Barefoot Beach Girl at Heart: Healing, Calm, and Starting Over from Home

Starting over in your 50s or 60s might feel scary, but it’s far from impossible. In this post, I’m sharing my real-life story, not a highlight reel, but the truth about pain, healing, calm, and the deep strength it takes to rebuild life after trauma. If you’ve ever felt like it’s “too late” to change your life, this one’s for you.

Barefoot, Real, & Determined

Hi, yes, I’m Kat, barefoot beach girl at heart, Midwest mama and grandma in reality, and someone who’s lived through more than my share of crap. Some of my own making, and some there was nothing I could have done anything about. Yet, here I am, building something meaningful from home, one calm, honest step at a time as I’m starting over from home. Not because it’s easy, but because it was necessary.

I Wasn’t Just a Kid, I Was a Survivor in Training!

From 11 to 17, I didn’t get much of a childhood, well, not one that would be considered normal anyway. What I did get a lot of was hard labor, fear, criticism, and a crash course in surviving trauma. Emotional, physical, verbal, and sexual abuse shaped much of those years.

We married my stepfather, and he owned a horse boarding stable that was home to about 40 horses. Horses! Every kid’s dream!! But every coin has two sides. I love horses and I was growing up learning to ride well enough to show in English and Western events, train horses to be ridden in each, and also in jumping events (which was my favorite), oh, I also gave riding lessons to some of their owners and the younger kids too. Yes, I was still only a teen myself, but I had to pay for my own horse, all my riding gear, and most anything else I wanted or needed, and yes, I had jobs, as in plural.

On the other side of that coin, the job I didn’t get paid for. I worked like a grown man from a young age, lifting what I shouldn’t have and carrying the weight of things no child should ever physically or emotionally. I was a hired hand without pay. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my parents; they just had issues of their own. I was slave labor, the whipping post, and some things much worse. But on the positive side, it kept my younger sister safe.

Here’s the thing: even through all that pain, I’ve stayed kind and real, and somehow, somewhere in that chaos, I found my voice, even if I didn’t get to use it out loud yet. Goodness knows, as my rebel self, I tried.  As you can imagine, that didn’t go over very well.

Healing from Trauma

Pain, a Lifelong Companion

In my mid-30s, a ruptured disc changed everything. I didn’t know then that I already had multiple damaged discs from years of abuse and physical strain. This new injury brought with it a condition with no name, where my body jerks uncontrollably, a nervous system glitch, it seems. I’ve learned to manage daily, unless I get overly stressed or upset.

Calm is not just a vibe for me, it’s a way of life! I’ve trained myself to stay centered because it’s how I survive. Staying calm literally keeps my body from ‘spazzing out’, the term my kids and I gave it when it first started. Oh, and that level-headedness? It’s saved my life way more than once, especially during the final round of abuse in my mid-50s.

The Beach Is My Heart and Soul’s Home

I’ve lived most of my life in the Midwest, where the winters can be long, bitter cold, and gray; my soul has always belonged to the warm sandy beaches. In my late teens, when I was sent to live with my dad, where I spent most of my time near the ocean or on the beach, it definitely made an impression deep in my heart and soul.  The sunshine, freedom, salty air, and sounds of the waves that never rush but never stop became a part of me.

I brought my beach vibes to the Midwest with me. My beachy daydreams, my collection of seashells from the countless hours spent on the beach, the peace I felt, I carry it all inside and decorate my home both inside and out to create my own little beachy oasis here. When stress or winter hits and the pain gets worse, those warm, beachy vibes become my peaceful guide through it all. I don’t just ‘like’ the beach, I ‘live’ through it.

No, I’m Not Fancy, But I’m Real

My nature is kind, empathetic, down-to-earth, and easy to talk to. Friends tell me that my home feels safe and peaceful; this is not by accident. I created and made it that way.

I don’t do drama, and if asked my opinion, I give the best answer I honestly can and from my heart. This means I will tell the facts with all the tact I can muster, a heart full of kindness, deep breaths of beachy calm, and sometimes, when called for or not, a little bit of sass.

Somehow, I do still have a good sense of humor. No one took that from me, even though it did go quiet for a long while.

Why I Rebuilt After 50

Since getting hurt that last time, working outside the home hasn’t been an option. But my desire to contribute, grow, and provide for myself and my family hasn’t gone anywhere. I’m doing this for me, but also to leave something behind for my sons and granddaughters.

Affiliate marketing is what I’m focusing on because it feels aligned. It’s a way I can work with my voice, my words, my wisdom, not against my body.

And someday? Yes, I’ll write the book (or books) that have been on hold inside. I’ve got journals full of reflections and stories that I plan to share, not to dwell in the pain or the past, but to offer light to others still walking their own path to peace.

This Is Just the Start

This story isn’t tied up in a bow. It’s real and it’s mine. If you’re reading this, maybe some part of it speaks to you, too.

I’m here, building something honest and heart-led. A barefoot beach girl walking forward,  strong, determined, filled with gratitude, and still smiling.

Love & Gratitude,

Kat B ~ barefoot beach girl at heart

 

There’s more to come… more layers, and more real life stories, and more encouragement.

Reach out to me at:  [email protected]

Learn more about my journey in my Blog Pages.

Also, check out My Links page while you’re here.