Rose Spears, 39 years old, is a mother, a nurse, a podcast host/producer of “Ripped, Rattled and Rose” and is now an author of ” Once I Collided with Glory.”
We got a chance to sit down and chat with Rose, about all things that have made her into the woman she is today; appearing to be a bit reluctant and unaware of what she just stepped into as she walked into the empty high-rise building in the middle of downtown Chicago on a cold, rainy day, she sat across from me, poised and prepared. As we get to know Rose through this article and by reading her book, you’ll get why poised, preparedness is her unconscious, or maybe conscious disposition.
Rose, shares that she spends her days as a nephrology nurse and says she learned a lot about herself doing this work because she finds herself having to teach her patients how to take care of themselves physically and emotionally.
There is a pain that goes with discovering your life is going to change forever and Rose is there to walk her patients through the journey. As she took steps with them, she realized that she needed to embark on her journey to heal from past traumas and the vicissitudes of life that left lingering hurt and unresolved affliction.
Rose has been a nephrology nurse for six years. It is an area of nursing that focuses on the kidneys. Before stumbling upon nephrology, she was working for a center that required a 16-hour workday and had little children that participated in sports.
This new area of nursing provided her with the ability to work five days a week, eight-hour work days where she was able to be available to her children. She admitted that she did not know how therapeutic her new role would be. “Like being somebody’s teacher as they are embarking on a quality of life that they didn’t know was gonna to be part of their journey.”
Not only does nephrology nursing provide work-life balance, she gets to teach her patients how to optimize and get the best out of life by not taking on the role of a victim, in turn, she said, “But I didn’t know how {much} they were gonna teach me.”
She finds herself teaching patients with kidney failure how to perform dialysis at home and supporting them emotionally and mentally. She works mostly with black men who are not married and has noticed that those who are married and white are healthier. She emphasizes the importance of partnership and a positive attitude in dealing with illness. She also highlights the challenges faced by caretakers and the need for acknowledgment and support.
Once I Collided with Glory Book Review
“Once I Collided with Glory” is a book about how she navigates the challenges of life, love, and loss as she tries to find her place in the world. The story explores themes of self-discovery, family dynamics, and the complexities of relationships.
The 175-page book is an easy read. Throughout our interview Rose, calls herself a storyteller, we can see that throughout the chapters as she walks us down memory lane of her life, baring chapters of her life experiences that many people withhold and harbor, but she releasing her pains, concerns and finding ways to tell the stories through imagery of her youth, while also telling us what was on her young mind while in the reality of those circumstances.
Allegiance to Mothers
Rose grew up as the middle child in a family of four children, with a mother who worked to support the family and a father who struggled with alcohol and abusive behavior. She experienced anxiety and insomnia from a young age due to her father’s unpredictable mood swings and fits of rage. She also feared for her mother’s safety and took action to protect her. Despite these challenges, Rose was able to keep up with her schoolwork and engage with her peers.
She recalled how she would jump at the first opportunity to secretly call her mother at work and caution her not to come home because it was not safe. On some occasions she, her mom and sister would sleep at a motel, allowing her father some time to sober up. She would think, what if he kills the one adult in this world that loves me?
Rose talks about her relationship with her mom with great pride, acknowledging that sometimes as women our allegiance to our mothers can hinder our own personal growth and development. Acknowledging now as an adult she’s honored her mom in ways that caused her to dishonor her personal feelings, being able to work through that dynamic is difficult, but like many of us women we find ourselves in these moments, learning loyalty in that way is not the healthiest way to relate with our mothers. She says, “Acceptance is the key to all of my problems.”
Relationships Trials
She also journey’s though some of her own relationship pitfalls. Rose throughout the chapters allowed us to imagine her on-and-off relationship with her ex due to his infidelity. While they did have children together, their relationship was toxic and lacked respect. After breaking up, she turned to alcohol and blacked out frequently. During this time, he became estranged from their family for several years.
However, he eventually returned, and they decided to give their relationship another chance. After getting married and having another child, he informed the her that he could not afford to stay home with their daughter. She eventually became sober and found peace, recognizing her own role in the breakdown of their marriage and wishing for a healthier version of him for the sake of their children.
Sibling Safekeeping
Rose shares throughout the book her relationship with her siblings and goes through the ups and downs of what siblinghood entails. Growing up, she and her siblings adhered to the rule of protecting and being there for one another. She took pride in being their mother’s eyes and ears and ensuring the safety of their little sister. Her younger sister has been a lifelong friend and a safe place for emotional security. She talks about admiring their sister’s ability to be diplomatic during times of controversy. She also acted as a self-hired mandated reporter for their brothers due to the lack of supervision and potential danger caused by their choices.
After All, What’s Next for Rose
Rose has been working through many different relationships to unlearn and relearn ways to have fulfilling relationships; her entire life from being a young mother to experiencing marriage, ending in divorces her ability to overcome has been tried, and she’s still here in her right mind as a willing vessel to serve women in teaching them that regardless with God, you can overcome or use her shared experiences to help you avoid some valleys.
She wants her podcast to continue growing and inspiring women to change and challenge themselves. She hopes the book becomes a movie and want to be of service to resilient women who are in pursuit of their purpose. She wants to help women discover themselves and turn their pain into purpose, if they are serious about their mission and do not want people to cycle in poor decisions. She wants to help women sort through their emotions and be there for them if they are ready to hear and receive her advice.
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