What if a simple conversation with a stranger changes the course of your life?
For about a week now, I've been meaning to write about how a simple conversation with a stranger set me on a path of publishing books.
After a long season of postpartum depression, I made myself join a book club. I knew for me to heal, I needed to be around people.
I started my life anew, hunkered down with my kids, and didn’t have any close friends nearby, so I was simmering in my own cycle of self-pity.
The Mother
I always felt my mother was more of a mother to another.
So in my childhood household, I became the mother.
A Moment to Breathe
I want to run but there’s nowhere to flee.
I’m stuck somewhere between who I was and who I should be.
I see the path so clearly—
Wedding Day
“Every couple has special days they hold onto and remember. For me, February 11th will not only be remembered as the day we were to say ‘I do,’ but as the day I killed the love of my life.”
—Knock-Knock—
“Ahem, Yeah. Who is it?” Billie asked, clearing her throat.
In Element
The crunch of heels trekking through the towering trees.
Distant echoes of hikers chattering on the whim.
The easing whisper of the wind.
Becoming Someone New Is Just As Painful As It Is Joyful
I’ve spent 5 years being a stay-at-home mom, and I’m just now settling into this version of myself. I’ve been riddled with overwhelming emotions over losing the pre-child version of me, while also being filled with so much gratitude over growing my family. It’s such a conflicting feeling. For a bit, I felt so enlightened and joyous about being a mother. But when the dust settled, I noticed there was sorrow.
Meet Cute, Maybe?
In all my 32 years of living, I’ve never wanted to curse at momma as bad as I do now. I should’ve known she was up to something when she barged into my room, demanding I be the one to pick up the order for her book club’s luncheon. Honestly, it being seafood should’ve been the dead giveaway, but who can deny a request from Celestine Haris? Not me, apparently.
Just fine.
This body birthed bodies,
make him lay out like I done caught a body,
and still,
I say this body is
‘just fine.’
My Immortal Fated Mate
“I feel no shame for being the woman I am… but I’d be lying if I said there weren’t moments where I hoped I was a bit softer. Moments like now, if I’m being honest. But I can’t be that for you. This cannot be.”
“So you will condemn me because of your cowardice?”
Self-Check-In
When the clock stops ticking,
what secrets will haunt the depths of your soul?
I Brewed a Bath Tea to Soak Away Stress and Tension Because I’m a Whimsical Bad Bitch
I was listening to this humorous romantasy novel, I Accidentally Hired a Shadow Walker by Jessica Cage, that I had a come-to-Jesus moment with myself about my lack of self-care. In this book, the main character, Jericha Brown, is a boss with a capital B. She runs a successful business in a male-dominated, competitive industry, and she not only finds time to soak in her tub regularly but also rolls around in her garden daily. I mean, she’s just a whimsical bad bitch all around.
So, I said to myself:
You know what, I’m a whimsical bad bitch, too. So why the hell am I not soaking in my tub and rolling in my garden every day? Get it together, girl!
I Thought When I Buried My Mother, I Buried the Secrets and Pain With her, but It Was Just the Beginning of My Villain Era
The most humbling moment for me was realizing I was broken and had been broken for a long time. I had just been masking through life, unintentionally hurting those around me because I was unhealed and traumatized.
