Jessie's Crowning Moment
My Crowning Moment
It’s
time, the moment I have been waiting for since I stood on the stage one year
ago and was announced 1st runner up; time to announce Mrs. North
Dakota International 2019. The Mrs.
contestants I have gotten to know over the past few months and certainly grown
close to over the weekend line up, we hold hands and hold our breath. “… and Mrs. North Dakota International 2019
is …” time stands still for a moment and then the emcee says “Jessie Aamodt”
Breathe, that’s you, take it in, he actually said it, Jessie Aamodt. I was both believing it could happen and
overwhelmed with emotion that it was actually happening. All the work, training, practicing, time and
resources poured into my platform and this competition; I did it! My fellow Mrs. contestants congratulate and
hug me one by one. I see Laura, our
current Mrs. North Dakota International 2018 smile at me, carrying the crown, I
have to hug her too. Paris, our Miss
Teen International 2018 comes over with the Mrs. North Dakota International
sash, for me. My handsome husband Ryan,
looking spectacular in his suit, comes over to crown me. He places the crown on my head and I feel
like I am in a dream. I take a moment to
lean into him and in my heart am thanking him for all the sacrifices he has
made to make my dream come true. I know
my 3 teenage children are in the audience and I long to see them and hug them.
You
imagine it, you work for it, you think about how you may react when that
emotion hits you. You tell yourself to
be sure and listen for your name before you react especially when there is a
Jessica also in the running. You watch
crowning moments online and see people scream, cry and even pass out upon
hearing their name be called and their dream come true and wonder if you will
ever get that chance.
I
recently received the DVD from that day and watched my crowning moment. It is amazing to watch, it’s hard to believe
at times that it actually happened. What
a gift to be able to watch it and remember the emotion and joy of that moment. A dream I would’ve never dared to dream had
it not been for my friend and director Janelle who is also a former Mrs. North
Dakota International along with several other former Mrs. North Dakota International
queens. Some of who were friends
already, some who have become friends and some who I have not yet met. All inspiring, strong, determined women who
had the courage to stand for what they believed in enough to take the time and
resources to make a difference. You
cannot understand the experience until you have done it. Until you have taken who you are, what is
most precious to you and put it out there to literally be judged. Francesca Battistelli’s song “Let the Light
In” has a line “I can’t help the way I feel, that I’m too much and I’m not
enough”. I have felt that way too many
times to count. Competing in the NDIP
has shown me that I am exactly enough, exactly enough to fulfill the purposes I
was created for. Not lacking and not too
much, but perfectly and wonderfully made by God.
I
would like to share two important things with you about the journey to that
crowning moment.
The first thing I learned from a former Mrs. and that is your life doesn’t change because
you finally get the crown. You wake up
the next day, your kids still need breakfast, your work is all still there, you
have the same insecurities, same you that was there the day before. Winning the crown does not make you into the
queen. If you want to really have the
success that the crown showcases, you need to be that person before. There is nothing stopping you right now from
doing everything you can do with that crown and the title. So do not wait, work hard now, be that person
now. Do not wait for the crown to be on
your head or you will be sorely disappointed as it doesn’t transform you, it
highlights the person you already are. The
journey to the best you truly is, without a doubt is the prize you receive when
you compete in a pageant, not the crown.
Having
said that, the second thing I want to share is this, it IS all that you dream it to be, the moment you hear your
name called and the current Mrs. North Dakota International gives your husband
the crown to put on your head, that blinged out sash is yours to wear and your
family and friends are there to share this moment with you, it is actually you
who gets to take the pictures and sign the contract and cram your calendar with
events and volunteer work and appearances, it
is all worth it! DO. NOT. GIVE. UP. The journey to the crown has so many benefits, a
focused and more productive life, self-confidence and self-love like you have
never known, an appreciation for the talents and abilities that are unique to
you, an ability to appreciate those things in others rather than be jealous of
them, a sisterhood of friends who encourage, support and uplift one another. You find out who you are and know what you
want to accomplish in this life and you get out there and do it. That is the goal and your ultimate prize. …but
l am sharing with you today that the crown, the title, the opportunity to hold
that spotlight, however fleeting, is a memory I will cherish and hold on to as
one of my favorite moments of life. It is
magical and worth every bit of work to get there!
Let
your light shine brightly,
Jessie
Aamodt
Mrs.
North Dakota International 2019
