Je A’nna McCardie

Stay Ready..... My Nana taught me to stay ready. She was born in Tennessee in 1910, her mother dying during childbirth. Her father was left to raise her, a young man ill prepared to raise his only daughter at a time filled with tremendous challenges for Black Americans. A young black girl in the south raised by her father -- the struggles she endured were unimaginable but she often recounted the joy she also found. That joy sustained her, and alongside an unwavering faith, it empowered her brave journey -- a journey that changed the trajectory of her life and the lives of my mother, me and now my daughter. We are four generations of only girls who were taught to create our own destiny - staying ready for what may come our way. You see, during the First Great Migration she, like many others, set out to make her way north. She was 16 and traveled with only 19 cents in her pocket. She was forced to leave quickly - without a plan, resources or anyone she could trust. Somehow, she was able to board a train to Ohio and met a group of young people she connected with, and together, they started a new life. That leap of faith was the beginning of a continued legacy that has transcended generations, and I pray it continues. In Ohio, she created a reputation as a wonderful cook, foster mother and care giver. She married and had my mother, and soon after was hired by a very wealthy family who moved her and my mother to California with them. As a newly single mother, she promised herself that she would never be in a position of not having a plan! While raising a young girl -- more prepared than her father was, of that she made sure, she bought a home in Northern California for 25K! Imagine! She was intentional, precise, prepared, prayerful and ready! She instilled this same preparedness in my Mother -- they both made sure that I would embody this same way of being. I grew up watching them both care give, remain steadfast in their faith, open their homes to so many children and families. Every holiday, any given Sunday, our home was filled with people, amazing food, laughter and love. Fast forward, both my mother and grandmother have passed on and I'm left with wonderful memories and the knowledge that I must stay prayerful, faithful, prepared and ready. At the time this photo was taken I was being tested. The role I worked my entire life for was being impacted [by Executive Orders] and the promise of my entire team and I losing our jobs was upon me. I panicked, I grieved and then I fought back. I couldn't fathom not having a job at this stage of my life - I wasn't prepared, I hadn't saved enough, I wouldn't have healthcare, I hadn't planned for this. Then I remembered as I struck this pose! It's like I could hear my grandmother's voice saying to me "If you stay ready, you don't have to get ready". That moment woke me up, it shifted how I thought about the situation. So I planned, I prayed and reminded myself of what I'm made of, who I come from and that if my Nana could start a new life with 19 cents and provide the conditions for my mother, me and now my daughter to thrive, then I must GET ready, but this time....STAY ready! My life today is focused -- staying ready, agile and open. My mental, physical, spiritual and financial health are top priorities. Modeling this for my daughter is of utmost importance to ensure the legacy evolves as it continues and she doesn't forget like I did. Looking at her, I know my Nana and mother are so proud -- as I am to have come from women of faith and action and who stayed ready no matter what came their way! The truth is, it is hard to plan for a storm you don't know is coming, but when you have faith and joy and pull from that when you need it most, you can push away the noise, hold the storm at bay or at least work your way through it -- that's the epitome of staying ready. That makes me smile.