courage – dreamer | artist | painter

My Two Cents…

I woke up yesterday from a night of bad dreams, and the moment I opened my eyes, these words started pouring out of me and I knew I had to get them down in order to be able to let this go … for whatever it’s worth, these are my two cents…

The tough times
Aren’t meant
To break us.
They’re meant to
Shape and sculpt us
Into who we are
Becoming –
The next level
Of growth
In who we are
Meant to be.

The tears
We shed
Are meant to
Humble us,
And ground us.
A reminder for us
Of the kindness
And compassion
This world,
And people
Surrounding us-
Need.

We’re all fighting
Battles
Or health issues
Behind
Closed doors
Most people
Never see.

These days,
I would argue,
Most of us
Are often
Disconnected,,
Over-stimulated,
Rarely present,
And too busy
To process and
Heal from
All the things
That continue
To make our
Mind, body,
And spirit
Bleed…
Including me.

The overwhelm.
Our constant
Hustle and bustle-
Always moving.
This world
Is always in a hurry.
We’re so busy
Speeding through
Our days
From A to B
To C to D to E.
Just to get by.
Just to provide-
For our families.
And then-
Many of us
Are struggling to sleep,
And the hours of rest
We actually get-
Never feel like
Enough-
At least for me.

The mindless scrolling,
Binge-watching,
Numbing, vanity-driven
Distractions
Are carrying us all
Further and further away
From the true meaning
Of this life
And living-
Daily.
This frightening pattern
Is slowly killing
The very fabric
That connects us.
The deeper connection,
And sense of community
Is meant to support
And protect us.
As people-
We are more divided,
And more conflicted
Than ever before-
Slamming each other
Online in comments
Behind screens
And closed doors
Over disagreements…
Disagreements-
Over the muddied,
Skewed and
Extremely divided
Waters of corrupt
Media outlets and politics.
This division
Doesn’t suit us.
It’s gutting us.
Turning us
Against one another.
The hate
Certainly won’t fix this.
And I’ll be honest
When I say,
I don’t know
What the answer is-
But I do believe this-

We all need
To pause,
To reconnect
With ourselves,
To God,
The universe,
And our hearts.
We need more time
Out in nature.
More peace,
And quiet,
More time to
Think and breathe-
To reflect, meditate
And pray.
To sit and listen
To the silence.
Allowing ourselves
To reset
And to just be…
To be at ease-
To listen to the breeze,
Watching the birds
Flutter, soar,
And dance
Across the sky,
So effortlessly.
It’s live poetry-
In motion…
To just sit still
And watch the clouds
Form and fade,
Build up, roll in,
And release
Snow or rain,
Or allow
Warm sunshine
To shine through
The cracks
And down
Upon our face.
The raw beauty,
Of this world
And the wildlife buzzing
All around us
Is a gift to behold.
The awe-inspiring
Magic of our earth.
The power, the fragility,
And true honor
Of what it means
To breathe,
To be alive,
To be alongside
Our loved ones,
To be present,
And to feel heard.

We all want the same.
We all want better-
For ourselves,
For our children,
And grandchildren.
For our country,
And for each other.
Let’s all do better-
And be better-
For the higher good.

-Tanielle Childers 12.02.25

Grateful!

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

The pure magic
And beauty of this life
And this world
Is so profound
And powerful,
And suddenly
Becomes exponentially
More meaningful
When a test or tests
Call your current health
Into question.

The sky, the clouds,
The colors of the sunrise
And sunset-
The trees, the birds
And majestic Colorado
Snow-capped mountain tops.
The open fields
And still waters.
If we just pause
For a moment
And ponder…
Just how lucky are we
To be surrounded
By such magnificent beauty.
I’m continually in awe
Of nature’s tranquility.
In times like this-
The sheer beauty
Just hits me-
Differently.

Waking up each morning
And getting to rise
With the ones
That you love.
Getting to see them,
And tell them good morning,
And being able to
Show them your love.
And oh-
The pure magic
In their heartfelt,
And comforting hugs.
What a gift.
What magic to behold.
These simple treasures
Make us far richer
Than any amount
Of gold.

I am over the moon
Grateful
For this life,
For our family,
And all of our friends.
For our laughter,
And every moment-
Together.
For our memories,
Adventures,
And light-hearted
Shenanigans.
For the gift
Of this new day.
For getting to
Rise again-
For this moment
Right now,
For the air I breathe,
And for the strength
Of my body
Still carrying me-
Forward.
And onward.
I am grateful!

SO Grateful!

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 11.25.25

I Am a Breast Cancer Survivor

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

My six-month breast cancer
Check-up last Friday
With my oncologist-
Turned into seven because I forgot.
I forgot to schedule it
Because I was so busy living-
And the forgetting, for me,
Was a blessing…
Because remembering – is a lot!

Before this day came,
I was unbothered and untroubled.
After all, this was just another normal
Follow-up doctor’s appointment
I needed to go to.
But when I was pulling into
The Harmony Cancer Center that day,
My mood suddenly shifted.
I felt a heaviness welling up inside my heart.
I was taken aback.
And these emotions
Caught me completely off guard.

As I walked into the cancer center,
I looked around at all the people present
Waiting for their name to be called,
As I patiently waited in line
To be checked in for mine.
Some wore hats
To cover their balding heads from chemo.
Some sat alone in silence
Staring out the windows
At the falling snow and gray skies.
While others sat with their spouses
And filled their waiting time
With comforting words,
Loving nudges and a bit of normalcy.
Today, the cancer center was busy,
And bustling.

I was a mixed bag
Of so many different emotions…
Bouncing, in real-time,
From one right into the next.
I stood trying to wrap my head around
The complexity of all that I was feeling.
And what I was feeling
Felt heavy and intense.

I meandered around
And found a chair that offered
Bright colored landscapes on the wall
In front of me to get lost in,
And large windows close by
To see the beautiful tree outside-
That was somehow grounding.
And something I found comfort in.

And I sat alone in silence,
Sipping my hot coffee
With honey and cinnamon-
Reflecting, observing
And remembering the journey
That landed me in this space.
The traumas still come back
To haunt me from time to time.
Like today.
Coming back was a trigger
I wasn’t prepared for in any way.

My grief is still present,
Though not as often as it once was.
And my sadness still lingers.
Though most of it,
I have chosen to let go of.
But all that I felt was a reminder
That I am still healing
From all that I endured.
That I am not done processing
Everything I’ve been through.
And I’m still hoping for one day, a cure.
I’m healing slowly, but surely
And that’s okay.
Little bit by little bit,
Over an extended time…
Because healing never happens
Overnight.

When my name was called,
I stood tall and followed my nurse
Like a robot going through the motions.
Weight and height check-
Followed by my vitals and questions
Around depression and how I’m managing.
Overall, I feel a sense of pride
For getting through and to
Where I’m at today.
That said, I still have moments
Where I struggle to accept
My new normal as being okay.

After my nurse left, and as I sat waiting
For my oncologist to arrive,
I snapped this photo of myself
Because it’s a moment
To be celebrated.
This was my high-five.
I felt happy and grateful
To still be here-
To still be alive.

But when I look at
This photo of myself,
I see every emotion I was feeling
And sitting with,
Even though
I thought I was hiding it.
I see everything
That tugged at my heart that day.
I see happiness and inner peace.
I see a deep sadness
And a sense of unease.
But I see immense gratitude-
And a good attitude toward
Being in remission–
And I also see that I am not defined
By one or the other.
I see that I am all of them-
Intertwined together…
And a work-in-progress I will be–
Forever.

Because I am a breast cancer survivor.

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 4.22.25

Diagnosed 12.21.21
DMX 2.10.22
Chemo 3.22.22 – 5.29.22
Reconstruction & ovary removal 7.29.22

I’m Proud of You!

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

I’m so proud of you
For getting through
Every hardship,
Every battle,
And every struggle
That came from
Every difficult storm
You walked through.

I’m so proud of you
For every part
Of grief you
Overcame.
For moving through
Every feeling
You felt,
For allowing
Your heart to cry-
As you
Stoically,
Quietly,
Or powerfully,
And painfully
Wept.

I’m so proud-
That when the timing
Was just right for you,
You chose
To finally
Let it all go.
Let go of your pain,
And suffering,
The anger,
And sorrow,
And everything
That no longer
Served you-
And in the same breath
You decided
To step outside of
Your comfort zone.
And you chose
Joy and happiness.
You chose to rise, and
To spread your wings,
In order to grow,
And glow
Into the new,
Courageous,
Powerful and
Radiant
YOU.

Shine your light bright
For the whole wide world
To see-
And to feel.
Choose to
Love yourself
A whole lot more,
And a whole lot better…
Please promise me
You will.
Please offer yourself
Forgiveness,
And allow yourself
More grace-
With even more space
For love, compassion,
And patience…
For doing your best.
For who you are
And where you are-
Right now
At this very moment,
And in this place.
Because-
You and I both know
That this life isn’t easy!
And I just wanted you to know-
That I think you’re doing great!

Keep going!

Tanielle Childers ©️ 11-24-24

Breast Cancer – Grief

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

It’s been a rough stretch-
Mentally.
I draw in a deep breath-
As I feel the clouds
Begin to lift.
This darkness-
Has felt so heavy.
This grieving-
Of who I was before-
Cancer.
And struggling
To accept myself
Unconditionally,
As I am now-
After.
So much was lost,
And I was happy
With who I was.
And I don’t yet see
Anything
That has been gained-
Out of who I have become.
If I’m being honest,
Breast cancer
Has made me feel
Less like a woman,
Weaker as a person,
And so much more
Sadness as a human.
I would not wish this
On anyone.
I have been
Profoundly humbled
By my life journey.
I understand
The fragility of life,
And the importance
Of moments spent
Both happy
And hurting.
I struggle to understand
The purpose behind
All that has been taken-
And I would be lying
If I said
There weren’t moments
Where I have felt
Like I have been
Forsaken.
But I will forge ahead
For my family-
And do my best
To hold my head high.
And I will do so
With as much strength
And hope
As I can find-
Cancer has taken
So much from me-
But I will never
Give it the power
To define-
The rest of my lifetime.

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 9.5.24

F CANCER

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

F it. FIGHT it. FINISH it. FIND a cure.
FIND a way to THRIVE, despite it.
And FORGET it, even if only for a moment.

FOCUS on HEALING and self-care.
And know that it’s okay to FEEL like
your diagnosis isn’t FAIR.

FEEL the big LOVE surrounding you,
And all of the support rallying all around you.

FIND BEAUTY in the quiet moments.
Remember what really matters
and what doesn’t, and then let go of it!

Bid FAREWELL to all
that does not support you healthily.
And do what’s best for you-
both physically and mentally.

FIND JOY in the small things.
Keep FAITH and hope alive.
Don’t sweat that, which you cannot control.
Stop FIGHTING your tears.
Allow them to FLOW, and then let it all go.

FIND and allow FORGIVENESS and grace,
and practice both daily.
Allow yourself time and space
to meditate and pray, FAITHFULLY.

And FEEL your FEELINGS all the way through.
But remember that cancer does not define you.

Give your anger a voice,
and then kill it with kindness.
And give your sadness a huge hug-
Because sadness reminds us-
that we’re only human, going through
an extremely difficult human experience!

FIND your STRENGTH.
FEEL your POWER.
And dig deep for the courage
to battle all the way to the FINISH LINE.
And then FIND, rediscover and recreate
the new you – and your new life…
And I hope you choose to shine.

Stand tall alongside all of the other courageous
warriors, cancer survivors, and thrivers-
Who will continue loving and supporting you,
FIGHTING with, and FOR you-
and cheering you on for the rest of time,
from the sideline.

And honor those who have sadly lost their battle
by living your best life for the rest of your life.

You are more powerful than you know.
And most importantly, YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

F CANCER in every way!

-Tanielle Childers © 4.9.24

The Power of Acceptance

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

…

I’ve grown
To understand-
There is great power
In acceptance.
By surrendering
To your current reality,
You free up
Enormous space & energy.
Stop fighting-
A losing battle.
Choose to rise up,
And light-
A brand new candle.
Open your heart
And your mind
Toward new,
Forward movement,
And opportunities.
This eye-opening
Realization
Will become-
Your blossoming,
Your purpose,
Your new identity.
It’s time to surrender,
And finally let go-
Of your anger,
Bitterness,
And sorrow.
For holding on-
Will only hold off
Tomorrow.
And fighting it
Will only-
Keep you stuck
In your same old,
Broken tracks.
Pray for the courage
To move on-
In faith, and hope
And for new possibilities.
For the time has come-
For you to take
Your power back.

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 3.4.2024

JUST KEEP GOING

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

Life is
An ebb and flow-
Of change
And letting go.
A rearranging-
Of old routines
And goodbyes
From what
You used to know.
And this-
You MUST do
In order to welcome
The new you.
You must
Brace yourself-
To embrace
Your changed life,
To see it all
In a new light-
In preparation
For this new chapter,
And a changing
Of the tides…
And you might find-
That you admire
The stronger you
More than-
You could have
Ever imagined.
I know that’s
A tough realization
To try and fathom…
And that’s not to say-
There won’t be days
Where you miss
The old you,
And what used to be-
See…
We are human,
And we seek comfort
In the familiar.
We love to reminisce
In the days when we-
Remember…
Happiness, bliss,
And laughter.
We wish
We could hold onto
The precious moments
We’ve captured-
With our loved ones
And friends.
But this BIG life change
Isn’t the end.
We must find the courage
To reinvent ourselves
And our lives,
And be willing to let go
Of old familiarities-
For growth happens
When we refuse
To give up so easily.
We must strive
To find and feel
Adventure
And excitement-
In this newness.
Taking in
And feeling grateful for-
Each moment
And everything
We’ve been blessed with.
Change is so-
HARD.
Incredibly hard!
Believe me, I get this.
But if you can
Learn to begin again…
Your end
Can blossom-
Into something beautiful,
Magical and meaningful.
The end
Of one chapter-
Might just be
The beginning
Of a different kind of
Happily ever after…
Just keep going!

-Tanielle Childers ©️ 9-20-23

You Can Overcome Anything

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

Dedicated to my kids … because life is never easy – and not without change. And because I want to make sure I pour my heart out in its entirety while I’m still here….And I want my words to continue speaking to their hearts long after I’m gone. 💛

“You CAN Overcome Anything”

The truth is
You CAN handle
Whatever comes your way-
No matter how big
Or how hard-
The life change.
You don’t handle
Everything all at once-
Or all in one day.
You handle it
In baby steps,
And long, deep breaths.
You handle it-
Moment by moment.
Just make the next
Right decision-
And do your best.
Sometimes-
You handle it-
With tears and talks
And late night texts.
You handle it-
With lots of hugs,
And I love yous.
You handle it-
With naps and walks,
Movies, ice cream,
Self-care, laughing,
Praying and gratitude.
You handle it-
With those
Who have your back-
At every turn.
Just keep going…
Lean into the change-
And always-
Learn.
You handle it-
Little bit by little bit.
And as you begin
To adjust to the changes-
You can gradually
Let go of the heaviness-
Or the overbearing weight of it.
And even if you never
Fully get over it-
You CAN get through it.
You ARE strong enough.
You ARE capable.
And I believe-
With all of my heart-
That you CAN do it.
I love you-
With everything
That I am-
And for as long
As I am able to…
I promise
To hold your heart-
And love you
Through it-
No matter what.
You are capable
And strong enough-
To get through-
And overcome
The hard stuff.

Love always and forever,

Mom

I Am 1 in 8

Poetry by Tanielle Childers, Uncategorized

Breast Cancer
I am 1 in 8.
Blinded by the diagnosis,
and still coming to terms
with accepting this
as my fate.

I could ask, “Why me?”,
and go to a sad,
dark place quite easily.
But that is a question-
that will never
be answered.
And staying there
would rob me
of my power-
Indefinitely.

Instead-
I choose positivity.
I choose hope.
I choose faith.
I choose humor.
I choose to find the things
that make me feel happy,
rather than focus only
on all the difficulty.
I choose gratitude.
And I choose my attitude.
Daily. And intentionally.

Breast Cancer treatment-
is a BIG mountain to climb.
A giant obstacle-
directly in front of me.
And I am facing it head on,
and riding the waves of change,
and the side effects
of every treatment
with as much grace
as I can, to the best
of my ability.
Overcoming this-
And sharing my story
and my journey
along the way-
is part of my life destiny.
And I believe that
wholeheartedly.

Breast Cancer-
Why me?
I will never know
the reason.
And I will never ask.
This is my life test,
and I’ve been
called to task.
I am 1 in 8.
And I will overcome.
I will do my best
to keep my chin up
through this adversity,
and my battle
WILL be won.

Breast Cancer
affects so many.
It’s shocking
when you’re
in the thick of it.
Giant hugs and honor
to all who have been
impacted –
by this enormity.
I stand among the
countless women
who have been down
this road before me.
And I look forward
to standing with them
at the finish line,
as a survivor
with a story.

How Great Is Our God

Poetry by Tanielle Childers, Uncategorized

This was written the day my chemo port was placed, and the night before my very first chemo treatment. I was terrified of all of the unknowns. I leaned into God at every scary turn and it was everything I needed and more – to get me through it. May this poem find those who need it and offer up all of the same to you in your time of need or for someone you love! Love, light and giant hugs to all going through their own life battles right now. May we become beacons of light in the eye of the storm we’re in, to give hope to all those who follow a similar life journey! 💗💗💗

Laughter is the best medicine – so don’t forget to laugh as often as possible to get those endorphins coming your way. Stay strong!

God’s grace-
is a glorious place.
A prayerful,
and meditative state-
filled with peace,
unconditional love,
and safe keeping.
Releasing,
And unleashing me
from all that burdens
my weary,
and tethered mind-
to fearful,
and unkind thoughts-
that slowly rise up
to the tip top.
Becoming louder
And more prominent,
and dominant
than my faith.
I pause in reflection-
And feel God beckon
me back-
to trust in Him
completely.
To not fear this road
I see in front of me.
But to believe in Him,
And to seek the beauty,
amongst the rubble
He has lovingly
bestowed upon me.
I must always retrace
my steps-
back to the quiet,
prayerful space-
when I feel lost-
And He will come
to greet me,
and I must lean in
with everything I am-
to learn every lesson
He is teaching me.
I feel renewed
by the power of faith
He has restored within me.
He refuses
to give up on me.
God’s grace
is everything.
Even through
all of these life trials,
and tribulations-
I am humbled and blessed
by the outpouring
of God’s greatest kindnesses,
and I am wholeheartedly,
and profoundly gracious.
I will do my very best
to remain steadfast,
and courageous-
in the face of-
my greatest challenges.
God’s grace-
Is the most glorious,
and peaceful place.
Where my tears
of gratitude
stream freely.
Where my heart
is overcome
by His eternal,
and everlasting
love for me.
God’s grace
never ceases-
to amaze me.
His amazing grace
always finds me
in the dark,
and reaches out
with his undying love-
to once again save me…

How great is our God!

I Choose Faith Over Fear

Poetry by Tanielle Childers

Life’s most precious moments-
are fleeting.
My heart is alive and well,
and still beating.

I’ve been busy living every minute-
to the fullest.
In the quiet moments,
I am grieving.
But in the face of it all,
I remain upright and stoic.

I may crumble in the dark-
but God brings me right back
to His light.
I may get angry at the journey
that lies in front of me.
But God is holding my hand tight.

I didn’t ask for this,
and I’d rather not have to do it.
But God brought me to this-
and He will bring me through it.

I choose to set my sights
on every silver lining
that lies before me.
I choose faith over fear,
and I hold onto hope
with all the courage I have-
even while I am mourning.

I believe wholeheartedly
that our life journey
is for a reason.
We may not understand
our hardships or life difficulties-
but we must remain steadfast,
trust in Him and keep believing.

I will give my all-
to be a beacon of bright light
for all who may go down
a similar life journey.
This isn’t me going into battle.
This is me going through some
tough-ass moments, letting go,
big personal growth,
and so much learning.

Cancer does not,
and will not ever define me.
I will rise and face the music
directly in front of me,
bask in God’s healing light,
and breathe in peace,
as I begin the painful process of
leaving this cancer behind me.