​So I was thinking about love. Valentine's Day is Thursday and it's a day where most of the world focuses on "love". During this season, most businesses are filled with reds and pinks and decorative hearts and cute lil cupids. The stores have seemingly endless suppiles of chocolate and the florists are inundated with orders for extravagant arrangements. Hallmark sells tons of cards, balloons, and the like. Restaurants are booked solid. Classrooms are abuzz with the excitement of giving and receiving Valentines and reading conversation hearts. There's even extra traffic around the water cooler at work with talk and speculation about who got what delivery from whom. The media is in on it. Department stores are in on it. Hollywood is in on it. But is true "love" REALLY the focus? Or is it the commercial appeal that most of us buy into? Now let me say this. I'm not the one for knocking people for celebrating this holiday. Although we should show love daily, I'm not against recognizing a specific day of celebration. However, do we even know what love is? This is my favorite definition/explanation of love:

Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogrant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail]. Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening]. Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]. -I Corinthians 13:4-8a, Amplified Bible Translation

Whew! I felt convicted even as I typed. Even if you are not a believer of The Bible, that it was divinely inspired by God and not just a poetic work akin to that of Shakespeare...and even ifyou aren't the follower of a specific religion or religious sect, or a believer in a power higher than yourself, you must admit that this breakdown is the purest form of what we call love. There's no way that, after reading that passage, you can deny the power that having or displaying a love like this contains. I'm sure you can imagine the impact a consistent, widespread love like this would have on not just your life, but the world! Would not the entire state of our planet be different?
We're human and we're not capable of navigating through this life perfectly. What we CAN do is be our best and strive to do everything with excellence, including love. I'm confident that if we made a conscious effort to actively and diligently love the way the scripture has laid it out, our relationships with our family, friends, and fellow man would drastically improve. I don't know about you, but I'm going to commit to love with more patience, kindness, selflessness, endurance, grace, and faith. And, while I'm at it, I'm going to be grateful for the many opportunities I have to love and be loved. So, as you're celebrating Valentine's Day, think about what the true meaning of love is to you and how you can go about cultivating and spreading that love 24/7/365!

So I was thinking about jealousy. Forget a hundred, I'm about to keep it 1000% with y'all. I be gettin jealous man! LOL! But seriously, I'm surrounded by such dope people doing such big things. My peeps are out here really living their best lives, taking care of business, and realizing dreams. And sometimes I get a lil jelly. Jealousy gets a bad rap. When people hear that term, they automatically equate it with things like being a hater, being bitter, or being unsupportive. But, I don't think it has to be a bad thing. As humans, we will naturally experience different emotions. When I think about this, the animated movie, Inside Out, comes to mind. It did an excellent job of illustrating the importance of feeling and expressing our emotions. Anger, sadness, jealousy are a few of the emotions that can become toxic if not handled properly, but I believe if you just feel what you feel and move on, you can experience each of these emotions in a healthy way.
When I find myself feeling envious of someone's bucket list get-away or dream home or new relationship or newsworthy accomplishment, I do the following things to make the jealous rollercoaster an enjoyable ride.

• I acknowledge the feeling. It is absolutely possible to feel multiple emotions simultaneously. When a loved one celebrates a major accomplishment or life event that causes me to feel pangs of jealousy, I don't ignore it. I might even say, “Girl, I’m JEALOUS!” Ignoring or dismissing jealousy can be common because we tend to have guilt for feeling this way. We might think that we're an awful person for being jealous of our friend or family member. For me, I've realized that isn't true. When good things happen in the lives of those I love, I am genuinely happy, enthusiastically supportive, and may even loudly shout their praise from the rooftops...sometimes even louder than them! All that doesn't eliminate that lil green-eyed monster that sneaks in. So, when it comes, I just let it flow until it’s gone. I do that so I can move on with a pure celebratory attitude, avoid resentment, and focus on the positive...which brings me to my next point.
• I get inspired! Once I get over myself, I can reflect on the idea that whatever was accomplished or obtained, did not happen overnight. There was a journey of sorts that brought them to their current place of winning. Whether it be failed business ventures, loss of material things, non-stop hustle, longer than bargained for patience, exercising exponential levels of faith, severed relationships, the thrill of exhilarating highs, or the ache of debilitating lows...everyone has a road to destiny they must travel and they won’t all be the same. Embracing that inspires me to focus on my own journey, empowers me to persevere, gives me the strength to hold on to my faith, and encourages me to work hard and never give up!

I’m human, so I still get jealous (Cue the cutie, Nick Jonas. Click here if you don’t know and thank me later! 😉). But, I’m in touch with my feelings, so I give myself pep talks and use it as an opportunity for growth! Do you ever get jealous? Talk to me in the comments! I love to hear from you. 🥰

So I was thinking about the importance of good writing. People tend to downplay it, especially when it comes to text messages and social media. Folks seem to think that the quality of those things don't matter. I beg to differ. Writing is such a HUGE part of our everyday lives. Why not do it well? There is a popular saying that states, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression". Texting, social media, email; these avenues aren't only used for leisure, but many times they may be used as an initial encounter with a job connect, other professional opportunity, or even a potential love interest. In each of these cases, it's important that a good first impression is made. Then, after initial contact is made, it is very likely that frequent written correspondence will continue. I've conducted business in which 95% of it was handled via email, social media, and/or text message. It's also become a common practice for recruiters and HR reps to check an applicant's social media. I'm sure it's usually to check for any questionable content and how a person represents themselves, but I'd imagine that, depending on the job, it would also be important that whatever the person is trying to convey is well written. 
I recently had someone text me, questioning the steps they should take to become a better writer and I'll share a few with you here. 

• Read, read, read. Reading assists with expanding vocabulary, comprehension, and being aware of various styles of writing that come in handy in different scenarios. 
• Avoid writing short cuts. WYD, IDK, WYA...there are so many abbreviations and acromyms used in text and social media, it could bleed into your professional life if not careful. There was a rep in my office who accidentally sent an email to the entire office that was meant for her direct supervisor only. I cringed as I read the email, because it was full of misspellings, colloquialisms, incorrect punctuation, and horrible grammar. 
• Read aloud. The correct use or placement of certain words can sometimes be determined by reading what you've written out loud. 

Writing well also helps in being understood. It's amazing how a missing comma or an extra word can change the whole meaning and/or clarity of a thought. A quick Google search will easily show us how to spell, give us access to definitions, and grammar/spell-check is automatic on many platforms. Let's do better and take advantage of all the help that's at our fingertips!

So I was thinking about my younger brother. People who know me, know the story. Let me share it with those of you who don't.
February 2, 2007. It was a Friday evening, around 6pm. I was at work and excited for the weekend. I had about 30 minutes left in my shift and I was on the phone with a customer. As I was finishing up with my customer, my cell phone began to vibrate. I glanced down at my hip and noticed my mother's number flashing across the screen. I remember thinking to myself, "Now why is she calling me? She knows I'm at work and I get off soon!" I decided I'd call her when I got off work, which at this point, was in less than 30 minutes. Another customer call came in and as I was completing that call, my cell phone started to vibrate again. My initial reaction was annoyance, but then I felt a pang of worry and decided to go out in the hall and call my mother back. My mother answered the phone sounding pretty normal. I asked her what was up. She said my name and my heart began to race. Though she hadn't said it yet, I KNEW something was wrong. Then, she said, "He gone, he gone. Cheryce, he gone." I began to panic and ask her who, "Mama who's gone??!" She proceeded to tell me that my little brother, Donvielle, had been killed in a car accident. Even as I type, it's difficult because all the feelings from that day, that moment, are coming back...It's a day, a time, a period in my life that will be impossible to forget and it changed my life forever.
I'll spare you the the details of my reaction and my parents', especially my mother's, overwhelming despair. You can probably imagine the void my baby brother felt after having his hero suddenly snatched away. I won't talk about how it felt to have memories of changing my brother's diapers and rocking him to sleep while picking out his casket and writing his obituary. 19 years old, on the way to get a haircut before work, and then. Just. Gone.
That night, that week, that month, I reflected on different things that occurred leading up to that day, attempting to make sense of it all. I wondered why it happened and questioned how God could let it. I thought about how, maybe a week or so before, Don had driven me to a friend's house. When we got there, he came in behind me and stood in the doorway, looking around. I recall asking him what he was doing and telling him that my friend's brother, who he was friends with, wasn't there. I don't remember his response, but I know I thought how strange it was for him to come in with me and then stand there like that. Even after I told him his friend wasn't there, he kept standing and looking, like it was his first time seeing it or like he knew it was the last time he would. On January 31st, Don gave my mother and me Valentine's day gifts. It was the first time he had ever done that. My mother and I were so surprised and grateful. I asked him why he had given us the gift so early and he said that he might not have any money when V-Day came around. I said, "We get paid again before Valentine's Day". I knew this because we got paid the same week, Don on Wednesday, while my payday was Friday. He just kind of shrugged it off. That would be the last day I'd see my brother alive. Thinking of those two instances made me think about whether or not he knew he was going to die. I wondered if he had some sort of premonition letting him know that something was about to happen.
​
The same night that Don gave us those gifts, I had a dream. In the dream, we were at the funeral of one our church members, the mother of one of Don's really good friends. Don wasn't there. Somebody asked where he was and voiced their surprise at him not being there. About a month after his death, the woman whose funeral I dreamed of, passed away. In my dream, Don wasn't there because he left us first...
I still don't understand the why. I had a couple theories. Maybe he would have gotten involved with the wrong crowd or been in the wrong place at the wrong time, resulting in his life wasting away behind bars. It's possible that he could have died by the hands of a cowardly police officer. Perhaps he would have been an innocent bystander caught in the crossfire of rival gangs. Maybe God allowed Don to go the way he did to spare us the devastation of each of those scenarios. Or could it be that He just cared about my brother so much that He'd rather him be in heaven with Him, than endure any of those severely earth shattering events? I stopped trying to figure it out...well, maybe not completely. Sometimes I STILL wonder why... What I DO know is:

• How short and unpredictable life is. The cliche about life being short was one I frequently heard and often recited, but the concept was one I had never truly grasped. But now I get it. Since suffering such a great and sudden loss, I refuse to hold grudges. My feelings may get hurt, I may get angry, but I feel those things and/or talk about it (if I feel it's even worth a conversation) then I let it go. My goal is to live my best life by cherishing every moment and spending quality time actively loving the people who are important to me.
• I realized that it doesn't make sense to wait to do, say, or go. Our next second is not promised. I don't want to leave here with a bunch of shoulda, coulda, wouldas. I would like to avoid having another person leave me with regret about all the things I didn't do with or say to them while they were here.
• Time does NOT heal all wounds. In my opinion and in some cases, time just teaches us how to cope and continue living in spite of. I think over time the pain of the wound throbs less and the scar isn't as ugly, but it never completely goes away. It's like having an old injury. Many times after a sprain or fracture, you can go back to functioning as normal, but the pain may not totally disappear. It will flare up at certain times and the pain may fluctuate, but it's tolerable.
• I am strong! My family is strong!! There were times I couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. I thought we'd never make it through, but God's strength is astonishing!

I miss and think about my brother every single day. I still find myself in disbelief that he's gone. I look at old pictures of him that don't go pass the age of 19. I visit his grave. I speak about him in the past tense. I shake my head at all of this because after 12 years, it's still surreal. It just doesn't seem right. But, I continue to find comfort in the happy thoughts of him, in sharing anecdotes, even in thinking about the inside jokes we would have and what his thoughts would be about certain things. And, I hang on to the hope that I will see him again one day.

​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfK5QhZ9u7o

So I was thinking about a plethora of things. Where do I even begin?! 
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way..." - A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
The last year or two of my life has been a perfect example of this quote. As a matter of fact, this has been the case in my life on more than one occasion. What's different this time around is my perspective and the way I'm handling the hand that life has dealt me. In times past, I would dwell on the worst. The bad would be magnified to the point of outweighing the good, regardless of how great the good was or how often good was present. I would allow the negatives in life to overshadow everything positive.
We're only 28 days into the new year and I already have had my share of really good and really bad experiences. The difference now, and what has been for at least the last year, is that I'm intentionally living my life with an attitude of gratitude, while also pondering the lessons I should be learning amidst any adversity. I'm thankful for everything that goes right, while also looking for the bright side in the things that go wrong. I'm believing that everything happens for a reason and that ALL things are working together for my good. I'm asking God what He is trying to show me and teach me. I'm even having conversations with myself to determine what I can do differently, what I can do better, what I can do more, what I can do less, what I can eliminate, and what I can add. I'm also understanding more and actually accepting that what I go through isn't just for me. My joy and good fortune should be shared with others as well as trials that are overcome and are testaments of faith, God's grace, hard work, perserverance, and consistency, so that people can relate, realize they aren't alone, and muster the strength to push through. It's awesome when good things happen without much effort, but some of the most beautiful things in nature occur after a storm or after extreme pressure has been applied. In life, going through the worst of times isn't easy, but in the end it's always worth it. 

So I was thinking about how easy it can be at times to point out another person's faults, while completely ignoring our own. Why is that? How is it even possible to notice a speck in someone else's eye, when we have an entire freaking beam in our own? Is it narcissism that makes us comfortable in pointing a finger and not noticing the other fingers pointing right back at us? Does pride make us delusional and unable to recoginze our own flaws and missteps?? Or is it just plain selfishness, self-centeredness, and immaturity that makes us not accept responsibility for our own issues, makes us not look at the proverbial man in the mirror, but has us always peering at the man across the room?
I take the The 5 Love Languages quiz at least once a year (click here to find out more and/or to take the quiz). When I went to the site the other day, I saw something new called "apology languages".  Like the 5 languages that are used to properly express love, Gary Chapman along with Jennifer Thomas have also identified 5 apology langauges to properly express regret. Also like the love languages, there is a quiz that determines what type of apology is most important to you or that you're most receptive to. My apology language is Accept Responsibility and this is the part of the descripion that stuck out to me: "...as adults, we must all admit that we make and will make mistakes. We are going to make poor decisions that hurt our mates (it says mates, but this also applies to children, friends, parents, etc), and we are going to have to admit that we were wrong. We have to accept responsibility for our own failures." I can't emphasize enough how important this is, not just when it's time to issue an apology, but in life period! We can be so quick to condemn and belittle others when they err, whether in general or against us, that it seems we are struck with temporary amnesia. When someone messes up in a different way than us, we tend to forget our evils and/or find ways to justify them! Let's all do better by,

• Accepting responsibility for our actions, in a disagreement and every day life
• Not being as critical of another's downfalls
• Extending the same level of grace to someone as you've once received
• Reflecting and focusing on being the best we can be, regardless of what someone else may or may not be doing

I believe if we practice taking ownership more, we'd see a shift in our relationships and the overall flow of our lives.

So I was thinking about what today is and what/who this holiday represents. I can't help but wonder what Dr. King would think about the state of our country and what role he would play in the continued fight for justice and equality. Would he still be active in the struggle? How many more comparable leaders would he have groomed and mentored to follow his footsteps and continue his legacy? 
Although we've made great strides forward as a nation, we've simultaneously taken tremendous leaps back. The phrase, "The more things change, the more they stay the same", rings true. Many of the problems faced during the civil rights movement and addressed in the famed, I Have a Dream speech, are still obstacles we have yet to overcome today. 

This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy...Now is the time to lift the nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all God's children. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment...There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality...No, no we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream. -Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I Have a Dream Speech at the March on Washington, August 1963

In the new millennium, we're still battling excessive police brutality and the wrongful murders of black men (and women). The leader of the free world is one who endorses hatred, misogyny, and divisiveness. He has made it more comfortable for people to display their true colors of racism and bigotry. We're in the middle of the longest government shutdown in the history of the country, where hundreds of thousands of government workers are not getting paid, some still reporting to work with no paycheck at the end of their 80 hours. Various government assistance programs are being adversely effected, all for a ridiculous wall that is being deemed as necesssary under the guise of concern for border control. Black men still account for the largest percentage of the prison population. These are just some of the hardships we face today. Even though circumstances seem bleak and we may experience feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, I continue to hold on to my faith in God, but also in Dr. King's dream, "I say to you today, my friends, though, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream."  We've come a long way, but we haven't quite reached the mountaintop. Let's keep striving and do whatever is in our power (vote, educate, be active in our communities, mentor, etc) to get us closer to seeing his dream come to fruition.

So I was thinking about my son and the complexities of parenting as a single, divorced mom. I was thinking about how there is no concrete formula for being a successful parent, how the decisions we make as parents impact our children, and how difficult it is to raise children. Mama nem never told me there would be days like some of the ones I've encountered in the last 16.5 years. 
I really wish that someone had talked to me and given me the TRUE inside scoop on what it is to have children. I remember hearing the ideas of marriage and children being emphasized and applauded, but I don't recall anybody telling me the real deal about those life events, especially about having kids! Nobody mentioned to me that even if I followed the "first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Cheryce with the baby carriage" ideology, I could still end up with a faded love, dissolved marriage, and just one person pushing that carriage. People talked about teething, potty training, and the terrible twos but they failed to mention the agonizing adolescence and tumultuous teens! All these things are extremely difficult when faced alone. Let me clarify, my son's father is 100% in his life, however, with us being in separate households, although we "co-parent", it's kinda like his father does his thing over there and I do my thing over here, while still trying to be on the same page. It's such a weird place to be in. If I'm being honest, many times I've wished that his father and I would have just stayed married and worked out some type of living arrangement. I understand more and more why people make the decision to "stay for the kids". Of course, it isn't good for children to witness unhealthy relationships. However, I also don't think that it was meant for children to be raised in single family households. It's like choosing the lesser of two evils. Either situation can be navigated with some level of success, but which one will have the greatest negative affect on the child (children)? Which has the potential to be most beneficial in the long run?
It's my prayer that people will start to take more time to think about how serious it is to become a parent. It's more than cute, cuddly babies and matching mother/daughter outfits. From the time of conception, every decision made has a direct or indirect affect on that child. We have the potential to make or break our children with every choice we make.

So I was thinking about how it's been a while since I've written! Hey y'all, Happy New Year! I am looking forward to a year of more consistency, exciting new opportunities, and moving forward with my dreams, even in the midst of fear and uncertainty. I turn 40 this year and I'm ecstatic about all the possiblities this new decade of life will bring. 

Ok, so enough of the greetings and salutations. Let's get down to the nitty gritty. I've been noticing various success stories about the relationship of blended families. There are several celebrity famillies that have been in the spotlight, showcasing what appears to be the ideal blended family set-up. Even the situations that were initially presented to the public by the media as rocky, have evolved into seemingly magical fairy tales of parents, children, step-children, and step-parents deeply in love and living happily ever after. Well, I wish I may, I wish I might have the spell or the potion that would make my blended family live in harmony and be just right! 

I mean seriously. What is it? One of my favorite scriptures in the bible is Eccelesiastes 10:19. The Message Bible translation says, "Laughter and bread go together, And wine gives sparkle to life—But it's money that makes the world go around." Is that it? Is it the lack of financial stress that makes it easier to deal? Do the unlimited resources and extra commas make major life changes more tolerable?? Whatever it is, I need the secret.

My son's father and I have not been together for almost 15 years. We separated in September of 2004 and were officially divorced in September of 2005. You would think that by now we would have perfected the concept of co-parenting and blended families, but um...no. My ex has been married twice since me, which means I have been (am) in the role of ex-wife/ baby mama twice, which can be a difficult role to have, especially when you do not establish some type of working relationship with the new bonus parent. And I believe therein lies (at least some of) the problem. When a parent is embarking on a new, long term relationship, it is their responsibility to make sure that the ex is introduced to the bonus parent. It's important that they meet the person, see who their child will be around, and have the chance to develop a respectful understanding in regard to the raising of the child. Otherwise, the door is left open for the ex and step-parent to come to conclusions about each other based on what they've heard or what they THINK they know of each other, which can lead to the overstepping of boundaries. For instance, my ex-husband's second wife was just somebody that my baby ended up coming home talking about a lot. Once I realized that this was somebody that his father was dating and serious about, I mentioned meeting her and tried to get something together, but it never happened. After they were married, we had minimal interaction with each other during pick-ups/drop-offs and things, but no official meeting. I formed an opinion about her based on what I heard from my son and other people who knew/met her. In turn, she formed an opinion about me based on what she heard from my ex and other people she met who knew me. She ended up making up a rule where I was supposed to only call HER when I had something to discuss about my son. I don't know what somebody told her or what she thought, but I politely told her that I had been there, done that, had the mug and t-shirt and didn't want to go back, so whenever I needed to talk about MY son with HIS father, I would do just that because I have NO obligation to her. So, when that relationship didn't work out and he was going to marry his third wife, I emphasized the importance of meeting and establishing some sort of rapport with his new wife because I didn't want the things that happened before to occur this time around. He assured me that this time would be different. Without going into too much detail, I can say that there have only been slight changes. The bottom line is, when a relationship has severed and people have moved on with children involved, the focus should be on the adults working together to ensure that the child doesn't miss a beat. Everyone should work in tandem, with the child's best interests at heart. Bonus parents should also keep in mind that as long as both parents are active in the child's life, there is no need to try to take the place of the child's mother or father. As long as there is respect for everybody's role and a proper focus on the child(children), we should all be able to live happily ever after in Blended Family Land like the Pinkett Smiths, Harts, and Swizzbeats nem! LOL

So I was thinking about how sad I get during this season. Holidays have been awful for my family since my little brother died unexpectedly in a car crash almost 12 years ago. That, in conjunction with being single and the emphasis placed on relationships and family during the holidays, made me dread this time every year! I decided that this year would be different. I refuse to be sad! Yes, I miss my brother something terrible and yes, I’m still as single as the day is long, but I will not wallow in either of those. Being sad is exhausting. I’m tired of giving in to that misery year after year. This year I decided to redirect my energy. Sadness did rear its ugly head, and though that emotion is legitimate, I’ve chosen to shift my focus. I’m not dwelling on my brother not being here, but I’m thinking about the wonderful times we had together when he was and working on continuing to make lasting memories with my loved ones who surround me now. I’m making it my business to cherish every possible moment! And though I have no significant other, I am still showered with enormous amounts of love. I’m finding joy in so much. I’ve been buying gifts and almost giddy with excitement at the thought of people’s reaction when they get the gifts! I’m extra in love with the corny and predictable, yet heartwarming holiday movies and the joyous, festive music...
So I was thinking about how I started this post the other day and then how I feel in this moment. I was thinking about how it seems whenever I talk about choosing happiness or how often times, when I promote positivity, I'm met with an obstacle meant to destroy my joy and annihilate any shred of hope that's present. But then I started thinking about how yesterday, I saw this one particular video about 192 times. First, it was sent to me in a group message, then I started seeing EVERYBODY post it! The video was of this 13 year old powerhouse singing an oldie but goodie gospel tune called For the Good of Them. I was seeing it so much, I became BEYOND annoyed, but now I know why it was being constantly brought to my attention. God knew the trial that I would face yesterday evening. He knew that tears would come, that my core would be shaken. He was already aware that my smile would start to fade and that my peace would begin to wane. God, in all his omniscience, had the inside scoop on the blow to my confidence that I would experience and the wavering of my faith. The confusion, frustration, pain, anger, and defeat that was felt was no surprise to Him, so I was being encouraged in advance with these words:
No matter what the problem,
You can't solve them. They will come, but don't you worry.
It will work out, for the good of them who love the Lord!

So, because of this fact, regardless of how things look, I will continue to be positive and choose happiness. Trials are inevitable and I can healthily process whatever emotions they may bring, but there is no need to drown in those emotions, ESPECIALLY since I still have so much to be thankful for. I can do the best with whatever is in my power and leave the rest up to God, because I know He has my back. No matter what comes my way, it's all working out for my good and I don't even need to worry!