Another day I’ve awaken to the thought of my Myrna Ria Ross. The teacher who actually never taught me in a classroom, but taught me so much through the last nearly 30 years of life passed away on Saturday night. In the wake of her passing, my social media timelines have literally been flooded with words so stirring, soothing and comforting that I am again compelled to post following my previous post of If You Love Someone Say So.

Even though I call her “my” Myrna Ria, I’m smart enough to know that she was shared by thousands. It amazes me that one woman’s heart could be big enough to hold the secrets, pains, successes, journeys and joys of so many. It floors me that her head could carry the names of them all, with stories of old and new attached to each with an ease I now marvel over all…

My heart is hurting this morning as I rise to find a timeline filled with news of the passing of my beloved teacher/mentor/friend Myrna Ria Ross.

It’s amazing. I can’t sing a lick and never sang in her choir, but was blessed to know and love her as a mother figure for nearly 30 years. She saw a shy, skinny little girl in the halls of Birmingham’s Ramsay High School, welcomed me into her world and helped grow me into a woman. Not to think I’m too special, I know full-well that she did the same for thousands and thousands of students over the last 35 years, most of which she still remembered by name, many of whom she was still in touch. In the last several years, the Lord saw fit to draw us closer allowing many phone calls, shared projects together, text messages, funny emails and moments in her office at…

It’s okay to say you’re not okay. Yep, it’s true. Despite how society or our sanity might encourage us to think otherwise, not being “okay” is a fact of life we all have to face, embrace and express in order to really, truly be “okay”.

How many times has someone asked “how are you” and your response was “I’m great”, I’m good”, “I’m fine”, or “I’m okay” when deep down (possibly not too deep actually) you were anything but?

Why is it that the need to show strength in times of weakness is a need, when in our times of weakness we most need to show that we’re weak so we can be strengthened? (Repeat that sentence aloud five times. I dare you.) Now, I’m a proponent of faith, hope and positivity. I believe the Bible to be true and that we should speak those things that are not as though…