Pain is a special kind of teacher. It comes when you least expect it with a lesson that can change your and possibly another person's life. Pain pulls you in. It can cause you to feel alone and possibly lost with no return. For Caroline, pain was her wound. She felt alone, many times by her own choice and desire to keep her belongings to herself. Those belongings were her thoughts, feelings, passions and fears. What she would give to people, was someone different. "I've spent too much time not being who I really am," she confessed to me. What's unfortunate is that the stress she endured played a toll on her spine. I don't mean that figuratively. From stress and life's circumstances, Caroline had ruptured discs and needed a discectomy. Originally, her spine issues were a problem she avoided, as well as other life matters. But as she taught me, our bodies have a special way of communicating to us and must be heeded.

This pain of hers inspired her to empathize with others and help them heal from pain. She did this as a yoga instructor and gained a deep passion for giving people the gift of being known. "Imagine that you're so alone and you don't know that you need another human? What would make you feel better?" Caroline dropped her ego of being an individual and made her life about creating intentional community. As for her being known, her wonderful puppy, Banjo, has been a new refuge. She hopes to be the person her dog thinks she is; she wants to be authentic. From him, her community and the positive home she's building in herself, Caroline is now experiencing a love she's never felt before.