Differently this year, as I celebrated the end of the year with good co-workers.
And not at home with my family.
What I didn’t expect much but got so much more as we got excited to bring in the new year full of joy and happiness.
It was that silliness that made me realize it doesn’t matter where I celebrate, as long as I’m with good people, the night into the New Year would be a great time and memory.
Written By: Deirdre Stokes Copyrighted ©️ 2026 By Deirdre Stokes
A little bit more broken
Sad, but over time, I
Will heal and like
Kintsugi the cuts
From my wounded heart
Will be sealed up with gold and
What was once broken will be repaired. A piece of art, full of beauty and alive within me.
Written By: Deirdre Stokes Copyrighted ©️ 2025 By Deirdre Stokes
Catch my breath
But it seems to keep getting harder the longer I keep moving on
And I’m trying to find my pace again.
But I feel like this is a race that I will finish, but when I cross the finish line, everyone will have gone home.
I know I’m not walking alone, but this path is rough, and I wonder, as I look around, if I stumbled off course.
So I must stop, and I just let the sun shine down on me as sadness tries to overwhelm me. Memories of you flood my mind today.
As the light lifts me and the darkness fades, I move forward with greater determination, embracing my path with trust, knowing that the end will be a celebration.
Written By: Deirdre Stokes Copyrighted ©️ 2025 By Deirdre Stokes
The rain in the storm beating down on your windows and your car.
I just want to be seen and heard and let in
But I know I can do real damage, but this anger inside me wants out. Do I pour it down on this town and stop until I don’t feel it?
The pain
The sadness
The anger
The grief is so intense that it feels like I can’t breathe.
But then, as it all washes down the drain, I feel relieved, at peace, and so much better.
I know I might have damaged a few things, but I know you needed the rain, and now new growth will come, and in a day or two, you will have forgotten me all too well.
Written By: Deirdre Stokes Copyrighted ©️ 2025 By Deirdre Stokes
Rock bottom and stay down
When life keeps stressing me out
Or should I rest and get back up
Because the sun is going to shine tomorrow, and so should I.
Like the dark clouds on a stormy day, I’ve been moving through life being present.
But have you seen me because I’ve just been blending in to get by day and night?
But now, as a new storm brews in, I’m ready to be the rainbow you see at the end.
Only time will continue to heal my wounds, and I know I’ve so much more to share beyond the dark clouds in life.
Written By: Deirdre Stokes Copyrighted ©️ 2025 By Deirdre Stokes
Will you be gone
I haven’t had my full of hot chocolate and tea
But I’m done with your bitter coldness nipping at me as I go out into the night on my way to work.
Or as I come out of work and go home.
And even probably wrapped up I still feel you in my bones.
You have brought chaos this season with the snow and increased illnesses around.
It’s time you let us breathe the spring air and see the flowers again.
I know every season has its moment but I do think you are hogging the spotlight for a little too long.
So goodbye and I think I’ll skip you next year.
Written By: Deirdre Stokes Copyrighted ©️ 2025 By Deirdre Stokes
And you stay
With your windy days
And snowy mornings that turn into cold nights that feel so frosty.
You may need to be thawed out by a warm fire.
But wait not yet for you have to shovel some snow and salt some sidewalks and then when it’s all said and done.
Only then can you sit by the fire, drink some hot chocolate, and melt away the cold of another winter day.
While wondering when will this winter end.
So you can say goodbye to the cold mornings and nights and hello to the warmth and sunshine and nice breezy spring days.
Written By: Deirdre Stokes Copyrighted ©️ 2025 By Deirdre Stokes
The hope for a new experience and joy
The anticipation of something great happening.
Finally, I won’t be standing in my way because this year is all about taking a leap of faith and trusting it’s gonna work out.
Because I believe in myself and I want a lot to happen this year.
So Heres to working hard and playing hard and trusting myself and taking the time to rest because self-care matters too.
Written By: Deirdre Stokes Copyrighted ©️ 2025 By Deirdre Stokes
I can’t believe this year is done and a new year is right around the corner.
This year has had a lot of ups and downs. I would have liked to change a couple of things but I know now it all happened for a reason.
I’ve learned a lot of new things and met a lot of good people and bonded more with a dear friend.
Who helped me believe more in myself.
My word of the year was faith and boy did it test me this year but when I trusted and leaned on it I was safe and grew too.
Faith I will keep leaning on and trusting when God says to do something do it. I’m hoping my year-long writer’s block will stay in 2024.
For I miss writing poetry and stories. But at least I’ve read some great books this year.
I hope to read more great books next year write some great books and relax more while being abundantly blessed.
2024 was a year of surprises good and bad but I am grateful for being able to travel to Paris for my bday with my sisters and taking time to find myself and learning new stuff and meeting new people.
I’m thankful to still have this blog and the support from all of you and I hope 2025 blesses us all as we live in the present and go for what makes us happy.
Written By: Deirdre Stokes Copyrighted ©️ 2024 By Deirdre Stokes
To me blogging on wordpress
What an journey it has been.
I started this blog at 26 and am now 35 years old. I have gone from being just a lady wanting to find a place to write.
I am committed to making this place my writing home, a place to write and own my talent, confident that I am showing myself.
I have gone from writing almost every day to posting positive quotes every day and slowly getting back to writing.
From blogger to published author to becoming an Empowering writing coach for women.
To try to make time to write and do art and feel so much alive for this year, I have leaned on faith and found new ways to look at the world around me.
I see the beauty and feel the breeze and cold air skipping at me, and I embrace what more years I have left to write and share on this blog.
I’ve grown so much as a writer, and I am truly grateful for all who have been here from the start and helped me become a better writer. I hope I can keep going strong for many years more.
Also, welcome to all the newcomers to my blog. I hope to bring some new poetry soon and keep up the positive quotes as well.
Written By: Deirdre Stokes Copyrighted ©️ 2024 By Deirdre Stokes
Arrives and October goes
And I become a year older
And I reflect on how much October gave me back my hope.
Creativity has been quite a battle for me this year, and it’s been rough, as art and writing are like breathing, joy, and just feeling alive.
With fall arriving, the colors of the leaves change and brighten up nature. Everything is so pretty, and it makes you pause to appreciate just how lucky it is to be alive and to breathe in fresh air.
Witness the cold and hot, with the weather not quite sure what it wants to be.
To take a real vacation to Paris with my sisters, of all places, and appreciate art, culture, and history all in one visit has made me feel blessed and renewed.
It’s been a while since I’ve gone on a trip, let alone out of the country. But I felt the love and saw the beauty and kindness that we seem to see and hear less of these days.
I felt the joy and excitement of a little kid seeing something great for the first time.
It was like something woke up inside of me, and now I can’t wait to see what the rest of this year has in store for me and what next year will bring me.
But for now, I’ll live for today, November 2nd, and I hope for more beauty and joy to light me up again.
Written By: Deirdre Stokes Copyrighted ©️ 2024 By Deirdre Stokes
Joy is so contagious
From one smile on your face
To your laughter been heard
That I, too, want to smile and laugh
And feel so carefree with no worry in the world.
Life is good when you smile and laugh and just be you.
You feel the sun shining down on you gently and the wind blowing softly at you, and it’s the perfect combination for a great day.
You are grateful for the nice weather, and you know what a miracle it is to witness such a day.
You capture it in a picture and hope it brings joy to you on your off days and that it can do the same for others.
You want to shine your light on others so that the world becomes a little less dark each day.
Written By: Deirdre Stokes Copyrighted ©️ 2024 By Deirdre Stokes
They say because it will be your birthday soon enough.
Or make a wish, and everything will be okay
I’ve taken so many chances and risks, but somehow, I keep getting back up and trying again.
But sometimes, I ask myself, “Why are you doing this task that is calling you to do uncomfortable things?”
I’ve realized life could be difficult, but I can overcome it.
First, I must believe and go with it because letting self-doubt set me up will only lead to being stuck and not moving through life, no matter how big the desire is.
So make that wish, fly as high as you can, and just know you can and will make it!
Written By: Deirdre Stokes Copyrighted ©️ 2024 By Deirdre Stokes
To get up but I’m so tired
I just wish I could get the right amount of sleep so that I would not be too tired, but my body is all out of whack.
I know my sleep would be better if I left this place, but I haven’t gotten the sign yet.
So here I am, trying to sleep and trying to live, too. The sad thing is, no one can relate unless you have been through it, too.
One day, I will get enough sleep, get up, and have energy, but today isn’t that day. I’m sorry.
There is no way of winning, but you can try with all your might. Maybe you will win or get out.
Sincerely, Nightshift.
Written By: Deirdre Stokes Copyrighted ©️ 2024 By Deirdre Stokes
I would be able to see the stars so clearly that day.
It felt like I finally got that second chance to spend time outside in nature.
There was no rushing to my next destination
I could think, get lost in the night sky, and see the beauty around me.
It was breathtaking to see, and I initially didn’t want to take a picture of this moment because I was in it.
But letting this sky fade from my memory made me snap a picture, knowing I would never forget it. If I did, I could pull up the image and know this was the day everything came clear.
If I allowed the light into my life and accepted that the darkness would be there, too.
Because in the darkness, light, like the stars, always guides us home.
Written By: Deirdre Stokes Copyrighted ©️ 2024 By Deirdre Stokes
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