Thank You, Daniel ❤

Lately, I have been reflecting on who I am as a person, and the journey it took to get me to where I am now. I embraced the fact that I could not be the #EnergyQueen I am today without the love and support of some amazing people. While I appreciate everyone who has made incredible contributions to my life, there is one individual who has been my person from day one.

It never dawned on me that a simple seating arrangement would result in one of the strongest friendships I would ever have. I remember sitting in the right corner of a minibus that was headed to a hotel in Manchester, for the annual Students' Council retreat. I was lost in the music that I was listening to when I realized that the bus had stopped to pick up some other students. As I turned my head, Daniel's eyes and mine made four, and apparently, he took it as permission granted to sit in the empty seat beside me. I was not thrilled at all (lol) simply because I had stereotyped him to be a 'pretty boy' with no substance from the purple and white school - but bwoy was I wrong!

One night, at the retreat, I found myself confessing to him that I didn't think I was cut out to be a part of the National Secondary Students' Council because I was not as knowledgeable as the other advocates. This led to a conversation about believing in yourself and your abilities, then talking about goals that we each wanted to achieve. Okay... he wasn't so bad.

We grew closer after the retreat and made a part of the Dream Team that was the Region 1 Executive for the NSSC.

As time went by I realized what a beautiful soul Daniel was. Whenever I needed someone to talk to, about anything, he was always there. He not only provided company, but he was always filling my bucket with positive words. His support was never lacking and he has been my motivation for many things that I have accomplished. Rewind to when we were both starting our first year at the University of the West Indies. We had no idea where the money would come from to pay our University fees but we both filled each other's buckets with positive affirmations that we would overcome, someway, somehow. Good news, we both did!

One thing that I admire about Daniel is his drive to be successful in life. He is not just someone who is all talk and no action. I find it interesting how he always tells me that my "story will inspire nations and my truth will impact the world" because this is what I believe of him. He is a visionary, a force to be reckoned with and I am genuinely excited to see how he will positively impact the world.

There are many individuals who form friendships with people who are not for them, people who never try to lift them up and help them get to a place greater than where they are today. There are some (friendships) that are based on a weak foundation and are all about 'I give today, you give tomorrow' - nothing but scratching the 'friends'' back only if they receive it in return. Daniel has taught me how to be a real friend, someone who is authentic and gives support because I am genuinely interested in growing with that person. He has taught me how to really listen and to put myself in others' shoes - to understand people's feelings. He has taught me to be authentic, unapologetically me, and to work towards growing a little every day.

To Daniel: This is me telling you how much I love you, this is an appreciation post and my way of saying THANK YOU for being the genuine person you are - it is a chance to let everyone know that you stay serving KING ENERGY ( and as a Queen, I stan).