The Climb
photographer @Derrick Williams
When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a supermodel. I’ll never forget being in high school and the teacher asking the class what we wanted to be when we “grew up.” Everyone had such professional, normal answers. Doctor, teacher, engineer, etc. were all answers you expect to hear. When it was my turn, the whole class laughed at my answer. I guess this didn’t seem normal or achievable to them. I guess I’ve always been a bit different.
Even to me, it seemed pretty far-fetched for a girl who had never been out of the South and came from nothing. All I knew was my dream was to go to New York and work as a model. In 2012, God granted me that opportunity that I so desperately longed for as a little girl. Here I am, 20 years old, heading to the Big Apple in hopes I would “make it big.” See, I was going into this with all the wrong intentions. Making it big would mean living a life based on image, money, and fame.
I was quickly swept up by the aggressive nightlife in the city, and with my family having a long history of addiction issues, I was playing with fire here. I experienced some dark moments in my journey, but yet I wouldn’t go back and change it. I made it back home with my life and my right mind, by the grace of God!
I got involved with church and ministry and began my healing journey with God while also helping others in their healing. I learned that God will place desires in your heart, and even though they may not be the end goal, they are a part of the story. They are necessary. These seasons of life teach us so much about ourselves, about the world, and God’s character. My advice is to not try to hide away your past but to embrace it because it’s part of who we are. It’s the journey that people need to hear about. It’s the journey that shows how you have overcome everything. It’s the journey that qualifies us.
I wanted to become a famous model so that people would never know where I came from. If I dressed in designer fashion, surely they would never figure it out, right? I wanted to hide my past away and never look back.
Photographer @Raven Ward, makeup @colleen Gagnon-Beal, styled by @High-End Thrifts
It has taken me getting closer to God to understand that when we operate in our authentic selves, we are healed from those things that we tried so hard to hide from everyone. We can reach and connect with the people that need to be reached. We can walk in true fulfillment and happiness with the knowledge and understanding that in sharing our journey, all of the pain was not a waste. All of the struggles and bad decisions were not a waste. The dreams that maybe didn’t work out the way you had once hoped are not a waste. In the words of Miley Cyrus, “It’s the climb.”
Tell the story, sis.
Photographer @Raven Ward, makeup @colleen Gagnon-Beal, styled by @High-End Thrifts
Cecelia McLaughlin
Cecelia was born and raised in the good ol’ state of Alabama. She went on to be a professional runway model and then once returned home, began mentoring models. Today, she wears many hats including mother, stylist, business owner, and Senior Style editor to name a few. However, her priority is being an inspirational speaker and writer who inspires not only young models to be their best selves, but for everyone who may need inward healing.
Ig name: @inspiredbycecemarie