I sometimes visualize “The Barney Bag” when I think of the enemy’s tricks and devices. For those who: 1) May find it bizarre that I know about the Barney bag; 2) Find it bizarre that I parallel the two concepts, and 3) Have no clue what the Barney bag is, follow me. I became an aunt at the age of 5. Although I was older than my nieces and nephews, I had to watch what they liked-and they LOVED Barney. Hence, I’ve seen a lot of episodes and know some of the jams from the show.
Read MoreI’ve been telling y’all for months that I had "a lot" to share. The “a lot” starts here. 2020 approached me with a pandemic and romantic interest. I met a guy through his mom in July 2020. We seemed to click instantly. We became a couple towards the fall of the same year. It was an adjustment in several ways:
My first relationship in the kingdom
My first relationship in over a decade
My first long-distance relationship
Some time ago I wrote a letter to my younger self. Click here to read it. A few years later and I’m officially 35. At 18, I thought 30 was old. When I turned 25, I thought: “30 isn’t that old” but I gave 40 the side-eye, once I turned 35. I’ve decided that 35 is a good age to write forward...
To my future self:
Read MoreTruth moment: I lowkey judged people who lost loved ones but continued to gather like we weren’t in a pandemic. As I write this, my grandmother officially transitioned from Earth about 4 hours ago, and all I can think of is how badly and tightly I want to hug my daddy-as unsafe as it is in a time like this. This was not the first family death that I’ve experienced since the pandemic. Nearly a year ago, I lost an aunt to COVID. I refrained from writing or speaking publically about it because I did not want to be insensitive to my family. But here’s the truth: virtually grieving was hard. Abbreviated gatherings seemed insufficient. But it’s where we are right now.
My introduction was written over three months ago when my grandma died. As of yesterday, my aunt has been deceased for one year. We don’t miss them any less. I come from large families: My mother is 1 of 13, and my father is 1 of 13. So, I have aunties, uncles, and cousins for days and days. Huge families are everything! Family gatherings are too! I’ve missed gathering while forced to grieve during the pandemic. My families are the types to celebrate and show love as units. Watching my aunt’s funeral via Facebook Live intensified my hurt because I was separated from my mom. We were fortunate. Some restrictions were lifted so we could gather in a small crowd when it was time to see my grandmother off. That was enough to be grateful for.
Read MoreMy profession leads people to assume that I’m outgoing. I’m quite the opposite. I’m an INTROVERT to the max. I love reading, writing, good music, art, cozy socks, good food, small circles, and being at peace with my own good vibes and thoughts. Oddly enough, I found that the pandemic was enough to drive even an introvert to socialization.
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