Words from the Heart

Over the years, I have written extensively on the importance of daily journal writing, as well as the benefits of journal writing.  So, I am greatly honored to be hosting Diana Raab to Words from the Heart as she continues her blog tour for her new book Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey.     Diana is an amazing woman, who meets the challenges of life head on. Diana has earned three degrees: an undergraduate degree in Health Administration and Journalism, an RN, and a MFA. She is the mother of three, who dealt with high risk pregnancies. An award winning author, she has written eight books to date. The focus over the past 25 years has been medical and self-help writing, as well as memoirs and poetry. Her new book, Healing with Words: A Writer's Cancer Journey combines a little of it all. LINDA: Hi, Diana! I am so thrilled to have you as a guest on my blog, especially today. It is my second daughter’s 30th birthday. She had surgery last year to remove a cance

There aren't too many people today in the world that do not have some form of communication device.  Phones, cell phone, mobile phones, computers, hand-helds, blackberries, Ipods, notebooks, laptops...the list grows daily.  We are no longer a world where the words of others take hours, days, weeks or years to reach the other side of the planet.  Today, at this very moment, what I write, the words I use can travel at the speed of light to readers, or listeners in China, Australia, India, Africa. Words connect us.  They bind us in Love or repel us in fear.  This is why it is so important to be mindful of what we write, or say.  Too often, unconscious comments are flung through the Universe creating pain and tearing us apart.      As we move forward in time, let us take the time to be mindful of our words, whether written or spoken.  Let us center each syllable in Love and Peace.  When our words connect us to the world, let us create bonds strengthened by our mutual Respect and C

Have you ever had the experience where something you said really made a difference in someone's life? Isn't it amazing how that happens?  Often, we don't even think about the impact of those words.  They just come to us.   Hope is a wonderful gift to give another.  Hope that things will change.  Hope that dreams will come true.  Hope that prayers will be answered. Gog o's Dream: Swaziland Discovered was written with words of hope.  Hope for the Gogos of Swaziland, hope for the children and hope that the words of the poems found within its pages would somehow touch the readers, inspiring them to reach out to people they don't know.   Gogo Ndzimandze with her Grandchildren and Dr. M My close friends and family were great.  They immediately purchased a copy of the book, so I was able to send all the profit from those few sales to Possible Dreams International (PDI) to aid Dr. Maithri Goonetilleke and the PDI staff in the work they are doing to bring hope

It never ceases to amaze me how a few kind words can heal the most grievous wounds.     "I'm sorry."  "Forgive me." "I'm here." "I love you."    Simple phrases; easy to say.  Sometimes, we say them without thinking.  But, when we take the time to look into the eyes of another human and say with all our heart these phrases, healing happens. Interestingly, these same phrases are seldom said to the one person who needs to hear them the most...ourselves! When was the last time you looked in the mirror and said, Forgive me , or, I love you ?    It's not easy.  We feel foolish.  We don't see the need.      It's a shame, really, because when we are not able to love or forgive or care for ourselves, we cannot truly be there for anyone else. It took me many years to forgive myself for not being the perfect daughter, the perfect wife, the perfect mother.  Once I was able to understand that it was OK not to be perfect; it w