IN MEMORY OF MS. BEE
I am Kinyatta E. Gray, the only child of the late and extraordinary Ms. Beverly E. Carroll, affectionately known as “Miss Bee.”
On October 21, 2018, my world came to a sudden and devastating halt when my mother unexpectedly passed away. It took every ounce of strength in my bee-loved heart not to leave this earth with her—because when she transitioned, my soul shattered into pieces.
This space, this website, is my tribute to her legacy, a living heartfelt hive of resources and love for those who have lost their mothers. I stand by this truth: the deeper the love, the deeper the grief. No one has the right to tell you how to grieve or how long to carry the weight of your loss.
My mom was not just my mother. She was my sister in spirit, my best friend in the world, my confidante, and my fiercest protector. Losing her felt like losing my entire hive—the person who had my back in every way possible.
Miss Bee was a writer, a singer, and a cherished light in the lives of so many who knew her. She embodied compassion, warmth, sincerity, and a heart big enough to touch all who crossed her path. To know her was to feel love itself.
I wrote my very first book, 30 Days, as an act of love—to honor her dream of becoming a published author. She didn’t get the chance to hold her own book in her hands, but I took her vision the rest of the way and became a published author for her.
I have honored her in countless ways, all born from my bee-utiful love for her:
Writing my bestselling grief journal I Miss You, which has touched the lives of thousands.
Founding The Heart of Miss Bee, Inc., a resource and support network for grieving women.
Planting a memorial tree in her honor at THEARC in Washington, DC.
Sharing her story and my own journey to keep her memory alive.
And as a final act of love, through Ancestry DNA, I discovered her biological relatives—something she yearned for her entire life but never had the chance to uncover before her passing. I found the truth she spent her life searching for, and while it’s bittersweet that she couldn’t know it in this life, I carry this knowledge as a gift to her spirit.
I will never stop honoring her. Because to stop talking about her, remembering her laughter, and reflecting on her essence would be to let her fade away—and I won’t allow that. Her spirit, like all the love she poured into me, lives on forever in my heart.
If you find yourself here grieving, my hope is that my journey inspires you to find meaningful ways to honor your loved one, too. Remember this: you may have to let go of their physical presence, but you don’t ever have to let go of their spirit.
With the highest love and the brightest light,
Kinyatta E. Gray
Founder of The Heart of Miss Bee, Inc.