The time has come for final reflections upon Miss Mississippi 2017. I can hardly wrap my mind around the last week. Truly, I cannot wrap my mind around the last two weeks of my life and the life of my family.

Indulge me for a moment as I take you through the last two weeks of our lives, because it has so much bearing on my pageant experience.

Long before my daughter won her preliminary, my choir in Jackson, the Mississippi Girlchoir, had been invited to sing in a world-premiere choral work at Carnegie Hall. Preparations for that trip had begun well over a year before the actual trip date.

In the meantime, I learned that Miss Mississippi would begin the same day that I was to return from New York, so I knew that I would not be able to perform hostess duties. What I didn’t know, however, was that my daughter would try one more time to win a preliminary and compete for Miss Mississippi.

Either way, I was going to be out of town for the first day of the pageant. From a hostess standpoint, not the end of the world; from a contestant mother’s standpoint, apocalyptic. OK, maybe too strong … how about “inconvenient?” Much better.

Missing those final days of packing, checking, labeling and errand running made me a nervous wreck.

We spent a lot of time on the phone, and many pictures were sent back and forth in order to match jewelry and shoes to this or that dress. Thanks to my wonderful husband, mother-in-law, son, and younger daughter, she was delivered to the Vicksburg Convention Center in one piece. 

Then came Sunday afternoon.

Sunday night, we were allowed to see her and tell her about my grandmother’s home going. Keep in mind I’ve just gotten off a plane from a trip to New York with minors in which I was in charge. No pressure there. Keep in mind as well, I had agreed to write a series of articles, but I’m not a journalist. Again, no pressure.

And now, instead of a nice nap, I would be attending visitation and the funeral of the most beloved person in my life. Anti-anxiety meds, anyone? 

All of this to say: we made it. I made it. I might sleep until next Thursday, but we made it. 

Miss Mississippi has been crowned, and she is wonderful. Allow me to speak about her personally.

When we moved to Vicksburg, she was the first friend my daughter made in Vacation Bible School at First Baptist Church that summer.

I still remember her coming over to where we were seated to make sure she spoke to Colby. She was a beautiful little girl with bright eyes and impeccable manners. She is now a beautiful young lady who shows the love of Christ in her speech and in her actions, and she exudes the graciousness that a Miss Mississippi should.

She will serve our state well, and we need not worry about how we will be perceived as long as she is on the job.

So here are my final thoughts: I’m glad it’s over, but I’m thankful for the experience. I watched my little girl attain a goal she set so long ago.

I had a front row seat to the most amazing display of volunteerism in our state, as hundreds of people worked to make our state pageant function. I had a unique voice to share about my passion for pageantry and how the best pageant system in the world, the Miss America Organization, helps mold young ladies into dynamic leaders of tomorrow. And, now, I get to rest … only 364 days until Miss Mississippi 2018. 

Kristy Brumfield is the mother of Colby Brumfield, who recently competed in the Miss Mississippi Pageant. Colby is the reigning Miss Warren County. Kristy has been associated with the pageant over the years, but this marks her first year as a “pageant mom.”