One more Mother's Day without my mom and I survived. But SO DID YOU! Even though it took me 14 Mother's Days to finally decide to try to get over my funk of not having her here, I did it, and one day, if you are not there already, you will also be right where I am, right now, at THIS moment. I say THIS moment because who knows what next year will bring. But for now, this year was OK.  There were definitely challenges in losing my mom because I realized later that so much of my identity, cou...

Wearing makeup always made me feel good about myself. I loved going to the MAC store and being pampered for an hour as I tried every new shade offered. Oh the joy of going to Nordstroms to buy my favorite Chanel mascara. As my friends and I shared beauty tips, I felt a sisterhood with them. A secret world where we used our lipstick tubes and our fake eyelashes as weapons to fight off the evil armies trying to invade our world with self loathing and to ward off all evil spirits. Yes, a powerful w...

As I hid on the floor of the closet, knees to my chest, breathing as slowly and quietly as I could so that he could not hear me, I felt like a war criminal avoiding capture. To the best of my knowledge, all I did was fool myself into thinking that he was the one. Forsaking all my friends and family and my own identity so that I could stay in his suffocating embrace. Maybe my delusion was a crime. Maybe I deserved to be here; in this mental prison. I imagined the judge proclaiming the sentence at...

Recently someone called me a loner because I didn't want to hang out. It was a Friday and all week I had dealt with  clients, students that think they are smarter than the professor (perhaps they are) and just a litany of complaints and unmet needs from every other area in my life. At the end of the week the thought of more human contact was as appealing as seeing my ex-husband in his underwear with the holes and stains in them that he refused to let me replace because he was waiting for hi...

"If I were to die today, who cares? My parents are gone, I have no family, no kids, etc, so what does it matter if something happens to me? I'm enjoying life." I expected her to agree with me and to confirm my carefree response to her question regarding how I live my life so fearlessly. Instead, the look on her face was one of hurt and pity. Hurt, because she loves me and she thought that I knew how she felt for me. Pity, because regardless of how many times she calls me and leaves me sweet mess...

If you have lost a parent, then you also know that you also lost a piece of yourself. You know that, although with time, you will eventually hurt less and the gut wrenching loneliness and heartache will pass. You will always mourn them, but one day you will be able to mention your parents without sadness and laugh at their antics. One day, you will be able look in the mirror and be happy to see their face reflecting back at you. It has been 14 years since I lost my mother and I still often refle...

When people think of abuse, they often instantly picture the physical side that leaves women battered on the outside. They don't see the internal turmoil. Not all abusive relationships are violent. Although often minimized and overlooked, emotional and psychological abuse is just as destructive. As a community of people dedicated to inspiring women to heal by sharing our stories, we invite you to participate in a professional photo session with other women who chose strength instead of surrender...

  I heard the bone in her leg crack as she hit the floor. We sat on the couch with a ring side view of my uncle treating my aunt like a tv villain and him acting like Bruce Banner turning into the the Incredible Hulk after seeing an extreme injustice. But there was no injustice here. No crime was committed. No happy ending with the villains heading to prison. Just my tiny barely 5 foot tall aunt begging for her life. "Shut up or I'll do the same thing to you!" I grabbed my cousin, his daugh...

This past weekend we had the honor of attending a private concert held by Kristin Center, a wonderfully talented young Diva.                                                                   At age 18, Kristin Center won the Gerschefski Competition Scholarship and at age 19 she became alternate finalist for the Seattle Internati...

Change can be daunting. Even when the prospect of something new stirs excitement and curiosity, it takes bravery and often some faith to step out into the unfamiliar. But Divas tend to go where they are needed, and they adapt to the challenges and grow with the experience. During World War II droves of American women moved out into the workforce to learn and carry out vacant jobs. By 1945 an estimated 1 out of 4 women worked outside the home, returning every evening to continue running their hom...

Divas can be small in size, and giant in stature. Two of the core values of Dishing with the Diva are Community and Friendship , and both of these values were evidenced by Hannah McKellar and her lemonade stand. A young Michigan resident, Hannah learned that many children who receive meals at school throughout the year are often without enough nourishment during summer vacation months, and took it upon herself to lend support to the Gleaners Community Food Bank's   "Hunger Free Summer" &nbs...

How many of us feel guilty taking time out for ourselves? Did you ever plan a day of play only to find it impossible to enjoy because all you could think about was the laundry, the never-ending dishes, a project at work, the kids' sports schedules, the things you feel you "should" be doing? Or have you simply noticed yourself feeling blocked and less creative, less optimistic, or far removed from the energizing childlike feelings of joy and excitement? Dishing With The Diva is hosting our very f...

Some times you have to unroll the outer layer of a person to see who they really are. You may find something as delicious as the bacon inside of these, or something more revealing.

How do you buy a Father's Day card for a dad that you really do not have a connection with? Searching for the RIGHT card was a daunting task because apparently all greeting card writers have wonderful relationships with their dad. They have memories filled with daddy daughter dances, father and son football games and family holidays where dad lovingly carved the meat and gave a wonderful speech about love. I'm soooo happy for them. But for me, I needed a card that said: "Thank you for leaving so...

I knew I was not imagining this. This man, the man I lived with, the man I made a commitment to, had fallen in love with a married woman. I no longer wondered who he was blatantly texting at 2 am. When he did not come home till 3 or 4 in the morning, there was no need for me to question his whereabouts. I knew where he had been. When I called him on the morning of Valentines Day and he said that he was sitting on the porch of her house waiting to go to work later, I just said "OK". I can't descr...

My na m e is Kelly Dawes and I am 44 years old. I had my first heart a ttack  at the age of 31 , though it went undiagnosed. Approximately 6 months later, at the age of 32, I had the same symptoms again.  That time I was sent to the hospital and discovered I had a heart attack, with 99% blockage in the "widow maker" artery. The symptoms were the same both times. I had tightness in my chest that wasn't unbearable for me, but it was a nagging and uncomfortable (very unusual) fe...

Do you ever find yourself questioning why you are friends with a certain person? I mean SERIOUSLY wondering why you haven't already ended this relationship? Reminds me of this one plant in my garden. It does not add any beauty and it does not fit in with the other plants, all of which work together harmoniously to create an environment filled with beauty, love, and peace. Every time I look at this plant I think about how it's time to remove it from the group. Just pull it up by the roots and rep...