First I'd like to thank god...

I realize that blogs don't normally have "Acknowledgments" sections, but I couldn't start this journey without giving thanks to some of the important people in my life who used their cell phones to help light my way:

My dad, the wordsmith, who, nearly every weekend, gave my sister and me long-ass lists of long-ass words to look up in the Dictionary (Google who?) and use in sentences before we could go outside and play.

My doting mom who shuttled me back and forth (and baaaaaack and forth) to the neighborhood library so I could check out all the books I wanted.

To my lil sis who used up an entire ream of colored construction paper, taping beautiful adjectives all over my bedroom walls and forbidding me from taking them down until I could see myself in each and every one of them.

To Corey, who loves me just as I am and who thinks my thigh dimples are sexy AF.

And to Radiah Rhodes -- my sister-gurl, life coach, mentor, advisor, shrink, cheerleader, editor, graphic designer, and bad-ass-take-no-prisoners-accept-no-excuses friend -- who started this all one year ago by saying, "Let's do it.  Let's finally write that blog." (check her out in all her fabulousness at www.evoklife.com)

I heart each and every one of yous.  Thanks for always letting me lean in and lean on you when I need to.

Candace