Category Global health and disparities

FMM 1 9 15 Left Luggage

FMM 1 9 15 Left Luggage “Nothing in the universe can stop you from letting go and starting over.” ~ Guy Finley. Jamaicans have a phrase, ‘two long hand’ which they use to describe a person who presents themselves with nothing to offer. Imagine you invite a guest over for a meal and they arrive […]

FMM 1 2 15 A New Attitude!

“And there is no new thing under the sun” ~Ecclesiastes 1:9  I woke up this morning to the sound of a rooster crowing.  This is unusual since I am currently in Bolton, a town on the outskirts of Manchester, England.  As I enjoy my annual trip to the land of my ancestors, I am struck […]

FMM 12 19 14 No assembly required

“Christmas, my child, is love in action. Every time we love, every time we give, it’s Christmas.” ~ Dale Evans For mothers of small children, Christmas can be a challenging time.  To read the words ‘batteries not included’  as a present is being opened on Christmas morning sends a tingle of panic as you realize […]

FMM 12 12 14 Lose the Conditions!

“The ultimate lesson all of us have to learn is unconditional love, which includes not only others but ourselves as well.”~ Elisabeth Kubler-Ross We all agree that love is a wonderful thing. If we are lucky we grow up surrounded by a loving family, and take love for granted. When we become adolescents it becomes […]

FMM 12 5 14 Where Healing Begins

“An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind.” ~Mahatma Gandhi. It is troubling to live in a world where injustice appears to be the norm. Where bad news is distressing but not surprising; where people of color (especially the males) have to think defensively and act as if anything they […]

FMM 11 28 14 With a Song in your Heart

“What day is it?” “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day,” said Pooh.” ~ A.A. Milne.   I had space in my day yesterday to discover the beauty of Dania Beach, and be grateful.  I could hear reggae music playing, not only in my mind (Beres singing “But I’m giving thanks”) but also from the beachside […]

FMM 11 21 14 Spiritual Whiplash

  “Flow with whatever may happen and let your mind be free.  Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing.  This is the ultimate.”~ Zhuangzi Going on vacation can be a big problem.  There are those who have a really hard time transitioning from their normal hectic routine to the lesser demands of recreation.  The […]

FMM 11 14 14 Strange Magic

“There’s a natural mystic blowing through the air”~Robert Nesta Marley.   For a long time I resented the author Terry McMillan (of Stella fame).   Her semi-autobiographical novel set in Jamaica came out not long after my first trip to my adopted home after fourteen years of exile.  I felt quite strongly that somehow the seed […]

FMM 10 31 14 Push Pause

 “We do not heal the past by dwelling there. We heal the past by living in the present.”~ Marianne Williamson.   We are addicted to technology.  Yesterday, I asked two different groups of students what something meant, and suggested that they look something up.  In both cases, a student immediately reached for their phone, not […]

FMM 10 24 14 Year of Rebirth

“Ah but I was so much older then, I’m younger than that now.”~ Bob Dylan   My daughter’s 35th birthday last weekend prompted my mind to scroll through pages of memories.  Not only of her childhood, but of a watershed year, one that followed my own 35th birthday.  For a start, I managed to get […]