An Open Letter to the Church Hurt
JourneysMarisha Mathis
The Reality of FOMO
JourneysMarisha Mathislife
Talking to Kids about Loss, Grief, and Death
My Truth About Becoming A Social Worker

Fastward some weeks and kindergarten began. My teacher went around the room to all the students sitting in what is now called “criss-cross-applesauce.” When she got to me, she asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I froze. I didn’t know. She went through some options quickly. “Would you want to be a doctor or lawyer?” I said, “Lawyer.” She went on to the next student. Truth is, I didn't know what a lawyer was or what they did. I just liked how it sounded. I asked my mom about it when I got home. After she explained their role, I was good with it. It was a sudden decision. But, I held on to it as my career choice until my senior year in college: I was going to be a lawyer.

A lot happened after that day in kindergarten. As a college student, I loved everything about criminal justice. However, going to law school didn't seem to fit my life at that time. I decided against it my first semester of my senior year. I graduated from undergrad and accepted a job unrelated to my dream or degree. I stayed there for about two months before I determined  I couldn’t continue that way. I applied for a Master of Social Work program and was accepted. Once accepted, I had a new language to learn. Social work was so different from criminal justice. It was two different mindsets and systems. It was a new world for me. I adjusted and graduated with an MSW in May 2010.

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Christmas... In Case No One Ever Told You

I don’t feel it’s necessary to run down the list of what everyone thinks or feels about Christmas but I’ll mention a few: I know that some people consider Christmas as a pagan holiday. I know that some people don’t celebrate it at all. I know that some people have researched St. Nick and other nifty facts surrounding the holiday. But I also know that some people do not know the meaning of Christmas. I don’t want to take the last fact for granted. So, I dedicate this blog post to sharing the meaning of Christmas.

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