Author: Esther Vanderwal

Last night, one of my teacher friends was discussing how she had four students who recently were really acting out. She mentioned that the teachers reminded them that as teachers, they had been doing a lot for these boys and yet, they were acting out.  That got me thinking about children who have not been… Continue reading Trust versus Mistrust

I have been thinking about how life often presents us with doors that we can either walk through or ignore. I try to view life as a series of doors that we go by and try the knob. We try to turn the knob and if it gives us some resistance, perhaps that was not… Continue reading Doors

Recently I have been reading the book, “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brenee Brown. It’s a wonderful book if you are looking for something to read.  What I was focused on was her definition of shame and guilt and how the two were indicators of how someone would handle difficult life events.  She shared that… Continue reading Shame Versus Guilt

As most of you know, I like to walk and use my audible device to listen to my books. I am a multi-tasker at heart and try to get things done throughout my day as efficiently as possible. I am an avid reader and most of the books that I read are to further improve… Continue reading Find It and Affirm It

By Katie Tippett The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a lot of new stressors, as well as emphasized current stressors in our daily lives. Sometimes worry and anxiety can consume us, especially when there are so many variables out of our control. These uncertainties can become uncomfortable and overwhelming. Let’s focus on some ways in which… Continue reading Navigating Pandemic Stress

by Jordan Atwell Photo by Alex Green on Pexels.com Being in a conflict with someone can be a never-ending cycle and can truly drain you. It might consume your whole day and you may feel as if it will never be resolved. It may also harm your self-esteem due to you putting the blame on… Continue reading Conflict Resolution

Today as I scrolled through Facebook, I paused on a friend’s post.  She had posted pictures of her wedding dress as well as pictures of her mother, aunt and sister in the same dress.  It was a lovely story of how the dress had been expensive, but her grandfather had bought it for her mother… Continue reading Privilege

It’s that time of year again, where our kids go back to school and summer break is over. Summer was not at all what any of us had anticipated and it almost feels as if we were robbed of something.  Well, not only feels like, but we were.  The happy days of cookouts with friends… Continue reading The Silver Lining