Rhyming Reflections: Daily Devotional
by Lisa Jo SymondsPublish: Mar 28, 2021PoetryBook Overview
Rhyming Reflections is a daily devotional geared toward anyone who has survived childhood trauma of any kind (abuse, neglect, sexual abuse, abandonment, child trafficking, etc.); mental health issues (PTSD, Depression, Anxiety, etc.); addiction and/or overdose; raised by parents of addiction; suicide attempts or ideation; etc., but can also be helpful to anyone going through life transitions or transformations to help guide you through the process of reflecting back over your life as you reconcile your past and move on to your future. It is also helpful for those who have not reconciled their troubled past and are terminally ill to help them reach the acceptance stage of the end-of-life mourning process we tend to go through as illness progresses. Each day has a theme that includes a topic, found within the poem, and a verse that relates to that poem. Also, in the paperback version, a blank journal page is provided for each day so the reader can write down their own thoughts, feelings, or emotions, after reading the poem and verse for that day.My poems are often written in a dark theme because of certain events that I have lived, that unfortunately, many of us have lived, that is what makes this book so relatable. However, the book is very uplifting and inspiring as it allows the reader to remember a negative event, work through it, and then lifts them by ending the poem in a positive light that leads to healing, reconciliation, and closure. (FYI: My true story can also be found on Amazon or on my website at symondssez.com. It is titled The Hands That Held Me.)
I wrote this daily devotional after finding out that my health is declining with a few separate terminal illnesses, and in my process of realizing the journey the mind and soul go on when facing the end of your own life, and how impossible it is to come to terms with your mortality without reconciling things from your past. The concept of the book involves letting the reader know that it is completely acceptable to feel sad, shame, to have regrets, and even feel fear - in fact, I strongly encourage it, despite others telling you to "stay positive, look at the bright side, etc." This book is meant to help the reader go back and do a personal inventory of their lives and make amends with their pasts, so they can be ready emotionally to move on to a better phase in life, or to face the end of their journey.
The most important thing to remember, when doing a deep reflection over your life, there is no wrong way to do it. There is no wrong way to feel or process the things that have had a negative impact on you over your entire life. Allow yourself to deal with every thought and emotion - it is all part of the process. My thoughts and prayers are already with you, and you will never be alone! I hope you enjoy Rhyming Reflections, thank you for reading - and please remember to give it a review!
~ Lisa Jo Symonds
