I Remember When…

Reminiscent days fill my brain, leaving no room in my gray hard drive for present day thoughts. Life has become so stressful that my mind switches to auto run. You know, the mode of self-defense and survival. The overwhelming flood of everyday stresses triggers the auto reboot switch to pop onto Hemisphere Avenue, located south […]

It Takes a Village

The beating drums, African horns, babies, mamas, grandmas, and great-grandmas surround the circle of life in the woods. A village is a community comprised of a cluster of women and men that fill the cavity to develop and strengthen the young. This is my understanding of family and the extension of… My neighborhood is full […]

Envy-Ferno!

Have you ever felt explosive emotions of abandonment, mixed with misplaced perceptions that a rival has come to destroy your friendship with your good, good, girlfriend? It’s okay if you have. It’s called Jealousy.  The word itself, when spoken loudly can make someone shriek in disagreement and denial, because one doesn’t want to be labeled […]

Wild and Untamed!

Untamed Discoveries — Some movies that didn’t necessary catch my attention when they first appeared on the big screen, have now raised my carefully sculpted eyebrows when I binge watch through my streaming accounts. It’s normally on a Friday or Saturday night, when plans fall by the waist side, either because I was no longer […]

Somebody Prayed for Me!

Each morning that I’m gifted with a new day of life, I jump start my day with a moment of silence, reflection and prayer — just before I settle into my daily routine of drop-offs, pick-ups, and drive-by errands.  As a woman and mother, I find myself praying for the well being of others. I […]

Self Love

Do you love yourself? — I quietly whisper this question to people on the streets, in grocery stores, in retail stores, and most of all, neighbors in my hood. There is often disrespectful exchanges of dialogue between elders and youngins’, because the lack of respect has slowly dissolved with the desire for materials and currency. […]

Ask…You Shall Receive

“Ask and you shall receive” —  As a young girl, these words echoed through my ears while I sat in various educational environments, whether I was receiving a lesson in bible study, or receiving the word from a spiritual leader who was being used as a vessel to spread the word of the Lord. But […]

School Lunch Memories

I remember the daily lunchtime march towards our school’s multi-purpose room that mysteriously transformed everyday into our lunch cafeteria by the stroke of 11:30am. My kindergarten class marched in unison with the first graders in a single formation, as if we were militant soldiers breaking for chow time. In perfect strides, the soles of our […]

Honeysuckle Sensations

Calm and Sweet — A sensory trigger grabbed my attention as I sat peacefully alongside the soccer field. The sun was blazing and smiling upon me, attracting gnats and mosquitos as my body naturally expelled my sweat. I prayed for a breeze to whisk by and dry the beads of moisture off of my inner […]

Are You Happy With the FAT?

Last year, I struggled with the realization that my weight gain was not only taking over my physical health, but my mental health. A year later, I’ve transformed into a blooming butterfly with a significant amount of weight melted off my frame. I have a different pep in my step and smile on my face […]

Self Diagnosis

On a daily basis, or at least weekly, I’m diagnosing myself with some type of mental or physical disorder. Most of the time — okay, all the time, the disorder is in my head, but it’s really hard for someone to convince me that my issues are fictional. Growing up, I remember my sister always […]