Cassandra James Weathersby, Champion for Mental Wellness I suffered in silence for so many years due to stigma and cultural biases within my communities regarding mental health care and treatment. I was faithful in my church, yet there was no help. I was dying on the inside, barely getting...
When My World Paused: Miscarriage and Life By Jennifer Vickery I suffered a miscarriage in March. I have two wonderful children. I’m very blessed. My firstborn is a sweet boy, and my second is a lively daughter. Both are my light. While I thought my path to...
By Yolanda Pourciau We agreed to meet at a seafood restaurant known for its catfish and gouda grits, called Jonah’s. It was the Holiday Season, and most people were wearing their annoyingly cheerful reds and greens. Even I, had on red. I don’t tend to dress...
Perhaps no one can identify more with the mission of the Hillsborough County Anti-Drug Alliance than a parent who has lost a child to overdose. Sadly, the nonprofit’s own executive director, Cindy Grant, is among them. In 1997, Cindy and her husband lost their son,...
By Jessica Quaid As we wrap up 2021, it’s safe to say this was the year of “self-love” and “self-care,” but what about self-confidence? I know that sometimes self-confidence can be perceived as being arrogant, vain or conceited. I’m not talking about overdoing it; I simply mean...
By Tiffany Rucker, MBA The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on every sector, especially the public school system. For almost two years, schools and teachers have tried their best to educate our children while record numbers of students and staff members are under quarantine. At the...
By Margarita Sarmiento When I was growing up, we had a nickname for my mom, Sanitaria. I was thinking about that just the other day, as I was putting together a bag of clothes to take to The Salvation Army. Let me back up. I’m Cuban. My...
By Anonymous It all started with my family and me laughing and joking on a Sunday night. We were preparing for Monday, gathering school clothes, ensuring that homework was complete and important documents were in the correct folders, ready to be turned in. It was a...
By Anna M. A. Stracey Yes, you read that right: It is okay not to miss your kid. This summer, after more than a year of COVID lockdown and close quarters, I sent my child to camp. Not for one week, not for two weeks, but for...
By Tiffany Rucker, MBA Practicing self-care means deliberately doing what is best for you. That doesn’t necessarily mean “me first,” but it does mean “me now.” Knowing—and editing—who is in your circle is one of the best things you can do to care for yourself. Family members can be...