Category: Uncategorized
-
The Mission That Chose Us – Just Another Day With Travis
Some couples take weekend getaways. We take roadside pit stops sponsored by blown trailer tires and sheer determination. Today started off simple: head out. Easy. Until the trailer decided it was done with this whole “functioning properly” thing. One tire straight-up gave out like it had seen enough of life. Poof. Done. No warning. Just…
-
When Fear Has a Name -And It’s Someone You Know
We don’t talk about it enough: adult bullying is real. And it’s often more dangerous than the kind we survived as kids, because it’s dressed in suits, masked by professionalism, and justified by “personality differences” or “workplace dynamics.” But let me say this plainly: gossip, microaggressions, passive aggression, exclusion, false narratives, that’s bullying. And I…
-
Cut the Drama, Protecting Your Peace Is Non-Negotiable
There comes a point where you have to decide: your peace or their chaos. And for me, I’ve reached it. Whether it’s in my personal life or at work, drama has become the one thing I’m no longer willing to entertain. Why? Because it costs too much, and I’m not just talking about time or…
-
Second Chances, Safer Communities: Why Hiring Justice-Involved Individuals Matters
Imagine a community where people who made mistakes were not just punished but also given a pathway to redemption. A place where individuals who had served their time were met not with closed doors, but with opportunities. That’s not just an idealistic vision, it’s a public safety strategy backed by data, experience, and a little…
-
Escaping the Drama Triangle: A Journey from Roles to Responsibility
Have you ever found yourself in a conversation, a relationship, or even a workplace dynamic where, no matter what you did, you felt stuck, misunderstood, overwhelmed, or just plain exhausted? If so, you may have unknowingly stepped into the Karpman Drama Triangle. I’ve been there, more than once. The triangle has three roles: the Persecutor,…
-
The Secret Battle of Depression: My Story Behind the Smile
Most people don’t see the battle. They see my job title, the events I host, the programs I lead. They see the smiles in the photos, the passion in my voice when I talk about second chances and justice reform. They see a woman who came out of prison and built something powerful, a wife,…
-
What Really Matters: A Reflection on What’s Most Important in Life
As life keeps moving, faster than we ever seem ready for, I’ve come to realize that the things that matter most aren’t things at all. They’re people, they’re moments, they’re the quiet, simple truths that sit in your chest long after the chaos has died down. For me, what’s most important in life can be…
-
My 8-Hour Travel Playlist: Cup-Straw Concerts & Car Seat Performances
There’s something magical about a road trip. Not the traffic, not the gas station snacks (okay, maybe those too), but the playlist, that sacred lineup of songs that turns a simple drive into a full-blown concert tour. My 8-hour travel playlist isn’t just music, it’s an experience. It’s a genre-jumping, mood-swinging, nostalgia-triggering masterpiece. From powerful…
-
The Great Pringles Can Debate: Does Anyone’s Hand Actually Fit?
Ah, the Pringles can. A tall, slender symbol of snacking genius, or pure frustration, depending on who you ask. We’ve all been there: reaching for that last perfectly curved chip and realizing our hand is about to get stuck like Winnie the Pooh in a honey jar. You twist, tilt, and tap, hoping gravity and…
-
Two Lanes Over
Today I found myself in one of the most uncomfortable places I’ve been in over twenty years…the bowling alley. Not just any bowling alley, but the one tied to some of the most complicated memories of my life. It was once owned by two people I considered my best friends. People I trusted. People I…
staceybooks 