Raised alone...but my Sister was down the road!

o I was raised in Montclair, New Jersey with my Mom. Although my parents were divorced I had and have a good relationship with my Father, even better after a heart to heart when I was 21 years old. When I was young, I was visiting my Nana and Pop (my paternal grandparents) as I often would do. My Nana and I were talking and organizing, she was s a seamstress. I am unsure how the topic came up, but I vividly remember her saying, "You have an older sister." Now here is where my youthful imagination takes hold and I concoct a story in my mind that she lives in Michigan...Now my Nana could have mentioned Michigan in reference to something else, but from that day forward the story I told myself was, "You have a sister and she lives in Michigan."

Growing up, my older brother Junior was around often enough for us to be close. We were born 10 years apart, so his patience was always tested by me. LOL!! He has a different mother than I, and his mother was always kind to me and his sister became my sister, as we were not that far apart in age. I mean is family. My father dated and married my Bouns-Mom when I was 11 or 12 years old, I think...I was in middle school. I knew her children for as long as I could remember, and they became my sister and brothers. Family is family.

While growing up in Montclair, I cultivated many sister-friends, whom I had been in school with since Kindergarten. Our mothers were friends and we girls hung out all the time. Although content with having friends who had become sisters, family, to me, I always thought of "my sister in Michigan." 1995 hits and I was off to college at Temple University in Philadelphia, the only approved option of my Mom, other than University of the Arts, as I was waitlisted for Rutgers and Montclair State University. I have lived in Philadelphia since I was 17 years old, schooling, performing, teaching, being, building a foundation for myself. I still wondered about my "sister in Michigan." Like, is she still there? Does she know about me? Will The creator make it so for me to meet her?

2017 rolls around, life was good...you know maintaining. My Father calls me one evening to tell me, he spoke with MY SISTER!!! I was so excited and shocked!! I blurted out a laundry list of questions to which he had answers. When he said, "she was going to call me", I teared up. The elation of knowing "my sister" was an actual person and not a figment of my imagination was overwhelming to say the absolute least.

Hassana called me and we talked for what seemed like forever! I was to discover through our conversation my SISTER grew up in Irvington, New Jersey, not far from Montclair at all, and went to college at Morgan State, not far from Philadelphia at all. This entire time she was so close to me. We bonded instantly and we made arrangements for me to visit her and her family in Maryland. The weekend was AWESOME!!!! We went to have dinner, to hear jazz, and just be in each other's company. This would be the first of many weekends spent together. Meeting her family was the icing on the proverbial cake. Her Mom was so kind and loving. My brother-in-law and his parents welcomed me with open arms, literally. Hassana also has a sister who INSTANTLY became my sister too!!!

Hassana is brilliant, determined, organized, a wonderful mother, sister, friend, and wife. I admire her so much. Our conversations always leave me feeling loved, supported, and invigorated to conquer all I set out to do. Hassana is an accomplished CPA, make-up artist, and entrepreneur. She encourages me to think rationally, but not to take any stuff, and show all my teeth in pictures! She gets me. Her strength is quiet but speaks in the loudest volume.

On March 27th, 2017, my Father, Bonus-Mom, Hassana, and I went for dinner at "Ocean Prime", my Father's favorite restaurant. To say this was the beginning of a wonderful journey is an understatement. I am forever grateful to The Creator and Universe for moving the hearts of those who made it possible for my imaginary sister to come to fruition.