In Memory of Auntie Rosie Lee Ousley 8/15/1938-9/14/2025 🌹💜🕊👑

🌹💜🕊👑The day I received the news that Auntie Rose transitioned, I struggled with processing my emotions while maintaining my daily schedule. This is the 4th family death I've experienced this year (2 Great Aunties and 1 cousin within my paternal side and my maternal grandfather) all in a span of 8 months.

Work, writing, going through old pictures, remembering family moments, and volunteer duties were heavily my distractions these last few days to compose myself each day as it led to today. 

The emotions kicked in as I attended the Homegoing celebration for Aunt Rose. I was overwhelmed yet as always happy to see family and celebrate Auntie Rose's life, a life well lived and served for her family and community. This poem came to me days before (9/23): 

Rare gem with a beautiful heart and infectious smile.

One in a million with her love, a gentleness so meek and mild. 

Sisterhood and family time are her legacies.

Intrigued with music and dancing, what an amazing sight to see.

Eternally resting, she is remembered as a beloved daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, aunt, friend, we forever celebrate you to infinity. ROSIE......🌹💜🕊👑

We love you and will see you later.

#MyTwin #EternalRose #purpleforRosie #celebrationoflife

🎂4️⃣0️⃣ Is Fine When You Look 2️⃣9️⃣🦋: A Poetic and Photographic Celebration of 40 Years.

Today is my 40th birthday and in honor of myself and creativity, I wrote the following tribute to celebrate this blessed milestone:

40 Blessings of Lequvia: Poetic Edition

Born July 7, 1985, a southern belle with a city charm, destined to flourish and thrive. 

Weighing pounds of 7 and ounces of 12, her earlier years predestined a life to excel.

A love for powerful words and musical notes, her eclectic taste gave her loads of creative freedom and poetic hope. 

A hope that was never lacking or deferred, a hope that propelled her and freed her.

These 40 truths dwell within and represent her existence and being:

1. Writer 

2. Warrior 

3. Wise 

4. Worthy 

5. Survivor 

6. Courageous 

7. Intelligent 

8. Poet 

9. Musical 

10. Nostalgic

11. Classic

12. Generous 

13. Sentimental 

14. Beautiful 

15. Witty 

16. Dreamer 

17. Chosen 

18. Unique 

19. Philanthropic 

20. Grateful 

21. Author 

22. Admin 

23. Advocate 

24. Ambivert 

25. Loquacious 

26. Inquisitive 

27. Aspiring 

28. Unapologetic 

29. Authentic 

30. Scribe

31. Timeless

32. Creative

33. Prayerful

34. Consistent

35. Purposeful

36. Vibrant

37. Celebratory

38. Present

39. Thoughtful

40. Anointed

🎂4️⃣0️⃣ is fine when you look 2️⃣9️⃣🦋. 

Thankful for this new decade and who I am by God's design. Reflecting on how God has kept my mind, I'm looking 4️⃣ward to another beautiful j0️⃣urney and sacred time. 

#Vintage1985 #Chapter40 #LimitedEdition #AgedtoPerfection #40IsFineWhenYouLook29 #Forever21and19 #Sweet16and24 #2020Focused #4wardJ0urney

4️⃣ever Blessed & Gratef0️⃣l,

Lequvia Ousley 

In memory of Berta Mae Shannon Ousley 12/17/1938-11/15/2009 🕊1️⃣5️⃣💐

Today makes 15 years since my grandmother passing. I only have 2 memories of her. Once as a teenager in the grocery store, looking for an item on the aisle and she spoke to me. I spoke back but didn't know who she was and it was brought to my attention that she was my paternal grandmother. My second memory was my last year at ASU (2008) and I spoke with her over the phone. She expressed how she wanted to know us but the circumstances at the time wouldn't allow it. 2008 was a year of healing, discovery, and closure for me. Once I graduated and moved away, my grandmother's funeral was my 1st visit back home in 2009 and an opportunity to reconnect with more family. Thanksgiving was also coming up which gave me more time to be at home. Through the years, I experienced more losses with family and friends and made a conscious decision to be intentional, celebrate more, and create memories as much as possible. In this season of Thanksgiving, I'm thankful that I have connection and community with family and loved ones. 

In memory of Berta Mae Shannon Ousley 

12/17/1938-11/15/2009 1️⃣5️⃣🕊

In memory of Grandmother 'Shug', Emma L. Mays 9/24/1943-8/29/1994 🕊3️⃣0️⃣💐

The death of my maternal grandmother on 8/29/1994, was the first death I experienced in life. I just turned 9 years old a month before and my family in Albany, GA were recovering from the 1994 flood from Tropical Storm Alberto. My hometown of Dawson, GA only experienced heavy rainfall and minor flooding in areas close to bodies of water. It was my mother's 34th birthday and I still remember playing with my older sis (12 years old at the time) when the doorbell rang. It was our grandfather, my mother's father at the door letting her know that my grandmother passed. My mom was in disbelief because we had just visited her days before and she was recovering from surgery where a blood clot was removed due to head trauma from a previous car accident. She was coherent at the time, talking as usual. I still remember her showing us her beautiful red hair in a ziplock bag (she had a scarf on). We learned that she suffered a stroke which led to her sudden death at 50, a month shy of her 51st birthday. My mom comes in to tell us that grandmother passed and we were both shocked. I don't even remember crying at the mention of her death. I remember my mother telling our father she passed when he came home from work. There was a silence between my sister and we later met our family at the hospital and that's when my mother broke down and cried and then I started crying. That moment may have been the last memory of my mother crying. My mother was never the same after that and at that moment and every year around my mother's birthday, it was a dismal time of celebrating life while also honoring the memory of a loved one. I felt weird telling my mother "Happy birthday" but she understood my heart and through the years, I learned ways to honor her without it being weird. When she turned 50, I made sure it was extra special by gifting her favorite Gospel artists' albums that she once had on cassettes with the ones on CD with additional titles added. As time went on, simple prayers and cards were my tokens of celebration that she appreciated. During COVID in 2020, I surprised my mother for her 60th birthday. Despite the circumstances at the time, I made sure to be intentional. It was a blessing to have made those memories. A memory of my grandmother that sticks out to me is when my Dad had car trouble while we were in school. I remembered my mom calling grandma to come and take all of us to Albany so he could see what was happening with the car. My grandma had a white car but that particular moment, she came in her friend's gray Camaro which resembled my Father's car. After the car was situated, I remembered all of us grabbing a chicken family pack from Hardee’s (chicken, biscuits, and sides) and we came back to the house. Grandma talked with us for awhile and then she headed back home.  Everytime we went shopping in Albany, we always made a point to see grandma. With all the pictures I've taken with family through the years, I wish that I would have had more photos early on with my grandmother. She was a fashionista, a DV survivor, a woman of God, and just a beautiful person, very reminiscent of the late great Tina Turner. She would have been 81 this year and when I meet women in her age group, I often think of how she would have been had she lived. She left us too soon, but I know she never left our hearts and memories. 

In loving memory of Emma Lee Lowery Mays aka 'Shug', 9/24/1943-8/29/1994.

Lequvia Ousley 

Valentine's Day 2024: A patient, kind, and sweet Love.

2/14/24💝 Valentine's Day was truly patient, kind, and sweet as it began in #Stonecrest with a lovely Service of Love Valentine's Breakfast spread, moments of love, and community hosted by City of Stonecrest Parks & Recreation. It was such an honor to be celebrated and connected with so many residents, businessowners, ministers, and community leaders within Stonecrest! Councilwoman Washington charged us to be a people of love and action everyday. 

Afterwards, I hung out in #Decatur Square leading into the City of Decatur GA- Government evening Valentine's Day Pop-Up, enjoying the music, beautiful weather, scenery, photo ops, roses, and Valentine treats. My heart was full!! It truly was a day of blessings and feeling encouraged, empowered, and engulfed by God's true definition of love!! ❤🫂

See you in the next blog!

Lequvia Ousley 

15th RAMaversary!! 🎓💙💛🐏1️⃣5️⃣

12/13/23 🎓👩‍🎓🎉

Returning home on several occasions this year reminded me of the many reasons to celebr8️⃣ my 'why', a question that was posed months ago by a fellow alum. My response: #AlbanyState was my escape and where I found my tribe. At 2️⃣3️⃣, I gradu8️⃣ted and ended one chapter of my life to start a new chapter, with its highs and lows, ebbs and flows, only God knew, this path He's cre8️⃣ted for me. Thankful for the turbulent wave of beginnings, the good and the bad, the angst, tears, challenges leading me to true blue, golden legacies of inspiration and introspection that are neverending. From 478 College Street to 504 College Drive, I'm 4️⃣ever b7️⃣essed & gr8️⃣ful for what was, is, and continues. 

Thri5️⃣ing on this j0️⃣urney 4️⃣ever!! 

Happy 15th RAMaversary!! 12/13/2008 

#PotentialRealized🌟🙌 #OldASU💙💛🐏 #classof2008   #RecessionGrad🎓👩‍🎓 #year15   #ALBtoATL🦋🌹#FromTC2Destiny🛣

KingdomWriters Annual Afflatus 2023

12/9/23 #KingdomWriters #Afflatus ✍🏾🎙🗣

Not many pictures but to take in the creative expressions, sentiments, and worship was everything. It felt so good to be back at @kingdomwriters #Afflatus, an event I have supported since 2018. Congratulations again and thank you to founder @calebjdeas and fiance' @victoriabethjordan for hosting an amazing event. I wrote a poem during the live writing session and it was a double bonus to share that moment with my #Stonecrest neighbors @malaika4stonecrest and hubby Andrew. 

The music of @afrodeitymusic & @calebjdeas inspired my poem: 

My mind is wandering, trying to find my pace, wondering if I'm in place, running this race, day to day. This space, a space of time, a space of rhythm and rhyme. From time to time, these thoughts take hold of me, I'm pleading for peace and a steady stride. The peace of the strings and piano keys, playing away the stress, this immediate press of longing for God's presence in every crevice of the tears, the fears of life. Joy! My soul cries out for this desire! This fire of God's grace and mercy, saturate me, take me to your space, this place of wonder where I don't have to wander or wonder of your Love. This perfect Love, all consuming Love, healing Love, neverending Love. Jesus, my Savior, my Hope, a magnificent Wonder. Thank you! Peace is in you. 

#kingdomwriters #creativity #worship #intellect