And The Award Goes To...

Sometimes in life you just have to think... if I won an Academy Award or an Oscar what would my acceptance speech be.  Who would I thank?  What would I say?  When you think about this, it's a really great opportunity to embed yourself in a moment of thanksgiving.  Who are the people in your life who've helped you get to this very moment right now?  What sacrifices did they make for you so that you could be all that you can be?  What did they do to empower you, mentor you, support you, help you; so that you can have this exact moment of your shining glory of getting in a car that has gasoline, kissing your kids goodbye before school or even putting make-up on at your vanity… These are moments of shining glory and although we dismiss them as mundane, forgettable tasks, someone helped you make it here.  Don’t forget that or take that lightly.  

I encourage everyone to write an acceptance speech and just think about all of the things that have happened to you in the past that have provided you the opportunity of “right now”. 

Well here's my speech…

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• First and foremost, I would like to thank the creator of all things good and bad; for the beauty I've been able to witness and for the personal disappointments that I have been able to overcome that taught me to appreciate all things in life.  
  
• I would like to thank my children... each one, for choosing me to be their mother and spiritual guide. Allowing me to be their comforter, their keeper, and their provider as they maneuver on this Earth.   
  
• I'd like to thank my own mother who did everything possible to make sure that my childhood was filled with enriching, empowering and confidence building experiences to help me to actualize and become the woman and mother I am today. 
  
• I'd like to thank my children's father who continually provides his support as a loving father and partner as we raise children in the 21st century.  Thank you for thinking of me and loving me and loving our children enough to put our differences aside. 
  
• I'd like to thank every teacher, every athletic coach, every adult mentor I've ever had, whose guidance pushed me to think about my journey through knowledge and education in a positive way. 
  
• I'd like to thank the generations of black women who came before me, whether related to me or not, who endured America and this world so that I may live in a moment where I could be the person that I am today. Without their lives and their sacrifices and their perseverance, I would not be able to feel as empowered as I am in this moment or feel as though I could proudly stand up for women who look like me. 
  
• And finally, thank you- all of my friends and supporters and family members that I did not mention by name. It is because of your emotional connections that I have been able to feel confident and feel love and support and feel whole and feel human. I thoroughly appreciate all of the bonds that I experience and take none of them for granted.
  

So that would be my acceptance speech.  What would yours say?  Please share in the comments I'd love to know who you would thank if you won a large achievement award or an Oscar or an Academy award.

In all things, remember to be mindful of the blessings that have come from your personal experience. Whether positive or negative or somewhere in between, everything works together so that we may self-actualize and become the person we are destined to be.