sassysage's Blog

everybody loves Mary J. Blige. her voice is unquestionably powerful!  the raw images her lyrics portray have helped millions get through bad and good times.   while i admire her talent; i’ve recently become amazed by her heart.

i’ve been working with Ms. Blige through her foundation, The Mary J. Blige and Steve Stoute Foundation for the Advancement of Women Now, Inc. (FFAWN).  i’m developing a workshop for teen girls which is tailored to the goals of the foundation.  The 3E (Empowerment through Education and Encouragement) Junior Wings Program is a series of group sessions for girls designed to address self-esteem, relationship skills, and financial literacy.   her dedication and passion for girls and women is obvious.   she has hired an amazing executive director, Madeline Nelson Small, who works tirelessly with her staff to make the mission of the foundation come to life.  this year the foundation launched its programming and there is so much more to come. i’m sure that everyone will soon see that Mary’s soul runs deeper than what we knew the songstress possessed.   For more information, visit the FFAWN website http://ffawn.org/

last week i laughed so hard watching the movie

the writers did a great job lightening up the tough subject of divorce and how it impacts the whole family.  i could totally relate, cause i saw so much of myself and my family’s story in the plot (to any dispel any gossip, let me be clear minus the love affair).  

love is challenging and when a marriage ends, feelings are hurt and some people never get over it.  so much so that they remain angry and bitter, passing on the angst to their children.   but then there are other times when the break up is mutual and a couple realizes that they like one another just not enough to be married.  so in a Demi Moore/Bruce Willis kind of way they are there for one another for family functions and to share responsibilities of the kids.   of course there are many variations in between that make family life after divorce so emotional.  

when my parents divorced i was 21 years old.  most people feel adult children aren’t affected by divorce.  but i was totally devastated. i understood why they needed to part ways and honored that decision.  i was more concerned about the pain that i knew each one of the them felt in having to severe their union.   so i cried and cried for weeks on end.  eventually the tears dried up and the fog of sadness went away as we learned how to live together as a family in a new way. with all the complications we were able to get back to be being family because at the end of the day we remember that family (even a divorced family) should be bound together by love.

Just returned from a relaxing vacation on the beautiful island of St. Croix.   I stayed in the less touristy town of Frederiksted.   Crystal clear blue ocean views every day to greet my eyes as I dozed on and off on the beach.   I didn’t do much which was the promise I made to myself.  But I did get a chance to visit the main town of Christianstead for a day of sailing, snorkeling and all around fun.   It’s there that I found an amazing jewelry shop by happenstance.   

I spent hours checking out store after store looking for the ‘hook bracelet’ which is a St. Croix signature jewelry piece.   The ‘hook bracelet’ was introduced to the island over 40 years ago and is worn to celebrate love and good fortune. If you wear the hook facing toward your heart, it means your heart is taken and good fortune will come your way. If you wear the hook away from your heart, you are available and sharing your good fortune.  I just had to have it…but just couldn’t find the right one.

I was about to give up when I walked by a store that was burning some sweet smelling incense.  I took a nice deep breath and felt great!  I looked up and realized the store next to it was a jewelry store.   I wanted to go in but hesitated because I was tired and probably annoying my friends who were with me.   A voice kept telling me to go in and I didn’t want to listen.   So I didn’t and walked by. The voice got stronger and finally I decided to go back.  When I walked in, it felt like I was being taken into another world.  The store was beautifully decorated and the jewelry was arranged so it was easy to see what they had.   I found just what I was looking for and to top it off heard some inspirational words from the owner who just happened to be a Psychologist who moved to the island 22 years ago from New York! 

Thanks The Natural Jewel for a great bracelet and memories I will always treasure…