STACY's Space 🌍

Dear Stacy Michele Rahaka Mahiga,

Hello gorgeous. Wow. Can you believe it? 27 years on planet earth. Girl, you are blessed! As you already know, life is a privilege. There were BILLIONS of sperm cells that were competing to make contact with mommy’s ONE chose ovum, and as a result, emerged not just a QUEEN but a real life goddess. Yes. I will not abstain from calling you that, Rahaka, because your name literally translates to “Sun Goddess of Joy”, and it would be a shame to not live up to such a huge…. conquest. I call it a conquest because, Dear Stacy, life is really and truly about JOY. Peace as well. But without joy, there can be no peace. That is a really important lesson that I have come to learn. And it is a lesson that i certainly hope and pray that you NEVER forget.

There have been so many changes in the last 26 years. From the most traumatizing thing that has (and probably ever will happen to you)i.e. ~ losing your mommy at the age of 10 to a malignant brain tumor, and having to watch as the cancer slowly but surely ate at your mother’s most important physiological system; down to having no one after immigrating to America on scholarship and becoming homeless and publically recognized as so by everyone in your vicinity, GIRL. you have OVERCOME every. single. obstacle that has been thrown your way. And most importantly, you have preserved your beautiful smile and CONTAGIOUS joy that your name speaks of, even… scratch that, ESPECIALLY while going through the HARDEST, most challenging circumstances that some people would have never been able to survive.

Your situation has not always been pretty. But your heart has been. And as i write this right now, tears flooding down our eyes as we process the fact that we are celebrating yet another year… I can’t help but be SO GRATEFUL for this gift called LIFE. I thought I was going to lose everything including my own life when my mother died. I genuinely did not believe that i was gonna make it. God knows I didn’t have the hope nor the faith nor the will to continue. But somehow, some way…. I did. And now, here I am. 26 years old… living in a comfortable situation with a job to put food on the table and pay rent; a dream that keeps me going every day and motivates me to continue studying for the MCAT; and most importantly, a heart, story, and resilience that so many people aspire to have, even though they might not always vocalize it.

Stace, I have a few things I want to share with you to keep you going as you CONQUER the year 27. Please keep them near and dear to you, and feel free to always come back to this when you need a reminder that you are beautiful, intelligent, kind, INCREDIBLY HARD WORKING, and… WORTHY OF LOVE AND happiness.

First things first, growing up as a young African girl living in the slums of Nairobi, it came to a huge surprise to most people in your childhood that you picked up the art of the English language so quickly, and even somehow picked up the hobby of playing games such as scrabble on the board before technology had made its way to Kenya. To be honest, even I never imagined that your harbored dreams of mastering the art called the English language would reap so many benefits in the long run. I remember you being made fun of at around 8-9 years old because people thought it was funny that you tried to understand and even emulate the characters we saw on television who, not surprisingly, often spoke in english. But, I loved that even at a young age, and amidst all the noise of the bustling streets and the constant struggle for survival; and especially when your aspirations seemed like a distant star – shining bright but far beyond reach, there was always a spark of ambition that flickered brightly – fueled entirely by a desire to transcend the boundaries of your circumstances, and embrace a world of words and possibilities. This journey of defying expectations and striving for something greater… greater than yourself… greater than the small East African country you called home; greater than everything you had gained and lost combined… all of that, I believe, reflects deeply in the broader theme of how force — both the push of personal effort and the pull of external challenges — can shape and transcend our lives, and our capacity to embrace change. IN OTHER WORDS, STACY, YOU ARE A FORCE OF NATURE. Never forget this.

I’ve noticed that you are studying physics right now for the MCAT, and that you are putting forth a lot of energy in understand the kinematics and dynamics of the force, work, energy, and POWER. I also noticed that, the other day, you started a blog post that accurately described a symbiotic relationship that is incredibly important, but you gave up on it and saved it as a draft because you got overwhelmed and in your head about PERCEPTION; more specifically, how medical schools would perceive you if they came across your very personal blog posts and internet personality. In this abandoned post, you started by saying:

“Harbor, in its literal sense, refers to a sheltered area where ships find refuge from tumultuous seas, providing safety and stability. In its figurative sense, to harbor something means to keep or nurture it internally, whether it’s feelings, ideas, or ambitions. Force, on the other hand, is the push or pull that causes objects to move or change their state, bridging the gap between potential and action. This odd but symbiotic nature of these two words, I have come to understand, is both a physical and metaphorical analogy that can help us navigate the energies and changes in, well, life. Just as a harbor offers safety to ships, embracing the force of our efforts and knowing when to let go can provide us with a stable foundation to truly thrive. By harnessing the power of force and learning to release resistance, we can better manage our personal journeys, finding balance and growth in the face of life’s dynamic challenges.

WOW. GIVE HER A PULITZER, IMMEDIATELY!

No but seriously. that was sooooo well written, and I’m not just saying that because I am you… well, technically the younger version of you since I’m still 26 when this is written. WHYYYYYY, then, if you know how brilliant this was, would you give up on something so magnificent. And something that, furthermore, took you EFFORT. I saw you that day… struggling to come up with the words for this post. But here you are, not even a month later, totally transformed and able to pour into your craft in a creative and imaginative sense… allowing emotions to FLOW in the best ways that you know possible, which is through self-expression, and you are doing it IMMACULATELY, you beautiful goddess. All that being said, I have to keep it real with you. Or, “keep it a buck””, as the millenials say. You have GOT to stop doubting yourself, young Queen. I know it is hard, but life is hard. And you will have a very difficult time navigating this life, if you can’t even trust your gut and believe that you know what is best for you. You were never a quitter. You just lose interest very easily, especially when you feel like the work does not equate the FORCE being used to get to that goal. But listen here Stacy. WORK = FORCE x DISTANCE. This is a veryyyy basic physics equation that you have memorize for the MCAT and that you know is bound to be brought up in that 7.5 hour exam you are taking in less than 20 weeks. In order to achieve WORK, you must multiply FORCE, which on its own is MASS x GRAVITY = FORCE, by DISTANCE, which is not to be confused with DISPLACEMENT which is a physics VECTOR. Distance is a scalar quantity. It measures the total distance travelled, no matter in which direction. Displacement is a vector quantity. It is the length measured from the starting point to the finishing point in a straight line. NOTE: A STRAIGHT LINE! This brings me to my second piece of advice as you enter your 27th year on this planet we call Earth: THE DIRECTION YOU TAKE, MATTERS! You cannot travel just any distance, or walk down any path in life, and expect the results of someone who has been walking in a straight line. FORCE always reminds me that MASS i.e. the weight of a task, and gravity – a force that pulls objects with MASS towards one another IN A SPECIFIC DIRECTION – all reflect one thing. That is that you can choose the type of struggle you want to endure, or the type of force you are willing to put forth; but what you choose will ultimately come right back and determine the DISTANCE and direction that your WORK will reward your efforts. Because again, Work = Force x Distance.

Graduating college felt like crossing a finish line after a marathon. Years of exams, late-night study sessions, and the relentless pursuit of goals all culminated in that moment of walking across the stage. It was the BEST day of our life. I think graduation was a really great day for me because I FINALLY had something physically and metaphysically tangible to PROVE that I had been working hard for the past 4+ years in school, and throughout my entire life to get to that point. I had a plan, a roadmap for my future: earn the degree, secure the dream job, and step smoothly into the next chapter of “adulthood.” Of course, life had other plans. As the saying goes, the best way to make god laugh, is to make plans. BUT I cannot say that I am unhappy with the way things turned out. I am still chasing the dream of using my talents to help people wherever they are in life and whenever I can; i am working a full time job that pays the bills; and even though I have no social life and spend about 1.5 hours in the gym every day when I’m not working, studying or sleeping, my dream is still centered on something i wanted to pursue since I was 10 years old after I lost my mother to glioblastome, and that, I must admit, is indeed a dream of its own coming true!

That being said, Rahaka, I will impart you with my last piece of wisdom:

Force, both literal and metaphorical, is a concept that underpins much of our journey. In physics, force is any push or pull that causes change. It’s what makes objects move, stop, or change direction. In life, force represents the effort and energy we apply to our goals and challenges. Just as in physics, where force is the link between potential and kinetic energy, in our personal lives, force drives our energy toward action and transformation. After you graduated in May 2024 and started working as an ENT scribe not even a month later, I was worried that you would run out of fuel, as bouncing back from the news that you were not accepted into your top choice post-bacc program hit you HARD as nails, and this quick transition was a step I hadn’t anticipated. However, now, as you are working every day in real-time within the medical field – gaining insight, speed and literal real life experience in how the field of medicine truly functions, you have offered me a new perspective on life, Queen. From you, I have learned a lesson in patience, resilience, and the application of energy in navigating real-world challenges. The way you bounce back and recover after each set back, is truly an art that should be studied.

NEVER. EVER. LOSE. THAT. RESILIENCE.

Embracing resistance and learning when to let go and let god has became a crucial foundation in this post-grad phase. The pressure to forge ahead, meet expectations, and achieve milestones in undergrad was intense. Yet, I have learned from watching (and being) you that applying force isn’t always about pushing harder. Sometimes, it’s about finding the right balance and knowing when to ease up. In the context of OUR journey, force – before i gained a true understanding of its function in physics, meant creating my own routine, setting personal goals, and PUSHING forward really hard despite uncertainties. Balancing a demanding job, MCAT preparations, mental health and personal time has 100% been challenging, but, it has also been empowering. As we approach the BLESSED age of 27 (2+7 = my favorite number #9), I realized that life isn’t about having everything figured out immediately; it’s about embracing the twists and turns and trusting that each step, even the missteps, contributes to the journey, and NOT just pushing all the time, but also learning when to PULL into myself. The path forward is rarely linear. Plans shift, opportunities arise unexpectedly, and sometimes, it’s okay not to have everything mapped out. But that is exactly why The force you apply to your goals, the energy you invest in overcoming challenges, and the wisdom to let go when necessary all shape your journey, is based on DISTANCE… not DISPLACEMENT. So while it’s crucial to understand this concept, it’s also vital to be kind, gentle and graceful with yourself, and to know that you are allowed to shift gears and directions if necessary, as long as you NEVER. GIVE. UP Force is not just a physical concept; it’s a reflection of how we engage with the world and ourselves. Understanding its role in our lives — from the energy we invest in our ambitions to the moments when we need to release control — helps us navigate the complexities of our personal journeys. Next time you’re faced with resistance or uncertainty, remember that embracing force and knowing when to let go can lead to growth, discovery, and unexpected rewards.

I love you Queen. Happy birthday, Stacy Rahaka.

Love,

Stacy Rahaka 😉