There are people who talk, and there are people who do. Aunt Phyllis DID! For the people she loved, she gave, worked, helped, created, cared, researched, went and fought - without second thought and without question. I’m blessed to be one of the people she loved. I’m blessed to have been reassured of that love through her dedicated action for me and my family. She did. ❤️

The two A-’s that resulted in my 3.94 rather than a 4.0 is a fail in my book. The fact that Honor didn’t start talking until after he turned two, although he now has over 70 words and a few 2 word phrases that he uses consistently - fail. The business that is thriving, despite my needing to do tremendously better with marketing - fail. All the times I don’t know all the answers at my brand spanking new job - fail.

By the time I was crawling toward graduation in 2015, the best friends I’d made and I looked around at the freshman and knew without a shadow of a doubt that if we had applied at the same time as them, we would have NEVER received acceptance letters. Northeastern, within a few short years, had made a NAME for itself.

You’re a genius, and that’s no exaggeration of the word. I’m unsure if it’s the dictionary reading, the crossword puzzles or the 100 games of solitaire per day, but whatever it is, it’s real. You are intelligent, masterfully articulate, uncommonly decisive and shamelessly authentic.

I AM GIFTED. I am gifted to do hair. I am gifted to write. EQUALLY. The two don't make sense in my mind, but I am convinced they do not have to. God has a plan for my gifts, He wouldn't have trusted them both with me otherwise. It's not easy and I promise I am confused, but I have a sketch of a plan and I am trusting a good, all-knowing God. 

Goal setting and accountability are crucial and two of the most slept on processes of personal development. Forget New Years Resolutions and Birthday Wishes about how your next year is going to be "the greatest of your life because blah and blah and blah." I mean, this is what I am going to do, by this date, these are the steps I am going to take to get it done, I am going to do this daily to make sure my goal is met by my set date and I am going to ask a close friend or family member to make sure I get it done.