Join The Invisible Child Virtual Book Tour Kick-Off!
I’m excited to personally invite you to the Kick-Off Event of The Invisible Child Virtual Book Tour — a story of resilience, hope, and the power to rise again.
This deeply personal journey shines a light on strength in the face of adversity and the unbreakable bond of love. I believe this story will inspire, move, and remind us all that our voices matter.
For months, the launch of my virtual book tour for my memoir, The Invisible Child, has been on hold. I’ve set three different dates this year, and each time, I’ve ended up canceling. Why? It’s a question I’ve been asking myself repeatedly.
The book is my life, my story—a memoir I know intimately. Yet, when it comes to sharing it publicly on a virtual stage, I freeze. The hesitation isn’t about the message; it’s about the medium. Most virtual book events happen on Zoom or similar platforms, where being on camera is the norm. My tech skills aren’t the best, but the real stumbling block is far more personal: I’ve lost my teeth, and being on camera makes me feel intensely self-conscious and uncomfortable. This loss has profoundly affected my confidence.
But I know I must do this tour. The message in The Invisible Child is too important to keep silent.
The Invisible Parent: A Unique Story of Caregiving
In most families, the script is reversed: the parent gets ill in old age, and the adult children become caregivers. My story is different. I became physically challenged when my daughters were just 7 and 11 years old, and they stepped into the role of my caregivers. I became the “invisible parent,” parenting from my back while they navigated the challenges of childhood and caretaking simultaneously.
This memoir is a unique look at family resilience, caregiving, and the unexpected ways we find strength.
My New Commitment: October 24th
I’ve set a new date for my virtual event, and this time, I am determined to follow through: October 24th at 5:00 PM PST.
This is a story of resilience, transformation, and beating the odds. Doctors once said my illness would continue to worsen, yet here I am, living, connecting, and telling my story. Healing, I’ve learned, isn’t always about returning to who you once were.
A friend once asked me how I could feel such joy when my limbs don’t fully function. My answer is simple: joy is within. It overflows when I look at my children and the kindness of the world around me. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve, connect, and continue doing what I love. As Hezekiah Walker says, “Joy is amazing.”
For months, the launch of my virtual book tour for my memoir, The Invisible Child, has been on hold. I’ve set three different dates this year, and each time, I’ve ended up canceling. Why? It’s a question I’ve been asking myself repeatedly.
The book is my life, my story—a memoir I know intimately. Yet, when it comes to sharing it publicly on a virtual stage, I freeze. The hesitation isn’t about the message; it’s about the medium. Most virtual book events happen on Zoom or similar platforms where being on camera is the norm. My tech skills aren’t the best, but the real stumbling block is far more personal: I’ve lost my teeth, and being on camera makes me feel intensely self-conscious and uncomfortable. This loss has profoundly affected my confidence.
But I know I must do this tour. The message in The Invisible Child is too important to keep silent.
The Invisible Parent: A Unique Story of Caregiving
In most families, the script is reversed: the parent gets ill in old age, and the adult children become caregivers. My story is different. I became physically challenged when my daughters were just 7 and 11 years old, and they stepped into the role of my caregivers. I became the “invisible parent,” parenting from my back while they navigated the challenges of childhood and caretaking simultaneously.
This memoir is a unique look at family resilience, caregiving, and the unexpected ways we find strength.
My New Commitment: October 24th
I’ve set a new date for my virtual event, and this time, I am determined to follow through: October 24th at 5:00 PM PST.
This is a story of resilience, transformation, and beating the odds. Doctors once said my illness would continue to worsen, yet here I am, living, connecting, and telling my story. Healing, I’ve learned, isn’t always about returning to who you once were.
A friend once asked me how I could feel such joy when my limbs don’t fully function. My answer is simple: joy is within. It overflows when I look at my children and the kindness of the world around me. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve, connect, and continue doing what I love. As Hezekiah Walker says, “Joy is amazing.”
YOUR TURN: Join the Conversation! Ready to hear the unique story of The Invisible Child?
Email me at writerworks@gmail.com for the virtual event details and a secure link for October 24th at 5:00 PM!
Want to read the book first? Find your copy of The Invisible Child now on Amazon.com.
Podcast Review: The Resilient Mother with Tiffany Lorraine Galloway
As I listened to episodes of The Resilient Mother podcast, hosted by Tiffany Lorraine Galloway, one thought kept echoing in my mind: I wish something like this had been available when I was raising my own children.
This inspiring podcast creates a safe and supportive space for mothers from all walks of life to candidly share their stories of resilience. Through open conversations, Tiffany and her guests offer practical tips, personal insights, and encouragement for mothers everywhere.
Tiffany launched The Resilient Mother from her own journey of growth. Married with three children, she eventually faced divorce and realized how much of her identity had been tied to helping others while neglecting her own needs. Therapy and personal development taught her about self-awareness, decision-making, and self-worth. Today, Tiffany is a thriving mother raising confident children while empowering other moms to do the same.
Her mantra—“Happy moms, happy children, happy homes”—resonates throughout the episodes. Guests include new moms, seasoned moms, single moms, married moms, business moms, and more. Each shares authentic experiences, from navigating divorce and abuse to celebrating everyday parenting victories.
One episode recounts a mother’s struggle when a babysitter and her young daughter clashed over bath time. Rather than forcing compliance, the mother stepped in, listened, and found a creative solution—showing how small moments can become powerful lessons in respect and communication.
Another episode features a mother who left an abusive relationship with nowhere to go. Despite nights in cars, shelters, and abandoned buildings, she built a new life and now runs a charity supporting battered women. Her message? Call me anytime, day or night—I’ll be there for you.
The stories are raw, real, and transformational. The Resilient Mother reminds us that parenting doesn’t come with a manual, but through shared experiences, we can lift one another up. If you’re a mother seeking inspiration, solidarity, or practical wisdom, this podcast is worth your time—and maybe even your own story of resilience belongs here, too.
Not all dreams are created equal. Some are rooted in purpose, passion, and clarity. Others are borrowed, expected, or undefined. Before you invest time and energy into your vision, ask yourself:
Is this truly my dream—and is it built to make a lasting impact?
Here are 5 powerful checkpoints every dreamer should visit on the road from vision to manifestation:
1. Ownership Checkpoint: Is This Dream Truly Mine?
Are you pursuing what you want—or living out someone else’s hopes for you? It might be your parents’ expectations, cultural pressure, or a well-meaning suggestion. But chasing someone else’s dream will always lead you away from your authentic path.
✅ Action Step: Reclaim your dream. Make it personal. Ask yourself: “If no one had an opinion, what would I truly want for my life?”
2. Clarity Checkpoint: Can I Clearly See My Dream?
If your dream is fuzzy, your direction will be too. Visionaries and achievers succeed because they know exactly what they’re aiming for. Clarity leads to commitment, and commitment leads to action.
✅ Action Step: Write it down. Describe your dream in specific detail. What does it look like? Who does it help? Why does it matter?
3. Pathway Checkpoint: Do I Have a Plan to Get There?
A dream without a plan is just a wish. Feeling inspired is great, but without intentional steps, that inspiration fades fast.
✅ Action Step: Create a pathway. Start with 5 practical steps you can take toward your dream today. You don’t need perfection—you need momentum.
4. People Checkpoint: Who’s Walking with Me?
You weren’t meant to go alone. Every dream needs support, accountability, and collaboration. The right people help you grow and remind you of your “why” when it gets hard.
✅ Action Step: Build your team. Surround yourself with people who believe in your vision, support your growth, and celebrate your progress. Ask: “Is this team moving the dream forward—and helping others too?”
5. Significance Checkpoint: Who Does My Dream Serve?
The most powerful dreams are not self-serving—they are soul-serving. When your dream uplifts others, solves problems, and makes a difference, it becomes more than a goal—it becomes a movement.
✅ Action Step: Reflect: “Who benefits from my dream?” Let your vision solve, inspire, transform. Let it grow beyond you—and multiply its impact.
💡 Final Thought:
A dream worth pursuing will challenge you, stretch you, and call you to grow—but it will also serve, inspire, and multiply. Dream with purpose. Plan with power. And build a life that lifts others.
📣 Coach Diane’s Call to Action:
Are you ready to align your vision, create a solid path, and build a dream that moves you forward—and blesses others?
📅 Book a 1:1 Dream Strategy Session with Coach Diane: [Insert Link] 💌 Or reply and share your dream—I’d love to hear what you’re building.
July 24 marks “National Self-Care Day,” a powerful reminder to pause and ask:
Am I truly taking care of myself—or just pushing through?
While this day was launched by the Global Self-Care Federation in 2011 to promote health awareness, I believe it’s also a call to go deeper:
To stop neglecting your needs and start living with “intention.”
What Is Self-Care?
Self-care isn’t indulgence—it’s intention. It’s not just bubble baths and spa days (though those are lovely!).
True self-care is the daily decision to protect your energy, meet your physical and emotional needs, and build a life of intention.
The World Health Organization defines self-care as a combination of actions that improve your physical, mental, and emotional well-being—and it all starts with small, sustainable steps.
“A Coach’s Insight”
As a coach, I work with people in their late 20s to early 40s who are untangling the impact of years spent “chasing freedom”—late nights, overspending, ignoring boundaries, and rest.
In their younger years, many believed they were expressing independence. But what they were building was:
Debt
Burnout
Fatigue
Disconnection from their purpose
Later, they come to coaching asking:
“How do I reset my habits?”
“Why do I feel so unfulfilled?”
“How do I find peace and purpose?”
The good news? You don’t have to wait for a crisis to begin your self-care journey.
You can start today.
This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about showing up—consistently, kindly, and courageously—for yourself. How did you practice self-care today?
Self-Care in Action: Small Steps, Big Shifts
“What you’re looking for in a self-care routine is a feeling of rejuvenation, not depletion,” says, Dr. Debra Kissen.
You don’t have to overhaul your life. Try starting with just one of these:
Types of Self-Care You Can Practice Today
Mental Self-Care:
Meditation
Breathing exercises
Practicing gratitude
Brain games
Reading
Learn something new
Physical Self-Care:
Walking
Stretching
Increase water intake
Spiritual Self-Care:
Pray
Time in nature
Connect to a purpose bigger than yourself
Social Self-Care:
Spend quality time with loved ones
Volunteer
Develop relationships
And never underestimate the healing power of physical touch—hugs, hand-holding, and massage can reduce stress, ease anxiety, and boost your mood.
It’s Never Too Late:
If you’re thinking, “I wish I had started this years ago,” you’re not alone. Self-care doesn’t live in the past. It begins now.
Bonus for Readers: Tools to Support Your Self-Care Journey
Want more self-care tools, journaling prompts, or guidance? Check out my memoir, The Invisible Child—a powerful story of resilience, healing, and rediscovery.
Ready to take your self-care deeper? Let’s talk. Book a complimentary 1-on-1 coaching session with me.
Ida B. Wells is one of the historical figures to whom I’m most deeply indebted. Born into slavery in Holly Springs, Mississippi, in 1862 during the Civil War, she was thrust into adulthood far too early. After losing both her parents and a younger sibling to a yellow fever epidemic, teenage Ida became the primary caregiver for her five remaining siblings. Despite the weight of grief and responsibility, she pressed forward—teaching during the school year, studying at Fisk University in the summers, and writing for the Memphis Evening Star to help support her family.
In 1884, while traveling by train, Ida experienced the harsh reality of segregation. Though she had a first-class ticket, she was forcibly removed from her seat when she refused to sit in the “smoking car” designated for Black passengers. She sued the Chesapeake, Ohio, and Southwestern Railroad—and won. Although the verdict was overturned in federal court, the injustice became a catalyst for her lifelong crusade against racial discrimination.
Ida B. Wells fearlessly exposed the horrific truth about lynching through her research and writing. As co-owner and editor of the Memphis Free Speech, she used her platform to challenge Jim Crow laws and amplify the voices of the oppressed. She faced violent threats, the destruction of her newspaper office, and exile from her city—but she never wavered.
Through publications like Southern Horrors and A Red Record, she documented lynchings with a journalist’s precision and a reformer’s passion, forcing the nation to confront its brutality. Wells helped found the NAACP, fought for women’s suffrage, and championed voting rights and education. She did all of this while raising six children and speaking on stages across the U.S. and abroad.
Her voice remains urgent today:
“One had better die fighting against injustice than to die like a dog or a rat in a trap.”
Ida B. Wells redefined what it means to lead—with truth, with tenacity, and without apology. She reminds us that leadership is not about comfort or recognition; it’s about having the courage to speak when silence is easier.
YOUR TURN: What legacy are you building with your voice?
One of my favorite things about myself is my inspiring, cheerful, and enduring energy. Over the years, many people have told me it’s contagious.
Just recently, one of my longtime girlfriends called me in distress. After a brief phone conversation, she asked if she could come over. “I just need to be in your presence,” she said. “I need to feel your joy.”
I’ve heard comments like that most of my life. And it’s one of the many reasons people tell me coaching is my purpose. I believe it, too—because I genuinely love cheering others on. I don’t just celebrate with people when they win—I root for them every step of the way.
It took me years to fully understand the impact my energy has on others. In a world where so many are consumed with comparison or competition, I offer something different: presence. Peace. Encouragement. Care.
I coach because I want people to feel valued and seen—unconditionally. To remind them they matter. To cheer them into victory. To be that steady, joyful voice when the world gets too loud.
YOUR TURN: What is your favorite thing about your character?
The oldest thing I own—and use every single day—is my home.
And every day, I give thanks to God for her. She has sheltered me, comforted me, and held my family through seasons of growth and transition. I often say, “I belong to her just as much as she belongs to me.”
My home is the perfect size: three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Spacious enough for a family, yet peaceful and practical for an empty nester like me. It’s where I rest, reflect, create, and coach.
Over the years, I’ve heard the same thing from many visitors: “Your home feels so peaceful.” One mother brought her daughter over for tutoring—and she never wanted to leave! After several pick-ups turned into long chats, I gently had to set a boundary. Later, she asked if she could just come by to “sit in the calm.” That’s when I knew: this home holds something special.
On the very first day we moved in, two of my dear spiritual friends came and blessed the home—room by room. They prayed over my family, and over every soul who would ever step through the door.
And now, I keep that blessing going. Every single day, I send out love, light, and positive energy to anyone who visits. This home is more than a roof and walls. She’s my sacred space.
And yes—she’s the oldest thing I own, and the most cherished.
YOUR TURN: What’s the oldest item in your life that still holds meaning?
Work With Coach Diane: I help creative minds find their peace, purpose, and path—starting from wherever they are. Let’s schedule a coaching conversation. Contact me at: writersworks@gmail.com
There are many favorite moments I could name, but today I want to be intentional about honoring the one that has stayed with me the most.
I’ll never forget the moment I saw my first paid byline in a national publication. I was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude. I made copies of the article and sent it to everyone I thought would appreciate it. It felt like a full-circle moment—proof that my passion had found a home in the world.
Writing has always been in my soul. When I first enrolled in college, I chose to major in writing and carefully mapped out my courses to support that dream. But then came freshman year—and with it, my first English class. I poured myself into the first assignment… only to receive an “F.”
I was devastated. Confused. Up until that moment, I had consistently earned A’s on my writing assignments. I had received awards, encouraging notes from teachers, and even offers to submit to school publications. But after that conversation with my professor—someone I trusted—I allowed his opinion to shake me.
That grade left an indelible mark on my spirit. I stopped writing. I changed my major. But the urge to write never left me.
No matter how hard I tried to silence it, the craving to write chased me down. Eventually, I surrendered. I returned to writing, and later, pursued graduate studies in journalism. To my surprise—and delight—I won an award for one of my articles.
I learned how to pitch, and I became a freelance writer. Then it happened: My byline appeared in the table of contents of Guideposts, a national inspirational publication read by millions.
That moment still thrills me. It warms my heart and reminds me to keep moving forward—no matter what detours or doubts may come.
Because when a calling keeps chasing you… you were never meant to run from it.
YOUR TURN: Have you ever almost given up on your passion?
Read My Memoir: “The Invisible Child on Amazon” Discover how purpose, persistence, and voice always return—even when silenced.
Coaching with Coach Diane: If you’ve left your dream behind, it’s not too late to reclaim it. Let’s reconnect with your calling. Contact: writersworks@gmail.com
As a personal development coach, I believe in continuously sharpening my skills and staying current—not just to serve my clients better, but to grow as a person, too.
Every Friday, I attend a standing personal development mentorship group. Today, to my surprise, we had a guest speaker. His insights were both timely and transformational.
He reminded us that many people set goals they genuinely want—but never reach them. Eventually, they give up. Not because they didn’t care, but because they lost clarity or momentum.
As coaches, he said, we need to model the personal development we teach. One simple but powerful habit he recommended was this:
Every day, ask yourself two questions:
What did I do well today?
What did I learn today?
That struck a chord. I journal regularly—but I usually ask myself those questions annually, monthly, or weekly. Today, I realized the impact would be even greater if I asked them daily.
Starting now, daily journaling—with those two questions—will be a non-negotiable part of my routine. Because when I grow, my clients grow too.
Writer Works Coaching 