On December 13, 2018, I co-authored a blog, “Pieces of Faith…” with my dear amiga, Dr. Lorena Gutierrez. I described a jigsaw puzzle praxis I’ve been cultivating since 2016, when Cherene first became ill. More specifically, I wrote the following:

“I went to the store and purchased a challenging 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle… Putting the puzzle together facilitated much-needed spiritual, personal, and professional healing, which I eventually learned as I journaled and took progress photos…

I came to see my journey through academia through the lens of the jigsaw puzzle I was trying to assemble. Like all jigsaw puzzles, it had a picture (vision) on the box. I quickly created the perimeter of the vision without much guidance. The puzzle framework forced me to keep the remaining pieces in perspective. I had a vision of the type of educator, researcher, and community contributor (familial, spiritual, and professional) I wanted to be.

Next, I separated the remaining pieces into piles by their color. At times I struggled to understand how the pieces — which had come to represent my life experiences — fit together. Though I intensely studied the vision, and I had all the puzzle pieces in front of me, it still took me nearly four weeks to complete the puzzle. I was learning to be patient, kind, and forgiving with myself…

When I struggled, I only saw the unfinished piles of pieces and not the larger vision my Creator has for me. Completing the puzzle helped me to identify how the pieces of my life fit together… I have “urgent clarity” in my daily priorities and relationships as a Black woman, leader, and academic. This deepened vision allows me to operate more effectively in my family, community, and academic field.”

Everyone who has been to my campus offices or homes in Chicago, IL, or Athens, GA, and now in CT have seen my many puzzles and heard how jigsaw puzzling praxis supports me in working through my grief. Several of you have gifted me with puzzles over the years. Thank you! ❤️

In 2023, on Cherene’s 48th birthday, I’m reminded… “Pieces of Faith” is dedicated to the life and legacy of Cherene Everett — a woman, daughter, sister, and mother whose faith courageously outweighed her fears. She exemplified a full, fun, and spirit-filled life. We share pieces of our faith in her honor as we attempt to make sense of her physical absence in our lives.