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To Me With Love: Looking Beyond the Pain of the Past to Find Self-Acceptance

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication number: 2019051144

Ebook ISBN: 9781620237052

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Printed in the United States

INTERIOR LAYOUT AND JACKET DESIGN: Nicole Sturk

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the following people.

First and foremost to Mary Peeler for believing in me and seeing the light that shined so brightly and for helping me find my true self! To my children—Sean, Jessica, and Kyle—for being my inspiration, my strength, and my never-ending pillar of salvation that drove me to be a better person and to seek true salvation. To my husband, Josh, for not having me committed and standing by my side through all things even when the worst was often hard for both of us to bear. We came through it together with our light shining even brighter. To my clients who have blessed me with the opportunity to be a part of their journey and story of healing. I thank you, and I look forward to many more years of fruitful endeavors.

I am who I am, and I am who I need to be through the grace of God and the love of those who love me. Blessings to all!

Preface

Someone once told me that to be a great writer you must write what you know and write from your heart. To accomplish this, you must search deep into the depths of your soul. Sometimes the search is painful as you find all the unanswered questions that have somehow wounded your spirit. Then, you must consider if the wounds are healed enough to be dredged up so that you may create a piece that is both passionate and humorous in its own right.

Many of us have skeletons we’ve hidden behind closed doors, but to seek them out can be healing and be the root of a good story. I have pondered these truths for countless days and nights, considering my own hidden skeletons, and I have come to the conclusion that my secrets are scars, marking my path through life.

I have earned many of these scars, but some have been ruthlessly placed upon me through no fault of my own. There are even a few that, no matter how much thought I put into it, I can find no explanation for their presence. With each scar that is embedded into our spirit, there comes a story. I have finally found mine, and I am proud to say that I have earned each of my scars through perseverance.

But what about the scars you didn’t want or ask for? Those are the ones that make great stories. I have found that with each of my scars, there was a lesson to be learned. The price was often more than I could pay, but I have made peace with each one and have freed myself from the shadows that placed those scars upon me. The skeletons in my closet are now ghosts of distant memories I keep locked deep in the secret chamber of my being. They often try to crawl back in to inflict fear and pain, but I remind myself that I have conquered that battle. But it is for that very reason that they continue to follow.

rpose.