Hey, Auntie!: Jessica M.
- Delia Gardner-Price
- Sep 13, 2021
- 0 min read
This week’s Dope Auntie? Jessica, an NYC- based tech professional and Big Cousin to two amazing Littles. In between thrifting great fashion and carefully curating her movie collection, she shares what keeps her going and how her glamorous godmothers helped shape her into the woman she is today.
What is your idea of a Dope Auntie?
My idea of a Dope Auntie was borne out of the glamorous village that's surrounded me since birth. My mom has a group consisting of her sorority sisters that have been known as "The Godmothers" in my life since conception. Their dopeness comes from the distinct and unique ways that each of them navigates the world from their fashions to their mannerisms to the chic happy hours and dinners they use to keep up with each other.
Who were the women in your life who you would say fit this idea/definition?
My clique of godmothers consist of the following: Aunt Cheryl, the confident and modelesque one who is typically head-to-toe serving a monochromatic look; Aunt Rhonda, the chatterbox with a heart of gold who can weave 4 interconnecting stories just to answer a single question but keeps it entertaining always; Aunt Zarenda, bubblier than a bottle of champagne and twice as fun, she lives for girl talk; and finally, my departed Aunt Lisa, who was the most compassionate of the bunch. My mom served as the unifier of their friend group when it originally formed and they've never left our orbit, even through 2 cross-country moves. They've been at every awards ceremony, recital, halftime performance of mine my entire life along with serving as my muses for how fabulous being an Independent Black Woman would be through countless shopping excursions. (They once got so excited about jewelry that they abandoned my stroller in the middle of a department store, but they got better over time!)
Who calls you "Auntie/ Big Cousin" and what do they call you? How would you describe your relationship with your Littles?
I have 2 younger cousins (ages 2 and 7) that live in Dallas that I'm completely obsessed with. The older one, Kelise, was really my first entrée into "auntie-hood" since I was the baby of the family up until her birth! She calls me Jessica since I was still an undergrad when she started talking, but I like that it keeps me in proximity to still being one of the youths of the family. Our relationship is so sweet and I try to take every advantage of family holidays to dive into playing with her (even when it means spending half the evening on the living room floor).
What do you hope for in your relationship and what's your favorite part about being an auntie?
My biggest hope is to affirm the person they're becoming as they evolve in their lives. Young Black women so rarely get affirmed for who we are (even within our own families) without some sort of criticism sprinkled in. My favorite memory with Kelise is from my first Christmas visiting home after moving to New York. Kelise looked at my twist-out and said "Your hair is big like mine!" and I tell you, tears still well up just thinking about it! As someone who didn't see their natural curl pattern between the ages of 4-21, I love being able to project an image of beauty that she sees herself in because that was sorely lacking during my childhood.
What do you do to take care of yourself so that you can be at your best for yourself and your Littles?
Lots of yoga and skating! It sounds wild that you need literal fitness to keep up with toddlers/small children, but it helps so much when you've got to leap up from the floor and get back down at a moment's notice. Additionally, I always try to get a good night's sleep before family holidays or babysitting my little cousins because being truly attentive to a child takes so much concentration and patience. It's a joy to discover the world through their developing understanding of it, but LAWD the babies will talk your ear off if you aren't careful 😂
What's one piece of advice that you've either been given or want to share with the future generation?
"When people show you who they are, believe them!" I think I heard Maya Angelou say that in an Oprah interview way back in the days of her iconic show and it rings true in so many different situations I encounter.
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