My guilty pleasure is keeping up with all things pop culture. Although I may not know the inner workings of sports, or cars, I do find myself keeping up with news that crosses over from one’s niche audience. I am virtually “in the mix”. This is no different when it comes to the viral sensation of the fifty part series, “Who TF Did I Marry?”. This fifty part TikTok series (a total of almost 8 hours of content covers Reesa Tessa, a woman whose experience in dating and later marrying a man that turns out to be a pathological liar). I am confident many of you reading this already are familiar with Reesa’s story. I tapped in after hearing about this viral sensation and listened with intrigue like millions of others.

I wondered to myself why so many people (men and women alike) found her story so fascinating. Quiet as it’s kept I think it’s because many of us have experienced some level of heartbreak. There’s this fantastical moment within the beginning of dating or even noticing someone of interest. We are enthralled and find interests in the unknown. As time passes and a relationship builds we show up with our representatives. Usually there’s little conflict and all is right in the world as you learn more and more about your partner. Over time, the façade fades and relationships become more complex. With this complexity, there are moments of heartbreak. This is where Reesa’s story has resonated with millions. We may not all have married a partner who lied about every single thing both big and small. However, heartbreak is real and her story has tapped into the core of where we are in America as it relates to relationships, dating and marriage. As it relates to her ignoring blatant red flags that reared it’s ugly head very early in their courtship Reesa’s takes accountability and stated: “I wanted it to be my turn”.

This desire to have her turn hit me to my core. There was a time, I too, wanted it to be my turn. There’s this societal push for us to date, get married, and have children. For many women (and men too) there’s constant questions about marriage and babies. Everyone has an opinion and there’s enormous judgement associated with people who are single and childless. The pressure is real. It does not surprise me that a woman would meet a man and fall in love with based on how he represented himself to be. It was disheartening to see some media personalities judge Reesa not on her decisions, which she acknowledges were faulty, but on how she looked. Cheers to those who’s come out in droves to support her. It’s wonderful to see Reesa thriving and surviving as she continues to live in her truth. Living in one’s truth is where the true power resides and I am looking forward to hearing more about her journey and how she transcends this viral fame into a life filled with intentionality and joy. Until next time dear readers, blessings.