Letters From the Family Album

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment
Croughton Middle School, RAF Croughton, England

Dear 7th grade Me,
It’s our birthday, it’s our birthday, we’re going to party like it’s our birthday!

Girl, you look fabulous! I know how much you fretted over your hair and outfit. Believe it or not, you will grow to love the “big” forehead you so desperately tried to cover. You’re not just “pretty for a dark-skinned girl,” you’re pretty…period. One day you will celebrate your rich complexion, walking confidently in your skin…and your afro. Yes girl! That hair you stressed about keeping straight will thrive as a thick, curly, kinky crown of glory. How cool was it that Mom let you wear her sweater? Red always has and always will be your color, embrace it and rock it often. About Mom & Dad, I know they may seem a little strict but you really will appreciate them later. Their boundaries and prayers will keep you from some dire mistakes and bitter heartache. Trust me. And I know it’s not always easy being a “church girl.” Sometimes you just want to fit in and do what everyone else is doing. You’ll realize the importance of cultivating your own faith and a relationship with Jesus for yourself. The sooner the better. Keep your heart kind but your eyes open. What “they” think will constantly change and you will never please them, so don’t even try (I know, easier said than done). Keep smiling, it will be a great asset.

God made you a brilliant original. There is no need to dim your shine. You are enough…always have been, always will be. Believe it.

Love,
The Woman You Are Becoming

The Best Birthday

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment

My husband is my best friend…no cliche. He’s the first person I think of when I have good news, bad news, interesting tidbits, stressful days, exciting days…he’s seen me at my best and at my worst and 20 years in, we’re still walking this journey hand in hand. Happy Birthday Mr. Sellers! I love you!

Lovingly formed
Intricately crafted
Wonderful and complex
You entered the world on this day
A gift
So much more than meets the eye
So much more of your story to be written
A gift, my gift
Celebrating you today and always-LAS

Rest

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment

“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”
― Maya Angelou, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now

Feeling a little under the weather this week, so I’m laying on my couch, watching Touched By An Angel reruns, giving my body the rest it needs. Just being reminded of the necessity of rest today.

Do You Haiku?

/ LaShona Sellers
Haiku Anchor Chart (Pinterest)

A dear sister-friend informed me that February is National Haiku Month. She knows a thing or two about haiku as she is the author of  A Christian’s Book of Haiku.

So in the last days of the month, I say better late than never to share the love. And since poetry has been my expression of choice lately, I’ve decided to try my hand…

Clear a cluttered desk
Free a busy calendar
Rest a weary mind

(I used this handy site to check my syllable count.)

Happy Haikuing!

Just Dance

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment
Freedom Dance by Laurie Cooper

I love to dance. My reserved nature often takes a back seat to a hype beat and open dance floor. Music and movement speak to me. It’s how I worship God, it’s rejuvenation, it is  inspiration. Find what inspires you today and write on, friends.

Oh, how she danced
Head back, Eyes closed
Twirling & swaying
Bowing & waving
Lost in the rhythm
Carried by a melody
Oh, how she danced
Exercising joy
To exorcise pain
Dancing until she was consumed
With freedom-LAS

Sweet Silence

/ LaShona Sellers / 4 Comments

Inspired by a moment my family silently sat together, in a room, each of us doing our own thing…


We sit in silence. Not in the silence of tension. But in the silence of contentment. Content in our own little worlds, in the imaginings of our minds and the creativity of our hands. Our worlds in orbit basking in the warmth of connected hearts. We sit in silence.

My Apologies

/ LaShona Sellers

“We apologize.” I was a moody preteen, testing boundaries…and my parents had just apologized to me. I remember feeling as if the the earth had shifted. I remember thinking “what kind of trickery is this? Is this a joke?” But it wasnt. They recognized that in their commitment to love and care for me they didn’t always get it right. They were correcting course and letting me know my feelings were valid. *Mind blown* That apology laid the foundation for apologies to come as I matured in acknowledging my own shortcomings and taking responsibility for my actions. That apology also taught me what an apology should be, recognizing non-apologies (“Sorry, not sorry”) and knowing when to walk away.

Let’s be reminded to never underestimate the power of a genuine apology- the power in giving one and the power in recognizing one.

Absolutely Adoring Alliteration

/ LaShona Sellers / Leave a comment
http://www.teepublic.com

Depending on my writing mood, some days I’m too wordy and other days I’m not even sure my sentence conveys a complete thought. But no matter my mood, I often journey to the magical, mesmerizing world of alliteration. The challenge to find the perfect combination of words with just the right lyrical flow is endorphin inducing for me. A little weird? A writer thing, perhaps?

Here are a couple of informative takes on the subject: Love it or loathe it? and Reasons to use (which also highlights the amazing Gwendolyn Brooks and her poem We Real Cool)

Here’s to honing the habit of harnessing the power of words (too much?) Happy Writing!