The Curriculum Of The Soul

Is “Trauma” Spelled with a Capital T? It sure feels like it is. Sometimes, trauma doesn’t just feel like a capital “T”—it feels like bold, all-caps, flashing text, impossible to ignore as we navigate the pain, memories, and effects it leaves on our bodies and minds. Trauma doesn’t just visit; it often takes up residence, shaping the way we see the world and respond to it, even long after the event itself. My own life has been marked by layers of trauma. From the sexual abuse I endured as a child to the heart-wrenching loss of my son Dylan to suicide this past Father’s Day, grief and pain have been constant companions. Layer in my journey through adoption, where I made the difficult decision to place three children for adoption, and the unexpected physical and emotional scars of an accident that injured me and my dogs—it all feels like too much to carry. But trauma has a way of surprising us. Sometimes, we think we’ve moved past it, only to discover its fingerprints all over the way we ...

The brain, a magnificent and efficient machine, surpasses even the most advanced quantum computers in pattern recognition and data processing, all while operating on remarkably low energy. It's also a vast archive, storing every experience and associated emotion, a record of our personal history etched into our very being. This archive, however, can become a challenge when we dare to step outside our comfort zones and pursue our dreams. For me, writing has always been a passion. From crafting poetry as a child to journaling and blogging throughout my life, words have been my constant companions. My life, particularly my adoption story, has fueled a desire to write a memoir. I want to explore adoption from the birth mother's perspective, a narrative often missing from the readily available resources aimed at adoptive parents. Adoption, at its core, is born from loss, a truth often obscured by marketing that prioritizes a happy narrative over the complex emotions involved. Over t...