Hope & Necessity

It's about survival, privilege, hope, and the other side.

Hope Matters

There are many things I’ve learned out of sheer necessity from having lived as a poor, single Black mom. I still use some of this knowledge today. Here’s a short piece of a long list. (Oh, the stories I could tell about each of them.)

I’ve learned how to:

• Make cookies out of gluten-free graham cracker crumbs, syrup, and almond milk

• Fend off/heal sinus infections without visiting a doctor

• Make some delicious tuna salad

• Use neem leaves to stay healthy

• Make my own pancake and chocolate syrups to keep from paying an arm and a leg for the off-the-shelf ones (They taste better, too. 😉)

• Treat the flu without paying $200.00 for a prescription or just riding it out

Notice any patterns here? All of them revolve around either food or healthcare, which all cost money. There are some who would ask, “Why did you have to do these things?” Well, I was broke; I had to remain healthy to work and support my tiny family, and I wanted us to be able to enjoy at least some of the basic things that other people take for granted, like cookies and syrup.

I prayed and worked in hope that things would change. Eventually, they did, and I know for sure God answers prayer. But I realize without these circumstances, I wouldn’t know what a privilege it is to now care for myself in the way I need or provide a large variety of gluten-free and dairy-free food for Son without standing at the checkout counting my pennies and putting things back. I also know these shouldn’t be privileges but standard practice and offerings to keep people well and thriving.

This life has driven the community work I do daily. I know what it is to need to take care of yourself and can’t, to want to feed your family or do extracurricular things and not be able. I know how it feels to be part of a system so set against your health and achievement that it takes miracles and God-sent angels to break through and stay well, because nothing you could ever do would be enough. Some part of your life would suffer from your doing.

I look at the community members I serve and hope for them, but I also do for them. The doing has to be done without judgment, because the underlying circumstances of their situations are varied. And, sitting on the outside looking in makes it so easy to be right about your judgment and fit people in unfair boxes held open by a system that doesn’t care for them. They are figuring out life for themselves and their families out of necessity.

I’ve lived this life in order to be able to identify with and help others. I’m here to let you know that hope will hold you in the road. I’m here to let you know that prayer changes things. I’m here to let you know that there is ‘the other side.’ I’m here to let you know not to give up on yourselves and your families. I’m here to let you know to seek the help you need; it never hurts to ask. God will send you helpers and angels.

I wouldn’t have anything to hope for if I didn’t need something. I would’ve let go if I didn’t have hope. I wouldn’t know how to help, if I’d never experienced any of it. I wouldn’t know how to tell others how to help either.

Hope and help in necessity, my friends. ☕️

Coffee Matters

Hope Buddies, I have 4 coffee babies I ordered from Cxffeeblack. Of the four there are 2 I haven’t previously sipped, and I haven’t done reviews of any of them in my hopeletters. So, expect reviews on them over the next few weeks. Here’s what I know about these coffees. They’re good on drip, but I believe they would be amazing in a pourover. So, we’ll see what happens. 😉 Here are my coffee babies. (I love that this company places the roast date on the packaging.)

Now, why should you buy from Cxffeeblack? Because, it’s not just about the coffee; it’s a movement to provide education about coffee and its origin. Some of their proceeds go toward their Barista Exchange and their SIT Internship Programs, which support both their local community and people in Africa with education and career opportunities. Also, their coffees are DELICIOUS! The flavors have no comparison. They’re easily the most original coffees I’ve tasted.

I’ll be back next week with updates and reviews. You know…coffee shenanigans. 😁

What are you hoping and sipping this week?

I appreciate you taking the time to read this hopeletter about my life and coffee. Please share with a friend who could use a little hope or coffee recommendation.