To May Flowers: To Remain In Spirit

As we see time shifting, we begin to see ourselves truly transform. 

This is so necessary to close out the season of change. 

Witnessing the flowers bloom reminds us that our time here on earth is continually changing. 

From graduation to giving birth to moving to a new city. We can again bear witness to the fact that life continues to evolve and transform around us. 

My hope for you is to remain in spirit. Although the airline is no longer, we must continue to fly in order to achieve our greatest desires. To be able to go forth in what we have been led to do, which is to embark on change as life's manifesto. 

As a current doctoral candidate at Clark Atlanta University, I can attest that the semesters do not become difficult; rather, it becomes more introspective. Am I truly grasping the concept of my own existence while maintancing balancing with life's obstacles? 

Being able to dive deeply into theory to build on my own has been the most grounding. To be able to connect the dots of my own community's level of urban governance and political sovereignty. Moreover, my own communities' constituencies have maintained a balance between their ontologies and the realities of existence as Black men and women.

See, we carry so much as Black individuals that we do not often reflect in our own image or even within our abilities to be able to transform like a butterfly. To remain in spirit in times like these is to stay grounded in that truth.

It means recognizing that your path does not have to mirror anyone else’s to be valid. The graduate walking across the stage, the scholar returning for another year, the person navigating a new city, and the new parent learning to balance care and ambition, each is engaged in sacred work. Each is becoming.

And in that becoming, the question is not just “what’s next?” but “what will sustain me as I grow?”

Spaces like the CRESTSprogram offer more than opportunity; they offer alignment. They are intentional about holding space for cultural integrity, healing, and community-centered transformation. Whether you are seeking to deepen your research, reconnect with purpose, or find a community that understands the weight and beauty of your journey, reaching out matters.

Because transformation requires support.

It requires spaces where your full self is not only welcomed but necessary. Spaces that recognize that education is not just intellectual but also emotional, spiritual, and communal.

So whether you are celebrating, continuing, relocating, or nurturing a new life, stay in spirit.

Stay connected to what called you here in the first place.

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Additional Resources

Training Videos

Students Existing as an Act of Defiance: https://crestsprograms.thinkific.com/pages/free-videos 

Being Unapologetically Black in School Settings: https://crestsprograms.thinkific.com/courses/beingunapologeticallyblackinschoolsettings 

Previous Blog Posts

Spring Semester Is Heavy, But So Are You: A Letter to HBCU Graduates: https://www.crestsprogram.com/post/spring-semester-is-heavy-but-so-are-you-a-letter-to-hbcu-graduates 

From Bias to Brilliance: How Educators Can Minimize Bias and Promote Black Excellence Through Culture-Centered Teaching: https://www.crestsprogram.com/post/from-bias-to-brilliance-how-educators-can-minimize-bias-and-promote-black-excellence-through-cultur