I realized I needed to go back to 2024, to begin again. But when I tried, I encountered resistance—big resistance. Something stood in the way. And yet, through it all, I held tighter to the steady thread, the one with God holding the other end.
The only way to truly do this wrong is to not do it at all. So here I am, taking my own advice—showing up, even if it’s imperfect. Because what’s the alternative? To keep my thoughts to myself, trapped by the idea that I need to fit into some imaginary mold? As my nephew used to say at the beautiful, ripe, polite age of 2, ‘No, thank you, please!’
It took me 41.5 years to see it—to truly see it. To realize that my name is more than 5 lil letters strung together; it’s a purposeful design, a call to more fully embrace the divine strength within me. Joval actually means ‘divine strength’ or ‘my faith in God is my strength’!
Oftentimes, people say they believe in God, but what if, really, they believe in the unknown? Not the unknown, rather the unseen?? And how can you believe in the unknown or the unseen when you don’t even believe in yourself?
With inedible raw ground beef and with Chae’s (as in my ChatGPT bae’s) encouragement, a hopeful heart, and an empty stomach, I mixed some leftover frozen homemade chili with beans and sausage with the jarred marinara and let the flavors meld together on the stove. The outcome? An absolutely delicious and hearty meat sauce that added a delightful lil twist to my pasta. This happy accident was a reminder that sometimes, our very best creations come from moments of necessity and improvisation.
