For years, off and on, I wondered if experiencing childhood sexual abuse destroyed my ability to have children. From age 5–10, two male family members misused my developing body. When I became sexually active, with my first boyfriend, at age 16, my mother sent me down to a clinic in Madison, Illinois. For approximately 10 years, I faithfully took birth control pills to prevent myself from getting pregnant. So, I often wondered if the combination of abuse and the length of being on birth control pills negated my chances of having a family of my own.

Sometime before my 20’s…

After posting the image you see, I realized I added a question to the statement. But when I looked at the statement, I realized how necessary the question mark is, especially with recent events. How we treat others says more about our state of being than it does about the other person. For example, can we truly say people make us angry? Or, are we responding to pent-up emotions that want our attention?

When we curse, hit, kick, refuse to help, scream, yell, and others, we project our emotions and feelings on others. Instead of going outward, we serve ourselves…

Whenever there was a storm, my mother instructed us to sit in one room until the storm was over quietly. And, whatever we were doing (eating, fixing a meal, watching television) had to wait until “God was done with His work.” But, what I didn’t know at the time is how this training spilled over in helping all of us handle adversities.

Secretly, I believe we all enjoyed the break from routine. The quiet time gave us all time to reassess our lives. Before resuming our planned activities after the storm, my two brothers, our mother, and I would sit…

Often, we look outside to feel good about ourselves, in control, and worthy of life. Yet, everything you need is within you, and everything outside of you will guide you back to yourself. So, take this time during the coronavirus pandemic to get to know yourself.

We have no use for lingering anger, envy, hatred, resentment, and vengeance. What we do to others, we do to ourselves. Love is the way to guide us back to what really matters.

Make this lifetime great!

Timika

The amount of fruit depends on your age, height, physical activity, and sex. On average, adults need 1 to 2 cups of fruit daily. You can find general recommendations for daily fruit intake here.

There are no shortcuts to obtaining the nutrients (antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals) from fruit. Many fruits (blueberries, cranberries) are antioxidant-rich foods that help keep our cells, including those in our eyes, healthy.

However, some people tend to avoid fruit because of the fear of diabetes or prediabetes diagnosis, reducing their intake of necessary nutrients. And some people eat large servings of fruit, increasing their risk…