Weighed Down… (part 1)

Weight From The Past…

The foundation of many Black American families is built on the unshakable will to survive. Generations have carried the burdens of hardship, poverty, and brokenness, often held together by the strength of women who refused to let their families fall apart, and it all begins with the matriarch—a grandmother whose life was rooted in faith and service. As a devoted church missionary, she dedicated herself to helping others, but her own life was defined by sacrifice.

She told her children to keep pushing, to endure, because in her eyes, survival was enough. That message, though well-intended, planted a seed in the family—one that taught the next generations that suffering was an unavoidable part of life.

Her daughters, did not carry the same convictions. They rejected the rigid discipline of their mother’s church-driven world and sought freedom in places of music, flashing lights, and late-night laughter. The club scene offered them a temporary escape, but in the end, it also led them into broken relationships and financial struggles.

This is the weight of the past—each generation navigating the legacy left by the one before. Some embrace it, others fight against it, but all feel its presence.

But what if survival isn’t the only goal? What if breaking free from the patterns of the past means redefining what it means to truly live? The weight of the past is heavy, but it does not have to be a life sentence. Some will carry it, some will set it down, and others will find a way to turn it into something new.

XOXO Kaye,