We all had our plans of what we wanted to be when we grew up or at least most of us did. Some still don't know. Boys wanted to be the next NFL star and girls wanted to be Cinderella (a princess) or a mommy. That was my childhood at least. My brother Beck was going to be the next Superbowl quarterback and I was going to be Miss America. Not quite sure what my oldest brother wanted to be. The only stories I ever heard from my parents about my oldest brother was the fact that he wanted to be big. Not some big shot but just plain BIG. This one actually came true. For those of you that know my oldest brother, Robert Charles Jr., but don't know him from childhood, he was skinny!! Tall and skinny. So naturally, he wanted to be big. And that's what he became, BIG.
Those that know my brother Beck from childhood know that he had all the potential to be the next Super Bowl quarterback but knee injuries ended his career. It was devastating for us all. But we could have never imagined what God had in store for him. I'd much rather watch my brother preach than throw a ball. God's plan was much bigger than his.
Now let's get to my dream. What I wanted to be when I grew up. Miss America. It wasn't as crazy as me wanting to go to the moon so throughout my childhood, my parents helped prepare me to reach my dream. I was on the right path. I learned how to play the piano. I had modeling lessons. I started pageants to teach me more about the pageant world. I finally reached one of my dreams and that was to be crowned Miss Cinderella. What little girl doesn't want to be called Cinderella? I had one of the best years as I traveled with my Cinderella sisters but after that year, I quit. I was tired. I wanted to have a "normal" freshman year of high-school. I wanted to cheer and run track, not practice the piano. So for several years, that's what I did. I lived my high-school years cheering and running track. Those were four wonderful years but after I graduated high-school, my desire to compete for Miss America came back stronger than ever. I fought it for years but after college graduation and a career that led me to a former Miss LA, Melissa Clark, that worked with me at The Fletcher Group. I knew I had one shot at my dream so I had to go for it. No holding back. All out and all in. I did not capture the title of Miss LA which meant there would never be a chance at Miss America. But I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Something about going for your dream when odds are against you define character you didn't even know you had.
And that's it. That's where it all ended or should I say the rest didn't go as planned. I'm not going to share my testimony at this time but as most of you know, I am a single mom to a 7 year old little boy. As a child, my dream wasn't to become a mommy but Miss America. I never thought about being a mom. It still amazes me that I have a child. Someone actually calls me mom. I didn't have a fairytale wedding where my dad walked me down the aisle. Sadly, I'll never have my dad walk me down the aisle. But he did walk me down as I competed for Miss LA. And it wasn't all happy tears as my little boy entered this world. Things just didn't go as planned. So what do you do when they don't?
Do you give up? Do you quit? No, you make the best of your situation. You don't place blame. You rise up. You find a fight inside of you that may have never been found had things gone as planned. Life isn't always peachy. Life can break you or make you. So, do you find yourself in life as you planned it or not as planned? My life certainly didn't go as planned but I am making forward progress each and every day. I have been knocked down. I have taken steps backwards but I keep gettin up. I keep taking steps forward and live my life that didn't go as planned.
Don't give up just because your life isn't the glamorous life you always wanted it to be. Share your story. Don't be ashamed or let anyone belittle you when you do share your story. It's yours. Not theirs. You just may be the inspiration someone needs to move forward and let go of what might have been.
Those that know my brother Beck from childhood know that he had all the potential to be the next Super Bowl quarterback but knee injuries ended his career. It was devastating for us all. But we could have never imagined what God had in store for him. I'd much rather watch my brother preach than throw a ball. God's plan was much bigger than his.
Now let's get to my dream. What I wanted to be when I grew up. Miss America. It wasn't as crazy as me wanting to go to the moon so throughout my childhood, my parents helped prepare me to reach my dream. I was on the right path. I learned how to play the piano. I had modeling lessons. I started pageants to teach me more about the pageant world. I finally reached one of my dreams and that was to be crowned Miss Cinderella. What little girl doesn't want to be called Cinderella? I had one of the best years as I traveled with my Cinderella sisters but after that year, I quit. I was tired. I wanted to have a "normal" freshman year of high-school. I wanted to cheer and run track, not practice the piano. So for several years, that's what I did. I lived my high-school years cheering and running track. Those were four wonderful years but after I graduated high-school, my desire to compete for Miss America came back stronger than ever. I fought it for years but after college graduation and a career that led me to a former Miss LA, Melissa Clark, that worked with me at The Fletcher Group. I knew I had one shot at my dream so I had to go for it. No holding back. All out and all in. I did not capture the title of Miss LA which meant there would never be a chance at Miss America. But I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Something about going for your dream when odds are against you define character you didn't even know you had.
And that's it. That's where it all ended or should I say the rest didn't go as planned. I'm not going to share my testimony at this time but as most of you know, I am a single mom to a 7 year old little boy. As a child, my dream wasn't to become a mommy but Miss America. I never thought about being a mom. It still amazes me that I have a child. Someone actually calls me mom. I didn't have a fairytale wedding where my dad walked me down the aisle. Sadly, I'll never have my dad walk me down the aisle. But he did walk me down as I competed for Miss LA. And it wasn't all happy tears as my little boy entered this world. Things just didn't go as planned. So what do you do when they don't?
Don't give up just because your life isn't the glamorous life you always wanted it to be. Share your story. Don't be ashamed or let anyone belittle you when you do share your story. It's yours. Not theirs. You just may be the inspiration someone needs to move forward and let go of what might have been.
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