Dear Sis, I can't believe it's happened again. People of faith... murdered... while in their sacred space of worship. It happened again! Another vicious gunman provoked by self-insinuated hate. This time 11 lives gone... a congregation -- an entire town -- torn to shreds. I can't believe it's happened... AGAIN. My uncle said it best: "As the Jewish community in Pittsburgh is plunged in the horrors of grief, our wounds are ripped open again." My wound began to peel back last

Dear Sis, If your childhood was anything like mine, your parents DID NOT PLAY!!! You were always encouraged to act in love, kindness, integrity and respect. And if at any moment you did not... well....there were consequences. I’ll admit — I am the feisty sister. Valencia has always been the "Beyoncé". The mild tempered and always well-mannered one. Meanwhile, I'm "Solange" — the more rebellious one. So as a child, I tested the waters... and, I tested them OFTEN. But wheneve

Dear Sis, It was 1 year, 1 month and 16 days ago. It was a Monday morning, and my dad called just as I was waking up. "Good morning, Daddy" "Hey baby" I could hear the tremble in his voice. "What's wrong?!" Hesitation... then, silence. I knew something was wrong. "Paw Paw passed away." It was the worst news I could have received... and, by far the most unexpected. Paw Paw was one of my absolute favorite people. He was warm, vibrant, funny, affectionate, but most of all loving

Dear sis, Have you ever watched someone fall and it almost seems like it happens in slow motion? If not in real life, then I'm sure you've seen it in a movie or replayed over and over on social media or America’s Funniest Home Videos. You already know it’s going to happen... The few minutes before the fall, you're cringing in anticipation of visible pain that’s about to ensue. Then, as their bodies tumble toward the ground... you contemplate whether to yell, or run and tr

Dear Sis, It's funny how technology has transformed the way we communicate, learn or even get inspired. The simple concept of using a landline seems a bit antiquated these days. I mean... why hold a phone to your ear when you can FaceTime or video chat, and share a convo face-to-face? We can tap into the world's latest headlines or get a behind-the-scenes look at celebrities lives through the lens of Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram. Lately, social media has been a source of p