By Jacie Scott
Pat Smith is the wife of NFL Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith. The mother of five beautiful children. A licensed minister through The Potter’s House School of Ministry. Founder of the nonprofit organization “Treasure You”. An entrepreneur, speaker, author and, basically, a modern day Wonder Woman. Despite our paths crossing several times, I didn’t have the pleasure of meeting Pat until just over a month ago at a signing of her new book, Second Chances. Excuse my girl crush, but she’s probably more beautiful on the inside than she is on the out. Which says a lot… because girlfriend is stunning!
“My, you’re beautiful! You should do pageants!” she said to me as I approached her to sign my book. Um, wow. Coming from the former Miss Virginia USA and first runner-up in the 1994 Miss USA pageant? I’ll humbly take that compliment and hold it in my pocket for life.
Though our time was brief, I expressed how inspiring she was to not only me, but women all over with goals and dreams. She expressed her gratitude for my support and left me with some encouraging words. I walked away from our short encounter feeling motivated and hopeful. Because, like most young women my age, I’ve found myself in a chronic state of exploration. Exploring who I am as an individual. Exploring what I stand for. Exploring what my goals are. Wondering what’s next. It’s normal, they say. That’s what your 20s are for.
Yet as I left the book signing, I couldn’t help but wonder: How does she do it? How does she juggle all of her ventures? Did she always have it all figured out? Since finally diving into her book, I found the answer to the latter question: No. She didn’t always have it figured out. *Spoiler Alert!*
Pat takes us back to a low point in her life, following the end of her marriage to comedian Martin Lawrence. Homeless with a nine-month-old daughter and unsure of herself.
“I’d felt so broken, despondent, and terrified. I was in a city that never felt like home, and I was in the news, the tabloids, and the gossip mill. I had a baby daughter who needed a strong mommy, and I’d fallen apart. I felt like a failure,” Pat wrote in her book.
The following pages share the steps she took to find herself again, grow in her faith and achieve her goals with a second chance at life. In her introduction, Pat speaks of vulnerability and the growth that comes from it. She goes on to share that one of her favorite parts of the retreat that her nonprofit hosts is the pajama party. Everyone is required to get comfy, lose the makeup and the masks, and let their guard down. That’s the experience she hopes to recreate for the reader.
Her words on the pages are raw. She held nothing back, because this is an opportunity for her to impact another wandering soul. And, honestly, it’s a refreshing reminder that Rome wasn’t built in a day.
So, ladies, if your looking for that extra motivational boost or maybe just a good summer read, then I encourage you to check out Second Chances. Get comfy, pour a cup of coffee (or a glass of wine), and have a “Treasure You” moment with Pat Smith. You won’t regret it.
Second Chances can be found at Barnes and Noble or online at Amazon.com. For more about Pat’s endeavors, visit www.patsmithenterprises.com.
