A Diamond in the Rough: My Life Journey

After witnessing the brutal, fatal stabbing of her mother and surviving being stabbed herself during the same attack at the age of nine, a young African-American woman’s struggle to live continues. Diamond shares the mental, physical, and emotional effects she has suffered and the challenges she has faced, including alcohol abuse, emotional detachment, suicidal thoughts and panic attacks stemming from post-traumatic stress disorders. She reflects on a past filled with pain, abandonment, disappointment, violence, abuse, and molestation. In a time when she really didn’t have control and all that she felt she could do was cry until there were no more tears. She became numb with anger and a dislike from her core toward GOD. Although still a work in progress, her one-on-one relationship with God has evolved tremendously over the years. Her struggle in her pursuit of peace, happiness and mental and emotional stability has led her on a path of positive routes such as focusing her attention on higher education and taking positions in the workforce that gave her purpose, but which she viewed as nothing more than outlets. Still unsettled emotions were ignored, avoided into her adult years until another traumatizing event took place that forced her to confront all that continued to haunt her. Facing her past head-on has gained her answers to the questions she has had all these years: Why was I born in this world to suffer? What is my purpose?All things came full circle in the realm when she was blessed with her daughter, Star her gift, pride and joy. Her outlook on life changed, giving it new meaning and direction. This is the story of a young African-American woman’s struggle to survive through all adversities.