The Rearview Mirror: A Distraction

I've waxed poetic these last few days... I blame it on the current administration. But... it matters not. Listen... girl, I KNOW!! I know the weight of the past. It settles on our shoulders like a heavy cloak, woven with threads of hurt, of disappointment, of what could've been. We carry the stories of generations, the echoes of struggles fought, and battles lost. Sometimes, it feels easier to look back, to dwell in the familiar ache, than to face the unknown stretching out before us.

But I’m here to tell you, with a voice seasoned by forty-something years of living and learning, that we can’t afford to stay there. We can’t afford to let the ghosts of yesterday steal our sunshine.

We’ve been through fire, haven’t we? We’ve risen from the ashes, time and time again. We’ve turned pain into power, tears into resilience. And that strength, that undeniable, unwavering strength, is what will carry us forward.

I know, you might be thinking, "But girl, you don't know my story." And you're right, I don't. But I got a story too and I know all too well the feeling of a closed door, the sting of a missed opportunity, the fear of taking a leap of faith. I know the way doubt whispers in your ear, telling you you're not good enough, not strong enough, not worthy enough, not cute enough, not rich enough, not small enough... just not enough.

But that's a lie. A bald-faced, ugly lie.

You are a force of nature. You are a masterpiece in progress. You are a testament to the power of resilience. You are a paper chaser, you got the block on fire, you know what it is, to make something out of nothing. I digress.

But I’m serious when I say it's stop looking back!! Stop chasing the shadow of today. How you wasting today on yesterday?! Look ahead!! It's a whole bible verse on it, but I'm not about to look it up, y'all know what I'm talking about.

I'm not even guaranteeing that it will be easy. There will be stumbles, there will be setbacks. There will be days when you want to crawl back under the covers and hide from the world. Some days you're going to do JUST THAT... cause who going to check you?!! But MOST of the days you're going to rise with the sun!!

Where your crew at?! The men and women who lift you up, who cheer you on, who remind you of your worth, and when opposition comes is the first to yell... well y'all know if you got friends like mine! You will rediscover your passions, the things that set your soul on fire. You will create your own joy, your own peace, your own version of success.

We are not victims of our past. We are architects of our future. Brick by brick, with our own hands we are writing the narrative, claiming our space, and demanding our voices be heard.

So, lift your head, straighten your crown, and walk forward with confidence. The sun is shining, and it's waiting for you.