Sallie Moffitt

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In My Backyard: Spring-Summer 2024

My mother had a scrapbook documenting her children’s accomplishments, but not one mention of me in the entire book. Whenever I saw that scrapbook, I felt bad about myself.

Find out how I discovered my worth and value. 

Plant of the season: Rock Rose

In My Backyard: Fall-Winter 2023

When my neighbor gave me a sack full of iris rhizomes, I planted them, but they didn’t bloom. I blamed my neighbor, but was it really her fault?  Find out how I stopped playing the blame game. 

Plant of the season: Crepe Myrtle

In My Backyard: Spring-Summer 2023

For years I trudged through life weighted down with an imaginary sack filled with rocks from my failures, mistakes, imperfections, misunderstandings and shame.

Find out how I emptied it.

Plant of the season: Tulips

Faulty Rocks

In My Backyard: Fall-Winter 2022

When I was a young child, I was raped. The fundamental church I attended blamed survivors for the sexual assault.

One summer I wanted to grow sunflowers in a flower bed beside my home. My overwhelming feelings of guilt and shame made me doubt they would grow. Nevertheless, I decided to try.

Plant of the season: Camellias

In My Backyard: Spring-Summer 2022

The religious tract read: “Value others above yourself. Sacrifice your needs for other people.”

For many years, I did just that. My health declined. I became bitter, resentful, angry and depressed. Read my blog post “Careful watering” to find out how I learned to water my soul.

In My Backyard: Fall-Winter 2021

The summer sun blazed down on the bare branches of the hibiscus. The limbs of the normally robust shrub were empty–not a leaf or bloom to be found. Still I refused to give up. I believed it would spring back to life. It just needed more time.

In the past, I used denial as a coping mechanism to survive difficult circumstances. Was I using it again to ignore the unfortunate fate of my plant? How could I tell?
Read my new blog post to learn how I avoided the trap of denial and faced the truth about the shrub.

Plant of the season: Red Oak Tree

In My Backyard: Spring-Summer 2021

Sometimes I find decision-making to be a nerve-racking process. My blog post “Thorns of Imperfection” helped me learn how to stop trying to be perfect and make better decisions.

Plant of the season: The Rose

In My Backyard: Fall-Winter 2020

Sure, I’m grateful my neighbor has a beautiful yard–at least I am now. When I first saw it, I wasn’t happy for him. I felt that green-eyed monster of jealousy rear its ugly head, and I had to do something. Read my new blog post to learn how I dealt with it. Read my blog post to learn more.

Plant of the season: Pecan Tree

In My Backyard: Spring-Summer 2020

Have you ever been told to let go of a problem? To just get over it? To move on? But you can’t seem to do it and don’t know why it keeps bothering you?
 
Sometimes what we think is our problem, isn’t our problem at all. We have a deeper issue bothering us. It’s beneath the surface, buried under our emotions, like a thorn festering under our skin. Until we dig it out and remove it, the problem will remain. Read my new blog post “Tangled Roots” to learn more.
 

Plant of the season: Narcissus Jonquilla

In My Backyard: Winter 2019

Have you ever had a good day spoiled when someone criticizes you, insults you or puts you down? Read my blog post to learn more.

Plant of the season: Winterberry

In My Backyard: Fall 2019

Do you believe in God? As a survivor of child abuse, I am often asked that question. read my blog post to learn my answer.

Plant of the season: American Beautyberry

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