Building My Tribe: The Power of Meet-Ups
As a young girl, church was a frequent staple in my life. During my early college years, I gravitated towards Hallelujah, a campus service rooted in the African-American worship-style tradition and the closest thing in Princeton that reminded me of home. We’d sing the same five songs at Hallelujah, including Hezekiah ...
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My Commitments: Prioritizing Self in 2017
Last December I began a new job. I was grateful for my newfound employment. The opportune timing of the offer stymied growing unrest and budding self-doubt. Still, after a day in the office, I wondered if I made the right choice. I’d only been there a week before I displayed the unsettling, yet familiar habits of ...
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Diabetes and Discipline: My Daily Struggle
Now, more than ever I am desperate for deep, lasting change. After indulging in a plethora of self-help books and a season peppered with attempts at self-validation—I am tired. It is not the “pick-me up” mantras or gentle reminders of forgiveness and self-love that leave me weary, instead, it’s my own bullcrap. I’m ...
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World Diabetes Day: 2016
"Because I get by with a little help from my pump." Like actually. Celebrated my own diabetes journey and diabetes awareness month with a fun photoshoot by my love, Alfred Sarpeh of Royal Light Photography. T-shirt purchased from ...
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Reclaiming Power and Acknowledging Small Victories
Yesterday during a workshop, we were asked to describe the last time we felt powerful. After much mental warring and eliminating instances that felt far too personal for an audience I barely knew, I described the moment in which I received my last A1C—a 7.0%. After being deterred by an 8.2% months prior, I was relieved ...
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Traveling While Diabetic: Ghana Glows and Grows
Joy-filled. Love-filled. Affirming. Revealing. This is how I would describe my recent getaway. After several years of dating, I accompanied my partner to his homeland of Ghana in West Africa. Though I traveled there 6 years prior for an undergraduate seminar, my experience this time was markedly different. Unlike the ...
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Why I Cringe When Others Tell Me They’re Praying For My Healing
Shortly after my diabetes diagnosis, family and friends flooded me with words of encouragement, prayers and gifts of comfort. Among the many stuffed animals and cards that I received, was a CD series given to me by a well-meaning family member. The CDs included sermons by a prominent pastor along with a note stating that ...
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