Angelina's Crowning Moment

My Crowning Moment

It has been over 2,629,746 seconds since I was crowned Mrs. North Dakota International. {you can thank Siri for that information} Time has always been an interesting concept to me. Although time never changes its pace, it can feel so different depending on the moment. It can fly by quick or move slow, and this can be a good or bad thing. When I am hungry and waiting for food to be ready, time creeping by is certainly not a good thing, but when something you’ve worked so hard for becomes a dream come true, time slowing down is exactly what you need. 

Just before my crowning moment, I remember closing my eyes after the first runner up was called. The adrenaline was rushing through my body. I didn’t know what was going to happen next. All I knew was that I felt so aware of everything around me. The screams from the audience, the warm, shaking hands of the women on either side of me as we squeezed each others’ palms for stabilization. I heard the words, “And your 2017 Mrs. North Dakota International is…”  And then there was the pause. That dreaded pause-for-dramatic-effect that the emcee does every time - that part is just agonizing! And then it happened. I heard the “A” sound and made sure to pay careful attention to the rest of the words coming out of his mouth. Even after hearing “Angelina” I waited to hear my last name, you know, just in case there was another Angelina in the competition that I didn’t know about. Even after hearing “Angelina Yarbrough” I paused and looked up to make sure it was really me.

Then, it hit me like large tidal wave that takes over your entire body. That is how I felt emotionally, but I tried to keep it together because I was in heels and, well…  hundreds of people were watching me. I could feel the crown being place on my head and I didn’t even have to turn around to know that my husband was smiling his face off as he placed it on me. I could just feel his excitement. One of the stage managers told me that they wished they could have taken a video of my husband’s reaction. Apparently, he instantly bent over, gave a double fist pump and yelled “YES!” He told me that his stomach was in knots as he stood back stage waiting in anticipation with the other husbands. This whole process might have been more taxing on my husband’s nerves than my own. Oh, the things he does for me! 

I crouched down to allow the former Mrs. North Dakota & my husband to figure out how they were going to secure the crown to my head. I could not stop smiling - I was so excited! What is funny, though, is that every single photo I've seen of this moment shows my eyes closed. I don’t quite remember things as clearly, the whole thing started to become a blur at that point. But after looking at the photos, I know that my eyes were closed for at least two reasons. Number one, I was trying to keep my tears of joy under some control (as to not totally ruin my makeup), and, number two, I took a moment to thank God - he granted me my heart’s desire and deserves the glory for it. 

The mission statement of my platform is "Turning Moments into Movements”. I believe that, for all people, the most impactful things in life begin with moments. I believe in thanking God for good moments because those are treasures that our spirits were meant to remember. So here’s to my crowning moment - a moment of celebration. The one moment it was about me. And now, it’s no longer about me, but about serving others and making a difference in my community and state. I will do so much more than simply remember this moment - I will allow this moment to propel me forward to accomplish what I set out to do - to live for something greater than myself. 

Until Next Time,

Angelina Yarbrough
Mrs. North Dakota International 2017
Turning Moments Into Movements

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