Lessons from Ashley
May 02, 2020

Lessons from Ashley

My fashion business has been the biggest catalyst for meeting amazing women who share with me their stories. Ashley is not different. We met when she volunteered to model for brands in South Florida. She was coming for work and wanted to use her time well. She was also leaving Florida soon after and moving to Los Angeles to explore more avenues for her modeling career.

I reached out, and she was happy to model for us, especially knowing what the meaning and mission of the brand is all about. We spent what felt like a girls' afternoon out together, enjoying ourselves. After a fabulous time, she shared with me her anorexia journey and volunteered again to be interviewed so she could share her story and help more women who may be struggling with this issue.

Soon after, we met over Zoom's video app. Ashley shared her story with so much poise and sweetness, and I felt so close to her. I wanted to scream from the rooftops in agreement when she talked about inner beauty being one of the biggest reasons for someone to actually be beautiful.

I learned a lot from Ashley, and here are some of her lessons.

  1. Kindness first, being right second. Ashley’s father had mellowed. Although she is still cautious, she was able to build a relationship with him. When I asked her if she ever confronted him, she responded that she did not want him to feel guilty. She understood his past, where he came from, and the medications he was taking… She accepted these things and despite knowing that she still needed to be careful with him, she did not want to inflict pain on him.

  2. Honoring a parent. When Ashley’s mom was sick, she was in nursing school. Ashley wanted to stop school in order to take care of her mom. Her mother refused. She really wanted Ashley to keep studying, and Ashley listened to her. Despite it being incredibly hard for her to study while hearing her mother in pain, she wanted to please her mother and give her that pleasure. Ashley was a giver, and she gave her mother a bigger gift by listening to her wishes.

  3. Acceptance. I noticed at a few points in our conversation that Ashley accepted her life’s circumstances but not accepting and not working on it… but she did not resent her journey. She is willing to fight, to do the work, but she is also not rebelling against her hardships. She is leaning in, learning, growing, and now giving back.

Giving in So Many Ways

In my short exposure to Ashley, I was on the receiving end of her kindness. She first gave us her kindness by volunteering to model for us. Then, she shared her story in order to help women feel hope. She tells us that there is a way to overcome these feelings of insecurity and fear.

Today, I want to share with you all that she also came back to Florida. She returned to the hospital she used to work at and is back on the front lines helping patients who are so sick. She is helping the staff that is in need of help and doing so at her own risk during this pandemic.

There are takers in this world. Then, there are givers.

Ashley is Kintsugi. Ashely is a giver. We are all recipients of her immense kindness.

I urge you to leave a comment thanking her for her service in the medical field and for sharing her story with us. Your loving comments are always appreciated! 

If you have a story to share, please contact us at sales@mikahfashion.com

If you would like to see more of Ashley please follow her on Instagram at:
If you think you have anorexia or knows someone who might you reach out to a doctor, to learn more online about it you can go here