It's almost the end of 2016 and I am sitting in a movie theater waiting for "Fences" to start. I am extremely excited because my husband and I had the pleasure of attending the original play twenty nine years ago. I was anxious to compare Denzel Washington to James Earl Jones. Both actors played the same role - "Troy." Both actors were phenomenal!

August Wilson presented his play in 1987. I was already 10 years into my marriage and the mother of two adorable little girls ages 6 and 8. I enjoyed a professional career at that time as well. I guess you could say getting away for a couple of hours alone with my husband was indeed a "date night" back then. And what a "date night" it would be. We lived in Northern Virginia back then and we were going to the Warner Theatre in Washington, DC. I remember being ecstatic over the thought of seeing the great James Earl Jones live! I remember watching his every move and laughing out loud from all the Afrocentric jokes. I remember walking away with a sense of pride for black theater. But!! With all that... I missed the message - at 31 years old I was captivated by the experience and missed the message.

Fast forward twenty nine years later... I am sitting in the theater with my husband and I am mesmerized. I am fixated on Denzel the entire movie. I hung on every word and every response to those words. I sat there thinking how did I miss this the first time?! What was going on in my life that would not allow me to "get this?!" Then I realized nothing prevented me but me... As the youth say today, "I wasn't ready" LOL! I hadn't lived long enough to fully comprehend the gravity nor appreciate the message the way it was intended. But twenty nine years later I can honestly say... I GET IT. I grew up knowing each character. They were my family and neighbors. They were friends of my parents. Raynell could have been the little girl sitting across from me in class. These folks are real and "Fences" gave them life. This time I left the theater wiping my eyes.

"Fences" is a flavorful blend of ingredients that masterfully presents a sweet and savory slice of African American life.

And by the way... I need to build a fence around my property! 😏

The Queen is gone and her loyal subjects have scattered. Each one creating their own vision of a story seen through their eyes only. A story once filled with love and happiness now bears remnants of selfishness and envy. A kingdom once woven so tightly that the tiniest snarl would self-mend.

Alas, the Queen is gone. Her successor has been dethroned. The kingdom has vanished. A revenous void has taken its place. A space overcome with struggle and strife; anger, lies and deceit. A place without light.

My heart yearns for my Queen, but her spirit is with me at all times. I have been enlightened by her wisdom. As a new kingdom emerges, her heirs take their rightful positions to ensure a legacy of loyalty and devotion for generations to come.

A kingdom committed to the God.

Thank you Lord!

I'm still here!

Thank you Lord! Ne'er a tear!

Thank you Lord! My heart has no fear!

Thank you Lord! My vision clear...

Thank you Lord! Your words I hear!

Thank you Lord! Your blessings I bear!

Thank you Lord for all your care...

Thank you Lord.

Good morning America! I recently viewed Fareed Zakaria's CNN presentation: The Barack Obama Legacy. I found it to be fair minded and thought provoking. However, I had a difficult time absorbing the opening comments... Barack Obama was actually not the first African American President of these United States - as he is actually of mixed race... Wait a minute! What the heck! Are you kidding me? Mr. Obama is of African descent, born in America! That qualifies as African American in my book! The way I see it, if one parent is black, regardless of national origin, and the child is born in America - the child is identified as Jewish American; Irish American; Italian American, so forth and so on! Period. When did we start documenting people as "mixed race?" If every American did a DNA swab, how many races would be found? I'd bet we'd all be designated MUTTS! My DNA says I'm 23% European - strong emphasis on Irish! How the heck did that happen?🤔. Every form I've ever filled out requiring race never provided a box for "mixed!" Unfreaking believable! Peace Out America!🙄

I find happiness in blogging. I find release in blogging. Blogging gives me a sense of being heard. I know there are many of us who feel invisible from time to time. So to you a say this. Find yourselves. Express yourselves. Accept yourselves. And finally, share your pain...

I am a mother of two daughters. I am adored by one daughter. She is my greatest joy! But that's another story😏. I am scorned by the other. She is my deepest pain.

Rejection by a child that you have loved and adored all of her life is one of God's greatest mysteries. She is the walking dead to me. She walks the earth but has no part of our lives. After trying over and over for over 10 years, I realized that I am not equipped to change the situation. I realized this was not my battle to fight. I realized I must trust my God and move on.

This is not a unique circumstance. Yet as mothers we are judged and labeled "less than" when our children are crippled by society. Crippled in the sense that while I can proudly say that both my daughters are vital productive members of society, one chooses to turn her back on her entire immediate family.

To all you mothers who have given your hearts to your children, do not despair. Believe in yourselves and let the chips fall where they may. Be grateful and stay humble. If God actually wanted things to be different - they certainly would be.

So don't feed into judgement by others. Stay focused on God. Enjoy his blessings upon you. Again I say... if things were to be different.... they would be. If you have a child that wants nothing to do with you and you raised that child and loved that child all of its life - move on... GOD IS PROTECTING YOU and those who love you!🙏🏾