Meet the face
behind the posts

Hi, my name is Dawn, and A Joyful Haven is my little spot on the internet to share some positivity and kindness. The picture on the right is me with my three kiddos. Ali is 22, Josh is 20, and Meghan is 17. This photo was taken in December of 2023 at a local tea room that we try to go every Christmas season. This is a tradition that we started after my husband, their father, died by suicide on December 6th, 2018. 

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See, I decided that I wasn't going to let that sad, tragic and unexpected event make every Christmas season thereafter also feel sad and tragic. I vowed that we weren't going to continue to relive his death over and over. Now, I am not going to say that December 6th and some days around it aren't rough, but as a family, we focus on good things. We focus on the memories that Jeffrey left us with, which is relatively easy since he lived 46 fabulous years. We also remind ourselves that he was a happy and kind man who wouldn't want us to let the sadness linger too long, and he certainly wouldn't want one day or one moment of his life to define him.

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I am on a mission to help others see that they too can find happiness again after difficult situations. Let's face it, life is filled with so many...death, disease, divorce, financial strain. The list goes on. Sometimes you need someone in your corner helping you to focus on the good. I am here!

 

In the process of doing that, I hope to spread as much kindness as possible. As a teacher, I preach kindness every single day at school, and I also model it in as many ways as possible. I am excited to be able to share with my students that I am taking on sharing this wonderful behavior with people far beyond our school.

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Dawn Cole