Lady Saydah Island Warrior

MY DEAR MEMBERS:

I WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU AGAIN FOR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT ME AND MY GOAL TO MAKE THIS SITE MORE THAN JUST A STORY PAGE BUT A PLACE WHERE WE CAN ALL FEEL FREE TO VOICE OUR CREATIVE MINDS. I AM NOT PREJUDICE WHETHER YOUR STORIES ARE DARK OR FULL OF LIGHT THEY ARE MORE THAN WELCOMED.

ON THIS PAGE I WANTED TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE FOR HOW FAR THIS JOURNEY HAS TAKEN ME AND IS STILL CONTINUING TO TAKE ME. IT IS SAD THAT IT HAS TO TAKE DEATH TO MAKE US ALL REALIZE HOW PRECIOUS LIFE IS AND START QUESTIONING OUR MORTALITY. I WAKE UP EVERYDAY THANKING GOD AND THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE ASSISTED IN THIS LIFE THAT IS MINE. AND I OFTEN THINK THAT WE FORGET HOW MUCH PEOPLE MEAN TO US AND HOW BEHIND EVERY ACT THERE IS A CHAIN THAT HAS JUST BEEN LINKED. "KA-CHING YOU'RE CONNECTED!"

I SPEAK FROM THE HEART AND EXPERIENCE OF AN ABUSED WOMAN, GROWING UP IN VIOLENCE AND LACK OF AFFECTION THAT HAD LEFT ME A SHELL OF A WOMAN THAT IS ONLY NOW BLOOMING INTO THIS WOMAN WHO TAPS ON THESE KEYS TONIGHT. I WRITE THIS SO THAT WE CAN ALL UNDERSTAND THAT THIS SITE IS NOT JUST TO GLORIFY OUR COUNTRY OR TO SIMPLY PUT A COLORFUL DEPICTION OF A COUNTRY THAT MOST PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW BUT RATHER TO BE A PLACE WHERE HONESTY NEEDS NOT TO BE FEARED BUT SET FREE.

I WANT MY MEMBERS TO REALLY KNOW WHO I AM BECAUSE I FEEL THAT MOST MAY HAVE MISUNDERSTOOD THE REASONS BEHIND THESE STORIES.

YES, THESE STORIES ARE DERIVED FROM OUR COUNTRY OF MICRONESIA AND THESE ARE AS WE CALL IT "STORIES" HOWEVER...WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT I AM A WOMAN THAT HAVE BEEN KEPT SILENT FOR MANY YEARS AND HAVE JUST FOUND MY VOICE FROM PERSONAL STRUGGLE AND LOVING ASSISTANCE FROM SOME VERY SPECIAL PEOPLE THAT STEPPED INTO MY LIFE JUST LAST YEAR. AND AS A SHOW OF GRATITUDE I HAVE DECIDED TO STOP SWEEPING MY MONSTERS UNDER THE RUG BUT RATHER FACE THEM HEAD ON AND FOR ONCE ELIMINATE THEM FROM MY LIFE.

YOU SEE, THERE IS A THING AS CULTURE AND TRADITION. AND THERE IS ALSO RIGHT AND WRONG, AND I DEEPLY BELIEVE THAT THESE FOUR WORDS HAVE GOTTEN TANGLED AND CONFUSED AND SOMEHOW WE BEGAN TO BELIEVE THAT ABUSE IS CULTURAL AND SILENCE IS RIGHT.

FOR YEARS I HAVE STRUGGLED TO UNDERSTAND THIS AND I REFUSE TO TAKE THESE BELIEFS AT FACE VALUE WITHOUT FURTHER RESEARCH. IT IS THROUGH THE COMPASSION OF PEOPLE AND THE HAPPINESS IN THE EYES OF CONTENT CHILDREN THAT I HAVE REALIZED JUST HOW HORRENDOUS A CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED ON MOST MICRONESIAN WOMEN.

AND WITH THIS REVELATION I FELL ON MY KNEES AND PROMISED THAT I WILL DEDICATE MY LIFE TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE VIOLATION OF OUR MOTHERS, SISTERS, AND DAUGHTERS.  AND IT IS NOT BECAUSE I SEE MYSELF AS STRONGER OR BETTER BUT FOR THE SIMPLE QUESTION THAT WE MUST ALL ASK. WHY?

WHY SHOULD IT BE HAPPENING? WHY? I HAVE YET TO HEAR A SATISFYING ANSWER. ANYONE IS FREE TO GIVE ME ONE.

THE FACT THAT LADY SAYDAH IS THE MAIN HERO IN THIS COMIC BOOK WAS NOT BY COINCIDENCE. AS THE STORY CONTINUES I WILL BE MAKING MORE AND MORE REFERENCES TO TRUE SITUATIONS.

AND THAT MY FRIENDS, IS WHY I STARTED THIS WEBSITE. I AM TIRED OF THE LIES, SO I ASK THAT ANYONE WHO WANTS TO COMMENT FEEL FREE TO, NO ONE IS WRONG OR RIGHT, I AM LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS HERE NOTHING ELSE.

UNTIL THEN MY FRIENDS....

GOOD NIGHT,

JOY

MY NAME IS JOY DOVES, I AM A WRITER AND AN ASPIRING COMIC BOOK WRITER. I AM A PRODUCT OF VIOLENCE, ABUSE AND TOTAL DISREGARD FOR A CHILD'S CRY FOR COMPASSION AND AFFECTION. THAT IS MY LIFE GROWING UP, I WAS PHYSICALLY ABUSED AND HIT AS THOUGH I WAS A MAN IN COMBAT BY MY OLDER FAMILY MEMBERS.

SAYDAH IS WHO I BECAME 15 YEARS AGO WHEN AFTER FINALLY KNOCKING BOOTS WITH DEATH HIMSELF, MY MENTOR, STRANGELY MY ONLY FATHER FIGURE, BROUGHT ME BACK FROM THE BRINKS OF HELL AND TRAINED ME TO BE THE WOMAN WARRIOR THAT I AM TODAY...LADY SAYDAH.

 THIS SITE IS TO SHARE STORIES, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE WARRIORS AND WARRIORESSES ARE CONCERNED, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE YOUR SCARS, IF YOU CAN UPLOAD THEM THAT WOULD BE GREAT AND TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.

I WILL ALSO BE SHARING ABOUT MY NEW COMIC BOOK LADY SAYDAH, PLEASE READ AND ENJOY AND FEEL FREE TO GIVE ME SOME FEEDBACK, I WILL BE ADDING ILLUSTRATIONS AND CONTINUE THE STORY ON A DAILY BASIS, IT WILL BE LIKE AN ACTIVE COMIC BOOK.

SCARS AND WOUNDS HAVE STORIES, SOME ARE PROUD OF THEIRS AND SOME HAVE HORROR STORIES TO SHARE, EITHER WAY FEEL FREE TO SHARE WITH THE WORLD.

MEMBERS: I WANT TO SAY A FEW WORDS FOR MY LONG TIME AND ONE OF MY BEST FRIENDS GRACE AISEK MIDA.

I HAVE JUST BEEN GIVEN ONE OF THE MOST HEART-WRENCHING NEWS THAT ANYONE CAN POSSIBLY RECEIVE: MY DEAREST GRACE HAS GONE TO A BETTER AND PEACEFUL WORLD AFTER YEARS OF BATTLING CANCER.

I HAVE KNOWN GRACE SINCE I WAS IN THE FIFTH GRADE AT SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST SCHOOL IN CHUUK, CLASS OF 1990. I WENT ON TO COLLEGE AT CHAMINADE UNIVERSITY, IN HONOLULU, HAWAII WITH HER AS WELL. (ROBERT LEATO) IF YOU ARE READING THIS I AM TALKING ABOUT OUR FRIEND GRACE FROM COLLEGE.

HER NAME ALONE SAYS ALOT ABOUT THIS BEAUTIFUL PERSON FOR I HAVE NEVER MET ANYONE IN MY LIFE THAT CARRIED HERSELF WITH GRACE AND PURITY. SHE ENCOMPASSED ALL THE QUALITIES THAT PEOPLE SAY THAT MOTHER TERESA HAD AND THIS MY FRIENDS IS PROBABLY AN UNDERSTATEMENT CONSIDERING HOW BIG THIS WOMAN'S HEART WAS.

I CAME INTO COLLEGE ANGRY AND TATTERED AND SHE WELCOMED ME WITH OPEN HEART AND UNDERSTANDING. I REMEMBER HOW I SLEPT IN HER DORM ROOM MORE TIMES THAN I STAYED IN MY OWN BECAUSE WE WOULD STAY UP TALKING FOR HOURS ABOUT LIFE, LOVE, AND MY PERSONAL CONTRIBUTION "LAUGHTER". THE SUN WOULD SHINE INTO HER CORNER ROOM AND I'LL STILL HAVE MY HEAD CRAMMED INTO MY BOOK GETTING THOSE LAST MINUTE NOTES PHOTOCOPIED INTO MY BRAIN BEFORE MY FINALS AND SHE WOULD BE RIGHT THERE WITH ME, COFFEE UPON COFFE CUPS.

SHE WAS ALWAYS LAUGHING AND I CAN ALWAYS REMEMBER THE MANY TIMES SHE WOULD THROW HER PILLOW AT ME TO TELL ME TO SHUT UP BECAUSE I WOULDN'T STOP DOING MY OWN VERSIONS OF STAND UP COMEDY. I ALWAYS AND I MEAN ALWAYS MADE HER LAUGH AND SHE INTURN ALWAYS MADE ME FEEL LIKE A VISIBLE PERSON. SHE WAS MY ANGEL AT THAT TIME IN MY LIFE, SHE WAS THE MOST UNDERSTANDING AND COMPASSIONATE PERSON I HAD EVER MET, NOT TO MENTION SHE HELD NO JUDGEMENTS TOWARDS ME AND MY CHOICES IN LIFE.

I DEPENDED ON HER BEING THERE FOR ME WHEN I WOULD COME HOME FROM A PARTY OR AN ARGUEMENT FROM MY BOYFRIEND AT THAT TIME. NO MATTER WHAT I DID SHE WAS THERE AND SHE AND I WOULD TALK ABOUT THE FUTURE AND HOW OUR LIVES CHANGED SINCE WE WERE IN MICRONESIA. SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT CALLED ME JOY INSTEAD OF JOYLEEN AND I WAS THE FIRST ONE TO MAKE HER WEAR BRIGHT RED LIPSTICK (I EVEN TOOK PHOTOS FOR BLACKMAILING PURPOSES, HEHE). SHE CALLED ME CORNY I CALLED HER DORKY. A MISMATCHED PAIR THAT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN MORE DEDICATED TO ONE ANOTHER AS THOUGH WE WERE BLOOD SISTERS.

GRACE AND I SHARED JOURNALS TOGETHER, YOU COULD SAY SHE WAS MY FIRST WRITING PARTNER. SHE WOULD WRITE IN MY JOURNAL (IN HER VERY NEAT AND SOPHISTICATED PENMANSHIP) AND I INTURN WOULD WRITE IN HERS. I STILL HAVE THOSE JOURNAL ENTRIES AS THEY HAVE BROUGHT INSPIRATION AND HOPE AS THE YEARS WENT BY AND WE DRIFTED INTO OUR OWN LIVES.

GRACE MADE MY COLLEGE YEARS THE BEST OF MY LIFE. HER GREAT HEART WAS SEEN ON HER FACE AND HER FAITH IN GOD AND IN PEOPLE WERE BEYOND OUR COMPREHENSION. SHE WAS ONE OF THE MOST EXCEPTIONAL WOMEN THAT I HAVE BEEN BLESSED AND HONORED TO HAVE TOUCHED MY LIFE AND HAVE THE PLEASURE OF CALLING MY FRIEND.

ON THIS DAY I WOULD LIKE TO PAY MY RESPECTS TO THIS AMAZING AND STRONG WOMAN, MY FELLOW MICRONESIAN, MY DORM MATE, MY COMEDIC SIDEKICK, MY JOURNAL PARTNER, MY DREAM INTERPRETER, MY COMFORT, MY INSPIRATION, MY FRIEND, MY SISTER, OUR VERY OWN MICRONESIAN WARRIORESS.

REST IN PEACE MY DEAR GRACE.

THANK YOU SINCERELY FOR GRACING MY LIFE WITH YOUR PRESENCE, IN MY HEART YOU WILL REMAIN....ALWAYS. I LOVE YOU.

JOY