Seeing Susan Stirling

I wrote my story for many reasons. Today, I’m thinking about where I came from and the questions I carried while writing it especially wondering how my story would be received by family.

The review above is from my aunt, someone I’m deeply grateful to have reconnected with. Her words remind me that telling the truth about our lives doesn’t have to create distance—it can also create understanding, healing, and connection.

Sometimes the people we worry most about hearing our story become part of its healing.

For that, I’m incredibly thankful. 💛

I wrote my story for many reasons, and this review captures one of them perfectly.

Velcro Kisses is for anyone who has experienced religious, spiritual, relational, or emotional trauma and felt alone in it.

If my story helps even one person feel seen, validated, and hopeful that healing is possible, then sharing it was worth it. 💛

VelcroKisses

One of the reasons I wrote my story was for therapists, counsellors, and helping professionals to better understand what it actually feels like to survive religious and spiritual trauma from the inside out.

Not just the beliefs.
Not just the behaviours.

Sometimes being trauma informed is only the beginning of understanding religious trauma.

There are layers of fear, conditioning, grief, identity loss, nervous system responses, and silencing that many survivors carry for years.

Being seen accurately can change everything.

Hearing this from someone with religious or spiritual trauma who says Velcro Kisses impacted them … that stays with me.

It’s one of the reasons I wrote my story.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for sharing your heart with me.💛

Some women get flowers from their partners…mine found an island with my name on it. 🌲🌊

While away for work, Andrew 🚁discovered Susan Island and immediately sent me this photo! A whole island hidden in the Pacific wilderness with my name on it? I’ll take it.

I think I’ve officially become a West Coast landmark now after all my book did make the bestseller list in Regional Canada in March.

And for all the Susans out there who grew up thinking our name was just “common” — apparently not. Turns out it belongs to wild, beautiful places too.

Here’s to every Susan💛

Women

Look at what I just did on Playground.

This is me… animated. My quirky self who loves natural spaces, art, and researching.

I’ve come a long way in just a few months. From figuring out how to unlock my iPhone (yes… that was a real learning curve 😅) to actually enjoying this whole world of apps and social media.

From “where did that button go?” moments… to experimenting, creating, and actually having fun with it.

It’s funny how something that once felt frustrating can turn into curiosity and even a little creativity.

Proof that it’s never too late to learn something new — even if you start with the basics.

Want to play too?

Happy Thursday 💛

I wrote my story for many reasons.
Today, it’s about my SQUISHY FACE SMILE.

Somewhere along the way, I lost permission to smile like I did as a child… shoulders up to my ears, just excited to be alive.

To prep for that day I slept with CURLERS in my hair (yup we did that back then)
Climbing the steps into a Winnebago for a travelling photographer.
It was pure excitement.

The first photo is little me. Then.
The second is from this time last year—just after I said yes to working with TSPA on Velcro Kisses.

My daughter-in-law arranged a beautiful photo shoot at an exquisite venue.

And here’s a tidbit: when we were choosing photos for the book…

We saw that smile was caught on camera again!

Megan called it my “squishy face smile.”

I laughed until I cried.
Because it was true.

It’s definitely not polished.
Nor is it perfect.
But it’s ALL MINE💛

HealingInPublic SquishyFaceSmile

I wrote my story for many reasons, but today I’m highlighting my partner, husband and wingman — Andrew.

Who knew when we met eight years ago that we would walk this path together? When Andrew first heard where I had come from he said, ‘you should write your story.’ I don’t think either of us imagined I would end up writing a book about my trauma bond to prophecy and reclaiming my voice. But that’s the way life goes, isn’t it? The creative process unfolds. What we begin with changes, grows and evolves, and sometimes it’s right underneath our own pen.

I handwrote my story before I ever typed it. It became healing. Grieving what should have been given space years ago. Gathering the threads that once felt scattered into something whole.

Andrew has been a big part of how I wrote. Through his support — the many cups of tea, making space, standing with me as I contacted TSPA, being my plus one as I ventured to my first writers conference in Vancouver last June, and always encouraging me to keep writing regardless of the hour. Even though much of this felt new, even unfamiliar at times, his support was always steady.

In my first marriage I promised to love, honour and obey, and that didn’t turn out so well.

When Andrew and I married, we chose to write our own vows. In them were these words:

“I promise to nurture your dreams, because through them your soul shines. I promise to encourage ALL that makes you unique and wonderful...”

I can honestly say he has lived those words.

Thank you, handsome.

PS. This photo was taken as Andrew watched me walk down the path toward him on our wedding day just over 3 years ago.

Here’s to dreams….Istikhara (is-tick-ARE-uh)

I wrote my story for many reasons—but today, I’m highlighting my son Ben and my daughter-in-law Mariah.

For the relationship each of them carries within themselves because that relationship sets the tone for everything else.

Building and encouraging a strong partnership everyday.

For becoming someone new—together and on their own.

And especially for this:
to have fun along the way,
and to cheer loudly for each other’s growth as it unfolds 💛💛

The journey begins! ✨

Heading to North Vancouver this weekend for The International Writers’ Conference and I couldn’t be more excited!

Can’t wait to soak up the inspiration and connect with fellow storytellers. Hope you’ll follow along!