Here, There, and Somewhere

March 29, 2019Leave a comment

I may not have blogged too much in 2018, but I definitely took plenty of trips! I scrolled through my old photos this week and was quickly reminded that I didn’t sit still. I remember having a conversation with someone about my desire to travel internationally in 2019 (already done, so stay tuned!) since I didn’t at all last year. While I do enjoy globetrotting to other continents, my domestic trips are never without some level of allure. And judging by the hundreds of photos in my digital collection of landmarks, food, scenery, and people I love, last year’s travels are worth chronicling. Notable highlights included:

Getting a henna tattoo and enjoying a live belly dancing show during a Moroccan dinner at Epcot;
Snuggly CNN time with my cute godbaby genius, because cartoons don’t keep his attention;
Beignets, étouffée, and po’ boys…enough said! My bayou adventures are never without all of my Creole faves;
A random outing on the Chesapeake Bay for crab cracking and boat watching with my momma;
Dining underneath the sunset by the beautiful seashore in Puerto Rico and later being mesmerized by the colorful murals throughout the capital city;
Blueberry birthday pie at my home away from home, because cake wasn’t on the menu and peaches were the appetizer;
Getting the scoop on all of the best Mexican eateries in San Antonio from my Uber driver’s well air-conditioned car…because Texas…in the summer;
Attending the Sisters of Flora art exhibit with stunning floral paintings by a New Orleans native;
Trying not to break an ankle on the graveled roads and ogling at the calves on the drive to my friend’s farm country wedding in Indiana;
Galavanting around Austin looking for the best spas and BBQ with the one who makes me laugh hysterically and supports my need for delectable foodie finds.

If I gain nothing else by traveling, it’s the pure essence of being comfortable with leaving behind what I know to experience the richness of what I don’t. That’s life. That’s wealth. That’s my happiness.

Birthday rEVOLution

August 12, 2018August 12, 2018Leave a comment

I’m a little over two weeks into what many presume is my “Jesus Year.” While I had never heard of this reference during any of my previous decades on Mother Earth until recently, I did some perusing of online sources to understand the significance. In short, I learned that this is the year when I’m supposed to get serious about life and perhaps experience a spiritual awakening. The connection to Jesus is centered around his age at the time of his crucifixion and ultimately resurrection at what’s believed to have been 33 years old. Now, I could’ve found myself crawling down a hole of additional searches and historical fact checking, but instead I’ve elected to ascribe this reference to our propensity as humans to look for associations and links to everything in order to find meaning. It’s just what we do, and I don’t see it as good or bad. I guess it also further proves that I am much farther removed from the Internet than I thought. *shrug* But, as I think about how another year of life has shaped up for me, I can honestly say that I’m proud. I’ve done much more before 33 than my family probably could’ve imagined. And I’ve definitely had to ascend a few mountains along the way that increased my capacity to breathe, endure, and hold on in what often seemed like an interminable cycle. None of that happens without a progression in maturity, faith, and a comeback!

In today’s age, life can feel so rushed and/or it never seems like you’re doing enough in any aspect. It probably doesn’t help that it has become incredibly easy to hop on the comparison train when our technological capabilities have propelled us into a new era of communication. I will not claim to have figured it all out and done anything perfectly. But, for every opened door and nudge to leap, I know that I’ve done A LOT that has given my life new meaning and certainly required that I step into the challenges of adulthood long before adding the 33rd candle to the cupcakes.

Even though this birthday is now in my rear view, I celebrate every time I had to redefine my attitude, perspective, and plans to become more in tune with myself and acknowledge my need for God. I know that in this year and in those to come, there will be more transitions. My hope is that I will continue to grow through this life with love for myself and the uniqueness of my being for the good of the world we all share. So, here’s to me continuing my revolution!

Mental Mazes

June 13, 2018June 13, 2018Leave a comment

As an accumulator of words, I tend to randomly record my thoughts as I’m moving about and navigating the labyrinth that is the DMV commute. Oddly enough, these colloquies that I have with myself in my head and then jot down in a frenzy to avoid forgetting and to clear some space for more mental capital, will often surface in one of my online repositories at what seems like a very relevant point in time. The story you will read below is an example of one of those moments when the discovery of things I’ve written on the go and the context of a personal experience align and seem appropriate to share. And although this is something that occurred several months ago, it’s still so relevant in light of our current state of affairs surrounding mental health and wholeness.

I saw something on the train this morning that found a cozy seat in my mind for the remainder of the day. As we whizzed past the trees and buildings and I attempted to focus on my morning ritual of reading, I happened to glance up and noticed another young woman reading too. Ok, what’s so surprising about that? Well, she had her e-reader open that was shielding what she was actually reading – a book on depressive illness. I can still see that title in big, blue text with the image of a person holding the world on her back. And in that moment, my world literally stopped because I had so many thoughts swirling. First off, this was the same woman whose curls I had just finished admiring as we climbed the escalator. The curls were poppin’! I remember saying to myself, “I wish my curls were that cute! Go girl!” But, then I started feeling sad and wondering why such a young, beautiful, and Black woman was trying to hide from a train full of strangers that she was reading a book about depression. Now, she could’ve easily been reading it for a class, to help a loved one, or for her professional development. I shall never know. But, I do know that it troubled me that she didn’t feel like she could be free. And then, it was like wow, how many of us are riding into the city every day to do work that we like but aren’t passionate about while also trying to juggle emotional scars, financial woes, racism, and/or relational drama? Or how many of us don’t feel like we quite fit where we thought we would?

Those are heavy questions that are coupled with elaborate situations and complex answers. But, no one should ever feel as though they have to carry it all alone. The load is always lighter when there’s help. I hope that one day we can all experience the freedom of riding through this life with genuine company and some consolation that we are not our insecurities or fears, or the misrepresented labels that others have deemed appropriate for characterizing our being. My hope is that we also figure out how we can freely rise to…reach out to those around us and reach deep within ourselves to embrace our individuality.

We’re All Crazy!

January 5, 20182 Comments

So, let me tell y’all about this thing called love! It’s big. It’s scary. It’s hard. It’s exciting. It’s work. It’s fun. It’s forgiving. It’s work. It’s passionate. It’s breathtaking. It’s kind. And it’s work. Did you get that? It’s work! I think somewhere between a Disney princess story and ratchet reality TV, we’ve embraced an illusion that love is flowers, hearts, name brands, and shiny karats. But, if you’ve ever loved another human being with your whole heart, then you know it’s so much more to it than that. In no way am I suggesting that love doesn’t feel like sunshiny days. It does. And it can certainly produce those butterfly feelings. However, it’s not perfect either. And it’s what? Work!

I’m sure most of us have learned by now that humans are very special creatures. We’re beautiful, but we’re annoying. We’re kind, but we’re stubborn. We’re compromising, but we’re selfish. Basically, we’re all made up of a hell of a lot of contradictions, and that’s why loving each other is hard and somehow in an oddly glamourous way also rewarding. While I’ve yet to understand the complexity and rationale of such a formula, I know that embracing the crazy and unlovable parts of one another is what makes love worthwhile. Because there are going to come times when romance is the center of your desires for the one you love, and then also times when you want to poke your eyes out because this same person has gotten on what you thought was your last nerve! Like can someone pass me a mountain so I can stand on top of it and scream? Woosah. Yet and still you’d rather have them on the mountain next to you so you don’t have to camp out alone under the pitch-black sky.

There will also be times when your love shows up in sacrifice. You’ll watch his favorite sarcastic comedy, wake up early to iron her shirt, double back to the store because you know he ran out of something, eat enchiladas instead of pizza because she loves Mexican, or take a personal day to make him endless cups of tea until he feels better. None of this will ever be about you not being true to yourself or doing things you really don’t want to do. Let’s face it…if you didn’t want to do it, you wouldn’t. It will simply be a small gesture of adoration to say, hey, I see you and in this moment you are greater. Because when you’re comfortable in your own skin and love wholeheartedly, putting someone else before you isn’t a sign of weakness or diminishing of self – it’s a demonstration of humility.

Love is an exquisite form of actively showing, giving, and committing yourself to being the best friend, supporter, and partner you can be. It’s looking at his flaws and still saying, yup, he’s the one. It’s declaring that no matter how she sees herself today, you’ll still think she’s worth it tomorrow. It’s reveling in that state of human contradiction with someone you thought you could live without, but now recognize you’re stronger when you’re together. Love is probably going to be your toughest challenge and your best example of meaningful work. You won’t be able to sit idly by and hope it all comes together. With that posture, it won’t. There are requirements, and one of them is you. That’s part of the reason why “love” is my word of the year, because I want to give more love, receive more love, and watch love manifest into my wildest dreams. So, yes, live in the fairytale and keep chivalry alive, but when the pixie and chariot dust settles, be about the work! Only then will you benefit from love’s magic.

P.S. These words are a representation of my perspective and experiences. I am not and likely will never be a professional love doctor. I’m out here every day trying to balance love with logic and emotion with reality. #thatisall

All the Places a Plane Goes

January 5, 2018Leave a comment

Last year, I crisscrossed the United States more than a few times and traveled overseas. As my Nana would affectionately say, “Girl, you have a lot of miles on your butt!” Much of my travel is attributed to my professional life, but whether I’m learning about new innovations at medical schools or enjoying time off, I look for the small beauties in new places and things. That can be anything from –

Exotic tree branches or flowers that collectively produce fragrant winds or shade under the California sun;
The fullness of the trees along the perimeter of Olympic Park in Georgia;
The perfectly aligned bales of hay along the South Dakotan flatlands;
The trio of sail boats slowly cruising along the river in Wisconsin;
The presence of the sun’s shadow as it radiates among Nevada’s popular skyscraper hotels;
The sensory jolt from the Cajun spice, vibrant jazz tunes, and boisterous locals in Louisiana; or
The smell of bread and pastry dough from Parisian or Italian cafes along narrow cobblestone streets.

I have definitely been fortunate in my ability to move about the world and explore the definition of life through someone else’s eyes. In each of these places, I’ve met enthused, indifferent, lively, subdued, and impolite people. All with a story (perhaps some far too long for my typical abbreviated Uber rides). All with a perspective. And all with a personal connection to the geographic location in which I managed to temporarily house my suitcase and carefully organized work binder and fact books. But, what I take away from all of my recent travels is the greatness of creation – of things to look at, paths to trek, and conversations with other beings. Because life is not about the number of places you can say that you’ve been but the quality of the connections you make to your surroundings. Hats off to a great year of discovery…and food! Phenomenal food!

This is 32.

July 22, 2017January 5, 20181 Comment

I’ve always been tickled and slightly perplexed by the fact that once you surpass 25, the years seem to go by faster! You blink and literally 10 years are on the books and you’re sitting there trying to figure out what happened on all of those days in between! I mean if I can be honest, Jeopardy, Sudoku, and Lumosity are a large part of the reason my memory is still somewhat sharp! However, I’m fortunate in that I can look back on even the last year and be mesmerized by the experiences that have cheered me on, made me cry, accelerated my thinking, granted new opportunities, and doubled my sky miles. There were times when I knew undoubtedly that the only reason why all of my being hadn’t fallen into a sea of despondence was because of grace. I learned how to receive the gift that it is, but more importantly, how to give it when every part of me just wanted to step aside from the palm trees so I could throw some real shade! There were also moments when I’d be in a room full of highly accomplished and financially prosperous people wondering how in the world is there a seat at this table with a perfectly placed name tent in Arial font for ME. Who am I?! You should know that imposter syndrome is a real thing, and it can zap every bit of your happiness about any of what you’ve done that you personally deem successful. And as a Black woman, it’s heavier than any words I could ever formulate into a sentence.

What you’ll likely discover is that one of the best things about life is that so much of it is bigger than you. With everything happening all at once, it’s easy to be overwhelmed, lonely, and feel like you’re living in the twilight zone. But, somehow the universe has a way of helping you to balance the scales and continue to move full throttle toward another day. So, on this birthday, I celebrate the topple and the ascent of who I am as a growing adult and complex human being. While the voyage to whatever adulthood really is can be volatile, I know that it will continue to be one that I pursue with confidence, peace, and that extra dash of splendor as a woman who is proud to be bold, Black, and excelling under the mantle of the Highest angel.

This is 32.

Monday’s Mantra: Live

August 1, 2016August 29, 2016Leave a comment

It has been a while since I posted a mantra for the week, but hopefully you’re following my blog and have seen some of my recent posts on my Inspire page. No days off here. 🙂 This week my encouragement is simple:

Live – let your thoughts and actions be productive and good. It’s very easy to become discouraged or feel depleted when there’s so much going on around us every day. But, like I’ve said on several occasions before, life is really short. Get busy doing what brings you joy, shines some light on the somber places of your soul (and maybe that of others’ too), and what makes you feel like a kid again. Adulthood is taxing and routine. We forget that life is meant to be enjoyed. And although I may not know what “living” means for you, I would guess that it’s something you haven’t been doing. Don’t let the complexities of this life keep you from drawing near to the simplicity and priceless treasure of taking in all there is to your humanness.
Lead – by now, you’ve probably realized that sometimes people will disappoint you. If it hasn’t happened yet, just keep living! Even if it takes everything you’ve got to respond in a way that doesn’t defame them or show your disdain, take the high road. It might not make any sense now, but I promise in the long run it pays to be the compassionate and sensible example. You’re probably the water needed to refresh, renew, and repurpose someone who has never fully seen what leading with love looks like. Be the fountain. Be the spring. Be the reason new and better buds finally blossom.