Today is the 14th year my brother John aka Johnno has spent in heaven. The 24th of this month will mark a year my brother Dean my 2nd and last brother will have been gone a year. The pie in the pic is Johnnos favorite—peacan pie. I added chocolate to it. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTAstdAgM/

This weekend was dancing recital. I have been taking Irish for three sessions. I performed last season but did not invite anyone including my husband. I realize just last nights I had one more childhood trauma to work through. The last piece of adults who are parental figures not being present. What I realized is because of fear of being let down again I was pushing my friends, my great nieces, granddaughter and husband away. Not even giving them a chance. So, this session asked all of them to come. I had fun.

Compassion in the Still Rising Community Compassion means seeing someone’s struggle without judgment. It means listening before giving advice. It means offering kindness, encouragement, and hope. It means respecting each person’s journey, even when it looks different from your own. It means speaking truth with gentleness. It means celebrating victories and sitting quietly with someone through loss. It means serving with empathy, not pity. It means treating every person with dignity because every life has value. Compassion Does Not Mean Compassion is not agreeing with everything someone says. Compassion is not fixing every problem. Compassion is not carrying someone else’s burden alone. Compassion is not sacrificing your own physical, emotional, or spiritual health. Compassion is not judging, shaming, gossiping, or comparing. Compassion is not enabling unhealthy behaviors or avoiding difficult conversations. Compassion is not pretending everything is okay when someone needs help. Our Commitment In Still Rising, we choose compassion over criticism. Grace over judgment. Listening over assumptions. Hope over fear. We believe every person deserves to be seen, heard, valued, and treated with dignity. Together, we honor every life, at every stage.

I am awake, I can breathe. I am mobil.