I recently planted a garden as part of my grief recovery and self-care. It has been a one of the most rejuvenating practices for my mind, body, and spirit. Gardening involves a process of nurturing and cultivating the ground in my yard to grow flowers and plants.

“Life is a series of new beginnings.” This statement rang true for me during a recent conversation with my husband. We were discussing the current season of our marriage as empty nesters and the recent deaths of our mothers. On May 28, 2021, my mother, Margaret G. Baker, passed away. On July 17, 2022, (14 months later) his mother, Dolores M. Alvarado passed away. While our lives are busy with personal pursuits, ministry, and business ventures, being hands-on parents, and active caregivers, has given us a sense of joy and purpose.

On July 4th I participated in an Atlanta tradition, the infamous Peachtree Road Race. I ran this race many times prior to my foot surgery and had not run it in several years. This year I put the Peachtree Road Race on my agenda when I decided to do an organized race each month as a part of my marathon training.

If you know me, you know that I am all things women. Yet, I realize how important it is to empower the men in our lives. The World Health Organization reports, the average U.S. female outlives the average U.S. male by five years.

The spring and fall seasons happen to be my favorite of the four seasons. As I think about the seasons changing, I am always excited about what each season will bring. During the spring season, the temperature rises above freezing, leaves and trees transform from the brush gold and orange colors of the fall season to vibrant green and lively bright colors of the spring.

Last year, after my mother’s cancer reoccurred, I began thinking about the finiteness of life. I started thinking about personal dreams and goals that I had yet to complete. One of those dreams is to run a full marathon. I had allowed a corrective foot surgery in 2017 to stop me from pursuing this dream. Although I continued to exercise regularly, walk and hike, I was living in a comfort zone as it pertained to running. After Mom passed on May 28, 2021, I decided to go back and pick up my dream to run a full marathon.

March is National Women’s History Month. Often women keep silent about their history, and many suffer with feelings of unworthiness because of painful events of their past. Even when we have accomplishments for which we can be proud, some women are less likely to share for fear they will be perceived as aggressive, overbearing or even worse, being the target of another woman’s envy or jealousy.

February is American Heart Health Month, a time when we are educated and encouraged to focus on cardiovascular health. The human heart is one the most significant organs of the human body and affects the healthy function of every major system in the body.

In my first book, Run & Not Be Weary: The Pursuit of Purpose & Destiny, I speak of seasons and how we must prepare for season changes in our life. Consider this notion, “Within each season, our responsibility is to manage and complete our God-given purpose, regardless of its difficulty or duration. Then, in God’s appointed time, we must prepare ourselves to change along with the seasons of life” (pp. 23).

Lately, I’ve been thinking about the amount of attention and research that has gone in breast cancer awareness and scientific cures. Yet there are several forms of cancer that are not commonly mentioned. This year I want to celebrate survivors of all cancers as we celebrate men and women who are survivors of breast cancer.

The summer Olympic games have begun, and Black Women have been the focus of negative press and conversations. This is not a new phenomenon seeing that Black women athletes are often criticized for their performance, body size, dress, and their competitive demonstrative demeanor. Despite their successes, black women continue to be scrutinized during the Olympic games highlighting the plight of Black women in sports.

I’m preparing for an amazing sabbatical season, July 1st - August 31st! I’m taking a break to intentionally focus on rest, reflection, prayer, discerning, healing, writing and travel. Please enjoy the July series of the Harmonize Your Life Podcast with some amazing women who are sharing with us.