Making Waves

One morning, I was approached by two of my brightest work teenagers who wanted my help passing a letter on to a peer one of them had a crush on. These girls were friends filled with joy, anxiousness, and eagerness about this letter making it to the intended recipient. First, can we celebrate the fact that letter writing is still happening? I love that it’s not an extinct practice. As I took in the details shared with me, I thought it was an adorable move, and I couldn’t help but notice how much these girls reminded me of myself when I was navigating my first crushes at their age: excited, awkward, and nervous. Even when my attempts to reach out were almost always unrequited. My work teenager with the crush was on her second letter to a boy who hadn’t responded to the first one she wrote. She’s a bright, beautiful, and kind young woman with a heart of gold, and as much as I was rooting for her, I also felt bad for her. Because as amazing as she is, the guy she likes isn’t interested... ...

The first time I attended a formal event, I felt awkward and underdressed. I also didn’t know which fork I was supposed to eat with (since there was more than one in front of my plate setting). I was in my twenties and had been invited to attend a formal luncheon as an intern with Tidewater Women Magazine. At the time, I didn’t have my email on my phone (and didn’t check my email on my computer before heading out for the day), so when my intern boss told me we’d be attending a luncheon, I showed up in a multi-patterned maxi dress from JC Penney with a pair of ballet flats. This wasn’t a proud fashion moment for me. My boss and the other women at the event were in blazers, stunning business dresses, and nice blouses and heels. While I was embarrassed about not looking as put together as everyone else and barely touched my food (because of the fork incident mentioned above), I was still excited to be in a space with different women I hoped to be like someday. These women were smart, beau...

By the time this is shared, I'll already be 35. While celebrating another year, I've been doing a lot of ruminating on where I'm at as I keep moving forward. And so far, life is going good. This doesn't mean everything's been perfect or that I've dodged challenges, but for the most part, things are good. Outside of the world as we know it moving through a major time of transition and uncertainty, personally, I’m doing well. As past birthdays came and went, I’d typically write and reflect about different things society, family, friends, and haters have suggested “I should” have or be doing by a certain age. However, I thought it’d be cool to share 35 truths I’ve embraced while embracing my 35th year. Here we go. 1) If you like and love your life, it really doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. 2) Everyone’s not going to like you. You’ll live. 3) Some people are jealous of you based on a limited view they have of your life. No one truly “has...

French macarons are one of my favorite treats, so when I learned a cute French-inspired location was in the area, I couldn’t wait to check it out. The moment I stepped into Café Genevieve, a warmth and joy washed over me. I felt as if I’d stepped into an actual French café.  From the cute Eiffel towers, mini pastry-shaped pillows, framed art, and coffee table books, along with the kind and welcoming customer service, I was excited about embracing a new dining experience. It was hard to figure out what I wanted at first, but after gazing at all the options this café had to offer, I ordered a delicious latte and a pack of fresh, colorful, and delectable macarons to take home – which were some of the best ones I’ve ever had. This location is great for a friend date, a solo outing, or just to pop in and treat yourself. If you’re in the Hampton Roads area and looking for a cool spot to visit, check out Café Genevieve and enjoy!

I believe that every woman should have a lingerie drawer. This special drawer should be filled with a variety of personal favorites that make you feel incredible about yourself when you look in the mirror. In my experience, lingerie is a great expression of self-care, especially when it comes to building confidence. I know that lingerie is often associated with how it can make one’s partner feel, but I don’t believe lingerie is just about the male gaze. I believe it’s more so about how it can make a woman feel who chooses to wear it.  As a Christian woman, I struggled (for years) with a lot of shame about my body, expressing my sexuality, and exploring it. I had a lot of unlearning to work through because of some of the controlling and shame-based teachings I was taught in different church communities. During my freshman year of college, I purchased my first thong, and when I came home on spring break, I felt like this was some dirty secret I needed to hide. When my mother did my l...

In the 2017 horror film Get Out , there’s an unforgettable scene when one of the film’s villainous characters, Rose, a young white woman, is seen eating Fruit Loops and drinking a bottle of milk through a straw as she searches the internet for “Top NCAA prospects.” This moment in the film is frightening because the purpose of Rose’s search is to ultimately lure young and unsuspecting Black men to a deadly fate after she begins dating them. If you’ve seen the film, you know how everything ultimately turns out, but if you haven’t, you’ll have a better understanding of the bigger picture.  Recently, college football superstar and future NFL prospect, Travis Hunter, became a source of media scrutiny and controversy regarding his relationship with his fiancée, Leanna Lenee. Much of the criticism was around his fiancée and comments she shared about how she wasn’t initially interested in Travis before they started dating. Additionally, she received backlash regarding the couple’s interact...