There are things that people may not recognize about me because they've just started getting to know me in the last 8 years but I noticed that there are parts of my heart that seem to have hardened. The freedom of constant joy has been snatched away from me a few times and each time it hurt so bad that even disappointment was an unfathomable word to be used to describe how I felt. My children don't see me as light hearted as I know the original me to be, because consistent joy slipped away. Oh what a fight this journey has been. My elders have reminded me that the journey to self love and confidence is an ongoing journey. My time isn't up and I'm just trying to trust the process. Protecting my peace at all costs gives me grace through the process of my journey back to JOY.