Letters/Notes: from Shanel

Dear Shanel-

I promise you everything will make sense soon.  I know you are struggling feeling comfortable in your skin.  You hear the voices of those who love you and believe their voices are your own.  They are not.  You are amazing as you are and do not ever need to compromise yourself for others.  Everyone will think they know what is best for you, what you like and what will make you successful.  The truth is, you will make your own happiness that will lead to your own success but only when you have peace within your self.  I am not here to tell you that it will be OK every second, but I am here to tell you during your darkest moments that are ahead, hold true to you and breathe.

Shanel, you will learn that the universe is here to give you what you want.  You must put your energy into the love, peace and happiness that WILL surround you.  Those who try to take your light are NOT your friends, they are NOT your lovers.  If you do not remember this lesson, or wish to let your stubborn ways push you forward into unhappiness and misery, learn a lesson from the situation and DO BETTER with your next decision.  Never keep riding the carousel, you get dizzy and bitter and it thwarts your pursuit of happiness.

Even though your family turned on you when you came out, don’t take it personal.  They had dreams and wishes THEY didn’t fulfill and wanted their dreams to be lived by you.  Does that even make sense?! Realize this and forgive them, but never compromise self again.  You will find family in friends that will help you through your dark times ahead.  Remember those who you do not get along with do NOT need to be in your vibration, blood or other.  You are free.  You can be free.  You can be loved, respected and recognized but only if you allow yourself to be.

I love you Shanel, and learn to love you too...sooner than later. 

Love,

Shanel Sherese

To learn more about Shanel, click HERE!

Letters/Notes: from Maleka Diggs

Dearest Self,

Your name is Maleka Moniece Gilbert. Your first name means, queen. Your middle name means, to advise and your last name means, bright pledge of German lineage. Walk in the power of your name. Never let anyone destroy that light.

Maleka, you were born into poverty and adversity. Your mother, of African descent; has a high school education and birthed you just after she graduated high school. Your father is from St. Vincent & The Grenadines and came to the United States of America as a Military Police Officer for the United States Army. You are the first grand-daughter on your father's side to be born in this country.

As you journey through life, many obstacles will challenge you. Though I cannot change what those surround you do; I can say to be strong and brave. The mental struggle that you will encounter will test every fiber of your being. You will find days that all hope seems lost. You will question everything; but feel stifled due to age, gender, size, race and culture. Do not give up. 

Always follow your instincts. Never feel less than; even in the face of those that see you as such. The understanding of yourself, history and environment will play a pivotal role in your future. The interests, skills and talents you possess will not be common, even deemed weird in the environment in which you live. Do not give up. 

No one has more control over you then yourself. The moment that lesson is lost; your view will become foggy. This does not mean, its over. Learn from every moment and you will shine. Please understand, that everyone on this earth has their own challenges and when you look past the superficial; you are one.

I will not share the stories that have allowed me to craft this letter to you. If I have learned anything; it's that everything happens for a reason. It frustrates me that I have made that decision; but just getting the answers and not the experience will be of no benefit to you. In fact, it is an extreme detriment. Their are no failures; but moments to raise to the occasion.

To conclude this note of awareness would be impossible, so...I will continue my journey and maybe one day you will share your thoughts with the you of our future.

With Love & Admiration,

M

To learn more about Maleka, click HERE!

Letters/Notes: from The Ignant Intellectual [Letter to 16]

Letter to 16

I live in Harlem. I will be 35 in exactly 179 days. I am going to sky-dive on that day. No matter how high my fear factor is, I’m jumping. I have a passport. With stamps. I have friends. Who I love. And who love me. I’m not talking to my mom. My godmother died in September. My grandmother and Nanny Ocy (her older sister) died within 4 hours of each other in 2006. They were room mates in the nursing home. Skippy died two years ago. I have a gut and I struggle staying in shape and eating right. New Orleans drowned. Nothing is the same. Nothing has really changed. I am a full-time entrepreneur. That’s both good and bad. I feel like I have no home. I am scared. Shytless. I don’t feel like I do enough, yet am often exhausted. I think I’ve found my passion. Money is funny. Change is strange. I am single. Very very single. I still have hope. Love encamps me. 

Right now your biggest concern is how to get your mama to buy you those Used Jeans and Tretorns. You want some Girbauds, too. She’s not big on name brands and neither are you, but every now and then, a teenager wants to look like every other teenager walking around. 

I know you wish that boys paid more attention to you and less attention to the ‘fly girls’. If only Everell, Darryl, Armond, Jonas, Isaac, and/or Brandon would notice you, they’d fall in love with you instantly. I wish I could tell you that someone will come along and you both would fall in love instantly, but at 34 and single, I’m wondering how true that is. I can say this, though. All those girls they are chasing behind, will look like shyt in 15 years. Wait until you see Dominique at your 15 year high school reunion. Revel in that shyt. 

But really, over the next 20 years, you’ll realize that you don’t really want boys anyway. CATCH IT! Yes ma’am. You will begin to develop a queer identity and it will shift your life and propel it in some of the most amazing directions. Surely, many won’t like it, but your life isn’t for nobody but you to like. You’ll also realize that all those ‘I don’t really feel like a girl’ feelings you’ve always had, will begin to have a name and its own language. And you will begin to also develop a trans-gender identity. CATCH THAT T!

Your hair will stop growing because it was the one thing people validated you on. You even won ‘Best Hair’ in high school. And you will take that validation and it will result in over-processing and essentially frying your scalp which will scar the skin and for years it won’t grow. 

And you don't know yet, but your grandmother will be the person you miss most in the world when she passes. And while y’all always got along, you’ll wish you had spent more time with her. But it won’t be until she’s gone that you’ll realize just how much alike y’all were. That all those times she defended you in showing your shape off or wearing something kinda scandalous, it was really her way of saying ‘Do not let others police your body.’ ‘And you own you’. But wasn’t all that language back then. She was a maverick too. But like many, you won’t realize that until it’s too late. And it won’t be easy to shake the regret. She’ll visit you in your dreams. But she won’t say anything. She’ll always be in the background. Cleaning up. Or cooking something. Just as a reminder that she’s there with you. And it will be more comforting than her actually being in the foreground. 

Your dreams of being a cardiothoracic surgeon will fade eventually. GASP! Yes. You aren’t going to medical school. Spirit has something else in store for you. You will find that your passions can be found in Social Justice and you will become a Social & Cultural Critic and it will look good on you. 

So walk this road. You will often feel alone. 

Make mistakes. They’ll give you wisdom. 

Fail forward. Learn the difference between sucumbing to fear and engaging fear. 

When you feel the lump well in your throat, that’s God’s way of saying ‘speak’. 

You are doing well.

Sincerely,

The 34 Year Old You

Learn more about The Ignant Intellectual HERE!

Letters/Notes: from Terri Clifton [A Visit To 19]

A Visit to Nineteen

Why are you there, by the window with your chin in your hand, Nineteen?

I watch you, you know. Going through your days. The risks you take, the ones you don't. Letting everyone think you're cocksure even when you don't have a clue. Maybe not the best strategy, but the one you've chosen. It will do for now.

You've found only half your confidence, the part that believes in what you can do, and it makes me wish for some way to show you how to believe in who you are. But scanning forward, I know that life will teach you soon enough.

All the answers you seek are inside you. Outside things—people, events—will trigger your ability to access them. Lessons will be repeated until learned.

I float here, a wisp of future, too insubstantial to leave you with anything except wishes. But there's a deep magic in wishes from the heart, so this I'll do.

I wish you Love. The all pervasive kind that colors everything you look at, especially yourself.  It will break your heart, multiple times. Small breaks, and deep bruises. But never let go.

I wish you Energy and the knowledge that it has to be replenished from within. You produce your own power and it has to be fed. Nourish your body and your mind everyday.

I wish you Passion, which is the combination of the first two. Use it.

I know for a fact these three wishes find you. I'm glad that you cannot see the path you'll take; it would frighten you. Just know you make it.

I'll be watching your tears, your triumphs.  I'll be amazed at your strength and courage, which you'll gift to me. Thank you for all you go through to find them.

And I'll be watching that day when it begins to click, the one where you learn to live in the moment, to know that your happiness is all in your hands and your attitude determines much of your path.

There's a great deal of hard work ahead of you, but you'll manage. You'll build your dreams, one day at at a time. I am that dream, and I am alive.

Keep going, Nineteen. We've more to accomplish yet. I'll do my part.

(I find myself smiling, wondering what our future self is seeing, wishing for me now.)

One last thing before I go, child. Be at peace with the mistakes you'll make; I've already forgiven you. Every step you took brought me here, and I love you for it.

To learn more about Terri click HERE!

Today's Quotes/News: Spotlight on Maiya Andrews

My name is Maiya Vashti Andrews.  I was born with Sickle Cell Disease. Sickle Cell Disease is an inherited blood disorder that is characterized as abnormal blood cells that are rigid and shaped like a sickle; hence the word Sickle Cell disease. There are so many formal medical terms that I could copy off the internet about the disease to define its nature and the pain that it has caused me however this disease does not define who I am.  So let me begin again. My name is Maiya Vashti Andrews. I am an honor roll student; I am the president and a member of the Macedonia Baptist church youth choir as well as a liturgical dancer. I am an active member of the Interact Club and Central Steppers step team at Central Regional High school where I attend school.

When I was much younger, I struggled with keeping up in school because I spent most days in the hospital.  I never had an issue with making friends but I worked very hard to keep them from asking too many questions about why I missed so much school.  I was smaller in stature than most of my peers and I required a lot of tutoring due to missed days of school. I spent many days worrying about whether my peers would think that there was something wrong with me and I was fearful that my peers would think they could “catch” the disease. More often than not I would lie about where I was when had to be hospitalized for days and weeks at a time. Sometimes I would tell peers that I was on vacation or I just did not feel like going to school. I felt ashamed to lie but it was the best I could do to keep kids from asking about the disease that I hated so much. Being a small kid that had to be hospitalized every 3 to 4 weeks can take its toll.

Today, I don’t have to lie to peers about being in the hospital so frequently.  Today, I am blessed to see the inside of a hospital room only once year. I don’t have to worry about going back into the hospital week after week, matter of fact I forget I have sickle cell most of the time. I use to over think things when it came to having sickle cell and by doing that, it held me back from reaching my goals. But now my mom has to actually remind me to make sure I take care of myself to avoid having to go back to the hospital. Typically my current hospitalizations are due to other minor issues unrelated to Sickle Cell. Much of this is due to the chronic blood transfusions that I receive every four weeks.  My life is blessed. I’m blessed in that I don’t think about the earlier part of my life where I struggled in pain all the time.  I can focus on here and now and the future that I feel will be so bright.  I am not defined by this disease that doctors have labeled me with.  I am so much more.  I am Maiya Vashti Andrews, student, dancer, activist, daughter, child of God.

Meet the Womyn: Terri Clifton

Terri Clifton is a writer of fiction and non-fiction and was awarded  a fellowship as 2013 Emerging Professional in Fiction Literature by the DDoA. Her non-fiction book,  A Random Soldier, is a memoir of her son, Chad, who was killed in action in Iraq and fulfills a promise made. She has recently completed her first adult novel and is near completion of a middle grade novel. Her interests include photography, music and time with nature and friends. She is involved with her community, literacy issues, and is the director of a foundation benefiting Veterans. She makes her home on a historic farm at the edge of the Delaware Bay with her son Ryan and husband Richard, an internationally known wildlife artist.

Meet the Womyn: Yarilis Vázquez Guzmán

Yarilis Vázquez Guzmán [west coast liaison] Born in Puerto Rico and raised dually on the island and in Philly, her heritage is mixed with cultural pride, musical diversity, and regional flavor.  She is committed to her arts (Music, Photography & Personal Styling above all), and is an active participant with TMC CA Productions. Raised by a single mom primarily, she learned at an early age what a powerful female looks like.  "My mom is a complete inspiration of the kind of mother I want to be.  Powerful, engaging, an excellent cook, and forever encouraging my individuality & passions.  She always reminded me to live and honor my truth, and always always allow my feelings to be felt.  'Never lose that', she'd say."  

Yarilis lives with her Fiancée, Bre, and their two dogs, Odin & Priscilla.  Passionate about supporting personal truth, she staffs weekend-long workshops that focus on identifying limiting beliefs and replacing them with the empowering truth.  Excited to come on board as the West Coast Liaison for the Sincerely, She Project.

Meet the Womyn: Maleka Diggs

Maleka Diggs [artistic consultant] is a “Business Savvy Artist” who sees the art within our daily lives. Her plethora of experience in non-profit and corporate environments has led Maleka to a life of humanitarianism and entrepreneurship. She is currently the founder and owner of LMP Connections and MoLocs Natural Hair Care and Contributing Partner for PR Radio Station. If that was not enough, she is a homeschooling mother of 2 and currently manages her children’s entrepreneurial endeavors with their organization, entitled Little Hands Preserve Our World.  M, as we affectionately call her, is passionate, creative and determined to bridge gaps and spread positive awareness for global peace.

Meet the Womyn: TS Hawkins

TS Hawkins [founder/curator] is an internationally recognized author, performance poet, actor, wedding officiant and educator. Her publications, Sugar Lumps and Black Eye Blues, Confectionately Yours, Mahogany Nectar, [Lil Blæk Book] All the Long Stories Short and The Hotel Haikus have been well received in print and radio media since 2007. Expanding her writing skill set, Hawkins will release her first book for teens which will debut mid year along with her first children's book. Soon, she will be remounting the Authors Under 30 Book Tour promoting her works. In the near future, Hawkins plans to open a Charter/Boarding School. She is grateful to have traveled to share her work with other talented performers & writers! For more detailed information visit www.tspoetics.com