Daughters Collective: The First Note

There are certain moments in life where absence shapes us just as much as presence does. For me, one of those defining absences was my father. I grew up never knowing him, no protective male hand on my shoulder, no male voice reminding me I could be anything I wanted to be.

In fact, the first time I ever saw his face was in his casket. That moment was heavy and a little traumatic, because it wasn’t just about death; it was about realizing I never had the chance to know him while he was alive.

Anyway, I've always had my mom. Her strength, her sacrifices.

For many years, my father's absence carried a silent weight. Then one day, I saw a picture of his face. It held the weight of a thousand questions. Who was he really? Did he ever wonder about me? Would I ever know more than just the contours of a stranger’s photograph?

At 12 years old, I made a choice: I would not let these questions chain me. Instead, I gave myself a new name: Ambi Journey...short for Ambitious Journey. It was a promise to myself that I would not be limited by what I lacked, but would be fueled by what I could create. I would take the void and turn it into a vision.

That choice planted a seed of ambition that has continued to grow.

Not knowing my father didn’t make me small; it made me hungry. It gave me the determination to push further, to dream boldly, and to build a future on my own terms.

This is the heart of Daughters Collective: a space where women who have walked through absence, abandonment, or life’s many trials can come for encouragement. Not pity, not comparison, but genuine strength. We gather here because we know that what could have broken us has instead made us resilient, resourceful, and radiant.

When you carry a story of abandonment, it’s easy to believe life started you off behind the line. But the truth is, those very circumstances can ignite a fire that nothing can put out. Ambition can grow from abandonment. Strength can be born from struggle. And daughters...wherever we come from carry the power to rewrite our stories.

So if you’ve ever felt the sting of being left behind, take heart. You are not broken. You are not lesser. You are part of a collective that turns pain into purpose. Together, we will share, inspire, and uplift one another to keep going, keep building, and keep becoming.

Welcome to Daughters Collective.

If you’d like to dedicate or share a story of your own on how you overcame a challenge, turned pain into purpose, or found strength in unexpected places, send it to me at femmechi@gmail.com.

Your journey may be the encouragement another daughter needs to keep going, and I’d love to feature it here. xoxo

It’s FemmeChi, darling 🎀