Robin Terry's Blog

Parents all over the country are losing their minds about the upcoming school year. I am one of those parents! It's like we are caught between a rock and a hard place. If we do send our children to school and they contract COVID-19 and God-forbid they get very sick, we would find it hard to forgive ourselves. If we don't send our children to school and pursue virtual learning, but they fall behind, we would be upset. It's in these times of uncertainty that we feel lost and clueless as to what is the right thing to do for our children. Honestly, there is no right or wrong answer in this situation.

"No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling"

Think about the first time you held your sweet baby in your arms. Remember the excitement, the love, and in some cases the fear of having to be responsible for another living soul. It's the scariest yet most rewarding experience one could have. Most parents want to love and protect that baby from the world and everything that can bring harm or pain to the life they are holding, the life they created. Then, a deadly virus like COVID-19 comes along and rocks your world. Uncertainty and fear are everywhere. This virus has jumped from nation to nation and thousands of lives have succumbed to the disease. This virus doesn't care how old you are, or how much money you make, or what color your skin is. It has come to steal your peace, to kill off loved ones, and to destroy lives. That is what we are dealing with today. That is the very thing we want to protect our children from.

I am a healthcare professional (an essential worker) and so is their father. Other parents are teachers, lawyers, cashiers, waiters, waitresses, and even college students. Many of us have young school-age children that are not old enough to stay home alone. Or, if they can stay home alone, we cannot guarantee that they will do the schoolwork they are supposed to do. The very thought of this makes me want to crawl under a rock. When I think about the school year, I feel anxiety and worry rush over me. But, then I begin to think about those promises that The Lord has made. He promised to never leave or forsake me. He promised to be a shield and a fortress for me and my family. That is what I have to trust and believe.

We have so much to consider with the upcoming school year. We not only have to think about whether or not our children will get a quality education this year, but we must also consider their social well-being. We must consider their health. We must consider our work schedules (as if we didn't have to worry about it enough). Above all else, we must consider the risk of exposure of our children to COVID-19.

Psalm 91:9-10 says Because you have made the LORD who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place, No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling (NKJV). Those words are encouraging to me, and I hope they are encouraging to you. If you are in a position where you must send your child to school, consider reciting these verses over and over again until you have them embedded in your memory and heart. At this point, all we can do is give our children the necessary things they need to be safe at school. Let's use wisdom and supply them with a face mask, even if it is not mandated. Let's send them to school with their own supply of hand sanitizer. Let's talk to them about their safety and why it is important for them to try their best to protect themselves. We don't want them living in fear, but we do want them to walk in wisdom. If you are a believer, don't be hesitant to pray over your children every single day. God does see us and listen to our prayers. I have faith that He won't delay in coming to our rescue.

"God is so big and so great that He is a beautiful mystery"

I know that by the time many of you read this message, you'll say, "Why did God allow this to happen in the first place. If He is God, why doesn't He stop bad things from happening?" All I can say to that is, who knows what is on the mind of God? Who can stop Him from doing what He wants to do? Who can force Him to heal the land? Nobody can. We don't have all of the answers. God is so big and so great that He is a beautiful mystery. I encourage you to trust what He is doing. Trust the process. Know that He is ALWAYS there, no matter what. Even if He doesn't do what we think He should, our hope is in Him alone. So hold on and don't let go!

Robin Terry is the author of the bestseller,

I wept last night before I fell asleep. I watched the riots. I read comments on Facebook & Twitter. I was hurt. I was filled with despair. For the life of me, I can't understand why in 2020 we are still dealing with the same issues our ancestors dealt with. We live in a country whose very foundation was built on a system of racism. Racism and hatred are woven into the foundation of these United States of America. Racism and hatred are as bold now as it was back then. We don't see the white hoods, but we do see the white hoods. We don't see the crosses burning, but we do see the crosses burning. We don't see the hidden agendas, but we do see the hidden agendas.

So, I cried until I couldn't cry any more last night. I asked God, "What did black people do so wrong that we deserve to be treated like this? Why is our shade of melanin made to be out as murderers, animals, thieves, thugs, threats, and the like? Why are the blinders on the eyes of so many white Christians who worship and love the same God that we do? They say nothing. They do nothing. Help us! Arise, O God, and help us!" I cried and I prayed. I prayed and I cried last night. Bothered by the state this country is in. Bothered by the state this world is in. This is the world my children are growing up in. This is the world my black sons and daughters are going to fight to survive in. Where is the justice in that? We go to church. We love the Lord. We praise. We worship. We're respectful. We get degrees. We work hard to get everything we've got. And still, it's not good enough. And still, we are treated worse than those with pink melanin. And still, we are looked over for promotions. And still, we are killed while jogging. And still, we are killed while picking up a cell phone. And still, we are killed in a holding cell. And still...

So, yes, I'm angry like so many of my brothers and sisters. Yes, I would love to be out at a protest screaming from the top of my lungs, "Black Lives Matter." But that's not my way. That's the way of some of my brothers and sisters. While you all are on the frontlines of this battle. I'll be behind you praying for your safety. Praying for the kingdom of racism to fall down. Praying for the families and loved ones of so many we have lost to these senseless murderous acts. I understand why you're burning down buildings. I understand why you're setting cars on fire. I understand why you are looting. I understand, but that's not my way. I'll be behind you praying for your safety. Praying for God to come into the hearts of those whose heartbeat is hatred and bigotry. I understand why you hate police officers. I understand why you yell, scream, kick, and curse. But that's not my way. I'll be behind you praying for your safety. Praying for God to dismantle the entire "justice" system to rebuild it on the foundations of JUSTICE and RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Psalms 56: 1-13 HCSB

God, I know you love us all the same, but in times like this, it doesn't feel like it. God, I know vengeance is Yours, but in times like this, I want to take matters into my own hands. God, I know You said You would protect us on every side, but in times like this, where was the protection? God, I know You said You hear us when we cry out, but in times like this, where is Your face? Where are You? I'm trying to see You in this, but I can't find You. As I cried and prayed, I questioned the point of my faith like so many of you. I know it's hard to trust in God and have faith during times like these. But, I pose this question to you. What do you have to lose by still trusting and believing God can and will change things? I am a firm believer, but I have questions like so many of you. However, It's in time like these that you must strengthen your faith and not abandon it. So, God, collect these tears in Your bottle and record them in Your records for I know You are for us.

,4 ,BIBLE VERSES

,Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

,Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

,Matthew 21:21 NKJV

So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done. 

,Romans 8:28 NKJV

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

,1 ,THING TO GROW ON

In the middle of the chaos, when life is messy, when life isn't what you thought it would be, when your parents fail you, when your husband lets you down, when your children are sick, when you lose your job, when you've been diagnosed with an illness, when you can't pay your mortgage, when your child is being bullied at school, when you're struggling with being molested or raped, when you don't have enough money to make ends meet all while facing the everyday ups and downs of life, it is important to hold on to your faith!

You ask, 'what is faith?' The Bible verses above tell us exactly what faith is. It's trusting God even when you can't trace Him. It's believing He will come through for you even when your circumstance wants you to believe otherwise. I'm a witness to the notion that having faith relinquishes your ability to control everything. We all want to have some level of control over what happens in our lives. But what do we do when things happen to us that are beyond our control? This is where that mustard seed faith the Bible talks about must spring forth. The world right now is in a state of chaos and confusion. Sickness is everywhere. Mothers and fathers are losing their jobs, thus causing them to be in anguish over how they will take care of their children and pay their bills. Families are having to bury their loved ones and suffer the grief of not having the love that they lost. There is much sorrow in the land. It's frightening to even think about what tomorrow may bring, which adds worry and anxiety to a life that is supposed to be free of it. How many of us know that worrying won't change a thing? Worrying only adds to the frustration and anguish of uncertainty. 

If there has ever been a time to build your faith; to exercise your faith; to work your faith; the time is now. Right now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not next year. Right now. We must trust that all things work together for our good! Speak and believe what you want to see until you see it! Keep seeking God until you find Him. Keep knocking until the door is opened for you. Don't give up! Believe that God can, that God will, and that God wants to give you the very best because you deserve it!

,1 ,QUESTION FOR YOU
How will you move forward in activating your faith today?

"All the men come in these places And the men are all the same You don't look at their faces And you don't ask their names You don't think of them as human Y...

Rejection in and of itself has a negative effect on the life of any individual who battles with it. What does it mean to reject? To reject is to refuse to accept, to throw back, to refuse to consider, or to spew out. Rejection can leave you feeling heartbroken, unworthy, and defeated. My first experience with rejection was at the tender age of 15. I was rejected by someone I held close to my heart, my father. The thing is, it wasn't anything that he did on purpose. I got pregnant, it broke his heart, and he shut me out; which broke my heart. For a young girl whose first love was her father, it was devastating. Psalms 144:1-2 "May the LORD, my rock, be praised, who trains my hands for battle and my fingers for warfare. He is my faithful love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer. He is my shield, and I take refuge in Him;" (HCSB) My experience with rejection might be completely different from yours. Your experience might have been with a boyfriend, a church, a friend, or even a co-worker. While my father was and still is a part of my life, your father may have been absent or unreliable. The spirit of rejection can attack us at any age at any point in our lives under any circumstance. It can come in the form of unrequited love, gossip, abuse, being pushed away or betrayal. All of these actions by people in our lives can cause us to feel rejected in some shape, form, or fashion. No matter how it comes, it hurts. It somehow changes us because it affects us both mentally and emotionally. Rejection increases feelings of sadness, anxiety, anger, and even depression. One incident can trigger a cascade of emotions that causes an altered perception of self. Another incident can lead to unwise decision-making, which can take a lifetime to get over. If these emotional and mental scars are not unpacked and sorted, it can cause us to project our pain onto others which leads to an unending cycle of counterproductive relationships. Even after all we know about rejection, the question remains, how do we overcome rejection? How do we deal with rejection? How do we move past rejection? ACKNOWLEDGMENT We must first acknowledge our feelings not hide behind them. Acknowledge the hurt and disappointment you feel. Know that it's okay to feel the way that you feel. It's okay to cry. And it's okay to tell the people who caused you to feel rejected how you feel. Many times they don't know unless you tell them. What's worse is that sometimes telling them doesn't make it better when there is no sense of acknowledgment of your hurt. When they don't care, that multiplies the pain you feel. However, when a sincere apology is given, it can aid your healing process. The point is whether or not the other party acknowledges your feelings, don't let that stop you from moving toward healing and embracing the healing process. Where there is healing, there is growth and renewal. Acknowledge what you feel and get to the root of the problem. If you don't get that seed of rejection out of your heart, it will grow and fester into hate. That's not what we want. That's not what God wants for you! PRAYER Psalms 144:1 says God trains our hands for battle. Where is it that we fight our battles? It's in prayer. Prayer is where you begin to fight for your life. Prayer is where you find rest when you're weary. Prayer is where you find comfort when you lack peace. Prayer is where you battle the spirit of rejection. Your pain. Your loneliness. Your anxiety. Your depression. Your hopelessness. I remember when I was trying to figure out how to deal with life, I would ask some of the women at church what to do. They would always say, "Just pray about it." I'd be thinking, "What the hell am I supposed to pray?" I had no idea what to say to God! I'm going to give you a hint...something I wasn't taught back then. It's as simple as laying all of your feelings out there before the Lord. If you're tired, disappointed, angry, fed up, or even upset because you feel like He allowed pain to fall upon you, tell Him that. There's this saying, "To thine own self be true." Yes, be true to yourself, but most importantly, be honest before the Lord. He knows you better than you know yourself anyway. Lay it out there. And then ask Him to come in and do something with it. That healing you need is something only He can do anyway. There are not enough drugs, alcohol, sex, or shopping you can do to take that deeply rooted pain away. Only God can dig it up by the root and dispose of it for you. It's not anything you can do on your own. That seed of rejection grows and then evolves into other emotions and decisions far worse than rejection itself. If you're facing it right now, dealt with it in the past, or watching a loved one go through it, encourage yourself in the Lord and face it head-on. Don't let that seed grow. If you don't believe in prayer, seek out a therapist or someone you can trust to talk to. As always, it is my prayer that you've been blessed by this reading. Let's walk in love and healing together. I love you and God loves you too! Your sister in healing, Robin T. Terry

a teaser...

1/24/1998

Dear Journal,

Yesterday, I lost my virginity and sex was not as good as I thought it was going to be. All I could feel during the entire act was numb. There was no emotion or love felt like the people in the movies. On TV, they made it seem like sex was awesome, and it would be the best experience of my life. I beg to differ; it sucked. My eyes weren’t rolling in the back of my head. I felt no magic, no spark. It didn’t feel good. When Austin was done, I got up and went into the house. Blood was all over my stomach and legs. It was like I was having my period for the last time. I thought I would feel like a woman, but all I feel is shame and disgust with myself. It was nothing like I imagined it would be. Austin got more pleasure out of this horrible experience than I did. I mean, really? I’m so pissed. Not only that, I feel like I disappointed my mom. In the back of mind, she was screaming, “Don’t do it!” Or was it God? Either way, something was trying to keep me from making a mistake. Truth is, I didn’t want to, but Austin kept asking and pushing the issue. He didn’t force me, but he sure as hell got on my nerves about sex until I gave in. At first, he was like, “I wanna fuck you so bad.” When I asked him to repeat himself, he changed his tune and said, “I wanna make love to you. You’re so pure.” I should have known right then what the real deal was, but I stayed in the relationship and kept talking to him even though it made me uncomfortable.

After about a month and a half of him bringing it up, I went along with it. I almost lost my nerve yesterday. Then I asked my sister, Dionne, what I should do. She said, “I don’t know, but if you do, you need to use a condom.” I didn’t have any condoms, and neither did Austin. He said he didn’t want to use one and sex would feel better without it. When I look back on it, that should have been a red flag. How would he know when he had told me that he was still a virgin? Anyway, I agreed; we were both virgins. What’s the worst that could happen?

I went outside in a t-shirt and a pair of panties. It was dark outside so my next-door neighbor Cynthia, who also happens to be my cousin, couldn’t see me. It was between 6:00 and 6:30 in the evening. It was the perfect time; Austin was supposed to pick up Dionne and me to meet our mom at the local Pizza Hut around 7:30. Well, I got into his green mustang. As soon as I got in, he started kissing and licking on me right away. I wanted to take a moment to think, but it was like he knew I would change my mind or something. It was all going along too fast. Before I knew it, he laid me down on the backseat and was bumping and grinding away. He didn’t give my body time to adjust to him. I couldn’t feel much. I just felt pain, and then I was numb. I guess the whole act lasted a few minutes or so. It wasn’t that long.

At fifteen years old, I don’t know what making love is, but I’m almost positive it should be a little slower and more sensual, pleasurable even. He didn’t take his time with me at all. No wonder there was blood everywhere.

Anyway, I pretended to be happy and pleased in his presence, but I was really upset and thinking what the hell did I just do? I felt different, like a piece of me had just gone missing. What was it? Who am I now? Am I the same person? I got out of the car and ran into the house straight to the bathroom to look in the mirror. I looked the same, but I felt strange like something was off. Austin waited outside while I cleaned myself up. I told Dionne about my experience and the blood. All she said was, “I hope you used a condom.” When I was ready, Dionne and I went outside to get in the car to leave. Before going to Pizza Hut, we stopped by JB’s house. He’s one of Austin’s friends that lives on the other side of town. Austin had taken his t-shirt off to clean up the inside of the car while I was in the house because blood had also gotten on the backseat. He asked JB for a hot towel to finish cleaning up what the t-shirt didn’t get. JB immediately knew what had gone down by what he saw. I was completely embarrassed; that wasn’t anything I wanted anyone else to know. When we left there, we drove to Pizza Hut. The ride there was awkward for me. I didn’t have much to say. I was still drowning in my thoughts.

When we walked inside Pizza Hut, Mama was already there. We sat down with her to eat. Some of our friends from school were there, but I went to my mom instead. She kept staring at me like she knew what I had done. Then she said something really weird to me. “You look different. What’s going on?” I wanted to melt into the floor. How could she know?

I glanced up at her and said, “Nothing, just sleepy,” hoping she wouldn’t see through my lie. I knew she knew I was lying because a mother always knows. But she dropped it and changed the subject. Thank the Lord! Now all I can say is Father, please forgive me, and please don’t let me be pregnant. It seemed like all of that blood was a sign. I’m only fifteen, and I don’t want a baby. Amen.

I am the youngest of four children. I have an older brother and two older sisters. I grew up in a town called West Point, MS; the smallest of two larger towns that make up the Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle consists of West Point, Columbus, and Starkville, MS. In small-town West Point during the ‘80s and ‘90s, there were smaller communities where both good and bad news spread quickly. It was a blessing and a curse. As a young child, I heard a lot of things I shouldn’t have heard. I saw a lot of things I wish I had not seen.

For the first nine years of my life, my mother was a single parent. She was in a relationship with my dad, but they weren’t married. My mom had a three-bedroom with one-bathroom apartment she was raising the four of us in. We lived in low-income subsidy housing, in a neighborhood called Dunlap Acres. My sisters and I shared one room. My brother had his room to himself. My mother had the third bedroom. Mama raised all of us to love and care for one another. She always said, “When I’m dead and gone, you’ll only have each other. So, love each other and take care of each other.” Our home was filled with a lot of love. Mama did the best that she could to take care of us. She had incredible strength.

During my early childhood, I watched my mother work to support our family and go to nursing school. She would get up at five o’clock in the morning to go to class. I remember one day when I was maybe seven or eight years old, I saw mama at the kitchen table crying. I went over to comfort her. I wanted to know what was wrong. She told me that her professor failed her. The class was one that she needed to move forward in the program to start clinical training. I felt so bad for her. Although Mama could have quit because she was discouraged, she kept going. She applied to Itawamba Community College in Fulton, MS to start their nursing program. Mama had to commute about an hour to and from class on most days of the week. Mama later graduated with her nursing degree; all while raising four children on her own. That is how I learned what perseverance looked like.

My dad was raised a country boy, turned mechanic, turned carpenter. Daddy worked just as hard as Mama did. He worked while he went to college to help cover his tuition. As my grandmother’s only living son, he made sure grandma had what she needed. He was the man of the house and had been for a long time. Daddy went to college at Mississippi State University. He later got accepted into the University of Mississippi College of Pharmacy. He was as busy as Mama was; he worked on cars, school buses, houses, and various other projects all while attending college. Daddy graduated from pharmacy school in the early ‘90s.

I learned what strength, perseverance, and resilience looked like from both parents. So, failure wasn’t an option for me. I worked hard in school to make good grades. I wanted to be the best student in the class. I was competitive when it came to my grades. It was how my friends and I pushed each other to excel. By the time I got to junior high, I knew I was going to college. I also knew that I wanted to be in healthcare. I was torn between following my dad’s footsteps and going to medical school. Though I noticed boys and wanted to date a little, I was more focused on school and enjoying life.

When I was in eighth grade, Austin wanted to court me, but I wasn’t interested. There was another boy I liked. His name was Alex. I had the biggest crush on Alex. He was so cute with his black wavy hair and smooth brown skin. I didn’t think of any other boys; only Alex. By the time I was allowed to date, the crush I had on Alex was long gone. Eventually, I started dating Austin. My relationship with Austin was one that changed my life as I knew it, forever.

a teaser... 1/24/1998 Dear Journal, Yesterday, I lost my virginity and sex was not as good as I thought it was going to be. All I could feel during the entire act was numb. There was no emotion or love felt like the people on television shows. On TV, they made it seem like sex was awesome, and it would be the best experience of my life. I beg to differ; it sucked. My eyes weren’t rolling in the back of my head. I felt no magic, no spark. It didn’t feel good. When Austin was done, I got up and went into the house. Blood was all over my stomach and legs. It was like I was having my period for the last time. I thought I would feel like a woman, but all I feel is shame and disgust with myself. It was nothing like I imagined it would be. Austin got more pleasure out of this horrible experience than I did. I mean, really? I’m so pissed. Not only that, I feel like I disappointed my mom. In the back of mind, she was screaming, “Don’t do it!” Or was it God? Either way, something was trying to keep me from making a mistake. Truth is, I didn’t want to, but Austin kept asking and pushing the issue. He didn’t force me, but he sure as hell got on my nerves about sex until I gave in. At first, he was like, “I wanna fuck you so bad.” When I asked him to repeat himself, he changed his tune and said, “I wanna make love to you. You’re so pure.” I should have known right then what the real deal was, but I stayed in the relationship and kept talking to him even though it made me uncomfortable. After about a month and a half of him bringing it up, I went along with it. I almost lost my nerve yesterday. Then I asked my sister, Dionne, what I should do. She said, “I don’t know, but if you do, you need to use a condom.” I didn’t have any condoms, and neither did Austin. He said he didn’t want to use one and sex would feel better without it. When I look back on it, that should have been a red flag. How would he know when he had told me that he was still a virgin? Anyway, I agreed; we were both virgins. What’s the worst that could happen? I went outside in a t-shirt and a pair of panties. It was dark outside so my next-door neighbor Cynthia, who also happens to be my cousin, couldn’t see me. It was between 6:00 and 6:30 in the evening. It was the perfect time; Austin was supposed to pick up Dionne and me to meet our mom at the local Pizza Hut around 7:30. Well, I got into his green mustang. As soon as I got in, he started kissing and licking on me right away. I wanted to take a moment to think, but it was like he knew I would change my mind or something. It was all going along too fast. Before I knew it, he laid me down on the backseat and was bumping and grinding away. He didn’t give my body time to adjust to him. I couldn’t feel much. I just felt pain, and then I was numb. I guess the whole act lasted a few minutes or so. It wasn’t that long. At fifteen years old, I don’t know what making love is, but I’m almost positive it should be a little slower and more sensual, pleasurable even. He didn’t take his time with me at all. No wonder there was blood everywhere. Anyway, I pretended to be happy and pleased in his presence, but I was really upset and thinking what the hell did I just do? I felt different, like a piece of me had just gone missing. What was it? Who am I now? Am I the same person? I got out of the car and ran into the house straight to the bathroom to look in the mirror. I looked the same, but I felt strange like something was off. Austin waited outside while I cleaned myself up. I told Dionne about my experience and the blood. All she said was, “I hope you used a condom.” When I was ready, Dionne and I went outside to get in the car to leave. Before going to Pizza Hut, we stopped by JB’s house. He’s one of Austin’s friends that lives on the other side of town. Austin had taken his t-shirt off to clean up the inside of the car while I was in the house because blood had also gotten on the backseat. He asked JB for a hot towel to finish cleaning up what the t-shirt didn’t get. JB immediately knew what had gone down by what he saw. I was completely embarrassed; that wasn’t anything I wanted anyone else to know. When we left there, we drove to Pizza Hut. The ride there was awkward for me. I didn’t have much to say. I was still drowning in my thoughts. When we walked inside Pizza Hut, Mama was already there. We sat down with her to eat. Some of our friends from school were there, but I went to my mom instead. She kept staring at me like she knew what I had done. Then she said something really weird to me. “You look different. What’s going on?” I wanted to melt into the floor. How could she know? I glanced up at her and said, “Nothing, just sleepy,” hoping she wouldn’t see through my lie. I knew she knew I was lying because a mother always knows. But she dropped it and changed the subject. Thank the Lord! Now all I can say is Father, please forgive me, and please don’t let me be pregnant. It seemed like all of that blood was a sign. I’m only fifteen, and I don’t want a baby. Amen. I am the youngest of four children. I have an older brother and two older sisters. I grew up in a town called West Point, MS; the smallest of two larger towns that make up the Golden Triangle. The Golden Triangle consists of West Point, Columbus, and Starkville, MS. In small-town West Point during the ‘80s and ‘90s, there were smaller communities where both good and bad news spread quickly. It was a blessing and a curse. As a young child, I heard a lot of things I shouldn’t have heard. I saw a lot of things I wish I had not seen. For the first nine years of my life, my mother was a single parent. She was in a relationship with my dad, but they weren’t married. My mom had a three-bedroom with one-bathroom apartment she was raising the four of us in. We lived in low-income subsidy housing, in a neighborhood called Dunlap Acres. My sisters and I shared one room. My brother had his room to himself. My mother had the third bedroom. Mama raised all of us to love and care for one another. She always said, “When I’m dead and gone, you’ll only have each other. So, love each other and take care of each other.” Our home was filled with a lot of love. Mama did the best that she could to take care of us. She had incredible strength. During my early childhood, I watched my mother work to support our family and go to nursing school. She would get up at five o’clock in the morning to go to class. I remember one day when I was maybe seven or eight years old, I saw mama at the kitchen table crying. I went over to comfort her. I wanted to know what was wrong. She told me that her professor failed her. The class was one that she needed to move forward in the program to start clinical training. I felt so bad for her. Although Mama could have quit because she was discouraged, she kept going. She applied to Itawamba Community College in Fulton, MS to start their nursing program. Mama had to commute about an hour to and from class on most days of the week. Mama later graduated with her nursing degree; all while raising four children on her own. That is how I learned what perseverance looked like. My dad was raised a country boy, turned mechanic, turned carpenter. Daddy worked just as hard as Mama did. He worked while he went to college to help cover his tuition. As my grandmother’s only living son, he made sure grandma had what she needed. He was the man of the house and had been for a long time. Daddy went to college at Mississippi State University. He later got accepted into the University of Mississippi College of Pharmacy. He was as busy as Mama was; he worked on cars, school buses, houses, and various other projects all while attending college. Daddy graduated from pharmacy school in the early ‘90s. I learned what strength, perseverance, and resilience looked like from both parents. So, failure wasn’t an option for me. I worked hard in school to make good grades. I wanted to be the best student in the class. I was competitive when it came to my grades. It was how my friends and I pushed each other to excel. By the time I got to junior high, I knew I was going to college. I also knew that I wanted to be in healthcare. I was torn between following my dad’s footsteps and going to medical school. Though I noticed boys and wanted to date a little, I was more focused on school and enjoying life. When I was in eighth grade, Austin wanted to court me, but I wasn’t interested. There was another boy I liked. His name was Alex. I had the biggest crush on Alex. He was so cute with his black wavy hair and smooth brown skin. I didn’t think of any other boys; only Alex. By the time I was allowed to date, the crush I had on Alex was long gone. Eventually, I started dating Austin. My relationship with Austin was one that changed my life as I knew it, forever.