For Jordan

It doesn’t feel right to go forward with this blog without addressing the untimely loss of my friend, Jordan Daniels.

During the early hours of July 4th, 2022, Jordan, her father Johnathan, and her baby sister Jensen, lost their lives in a tragic house fire. I’ve been trying to find the right things to say, but they all seem to fall short of fully expressing this level of heartbreak. There simply are no words.

While I’ve only interacted with Jordan’s immediate family a handful of times, they always made sure to embrace me and make me feel welcomed and apart. Her father Dr. Daniels, AKA Buffalo’s favorite Pediatrician, took care of me and my siblings throughout our childhood spent in Buffalo. Her baby sister Jensen was funny, sweet, a bit of a firecracker, and the life of the party. I always enjoyed being around her. I had the pleasure of being able to witness their entire family dynamic while celebrating Jordan's graduation from Grad-school this past May. They radiated love and adoration for one another, and I remember silently telling myself that I hope to create a home as warm and as loving as The Daniel’s.

Jordan Alexandria Daniels was a beautiful soul inside and out. She was sweet, kind, silly, and caring. She was a dedicated daughter, cousin, friend, auntie, and God-mom. She was the historian, treasurer, and now, Guardian Angel, of The Girls Room. Jordan was SO smart and quick on her feet, as well as in-tuned and invested in her community and her people. She represented her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, with pride and grace, and was the definition of a true, ten-toes-down friend. She always showed up. She was a light. She was my friend.

I met Jordan through my best cousin-friend, Vanessa, who had invited me to join her and her co-worker crew to a Cinco-De-Mayo Bar Crawl on Allen in 2019. It was a few weeks out from my college graduation, and I was super stressed and needed the reprieve. I’m a very shy person and get anxious when it comes to meeting new people, but Jordan made sure that I felt welcomed and a part of their crew. A few weeks later, Jordan and Vanessa came to visit my house just to hang and drink wine. It was getting late, and within an hour of coming over, Jordan was fast asleep on my couch. As a professional napper myself, this solidified for me that she was my type of gal!

During the three years that I had the honor of spending time with Jordan, we’ve had many laughs, many talks, and made so many memories. Jordan wasn’t afraid to challenge herself and was always looking towards self-improvement. She wasn’t afraid to use her voice and encouraged her friends to celebrate themselves, have courage, show kindness, maintain their peace, and live in the moment.

It doesn’t feel right to speak about such an amazing person in past tense, and it never will. I wish that we had more time to make more memories, try out more new restaurants, and take more trips. More than anything, I wish that Jordan had the opportunity to see all her dreams and goals come to fruition.

Amidst this grief, however, I’m incredibly grateful for the time that we spent together, and to have had the opportunity to learn from, love on, and be loved on by Miss Jordan Alexandria Daniels.

Here are six things that I learned from Jordan, that I will always carry with me, and that I invite you to hold on to as well.

#1: Just breathe.

Jordan was great at grounding her friends. If you were upset or freaking out, Jordan knew just what to say to help bring you back to your center. She reminded us to take a step back, and to tackle the things

that we can control, one thing at a time.

#2: Organization is key!

Whether it was a trip, a surprise party, the annual Christmas Brunch or our monthly fancy-dinner outing: Jordan was going to make sure the details were ironed out. She was great for drafting up an excel workbook, chile!

#3: Remember to make space for your dreams.

Jordan was a dreamer. She made vision boards, knew what her goals were and knew what she had to do to achieve them. She wasn’t afraid to make space for them and was consistent about speaking life into her future, as well as the future of those who were closest to her heart. She was so optimistic, and her inner drive was infectious and inspiring.

#4: Don’t have sour cream? Plain, Greek yogurt will do the trick!

In 2021, our friend group took a weekend trip to New York City to celebrate Vanessa’s 25th birthday. That Saturday, we all went to a Mexican restaurant for lunch before exploring the city. This restaurant, however, had no sour cream, and the birthday girl was bummed. Jordan took it upon herself to leave the restaurant, go across the street to a drug-store, and came back with plain Greek yogurt as a substitute for sour cream. Personally, this was the first that I learned of this hack, and was *a lil* grossed out, but let Vanessa tell it, it works just fine!

#5: Always plan ahead!

Jordan was business minded, and always had a backup plan. If plan “A” fell through the cracks, she would have plans “B through Z” lined and up and ready to go. She always wanted to make sure that things ran as smoothly as possible, regardless of any hiccups that may occur. She was selfless and always wanted everyone to have a fun time when we were all together.

#6: Never settle for less, because you deserve the best.

One thing about Miss Jordan Daniels, she was going to treat herself. She worked hard, so she played hard because she knew that she deserved it. She was a “bad-and-bougie Barbie” who was dedicated to curating a lifestyle in which she felt her best inside and out. She always aimed to keep her nails, hair, and lashes on point. Even with the world burning and inflation kicking everyone’s behind, Jordan always found a way to make sure that she enjoyed & treated herself. She was a beautiful example of what it means to be humble, but to know your worth and consistently show up for yourself.

Jordan, I’ll love and miss you forever. Until we meet again, friend. ∞

If you would like to show support to the remaining immediate family members Mrs. Daniels & Jillian Daniels, Click the button below:

Click Here to Donate to the Daniel's Family Fundraiser