Birthday Week Celebrations

Good friends are hard to find. Once you realize this, you cherish what you have. The friend I have was heaven-sent. There was a time in my life as a young wife and mother when I felt and was incredibly lonely. I was learning who I was while trying to figure out the never-ending cycle of tasks raising little humans. I was glad my husband was there, but I needed more. 

I needed someone who really understood me (in a different way). Who understood the craziness of motherhood and the isolation that sometimes

Sometimes Maybe Always

Sometimes and maybe indicate uncertainty. Occasionally, but only some of the time. There are more definitive paths. That there may be other options. A mere possibility or probability.

However, always means every time, on every occasion, without exception.

When we read the stories in the Bible, though definitive in their telling, they are often infused with a sense of sometimes maybe in their application.

Everything is All Right

Have you prayed so long for something, finally received it in a way you didn't expect, and after a time, the answered prayer is a disappointment? 

Your dream job finally appears after much prayer and effort on your part. Things are going well; you're learning new things, and you have a great rapport with your coworkers. You start to breathe. You've made it past the first year, but now there are rumors of layoffs. Typically you'd ignore these but see your coworkers falling left and right. Then one day, it's your turn.

Or you've just moved and met the friend you hoped for. You've spent significant time in prayer about this friendship. Things go smoothly until you hit a road bump - this relationship looks pretty one-sided. You're unable to salvage the relationship, so now you're friendless (again).

Coaching is not Optional

Tennis is an individual sport where the players' moves and cunning are displayed for their opponents and the fans. Though tennis players have coaches, until recently, a player could not be coached during a game. There have been many instances where a player appears floundering and looks up to the coach's box while the coach remains stone-faced; if a player was caught receiving coaching during a game, it was a violation, affecting the score.

I'm watching Wimbledon, one of the four Grand Slams in tennis. It's unreal and a bit voyeuristic to see a player come undone without input from his coach. Even in other individual sports, such as track and field, the runner can receive guidance from his coach. So what made tennis so special? It was simply a matter of tradition.

I've Been Thinking - Part 1

I started writing this post approximately two years ago. I've never shared anything this personal but now feels like a good time to do so. I don't know when Part 2 will be published.

I became a Christian at the age of eight. It was during our church's annual crusade. One particular night the words of Pastor Tom Roberts pricked my heart. At the end of the crusade, all who made a decision to follow Christ were baptized at a local beach. To this day, I still remember being at the beach (I assumed my parents took me) and being baptized. I remember feeling like a "new" person, if that is possible for an 8-year-old. But more than that, I remember the next day at school, a classmate

Current Happenings

I'm moving.

It's a big move from the West Coast to the East Coast.

It's an "it's about doggone time" move; the West Coast never felt like home.

It's been chaotically peaceful. Lots of moving parts, but yet everything moved like a well-oiled machine. I'm smart, and so is my husband, but we're not THAT smart. I attribute the peace to God.

Moving is emotional. I lived in my house for 16 years. Every piece of paper, every knick-knack, every stain has a memory associated with it. My brain naturally goes back to those memories. The sad ones seem to have more staying power, but the joyous ones are a reminder that life goes on.

I've moved.

Rights, Responsibilities, and Privileges

I love Pomp and Circumstance; I love Commencement. The end of one chapter and the beginning of another.

As a parent, I've attended my share of these, and each one is special. We celebrate each other by acknowledging our student's achievements combined with heightened expectations.

As degrees are conferred, we often hear that in addition to that degree, the graduate is now granted all the rights, responsibilities, and privileges that come with their degree. I heard this phrase repeatedly uttered at a college graduation I attended. Repetition, among other things, signals emphasis; it was as if the school administrators wanted each graduate to leave that ceremony with the tangible and intangible benefits of graduating (just in case they don't hear this message enough). 

As a graduate, there is an unspoken agreement that you can

I'll Never Tire of Mother's Day

Some people have a love-hate relationship with Mother's Day. I'm not one of those people; I absolutely love the day.

Motherhood is no easy task, and anything we do to celebrate mothers is worthwhile. Now I'm not saying go out and spend money you don't have, but if a day forces you to acknowledge what you can be doing often, then it's worthwhile.

And I know some don't have the best relationship with their mothers; I know all mothers aren't saints or well-meaning. I know motherhood might have been a surprise for some, and they didn't handle it well. I know some mothers never treated their offspring kindly. This is the complexity of human nature that we all wrestle with.

I had no aspirations of being a mother, yet I became one four times over. For me, motherhood forced me to grow; to view life differently through the lens of a child at various stages. Motherhood empowered me; it made me realize that I could do things differently, especially if I didn't like the way things were done to me and how they made me feel. Motherhood made me smarter; I learned to listen to my children recognizing there is lots of wisdom in the mouth of babes. Motherhood gave me discernment forcing me to do what's best for me and mine. Motherhood humbled me; I know nothing, yet these little ones are looking at me like I must know everything. And though I never planned on it, motherhood taught me sacrifice. I've sacrificed goals and possessions in the name of putting others needs before mine. I didn't even know I could do this, but I did it over and over again. One last thing - motherhood made me realize I'm multifaceted. I can do many things, including being a mom. Motherhood is not the be all and end-all that we sometimes make it out to be.

I think humans are wired for acknowledgement and affirmation. This day was initially created to honor the sacrifices mothers make for their children. When we honor another person, we are showing that their efforts are not in vain and they are not taken for granted. It's very easy to take people for granted, even if you never intended to. Everyone needs a pat on the back, if only for a day.

I hope you'll make the best of the day regardless of your situation. Enjoy the day and the weekend.

--Nylse

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How Not To Worry

Resurrection week is over, and now we're dealing with the aftermath. We all have to get on with our lives and figure out how this monumental event impacts our daily lives. 

Resurrection impacts our lives in more ways than we can imagine; for the hopeless, it provides hope. For those experiencing anxiety, it can calm them.  

In this story, place yourself in it as you do your daily walk, where you are mulling over what just happened. 

Holy Week - It's All About Love

Source: ImageBank

This week is considered Holy Week. Do not take this for granted, for they are many who still do not realize the significance of this week and the actual events that transpired. I'll never forget the time at work when I told one of my employees about Good Friday. He was not familiar with the term and the meaning of the day. Back then, I felt nervous about sharing, but I shared anyway.

Here's a summary of what transpired this week:

Sunday - Jesus' Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Jesus' triumphal entry is recorded in Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-44, and John 12:12-19.

Provision and Picky Eaters

My mom always said I was scornful. (She had a way with words; scornful was a fancier term for saying I was picky). It wasn't "have it your way at our house"; whatever she made for dinner was what we ate. 

I always despised discernible fat on meat; if I could see it, I wasn't eating it. Growing up,  a cut of beef called salt beef was popular for a while. It was flavorful but lined with fat. Never touched it, or I tried unsuccessfully to remove the fat. Then

Extremely Blessed

I participated in a conversation recently where someone said, "we are extremely blessed." That phrase got me thinking as I sometimes think we equate blessing with financial prosperity or being able to do whatever we want, synonymous with living the good life. We equate blessing with pleasure.

The person who mentioned being extremely blessed by all outward appearances did not appear that way. He wasn't flashy, didn't own a big house,

Connections

"Connection is why we're here; it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives. The power that connection holds in our lives was confirmed when the main concern about connection emerged as the fear of disconnection; the fear that something we have done or failed to do, something about who we are or where we come from, has made us unlovable and unworthy of connection." Brene Brown, from her book Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

In Honor of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King

As a young Afro-Carribean family living in America, we wanted to ensure our children knew who they were. One of the things that connected my husband and I was our knowledge of Black History and wanting our children to have better experiences than we had. We didn't want them to be judged by the color of their skin. 

We knew what it was like to navigate life as a Black person. We embraced who we are and wanted the same for our children. We never wanted them to feel less than others because of their skin color. We wanted them to walk through this world with confidence. On one of our many trips to Atlanta, we visited the King Center, which honors the life of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King. I soon became aware of his writing A Letter from a Birmingham Jail. At the time, it was a small book in the bookstore, but I remember my husband grabbing it, saying it was essential reading.

From the Birmingham jail, where he was imprisoned as a

What a Year; A Year of Questions

There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” ~Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God."

2022 asked many questions to which I'm still searching for answers.

I think it's good to question because it forces us to dig deeper, become more self-aware, and ultimately become more courageous as we answer those questions. I questioned myself, my circumstances, friendships, and relationships. I even directed some of these questions to  God, which was not an exercise in futility. I was pointed to Him and His word for answers. About answers - they're still showing up.