Roots & Hope
Soulful Reflections on Faith, Healing, and Young Adulting
Author: Jess Reed
-
I have almost never owned a pair of properly fitting jeans. I only remember one magic pair that I had from Beyoncé’s House of Deréon line (throwback!). Besides that memory, my jeans always make the laundry list of no-no’s. They’re either: Too long that they scrunch up around my ankles Too short that said ankles are…
-
I am at a bonfire for young adults at my church. Minutes before, I drove down McNichols, speaking to God as if he were somehow chilling in the passenger seat with 80 degrees of sunshine pouring on his face. I pleaded that he would help me to conquer anxiety and be myself. I am sitting…
-
I am learning how to accept that taking up space in the rooms that I enter can be nourishing and generous and okay. I am learning how to practice the balance between honoring my gift of listening and offering others my rumble of laughter with rambles of reflections about dreams, annoyances, and mundane things. And I…
-
Happiness has a home inside me And feels like laughter lounging on the couch of my stomach, Peace reclining on the rocking chair of my porch, Pain hidden in the forgotten drawer of batteries, receipts, and ketchup packets, Youthfulness jumping underneath my skin, defying time.
-
My birth certificate claims that I was just a ‘90s kid, Born in the middle of a freezing Detroit night. But didn’t it know that my heart already had a beat? Back when afros sheened with Black, unashamed glory, Back when dancers moved on magical platforms that elevated them to skyscraper heights, Back when Stevie…
-
Anxiety is the older chatty woman who sits next to you on the plane. She didn’t check any baggage, or even bring a carry-on. She only carries an agenda with names. Anxiety talks over the flight attendant’s famous speech just to talk at you. She could care less about reminding you to first put…
-
I first went to therapy on a short-term basis as a sophomore in college. Since February 2017, I have consistently been going to therapy to seek help with facing anxiety and depression. As Mental Health Month comes to a close, I am excited to share these 5 reasons why therapy is a blessing in my…
-
Good days remind me that the hard days eventually pass away. Don’t give up.
-
“Because true belonging only happens when we present our authentic, imperfect selves to the world, our sense of belonging can never be greater than our level of self-acceptance.” -Brene Brown I am on an incredibly difficult journey of learning to accept myself. These past few days have been mentally and emotionally overwhelming. I am trying to…
-
Last night, I left work with a mission: “See Avengers: Endgame“. I Google mapped the nearest reclining-seat movie theater with a suitable showtime. After a twenty-five minute drive in moderate rain, I made it! I am not a superhero/comic-book fanatic and know-it-all. Not even close. Over the past couple of years though, I’ve seen a nice…
Roots & Hope 