Four Years a Mommy

Recently, a close friend found out that they will be a parent. I was so excited I probably talked their ear off about what to do, what not to do, and where to go. I mean because if you didn't know, I am Mommy Queen [This is in fact Sarcasm]. We talked for over an hour and I felt like with each word I was reliving my experience over again. But only the good stuff of course, I mean really it's the only stuff that matters. What really has four years of Mommyhood been like?

Well let me be frank, I wanted a boy! However, a precious little girl was exactly what I needed. She is such the little diva and so much like her mom, nosey and all. For lack of a better way to put it-It's been perfect.

I look at her and I can't believe she's mine. I created this friendly monster.All that I hope for the world, for humanity, it lies in her eyes. She is so caring and gentle. Her heart is pure. One night we were laying in bed and I asked her "What do you what to be when you grow up?" and she looked up at me and said " Whatever you want me to be mommy."
I'm so sappy, that this alone was enough to just completely melt my heart.I hate that she's a people pleaser, so I wanted her to dig deep. To hear about the things that roll around in that little mind of hers.
She looks back at me and says " I want to be a nurse and to help people if they are hurt or if they lose their dog,I will help them find it. I will just do whatever they need me to do."

Okay, cue tears and sappy music now. I was blown completely away. I mean some of the sentence didn't make sense clearly because nurses don't find dogs, but the compassion. It makes being a parent simple when you just naturally have an amazing child. I tell people all the time to be an only child Emsley is so giving and caring that I can hardly stand it.

Alternatively, Emsley is extremely busy! She asks entirely too many questions and she repeats everything. She ALWAYS wants me to play with her. I have to keep her nails done, and her hair up to her standards. I have to fuss with her every morning about what she wants to wear. She has to always be on top of my entire life. She has to lay on me, and sit near me and ALL THINGS MOMMY! But clearly all of the many good things out weigh anything that I could possibly say alternatively

.

Four years a mommy has been really great. I've learned about myself and people and just life in general. I've matured and just really embraced being Emsley's Mommy. I'm sure I have far too many faults to list here, that I should be working on. However, I have a happy, healthy, compassionate, and caring daughter. So, there's not too much more I could really ask for.

XOXO

Graduation Motivation...

Graduation marks a triumphant completion. For me, it marks the end of senseless early mornings and the death of sleepless nights.

I can remember my grandmother taking me shopping to find the most appropriate interview attire to downplay my nicely formed baby bump. I was five months pregnant when I interviewed for a seat in the school of pharmacy’s class of 2016.

What are we doing or giving to make things better? If the answer is “nothing,” then we are failing. The only thing that stands in the way of being is doing. It takes just one step. One foot in front of the other, left foot, right foot repetitiously, enthusiastically and persistently.

This journey was not easy, nor was it glamorous. I’ve been frustrated, overwhelmed and angry. I’ve punched a time clock more than I’ve vacationed. I’ve endured heartbreak and betrayal. I’ve felt like a failure more than I’ve felt affluent.

I was determined to stay the course. Being bold brought me to the occasion, and being humble allowed me to rise to it. I did this for the little girl who calls me “Mommy,” to show her she has a choice and to set the standard, not the exception.

On May 8, I will graduate as Dr. Charity B. Strothers. However that amounts to nothing if my greatest accomplishment serves only to advance myself singularly.

For the person with just as many doubts as dreams, I share this poem:

It Couldn’t be Done

By Edgar Albert Guest

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done

But he with a chuckle replied

That “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be one

Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.

So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin

On his face. If he worried he hid it.

He started to sing as he tackled the thing

That couldn’t be done, and he did it!

Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that;

At least no one ever has done it;”

But he took off his coat and he took off his hat

And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.

With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,

Without any doubting or quiddit,

He started to sing as he tackled the thing

That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,

There are thousands to prophesy failure,

There are thousands to point out to you one by one,

The dangers that wait to assail you.

But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,

Just take off your coat and go to it;

Just start in to sing as you tackle the thing

That “cannot be done,” and you’ll do it.

Oh Sweet Sixteen!

It is 2016, please lets take a moment of celebration [insert celebration] OMG I can not believe that I have made it through 4 years of pharmacy school. I am so thankful and filled with so much emotion. Can I bask for a moment in time? Life has been really crazy. I always stop in with a short nothing to say and promise to come back and really talk about what's been going on with me. But life has just kept me really busy. Since I won't have too much going on I've thought about deleting this blog after school and starting a new one. But, I just can't bring myself to do it.

Emsley is almost FOUR and  almost as tall as ME! Which doesn't say a lot because I'm super short. She is so beautiful and smart. Four entire years and I still haven't gotten my life together. Oh, and I'm still fat! I'm eating as good as ever. Somebody gotta do it.

Graduation is less than an ENTIRE month a way. It's so surreal, I will be a Pharm D. (ehh hmm) a whole doctor. Life has not been easy, ever! But it's been a really good time.

Hopefully graduating will free up some of my time. Probably not, I just swap old goals for new goals. I had a spare moment yesterday and noticed I hadn't posted in nearly 2 years. Unacceptable on my part. This blog means so much to me and no one probably even reads it. If I was on my iphone I would insert one of those little crying side mouth emojis. Humble beginnings, I think this blog was initially started to pass time and make money. Just to confirm I've made no money. I also, think it served to help improve my writing. I've written so many articles. I recently had to write a four page paper for school and was completley full of myself. Like is this a paying job or NAH?

There is always a little something about home. You can never go too far or do too much, that you can't come back home. No matter how long I've been away or how much I've accomplished (or not accomplished) it feels good to come back home and write about life.

Until...

YOLO

2 years have gone by since I officially became the JOVIAL mommy. It hasn't been easy...

Actually it's been frustrating, tiresome, hectic, chaotic, and at times depressing! Parenting doesn't come with a guide, I mean there's people out there that can tell you how they did it, you know books and the like. However, that doesn't mean that you'll like every aspect of how they choose to parent. I think becoming a parent gives you a greater appreciation of your own parents. I mean because really at times it does seem as though the blind are leading the blind.

I always try my best to motivate any and every one, to give life every thing I have, because you only live once. "YOLO"

Having children doesn't mean your life is over and that you'll never be able to accomplish your life's goals and dreams. It just means: it'll get a little harder, take a little longer, mean a little more, make you a little stronger, make you a little tougher, make you mature a little faster, and much more appreciative.

As I mentioned yesterday I feel as though I struggle with staying encouraged. And more than likely that's just the Once Over Achiever in Me! But more important than the latter is encouraging people to stay motivated in becoming successful. And I'm a little biased because, I'm a strong believer in education. I don't think that you can't be seen as intelligent without an education. However, I believe  education is essential to success. Formal Education isn't for everyone, that I can understand. But knowledge doesn't come by way of only formal education. I want, especially young women, to stop settling for "whatever" is out there and to work to get the best that's available! Often times people are in a hurry to have something they over look the grand scheme.

Why is public housing ENOUGH... Why isn't working hard to own your own home the ultimate goal? Why is working your way up to manger instead of owning your own business the dream? And why are we so afraid of working together in fears someone will have more than what we will?

I was looking over my blog, and I was going to delete some posts. I was embarrassed, I felt too emotional, too exposed, too transparent. Who am I to share my thoughts, stories, dreams, and goals? Recently, I had someone to question my motives for posting my grades each semester. I was shocked because honestly before I even decided to post my grades I was hesitant. I thought: My district manager follows me, people who don't care for me or my family follow me, I've always been seen as smart and on and on and on...It's my experience when God has a task for you, you don't tend to play teachers pet, jumping with excitement to complete tasks at hand. But at some point he'll give you a peace and that's when you get prepared to move. So as I stumbled to answer the question, she threw another just as sharp as the first "So, would you post your grades even if you got all C's" I answered simply "Absolutely"

So with everything that I do, no matter how personal, I'm doing it to encourage someone that just because...doesn't mean you can't... Becoming a jovial mommy hasn't always been jovial and sometimes it wasn't jovial at all. But I wouldn't change it for the world, the love that I have for my daughter and the love she reciprocates is more than I could have every have dreamed for! You only live once, make the best of your life every day of your life!

-With Love

Officially Summer Can Began

A 95%, this is what I earned in my community hospital rotation. It's not quite what I expected, as I felt like considering ALL factors, I should have earned a 100% but that may just be the optimist in me.

Aside from this, Summer has started for me!!!!

Let's take a moment to Turn up, Turn up, Turn up!

Now that I've officially been turnt, it's time for me to really get working.

It's funny that I feel this way, but I'll explain the way I'm feeling... For a while I felt because I was a mother and wouldn't allow myself to be as flexible as my colleagues, that I did't quite measure up to them. It was hard for me feeling that way because I'm use to being the achiever always in everything!

However it was something that I prayed upon and it was like immediately God just started opening doors for me. From that moment forth I promised myself that I would make the best of my situation, trust God, and just remain passionate. And like I previously mentioned God started opening doors and that just made things gravy.

So the summer rolls around and my peers are posting pictures of themselves on corporate internships, and traveling the world to gain experience. While at the same time not as many doors are opening as before. Actually, I've been knocking into thin air trying to find doors to open. Nothing!

 In my quest to get back on track I've set a few summer goals that I hope to accomplish.

1. Write and publish 5 articles
2. Work on developing and organizing my Scholarship so named "The Consult America Scholarship"
3. Improve my writing
4. Practice waking up early to exercise
5. Relaxing
6. Save some money
7. Lose some weight (hopefully 20 pounds)
8. Become an immunizer
9. Cover the CVS again
10. Work on writing a Book

These are my personal goals that I have set out to accomplish for myself this summer. It's my logic that if my peers are out working and experiencing in real time, I have to do something to show myself diligent.

Which brings me to the article that I just finished writing for Black College Today Magazine, titled "This Summer Inspire to Desire" and with this article I'm trying to really motivate fellow college students to not let summer slip by without doing something positive with their time and really just to remember to always take time to improve.

For my pharmacy students reading this: As I reflect on what I'm writing as I'm writing it. Everyone will tell you a little bit of Everything about pharmacy. And what I will tell you is, many of your peers will do great things, things maybe which even surpass your imagination. Remain passionate! I hate when people say find your niche, so I won't say it, but do what inspires you. Pray and seek God. Ask him what is his plans for your life and offer your talents to him, for his name to get praise and glory. You will be tried and most definitely tested. You'll feel unsure and unworthy! Stay stead fast unremovable and BELIEVE...