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