Reed’s Reads of Wisdom Wednesdays: She Was Never Meant to Stay Broken

Today is the 26th day of Women’s History Month, a time set aside to honor the power, passion, and purpose of women throughout time. But today, we’re turning our attention not just to the women whose names are etched in stone, but to the quiet fighters—the survivors, the healers, the ones who picked up broken pieces and still chose light. This one’s for the Melanies.

In my novel S.O.L.A.D.™: Soldiers of Light Against Darkness™, Chapter 7—“Memories of the Living Dead”—places readers right in the thick of emotional and supernatural warfare. Amidst the chaos, one woman rises in quiet strength: Melanie. Her fight is personal. Her growth is spiritual. And her power? It’s the kind that comes from healing.

This week, we explore how Melanie’s journey reflects the reality many women face—living with the weight of the past while stepping into a future they were always meant to claim.

Facing the Living Dead: What Trauma Tries to Steal

In Chapter 7, Melanie is surrounded not just by physical enemies, but by symbolic ones: reanimated corpses, plague-ridden figures, the literal embodiment of sickness, sorrow, and destruction. It’s not just a battle of the flesh—it’s a war of the soul.

Those zombies are more than monsters. They represent pain that won’t stay buried, trauma that lingers, grief that’s unhealed, shame that follows like a shadow. It’s a metaphor for every woman who’s ever tried to move on from a moment, only for it to show up in her dreams, in her fears, in her relationships.

But what does Melanie do? She doesn’t freeze. She doesn’t run. She learns to fight. And in that decision, she embodies one of the most powerful truths of womanhood:

"You don’t have to wait until you’re fully healed to be powerful. Sometimes, you heal while you fight."

The Danger of False Narratives: What Fear Whispers

Fear has a script. It says:

You’re too broken to be loved.
You’ll always be damaged.
You’re strong enough to survive, but not to thrive.
What happened to you defines who you are.

In S.O.L.A.D., these lies take shape in the form of destruction, illusions, and spiritual deception. For Melanie, and for so many women today, fear shows up as self-doubt, shame, and silence.

But Chapter 7 reminds us that F.E.A.R. stands for False Evidence Appearing Real. It’s not truth. It’s smoke and mirrors. And Melanie proves that truth is stronger. When she throws purity bombs, when she steps into her power, when she stands beside Angelo™ and Angeline™: the Soldiers of Light Against Darkness™—she is not the same woman she was before.

She’s not pretending to be okay. She’s deciding not to stay broken.

And that’s the key. Women’s history isn’t just a record of accomplishments. It’s a testimony of transformation.

Melanie’s Message: From Scarred to Soaring

Earlier versions of this message might have said: “She lived with her scars.” But that’s not enough. That’s not the whole story. We don’t want women to simply live with their scars. We want them to

heal, overcome, and move forward to accomplish great things.

And Melanie? She does exactly that. She doesn’t wear pain like a badge. She wages war against it.

That’s the energy we’re bringing into Women’s History Month.

We’re celebrating:

The woman who left the toxic job.
The survivor who started her nonprofit.
The mother who chose joy again.
The entrepreneur who built from ashes.
The daughter who forgave.
The sister who spoke up.

And yes…

The Melanie who picked up her purity bomb and fought for her healing.

Scriptures for the Journey

📖 Psalm 147:3 (NKJV) — “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

📖 Isaiah 61:3 (NKJV) — “To give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness…”

📖 Romans 8:37 (NKJV) — “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

📖 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) — “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Real Women. Real Healing. Real Power.

Melanie’s not the only one who’s overcome. Think of these real-life warriors:

Taraji P. Henson, who turned her grief and mental health journey into advocacy.
Michelle Williams, who spoke publicly about depression and healing in the gospel industry.
Gabrielle Union, who transformed personal trauma into a platform for empowerment.
Viola Davis, who once said, “The only thing that separates women of color from anyone else is opportunity.”

These women, like Melanie, chose to heal out loud. And in doing so, they made room for others to rise too.

Affirmation for Today

“She didn’t just survive her past—she healed, rose, and walked into her purpose. Her future wasn’t shaped by her scars, but by her strength to move beyond them.” — Inspired by Melanie, S.O.L.A.D.™ Book I

Encouragement for the Week

To every woman reading this: