I’ve heard it said many times over my life that I should write a book. There are miracle moments, sad moments, tragic moments and deep periods of reflection where the thought temporarily resurfaces. These last few years, I’ve been consciously living out what I believe to be “joy” without regret and putting all of that junk into a physical document, doesn’t currently align with my emotional freedom.

However, there are moments of reflection that hit me deeply. When they occur, I have to decide whether or not to break my rule of exposing the nasty parts, the uncomfortable parts and the flecks of embarrassment that would seek to silence me.

I have a feeling, as I am starting on this journey of sharing Artfully Healed, I’m going to have to release my notion of what I’m comfortable sharing. After all it’s not about my fear, but who’s waiting for me to show up and show them that no matter what, DO NOT GIVE UP!!

So here it goes. It was the fall of 1984 and I was 16.

A few yards from the corner in this picture, I chose vulnerability over embarrassment and my life would be forever changed. My connection to Shandra had only been brief enough for me to babysit a few times prior to this day, but no real relationship existed between us. [The backstory is for that yet unreleased, unauthorized biopic]. I remember exactly where I was standing when it happened but couldn’t tell you why I was outside or where I was going. She asked me if I was ok and how things were going, as we’d just moved to Charlotte six weeks prior. Looking back on things now, I don’t know if it was pure fear or just raw desperation that drove me to say, “I was not okay”. For Shandra’s part, she doesn’t know what drove her to ask me in the first place, or how what happened next came to be. But on that day began what was an unofficial fostering relationship, to now being a 35-year friendship between two women whose lives were forever changed that day.

I’ve heard it said that there are great moments in your life, where you can physically mark the spot of your existence. It is literally where you can mark the turning of the corner, pointing to a new destination, a new trajectory and into your destiny. I believe this street corner marks a significant spot for me and while I have many more that I can refer to, I feel so deeply that I would be living an entirely different life, had that exchange not happened.

For Artfully Healed, it is our mission to “…recognize the importance of creating spaces of connection across the physical and digital landscapes of communities…….”. On that fall day in 1984, Shandra created space for me to be vulnerable, to be open, honest and share that I was not okay. I in turn created space in my heart to trust, which eventually turned into friendship and love.

This is my desire for Artfully Healed to be the catalyst for those types of spaces in people’s lives. I desire for space that makes it comfortable to ask the questions and that also allows people to feel they can be honest, vulnerable and trusting to what is possible on the other side.

My name is Kimblyn and I am Artfully Healed

Feel free to join us online either in our Facebook community or Instagram feed. I would love to see those spaces and celebrate those moments in your lives where connection, miracles or destiny have occurred.