tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6384543362089157922024-03-25T08:58:55.118-05:00The Writeous Babe ProjectWrite. Teach. Smash the Patriarchy. Repeat.javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.comBlogger482125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-9387242491305814612023-03-29T06:15:00.011-05:002023-03-29T10:06:07.389-05:00What's the Big Deal About Journaling?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZt63KIZGGS27eI-LaiH7BsRywH7caIH8H8R0Zu0KoeVqCNL7xQH2RbtnwBMH_5Ubf17gvnBosIxzNfAcuZ4v1kdRjXtliKhOSvgYvyt_9GVv0azM5LBWIRg0GUb0X4XtjWQVvPRk6FN0TAqXt-qwmlTNDv6Yd_SIGpghVbTESbrE6Xy3uzGaBmyNxg/s1280/writeous%20copy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZt63KIZGGS27eI-LaiH7BsRywH7caIH8H8R0Zu0KoeVqCNL7xQH2RbtnwBMH_5Ubf17gvnBosIxzNfAcuZ4v1kdRjXtliKhOSvgYvyt_9GVv0azM5LBWIRg0GUb0X4XtjWQVvPRk6FN0TAqXt-qwmlTNDv6Yd_SIGpghVbTESbrE6Xy3uzGaBmyNxg/w640-h640/writeous%20copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The Writeous Babe Podcast has officially launched! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">You can listen to the show here, on <a href="https://writeousbabepodcast.podbean.com/" target="_blank">PodBean</a>, <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-writeous-babe-podcast/id1678351445" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/45h5j94Kc8qjDjn2uAf772" target="_blank">Spotify</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Check out <a href="https://writeousbabepodcast.podbean.com/e/the-writeous-babe-trailer/" target="_blank">the preview episode</a> for some behind-the-scenes insights into the show and then tune into my debut episode, <a href="https://writeousbabepodcast.podbean.com/e/the-writeous-babe-trailer/" target="_blank">"What's the Big Deal About Journaling?"</a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">
<iframe allowtransparency="true" data-name="pb-iframe-player" height="150" scrolling="no" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=psmsz-13c1805-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=f6f6f6&font-color=000000&logo_link=none&btn-skin=fb0584" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);" title="What’s the Big Deal About Journaling?" width="100%"></iframe> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> Journaling can change your life. For real. Think beyond the "Dear Diary" type of journaling you did as a kid. A transformative journaling practice can help you with your career, your relationships, your confidence and so much more. Tune in to this episode to find out how and learn more about what to expect from the first season of the Writeous Babe Podcast. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Look for new episodes each Wednesday.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Be sure to follow, rate, and review and share the show with friends. I truly appreciate your support. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Let's do this! </span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-45014404990795743192023-03-28T19:36:00.005-05:002023-03-28T19:36:42.476-05:00Follow the Fun<p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #050505;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWeZREluxIs5k_JbPgsdOnL6u7xHiXsvLqxJu07qqmDDWdufxUCc81yHB_j-T0y5uKZTGFo99l_hUXuUg1iqXyhh8OLDqr7xvGYLYaeUF4CM6dV36bZf413Fv6AzSsa_-epEVhkEuwi9EvMy5epFFRDLtBx6my3SvdBt6p0ZeaOCQz5rV0r1WdphNmA/s4032/IMG_2299%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZWeZREluxIs5k_JbPgsdOnL6u7xHiXsvLqxJu07qqmDDWdufxUCc81yHB_j-T0y5uKZTGFo99l_hUXuUg1iqXyhh8OLDqr7xvGYLYaeUF4CM6dV36bZf413Fv6AzSsa_-epEVhkEuwi9EvMy5epFFRDLtBx6my3SvdBt6p0ZeaOCQz5rV0r1WdphNmA/w480-h640/IMG_2299%20(1).jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Follow the fun! That's one of the lessons my soon-to-be-launched podcast is teaching me.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Last year, I grappled for months with the decision to start a podcast or not. And then once I decided to start one, I struggled to settle on a topic because I had so many different ideas.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Then one day a member of my writing collective -- See Jane Write -- said to me, "Just do what's going to bring you the most joy."</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">What simple, but powerful advice! I decided to follow it and that's how The Writeous Babe Podcast: The Grown Woman's Guide to Journaling came about.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">My podcast hasn't even launched yet and my decision is already paying off. Because I've been talking about journaling so much, I've been invited to lead -- and get paid for -- journaling workshops for 4 different organizations.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #050505;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">So if you're struggling to decide which of your goals to work on next -- follow the fun and choose what sparks joy.</span></span></p></div><p style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><br /><p></p>javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-53745510281839108212023-03-27T21:28:00.002-05:002023-03-27T21:29:47.052-05:00The Babe is Back!<p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-rSNHlclZ4k0UtJI2yBhKFOWh9PTEjXmdPo1q0yPMHwwMQ52fEKiYUgue9hzuiSEWsunRfZOppBEfdEjr4p1WmMlRHx6wbh4B6V-Y5XqUnNZzCVBMOPErmFlcffVgg1rJ10e6AzY0Q8Vs7BU6VoRpvfxk8ff8lmofrulpBWOt9VXququxqXX9AcjFg/s3088/The%20Babe%20with%20the%20Power.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3088" data-original-width="2316" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH-rSNHlclZ4k0UtJI2yBhKFOWh9PTEjXmdPo1q0yPMHwwMQ52fEKiYUgue9hzuiSEWsunRfZOppBEfdEjr4p1WmMlRHx6wbh4B6V-Y5XqUnNZzCVBMOPErmFlcffVgg1rJ10e6AzY0Q8Vs7BU6VoRpvfxk8ff8lmofrulpBWOt9VXququxqXX9AcjFg/w480-h640/The%20Babe%20with%20the%20Power.jpg" width="480" /></a></p><br /><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'm reviving the Writeous Babe brand once again but this time for something a lot more uplifting than <a href="http://www.writeousbabe.com/2020/05/when-doctor-says-its-cancer.html" target="_blank">a cancer diagnosis</a>. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'm starting a podcast! </span></p><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The <a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer;" tabindex="-1"></a>Writeous Babe Podcast is the grown woman's guide to journaling, giving you the inspiration and practical tools you need to create a life-changing journaling practice. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I believe you have the power to write your way through anything and to the life of your dreams. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Each week tune in for uplifting conversation and thought-provoking prompts that will help you write your way to the best version of yourself. </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Tentatively set to launch on Wednesday, March 29, the Writeous Babe Podcast will be available wherever you listen to podcasts.</span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'm also reviving the Writeous Babe <a href="https://www.instagram.com/writeousbabe/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WriteousBabe" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/writeousbabe" target="_blank">Twitter </a>accounts, so let's get social! </span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: left; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">I'm so excited about this new venture and I hope you'll come with me on this journey. </span></div></div>javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-80752872354256334022020-12-02T14:07:00.003-06:002020-12-02T14:09:00.967-06:00How It Started; How It’s Going: The Cancer Edition <p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAD-uW-V491Z9-oR712vetr_zHmvUSyGKu9kUCMedb_96x5mQ_v4SA1WEcUZn-OeFmVVyyP1E-EjYA5cFUyOSyajaZByWaLuOGFZAA99dKZUtsCwVPBwezi5WnRMKLJFRZ6UWibRZn9_D/s2048/cancer+update.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1631" data-original-width="2048" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpAD-uW-V491Z9-oR712vetr_zHmvUSyGKu9kUCMedb_96x5mQ_v4SA1WEcUZn-OeFmVVyyP1E-EjYA5cFUyOSyajaZByWaLuOGFZAA99dKZUtsCwVPBwezi5WnRMKLJFRZ6UWibRZn9_D/w640-h510/cancer+update.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-a1c2e0bd-7fff-4cab-74d3-b3390590badb"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On January 24, 2020, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, on December 2, 2020, I had my last round of radiation, completing active cancer treatment.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here’s a look at everything that happened in between.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span></span></p><a name='more'></a></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFxhW-uGx_N0GRS8mMd15VmBU1ErqA7GH_vNFOKQttdozXa-4gg0hcqnsuwpawKWDbyXEG4npLsTuldlB-8bxGGYcJsIMLMMZs0ES4VecxS4gLmhR8cCrKrKvqhuD0CI-ctVIfcQStJe-/s2048/40+Before+40+Reset.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcFxhW-uGx_N0GRS8mMd15VmBU1ErqA7GH_vNFOKQttdozXa-4gg0hcqnsuwpawKWDbyXEG4npLsTuldlB-8bxGGYcJsIMLMMZs0ES4VecxS4gLmhR8cCrKrKvqhuD0CI-ctVIfcQStJe-/w640-h426/40+Before+40+Reset.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On February 9 I celebrated my 39</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">th</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> birthday with my husband and my cousin Tasha (who’s more like my sister) – two of only a handful of people who knew about my diagnosis at the time. I also shared with readers of the See Jane Write blog my 40 Before 40 list – a list of 40 things I wanted to do over the next year before I turned 40 years old.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But secretly, I wondered if my 39</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: 0.6em; vertical-align: super;">th</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> birthday would be my last.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On the morning of February 26, I had a lumpectomy to remove the tumor from my left breast. The procedure went well, and I even went for a walk that afternoon, much to the chagrin of my husband who, rightfully so, wanted me to rest.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But back in December of 2019, I decided that I would walk for exercise for at least 30 minutes every day in 2020 and I wasn’t going to let anything stop me from sticking with that resolution – not even breast cancer.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My brother, another person who knew about my diagnosis, came to visit me and inspired me to write</span><a href="http://www.writeousbabe.com/2020/08/my-brother-and-me.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #954f72; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">this story</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In January, with the diagnosis, my life seemed to fall apart. In February, with the successful surgery, things started to feel as if they were coming back together. In March, my life fell apart again and so did the entire world.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While the world was reeling from being hit with the COVID-19 pandemic, I was trying to accept the news that I would need chemotherapy. When I was first diagnosed, I was told I would only need surgery and radiation.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But things changed. Though the cancer hadn’t spread to my lymph nodes and thus was only Stage II, the tumor was large and was growing fast. Given that, my age, and other factors (such as the odd shape of the cancer cells found in my breast and the fact that Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than women of other races), my oncologist recommended chemotherapy. First, she ran extra tests to be sure.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While waiting for the results I prayed fervently asking for God to remove this cup from me.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But that didn’t happen. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On April 30, I had chemo port placement surgery. When I had my lumpectomy, my husband was there by my side up until the moment I was given anesthesia. Because of COVID-19 when I went in for the port placement my husband had to literally drop me off at the corner and I had to go it alone.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Because of the hair loss that inevitably comes with most chemotherapy, I knew I would no longer be able to keep my cancer diagnosis a secret.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, on May 4, I “went public” and shared the news on social media, <a href="http://www.writeousbabe.com/2020/05/when-doctor-says-its-cancer.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and</span><a href="https://seejanewritebham.com/2020/05/writing-my-way-through-cancer" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #954f72; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">the See Jane Write blog</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I’m so glad I did. Since that day to this one, my husband and I have been showered with support in the form of gifts, cards, food, words of encouragement, and prayers.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I started chemo on May 7 and later that month I started to lose my hair.</span><a href="https://seejanewritebham.com/2020/07/i-am-not-my-hair/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #954f72; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I wrote about it, of course</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But here’s the thing – while hair loss is the most visible side effect of chemotherapy, for many cancer patients, it is the least of our concerns.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Early in my treatment, my red blood cell count dropped so drastically my doctor thought I might need a blood transfusion. My heart rate was often so high I could see my heart beating through my chest.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I continued walking for exercise every day but sometimes walking for 30 minutes felt like walking for 30 miles.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fortunately, I never vomited during my treatment, but I felt queasy almost every day. I lost 15 pounds in one month because some days rice and apple sauce were the only things I could eat. Some days everything tasted like sand.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I also dealt with neuropathy and hand-foot syndrome, so some mornings I would wake up and could barely use my hands. (I’m still dealing with neuropathy today.)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To be honest, losing my eyebrows – which happened much later – bothered me more than losing my hair.</span><a href="https://reckonsouth.com/how-breast-cancer-ruined-and-restored-my-confidence/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #954f72; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I wrote about that, too</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Despite all the side effects I endured, I tolerated chemotherapy very well, according to my oncologist and nurses. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5b_4pC07LjM_W2wL0N3FeGShxOrMrzyos47jBpFkIa17GDPJSXkoGSI7AxN3-BgIxbpLlMPmyNz0lwTzkZyW_mrlDUjOqV2NHdcs7q1nKbnIdO-1_2YZFcO4KdUnznVZNOODzCQI4kgrZ/s1125/nomo+chemo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5b_4pC07LjM_W2wL0N3FeGShxOrMrzyos47jBpFkIa17GDPJSXkoGSI7AxN3-BgIxbpLlMPmyNz0lwTzkZyW_mrlDUjOqV2NHdcs7q1nKbnIdO-1_2YZFcO4KdUnznVZNOODzCQI4kgrZ/w640-h640/nomo+chemo.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I finished chemotherapy on September 17, and I rang the bell (a tradition in the cancer community) to signify the completion of that part of the journey.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I must say that throughout my treatment my good days have outweighed my bad days. I’ve been able to work and write in spite of everything.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And I’ve kept on walking, too. In fact, I was even quoted in an article about breast cancer in Oprah magazine on how walking helped me cope with treatment.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve been featured in other publications, too, including</span><a href="https://rethinkbreastcancer.com/ywbc-javacia/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #954f72; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Rethink Breast Cancer</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, Wildfire Magazine, and</span><a href="https://bhamnow.com/2020/10/05/this-birmingham-woman-is-showing-us-how-to-fight-like-a-girl/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #954f72; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">BhamNow</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMwVjBQxOnP_JI1jwCu0SOtz4hRdo1USXyu3a-B-a3ZXbQ16IGmGpbLxlRy4rESBm1QlAkiPoiPK4hR_uRviZPzw_4AAvH5fqOpdot-mkUJZUxYw9SgmJkzIC8MLUUDA2It9uatRNkW0K/s1125/WW+10K.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMwVjBQxOnP_JI1jwCu0SOtz4hRdo1USXyu3a-B-a3ZXbQ16IGmGpbLxlRy4rESBm1QlAkiPoiPK4hR_uRviZPzw_4AAvH5fqOpdot-mkUJZUxYw9SgmJkzIC8MLUUDA2It9uatRNkW0K/w640-h640/WW+10K.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; padding: 0pt 0pt 15pt; text-align: left;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On October 17 – one month post chemo – I walked 6.2 miles for the DC Wonder Woman Virtual 10K.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWlHQIOftz6qrQZ66ZinFfSzdmUTR7_pXYzZXeBQtFGEvtHYZzN_lWLPUEH2sW3ER4QSBeEdrCYr7xustiL9lJaFOdP21OzOq5tDplPCKhRxUx0qfbja7p5oKeLVTfqJvlaSuMsvp2Qs5/s1125/846+Breathe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEWlHQIOftz6qrQZ66ZinFfSzdmUTR7_pXYzZXeBQtFGEvtHYZzN_lWLPUEH2sW3ER4QSBeEdrCYr7xustiL9lJaFOdP21OzOq5tDplPCKhRxUx0qfbja7p5oKeLVTfqJvlaSuMsvp2Qs5/w640-h640/846+Breathe.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On October 26, I walked 8.46 miles (the longest distance I’d covered post-chemo) for the 8.46 Breathe Race series to honor George Floyd, who was killed by a police officer who knelt on his neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Many things happened in October. I regained my sense of taste. My eyebrows grew back – overnight! And I dressed as Sister Night for Halloween.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4F0JzsuEt9Pvk5PpOsqpa2fI1uwpY2mNPPKy87ri2nN0SnC8uosF2jy5ZjWhCY_OOh5LyFyAOy4epZuUrcQ-i0QZZFzf9BSN4vdYPTGqRP1RS94sxZ6iEb5luVlFvzwPTWI7Jy8K4GCz/s2048/Sister+Night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4F0JzsuEt9Pvk5PpOsqpa2fI1uwpY2mNPPKy87ri2nN0SnC8uosF2jy5ZjWhCY_OOh5LyFyAOy4epZuUrcQ-i0QZZFzf9BSN4vdYPTGqRP1RS94sxZ6iEb5luVlFvzwPTWI7Jy8K4GCz/w640-h640/Sister+Night.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I also started radiation treatment. I must confess that after going through five months of chemo, I thought radiation would be a cakewalk. I was wrong.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At first, I was fine. But then the treatment started to make me feel utterly exhausted and the discomfort from the radiation burns made sleeping nearly impossible. For about a week the burns were so painful I couldn’t lift my left arm without crying out in agony.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But after that rough week, I turned a corner and as quickly as the burns got bad, they started to heal just as fast.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9rMkCg_p1rxF_VVgIWKLEoKBai7XMmkTXWMfORrbHayIRRrGKnVXviHj88owkvrY0WmBtAwylER64AVYkQWCabVH5iqaiieJ4jngyfFqZmxII61RCCf0LAN4dW4tHc56uGejke6dtc5Q/s1125/radiation+done.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1125" data-original-width="1125" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9rMkCg_p1rxF_VVgIWKLEoKBai7XMmkTXWMfORrbHayIRRrGKnVXviHj88owkvrY0WmBtAwylER64AVYkQWCabVH5iqaiieJ4jngyfFqZmxII61RCCf0LAN4dW4tHc56uGejke6dtc5Q/w640-h640/radiation+done.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Today, December 2, I completed the last of 36 rounds of radiation. And once again I got to ring the bell – this time signifying not only the end of radiation but also the end of active cancer treatment.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">My cancer journey isn’t over. It never will be. As long as I am alive, I will be fighting against cancer in order to stay alive. I will be taking medication for the next 10 years and visiting various doctors frequently. In 2021, I’m planning to make major lifestyle changes as well so that my post-cancer body can be as healthy and strong as possible.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But completing active treatment is a milestone, nonetheless. And I’ve learned so much from this experience.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I first announced my diagnosis on my blogs and on social media, a friend said to me, “God didn’t do this, but God will get you through this.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I tried to hold on to this. And most days I did.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’d recite Genesis 50:20 — “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I wrote Psalm 91:9-12 and Psalm 91:14-16 on pink index cards and carried them with me to chemo treatments.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Sometimes, I still felt angry and hopeless. Sometimes I was too tired to feel anything at all. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But I used prayer journaling to</span><a href="https://seejanewritebham.com/2020/07/writing-my-way-back-to-god" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #954f72; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">write my way back to God</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> –</span><a href="https://seejanewritebham.com/2020/07/growing-pains/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #954f72; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">again</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and</span><a href="https://seejanewritebham.com/2020/11/writing-as-a-spiritual-practice/" style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #954f72; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; text-decoration-line: underline; text-decoration-skip-ink: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">again</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I look at how I’ve not only survived cancer treatment, but I have thrived along the way, I know that God must be with me.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In spite of cancer and in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have consistently made enough money </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">not only to pay my bills but also to pay down debt and make generous donations to causes I believe in. And I still have extra cash to buy Fabletics leggings and Savage X Fenty lingerie whenever I want.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’ve been able to grow the See Jane Write brand and community, too. I’ve been busy writing stories about women and for women and helping women write stories of their own.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And as I’ve been sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of this journey, so many people have told me that I’ve inspired them.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I hope that I’ve inspired you. I hope I’ve inspired you to believe that you can write your way through anything and that no matter what obstacles are standing in your way -- just KEEP GOING.</span></p></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-30936860018229463492020-09-25T09:36:00.002-05:002020-09-27T11:08:14.446-05:00What "I'm hanging in there" really means<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMROTgGSdHA2ntJIF9AXYcpwkw7ubACAC0sMMp8bAE8xyIsh38pZ3p9oB64m8CMnhCEfMVdUAqzXRL3p_kDQnVCsHUUhktFJyaTerudnhPJp-4VMUlrlEXLPQ8wRxI1vX4AvuUUiFhYlh/s2048/hanging+in+there.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMROTgGSdHA2ntJIF9AXYcpwkw7ubACAC0sMMp8bAE8xyIsh38pZ3p9oB64m8CMnhCEfMVdUAqzXRL3p_kDQnVCsHUUhktFJyaTerudnhPJp-4VMUlrlEXLPQ8wRxI1vX4AvuUUiFhYlh/w640-h640/hanging+in+there.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>We need to talk. </p><p>Inspiring. That's the word many of you have been using to describe me as I've been sharing my battle with breast cancer journey on my blogs and social media. You've seen me working and writing and blogging and building a business while undergoing chemotherapy and you've said I motivate you to keep going. </p><p>And I'm very glad you feel that way. In fact, one of the reasons I decided to be open and honest about my diagnosis was that I'd hoped I would inspire you to go after your dreams even when your circumstances are far from ideal. </p><p>When you text me or send me a DM via Instagram to ask how I'm doing, I probably respond with the same answer each time: "I'm hanging in there." </p><p>But I need to let you know what that really means. </p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>Overall, my body has tolerated chemo well, but the side effect of <a href="https://seejanewritebham.com/2020/07/i-am-not-my-hair/" target="_blank">hair loss</a> that you can clearly see just scratches the surface of what I've been facing. For the past five months, I've had to deal with nausea, loss of appetite, fatigue, neuropathy, hand-foot syndrome, and more. </p><p>But what's been hardest of all is the toll that cancer and chemo take mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I struggle with being angry with God and I struggle to accept that my life and my body will never be the same. I cry -- a lot. Many of my nights are restless because I'm sad, angry, scared, or in pain. </p><p>Please don't think that I need you to say something that will make me feel better -- nothing will. And I'm not sharing any of this for pity. In fact, I'm not sharing this for my benefit at all. I'm sharing this for your sake. </p><p>Let me explain. </p><p>In my cancer support group, we talk a lot about toxic positivity. When we're having a bad day some people -- though well-intentioned -- try to silence us. Instead of acknowledging and respecting how we feel, they simply cut us off and tell us to "stay positive" as if that will make it all better. </p><p>Fortunately, I have friends and an amazing husband who understand that sometimes I need to scream, cry, and cuss. </p><p>My goal throughout all of this has been to be as positive and productive as I can. And I am proud that I have been able to work and continue to motivate women in my sphere of influence even while I fight the toughest battle I've ever faced. </p><p><b>But I want you to know that I am not positive and productive all the time and you don't have to be either. </b></p><p>I want to keep inspiring you, but I don't want to be a source of toxic positivity in your life. You may not be fighting cancer, but we're all battling something -- depression, racism, sexism, illness, loneliness, financial troubles.</p><p>I want my cancer journey to show you that you can do hard things, but I also want to remind you that it's OK to rest. It's OK to have a bad day, a bad week, or even a bad month.</p><p>I also don't want to feed into the "strong Black woman" narrative, the assumption that Black women don't ever need help and that we even have a stronger tolerance for pain. </p><p>I'm a girl of gumption and grit, but I FINALLY also know when it's time to give myself grace. </p><p>Whenever you need to do so -- give yourself a break. </p><p>Last week I had my last chemotherapy treatment and I celebrated with a virtual girls night in with the ladies of <a href="https://seejanewritebham.com/" target="_blank">See Jane Write</a>. </p><p>But this battle is far from over. I have to undergo tests so my doctors can figure out why I've been in so much pain. I still have to go through two months of radiation. And I'll be dealing with some of the side effects of chemo for months. Some of the side effects I may have to deal with for years, if not the rest of my life. </p><p>In the meantime, I'm going to keep fighting. I'm going to keep inspiring you. But I'm going to keep having bad days sometimes, too, because that's life. </p><p>I'm going to keep hanging in there. </p><p><br /></p>javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-55288226629822320322020-08-19T08:37:00.006-05:002020-08-19T10:13:27.693-05:00My Brother and Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyP-UWa-VVXNOYfvJQrI8ppS92XMv8OM_IiH_JloA2YR6R7dWlQf7j7vRUAOe40iVzdyQPuv0_XjD7CaBbliD0e4viZ_3R8_vuCQqsRC6VHMMtdmglUpoCl2VfCWuMQ2Fiqj6bKORtPla/s2048/My+Brother+and+Me.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2047" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyP-UWa-VVXNOYfvJQrI8ppS92XMv8OM_IiH_JloA2YR6R7dWlQf7j7vRUAOe40iVzdyQPuv0_XjD7CaBbliD0e4viZ_3R8_vuCQqsRC6VHMMtdmglUpoCl2VfCWuMQ2Fiqj6bKORtPla/s640/My+Brother+and+Me.jpg" /></a></div><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">When I told my brother I’d been diagnosed with breast cancer he responded just as I knew he would:</span><span face="" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> “<span style="background: white;">Man, you got this. This shit ain’t gonna beat you. Imma holla at God tonight, tell him to take care of my big sister and you gonna be straight.”</span><br /><br /><span style="background: white;">And that was that. I knew I would be fine because my baby brother said so.</span><br /><br /><span style="background: white;">Even though I am 7 years and 6 months older than my brother, even though I cooked his breakfast on the weekends, taught him how to tie his shoes and helped him with homework, in some ways he has taken care of me as much as I’ve helped take care of him.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span></span></p><a name='more'></a><span face="" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /><br /><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVcy_RqH9kvrVmXv6cCd36e1MA9OsASzk33-JI-MVbsrqAxIXKZfSixELrwbb1oPUwE86RjjjNDLPi3fJ9EYjPBvyHzp7t8fW9rtyN3SUxDwPas9nCwDozMww7EvVDWgR_WMnrQcpr8i4/s1536/CJ.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVcy_RqH9kvrVmXv6cCd36e1MA9OsASzk33-JI-MVbsrqAxIXKZfSixELrwbb1oPUwE86RjjjNDLPi3fJ9EYjPBvyHzp7t8fW9rtyN3SUxDwPas9nCwDozMww7EvVDWgR_WMnrQcpr8i4/s640/CJ.jpg" /></a></div><div><span face="" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">That care usually comes in the shape of three words: "Man, chill out." Those words have the power to stave off my panic attacks like no anxiety medicine ever could. But only when said by my brother. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">I’m not sure how two people so different could have been raised in the same home. And I’m not sure how two people so different could get along as well as we do.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">If worrying were an Olympic sport, I’d be Michael Phelps. My brother on the other hand -- nothing frazzles him. Not even a cancer diagnosis – and not because he trusts in the power of Western medicine. No, according to my brother chemotherapy, radiation – that’s all bullshit. And that’s why a few days after finding out I had cancer he showed up at my house with a huge bottle of Black Seed Oil and wouldn’t leave until I drank some of it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">“It taste like something you get at Auto Zone but it works,” my brother said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> A month after my diagnosis I had a lumpectomy to remove the tumor in my left breast. The surgeon also removed a sentinel lymph node to test it for cancer, a process that required an injection of some substance, a substance that made my urine neon green.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I knew my brother would get a kick out of this. I couldn’t wait to tell him when he came over.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">“You mean it’s green like this!?” he said, snatching up the bottle of Dawn dishwashing liquid on the kitchen sink.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">“Yep!” I said with a grin.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">“Man, that’s crazy!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Of all the people who came by to visit me after my surgery, my brother was the only one I shared my neon green pee story with. He was also the only one who asked the one question I was eager to answer – “So when you gonna get back on your grind?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">He wanted to know when I was going to get back to work, when I was going to get back to writing and building my business. Everyone else kept urging me to rest, to take long naps, to lie on the sofa and watch Netflix. But my brother knew that the thing that would make me feel better, the thing that would make me feel like myself, the thing that would truly help me heal would be working on my dreams.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">This is the one thing we have in common, our bond that is thicker than water and blood. We are dreamers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Despite his cool, calm, collected attitude toward life, love, and everything in between, CJ is always on 10 about his dream of being a famous music producer. And my brother is a dreamer and a doer. His music is not only used by emerging hip-hop artists but has been featured in commercials and popular TV shows, too. His big dream is to get into film scoring. I am as confident that he’ll achieve this goal as he is that I will beat cancer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">When we were kids, we had a secret handshake. Now we have our own hashtag #PowerToTheDreamers. We add it to the end of social media posts and with signatures in birthday cards.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">The day after my surgery my brother called me Wonder Woman, but not in a way meant to pacify or patronize. He said it without pomp and circumstance as if it were my job title or my name.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">“I wore Wonder Woman underwear to the hospital,” I told him, and we laughed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><span face="" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">My brother is the type of person who can know your flaws and faults, your worries and your weaknesses, who can see all of your anxiety and still also see your superpower.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p></div>javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-3776427138779540542020-05-23T13:15:00.001-05:002020-05-23T13:15:16.600-05:0015 Confessions<p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbq2KCl3HmjJHBi3jaywkgms3Hn-1780v6D9VJ7QYGs2xfVGVroELCXY7A6a-C7bNe8asN0TxLw3e7BTVX3rtNrJDg-oqfnEI_2S1XYTJ-H0fIoxUVUUdFxSw_aQCc1KxdG3ucdcv9cEc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2320" data-original-width="2320" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUbq2KCl3HmjJHBi3jaywkgms3Hn-1780v6D9VJ7QYGs2xfVGVroELCXY7A6a-C7bNe8asN0TxLw3e7BTVX3rtNrJDg-oqfnEI_2S1XYTJ-H0fIoxUVUUdFxSw_aQCc1KxdG3ucdcv9cEc/w640-h640/the+cancer+card.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">I can’t keep my own secrets – especially when it comes to cancer.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">So, I have some things to confess.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>If you ask me to do something within the next 8 months and I don’t want to do it, I will play <a href="https://stupidcancerstore.org/the-cancer-card/" target="_blank">the cancer card</a>.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">2.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>If I’m in a FitBit competition with you and I lose I’m going to play the cancer card.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>If I’m in a FitBit competition with you and I win, secretly I’m going to make fun of you for losing to the cancer girl.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">4.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>When you get diagnosed with cancer and you have lots of awesome friends you get lots of awesome gifts. It’s like Christmas but without family drama or bad holiday music and movies.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">5.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Early in my diagnosis I would treat myself to Chick Fil A after every doctor’s appointment and I once wrote in my journal, “This probably isn’t good for my health, but I already have cancer, so, what the hell!”<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">6.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>If I reach my goal weight this year, I’m going to be pissed that people are going to give cancer all the credit.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">7.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>If I gain a lot of weight this year, I’m going to make sure cancer gets all the blame.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">8.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Lately, I’ve been online shopping like an old lady watching Home Shopping Network and with each purchase I say to myself “You deserve it! You’re fighting cancer!” as if Alabama Power or my mortgage company cares.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">9.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>When I was diagnosed with cancer one of my first thoughts was, “Crap! Is this going to mess up my plans to walk for exercise every day for 366 days?” (So far, it hasn’t!)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><a href="http://www.writeousbabe.com/2020/05/why-i-walk-every-single-day.html" target="_blank">Related Reading: Why I Walk Every Single Day</a></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">10.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>When I was diagnosed with cancer my first question for the doctor was, “Can I still work?” This Enneagram Type 1 is always on-brand.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">11.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>I initially wanted to title my blog post announcing my diagnosis this: “Y’all thought I was inspirational before --- hold my boob!” Fortunately, I decided against that.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">12.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>Once COVID-19 stops ruining the world, I fully intend to exploit my diagnosis for a chance to meet Beyonce or to hang out with Elaine Welteroth. There has to be an adult division of Make a Wish Foundation, right?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">13.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span> When searching online for headscarves to wear <span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">once the chemo takes my hair I actually said – out loud – “Cancer, but make it fashion!”</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">14.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>I’m pretty sure the amount of money I’m going to save on hair care products will cover the cost of my cancer treatments.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;">15.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span>My main motivation to beat cancer and survive chemo is not wanting my husband to remarry. I don’t want some other woman with my man or in my house. Sorry. Not sorry.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="font-family: calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in;"><br /></p>javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-59814432557160482232020-05-11T07:21:00.000-05:002020-05-11T07:21:58.288-05:00Why I Walk Every Single Day<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_r_1fxAY3IKTYOzqd_o6eeyPLXg2Je5XA5Qk80xyeL2oCseoS6fr6_L186GVLDgBl3h4aqtbBTS2b0lWI-BtqbkKLYzAb-33JKQoZDueNjX9R8RFL9bXMqxN0Y9uFFVzCkvzU0x7K7Vk-/s1600/why+i+walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_r_1fxAY3IKTYOzqd_o6eeyPLXg2Je5XA5Qk80xyeL2oCseoS6fr6_L186GVLDgBl3h4aqtbBTS2b0lWI-BtqbkKLYzAb-33JKQoZDueNjX9R8RFL9bXMqxN0Y9uFFVzCkvzU0x7K7Vk-/s1600/why+i+walk.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photography by <a href="https://megantsang.com/" target="_blank">Megan Tsang Hand</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;">On January 1 I vowed to walk for exercise every day for 366 days in 2020.</span></div>
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Then on January 24, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I must confess that when I got the news one of my first thoughts was, “Crap! Is this going to mess up my plans to walk for exercise every day for 366 days?”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p> </o:p><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Well, so far, it hasn’t.</span></div>
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I walked after my lumpectomy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I walked after surgery for my chemotherapy port placement.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I walked after my first chemotherapy treatment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Some of the people who have been following my #seejavaciawalk IG stories think I’m a warrior. Some of you think I’m crazy.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But my oncologist actually recommended that I exercise every day for at least 20 minutes while I go through chemo to help fight fatigue.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But here’s something you should know – I don’t really walk for any of the physical health benefits. I don’t walk to fight fatigue. I don’t walk to lose weight. I don’t even walk for cardiovascular health.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I walk for my mental health. I walk to stay sane.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Cancer, chemo, and all of the side effects of both make me feel as if I have no control over my own body. Lupus and the joint pain that comes with it makes me feel that way, too.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But when I walk, I take back my power. When I walk, I take back my agency over my own body. When I walk, I feel free. When I walk, I feel like myself – even if just for a little while.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On Friday, I had the privilege of watching a Facebook Live discussion between<a href="https://www.girltrek.org/" target="_blank"> GirlTrek</a>, Nikki Giovanni, and Angela Davis. Ms. Davis shared that she walks for exercise every day, too. And she left us with a charge: “Walk in the direction of freedom.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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I am doing exactly that.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Follow my daily walks on my Instagram Stories <a href="https://www.instagram.com/seejavaciawrite/" target="_blank">@seejavaciawrite</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-14427142701281535482020-05-04T10:25:00.000-05:002020-05-04T10:25:09.625-05:00When the doctor says it's cancer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On January 24, 2020 I was diagnosed with breast cancer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, I hadn’t found a lump in my breast because I hadn’t been looking for one. In my mind, breast cancer wasn’t something I needed to worry about until I turned 40. And besides, I already had lupus. There was no way God would let me have two life-threatening illnesses, right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wrong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mammogram I got earlier that month was meant to just be a baseline, something I did just because my doctor thought I should. But that mammogram led to another one which led to an ultrasound, which led to a biopsy, which led to a doctor telling me that I have cancer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After my diagnosis, I wasn’t scared. I was just angry – and annoyed. Angry at God for letting this happen, angry at myself because I was convinced my love of tacos, sweets, chips, and cheese had somehow caused this, and annoyed by the inconvenience of it all. There was no room for surgery, chemo, and radiation treatments in my Day Designer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But I had to make room for a lumpectomy in February, lots of follow-up appointments in March, and surgery for my chemotherapy port placement in April.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I begin chemotherapy on May 7. After five months of treatments, I will then start radiation treatments. So, cancer treatments will consume my entire year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And as my friend Glenny said, “You know what will enhance your cancer experience? A global pandemic!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2020, I hate you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd be lying if I said this diagnosis hasn't shaken my faith. It came during my church's 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting. I was fasting sweets, chips, Cheez-Its, and alcohol. I'd been going to church at 6 am every single weekday, 9 am every Saturday and 8 am every Sunday to pray. And God rewards me with cancer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, yeah, and let's add constant car trouble, my mother being hospitalized, and COVID-19! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But one day a good friend reminded me of something important: <em>God didn't do this, but God is going to use this. </em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm holding on to Genesis 50:20 -- "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cancer is now a part of my story, but it won't be the end of my story. This will just be another way for me to empower women. (If you're wondering what this all means for See Jane Write, please read <a href="https://seejanewritebham.com/2020/05/writing-my-way-through-cancer/" target="_blank">this</a>.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know that writing is the only way I’m going to get through this, so I’m back. I’m resurrecting my personal blog because this has always been the place where I can fall apart in my own arms and then write myself back together again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; color: #191e23;">I'll be documenting my cancer journey here. I thought about reviving the Writeous Babe Instagram account as well. But ain't nobody got time to write, blog, run a business, beat cancer, <i>and</i> run two Instagram accounts. So, continue to follow me </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/seejavaciawrite/"><span style="background: white; color: #007fac;">@seejavaciawrite</span></a><span style="background: white; color: #191e23;">.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-71145546317967235412017-08-07T17:09:00.000-05:002017-08-07T17:09:06.735-05:00My New (School) Year Resolutions<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoVfpk47VxjnBSAglbh6ls1OZzniTaEoRaqOUbFwzLoL3NsSxLFpXeHxtBesGsGPyMkg6s0crffpEINvhPmllahQKFLBwWCnjDPRpoB6kt2zDOXHSazEdtk1SjOMQBlvLcP5ZexMS9yRh/s1600/bando+2018+planner.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMoVfpk47VxjnBSAglbh6ls1OZzniTaEoRaqOUbFwzLoL3NsSxLFpXeHxtBesGsGPyMkg6s0crffpEINvhPmllahQKFLBwWCnjDPRpoB6kt2zDOXHSazEdtk1SjOMQBlvLcP5ZexMS9yRh/s640/bando+2018+planner.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm making plans for a beautiful school year.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a teacher I get to make New Year Resolutions not once, but twice a year. Every August marks the start of a new school year and another chance to set goals and intentions for my teaching career and all other parts of my life. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here are my resolutions for the 2017-2018 school year:</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">I resolve to create a feminist classroom, for real.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I believe we should all be feminist teachers. </span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-c37253fb-beac-6cd9-8391-7f2e3441d403"><div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 15pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This may cause complete panic for some people. Some people may imagine me creating some man-hating, Communist mini-cult. Those people would be wrong. And some people who agree with the idea of creating a feminist classroom may imagine I’m telling students how they should feel about abortion and Republicans. And those people would be wrong, too.</span></span></div>
</span><span style="color: #333333; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Creating a feminist classroom, in my opinion, isn’t about telling students how they should vote once they’re old enough to do so. It’s about encouraging them to treat all people with dignity, regardless of gender, race, class, religion, sexual orientation, or ability. A feminist classroom is simply a place that values equality, respect, and representation and makes those values apparent every day.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; text-align: justify; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Furthermore, as an English teacher I believe one of the best ways to empower oneself is through story, through the written and spoken word.</span></span><br />
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-be3eeecf-bea7-9a84-97bf-31c324347eaf"><span style="color: #333333; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So in 2013 I started an elective at my school called Women and the Media. This class teaches students how to write for and examine representations of women in today’s media. I decided not to teach this class this year, however, because I'm taking on a new English class. But this doesn't mean I'm hanging my feminist teacher cape in the closet. In 2014 I committed to creating a feminist classroom not just for students in my elective, but for all of them, and this year I get to truly put that commitment to the test. </span></span></span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">I resolve to embrace ritual and routine for the sake of my sanity. </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Most people who know me well know that I get bored easily with everyone and everything. While most people despise change, I crave it, thrive in it. This doesn't mean, however, that I want to live a life of chaos. As a teacher I need to establish certain rituals and routines so things inside and outside my classroom won't spiral out of control. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I will clean my classroom, update my gradebook, and email my students' parents every Friday. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I will plan and prepare my outfits for the week every Sunday.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">I resolve to document my #teacherlife. </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">For years I've considered blogging about being a feminist teacher and sharing more of my life as an educator on social media. This year, I'm actually going to attempt to make this happen and, for now, I'll start here on WriteousBabe.com.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>I resolve to become the techie teacher my school already believes I am.</b> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Because I'm under 40 and a blogger, the leaders of my school believe I love all things tech. They even sent me to the International Society for Technology in Education conference this summer in San Antonio, Texas. But despite my love for blogging and social media, I often feel like an analog girl in a digital world. I would have my students turn in their assignments in moleskin journals if I could actually read their handwriting. But alas, I know that going as paperless as possible is good for the environment and that integrating technology in innovative ways can help me spice up old lesson plans and reach all different types of learners. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">I resolve to stop sacrificing self-care. </span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I will exercise every day. I will get a massage every month. And at least one day each week I will do absolutely no work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Self-care is a feminist act because Audre Lorde said so. Lorde once wrote: "Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare."</span><br />
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<i>Teachers, what are your resolutions for the new school year?</i><br />
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<br />javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-72368906196748750902017-01-22T19:10:00.002-06:002017-01-22T19:10:28.467-06:00Why I March <div style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 24px;">
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As a writer I feel obligated to post some thought-provoking and heartfelt prose about what it meant to participate in the Women's March Alabama in Birmingham yesterday. But I'm honestly at a loss for words.</div>
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I can't tell you how humbling yet empowering it felt to walk down the same streets that men, women, and children marched down in the 1960s so that people with skin like mine would have the right to vote - for real - and would have better access to education and jobs. The foot soldiers of the civil rights movement risked their lives, some lost their lives, so I could have the life I do today. I thought of them with every step I took down those Magic City streets.</div>
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I can't tell you how special it was to march yesterday with my husband, some of my students, and some of the women of <a href="http://seejanewritebham.com/" target="_blank">See Jane Write</a> by my side.</div>
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<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #555555; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;">Sharing the Women's March of Alabama in Birmingham with my students meant the world to me.</dd></dl>
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But I can tell you why it was important for me to march yesterday. I marched for my husband, my students, and the women of <a href="http://seejanewritebham.com/" target="_blank">See Jane Write</a> who were by my side.</div>
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<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #555555; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;">Feminist husbands do it better.</dd></dl>
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I marched because black lives matter and no woman married to a black man should have to worry about his life being taken by the very people sworn to protect it.</div>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: black; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.8em;"><a data-mce-href="http://seejanewritebham.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/IMG_8107.jpg" href="http://seejanewritebham.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/IMG_8107.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #555555; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.8em;"><img class="wp-image-3757 size-large" data-mce-src="http://seejanewritebham.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/IMG_8107-1024x768.jpg" height="480" src="http://seejanewritebham.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/IMG_8107-1024x768.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; font-stretch: normal; height: auto; line-height: 1.8em; margin: 5px; max-width: 640px;" width="640" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #555555; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;">My students are why I march.</dd></dl>
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I marched for the girls in my classroom and the girls around the world who deserve every chance to become the women they dream of one day being. I marched because girls deserve to be treated with respect, to be recognized as more than a pretty face or a number on a scale. I marched because women and girls deserve to be trusted, to be believed.</div>
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<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #555555; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;">Photo courtesy of Artney Walker of <a data-mce-href="http://www.myprettybrownfit.com/" href="http://www.myprettybrownfit.com/" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #555555; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em;">My Pretty Brown Fit</a></dd></dl>
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I marched for women and girls who want their voices to be heard.</div>
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I marched for women and girls who want to be the authors of their own lives.</div>
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I marched for myself.</div>
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I marched for you.</div>
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<em style="border: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em;">More moments from Women's March Alabama in Birmingham: </em></div>
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javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-43079971215334472802017-01-06T12:17:00.001-06:002017-01-06T12:26:35.765-06:00My Word for the Year<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We're almost there. We've almost made it through the first week of 2017.<br />
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How did you do?<br />
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Did you tackle to-do lists like a boss? Did you go to the gym every day? Did you start working on your book?<br />
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If not, that's OK. Give yourself a bit of grace.<br />
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Grace -- that's my word for 2017.<br />
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Grace is my word for the year because I need a reminder to be gentle with myself, because sometimes I need to give myself a break and others the benefit of doubt.<br />
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This doesn't meant 2017 won't be the year of the hustle. I plan to work harder than I ever have before to make all of <a href="http://seejanewritebham.com/2017/01/hello-2017/" target="_blank">my 2017 dreams</a> come true.<br />
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But sometimes gumption and grit aren't enough. Sometimes you need grace.<br />
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Sometimes you can't rely solely on willpower. Sometimes you need a higher power. If you're a person of faith, perhaps that power is God. If not, perhaps that power is a belief in your muse or a belief in the causes you defend. Whatever it may be, believe in something bigger than yourself. Believe that this power will give you all you need to do the things you need to do. Believe this power will give you grace.<br />
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<i>What's your word for the year?</i><br />
<br />javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-85122771308891214962016-12-29T05:48:00.000-06:002016-12-29T05:48:02.558-06:002016 Year In Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've only published 25 posts to WriteousBabe.com this year. But if you think this means I haven't been blogging, think again.<br />
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This year I decided to do most of my blogging at <a href="http://seejanewrite.net/">SeeJaneWrite.net</a>, my blog for my business, because I decided I really wanted to take my business to the next level. In case you don't follow me there (or @seejavaciawrite on <a href="https://twitter.com/seejavaciawrite" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/seejavaciawrite/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>), here's what I've been up to in 2016.<br />
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I kicked off 2016 hosting a goal setting seminar for See Jane Write called The #GoalDigger Workshop. I'm doing it again for 2017 on Tuesday, January 3 and this time it's virtual so you can join in even if you aren't in the Birmingham area. You can register <a href="https://seejanewrite.leadpages.co/goaldigger-workshop-for-writers-bloggers/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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In February, I had a fabulously feminist birthday party dancing in the dark to my very own girl power playlist with <a href="http://seejanewritebham.com/2016/02/sol/" target="_blank">Sol Dance Experience</a> and some of my closest friends from See Jane Write. I wrote the essay <a href="http://b-metro.com/howtoturn35/25853/" target="_blank">How to Turn 35</a> for B-Metro in honor of getting old AF. And Beyonce gave me a pretty fantastic birthday present by releasing "Formation."<br />
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In February I was also <a href="http://styleblueprint.com/birmingham/everyday/javacia-harris-bowser-faces/" target="_blank">featured in StyleBlueprint Birmingham</a> and during the interview the editor asked me if I would be interested in freelancing for the publication. I quickly <a href="http://styleblueprint.com/author/javacia-harris-bowser/" target="_blank">signed on as one of their writers</a>.<br />
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In March, I celebrated another birthday -- the birthday of See Jane Write. I hosted a chic 5th anniversary party at aloft hotel (you can check out photos <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1196400433703436.1073741832.213229238687232&type=1&l=42efc1cecc" target="_blank">here</a>) and <a href="http://seejanewritebham.com/2016/03/sjwturns5/" target="_blank">wrote a post on how See Jane Write has changed my life</a>.<br />
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In April, a magazine I once dreamed of writing for wrote about me! Southern Living magazine recognized me as one of the <a href="http://seejanewritebham.com/2016/04/southernliving/" target="_blank">Innovators Changing the South</a>. I was featured alongside household names like actress Reese Witherspoon and icon Dolly Parton!<br />
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In May, I took a break from See Jane Write to focus on finishing up the 2015-2016 school year and to focus on my baby brother's wedding. That's right, CJ is a married man now!<br />
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During the summer I posted here at WriteousBabe.com more and it was back to business with with See Jane Write. I truly felt like a boss babe when I got a chance to speak on how to "Blog Like a Boss" at a Alabama Women in Business luncheon.<br />
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In August, I got a mini-makeover to mark <a href="http://seejanewritebham.com/2016/08/mypersonalbrand/" target="_blank">a new direction with the See Jane Write blog</a>. (Yes, that's actually me in the pictures above.) I decided to start getting more personal on that blog to give people a behind-the-scenes look at my life and my business.<br />
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As the post <a href="http://www.writeousbabe.com/2016/06/dear-god-i-wish-you-were-woman.html" target="_blank">Dear God, I Wish You Were a Woman</a> probably indicated, I've been struggling a lot with my faith this year. I went to my church's annual women's conference <a href="http://seejanewritebham.com/2016/09/seeds-need-plant-season" target="_blank">reCreate</a> in September looking for some divine inspiration.<br />
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October was a month of epic costumes -- I got in Formation and was black girl Harley Quinn -- and epic fundraising. I raised over $1,000 for the Women's Fund of Greater Birmingham!<br />
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And speaking of getting in "Formation," in October I also took a trip to Nashville for Beyonce's Formation World Tour and <a href="http://seejanewritebham.com/2016/10/how-to-get-in-formation/" target="_blank">reflected</a> on what Beyonce's career has meant to me for my own life, both professionally and personally.<br />
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November was a month of the highest highs and the lowest lows.<br />
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I was honored as one of 30 Women Who Shape the State by Alabama Media Group and gave <a href="http://seejanewritebham.com/2016/11/young-black-feminist/" target="_blank">a speech on intersectional feminism</a>, sharing the stage with equal pay advocate Lilly Ledbetter.<br />
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And I went to Blogalicious with some of my best gal pals. <br />
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But the election also happened. Though I initially felt completed defeated by the results, I found <a href="http://www.writeousbabe.com/2016/11/love-in-hopeless-place.html" target="_blank">Love in a Hopeless Place</a>, and decided to use this as more <a href="http://seejanewritebham.com/2016/11/writing-world-change/" target="_blank">motivation</a> to empower women and girls with all my might.<br />
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To round out the Beyonce theme that I'm sure you've noticed, this month I learned that a poem I wrote inspired by <i>Lemonade</i> is going to be published in the forthcoming anthology the <i>King Bey Bible</i>. More on that coming soon!<br />
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2016 was quite the year and I can't wait to see what 2017 has in store!<br />
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<i>What have you been up to this year?</i><br />
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<br />javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-13727171928908497582016-11-09T14:27:00.003-06:002016-11-14T11:01:42.521-06:00Love In a Hopeless Place<div style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 24px;">
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I don't usually write about politics, but last night's election results were not just political, they were personal.<br />
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I felt personally offended that the country I call my home elected a president who has openly and repeatedly made racist, sexist, homophobic and xenophobic remarks and even claims to adopt policies to bolster some of these comments.</div>
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Last night I went to bed before the election was called because I just couldn't take it anymore and because secretly I'd hoped I would wake up the next morning to a miracle.</div>
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That didn't happened.</div>
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And so I started my day searching for the right words to say, the words I would say to the devastated students that I knew would come to me for comfort, the words I would say to the women who read my blog and follow me on social media because they consider me "inspirational."</div>
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But I woke up this morning with no inspiration to give.</div>
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I turned to social media for help, posting to my Facebook page that I was searching for something to say to my students. My friends rallied around me and gave me exactly what I needed.</div>
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"Tell them that we will continue to fight for them," one colleague said.</div>
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One friend, who is actually one of my former teachers, said this:</div>
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"I'll tell you one thing. The last thing those kids need is to come to school today and find you defeated. You don't have to have any great words of hope. You don't have to do anything extraordinary today. You just need to be the exact same kind and compassionate and hopeful human being that they've known each day before today. Go in there and show them what an adult looks like. I'm rooting for you. Peace."</div>
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And with that I shifted my focus. I stopped focusing on what I'm fighting against and started focusing on what I'm fighting for.</div>
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And I stopped feeling sorry for myself as a powerful quote from one of my favorite TED Talks came to mind.</div>
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In a talk given at TEDWomen 2010, feminist blogger Courtney Martin recounted a time when she was so disillusioned with the country that she fantasized about lighting herself on fire on the White House lawn. She shared this with her mother who then turned to her and said, "I will not stand for your desperation."</div>
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So this morning I looked at myself in the mirror and repeated those words: "I will not stand for your desperation."</div>
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Instead I will stand for my students. I will stand for my family. I will stand for my friends. I will stand for women. I will stand for love.</div>
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Love was the inspiration, the answer, I was looking for all along. By focusing on the love I have for the people around me I can rise above the hate that earlier this morning had me trembling in fear. This is no time to go quietly into the night.</div>
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So I will love my students by being the safe space they seek and empowering them to be the change they want to see in the world. I will love my family and my friends by reminding them always that they matter. I will love the women of my tribe by helping them make their dreams come true.</div>
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I will smile at strangers and hold open doors. I'l be patient with people at the grocery store, my favorite restaurants and even the DMV. I will even strive to rein in my road rage because at the end of the day we're all just trying to get where we want to be.</div>
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Viktor Frankl once said that, "Everything in life can be taken away from you, except for your freedom to choose how you respond."</div>
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I choose to respond with love, a love that defies, a love that knows no defeat.</div>
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javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-72755285432944516582016-08-15T06:53:00.000-05:002016-08-15T07:48:39.056-05:00Back to School Commandments<div style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<a data-mce-href="http://javacia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/sylvia-plath.jpg" href="http://javacia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/sylvia-plath.jpg" style="color: #555555; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em;"><img alt="sylvia plath" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-474" data-mce-src="http://javacia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/sylvia-plath-1024x682.jpg" src="http://javacia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/sylvia-plath-1024x682.jpg" height="426" style="clear: both; display: block; font-stretch: normal; height: auto; line-height: 1.8em; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="640" /></a></div>
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In my classroom is a quote board and I don't care how cliche it may be for an English teacher to have one. The first quote I post each year is by author and poet Sylvia Plath: "I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart: I am, I am, I am."</div>
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Not far from the quote board is a portrait of Plath. When seated at my desk poring over lesson plans and pitiful thesis statements, I glance across the room and look into her eyes. They seem to say to me, "Keep going."</div>
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While a student at Smith College, Plath once wrote herself a list of Back to School Commandments, beginning with three rules on how to behave around her new beau.</div>
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: black; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.8em;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.openculture.com/2015/08/sylvia-plaths-10-back-to-school-commandments-1953.html" href="http://www.openculture.com/2015/08/sylvia-plaths-10-back-to-school-commandments-1953.html" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #555555; font-stretch: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.8em;"><img alt="Image via OpenCulture" class="size-large wp-image-473" data-mce-src="http://javacia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/plath-commandments-930x1024.jpg" src="http://javacia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/plath-commandments-930x1024.jpg" height="705" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; display: block; font-stretch: normal; height: auto; line-height: 1.8em; margin: 5px; max-width: 640px;" width="640" /></a></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #555555; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0.5em;">Image via <a data-mce-href="http://www.openculture.com/2015/08/sylvia-plaths-10-back-to-school-commandments-1953.html" href="http://www.openculture.com/2015/08/sylvia-plaths-10-back-to-school-commandments-1953.html" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; color: #555555; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em;" target="_blank">OpenCulture</a></dd></dl>
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Inspired, I decided to pen commandments of my own for my love and my labor.</div>
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1. I will not overwhelm him with panic, stress, and worry.</div>
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2. I will not throw temper tantrums when he simply asks me to sort through my mail and receipts.</div>
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3. I will kiss him and adore him as if he were my high school crush.</div>
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Back to School Commandments</div>
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1. Keep a CALM FRONT always.</div>
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2. Research papers -- don't get upset. Every year you're convinced they'll be the death of you. Every year you survive.</div>
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3. Report cards -- Resist the urge to panic no matter how many tests, essays, and journal assignments you have to grade at the end of the quarter.</div>
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4. DO NOT STOP WRITING. You must practice what you teach.</div>
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5. Say "Good morning" to every one, every day, even when the morning is anything but good.</div>
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6. Write down everything. Clean your desk. Vacuum your rug. Wash your mug. Throw away dry erase markers that no longer work.</div>
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7. Do not skip workouts to grade papers. Your job is not worth your health no matter how noble your profession may be.</div>
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8. Stop staying up late. Teaching teenagers is no excuse for adopting their sleeping habits.</div>
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9. Remember 10 months is not an eternity. 9 weeks is not an eternity. Even if it looks that way now.</div>
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10. Make sure you're always having fun -- even when you're teaching Puritan lit or MLA. If you're bored your students will be, too.</div>
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P.S. - Remember -- your class will teach your students more about life than literature and that's exactly the way it should be.</div>
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Love,</div>
<div style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 24px;">
J.</div>
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<i>Previously published at javacia.com. </i></div>
javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-32831142868075857042016-07-12T14:44:00.002-05:002016-07-12T14:46:04.369-05:00More Than a Pillar of Salt<div style="color: #555555; font-family: Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em; margin-bottom: 24px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrthUxnFzmFTYEcMkM4pB6uQ1o2Nz1tlUXFrgFaKw5wtOOjGwqHPQOHvejzZD5McQhes1ly6gZFryQVx0YNUqy3hyphenhyphenmG_L645ARCLAVd1MZQU0hFzsSykLtKO1jnPXeKay8MB30jyJp6xn/s1600/cover-for-angels-at-the-gate-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNrthUxnFzmFTYEcMkM4pB6uQ1o2Nz1tlUXFrgFaKw5wtOOjGwqHPQOHvejzZD5McQhes1ly6gZFryQVx0YNUqy3hyphenhyphenmG_L645ARCLAVd1MZQU0hFzsSykLtKO1jnPXeKay8MB30jyJp6xn/s640/cover-for-angels-at-the-gate-web.jpg" width="422" /></a></div>
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As a girl growing up in church, I always wanted to know more about Lot’s wife, the biblical character known only as the woman who was turned into a pillar of salt after she looked back at Sodom as it was being destroyed.</div>
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What was her name? Who was she before she was Lot’s wife? Why did she look back despite the instruction of angels to keep facing forward and moving ahead?</div>
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In her novel <i style="border: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em;">Angels at the Gate</i>, local author T.K. Thorne imagines the answers to these questions and more. Thorne’s historical fiction spins the tale of Adira, who is secretly raised as a boy in her father’s caravan. As she grows older, Adira rejects womanhood as it threatens her independence and nomadic life. But the appearance of two mysterious strangers, rumored to be holy men or angels, changes everything.</div>
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With its detailed descriptions of desert life and in-depth character development,<i style="border: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em;">Angels at the Gate</i> instantly drew me in. As I read about Adira’s treacherous quest to follow the “angels” I was a nervous wreck, worried about how she and her beloved dog, Nami, would survive the dangers of the desert and the perils of Sodom.</div>
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<i style="border: none; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 1.8em;">Angels at the Gate</i> recently won the Gold Benjamin Franklin award, regarded as one of the highest national honors for small and independent publishers. When I read a book and love it, I often want to interview the author. This time, I did.</div>
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Head to B-Metro.com to check out <a href="http://b-metro.com/tkthorne/28201/" target="_blank">my interview with T.K. Thorne.</a> </div>
javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-20672804743941112432016-06-27T11:36:00.000-05:002016-06-27T11:36:57.053-05:00Why I Don't Believe in Balance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHALF0xm0aKdPLHUwtPx_Ng4aDlusdbQ6yKLH_hSmOZmeP2y249iGpnyzjdzeOw19tN_clQ3MlxNp6F87rKX5mXUFiMmdr8O1WrYOgKZiWsEawA6w67XZmg9x5SEh4wog7vYG5kcLqlfJ/s1600/p4p+red+wall+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwHALF0xm0aKdPLHUwtPx_Ng4aDlusdbQ6yKLH_hSmOZmeP2y249iGpnyzjdzeOw19tN_clQ3MlxNp6F87rKX5mXUFiMmdr8O1WrYOgKZiWsEawA6w67XZmg9x5SEh4wog7vYG5kcLqlfJ/s1600/p4p+red+wall+pic.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">A few years ago I had the honor of attending a lecture by renowned journalist Soledad O'Brien. During the Q&A period of O’Brien’s talk an audience member asked her a question often asked of highly successful women who juggle busy careers with motherhood: How do you balance it all?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">O'Brien's answer was quite simple. "I don't," she said.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">O'Brien said sometimes she has to pour her whole self into her work and at those times she's probably a crappy mom. But at other times she puts work on hold so she can focus solely on her family, even if that makes her a bad journalist in the eyes of others. She said she realized she can't always be great at all her roles in this world and that's OK.</span></div>
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<b>BALANCE IS A UNICORN</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">O'Brien's words reminded me of a profound statement I'd heard a month or so previously, also spoken by another woman juggling a career with motherhood. During a panel discussion at the 2013 Blogalicious conference <a href="http://aliahpr.com/blog/" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">Aliah Davis McHenry</a> — a blogger, PR pro, wife and — was asked the key to balance. She leaned into the microphone and said, "Balance is a unicorn."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The crowd erupted into laughter and applause.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I found both O'Brien's and McHenry's words quite comforting. Even though I am not a mom, I am a wife, daughter, sister and friend and I often feel as if I'm failing the people in my life because I'm so busy building my business and my blog along with my writing and teaching careers. And when I do spend time with family and friends I often feel I'm slacking on my professional life. But with their words I decided to let myself off the hook.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Personally, I hate the phrase “work/life balance.” It implies that our work can’t be life-giving and that living doesn’t take hard work, neither of which is true.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>GOD NEVER PROMISES BALANCE</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I first began to boldly proclaim that I don't believe in balance, several of the Christian women in my life scolded my declaration, telling me this was not a godly attitude. I felt guilty and ashamed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 23.8px;">Then I read </span><i style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 23.8px;">Restless</i><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 23.8px;"> by Jennie Allen, a book all about discovering and walking in purpose. And this book has revealed to me that when you're walking in your purpose things can get messy.</span><br style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 23.8px;" /><br style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 23.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 23.8px;">In a section written by Allen's husband Zac, he writes, "God never promises balance."</span><br style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 23.8px;" /><br style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 23.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 23.8px;">I believe that God promises us that if we are walking in our true purpose we will have peace, but this doesn't mean life will always be orderly and neat.</span><br style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 23.8px;" /><br style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 23.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 23.8px;">Zac explains that what you, what I, what we have been calling balance was really a determined effort to control our lives at all costs. But God is in control. And, again, God never promises balance.</span><br style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 23.8px;" /><br style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 23.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 23.8px;">This life we're living now that we are pursuing our passions, this life that feels chaotic, is likely a symptom of a person attempting to follow God, a person attempting to run after her dreams.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I believe God tries to teach us this through creation. We can learn a lot about how to live our lives by paying attention to nature and this is why I’m a huge proponent of seeing our lives as a collection of seasons. Mother Earth isn’t sprouting flowers and bathing us in sunshine 365 days a year. Sometimes she has to retreat into winter and though we find her cold during those months, this time is necessary if she is going to give us spring.</span></div>
javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-55433171047837288172016-06-22T14:58:00.000-05:002016-06-22T14:58:04.490-05:00Let Us Be Writeous Babes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6T55sXVA7FaL8zYpU89YACOT5yUNJVTxlYwD-x1FXgCv_ptiPLRn0yCROrTbccY01MtMqCsi1iLnFcTvk7dwo5ETbN4-bZYoMUjIENMUqz1-i4dFdkZ4qvCOjBuxrjmZ5d0v1tRpTaun/s1600/babe+necklace.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ6T55sXVA7FaL8zYpU89YACOT5yUNJVTxlYwD-x1FXgCv_ptiPLRn0yCROrTbccY01MtMqCsi1iLnFcTvk7dwo5ETbN4-bZYoMUjIENMUqz1-i4dFdkZ4qvCOjBuxrjmZ5d0v1tRpTaun/s640/babe+necklace.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 20.8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let us be writeous. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 20.8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let us be writeous babes. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 20.8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let us be women who write and live lives worth writing about. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 20.8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let us be the authors of our own lives. Let us write well and edit often. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 20.8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let us be writeous babes. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 20.8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let us be women who use our words to make money and make a difference. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let us be women who are not here<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 20.8px;"> for the starving artist cliche because we know we must be well-fed writers if we will nurture the world around us. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 20.8px;">Let us be writeous babes. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 20.8px;">Let us be women who have stories and want to look good while we share them. This is not vanity. Our stunning beauty is simply the result of self-care. We know we cannot pour from an empty cup. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 20.8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 20.8px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let us be writeous babes. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 20.8px;">Let us be women who believe in the sanctity of sisterhood. Let us make part of our life's work to help other women and girls find their voices and let them be heard. Let us follow the African proverb, "She who learns teaches."</span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.8px;"><br style="background-color: white;" /></span></span><br />Let us be writeous babes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 20.8px;">Let us be goal diggers! Let us have the imagination to unearth bold and beautiful dreams and the courage to make them come true. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.8px;">Let us be writeous.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.8px;">Let us be babes. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20.8px;">Let us be writteous babes. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 20.8px;" /></span>javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-69518163672656050222016-06-20T20:00:00.000-05:002016-06-20T20:00:11.854-05:005 Things I Know For Sure<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLI16DRI9uTIFbAAtgq412RIG6b1-3elEGp7emnQaBM2xTwUdUSybbfAvdws_Nxzopt9NlRrEiX8yAzXy2p_uGhL_GRbPD-bOjdUCIcDBBwRIkaKEwAIA7SqO8tomymODCh9JUKyNGnvMK/s1600/FACES+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLI16DRI9uTIFbAAtgq412RIG6b1-3elEGp7emnQaBM2xTwUdUSybbfAvdws_Nxzopt9NlRrEiX8yAzXy2p_uGhL_GRbPD-bOjdUCIcDBBwRIkaKEwAIA7SqO8tomymODCh9JUKyNGnvMK/s640/FACES+photo.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photos by <a href="http://www.brendonpinolaphotography.com/" target="_blank">Brendon Pinola</a> via <a href="http://styleblueprint.com/birmingham/everyday/javacia-harris-bowser-faces/" target="_blank">StyleBlueprint Birmingham</a></td></tr>
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<b>1. God is Love and Love is Life. </b>When it comes to faith, I have more questions than answers. Though I identify as Christian because I love Jesus, organized religion confuses me to no end. It always has. It probably always will. But I am sure that God is Love and Love is Life. My life should center on loving others and loving myself. I believe this is how we worship. This is why I consider my marriage a ministry and my feminism a divine calling. When I serve my husband, when I join hands with the women of my tribe to help them make their dreams come true, these are holy acts. When I share pillow talk with my husband, when my friends and I share secrets over a bottle wine (or two), this is communion.<br />
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<b>2. What God has for me is for me. </b>Last year my husband and I set out to purchase our first house. As offer after offer was turned down we got discouraged. The rejection was heartbreaking. It felt like getting dumped again and again. But eventually an offer was accepted on a house that was more spacious, less expensive, and closer to our jobs than any of the other houses. It was after this that I truly began to believe the saying "What God has for me is for me." And I have started to apply it to every facet of my life. And therefore I no longer believe in competition. This attitude will work wonders for your relationships with other women. You will no longer see other women as competition in business or anything. As one of my favorite quotes says, you will see them as your tribe, your sisters, your fellow goddesses. And you will treat them as such.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl205mrQXfCSnbdQ_Uh4H-CJZuq1crbTlKZLTYOpgNQFcKJDIbrsd06MsrRIvj7wOnVbaIqUMR4lQ2uiZkeX_ToV2WY_eqxaNMXwlZ2GWqzVxYA4QjG9Tnje65WaDE-yXOl1lt4F7nkBG9/s1600/FACES+photo+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl205mrQXfCSnbdQ_Uh4H-CJZuq1crbTlKZLTYOpgNQFcKJDIbrsd06MsrRIvj7wOnVbaIqUMR4lQ2uiZkeX_ToV2WY_eqxaNMXwlZ2GWqzVxYA4QjG9Tnje65WaDE-yXOl1lt4F7nkBG9/s640/FACES+photo+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>3. A woman's words can change the world. </b>This belief defines my life's work. This is why I'm an English teacher at a predominantly female school. This is why I founded <a href="http://seejanewritebham.com/" target="_blank">See Jane Write</a>, a Birmingham-based membership organization for women who write and blog. This is why I write. This is why I blog. This is also why I am careful of every word I speak to my husband, to my students, and to my friends. My words have the power to tear down or build up and so do yours. Will you use your superpower for evil or for good?<br />
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<b>4. She who learns teaches.</b> This Ethiopian proverb is my mantra. I am a teacher, but not just in my classroom. I teach through See Jane Write. I teach through this blog. I teach through <a href="http://b-metro.com/category/write-like-a-girl/" target="_blank">the column I write for a local magazine</a>. I teach through my every action and my every word. I teach because so many have taught me and it is my duty to keep this virtuous cycle going.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkh4SPYqnp4RTM8pzSlfuoaaGSYedbcPcklTGqQqUKVvyPG3Zit8EA2_AonJZNteaPiJ1qKOe-uovfihAzMbFlv5j06cStGzKISy4ZySHhDaNX5g9smzAg9AEaCVKTFk3DBMzlMmtBZ77/s1600/FACES+photo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxkh4SPYqnp4RTM8pzSlfuoaaGSYedbcPcklTGqQqUKVvyPG3Zit8EA2_AonJZNteaPiJ1qKOe-uovfihAzMbFlv5j06cStGzKISy4ZySHhDaNX5g9smzAg9AEaCVKTFk3DBMzlMmtBZ77/s640/FACES+photo+2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<b>5. Self-care is a feminist act. </b>All work and no play makes me a very boring babe, and oftentimes a very sick one, too. I used to pride myself on working all the time. Javacia "No Days Off" Bowser, I once called myself. But that got old and so did I, or at least too old to keep up at such a pace. Now I have lazy days at least every other week, days during which I do nothing but watch reruns of Law & Order or NCIS (I told you I was old), and I get a massage every month. Self-care is not selfish. In a world where women are expected to take care of everyone except themselves, self-care is a feminist act. And self-care is not selfish because we can't take care of others if we have nothing left inside to give. You can't pour from an empty cup.<br />
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<i>What 5 things do you know for sure? </i><br />
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<i>This post was inspired by the series 5 Things I Know for Sure created by Ashley Coleman of the blog <a href="http://www.writelaughdream.com/the-blog/5-things-coleman" target="_blank">Write Laugh Dream</a>. </i><br />
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<br />javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-19612967445730674282016-06-17T10:06:00.000-05:002016-06-17T10:06:39.075-05:00Dear God, I Wish You Were a Woman<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTafxi_kJSoAR3-hL7KFv2tDl26ah91Bjmf_K-8r6J_PSvuikH9nxwHaoIlCfj08ScQLGV2Hh0VthwAtH6dMyNSmEHbsxMWPgaG9DA5s6hbsNn3X7efY8ux0RlN-Ef7NMW0oBTksncug-/s1600/i+met+god+she%2527s+black.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTafxi_kJSoAR3-hL7KFv2tDl26ah91Bjmf_K-8r6J_PSvuikH9nxwHaoIlCfj08ScQLGV2Hh0VthwAtH6dMyNSmEHbsxMWPgaG9DA5s6hbsNn3X7efY8ux0RlN-Ef7NMW0oBTksncug-/s640/i+met+god+she%2527s+black.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image <a href="http://massappeal.com/family-swank-dylan-chenfeld/" target="_blank">via</a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Trust in God; She will provide. -- Emmeline Pankhurst</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear God,</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wish you were a woman</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Because since I was a girl</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve pictured you as a white man</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With white hair</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dressed in a long white robe.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And I am not a man</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And my skin is a shade of deep chocolate brown.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So how can I believe that I was created in your image?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 1.656; white-space: pre-wrap;">Dear God,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wish you were a woman</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Because sometimes feminism feels like my religion.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Because conversations with other women fill me with the Holy Ghost</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">More than any church service ever has.</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Because the pro-woman words of my favorite girl power anthems</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Move me more than any hymn ever could. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is my Apostle's Creed. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear God, </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I wish you were a woman so I could stop whispering the words, </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"She so loved the world"</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And start boldly proclaiming them instead. </span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.656; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dear God,</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes I believe you are a woman</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes I believe that feminine, yet fierce, yet friendly voice</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That I hear in my heart</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That I hear in my head</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Guiding me, comforting me, cheering me on</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That voice that as I child I thought must be the imaginary friend adults said I should have</span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That voice that as a woman I thought was proof that I was losing my mind</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes -- I believe that voice is You.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I think.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope.</span></span></div>
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<b style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I pray.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-83357222376590181132016-06-15T07:09:00.003-05:002016-06-15T07:09:26.319-05:00How to Get a Great Beach Body<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPal7_YBwZbitmehiGQskzDOUbnGegW_ffssSvj2VSfUzaG05R7hJeUj2oRwWl89i7bHx9PwyfWrm77lL8NA2vknWMaGA8BaLekCzT3M1YtcKhzBxdL6OVEyJWrZ0_G0nJZ5nJDkbosctl/s1600/beach+babe+6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPal7_YBwZbitmehiGQskzDOUbnGegW_ffssSvj2VSfUzaG05R7hJeUj2oRwWl89i7bHx9PwyfWrm77lL8NA2vknWMaGA8BaLekCzT3M1YtcKhzBxdL6OVEyJWrZ0_G0nJZ5nJDkbosctl/s640/beach+babe+6.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Do you want to know the secret to getting a great beach body?<br />
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Take your body to the beach.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbAa3T9mKgbvZFvCj77OrsnCRmJlkQ4iZzhzQdjesyHHd7R77ws6UhGD0gpWfX3WLC1Vz5r6b1t2NeO9QqHShRhrceCcqIjIfuQmCni8BMp_ZDW3KRf7q9vbsBQL4zzmPne1vRGJZGNta/s1600/beach+babe+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipbAa3T9mKgbvZFvCj77OrsnCRmJlkQ4iZzhzQdjesyHHd7R77ws6UhGD0gpWfX3WLC1Vz5r6b1t2NeO9QqHShRhrceCcqIjIfuQmCni8BMp_ZDW3KRf7q9vbsBQL4zzmPne1vRGJZGNta/s640/beach+babe+5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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My writeous bae and I recently went to Virginia and hubs wanted to spend a day at Virginia Beach. Initially, I balked at the idea. The past several months have been insanely busy for me and thus I haven't been able to exercise regularly. My eating habits have taken a turn for the worse, too, due to all the stress I've been under. So, needless to say, I've packed on a few extra pounds.<br />
<br />
And to my mind this meant I didn't deserve a day at the beach. To my mind my body wasn't fit for swimwear.<br />
<br />
Basically, I'm telling you I was being a bad feminist and a hypocrite.<br />
<br />
You see, I would never say those things to someone else. If a friend told me she wasn't going to allow herself a day at the beach because she'd gained weight I'd launch into a body positive sermon and buy her a new bikini myself. I'd say, "Girl, if you want a bikini body, just put a bikini on your body!"<br />
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But yet I couldn't say this to myself... that is until I thought of my girls.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AuJtL6C8qD0c2POnzJnmd9rov7Ew_c2gXPKRqHcYEyZMKjN8N8TSNlzlS8fFqck8j1rGhpOJCGF_NTGK4gnoLqrPkwgzH1a0eKZCsOV2I8yjNLffZ2_BeQb05zGf22VGrAwjaRtG4PZP/s1600/beach+babe+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8AuJtL6C8qD0c2POnzJnmd9rov7Ew_c2gXPKRqHcYEyZMKjN8N8TSNlzlS8fFqck8j1rGhpOJCGF_NTGK4gnoLqrPkwgzH1a0eKZCsOV2I8yjNLffZ2_BeQb05zGf22VGrAwjaRtG4PZP/s640/beach+babe+4.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<br />
For me, body positivity is not just about my own self-esteem. As a high school teacher I have dozens of teen girls in my life who look up to me. I must be mindful of the behavior I am modeling for them. I must be careful not to say disparaging things about my body in front of them. I can't simply preach or teach body positivity; I must walk the talk.<br />
<br />
While I do not think that dieting is anti-feminist, behaving as if life can't begin until we reach our goal weight is quite problematic. And that's exactly what I was doing.<br />
<br />
So I took my body to the beach. And I had an awesome time digging my toes in the sand and bathing in the sun. I had too much fun wading in the water and squealing like a little girl as the waves crashed against my body.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to pretend the Atlantic Ocean washed away all my body image issues. I still opted to wear a tankini and not show my belly and when I caught my husband taking full body photos of me while I was resting in the sand, I started reaching for the phone to stop him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMg6QOCREh2Km3dIEfeW2ziBPQtSTN8XxEZWNUlCMto2-aowFjfKNLk8Q4zisQHEUquJF4IGPuAgbdiISCs-XmEB5v4D_wbp0AFoZ274fKXRiZQwLPuvhCgg-2zREUR-fWb4xCl4sT0ljN/s1600/beach+babe+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMg6QOCREh2Km3dIEfeW2ziBPQtSTN8XxEZWNUlCMto2-aowFjfKNLk8Q4zisQHEUquJF4IGPuAgbdiISCs-XmEB5v4D_wbp0AFoZ274fKXRiZQwLPuvhCgg-2zREUR-fWb4xCl4sT0ljN/s640/beach+babe+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
And I admit that before we left for the oceanfront I even had to reread the <i>Ebony</i> March 2016 cover story on black women and the body positive movement. The article features full-figured and fabulous women like singers Chrisette Michelle and Jazmine Sullivan and actress Danielle Brooks. Gabi Fresh, one of my favorite fashion bloggers, is also featured in the article and her comments resonated with me most. In the piece, Gabi reminds us that, "The body isn't just meant to be looked at; it's meant to do things, and that is a gift in and of itself."<br />
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<br />javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-88000166051360578892016-06-13T06:00:00.000-05:002016-06-13T06:00:32.168-05:00Run Like a Girl<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UAzrz29KmG-F2KrziLbuXUkwbGIN-pORXiwaRQRJKQhgol5eoYIe8DaOTNCM4ymBxYIztfQXlJVpvPR4aAiqyn3iJ2aYGvqOlUCZq_Qg5bHEPgtQwiorjE2yFhIwI9OBg0j-qtTKIlyx/s1600/Weight-Watchers-May-June.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7UAzrz29KmG-F2KrziLbuXUkwbGIN-pORXiwaRQRJKQhgol5eoYIe8DaOTNCM4ymBxYIztfQXlJVpvPR4aAiqyn3iJ2aYGvqOlUCZq_Qg5bHEPgtQwiorjE2yFhIwI9OBg0j-qtTKIlyx/s640/Weight-Watchers-May-June.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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This month, in the brutality of Alabama summer heat, I am going to start training for a marathon, and it’s all Artney Walker’s fault. Walker is a Birmingham-based fitness blogger and last year, she ran four marathons.</div>
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This accomplishment has not only inspired me to start pounding the pavement again, but also got the attention of <i>Weight Watchers</i> magazine. Walker was profiled in the May/June issue as part of the magazine’s “I Love What My Body Can Do” feature. Walker has been a fan of the Weight Watchers diet plan for eight years, but she never thought she’d one day be on the pages of its magazine. “In the beginning, I was in shock,” Walker says of the day in January when the magazine first contacted her. “The day of my photo shoot, my dream became a reality. Being a Weight Watchers member, I knew my story would resonate with so many readers.”</div>
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<i>Read my entire article on Artney in the <a href="http://b-metro.com/run-like-a-girl/27689/" target="_blank">here</a> or in the June issue of B-Metro magazine. </i></div>
javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-37098873137386866062016-06-07T10:23:00.000-05:002016-06-07T10:23:01.546-05:00Summers Are For Slaying<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EyzCRxHxy-vrYRLcVY7TBMfMQllzZNFjpik7myWJL65Hj-QAoqGf02Szp4rPQ1TvX1Y45h80eSc7JemjeNUzvArz1GRsBZegQAa5rvUYcCFLxOkeiM8Sxdkfn5w0e_MhqNH19jjv27KZ/s1600/beach+babe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EyzCRxHxy-vrYRLcVY7TBMfMQllzZNFjpik7myWJL65Hj-QAoqGf02Szp4rPQ1TvX1Y45h80eSc7JemjeNUzvArz1GRsBZegQAa5rvUYcCFLxOkeiM8Sxdkfn5w0e_MhqNH19jjv27KZ/s640/beach+babe.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Summer is here.<br />
<br />
Yes, I know it's not officially summer until June 20, but I'm a teacher, so for me summer began the moment I left work on the last day of school.<br />
<br />
But I am also a small business owner.<br />
<br />
For the teacherpreneur summer is a difficult dance.<br />
<br />
We want to take a break. We need to take a break. We deserve to take a break.<br />
<br />
But we also know that summers are for slaying. We know that with no papers to grade and no lectures to write, we have the opportunity to take our businesses to the the next level.<br />
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But we also know we can't pour from an empty cup. We know that we need to rest. We know self-care is a feminist act.<br />
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After the school year ended, my husband and I took a short trip to visit his hometown. I lounged around reading books. We went to the movies and to the beach. We ate way too much food and spent quality time with family and friends.<br />
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But now it's time to get back to work. Now it's time to slay.<br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">Here are five ways to slay this summer: </span></i></b><br />
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<b>Resolve to treat your body like a temple.</b> I know you're eager to change the world with your ideas, but be sure not to neglect yourself along the way. Whether you're a religious person and you see your body as a vessel for God's spirit or an artistic person and you see your body as a vessel for your muse, treat your body like a temple. For me this means going for a run most mornings and doing strength training most evenings. For me this means I'm going to get more sleep and drink more water. And for me this means I'm finally going to stop eating like a college frat boy. Most of the time. (I refuse to give up pizza or tacos.)<br />
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<b>Resolve to love like crazy. </b>"Find your tribe and love them hard" -- if you know me well you know this quote by Danielle LaPorte is one of my life mantras. This summer be sure your bae and your babes know how much they mean to you. This summer I will be my husband's girlfriend. And this summer I plan to spend many hours laughing and lounging with the lovely ladies in my life.<br />
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<b>Resolve to get paid, babe!</b> This summer it's time to do some pruning. Are you doing things for your business that are costing you a lot of time, but not making you much money? It's time to let those things go. It's time to charge what you're worth and it's time to only focus on the things that are helping you, your business, and your clients grow. This summer with <a href="http://seejanewritebham.com/" target="_blank">See Jane Write</a> I am going to focus the membership program -- recruiting new members and taking good care of the members I already have. I also have a mastermind program I might do and a couple of e-courses I want to launch.<br />
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<b>Resolve to win at work. </b>Are you juggling a 9 to 5 with a side hustle? Resolve to slay at both. When the 2016-2017 school year starts in August I will be faced with teaching the largest group of students of my career. So I'm going to spend time each week this summer revamping lessons and lectures and recreating rubrics to make this year a success. Figure out what you need to do to win at work and put that plan into action. But don't forget your side hustle or passion project. Resolve to spend a little time each day working on building your business and your personal brand as a writer and blogger.<br />
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<b>Resolve to write every day.</b> I'm so tired of being a writer who doesn't write! I've been so consumed with <a href="http://seejanewritebham.com/" target="_blank">See Jane Write</a> that I hardly ever get to see Javacia write! This summer I'm going to write every day, whether that is here on my blog, in my journal, or for a freelance assignment. I will write every day. I'm even planning to start on a book!<br />
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What are your resolutions for the summer? Share them in the comments!javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-60865160182847942152016-06-01T07:45:00.000-05:002016-06-01T09:30:39.205-05:00You Are Stronger Than You Think<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMj1tJ1aLLkLopN7ROr2YG2rmIAt5Cu0wQdoevrZdWaUcBpGNLXMzW6wG5_q_6FG4nrPTNApb3vNSXVRuw7WFuiNu_aOJEA_rTLgs7oGnRAg2czlYqITImporOeNVOKW1HSTLEjfNWlmgK/s1600/stronger+than+you+think.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMj1tJ1aLLkLopN7ROr2YG2rmIAt5Cu0wQdoevrZdWaUcBpGNLXMzW6wG5_q_6FG4nrPTNApb3vNSXVRuw7WFuiNu_aOJEA_rTLgs7oGnRAg2czlYqITImporOeNVOKW1HSTLEjfNWlmgK/s640/stronger+than+you+think.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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So here I am greeting June 1, 2016 -- a day that last month the drama queen in me was convinced I wouldn't see.<br />
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I had so much going on in May I thought I wouldn't survive it. As a teacher, May is always the busiest month of the year for me as I have to grade 60+ research papers and dozens of final projects as well as write and grade exams and finalize all grades for the semester. I have to clean my classroom -- for real -- and fill out a mountain of end-of-the-year paperwork. On top of all of this I had freelance stories to write and I had to keep <a href="http://seejanewritebham.com/" target="_blank">See Jane Write</a> afloat. I was also dealing with family drama and health issues to boot. And the weekend before grades were due my brother was getting married and I was to be the matron of honor in the wedding.<br />
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I remember one night I started thinking of all I had to do and suddenly couldn't catch my breath. I felt as if the walls of my bedroom were closing in on me and I felt my body fill with fear. Praying myself to sleep was the only way I could get calm.<br />
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The next morning, I had had enough! I decided I was not going to let my massive to-do list, my family issues, or my health problems get the best of me. The night before I had a talk with God, but that morning I decided I needed to do some talking to myself!<br />
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"Get it together, girl!" I said to myself. "One day at a time, you can do this," I assured myself. "Babe, you got this," I declared and even made an Instagram graphic saying so.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIodIDVjQpbk4ruzuXSeJXPDbXVCgxKo4RF8QS9mN4CzcWxEzZxdEeQ3_6sITvHj9ujIGlDjZ5zdbIhWR1plVDdA06JjLGpPDKK6NDEeS3Q59vTBdkE4xA7msbyMrN7uN4tXk_vKHgE3OZ/s1600/you+got+this.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIodIDVjQpbk4ruzuXSeJXPDbXVCgxKo4RF8QS9mN4CzcWxEzZxdEeQ3_6sITvHj9ujIGlDjZ5zdbIhWR1plVDdA06JjLGpPDKK6NDEeS3Q59vTBdkE4xA7msbyMrN7uN4tXk_vKHgE3OZ/s640/you+got+this.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Did these affirmations magically solve all my problems? Of course not! My health issues did not subside and my family drama actually got worse, but I survived the month nevertheless.<br />
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In fact, I didn't just survive, I thrived. I graded research papers, finished exams, and completed end-of-the-year paperwork faster than I ever have in my 7 years of teaching. Hubs even noted that he didn't see papers scattered all over the house for as long as he normally does in May. And my brother's wedding day, which I thought would be stressful and draining, filled me (and I'm sure everyone in attendance) with love and joy. It was perfect!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsv_A6-8rP8MgPmz75ap9DL5OZfVanZf9PF93A4iuqxrkG9-7igw294dML_W_BROSTbaAqaIxGv_3-ietWWyEpBWc99KyEZB3AUfHpmTA3CXgFtamUaGT49CjRcA3Ln4MGmJsmZaYClyCz/s1600/mandi+and+ceej.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsv_A6-8rP8MgPmz75ap9DL5OZfVanZf9PF93A4iuqxrkG9-7igw294dML_W_BROSTbaAqaIxGv_3-ietWWyEpBWc99KyEZB3AUfHpmTA3CXgFtamUaGT49CjRcA3Ln4MGmJsmZaYClyCz/s640/mandi+and+ceej.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My brother and his beautiful bride!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgI_EhogVJbJ6YJwWgfJDwuizVvccXblL9jXck8iOX2-ss5l2Fo7zBJRjOsrflqGJ2lEruEfAWe2nW1ygDaKBMVY7hkTzh1IwsHE3eIzd7mHxlDukdHrudUdzlGyoOTetGFSlMXQe0lid/s1600/wedding+weekend.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgI_EhogVJbJ6YJwWgfJDwuizVvccXblL9jXck8iOX2-ss5l2Fo7zBJRjOsrflqGJ2lEruEfAWe2nW1ygDaKBMVY7hkTzh1IwsHE3eIzd7mHxlDukdHrudUdzlGyoOTetGFSlMXQe0lid/s640/wedding+weekend.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scenes from the Wedding and Graduation</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPTUUXmjBy34jAwWd5sz20uW23L8IX78945FHQj52e_DqyGL3dDl1xEsQm42pJ3M5MzNQbN_un-D1Ko-8LmGXEqhBBJc8btet7YDqagMF2OqHk9dVz3Fekbgnvb0Hyq8yvz7v0P6gBVBO/s1600/matron+of+honor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCPTUUXmjBy34jAwWd5sz20uW23L8IX78945FHQj52e_DqyGL3dDl1xEsQm42pJ3M5MzNQbN_un-D1Ko-8LmGXEqhBBJc8btet7YDqagMF2OqHk9dVz3Fekbgnvb0Hyq8yvz7v0P6gBVBO/s640/matron+of+honor.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Matron of Honor!</td></tr>
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As the school year came to a close I heard a voice whisper, "You are stronger than you think."<br />
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I'm not going to say this was God. I'm not one to profess burning bush experiences. But I think this voice came from that great feminine power that resides in all women, that power that gives us strength beyond our imagination and peace beyond our understanding. And I think the message that voice gave me that day wasn't just for me.<br />
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You, too, are stronger than you think. Whatever obstacle you're facing right now that you think you can't clear, whatever hurdle you think you can't leap over, just know that you can and you will. One day at a time, you can do this. Babe, you got this.<br />
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PS -- If you're a fan of daily affirmations be sure to follow me on Instagram <a href="https://www.instagram.com/writeousbabe/" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/seejavaciawrite/" target="_blank">here</a>.javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-638454336208915792.post-62958982545347178782016-05-31T15:40:00.000-05:002016-05-31T15:40:05.550-05:00My Feminist Fingertips, May 2016<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCy0oe3ZQXlTTDMRnxMUnn0lFuL6kviIpi9T1U2gr1Wbm_TDgScB32KjyLDllJikMqpvMQmMMlaEGEW2sTFR3qZs1ZDbdwSA9o4d6wiJmpfyvShP2_5KDFnzr6rGsEHzQsdwLuzyeVnlYi/s1600/feminist+fingertips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCy0oe3ZQXlTTDMRnxMUnn0lFuL6kviIpi9T1U2gr1Wbm_TDgScB32KjyLDllJikMqpvMQmMMlaEGEW2sTFR3qZs1ZDbdwSA9o4d6wiJmpfyvShP2_5KDFnzr6rGsEHzQsdwLuzyeVnlYi/s640/feminist+fingertips.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nail polish: Penny Talk by Essie</td></tr>
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This month I've had the honor of being the Blogger of the Month for Alabama Women Bloggers.<br />
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I've had four guest posts featured on the Alabama Women Bloggers site and I'd love for you to check them out:<br />
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In <a href="http://www.alabamawomenbloggers.com/2016/05/09/girl-meets-blog-love-story/" target="_blank">Girl Meets Blog: A Love Story</a>, I shared the story of how I fell in love with blogging and tremendous impact blogging has had on my life.<br />
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In the post <a href="http://www.alabamawomenbloggers.com/2016/05/16/blogger-month-home-story-begins/" target="_blank">Home Is Where Our Story Begins</a> I shared my love for my city and I why wholeheartedly believe author Natalie Goldberg's declaration that ....<br />
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Next I shared <a href="http://www.alabamawomenbloggers.com/2016/05/23/day-life-writeous-babe/" target="_blank">A Day in the Life of a Writeous Babe</a> and gave you a peek into my life beyond the blog.<br />
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And finally I offered <a href="http://www.alabamawomenbloggers.com/2016/05/31/best-writeous-babe/" target="_blank">the Best of Writeous Babe</a> and shared some of my most popular posts.<br />
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<i>What did you write this month? </i>javaciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11430355392296844740noreply@blogger.com0