Doré Frances, Author at Dore Frances

About Doré Frances

Doré Frances is a retired educational consultant, mental health advocate, and founder of Mental and Health Awareness—a platform dedicated to empowering individuals and families with compassionate, accessible resources. With decades of experience supporting young adults, caregivers, and behavioral health programs, Doré now focuses on community engagement and promoting meaningful change through education, storytelling, and collaboration. Known for her direct yet deeply empathetic approach, Doré brings a lifetime of lived experience to her writing, blending professional insight with personal reflections on resilience, trauma recovery, and personal growth. She is especially passionate about youth advocacy, emotional wellness, and amplifying the voices of those often unheard. When she's not writing or connecting with like-minded advocates, you can find Doré exploring the beauty of Colorado with her service dog, Aspen. Let’s build a more understanding, mentally healthy world—one story at a time.

The True Meaning of Friendship: Exploring Deep Connections & Bonds

A friend sees beyond your flaws and celebrates the beauty in your life.

True friendship exists in the quiet moments, where words aren’t needed to feel understood.

Recently, a few people have contacted me on social media after coming across my blog.

They were intrigued by what I shared and wanted to connect. In every instance, I evaluate the person before deciding whether to accept or decline their invitation. Sometimes, instead of immediately accepting, I’ll ask why they’re interested in connecting. More often than not, the usual reply is that they want to be friends. I explain to them that a friend is someone truly special, someone I’ve built a close connection with over time, who supports me and has earned my trust. […]

By Doré Frances|2025-03-04T15:46:51-07:00September 23rd, 2024|Dore Frances, Relationships, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Relationships Beyond Commitment: Understanding True Connection and Growth

I’ve experienced a profound love that sets the standard and makes me feel truly blessed. Deep relationships are soulful connections that involve understanding a person through their existence.

Many people seem to settle, as I did for years, until I was fortunate to experience a deep, genuine connection.

Relationships are often mistakenly seen as just a commitment between two people, a dedication with a sense of belonging to one another. That limited view can foster expectations, possessiveness, and inevitable disappointment, leading to feelings of greed, ignorance, ownership, and selfish desires.

I’ve given dating many tries. Through my one authentic love experience, I’ve learned that a healthy relationship is about two people supporting each other on their spiritual paths. Whenever I share this perspective, […]

By Doré Frances|2025-03-04T15:44:59-07:00September 22nd, 2024|Dore Frances, Relationships, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Healing Childhood Wounds: Transforming Pain into Wisdom and Strength

Content Warning: Discussion of Bullying, Emotional, Physical, and Sexual Child Abuse

My Mindful Response to Overcoming Childhood Abuse

If you’re an adult man or woman living in the U.S. or any Western country today, chances are your upbringing was influenced by some peer abuse.

As a boy or a girl, you were likely a bystander, a perpetrator, or a victim of some bullying.

There was a time when George and I were growing up in California in the ’60s and ’70s; such behavior was dismissed with phrases like “boys will be boys” or “she is just a playground bully.” That’s no longer the case. Denial is a common and self-protective coping mechanism that many men and women adopt in early adulthood. While we may […]

By Doré Frances|2025-03-04T15:43:54-07:00September 21st, 2024|Dore Frances, George A. Cascinai, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Waves of Transformation: Embracing Change and Personal Growth

This blog isn’t solely about phenomena, though they are woven into my story.

My life has been an emotional journey through the depths of life and death.

It’s not a blog focused entirely on death, though it has played a role in my narrative. And while healing is a significant part of my path, this blog isn’t just about healing. My life may appear marked by pain and suffering; however, it has been enriched with experiences far beyond the ordinary. I’ve had the privilege of living a life surpassing many’s dreams. My story isn’t meant for the casual reader. The stories I share here are for those who understand that life holds more than what’s visible on the surface.

My journey has taken […]

By Doré Frances|2025-03-04T14:50:15-07:00September 19th, 2024|Dore Frances, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Saying Goodbye to Pacific Grove: A Heartfelt Reflection on Lost Farewells

I left Pacific Grove 20 years ago, but my heart longed to return every single day.

Pacific Grove offers an unmatched quality of life. The town has stunning views and is nestled between Monterey Bay, the City of Monterey, the Pacific Ocean, and the Del Monte Forest. The City serves the community with features like a monarch butterfly habitat sanctuary, pristine beaches, the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast, top-notch emergency, fire, and ocean rescue services, and the lowest crime rate in Monterey County. Pacific Grove has an award-winning natural history museum. Everyone there takes pride in the small-town warmth and friendliness in a place lovingly called “P.G.”

I began having dreams of returning.

In the dream, I return to my […]

By Doré Frances|2025-03-04T15:42:01-07:00September 18th, 2024|Dore Frances, Pacific Grove, California, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Life Lessons from Mother Nature: Priceless Wisdom from the Natural World

A flower’s beauty doesn’t fade just because you fail to notice it, nor does its fragrance disappear when taken for granted. It remains beautiful, delicate, graceful, magnificent, and radiant.

Mother Nature offers us priceless teachers—flowers that bloom despite their brief existence, stars that shine even when unnoticed, and trees that don’t take offense when we forget to show gratitude for the oxygen they give us. We possess an extraordinary, boundless ability to love.

The question I ask is this: Can you love like a flower?

Are you blooming fully without seeking admiration, attention, or recognition?

Can you open your heart entirely—celebrating, forgiving, giving, and embracing life with joy—without hesitation or expectation of anything in return?

Growing up and navigating relationships, I often took things deeply […]

By Doré Frances|2025-03-04T15:40:42-07:00September 17th, 2024|Dore Frances, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

The Uncomfortable Truth About Healing: It’s Not an Easy Journey

For adults who overcame childhood trauma

We seldom voiced our pain, keeping the truth hidden from our friends.

Our parents said they loved us, but their actions told a different story. Their words shattered our hearts and stripped away our sense of worth.

We desperately wanted their affection, confused by what we had done to deserve their anger, strikes, and desire for us not to be there.

They would hit us, scream at us, and blame us for their unhappiness. Then they’d pull us into their arms, feeding us confusing lies about how they loved us despite how “bad” we were and how it was our fault they hurt us, our fault they were angry.

As each day started, we often wished for it to […]

By Doré Frances|2025-02-25T15:56:06-07:00September 16th, 2024|Dore Frances, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Let’s See If You Can Keep Up with This Thrilling Family Tale!

From left to right: My Grandpa George, Grandma Ollie, Grandma Helen, and Grandpa Adrian.

Grandpa George and Grandma Helen were my mother’s and her sister’s parents. Interestingly, Helen and Adrian were good friends.

Grandpa George and Grandma Helen didn’t have much in common—nor did Ollie and Adrian.

Eventually, both couples divorced. Grandpa George then married Ollie, and Grandma Helen married Adrian. This photo captures a special moment during their trip to Hawaii to celebrate their new unions.

Grandpa George and Grandma Ollie lived at 636 Maple Court in San Leandro, California. They were actual city folks enjoying the conveniences and lifestyle of urban living.

On the other hand, Grandma Helen and Grandpa Adrian settled in Grass Valley, California, where they ran a wood mill. They […]

By Doré Frances|2025-02-25T15:53:34-07:00September 15th, 2024|Dore Frances, George Bell (Father of Frances and beloved Grandfather), Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

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