Today’s my birthday! Yes, you can PayPal me some wine money, okurrr! 🙂
But seriously, for my birthday I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting– mainly about the purpose of life. Like many of us, I am blessed with so many talents and I am definitely grateful for each and every one of them. But one of the things that concerns me the most is, am I doing the work of my god and of the ancestors?
My mother was raised by my great-grandmother who used to clean white people’s houses for a living. Actually, my mother never really had a real Christmas. Usually, her gifts were handed down to her from the white family’s children. Plus, maybe a few gifts sent from her parents in Baltimore. My father’s mother, unfortunately, passed away when I was young– maybe when I was two or three years old.
My mother still tells stories about my great-grandmother’s strength and dedication to the family. Not to mention the way my great-grandmother and her friends would sit around humming. My mother was very impressed by this. She was young and didn’t know quite know what was going on but she liked that they all were in harmony. Since the time of slavery, much our history speaks to us humming and singing as a way of healing, receiving answers from above, and communicating with one another.
I try my best to be a good friend and to be more present and only participate in friendships that represent respect and integrity. I’m not going to lie, this has a serious emotional journey– over my 10 years in New York, I can still remember renting out my apt and sleeping on my hot pink couch with my two Yorkies in order to afford the transition from Fashion to Fitness.
I not only thank God for the work He’s given me but, most importantly, I thank God for the way He stepped in and was there for me in places I didn’t know I would even need him. ??
Self-care looks very different when you’re your way to 40 years old. Here are my tips to keep it grown and sexy:
1. No more meaningless friendships … or relationships for that matter.
2. Enjoy spending time in Buddhist temples or church– any place with divinity.
3. Learn to do things from a place of love with all things, from beginning to end.
Happy birthday to me! 🙂
