Never has society focused on a mother's life after her child has been incarcerated until now. In
this heart-wrenching memoir, Tosha shares a highly-detailed journey of how she propelled
through the physical and mental exhaustion of dealing with a dying mother and a prodigal son.
She spent endless hours fighting to keep her oldest son, BJ, out of the realm of juvenile
delinquency. However, his continued disobedience and criminal conduct resulted in a harsh
prison sentencing. Now faced with a huge internal conflict between unconditional love and
unconditional acceptance, Tosha realized that she could no longer help her son; she now had to
truly employ her own mother's practices of tough love. Countless times, she saved him from
touching the burning flame; however, he still had an unrelenting thirst that could only be
quenched by getting burned. This time, the burn was unimaginable. He left her broken in grief to
be with his father and live the dream of being "free." This dream quickly turned into a nightmare
that would last for forty years. Her worst nightmare had come true, and all the remorse,
embarrassment, and regret crashed upon her at once. Despite dealing with depression and
delusion, she was persistent in her personal fight and in supporting a household with hopes that
her story would resonate with other parents dealing with a child entrapped in the fantasy life of
the streets.
As tough as this battle was, it only intensified. Even though only one member of the family was
incarcerated, the whole family was mentally enslaved as of a result. In a series of poems and
letters, Blake and Tosha express their confusion and desolation throughout their experience
dealing with an unjust justice system. Heartfelt correspondence between this mother and son
communicate their acknowledgment for their faults, yet triumphs, that contributed to their
journey with aspirations to be a wind of encouragement for families that are suffering the same
fate.
