Hey everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the Hilltop Glove Podcast. I am your host for today, Tamaya, and I have these three lovely women here to celebrate Mother's Day with me. How are you guys doing today? Awesome, bye. So we have wonderful, have my mother, Stephanie, and then we have Miss Deborah.

And then we also have Miss Laila. 

Hello everyone. Hello. And 

she's actually one of our sponsors. We shop Bob. So you guys definitely have to check her out at Noma Warehouse. Thank you calling ladies for being here today. I really appreciate you. So today's Mother's Day, 

so Happy Mother's Day. Yes, thank you.

Thank you. 

Thank you. Thank you. Yes. 

How 

are you guys feeling? You guys are mothers? You all. Beautiful looking young, vibrant. 

I 

feel awesome. Yes, I do too. 

I love being a mother. Even with the two teenagers I have right now, I still love it. What's their age? 14 and 16. 16 girl. 14 boy. Okay. With girls The oldest for me.

Yes. 

Yes. 

That's 

a transitional phase right there. 

16 years old. Absolutely. And she thinks she's 16 going on. I'm 46. So 

you get to see a new version of her every day. 

I'm learning a new version of me to deal with her version. That's a good way to put it, yeah, that's a good way to put it. Yeah, she has taught me a lot.

Let's say that, so I'm gonna be 

asking you guys a million questions cuz you're all mothers, I don't have a child, but I'm, when, maybe one day maybe, One day. So what's one thing that you would've done different as a parent? And we'll start with you? 

Probably, yeah. Since I'm the youngest mother here and I have born children in the social media age, and so it's quite different way of parenting.

So I would've done differently actually, is to not allow my children on social media until they were in high school. Because they were so creative and learned how to do things without electronics. And as soon as it got social media, not just the phone, it was social media. Soon as it got on that social media, my daughter stopped drawing.

My son stopped having these intellectual, creative, esoteric conversations. So I would have waited until they were like, in high school, maybe even 10th grade before I would allow them to get on social media. And I think that's probably the only thing that I would've done differently. 

For me.

I don't know if I would've done anything different. I enjoy my kids. I have a daughter who is Laila and I have a son, Jamel, and I think, okay, now that I'm thinking back differently, I would've had more woman to woman talk with Lila because I didn't get that from my mom as far as sharing menstrual problems, things that comes with it when you start.

Yeah. She came to me like I did to my mom. I thought I had cut myself down here, put a bandaid. I didn't know anything about it. And so right there and then, I should have known, I should have shared this with my daughter. And she had to come to me to tell me she started here and I did help her with it.

Once I realized, she has it and stuff and showed her how to use the proper, things to, to do with it, but I think that's the only thing because we've been close always. Cuz like you, I'm a kid at heart, so I was like her friends was like my friends. Yes. And stuff like that.

So the only thing difference is having a more mother and daughter talk about certain things. 

I can understand 

that. And what about you, mom? What's one thing you would do different 

as a parent? 

For me, what I would've done differently would've not raised my children the way that I was raised.

I. Kept a lot of traditions early on and but luckily I had enough sense to see that it wasn't working. This is a whole, all three of my children are a different version or extension of myself, and it just wasn't working. And Tamaya, I the pivotal point for me when I have an epiphany of that because I, although I'm, grew, was born in the seventies, when you're raised by older people.

So for instance, my grandmother was born in like 1899. Wow. And she raised me. And so that's a difference of like you can't, you couldn't necessarily speak your mind or talk back. It was considered disputing. It was considered not having manners. And I was doing that.

With my children. And Tamaya, the pivotal point for me when I realized that I had to make a complete change was when there was something really big in Tamara's life and she didn't come to me about it. I found out from my sister and she felt more comfortable talking to my sister. I'm just glad that she had an outlet.

But once I found out, I realized that was the time for me to make a immediate change. And because Tamaya and I couldn't wait to have her daughter. And I was so excited about having a daughter. But then we bumped Ted for a long time. And so again, I grew up in the era where I'm not your friend.

I'm not one of your little friends. I'm not fool. So I didn't care that we didn't get along. And it was in that moment that I realized, oh no, I care. And I changed immediately. And We used to had a, I don't know, we had a different dialogue. I realized that it was okay to not only, you're supposed to be strong like women, you're strong.

You don't let your kids till you cry. You don't let see any emotions. And I did that for so long that I didn't show her how to be vulnerable, how to bring her issues to me. And, again, it took me a while to learn, but at least I learned, 

here we are, here we go. Do you remember that pivotal point?



I remember us getting along well. I don't remember the actual point that she changed, oh, okay. But yeah, I could see the difference from then to now. Yeah. And especially I had to grow too, because I was younger. So now that I'm older, I can see things from her point of view, with the sacrifices she made, the stuff that she went through, why it would've been hard.

And you, like you said, you wanna be strong for your kids, but then you also have to show vulnerability. And that it's okay to have that. Yes. In what ways are your children like you? What do you see in them? Oh, Lord, that is a part of you. 

My daughter's mouth. And that is why it is a challenge.

I'm having a teenage daughter who is just like you and communicates the way you do. And it made me really look at myself and we, and. Because me and my mom have good communication, so I'm always talking to my daughter. I apologize a lot. And I say, we both have strong language and strong personalities and we both need to work.

I said, we both. I don't say, don't talk to me like that. I will sometimes because you relate off the handle, but I do make it that we both need to work on each other, so we're not like bumping heads like the way we are. And so we do, we walk and talk through that a lot, with her being a teenager.

And I'd say my son is a lot like me because he's not into labels. He's very just. I don't even know if the word is he simple nonchalant, simple. The way I am. Like, he'll wear a pair of pants until the high waters. He don't care. He's a very eclectic person. Wouldn't even gravitate.

Like he's proud if he's called a nerd. Like he's okay with that term. And he's very confident in himself, which is amazing. Good because he doesn't fit into the normal black boy masculine, thing. And he's I don't care. I'm gonna be who I am. And I love that about him. And I see those type of tendencies that he probably got from my genes.

Feel. I love it. I love that I see his confidence, and my daughter, she has confidence in her own way. And and that's just, it's just hard to be a black girl, period. Yes. And it's hard to be a black boy, but, just to see that his black boy joy and him being okay with not being the typical masculine hood pat sagging, like he's, he ain't into that at all.

Good. I don't care about that. And he's okay with it. Nah, and I love 

it. Me is, I didn't realize that she was so much like me as far as being a go-getter. The hustler, big time. And. And care about her community. I'm a retired correctional sergeant. I did 25 years in the prison system and I didn't just turn the key.

I created programs, I helped inmates that were patrolling how to do driver's license. I used to get suits from Goodwill and have 'em tie 'em on so they, and talk to different, places to see if they'd give 'em a chance and hire them. 

And, so you to state capital 

to, right?

Yeah. I had, I have a bill under my name. I had to go to all kind of hearings, senate hearings and all that to get these approved. And then, I'm a party animal, so I'm always dancing, we're always having fun at the house and stuff. And I notice she gets creative like that too. We always wanna do family games and all that.

But I admire her. I first thought she was hyper, but I am too. And when she became c e o and Creative of Bobs, I'm like, listen, you're already a social worker. You got a family and new kids. So how you gonna plan And never done me telling her life. And what, and I get it, because she had a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles, and I helped her out a lot with that and stuff.

But I'm looking at my mini me. I'm so proud of her. I can't say enough, and it just, See, it's kicking in, and a lot of times she can't say that about your children. I'm even proud of my son, he has four boys. He's been with his wife for 16 years, and she's been with her husband, for 17 years too, so Oh, wow.

And I and I wanna thank her dad because we didn't have a terrible breakup. We co-parent. And so every event that our children had, we both were there. Even though we remarried and all that, we both were there for everything. They lived with their dad for two years. I got him for the summer.

They lived with me for two years. He got him for the summer, and that was all their lives. So they just see, they didn't see the dramas, the chords and the child support fights, none of that. But this is my mini me. And I'm proud of 

her. Aw. Thank you, mommy. That was beautiful. 

And what about you, mom?

In what ways are your children, like you, 

would you like for me to answer that with, about you or all the children? All, oh my, so I'm gonna start with my youngest son, dj. He's me times 100. He he has cerebral palsy, but it's like mild to moderate. But when I say he's me times 100, he came into my life at a pivotal moment where I really feel like he he saved me.

And people always say what's it like raising a child with special needs? It's I don't, I never raised him. To have to see himself as having special needs or, or it's okay to be different. Like you can do whatever Stephanie and Tamaya do. You just have to do it differently and it's okay to be different.

And so I made sure that he had a voice where no one ever, in case, I'm betting and gone where he could hold his own and no one ever treated him like he was handicapped, but I created a monster. When I say I created a monster I need you guys to visualize this kid. All the things that the doctors would always tell me, he wouldn't be able to do.

I would, it would hurt, I would cry. Behind closed doors. And then I go back out there and I thug it out. And we didn't have the luxury of a home that was handicapped equipped or wide enough for the wheelchair. So I had to teach 'em how to use the walker or the crutches in the house.

How to get in and out the car. And we had a S U V because that's what I had to put the wheelchair in. So unfortunately I had to, how did you get up into the s u v on your own? What happens when I'm not around? What are you gonna do on your own as an adult? And the day that he graduated I remember we had to sit a little further away, but as he was going across the stage first they told him he could walk and he practiced walking across the stage.

Wow. And he was so proud of that. And he doesn't see himself as handicapped. And then when we got there, the day of the graduation, they changed it and said, Hey, we're behind schedule and we need you to be in your wheelchair. And will you across. And he calls the scene, he was like, that's not what we discussed.

That's not what we rehearsed. He wasn't afraid to stand up for himself. He did not back down. Good job, mom. But he compromised. And then when he compromised and they called his name, they were calling the names fully facts. He didn't have the opportunity to wheel across. And he stopped, he held up the line and he made them call his name again.

And he wheeled himself across like he can hold his own. And he's not even afraid to stand up to me, so he's a monster. But he's my little monster. There you go. And I wouldn't trade it for the world. Tamaya, like I said, I always wanted a daughter, and you're my only daughter.

So the great thing about you. Even though Tamaya is a blend of her mom and her dad, the great thing about you is I literally see myself in every single stage of your life. And when I say that is I used to be a cosmetologist. And so Tamaya at a early age, Tamaya would get a hair magazine and turn to a page and say, this picture would look nice on this customer.

She had the, I recognize that she had the eye, the artistic eye. So then when she started and when I, and I'm talking about pre-K when she was like this, so three or four years old. So then when she started kindergarten and in elementary school, then she would draw. I saw she had the eye for art and I said, make sure you tell your teachers to see if your artwork, so you can give it to your mother.

And she would color and I would say, oh, you went outside the line. If you want me to put on a refrigerator, you stay inside the line. And she was a go-getter and a perfectionist. And I love science. Never shared this with the kids cuz I always had to work and do hair. Everything that I did not share with Tamaya, she ended up self discovering science projects.

I used to say, Hey, we're gonna win this science project. Tamaya wanted to do her own project. She wanted to do it from start to finish and I couldn't wait for her to go to sleep to put my finishing touches on it. But she, it's the fact that she wanted to do it herself and win herself. Basketball.

She was a leader. She was a go-getter. Sports Tamaya would not, it's like she can be afraid of something, but that won't stop her from doing it. I love the stars. The sunrise, the Sunset Planets. Next thing I know, Tamaya is like maybe fifth or sixth grade. She wants a telescope. I never told her any of these things and she self discovered like every, even when I wanted to be a model as a child, and my mom was like, you're a little too stuck up.

I think this would just make your ego even worse. The day Tamaya says she wanted to be a model. That was it. That was it. That's when America's Next Top model came out and I was on her nerve. I made a walk around with the book on her head without dropping the book. And miss j Alexander the Runway Walk, all those things.

And I know I worked her last nerve, but I didn't care. I was so happy and I was her biggest fan throughout her entire career. And one day she posted on social media, someone, she posted a picture, and one of our relatives said, you look just like your mom. And Tamaya wrote, I'm the upgraded version. No, 

y'all.

She never let that go. I 

was so mad and so disrespectful. I could not wait for her to get home to set the record straight. And now, I wanna say this because I had, I contracted Covid, the coronavirus and almost died. Just came home with oxygen. Everything could barely breathe. Tamaya was already into yoga and healing.

Like my mother's a nurse, I'm more of an empath and life coach. Tamaya wanted to go her path of yoga and she would get in the bed with me and teach me breathing exercises so that I could, wean myself off of the oxygen to change my diet. So that cuz with all of the medicine they give me, I contracted diabetes, never had it before.

All those things. And she literally showed me a different way of life and I realized she is the upgraded version of me. Okay. And I was so proud and so happy to hand her the crown. And I used to always call her princess. And so then she was like, does that mean I'm the queen? I'm like, there you go. She can hold her own.

And I'm so proud. And my son, Stefano. Stefano is the best version blend of me and my ex-husband. And what I will say is that's my first, my, my name state, my first porn. And regardless of what he goes through, with our children, you, they can all have the same parents and all come out different.

However he chooses to express himself or be himself because he has a lot of talent. I think he doesn't use his powers for good, but he has a lot of talent. I still say I love him and I'm proud of him and I'm his big as fan. But I had to learn tough love, accountability, when to let go and love from a distance.

And ask for all three same parents. Different personalities day and night. Day and night. But it's so good to see the woman you've become, you like for instance, her own business, her own job at, she's broken. So many generational curses. Not having to work for somebody else and create jobs, and I love it.

Something I would've never, at her age, I was a mother and I was doing what I had to do and not what I want to do. I watch her every day, go do what she wants to do to reinvent herself, come up with a new career. I'm like, I never even seen this in you yoga. One day she had the meditation music on and I just saw on the internet where they were recruiting women for isis.

And I was like, wait, I just need to know that you still love Jesus in this house. In this house. She just looks at me, but she doesn't allow. Me to define her. She knows who she is and she's not afraid to do it. And even if that means go against everything she saw her mother, her grandmother be, she forged her own path and is beautiful.

And when she told me, you know what? I don't know if I wanna have children. I sat back for a minute cuz I, wanted someone to give me a grandchild Eventually, not now, but eventually. And I sat back and I thought for a minute and I was like, yes, that's a boss. She doesn't have to be like everybody else.

And it's okay to just wanna live your life and do you, and I like that. She doesn't compromise and give into any of the status quo. She's a model, but, She's had, she has inner beauty. So she doesn't have to look like a million bucks when she walks out the door. And she's confident that is the best feeling in the world when you see that, when you see her not make the mistakes that you've made.

And she can hold her own. And I am so freaking proud of you. Aw, thank 

you. 

I'm not gonna cry you guys again. I gotta hold it together. So what's one thing that you guys always wanted to tell your children but have not yet? Just haven't got around to it. 

I'm gonna open book with my children. We do, we are one of those families that try to have dinner at the table. We don't get to it every night, but we try to at least multiple times a week. I've got multiple things going on, so does my husband and then my son is in band and my daughter's track. So we're all very busy. But we make sure that we talk to each other and I don't, I feel like there's not anything that I have not shared them that I haven't already.

I think I talk too much cuz it's they're like, ah, you already told me this before. Or, I'm I get the eye roll. It's like, all right, let me just step back. I can allow them to be them. But I don't really have any, anything that I have not shared with them that I haven't already.

That's good. And I think 

that's with me too, huh? Yeah. I've always been an open book with my kids too. I remember my son and my two nephews were over and they were 12 and 13 years old, and I told them each to go get a hot link out of the refrigerator. And I got the condoms and I showed 'em how to put a condom on, because we're not having babies here.

I said, and I even told Layla and my son, y'all can't have babies until I start looking like a grandmother. My 

mom the same way. So 

my kids were like, okay. So they waited. How old were you? 

I was 29 when I 29, and my son was 26. So 

I'm like, they're like, listen, you're not gonna ever look like a grandmother.

We're gonna have to have kids. Our spouses now want us to have kids. 

I was like go ahead. Can we sacrifice now? But I've 

always been an open book now, probably when they were little, you know what I hear from 'em? It's like when I smoke weed or something, but, Otherwise I was, we knew, 

see kids always watching and listening and 

you know what, and you don't think of that, because my thing is I'm the oldest in my family, so I had to take care of three sisters and cuz both my parents were Air Force military brat.

And I was, I always said I will never have her babysit her brother. Like I had to babysit my kids cuz it robbed me of my childhood. And I wanted my kids to experience of being a child, a teenager, and an adult. I'm there if you need me, but I'm pushing them out there. You gotta go figure out life yourself sometimes.

Because I had to. Oh and I left home at 17, I was still in high school, had my own apartment, car. I was almost like a dude growing up, always kept jobs and this and that. And I said, no. My kids were latchkey kids, I had to trust them with that cuz I couldn't afford daycare and work, whatever.

But I was open book. I didn't really hide too much from them, ooh. 

Now I'm very opinionated. Sometimes too opinionated and I'm very vocal. But I would say to, it's, I think the advice that you give your daughter is different than what you give your sons. And believe it or not, Tamaya, I really never really gave you that much advice on love.

I always wanted her to, find her own way cuz I've lived my life and made my mistakes. But I will say, I will give you this now. Because she's stubborn. I'm a rebel. She's a rebel. We still do what we wanna do. So that's probably one of the reasons why I never gave you relationship advice.

I just trust you and I would just pray in the background, wouldn't give an opinion, but you could tell if I didn't like you. Just, it's obviously clear if I don't like someone that they're dating. But I don't give feedback. I would say in love for love. Now I don't, I can't say that this rule applies for everything, but one of the things that I would like to tell you that I've never told you is that we live in, when you mentioned the social media dispensation.

So we live in a dispensation now. When I was growing up, used to be more men than women, but now there's more women than men. And the ratio now is like two women, two to one. And so it's changed the dynamics of men and love and relationships and with social media. And I would say you bring so much to the table, you have so many good qualities and assets, and based upon social media, it can change the norms that I would tell you to never allow anyone to treat you like an option when it comes to love.

And I don't care how much you love them. And at that very moment, if a man has to decide between you and someone else, you should immediately remove yourself from the equation. When people, or when a man does not appreciate your presence, give him the gift of your absence because you bring too much to the table.

He may not see that moment, but. When you're gone, they'll try to replace you in every woman that comes along and they'll never be able to duplicate you because there's only one to Maya Allen. Yes, 

I definitely 

agree with that. And another question for you ladies, is what is one thing that you wish you knew before coming a parent?

What's something that blindsided you or you were I wish someone gave me advice in this 

area?

The only thing I can think of is before having children be intentional, it's no longer acceptable just to be having kids. Just to be having kids like you really, who you have that child with is important. Parents need, children need. A mother figure and a father figure and sometimes the father figure or the mother figure is not good for the child, but be, when you're, it is not cool to be risky.

No more don't just be having kids and be intentional cuz these are human beings that didn't ask to come and you're bringing them into this world. But when you are having a child with someone, No, you're having a child with it. Have conversations. I know your thoughts on raising, what are some of your principles and your goals and some of the things, because a lot of times with relationships, people don't realize the way you wanted to raise a child could be totally different than the other person. And it can clash a lot and have a lot of unnecessary conflict and the child's in the middle of it. So I would say more reflecting on who you're having the child with is, I wish I would've had conversations like that before either getting married or when I'm dating someone or thinking of having a child with someone.

Have those conversations. What are your thoughts about this when raising a child, when they get older, what do you, what kind of things do you wanna teach? What kind of generational curses do you wanna break? Yes. What kind of generational wealth do you wanna build? Like those are the type of conversations you should have with a person before.

You even think about having a child with them. And then like in this day and age, if you're not even on that level about somebody wrap it up, please wrap it up, use a birth control because it's just in this day and age, you just really just can't be having kids just for the fun of it. It's not right. It's not cool. 

And I'm a bounce off of that because I remember telling her I was young when I had her. I was 20 and I told her I went to her dad. We didn't get married when I got pregnant. Cuz I'm always against the grain. No, I'm not marrying you cuz I got pregnant. I didn't believe in abortions.

But I remember telling her, girl, if I had went to your dad's family reunion, Before having you, you wouldn't have been born.

So we started laughing cuz they're football type. Yeah. Family. They're, built like that. And I was like, girl, if I had no, I said, but I'm blessed that my children are the bomb. But that was one thing I was like, so my thing is too is always check the relationship that person has with their family.

Yes. Their parents, their siblings, cuz that does tell a lot. And I remember when my son brought this young lady home, I automatically felt bad vibes. Automatic. And I said, and he never bring girls home. Not even when he was in high school, teenager. He did, but I didn't see him up, put it that way.

Snuck 'em in. And then he brought this one home and, and I just had that bad thing. Then he started telling me things, how she physically fights her own mom. She physically fights her grandmother, and I said, and her mom has, six kids, five baby daddies. And I said, listen, we're not doing this.

We're not getting with her. But she was paying him, Linda, drive the car, his hair got big, so I said, she already had a child. And I said, she gonna get pregnant with you. No, she don't want any more kid. Bam. And it happened and he ended up getting in trouble being with this woman and all kind of stuff.

But you don't wanna listen. So now I forgot what the question was, but. Hindsight, I just say just pay attention. Pay attention where they come from, how they talk to their parents, and because it's gonna reflect on you and how they're gonna treat your kids. You understand? And even with blended families, her stepdad, I actually quit him, got him divorced because he was my husband, but he wasn't acting like a father to my children.

He didn't, maybe cuz he didn't know how. You understand? He's the only child's spoil rotten Brad, but he wanted me to have a child for him because my baby was four years old. And I was like but he had two kids. Already. And I saw how he treated them two kids and how he wasn't really in their lives and all that.

It was me bringing his children in. I'm not having no kids by this man. Yeah. Because I see how he treats his Yeah. The ones he already have. So I never 

did You gotta be observant. Yeah. You got 

to be very observant of everything around. 

This is like irony, destiny do you see our home? Okay. So you ladies don't even realize it.

It's just I feel like you were describing our life. I really do. And it's not just that question. It's almost everything. But that one hit home. On so many levels, so you're like my spirit animal. Okay. Yeah, I would definitely have to piggyback, everything that you both said. So with that, 

what was the original? My what is 

one thing you wish you knew before coming up here? That's 

right. Yeah. So definitely I wish I understood, generational. Curses. Again, for everything that I know now, I'm glad that I know, but I wish I really understood them.

Now I became a mother at 17. The difference is, I was already outta high school, so I had this really bright future. I was 16 in the 12th grade. I got skipped in school. The world in front of me always advanced and I was supposed to go to college. And, so to my family, I meet this older guy and they feel like he ruined my life.

That's not how I see things. All three of my children, to me, were a blessing, but it's definitely keen. At a different time. And the one great thing I could say that all by 21, I was a mother o of three. And my life changed. I wouldn't change that part, but I would say that who I was at 17, because I was truly your father, was my first love, as well as my husband.

But who I became, I just have to be honest, by the time I was 27, I had outgrown him. But I had these three children and I saw everything that everyone tried to warn me about as far as this is not the one. And not that he's a bad person, just I was such a go-getter. So strong, so independent, but I was in love.

And but I wanted my children to have a two-parent home because I didn't have a two-parent home and I didn't want them to be raised by someone else. And then my son with special needs, I felt like he deserved because all my children were born early, seven months, eight months.

And my youngest is five months at home. So I felt like at the very least, what all he fought for to be alive that they, that he deserved both parents. Didn't realize that having a two-parent home, because our values were so different would be, would do more harm than good.

But what I would say to my children is, before you recreate, Coming to your own. Yes. Like travel. Because who you are at 17 is not who you are at 27. Who you are at 27 is definitely not who you are at 37. Who you are at 37 is not who you are at 47. Yep. I'm not gonna tell my age, but I'm just gonna say that you need to know who you are.

Be secure with who you are. You need to have experienced so many things Exactly. Before you create life. Yes. Yes. Now, did I do a good job? I believe that I did. Absolutely. But that's a lot of things that I could have avoided along the way. Were they a blessing? Yes. However, IRE at 17, you don't know who you are.

So now here I am. At 53. Oh, I just said my age at 53. And when I got divorced, I felt like my life was, I felt, I literally felt like my life was over because so much as I was becoming a woman, I was with this man. And every single thing about me that made me, had to do with that man.

The way I put up groceries, the way I viewed laundry. So and so I had to rediscover myself. And now I'm so stubborn. I wouldn't lose myself for anything in the world. I will walk away so fast and end the relationship before I lose myself. I'm like this next. Yes. Yes. Why I don't next wife. Yes.

Letting go with Yes. It was you 

know what? Cause we get to that point now cuz we know 

we can. Known years experience and wisdom. And knowing yourself. And unfortunately we as women, we just, our confidence and our self-worth just comes so late at night. So that's why I talk to my daughter so much, even later as 

black women though.

Yeah, absolutely. Even later as black women, for some reason, it's not just women, because it's still not even an even playing field when you're a black woman. Yeah. And when I listened to your story, I was like, you were, first of all of us are natural born leaders.

But if you think about it as black women, we have to fight. We had to fight for every single thing. So imagine you getting a bill, a legislative bill like me, fighting for equal rights for handicaps. I would just to get a handicapped parking spot when we lived in that apartment complex. It's like we have to fight three times harder to be treated equal.

Fair. To be seen or respected. Or we always have to work. Two times as hard as the average woman, and we never get to have a bad day. 

Yep. Cause we'll be seen as angry or loud or these are things I share with my mentees at my school. It's there, there's too many eyes upon us and we always have to, and I just, I share with my eighth grade mentees now, I said, you need to learn how to code switch right now.

Yeah. Because they're the better a school where the student body is very diverse, but not the staff. And so a lot of them keep getting in trouble. For d for sometimes silly stuff, the smallest things you have to learn how to code switch, cuss them out in your mind. But how you, you need to control your side of the street.

You can't be, Don't let others affect you that are on the other side of the street. Just control your side of the street, and we do carry a lot. Black women are winning right now. Really? Are. They're winning. But we will still be seen as less than, even though we are winning.

And all eyes are always 

on, on you. Like always, even in the school system with the kids. Some of them might be prejudged just because of how they look, right? The 

teachers, how staff, how they're dressed. Yeah. When I started Department 

of Correction, it was hardly any females period. So I got the double sword being a female and being black.

And I got harassed a lot from white officers, calling me names, and I this is my wife. I would never have her work in the prison. And then, I'm a strong black woman. I'm like, I'm glad she don't, because if she did, an inmate would take her. Because if you can tell her what to do, what do you think an inmate's gonna do too?

I said, but I'm a strong woman. And I've been raised multicultural, so I was not raised in the hood. I was raised around majority of white people. I went to all white schools. So you cannot intimidate me. Because I've been around you. And so when you don't know other cultures, that's what's intimidating.

Yeah. Yeah. You know what I mean? But I know y'all. Yeah. So they left me alone after 

that, but I get, 

you could see her coming a mile 

away. Oh yes. 

Yeah. I fought and I fought her. She would tell, I used to come home with some stories and I. In fact I'm writing a book about it now, but, good.

Look, cause now I'm retired and stuff, except for I work at Bob's. 

Yeah. Let's talk about that. 

Let's talk about the sacrifices the mothers have made, because I know you guys all have children and sacrifices. I know I wouldn't be where I am today if I, my mom didn't sacrifice the things that she'd done.

Can you say that one more time? I'll let you speak just in case your father's family. No, go ahead. Go ahead. As a, I question myself all the time, it's like, why did I open up this business, with the peak of my daughter in high school? Cuz she's track, we're trying to get her, recruited and my son is in the marching band and so a lot of times I'm at the store and I can't go to all the track meets or, I can't do this, I can't do that.

And my daughter, she Really seeks my approval and really wants my opinion on everything and all this, and I'm not there all the time. And so I feel bad. I'm like, I'm always feeling guilty as a mom, always am I doing enough? I'm not there enough. And even though what I do a lot is for the family, and then sometimes I would just sacrifice closing the shop down early or, I'll, I will sacrifice other areas to make sure I then am there for my children.

But it's always a challenge. I'm always questioning myself. And I, that's one thing I did not know I wish somebody would've prepared me for. Was always questioning if you're doing a good job. It was interesting the other night. At so Bob's is located inside Noma Warehouse and Noma Warehouse had a band performed the other night and there was this black musician on there.

And it was a song about his mother. It was a very toxic relationship. They had, she was a drug addict and he like cried on stage singing about his mom, and now he was hurt and all that. And I'm just sitting there, I was just like, I was just, I felt like I conjured up the spirit of all black mothers.

And I talked, talked to him afterwards. I said, I don't know what the relationship is with, you and your mom said, but can I give you a hug on behalf of all black mothers? Because we always are always questioning are we doing right by our child? And sometimes we fall short, and so we hugged and cried and he was like, thank you for that.

I needed that. So that, that's just one thing that. I wish someone would've prepared me for her is like you're always questioning yourself. Always worried too. Always worried. I don't know, how is mom sleep at night? Because I'm always worried about my child. My child drives and I'm always like, oh my god.

When she gets home and constant mine 

constantly. So now you know what I absolutely, 

yeah, that's, I'll tell you that. Shut down 

kid and I forget cuz what my parents went through right with me. So it just, so now I get it. But what I do am admire what you do when your kids come home. I never do with you and your brother yours have some, what's your rose and what's your thorn?

And what's your thorn? Every day she'll ask him that and I was like, I just sit back. We should get 

that from 

my own. Might never do that, but I sac I didn't really sacrifice cuz you know, I always consider myself a single mom. So I always had to work, but I always made sure I tried to be there for every little event that they had.

She can't sing. She was in the choir, but I support her. She support, but I supported her. But at the same breath, I'm a kid at heart. I'm trying to make her laugh while she on stage trying the scene, her and her friends and stuff, but it just has to come natural.

You know what I mean? I, she's doing a whole lot to me better with her children than I did with mine. And 

she is my number one fan. Whatever I get into, my mom is there for me and I'm so blessed 

I'll be, cause right 

now she's working at Bobs at all for free right now. I try to pay her first, but I need y'all to come and support Bob so I can pay my mama.

Yes. Black. She's working over there for free right now 

because, but the thing is, when it first started off, I was operations manager.

I know you seen me. Yes. 

I see. You see me. You didn't tell me that. Yeah. 

When we talked, she said, oh, I can't wait for you to meet my mom. Yes. You guys are so much alike because some of the things you were saying, yes, I was bouncing off of that too. You know what I mean? But yeah, she starred me off and I'm all happy for her.

And I'm glad she wants to do this. And then, yeah, mommy, you gonna be operation manager? So then I said, okay, cool. How much am I getting paid? Alright, 15 more. 

So we break it all down. Long story short that, long story short. So I work for 

free now, and just to show that I'm always have her back no matter what.

Yeah, I did it with her. Awaken the Greatness nonprofit organizations. 

She went to Hampton to be a doctor when I was a filmmaker. She used to do the craft services and the cater meals, catering for my film sets. Cause she was always, 

always there. I was always there. But when she decided not to change her major from being a doctor and she called me and after I don't spent 60,000 at Hampton, ma, I'm gonna change my major Okay.

To an attorney. She said, no, I'm gonna do films. So I'm glad she couldn't see my face, Lord. So I said, Hey, you know what, go for it because I don't want you to resent me because I didn't let you go forward to what you wanted to do. Just my dreams are already complete. I want you to start having yours.

So she got into film, I support her. I sacrificed myself by moving in with someone so I can give her my whole check to help finance her films and everything. Did you know that? No. Yes. Giving me money for my films. Yes. I have to help you a 

lot. Oh, thank you, mommy. 

I know that's right. 

Let's 

talk about your sacrifices.

Oh my. Now I'm gonna try not to cry. Then, but when I say, cause I will, when I say sacrifices sometimes, and please don't take offense, but I feel like I'm still sacrificing to some degree. And not that's necessarily a bad thing. But, at the age of 53, I've never been able to do what I wanna do.

And I've always had to do what I. Had to do. And that's so many black women's story. I told you the story about my son having cerebral palsy and one time he had to have surgery and yes, I was married. But I'm like you, I always felt like I was a single role.

Single because with the roles. 



I had the health insurance, the full-time job, and then I still had to work and do hair to supplement the income so that it wasn't, from check to check. And he needed to have surgery. He had to have surgery on both of his legs. And I remember that I had to work, I had to reduce my hours.

But I literally had to work seven days a week so that I could be there during the day until my mom got off work and then go into work. And it was reduced hours, half shift just so I could keep my benefits. And because I was a supervisor and it was salary 40 hours a week. And I literally had to work seven days a week.

And yes, I always had a great support system, like if the kids were sick and things of that nature. Even to the point where I said, enough is enough. When the kids were little, they traveled the world. My mom made sure that they were well. Verse, that they were exposed to so many cultures, so cuz I, I never really could afford the family vacations and I used to have my break when they went on vacations.

Still never really going anywhere or doing anything. But I remember when I realized that when, at the point where my oldest son, when he got arrested, and this is after he got expelled from school, I put him in Willow Gray so that he didn't have to go back into the school system. And he was still determined.

He was like, I'm just gonna get arrested. I'm just gonna be a thug. After I worked so hard to make sure that I raised my children in the south instead of up north so that they wouldn't be exposed to certain things. Better environment. He just wanted to be hood. In his mind he was hood and he just wanted to be hood.

And as so which ones as pampered? As don't get it. Don't, please don't misunderstand me. Just because I had children at an early age, I was spoiled. And it always exposed to the finer things in life. So as pampered and as high maintenance as I was, I'm not hood material. So I don't understand why David, she wanted to be hood and live in the hood and be hood and do hood behavior, but so be it.

And when I had, and I said, I remember saying when I get this bonus check, I'm going to go ahead and get a divorce. Just so happened he got arrested and like real charges, serious charges. And so I'm literally now having to and Tamaya as a senior. In high school. So I'm having to pay for an attorney for my son cuz he was looking at life in prison.

Pay for an attorney for a divorce. I was so happy because the day that I signed and became a homeowner was the day of his expulsion hearing. And I got approved for the house, but I got the phone call. He was they made a decision. He was expelled. So I never had that happy moment cuz it was problem after problem, but now sacrifice after sacrifice. So now I'm refinancing my home to have the money for these lawyers now Tamaya graduates. So how do I tell the one child who is doing everything that she's supposed to do Right. And not giving me any problems.

I don't have the money. For her to go to college, so I refinanced on top of refinance, so th this is how I managed to get everything in a divorce, keep it all, go through all of this, happen all at one time, and then, and lose it all. And have to start all over again with I'm talking nothing and rebrand, rebuild.

And then finally get my own place. My kids are grown. Everybody's out the house. And then Tamaya wanted to have her own business, and I was, I didn't like the relationship she was in, and I felt that she needed to come out of it, and we all moved back in together again. So I had that one little taste of living on my own here in Columbia.

And then I gave it up and found a place big enough cuz we all had our own furniture to move in. Because I was so happy that my daughter did not want to work for someone else and wanted her own job and her own career. And I remember what it was like to wanna be a model and sitting. 

But isn't that funny though, like we're saying how different boys and girls are cuz my son was the same way.

What you just said. That's what I was going through with my son. He wanted 

that thug life, 

wanted that thug life. I remember when he was playing football in the little league and we lived in a nice big old house, the pool, the whole works. And we had to go in the hood for him to play ball. And he was so excited at eight years old and I was checking that out.

Oh, we in the hood, he was happy that instead of hotdogs and hamburgers at the concession stand, they selling ribs and wings, chicken wings and stuff like that. It fascinated him. And then I guess seeing stuff on 

tv, thug life 

on tv. Those was his heroes. You know what I 

mean? But goes back to what you said about the social media and the team.

Yeah. Early. I'ma 

do my son in and out, constantly money, got him in the job, court gets kicked out, go back and fight, get him back in, gets kicked out again. I had to literally sit in his classroom when he was in high school, so I did sacrifice, I had to concentrate so much on him.

Because I knew she was good. You know what I mean? So I didn't really have to do too much with her, but I had to put so much energy on this boy here, and, 

And he never saw it that way. He always, he never felt like I was the golden child. They always feel like that.

Yeah. 

They, that's how my brothers feel about me. So do you got, do you women feel like, boys need more attention then? 

Girls, no. They just need good male influences. And just because they have a daddy in the home that doesn't mean they have a good male influence. On and to teach them how to 

get, he's a step upper man.

Exactly. Okay. That's what I said. You're my husband. You're not being, why do my, I have to get mentors for my son. And he has a father at home, and and her dad, like I said, we took turns with him, but he was, he wanted to be played Playboy of the year, so his thing was just traveling.

So I let him do his thing cuz my turn is gonna be coming. You know what I mean? And so when you don't have, and I was constantly arguing with my husband all the time. Take him to practice, go to some of his games, show him this, stu he never would. Or by Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah. Because I want, I was raised with all girls.

So I knew a man as a child, no brothers, so my dad was always working, taking care of my mom and us girls, so I've always saw a strong man in front of me. But I couldn't be that strong man to my son. I was a strong mother. I'm not a strong father.

And not to take anything from his dad, but he was just he, and 

he wasn't, my dad wasn't there in the pivotal years. By the time. We tried, like my dad was sent, my brother was sent to live with my dad. It was like too late. My dad was like, what the hell was this?

I ain't putting up with that. I dunno what to do. You know what I mean? Sitting through it like my mom did and, figure it out. So he shipped back, back to my mom. So my brother never really got a man to shake the, shake that mess outta him, 

but on turn. But he's doing that to his sons.

He is so active, he. Would hardly work because he didn't want no one raising his boys. He didn't want them in daycare, 

none of that. So he realized it though. Yeah. Later on. Sometimes, but 

see again too, he was spoiled. Because I'm working all these hours. Just, he always had to find his things.

They used to call him Bridgeport, that was his nickname. Oh, okay. And he was ashamed of that, and he felt picked on. But the minute I say no, I'm the worst mother in the world. You are never a good mother. You're this, and when you get told that so many times when it hurts, you start when you know it's not true.

But when you being told that every single time, you start believing that. And she would tell you how many times I would cry and she says, mom, you didn't have to put up with that. Yeah. And it took her a 

long time to realize she didn't have to put 

up with that. And one time I snapped back on him, and when I snapped back, It actually brought us closer cuz I, I would never Yeah.

Because he could say the worst things to me and, but this time Oh I went off 

Enough is enough. Yeah. That's it. And it's hard as a parent to have to say no to your child or have to, check your child like that, but when they're, when they cross that line, at some point you have to not put up with it.

Cuz they're going to keep doing it until you stop putting up with, they gonna keep pushing up, enabling the B and that's 

what I was doing. Yeah. All these, shes, and that's why, and 

I was a role model to her to be like, I'm not putting up with that. Cause he was in California and so they moved.

The family out here and he was bringing that craziness in my household and I was like oh no, I don't do that. So she saw how I was like, oh, you not affected by that? I was like, I don't do, I don't deal with that. And then, because I've been up with it for longer, some inspiration to I don't have to put up with this.

And you don't, even if it's your child that's toxic. You don't have to put up with it. And it's not your fault as a parent. Yeah. Because you have a toxic child. Whatever happened in the past, but by the time they are grown and they don't wanna get help with whatever, what things, mental health mistakes that might have happened that the parent did.

Cause if they're not trying to get help for it, that's, unfortunately that's on them. Yeah. And I think that's a hard thing for women and black women is to let go of the toxic relationships that we have, even if it's our own family, even if it's our own child. But you do not have to take it.

You do not. And 

she's right. And I have, I, you literally knit that in the bud. And now we are so loving to each other, and. And 

I've been for that. And it took him to reach bottom that we were not gonna be dealing with that for him to okay, what I am doing is wrong. Wrong. And so he finally started to turn around and start. And then he's seeing all the things surface within himself and it's damn, I didn't mess up. This is, all these relationships that I'm, and then he thought about his own boys. Yeah. Like he's telling him, don't be like me. They could turn into that. Yeah, exactly.

Potentially. Yeah. Yeah. 

And I just like she said, when he came, he just became a monster. And we're like, no, we're not talking to you. Not in fighting to the family things, none of that. And that hurt his feelings. 

Yeah. Because he gotta sit and look at himself. And of course 

his wife, she gonna get mad at us.

We try, things go and I tried to explain 

to her, just swear she is me. 

We are so much. It was a mess. But now 

it's good. Yeah. They went on 

back to California. To do their life. Cause that's where her family's from. She's never left home before, so she didn't 

know, yeah. She's in a different environment. Exactly. 

Exactly. But we were in a good place. And another thing that I admired about my son is he admitted to his wrong. Yeah. And he, every time he talks me, he'll say, I love you, and I'm sorry. Aww. All the time when we talk, 

I wish, or I pray for the day that I get there with my sons.

But girl, listen, I'm 67. You see how long 

it took, right? I will say this. I agree with you ladies wholeheartedly. The only thing where I'm a little different is as I'm at this point in my life, I'm like ownership. And accountability. One of the things that I had to realize, and

I tend to read this. Book this letter about maybe once every 10 years after I was introduced to it in high school. It's the letter of Willie Lynch. Yes. And I realized that I come from a long line of sh 

strong 

black women, and we create other strong women. But we create weak men.

Thank you. And because of that, I saw when I read we have zero tolerance for our daughters. We don't take any stuff, we make 'em tough. But we baby our boys. And we make them these kind of weak men that we see today. Yes. And, but when you have your boys are so loving to their mothers, Like Tamaya was a daddy's girl.

We used to bump heads all the time, but boys are so loving and nurturing to their mothers. And I can honestly say that regardless of any flaws that my ex-husband had, when he used to try to correct and discipline the boys, I used to step in and I used to defend them and take up for them.

So I have to own my part in the little monsters that I created. Where every time he tried to be the father and be the man how I interrupted and stood up because I was like, there'll be no favoritism. And because he was so hard on the boys and ta Micah get away with murder.

And I grew up with that colorism and that favoritism and so I said that wasn't gonna be, go on in my home, but I was doing the wrong thing. Because I was stopping him from, cuz he saw himself and his sons and I was stopping him from correcting those behaviors those toxic behaviors. And so I have to own my part in that now. In the little male monsters. Yeah. That absolutely. And, and so again, with the Jenner, the generational curses and then I grew up to went on to be, corporate and executive and in leadership. And then my husband was a blue collar worker. He made good money, but when he worked, when it rained, he didn't work. So as a result, there were times where I not where I made more money than him.

And I'm a boss and I'm making decisions. It's hard to check your ego at the door when you 

get home and you're a 

boss all day. And then if he didn't have so many times he didn't have the money or he fell short. And then it got, I was so money driven and career driven and my goals that I didn't see how there were things that he brought to the table that money couldn't buy.

What he contributed. And I didn't see that at the time, and I did not, I just changed roles. Like you just, you're the woman that I'm the man. And cuz you're not gonna have, I can't rely on you. So I had to always make sure, plan A, plan B plan C, but I was emasculating him and then when he wanted to, take the wheel A after you fail a few times, you can't, I'm not gonna give you the wheel. I don't trust you. And not that it's right. But submission, I saw it as weakness. I didn't understand the power of submitting. But I also, later on now at this age, I have to realize submitting to the right person.

Yes. Because sometimes when Tamaya, cuz I, I created an independent daughter and I remember one day she asked me we were in church and they had they were having oil changes for women. I don't know if you remember this. They were having oil changes for women and you bring your car and the men would do the oil changes or whatever.

And then to mine said, I wanna learn how to change my own oil. I don't want to bring my car for a man. To do it for me. I wanna learn how to change my own oil. And I was like, why? She was like, what if I'm stuck one day and I need to learn how to do it for myself? I was like, there's nothing wrong with this.

Tamara. Take the blessing. And she was like, mom, what are you gonna do? And we're in church. And she says what are you gonna do if you're stuck in the desert? And I said, I'm gonna pray for an Arab man to come by and rescue me with a camera. Cause I couldn't think of anything at the time, but it was, it's I didn't learn femininity because I always had to lead and be the head and thank you. And even argue, even arguing or having the last word, if I didn't agree with something in front of the children, I didn't learn the power of having his back. And then we talk about it in private.

Because again, I was raised by these opinionated women. But I didn't realize that those opinionated women either can't keep a man. Don't have a man, don't get married, or don't stay married. It was just so much that I learned later that I took pride on in being that I didn't realize with generational purses.

So I created this really, so mother of three, and now I'm one third with a super strong daughter and I'm gonna leave it at that, but I'm gonna call those things that be not as though they were Yeah. And speak life in my boys, but I can't just say that it was all their father's fault.

Because I have to own my part. And what I did as being the leader in the head and not understanding femininity and dominating. 

That's what my son More masculinity. Yeah. That's 

what my son too, that's my, my, my second husband move was very past. So I was the shock caller.

I did everything. The bills, he got allowance. I just ran everything. And it's not until now at 67 years old, I'm actually being a little submissive, started seeing this guy and I'm breaking the barriers. He's steady let he, and he clowns me. He says, listen, between the two of us, I'm the only one with the D.

Yeah. 

Calm me down. 

Calm me down. Yes. Yeah. And I appreciate, and 

at first I'd be ready to be confrontational and I'm learning myself. Let, don't let him take the wheel, let him take, you 

have to tell yourself to shut up sometimes. Yes. Just shut up. 

Yes. Just let him take the wheel.

And I'm learning that, even with her dad, because even her husband, when they decide to move to South Carolina, Her husband called her dad and said, man, I don't really wanna move to South Carolina but you know, my wife Laila, she's adamant, and her dad told him, lemme tell you something.

She just like her mama, you better watch out. Once she sets her mind on something, she going to do a regardless. Yes. Yeah. 

So either you gonna be with her or get left behind. 

That's it. Yeah. And Layla 

came without, next thing you know, here he come. One plane. One plane. So I get that girl. We, and you know what the thing is that we have so much in common and similar experiences, that's just the two of us.

Look 

at all the other women. Women, yeah. 

So that's how we have, when we look 

at the men's prison 

system these are for 

mothers like us. Yeah. I would tell that black woman, that corporate leader, when you get home, still let your husband leave. It's not weakness, it's.

S it's hard. Allow him to be a man. Allow him to be a man. But most of all, you don't even understand I am just now in the relationship that I am learning the value of, like a man, making sure that all of your needs are met. Asking you, you need anything. And I won't say it I refuse to say it.

I can say that my, my greatest thing, I used to always say, I take pride in that I will never, ever need a man for money, and like when he gave me money and he said, there's more where that came from, I felt humiliated. Like what? And then I had to realize things like, every week, making sure my.

Tank of gas. It's like the little things that I was, so that I imagine being grown, not realizing that because you're so busy, the roles are reversed, you're so busy. Being a man and like now knowing that I don't have to want for anything if I'm having a bad day that I can tell him about it and he'll fix it where I'm, or I always had to come up with a solution.

And I was an overthinker A plan A, a plan B, a plan C, and worst case scenario, just hearing, I got you. And then c I got you now. Yeah. And blame it on menopause. But I'm feminine. I don't know what 

now. Yes, me too girls. Yes, I'm 

serious. Yeah. 

I definitely wanna thank you ladies for being a part of this episode and I really enjoyed all of your feedback.

I will be taking each points from each of you. Do you guys wanna give any shoutouts or, drop, where can we 

shop? Box. Okay. At we shopbops on most social medias and we, shopbops.com is the website, social media for my shop that is called bs. We are located inside Noma Warehouse at 2222 Sumter Street.

That's like a mini black department store in there. We've got everything. We've got gifts, we've got apparel, we've got hygiene, like deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, cleaning supplies, home decor, all by black businesses. So please come and stop by and shop and support because we wanna stay in Columbia.

You don't have to go to Atlanta to see an influx of black businesses. I've got it all in my shop. So please come support and shop so we can stay in Columbia. We're here for Columbia. And definitely see Miss Deborah. Yes. She, yes. My number one, my operational, no, she 

has raw 

essence in her Yeah. Her 

stuff though.

In her store. Yeah. And she also has the waist speeds lady in her store too. Yeah. So if you know anybody that makes their own products definitely send them to Laila. At We Shop Bobs in Noma Warehouse and that's it for 

today. I didn't get to give a shout. Go 

ahead. Go ahead.

Give a sh I wanna give a shout out to the Art in Me yoga studio. Because so many African Americans aren't diverse and we don't really understand the power of yoga, the power of our breath. We think, that's more of the Hindu culture. But believe it or not, self-care Yes.

Is self-love. And it doesn't take away from your relationship with God. It is spiritual and the power of yoga and meditating. And Tamaya does a really good job of meeting you. Where you're at. Now I don't necessarily go cuz she works me hard. I wouldn't put that out there. She does, she works me hard, but I t do it upstairs in, in the house.

But to every spec, no matter what job you have, I recommend that you at least go to the classes or try 'em online. And the reason why is because you'll see a difference in your health. And when it comes to health, I'm so sick of the commercial saying this flu season or this new virus or this new strand of coronavirus is gonna be, is gonna hit the black community the hardest.

I have a problem with that. Because I don't understand how a virus one knows your race. But it just seems like we're always behind with health. And even bring your kids if you can, if you don't have a babysitter, because the way kids are behaving in school, they need that. It teaches you discipline.

Being self 

centered. 

I don't have anxiety as bad or P T S D is bad or those triggers there's so much power in your breath that we probably weren't taught and didn't know, and so I just. I don't know, even couples as a, getaway, just go and try it once. So I'm gonna give a shout out to the Art in Me studio as well as the Hilltop Club, because these young people are really changing the game.

Absolutely. Thank you Hilltop 

Club for having us. 

Oh, thank you for being a sponsor. And yes, so my business is the Art and Me Yoga. I have never said that on the podcast, so people do not know. But yes, I teach yoga every Thursday at Aloft Yoga Studio by the Columbia Zoo. And you guys can find me on Instagram at maya baa.

You can click the link in my bio if you wanna purchase tickets or if you wanna listen to the podcast. So thank you guys for tuning in today. Tell someone you love them. And again, happy Mother's Day. Happy 

Mother's Day. Mother's Day.