When I was 12 and a little less than carefree I had big dreams. I wanted to be a writer and a magazine owner. That fashion magazine would be for black girls like me, fun and funky and for those who wanted to talk about black girl issues, like what to do with kinky hair and when, if ever, we should shave our legs. I had these big dreams because I had great parents who encouraged me to dream and I had Whitney Houston.
She was the first black girl I saw grace the pages of Seventeen and she did so more than a few times. When I saw her I knew there could be space for me, that I wouldn’t have to push as hard to make it into a business that focused little on girls like me. Though Whitney Houston was a great singer, my memory of her is of a fashion-industry barrier breaker and seeing her giving me the courage to do the same.
As the world mourns the of death Houston, this woman so often called a strong black woman who wrestled with many issues, probably some we will never know, I wonder who Houston had to encourage her. I wonder was the pressure of all her ‘firsts’ just too great for her that she had such a hard time seeing and trusting the God who made those firsts possible. Though gospel singer Kirk Franklin tweeted that he “knew” fame killed Houston, we may never know. But what I want us to remember as we are teaching our children to be excellent in Christ is that our children need our constant encouragement so that even before their excellence manifests they have something to hold on to when their trouble comes. Let us do whatever the Holy Spirit leads us to do to help our children remain hopeful in the midst of their disappointment, in the midst of their trials and pain. I am thankful that we have a God who is there to give us the guidance that we need. Read more about encouraging our children in my latest EEW article.
My One Thousand Gifts List
#441-450
Swinging with Justus
Hearing Justus say “wee” as I pushed him in the swing
Flynn hearing my heart about him needing to cut out something in ministry
A full, informative blog post
A half hour nap
Being on a guest list
Seeing all black women in the Black Women Rock band
Not having to hear anyone call me and enjoying being alone at the concert
Sharing my faith comfortably at a gathering with several non-Christians
Connecting with an artist and seeing her joy at receiving my First Year of Motherhood book
