Honoring Stories, Holding Space
Black History Month at The Floating Lotus
At The Floating Lotus, we talk a lot about creating a space where people feel seen, supported, and cared for. But this month, I found myself asking, what does it really mean to see one another?
Instead of just acknowledging Black History Month, I felt called to slow down … and listen.
I asked a few of our staff and clients to share what this month means to them. Not something polished or something perfect, but just something real.
And what came back was so much more than I expected. It was honest. It was personal. It was powerful.
One of our team members, Kim Freeman, shared something that really resonated: Black history holds both the painful realities of the past and the resilience, perseverance, and achievement that continue today.
And that really landed. If we’re being honest, focusing on the parts that are uplifting, the parts that feel good, can be easier. But the responsibility remains to acknowledge the full story – even the parts that are uncomfortable or hard to hold.
That’s part of truly seeing.
Kim also revealed how seeing Michelle Obama as First Lady impacted her. Seeing a strong, intelligent Black woman in that role really meant something. It created a sense of possibility, of representation, of being able to see yourself in places that once felt out of reach.
Another reflection we can all relate to was shared by team member Nishay Adams. She recently lost her grandmother, the matriarch of her family. Nishay shared memories of her grandmother’s strength, faith and wisdom, and how those things shaped who Nishay is today.
She described her grandmother as her support system, her safe place; the one who taught her how to keep going even when life wasn’t easy. And then Nishay said something so simple, but so powerful: “She believed in me even when I didn’t believe in myself.”
I think about how many of us can identify with that: someone who believed in us, sometimes before we even believed in ourselves. That kind of love doesn’t stay in just one generation; it carries forward. That is legacy.
Floating Lotus client Kim Gardner also shared something that illustrates the idea of legacy. She spoke about her grandmother, Jessie Bryant, who recently turned 100. Her grandmother opened the first free health clinic in Fayetteville, serving the most vulnerable. And she became the first Black woman elected to the Washington County Quorum Court.
The As Kim told her grandmother’s story, I found myself wondering what her life must have looked like. The courage that must have taken, the strength, the perseverance. And at the end of her story – Kim shared that her grandmother still sends her $2 for her birthday.
And that made me smile.
Because sometimes legacy isn’t just the big things. It’s also the small, loving moments that stay with us, the moments that remind us where we come from.
Another story, shared by team member Brittney Gaston about her grandmother, also exemplified strength. In 1975, Jean W. Johnson became the first Black woman to serve as an assistant principal in the Lakeside School District. Just two years later, she was promoted to principal at that school, Central Jr. High School. Brittney’s grandmother later led a “migrant project,” helping students travel, learn, and experience opportunities beyond their everyday world. She was always making sure to weave in joy and fun along the way.
Jean Johnson worked tirelessly, even attending night school to earn her master’s degree, while continuing to support the children she served. “To those who knew her, she was Ms. Johnson,” said Brittney, “but to me, she’s just my mamaw.”
That’s what this all comes back to.
This month isn’t only about moments in history. It’s about people: grandmothers, mentors, women who showed up, did the work, and changed lives, often without recognition.
These stories are all different, and yet they are deeply connected: Through resilience. Through faith. Through perseverance. Through love.
And these stories reminded me that Black history is not something just to learn about, it is something that is lived, carried, and passed down every single day.
At The Floating Lotus, we talk about wellness as a whole-body experience. But the more I sit with it, the more I realize that true wellness also includes being seen, feeling respected, and belonging.
To support that, we must be willing to listen, to learn and to hold space. Not just when it’s easy, but always.
To those who shared their stories with me: thank you. Your words mattered. They made me think. They made me reflect on myself. And they helped me see a little more clearly.
And to our community: Let’s continue to acknowledge the full story. Not just in February, but throughout the year. Because these stories matter, and this is what community looks like.
With gratitude,
Cassandra
