I was not expecting to get so emotional with this episode!
The first emotional moment was realizing that so much of my pride (which is often a roadblock for me) actually stems from me “knowing” where I hail from — my tribe, my clan. And yet at the same time there’s so much I don’t know (my family doesn’t know) because of our erasure post-colonization. It’s like the flip side of the same coin. I ask my grandmother questions and she doesn’t know things because she was raised during colonization by the Brits. And my father, who is the historian, I don’t have a relationship to. It’s as if I’m holding onto falsehoods in a way — just as Grace alluded to!
The second moment was hearing Grace describe her anger … it made me realize that I too hold anger; I’ve often blamed my family for not being spiritual and not instilling that in me. But maybe that is misplaced, and maybe they’re in the same place as I am?
And lastly, the convo reminded about the clan I hail from inside the Kisii tribe — the Abakione. I learned a year or so ago that the women in this clan were known for being fierce, strong, etc. And learning from you that the women in my family are very stubborn… now it makes me wonder why. Why do we have that pattern. Because it wouldn’t just exist to exist.
I have so many questions and can’t wait for the second episode. And also, I never realized how much self acceptance could come from exploring this.
Thank you both for sharing this experience. Truly.
What an insightful reflection—thank you for sharing your experience so openly! It’s remarkable how the layers of identity and history can evoke such deep emotions, especially when those layers include both pride and the pain of loss or erasure. Your journey of uncovering what’s been hidden and embracing the parts of your heritage you do know speaks to the duality (my favorite thing) of being connected to your roots while grappling with the gaps in your lineage.
The connection you made to Grace's experience and your own feelings of anger is profound. It’s a huge realization to see that maybe those frustrations with family—those feelings of being spiritually adrift—might stem from a shared experience of disconnection, rather than a personal failing. Your willingness to reconsider their journey alongside your own is a powerful step toward compassion for yourself and your family.
As for the strength and stubbornness you mentioned in the women of your clan, I think your curiosity is leading you somewhere deeply meaningful. What if those traits, which could be seen as resistance or defiance, are actually a testament to the strength that allowed your ancestors to endure and preserve their essence through turbulent times? It’s fascinating to think about how traits can serve as a thread, connecting us to those who came before us, even when much has been lost in translation.
I’m so grateful that this episode stirred such reflections for you and can’t wait for you to hear the next one. May your questions guide you closer to Spirit, the ancestors, self-acceptance and understanding. Thank you for listening so deeply and sharing your heart with us.
thank you for this Grace and Tonesha! There were more than a few moments were I stopped and cried. It made me think of my responsibility to my line and what’s been revealed to me this year. And It made me think of my obsession with belonging, and silencing my urge to question what I’ve been told, so that I can belong. There’s things I do or think or want to do that feel different from my immediate family or the people I’m around, and I don’t lean into it (especially these days) bc I wanna belong to them. Because I don’t want to be on my own. But those things could actually be in harmony with my ancestors, the ones I haven’t heard about. I also struggle with the Eritrean identity (as told by my parents) being so rigid (religion) and so tethered to the struggle, the war. Like all of our existence is centered on the last 100 years or less. I know there’s more. And the separation! Insisting on defining all the ways we’re different from our neighbor. I also think about the running, constant running (from colonization, from war, from truth (me)). There’s just a lot of things that feel in conflict. I’m really looking forward to digging in to this inner conflict and learning what my guides want me to know. Thank you both for the courage and inspiration and really getting into the right mindset for this experience ❤️❤️
Your words resonate deeply, and I truly appreciate your openness in sharing these reflections. It’s often in the moments when we allow ourselves to look beyond the surface—beyond the stories that have been handed down to us—that the most profound insights emerge. Exploring ancestry, especially through the lens of spirituality and intuitive guidance, can reveal so much about the unspoken truths that shape our identity, as well as the inherited beliefs that we might unconsciously carry.
What you described about your journey, especially in relation to belonging, strikes a powerful chord. It’s as if the need to fit in sometimes means sacrificing parts of ourselves that are calling out for recognition, possibly those very aspects that connect us more deeply to the ancestors we haven't yet met or the truths we've yet to uncover. I hear you when you talk about the tension between wanting to align with your family and yearning for a deeper, more expansive sense of self. It’s a delicate and sometimes painful process to hold space for both the desire to belong and the desire to honor your own path.
What made Grace's experience so different and refreshing was precisely her complete trust in the process, her unwavering sense of faith, and her willingness to act (initiate change) without resistance. It allowed us to venture into those complex layers of her lineage without the usual barriers—creating space for the kind of transformative self-knowledge that only comes when we lean fully into the mystery rather than shy away from it. Her openness was a powerful reminder of how much more can unfold when the fear of the unknown is met with a spirit of trust.
Working with her reminded me that when clients come to the table with a strong faith and a genuine openness, it creates a different kind of energy—one that allows the healing to go deeper and the revelations to flow more freely. It’s in that space where we’re able to move beyond inherited pain and step into a fuller, richer understanding of ourselves. Thank you, Grace, for showing what’s possible when we meet the unknown with trust. And thank you Meron, for sharing your own journey—it’s a reminder of the courage it takes to question, to confront those tensions, and to trust in the messages that come through.
WOW!
I was not expecting to get so emotional with this episode!
The first emotional moment was realizing that so much of my pride (which is often a roadblock for me) actually stems from me “knowing” where I hail from — my tribe, my clan. And yet at the same time there’s so much I don’t know (my family doesn’t know) because of our erasure post-colonization. It’s like the flip side of the same coin. I ask my grandmother questions and she doesn’t know things because she was raised during colonization by the Brits. And my father, who is the historian, I don’t have a relationship to. It’s as if I’m holding onto falsehoods in a way — just as Grace alluded to!
The second moment was hearing Grace describe her anger … it made me realize that I too hold anger; I’ve often blamed my family for not being spiritual and not instilling that in me. But maybe that is misplaced, and maybe they’re in the same place as I am?
And lastly, the convo reminded about the clan I hail from inside the Kisii tribe — the Abakione. I learned a year or so ago that the women in this clan were known for being fierce, strong, etc. And learning from you that the women in my family are very stubborn… now it makes me wonder why. Why do we have that pattern. Because it wouldn’t just exist to exist.
I have so many questions and can’t wait for the second episode. And also, I never realized how much self acceptance could come from exploring this.
Thank you both for sharing this experience. Truly.
What an insightful reflection—thank you for sharing your experience so openly! It’s remarkable how the layers of identity and history can evoke such deep emotions, especially when those layers include both pride and the pain of loss or erasure. Your journey of uncovering what’s been hidden and embracing the parts of your heritage you do know speaks to the duality (my favorite thing) of being connected to your roots while grappling with the gaps in your lineage.
The connection you made to Grace's experience and your own feelings of anger is profound. It’s a huge realization to see that maybe those frustrations with family—those feelings of being spiritually adrift—might stem from a shared experience of disconnection, rather than a personal failing. Your willingness to reconsider their journey alongside your own is a powerful step toward compassion for yourself and your family.
As for the strength and stubbornness you mentioned in the women of your clan, I think your curiosity is leading you somewhere deeply meaningful. What if those traits, which could be seen as resistance or defiance, are actually a testament to the strength that allowed your ancestors to endure and preserve their essence through turbulent times? It’s fascinating to think about how traits can serve as a thread, connecting us to those who came before us, even when much has been lost in translation.
I’m so grateful that this episode stirred such reflections for you and can’t wait for you to hear the next one. May your questions guide you closer to Spirit, the ancestors, self-acceptance and understanding. Thank you for listening so deeply and sharing your heart with us.
thank you for this Grace and Tonesha! There were more than a few moments were I stopped and cried. It made me think of my responsibility to my line and what’s been revealed to me this year. And It made me think of my obsession with belonging, and silencing my urge to question what I’ve been told, so that I can belong. There’s things I do or think or want to do that feel different from my immediate family or the people I’m around, and I don’t lean into it (especially these days) bc I wanna belong to them. Because I don’t want to be on my own. But those things could actually be in harmony with my ancestors, the ones I haven’t heard about. I also struggle with the Eritrean identity (as told by my parents) being so rigid (religion) and so tethered to the struggle, the war. Like all of our existence is centered on the last 100 years or less. I know there’s more. And the separation! Insisting on defining all the ways we’re different from our neighbor. I also think about the running, constant running (from colonization, from war, from truth (me)). There’s just a lot of things that feel in conflict. I’m really looking forward to digging in to this inner conflict and learning what my guides want me to know. Thank you both for the courage and inspiration and really getting into the right mindset for this experience ❤️❤️
Your words resonate deeply, and I truly appreciate your openness in sharing these reflections. It’s often in the moments when we allow ourselves to look beyond the surface—beyond the stories that have been handed down to us—that the most profound insights emerge. Exploring ancestry, especially through the lens of spirituality and intuitive guidance, can reveal so much about the unspoken truths that shape our identity, as well as the inherited beliefs that we might unconsciously carry.
What you described about your journey, especially in relation to belonging, strikes a powerful chord. It’s as if the need to fit in sometimes means sacrificing parts of ourselves that are calling out for recognition, possibly those very aspects that connect us more deeply to the ancestors we haven't yet met or the truths we've yet to uncover. I hear you when you talk about the tension between wanting to align with your family and yearning for a deeper, more expansive sense of self. It’s a delicate and sometimes painful process to hold space for both the desire to belong and the desire to honor your own path.
What made Grace's experience so different and refreshing was precisely her complete trust in the process, her unwavering sense of faith, and her willingness to act (initiate change) without resistance. It allowed us to venture into those complex layers of her lineage without the usual barriers—creating space for the kind of transformative self-knowledge that only comes when we lean fully into the mystery rather than shy away from it. Her openness was a powerful reminder of how much more can unfold when the fear of the unknown is met with a spirit of trust.
Working with her reminded me that when clients come to the table with a strong faith and a genuine openness, it creates a different kind of energy—one that allows the healing to go deeper and the revelations to flow more freely. It’s in that space where we’re able to move beyond inherited pain and step into a fuller, richer understanding of ourselves. Thank you, Grace, for showing what’s possible when we meet the unknown with trust. And thank you Meron, for sharing your own journey—it’s a reminder of the courage it takes to question, to confront those tensions, and to trust in the messages that come through.