I used to think not having my mother and my father in my life was a bad thing. I would watch the Cosby show and wish I had two parents that were married, both successful in their careers and loved each other unconditionally. I thought that the universe gave me a bad break and my creator wanted me suffer. At times I felt lonely, sad and abandoned. Although my grandfather and my great grandmother did an amazing job, I still always wondered why my parents didn’t want me. I have pondered about that reality my entire life and I still do.

I would wish I was never put in Special Education classes when I was younger. It was the best and worst time of my life. The worst part was the entire school knew I was in special education classes. Kids judged me and made fun of me. Nobody wanted to hang out with me or my classmates. If the universe’s goal was to build character in me, it succeeded. So the good part about this journey was I learned to be humble or humbleness would be bestowed upon me. I learned to be good to people and that if you’re strong and you believe in yourself under all circumstances, it’s your duty to look out for those people that do not have a voice. Yes, kids are mean but they are also divine and I came across a lot of good people that I’m still cool with to this day. The adversity that the universe put in front of me made me stronger.

I would wish the doctor never diagnosed me with Lupus and told me I would have to take medication for the rest of my life. The doctor also told me that I couldn’t go in the sun because it could kill me. When I was younger I would go to school awards presentations and be disappointed when I didn’t get any awards. I use the word ‘disappointed’ because I always knew I wanted an award but I also knew I wasn’t doing the work to get them. I would think that being Kool and having a bunch of friends was more important than getting good grades.

I would think it was kool not to invest my money. I did not buy property or start a business. Instead, I would spend my money on things that lose their value over time. I would really think it mattered what people thought about me and failing in life was a bad thing. I wanted everything that I wanted to come to me instantly. Then I realized the faster it comes, the quicker it will leave you.

What I’ve learned in my 32 years of living is that life is all about how you perceive it, and then what decisions you decide to make. Success or failure has nothing to do with who you know, who your family is or who may or may not want you to succeed at your goals. Humans are spiritual beings that are able to manifest anything that their minds can conceive. All of pain, joy, all the good days and bad days have made me the person I am today. I wouldn’t change anything because the experience allows me to live up to my last name. You see all the experiences I shared with you forced me to step outside of my comfort zone and grow. Not having my parents raise me forced me to learn forgiveness. Being in special education made me humble and forced me to work harder. I got out of Special education courses in 9th grade and I followed that by graduating from high school on time. I then went on to receive my Associates degree in human services. In 2016, I got my Bachelors in Social Work and I graduated with honors. I stayed on the Dean’s list at Medgar Evers College for three semesters in a row and my final GPA was a 3.994.

So let me ask you a question…do you think I would have accomplished any of this without the adversity I dealt with in my life? You see I use to think I had bad luck but now, I know I have been blessed since the day I arrived on this planet. If my parents would have raised me, I wouldn’t have lived with my great grandmother and my grandfather. My grandparents loved me unconditionally and gave me all the tools needed for me to be anything I wanted to be. Besides the love they taught me, how to always empower myself with knowledge was most important. I would not change the way I grew up for nothing. I was blessed and I appreciate my grandparents from the bottom of my heart.

I learned that nothing happens by mistake, everything has its purpose. The adversity that I have experienced has made me a person that is empathetic, authentic, and I love unconditional always. I will be one if the best parents in the world because of the pain my parents caused me. I am good to people because I remember when people were not good to me. I appreciate the people in my life because I know how precious life is. One day someone can be here, and the next, that same person can be gone. I created KoolforLife for that reason. First and foremost, we represent unconditional love, unity and respect for one another and inspiring people all over the world.