Life with Charli

One Summer: Guest Post with Sunny Larue

Hello all! Welcome back to my blog! Fellow blogger Sunny Larue Wormely tagged me on Facebook to write a blog post about summer fun for her blog! The prompt is below:

Hi guys I’m back again with another ask it’s time for blog. I was inspired by a childhood memory of summer. I thought it would be fun to do a writing prompt. You can also write a poem on a summer memory. it’s up to you.

As the sun blazed overhead, the small coastal town came alive with the sounds of laughter and the scent of salt in the air.

Write a story about a group of friends who embark on a spontaneous road trip, seeking adventure, love, and self-discovery during a scorching summer heatwave.

What unexpected challenges will they face, and how will they come together to make this a summer to remember?

Please keep your entry to under 2000 characters or between 290 – 500 words. If you decide on a poem please keep your entry under 200 characters or between 30 -50 words. The deadline is June 29th by 6pm PST or 9pm EST or 7pm GST (Europe). Your entry will be posted to the site the 3rd week of July 2024.

Please keep in mind words are powerful and they can help brighten someone day. I hope you participate in sharing and having some FUN!

I gladly accepted the challenge and wrote a poem!

Sunny is a dear blogging friend. She loves martinis and pop culture. She often discusses pop culture on her blog and on her YouTube channel. She is a strong mental health advocate and also writes about living with mental illness from her personal experience.

You can read my poem in Sunny’s blog here:

One Summer: A Poem by Charli of Life With Charli

While you’re there, visit other posts in Sunny’s blog as well!You can follow Sunny on social media media through the following links:

Twitter:

Tweets by sunnylarue17

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/sunnylarue17/?

YouTube

https://m.youtube.com/@sunnylarue17?

My Interview with Pooja G

Hi all! I recently did an interview with a fellow blogger! She interviewed me! Yay! This blogger is Pooja G! She writes about mental illness and travel. She has lived in different places, so she has experience with travel! She also often posts inspiring quotes. Pooja recently put out a post asking if fellow bloggers would like to be interviewed in order to help them grow their platform. Pooja was very engaging and such a patient and kind interviewer! I had fun talking with her!Definitely head over to her blog and give my interview a listen, and while you’re there, checkout other posts by Pooja! Also follow her socials!

Blog

Blogger Interview With Charli

Twitter

https://twitter.com/poojagudka?s=21&t=XWWMlulxPnSE_-uSnLo1Bw

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/herbivoreonajourney/

https://pin.it/47s0pn1wf

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pooja.gudka.79

Anne with an E and Father’s Day

My father recently introduced me to Netflix’s Anne with an E. It’s a show inspired by novel series Anne of Green Gables by Canadian author Lucy Maud “L.M.” Montgomery. For those who are unfamiliar with Anne of Green Gables or Anne with an E, it is a story that follows the life of a very bright and curious red haired young girl named Anne. The story begins with her meeting an elderly brother and sister named Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert.

My Dad loves Anne with an E. We watched it together several times recently. He just adores Anne and finds her so endearing. I love Anne too. There is no way you can watch the show and not fall for her charm. When the Cuthberts met Anne, they immediately loved her, especially Matthew. She changed their lives for the better. Matthew is shy and reserved, and is a man of few words. Meeting Anne helps him to come out of his shell a little. For her, he would do anything. It got to the point where Marilla often teased that Matthew spoiled Anne.

Matthew did not expect this change in his life. It reminds me of me of how my father wasn’t expecting his life to take the turn it did. My father was still in school, and expecting to continue school, when he met and fell in love with my mother. They got married and started a family. My father vowed when he had a his first child that he would do anything to make sure he was the best father he could be. Over the years, his children wanted for nothing. He was the ultimate provider. It was a struggle to provide everything his children needed and wanted, but his children never felt the struggle. Their father simply made being a parent look effortless. To my father, life was hard, but to his children, life was perfect.

I really enjoyed spending time watching Anne with an E with my Dad. It was lots of fun. As I mentioned before, Dad really loved Anne. I loved Matthew and his relationship with Anne. He showered her with love in his own special, quiet way, and Anne appreciated him for it, just like I appreciate my Dad for the sacrifices he made for me. I wish my father a very happy Father’s Day. He deserves my appreciation and so much more.

Guest Post: A Letter of Self Love and Strength

Last time, Arlene and I talked about self love. You can view our first collaboration post here. This time around, the focus is on trying to move on mistakes or traumas. We decided to write letters to ourselves, and post the letters on each other’s blogs. Below, you will find Arlene’s letter to herself:

Dear Angie,

Your life has been about overcoming challenges, breaking through barriers, and moving

forward. Ironically, I know you’ve never asked for much, yet the love and support you’ve longed for seem out of reach. I want you

to realize how proud I am of your resilience and how far you’ve come. I can’t think of anyone else who has faced the trials you have and decided to rise above them. You’ve had the perfect excuse to give up if you wanted to.

I understand how exhausting and draining it can be a

t times. Seeing how much of a journey still lies ahead can be disheartening. It’s like swirling the entire ocean, only to find that the shore is still

far away.

Now that you have the incredible tools and knowledge you wish you had from the beginning, it brings up an inevitable question: If you know what you have left to do, why don’t you do it?

Morpheus

expressed it more eloquently in his response:”Sooner or later, you’re going to realize, just as I did, that there’s a difference between knowing the path and walking the path.”

We both know you know better, so What’s holding you back from moving on, dear?

I know you’ve been trying to take care of your mom for as long as you can remember.

Despite your efforts to detach, surrender, accept, honor, and support her, it seems there’s still a small yet big step to take.

Acceptance and

resistance both have many layers. You might think you’ve moved past something until it catches you off guard.

Spending each day by your mother’s side causes you sorrow and drains your energy. It’s challenging to accept that there’s nothing more you can do for her

, and both of you need to move on. With numerous changes and challenges, you need to continue with your life, while she needs to follow the natural course of life as well. The days seem long and unbearable for her.

Facing the inevitable, especially knowing she wants to move out of your home

, feels like you’re pulling a trigger in a way. It’s like a one-way ticket.

The thought of a care facility is burdensome and unpleasant to you. Ironically, your mother would be better cared for there than at home, and it would also give you a break from the

the constant stress of dealing with nurses, medicines, and everything else.

Maybe deep down, you know it’s not just

about her; it’s about your whole life

changing. The uncertainty of what’s to come is

both exhilarating and terrifying. Perhaps you’re using the situation with your mom as a shield, almost a symbol.

She is the last link you have with your known life of origin. Everything else seems to be spiraling. It’s a positive spiral, yes, but a dizzying one. Your whole life is new.

I understand you may feel alone in the world

.I encourage you to continue your spiritual journey, filling the void, and moving on with love and purpose.

Keep moving forward, Angie.

About Arlene

Arlene is a blogger, Systemic & Family Constellation Practitioner, Energy Healer, and Trauma Specialization student. You can click here to visit her blog. You can also visit Arlene on social media and say hello!

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/arlenedeangelis/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/arlenedeangelisfacebook

Twitter or X

Tweets by AADeAngelis

Thankyou for reading!

A Thankyou to a Wonderful Teacher

I’ve talked a lot about dealing with mental illness on here. I’ve been dealing with mental illness since early childhood. I was a very happy and talkative child. I can’t fully remember when that started to change, but I do know that I got bullied a lot in school. I’ve always been small for my age, so I stood out like a sore thumb.

This did not change when I reached to high school. When I was in primary school and secondary school I had the same classmates. I had different classmates when I went to high school, but the bullying still continued. My self esteem took a deep dive due to the bullying and only made my depression worsen. By my senior year, my depression took a tool on me and I stayed home from school a lot. I just didn’t like being in school. Then I saw my grades. The moment I took a look at them I went in to a bathroom and started crying. I was failing. If I didn’t shape up, I was in jeopardy of having to repeat my senior year. I started going back to school regularly.

Fortunately, I had very understanding teachers. One teacher in particularly was very helpful. I talked with her about my situation and that I was dealing with a lot. She decided to give me an open book test and to help boost my grade. She gave me a 75 for her class. I was grateful, but I don’t think I showed enough gratitude at the time. Looking back, I don’t remember even saying Thankyou. If I had a chance to see her again, I would give her the gratitude I didn’t at the time. I would tell her Thankyou. Thankyou for giving me a chance to explain myself. Thankyou for being understanding. Thanks to you, I graduated on time.

When Loving Yourself is a Struggle

Picture taken from Pixabay

Hi all! Welcome back to my blog! How many of you heard about the concept of the angel and the demon on your shoulders? I am playing the role of the demon on the shoulder and will be talking about my insecurities. Fellow blogger Arlene De Angelis will be playing the role of the angel and will be responding to my post. Arlene has a beautiful blog that focuses on helping her readers learn to love themselves. Her posts are in both English and Spanish! Arlene’s posts come from her experience as a Systemic & Family Constellation Practitioner, Energy Healer, and Trauma Specialization student. I had a great time collaborating with her and talking with her! She is honestly so sweet, and you’d definitely feel uplifted by her posts! So visit her blog and check it out!

Without further ado my half of the post is below:

I’ve been bullied since I was small. I can’t help but feel there are too many things wrong with me, and people notice them right away. I don’t like my back, because I have scoliosis. My posture is horrible. I also don’t like that I’ve gained a lot of weight recently. Maybe I need to really need to lower the amount of food I’m eating. I should skip breakfast or lunch from now on. I also don’t like my feet. I’m never wearing sandals! Sometimes I wish I were someone else. I don’t know what to do.

To read Arlene’s response please click here: https://arlenedeangelis.com/is-disliking-yourself-getting-you-somewhere-you-want-to-go/ and read some of her other posts while there as well! You can also visit her socials to say hello!

Blog

Home

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/arlenedeangelis/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/arlenedeangelisfacebook

Twitter or X

Tweets by AADeAngelis

Thankyou for reading!

To My Strong Mother

Picture taken from Pixabay

If I had to pick a word to describe mothers, it would be “strong”. Giving birth is no easy feat. Some woman die giving birth. Still, woman continue to use their bodies to bring life into the world. Some women even give birth several times. This includes my own mother (yes I have siblings, but I won’t say how many). My mother is not just strong physically though. She is strong personality wise as well. She has always been a very confident woman, not letting anyone’s negative opinions bring her down. That confidence shines through whenever I need a pep talk to boost my confidence. When whenever I would feel down about my looks she would say she has no ugly children. It would always make me laugh and I would feel better about myself in that moment. She also uses her strong personality to advocate for me. I am a person with a disability. When I was a small child, my school wanted put me in a special education class. My mother was sure that I could learn with other children, so she fought for me to be in a general class. I just needed a little extra attention to keep up with my peers. My mother never took excuses from me. She knew I had limitations and understood them, but she also understood my strengths and had high expectations of me. I am truly grateful for my mother’s strength. If I am blessed to be a mother myself one day, I hope to be a rock to my child like she has been for me. On Mother’s Day and everyday, I celebrate my wonderful mother.

Here is what a few others hva to say about their mothers:

Kimberly Watson https://www.facebook.com/kimberly.watson.169 – My mother overcame a lot and still managed to be a loving and generous person.

Anurag Joti https://www.facebook.com/anurag.joti – Her care, cooking and all

Jutheblog Juane https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551902597675 – The way she shows love to my sister and me through food, sometimes worrying too much about us and her sacrifices for us

See you in one year

Hi! It’s been a while since posted! For those who are not familiar with me, my name is Charli! I have a condition called Turner Syndrome. It is when I girl is born with one of her X chromosomes missing. Turner syndrome can lead to a lot of complications. Some of those complications include heart defects, hearing loss, and weak bones. I have been seeing my endocrinologist every six months to make sure that my health is ok. I’ve had to have surgery on my thyroid gland. Recently, however, my doctor told me that I can now see her once every year. My health is looking really good. As long as I continue taking my medication as prescribed, and continue making decent life choices, I will continue to be in good health. I consider myself to be very fortunate, especially since, like I said previously, Turner syndrome can lead to a lot of complications. There is so much I am thankful for. Being alive in the first place is something to be grateful for, because 99 percent of pregnancies involving a fetus with Turner syndrome end in miscarriage. Life sometimes throws us curveballs and challenges, but always remember that you are a fighter.

Living with Borderline Personality Disorder, but not a Monster

Picture taken from Unsplash

I was born with a genetic disorder, and this disorder can lead to learning difficulties. Growing up, my parents worked very hard to make sure I was in a classroom with general education children. They noticed most of the children in special education classrooms in the schools I was attending had behavioral problems, and were very disrespectful to the teachers. My parents were afraid I wouldn’t learn in that kind of environment, and that I would probably even get bullied. It wasn’t until I got older when I realized that the behavior of the other students with disabilities was unacceptable, even if they were special needs students. The same goes for people with mental illness.

I suffered from mental illness for a long time. Since childhood, but it wasn’t until 2019 when I finally decided to see a specialist for my depression. I was diagnosed with depression immediately. A few months later, I was also diagnosed with Borderline Personalty Disorder. I’d never heard of borderline personality disorder until I was diagnosed, so I didn’t waste any time googling it. It didn’t take long for me to find out how stigmatized the condition is.

But what is borderline personality disorder or BPD? According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), BPD is Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) “is a condition characterized by difficulties regulating emotion. This means that people who experience BPD feel emotions intensely and for extended periods of time, and it is harder for them to return to a stable baseline after an emotionally triggering event”. Symptoms of BPD, according to NAMI, include “frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment by friends and family; unstable personal relationships that alternate between idealization (“I’m so in love!”) and devaluation (“I hate her”)…sometimes known as ‘splitting’; impulsive behaviors that can have dangerous outcomes, such as excessive spending, unsafe sex, reckless driving, or misuse or overuse of substances; self-harming behavior including suicidal threats or attempts; periods of intense depressed mood, irritability or anxiety lasting a few hours to a few days; and inappropriate, intense or uncontrollable anger—often followed by shame and guilt”.

The symptoms show that forming and maintaining relationships is one of the biggest struggles for people with BPD. This includes relationships in the work place and with the medical team. This has made BPD gain the reputation in the medical field as a very difficult condition to deal with, and even mental health professionals sometimes refuse to work with people who have the condition. All over the Internet, one can find books, blog posts, and videos about surviving an experience with people who have BPD. Whenever someone commits a crime, people would often assume the person has a mental illness. In the films “Fatal Attraction” and “Acrimony”, a in the movies are so bitter and their behaviors so destructive that their stories end tragically. The characters in both movies were considered to have Borderline Personality disorder. People with BPD can not seem to live normal lives according to these movies. The well known court case between American actors Johnny Depp and Amber Heard, with Heard being diagnosed with BPD, did not help with the stigma on the condition.

It was because of the stigma on mental illness that it took me so long to see a specialist for my own mental illness. In fact, I didn’t want to accept the fact that I had a mental illness in the first place. After all, people with mental illnesses are violent, and I am not a violent person. At least that was my belief. I don’t know for sure whether Amber Heard has BPD or not, but I do know that she was accused by her husband of domestic abuse. Having a mental illness does not make a person violent or abusive, and if a person has a mental illness, it should not be used as an excuse. Evil people are just that, evil people.

Even though I was a student with special needs, I worked very hard to get good grades. I didn’t use my special needs status as an excuse to to do poorly in my classes. I also did not use my status as an excuse to mistreat my teachers. In the same way I, and many other people with mental illnesses, live normal lives and are not using the fact that we are mentally ill to be violent people.

Anyone needs children’s books or toys?

My last post was a guest post by fellow blogger Antoinette [aka Tonie] Tardive Bryant from Learn and Laugh with Tonie. She is a former teacher and is dedicated to the education of young children. She is working on selling some children’s books and toys with a company called Paper Pie. There is a nice selection of books and toys for children of various ages. If you have children and you are interested in purchasing a book or toy, click this link: https://b8486.paperpie.com/shop. And please comment below if you purchase anything!