Embarking on my unique journey to writing a blog, a path of self-discovery and personal growth.
Hi, my name is Cheryl. I’m using my courage to start a blog and share some personal stories and beliefs. In years past, I would have never predicted that I would write a blog, but surprise! Here I am! My website is “Living Life Blooming,” and I’ll explain that name choice.
Just a little disclaimer: I am not trying to use my social worker skills; I am just talking about things I have learned in my life journey.
Why “Living Life Blooming” for my website name?
First, I am an introvert. Sure, people would say “Right!” because I was raised and taught appropriate socializing skills, but my innate nature is not that of an extrovert. Second, I come from being raised as a “good little girl.” I am not criticizing my parents for their parenting skills. That was the theme for my generation. I recently read “The Women” by Kristen Hannah (it is a beautiful book about a nurse who goes to Vietnam during that war). The main character in the book talked about her upbringing and this theme from her parents.
My years of youth were devoid of expressing emotions. The only accepted emotion was for me to “be happy”—no anger, no crying, etc. In my family of origin, various feelings and emotions were unacceptable. I felt my feelings were repressed. Have you ever seen tulips before they bloom? (Picture here) That’s what I relate to during those years. So tight in a bud! Rigid, standing tall, uptight, trying to be perfect.
That character prevailed for most of my life.
But then, as Anais Nin said “And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.”
After several traumas in my life, I sought help from an excellent social worker. She not only helped me to navigate my grief and PTSD from the loss of my father (I tell about this journey in my chapter in The Grief Experience) but also allowed me to identify and realize my emotions. I began to learn more about the true, core me. I went for counseling for 30 years. Not every week, sometimes very sporadically, but my work with her saved my life. I will be forever grateful! The power of our work propelled me to become a social worker.
The most significant time of growth was when I entered my master’s program in social work at age 55. It was so sad to start so much later in life, but at least I began to open up. During the program’s first year, I was quiet, but then I challenged myself to talk in almost every class session. I determined I had valuable information and stories to tell, and it began.
“It took quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.”
–Madeleine Albright
So, back to my website name. When a flower is blooming, it is opening up. It continues until it is wide open. The flower continues to be brilliant, at its peak, looking for the sunshine, open to visitors, and sharing its message. The blooming flowers represent the arrival of a new season and the promise of brighter days ahead. Someone who is blooming is healthy, full of energy, and embracing life. That is what I am striving for in my older adult years.
So, my blog is to share my journey to Live Life Blooming. I want to share my struggles and challenges, open up, stay healthy and energetic, and keep a sense of hope in my aging. Lifelong learning is good for the brain, mental well-being, and self-esteem. Let’s learn more together. Is that your hope now in your life? I invite you to contact me via email to continue these conversations and share your own journey. Let’s learn and grow together.