Discover how faith, the Golden Rule, and practical wisdom can strengthen family unity, build financial stability, and create a lasting legacy of love. These are things that help me discover who I am and what my passions are in life .
Even as a youngster I felt like God made me very special, in every way. You could not tell me any different however realizing that there is something special about you but not knowing what that is can really mess with your mind. From the time I could remember I felt like I could do almost any and every thing. If someone else could do it I was going to at least give it my best effort. I failed at so many things and it was heart breaking for me.
Other family members would call me smart, bright easy to get along with. I was the favorite of many of my Aunts and Uncles. I was my teachers pets as the other kids in my class would tease me. I was included in the smart kids classes and hung out at school with class mates of a different races and I was usually the only black kid with the exception of one or two others.
In my heart I have always felt like I was special and I had a purpose in live. However that all changed when I was a teenager and no longer had the one person in my life that I looked up to. I felt like I was just existing. Before I knew it I was just a shell of a person. Just so anger all of the time.
I was looking for love and acceptance in all of the wrong places. There was no one I could turn to or let me say it this way. There was no one who cared if I lived or died, so I held on to the one thing that I felt like would help sustain me. GOD. I was even afraid to actually believe that because I could not understand why he would let bad things happen to good people.
I got involved with someone who I thought loved me but it turned out that he only loved himself and what he thought I represented. How he thought I made him look to his family. His mother told me I was too good for him. He beat me, he controlled everything I did. I really no longer recognized myself. All I could think about was to get out of the situation. But I didn’t know how. That is until I realized that I had a purpose God had a plan for my life. Well that was what I was being told so put my faith in God and that he would make a way for me to leave and survive in a new hiding place.
I lost myself for so many years and it took me until my retirement to actually figure out my purpose or my mission. What I was truly passionate about. For so many years I longed for my family but I knew that they no longer excepted me as part of the family. That desire for the love of my family resonated with me. I had trouble showing my daughter the kind of love she was deserving because I was struggling with my belief and faith in God.
One thing that resonated with me was that I needed to follow The Golden Rule. We were taught this from a very young age because I was bullied like crazy by a girl who to this day makes me nervous when i see her. You would not belive the anxiety that I experience. To treat others the way I wanted to be treated.
Things to me became harder and harder to accomplish. I had a lot of dreams but I did not know how to even start to make them come true. So I would order all kinds of books, magazines, self help articles, classes anything that I thought would help me to reach my goals to be successful and run a successful business.
My daughter was the love of my life. I wanted to show her that even though I had no one to show me how to be successful that I would figure it out on my own. I asked for stronger faith and deeper wisdom to understand what i was supposed to do. I never got to that point. I was successful in so many areas but not the way i felt I should be.
Just recently I realized that I struggled to define my passion. It actually gave me some anxiety. I was actually freaking out because I could not come up with one thing that I was passionate about. The reason I was unable to nail it down was because I love so many things. I like making others feel good about themselves, I like writing, food, financial stability, helping others, being outdoors, growing closer to my family, and striving to live worthy of God’s grace. I always thought that my passion had to be one thing that I loved doing more than anything else and that is what I would be caught doing all the time.
As I have given this a lot of thought and time, I came realize that there is something deeper. I realized my passion is not just one topic. My passion is more about strengthening my family and other families through faith, love, practical wisdom, and living by the Golden Rule.
I feel more alive when my family is cohesive, united and supporting each other from a place of love and genuine care. My younger grandchildren often times want what they want when they want it and others be damned. They often exhibit signs that they are entitled and they do not have to think of others and how their actions effect others. My goal is to help them understand that when you treat people how you want to be treated that actually works in their best interest.
At my core I believe the world would be better if more people simply lived by one principle, The Golden Rule: Do Unto Others As You Would Have Them Do Unto You. We would quickly find that our world would be a better place for everyone. That is the heartbeat behind 2c81.com, Bridging The Gap Online Community.
Family Unity Is the Foundation of a Strong Society
When we gather together as a family we become more unified, we build bonds that last for generations. I remember when I was growing up my Uncles and Aunts would bring our cousins to hang out during the summers and we were inseparable. Those were times that we did not soon forget. And now as adults we still reach out and make sure that we are there for each other no matter what any of us are going through.
For some of us the only contact we have has been through a phone call, social media or an occasional text message. That does not build a strong family it is a contributing factor but not nearly enough to build a strong family .
Family is the reason why I spent my time coordinating annual family reunions so that we would continue our connection with each other. I spent countless hours making sure I had each family member contact information and kept everyone alerted to the scheduled festivities. It became what I did and the rest of the family looked to me to for family information and what was going on. I became the peace maker, if there was beef between our family I would encourage them to talk it out and get back on track. And after all these years I am still that person. For me family unity is not about perfection. It is about commitment.
I remember one year I planned a family reunion in sunny South Florida, I notified my family members all over the United States what, when, where we were going to have the best time of our lives. After I sent out notifications, I set up an account to hold the funds for the reunion, booked the hotel, decided what would be served everyday and what activities everyone would do.
Of course we had the t-shirts and everything however when it was time for the reunion, I received notification from families that they would not make it. My cousin was concerned and wanted me to cancel everything and my response was we are going through with the plans no matter who show up because things were already paid for and I really wanted to make sure the ones that were coming had the best time. It turned out to be one of the best reunions we ever had. The reunions helps to develop strong family bonds.
Strong family bonds create:
- Character development in children
- Emotional security
- Financial cooperation
- Spiritual grounding
- Support during hardship
A united family becomes a place where mistakes are forgiven, growth is encouraged, and love is active. When children feel safe and supported, they grow in confidence. They become the best versions of themselves. When adults feel respected, they flourish and encourage the young ones. When elders feel valued, the family wisdom continues.
Right now the world is divided and our families unity at home becomes revolutionary. We really need to be as one. Living by the golden rule.
Living By The Golden Rule in Everyday Family Life
The Golden Rule is simple and very powerful at the same time.
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”
Transform the way you live:
- Arguments into conversations that helps us grow as individuals
- Competition into cooperation that allows us to hold others up for their accomplishments
- Selfishness into service so that we all strive
Applying the Golden Rule at Home
- In finances: Make decisions that consider everyone’s security.
- In extended family relationships: Choose understanding over pride.
- In marriage: Speak respectfully, even during conflict.
- In parenting: Discipline with fairness and love.
Children learn kindness by daily modeled behavior and not through lectures. Remember how you reacted when your parents would start to lecture you. I know for me m I let my brain shutdown I was not really listening. Please keep that in mind when we are teaching our young ones to be kind to others. Lead by examples because that is how our children will learn and pass on to their children. We can create homes filled with dignity and peace by living The Golden rule.
Faith is the Anchor of a Strong Home
My love of God has made me a stronger person and my Faith gives me stability when circumstances feel unstable. My Faith allows me to face those financial challenges that may come. Especially since we see cultural confusion on the rise and our country divided. Or when I decided to retire even though I knew that financially I was not ready. When unexpected hardships appear my Faith in God keeps me centered and keeps my family grounded.
I know that I do not have to be perfect to be worthy of God’s grace. No one on this earth is perfect, but we strive to live with integrity, humility, and purpose. Those are the things that I want to pass on to my Daughter and Grandkids because they mean everything to me.
Faith based family values strengthen:
- Decision making
- Gratitude during abundance
- Moral clarity
- Patience during trials
Spiritual growth at home builds inner resilience that money alone cannot provide. And as we trust and believe in God things just work, they just do because God is good all of the time.
Practical Wisdom: Food, Finances, and Self-Sufficiency
Healthy families need both love and provisions because without them we create stress and emptiness.
I remember as a kid not feeling love or cared for how that made me feel. It made me feel like I was an outsider, I felt I was alone. Do not get me wrong I still loved my mother and my siblings but I did not feel that that really loved me.
I use to wonder why my mother thought that I could make it without her in my life. She no longer provide for me so I was left with a lot of stress. I am thankful and grateful to God for helping me through those years and I am just now understanding and accepting we path to my current journey.
Solving Financial Struggles with Dignity
Financial security supports unity. With simple budgeting, wise saving, and learning about tools like beginner cryptocurrency education (see our crypto guides at 2c81.com/cryptocurrency) can empower families to build stability.
Helpful Internal Linking Suggestions:
- Beginner crypto education beginner cryptocurrency guide
- Building Credit for Beginners family budgeting tips
- Food recipes for affordable meals easy affordable dinner recipes
Food for All: The Power of Shared Meals
I love to cook a great meal for my family however it is a whole different ball game when we all get in the kitchen and work together. I especially enjoy making Thanksgiving Dinner with my Grandkids. They all come up with their own special dish to make to become part of the Thanksgiving celebration. They get super excited because they all feel like they have the best dish. I usually make the macaroni and cheese with my amazing collard greens. And of course the delicious cornbread. There is something sacred about the dinner table.
Shared meals strengthens our emotional bonds and they:
- Encourage conversation
- Teach gratitude
- Build traditions
- Provide nourishment
Be sure to check out my recipe pages
- My baked spaghetti recipe
- My avocado and eggs article
Creating With Your Hands Builds Confidence
My daughter and grandkids spend a lot of time on their phones but they have learned that when we cook, garden, build, or craft, something powerful happens. You start see:
- Effort turn into results
- Patience turn into reward
- Skill turn into pride
To me they seem so much more happier. I find this becomes more apparent when I book an AirBNB and we spend time away from home for a few days. There just seems to be something about changing the surroundings. Teaching my grandchildren hands on skills builds their confidence that will last them a lifetime. This does become a challenge when I am trying to get them away from their phones and social media
Leaving a Legacy for My Grandchildren
In my earlier years I did not give this much thought because I was never taught this. I though legacy meant that I had to already have a legacy passed onto to me so that I could pass it own to my grandchildren. All I knew was survival. We had no such thing in our family. It was later in life that I even gave leaving a leagcy for my grandchildren even crossed my mind. I thought it was all about money and wealth. I am glad that my eyes have been opened and I have learned that Legacy is not about wealth alone. It is more about character.
These are the things I want my grandchildren to remember:
- My patience
- My generosity
- My faith
- My wisdom
Thinking about being patient, generous, believing in God and having Faith in God, how would my grandchildren remember what I tried to pass along to them? What kind of example was I leaving for them. Children become what they see consistently. If they see discipline, they learn responsibility. If they see love, they learn compassion. If they see unity, they learn unity. That is what I want for them. So everyday I strive to be that person. I ask for God’s guidance and wisdom. I practice what I preach.
Building a family legacy means living intentionally today.
Our Mission
Is to strengthen families through educating them on faith, practical wisdom, and encouragement. We provide simple, actionable guidance in food with some of our family recipes, learned finances, personal growth, and technology so families can to build there own secure, united, and value driven lives guided by the Golden Rule. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
Here, you will find:
- Beginner friendly education
- Encouragement over criticism
- Faith centered values
- Family strengthening content
- Practical tools over empty motivation
My Passion Is Simple
I feel most alive when my family is united in love and support. And I believe the world becomes better when we live by the Golden Rule. If we strengthen our families, we strengthen our society.
That is my passion and that is the heart of 2c81.com, Bridging The Gap Online Community.