CHERRY: A YEAR OF BECOMING written by Siara Givens, expressed by many.

CHERRY, a summertime fruit, their short growing season and rapid ripening contribute to a symbolism of fleeting beauty and the transient nature of existence. The fruit’s abundance can also symbolize fertility, prosperity, and good fortune. Cherries' brief bloom reminds me to cherish each moment. 

Thank you to my summertime cherries, my girlfriends, Araceli G.H, Mya Drummond, Aliyah Cottrell, Zhanne “Lydia” Hatcher, Ehaesi Ejemenye and Seana Harris.

This is my love letter to the women in my life, who are the most Confident, Honest, Expressive, Real, Romantic and if you're wondering Y (you must find out for yourself). Thank you for showing up as yourselves and inspiring me,

I wouldn’t be who I am today without you! 

C: Cultivating Confidence

When was a time you surprised yourself by being braver than expected?

It has been a brave year for me.  I’ve held tightly to my independence, and my autonomy remains a core value. I’ve learned to remain fully myself in relationships and prioritized spaces where individuality is honored. In an act of courage, I ran a 10k with my best friend, Araceli G.H. (@arace.li) a friendship born out of impromptu

photoshoots and y2k jams. “Risk is exciting, risk brings change.” — Araceli G.H. I had the joy of performing and sharing a vision with my friend and sister, R&B Soul Musician, Ehaesi Ejemenye (@ehaesi), at the Va Beach Caribbean Festival. 

Ehaesi was a major influence in me sharing the songs I had written only for myself.

“Share, share, share your visions.” — SiaraKG.

Vulnerability is strength, and more than anything, this year taught me that difficult conversations are acts of courage too. In song writing, each emotion expressed authentically, pushed me into a more confident version of myself. 

 In a song I wrote “Self Pity,” I wrote about how miserable change felt.

 One of my favorite lyrics says:

“I smell the rain, it’s gonna come,

I see lightning, should I run?

From plants, not seeds. My spots gave up?”

I’ve learned, the things I procrastinate are simply another strong, capable, and worthy version of myself, just dying to be seen. I believe God favors the bold. When you leave your impression on the world, it can’t help but respond. It pushes back; it fuels you, igniting louder, bolder decisions. The narrative now is simple: I don’t want to miss out on courage. Honestly, the courage has to keep up with me. Whether living abroad, taking on van life, moving out, or moving back home, within my community, we are cultivating courage through embracing change and that connects me to all the women mentioned throughout this spread.

H: Honesty is the best policy.

What truth have you stopped hiding from yourself?

I came out to my sisters. For too long, I denied myself the full experience of who I am, caught in relationships that demanded my conforming to traditional values. I hesitated, not wanting to “other” myself. In allowing myself to show up in my truth, something shifted. I felt grace. I stopped trying to be myself... and just was. Truth and love are my favorite narratives. VOICES OF TRUTH “I’ve been holding space for loss, and for the fact that acceptance can be hard. I'm not suppressing feelings but letting them surface. I’ve definitely been embracing this change this year. You can grieve the past and still put your best foot forward.” The two can coexist.” -  Araceli G.H. “I let go of toxic positivity. The belief that karma was coming for me if I couldn’t express gratitude in every moment. The truth is that I can feel gratitude and still admit I don’t feel my best. It’s okay to be negative.” Sit with your emotions; they won’t all be ‘good.’ Honestly, they don’t need labels at all. Sometimes it’s just being human.” - Mya Drummond:  I choose grace and, in every story, trauma, and experience, I’ve grown abundant in tools and ability. I show up for myself and it’s as simple as saying: “I can.” Affirmations and cultivating a grace mindset have become part of my practice to release shame. In times of distress, the best thing I was told was: “Take it easy.” That gentle affirmation gave me compassion for the moment and has stayed in my heart for months. It was permission to soften.  Araceli. Thank you, I hear your words softly in moments of stress. I love you. I acknowledge that shame has no place here and when it comes to your truth, the story is worth embracing.

How do you allow your expression to flow? An underrated form of expression, my dear friend Zhanne “Lydia” Hatcher once pointed out, is crying.  Lydia shared how much she appreciated being moved deeply by life. She spoke about how tears themselves are beautiful and a gift. For someone who feels deeply, being around people who allow themselves to be fully moved is refreshing. Needless to say, when Lydia is around, I let the tears fall. Crying is a beautiful form of expression. It’s intimacy, its connection, it's movement. "I don’t have to be positive all the time for things to work out for me. Sometimes I want to cry, sometimes I want to scream." - Mya Drummond. "I like to listen to sad ass music, sit in my bed, and just boo-hoo cry. It feels good." - Aliyah Cottrell. And It’s not solely about the tears, but what happens afterwards, the closeness in the silent embrace, and the intimacy created in the conversations we are having with one another. Me and mine, we’re going to let the tears fall. 

R: Real Romance Only Thanks!

How are you redefining romance?

Romance isn't just for lovers. It’s the wish I make for my own joy. It’s the small ways I honor what lights my heart up. It’s about making daily life tender and deliberate. Rich with attention, I take time to savor the joy, empathy and compassion in my life. My favorite ritual to get into romance with myself is time in nature. I love how once I start walking; I can go for hours expecting something beautiful and grand as I move forward. Nature teaches me that romance isn’t something I have to chase; it’s already waiting for me, wherever I may roam.  Every time I am amazed, and if there was ever a time to spend with God, it’s within the trees. Another way I am redefining romance is through a smut novel I’ve been writing, where I explore love and intimacy in all forms. 

Need a good conversation starter, try asking:

“What Are You Loving These Days?”

As a way to invite beauty, romance, and gratitude into my life, I love asking myself this question. These days, I’m loving: Being in community, having meaningful relationships, and cast iron skillets. A big goal for me is to be more affirmative with myself, to honor and celebrate my own experiences."Being in conversation with the parts of myself that are hardest to express, that’s romance too.” - Mya Drummond. Gratitude and prayer are essential to cultivating romance, so as not to miss out on the moment. Life moves really fast when you're in love with what you see. I thank God for my blessings, and I am given more. My plate is full.

When you want to romanticize the moment listen to: “Do you know where you’re going too” Diana Ross. 

“Romance isn’t something I have to chase; it’s already waiting for me wherever I may roam.” - Siara Givens.

R: Lets be Real

What does it mean to show up as the unfiltered version of yourself?

To be polarizing or not to be... that is the question. Being outspoken for me has been about trial and error, it can be uncomfortable. But you shouldn’t be afraid to change the narrative. Because either you do it or you follow someone else’s. “It’s about no longer performing. No longer overthinking every word.” -  Mya Drummond. In my solitude, I became comfortable with my own emotions, and learned self acceptance. I could validate my feelings, opinions and thoughts and I never felt like “too much.” Now, I can share my unfilteredness freely, because alone, it was always fully understood. If you struggle to validate yourself, pause and ask yourself. Am I showing up in good faith? What is my truth? Does this truth shared make me feel more secure in myself? Unfiltered-ness can create a space where everything is laid bare, where nothing hides. But it takes discernment to know when transparency builds trust and when it leaves you vulnerable to those who won’t hold it with care.  “I don’t need others to validate my feelings. Doing that made me feel like I was giving away my autonomy to others and their opinions. Making decisions on my own, without seeking external validation has allowed me to feel more secure within myself and be able to trust my judgement. I just take my own advice and go with it, if it’s the wrong choice, that’s my burden to bear. It still allowed me to build trust in myself and my intuition.” - Aliyah Cottrell.  I’ve accepted that in many rooms, I’ll be the one calling things out. Asking for change. And when asked to compromise, challenging for more. I’m an executive, and I’m here to lead my people.

Y: Does it matter?

When was the last time you chose not to explain yourself?

Truthfully, there have been many partnerships, relationships, and jobs where I was in a constant state of questioning who I was. I’ve learned a lot and If I had to name the highlight reel, it would be named: Forgiveness. Forgiveness the lesson I return to over and over... and over again. I’ve felt angry, sad, and betrayed. I’ve sat with the weight of people not showing up for me in the ways I hoped they would. What matters most, honesty; being upfront and being real with yourself.  I ask the hard question—what can I truly live with? Consider your position in life, is it loving? Is it true to who you are? Because whatever you choose to carry on your heart comes at a cost. Holding onto one thing means missing out on another. And I've been there, in a consistent state of misalignment, wasting precious time to make myself comfortably digestible, where I was. Some choices will demand all of you, your full clarity, and your full heart. Where I am going, I need 100%. Not a lot of things belong in boxes, so you either unpack it or get rid of it. I trust that it’s in God’s plan that I’m no longer shrinking to fit in or dimming my light. And if God is for me then who could be against me. I’ve learned when to walk away, and even better how to walk away. To not waste time doubting myself, my dignity will not be compromised. I no longer explain myself to people who won’t take me seriously, and who show me no respect. Fuck you. 

Book Recommendation: “’Girlhood’” By Melissa Febos, a mirror into the quiet ways girls and women are conditioned to shrink themselves.

Where do your cherries grow and bloom from? What has supported your journey of becoming CONFIDENT, HONEST, EXPRESSIVE, REAL AND ROMANTIC?

It’s time for C-H-E-R-R-Y…. because I gotta.