My story matters because I have been a caregiver most of my life. First, to my husband. 3 years after we were married, he had open heart surgery. 7 years later, I took care of him after a cancer diagnosis and several surgeries, chemo that almost killed him.. until he passed away, 3 years later. I would do it all over again, 10X! I was the primary care giver for my momma, before she passed in 2021. She had dementia and was my everything. Covid took a full year with her away from me. I lost her in November of 2021. I lost my house 14 months after buying it, to Hurricane Milton. Relocated to Orlando. Then, a few months after I received my FEMA money, I was the victim of fraud. Lost $25K.. Who cares for me? I do. Caregivers rarely have people that care for them. It’s not a bad thing, it’s who we are. We must be in charge.. we are caregivers… So, unless a caregiver falls ill, they rarely ask for help or to be cared for. If you know a caregiver, love on them. It’s one of the most difficult jobs, for very little pay. What we get is a peaceful heart knowing we are taking care of our loved ones. Most caregivers are strong and refuse the help, but desperately want it. AND need it. I’ve been taking care of myself for 11 years now. I wonder sometimes if my heart is hardened from not having anyone in my life to lean on, or someone that will give care to me. It’s been so long, I just resolved it’s not going to happen. So, I take care of me, just like I take care of everyone around me. I have learned to love myself better than anyone else can. But I still long to be loved, held, seen, cared for…

Welcome Leeanne Hurren to Rooted and Rising. Tell us a little about yourself and share your community link!

Welcome to my friend and new sister, Shannon Kilbourn! Shannon and I met at the Make Wellness Retreat in Orlando and became instant sister friends!! Shannon, please share a little bit about yourself. What do you do for work? Fun? Do you have any pets? Welcome, I am so happy you're here!

I am a 52-yr old mom of 3 sons (my last is 11 yrs and has Autism-on the significant end). I also have 2 granddaughters from my oldest son. I really spaced my children apart. Little did I realize the life reset I would have with my youngest. World got totally flipped upside down, and I've been scrambling back to the top ever since. The road is looking great ahead but there's still some challenges to work through being an entrepreneur, mom, grandma, wife. It's exhausting. Helping others while building a nice, steady cash flow and more streams of income is a top priority. Simply put...It opens many doors 🚪. ✌️

Welcome to our newest family member, @Maria Turner!! Welcome to Align, Faith and Flourish! This community encourages and supports women that have been through loss and are rebuilding. Aligning with Gods purpose, through Faith so that we can Flourish into the beautiful women God created us to be. Please introduce yourself! 🥰 Where are you from? 🇺🇸 What would you like to get get out of this community? 🤔 What are you working on right now?🧐 Thanks for being here! Lots of resources in the classroom! I can’t wait to grow and learn from each other!