Weathering the Storm

Dear readers, I try to keep this a positive place but sometimes crappy things happen and it's hard to keep a great attitude. I continually debate how much personal info to share on this blog, more for safety & privacy reasons above anything else. However, I do feel so close to many of you who visit faithfully and inspire me with your stories and comments and it doesn't feel right not to be honest with you. Without diving into details, I'm putting it out there that some of my loved ones are going through some rough spots right now in several different capacities and while I do believe all will eventually end well, it doesn't make the middle of the storm any easier. Coincidentally, just yesterday I read an article about resilience and a quote that stuck with me said, "If you fall 7 times, stand up 8", which is what we intend to do. However, if you have it in your heart to say a little prayer of peace or send a warm thought through the universe I would greatly appreciate it.

It's the season of love and gratefulness and you know nothing makes my heart smile more than spending time with my family. Fortunately, I'll be with them soon but in light of recent developments may need to take a little blogging break for the holiday. Hopefully this isn't my last post of the season but if it is, I hope you know how much you mean to me. People who aren't bloggers may not understand how you can care so much about people you've never met. But I know you get it :) Thank you for reading, thank you for inspiring, thank you for sharing.
(Here I go getting all weepy...)

*Hugs*
Ashleigh

P.S. The picture above, titled "Mini skirts in Snowstorm" (found here), captures perfectly how it feels to be caught in the middle of a life storm - helpless and uncomfortable.  Luckily, storms always end, and the sun shall return!