Love Reimagined™

Here's what you will get:

"My name is Candice. I am 27 years old and have been finding myself over the last couple of years. When I was 22 years old I met a guy that I thought was my chance for love, marriage, a family, my future. We ended up having a short dating relationship of 6 months before we were engaged. We then planned a beautiful wedding that happened about a year following our engagement. It was a beautiful wedding, a dream wedding one would say. I thought that our future was just beginning and how beautiful it would be. I was royally oblivious, young, and naive to think this looking back now. Did I really know him? Looking back, I had no idea who the man was that I married.

I endured abuse in different forms from mental to physical. But what I didn’t realize at the time was my worth and what I truly deserved. I just thought, “Oh my gosh. This man loves me and he wants to marry me and this might be my only chance at a husband and family.” After 9 months of marriage with terrible abuse, I mustered up the courage to leave.

Now 2 ½ years later I am finding who I want to be, where I want to be in life, what my expectations are in all aspects of life, and it is a beautiful time in my life. About 10 months ago I met an amazing man who supports me and loves me for me. He accepts me for me, all the things of my past, my family, my friends, and my dreams. He supports me and all that I want and need. At the time that I met him, I also started a new job. I had no idea starting that job that my life would drastically change in so many positive ways. So first I met that amazing man who I love so much who pushes me and inspires me, who accepts me for me and all my flaws. But, I met this awesome woman named Ashley Boyd at this job.

We both started at about the same time and found ourselves getting acquainted with one another. We bonded over our past employment as we both had worked in similar fields. One day we were outside talking on our lunch break and I had no idea that that conversation we would have, would ultimately change my life.

Ashley began talking to me about my life and I shared the story about my ex-husband with her and how it changed me and I realize how short life truly is.

Ashley proceeded to ask me what is it that I want to do in my life career wise. I told her that I have always wanted to go to beauty school. Ashley asked me why I haven’t done so. I came up with all kinds of EXCUSES, and looking back to that conversation that’s exactly what they were. I told her that I had wanted to go to college because none of my siblings had gone to college and I wanted to do that for my parents. But as I told her, I would not change going to college for one minute because it was a great experience and I was glad that I went.

However, I explained to Ashley how I felt like there was a little emptiness inside me since I have not gone to beauty school. I have always been great with hair and makeup and many of my friends and family couldn’t understand why I hadn’t gone to beauty school already. I then came up with another excuse that I didn’t have the money, that my divorce put me in the hole since we all know my ex was a pile and I was left with all the debt. So, I couldn’t fathom trying to figure out where the heck I was going to get the money to go back to school and be able to survive day to day.

Ashley said if those are your reasons, you really have no reason why you can’t accomplish this. She reminded me that there are student loans that are available out there, there are jobs out there that I could work around a full-time school schedule, and that I had family and friends who support me. Ashley said that if it is something I really want to do that I will figure it out. Like the saying goes if there is a will there is a way!

So, the weeks following I thought more and more about that conversation I had with Ashley about making things happen. Little did I know how truly strong I was and how much I control my destiny. I began to look into beauty schools, their cost, the different schools, and what I was going to do to pay for school.

Over the coming weeks my relationship continued to blossom with my boyfriend and I told him about the conversation I had with Ashley and how that had pushed me to look into beauty schools. My boyfriend supported me 100% and agreed with Ashley that there is no better time than now. My boyfriend said that he wanted me to find the career that I loved just as the one he loves and whatever we have to do to make it happen, he supports me.

My boyfriend and I met on that crazy app Tinder, little did I know that app brought the most amazing man I could ever dream of having. He has been working on the road for his career, but when he met me he felt he had a decision to make. It was either go to Kansas or be with Candice. He knew that we had something great and if he stayed on the road there was a chance that this relationship might not work and he and I both wanted it to work. So he picked me! He moved from Minnesota to DFW to be with me. We had our first hurdle and that was trying to find him a job locally however, that seemed to be a lot harder than we anticipated. He not knowing Texas applied for a job in Lubbock, TX. Which from the DFW area is about 5 hours away. We didn’t think he would get the job but then he did. I was happy he finally found something after a few months of looking endlessly, but was sad because I knew he had to take it and would have to move there.

Well now I faced a new battle. I had always been the girl that said she was not leaving the North Texas area, I had my friends and my family here and I wasn’t leaving. My parents are older and I have been the one who has been there and cared for them all my life, so that was all I knew. I struggled for weeks and talked with Ashley about this.

Yet again, Ashley helped me in another point in my life. Ashley reminded me of how we had both been in terrible relationships before and over time, met these great guys. Ashley said she was in the same position with her now husband that I am facing with my boyfriend. Ashley said she is all about love and she let her heart lead and she had made that decision to move for love. Again, I thought about the situation I was in and weighing everything out. But I could still hear Ashley’s voice in my head saying, “I love love and moved for love.” So, what did I do? I started looking into beauty schools in Lubbock, TX. I started figuring how I was going to make this move, how I was going to take this leap of faith. A leap of faith that Ashley had taken and the one my boyfriend had made for me.

I decided I am going to Lubbock. I remember when I told Ashley and I remember her saying I knew that you said y’all were going to try to make it work long distance for now, but ultimately, she and I are similar people and knew I would follow my heart for love.

It was time for me to be grown up, make my own decisions, live life for me because I have always taken care of others before myself. So, I am now in Lubbock with my boyfriend. I was accepted into the beauty program at the junior college, and started school at the end of August 2017. I work to pay my bills and my boyfriend so generously pays all the day to day bills so I can focus on school and getting my debt taken care of. I am so humbled and blessed!

Looking back my life has changed more than I could have ever dreamt of in the last year. I wanted my life to change and only I have the ability to make those changes in my life.

We are all stronger and smarter than we give ourselves credit for! This is a beautiful gift that Ashley reminded me of. Ashley helped me connect with the person that I had always wanted to try to be, she pushed me, she guided me, she made me really think.

I lost touch with all those things and by the Lord bringing Ashley into my life, I truly believe He knew what He was doing. My life is full of beauty, blessings, love, family, friends, and new beginnings.

Ashley, I cannot thank you enough for your compassion, empathy, and love for humans- your want for all to love life and love themselves. Candice got her groove back……… well maybe finally found her groove!"

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