WELCOME
This edition is particularly special to me because it’s
dedicated to the person who motivates and inspires
me every day…my mother. As a young girl, I remember
how she constantly demonstrated an inner strength
that resonated with everyone she met. Her goal was to
sustain her small family despite the challenges that life
threw her way, but what she’s done is so much greater.
She provided a role model for me and set expectations
higher than I ever thought achievable. She also provided
support; a soft place to land when success was just out of
my reach so that I never knew the fear of not trying again.
Every little girl deserves a mother like mine and I truly
mean that. Ms. Janet, as she is fondly known among
my peers, was always one step ahead of me no matter
how smart I thought I was. Once, I’d agreed to meet my
friends for a party without her permission and even dared
to climb out of my bedroom window to meet them. My
mother found me at that party, entered those front
doors and dragged me home. On the way home to my
punishment, she talked about the young woman she was
raising in me and I felt terrible for falling short of those
expectations. I knew not to disappoint her again.
influence on my girls that my mother had with my sister and
me. I am grateful that when she sees me tilt out of balance;
spending too much time on one thing or the other, she drops
subtle clues that bring me back.
“Your life is like the pedals of a flower,” she says. “Each pedal
needs your sunshine to grow strong and beautiful. If you
shower parts of the flower on one side, but ignore the other,
the whole flower wilts.” Because of her I’ve learned to spend
as much time with my daughter and granddaughter as I do
on my business. I structure my days to ensure that no part
of my life goes without as much of my personal sunshine as
I can give it since I need all of the pedals of my life to grow
strong and vibrant.
While you may not have a Ms. Janet, I hope the wisdom she’s
shared with me somehow comes through in the types of
articles you’ll find in this edition of IBA Success Magazine. It
is my gift to you. Cherish yourself and your pedals and give
each of them the balanced sunshine they need to thrive.
As I grew older, I learned to watch her hustle. By the
time my older sister and I had reached our teens, we
were already following in her footsteps and planning
our own paths. And it was then that we recognized
something completely new about her. She balanced all
of the important components of her life at one time and
seemingly with ease. Have you ever seen the circus act
where the performer spins plates on a pole, adding more
and more plates all spinning at once? That’s what it was
like to see her manage a household, ensure that we were
properly educated, instill morals and values, demonstrate
the qualities of a woman deserving of a relationship all
while encouraging us to fulfill our hopes and dreams. To
this day I sit in awe of her and ask what she’d do in certain
situations. I know now that balancing is not as easy as
she made it look, but it isn’t impossible. It is, however
critical for a progressive life.
As an adult, my mom remains my greatest confidante
and primary advisor. Her wisdom is a valued gift that I
carry with me every day. Like her, I’m now a mom and
a grandmother and I hope that I’m providing the same
Jennifer Yon
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