Living Life Abundantly

Once upon a time when a Lion was sleeping, a tiny Mouse started running up and down on him; this before long woke up the Lion, who set his huge paw on him, and opened his big jaws to swallow him.

“Excuse me, O Lion,” shouted out the tiny Mouse, “forgive me this time, I shall never leave it out of my memory. Who knows but I might be able to do you a favor one of these days?”

The Lion was so titillated at the idea of the Mouse being able to assist him, that he picked up his paw and let him go.

Some time after that, hunters who wanted to carry the Lion alive to the King, tied him down with ropes while they went in search of a wagon to transport him on.

Just then the tiny Mouse happened to go past, and seeing the pitiful quandary in which the Lion was, went up to him and before long gnawed away the ropes that confined the King of the Beasts.

“You see… I did help you” said the little Mouse.

Tiny friends might prove to be great

I have an attitude today! An attitude of gratitude!

I can honestly say I have the best friends in the world. They each have a way of coming through for me right on time and every time without fail! Until today…I haven’t had any pictures of me and my dad (may he rest in peace). My friend Shannon sent this old pic of me and my dad from 1998. Just what I needed! I am so thankful to have such amazing and thoughtful friends.

“He that can have Patience, can have what he will” — Benjamin Franklin

As time went by in that restaurant we laughed talked, watched, and waited. We are all familiar with that old saying “Good Things Come To Those That Wait.”  Experience teaches me that its true!

We got a really good laugh because comedian/actress Kym Whitley came through for her tickets and was cracking jokes the whole time.

She was very friendly, had a big smile, and seemed like a lot of fun to be around.

(Yes I know, this was yet another one of those missed opportunities.  I didn’t even think about taking her picture or asking for a possible interview lol, just didn’t cross my mind until of course after).  But she was hugging everyone and having a good time.  I hugged her too and enjoyed her company and the funny stuff she was saying about sneaking snacks into the inauguration.

I can’t even begin to recap the places she planned to hide her snacks… just know that Ms. Whitley is truly funny and I hope to one day ask her if she was able to bring in those snacks!

After watching the last person who had either just got in from Iraq or was picking up tickets for a relative that had just flew in from Iraq, they started shutting down shop preparing to leave.  They had been at that location for a long time disbursing tickets and prior to that they had a full day.  They had also distributed tickets from 11am to 1pm as previously mentioned.

The Right Place At The Right Time

You see, Willae and I hadn’t figured out our next destination.  We didn’t know where to go upon leaving the Tortilla Coast.  So we were not in a big hurry to leave because WHERE WERE WE GOING TO GO?  More importantly, we believed that our every step on this DC Adventure would be guided by a power much bigger than us.  Sounds crazy right? Ever read or hear that Proverb:

• In all my ways I acknowledge Him and He directs my path (Prov. 3:6)

Well when Willae was handed an envelope exactly like the one I received we knew it was just the beginning of our inauguration journey. It was a confirmation that our path was being directed. (Here’s a picture of Willae).

We practically ran out of the restaurant hardly able to contain ourselves still with no specific destination. We jumped for joy, we thanked God, we hugged, and repeated the process several times…(all of this outside in the cold DC air after 8pm).  As that cold began to set in, we started thinking about our next destination.

We both had some options but the main concern was how far we’d be from where we needed to be in a matter of hours.  We contemplated camping out at the gates but the fact that we had luggage and bags with us (which were not allowed in) killed that idea.

I knew that my friend Leslie’s parents were staying close by and that we might be able to leave our bags safely with them… unfortunately, they were already out and about so I couldn’t catch up with them.

I knew I had a cousin in the area but before I left California she told me that she would not be home that Monday until after midnight.  We had friends in Baltimore but that was just too far to go.  I also knew a wonderful family in Vienna (whom I’ll tell you about later).  We were getting cold out there trying to decide what to do.  People were asking us if we were ok.  I think they thought we were homeless.  It was dark.  We had a bunch of bags and we were on the side of a restaurant.  I guess we did look pitiful.

Hampton University Life Long Friends To The Rescue

We called our friend and sister Marci to find out if she had made it in town and to coordinate something with her.  When we got in touch with Marci she told us she decided not to make the drive.  In the conversation she mentioned our friend and sister Kamilah (my HU roomate) was at our friend and big sister Tara’s house.  I forgot that Tara lived in the area!  I did remember that at HU’s homecoming Tara gave me her phone number (which I wrote in my special journal book that I take every where).  We called Tara, told her where we were, without asking any questions, without hesitation, Tara told us to come to her house and gave us directions to travel via Metro.  (We had no idea that we were actually directly across the street from the Metro station. See how everything just flowed and came together).

We grabbed our stuff and headed to Tara’s.

She told us that she was going out and that Kamilah would pick us up from the Metro station near her house.

We got on the train and when we got off Kamilah was there waiting.

By this time it was well after 10 pm.

(Here’s a picture of me all bundled up on the train.)

We were cold and tired and happy to be amongst our HU family.

As it turned out, not only was Kamilah at Tara’s, her sister and son were there, and our friends and big brothers KK and Marcus were there too.

Our friend and sister Java was on her way.

Our friend and big brother Ron was in the vicinity at our friend and big brother John’s.

This was like homecoming all over again!  Our big sister Tara came through for all of us opening her home at the very last minute.  Apparently none of us had a plan but all of us knew we had to get to DC to witness this historical moment.
(Here is a picture of Tara)

Tara rolled out the hospitality and hosted us all.  (You are the best Tara Thank You!). We stayed up for awhile talking and catching up.

We knew we needed to be out of the house by 4am which meant we’d only get a couple of hours of sleep literally.

(Here’s a picture of Kamilah and I).

After traveling all day from the West Coast to the East Coast I was exhausted and drained but of course happy to be with friends (family) for such an awesome occasion.

I had a glass of orange juice (with a splash of vodka).

Kamilah and her sister and son slept in the room downstairs.  KK and Marcus slept on the couches in the livingroom. (Java hadn’t made it in yet). Tara showed Willae and I to her extra room across the hall from her.  We were so tired we actually fell asleep in our clothes….

Before going to bed I did attempt to blog but couldn’t get a signal (you know I don’t leave home without my Mac).  I learned some lessons in this long day:

1. Looks like I need to get a Wireless Internet Card ASAP!

2. Patience is a virtue:  “The principle part of faith is patience” — George MacDonald

3. Friends are blessings: “It is not so much our friends’ help that helps us as the confident knowledge that they will help us.”  Epicurus (Greek philosopher)

To Be Continued…

Majority Of The Photos From The Inauguration DC Adventure Are Provided Courtesy Of The Wonderful & Talented Willae Ivory

“My best friend is the one who brings out the best in me.” – Henry Ford

“Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light.” – Helen Keller

“A friend may well be reckoned the masterpiece of nature.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I get by with a little help from my friends.” – John Lennon

“No person is your friend who demands your silence, or denies your right to grow.” – Alice Walker

“A faithful friend is a strong defense: and he that hath found such an one hath found a treasure.” – Ecclesiasticus 6:14

There is something great about finding an unexpected card in the midst of bills in the mailbox. It makes getting the mail a much more pleasant experience. Today I received a beautiful ‘just because’ friendship card from one of my friends. We haven’t seen each other or had the opportunity to talk in a while but it hasn’t changed our bond or the dynamics of our friendship.

I believe that real friendships stand the test of time, space, and distance. Where there is genuine love and respect, friendships flourish.

You don’t have to see or talk to a person every day to be friends. I think that friends are so connected that they are always in tune with each other. I know that to be the case especially with my friends.

I have friends that I haven’t seen in 5 years (in ATL). We keep in contact via email mostly, but I know without a doubt that they have my back and they know that I have theirs!

A friend cares about you and your well being.

A friend will go over and above the call of duty for you.

A friend listens to you.

A friend talks to you, not at you.

A friend tells you the truth while sparing your feelings.

A friend helps you up after you’ve fallen. A friends laughs with you, not at you.

A friend encourages you to live life abundantly, a friend gives you space to do just that…

A friend does things out of the blue to show they love and appreciate you.

Maybe my surprise in the mail doesn’t seem like such a big deal to some people…but to me its the little things that mean so much.

Like me, all of my friends are extremely busy juggling lots of responsibilities.

Our schedules often conflict and sometimes its hard for us make time to hang out and catch up.

I think an important and often overlooked aspect in friendships is valuing and respecting people’s time.

I absolutely value and respect my friends time.  Time is the one thing we cannot get back.  Time cannot be bought but it can be spent.  How we spend our time and who we spend our time with is important.

I appreciate the time that was taken to pick out a card, hand write a note, buy a stamp, and take it to a post office or drop it in a mail box.

We live in a hustle and bustle world where its easy to just not do stuff because we are all so busy doing other stuff.  We should always make the time and take the time to appreciate kind gestures and to reciprocate the love.  That is the essence of friendship and living life abundantly!

I am so blessed and fortunate to have good friends in my life. (Thanks Coffee Bean Mustard)! This one is for you!

Brandy – Best Friend (1995)

There are certain things from childhood that just stay with you…When I was a kid, I went to summer camp at the YWCA, where I met all of these wonderful kids that I thought would be my lifetime friends.

We use to sing “That’s What Friends are For” and I guess I really took it to heart lol. Once we hit 5th and 6th grade we out grew the Y, went our separate ways, and lost contact with each other. So much for lifetime friendship right? Maybe not.

If Myspace isn’t good for anything else, its certainly good for reuniting long lost friends. Thanks to Myspace, I reconnected with Lisa!

Lisa and I went to the Y together and we had not seen each other in over twenty years…(that makes us sound so old omg)… We sent several messages back and forth and said lets meet up but we never did. You know how sometimes life gets in the way…

Anyway, we finally talked on Friday and decided to meet for lunch this Sunday

On my way to meet Lisa, all of the songs we sang at camp came to mind. There was a song that we used to sing every morning in the “friendship circle”, called “It’s a Beautiful Day.” That song is etched in my brain forever… considering the weather and occasion the song was more than appropriate for today.

It goes a lil something like this:

See the sun shining in the window

it’s gonna be a beautiful day

can’t you hear the song birds singing

I want to sing out loud and say

it’s a beautiful day

for running in the sun

a beautiful day has just begun

a beautiful day

to do what I want to do

its a beautiful day just to be alive

it’s a beautiful day

so glad that I

got a beautiful day

and I want to share it with you

Lisa was there in the lobby we recognized each other right away. There were no awkward moments its like we somehow picked up where we left off in 1987. We laughed and talked and had so much fun. On my drive home I thought yup… It’s a Beautiful Day!

A Reason, A Season or a Lifetime

People come into your life for a Reason, a Season or a Lifetime.

When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered, and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons: things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
—Reason Seaon Lifetime Author Unknown

Special Dedication to Lisa and all of our folks from the old West LA YWCA…

It’s been awhile since I’ve given a progress report on what’s happening with U Grow Girl.  We are still going and growing strong!  Our first meeting started with four and now we are 7. 

Meeting #4 was in December and was very different from our regular meetings.  We convened with a spread fit for queens.  We gained a new member and received her into our circle with open arms. 

We spent a great deal of time talking about miracles, blessings, and answered prayers that we all were experiencing and witnessing in our lives.  By the meetings end, I’m certain we all had a much deeper and greater understanding of how nothing is impossible to those that believe.  Our hearts were encouraged.   

January marked our 5th U Grow Girl meeting.  We gained a new member whom we embraced and welcomed into our circle. 

We decided with the New Year, we would revisit our goals, create new goal boards, and share them at our next meeting. We discussed and prayed for healing, health, and wellness. We shared our thoughts on wives ‘submitting’ to their husbands.  We talked about the importance of having our group and maintaining relationships with women in general.  This really touched me as I looked around the room in amazement…I had a friend from when I was six years old and a friend from 5th grade right there!  After all of these years we’re still growing together.   This meeting was so intense none of us were ready for it to end.  We are all looking forward to our next meeting on Feb 24th.  As Coach Ace says, “those who show up, go up!”

I love our U Grow Girl meetings and I’m so thankful to be in such awesome company. 

Two friends were walking through the desert. At some point along the journey, they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face.

The one who got slapped was hurt, and without saying a word he wrote the following in the sand:

Today my best friend slapped me in the face.

They kept walking until they came to an oasis, where they decided to take a bath.

The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started to drown, but his friend was able to save him.

After he recovered from the near drowning, he picked up a stone and carved the following.

Today my best friend saved my life.

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him:

“After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand, and now you write on a stone, why?”

The friend replied,

   “When someone hurts us we should write it in the sand where the winds of forgiveness can erase the pain. But, when someone does us a kindness we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.”

Learn to write your hurts in the sand and carve your blessings in stone.

• It takes a minute to find a special person
• an hour to appreciate them
• a day to come to love them
• an entire life to forget them

Do Not Value The THINGS you have in your life, but value WHO you have in your life.

Author Unknown

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things ‘in order,’ she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.

Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

‘There’s one more thing,’ she said excitedly.

‘What’s that?’ came the Pastor’s reply.

‘This is very important,’ the young woman continued. ‘I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.’ Read the full story