Who Believes in What's IN You

For most of my life, I’ve been known or referred to as that “chocolate or dark”

girl, the girl who sings or so-and-so’s Daughter/Sister/Aunt. The one thing no one

ever, ever, EVER, referred to me as, was a good cook…lol! And…it was fair

because that is not something I spent my time doing or wanted to do. You know,

picking up food or just eating what someone else had cooked, sounded

soooooooooo much better!

But a few years ago, after living on my own in Tennessee, I moved back to

Mississippi and I lived with my sisters. So, one day close to the end of a 21 day

fast I was on, I said to my sister Cathy, “I’m going to cook Sunday.” (I was very

hungry) Now, again, I am NOT, I repeat…NOOOOOT known as a good cook.

Better yet, I am not known as a cook AT…ALL…LOLOLOL!!!! (I just made myself

laugh) Of course my sister already knew that about me, but her response was,

“You are?! What are you gonna cook?”

Now, honestly, my response to what I said, would have been, “You’re going to do

whaaaaattttt???” But my sister just responded as if that was something I did

regularly. (Now in her mind, she probably had a whole different response, but

she kept it to herself.) I started giving her a basic, small menu. Nothing fancy. But

you have to understand, that I didn’t even cook a basic menu to begin with.

I…DID…NOT…COOK…AT…ALL.

Just thought I’d remind you.

Somehow my hunger made me believe I could do something that I didn’t normally

do. What was inside of me pushed me to produce something I’d never think was

possible. But my sister, showed me that she believed in me, simply by her

response. Her belief in me, fueled me to do what I’d never…ever…done.

The next few days as I went to the store to get the items for my menu that had

grown extensively (talk about putting the cart before the horse), my sister made

sure that I didn’t forget what I needed. She also helped me prep on Saturday

night. Not once did she say, “Are you sure?” or “Don’t try to do too much.”

On top of being in over my head, I had the nerve to invite other people to eat my

cooking. Do you see how you can be driven and absolutely lose your mind? Yep,

that was me. But ironically, losing my mind was the reason I did it. If I’d really

thought about it, I would have sat down and laughed HARD at myself. But again,

my sister really believed I could…her actions said it.

Well…you want to know what happened? Ok, here goes.

My menu: Dressing, Ham, Fried Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, Cabbage, Black-

eyed peas, Candied Yams, Cornbread and Cream Cheese Pound Cake (from

scratch).

This menu. From me. I know. Crazy, right?

The good thing is that all of my family is still living (sigh of relief) and I guess it was

ok because they ate more until it was all gone My mother even liked it and she

can cook FOR REAL!!!!

Now, the moral of this story is not that I continued to do menus like this, because

I absolutely did not. (That’s the kind of cooking my mother does…I’m absolutely

not built for that regularly.) But…I wouldn’t have even done that, had my sister

not believed in me. Her response didn’t make me feel like I was out of my league.

She didn’t take over. She helped me. She reminded me of little details if I forgot.

She ate. She told me how she enjoyed it.

And let me just say alllll of my sisters and my mother? They are the MVP’s when

it comes to cooking!!!!

Ultimately, my sister believed in me. Is she the only one? No. But this will forever

stand out in my mind because I had done something outwardly, that was really in

me.

Have I turned into a gourmet cook? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Can I cook and let others

eat? Yes I can. Well…sometimes…lol!!!! I’ve come a loooooooong way!

Another person’s belief in you can cause you to survive.

Another person’s belief in you can create new streams of income.

Another person’s belief in you can bring new development in your life.

Another person’s belief in you can change your life.

If you see something in someone else, TELL them. ENCOURAGE them.

From that one meal, I even began to bake a little and eventually made some

money from it! Who would have EVER thought? I certainly wouldn’t have.

I’m thankful for my sister Cathy. Everybody needs a Cathy…my life is better

because of her belief in what was in me.

Who’s your Cathy? Think about it, find that person and THANK them.

And even more importantly? Be a Cathy.

The world’s in need…