The Heat Remembers 911!

Although 911 was a very tragic moment in the lives of so many people, it’s important to us all to remember: “Where we’ve been”, to know, “Where we’re going”. Ten years ago the worst thinkable tragedy to happen to the U.S. occurred, the terrorist attack on 9 11. We at The Heat Magazine would like for our loyal readers and supporters to know; “WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN”.

“Where I’ve Been”… No…”Where I’m going”!

It was 5:30 a.m. and I began my day in the kitchen getting Sunday’s dinner prepped. I had no idea what I would be cooking but the spirit was telling me, “Today is going to be a special dinner”. I said ok! Didn’t matter to me, I was in my element; the kitchen, I just love cooking! I took out the collard greens, took the chicken out the frig, which had been marinating over night, turned on the oven and let the spirit of love move. Knowing how to cook is one thing, but knowing that you love to cook, that means you can burn! And boy, can I! Before I knew it I was cleaning and cutting fresh collard greens, tossing in the oven one of my own raspberry-cream smothered chicken recipes, fresh corn-on-the cob, jasmine rice, deviled eggs, cornbread, sweet potato pie, and cranberry sweet tea. Umm, Umm, good! Just as my mother, Bernice Dace, still does Sunday dinner and my grandmother, Minnie Dace, (R.I.P), used to do it.

As I was taking the last of the two sweet potato pies out of the oven, I glanced across the room and saw the dining table. It was a hot mess! Papers and laptops and IPhones and external drives and cameras, and the list goes on. I realized the dining-room had become my second office! And that’s when I discovered what was going to be so special today. It wasn’t the meal I was preparing, it was the way my family was going to enjoy it.

I cleared the table of all the clutter and began setting it with place settings and decorating it with the lavish meal I’d prepared. From my peripheral vision, I could see everyone in the living room watching TV, playing games, and really creating another mess for me to clean. That’s when I thought of the way we used to do things on Sunday when I was growing up. You got up, went to Sunday school, stayed for Church, the Deacon Board meeting, then you went home. Once home, you had your part of setting the table; whether it was placing the settings, placing the prepared dishes, filling the glasses with ice, or pouring the tea. Everybody had a job to do. But today I decided I’d do it ALL myself. It was my moment to reflect on “where I‘ve been”.

Once the table was set I called for everyone to come and eat and they were all in shock. Normally when that call is made, the kids come to the table and eat; alone. My grown daughter fixes her husband’s plate, then hers and they proceed back to the living room to eat while watching TV. And me, I normally would wait until everyone has eaten and I’d pick off the kids plates refusing to see good food go to waste, but not today.

Today everyone sat down and ate together. Today, the many things that God’s been whispering in my ear became very vibrantly clear. We take so many things for granted and the biggest one of all is we forget that where we’ve been is the key to where we’re going. I know it wasn’t a big deal to them, they all ate, got up, went about their jolly ways and left me to do the dishes and close the kitchen for the afternoon, which was now 3:40 p.m. But for me, it took me back to when things were so good in my life.

Every day we wake, we get an opportunity to do things one more time. It’s our choice how we end up doing them. God told me one Sunday morning, “Nik, take the little you have and do something with it and I’m going to give you EVERYTHING you need and more”. That day I thought he was talking about bringing me out of Egypt; the Egypt I was in, out of work, out of a place to stay, out of a car, and out of MONEY! But God said, “take the little you have”! No matter my skills professionally and my ability to bounce back when life’s tragedies find themselves knocking on my door of life, the smallest thing I have, it’s the biggest thing I can offer; my love of my life and my family.

Yeah, La Dre, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Heat Magazine, was an Angel who rescued this beat down, broke and lost, Mississippi born and breed, needing a job woman. But the smallest thing I had, made the biggest impact on my life; my ability to share love. I love my life, I love my family, I love caring for them, and OMG I love cooking, but what I got from this small simple act of love was something I know is going to take me to “where I’m going”. Tomorrow I may have to remind myself over and over through all the challenges that will come my way, but today, I know where I’m going! That’s to a place as Young Gov so very well put it, “outta space”. The sky is no longer a place for me to reach, I can see that, I’m going beyond all that, and take it to another level.

I challenge you this week to pause and remember, “Where you’ve been that has brought you to where you are”. Maybe you too just need to sit down with the family and have dinner together and talk and laugh and reflect. But wherever you’ve been, it’s not as important as to “where you are going”.

So the next time someone asks you, “where you been?”…smile and tell them, “it ain’t where I’ve been” that’s important, it’s “where I’m going”.

Much Love! One Love!
Feel “The Heat”!
Nik-O-Licious

Nik Dace is one of The Heat Magazine’s very own! Author of, “Learning To Play The Game”. She loves writing on any topic. Today she thought it was important that we ALL stop and reflect on our lives of “where we’ve been” to determine “where we’re going”.