With Mother’s Day on Sunday, it brings a great deal of emotion for many of us. Mothers are defined by society as having given birth to children or women raising children. Some people have had wonderful mothers, while others may not have had good experiences, nor a mother figure in their lives I believe what …
In this month of May, as we celebrate mothers, I invite you to acknowledge the qualities of motherhood that reside in all of us. The most notable quality we associate with mothers is that of nurturing. We are often the nurturers for others, but how often do we nurture ourselves. You don’t need to wait …
While healing is a solo journey in that we determine the pace, tools and paths that are right for us, the support of community is a powerful aid. We are built for community – we thrive in supportive environments. Community is about finding the right tribe for yourself – a healing space that supports and …
We are ever-evolving beings, and what is right today may not be right for you tomorrow. As we travel our healing paths, what feels right will change. Take time to constantly check in with self to see if the tools you are using and the teachings you follow still serve you. If you have not …
Trauma leaves its mark. It has a way of changing that which we know and believe about ourselves and life. When we have been through any trauma, we not even be aware of the shift in our perspectives until we confront an issue. As our experiences shape and change us, part of healing is checking …
Healing is a journey that has no map or guidebook because each person’s path, and their pain, looks different. How we feel things is determined by the experiences we have had, the environment we were raised in, and how we were raised. The people who were the guides in our lives defined how we processed …
We have planted seeds for what we want our life to look like – some were intentional, and some not. For those seeds that were not intentional, we can stop nurturing them and ignore them, allowing them to wither. As for the seeds that are taking us in the direction we wish to go, we …
We move forward one step at a time, and each step is a moment to decide what we are planting. If you sow the same seeds in the same poor soil, the plants that emerge will look the same, and perhaps a little more worn. Plant new seeds in fresh, nourished soil and what arises …
Spring is time to get creative. Everything around us is in bloom and nature is expressing itself. It is time for you to express yourself too. Being creative is a great way to express those things that you don’t have words for or that feel too heavy to put into words. It allows us to …
As we move into Spring and observe the nature around us, we see the new growth, the flowers blooming, leaves turning green, and new life springing up everywhere. We can bring this back into our own lives. Each day we plant seeds, and over time these seed become physical manifestations. You have planted seeds of …
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
