Deborah Edgar

While going through my second divorce, I had been referred to Dr. Roberta Damon through a divorce recovery workshop at First Baptist Church, the largest in Richmond, located on a sprawling block of historic Monument Avenue. Her office was located across the street in an aged but stately two-story house that had been donated to the church. As I made my way up the brick steps for our first appointment, my hands were shaking, my heart racing, and a pit was forming deep in my bel

A picture of my great-grandmother, Mary Ella Dawson, sits on my desk as a reminder of generational grit. In the photograph, she is dressed in a suit, a brimmed hat with a big bow, and round glasses. She is not smiling; her eyes are dark and cold, yet steady and determined. Every day I am reminded that courage runs deep in my ancestral bones. I had only seen her, as well as my grandmother, Lillie, wear a house dress with hose and clunky black shoes. My grandmother had never cu

I rise before the world, the quiet of the house still wrapped around me, and I sit with my journal. Three pages. Handwritten. No one reads them. No one judges. It is the rhythm of reclaiming my voice, the sacred act of listening to myself. I am fulfilling a promise I made to Jon. One day while standing in our kitchen, he held my shoulders, looked intently into my eyes and asked, “Will you write our love story?” I shrugged off the suggestion. He was serious. He told me it was

This morning I felt the need to be very quiet and meditate - to shut the world out for a few minutes and reflect upon my life - how I want to show up in the world, what's lurking beneath my surface, to center into who I want to be and how I want my life to unfold. The past few years brought endless uncertainty - so many questions, so much confusion. I felt unbalanced, unsure, lost and confused....and yet, I held onto a belief in my future. I held tightly to the right of my de

Heartache and disappointment can rattle our faith. Nothing can shake it deeper than tragedy, abuse, deep confusion or a broken heart....

Let’s get real. We are barraged with ludicrous and ridiculous notions about life and how to manage through it. I could write a separate book on this topic. For now, let’s talk about a few that directly impact our hurting hearts and authentic healing. When I hear the sentiment, “Time heals all wounds,” espoused as truth along with other cultural cliches that don’t make sense, I want to shout from rooftop: “Please, stop the madness!” Time Heals All Wounds . Contrary to popular