Category: Blog

Living In The Danger Zone

“I feel the need…the need for speed!”

We all know and love the infamous movie. Whether back when the original came out in 1986 or the sequel in 2022, no one can doubt that the movie is iconic. I mean, who doesn’t love sexy navy pilots?

Just like everyone else this summer, I couldn’t get “Danger Zone” out of my head. The feeling of pure joy, listening to the “Top Gun Anthem” while watching flight crews ready the planes for take-off is absolute bliss. I wanted more. In fact, I can vividly remember leaving the movie theater, queuing up Kenny Loggins, and driving my car like I was the one flying those F-14 Tomcats. I was entranced with not only the movie, but the characters, music, and the infamous storyline. Now, I can spend the next couple of paragraphs going on and on about how amazing Top Gun truly is. Yet, it is the message behind the films that have captured my true attention – although I can’t deny I did really enjoy the beach scene…both of them. 

As summer shifted into fall, I couldn’t get the movie out of my head. I found myself constantly wondering what it would be like to live amongst Rooster, Hangman, Phoenix, Bob, and the others. Instead of fighting it, I decided to embrace it. Using one of my favorite movies, I was able to increase my productivity and accomplish my goals more quickly. So, without further ado, here’s what I like to call the “The Top Gun Mindset.”

1. There needs to be discipline in your life. While it doesn’t have to be as extreme as a naval officer like in the movie, it is necessary to properly be in the “Top Gun Mindset.” Self-discipline is the most important part of this mindset because it is what you need to stick to the mindset. Set a routine. It can fluctuate based on the day, but consistency is key. When you hold yourself responsible for the little things in life, such as making your bed, keeping your bathroom counter clean, or responding to text messages right away, it makes the larger things seem much more doable. Personally, this was the hardest part of the mindset for me because there were times when I really wanted to stray from my routine. Yet, I stuck it out. While it wasn’t fun at the moment, it was worth it by the end of the day. I felt more accomplished and productive with the time I was given during the day.

2. Do everything to the best of your ability. Iceman didn’t graduate at number one because he just showed up to training. No, he was #1 because he gave everything he had to whatever he was doing. When you put your mind to something, you need to give it your all every single time. While doing this, you also need to remember that there isn’t just one definition of success within life. What looks like someone else’s best may not necessarily be your best. Just look at Iceman and Maverick! Both are highly decorated pilots and arguably the best within their field, yet both live very different lives. In the second movie, Ice is an Admiral and Maverick is a Captain. Both men consider themselves extremely successful, yet are sitting at different positions based upon the calling which they felt as they grew older.

3. While it’s ok to want to be successful and push yourself, you need to remember to live YOUR life. From the beginning of the movie, watching Maverick and Goose sing their rendition of “You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling,” we’re reminded that all aspects in life are worth living and sometimes you need someone to remind you of it. It’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, especially as a college student. Slow down and have a little fun every once in a while. Look at Goose Bradshaw (my favorite character of all time)! He found the time to balance the areas of life that he thought were important: being a loving father and husband, a reliable RIO, and a class act piano player. Goose knew that a little humor every once in a while might be exactly what you need, especially in a life full of stress and responsibilities. My advice? Screaming “Great Balls of Fire” at the top of your lungs is a great way to have a quick dose of fun, especially the version sung by Miles Teller (those Bradshaw men knew what they were doing with their song choice).

4. You have to believe in yourself. There’s a fine line between acting like you’re confident and actually having confidence. Within both Top Gun movies, despite putting up a cocky exterior, Maverick is constantly doubting himself. He wasn’t necessarily selected for Top Gun and with the loss of Goose later on in the movie, we see his attitude constantly getting in the way of his capabilities. As an extremely talented pilot, Maverick wasn’t able to truly rise to his skill set due to his failure to believe in himself. It might take some time to get there, but that’s ok. In fact, take the sequel for example! Top Gun: Maverick originally started in 2010, yet wasn’t published until 2022. Just remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day.

5. WWMD? What would Maverick do? Although the hot head pilot is a bit chaotic, I can’t help but admire his ambition. While I don’t recommend a fly by when the tower specifically told you the pattern was full, embrace your life with that mindset. Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do. If there’s a specific thing you want within life, get it. Now, if you’re too much of a Maverick you’ll come off as difficult and stand-offish. Yet, once you find that fine-line between being a trailblazer and respecting others, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

In conclusion, now you have a perfectly good reason to go re-watch Top Gun and Top Gun: Maverick. As such a fun, inspiring series, there’s so much more that you can learn besides what I’ve listed above. While not a navy pilot (although I do imagine what it would be like to fly alongside Maverick ), these lessons have truly transformed my life, making me more productive with not only the things that I need to do, but the things I want to accomplish. Now, I hope you join me in putting on some aviators, cranking up some Kenny Loggins, and ride right into the “Danger Zone.”

Romans 8:18

Relationships have always been fascinating to me. There are so many ways to form connections between two people: friendships, siblings, parents, co-workers, exes, teachers, and family. Each connection is special in its own way; no connection is the same. A bond, unique to two people, a special secret, unable to be recreated no matter the effort.

When broken down ever further, you’re able to find specks of each individual within the relationship. The most vulnerable, deepest parts hidden in the beauty of forming a connection with another human being. Relationships are craved, wished for, and desired. From the beginning of time, God emphasized the importance of having relationships when he created Eve for Adam – or even when he instructed Noah to put two of each species on the Arc. It is human nature to seek a connection in someone else, no matter what connection is formed.

With this being said, relationships hold many opportunities for lessons to arise, which usually begin with questions: How do I express myself in this relationship? What can I do to deepen this connection with said person? Is there a specific way in which I show love? This list could go on and on. While I’ve experienced different types of relationships and connections within my life, there’s one major lesson that has struck me the deepest – and was the hardest to learn. 

I know that I’ve mentioned in some of my previous writings a high-school relationship that wasn’t the greatest; and now, instead of looking back on it negatively, I find it humorously positive. To give y’all a little background knowledge concerning this boy, let’s just say that my time spent with him was not the healthiest. At the moment, the relationship seemed like a completely normal high-school relationship, yet once we had broken up, I realized what it truly was: toxic.

We had started dating in the spring of 8th grade and I had no idea what a relationship was supposed to look like. Sure, I had ideas due to my obsession with Romance movies and books, yet I knew that a middle-school boy was far from capable of Matthew McConaughey in How to Lose A Guy In 10 Days. Our relationship started out pretty normal, in typical middle-school fashion. Yet, it was when high-school started when things began to go downhill. 

Freshman year is hard enough as it is. Lots of adjusting socially, academically, and for me, athletically. I was really looking forward to the beginning of high-school as it was full of plenty of new opportunities. There were new classes to be taken, new freedoms and responsibilities to take on, new coaches to play for, and new clubs and councils to help run. I was over the moon, yet as the year went on I found myself growing more and more insecure. Now, I know it’s normal for a teenage girl to be insecure but this was a newfound level of insecurity that I was experiencing. I had no idea of how to fix it or what was causing it, but as I looked towards sophomore year, I figured I would have it all solved by the time school started again in August. With a summer of camp and time to grow ahead of me, it would all work itself out.

Boy was I wrong. Sophomore year progressed and it only got worse. It was so bad, that I had friends constantly asking me if I was ok…multiple times throughout the day. I had no sense of identity. Eventually, I figured out it was due to this boy. He was constantly saying and doing things to make me feel like I wasn’t important or good enough, yet would say things emphasizing how much his mental health and well-being relied on me. I let him dictate pretty much everything, letting him wrap me up in all of his own issues and insecurities. By being swept up in such a toxic environment, I had lost a sense of identity, especially within my own relationship. 

Trying to prove myself to him, but most importantly myself, I was overworking myself, my mind constantly full of doubts: in the classroom, on the athletic field, and even in my own bedroom, a space where I should have found solace. When COVID lockdown hit I was able to take a break from everything and self-isolate. I’m so thankful for the fact that I was able to quarantine with my family on our ranch in Carrizo Springs, TX, where I spent a majority of my childhood. Being back down in the south, among the dirt, wild flowers, and family, I was reminded of who I was and where I came from. 

I went through that summer slowly gaining a sense of identity back. Having spent my final year as a camper at Camp Longhorn, I headed into August really looking forward to my junior year – I was finally taking my favorite class at Saint Mary’s Hall (AP English Language), getting back to full strength on the soccer field, and was in the works of launching the blog. Yet that all came to a screeching halt the day before class officially started. He broke up with me and offered no real explanation as to why. How did I take it? Amazing. Truth be told, I had wanted to break up with him throughout the summer, yet was terrified due to the fact that his mental health relied so heavily on our relationship. I had no idea what he was going to do to himself if I had broken up with him. After he had left my house, I spent exactly 15 minutes crying over him, then went back to watching my episode of Criminal Minds that he had interrupted when he knocked on my door (the men of the BAU are far more superior). 

I spent a lot of time healing following the break-up. My junior and senior year was spent finding my voice, and most importantly, figuring out my identity that I had lost in him (I’ll save this story for another post since it’s kind of long). I ended up doing a complete 180 when it came to my college application process, but I chalk that up to growth (another story for another post). As my senior year progressed, so did my confidence. I was able to find my personal style and an edge to help get me through the more difficult battles of life. My love of writing was reignited, so much so that I published one of my pieces in my school’s literary magazine. I had a new breath of life and was ready to take on college life. 

Now, why did I spend the past 7 paragraphs rambling about a toxic, high-school relationship? Because it made me realize the importance of maintaining prioritizing your sense of identity in a relationship. You should never lose sight of who you are in-order to impress anybody, especially if it’s to save a relationship from ending. God puts people in our lives for specific reasons, and you will find people who you shouldn’t have to compromise yourself for. Be confident in who you are and what you stand for; and don’t let anyone else dictate the rules of your own life. 

For all those reading who are younger or feel like they’re going through a similar situation, I’d like to end this post off with a letter I wish I could send to my 9th grade self:

“The pain you have been feeling cannot compare to the joy that is coming.”

Romans 8:18

Friends, Faith, & First Semester

Hey y’all! It’s been a while…a long while, but in my eyes that’s a good thing. These past few months, I’ve been adjusting to college life, socially and academically. I’ve just completed my first semester at Ole Miss and am loving it! With these first few months I’ve learned some valuable lessons that I think are worthy of sharing on here, especially since I’ve been itching to get back to posting. Now that I’ve found a schedule within this new chapter, I plan to post more regularly. 

After a summer of growing and a semester of finding myself, I feel ready to jump full force into what started my junior year of high-school. With that being said, I’ve learned a lot since I last posted on here; some valuable lessons that I believe I wouldn’t have learned without my time away. Wanting to post again and update y’all on what I’ve been up to, here’s three of my most valuable lessons from my first semester of college!

Before I came to Ole Miss, I struggled, especially with social stereotypes. I graduated from a very small private school and with a very clique based class. From the time I first entered Saint Mary’s Hall in the 8th grade, it was hard for me to find people who were like me. Now, when I say “like me” I mean people who share the same morals, beliefs, and ideologies. I was in a very small pool, yet I made the most of what I was presented with. I threw myself into my school-work, especially the subjects in which I found the most joy. When I got to my senior year, I couldn’t wait to start the next chapter of my life. I was looking forward to a fresh start in a fresh environment. Terrified of moving to Mississippi since I was about two states away from home and knew no one, I knew it was the best thing for me. After going through sorority recruitment, I realized “wow! there truly are people out in this world who are like me.” I was in a much larger pond and was able to freely express who I am and what I wanted.

Although I had an established social life within my sorority and felt pretty confident in myself again, I still had the fear of finding friends. Thankfully, I was blessed with some pretty amazing girls. Some I met right off the bat, move-in day specifically. They knocked on my dorm door the first night and we’ve been amazing friends ever since. One of them I met waiting for a pref round during recruitment, but actually introduced myself and started connecting on sorority bid day. Then, she introduced me to another friend of mine a few days later when we were getting ready for a social event. My final few good friends I didn’t meet until a few months later. I was with a group looking for a specific tent gameday morning. Turns out she was looking for the same tent and we spent the day together. Now, I don’t think I’ve spent a day without seeing her. 

With this long ramble about how I met my closest friends, I want y’all to take away how crazy and in-between me meeting each of them truly is. All of them happened by chance, but now I can’t imagine life without them. These girls have taught me what true friendship is and I’ve been greatly blessed to have them in my life. They constantly make me feel loved and supported, and are always there to offer a shoulder and plenty of hugs on bad days; and on the good days they’re still there, ready to celebrate and enjoy the memories. It doesn’t matter what we’re doing – going to the gym, walking around campus, running to Walmart, studying at my sorority house, or eating dinner at the Student Union – we always find a way for plenty of laughs and a good time. It’s crazy how you don’t realize what you missed your whole life until God blesses you with such special people. Good, genuine relationships are hard to come-by, so when you find them hold them close.

On the topic of God, I’ve found that College has only shown me how great his plan for each and every one of us is. I’ve always been a planner when it came to life; I always had to know exactly what was going on and how it was going to be done. When it came to the college decision process, I thought I had it all figured out. Boy was I wrong. A year ago, I had absolutely no interest in Ole Miss. Now, I honestly can’t imagine myself anywhere else. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been and I account it all to Him. He knew where I needed to be and who I needed in my life. In fact (it’s actually pretty funny), everytime I go out with my friends, we spend a few minutes just realizing and being thankful that God has put us all in each other’s lives. I’ve had many ups, downs, tears, and smiles in my life, but looking back it all makes sense. It truly is an amazing thing, realizing that His plan is exactly what you need. 

Now, there are plenty more lessons that I’ve learned, including those that come with community living, planning a vacation, and bringing a cake into a restaurant for someone’s birthday dinner, but these are the major ones that have truly changed my outlook on life. I know I said it before, but I love Ole Miss and all that it’s offered me. I’m grateful to be on break and spend time with my family, but I’m excited to go back and continue my time there. I’ve been lucky enough to learn these lessons at this stage in life and have them as guidance as I continue this chapter and look towards the next.

My 5 Lessons of High-School

I still have not wrapped my mind around graduation. There is no possible way that my high-school years are complete! Looking back, I don’t regret a single action, decision, or memory. Looking forward, I cannot wait to see what God has in store for me in this next chapter. Now, while I do look back fondly on my time at Saint Mary’s Hall, there were many lessons learned. No, I don’t just mean school work. Some hold more importance than others, but all shaped me into who I am today.

First of all, I learned that good friends are really hard to find. My best friend and I, while we did meet in 8th grade, didn’t become close until my junior year. I had no idea that the girl who I color coded notes with in Physics freshmen year would be my partner in crime. While it was hard to imagine myself with such a good friend at the beginning of high-school, I can’t imagine myself without her now. She’s seen me through thick and thin and vice versa. We may be separated next year, but miles can’t destroy friendship. It only makes the memories even better and the future even more exciting.

Secondly, I learned to never lose sight of who you are and what you love. For the better part of high-school, I hid parts of me that were different from others. I wanted to fit in, so that was the best option: becoming a copy of others. I had no passion, following the crowd in the hallways like a lost sheep. When COVID hit the second half of my sophomore year, I was in a bit of a dark place. I had no idea what I wanted to do in my free time. Now, I’m grateful for that realization because it led to me finding new life, new passions. Thus, Peach and Grace was born! My old passions were reignited and I felt like myself again.

Third, I lost and found my self-confidence. I was a very confident child, knowing what I wanted and who I was. When I entered high-school, that all changed. Now, a majority of that is due to the fact that I let a boy dictate my life, but that’s a story for another post (coming soon!). When that relationship finally ended, and with the help of my favorite teacher of all time, I was able to find my voice. Before finding it, I wanted to blend in, the comfort of a small community. Now, I’m ready to speak out into the world; and believe me, I have plenty to say. I’ve experienced what it’s like to be silenced and I don’t want to go back. Once you’ve found your voice, hold onto it. Be proud to use it!

Fourth, surround yourself with like minded people. My freshmen year, I really didn’t join any clubs. I ran for sports council and that was it. My Sports Council career has been one of my proudest accomplishments in high-school, but that wasn’t satisfying my hunger for involvement. My junior year I branched out, joining the Young Conservative and Independent Voices club. My senior year I branched out even more, joining Creative Writing, Philosophy, Student Investment Group, participating in a city wide finance competition (we won btw), and even playing lacrosse! It was my last year it high-school and I wanted to make it count by filling it with memories that will last forever. By surrounding myself with new things and like minded people, I always had something to look forward to, never dreading another day at school.

Finally, and this one may seem a little nerdy, but I learned the value of a good planner. The one thing that keeps me sane in my busy world is my little gold binder. It has everything going on in my life, even what blog posts I’m going to publish next! Every little idea that pops into my mind gets scribbled in that binder. I’d like to confidently say that I’ve mastered the art of planning, but I feel I’m always learned new tips and tricks, especially from Tik Tok. Whether you like planners or not, I highly recommend finding a way tot keep yourself organized. It definitely makes life easier.

Now, this isn’t everything that I’ve learned in my high-school career, but I would say these are the top 5 most important lessons. Some were learned the hard way and some the easy way, but each holds the same amount of importance in my eyes. I definitely plan to use these as guidance throughout my next 4 years of college (I’m already organizing my schedule in my planner as we speak). Whether you’ve yet to enter high-school, are currently enrolled, or have graduated like myself, I hope these help you however you chose to implement them.

Little Life Update!

Hey y’all! I know I’ve been M.I.A. these past couple of weeks and I apologize. Being completely honest, I fell into a bit of a writers block. Plus I got caught up in the whirlwind of my final weeks of high school. Between AP exams, grad parties, graduation practice, and graduation itself I used what little time I had to myself just for that…being with myself. I’ve always preached the importance of taking some time to yourself every once in a while, and I definitely needed to practice that these past few weeks.

As I mentioned earlier, I had AP exams several weeks ago. Unfortunately for me, the way College Board scheduled the exams all my exams were back to back, making the week seem pretty long. With lots of mental strength, I made it through! It wasn’t easy, but I had a wonderful support system around me guiding me through it all. While it wasn’t easy, it was doable. Yes, I did dread it heading in, but looking back, it honestly wasn’t that bad. Definitely something that I wasted too much time worrying about.

Following that week, I had final project after final project. Thankfully, the projects were super fun. I know I mentioned my philosophy class to y’all several times and I’m super sad that the class is over. It was definitely one of my absolute favorite classes that I took throughout high school. I had so much fun exploring my thoughts and beliefs this past semester and can’t wait to share them with y’all! I have a post outlining my final project to y’all in the works, so make sure to be on the look out for it!

Then, I had the week of graduation. Boy was that a crazy week! After endless grad parties, the coveted day finally came. While I probably still haven’t wrapped my mind around the fact that I’m no longer a high school student, I’m really looking forward to next year, where I’ll continue my studies at Ole Miss.

Speaking of Ole Miss, I actually attended Orientation last week and signed up for my fall semester classes. While I know the summer will blow by quickly, I cannot wait to get to the cute little town of Oxford in August! Along with my philosophy post, I have a big post reflecting on my high school and college decision process coming soon. I’ve learned a lot throughout the process (I feel like I say this way too much, but it’s true!) and can’t wait to share.

While these past couple of weeks have been crazy, I’m excited for what’s to come! So, stay on the lookout! Peach and Grace has some big things in the work you definitely don’t want to miss out on!

Find Your Style

How time flies when you’re having fun! I can’t believe that it’s been a year since I first launched this site; and what a year it has been. Through the ups and downs, I’ve learned a lot about myself. This blog has brought personal reflection that has shown me parts of myself that I had no idea existed, things that I never would have considered.

I’ve always been a very particular person, and my time with this blog has made it even more evident, especially in everyday life. This semester, I’m currently taking philosophy (definitely a new favorite subject). In the class, we’re currently in the middle of our chapter on “self” and what it means to be an individual. While I could go off on a rant regarding my thoughts on this topic, I’ll save that for another post. Meanwhile, I’ll stay simple and just say that I’m currently having a slight crisis regarding whether my true self is authentic or not. I’ll let y’all know when I figure that one out 😉

Even more recently, we had an assignment in my Creative Writing class entitled “Teach Us Delight in Simple Things.” While the objective was to write about one thing that has impacted us, it has slightly inspired this post.

Ok, so how will I manage to pull together my one year anniversary, my philosophical crisis, and a past Creative Writing assignment? Well, one major component of all 3 is self-reflection. I’ve spent the past couple of weeks trying to figure out how I want to celebrate this milestone in my life, and these 3 kept popping up. So, I thought I would share some of my reflection all-while shedding some more light on who I am.

Everything that I do is with reason and purpose, nothing slips past meaningless. There is thought to each and every one of my actions; perhaps that’s the method to my madness. So, without further ado, my personal philosophies for a happy life:

  1. Find a good comfort movie and don’t be ashamed of it. Own it! Personally, I can’t pick one, but I highly recommend either Sweet Home Alabama, The Princess Diaries 1 & 2, Newsies or Cars. Just a movie that will provide immediate comfort and relief from any bad day.

2. Sweet potato fries can fix anything. Heartbreak, disappointment, or sorrow. They also go with just about anything. My go-to sweet potato fries are the one’s from Order-Up in Lincoln Heights. They’re always crispy and have just the right amount of salt.

3. Cherish your friends. This past year I grew closer to my best friend and I don’t know how I managed before I met her. She’s my closest confidant, my partner in crime. I feel like this past year we’ve gone through so much, separately and together, and I couldn’t image doing any of it without her.

4. Don’t be afraid to take time for yourself. This year, I’ve found that every once in awhile it’s ok to take an hour, night, or day to de-stress and re-group in whatever way needed. My favorite is Chinese take-out, my favorite candle (Vanilla Birch; I will die for this scent), and a new movie or show (could be a comfort movie…depends on the mood).

5. Find your signature style. I’ll admit…I haven’t always been one for fashion. That is until I found what works for me. I now have a personal elegance in my wardrobe that I couldn’t image myself without. The way you dress is one of the first things people notice about you, so you should mirror your outward appearance with your inner one.

6. Don’t throw away the old ways. I understand that the times are changing, but some things are better left untouched. The art of letter writing, good manners, books, records, and so much more have such strong impacts. Don’t lose sight of things that bring you joy, especially if others don’t like it.

While these philosophies don’t have to be directly translated into your own life, they come highly recommended. It took time to find what worked, so you might have to do the same as well. It’s nice knowing that despite how crazy life gets, you’ll always have something sound to fall back on.

Georgia Grace is a romantic, reader, camper, sweet tea lover, counselor and sister who wants to take the world by storm, especially as she prepares to leave for college.

#girlboss

Within the past year, one of the biggest lessons I learned was that I need to put myself first. I spent years putting others and their needs before my own, creating a mindset that wasn’t exactly the healthiest. After lots of reflection and hard conversations, I decided that in-order to be the best me, I needed to stop giving my time and dedication to others and place these things somewhere else: myself. This was the beginning of becoming a girlboss.

What exactly is a girlboss? It’s someone who doesn’t care what everyone else thinks, someone who is confident in their own skin. Someone who is capable of putting her own goals and ambitions first, not settling for the easier things in life.

I spent so much time my sophomore year making sure that everyone around me was happy and content in life. I focused so much on my friends that I forgot the one person I needed to look out for. Myself! How could I get so distracted? My mental health was all-over the place, happy one minute sad the next. It wasn’t healthy.

Come beginning of junior year I went through some life changes. I had broken off relationships that were toxic, deciding to spend the year on myself and who I wanted to become. It was hard. No sugarcoating it. Many tears were spent, sleepless nights, and fears of the future. Yet, within that uncertainty something beautiful emerged.

I can now confidently say that I’m proud of who I am. In my growth last year, I found out exactly who I am and what makes me me. I found passion in new places, this blog being one of them. People who brought me down were distanced, forgetting about the damage that they brought me. I put work into the classes that brought me tremendous joy and accomplished things I never thought I could, my research paper being one of them. I finally saw all my hard-work coming together and the feeling was unexplainable.

I didn’t accomplish this all alone. I had help, role models who showed me that it’s ok to be confident in who you are and what you stand for. Some of these role models are below. Princess Diana, Elle Woods, and Emily Prentis (from Criminal Minds) are all tremendous examples of not letting anyone get in the way of your beliefs.

Elle Woods didn’t let anybody get in her way of Harvard. Yes, she only applied to win her ex-boyfriend back, but along the way she came upon a new found passion and purpose. No matter how many times her colleges and professors told her she couldn’t, she let their disbelief fuel her fire, inspiring her to prove them all wrong.

Princess Diana didn’t let the royal family or their rules stop her from following her calling in life. She constantly broke the rules, pushing the boundaries so she could accomplish what she wanted to. When it felt like everything was against her, Diana put her head down and forged ahead, creating a legacy that will inspire many.

Emily Prentis is a female in a male dominated profession. As an agent in the Behavioral Analysis Unit within the FBI, she had to fight to earn and keep respect amongst her colleges. No matter what anybody said, she stuck to what she knew and did her job, completing it to the best of her ability and more. The result? Becoming one of the most respected agents within the Bureau.

The biggest girlboss who has influenced me the most is my younger sister, Greer. She might not realize it, but she inspires me everyday. She is one of the most awesome people I’ve ever met (and I’m not just saying that because she knows where I sleep) as she doesn’t let anyone tell her no. Having the kindest heart, she fights for the underdog, making sure that nobody is treated unkindly. She has a fiery spirit that I hope will never be tamed. Once she’s set her mind to something, nothing will stop her until she’s succeeded. In fact, as a freshmen in high-school, she is the kicker on our football team. She quickly settled in and has made a tremendous impact on the team. Each time she takes the field, I feel nothing but pride fill my heart. I’m proud that she is confident in who she is as that was something that I struggled with when I was her age. I look up to her and I hope she knows how much of an impact she’s had on me and the lives that she’s touched.

Being a girlboss isn’t easy. It’s hours of hard-work and self-confidence. There’s moments of doubt, uncertainty, and thoughts of surrender. It scares a lot of people. People who aren’t sure of their ability and self. Don’t let them impact you though. Only YOU have control over your own girlboss abilities. So go out and flaunt it! Be yourself and don’t stop until you’re satisfied with your progress; and once you’ve reached that stage, set another goal and keep going! Go get ’em and be a #girlboss!

some of the best #girlbosses

All Creatures Great and Small

I believe, that at least once in everyones life, they have a moment where they experience something greater than life itself. The first time I experienced this was last summer, when a group of camp friends and I hiked up to Church Mountain to watch the sunrise. Now, everyone who has been to Camp Longhorn knows that Church Mountain is sacred. Our little slice of heaven on earth. To others, it’s where the camp gathers every Sunday for worship, but to me it’s where I truly felt God for the first time.

In that moment, watching the sun creep up over the Texas hill country, sky painted shades of pink and orange, I felt overwhelmed with joy and happiness, blessed that God allowed me that moment to witness his beautiful creation. I had no other way to explain it rather than God himself was with me in that moment. Now yes, he is always with us, but in certain times, we feel him extra close when we least expect it.

These past two weeks, I’ve been in Hawaii on a school marine biology trip, getting a first hand experience on what it’s like to study that certain field in day-to-day life. Along with several of my closest friends, I went on about 8 dives within the trip. This was my first time scuba diving in the ocean, so I was pretty excited to say the least. Getting to experience marine life up close is amazing. I was in complete awe at the beauty of the underwater world.

One of the dives we did was a Manta Ray night dive. Now, I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting from this dive, but whatever my expectations were, they were completely blown away. Bright dive lights were laid on the ocean floor in what we call the “campfire” and all the divers basically sit in a large circle around these lights while the snorkelers float on top. Plankton, who are the filter-feeding manta rays food source, are attracted to the lights, thus the rays come and feed while we sit there and watch. So, there I was, 5’5″ 17 year old Georgia, laying on the ocean floor at 30 ft. deep in complete shock. These creatures, the largest being Big Bertha at 17 ft. wide, were so majestic. The rays swim extremely close to the divers, one almost smacking me in the face with its body.

I have one word to sum up that experience…God. Laying there on the ocean floor, I had no thoughts, just a feeling of complete awe and joy like I did on Church Mountain that previous summer. Being able to witness God’s creation at such a close proximity was so powerful that I needed a week to digest what had happened, and yet here I am still struggling to find the words to describe it. Ask my dive boat, for the first hour after the dive all I could say was “We just dove with Mantas…that was crazy!”

Now, looking back on the experience, I realize that the same God who created those Mantas, a creature I was in complete awe of, created me as well. The same God, who created those beautiful Manta Rays, who decided that the rays were perfect enough to put on this earth, decided the same thing about me as well..about all of us. In Genesis 1:31, the Bible states that

“And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good”

God, who decided that the earth needed the Manta Rays, also decided that the earth was in need of one of us. He put us all on this planet for a reason, and each one of us has no idea what he has in store. We may believe we have our lives figured out, but God has his own ideas.

I could have never imaged that watching Manta Rays would have such a great affect over me, but God decided that in that moment, he would teach me a lesson that I needed to hear. So, here I am sharing that message with y’all. God, creator of all creatures great and small, looked at every thing he created within the first 7 days, everything that we consider breathtaking, and decided that the earth needed one of you too. So, let us go out and celebrate. Rejoice in His name for all of his creation because, you too are one of His creations. One of His great ones.

Toolbox

As you may know, soccer is my main sport. I play club, traveling around the nation playing, as well as high school. Along with soccer, I picked up the sport of golf. I first began playing when I was younger, but stopped playing after it began to feel more like a chore rather than fun. I picked it back up in 8th grade, almost 4 years ago when I needed another spring sport (I was not going to play softball nor run track…just not for me). I love playing the sport recreationally, going out with my family and friends. Tournaments? That’s a whole other story…

For practice, my high school golf team goes to the driving range twice and week, where we can work on our long and short games, doing drills that break down the less thought of parts of the game. We also go out and play 9 holes twice a week. To keep tings interesting, the coach likes to give us different challenges. Some examples include: playing from different tee boxes, scrambling (where you play best ball), and the most challenging…limiting the clubs we can use.

Normally, you’re allowed to carry up to 14 clubs in your bag, any more you’re charged with stroke penalties. So, on days where we limit clubs, we’re allowed to choose four clubs, one being a putter, to play with. You pray you picked the correct clubs for that day as once you tee off on hole #1, you’re stuck with those clubs.

There’s a point behind all this golf rambling. The last time we played with limited clubs, I did not choose the correct clubs. Everything I was hitting was awful, even my putting. My hybrid was topping the ball terribly, my 5 iron was slicing every shot, my 9 iron was under hitting my layups, and I was pulling all my putts (inexcusable as I had spent the practice before working on my short game). I was stuck.

While in the moment I was miserable, cursing my coach for making me have to limit my tools, it is now I realize the lesson behind the chaos. I had to think outside the box, working with what I had. My toolbox was limited, but available for interpretation. Why not chip with my hybrid (unusual, but actually works really well on longer chips)? Why not try using my 5 iron to tee off instead of the hybrid?

The moral behind this golf rant is you have to learn to use what you have and think outside the box. In life, there are times when resources are limited. We have to learn to work with what we have. It may not be easy, but it is doable. Requiring imagination, hard-work, and grit, you can always find a way to success. It could take time, but you’ll find a way to get there if you want it bad enough.

Don’t be a turtle and retreat when you meet adversity. Work with it. Fight it. Use it to your advantage. Find your toolbox and utilize it. You may just surprise yourself with what you come up with.

Weakness: The True Foundation

“You’re going to need ankle surgery”

I thought my world was over. As a soccer player, those two dreaded words, ankle surgery, are earth shattering. While I thought it was going to be the downfall of all my hard work, my ankle surgery actually become a solid foundation for me to build upon.

Several years ago, when I was about 12, I had a pretty bad ankle sprain that left me on the sidelines for two weeks. As a common injury for soccer players, that ankle sprain seemed like no big deal at the time. In fact, I’ve probably gone through several more sprains without even knowing it. Flash forward a couple of years. During my sophomore year, I made a pretty hard tackle that left me with some pretty bad pain. I couldn’t put any pressure on my ankle without experiencing terrible pain. Being the hard head that I am, I figured it would go away in a few days. After all, my season was just beginning. I needed to be on the field.

I continued to rest, but the pain was persistent. No matter how much I stayed off of it, the pain always found its way back. Extremely stubborn, I didn’t let this keep me off the field. I spent every afternoon in my athletic training room, getting taped and painkillers so I could continue to lace up my cleats. I even went as far as wearing a boot off the field just so I could get some sort of relief during the day. Knowing that a visit to the doctor would shut me down, I continued to grit my teeth and keep my complaints to myself.

This continued on for about two months. After my ankle completely gave out during a club game, I finally admitted that I needed to see a doctor. The only problem: play-offs were the following week.

My first diagnosis was just extreme soft tissue aggravation. The solution? Rest.

“Absolutely not an option. I need to play Friday.”

With only a few days until our first-round game, we came to a compromise. I would continue my regime of boot off the field, but we added a lace-up brace to wear during competition. Happy with my orders, I couldn’t wait for Friday.

When the day finally came, I spent two hours in the training room preparing for the game. I took the field with having taken four extra strength Advil, three layers of tape, an ankle 2X it’s normal size, and one lace-up brace that could barely fit in my cleat. I knew I was in trouble 5 minutes into the game. The pain was so unbearable that I can’t remember what happened during that game except for the fact that I was absolutely miserable. With tears streaming down my face, I asked to be pulled from the field with 13 minutes left. Not being able to move my ankle without yelps of pain, I had to be carted off the sideline to my mom’s car. I knew I had pushed my body past it’s breaking point.

When I went back to the doctor, I was immediately sent for an MRI as the pain I was experiencing was not common for the soft tissue aggravation that I was first diagnosed with. Almost immediately did I have a new diagnosis. The verdict? A divot in my cartilage and an extremely aggravated extra bone in the back of my ankle.

Surgery was my only solution, yet I wasn’t going to give in easily. I couldn’t fathom the idea of being non-weight bearing for 6 weeks, let alone being benched for 6 months. I went through two rounds of steroid injections (both were unsuccessful) before I gave in and scheduled my surgery date.

Unfortunately, COVID had closed down all elective surgeries. I had to wait even longer due to my stubbornness. At the top of the waitlist, as soon as restrictions were lifted, I would be in the operating room. In April that was possible. I was quickly put on the calendar for April 27th, 2020.

The first few days after surgery were a breeze. I felt amazing and wasn’t worried about a thing. Oh, how that quickly changed. Once the nerve block from the operation wore off, I immediately felt pain way worse than the initial injury.

The mental effects quickly fell in place soon after the physical ones started to kick in. I’m a naturally independent person, taking pride in completing tasks on my own. Being on crutches, that was quickly taken away. I felt embarrassed asking my parents to fix my dinner plate for me. I felt helpless when I had to ask my sister to carry a glass of water for me to my room. Having to depend on people for small, everyday tasks was humiliating.

Not being able to do these small tasks affected me deeper than I would’ve thought. It also didn’t help that I felt like I was missing out on everything as well. Yes, the country was in lock-down so there wasn’t much to do, but as friends kept posting about their daily walks and family outdoor time, I quickly developed a severe case of F.O.M.O., feeling excluded and isolated from the world around me  I couldn’t be as active with my family as I was tied to my crutches, practically rotating between my bed, desk, couch, and the dinner table.

I fell into a deep depression. I would complete my schoolwork for the day, only to climb back in bed and lay in the dark. I didn’t see the point in getting up in the mornings as I was only able to spend the day sitting or lying down. I would “mope” and work my way through my Netflix watch list. My appetite quickly lessened as I wasn’t as active as I normally was. Surprisingly, going from a non-stop lifestyle to completely nothing really takes a toll on a person.

Eventually, I came to the realization that I wasn’t alone. Well, my mother helped me come to that realization. She had enough of my “moping around all day” and talked some sense into me. There were others out there who were struggling like I was. With a little creativity, I decided to shift my days around, opting to spend more time in the kitchen, sitting at the counter while my parents cooked dinner. Spending hours in the afternoon watching movies with my dad, binging the entire Marvel universe within a few weeks. Doing art projects all morning with my sister. Having tea parties with my younger cousins. My normal activities may have been shut down, but the replacements were just as meaningful and fun.

When the 6 weeks of crutches were finally in my past, I felt overly excited to get back to my normal life. I take pride in my athletic ability, so I figured my time in physical therapy would be quick. Boy was I wrong. I was quickly humbled as I could barely lift two pounds with my leg. I found myself having to re-learn tasks that I didn’t give a second thought to before surgery. While I enjoyed the physical aspect of being able to be active again, I hated how it made me feel “held back”. I had to keep reminding myself to stop comparing where I was now to where I was pre-surgery. It wasn’t fair. I had to keep in mind everything that I went through in-order to make a fair judgement on myself.

When I was cleared for full activity again on the soccer field, I was extremely overjoyed. It was just in time for pre-season and I was ready to begin training with my new team. I’ll never forget my first practice post-op. I may have pushed myself a little too hard and fell flat on my face while playing a 5 v 5 game. Talk about embarrassing.

After lots of individual work I was able to slowly work myself back into the competitive player I once was. It did take time, but I did get there, and even eventually passed where I was before surgery. I was amazed at the growth I was able to achieve. 

Now, exactly one-year post-op, I reflect back on who I was before and who I am after that ankle injury. Along with three little scars on my right ankle (which I personally think are pretty cool), my surgery created a large scar on my character. My mental strength is now better than ever. I felt like I can tackle anything in my path, overcoming any challenge thrown at me when before, I would break down and cry instead of tackling an issue. I also now know that it takes a very big person to ask for help. It doesn’t mean you’re weak. In fact, it shows you’re strong in character, demonstrating that you’re able to recognize when outside assistance is needed. I know it sounds cheesy, but teamwork does tend to make the dreamwork.

As I said earlier, I first thought my surgery would be my downfall. I even broke down in tears as soon as the word “surgery” left the doctors mouth (just ask my mother). Yet looking back on the past year, I wouldn’t have had it any differently. You’re only as strong as your greatest weakness, but those who recognize and embrace their weaknesses have the opportunity for the greatest growth.