Sometimes Life Brings You Back to Where You Began

There are moments in life that cause you to stop, sit quietly, and simply take it all in. I recently experienced one of those moments when I learned that my alma mater, Riverside Polytechnic High School, will induct me into its Hall of Fame. I graduated from Poly in 1979. When I heard the news, my heart was filled with gratitude, but also emotion. I found myself thinking about that young girl walking the halls of Riverside Poly all those years ago. She had dreams. She had determination. She had already experienced things in life that could have caused her to lose hope, but somehow, she kept going. And now, more than four decades later, the school that helped shape part of her journey is calling her back to where it all began to say, we see you. There is something powerful about that.

My years at Poly were filled with wonderful experiences. I served as President of the Black Student Union, was Head Varsity Cheerleader, participated in regularly reading the school announcements, and was even Miss October in the Key Club Calendar. I also had the distinction of becoming the first African American Homecoming Queen at Riverside Polytechnic High School. At the time, I do not believe I fully understood the significance of some of those accomplishments. I was simply living my life, participating, showing up, trying new things, and becoming the person God was preparing me to be. After graduating from Poly, I received a scholarship to attend UCLA. My journey took me to Washington, D.C., where I interned for Congressman Julian Dixon. Eventually, I became an entrepreneur, consultant, coach, author, speaker and nonprofit founder. But the titles are not what touched me most when I learned about this honor. What touched me was the journey. I thought about the people who poured into me. I thought about my grandmother, Rebecca Ruth Reed Harris, whom we affectionately call Mother Dear, and the foundation she gave me. I thought about teachers such as Yvonne Ashe, mentors such as Dell Roberts, family members, friends and others who saw something in me, sometimes before I could fully see it in myself. I also thought about the difficult chapters.

Life has not been one continuous string of accomplishments. There have been disappointments, mistakes, heartbreak, pain, transitions and moments when I had to begin again. There were stumbling blocks that I had to learn how to turn into steppingstones. There were people I had to forgive. There were times I had to forgive myself. And perhaps that is why this honor means so much to me. A Hall of Fame recognition may list your accomplishments, but it cannot possibly tell your whole story. It does not show the tears behind some of the triumphs. It does not show the prayers whispered when you did not know what to do next. It does not show the times you wondered whether you were enough. When I look back at that 1979 graduate today, I want to tell her to keep going. You have no idea what God has in store for you. You may be in a season right now that does not feel significant. You may wonder whether your work matters or whether anyone notices the sacrifices you are making. You may even feel as though some of your best opportunities are behind you. Never measure the value of your life only by what you can see today. Seeds take time to grow. The young woman walking the halls of Riverside Poly in 1979 could not have imagined that, 47 years later, she would be invited back to be inducted into her high school's Hall of Fame. 

As The Purpose Partner, I often talk about helping women at Crossroads rediscover who they are, become Unshakable, and move forward with Strategic Grace. This moment reminds me that our purpose is rarely revealed to us all at once. We discover it step by step, season by season. Sometimes we are becoming while we are busy living. I am deeply grateful to Riverside Polytechnic High School for this honor. I receive it not simply as recognition of what I have accomplished, but as a reminder of where I began and of everyone who helped me along the way. And when I walk back onto that campus, I will not just be thinking about the woman being inducted into the Hall of Fame. I will be thinking about that young girl from the Class of 1979 who had no idea what her future had in store for her. Guess what? You never know what your future still has in hold for you. Never give up!

Wendy is the Purpose Partner helping women go from Crossroads to Confidence, from Shaken to Unshakable, from Purpose to Power. To learn more visit WendyGladney.com and ForgivingForLiving.org