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Rape along with sexual and emotional abuse as a child and teen were my lemons.  My faith and perseverance winning over life’s trials by leading me to publish my story in ‘The Pain in my Smile’ is my lemonade. I believe if my story can help somebody, I will not have lived in vain....

Being homeless and depressed was my lemon. Refocusing my energy towards school and getting my beauty license is my lemonade. My name is Aswad. I am a Beauty Vet. I do Skin, Makeup and Manicures. But the one thing I seem to do best is survive. In 1981 I was a 17 Year old Navy...

Breast cancer was my lemon. Learning Stillness and Touting Early Detection is my lemonade After finishing my fellowship in breast surgery, I asked myself the question: “How can I better serve my patients?” The answer came few months later in form of my own breast cancer...

Losing my Dad to AIDS was my lemon. Becoming an RN has been my lemonade. I had just turned 11 years old and moved back in with my beloved Daddy when he told me that he was dying. It was 1990, all I knew was what we had been told in school (blood transfusions, same- sex...

Sexual abuse was my lemon. Forgiveness is my lemonade, passion and purpose for giving to lives that are broken. My amazing redemption story of hope relates to overcoming severe adversities with the love of my life who I have been married to for 50 years. We have experienced...

Cerebral thrombophlebitis was my lemon. Passing my exam and overcoming memory loss is my lemonade. I am 26 years old, and a mother of two lovely girls. (26 months, and 11 months) I am 29 weeks pregnant. Last year I entered the clinic to give birth to my second baby. I gave birth...

Bigamy was my lemon.  Empowerment was my lemonade. I had been married several times before and I thought, since this man was ten years my senior and quoted scriptures often, he was honest and trustworthy. He seemed extremely kind and intelligent as well. We married within a year...

My husband’s death from adrenal cancer when I was 33 is my lemon. My book, “A Widow’s Guide to Healing” is my lemonade. C.S. Lewis wrote “We read to know that we are not alone”, and this rings true to me. I know first- hand how lonely and frightening grief can leave someone. I...

A heart attack was my lemon. Advocacy is my lemonade. On June 17, 2014, at age 38, I suffered a near fatal, massive heart attack while recovering from emergency gall bladder surgery in the hospital. I had an 80% blockage in the widow-maker, which had burst and collapsed the...

Colon Cancer was my lemon. Surviving it, and now thriving in my life, is my lemonade. On August 30, 2011, I found myself living out my dream. I was playing at the park with my two sons. It was not an easy road for me and my husband to get to this point; it took 4 years of...