Thank You, God, for What Didn’t Happen 2025
As 2025 comes to a close, I found myself thinking about something different on the way to work one morning. Instead of listing all the things that happened this year, my heart went straight to gratitude for what didn’t. Because sometimes the biggest blessings don’t arrive loudly.They come quietly.They come uneventful.They come as peace. ✨ […]
✨ “The Truth I Never Said Out Loud” ✨
(Story-time with your girl, BrandiJ) Let me go ahead and pull y’all in real close… because today? Yeah, I’m sharing something I never thought I’d say out loud. Not because it was messy, not because it was secret, but because it was mine. One of those grown-woman decisions you tuck deep in your pocket and […]
The Book Gentleman: The Beauty in Being Seen Without Being Touched
He’s taught me so much about patience, respect, and consistency. The man has never changed in three years, and that’s something I thank God for. 🙌🏽 He’s shown me what it means to be valued without strings attached. I can be 1000% me—unfiltered, unapologetic—and he still finds it beautiful. He always tells me, “There’s no […]
The Silent Battles of the Strong Friend
There came a morning not long ago when I walked out my room on my way to work, glanced back at my bed, and noticed it still wasn’t made. For some people, that might not mean much. But for me? 💭 That was a silent alarm. I am the “model home” friend—the one who keeps […]
The Night the Red Dress Met Intention
A Story About Intentional Dating & Romantic Connection He called a week ahead, told me the vibe, sent a song the morning of, and showed up with intention. 💋 He’d mentioned before that he hadn’t been on a good, planned-out date in a minute — but when he did, he wanted to take me. At […]
Maybe Grandkids Aren’t in the Cards: Learning to Love the Life My Kids Choose
Y’all, let me be real with you for a minute. Growing up, I always pictured myself being that grandmother one day. 👵🏾 You know, the kind of grandma whose grandkids came running through the house like my nieces and nephews did when I was young with my parents. Back then, their dad and I would […]
Mother & Daughter Cruise 2.0: Choosing Peace, Freedom & Fun
This will be the second cruise for me and MaKenzye, and it’s already become something I want us to keep as a tradition. Once a year, just me and her—our own mother & daughter trip. Last year we had an amazing time, and now here we are again, bags (almost) packed and ready for round two. […]
Healed Wombs Leave Scars
Some scars carry pain, others carry joy. I’ve learned to live with both. I’ll never forget September 9, 2004 — the day I had gastric bypass surgery. At 5’2 and 299 lbs, I laid in that hospital bed scared but also ready. Honestly, at that point I didn’t care if I lived or died because […]
The Last Time I’ll Love Like This
Because I’m in the Last Quarter of Life, and I’m Done Settling By BrandiJ If I’m being honest, this season of life feels heavier than I expected—but it also feels sacred. I’m almost 49. That means I’ve got more days behind me than I do ahead, and baby, if that don’t make you stop and […]
Legacy, Love & Letting It Sink In
By BrandiJ A few weeks ago, I took a trip to Ohio with my parents—Mama is 81 and Daddy is 86—and it was one of those moments that hit different. I was the one behind the wheel 🚗, grateful not just to be able to drive them, but to still have them here with me […]