Gabrielle Union is amazing. Really, she is. I’ve been a fan of her and her work for a long time, and when I learned she had a memoir dropping I was hype. Her collection of stories about her life, We’re Going to Need More Wine has been out for a while and I bought it as soon as it released. Although I've read it cover to cover, I've occasionally dived back into it for some insight from time to time. It's so good. You may want to grab a glass of wine while reading about her interesting, relatable, and incredible life and career. Her stories make you feel like she’s a close girlfriend you’re having an unfiltered girl chat with, which is rare these days since so many people (especially women) claim to be real but are either fake or too afraid to share stories that can help encourage, inspire, and uplift themselves and others. What I admire most about Gabrielle is her candidness and willingness to be upfront, honest, unapologetic, and open about everything from her childhood through adulthood. She shares her experiences with racism, being a child of divorce, racial profiling, colorism, black hair, surviving sexual assault, marriage and divorce, being a stepmother, an advocate and activist, dating and sex, income inequality, breaking barriers in Hollywood, her wins and losses, and even more unbelievably candid thoughts and experiences that have been a part of her journey. If you’re looking for something authentic, funny, inspiring, and encouraging to read, We’re Going to Need More Wine is definitely worth checking out. It’s incredible.
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...