Hellooooo.....guys, I know you think I have totally forgotten you; never! June and July were some busy months, but never once did I not think about you and our connection that we have. So, with that being said, how is every one's summer going thus far? Have you been on vacation yet? Have you had a chance to make it to a beach or pool? How many family reunions have you gone to. Have you had the chance to read Reflections66 (I know..shameless plug...lol!!). But seriously, have you had a chance to read it. You guys know I can't write without putting a little humor in.
Well, if you have read over this blog, you know that Exquisite Diamonds (my business) had its first conference. Guys, can I tell you; it was work - but the ED team pulled it off. Which is another thing; it is very important to have a good team, and I surely appreciated mine.
The conference was held on Saturday, July 30th and it was a success. From the speakers, to vendors, to the mini makeovers (hair/nails/make-up); it was phenomenal. Although I was all over the place until my son told me to have a seat somewhere, I was in awe. Sometimes when you have a vision, you often wonder how it's going to pan out. Well, the Lord took it beyond what I saw (but that's how He does things - isn't).
As women; young and old, we came together in the spirit of sisterhood and celebration. No one cared about all the other things women have a tendency to focus in on when in the company of each other. You know what things I'm talking about: who is she, look at her outfit, what kind of car she drive, what do you know about her, etc - all of the things that separate and bind us from being our sister's keeper. Things that make us envious and jealous of each other before even getting to know a person, properly. That kind of mentality has, and continues to plague us as women. But at the conference, our sisters; black and white, celebrated each other with open arms. We danced, we cried, we hugged, and we laughed. My heart was overwhelmed - I loved it.
For anyone that understands me; I am one who is always observing. It took me a week to process and dissect every part of what happened on last Saturday. And although the ED Team and I received many positive comments and feedback (thank you to everyone who shared), as the owner of Exquisite Diamonds, this is what I saw:
Exquisite Diamonds are among us every day, but they just don't know it. The Exquisite Diamonds that I observed on Saturday, were the women who were vendors talking and sharing about their products and businesses. They were the Liz Adams - a woman who sacrificed celebrating her birthday to bring a group of young ladies out to the event because she cared about them more then they understood themselves. It is the Director of the Eastern Shore Pregnancy Center (Mrs. Jacquelyn Seldon), who opens her heart up to young expectant teens. It was the young ladies from the Beauty Academy who came and enhanced the beauty of a group of single mothers by doing their hair and nails. It was Ms. Alicia Dennis, the Mary Kay Consultant who added the finishing touches to those young single mothers after the Beauty Academy were done their part. It was the two Oncology Nurses who came and took blood pressures and who made energy flags (thank you Marti Ellis) that we waved in the air as we shook our groove thing to the music that was played (thank you Tyshon Smith) and that represented breast cancer, because I had shared with Marti prior to, that one of my friends (Tanshelle) had just been diagnosed. The Exquisite Diamond is the young single mom, LaToya Johnson who just started an organization called Single Moms on a Mission aka SMOM. It was our Mistress of Ceremony (Ms. Savasti Brown) who always says, "I'm about two things: Business and Babies. My business has to be straight in order to take care of my babies." Amen sister! It was my best friend from Philly (Marcella Tinsley) who too, is a single mom working two jobs just to put her daughter through college who come this year (2012) will be graduating in May. The Exquisite Diamond is Ms. Stephanie Milbourne, a mother of three and my cousin, who no matter what I do, is always there to keep me straight personally and professionally. The Exquisite Diamond is my friend (Deja Bell-Johnson) who came all the way down, she and her husband at the very end of the conference to show their support, because she gave me her word that she would. The Exquisite Diamond is my friend (Sheila Dunn) owner of Treasured Moments who sowed into the vision because she believed in it. The Exquisite Diamonds were the speakers (Dale Reddish, Joyce Farrare, Sara Miller and Jacquelyn Seldon) who all had a story to share that enlightened, motivated, inspired and encouraged us to continue to shine brightly mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. It is the ones, whether far or near, that prayed and sent their love and positive energy to us. It was the ones who faces and spirits glowed in the presence of each other as they took in what was going on around them. It is the woman who did not want to be mentioned that donated bags and lotion and shampoo, for the cause. Ahh yes, they are the Exquisite Ones. I can still feel their spirits just typing this.
So you see, Exquisite Diamonds is not something where you have to be all deep and stuck up or super important with multiple titles behind or in front of your name in order to shine brightly. All you have to know, is your worth. What I observed in that conference is: Exquisite Diamonds are your every day people, who sometime get noticed and sometime don't, who are just trying to do the very best they can with what they have been gifted with, to live the abundant life that God has blessed them with. Some understand their exquisiteness, and some don't. And for those who don't yet; well, that's where we will come in to guide and direct until they can see if for themselves.
Final word - I was glad to connect with other Diamonds last weekend. We made a light so bright that even the help of the facility in which we held the conference had to take notice. It was truly an "Exquisite Affair".
Normally, I would end this by saying peace & love...but today, I'm going to end it by saying,
Shine brightly Exquisite Ones...
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