One of the people that I have been blessed to encounter in my life over the last few years is my life coach and spiritual counselor, dava. I first began working with dava right after I completed graduate school in 2008 and we worked together right up until my 30th birthday. My Friday nights with…
Author: Leah Lakins
Every Day is a Testimony Service
I started to get a little self-conscious a few weeks ago about my New York-based Facebook posts. No one said anything, but in the back of my head I was thinking, “I’m sure someone is saying, ‘Leah, if you post one more thing with the words ‘Brooklyn’ or ‘New York,’ I’m gonna scream!” I consciously…
Becoming a Thing of Beauty
When my Ghanian Sweetheart came to visit me in Brooklyn a few weeks ago, we had a rather curious discussion about the current chocolate “It” girl of the moment, the beautiful and amazing Lupita Nyong’o. My honey found an article discussing how Norwegian women were shaving their heads to emulate Nyong’o’s now iconic short afro….
They Will Never Forget How You Made Them Feel
About a week ago, I sent a short greeting card to the very first friend that I made in the DC Metro area. We hadn’t caught up in awhile and I wanted to let him know that I had relocated to Brooklyn. When we met in the Summer of 2003, we spent HOURS upon HOURS…
Ditch the Cog, Create the Wheel
As of child who came of age in the 80s and 90s, I absolutely loved Hanna Barbera cartoons. “The Smurfs” were my absolute favorite and following close behind were “The Flintstones” and “The Jetsons.” I loved “The Jetsons” because I couldn’t wait to see what new space-age invention would be in store during each episode….
Wearing Mabel’s Crown
“Your crown has already been paid for; all you have to do is put it on your head.” – James Baldwin. I just LOVE this quote, and I think about it quite a bit when I reflect on the lives of those who came before me. I’ve thought a lot about my grandmother, my father’s…
Year 35: A Dream for My Daughter
To My Little Angel, Now as far as I know, my half of your DNA is still resting safely in my egg cartons and your father’s portion is resting securely with him. But if you have any intel about who and where your Daddy is you let your Mommy know, OK? I woke up…
#Surfboarding. That’s All.
I’m truly enjoying my new life as a free editorial agent in Brooklyn. Last night’s Big Apple adventure included helping a good friend with a photo shoot. We’re about two hours into the shoot when Beyonce’s “Drunk in Love” comes pouring out of someone’s iPod. I heard the first few strains of the song before…
Who’s Afraid of a Big, Bad Opinion?
It’s safe to say that I have a very adventurous spirit. I’ve climbed a waterfall in Jamaica, snorkeled in the Bahamas, and rode an elephant in Bali. I’ve sampled a wide variety of cuisine from fresh sushi in Japan to fried gator in New Orleans. I’m not afraid to holla at a gentleman that I…
Smashing the Zsa Zsa Zsu
I am a proud, Manolo Blahnik-aspiring disciple of the fictional yet fabulous Carrie Bradshaw. I fell in love with “Sex and the City” during its final season in 2003 just as I was embarking upon my first year of adulthood. As an aspiring New Yorker, I absolutely adored all of the show’s fashion, sky-high stilettos,…
And The Ceiling Can’t Hold Us!
I have to unequivocally name Macklemore and Ryan Lewis’ “Can’t Hold Us” as my official theme song for 2013. Every time I hear those infectious hand claps, churchy foot stomps, and that clanging piano at the beginning of that song, I have absolutely no choice but to get up and shake what Ida Mae gave…
A Dream Un-Deferred
“We have to learn to appreciate the space between God’s promise and his performance.” – Rev. Howard-John Wesley I never imagined that the space for this promise would be more than 10 years in the making. I never knew that it would literally take everything in my heart to hold on to this dream when…
The Ink Well 