Page 68 - Demo

68www.i-am-magazine.comA prayer answered. When I was thirteen, myparents divorced. This was an answered prayer anda true turning point in my life. A month or sobefore the divorce, I remember crying and prayingto God that I could not take it anymore. I thoughtof calling my aunt in California to ask if I couldcome live with her. I did not want to leave mymother and sister, but I could no longer stay inthat environment. By this time in their marriage,my mother was living in her dream house, a minimansion Victorian home. My parents had moreadditional cars and property, but there was nopeace. One day, my father told my mother hewanted a divorce. I remember my father wasn'thome when my mom called my sister and me intotheir bedroom. We sat on the floor, and my momsat in her favorite chair; she began to tell us theywere getting a divorce. The three of us sat insilence. ~Jewel L. HowardBorn and raised in Chicago, Illinois, by a single mother with a 6thgrade education, we mostly survived on government assistance. Ihadfivesistersandabrother, who was theoldest. Wehadtwoolderbrothers who passed during their childhood due to illnesses beforemy birth. We grew up in the inner city, where neighborhood gangswere the norm. Gang members were territorial and would protecttheirneighborhoods from rivalgang members. We wouldsometimeswitnessdrugdeals infrontofourapartmentbuilding. However, theynever bothered us as we went to school and came home from workatnight. My sisters were associated withsome of them.They wouldlook out for us even when we weren't aware. We weren't allowed towander the neighborhood because it wasn't safe. Although mymother remarried during my childhood, her husband, who was thefather of my two youngest sisters, was never a positive influence orpresence in my life. The trauma of witnessing domestic violencetowards my motherby my stepfather tookatollon measachildandteenager. ~Cecelia MyersI%u2019m smiling, so that means I%u2019m happy%u2026.. Right? I%u2019m smiling sothat you feel more comfortable and at ease. You already havea lot on your plate, and I%u2019m not nearly as important as thislife-altering situation! I won%u2019t add to our problems, so I%u2019ll stayout of the way and not take up too much space. I%u2019ll always bethere when you need me. We could die tomorrow, so I have tomake sure you feel comfortable today. It%u2019s my job to makeyour load lighter. I have to show you that it%u2019s okay so that youcan be. When I%u2019m feeling dismissed, it%u2019s only because you aregoing through so much, it%u2019s okay%u2026%u2026.. Really, it%u2019s OK. Theseare some of the private thoughts of a young only-childdaughter, born to a single mother, learning to survive multiplebouts of breast cancer, with the first occurrence at thetender age of 27. Yes, multiple bouts! She was diagnosed withcancer a total of three times over 30 years, and she foughtwith her everything every single time! ~LaMoniqueOur Journey From Girls to Women was releasedon December 15, 2024, and became a #1Amazon Best Seller. Join us in celebrating thecourage and vulnerability of women who havedared to share their voices, lighting the way forothers to discover the beauty in their ownjourney. Available on Amazon in E-book, Paper,and Hard Cover format.Visit www.paprovipublishing.com and let ushelp you take your story from a %u201cthought toa realization!