‘AND THEN SHE BOUNCED BACK’ MEDIA COVERAGE: South Carolina author LaTonya Harris Jackson loses husband to COVID-19, recalls his memory in life-altering anthology
Andre Johnson 
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18 NKJV)
ONE STRONG WOMAN
If we’re being abundantly honest, this unprecedented global pandemic could be appropriately described as a dreaded, disastrous season that will go down as arguably the darkest season of LaTonya Harris Jackson’s life.
A dreaded disease that has claimed more than one million lives in the United States, Damien Jackson, LaTonya Harris Jackson’s heaven-sent companion, was amongst those who succumbed to the coronavirus outbreak.
“When my husband was hospitalized, I kept a notebook of what was going on with him, questions I needed to ask and so forth,” Jackson told Making Headline News this week. “It was at that time I can recall a mentor and friend — a Pastor — that was praying with me (and she) told me that I would write a book. So, when the opportunity was presented to be an author on this anthology, I had few questions and knew the answer was, ‘Yes, why not?’”
As a strategic, effective way to make sense of her husband’s untimely death, Jackson deemed it essential to express her inner feelings in a book that figures to impact lives for years to come.
GOD IS LOVE
BUY JACKSON’S BOOK: https://widowsdobounceback.com/coauthorlatonyajackson/
A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Jackson is one of eight co-authors who have joined forces to collectively assemble And Then She Bounced Back…Again And Again, the highly-anticipated anthology that is spearheaded by Washington, D. C. Visionary Author Maya Tyler.
An intriguing and life-altering book that is comprised of 80 pages in length, Tyler’s And Then She Bounced Back…Again And Again has already attracted a rash of rave reviews — a remarkably brilliant trend for an anthology that is only in the preorder phase.
“We’ve all heard the ‘tragedy to triumph’ stories of people from all walks of life, how they suffered unimaginable pain and setbacks; only to magically rise up and change their lives for the better.
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“In widowhood, we see the same stories. People who turned their pain into purpose and bounced back, moving forward with new joys, new loves, and a renewed outlook on their next chapters of life,” said an Amazon spokesperson for And Then She Bounced Back…Again And Again. “What we don’t hear about is the truth about bouncing back…and for so many widows who struggle with feeling stuck somewhere in the limbo of their own ‘tragedy to triumph’ stories — after the pain, but before the purpose, the truth about this is what they need to hear.
IN JESUS’ ARMS
“In this real and raw collection, eight Christian women from different backgrounds, ages, and stages of widowhood reveal their journeys of self-discovery and uncover the very unexpected truth about bouncing back.”
Having graced the pages that are comprised of Chapter 4 in And Then She Bounced Back…Again And Again, Jackson wrote from the awe-inspiring subject entitled, “The Pandemic Stole More Than My Husband.”
“As the pandemic has impacted everyone across the world, it has truly robbed my family of many things,” Jackson, a Columbia-based author, told MHN. “My chapter gives a close look at how the pandemic not only took my husband, but it forced me to step into roles that I was nowhere ready for. However, with God and self-care, I am here to tell my story. See, self-care is an important part of life that many neglect and others don’t understand what self-care means.”
An experienced, resourceful mental health counselor in her own right, Jackson emphasized, among other things, that joining Tyler’s collaborative book project not only has given her the chance to express her innermost hurts, but it has granted with her with the golden opportunity to connect with other widows, many of whom likely harbor similar — if not the same — feelings that has swarmed her life amid her husband’s untimely demise.
THE PROVERBS 3:5-6 AFFECT
“(I’m sure they are carrying) the same things that I am feeling, and (I also get to) see how they are navigating in their roles,” Jackson said.
By all accounts, Jackson suggests that her chosen line of work has benefited her in many aspects, particularly during the grieving phases in the wake of her husband’s passing.
“As a counselor, I often tell my clients that there is healing in writing and I often suggest journaling,” Jackson explained. “For me, my chapter is a form of healing. “I am not the journal every-day-type-of-person. I journal when it hits me. Through my journey of grief, I have learned to be transparent because I feel that my story can help someone else.”
ON ONE ACCORD
A beloved former multisport coach in his own right, Jackson describes her husband as one who had a heart for youths from various walks of life. That, as a result, practically sums up when she senses it is her civic duty to steadfastly carry on his legacy the way she knows how.
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“As I continue to heal and carry on the legacy of my husband, I actively work with the high school that he taught and coach at (Dreher High School) through a scholarship foundation that was created to assist students who are continuing their education,” Jackson said. “It’s called, Dare To BE Great.”
Jackson said she is devising others effective ways to strategically carrying out the legacy left by her beloved Damien, with whom she standing in her current Facebook profile image.
“My future plans are to create a community for widows here in South Carolina where they can have the support that is needed to enter this next phase of life while healing,” Jackson said. “I believe that God is turning my pain into purpose, and He can do it for others as He has for me.”
All things considered, it has been a mostly stormy, emotionally-driven journey since her husband went home to be with the Lord, Jackson acknowledged.
“These last 15 months have reminded me that God never leaves you or forsakes you and that I am preserving and still standing so that I can be a testimony and assist other woman,” Jackson said. “Widows are not what I grew up seeing. (I saw) them as older woman such as my great grandmother. (That’s what) a widow is me.
“See, I was widow under 40 and I had to quickly change my life and keep moving for my two sons who depend on me,” Jackson continued. “Fortunately, I already had tools that I could use to assist me on the grief journey because I am a counselor. I was wise enough to know and understand that I couldn’t be my own counselor and also understand that my babies were going to need counseling to cope with the traumatic loss of their father.
GOT IT TOTAL HEALING
“Every widow doesn’t have a counseling background and we still live in a time where there is a stigma around counseling, especially in our African-American households because we were taught that what goes on in the house, stays in the house. And, unfortunately, we continue to pass along that belief to future generations. Let’s break generational curses.”
Talk about demonstrating bend-but-don’t-break faith amid a dreaded, disastrous season that will go down as arguably the darkest season of her life.
If we’re being abundantly honest.
MAKING HEADLINE NEWS SALUTES TONYA HARRIS JACKSON
For more information Columbia, South Carolina Author LaTonya Harris Jackson, to inquire about her book, or to schedule her for a public appearance, a book signing, or speaking engagement, connect with her via social media at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonya.h.jackson.7/; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/widowunderforty/; Linktree: https://linktr.ee/latonyajacksonauthor. Also, send email to: [email protected].
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Andre Johnson is the award-winning Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former staff reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send email to [email protected] or to [email protected]. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist or Instagram at @makingheadlinenews.
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