The Stained Lotus

THERE IS AN ADAGE THAT IT IS HUMAN NATURE TO GO THROUGH LIFE-TRANSFORMING SUFFERING. EITHER YOU'RE CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH ADVERSITY, COMING OUT OF IT, OR WILL BE GOING THROUGH IT. NO ONE IS IMMUNE TO SUFFERING. IN SUFFERING, MOST OF US HAVE THE SAME GOAL AND THAT IS TO HEAL. THE GREATEST STRUGGLE IS IN THE PROCESS. HOW DO WE GET TO HEALING?

The Stained Lotus is an invitation to come along on a woman's poetic journey to finding strength, her identity, and healing after years of struggling to 'keep it together' and the subsequent collapse of everything she valued. This journey is a dissection of suppressed emotions - a confrontation of past trauma, fears, insecurities, rejection, anger, and pain. It is a revelation that being vulnerable is a legitimate fear but necessary if one wants to heal. Vulnerability, whether to oneself or to the world, takes courage but once achieved, it is the most liberating feeling one can have.

For those who commit to traveling the uncharted terrain to find healing, there is a realization that we are stronger than we could ever imagine. We're all Lotus flowers, stained and broken in one way or another, but beautiful and resilient - stronger than the adversities we go through.

About the Author

Addy Mhloyi lived the early part of her life in Zimbabwe, her country of birth. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Sociology and Masters degree in Healthcare Administration from West Chester University in Pennsylvania, and her second Masters degree in Population Studies from the University of Zimbabwe.

In 2006, Mhloyi settled permanently in Pennsylvania, working in Social Services with marginalized populations. She has also worked with the elderly immigrant population and homeless shelters in Philadelphia and has availed her services whenever possible to those in need. She is a mother of three biological children and several other children that call her Mother.

Addy's love for writing is a gift from her late father who was an avid writer himself, and from her mother who nurtured and encouraged her artistic endeavors. Growing up as an only child, she escaped the occasional boredom by immersing herself in literature, whether it was William Shakespeare, Buchi Emecheta, Maya Angelou, Chinua Achebe, or any literature she could lay her hands on.

At 12, Mhloyi started writing poetry and short stories. The Stained Lotus is her first publication - a compilation of poems she wrote in what she calls 'one of the toughest years in her life.'

Addy's faith in God, family and friends, love for people, role as a mother and exposure to different cultures has been the concoction that has enriched her life. Her major objective in life is to be a blessing to those around her.