38) Being Valedictorian of the Warren County High School Class of 1997. 37) The birth of my first child, Amira Elyse Kingsberry at Cobb Wellstar Hospital in Austell, Georgia. 36) The morning we woke up to find that Amira had passed away in her sleep, October 15th, 2010. 35) The birth of my son, Hassan II, at Wake Med Hospital in Raleigh, NC, November 30th, 2012 after my wife’s nurse told her to push with her bottom and not her mouth! I hollered inside, but did not say a word… 34) Watching them pull my twins, Keren and Kelyn out of my wife via C-section on September 10th, 2014. Wow. 33) My wedding day, July 19th, 2003. I cried like baby. Francemise was so beautiful and the singing ensemble took me in! 32) The first time I saw Francemise Kingsberry at Hill Hall at UNC in August of 2002. She would look at me then hide her eyes like she wasn’t looking. 31) March of 2007 when I found out my mom had had her first stroke. 30) The first church service we had for Rebirth and Renewal Church International at the Ambassador Suites Hotel in Henderson, NC in October of 2008. 29) Singing “Dona Nobis Pacem at a 3rd grade Recital in Aiken, SC. I was fancy singing opera! 28) Singing "It Will Be All Right" by John P. Kee in 5th grade with Jordan Chapel Baptist Church Youth Choir. I had to think real hard to change the lyrics because I was not born in Durham, NC outside the county line nor was I the 15th child of 16 children. 27) Passing the Georgia Bar exam in 2005. 26) Passing the North Carolina Bar exam in 2009 and all the many things that tried to keep me from studying that summer and my friend who went over with me all the topics that happened to be on the test and the flat tire I had trying to leave the test the last day! 25) "My Boo" and "Come on Ride That Train" and the Nutty Professor soundtrack at Governor’s school in the summer of 2006! 24) When I first heard Karen Clark-Sheard in concert at World Changers Church in ATL and met her and was star struck! 23) The first time I heard hundreds of people pray in tongues at WCCI at once. The Holy Ghost! The Holy Ghost! 22) Dancing with Francemise at the Coronation Ball in 2001 and trying not to touch her hip, but wanting to touch her hip. 21) Buying my first car, the Black Geo Metro. I and others folded up in it a many a day and flossed just like it was a Benz! 20) Smoking my first cigarette in 6th grade trying to fit in. 19) Smoking my last cigarette in February of 2007; that deliverance took a long time! 18) Buying our first house in Austell, GA. It was the first house we saw, but looked for a long time after seeing it like we weren’t going to come right back to it. 17) The big window in Mece's apartment when we first married where we watched the city lights and listened to Chocolate Factory by R. Kelly. My Lord! 16) My first trial in Clayton county, GA. I was so nervous, but I won. I think the jurors took pity on me. 15) Learning to ride a bike in Twin Oaks Trailer Park in Franklin County, NC. My cousins pushed me down a hill/dirt path and did not care if I fell! But, I learned how to ride that bike that day! 14) My first plane ride from NY to AZ by myself as a child. 13) The many laughs I had teaching social studies in Warren County with my crazy classes (particularly when one of my students was drunk and told another he had slept with her momma! His commentary led to our discovery of intoxication.) 12). My first day at my first job as an Asst. Principal at Bunn High School and the petition the kids sent around the school to get me fired because they thought I made all the changes that year. 11) When all my kids walked for the first time. 10) 9/11 9) Seeing Europe and being able to visit several countries in one day. 8) Flying to Japan and the plane ride I had to get intoxicated to take. Saki is nasty, but it got me there and back. 7) Meeting my father's father (grandfather), Swade Exum for the first time and remembering how tall he was. I never thought I would get that tall, but did. 6). Laughing and busting 'tines (routines) with Dorie Davis and that video we made at King’s Dominion to “Cool Like That” by Digable Planets. Burn it, Dorie! Burn it! 5) When I tried out for basketball in middle school and threw up every night after practice and let that dream go… 4) Figuring out that I was going to have to cuss and call names to make it on bus 116 to make it. One day I called somebody an "ashy back heiffer" and they stopped picking on me. 3) Eating authentic Mexican food in Tijuana, Mexico and the police telling us not to cross a certain street or else... 2) When I got saved at 5 years old at a revival in Phoenix, AZ. 1) Yesterday, when my mother gave me $5 for my Birthday and hugged me and told me she loved me. I cried like a baby.
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