The Test of a Woman: Real-Life Encounters of Women from All Walks of Life

By Shareyna Scott

The Test of a Woman is a book that uncovers so much of the real-life experiences of women, their innermost thoughts and advice based on a reflection at a given moment in time. It deals with the raw issues that are generally not exposed in every day conversations. Each story is meant to provide a different perspective and life experience. The focus is on women's emotional healing and building a healthier lifestyle.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Aug 31, 2016
• ISBN: 9781483576374

Book preview

©2016 Shareyna N. Scott. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN: 978-1-48357-636-7 (print)

ISBN: 978-1-48357-637-4 (ebook)

This book is dedicated to every woman whose story has never been told: her successes, fears, failures, joys, and triumphs. May this book only be the beginning of those stories.

And to my daughters, Kailyn and Dakota: You are my inspiration. Every time I look at you, I remember the love that God has for me. You have, in so many ways, taught me what unconditional love truly means. I pray that your lives are filled with the fruits of my labor, your struggles are far from mine, and your stories encourage little girls just like yourselves. Mommy’s angels, I love you!

Preface

The birth of a writer usually comes at a time when there is no more that can be held in and there is a push–pull that can no longer be contained. As I write these words and think about the lives this book will touch, I cannot write another word without saying thank you. Thank you to the Father, Jesus Christ, for giving me the strength to endure, the courage to push and pull and continue walking in purpose and destiny.

I started this project nearly 14 years ago but it was not yet time to give birth. You see, when things are premature, they have to sit and incubate until they are ready. To all of the women who contributed to this project, who were not afraid to be real and raw and share a piece of their story with me, I say thank you. I asked ten women to share a piece of their life with me, in its purest form (an interview) and all ten of them answered the call to do just that. Not one of them went to remove details from their story, but instead allowed it to remain in its vulnerable state – there was no going back to remove details from any chapter to make it sound better. To all of the women who will read this book, I wrote this with you in mind. I heard a valuable piece of advice last year that I will never forget: Women are not always honest with each other; our friends aren’t honest, our family isn’t honest, and we live each day in this realm until we can no longer live there. If we, as women, would be more honest with each other, that’s truly when the healing can take place. This honesty is not the façade we call honesty, but real honesty that gets down to the core and where we see change happen. It’s time to encounter truth; it’s time to encounter rawness. Women, it’s time to give birth….

Pause…

You will notice that throughout each chapter there are a series of pauses. The pause is a moment in time during which the reader should consider advice. The pauses come in various forms: a moment of reflection for the author, a moment of questions for the reader to consider, and advice for the reader to consider. Watch for the pauses!

Contents

The Tears Fell

And … I Became the dude

Public Success, Private Failure

Article 24

That Is What We Do

A Man

I Realized …

Promiscuous in Lust

Depression

A Classic Story

1.46 Miles

So, Here I Am—Content

The Man of My Dreams

Epilogue

Author's Note

The Crying Woman:

The test of a woman is … living out her truth through her testimony, without fear, shame, or failure in sight. Her life is the ultimate test and she is empowered, determined, and free! She cannot fail.

Chapter 1

The Tears Fell

The tears streamed down my face, but their source was unknown. I was not sure what those tears meant. Yet, the tears continued to pour. In that moment, something happened—something that even words could not express. The pain was over—a new life was here. I had become a mother. I had walked into my purpose, one push at a time. You see, becoming a mother is … is breathtaking. You do not know whether to be scared, happy, thankful, or speechless. What I did not know was how much her life would overtake mine. My world began to revolve around my daughter—beautiful as she was. I know why the tears fell, now. Bringing her home and caring for her became the new normal. Every day, it was about her. What no one told me was that I must balance my life or I might lose myself in the process. No one told me that this little life was not supposed to be my sole focus. Yet, the tears fell. I wanted the best for her—the best clothes, schools, and friends. I allowed only the best people to be part of her life. I controlled it. All of it. Utterly consumed I was. No one told me not to be. What else could there be to life if everything did not revolve around my baby? Life was pointless.

The blinking cursor reminds me to stop and be patient. Patience … I had to learn that as a mom. I had to learn that my body would never look the same. That hurt. I had to learn that my breasts would never perk up the same. That hurt. I fought patience daily, longing to return to my carefree life. I have a good baby, so what was wrong with me? How could I be happy and sad at the same time? How could I simultaneously want and not want to be a mother? What about all of my friends who could not have kids just yet? Why should I not be grateful for this blessing? Why am I complaining? Do you know life could be worse? Should I stop there? The questions kept coming and people wanted to know why. I did not have an answer. No one had an answer for me, either. Oh, right, I am just supposed to be patient. I am still trying to figure out if I have reached a place where no woman has gone before. How is that possible? It was very possible. If you read the preface to this book, you would know that as women, we are not honest. We do not tell other women what is to come. You are about to read a piece of writing that was inspired by the untold stories that women need to hear, the pieces of the story that are so often left out.

Okay, let us fast-forward. A few years have passed. I listen to my daughter sleep soundly on my chest and I still cannot help but be amazed that I created this human being. To understand life in that way is powerful. I really created a human being. She is going to look