FACING FEAR FINDING HOPE: Inspirational Vignettes of Courage and Resilience

By Candice McCain

A poignant memoir that chronicles Candice McCain's courageous battle, her profound experiences of loss and grief, and the remarkable journey she took towards self-discovery and healing. Through the highs and lows of her trials and tribulations, Candice offers heartfelt reflections on the power of love, th

• Language: English
• Publisher: Book Writing Studios
• Release date: May 1, 2024
• ISBN: 9781962244411

Book preview

Preface

Thank you for deciding to let me share my experiences with you!

My short stories are about seven very challenging years of my life, what happened, and how I came through these with spiritual guidance and support. What is most astonishing about my story is that never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine I would be able to get through what was awaiting me.

I decided to share these with you because someone told me that writing is healing. I know that many of you will be able to identify with not every story written here, but I am certain that there will be many relatable experiences because this book is about life and, most of all, hope.

It is not a religious book nor a totally spiritual one. It’s about my spiritual journey, along with informative information that I hope will help some of my readers.

My hope is that you will find it resonates with you in a way that is healing.

Blessings to you all! - Candice McCain.

From Darkness to Light

Encounter With God, a Higher Power, or an Angel

I lived in darkness, feeling separated from the world. Looking out my window, I saw people carrying on with life while it passed me by. It was as though I was living in a different universe, disconnected from life itself. I was the Walking Dead.

Fortunately, all of this would change. In the late afternoon of May 9, 2010, I was lying in bed, going out of my mind. Loneliness and self-pity engulfed me. I don’t know why, but I picked up the phone in desperation and called an old friend. I can’t recollect what I told him other than I was drinking, and I didn’t know how to stop. He replied, "Candice, I’m picking you up and taking you to AA." I had no idea he was in AA. After my meeting, he turned to me and said, "Do you believe in God?" And in that moment, I knew the miracle that day was God’s grace.

At that moment, it seemed obvious that something greater than myself helped me, so I replied, "Yes, I believe in God." After living in darkness for so long, I realized I must cultivate my faith in order to remain hopeful.

This was the beginning of my journey into the light.

How I reached this point is complicated. For now, I will say that my life was very stressful and unmanageable. I started drinking in my late thirties, but only on occasion. My daily drinking didn’t begin until my mid-forties. I was working hard when all of a sudden, my hands seized up, and I couldn’t move my neck without excruciating pain. The pain went down my brachial plexus and down my left arm. I couldn’t lift a fork!

What was easy to do before was no longer, and I needed help just to dress myself and do the activities of day-to-day living. This carried on for ten months while I attended physiotherapy, which did not work.

I didn’t know how I would cope. I felt purposeless, and this was unacceptable to me. My life was mostly defined by what I could produce, so I felt worthless.

Then, I decided I needed to escape my physical and emotional pain, so I turned to alcohol. I would drink wine and go to bed. That is until I was given the gift of sobriety. My neck slowly started to heal after another physiotherapist told me to just breathe. Specifically, I began guided meditations for relaxation and downloaded a breathing app that I practiced religiously. Finally, I had some relief, but I had to limit many of the movements and activities that I once enjoyed.

Then came AA. When I first