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.

Adoption Secrets Uncovered: A 50-Year Search for Truth

Adoption secrets. What came next was far from what I had imagined.

When it comes to adoptees searching for their birth parents, there doesn’t seem to be much in between.

You either feel pulled toward the truth, or you don’t. For me, that pull has always been strong.

In California, where I was born, no system exists to help adoptees or birth parents reconnect. For fifty years, I’ve pursued every lead, no matter how faint. And now, at the point where my adoption, George’s adoption, my mother’s death, and the Cascinai family history converge, the story twists into turns I could never have imagined. My investigation has drawn on a wide range of sources: correspondence from my aunt Dorothy and my father, records […]

By Doré Frances|2025-10-23T11:59:54-06:00October 3rd, 2025|Dore Frances, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Notes From George – Remembering George – Series

George and I always shared a deep love for the water. For me, that meant living along the coastline for fifty years and now settling near two quiet lakes.

For George, it meant the vast ocean of Port Alexander, Alaska—an untamed place where the tides, currents, and winds of Southeast Alaska ruled daily life.

We both grew up in a family where love and respect weren’t evenly distributed, and yes, there were times when we felt alone and even frightened. So, George and I created our own joy—we threw little parties, dreamed of mansions, and clung to each other’s company.

I adored George and admired his simple, steady energy. He never graduated from high school, […]

By Doré Frances|2025-10-23T12:01:22-06:00September 29th, 2025|Dore Frances, George A. Cascinai, Notes From George Series, Relationships, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

The Girl Left Behind – Haunted by a Mother’s Death – Series

On the evening of October 14, 1962, George and I were just kids on vacation, free from rules and bedtimes.

We laughed with Aunt Connie and Uncle Chuck while cousin Mike popped us bowls of popcorn, the buttery smell filling the kitchen. Later, we clanged away at the pinball machine in the garage, its flashing lights making us feel like the night could go on forever.

When we finally grew tired, we hugged and kissed Aunt Connie and Uncle Chuck goodnight, wrapped in their warmth, before curling up in our beds, safe and happy.

The house grew quiet. We drifted into sleep without a care in the world. But then, somewhere in the darkest hours, […]

By Doré Frances|2025-10-23T12:02:59-06:00September 27th, 2025|Dore Frances, Frances Cascinai (Mom), George A. Cascinai, Series, The Girl Left Behind Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Beneath My Silence – A Salute to the Strong Woman Who Never Surrendered – Series

A Salute to the Strong Woman Who Never Surrendered.

To the steadfast woman. She became the anchor of a ship adrift, bracing against storms that sought to break her. Her sails strained against relentless winds, yet she stood unshaken ~

fearless, unyielding. Choice was rarely hers to claim, yet she chose to rise and fight, never surrendering.

Within her, fragments of happiness and sparks of hope flickered, dimmed but never extinguished ~

shadowed by the raw honesty she bore while peace remained out of reach. She carried every role with grace, yet the world overlooked her right to rest, her right to breathe freely.

In silence, she bore the weight of fear and […]

By Doré Frances|2025-10-23T12:04:28-06:00September 23rd, 2025|Beneath My Silence - Poems, Dore Frances, Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Beneath My Silence – The Quiet Ache That Says “Enough” – Series

No one sees the weight I carry ~ the quiet ache that whispers “enough.” Some days, I want to shut down and disappear.

Yet even when I’m depleted, I search for the encouragement I give so freely.

Fear and worry change nothing:

they only wear me down. I keep praying, holding to my faith, and refusing to let go of hope.

By Doré Frances|2025-10-23T12:05:52-06:00September 20th, 2025|Beneath My Silence - Poems, Dore Frances, Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Beneath My Silence – Recognizing Emotional Manipulation – Series

Some people will deliberately provoke you, pressing on your deepest wounds until they draw out your worst reaction. Then, with feigned innocence, they flip the script ~

casting themselves as the victim while painting you as the aggressor.

It’s a calculated game:

they push, prod, and exploit your emotions, then act shocked when you respond.

Their aim isn’t resolution or understanding ~

it’s control.

By manipulating guilt and shame, they keep you off-balance and in their grip.

Don’t be deceived.

See the pattern for what it is: emotional hijacking.

Break the cycle by refusing to play the role they’ve assigned you.

Guard your peace, hold your boundaries, and […]

By Doré Frances|2025-10-23T12:07:06-06:00September 18th, 2025|Beneath My Silence - Poems, Dore Frances, Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

The Power of Belief: How Faith and Superstition Shape Our Lives

From ages 11 to 17, while living with my father and stepmother, faith was rarely spoken of in our home.

George and I had been baptized Episcopalian; my father, though raised in an Italian Catholic family, had long since abandoned belief. During the years we lived with our grandparents, church and confession every Sunday were simply part of life. My stepmother, also raised Catholic, never went to church at all. Their two sons were never baptized, and I was never sure about my stepsister. Though my father declared himself an atheist, he still permitted me to attend services and even spend summers at Bible school.

Yet when I once asked him about the stories I was […]

By Doré Frances|2025-10-23T12:08:34-06:00September 15th, 2025|Dore Frances, Spirituality, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Beneath My Silence – A Survivor’s Journey with God – Series

I have wrestled with shadows and dared to face the hidden corners of my soul.

I have been chained by fear, followed by sorrow, and wandered the barren road of solitude.

I have reached for absent hands, only to hold the hollow air they left behind. I have wept oceans, yet stood unmoving, alone, in defense of what I know is true.

My heart has been broken ~

yet even shattered, it beats on. It beats with defiance, steady in quiet love. My body tires ~

but my spirit refuses to yield. Even in the blackest night, my soul is flame. When I bleed, I mend.

When I cry, I rise with laughter’s echo. When silence closes in, […]

By Doré Frances|2025-10-23T12:09:58-06:00September 15th, 2025|Beneath My Silence - Poems, Dore Frances, Series, Spirituality, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

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