reflections
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The latest news circling the internet and all of social media and every broadcast news station is the statement made by Dolores Huerta about her sexual assault. I will not include the name of her assailant, because I refuse to give this monster any more light. He doesn’t deserve it. I had a visceral reaction…
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Fluid – (adj) not settled or stable; likely or able to change It’s been a while since my last blog, and boy, did it hit a nerve for some folks. Which I love, that is why I write. I appreciate the feedback; it informs my effectiveness. Which leads me to this thought: how flexible are…
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I keep sitting with this thought. So what is next? I have started 2026 with loss, and many unexpected decisions, along with walking into my 60th year of living…and I find myself asking…so what’s next, Annette? What are you (Annette) setting yourself up to do? I realize that with all that I have accomplished, motherhood,…
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It’s only been two weeks into the new year, and already, I feel like the load is too heavy to bear. So I cracked. I wept and wept. How am I going to get everything required of me in the next six months done? How am I going to show up for myself and for…
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I never imagined in a million years that my first post of 2026 would be about the passing of my sister-in-law, Arlene Deanna Gonzalez. As life would have it, her cancer returned with a vengeance. Spilling into the brain, lungs, and bones from her breast. It ravaged her body in a way that was gut-wrenching…
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I am going to be completely transparent, 2025 has been an incredibly challenging year for me personally. I began the year with severe stomach issues that carried on through into mid 2025. On Mother’s Day, after the third ER visit, I decided to make a change. I made a very concerted effort to improve my…
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I walked into my appointment. To my surprise, my technician had ordered and read my audaciously earnest first attempt at writing a novel! She was beyond excited to share her opinion and asked me to sign her copy. She immediately said, “I need a sequel.” I replied, “Oh lord, I don’t know if I am…
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In the past month, I have seen hundreds of posts of folks saying they are ready for Christmas, breezing past Thanksgiving decor and straight to holiday lights! Well, I am one of them. On November 1st, the Christmas Tree will be gracing our home, though the outside will still have pumpkins. I thought to myself,…
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I decided to take a walk and not plug my ears with artificial noise. By that I mean, earbuds airing a podcast or music. I decided I would listen to the sounds of nature. The sounds that surrounded me while I walked up the hills and through the parks. To my sweet surprise, a neighbor’s…
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I have learned that two things can be true simultaneously. Joy and sorrow are related! Mother Nature has taught us that. We experience great storms, and suddenly a rainbow appears. Childbirth has taught us that. In childbirth, the pain, though unimaginable, produces the joy of a new life. Yet, on some days, experiencing both joy…
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Just like that… In an effort to expand my audience, I posted a blog on a platform offered by the blog site. The first post was received positively, until it was flagged and removed. They offered an “appeals” option and recommended that I review their “community guidelines,” which I did. Well, as you can already…
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So…this thought came to me this morning… no, seriously, it was this morning. I had another schedule post for today, but after having my Instagram compromised and being hacked on Facebook and not being able to get back on until close to four years later because “I had violated community guidelines” meanwhile, someone is on…
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In life, we need experts, and by that I mean folks who have studied, researched, and applied their knowledge to outcomes that serve the greater good. Yet, lately, EVERYONE seems to be an expert on EVERYTHING. We have shied away from those who have put in the hours and years of study and work to…
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The other day, while journaling and writing my morning pages, I started thinking about what I had to do that day and the days that followed. And it occurred to me, why am I fussing over what has to get done over time when tomorrow is not promised? Why am I worrying, creating, re-arranging, and…
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Enough (adj) – occurring in such quantity, quality, or scope as to fully meet demands, needs, or expectations Enough (adv) – in or to a degree or quantity that satisfies or that is sufficient or necessary for satisfaction Enough (pronoun) – a sufficient number, amount, quantity. Enough (Synonyms) – all, altogether, completely, entirely, exactly, heartily,…
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Healing is messy! Whether it’s physical, emotional, mental, or even spiritual…it is messy. I recently read a book about a woman who lived in a million-dollar home in the suburbs, but threw it all away due to her addiction. She was arrested and convicted, and while serving her time, she battled her addiction. During her…
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A few months ago, I read a book that a dear friend sent to me. In it were various stories, testimonies, and experiences of people who had a life-changing encounter with God. Several of the experiences were gut-wrenching. The life they lived was heartbreaking until they encountered their God, and they found hope. Where these…
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For some of us, life is “business as usual.” For others, it’s not!The events unfolding in our country have catapulted many communities into chaos and despair. It has forced business owners to reassess their bottom line, causing many to close their doors. It has forced families to pause in community engagement and how they show up because…
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In the past two years, there has been an incredible download of “alarming” information about AI, aka Artificial Information. Now, please hear me out. I am not an expert in the field of AI, and this is definitely not a blog about it, but more about how AI will not be able to solve, improve,…
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Lately, I feel my nervous system come undone. While conversing with my husband, I shared that… I feel an overwhelming sense of grief. I feel invisible. I feel discarded. Everything I represent has been weaponized against me – Latina/Woman/Christian I have watched as so many in this country have chosen to take the road of…