In the Mix with Aaliyah Miller

What families look like today has changed. Even the definition of family has evolved. That's a good thing. It's no longer the nuclear family model with a mom and dad. It may be two moms, two dads, grandparents or extended family members serving as legal guardians. Those who you call family may have no blood relation at all. It may be close friends, a social worker, a teacher or another caring person in your life. What hasn't change is there's no perfect family. We have disagreements. We have fights. We face uncertainty. We struggle. The day in the life of any family can feel like a roller coaster ride. But families also have to power to unite, provide love, support and foster a sense of belonging. We build lifelong bonds with those we call family. Did you know there are approximately 400,000 children in foster care in the U.S? How these young people define family is complicated. They're forced to navigate a child welfare system that's struggling with th...

Summer is my favorite season. I have a couple of reasons for that. First, I'm a summer baby. I love warm weather. The hotter the better. Secondly, summer meant no school. I was free to play and be me, but I had to stay out of trouble. In reflection, I can look back at my elementary school years and say summer was a period of time in my life when I was carefree, making friends, and also learning some basic life skills that still serve me today. As I got older, how I spent my summers changed. I was still having fun but I was introduced to more structure in the form of summer camp. I went to day camps, but after I saw the original Parent Trap , I kept asking my mom to send me away to a sleep away camp. Due to family finances sleep away camp didn't become a reality. Lucky for me when I was jonesing for sleep away camp I could just watch the Parent Trap. At 13 I got my first job as a summer camp counselor with The Waterbury Girls Club (now, Girls Inc. of Southwes...

“It's been my experience, Langford, that the past always has a way of returning. Those who don't learn, or can't remember it, are doomed to repeat it. ” ― Steve Berry With today being the final day of Black History Month (BHM), Mr. Berry's words remain relevant and important to heed. In 1970 Kent University first recognized BHM, but it wasn't until six years later when president Gerald Ford officially acknowledged the month as part of the United States Bicentennial. While I personally see the importance of BHM there are moments when I feel our country's national observance is like a washing machine cycle. We wash, rinse, and repeat until the next year. While it's on every calendar, has social media hashtags, and you'll hear your local news anchor remind you February is BHM, this type of recognition is PR light. Black history is American history; however, our culture doesn't treat it as if it is. It's why I made a point of posting a BHM fac...

My husband Karim takes pleasure in reminding me that I’m old. He's been doing this for a few years. There's a six year age difference between us so I’ll always be older than him.   This Friday is my birthday. I'm turning 40. I'm not sure what 40 is suppose to feel like, but it's not old. If I had the power to turn back the clock my 12 year-old self would agree with Karim and say, “Forty is old.” Let's fast forward a few years; My 25 year-old self was dreading this day. Fast forward 10 more years and my 35 year-old self was beginning to make peace with the idea.  Probably because I realized it was around the corner. Now that corner is just two days away.  Enough time has passed. I’m okay with turning 40. I’m actually better than ok, I’m finally ready to own it. And while I’m proud to own my 40 th and the years I have ahead of me, I would be remiss if I didn’t  acknowledge I live in a society where I may be the exception and not the rule....