Category: Writing

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!

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!

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!

Don’t get scarred by the hard.

We are NOT the hard times we go/grow through, beloveds.

Hare times do NOT force us to become hard, angry and bitter because of what we have gone through.

WE make the choice to become bitter, better, or unbothered by hard times.

I am learning  in real time, that I am the one who chooses to focus on the waves. I am the one who chooses to see/visualize the upcoming shore.

I am the one who chooses to reach out when the toad is especially long, hot and unwieldy.

I am the one to blame myself for not being up to the tests.

I am the one who chooses to give myself extra selfcare and understanding as I make my way through so many storms and hard times.

I have given myself permission to breathe for the rest of this month. Just to breathe. No fretting over or looking for a job. No channel starting. No desperately seeking what in the fresh hell to DO now.

I am just going to breathe. And, enjoy this blog. And, enjoy some coffee. And. Enjoy watching tempura be made and wondering what the world is being happily slurped and enjoyed.

Life is short, beloveds. I just stopped round to encourage someone to keep on LIVING. Not merely existing and worrying about how to pay the grocery bills.

I have no idea what tomorrow holds. I am digging my way out, er, living today…😂

Hang in there. Things really will be okay. Have a good cry if need be. I didn’t know how badly I needed a good cry until I gave myself permission to have a nice one. Man, I cried til my eyeballs fell out. Satisfying. 😁😇😊🥰

Be encouraged.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note:

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!

The last straw really isn’t the last straw.

That’s it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That’s what I screamed at God.

Tearfully.

Angrily.

Woefully.

Tearfully, woefully AND angrily.

These latest rounds of storms have had me at wit’s end.

Tornado 🌪 sirens blasting. Me hiding in the bathroom wondering if there will be a me, if there will be an apartment, if the damned city would still be standing.

During Easter weekend, no less. Thanks God. Reaaaaall funny. I don’t know why holidays can’t be holidays for me.

Mom died on Christmas morning. The 🌪 destroyed things on Memorial Day weekend. Now, these blasted storms visiting for Easter.

One boom was so loud…whew. Now, my modem has given up the ghost. Nada. No lights. Nothing.

So, I sit here. Modem less. Modem less, God!

That’s it! The lasssssst straw! I’m tired, God of all this damned hard!!!

I’m tired of these tests. Pass or fail me, already!!!

I quit!

I’m done! I….

*Cassandra whirls around at the tap on her shoulder. Cassandra laughs and takes the extra straws from her dreams and good habits. Cassandra gets on with getting on with it.*

Be encouraged, beloveds. Yes, these storms are something else. Yet, we faint not. Grab an extra straw from your dreams and good habits and keep it moving.

Do your best to focus on getting to the other side. Yea, these 🌊 waves ARE terrifying looking. Let’s choose to surf on them! 🏄🏄‍♀️🏊🏊‍♀️

We CAN. We WILL.

I know it’s hard not to see all the hard right now. In the meantime, keep finding the joy in your day. I made myself a cup of ☕ and watching my fave cooking shows. Right now, I’m watching upscale restaurants chefs cook steak and such in such theatrical fashion. 🥰😁

If nothing else, beloveds, reach out to someone who could use some love. It really does help when you take your mind off your own trouble and focus on supporting others. This has helped me. A smidge.

I had a satisfying crying jag on my big bro’s shoulder, via phone. There is something awfully comforting with a loud, crying jag whilst your big bro sits there feeling like an idiot.🥰😇😊

Take care.

asking for A Friend,
Cassandra

#YourLifeMattersToMe

Note: You’ll get through this. So will I. Keep moving FORWARD. Keep looking UP.

One step.

One step.

One step.

You are loved.

You are NOT alone.

Keep on being…YOU!