Hey— I’m Deborah.
However you found your way here, I’m so pleased you made it.
I love to open hearts and ignite emotion in people by sharing personal stories, thoughtful commentary, and everyday inspirations. I have a knack for connecting deeply with people, especially those I don’t know—true strangers—most of whom I meet out and about doing everyday things. Sometimes we hug. Right there in the grocery aisle or the T.J. Maxx dressing room. The moment is always so genuine.
I feel incredibly honored to be in that moment. It’s not easy sharing our truths, though as humans, we need to. Over my lifetime, I’ve struggled to define the magic that takes place when I connect with someone. I still don’t know why it happens or how to bottle it. I only know that extraordinary moments can’t be forged. They happen organically and authentically, and in the least likely places.
I possess an insatiable amount of curiosity. My superpower is mining meaning and inspiration from everyday things and ideas and crafting them into tangible offerings.
I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communication and remain passionate about the subject. I retired in 2018 as a public relations and crisis communication manager. In my career, I interviewed extensively with the media and enjoyed teaching others how to as well.
I love words; am a newbie artist exploring abstract art; I don’t believe that everything happens for a reason, nor in any meant-to-be’s.
I’m a DIY traveler with my husband Ron whom I knew I wanted to marry on our fist date September 1, 1980. We have two sons, Brandon and Shaun, as well as three grandchildren.
I thrive in tidy, bright spaces with tons of natural light; *know* my way of loading the dishwasher is the correct way; and believe music is sustenance for the soul. I like the minor notes. I read mostly nonfiction. I like real. I prefer imperfection.
I’m a lateral thinker which means I’ve often been berated for being “all over the place” when communicating, a cellular-level communication style I was born with (and can no more change than my eye color), a reality I once detested, but now entirely embrace. Linear thinkers are traditionally more revered and I might have a chip on my shoulder about that. I’ve devoted a fair amount of time to the study of human communication styles and will gladly embark on a discourse from even a modicum of perceived interest.
I’m an empath.
I trust my gut intuition.
My favorite mantra is: Life is Change. This fact is strangely comforting in the most difficult of times.
I cringe at the sound of liquid being poured into a cup; wish I understood poetry more; love lichen on branches; get giddy over wild birds playing musical chairs at the bird feeder; have watched some movies more than fifty times; like to make lists; don’t care for the color yellow (you won’t even find a yellow post-it note in my home); believe the earth is round; and delight in sending handwritten notes.
I love to drive my car down the winding tree-lined bohemian highway where the sunlight and shadows waltz with the breeze.
I’m an organic-only, label-reading, cart-returning, survey-responding, plastics-avoiding, bring-my-own-shopping-bags grocery shopper. I believe healthy, pesticide-free food is essential and that we either pay the farmer or the pharmacist. I don’t eat foods past their expiration or best-by-dates, arbitrary or not, and no one can convince me otherwise.
I admire people who live authentically—out loud—and care not one iota of what others think of them. Somehow, they defy human nature and I am in awe of them. They. Are. My. Heroes. 🩷
Thank you for reading.
Be well. Stay curious. Live out loud.
Love and light,
By doing what you love, you inspire and awaken the hearts of others.
— Unknown