Relationships

Beneath My Silence – The Heart That Chose Kindness – Series

It is one of life’s quieter sorrows ~

discovering that being kind does not guarantee kindness in return. You can offer your best, show up with an open heart, love without keeping score, and still be met with silence, distance, or disappointment. That does not mean your kindness was misplaced. It simply means not every heart has learned to love in the same way.

Do not let another person’s choices convince you to become someone you were never meant to be.

Let their actions belong to them. Let your compassion belong to you. The world needs more hearts that choose goodness without demanding reward, more souls that remain gentle even after being wounded.

So keep choosing kindness ~

not […]

By Doré Frances|2026-07-16T11:50:45-06:00July 16th, 2026|Beneath My Silence - Poems, Dore Frances, Relationships, Series, Spirituality, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

No One Can Make You Feel Anything Without Your Consent

One of the greatest discoveries we can make is that while we don’t always choose our first emotional reaction, we do have far more influence over our emotional lives than we often believe.

Yet how many times have we heard someone say, “I can’t help the way I feel,” or, “You make me feel…”?

When you stop and think about it, “You make me feel…” is a remarkable statement.

It hands another person ownership of our inner world, as though they control our thoughts, emotions, and peace of mind.

Both of these phrases—“I can’t help the way I feel” and “You make me feel…”—quietly rob us of one of our greatest strengths: personal responsibility.

The moment we believe someone […]

By Doré Frances|2026-07-09T11:44:22-06:00July 9th, 2026|Dore Frances, Relationships, Spirituality, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

The Girl Left Behind – One Day She Was There, the Next She Was Gone | Series

It’s hard to comprehend how one day life can feel completely ordinary, and the next, everything is shattered. The people and places we love can be taken in an instant, while the world continues as if nothing has changed—the sun still rising and setting, unchanged.

It feels deeply unfair, even cruel. As an adult, I understand this in a way I couldn’t before. But as a child living through it, nothing about that day felt normal. We likely ate lunch after my father left. It was early afternoon, and my grandfather and the pastor remained in the house. I remember sitting at Aunt Connie’s kitchen table while Uncle Chuck silently prepared something for us, moving through the […]

By Doré Frances|2026-03-20T12:11:47-06:00March 20th, 2026|Dore Frances, Frances Cascinai (Mom), George A. Cascinai, George Bell (Father of Frances and beloved Grandfather), Relationships, Series, The Girl Left Behind Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

The Story After the Feeling

Grace lives in the space between the feeling and the story.

There is an important distinction between feelings and emotions — though we often use the words interchangeably. We experience a wide range of feelings every day.

Research suggests the physiological surge of a feeling lasts roughly 45 to 90 seconds — unless we continue fueling it with our thoughts.

The initial wave is brief. What extends it is the story we attach to it. It is entirely natural to move from one internal state to another within minutes.

Rapid shifts in feelings are part of normal regulation — not evidence that something is wrong with us.

Imagine this. A colleague says something at work that stings […]

By Doré Frances|2026-02-21T12:10:05-07:00February 21st, 2026|Dore Frances, Relationships, Spirituality, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Beneath My Silence – A Poem About Love, Self-Reflection, and Emotional Safety – Series

Over time, I learned that love alone isn’t enough. A relationship needs self-reflection to stay healthy—both people must be willing to look inward, recognize their patterns, and take responsibility for how they show up.

When someone resists that process, the dynamic can become draining and emotionally unsafe. You can’t make another person do the work they’re not ready to face. Letting go of that responsibility is liberating. It allows you to focus on caring for yourself and honoring what you need.

You deserve a relationship where growth is shared, and emotional safety is non-negotiable.

By Doré Frances|2026-02-08T10:44:43-07:00February 8th, 2026|Beneath My Silence - Poems, Dore Frances, Relationships, Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

The Girl Left Behind – Childhood Trauma Survivor: Reclaiming My Voice- Series

Yes, I have withdrawn from people, from intimacy, from the world itself. I found safety in small rituals and long hours of familiar television. But I will not let fear decide the shape of my life. I face it with strength forged through survival, grounding myself in what I already know I can withstand.

I am a grown woman now, and I know what monsters are. My childhood was defined by abuse and silence, and my adolescence by betrayal.

Once I went to live with Al and Dotti in Los Altos, my life entered a period of sustained abuse: incest, molestation, parental neglect, severe corporal punishment, and rape.

As a teenager, I was sexually trafficked […]

By Doré Frances|2026-03-20T14:27:23-06:00February 7th, 2026|1161 Covington Road, Aldo Cascinai (Dad), Dore Frances, Relationships, Series, The Girl Left Behind Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

The Girl Left Behind – Losing My Mother as a Child: The Morning Everything Changed – Series

I woke as the sun began to rise, unsettled by the knowledge that my aunt had been heard sobbing and screaming during the night.

I wasn’t panicked—no one wakes expecting to learn that their mother has died.

I noticed my uncle Chuck quietly making phone calls. When I asked if we could call my mom that morning, a flicker of alarm crossed his face. Then the doorbell rang.

My father, our church’s youth pastor, and my Grandpa Bell entered the living room and sat down together, composed and deliberate. George and I were told to stay in the kitchen and finish our breakfast. I had no idea that the moment we were waiting for would […]

By Doré Frances|2026-03-20T14:31:19-06:00February 2nd, 2026|Aldo Cascinai (Dad), Dore Frances, Frances Cascinai (Mom), George A. Cascinai, George Bell (Father of Frances and beloved Grandfather), Relationships, Series, The Girl Left Behind Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Empaths and Narcissists: Understanding the Attraction and Choosing Healthier Relationships

When Empathy Meets Narcissism: Choosing Yourself Without Losing Your Heart

There is often a powerful—and painful—pull between narcissistic personalities and deeply empathic people.

I know this firsthand. Narcissists can be magnetic. They are often witty, charming, captivating, and intellectually sharp. At first, they may feel energizing, even intoxicating.

But beneath that surface is frequently a pattern of self-absorption, control, and emotional withdrawal when things don’t go their way.

Research suggests that severe narcissism involves a profound lack of empathy, making true emotional reciprocity impossible.

For empaths, this is one of the hardest truths to accept: compassion cannot heal someone who cannot meet you emotionally.

I learned this through experience—more than once—in friendships […]

By Doré Frances|2026-01-18T11:03:35-07:00January 18th, 2026|Dore Frances, Relationships, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments