Shan and Tam... Sisters Breaking Barriers

What are your Ashes made of? My ashes consist of failed relationships mixed with pain from the grief of passed loved ones. I have ashes from not knowing why I lost relationships with friends and family members. And even more ashes because of the multiple and complex feelings that resulted from significant life events. Included in these ashes is disappointment about things I wanted to do and expected to happen but which never materialized. I have always believed that inherently I am a good person. However, I have not always done good things. I have made many mistakes since I have been on this earth. So, as much as I have been hurt, I am sure I have caused hurt which means that my ashes also contain guilt, shame and remorse. I can also admit, that in the past, my sense of self-worth was closely tied to many circumstances that I have gone through, and so my ashes also contain periods of uncertainty about whether I was good enough, forgiving enough, generous enough and even, if I was worth

  No one said life would be easy. In fact, we are bombarded daily with trials and circumstances that impact us on varying levels. When I reflect on my journey, I have had to fight for the things that mean the most to me.   I have  had to fight for my family, my relationship, to establish myself in this country, and for my son. I do all of this by being consistent on my knees and petitioning to God.   My undergraduate years were some of the most difficult years of my life. I was working two jobs, in school full-time while being a single parent. My nights were occupied with studying and during the days I would be working or caring for King. It was tough but I kept pushing as I knew I had to complete my studies. I was not only doing this for me but for my son. I posted a particular scripture around the house, in my books and wherever possible I could see, “Jesus looked at them and said, with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible”, Matthew 19:26. This Bible verse

This post is dedicated to Paulette Evadney Jackson, an empress and nature lover, warrior woman, mother, sister, and friend. Your friendship, love, and spirit of determination will reside in my heart forever. This post was a particularly difficult one for me to even begin to write. I knew I needed to revisit some of the deepest and darkest valleys that I had traversed in my life, and the journey to do so seemed really daunting. Thinking about how I came out of those valleys reminded me once again that there are hilltops, even pinnacles of mountains, in our lives to be conquered. For me, I am determinedly climbing. This journey is a continuous one and admittedly, I am excited about the new things that I continue to discover daily about myself and about the people and the things in my life.   I cannot think of many people I know who have not been touched by grief. In fact, we probably have all lost someone or something. Whether it is a child who has lost his or her favouri