“These scars were no longer symbols of pain but had become vibrant tattoos—a testament to her resilience and the beauty she found within herself.”

“But, in reality, love only emerges from living.”

“She takes a moment to pause and step back, gazing at herself, examining the intricacies of her body, every mole, dimple, and scar…her voice cracks as she mouths, ‘this is a woman.’”

"and realize that i’m due for a change

which requires me to remain the same

just a bit more accepting

of the woman i ought to become"

“I followed and trusted the words of the Sunset—my guide and subconscious voice: the Holy Spirit. This allowed me to discern that things will not fail for me unless I let them; mindset is everything.”

"The mirror of truth, / the shame and pain of emptiness, / of lack, / of defeat."

“But when the interview was long over and there was no longer any pressure on me to deliver a neat answer; when I was in bed tossing, turning, and poring over the minute details of my day; when I had seemingly all the time in the world as the night stretched before me, I still had trouble hitting the bullseye. Almost like I didn’t know myself — like there was a schism of the self.”

“I choose to share my beauty with those who cherish it and who won’t tarnish it. It’s not for the world to take what’s mine and feed it through a machine that creates plastic barbie dolls; slaves to an industry responsible for corrupting a generation of Kardashian wannabes.”

How my family's body-shaming led me to codependency issues and a suicide attempt.

“So I decided to give my attitude a switch, / Look at myself every day and give that girl a kiss; / No more over-analyzing the tiny flawed bits, / I’m reminding myself that I’m still the shit!”

“This love I have for you is a pure one that I often struggle to express; with you, I struggle to be vulnerable, to dare greatly, and to trust that what I have to give is enough. It’s the pureness of a Mother’s love coded into my soul from the Divine Himself.”

Note to self: Do not allow them to evaluate and quantify your melanin. You are wise, adequate, and pure just as God made all of us.

From a negative mindset around my melanin features to fully embracing my body and beauty after pregnancy…

At age thirteen, it had grown almost to the size of my fist. / I began to resent it.

Who knows, your greatest weakness might turn out to be your strongest motivation!

Living in my mum’s shadow…

Self-love is beautiful and I never truly grasped the meaning behind it until two years ago.

Embrace yourself, embrace your identity, and most importantly do it as a gift to yourself and not for others…

A Dominican girl’s journey finding identity and strength through her nappy, coily hair

Wellness comes from within. Self-care is an important part of wellness as it produces positive feelings, boosts your confidence and self-esteem!