But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes, we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5/NKJV)
A LIVING TESTIMONY
As if losing her nephew to senseless gun violence in 2017 wasn’t enough to shatter the abundant life Christ came to give her, Xenia Barnes subsequently witnessed her life hanging in the balance some two years ago.
“The vision for the book really came together when I was in the hospital on the ventilator in 2022,” Barnes, a New York City-based writer, said, recalling the rash of turbulence surrounding her featured written work.
The book to which Barnes is alluding is Grieving To Heal: The Shadow Boarding Experience, her riveting, spiritually-empowering autobiography and self-help book that discloses the the depths of despair and the different stages of grief.
“Hearing the doctors tell my family I may not make it through the night and thinking there was nothing I could do, I prayed to God and said, ‘I don’t know why You gave me this fight, but I am listening and waiting for You to tell me my next move,’” Barnes told Making Headline News as part its Women’s History Month national coverage.
SALUTING WOMEN WHO SHAPE OUR WORLD
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“Minutes later, my son was walking out of the hospital room. He stopped and turned to me and said, ‘Ma, you can’t give up, we still have work to do.’ It was that moment when I realized I had to grieve the old version of me to step into my new purpose.”
And the rest, as they say, was history.
As Barnes recalls, she deemed it essential to compose Grieving To Heal: The Shadow Boarding Experience in large part because of the various generational cycles of trauma she senses holds our community back from pouring love into the universe.
“I wanted to create something that would remove the shame of grief and help individuals understand that their grief belongs to them,” Barnes said. “There is no time limit or cookie cutter answer process. However, if you have faith, hope, and the will to embrace the uncomfortable, you can find your way through the darkness.”
Barnes’ life-altering book that is comprised of 120 pages, this author aims to reflect on her traumatic experiences and share them with others as a healthy way to release what she describes as “pent-up” emotions, as mentioned in a detailed synopsis of her published masterpiece via Amazon.com.
“Every individual experiences grief in various ways,” said an Amazon spokesperson for Barnes’ Grieving To Heal: The Shadow Boarding Experience. “The chapters will not only shed light on the healthiness of grieving but also provide tried and tested guidelines for breakthrough recovery.”
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Moreover, this author believes that while we may not always have control over the bad things that happen to us, we always have a choice of what we choose to do with those experiences.
“The learning is endless. Simultaneously, she allows herself to experience every emotion and navigates her way out of the darkness, into the light,” said an Amazon spokesperson. “The main message behind this book is that there’s no time limit to grief. Some days you’ll feel like you’re making progress, while others will feel like you’re back to square one. There will be challenges, and not everyone will understand your grieving process. Nevertheless, what’s essential is that you operate at your own pace, set boundaries, and rise above the ashes.”
An esteemed leadership and trauma coach who also functions as a rising motivational speaker, Barnes began constructing Grieving To Heal in 2022, although the supporting workbook, The Shadow Boarding Experience, was produced in 2018, months after the murder of her nephew.
“At the time, it wasn’t meant to be published, it was my journey and a way for my capture and to begin to understand the trauma I was experiencing at the time,” Barnes told MHN. “Thus, I was intentional about incorporating it into the book that way.”
Barnes’ Grieving To Heal made its ceremonious release in early 2023.
To her credit, she has graced the pages of three additional books:
- Loving Yourself Through the Trauma Journal/Workbook, which debuted in May 2022
- The Recondition: A Guide to Loving Yourself Through Your Trauma, which debuted in August 2022 and,
- Triumph In The Trenches, a soon-to-be released anthology that is comprised of 20 African-American coauthors and is spearheaded by Visionary author, Marvell Adams Jr.
DESTINY STEPS
Other books, Barnes said, are on the horizon.
“Absolutely…this beautiful mind is filled with ideas, lived experiences, and messages that will impact the world for the better,” Barnes said. “Stay tuned.”
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As for the divine message she aspires to send to her reading audience through her featured book, Barnes emphasized, among other things, those bound in grief are not alone amid their sometimes-discomforting journeys.
“I know it can feel that way in the midst of the darkness, but when times get rough, double down on your faith,” Barnes said. “Trauma is real and trauma hurts, but you are not your trauma.”
Since the release of Grieving To Heal, Barnes has fielded an assortment of rave reviews.
“The feedback has been full of positivity, hope, and love,” Barnes said. “I have received countless messages from readers via social media, sharing their healing journey. I have also received messages of gratitude for speaking out about my experiences with gun violence, being diagnosed with Pulmonary Fibrosis, needing a double lung transplant, and opening up about becoming disabled.
“With only 34 percent of lung capacity being my two lungs combined, God has seen me fit to be a vessel of inspiration, hope, and to share His message with others,” Barnes, a recipient for the 2024 Prestigious Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award and Black Excellence Award, continued. “Only God has the power to allow me to still be, standing and doing His work. He gave me this book to do just that, and I will work in that purpose for as long as He sees fit.”
To God be the glory for the things He has done — most notably in the life of this beloved, big-hearted walking miracle.
FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH
MORE ON BARNES
For more information about New York City Businesswoman/Author Xenia Barnes, to inquire about her books, to schedule her for a public appearance, book signing, or speaking engagement, call 347-383-9923 or connect with her via social media under: LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/comm/mynetwork/discovery-see-all?usecase=PEOPLE_FOLLOWS&followMember=coach-barnes-gmt967bab88; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090416637357&mibextid=uzlsIk; Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachbarnesgmt_; Twitter: https://twitter.com/coachbarnesgmt_. 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.