You ARE the Sun! - 11.16.2024

YOU ARE THE SUN!

If you were a teenager in the 80’s and early 90’s, chances are The Cosby Show was a big part of your childhood. In that show, we got to see our first glimpse of Black middle class with parents who not only had money to give their children what many of our parents couldn't afford to give us. But in addition, it provided us with many positive images, blatant and subconscious, that started us thinking about what college we wanted to go to, and even sparked beliefs that we could be doctors and attorneys whether we had any in our family or not.

I find myself always gravitating back to many quotes from the show. And one of my favorites in particular was one made from the youngest of the Huxtable kids, Rudy Lillian Huxtable, a cute little brown ball of energy with pigtails, who always told it like it was. In one of my favorite episodes, Rudy is disappointed because she didn’t get the lead part of a play at school. She wanted to be the sun, but instead, she was chosen to play the part as the wind. Her father, Cliff begins to spout all the advantages of being the wind, telling her that all the sun got to do was stand there throughout the entire play. But as the wind, she got to blow back and forth around the stage and be in constant movement. After some discussion, her father convinces her that she would be wonderful as the wind and asks her if she agreed. She then concedes that playing the wind won't be so bad. But, as she gets up from the table and heads upstairs to her room, she responds matter-of-factly, “Yes. But I AM the sun.” Leaving her exasperated father speechless. Talk about a mic drop. (Watch the entire scene at the beginning of this post.)

Even as a kid, she knew her value as that of the sun. With a light so bright, its aura can be seen at any time somewhere around the world. As the sun, she knew she was not just light, but warmth and guidance for anyone privileged enough to bask in her presence. So am I. And so are you. But as kids become adults with fears, responsibilities, and hang-ups, sometimes we forget. So, I was inspired to create little reminders for us all. I even gave Rudy credit to further remind us that sometimes kids can be smarter and more intuitive than adults. So, we need to listen to them more.

The beginning of that short sentence, “I AM,” is an affirmation, declaring that it is so. And so, you are. Go out and “Let your light so shine before men” (Matt. 5:16) because you ARE the sun!

Need a reminder of who you are? Check out all of my I AM affirmation merch inspired by Rudy from The Cosby Show here...