Health
I Stopped Apologizing For Not Wearing Makeup
“Sorry I’m not wearing makeup, it’s been one of those days.” I’m somewhat embarrassed that it’s taken me this long to stop apologizing for my face. The last few times I apologized for wearing makeup, it was primarily to men, and I remember them looking mildly awkward about it. Not awkward that I was without…
Read MoreDear Self: There Are Some Things You Need to Know
A letter I wrote to myself after a bit of a meltdown: Alright, Ashley. There are some things you need to know about how to live. You don’t really know them yet, but maybe by the time you check out of this life, you’ll have a marginal understanding of these things. We can only hope.…
Read MoreI Stopped Being Grateful
The kitchen is dark except for the counter lights under the cabinets. My favorite sign is leaning against the wall on the counter, “This Kitchen Is For Dancing”. We’ve danced so many times in this kitchen. I stopped being grateful for this house. What a mistake. A ceramic angel is watching me, next to a…
Read MoreSometimes I Cry For No Reason. It’s Weird.
A picture might say a thousand words, but this picture doesn’t tell the whole story. You’d never know from this picture that just 20 minutes ago, I was sobbing into my husband’s shoulder. You wouldn’t know from this picture that about an hour ago, I was snapping at my children if they so much as…
Read MoreMy Pros & Cons for Taking Medication in Sobriety
When I quit drinking, I stopped all other substances of any kind, prescribed or otherwise. For a while. At 10 months sober, I got an impacted wisdom tooth as my 30th birthday present. It hurt. Badly. They removed it without any anesthesia, just numbed my mouth and got it over with. Ouch. Lots of ouch.…
Read MoreWhy Not Just One Drink?
It’s 5:42 am, and I’m writing this because I’m too tired to think and this seemed easier than trying to write my book. Honesty is the best policy, guys. I could go back to sleep, but I am determined to create a new habit. That new habit is writing every day, no matter what. I…
Read MoreWhen Comparison to Yourself is the Thief of Joy
There’s a thought that always runs through my head, every day, all the time: “You can do this better.” Continuous improvement is important to me, and probably to you too. There’s a catch to the “you can do this better” thought, though. The catch is: “and you have to either do it better, or not…
Read More4 Stages of an Epic Martyr’s Meltdown
There will be gifs in this post because gifs make me smile, and we could all use more smiles. When my kids don’t want to clean up or do something else I’ve asked them to do, they act helpless. They wait until the last minute, pick up dishes sloppily, load them badly, barely make the…
Read More4 Life Lessons I Learned the Hard Way
3 years ago today, my world came crashing down. 3 years ago today, the blinders were ripped from my eyes. I still had a long way to go before I let God clear the scales off my eyes completely, but it started 3 years ago. When my entire world crashed down, I didn’t know what…
Read MoreSerenity and Responsibility
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is,…
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