Dear readers, I would like to change things up a little bit. I have given you a glimpse of my eldest brother in a post, and followed that up with a post on the men that have shaped my life. Now, please read along as I introduce you to the women in my life...from the Queen Bee to my Little Princess.

There are two Queen Bee's in my life, and I am going to introduce the first to you now. The current Queen is my wife, Tracey. We have been married for 11 years now, and while every year has not been easy, I wouldn't trade them for anything! You see, I knew that I was going to marry this woman from the first time we actually met. We danced around each other for a while, playing the dating game...you know the drill. But when she agreed to marry me, my whole life changed.

My wife is truly my better half and she makes me whole. Her personality is nearly the polar opposite of mine, and that... is a good thing! We complement one another in ways that I never thought we would, and we have been able to take certain parts of the other's personality to round out our own. When I sit at my keyboard and put my opinions out there for all the world to see, that is her influence; she gives me the confidence that what I have to say matters, and other people would like to hear it.

It has been her love and support that has allowed me to chase my dreams, it is her encouragement that makes me believe that I can fulfill those dreams and I can never thank her enough for that.

The original Queen is my mother, Betty...or as I often call her, Betty-Boop. This woman, with the help of my grandfather, raised four of us children on her own. No matter how tough times were, she was a rock that we could always count on. Growing up, I never knew or recognized the sacrifices she made for us, the things that she willingly missed out on so that we could have what we needed. That type of sacrifice and the work ethic involved to meet the needs of four growing children have been a real inspiration to me. My mother is my heart and I never neglect to let her know how much she is loved and appreciated.

My older sister Trina has been like a second mother my whole life. She taught me how to read, how to ride a bike, and how to play basketball. I remember as a child pretending to go to school on Sunday afternoons with my little brother and sister as the students, and Trina was our teacher. Whatever lessons that she had learned in school that week, we learned on Sunday afternoon! The thing is, by the time that I started school all of those Sunday afternoon lessons had prepared me for the real thing!

And when I did start school Trina was my protector. She fought many battles sticking up for me until I could stand up for myself, and she didn't lose any of them. People, including yours truly, never could get out of the way of that left hand!

And to this day, I know that if I needed her to fight a battle for me she would gladly do it. She has been there for me in good and bad times, she has been more than a friend, more than a confidant, more than a protector. She has been my big sister and I will always love her for the love she has showered me with through the years.

My baby sister LaToya is such a special woman. She is the baby of our family, and the free spirit. She is the one that is not afraid to try things or to take risks. Sometimes things don't quite work out the way she thought they would, but she's not afraid to try things out. And I admire her for that. Not everyone is confident enough to do what they want, to pick up and leave everything familiar behind  and just chase a dream. That takes a courage that most people just don't have, and I am proud to see that my sister has it!

And even though she may be a little spoiled, and a bit impetuous I love her just the same. She adds a lot of spice to the family, and to my life.

Now we get to the Little Princess, my daughter Madison. It's hard to believe it but she is almost 3 years old now. It seems like yesterday that we were bringing her home, and I was giving her the grand tour of the house! Now, she thinks she runs the house!

But she has brought me so much joy, and she has helped make me into a better man. Now, my son changed my life as well, but it is different having a little girl to look after. With my son, it is all about teaching him to be a good man and that entails things that I can show and teach him. With my daughter I know that I have to set a different example for her. I am the first man that she will ever love, and I have to be worthy of that love. I have to model the type of man that I want for her when she is older, because she is looking at me now and determining what a good man is. And that is an awesome responsibility for a man to have on his shoulders. But with the relationships that I have with my mother, sisters, and especially my wife I am confident that I can do the job. I cannot, and will not, fail her. I love her too much for that.

And I would be remiss if I did not give a mention to my mother in law, Annie. From the day she met me, Annie has been nothing but good to me. And when I married her daughter, I became her son...period. I hear all the jokes about inlaws and the like, and I just smile at the thought of my inlaws. Annie has been a sounding board for me at times, she has been a loving grandmother, and has always been willing to lend a helping hand to my family. She is no longer an inlaw to me, she is simply my second mother...and I love her.
I also have three other wonderful sisters, Maria, Becky, and Yolanda that married my brothers and I can't leave them out. Maria has welcomed me into her home so much that it feels like my home, and she has been a great mother to my two wonderful nieces.  Becky married my brother Dewey, has given him three wonderful children, and more than holds her own in my smart-alec family. And Yolanda was married to my brother Alfred, gave him a beautiful daughter and a son that I am sure will be a wonderful child. And she made my brother happy, which is the most important thing of all. I am blessed to have these three in my life as well, and I am proud to call them sisters.

So again I say to you, let the women in your life know that you love them. Let them know every day, not just Mother's Day or Valentine's Day; don't take it for granted that you will have time to tell them later. As my pastor used to say, "Give them their flowers while they yet live"; let them know you love them today, because tomorrow may be too late.