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Tag: summer

Celebrating Self for Summer

A blue sky above the beach with palm leaves in the top corners and the words "Celebrate yourself this summer - you are amazing!"

This summer, celebrate the most important person in your life – YOU!   When last did you take time to check in with self?  When last did you give yourself credit for your growth, or stop and notice the changes in your life and being? This summer, celebrate the miracle you are.  We came into this […]

Summer Fun

Summer fun - beach scene with the ocean on the top and at the bottom, beach sand with shells and a starfish

The Summer season brings plenty of fun, outdoor activities and experiences.  This summer, I invite you to explore what your version of summer fun is.  We often fall into the habit of doing the same activities each season without checking in to see if they still excite us and bring us joy.  Are you doing […]

Summer Self-Care

Summer beach background with the words " self-care" in read and little red hearts on either side

Traditionally the focus of summer self-care is all about getting our bodies ready for summer as we shed those winter layers.  The atmosphere in the air is one of vacation time, with children being out of school, parents planning family vacations, and those who don’t have children, deciding what opportunities summer can bring them. Summer […]

RUNNING THROUGH DARKNESS
MEMOIR OF A SPIRITUAL WARRIOR
BY SANTA MOLINA-MARSHALL ‧ RELEASE DATE: MAY 3, 2022

This debut memoir chronicles a woman’s spiritual exploration and growth as she overcame a disturbing childhood and helped others heal.

Brought to America from the Dominican Republic as a youngster, Molina-Marshall should have led a happy life. Her father was a diligent worker, and his large family wanted for nothing. But the author recounts that her dad had a drinking problem and was a serial philanderer. Molina-Marshall’s long-suffering mother left him for a woman. Then it was all downhill for the bright, 12-year-old girl, who was shuttled between foster care and relatives. According to the author, she was sexually abused by the husband of one of her siblings. This resulted in Molina-Marshall becoming alienated and moody. By 15, she simply tried to survive. In her favor were grit and a restless intelligence. She quit school, rented a room, and found a factory job. Time went by, and for a while she was happily married. Yet when her husband left her, her life truly began. She turned to religion for answers but decided that blaming God for her woes was a cop-out. 

In this absorbing and moving memoir, Molina-Marshall’s vivid storytelling is fearless. She frankly discusses the truths she discovered and the indignities she suffered. These admissions are disclosed with a touch of resignation and plenty of bite. However painful, everything she experienced was a lesson, and she bravely realized that she was part of the problem: “The fear of being hurt, rejected, or abused often led to me feeling lonely and misunderstood. No one knew the agonizing pain I felt being trapped in my thoughts and anger. I was becoming my biggest threat.” 

The author skillfully recounts her intricate spiritual journey. To deal with her psychic wounds, she searched for an inspirational system. Her open-mindedness led her to the interfaith concept—cherry-picking from various religions and spiritual movements, yoga, and Indigenous beliefs as a way of finding peace. Along with her female partner, she built a therapy practice, making use of every spiritual element that aided her and others. The road was bumpy, and she found that women of color in same-sex relationships were not welcomed everywhere. To do good works—and finally live on her own terms—she effectively overcame bigotry.

An engrossing, cathartic account of empathy and success through determination and confidence.

Pub Date: May 3, 2022   |    ISBN: 978-0-578-38315-6  |   Page Count: 264    | Publisher: From Trauma to Triumph  |   Review Posted Online: June 13, 2022