Grown doesn't make you an Adult

It seems that our generation has not found the stability in employment as our parents did or when hard times hit we were ill prepared to stand on our own two feet, forcing us to lean back on our parents. What a blessing and a curse. It pains me to ever see my parents hurt or burden because of my poor decisions, or failed planning. My problems are not their problems. If you are blessed enough to have parents that are willing and able to assist you during a hard time, don't forget that you have to hang up your adult card and respect their rules, space and time. Don't become comfortable laying your troubles at their feet, pick up your own shoes. They love us enough to want us to do better, but no one desires to help those that turn a down time into a vacation. If your parents opened their home for you to pull your life back together, please put together an exit plan. While they will be slow to turn you away, trust me they are ready for your grown behind to go. If you are like me and have parents that are blessed to have it, guess what... news flash it doesn't mean they desire to spend it on you. They worked hard and saved long for their money, cars, homes and time. They built their life, its time to build our own. If you live with your parents pay them rent or utilities, cook and clean up after you and them. Just because your drivers license proclaims you are grown, that doesn't make you an adult. Adults figure it out or go without, because it may be hard for you to believe, but our parents don't OWE us a thing. Many of us were afforded great opportunities because the lives of our parents past included large sacrifices to ensure we had the best chance possible, so our Mom skipped the nail salon, wasn't hanging in the club and for sure was not planning a vacation while still living in someone else's home. It is past time to prioritize, because our future should include taking care of our parents. It's our turn to do their job. They taught us well and why not show them now that we can survive, because once they are gone we will have no choice. I have a lot of wrongs to right, my first step is to apologize.

TV Time

Monday nights I have a standing tv date with my daughter. I love watching her snuggled on her side of the couch, while I yarn at her teen shows. Every moment spent with her is worth every second of Pretty Little Liars and The Lying Game, it wasn't so long ago that I tortured my family with my 90210 craze. I've spent years trying to hold onto every moment, wishing I could get a redo in a whole lot of areas. I tried so hard to give her the best. I failed by trial and error, but children don't come with an instruction manual. We go into parenting promising NOT to do all the things we hated about our parents, until we have that light bulb moment that has us calling our parents just to apologize twenty years later. Being a parent doesn't mean we can't take some moments to be a good friend. What I know I've done right by sharing her joy and learning the characters to her favorite tv shows, is that I've always shown her LOVE!

Any Given Sunday

America's favorite sport is in the last quarter of the final game of this season, Superbowl 46 and it no longer matters if your team made it to the dance at this point you had to pick a side. The Superbowl is more than just the game, it's laughing at the commercials, great food and treasured time spent with family and friends. Sunday after Sunday we screamed at the tv and as my daughter likes to remind me, "Mom they can't hear you." What she doesn't know is YES THEY CAN, as millions of us can count on our announcers to give life to our words. When officials cheat or forget to speak, we scream. We talk trash to our love ones who chose the opponents side. We cook the wings and pass the beer as we cheer. What we understand with heart in our hand that on Any Given Sunday it's anybody's game! Congrats New York Giants!!!!

Mind over Matter

Action precede results. Talking about it doesn't get it done; hoping and wishing is just a dream and while I believe prayer works, even the bible says faith without works is dead. Meaning we must DO something about whatever it is we desire to change. A negative relationship does not improve without a positive attitude and believe it or not letting go can be one of the most positive moves you make for you and them. A new job does not normally just fall into your lap without taking the effort to update your resume and dusting off your interview suit. Losing weight will not happen unless you are willing to push away from the table, trade your chilli cheese fritos for Greek yogurt (ok learned that today, lol) and put on your running shoes even if all you are able to do is walk for now. The list could go on to include whatever your current mental challenge may be, but as I lifted that ball with my legs today towards my head, I told myself that it is mind over matter. I had to change my mind about my ability or what I use to think was lack thereof to prove to me that if I took action that I could do it and I DID IT. Just like I do this blog daily regardless of the readership, because in my mind I write for me and if I touch on a subject that speaks to you I'm grateful that sharing helped in some way. The saying goes nothing beats a fail, but a try and that dawn is closest in your darkest hour. The life you desire will not come until you take that first step towards it and once you realize you didn't fall the next step is easier to take. Now go RUN your life, you deserve it and don't let your mind tell you otherwise!!

Better Safe than Sorry

By self admission I'm a little faded off the lemon drop. Thanking God that I made it, but now I'm making the choice to be safe than sorry. Walking sideways through the front door, I need to stop. No cute red dress for show tonight, no meeting you at the club, because my baby is watching me stumble through the door. She is expecting a return home and it wouldn't be cool for her to hear it from a cop, that your mama didn't make it home because of the lemon drop. I've already taken one chance it didn't hurt nobody, but I think I'd rather be safe than sorry, instead of driving drunk to the party. Goodnight!

Karma...wait for it

There is a reason that only God can judge; we would take too much satisfaction if it was left up to us. Well I'll settle for Karma instead; waiting for her to show her pretty little head. Sitting with a smile on my face, as I remember that date not long ago that my fate was of little concern and now here you stand wishing you could bite your tongue instead of fixing your lips to ask me for a helping hand. Familiar with those shoes, what an unpleasant slap when karma catches up to you. You can run, but never can you hide; trust and believe karma will take my side. The wrong you do will come back to you. Just wait for it...

I live black everyday.

Black History month begins today and the world takes special care to recognize the leaders of yesterday for a brief 28 well 29 this year, but for us that live black everyday, we remember always. We coexist in this world that speaks of equality; quick to push us back into reality; when the leader of the free world looked just like me, a shade to dark for them to see. I grew up in an environment in which color we did not see; a gift and a curse. It allowed me to see the beauty of all people, but failed to prepare me for a world so cold. A world that can not see the purple in her ebony skin, or that his paleness is damn near white. Can't you see the yellow in his tone or why they call her red bone? Pretty Brown eyes over there is as carmel as can be, but all you see is black, so you miss the beauty in me.