that I can sit and rest without having to feel grateful all the time.

I’m grateful for your laugh.
I’m grateful for your smile.
It’s been a perplexing year, but you’ve made it worthwhile.

I’m grateful for your willingness to never give up.
I’m grateful for your strength when times get tough.

I’ve built the courage to do things I normally wouldn’t do.
I played a small part, but I’d like to personally thank you!

Thank you for helping my heart shine through when I struggled to be at my best.
Thank you for allowing me to learn more about myself when my heart was put to the ultimate test.

It’s pretty cool to know that I’ve been a reflection of you all this time.
You’ve been a true friend I can always count on when I felt like my life wasn’t mine.

Thank you for helping me fall in love with who I am despite all my flaws.
Life was scary without you before, but now I happily stand tall.

I don’t know if I should laugh or cry because I’ve been through so much.
I promise to give it my all this time, even when things feel out of touch.

I won’t always show up at my best, but I feel better knowing you understand.
You’re my forever safe space, and I’ll always choose you to hold my hand.

In a way, it’s bittersweet because I never saw this coming!
Looks like you and I are finally on the brink of something.

Thanks again for helping me see the brighter side of life, even when I didn’t feel so free.
I’m so grateful to have someone on my side who loves me just for me.

Thanks to you, I can be vulnerable and express myself, free of shame.
You’re the greatest gift of all, a genuine best friend who shares my name.

Alexis, you’re perfect just the way you are. Don’t ever change!
You taught me how to value myself in the most humbling way.

As a human being I am passionate about life and all living creatures. I don’t watch the news. It saddens me. Some wars we will never win, it’s the harsh realities of life. At the end of the day, we all stand for something. Being closed off from negativity that doesn’t serve a purpose for my soul is the way I protect my spirit. Many times it’s the way I cope with any hurt or adversity I face. My closest friends know this about me and never push.
We seem to know more about celebrities lives than we do about our planet, our family members and/or our neighbors. We seem to care more about the value of a dollar than we do about humanity as a whole- on the real, I love money. It smells so good, although I am beyond cognizant that the core importance in life cannot be bought. Not friendships, not a close knit family, not love, not loyalty, not time and certainly not life.
I don’t know if my “radio silent” copping mechanism is really the best way (for others) to get to a positive place, but it works for me. I know when I need a time out.
As we all go through struggles, learning curves and wins in life- remember your journey. It builds you, your character. I am not perfect -never portray myself to be, but one thing is for sure, I do my best to be a decent human being. Many times I fall short- many times I exceed my expectations. At the end of the day we all have a choice about how we want to live.
I hope that who ever reads this, takes time to self evaluate, recognize your manageable flaws, do things in life that you’ll never regret, find your peace and happiness, but most of all, I hope that if you ever see any type of injustice, don’t be an observer. Stand for what’s right, believe in something greater and it’s ok not to know what that is. Knowing takes work. It takes rewiring your brain to put yourself first in an effort to build your confidence, to balance out the good with the bad. It takes years of repetition to refine yourself to your personal satisfaction. We all are in this labyrinth together. Some of us will excel in life and some of us will be content with living at a comfortable pace. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s what you want. Don’t judge people for their short comings or errors, those are their lessons, at the same time be cautious of the company you keep.
Keep your heart open, no matter what you’ve been through, the truth is, love is the reward of living. You are your own composer. Be grateful, don’t take any thing for granted – one day you’re going too look back and realize those “failures” built your solid foundation. Don’t litter and don’t waste food. (Lol)
Forgive, love, live and don’t cut yourself short~ Yolo

“You are the light- what you seek is fire”~
Sparked

Dear Beloved One,

Thank you for all you’ve done
To keep me here above the grave.
Even when sweet death you craved.
You proved stronger than they thought,
All who left you in a spot.
They gave up long ago,
But your heart they didn’t know.

Inside you burns a fire,
Always blazing as others tire.
It fights all the hellhounds
Trying to run you to the ground.
And when the light dims and wanes
You feed it with great pains.

The sorrow that grew inside your soul,
The depression that kept you in a hole
Were no match for your mighty spirit.
Brave you fought, ‘though you feared it.
Exhausted, you still stay awake
To vanquish the demons in your wake.

How hard you worked and toiled
To get your gears well oiled
For defense against each coming night,
To expose the ghosts in hidden sight.
So, you slipped back several times.
You’ve paid dues for all your crimes.

Let go of guilt nagging you.
You did all that you could do.
You saved yourself, but not them all.
Too quickly did some fall.
No one blames you for your survival.
We can only launch our own revival.

They may stay blind, but I see
Your fervent efforts and tenacity.
You’ve labored to the barest bones
To survive and find much brighter tones.
After every stumble, you rise anew.
For this, again, I thank you.

Sincerely,

You and me

Thank you for not giving up. I know for many of you readers saying thank you to yourself is easy. Stay with me and read a brief snippet of my so-called life, and then you decide if I deserve to be thanking myself. At some point in time, everyone feels as though the deck of cards is stacked against them. Today’s story is from a defining moment at the age of 12. Only after finding out from a relative that my life as I knew it was a lie. I am the middle of three kids, yet I had a different dad. I had 12 years of lies to sort through, so naturally, my first reaction was to run away from home. Only 10 blocks away, to at the time, a person I thought would be a lifelong friend. At 12 years old, I did not understand the concept of medication and what is necessary to overdose. I tried to take a handful of my antidepressants, which I was on because of the mental illness that plagues my family. Only to open my eyes a few hours later. Laying upon the outdated, hard yet carpeted floor of my best friend’s bedroom. My head felt like someone took a sledgehammer to a raw egg. The haze and the cloudy vision was a bonus. I thought about my mom and how hard it must have been to keep that secret all those years. After throwing my preteen melodramatic fit, I returned home after a week. Now, keep in mind my mom knew where I was the entire time. The best way to understand something is to ask questions. Unfortunately, the only answers I got were that it was for your own good; he is a drug addict and was not fit to raise a kid. I had to give my mom the benefit of the doubt. Mainly because unable to confirm any of the information with the person known to me as a face on a picture. I had to believe that what my mom was telling me was the truth. My thank you to myself stems from these events in my preteen years. Thank you for not giving up on believing in yourself. Despite everyone who was supposed to be there for you, have been lying to you your entire life. Thank you for not letting the lies of your childhood keep you from being extraordinary. Thank you for looking past the lies from your mother and forgiving her. Thank you for not giving up then or ever again. Thank you for not letting the biggest lie of your childhood dictate your future.

Breathe, Corazon. You lived. Covered in bruises, scratches, tears and blood. The mirror may not recognize your swollen face, but I do. Your scrambled thoughts still scream an echo of days and nights of sleepless horrors, cold stares, inhuman screams from human lips, and unfeeling souls. Turn down the noise. You lived. You crawled on hands and knees in innumerable pairs of clothes, countless phones in your hands to call for help before they were shattered, and handfuls of long hair ripped out on your way to nondescript cars trying to flee…and you did. You lived. Forgive yourself for going back, for leaving again, for climbing out of hell only to go back. This life would be empty without you, so I thank you for putting that bottle of pills and alcohol down. I thank you for doing what you needed to do to make yourself stronger to survive in world that values insignificant skills that mean nothing on freezing nights and to starving bellies. Thank you for living on the days when the darkness would have you drain the blood from your veins, or swallow a bullet. Thank you for battling the wave of nightmarish memories that rage to rip you from the dull monotony and out of the lives of people who tell you to “just smile”. Thank you Corazon. Because without you I could not survive. Thank you beautiful soul…

Ninety nine bottles of torture on the fall
I pick one up
Pass another round

Again darkness rides
I twinkle, glow n shine

Delicate soul, fragile heart
Shattered bones, creating art

Chewed up, spat out
Bread crumbs
I find my way about

For no one knows the ache that resides
A beautiful cover as assigned

Sealed with wishes
Thank you for your stitches

The torture of ninety nine bottles
Hello Role Model
Kisses

Dear Lyndsey,

I know it hasn’t been easy for you! Life has been far from simple—a rollercoaster that began when you turned 18. You were a child having a child, and your emotions were all over the place. Do you remember your senior year at a private Catholic high school? People would walk down the hall, whispering, staring, and spreading hateful rumors. You shed so many tears as you laid your lonely head down at night.

The father of your unborn child was in the Navy, stationed four hours away in Virginia Beach. You felt so alone in Laurel, Maryland, going through this life-changing pregnancy by yourself. Yes, you had your parents, but it wasn’t the same. You could see the disappointment in their eyes. You understood their feelings, but you still felt like an isolated planet in the sky. The future looked different for you; you had to give up your dreams of attending college in North Carolina or Virginia.

Then, something wonderful happened in the middle of your pregnancy: you fell in love with the idea of being a mom. Despite your fears, that love only grew. When you had your baby girl, the gleam in your eyes shone bright, and your smile lit up the room. I was so proud of you. At just eighteen, you were taking on the world of motherhood, and you were so brave.

This would not be the only time in your life that you showed bravery. You loved being a mom and a wife. You married your child’s father, but sadly, he ended up cheating on you and hurting you both physically and emotionally. You endured that for two years, but then you found the courage to leave.

For many years, you struggled with love. Through failed marriages, heartbreaks, and financial challenges, your inner strength emerged. What did you do with the lessons from those heartbreaks? Let me remind you! You wrote a poem about domestic violence and launched it on a domestic violence resource help page, where other women shared their stories and where resources were available for help. This powerful poem was read at many open mics, published, and spread around colleges to raise awareness for domestic violence.

Amid all the chaos in your life, you brought three beautiful children into the world, and they are successful in both academics and life! Even when faced with instability in your romantic life, being a mother always came first. You built a strong career in education, tirelessly giving back as an educator for special needs students. You are driven by faith, perseverance, strength, and courage.

You never stopped believing in love and the goodness of humanity. Now, at 45 years old, you own your own home, providing a safe space for you and your kids. You are facing yet another battle on your own, but guess what? The world can’t knock you down. You prioritized your mental health by seeking therapy, rediscovered who you are, and became your biggest advocate. You are stronger than ever.

Also, congratulations on your second book! You are an amazing warrior, and I can’t wait to see how this new chapter in your life unfolds!

With admiration,