It's My Five-Year Blogiversary! (Thank you Gift Inside)

Five years ago today, I wrote my first blog post. I had no idea that at this point, half a decade later, I would have written literally hundreds of posts and reached my goal of being a source of encouragement and inspiration for others with similar circumstances. I also didn't even think that I would still be blogging, or even better, that at this point I would have already achieved my lifelong dream of becoming a doctor!

Over the years, I have used my platform to not only share my story, but to let anyone reading know that any goal is possible with passion and perseverance. I started this blog to help others, but what I wasn't expecting was how much I would be inspired and encouraged by all of my amazing readers. From the emails sharing your medical school acceptances and accomplishments to the TSA agent who recognized me and told me he will be applying to medical school next year, you all have brought so much joy to my life. I have smiled with you through the successes, pushed you through the tough times, and I've even shed a few proud tears at some of your stories of medical school acceptances and other accomplishments. You've even managed to encourage and inspire me to keep pushing, which is something I never would have thought would come from this.

So this year, as a thank you, I'm going to do something a little different. Below, you will find a barcode for a $50 Starbucks gift certificate. Please use it to buy ONE small cup of coffee, tea, or hot cocoa (meets the needs of people like me who don't drink coffee). I am posting this early in the morning and will wait a few hours before posting on my social media accounts so that my email subscribers get first dibs since this will probably only be enough for 10-15 people. Please be fair and only use it for one cup, that way as many people as possible can benefit. Just tap on the picture below from your phone to enlarge it, and have the barista scan it at checkout. Super simple :)

To all my followers who have been around since the beginning, thank you for sticking it out with me all these years. For the new followers, I hope you'll continue to follow along on the ride. And to everyone reading this, thank you for allowing me to share my story and for giving me a reason to smile. Wishing you a very blessed and wonderful week ahead!

In Love with Plastic Surgery!

The OR: My Happy Place :-)

So much awesomeness has occurred since my last post, but I could never find the time to sit down and write about it. I’ll try to do a very quick recap for you all, since I have a conference call coming up in less than an hour. In a nutshell, I am getting ready to start week 3 of my plastic surgery rotation tomorrow, and I am absolutely in love with this rotation! There is just so much variety and every last bit of it fascinates me.

All smiles :-)

On the very first day of my rotation, I got the chance to assist on a 5-hour procedure that involved reconstruction of an infected knee. The procedure included everything from wound debridement, muscle flaps, skin grafts, and negative-pressure wound therapy. During my general surgery rotation, I had previously given a presentation on muscle flaps, but I had never actually seen one done in person. It was the coolest thing ever! The surgeon even let me suture up the leg and he allowed me to handle the Bovie (a tool used to cauterize and coagulate tissue), and all this was on my first day! There really is no greater feeling than being able to repair a person, and we did just that.

Nope, that's not a breast implant. It's a butt implant

Other surgeries that I have assisted on have included bilateral brachioplasties (aka arm lifts), breast reductions, breast augmentations, and liposuction. I absolutely love that even with all the swelling, you are able to see immediate results with plastic surgery, and I love being able to help patients transform themselves. There’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing a woman who survived breast cancer and had to have a double mastectomy, cry after a breast reconstruction and augmentation surgery, saying that she can finally feel like a woman again. It’s also pretty cool to see a patient go from having a huge hole in their backside from a pilonidal cyst removal, to looking completely normal again (with the exception of a minor scar). When I was a child, I always loved putting puzzles together, and to me, plastic surgery is all about being able to see the big picture when there are only mixed pieces in front of you. It just makes me so happy!

I will say that surgery is definitely not at all for the weak. The hours are long, and there have been some days where I have gone as long as nine hours standing with no food, drink, or bathroom breaks. I don’t notice it when I’m busy helping, but when I get home my whole body hurts and I am just tired! It’s a good taste of what’s to come during residency though, so hopefully I can build up my tolerance. I am definitely building muscle having to hold up breasts, arms, and legs though, LOL.  

But all-in-all, it’s been a pretty fun rotation and I am happy to be back in the OR. I don’t know why it makes me so happy, but there is just something to be said about working to fix people while jamming to your favorite music, and having interesting conversations with the OR nurses. I know I’ve said it before, but I can definitely see myself becoming a surgeon and having a very happy and fulfilling career.

Getting in the holiday spirit!

But other than that, life continues to be busy and fun as usual. The little one and I finally put up the Christmas tree today, so I’m finally starting to get in the holiday spirit. I also went to see The Hip Hop Nutcracker last weekend, and that was such a fun show. I seriously can’t believe the year is almost over, but I’m definitely looking forward to enjoying the rest of the 2016 holiday season while soaking up as much surgery as I can. Well, my next call is starting in less than five minutes, so until next time! 

Loving my General Surgery Clerkship!

Future Surgeon Happiness :-)

I made it through the first week of my general surgery rotation, and I loved every minute of it! It’s no secret that I’m interested in going into surgery, so that’s probably affecting my judgement, but so far this has been the best experience ever! If it’s true that most medical students change their minds about what specialty they’re interested in once they start rotations, then it’s already looking like I’m going to be one of the inexorable few, but I am thoroughly enjoying every moment of my third year of medical school.

I started my rotation last Monday, and that day was spent attending different orientations, driving around to each hospital I’ve been cleared at and picking up my badges. My preceptor was also out on vacation last week, so we had to plan which surgeons I would be with and so forth for the week, but other than that, my first day wasn’t too bad.

I arrived bright and early the next day, and could definitely tell things would be a lot different from my previous rotation. It was a clinical day and I thought I would be following the surgeons around and just shadowing, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. Patients were already there waiting in exam rooms, and it was my job to go in, take their history, examine any areas of concern, and then come out and present the patients. Luckily, I’m pretty comfortable dealing with patients, so I thought this was pretty fun. I also learned how to go into the computer system to see the cases and patient information since it is expected that I know all of this before the surgeons arrive.

The next three days was where the surgeries started and the real action began. I thought as a medical student I would be stuck outside of the sterile zone observing surgeries, so I was both shocked and excited when I was asked why I hadn’t scrubbed in yet during the very first case. They didn’t have to ask me twice though, as I went right away to put on my scrub gear and tried to remember the proper technique to scrubbing in. The surgeons each let me assist whether it was holding retractors, working the laparoscope camera, blotting away blood, or cutting the suture string, so I definitely felt like a part of the team. They even introduce me to patients as one of their colleagues or doctor, instead of calling me a medical student, so that just makes my soul smile. One of the surgeons even let me suture a patient, which was the highlight of my entire week. My goal is to make at least one incision by the end of the month, no matter how small, so hopefully it will happen. Even the anesthesiologist said that he will teach me how to intubate a patient, so I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to do that this month as well.

Other than that, my first week in general surgery was super fast-paced, but I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. In just a few days I had the chance to see and participate in things such as port placements, inguinal hernia repairs, colonoscopies, upper GI endoscopies with Bravo placements (EGDs), lipoma removals, appendectomies, and crazily enough the list doesn’t even end there. My days were long, but there was so much action that the time just flew by. Also, I was prepared for super hard questions, but so far the questions have not been too bad and I can tell the doctors are really interested in just making sure we learn as opposed to making the students feel dumb.

Today was a lot slower than last week, but I welcomed it. The best part of the day was not having to go in so early this morning which meant I was able to take pictures and see my daughter off to school on her first day of fourth grade. I also had a chance to meet my general surgery preceptor this morning and he is super nice. We spoke for over an hour about what we would be doing this month and just getting to know each other in general. He also assigned a couple of topics that I have to present tomorrow, so I will be spending the rest of the evening reading up on that and getting my talk ready, as well as making sure I am read up on the patients we will have tomorrow. So with that being said, I will get back to work, but I look forward to what the rest of the month has in store, and of course sharing it with you all!

Happy 9th Birthday to My Little Love!

They Grow So Fast! 9 Years old and Awesome!

Hi everybody! It's the last week of the term, and I'm trying to finish strong, but I couldn't end the day without publicly wishing my little love bug a very happy birthday!!!! I seriously can't believe it's been nine years since I gave birth! It is an absolute blessing to have such an amazing, wonderful, beautiful, intelligent, and talented daughter, and not a day goes by that I don't let her know that. Whether it's dealing with my crazy study schedule, letting me slide when I forget things, or being super independent so that I have few issues to worry about, she is my biggest support system and definitely a huge help in this crazy journey. She also makes life super interesting. This morning she walked into my room dancing at 6am, and the first thing she said was "look at the flick of the wrist, it's my birthday!" LOL! She's definitely my child! But anyway, I won't ramble. We had a mini celebration today, but I'm definitely looking forward to celebrating again once this week (and first term, yay!) is finally over. I hope everyone is having a fantastic week :-)

Less Than a Week Until I Start My Second Year of Med School!

One Week to Go Until the 2nd Year of Medical School!

Where has the summer gone?!!!! In less than a week I’ll be starting my second year of medical school, and I’m not ready yet! I also don’t have the finalized class schedule for next week, so I’m still somewhat in a state of denial, LOL. Despite the sadness over my last free summer ending, I am ecstatic that this will be my last year of classroom learning. I seriously cannot wait to start rotations and put all this new knowledge to work. I’ll have to make it through my board exams first though, so I plan on going extra hard with the studying this year and really learning as much as I can in all my classes.

My Daughter and Our New Canine Visitor

In other news, my little one is back home and as happy as can be. I went to pick her up shortly after my last post, and I had a nice relaxing few days at my parents’ house. My mom also somehow managed to convince me to bring back and babysit her dog for a few weeks, so the last week and a half have been very interesting. It’s like having a toddler running around the place! I can’t tell you how many times I have said things like “what is that in your mouth?,” “Why are you crying?,” and “No, I will not pick you up!” Luckily, the dog is two years old and house trained, so I haven’t had to worry about any accidents, but it has oddly reminded me why I only have one child. My nerves are way too bad!

First Day of Third Grade!!!!

That’s pretty much it for now. Despite this being my last free week, it’s already a pretty busy one. I just got back from a meeting, and I have a few more meetings this week with some of the organizations I’m involved in. Plus, SNMA is having a regional conference in Georgia on Saturday that I will be attending, so I guess you can say my free time officially ended last week. So far, the exciting part of this week was yesterday when the little one started her first day of third grade. As you can see above, I just had to take my yearly photo of her :-) It’s crazy how fast time is flying by! I’m definitely not a fan of having to wake up at 6am every day, but judging by how tired I’ve been since yesterday, it will give me a good head start so I can be fully awake and refreshed for classes next week. I’ll be sure to update everyone on how the rest of the week goes, but right now I need to go figure out what to cook for dinner. Until next time!

My Birthday Recap

A Birthday Gift From My Little Love :-)

First, I just have to say thank you for all the birthday love! All the comments and e-mails I received from you guys completely made my day, and I will make sure to respond to every message. I managed to pass both Monday’s and today’s exams, so all the weekend studying was definitely worth it. If you follow me on Instagram (@LSUsweetheart), then you already know that the best moment of my birthday came from my daughter. She not only stayed fairly quiet and out of my way this weekend, but she surprised me while I was studying with lunch and the cutest note ever! It really made me realize how absolutely blessed I am to have a child who is so caring and understanding of my goals. I wouldn’t trade her for the world!!!!

Blessed to be Going through medical school with these amazing people!

After my exam on Monday, I decided that I needed to take a break from afternoon classes, so I headed over to the nail salon for a relaxing mani-pedi. While there, some of my classmates came and surprised me with a cake and roses. I was one happy girl! I’m just convinced that I have some of the best classmates in the world and I am happy to be able to call them family :-)

A mini spa break done right :-)

I was also gifted a spa package from a close friend, so today after my exam (and a little OMM practice), I headed to the spa and received a nice deep tissue massage and facial. It was the perfect end to this week’s exams, and just the start I needed to get back into focus for next week’s exams. It was so relaxing that I didn’t want to leave, and I just loved the cake and sparkling apple cider they gave me at the end.

That’s basically it for my birthday recap. I might not have jumped out of a plane or attempted to do anything crazy this year for my birthday, but the love I felt far exceeds anything fun and spectacular that I could do. I am thankful to be around people who not only support me, but understand my goals, and like I’ve probably said a million times before, I am happy to be fulfilling my dreams even if that does involve some sacrifices. With that being said, there will be two major exams and a practical next week, so I’m not sure if I will have the time to do a pre-med post between now and then, but I wish you all a week as amazing as I know you all are :-)

The Best Moment of 2014

My Favorite Moment in 2014

In 2014, I went skydiving for the first time, explored Mayan ruins in Mexico, said goodbye to Louisiana and hello to Georgia, met the former U.S. Surgeon General, and even got the chance to see Beyoncé perform up close. Nothing compares to this moment right here though...

It’s the last day of 2014, and it has been an amazing year! I posted the above picture and words on my Instagram feed earlier today, but it was too good not to share on the blog. If you’ve managed to keep up with my posts over the past year, then you know that I’ve been a little bit of everywhere and managed to do everything I wanted. Nothing comes close to the day I received my white coat though, as it symbolized everything I had been working for before that point, and everything that I am working towards today. I look forward to everything that 2015 has in store, and I can’t wait to share it all with you guys. I wish everyone reading this a very wonderful and Happy New Year filled with love, happiness, and the conquering of new heights!!!!!

P.S. I’ve been out of town and I’m also a little under the weather at the moment, but to those of you who I promised specific posts to, they will be coming soon!

Getting into the Holiday Spirit!

Microbe Christmas ornaments that speak to my inner nerd

Today I completed my first exam of the term, and it feels so good to finally be over that hurdle. It still trips me out every time the score pops up on the screen immediately after submitting an exam, but with this being the first exam, I wasn’t too upset with my score. I am just happy that I don’t have to worry about practical exams bringing down my average this term. I also feel like this term may be the best one I have this year, mainly because last term was a struggle and next term we start neuro, which has never been my strongest subject.

Our "first" tree!

On another note, it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas! My microbe Christmas ornaments arrived last week, and they made me super happy! Nothing rings in the holiday season better than a Rhinovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, E. coli, neuron, and pretty red amoeba :-) I even bought a tree and decorated it with my daughter on Friday. Usually we’re never home for the holidays, so I’ve never actually bothered to buy a tree, but I decided to be a little different this year. It was a fun experience playing Christmas music and decorating the tree with my little one, although I think she was just in it for the candy canes.

I live for that smile :-)

The best part of last week was when I took a little break from lecture to attend a holiday luncheon at my daughter’s school. The look on her face when she saw me was absolutely priceless! I told her I would attend, but obviously she didn’t believe me, so it was nice being able to “surprise” her. It made me realize that while school and my goals are important, it’s not worth missing opportunities to spend special moments with her. People always say that children grow up so fast, and I’m really beginning to see it. So far, I feel like I’ve made a pretty good effort in balancing motherhood with medical school, but I know the quality times spent with my daughter will become few and far between especially when I start rotations. With that being said, I’ll take advantage of our recorded lectures and make an effort to attend more of her school functions and special moments. Unfortunately, she has a class holiday play next week on the same day I have a mandatory lecture, so hopefully I can convince my professor to let me skip out on the first hour.

I never miss an opportunity to bond with my little one!

Other than that, I have an OMM quiz tomorrow and an exam covering managed patient care on Wednesday that I need to study for, so I probably won’t post again until the end of the week or early next week. As always, I love the comments and e-mails that I get from everyone, and I apologize for not being able to respond as fast as I used to, but I promise I will get to them all. I hope everyone has a fantastic week, and hopefully you all are feeling the holiday spirit as much as I am!

Ready for Week 3!

The Study Grind!

Happy Labor Day! I remember when this day meant sleeping in and good barbeque, but my, oh, my, have things changed! I actually woke up at 6:30 this morning to study, and that’s pretty much what I’ve done the entire day. It was so refreshing to have an extra day to study without any new material, plus by waking up before my daughter, I received the added benefit of interruption-free study time. I still feel like I have so much more to learn, but at least now I feel slightly caught up. They weren’t lying about one week of medical school being comparable to a semester of undergraduate courses, and I have the binder to prove it! I already had to make the switch to a two-inch binder for my lecture notes alone, and if it weren’t for the fact that my lectures notes are printed four slides to a page front and back, I would probably need a larger one. Oddly enough though, I feel completely in my element and I am happy with the workload so far. It’s not easy, and it’s definitely exhausting, but I just love learning material that is geared towards my dreams. Plus, learning about the human body, clinical correlations, and everything else that comes with it really excites me! Whether good or bad, this is all just one big process to get me to where I want to be, so I’m embracing it all.

Mother-Daughter Selfie Time!

On another note, I stayed true to my “study-free Sunday” rule and had the chance to attend my little brother’s wedding yesterday. It was great being able to see friends and family that I hadn’t seen in years, and my daughter had a good time as well. I know down the road that school will probably get in the way of attending weddings and other big milestones, so I feel very blessed that I was given the opportunity to do so this time. Plus, I was happy to get dolled up, because studying has made me feel extra frumpy lately, LOL.

Anyway, this week I have an exam on Tuesday in epidemiology and then I will be studying my butt off (in addition to attending classes) for my SPOM exam next week. I’ll have to go into what exactly that is on another post later, but if you don’t hear from me until later next week, just know that is the reason why. Things are starting to get real, so please pray for me!

Ready for the week ahead (Model Style!)

Enjoying Family, Fun, and Stress-Free Living before Med School!

There are only a couple more weeks to go before orientation, and I am leaving no stone unturned in the relaxation/fun department! The number one priority this past week and next is making sure my daughter gets to enjoy her final days of summer, since she only has one more full week to go until she starts school, and I think this weekend was yet another success :-)

I'm not an alcoholic, I promise LOL!

On Friday, I had the chance to meet with one of my future classmates who is a parent as well. We found this really cool in-door playground place not too far from our homes and brought the kids along to have some fun. It was a win-win situation for everybody! Our kids got to play and tire themselves out for the night, and we got a chance to socialize and get to know each other. Outside of the school’s brief meet-and-greet, I had not met any of my classmates yet, so it was really nice being able to chat with someone who will literally be in the same shoes as myself for the next four years. The best part of the day though was a visit from one of my sisters. She drove in all the way from Louisiana AND brought me a daiquiri! To say I was happy was an understatement, LOL!

She loved the Georgia Aquarium!

On Saturday, we made it a family day and took a trip to the Georgia Aquarium. My daughter loved it, and it was so cool learning about the different types of marine life. She freaked out a bit during a storm scene in the dolphin show, but other than that, we had absolutely no problems. Afterwards, we weren’t ready for the day to end, so we also took a trip to the movies to see Transformers. Yes, I know it had its sexist moments (for all you critics out there), but sometimes a girl just wants to see some sexy cars and watch stuff get blown up! The movie met all my expectations and then some.

A very happy and eventful day :-)

I’m going to try to plan more fun things to do this week, but today is a relaxation day. This is the first time in a long time where I haven’t had to worry about work responsibilities or anything major, and I’m really enjoying it. I don’t know what med school life will bring, but at least I’ll be relatively stress-free going into it!

Living the Good Life

Happy Friday! This week has given me plenty of reasons to smile, and I am just beyond grateful for just about everything right now. When I reflect back on the past few years, I can’t help but smile over how far I’ve come and how far I am going to go. I really have no complaints, and blessed is the perfect word to describe how I am feeling at this moment. I was going to post a picture of the word “blessed”, but then I came across this quote and had to post it. Life truly is what you make it, so I hope all my readers are living the “good life” right now, because I know that I most certainly am.  

R.I.P. Dr. Maya Angelou - May Your Legacy Live On In and Out of Time

R.I.P. Dr. Maya Angelou

Still I Rise

 You may write me down in history

With your bitter, twisted lies,

You may trod me in the very dirt

But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom?

‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells

Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,

With the certainty of tides,

Just like hopes springing high,

Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Shoulders falling down like teardrops,

Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don’t you take it awful hard

‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines

Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,

You may cut me with your eyes,

You may kill me with your hatefulness,

But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise

That I dance like I’ve got diamonds

At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame

I rise

Up from a past that’s rooted in pain

I rise

I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide,

Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear

I rise

Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear

I rise

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,

I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise

I rise

I rise.

- Dr. Maya Angelou

                                                                                  

Today we lost not only a poet, but a legend and an extraordinary woman. R.I.P. Dr. Maya Angelou. May your legacy shine on forever through your work, story, and words. The poem above is one that I literally had taped to my wall for years before my daughter was born. It reminds me to ignore all the negativity and obstacles I encounter and continue to rise above it all. You also stated that "there is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you", and I took that to heart. Thank you for giving me the push to tell my own story. 

100 Years, 5 Generations, and Lots of Love

Three generations of greatness waiting for the fifth to arrive

This weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Mississippi to celebrate my great-grandmother’s 100^th birthday with her and my family. Most of my family traveled down for the special event, and it was truly a blessing to celebrate this joyous occasion. It had been about ten years since I last attended any type of family reunion, so it was very long overdue. Most people do not get the opportunity to have so many generations of family members together at one time, so I am truly thankful for the experience.

Recognized by the White House!

My great-grandmother gave birth to ten children, has 30 grandchildren, 65 great-grandchildren, and I forgot how many great-great-grandchildren. While the years have slowed her down a bit, she is still going strong. The highlight of the day was when she was presented with a certificate of recognition from the state of Mississippi, and also when she was given a letter signed by President Barack Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama. When I think about the fact that my great-grandmother has lived for a century, it really makes me appreciate the struggles she went through and how resilient she is. As a black female growing up in the Deep South, she has had to endure discrimination, segregation, racism, and many others things that I cannot even fathom. To be honest, I am happy that I was not alive during a large part of the past century. On the plus side, she has also witnessed change, hope, tolerance, and even the first black president. I guess being alive in the past century can be seen as both a blessing and a curse.

My Mother's Day Card from my little love :-)

Overall, it was a wonderful day filled with love, family, and good times. Before I left to make the drive home yesterday, I stopped by and wished my great-grandmother a happy Mother’s Day. She was fresh out of church and all smiles. I wish I could have stayed longer, but I had to make sure that I made it home in time to get my daughter ready for bed so that she wouldn’t be too tired for school this morning. It wasn’t a Mother’s Day filled with relaxation and nice brunches for me since I spent the entire day driving, but when I made it home my daughter handed me a home-made card that made everything worth it. Being a mother is a job that never stops, but it has its few golden moments. I am just glad that I got to spend the weekend with my mother, great-grandmother, and other women in my family. These are the women who made sacrifices so that I could have the life that I live today, and I am so indebted to them. They have also inspired me to never give up and to always work on becoming a better person. I pray that one day my legacy will be just as great.

MORE PICS FROM THIS WEEKEND:

Three generations: me, my mom, and my daughter

I love my daughter!

My daughter and her grandpa

I'm convinced my daughter was trying to do her best model pose LOL

And Even Though I Act Crazy!

My mom and my daughter

And even though I act crazy
I gotta thank the Lord that you made me
There are no words that can express how I feel
You never kept a secret, always stayed real

And I appreciate, how you raised me
And all the extra love that you gave me

- Tupac Shakur - "Dear Mama"

My great-grandmother turned 100 this week, so I'll be hitting the road this afternoon to see her and the rest of my family for a big celebration tomorrow. That also means I'll be back on the road again Sunday driving back home and I already know I'll be too tired to post.

With that being said, Happy Mother's Day to all you awesome mothers out there!!!! As a mother, I know the extreme sacrifices that have to be made to ensure the overall happiness and well-being of our children. I am so blessed to have a wonderful mother who did everything in her power to make me the happy and successful woman that I am today. She also spent most of her time doing it as a single mother, so I am super appreciative of everything she has done for me. As a single mother myself who receives no support whatsoever, I now understand and appreciate the sacrifices she made for me and my siblings. I only have to do it with one child, but she raised three! I wouldn't be where I am today without her, so this post is in dedication to her and all the other mothers out there who put it down everyday without any complaints. You all deserve to be recognized for all of your efforts and hard work.

I can't leave without posting two of my favorite songs about mothers. I hope listening to them makes you want to call/visit your mother and tell her how much you appreciate her. I also had the chance to meet Tupac's mother, Afeni Shakur, a few years back. She really is a phenomenal woman. Wishing everyone an amazing weekend!

 

Me and Afeni Shakur (Tupac's mother)