This is one inspiring young woman that I know quite well. I have wanted to highlight her for some time, but I needed to wait for her approval. She is not someone that can be rushed.
Jordyn Taylor is my second born and my first daughter. She is seventeen. She is graduating from high school and going off to college. It is hard to believe that we have arrived at this place. I remember the day she entered this world, big dimples with her little thumb in that teeny mouth. My beautiful Jordyn was a thumb sucker in my belly, and she came out a thumb sucker. She eventually stopped thumb sucking, but she remained a committed person to what she loves.
Jordyn is also a great big sister to her younger sister Avery. I marvel at how Jordyn is protective of her as well as gives her advice even if Avery doesn’t want to hear it. Jordyn is an “old soul.” She is beyond her years in maturity, therefore, I think that’s why she is so protective of her sister. Jordyn foresees the future and wants to help her sister be strong, independent and confident. I love her for being this way with her sister.
Jordyn has always been independent. This quality was evident from the moment she entered the world. She rarely cried because she had a built-in soothing mechanism, her thumb. She was always very happy to be in the world, and truly lit up any room she entered just by her very essence. Jordyn showed her Dad and I her tenacity and dedication in getting what she wanted without exceptions. When she was four years old, she told us that she wanted to be on T.V. We both smiled at her and said, “okay, sure honey.” Not good enough, she meant business. Jordyn was not going to take “okay” for an answer. She persevered. When she was six years old, we finally gave in, and hired an agent. Jordyn proved to us that she was going to do whatever it took to be successful. She has been taking acting classes steadily since that day, never wavering. Jordyn pushes herself in a way that amazes me. Her schedule is usually jam-packed with dance, acting classes, philanthropy, and of course a hefty school load. I watch in amazement how she is able to multi-task and succeed. She has been this way from a very young age. It is her true essence.
Jordyn has had the opportunity to be in several movies and commercials. I have witnessed first hand how she comes alive on set. It is clearly her love and passion. Performing is what makes Jordyn happy. She will never complain, no matter how long the hours are, she just wants to give it her all. I admire her tenacity and her eagerness to never give up on her passion.
Of course, Jordyn has experienced moments of discouragement and defeat. She has had her heartbroken over auditions, and rejections. This has helped her to become a strong, confident young woman who stands her ground and does not give into peer pressure. Where she gets this resilience is a mystery, but she carries it deep within herself. I’m grateful that it’s in her makeup because the underbelly of the entertainment business that she is passionate about is not for the faint of heart. Somehow my daughter carries a flame within her that keeps her going. I admire her beyond measure and of course the pride that I carry as her mother is a joy that words can’t ever convey.
