SG

It was under the wing of her grandmother, Nana, that SG found her trusting spirit. Her mother had her at a young age, and her father was absent, so she and her mother moved into Nana's house and there she received happiness and support.

SG earned her bachelor’s degree in graphic arts and began a career as a fashion designer in the surf industry. Around the same time, she met a man who had a magnetic personality. His past was littered with abuse, but she didn’t think much of it. She trusted him. They married, and she got pregnant. Seven months into her pregnancy she was thrown into three days of labor. When her son was born, his lungs collapsed. He did not survive. This loss shook her to the core. Around this time, she also realized that her husband’s casual drinking wasn’t casual. They went to counseling to try to find solutions.

She was an art director and things were good at work. She found solace there. After three years, she got pregnant again. This time, her son was born a month early and with Torticollis (a condition where nerves fail to develop correctly). SG shifted to freelance work so that she could have time to help him. Unfortunately, when he was one year old, she realized that her husband was drinking again and he was also cheating on her. One morning, when she addressed his affair, he pushed her up against the wall and told her he could take their son and disappear whenever he wanted. She knew he was capable of this. She looked in the mirror and realized that her spirit was dying.

She decided to leave but had to be cautious in how she did it, so that her husband wouldn’t become violent. She had to move back into working full time, but after submitting multiple resumes she realized that it was nearly impossible to make the salary she once earned. She managed to make ends meet with her freelance clients and by teaching a college course as an adjunct professor.

It’s been a long emotional journey, but she has worked tremendously hard to keep her spirit alive. Each time she finds herself in sadness, she focuses on the spirit her Nana nurtured in her. Now others turn to her for guidance and she is determined to help them grow.