Give Away! Win Self Esteem Boosting Book & Tee From Mom Author: “Mama When Will I Be Popular?”

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By Team BLAM

We are soooo excited! We had the awesome opportunity of interviewing Thomasina Johnson, author of the inspiring book “Mama, When Will I Be Popular”. Thomasina is not just an author, but a wife and mother of 7 beautiful children which she homeschools. She currently attends college in her “spare time” to receive a degree in journalism and is also very active in her local community.

Thomasina, has been writing since she was a child. Her short stories and poems were always the delight of her life. She sought refuge in a pen and paper, to express any and all emotions of her life. Thomasina also openly admits that she has had to struggle with her fair share of “bullies” in one form or another. That is what brought her to a place where she can encourage her own children as well as others to “hang in there, life gets better and makes you stronger.”

Read on to get an inside look at this Super Woman Wife, Mom, & Author as BLAM got up close & personal to find out where the inspiration behind the book comes from.

BLAM: Please tell us a little about yourself, who you are, and what you do.

Thomasina: My name is Thomasina Johnson, I am a wife of 11 years and mother to 7 beautiful children and a published children’s book author. I write books that inspire!

BLAM: I know you’ve been writing since you were a child. Have you always wanted to write books for children?

Thomasina: Actually no, I started writing poems and eloquent letters. Ha,ha,ha

Writing was my refuge a means of expressing feelings. It wasn’t until I had children that I felt the need to tell their stories and reach them and others through mine.

BLAM: What is your book “Mama, When will I be popular?” about?

Thomasina: “Mama, When will I be Popular” is about a young girl who triumphs over teasing, through the loving insightful words of her mom. The message is you can make it past this stage in your life and you don’t have to focus on your here and now letting it change who you are. But you can be stronger because of it and build character that you will take with you in your future.

BLAM: You openly admit that you have had to struggle with your fair share of “bullies” in one form or another. Are some of your past experiences reflected in the book?

Thomasina: Definitely! I have been the odd one and I was greatly impacted by the hurtful words. The page that reads:

“I’m too short. Too tall. Too big. Too small. My hair is not pretty to the other kids at all”.

I wanted to reach every girl with that. I have been all of those things! Sometimes we can be made to think nothing about us is good enough. I have been there too many times.


BLAM: The title alone lets us know that this isn’t your average children’s book. Why is it important to you to encourage and empower children in their struggles?

Thomasina: Because I know where they have been, children are very literal. And they tend to think that their current circumstance is all they have to hope for. It hurts me to share this, but I was blessed… I attempted suicide at 12, because I couldn’t cope. Thankfully I was not successful. I want to give children a glimmer of hope. So they will look at themselves different. They will view others different. And we will all gain a greater appreciation for one another.


BLAM: Wow..your story is truly a testimony. As adults and parents, we sometimes overlook the things that our children are dealing with and going through. How can parents and adults better connect with their children so that they know they have someone to go to when times get tough?

Thomasina: Never ignore the signs. WE know our kids. And we know when something is wrong. Don’t ignore your intuition. Stay involved with them and be on their team. Don’t allow someone else to be on your child’s team more than you. Reach them when they are young. If they are older keep the door open. Let them know after others are done with them that they can always come home.

BLAM: How can people buy your book and connect with you?

Thomasina: I have a website www.booksbythomasina.com I have a face book page www.facebook.com/booksbytj

And my handle on twitter is www.twitter.com/@booksbytj

BLAM: Well, thank you so much Thomasina for talking with us and for being willing to use your past hurt and pain to bring healing, wisdom, and love to others. You are truly an example of what it means (as we say here at BLAM) to “Stop Playing & Start Pushing.”

Read more

Marriage & Money: What We Did To Get Our Financial House In Order

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By Traci Hill Femister

In today’s economy, we are facing more challenges to keep our heads above water financially. Financial issues are one of the things couples deal with daily and can put a real wedge in a relationship. My husband has a brokerage firm that handles all things financial from planning for retirement and kids education to real estate purchases. He once told me that even in good times many people do not have money reserved for emergencies. The ripple of not having money you need has effects that are far and wide, impacting your relationship with your significant other but also transferring to your children and work environment.

How you handle it will have a lot to do with what your and their futures look like. Your children will learn how to either overcome an issue while watching you work through it or how to give in and let the issue have a negative effect on their life. We will have some not so great reactions to some of our more challenging times but how we handle them, will be what’s remembered.

If you are employed, your finances or credit report can be one of the determining factors that get you the promotion. If you are looking for a new position, it very well may be the determining factor taken into consideration before you are offered the job. Yes, you are well qualified but if you cannot manage your finances, the questions they will likely ask are (1) can you manage the responsibilities of the position (2) will you be preoccupied with you financial problems and not focused on the job at hand and (3) are you a security risk…credit is looked at when getting security clearance.

Need a loan? Once upon a time, financial institutions pulled only on of the 3 credit reports but recently I applied for a loan and they pulled all 3. My husband also hipped me to the fact that mortgages are not being written by small firms nearly as much but by the large institutions who are doing less lending and more than likely you have no relationship with the representative with whom you have to deal with online or a toll free number. They don’t care if you’re a good person; all you are to them is a credit score. Work to get control of your finances…one small step at a time. In this country, credit is king and determines what you can have in life and if you get it, how much interest you pay for it.

As a wife and mother of 2 young boys, running my own company, our family had to buy into cutting cost and running our lives a little leaner. We started with a family meeting to include our kids (but sparing them the gory details).

Here’s what we did:

· Meet every 2 weeks (it only takes 10 – 15 minutes after the first one) to make sure you are on track. One of you may think this is not necessary but if you got money issues…the pain of doing nothing is worse…so be like Nike and just do it

· Only have cable on one television…we tried no cable but I couldn’t take watching another episode of Knight Rider!

· Cut up all cards except for one. Duh…ok then do it!

· Bought a reverse osmosis water filter and do not buy water anymore

· Paid off the car – if you don’t have the cash, cut your payments in half and pay half on the 1st and the other half on the 15th and you will pay it off faster. Call your lender, they’ll tell you how it works

· Had our credit reviewed by www.careonecreditrepair.com…there is actually a person who talked to us!

· Created face to face relationships with professionals where we bank. Building advocacy with those who make or influence decisions is key…and be nice to the tellers too!

· Buy only what we eat for the week or two and not succumb to all of the sales and have your cabinets look like a bomb shelter with food you’ll never eat…although a good deal on chicken is hard to pass up! After all that is why there are freezers.

· Teaching our kids about money. They earn money for extra reading and math which they save and buy what they want be it gum in the check out line to the little plastic toy they will soon fall out of love with but have to have at that moment. If they do not have money on them, they can pay it back but if they don’t their lending privileges are revoked until they do.

Good luck and stay strong! Life is about cycles and if you are in one of those times that is not so great…keep plugging away…doing a little everyday, it will pay off. You will live through this, might as well come out on the other end with great relationships and good credit!

Traci Hill Femister is a wife, mom of 2, and entrepreneur. She is the CEO of Private Luxury Unwrapped, a residential relocation firm. She is also an educational advocate for children and firmly believes that education is the great equalizer. Connect with her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/PrivateLuxuryUnwrapped.

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Lil Wayne & “How To Love”…. One Woman’s Commentary

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By Neysa Ellery Taylor
There’s a lot of buzz about Lil Wayne’s new video, “How to Love.” Most people agree that it is shining a bright light on several community ills. From domestic violence to molestation to HIV awareness, this video attempts to illustrate them all. Ok, enough of that. Let’s change the channel to another rump-shaking, titillating video.

Let me be clear, I am a Lil Wayne fan. I have Weezy F Baby on the ipod right now. I’m not even anti-rumpshaking. I am a fervent supporter of the 1st Amendment. I believe that GROWN people can listen to and watch whatever music/video/movie they want to watch as long as the people that made the art were consenting adults. That is a pretty liberal view, right? So what possible problem do I have with the “How to Love” video? Actually, let me answer a question with a question: What do you do after you watch the video? Do you go back to business as usual? Or do you change something in your personal life or in your community?

I know you are cringing and thinking, “Neysa! It’s just a video!” But why watch the video? Why post and comment about how important it is to see stories like this if we don’t do anything about it? Instead of just seeing great art about a tragic situation, I would rather work so the illustration is no longer needed. Doesn’t that make more sense? How many more “conscious” videos or movies are we going to watch? We turn to BET/MTV/Youtube or go to the nearest movie theater and watch the same storyline over and over again. Remember 2Pac’s “Brenda’s Got a Baby?” Or Eve’s “Love is Blind?” Luda’s “Runaway Love?” What about Precious? What about anything by Tyler Perry? I know you’ve seen at least one of these. So I got it. I understand the facts.

Fact 1: Our daughters are being stalked by predators.

Fact 2: Our sons are dying trying to define their manhood.

Fact 3: It’s our fault.

I know, I know. No one likes to have the finger pointed at them, but we can’t expect children to fend for themselves; can we? Nope. We are charged with not only providing for them, but for protecting them. We are supposed to position them to fulfill their potential. That is our job. And to be honest, lots of folks are falling down on the job. If you notice I didn’t say lots of parents, I said lots of folks. We are all stakeholders in our community. We all have to be better.
So, what are you to do? How can you be better?

Parents:
Read to your child.
Do not practice or participate in behavior that you don’t want your child to follow.
Attend an academic school function.
Know your child’s friends.
Establish boundaries.
Get your child involved in some extra-curricular activity.
Talk to your child.
Kiss and hug your child.
Don’t trust everyone with your child. Just because so-&-So is cool, does not mean they are a qualified sitter.
If your child confides in you, believe them and fight for them.
Pray for your child and with your child.

Community (This includes parents too. Yep, you have double the work.):
Mentor a child.
Speak at a youth event.
Share your story as a cautionary tale.
Be an advocate for a family member that is not parenting well.
Attend your lil’ cousins school event if their parent can’t attend.
Give to organizations that provide tutoring or scholarships.
Speak to kids you see out during your daily life.
Praise good behavior.
Pray for the community.

Here is a list of organizations that would be happy to have your time and donations:
YMCA Black Achievers
Big Brother/Big Sisters
Black Girls Rock
Girl Scouts
Boy Scouts
Boys and Girls Club

Now you have the action steps. So go ahead, watch the video. Download it to the ipod. And turn the volume way up as you head out the door to DO SOMETHING to fix the problem.

Neysa Ellery Taylor lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, Chris, and their 4 children – Asyen, Maya, Preston, and Patrick. An Emmy-Award winning journalist, she hopes to share her passion for marriage and God through her writing. You can read more of her work atwww.myriadthatisme.blogspot.com.

The Worst Sex Talk Ever…

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By E. Payne

There is one way in which I feel I am failing my son miserably. In the birds and the bees department I truly suck. The extent of my mother’s sex talk with me was, “BOY, DON’T LET THESE GIRLS GET IN YOUR PANTS!” (Thanks, Mom. That really helped). And my father never had “The Talk” with me at all. So in truth, I honestly don’t have any real-life background on how to broach this subject with my 14 year old boy.

Since the age of 10, my wife has asked me to go down this road with him. At 10 I was morally opposed. At 11, I don’t remember what I said. At 12, I believe I threatened him when he went away to summer camp. At 13, I spoke to him about not doing anything I wouldn’t do (which is probably the last thing I should’ve said to him). And twice this year, before the summer, in which I had a threatening, comical heart to heart with him and once again at the end of the summer I was asked/pressured/demanded to have the talk again.

“How many times am I going to talk to this boy about this?” I half pleaded with the wife. “You don’t think he gets it?”

“He went away this summer and now he’s in high school he needs to be spoken to. If you don’t I will.” This is something neither he (my son) nor I need or want. Think of Sam Witwicky’s mother in Transformers.

As much as my parents didn’t talk to me about this subject I did have church to fall back on. And here is where I feel I’m failing my son. We currently and haven’t gone to church in years. So what he would probably already know via Sunday school, he does not.

About a month ago, I brought it up again on the way home from football practice.

Me: “So I just wanted to talk to you about the summer and the upcoming fall. You’re getting older, and you’re going to be playing sports and you’re an attractive young man.” [This has already started wrong]

Son: Listens intently.

Me: “And I just want you to know that I know you have a little girlfriend and although I didn’t date when I was your age (or even have girls like me), I can understand the thoughts that may or may not be going through your head. And with the music on the radio these days, that’s not helping matters at all because music is just… [I trail off realizing I’m going off topic]

Son: Continues to listen intently.

Me: “All I’m saying is that you can flirt, even kiss if you must, but I don’t want you bringing home any babies or diseases.” [at this point I feel like I did the first time I jumped into the deep end of a pool without knowing how to swim] “I want you to be respectful at all times, that’s all. You have your whole life to act as a adult, you don’t have to rush and do it now. Got it?”

Son: “Yeah, dad.”

[I should’ve ended here]

Me: “Because even though I’m married now, a few years ago I used to be a man and I used to do my thing, I mean, I was out there.” [DANGER! DANGER! ABORT!] “So you can always come and talk to me about anything when it comes to the ladies.”

This was a Freudian slip and a half that left me choking on my words and wanting to rewind time. I looked out my driver’s side window and mumbled, “That went great…”

Me: “Well, that’s all I’ve got to say. Just be respectful and don’t do anything that will put yourself in danger or mess up your education.”

I sighed and then groaned. My son went back to sending text messages from his phone.

I didn’t want to holler. I wanted to scream.

For more information about giving “The Talk” to your pre-teen and/or teen check out 4Parents.gov and Talking With Kids About Sex And Relationships.

 

Editor’s Note: This conversation between Dad & son occurred some time ago. Everything’s all good now. 🙂

E.Payne is the author of Investing In An Emotional Letdown and I Didn’t Invented Sex. Additionally, he has an  E Book  titled Dad: As Easy As A, B, C . For the past 3 years he has posted 600+ articles about fatherhood, marriage and everything in between. You can check him out at MakesMeWannaHoller.com

Mama, Why Can’t You Be Proud Of Me? Why Can’t You Praise Me? Am I Not Good Enough?

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If you are a teacher….WATCH THIS.  If you got kids in your neighborhood….WATCH THIS.  If you got nieces, nephews or grand children….WATCH THIS.  If you are the guardian of a child…WATCH THIS.  If you are a parent….WATCH THIS.  If you plan to be a parent….YOU BETTA WATCH THIS.

We first encountered the wisdom of Dr. Joy DeGruy 6 years ago.  To say the least we were truly impacted.  Her words will kick you in the gut and make you aware that IT’S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO LOVE OUR CHILDREN AND RAISE OUR CHILDREN.  If we don’t give them love….it’s very easy (considering the world we live in) for them to internalize self hate.  We appreciate you Dr. DeGruy.  B Intentional Yall!

Dr. Joy is a nationally and internationally renowned researcher, educator, author and presenter. She is an ambassador for healing and a voice for those who’ve struggled in search of the past, and continue to struggle through the present.A highly skilled and educated activist for social justice, Dr. Joy reaches people on the community level and has a captivating way of persuading others to search for a deeper understanding of themselves. CLICK HERE to visit her website.

Bet You Didn’t Know: Pregnancy Rate Down 44% Among Black Teens!

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By Team BLAM

I couldn’t believe it when I read it. I read it again. Say what? African American teens have seen a decline in the pregnancy rate? This is EXCELLLENT! In the last several years there has been a more concentrated focus on examining and restoring the black family, moms and dads and children in our community. This statistic is encouraging to say the least. It says that with persistent and unwavering dedication we can begin to slowly but surely turn the statistics around in our community. We can educate and liberate ourselves out of dysfunctional thinking and patterns and into a more balanced and healthy reality.

So, everybody keep doing your part. Let’s continue to talk to our young people, accept them for who they are and challenge them to be all that God would have them to be at the same time. Each One. Teach One. It really does make a difference. Check out the report from ESSENCE below.

Source: ESSENCE.com

If you listen to the news, you would think that our community is the least responsible when it comes to safe sex practices and unwanted pregnancies, but that’s actually false. We’re not the worst, by far, and lots of progress has been made.

Nationally, the teen pregnancy rate is down 40 percent and the teen birth rate is down one-third among all racial and ethnic groups, but progress has been most impressive in the African-American community. Among Black teens, the pregnancy rate has declined a whopping 44 percent and the teen birth rate has declined 47 percent. That’s tremendous news! That said, there’s still work to be done. It’s still true that 50 percent of all African-American girls in the U.S. will get pregnant at least once before their 20th birthday.

ESSENCE teamed up with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy for an unprecedented survey of 1,500 black youths, ages 13-21, to better understand their attitudes on sex, dating, relationships, and the media, to look at how this affects their decisions.

Many of the results were alarming and require immediate action on the part of parents of Black children in America. For instance, although 9 out of 10 kids say they don’t want to get pregnant, 45 percent say they use birth control inconsistently. Nearly half of those surveyed who’ve had sex admit that they felt pressure to go further than they wanted to and 48 percent admit to having lied to get out of an comfortable sexual situation.

The media isn’t offering any alternatives to these unsettling statistics, the survey revealed. Seven out of 10 of the youth surveyed feel the TV shows and movies they watch portray them as sexually aggressive and deviant, and less than 18 percent believe they actually see a true reflection of themselves on screen.

Parents can help to put an end to these troubling statistics, if they put in the effort that’s needed to educate and communicate with our children now. The survey reveals that parental influences are the strongest chance we have at reaching younger teens (ages 13-15). Remember that your kids want to hear from you. Sixty-seven percent of teens felt if more teens were open to talking with their parents about sex, and could, there would be less teen pregnancy.

BLAM Fam: How do you communicate with your children about sex? Do you even communicate at all? Be honest….

Interview With The Proud Parents Of 7 Who Just Had A Home Water Birth

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By Team BLAM

Bringing a new life into the world is one of the most beautiful and life changing experiences a couple can have.  I remember the birth of each of my 4 children and I promise you–it was as if the universe shifted (as did my consciousness and awareness) each and every time. Motherhood is truly a gift and I am enjoying the presents in my 4 little ones each and every day. 🙂

In this interview you’ll get a peek inside the relationship of Isekel & Shamiparyah Banisara- El.  They will be sharing how they work together at raising their large family and how they stay connected as a couple amidst all of the responsibilities that come with being Mommy & Daddy. Visit mom of 7, Shamiparyah Banisara -El’s website for more about her experience. CLICK HERE to visit her YouTube Channel. Enjoy!

In case you missed the video of their unassisted home water birth, you can check it out below.  Enjoy!

A Letter to My Unborn Child

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By Ilex Bien- Aime

Dear little one,
I eagerly await your arrival into this world. I have so many things that I would like to do with you and for you. I can’t wait to see your smile and hear your laugh. I pray that your lifetime will have more smiles and laughs than hard times and tears but just know, there will be hard times and tears. I wish that I could play your “Guardian Angel” and keep you from the horrible things in life, but I am just a man who must also live under the rules and wants of God.

Unfortunately everyone must go through rough patches in life and you will be no different but if you listen to the things your mother and I tell you, you will be able to minimize the pain. If you live in wisdom, you will see how to keep yourself from the unnecessary heartaches that most people allow into their lives. You won’t be alone; I will be here along with your mother, guiding you and molding you. Even when you grow older and go off on your own, we will only be one phone call away from you.

I have made many mistakes in life. On one hand, I would like to keep those things secret from you –  on the other hand I want you to know that I have been where you are. There are many things that I was not taught and as a result, learned them the hard way – on my own.. Though some believe this to be the best way to learn, I say a wise man listens to those who have gone before him and chooses a path that does not lead to failure and disappointment. I have foolishly placed my hands on the burning stove and I have the scars to prove it – that is why you don’t need to place your hands on that stove to know it burns.

Do not be afraid to live your life with character and morals. People are going to try to make you do things that you already know are wrong. They are going to try to make you feel bad for not doing these things. They will call you out of your name and they will say that you think you are better than them, but that is not your problem. Never feel the need to compromise yourself and you will never feel the sting of regret for doing so.

Always keep in mind that your actions will have consequences to them. When you feel the need to live outside of your values, you must be willing to pay a heavy price. Many men and women will try to get you to compromise yourself for them but listen to that voice of reason inside of you. Many will come into your world and will try to make you do what they want for their own gain. No sooner than you adhere to their demands, they are nowhere to be found and you are left with the lasting memories of your self betrayal.

You are Kings and Queens and no one can force you to be anything less than that. Your worth is not what other people say it is but it is beyond their comprehension. You are worth so much and don’t allow yourself to be treated like trash. When you believe in yourself, no one will be able to tear you down or disrespect you. Don’t further feed into their hands by disrespecting yourself.

I wish that I could keep you from making mistakes but we all make them. No one on this earth is perfect so never get too down on yourself. Just know that some things are known as mistakes and other things are known as being foolish. A man who puts his hand on the red eye of the stove is a fool but the man who mistakenly places his hand on the eye of the stove that seemingly looks cool, has made a mistake. Both will cause pain however one of them could have been prevented.

Your mother and I are just your earthly parents and the rules and regulations we have used to raise you were learned from our heavenly father. Keep yourself close to Him and I promise you, that even though the world will still be a difficult place to live in, your life will have less dead ends then other people’s lives. You won’t need to worry about baby mommas and baby daddies. You won’t worry about trying to hide how many people you’ve slept with. You won’t need to worry about diseases and foolish heartaches. You will see that the well lit path will never lead you astray but when you deviate from it, you open yourself up for disaster. Stay on the path and if you veer off, have enough sense to get back on.

My name is Ilex Bien-Aime and I live in Washington, DC with my lovely wife. I write as a man who has seen women mistreat themselves and who have allowed themselves to be mistreated. I write as a man who wants to give my future daughters a guideline on how to deal with men. Lastly I write what I write because my female friends are always asking my opinion about these situations.

VIDEO: Simply Beautiful! Husband & Wife Record The Home Water Birth Of Baby Number 7!

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By Aiyana Ma’at

Bringing a new life into the world is one of the most beautiful and life changing experiences a couple can have.  I remember the birth of each of my 4 children and I promise you–it was as if the universe shifted (as did my consciousness and awareness) each and every time. Motherhood is truly a gift and I am enjoying the presents in my 4 little ones each and every day. 🙂

A few weeks back one of our wonderful twitter followers sent us a video of a mom & dad of 6 (now 7) having a Home Water Birth. This family recorded their experience and shared it on YOUTUBE. And, it was moving to say the least. So, all of you mommies (and mommies to be) out there, sit back and take a few moments to take in the birth of the Ysrayl family’s newest addition Nasir Inash.

We will be releasing our interview with this young beautiful married couple later this week. You’ll get a peek inside of how they work together at raising their large family and how they stay connected as a couple amidst all of the responsibilities that come with being Mommy & Daddy. Visit mom of 7, Shamiparyah Ysrayl’s, website for more about her experience. Enjoy the birth of Nasir!

Editor’s Note: Home Birth’s are a deeply debated issue in the United States. We encourage you to always do your own research and seek the advice of a medical professional you trust. Following are some resources for those considering the possibility of a home or water birth:

Click HERE to visit Shamiparyah’s website which she says “was created out of my desire to be more effective in answering the many inquiries that I’ve received over the last couple of years. The answers and suggestions given are simply based upon my years of research and the application thereof in my personal life and in those of my household.”

Ckick HERE to read an article published in the Los Angeles Times titled: At Home Birth has Pros and Cons

Click HERE to read the American Medical Association’s Position on Home Birthing.

Click HERE to read information about Home Birthing from the American Pregnancy Association.

Read HOME BIRTH: An Annotated Guide To The Literature published by the Division of Midwifery in the Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia in collaboration with the American College of Nurse-Midwives and the Midwives Alliance of North America.

St. Louis Woman Arrested For Shooting Her 4 And 5 Year-Old Kids With A Shotgun: This Is Why We Do What We Do…

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An Illinois woman suspected in the shotgun deaths of her two youngest children was arrested in Missouri after allegedly hitting three pedestrians with her car near St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, Illinois State Police said Thursday.

Authorities said they arrested the woman Wednesday night in St. Louis as she sat with a shotgun on a bench outside KMOV-TV after the wreck. Officers in nearby East St. Louis, Ill., responded shortly before to reports of shots fired and found the bodies of a 4-year-old girl and 5-year-old boy in a bedroom of the family’s apartment, state police Capt. James Morrisey said.

Autopsies on Thursday determined that each child was shot once in the head at close range with a shotgun and died instantly of the “devastating” injuries, said Danny Haskenhoff, St. Clair County’s chief deputy coroner.

The woman’s 8-year-old son managed to escape unharmed and was in a relative’s custody Thursday, Morrisey said.

Investigators have interviewed the 25-year-old woman, who remained jailed Thursday in St. Louis, and “have an understanding” of why the shootings happened, Morrisey said without elaborating.

A spokeswoman for the St. Clair County, Ill., prosecutor’s office said no charges were expected Thursday, though they could be filed Friday.

Word of the woman’s arrest sparked celebrations among a throng that gathered Wednesday night outside the apartment where the killings took place.

“This is a horrific scene inside,” East St. Louis Police Capt. Bobby Cole told reporters before gesturing toward the onlookers. “Once we got word of her being in custody, they erupted in praise and clapping of the hands.”

The suspect’s relatives told media outlets she recently had been prescribed medication to treat depression or a mental illness.

Word is that the woman lost her mind after being laid off.

Words cannot begin to really convey the deep hurt we feel in our hearts. Two beautiful children’s lives are DONE…OVER. This is senseless. How must this young mother have been feeling? I can only imagine. We read some comments across the web from folks who passionately expressed their pain and anger over this incident. Here are 2 such comments (Warning: These reactions are raw and “in your face” to say the least. We did not alter.)

“I’m sorry. But I can relate to her. I haven’t hurt my children, but I too am a single mother of 3 and I’m 25. I face many issues. Reading stories like this keep me strong kind and LOVING to my children. Because its not their fault. (Although 2 of them came from rape). It does get very hard. Especially if you dnt hv any family support(like me) or friends you trust. What we need is GOD. Anyone can snap. ANYONE. So calling her names and saying what should happen to her is not going to change WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU. We are all capable of murder. We need to find our salvation in JESUS. This is the only reason why I haven’t gone crazy and killed my self. The love that God has shown me kept me. I am still very kind motivational loving and sweet. You would never be able to guess I’ve been thru what I hv. We all hv a choice. She could hv chosen differently, but look at how society deals with “emotions” now a days. We are cold and heartless. Lets be more caring and supportive for a change!!! Bet NO ONE gave a f about them kids until they were killed!!!!”

The below comment is in response to the one you just read.

“If you can relate, keep your FU*K*K*ING LEGS closed and STOP having babies with men that cant afford them! Its that ny*g*ah syndrome thats a problem within our society. Black women feel they can do rear children alone and that makes them independent and strong! Well I have news for you: it makes you STOOPID and wore out! Yes black women are strong, but why raise a child alone if you dont have to!!? Wait to you meet a decent man, get to know him, and have you thought of the word “marriage?” Look up the definition of that word! You can get a ring you know?!! Uggh.

I have an ex-friend who has two children with a man thats a deadbeat. He’s in his mid 20’s, no job, a dirtbag, petty hustler, no secondary education and no clue. He didnt want the two kids she had, which or now 5 and 7, and she constantly complained about him and his trifling ways, and how she wants to do better. Instead of doing better, what does she do? Gets pregnant with her third child by the same man,and is due any day!!! Real STOOPID… Im tired of black men’s sorry, a*z*Z behavior but unfortunately the women know they’re dealing with trashy men, but are willing to accept ANYTHING to say they have a man, which in reality THEY DONT, and the kids are the ones who suffer! So STOP being a piece of trash and doing ny*gger shy*te, use A CONDOM or all the other HUNDREDS of birth control thats available to you!! Stop blaming society for your OUT-OF-WEDLOCK BIRTHS and Hood mentality. Trifling A*Z*Zes keep breeding trash: Hoes andCriminals. Get a clue, people are sick of you! If you can afford them DONT have them. The world is over as we know it. Middle class is disappearing and gov’t money is running out. The Recession is real, dumb dumb!!”

Our question is this BLAM Fam:

How might this young lady and these childrens’ lives have played out if she had the support of a strong husband and a strong family system?

Our prayers and silent meditations are with this young lady, her surviving 8 year old son, her family and each and every man, woman, and child in our community out here trying to make it—-trying to survive.

Source: Associated Press