“All major religious traditions carry basically the same message, that is love, compassion and forgiveness the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.”~ Dalai Lama. ‘Tis Christmastime…that time of the year when we see, hear and smell those familiar sensations that take us back to a simpler, more innocent time. A […]
“And death shall have no dominion”~Dylan Thomas. One of the beauties of being transplanted from one culture to another at an early age (as I was) is that you learn very early to walk the line between two worlds. And it doesn’t seem strange. Children who learn to speak one language in the home, and […]
“Not what we have, but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.” ~Epicurus. In the 1980’s, Jamaica went through some challenging times. The Prime Minister (Michael Manley, a self-declared Socialist) had aligned himself too closely to Cuba’s Fidel for the US to be comfortable, and actions were taken to squeeze the country. The IMF and the […]
“When you practice gratefulness, there is a sense of respect toward others.”~Dalai Lama. Things were different when I was growing up. I see how easily I have moved into the ‘older generation’ category, reminiscing about how things used to be. But I remember the first time I wore long pants in the dead of winter […]
“The countenance of one man brighten up another; iron sharpen iron.”~ Joseph Hill. One of the problems with parenting is that you are mostly making it up as you go along. Children don’t come with a handbook. The way you were raised may influence you, but the world, the times and the social mores can […]
“There is only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self.” ~ Aldous Huxley. My brother was the only boy in our family, he was born after three girls. I was told that my purpose in life (I came after him) was to prevent him from being […]
“Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony.” ~Thomas Merton. My father loved music. He also loved to sing. And he sang in a beautiful tenor voice, although he could provide a little bass if necessary. Many people share at least two out of those three qualities! He grew […]
“People find meaning and redemption in the most unusual human connections.”~ Khaled Hosseini. Language is a tricky thing. Even when you think you speak the same language, words may have very different interpretations. People from the English-speaking world have to learn to avoid saying ‘football’ when in America. If you live in the US, although […]
“Put your heart, mind and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.” ~ Swami Sivananda. I always wanted to be a nurse. I had two dress-up outfits as a child. One was a cowgirl outfit. It came with the sheriff’s badge, a waistcoat, skirt and holster with gun. Oh yes, […]
“I would define, in brief, the poetry of words as the rhythmical creation of Beauty.”~ Edgar Allan Poe. As children we were taught the art of remembering by a number of tricks. Even without big theories of pedagogy, the old time teachers knew that if you presented information in rhyme or in song, it laid […]