Dear Beloveds

Dear Beloved Co-Parents,

I have some issues I would like to bring to the front and as someone with no kids. It’s truly only my job to support and uplift but as I have no dog in the hunt, I can not advocate for resources the way you can.

Why is it that, Like why is best known for where you got to get free/afforadable reproductive care and the only thing I ever knew about it was they could help you terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

Why isn’t planned parent hood putting on classes on how to actually PLAN FOR PARENTHOOD!

Why don’t they go to schools and give highschool teens the reality of having a child while young. Both to the girls bodies and the coupled mental.

Why don’t they put on mandatory classes that the court can order that helps you PLAN FOR CO-PARENTING!

Nothing I’ve heard about planned parent hood by word of mouth, helps you plan for anything other than being an unplanned parent but not the actual “UN-Planned PARENTHOOD”

I know they have good resources for parents of all ages. Especially young, unprepared ones. However, I just don’t see enough OUTREACH in the community from them to actually educate the community.

Granted I know they been losing funding but based on word of mouth it was never really about affordable access to reproductive health care. Where are the celebrities with care and concern enough about teenage pregnancy and the lack of adequate guidance for young unprepared parents and older ones.

Dear Beloveds,

There are people I know where we can only check in with each other a few times a year, if that. And when I tell you if I need ANYTHING or if they need ANYTHING. There is no hesitation, if it can be done and is feasible, it gets done. There are people I spent years on in my 20’s that act like every time you need something from them it was a unconvinced or that I just wasn’t important enough or better yet, they don’t hear from me frequently so they equated our friendship to the amount of times I reached out.

I said that to say, there really are people who you meet along the way that will be more in your corner because they see you. Shout out to my day 1’s, I’m not saying I don’t have a gang of ladies, that I been riding with for a min but I do mean to say it’s okay to let some things go and SPEAK up about why it no longer serves and works for you.

I’ve known my friend who I came to visit today for all of a few years we met while I was working in Houston. She’d gotten married and is looking away. She don’t even tell me until the month of her party because life had been life’n. Which I understood. Did I care that we hadn’t spoken or my last in-important text to her had went unanswered NO.

This woman had showed up for me in the short time I knew her more than friends I’d had since college. I was in a bad car wreck and homeless at one point and she never stopped checking in and looking out for me. Even while I knew she had battled and challenged of her own.

So what did I do, I traveled 5+ hours to come pay my respects and send my girl off right. I didn’t know but maybe 1 other person at the party but the vibes were amazing. We had a ball, at good and shared a few last cackles before she moved away! Was I busy this entire week and do I still have unfinished work left to be done BEFORE Monday? YES! Did I want to be on the highway back home before 5AM? YES Dis that happen? NO! But am I so happy to have been able to make one last in person memory with a genuine person who looked out for me? YES.

My sore knees and very tense back, do not compare to sharing in the joy and fellowship with my fellow sister and brothers in Christ.

We gotta remember beloveds, there’s more to life when we open up our hearts to fully embrace ALL he called us to be as believers in him!

Just remember beloveds, there’s room for ALL of us at the table❣️

And it’s nothing but the devil that wants you to think otherwise⚠️

Dearest Gentlest Beloved,

What's your morning routine? Do you snooze your alarm several times before your feet hit the floor? Or are you up and ready to take on the day at the first sound of the buzzer in the morning. Do you think to pray?

Personally, I like to take my time in the mornings. I like to get up, play some soothing music, cook breakfast if I want, and even stop and get a cup of four dollar coffee, I know I don't need. Sometimes the best part of our morning are those little things we think we don't need.

It took years for me to realize the type of morning routine that worked best for me. After spending my college years staying up late and dashing out the door with yesterday's mascara, I realized early on that as a free very adult woman, I needed to put myself on some sort of schedule if I was to successfully navigate the grown-up world.

And I needed to figure out how to navigate it as just that, a Grown-up.

Many of us go through the same growing pains in our twenties and well into late adulthood. We are painfully morphing from one stage of life as these misguided adolescents to functioning young adults in society, in what feel like a blink of an eye. There is so many things happening during the in-between time, we often do not where we're going and too often we forget where we've been. We let the past hurts and trauma's keep us tethered to some of the most confusing times in our lives. We forget to grow from it and then glow from it.

Yeah, that's right, your twenties are for growing and glowing so the next part can be even better. Whether you started your family young or entered a career you are now questioning. Heck, whether you're in your twenties or not, grab your decade by the reigns and say from this day forward I am taking back my control. I am living life one step at a time because that is what I am given. One step, one moment, one thing at a time.

And even if you haven't figured out where you're going, learn to nurture that inner child, always. At the end of the day you're doing all this for them anyway so rediscover the simple things that make you happy and DO IT! Accept your past for all it taught you and most importantly be kind to yourself and others when you make mistakes.

If it's too late today, when you wake up tomorrow speak life and positivity into your day. When challenges come, take a deep breath and a time out when needed. When your job is stressing you out, go home and look up some self-care tips. Speak life into your morning beverage and drink up that positivity and let it vibrate through your day.

Say. " Hello, Good Morning, I got this!

Dearest Resplendent Beloveds,

I had the pleasure of attending the Mardi Gras Ball this year, and I must say, a time was had—both in traffic and out! I've only been a couple of times before, and each experience has been enjoyable yet different. However, this year, I placed my expectations elsewhere.

Word on the street was last year, many were disappointed when it came to the dress code and decorum. Even the bargain Dillards in Kenner had a nice display of ball gowns still on the racks late in the season. Thankfully, I can not share the same perspective this year as I was treated to lovely gowns and well-tailored tuxedos. The attendees did not come to disappoint.
After sitting in traffic for nearly three hours and missing what I presume to be the climax of it all, I had forgotten the old hop to the Westbank to get back over, trick. Nevertheless, we arrived shortly after 1 AM, and I truly enjoyed the remaining time. Wreckx-n-Effect played many hits, keeping the night rolling just fine. However, I hear that Miss Kerry Baby left something to be desired, but since I missed her entire two-minute set, who am I to judge the validity of what the people experienced?
I drank, I laughed, I danced, and I used the bathroom multiple times—if you know, you know! And can I just take a moment to highlight the line dance culture in the Black community? It is Black History Month, after all! It has been a fantastic and uplifting movement. I’d much rather go to a party and line dance all night than visit a club and lose my hearing to the bass in the beat. While that comment may reveal my age, I am very grateful for the chance to experience the joy surrounding me during Carnival for reasons beyond just getting dressed up and dancing.
Though I haven't been attending for many years, I can see a positive need being filled from a mile away. It’s nice to have a place to go out and wear something better than just your Sunday best. Right? It feels good to go the extra mile, not just for the dress code but for the joy it brings to you on the inside, looking at God’s masterpiece. There are many negative things in the news surrounding race and recent changes to affirmative action, but celebrating Black joy, peace, and excellence is newsworthy, too.
Don’t get me wrong; many people dress up to attend these balls with less-than-pleasant hearts and attitudes. But this entry isn’t about changing the hearts of men; it’s about celebrating the opportunity for the vast majority of the others who actually want to come together and celebrate joy and Black excellence, all in one place for one night.

As a sentimental author, I encourage my readers to find joy in the simpler things whenever possible. One of the most enjoyable moments of the night occurred as I was walking out to the car. A group of girlfriends bumped into each other and began singing in unison, “He Proposed” by Kelly Price. Not a man in sight, on one knee and these women were singing anyway. Wouldn’t you know it? We had been at that ball all night, and suddenly it was Valentine's Day! I could hear them singing loudly and clearly until we turned to get in the car. I played the song all the way home and for a moment, I believed in the love of Valentine’s Day, whether I had one or not. So, Thank you, ladies, for reminding me of that simple joy. May my girlfriends and I enjoy similar banter and laughter this weekend as we partake in one of our rare girls' night out reunions.
And to you Beloved, whether you went to the ball alone or with friends, whether you have a special someone or not, who says you can’t enjoy Valentine’s Day when the clock strikes midnight? Being alive is the special occasion to tackle any task on your to-do list or even indulge in a little something sweet that brings you joy and makes you smile—by yourself, with someone, or hopefully not with the wrong one. You get one more day to wake up and find joy in it. So, whether you braved three-hour traffic in a ball gown, missed most of the headliners, or barely made it in time to sweat your wig out.
Remember to get up anyway, go anyway, call back anyway, and find joy in the simple things.

Dear Beloveds,

I hate to say it, but after my brief social experiment, I’ve come to the conclusion that the issue with social media stems from MEN and/or following random men and women without any real purpose.

Let me explain: I’m not referring to just men as a whole. My concern lies in the fact that if you've been on social media since its inception, you likely started by following people from your middle school to college—friends from camps, jobs, clubs, and other local connections. Boys and girls mingled in these groups, and many people formed connections they were able to maintain through socials.

However, at some point, social media shifted. We began following people who weren't fully showcasing themselves, and as the platforms evolved, the reasons we initially connected started to change rapidly.

I found myself connected to, for example, boys who had grown into men I wouldn't even consider being friends with today and that’s just real talk. If the men they evolved into resembled the boys we once knew, perhaps it would be different. But many people have changed, using social media for intrusive and calculated reasons instead of genuine connection.

What once was a way to connect across distances and through time has now transformed into something quite different. I was ready to follow the girls from summer camp into adulthood, navigating the good, the bad, and the ugly together. What I didn’t anticipate was an unspoken games and calculated attackers many people now use their socials to play.

I was not prepared for the guy I met once at a career fair in high school to grow into a man who openly bashes women on social media—not as a thought-provoking piece, but with pure ignorance and chaos. Cause who doesn’t like a little battle of the sexes convo but some of but my timeline just began looking like vomit of chaos, hurt and confusion.

Then comes the guilt of unfollowing people on some accounts and not others, or the awkwardness of seeing them in public after you’ve unfollowed them—whether it’s women unfollowing men or women unfollowing other women. It may just be me but that’s always been a -ick thing about it to me.

The point is that the rules and the purpose of social media has changed so rapidly that I don't think most of us can keep up with them. We were meant to know the characters that people grew into as adults. I don’t believe my God intended for me to connect with so many men and women who aren’t sources of inspiration or personal connections—friends, family, or loved ones.

When we decided on personal public identities for ourselves, your followers shouldn’t have been forced to become your fans. There should have always been separation or a duality of some sort. But then again we were given so much power inside of these little rectangular devices with no real guidance or manual that I am never surprised at how far social media goes to prove it wants to be known as an idol real bad!

Dearest Beloveds, The issue with dating in 2026 is that we’re just not all on the same page. If you’re a woman who grew up in the '90s like me, your mom probably gave you the same advice: “Your husband should be like your best friend.” And I don’t know about you, but my best friend and I have truly been through it all. I mean, we really got it out of the mud and had a blast doing it! Yes, i’ve ran into few men who are down for a similar ride.

Meanwhile, I can’t help but imagine that today’s men are telling their sons that their wives should be trophies—that they should showcase who they can achieve after all their hard work and dedication. They’re starting families with women who would rather create a broken home than support their dreams or fulfilling purpose. Yes, both men and women have it wrong. Many men want the dream house and the ideal wife while dismissing the good women who genuinely try to elevate them along the way. They leave behind women to settle for partners who build shelves that can’t even hold the weight of what they’re worth. Conversely, many women seek men who are already being validated by the world. Yes, ladies, we too are entangled with having our priorities mixed up.

You see, there are weak men who create shelves for their future wives to sit upon, but they use weak materials—like plywood instead of solid maple. Through no fault of their own, they use what is available and the tools they have at hand. However, these poorly constructed shelves can fit many good women, but the weight of who they truly are will cause them to collapse under pressure. These are the relationships where you'll end up spending a lifetime feeling lucky to have a person but not YOUR person.
Then there are stronger men who build sturdier frames for their future queens. And you think, good women can surely fit on these, but too often, they are not placed upon them. My theory is that these types of men tend to believe that well-made trophies can fit on well-made shelves, but so can weaker ones. The difference is that it’s much easier to throw away cheaply made trophies and replace them without guilt than to explain why you’re getting rid of the old, well-made, and well-deserved ones.

Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Conservation of Energy tells us that energy is never wasted; it is only transformed or transferred from one form to another. So whether you’re in a relationship where you give more than you receive or vice versa, I urge you, beloved, to reevaluate how you show up in your most intimate relationships. Fellowship is a blessing from the Almighty, and we ought to do a better job of communing with one another.

No one was meant to strive for and seek only perfection—that's God's job. You were meant to get it out of the mud and find a partner worth doing so with. There is so much beauty in the struggle that we often miss while trying to chase a more presentable version for social media. So, men, stop looking for wives who are merely accessories to the life you’ve already built. And women, stop settling; wait for the right type of commitment where you feel genuinely supported.