Category: hope

For Frank. For you. For me.

Dear Frank,

This letter, my response to your response, has been two years in the making. 30 plus, if truth be told. A lifetime’s worth, if I were to keep it 100.

These words are for EVERY heart that has ever wondered if they REALLY mattered. Mattered for more than being a breadwinner. More than being beautiful or successful or a million other superficial things that have NOTHING to do with a person’s worth.

Frank, EVERYTHING inside me has been wanting to pack up my words, 🔐 close off my heart, and join the bajillions of folk who have decided to hide in a world of mediocre survival.

Life seems easier that way. Of course, it’s not. It’s debilitating. It’s agonizing. So much so, folk turn up the noise of distraction so as not to hear their heart begging to be free. Begging to be able to be:

Foolish.

Ridiculous.

Wrong.

Loud.

Seen.

Heard.

Validated.

Since I was young, God has told me to encourage folk. To let folk know that everything really will be alright. He told me to tell folk, EVERY day, that they are loved and not alone.

My words seems as though they fall on deaf ears because I am not wrapped in money, fame, looks, stature and all the other lies the 🌎 world tells us we HAVE to have in order to be loved.

We don’t need those things. Yet, I have had to fight to regain my confidence, my self-love, and respect since a tornado 🌪 tore things up here last Memorial Day Weekend.

Every since then, I have had to remind myself I am still worthy, worth it and worthwhile. I am more than the job I no longer have. I am much more than my empty bank account. I tell myself this EVERY day.

I climb on here, every day, to let someone KNOW that they ARE valuable. Just because they were born.

I’m 56, loud but growing more silent as I wonder if it’s worth it. If the silence is worth it. If the ghosting is worth it.

I posted my encouragement to TikTok and Instagram and sighed at the seven or eight and sometimes 20 folk that stop by to be encouraged.

Then. I remember I post for them. For you, Frank. For me.

I have been crying out to God, literally, and asking what I am doing wrong? Why, can’t I get the financial doors to open so I can encourage the 🌎 world like I truly want to.

God stays silent. Through all my soul searching. Through all my job searching. Through all my GoFundMe asking. It has been embarrassing to see the 🌎 cares very little for me or my words.

Still, I shall continue to care. Why? So, I can meet a priceless soul called Frank so I can give him these words, my words, bathed in love and prayer:

Beloved, this world is short. Be loud. Unapologetically. Throw aside those fears. Take then with you if you must. I should have quit my job five years ago. Not because I didn’t love it, Frank. But, because it was time for me move on and start my channel, my blog, my this, that and the other. I didn’t.

I was afraid. Afraid that God would not catch me when I fell. God promised to be there. I was afraid to believe.

In ME. You may think this strange, Frank, but fighting with feelings of inadequacy, since the tornado, has brought out a tenacity I never knew I had soooooooooo much of.

Frank, there is so much love, peace and joy waiting for you on the other side of your fear. You have so much to experience. Go on now, Frank. Get to know you as you fight for your dreams.

I don’t have much. Yet, I have EVERYTHING. I have deep love for my fellow man. I have a wonderful relationship with God. I have family who loves me. I love nature, saying dumb things, doing ridiculous things.

I love burning brownies, making world class chili, watching cooking shows from all over the world.

I love…Ah. Aha!

Frank, your heart IS ready. What are YOU waiting for? Get out there and live. Would love to yak more. Email me at ttnette37@yahoo.com if you are of a mind.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I feel inadequate today. I wish I could remove every hurt from every heart. I wish that I could remove every obstacle. I can’t. I can love. I do. I will. I am. Be encouraged. Your voice matters. It does.

I don’t know why The Universe keeps the 🚪 door closes to me. Maybe so I can keep hollering for and

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Keep doing the boring stuff, er, stacking days.

Keep doing the boring stuff, er, stacking days.

Nuff said.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I have been sitting here, doing some incredibly tedious editing work. And, I mean boooooorrriiinnnggggg monotonous work.

Normally, I would enjoy the monotony. With a fever, the monotony is driving me up ten walls.

Still, it’s helping me take my mind off of not feeling well. Okay, it’s not but it needs to be done anywho.

I figure if I do this, now, I will save a bunch of time and be able to enjoy the fun stuff, later.

Delayed gratification. Curse words in these days and times.

I AM proud of the proverbial editorial wood I have been stacking for the last few hours. 

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Don’t give up in the middle.

Don’t give up, beloveds. There is so much more for you to experience.

Take time to celebrate your try. You have done all you know. You have done well.

Take care of that beautiful heart of yours.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: I love me some you. As does He.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

My dreams would not let me sleep in today.

Dreams: Let’s goooooo!!!

*pout*

I was taking a perfectly fine nap, in a perfectly fine bed, having a perfectly fine time.

My dreams got to hollering for me to get up and get a move on. Even lazy was in a hurry. Later had already started the kettle.

Geeezzz.

*yawn*

I figured I may as well pass on the savings….

Let’s goooooooooo, beloveds!

2025 is ours!

Seize these moments!

being about business,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Dreams are calling. Let’s goooooo!!!

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Chase the victory, not the trophy, Cassandra!

God: Chase the victory, NOT the trophy.

Me: Isn’t the point of the race to win the trophy?

God: You tell me.

Me: The world says it’s ALL about the trophy. The bigger the better. What’s more, it HAS to be the first place trophy!

God: What do YOU say? What do YOU think? This is YOUR race. YOU are the one entered. Why are YOU in THIS race?

Me: Because…hhmm. I have ALWAYS been in a race. Of some sort. For someone. To get…*shrug*. It’s hard to keep track of which race I am running. It’s impossible to remember what trophy I am trying to win to earn validation from him, from her, from them. Real talk, I run, frantically, to keep up with everyone else’s running.

God: Why are they running? What have they won? In winning, what was won?

Me: The cheers of the crowd, I think. The feeling that came from hoisting the trophy, I suspect. I’m not sure. I’m too busy running everyone else’s race.

God: That being the case, chase the victory, not the trophy.

Me:

Beloveds, the game is NOT about the trophy. Get in there and compete. Do your best. Tip your cap to the winner. Even if it’s not you.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Why are you in the game? Enjoy every second of it. Most are afraid to step u to the plate. Take your swings. So what if you strike out. You don’t have to be the one hitting the home run.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

I got back up. I started again.

I got back up.

I started again.

Nuff said.

beginning again again,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Sometimes, beloveds, you gotta spend a lotta, lotta time beginning again. So what?! We got thangs to do. Let’s go!!



One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

You are brave.

Nuff said.

Cut yourself some slack, beloveds. You are doing all you know. ALL you can do is all you can do.

Be encouraged. We got this. God has us all. I love me some you.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Be encouraged.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

In the meantime.

I’m waiting on God.

I’m waiting for my dreams.

In the meantime?

I’m LIVING.

Life is short. We don’t get to do the day over. We can start over, in the day. But, we don’t get a today mulligan.

What are you doing, beloveds, in your meantime? What are you doing with your meantime?

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: LIVE your life. All the negative foolishness about does NOT have to bring down your day. Shine your light. Live your life. Think for yourself. Grow. Stretch. Reach out. You will be so glad that you did.

In case no one has told you today: I love you. So does He.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

What am I doing wrong, I asked God.

Me: What am I doing wrong?

God: Nothing.

Me: Why is nothing happening?

God: It’s not time yet.

Me: Crackers!

God: I know. Trust me.

Me: K.

keeping on anywho,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Patiently waiting can kick rocks, at times. Be patient, beloveds. The time WILL come. All things has its time.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

Keep going. Even when nothing seems to work.

Finally.

Finally!

Finally.

It took three people and about an hour to get my modem going. I stayed patient. I wanted to clobber somebody. I wanted to throw the new modem out the window. I didn’t.

As soon as I got going, the storm started.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Be encouraged, beloveds. Keep trying. often times it’s not your fault that things are not working out. Stop giving yourself such a hard time. You are doing the best that you can. Let your best be enough.

I just stopped by to encourage somebody. keep being about being about it. You have much too much to do to give up on your dreams. Have a fantastic rest of your day. We got this.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: Have an amazing week. Don’t let the hard keep you down.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!