FINDING HOPE

I decided, at the first of the year, that I wanted to share stories of people who inspire me.  Inspiration comes in all shapes and forms and all the people I wish to highlight have impacted me in some manner. They each offer a Slice Of Hope into my oftentimes crazy world, and my hope is by introducing them, I will share that slice with you; My Hopefuls. My first person, is really two persons; sisters to be exact. Shelley and Kelley. No, they are not twins, and in fact, they would probably be the first to say they are quite different on many levels. The one thing they do share however, is their dedication to family and their belief in determination and hard work to accomplish their goals. Shelley is the older of the two; a little shy, kept more to herself but always watching and listening. She married a great guy, had a son and then a daughter and life was beautiful. It wasn’t perfect, but it was beautiful. She was a stay at home mom and devoted her life to her famil...

Dear Finding Hope I have a question about my relationship with my best friend “Amy”. I’ve known Amy for several years and met at work while we were both married. I divorced about three years ago and she was very supportive of me during that time. About seven months ago she told me that her and her husband had decided on a trial separation. I knew things weren’t great, but didn’t realize it had come to that. Anyway, he moved out, and well, to be quite honest, she went a little wild. Having only known her as a married women, I was not prepared for her new ‘lifestyle’. Hope, she wants to go out several times a week, and does not seem to know when to go home. Which I guess is her right, but she always asks me to go. She knows I’m single too and she wants company (and sometimes a designated driver). I don’t want to sound like a prude; I have fun when I’m with her. She’s lively and flirtatious with never a dull moment; but I’m really not into that scene and I’m getting a little ...

Dear Finding Hope I am a 51 year old woman who has been divorced for 2 years. My husband and I divorced after 19 years of marriage. There wasn’t any cheating or abuse, we just grew apart and after our daughter graduated high school we decided to go our separate ways and try to find happiness again. Overall I have done great. I have a cute little apartment, friends and I’ve started taking pottery classes. I even met a guy online; but this is where it gets tricky. I really like him, but he and my daughter do not get along at all. To be honest, my daughter started it by being so resistant to his involvement in anything. She does attend college away, but comes home often. Once I knew that he and I could actually be something, I introduced him to her. She immediately put up a wall. She has no interest in getting to know him or doing anything with us when she is home. He has come to resent the trouble and stress she is causing me. Is this normal? What should I do? I don’t want...

Dear Finding Hope I was married for 8 years and 2 weeks before Christmas my husband moved out. I knew things were not great, but I never thought he would walk out, especially during the holidays. He said that he doesn't love me anymore and doesn't want to live a lie. That life is too short to be with someone he doesn't love. With the help of family and friends, I managed to make it through Christmas, but now the truth is sinking in and with all the talk about the new year, I'm really struggling with how to handle my new reality. What do you think I should do?  Not A Happy New Year Dear Not A Happy New Year First, let me say that I'm so very sorry for what happened to you and it is hard to understand why your husband picked this particular time to leave. It is true that the holiday season can put tremendous stress and strain on couples and individuals. Without knowing any of your back story, it's hard to know the true reason why he left, but here are ...