Our relationships define us. It is human nature to want to be in connection with others. From birth, we crave and strive to connect with others, particularly our caregivers, to the point that our lives depend on it. Relationships provide us with opportunities for personal growth and expansion. Yet, negotiating relationships can be […]
How your relationships could transform your life… Read More »
Believing and holding on to hope when all is going well is a no brainier. When our life is going the way we expect, or when things are just going smoothly, we have no problem staying hopeful and happy. We have a great outlook and seem to sail on the energy of “all is going
Becoming “enlightened” is certainly a process, some get it quickly and others work at it all their lives. For me, it has certainly been a process of learning, relearning and most of all remembering to reclaim what I’ve always known, but had felt unable and unwilling, fearful to remember. I’ve come to understand that through
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
