Week 12 -"One Storm and a Thousand Flowers"
Dear Friends and Family,
This week, I would like to share with you a story from a family member, who experienced a devastating loss just a few days prior to the passing of my dad. I like to call her my “little cousin”, although Sharde is married with four young, beautiful children. Her story is uplifting because she has chosen to turn her pain into a story of healing and triumph.
Another cousin of mine named Alexis, who is Sharde’s sister, shared something with me that I told her I was going to “steal” and include in my newsletter. She describes it as turning our trauma into “Our Superpower Instead of Our Kryptonite”! Her story of triumph is so similar to Sharde’s.
Both Sharde and Alexis have made it their mission to share their stories, pain and triumph on radio and at various speaking engagements, to help others with similar stories and to equip individuals with life-saving suicide prevention knowledge.
Like myself, Sharde also chose to write a book about her life, God’s mercy and her triumph in order to help others who have lost hope. Information regarding her book is included below her story.
I know you will enjoy reading this brief excerpt of Sharde’s story.
This Week’s Feature: “One Storm and a Thousand Flowers”
“In life, often times, a storm may come out of nowhere. Even if you check the weather and the news calls for clear skies, weather is unpredictable. Life is the same way. While I knew that my mom, Tonya Moore Young, was facing a few challenges, no umbrella would suffice to protect me from the storm that was ahead of me. Losing her to suicide was something no one could have prepared me for. For my family and I, this storm came out of nowhere. I was unfamiliar with suicide, had no inclination that my mother was this severely depressed, and felt so many emotions that flooded over me. It was a season of time where it felt like every day was a rain shower.
Two years later, on my journey today, I still see the rain when I reflect on that season. The uneasy decisions, raw emotions, and pure sadness were very real. However, what I also embrace are the thousands of flowers that came from that storm. I now encourage survivors of suicide loss to comfort the same wound I suffered from. My family and I have spearheaded a host of many opportunities to spread suicide awareness, and so many other things. The woman I have become came from that storm. So, while I cannot predict the next storm, I know that after it, flowers will certainly bloom.”
![](https://kjoynerbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Sharde.png)
![](https://kjoynerbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Shardes-Book.png)
Sharde’s book, “My Stones” is available to purchase from the following retailers:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
Please visit her colorful website to learn more about Sharde and to purchase her book:
Prayer Request:
Please pray for those who are grieving.
What’s On Your Mind?
Please share any key lines from the book (via the Comments section, text, e-mail, etc.) that you believe will uplift others who are grieving. I will begin sharing them in my posts…Thank You!
My Ask of You:
- Please join me in the prayer above.
- Please consider writing a review on Amazon or the site where you
purchased the book, once you have read it. - Please plan to attend as many of my upcoming Book Signing events as you can.
Upcoming Events:
- I will be selling and signing my book at The Atlanta Writers Conference Book Fair on Friday, November 3rd (11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel.
- Check the Events tab of my site during the next few weeks to learn more about this event and other upcoming events.
Thank you for your support and prayers…
“And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.”
1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)