A Message of Love and Inspiration: A Post-Mother's Day Post

I really hope that all the "Moms" of every kind had a wonderful Mother's Day!

I just wanted to share what my oldest boy wrote me in his Mother's Day card. I also hope that you will find this as inspirational as I do. I am not ashamed to admit that I cried when I read this:

 When god made men he said "they will be strong hunters and protectors." But when the goddes was up she said "even the strongest protectors need protecting" so from her own body she created mothers. To take care of the strongest worriors and protectors in their time of need. Nothing would be possible with out mothers. Mom you made me the man I am now my sister into the women she is, and my brother into the runt he is. We love you through the dark times, and the best of times. Forever and always your babies. Alexander Garcia

I left in all the spelling and grammatical errors on purpose. You see my oldest son has dyslexia and for him to write anything by hand is a struggle. He is a very intelligent young man who has battled with the embarrassment of bad grades and bad handwriting.

For several years I worried that he would never see a graduation day and that he would end up on the wrong side of the law. He was very stubborn and quick tempered. He had witnessed a very ugly divorce and all the drama that comes after. He is very protective, but still finds it hard to ask for help in many situations.

My Daughter drew this for me!

He has come a long way in a short amount of time. Sports gave him an outlet for his energies. Changing many of the people that he was hanging out with, helped to change his behavior (He still has the same best friend from the 6th grade though.) He has made many mistakes, but I can proudly say that he has learned from them and he has changed positively.

Alex will graduate with his class in less than two weeks thanks to the love and attention (and not to mention a lot of arguments and tears) from teachers, coaches, friends, and family.

He has a few goals set and very good plan for the future. He has come a long way with his life. A summer job is in the works, followed by him joining the military in the fall, and possibly a career in law enforcement afterwards.

A whole new world has opened up for my oldest son, because he changed the choices he was making.

What choices could you be changing to improve your life?

Wishing you all many Blessings and much Love,

Cherish Those Little Moments

Tomorrow, like most mornings, will drive my kids to school and it is usually a great way to start the day. We laugh. We talk. We renew our familial bonds. It has become a tradition, if you will. It is a few minutes for us to talk, argue, laugh, or just sit in silence. No matter how we spend those 10 to 15 minutes, we are connecting.

It is a simple little thing for me to drop off my kids on my way to work. It is one of those many little moments that occur in my life that I am learning to be present in. It is one of those little things that I do with my kids that will count in the long run for them and for my self.

Our lives are full of those little moments that just flitter by and will disappear without notice if we are not present in them.

How often, and think real hard on this, have you had one of those moments with someone and you wish that it could have lasted longer? Gone differently? Or worse yet how many of those little moments have you forgotten?

Those precious little moments in our lives are very easily lost in our memories. They can sneek in at some later point in our lives when we least expect it. Just a brief flash of memory that can bring back a flood of emotions and possibly some "what-ifs".

How often have you thought of taking time to do something special for yourself and just let that moment pass you by? Yes, we do have little moments that could be used to better our relationship with our selves as well.

Each one of those little moments can strengthen relationships with those around us. Whether they are with family, friends, ourselves, coworkers or even strangers. A friendly smile, an "I love you", a warm hug, a shared laugh, or any other form of communication during one of those little moments can change someone's day and maybe even their lives.

Take the time today to be aware of those little moments. Being aware of them can change your perspective on how you interact with other people and yourself.

Make the choice to be present and enjoy those little moments that are blessings in themselves.

Blessings and Love,
Andrea Faye

2014: I Claim My Life Purpose!

That is one heck of a bold statement to make!

How can I make such a bold claim?

When I have gifts that I am not utilizing to their fullest extent. I am an empathic and certified intuitive, but I have a tendency to shy away from attention.

When I have been blessed by some beautiful teachers and yet haven't honored their teachings by sharing their knowledge with enough people.

My Life itself has presented me with some of the hardest lessons and blessed me with some of the sweetest gifts.

As a mother, I have experienced the truth of patience and understanding. As a woman, I have found the healing powers of love and inner strength. As a human, I have learned that compassion and forgiveness can change my world.

I have re-discovered my connection to Source and I know that I can help others find and feel that connection.

I know I can help others to heal, forgive, and find their own connection to Source. That Is My Life Purpose!

This is the year that I step out into the open, be present with who I am, and embrace who I am ment to be.

I Claim My Life Purpose!

Are you ready to claim your's?

2014: New Year, New Beginning

A New Year is upon us.

The excitement of a new beginning is spreading around the globe.

People are eagerly preparing for parties. Possibly starting up resolutions that a few will follow through on and too many will, unfortunately, lose interest in quickly.  

Take a few moments to look back on the last year. Face the hurts. Celebrate every ecstatic moment. Give thanks for every blessing and every lesson.

Did you live, love, experience?

Our did you just watch, wish, wait?

Celebrate the passing of the old year and welcome in the new year.

Be safe and have fun.

Wishing you all a wonderful New Year!

Blessings and Love,
Andrea Faye

Feeding Your Soul

What do you do that feeds your soul? What makes your soul feel happy? Peaceful? Full? What brings out the song in your heart? Makes your feet dance?

It's very easy to answer those two questions for me.

For me its the following: quiet moments cuddled with my husband and kiddos, drives in the mountains, stepping into cold steams, meditating, rock hunting with my family, picnics by a river, camping, hiking, reading, writing, blogging, photographing, having a (some what) clean organized home, swimming, gardening, playing with the dogs, helping others, meditating, dancing, singing, talking to the Moon, sitting in the backyard and a few other miscellaneous activities.

That is a good example of what fulfills me. Some of the things that I do that feed my soul. Some of those are more important than others. Spending time with my kiddos is more important than cleaning house. I would rather be outside in Mama Nature then cooped up in a building. I'm happy walking in the mountains with my family, visiting old graves and ghost towns in the area.

Humans will remember to feed their bodies but will forget to feed their souls. Many people will forget to care for that unseen, important part of themselves the parts of our daily lives that make us smile, relax, breathe.

We are so used to living in such a hectic world, that we forget that we need those precious moments to download. We need to ground ourselves with those all too few moments that bring a smile to our lips, and a relaxation to our shoulders. We need to relax, just be, and just breathe.

Take the time to think about what you would do if you just had the time to do it. Realize those moments that calm you. Know what grounds your energies. Become aware of what recharges your batteries.

Now go do it!

It is that simple.

Make the choice to do it, and do it!

Let the dishes pile up for one night and go for walk in your neighborhood. Get the family to help with the dishes, then have a family movie night with everyone sprawled and cuddled on the floor.

I'll cut this blog short since my oldest has a sports banquet in an hour, and spending time with my family always feeds my soul!

Many Blessings and Much Love,

Andrea Faye

Fear Is The Teacher

We all have fears.

Experiencing Ophidiophobia?

Fears come in all shapes and sizes and can cause myriad forms of reaction. 

While some fears can  seem silly or strange, others are All fears are very serious to those who experience them.

Fears can cause different reactions as well. Fears may cause nervousness, crying, laughter, or full out panic attacks. Fears can cause the "fight or flight" responses, such as running away or striking out. Fears may even cause some people to embarrass themselves by way of bodily functions.

Experiencing fear is not cowardice. Fear is the mind's warning system. It is your mind reminding you that something possibly dangerous or scary is about to happen based off the remembrance of a past (life) event that may have caused you pain of some kind. Fear is a hyper-sensitivity to certain situations or things. 

If we acknowledge what we fear and learn why we fear what we do, we can overcome it's hold on us. We may still experience a twinge of fear, but you won't have the same strangle-hold that it once did.

Let me walk you through a personal story.

I have many fears and some I have had to face by force and others I have chosen to face in little steps.

One of the fears I have is a fear of heights, otherwise known as Acrophobia.

As a small child I used to have a recurring nightmares. In one of these I was getting ready to sit down at the very top of the huge metal slide at the park where I played at. All of a sudden I would fall off and as I was falling the slide, as I was falling past, turned into very large, old stone bricks and I could almost hear waves below me. The stone bricks would become the rocks of a cliff and the waves would get louder. I would see the grass of the park rising up to meet me, but I could almost see waves crashing in the grass, almost like a memory in my dream. Just seconds before I was about to crash into the grass, I would barely start to taste, smell, and feel salt water, I would startle and jerk awake.

A past life coming back to warn me?

Or just a coincidence that I also have a fear of heights?

I have tiptoed around this fear most of my life.

When I was younger I would tease myself with this fear. My dad was hospitalized several times when I was growing up. When I would go visit my dad in the hospital, he would usually be placed in one of the top floors. I would purposely lean on the windows and look as far down the building as I could. I used to love getting on the higher, scarier rides at carnivals. I used to love to sit at the very edge of cliffs.

I used to love that hair raising tingle when the fear would buzz through me. The adrenaline rush I would get was so stimulating.

Now as an adult I take my fear more seriously. Yes, I do think that it is based on a past life experience. Suicide or murder? Either way a fall that resulted in death, I am most certainly sure.

I experience Acrophobia.

I still tease myself with my fear. I love going on nature walks in the high country and going for hikes or drives on back roads in the forested mountains

The picture you see is of my son holding my hand. He is walking with me across a train trellis. It is maybe 30 feet above the ground, but it does make me a little nervous. He knows this and so he reached for my hand to help me get across. He tried telling me not to look down, which of course I had to do so I could make sure I didn't step in one of the openings between the ties.

We not only made it safely across, but he held my hand as we crossed back when our little nature walk was over.

We face our fears everyday and it should not be a daunting task. It does help if you have someone who is willing to hold your hand and guide you across the precipice. It helps if someone is willing to help you take those small steps. It helps when someone is there to encourage you to continue moving when you happen to look down and see just how far you might fall. It is very rewarding when someone goes the whole way with you and celebrates with you when you reach the other side.

Blessings and Love,

Andrea Faye

A Leap of Faith

Everything needs to begin from somewhere.

A massive acorn tree
doesn't start out as a tree. It comes from a small seed.

Humans aren't born walking, talking, and full grown. (Ouch!) We start from a minuscule egg that is fertilized by a much smaller sperm.

Everything on this planet has started out from something small. A humble beginning.

When you make the conscious choice to change the direction that your life is going in, you usually have to take that first small step in the direction that you want to go in.

It's that first small step that is the hardest to take because it is a leap of faith.

Every negative thought imaginable will pop into your head as you begin to lift your foot off the ground.

They did for me.

For each small step I have taken. I have heard those voices. Those fear-voices.

They are scared and so will you when you take that first step. That small, giant leap of faith.

Yes you may stumble. I won't lie to you. I did. More than once. It hurts.

That is why I am here. To show you that it takes a small step to move beyond where your life is at. It takes a small step to get past our boundaries, our comfort zone, to reach for the life that we know we are capable of achieving.

If and only if we can see, hear, and acknowledge the fear-voices. If and only if we can hear them for what they are and let them go. Don't ignore them. Don't smother them. Face them and love them...and let them go.

To live a life of harmony we must start from a humble beginning and take that small step... that little leap of faith.

Blessings and Love,
Andrea Faye

Choices and Suicide

Warning! This blog may contain triggers!  If you begin to have thoughts of hurting yourself or someone else, stop reading and seek immediate help.

Life is like hiking in the mountains. Some days the trail is smooth and easy to traverse. Other days it seems like every rock, rut, root, and boulder is jumping out trying to make you stumble and fall. The shear drops and severe heights will make you question why you do it. Why you keep going?

Ah, but the sceneries! The spectacular views can take your breathe away if you pay attention to what is around you.

Life is never easy, but it is worth the treacherous, often painful, hike...or is it?

Two people that I knew didn't think so. Life's twists and turns lead towards what they perceived as the end. They both made the choice to take that last step off the proverbial cliff.

They left behind a whole lot of heartache, lost loved ones, and so many unanswered questions.

We will never fully understand why they chose to take their lives. What decisions and sequence of events solidified the idea of ending it all.

One left a goodbye letter, one did not. That letter may explain some of the young man's reasons, but it can never explain the mixed thoughts and feelings of why he thought there was no other way. It can never touch the exact process of the pain and anguish. It will only leave more questions for those left behind.

I can never fully explain why someone would choose to end their life...I can only tell you why I didn't take mine.

When I was a young teenager I was raped. That mind numbing event brought to a head all of the physical and psychological abuse that I had been subjected to at different moments in my young life. My world had avalanched and I felt buried alive in my own head.

I was so ashamed of what had happened, what could happen again, that the thought of ending my life seemed like the only way to stop the pain and fear. To keep my mind safe from anymore neglectful emotional scars. To keep my body from being bruised from repeated sexual and physical violations.

I stood over the precipice. I looked down into the bottomless maw of black loathing, self hating, fear and anger. I resolutely reached for the device that would stop the world from hurting me again and again and again.

A sound froze me.

A simple snore.

My father's snore.

My family.

Sleeping.

Unaware that dark death stood under the same roof they peacefully slept in.

How could I do something so final to myself and hurt them so much?

Who would watch over my little brothers if i wasn't there? Help shield them from the ugly in the world. They were so young and this would shatter their innocence.

I wouldn't wake up to laughter anymore. My father's deep rumble of ease, peace, and contentment.

Instantly I became very aware that taking my life would hurt so many people. All my friends, all my family would wonder why. They would always wonder why. That unanswered question would haunt them and hurt them their whole lives.

I cried instead.

I yelled out my anger. I screamed out my fear. I was a ball of rabid rage.

I cried.

Every tear was a molten soulful cleansing of my heart and soul. Every salty drop was a warm reminder of every tear that would be shed for me if I killed myself.

I did think at one point that no one would care. That no one would miss me. They would just go on with their lives like I had never existed and they would be happier without me anyway. No one really loved me anyway...right?

They would care. They would miss me. They would go on with their lives bit that unanswered question would haunt them and they would never be totally happy...ever.

Love saved me. It wasn't my family's love for me that saved me.

It was my love for them.

The love that lived in my heart for my family and my friends saved me.

The love that I had for everything held me in this world.

My adolescent love for my pets, writing, music, walks, trees, life. It helped me stop.

The small beat of my heart that skipped for one second at the sound of a snore said "Love".

I chose not to kill myself. I chose to face the truth. I chose the tough hike of courage over the final step over the edge.

Yes, it took a lot of courage to live. It literally took a skipped beat to remind me that life is tough, but it isn't worth giving up.

I wouldn't be here now. Years of good memories helping to ease the hurtful ones. Years of living, experiencing, and loving would never have existed.

I didn't end my life because I chose Love over Death. My Choice was the hard road of Life and Love.

My beautiful, pain in the rear children wouldn't be alive. My husband wouldn't be next to me. My family would not be around me to reminding me daily that love heals if you let it into your life.

With all the pain and heartache I have gone through, I can honestly say that life is worth living.

It has been a very tough hike up this mountain called My Life. I still have ups and downs. I still stumble and occasionally twist my ankle on a misstep. I have climbed a boulder or two. Heck, I've even back tracked to take a different path. I don't know when I will reach the top of my mountain, but the view has been breath-takingly amazing the whole time!

Blessings and Love,
~AF~

If you are contemplating suicide or even just feeling lonely or depressed contact someone. There is always someone who will listen. A friend, family member or even a trained professional.

A few resources to try:

"No matter what problems you are dealing with, we want to help you find a reason to keep living. By calling 1-800-273-TALK (8255) you’ll be connected to a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area, anytime 24/7."- www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org

"The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth." The Trevor Lifeline 866-488-7386 - www.thetrevorproject.org

"When You Feel You Can't Go On
Let Someone Know Your Pain
National Suicide Hotlines USA United States of America Toll-Free / 24 hours a day / 7 days a week

1-800-SUICIDE 1-800-273-TALK 1-800-784-2433 1-800-273-8255

1-800-799-4TTY (4889) Deaf Hotline " - www.suicidehotlines.com (This site has state links as well.)