Growing up, the month of May was a precursor for something exciting. The big moment for me usually revolved around the end of the month with the anniversary of my parents. It’s been over 20 years since I acknowledged their special day, however the years in between were peppered with graduations, BBQs and Memorial Day. Along the way I became aware of May representing Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian-American Pacific Islander Month. And by 2020, May created an unprecedented disruption of our world with the death of George Floyd that became a catalyst for so much more.
That collective tipping point, as I often describe 2020, really challenged me to think about how I show up and exist in the world. Between the pandemic, the racial reckoning and the politics leading up to the election, I found myself feeling the need to be ready for anything that came my way. Perhaps I was navigating like a chameleon, however I was absolutely feeling the necessity to wear multiple hats to keep my professional and personal existence uplifted. Choosing hope and faith amidst all the reasons that brought forth despair and fear is where I focused my energy. The loss of Black life and perpetual media cycle of the pain hurt my heart. The conversations I had to have with my son about police brutality, why the continued assault on Black & brown men and women by those who were designed to protect and serve, led to the proverbial “talk” to ensure he keeps a few key things in mind when encountering the police. It was a very transformative time. And now looking back on it, I made it! We made it. Now, how do we impact the future and our role in it?!
I wrote this piece at a particularly empowering time during my healing from depression. I recently revisited it and I found myself reconnecting to it in a new way. I’ve come out of the other side with a sense of resolve. I definitely have not resolved everything that has swirled in my head over the past year, but I have found a sense of peace with my process in processing it all. I’m challenging myself to remain present in the moments, to pick up the pen again and create something new, and honestly to find ways to take action and do something…now.
“Now”
The time
The season
Is upon us.
The reason to commit
To trust
To depend on Him
The One who guides,
Is now.
Now
We surrender to life
Surrender ourselves
To obey the calling upon us.
The temptation that exists
Between spirit and flesh
Will not rest
Protest
Confess
Pray.
I say
This day
A way
Will be made
I’m in a sentimental mood
Feeling subdued
Contemplating the framework
Upon which my mental is situated
I’ve been inundated
With heaviness about this world we live in.
I’ve been stressed
Depressed
And often not focused
On the shifting dynamic that plagues my situation
I’ve made bad decisions
With my indecision
In the midst of a circumcision between
My wants
My desires
My reality.
Now
I figured
I’ve triggered
The sensibilities
For my ability
To deal with the situation.
Contemplation
About moving forward and leaving behind
The residue that caused chaos
In my mainframe
Time to change game
Change clothes
Refocus
Get noticed
For the righteousness that exudes from within.
The line is thin.
The duality that exists between present and past
The last
Shall be first
The thirst to quench
Drench
In the unconditional dichotomy
Of reality
Love is the center of this oneness
The time is
NOW!
KK is an energetic storyteller, creative marketer and servant leader with a kaleidoscope of professional pathways in music, print publishing and television. Currently, KK is a marketing executive at a major media company. Faith and family anchor KK’s ambitions, and she believes Luke 12:48 hold true, “from everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” KK leverages her gifts, talents and abilities in support of advancing others, particularly in motivating her 9 year old son CMK.
Passionate about education and inclusion, KK is a graduate of New York University with a MS, Integrated Marketing and she supports her undergrad alma-mater Wesleyan University with dual, alumni volunteer leadership roles. As a Trustee on the Oliver Scholars board, preparing high-achieving African-American and Latino students for academic success is a priority. Through her writing and in her relationships, KK continues to unpack and explore life transformations the only way she knows how – with unconditional love, raw honesty and a touch of humor.