Intimate Ascension Journals

01/04/2026

01/02/2026

Last night I cried a little bit - happy tears. I was overwhelmed at how good life still is, despite the valleys we sometimes go through on our journey. Each night of Kwanzaa, my boyfriend and I video called my sister and, together, we reflected on the principles and went through the ceremonial rituals such as drinking from the kikombe cha umoja and pulling together in affirmation. I felt a special urge to verbally acknowledge our ancestors - our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, his brother… all the people in our lineage who helped shape us into the individuals we are today, whom we honor by the way we live our lives. As we culminated the holiday with the principle of Imani, faith, we reflected on how it is the cherry on top that makes all things possible.
I appreciate how my boyfriend invests in learning about and participating in this tradition, and understanding of its importance to me as we build a home and family together. As I said, “Kwanzaa doesn’t center white people, but the values and messages are universal,” and I want them instilled in the home that we create, as it was done by my parents for me growing up.
It’s supposed to be on the 31st, but I usually cook the karamu on the 1st 😅 I was happy, as always, to make a meal for my family. Yesterday, I prepared a chuck roast (with some herbs from the garden! Lol), garlic mashed potatoes, and spicy collard greens.

01/01/2026

01/01/2026

2025 brought: a move into home ownership (no more rent and no mortgage 🙌🏾) as my relationship continued to grow; lots of meaningful time with family and friends; a successful year down of partnering with a group practice and a renewed contract in place; a wonderful and easy weeklong baecation to St. Croix; more “free time” to have me time - which included more reading for pleasure, cooking/juicing, and weekly pilates class; my highest credit score to date (822/850); and best of all, peace, contentment, an increased sense of stability, and daily doses of pure joy 💜
Every day reiterates to me that the people you surround yourself with and your environment have tremendous impacts on your well-being. 2018-2020 were years that I was doing a lot of releasing and returning to my Self, and life has been really, really fantastic since making those decisions. I’ll definitely do some intention setting by this weekend, but will always remember to remain patient and trust the process - and myself above anyone. There will always be “great” days and “challenging” days, but either way, I am excited for what this next year may bring

12/28/2025

My family has been using these articles as a starting point for our conversations on the Kwanzaa principles this year. Kujichagulia has always been one of my favorite values/principles that I strive to live by, and my parents were very intentional about instilling it in their children.

https://paxchristiusa.org/2025/12/27/day-2-of-kwanzaa-kujichagulia-self-determination/eeno

Every day from December 26-January 1, Pax Christi USA will share a reflection on one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Pax Christi USA National Field Organizer Stephen Niamke has prepared each pi…

12/05/2025

My overall mood for November was to chill more and settle into moments of contentment. Growth is me taking only 3 days off in a full school year at the start of my career, to 3 days in a month 😅 I’ve also continued working less in the evening… because I’d much rather be at my house - the housewife in me is finally starting to get her time to shine! Lol.
Standout self-care and self-love moments I had last month were:
-wearing a dress that made me feel really good, and confident enough to get through a night of socializing
-attending a free women’s wellness event at a local hospital, in which they provided meditation, massages, facials, manicures, a breast exam, and biometric testing
-appreciating how pretty nature can be, as the season progressed
-making a “weekly juice” for us; pineapple-blueberry was a hit in our house
-attending a fantastic presentation on s*x, dating and relationships at the Autism College Summit
-buying some new reads… and starting those books while taking my beloved bubblebath
-continuing to make time for weekly pilates at the studio
-completing my new luggage set, and learning about the history and culture of the place we’re going to for vacation
-attending an arts n crafts night at the glass center
💜
Honoring my commitment to my Self to use my time a little differently right now

09/27/2025

Lady Lair (closet section) update: Getting Creative ✨

For several reasons - such as privacy, protecting my perfumes (from direct sunlight), and desiring a moodier light in the room - I wanted to cover the main windows in my closet. There are 5 total.

I just bought a set of inexpensive curtains to throw on the big one for now, just to have something there… but I was fairly stuck with what to do with the smaller, side windows. My hubby was tossing out ideas such as custom curtains or blinds of some sort, and then he arrived at the idea to do stained glass window film… which I don’t think would have ever naturally crossed my mind. Go, him! Lol.
Insert side quest to Home Depot 🤗

I found one I liked, we got all the little supplies we needed, and went home to work on some projects around the house.

My little reminder that “the universe has got me,” lol, was that I didn’t look at the size of the film before buying - it looked like a lot to me… I guess; so I did a grab and go. When we unwrapped it, we both stared in surprise, “Oh, is that it.” 🤦🏾‍♀️ Apparently the ONE sheet was only 24x36. Well, after finally measuring the windows, we found that each one was exactly 12 inches across 😅 Perrrfect. And, I can cut straight 🙃

I am absolutely loving how it turned out!

This was a part of my self-care today - setting up more of my Lady Lair. The Man got around to hanging some artwork in a hallway, my closet, and my office, and we solved my window dilemma. It has enhanced my comfort and the degree to which my spaces are aesthetically pleasing to me, which can help my overall mood and groundedness on a day-to-day basis

09/15/2025

Jealousy/Envy is one of the lowest energetic vibrations across the entire emotional spectrum.
Love… self-love is one of the highest.
I look like me, talk like me, dream like me, love like me, dress like me; I do me because there’s no one else I’d rather be 💜

09/15/2025

Our garden is still giving 💜

08/29/2025

Tonight, I had my first pilates class - starting with private sessions 🙃 - and absolutely LOVED it. I have tried and gotten excited about other workouts and exercise classes before, but this felt soooo good for my body, was easy for me to pick up, and I can definitely see myself sustaining this practice. The studio (pictured below) is also in a super convenient location for me so it’s easily accessible, which can support my intention to keep my commitment to my physical health. And most importantly, the vibe of the space and the connection with the teacher was easy and peaceful👌🏾.
Lately, I’ve been reprioritizing setting new time boundaries during the week so that I have space to go to 2-3 yoga and/or pilates classes per week. I still work late some evenings… but less evenings than before.
Literally all of my full-time jobs, and even my “side gigs” have bled into my evenings, weekends and personal time… and I’ve been doing that for like 10 years. That’s not quite what I want for my Self forever. I crave having time and energy to take care of my body and learn new things, and have a yummy, hot meal ready for my man when he gets home from work, or time to explore my other passions and have the capacity to do some creative writing. My nervous system needs a rest! Lol. And more so because it makes me feel more in flow, more imaginative, and grounded in contentment.

And- 😂 I can give myself a reason to buy cute little workout outfits, lol