A Note to my younger self!

As I reminiscence about turning older, I'm left with a few things on my mind. I see you staring back at me in the mirror, sometimes I recognize you and other times you look different. If I knew then what I know now I would have been more loving, less stressed out and so much more than I am today. All through it, I still appreciate you, your struggles and yes your accomplishments, coming from Africa to the land of opportunities. I thank you for your tenacity, your persistence, your passion and compassion, your shy and somewhat innocent way about you and I am so very proud of you. I'm grateful for the monumental steps you've made as a human being and in your life, your loving character, always thinking the best of people, and wanting nothing for yourself but the best for others. I admire the woman you are today, a little more of you but none the less I admire everything about you and I thank you for your honesty, your love of God, family, friends and yourself, your appreciation for the arts, music and dance, particularly Salsa and yes food, especially Liberian food, my native land, Oh how I miss you so! I thank God for my family, friends, work family and you reading this, last but particularly I'm so very grateful to my parents for bringing me into this world, your love is forever lasting. I've lived, I've loved and I've enjoyed it all, and I would say to myself now, laugh more, dance more, celebrate the little things and enjoy everyday like it's your last. So Happy Birthday Toni, Antoinette, Ms. Essa......you've become an amazing, respectable and loving woman, and I LOVE YOU!. So as you turn the clock I wish you lots of love and happiness and I salute you, Happy Birthday Antoinette, may you never grow old in spirit! Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away!