A LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR

My name is Chris Rendino. The roles I’ve played in my 48 years of life are; Daughter, Grand-Daughter, Mom, Step-Mom, Wife, Ex-Wife, Sister, Aunt, Spiritual-Seeker, Little League Coach, Team Mom, Brownie Troop Leader, Business Owner, Domestic Violence Survivor, Housewife, Sponsor and Sponsee. These things do not define who I am, but are my life experiences. I know today that who I am is a Spiritual Being having a Human Experience. That’s not an original concept and if you’ve been seeking answers about life and Spirituality, you’ve heard that saying many times. It was in 2014, that I finally started to understand the meaning of the Human experience versus the Spiritual experience.

The idea behind XMWA! and XMWA.COM came from a place of love and desire to be of service to other’s. I want this page to be a “resource” for people thinking about Spiritualty, Meditation, Healing and Mindfulness. As the XMWA! project moved forward and I had to explained my vision to our marketing team, they said I had to give them an “About Me” page. That was terrifying. I wondered what I would say about myself. Why would readers care to hear about me or what I had to say? I know now, this page is not about me as much as, it’s about the reader relating to the things I talk and write about. How are we the same? We’re the same because if you’re reading this page, chances are, you wonder about some of the same things I did and still do.

My spiritual understanding came from a series events; financial losses, debilitating physical injuries (As a result of Domestic Violence), building and leaving a career, building a family, empty-nesting, experiencing the death of close family members and eventually, facing my own alcoholism. Through these experiences, I’ve come to understand and build a Spiritual connection of my own understanding. I began seeking Spiritual answers in 1994. I had my second son that year and even with a new baby, I was suffering from a constant yearning. I felt homesick all the time, but I was home. What was my purpose? Why was I so sad all the time? Why weren’t my kids, husband and successful restaurant business, enough to make me happy? That was the year I was prescribed my first of many, anti-depressants. I accumulated shelves and shelves of self-help books. I read them cover to cover and over and over, with no relief. I even went back to college to see if that would make me happy and if I still wanted to pursue the dream of becoming a lawyer. During that time, I realized that I didn’t want to go to law school, but I did love college. I enjoyed learning about anything and everything. I liked to read. I liked being in the library, I liked to hear other people’s opinions about things. I could sit in class for hours and never look at the clock. School was an escape for me. An escape from the “big” life I built at a young age (More about that in the Blogs). I searched and sought for twenty plus years before I found the answers I wanted and could accept.

Surprisingly, my answers came from a horrific downward spiral connected to my untreated alcoholism. So many things about my life, up until then, were used as an excuse to drink my way into oblivion. Oblivion was a place I was comfortable. Because while I was there, I didn’t have to feel. The years of seeking answers were exhausting. Not once did I consider that the “Answer” was there waiting for me all along. I just needed to get out of my own way to see, hear and feel it. Luckily, XMWA.com will include a BLOG so there will more time to talk about the challenges I face (That we all face) and how I found the answers to them through a Spiritual connection. Long story short, it was because of these experiences, I decided I can’t be the only one seeking answers. I want to share with you what I’ve learned, how I meditate, where I find ease and comfort, which books have helped me and other places you can go to find the answers you seek. I’m excited to share my healing journey with you and hopefully lead you to a healing path of your own.

Very Truly Yours,