A Star. A Stage. With A Side of Embarrassment. Still Miracles in Motion

Hey Mafia Miracle Makers!

Baaaaaaaby, what a week! My heart is still grinning!

Our very own loudest Mafia celebrity ambassador and my sister-friend of nearly 25 years, Sherri Shepherd, got her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this past Monday!!!!!!

Just typing that sentence still gives me the chills...it was a moment over 30 years in the making...watching dreams come true.

Now you know I lived and worked in Hollywood for 25 years. I’ve been on sets, attended premieres, and walked red carpets. I’ve seen the glamour, and I’ve edited more A-listers than I can count.

But this one? This one hit different. Because I remember when that star was just a dream Sherri whispered out loud years ago.

​To be there, listening to Tyler Perry and Niecy Nash talk about her God-given light and then watching her name be unveiled, I couldn't stop the tears.

And to make it even sweeter, I wasn’t just watching from the crowd. I was seated front and center with my fellow Sunshine Queens, with my name printed on a reserved seat right there on Hollywood Boulevard. ​

Now, if I tell you something, you promise not to laugh or disown me?

My reserved seat put me right behind music icon...legendary drummer...the Glamorous Life queen, Sheila E!

Well, here's the part that might cause you not to want to be seen in public with me.

I leaned forward to introduce myself and thank her.

Years ago, for my mom's Wanda Mercer master's graduation party, Sherri got Ms. Sheila to record a congratulations video where she played drums and sang Glamorous Life directly for Mama.

Since perimenopause got me carrying a personal fan around everywhere, when I leaned over towards Ms. Sheila... Yall...

My fan's blades got caught in her ponytail. 

I

Was

Mortified!

I started apologizing and explaining profusely as I was trembling, trying to untangle it, and ultimately had to just pull some of her hair out. 🤯🤯🤯🤯

Mor-ti-fied!

​Fortunately, she was totally cool about it.

Look closely. You can see the hair in the fan after I got it untangled.

LawdHamMussyGeezus ... The predicaments I get myself into. It was still an incredible day!

​
The Sunshine Queens Shine Bright

A few weeks before her big day, I popped up at Sherri’s Atlanta book signing for her new children’s book, Sunshine Queens.

Now, I already knew she’d dedicated the book to a group of us, her real-life Sunshine Queens, but she flipped the script when she talked about how our friendship had blessed her. Right there in front of the whole crowd, she shared stories from our 25-year sisterhood and made sure the audience knew about Move-In Day Mafia.

It reminded me why she’s the truest kind of friend...the one who never misses a chance to shine light on someone else’s purpose.

And when I saw that beautiful dedication page where she named me, I felt every bit of her love and generosity. So yes, I proudly added #SunshineQueen to my list of monikers.

​And if you have a daughter whom you want to teach the joy of sisterhood, be sure to grab a copy of Sunshine Queens!


The Jeopardy “Loss” That Was Really a Win

And you know we have to talk about Sherri’s other kind of history-making moment.

Yep, our girl officially went down as one of the lowest-scoring winners in Celebrity Jeopardy history. But here’s what most people don’t know: she knew going in she wasn’t going to do well. She’s the first to admit Jeopardy isn’t her ministry.

She played anyway.

​Why? Because she knew that just for showing up, Move-In Day Mafia would receive $30,000.

So while social media was laughing at the scoreboard, I was shouting hallelujah because she was playing for our babies.

And as if that wasn’t enough, she later played Celebrity Family Feud for us too, where she was up against NBA superstar Shaquille O'Neal...and walked away with $25,000!

​That’s Sherri. When she believes in you, she shows up. And when she shows up, she goes all out. Her heart is big, her giving is quiet, and her belief in people is loud.


Double Miracles: A Star and a Stage

After celebrating Sherri’s star all day, I got home that night, kicked off my sparkly Chucks, and opened my email.
​
Right there waiting for me was a message saying my TED Talk had just gone live on the site!

THE SUPERPOWER WE'VE BEEN TAUGHT TO HIDE

Only God could line it up like that on the same day...one of my dearest friends being honored for her light, and me being released to share mine on the same day.

You can check it out here!

That’s divine alignment at its finest. Monday was a goooooooood day Mafia Miracle Maker!

GOOD NEWS

​CHALLENGES

Standing there on Hollywood Boulevard watching Sherri get her star, I couldn’t help but think about where she started.

There was a time when my friend was unhoused, couch surfing, and taking the bus to auditions. There was a time when she had to crawl through her car window just to drive to work. There was a time when she was told “no” so many times that quitting might’ve made sense.

But she didn’t quit.

Even through eviction notices, heartbreak, and seasons that felt impossible, she kept showing up. She kept believing. She kept working her dream while waiting on her miracle.

And now, her name is literally carved into the streets she used to walk, dreaming of the day she’d belong there.

It hit me deep because that’s my dream story too. I was that little country girl from Jackson, Tennessee, who used to walk that same street during my very first internship in Hollywood. I’d look down at those stars, wondering if I’d ever get to be part of the stories behind them. Twenty-five years later, I can say I did.

So if you’re tired, if you’re questioning whether your yes still matters, let me remind you of something. It’s not about how fast you get there, it’s about refusing to quit on the way.

Sherri’s story is proof that no season disqualifies you when you stay in motion.

You may need to pause, pivot, or catch your breath, but don’t you dare quit. Your star moment may not be on a sidewalk, but it’s already on Heaven’s calendar. Keep going until God pulls back the curtain and lets the world see what He’s been building in you all along.

Alright Mafia Miracle Maker...Have a great weekend. Don't forget to comment. Plus! You can always donate at MoveInDayMafia.org/Donate

​And again...you can check out my Ted Talk at https://special.teejmercer.com/TeeJTedTalk