DMX once shared the following, ‘if and when you ever fall down, get back up…and if you fall down eight times, get up nine.’ By now, you may know that this legendary man with a gift with words has transitioned from this world to the next. I spent most of my yesterday reminiscing about him, about his impact, about his gift. Here was a man truly talented in all sense of the word. That he used words to make sense of his world is profound to me. And of all I saw and read about him yesterday, his focus on getting up after a fall is sterling to me. He spoke also from experience. He lived a life that included falling down, but also getting up. ‘Get up, get up and try again’ was a constant message he shared to anyone who cared to listened. I did.

And the universe knew I was. While watching his videos, the very act of falling down but getting up was happening in my home via my baby. I have now captured all my children as they took their first steps. It’s one of those things that makes me smile. To see the first step forward, the first walk forward, for a life that is destined to include many first steps. Something about a baby’s first step keeps me hopeful, keeps me inspired and clearly personifies what X meant by ‘if and when you ever fall, get back up again.’ That and the fact that all my babies, all of them fall down fast immediately after their first act of standing up straight, their first attempt to walk. The lesson of a step, a fall, but then get up and step and fall is profound to me. Invariably life will be full of steps and full of falls but what we do next is all that matters. From my babies, they keep stepping no matter how many times they fall. They keep walking forward, no matter how many times they still fall. They keep getting back up, no matter how many times they fall. I want to keep this lesson here today. They fact that a fall will be inevitable every time you take a first step. But keep stepping, keep walking forward, keep getting back up too no matter what causes you to fall. And if it includes ‘falling 8 times, get up the 9th’ as DMX would say. May his soul Rest In Peace. Amen.