“Can’t let nobody take it away, from you, from me, from we. No time for moping around, are you kidding? And no time for negative vibes, cause I’m winning.” Just Fine, Mary J. Blige
Remember those class assignments where you were tasked with naming someone you considered to be your hero? Often, I would think of members of my immediate family. They were real life examples of individuals who had endured difficulty and came out on the other side of things in a generally healthy and happy state. My heroes happened to share my last name.
My older sister, April, was one of the best examples of that. Four years my senior, April had always been driven when it came to completing goals. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree then went on to pursue her master’s degree. She always managed to work full-time during her college years and after graduation, she worked in roles that took her from a classroom full of students to hospital rooms to large corporations. April had achieved levels of success that were worth aspiring to. There was also the fact that people always seemed to be drawn to her and she seemed to converse with people she didn’t know with ease. She probably never realized how much I noticed those details growing up but I did.
For all the welcoming vibes April gives off, she is still a pretty private person. She does tend to hold things close to the vest, so awareness of her day-to-day challenges can be difficult to fully grasp depending on how much she lets you in.
I decided to sit down with her to gain insights on how she remains motivated and capable of bouncing back despite the challenges she’s faced over the years. Check out the video below.