The Bachelorette Life: Self-Care

A modern bachelorette should value three things: her mind, body, and spirit. Taking great care of those three things not only brings improvement but can make you feel good and attractive to others. Attraction is an inside job first, and once you do the work, it’s amazing how others start to take notice. I’m always reading, writing, learning new skills, committing to a fitness routine, watching what I eat, and making sure I set aside quiet time with the Lord. Committing to those things on a regular basis isn’t easy but it feels good investing in me. No one will love me the way I do and no one will love you the way you love yourself. Self-care is critical these days, especially in a day and time where so many people, especially women, are putting their self-worth into people and things that will ultimately let them down or worse, not valuing themselves at all. If no one ever tells you, I’m telling you, that you have value. Even if you don’t recognize it, you do. We all do. This year I’ve been intentional about focusing on bettering myself, liking myself, and falling in love with myself. And each time I look in the mirror, pray, finish a workout, face a challenge, come up with a new writing idea, or celebrate a minor or major accomplishment, I fall more in like/love with myself in ways I didn’t imagine. The same can happen for you too. I’m cheering you on. You go, girl. And if you’re single, whether by choice, a breakup, separation, or divorce and especially if you’re a Christian woman navigating your singleness, perhaps you’ll find some inspiration in some of the content below:

The Bachelorette Life

The Bachelorette Life: Bae Watch

The Bachelorette Life: Save-The-Date

The bachelorette life, this summer, and of course God, have been very good to me. I’m the happiest I’ve been in a while and I can’t wait to share more of my journey navigating the bachelorette life with you all. Stay tuned… J

The Day I Became A Kidney Donor

About a year ago, I had a dream my dad wanted to talk to our family about something serious. I wasn’t sure what he wanted to discuss, but I knew it was something I needed to prepare myself for. Around the time after I had this dream, I remember stopping by my parents place and sensing something was going on that they weren’t telling me. I tried to dismiss what I’d been feeling, but I couldn’t shake it. Something serious was happening. As I returned to my home after visiting them one day, I was in my kitchen washing dishes when a heaviness hit my heart like nothing I’d ever felt before. Something’s wrong with dad. That’s what that dream was about. God, what’s going on? As I continued washing dishes, I started crying and praying. Then in mid-spring, my dad held an unexpected family meeting that would change all our lives forever. He hesitated at first, and as his voice started cracking and he started crying, he said, “Well, I wanted to talk to ya’ll to tell you that I have kidney disea...

Thoughts From a Black Educator: Qualified, Credentialed, and Constantly Undermined

I’m a Black educator in my fifth year of teaching middle school English, and in my third as the 8th Grade English PLC (Professional Learning Community) Lead. And while I genuinely enjoy the purposeful work I get to do, seeing the growth of my scholars, and continuing to hone my skills in a content area I’ve loved since I was a little girl, I’ve had to confront some unpleasant experiences in this space. I’d been through much worse when I was an academic advisor at a Christian university. Racism, sexism, harassment, and workplace bullying were sadly norms in that environment. However, some of what I’ve experienced as a Black educator hasn’t been normal … It doesn’t seem normal to be the only Black educator in my department – in a predominantly Black school. One of my Black colleagues once said, “It should look like a Tyler Perry movie in here.” But it doesn’t. It didn’t feel normal being reprimanded in a meeting (during my second year of teaching) by an administrator who went in on...

The Day I Made A Will

When I was a teenager, I remember writing a list of my greatest fears. One of the things I listed was death. Looking back, it was an interesting item to list because inevitably, death is something each of us will face at some point in our lives. Even though it’s no longer a fear of mine, I understand why and how it’s not a comfortable thing for everyone to navigate. But regardless, this past summer I completed a detailed will. I signed it, had witnesses sign it, and got it notarized. As I was getting everything done, one of the witnesses looked at me and said, “You know, it’s just that you’re so young…” I’ve learned that death doesn’t care how young or how old you are. You can be five, fifteen, thirty, or fifty, and it’s still something that happens. Completing my will wasn’t scary. It gave me peace of mind having documentation in place stating my detailed directives and requests. A year ago, I had one of my kidneys removed. It was a surgery that came with risks that were presented cle...

Making Waves