“Your crown has been bought and paid for. All you have to do is put it on your head.” – James Baldwin

By Dawn Onley

We are women. Queens. Royalty. Givers of life. Nurturers of the human condition. We are the ones who deeply feel things; the glue that keeps it all together.

There are no boundaries to our love, it’s as bottomless as the ocean. We are as strong as our hope, tested but not easily broken. We are a wellspring of wisdom, gently measured out like an ingredient to a cake.

Our sacrifice knows no limit.

We often forget our worth. We leave our crowns on the bathroom vanity, figuratively speaking, in the rush to get dressed – although we seldom forget to put on our made up faces, lips lined and eyebrows thickened just so. Isn’t that funny?

Our crowns are part of our regalia. We are not fully dressed without them. We are all precious and worthy of the honor and dignity of our elegant headpieces. All of the time we commit to everyone else but ourselves. All of those dark, sleepless nights without a star in sight. All of the heartache and pain. Every ounce of the anxiety and stress. All of the worries. The tough lessons.

All of the prayers.

James Baldwin was right.

Excuse me while I straighten my crown. I suggest you do the same.

Wear them proudly, queens.

“Don’t be a hard rock when you really are a gem.” – Lauryn Hill