A Zest For Life

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, so the saying goes. So, what’s a girl to do when bushels of lemons keep showing up? For this girl, it means hair up, messy bun, yoga pants, and getting to work on squeezing the bejesus out of the lemons with gusto. Honestly, who doesn’t love a tall zest for life? Especially with the knowledge that the universe is delivering exactly what I have been asking for, keep ’em coming, my lemonade stand is officially open for business, and I am accepting deliveries and orders with resounding yesses! 

Big Friendship-Framily

Last year, Aims, one of my beloved framily members, friends who become family, gifted me a copy of Big Friendship How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow Ann Friedman. The book is an honest and relatable read that taps into genuine friendships’ delicate ebbs and flows. Aims wrote an inscription, in part, ‘We have a BIG FRIENDSHIP.’ After reading the book, I fully understood what she meant. Indeed, we do Aims! The most straightforward explanation I can offer is that a big friendship is the knowledge that, no matter what, we have each other’s back. In other words, framily is a permanently inked friend in your child’s emergency contact form. 

Keepers

Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer a hard book over eBooks. I like holding books in my hand, sensing the pages on my fingertip, and feeling their weight on my lap whenever I pause to ponder an inspiring chapter. However, I do not read a book and stick it on a shelf. I like to re-gift books with a post-it note, ‘You will love this, take it on your vacay… such a fun read, reminded me of college days…great parenting tips.’ Now, this does not happen with all books; a handful will never leave my stack. I tag these as keepers, the reads that rouse me to take pen and mark chapters with notes, code words, highlight, oooh, this is good, ok, you are speaking to my soul, need to revisit this concept…does anyone else do this? 

Big Friendship How We Keep Each Other Close is a keeper. Check out these passages I highlighted, ‘low drama-mammas, the story of sameness, body’s choice, a shared desire to be women who take up a lot of space and refuse to apologize for it, the slow cooker friendship,’ Are you feeling me, good stuff, right? Every bite of this book is delish, but the yumminess is found in chapter four, the ooey and gooey deliciousness, one thousand calorie bite that goes right to the hips, yet worth every calorie (anyone else craving a Cinnabon?)

Shine Theory

Sow and Friedman delivers the heart and soul of Big Friendship in the ‘I don’t shine if you don’t shine’ section by revealing The Shine Theory. In short, the shine theory is ‘helping friends be their best –and relying on their help in return.’ As the authors state, ‘It’s a practice of cultivating a spirit of genuine happiness and excitement when your friends are doing well and being there for them when they aren’t.’ The intentional collaboration to ‘glow up’ together begins with rejecting envy, insecurities, and comparisons. That is to say, the stage is large enough to share, make room, and applaud each other. ‘I don’t shine if you don’t shine.’

Shine theory has been a personal mantra for toGETherJOY. To surround myself with fierce women who embrace vulnerability by kicking perfection to the curb and are deliberate and relentless, believing that together is better. I know we all have unique gifts and a purpose; Thus, why I love exposing illuminators (i.e., women who kick ass in the human category). The more I shine a light on others, the more I shine. I don’t have space for jealousy. All the women I hang with are rockstars, more intelligent, and incredibly talented, hence why I want to be around them.

Mic’s Lemonade Stand-

Glow Up ToGETher- Shine Theory

100 Women

Hold on to your hats so I mentioned in a previous post that I had the privilege to pitch Mend on the Move at the 100 Women Who Care Northville meeting. This non-profit organization employs women of sexual abuse. My pitch won…woot, woot! Well, the members of 100 Women never disappoint and stepped up in significant ways. We presented a check to Mend this week, ready for it, for $17,300! yup, let that sink in.… 100 Women rocks! It gets better; we also inspired influential women in the auto industry to launch their 100 Women chapter- which translates to many more worthy organizations getting a shot at awareness and funding—this is my kind of domino effect. 

Cup Of Tea Anyone?

Melissa: Hey, would you be interested in joining me at the 2nd annual international women’s tea event, which will celebrate the extraordinary accomplishments and impact women make in international diplomacy, business, and law?

Mic: Abso-f*kin-lutely yes, please, I would be honored to attend.

I am so glad I said yes. Otherwise, I would have missed meeting Sanya Tyson Weston, the event’s host, the CEO of Your Premier Travel Service, and the founder of Young People Travel Global Edge (YPT), a non-profit serving inner-city youth in Detroit. 

Sanya’s mission is to create the next generation of global citizens by exposing African-American youth to international travel, leadership development, entrepreneurship, education, careers, cultural immersion, and sports.

So, I spent the afternoon floored by the young women attending the benefit and their stories. I listened to girls put into words the thrill of taking their first plane ride (like-ever) to Dubai, no less for a life-altering trip. The positive impact of YPT is unmistakable, Sanya, and her partners are busy planting global seeds.

Kiddos, the world is bigger than the four walls in your community; come with me, let me show you the view from Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world- see, how glorious; I am going to need you to reimagine the possibilities; now go, be bold, dream big.

Being in the company of strong women is empowering. I get goosebumps when I consider how these women of all ages, colors, and sizes are making a real difference. The seats fill quickly, and we are joined at the table by a young deaf teen girl, Khy, and her interpreter. We quickly learn that Khy is on a mission to bring awareness to sign language. She shares the frustration of not having books and resources representing her skin color in the market. So she took matters into her own hands and published a book, Signing with KHY. 

Khy is a bright-eyed, confident girl, and her determination is obvious. My friend, Kisha, feels her energy too and leans in; ‘remarkable, sign language is the loudest of all languages. Can’t you feel every word Khy is signing, the intensity and passion?’ So true. I leaf through Khy’s book, and her dedication grabs my attention, ‘I also dedicate this book to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. We can do anything we want…except hear.’ Ha, sense of humor too, don’t worry, Khy, we hear you loud and clear, no doubt the world will know your name, keep shining bright.

Keep Going Project

I have been hitting snags with the Keep Going Project, my vision to create a space to empower, encourage, and uplift women of all ages. But instead of waiting for my ideas to take perfect shape, I have decided to start by sending care bundles to organizations whose residents need a nudge (think women and teen shelters). The bundles include bookmarks with my message: our roots are deep, but our trunk is strong; we must stand tall, keep going, and grow new branches. I include little tokens to serve as a keepsake. I am discovering women from all walks of life need to hear these words…so for what it is worth, I see you, girl, I know, it is hard, keep going!

And Then It Happens

In other news, it’s happening; I am penning my book. I have the framework and a title. It has lived in my soul long enough; it’s time to let the words out. Stay tuned; I can’t wait to share it with you and hope it will be a keeper on your fave stack. 

The company we keep

Do you see why I am so excited about my lemons? Do you see how life works beautifully when we align our spirit with our true purpose? 

I want you to shine, too. Shining bright begins with activating the little spark that lives in all of us. If you struggle to know your sparkle, know that ToGETherJOY, this community, is here to illuminate your path. 

For those who know, tell me, what are you doing with your bushel of lemons? How are you lighting it up for yourself and your people?

And to those who illuminate my path, to my Big Friendships, the nudgers who encourage me to keep going by showing me what it means to dare greatly, I am here to say gracias and remind you that my lemonade stand is always open. (I serve vodka too)

I don’t shine if you don’t shine. Glowing up ToGETher.

Xo-Mic