Journey

JOURNEY I’m approaching seventy next month, I can say my life journey is not an easy one. However, I can declare that I did not astray doing destructive behaviors to keep on going. I pretty much stayed grounded, principled; but with some kind of rebelliousness and hard headedness that did not affect others, except yours truly having hard circumstances. With my life’s difficulties also came blessings. I am blessed with life for I was a blue baby, not breathing when I was born at home with no incubator; but an intellectual midwife. She recommended that I breathe the steam of eucalyptus leaves continuously for thirty days. I did survive, although given by my mother without my father’s knowledge to her sister. Not only did she give me, she was indifferent to me that made me questioned life, love, family and discerned in early age, life is unfair. Yet, I was blessed with my aunt’s true love. Too many adversities I had to go through in my married life, an early marriage ending abruptly with an abusive husband and another marriage for many years that ended because of alcoholism. Becoming a single parent and supporting my children on my own and running the household. I do consider myself a blessed woman and very grateful having my children and raising them. I was discriminated at work for being a woman, my race and having English as my second language. I was blessed with tenacity, perseverance and intelligence to develop skills and gain knowledge. I had struggled many times in my life journey and I found when I resist, the harder the struggle and when I accept, the calmer life gets and the more appreciative I become and see my blessings. 9/11/21 "J" Contest, New of Old Poetry Constance La France