“Your Soulmate Expired, And That’s OK” author shares healing journey

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) - Telling stories is the keystone of a journalist. The good and the bad that happens all around the world becomes a script shared by journalists to inform and educate to share and connect the audience.

For many years Sidney A. Alvarez was a reporter in the borderland and around the country. He wrote about events happening in the community. Stories of hardship, joy, and historical moments.

A life-changing event lead to Alvarez taking to writing, not to inform the public or share a story like so many other times in his life, but to document a healing journey.

"Giving a voice to my own story has absolutely helped me heal," said Alvarez. "I recognize this and through my book, Your Soulmate Expired, And That's OK, I realized that not only was I healing but I wanted to offer that opportunity for others".

The book bridges what happens to people when they experience a broken relationship. Divorce, difficult relationships with loved ones, disconnecting with friends or family, and even in the workplace, Alvarez said there is always a way to get through it.

"I was very transparent, very um honest about my messy experiences, you know my story is not comfortable and it's designed not to be comfortable because i want to make sure that people are aware of um challenges that we all face and how we can overcome them," he said.

The book came from a very dark and difficult time in Alvarez' life. As a soul mate was exiting his life, he took to journaling. For those who knew him as the fun, loving public persona, reading the pages of the book revealed another side.

"They're not used to seeing the vulnerability they're not used to seeing, uh, really the downfall that I took and what spurred me to write this book," he shared. "The message is about heartbreak, going through challenges, and then healing."

Alvarez writes that life is messy and talking about it gives people the strength to overcome. He also said it is important to listen when those close to us want to share how they feel or what they are going through.

"What we need to do is listen when you ask somebody, 'how are you doing?' You're gonna give them, you're allowing them the space to truly share what is going on and um truly have a conversation," he said.

In the book Alvarez shares how waking up alone in a hospital bed helped him to see and feel the pain he was in and how it lead to attempting suicide. A rude awakening that he used to eventually heal.

"I took that pain and I channeled it into journaling and that's how the book was born," Alvarez said. "I realized that I wasn't writing for myself, I was writing for others, to help others who may be experiencing these challenges."

The book, part memoir and part self-help guides the reader through their own journey of healing. There are sections in the book for the reader to write down their thoughts and feelings and then ask themselves some tough questions.

"I prompt you for example, I may say how are you going to build your self esteem? Let's write it down together how are you going to learn to forgive yourself?"

Alvarez describes the process within the pages of the book as a therapeutic journey. Where he shares how he walked through chaos and found the light at the end of the road. Leading the reader through their own path to healing. He offers a warning to look out for vampires, a metaphor in his words.

"There are people out in the world that are truly going to absorb all the energy that you have they're energy vampires, so look out for them truly take care of yourself, make sure you know the energy that you're putting out into building a relationship, you're getting it back.

Alvarez reminds the reader that while life is "messy" it is important to always "love yourself, believe in yourself so that you can move forward".