recommended that I would make a good nun and should be encouraged in that direction. I wasn’t even Catholic and don’t know what Sister Mary saw in me but I am amused whenever I remember that. Like, I was looking all around to see if there was any other person in the school called Judy Larbi, because the ‘Judy Larbi,’ that I was, and the word nun, could never be used in the same sentence. Sister Mary took a lot of interest in my life and well-being but she never succeeded in making me a nun. Far from seeingmyself in a nun’s habit, I imaginedmyself adorned in a beauty queen’s sash. My mom had told me stories about how she entered the Miss Ghana 1960 beauty contest and ended upwinningMissWestern Region in 1960 and becoming second runner up in the Nationals. How, even the crowd had screamed that she should be the overall winner. Her story mesmerized me. I dreamt it up so much that it is not surprising that I ended up taking part in the Miss Ghana pageant myself in 1995. My mom was a real fashionista. Sometimes we would twin, wear the same styles to certain functions. Sometimes I would wait for her to go to the restaurant, and then rampage through her wardrobe, seeking one nice blouse or item of clothing or shoe or jewelry that I had seen her wear and really liked. My mother was my cheerleader, a shoulder to cry on, and a guide for the times when life-changing decisions needed to be made. She was my older sister, my best friend, my critique, and my confidante. She instilled discipline in me and was everything I could ever ask for in a mother. She was my backbone, and because she was not afraid, neither was I. Looking back, I realize how much my mother influenced my life and the person I am today. She instilled in me the values of hard work, determination, and perseverance. The things I would carry along the most, as I grew up, were her resilience, tenacity, hard work, ethics, entrepreneurial skills. I loved how she followed through on all her talents and interests and challenged herself beyond her capabilities. 11 The Birthday Journal
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