Meet The Graduate

I can't believe I am a mother of a high school graduate. Today marks another milestone. My beautiful daughter Tereya graduated from Cobble Hill School of American Studies and will be attending Brooklyn College in the Fall. She stumbled a long the way, but she never let it deter her. She worked harder and stayed focused on her goals. Tereya is a very smart, optimistic, caring and occasionally sweet young lady. She is one of two of  the best things that has ever happened to me. I am very proud of her. I remember the day I found out I was pregnant with her.  I was in such disbelief. I continued to ask the doctor "are you sure"? He replied, "Yes, I am sure. You are part of the 1 percent population. This baby was meant to be here". He was right. She was meant to be here. I thank God everyday for choosing me to be her mother. She (and her sister) changed my life for the better.

I recall her first day of her educational journey. It was her first day at Kiddie Kollege Preschool. She was excited to attend school but she was not interested in making friends. Tereya interacted with other children, but she was not very sociable. At a young age, acquiring several friends was not her main focus. To this day, that has not changed. Unfortunately, Kiddie Kollege Preschool required all the children to wear uniforms which consisted of  a white shirt and gray dress, skirt or pants and black shoes.  At 3 years old, she was full of determination.
Getting her dressed everyday for the first month was a task.
She loved her clothing. She had her own swag and she was not happy about wearing a uniform.

Yesss. It's Over.

She loved books. She loved it when I or someone else read her a story.  She loved it even more when she learned to read. She read books in all genres. Today she still has a passion for reading. As Tereya embarks on this new journey, my wish for her is to have a joyous and happy life filled with love, friendships (new and old) and adventures. There is no doubt that she will face some cruel and evil people in this world, but my advice to her would be the following:

• Keep God first in your life.
• Develop and or maintain a prayerful life.
• Your opinion of you is what matters most, everyone else is irrelevant.
• Be aware of who you call your friends.
• Enjoy every moment of your life and do what makes you happy.
• ALWAYS respect yourself and others.
• DO NOT let fear of the unknown keep you stagnate.
• ALWAYS surround yourself around positive people.
• Do not let people or circumstances define you.
• Discover your purpose.
• Walk in your purpose.

You did it Tinkerbell and sky is the limit. 

Do not be afraid. Do not allow fear to keep you stagnate. Audrey Hepburn said it best,"Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'! You have dreams, goals and a plan. Hold onto them and never let go. Never stop dreaming and never stop setting and achieving goal. Make your mark on the world and make a difference in someone else life along the way. I love you and I am so proud of the young woman you are becoming.