February 8, 2025 11:00 AM
Today’s the day!
It’s my first Sister Circle with ‘Mothers Of Murdered Columbus Children’ (MOMCC). It’s a Valentine’s Day Edition and to be honest, I’m nervously anticipating the meeting. Hopefully I can get through it without crying uncontrollably.
I’m a shy, quiet, and reserved person by nature so attending this meeting and using my voice along with other mothers to impact the community is definitely stepping out of my comfort zone. I’m doing my best to fulfill the promise I made to John as I stood before his casket, looked at him and promised to make this world a better place in his honor while keeping his name and legacy alive. Something that he can look down on and be proud of.
This is the first step…
8:00 PM
Wow!
Attending my first MOMCC Sister Circle overwhelmed me with emotions!
It felt so good to be around mothers who truly understand my pain . The support I received from everyone felt wonderful. I cried a lot and received many hugs in return.
We started by introducing ourselves, which was quite challenging for me, but I managed it because the environment felt so safe. I was finally among people who didn’t seem uncomfortable about not knowing what to say. Next, we engaged in Valentine’s Day-related activities. There were seven stations, and each one had a different activity to complete. These included sand art, writing messages to our deceased children on paper hearts, and creating posters for the next community neighborhood gathering, among others.
The children from the MOMCC Youth Division participated in the Sister Circle, bringing a lot of laughter and joy. We all know how much happiness children can bring to our hearts. My partner for the day was Levi, the grandson of MOMCC co-founder Malissa Thomas-St. Clair. He’s a Michigan fan, and if you know anything about the Ohio State/Michigan rivalry, you know that as a Buckeye, I don’t have much love for that team up north or their fans. However, since Levi was such a delight, I told him he was an exception to the rule.
Just before the closing prayer, music began to play, and many attendees joined in what I’ve been told is a staple of these gatherings: group line dancing. This lively activity certainly lifted my spirits as well. Watching these women, who have experienced the pain of losing a child to violence, laugh and dance has given me hope. I believe that one day, I too will be able to smile again and feel joy.
I’m looking forward to this journey with my Sister Soldiers and fulfilling the promise I made to my son.
As soon as I got home, I sent a message to Hope Reger, the founder of the Grief2Hope weekly series I’ve been attending online. I wanted to let her know that I have found my “arm’s length tribe,” and I was welcomed in with open arms.
The MOMCC event was also featured on the news, showcasing pictures of our lost angels, with John’s picture front and center. The broadcast included clips of me crying, as you can see in the video below.
Today was a good day.
I haven’t had many, if any, of those since July 28,2024