Some journeys are taken with your feet, others with your heart. Ours was both.On a recent pilgrimage to Granite Island, Carrie, Anna, and I set out with a quiet hope—to heal the wounds left behind by the violent, unresolved loss of our island sister, Melinda. We weren’t seeking answers, exactly. We were seeking connection, meaning, maybe even a sign that …
Cold Case Journey – Part Three
Carrie had disappeared from sight, rounding the curve of Skipper Creek inlet behind a sand island thick with mangroves. This mound of sand and greenery sat right in the middle of the freshwater stream flowing down from Skipper Creek. Nearby, a tall paperbark tree provided a small patch of shade for us. The locals had told us that, just a …
Cold Case Journey – Part Two
As Carrie, Anna, and I walked toward the foreshore of Scotsman’s Bay, the shade from the enormous Moreton Bay Fig trees was a welcome relief. The late morning sun in the tropics was becoming uncomfortably warm for us southerners. Beneath the cool, dark green canopy of the second fig tree, I noticed a strategically placed information plaque. Grateful for a …
Keep Digging! Part Three
For forty years, we never had access to all the facts surrounding the horrific murder of our dear island sister and friend, Melinda White. To this day, Carrie and I are still trying to uncover what really happened on New Year’s Eve at the Mala Bay Cabaret in 1984 on Granite Island. As one of Carrie and Mel’s best friends …
Keep Digging! Part Two
Sometimes, life feels harder than usual, especially during astrology’s infamous “Mercury in Retrograde.” Yesterday marked the end of one such chaotic three-week stretch, and I couldn’t have been more relieved. It had been one of the most confusing times in recent memory. Amid this cosmic chaos, my ongoing quest to uncover records about Melinda White’s 41-year-old murder case was hitting …
Wellness Retreat Business – It never came easy
Recently, Ron and I hosted a one-day retreat at our property, and it was a significant reality check for me. Since my early twenties, I had always dreamed of owning and running a wellness retreat. I dedicated years to studying and practicing massage therapy, art, drumming, and yoga, all with the vision of one day creating a wellness retreat business. …
Embracing the Transience of Life and Death
Like the image of a vibrant green leaf gradually burning to brown, death seeps in slowly, yet inevitably. At the beginning of my first book, I included a quote that has held profound significance in my life: “The body is a treacherous friend. Give it its due, no more. Pain and pleasure are transitory, endure all dualities with calmness, trying …
Trusting the Moment in Art Therapy
Should you ever consider engaging in an art therapy session under the guidance of a qualified art therapist, it’s beneficial to have some expectations in mind. During the course of an art therapy session, unforeseen insights often emerge. Unexpected moments of clarity and synchronicity, coupled with a heightened mind-body connection, tend to manifest spontaneously, particularly when participants approach the process …