Doré E. Frances
Why Wisdom Is Harder Than You Think
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.
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
Trust Your Intuition in Life and Relationships
Intuition is that quiet inner voice within you—the one that gently points you toward truth.
Sometimes it arrives as a sudden insight, a vivid dream, a gut feeling, or an unexplainable sense. Other times, it speaks through the subtle signals your body sends.
Pause and ask yourself:
How do I feel around this person? Am I calm, energized, uneasy, or drained? Does this decision feel light in my body, or does it create tension and heaviness?
Your intuition is powerful. Learning to listen to it can guide you toward what feels right and protect you from what does not.
Still, it’s common to […]
If the day arrives when memory loosens its hold ~
when faces blur, when names drift away ~
please sit with me. Anchor me in the memories we’ve known. Remind me of my daughter, of laughter you and I once shared, of the life I wove together thread by thread.
If I forget, bring me back through your stories. Tell me of the milestones that shaped me, the tears we may have shared, the pride that swelled in me as I supported you in your life.
Let your voice be sunlight, your words be colors.
Show me photographs, yes, but more than that ~
show me the memories you carry in your […]
This year has stretched me in ways I didn’t see coming. I’ve had to learn the quiet art of release ~ of leaving people where they’ve chosen to stand, even when my heart longed for them to come closer.
There’s a deep ache in realizing that not everyone will meet you with the same effort or care, no matter how much you offer. For a time, I wrestled with it ~
turning inward, questioning myself, wondering if I was the problem.
But slowly, I began to understand:
you can’t keep holding the rope when the other end has already slipped away. Gripping tighter only leaves you marked with bruises that don’t easily fade. I’ve […]
Never let life dim your light or make you small.
Do not let its weight dim your light, or quiet the radiance that is yours to give. Pause when you must.
Rest, mend, and gather strength. But never abandon your path, or hide away from your purpose. Hold to the faith that brighter horizons await ~
new journeys, kindred souls, love yet to touch your heart, and sunsets still painted just for you. Do not close the chapter too soon. The Universe is abundant, and you are woven into its infinite giving. Keep your heart open to receive what has always been meant for you. Offer gratitude ~
for you to endure. For you to rise again. Let go of disappointments. Release […]