Dr Margaret Matson Norris

My Beloved Journey: Faith, Family, Fortitude Dr Margaret Matson Norris

At age thirty-seven, Margaret's world crashed, and a seed of resentment drew her into an abyss of darkness and chaos. A harsh, cruel reality blindsided her. Her husband of twelve years had given his heart to another -- a family acquaintance. Riddled with pain and anger, Margaret wrestled with marital disillusionment and waning self-confidence to determine how to reckon with both. MY BELOVED JOURNEY: Faith, Family, Fortitude will take you through the valley of Margaret's sojourn.

Regardless of the path, her most urgent concern was for her three sons, Marcus, Brandon, and Jonathan, ages eight, nine, and ten. If she were to become a single parent, how could she raise them to become men of integrity in the face of their father's indiscretion? Additionally, the image and plight of Black men during the 1980's were under attack due to the events of that era--the era that Nixon had declared the war on drugs. Crack cocaine had spread throughout major cities of America in epidemic proportions, resulting in the incarceration and/or deaths of Black males before the age of 25.

Myths countering a woman's ability to raise boys to become men were pervasive. Media reports supported and supplanted the idea that boys being raised by a single mother had problems adapting to societal norms. Margaret doubted that she could fulfill a mission that was counter to her heart's desire of being a wife and mother. She loved her husband and wanted the best outcome for her sons.

She also knew that she was haunted by decades of unreconciled trauma from situations with men who had tried to rape and sexually exploit her. Would her sons pay the price for the sins of the men who had hurt her? Cloaked in rage and depression, Margaret thought about the unfairness of it all, and amid excruciating pain, considered the unfathomable: suicide.

How did she ascend from resentment to reconciliation? MY BELOVED JOURNEY: Faith, Family, Fortitude illustrates how she prevailed. It is a must-read for anyone who has past or present struggles with life's challenges. This memoir can become your sojourn companion toward your destiny of all things possible: HOPE.