As Thanksgiving approaches, it is becoming abundantly clear to me, all of the things about which I have to be thankful. I am of course, incredibly appreciative to have been welcomed into such a unique and accepting community at Emmanuel, to have found my career path in Expressive Arts Therapies, to have my family and so many new friends. There is connection, laughter, creativity, and joy in my life where there was not always. This is quite a contrast to the first part of my life, which was filled with struggles to survive in a world I felt misunderstood me. My desire to create and march to my own drum always seemed in conflict with a need for acceptance and pressure to conform. I could not find my courageous, creative voice or give myself permission to be who I was. I am realizing now that the struggles were part of the journey to finding purpose and authentic freedom and open other doors of possibility. Continue reading →

I can’t believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner! As the holiday approaches, I find myself being very grateful for the opportunity to work with folks at Emmanuel. I also find myself thinking about turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pecan pie, but that’s beside the point. No amount of delicious food can replace the wonderful feeling in my heart that I receive from the joy I see on people’s faces…and boy, did I see a lot of that this week! Continue reading →