Haven Stories

Within two weeks, I started therapy for anxiety. My therapist gave me homework that helped me dig into not only why I was experiencing anxiety, but also how I was feeling. I was beginning to understand that knowing the “why” was only one part of healing. There was more to my story than I knew. We talked about the reasons behind my anxiety, but therapy was also about learning how to work through my feelings and recognize how my body responded to them. At the same time, my physical therapist helped me understand what happened when stress overwhelmed my nervous system. My body often reacted with muscle pain and tightness, so he spent a lot of time teaching me about the connection between anxiety and what I was physically experiencing. I didn’t know then that when my nervous system set off my body’s alarm, I could end up hurting all over. During those appointments, we worked on breathing, talked about what my body was experiencing, and practiced stretches because my tight muscl...

In 2019, I was hospitalized with pneumonia and spent a week there recovering. During that time, I had the same people taking care of me at night. I am not sure if this was because I was in isolation due to a spot on my lung. It was during that time that I met a CNA who was willing to break the rules about patient/caregiver interaction after the patient leaves. The CNA was willing to be my friend on social media, even though he knew that was a big, fat no. The CNA was helping me with things like medication questions. It was a very professional "friendship." This continued for just under two months, until he was caught by a supervisor and the blame was put on me. I went to the Emergency Department because I was having a panic attack and was afraid that I had done something wrong. In response, the CNA called the police and made out that I was an obsessed stalker. The officer happened to be a friend of mine—and a good one. He did his due diligence to get the whole sto...

Welcome to Haven Stories Haven Stories is a place for stories that are honest, meaningful, and sometimes still being written. Some stories may be about moments that changed everything. Others may come from ordinary days—a conversation, a disappointment, a new beginning, or a quiet moment when God brought rest in the middle of a difficult season. Not every story will have a neat ending, because our lives do not always come together that way. I will share some of my own stories here, including the journey of building Haven Rest. In time, Haven Stories may also include stories from other women who choose to share their experiences. Their stories will be shared only with clear permission, and personal information will be handled with care. Haven Stories is not about presenting perfect lives. It is about making room for truth, growth, faith, rest, and the experiences that shape us. A woman may recognize part of her own journey in someone else’s words and realize she is not the o...