This story is about heartbreak, financial hardship, co-parenting, and depression but it’s also filled with hope. We have choices, once we understand that, it widens the lens, making all things possible. Life can change for the better.
This is my story, which I share as a friend wanting to connect with anyone in need of optimism. I have been where you are, too. I’m opening this chapter of my life to empower you. Accept your truths, as they are, and don’t be afraid to start your journey. We all have imperfections, insecurities, suffering, and fears but we cannot let them control how we live our lives. Everyone has cracks, it’s part of what makes us human and unique. Life has darkness and light. It is up to you to decide how you want to come out after all the mess.
Growing up in a Latino household was nothing short of spontaneous. We were a lively bunch who enjoyed our food, music, and traditions. Our family enjoyed celebrating the Dominican culture. My parents set roots in New York City around 1968. Dad was a textile cutter and mom was a stay-at-home superwoman. There are plenty of traits that I inherited from my work ethic to my resilience which have been invaluable in my life.
I owe the woman I am today, to my mother, who passed in February 2023. She was strong, tough at times, enduring difficult times in her life but she was also loving, empathetic, kind, and giving to a fault. Dominican women are known to be intense, loyal, of rigorous convictions, and have close family ties. I was raised watching my mother give her all for her family. I wanted to do the same thing for mine. My story turned out, differently.
This is the story of a woman who falls in love with her husband and child. While experiencing this powerful love, she was also losing pieces of her identity. Eventually, the marriage swallowed her up, leaving her at a crossroads. It came down to a choice between herself and the relationship, never an easy decision. The first half of the journey left her between hope and despair. A place she did not imagine visiting because she was so much in love. She wanted to save the relationship but knew a loss was imminent.
A Journey to Becoming the Best Self is part memoir and self-help. It combines personal narrative and practical advice to show readers, how it is possible to find a place of acceptance and joy after pain. We all can turn these moments into real growth experiences.
Read about how a woman comes out on the other side of pain, stronger and more beautiful. A single voice among millions of single mothers, Latinas, and women of color all fighting for their lives. Let’s empower, encourage, and inspire each other, one story at a time.
“A Journey to Becoming the Best Self” is available at Amazon, Kindle, Walmart, and Barnes and Noble.
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