I wrote Rooted & Rising because pain that comes from family isn’t always visible — but it never disappears on its own. Many of us learned to survive instead of feel. We carried unspoken hurt, childhood wounds, favoritism, loss, and silence because we were told to “be strong.”

This book was born from the little girl inside me who wanted to be chosen, seen, and protected — and from the woman I became who realized she could choose herself and build a life rooted in self-worth and purpose.

Inspired by the strength of my mother, the lessons life taught me, and the resilience that comes from pain you refuse to let break you, this book is both a testimony and a turning point.