Lydia Coldwell

I've persevered, and I'm resilient. I have been through hell and back, and I am still alive. I have a beautiful apartment and two daughters out of all that, and they are both hard workers and doing well in their own perspectives' lives. I think I've done all right. It's almost a need, a drive - I'm alive, and I don't understand why, but I know I want to use that to help others who have experienced trauma.

What are you passionate about? What pulls at your heartstrings? Like what I did when I was looking to decide which field I wanted to go in as a 50-something - what do you comment on when you're scrolling through your social media? Think about that. When you're scrolling through, grab a notebook, and if you're gonna comment on something, write it down. You don't have to do this forever, just a few days or a week. And then look at it and see what did you comment on, and make your decision from what you find that you're passionate about.

The opportunity is to bless women, children, families, men that have experienced some type of trauma - anything from a broken arm to domestic violence, whatever - and helping them see the sunshine again, if you know what I mean, and find a better place, and navigate all the craziness that trauma brings. That's my goal for the community. I'm working on getting into a hospital where I can make that impact. It's almost a need, a drive. The barriers right now are that I struggle to keep a roof over my head because I'm struggling to keep work. But that's always been a struggle, so it's at the bottom of any question somebody would ask me, almost, because it's just always been there. I don't know, the sun always comes up, and I've been here a year and a half, and I'm still here, and they're not ready to put me out.

I would say I do put the Lord first, because he's always been there, through thick and thin, and when it felt like the sun was not gonna come up, or I couldn't see the sun come up. I would also say enjoy life. There is no way - well, 99% of the time, notice 99, because I understand, as a trauma advocate, I know there are times when there is no joy to see. But when there is, bask in it. Don't forget that life is hard for everybody, and it's important to understand that nobody lives in a bowl full of cherries. In my studies, everybody has experienced something. I learn more and more and more about how - or, let me put it this way, I learn more and more about why God says that He forgives all of us, because we are all wrong. The criminal is committing the crime out of, most likely, past trauma. And when you are hateful and disgusting towards that person, you are heaping it on them again. And when a person seems off, or you don't relate to that person, so then they're weird and different - there's a reason they're that way. They may not have been like that yesterday. Something happened overnight, because it literally can be that damaging. Be nice.