The teachings of life leave a lasting impression, and impacts who we are, the go-to thoughts we think, and the automatic reactions we have.
Each encounter we have with another person can be a moment to learn something new. Just as we learn, we teach too.
Just as all beings get a chance to renew themselves with the dawn of each new day, so do you. You can start from this moment and decide what direction you want your life to take.
We get to choose the path our life will take. No matter where you are or what you have been through, you can choose what the next moment will be for you. Choose to love yourself and others.
Loving yourself starts with acknowledging that where you are right now is okay. You get to choose to move forward. You get to decide from the very next moment what direction your life will take. Love yourself with the same care you love others; show yourself the same kindness and respect that you give others.
You cannot help anyone else until your fill your own cup first. Nurturing yourself starts with putting yourself on your to-do list. No matter where you are right now, or what your financial situation is, you can still give time to your being. Nurturing yourself is the most healing action you can take for yourself.
Mothers come in so many ways. Mothers are not only those who gave birth to children, but those who are a guiding influence in children’s lives – through adoption, fostering, and in other ways. Each of us, in our way, can embody the spirit of motherhood, no matter our gender.
This debut memoir chronicles a woman’s spiritual exploration and growth as she overcame a disturbing childhood and helped others heal.
Brought to America from the Dominican Republic as a youngster, Molina-Marshall should have led a happy life. Her father was a diligent worker, and his large family wanted for nothing. But the author recounts that her dad had a drinking problem and was a serial philanderer. Molina-Marshall’s long-suffering mother left him for a woman. Then it was all downhill for the bright, 12-year-old girl, who was shuttled between foster care and relatives. According to the author, she was sexually abused by the husband of one of her siblings. This resulted in Molina-Marshall becoming alienated and moody. By 15, she simply tried to survive. In her favor were grit and a restless intelligence. She quit school, rented a room, and found a factory job. Time went by, and for a while she was happily married. Yet when her husband left her, her life truly began. She turned to religion for answers but decided that blaming God for her woes was a cop-out.
In this absorbing and moving memoir, Molina-Marshall’s vivid storytelling is fearless. She frankly discusses the truths she discovered and the indignities she suffered. These admissions are disclosed with a touch of resignation and plenty of bite. However painful, everything she experienced was a lesson, and she bravely realized that she was part of the problem: “The fear of being hurt, rejected, or abused often led to me feeling lonely and misunderstood. No one knew the agonizing pain I felt being trapped in my thoughts and anger. I was becoming my biggest threat.”
The author skillfully recounts her intricate spiritual journey. To deal with her psychic wounds, she searched for an inspirational system. Her open-mindedness led her to the interfaith concept—cherry-picking from various religions and spiritual movements, yoga, and Indigenous beliefs as a way of finding peace. Along with her female partner, she built a therapy practice, making use of every spiritual element that aided her and others. The road was bumpy, and she found that women of color in same-sex relationships were not welcomed everywhere. To do good works—and finally live on her own terms—she effectively overcame bigotry.
An engrossing, cathartic account of empathy and success through determination and confidence.
Pub Date: May 3, 2022 | ISBN: 978-0-578-38315-6 | Page Count: 264 | Publisher: From Trauma to Triumph | Review Posted Online: June 13, 2022
