Why "Flawed and Fabulous" - The Beginning of Our Family Blogging Journey
With each of our plates full and overflowing with the immediate demands of our everyday lives, I wanted to find a way to keep us connected even through our individual madness. I wanted it to be something that would relax the tensions and stresses that oftentimes naturally occur when we, women, try to successfully manage lives filled with never-ending responsibility and relentless accountability.
When the money wasn’t funny, we would opt for impromptu shopping trips. Nothing too extravagant (because above all things we must remain responsible and accountable), but it was more of a mental and spiritual “pick me up” where we did what we wanted to do for ourselves and not what we had to do for others and the good of all humanity. A completely selfish moment of partial abandon we believe we were entitled to every now and then.
A few times, our temporary defeat was acknowledged and accepted as we waved the white flag and dragged our battle-worn bodies to the nearest day spa for healing and rejuvenation. Emerging, sometimes reluctantly, ready to begin our next tour of duty with our battle scars remaining, yet invisible to the untrained eye.
An occasional trinket here and a bouquet of flowers there, we always know when a “lifeline” needed to be dispatched to each other. It has never been about the material nature of our expressions but an effort to provide a tangible acknowledgement and a temporary remedy for the intangible internal spiritual ailments we all experience.
Today, we find ourselves entrenched in some of the toughest struggles and demands of our lives, as individuals and as a family. Every level of our patience, fortitude, and mental ability are tested on a daily basis. Even our financial dexterity has become a casualty of these latest battles. This new reality has forced me to reevaluate the operation of our unit. A new course of action was required.
This new course had to meet all of our requirements in order to be a viable solution. It needed to be therapeutic and promote rejuvenation. It needed to provide a jolt of energy and produce renewed spirits. It needed to demand equal commitment from all by requiring us to give of our individual uniqueness for the benefit of all. Mom – our foundation; the quiet center and strength that allows us all to flourish. Ilyasin – the creative energy whose perspective broadens our minds and hearts. And myself – the relentless machine that keeps us on track in the face of any attempts of derailment.
It has taken years of denial, resistance, resentment, and frustration; in the end, we know we need each other to continue to grow as individuals and as a family unit. Thus, the manifestation of our enlightenment – "Flawed and Fabulous." A virtual shopping spree, spa treatment, bouquet of flowers, and trinkets all wrapped into one. A way for us to remain connected in our disconnectedness.
With each of our plates full and overflowing with the immediate demands of our everyday lives, I wanted to find a way to keep us connected even through our individual madness. I wanted it to be something that would relax the tensions and stresses that oftentimes naturally occur when we, women, try to successfully manage lives filled with never-ending responsibility and relentless accountability.
A few times, our temporary defeat was acknowledged and accepted as we waved the white flag and dragged our battle-worn bodies to the nearest day spa for healing and rejuvenation. Emerging, sometimes reluctantly, ready to begin our next tour of duty with our battle scars remaining, yet invisible to the untrained eye.
An occasional trinket here and a bouquet of flowers there, we always know when a “lifeline” needed to be dispatched to each other. It has never been about the material nature of our expressions but an effort to provide a tangible acknowledgement and a temporary remedy for the intangible internal spiritual ailments we all experience.
Today, we find ourselves entrenched in some of the toughest struggles and demands of our lives, as individuals and as a family. Every level of our patience, fortitude, and mental ability are tested on a daily basis. Even our financial dexterity has become a casualty of these latest battles. This new reality has forced me to reevaluate the operation of our unit. A new course of action was required.
This new course had to meet all of our requirements in order to be a viable solution. It needed to be therapeutic and promote rejuvenation. It needed to provide a jolt of energy and produce renewed spirits. It needed to demand equal commitment from all by requiring us to give of our individual uniqueness for the benefit of all. Mom – our foundation; the quiet center and strength that allows us all to flourish. Ilyasin – the creative energy whose perspective broadens our minds and hearts. And myself – the relentless machine that keeps us on track in the face of any attempts of derailment.
It has taken years of denial, resistance, resentment, and frustration; in the end, we know we need each other to continue to grow as individuals and as a family unit. Thus, the manifestation of our enlightenment – "Flawed and Fabulous." A virtual shopping spree, spa treatment, bouquet of flowers, and trinkets all wrapped into one. A way for us to remain connected in our disconnectedness.
It is a celebration and acknowledgement of the women we are and the women who helped shape who we are. It ain’t all roses (trust me), but we’re completely honest and committed to our relationships as mothers, daughters, sisters, and friends.
- Latifah
