Dore Frances

Near Death Experience: The Ocean Took Me: My First Near-Death Experience as a Child – Series

It was 1959, under a sky dappled with clouds, when I spent a carefree afternoon at the beach with my aunt Dorothy, cousins, brother George, and mom.

The waves’ rhythm, the sand’s warmth, and the promise held by the distant horizon enchanted me. As George and I strolled along the shoreline, we searched for seashells and driftwood treasures. I glanced down, mesmerized by the frothy seafoam swirling around my ankles as the tide rolled in with quiet grace.

I closely watched the shoreline, hoping the waves might reveal a hidden treasure just for me. George lingered a few steps ahead, scanning the surf.

And then—everything changed.

A wall of water crashed […]

By Doré Frances|2025-10-04T13:42:17-06:00May 31st, 2025|Dore Frances, Near Death Experiences, Spirituality, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Dating After 70: Why Women Thrive and Men Struggle to Adjust

Stick around for a few laugh-worthy moments from my dating life—you won’t be disappointed. Solitude and loneliness aren’t the same thing.

Of course, I don’t mean all men need to learn these lessons; however, I’ve learned that I have to clarify that upfront.

Loneliness is a peculiar companion.

For some, it feels like a burden; for others, it’s a quiet kind of freedom—solitude.

As we grow older, the experience of being alone seems to diverge sharply between men and women.

Many older women, though certainly not all, appear to embrace this stage with resilience and grace. They pursue new interests, deepen friendships, and often find comfort in their own company. Older men, on the other hand, usually face a tougher adjustment. Whether following […]

By Doré Frances|2025-06-19T13:26:00-06:00May 29th, 2025|Dore Frances, Relationships, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Woodstock: Music, Mud, Myth, and Memory – Series

Was Woodstock the spiritual spark of a generation’s awakening? Was it the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, or what?

Harmony and understanding? Trust and sympathy abounding?

Is the moon still in the seventh house?

Is Jupiter aligned with Mars?

Yet, in contrast, the world was anything but peaceful in 1968 when Hair: The American Tribal Love Rock Musical opened on Broadway. That same year saw American bombs and napalm falling on Vietnam, Richard Nixon’s rise to the presidency, and the tragic assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Senator Robert F. Kennedy.

Inner-city neighborhoods across the country erupted in riots, revealing a nation deeply fractured.

Periods of crisis tend to spark visions of paradise.

The 1960s were fertile ground for New Age ideologies—some born of […]

By Doré Frances|2025-10-04T13:42:43-06:00May 25th, 2025|Dore Frances, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think, Woodstock 1969 Series|0 Comments

How Perspective Shapes Reality—and the Way We Connect

Have you ever noticed how we view everything through a comparison lens?

Two souls can stand in the same place, see the same scene, and yet walk away with opposite truths. What’s a closed door for one may be a window for another.

Our perspective paints the meaning.

Almost instantly, we imagine how things could be—better, bigger, calmer, cleaner, faster, healthier, kinder, louder, friendlier, quieter, or understood.

It’s a never-ending loop of striving and adjusting; frankly, it’s exhausting.

Our reality is shaped by a personal lens, crafted from our upbringing, character, and past experiences. Two people can look at the same situation and draw completely different conclusions. Common sense isn’t always […]

By Doré Frances|2025-06-08T15:01:26-06:00May 24th, 2025|Dore Frances, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Resilience Through Adversity: A Story of Stoicism and Self-Discovery

Epictetus once said that all philosophy begins with self-knowledge. When I entered 1161 Covington Road, the air grew heavy with darkness. It clung to everything. Before long, the police would become familiar visitors to that address.

It wasn’t just the atmosphere; it was in the air, in the silence that followed.

Then came Dotti’s words—cold, cutting, and final:

“You two aren’t wanted here. Who would want children who killed their mother? Just stay out of my way.”

Our father said nothing. He stood silent, just as he would far too often in the years to come.

Two small children, still reeling from the loss of their mother just […]

By Doré Frances|2025-06-08T15:04:35-06:00May 20th, 2025|1161 Covington Road, Dore Frances, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

The Girl Left Behind : This Is My Now: A Journey of Healing, Truth, and Becoming – Series

This is my now. Now is the life I’m living—today, in this moment. Now holds the weight of three marriages, three divorces. Now is being a mother to a grown daughter. Now is the quiet shift into retirement, after decades spent as an advocate and educational consultant.
Now is living in Broomfield, Colorado—my first home, fully my own.
Now is coming to terms with a truth I once tried to outrun: that real trauma shaped my childhood, and left echoes in every corner of my life.
Now is waiting—for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department to release long-buried records.
Now is wondering what the final chapter will bring.

By Doré Frances|2025-10-04T13:43:30-06:00May 16th, 2025|Dore Frances, The Girl Left Behind Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Woodstock: The Soundtrack of a Generation: From Monterey to Woodstock – Series

Charles Fleischer is the originator of the quote “If you remember the ’60s, you really weren’t there”, which has been widely misattributed to various other celebrities. It was the music!

Like meditation or prayer, music can lift us beyond ourselves. The sounds of the ’60s and ’70s moved both body and spirit.

The Monterey International Pop Festival, held in June 1967, signaled the dawn of the “Summer of Love” and became a defining moment in the counterculture movement. It launched the American careers of Jimi Hendrix and The Who, introduced Janis Joplin’s raw power to the world, and brought soul legend Otis Redding to a broader audience. Monterey set the stage for Woodstock and helped transform […]

By Doré Frances|2025-10-04T13:43:59-06:00May 14th, 2025|Dore Frances, The Sixties and Seventies Counterculture, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think, Woodstock 1969 Series|0 Comments

When Mother’s Day Hurts: A Parental Alienation Story

When Mother’s Day Hurts: A Reflection from an Alienated Mom. I am a mother experiencing parental alienation, where my daughter has been unjustly influenced to reject me by her other parent.

Today, I sat quietly with Aspen and watched high school students practicing for their graduation next week, my heart breaking with every laugh I heard. I have so much love for my daughter, but I have nowhere to put it. It just lives in me, heavy and aching. I don’t know how to carry this much love and this much loss at the same time. Like any parent, my love for my child runs deep. I long for the chance to embrace her, see her smile, and hear her voice […]

By Doré Frances|2025-06-08T15:13:24-06:00May 11th, 2025|Dore Frances, Relationships, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments