Tag: Writing

Connecting Generations: A Personal Reflection

Connecting Generations: A Personal Reflection

September 28. 2025

I realized the material I’ve been trying to write, develop, expand upon was the material I used in my creative writing program application. All this time, I’ve been working on what I thought was a series of different projects that all, in actuality, connect back to the original material I started over fourteen years ago. It is a deep-seeded, fully, unexpressed lingering of the thoughts and emotions in my heart and being. 

I’ve always sought a sense of connecting with the generations of my family that were here long before I was even a drop in the bucket. I have a love for food, cooking, traveling, family stories, and comfort in ways that are more soothing than the tightest hug from my granny. 

I spent numerous hours researching components of weaving that tapestry together, unbeknownst to what the bigger picture was I had started creating. It was a moment at a time before I could sincerely recognize the scope of the bigger picture of my spirit.

But in unfolding and discovering the pieces and parts that make me who I am, I’ve stepped into fully embracing the quirks I once thought were shortcomings and inadequacies. The truth of the matter is they are gifts. My hypersensitivity was viewed as a weakness by others who in actuality were too hardened and emotionally detached from the world that my expressiveness was a problem. I learned those were not my people. I was told I was too much by people that couldn’t fully comprehend my energy or the light I carry. 

I love creating: words on a page, food on a plate, candles with intention, a delightful experience in a glass, and even a confectionery treat to comfort a hurting soul. I march to a soundtrack of my own and often tend to wear my independence as a badge of both courage and honor. 

It’s an accolade for when I once was afraid to do things alone, when I expected people to show up for me in the same manner I showed up for them. But I am one of one. My quirks and oddities are what make me a unique being. I guess I know myself and pledge to always honor my own soul.

Until next time…be authentically you!

A Hard Reset: Embracing Change and Connection

A Hard Reset: Embracing Change and Connection

September 1, 2025

I haven’t talked to y’all in a minute…a little over two years. Life has been life-ing in all the ways imaginable.

I for real have struggled with trying to find the right words and being in the mental headspace to actually explore things on the page. I had some emotionally overwhelming moments where I fought through grief, uncertainty, confusion, just trying to figure it all out. I spent time just surviving.

I think more than anything I spent time searching for a connection with a friend, a family member, a coworker… just someone who could really see me as me. I wanted a space where I didn’t have to shrink myself or feel less than. I wanted a space where I didn’t have to pretend to be OK. I wanted a space where me being vulnerable was appreciated. I wanted a space where I felt safe. That’s where the shift took place.

I went inward to design a safe space for me. Like, I sincerely had to spend some time traversing the depths of my own soul, starting with my creativity. I set out on a quest to reclaim my creative energy. I jumped out there in ways beyond my wildest dreams. I started a candle business, went to bartending school, became a brand ambassador for Black owned liquor companies, bartended private events for the mobile bartending company that runs the school I attended, embarked upon a healing and spiritual journey, started having every difficult conversation that I felt was keeping me from being the happiest version of myself, and I did it all afraid and without a safety net. I even begun researching a topic that is significant to me.

September 1st is a hard reset. I checked items off of my to-do list today that had been lingering for over a year. I pressed on and got it done, and am inspired to go the distance. Getting back to the consistency of writing and posting is on my spirit something heavy, so look for an update next week. But most importantly, I reconnected with me. I reconnected with my higher power. I discovered something within that has fostered a space of growth both internally and externally.

I know this is a bit rambly, but it was necessary to get it out. What have the past two years been like for you? Share in the comments.

So…when was the last time?

July 12, 2021

Wow. It’s been a over year since I’ve posted some content. 2020 kicked my ass mentally, emotionally, and physically to the point that I was just over it all. I must’ve hit the reset button at least 50-11 times. It was definitely one of those years that flips everything upside down and forces you to address and acknowledge aspects of your life and self that otherwise would not have been attended to with the care isolation brings.

If I had to define 2020 in two words it would be revelation and transformation. Seeing devastation overtaking so many people at the same time definitely shifted my perspective about what are the most valuable ways I will spend my time. I had a list of frustrations that I wanted to discuss but decided against it because I didn’t feel that the energy served me well. I asked myself what is truly the most important endeavor I needed to embark upon. Turns out, it was healing.

Releasing the emotional weight of past trauma is a daunting task to say the least. Having to confront those raw and bottled emotions, the faultiness of your memory, and questioning your perception of how the situation actually places you in a defensive and vulnerable position. It’s humbling and necessary to truly be able to undo the years of trauma coping versus trauma healing.

One of the milestones I’ve accomplished on this journey of healing was to have a conversation with a close family member about the painful experiences I carried through years of just not knowing how to vocalize my frustrations in a way that was empathetic to the other parties involved. Admitting and understanding unrealistic expectations is not simple and re-calibrating your entire outlook on life through more polished and aware lenses is a process that necessitates time and being kind to yourself.

Another important thing to note is that healing is not linear or singular. It is an ongoing and critical process much like breathing. Healing comes from a concerted effort to do the work, feel the painful emotions, process through how and why, and make peace with the past. Shifting the focus often provides a sense of clarity as well as a chance to grow.

So what’s next? Now it’s time to reconcile the other obstacles that have to be faced in order to continue my journey to personal Zen.