About
My name is Braundi. This is a picture of me and my grandson. Both of us have crazy hair and aren’t wearing makeup. 🙂 What you see is what you get around here. My family has been through some really awful stuff the past several years, but we’re still alive and kicking! And our house is full of love.
Just know, if you’re hurting and struggling with hard things, you’re not alone. I am too. And I’m going to do my best to share whatever hope I find with you.
awkWORD Creations is something I have been trying to get started for many years. This is an evolving place where words and art come together to bring hope and help to people.
I write and share stuff in order to help people, like me, find words and ways to help people they love who are going through awful stuff. I truly don’t want people to feel alone, or like there’s no hope in their situation. I know how that is. I know how hard it is to reach out when you feel hopeless. I know how devastating it is when you work up the courage to reach out, but the people you reach out to, don’t reach back in. That’s hard to survive.
I also know how hard it is to be on the other side, and not know what to say. Some situations, like cancer, death of a child, suicide, family estrangement, domestic abuse, family member addiction, and so many others, are just so awful. It’s hard to know what to say. Or what not to say. So, I think, maybe even in my case, the people I reached out to just didn’t know what to say to me. That’s where my writing endeavor comes in. Most of what I’m writing about comes from the hard situations in my own life, or people I love who are going through awful stuff. I write mostly about difficult things; and, there’s a reason for that. I want to help others. And the only thing I can think of to do is write. There are tons of people who write about happiness, and love, and other great things. But what I see around me are hurting people, and the people who care about them don’t know what to say, or do, to help. So, I am digging deep and doing my best to give people words for awful situations.
Recently, one of the dearest people in my life was diagnosed with breast cancer. And has since gone through some truly terrible things. I wanted to bring hope, somehow. I scoured the internet for what to say. NO DICE! So many sympathy and sorry cards. And that’s not what I wanted to say to her. She was gonna hear that from everyone, initially. I needed a longer-term series of words and encouragements. I was unable to find them. So, I did what I always do. I improvised. That’s where the idea for this little baby writing/art thing came from.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from all of this is that it’s better to say anything, than nothing at all. It’s okay to face these awful and awkward situations head on. Make lots of jokes, because sometimes that’s the only thing keeping us from falling apart. Talk bluntly about the situations. Use the scary, and sad words. Let hurting people hurt without trying to force them into putting on a happy face. Be a safe person to talk to. Listen without judgment. Be willing to be uncomfortable so your suffering friend can find comfort in you. Don’t run away. Life can be awful. Don’t let people you care about be alone in their suffering because you don’t know what to say.
I’m making it my mission to provide words, and whatever else I can think of, so people can reach into other people’s lives when they don’t know how. And my social media pages may end up being places where I write out my thoughts as I navigate where this whole thing is going, and what my purpose is in my actual life. I’m pouring my heart into this and praying I can help bring hope to as many people as possible.
Love, Braundi