I am a ShaakieraS, A mature, respectable and sophisticated woman, with a massive vocabulary and a passion for words, which borders on obsession. Strangely quiet and reserved , an introverted extrovert yet can be surprisingly witty, accommodating and very outgoing depending on the situation and of course the company. Highly intelligent and sharp-minded choosing to express myself largely through the opinion/perspective and reflective Human interest based pieces I write. According to IQ and EQ Analysts my psycho symmetric and aptitude tests results have established that I am a "Linguistic Thinker" 1 in 1,000.00 people who have the ability to excel in both numbers and words. It further determined that I have an extremely well developed and active EQ despite my IQ. High EQ's are more often seen in people who possess lower IQ's. And visa versa. I am consistently inspired by the world, and amazed by the people who live in it, including myself. Surviving just over two decades of extreme hardships, tragedy upon tragedy, loss after loss, very nearly destroying myself , coming so close to losing everything that meant anything to me, closer even to losing my very life. Repeatedly getting knocked down so often took its toll on me naturally shattering the last remnants of my self esteem . Drawn to the broken and lost as they are to the emptiness they sense Inside me. Intrigued , I want to know all their stories. Completely entranced as I listen to tale after tale of devastation and despair but more gripping survival . I have been on an endless journey facing many tragedies myself and have known my fair share of loss and sorrow. If not for writing , more specifically my beloved poetry, I can honestly say I would not be alive today. I feel blessed to have been spared long enough to tell my story. I am in constant awe of the resilience humans possess. Especially women ,their spirits unbreakable always doing what they have to, not what they want to. Often amazed at my own survival when reflecting back ,too many battles fought, enough to last a lifetime , but still being here restored not only my confidence , it restored my faith in myself and re- confirmed for me my strength of character, reminding me that I have strong core values and of the last promise a daughter made to her mother , To Never Give Up! An avid believer in Honesty, Integrity and respect for all and self. When we Choose to live nothing can stop us. We have this amazing ability to overcome the most impossible hardships ,getting stronger with each struggle faced then transcending over the pain. All the personal losses in my life , deaths of my close loved ones nearly destroyed me , Instead I became stronger growing up overnight ,I also became wiser. Learning priceless lessons about love and compassion. The most important lesson of all is Patience ,everything gets better with time . I learned To be grateful for the people you have in your life and too cherish the time you have with them. I chose to use my pain positively. Transcending over my own grief in order to be there for whoever needs me, helps me more than you can imagine. To just be there if only to listen and offer an understanding ear means a great deal. No one needs to go through anything alone. No one should. This is why I feel compelled to write human interest pieces sharing from my own personal life experiences as well as stories I have heard. A freelance writer however, always the infinite Poet at the core ,who not only strives daily to be a best selling author but who more significantly aspires to change the world, One word at a time. I'm blessed to touch just one person knowing that my words offered comfort or hope in what seemed like a otherwise hopeless situation. Maybe imparting some knowledge that may equip you to deal with grief which is almost always foreign and new to most. Making life a little more bearable ,if only for the briefest of moments bring me such indescribable joy. I strive to be better every day , even its just to smile more or be kinder. Haunted and in constant turmoil its an every day struggle fighting to keep the demons of depression away. It drives me , the memories of what once was, Yearning for over twenty five years my need for the ever elusive Inner Peace I knew before. So everyday little by little , every kindness big or small , a ready smile , a willing listener ,each deed fills my soul just a little , pushing me a little closer to peace and that is the only reward I really care about. Genuine affection , compassion and humanity is a miracle I never get tired of seeing. I smile...finally peace is visible .the light at an unending tunnel. There is always Hope ...Hey , just ask me. Live awesome. S.S