Only One YOU!
I’m so pleased to connect my past to my present by introducing my friend Molly Shoulta Tucker to the YouthCUE network. Molly is a recent Duke Divinity grad with a passion to share the word in sermon and song. After reading her recent post about the toll stress took on her body, I asked if I could share her words of encouragement with you. Currently Molly serves Suntree United Methodist Church in Melbourne, FL as the Gathering Worship Leader.
One year ago this month, I found a spot on my head, about an inch in diameter without hair – what I would come to affectionately call “my shiner.” Friend #1 googled, I texted my mom and dad (duh), Friend #2 googled. Panic. Absolute panic.
After a couple of doctors’ appointments over the next few months, and a bit more hair lost, I was told I had a condition called “alopecia areata” (Don’t google it, the first pictures are a bit disturbing). It’s a common disorder among females, especially, many around my age.
In the 60 days surrounding May 5, 2016, I would be graduating from Duke Divinity, getting ordained, running a half marathon (PR’d, woohoo!), getting married, moving to Florida, and had already begun applying for jobs. Although I didn’t think I felt stressed, my body reacted to all of these life changes quite shockingly.
Today, I am happy to report that I have a full head of hair, and I don’t complain anymore about how long it takes to dry. There were days I thought it wouldn’t come back. There were days with new spots. There were nights with tears. There were days with jokes.
All this to say – it sucked. And, for me, it took something extreme to understand how much I put my body through. Stress in inevitable, but we only get one body. One, holy, beautiful, imperfect body that takes us everywhere and through everything. Imago Dei. Self-care isn’t just a buzz word, it’s a practice. It’s necessity.
So this is your Merry Month of May reminder to enjoy something extra tonight. Work, school, weddings, fitness – all are important. But so is joy.
Joy is a [conscious, intentional, necessary] choice, friends. Choose joy!
Wyndee Holbrook
Chief of Staff & Vice President for Strategic Initiatives, YouthCUE
Wyndee’s passion for developing the gifts of young people have been present since she was one. Growing up in Louisville, KY she had her sites on an MDiv from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary before she was in high school. The opportunities she was given through her church youth choir and her university’s Baptist Student Union Choir imbedded the power of chorale music in her faith formation.
Wyndee has lived out her calling as a Baptist Campus Minister for a decade each at Cumberland College (now University of the Cumberlands), then at Berea College (both in Kentucky) and most recently as Executive Director for the Academy of Preachers. Because of her work with young preachers she was introduced to YouthCUE’s vibrant mission and knew it matched her calling. She and her husband Mitch eagerly said, “YES!” to the invitation to move to San Antonio, Texas where Wyndee now serves YouthCUE as Vice President for Strategic Initiatives.
Wyndee has been married to Mitch Holbrook (they met in their seminary Old Testament Class, “You never know what you’ll get out of the bible.”) for 32 years and they just welcomed their son Lane and his wife Heather to their new home in Texas.
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