For families all across the world, this holiday season is uniquely special. Many families will join together this year after several holidays spent apart. While gathering safely is an amazing blessing, it may be combined with some unannounced emotions. Loved ones that celebrated with us in 2019 or even 2020 are no longer with us […]
Nine months ago I lost my best friend, my Snoopy, and my sister. I’m going to be very candid today because it still hurts. It took me a moment to realize what today was and even longer to bounce back to myself once I did. For 9 months I’ve been on a journey of hope […]
Today makes six months since my sister passed away. I’m going to try and be as transparent as possible today. This is the longest that I have ever been away from her and the forever part of grief is starting to kick in. Some days I have no idea how I have made it this […]
This is my sister and angel, Kayla. She is the reason Grief + Hope exists. Since this is her birthday month, I wanted to share some facts about Kayla. This is one of my family’s favorite pictures of Kayla because it embodies who she was to the fullest. As much as Kayla loved to look […]
I grieve with and for our black men today… I came from a black man and his heart is broken. George Floyd could’ve been my father, my brother, my boss, my pastor, any of my friends. And that breaks my heart. Yesterday my father left home to go to work and I wasn’t calm or […]
Many people have deemed me a strong person since my sister passed away 3 months ago. I’m eternally grateful that God is preserving me and presenting me with His strength to gracefully grieve. I have to be brutally honest and say there are some days I thank God for that strength and other times I […]
Grief + Hope does not equal sadness This week I missed my sister like crazy! I grieved but I was never sad! At first, I found this strange but then I had to ask myself why does my grieving have to equate to sadness or tears especially if I’m adding hope. I feel someone asking, […]
I almost decided not to post this month because the world has been turned upside down through a pandemic. Then I decided that this month’s blog was more crucial than ever because the world has been turned upside down through a pandemic. It randomly hit me as I opened my computer that the world now […]
Exactly a month ago my only sister, Kayla, went to be with God. And it still doesn’t seem real… In that month I have done the following: Cried; screamed; prayed; went back to work too early while planning her funeral; entertained and comforted too many people; had a panic attack inside her favorite restaurant; buried […]
