Snakes in My Garden: A Memoir

By Dooney Jackson

Dooney Jacksons life was a roller coaster of events. In addition to experiencing so much as a youth, she persevered and made it out of the rough streets of South Central California. Living life without knowing the root of her despair all ended with a single letter penned by her father in prison. The truth came out, and Shamoria was determined to become the opposite of what was to become of her life through tragedies. This is a remarkable biography that will put you in the characters shoes, feeling the struggle and pain and also the happiness through blessings.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 28, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503547520

Dooney Jackson

I was reared up in Los Angeles County. From an early age I moved around from city to city yet remaining in California. I always had a love for the classroom from the first day I walked into my kindergarten classroom. Everything about it intrigued me from my teacher to the smell of the classroom. I later on studied and became a preschool teacher as well as substitute teacher for many private schools. I worked for the Los Angeles unified School District for the majority of my work with young children. I have one son Joshua whom is my world. I currently reside in Compton California living with my mother Frances. I’ve never been married and currently a proud single parent. Joshua and I had one pet fish we named Junior who later died. Junior passing was a way for me to open up about death and discuss with my son but also a way for me to close certain chapters in my life. The old me was dead and gone as to junior our little fish. Learning from all things and making improvements for the better in life. I’ve been through some difficulties in life and felt the need to speak on them. I began writing as self- help and therapy for myself then later felt a greater responsibility to help and inspire others through my own personal life story. While in high school I began reading Zora Neale Hurston books I grew very fond of her and her work. I started writing short poems of my own while on the bus or when I was bored as a teenager. I was also inspired by a fellow family member Ken Carter whom book spoke about being successful. I also read the bible frequently to find comfort and guidance. I was inspired by these two books foremost and many others. I am currently working on my next book speaking on life after Snakes in My Garden. Followed by the sequel to this autobiography will be a book on love and relationships I’ve experienced. Stick around things will get crazy calm and weird through my writings.

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Copyright © 2015 by Dooney Jackson.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2015903102

ISBN:   Hardcover   978-1-5035-4750-6

   Softcover   978-1-5035-4751-3

   eBook   978-1-5035-4752-0

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Rev. date: 03/20/2015

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Author’s Note

Introduction

Chapter One: The Root

Chapter Two: The Soil

Chapter Three: Growing

Chapter Four: Learning to Grow and Remove Weeds

Chapter Five: The Growth Expert

Chapter Six: Garden Expansion

Chapter Seven: Keep Planting

Chapter Eight: Faith Brings Growth

Chapter Nine: Keep Growing

Chapter Ten: Take Delight in Your Gardening

Chapter Eleven: Blossoming Gardens

Chapter Twelve: Remove Compost

Chapter Thirteen Healing Your Garden

Chapter Fourteen: Green Thumb

Chapter Fifteen: Regrowth

I would like to

dedicate this book to those who grew up in fatherless homes. For those who are battling with addiction due to past wrongs inflicted upon them. For those who can’t get those negative images out of their heads, trying to cope with and ease the pain. For the single mother who may feel as though she has fallen through the cracks of life. For those who have given up hope on any growth in their lives. For those who have lost a loved one, a child. For those who are trying: keep trying. For those who have made it out of difficult times and are a testimony to uplift and build up the downtrodden and lowly at heart. For the ones who are fighting to show and become that better example to those they love. For those who have been abused in any way. For those who come from low-income, poverty-stricken neighborhoods and are trying to make a positive change.

This is for all the survivors out there. For those serving long prison sentences, having stood up for what’s right. This is for all the fatherless children in the world and for those who overcame obstacles when the odds were against them.

Never give up hope. God is riding with you. He loves you, and so do I.

AUTHOR’S NOTE

Snakes can actually be beneficial to one’s garden. My garden is my thoughts on my life and how beautifully it grows to become a beautiful garden blossoming and growing. The best way to keep snakes away from my garden was to remove anything that might invite them into my garden. My garden is my happiness, my peace, my outlook and inner spirit. The behavior of snakes is generally the same. Some wait, hidden, for food sources. Knowing which type of snake to focus on helped me to focus my snake-repelling efforts more effectively. Once I recognized a snake’s behavior, I was able to identify it right away. In keeping snakes away, one must keep one’s garden free of clutter. That’s unnecessary drama, negative thoughts, and behavior. Avoid planting seeds of doubt that grows into tall-growing plants. This provides perfect hiding spots for a snake. Avoid holes in your garden of thoughts. Any holes need to be patched and repaired to keep them out of your garden. The best thing to do is address any problem that comes along that may prevent or inhibit your garden from growing. Carefully inspect your life. If you notice any holes, patch them up immediately no matter how small you think the problem is. Even a small hole makes room for snakes to squeeze through and into your garden.

Spread love and plant seeds of positive growth around your garden and home to keep them out. Keeping spiritually awake proves effective at keeping snakes from sneaking in. The Bible is the most effective snake repellent. Most people have a fear of snakes. That fear that people have sometimes works out for the snake because people back away from the snake out of fear. Sometimes, that fear of snakes exudes and doesn’t work, resulting in the snake being killed when found attempting to come in or around their garden.

Years ago, there was a snake that crept inside the garden my mother and father was growing for our family. Mama and Daddy didn’t have the snake repellent handy, and out of fear of the snake destroying our garden, Daddy killed the snake. Snakes are able to sneak up on their prey without being noticed. Snakes can be beneficial (to a degree) to a garden as they have been at certain times in my life. I understand snakes are always going to try and sneak into my garden. I have to always be equipped with my snake repellent. Snakes can be cold-blooded vertebrates without control of their body temperature. As the snake that crept into my family’s garden, they were beginning to grow. The snake warmed itself as it lay in wait to warm itself to digest or simply feel better. Mama didn’t imagine or expect that though Daddy killed the snake, our garden would still die. Losing the hope and drive to plant more flowers, our garden withered and turned into dirt and soil. Yet that same dirt and soil once was a beautiful garden. That same garden can be replanted and grown again with the replanting of seeds and careful caring for the garden and being prepared and watchful of snakes without fear of them.

INTRODUCTION

As I soak up the words I’ve written within this book, I came to grips that I was in need of help. I plan to utilize a portion of the proceeds from this book be put into battered women. I myself, along with millions of women, have suffered from a form of abuse. My organization (My Sistah, Our Sister) is to help women suffering from physical, sexual, or mental abuse. This organization will be geared toward all women of all nationalities to come together by offering support groups, housing assistance, and counseling. This will help women understand that they are not alone and there is an alternative other than staying and keeping quiet. Don’t stay because he needs you. Leave because we need you.

Growing up in South Central, California, was by no means a walk in the park. As portrayed on television, news, and movies, it’s much more to the comparison when it comes to my life. Being surrounded by negativity, drug use, and gang violence, living in poverty seemed almost impossible to come out victorious. Keeping God’s view ahead of my own was the only thing that kept me ahead of my peers. Persevere through tragedies, heartbreak, and misfortune. God will always bring you forward and out of any situation as long as you trust and believe. I had dreams that came true that strengthened my faith and got me through some really tough times. Whether small or big dreams, God has the authority to bring you through and bless you with an abundance of the heart. If you don’t believe things will happen, they won’t. Having faith in the things expected will, for sure, make them come true. I am a witness of God’s glory and undeserved kindness. Growing up with my siblings and having to take on life and the pressures it brought about—I was trying to put together a puzzle of life, not knowing what the picture was to look like. As a child, I came close to death more than once, yet I survived and am living my life the best way I know how. My purpose was not met. I have many more years to live, and God stepped in and saved my life more than once. At the age of twenty-nine, I decided to write my story, my experiences, and my testimony. Yes, life has its ups and downs. I grew from taking the positive from many situations and circumstances. I was called to be a blessing to young children, so I decided to become a preschool teacher. My purpose was to live my life the best way I knew how. To live life and accept my journey’s blessings and life’s lessons for the betterment of the inner and outer person.

At times, yes, life was very depressing and difficult—not knowing if the bills would be paid this month or where the next meal was coming from, worrying about how I was going to support my child, having the fear of having another in fear of going without, and worrying about Mama not knowing if she’s dead or alive. Turning to God was and is my solution to every worry or problem I’m faced with. Having a fear of others having evil or cruel intentions toward children without knowing I myself was abused as a child was the reason why these thoughts existed in my mind. It wasn’t for me to understand but, rather, thoughts for me to get through and persevere. Having a mother who is physically there but mentally in a whole other space, trying to rear younger siblings without the help and support of more experienced adult hands involved, I could have easily walked away and left and have the every man for themselves attitude. I decided to help and stay and was blessed. There comes a time where one has to live your own life without ties to anyone else’s needs. Plant your seeds where you see fit. Watch those seeds grow into a beautiful garden. Along the way, incidents occurred that I wish had not. Growing and learning is what makes me who I am today—strong, steadfast, determined, fearless, and watchful. For God knows one’s destiny of what to become in this life. Certain situations in my life prevented me from speaking up and taking a stand. The devil’s agenda was to stop me from becoming the woman I am destined to be. The attack is always geared toward the strongest person so the others will fall behind once the strongest is made weak. Through my life, in everything I’ve been through, I thrive to inspire and help others, and maybe their struggle will be shortened. Those things I’ve been through made me better and more equipped to help others who may come face to face with some of the same things I have.

I pray this story will help many avoid these snares and mechanisms of the one seeking to divide and destroy. I’ve been through so much yet have so much more living to do. I have many more assignments to complete assigned by God. My tragedies turned into my passion to help others from not going through the same. Passion to help others also survives and perseveres for the very best outcome of life. Develop another outlook in life to live the life we were placed on earth to live. Once grasping on to what my calling was, it made my destiny clearer. Having this deep passion imbedded in your very being pushes the drive you have to succeed. Some know what they’re called for to do at an early age; some learn later on. It doesn’t matter as long as you get there. The bumps along the road get smoother, and the ride takes you to your destination. We can expect opposition, naysayers, negativity, haters, and dream killers. God will remove that junk out of my path. As long as I kept moving forward, this opposition was in my rearview. What God has for you is genuinely and uniquely for you. There is nothing anyone can say or do to prevent you from getting to that place the Lord wants you to be. I’m thankful to have had two strong beautiful grandmothers. May they both rest in paradise. Betty Mae Williams, rest in paradise.

As I wrote passages in this book, I felt there warm and loving presence allowing me the push to get my story out. While opening up my front door, lady bugs were flying inside. This was a sign for me to keep on my path. While standing on the playground at work, a butterfly circled me, glided so gently in the breeze, then landed on a leaf and stayed on the leaf long enough for me to snap a picture. I thought of this as opportunity, chance, and guidance to become swift like the wind. While driving on the freeway, two birds were flying right above, soaring in the sky as they soar to their destination likely to my destiny. While opening up my window blinds in the morning, I heard the birds sing as if they were waiting to serenade me with their chirps. I took the good out from everything that’s of God’s creation to empower my spirit and self-being. Taking the good out of every situation is a strategy I took on to better myself. Going to jail, I took the good from such a horrible place and situation. I was able to understand a glitch of what my daddy went through for those many years he spent in prison. With my struggles as a single parent of one, it’s hard. I’m able to see and understand my mama struggle being a single parent of six. I have one, and it is by no means easy. I made a vow to myself and asked God for protection for myself and my child that he will never have to go through what I did as a child or adult. The saying it takes a village took on a whole other meaning when I became a parent. My child deserves love, respect, and protection despite me not having that growing up.

As I wrote out this story, my story, it was as though weights were being lifted off from my shoulders. This was more than just writing a book to me; this was my therapy. If my story can reach one person, I will be fulfilled and blessed. These secrets I held near my heart were not doing me any good. Getting these things out may help others. Getting the bad out my heart allowed for the good to come in. I was given a new beginning to create another story of my own. Every day I wake up, I am thankful, conscious of my decision making, and alert about weaving through snares that may be set before me to deem my light from shining for all those to see and benefit from. This enables me to free my mind from the pressure of the world and remain in my own zone. I gained confidence, drive, and aspiration completing this chapter of my life because there is much more to be written as I continue to live and grow each and every day. It’s so easy to become absorbed in negativity—behavioral or verbal. I had too many testimonies to allow for negativity to overwhelm me. Lamont’s dream coming true was a testimony to God’s grace. My father was released from prison after being sentenced to twenty-five years to life. An uncle went to college and received the highest degree obtainable. I have a cousin whose compassion for the youth made him more successful for caring and being who he was—a genuine human being. Aunt Betty planted those seeds of Bible principles in my youth up until her demise. My big sister Rita was that example that being young, you too can still be steadfast and strong serving God.

Ultimately, I made a dedication through water baptism. Family is a stronghold. When one hurts, all hurt and share the same pain. It’s our duty as human beings to love thy neighbor. Teach and reach many as Jesus showed the example through his life here on earth. All things are possible if we believe in Mark 9:23. Jehovah has been here for me and has never left my side. I’ve been through things, but I am not what I’ve been through. I am a loved child of God. Life sometimes knocks you down, stumbles, or bends you, but don’t allow it to break you. I fought to keep my soul alive knowing one can live and yet be dead inside. I chose to live no matter the outcome. I put my best foot forward and