In this second part of my conversation with Dr. Jerrold Roy, my uncle Jerry takes us deeper into the roots of our family's resilience. He shares powerful stories about my grandfather's entrepreneurial spirit: from running a photography studio that captured memories for Black families, to owning a grocery store that grossed six figures in the 1970s. Through these stories, my uncle reveals where his own audacity and courage as a Black man navigating predominantly white spaces came from: our ancestors who refused to be limited.

But this conversation gets beautifully vulnerable as my uncle J reflects on love, relationships, and the inner work we all must do. He opens up about a conflict with one of his brothers that taught him profound lessons about projection and taking responsibility for our own hearts. In his 70s, he's still growing, still learning, still becoming. What a testament to the grace that flows through generations!

This is more than family history, it's a masterclass in resilience, vulnerability, and the ongoing work of being human. Let it inspire you to dig deeper into your own family stories and never stop growing, no matter your age.

I had the honor of my life to record a conversation with one of my mom's brothers, Dr. Jerrold Roy, aka my whimsical uncle Jerry. He is the historian of our family and sacred memory keeper. In this part one of a two part conversation, my uncle J shares the many lives he's lived: from his educational journey at Harvard and beyond as a Black scholar, to his early dream of being an actor and moving to Hollywood in hope of making it to the big screen. I ask him about his childhood, growing up in Chicago as one of 13 children and what he experienced. He shares formative stories from his adolescence and what led him to enlist in the military multiple times. This is a conversation rich in family wisdom. Make sure to listen to part 2 of this series.

Season 3 already- Eeeeek! In this episode, I sat down with Sam Wanamaker, my college friend and roommate for a month in Korea. We talk about that experience of immersing ourselves in art, culture, travel, language and constant change. That month in Korea changed our lives for the better. Sam shares how two phrases have carried him throughout different seasons of his life and why he thinks about them multiple times a week. Sam is a choral teacher for high school students and he explains how and why he has chosen it as his medium of creativity and purpose. Sam intimately shares with us how the passing of his mom transmuted their relationship in ways that may not have been possible if she were still here physically. This was truly a beautiful, personal and inspiring conversation.

"I had to trust life and believe that life loved the person who dared to live it." -Maya Angelou