As a human being I am passionate about life and all living creatures. I don’t watch the news. It saddens me. Some wars we will never win, it’s the harsh realities of life. At the end of the day, we all stand for something. Being closed off from negativity that doesn’t serve a purpose for my soul is the way I protect my spirit. Many times it’s the way I cope with any hurt or adversity I face. My closest friends know this about me and never push.
We seem to know more about celebrities lives than we do about our planet, our family members and/or our neighbors. We seem to care more about the value of a dollar than we do about humanity as a whole- on the real, I love money. It smells so good, although I am beyond cognizant that the core importance in life cannot be bought. Not friendships, not a close knit family, not love, not loyalty, not time and certainly not life.
I don’t know if my “radio silent” copping mechanism is really the best way (for others) to get to a positive place, but it works for me. I know when I need a time out.
As we all go through struggles, learning curves and wins in life- remember your journey. It builds you, your character. I am not perfect -never portray myself to be, but one thing is for sure, I do my best to be a decent human being. Many times I fall short- many times I exceed my expectations. At the end of the day we all have a choice about how we want to live.
I hope that who ever reads this, takes time to self evaluate, recognize your manageable flaws, do things in life that you’ll never regret, find your peace and happiness, but most of all, I hope that if you ever see any type of injustice, don’t be an observer. Stand for what’s right, believe in something greater and it’s ok not to know what that is. Knowing takes work. It takes rewiring your brain to put yourself first in an effort to build your confidence, to balance out the good with the bad. It takes years of repetition to refine yourself to your personal satisfaction. We all are in this labyrinth together. Some of us will excel in life and some of us will be content with living at a comfortable pace. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s what you want. Don’t judge people for their short comings or errors, those are their lessons, at the same time be cautious of the company you keep.
Keep your heart open, no matter what you’ve been through, the truth is, love is the reward of living. You are your own composer. Be grateful, don’t take any thing for granted – one day you’re going too look back and realize those “failures” built your solid foundation. Don’t litter and don’t waste food. (Lol)
Forgive, love, live and don’t cut yourself short~ Yolo

“You are the light- what you seek is fire”~
Sparked

Dear Beloved One,

Thank you for all you’ve done
To keep me here above the grave.
Even when sweet death you craved.
You proved stronger than they thought,
All who left you in a spot.
They gave up long ago,
But your heart they didn’t know.

Inside you burns a fire,
Always blazing as others tire.
It fights all the hellhounds
Trying to run you to the ground.
And when the light dims and wanes
You feed it with great pains.

The sorrow that grew inside your soul,
The depression that kept you in a hole
Were no match for your mighty spirit.
Brave you fought, ‘though you feared it.
Exhausted, you still stay awake
To vanquish the demons in your wake.

How hard you worked and toiled
To get your gears well oiled
For defense against each coming night,
To expose the ghosts in hidden sight.
So, you slipped back several times.
You’ve paid dues for all your crimes.

Let go of guilt nagging you.
You did all that you could do.
You saved yourself, but not them all.
Too quickly did some fall.
No one blames you for your survival.
We can only launch our own revival.

They may stay blind, but I see
Your fervent efforts and tenacity.
You’ve labored to the barest bones
To survive and find much brighter tones.
After every stumble, you rise anew.
For this, again, I thank you.

Sincerely,

You and me

Thank you for not giving up. I know for many of you readers saying thank you to yourself is easy. Stay with me and read a brief snippet of my so-called life, and then you decide if I deserve to be thanking myself. At some point in time, everyone feels as though the deck of cards is stacked against them. Today’s story is from a defining moment at the age of 12. Only after finding out from a relative that my life as I knew it was a lie. I am the middle of three kids, yet I had a different dad. I had 12 years of lies to sort through, so naturally, my first reaction was to run away from home. Only 10 blocks away, to at the time, a person I thought would be a lifelong friend. At 12 years old, I did not understand the concept of medication and what is necessary to overdose. I tried to take a handful of my antidepressants, which I was on because of the mental illness that plagues my family. Only to open my eyes a few hours later. Laying upon the outdated, hard yet carpeted floor of my best friend’s bedroom. My head felt like someone took a sledgehammer to a raw egg. The haze and the cloudy vision was a bonus. I thought about my mom and how hard it must have been to keep that secret all those years. After throwing my preteen melodramatic fit, I returned home after a week. Now, keep in mind my mom knew where I was the entire time. The best way to understand something is to ask questions. Unfortunately, the only answers I got were that it was for your own good; he is a drug addict and was not fit to raise a kid. I had to give my mom the benefit of the doubt. Mainly because unable to confirm any of the information with the person known to me as a face on a picture. I had to believe that what my mom was telling me was the truth. My thank you to myself stems from these events in my preteen years. Thank you for not giving up on believing in yourself. Despite everyone who was supposed to be there for you, have been lying to you your entire life. Thank you for not letting the lies of your childhood keep you from being extraordinary. Thank you for looking past the lies from your mother and forgiving her. Thank you for not giving up then or ever again. Thank you for not letting the biggest lie of your childhood dictate your future.

Breathe, Corazon. You lived. Covered in bruises, scratches, tears and blood. The mirror may not recognize your swollen face, but I do. Your scrambled thoughts still scream an echo of days and nights of sleepless horrors, cold stares, inhuman screams from human lips, and unfeeling souls. Turn down the noise. You lived. You crawled on hands and knees in innumerable pairs of clothes, countless phones in your hands to call for help before they were shattered, and handfuls of long hair ripped out on your way to nondescript cars trying to flee…and you did. You lived. Forgive yourself for going back, for leaving again, for climbing out of hell only to go back. This life would be empty without you, so I thank you for putting that bottle of pills and alcohol down. I thank you for doing what you needed to do to make yourself stronger to survive in world that values insignificant skills that mean nothing on freezing nights and to starving bellies. Thank you for living on the days when the darkness would have you drain the blood from your veins, or swallow a bullet. Thank you for battling the wave of nightmarish memories that rage to rip you from the dull monotony and out of the lives of people who tell you to “just smile”. Thank you Corazon. Because without you I could not survive. Thank you beautiful soul…

Ninety nine bottles of torture on the fall
I pick one up
Pass another round

Again darkness rides
I twinkle, glow n shine

Delicate soul, fragile heart
Shattered bones, creating art

Chewed up, spat out
Bread crumbs
I find my way about

For no one knows the ache that resides
A beautiful cover as assigned

Sealed with wishes
Thank you for your stitches

The torture of ninety nine bottles
Hello Role Model
Kisses

Dear Lyndsey,

I know it hasn’t been easy for you! Life has been far from simple—a rollercoaster that began when you turned 18. You were a child having a child, and your emotions were all over the place. Do you remember your senior year at a private Catholic high school? People would walk down the hall, whispering, staring, and spreading hateful rumors. You shed so many tears as you laid your lonely head down at night.

The father of your unborn child was in the Navy, stationed four hours away in Virginia Beach. You felt so alone in Laurel, Maryland, going through this life-changing pregnancy by yourself. Yes, you had your parents, but it wasn’t the same. You could see the disappointment in their eyes. You understood their feelings, but you still felt like an isolated planet in the sky. The future looked different for you; you had to give up your dreams of attending college in North Carolina or Virginia.

Then, something wonderful happened in the middle of your pregnancy: you fell in love with the idea of being a mom. Despite your fears, that love only grew. When you had your baby girl, the gleam in your eyes shone bright, and your smile lit up the room. I was so proud of you. At just eighteen, you were taking on the world of motherhood, and you were so brave.

This would not be the only time in your life that you showed bravery. You loved being a mom and a wife. You married your child’s father, but sadly, he ended up cheating on you and hurting you both physically and emotionally. You endured that for two years, but then you found the courage to leave.

For many years, you struggled with love. Through failed marriages, heartbreaks, and financial challenges, your inner strength emerged. What did you do with the lessons from those heartbreaks? Let me remind you! You wrote a poem about domestic violence and launched it on a domestic violence resource help page, where other women shared their stories and where resources were available for help. This powerful poem was read at many open mics, published, and spread around colleges to raise awareness for domestic violence.

Amid all the chaos in your life, you brought three beautiful children into the world, and they are successful in both academics and life! Even when faced with instability in your romantic life, being a mother always came first. You built a strong career in education, tirelessly giving back as an educator for special needs students. You are driven by faith, perseverance, strength, and courage.

You never stopped believing in love and the goodness of humanity. Now, at 45 years old, you own your own home, providing a safe space for you and your kids. You are facing yet another battle on your own, but guess what? The world can’t knock you down. You prioritized your mental health by seeking therapy, rediscovered who you are, and became your biggest advocate. You are stronger than ever.

Also, congratulations on your second book! You are an amazing warrior, and I can’t wait to see how this new chapter in your life unfolds!

With admiration,

Dear Anita,

You have overcome so many obstacles in your life, and for that, I am deeply proud of you. You faced relentless bullying throughout school, endured the pain of sexual abuse, and battled through mental health challenges that could have broken you. Yet, through it all, you kept pushing forward.

You’ve had to learn how to love yourself, to heal from wounds that ran deep, all while being a devoted mother to an autistic child who depends on your strength and love. And you did it—you continue to do it every day.

You’ve fallen down more times than you can count, but you always get back up. You’ve faced struggles head-on, often carrying the weight on your own, all while raising two incredible children. As a full-time worker in the demanding and stressful environment of a prison, you’ve shown resilience and perseverance that few could match.

Anita, you are an inspiration to so many women who feel misunderstood, unappreciated, or unseen. You’ve been called ugly and torn down by others your whole life, yet you didn’t let their words define you. You’ve been picked on for learning differently, for navigating life with your own autism, ADHD, and other challenges. But you didn’t give up. You didn’t let their words continue to break you.

Despite the pain, you smile—even when you feel like crying. You have trusted in God to carry you through, and that faith has given you strength to stand tall in the face of adversity. Your story is proof that even when the world tries to dim your light, you can still shine brightly.

Never forget how far you’ve come, how much you’ve accomplished, and how many lives you’ve touched. You are powerful, resilient, and beautiful inside and out. Your journey is a beacon of hope and strength for others who are fighting their own battles.

With love and pride,
Anita

Today, I will give myself the gift of forgetting.
It will be like a waterfall cascading over me, cleansing me, curing me.
It will be like my mother’s arms cradling me, calming me, curing me.
I will cherish and protect it the way I want to be
cherished
and protected.
And when I find myself crying over things I cannot change,
I will remember that today
I gave myself a gift.

Heartfelt Thank you for..
C- Commitment to your purpose
C-Commitment to your faith
C-Commitment to never giving up
Heartfelt thank you for…
H-Honor, keeping self respect
H-Humility to know you have value, without walking on others.
Heartfelt thank you for…
A-Ambition and
A-Aspiring to be better everyday
Heartfelt thank you for…
R-Respect
R-Responsible to care for others.
Heartfelt thank you for…
M-Morals you were taught
M-Me, I am always trying to be, true to be
Heartfelt thank you for…
A-Always being true to self
And what is important to you
Heartfelt thank you for…
I-Interity- Installed and displayed
Heartfelt thank you for…
N-Necessary new beginnings to grow
Heartfelt thanks for…
E-Excellence you apply to everything you do

Heartfelt thanks to you, CHARMAINE!!!

Thank you for being true to yourself and not allowing anyone to push you around anymore. I appreciate your courage in being vulnerable again after experiencing hurt from family, friends, and even a toxic significant other. Thank you for choosing yourself in situations that could jeopardize your mental health once more.

Thank you for accepting your flaws and embracing your unique qualities. You have made the little girl inside you proud today because no one else could ever fully understand what you have gone through.

Thank you for loving your inner beauty and not worrying about what others think. I admire how you hold onto your childhood memories while letting go of the pain associated with who you used to be. Thank you for breaking free from your parents’ control over your life and for recognizing that you are not obligated to maintain relationships with people you don’t get along with, especially your brother.

Thank you for following your heart and pursuing your dreams without letting anyone else ruin them. Life is too short not to be thankful for yourself, so always remember to be grateful.

Waiting
I waited.
I waited for months.
I waited for the return.
I waited for man that left.
I waited for the dream we talked about.
I waited.

You ran.
You ran instantly.
You ran when the first sign was red.
You ran when everything just became too much.
You ran when all I wanted was you to be you.
You ran.

I waited and served us.
You ran and served yourself.
I waited to find out I was right for waiting.
You ran, knowing you were right because I waited.
You and I are not the same.

A special thank you
A sub thanks to my mom as
A consequence of Saibree A.K.A SERMON,

You graciously accept what you need in the moment, knowing it will yield great rewards down the line. Thank you for your commitment to growth – for wanting to be a better writer, acknowledging areas for improvement, and applying feedback to become stronger, recognizing that creativity is an imperfect process.

Thank you for persevering even when you felt like giving up. Thank you for affirming yourself when others denied you. Thank you for refusing to surrender what you created, even when others claimed it as their own. Thank you for pressing on, undeterred by the calls to stop.

Despite the risk of looking foolish, you’re always eager to try new things, driven by the hope of a positive outcome and the affirmation of compliments. You find joy in appreciating the beauty in both men and women, taking delight in the beauty that is reflected back to you.