In Her Honor | Matriarchs, Memory & Mama’s House: Honoring Willa Mae

Brown Silk: Love, Loss & the Journey to Womanhood with Taisha Ryan

In this episode, I sit down with author Taisha Ryan to talk about her beautiful coming-of-age novel, Brown Silk , a story that follows Tianna Harper, a young girl uprooted from Georgia and transplanted into the fast pace and complexity of Brooklyn. As the conversation unfolded, I found myself thinking less about the plot and more about the emotional weight of our journey into womanhood. How our environments shape us. How love changes us. How some relationships leave fingerprints on who we become as women. And honestly, that’s what made this conversation feel so special to me. We talked about identity. Girlhood. Complicated love. Mental health. The environments that shape us. And the quiet transition from adolescence into adulthood. What I appreciated most was how intentional Taisha was about telling this story with equal parts softness, honesty and tragedy. Brown Silk doesn’t rush past the highs and lows of relationships or the emotional realities of womanhood. It allows us to sit with them. This episode is reflective, layered, emotional, deeply human, and I truly cannot wait to hear your thoughts. 🦋 You can connect with Taisha here: Website: https://www.taisharyan.com/ [https://www.taisharyan.com/] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1MP87g [https://www.facebook.com/share/1MP87g]... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmxnNkllb3A0VkdrR1FUc2duUHFIMjVLcElOQXxBQ3Jtc0tuZURVd1NVVGRrOXBPSGQ0R2swdUl0VTFGT3Blbk04amo3bFYteFdwaHlOTTRVRC1GM2MyN2sxamJwZVhCa1dNdngtSjlhWmhiem5STXF0dWFRdHZLNGtRcXU1U29oQzFzVUZDbnZxWE5UemxPZjcxZw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2F1MP87gZbEc%2F%3Fmibextid%3DwwXIfr&v=Jwhi_95rg28] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authortaish [https://www.instagram.com/authortaish]... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqa2dlRXRnMXA0Z1ZBUjR3QXFqRVkxb2VsNVJQQXxBQ3Jtc0tua1VLN0pNRWtLVkM0Q3hGbHRIZmVmNnNrMENvd2lFZk5YbV95RkEwcFhRWnFMZ2FhcGx2ZWNBMWJRVE5zZ3pZVzBRb2VrNURZTWlIX3ZuZ3Q0V3dFc3FiYnJtR1BUeERCeFRQM1pVQ0c2aWZnd1NXNA&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.instagram.com%2Fauthortaisharyan%3Futm_source%3Dig_web_button_share_sheet%26igsh%3DZDNlZDc0MzIxNw%3D%3D&v=Jwhi_95rg28] #BrownSilk [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/brownsilk] #TaishaRyan [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/taisharyan] #BookTok [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/booktok]

In Her Honor | Matriarchs, Memory & Mama’s House: Honoring Willa Mae

In this episode of In Her Honor, I’m honoring my grandmother, Willa Mae, a woman whose life was marked by loss, faith, sacrifice, and an extraordinary determination to overcome. My grandmother was born in 1928 in Alabama, in the heart of Jim Crow. She later made her way to Cleveland in the 1950s with her husband and only an elementary education, carrying little in the way of formal opportunity but so much strength. In the 1960s, she endured the devastating loss of both her husband and her eldest daughter within a short period of time. And somehow, in the middle of that grief, she still had to find a way to provide for herself and her remaining children. What moves me so deeply about her story is that she did not fold under the weight of what she faced. She pushed through discriminatory lending, found a way to purchase a home, and made sure her children, and eventually their children, had shelter. That home became more than a house. It became proof of her resilience, her sacrifice, and her refusal to let hardship have the final word. She also completed training to become a dietitian at Menorah Park in Beachwood, Ohio, and that place became part of the backdrop of my own childhood memories. When I think about Willa Mae, I think about a woman who kept going. A woman who loved the Lord, who was deeply spiritual, and who met life’s hardest blows with faith and grit. This episode is about Black family legacy, grief, homeownership, motherhood, survival, and the kind of strength that changes the trajectory of a family. Willa Mae was an overcomer, and this conversation is my way of honoring not only what she survived, but what she built in spite of it. If you have ever looked back at the women in your family and realized just how much they carried so that you could stand where you are, I believe this episode will speak to you. #InHerHonor [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/inherhonor] #lifeafterthegoodbye [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/lifeafterthegoodbye] #WillaMae [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/willamae] #BlackFamilyLegacy [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/blackfamilylegacy] #GrandmothersLegacy [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/grandmotherslegacy] #BlackWomenHistory [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/blackwomenhistory] #JimCrowSouth [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/jimcrowsouth] #FamilyLegacy [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/familylegacy] #HealingAfterLoss [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/healingafterloss] #CalmAndCultured [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/calmandcultured]

In Her Honor: The Grief No One Talks About: Loving a Mother With Dementia with Marcia Jackson

In this heartfelt episode of In Her Honor, Marcia shares her experience caring for her mother through dementia and the emotional journey that came with it. She remembers her mother as a quiet woman who loved her grandchildren, took pride in being a housekeeper, and was deeply loved by everyone who knew her. As her mother’s health declined, Marcia faced the painful reality that she could no longer care for her at home. In addition to caring for her mother, Marcia was also raising her grandchildren, and the weight of those responsibilities made the decision even more difficult. In this conversation, she speaks honestly about having to place her mother in a nursing home, the grief and guilt that came with that choice, and the many ways she continued to advocate for her mother afterward. This episode is a powerful reflection on dementia caregiving, nursing home placement, family responsibility, grief, patience, and the enduring love between a mother and daughter. It is also a reminder that making hard decisions for the people we love does not mean loving them less. In this episode, we talk about: caring for a mother with dementia deciding to place a parent in a nursing home advocating for a loved one in long-term care balancing caregiving with raising grandchildren grief, guilt, and family responsibility honoring a mother’s dignity through difficult decisions If you are caring for a parent with dementia, navigating elder care decisions, or trying to balance caregiving with the needs of your own family, this conversation will speak to you. #InHerHonor [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/inherhonor] #lifeafterthegoodbye [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/lifeafterthegoodbye] #DementiaCaregiving [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/dementiacaregiving] #CaregiverGrief [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/caregivergrief] #NursingHomeCare [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/nursinghomecare] #MotherLoss [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/motherloss] #FamilyCaregiver [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/familycaregiver] #AdvocacyMatters [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/advocacymatters] #GriefJourney [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/griefjourney] #WomensStories [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/womensstories] #CalmAndCultured [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/calmandcultured]

Her Daughter’s Life Mattered: A Mother’s Grief After SIDS | In Her Honor

Today’s episode of In Her Honor is one of the most tender conversations in this series. Ashreal shares what it has meant to lose her daughter to SIDS at just two months old, a loss that sent her life reeling and left her trying to find her way through unimaginable grief. As she spoke about her daughter, her whole face lit up. You could feel the love, the memory, and the connection that still lives on. In this conversation, I wanted to remind her of something I believe deeply: she is still a mother, her daughter’s life mattered, and Ashreal’s life matters too. I also wanted to make room for the truth that sometimes healing begins with giving yourself permission to not be okay. This episode is about grief, child loss, remembrance, and the kind of love that does not end. If this is part of your story, or you love someone who is carrying this kind of loss, I hope this conversation meets you with love and kindness. #InHerHonor [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/inherhonor] #SIDS [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/sids] #InfantLoss [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/infantloss] #ChildLoss [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/childloss] #BereavedMother [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/bereavedmother] #MotherhoodAfterLoss [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/motherhoodafterloss] #GriefJourney [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/griefjourney] #HealingAfterLoss [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/healingafterloss] #RememberingHer [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/rememberingher] #womensstories [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/womensstories]

In Her Honor: Losing My Mother to Dementia: Grief, Love & What Remains with Cassandra

Today’s episode of In Her Honor features Cassandra as she honors the life and legacy of her mother, Virginia , my aunt ,who passed after living with dementia. As Virginia’s youngest daughter, Cassandra reflects on a woman who was strong, loving, hardworking, and unforgettable. Virginia was the oldest of 11 children: 9 boys and 2 girls, and that alone says a great deal about the kind of responsibility she carried. She helped care for her siblings, and later poured that same care into her own children and grandchildren. She was feisty, unapologetic, deeply particular, and held high expectations for the people she loved. She was tough, but she was also very, very loving. In this conversation, Cassandra shares how grief and hindsight have helped her understand her mother in a deeper way than she once did. She remembers Virginia as a woman marked by excellence, discipline, passion, and an incredible work ethic. A woman who could be misunderstood, but whose love and strength ran deep. This episode is a tender reflection on mother loss, dementia, grief, family legacy, caregiving, and the evolving understanding that can come after goodbye. It is also a tribute to the women who help raise not just their own children, but whole families. If you have ever lost your mother, cared for someone with dementia, or found yourself understanding a parent more clearly after they were gone, this conversation will stay with you. #InHerHonor [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/inherhonor] #Lifeafterthegoodbye [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/lifeafterthegoodbye] #DementiaGrief [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/dementiagrief] #MotherLoss [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/motherloss] #RememberingMom [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/rememberingmom] #GriefJourney [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/griefjourney] #MothersLegacy [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/motherslegacy] #MotherDaughterRelationship [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/motherdaughterrelationship] #HealingAfterLoss [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/healingafterloss] #WomensStories [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/womensstories] #CalmAndCultured [https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/calmandcultured]