Dear Diary,   Phone rings Change in plans I go back home   “I'll pick you up”   Car door opens A smooth ride Pull up to location   A house Three bedrooms Two baths “Wait here.” Escorted to the patio Candles flickering Music soft A single white rose   Night clear Wine chilled Steaks sizzling   Good conversation Laughter that stays Slow dance   “You smell good.”   More conversation More laughter   4 a.m.   Gotta go Don't want to leave   Ride home Too short Way too short   Stand

Monday, February 9 Dear Diary, I normally don’t make a big deal about Valentine’s Day. I had a bad experience that tainted my view of it. This year is different. I’m actually excited about spending some time with my husband. Dinner. Drinks. Lots of snuggling.   And most importantly… a kid-free weekend!   Woo-Hoo! **************************************************************** Wednesday, February 11 Dear Diary,  “Hey.” I knew by the look on his face whatever he had to say was

Dear Diary, Every time I close my eyes, I see Mason’s face—and I smile. I never thought I would fall in love with him. Our circles crossed over the years. We knew of  each other, but we really didn’t know each other. Not until a few years ago, when we had the chance to work together on a music project. And now…here we are. I love Quinn like no other woman I have ever loved. She has consumed me. I hear her voice when she’s not around. I see her smile in the clouds. I feel her

Dear Diary, Today was a frustrating day. I was denied a grant, my package arrived damaged and an automatic payment I forgot overdrew my account. I was ready to crash out when I looked at the bookshelf and saw a picture of my dad - Percy Leroy Thomas Jr. aka P.T. Despite having a rough childhood, my father was one of   the happiest people you would ever come in contact with. He was always laughing, always had a smile on his face and always had a kind word for everyone. People

Dear Diary, The ending wasn’t loud. No slammed doors. No cruel words. Just a quiet understanding. An understanding that love can exist as a future fades. We didn’t stop caring. We stopped growing. Memories are carefully packed—first friends, then lovers, and now something unnamed. Strangers?  Maybe. We know too much to ever be nothing. No regrets. Just lessons learned. No bitterness. No blame. Just acceptance. Some love stories aren’t meant to be finished together. They’re m

Dear Diary, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But 100 years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the mana

Dear Diary, All I did was ask him how he was doing. All he had to do was answer the question. That's it! Just answer the question! But nooo, he does what he always does. He turned the question back on me. That’s when I went silent. I didn’t plan to shut down. But lately, everything he does gets under my skin. It wasn’t always like this. We used to laugh. We used to have fun. We used to love slow dances in the rain, candlelit picnics, holding hands and stolen kisses by the fir

Dear Diary,   I love Lizzie. I really do. I plan on making her my wife one day but I’m at my wits end.   She’s upset with me…again. She’s giving me the silent treatment…again. I’m not sure how long this episode will last. The current record so far is a week and a half.      I didn’t mean for my response to come out the way it did.   She asked how I was doing - but she asked it the way people do when they don’t really care about the answer. I responded the way I usually do, t

Dear Diary, This past week, I saw a video that not only went viral, but also reminded me of an event that happened in my life. The video was of a young woman, from Hampton, Virginia, standing before the congregation at True Vine Apostolic Church of Christ, announcing that she’s pregnant. She goes on to apologize for getting pregnant and proceeds to ask the church for forgiveness. Once she was finished, Bishop Terry W. Jackson, the pastor and founder of the church, followed up

Dear Diary,   The other night, I sat down and binged watched the drama series She's Gotta Have It. Just like the movie, the series is written and directed by Spike Lee and he does not disappoint. The characters are still colorful, the scenic shots of New York are spectacular, the art work is breathtaking and the music is hypnotic.   Nola Darling is the main character. She’s a young, talented artist who lives in Brooklyn, New York. She loves old movies, good music and she has