I worked in a nursing home for nearly five years. That amount of time has created a storehouse of unforgettable memories. I particularly remember an elderly lady whom we will refer to as Mrs. X. Mrs. X was a vocal lady. She had severe Dementia and wasn’t oriented to where she was or what year we were living in. Some days she looked for her mother because she did not remember that her mother was deceased. Sadly enough, she also forgot that both of her legs had been amputated several years ago.
Read More20 years ago, I was a high school Junior in 2003 (sheesh!). I thought I was going into the US Air Force. I thought the same my senior year. Although I said I wanted to be a lawyer since I was a kindergarten student. I decided against the Air Force–without a backup plan during my senior year. I only knew a few History Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's). Those were Winston-Salem State (WSSU), Fayetteville State (FSU), Elizabeth City State University (ECSU), North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University (NC A&T), and North Carolina Central University (NCCU). I learned about those from a couple of high school alumni who returned to inform current students about the colleges they attended and what it was like. I also heard about different schools from my church members. I had two older cousins who left for universities. One went to Fayetteville State (FSU), and the other went to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (UNC). Those few people and A Different World were about as close as I got to college information.
Read MoreI wrote Big Mama Was Wrong: Exploring Mental Health and Today’s Black Teens because I wanted it to be a resource. My goal was to enlighten parents, caregivers, and others about the stigmas I have observed as a mental health clinician for children and adolescents. I wanted conversations with therapists to be less embarrassing or scary. I also wanted others to understand the importance of seeking help, the type of help available, and some signs that seeking help may be necessary. I noticed patterns and realized that mental health within the Black community was the road less traveled but could have helped so many others along their journeys if they considered it.
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Do y’all remember when we called ourselves having a boyfriend or girlfriend then our loved ones humbled the entire situation by referring to them as our “little friend?” There was something more in our hearts towards our special person than “friendship” and we wanted it acknowledged. Interestingly enough, I think there is still a speck of that on today’s dating scene.
It’s no exaggeration when I say that 2022 owes me nothing. I had some challenges and moments that felt like setbacks; however, I came out on top every time. 2022 taught me a lot about myself: how I respond under pressure, where my faith was in situations, and some positive negative factors of my heart. I have a lot of takeaways but here are the top three:
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