March Newsletter - 2024

Greetings!

Work with me….If I were to give you a magic wand that could take you anywhere and allow you to do anything…where would it be, what would you be doing and who with?

I called my sister-in-law and asked her this question this week and she asked, “Are you writing your monthly newsletter?” We laughed because I wasn’t, but I thought it was a great idea.

Our hopes and dreams tell us a lot about ourselves, what our goals are, what we are missing, what we need. Strangely, in my “magic wand moment”, I only wanted to be in Annapolis, Md. at a coffee shop that my sister-in-law and I had said we would go to when we both lived there. I was sad that we never had THAT moment specifically, but it brought me joy in reminiscing with her on the phone about the many happy memories we did make. Rather than visit a coffee shop that day, I was able to realize what my heart was needing was connection with her, rest, and reflection. I was able to do that through our conversation, and later while I painted and worked on projects over the weekend. Taking time to tune into our hopes and dreams can help a lot in leading us to our core values and heart needs. 

March is Self-Harm Awareness Month. Sadly, 1-5 individuals (often teenagers) engage in self-harm in different ways because their hearts are yearning, hurting, and disconnected. Unfortunately, the rates of self-harm are increasing every year. There are many reasons for these behaviors and often they are overwhelming and complicated. Lacking coping skills and having a difficult time managing emotions such as loneliness, guilt, anger, rejection, and self-hatred are a few. Self-harm is not always evident and may not be a suicide attempt. It is definitely a warning sign. Please if you know of someone engaging in self-harm, refer them to see their doctor and get in to see a mental health counselor!