“My fellow Americans, we are and always will be a nation of immigrants. We were strangers once, too.” ~ Barack Obama. I have spent more than 85% of my life living in a land that was not the land of my birth. Thus, as I recently posted on social media, I identify as Immigrant. My […]
“Mozart’s music is so pure and beautiful that I see it as a reflection of the inner beauty of the universe.” ~ Albert Einstein. Many years ago I attended a day of continuing education classes. All nurses must complete a certain number of hours every two years, in order to renew their nursing licenses. There […]
“You can go slow. Allow your dreams and goals to change, but live an intentional life.” ~ Kumail Nanjiani. Music and dance are entwined with memories of growing up in Jamaica. Noone ever dared suggest that as a white girl, I did not have rhythm, at least not that I ever heard. Nor did I […]
“We may give without loving, but we cannot love without giving.” ~ Bernard Meltzer. When I moved to South Florida in the late 70’s, it was the third big cultural shift I had made in my young (ish) life. My first move had been the most dramatic, emigrating from England to Jamaica at the age […]
“As I get older, the more I stay focused on the acceptance of myself and others, and choose compassion over judgment and curiosity over fear.” ~ Tracee Ellis Ross. I have a confession to make. On Friday mornings I get up with my phone, with notes to myself as my guide for what I will […]
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.” ~ Marcus Garvey. I became a teenager at a time of racial upheaval in the USA. It coincided with the growing consciousness (‘woke’-ness) in Jamaica of young people of African descent. Rastafarianism and awareness of African culture […]
“I say be careful what you teach the little childrenMake sure a nuh something to hurt themMind what yuh say to mi sistaShe could be the next Prime Minister” ~ Tony Rebel. My maternal great-grandfather was a self-made man. He left school early (as they did in those days) to be a bricklayer’s apprentice. He […]
“Father, fatherWe don’t need to escalateYou see, war is not the answerFor only love can conquer hate.” ~ Marvin Gaye. Twenty-five years ago, before my father started to show evidence of cognitive decline, one of my nephews got married. Three generations of the family were represented, and my father, although he no longer officiated at […]
“An awareness of one’s mortality can lead you to wake up and live an authentic, meaningful life.” ~ Bernie Siegel. When my father was in his mid-fifties, he had a heart attack. It sneaked up on him, aches and pains in his left shoulder, that he ascribed to driving up and down the winding country […]
“I’m like a recovering perfectionist. For me it’s one day at a time.” ~ Brene Brown. When I was eleven, I sat what was known as the ‘Common Entrance Exam’. This was in Jamaica, and was common to all British based educational systems. I forget how long it lasted, but it was a serious event, […]
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