Yesterday's Girls-R-Us Sisterhood Day event was an awesome example of triumph over adversity. After months of planning and tons of energy spent on putting the plans into action, we woke up on Saturday to thunderstorms that opened the skies with furious force. Of course, when I stepped out the front door, my heart fell when I realized that the rain was going to be worse than predicted. Knowing how 'our folks' feel about rain, I struggled with the decision of whether we should perhaps postpone the event for another day. However, after making frantic calls to my team as well as to many of the registered attendees, we decided to stick with our original plans by making adjustments for outdoor activities. I'll be completely honest that I was fearful that the weather was going to completely ruin the turnout. So, it was heartwarming to hear the door bell ding time and time again as the girls arrived, on time and rearing to go. What a beautiful feeling! After brief introductions, we dived right into the day by enjoying mock mimosas and delicious brunch foods (scrambled eggs, sausage, hash brown potatoes, pancakes and waffles, plus an assortment of bagels, muffins and pastries). Following brunch, we moved into the other room to hear the presentation by ou guest speaker Portia Bright Pittman. She shared some of her truth with the girls about adversity she had to overcome and that resonated with us all. Afterwards, we had a short 'real talk' discussion about our things that have happened in our respective lives. Next, we all gathered around the table to learn how to make our own perfumes. We had a fantastic time picking essential oils and experimenting with different scents. The end results were evident in the room that smelled heavenly as each girl made unique fragrances that reflects her individual personality. Words cannot describe my feelings of pride as I taught them to trust their choices rather than relying upon the opinions of others. We set the finished product aside and everyone joined me in our modified version of African hop scotch, line dancing, listening to music and just plain having fun. They couldn't resist laughing at my dance moves when old school songs were played. Afterwards, we ate lunch (Beef, Turkey and Chicken slidders) with sides of salad and fruit. The day ended with each girl being presented with a beautiful crown resting on a hand made satin pillow and gift bags filled with multiple personal care items, journals, pens, an inspirational plaque, beautiful boutiques of flowers and affirmations to remind them of their worth. We took time to reflect on future goals and our sponsor/host David Asbery surprised each girl with a generous monetary gift. Finally, as we stepped out of the building into the sunny (at last) afternoon, we celebrated the idea of sisterhood with a balloon release ceremony as everyone was reminded to honor themselves and others with love.❤️ Thanks and love to Leighton Johnson, for approving the budget and giving us the greenlight to do this. Thanks and love also to Hasan Johnson for creating the registration and feedback forms, Myasia Johnson for being our chauffeur to bring some of the girls up to Hamden, both her and Jess Ricketts, for putting together gift bags, decorations and food set-up and being all around helpers. Jess was also our dedicated and excellent photographer 📸. Last, but definitely not least, a special thanks and much love to Jessica Lynn Otano for helping orchestrate this event, making our vision come to life, leading real talk and overall being an inspiration to the girls. What a fantastic day and a testament to the resilience of girls who want more from life!!!