Mrs. ND International 2021, Emily Brooks Crowning Moment
My crowning moment as Mrs. North Dakota International 2021
is something I will tuck away in my memory as one of the great highlights of my
life. It wasn’t just the experience alone that was meaningful for me, but the
journey of my life leading up to that moment. I’m someone who’s dealt with
anxiety disorder, and it would have been hard to imagine at some points in my
life having the courage to get up on that stage. I’ve worked hard to get to the
point of the quiet confidence I feel now. I felt much more excited about the
opportunity to compete in the pageant sharing my platform than I felt anxious
about being on stage in front of a live and online audience.
Getting a chance to spend the weekend with the other
contestants was such a fabulous experience. We laughed together, ate together,
and practiced, practiced, practiced. Even as I write this, the opening number
song for the pageant starts playing in my mind. It was a treat for me to learn
more about the other titleholders, their platforms, and to find out why they
were passionate about them. It truly was an amazing group of women to get to
know.
After all of the events for the pageant were complete, I felt that I had given it my best. Whatever the outcome of the awards, I was proud of how I had competed. There were hours I had spent in reflection, coaching, and preparation to get ready for the weekend. It all culminated into everything I brought to the pageant. It felt great knowing that I had given it my all and didn’t have any regrets.
When they announced my name as the new Mrs. North Dakota
International, I stepped forward to the middle of the stage. I promised myself
that I wasn’t going to start crying, but I was overcome with emotion. At least
it was somewhat controlled tearfulness. They were happy tears, sentimental
tears, and tears of gratitude.
Something about my crowning moment that I should share is how surreal it felt to me at first. It took a few minutes for the reality to really sink in. I had a chance to watch the official video of the pageant this past week. It was amazing to see the experience from the audience’s point of view and compare how it felt in that moment on the stage. Many attendees had mentioned the expression of pride my husband had when he placed the crown on my head, but I didn’t see it during the crowning as he was behind me. Watching the video gave me the opportunity to see his sweet face during the moment. I hadn’t realized how much it had meant to him too.
More than anything during my crowning moment, I felt honored to get the opportunity to serve my state as the next Mrs. North Dakota International through my platform, American Mothers Inc.
Sharing a mother’s love,
Emily Brooks
