Series | Dore Frances

Notes From George – Don’t Forget to Love – Series

From the time he was eight, George used to tell me he was certain everyone else knew a secret he didn’t.

He couldn’t explain what it was—only that something in his life felt missing, and that emptiness ached.

Our mother had been gone two years, and we’d been passed from one relative to another, so I assumed he missed her. But there was always something deeper in George’s restlessness—a quiet awareness that he didn’t quite belong.

That sense of being out of step with the world became, for him, a lifelong search for meaning.

He would sometimes ask if he was an “accident,” if he hadn’t really been meant to be part of our […]

By Doré Frances|October 9th, 2025|Dore Frances, George A. Cascinai, Notes From George Series, Series, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments

Whispers To The Soul – When the Soul Whispers No – Series

I smile, yes, while my soul whispers no.

When the soul whispers no.

There have been many times I said yes when I needed to have said no—too worried about what others might think, too afraid of seeming selfish.

When I was seventeen, I got married. Not because I was ready, but because I wanted to escape the chaos at home. My father offered an alternative path—a car, an apartment, and the opportunity to study veterinary medicine in college.

But back then, I couldn’t imagine choosing myself. So I said yes to a life that wasn’t mine, and in doing so, I hurt someone who had loved me deeply.

By Doré Frances|October 4th, 2025|Dore Frances, Series, Spirituality, Whispers To The Soul, 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|September 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|September 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|September 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|September 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|September 18th, 2025|Beneath My Silence - Poems, Dore Frances, Series, 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|September 15th, 2025|Beneath My Silence - Poems, Dore Frances, Series, Spirituality, Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think|0 Comments