What Is Held

Postcard #1

Apr 01, 2026

Celebrating my 34th birthday in Charleston, SC - MLK Weekend 2026

“Yall should come in and check out the hotel, it’s really something” said the staff member of said hotel, a black man. Outside of the soul food restaurant and MLK day my friend and I probably crossed paths with maybe 10 black people the whole time there. When he saw two black girls walking past he wanted us to see the beauty. We hesitated at first saying maybe we will stop in on our way back from visiting the Charleston City Market (slaves were sold there), knowing damn well we wouldn’t. I even had a thought overcome me that I was underdressed since we came straight from the airport and our room at our hotel was not ready. With our luggage stowed away at our hotel we went out to have lunch and explore. After just a brief moment of pause we decided to take him up on his welcoming offer. We entered and were greeted by this enormous chandelier, the most perfect blue stairs, and yellow flowers on a table in the center. We belong in every room. I’ll say that again so it really sticks, we belong in every room. I’m saying this for you and especially to myself. I shared this quote with my cohort of health and wellness coaching classmates and one of them took that to her coworkers and they all put a post it of the quote up in their work spaces or homes.

Post It of the quote and my name in the space of someone I’ve never met in person

Your legacy is happening now. It’s the impact you make on someone and the wisdom of yours that they share with their community. I promised myself 2 things a while back. One being that I will travel to a new city at least once a year. Second, I will always celebrate my birthday. Some of you reading this are probably wondering how enjoyable Charleston could of been with the information I’ve shared thus far but it was actually one of the best experiences I’ve had on a birthday when it comes to all the special treatment we received. It showed me that I am worthy of care, consideration, and gifts without trying, for just being me. At our first lunch there our billed was paid for, we went to this souvenir store and they gave us free souvenirs, we returned to the hotel room and there were chocolate covered strawberries and powdered sugar pecans, we met the great Corey Alston and he gifted us with a piece of sweet grass and told us where we should go that night, at said place we were treated to drinks twice and I had the Stevie Wonder version of Happy Birthday (aka the black version) played to me on sax, friends treated us to mimosas, we were all treated to birthday shots to celebrate, I got a free dessert at one of the top dessert cafes, and we experienced a free genealogy class at the International African American museum. I searched for my grandmother who raised me, Gran Gran. She was my best friend and she passed away a day before Thanksgiving last year, that holiday will never be the same, nothing will ever be the same. Her legacy is me and the things she taught me like to go window shopping when I’m down, basically get moving, she believed in me so much and wanted to see me on TV one day. She said just like the seasons change we are supposed to too. One of the last memories she shared with me was her meeting my mother for the first time while she was pregnant with me. She also told me my life is as happy as it will be as it is right now and to not have kids and only get married if the person really really loves me (more on this soon). I am typing this minutes before midnight and April 1st. The same month I was baptized at the age of 14/15, the same month I lost a job one year, and started a new job another year, and was a panelist for a Master’s program in 2024 (I don’t even have a Masters yet), the same month in 2023 I took my grandmother out for brunch, then she went to Target with me, and then she had a cookie that she shouldn’t have had but it was worth it because that was the last time she had enough energy for me to take her out, it’s like she knew. What is held? Every memory, every piece of wisdom, every experience, everything inside my grandmothers, their mothers, and the mothers before them lives inside me too.