My name is Karen. I am a writer and so much more.

More importantly, who and what are you?

Forget the formalities, I want to get right to point of this newsletter. I am interested in learning more about you. Afterall, you already know my name and that I am so much more than a writer.

But first… Let’s play a game.

Show and Tell Time

My name is Karen and I am not just a writer but a blogger and now a Substacker.

This is me on the rooftop of my daughter’s home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Writing comes easy to me, but Substacking I find difficult. I don’t mean to sound conceited, but I think I’m an excellent writer. I struggle with getting others to read and react to my writing, so maybe I am just full of myself. And that’s okay.

My name is Karen and I am a wife.

I have a husband and we have each other.

Marriage comes easy for me, but being married is difficult. We are on our twenty-eighth year of being married, so that means we are doing something right. Everyday can be a struggle when doing life with another person and we are constantly working at our marriage. Other’s might view our marriage as messy. And that’s okay.

My name is Karen and I am a mom.

To the left is my older daughter, Erin. She does eCommerce strategy. Kirsten to the right is entering graduate school for speech pathology.

I love being a mother. I think it’s the hardest but the most rewarding job on earth. They seem to love and support me, but we don’t agree on everything. In the past I really have struggled with relinquishing control and accepting their choices in life. I have grown a lot in that area. We may never see eye to eye. And that’s okay.

My name is Karen and I am a friend.

These are some of my friends. I have many more and each have a special place in my heart.

The people in my life, not just my family but my friends, mean the world to me. I can’t always be there when they need me. My husband and I live a transient lifestyle which makes it hard to be fully present in each my friend’s lives. I am richly blessed because the friendships I have fall back into place when we reunite. I have discovered what true friendship is in the last three years of my life. Certain friendships will dissolve because they cannot withstand hardship. And that’s okay.

My name is Karen and I am a woman in recovery.

I surround myself with the most beautiful women.

At one time I said, “My name is Karen and I am an alcoholic.” For thirty plus years I abused alcohol and eventually that abuse turned into something much more powerful, an addiction. At the age of fifty (three years ago) I decided to make drastic changes to my life. These changes impact everyone else in my life. I think my recovery is much harder on those people than my own life. Today I am no longer on alcoholic, but I say, “I am a child of Christ.” Not everyone chooses to recover from their past. And that’s okay.

My name is Karen and I am a child of God.

I made a personal choice to publicly share my faith.

Three years ago, I was reborn and that is a hard thing for others to understand. I share about this in my writing because it’s the most important part of who I am. We all are on our own journey in life and surrounded by friends, family, and people who share our interest and choose to travel with us. It is up to each of us to find the coping skills that work to achieve peace within our lives. Today I have succeeded, but tomorrow is a new day.

Not everyone agrees with my faith. And that’s okay.

Enough about me, I want to know about you.

Last week in Yoga, my instructor Sybil said, “Don’t ask someone what they do for work, but what they do for enjoyment.” So please, leave a comment and tell me what genre you are interested in reading and writing.

For the next nine days I will be focusing on you, my Substack subscribers and followers. I am struggling making connections on Substack which means I need to put forth more effort. The problem I have isn’t anything new. I have always struggled with striking up friendships, but once made, I cherish each of them.

Our friendship may not blossom into a lasting friendship, but last a season. I want to be the kind of friend you can be comfortable with and know that there are no strings attached. Just come as you are and accept me for who I am.

Thanks for taking the time to get to know me. I write about daily struggles. Certain posts might speak to you, while other posts don’t. And that’s okay.

I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13 NIV