It’s a new year, a new month, and the start of new opportunities. It’s February the second month of the year and the month we nationally celebrate Black history. At the end of 2020 I realized that I accomplished everything I wrote, envisioned, and dreamed of. Even during a pandemic I got promoted as Breastfeeding Coordinator in June, hosted and moderated my first virtual World Breastfeeding week and Black Breastfeeding week in August, sat to take my exam to become an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in September and officially became the first Black non-nurse IBCLC in my hometown in December of 2020!  I may be the first but I will not be the last (In my Kamala Harris voice). Although I have accomplished a lot I can’t forget the road that it took to get me there. Early 2020 we were hit with a deadly virus that is still here as we are creating this new norm that seems to have placed an imprint in everyone’s life. Everything is now virtual and we have to reach one via telephone, video call, and social media apps in order to teach one. I myself have been working on new projects and educational tools that will help me to continue to stay relevant in my field of lactation. Its important to me that I continue to learn and teach others what I have been promoting, supporting and advocating for throughout the years.

I give kudos to my mentors, colleagues, friends and family because I wouldn’t have been able to achieve all that I had last year without them. I had to continue to study, listen to, write reports and emails, talk to higher ups in companies that I worked with and had to stay encouraged during this process of finding out news of promotion and exam results. I never gave up and kept my head held high even when I could have crumbled and failed. While in prayer Jesus continued to speak words of encouragement like “You’re Next”, “It’s You’re time”, “Be Encouraged”, “The favor is on you”, and “Put your trust in me”. I constantly gave God praise and thanks for every small and big goals that I achieved.  I was grateful and continued to bless God for blessing me!

“Wait on the Lord: Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord! Psalms 27:14