Hey Mofos! 

It's about that time to bid a get the hell on to another year and say hey boo to a new year. 

I don't know about y'all but the last few years have kicked my ass, but there have been some highlights, especially this year. 

I'm going to recap a few of the things I'm grateful for that happened this year:

1. My hysterectomy: A sista finally got fed up with dealing with fibroids and iron infusions so I made the decision to get rid of them for good via hysterectomy. Why? Read my previous post to find out.  It's been a joy to not bleed through my clothes every month and have to wonder if I'm going to get embarrassed. It's also been fun wearing white whenever I want to. Hell, I might wear white on NYE to bring in the new year now that I'm thinking about it. Shoutout to my surgeon and his team for getting me back together. I even created a podcast called Ladies Edition  to help other women going thru this and how to navigate it all. I also ended said podcast after the first season because it was starting to stress me out. I'll leave the podcasting to y'all. 

2. Iron infusions: While these were exhausting and costly, it got me back to feeling like a normal person, with normal iron levels and my hair finally started growing back, my eyebrows decided to make an appearance and my nails are stronger. Iron is definitely something I will never take for granted again. The Infusion Center team was so amazing and even when my skin decided it didn't like the bandages, they found a way to work around it. 

3. Love: I let myself be open and someone I least expected came in and has shown me what it's like to have someone in your corner, cheering you on, being supportive of everything, and well... that's all y'all need to know cuz I don't tell my relationship biz no mo' and it ain't for social media consumption. Plus, I learned not everyone can be happy for you nor understand dynamics that work for you and your partner. 

4. Check the Rhymes TV got monetized! Whew chile I have been manifesting that thing for forever and unfortunately when an artist passed away, that's when my views took off, but I'm grateful folks found comfort watching the interview. I'm grateful for every single person I've interviewed and for those of you watching and supporting. 

5. Getting Back on TV! Whew-- After my experience with ET Canada, I thought I'd never have the nerve to get back on a national platform other than my own. TMZ Live came a knockin and I was able to get over my fears. Then lo and behold my appearance on ET Canada ended up in the "Harry and Meghan" docuseries (ep 6) on Netflix. 

6. Writing: I had more articles print and digital. I even started a part time job with NBC writing for their USA Network's Insider vertical. 

7. Keynote Speaker: WHO WOULD HAVE EVER THUNK IT? I returned to my alma mater ETSU to deliver a keynote speech to December Multicultural graduates. I spoke about success and how it looks different to everyone but y'alls asses betta not give up on your dream. Hire me to speak LOL. It was a humbling experience and the support I had putting the speech together and delivering it was something I'll never forget. 

8. Confidence: I have a cheer in my head that I learned with the word confidence in it when I was in elementary school, but I won't bore you with that. I finally lost a few pounds and embraced feeling confident..well until steroid shots, and meds and hormones gave em back to me. Mofos. I'm still sexy tho. I think. LOL

9. Friendships: I learned that you reallllly learn who is there for you in your time of need. From my surgery to deciding to move and needing help packing, getting boxes, and moving, my friends (and my family--I didn't forget y'all) showed up to help out. I am forever grateful. Asking for help hurt. LOL 

10. Red carpet: This was an experience. I always love doing the NC Music Hall of Fame voiceovers for the inductees, but this year I added red carpet manager on the resume in addition to interviewing the stars while making sure everything was running right. I couldn't have done it without my circle that volunteered to work so THANK YOU. 

While this isn't the entire list, it's 10 things I could remember right now LOL. Hey, hormones and brain fog are so real. I am grateful for every single experience, lesson, and even the mofos that got on my last damn nerve this year. 

While everything I envisioned for this year didn't all manifest, some did so I'm excited to see what 2023 has to offer and it better have an engagement ring in it and my dream home and housewife career, cuz I am TIRED LOL. 

Seriously, but I'm serious about all that, I hope 2023 is an amazing one for us all. I'm limping into the year with a meniscus tear, but I know it will heal and my pockets shall be full. AMEN. 

Happy New Year ya'll. Make it a great one and I appreciate you all for your support! :)

P.S. Why am I so childish about this gif or nasty.. whichever way you see it LMAOOO!! 

~Meik

 Hey Mofos!! It's been a whole year since I've been bringing you video content! A YouTubeversary? Vlogversary? Hell, I don't know what to call it, but I do know that I want to thank you all. Check out my latest video! 'Scuse my raggless setup for this one! 

2016..what a year.



I debated on blogging on last time for what most of can agree on a ragg-lass kind of year. I thought there's not much else for me to say, my heart was shattered this year over and over.. and I just fell into a funk so deep that I wasn't sure how to snap out of it. Until I learned exactly how to have gratitude and appreciate the things and the people that I have in my life.

How so Meik?

I started the year with a present from a friend which was a gratitude jar. The jar's purpose was for me to write down something daily or weekly that I was grateful for. At first, I went through the motions, but as things started changing this year, from my last living grandmother passing away, to my steady writing gig at SoulTrain.com getting snatched, to losing my beloved Kashif and some other friends, I realized that I indeed have a lot to be grateful for.

So for my last post for 2016--I thought instead of sharing lessons I've learned, I would share a few things from my gratitude jar.



1. I am so grateful for my granddeddy- his laughter and shade thrills me so.
Since my grandma passed away in 2013, my granddad has become my phone buddy and can throw shade with the best of em. He makes me so proud.

2. I'm grateful for being able to spend time with my family on an actual vacation.
This year my family and I went to Charleston, South Carolina for a family vacay..our first since I was in high school and lawd help us we all survived and didn't scratch each other's eyeballs out. We enjoyed each other just grateful to be able to spend time together.

3. I'm grateful I can walk even when my leg aches and hurts like the dayum debbil.
Nerve damage is everlasting it seems and I still have my good and bad days, but when those aches and stabbing pains set in, I can now thank God that I can walk without a cane, and I can wear my baby wedges amen!

4. I am grateful I have been able to re-introduce my first love of cheerleading back into my life.
I tumbled back into the cheer world as an All-Star Cheerleading judge in Dec 2015 and the experience this year alone of being picked to judge the Summit (which is THE BIGGEST competition for these gals) in Orlando was amazing especially for a first year judge.

5. I am grateful for my freelance hustle.
This year alone, I have had some of the most AHHHHHHHmazing interviews. Being able to talk with the very ones that inspired me still has me on a level 1000000000000+. I chatted with Arsenio Hall and Donnie Simpson! I interviewed folks like Deon Cole, Patti LaBelle, Melba Moore, Tevin Campbell, Vanessa Bell Calloway and my uncle in my head Tito Jackson! So I am super grateful that JET Magazine gave me an outlet and a chance once SoulTrain.com shut down. I also rocked a piece for Vanity Fair this year! WOO HOO! More things are coming in 2017!

6. I am grateful for my friends.
I keep my circle small but those I let in are the ones that keep me grounded, keep me laughing, sane, and ain't afraid to check me when I'm going left.
I found one slip of paper dated Feb. 17th and it must have been after a convo with Kashif. It reads: I am grateful for friends like Kashif.
I am just so glad I got to know him and be considered a friend. I will love this man forever and ever. Rest in peace friend.

7. I'm grateful to have a job.
This is important because I have fought and struggled with not growing where I am professionally. I realized it's not the job's fault. I should embrace the lessons there--so I learned how to make my interviews more concise, learned how to network better, learned how to share my knowledge, and accept criticism and feedback. Now.. 2017 MOVES NEED TO COME THRU! LOL

8. I am grateful that my sister and I can hang out with out fighting all the time.
We used to go IN.. and couldn't stand each other but our weekly sister dates make me so happy :)

9. I am grateful that I finally learned HIM DON'T WANT ME!
Finally, in the latter part of 2016 I have FINALLLLLLLLY learned that if he ain't interested, you ain't gonna make him interested. After yearssss of holding onto this crush and dropping bread crumbs hoping he'd follow em and pick up on what I was dropping, to finally sliding in the dm's only to be curved repeatedly.. yeah I got me some self respect, picked up my face and realized.. move on sis.

10. I am grateful for my supporters and readers.
Without ya'll I don't know if I would write as much over here (ok don't do that, I know I don't write much as is LOL) but I really do appreciate all the comments, shares, retweets, requests, and ideas. It truly means more than you know. When I was going to stop writing completely a few months ago, it was YOU that kept me going. Thank you!




I hope you all have a blessed wonderful gratitude filled 2017! Happy New Year!

Always in Gratitude,
~Meik

Hello my dear Mofo readers! I took a bit of a hiatus with blogging (AGAIN) but I'm back! (At least for this month!)



Let's get some biz out of the way:

First thank you for all of the nice things you commented about my blog post about my beloved Kashif--I know it was all over the place but I'm glad you got the gist of it and just know that I appreciate those heartfelt condolences as I am still trying to grasp and come to terms with his death.

Second, I issued a blog challenge on social media and this time I got more specific-- the first blog for this month has to be about gratitude. The second blog is a funny story, and the third is a free for all- write whatever is in your heart. These blogs go on YOUR personal blogs, facebook, websites, wherever you post your ish..if you want.. I'm always open to guest bloggers.. just hit me up!

Now that is out of the way--- sometimes life just hands you a bunch of lemons and an invisible hand squishes them bitches in your eyeballs.

What does this have to do with gratitude?

I'm glad you asked...absolutely nothing really..I just needed a transition here. Bear with me.

So two weeks ago I found myself still reeling from learning of Kashif's passing, and making the decision not to go across the country for his memorial, but instead I watched it from the courtesy of my own home where I could ugly cry to my hearts content..fling myself in the floor and wonder WHYYYYYY didn't I pick up the damn phone when I thought of him the day before he died? I found myself wondering what can I do to honor an amazing man that probably thought I didn't listen to half of the lessons he taught me.. a man that lived his life without fear, a man with a ginormous musical legacy--what could lil ole me do to remember him and make myself feel better?
So I started going through old emails, text messages--his social media posts..looking for a word.. a hidden message..something to guide me.

WELP--that led me down to the tattoo spot down the street. How is this gratitude Meik? Hang on I'm getting there!

I was torn --do I get a tattoo with my Virgo sign? Do I get his name tatted across my chest with hearts? (Just kidding on that one!) Or do I go by one of the principles that he always believed in--and the more I thought about it--the word GRATITUDE just kept jumping out at me...every single email...I replayed conversations in my mind, the theme was the same.. GRATITUDE--

I walked into the tattoo spot.. guy asked me what I wanted to get...

Me: I want ALWAYS IN GRATITUDE on my arm.

He blank stared and said uhhh ok--that's cool. Give me 15 minutes..

I kept thinking should I do this? What does it really even mean? I have time to walk back outta here and forget I ever walked in here.. but I couldn't move. See, Kashif always signed his emails --Always in Gratitude-- and while I never really asked him about it I always noticed it-- he would sign off on his social media the same way.

So I decided this is it.. Kashif would want me to remember to always be in gratitude-- be grateful for the things you have. He always stayed in my arse when I was having a pity party by reminding me of all the things I had to be grateful for.

Oh hell tattoo dude is back. *deep breathe* I'm ready..

He asks where I want to put the tatt.. I point to my right arm.. sideways.. above the scars I got when I was in high school. So this tattoo now has a deep layered meaning..I went in trying to pay homage to a friend..and ended up with a message AMEN!



I was in a car accident--it was like early summer before my junior year. I had FINALLY convinced my parents to let me go on a date with a boy in a car *HALLLUJJJERRRRRR*



The plan was to go to the movies, dinner, and brang my arse back to the house by 11pm. Well this ninja decides hey let's go visit some folks on the other side of town and see what they are up to. So I was cool with the folks so I didn't see anything wrong with it and I was crushing HARD on my date so he could have suggested going to the city dump to watch the sunset and I would have said that's so romanticals.. like a fool. Anyhoo--so we go and I'm there chatting with a classmate while he and her boyfriend decide to run down the road for something--well I realize that after a while has passed, that my curfew is coming up soon and I'm freaking out-- this was before cell phones so I couldn't call his arse and he didn't have a pager..don't look at me like that.. you don't know my age! LOL



Anty-hoo my classmate says let's go drive around and look for them. So I get in the car with her and we end up on this curvy road--now I didn't have my seat belt on until something told me I should put it on. Next thing I knew she lost control of the car..and the details are fuzzy but I remember seeing a fence and I covered my face up with my arm..and the window shattered. Chile I thought her arse was dead the way she was slumped over the steering wheel..she didn't have her seat belt on..and I just kept thinking this car is gonna blow up like they do on tv and I can't move her arse outta here but I gotta save us..but oh crap my arm is covered in blood..


Long story short.. my date is the one who was actually driving behind us..saw our car flip several times before it landed upright --I don't remember the car flipping but I assume when you see your life flash before your eyes, you kinda block ish out and all I cared about was that we were alive. Mind you, I didn't see the light of day for most of the summer because my parents were LIVID as if I were the one driving the car..something about me lying or some ish..chile IDK --shouldn't they have just been glad I made it through?! lawd I still wanna know what I missed that summer...




But, what I do know is after the doctors picked the glass outta my arm-- it healed..but the scars that run about 3 inches on my arm are a reminder that life is precious.. I am grateful to have made it out of that accident.

Fast forward to my most recent drama with my leg -- I would think sometimes WHY ME? But then I realized why not me? I have a platform to educate folks on how to do your research when electing to have surgery-- especially when it comes to fibroids--I am a walking testimony that I didn't let the fact that I could barely walk stop me from going hard in pursuit of my dreams..and I damn sure wasn't going out with just being satisfied with just walking with a cane. I am grateful that over the weekend..my leg was strong enough to hold me up in these damn wedge heeled boots I insisted on wearing as I went bar hopping.

I'm grateful that I was pushed out of my comfort zone because I would have stayed writing for SoulTrain.com forever so being pushed out led me to Jet which led me to Vanity Fair..and has landed me some amazing interviews and connections. However I also know that without SoulTrain.com I never would have met Kashif.



Most of all, I am grateful that I had Kashif in my life, even if for a short time, to remind me to Always (be) in Gratitude--appreciate what you have..where you have been..and look forward to where you are going.



So now, when I get mad or frustrated when things aren't going my way.. I just look down at my arm..and see my tattoo...my tattoo that reminds me of Kashif.. and the things that I am grateful for like family, life, friends.. my readers.. everything! While things aren't where I want them to be right now--this is my reminder to stay encouraged.. stay positive.. so for that-- I thank you Kashif for the reminder. I miss you so very much!

Add these songs to your gratitude playlist to get you started on your gratitude blogs!










*don't say ISH about these old school songs either!*


What do you guys have to be grateful for?

Until Later..
~Meik