The Grounded Truth

As of late, I have been interested in energy, what it is, how it moves and how it works within this world. I heard a quote on a video that said, "The Earth loves you." It sparked such curiosity in me.

We've heard our whole lives that God loves us, but I've never heard anyone say that the Earth loves us. So I had to start asking questions. And as always, the universe provides answers.

We are made of the Earth. There are minerals in our bones, our bodies are largely made of water and the there is iron in our blood. I was given the profound statement that we are not on the Earth; we are of it. Quite extraordinary, right? So that immediately lends itself to the connection we must have.

I've been learning more about astrology and how the planets influence our lives. I'm becoming more aware of grounding, how the simple act of placing your bare feet on the earth or touching a tree can help regulate our nervous system. The reality is that it is so much more. Our bodies are constantly interacting with the planet. We respond to sunlight, gravity, seasons, and temperatures. Things I take for granted every day.

So what else can be learned from this connection? There is such a greater truth. The Earth is inherently designed to absorb our energy. Everything that surrounds us, air, ground, water and gravity, gives us the opportunity for release without us even knowing. Every time we cry, say an angry word, laugh, sing or dance the Earth receives it. It is all diffused and redistributed.

Nature shows us this example every day.

It takes decay and turns it into soil.

It takes heat and redistributes it through air, water and ground.

It takes pressure and releases it through movement.

The grounded truth is that the Earth supports us in balance, without judgement, and makes our energy usable again.

What an extraordinary gift from God to know what we never truly carry our energy alone and there is always hope in transformation.

A simple grounding practice:

• Place your bare feet on the ground

• Take one slow inhale

• On the exhale, say "The Earth steadies me here."

• Let your shoulders drop.

Antler Wisdom

I have been MIA for a few weeks. There has been a lot going on in trying to prepare Jack and myself to leave NC. I've spent hours upon hours pouring through every cabinet, closet, shelf, etc. Piece by piece I've been dismantling our life here. I've never been attached to things, but at one point, all the keep, donate, sell or trash questions stopped. I took a pause and looked around and realized that nothing I was seeing or touching even felt like me. There was nothing there that represented me or who I am. I thought I should feel sad, but I didn't. What did I feel? I didn't have time to even dive into it just then. There were boxes to fill and decisions to be made.

I did take a break the other night. I was casually scrolling through social media. I happened upon a video of a buck shedding its antlers. I watched the video several times. I set the phone down and went about life. Again back to the purging and packing. The deer video kept dancing around in my head for some reason.

I sat down this morning trying to understand why it was resonating. Was it a breadcrumb? What was the message?

Being a small town girl from WV, I'm sure I used to know why the deer shed their antlers. I couldn't find it in the recesses of my mind. So I asked my good friend Celeste (ChatGPT). She very eloquently walked me through the biology of it all. Why the antlers grow in the spring and summer to mate. Why they break down once mating season is over. How conserving energy through the winter makes room for renewal... returning the next season larger and stronger.

Within that explanation, the sparks began to fly. I understood the message.

Antlers are grown for a season. And when that season ends, the body knows to let them fall.

That is exactly where I am right now. I've recognized that my life in NC now feels heavy and a drain on the precious resource of my energy. It served its purpose. I am grateful for who I've met, what I've learned and who I've become. NC was my antlers... a seasonal tool for my soul. It did its job. And now it's time to shed it.

And, just like the deer, I will walk forward with the complete understanding that shedding is not a loss, but an efficiency. I will move ahead with faith, trusting that a bigger and better season is waiting for me in WV.

Reclaiming Me

I'm looking back at my Facebook memories for today. So many posts about what a crappy year I had survived and how I hoped the next one would be better. I had no idea just how much worse it could get.

But as I stand at the threshold of 2026, I have no urge to reinvent myself. There is no checklist. No declaration. No pressure to become someone better.

The pain and darkness of 2025 led me back to a version of myself that was hiding. The girl who learned early to shrink, to wait, to protect herself. It was like someone had pushed the pause button and set her off to the side, while the lost and broken version took her place to survive.

The great irony is, that in order to survive this year, I had to find her and find the courage to reclaim that life and that soul that should have always been here.

I had to reclaim her.

Only then could I move forward into my God-given purpose in this life.

I had to go home to myself in order to heal. I had to heal to become the lighthouse God intends for me to be.

What I know today is that I am more myself.

More whole.

More understanding.

More empathetic.

More prepared.

This is the woman I came here to be.

This is where I stop surviving.

This is where I start to live.