It has been such a whirlwind lately my Blonde Bombshell Beauts but I have such exciting news to share! We left off with me competing for the Mrs. South Carolina America title in Newton, North Carolina. I know that seems strange to compete for a South Carolina title in North Carolina but let me explain. The Mrs. America system has 2 Mrs. America crowns- Mrs. America and Mrs. American allowing more married ladies to showcase how amazing we are. Both of these titles represent their state and compete for the national title in Las Vegas. The South Carolina directors own both North Carolina and South Carolina pageants so the pageant for both states occur on the same night. The 2022 pageant took place in North Carolina at the Newton Performing Arts Center near Hickory, North Carolina on July 25.

As you all know my platform in life is The Blonde Bombshell so of course this was the platform in the pageant. It was absolutely incredible to discuss my journey with breast cancer and how I started this blog as a therapeutic way for me to journal but it quickly turned into a way to help others like me seeking answers.. The interview portion of the pageant gave me time to talk about each one of you and how I seek to provide answers and assistance that I myself had a hard time finding. Hopefully with this blog each one of you find it a little less troublesome to navigate the questions we all have and that is may ease some nerves and anxiety as you all are on your own journey. I wore my pink crown pin and had the opportunity to discuss why I chose the pink crown as my symbol for survivorship, how I feel we graduate from the ribbon as survivors, what each of the 5 points stand for on the crown (F-Fearless, A-Authentic, I-Inspire, T-Thrive and H-Honor) and how they spell out FAITH- so that each one of you remembers to have FAITH in GOD, in yourself and in who you are to become after this journey.

As GOD would orchestrate, I was able to discuss my platform not just in my interview behind stage but also on stage. My onstage question was "What Makes Me Different then the Other Ladies Competing Today?" Well isn't that a softball question for me...But a softball only because I have spent hours and hours thinking about how I am different and what am I to do now that I am a survivor. Some of that time contemplating all of this was spent in counseling with many tears shed, some of it was spent alone wondering "Who am I now?" and other times it was spent in joyful moments with my family finally feeling whole again. I had a new perspective on life and I have been given the opportunity to live each moment absolutely in the moment and know just how special that is. What I discovered these past couple of years since diagnosis is that I have a purpose, and so do each one of you, and we are here to fulfill that purpose. Each one of us has a "platform" and as long as we have breath in our lungs we have the ability to inspire others with it. Maybe it will to inspire only one other person or maybe it will be to inspire thousands- the number does not matter- but the mission does.

Whatever your purpose is- live it and THRIVE! I channeled each one of you and your courage as I stood on that stage and I sought to honor you. It is my mission and my goal to bring light to thriving and feeling beautiful after breast cancer. I want each one of you to know just how special you are and that you too can thrive along with me! We may walk this journey alone but take comfort that at least we are all together in that!