Introduction
(Excerpt from spiritual memoir)
. . . Being born in New Orleans and living next door to my grandmother and aunt, I visited the French Quarter almost weekly. Even as young as three years old, Aunt Lois would pile her young nieces and nephews in the car and drive us down Bourbon Street. As a teenager, I roamed around the French Quarter. It wasn’t until much later on in life I became enthralled with its energy, nature, and animals. It was here where my initial connection with people began. It seemed like God was with me always, and I was happy – there was a true joy within my heart. I accepted people rather than judged them. I was in love with life. People who are considered by some as the dregs of society, from the cross dressers to eccentric chefs, were my connection with the Divine. They were my family of choice. However, after being moved away from New Orleans when I was only six years old, I forgot what it felt like to have that kind of connection with people and the Divine.
Recently, I’ve begun to remember. I have remembered how it felt to be so mystified by the seasons in New Orleans and the inexplicable tastes, smells, and sounds that permeated my young spirit. I have even remembered the times when fear entered my life preventing me from moving forward on the path keeping me connected with my own divinity taking me to greater heights and greater love for myself. In turn, it has been shared with the world. I remember the feeling of freedom from fear of being reprimanded by people who disagree with my experiences, and the freedom from shame. I remember what God felt like within my own being.
These memories came because I emptied my mind of the trauma and past experiences that filled my soul with pain and sorrow. I finally made room in my heart for something more. This is a story of how one little girl from Nawlins discovered and accepted her individuality in order to learn how to cope with a life, she had no love for. In so doing, she was able to find the Divine well and alive within her very being and discover that after all, she was never alone.
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