“Sometimes the place that you are used to is not the place where you belong.” —from the movie The Queen of Katwe A “place” can be physical or metaphorical. In teaching at-risk students for 12 years, I’ve learned many of them feel they don’t belong in their own homes. And many times, I’ve agreed. We Read More
Author: gr8ful_collette
Tahoe Blue
Lake Tahoe was the perfect place to spend time with my husband before he leaves on a four-month work trip. The lake is so tied to memory for me that visiting it is like coming home to see an old friend. Driving down into the mouth of the valley is like getting a warm hug, Read More
Know Thyself
In order to love yourself, you must first know who YOU are. Just as it is impossible to love a stranger, you need to spend time getting to know yourself. This includes a lot of self-reflection and awareness, or noticing, what you respond to and why. Whatever makes your soul happy…do more of that. One Read More
Becoming
About two months into my sobriety journey, I came across the following quote from one of my heroes, Brene Brown: “Are you the adult you want your child to become?” Ouch. I immediately winced, the pain, shame and regret from drinking for the entirety of my three children’s lives still haunting my every waking moment. Read More
The Truth, As I See It
What if, one day, you realized that your reality—the truth you had been fed and willingly accepted—was a lie? What if those in a position of power through their words and images and actions told you, showed you and tried to prove to you that something was safe and acceptable when it really wasn’t? What Read More
My Own Hero
Of all the positive changes you can make in your life, quitting drinking has to top the list. It is a keystone habit that, when eliminated from your daily routine, can allow everything else to fall into place. Anxiety? Virtually gone! Guilt and shame? A thing of the past! Feeling like shit and having no Read More
Voice in My Head
Looking back, I am amazed at the ingenuity—the craftiness—of the addictive voice that controlled my thoughts and behaviors for so many years. It is still there, and probably always will be, piping in unexpectedly and trying to catch me off-guard. It is just quieter now, patient but sporadic, and a lot less convincing. A War Read More
Lives Made of Sand
“Like a sand castle, all is temporary. Build it, tend it, enjoy it. And when the time comes, let it go.” Jack Kornfield When I was 30 days sober I came across this quote on my Calm app, during my daily meditation, which I highly recommend when you are trying to get your mind and Read More
What Did You Want to Be?
Nobody plans on becoming a problem drinker; to let a substance take the driver’s seat and lead them down a road many don’t return from. No child colors a self-portrait of herself drinking her way through life. No teenager sits in front of a computer screen, composing a college essay and writes, “my future plans Read More
Me 2.0
I am many things: wife, mother, teacher and writer, to name a few. Six months ago, however, the roll I identified with most was alcohol-dependent lost soul. I had come to the point where I was just existing in my life, loathing who I had become and how my life had “turned out.” I teach Read More