#WeAreArity Wednesday: Tiffani Cook

What is the best superpower? 

My kids and I joke this all the time. I would like to be a mind reader, but I would rather move things with my mind, like all the money in the world to my bank account!

Tell us a little bit about your kids. 

I have three beautiful sons. Two in high school – a freshman and a junior in high school, and a middle schooler who’s in seventh grade. All teenagers, so a lot of excitement. All three play sports – football and track. So, we’re extremely busy and always on the go!

I just love them – I don’t know what I would do without them. They are definitely my happy place. I get sad about them growing up, but I’m excited about their future. They are very blessed young men. The years are flying by, and I’m enjoying every second!

Who is your favorite author?

My favorite author is Kimberla Lawson Roby. She has a series of books. She writes fiction. It can be a little bit messy like reality TV, but I love it. She’s a great writer.

Do you have a favorite book by her? 

Not really. She has a series, and just when you thought you read the best one, she comes out with another one that’s usually better! She’s been writing since the late 90s or early 2000s about a paster named Curtis Black – most of her books are around this pastor and his family. He’s been married several times, so each book is about a new wife and then it’s about his kids, a son and daughter. All of them are really good.

What is your favorite season? Why?

Fall because I love football! War Eagle! In Alabama, it’s super hot during the summers, and it can get cold during the winters – cold for me is anything below 50 degrees. Fall is just the right temperature. It’s just the right amount of hot and cold, it’s just the right amount of wind, it’s just the right amount of football. The only thing I don’t like about fall is raking leaves.

What would it take to give up your smartphone for a month?

A bomb month-long vacation on a resort in Cabo or Bora Bora for 30 days with my family. I would give up my phone for that in a heartbeat.

I’m not an addicted-to-my-phone person. I don’t do a lot of social media so it wouldn’t be hard at all. As long as I have the people I love around me, I’m good.

What do you do with the extra time working from home (WFH) that you wouldn’t get to do working in person? 

Laundry. It’s quick and simple. I can always throw something in the wash and throw something in the dryer. Also, I get to start dinner earlier.

When you are alone in the car, what volume is the music at?

When I’m alone in the car, my volume is at zero. I do not listen to the radio when I’m alone. If I’m listening to music in the car, I’m with my kids. When I get in the car and I’m by myself, I use that time to think or call my mom.

What is a good way to give back to the community? 

A good way to give back to the community – the first way – is to be a good person, and then really find things that you align with in the community. After you’re a good person, just see where you can make a difference.

It doesn’t have to be as big as working with an organization or committee. It can be as little as picking up a piece of trash on the sidewalk. Try to be a good citizen and role model behaviors for others, especially for the younger generation that’s watching you. That’s the easiest way to give back.

What is your favorite way to practice self-care? 

Definitely a pedicure. They’re never long enough!