FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS AND LIVE WITHOUT REGRET

This article was written by Jasmine Babers for LOVE Girls Magazine.

It was actually my dad who sparked something inside me to write again in 2020. For the last several years, I’ve been collecting information regarding things that I felt a deep curiosity about. I studied politics, fashion, black history, beauty, print design, and feminist theory both in college and after I graduated, mostly because that’s what I loved — but also because I knew those were the things I excelled at. I’ve had half-baked ideas about what kind of career I wanted to build for myself and what goals I wanted to accomplish, but always found myself too scared to act.

Last December, I met a distant cousin for the first time. I had just gotten home from Chicago and my family was gathered to chat in the living room. I placed myself under our 10-foot-tall tree that my mom had decorated, and quietly listened to my papa talking about his wildest dreams.

He finished his story with some advice for my cousin about the importance of following your heart. My daddy, Robert Charles Babers has soul. He’s all the charm, love and wisdom anyone could ever need. So, usually when he talks, people listen.

My dad talked about his regrets. He was a phenomenal baseball player and had a chance to practice with a major league team, but walked away from the opportunity. Every single day from then on, he thought about what would have happened if he had gone. He said, “When you’re young and talented, you have to go for the things you want. Listen, you don’t wanna have to ask yourself “what if”. Don’t be scared to follow your dreams.”

Even though that night my dad was talking to my cousin about chasing after his modeling career by moving to LA, his advice stuck with me. I remembered his words when I woke up the next morning, and again a week later. Now, I’m writing them out in complete clarity. That advice wasn’t just meant for my cousin, it was also meant for me. Papas always know.