Be Phenomenal

There are two Maya Angelou poems that stick out from my chidhood, "And Still I Rise" and "Phenomenal Woman." I know that when I read those words, I believed her. I knew the "Pulse of the Morning," and why the caged bird sings. Maya's words made me think that I could be more than my circumstances. She made me love my big lips. She made me celebrate my queendom, I had yet to discover. She taught me that I was a phenom. Sometimes, we need to be reminded that we are phenomenal. We are wives. We are mothers. We are teachers. We are friends. We are encouragers. We are nurturers. We are phenomenal women. Fix your crown, sis! Be phenomenal!

Mother!

I assure you this is not about the psychological horror film written and directed by Darren Aronofsky. I am sure some of you would describe motherhood as a psychological horror. I can admit that I have compared childbirth to scenes from the Alien franchise. I have daydreamed about my own nuclear family. However, as God would have it, I became a mother. No, I am not pregnant. I willingly chose to love, care, protect and nurture two little girls. I willingly chose to be present in their lives. Motherhood is a choice to be present even when all parties involved don't make the same choice. I am a mother. Many of you are mothers. Motherhood is defined by presence not presents. Its definition is not always nuclear. Sometimes, it's blended. Sometimes, it's mended. Sometimes, it's complicated. Regardless, it doesn't negate the fact that you are a mother.