Podcast Notes
Persistence U with Lizbeth Podcast
Podcast episodes are posted Wednesdays and include stories by and for survivors and strivers, all threaded together with a dose of persistence.
Is it Loneliness or Love? Why Do We Cling to Relationships That Are Bad For Us?
The Way You Treat Yourself Sets the Standards for Others-Sonya Friedman It’s been years since I have worked professionally with women in abusive relationships. I miss connecting with women and finding out what’s important to them, hearing their stories of strength...
Finding Your Other Half/ Cheryl Strayed and Other Lost-and Found Sisters
I would like more sisters, that the taking out of one might not leave such stillness-- Emily Dickinson. Today, I got a Facebook message from a friend sharing the story of Wild author Cheryl Strayed finding her long lost half-sister as reported to the National Public...
Feasting for Fiji and Pack for a Purpose/ How Increasing Literacy May Impact Domestic Violence
At work, I just wrapped up my part of Feasting for Fiji, our second annual fundraiser to support Pack for a Purpose create a library in a remote village. Our event pairs juvenile delinquents with some dynamic probation and detention staff to host a barbecue for...
Women Cause Their Own Domestic Violence Victimization According to Toledo Mayoral Candidate Opal Covey
Toledo, Ohio residents must have felt they traveled back in time this week when oddball mayoral candidate Opal Covey offered her thoughts on domestic violence in a forum for candidates. “People who receive domestic violence, a lot of cases, except the children, is...
Listen and Learn/The Secret to Being a Good Advocate
Sometimes, I learn the most when I simply listen. I phoned one of my brothers a few days ago. As we were catching up, he mentioned that he and his wife took an out of state trip to Michigan from Kentucky by car. How did he decide on Michigan? "I wanted to see a...
What’s in a Name? The Amazing Life of Paul Fronczak
Happy Birthday to me. I'm 49 today. Can you imagine not knowing when you were actually born? The story Paul Fronczak touched me this week. He's the man who recently discovered his parents were not his parents, and therefore does not know what his name or date of...
Hot Fun in the Summertime: The Family, Friends, and Fun of 2013
How was your week? Summer for all of us is half over, and for those of us living in Alaska, it will end in nano-seconds. Not only that, we're more than half way through 2013. I find summer brings less time for writing, but adds time for visits with family, friends,...
How to Put Your Children in the Middle of Divorce and Custody Woes and Scar them For Life/ The David and Paul Shannon Example
I love a happy ending. Today, the story of David and Paul Shannon caught my attention. They're the British brothers who were reunited with their father after a 30 year separation, thanks to the work of television show Long Lost Family. The Shannon Boys and their...
Men Speak on Healthy Mate Selection – Author Gary Thomas and Comedian Louis CK
Here's a question I've been pondering: Who or what influences our choices when picking a mate? Recently, I was flipping through radio stations as I was driving to work. I paused when I heard a familiar voice. Gary Thomas, a man I attended college with at Western...
Signs of a Healthier Relationship
How do you feel about change? I'm thinking about changing my blog's focus in the next few months, or maybe at the new year. My second book, presently titled Facing the Odds, One Man at a Time is a fictionalized account of some very real experiences I've had over the...
No Arguing Via Text/ The Addendum to Fighting Right
How was your week? Did you get an opportunity to fight fair, like we talked about last week? I did. There's something about having my routine upturned that brings out some of my worst qualities. I went out of state to see family early this summer. When I got home,...
Fighting Right/ Tips to Successful Conflict Resolution
How do you handle conflict? Do you try to avoid it? Do you tell a few friends about it before addressing it with the person it’s with? Which parent did you inherit your conflict-resolution skills from? In the early 90's, I co-facilitated support groups for battered...
One in Three Women and the Shocking Truth About Their Children
How are your math skills? This week, the World Health Organization announced that one in three women worldwide have been physically or sexually assaulted by a current or former partner. Almost 40 percent of women murdered around the world were killed by their intimate...
Planning your Family Reunion? Three Tips to Make Your Experience Even Better
Do you attend your family’s reunions? Have you ever thought about organizing one? I just returned from my family reunion in Kentucky. Though it happens annually for the Meredith’s, I commit to attending once every other year, given the price of airfare, the length of...
Creating a New Ending/ Starting Over with Lost and Found Siblings
"No one can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."- Maria Robinson This week I left Alaska and ventured to Indiana, where three of my siblings have lived their adult lives. We kids weren't raised together for long, and we...
How to Celebrate Life Alaska-Style (Even After Your Family Has Been Crushed)
I know I just extolled the virtues of Alaska living in last week's re-post. In truth, I have a love/ hate relationship with Alaska, the place where I've lived more than four decades now. On one hand, it's brutally cold and dark for well over half the year, physically...
Traveling to Alaska? Four Laws of the Land
Greetings. Forgive the re-post. I've jumped at the past week of good weather in Alaska and enjoyed Seward and Soldotna. I'll see you next week. Have you ever considered visiting the 49th state, or even moving to Alaska? Every summer, thousands of tourists visit...
Robin Jeter and Jordan Dickerson/ A Recipe for Successful Family Reunification
Sisters in track and in life met for the first time a few months ago. It's amazing what a seemingly trivial decision can make, isn't it? If 17 year-old Jordan Dickerson had not decided to run track to get in shape, she may never have met her long lost sister, Robin...
Goodbye to Mother’s Little Helper
What is the role of a mother? To protect her children, to comfort them when life acts up, to guide and to amuse them, among other things. It’s a big job when shared with a partner. It is an impossible job when attempted alone. As a single-parent, I’ve welcomed any...
Return of Dead Mom Brenda Heist / When Reuniting with a Lost Loved One is a Bad Idea
This past week, the story of the missing mom who returned after ten years caught my eye. Did you see it? Alachua County Jail Brenda Heist was apparently overwhelmed by her divorce in 2002, so the Pennsylvania mom of two disappeared. For good. Leaving her estranged...
The Power of Love / Mother Hides Under Burqa and Rescues Son in Egypt and other sweet examples
Love is a force to be reckoned with. This week, I was mesmerized with the story of the mother who went to Egypt, currently one of the most treacherous places for Americans to travel, donned a burqa, and rescued her kidnapped son. Image from FoxNews.com Pennsylvanian...
Take Root / The Wisdom of Child Abduction Survivors
This week, I found a gem. Photo from Take Root's site of survivor's holding their own posters. I'd been reading an article published by the U.S. Department of Justice that linked to Take Root. Take Root.org (1-800-ROOT-ORG) is a non-profit designed for adult survivors...
The Story of Luke and Other Favorite Works of Art
This week, I saw a fabulous movie I just had to share with you, and I realized it's been awhile since we've swapped favorite movies and recent reads My Top 3 Movies April is Autism Awareness Month, and I saw The Story of Luke at a local theater honoring that fact ....
Recipe for Danger: Factor’s that Influenced the Acquittal of Lisa Donlon
Happy Sunday! Often, I write my posts while tuning in to Dominick Dunne or Snapped on television, where the message that Violence is Never OK is reinforced. I agree. I worked with battered women in the '90s as an advocate, not too long after I myself was a battered...
Billy Ray Harris Finds His Family / The Unintended Consequences of a Single Choice
Have you ever made a really tough decision that took you off-course in a positive direction? I’d read about a homeless man named Billy Ray Harris in Missouri who returned an engagement ring that had accidentally been dropped into his donation jar. Harris had been...
The Wild Mountain Memoir Retreat / Defining the Advantages of a Retreat Versus a Writer’s Conference
Have you ever plunked down a bunch of money on something, and immediately felt buyer's remorse afterwards? Such was the case when I completed my three easy payments for the Wild Mountain Memoir Retreat, which happened last weekend. In hindsight, it really...
Salma Says No to Domestic Violence/ Headlines Around the World
I hope you've had a great week. With any luck, I've pre-set my computer to post while I'm away at the Wild Mountain Memoir Retreat. Here are some of my favorite headlines from around the world this past month. Domestic Violence This week, Salma Hayek used her...
Black and Missing More Alike than Not
This week, I'm prepping to attend the Wild Mountains Memoir Writer's Conference in Washington state, where Cheryl Strayed and other amazing staff members will (hopefully) help me improve my craft. Given that, I was sure I might skip posting something for the blog this...
Looking Back and Looking Forward/ What I Wish I Had Known
Do you ever look at old pictures of yourself and feel compassion for the younger you? I'd been thinking of my youth this week even before my sister posted this picture on her Facebook account from 25 years ago. Me with first daughter, 1987. March is always a...
Looking for Love Online? Nine Tips for Staying Safe
Have you known anyone who has dated online? You do now. I cannot tell a lie: in the 23 years I've been a single mom, I've given online dating a whirl once or twice. Maybe more than that. I tried Match.com and Eharmony. The results have run the gamut, and I'm...