National Women’s History Month: The 3 Leading Women in My Life
4 Generations of Life, Wisdom, and Game-Changers
Happy Women’s History Month, my friends. I have been blessed with trailblazing, courageous, positive women in my history, past, and present. I admire these women for their tenacity, daring to challenge the status quo. How could I give any less than my best when God blesses me with His BEST?!
I write to you with a full heart this week as I reminisce about 3 instrumental souls who made me what I am today.
Lucille McGhee
My grandmother Lucille lived a full life before she went home to the Lord on March 4th of 2013. She was a fox and force to be reckoned with. She worked hard, she loved hard, she disciplined…well. Even from heaven, I still have the “Fear of the Lord” she put in me.
I miss whenever I would call her, she would always say, “Hey, Sweet Sugar.” I miss that. I miss our long discussions about the bible. She was my forever encourager.
Her legacy still lives on as she raised equally strong women. She believed in being self-sufficient and having something to bring to the table. She taught us to NEVER come to the table empty-handed. All the same, if you took a seat at her table, you better not have left empty-handed. Dishes don’t clean themselves.
Also, she was a sensational cook. I always wanted to eat her cooking, and no one could ever top it, in my opinion. Many have tried. Many have failed. Her mac n cheese could unite nations. She promised to come back from the grave and take me with her if I ever shared the recipe.
They don’t make them like her anymore. I am honored and blessed to have known her and to have her blood running through my veins.
Senazha Bonaparte
My mother. My nana’s only daughter. To me, she was beauty personified. She was a stunning, no-nonsense person inside and out. Her vibrance was infectious.
She taught me the value of being an entrepreneur and that hard work, a dream, and passion will get you far in life. I inherited her hard-earned work ethic. She created, planned, and promoted local concerts, giving artists a platform to showcase their talent. I will never forget the long days she dragged me in toe to put flyers on cars in parking lots, do door-to-door promotions and hand out brochures to drum up morale for her events. At the time, I dreaded these days, but in hindsight, they were the stepping stones that branded me as an entrepreneur.
She stressed the importance of always being a lady in whatever I did but being a lady never meant being a doormat or settling for being overlooked. Humility would never equate to weakness.
She cherished people. She lived a life serving people in all that she did. She was definitely a giver. She lived by two sayings: “I am too blessed to be stressed” and “This too shall pass.” I believe mindset has so much influence over life’s outcomes, and she was living proof. At our darkest times in life, she was still an optimist. I know that got us through some unimaginable times.
She loved the Lord and her family. She loved as much as she lived. I am grateful to have known her, to be taught by her, and to be able to call her mother.
Divine Bunch
The last woman who continues to inspire me is my only daughter, Divine. She is such an integral part of the woman I am today. Her qualifications of inspiration leave me in awe.
She is more resilient than most will ever know. Her smile reveals and conceals so much. She has had a very full life, and she hasn’t even hit 22 yet. She has bounced back from every adversity, and she has done so with style and grace. She has and continues to rebound, then confounds, and SILENCES all of her naysayers.
She is spiritually grounded, allowing God to speak and move faithfully in her life. She craves to know Him in a logical and emotional sense.
She is thoughtful. Although execution may not always be there, her heart is ALWAYS in the right place. Those little butterflies and squirrels get us every time! It’s the life of a dreamy creative.
She has a mind of her own. She weighs counsel and then makes the executive decision that she believes will serve her and those around her best. She is my voice of reason when emotions take over.
My child is an outstanding friend. I could not have asked for a better one. My kids know we are not and cannot be friends until you move out of my house and pay your own bills. Divine has done that and so much more. And the fact that she has followed in my footsteps and wanted to become a successful entrepreneur warms my heart, bringing me so much joy.
Like her father, she is outrageously hilarious. I would be remiss if I didn’t add how much humor and light she brings into my life and all of those she encounters. I love our inside jokes and the facial expressions that need no captions. She is my sunshine!
Her uphill battle to get to where she is is such an inspiration to me. Her grandparents, great grandparents, and dad would be SOOOOOO PROUD!
As a woman raised to be strong and independent, I had to figure out how to navigate that mindset going into marriage. I share more about this experience in my book Wife to Be: A Survivor’s Guide.
Who are the women that inspire you? I am opening up about more influential women in my life on Facebook and Instagram this month. Join our email community to stay connected and receive weekly lifestyle health and wellness tips.
Stay empowered and inspired.
Bringing the family back to the table,
