I first began this piece when the 2021 Thanksgiving holiday was approaching. I felt it would be apropos to share some of the reasons that life has given me to be thankful. Not surprisingly, some of my reasons have changed, even since Thanksgiving. 

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Of course, there are the usual givens, like my three children, who amaze me more and more from week to week, even if it isn't always pretty... or comfortable. Even more amazing, are their offspring, who bring me unspeakable joy on a daily basis. Naturally, they would be included on my list of reasons every day. Then, there is you. Thank you for subscribing to and engaging in my dream. Thanks for asking, "What happened to Queen Things?"

 

I chose ten reasons as part of the title of this article, for no other reason than to give myself a cap on this piece. You know I can go on for a while. Let's get on with that list, shall we?

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The beginning of 2021 saw me in a constant state of anxiety. No joke, I was threatening serious health issues. My extended leave of absence from work was creating little fires all across my world, and I was feeling totally inadequate. I found myself wearing the firefighter hat far too much for my own good. Eventually, the fire began to feel all-consuming, and I began to break under the weight of it all. 

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My health was deteriorating quickly, and despite having insurance, the bills were piling up. My doctor was worried, and for all my former bravado, so was I. Then, there was the life-altering identity theft that dropped my professional and personal finances to a balance of zero. 

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A friend suggested that I make a list of the people and situations in my life that could not wait for me to get healthy again. I stared at a blank page for a long time before allowing myself to admit that there was nothing that could not wait. My job no longer mattered because it was the reason for my illness. Family did matter to me, but the only members of my family who showed any genuine interest in what I was going through, were my children. This brings me to number one on my list.

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1. I am thankful for revelations that helped me heal. For more than forty years, I held onto the idea that one day, my family would begin to accept me for the outspoken, quirky, confident, and genuinely loving person I am. That never happened, so I realized that was a scar to which I had given way too much attention. Acceptance or not, I am healthier, mentally and spiritually, than I have been since I was nine years old.

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2. Mental health awareness saw a huge upswing last year, and I was swinging right along with everyone else! The world watched young women like, Sha'Carri Richardson, Naomi Osaka, Simone Biles, and Demi Lovato deal with the masses while dealing with their own mental health stories. I understood, so I vowed to stand as well.

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3. I am also thankful for inept supervisors and administrators. Without them, I might not have remembered that I have just as much to bring to the table as anyone who might be in a position to challenge me professionally. They were the catalyst for Queen Things. I also realized that there is much work to be done in the area of human resources and personnel services. 

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4. In March of 2021, I walked away from my beloved profession of almost 30 years, education. I am grateful for all that I learned during those three decades because I am now more equipped than ever to reach the masses! 

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5. I am thankful for the lesson of mixing family and business. I learned that even though we always say that we shouldn't, there is always an exception to every rule. The one publishing client who remained true to my company is a member of my family, DeEric Martin Sr. I am truly grateful for him and his wife, Angella. Although their faith in me faltered in the end, we saw a very difficult project through, and the result left me better for the journey.

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5. Although clients were shady in 2021, I am grateful for having the experience of dealing with them. Without it, I might still be allowing my business to be run into the ground because I want so badly to help others reach their dreams. I am so much more confident in my company's ability to live out its mission, and to make a profit doing it.

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6. I am grateful that Donald Trump is no longer the president of this country.

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7. Social media was just an escape for me...a place to vent my frustrations to which others could relate or to encourage others. This year, I discovered the worth of social media for so much more. As cray-cray as it may be, I am thankful for the vehicle it has become for promoting a whole family of businesses.

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8. Bad relationships usually lead to bad breakups. Professionally speaking, I am thankful for every bad breakup I have had this year. From banks to Livestream providers, from apartment property managers to employers, I am blessed to have learned just how bad they were for me. 

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9. I'm thankful to the medical community for their superhuman dedication to helping us through the Coronavirus pandemic and for the sacrifices they have been forced to make.

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10. The stark reality of the Black Lives Matter movement...there really are too many words, but in the grand scheme, I am thankful.

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(I'm also thankful for the courier services that never stopped feeding us when we couldn't enjoy meals inside our regular haunts! That's a story for another day.)