Against the Grain

Mandy grew up grounded in nature nestled in a rural community. She experienced the changing of seasons, the splash of streams and bayous, bare feet in wet grass and passed time examining all that the big sky had to offer. All of the nature experience was simply an avenue to suppress the abuse within her parental homestead from domestic to alcohol and the lack of essential care. She mastered the art of repressing the negative and ran albeit, against the grain, of normalcy within her family to what society called success by conquering college education to a master's level and starting a traditional family and a successful business. While Mandy had obtained academic and surface level awareness to serve others and the world-she lacked true self-awareness. She began a journey of self-discovery by looking within at the cause and effect of reactions-including to the depths of all that she avoided from her upbringing. The remembering process answered a lot of questions and opened wounds that needed to be worked through and healed. Mandy is still on her journey of self-discovery, and she hopes to be an inspiration to others on their journey.