Joni Mitchell never lied. Sunday brunches with your girls. Family cookouts. Going to the store without wearing protective gear—you truly don't know what you've got until it's gone and recently, Michelle Obama gave us a word about leveling up our gratitude game––especially in a time of crisis.
In a post wishing her followers a happy Easter, she explained that the pandemic has taught her to cherish the moments she used to take for granted, and honestly, I felt that in my spirit.
"As many of us celebrate Easter and Passover during this time of physical distancing, I know that we may be missing the togetherness and traditions we've shared in years past. This year, I've been feeling a newfound sense of gratitude for all the little moments I used to take for granted."
According to science, leveling up your gratitude game will improve your physical health, your self-esteem, and even help you sleep better. In other words, being thankful for what you have is the key to getting what you want out of life, and for most of us right now, that's as simple as peace of mind. In March, Michelle told Ellen that like most of us, she's still working to find balance and adjust to her new normal and even shared the Obama family's newfound daily routine:
"Ya know, we're just trying to, like, structure our day. I mean, everybody's home. The girls are back because colleges are now online. So they're off in their respective rooms doing their online classes and I think Barack is — I don't know where he is. He was on the phone on a conference call. I just got finished with a conference call. This is like no other time in history. Particularly for our kids, who are so used to being occupied and stimulated all of the time."
While sh*t has certainly gotten real and times have changed almost overnight, Michelle she says that she's using the pandemic as an opportunity to teach her children the power of appreciating what you have:
"But on the positive side, I know for us, it's forced us to continue to sit down with each other, have real conversations, really ask questions and figure out how to keep ourselves occupied without just TV or computers. It's a good exercise in reminding us that we just don't need a lot of the stuff that we have. When times are bad, having each other, having your health (is most important).
"We can do with a lot less and I think that's an important lesson I want my kids to understand... Be grateful for what you have and be ready to share it when the time comes."
Featured image by Debby Wong / Shutterstock.com
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While speaking to xoNecole, Eva shares that she’s a lot like the beloved 1994 character in many ways. “Lyric is so me. She's the odd flower. A flower nonetheless, but definitely not a peony,” she tells us.
“She's not the average flower you see presented, and so she reminds me of myself. I'm a sunflower, beautiful, but different. And what I loved about her character then, and even more so now, is that she was very sure of herself.
"Sure of what she wanted in life and okay to sacrifice her moments right now, to get what she knew she deserved later. And that is me. I'm not an instant gratification kind of a person. I am a long game. I'm not a sprinter, I'm a marathon.
America first fell in love with Eva when she graced our screens on cycle 3 of America’s Next Top Model in 2004, which she emerged as the winner. Since then, she's ventured into different avenues, from acting on various TV series like House of Payne to starring on Real Housewives of Atlanta.
Je-Caryous Johnson Entertainment
Eva praises her castmates and the play’s producer, Je’Caryous for her positive experience. “You know what? Je’Caryous fuels my audacity car daily, ‘cause I consider myself an extremely audacious woman, and I believe in what I know, even if no one else knows it, because God gave it to me. So I know what I know. That is who Je’Caryous is.”
But the mom of three isn’t the only one in the family who enjoys acting. Eva reveals her daughter Marley has also caught the acting bug.
“It is the most adorable thing you can ever see. She’s got a part in her school play. She's in her chorus, and she loves it,” she says. “I don't know if she loves it, because it's like, mommy does it, so maybe I should do it, but there is something about her.”
Overall, Eva hopes that her contribution to the role and the play as a whole serves as motivation for others to reach for the stars.
“I want them to walk out with hope. I want them to re-vision their dreams. Whatever they were. Whatever they are. To re-see them and then have that thing inside of them say, ‘You know what? I'm going to do that. Whatever dream you put on the back burner, go pick it up.
"Whatever dream you've accomplished, make a new dream, but continue to reach for the stars. Continue to reach for what is beyond what people say we can do, especially as [a] Black collective but especially as Black women. When it comes to us and who we are and what we accept and what we're worth, it's not about having seen it before. It's about knowing that I deserve it.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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