One of the jobs that I enjoyed the most before I became an entrepreneur was working as a book editor for a small publishing company in Northern Virginia. What I appreciated most during my five years in that position was that my former boss had an uncanny knack for placing the right author with the…
Tag: inspiration
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…
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…
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…
And Meah Too
A few weeks ago, I had one of those surreal moments where I could literally be in the moment and truly realize how blessed I am. I had just finished eating dinner with the Wakefield clan in Annapolis and all of a sudden per Cameron’s insistence we broke out into our own little dance party…
Girl, You Got People
“Girl, you got people!” This is one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite fall books “October Suite” by Maxine Clair. In the book, the main character, October Brown, is a single woman who goes off Up North to the Big City to become a teacher during the 1950s. She soon finds herself…
Becoming Ida’s Daughter
When I typically introduce myself to others, I normally identify myself as a sister, an auntie, a friend, a singer, and a writer. I rarely if ever say that I am a daughter. Now that both of my parents are gone, it’s uncomfortable to stand as their daughter without a lot of uncomfortable conversation about…
A Three-Piece Suit at Kennywood Park
One of my absolute favorite childhood memories is of a perfect summer day in 1991 when my father took me and my brother, Thomas, to Kennywood Park in Pittsburgh, Pa. For those of you unfamiliar with the awesomeness that is Kennywood, let me just say that it is THE best amusement park in the country…
Becoming a Grown-Ass Woman
I had a recent interaction with an unlearned, wet-behind-the-ears, 20-something who, in the immortal words of Real Housewife Kenya Moore, came for me when I CLEARLY did NOT send for her. I could have LET.HER.HAVE.IT., but something in my spirit held me back. If this same incident happened a few months ago, I would have…
Ida’s Angels
You may have heard of Charlie’s Angels but those skinny white chicks ain’t got nothing on my big sisters, the amazing daughters of Ida Mae Turner Lakins, whom I affectionately refer to (at least in my head) as Ida’s Angels. Thirty years ago she gave them the extraordinary task to not only go out in…
B.Y.O.G.: Bring Your Own Greatness
One of the challenges of being the youngest of nine siblings is that I have ALWAYS looked up to other people to have the answers. Before I even THINK about trusting myself to have the key or the best solution, I just know that someone older, richer, wiser, whiter, bigger, or seemingly more talented than…
The Ink Well 