Time moves like water—fluid, steady, and often unnoticed until we stop to feel its depth.
One day, you’re raising four children under one roof. The next, you’re watching them raise their own—each carving their unique path through the landscape of life. Some close, some far, some seen only in spirit. You could never have imagined it all unfolding this way. At their age, the future felt like a myth. Now, I live it daily. Not by reaching for what’s ahead, but by anchoring myself fully in today.
As I sit quietly with a fresh breeze brushing across the lake, I’m reminded how water has always spoken to me. It’s been a teacher. A comforter. A mirror. From floods in childhood to moonlit swims and the scent of salt and minerals clinging to my skin—it all remains, floating in memory.
Each body of water holds a story. Each ripple, a reflection of growth, grief, grace.
Sitting atop a mountain, a lake looks small. But in it, it feels endless. Life is like that. From above, a season looks brief. From within, it can feel infinite.
I think of the nourishment the Earth offers us—the way the water heals, the soil grounds, the sun energizes, and the breeze renews. The wisdom of nature is a retreat for the soul, and a reminder that healing is not always something we do, but something we allow.
Yesterday, I saw myself in a way I hadn’t before. It was a sunny afternoon, and I was with my daughter—nearly 40 now, though I could still feel myself walking in her age. We were at a sprawling plant nursery, checking out with our treasures of green, when I looked up and caught a glimpse in a mirror near the counter.
There I was—me. But not the me I feel inside. Instead, a version touched by time, by sun, by the softness that aging brings. I stood there for a moment, surprised. Not saddened. Not shamed. Just… aware.
What If We Had No Mirrors?
It hit me: I’m almost 60. But I don’t believe in “aging” in the way society speaks of it. I believe in evolving. In learning. In living closer to the earth. I don’t wear makeup—not because I’m against it, but because I love the way nature feels on my skin. I love wind-swept hair, the kiss of sunshine, and the medicine of plants.
What would life be like if we had no mirrors?
If our reflection only came from rippling water, or from the way someone’s eyes lit up when we smiled? If we were reflected only by the kindness we gave, the presence we offered, and the energy we carried?
Would we worry so much about wrinkles or wild strands of hair? Would we still feel the need to cover, conceal, or enhance? Or would we simply be—unfiltered, untamed, and entirely enough?
Aging as Evolution, Not Decline
That moment reminded me: I want my reflection to be a thank you, not a judgment.
A recognition of how far I’ve come, of how deeply I’ve felt, and of how naturally I choose to live.
There comes a point in the journey where the heart softens—not from giving in, but from waking up. You stop trying to convince others to feel what you feel, to see what you see, or to meet you where you are. You begin to understand that everyone carries a different story, a different storm, a different kind of silence inside.
Emotions rise like tides, not to drown us, but to remind us we are moved by something deeper than logic. And just as the ocean does not ask the shore to change, we can allow others to have their waves, their rhythm, their expression—without losing our own.
Change doesn’t always come from words. Sometimes it comes from the quiet presence of someone who has chosen to live differently. To listen more. To judge less. To stay rooted in their own peace, even when the world around them trembles.
This is the practice: To feel deeply, To love without needing agreement, To honor our path without forcing it upon others.
And So I Stayed
I let the wind speak louder than my need to be right, And the silence hold space for what wasn’t mine to fix. I watched the world spin its stories, And chose to become still.
No need to correct, no urge to convert— Only the pulse of truth softly beating in my chest.
Let them feel. Let them be. And so I stayed— Not to change them, but to remain changed.
Change requires a presence, presence requires a change and both need acknowledgment to serve purpose.
~Kerri-Elizabeth~
Change is inevitable
To all that have followed my Blog for years and been so supportive of me. I appreciate you and love reading your blogs. I enjoy hearing your beautiful stories about life, love, art, and so many other things. Closing my blog to embrace change has been a difficult decision but a necessary one.
I will soon close my blog down. The process of saving and backing up all my work is no small task. Please enjoy reading and writing to me for the next couple of weeks, and then I will send my final good-bye.
I have a new project, I have been working on for years off and on. I am going into the final stages of finishing it. Closing my blog to embrace change will help me focus on this new venture.
This has been a beautiful place to heal and write and so many of you have been such great supporters.
My son’s cancer journey
I started writing for one reason. That soon changed. I began writing my heart and soul out during a long battle. My son, Zakary Ryan, battled Acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He was 19 when diagnosed. At 24, he left behind his physical body to explore new territory. Nothing has been more heart wrenching and life changing for me. Closing my blog to embrace change hasn’t come without many emotions.
Zakary’s journey changed me and continues to. I am now headed into my 8th year of developing a new and most profound relationship with him. What was taken, lost and emptied out is being filled with new knowledge. He is gently guiding me and as I listen more, he moves me more, sometimes not so gently actually. He is a force to be reckoned with.
It is time to close out this part of my journey. It has been changed and transformed a few times over. I have clarity this part of the journey has served its purpose and place. It’s time to say good-bye and embrace closing my blog for the change it will bring.
Sunshine
Sunshine is my soul voice. It is the deepest, most aligned, and authentic version of me. This happens when I am tuned in, of course. My life as everyone’s does, goes in and out of noisy times. Mine is noisy around me and taking extra effort to stay grounded and focused. As I have taken time from Social Media platforms I have noticed a significant change in my concentration and focus. What was an experiment is moving me to shut it down completely. The next couple weeks I will be shutting down all avenues except email and phone of course to contact me.
It has taken some time to evaluate this decision while entering into a new phase of learning and experiences.
I value this experience with WP and everyone here. Nevertheless, it is time to leave now. I have a very big project ahead. Can I do it all? YES, but will I be fully aware while staying connected to my most authentic self? Closing my blog to embrace change will allow me to focus and be fully attentive.
Good-byes
Isn’t there a phrase that teaches us, when one door closes another opens? It’s time to close this door but keep the experience with so many beautiful lessons.
I have tried different avenues to keep this door open while still pursuing the finish of my current project. Every door slam I hear moves me farther into a period of concentration and full presence. This decision wasn’t made quickly but carefully. Closing my blog to embrace change feels like the right step ahead.
Thank you
Thank you for being here when I really needed other voices and friendships to share with. Meaningful voices here have been such a comfort for me during some really tough times. This blog carries many emotional journeys. It is my story from a depth you don’t see on the surface. Thank you to you all.
Growth takes a lifetime of strength through life’s storms, don’t miss a drop of rain or a ray of sunshine.
~Kerri Elizabeth~
Whisper to me your journey to the sky Speak slowly so I can write them all Share with me every rain drop you’ve felt Every shiver in life’s storms that brings strength As you stand protecting me
Strength through life’s storms creates resilience and endurance. Share with me every ring you earned at your core As you share, I’m listening To the winds shuffling your leaves The crackling among your branches The dew among the grass sharing precious reflections Nature will inspire you with growth Where God so creatively painted all the answers
After enduring the challenges, you will feel sunshine often after gaining strength through life’s storms.
If you like this one, my hope is you will also like the one posted below:
“Sunflowers seek the sun, yet their strength lies in their unseen roots. Depth isn’t just what we see—it’s what we feel.”
Whether in a tree or a sunflower, with eyes closed or open, color there or gone, roots are the traveling wonder with emotional depth.
~Kerri-Elizabeth~
Depth perception colored or not Precision and emotion, traveling wonder Emotions spill upon a silently colored moment Stillness presents depth with or without the amazement of color Can you see beyond your vision Where depth is found by the distance a root grows Surrender your vision to your heart, where emotional depth and perception truly intertwine Where emotional depth perception sets you apart How deep do your roots grow Where are your roots and which way did they go How deep have they grown A tree does not say, this way It is after the storms where depth is gained It was in the heart where emotional depth perception remains
…………………..
If this poem resonated with you, you might also enjoy my links below:
Where you fall is where you get up, but where you go is either a knowing or a searching, both can lead you, but only one is always with you.
~Kerri-Elizabeth~
A Brush Dipped in Intuition
My words have become a brush dipped in intuition, painting on canvases with no plan—just a deep knowing. In addition, hearing is an art, and lately, I’ve found myself practicing it more than ever. For me, art has become a form of quiet listening—not only with my ears but with my heart. As a result, when I tune into the world around me, I realize more and more that the most profound wisdom often comes when we pause, stop speaking, and simply allow ourselves to hear. In fact, it’s often in the stillness that the world speaks its loudest. Additionally in those moments, I feel as though the world itself is speaking directly to me.
We plan our days, highlight our goals, write them down, and speak them into existence. We hold ourselves accountable—racing against time, competing with expectations, and often landing back at the drawing board. This cycle shows that hearing is an art, where we learn continuously from our experiences.
And when we see that drawing board again—life’s seemingly endless cycle—it rarely sparks the instinct to create. Instead, frustration sets in.
It feels like starting over. But we are never the same, even when the drawing board looks unchanged.
Looking back helps us move forward. Reflection is important—it creates wisdom, builds understanding, and teaches us valuable lessons.
It’s a pause, a moment inviting us not only to listen but also to truly hear. Indeed, hearing is an art—one that we often forget amidst the noise of daily life. Furthermore, it carries a tone, a color; sometimes it is a voice, and at other times, it is the whisper of nature.
We don’t often speak of nature as part of our heart, but rather as a path leading to it.
Yet, nature holds our heartbeat—in the trees, the breeze, the sky’s colors, the lakes, and waterfalls. It flows like a river, answering us because it is part of all we are. We never leave it, and it never leaves us.
Nature offers solutions in the most magnificent ways. For me, I often find the answers right in front of me, waiting for me to slow down and open my heart.
Maybe you live in the city, where nature seems distant. Have you been so busy with daily life that you don’t notice it? But here’s the truth: nature is still a part of you—your home, your family, your world. It’s always there, even when you can’t see it.
Frustration, anger, and the chaos of life blur our clarity. When that happens, it feels like we’re stuck in a cycle with no way out. However, when you pause, take a deep breath, and reconnect with nature, you’ll find peace and clarity returning.
And remember, nature stands by you—under the sky, upon the earth—always offering its peace. Hearing is an art, and nature reminds us of this. No matter where you are, it waits for you to listen and embrace it.
The answers are given to us, yet often misread. Sometimes, we must return to them to truly understand.
Hearing is an art, and true listening requires presence.
Are you being reminded of something you already know? Do colors guide you toward a new path? Are you hearingwhat’s meant to be heard—or filling your space with noise that drowns out the wisdom meant to reach you?
Colors and experiences come together over time, no truth is in the now, it shows up in the experience over time. (This is often realized through a social media detox reflection.)
~Kerri-Elizabeth~
Thoughts
I have some thoughts I’d love some input on. This won’t be my normal poem post. Instead, I’d like to share something that’s been on my heart and mind.
I recently took all of my apps for SM (I just had two) off my phone. I am seriously contemplating closing both and forever being done with it. This was a step towards my own social media detox reflection.
I’m not sure if our blogs are considered SM but they sure feel more personal. They are connected to our real life experiences and emotions. Sharing and conversing with you all has been enlightening. It’s more of the reality of life experiences rather than the fluff, it resonates.
I just have a feeling. There so many beautiful connections I’ve created over the years, great friends all over the world. Its a mission to reach out to many and actually talk personally. Thus, I had a sense of who the person was I was following and being influenced by. Influence is now influencer. What’s real now is harder to see and feel. This reflection solidified my plans for a social media detox.
Connections
I didn’t want to have just digital connections. Instead, I wanted to take the time to see why they chose me or share why I chose them to follow. I made it a mission and made so many great connections. It was not just to do business with, with no agenda except to connect authentically. This thoughtful reflection encouraged my social media detox.
Over the years it seems less and less possible to make those connections authentically. (I have wonderful friends I’ve made, both in business and personally over the years.) Nothing wrong with the business or personal ideas model, except it doesn’t resonate with me right now anyways.
There is a manipulation to it all now that has taken away the fun of it.
Maybe this is a fleeting feeling. So I am just taking some space away to see what that prompts for me. Part of my social media detox reflection involves understanding these feelings.
I notice if I post then I’m in a trap, a whirlwind of seeing things I can’t un-see. The list of things I think I need, places I want to travel, and painting ideas I can dive into. An hour passes or more. My bum is numb from sitting too long and I lift my head. Reality conflicts with the entire scene in my dream world I didn’t even realize I was in.
I then have a list of things I want to buy. Our home in my mind has been remodeled and completely redone with all the DIY ideas. I have gardens that look like a fairytale land and I have a new wardrobe. It fits snuggly and beautifully in our new walk-in closet, all organized. In my mind of course, NOT my reality. I guess it really does happen though; that’s what SM says anyways.
I have an awesome life, blessed with love and happiness and challenges. Challenges that would curl your hair. Who doesn’t? I just don’t want to see the fluff right now. It makes the real challenges seem like there is a quick fix if you just follow THEIR recipe to success.
I’ve heard so many coaches and counselors’ videos online. They give advice on how life would be better if I did it their way. Honestly, I have many times. I have a coach and I wouldn’t be where I am without her expertise. This is not to discount the importance of help and guidance.
I am authentically being led to a social media detox reflection. When you know, it doesn’t quit pushing you until you observe and listen, do you ever feel that?
After a few minutes scrolling, my mind is reeling on every emotion life has blessed me with. BUT, none seem correct. Sheesh 🙄 I started feeling pulled so far out of reality. I started missing what’s really happening and appreciating what IS my absolute AMAZING reality.
Limits
I actually put limits on my phone. 1 hour collectively a day is all I’d allow to be on my screen. Some days I never came close. On others, an hour was like two seconds.
That was an amazing experiment. Even down to how many times I went to grab my phone consciously instead of unconsciously. As part of reflecting on my need for a social media detox, I started observing these behaviors more.
Then I wondered why I was sharing anything about my life. Did it really matter or change anyone’s life for the better? Did it connect me to anything worth spending the time on it? Even business, of course it works for many, it’s not that I don’t agree with all that. I just asked myself, is this the way for me at this point?
A Decision
So I decided at least for now it’s NOT. A social media detox reflection has allowed me to come to this realization.
What are your experiences and thoughts about your space in the SM world?
Here are a few ideas that have been helpful along my path:
https://insighttimer.com and as Judy says so beautifully, music saved her and in turn it helps save me.