Mackenzie Douthit McKee - Straightening My Crown: Conquering My Royal Mistakes

A POST HILL PRESS BOOK

ISBN: 978-1-64293-984-2

ISBN (eBook): 978-1-64293-985-9

Straightening My Crown:

Conquering My Royal Mistakes

2021 by Mackenzie Douthit McKee

All Rights Reserved

Cover Photo by Whitney Osborn

This is a work of nonfiction. All people, locations, events, and situations are portrayed to the best of the authors memory.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author and publisher.

Post Hill Press

New York Nashville

posthillpress.com

Published in the United States of America

To my mom, thank you for walking this earth as a perfect example of love, grace, passion, hope, and integrity. Everything I am today is because of the life lessons you taught me and the examples you set.

To my dad, thank you for showing me what being truly loved looks like. You are so full of strength, and it amazes me daily. You love your wife and kids more than any man I know. You are my superhero.

To my siblings, Whitney, Kaylee, Zeke, and Mike, who are full of grace and love.

To my grandma Jayne, who traveled the country to watch me compete and has always been a huge cheerleader in my life.

To Cayla for walking through every season of life with me.

To my kids, Gannon, Jaxie, and Broncs, for being my blessings and saving grace.

And to Josh, for being my best friend.

Contents

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3: 56

When I was first approached about writing this book, I had major reservations. I didnt know if I was ready to go through with it while taking care of my three kids, making an out-of-state move, and juggling two businesses of my own. Where could I possibly find the time to write a book?

Not only was time an issue, but I was also figuring out how to crawl out of a dark place. I was depressed and anxious, and everything was catching up to me at the same time. My moms death and some very public marital issues were splashed across the internet and tabloids, and it was all playing out on TV. I couldnt see the light at the end because I was stuck smack dab in the middle of that deep tunnel. Everyone had an opinion about me, my life, and the choices I had made, and they all seemed to believe every lie that was on the internet about me.

Ever since I can remember, I seem to make the wrong choices in life before learning to make better ones. Being diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and type 1 diabetes only complicated things more. However, I come from a very levelheaded, amazing family. They were loved and respected by everyone around them, and were active members of our community and church. My siblings saved themselves for marriage, while I got pregnant at sixteen. Even though it was hard to compare myself to them, I was thankful for the good examples they set for me, and no matter what, I knew they always had my back. I truly come from an amazing family.

I was also worried that with all my recent personal turmoil, my story wouldnt have a happy ending, and I felt that my readers (and I) deserved a happy ending.

Ive never learned things the easy way, and I often think about how my mom said I was just wired differently than my siblings. She made me realize, too, that being different is nothing to be ashamed of. She used to tell me that it was okay to stumble and fall now and then as long as I got back up. And if my crown falls off in the process, I need to pick it up, straighten it, and stand a little taller next time. Every time it slips and falls, it holds more value as I fix it and put it back on. My mom loved all kinds of womens empowerment quotes, and she would frequently tell my sisters and me to keep our chins up so our crowns wouldnt fall off. She wanted us to know our true worth and never be ashamed of who we are. There have been countless times my crown has been crooked, and its still a little crooked right now. Nobodys perfect, and we are all more alike than we know. But if I can learn from and conquer my mistakes (and Ive made some royal ones, believe me), anyone can. You might even notice that my cover photo is far from perfect, but it was important for me to show myself as I truly amwith minimal makeup and straightening my crown while a wave washes over me. My sister Whitney is a photographer, and she was willing (at eight months pregnant!) to get into the freezing water with me to catch that perfectly imperfect (unretouched) shot. I love her and the photo she captured for showing the real me.

Ive experienced amazing growth throughout my life. I could wait forever for the right time to write a book, but then it occurred to me that most of the important events in my life didnt happen at what most people would call the right time. But I also know my ups and downs have taught me to persevere and stay strong, and most importantly, theyve taught me who I am.

I hope that sharing my mistakes and what Ive learned might help others straighten their crowns too. We all just have to believe in ourselves and trust that our paths may be a little different from the paths of others and that everything will happen according to Gods plan. His plan isnt always the same as our own, but it is far bigger and better than anything we could ever imagine. Its up to us to be willing to stop, listen, and seek what His plan has in store for us. Since I always learn the hard way, maybe this was the perfect time to tell my story. After all, Id have to straighten my own crown first before I could help others straighten theirs.

Even though my relationship with God is an important part of who I am and what I believe, and I talk a lot about His love in this book, I want people to know that I never judge others for having beliefs that differ from my own. His grace is just too influential to who I am to ignore that part of my life. The Bible verses Ive included have helped me through tough times, so I wanted to share them with others.

And about that happy endingit might not arrive at the perfect time or in the easiest way, but I know my happy ending is coming. Im forging ahead on whatever path I need to take to get there, and Im ready to face any challenges headfirst with my crown held high.

But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.

Ephesians 4:7

I was sitting in my room after school, waiting for my mom to get home. Id just put the finishing touches on redecorating my walls with the latest posters from my favorite celebrity magazines. Like most sixteen-year-olds, I loved plastering the walls of my bedroom from top to bottom with posters of actors and actresses and music stars to jazz up my room and make me feel cool. One thing I always knew I got from my mom was my love for interior decorating. And since my house was where all my cheerleader friends hung out after school and had sleepovers, I had to make sure my bedroom always looked perfect. But this particular day, it was just me, and I knew for sure that although Beyonc and Hilary Duff were staring back at me from the wall, they certainly werent going to back me up when I told my mom the secret I was hiding. I had a feeling this might not go well.