Dore Frances

The Girl Left Behind – A Daughter’s Search for the Truth – Series

The Truth That Refused to Stay Buried

A personal investigation into a mother’s death—and the unanswered questions that remain

Some truths arrive quietly, and others that fracture a life. This story is about the latter. What follows is not speculation for its own sake, nor a sensational retelling.

It is the lived experience of a daughter who was told one story for twelve years—and then discovered another.

It is an account shaped by memory, documentation, absence, and the ache of what cannot be reconciled.

The Continued Story of A Girl Left Behind

Had my mother died in an accident, I believe I would have […]

By Doré Frances|2026-01-04T12:06:06-07:00December 28th, 2025|Dore Frances, Frances Cascinai (Mom), Series, The Girl Left Behind Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

40 Days After Death: Grief, Rituals, and Finding Meaning Across Faiths

Someone I loved died on November 15, 2025, and since then, life has shifted in ways both visible and unseen.

The quiet carries a different tone now. Everything feels heavier, slower, more deliberate.

Across cultures and faith traditions, there is a long-held recognition of the significance of the days that follow a death.

The forty days, in particular, are understood as a tender span of time—one that holds both grief and healing.

It is often seen as a sacred threshold between holding on and learning how to move forward, a place where ancient wisdom meets the raw immediacy of loss.

When words fail, the forty-day observance offers something else entirely: presence.

A […]

By Doré Frances|2025-12-22T11:42:35-07:00December 22nd, 2025|Dore Frances, Relationships, Spirituality, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

A Reflection on Aspen, My Beloved Dog and Soul Companion

Aspen has become a gentle teacher in my life, offering daily reminders of what unconditional love truly means.

Her presence brings a sense of calm and healing that I deeply cherish.

From the moment I held her at just four weeks old, I knew she had come into my life with purpose.

I have always carried a deep sensitivity toward animals—an intuitive empathy that allows me to understand and attune to their needs.

This connection guides me to care for them, to listen to them, and to protect the natural places they depend on.

Aspen is more than a dog to me—she is […]

By Doré Frances|2025-11-11T11:32:04-07:00November 11th, 2025|Dore Frances, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Whispers To The Soul – The Weight I Learned to Carry – Series

I carry a sadness that does not belong to just one moment or reason. It has no single source. It is a sadness that slowly closes me off, separating me from myself and from others, one quiet inch at a time. It is as though I feel the world in its rawest form, every small tremor of emotion around me. This sadness has lived with me for as long as I can remember. Choosing sadness became something I learned early—less a choice than a survival strategy that once made sense.

Some children are taught, quietly and early, to absorb the sadness around them. After my mother died when I was nine, I was moved into a household […]

By Doré Frances|2025-11-09T12:44:35-07:00November 9th, 2025|1161 Covington Road, Dore Frances, Relationships, Series, Whispers To The Soul, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Don’t Believe Everything You Think: Finding Peace in Uncertainty

When I was little, my family shared all sorts of stories about my parents. I don’t remember most of them, so I can’t really say if they were true.

And if people sometimes stretch the truth — and we all do — how can I ever know what really happened?

Even with all the unanswered questions, I’ve found peace in letting go of the need for certainty.

It’s not indifference; it’s acceptance.

Some parts of life aren’t meant to be explained, and I’m at ease with that truth.

“Don’t believe everything you think.”

Simple words, yet profoundly true.

Our minds borrow voices from the world — from people, headlines, fears, and […]

By Doré Frances|2025-10-31T12:37:22-06:00October 31st, 2025|Dore Frances, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

The Girl Left Behind – Writing the Unspoken: A Few Words About This Series

This writing — for now a blog, perhaps later a book — is an act of remembering.

It draws me back through vivid scenes of the past, calling for honesty, courage, and collaboration with those who shared the journey.

This story is different in two important ways.

First, the memories I revisit — particularly those surrounding my mother’s death — come from the perspective of a grieving child, and they are deeply painful to tell.

Second, some of what I reveal about sexual abuse and trafficking will challenge the reputations of individuals once considered beyond reproach. My father’s threats kept our family silent for years. He warned my aunts, my grandfather, and eventually me to say nothing, even […]

By Doré Frances|2025-10-30T16:20:44-06:00October 30th, 2025|Dore Frances, Series, The Girl Left Behind Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Winter Cleaning: Creating Space for Stillness, Renewal, and Inner Peace

A home is more than walls and windows; it’s the space that holds us steady through life’s changing tides. When we keep it cared for—clean, uncluttered, and tended—it becomes a true refuge, a place where calm can take root even when the world feels uncertain.

Most people do their big cleaning in the spring, opening windows and starting fresh after winter. For me, it’s different. I’ve always been drawn to winter cleaning—that quiet time after the last leaves have fallen and the first snow is near.

There’s something comforting about preparing my space for the stillness ahead. I open the windows to let in the cold, clean air. I sweep and vacuum, clear the […]

By Doré Frances|2025-10-25T13:13:52-06:00October 25th, 2025|Dore Frances, Spirituality, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Whispers To The Soul – When the Heart Hurts: How Emotional Pain Manifests in the Body and What It Teaches Us – Series

Emotional Pain Often Finds Its Way Into the Body

It’s human nature to reason our way around discomfort rather than walk straight through it. Emotional pain is the ache that comes not from the body, but from within. It can arise from the words or actions of others, from loss, regret, or grief, or from challenges like depression or anxiety that shape how we experience life.

Dr. Caroline Myss’s work shows how every illness corresponds to a pattern of emotional and psychological stresses, beliefs, and attitudes that influence corresponding areas of the body.

We search for quick solutions — a purchase, a distraction, a repair — anything to ease our unrest or quiet […]

By Doré Frances|2025-10-23T15:55:11-06:00October 23rd, 2025|Dore Frances, Series, Whispers To The Soul, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments