Roots & Hope

Soulful Reflections on Faith, Healing, and Young Adulting

Category: adulthood

  • Happiness

    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.

  • Poem (Untitled)

    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…

  • If Anxiety Were Alive

    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…

  • 5 Reasons Why I Love Going to Therapy

    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…

  • Social Anxiety: Telling Myself a New Story

    “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…

  • What Avengers: Endgame Reminded Me About Life

    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…

  • Peace Beyond Understanding

    I am preparing to go to the doctor for what seems like the 100th time in the past year. Currently, I’m experiencing some mysterious health conditions. I feel simultaneously annoyed and humored. When I visit the doctor, the receptionist just welcomes me and says, “Hi, Jess”. Loneliness, too, has haunted me in cycles. I have…

  • (Extra)ordinary Moments

    After church today, I went to a grocery store that I frequent often. This time though, I wore my flowery dress, and I chose not to dim my light. Walking through neat aisles of packages, prices, and produce, I held my head high. I smiled because I felt free. I noticed that when I carried…

  • A Little Prayer

    When the fear that she is forgotten drops on her window like a fallen icicle, she consoles her startled soul with a quiet prayer, “Lord, may I be more than a snowflake, Intricate and unique, Only to melt away. Remember me, God. Amen.”

  • Soulful Serenades

    “Tell me what I gotta do to please you. Baby, anything you say, I’ll do. Cuz I only wanna make you happy. From the bottom of my heart, it’s true! Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah!” (These are crucial lines + adlibs from “I Wanna Know”, a ’90s R&B classic sung by Joe. Warning: Don’t even think…