healing

September 14, 2025

Tell Your Story 💝

Whenever a reader offers praise for “Surviving Sue”, it’s a swoon-worthy moment. Pushing the boundaries of joy. Wynne Leon and I had the pleasure of visiting with Pia Mailhot Leichter on the “How to Share” podcast recently and meeting Pia was electric. Her energy and enthusiasm for life and her candor for the cause –… Continue reading

Surviving Sue, Wellness, writing

author, bookreviews, creativity, healing, Inspiration, motivation, Pia Mailhot Leichter, purpose, self care, storytelling
August 31, 2025

Stole My Heart 💝

Lauren Scott’s beautiful new book, “King Copper – Our Dog’s Life in Poetry” stole my heart. Sadly, one of the common denominators in life is loss. When those I care about – friends, family, clients, former students – reach out and share their grief about losing a pet, there’s often a sense of shame about… Continue reading

Wellness, writing

book review, grief, healing, Inspiration, King Copper, Lauren Scott, love, mourning, pets, poetry
August 24, 2025

Sharing and Healing

Maggie Watson is a joy. Her depth of understanding about the human condition is evident in her beautiful prose and poignant poetry. She exudes purpose in her writing, revealing the potency of healing through creativity and the power of sharing our stories. I love that Maggie understood the threads of empathy and compassion in “Surviving… Continue reading

Surviving Sue, writing

author, books, gratitude, healing, Inspiration, Maggie Watson, mental health, poetry, Surviving Sue, Wellness
February 20, 2025

Her Protective Gear

Every now and then I’ve been inspired to share snippets of my poetry practice here on Victoria Ponders. It’s deeply personal – part of my daily journaling – but when a dear one asked recently for support…wondering how to begin her own practice, she asked a compelling question about my healing journey. “How do you… Continue reading

Wellness

author, gratitude, healing, journaling, poetry, reflection, Wellness, writing
June 21, 2024

What an Honor!

A new article about “Surviving Sue” and Writing for Wellness is out – featured in Happiness Between Tails by da-AL – Writing/Tales + Tails + Culture + Compassion. That’s the talented da-AL pictured above. If you’re not following her to absorb all the inspiration in her blog, what are you waiting for? When an Emmy… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

author, gratitude, healing, hope, Wellness
May 20, 2024

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – News!

Thanks so much for the continuing interest in my book, “Surviving Sue”. I’m grateful to the Palos Heights Public Library for hosting me on May 9. What a beautiful library and lovely people! Coming up next? Registration is still open for the course I’ll be teaching at Harper College, starting June 18. It’s an in-person… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

author, books, courses, events, gratitude, healing, resilience
March 14, 2024

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Fault Lines

My mom, Sue, had a compulsive need to be right. She navigated most days in search of human fault lines, similar to the geological variety. Volatile and just beneath the surface. Dangerous, hard to detect, and ever-present. Sue sought fault lines and weaknesses in others as one of her defensive maneuvers. Her contentious behavior was best… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

Adler, author, defense mechanisms, Family, forgiveness, healing, love, mental health, psychology, writer
January 11, 2024

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Writing for Resilience

I’m pretty excited. It’s only January 11 and the new year is full of surprises. Good ones! I wrote about Wynne and I being included in the CWA (Chicago Writers Association) Speakers Bureau last week and I’ve already had a nibble on one of the offerings – about navigating elder care. Woo-hoo! Yet another opportunity… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

authors, gratitude, healing, learning, resilience, teaching, writers
December 30, 2023

My Wish for 2024: Be True to You

On January 1, 2023 I wrote a post quoting Dostoevsky of all things. I shared 490 words about being silly and putting a premium on being myself. Goofy due to sleep deprivation? Sometimes. Goofy because it’s my natural state? Quick to laugh whenever I can – especially at myself? Definitely. That beginning-of-the-year ramble inspired my… Continue reading

Wellness

2024, connection, Dostoevsky, empowerment, Fleetwood Mac, healing, humor, lifestyle, love
December 19, 2023

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Heartfelt Feedback

I think one of the reasons I wrote about my mom, Sue, was to receive support and recognition for the effort and triumph of literally surviving Sue. If you’d asked me as I was wrote, I would’ve shrugged off that thought because I wanted to believe I was writing for posterity. To bring clarity for… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

authors, disabilities, elder care, healing, memoir, mental health, personal narrative, writers
November 18, 2023

The Mismatch: Words and Deeds

I haven’t shared much about my poetry practice here on Victoria Ponders but it’s a part of my life and a tool that I return to for reflection and resolution. I love a good ‘free write’ and while I’ve written about other poetry in the past, taking a few minutes to allow a stanza or… Continue reading

Wellness

healing, Inspiration, lifestyle, poetry, reflection, self-care, writing
October 31, 2023

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Learning & Growing

Thanks so much for continuing to ride along as I share more about “Surviving Sue“. I can’t believe it’s only been three months since her debut! (Hmm…Three months or three years?) I’ve learned so much about the process of publishing and promoting but even more… about myself. A lot of personal growth has been packed… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

author, books, healing, love, personal narrative, publishing, vulnerability, writing
October 10, 2023

Peek Inside: “Surviving Sue” – Sue’s Big Heart

I adore the anonymous quote I snipped in (above). When readers have asked about my capacity for forgiveness, the secret sauce that helped me survive Sue, I often think of this wisdom. It was my task to heal so I could better understand the mix of madness and love that bubbled within my mom. One… Continue reading

Surviving Sue

advocacy, author, disabilities, Family, gratitude, healing, lifestyle, memoir, Wellness

“Surviving Sue”, a special story about resiliency and love: Eckhartz Press (paperback) and eBook on Amazon.

Peek Inside “Surviving Sue“

Visit Resources on Atkinson Group Solutions for more.

Workshops

Chicago Writers Association Speakers Bureau – Writing for Wellness; Navigating Elder Care with Grace & Humor

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Peek Inside “Surviving Sue“

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