Then...
- 11 years old
- El Centro, California
Now...
- 27 years old
- Indianapolis, Indiana
- Founder of In Natural Harmony, LLC™ a Doula & Maternity Service & Co-Founder of the Crane Waters Foundation,which serves to provide children with valuable skills, resources & opportunities to prosper as young entrepreneurs.
My Story...
During this period in my life I was very uncomfortable with my skinny legs, big teeth, & not to mention my unruly curly hair that I had no clue on what to do with. My hair solution was either lots of gel, mouse, or several failed attempts at straightening ( this photo was obviously an attempt to blow dry my hair straight). Growing up we regularly had to shop at second hand stores, which for a pre-teen was an absolutely heart-wrenching experience since nothing was ever in style. Thankfully we wore school uniforms during this school year which eased some anxiety about my wardrobe selection. When not in school I pretty much restored to dressing like a tom boy, until the age of 13.
We moved quite frequently growing up & I was always the new girl, which didn’t help my cause of trying to blend into the wall somewhere. I became the center of attention because most people didn’t look like me, were curious about my ethnicity ( Black, Cambodian & Vietnamese), & even more curious when the teacher introduced me to the class as something other than the correct pronunciation of my name Tah-wee. On occasion other girls would talk about me or not want to hang out with me since they didn’t like the fact that I had what is commonly referred to in the Black community as “good hair”. Nevertheless, I was still able to make friends despite my shy, quiet demeanor & successfully breeze through the rest of my school age years without much firsthand experiences with bullying. My family life wasn’t great either so my therapy was music & daydreaming about “what I will do when I grow up”.
Now as adult I actually enjoy shopping at second hand stores & garage sales. I’ve grown to embrace the versatility that my naturally curly hair provides me & feel comfortable in my own body. I encourage all young people out there to live in the moment, don’t wish away your youth or present moment for some far off date in the future because it only exists in your mind. Open your heart & find happiness and pleasure in the simple things, stay grounded, express gratitude daily, follow your own path, trust your instincts, believe in yourself, respect yourself, & love yourself. This moment is all that is truly tangible & real! Much love, & many blessings to you on your journey!