Forever Young — Chanelle Wilson Celebrates Another Year
Told by her husband, CEO Of OnDoc, Robert Wilson.
My father always said my mother was like a fine wine. She only gets better with age. I always thought this was a cliche until seeing the growth and development my wife, Confetti and Kindness CEO, Chanelle Wilson, has shown me over our 10 years together.
After spending 10 years with someone, you begin to learn more about them than they know about themselves. Think about any relationships you have had with someone over 10 years. Considering that self-awareness and acknowledging your own flaws is harder than recognizing someone else’s, you could easily see how I could claim to know Chanelle better than myself. The person that I met 10 years ago is not the same person I am married to now. She is wiser, smarter, braver, prettier, and more caring than she has ever been. She has learned to evaluate situations more strategically than ever before, and more importantly, she has devoted her life to the success of our family. Unlike 10 years ago, I realize that the essence of her beauty lies within her soul's purity than the shape of her body. Don’t let that be a deterrence to the way she looks, because I can honestly say without a doubt, she is hotter than she has ever been, but let’s not get sidetracked.
To fully understand someone, one must comprehend the reason why they make decisions. To understand why someone makes decisions, one must know someone's past. For those that know Chanelle getting her to open up is not the easiest thing to do. Chanelle grew up drastically different than me. My father and mother started dating in high school and remain together after 45 years of marriage. Lynn Wilson, my mother, sacrificed her career as an Ebony Fair Fashion Model (yes, in high school, my friends always reminded me how much they loved seeing Mrs. Wilson).to raise me. She also worked while my father went back to college to get his Master’s Degree around when I was born. After getting his Master's Degree, my father started working in the Pharmaceutical industry and achieved unprecedented success, becoming Vice President of major global brands such as Cardinal Healthcare and Merck. From the ages of 7–18, we had moved over 7 times from promotions my father had received. You can start the theme songs for the Jeffersons now. My sister and I grew up in a loving, caring home with plenty of extended families to help shape our morals, honor, and integrity.
My wife Chanelle, unfortunately, didn’t have the same privileges as I had growing up. Yes, she was loved and cared for tremendously by her immediate and extended family; however, like most couples today, her mother and father were separated while Chanelle was still young. She also didn’t have the same financial benefits as I experienced growing up. As one of the many examples, Chanelle didn’t get to Disney World until she was 32 years old. I remember after buying the tickets her asking me how many times have I been? In shame, I looked at her and said 8. As a middle-aged African American male, I will be the first to tell you that privilege is real, and it can be divided by many things, such as finance. Chanelle had to grow up on the other side of the train tracks. This has made me understand why and how she makes some of the decisions she makes today, and it makes me love and appreciates her so much more.
Without going into too much detail, Chanelle was separated from her immediate family at 14 for over a year. She had got in a small school fight in high school (I have asked around, she won in the 2nd round) and had to spend a year in juvenile hall or boot camp. You wouldn’t believe it, but the girl she got in a fight with only got an out-of-school suspension. The public defendant (privilege) representing Chanelle dropped the ball and didn’t even submit the correct documents. Can you imagine a 14-year-old girl, away from her family for over a year in a boot camp? Can you imagine what her nights would be like laying on a cold, used, damp mattress? After multiple boot camp instructors making it abundantly clear Chanelle should not have been there, she was released and spent the rest of her high school years living with her grandmother. Chanelle could have easily become one of the many people that fell into the system, and it would have been justifiable.
Instead of becoming one of the many that failed from this position, Chanelle went back to the same high school and graduated 3 years later. She didn’t have the income to attend college, so she worked an entire year at a hospital and saved enough money to attend Bloomsburg University. 4 years later, Chanelle graduated and became one of her family's first people to graduate from college. How many people would be able to create something magical after being put into such a negative situation? My wife is the definition of courage, bravery, and a testament to how hard work and determination can forever our life. Also, God blessed her with the most attractive and intelligent husband ever (that’s a joke).
After meeting me and expressing her true feelings of not resisting my charm, we got married on December 5th, 2013. Then we were blessed with the most beautiful daughter in the world on April 18th, 2014, Charlie Lynn Wilson. Charlie recently asked us about the discrepancy in the months it takes a baby to be born using her fingers counting months, and I tell her to mind her business. We moved from Philadelphia to Dallas, Texas, built our home, and enjoyed life's ups and downs since then.
One of the attributes I enjoy about Chanelle is her commitment to excellence. After spending 6 years with Charlie at home, she suddenly expressed an interest in starting her own business. After recently starting my own business, I explained that this is no easy assignment and questioned if she was ready for the challenge. Obviously, I should have known better because less than 3 months later, she was up and running with her organization, Confetti, and Kindness, all by herself.
Happy Birthday Mrs. Chanelle Wilson; please know that you inspire me and others to be better every day. Your love and commitment to our family is a reflection of your selfless spirit and devotion. I thank God for letting me be in your life every day.
