Thankful.

Thanksgiving is today and I have sooo much to be thankful for!

First and foremost, for God, blessing me everyday.
I may not be where I thought I would be in my career or just in life, but I am thankful to be somewhere!

Oh and to pay Sallie Mae cause she be on me lol

But most importantly for my family. Without family, what do you have?
I love all of my family and trust me, I have a LOT of family.
They are wonderful in so many ways.
I may not talk to everyone everyday, but when I do talk to them, its always special.

I cant forget my friends, who I love and cherish. The people that I can count on when I need them!

Sorors! My lovely sorority of Alpha Kappa Alpha ! I love my sisters, all millions of them lol they are sweet with pink and green. I am thankful to be apart of such an phenomenal organization.

So much, its just amazing.

We may not have everything that we ever wanted, but we have something that we can be thankful for.
It may be just a car or to be able to own your own home, but its something.

God has truly blessed me this year. Even though I had my downs, because I did, I am still thankful to be able to go through it. It has truly made me a better person and I see it everyday.

I am learning so much about myself and what I strive to continue to be. Each day, I want to be better, I don't want to go backwards, I want to keep going forward and being better.

Thank God for that! So, I am truly thankful this Thanksgiving, knowing that I am helping my family and they are helping me grow into the woman that God wants me to be. He lives through us and if we want to see it, we just need to ask. I am thankful to be able to see it everyday. Its getting better and will continue to get better.

Thank you for reading too! 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Working...What's Safer These Days?

As I sit and wonder what my next job will be...I think about how should I play it safe...should I work for a company or for myself?

A lot of people are in the 'entrepreneur world' and are doing a great job at it! Maintaining business and revenue but some are not.

Then I look at my corporate folks. Some are doing a great job at their job and actually like what they do while others hate what they do and only do it for survival reasons.

So, my question comes up again, what's safer these days?
Should we all just stop and work for ourselves or should we stay at our big fortune 500 jobs?

Think about it. If you work for corporate America right now, why?
Is it because of the benefits? The fact that your position gives you status in our oh so great society? Or do you like the perks, those Bulls tickets every now and then.

I mean really, why do we go to work everyday in corporate America when we could work our own hours and operate our own businesses? Is it because we need money to start it? Yeah, so we do need to work in corporate America to get the money, that's understandable, but then if we have it, do we just quit our jobs?

I don't know. I'm just thinking. I'm confused as to what is next in my life. What will I be doing in 5 years. Everyone seems to ask you that when you are interviewing for a position. Next time, when I'm asked that question, I will respond with, "I am going to be blessed and thankful for another 5 years".

That should really make a reaction.

No, but seriously, what's better to work on your own or to work for a company? I'm still trying to weigh the pros and the cons.

Either way you are at risk. You are at risk everyday if you have your own business because you may not get any more business and you are at risk everyday at your job because they could just set up a random lay off (like mine) or they may just shut down the company. 

Who knows.

Anyways, believing that everything will be okay is the first thing. I do believe that God knows what he's doing and I trust him with everything but I be like dang, can I get a hint? PLEASE!

Naw, but thinking about the whole working for yourself or working for a company can be interesting. Either way you could lose or you could win, it just matters if you have passion in what you want to do.

We need jobs. We need to survive and make it. Its just how we are going to do it that will make us better people. We cant settle for less, we have to pride ourselves with knowing that we deserve nothing but the best.

In conclusion, I guess we should really find out what we want do everyday that will make us feel like we are worth it until we retire. Whenever that will be.

Honey Made My Hair Beautiful

As a child, being African American, and having long beautiful yet thick and wavy hair, sometimes, my Mom didn't know what to do with it.

When she spoke to one of her friends about her hair and how it was so long and straight, her friend told her that her mother pressed it. Some of you are thinking, what is pressed hair? Well let me tell you that pressing your hair is done with a hot comb (you know the one Madame CJ Walker created?)

 and it's HOT!

I was always scared of the comb because if you jump of squirm around, it could burn you! So, I tried to sit still...as best as I could lol But the end result was worth it. My hair was so smooth and beautiful and I was in love with it!

                                                                   High School 2004

Being in the beauty shop was an experience for me.

I saw so many women get their hair done and I learned a lot spiritually.

My beautician was known as Honey, by many, I believe it was because of her sweetness towards everyone.

I remember when I used to come into her beauty shop and sit in her chair. She always had a great presence. She was always smiling and playing gospel music in the background. Her demeanor was beyond precious and I never heard her speak negatively. 

I loved the fact that she took the time with my hair, because I have a lot, but I also loved how she was always pleasant and kind.

When she was done with my hair, I would wait on my parents to pick me up and I would watch her closely. If she didn't have a client after me, she would go to her bible and read it.

As a child, I was involved in the church and knew what the bible was but I didn't read it like she did.

For me, watching her read it was inspiring. 

Ms. Honey made me see that as a Christian we have time for God no matter what time of the day it is, or how busy we are. We can take time out for prayer or even read a few verses of a scripture.

I really admired her strength with her views as a Christian woman and being a mother.

I really looked up to Ms. Honey, and after I turned 18 and went off to school, she did my hair before I left,one last time, and told me that she was so proud of me and that she wished me the best. I came back home to see her one day and it was a joyous occasion. Just to see her smile and to tell her how school was, I knew she was proud. 

I remember the last time ran into Ms. Honey, about a year ago.  I saw one of her daughters. She told me that Ms. Honey was in the store and I was too excited. I ran over to see her, and my eyes watered. I didn't like to see her in the state that she was in and she told me not to cry and said "it's okay".

My last memory of Ms. Honey was just like the first time.

On Facebook the other day one of Ms. Honey's daughters posted that she was in a better place.  I couldn't believe it. I was saddened. But, I am happy that she isn't suffering anymore. God is taking care of her better than anyone could.

I will be going to her homecoming this weekend, with sadness and joy in my heart because she lived a good life and she was a sweet, humble, and wonderful woman. 

I will always remember nothing but great memories of her and I know her spirit will live on.

Ms. Honey, thank you for doing my hair as a child until an adult.

You really inspired me to be better. We need more women like you and I thank you for your talent and your strong belief in God. I know he is taking good care of you.

You will be missed, not only by your family or friends, but by your hair pressing children.

We love you Honey, always and forever and I know you're styling angels and smiling down on us.

Another One?

Another young teen shot and dead.
Another young teen shot, dead, and black.
Another young teen, shot, dead, black, and now a female.

You get the picture right? What is really going on?
I am beyond over this.
This young lady was trying to ask for help and in result, she dies?
Why are people acting like this?
Yes, I will admit, when it is late at night and if someone is at my door, I will NOT answer unless I know that someone is coming. I need to protect myself.
But If I hear someone saying they need "HELP", I will let them know I will call 911 for them and reassure them that I will get the help that they need.

Racial profiling has turned out to be the biggest thing of the year I think so far, besides the killing sprees and that fact that everyone can have a gun now.
I think its horrible that more and more young African Americans (black) are getting gunned down because of nonsense!

If someone needs help, just call 911! Were we not taught to call 911 ? But then again if we call 911 the police officers are killing the people the are in need of help, so its like a win lose situation.

Either way, I just hope people wake up and realize that this madness is getting worse.
I pray for the world everyday, I know that my little prayer may not help a lot but its something that I do and to me it makes me feel better than I think about everyone no matter who they are.
We all need to figure out what we are going to do about this madness. Its so depressing to turn on the news and see that another young, black person has been gunned down, by racial profiling.

I pray for the family of Renisha McBride, and that they get the justice that they deserve.