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April 2009 Saring Hearts Award Lenses 

InvisABLE Illness

I was diagnosed with a lot of the Invisible Illnesses. I have Fibromyalgia, Chronic Pain Syndrome (CPS), Myofascial Pain, Rheumatoid Arthritis (R.A.), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Scoliosis, Chronic Sleep Apnea, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTS...

Legally Blind Golfer

When my husband was 42 years old, he was told he was legally blind. The doctors first thought the problem was retinitis pigmentosa. Later some doctors suggested macular degeneration. After many tests and many doctors, it is now determined that he ha...

I AM DESTINED TO SURVIVE

A little kid told me that he wanted to grow and be just like me. That changed my life! I'm a nobody, not like in a depressing way but I'm not rich or famous or anything like that so it blew my mind to hear that. I asked him why and he told me, becaus...

Open Letters

Don't we all think, occasionally: "I'll write a public letter!" or, "I'll write to the New York Times!"? Sometimes we feel so hurt that all we want to do is write down our anger and issue an open letter. Write to the top. Let the world know what's wr...

Red Cheeks, how to get rid of them!

My cheeks are red, and have been as long as I can remember. Worse yet: they've grown more red as I grew older. I've finally found a product that works though: Eucerin Redness Relief. So, my cheeks aren't as red as they used to be. It took 2 months....

My experience as a deaf Golf Captain

As a lifelong fan of sport I happen to believe that this is one of the simplest ways of bridging wide divides. It is important to all of us and by this I mean men, women and children. Apart from being a fantastic way to exercise, it teaches us many...

Bipolar Disorder And Me - Two Bears and a Lady

Bipolar, two polar bears, get it? I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder around a year ago, but looking back I've shown symptoms of it since about age 11. I am now 28. I tend to deal with it and talk about it with humor as you can tell from the playfu...

My Parents - My Superheroes!

My parents - Josef Thiemermann and Johanna Nowak - lived through some of the most difficult years in European history. They've succeeded against seemingly insurmountable odds - from the Russian front line in WWII, to famine and despair in the Austria...

Through hell and back again, my journey through post-natal depression

In November 2004 my third son was born via caesarean section after over 40 hours labour. This was my third caesarean,my second unsuccessful attempt at a home birth. Everything had been put into place to make it a success. But, things just didn't wor...

The Anonymous Alcoholic - A Superhero

We are told that most alcoholics never make it into recovery. They die prematurely - in car accidents, from liver and heart diseases, or a variety of other related causes. Of those who find the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous or similar institutions of...

A journey of inspiration and hope

This is a lens about hope, it's about trying to inspire people not to listen to doom sayers.Sometimes life can treat you harshly, but many people have and continue to have almost unbearable obstacles. There is always light at the end of the tunnel bu...

I tried my best Fighting Deafness

You should all understand that I had completed my secondary education and already knew how to talk prior to becoming deaf whilst I was doing National Service in the then Rhodesian Army. This is just a brief epistle about some of the things that I ha...

The silence is deafening

Whilst doing National Service in the Rhodesian army I got a few cuts and scrapes whilst skirmishing and unfortunately these turned septic. By the time I got into the army hospital my heart was starting to play up and this was wrongly diagnosed as Rhe...

A Dedication To My Dad - By Ladymermaid

He was an eternal optimist. He loved his life and he loved to play. A kid at heart he taught himself, as well as myself, and my siblings to believe in miracles and in magic. He was the person who would be the first one to be searching out that magic...

Memories Of My Baby Brother

Siblings are our earliest companions, playmates and confidants in life. We laughed with them, cried with them, were afraid with them, and angry with them. They helped us to learn to share, to feel empathy, and to feel happiness. They were our best fr...

Hearing Aids At Age Six: Leaves make sounds when you step on them?

My son, Kenneth, is hard of hearing. He received his hearing aids at age six, that was about 2 1/2 years ago.The day he got them was an amazing day in his life and in the life of everyone in our family. It brings me to tears to remember that day beca...

Thanksgiving Prayer - A Family Tradition

I have always enjoyed Thanksgiving and have many happy memories of our Tate Family on Thanksgiving. There are several special Thanksgivings that I remember very vividly. One was when Mom and Dad invited an older couple to join us explaining that the...

When a Blighted Ovum is not a Blighted Ovum!

Hi. My name is Kay and I am the mother of a four year old not-so-blighted ovum. I was misdiagnosed back in 2002 and told at my 5 1/2 and 6 week ultrasounds that I most likely had a blighted ovum. After my 7 and 8 week ultrasounds, my doctor strongly...

May 2009 Featured Sharing Hearts Lenses 

these lenses just recieved the Sharing Hearts Award

Life After Fibromyalgia

The last thing I ever wanted to be was one of those people with a bunch of letters defining who they are and what they can do. Though I did always think PhD had a nice ring to it, instead at the age of 32 I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia (FMS), Chro...

A Funny Christmas Story

This story is a way to memorialize a friend of mine who passed away in October, 2007. Karyn Wyse was a Sufi as well as a pagan and participated in many sacred ceremonies mostly in Colorado and also in Florida. I happened to be searching my hard dri...

Head-Injury-information-and-advice-from-a-survivor-living-life

I was hit by a car when I was three years old, in 1974. I have grown up all my life with the effects of the head injury. I am now 39 years old. When I was hit by the car, I was in a coma for two weeks afterwards. I had to learn how to do everything a...

Writing From a Homeless Heart

My experience living without a home almost twenty years ago changed the course of my life forever. It changed the possibilities open to me and my perceptions of the world both for good and for ill. Being homeless scarred my body and mind in ways that...

Dissociative Disorder & Me

Large chunks of time were lost to me. In church or work related meetings, I wondered where I was and how I got there. While washing dishes and looking out my kitchen window, everything seemed unfamiliar. Familiar people looked like strangers to me, a...

How Do You Face the Unthinkable?

I've coped with chronic illness all my life. I was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at 18 months, when my knee swelled up as I began to try to walk. I toughed it out through years of pain, doctors, physical therapy, one attempt after the next to mit...

Things I've Learned, or, A Smile is My Umbrella

I was a happy toddler with a sunny disposition. At least, that's what folks say who knew me then. I learned early to defuse scary situations with a big, wide smile like my mom's and her father's. From my earliest memory, those smiles were reflected...

Victim, Survivor, Thriver

Abuse and recovery is a very personal topic for me for many reasons, as is advocacy it is also a passion that drives me to help others escape their own abuse and find true happiness in this life.. The cycle of abuse in my family goes back to at leas...

I Live with Hyperhidrosis

I don't remember having sweaty palms and soles when I was in kindergarten. Hyperhidrosis became a problem to me when I started primary school. I believe this was because we started real writing only in primary school! None of my other family members...

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Survivors

If you haven't read part 1 of this series, you might want to catch up a little first. Life after Fibromyalgia The last thing I ever wanted to be was one of those people with a bunch of letters defining who they are and what they can do. Though I...

Learning How To Live With Yourself

"My definition of success is total self acceptance. We can obtain all of the material possessions we desire quite easily, however, attempting to change our deepest thoughts and learning to love ourselves is a monumental challenge." ~ Franki...

“Mamma Love.” A Tribute To A Great Lady

There are many journeys and obstacles we each take in life and losing someone is never one of the easy ones. It doesn't mean you are weak when seeking help. It means you are strong for seeking it. Don't give up and say, "I can't deal with my problems...

He Chose Suicide

On November 21, 1995 my husband chose suicide as the answer to ending his long battle with depression. We, my daughters and I, still struggle with his decision after all of this time. Our hearts are still broken and will probably never completely men...

June 2009 Featured Lenses 

My life with Meniere's Disease

I have had Meniere's Disease for several years. As anyone who has MM knows it changes your life. The attacks come with very little warning. And they might last for several hours or days. When the attack subsides you will feel worn out as though y...

Hi... I'm Whit

Who Am I? Get this... I am a Christian Republican Jew, born on Christmas Eve! To the left, I am a genuine inconvenient truth. I am a rascal; an expert at stirring the pot of emotions regarding controversial issues. But to truly know me is to read my...

Momography: Parenting a Deaf Child

Being a parent to your child is hard; being a parent to your child with special needs is H-A-R-D. I am not an expert by any means, nor am I the perfect parent. Considering my most frequently uttered phrase is, "Well, there goes my Mother of th...

Unilateral hearing loss? Help!

Have you discovered your precious child has a unilateral hearing loss? Don't panic! Has a work colleague confessed to you they have a unilateral hearing loss? Don't flee in horror! Do you even know what it is? It is hearing loss in one ear and it is...

Life as a Foster Child

This is my story as a foster child. I hope it helps someone understand us, especially the foster parent. I hope it makes the case workers really listen to us. I hope it changes the system, but I'm afraid it won't.

Bullying At Primary School

Bullying at Primary School is about everything that I learned when my daughter was bullied at school and gives tips and strategies to use when dealing with the school. I hope your children are never bullied, but if they are then perhaps our experien...

Child Of My Heart (Part One)

Neither bone of my bone, Nor flesh of my flesh, But mine, just the same. You did not grow beneath my heart, Instead, you grew within it. On a brisk, January evening, she entered my life, a tiny, little thing with hair of corn silk, still reeling...

Auditory Processing Disorder

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a little known condition that may affect 10% of children, the majority of whom are undiagnosed. APD is a term that is often used to describe people with normal hearing who have listening difficulties. According...

Coping with Grief and Bereavement

There will be some point in everyone's life where we will have to deal with this very difficult time and process and any help, advice or guidance we will receive may help to decrease the length of time that this will occur.

Do You Have The Courage To Ask For Help?

The inspiration came from a blog post on "Men with Pens": Do we have the courage to ask for help? Are we too proud to "bother" our friends in times of need? Is it embarrassing to ask for support when we fall short in our basic requirements for living...

My Dad, My Hero

There's an old saying that any man can be a father, but it takes a very special father to be a dad. My Dad was very special and was always my hero. When I was 2 years old he left to go on an assignment in Korea, and was gone for 2 years. I missed h...

Life or Something Like It

Inquiring minds have been asking me to write a page about myself so I finally got around to it. I think my life has been very interesting and hope you will enjoy reading about it. Everyone has a story. This is mine so far.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (Lupus)

Did you know that May 2009 is Lupus Awareness Month? No? Do you even know what Lupus is? The public in general lacks awareness of Lupus and its life-threatening complications - read on to find out more about this disease. In 2001 my wife diagnosed w...

What does not destroy me, makes me stronger

'Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich starker.' 'What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.' Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the Idols, 1888

Alan Wilbar, Poet

Alan Wilbar has been a professional performing artist since childhood starting on stage as an actor, singer and dancer the age of 9. As an adult actor, singer and spoken word artist, his performances inspire, amuse, and captivate his audience. Shortly...

Domestic Abuse/Violence Resources and Information

Articles and other resources about domestic abuse and violence. Every day women and children die at the hands of someone who 'loves' them. Stop the Violence! Learn to identify abusive behavior before it gets out of control. "Courage is...

Being a CNA, my story

In 2005 I went back to school. I had not been in school in many years. I did not think I could do "the school thing" again. I was nervous if I could pass. This thought process caused me to study hard, pay attention and not only did I pass b...

Reverse Autism

In this article, you will discover the ways parents are finding to reverse autism in their children. Many parents are doing a lot of this on their own with little or no help from a doctor. Typically, pediatricians do not know much about autism due t...

A Rottweiler: Survivor, Comedian, My Best Friend

Are Rottweiler's good dogs? Are they safe around kids? Those are common questions many ask about this breed. When raised correctly and born from good lines, the Rottweiler makes a fun, protective, loyal member of any family. I have included Stonc...

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

My son, J.J. age 6, was diagnosed with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) last year. About April of 2008 my son had been struggling with paying attention in class. He also could not sit still and did not understand "safe distance" with o...

Chapter 2: Jan T's Sadness

I had a few more journeys to make yet. The road God was sending me on was going to get more difficult. Paul pictured with his beloved Harrilil (Harriet Lillian Urquhart, our grand-daughter) about two years before his death.

Childhood Abuse Recovery

To understand the journey from darkness into light, you must follow the path from the childhood beginning of the abuse, to the adult behavioral consequences, and finally to the recovery and reclamation of life. In the beginning: abuse is delivered b...

How I found my Dad

When I was little I went everywhere with my Daddy. He took me with him when he went out on his bike. He left me when I was not quite three, and I looked for him for almost 54 years. I found him living in the same street where I was living at the ti...

Chapter 1: Jan T's Sorrows

Between 1993 and 1999, the blows kept coming. How do you deal with deep grief? Prayer is good, reading about grief is good. Having wonderful friends is the best. And then you are with you. My seven year journey from grief to recovery had many hills...

Growing Up in Pendleton SC in 1950's and 60's

Pendleton SC Town Council woman Sandra Gantt was asked to speak to the Leadership Pendleton Class of 2009. She was asked to tell how it was to grow up Pendleton. I was so glad that I was able to hear Sandra's talk. She was so interesting and enlighte...

Healing Hearts quilt for Paul

Paul, my second husband of 34 years was killed at work in March 1999. Devastated doesn't even begin to describe the loss. My online quilt group sent me more than a hundred healing heart blocks to ease my pain. This is the story of the quilt.

July 2009 Featured Lenses 

My World War II Hero

This website is a dedication to my father, Harold Leo Means. I am going to include, memos and pictures from his diary during World War II, some of the memories of his life, these are the stories he told, that live only in the memories of his wife an...

Child Of My Heart (Part Two)

I believe God led Audrey to me. Though she is not mine genetically, she has grown to become my child through experience, sacrifice, hard work and more love than I could have imagined. We have shared a lifetime in ten short years and now we are shar...

Matthew's Journey

Matthew was only 17 months old when I can home with his little sister. Matthew was my second child and the only one who went to bed in his crib with all of his little light up musical crib toys. He had been sick on and off since he turned one. I reme...

Living Through Grief

Death is as much an everyday occurrence as birth. Why then, are we still so shocked when it happens to those we love? Can we live through the unbearable pain? There is no right or wrong way to grieve. Suffering loss is a uniquely individual experience....

Life In My Grandmother's Time

This lens includes my own personal opinions. It is based on my memories and times shared with my grandmother, when I was a child, growing up in Pendleton, South Carolina. My grandmother, Mary Grace Martin Ledbetter, born September 11, 1896, lived wi...

My Recovery From Alcoholism

I asked this question to myself recently, because so much judgment still surrounds the disease of alcoholism. I see it everywhere, this judgment. But because I see it, I have not healed that particular aspect of alcoholism for myself. Those of us...

Life As An Adult Adoptee: Who Am I Really?

Do adoptees carry emotional baggage throughout life? Some do, some don't. I do believe that there are issues, as I will explain, but there are also the "little things" that can be frustrating. No family medical history, having to explain your adoptio...

Child Of My Heart (Part Three)

The night I first brought Audrey home, I promised, if she were still with me when she was grown, I would try to find her mother for her. I have kept every promise I have ever made to this little girl, save this one. And now she is grown. Where do...

Tips To Help Fight Shyness

It seems that I was born extremely shy. I cannot remember any point in my childhood when I did not suffer from the symptoms of shyness. I can still visibly see myself peeking out through a crack in a closet door when I was about five years old. I was...

My Stuttering Life

G'day, my name is Susanna, and I stutter. I bet you didn't know that. Not many people do. I've been faking clear speech for some time. It's not easy and takes fierce concentration. When I get home and kick off my shoes I relax and stutter away the e...

Forever A Teen Mother

I was one of those statistics, I was one of those girls who got pregnant and had a baby as a teen. I experienced the stares and the nasty comments. I dealt with more than any young mother should have to. I missed much of what most teens experienced i...

JO-1 Antibodies

JO-1 antibodies are a marker for people with myositis an illness that is usually referred to as polymyositis or dermatomyositis. These antibodies are also the most likely autoantibodies to be present in patients with an aggressive form of t...

Two Gs: Gratitude and Giving

This Lens is about the importance of being grateful for where we are, what we have and to continue giving regardless of what we have. Sometimes we forget to count it all joy. This Lens has been nominated for Best Lens in the July Fresh Squid category...

My Mother's Stroke

This lens is a sequel to the lens I just did on Jill Bolte Taylor, whose stroke and description of her stroke is one of the most remarkable stories. Any of you with personal experience or who have a family member who either survived or did not surviv...

Your Greatest Compliment

My Dad's Memorial service was held under the Willow Tree near the river that flows by my house with a gathering of people who loved my dad, maybe 75 of us. The most amazing miracle occurred that day: Butterflies were everywhere!! One even landed on...

I Made It: Born 3 Months Premature

This lense will be a reflection of my life from the very first breath. I was born 3 months early at 9:36 pm. and weighed only 2lbs 8oz. The doctor informed my mother that I would probably not live through the night. In 1971, we did not have the adva...

August 2009 Featured Lenses 

Living With Asperger's Syndrome

~Who Is Affected by Autism?~ In one word: me. I have Asperger's Syndrome, a type of Autism. Life is difficult, not so much because autism affects the things I do, but mostly because people do not take the time to get to know me. My cloths scare off...

Irene Marias story

  The lensphoto shows a happy Maria I really started to live when I was 52 years old. Up unil then, there were many tears and many hard times. When I was 52 I met the love of my life. The man whom I married and lived a life I did not think possi...

My Wonder Woman Mom

Mom died on the 4th of July, 2002. I remember thinking how fitting it was that she died on that day. Because Mom was a true patriot! She was very proud of her service to our country as an Army nurse, and as an Army wife. My mother was an incredible...

Glioblastoma Multiforme Brain Tumor

To me there is no other expression more scary than "There is a brain tumor"! The doctor used the word "astrocytoma". He said Glioblastoma multiforme grade IV, brain tumor. I did not understand anything at that time. I did not know what to do, where...

Family Sculpture

The day was filled with electricity as we ascended the steps and entered the sanctuary of the beautiful, old stone church. Our lives were about to embark on an adventure that would change each of us forever. We entered those walls as individual liv...

Sudden Onset Juvenile Diabetes

This is the story of a family's whirlwind of an experience with their 6 year old daughter's Sudden Onset Juvenile Diabetes. The mother, Deb, is the strongest, most amazing woman, and after everything she has been through wants to help prevent her exp...

A Story of Autism

Well, here it is. I promised myself when joining Squidoo that I'd never allow myself to get too mushy or too personal, but here it is. This is not just my story of autism. This is my son's, my daughters, and my husbands as well. When your child is di...

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Vote for your favorite Sharing Hearts lens for lens of the month!

Sharing Hearts Showcase

The Sharing Hearts Group is a Squidoo group that showcases and promotes lenses that tell an inspirational personal story. Stories told by the wonderful Squidoo lensmasters who are willing to share a part of their lives with us, in an effort to help...

Sharing Hearts Lens of The Month Showcase

The Sharing Hearts Group is a Squidoo group that showcases and promotes lenses that tell an inspirational personal story. Stories told by the wonderful Squidoo lensmasters who are willing to share a part of their lives with us, in an effort to help...

Sharing Hearts LotM Contest

The Sharing Hearts Group is a Squidoo group that showcases and promotes lenses that tell an inspirational personal story. Stories told by the wonderful Squidoo lensmasters who are willing to share a part of their lives with us, in an effort to help...