Well that WAS a bumpy ride.

I was looking back on some old blogs and decided to look back at my very first blog. March 2, 2016. 😬

Its exciting to keep a log, or in my case a journal, to be able to actually see how far you’ve come because sometimes it feels like we’re not moving at all. 🤗

Let’s take a look. *I changed and/or edited nothing. Look past the poor writing* 🤭

Today I have decided to take charge of the direction in my life. I thought I had already done that but I was only fooling myself. Looking back at all the things I have set out to do there was no true purpose, no goal, no passion. An idea would pop into my head and I would run with it. I have approximately 17 websites I have purchased, dozens of cards I have ordered, and countless social media pages I have sat for hours setting up. None of which I use, half of them I do not remember. There was no true direction I had no true desire to diligently work any of the ventures I’d embarked on. I am 36 years old still toying with life. I should be much further than I am right now. Of course, I have no problems where I am right now, a wife, mother, entrepreneur; as we have already clearly established. But I want more. I know, who doesn’t want more? I don’t mean more money, not that I would turn it down, I mean more purpose. I want more reason to say I am who I am. Although you can google me, I think that’s cool. But really, no one wants to live without a purpose. How does one find their meaning to life? What do I have to  do to know my calling? Of all my ideas and endeavors which one is meant for me?

I used to want to be a juvenile defense lawyer working predominately pro bono cases. I thought that was where my heart lied. When I was 15 I was sent to a detention center for stealing. I was appointed some fresh out of college guy who never asked me if I was guilty (which I was but that’s not the point). I met with him once and he didn’t even ask me my name. he walked up to the table I was sitting at along with other first time children. I was a nervous wreck, I could’ve peed on myself right there. My palms were sweating and I could feel my heart beating through my throat. He stood over me and said ”you are going to plea guilty and they will give you one year”. My eyes widened as tears inadvertently streamed down my cheeks. I felt sick to my stomach. He asked if I understood. I said no. ”with all the evidence they have against you, you could be looking at 15 years, its best this way, trust me.” I said okay knowing there was no evidence because there was no evidence (story for another day). I was just a frightened little girl who hung with the wrong crowd on the wrong day. I went back to the hall where 25 other young ladies stayed awaiting their fate and I cried. One of the guards came over to check on me. I told her what the man said and she explained to me that they all come in and say that, it makes their case load lighter and frees up some of their time. I remember being outraged. How could you have me throw my life away like that? From that day until the very moment I am writing this I have read and continue to read hundreds of law books, studying case law for fun. I vowed to sincerely help the children who are victimized by the system by making them plea out; even innocent ones I found out. I believed from that day it was my calling, my destiny to help children fight for their freedom.

I went to school for paralegal studies, I figured I would take that route because so many others who aspired to be a lawyer were majoring in English, I hated English, as some of my writing skills may reflect but I am working on it. But as I furthered on in school life happened and I dropped out vowing to return. I took on three jobs and became a single mother. Returning didn’t happen for ten years. I returned and hit a stumbling block, the school I had attended in preparation to transfer to a university, no one accepted the credits. Feeling defeated I quit. I tried at it again online but that was unrealistic for me.

I found myself working to support my family trying my hand at many things but finding myself bored no matter how prosperous my ventures had become. Now I am a housewife raising nine children and a husband still trying to find my purpose in this crazy world.

Fasten your seatbelts, the road may get bumpy.

-Rush

And boy has it been bumpy. I no longer have the two children we fostered. They have been reunited with their parents. I’m still a housewife but more spoiled. 🥰 we have had 4 more children (birthed). I homeschool them all (minus those who graduated). Started a consulting firm, made 6 figures, hired staff, and traveled for business AND leisure. Been on Business Talk Radio, a few podcasts, the news, a handful of shows, and the paper. I’ve been nominated for a few awards (no wins 🤷🏾‍♀️). Helped hundreds of small business owners scale, entrepreneurs start, and corporations stabilize.  Sold the contracts to “retire” and now starting it back up again! I have lost over 120 pounds and took control of my heath.  We’ve bought a house later that year as well.

Life went from seeming like a mess with no direction to soaring with the stars. I love it here! ❤️

Depression.. Is that you girl?

I woke up at 6:30 this morning. Its Sunday. I dont do early on Sundays. Alas. Here I am. I drag my feet towards the stairs to wake Isaiah who has to be to work by eight a.m. clear across town. It works out I guess because I have been putting off grocery shopping for so long that the only thing to snack on in the house are some ranch chickpeas. Don’t ask. If the bunch wants to eat, I cook. It was some form of responsibility  that we were teaching the kids that I forgot somewhere along the way. 🤷🏾‍♀️ It was definitely punishment for me though. 🥴

Of course he is knocked out and now on the verge of being late.

After dropping him off I headed to the one place that, for one reason or another, is the bane of my existence. Walmart. I dont even know why I dont like shopping at Walmart.  They have fair prices and it really is a one stop shop. I think its because of all the bad publicity they get from people looking every way but decent when shopping there. I just dont want any parts.

Anywho. You may have guessed that Isaiah moved back home about a month ago. We’ve been working on getting his footing again.

I woke up feeling meh today. Which is not totally out of the norm for me but this was a deeper level of meh that I just couldn’t put my finger on. I still got that 10 minute workout in. I’m starting again and easing myself  back into exercising. So, 10 minutes a day this week, 20 next, 25 after that.

I’m proud of me. I have a lot going on mentally and still manage to push through the actual chaos of life. Somedays it’s a lot harder than others. I usually just take a moment before I get out of bed to breath through it and remind myself that everything is not for me to control. Today I hit the ground on go so I didn’t get my moment.

I’d forgotten some things at Walmart and there was no way I was going back in there so I ran to food lion. Way more expensive so I was in and out $163 later. I rush home to cook breakfast and get my prep work and cleaning done. Taking a pause to run to the store to grab some school supplies for Ty who starts his college courses Tuesday (🤗).

Getting back home in time to start dinner, collard greens, baked Mac and cheese, corn bread, and turkey loin with a glass of lemonade, and doing laundry all while battling a “girly things”.

I fixed the plates and washed the dishes.

I promised I would blog today but I really dont feel like it. But one thing that I dont do is a break promise to myself.

Maybe I should promise to hit the lottery. 🤔

I just want to make clear that I am okay. I blog my good days and my bad days so people know that they’re not alone. But know this,       I. Love. My. Life. I am living the life that I literally prayed for, everyday. And for that, I am ever so grateful.

Hard is worthy. A tribute to my husband ❤️

I am easy on the eyes. Easy on the smile. Easy with my heart. Easy with my care. Easy is giving and I’ve got Easy down packed. But there were hard parts of me.

Hard to lead. Hard to carry. Hard to direct.
My Hard was not accepted by some. Abused by others.

But my Hard was worthy of love too. I never knew that.

I never knew that I didn’t have to be perfect.
I never knew that it was okay to fall.
I never knew, until he showed me.

He came from no where. Belonging to no one. Held to no time. But he was mine.

I was so broken I couldn’t see it.
I was always the leader, the guide, the breadwinner. I was always in the wrong role, I thought.

I thought that’s how it was meant to be. Somebody’s gotta get the short end of the stick. Right?

Wrong. I was so wrong.

He came and showed me what love should look like. What love should be like. What love should FEEL like.

He showed me that my Hard parts were worthy of love, of patience, of embrace. He showed me that hard parts aren’t hard, they’re wounded parts wearing a disguise. He said I didn’t need the disguise anymore. I was safe.

Thank you to the exes that fumbled me.
The boys that played with my heart, manipulated my mind. Thank you for dropping the ball, for trading me in.

I have a home team now and the owner adores me. He loves me soft and he loves me  hard.

And I love him down.
-Rush

I’m always making a face.