Are you an independent person?

 Part 1...

I was born at a time when in this country and your birthday certificate said M… that is part African and part European… you were looked at differently by both groups. Your skin colour said you were ‘black’ but your mother’s skin tone said you were partially ‘white’ as a child, which was quite confusing.

The advantage for me was that my maternal grandmother raised me. I was quite comfortable with her as she was a strong, beautiful black woman. Hardworking, yes! A strict disciplinarian, a subsistence farmer, a pig farmer, she also raised goats and sheep; who refused to work for anyone. She ran her own restaurant business where she made meals from the produce from her farms. I learned so much from her, the biggest being how to be an independent person and make your own money. 

Despite being exposed to those different ways to make money, she emphasized education. She told her grandchildren that she knew the difference between a red tick and a red x.  So you had better bring home no or very few red xs. 

As a youngster she pushed school Monday through Friday, Saturday on the farm with her and Sunday Church, no questions asked that was your weekly guide. In addition to that, I was required to read to certain old people two days per week. I looked forward to this as this gave me time to learn history from the mouths of the elderly. All these shaped my life.

That strict upbringing had me teaching Sunday School at age nine. I love the Bible and the stories are so addictive. If you start with the Creation and then look at the Israelites slavery in Egypt to their release and journey to the Promise Land you can sit for hours and read it over and over. Sunday School teaching led me to young people’s meetings on Wednesday and Friday evenings to Mid Sunday Bible teachings. It was amazing how much you could learn each time you met with other young people.

Fast Forward to transition time from K- 12 to college, what did I want to study? Religion, and Language Arts. My passion, to teach people to read. I love to see how people’s faces light up when they can read. What did I study? Language Arts and Social Sciences [geography, history, religion].

After college I not only wanted to teach the areas I was trained in, I wanted to expose my students to travel. It was my passion, still is. Immediately I formed a travel club, the students who did not have passports, I made sure that they got them and the US visa to travel to the USA as that was the closest country to travel to. That first group of students went to Orlando, Florida to visit Disney World, Busch Gardens, and the Miami Zoo. I was so proud of them and the way they behaved outside of the country and outside of their parents’ influence.

During those first three years, I took a group of students somewhere every year. I was home and wanted to expose my home people.

Then I was transferred to another family island…

To be continued.

Please feel free to comment and express your views…

Have you ever had to become a caregiver for someone?

 I never thought that I would have to become a caregiver.

All of that changed a few months ago when my mother who lived with us for the past 6 years stopped walking. She was feeding herself but very slowly. In a few weeks, she could no longer do that. 

When those motor skills stopped it meant that the bathing and feeding had to be done by me. At first, I thought it would only be for a short while, well it's been months and because she was not moving on her own she developed sores on both of her legs at the hip level and one on her lower back.

These require daily cleansing and dressing. It's not easy. The sores must be drained cleaned and then dressed.

At times it must be painful as she screams.

She has to eat three times per day and given enough fluid to keep her hydrated.  

I have to push through it and ensure that it gets done.

If you have been a caregiver or if you are a caregiver and could share some tips with me, please do.

Thanks in advance.

 

Equality vs Equity

 Equality is not the same as Equity.

 

Our thoughts do control our destiny and what is for us will come through us.

 

And the most powerful person in your world is YOU. This is because you can either be a good God or a bad devil. When you meet your devil you can kick it out and replace it with the Divine Power within you.

 

Read Philippians 4:6 -Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

 

If these past 13 months taught us anything it would be how resilient we really are.

 

Set your own goals, or someone would set some for you.

 

Only you know what you truly need/want and only you know your true worth.

 

So, as of today, you determine what wealth is to you...

 

Ecclesiastes 10:19 says:-

"A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things."

 

And only you know how much money you really need, there is a difference between need and greed.

 

If you have 5 hundred, 5 thousand, 5 million, or 5 billion, you and only you can truly determine what is the correct amount for you.

 

When you chase money it develops wings and 'fly' away.

 

I watched a colleague spend $69,000 in less than a year and then wondered what it was spent on. I say, make a record of every penny you spend and you won't have to wonder.

 

So equality -the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, or opportunities.

And equity -that involves distributing resources based on the needs of the recipients.

The above are not the same...

 

Think about it.

The COVID 19 Vaccine.

 

In March 2020, it hit me hard. I was stuck at home without any indication of when I would be able to travel... everywhere was closed down due to Covid. It was like it had a mind of its own. Every time you turned on the television it was 'dread'. The number of deaths worldwide was staggering.

Every day you hoped for 'good news' or better news but no. It was the same thing over and over the number of deaths climbed. By mid-2020 it felt like Covid would spare us but no, the deaths continued. In my small country, we were praying and hoping for the rest of the world to turn around for the better. 

 We were all housebound. You could walk around your yard but confinement was pressing down on everyone. People could not run like they used to. They had assigned days to go to the grocery store. The governments and philanthropists stepped up to help those who were most destitute. Some people had not worked for more than six months. They had to do what they had never done before, depend on others for 'food' and livelihood.

 Then the end of 2020 came and there was talk about vaccines that would help to combat this 'disease' this virus that had wreaked so much havoc on the world's population.

 I looked at the light at the end of the tunnel and could not wait for the vaccine to reach my country. I followed what was happening in the other first-world countries closely [the positive].

 When the vaccines arrived in my country, I was elated. I wanted to be among the first to be vaccinated. But, living in an island nation, I knew it would be after the capitol city was introduced to the vaccine. I felt in my heart that the major islands would be next, and we were.

 On March 30 the vaccine arrived on our island. Despite all the talk by the people who said they were not taking it when I tried driving by the 'clinic' in my town I had to 'blow' my car horn to clear the road in order to pass. The same thing occurred on the 31.

 Well, I was not the first, nor second person to be vaccinated but on that second day 31 March, I was there and my entire immediate family received the first shot... I even put my aunt's name on the list and she was also vaccinated.

 I feel great. No pain.

 So, here's my advice to those of you who have not been vaccinated as yet... and to those of you who are skeptical, ask yourself the question would you rather be in a position to ward off the variants or would you want to be in the position of not knowing if you are infected whether or not you would live or die.

 Go back and check your medical records and see the number of vaccines your parents took you to have....measles, polio, and the number of times you were taken for a 'booster' shot. You who are now adults and have children of your own would you not want to give your children the chance that your parents gave you? Would you not want to be around as they are around...

 My suggestion to you...GET THE VACCINE!

Many People are Experiencing Hurt

 The Hurt That So Many People Are Experiencing...

When I was little my grandmother used to say that every 'crack teeth is not a smile'. Now I understand what she meant. You see so many people who 'show their teeth' as if they are happy. Many are not.

Many people give a 'fake' smile to throw others off. They don't really want anyone to know how much they are hurting.

I can recall the times when I saw some of my friends laughing out loud while in the crowd, but when they felt no one was looking the sadness took over. If you looked closer you could actually see the tears glistening in their eyes.

Despite all of this it is my belief that happiness starts within yourself. External factors may appear to contribute but it is always how you perceive and interact with whatever life throws at you.

In my profession as an educator, there were many days when I had to ensure that my students got something to eat. At times I would make sandwiches for them, purchase soups or just call home and ask one of my children to send me something for them. At other times I would just send a student to my home to fix something for a number of them to eat.

I made it a point to treat my homeroom class to a full meal as often as possible. I only asked that they pay it forward.

Today if we recall the parable of the Good Samaritan we will all remember that we are capable of doing good for anyone...

So, yea, in this Holy Week as we trace the walk from Palm Sunday through the crucifixion on 'Good Friday' to that Glorious Easter morn, let's remember that we are truly our brothers'/sisters' keeper.

Let's lift up those around us who are hurting.

God Bless.

Death...

 Right now, I reflect on death. Well, it is something that every family would encounter. 

Despite that fact, not all of us can say, 'I know how your feel.' It may not be the truth.

In the past four days, I learned about the death of one of my students, then within an hour about the death of a family member's mother, followed closely by news of the death of the mother of one of my dearest friends. 

Added to the deaths, because I live on a small island, I learned of friends who had to be flown to the capital city for medical reasons; heart attacks, respiratory discomfort, possible cancer. It seems as if everywhere one turns there are heartache and pain.

Yet there is a silver lining out there. There is a healer for the sick and a comforter for those in mourning. You may call Him God, Yahew, Jehovah, Allah, Jah... He is the one we can turn to for ultimate comfort.

In a week from Sunday Christians will celebrate the Resurrection of Christ...That tells us there is hope.

There is life beyond the grave.

In All Things and in all Situations ... Give Thanks... Show gratitude.

 Well... in my Blogging, I had 14 December as my date to write. I did not. Why? My Facebook account was hacked.

Today, I am officially putting that behind me and allowing the Universe, Karma, God to take care of that 'hacker'.

It's March 22nd, 2021. A new day, a new week.

There is so much to be grateful for and so much to look forward to.

What are you grateful for?

Is it the fact that you are alive and in good health?

Is it the fact that you have someplace to live, be it a home of your own, an apartment, a room in someone else's home?

Is it the fact that you have access to the COVID 19 Vaccine?

Is it the fact that you are one of the lucky people who have had the vaccine?

Is it the fact that you are bringing value to someone else, be it an elderly relative, a child in need, a stranger who needs directions?

Is it a beautiful day, sunshine, rain, what is it?

Is it the fact that you were able to eat today?

Is it the ability to see, to hear, to smell the freshness around you, to feel the breeze/sunshine on your face, is it tasting that meal your family member just fixed?

Is it the fact that you can read? Understand what you read? 

Is it that you are in school, in the physical space instead of being home and using a device?

2020 showed us the creation that we can no longer take anything for granted.

Upon awaking do you now remember to say thanks for the present of a new day?

As you go through your day, do you thank the waitress who served you at your favourite restaurant that you can now eat at, although social distancing?

As the day becomes night do you say thanks for the fact that you are still alive?

Bottom line, has 2020 taught you to become more grateful than ever?

Think about these things and if you haven't, start giving thanks.