Back to School, Back to Healing

Content note: This post includes mentions of children and parenting after infertility.

At a glance
We are launching Oshun Griot Healing Boxes, infertility gift boxes and care packages for people of color. Each one offers small comforts to meet you where you are in the journey.
Join the waitlist today! Pre-orders open September 30

The Numbers That Hit Hard

The CDC's latest report hit me hard. Birth rates are down across the board, but for Black women they dropped the fastest. In just one year, births to Black women fell 4 percent. That's the steepest decline of any group.

And on top of that, nearly 300,000 Black women lost their jobs between February and April. Think about that. It's insane. It means too many Black women aren't able to live out their dreams - Black women like me. I feel lucky but so sad. We aren't just struggling to build families. We aren't even getting the chance to build the lives we want.

These numbers aren't just stats to me. They sit heavy. They bring up all the layers we carry. The way in so many of our families, having children is about legacy, about holding things together. The way we're told to be strong, to keep moving, to swallow the tears. Black women, Latinas, Asian women - so many of us don't get the space to fall apart the way others do. But infertility doesn't care about that. It hurts. And it comes with stigma that makes you feel even more alone.

I know that back to school can be hard even though it's framed as something joyous. I felt all of this on what should have been a happy day - my son George's first day of preschool. After all the shots, the appointments, the years of wondering if I'd ever have a child, I thought I'd only feel joy. But standing there watching him walk into that room, I thought of all the families who want this moment and may never get it. It crushed me because the trauma was still there for me.

While the moms in the chats online were stressing over curriculum and homework for toddlers, I was crying - at how lucky I'd been, but also because of the pain of it all. Because healing from this infertility stuff is hard even on the other side. Sometimes it can feel relentless and I need something to hold on to, to carry me. So I made some cookies, and I felt better. And I realized that helped.

The cookies didn't make the pain go away. But they helped me cope a bit more. Something to do with my hands. Something warm and sweet when everything felt bitter. It reminded me that healing isn't about fixing everything - it's about finding ways to hold yourself through the hard moments.

When George came home, he didn't suddenly know how to read or count. He didn't magically start listening better. But he looked at me with pride and said, "I pulled up my underwear by myself."

And that was it. That was the win. That was everything.

Need something to hold on to?

That is why we created the Oshun Griot Healing Boxes, a reminder that healing can come through care packages made for us, through rituals of self care, and through laughter when you need it most.
Join the waitlist today. Pre-orders open September 30.

Why We're Launching Healing Boxes

That moment made me think about Oshun Griot in a new way. I never set out to sell products. My vision was storytelling. But I realized stories alone aren't enough. People navigating infertility sometimes need something they can touch. Something that says you deserve comfort, you deserve softness, you deserve care.

So today I'm launching the Oshun Griot Healing Boxes, infertility support gifts for people of color. Each one is built for a different part of the journey. The waiting. The grief. The partner who needs tending too. The holidays that can break you wide open.

Inside are simple comforts: tea, candles, journals, body care, tokens of care from Black, Brown, Indigenous and Asian creators. And some holiday humor too - because sometimes laughter is the best medicine when family gatherings get overwhelming. They cost between $79 and $99 plus shipping. They're small, but they mean something.

For detailed contents of each box, visit oshungriot.com/whats-inside.

Holding On, Together

Infertility and reproductive injustice feel too big to solve. But healing starts small. A cup of tea. A page in a journal. A light in the dark. Or the simple act of pulling up your pants and trying again tomorrow.

That is the spirit behind Oshun Griot Healing Boxes, infertility gift boxes made for people of color, reminders that you deserve softness, community, and care.

The waitlist is open now. Pre-orders start September 30th at oshungriot.com.

If you missed it, Oshun Griot was recently featured in Black Enterprise and Essence, please check us out.

Questions? Reach us at [email protected]. And share with someone you know who may need it.

With care,
xxx Reniqua
Founder, Oshun Griot

P.S. Download the Oshun Griot app on iOS or Android for daily affirmations, meditations, expert Q&As, and a community that understands.

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