The Child I Carried, The Truth I Birthed: Why The Faces of Transparency Exists
Some moments are more than just photographs, they’re proof that heartbreak can birth hope, and that our stories matter more than we ever imagined.
Insights for Empowerment
Some stories are carried long before they’re ever told.
This is mine.
This photo of my son, Deonte, holding my book, The Faces of Transparency: What We Reveal, is more than a proud mother moment. It’s the embodiment of a journey I never planned to walk and a truth I could no longer keep hidden.
Deonte was born on my 17th birthday. I was just a girl carrying a child, suddenly forced to navigate womanhood, motherhood, and my own unhealed wounds all at once. In those early days, I felt invisible. Unworthy. Like life was happening to me instead of through me.
I carried shame, heartbreak, and secrets that threatened to silence me. I questioned whether I would ever become the mother he deserved.
Yet even in my darkest moments, one thing kept me going: I had someone watching me. I had little eyes learning from how I rose after falling.
I wanted Deonte to see that setbacks don’t mean your story ends. I wanted him to believe that brokenness doesn’t disqualify you from building something beautiful.
So I kept showing up.
I clawed my way through high school when many thought I would never finish. I went back to school as an older woman, determined to earn my degrees…not for the piece of paper, but to prove to myself and my son that possibility doesn’t expire.
Eventually, I earned my master’s degree. And every time I crossed a milestone, I thought: I hope he’s watching.
But my journey wasn’t just about triumph. It was carved through heartbreak…failed relationships, moments of feeling unseen, seasons of loneliness, and battles with fear and self-doubt. There were nights I cried silently, wondering if I would ever heal from the invisible bruises left by words and wounds I rarely spoke aloud.
It was in those hidden places that The Faces of Transparency was born.
Because I realized the things I was most afraid to say out loud were the very things that might set someone else free.
So I wrote. I poured my truth onto pages. I peeled back layers I had spent years hiding. I let my own reflection stare back at me without shame.
Today, my son stands holding my story. But he’s not just holding my truth…he’s holding his. He’s holding proof that we are not defined by how we started but by how we choose to keep going.
He’s my reason why. But so is the woman I used to be…the girl who once felt she had no voice.
The Faces of Transparency exists because silence was no longer an option. Because secrets were suffocating. Because healing demanded honesty. And because I wanted my son and anyone else reading my story…to know that even in heartbreak, hope can be born.
This moment is everything I prayed for and more.
Encouraging Nuggets
Even when your journey starts in pain, it can lead you to purpose.
Secrets lose their power when shared with courage.
Healing is not just for us…it’s a legacy for those watching us.