Single Mom Sets the record STRAIGHT!

What Men

REALLY

want you

to know….

Valencia

Lewis Tells her story on

how Domestic

Violence changed

her life PAGE 6

Trends to

get you

through

the cold PAGE 4

Trends to

get you

through

the cold PAGE 4

Trends to

get you

through

the cold PAGE 4

Trends to

get you

through

the cold PAGE 4

Fall 2

01

2

www.CultivateANew.me

We wanna

hear from you!

Be sure to visit our blog at www.CultivateANew.me where we turn grains of Sand into Pearls every day!

Cover model: Tiffany Jackson I Photographed by: Andrew Thomas Clifton

We wanna hear

from you!

Tell us how you

walk authentically

in p.urpose, e.steem,

a.ttitude,

r.elationships, &

l.ifestyle in your

everyday life for a

chance to be featured

in our winter issue

of Pearl Life

Magazine!

Send your story with a short

bio and picture to

info@cultivateanew.me for

consideration

Latoria Polite, MA, CDP

We wanna hear

from you!

Tell us how you

walk authentically

in p.urpose, e.steem,

a.ttitude,

r.elationships, &

l.ifestyle in your

everyday life for a

chance to be featured

in our winter issue

of Pearl Life

Magazine!

Send your story with a short

bio and picture to

info@cultivateanew.me for

consideration

Redefining “Single Mom” Page 3

One of the greatest blessings and task that I have ever been given was becoming

a mother. Though the circumstances were not ideal, I will not allow my blessings to

be considered any less than the next mother’s. I will not be reduced or defined by

society’s statistics. I am a mother and single is my status. I am a teacher, nurse,

cook, chauffeur, referee, nurturer, provider and more, so single will never describe the

role I play and fulfill in the lives of my children. Many people form ideas surrounding

issues and circumstances that they have never been in, don’t understand, or have yet

to encounter but some things cannot be understood until they have been lived. If you

want to understand our struggle, ask. I want to be as honest as I can with you. I skip

out on “Girl’s night out”, for a trip to the movies to watch the latest G rated Disney

film. I’ve been told, “You had those babies”. My response, “And I have been the one

taking care of them.” But does that mean I don’t get tired or a little weary? The same

grace and mercy that God has given to assist me through my circumstances, I should

be able to find within those around me, but that is not always the case. The truth of the

matter is, many of us could still be in the relationships we were in and “stay and deal

with it” like so many of our elders, but we realized we deserved better than a mediocre

relationship. In the eyes of some, being a single mother has become glamourized. But

I am still trying to figure out how. Is it because we put a smile on our face while we

look struggle straight in its eyes? Is it because we have learned to make time for

ourselves in order to give our children 100% of energy when they need it? Just maybe

we got tired of living in shame, fear, and ridicule and became determined to hold our

heads up high, because that is what we teach our children. If we walk in shame, then

our children live in its shadows. If we live in fear, then our children internalize self-

doubt….. I am a mother. A single mother redefined.

~Rhachelle Nicole

@RhachelleNicol

www.mother2mother.me

www.jennilovette.com

Classic Coat…

It’s true that classics never get old

and a pea coat definitely falls into

that category. Figure flattering and

lady like, you can’t go wrong with a

pea coat. This fall spice it up a bit with

nontraditional colors.

$178 www.victoriasecret.com

When 2 become 1…..

Michael Kors and pearls… what a

match made in heaven. Put these two

together and get a very chic look

without being too gaudy. Thanks to

the very stylish @tahisha81 for sharing.

By: Quentin McCall

To read the full version of this article visit www.quentinmccall.com

5 Things Every Woman Should Know about Delilah

Cover Pearl Uncovered

By Latoria Polite @iamlpolite

As my grandmother would say….. “I want to hear it from

the horse’s mouth.” Well here are a few stand up guys that

we enjoy following on twitter. See what they have to say about

#love, #relationships, and #selfworth

Merchant Men Speak Page 9

carla mathis www.marykay.com/carlamathis

941.479.4512