We Are Moving!

Thank you.

This blog has served as a safe space; connecting me to readers all over the world for us since 2019. For that I am truly grateful.

I was first encouraged to start this blog by a friend who felt that that I had a lot to say. (It turned out she was right. Thank you, Lisa. )

This space has helped me to find my voice and my niche. It has been a blessing to witness to my evolution on here as well as learning the cathartic power of community.

It has been quite the journey. Thank you for walking with me. You have seen me through good times and hard times. You have witnessed the publication of two poetry collections. You have read about my heartbreaks, my life's work, my struggles and much more.

I am moving to Substack and I would love if you would come along.

If you wish to continue this journey with me, please use the link below.

Anella's Bits and Pieces

Don't forget to hit the subscribe button so you can be the first to read future posts.

Once again, thank you for journeying with me.

Bye for now.

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It Is Okay To Rest.

Rest Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash I recently rang a relative to wish her happy birthday and asked her what she planned to do for the day. She candidly replied, "Work. We are a hard-working family, remember?" She was telling the truth. I grew up watching my family till the soil with their bare hands, after all "by the sweat our brow" we had to eat. There is nothing wrong with working hard to provide for yourself and others but at what cost? I decided a long time ago that would not be my narrative. Balance Photo by Karsten Winegeart on Unsplash I know what it means to work yourself to the ground. I know what it means to grind and hustle. I know what it means to get caught up in the horrors and toxicity of capitalism. I had to watch my mother do it and, for a while, I inherited that culture. But there is nothing wrong with laying it down and walking away to redefine productivity. I know what it means to work myself to exhaustion but, I...

Changing the Narrative!

Annie Spratt on Unsplash I once wrote a poem about succulents. But the truth is I was writing about myself and my story. Indeed, I had come a long way and progress looked good on me. (Poem can be found in my book Bonfire available on Amazon.com) As we celebrated the stories of many women and how they changed the narrative, I began thinking of my story. Many will try to convince you that they know me or know my story. But albeit, I beg to differ. The truth is no one knows my story like I know my story. And no one can tell my story like I can tell my story. I never wanted to become a teacher; that was my mother's dream and pretty soon it became mine. I handled that dream like it was an heirloom or a rite of passage. Something handed down to me and by all means, it would enable me to lift the family name, rinse it from the mud and hold it towards the sun. Teaching would be easy. Everyone would be proud. They would all be happy for me. These were my thoughts. This was not so an...

A Journey of a Thousand Miles

I recently had one of my senior students ask me, "Is life really a journey?" The question posed to me by someone almost half my age, really made me think. How often have we stopped to think of this overused yet true analogy. "Is life really a journey?" A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. – Lao Tzu If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t walk run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but by all means keep moving. – Martin Luther King Jr. What about life makes it a fitting comparison to a journey (of any kind)? To journey means to travel from place to another. A voyage. A trip. An expedition. Those who embark on such trips are often referred to as pilgrims, travelers or sojourners. In its own way, life can be said to be a journey. We embark on this journey, the moment we have been birthed into this world. From birth until our death, we should have traveled from one point to another. Whether it be as a result of personal...

The Reason Behind My Voice

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