Justikeandthetribe

Leading With Love and Compassion

This blog is for the individual that desires more of themselves + the people in their lives.

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Healing from a Legacy of Anger

March 04, 2024 by Ikeranda Smith in generational healing, love, mindset, self-discovery, relationships, spirituality, wellness

As a Black woman raised by a single mother, navigating the complexities of my family history has been an integral part of my journey. Growing up, I witnessed firsthand the destructive power of anger woven into the fabric of our family lineage. My father's abusive behavior towards my mother left scars not only on her body but also on my psyche.

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March 04, 2024 /Ikeranda Smith
love, anger, trauma
generational healing, love, mindset, self-discovery, relationships, spirituality, wellness

Embracing Obedience

February 05, 2024 by Ikeranda Smith in life, love, personal development, spirituality, wellness

As I reflect on my journey as a Black queer woman, obedience emerges as a guiding principle, a profound invitation to align with the Divine. It's not merely about following rules but about surrendering to a higher purpose, mainly when life's challenges test our faith. Join me as we explore the transformative power of obedience, discovering how it leads us to our most authentic selves and ignites our souls' profound passions.

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February 05, 2024 /Ikeranda Smith
Spirit, Obedience, Spiritual, african american, God, healing
life, love, personal development, spirituality, wellness

Jan 13, 2023

January 01, 2024 by Ikeranda Smith in personal growth, spirituality, self-discovery, relationships, life, mindset

Buckle up, brave hearts, because we're about to embark on a tale that kicked off my 2023 with a bang—quite literally. Picture this: a cascade of shattered glass, the screech of metal against metal, and the deafening silence that followed. My year didn't open with champagne toasts and resolutions; instead, it began with the echo of a life-altering collision.—this is the story that set the tone for my year of resilience and rebirth.

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January 01, 2024 /Ikeranda Smith
survivalstory, resilience, hope, lifepostaccident, transformativeexperience
personal growth, spirituality, self-discovery, relationships, life, mindset

Navigating Perimenopause as a Black Woman in Her Mid-40s: A Journey of Resilience

September 06, 2023 by Ikeranda Smith in black female doctors, black mothers, motherhood, self-discovery, self-improvement, spirituality, transformation, women of color, Black Women

Join me on this thought-provoking journey as we explore the multifaceted landscape of perimenopause through the lens of identity, culture, and empowerment. Together, we'll shed light on the unspoken and share wisdom that transcends generations. It's time to rewrite the narrative and embrace the beauty and strength that comes with this transformative phase of life.

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September 06, 2023 /Ikeranda Smith
black woman, aging, perimenopause, menopause, Black women aging
black female doctors, black mothers, motherhood, self-discovery, self-improvement, spirituality, transformation, women of color, Black Women

Am I my sister’s keeper?

September 21, 2022 by Ikeranda Smith in black, black mothers, family, generational healing, history, life, love, spirituality, womanaremagic

Lately, I have been thinking about how the mother wound and its role in the lives of men and women have surfaced as of late. The commitment to healing the fracture of not being loved must be foundational for women. It creates an openness and honesty that is necessary to be in community. When we lack self-love, we become a container for garbage that makes us feel like we must “outdo, out-work, out be” one another. Underneath that confusion is a sobering truth that many women would rather die than admit, most women don’t love themselves.

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September 21, 2022 /Ikeranda Smith
thewomanking, black people, black, black women, black woman, endangered species, creative, entrepreneur
black, black mothers, family, generational healing, history, life, love, spirituality, womanaremagic

Mutual

February 22, 2021 by Ikeranda Smith in black, LGBTQIA, love, marriage, queer, relationships, spirituality

This picture is such a true depiction of you. Always unbothered + beautiful with just enough audacity to be everything for me. Even on days when I try to convince myself that God made a mistake, you show up with a hand full of grace + a heart full of compassion. I’ve learned that loving you is like saying a prayer that is answered daily. I love you proudly + intimately bearing witness to the work the Creator is doing in your life. You anchor everything in love + for that I am grateful.

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February 22, 2021 /Ikeranda Smith
love, black love, grace, relationships
black, LGBTQIA, love, marriage, queer, relationships, spirituality

Incessant Black Love

February 15, 2021 by Ikeranda Smith in black, LGBTQIA, love, loveislove, marriage, relationships, spirituality

This is a glimpse of a spiritual partnership. The bigger the work of healing things your parents couldn’t; the higher the risk +the greater the reward. We are responsible for crossing thresholds that we could potentially fall in. This endeavor beckons us to bet on us + all the possibilities while we have yet to fully unpack the power I ancestors had. This entire journey impacts the mere foundation we tread upon daily. Our love is an offering coupled with the work it takes to withstand the totality of an experience that brings about transformation as two new human beings emerge. Its complicated!

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February 15, 2021 /Ikeranda Smith
loveislove, black love, black joy, lgbtqia, relationships
black, LGBTQIA, love, loveislove, marriage, relationships, spirituality

Thoughts On Getting Older

February 08, 2021 by Ikeranda Smith in black mothers, children, love, life, spirituality

This picture is a reflection of a woman who is deeply involved with herself. Don’t mind the background or my beautiful spouse but rather hear my heart. This moment is a fraction of many moments in my life that are often so fleeting due to the demands of life, a career that I love, motherhood + many other wonderful things that I am blessed to do. Yet there is a transition that my body is slowing shifting to or at least I am yearning for. I desire to be free of one thing + that is my “moon.”

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February 08, 2021 /Ikeranda Smith
cycle, moon, women
black mothers, children, love, life, spirituality

The Man I Never Knew

February 01, 2021 by Ikeranda Smith in black, black fathers, children, love, parenting, relationships, spirituality

When I think about my father + I there are few memories. Some of which are tainted with absence, addiction, laughter + hurt; yet it all tells a beautiful story of a man I never knew. When I think over the history of my life experiencing my father, I remember the silence of a man that never understood the power of his own words due to the pain of his own parents. His laughter was filled with all the things that he often desired as a child but never got to enjoy until he became a man. His stature was built from being torn down from the lack of a mothers’ touch, a father’s affirmation + a world that didn’t see the value in him. His anger was often like the wind, unpredictable + harsh; but if you were armed with the right stance you could learn a lot from his breeze.

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February 01, 2021 /Ikeranda Smith
fathers, daughters, family, growth
black, black fathers, children, love, parenting, relationships, spirituality

Meditate

December 14, 2020 by Ikeranda Smith in black, history, life, love, purpose, queer, spirituality

My mind is often consumed with petitions graciously offered up to the Creator. It is important to remain in my lane with the awareness that I am constantly becoming. I have tried to simplify my mission, clarify my space + the individuals in it. I’m speaking of modifying my distractions + the amount of times I have to re-learn the same lesson. I am conveying the only thing that matters to me is showing up for me. If it seems selfish then clearly you lack boundaries, your filter is low + you are dolling out obligations to people that are getting you further away from your goals. I suggest that all people choose themselves.. First! Healing is imminent whether you accept it or not.

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December 14, 2020 /Ikeranda Smith
love, black woman, becoming, growth, purpose
black, history, life, love, purpose, queer, spirituality

Gone Too Soon

November 16, 2020 by Ikeranda Smith in life, love, relationships, spirituality

Black people often laugh a lot because it is the thing that keeps us sane. It is the only space where we can reside without using our energy to preserve the ego of someone else. We chuckle loudly because it is the defense mechanism we learned from our slave owners when we loss loved one’s due to death. It killed us keeping up facades that wounded our smile. It murdered us to lose all emotion to the things that mattered most. It desensitized us to pain + we learned how to watch suffering with a straight face. It became a narrative that we became accustomed to. It taught us how to swallow our troubles + pretend that they didn’t exist…knowing full well we were never good.

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November 16, 2020 /Ikeranda Smith
death, family, black family
life, love, relationships, spirituality

The Evolution of Mavis

November 02, 2020 by Ikeranda Smith in black, black mothers, motherhood, spirituality, relationships

I am convinced that my love for myself has healed my mother. It is her permission to bloom + relax even though we have years of pain to apologize for. I listen to my mother’s pain + it tells a story of what I might come across on my journey. So I pack light! Never wanting to carry more than I need. I embrace the lessons, admit when things hurt still + listen with my heart. I understand that even when we vent there is still more pain that needs to be removed. So I am reminded to be gentle with myself + her because truthfully, we are one in the same.

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November 02, 2020 /Ikeranda Smith
mothers, motherhood, daughters, black
black, black mothers, motherhood, spirituality, relationships

The Call To Love

October 05, 2020 by Ikeranda Smith in black, LGBTQIA, marriage, loveislove, love, relationships, spirituality

Love is something that I am learning to reverence with humility when faced with my fears. I am recognizing that standing in love is not the problem; instead its remaining still when the foundation can be easily swallowed by my ego or trampled by my pride. Some days I marvel at how far we’ve come trapped beneath all of these unmet needs + endless triggers. It’s like trying to find safety in the midst of a hurricane. I admit I have no idea how your patience holds an appetite once I’ve swallowed it whole. I acknowledge that I am afraid of the constant shifting. I wonder how things will unfold as we evolve + will our intention remain the same; pure + devoted.

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October 05, 2020 /Ikeranda Smith
love, lgbtqia, life, relationships, marriage, partnership
black, LGBTQIA, marriage, loveislove, love, relationships, spirituality

Divine Love

September 21, 2020 by Ikeranda Smith in black, LGBTQIA, life, love, marriage, relationships, spirituality

Relationships are so delicate + crafted by every other relationship we have experienced or the lack thereof. My wife + I often speak of how we discard people for seemingly better designs. We often think our partners will take the place of our friendships or vice versa, but truthfully all relationships have their own special space. Every dynamic deserves its own reverence. Relationships are holy. Every. Single. One.

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September 21, 2020 /Ikeranda Smith
love, lgbtqia, loveislove, queer, marriage, partnership
black, LGBTQIA, life, love, marriage, relationships, spirituality
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Taboo No More

September 14, 2020 by Ikeranda Smith in black, children, history, LGBTQIA, life, love, mental health, personal growth, relationships, spirituality

I used to carry the weight of not knowing about the things that plagued my parents. I watched my mother crawl into bed everyday + wrap the burden of a disease un-diagnosed around her for security. We often choose religion instead of science to keep the lie our families tell us. We suffer in silence afraid to live a better quality of life. We suffer in quietness scared to let down the very people that often put us in these positions. I want to be the story that everyone desires to read because I found freedom is releasing myself from the shame of suffering.

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September 14, 2020 /Ikeranda Smith
mental health, taboo, mental wellness, ptsd, depression, black and mental health, lqbtqia
black, children, history, LGBTQIA, life, love, mental health, personal growth, relationships, spirituality

Making Love Work

December 06, 2019 by Ikeranda Smith in black, love, LGBTQIA, loveislove, marriage, relationships, spirituality

Making life work with you is revolutionary + necessary. Not because we are perfect or that we couldn’t be with someone else that oozes with pulchritudinous splendor, but rather we want to make our love work. Every day I pray for you to keep evolving in this space we are cultivating for both of us to expand. Every day I pray that we work harder on our character than we do on staying. See staying is nothing without the will to be forgiving. Hell, staying is nothing without the capacity to see the worst in someone + say “you good...I promise I got you.” Truth is staying is nothing without the testimony of how we make this work.

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December 06, 2019 /Ikeranda Smith
love, black love, african american, loveislove, queer marriage, marriage
black, love, LGBTQIA, loveislove, marriage, relationships, spirituality
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New Normal

December 06, 2019 by Ikeranda Smith in black, black mothers, children, love, parenting, relationships, spirituality

So here we are stepping into a new season. Somewhere I imagined this day. I even anticipated it. The day your moon would come to claim you as its own. I remember when you looked at me with such uncertainty, hoping that my love never diminished. Praying that this was the moment we empathized with each other because we could now understand the journey we both were taking. Isn’t it miraculous how the Universe climbs into our lap without warning only to swallow our fears and replace them with massive portions of purpose that will only fit in the Creators hands?

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December 06, 2019 /Ikeranda Smith
daughters, mothersanddaughters, black daughters, parenting, queer parenting
black, black mothers, children, love, parenting, relationships, spirituality
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First Moon Celebration

December 06, 2019 by Ikeranda Smith in black, children, black mothers, leadership, love, motherhood, parenting, relationships, spirituality

This moment is essential not because it’s a photo of black women but it’s a snapshot of generations being healed + patterns being broken. When I divorced my kids father I didn’t understand the gravity of witnessing a family being torn apart by epigenetic trauma while trying to balance your truth + your kid’s hearts. It’s complicated!

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December 06, 2019 /Ikeranda Smith
family, blended family, first moon party, first moon celebration, black girls, parenting, motehring, mothering, motherhood
black, children, black mothers, leadership, love, motherhood, parenting, relationships, spirituality
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Mothering

December 06, 2019 by Ikeranda Smith in black, black mothers, love, parenting, people of color, relationships, spirituality

This is my mother + we are re-building what it looks like to be in relationship with one another. When you are desperately “over parented” you spend most of your life in conflict with your caregivers/parents realizing that you never had the option to relax. You ingest anxiety in every interaction always wondering who your mother really is + if she ever desired to be her own woman. It has taken all of my mother’s life + mine to come to a place where we both release the weight of our undue expectations regarding the life we wanted. She didn’t have it to give + I don’t think she wanted to because historically black mothers didn’t have the time to extend love. Grief colored the tone of my mother’s voice leaving most interactions virtually impossible.

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December 06, 2019 /Ikeranda Smith
love, lgbtqia, learning, marriage, qwoc, parenting, parents
black, black mothers, love, parenting, people of color, relationships, spirituality
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Black Love Always

December 06, 2019 by Ikeranda Smith in black, LGBTQIA, life, love, marriage, queer, relationships, spirituality

When I decided to love you I asked the Creator one thing + that was to sustain our love. To give us back every year that our parents spent separated + divorced due to addiction. I asked for intentional presence that despite every hurdle we drew closer together. Proximity is everything with you! I asked for us to dwell in love + even when it seemed difficult that it would surface in the last place we put it.

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December 06, 2019 /Ikeranda Smith
black woman, black love, love, loveislove, self love, womenofcolor
black, LGBTQIA, life, love, marriage, queer, relationships, spirituality
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