From the Founder is a personal reflection from Jonathan Anthony Burkett, author, songwriter and founder of Upstormed.
People sometimes ask me why a magazine about families. It is a fair question. If you have read my memoir, Neglected But Undefeated: The Life Of A Boy Who Never Knew A Mother’s Love, you know that family was not always a safe word for me.
So let me tell you why, of all the things I could build, I chose to build something for families.
I remember what family can be
My earliest years were happy ones. I spent them with my grandparents in Jamaica, and I still carry that warmth with me. Those years taught me what a home is supposed to feel like: safe, loving, full of faith.
When I was six, I moved back to the United States to live with my mother. The years that followed were very different. I have written about them in my book, and I will not repeat the hard details here. By fourteen I was homeless. Later, in 2005, I faced brain surgery for a disorder that caused seizures. By God’s grace, it was successful.
I share this not so you will feel sorry for me, but so you will understand something. I have seen both sides of family. I know what it is when home is a shelter, and I know what it is when home is the storm. And I believe with my whole heart that God wants to set lonely people in loving families.
“God setteth the solitary in families:”
Psalm 68:6 (KJV)
Family is something we build
Here is what my life has taught me: family is not only something you are born into. It is something you build, day by day, with forgiveness, patience and faith.
For me, building started with forgiveness. Through faith and writing, I forgave my mother. That was not easy, and it did not happen overnight. But forgiveness broke a chain that could have bound me for the rest of my life. It freed me to build something new instead of carrying something old.
That is the heart of Upstormed. The name comes from a simple idea: the storms do not get the final word. We rise up through them. Our brand line says it best: Through every storm, we rise together. Together is the key word. Nobody rises alone.
Why a magazine?
I am a writer. Words are how I found my way through the dark. Writing helped me make sense of pain, and reading other people’s stories reminded me I was not the only one.
I wanted Upstormed Family Magazine to be that for you. Every day we share stories of real people who rose through hard times, practical help for your home and your health, good news from around the world, and the promises of God’s Word. Some days you will find a parenting tip. Some days a history lesson. Every day, I hope, you will find a reason to keep going.
What I hope you take from this
- If your family is hurting, healing is possible. It may start with one honest conversation or one small act of forgiveness.
- If you never had the family you needed, you can still become the family someone else needs. Be the grandparent, the mentor or the friend.
- If you are in the storm right now, hold on. Faith is why I made it through, and I believe it can carry you too.
People who meet me today see an author, a songwriter and a business owner. But as I wrote in my memoir:
“You know my name, not my story. You’ve heard what I’ve done, but not what I’ve been through.”
Jonathan Anthony Burkett, Neglected But Undefeated
Every family has a story too. Thank you for letting us be part of yours. Welcome to the family.
What does “family” mean to you, and who has been family to you when you needed it most? I would love to read your answers in the comments.
Learn more about Jonathan at www.jonathanburkett.com
Follow Jonathan on Instagram and Facebook.
Sources: Jonathan Anthony Burkett, Neglected But Undefeated (published facts only); Goodreads, Jonathan Anthony Burkett quotes; King James Bible, Psalm 68:6.
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