Can We Just Take A Walk Together

My little one Braxton, my dog of course, was the sweetest, most non confrontational rolling partner I knew. I could discuss anything and go everywhere with him. I could tell him about my day, cry overflowing tears in front of him, and even yell to the top of my lungs while he sat in front of me with a puzzled face. As a loyalist, Braxton would snuggle up to me and look at me with those big eyes that would make me laugh until I was sick. Although his actions spoke those of care and love, he could never verbally communicate back to me or make all the pain go away. He was a dog and unable to communicate back to me what I needed! To be honest, I think I would share my deepest secrets with him because of this very fact; he could not talk back and I could control the communication! I believe Braxton and my behavior was one similar to how we as humans us tactics and methods for avoiding human interaction or controlling another persons response to our feelings. We use these tactics or methods to state a claim rather than communicate a feeling with another person.We have become cowardly to what is really needed to communicate love, healing, or joy with our family, love ones, or friends. It is the simplicity that I think is needed and must be done which requires us to throw our electronic friends in the water and ask “Can We Just Take A Walk Together”.



Through my own process of love and forgiveness, I have learned the one single thing that causes us to totally miss out on the opportunities with other is the inability to simply free ourselves of our struggles or thoughts with one another in a space that allows us to completely communicate in REAL TIME. As I watched a family in the park the other day, I experienced their sacred time spent talking in the park about life, family, and love. As I watch them communicate from a far on a nice park bench, I watched them enter into a long discussion that brought excitement, sadness, and love.I was so inspired that I begin to think to myself, “Can we as people begin to love again through a simple boldness to request that we put down the one-way technology enablers for a minute to pick up the voices or our love so that we can express what’s our minds and hearts?”


I believe the real question starts with us, to ask ourselves, “ Do I think I have either the willingness or courage to stop running from a REAL CHANCE to freely open a lane for a honest two-way conversation with someone I love?” Can I be the type of sistah that is BOLD enough to no longer ask for walk in the park to discuss my feelings but REQUIRE it! Yes, sistah I am talking to me and you. Are we available and open ourselves to stop, drop, and LISTEN to a man, friend, or girlfriend voice his or her feelings instead of emailing, texting, skyping, or facebooking our thoughts. I don’t know about you, but I am ready and willing to make the effort to bring back the REALNESS of conversations and the common language of love and friendship that once existed from looking into someone’s eyes to understand their true thoughts. I will no longer allow the pure essence of walking and talking be dominated by a TEXT MESSAGE! So the next time you get a text or other important message via technology simply reply with “Can we just take a Walk” and I promise your opportunity to really connect will never be the same.


Let’s start a new campaign “SISTAHS FOR REAL COMMUNICATION, so please leave your BBM PIN or CELL PHONE at HOME”…….LOL

It's Your Time Sistah Girl: The Legacy Must Live On....

One of the things that I love most about family reunions, other than the good food, food, and more food, is speaking with the elders of the family and having them share their wisdom and love for coming together each year to see their family. As I sing to the tune of “It’s a family reunion”, I am simply overjoyed with having had the opportunity to see all my lovely family and take part in another reunion. I was truly humbled as I greeted the youngest family member of two weeks to the oldest of eighty nine; and get this I have an aunt who wasn’t there but she is one hundred and ten. Our family is truly an amazing example of God’s favor. I was in awe and complete amazement as I watched young women and men honoring marriage and sharing in the raising of children, cousins respecting each other, and young people honoring those who have come before them with kindness and respect. The sight of seeing young people fix a plate of food, speak with respect, and even take a moment to hear the great advice of the many years of life experiences from the elders was indescribable. I was so moved! In fact, I was so inspired that I had to take a moment and share this; for this is a great example of how the black family still lives and thrives in contrast to what we have seen or been told.

During our family church service my grandmother REQUESTED, more REQUIRED that I stand and speak on behalf of the family! I immediately shook my head no and she gave me a look that said in so many words, “Please don’t have me ask you again”! Before I knew it, one of my cousins had nudged me in my back and my sister had given me a look that co-signed to my grandmother’s request. As I looked for words to impart to my family and the entire congregation, I was reminded of one of my favorite stories in the bible of a young woman who was chosen to be Queen. Esther, the unlikely candidate, had been given a position because of her favor with God. As her people were experiencing turmoil, she was reminded by her uncle that perhaps she was made Queen for this very moment, this very time, and this very opportunity to save her people. As I stood up, I began to understand that the very moments we stand in are in fact chosen by God to do something amazing; for we have been chosen for that very reason and we must be obedient. We have to understand that our circumstances and life experiences only position us for a time such as these to carry out a pre-arranged assignment. The black family is at a corner of transitioning a new generation into leading the next era of our world and we must know that the time has come and the great legacy must continue. We have a torch to carry and a legacy to uphold; therefore we have an assignment to challenge our youth to take their place and BE BOLD.

As one sistah to another let me be the first to acknowledge the Esther inside of YOU! You have been chosen for a time such as this to lead a nation of sisters, daughters, mothers, aunts, wives, mentors, and so much more. The legacy of our womanhood MUST NOT compete with man, but embrace the beauty that completes one another to fulfill the assignments that God has given each of us. My hope is that you do not confuse this with another “preach to the choir” message, but an encouragement that seeks to remind you to be in constant search of the mighty woman that lives inside of you which has been placed deep within your soul for the very time in which we stand.

As we embrace the call of what the world has proclaimed as “the new 21st century woman”, we must never forget the importance of our role in which God has position us to play in the lives of our family, society, church, and other places that may touch the world. I challenge you to use your strength and position to confront the struggles of our children and their education, the unbalance of our families, and the disparities in our knowledge of personal worth versus societal like. I am not saying you must trade in your Gucci Pumps for Esther or Mary’s clothe, but I do believe we can take a few lessons from some of our brave sisters in the bible and history who have taught us to never give up and always embrace the time when called upon. As Esther sought God when she was faced with a difficult task and a serious assignment, we must also be ready and willing to take heed to the TIME and seek God for direction! You are FLY, but being fly is having the God Confidence rather than that self-confidence to know that you cannot do this thin ALONE!

Little Sistah this is your time, you are the legacy that the world has patiently awaited your arival. You are the vessel that will remind man that in order for him to go to God on your behalf, he must be willing to seek Him with you in unison kneeling down in one accord. As a unit we must realize that we are deserving of each other, therefore we must not be afraid to speak up or lift up once another in order to save a generation of young men and women who have hidden treasures inside of them! We must shift our thinking in order to grab what has been taken and be willing to work on the very things that have clouded our minds that we now and have always had control over. Our grandmothers and mothers have left a legacy within us that that walks by faith and not by sight. You must not be afraid to walk in what you believe in nor speak on what you so passionately care and based your faith on. It is with this that I say, “Sistah Girl, allow God to use you for it is YOUR TIME. Understand that you are an heir to great things, and just like Esther, perhaps your success and struggles were given to you for such a time as this!

So know.…It’s Your Time: And So The Legacy Must Live On….