How I Found Strength After Tragedy: A Story of Resilience

Hey y’all , I want to switch things up today and share a personal story that I hope will inspire you.  Back in 2020, while we were all stuck in quarantine, I decided to turn my tumultuous experiences into a testimony. I started blogging and vlogging about my life’s ups and downs, believing that my raw, unfiltered stories could help someone else on their journey. At first, I was inconsistent, only posting occasionally. Then, disaster struck—my website crashed and took all my posts with it. For almost two years, I let that defeat me. I didn’t want to start over. But in 2023, the idea resurfaced. I revitalized my blog and added a video and audio podcast. And guess what? It was super successful. I was on top of the world, taking my own advice, and staying positive despite life’s twists and turns. Then, on November 24th, I received a text that makes my stomach queasy to this day: “Carl got shot.” Carl, my younger cousin, was senselessly murdered in New Orleans. He had an infectious smile, a bright future, and was always respectful and kind. Carl was a student teacher and a volunteer coach, impacting many young lives. His loss broke me and my entire family. His mother’s heart-wrenching posts on social media were unbearable to see. Carl was her only child. To keep Carl’s memory alive, his mother and father started a foundation. Last Christmas, they gave gifts to all of his students. Delivering those gifts and sharing the heartbreaking news with his students who didn’t know what happened to their favorite teacher was a bittersweet moment I will never forget. This devastating loss made me shut down completely. I stopped working on my movie, uploading my podcast, and engaging with my blog. I was fortunate to have pre-scheduled content that made it seem like I hadn’t missed a beat. But inside, I was falling apart. After months of solitude, therapy, and meditation, I began to resurface. I forced myself to get back on track. Carl and my son were close, and his death affected my son deeply. Not only my son but the entire group of cousins and friends took a hit.  A group of usually Happy go Lucky, all around good kids were now broken kids who were hurt, lost and confused. My son became unrecognizable, even considering dropping out of school and giving up on college. I had to remind him—and myself—that quitting would let Carl down. One day, my little cousin Keimon, just eight years old, broke up a fight of my younger two by yelling, “What would Carl do?” That simple question hit me hard. Why were we quitting? Why was there division? Why were we losing our faith? I pondered this for months before accepting that my eight-year-old cousin was right. I knew what I needed to do, but I wasn’t sure how. As I wind down, you might be wondering, how did I do it? The truth is, I’m still going through it. I’m not completely through it, but I’m trying. My grandma used to say, “Nothing beats a failure but a trier.” Now that I look back, I doubt that’s exactly what she said, but it’s what I heard, and it’s what I live by. Life is a marathon, and I’m not giving up. I encourage you to keep going, no matter how tough things get. Remember, resilience isn’t about never falling; it’s about rising every time you do. Stay strong, keep pushing, and let’s keep running this marathon together. Carl’s mother is a testament to strength. Despite having every reason not to be, she remains the strongest among us. Her perseverance inspires me every day. I can’t wait to reveal to her what I’ve been working on and to see her reaction. So in close, No matter what is going on, Keep trying……..you never know who needs your story to keep going in their own journey. With love and resilience, Donna D.