"I’m inevitably reminded that we are inspired by those who have walked through hell and been refined by the fire, not the ones who have never felt the heat."

- yours truly

My first two years of life were marked by instability and neglect before my paternal grandparents gained legal guardianship. At fourteen, I faced an unplanned pregnancy, and soon after, new "caregivers". Without the support system necessary for a young teen to parent, I made an adoption plan and became a birthmother just three months after my fifteenth birthday. Nine years later, married and parenting a toddler, my husband and I stepped into the role of kinship caregivers for my newborn biological half sister ... three months after that, my firstborn's parents opened our adoption and requested we plan our second visit post placement! That was over a decade ago ... we finalized our youngest's kinship adoption and have been building a beautiful relationship with my firstborn ever since.

It's been a journey, y'all.

If you had told me that one day my life experiences would become the foundation of my work I would have laughed ... and yet, here we are. With truly a lifetime of hands on experience and a Professional Certification in Trauma & Resilience, I boldly share my truth through a lens of empathy and grace without compromising honesty for the sake of comfort. And when I'm not writing or speaking, you'll likely find me immersed in nature, being artsy or just enjoying the simple blessings of my life as a wife and mama.