Before and After Tag 2.7.2020

How interesting You are, Lord. The Before and After Tag. You intrigue me with invitation by Efua of Grace Over Pain, who so kindly requested to take part in The Before And After Tag A.K.A. the Then And Now Tag. 

Thank you, Efua, for your kind invitation!
May God continue to bless you and your blog!
Me and God love you, sister! ❤

The Before And After Tag A.K.A. the Then And Now Tag was created by
Robert of WATCHING DAILY AT WISDOM’S GATES

Rules:
Use the image at the top of the post;
Answer the 10 questions;
And tag the people you’d like to answer the questions.

1. Who was family for you growing up?
My mom and dad, 2 brothers, sister, a foster brother, and maternal grandparents.

2. Who is family for you now?
son, 1 brother, sister, brother in law, stepdad, adopted sister, and church family

3. Where did you grow up?
the mountains of WNC (Western North Carolina)

4. Where do you live now?
the same

5. What did you want to be when you were older?
originally a cancer doctor, then a CEO of my own greeting card company that did more than birthdays and holidays (but then I heard about a company called Hallmark that beat me to it), then to work for the FCC to clean up the airwaves on radio and TV, but a writer all along

6. What do you do now?
live, write poetry, serve God, encourage others

7. What’s your earliest memory?
When I was 3 yrs old a man held a gun to my mother’s head and threatened to kill her if she did not leave with him. She refused, saying she would not leave her kids. He then told she could bring the kids but that she was leaving. She refused. Next thing I know he’s across the street at the neighbor’s with police surrounding him. He killed the neighbor and then threatened the police that they would never take him alive, but eventually they did. They put him in prison for several years.

8. What’s one of your most recent memories?
In the last couple of weeks one of my aunt’s died. She was my dad’s sister. She and my dad are both gone now. It brought back a memory of when my dad got a call that she was in the ICU of the hospital because she had been severely beaten by her ex-boyfriend. They were telling my dad the password to see her because they were afraid she would not make it and that the guy who beat her so violently continued to beat her and kick her in the head with officers still there trying to pull him off of her. If her roommate (who he also started beating on) had not run for help, the ex would have killed them both. He vowed to the officers that he would finish the job.
When we went to see my aunt, all the bones in her face were shattered. With her face completely swollen so tight that she was pale, along with blood and tears coming out of her eyes, my aunt tried to smile, and with a calm and loving voice apologized to me for not having her hair fixed. She had always been a woman who took care of herself, and was very hospitable, loved cooking for others, and loved sharing her southern hospitality. They told my dad they would be transporting her and that for several weeks she would not be allowed visitors while they did several surgeries.
Eventually my aunt would call my dad with new passwords. Then she and her roommate moved closer to our area to be out of that area. (She had been 3 hours away, now she was 45 minutes away.) She eventually got to where she lived a normal life again, despite how it changed her facial features. She wasn’t the confident and outgoing lady she was before, but she knew she was loved regardless of her looks. I was grateful the Lord allowed me to witness beautiful things from a beautiful lady… inside and out… before and after!

9. What do you consider your greatest achievement so far?
Giving my live to God. ❤ And Him giving His Son Jesus and my son Anthoni to me! ❤

10. What is your biggest hope in this life?
The love and promises of God! ❤

My Nominees:

Caz
Matt
Stu
Amy
Siphe
Charity
Temi