Dance in the Rain

As I am packing to travel abroad for the next few weeks, I am feeling rushed, anxious, and am having writer's block.  So, please forgive me for my brevity this week. Tonight's episode centers around relationships and the struggles that most of us encounter while in them.

Relationships are an important part of life. When they are healthy, they can be satisfying, provide protection, stability, and prevent loneliness. Unfortunately, even the best relationships can often be very painful. Sheree is going on a third date. Nene is having marital problems. Kandi grapples with the relationship between her daughter and her daughter's father as well as her own relationship with her father. Kandi relies on her mother's strength and maternal wisdom for support and guidance. The wisdom of Mrs. Joyce, Kandi's mother, is evident as she delivers the most poignant advice of this episode, "You only have one life ... I would give myself a chance to have a life."  This statement resonated in my mind, because I think sometimes we forget that life is about taking chances; knowing when to go, but also knowing when to stay. 

While no one can live without any regrets, we all deserve to be happy and to enjoy our lives. Our experiences, whether bad or good, build our character and shape who we are as individuals. I would not be where I am or who I am today if it were not for those character building situations that some of us consider "regrettable." Mistakes are stepping stones to an evolving life. Ultimately, life is not about waiting for the storms to pass, it's about learning how to dance in the rain. 

Xoxo,

Phaedra