FORTITUDE: THE MEN WHO STAYED
This month, as we honor Father's Day, I find myself thinking about a word that has become increasingly meaningful with age: fortitude.
Not the loud kind of strength.
Not the kind that demands recognition.
The quiet kind.
The kind that shows up...and stays.
It wraps its arms around a family and says,
“You belong to me now.”
Fortitude, The Pillar of Power truffle was created in honor of my father, J.W. Thomas.
Technically, he was my stepfather. But life has taught me that titles matter far less than actions. J.W. stepped into my mother’s life and wrapped us in his arms as though we had always been his own. There was never a line separating “his” children from “hers.” There was only family. He became one of my closest friends. Some of my favorite memories are the simplest ones. Early mornings sitting together with cups of coffee. Listening to the blues. Talking about life while he admired a freshly cut lawn. A lawn he mowed because he knew it helped me. There was comfort in his presence. Steadiness and reliability. He taught me that love is often expressed through ordinary acts repeated over time.
The world calls that ordinary.
I call it sacred.
At Velah & Co., Fortitude is the Pillar of Power, represented by lemon and ginger. Lemon brings brightness and clarity. Ginger brings warmth, resilience, and strength. Together, they remind me of J.W., a man who carried both gentleness and determination in equal measure. A man whose love never needed to announce itself because it could be felt in everything he did.
HONORING MY BROTHERS
This Father’s Day, my gratitude extends beyond one man. I also honor my brothers: Cedric, Tony, Guy, and Jamie. When my children were growing up, there were seasons when resources were scarce, and life felt uncertain. Yet somehow, my children never felt the weight of those struggles because my brothers stepped forward. School clothes appeared when they were needed. Family vacations became possible. Support arrived without conditions attached. Each of them became a surrogate father in their own way, helping carry responsibilities that did not belong to them, but which they accepted out of love. My children were never raised by one person. They were raised by a family that includes my husband Jeffrey, who also stepped into my life and loved my children as if they were his own. I am so blessed. I remain deeply grateful for these gift.
THE LEGACY OF HAZEL
As I reflect on the men in my life, I find myself thinking of my mother, Hazel. She was magnificent. Not because she demanded respect, but because she inspired it. The kindness, generosity, and character found in my brothers did not appear by accident. They were touched by the love of Hazel. Shaped by it and now guided by it. Her influence lives on in every act of generosity they extend to others.
The greatest legacy a parent leaves behind is not what they own.
It is who they raise.
THE SUMMER SOLSTICE AND THE LIGHT THAT REMAINS
This Father’s Day arrives alongside the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year.
For generations, people have honored the Solstice as a celebration of abundance, growth, and the life-giving power of the sun. It is the moment when light reaches its fullest expression, illuminating the world for more hours than any other day. In Chocolate City, the Solstice is understood as a reminder of sacred presence.
The Day Star does not force the gardens to grow. It simply shines consistently enough for growth to become possible.
The greatest fathers, mentors, brothers, and protectors often do the same. Their gifts are not always found in grand gestures. More often, they are found in their presence. In showing up. In remaining steady when others waver. In providing warmth, guidance, encouragement, and protection so that those around them may flourish.
The Solstice reminds us that light is not measured by how brightly it shines in a single moment, but by how faithfully it returns each day. This Father’s Day, as we honor the men who stayed, we also honor the light they carried in our lives. The quiet strength that helped us grow. The steady presence that made us feel safe. The warmth that remained long after the moment had passed. That is the gift of Fortitude, the light of the Summer Solstice, a legacy worth celebrating.
A BRIDGE TO MAGIC
As the Summer Solstice arrives, the Earth pauses beneath its longest day, bathed in the fullness of light. In Chocolate City, the Cocolati teach that the Solstice is a sacred bridge, a moment when possibility shines a little brighter, when intention travels a little farther, and the distance between what is and what could be becomes easier to cross. It is a season of magic. Not the magic of illusion, but the magic of transformation.
The magic of a father who chooses to love children as his own, of brothers who step forward when a family needs them, of a mother whose love continues to shape lives long after her earthly work is complete, and the magic of becoming more than we imagined possible.
As we honor Father’s Day and cross the Solstice threshold together, may we remember those who carried light into our lives. May we honor the bridges they built, the sacrifices they made, and the love they left behind. Speaking of bridges, when you visit Colorado or Wyoming, I can guarantee that the bridge carrying you from one place to another is one my father built. Thank you, Daddy, for everything.
The light is at its fullest. The bridge is open. Step forward with expectation. There is more magic ahead than behind.
With love and light,
Sherry, The Chocolate Muse™
Velah & Co. Enterprises LLC
