“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.” – Frederick Douglass By Dawn Onley When I was younger, I use to cringe during testimony time in church. In the Black church, this was the time when the preacher would ask if anyone had a testimony they’d like to give about how good God had…
Month: July 2017
The Places That Have Nourished Me
By Samantha McKenzie There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like the many places you’ve lived that have helped nurture you along the way. Born in Nassau, Bahamas to Guyanese parents, I moved to Brooklyn, N.Y. when I was three years old. I didn’t leave my borough until I…
You Will Find What You Seek
By Dawn Onley “For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7) Whatever you think of yourself becomes a self-fulfilling truth. Whatever you are searching for, you will find. Peace. Contentment. Happiness. Joy. Love. Whatever it is, the Bible says ask and it will be given to you; seek, and you will…
Beautiful, Inspiring, Amazing Women are Everywhere
By Samantha McKenzie Women who hope are all around us. Our world is filled with beautiful, inspiring, courageous and powerful women who embrace each day with renewed hope. They are next to us in the church pews, in the adjacent cubicle at work, in grocery lines waiting their turn and even in our living rooms. We are…
Letting Go and Changing Course
By Dawn Onley Have you ever had something in life that just wasn’t working for you anymore? It doesn’t matter what it is — a relationship, a job, a belief, an exercise regimen, whatever – the point is, if it’s no longer working, why are you still clinging onto it? Heck, it may…
Faith: The Grain of a Mustard Seed
By Samantha McKenzie “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” — Martin Luther King, Jr. I used to carry around a mustard seed in my purse many years ago. I wrapped it in a small tissue and tucked it away in the slit of my wallet. Every time…
‘Might as well be us’
By Dawn Onley It might as well be me. It might as well be you. Reaching for the top. Climbing the stairway of success. Panting and sweating and just about ready to give up, but holding on defiantly. Someone will reach their dream. Or achieve a higher level of satisfaction. Someone will make it…
My Heroes, My Warriors, My Saviors
By Samantha McKenzie My heroes live in my house. They fight for me. They save me. They are family. My heroes aren’t in the movies. They aren’t written about in comic books. Instead my heroes live in my home. They are my children, my parents, my siblings and all of the countless aunts, uncles and…
There is Beauty in Every Phase of Life
By Dawn Onley This is not meant to sound vain, but I love my own company. While many people crave companionship, I long for more solitude. It’s not that I’m not happily married with a toddler, an older son through marriage and a brand new pup (I am), it’s just that coupledom and being a mommy…
Dear Self, Let the Anger Go
By Samantha McKenzie “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” Mark Twain I spend most of my quality time being a fun, cheerful and encouraging human being. I delight in swapping short stories with others, sharing a…
Women Who Hope 