Blessed is he who has learned to admire but not envy, to follow but not imitate, to praise but not flatter, and to lead but not manipulate.
William Arthur Ward
I can’t believe that February is almost over. It seems that as I get older, the days, months, and years get shorter. Although the shortest month, February has great significance to me. First, it’s Black History Month. I’m not the most “woke” when it comes to knowing all the ins and outs of ” black culture” or the aspects of the various culture across the African diaspora. However, I try my best to reflect on the contributions my ancestors made to my nation and mankind as a whole. I am usually in awe of all the things people, with whom I share slightly more genetics, have done. Second, it’s the month of love. I am a huge fan of Valentine’s Day. I agree that it has become a ” Hallmark Holiday”. Nevertheless, I can’t hate on anything that helps us intentionally express love to each other. Thus, I wanted to use the post to highlight the people or groups of people I admire.
In terms of specific people, I want to first highlight my husband. I can’t think of another person that is continually pushing me to be a better person. I am usually highly annoyed as God helps him mold me, but it’s priceless. Through our arguments he highlights my ugliness and areas in which I need to improve. Yet, through his smiles I know where I am hitting the mark and should build. Thanks Arli. The second person is my mother. She is hands down the best model of grace and mercy I have seen in a mortal person. She exemplifies how to forgive and love others. My mother has endured and sacrificed so much throughout her life. I can’t express enough how much I love her and how much I need to learn from her. In that same vein, my grandparents show me how to love and sacrifice for your family.
Now to groups of people… I cannot speak enough about how much I admire young professionals and entrepreneurs that are revolutionizing the way we think and live. I went on a rant about my disdain for millennials earlier today, but after the venting I couldn’t help but acknowledge how much millennials will contribute to the future. The Brooklyn Children’s Museum’s theme for black history months was “Black Future Festival”. I think it’s so important for us to not only acknowledge the history of a culture, but to also appreciate a culture’s future and the people building that future.
I encourage you to take the last few days of this month or the next couple of days to reflect upon the people you adore.